Erinayooluwas Blog

Lampshades are often an afterthought when it comes to decorating a room, but can actually contribute greatly to the design and feel of your interior being a flexible way of adding colour and pattern. Find a whole range of lampshades in my ebay shop hunkydory home .

There are a number of things to bear in mind when purchasing a lampshade:

Fitting

Is your shade for a ceiling pendant light fitting, a side/table lamp or a standing lamp - it is important to make sure the shade you buy is suitable for its purpose as fittings may vary. Do you need a lampshade with UK standard fittings or are you looking for a shade to fit a base from Ikea or similar which use wider European (ES) fittings?

Size

If for a central ceiling pendant light bear in mind how large your room is, you don’t want a tiny shade that will be lost in the space, equally a large shade will dominate the space. Don’t forget that if you hang it too low some of your taller friends and family may bump their heads - I once had a beautfiul silk shade that was huge, but I hung it so low my husband used to have to walk around it! For a lamp base, the shade should skim the top of the base with no hardware or sockets visible when you look at your lamp whilst standing in the room.

Shape

The coolie/empire shapes are becoming less fashionable for ceiling lights being replaced by the more contemporary drum shape, but they still look great for a small beside lamp.

Light

If you want to use a glaring 100watt bulb, be sure that the shade you buy can take this high wattage, many shades advise a maximum of 60watt but some are as low as 40watt and therefore don’t allow much light through. Don’t opt for a dark coloured shade if you want a lot of light to shine through. I recommend using a max 60watt bulb with all of my shades.

Care

Lampshades are not the easiest things to clean and can attract dust. You can buy ‘lampshade cleaners’ which are basically a rubber sponge that brush the dust off. Otherwise a soft bristled paint brush should do the trick and some people even use the upholstery attachment of a vacuum cleaner, but having not tried this myself I would advise that you take care if using this method.

Don’t forget to look at my range of striking lampshades at www.hunkydoryhome.co.uk http://www.hunkydoryhome.co.uk .

Alison Ellerbrook runs ‘hunkydory home’ an online store selling some of the funkiest lampshades and coordinating cushions on the web!

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Being an aspiring and even a published author is not nearly as lucrative as you had hoped. It takes time and investment, mostly yours, to build a fan base and promote your name and your work. While you are busy planning, promoting and writing, you may have overlooked one very important money making opportunity. Every year, people throw millions away because they just don’t know any better. And who are they paying? Uncle Sam. That’s right, knowing the tax rules and how to take advantage them can save you a bundle of money. And that is money that you can re-invest to jump start that writing career of yours! What should you be doing to save everything possible each year related to your writing activities? I’m glad you asked.

Business or hobby

Is your writing a business or a hobby? That is the first question that you need to answer. If you are like many people who are aspiring to write for a living, you have a full-time or part-time job that must be maintained until the money begins to roll in from writing. Your writing activities produce little income, but the expense side of the ledger is often full of entries. The result is that your writing activities are costing you money, sometimes lots of money. Is there any way to make that red ink work for you? There certainly is, and here’s the key: If you are actively pursuing your writing as a business and expect (eventually) to make a profit, then the net of all that red ink can be used to reduce the money that you earn from your day job. For example, if you earn $40,000 from your “regular” job and you spend a net of $3,000 promoting and pursuing your writing activities, then you would be able to net the two amounts and pay taxes on only $37,000. In effect, you can fund your writing activities with before-tax dollars, reducing your overall tax bill to Uncle Sam. You don’t need to itemize your deductions to take advantage of this opportunity. This reduces your income before you get to your itemized deductions. The key is that you are engaging in a business with the intent to make a profit. Actually making a profit is not required.

If you are writing on a more casual basis, for enjoyment and fulfillment, and you do not expect to earn a profit, the IRS will view your writing activities as a hobby. In that case the losses that you suffer from your writing activities (the net red ink) can not be deducted against other items on your tax return.

Business expenses are deductible against other income you make, hobby costs are deductible only to the extent of the income you make from the activity.

So, you know that you are pursuing your writing dream with every intention that one day you will be a successful and money-making author. How do you show the IRS?

My next article will focus on ways to distinguish between carrying on a business and pursuing a hobby.

James Kavanagh is a CPA and an associate writer for eWritingToday, a site focusing on the writing community and helping writers and authors promote their work. Mr. Kavanagh is also an editor at Seven Sisters Publishing, a small press that focuses on unique ways to support its authors’ marketing efforts. If you have a completed manuscript that you would like to submit to a press active in supporting you after publication, go to Seven Sisters Publishing . Mr. Kavanagh may be reached at Jkav...@7sisterspublishing.com Jkav...@7sisterspublishing.com .

AFP - China vowed Sunday to step up security for the Beijing Olympics, warning of an unprecedented threat to the Games amid reports that two “terrorists” were executed in the mainly Muslim far northwest.

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Connecticut’s 18 year Senator Joes Lieberman has failed to win his own party’s primary for reelection. The figures are almost final, and country club liberal Ned Lamont has bested the Senator by 52% to 48%. The actual vote so far is 142,000 votes to 136,000 votes. How did Lamont get it done, and what does it mean for the country in the upcoming November election, and the financial markets?

Lieberman self-imploded by being out of touch with his own base. What makes the result more astounding is that he is one of only three sitting United States Senators to be denied his party’s nomination over the last 25 years. He was his party’s nominee for the Vice Presidency of the United States only six years ago. This is a man who ran for the Presidency itself only two years ago. In his mind when he ran for the Presidency he had to believe he was going to win that nomination, or he would not even have tried. How does a man like this who has spent his whole life in politics allow himself to be blown away by a novice who has been out of touch with everyday living for his entire life?

It is one thing to support several of President Bush’s policies. It is another to appear to be cozy, and even joined at the hip with a sitting President who has 58% disapproval rating among the American people. The first thing we must realize is that this primary was never about Ned Lamont. Mr. Lamont comes across as a physically attractive, affable individual. He is a trust fund descendent who traces his roots to his great grandfather Thomas William Lamont, who was a partner of JP Morgan and Company, when Mr. Morgan was the single most powerful financial banker in the entire world. Ned Lamont was educated at America’s finest private schools including Harvard and Yale where there are buildings named after members of his family. He lives in Greenwich, CT., a wealthy, insulated community if there ever was one.

It was fascinating, to see Ned Lamont declare victory with three African Americans behind standing immediately behind him, two of whom are household names, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, and Reverend Al Sharpton. What made it all the more interesting is that Greenwich has to have the smallest percentage of African Americans among its population set than any town of its size in America. Politics is indeed imitating art.

How did Lamont get it done? First, wrong question, he didn’t get it done. This campaign is the product of absolutely brilliant Internet bloggers with a liberal bias who motivated the grass roots to get out there and defeat Lieberman. Lamont could have been a one-eyed, peg legged pirate, and the liberals would have played it the same way. These bloggers mobilized outsiders including young people, and others to come into quiet Connecticut, and unseat the conservative Democratic sitting Senator, Mr. Lieberman. Thousands of independent voters were persuaded to switch from independent to Democratic to vote in this primary. Thousands more were registered for the first time.

It was a brilliant, well orchestrated, and in the end EFFECTIVE way to go. It demonstrates the joining of the Internet, and the power of the people. It is the beginning of the next wave in politics. It is as decisive, and perhaps more decisive than the advent of television, and the transformation of the Presidency when President John Kennedy became the first candidate to use that medium effectively. The day of Joe Lieberman’s defeat is the turning point of a new American politics based on Internet power.

I view this as a positive use of power. Mr. Lamont is irrelevant to this event. What is relevant is that giant sums of money will be raised by the Internet on behalf of candidates. I fervently hope that this will dwarf the money that is given by lobbyists who essentially have controlled this country for years. These lobbyists act not in the interests of the people, but in the interests, of certain isolated, wealthy, powerful interest groups. These groups want what they want with no thought whatsoever towards the needs of mainstream America.

Both of our political parties are in the grips of these private interests. The interests are different for each party but equally powerful. Does any Conservative Republican believe in his heart of hearts that the present Congress represents the philosophy of Conservative Republicanism? Barry Goldwater, Mr. Conservative would turn over in his grave if he saw what the current Congress has passed in the way of legislation, and the unprecedented amount of debt that has been piled onto our children’s futures. At the same time, the liberals do not present a viable, workable alternative, which is why they lost power during the 1994 Congressional election.

What does this mean for the financial markets in the United States? I suspect at the very least, the Democrats will pick up seats in both houses of Congress this coming November. The out of power party traditionally picks up anyway. With the tailwind of Iraq at the Democrats back, if they had any cohesive actionable plan, they would take both houses of Congress. I have yet to see such a plan, and the smart money says it is more likely that they will take one house, since the Democrats are still trying to figure out what they believe.

It is more likely they take the House of Representatives, and this then gives the NEW Democratic Chairmen of different House committees the POWER of Subpoena. The Democrats will exercise that power in an attempt to emasculate the sitting President, and they will effectively do just that. At the very least, this means GRIDLOCK, at the extreme, a move towards impeachment, probably on groups of violating constitutional law. They will relate it to privacy, and wiretapping through the National Security Agency. As far as the financial markets are concerned, they would LOVE gridlock to return.

A party that gives tens of billions of unnecessary dollars to insurance companies to act as an intermediary in a national drug program for the elderly does not deserve control of three branches of government. A party that has so seriously mismanaged the Iraq situation does not deserve control of three branches of government. A party that creates tax cuts is good in my opinion, but not a party that borrows hundreds of billions of dollars from foreigners. It then gives the cash to the rich class in America as tax cuts, and leaves the debt with your children. That party doesn’t deserve to control three branches of government. The financial markets will pick up on this, and react positively to the return of gridlock.

It’s going to be fascinating to see what poor Joe Lieberman has started, and by the way, wouldn’t it be surprising to see the following scenario. The Connecticut Republican nominee for Senator gives up the nomination. The Republicans nominate Joe Lieberman in his place, while he runs on the Independent line also. In the end Poor Joe, gets reelected after all in November.

Goodbye and good luck

Richard Stoyeck
www.stocksatbottom.com http://www.stocksatbottom.com
Richard Stoyeck’s background includes being a limited partner at Bear Stearns, Senior VP at Lehman Brothers, Kuhn Loeb, Arthur Andersen, and KPMG. Educated at Pace University, NYU, and Harvard University, today he runs Rockefeller Capital Partners and StocksAtBottom.com

Reuters - Dozens of partygoers at an outdoor ravenear Moscow last week have lost partial vision after a laserlight show burned their retinas, Russian health officials saidon Monday.

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Many get very excited with the very thought of retirement but with some the reaction is very negative, whenever there is a talk or discussion on retirement. Retirement is that stage of life where a working person gets a complete relief from his work and is a signal that he can stretch out his legs, resting to all glory.

Over the years there has been several changes, in peoples attitude towards retirement. Previously, nobody planned as to how they shall be spending their life after retirement but as for toady things have undergone a sea change. Now a days, every body has a full fledged plan in hand as to how life shall be after retirement. In fact such people sound very excited and enthusiastic, while discussing on retirement. For the seniors of today, retirement is almost an opposite concept compared to those a few years ago. Mention may be made of the seniors of Florida, Arizona and Texas, who even at the age of their age of retirement, seems to be as healthy as their grand children.

In some exceptional cases, retirement to some may come as an emotional moment. It makes them feel different and to some extend lonely as they shall no more be in the company of all those people who had almost become a family. But looking at it from a different perspective, it also gives them the privilege of spending time with all those people whom they had been avoiding all this while, especially the family, who has always craved for their presence.

Retirement also has a different part to it, which is called semi-retirement. This is a stage where the person has no other option than to apply for a retirement, as his physical conditions do not allow him to work any more. It could happen in cases where he is either suffering for a disease or has met with an accident.

As far as the age for retirement is concerned it varies from country to country. But usually it comes between the age of 55 to 70. Some countries have a different retirement age for their male and female employees. For the Americans the retirement age is 65. Retirement plans are always mentioned in the company rule books and a person joining the company knows it from the very start as to when shall he be retiring.

Not everybody enjoys the phase of retirement. To some it comes as a thing of utter sorrow. This is for the simple reason that their and their family’s survival, completely depends on their job, and retirement puts an end to all their survival strategies. But as for today, there is little to worry about survival after retirement, as there are several after retirement plans available.

Survival after retirement

Retirement is not something that comes all of a sudden. It is something that a person knows of from the very beginning. Thus it is very essential to plan your life savings, so that you don’t sit penniless at home the moment you retire. With the change in times and progressments around, life after retirement can be spend in the most beneficial and meaningful way.

Pension is the most common thing that is prevalent in almost all the countries. Seniors get their pension which is a kind of steady income that he/she receives on a decided date. This pension is a sponsored facility, either by the government or by an organization.

The IRA ( Individual Retirement Account) is yet another option available. These are accessed through an individual’s bank accounts or the mutual funds. There are two kinds of IRAs available- Roth IRA and the Traditional IRA. This is yet another very good option to save money for life after retirement.

For all those seniors who need medical assistance after retirement and are left with very little helping hands as well as resources, can drop them selves in retirement homes. This is one place where the retired people can have the kind of freedom they wish to and the proper medical assistance.

Money companies have the facility of PF (Provident Fund) which is a very secure option for the people retiring. Certain amount of money gets deducted from a person’s salary every month which gets deposited into his PF account. This is one very good security measure where the employee gets all the money at a time after retirement.

Life after retirement

Think about all those interest of your’s you could not pay attention to in your life time. Divert all your attention to those. Be it your interest in music or dance, this is the right time for it.

Get into all those adventures that you love and something which you could not thin about due to your busy schedules at work.

Meet up all those people who went unnoticed all this while and give your 100% to your family, as they have always needed you the most.

Get into social work, helping people around you and try to keep your self engaged.

Travel to all possible places and admire the beauty of nature and the beautiful things made by god.

You could also open up a small business of your’s that would help to kill time and add in some money.

Seniors have lots of monetary and leisurely options left to their disposal. It all depends on an individual and the way he/she takes situations. Retirement is never a curse, In fact it is a boon in most of the cases. Positive thinking is very essential.

Sean Carter writes on www.123greetings.com/business/retirement/ http://www.123greetings.com/business/retirement/ www.123greetings.com/encouragement_and_inspiration/ http://www.123greetings.com/encouragement_and_inspiration/ family, relationships ,women issues,religion, love and friendship. He also writes on holidays and celebrations around the world. He is a writer with special interest in ecard industry. He writes for www.123greetings.com http://www.123greetings.com .

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Excuse #1: I don’t have a place to write.

Really? No desk? No chair? No coffee shop nearby?

Or could it be that not finding “the spot” is an easy way to put off or avoid all together working on your book? You don’t need a PhD in psychology to see where this is going.

Publishing a book is a big deal. It can be exhilarating and overwhelming at the same time—especially if you aren’t familiar with the process. It’s no wonder you’re a bit hesitant to dive in.

Stop waiting to find the perfect place to write. Not going to happen. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s talk about how to identify where you can write.

A writing space should provide you with: minimum potential for interruption, comfortable place to sit, writing surface and adequate lighting. Beyond that, it’s important that you are inspired in some way by the environs. Could be the library, a park bench, a coffee shop or a hidden corner of your basement.

Once you’ve found that, start working. You can enhance the experience of the space over with special trinkets, writing tools etc. You can even wear your bunny slippers. Whatever makes the time and space draw you in.

Excuse #2: I don’t feel inspired.

You’ve been watching way too many movies. In the beginning, it’s not about inspiration. It’s about permission and persuasion-persuading yourself to show up at a designated spot at a designated time and do what you can.

In the beginning the process of creating your book is more about pushing. You will need to push yourself to keep at it. Some days that will be a gentle nudge, others a full force shove. Then, as the book moves from being random pieces of material to more of a cohesive whole, you’ll be pulled to work on it. Once the book compels you to work on it, you won’t be able to imagine ever having been stuck.

Excuse #3: Everyone tells me I won’t get published anyway

Prone to exaggeration are you? Everyone? Now, for the remaining people in your sphere of influence who actually have the nerve to say that to your face…

? What makes them the experts?
? Did they try and fail to publish?
? What qualifies them to be your yardstick?

Excuse #4: I don’t have time.

Like mom used to say, where there’s a will, there’s a way.

Renowned turn of the century author Kate Chopin wrote very rapidly and without much revision. She usually worked in her home surrounded by her six children.

Whatever obstacles to time management you’re facing, Kate’s got you beat. Deal with it.

Excuse #5: I don’t have anything new to say.

It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it. Visit a bookstore and spend some time looking at sections of books on one of your favorite subjects. Take note of the different approaches authors have taken. Then, look on the shelf where your book would be and do the same thing.

Excuse #6: I’m afraid I will say everything in a book and then people won’t need me to provide a service, or my competitors will take all my ideas.

Either you are comfortable putting your ideas out into the world, or not. That’s something you need to decide. However, at the risk of oversimplifying, may I say: paranoia just never ends well.

Theft of proprietary ideas is another thing. However, if someone uses or adapts your great ideas, well, you’ve just raised the bar for everyone. Your competition may or may not execute those ideas as well as you do. They may do it better and raise the bar for you. That’s life. Get over it.

As far as making yourself obsolete? Not likely. A book can layout the basics, it can’t connect the dots. Most of your clients love you and continue to pay you because you help them connect the dots.

Excuse #7: I’m too scared to start.

What’s the worst thing that could happen if you start? In my world view, that would be something on the order of causing the earth to fly off its axis of rotation. So, unless something of that caliber is likely to be set in motion by putting your toe in the water, go for it.

Excuse #8: I have so many ideas and I don’t know which one is the best. I don’t want to start work on any of them until I do.

There’s a distinct difference between creating your book and writing your manuscript. The creative endeavor doesn’t have limitations and how much you can explore. Catalog all of your ideas, then create outlines and concept maps. You’ll begin to see which ideas are most viable and compelling to you. You’re going to spend a lot of time on this material; it helps if there’s chemistry between the two of you.

Excuse #9: I don’t know if I have enough to say to make a whole book.

Maybe you really don’t have enough material for a book. Maybe what you’ve got is an essay, an article, or a class. Until you start writing the manuscript it’s all intellectual capital there for you to shape into the appropriate form and structure.

And once that idea is out of your head, who knows what will take its place?

Excuse #10: I want to write a book but my husband / wife / mother / father / kids / sister / brother / friends / co-workers says it’s a waste of time.

Of course they think it’s a waste of your time; it’s time that won’t be spent with them; time that won’t be spent doing things they value; and time that won’t be spent on something they even have a context for. Jealous. Jealous. Jealous.

Take it as a (backward) complement, not a discouragement, thank them for their input and move on.

Gail Richards is the Founder of AuthorSmart.com http://AuthorSmart.com , a clearinghouse of information, education and resources for authors seeking navigational assistance on their publishing journey. As a life long writer, she is passionate about helping authors share their wisdom and intellectual capital with the world by helping them find a path from idea to successfully published book.

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To win a game of Texas Hold’em you need to understand that it involves strategy and wit. You will need to use mathematics, cunning and skills for success. Here are a few things to keep in mind when trying to improve your game.

Reading will improve your game

To play you must read as much as you can to get a feel of how this game is played. It is not enough to concentrate on just one style or one person’s experience. Read everything you can.

Continue to practice your Texas Hold’em Strategy

Play as much as you can to practice the skills you’ve got and to develop new ones. Playing Texas Hold’ems as much as you can helps you improve your skills as well as your confidence. Confidence becomes a necessary tool when things are not going so well.

Understand all your options

You must learn all the options of the Texas Hold’em Strategy. Beginners would learn best on the free tables but after a while you will have to get onto the high stakes tables to learn more. When playing on the free tables there is no risk involved so people tend to bluff a lot. This is not the only option. There is also the option of checking or folding among others.

Play Real Stakes to understand the game

It is a good idea to continue to practice on the free tables but when you can get on the high stakes tables to learn other skills from players. On a table where high risk is involved there will naturally be players of a higher caliber so you will learn to be more effective in your game.

Switch styles to help your strategy

Change your style. If you play different styles you will improve your game. Try being careful at the beginning of a game and then become more aggressive as the game progresses. Observe how others react to this change of style. This method keeps others in the dark about your strategy and helps your game.

See how others play.

Observe others play the game. The purpose of Texas Hold’em is to win money. If someone is winning money, learn how they play and make it a part of your strategy.

Jane Wyvern is an established freelance writer. You can find more of her writing at www.texasholdem-help.com http://www.texasholdem-help.com and www.casinokick.com http://www.casinokick.com .

AP - The Chicago Cubs tied the National League record for most players on an All-Star team when Carlos Marmol was selected Sunday to replace teammate Kerry Wood, becoming the eighth player picked for the team.

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When you take out a loan, it is likely that you will be offered loan insurance to protect your payments should you be unable to keep up with them due to illness or unemployment. However, many of the loan insurance policies on offer cover you for very little and are extremely expensive. If you want to find out what you should be paying for loan insurance and what to avoid then this article can help you to decide.

What is loan insurance?

Loan insurance is often known as payment protection insurance or PPI. This type of insurance covers you if you cannot make your loan payments because of an accident, illness or involuntary unemployment.

How much does it cost?

The price of loan insurance can vary greatly, but is usually added as an extra to your payments each month. Although the payment figure might look small, if you add it to the total loan amount and then add interest the number can seem much more.

Hidden costs

Although a loan might seem cheap, when payment protection is added the loan price can increase significantly. For instance, the amount you pay back on a ?5000 loan over 5 years can increase by over ?1,500 when loan insurance is added. Often, loan insurance is added without you knowing about it, which means you are paying for something you didn’t even ask for.

The benefits

Despite its high cost, there are some benefits to loan insurance. It can give you the peace of mind that if something should happen to you then your payments are covered for up to a year. This means that you won’t be in financial difficulty or risk default if you are ill or injured. If this sort of security is important to you then loan insurance is probably a good idea.

Lack of cover

Although it can give you peace of mind that you will be covered, loan insurance has extremely limited coverage. For example, if you are self employed it is unlikely that the unemployment clauses will cover you unless your business has ceased trading. Before getting any loan insurance you should check that you are covered for the things that are important to you, otherwise the policy is not worthwhile.

Alternatives

There are some alternatives to loan insurance that are usually cheaper. Firstly, you can usually get the same sort of loan insurance cover independently from your loan provider. The price of this insurance is usually much lower than the price offered by your insurance company. Also, some of the clauses of the loan insurance may already be covered under other insurance policies that you have. Loan insurance can be worthwhile, but unless you are covered and can get the insurance for a good price then it is usually not worth having. However, if you shop around and know exactly what you need to be covered for, you can find insurance that will cover you in the event that you cannot keep up with your loan repayments.

Peter Kenny is a writer for creditcards-gb. For additional articles and an extensive resource for everything about credit cards, please visit us at www.creditcards-gb.co.uk http://www.creditcards-gb.co.uk and www.thriftyscot.co.uk/Insurance/ http://www.thriftyscot.co.uk/Insurance/

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Many cigar smokers enjoy a stogie with a nice bottle of wine or a full glass of whiskey. Others enjoy pairing a stick with a strong beer or setting a cigar up with a sweet girl named Brandy. Then there are those who simply think cigars and coffee are the ideal combo: move over Wheaties, there’s a new breakfast of champions.

This may seem odd, coffee and cigars are so different. Yet, this is often the case when it comes to consumption. From eggs and ham to French fries and chocolate malts, from wine and cheese to peanut butter and jelly, the world is full of very different things that enhance each other.

Though it may seem to be a recent trend, the coffee and cigar match up has been brewing for years.

It is no coincidence that history saw tobacco and coffee gaining popularity at the same time: people knew from the start that cigars were good with a cup of Joe. However, seeing how we have already detailed the history of the tobacco seed (hi, Christopher Columbus), this article will talk about the history of the other. Coffee, this mug’s for you.

Your Cup Runneth Over

Throughout the ages, coffee has been good to the last drop, the best part of waking up, and filled to the brim. For many of us, coffee is conducive to our morning functioning: we can’t leave home without it in our system. This aside, most of us don’t really know that much about coffee, other than how we take it. Not only is coffee rich in flavor and aroma, but it is also rich in past. From the cafes of centuries of yore to present-day Starbucks, where exactly has coffee bean, er, been?

Grinding Out a New Drink

The history of coffee goes all the way back to the 9th century, perhaps even further. No one is completely certain how it was discovered, making the way for several legends. The most well-known legend involves an Ethiopian goat herder named Kaldi who spotted goats eating coffee berries in the highlands of Ethiopia. He noticed that after the goats ate the berries they possessed more spunk and alertness. Kaldi followed the goats lead and ingested the berries himself: he immediately felt more energetic.

>From Ethiopia, coffee was distributed to Yemen, Egypt, Turkey and Persia. Despite its dispersal - and the opening of the first coffee house in 1457 Constantinople -coffee was not well received, at least not at first. By 1511, the rulers of the court in Mecca deemed it forbidden, believing that its stimulating effects were sinful. Coffee, however, had a great amount of fans and just 13 years later, the ban was removed by Ottoman Turkish Sultan Selim I.

In 1532, Egypt saw a similar ban as places that served coffee and warehouses filled with coffee beans were destroyed. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church also banned coffee around the 17th century, believing its consumption mirrored some sort of pagan ritual.

Coffee, as a word, is believed to have been derived from the Italian word caffe sometime around 1600. Filtered throughout the ages, the word caffe was produced using Turkish and Arabic words, words that translated to mean the wine of the bean.

Europe of Bust

>From the Middle East, coffee made its way to 17th century Europe where it quickly gained popularity. This momentum was spearheaded by the Dutch, who started to import coffee in large quantities and grow it in Java, an island they (at the time) possessed. Coffee was not only thought of as a stimulant, but it was also thought of as everything from a medicine to a luxury.

Coffee came to the American colonies from Europe. Here, it was received with less than open arms: the colonists preferred alcohol. This opinion, however, changed when the rest of the world changed: during the American Revolutionary War.

As Americans fought British forces, the demand for coffee skyrocketed. This demand was largely do to the reduction of available tea (compounded by the 90,000 pounds thrown in the Boston Harbor). Once Americans began to replace tea with coffee, they developed a liking.

The taste buds of America looked even more favorably upon coffee during the 19th century. This was catapulted by both the War of 1812, in which access to tea was cut off temporarily, and the Civil War, where coffee reached one of its highest demands.

As the Americans were perfecting their taste for the bean, the Brazilians were perfecting the bean itself. In 1727, Brazil built the first coffee plantation and, by the early 1800’s, their coffee was quickly becoming some of the best in the world. They took it from being a stimulant, to being a drink for the mouths of the masses.

Today, in America and otherwise, coffee flows like water. Not only is it produced in a variety of regions, but it is a major economic staple for many countries, particularly third world countries, and has succeeded in going from being a drink to being the center of many social gatherings. In the US alone, over six billion gallons of coffee are consumed annually. This amounts to over 22 gallons a person, leaving drinkers both awake and in need of a bathroom.

Jennifer Jordan is an editor and staff writer for www.whatsknottolove.com http://www.whatsknottolove.com . At home in a design firm in Denver, Colorado, she writes articles specific to the finer things in life.

Reuters - A U.S government plan to shore up mortgage finance firms Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac helped calm markets on Monday but did little to allay fears about the health of the U.S. financial system.

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Whatever your interest in interior design, London is likely to have what you are looking for. Maybe you are seeking inspiration and imaginative tips on interior design for your own home or you are an interior designer and want to promote your own work, or perhaps you want to hire the services of a professional designer or even study interior design yourself, no matter what your need is, there is no better place to satisfy it than from the design capital of the UK itself, London.

Visiting Exhibitions in London

London hosts a number of exciting exhibitions every year, some of which focus on a specific area of interior design and others that are broader in their approach. Exhibitions serve many purposes, they can showcase new talent and fresh ideas from up and coming interior designers often alongside the work of already well established and highly sought after designers in the industry, they highlight the latest fashions and trends, spark new creative ways of thinking, provide opportunities to network and increase business sales and of course they offer the chance to view the work of some of the best interior designers in the world.

The following list represents just three Interior Design Exhibitions that regularly take place in London:

* 100 Percent Design - Exhibition usually takes place in September over 3 days and is open to the general public on one of those days. More information can be found at www.100percentdesign.co.uk

* Decorex - This exhibition also takes place each September but is only for trade and professionals in the interior design industry. Details of the next exhibition can be found at www.decorex.co.uk

* New Designers Exhibition - opens to the public and exhibits the work of thousands of new and up and coming designers every July. You can find out more information from www.newdesigners.co.uk

There are of course many other exhibitions taking place throughout the year and a list of them can be viewed on The British Interior Design Association website at www.bida.org

Hiring a professional Interior Designer

Many of us would like to transform our own home and although we may start out with great ideas and intentions, quite a few of us never actually get around to doing anything about it. Hiring a professional interior designer is one way of getting it done and if you don’t have someone in mind already; one place to start looking is The British Interior Design Association. The BDA keep a list on their site of interior designers who are either registered members or associated members.

Registered members are the most qualified and have the most experience as in order to get registered they have to satisfy the Association’s strict criteria. An Associate member has to have been working in the industry for at least a year and will have passed the association’s interview process for membership. You can search for an interior designer at www.bida.org.

Another option is The Interior Design Handbook website at www.interiordesign.com, where you can search a list of potential designers by location as well as speciality. You will also be able to view their profiles online.

Studying Interior design in London

London offers hundreds of courses on various aspects of interior design starting from the most basic right through to graduate degrees and beyond and so finding the right one can seem like a daunting task but it needn’t be if you know where to look.

A small sample of interior design schools in London include:

* The KLC school of Design
* The AIU School of Interior Design
* The Interior Design School

You could also try searching for other courses at www.floodlight.co.uk, which is the official guide to all the different adult education courses on offer throughout London. UCAS will also be able to provide you with comprehensive information on different undergraduate courses that are interior design related and what colleges and universities are offering these courses.

Why London for Interior Design?

London attracts a wealth of talent and creative thinking within the interior design Industry and is an important springboard for launching the very latest designs from some of the best interior designers in the world. London also provides endless opportunities for up and coming interior designers to showcase and promote their own work and can be a source of inspiration for anyone interested in interior design at any level.

David McEvoy is an expert in interior design. If you are looking for a leather sofa to give the finishing touches to a newly decorated room then please come and visit our site www.leathersofa.uk.com http://www.leathersofa.uk.com

AP - Former Sen. Jesse Helms, an unyielding champion of the conservative movement who spent three combative and sometimes caustic decades in Congress, where he relished his battles against liberals, Communists and occasionally a fellow Republican, died on the Fourth of July. He was 86.

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When the question of the best comes, then everything has to be perfect. Be it the interiors, choice of furniture, food court, drinks or the lighting, the best steakhouse in USA or anywhere else has to have everything of the highest quality. Do you love eating beef meat? If you are, then finding out the best steakhouse will not be a problem for you. You may be eating everyday at home, but sometimes eating in the best steakhouse can be a very good dinning experience. This is because you tend to dine in the special environment.

Steakhouses are famous all over for providing the best cooked steak to customers. Steak is one of the most inviting and the best features of a steakhouse. The best steakhouse owner has to take care that different variety of steak food should be a part of their menu card. It is because the more and more delicacies available for the customers will enable them to gain more recognition. The beef products and the sea food have to be prepared in different styles, so that the customers can have so many dishes to choose from.

People residing in USA have a special liking for beef products. The juicy and lip-smacking dishes attract customers. Suppose the food court is great in your best steakhouse and its interiors are shabbily done. There are numerous customers that are quite fussy about the d?cor of the steakhouse they are visiting. They might think that they have come to enjoy the food in such an awful restaurant. Now, the impression of the owner of the steakhouse will be completely destroyed. It is because he or she will get bad remarks and may tend to loose the business also.

Customers want that the dining experience that they have at the steakhouse be a memorable one. Even the steakhouse owner has to think that, he has to cater to a wide group of people and he has to offer everything of excellent quality. A best steakhouse acts as the base for profitable client’s relationship. The owner and the client develop a special kind of bonding due to the outstanding quality of services. It is the specialized features of the best steakhouse that compels the customers to come again and again. Obviously, the customer will visit the steakhouse on a regular basis only, if he or she is satisfied with its products and services.

The best steakhouse can be the idol place not only for having quite luncheons or dinners. They can be the best place for partying also. Well, the word partying calls for celebrations, music, dance and good food of course. In the matter of party, the best steakhouse owner should taka care of including some of the rare specialties of their restaurant. This will lend distinctiveness to your steakhouse. Apart from being adding distinctiveness to the party, the best steakhouse owner has to arrange for the best decorations. After all, the party has to be wonderful and the most memorable day of your life.

Neil Folley holds a Masters Degree in Hotel Management. He loves good food and arranging private parties. He is working for Markjosephsteakhouse. To enjoy food and hot soups in Best Steakhouse USA and book for Sunday private parties visit www.markjosephsteakhouse.com http://www.markjosephsteakhouse.com .

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