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What is the Best Steam Mop on the Market For Hardwood and Laminate Floor?

When it comes to finding the best steam mop on the market, there is many factors you should consider. I just bought 2 different models, now we have 2 properties and I can’t believe the difference between them, for a $50 difference in cost.

There is more to one of these than performance, because you do not want to be lugging a bulky, hard to store device around the house. At the same time, you also want to find a model that is easy to use, has lots of steam made fast and is reliable. You need a flexible, swivel head that gets into all the corners to clean well, while saving you moving around as much yourself. I took all those factors into consideration while figuring out, what is the best steam mop on the market?

Let’s take a look at some of the more popular appliances on the market today. I’ll wriet more about three good ones, all picked for different reasons, then you can decide which best fits your needs. I have also included some highly rated selections for specific flooring and household needs to save you time looking if the others are not what you are after.

Top-rated best selling steam mops to buy

These are your basic best sellers, but are highly rated too. You will see the Hoover Twin Tank at the top of nearly every flooring category you can think of and we are very impressed with ours.

It is great, very versaile and easy to manoeuver if you have dining chairs to go around and lots of furniture legs. Also, with the second tank full of the Hoover cleaning fluid, we were able to clean a disasterous textured white lino kitchen floor in just minutes, instead of the usual 1 hour or more on hands and knees with a brush and industrial cleaner. Maybe it will get done more often now!Best Steam Mop

Haan Slim & Light Floor Sanitizer and Vapor Steamer

This slim and sleek unit can fit into spaces where most others cannot, which is why it got such high ratings on Amazon.com, 4 and a half stars from nearly 300 reviewers.

Not only is it easy to store, easy to use, but it kills 99.9% of germs on the floor, which is very important.

Best Steam MopIt uses no chemicals, it is easy to clean, and it starts up very quickly. The average startup time is 3 minutes.

These are top notch, reliable, and well design and reviewers say they would buy them again. Mainly because they are effective and clean well, are light and easy to handle and are great value for money.

 

SteamFast SF-142 Multi-Surface

The SteamFast SF-142 Multi Surface is top rated and ideal due to the fact that it can be used on all types of hard floors including tile, marble, linoleum, and sealed hardwood, but can also be used for low pile carpeting, which not many steam mops can. So whether you are cleaning the bathroom and kitchen tile or the hardwood or laminate in the living areas, this mop should suit you to a tee.

It is easy to use, it is ready to go in minutes. It also comes with the fast absorbing Microfiber Cloths to ensure your home dries quickly. When you are done it can be quickly and easily stored away.

More Well reviewed SteamFast Floor Mops

Not having to wait for steam is actually quite important when you want to get on and clean, and if you are impatient like me. After refilling the water tank you have to wait each time, so if you have a larger home, get the fastest steam time you can and/or the largest water tank.
Best Steam MopSteamFast SF-292 Multi-Pu…
Best Steam MopSteamfast 3 In1 Steam Mop

Dirt Devil Easy Steam Fixed Handle

When it comes to appliances, the Dirt Devil brand is a trusted and proven brand. This cost efficient appliance offers a steady cleaning power that it is ready to go in only 30 seconds, which is great if you have a big house and need to do multiple tank fills with water.

Not only that, but the continuous stream, distributes evenly across the entire pad surface, which reduces streaks and smears. With the pivoting V shaped head you will be able to get into all the tight spots and corners of your home.

The contoured loop grip handle makes it easy to use, and the sleek design makes it easy to store. Along with a 1 year warranty, you cannot go wrong with this steam cleaning appliance. It is a basic economy model less than $50, sometimes reviewers are harsh on the budget mop.

More inexpensive Dirt Devil Steam Mops
Dirt devil always amazes me with their low prices. They may not last forever, but give you a decent new product when you need an unexpected replacement fast. These are quite well reviewed despite the low prices.
Best Steam Mop
Best Steam MopDirt Devil PD20000B Easy
Best Steam MopDirt Devil PD20005 Hand H

Ready to start shopping?

So when you ask yourself, what is the best carpet cleaner solution, you must think of what is most important to you in features and something to suit your budge,  But these 3 models offer a little bit of everything, so this will make it easier to find the best cleaner for the money.

Conclusion

As more homes go towards carpet-free flooring in an effort to reduce allergens, dust and make cleaning easier, these are a vital part of that simple cleanup. Once you get away from fitted carpets, you many want a combination of tile and wood flooring, and these will clean all with ease taking way less water and time than traditional mopping.

Get Rocking with Armor Mine Bluetooth Shower Speaker

Armor Mine Bluetooth speaker is a dream come true speaker for me because it is an IPX5 rated speaker, something I had been vying for use in my bathroom for quite some time now. I don’t know why, but one trend I have noticed is that most people start humming songs as soon as they enter the bathroom, I do, too. Now that I have a shower speaker with me, I am happy to sing along with my favorite singer while I shower. I even press the buttons with my hands wet to change tracks or attend calls without any reservations because it is a water resistant speaker.

A Glimpse of the Best Features of Armor Mine Bluetooth Speaker

  • One of the good things about this speaker is its easy compatibility with any Bluetooth enabled device coupled with the presence of NFC for easy pairing.
  • Another interesting feature is the sound quality of this speaker in spite of its small size. You will be surprised to hear hi-fi bass as if you are listening from a much larger speaker.
  • It is no surprise that it is IPX5 rated, which means it is a water resistant speaker. Jets of water coming from any angle cannot pass through it. However, note that it is not submersible in water. In addition to that, it is a shockproof speaker. Even if this speaker tumbles out of your cupboard or shelf, you need not have any tension because it will not break easily unlike others.
  • The battery of this speaker is only 500mAh rechargeable battery. However, you can conveniently stream non-stop music for 03 to 04 hours before the next charge.
  • This speaker has an in-built microphone for hands free calls, just like many other Bluetooth speakers do.
  • The dimension of this speaker is 3.5” X 3.5” X 2.6”, small enough to hold comfortably in your hands. It also has a shoe lace type rope for hanging the speaker on to branches of trees or projections. At a minimal weight of 8.64 ounces, its weight factor on your backpack is negligible.
  • The box-shaped speaker is very attractive look wise. This speaker is available in green, black, and blue so that buyers have more options to choose. The exterior of this speaker is well covered with silicone, which acts both as shockproof and dustproof. It is not slippery, so you have very less chances of dropping it on the floor.
  • There are play/pause, forward, backward, and call buttons on the top of the speaker. It is clearly visible and therefore, it is quite user friendly for anyone.

Reasons Why Armor Mine Gets 5 Stars

Most of us own smartphones for making calls, listening to music, playing games, and browsing the internet, but we are not quite satisfied with the sound delivery of smartphones. We don’t usually get the kind of sound we desire for our ears through phones and therefore, a Bluetooth speaker is a wonderful addition. This Bluetooth speaker, though small, gives out powerful sound with excellent bass.

The advantage we have with this speaker is the built-in microphone for hands-free calls. You can take this guy along anywhere you like and it will not disappoint you. You won’t have any problem pairing with any Bluetooth enabled device. The setup is very easy and user friendly as well.

Finally, a best Bluetooth speaker fully packed with features for a meager sum of $44 (at the time of writing this review) is a throwaway price, an opportunity you should not miss.

Armor Mine Bluetooth Speaker

 

I’m a Fan

I have had this speaker for quite some time now and I can confidently say that I am very happy with this speaker because it is still in a very good condition in spite of being dropped very often by my son who is just two years old. He drags the speaker around and even throws it on the floor when he is angry sometimes, but that sure doesn’t prove the manufacturer wrong about their workmanship.

The bass of this speaker is what excites me most when it comes to features because it looks very small but it is enough to make you shake your hips.

This speaker is for not only great for showering but you can also use this as a source of music in your living room, at your backyard, and even outdoors when you go hiking, or any other adventurous trips. I would recommend buying this speaker to anyone looking for a Bluetooth speaker with very good bass.

Ventless Gas Fireplaces – Easy To Install, Easy To Use, And Easy To Maintain

Are you familiar with a gas fireplace? These are really useful for heating a room — especially when you don’t want to go through all the hassle of preparing wood to burn in a traditional fireplace. There are, however, some things to be aware of as you evaluate the different types of models —

At its simplest, a ventless gas fireplace consists of a gas burner, which is usually concealed by a decorative ceramic “log” that has been manufactured from a special material that can withstand high temperatures without igniting. Other features may be present, but this is the basic set up.

If you’re wondering whether your ventless gas fireplace can be installed in your home, the short answer to that question is yes, providing you have a safe area — such as an existing fireplace — where the unit can be installed. In general, as long as you have a functioning fireplace which has been properly maintained and kept clean, it can be used for your ventless gas fireplace.

An important consideration when installing your ventless gas fireplace is that the size of the unit must fit properly within your existing fireplace firebox — the ventless gas fireplace must be small enough to provide and least 6 inches of clearance from all surfaces. In some instances, your installation technician may need to attach a hood on top of your ventless gas fireplace, in order to reflect heat.

Daily Use

Properly installed, your ventless gas fireplace should not give you any major problems as you use it day by day. Of course, venting issues are not a concern with these types of gas fireplaces, and they are actually designed to be operated with your furnace damper completely closed off.

One of the nicest things about modern ventless gas entire places is they have easy to use ignition systems — some of these can be started with a match, while other types use a pilot light (which is constantly lit) — and some ventless gas fireplaces feature an electronic ignition system — some even include a remote control!

One thing you will need to think about as you plan your purchase of a ventless gas fireplace is the fuel source. While some homes may have an existing natural gas line near their furnace, others do not — and it may be prohibitively expensive to have a brand-new gas line installed just for the sake of your fireplace. In these cases, you may be able to purchase a ventless gas fireplace that operates using propane instead of natural gas.

Necessary Periodic Maintenance

Gas Fireplace

While it is true that your ventless gas fireplace will normally provide trouble-free use most of the time, to keep it that way you’ll need to arrange for periodic maintenance. It would be a good idea to have your best zero clearance wood burning fireplace serviced by a trained professional to make sure that everything is working properly. I would also strongly recommend that you install a good-quality carbon monoxide detector near the location of your ventless gas fireplace, just to alert you in case there is an unhealthy buildup of carbon monoxide (which has no odor) in your room.

In closing, we can say that a ventless gas fireplace, properly installed, properly used, and properly maintained, will prove to be one of the most reliable heating devices in your home.

What About Gas Outdoor

There’s simply nothing more delightful than the chance to sit outside and enjoy the warmth and coziness of a fire, particularly a safe and clean fire such as a gas fire. It’s wonderful, simply wonderful, that today we have many good-quality, durable outdoor gas fireplaces that we can choose from —

One of the most delightful outdoor gas fireplaces I have never seen is manufactured by Coleman. The Coleman 5071-700 Ambient Firelight Propane outdoor gas fireplace combines the convenience of an outdoor gas fireplace with a table! This item is made with high temperature painted steel and a steel frame. Around the center of this outdoor gas fireplace is a granite table ring which is approximately 30 inches in diameter. And when you are not using this unit as an outdoor gas fireplace, you simply cover the fire pit hole with a matching granite centerpiece! Highly recommended!

Another interesting outdoor gas fireplace comes to us from Shinerich Industrial Limited. For just under $368, you can purchase one of their 28 inch stone gas fire pits. This is a very solid and substantial outdoor gas fireplace, and is equipped with a black steel fire bowl, has a genuine stone stand with a granite table top. Covering the burners of this outdoor gas fireplace is lava rock. The dimensions of this outdoor gas fireplace are 28″ x 28″ x 23.6″, and can be hooked up to a 20 pound propane gas tank for convenient use in just about any location outdoors.

From CharBroil we have a gas log outdoor fireplace. Priced at just under $250, this outdoor gas fireplace is constructed from heavy-duty steel that has been manufactured with a high temperature-resistant porcelain finish. This outdoor gas fireplace features realistic log flames and a push-button starter. One of the things I like most about this particular outdoor gas fireplace is that the propane tank is concealed from view, being located in the fireplace stand. It is much lighter than some other types of outdoor gas fireplaces.

You know the Weber company don’t you? They’re the people who make the barbecue grills — so they really know something about designing appliances for outdoor use. I want to call your attention to the Weber 27000 flame outdoor liquid propane gas fireplace. Normally priced at just under $650, this outdoor gas fireplace is made from heat resistant cast aluminum and is equipped with 3 removable weather shields. This outdoor gas fireplace features a post-button ignition system, stainless steel straight burner, and will be completely assembled once it has been delivered to your home.

Feeding your dog – how much dry food is good for your furry friend?

How much dry food should I feed my dog?! – Question that seems to trouble most dog owners, especially those that have no previous experience in keeping dogs. There are many factors that determine how much a dog should eat. If you ask the dog, they would say they need food 24 hours a day. However, the worst favor you can do to a dog is free feed them. This can easily cause obesity and can significantly shorten the dog’s life span. You would be surprised by the difference that one extra pound could make for a dog.

How can I determine how much dry food should I feed my dog?!

file_1155_column_feeding-puppy

  • Age – the first things you must consider when feeding your dog is its age. Pups usually need to eat more frequently and consume bigger quantities of food. The puppyhood is the most important period in the dog’s life, as that is the time when they develop and grow to be healthy adults. The recommended number of meals for puppies is three, breakfast, lunch and dinner, every time the same amount; whereas for adult dogs it should be limited to once or twice a day.

 

  • Size – feeding a Chihuahua and a Saint Bernard with the same amount of food can either make your Chihuahua extremely fat, or turn your Saint Bernard into an underfeed dog. You can determine the amount of food you should feed your dog by looking at its size. Have in mind that pups usually have small stomach so in order to avoid vomiting and other digestive problems they need to eat less but more often.

 

  • Activity level – dogs need food to be active and playful. However, some dogs are lazier than others and consequently they need less food unlike hunting dogs that needs pretty highest protein dog food. If you have a pug that is not very active and lies all day you would feed it less than your hyper beagle that constantly runs around the house.

To find out the ideal weight for your dog you can follow the golden rule – check the shape of your dog’s body; if you can feel the bones when you touch the dog, but you can’t really see them under the skin and fur, then your dog is in good shape. Any variation of this condition could be a sign that you need to adjust your dog’s meals and give it less or more food.

Giving your dog treats

DogTreats

Dogs are pretty cunning when it comes to their food. Sometimes even if they know what you want from them they have no intention in obeying you unless you have a treat in return. However, giving your dog a treat every time they want to, can put you into a lot of trouble. You have to learn when to give them treats and how to use it in your favor.

images (1)

  • When to give your dog a treat?

Never give your dog a treat if is overexcited, jumps around and is all over you. Instead wait until your dog becomes submissive and understands that you accept and reward only calm behavior.

You can use treats to help you train your dog and teach them some basic commands. The best time for this would be between meals as if your dog is already full, they might not be so interested in the rewards you have and you will just be wasting your time. Don’t forget that the treats should make up only 10% of the daily intake of calories. If you are not sure about the quantity, always consult your vet.

  • What to look for when choosing the best dog treats?

Choosing treats for your dog is like choosing food for your family. To find the best dog treats you need to pay attention to the ingredients and read the labels. If you have never heard of these ingredients, do not buy them! Be careful not to judge the treat by your own taste, as dogs have different preferences. Things that seem to be disgusting for us, for them are the meal of their life. Choose treats that are low in calories and small in size so you won’t have to cut them in half.

  • What are some of the best dog treats?

isolated-pail-dog-treats

We are back on the importance of the ingredients. They are the ones that make the treat good or bad for your dog. If you don’t like the treats in the pet shop or they are too expensive for you, feel free to improvise. You can give your dog fruits and vegetables like carrots, green beans or broccoli, banana, watermelon, however make sure you take out the beans. Never give your dog grapes, raisins, onions, chocolate or anything that contains caffeine as that can be very dangerous for your dog. In addition, it might be a good idea to avoid very hard snacks, such as bones or antlers. If you do decide to give your dog something hard for the teeth, use only the treats that are designed especially for dogs and sold in the pet shop.

Dog bones

Don’t forget that dogs see treats as affection. For them the treat means the dog did something good and the reward is to encourage them to do that again.  If you give the treat when the dog runs around the house, the dog will always run thinking that this is how they will get a treat.

Look Out For The Best Bed Safety Rails

When it comes to bed safety rails, people tend to think of narrowly as a safety accessory for children.

While there is no doubt that bed safety rails are commonly used for children’s beds, the majority of bed safety rails are actually used by adults. For children, bed safety rails usually come into play when the child is preparing to make the move from the safety of his/her baby’s crib to the bigger and open toddler or children bed. This is usually when the child is about 2 to 3 years old.

Bed Safety RailsWithout you realizing, there comes a time in your toddler’s life when he/she have to make the transition from the safety of a baby’s crib to the open, but slightly more ‘dangerous’ ‘big girl’ or ‘big boy’ bed. This usually occurs at around the age of 2 to 3 years old.

At this age, the child is becoming too big for his/her crib, but yet he/she is not going to fit nicely on an oversize bed. Aside from the danger from actually falling off the bed, the child may be psychologically stressed due to the fear of falling off one.

To protect your child and to give him/her a sense of security, a bed safety rail is your best option, unless you prefer to sleep with your child. This transition usually lasts between 6 months to a year depending on how quickly your child learns to adapt. It is not a very  long period of time and therefore it’s no surprise that bed safety rails for children aren’t the big bulk of where they are used.

While adults appear to have no obvious use for bed safety rails, there is actually plenty of them around in used by adults, you just don’t recognize them when you see one. Look around every hospital bed and you will realize all of them are equipped with bed safety rails. There comes a point in time when adults sometimes need bed safety rails.

It may be because of an accident, a sickness or even old age. Bed safety rails are not only found in hospitals but also used in hospices and private homes with elderly occupants. Bed safety rails help protect against falls by frail adults and sometimes provide support for adults who have injured their legs or hips.

Bed rails should be sized correctly for their specific use, both for children and adult rails. Bed safety rails come in many different sizes to accommodate different bed frames. If bed rails are sized wrongly, they will not provide suitable protection from falls. Bed safety rails should also be installed firmly against the mattress to prevent the user from actually being trapped between the bed rail and the mattress.Safety Bed Rails

When buying bed safety rails, one should take care to look out for the relevant safety certification on the product. Bed safety rails are safety products that should be appropriately designed and certified. Unendorsed or fake bed safety rails may result in harm rather than provide the safety function it should have. For children bed safety rails, you look for the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) certification sticker. The JPMA is a recognized standard in children products that certifies that a product is safe for children use.

Safety certification for adult beds are much more varied but are usually recognized by their adherence to ISO (international standards) or ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) standards of manufacturing. As with any safety product, having proper certification is not sufficient. Always read and follow the instructions from the manufacturer to ensure correct and safe use of the product. See https://hosiped.com/safety-bed-rails-for-seniors/ for more information about bed rails for adults.

Best Convection Oven Buying Guide

Convection ovens are becoming more and more popular nowadays, and there are several reasons for it. The secret of such popularity is in the principles of work which convection ovens use. These principles allow them working up to 30% faster than regular convection ovens which are usually built in stoves, warm and bake food evenly and at a lower temperature.

Convection ovens use convection for their work that is an effect that causes circulation of heat in the oven by movement of the air inside it. And while usual ovens use radiation from the walls of the oven to spread the heat, convection ones have built-in fans to make the heat spread more evenly. That gives such ovens some advantages over the usual ones. The users of regular ovens can confirm that while baking it often occurs that the top of the pie or cookies hasn’t become brown when the bottom has already overcooked. If you use a convection oven, you can expect even heating and no problems like that. This kind of convection allows using lower temperature so that the oven won’t become too hot if it’s made from metal materials. It also takes more time to cook in regular ovens than in convection one.

The convection ovens are usually not very big and can be placed at the countertop in the kitchen. They are usually used for baking, for instance, for cooking pizza, cookies and other pastry. However, they can also perform other actions. It depends on the functional possibilities of the model of convection oven. Some of them can heat up food that was prepared earlier, defrost frozen products. There also can be a broiling function and special features included for that.

Convection Countertop Oven

Besides the functions that the best convection oven can perform one more important thing in its characteristic is its size and capacity, as sometimes the ovens have a broiling function though their capacity allows preparing only small parts of poultry which makes the function useless. It’s important to have an oven of proper size to have it installed in the kitchen without taking much place, but at the same time to have an oven performing a lot of functions properly. Usually ovens are made to hold 1 12-inch pizza or 6 slices of bread. The height of the oven can allow holding and cooking two pizzas simultaneously. On the bottom there is usually a cram tray that can be taken out and cleaned from time to time. The food is usually placed on the rack. In some ovens the rack can be placed in various positions, higher or lower, it depends on what you want to cook.

In fact, convection ovens are considered to be more reliable and efficient than other ones and are recommended to purchase.

KitchenAid Convection Countertop Oven Review

KitchenAid Convection Countertop Oven is a model made to perform such functions as baking, broiling and warming. It can also be used for making toast and baking pizza up to 12 inches in diameter. Quite large capacity of the oven allows broiling different kinds of poultry, for example, chickens or turkeys, though its sizes give an opportunity to cook straight on your countertop. If you need to heat up some food you had cooked the day before, you just choose the  warming function.

There is a timer which you can set for some time (up to 60 minutes). The bell will remind you that your dish is ready, and the oven will shut off by itself, so you can leave it unattended for a while.

The oven uses convection technology, which makes the spreading of the heat even and makes the work of the oven faster than the work of regular kitchen ovens. The oven can heat food up to 450°F. Also, the work of the convection fan is rather quiet, so you won’t be annoyed by constant noise that ovens sometimes produce.

Inside the oven there’s a full-width crumb tray which can be taken out and cleaned. The interior is non-stick so it’s easy to clean. You should remember, though, that the oven is made of steel and that it becomes hot when it works for some time. So be very careful to prevent burns while taking food out.

Product description:

  • Features an oven for baking, broiling and warming
  • Made of steel and a non-stick interior
  • Can perform all the functions on your countertop
  • Convection heating system
  • Includes a crumb tray
  • 60-minutes timer with a shut-off feature

Advantages:

The Convection fan works quiet hence no disturbing noise
The steel tray is easy to clean up
The oven can hold and bake a 12-inch pizza
Timer bell shows when the food is readily cooked
Has a shut-off feature, doesn’t need to be constantly controlled

Drawbacks:

Might have uneven heating on the top and the bottom of the oven

The Side Effects of Vyvanse in Adults

Photo of vyvanse 50mg pills

Vyvanse is one of the medications that have been approved to treat Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder among people. Generically known as lisdexamfetamine dimesylate, this drug is categorized as a Schedule II controlled substance. The drug is considered to be very effective in controlling the different signs and symptoms of ADHD. This is a drug used for all who have ADHD. Doctors have to carefully monitor their patients who use this drug for the disorder because there is a high chance of becoming addicted to this medication. As a potent stimulant, a lot of people also might misuse this drug or abuse it.

Side Effects of Vyvanse

As with any other medication, using Vyvanse could also bring about a lot of side effects. These side effects should be carefully checked as these could impede the normal routines that a person has. Doctors would usually explain to their patients and their families about the probable side effects that the patients might experience while taking the medication or advice them to use alternatives to adderall for adults. They have to be very careful, especially when there are other existing conditions. If there are signs of a patient not responding or developing adverse effects to the medication, then the doctor has to stop administering the drug right away.

Common Vyvanse Side Effects in Adults

One of the most common side effects that users of the drug complain about is dry mouth. Having a dry mouth would then push these people to drink more water every day. Another commonly reported side effect is a decrease in appetite. This could then lead to weight loss among those who use this to treat their ADHD. Up to 39% of people taking this drug experience decrease in appetite. There are also other digestive problems such as nausea and vomiting among some users. Others also complain about having difficulty getting sleep every day, which could then lead to bouts of irritability.

Dangerious Side Effects of Vyvanse

danger signThese adverse effects that people need to watch out for have to be reported to the doctor immediately. Dosage plays a big role in the treatment of ADHD symptoms, and overdosing on the medication could lead to sudden heart attacks, even when there are no symptoms of existing heart ailments.

The following are severe Vyvanse side effects that, if you have them, requires medical attention.

  • Severe Aggression: Patients sometimes feel sudden mood swings, fits of rage, and flashes of anger while on Vyvanse.
  • Muscle Weakness: Some patients feel tired in their core and limbs while on Vyvanse.
  • Short Breath: Since Vyvanse increases PNS activity, some individuals experience increase breathing rate as well as heart rate. The result is an inability to take slow, deep breaths.
  • Fever: Since stimulants increase internal body temperature, some individuals feel fevers from Vyvanse.
  • Severe Headaches: Users who experience severe headaches that causes them to be unable to function should seek medical attention.
  • Fainting: Stop taking Vyvanse if you are fainting. This is a sign that your pulse is too high.
  • Severe Chest Pains: Stop taking Vyvanse if you are experiencing severe chest pains. This might be a sign of a heart condition.
  • Blurred Vision: Vyvanse can cause dilated pupils, which results in blurred vision.
  • Abnormal Heart Beat: Vyvanse can cause an abnormal heart beat in some patients.
  • Seizures: Stop taking Vyvanse if you are getting seizures. Seizures occur when there are too many stimulus in the brain and not enough inhibition.
  • Tics: Vyvanse can worsen Turret’s syndrome.
  •  Hallucinations: Do not take Vyvanse if you are seeing, hearing, feeling hallucinations. Vyvanse can worsen psychosis.
  • Muscle Tremors: These occur when your PNS sends input to your muscles to keep up the muscle tone.
  • Sexual Changes: Some patients experience an over active libido, a lowered libido, or even erectile difficulties on Vyvanse. Talk to your doctor about this as it is a severe change in lifestyle.
  • Fast Heartbeat: Vyvanse can cause an overly fast heartbeat as well as high blood pressure.
  • Moodiness: Vyvanse can cause sudden changes in mood.

Prostate Massage Therapy: Know About Prostate Stimulation

Prostate massage is being used by men throughout the world to achieve better prostate health. Often the prostate is of little concern to men until they start having prostate issues which become increasingly common in men over 50.

Recent studies indicate that 65% of men over 55 have some form of prostate gland problem. For these men a prostate massage can be a viable and non-surgical method to improve overall prostate health.

In years past, a prostate massage was performed by your medical practitioner such as a medical doctor. As a prostate massage is relatively easy to perform, more and more men are performing a prostate massage in the comfort of their own home.

Prostate massage can help men with a variety of prostate gland problems and can be an effective treatment for chronic prostatitis and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). A prostate massage can help the excess amount of seminal fluid in men with a chronically inflamed prostate. While beneficial for some individuals, prostate massage is not advisable for men with acute prostatitis as a prostate massage may allow a prostate infection to spread to other parts of the body.

What’s the Prostate?

The prostate is a tiny gland found in men and is a critical part of their reproductive system. It is about the size
of a walnut and is located underneath the bladder and just in front of the rectum. Its function is to assist in the
manufacture and transport of semen.

Men can have prostate problems at any age. Lifestyle factors contribute to many problems of the prostate gland. A poor diet high in fat and lack of exercise almost guarantees future problems with the prostate. Certain foods such as tomatoes that contain lycopene and minerals such as zinc can help to reduce an enlarged prostate.

An enlarged prostate sometimes can lead to prostate cancer however this is not always the case. Medical professionals agree that a diet low in fat and high in antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables are very beneficial to prostate gland health for all men, regardless of age.

As well, exercise is highly beneficial including pelvic stretching and kegel exercises that help to bring oxygen-rich blood back to the pelvic region and the prostate gland area.

Who is at Least of Prostate Cancer

Some experts speculate that men  who sit for more that 5 hours per  day are at greater risk on having
prostate problems later in life or increasing the frequency of prostate infections in men under 50 years old.

This theory revolves around the lack of blood flow to the prostate gland. Constant sitting restricts the blood flow to the prostate gland which can cause a host of potential prostate problems.

A recent study found that men that held career office jobs had a significantly greater percentage of prostate gland related problems later in life as well as increased prostate infections in their 30’s and 40’s.

Men that are sitting for long periods of time should consider both pelvic stretching and kegel exercise to help to increase the blood flow to their pelvic area and potentially protect themselves from future prostate problems and to help manage current prostate gland conditions. These exercises in addition to regular prostate massages can give men the better chance of a healthy prostate.
Other recent studies also suggest a link between obesity and prostate cancer later in life. Researchers could not make a direct connection between being overweight more that 30 pounds and prostate cancer. As being overweight is harmful to so many body organs and system processes, it is reasonable to theorize that being overweight is also harmful to the prostate gland.
Prostate massage combined with healthy lifestyle factors can dramatically decrease and limit the risk of future
prostate problems including an enlarged prostate and prostate cancer. The prostate massage helps to rid the
build up of excess stagnated seminal fluid as well as bring increase blood flow to the male pelvic area.
Prostate massaging has become increasingly popular in the last 50 years in North America and countries in
Europe. Specifically the last 10 years as more and more information has become accessible surrounding the prostate gland, men are finding that massaging the prostate gland can be a viable treatment for a variety of prostate problems.
Using the best prostate massager for prostate massaging and massaging your prostate can help to relieve pressure on your prostate and to reduce the build up of stagnant seminal fluid which put pressure on the prostate. All men, including those that do not have any prostate gland problems can still receive  health benefits from regular massage. Many men are starting to refer to their prostate as their male g-spot. For many individuals, a  prostate orgasm from a prostate massage can be considerably stronger and last much longer than a traditional male orgasm.
In  conclusion, prostate massage for men can offer a variety of health and therapeutic benefits.

Best Commercial Vacuum Cleaners

Most famous commercial vacuum cleaners manufacturers would offer Free Of Charge yearly checkup which will be done by its after sales service or repair shop. Since a commercial vacuum cleaners has a lot more needs than a residential or domestic one. They are designed and made to last longer than their fellows of lighter duty purpose.

commercial-vacuum-cleaners2

Although you are not in commercial cleaning service business, it is well worth to consider on buying one of the  best commercial vacuum cleaners for your self. At the end of certain period of investment time you might calculating, it is really worth to do. Since their lifetime and the duty cycle performance are much higher than domestic ones.

You have nothing to worry about their after sales service. for commercial vacuum cleaners the simple opinion is they are still exist from so many years ago until now. That is enough to show the people and especially their customers’ trust on their products and after sales services.

panasonic vacuum cleaners

Get for the right information on what commercial vacuum cleaners definitions are? Sorry as you may not directly involved in technical things in your career or job, there is always possibility where someone might come to see you, show you a vacuum cleaner machine, show you it has a 3 prong plug with extra long power cable and claim it to be one of the commercial vacuum cleaners. If that happens then it is completely wrong misleading information’s.

Respectable commercial vacuum cleaners manufacturers will never ever do such thing through their marketing and sales departments. They have good world well known reputation to keep shining. Normally all salesmen or salesgirls of good commercial vacuum cleaners sole agents, or distributors would convey the same quality informative explanations to their prospect customers.

The commercial vacuum cleaners have far more capacity to store dirt than any other domestic vacuum cleaner.  This greatly diminishes the frequency to vacant the vacuum.  The vacuum cleaner clears debris and dirt from the home and surroundings and makes it free from the aggravate allergies.

Besides the factories, the best central vacuum are greatly used in the libraries also as they help in removing dirt from the shelf consisting of several books and files are arranged in a compact manner.  They also can reach to the heights in the library.   Commercial vacuum cleaners have made a good rapport in the various electrical appliances that are being used today due to its varied usage in varied places.

If you have a large surface that often needs thorough vacuuming, you should consider taking a look at   commercial vacuum cleaners  . These machines are designed for heavy duty use and are a lot more powerful and durable than vacuums which are designed for home use.  While they are slightly more expensive, they will give you the power that you need to make your cleaning jobs a whole lot easier.  Commercial vacuum cleaners  have motors which are a lot more powerful than those found in domestic models.  This means that they are able to pick up a lot more dirt faster, thus making cleaning seem like less of a chore.

Ergonomic Recliner Chairs for the Perfect Sleep and Relaxation

When it comes to buying the perfect recliner to ensure that you are getting the ultimate in comfort and relaxation, then ergonomic recliners are the way to go. Quite often if you have to sit in a chair for the whole day then you may feel quite stiff and actually very tired when it is time to get up from it. Ergonomic recliners can help to limit this problem. They are made specifically for long term usage as they are big on relaxation by making sure that your body is in the best possible position. Ergonomic recliners have been made to ensure that your body matches the chair almost perfectly. So when it comes to actually buying an ergonomic recliner there might be a few questions that you will want to ask.

Trying Ergo Recliners Before You Buy

The most important thing to do when purchasing ergonomic recliners is to test it before buying. It is crucial that the recliner actually feels really comfortable. If you feel unsure about it in anyway then you can be certain that it is not a perfect match for your body. When you sit in an ergonomic recliner you should be feeling as if you are completely relaxed. They should feel quite soft and ensure that your body is in the best position possible.

Although you won’t be able to tell from testing out ergonomic recliners whether or not it makes you feel stiff or tired, once you have it for a while you will be able to notice. An ergonomic recliner should in actual fact provide relief from conditions such as back pain or muscle stiffness. Other conditions which may be helped include stiff legs or shoulder tightness.

Massage And Heat For All Over Comfort

The majority of ergonomic recliners come with adjustable massage and heat buttons for extra comfort. These extras will ensure the maximum level of relaxation. It is worth asking about these features when shopping for ergonomic recliners.

Once you have found the perfect reclining chair for sleep requirements you will be looking at styles and colours etc. Although the main aim of an ergonomic recliner is to provide you with maximum comfort and to improve certain conditions it is also important that you are happy with the look of your chair.

You do not want to choose a chair which you don’t find aesthetically pleasing or this could restrict the amount of time that you use it. If you don’t find one to match your existing décor you might just end up placing it out of sight in a room that you don’t use very much.

Stressless Recliners

Sofas and chairs that are able to recline are ever-increasing in popularity because they can be adjusted to a position you feel most comfortable. Many also have heat and massage options making them the ultimate seating furniture to own.

One make of reclining chair that has been around for some time and know for its comfort and durability is the Ekornes Stressless recliner. Stressless recliners have been around for around 30 years or so but due to their popularity these days, the company manufactures around 1200 chairs every day.

Stressless recliners are priced at around $1300 and at that price you would expect a high quality chair. Let’s take a look at some of the features you can expect from a Stressless reclining chair.

Head and Lumbar Support

One of the most important areas of any chair is the support it can provide to the back and neck. Stressless recliners do have good support for these areas, but one thing to consider is the angle of the headrest. You also want to make sure that you’ve chosen a big and tall recliner.

In the default position, the headrest sits up when reclined, but is designed to lean back when you rest your head against it. This can be a bit difficult for people with weak neck muscles, but there is always the option of keeping the headrest in the reclined position for people who sleep with back pain. For additional support, consider buying the best mattress for back pain.

Reclining System

Most reclining chairs have a lever to allow you to position the chair to your preference. Stressless recliners use two glide wheels instead of a lever, which recline the chair according to your body weight. The motion is smooth and is a nice alternative to those that don’t like the often jolting motion of lever recliners.

Stressless Recliner Guarantee

Many of the inner workings of Stressless recliners are covered by a 10-year warranty for your peace of mind. This includes the headrest, springs, glide system, metal frame, and lumbar support.

The upholstery of the chair, however, is not covered. This means that should you find problems over time with the leather, fabric or wood, you may need to find an upholsterer who can carry out any repair for you.

Stressless recliners are a very popular choice, and for good reason. They offer good support and comfort, and several models are available in different sizes to meet the requirements of as many people as possible. Place them on your shopping list when looking for a new recliner.

Investing In A Great Espresso Coffee Machine

Titanium Super-Automatic Espresso MachineEspresso has long been a trendy form of a coffee drink and there are millions of people everywhere that claim espresso as their favorite coffee drink.

Because of this, espresso is offered in many coffee shops throughout the country and many large nationwide chains have picked up on the popularity of it as well! One example would be Starbucks. Among the many distinctive coffee products which Starbucks features, espresso is one of their beverages that have gained attention all over the country. Indeed, espresso is really a great coffee drink, and one of the only ways that you are able to enjoy an awesome espresso taste, is with an espresso maker.

The exact process of preparing espresso is quite difficult, yet an espresso machine makes it easy to make the drink. In fact, many people believe that espresso is made with boiling water, however, it is not. Espresso is made with very hot, but not boiling water and even though regular coffee lovers think espresso is just another coffee beverage, in fact , it is a whole different drink.

If you currently have a small coffee shop or breakfast restaurant or diner then you certainly should check out investing in a good quality espresso machine. For the money you can look for the best espresso machine under $200 This is a great way  for you to appeal to new customers for your business. Chances are, you’ll have more people in the diner or coffee shop on a regular basis to have one or more shots of espresso that it will become a large part of the services you offer!

Even though it is possible to prepare espresso by hand as coffee lovers used to do in Italy long ago, the process today just takes too much time for most people. Not only is it time consuming, but if you are making espresso manually for customers you’ll probably be doing it all day.

New Baby Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine - Ivory

Another reason that you may want to invest in an espresso coffee machine though, is that you’ll enjoy the beverage yourself! Many restaurant owners do actually buy espresso coffee makers so the customers will be able to enjoy the drink, but at the same time restaurant owners are going to drink the espresso themselves!

Expresso coffee machines also make a great gift. So, if you’ve got an anniversarry or birthday on the horizon, give it some thought.

All things considered, an espresso coffee machine is a great tool to invest in if you have a diner or restaurant that includes coffee products or you simply want to enjoy the espresso yourself!

 

How To Make Your own Espresso

Mostly espresso beverages are made through expresso coffee machines, though it does not mean that you don’t have control over many of the elements of the expresso-making process. There are many things that concerns about making espresso that will determine whether the beverage the machine produces is bitter, weak, or somewhere in between! If you have been the victim of poor espresso products in the past then learned that not all espresso beverages are the same. Obviously, when you begin making espresso then you will have not only a lot more control over your own beverage, but you’ll be able to perfect the art of making espresso so that it comes out identical each and every time!

Grinding the coffee beans

There are many different kinds of expresso coffee machines that you can buy such as best coffee grinder and a number of them will grind the espresso coffee beans for you while some of them will not. It’s your decision whether you want to grind the beans on your own or have the machine do them, but it will be a good idea to at least try to hand-grind the coffee beans so as to fully understand the quality of espresso at different points of the grinding process.

There are a couple rules about grinding espresso coffee beans that one must consider as well. For example, if you don’t adequately grind the beans in results you will have a weak espresso drink. One of the keys to having a great tasting espresso is making sure that the beans are finely ground to pure powder.

In consideration of the espresso machines you can buy, there are different levels and settings of how fine or coarse you would like your coffee beans to be ground. These settings usually range from low to medium to fine and they each have distinct tastes when the espresso comes out of the machine!

Another thing which one should pay attention is to how much espresso drink that they squeeze out of the machine. As everybody that enjoys espresso knows the espresso shots that come out of the machines are usually one-ounce in a small espresso shot glass. With practice, each time you are making espresso from your machine you will get better at judging, but having the ability to tell when to stop pouring espresso out of the machine is crucial to having the best tasting espresso!

There are also plenty of ways upon one can make an espresso latte drink. Lattes are extremely popular throughout many parts of the world, but the most important feature of a latte is the chocolate which is put into the espresso. An example of how you can easily make an espresso latte would be to pour over an ounce of chocolate syrup inside the glass and add the espresso on top of it. Stirring the whole drink from the bottom of the glass upward will ensure that the chocolate is thoroughly blended with the espresso! For the finishing touch you may also be creative and put a dab of whipped cream on top for an added flavor!

Making your own espresso and latte should not be much hard, it just requires practice and determination to make the best combinations that you’d love!

7 Incredible Tips for Dealing with Lack of Sleep and Insomnia

Lacking in sleep is not very pleasant as it can be detrimental to your health and have a negative impact on your life. It is important to try and get plenty of sleep every night, so that your body can function properly the next day and recharge and heal itself.

Going to bed late and getting up early is not good for the body and if you do this for long enough, you could find yourself, feeling groggy and having no energy during the day.

Not getting enough sleep can make you crave for carbohydrates and sugary foods, as you body tries to compensate for the lack of sleep by getting more energy from somewhere and this is more often than not, from fast burning carbohydrates.

If you don’t get enough sleep, not only do you have the cravings for sugary foods that pack on weight fast, but you also can get a hormonal imbalance from not sleeping enough and this can cause you to put on weight even faster than you normally would.

Really, having a sleeping problem and a diet that is high in sugars, will more than likely lead to weight gain and you could find yourself being overweight and not even realizing that it all starts from a lack of sleep.

Sleep deprivation can also wreak havoc on you glucose metabolism and mess with the way that your body naturally stores it’s energy and this is another contributor that can lead to weight gain in sleep deprived individuals. When your glucose metabolism is thrown out too much, it can lead to type 2 diabetes and then if your diabetes isn’t kept under control, then other complications can emerge.

Most people who have type 2 diabetes just change there diet which is always good, but often, the sleeping habits are overlooked.

Is There a Quick Fix to a Lack of Sleep?

Yes and no.

You could try a really good supplement such as one that contains quality 5htp and other herbal aids for sleeping and have great success with this, but there are some out there that not only need to supplement with the right sleeping aid, but make lifestyle changes to get the full effect.

There are simple steps that you can take to help with a lack of sleep such as – going to bed at a regular time, not going to bed too late and getting up at the same time every morning and not sleeping in.

When you sleep in, it just makes you feel tired during the day and if you slept in, day after day, then you will find yourself going to bed later and feeling like sleeping in more and this can be an ongoing habit which is hard to break out of.

Sticking to a routine is the key to good sleep and if possible, try and be in bed before 10pm, as any time before this, is said to be the ideal time for proper healthy sleeping patterns.

Also, try to avoid stimulants such as, caffeine and energy drinks in the afternoon, as this can give you insomnia and keep you awake all night.

What Else Can Cause a Lack of Sleep?

Bright Lights Before Bedtime: Having all the lights on, or staring at a computer screen right before you go to bed can have an impact on how much or little of the sleep-wake hormone – melatonin is produced and if too little is produced right before bed time, you could find that it can take a while to get to sleep.

Not Sleeping in a Dark Room: Not only is it essential to not have the lights tuned on bright before you go to bed, but, if there is any source of light that brightens up the room you are sleeping in, then this can also keep you awake, so a dark room for sleeping is ideal.

Loud Noises: When you are about to go to sleep it is important to not be listening to a loud TV, music, or anything else loud, as this can take you longer to get to sleep. It is also important to have a nice, quiet room to sleep in during the night, as any noise can keep you awake. If constant noises can’t be avoided and they are keeping you awake, then you could look at purchasing a good white noise generator which blocks out the noises that keep you awake, plus most of these generators are built with noises that are constant and help to relax the mind and help with sleep.

Stimulants of Any Kind: If you are having problems with sleeping, then it would be best to avoid any kind of stimulant at any time of the day, including in the morning. This would include, coffee, caffeinated teas, energy drinks and cola drinks.

Eating Spicy Foods: Believe it or not, eating spicy foods at dinner time can keep you awake and if you are suffering from a lack of sleep, then it would also be recommended to avoid these kinds of foods, especially hot chillies and curries.

Night and Shift Work: Working at night is sometimes unavoidable as some people have to do it as it is required for their job. Working at night and sleeping during the day is unnatural and the body never truly gets used to this, so sleeping in a dark room during the day with some eye covers will help with getting better sleep.

Working shift work is even worse for sleeping patterns than just doing night shift alone, as the body can never really adapt to the constant changes of sleeping times.

Zquiet Reviews

Snoring is a common problem with many of us. We all have experienced occasional snoring but if it happens frequently it starts affecting your health. Snoring leads to sleep deprivation, drowsiness, irritability and lack of focus. Common causes of snoring are age factor, smoking, sinus and nasal problems and sleeping posture.

What is ZQuiet?

People often have problems when their partners are snoring, as the other person can’t sleep either and it deprives them of sleep also and makes them lethargic. The solution to your problem is simple; other than sleeping in separate rooms, you can try ZQuiet, an amazing mouthpiece that eliminates snoring and helps you sleep better.

New in market, ZQuiet is a mouthpiece, like a fake jaw. It corrects the position of your jaws in your mouth and helps you with breathing problems which results in snoring. Now for the major question, does ZQuiet really work? Although there are many products like this in the market, ZQuiet works fairly well. It’s better than taking medicines or inhalers of any sort and it gives surprisingly good result.

What’s good about ZQuiet?

Easy and comfortable

ZQuiet is a comfortable easy-to-use product. It’s made up of a soft similar-to-rubber material which does not irritate your mouth and you can sleep comfortably with it. Another great feature is the hinges at the back of the mouth piece. This feature allows you to breathe through your mouth which many of the similar products don’t have.

Convenient to use

The convenience factor is also worth mentioning. Just order ZQuiet, unwrap it and it’s ready to use. It fits everyone; hence, it is convenient unlike other products, which might require a fitting process. If it’s too large for your mouth, the rubber device is easy to trim and fit so you can just simply do it yourself by following simple instructions on the label.

Affordability and Trial

The price of ZQuiet is quiet affordable. And if you doubt if the product really works, ZQuiet also gives you amazing 30-day trial of the product, which is available to order online. So try it for a month before making a bargain.

FDA Approved

You should always check the products if they are approved by the FDA before trying them. ZQuiet is also approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). So it is safe and has no side effects.

What’s Bad about ZQuiet?

Well the only thing bad about this product is that it requires maintenance. You have to keep it clean and change it within 6 months if you are using it regularly.

Should I buy ZQuiet?

Well if you snore because of your jaw then this product would work for you. It has no side effects and it’s easy to use. Does ZQuiet really work? The listed advantages above will give you an idea about how well this product works. Because you wear it in your mouth while sleeping, you should need to keep it clean but other than that you don’t need to worry about anything. It’s a good buy overall. It’s simple and easy to use and is best for people who snore because of their jaw positions.

Real Life Review

As much as I love my son, his snoring was driving my wife and me crazy until we read some ZQuiet reviews and bought a ZQuiet for my son. The first night he used it was the first night in a really long time that we all slept well. Because it worked so well I felt I should write my own ZQuiet review. But what you read just might shock you.

Last year we decided we could not suffer through another sleepless night because of my son’s snoring. We had tried anti-snoring pillows and stop snoring sprays but they didn’t work at all. I was told the only way for him to stop snoring is either have an operation or get a fitted stop snoring mouthpiece from a dentist.There was no way we were going to have him go through surgery unless it truly was the last option. So we went to our dentist.

We told our dentist about all the very positive ZQuiet reviews we had read but that we wanted to get his opinion before we did anything. I don’t like spending money unless I have a pretty good idea something will work. After examining my son and asking some questions he said he could help. We were relieved to hear that. But what he told us was shocking.

He said he could have a custom stop snoring mouthpiece made but it would cost $300 and only last about six months. $300 dollars! and it would only last six months! We were shocked but we were also desperate. I knew the ZQuiet was a LOT less expensive but we trusted our dentist. We decided to spend the money to help our son and us get some sleep, until he tried on the mouthpiece.

The stop snoring mouthpiece the dentist gave us was made out of hard plastic. It wasn’t brittle but it was very hard and extremely uncomfortable. It hurt my son’s gums and actually cut into them so they were bleeding. Our dentist said that we had to be careful if our son bit down hard or ground his teeth hard enough at night because the mouthpiece might shatter. What?! After I saw how much pain my son was in just trying on the mouthpiece and that the mouth piece might shatter when he was asleep I said there was no way we were going to use it, even if it was free.

From the ZQuiet reviews we read I knew the ZQuiet was made out of firm but pliable material, a lot like a sports mouthpiece but made to stop snoring. It is designed to be very comfortable and will not shatter. It seemed to actually be a much better solution to stop snoring and it cost a LOT less the what our dentist offered. I found out you can’t buy a ZQuit in stores like Walgreens or online at Amazon but you can get it directly from ZQuiet’s official website.

When I went to order it I was pleasantly surprised to find that you can actually get try out the ZQuiet mouthpiece for 30 days risk free. You only have to pay $9.95, which includes shipping, and you get to try it out for a month. I really liked that because that meant we could try it before we bought it. If we didn’t like it all we had to do is call them and they would give us a return authorization number to send it back and they would refund our money. So we ordered one.

All the ZQuiet reviews we read were right. This product really works! It worked the first night. It was comfortable and stopped my son’s snoring the first night. We were so glad we didn’t pay $300 for a dental mouthpiece. Since that night we have all slept great.

If you are looking for a stop snoring mouthpiece you have got to try the ZQuiet. With their 30 day money back satisfaction guarantee and the great low price you can’t go wrong. It has made all the difference in our family. I hope my ZQuiet review helps your family too.

Choosing Appropriate Steel Toe Boots for Workers

steel toe bootsSteel toe boots that are also known as steel-capped boots, steel toe shoes, safety shoes or safety toe boots are designed to protect the feet of workers in hazardous work environments where there is a high risk of their stepping on something sharp or a heavy object falling on their toes.

The material used traditionally for reinforcement had been steel through the years, thus the name of the boots. However, advances in the design of steel toe boots have introduced composite materials and thermoplastic polyurethane as alternative materials that have the advantage of being lighter than steel.

But how do you determine high quality and most comfortable steel toe boots? The factors to consider are durability, flexibility, the fabric, the soles and additional features. The first factor, of course, is durability because compliance with safety standards might be a waste if the shoes do not last very long and you may soon need to buy another pair. And it could be a nuisance if the steel reinforcement penetrates the padding because it could be very uncomfortable to wear with the metal digging into your feet.

Also related to durability is the fabric used to construct the steel toe boots. If the kind of fabric used is not durable, the diabetic work boots would not last for long. Materials for this include canvas-like fabrics, leather, suede and Gortex-like rubber. Basically, leather has the best quality because it does not ignite into flames and it can also be easily broken in in a matter of days.

The Work Boots Sole

The sole is another part of the steel toe boots that is related to durability. If the rubber soles are of low quality, they can easily wear away, especially those designs that are hollow inside. Soles made of tougher rubber may be preferred although they are not as comfortable because they can last for at least a year.

One problem with work boot soles that easily wear away is that they tend to get thinner at a faster rate on one side, depending on the way the user walks. Gradually, this could lead to a tilt in the way the user walks and could result into cramps or the feet may suddenly cave in and this could result into a serious foot injury.

Flexibility is another important factor to consider in steel toe work boots because it affects comfort and mobility. If the sole is too hard that it refuses to bend, the worker will soon feel pain on his feet after using it the whole day. It would also be very difficult to walk using this kind of shoes. This is another issue against cheap and low quality shoes. They impede the worker’s ability to focus on his work and do it properly.

Additional features cover a wide range of factors and their importance will depend on the worker. For example, an electrician and other workers exposed to the risk of an electric shock will definitely benefit from shoes that are electrically insulated. And for those who work in wet areas for prolonged periods of time, waterproof shoes would be required. People suffering from diabetes would require the best work boots for diabetics et cetera,

Why Do You Need Waterproof Work boots?

steel toe bootsWaterproof work boots make sure that your workers in the field are capable of working in all conditions, including during rainy weather. These kinds of work boots are for people who have to be outside, which exposes them to the various elements, including rain.

Moreover, waterproof boots are also important in other wet work environments. Basically, workers in certain industries, such as offshore fishing, industrial cleaning, forestry, food processing, building and construction, plant machinery, highways, agriculture, waterways and oil refineries, need waterproof clothing.

And when choosing waterproof work-wear, it is vital to select the proper fabric for the workers’ specific needs. For instance, you may choose a water resistant or a water-repellent fabric. But there are hundreds of waterproof fabrics that provide different kinds of protection. The final choice will depend on the conditions in the work environment and the budget.

For workers who need to work in highways and other places where there is a danger of being run over by motor vehicles, high visibility waterproof work boots are a necessity. This is a matter of life and death during those times when the rain severely reduces visibility.

However, an important requirement for waterproof workwear is that they should be breathable also, which means that the worker will not heat up because his sweat is able to come out of the body and to the environment through the clothing. This is made possible through the use of advanced fabrics that prevent water from the outside to get inside but permits moisture from the inside to get out.

Another important component of work boots are the steel toe boots, which have reinforcements over the toes and under the soles. They protect the feet from sharp objects puncturing the soles or heavy objects falling on the toes.

Staying Dry with a Waterproof Backpack

Hikers, campers, and avid outdoors-men recognize the need to have quality items that can withstand natural elements such as rain in order to protect not just themselves but the things that they bring with them.  This is why the need for a good waterproof backpack is essential since it is able to keep items that should not get damp or wet as dry as possible.

best waterproof backpackThis type of backpack can be used by people who like to go biking since it is able to keep everything dry while one may be commuting via their bicycle or simply happen to enjoy the sport or hobby.

For those who may not use a bicycle often but do commute or live in an area or state that gets a lot of rain, having a bag that is waterproof helps to lessen the stress that whatever they are carrying with them may become soggy or even damaged in the rain, making it an essential item to bring around.

There are also individuals who enjoy in engaging in water sports or activities that have them lugging their bags with them in the water and the need for the best waterproof backpack makes it possible for them to bring their bags with them rather than leave them on dry land.  Even for those who like heading to the beach regularly, this waterproof bag is perfect for them to carry a change of clothing as well as any electronics such as a music player or their cell phone and protect them from both the sand and surf while out in the sun.

The materials most often used for these kinds of bags are known to repel water and are even considered sturdier than the ones found in conventional backpacks that use lighter materials in order to not add on to the weight being carried.  However, weight becomes less of a consideration over having waterproof baggage that will be able to make sure that nothing housed inside it will be unduly soaked or damaged while the person is using the bag in conditions that are less than ideal.  These bags are also known to be more expensive because of their being essentially waterproof.

When shopping for a waterproof backpack, it is important to make sure that one specifically asks for this kind of backpack.  A lot of people make the assumption that all backpacks are the same since there are some that may be able to keep the contents dry during a light rain shower but not be able to do the same once a storm or heavier rain comes along.  For those willing to make the investment, meaning paying more and carrying a heavier load, this backpack is something to be seriously considered by those who will use them often and regularly.

Go overboard with Waterproof Backpack

From a JanSport backpack to a messenger bag to a laptop bag to bags for travel and business, whatever the need might be JanSport always has a bag to meet a person’s needs. JanSport, as a brand, is known throughout the world for their reliable craftsmanship. It’s hard to find other brands that can make bags that are as durable as a JanSport.

This bag can also be used as the best backpack diaper bag for college students with kids.

Today, JanSport is the largest seller of backpacks in the world. JanSport along with The North Face, another VF Corporation owned brand, account for more than half of all backpacks sold in the United States.

best waterproof backpackContrary to what most people believe about the company, JanSport actually started by developing backpacks that had an external frame. Eventually, JanSport moved on to make other backpacks like internal frame backpacks and technical day packs. To date, JanSport remains as one of the few companies that still make external frame backpacks.

However, external frame backpacks isn’t what makes JanSport the leading seller of backpacks throughout the entire world. JanSport not only makes backpacks, but also messenger bags, wheeled backpacks, outdoor backpacks, backpacks for laptops and business, and so much  more. No matter the situation or the need, JanSport always has a bag in mind for the consumer.

Perhaps one of the things that make JanSport so popular is its warranty. A lot of people buy a JanSport bag for the lifetime warranty that JanSport gives its products. Then again, people rarely take advantage of this lifetime warranty anyway. JanSport bags are always built to last. It’s rare to find a JanSport that’s been torn to shreds. The durability behind their products is a testament to the skill and knowhow of JanSport.

Why are JanSports so popular with students?

One of the greatest things about JanSport is that they come in a wide range of different colors and designs. JanSport understands that bags shouldn’t just be functional, but also aesthetically appealing. Whether it’s bright or dark, monochrome or has all the colors of the rainbow, the backpacks of Jansport have always given students their color of choice.

Can Nursing Bras Cause Health Problems for Mothers?

Establishing the breastfeeding relationship with the infant can cause the mother to experience many hurdles. Throughout the hurdles that are experienced, mothers can reduce the hardship by educating themselves and choosing the right products for their body. One of the decisions that the mother should consider is the nursing bras that are going to be used while breastfeeding the infant.

Best Nursing braChoosing the right cleavage bras and ensuring that the proper fit has been achieved can help to reduce the amount of potential health problems that may be experienced by the mother. Learning the common problems that are caused by nursing bras can help the mother to make the decision of which nursing bra is going to work for her, and reduce these potential complications.

The most common problem caused by the choice of bra while breastfeeding is swelling, inflammation and pressure on the breast that can lead to infection. Mothers should choose nursing bras that are created without under-wires in the design to reduce the instance that they are going to suffer from this problem. Under-wire designs in the bra can constrict the breast, and should be avoided.

Another issue that breastfeeding mothers face while using nursing bras is finding the right size. Though the right size may be indicated at the time of fitting, there are many fluctuations in sizes throughout the day as the mother is at certain points of nursing the infant.

These fluctuations in sizes can cause the nursing mother to become uncomfortable in traditional bras, but choosing a nursing bra means that the changing sizes are going to be easily accommodated. Nursing bras are able to expand when required, and can return back to the regular size to create comfort while wearing the bra.

Using nursing bras can help to alleviate the pressure that comes with choosing traditional bras. Choosing nursing bras from leading brands that have quality reviews can ensure that the majority of potential issues are avoided while breastfeeding allowing the mother to focus on what’s important – and establish the breastfeeding relationship.

 

PumpEase Classic Collection Hands-Free Pumping Bra Review

Nursing braA no-hands pumping nursing bra that allows the mother to pump using a traditional breast pump can allow the hands to be free for other activities and multi-tasking – and stop the restrictions that come with traditional nursing bras that require hands to hold the pump in place while expressing breast milk.

Available in sizes from small to extra-large, women are able to choose the bra that suits their breast size, using the size chart to determine the size that is going to suit their body.

Women should ensure that the size chart is followed, as this can ensure that the breasts are going to be in the correct position for adequate pumping. Four colors are available including black, grey, blue and red, creating options women can choose from when it comes to the nursing collection.

Women can easily choose the pump that is going to be used to express breastmilk and coordinate the nursing pump and accessories with the bra. The easy to use bra allows the woman to position the breasts with the use of the suctions, and use the bra to hold the nursing pump in place with the accessories, pumping with simple hands-free action that make multi-tasking easier.

Best used with the best penis pump to allow the woman to multi-task while expressing milk, the popular style of bra is a must have for women on the go that are searching for a way to express breast milk easily – and with the highest level of convenience.

Created from durable materials, women can rest assured that the PumpEase nursing bra is going to be simple to use and continually used in part of the wardrobe for those times when hands-free pumping is desired. The versatile designs make it simple for women to get the results they need and make pumping as simple as possible – while creating a sense of style in the pumping bra.

With many choices available, women should ensure that the right size is being chosen. Choosing the best nursing bra size can be simple w, as the size chart can be consulted and compared with the current measurements. Getting the right size is essential, as it’s going to ensure the best results.

Good Ideas for Writing Persuasive Essay

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This is accomplished through a vigorous quality assurance check system that is performed by our team of researchers. In addition, our teams of researchers verify that the information and facts in your papers are accurate, cited, and flow smoothly. Our goal here is to get you the Best Damn Grade possible.

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Essay writing help

essay writingWriting an essay teaches students to express their viewpoints as well as the ability to support them. Essays may vary in size, but they should always be informative, logical and clear. Essays also form the mastery of writing among students. Such papers may cover any topic, from general to specific, from interesting to quite boring.

The main task that each writer should accomplish is the ability to fully enjoy the whole process. Only if the person has a great desire of doing something, he or she will definitely gain real success.

Nowadays, Internet is full of various writing companies. Students usually cannot decide which agency to choose for cooperation. In order to find a safe writing service, you will definitely have to read the reviews and comments at various blogs and web-sites. By doing this you will defend yourself from being deceived. Our reputable agency is definitely what you are searching for.

10-step guide for composing a worthy paper:

  1. Understand what is required from you (style and format). Always follow all the specifications provided by your instructor.
  2. Choose a topic (unless it was previously picked out by the professor). Make sure your topic is interesting, catchy and up-to-date.
  3. Start conducting your own research. Go to the library and find all the materials connected with your topic.
  4. Analyze the data. Choose only those materials that are relevant and worth your attention.
  5. Develop a small outline. Think what you will include in your paper.
  6. Start composing your thesis statement. It should not be too wordy, but it has to fully describe all the main points you will touch in your paper.
  7. Write your body paragraphs. Remember – only one idea for one paragraph. Find supporting evidence to your thoughts in order to sound convenient.
  8. Write a logical conclusion. Here you are not allowed to present any new information. Just restate everything that was previously mentioned.
  9. Revise your paper few times. Don’t let stupid mistakes spoil your masterpiece.
  10. Check for spelling and grammar mistakes.

If you follow this guide, we hope you will be able to write a really worthy paper.

Best juicer reviews and comprehensive consumer buying guide

The benefits of juicing are immense. To summarize every nutritionist’s findings, the regular intake of fresh fruit and vegetable juice is one of the best favors you can give to your body!

Juiced green vegetables provide nutrients, enzymes, vitamins and minerals in an instant without compromising our body’s digestive system. Studies have proved that vegetable juice is quickly absorbed and digested just within 30 minutes after intake! Adding fruits and vegetables to our daily regimen is made easy and convenient through juicing.

Juicers come in all shapes, sizes and prices which can make the decision as to which juicer to buy, difficult. After all, there is always a specific feature that sets one juicer apart from the rest, one that will ultimately determine if that special function is just the thing you are looking for in a juicing machine.

Just as juicers come in a myriad of types, so does juicer shoppers! Our juicer reviews and juice recipes will make it easier for you to find what you want.

  1. Juicers by Type – If you know what type of juicer you want (e.g citrus, wheatgrass etc) but just need to find the right brand then this section is for you.
  2. Juicers by Brand – If you know what brand of juicer you want e.g Jack Lalanne then look at this section to find the specific model that would be suit your needs.

The first step to getting the juicer of your dreams is to understand the many complex factors surrounding your juicing needs. Make the most of your juicer investment! The last thing you would want to do is to buy a juicer on an impulse. An expensive, sleek looking juicer does not necessarily mean it is the best one for you! So save up on some dollars by reading through our reviews.

In this guide, you will learn the different methods to determine your need, the particular type of juicer that will match that need plus some professional tips and advice on how to care for your new juicer. All this valuable information is yours absolutely free! This buying guide is the ultimate must-have for juicer shoppers.

Juicer Deals

Technology has undeniably given us many wonderful benefits – kitchen and home appliances that operate quicker, gadgets that help communicate in a blink of an eye, equipments that function to make our lives better. Although there may be one too many practical kitchen devices to buy, a typical consumer must first consider if there is actually a need for it. Such is the case for juicers.

What is the use of juicers?

Juicers (also called juice extracators) are primarily used to extract juice from fruits and vegetables. Juice extracts contain antioxidants and phytochemicals not found in cooked or processed foods, and are known to generate the most concentrated amounts of vitamins and living enzymes that help in general health and nutrition. Juicers supply you with 100% fresh and natural juices for the healthiest beverage option.

Juicers are also considered an essential tool for some dieters because the finished product is often enough to compensate for a full meal. When health buffs and serious dieters go on a juice fasting, they consider it as a cleansing process to rid their body of toxins. Juicers are also used to replace meals for older people, especially those who have poor health. As with adults, infants benefit from juicers as well.

There are so many known brands, types and shapes of juicers that a mere glance over the store shelves will affirm how difficult it will be to decide on just one unit. Juicers may not exactly be a major kitchen appliance but selecting the perfect fit for your need is necessary to make your investment worthwhile.

Benefits of Juicing

Benefits-Of-Cucumber-Juice-To-Lose-WeightA can of soda, a cup of coffee and a commercially manufactured fruit beverage generally have zero nutritional value.

While we drink liquids to naturally relieve our thirst, it would also be good to drink something of value – something that can contribute to your body’s health and condition, and not just any thirst-quencher with empty calories and no health benefits. Clearly, a juicer comes into the picture when seeking options for healthier living.

Juice from fresh fruits and vegetables are enriched with vitamins and minerals that activate enzymes which are vital in establishing the body’s metabolism. Without a proper and well-balanced diet, our bodies go through many difficulties often related to digestion and general well-being. Poorly nourished people tend to experience problems in digestion and in maintaining ideal weight. Some also feel weak or drowsy during the day.

Here are some of the specific benefits we get from drinking freshly juiced fruits and vegetables:

  1. We get a generous dose of chlorophyll that is essential for detoxifying. It purifies and rebuilds our blood cells naturally, removing parasites and toxins along the way. Most importantly, chlorophyll has been proven to remove highly destructive cancer cells as well as help remove potentially growing cancer cells.
  2. We go through the process of oxygenation and cellular cleansing which aids in flushing out unwanted substances or toxins in our body. In a nutshell, the human cellular environment is where all our body cells thrive, giving special note to the lymphatic, digestive and cardiovascular systems. Therefore, cellular cleansing from juiced fruits and vegetables are greatly beneficial.
  3. Our alkaline levels in the blood and tissues are kept to a balance. In raw and fresh vegetable juice, alkaline is a large component. High doses of acidity can be a serious health problem and it is vitally important to keep them to a minimum. Alkaline will help regulate and control the acidity levels in our system.
  4. We get extremely good quantities of vitamins and minerals, the very basic needs of our human system. They help in the body’s healing process and cell regeneration. Trace elements, enzymes and variable nutrients are also present in freshly juiced fruits and vegetables.
  5. We get natural remedies, vegetable hormones and antibiotics from vegetable juices.  Just to give an example: cucumber and onion contains hormones needed by the pancreas to produce insulin. Likewise, garlic, tomatoes and radish are packed with valuable antibiotic substances.
  6. Our bodies can easily absorb organic food more than processed food. Calcium, potassium and silicon are only some of the organic minerals found in juiced vegetables and fruit. These minerals aid in the restoration of biochemical and mineral balance in the cells and tissues which further helps in the prevention of premature aging of cells and diseases.

Juicers For Different Occasions

triturating juicerBecause juicers come in different types and specifications, it is important to determine why and how they will be used.

For example, a restaurant may need something durable and can produce large amounts of juice at any given time.

Meanwhile, a simple yet functional juicer will be sufficient for home use granting that all members of the household do not require heavy consumption. If you plan to juice citrus fruits only, a citrus juicer or even a manual juicer is what you should get.

Many people who go into juice diets might need a special juicer that can extract both fruits and vegetables in an efficient manner, as juicing will essentially form part of their daily regimen.

Such a juicer should be durable enough to handle heavy use within several times during a single day. If you need a juicer for feeding infants and aged people on a daily basis, then you will not necessarily need an enormous juicer, just a medium-sized one will do.

In the same manner, if you only plan to use the juicer for certain cooking requirements or ingredients, a small juicer (perhaps a citrus juicer) will be satisfactory. If you need a juicer specifically for wheatgrass alone, there are many models of the best wheatgrass juicers in the market.

Ultimately, knowing why and how you will be using the juicer will be very helpful in deciding the kind of juicer to purchase. Make sure to evaluate these basic points before going to the department store to make your shopping quicker and simpler.

Juicer Operating Systems

 different types of juicers to buyCentrifugal Juicers

Centrifugal juicers are juicers that mainly separate the juice of fruits and vegetables from their pulp before being pressed down on a spinning blade at high speed. The pulp then falls into a plastic or stainless steel bucket, and remains in the bucket until manually emptied.

Some centrifugal juicers have pulp ejectors that have an automatic pulp ejection feature through a side opening.

Centrifugal juicers are very powerful, and can yield a large amount of juice. You will not need to stop operations in order to remove pulp when you are juicing bigger servings of fruit or vegetables. In general, centrifugal juicers operate faster and are easier to clean up than other juicers.

Masticating Juicers

Masticating juicers, on the other hand, chop or masticate fruits and vegetables at high speed to produce pulp paste and juice. A filtering screen is then used to squeeze out the juice from the pulp paste. Some masticating juicers have a built-in hydraulic press that makes the process of extracting juice from the pulp paste much easier. Some masticating juicer models are also designed to grind nuts, seeds and grains, and can also work as blenders. You can opt for a single-gear masticating juicer or a two-gear masticating juicer.

Manual Juicers

While electric juicers are more convenient to use, manual juicers have their own special functions. Manual juicers are handy to carry when traveling. In cases of power failure, a manual juicer can still be used. Manual juicing can be laborious but it does gets the job done!

Manual juicers come in kits that contain all the necessary tools and guidelines to help you extract juice from fruits and vegetables you love.

Juicer Types According to Function


best wheatgrass juicer review1. Wheatgrass Juicers

Wheatgrass juicers are available in both manual and electric form though even the electric models have slow turning motors specifically to yield the more juice.

High speed will destroy valuable enzymes. True to its title, wheatgrass juicers are specially designed to extract juice from wheatgrass.

Some machines are multi-functional and can juice not only wheatgrass, but other fruits and vegetables as well. Wheatgrass is becoming increasingly popular among the health-conscious because it has been tested and proven to contain great levels of nutrients.


citrus juicer2. Citrus Juicers

Citrus juicers are juice extractors that extract juice from any citrus fruit. Manual and electric models are available, depending on the preference of the buyer.

The simplest citrus juicer is called a reamer, that device with a cone in the centre portion of a rounded base. The fruit is then cut into half and pressed onto the cone.

For a larger fruit, the dual design manual juicer is more appropriate because there is a connecting juice catcher. For higher volumes of fruit, an electric juicer is best because it delivers fast. A motor spins the conical portion where half the fruit is inserted. The extracted juice is then filled in an attached reservoir.


vegetable juicers3. Vegetable Juicers

A vegetable juicer is a small kitchen appliance that is used for extracting the nutrient-rich juice from raw fruits and vegetables.

The juicer then extracts vegetables into a juice form — making the juice rich in nutrients, more palpable to taste, and easier to digest.

There are three varieties of vegetable juicers on the market — centrifugal juicer, a masticating juicer, or a triturating (twin-gear) juicer.

When opting for a vegetable juicer, consumers should seek a model with special features, including low speed performance options, which allows for less oxygen, foam, and longer storage of juice. Also, a user-friendly, quiet, and easy-to-clean model is advisable.


One-of-the-Best-Juicers-of-20164. Fruit Juicers

Fruit juicers extract liquid from many types of fruit. Many consumers prefer this type of homemade fruit juice as opposed to purchasing commercial juices containing a number of additives and preservatives.

The most basic type of fruit juicer is the manual juicer as mentioned above. This time-honoured design is constructed mainly for use with citrus fruits such as lemons, oranges, and grapefruits.

More sophisticated models are electric devices that usually include an entry chamber. Whole or cut sections of fruit are placed in the holding tank of the juicer. Serrated blades powered by electricity cut through the pulp and skin of the fruit while the juice is pushed through to a holding tank. The pulp can be extracted from the chamber, relatively free of pulp.


best commercial juicers5. Commercial or Industrial Juicers

Commercial juicers are capable of making large quantities of juice.

The factor that differentiates a commercial juicer from the home juicer is the power and speed of the motor. Popularly used in restaurants, bars, cafes, health clubs and juice bars, commercial juicers are designed to guarantee no break-down from heavy use.

Both worktop models and floor standing models are available.

The greater durability and reliability of commercial juicers is reflected in the price tag as they tend to cost considerably more than home use juicers but this cost can be soon recouped when the machine is put to work in a commercial environment.


Essential Points to Consider

Buying a juicer for whatever purpose you have needs careful insight, just like purchasing any other important kitchen tool. It is not enough to judge by the attractiveness of its physical design or by the impressive features specially advertised by the juicer company!

The elements that make your juicer indispensible to you are the specific characteristics that work for your needs.

Sure, there are possibly hundreds of juicer types and models that you can buy instantly at any store but some qualities may not be present in the other. So again, think wisely! Being an educated consumer who has done his research will make it so much easier to pinpoint which unit to pick at the line-up.

Here, then, are the essential points to remember when buying your juicer:

(i) Price of the juicer.

First determine how much you are willing to spend on your juicer based on the average cost of juicers. Going beyond your budget is easy when presented with pricey units that actually have the same features as a less expensive one.

Salesmen will always try to convince you into spending more for a model that will give them a certain percentage of sales commission. So the higher the price, the bigger commission they get!

Be stern on your budget and seek for a product within your spending limit. Essentially, an industrial juicer would cost more than a regular juicer – it is best to check current online market prices for the juicer category in mind.

(ii) Main purpose of the juicer.

Will you be using your juicer for a restaurant or beverage cafe? Will you be using it only at random times in your home kitchen? Will you be using it for a lifestyle diet change?

Questions such as these should answer the main purpose of buying a juicer. There are specific types of juicers for every specific use. Determining the purpose of your juicer will help you save up on your would-be expenditure.

(iii) Simplicity of operation.

If your juicer needs only sum up to minimum use such as for extracting fruit juice at home for individual consumption only, opt for a juicer that is very easy to operate. Or if you are an office worker or am executive always on the go, a juicer that is quick and simple to use will be your best bet.

(iv) Ease of cleaning.

Some people do not have the luxury of time to spend on cleaning.

If you are that type of person, then you have to pick a juicer that does not have too many parts to clean. Juicers typically need to be disassembled before cleaning so if the juicer you pick has multiple connecting devices, mechanisms or gadgets, this definitely is not the right one for you.

(v) Speed Level.

Similar to the cleaning process stated above, a juicer’s speed level is something you have to consider if you are an extremely busy person with little or no time to wait.

However if you are a chef or a housewife who could spend hours in the kitchen, you do not have to purchase a juicer with overtly high speed levels. For food and beverage business owners, fast juicers are a must-have! You would not want your customers to wait in line for longer periods of time!

(vi) Noise Level.

Being in a busy and noisy environment such as in a commercial sector, noise levels for your juicer can be insignificant or a less important consideration. However if you live in a quiet neighbourhood and have an infant constantly beside you, having a juicer with significantly lower noise levels can be necessary.

How much noise you or your family members can contend with can be a point of argument, as people generally have different thresholds of endurance.

(vii) Type of fruit or vegetable you will be juicing.

This is among one of the most important factors to consider when buying a juicer. For example, if you will be juicing fruits or vegetables with seeds or pulp, you will need to buy a unit that has seed or pulp separators for your maximum convenience.

Or if you only plan to use the juicer for wheatgrass alone, there are wheat grass juicers specifically designed for such purpose.

However, if you plan to juice not only wheatgrass but other fruits and vegetables as well, go for a multiple-function juicer.


best juicer to buy shopping listFollow a Basic Juicer Buying Guideline

After going through these important points, make a list of the features you want your juicer to have and bring it along with you to the store. If you are planning to purchase a juicer online, keep the list at hand and constantly check against the features of the juicer you are eyeing to buy.

If you walk into the juicer department section of a store without any particular features in mind, you might end up frustrated and further exiting without a purchase.

It could be overwhelming to shop for a juicer without clearly having an emphasis on what you need exactly.

That is why every professional juicer would recommend knowing and understanding the different types, operation systems and uses for a juicer.

Sometimes a new consumer is lured by promising infomercials that preach of a myriad of juicing benefits that the mere temptation to buy one is too strong to withhold.

Thus, the consumer, mainly out of sheer curiosity, spends a few hundred dollars to buy something that is totally new to him or even unnecessary.

However, situations like this could often lead to a genuine appreciation of juicing assuming he would actually try the equipment and drink the extracted juice. For the curios type, the best recommended juicer is a centrifugal juicer because it has a simple operation system and is very easy to clean up.

For the more meticulous consumer with a specific need in mind, the hunt for a juicer will not be as tedious as one who practically doesn’t know where to start.

A basic guideline is as follows:

  1. For most fruits and vegetables – Centrifugal juicers
  2. For harder and more difficult to grind fruits and vegetables  – Masticating juicers
  3. For very simple fruits – Manual juicers
  4. For vegetables – twin gear juicer

It is also very helpful to read online juicer reviews written by users. These reviews will be able to give valuable information regarding the quality of the juicer brand or type.

In addition, choose a juicer with a long warranty. Some brands can extend up to 10 years of warranty.

Because of the many discovered potential threats to our health and environment, juicing is becoming increasingly popular.

It provides many great advantages for everyone because the nutrients found in fruits and vegetables are preserved at their most natural state.

Dieters have turned to juicing to hopefully attain their desired weight the healthier and faster way while those with health problems and other ailments believe that juicing is the answer to their prevailing discomforts.

Therefore, we can safely claim that investing in a quality juicer is for good reason. Considering the many benefits that fresh natural juices can give, having a juicer goes beyond just completing the kitchen and having all sorts of equipment instantly available at home. It gives far more value to the consumer because of all the possible needs you may have for it in the future. Who knows, one day you might decide to have a complete lifestyle change!

But like any other product you buy, you have to give careful thought as to the intended purpose of the juicer.

Every consumer has a unique need just as every juicer has its unique feature. For commercial and industrial users, going for the most durable type of juicer is ideal.

However, the dilemma comes when presented with so many products wrapped up in pretty packages. Here, consumer ratings that can be found online will offer a great deal of help. Spend wisely by doing your research!

Best Juicers to Buy

Today juicers are manufactured to be easy and convenient to use. These electrically powered appliances juice vegetables, leafy greens and some can even be used to juice wheat.

Lets take a moment to consider who drinks juice and the answer is that all of us do. Whether it is for the children in your home who need healthy juices on a daily basis or the health conscious adult who needs their daily dose of carrot or wheat juice, it is an understatement that we live in a world where everyone wants to include juice in their diet, especially considering the high levels of obesity that is going around.

While commercially available juice products are a dime a dozen, many people have realized that these are full of sugar and don’t have the goodness of real fruit and vegetables. As the magic of instant goods are vanishing, people are opting for the real thing.

For these reasons, it makes good sense to invest in a juicer which will help you get your much needed glass of juice without too much hassle.

Listed below are some juicer options based on their price ranges. The best selling ones in each price range are highlighted, giving you the best possible deals for your budget.


Budget (Under $100) Juicers

For those of you who belong to the old school of thought and believe that you don’t need high end machines to do a simple job, then these low end juicers are just the things for you.

These juicers offer the convenience of separating the juice from pulp, while not possessing too many extra functions that you don’t need.

These juicers are terrific for that quick glass of juice before you leave your home in the morning.

With these convenient appliances, you can ensure that everyone in your family gets their dose of fresh fruit or vegetable shots on a daily basis. The top three best selling juicers that are priced at the under $100 price are


Hamilton Beach 67650HHamilton Beach 67650 Big Mouth Pro Juice Extractor

The Hamilton Beach Big mouth pro juice extractor is the number one selling juicer under $100.

At that price range, this juicer is a sleek looking model with a cup to collect juice and a 3 inch chute that is wide enough to push an entire fruit through.

Chutes with wider mouths are more convenient as you will not have to worry about slicing your fruit during your early morning rush hour.

The added convenience of this juicer is that it comes with parts that are dishwasher safe and even a brush to help you clean the unit. This feature is very beneficial as you don’t have to spend precious time washing delicate parts that cannot be put into the dishwasher.

The only drawback of this juicer is that it wastes a lot of soft fruit and vegetable as pulp, but when compared to other models this particular disadvantage is insignificant.

The one year warranty it comes with makes the Hamilton Beach a terrific option to consider for home use. If you would like to know more information on this product please check out Amazon.com.


Breville BJE200XL Compact Juice FountainBreville BJE200XL 700-Watt Compact Juice Fountain

At around $99, the Breville BJE200 XL 700-Watt compact juice fountain is the second top selling brand of juicer under $100.

This compact juicer has a 3 inch wide chute which helps juicing smaller fruits and vegetables without having to slice them up first. The stand out feature of this design is that it comes with a cyclonic system which operates at 1400 RPM with the help of a 700 Watt motor.

What this means in layman’s terms is that this juicer is extremely quick and you can have your cup of juice in less than 10 seconds.

Many who have used this super quick juicer find that the juicing experience is fuss free and the cleaning is minimal.

One thing to watch out for when using this powerful juicer is that you need to make sure you close the chute when you juice your fruits or vegetables, otherwise you may end up having to clean your entire ceiling.

With minimal wastage of fruit as pulp and its one year warranty, this product comes a close second in our list of juicers under $100. For more information on this product, click on the following link here.


Tribest citristar1 Tribest Citristar Electric Citrus Juicer

At less than 50 bucks, the tribest citristar electric citrus juicer is the top third brand of juicer available at under $100.

This juicer is a citrus juicer and can be used to juice citrus fruits of all sizes from small lemons to medium sized oranges and large grapefruits.

This citrus juicer is easy to operate, it is very quiet to run and all you need to do is cut your fruit in half and place it over the juicer. Most who have used this juicer are very, very satisfied in its efficiency and its ability to draw the last drop of juice from your fruit.

Unlike other electric citrus juicers, this one does not stop when you exert pressure on the fruit, it effortlessly continues on without wasting any fruit. With so many advantages, it is not surprising that this simple yet efficient design has taken its place among the top 3 juicer brands under $100.

If you would like to know more about this citrus juicer, check it out here.


Mid Range ($100 – $300) Juicers

The top selling juicers in the mid range section are for those who want a very sleek looking product, which has a little more features than the low end juicers have to offer.

Mid range juicers are more for serious juicers who have had juicers before. These juicers are more efficient, come with those extra features that do make life a little easier.

For those who are not afraid to spend a little more to get a product that is very good, these juicers are perfect for you.

Here are our top 3 juicers in the $100 to $300 range.


Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite 1000-Watt Juice ExtractorBreville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite 1000-Watt Juice Extractor

The Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite is the top selling juicer priced between $100 and $300.

The stand out feature of this product is that it has two speed controls, a lower speed for soft fruit and a higher speed for hard fruits and vegetables. So you will be able to get more out of your fruit when compared to other juicers that tend to waste too much as pulp especially when juicing soft fruits at high speeds.

This juicer comes as a very sleek steel design, fully equipped with a 3 inch feed tube, a micromesh made out of stainless steel, a cutting disc that is titanium plated and a 1 liter juicing pitcher.

The added benefits that come with this particular juicer are a one year warranty and a user manual that even includes recipes.

For all these reasons, the Breveille Juice fountain elite is the top selling juicer in the $100 to $300 price range. For more details on this elegant and powerful juice extractor, click here.


Breville BJE510XL Ikon 900-Watt Variable-Speed Juice ExtractorBreville BJE510XL Ikon 900-Watt Variable-Speed Juice Extractor

The Breville BJE510XL Ikon speed juice extractor, is the second top selling juice extractor in the $100 to $300 price range.

The best part of this juicer is that it has a 900 Watt motor that comes with 5 speed settings.

It has all the features of a good juicer like a 3 inch feeding chute, dishwasher safe parts, a cleaning brush, a control panel which is back-lit, a spout that is detachable and even a froth separator that make juicing an absolute delight.

The froth separator as well as the detachable spout which enables one to fill your favorite glass directly with juice are very simple yet convenient options that most of us will appreciate.

With the added benefit of a one year warranty, it is understandable why this juicer has made it to the top 3 bestselling juicers in the mid range. If you are interested in checking out this product, click here.


Breville JE98XL Juice Fountain Plus 850-Watt Juicing MachineBreville JE98XL Juice Fountain Plus 850-Watt Juicing Machine

The Breville JE98XL Juice Fountain Plus 850-Watt Juicing Machine is the top third bestselling juicing machine that is available in the mid price range of between $100 and $300.

This juicer design although not as sleek in appearance as some others, is in fact more attractive due to its semi transparent juice container.

With this partially transparent container, you get to see the fruit actually being juiced. Most children and adults alike will love this see through design. Apart from the standard 3 inch feed chute, dual speeds, dishwasher safe parts and a cleaning brush, this particular model comes with a froth separator and overload protection LED.

These small advantages will ensure that you get your glass of juice, just the way you like it, without any froth. With a one year warranty attached, this lovely product is well worth the money you pay for it. For more information, check out Breville JE98XL Juicing Machine


Top End (Over $300) Juicers

The biggest advantage of buying a top end juicers is that they are very efficient juicers that last without trouble for a very long time. Most top end juicers come with a minimum 5 year warranty and an average 10 year warranty.

Most of us do not want to change our juicers every few years, although the looks keep getting better, we are still content to have an old juicer that functions effectively. These juicers are made to last and with one of these, you can be quite sure that you won’t need to change it in the next 5 years, unless you want to of course.

Here are the top 3 bestselling top end juicers, priced over $300.


Omega Vert Hd Vrt350 JuicerOmega Vert Hd Vrt350 Juicer

The Omega Vert Hd Vrt350 Juicer is the top selling juicer over $300. One look at this product and you will understand why it sells like hot cakes. The design is attractive, with a transparent juicer which lets you watch your juice getting done in a jiffy. It also comes with a nice and long spout which you can use to directly fill up your glass with.

Whats more, it self feeds, so you can do other work when it juices. The feature that is very impressive about this particular juicer is that it has a self-cleaning facility that helps cleaning the filter with ease.

And with a 10 year warranty attached, it is little wonder that this juicer is the best selling high end juicer available.

If you like this product and want more information, check it out here


Omega VRT330 Dual-Stage Vertical Single-Auger Low-Speed JuicerOmega VRT330 Dual-Stage Vertical Single-Auger Low-Speed Juicer

The Omega VRT330 Dual-Stage Vertical Single-Auger Low-Speed Juicer is the top second selling juicer over $300.

This is one very sleek design, made to extract the healthiest and tastiest juices possible. Its low speed rotation is especially great for those who are conscious of their daily vitamin intake and for those who want the benefits of the fruit and vegetable enzymes which are usually destroyed in high speed rotations.

This particular design is geared for the health conscious individual who wants to gain from their daily juices and are not prepared to compromise on their benefits.

With a 10 year full warranty, this is one of the best healthy juicers that are available.

Check the latest price and reviews on Amazon


Green Star 5000 Elite Juicer

Green Star 5000 Elite JuicerGreen Star 5000 Elite Juicer is the third bestselling juicer in the over $300 range. One look at this juicer and you will understand why it is as expensive as it is.

Its name Elite truly describes the product. One of these and your kitchen will appear more modern than it is. Some of the special features that this juicer comes with are latches instead of knobs to attach its twin gear housing.

We all know that latches are much easier to fix, remove and clean and is a feature that most of us will appreciate. It is designed to allow the least amount of oxygen into the juicing process, enabling your fruit not to oxidize quickly. This juicer comes with many extras such as a wooden plungers, juicing and bread-stick knobs, plastic plungers, drip tray, cleaning brushes and a safety hood.

Along with a user manual and a 5 year warranty, this sleek design will ensure that you get the maximum and healthiest juice possible. If you would like to have more details on this product, please check out this link for the best discounts

Green Star 5000 Elite Juicer


In summary

The kind of juicer that you choose to buy depends on how much of a use you will have for it and how much money you are willing to pay for it.

If you are someone who juices once in a while and a cheap and practical option is what appeals to you, go with juicers that are in the low price range as these are both efficient as well as practical.

However if you want more juice out of your juicer and lesser pulp, it is a better idea to go with juicers in the mid price range.

Although these may be more expensive, they are well worth the price difference especially if you make juice on a regular basis.

The top end juicers are mainly people for whom a juicer is as indispensable as a refrigerator. Most top end juicers are built to last and work efficiently. So for those of you who have had an old juicer for a very long time and expect your new juicer to work for the next ten years without trouble, then go with the high end juicers and it will be well worth the money you pay for it.

Custom Research Writing

We understand the intense pressure that students find themselves in, and custom research writing is therefore, a solution to help you as a student handle some of your projects. Thus, our key objective is to help students manage some of their projects, through the provision of academic assistance; and this is done professionally for our customers around the globe.

We are a team of highly professional writers, who have spent years nurturing talents in a wide array of study fields. Since the inception of our company two years back, we have had the privilege of working for clients, who have returned for the competent services we offer. In addition, the clients have recommended others to us, which evidently reflects the outstanding work we do.

We focus on enabling students improve their performance through crafting papers that they use for reference purposes only; hence, guiding them towards stellar performance, since we know what this means for their future. Therefore, we do care and treat our clients with the respect they deserve, not forgetting the professional services we offer.

When placing orders at our cheap custom research writing services website, we do guarantee our clients of their confidentiality, and promise to deliver their orders in a timely manner. Our services are reasonable compared to other writing services online. This includes a guarantee that your paper will meet the expected standards, and of high quality. Additionally, clients are offered live support because we do understand the need to respond to our clients’ needs in a timely manner. Therefore, our support team is online 24/7 to render you the necessary support.

Our writing service ensures that we provide customers with complete assignments, which are absolutely free from plagiarism, while observing quality. Our writers, who are professionals in their fields of specialization, ensure that custom essays are written according to the clients’ specifications.

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We specialize in custom essay writing services, which include; writing term papers, coursework, research papers, research proposals, and book reports, Dissertations, Thesis Proposals, et cetera. In retrospect, we look forward to working with returning clients, and new clients too.

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During the time, we have been in operation, our reputation has been good, and we have gained a lot from returning clients; hence see the need to continue offering our hand in academic assistance to them.

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If you need any assistance, we are at your service. We enjoy serving you.

Best Waffle Maker Reviews

best waffle makerAny one of us would be hard-pressed to think of anything more wonderful than the effect freshly made waffles can have on a Sunday morning. After all, who doesn’t love waking up to that trademark smell and then coming downstairs to enjoy one of the most delicious breakfasts in existence with their family? Let’s take a closer look at the considerations you should take before choosing the right waffle maker

The shape of your waffle maker is important.

Although it might seem as if something like the shape of a waffle maker would be inconsequential, it’s important to note that this isn’t the case. There’s actually something to the chosen shape of a waffle maker beyond just appearance. Round waffle makers actually heat up more quickly than other shapes. However, square waffle makers are actually better at distributing heat.

In addition to these two basic shapes, you’ll find that there are various alternatives. For instance, a novelty-shaped  waffle maker might be a good option for impressing guests or to pull out on special occasions. Some waffle makers allow you to make one huge, single waffle, while others create several smaller waffles of various shapes.

Balance your priorities in regards to the perks you want your waffle maker to have with the aesthetic value you want to give to your waffles. If you’re really into making waffles, you might want to invest in more than one waffle maker – for instance one for typical weekends and one for holidays or special days like birthdays.

Choose a waffle maker with multiple temperature settings and a thermostat.

Another very important thing to consider when purchasing a waffle maker is its ability when it comes to regulating temperature. No one likes burnt, bitter-tasting waffles, but if you don’t take the time to consider temperature settings, that’s exactly what you’ll get. The best waffle maker will come with a built-in smart thermostat that helps keep the cooking temperature even while your waffles are cooking. It will also come with a variety of temperature settings.

This may raise the price of your waffle maker, but in the end, it will be worth it. You’ll save a fortune in frustration and do-overs. The looks on your family members’ faces when they see and smell those amazing, golden waffles will be well worth it as well.

Get a waffle maker with a non-stick surface.

One of the biggest reasons more people don’t make waffles more often is the clean-up involved. That’s why you want to choose a waffle maker that includes a non-stick surface. Instead of scrubbing incessantly and driving yourself up the wall undoing an epic mess after breakfast is over, you could simply wipe your waffle maker’s cooking surface clean with a damp cloth. Wouldn’t that be a welcome change from what you’re used to?

Choose a waffle maker from a reputable brand.

Waffle makers are no different from any other piece of kitchen equipment in the end. You get a much better value when you purchase a good waffle iron from a big brand and a trusted retailer like Amazon.com. The following are some of Amazon’s top-rated waffle makers:

  • Krups Waffle Maker
  • Andrew James Waffle Maker
  • Gordan Ramsay Waffle Maker
  • Cuisinart Waffle Maker

Names like these are tops in the culinary business for very good reasons. They come attached to solid track records in regards to customer satisfaction, reliable products, great customer service, and professional-grade quality.

If you and your family not only absolutely love waffles but want to be able to enjoy your favorite breakfast treat at home more often, then a good waffle maker is an absolute must. Check out your options on Amazon today and get cooking!

Mickey Mouse Waffle Maker Will Have Your Kids Asking for More

Parents try all kinds of things to get their kids to eat. From innovative ways to disguise healthy food to colorful cutlery and plates to tempt the little ones, most parents have done it all. This is also one of the reasons why cookbooks that have recipes for inducing children to eat are best sellers and huge sold outs.

One thing that kids love, apart from all the unhealthy foods like ice cream, chocolates, chips, and cookies are waffles. A waffle is something that most mothers would want their kids to eat and, with the choices available in the types of waffles that can be made this is a good option.

Waffles are a very versatile item and are great as an anytime snack, for breakfast or can even be used as a dessert. No one needs to be a chef to make these waffles. These waffles can also be made nutritious and healthy by substituting whole-wheat flour for refined, egg whites instead of the whole egg and by adding flax seeds and oats to the batter.

With the addition of fruits and nuts along with honey can make this even more nutritious. Waffles in the snack box will give the required carbohydrates to your child which is good for active children. Protein can be added with some peanut butter as well as with some cream cheese.

Sony Smartwatch-Best smart watch you can have!

The Sony Smartwatch is a discrete way to keep in touch with the rest of the world, ensuring that you don’t miss a thing. I like to call it “The Original” smartwatch as it was one of the first, if not the first, true smartwatches to hit the market.

The Sony Smartwatch is perfect for when you want to be contactable (by text, email or via social media sites), but can’t have your telephone switched on. It is discrete as the watch vibrates rather than rings, which means that nobody but you are any the wiser.

Features:

Read social media updates, emails and texts

Control your smartphone’s music

1-3-inch color OLED display with multi-touch

Gently vibrates when notification comes in

Dimensions: 7 x4 x 2.5 inches

Weight: 1.6 ounces

 

Product Description:

best smartwartchThe Sony Smartwatch provides a way to make sure that you never miss that important phone call, or text; the watch also allows you to keep up with your friends on social media. Designed with discretion in mind, it notifies you of texts, emails and social media updates by a gentle vibration rather and not an intrusive ring.

This means that you can still keep track of what is happening in the outside world, even when it is inappropriate, or rude, to take out your phone. Not only can you keep connected, but the watch’s compatibility with most android smartphones means that you can control your smartphone’s music, and use dedicated apps. The watch comes with a wrist-band and a clip-on back.

 

Pros:

  • Stylish, elegant and modern design
  • Discrete
  • Great for receiving calls when the use of telephones is inappropriate
  • Wide variety of apps
  • Good value for money
  • Navigation menus are easy to use

 

Cons:

  • Bluetooth connections are sometimes poor, and easily lost
  • Lack of set-up user instructions
  • Charging cable is too short, and it is easy to accidentally disconnect cable when charging
  • Using widgets slow the watch down
  • Clip comes loose
  • Low resolution screen
  • Screen sensitivity is inconsistent

It is also great when you need to respond quickly: no more fumbling in your bag, or digging in a deep pocket, to find your telephone. The Smartwatch is overall good value for money and it is stylish and very modern-looking.

Despite the definite positives, there are some negative elements with the watch, the main one being the responsiveness and sensitivity of the touch screen: sometimes it is hard to get any response when touching the screen, yet at other times, a slight accidental touch can switch the watch off.

Although it is obviously described as a watch, the time is not always displayed: to save battery life, the screen turns off after a few seconds. To see the time, you need to press a button or shake your wrist, but the latter seems very hit and miss and doesn’t always work. Either way, it is tiresome to have to press a button, rather than just being able to glance at your watch.

Conclusion

Overall, the Sony Smartwatch has great advantages, but does need a little tweaking to rectify some annoying, less than ideal, features. There are also other best smart watches under 100 dollars that you can find on the market or stores.

 

What Others Are Saying

  • “GPS and Exercise apps… I LOVE the GPS directly on the watch… I can see where I am at any time. ”
  • “For what being what it is, an early generation of smartwatch it is in my book one of the best smartwatches out there.”
  • “Overall though I like this watch. Very stylish, sleek, small, and intuitive.”

Hamilton Beach Blender HBB250 Commercial Rio Bar Blender

Have you ever stood behind your bar and noticed something was missing? If the answer is yes then you need to get a Hamilton Beach HBB250 Rio Bar Blender. This great blender has a 44oz polycarbonate container and it makes delicious smoothies. Blending any ingredients is so simple in this well-designed blender because it’s got everything you need incorporated into its design.

The Hamilton Beach Blender is so easy to use, with 2 speed settings, Sure Grip feet for stability and pulse control, everything you blend is perfect each and every time.

One of the great innovative features is the Action Wave Action System. This pulls all contents you place in the blender down into the moving blades. The action ensures a smooth and silky texture every time.

Making purées, sauces, smoothies and soups is simple and they’re deliciously healthy. If you want a blender that looks as good as it works sitting on your bar, then this is the blender for you.

 

Heres why the features incorporated into the Hamilton Beach Blender with its 44oz Polycarbonate Container are so great:

The Superb Wave Action System:

This technology pulls the contents you place in the blender downwards so they’re in the path of the blades. This is the most effective way of blending all sorts of ingredients.

Everything you put in the blender always turns out a smooth and consistent texture. The action of the stainless-steel blades ensures the contents are churned into smooth purées, soups, smoothies or anything else you’re blending.

The action guarantees a consistent texture that’s perfect every time. The Hamilton Beach uses a proven technology that works unlike other blenders that use new less effective technologies.

The Wonderful Smooth Consistency:

No matter what you want to prepare in the commercial-grade Rio Bar Blender, whether its baby food, spaghetti sauce, soups or your favorite smoothies, everything turns out a silky, smooth and delicious texture. Everyone who has used the blender finds the results are perfect, there’s been no complaints to date. You can put all sorts of ingredients into the blender knowing the results will be great and this includes using frozen fruits as a base for all sorts of blended ingredients.

The quality of everything you blend in your Hamilton Blender rivals anything you get at a juice bar every time.

The Practical Side of a Hamilton Beach Blender:

The Hamilton Blender may seem too simple with its 2 speed settings and pulse action. On closer inspection you’ll find this is all that’s needed to produce wonderful results. Ice can be blended to a silky texture which is what makes smoothies so delicious. The blender is so easy to use. No complicated instructions, no mind-boggling settings or programs. This means everyone in the family can use it, even if they’re not clued up on modern technology.

Great Efficiency:

Everyone leads busy lives and don’t have time to hang around for foods to be puréed, chopped or blended. This is where the Hamilton Beach Rio Bar Blender comes into its own.

The blender is fast, efficient – you get great results in record time. No constant stirring, no removing lids – with the Hamilton Blender you just push the button and your juice is done.

One great feature is the blender won’t vibrate off your worktop when you use it. At night when the rest of the household may be sleeping, you can use your blender without disturbing them because the blender is pretty quiet too.

So – Whats the Downside of the Hamilton Beach Blender with 44-Ounce Polycarbonate Container?

Polycarbonate is very strong. It’s also a very durable material. However, it’s not the best when used as a pitcher.

You’ll notice that high-end blenders normally have a shatterproof glass pitcher because this is more aesthetic and higher quality than plastic ones. Plastic retains odors so you have to ensure you thoroughly clean the container each time you use it.

The best way to do this is with soapy water and then dry it with the lid off. The Hamilton Blender might not have a glass pitcher but the advantage of a plastic one is that if you’re blending lots of drinks at your bar, the plastic pitcher is that much easier to handle – there’s less chance of breakages too!

The Size of the Pitcher:

The pitcher size is only 44oz, most people like 64oz or even larger. The bigger the pitcher the more juice can be blended in one single go making it ideal for family use.

The Hamilton Beach is a lot smaller, so if you’re planning to make smoothies for the whole family, you’ll have to do several batches. This size pitcher (44oz) is ideal for blending smaller quantities of foods and drinks but not that great for larger quantities.

Good Value for Money or Not?

The Hamilton Beach Blender has a great commercial-grade quality. This means the blender will stand up to regular use very well. For people who make lots of smoothies, soups, purées, sauces and margaritas as well as needing a blender for multiple tasks in the kitchen, this blender can whip up superb juices every time.

Its Wave Action Technology produces superb results without any complicated overstuffed technology that’s hard to get your head around. This is one of the best blenders and is a top-quality product, it does what it claims to do and it does this really well.

The blender produces superior results every time. The conclusion is the Hamilton Beach Blender is a must have addition for any serious smoothie fan who thinks theres something missing on their drinks bar.

 

Best Air Mattress Reviews: Choose the best type of mattress for great sleep tonight

Best inflatable air mattress

best inflatable air mattressWe spend an immense amount of time sleeping, the better part of a quarter of our lives to be exact.

It, therefore, makes sense that we should want to be as comfortable as possible when we are in bed. Some of us enjoy a spring mattress while a foam mattress is someone else’s pick.

With recent advances in the quality many people are opting to choose an inflatable air mattress as well for their every day bed.

If you think back a few years the only time you used to sleep on an air mattress was when you were camping or over at a friend or relatives place and needed a place to crash.

However people started finding that they enjoyed their nights sleep more on the best air mattress then their regular spring mattress at home. So it wasn’t long before people started considering an inflatable air mattress for everyday use at home.

The Inflatable air mattress has come a long way

The way it always used to be when you wanted to inflate an inflatable air mattress you had to get your lungs ready and starting blowing it up like a beach ball.

However, as more people began purchasing inflatable air mattresses, companies started including foot pumps, and later electric pumps to help inflate the mattress. So instead of taking the better part of an hour to blow up an inflatable air mattress it can be done in a few minutes.

Select Comfort makes one a popular inflatable air mattress.

The mattress allows the individual to adjust the air flow in or out of individual chambers. This means people can adjust the comfort, softness/firmness of the mattress depending on the day. Also if two people are on the mattress together they are able to adjust their side of the bed to suit themselves.

  • For low a low end inflatable air mattress you can get one at a local department store or camping equipment store.
  • For a higher end unit which you’d be more likely to use on a day-to-day basis as your primary mattress check with furniture and mattress stores as well as on the Internet.

Like anything else quality varies directly with cost, and you will find air mattresses from a few dollars up to a thousand for an adjustable one.

One of the best features offered by the best inflatable air mattress for camping is it’s ability to adjust the firmness. While some will come with reinforced sides, a layer of foam on top and more bells and whistles, all possess the simple feature of being filled with air

A mattress filled with air is really the only mattress that can accommodate almost any requirement a person might need for a good nights sleep. Whether you’re suffering from aches and pains or lower back pain, you can modify the firmness of the air mattress to help you have a wonderful nights sleep, and rejuvenate for the next day.

Looking for a sleeping bag instead? Have a look at our list of the best backpacking sleeping bags.

Air mattress with cot

air mattress with cotEven for those of us that love the outdoors, there is one fact that cannot be denied.

Humans were not meant to live in the great outdoors without any form of shelter.

With that in mind, if you do wish to get in some quality time with nature camping you should consider bringing something comfortable to sleep on with you.

One recommended piece of equipment that can take care of this is an air mattress with cot.

Sleeping Bag vs. Cot

Of course the best sleeping bags will never go away, come on we’ve all been using them since scouts. However, an air mattress with cot is a lot more comfy to sleep on then just your good ol sleeping bag on the ground for comfort.

Of course there have been some great memory foam pad mattresses come out over the last few years, but none compete with the air mattresses available today that sit on a cot frame.

A cot and air mattress are easily transportable, the air mattress deflates and is folded up. There’s no really bulky or heavy portion to the cot, most can be folded up and could even be used when hiking or backpacking.

Tiny Bit of Extra Work

Of course compared to a regular sleeping bag and sleeping pad there is a little more work that needs to go into using an air mattress with cot. An air mattress isn’t as warming as just a sleeping bag.

Where the sleeping bag traps your body heat inside, you’ll need to take extra precaution with a cot and air mattress. Ideally sleeping in your bag on the cot would be ideal.

Also colder air can travel underneath you as well when you’re on an air mattress with cot, meaning cold air can come at you from below as well.

Doubling Up

To ensure you stay warm, especially during the colder months be sure to use both your sleeping bag and an air mattress with cot.

The air mattress will be better than the hard ground any day for comfort, and of course the sleeping bag will ensure you stay warm all night.

You can get a great nights sleep in the great outdoors you just need to be prepared with the right gear to stay comfortable and warm.


Memory Foam Mattresses

best memory foam mattressesSince it’s inception in the 1970’s by NASA as a material to help astronauts deal with eh G-force in the space shuttle it’s applications have been broad.

The down fall was that NASA never did use Memory foam, and it sat dormant until the 1990’s when mattress manufacturers decided to do something with it.

Today we have several brands to consider, and a variety of price ranges which calls for a Memory foam mattress review to help make your buying decision as easy as possible.

While many companies will review mattresses for you, the real memory foam mattress review needs to come from you, by testing out several brands and style to know what it is you’ll like best. No two people seem to enjoy the same level of firmness or softness so personal preference is big when it comes to a foam mattress review.

A brief history of the memory foam mattress

The first manufacturer to introduce the memory foam mattress was Tempur-Pedic.

They took NASA’s idea of memory foam and created their own brand of the material known as Tempur. The version that they produced became a much more reliable and table form of the foam in which to manufacturer mattresses from.

Initially, Tempur was created to be used in the health care sector, how ever as Tempur-Pedic saw the potential for growth in the product it didn’t take long before a memory foam mattress was competing for market share in the spring mattress market.

Memory foam mattress reviews were done by tempur, and there product prevailed as the preferred brand in this emerging market, and still is today.

All Foams are not Created Equal

Competition in the memory foam mattress market has grown immensely over the last several years. There have been expensive and cheap alternatives to the initial tempur product, using various forms of memory foam.

What to consider in a memory foam mattress review is the density of the foam. Generally when purchasing a mattress from a department store the density of the foam is less. This causes the material to not maintain shape for a long period of time. Resulting in discomfort while sleeping.

A good quality foam is a four pound density, in comparison the Tempur foam is approximately 5.3 pounds which is a high end density rating but of course it all comes with a price.

Fillers is another thing to consider in memory foam mattress reviews. Often times manufacturers are using fillers in their mattresses, this means it’s less expensive to manufacture how ever it’s not 100% memory foam so the longevity of the mattress will be less.

When reviewing a memory foam mattress have an understanding of the base foam in the mattress. Some mattresses will use a firm foam, which in turn makes the whole mattress firmer.

Know what it is you’re looking for before you go in the store. If you want something softer then be sure to make that known. Also be sure to test multiple mattresses, by laying on them, in different positions. It’s the only real way to get a great feel for the mattress you could be sleeping on for the next five, ten even twenty years.

Selecting the right visco foam mattress

best visco foam mattressThere are a lot of brands to choose from when shopping for a visco foam mattress. With one company calling a particular feature something different then another it’s a recipe for confusion.

The bottom line when shopping for a visco foam mattress is to remember you’re after a good nights rest. No gimmicks, or bells and whistles just the ability to wake up in the morning feeling refreshed.

Since the materials development by NASA for the space program (To reduce the effects of G-Force on takeoff) the visco foam mattress has made a big impact on consumers.

Originally to expensive for consumers to own memory foam was restricted to the medical field for beds, wheelchair seats, and pillows. As manufacturing costs have gone down it’s become more economically doable for anyone to purchase a foam mattress.

The Advantages of a Memory visco foam mattress

It sounds strange but these mattresses possess healing properties that a regular spring mattress does not. If you experience backaches, back pain, or even the aches visco foam can help.

First off, the foam mattress is designed to react to the heat from your body allowing it to contour exactly to the shape of your body. This allows you to sleep with your spine and back almost perfectly straight. Reducing the chance of waking with back pain.

Secondly, memory foam is designed to hold heat, so while it’s not the best feature for the summer time it can be of assistance to those experiencing pain from cramping or other aches to have that little additional warmth with you while you sleep.

The Memory visco foam mattress Brief History

The first company to bring a visco foam mattress to market was Tempur-Pedic. There brand of memory foam was known as TEMPUR. Of course once other companies noticed the success they were having with the foam mattresses others followed suit. Sealy, Serta, and Simmons all quickly jumped on the bandwagon to begin to produce visco foam mattresses.

Finding the Type of visco foam mattress for You

A visco foam mattress is like the middle man between a soft and hard spring mattress.

Offering those that love a hard mattress the availability of a very dense memory foam, as well as a lighter density for those that like a soft mattress.

Generally, the greater the density the longer lasting the mattress will be. Also you should consider you’re requirements in a mattress prior to deciding on the density of visco foam you’d like. For example someone looking to solve troubles with their back should opt for a more dense material.

How can you gage what firmness works for you? Salesman and promo brochures will list all of these density figures for you but really the best way is to shop and test.

Price and Guarantee of a visco foam mattress

Purchasing a visco foam mattress is a big decision. It’s expensive, and is something that could last you a lifetime. Your purchase decision shouldn’t be made to quickly.

When choosing a retailer to deal with check for their guarantee’s on pricing and warranty. The warranties on any visco foam mattress is very good due to the lifespan of the material.

If something seems fishy choose another retailer to work with, remember everyone wants your business, don’t fall for a deal that seems to good to pass up shop it around.

Best foam rubber mattress

best foam rubber mattress for back painA foam rubber mattress will ensure you maximise the time you have in bed, and help you get the best quality sleep while you’re there.

The type of bedding and and mattress we use can contribute to allergies and tossing and turning at night, if you experience this then a foam mattress might be a solution for you.

Great for back pain sufferers

For individuals who are confined to their bed for extra long periods of time memory foam is the best mattress for backpain.

A foam mattress is designed to reduce pressure on the body. Many doctor’s suggest a foam rubber mattress to those who are prone to pressure sores.

The relief that a foam rubber mattress provides is beneficial for people who experience chronic upper and lower back pain. While a conventional mattress doesn’t always allow your spine to be straight when laying on your back or side a rubber foam mattress offers what is known as different zones.

Zones in a foam rubber mattress offer varying degrees of firmness at different points on the mattress. Foam rubber is the one of the only materials that can provide different support under your back, hips, and under your head. This is the feature that really makes a rubber mattress unique.

Different parts of our body require a different amount of firmness, being able to supply your body with this ensures better alignment of the spine, and more comfort at all points when sleeping.

Hypo-allergenic Bedding

We touched on this briefly above, but it’s no secret more people are coming down with allergies then ever before. Different types of bedding and pillows can cause people to have a reaction, how ever this isn’t so with a foam rubber mattresses.

Foam rubber is hypo-allergenic. For people who are allergic to latex a foam rubber mattress offers an excellent alternative with wonderful support.

Low Maintenance

Unlike an older spring mattress that requires flipping ever couple of months to help your mattress last a foam rubber mattress doesn’t require it.

They’re durable, and aren’t build around a spring system, they consist of a rubber core which doesn’t become compressed thanks to its density.

While a foam mattress will react to your body shape you should never begin to see body impressions from where you sleep.

Without question this is the next generation of mattresses, purchasing a rubber foam mattress that could last you a lifetime is a much better investment then a spring type mattress that could wear out in several years. Foam rubber mattress  also goes well with bunk beds with steps.


Water bed mattress

best water bed mattressDoes everyone still dream of owning a water bed mattress? Exactly how comfortable are they, and is the price range affordable to the average family?

What is a Water Bed Mattress

There are two types of water beds available hard and soft side water beds.

A hard side water bed mattress is a mattress filled with water, that sits on a hard surface frame usually made of wood. These platforms resemble normal bed frames often with storage and drawers below the water bed mattress.

A soft side water bed is a water filled mattress inside a foam frame, then zipped inside a fabric covering that sits on a platform. This design is meant to make your water bed look as similar to a traditional bed as possible.

A brief history of the water bed mattress

The history of the Water bed dates back to 1971, when a water bed was used in New York for invalids play, mark Twain also mentioned a water bed during one of his articles that was published in the New York times in 1871.

While it is mentioned there isn’t enough information to really describe the components and assembly of a water bed.

In 1883 Dr William Hooper from Portsmouth, England patented a waterbed, advertising it as having pain healing capabilities however; not being able to come up with a way to control the water temperature back then, it was a failure.

It was in 1968 that the modern water bed was finally designed by Charles Hall who was a design student in San Francisco State University. There were two other students Ecan Fawkes, and Paul Heckel that also had a contribution to the design.

Benefits an Disadvantages of a Water Bed Mattress

Benefits:

Most water bed mattresses can be heated which is a wonderful comfort feature.

Ensuring you can stay extra warm during those cold winter months. Also a warmer sleeping environment lowers your blood pressure allowing you to rest easier, and fall asleep quicker.

Blood circulation is improved, and also muscles relax. Because the mattress is liquid filled it shapes around your body reducing pressure on your joints, and back.

Disadvantages:

Unfortunately, you can not use water bed mattresses on cheap rollaway beds.

While the heating option of a water bed mattress is nice, it can be costly to continually have the mattress feeling warm. Filling your mattress, as well as moving it isn’t easy as it must be drained fully to move. Then of course once moved you need to fill it all up again.

Now of course this doesn’t happen often but there is a chance that your water bed can become punctured. The mattress will then leak, and can be a difficult to clean up.

Considering both the good and the bad of water beds they can be a great comfort investment and the positives you experience generally out weigh the negatives and damage that can occur.

Be sure to shop around for pricing, and get a full understanding of the warranty for the water bed mattress. You may also want to include a good water pillow in your bedroom

Are Window Fans a Viable Option for Cooling your House?

Electric Window Fans are the perfect solution to cool your house with the cool breeze from the outdoors. Window fans are used for driving the warm air out or drawing the cool air in.

A low cost option for cooling your home, an electric window fan is also an environmentally friendly cooling appliance as it reduces the need for air conditioning, thus also saving on the electricity bill. Ideal for regions where days are hot and nights are cool, window fans are not recommended for use in humid areas or where air pollution levels are high.

Window fans of various makes and types are available in the market. The standard size is 20 inches window fan, although smaller fans are also sold. One of the most popular options is the twin window fan. These can also work as reversible window fans. Then there are whole house window fans that can keep your entire home cool when positioned in the right spot.

Reversible Window Fans

Reversible window fans can be used for both exhausting indoor air and drawing in fresh air without actually having to turn the fan. With reversible fans, you can even circulate the air through two to three rooms. These fans have a reversible motor with which you can send the air into or out of the house.

Twin Window Fans

These are designed to fit in the window. These come with sides that can be adjusted, so that they suit windows of any size. Some models of twin window fans offer the exchange option, in which one fan exhausts stale air and the other brings in fresh air. Needless to say, there is the option of both fans performing exhaust or intake simultaneously.

Whole House Window Fans

These are used to cool homes when you are on a tight budget. These are easy to install and work by drawing in cool air via the open windows. The hot air within the house is exhausted to the outdoors via the attic.

A majority of the best window fans need side panels and kits to mount them. These panels serve the dual purpose of supporting the fan, as well as preventing the air from re-entering the fan, thereby maintaining performance. The most recent fans come with the side panels already installed. All that remains to be done is to open the window, place the window fan in position and switch it on.

In some of the makes, the fan is mounted in the window frame and you can keep the window closed when you use the fan. The more expensive window fans also come with a thermostat and have various speed options. If your region experiences a wide range of temperatures then these are especially useful.

Window fans are one of the most cost-effective and eco-friendly means of cooling your home. A very popular and useful electric appliance, they can be used both for exhausting the stale indoor air and for bringing in the fresh outside air.

Hair Transplant Treatment: Which is the best hair transplant treatment?

There is no such thing as the best hair transplant for all. Treatment for hair loss isn’t the same for everyone and a hair falling treatment that works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another. NHI recognizes that not everyone has the same issues, which is why they have two treatment options to find the best hair transplant for you.

At the NHI, they specialize in both men and women’s treatment for hair loss and offer Follicular Unit Grafting (FUG) and Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) for ultimate results. Our goal is to provide patients with the most natural results achieved in the shortest possible time.

Our qualified staff will assess which hair transplant procedure is best for the results you wish to achieve. Using the finest methods and advanced technology, we will ensure you get the best hair transplant to eliminate loss.

To learn how the NHI can deliver the best hair transplant for your treatment for hair loss, call 03 9699 7733 today or visit our offices for a free consultation.

Follicular Unit Grafting (FUG)

Follicular Unit Grafting (also referred to as FUG) abides by the principle that hair doesn’t grow individually, but grows naturally in clusters of up to 4 strands. These clusters are also known as follicular units and are obtained through microscopic dissection of tissue that is harvested in a single strip.

For some, short of using a hair curling wand, this is the best hair transplant or hair falling treatment, as it is possible to identify and extract the units and transfer them to the balding scalp. Thousands of follicular unit grafts containing 1, 2, 3 or 4 grafts are taken and are transferred in groups.

The NHI surgical team can control angle, depth and density of incision, ensuring a natural result. FUG at the NHI involves removing a thin strip at the back and sides of the scalp. The groupings are placed in the incisions with a fine pair of tweezers.

Our surgical technicians will place 1 graft in the front and 2 grafts directly behind. The 3 and 4 grafts are then placed throughout the mid scalp and forelock region for maximum density.

Your hair directly above the incision will cover the area, ensuring FUG is not notable. As mentioned previously, not everyone loses in the same area, which is why it is important to consider the best hair transplant or hair falling treatment for you.

Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)

Follicular Unit Extraction (also referred to as FUE) is the technique of extracting individual grafts from the scalp. This relatively new technique has been regarded as the best hair transplant for a number of patients.

In the FUE procedure, the surgeon will make a tiny circular incision around each follicular unit. The follicular units are then individually extracted from the scalp. They are given to the surgical team who will check them under the microscope and further trim them if required.

The small holes are left to heal on their own, whilst the NHI surgical team carefully place each of the strands in the required area.

Although recommended as the best hair transplant for a number of patients, the procedure negates the need for a linear incision at the back and sides of the scalp, resulting in an inevitable scar. Both transplant options result in a natural look, allowing you to achieve wanted results.

This detailed procedure takes time but allows patients to return to normal activities within a couple of days with limitations to exercise, smoking and drinking. With both FUG and FUE, the hair will begin to grow about three months after the procedure. It will gradually grow through, ensuring you receive final results about 18 months after surgery.

For more information on FUE or FUG, or to learn about the best hair transplant options for you, call the NHI on 03 9699 7733 or submit an enquiry form.

Hair Growth Patterns

Contrary to common belief, hairs do not grow as single units. It grows in naturally occurring groups of up to four, which are referred to as follicular units. Here at the NHI, we aim to replace loss using natural growth patterns to ensure you get a natural look.

Contrary to common belief, hairs do not grow as single units. It grows in naturally occurring groups of up to four, which are referred to as follicular units. Here at the NHI, we aim to replace loss using natural growth patterns to ensure you get a natural look.

The binocular stereoscopic dissecting microscope allows our practitioners to identify and dissect each follicular unit to the smallest possible graft, resulting in a high growth rate. Our growth is in excess of 95% in the hands of our experienced surgical team.

5 Unbelievable Facts That Will Change Your Mind about Home schooling

Home Schooling!  This topic seems to be a hot one in the news, lately.  The headlines either laud the praises of home education or vilify it.

Articles appear in the Wall Street Journal, Reader’s Digest, Ladies’ Home Journal, major newspapers across the country, and special segments on CBS news.  Even so, there are many people who still have questions about what it is and how it works.

After homeschooling my daughters for 13 years, and being deeply involved in the home schooling community the past 17 years, I have a bit of perspective to share on some of the issues.  First, a little history.

Arizona recognized home education from the start, and provides for it in the state constitution.  In 1982, the law was clarified, and at that time, several things were required of home educators.

  • The Teacher Proficiency Exam was mandatory for the main teaching parent.  This was the same tests that public school teachers still have to pass to receive certification, except for the classroom management portion.  We had 6 months to pass this exam to be allowed to home educate.  Teachers had 2 years, and could still teach while in the re-testing stage.
  • An affidavit needed to be filed for each child 8-16 years old.
  • Students had to take the IOWA Test of Basic Skills every year, and demonstrate “academic
    progress” to be able to continue at home.

Over the next few years, home schoolers demonstrated very high scores on the IOWA test—averaging in the 70-85th percentile without regard to parental background such as educational level or income. Independent studies have consistently shown that the longer a child is in home schooling, the farther above grade level he will score.

As the state changed its public school testing requirements, ours were changed as well, usually for the better.  The current state laws include these provisions:

  1. An affidavit must be filed for each child 6-16 years.
  2. No testing is required of students (say goodbye to research papers for sale!)
  3. No testing is required of parents.
  4. Parents may choose any type of curriculum  or method they desire.
  5. Students may participate in public school extra-curricular activities.
  6. Home Schoolers scoring in the 90th percentile on the college entrance tests are eligible for full
    tuition waivers (Regents’ Scholarships) at the state universities.

Partly due to this great statute (and the openness in the charter school law), Arizona is ranked Number One in Educational Freedom.

When I began home schooling in the mid-1980’s, there were very few choices regarding curriculum, support groups and activities.   Three major companies offered instructional materials, and one of those would not release teacher books to us.  There were only three support groups of significant size—one in the east valley, one in Scottsdale, and  one covering the rest of Phoenix and the West Valley. Our groups pioneered and tested out everything from new teaching materials (developed by creative parents) to various classes and teen activities.

Today, there are support groups abounding—in every region of the valley, and statewide as well.  They can be focused on a certain philosophy of education or religion, or a curriculum, or group co-op classes, or relationships for moms and kids.

Publishers and suppliers of textbooks, educational games and supplementary services have proliferated.  One major home school magazine has over 5000 company names in its database, with more contacting them weekly.  Now, the dilemma a newcomer faces is more related to being overwhelmed with all the choices.

Home school students are involved in an average of 5-6 community activities outside of the schooling.  These are as far ranging as Spelling and Geography Bee competitions on the national level (and winning!), chess clubs, competitive athletic teams, swing dance clubs, junior symphony and city choral groups, leadership camps, tutoring, community service, and even a home school prom.

In Maricopa county, over 9000 students ages 6-16 are registered home schoolers, with several hundred more who are younger or older than the mandatory reporting age.  Statewide, the numbers run close to 20,000 registered, and the national census estimates are at least 1.5 – 2 million across the country.

In a study conducted last year by Brian Ray of the National Home Education Research Institute, former home educated students who are now adults were surveyed on longer term effects.  With nearly 80% of the 10,000 contacts responding, the results are dynamic.  Questions were posed regarding adjustment into the “real world” as measured by college attendance and completion, types of jobs, satisfaction with life, citizenship responsibilities such as voting, and thoughts about their own home school experience.  For each question, the respondents indicated a high level of social adjustment and comfort with their roles as adults, and a strong sense of well-being in their respective endeavors.

For me on a personal level, home schooling my daughters was a grand adventure.  They are wonderful people to be around, and I am very confident of their abilities to make sound decisions in all areas.  We had a lot of fun learning together, and we have a rich treasure of incredible memories.  I would do it all again in a heartbeat!  (When the time comes, they may let me help home school my grandchildren, which would be a real blast!)

What about socialization

I haven’t yet found a home schooler who hasn’t been asked this question.  The asking of it implies that the only acceptable way for children to learn “proper behavior for group settings” is to be immersed in learning situations with 30 other age-mates.  It also assumes that teaching one’s children and being social recluses are the same thing.

Being involved with other people (socializing) is one of the strengths of the home schoolers.   There are support group activities and classes to meet every kind of interest, plus scads of community programs and activities.

Most home school children are in an average of 4-5 outside activities (compared to 1-2 for public schoolers), and many moms find their time is divided between the instructional part and the driving of kids to activities.

You can be as involved as you want–scouts, sports, theater,  classes, music, hobby clubs, parks and recreation, church activities, voluntarism, being mentored by key people in similar areas of interest, inviting families to your home for meals or activities.

Socialization means being able to behave properly in all social situations. (i.e. with older or younger people, on the playground, at church or a formal event or wherever).  Properly for most of us includes:  treating others with respect, integrity, compassion; having a strong moral code, honesty, grace, ability to think for oneself  and not give in to peer pressure, to understand the needs of others, willingness to serve others, good manners, and religious and family values.

Because the family is the basis for interaction with  home schooling, the parents are able to see and work with character qualities and instruct the children in proper behavior.

They will relate to people of all ages, in many social settings, all under the eyes of the loving adults who are mature enough to model desirable attitudes and actions.  That modeling is unlikely to occur among a group of other children who also need to learn these things.

If you were new at a job, and needed to learn many new skills, are you likely to spend the bulk of your time trying to learn from the new recruits?

Or would you seek out the most experienced and wise person there and sit at his feet?  I know for myself, I would do the latter.  We learn and grow from interacting with those who are more mature than we are, who can give us their wisdom.

Children, especially, need elders, (not a room full of 30 peers who are at the same or lower social, emotional and intellectual level), to raise the caliber of their application of life principles.  In other words, we are most strongly influenced by those with whom we spend the most time.

We, as parents, have the wonderful privilege of importing into the lives of our children the qualities of character and godliness that we desire them to have.

Research demonstrates that children wantthis from their parents.  Research also shows that home schooled students are stronger in social skills of all types than the public school counterparts, due to the strong one-on-one training from family members.

Rabbit Vibrators: This is why your girl can’t get enough of it

Rabbits are the Superstars of Dildos

The Rabbit Pearl by Vibratex, was launched into the pop culture icon stratosphere in 1998 during the first season of HBO’s Sex in the City. Miranda introduced Charlotte to The Rabbit in episode 9 “The Turtle and the Hare.” Charlotte loved The Rabbit so much she would not leave her apartment! From novices to sex toy athletes, women throughout the country flocked to the original Rabbit Pearl by Vibratex..

Once Sex and the City broke the ice, the United States was ready for prime time discussions about the best rabbit vibrator review. Lisa Kogan, the sexpert for Oprah Magazine wrote about her encounter with Vibratex’s Rabbit Habit, “my eyes light on the Holy Grail, the Rolls Royce of sex toys.

Drum roll, please: Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Rabbit Habit, complete with strategically placed rotating pleasure pearls, fluttering ears, swiveling head, and varying speeds for both rotation and vibration. This bunny does it all!”

Men whine, “How do I compete with my girl using a rabbit vibe?”

The bunny does do it all. It is so effective that men began to worry that they were being replaced. How could they compete with such remarkable devises with their very simple non-pearl-rotating-clitoris-stimulating-rabbit-earless dick? “How,” they whined. Well let me echo the good people at Bableland Blog for thanking Dan Savage for the following:

Dear Dan: I love the wife I married two years ago, but she absolutely can’t come unless she uses a vibrator on herself. She’s asked me to let her use it during sex or for me to use it on her, but I’ve refused. It’s bad enough knowing I can’t compete with that thing without having to look at it.

Let’s Insert My Prick

Now, stop being such a douchebag about this, LIMP, and go ask the wife to show you just how to hold the vibrator and just where to apply pressure so that you-YOU! can start giving her orgasms during sex.

See the vibrator as a tool, moron, not a threat. Get the best sex toys for couples, and thank me later.

Because if being with you means going without orgasms during sex for the rest of her life all because she was foolish enough to marry an insecure bag of slop who refuses to do what needs to be done to get her off then your wife just might decide to be with someone else.

And now an important message for all straight guys everywhere: Some women need the best G-Spot vibrator to get off.

Why?

Well, perhaps it has something to do with the fact that most of a woman’s clitoral tissues are inside her body; the exposed part of her clitoris is just the tip, comparable to the head of your penis.

Now imagine if the shaft of your penis was buried inside your body, guys. You might need the help of a vibrator to get off then, too; you might need a tool that could stimulate your shaft through layers of skin and muscle and fat.

We’ve been over and over this since the early 1990s, fellas, and there’s no excuse anymore for freaking out about your wife/girlfriend/mom needing a vibrator, OK?

Thanks Dan for helping get the male egos in check… again. Now that we can rest assured that men are not going to be obsolete, let’s takes some time to delve into the wonderful and varied world of Rabbit Vibrators.

How did that rabbit end up on my Dildo?

So what makes the Rabbit Pearl and the Rabbit Habit so amazing?

To answer that question we need to take a step back in time to the Shogun era of Japan. During the area of Shogun it was considered disrespectful to show oneself naked in public. Obscenity laws were passed that restricted the right of the Japanese to show genitals in pornography or through sex toys.

Japan’s view of sexuality should not be confused with Victorian or Puritanical prudishness. The Shogun era was rich with sexual diversity and was extraordinarily open minded.

For example, Samari warriors regularly engaged in homosexual acts with each other. According to Learning from Shogun, Japanese History and Western Fantasy, “In the era of Shogun, available evidence suggests that harikata [dildos] were used primarily for the training of male prostitutes and perhaps for the use of their customers.” It turns out Buddhist monks were their primary source of income.

In an effort to comply with decency laws, the best dildos began to take on different forms that no longer resembled the original penis shape. Everything from bears, whales, animals, and yes even rabbits were sources of inspiration.

Contemporary law still mirrors the cultural shyness towards public displays of genitalia. Japanese pornography remains pixilated. Dildos can not look too penisy. The restricted rules have pushed Japanese dildo engineering to creative heights that are unrivaled by anyone else.

I’m hunting Wabbit… or Rabbit dildo reviews

Like any masterpiece there are always going to be attempts to replicate the original. Sometimes replications stumble upon renewed greatness, sometimes though, they fail miserably. Today I am going to focus on several of the successes. This is by no means a comprehensive list, so I will update it frequently as new developments are released.

The Doc Johnson iVibe Rabbit

The iVibe is a fantastic peace of human engineering. The sheer size of the thing is enough to make most Rabbit fans marvel.

Doc Johnson doubled the amount of shaft dedicated to the swirling pearl, compared to the Rabbit Pearl and the Rabbit Habbit. The Rabbit ears, designed to tickle the clitoris, are so close together they are touching nearly to their tips.

Doc Johnson removed the rabbit nose for a more sleek and streamlined appearance, but they may have lost some added benefit depending on the preference of the user. Unrestricted by Japanese the best budget penis pump censorship, the iVibe features a more realistic looking tip.

All of the controls are easily accessible and attached to the base. There are three function settings that vary the movements of the pearls, the tip, and the clit stimulator for different tastes.

There are independent controls for both the speed of the shaft and the speed of the Rabbit. As a bonus, the iVibe is waterproof. The Doc Johnson iVibe Rabbit is a clear winner in the world of Rabbits, and I know you will agree too.

Variation on a theme, the Doc Johnson iVibe Suction Cup Rabbit

The iVibe Suction Cup Rabbit is a good solid vibrator that easily attaches to almost any smooth surface. The suction cup is impressively strong, especially if you moisten the cup with a quick lick.

The rotating pearl beads are positioned lower on the shaft than on the Doc Johnson iVibe Rabbit allowing for more tip wiggle room. The controls are located on a detachable wired remote and feature a simple faster and slower sliding button.

If you love fixing your dildo to a sturdy bench and going to town, the Doc Johnson iVibe Suctions Cub Rabbit will be your best friend.

Spinning pearls not your thing? Try the Love Pump.

Some women would never give up the spinning pearl feature on most other Rabbit dildos, but others find them downright uncomfortable. It really depends on your personal preference and in some cases the size of your vagina.

Smaller ladies tend to find the pearls annoying. If that is your experience you should give The Freezy Stiffs Love Pump a try. There are no beads, only the best budget penis pump.

Freezy Stiff redesigned the clitoral stimulating rabbit so that its paws pack the power rather than the ears. The opening space between the vibrating paws is far wider than the iVibe and slightly wider than the Vibratex Rabbit Habbit. This extra space is perfect for ladies with a larger clitoris, or those who want the stimulators to straddle either side of their clitoris for a mind blowing experience.

Are you looking for something a little more predatory? Then you will love the Panther!

A strong 8.5 inches of purring pleasure awaits you with the Pearl Panther by California Exotic. Designed to pay special attention to your G spot, the Pearl Panther curves slightly upwards while a vibrating panther with frisky paws goes to town on your clit and the best vibrator for orgasm.

With this vibrator you know longer have to decide weather you want to focus on your G-Spot or your clitoris. You can have it all! Vibration and rotation are easily and independently controlled at the base of the Pearl Panther by using the sturdy push button control. The rotating pearl climax beads are positioned lower on the shaft near the pouncing panther for a tantalizing double clitoral stimulation experience. Grrr!

The Punk Rocker

We like to call the Jelly Krystals Humming Arouser, the Punk Rocker because of its singly focused clitoral stimulator that looks like a punk rocker’s mow-hawk.

Most Rabbits take a two pronged approach in the form of ears or paws, but the Punk Rocker is focused and ready to rock your world! At 7″ the Humming Arouser has attached simple to use button controls that adjust both the direction of the shaft’s gyrations and the speed of the vibrations for the stimulator and the shaft.

Sometimes size does matter

Oxygen Network’s Sue Johanson teamed up with California Exotic to bring you the Royal Rabbit. This is by far the best small size Rabbit style vibrator on the market. If you find the larger 7″ or 8″ pearl beaded vibrators uncomfortable, then you will love the Royal Rabbit.

At only 6″ from base to tip, and at most 2″ wide, this is perfect for women with smaller vaginas or for those who are simply intimidated by size.

The Royal Rabbit is also awesome for anal play on both men and women. On men the vibrating bunny ears will stimulate your chode while the shaft teases your ass.

I dare you to combine the Royal Rabit with a male masturbator like the Nite Rider Deluxe with its three speed power bullet. Set the Royal Rabbit to one of its 7 powerful settings and your neighbors will hear you groan with pleasure.

The Rolls Royce of Rabbits

Rabbit Habit by Vibratex is by far the best of the best. Designed by Vibratex, who brought us the original Rabbit Pearl of Sex in the City fame, the Rabbit Habit has women raving around the world.

Not only is the Rabbit Habit an amazing vibrator, but it has a sense of humor only the Japanese could produce.

If you take a close look under the tip of the shaft you will notice a small smiley face and some small pearls. Some might see this pearl necklace as a little cum shot, others might see it as a beautiful adornment to a very respectful smiling lady.

LOL!

Either way it’s damn hilarious, and is effective enough to pass the scrutiny of Japanese decency laws. Thank vibrating goddess that it does, because without it, the world of Rabbits would be incomplete!

What is the London Memory Foam Mattress

Memory foam wаѕ formerly developed fοr NASA іn tһе 1970’s anחԁ wаѕ swiftly noticed bу tһе medical community аѕ a possible aid fοr people in hospitals, nursing homes and wheelchairs tһаt wеrе susceptible tο pressure sores.

Tһе benefit tο tһіѕ material іѕ tһе ability tο dispense pressure over a greater area. London memory foam mattresses mаkе best υѕе οf memory foam. London memory foam mattress mаkеѕ уουr body comfortable around pressure points.

Memory foam іѕ probably best known bу tһе majority οf people аѕ tһе substance tһаt wаѕ used bу tһе astronauts tο protect tһеm frοm tһе extreme g-forces occurring during tһе take-οff οf tһе space shuttle.

London memory foam mattress іѕ mаԁе frοm polyurethane and οtһеr chemicals tһаt add tο іtѕ thickness level, thereby increasing іtѕ density. It іѕ аƖѕο referred tο аѕ viscoelastic polyurethane foam.

It’s included in London memory foam mattress, ѕο tһаt уοu һаνе no worries аbοut уοur comfort аt night. Depending οn tһе chemicals used аnd іt’s οm tһе whole density, generally London memory foam mattress іѕ firmer іח сοοƖ temperatures аחԁ softer wһеח warm.

Higher density memory foam reacts tο body heat wһісһ allows іt tο form itself tο tһе shape οf a warm body іח јυѕt a few minutes. Lower density foam іѕ pressure sensitive аחԁ thus wіƖƖ mold more quickly tο tһе shape οf tһе body. London memory foam mattresses аrе offered іn different thickness types.

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Top 10 Commercial Roofing Installation Mistakes

I am not saying there are only 10 commercial roofing installation mistakes that can be made. These are just the most common.

And be aware that there are no requirements to be a roofer in Texas. Now that you understand the field of participants, here we go:

1. Steep slope roofers who install water shedding systems try to do low slope water proofing systems. These fail miserably. Use a roofer who is at least certified with the roofing manufacturer to install their product. Even then BEWARE. Do I have your attention? The number one reason commercial roofing installation fails is due to improper installation.

2. Roofing over wet material. This can cause dry rot, mold, rust and other material failure. It will also cause asphalt roof systems to blister and fail.

Read: Gutter Brush Review

3. Installing a new roof system over two or more existing roof systems. Two layers of roof systems are all that is allowed so as not to overload the deck with too much weight.

4. Wall termination consisting of a termination bar with sealant and no counter flashing. Even though some manufacturers approve this detail, it does not work. The termination bar will deflect during its life and cause a separation between itself and the wall material allowing water to enter.

5. Scupper flashing that is not properly flashed into the collector head or sealed to the exterior wall material. Any gap between these materials will be susceptible to water entry as the water running through the scupper will swirl inside the collector head and find the gap.

6. Roof drains that do not have proper sealant under clamping ring. Same as above. All the water from the roof area is running to these drains and swirling around. Any pin hole opening is like having a hole in the bottom of your pool.

7. Metal drip edge not “sandwiched” into roofing system. If this metal edge is not properly secured or covered the water trying to leaving the roof at this edge will migrate under the edge and be wicked up under the roof membrane via the insulation.

8. Pipe or other penetration flashing not clamped 8” above the roof surface and not properly targeted at the base. With no clamp, water can run down the outside surface of the pipe and into the building. The target is covering a large pipe hole. If it is not done well it has a big hole through which to enter the building. Most targets are installed by hand, not machine, and are more susceptible to human error.

9. End laps of rolled goods not properly lapped or secured allowing seam failure. Again, this work is done mostly by hand, not machine, and is sporadic, contributing to the human error factor.

10. Penetration pockets not filled and mounded on the top. If not filled properly the pockets will hold water, causing material degradation and failure.

Bedwetting Is More Common Than You May Think, But There Are Answers

Bedwetting is a problem faced by many families. It can be distressing and embarrassing, and can be the cause of much family stress. Bedwetting is not easy to deal with.

Bedwetting amongst small children is very common, extremely so. But usually children grow out of the bedwetting and it is a passing phase for the family. But occasionally it is not a passing phase and becomes more permanent. This is the time where families start to look more seriously for bedwetting alarm reviews.

And whilst there are many products commercially offered as a good solution to bedwetting, the reality is that often many of them are not permanent solutions.

For example there are diapers and alarms. Both extremely useful in the right situation, but neither necessarily a long term answer. They can be, but often not.

You need to find the cause of the bedwetting

The first step is to try and find the cause.

Finding the cause will take you a long way to finding the answer. Often the cause is medical and treatment of the medical condition can also treat the bed wetting as well. Sometimes there is no obvious medical cause for bedwetting.

So the process of finding an answer to bed wetting can often be a long one. But there is a process, and you usually need to go through it. There is rarely a simple immediate answer.

That’s what our website is all about, explaining bedwetting to you, and offering some solutions. Unfortunately we can’t tell you all there is here, there’s a bit too much. But for those who are seriously concerned about a bedwetter in their family there is an excellent book available to help with the problem, and we’ll show you where to find it.

So browse around our site and read a little, or a lot, about bedwetting. Read our articles, there’s information there as well, and we will be adding to them from time to time.

And don’t despair, there are bedwetting solutions available.

The best hearing aid isn’t what it used to be: How modern hearing aids work

Gone are the days of the antique ear trumpet but in some ways it was much simpler back then. There was basically one type of hearing appliance and while it wasn’t very efficient, at least you didn’t spend much time selecting the type of hearing aid that would work best for you.

Thank goodness those days are gone!

Now we have latest in digital technology that gives us small instruments that are highly efficient as well as comfortable to wear and virtually unnoticeable to an observer without close examination.

In the present day, a sophisticated range of hearing aids are being made by companies like Siemens, Rexton, Starkey, Phonak, Widex, and Beltron. Specialized hearing aids for children are also being made.

Modern hearing aids gather sounds from the environment through a microphone, amplify the sound and then direct this amplified signal into your ear by way of a loudspeaker. The amplified signal stimulates your inner ear, which activates nerve fibers that carry the sound impulses to your brain.

Hearing aids today are broken down into several main types which can be worn externally.

The most common is the behind the ear (BTE) aids.

These aids come with the wires encased in a semi circular hard plastic cover which can be worn behind the ear. The sound is delivered to the ear with the help of ear mold made of soft plastic which can fit inside an individual’s ear. They are available in a variety of colors to match the skin and/or hair color to make them less noticeable. In recent years they have been technically improved with the use of thinner and invisible sound tubes. The most popular of these is the small “open fit” hearing aid.

In-the-canal (ITC) in-the-ear (ITE) and completely-in-the-canal (CIC) hearing aids all fit in the ear canal itself.

The receiver, microphone and amplifier are contained within a shell worn in the ear. Completely-in-the Canal aids are the smallest model available and fit deep inside your ear canal so that they’re practically invisible. In-the-Canal aids are small enough to fit almost entirely in your ear canal, making them hardly noticeable. In-the-Ear aids fit within your outer ear.

Hearing aids are either digital or analog. Digital technology offers many refinements so the aid can be adjusted to better compensate for the amplitude and frequency of hearing loss. They are also smaller but cost more than the analog hearing aids. The vast majority of hearing aids sold in the United States today are digital.

Before purchasing any hearing aid it is well to be examined by an audiologist who will determine the extent of your hearing loss. You will then be able to obtain the best hearing aid for your particular loss. You can also buy hearing aids online without a prescription and many people have found this to be satisfactory, especially if they are trying to save money.

We recommend you also read our reviews of the best earplugs for sleeping.

Black ceiling fans: The way to go?

A ceiling fan is an important asset in the comfort of having well circulated air in any room in your home. Ceiling fans provide a more stable ambient room temperature regardless of the weather conditions outside.

A black ceiling fan is often a great fashionable addition to a room as well as a functional regulator of temperature. The color black is classic and seems to go with almost any decor and room color. The different types of ceiling fans that are considered black may have a base that is black with the blades a different color or blades that are made of real wood. Sometimes the whole fan is black.

Some of the top companies that manufacture a black ceiling fan are:

  1. Monte Carlo
  2. Westinghouse
  3. Casablanca
  4. Minka Aire
  5. Ellington
  6. Hampton Bay
  7. Hunter, Emerson
  8. Harbor Breeze Ceiling Fans, among others.

This list will provide you with a great assortment of styles and finishes that will add a touch of glamour and sophistication to your living space.

When shopping for ceiling fans one of the first questions that come up before the color or style of the fan is the size of fan needed for a certain room. Some generally accepted guidelines for the size of fan based on the square footage of room size is as follows:

1) 30″ – 36″ fan is appropriate for rooms that are less than 100 square feet (10’x10′)

2) 42″ fan is appropriate for rooms that are around 150 square feet (12’x12′)

3) 52″ fan is appropriate for rooms that are around 400 square feet (20’x20′)

4) 56″ – 60″ fan is appropriate for rooms that are more than 400 square feet (20’x20′)

Also, it is advisable for large rooms that are rectangular instead of square that 2 smaller fans be used instead of one large fan. The reason for this is because ceiling fans work off of the principle of square footage reach. A large rectangle can easily be divided down to two squares. For example a room size that is 20’x10′ can be broken down to two sections of 10’x10′ spaces.

Another question people ask when purchasing a black ceiling fan is how many blades should it have? Generally, home ceiling fans have 4 or 5 blades as part of the assemblage. Four to five blades are sufficient in a home environment because that number produces an effective movement of air and still operates at a quiet noise level.

Often industrial fans will have 3 or sometimes even 2 blades. This allows the motor to spin the blades at a very high speed but there will be some degree of low-level noise with many of these fans. This noise is not a factor in an industrial space but would be quite bothersome in a very quiet home environment.

We hope that you have found this information on finding a black ceiling fan informative. You should now be able to make your purchase of a fan with confidence knowing that well researched data has been presented to you. Good luck on your search for the right fan style and finish that will add to the architectural beauty of your home.

Low Profile Ceiling Fans

A low profile ceiling fan is meant to be used on a ceiling that is considered low. In most cases this is a ceiling height of under 8 feet. In most states the electrical code requires that the fan blades be no lower than 7 feet from the floor to ensure the safety of the home occupants.

A low profile ceiling fan is also known as a close-to-ceiling or hugger fan because it does not hang from a downrod.

Instead, the body of the fan is flush mounted to the ceiling. Because downrods are not used the result is that there is more clearance from the floor to the fan blades. This type of fan provides all the functions of a typical ceiling fan.

Generally, they are less conspicuous, which makes them perfect for a small room.

The same rules apply when trying to determine the size of this type of fan as compared to regular ceiling fans:

  1. 30″ – 36″ fan is a good size for rooms less than 100 sq. feet (10’x10′)
  2. 42″ fan is a good size for rooms that are approximately 150 sq. feet (12’x12′)
  3. 52″ fan is a good size for rooms that are approximately 400 sq. feet (20’x20′)
  4.  56″ – 60″ fan is a good size for rooms that are larger than 400 square feet (20’x20′)

However, it is more likely that you will be shopping for a low profile ceiling fan on rooms that are on the small side. In general, larger rooms will have higher ceiling heights because 8-foot ceilings on a room that is 400 square feet will seem very “cave like”. In a smaller room an 8-foot ceiling does not look out of place architecturally.

Because a low profile ceiling fan ensures the maximum distance between the floor and the fan blades, this means that this type of fan has the least distance between the ceiling and the fan blades. The majority of hugger fan blades hang less than 12″ from the ceiling, whereas most traditional ceiling fans have downrods that place the blades at least 12″ and further from the ceiling. This fan provides a safer option when it is used in an area where people will directly walk under it.

Safety is always paramount when it comes to installing these types of fans. A person can be seriously injured if struck by a blade from a ceiling fan. Because there are no other safety measures other than height to protect an individual from a spinning blade, you should measure carefully the ceiling to floor distance to make sure your ceiling is at least 8 feet tall.

The majority of the well-known companies that manufacture a traditional ceiling fan also produce a low profile ceiling fan. Companies such as: Quorum, Lowes, Emerson, Hunter, Hampton Bay, Ellington, Minka Aire, Casablanca, Westinghouse, Monte Carlo along with others. This is a pretty comprehensive list than will allow you to find many different finishes and styles that will provide your home with the perfect fan for your tastes.

We hope you’ve found this information on finding a low profile ceiling fan enlightening. You should now be able to make your purchase of a fan with confidence based on the research presented here. Good luck on finding that special fan that will add a touch of warmth and individuality to your home.

 

Mouthpiece for snoring: Where to buy a mandibular device in the UK

Okay so your dentist, doctor or orthodontist has advised buying a mandibular advance splint, Mad for short, to help cure your snoring. So where can you actually go and buy one from?

Well there is off course the qualified dentist or sleep clinic. Not only is buying from them safe but the aftercare will also be second to none. If however you are prepared to buy one yourself there are actually many places you can do so.

For example the Internet is full of websites offering MAD splints for sale. Now comes the tricky bit! Which of these websites do you actually go any buy from?

Well as a general rule of thumb, if you have not tried a MAD device before,

  • a) you do not know if it will actually work for you, and
  • b) you may find it comfortable to wear.

How to Buy a Snoring Mouthpiece

The first thing you need to do is ensure the website offers a full money back guarantee if you are not happy with your purchase for whatever reason, you should have the privilege of sending it back. If not, why not, you should ask.

Buying from the Internet is actually very safe. Most of the MAD splints on sale look similar although due to patents will be slightly difference in appearance or function. Although the crux of a MAD splint is to move the lower jaw forward allowing air to flow more freely in the wind pipe and throat.

Price

Something else I have noticed about a few websites I have seen on the Internet is the cost of the actual unit. Off course I have no idea of the company’s overheads or outlay but the price difference on the same page on Google can differ by 600%!

An odd thing I came across is buying from aboard does not appear to be any cheaper than buying from the UK which has the added benefit of lower postal costs.

Another great place to buy is eBay. Although it is recommend only buying from sellers with good feedback. Other outlets are you local chemist and I have also seen them in health shops.

Finding Out the Origins and Treatments for Sleep Apnea

When a person gets home from work or whatever else they have been doing each day, chances are that they are pretty tired. They might make dinner, watch some television, and then go to bed to rest up for the next day. Sleep is something that many people take for granted, thinking that simply because they can fall asleep at night and get their eight hours or more per night, they are fine.

However, there are various disorders such as sleep apnea that occur while a person is asleep, and he or she might not even know it. In order to understand how various sleep disorders such as sleep apnea occur, it is important to first understand, basically, what happens when a person falls asleep.

During slumber, the brainwaves will change from a high state (which occurs while the person is awake) to a lower state, which occurs when a person is sound asleep. The brain, specifically the parasympathetic nervous system, is what controls the breathing at all times. In the case of sleep apnea, something occurs to the parasympathetic nervous system that makes the person stop breathing for a minute or, in more extreme cases, a few minutes at a time.

There are various causes of sleep apnea, the first of which has to do with obesity. When a person is significantly overweight, then they are putting a lot of pressure on their body, specifically the heart. The heart, in an effort to compensate for the extra weight gain, starts beating harder. However, all of that extra beating can result in lower oxygen and brain function, which then sends the wrong messages to the parasympathetic nervous system.

Another cause of this sleep disorder has to do with blocked breathing passages, specifically the throat. When a person has an excess amount of tissue in their breathing passages, this is yet another way that the lack of oxygen causes the parasympathetic nervous system to receive the wrong messages.

The problem is in figuring out whether or not the person actually has this sleeping disorder, since they themselves might not be aware of it. If a person has a significant other, then that is one way that the person can be alerted to this. However, if the person sleeps alone, then there are still some ways that he or she might be able to ascertain if they are suffering from this sleep disorder.

For example, if a person gets eight hours of sleep a night, but at the same time wakes up still feeling very tired, that is an indication of this sleep disorder. Additionally, if the person frequently finds themselves being forgetful, then that is also an indication that the brain is not getting the proper amount of oxygen during sleep.

However, those symptoms can also be indicative of other medical problems, so how can a person tell for sure? It is very important that the person receive the proper diagnosis, because if left untreated, this sleep disorder can become fatal. So, the person might be asked to participate in a sleep clinic. Treatment is usually in the form of medication, or in the case of obese patients, weight loss.

Stop Snoring – Relax and Sleep Silently

There are a lot of different reasons why you might have a difficult time sleeping at night. You might be surprised to learn, however, that being unable to relax properly can really affect the way that you sleep and may actually be causing you to snore.

Although there certainly are a lot of different reasons why we snore, being unable to relax properly may be at the root of it, more often than you think. Here are several different things that you can do which may help to reduce your snoring, simply by being able to relax more.

Deep breathing exercises

The first of these is deep breathing exercises. There are several different ways that you can go about doing this but you might be surprised to find out that if we exercise our ability to breathe properly, we may be able to breathe properly at night as well. The easiest way for you to begin with deep breathing exercises is to follow a specific procedure, usually outlined in either a book or on the DVD. As you breathe deeply, you will not only relax but you also exercise the muscles necessary for you to breathe better at night. This can certainly go a long way in helping you to have a night free from snoring.

Another reason to relax during the day is because if you are stressed out constantly, you will be releasing hormones and chemicals into your body naturally which will cause you to snore. It might be difficult for you to be able to relax during the day but if you’re able to do so, you should notice a dramatic improvement in the amount that you snore at night. It can also work in the opposite direction because if you are able to have a snore free night, you will be less stressed out during the day and that will help you to sleep better during the next night as well.

Although it may be necessary for you to do other things in order to stop your snoring entirely, by being able to relax regularly, you will be able to reduce your snoring considerably. Don’t overlook the power of being able to relax and deal with the things that life is throwing at you constantly. Not only will you reduce the amount that you are snoring, you will also help anyone else that is within earshot to get a better night’s sleep as well.

Do Nasal Strips Really Help with Snoring?

There are a lot of different things that promise to help us with our snoring and some of them work quite nicely while others only really scratch the surface. One of the things that have come along in recent years which claim to help with snoring is nasal strips. These really didn’t come out in order to help people with snoring, they really came out in order to help athletes to be able to breathe better whenever they are on the field. Some people have claimed, however, that they help with snoring to a large degree. What is the truth behind nasal strips and snoring?

The fact of the matter is, we may snore for different reasons. Some of us snore because the soft tissue in our throat becomes relaxed and blocks our air passages. Others of us may snore because we have a difficult time breathing through our nose at night. The reason why I’m saying this is because it really depends on why you are snoring in the first place as to whether the nasal strips will have an effect on the amount that you snore or not.

If you tend to be one of those that have a difficult time sleeping with their mouth closed at night because your sinuses get clogged, you might find some significant relief by using nasal strips. It certainly is worth trying, especially if you find that you’re waking up with a dry mouth in the morning and clogged sinuses. You may also be able to find additional relief by using a saline nasal spray regularly along with wearing the nasal strips. A combination between these two different things may be all the help that you really need in order to overcome snoring completely.

The best way for you to find out if nasal strips are going to help you with your snoring or not is to purchase a pack of them and try it for yourself. You can pick them up at the drugstore for just a couple of dollars and regardless of whether they help you with your snoring or not, they’re certainly going to help you with your breathing. Sometimes, it is necessary for us to figure out why we are snoring through a process of elimination. If the nasal strips do not help, you will realize that you need to find another cure for your snoring problem.

Setback as MPs kill crucial Bill

IN an unprecedented move, the country’s opposition went on a frenzy after mutilating crucial amendments to the taxation measures proposed by Finance Minister Amos Kimunya that could result into a projected revenue loss of Sh 300 million from the current budget.

The lawmakers, furious with Kimunya’s alleged arrogance and lack of consultation were on the war path to humiliate the government by throwing out key tax measures proposed in the Finance Bill 2006 with far reaching implications to the country’s economy.

As a result, the country may record a revenue loss of nearly Sh 300 million that had already been factored in this year’s budget. Kimunya will have to go back to the drawing board to seek alternative measures to raise this amount to sustain his budget.

The rejected tax proposals in the Amendments to the Bill were Alcohol tax, Capital Gains Tax, Constitutional Office Holders Tax, Sugar Industry Levy tax, Political Party Donation tax, the Insurance Industry Tax, Taxation on Banks with branches abroad and amendments to the Central Bank of Kenya to create an office of Chairman.

They rejected tax proposals outlined by the minister during his budget speech that was hailed by all and sundry as pro-poor, which was aimed at seeking the approval of taxation measures that would have boosted revenue collection in this financial year.

As a result, alcohol brewers have a reason to smile since there will be no increase in taxes from the original 45 percent to the proposed 65 percent on wines, spirits and beer. This will deny Treasury the Sh25 billion that had been included in the budget, taxes that came into effect on July 1 after the minister read his budget.

Legislators in supporting amendments put by finance committee of parliament said the increase in tax on wines and spirits was clearly tailored towards disadvantaging the local industry at the expense of multinational firms that those in government had vested interests in.

Taxation, they argued, should not be used as a tool to kill the local industries or put their competitors at an advantage. The move, is likely to be a breather to consumers of these products since prices were expected to return to where they were before June budget.

Sweet news greeted constitutional office holders when the Opposition rejected thegovernment’s bid to widen the tax net to cover each and every Kenyan when proposals to tax their House and Entertainment allowances were trashed.

This will see judges, the Attorney-General, Controller and Auditor-General and the Electoral Commission of Kenya among others enjoy their hefty parks tax-free.

Those wishing to sell properties like land and houses will rest assured that their proceeds will not be taxed. The MPs said that introducing taxation on property would push them out of reach of the poor who wished to own houses at cheaper prices.

Local banks wishing to open branches in foreign countries too, have a reason to smile following the removal of regulations governing the same that were proposed by Kimunya in the Finance bill that was approved by the house on Thursday and now awaits presidential assent

The opposition also rejected the proposed sugar development levy. Although Kimunya had backtracked on this during debate on the Bill in its second reading, MPs authorised Kenya Revenue Authority to collect the levy from consumers and not farmers.

Kanu and the Liberal Democratic Party (LPP) members rejected a proposal to create the posts of chairman and deputy chairman for the Central Bank of Kenya that was touted to streamline operations and improve on governance.They argued that this was a government move to interfere with the independence of the superior bank and create conflicts of interest between the governor and the chairman– a political appointee of the President.

Agitated opposition benches, supported amendments by South Mugirango MP Omingo Magara to reject Kimunya’s bid to give tax waivers and rebates on private individuals, firms, corporations and donors willing to donate money to political parties.

Kimunya suffered lack of support from the government side with about 20 MPs sitting helplessly as the minister was humiliated forcing him to state at one point that “ it doesn’t matter to me whether you pass them or not” throwing up his hands in desperation. Daniel Khamasi chaired the Committee of the Whole House where this proposals were carried or rejected.

However, despite these, the entire House this week backed Kimunya in approving the Micro Finance Bill through its first reading and commencing the Insurance Amendment Bill 206.

The Micro Finance Bill seeks to create a legal framework to govern operations of over 4,000 micro finance and credit institutions currently operating in Kenya in order to ensure their growth and seal loopholes for phony institutions to fleece Kenyans.

The House at the same time granted leave to nominated MP Dr Julia Ojiambo to introduce Community Social Enterprise Bill that will see the creation of a fund to provide financial support and entrepreneurial skills to rural and urban poor among them women and youths.

It also commenced debate on the Western University of Science and Technology Bill that will see the birth of the country’s seventh public university and increase the level of intake for students seeking university education in Kenya and particularly Western Province where the institution is based.

Parliament also started debate on a private members motion by Ndhiwa MP Orwa Ojode to introduce a bill to amend the Petroleum Act Cap 116 Laws of Kenya to empower the Minister for Energy to fix petroleum prices.

Finally parliament was unanimous in calling for a comprehensive report from internal security minister John Michuki regarding the escalating insecurity, ethnic violence and spate of robberies and car jarkings targeting influential Kenyans.

 

Panic as team makes abrupt Lands office visit

TENSION gripped the Murang’a District Lands and Housing offices yesterday forcing members of staff to flee after a team of experts made an impromptu visit to their offices.

The team, led by Nyeri DO 1 Mr Joseph Kaniri had a difficult time explaining to the already shaken officers that theirs was only a routine visit to the district aimed at educating the officers on how to improve service delivery.

Speaking to the Press, Kaniri disclosed that there had been a public outcry over long delays in the processing of title deeds and general laxity in service delivery at the various lands offices in the province.

An inspection conducted by the team at the offices however established that the offices were untidy and there was a general disorganisation among the officers.

It was further discovered that there were no toilet facilities for clients.

The team then conducted a technical demonstration (Gemba Kaizen) of the offices, including the archives section.

Efforts to destroy unwanted documents were however withheld pending authorisation from the ministry headquarters.

Gemba Kaizen is a Japanese initiative adopted by the government to improve service delivery in the civil service.

Elsewhere, the 3,054 land allotees in three settlement schemes in Kibwezi division of Makueni District have been exempted from the mandatory Sh2,500 per acre of the allottement fee, area District Land Adjudication Officer, Eustace Kithumbu has said.

The move follows a government decision to lower the charges from Sh2,500 per acre to a flat rate of Sh3,000 for all land between 0 and 10 acres.

Those allotted land more than 10 acres will pay Sh6,000 for the whole piece of land.

In Tharaka, the government is in the process of finalising restoring peace at Tharaka and Igembe in Meru North District border.

Addressing a public baraza, area DC James Ole Seriani said animosity between the two neighbouring communities was as a result of land disputes.

The DC called on local leaders and other development stakeholders to take a leading role in educating area residents on the importance of promoting the culture of peace and harmony in a bid to create a conducive atmosphere for development activities.

He regretted that several learning institutions in the area had to be closed down due to insecurity which had a negative impact on education development.

‘Bangaisha’: The economics of sex tourism

Spurred by a flourishing tourism industry, commercial sex tourism is equally growing rapidly on the Kenyan coast, and gaining increasing acceptance as a valid income earner.

With her sleeping six-month-old baby daughter under one arm, 17-year-old Alice (not her real name) explains why she moved to Mombasa from ‘up country’, and how she joined the growing ranks of young girls involved in the commercial sex trade on the Kenyan coast.

“When I was sixteen, I became pregnant and my parents were very upset. They threw me out of my home and I dropped out of school, so my boyfriend and I decided to move to Mombasa to start a new life. After three months he left me, and I had to find a way to make money. There are no jobs around here, and I had no money. I had to buy food to feed my growing baby. I just carried on from there,” she said.

Serving ideally ‘mzungu’ male tourists, but otherwise locals, she does not see herself as a prostitute, preferring instead to be referred to as someone who practices ‘bangaisha,’ a ‘Sheng’ word meaning ‘soliciting for business’.

According to a United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report, commercial sex tourism is growing rapidly on the Kenyan coast, and gaining increasing acceptance as a valid way of earning an income, spurred on by a flourishing tourism industry. According to the Kenya Tourism Board, 1.68 million tourists visited Kenya in 2005.

The UNICEF report says that out of all the girls interviewed for its survey, 76 percent felt that commercial sex was an acceptable way of making money.

This opinion is backed up by Mathilda Katana, field coordinator for SOLWODI (Solidarity with Women in Distress), a Kenyan NGO which provides support to commercial sex workers (CSW) on the Kenyan coast. Katana operates the NGO’s branch in Mtwapa, a suburb of Mombasa, where CSWs are trained to learn new skills, are offered counselling, and the younger ones are encouraged to return to school.

“You see a lot of them around here. It’s a hot spot. They walk around and show themselves off. They have decided that is how they earn their living and they don’t care,” she said.

Forced

With so many tourists on the coast, and so few other jobs available, for some there is little option other than to join the sex trade. “There are no jobs and to get a job is very hard. We look for jobs but we can’t get any because they are so few,” said Alice

Many other young women, however, are forced into prostitution by members of their family, according to Stella Muchiti Mulama, assistant programme manager and researcher for the Straight Talk programme. The programme runs youth-focused media events such as radio shows, monthly magazines, and a website. Its aim is to lobby decision makers, and enable youth to discuss issues affecting their lives, such as their involvement in sex work.

“Children are often coerced into prostitution by elder people. Parents actually push their children to do sex work. It happens quite a lot. Sometimes mothers, who are also involved in sex work, bring their daughters into it too. We have had stories of mothers forcing their children to have sex with clients in order to earn their school fees,” she said.

Elizabeth Akinyi, the head of projects at the Coast Province branch of SOLWODI agrees with this view: “Parents play a big role. The children of sex workers are at a greater risk. They are abused by the customers that come to see their mothers; sometimes the girls are also made to serve the men.”

There are however many other factors that bring young women and girls into the sex industry: peer pressure, financial and social circumstances, and low aspirations, added Akinyi.

“Peer pressure is also a big factor as well as lack of basic needs. There are children who are staying in families that are very poor. There are parents who can’t even afford to give their children sanitary towels. There is also the issue of ‘this is what I want’. There was one girl who was saying to me, ‘I wanted to buy these hipster jeans, but my mother refused, so I did this [prostitution] so I could get the jeans’,” she said.

High Earnings

Although earnings in the sex trade can vary widely, potential income is much greater compared to working in any other profession.

According to sex worker, Jane (not her real name], 22: “It (the income) depends on the competition, the season and where you are. It’s never specific. In the low season you end up offering yourself for Sh 20 if the tourists aren’t there. It can be Sh 5,000 if the tourists are there. House help is very badly paying. I used to go around and wash people’s clothes. But at the end of the day they give you Sh 150, which is nothing. So you have to look for other ways to pay rent and buy clothes,” she said.

It is tourism, and more importantly the tourists themselves, that bring these young girls to Mombasa. Due to the tightening of laws in places like Asia, many of the ‘mzungu’ tourists who go abroad to abuse underage girls are now flocking to Kenya, where laws are seen as lax.

However, it is with these ‘mzungu’ tourists that the girls can earn the most, so they have become their preferred clients.

According to Julia, 17, from Mtwapa: “My target is always ‘mzungus’, but I do appreciate the locals too. But the mzungus are the ones with the money.”

She added that because of her age, she was at a disadvantage when it came to negotiating with mzungus, who she described as ‘very arrogant’.

“Two nights ago, I was with a mzungu man in a local bar. He was buying me drinks and we eventually agreed that I would go back to his place. We had already agreed on a price, but after I had sex with him, he refused to pay me. He said that he had been buying me drinks, and that was my payment. When I challenged him, he beat me,” she said, pointing at the bruises near her left eye.

AIDS and Condoms

HIV/AIDS plays a big part in the lives of young CSWs on the coast and in Kenya more generally. The US Census Bureau projected that there are currently more than 1.8 million children living in Kenya who have been orphaned by AIDS, and at least two of the young women in this feature said they had ‘no parents’.

A lack of parental guidance and the poverty that the majority of AIDS orphans face in Kenya, forces many into becoming CSWs.

Astrid Winkler is project manager with RESPECT, an Austrian NGO which is a member of ECPAT International (End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography, and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes) and a key implementing partner of the ‘International Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism’ within Kenya.

Winkler said, “Many children are orphans because of HIV. This often leads to them dropping out of school, and lack of education. I see it as a kind of ‘vicious circle’, starting with poverty, HIV, neglect, and ending in the sex business at the coast.”

Most young sex workers are knowledgeable about AIDS. However, in many cases, their circumstances often force them to have unprotected sex, as sex tourists offer more money for sex without a condom. The UNICEF report of 2006 found that more than 35 percent of girls did not use condoms at their client’s request.

“I try to use condoms every time, but sometimes they refuse or offer much more money if we don’t. If I am offered Sh 200 by a ‘mzungu’ for sex with a condom, or Sh1,000 for sex without, then I don’t use condoms. I have to feed my baby,” said Alice, 17.

Some more experienced CSWs use the threat of AIDS as a defence mechanism, in order to force their male clients to use condoms.

“We use condoms as much as we can. But we don’t have any other means to survive, so if they refuse then we have to go with that. Sometimes I lie and tell them that I am infected with AIDS to force them to use condoms, but I don’t have AIDS. AIDS is a big worry,” said Tia [not her real name] a 23-year-old CSW in central Mombasa.

Local Community

According to the UNICEF report, Kenyan clients represent 40 percent of the total number of clients the girls have. However, the girls are not accepted in the local community, making their lives even harder.

“People abuse you and call you names and make you feel like nothing. It has forced me to move three times in two years,” said Tia.

Others however, including Alice, regard the negative attitude of the local people as merely an occupational hazard.

“I do get in trouble (with the locals) but I don’t really care what the community thinks; my life is hard enough,” she said.

The Future

Figures on the number of young women involved in prostitution are difficult to calculate accurately because of the subversive nature of the industry itself. However, the International Labour Organisation estimates that there are some 30,000 girls under the age of 19 engaged in prostitution within Kenya.

The government has introduced measures which are meant to protect young girls and boys from prostitution. They have however been harshly criticised in the past for being lax in their approach to implementing the laws.

Nevertheless some laws and acts have been passed through parliament. These include the ‘Children’s Act’ of 2002, which protects those aged 18 and under from sexual exploitation, prostitution and pornography. There is also the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act of 2003, which penalises rape and attempted rape with life imprisonment, and states that ignorance of the age of the female victim is irrelevant in establishing culpability.

Furthermore, the Penal Code includes offences such as child abuse, sexual exploitation and child prostitution, with sentences for those convicted rising to life imprisonment.

In 2006, the Kenyan Tourism Ministry, along with the Kenyan Association of Hotel Keepers and Caterers (KAHC) and RESPECT, introduced the ‘International Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism’ The Code is an ECPAT project, funded by UNICEF, and supported by the World Tourism Organisation. Those who sign up to the Code in the tourism sector commit themselves to “establish ethical policy regarding the sexual exploitation of children, introduce a clause in contracts with suppliers stating a common repudiation of commercial sexual exploitation of children, and provide information to travellers by means of catalogues and brochures”.

According to Winkler, “the Code is a preventative measure for the tourism sector to become more proactive in prevention, rather than struggling with the negative impacts on the destination due to increased sex tourism.”

The Code is proving a success and has been backed by 20 Kenyan Tourism districts, the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, and the Ministry of Home Affairs/Department of Child Services.

Yet despite this progress Akinyi feels that there is a lot more the government could do.

“The government has signed the Code, but so what? They have to put pressure on the hotels and tourism organisations that have not signed it, monitor the hotels that have; and law enforcement has to be committed to enforcing the laws,” she said.

She added that more needs to be done to spread awareness of the Code and the sexual offences act, which stated that a person can be prosecuted for a crime that is viewed as an offence in two countries. The Act means that the sexual offender can be prosecuted in Kenya and in his home country.

“We need to make sure that everyone has information about the Sexual Offences Act and the Code of conduct, so that people can be monitoring and reporting, but they are not aware. So we need to raise awareness,” she said.

The girls themselves do hope one day to move out of the ‘bangaisha’ business. However, the competitive nature of the work means that most of the money the girls earn goes on attracting clients.

“I would like to have a salon because I am good with hair. The problem is the money you earn; you end up spending it to buy clothes to look good, and on doing your hair. It’s very competitive, so it’s hard to save enough money to get on with the future,” said Tia.

Organisations like SOLWODI, which since 1997 and despite limited funding, have managed to rescue more than 5,000 young women from the commercial sex business.

Nevertheless, without further implementation of programmes like the Code, and with the ever-present pressures of poverty, unemployment and AIDS, coupled with the relatively high earnings to be made in commercial sex work, the road to the abolition of youth commercial sex workers on the Kenyan coast appears to be a very long one.

 

Sex crimes: Njoki tips barmaids

NOMINATED Member of Par­liament Njoki Ndung’u has called on sexual vio­lence victims to activate the Sexual Offences Act by reporting such cases to the police.

She said the Act, signed into law by President Mwai Kibaki two months ago, would not be effective un­til the victims of sexual violence re­port the cases to the police.

The MP spoke during the first con­ference of its kind incorporating Ken­ya’s barmaids aimed at sen­si­tising them on HIV/Aids. It was attended by more than 500 barmaids from across the coun­try.

Ndung’u said barmaids were among the most vul­nerable groups to sexual harassment and there­fore needed the pro­tection of the law.

Despite the amendment of the Bill before it was passed into law, she said, the Act still has pro­visions for sexual violence victims and assured the bar hostesses of legal protection against bar clients and employers.

She urged the public to respect the bar hostesses’ rights, adding that the profession was critical to the Kenyan serv­ices and hospitality industry, and also a major contributor to the growth of the economy.

Ndung’u was optimistic that the amended parts of the Bill would be re­viewed in future as most of the sections were crucial to the pro­tection of the vulnerable groups in the country.

“The character of a victim should not be relevant in court in cases of sexual violence, and this is one of the parts that Parliament rejected,” she said.

However, the MP warned the pub­lic against using the Act as a weapon against possible sexual offenders and instead only use it as shield, noting that the Act was gender neutral.

The union representing the in­ter­ests of the bar hostesses country wide is ex­pected to fight for the rights of its mem­bers and also air out their grievances to the public in an effort to elimi­nate the stigma associated with being a bar attendant. The members distanced themselves from prostitution and commer­cial sex workers and called upon the society to respect their rights and con­tri­bution to the improvement of the Kenyan economy.

“Some times we are forced by cir­cum­stances to resort to working in night­clubs and we only sell alcohol and not our bodies,” said Jacinta Wanjiku, one of the barmaids in Nai­robi.

There are about 150,000 women bar attendants country wide who are forced to work for long hours with little or no pay at the end of each month.

Meanwhile a Kericho court was stunned yesterday when a father of a defiled minor was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment after admitting to have conspired with her daughter’s defiler to cover up the matter.

 

KRA Commisioner named IMF boss

A Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Commissioner Andrew Okello has been appointed the International Monetary Fund(IMF) regional advisor in charge of East and Central Africa on tax matters.

Okello landed the lucrative job last week.

He was until the appointment the Commissioner for Domestic taxes at KRA.

In his new capacity, he will advise the IMF on strategic tax matters.

Mr Okello has been credited with the major tax reforms at KRA, that saw the authority introduce various reforms, including the tax registers project.

Yesterday, KRA Commissioner General Michael Waweru described Mr Okello as a dedicated worker, whose drive for success was unparalleled.

Among the reforms that Okello has steered includes the enactment of the ETR, the Simba module 111 project, and the sealing of various loopholes through which KRA lost millions of shillings.

Okello and Commissioner of Custom Services Rose Namu made history when they became the first serving KRA staff to be appointed commissioners via competitive interviews.They were recruited by KPMG Peat Marwick, after the jobs were advertised in the media.

Previously, Commissioners were hand picked by the Office of the President, a system that has since changed.

Okello will work under the East African Regional Technical Assistance Centre charged with overseeing operations in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Okello, a career civil servant worked in the ministry of Finance where he served as the Assistant Director within the Fiscal and Monetary Affairs Department.

He lauded Okello for being among the key figures in designing reform programmes among other administrative measure which have propelled KRA to the current high profile organization status with unprecedented revenue yields.

“KRA wishes to thank Okello for his dedicated five years with the Authority and wishes him well in his future endeavours,” he said.

Okello holds a Bachelor of Arts (Economic) Honours Degree from the University of Nairobi, a Masters of Arts (Development Economics) from Williams College, Massachusetts (USA) and a Masters of Business Administration from Bath University (UK).

Recently KRA was admitted as an Associate Member of the prestigious Inter-American Centre of Tax Administrations (CIAT). The recognition is as result of the authority’s performance in the implementation of tax administrative measures. Other Associate Members of CIAT are Czech Republic and South Africa.

Following the admission KRA was invited to the 40th CIAT General Assembly in Florianopolis, State of Santa Catarina , Brazil, which took place on April 6, 2006. Among those who attended the meeting included the Commissioner General, M. G. Waweru together with Andrew Okello, Commissioner of Domestic Taxes – Domestic Revenue.

3rd World Issues: More children die from double measles vaccine

Three more children have died in Nyanza province, bringing to eight infants who have succumbed to an overdose of the measles vaccine in the area.

The three died yesterday after their mothers, ignorant of the dangers of repeat dosage of the vaccine and Vitamin ‘A’ supplements, took their children for fresh vaccination in a span of 15 hours.

Two died suddenly at the Homa Bay District Hospital after receiving the repeat dose.

Homa Bay District Medical Officer of Health (MoH) Dr Dan Otieno confirmed the deaths but claimed they may have been caused by other ailments.

“I am made to understand that the parents of the deceased children had failed to alert medical personnel that their children had been suffering from other ailments,” he said.

The third child was said to have died in a rural post in Rangwe.

Reports showed the two who died in hospital while sleeping on the best mattress for kids had been vaccinated earlier for the same disease at Shauri Yako Primary School the previous day. But apparently oblivious of the dangers of repeat dosages, mothers destroyed Monday’s vaccination certificates and wiped out ink marks on their fingers imprinted at the sleep aid for children exercise and went for the repeat dose.

Yesterday, the Dr Otieno attributed the deaths to ignorance by the mothers, who he said, ignored advice from health workers.

“Prior to the commencement of the exercise each day, the health workers always pointed out the dangers of taking a repeat dose of the measles vaccine and Vitamin A supplement, but some mothers ignored this,” said Dr Otieno.

Elsewhere, in Kakamega district, several children have reportedly died over the past few weeks after being vaccinated for measles more than once. Several others are admitted in hospitals with complications.

In Shinyalu division a three year old baby died on Tuesday after receiving two jabs in different hospitals.

Mothers in search mosquito nets donated alongside the vaccine are said to present their children for more that the required single measles dose. The Shinyalu fatality the child died after receiving two jabs at Shikusi Dispensary and at Mukumu Mission Hospital within 24 hours. It developed complications and died as the mother received a second free net.

Local residents told Kenya Times that mothers had been forewarned against multiple vaccination as reports showed 80 per cent of children under five have been vaccinated in Western province.

Western Provincial Medical Officer of Health, Dr Olang’a Onudi said he is investigating the report vaccine deaths and disclosed that children from Uganda have been brought for the exercise which ends today.

“We are just being informed that children are dying due to the measles immunization but we are yet to get any more details to enable us act. We are appealing to anybody with more information to help us so that we can take immediate action,” said the PMO.

Dr Onundi said the influx from Uganda, reported in Busia and Teso districts, had caused a shortage of mosquito nets. He also said some mothers presented older children for vaccination to get the antimalarial nets.

The ministry of Health launched a country wide vaccination campaign for children aged between nine months and five years in the wake of a measles outbreak.

Wife Inheritance! No please

A crop of widows in Nyanza are breaking the last Aids barrier by rebuffing a long held cultural practice reports Charles Aboge.

When Mildred Akinyi, A HIV positive widow recently declined a proposal to be inherited, the entire community was stunned.

Her decision sparked a series of heated debates over this deeply rooted cultural practise highly prevalent in West Kenya region. But since then, Akinyi, who is a member of the St. Monica Widows Group which operates under the Catholic Archdiocese in Siaya has been viewed as a hero. Her decision has brought reprieve to countless widows in the region.

Defiant but astute many widows in Nyanza province are now breaking free from the fetters of this cultural practice.

Father Thaddaeus Oluoch, the chaplain of the Catholic Archdiocese of Kisumu while condemning the practice says it has subjected women into highly demeaning rituals.

“It involves forced ritual sex seen as a form of cleansing and the women are often harassed”

In some cases, some of the widows either get infected with the Aids virus or help spread it by using sex toys. However, inheritance is taking new dimension as some Luo elders at the village level in Siaya are allegedly encouraging some widows suspected to be HIV positive to hire commercial inheritors at an exorbitant fee.

Father Oluoch who works with the defiant widows, has expressed concern over the number of “commercial inheritors christened “joter” who are too costly to hire since they demand a balanced diet and huge “ugali” on top of the inheritance fee before engaging in ritual sex even with the corpse before burial.

“This has been a major set back to our endeavors since many widows are opting to pay for the services for the fear of being neglected by their in-laws and to avoid the “ghosts of the deceased” from invading the home,” says he.

The priests speaks for thousands of Luo widows suffering their agony in silence who must comply with the dictates of society and must be inherited.

The widows on the other hand revealed that they normally lure “border –border cyclists “ or ‘japer’ from a neighboring community who prefer cash, heads of cattle or decent diet and alcohol before they proceed with the ritual sex the entire night. They are then seen as the inheritors of the deceased‘s wealth. The practice has attracted many best dildos from a neighboring community in Siaya District who are paid affront for the “historic game.”

One noted inheritor, name withheld said “when widows fall in love with me for ritual sex it means I have to admit a death sentence in form of illicit sex in exchange for wealth”

He further said the practice is very dangerous but lucrative and a way must be found to tame relatives who intimidate widows in forced sex with strangers “japer” just to inherit them

Some of the widows demanded that doctors be mandated to publicly declare the cause of their patients death inorder to alert the would be inheritors.

The would be inheritor is chosen by the deceased’s relatives during the funeral ceremony which last weeks as people feast and dance while others mourn..

Tired of the practice, the affected widows formed the Association through the church parishes, whose membership covers the entire Nana province. The group crusades against cultural practices in Luo community that spread HIV/Aids.

During their annual convention held at Yala Catholic Parish in August last year, the well over a thousand widows addressed the issue of wife inheritance and the debate went on unabated in the presence of stakeholders.

They unanimously layed forth the need for widows to be assisted financially, socially and spiritually as some of them according to Father Oluoch are left homeless by their irate relatives who even loot their husbands properties.

“Some widows are left in a dilapidated houses vandalized during the funeral ceremony and for the widows to build a new house, she must enter in with an axe and a cock plus a new “husband” normally on hire or the would be inheritor” .

The inheritor symbolically acts as a husband when during ground breaking ceremony of the new house and must have sex with her that night.

St.Monica group aims at empowering such widows and to help them start income generating activities.

The Group advocates for total abstinence by widows as experts on HIV/Aids believe it is among the last barriers to reversing the spread of Aids disease.

Nevertheless, clan elders feel the society has mistaken the Luos terming them as immoral and primitive. The reason for the practice they insist is to ensure the widow is taken care of even after the death if her spouse

They say there is a fine distinction between desire and disorders which “Jater” and the widow must observe including rape prevention. Luo widows who are past menopause age also go for ritual sex to cleanse their family leading to sexual abuse.

But even so the widows remain defiant. They will hear none of it.

 

End disarmament, say Ministers

Two Assistant Ministers and a Member of Parliament issued a one week ultimatum to the Government to discontinue the ongoing security operations to mop up illegal firearms among the pastoral communities in the North Rift region.

Ekwe Ethuro (Assistant Minister of Planning) and Samuel Moroto (Home Affairs) and Samburu West MP Simeon Lesirma charged yesterday that the exercise had proved punitive to their communities.

Talking to the press in Eldoret, the three MPs said over 30,000 herders had abandoned their homes and fled to Uganda for fear of being subjected to harsh treatment by the security forces carrying out the disarmament exercise.

“The operation by the security forces had lost its meaning. It has instead promoted under-development in the districts where it is being carried out such as Turkana, Pokot and Samburu,” said Moroto.

On his part, Lesirma said since the disarmament exercise began in March, five schools have closed in his constituency as children fled with their parents to Uganda as security forces use crude methods in search of illegal firearms and intimidate innocent people.

Moroto told Internal Security Minister, John Michuki that the disarmament exercise had outlived its objective and wants it to be put off.

Lesirma said development projects that were supposed to be initiated by the military personnel alongside the security operations had not been put in place and had made a mockery of the operations.

Ethuro asked: “Why are the Kenyan pastoralists living along the international borders being disarmed yet communities in the neighbouring countries are not? He said pastoral communities in the neighbouring countries had breached territorial integrity by crossing into the country to engage in cattle rustling activities.

 

  • Meanwhile, the Kenyan Government has handed over the 100 herds of cattle stolen from Uganda.The gesture came after a thorough search by security personnel in West Pokot and Trans-Nzoia districts. A combination of military officers, provincial administration and regular police were involved in the search.

    West Pokot District Commisioner Stephen Ikua said the animals had been handed over to their Uganda counterparts in an effort to streamline the relations between the communities living along the borders. The animals were reportedly stolen by raiders believed to be from Wet Pokot District.

    A Catholic Justice and Peace Commision-Kapenguria Chapter official praised the Government for the move adding that the return of the animals was a very big initiative by the Kenyan authorities in bringing peace.

 

Do GSU officers harass herders?

An Assistant Minister has accused the General Service Unit (GSU) personnel of harassing Pokot herders in the guise of pursuing cattle rustlers.

Home Affairs assistant minister Samuel Moroto claimed yesterday that GSU personnel at Chepchoina camp in West Pokot district are targeting innocent Pokot herdsmen and allowing cattle rustlers to escape, thereby creating tension in the area. The government has ordered disarmament of pastoralists in the district.

Speaking to reporters at Sirikwa Hotel in Eldoret, the Kapenguria MP claimed the GSU rounded up cattle from his Pokot people at Kanyarwat in West Pokot alleging they had been stolen from Trans Nzoia district.

“The security personnel, instead of tracking down cattle rustlers who stole animals in the neighbouring district are taking away animals from innocent residents,” he said and called for the punishment of officers if they do not return the confiscated animals.

The MP asked Internal Security Minister John Michuki to discipline or transfer officers accused of brutalising innocent people.

“Michuki should reshuffle these people. It seems they do not know why they are in the area. Instead of restoring law and order they are fuelling animosity by mistreating the local people,” he stressed.

He said he had received many complaints of torture from his constituents on the conduct of the security men and asked the officers to leave the area.

Moroto claimed tension has risen in the district as a result of the GSU’s presence, confiscation of cattle and treatment of his people.

Meanwhile the Rift Valley Deputy Provincial Commissioner, Solomon Ouko yesterday said security committees in the North Rift region will be strengthened to curb insecurity in the area.

Ouko said MPs from the region, non governmental organizations (NGOs) officials and elders will be co-opted into the committees to tackle insecurity induced by cattle rustling.

Speaking during the official closure of a meeting attended by all District Commissioners from the area, Ouko said security will be beefed up along the borders with Uganda, Ethiopia and Sudan to curb the influx of illegal firearms into Kenya.

“We cannot keep on talking on how to solve the problem of insecurity without addressing the issue of proliferation of illegal fire arms from the neighbouring countries facing internal wars,” he noted.

 

Taking the war on malaria to a whole new level

As the Malaria epidemic continue to spread virulently in Africa leaving in its wake a frightening toll of casualties; human, economic and social, the call to rise up and fight the disease with renewed vigor has never resonated more powerfully of late.

Malaria so far is the leading killer disease globally surpassing other dreaded epidemics like HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis etc. Sub-Saharan Africa currently takes the lion’s share of deaths associated with Malaria.

Out of the three million people who succumb to Malaria annually, ninety percent are from Africa.

The intensity of Malaria epidemic has lately provoked the conscience of policy makers in higher echelons of Government, non Governmental organizations, Bilateral and multi-lateral agencies who have all teamed up to establish a co-ordinate approach to fight the disease.

The roll back Malaria (RBM) global partnership that was launched in 1998 to provide a coordinated international approach to fight the disease has the blessing of almost all Malaria endemic African Countries. The primary goal of Roll back Malaria is to halve the burden of malaria by the year 2010.

A number of targets for specific intervention strategies were established at the Abuja Malaria summit in April 2000 and were endorsed by the high-powered delegations in attendance. The targets include among others, prompt access to effective treatment, provision of insecticide treated nets to reach sixty percent of those at risk from malaria; children under five years and pregnant mothers.

Malaria is the root cause of the debilitating poverty afflicting many African countries. In Tanzania alone, the disease kills a staggering 100,000 people every year. Nearly thirty million people in Tanzania are at risk of the disease; a situation that create heavy burden on families and the Country’s health system. Malaria consumes 3.5 percent or US $ 350 Million of the Country’s gross domestic product each year.

Malaria continues to blight struggling economies in Africa where 60 percent of the population live below the poverty line. Struggling economies in Africa are being overwhelmed by challenges posed by Malaria epidemic. The shoestring budgetary allocation to the health sector by most African Governments has often stood in the way of taming the malaria devastations in our countries.

Malaria is also reversing backwards any gains African countries might have achieved towards sustainable development. The millennium development goals (MDGS) appears ever more like a distant mirage as the populations which could have been the catalyst to enable their countries attain the millennium targets, die in large numbers from preventable causes like malaria.

Despite the gloomy scenario though, the fight against malaria is accelerating on a steady course in many African countries. Tanzania for instance has stood out as a shining example of a country that has risen up to the challenge of battling the tropical epidemic which is responsible for about 40 percent of fewer than five deaths in the country.

Malaria also impacts heavily on pregnant women leading to an upsurge of Anemia and fetal weight loss.

The Government of Tanzania has set up fantastic programmes for malaria prevention and treatment. These programmes and initiatives have been developed through engagement with all concerned parties and the successes recorded on the ground are so impressive.

Recently, a UK based non governmental organization that is heavily involved in malaria war in Africa, organized a trip for both African and foreign Journalists to Tanzania to expose them to the various programmes and projects that are fully vibrant as the country grapples with the magnitude of malaria epidemic. The site visits to the many Malaria projects that are fully operational in Tanzania were an eye opener for us and underscores the determination of one African country that does not want to be left behind in the fight against malaria. We embarked on extensive tours to the Malaria research projects and visited the Malaria endemic commu-nities in Malaria hotspots of Southern Tanzania to get first hand account of how these communities are grappling with the epidemic.

The Tanzanian ministry of health in collaboration with partners in research, donor community and the grassroots communities has developed innovative programmes to scale up an effective means of fighting malaria. A number of projects like the provision of insecticide treated nets (ITNS) to vulnerable groups of Children and pregnant women have achieved phenomenal results. In October 2004,Tanzanian Government began to scale up an innovative programme that uses discount vouchers to provide pregnant women and infant’s access to insecticide treated nets at reduced prices.The Tanzania National Voucher Scheme (TNVS) is a unique and innovative model that provides targeted subsidies to those who are vulnerable to malaria. The Voucher scheme is a collaborative venture involving various players like Government, private sector, Donors and community groups.

Through Voucher scheme, pregnant women who visit antenatal care at health facilities are issued with a voucher that they present to any recommended retailer and are given the net at reasonable cost. Gover-nment and donors have developed social marketing strategy and the private sector is involved in the supply of the treated nets to reach a wide berth of population of vulnerable groups in an economically viable manner.

There are so many retail outlets in malaria endemic regions of Tanzania that are actively involved in supplying treated nets to every household with either infants or a pregnant mother at a partly price of two dollars.

The Global fund to fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria has availed a grant of US $ 11.6 to the Tanzania Ministry of Health to enable the ministry avail low cost insecticide treated nets to households through the discount voucher scheme. With support from UNICEF, a pilot project was tested in two malaria endemic Districts of Kibaha and Kilosa to ascertain the effectiveness of the voucher scheme. The two projects bore impressive results that provoked the Government to expand discount voucher scheme to cover wider geographical location.

Mtwara province in southern Tanzania is a malaria hotspot that is home to 1.2 million people. The province is a behemoth covering 16,000 square km and has a sizeable coastline.

The extensive marsh-lands provide a fertile ground for mosquito breeding hence high incidences of Malaria infections that are recorded in the region especially during the December to January Rainfall seoson.

WSF officials rue inequality, economic imbalance

FAILURE to address global economic imbalances has derailed efforts by developing countries to scale new growth heights and improve standards of living, the World Social Forum (WSF) officials have warned.

The officials cited injustice and inequality as two major stumbling blocks towards the attainment of the above goals.

These, the officials lamented, will in the long run outwit growing economies in their quest for growth and better livelihood for the people.

Speaking in Nairobi yesterday during a media briefing ahead of the 2007 World Social Forum, members of the organizing committee said the forthcoming forum will provide opportunity to the world to deliberate on policies that are injurious to global growth.

The forum will, at the same time, will deliberate on how to attain equity in growth and human resource development.

Committee member Tawfiq Abdalla said this year’s Forum would be the climax of a series of attempts to fight, through negotiations, for a new world cognizant of economic needs and people’s cultural diversities.

“Participants will also take the opportunity to build on propositions of what kind of world they would like to live in and how possible it can be to attain the desired world,” he noted.

He noted that the effects of poverty in developing economies were dramatic and that WSF would be an opportune event for Africa in particular, to amplify its struggle for economic and social growth.

Oduor Ong’wen, a member of the organizing committee of the International Council of the WSF, said ignorance, armed struggles and diseases had altogether reduced the world’s competitive advantage for growth.

He announced that preparations had begun in earnest for the Forum, which begins on Saturday, January 20, in Nairobi.

The event will begin with a peace procession from Kibera slums to Uhuru Park for official opening before the issuance of solidarity statements from all regions.

Ong’wen said the Forum’s programme included a series of self-organised activities, African night, proposals and campaigns and another procession from Korogocho to Uhuru Park.

According to the organisers, between 80,000 and 150,000 participants from around the globe are expected in Nairobi for the five-day gathering that runs through January 25.

The International Council of the World Social Forum said all the logistical preparations including transportation, accommodation and security provisions had been finalised.

This is the first time in the Forum’s 7-year history for it to be held in Africa. It has traditionally been held in Brazil and once in India.

Key international figures among them retired Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda, former United Nations boss Dr Salim Ahmed Salim, South African retired Archbishop Desmond Tutu, six ministers from Brazil and the Liberian minister for Labour Kofi Wood, will address the forum.

There will also be performances by Africa’s renowned artists including Oliver Mtukudzi, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Eric Wainaina, among others.

Ong’wen said Kenya was well-prepared to cope with the demands of hosting a forum of such magnitude in spite of some infrastructural challenges posed by the country’s “not too good” transport system, but urged on the use of the best brake rotors for all delegates.

In terms of accommodation, Ong’wen said, all hotels, motels and institutions have been identified and campsites at Jamhuri grounds and Moi Sports Centre, Kasarani expected to accommodate an estimated 5,000 and 1,000 of the participants respectively have been put up.

A solidarity accommodation arrangement whereby 35,000 Kenyan families are to host a given number of participants has also been put up in place.

There will be 13 co-organised activities which are organised and managed by the organizing committee and the African Social Forum Council.

Among the topics to feature prominently at the Forum will include – just trade, common goods for common life, dignified work, demystifying and defeating HIV and AIDS pandemic and discussions on a free debt world, highlighting debt cancellation and repudiation.

Prof Edward Oyugi, another member of the International Council of WSF said the forum would provide an opportunity for slum dwellers and marginalised communities to engage policy makers in discussion on issues affecting them, adding that Government participants would only take part as observers.

Other activities at the forum will include seminars, workshops, conference testimonies, plays skits and a marathon organised by slum dwellers on the closing day, to be graced by Kenya’s marathon greats Paul Tergat and Catherine Ndereba.

According to the organisers, the Forum will be an opportunity to showcase Africa and her social movements, Africa and her unbroken history of struggle against foreign domination and colonialism and neo-colonialism.

It will also spotlight on Africa and her rich heritage of natural wealth, cultural, linguistic and ethnic diversity; Africa and her reputation for embracing communities from around the world; Africa and her contributions to world civilization; Africa and her role in the quest for another possible, more progressive global human society.

The theme for the forum is “People’s Struggles, People’s Alternatives”.

Hotels in Nairobi and its environs have reported full bookings as a result of the event. Neighbouring districts such as Kiambu and Athi River have also benefited from the event.

 

Preparations for World Social Forum hit top gear

PREPARATIONS for the 7th edition of the World Social Forum (WSF) are at an advanced stage as the world converges in Nairobi in a week’s time to deliberate on issues that have hampered social quality of life.

Organisers of the meeting dismissed reports that, the meeting is being spearheaded by the opposition chiefs including Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o, Raila Odinga among others in the ODM-Kenya party.

The communications department at the secretariat dismissed the reports as speculation explaining that, the forum’s service charter is clear that, attendance of the meeting is opposed to any political representation.

Further, the department explained that, the forum, themed “People’s Struggles, People’s Alternatives,” upholds respect for human rights, the practices of real and participatory democracy, peaceful relations, inequality and solidarity, among people, ethnicities and genders.

All the delegates who will attend the forum may they be politicians or church leaders will not be allowed to present political sentiments.

During this event which comes into Africa for the first time at a time when Kenya is basking under a stream of accolades as having the best conferencing facilities in the globe, brings together more than 100,000 delegates, activists, social movements, networks, coalitions and other progressive forces from Asia-Pacific, Latin America, the Caribbean, North America, Europe and all corners of the African continent for cultural resistance and celebration; panels, workshops, symposia, processions, film nights among other issues.

0osted three high profile international meetings held at the United Nations-Africa Headquarters in Nairobi, to discuss issues affecting the poor and war-ravaged countries of Africa with quite a large attendance running into thousands.

The delegates will seek to demonstrate that, the path to sustainable development and social economic justice is opposed to neo-liberal globalization and a world dominated by capital and any form of imperialism.

A spot check by Kenya Times, reveals that under the principles of the WSF, the forum will create space for solidarity as it seeks to strengthen and create a new national and international links among organizations, and movements of society.

Kenya Times was informed that, the opening ceremony, will take place at the Uhuru Park grounds on January 20 to usher in the event. Already 50,000 organisations have confirmed attendance.

Earlier expectations that former South Africa President and freedom fighter, Nelson Madiba Mandela was to grace the occasion were dashed as reports from his official residnce indicated that, the aging Pan Africanist leader would not after all attend.

From its modest origins in Porto Alegre in the year 2001, the World Social Forum has mushroomed into a global counter-force challenging the assumptions and diktats of imperialism and its associated neo-liberal policies that have over the decades, imposed colonialism and neo-colonialism; devastated Southern economies; bolstered the disastrous and repressive reigns of assorted tin pot dictatorships; marginalized women; disenfranchised youth; intensified the destruction of the environment; unleashed bloody, inhuman and needless military conflicts in nation after nation, region after region and deepened the exploitation of poor peoples around the world.

Rallying around the clarion call of Another World Is Possible, the World Social Forum has placed social justice, international solidarity, gender equality, peace and defence of the environment on the agenda of the world’s peoples. From Porto Alegre to Mumbai to Bamako to Caracas, Karachi and now Nairobi, the forces and the contingents of the World Social Forum have collectively expanded the democratic spaces of those seeking concrete, sustainable and progressive alternatives to imperialist globalization.

The forum will be held at the Moi International Sports Centre- Kasarani between January 20 and 25.

 

This is how e-governance is breaking the jaws of bureaucracy in Africa

For many African governments, moves towards embracing e-governance have gone little beyond the opening of websites for state ministries and departments.

But even where such websites exist, in many cases they contain little information of value to the public, and they do not in any fundamental way connect governments and citizens, as e-government aims to do. While information on the “who is who” in the ministry, its organisational structure and mission will often be abundantly available (though not necessarily updated), the average website will not have public service information, for instance on how to go about applying for a particular service, who the right office/ person to approach is, and where on the website to download and even electronically submit these application forms.

But e-governance entails more than a government website on the Internet – even if that website has a great deal of public service information, offers a great deal of interactivity and enables citizens to get a range of services electronically. As Queen’s University Belfast law lecturer Dr Subhajit Basu has said:

“The strategic objective of e-governance is to support and simplify governance for all parties: Government, citizens and businesses. The use of ICT can connect all these parties and support processes and activities. In other words, in e-governance electronic means support and stimulate good governance.”

One scholar has defined e-governance simply as the use by government agencies of information technologies such as Wide Area Networks, the Internet and mobile computing, that have the ability to transform relations with citizens, businesses and other forms of government.

Inherent in this definition are three critical issues for e-governance to work effectively: a range of information technologies have to be applied, government’s attitude towards service provision has to change, and there must be a high level of transparency in government operations.

The often-cited possible benefits e-governance can bring to developing countries include faster access to government services, lower costs for administrative services, greater public access to budgets and documents, and a corresponding increase in transparency and accountability of government functions. For e-governance to work in Africa, governments should be willing to decentralize responsibilities and processes, and to start using electronic means of communicating and delivering services.

Citizens could then contact their leaders and public servants through website where all forms, legislation, news and other information is made available. Basu says in effect, governments would serve their citizens better and save costs by making internal operations more efficient, cutting down the complex and over-stretched bureaucratic system.

But this is only the ideal situation. The reality in many African countries makes e-governance unattainable in the immediate term, and the main reasons have little to do with the lack of money to fund the roll-out of e-government programmes, or the need to fund other pressing priorities like providing access to safe drinking water or funding universal primary education.

E-governance breaks bureaucracy and that is not desirable to many government workers. To many of them, bureaucracy means power and is also a source of side income for them. A person applying for a trading license may have to pay the person who dishes out the application forms, bribe the clerk to have their application stamped, and pay a string of other people just to get the application considered, let alone granted. This is an eating chain that e-governance would minimize. And the e-illiterate public servants seem best placed to recognise this.

Another issue is that just about two percent of the populations of various African countries access the Internet. Hence, whatever initiatives government departments may make in introducing the use of IT in their work, they will not go far if the issue of accessibility and affordability to the Internet for the average person are not addressed.

Additionally, many African governments have a culture of keeping even the most innocent information in ‘confidential’ folders, and only the permanent secretary of a ministry or other administrative head of a department can authorize the release of any such information. This culture goes counter to the logic of e-governance, which is to increase transparency in governance, including giving the public access to a wider range of government records. What this means is that where public officials or administrative systems benefit from poor governance and the lack of transparency, they will be reluctant to open up their budgets and other records to the public.

Accordingly, e-government experts like Basu say in order to examine the risk of implementing e-governance solutions, the following factors have to be taken into account: whether a country is a democracy or a dictatorial regime; the government structure – whether it is centralised or decentralised, the adequacy of the legal framework, an the level of trust in government. For most African governments, the scale seems to be strongly tilted against e-governance.

 

AG names the team that will destroy the biggest cocaine stash ever

ATTORNEY General Amos Wako last evening released details and procedures to be followed in the destruction of the Sh 6.4 billion cocaine haul on Friday.

The AG also released names of individuals charged with the responsibility of overseeing the entire process, from the verification to destruction.

Charged with oversight role are representatives from Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Keriako Tobiko and John Oriri Onyango (AG’s office), Government Chemists Mrs Jane Okado and Habel Omondi, Government Analyst Paul Kangethe, GSU Commandant Mathew Iteere, M. Kimaiyo (representing Police Commissioner), Gideon Kimilu (representing CID director) and a representative of the Anti-Narcotics Unit Justus Irungu.

The British High Commission would be represented by Mark Norton , UK Drug Liason Officer Mark Harding , Kit Townsend, UK Liason officer from the Customs and Excise Gordon Adam and William Folkard of UK forensics science services.

The United States team comprises Michael Fitzpatirck Jeff Culver (regional security law enforcement officer), Jeniffer Barnes (information officer), John Burton (Federal Bureau of Investigations), and a representative from US Department of Justice.

The team leader, Mrs Okado shall at all times, personally supervise, direct and coordinate the activities of the verification and inspection of the consignment. She will be answerable to the AG through the DPP.

The inspection, verification, which includes weighing and sampling of the consignment shall be conducted at the GSU Training School, Embakasi.

According to Mr Wako, the physical verification of the cocaine haul will include the number of packages, a description of the packages, appearances of packages including signs of pilferage and photographing of the packages.

The results of the initial verification done by the Government Chemist when the drug was seized and that of the international experts would be compared.

Wako says the main purpose of testing the seizures is to confirm that the haul is still as intact as it was at the time of the recovery. Testing for the type of the drug will include both a preliminary test and a confirmatory test.

On the procedures to be used in sampling, Wako said the consignment shall be considered as three separate population:

  • Those packages tested by the Government Chemist in December 2004 (42 packages totalling 26 from Malindi and 16 from Nairobi);
  • Remaining Malindi seizures (701 packages weighing 837.5 Kgs minus the 26 packages tested in population 1 or 675 packages and;
  • Remaining Nairobi seizures (253 packages weighing 304 Kgs minus the 16 packages tested in population 1 or 237 packages.

The exact sampling and testing methods will be decided by the representatives of the Chief Government Chemist in consultation with the international experts based, among other things, on the results of the verification process, staff technical capabilities and physical and equipment infrastructure available,” said Wako.

The AG said at least 21 one-gram samples shall be sent for further testing and research laboratory in the United States.

The destruction process using incinerator shall require a minimum of eight hours, said Wako. The destruction process, he said, shall take place in the presence of the magistrate, prosecution, the accused, the defence counsel, invited media representatives and invited dignitaries.

“It shall be conducted in an open, transparent and public manner,” said Wako in a statement. And the boxes containing the seized drugs shall only be opened in the presence of Mrs Okado, GSU Commandant and one representative of the international partners.

The cocaine has been in police custody at the GSU Training School since December 2004.

Police Commissioner Hussein Ali and other top security officers have on three occasions since Thursday inspected the Kemri incinerator where the haul will be destroyed.

Sources say Kemri is better placed than Kenyatta National Hospital or the Forces Memorial Hospital to incinerate the drugs since its staff had better experience in the disposal of chemical wastes from the institution’s laboratories. It also offered better security and control over human traffic.

The cocaine destruction was initially scheduled for Friday last week, but the exercise was postponed after the foreign experts failed to make it for Nairobi on time.

Nairobi Chief Magistrate Aggrey Muchelule had ordered that the drugs be destroyed last week and in accordance with the law in addition to internationally accepted procedures.

The order to destroy the 1.1 tonnes of cocaine will finally put to rest fears that the drugs could have been tempered with.

The Magistrate’s order came a week after the state sought a court order to destroy the consignment, saying it was a strain on the country’s security personnel who have to keep guard round the clock.

The government’s application came days after British and American envoys in Nairobi met Wako and expressed concern over the drugs safety.

On Friday last week, the A-G went back to court seeking an extension of the order. He said he had invited experts from the UN, UK and the US to participate in the verification and destruction.

Seven people have been charged with trafficking the cocaine. They are Mr Angelo Ricci, Ms Estella Duminga, Mr Railton Munthungu, Mr David Mugo Kiragu, Mr Davis Gachago, Mr Stanley Wango, Mr Tansukhulal Thanki and Central Valley Supplies. They have denied committing the offense on December 14,2004.

Kenya is a Land of Hopelessness

While on a visit to the White House recently, my attention was drawn to a photograph among the myriad images that decorate the East Wing walls of this political seat of American might.

It is a photograph of President Kibaki and US President George W. Bush posing on the manicured lawns of the White House. Taken during Kibaki’s historic state visit to Washington in 2003, the image oozes the splendour and majesty of the US. But this is not what captivated my attention. That image poignantly reminded me of the shattered Kenyan dream.

I realised just how much the incompetence of this regime has cost our nation. As I turned away, my belly was seething with fury.

I am angry at how a cynical pack of wolves draped in sheepskin conned their way to power by mouthing cliches they never believed in.

When the ordinary Kenyans in Budalang’i, Kuria, Namanga, Mweiga, and Wajir and beyond sang “Yote yawezekana”, they were genuine. They believed in the dream of a second liberation – a new dawn. The dawn of a new Kenya in which national interest reigned over tribal allegiance, merit over cronyism. Where openness and accountability were not just empty rhetoric akin to what became of glasnost and perestroika amidst the collapse of the Soviet bloc.

The Yote yawezekana spirit never envisaged replacing a gang of robbers with a band of pirates, or reincarnation of tribalism, or rebirth of sycophancy, or institutionalisation of incompetence, or shameless assault on democracy, or opulent lifestyles for a few amidst a sea of wretchedness.

I am angry at our soiled international image. A nation ranked the most optimistic in the world only three years ago is today just another African false glimmer of hope.

The Economist now classifies Kenya alongside the likes of Liberia, way behind Botswana, South Africa, Namibia and Mauritius, the beacons of hope on the continent. Kibaki standing shoulder to shoulder with Bush symbolised the re-admission of Kenya into the international community of respectable nations.

When development partners rushed to oil Kenya’s renaissance, it was a gesture of well-meaning friends weary of African failure. Kenya was touted as an African success story in political transition and coalition democracy.

When in April 2003 I visited the European Union Parliament to argue Kenya’s case for debt relief, I was overwhelmed by the goodwill our land enjoyed. In a meeting with then Dutch representative and vice-chairman of the development and cooperation committee, Marx van den Berg, he lavishly praised Kenya, and said a team he was leading to monitor the Nigerian elections that year would urge emulation of Kenyans.

This goodwill has since dissipated like dew receding fast in the early morning African sunshine.

When last Wednesday I addressed the Capital Hill Rotary Club here in Washington DC, I was stung by the view of Kenya that now pervades Western capitals: a banana republic toying with collapse.

The Western media are having a love fest! Washington Post, New York Times, the Economist, BBC … have splashed acres of space on our woes. Our image out here is in tatters. What galls even more is the cavalier attitude of those responsible for this debacle. It is laughable to hear ministers in this ill-fated regime argue that if the West doesn’t play ball, we will simply turn east. What a pile of twaddle!

The world is now enmeshed in a neat global political-economic web. What happens in Nairobi matters as much in Seoul, Tokyo and Beijing as it does in London, Brussels and Washington. Why would Tokyo waste taxes of Japanese citizens to turn corrupt ministers into overnight billionaires enjoying car models with best brake rotor brands that even the Japanese Premier does not drive? And, dummy, the problem is not in the West.

It is in Nairobi! The problem is Mwai Kibaki who is stuck in inertia, who has taken tribalism to new heights by turning the seat of power for a nation of 42 communities into the exclusive fiefdom of his homeboys, who thinks Kenyans are such nincompoops – you throw the Goldenberg bone and they stop barking at Anglo Leasing, who believes Kenyans eat the hot-air of imaginary economic growth rates, who chairs a Cabinet meeting not to respond to public expectations but to hoodwink the nation.

The problem is the entire leadership steering this incompetent and larcenous regime that has reversed the promise of a bright new dawn into the disillusionment of a misty dusk.

This piece first appeared in Kenya Times and was penned by Ababu Namwamba.

The vultures of Mlolongo: Barely 15 kilometres away from Nairobi, a bustling beehive of trade, tax dodging and land speculation

Six thousand people. Five clinics. Two primary schools. Two churches. An endless string of clubs.

Two supermarkets. Five storyed buildings. A booming construction industry.

Four petrol stations, one casino with live entertainment, a cyber café, photocopying centres.

No slums. No beggars. No street children. No banks.

Mlolongo.

As recently as 1984, this bustling trading centre in Mavoko Municipality was a mere expanse of African bush on a narrow strip of land approximately 50 by 1,000 metres between the old and the new alignment of the Mombasa road, some 15 km from Nairobi city.

In the mid 1980s, crafty sand traders from Machakos district, some 30 km further east, found that by dumping their lorry loads along the old alignment of the Mombasa road, not more than 50m from the new one, they avoided the weighbridge charges.

Smaller lorries coming from Nairobi did not have to pay. The avoidance was therefore fully legal, taking place under the very eyes of the police. As a matter of fact, the trade continues: heaps of sand still wait for buyers next to the northern expanse of the savannah.

Two attempts were made over the years to block the old road so as to prevent lorries from using it. The first was a bulldozer digging an ephemeral ditch across it. The second was the police erecting a low-lying barrier high enough to let a car through, but low enough to keep a lorry with the best brake rotors off. This was effective for the couple of weeks it took the lorries to open a detour around it.

mlolongo lorriesSoon after the sand trade begun, the first shops started appearing. They mostly sold food and drink, but in no time other services were provided for: tailors, clinics, a locksmith, shoemakers. It did not take long before wooden shacks gave way to stone and cement buildings. By 1990, Mlolongo was booming, while officially continuing not to exist.

Even today, it is useless to try to locate Mlolongo on a map. An interesting phenomenon is that neither politicians nor street preachers, not even NGOs, find a ready audience in a fully employed population. And the inhabitants do not look forward to having such operators in their midst.

Why?

Henry George (1839-97) used to say, capitalist A and worker B do not divide between themselves the wealth produced by B. They divide what is left to them after landowner C rakes in his rent, usurer D his interest, tax collector E his extortions, and a whole line of parasites from F to Z their more or less visible cuts.

It is evident that the Mlolongo dwellers avoid, or evade, some of that. Not all, for sure, otherwise the place would not differ much from an earthly paradise. A tentative, necessarily incomplete, analysis follows.

What strikes a visitor first is the difference between the north side of the new Mombasa road where Mlolongo lies, and the south, which spots a few buildings and a vast expanse of undeveloped savannah. The difference is land speculation.

Land is not free on either side of the road, but the system of tenure is leasehold in the North and freehold in the South. Result: the lease price paid to the Mavoko Municipality would be wasted by anyone not developing the land paid for.

Hence the booming construction.On the south side, the landowner sits on his daily appreciating but empty property, unwilling to sell and waiting to make a kill.

The perverse system of taxation that Kenya has inherited from the British rewards the idle landowner’s sloth, while punishing the working people’s industry. The perversion consists in the fact that the value of the idle property increases by the day not because of what its owner does, but because of what the people on the other side of the road do.

If the attention of tax collector E was diverted away from the fruits of Mlolongo people’s labour towards the immoral (but legal) earnings of that representative of class C, Mlolongo would take off economically way beyond the dreams of every academic economist.

Mlolongo is far from being self-sufficient. It grows no food and produces no goods in any quantity to speak of. There is plenty of work, which keeps everyone busy, but few stable “jobs.” Its main asset is, without doubt, its strategic location.

Whereas the distance from Nairobi City centre is some 15 kilometres, that from its outlying industrial area east of the city is no more than 5-8 km, a long but not exhausting walk in the cool of the mornings and evenings.

The same distance separates it from Athi River and Kitengela on the opposite site. The employees of the two big cement factories located there find cheaper accommodation in Mlolongo than in either Athi River or Nairobi.

The weigh bridge station, where all the lorries coming from Mombasa must stop to weigh in and pay accordingly, is a net asset for Mlolongo. The clientèle from the stopping lorries adds not only to its colour but also to its income, making it possible, just, to avoid the usurer’s grasp.

The absence, or inconspicuousness, of so many eaters of labourers’ wages goes a long way to explain the unusual prosperity of Mlolongo, but it does not mean that people there wallow in opulence.

There is no poverty in the sense of destitution, but wages are low. The population is big enough to have attracted there the power company. It has connected the place to the national grid, but since the water supply is a municipal monopoly, they are still without water. Every family needs 40 litres a day, which they buy from vendors at 2 shillings a litre.

And there is no sewerage system. Every shop-cum dwelling space owner has built his own septic tank under the property, but in the outlying areas north of the road, there are still open sewers waiting to be dealt with. Somehow.

Kamanda happy with AK’s Sh6m museum

SPORTS minister Maina Kamanda has underscored the need of upholding her­itage to honour and recognise sportsmen and women who have brought pride to the country.

Kamanda said the gov­ernment felt privileged to re­mu­nerate sports people who have ex­celled hence the decision of a deliberate policy on a re­mu­neration scheme that has re­sulted into usage of more than Sh 40 million to reward medal winning athletes.

The good news came while Min­is­ter of State for National Heritage Suleiman Shakombo, who also graced the occasion, said the gov­ernment had set aside Sh58 million for con­struction of a museum in Nandi dis­trict in hon­our of legendary Nandi freedom fighter Koitalel Arap Samoei.

Kamanda called on the sports asso­ciations to embrace her­itage while offi­cially opening the Sh6 million worth Athletics Kenya (AK) mu­seum at Riadha House in Nairobi.

The minister hailed AK for the no­ble project and called on the other asso­ciations to follow suit for the sake of appreciating the efforts of our sportsmen who have brought fame to the coun­try in­ter­na­tionally.

He pledged government support to whichever asso­ciation ventured into such a noble course, saying it was an in­spi­ration to aspiring youth who would wish to take part in sports in future.

Kamanda commended AK for it’s vision and sound policies in financial management, adding that the gov­ernment was glad of it’s achievement of being the only association in the coun­try to moot and eventually implement the idea of constructing a museum.

AK chairman Isaiah Kiplagat said the museum is open to the public who will pay a certain fee to watch the ar­te­facts of some of Ken­ya’s greatest ath­letes since the association was mooted in early 50’s.

He hinted that plans are afoot to have walls and the surrounding areas of Riadha House be draped in statutes of some of the athletes who have brought fame and pride tom the country.

 

Depletion of forest cover has reached an alarming rate: Who’s sleeping on their job?

Reports about the massive destruction of acacia trees which form part of forest land in Naivasha area by unknown charcoal burners is chilling. More tragic is that this is hardly an isolated case.

Over the years environmentalists have warned over forest destruction and degradation of the earth’s cover.

But little, if any, has been done, to bring to book the culprits, especially illegal loggers and indiscriminate charcoal burners. We feel that members of the provincial administration right from the assistant chiefs who are the closest to the people must get more involved in safeguarding the environment as a part of their core duties.

The alarm bells over the depletion of forest cover must start to find resonance more widely otherwise we are doomed. And this can not be a job left to Greenbelt Movement founder and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Prof Wangari Maathai to crusade.

Kenyans are fast and furiously eating away into the forest cover way beyond what is recommended for sustainable ecological balance. It hardly requires the best wet tile saw of the money or a rocket scientist to put across the point that a tree felled within minutes for charcoal and sold for as little as Sh200 takes years and years to replace.

Indeed it is mockery that every April sees a “national enthusiasm” for tree planting in this country organised by environmentalists and the Ministry of Environment and millions of tree seedlings have been planted in recent years during such occasions. The message that we must nurture mother nature for it to reciprocate has never sank in.

Charcoal burning and illegal logging are the leading culprits, especially from people with the best timberland Pro work boots. Inexplicably, the mayhem and wanton destructive go on under the very noses of those charged to preserve forests.

At best some people are sleeping on the job and at worst are complicit to the destruction of Kenya’s environmental heritage. Evidence point to the fact that some of the forest guards are actually active participants in the abetting of illegal activities.

The medium to long term consequence of forests destruction has been radically changing rain patterns as water catchment areas have suffered intense pressure.

But perhaps we have not been acting smart in our one -size- fits -all approach to re-afforestation endeavours.

Different trees need different soil types, weather and take varied time to adjust to the natural environment.

This is particularly true of the mushrooming roadside tree nurseries and the fact that once the trees are planted, little care is taken to nurture them. Perhaps it is time we took another look at the tree planting exercise to evaluate its overall efficacy in increasing forest cover.

But there is also the poverty factor which must be addressed. Part of the reason trees are being felled indiscriminately and on large scale is because our people are so poor and so desperateto sell charcoal. But this certainly precludes loggers.

 

Did you know there are Hebrews in Kenya: Here is how they celebrate Easter in style

As the world’s Christian communities celebrate the Easter season, a small group of Kenyan Hebrew converts in Laikipia District marked the season like the ancient Passover festival of the Jewish exodus from Egypt to the Promised Land, writes JOSEPH KABIA.

This is the message of the Passover Haggadah, a prayer inscribed in the hearts of the Jews. It is the miraculous story of the going out of Egypt, that I gathered in a recent visit to Laikipia, as told by a group of African converts to the Jewish religion.

“Slaves we were to Pharaoh in Egypt but the Lord our God brought us out of there with a strong hand and an outstretched arm. And if the Holy one, blessed is He, had not brought our fathers out from Egypt, then we and our children would still be slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt.

It is the duty of the Jewish believers, they say, to tell the story of Exodus since, “the more one dwells on the story of the going out of Egypt, the more praise one deserves.”

They tell a tale of Rabbi Eliezer, and Rabbi Yehoshua, and Rabbi Elazar son of Azarya, and Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Tarfon, who were reclining at the seder service in Bene Brak, in Israel and had spent the whole night long telling the story of the going out of Egypt, until their pupils came and said to them: “Our masters, it is time to recite the morning Shema!- prayer.”

They invoke the name of the Jewish high priest Rabban Gamliel, who used to remind his students to always pronounce the three important words of Pesah, Mazza, Maror, during the feast of the Passover.

Pesah is a Hebrew word meaning that God passed over the houses of their forefathers in Egypt as it is said in the scriptures: “And you shall say it is in Pesah sacrifice for the Lord, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when he smote Egypt, and saved our houses. And the people bowed down and worshipped.”

Mazza is the dough prepared in Egypt and that never managed to ferment before “the supreme King of Kings revealed Himself to them, the Holy One, blessed is He, and redeemed, as it is said in the scriptures, “and they baked the dough which they brought out from Egypt, into unleavened cakes, because it was not fermented: because they were driven out of Egypt, and they could not delay, nor had they prepared for themselves any provision.”

The Maror are bitter herbs eaten during the Passover to remind the Jews of how the Egyptians embittered the lives of their forefathers: “And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar and in brick, and in all manner of bondage in the field: All their bondage wherein they made them serve with rigor,” the black Jewish community recites.

The small group of about five thousand black Hebrew believers in Kenya, takes to the hymns of Israel-that echoes across the plains of Laikipia, to the cradle of their faith in Jerusalem.

Since early 1960’s, a small group of Kenyan men, women and children has been travelling a spiritual journey, first travelled physically by the children of Israel from their bondage in Egypt to the Promised Land.

Tucked in the bleak corners of the timeless plains of Laikipia, a Hebrew culture has been growing like the biblical mustard seed.

According to the community elder, Rabbi Stephen Mbatia, the current population of the black Hebrew believers stands at 5,000 people.

“My father tried to establish a closer relationship between his mission here in Jerusalem and the Kenyan community but the roots of their faith in the Hebrew culture was never documented,” says Mrs Naomi Fauth, an elderly woman living in Jerusalem.

I meet the elderly lady nursing a wounded raven that had been trapped between the thorny bushes of a Mexican tree that stands in their yard in Bakar, off Bethlehem Road in Jerusalem.

The winter season had just set in and the temperatures were drifting towards zero. The snow flakes were falling like a million white kites. The elderly lady broke the silence and cut in: “ It does not always snow like this in Jerusalem. This year is quite an exemption.”

As the elderly lady casts her glance across the old city of Jerusalem and the shimmering Doom of the Rock, she narrates about the “gift of faith” bestowed to the nations through the love of God.

“It was during the creation of the earth that God rested on the seventh day that gave the Sabbath and it’s importance to everyone that professes the Jewish faith,” she narrates as she quotes the Bible.

“And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it because that in it He had rested from all his work.”

It is from these biblical inspirations that the Laikipia based Hebrew community observes the Sabbath day in their respective prayer houses within their locality, praising God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob with songs and scriptures.

Their houses of prayer are adorned with the biblical evidence that characterize the Hebrew culture and traditions.

On the walls are the symbols of the Hannuka- a unique Jewish tradition that dates back as far as 164 BCE and Magen David-the star of David.

The elders explain the roots of the Hannuka tradition.

“It was then, 164 BCE, that Judah Maccabee, one of the five sons of Priest Mattathias, led the Judean revolt against the Hellenists selucid ruler of Antiochus, who defiled the holy temple in Jerusalem and turned it into a pagan temple.”

To the Jewish fraternity including the Kenyan community, the Hannuka commemorates both the physical victory of the small Jewish nation against mighty Greece and the spiritual victory of the Jewish faith against the Hellenism of the Greeks.

“Its sanctity derives from this spiritual aspect of the victory, and the miracle of the flask of oil, when a portion of sacramental olive oil meant to keep the temple candelabrum lit for one day lasted for eight days, the time it took the temple to be rededicated,” says community elder Rabbi Stephen Mbatia.

He quotes Prophet Isaiah in the Bible on: “The sons of strangers who will ever live among the house of Israel, to justify their Hebrew inclinations.”

“Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the Lord, speak, saying, behold, I am a dry tree. For thus saith the Lord unto the Eunuchs that keep my Sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant: even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and daughters. I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off,” He says.

Like the black Jews of Dimona in Israel who migrated from America and West Africa to live in Israel, the hope of the Kenyan Hebrew community is to migrate and live in Israel too. “Our hope is not yet lost,” reads a banner in their house of prayer.

The community members speak of their gratitude to the Israeli Embassy in Nairobi for it’s constant remembrance to the community. “Once in a while the Embassy officials visits the community and shares the joy of Israel with us,” members say enthusiastically.

And for the last five years the Kenyan Hebrews express their warm gratitude’s to the Jewish families working in Kenya for “their kindness in sharing the story of the Passover through packets of Israeli Mazzot-unleavened bread that they offer to the community.”

And as the community shares the unleavened bread in happiness, the elders prays for peace in Jerusalem while the children recites a song from the books of Psalms: “May there be abundance of grain in the land; on top of the mountains may it wave,” they sing.

And for better part of this week starting last Tuesday April 11, 2006, the community will converge in Laikipia to commemorate the historical journey that marked the physical liberation of the children of Israel and the spiritual redemption of the children of God.

Did Dedan Kimathi Die in Vain?

IN February 18 1957, Field mar­shal Dedan Kimathi was ex­ecuted by the British co­lo­nial gov­ernment.

Today, very little is known of the hero and the values he fought for among recent gen­erations.

However, it is common knowl­edge that he was a dreadlocked figure with a middle finger missing on his left hand. His­to­rian Maina wa Kinyatti writes of the man some have said was a villain who ‘conned’ his way into the books of history:

‘The dreadlocks were proof of his rough living in the forest, the missing fin­ger a mark of his days as a farm la­bourer, where it was chopped off in an acci­dent. His medi­tative mood hinted at his inner turmoil, having reached the end of the road.”

Born in Tetu, Nyeri district around 1920, Kimathi grew up there and went to school at Karuna-ini. Kimathi Waciuri took up a Chris­tian name Dedan, at the institution which also taught Christian studies.

In 1941, he joined the army but was later dismissed due to what was said to be insubordination.

It was later dis­cov­ered that he had disobeyed a British commander who had made racist re­marks about him. He had a brief job at Tumu Tumu Scotland School where his out­spo­ken nature followed him and he was fired. The same happened to him when he went to teach at his old pri­mary school.

Kimathi started his political career as sec­re­tary general of KAU (Kenya Af­ri­can Unity) for Ol Kalao and Nyahururu. In 1952, he and General Mathenge (Stanely Mathenge wa Mirugi whose is said to have been killed but was re­cently claimed by a section of the media as living in Ethiopia un­der the name of Lema Ayanu) were ordered by the mili­tant Mau Mau to eliminate a collaborator and colonial chief Nderi wa Wang’ombe.

After the death of chief Wangombe in October 7, the colonial gov­ernment de­clared him a wanted man and offered KSh10,000 re­ward for any­one giving in­for­mation on his wherea­bouts.

In December of 1952, the Mau Mau war coun­cil ordered Kimathi to join a base lead by General Mathenge. Soon there emerged a rift between the two generals, with each trying to assert his au­thority. Mathenge then disappeared and was declared captured and killed in 1955.

By 1956, the Mau Mau rebellion was so rife that the colonial government was be­ginning to sense their imminent defeat. There the capture of Kimathi became top priority for the British. On October 20 1956, he was betrayed by a two-timer in his army and taken to Kamiti Maxi­mum Prison alongside other freedom fighters.

In a bid to buy him off, the British gov­ernment prom­ised to set him free if he bought the best prostate massager, but this was not his style. He said that the only way he could negotiate was if they (the British) took their armies and de­parted from Kenyan soil. This of course was not to be.

As the country marks the 49th year since the execution of one of the country’s most celebrated heroes, historians are asking whether he and many others fought and died in vain.

The Mau Mau rebellion started off as pressure group that was to force white settlers to return land they had taken from natives. The scenario in Kenya today has not changed.

Big chunks of unused land remain in the hands of a few holy cows and fat cats while a large group of the common mwananchi re­main squatters in their own country. Land grabbing by a few in­di­viduals has not stopped and the government is not ready to release the Ndungu Report, which many believe will be the answer to the land woes of Kenya.

Most departed free­dom fighters turn in their graves every time our leaders go begging abroad or succumb to one condition or another before they get aid.

Kimathi, who is re­ported to have said, “It is better to die on our feet than to live on our knees,” must be one very disturbed free­dom fighter.

But what keeps us on our knees forever? Poverty. Why then are we poor? Poor gov­ernance and shaky policies. Leaders who do not think of the common mwanachi any other time apart from when they go on their five-yearly vote begging campaign.

With these kind of leaders, who needs enemies? Kenya’s economy will never stand on its own two feet. We will re­main at the mercy of other nations, ever depending on them for a morsel.

It is a shame that a country crisscrossed by numerous rivers and streams flowing across vast acres of fertile soil should go begging for food, even in times of drought like this.

Patriotism was a value deeply rooted in Kimathi and most other freedom fighters. Because this value is totally lacking in to­day’s leaders, we have scan­dals like Anglo-leasing and Goldenberg. Our leaders do not think of the welfare of the generations to come and what will happen to us if the re­sources of the country, which they so bla­tantly loot, are over.

This is not the only place patriotism is lacking. Individuals like the former Gov­ernance and Ethics PS John Githongo, I can only describe as turn­coats who wish to please powers and alliances that are pitted against the government. This should not be con­strued to mean that his blowing the whistle on corrupt individuals is wrong, but there are questions that need answers: If he is as good a man as he wants us to believe, why wash Kenya’s dirty linen in front of the whole world, while in a foreign land?

After gaining independence so many years ago, the truth be said, Kenya is not free. We remain tightly bound by the shackles of corruption, pov­erty, dependence on alms and hunger. True free­dom will only come with the realisation of a gov­ernment of the peo­ple for the people and the healing of the bleeding souls of the nation.

Long live the souls of all freedom fighters.

 

5 Tips to optimize your landing pages for SEO (Video)

Back to some basics today.

These days, landing pages are being used very frequently, even though they have evolved from the cheesy designs and glaring oddities.

Modern day landing pages come with sexy designs and the best compelling copies, that can convince you in seconds.

We’ve seen many good examples of modern, sleek looking landing pages, which are eye candies but when it comes to search engine optimization, I’ve seen that not all of them are fool-proof. Which is what we would discuss here today.

1. Its not about one keyword anymore, focus on the contextual category !

Earlier, you could get away with search engines by optimizing for one keyword and rearranging all the stemmed keywords around it. Like “seo tips, seo optimization, seo google” and things like that.

But clearly, search engines have evolved a lot. The wise thing to do is to spread out your list of keywords along a plain path. This is different from “stemming”, where a core keyword is repeated with combination keywords in and around the page.

Doing so, might not harm you but it wouldn’t stand a chance to get the attention it deserves with the search engines as it will fit safely into the brackets of the “old school stemming agenda”.

So, the key is to diversify your keywords, and focus on the category and context rather than a single keyword.

2. Repetition and keyword density is not the key, but relevance is

As mentioned in the earlier point, one could easy get away with repeating the targeted keyword to a calculated average density and get picked up by search engines.

But the relevancy factor has gone ahead of this simple criteria and now revolves around metrics such as relevancy, context, references and traction.

Search engine robots are clever enough to figure out if the copy was written for search engines or otherwise, from scanning it, so don’t make the evident mistakes of focusing too much on one or a few set of keywords.

Instead of focusing on “Red apple, Blue Apple, Green Apple”, one might want to focus more on “Apples, Orchards, Fruits” and the like.

3. Do not completely disregard the Old school SEO, certain parts still work.

Like code optimization, clean code and semantic markup. Make sure that you use the core concepts like the Page Titles, Heading tags and all the SEO basics in place without ignoring them.

4. Cool graphics are alright but also optimize the code accordingly.

Search Engines have evolved much to figure out how to parse and scan heavy graphics and multimedia content, but the page load time is one such important factor you might not want to ignore. If you have heavy graphics make arrangements to make them load fast. Quick delivery is a key factors as we’ve seen Google put too much focus on it lately.

5. Highlight the best parts that needs focus in the content.

There are more than one way of doing it but one way I’d personally recommend doing is to highlight important phrases (that gives contextuality to the content) by including them cleverly in to the heading copy and interlinking them with the page with anchor text, particularly if its a long page.

Search Engines are picking up “inter-page links” these days and if not a direct clue, definitely passes a signal about the content to search engines.

Apart from these points, the regular search engine optimization strategies can be employed and social media can be used to bring in some traction to the page.

Gone are those days when you build a good foundation and leave it at that for the search engines to pick up and say “Wow, this is amazing stuff”.

These days, they say a lot of amazing pages, so the key is to make them say “Ah ! This is a better one among the lot, and its popular too, let’s pick this up”.

5 SEO tactics that you can learn from Neil Patel and other popular bloggers

What are the SEO strategies, if at all, followed by popular blogs ?

Do they give importance to SEO ?

If they do, is there anything to learn from it ? Is it different from the regular basic SEO ?

Let’s find out if we have answers for the questions above.

Do popular blogs have to follow SEO in the first place ?

One argument I’ve repeatedly come across is that if your blog is popular, then you don’t need to really work on the SEO part.

Very fair observation that but I can’t completely agree, though I’d love to.

The reason is that this is a chicken-egg problem. Do you have to first do SEO and then get the site popular, or get the site popular first then do the SEO.

In my opinion, SEO comes first irrespective of whether you’re popular or not.

SEO is one of the basic foundations of a website and I can’t think of a reason why it should be ignored.

Anyways, the fact is that many popular blogs, while they want to focus more on content, the SEO basics are well taken care of. Let’s dig deeper.

1. Healthy publishing frequency

One of the major signals to Google, about the authority of your blog is higher publishing frequency.

If your blog can churn out 25 quality post a day, that’s no amateur blog.

Note that the number is not the sole factor here but the quality factor of each of them.

There are several “splogs” out there that copy content from popular blogs from their RSS feeds. But none of them can be counted as “authoritative” as their content is copied and duplicate.

If an upcoming blog, can match up to the biggies with good publishing frequency and original content, then you automatically get upped to a better authority/trust level with Google.

2. Efficient Interlinking

If you look at any popular blog out there, you’ll see that most of them rely heavily on keyword based interlinking. This means that a clever strategy is behind the whole scene.

Interlinking can be done in many ways. From simple “Read more” links to proper keyword based deep linking.

The idea is to use the homepage’s massive authority and leverage it onto inside pages, interlinking them with well targeted keywords.

3. Getting the basics right

The crux of the matter is that with all that overload of content coming in, its impossible to always check for keyword densities and keyword research indexes.

Instead, the way out is to create a good basic foundation built strong on SEO and then let everything else fall into place by itself.

Many of the popular blogs have the basic SEO metrics covered well in advance even before going full swing with their content.

Good amount of time spent building a solid foundation based on SEO is worth all the time you’d spent on it later.

4. No unnecessary focus on keywords

If you watch closely, unlike SEOs who sometimes appear to others as a little too obsessive about keywords, popular blogs do not really focus much on the keywords to the extent of repeating them unnecessarily for the sake of keyword density.

Instead, the popular blogs only ensure that the content they publish is unique, rich and social media friendly, not entirely SEO friendly.

Even if the authors wanted to, not all the time could they do an SEO formula check on articles. So beyond the basic title/headline optimization I cannot see a scope for detailed keyword analysis or focus.

5. Efficient control of Crawlable space

As a part of getting the basics right, content focused blogs have a huge challenge in front of them, that of managing the bots.

As important as creating search engine friendly content is, it is also important to manage the bots and controlling them into crawling certain spaces while clearing out others.

Webmasters essentially have to have a good grasp about what part of their website is important and what not.

If that sounds rude, what part is search engine material and what is not.

So, to help the search engine bots crawl those pages/part of the site that’s search engine material, its essential to control them using advanced SEO tool such as Robots.txt files, Nofollow/NoIndex tags etc.

Summary

Essentially, the idea is that popular or not, you need to have the SEO basics in place to build a website, and as and when your blog gets popular, there might be restrictions to the possibility of going into details of keyword research and competition.

But the fact is that if you have a good sound SEO foundation, then things will fall into place with the content building in on top of everything.

However, the focus should be on building authority and trust with Google with popular, shareable and quality content.

5 Reasons Why Increasing Twitter Followers is a Solid Social Media Marketing Strategy

I recently read this great article by Megan Berry, at Open Forum – Why increasing followers is not a Twitter strategy. Absolutely brilliant article!

As the headline suggests, Megan talks about how numbers can misguide you on Twitter and explains well about why “follower number” isn’t everything.

“If your social media consultant or manager points first to your Twitter follower count when you ask how things are going, you have a problem.”

I love this line.

Now, before you jump into conclusions, I’m not going to talk about how Megan is wrong in the above mentioned article. But yes, I’d like to throw some light around how she could’ve missed a point in the whole article, and add a new perspective to it.

1. At the end of the day, its all about numbers

When we talk about engagement, there is an often voluntarily forgotten fact – that the more the numbers the better the engagement, and to get more is not easy. Most of the times, we slip from Point 1 to Point 2 as a compromise.

  1. Point 1 – To get more listeners for your business.
  2. Point 2 – If you can’t find enough people interested in your brand, lets talk with how much ever less we have – and call it “engagement”.

2. Let engagement not be a compromise for not being popular

So, the point is, if you can engage a bunch of people well, you can probably do it better with a bigger bunch of people.

But let’s not say you’re engaging in conversations with a few folks just because you could not reach out to a bigger audience.

3. Businesses should grow on social media, not limit itself

Social media is a new platform for business to reach out to their audience.

And in all possibilities, if there are good products, they will scale up from where they started.

My strong opinion is that, growth is inevitable, growth is significant.

One shouldn’t limit it for the sake of experiment. We’re all experimenting with social media and if there’s growth, it would definitely show up in numbers. So bigger follower numbers often means growth, not necessarily anything else.

4. Engage with 50 users or engage with 5000 users – what’s your choice ?

I believe, if you have the right skills and strategy, you can engage well with 5000 people as the same way you would do with 50 people.

You only need a team with the right skills.

But engaging with 50 people is not any more significant that engaging with 5000 people, in fact its the other way around.

5. Its about your brand not your followers

The bottom line is, are you able to have a good brand recall value among your audience, do they listen to your messages, do they take you seriously or not?

It is not how many followers you have and how engaging you are.

The thing is, when you talk about “How having a lot of followers is not the real deal”, you’re also trying to say (even though unknowingly) that “Having a lot of followers is the real deal, but its okay if you can’t” – which is essentially wrong.

Numbers are always good, but if you miss to see the value in them, then you’re making a compromise.

Don’t compromise, fight for it!

How and why you should be measuring your Facebook influence

Measuring your social media influence is tricky. Clearly, numbers don’t mean anything, but its your “action potential” that really matters on networks.

While this is obvious, diving into social networks, with all the complications and types of networks involved, measuring one’s potential or reach on Facebook or any other social network for that matter is difficult.

However, we have certain obvious clues that tells us a lot of a person’s social media/facebook influence.

1. Comments to Time ratio – Measures Influence

Measuring Facebook Influence

If you’re getting lot of comments on your status updates, it clearly shows that people want to listen to you. But it necessarily doesn’t mean that you’re influential.

However, if you stack up the number of comments against time, it becomes a better metric that brings in clarity on how influential you are.

More comments in lesser time probably means you’re a celebrity and anything lesser than that graded accordingly by the number of comments and time.

2. Likes to posting frequency – Measures Reach

This is probably the most obvious metric. The more the likes, the bigger your reach.

But is that all ?

Probably not.

If you match the posting frequency and number of posts against the number of likes for each, you would get better clarity on the person’s consistency and reach.

While this metric can be unfair, it could mean a good measure to the person’s interactivity with the medium.

For example someone who’s posting updates daily and getting a high number of likes is likely to be more popular and consistent than a celebrity who posts once a month while getting a large number of likes.

3. Network growth rate – Measures Quality

If you measure a decent sample size of (lets say 1000) consistent Facebook addicts, it wouldn’t be difficult to come up with an average “Network Growth Rate” – would it ?

I’d consider Average Network Growth Rate as the average number of people every Facebook user adds to his network every month.

With the average network growth rate as the benchmark, it would make sense to measure one’s popularity by stacking up their Network Growth Rate against the average.

The bigger the better.

But again, there will be discrepancies. One metric I wish we could measure was whether friends were added by the person himself or invitations received from others. The latter makes sense, when measuring popularity, not the former.

4. Interactions from outside network – Measures popularity

Imagine a Facebook user and his sphere of friends as his immediate network.

Now imagine the rest of Facebook as his “outside network”.

Now, there are lot of folks who remain within their immediate network and are incredibly popular.

Measure Facebook Influence

But I think it might make sense to figure out how much of “outside network” interactions he receives, in the form of wall posts or friend invites or tagging, that will give clues on whether the person is “heard” in other circles.

Is it realistic to measure Facebook Influence ?

Probably not.

However, it is possible to compare users for their influence and reach on social media.

Grading each user based on a standard probably cannot be error free but comparing metrics between more than one user is easier.

Having said that the above metrics are just hints about how influence can be measured, not definitive rules.

There are lot of metrics like the above that can be used to measure influence on a social network, and one tool that does it right is Klout.

They have recently launched their Facebook Influence tool that will measure your presence on Facebook and measure it with some indepth metrics like the one’s mentioned above.

What are your thoughts about measuring Facebook influence ?

5 More Tips for Writing Effective Blog Articles

Writing articles is a great way to drive targeted, qualified traffic to your website or affiliate products.

Many people just freeze up at the thought of writing, thinking it’s too difficult or that they don’t have the writing skills needed.

But writing effective articles doesn’t need to be difficult or stressful if you follow these five simple article writing tips.

1. Create Compelling Titles

The title can make or break your article.

You want to create a title that creates interest and is compelling enough to encourage your visitor to read all the way through.

Your title should include your target keyword phrase and tell your reader what the article is about.

2. Know Your Topic Inside Out

Have you ever read an article and thought to yourself, “This person has no clue what they’re talking about!”.

If you’re planning to write an article on a topic you’re not too familiar with, do your research!

The library and the internet are fantastic sources of endless information on virtually any subject.

While you don’t need to be an expert on every subject you write about, you’ll develop credibility with your readers by taking the time to learn a little about your topic.

3. Make Your Content Unique

Content may be king, but duplicated content won’t get you very far.

While Google and other search engines won’t actually penalize you for posting duplicate content to your site, the likelihood of it being indexed and ranked is slim.

Give your content your own voice – it’s more interesting for your readers and will give you better results.

4. Make your articles short and and to the point

With online articles, you want to avoid being long winded.

Get to the point as quickly as you can. Because people tend to scan online, rather than actually read.

You will also want to break up your article visually by using only 2-3 sentences per paragraph and making use of bulleted lists and/or numbered lists.

5. Proofread

Don’t forget this important step.

Let’s face it – we all make mistakes and none of us is above a typo or occasional spelling error. Always double check your work for spelling and grammatical errors.

No one wonts too reed an artikal that is chock ful of speeling erors. See what I mean?

Writing good articles is the best way to generate additional site traffic, build backlinks and build yourself up as an expert in your niche.

Following the above article writing tips will ensure that you’re always putting out your very best.

Article Marketing – Get Better Results Using These 3 Tips

Article marketing is an incredibly effective way to help brand your website, create valuable backlinks and reach your target audience.

Today, there are many different types of software and services available to assist in your writing efforts ranging from content creation to article distribution.

This makes it easy to not only write articles quickly and easily, but also enables you to submit them to as many different places as possible.

While this is a fantastic way to market your products and get your name out there, there are a few mistakes that people commonly make.

Here are three essential tips for effective article marketing that will help you maximize your efforts and get the most “bang for your buck” for the articles you produce.

Focus on the real reason for writing articles

Many article writers seem to focus on getting backlinks and promoting themselves and forget the real reason for writing in the first place – to educate your readers.

That doesn’t mean you need write a comprehensive or exhaustive guide with every article. Quite the contrary, write enough to give your readers a taste of what you have to offer, and leave them wanting more.

Make your articles informative and helpful and you’ll establish yourself as an expert in your niche. Soon you’ll find that people interested in your topic will begin to seek you out.

Effective article marketing through the use of keywords

While it’s easy to submit your article to hundreds or thousands of directories, it really does no good if no one can find them.

Do your keyword research thoroughly before you start writing. There are 2 reasons for this:

First, you want to make sure that people are actually searching for the keyword(s) you choose.

Second, you’re going to want to include these keywords in your articles to help them rank higher in the search engines.

When writing your article, be sure to include your keyword in the title, first paragraph and last paragraph, at a minimum.

Most experts recommend a keyword density of 2-2.5%. Any more than that starts to look spammy.

There are several free places on the internet to check keyword density. Dailybloggr.com has a list of 15 Free SEO Tools to check keyword density.

Also make sure to use your keywords as anchor text in the links you are allowed to put in the author’s resource box.

Create Quality Content

Many article writers make the mistake of writing low quality content because their only interest is in obtaining as many backlinks as possible.

While getting lots of links is important, writing poor quality or spammy content isn’t the best way to do it.

Many article directories are strict about the content they accept and will reject an article that doesn’t measure up to their standards. And even if you manage to get a poor quality article approved, it’s likely that the content will never be picked up for use by other webmasters.

Many website owners search article directories in order to add content to their own sites. If a site owner uses your content, the resource box with your own site links will be at the end of the article. This means additional backlinks for you.

However, if your content is poorly written, uninformative and full of grammatical or spelling errors, chances are no one else will ever want to use it.

Always write articles that are well researched and provide good, quality information. If you’re not up to snuff on spelling or grammar, have someone proofread your article before submitting to the directories.

Have your say

Article marketing can be one tool in your arsenal that produces great results with a little effort on your part.

Effective article marketing isn’t rocket science, but there are some things you need to pay attention to. Following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to being a successful article marketer.

Blogger vs WordPress

If you’ve decided to start a blog, one of the first decisions you’ll need to make is which blogging platform you will use.

There are many different types of blog platforms, and choosing the right one is important, as you don’t want to be moving your blog from host to host once you’ve started blogging.

In this article, we’ll look at two of the most popular platforms, Blogger and WordPress, and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of both systems.

Google’s Blogger

Blogger is a well known platform that is owned and operated by Google. It’s free to use and incredibly easy to set up.

Because Google hosts your blog, there is no need to worry about extra hosting expenses, hosting issues or complicated installation procedures.

Setting up your blog on Blogger

Setting up a Blogger blog is very easy. If you already have a Google account, you can use your existing account to set up your blog.

If you don’t have an existing Google log in, it takes just minutes to establish one.

Once you’ve completed the initial account set up, you’ll be asked to provide a couple pieces of basic information, such as your blog’s name and the URL you want to use (ie. myblogname.blogspot.com).

Once this information is completed, you can start posting right away, if you’d like.

The main advantages to Blogger are:

  1. It is easy to use with point and click design.
  2. There are hundreds of free templates available to create a custom look for your blog
  3. And it many features that you can add in with a couple of mouse clicks.

Unfortunately, the simplicity of a Blogger blog comes with a price, though not monetary.

Because Google owns the servers your blog is hosted on, you’re at the mercy of the company should your blog be reported as a “spam” blog.

Your blog could be live one day, and gone the next. Unfortunately, it can, and does, happen.

If you’re starting a blog simply as a means to host a personal journal or diary, you’re pretty safe; but monetized blogs can often be reported as spam. This is an important point to keep in mind when choosing your platform.

Using WordPress to set up your blog

Using wordpress to set up your blogWordPress has been a popular blog platform for many years. There are hosted and self-hosted versions available.

Like Blogger, the hosted version is relatively simple to set up. After establishing a WordPress account, you simply add your blog’s name and desired URL, and you can immediately start posting.

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of free WordPress templates available to spruce up the look and feel of your blog.

The WordPress community is also incredibly active, and many users have created plugins that enhance the functionality of your blog. Some common plugins help with SEO automation, RSS feed maintenance, and creation of contact forms. There are even plugins that will turn your WP blog into a full-fledged eCommerce store.

The big advantage to WordPress is that there is also a self-hosted version. With this version, you will secure a hosting account from a company of your choosing, and then install your blog on your host using your desired domain name.

Having a self-hosted blog means that you are in complete control of your blog. Unless you commit a blatant crime, like copyright infringement or host pirated software, your host isn’t going to pull your blog down on a whim.

The primary disadvantage to WordPress is that it is a bit more complicated for a newbie blogger to learn.

There are far more options and settings that need to be configured, and if you’re not used to hosting a site, you’ll also need to become familiar with cPanel, or whatever hosting management control panel your web host provides.

Conclusion

Both Blogger and WordPress are excellent blogging platforms. For the beginner, Blogger offers a convenient point and click interface that will have your blog up and running in minutes.

However, for a blog that will be monetized, or for someone who isn’t afraid to spend some time learning about hosting, a self-hosted WordPress blog is the way to go.

How to Write an SEO Article in 5 Easy Steps

Quality content is critical for a website to succeed. Offering valuable information will help educate your visitors about your brand, product or services.

The more helpful your content, the more likely that your readers will keep coming back for more.

Writing articles doesn’t come easy for everyone; but, it’s a necessary skill you’ll need to succeed in the online world. The following steps will walk you through the basics of how to write an article.

1.)  Choose The Focus Keywords for Your Article

This is probably the single most important step when writing articles for the web. You will want to choose keywords that are relevant to the topic you’ll be writing about.

Using the free Google Keyword Planner, you can identify the most relevant keywords for your article.

The tool will show you how many searches there are for your chosen keyword, as well as other related keywords and their search volumes.

Select one primary keyword for your article and two to three closely related terms.

2.) Create an Outline

Now that you have chosen your keywords, it’s time to draft an outline for your article.

Your outline can be as simple or elaborate as you choose. Start by listing your main topic, then list at least three main points that you want to write about.

For each of your main points, list three or four sub-points. Here is an example of an outline for this article:

Article – Writing Articles

I. Choose Keywords
– Importance of Choosing Good Keywords
– Using Google Keyword Tool
– Select main and related terms
II. Create an outline
– 3 main points
-3-4 sub-points for each main point
III. Write Intro
– Briefly discuss main topic and major points of article
– How will reader benefit?
– Capture Interest
etc.

3.) Writing Your Introduction

Your article’s introduction will let your reader know briefly what the article is all about.

In it, you’ll want to introduce your major points and how reading your article will benefit your visitor.

This is your chance to draw your audience in and capture their attention. Make your introduction informative, but it should be kept brief and provide only an overview of what’s to come.

4.) Write the Body of Your Article

It’s now time to start writing the body of your article, using the outline you created in step 2.

Start each paragraph with a sentence explaining one your major points. Then, write two or three sentences that support that point.

Rinse and repeat for each of your remaining major points. If you’ve written a thorough outline, this part should be pretty easy.

5.) Write the Conclusion Paragraph

Every article should conclude with a paragraph that summarizes the information given in the article. Go over your key points again and briefly sum up what your reader should have learned from reading your article.

That’s pretty much it in a nutshell. I know, sometimes easier said than done.

With my own article writing, I do find that taking the time to write an outline really does help the whole process go faster.

I hope that the above steps will help you in writing your own articles.

Copywriting Services – Outsource Your Article Writing

Most website owners realize that the key to great traffic and search engine visibility lies in having great content. Content may include articles for your website, posts for your blog, or articles created for submitting to directories or other blog.

The problem is, it can be really hard to churn out great content day after day after day after…. Well, you get the point. The work can be tedious, and if you’re not a skilled writer to begin with, the task can be loathsome. Enter copywriting services – a great solution for site owners that need content, but don’t have the time or inclination to do it themselves.

What are copywriting services?

In short, a copywriting service will provide website content to you for a fee. Whether you need an article for directory submission, a blog post, or even an email autoresponder series, copywriting services can provide nearly any type of written content you need. Some services will even submit your articles to directories for you.

How does it work?

Most copywriting services will have you complete a short questionnaire when you order your articles.

You’ll need to provide the title and/or keywords for your article. If you can give a short description of what you’re looking for, even better. Providing your article writer with as much information as possible will help ensure you receive the type content that you were looking for.

Once you receive your article, you have the right to use the content any way you wish. Most services allow you to use your name as the author of the article. You can distribute it to article directories, post it on your sites, or anywhere else you want.

What to look for in a copywriting service

Before settling on a copywriter, there are some things you should look for.

Does the service offer samples of their work? Don’t be afraid to ask for a writing sample or for references.

You’ll also want to know what the average turnaround time is for orders. If you need an article tomorrow, you’ll want to make sure the person or service can work within your time frame.

A note of caution: cheap rarely means good. As with nearly everything in life, you get what you pay for.

Purchasing dirt cheap writing usually means you’re going to end up rewriting the content and correcting spelling and grammatical errors.

If you want great content, be prepared to spend a bit more. Your reputation will be riding on this content, and therefore, you want to make sure the writing is top quality.

If you’re struggling to produce content for your website on a regular basis, copywriting services can be a real time-saver. By hiring a skilled writer to do the work for you, you’ll have unique content that can help improve your site’s search engine rankings and drive traffic to your site.

SEO Content Writing – Why Writing Optimized Content Is So Important

If you’re a website owner, you probably already understand the importance of having quality content. The problem is, you can have great content and still find that you have no traffic. No traffic means no sales. So, how do you create great articles that also deliver targeted traffic?

The answer is SEO content writing.

SEO content writing differs from plain old vanilla content writing in that it is specifically targeted to one or more keyword phrases. Search engines rank website pages using a combination of factors, commonly referred to as an algorithm. One of the many factors considered when ranking a page is the actual content on the page.

Every search engine attempts to deliver the most relevant content possible to searchers, and one of the ways they do this is by matching up the searcher’s term with phrases found in website content.

If you’re not using targeted keywords or phrases in your articles, your page may not be considered relevant enough for the search engines to rank it highly.

Think of it this way, if your article is about dog training, yet you don’t use the phrase dog training on your page, why would the search engines find it relevant when a visitor searches for that term?

That’s not to say it’s impossible to rank for a term that isn’t found on your site, but it definitely makes it more difficult. In order to make your articles as relevant as possible, and help them to rank higher in search engines, your content needs to be optimized for the keywords you want to be found for.

The best way to write SEO content

Whenever you write new content for your site, you should use your target keyword phrase several times within the body of your text. You’ll want to use it in the title of your article, the first paragraph, last paragraph and somewhere within the body of the article.

It’s also a smart idea to use a few other closely related terms in your article, as well. For example, if your article is about dog training, you may want to use the terms obedience training or leash training.

Having a website that generates a lot of traffic means having a website that is attractive not only to human readers, but to search engines, as well. While you don’t want to go overboard with your use of keywords (ie. keyword stuffing), you do want to make sure that you’re targeting a specific keyword with each article you write.

SEO content writing will help you deliver useful information to your site’s visitors, while helping to increase your page’s visibility in the search engines.

Mistakes of President Kibaki

PRESIDENT Mwai Kibaki should have read the mood of the public when his inner core Cabinet decided to walk out from the National Constitutional Conference at Bomas.

But instead, he squandered the opportunity thinking that those who were opposed to what the delegates wanted included in the constitution were merely peddling lies.

Immediately Kibaki took over the reigns of power, it seems he never thought for a while why he had been elevated to occupy the top seat.

He forgot that delivering a new constitution was one of the core issues during the Kanu regime, and when he promised a new constitution this made him the most popular presidential candidate in the 2002 General Elections.

But what he thought, as had always been the case was that Kenyans are a forgetful lot, who could simply be manipulated and then be forced to endorse an unacceptable document to the populace.

That was after the so-called Sulumeti Report, which gave Mwai Kibaki powers to rule up the year 2012, which delegates refused.

Worse still, a few people close to the president thought that they could rough shoulder everything and do away with it.

Now political pundits say that had the National Rainbow Coalition (Narc) not promised Kenyans a new constitution within a time frame even the so-called Wako Draft, which was recently ditched into the dustbin of history would not have seen the light of the day.

Immediately Narc parties signed the pre-election Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), post-election politics involved schemes to concentrate power in one centre.

Then a section of Cabinet ministers begun to armtwist delegates at Bomas, to have the constitution written in a way favourable to the new political dispensation.

This was followed by the change of guard at the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC), with Nyachae taking charge, taking the process through the contentious Kilifi process, and ultimately the Wako Draft.

It has become clear now that the government side at first refused to hasten the constitutional process after they realised that the pressure to have the new constitution was because the people had wanted to be governed in a certain way.

At one time, the saboteurs outrightly abused delegates saying they did not have the capacity to debate issues about constitution. Worse still, the group walked out on the delegates.

But when the meeting finally took off, battles had to be fought again for the Bomas delegates to come up with a document, which could be endorsed as constitution.

However, when things went against their scheme they resorted to threats, intimidations and bribery to ensure that delegates endorsed what they wanted but even this failed.

That is how politics can really backfire. One just has to keep to some agreed positions, at least for the common good of the society.

This is what can help our country rather than seeking self conceited moves that ends up helping only a few people under the guise of loyalty pledge

 

This will shock you: Traditional birth control among the Maasai

One would have expected the “Enkatoyioni” (traditional midwife) to be rejoicing now that Maasai women were giving birth more often and to many children but the Enkatoyioni I found wore a sad face. Her source of unhappiness was a trend she had lately noted in her IIdamat Maasai community.

She said that of late, whenever she was called to deliver a baby, she usually found in the same homestead toddlers who were no more than one to three years who appeared neglected.

maasai kids

“They are usually half naked with mucous flowing from their noses like sheep,” she said with disgust adding that in the past a woman who gave birth to another baby before the older one attained 3-4 years was unheard of.

A long time ago, she narrated, a Maasai woman used to give birth to an average of three children spaced with about four years. This was to give the mother adequate time to nurture her baby well and regain her health as well. A woman generally abstained from sexual relations with her husband for the entire period the baby was breast-feeding which was 3-4 years.

From the Enkatoyioni, I learnt that immediately after birth upto about ten days, a new mother was given room to heal from the birth ordeal and did not perform any household duties. She was always taken care of by her co-wives and family members until she felt fit to resume chores such as cooking and milking.

To symbolize this, she had a V-shaped cut on both sides of her head and at the back of her head. From this day on, her husband could eat her food.

As long as the woman kept the hairstyle, her husband kept away from her as this meant she was still nursing her baby and this continued until the child was old enough to look after the young of small stock around the homestead, she narrated.

For all this period, the mother neither shaved her head nor that of her baby and was referred to and treated as a “Ntomononi” (one who has given birth). This means that she was very well taken care of by her husband who would often slaughter an animal for her and in the initial days prepare “Olpurda” (mixture of fat and fried lean meat) and later get soup while her child was fed on fat from the animal.

When a child attained the age of 3-4 years and the woman felt ready to get another one, the mother and her family organised a big ceremony when she and her baby were shaved clean.

“This was done by a selected woman amidst a lot of feasting and drinking of traditional brew,” the enkatoyioni narrated, adding that after the woman and her husband were now free to resume sexual relations. At this time, her child is old enough to survive without close attention from the mother.

masai_wedding

This is unlike today when it’s common to see a woman with a few months-old baby pregnant. She complains of high incidents of mal-nutrition which are now common in many house-holds while many mothers are growing weaker by the day as a result of frequent births.

The Enkatoyioni scorn-fully responses to sentiments that abstinence from sex for 3-4 years was difficult saying it was only difficult for women who did not appreciate the benefits of spacing children.

Unlike a woman, a man is always a philanderer and nobody ever expected him to abstain from sex, she said, adding this is the reason behind the polygamous nature of the Maasai.

“But even with ten wives, a man would still stray sexually and that was the reason the burden of birth control traditionally lay on the woman using symbols like the hairstyle,” she said.

She criticises those who have discarded traditional values of the community and demand sex with their wives before the baby is weaned.

She says that in the past a father took great interest in the growth of his children and a wife could get a beating if her child was found with a running nose.

Remember a mother had no excuse for having a dirty child when she was given adequate time to nurse and tend to one child before another one came along and the husband made no demands on her as long as she had a young child.

Among the Maasai few children also made it easy for a family to immigrate whenever there was need to look for pasture away from home.

Though she is not really against modern education, the Enkatoyioni says it was partly to blame for the loss of useful aspects of the Maasai culture such as the ability to space children.

“Our educated men and women are not able to keep off each other after childbirth,” she said with disgust, “yet many are unable to fend for the many children they give birth to and often take them to their parents”.

She gave the example of a certain chief who “has children like chicken”. He is relatively well-educated and has many wives but cannot control the growth of his family. She wonders how such an administrator can be a role model to the youth.

The Enkatoyioni’s opinion on modern family planning methods are equally controversial.

“These are the gadgets that have made prostitutes out of our children especially in towns,” she says. “Due to these methods to control fertility, many of our people have no self-control and are in danger of contracting AIDS.”

She also blames other aspects of birth control saying they are the cause deformities in children.

She however, supports efforts by some organisations to promote natural family planning where the large number of illiterate mothers are given what looks like a necklace but are actually beads with different colours to indicate the different phases of a woman’s monthly cycle.

The fertility necklace like its called has 28 beads like the days in a woman’s cycle. Most of the beads are red indicating the infertile period while eight green beads indicate the fertile phase when a woman can conceive.

A woman is advised to hang the necklace on a wall and move over one bead daily. As long as the top bead is red, she can engage in sex but abstain when the top bead is of green colour. Since the method does not involve use of chemical substances, it has gained a lot of support from local women but its major disadvantage is that it requires cooperation between a woman and her husband and cannot succeed if the latter, is unwilling to cooperate.

As we part ways, the revered Enkatoyioni declares that lack of planned parenthood among the Maasai was today a major cause of high poverty levels in the community as parents give birth to children they cannot adequately cater for. Many of these children cannot get health care or quality education, she notes.

How the Boeing 737-800 went down: Plane was one of KQ’s newly acquired crafts

The Boeing 737-800 that went down in Niete, Southern Cameroon yesterday with 106 passengers and eight crew members and a flight engineer on board was one of three such aircraft belonging to Kenya Airways that operates more transcontinental flights than any other African airline.

Flight 507 originated from Ivory Coast and its intended destination was Nairobi with a stopover in Cameroon to pick up additional passengers before crashing 200 kilometers from Douala.

In 2004 Kenya Airways announced the phasing out of Boeing 737-200 fleet, and replacement with New Generation Boeing 737-800. All the three 737-800s with capacity to carry 129 passengers and 16 crew were delivered from Singapore Aircraft Leasing Enterprise.

With an average fleet age of 9.8 years, Kenya Airways is among world air careers with the most modern planes and boasts of an impeccable safety record with Flight 507 being only the second major accident suffered by the airliner since Flight 431; an Airbus 310-300 crashed in Abidjan in 2001.

Before yesterday’s tragedy, only one other Boeing 737-800 belonging to Gol Transportes Aeroes of Brazil had crashed killing all 154 on board.

In an incident that occurred on September 29 last year, the ill fated aircraft was involved in a midair collision with an Embraer Legacy 600 military jet. Amazingly, the military Legacy landed safely at a Brazilian Air Force Base.

Boeing’s Next Generation 737-800 is among the largest member of the strong selling 737 family. Unlike the other Next Generation 737s, the 767-800 introduce new fuselage lengths, extending 737 single class seating range out to 189, compared with 100 in the original 737-100.

Until its launch on September 5, 1994 the 737-800 was known as the 737-400X Stretch. Compared with the 737-400, the 737-800 is 3.02m (9ft 9in) longer, taking typical two class seating from 146 to 162, while range is significantly increased.

The 737-800 has sold strongly since its launch, and early 2002 was the highest selling Next Generation Boeing model. Its maiden flight was on July 31 1997, first delivery (to Hapag Lloyd) was in April 1998.

By the end of that year, 1,028 737-800s had been ordered with 664 delivered by October 2002.

The 737 design enhancements allow operators to fly increased payload in and out of airports with runways less than 5,000 feet long.

The design enhancements include a two-position tail skid that enables reduced approach speeds, sealed leading-edge slats that provide increased lift during takeoff, and increased flight spoiler deflection on the ground that improves takeoff and landing performance.

The enhancements increase payload capability for landing up to 3,628 kilograms on the 737-800. They also increase payload capability for takeoff up to 908 kilograms on the 737-800 in relation to its predecessors.

The short-field performance changes were developed starting in 2004. The flight-test program was conducted on a new 737-800 and began when the airplane made its first flight on January 24 last year.

The Next-Generation 737s including the 800 are 10 years newer and fly higher, faster and farther than competing models. The 737 is now so widely used that at any given time, there are over 1,250 airborne worldwide. On average, one takes off or lands every five seconds.

By the end of March 2007 a total of 6,866 737s had been ordered and 5351 delivered worldwide.

US gives Somalia Sh6.4 billion

THE US government has pledged Sh6.4 billion ($40 million) to the Somalia Transitional Federal Government (TFG) to go into assisting in the deployment of an African stabilisation force.

US ambassador to Kenya Michael Ranneberger said the money will also be used to revive the country’s civil society to foster peace and democracy.

Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Minister Raphael Tuju and six Cabinet colleagues have embarked on a mission to convince other African states to contribute forces to restore peace in Somalia. Ranneberger said the ministers, under the leadership of Tuju, were making headway in convincing as many countries as possible to avail their troops in the shortest time possible, with Uganda already having pledged 1500 troops.

Briefing the media yesterday at the US embassy in Nairobi, Ranneberger said US was committed to supporting the peace process in Somalia, adding that it would not relent until stability is achieved by encouraging dialogue between the warring factions.

He called on the international community to provide more funds to support the African stabilisation force and other functions of the TFG.

He defended his country against accusations that it had vested interest in Somalia in view of recent air strikes by its troops, saying US interest in Somalia was to restore peace and stability besides flushing out al Qaeda elements in the country.

He said it was evident that al Qaeda’s influence in Somalia had waned since the ouster of the Islamic Courts Union government by Ethiopian troops, adding that TFG led by President Abdullahi Yussuf still needs the support of the international community in consolidating its operations in the capital Mogadishu.

Education: The new vehicle and discrimination weapon of a class society

Any child’s dream as it grows up is to have an education that inculcates in it the real virtues of life. At ten years of age, every child has his or her school of choice, which he wishes to pursue in his later education.

It is worth noting that the particular school one attends shapes the life of the particular individual. American writer Maya Angelou wrote that:

“We are all creative, but by the time we are three of four years old, someone has knocked the creativity out of us. Some people shut up the kids who start to tell stories. Kids dance in their cribs, but someone will insist they sit still. By the time the creative people are ten or twelve, they want to be like everyone else.”

Education is the point at which we decide whether we love the world enough to assume responsibility for it and for the same reason to save it from that ruin.

An education, too, is where we decide whether we love our children enough not to expel them from our world and leave them to their own devices, or to strike from their hands their choice of undertaking something new, something unforeseen by us, but to prepare them for the task of renewing a common world.

In Britain, you need to either belong to the royal family or pass through, Eton College, Oxford or Cambridge Universities to be a ruler or a leader, both in the private sector or the public sector.

In Japan being an alumnus of Waseda, University of Tokyo or Keio gives you a huge advantage if you aspire to be a leader in any sector.

In USA, going through any of the seven, Ivy League Universities ensures that your path to leadership is much smoother and shorter, forget about grades for now.

Moreover, going to these schools is not accidental, parents start glooming their kids early in life. Kids put on attires with logos of such schools and accompany parents on special days. More importantly, they go to elementary and high schools that have a record of taking kids to such prestigious schools. You may call that social engineering but it works.

Few countries do not have flagship institutions where the next generation of leaders is prepared.

History more than anything else plays a role in determining the evolution of elite institutions, they are often the oldest in the country, with unique traditions and a solid base of successful alumni who ensure the name is maintained, and the new graduates, get into the system with ease-the old boys network.

When Narc came to power, there was a popular observation that having passed through Makerere or Mang’u greatly increased your probability of getting a plum job in the government or a seat in the board of directors of a major firm. This observation cannot be 100% untrue.

From a marketing point of view, public schools in Kenya have reached the shake-up stage. It is unlikely that new pubic schools will reach the stature of Alliance or Mang’u or other national schools that have a tradition of excellence.

The shift to market economy in the ’80s came to education sector late. It started in the elementary and high school. The next move will be in the Universities. Currently, public Universities still predominate and take the best students, because of history and the fact that they have lucrative courses like medicine, law and engineering.

Private universities have definitely tried to build a reputation of discipline and philanthropy; they have outdone public universities in public relations. However, public universities have lately become less prone to strikes; may be the democratic space has expanded and the gap between schooling and reality has narrowed.

Another interesting change that has been taking place in Kenya is entrenchment of class-consciousness. For a long time, Universities in Kenya were classless; you could go to class with a minister’s daughter and even date her. Today, people are doing all they can to show their class, and schooling is one such avenue.

This has greatly benefited the private universities. Nevertheless, the public universities thwarted that by introducing the parallel programmes, another class matter.

So who will rule in future? Where will the new elites come from?

The answer will be surprise to you. In Kenya, we are yet to get the Bushes or the Kennedies. Therefore, for now, self-made people must continue ruling us, at least politically. Economically it might be a different story altogether. Could the high salaries MPs awarded themselves be a realisation of this gap between political leadership and economic leadership?

Without favour or prejudice, self-made Kenyans are more likely to go through public universities. With some, neglect public university students mature faster, and get the motivation to pursue the power, prestige and wealth that comes with political offices.

The University has now become universities. These universities are in a cut-throat competition for students. And so are the elite private high schools that are salivating over the decline of some national schools, courtesy of mismanagement.

The next phase will be competition for prestige and production of leaders, the shakers and movers in the country’s political and economic leadership. Marketers may call this positioning. Which schools and universities will these be? Which schools will produce members of the cabinet and captains of the industry by 2050? My bet is that these schools may already be there; you are free to name them and take your children there.

 

All eyes are on Uhuru team to unravel scam

The Parliamentary Accounts Committee (PAC) led by Leader of Official Opposition, Uhuru Kenyatta, jetted into the country on Friday after a trip to Lon­don where they received evidence from former Ethics Permanent Sec­re­tary, John Githongo, on Anglo Leasing scan­dal.

PAC has managed to keep evidence received from Githongo away from the nosy media in London only giving vague statements about what Githongo said. The team also de­cided to compile its report abroad to avoid unnec­essary dis­tractions they may be sub­jected to while in Kenya.

Now that the team is back, all eyes are set on it to help solve the puzzle of Anglo Leasing that is threatening the stability and future of Presi­dent Mwai Kibaki’s gov­ernment.

This is not the first time that a parliamentary committee is handling the Anglo Leasing issue. The pre­vious PAC led by South Mugirango MP, Omingo Magara, in­ves­ti­gated the scan­dal in 2004 and presented its report to Par­liament, but it was rejected after successful amendments to delete cer­tain para­graphs from it.

Unlike the previous team that summoned some of those involved while still in office, Uhuru’s team is undertaking the work when a good number of those implicated have stepped aside, leaving them with a free hand in the in­ves­ti­gations.

Speaking to Githongo while not on oath of office also gave them ad­van­tage of extracting valuable information that may have been kept away from the previous team. In the next few days, the team is expected to begin piecing together evidence from those implicated by Githongo and other people who dare to speak on the matter.

Obviously a lot of interests are at play on the matter and the team will find it difficult continuing with its work in the country given the attention it will attract and ex­pected machi­nations by those involved to subvert the cause of their work.

Before, there have been claims of individuals com­pro­mising MPs sitting in parliamentary committees to ma­nipu­late their reports. There have also been cases where members work to­gether only to disagree at the last minute when they begin pushing for the interests of their masters to be factored into the findings or recommendations of such reports.

So far we have not witnessed any of the above cases with the Uhuru team and we hope they will stay above trivi­alities that lead to such cases and concentrate on the noble duty of watching against plunder of public re­sources by government officials.

All that we ask is that they be diligent, accountable and single-mindedly pursue their job so that their reports do not suffer the same fate as previous ones. They must justify their budget to London by com­piling a report that will stand the test of time and help Ken­yans dis­man­tle corruption network.

Heed envoy’s advice

THAT Kenya‘s experiments with a coa­lition gov­ernment have become a cropper cannot be gain­said. Though the National Rainbow Coa­lition, Narc, was expected by many to pro­vide so­lutions to political problems facing the coun­try, the idea has become a very big dis­appointment.

No sooner had the Coalition been elected to office than its members began quarrelling over an unfulfilled power sharing Memo­ran­dum of Understanding (MoU), plunging the country into political instability that continue to de­fine Presi­dent Mwai Kibaki’s rule.

Many of Kibaki’s failures has been attributed to its inabil­ity to control the coalition which has since dis­in­te­grated with the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) quitting and joining the Oppo­sition. Though the coun­try is certain to be governed by coa­litions in future, nobody would like to go through the same ex­pe­riences we have had with Narc.

This is why we support advise by the outgoing German envoy, Bernd Braun, that the country should go slow on pre-election alliances. En­tering into coalition arrangements after elections is the only way to ensure they are formed on a basis of written agreements that bind leaders.

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