History of the Cafetiere

Cafetieres are probably the most commonly used method of brewing coffee. Many coffee lovers swear on the fact that the cafetiere is the best method, as it preserves the delicate flavours in the oils, giving a smooth, rich bodied coffee.

The exact history and origin of the cafetiere is not clear. Both the French and the Italians lay claims to its invention. What is known is that the first cafetieres appeared in France in the 1850s. These coffee pots were made of metal and fitted with a metal screen attached to a rod. The metal screen would be plunged down, using the rod, forcing the coffee grounds to the bottom of the pot.

One story of how the cafetiere was invented involves an old man from Provence. The story goes that the old man used to go for a walk up a hill everyday to get some peace and quiet from his nagging wife. No matter how bad the weather was, blistering heat or driving rain, the old man would make the journey. As he sought to escape his wife for as long a period as possible he would take with him a small amount of food, some firewood and his favourite old coffee pot. When he reached the top of the hill he would take an extended rest, taking time out to light a fire, eat his food and brew some coffee.

Now coffee back then was typically strong, bitter and tasted dreadful. It would be made by adding water and coffee grounds to a pot and then placing the pot on an open fire or stove until the water boiled. Little did they know back then that boiling water destroys the oil in coffee, from which coffee gains its flavour.

One day the old man was making his coffee as he always did. But this time he forgot to add his coffee grounds to his coffee pot. It was not until the water started boiling away in the pot that the old man realised his mistake. He quickly removed the pot from the flames and added in his coffee grounds. Of course the old man did not know that making his coffee this way would result in the coffee grounds floating to the top. Made the usual way, the coffee grounds would have sunk to the bottom of the pot by the time the water had boiled. The old man took one look at his coffee and thought, "I can't drink this. I'll end up swallowing the ground coffee."

As if by chance, as the old man contemplated going without his coffee (he had only brought enough water and coffee grounds for one pot), an Italian travelling merchant appeared on the horizon. Among the many goods the merchant was carrying was a metal screen. The old man saw this screen and quickly hit upon an idea. He swiftly brought a section of this screen from the merchant and carefully fitted it over his coffee pot. Using a stick which lay nearby, he plunged the metal screen down to the bottom of the pot, thus trapping the coffee grounds. He then took a sip from his pot and immediately a big smile broke out across his face. The merchant, keen to find out why the old man was smiling, asked if he could try some of his coffee. After taking a big gulp from the pot, the merchant gave the old man a knowing look. This was the best coffee either of them had ever tasted!

The story goes on to say that after trying this fantastic coffee, the two men decided to open a small factory manufacturing their new invention: a coffee pot with a fitted plunger. Their cafetiere made them both a small fortune.

Stories aside, we know that the first registered patent for a cafetiere was lodged in 1929 by a Milanese man called Attilio Calimani. Over the years, Attilio refined his 'apparatus for the preparation of infusions of coffee' to quicken the filtration of the coffee.

The next significant step in the history of the cafetiere came in 1958, when another Italian, Faliero Bondanini, was granted a patent for his version of the cafetiere. Bondanini's version became very popular in France, and by the early 1960s it was seen as a must have item for every French home. It was around this time that a British company, Household Articles Ltd, realised the potential for the cafetiere and introduced their version, the 'Classic', to the UK. Drawing on the French influences on this coffee maker, they marketed it as 'La Cafetiere' (The Coffee Pot). This is where the generic term 'cafetiere' for French-press or 'plunge-filter' coffee maker comes from.

How to Prepare a Home's Central Air Conditioning Unit for Operation During Summer Months

When homeowners decide to turn on their air conditioning for the first time in the season, central air conditioning units can fail to produce cool air or stop working altogether, especially if they have not received proper upkeep. Homeowners can practice cleaning and maintenance methods to avoid potential problems with their A/C unit, in addition to receiving service from an HVAC professional.

Central air conditioning units consist of two separate parts: the condenser unit, most often located outside of the home, and the evaporator coil, located inside, above the furnace. The condenser unit connects to the evaporator coil through a copper line set.Hot air inside the home moves through the furnace via a return air duct and then flows back through the evaporator coil to deliver cool air.

Outdoor condenser units are, consequently, exposed to the elements and may be surrounded by grass, weeds, trees, vines, etc. The condenser unit can be covered with a flat board on top that extends past the unit's diameter and that is secured with a heavy object, such as a cinder block.

One area of maintenance homeowners can practice to maintain the condition of their A/C unit and to ensure its functionality is keeping air filters clean. Air filters, located in the furnace area, should be changed routinely, anywhere from once a month to every three months, depending on how quickly the filter becomes filled with collected particles. When filters are dirty, airflow is obstructed and the air conditioning unit's fan must work harder to produce cool air. Filters can easily be changed and replaced with a filter of the same size for maximum airflow and better air quality. Clean air filters keep units running smoothly and allow clean air to flow throughout the home.

Condenser units may also require cleaning even if a cover is used to protect them. Before beginning any cleaning or maintenance on the condenser unit, the power should be turned off at both the condenser unit and the evaporator. Then, any grass, shrubs, tree branches, etc. should be cleared away from and off of the condenser unit. They can obstruct airflow that moves from the outdoor fan through the condenser coil. It is generally a good idea to keep about a foot of area around the unit clear at all times. If the A/C unit happens to be full of leaves or other debris, an HVAC professional should be called.

Condenser units may collect debris from trees, grass from mowing the lawn, and dust from the air. Condenser coils can be cleaned with commercial coil cleaner sold in stores that also comes with directions. Additionally, condenser unit fins can be cleaned using a soft brush. They should be handled carefully as they are delicate and can easily become damaged. Water should not be used to clean fins; mud can form and become compacted between them. Bent fins can be straightened using a fin comb. The fins may initially be covered by a grille that should be removed in order to reach them. Fan blades, as well, can be rinsed off to remove dirt and debris.

For producing cool air, air conditioning units use a refrigerant as a coolant that must exist in the right amount. If there seems to be a problem with refrigerant levels, an HVAC professional should be called to address the situation and to restore and recharge the air conditioning system. All refrigeration problems and repairs should be handled by a professional.

An HVAC professional may be needed in addition to cleaning and maintenance methods. Each spring, an HVAC professional can perform an A/C inspection to thoroughly check the condenser unit and the evaporator coil for any potential problems. That way, if something needs repaired or replaced, it can be done before summer arrives and temperatures rise. A professional inspection can also ensure that central air conditioning units work properly and safely so that homes can be kept cool and comfortable during summer months.

Ocala Real Estate - Local Market Sees A Rise In Affordable Housing Options

The city of Ocala is a thriving mid-sized central Florida city. This city underwent rapid growth in the 1970s with the development of the Interstate 75 and the completion of Disney World. In the past decade, the greater Ocala area has seen one of the highest growth rates for a city its size in the US.

The county's population in 2000 rose to 250,000, up from around 100,000 in the 70's. A large aspect of the county's growth could be attributed to the county's rising popularity as a viable retirement destination, particularly in the areas of the SR 200 corridor and The Villages, which are located in the southwest portion of the city.

County officials Have Begun Analyzing the Area's Housing Conditions

A major study has been launched by the Public Policy Institute of Marion County, to analyze the county's affordable housing market. the county's Affordable Housing Task Force is comparing and analyzing how communities elsewhere are finding ways to address the problem of rising housing costs. It is also examining how both state and local governments, as well as the private sector, can join to address this problem. The task force is planning to issue a report with recommendations sometime this spring.

The need for affordable housing is a real and pressing concern, and this is what county officials and the private sector is looking into. As more people move to this area, home prices continue to soar and land becomes scarcer, it poses a troubling concern to the community and the state as well.

The Manufactured Housing Sector Is Seeing A Boom

Local newspapers in Ocala have reported that manufactured housing is enjoying a boom as more families are looking into getting these types of houses, as the costs are far than the median price.

With around 30,000 mobile and manufactured houses already on the books in Ocala and Marion County, this alternative housing option makes sense for those on a limited budget, which explains for the rising demand. However, this housing market segment also is having its dproblems because of fast-escalating land prices and a lack of appropriately zoned lots and acreage.

Another Study Analyzes The Future Of Affordable Housing in Ocala

A comprehensive study has recently been released, which reports that the future of affordable housing in the Marion County area will be bleak unless more concrete steps are quickly taken by public and private initiatives.

According to the study, the housing options for low- and moderate-income residents of Ocala/Marion County are becoming limited, and is becoming a worrisome scenarion. Too few residences are available that poor and working people can afford. There is some help, but not nearly enough. Identifying problems and crafting viable solutions for a tightening residential home market is the backbone of the "2006 Housing Study: A Framework for Affordable and Workforce Housing,"

The study was produced by the Marion County Public Policy Institute, a volunteer consortium of local leaders charged with crafting a life-enhancing vision for the Ocala area. Because Ocala's housing prices are still among the most affordable in the state, the PPI study group admits that other parts of Florida face stronger challenges. Though PPI members admit some of their findings and recommendations are quite debatable, they feel certain most of the facts cannot be disputed.

The study notes that the median cost of an existing home in the county has risen by 44 percent to about $160,000 in 2005, and more than half of all local families don't make enough money to afford such prices, and would need assistance. Per-square-foot prices for new construction have also soared in the last few years of a now cooling real estate boom.

http://www.fountainsatgolfpark.com/fountains/index.htm - Ocala Real Estate

Audio Postcards - Get Your Audience Listening

An audio postcard looks like a regular postcard on your browser, but the message is in audio instead of in print. This will help your product or service stand out from the noise in your prospect's or customer's life. Even better, it doesn't demand much of you at all. Just follow these steps.

How do I get the audio content?

You start with a teleseminar, and then you chop that up into many different parts, just a few minutes each. Find your best points with some easy audio editing, so each part can stand alone as a valuable benefit to your listener.

A cool goal would be to develop 52 of these audio postcards over time, so it could be a weekly mailing to your list. This would make a great opt-in incentive on your site, simply by repurposing something you already have.

What does an audio postcard look like?

An audio postcard is an HTML page that looks like a postcard with a postage stamp in the upper right hand corner. Sometimes it has the face of the person sending it. That could be your face if you're sending it. There's a clickable link in the lower right corner, which is where they click it to hear your message. On the left hand side of that postcard is the message in text.

That's how you repurpose an audio postcard. You take the audio and you chop it up with software like Sound Forge or Audacity. Then you upload it into Audio Generator or Audio Acrobat, it depends what audio postcard technology you have.

You upload it and just like that you have these audio postcards which are a different and creative way to get your message to your list. A lot of people prefer listening to something rather than reading, so try audio postcards and you'll see good results.

Hey Non-Profit Leaders, Your Staff Can Be More Accountable

Do you sometimes go home at night, scratching your head, wondering what you could do to teach your staff to be more accountable? When you issue an instruction, is there always a good excuse why your directive was not followed? When people make a mistake, do they always "throw someone else under the bus" as opposed to accepting part of or total responsibility for the mistake? Do staff manage be absent from "mandatory" meetings? Or, do they call in sick on a day when they are supposed to play a key role in a presentation to a new funding source? Do other supervisors allow problem situations to continue on and on without a solution? If these questions pop into your mind from time to time, you probably have a lot of company. But they may also indicate that there are some accountability problems in your organization. How does one create an organization that is accountable from top to bottom? It's not an easy task and it will not happen overnight. But here six tips which you should try. They will work whether you consider accountability issues to to be isolated to one person or department or if you suspect they are more widespread.

1. Identify the problems that a lack of accountability causes in your organization. Make sure you have a clear vision of what things might look like if and when accountability improves. Set up a way of measuring how often these problems occur. Make sure everyone knows what you are doing. Celebrate the success of a positive trend; that is, fewer problems resulting from a lack of accountability.

2. Drive out fear. Encourage honesty by emphasizing what can be learned from mistakes that are made. Respond rationally to problems that occur; keep voice volume down, avoid a sarcastic response and public criticism of the person who acknowledged the mistake. As a boss you might think that staff should not be afraid of you, but to some extent they will be. If you want people to acknowledge the truth about their own behavior you'll do your best to make it easy for them to admit a mistake.

3. When a mistake happens, look beyond individual performance and examine the system that made it possible for the mistake to occur. If you just discipline the staff member involved and think that the mistake will not occur again, you're probably wrong. Deming said that most errors are 80% the fault of an operational system and only 20% due to individual performance problems.

4. Listen. Don't let your frustration and emotion govern your response to the point where you are no longer listening to an explanation of "what happened." Really listening may give you clues to some part of your organizational structure or process that needs to be changed.

5. To every extent possible, involve people in developing solutions and determining appropriate action. They are more likely to follow through on a direction that they have helped to create.

6. Be a positive example yourself. Don't be afraid to admit your own mistakes or things that you are struggling with. No one expects you to be perfect, but do what you promised to do and make sure everyone knows that you are committed to improve your personal performance... to learn how to be a better leader. Give meaning to the idea that training is for everyone, not only people at the bottom of the ladder.

When staff are accountable you will find that programs run more efficiently and everyone's commitment to the work to be done is at a higher level. Not only will production increase from those who in the past have not been accountable but the higher performers will respond positively as well, since now they know that everyone is expected to contribute.

If you were expecting this to be a description of creative methods of discipline and more effective ways to "crack the whip" I am sorry to disappoint you. Accountability at its best is a feature of organizational culture which is maintained by leaders who can successfully get their employees to commit to it because they have adopted accountability as part of who they are.

Build a Biodome - How To Build Your Own Biodome Greenhouse

Do you want to build a Biodome? Are you looking at creating a self-sufficient greenhouse that can make food for you and your family the whole year-round? Building your own biodome can be beneficial to you in a number of ways, and it can keep tropical temperatures inside, even in the dead of winter.

Turning self-sufficient is important for more and more people these days, not only to save money, but to provide a future for them and their family. The current hard financial times which many families are facing, has made people realise that growing their own food, not only saves them money, but also teaches there younger children the importance of providing for yourself.

So how do you build a biodome?

Building your own biodome might sound like an ambitious project, but with the right tools and plans, you can achieve this in a matter of weeks, or even days. It is possible to buy your own biodome, but with prices in the region of $16,000, I know you can build one for a fraction of that cost. If I told you it's possible to build one for $500, doesn't that sound a little bit better.

The first step is getting a set of plans, and without these you will simple be stuck, and that's putting it simply. The measurements and angles needed to build a biodome have to be precise, with no room for guessing or incorrect measurements. You don't need any special skills, and only simple timber is needed to build a biodome, and if I can do it, then you can too.

What are the benefits of building your own biodome? The list of benefits can go on and on, so I want to tell you just a couple of ways you can see that $500 back in just a matter of months.

1. Providing food for your family is the number 1 benefit, and with food prices ever-increasing, growing your own vegetables, will save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars over the life of your biodome.

2. Not only can you grow vegetables for your family, but you can also sell the extra food you cannot consume, and bring in another income. If you imagine growing your own food, and the amount of money you will save in a couple of months, add this together with selling the extra food, then that initial $500 can be recouped in very little time.

Childhood Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms - Knowing What to Look For

MS is known to afflict people between the ages of 20 and 50, however rarely it does affect children and teenagers as well. Often times the diagnosis gets missed for this reason so if your child is having problems, you should take the time to know the childhood multiple sclerosis symptoms, this will help you understand whether your child should be tested for this disease and or if they end up being diagnosed with it, it will help you understand how to help them.

Childhood Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms are Similar to those of an Adult

In most cases your child's symptoms will be must the same as those of an adult, the disease process is much the same, however because your child is growing you will find that they do have some problems that are unique to their age and development. Some of the first symptoms that you might see in a child are problems with their vision, co-ordination and balance. These symptoms can be easy to miss, since this is the time children normally get glasses if they need them and they always seem to be a bit on the clumsy side especially if they are growing.

However as a parent your instincts should tell you where the line between normal childhood clumsiness ends and when something is potentially wrong. While just one symptom may not warrant a doctor's visit if you see these symptoms in conjunction with other complaints such as muscle pain or problems walking you may want to take a visit to the doctor to have your child checked out. Children may also have cognitive issues that affect their ability to learn properly so this can be another clue that can lead you in the right direction.

It is important to Get MS in Children diagnosed Right Away

It is easy to miss the symptoms with children since most often they have the relapsing-remitting MS, which means part of the time they will feel totally fine. Because they are on the edge on the onset of Multiple Sclerosis, symptoms may also be mild. However it is important to get a diagnosis as quickly as possible, since new medications can disrupt the disease process and considerably slow the progression of the disease allowing kids to lead as normal a life as possible.

Medications that treat childhood multiple sclerosis symptoms have been used on children without any troubles however more research needs to be done into the long term effects of drugs that these kids will need to take for the rest of their life. Still getting on the proper diet and medication can help your child to live as normal a life as free from MS symptoms as possible.

How To Increase Your Home's Space

If you are one of those people who feels closed in at home, you may want to consider looking at some home design tips that can change the way your home looks and feels. This can be accomplished by making some cosmetic changes that will give the home an unrecognizable appearance to those who live there.

Changing the Look of Your Home

Light, style of the furniture, arrangement, paint, and minor accessories affect the way your home interiors look more than most people realize. These are factors that keep interior decorators in business.

The Effect of Clutter and Disorganization

One of the simplest things you can learn from a professional decorator regarding home interiors and gardens is that you don't need to spend a great deal of money in order to make changes that are beneficial. In fact, the most important piece of advice regarding home interiors design is to keep your home organized. Clutter reduces the amount of space in your home, so when you re feeling cramped, close your eyes and try to visualize how a bed looks when you take the time to make it and how nice your home looks when everything is in a proper place. When our space lacks order, it is never going to feel comfortable no matter how appealing it may be to the lazy part of our personalities that is within each of us. Instead of your countertop, choose a drawer and begin storing unwanted items where they are out of sight.

Besides every day clutter, books can be a big problem because of their tendency to scatter throughout the house. Good interior design for booklovers must include a bookshelf. It's quite common to find home interiors with plenty of storage space or other accessories that are not being used. This is especially true of those who tend to be packrats and become so confused when they must make a decision about what to keep and what to discard, so they do nothing. The best way to make that decision is to follow the one-year-mantra, which says if you haven't used it, worn it, read it, or needed it in the past year, you will not likely be needing it in the future, so get rid of it. For other items, storage products of various types such as minimal list interiors should take care of the problem.

The Effect of Light and Furniture on Interior Design

Light is an essential part of home interiors design. Just like plant life in your garden requires light, the room interiors tend to feel more breathable if they are brightly lit. Darkness tends to be closely connected to claustrophobia, so avoid dark shades and lighting fixtures with low wattage. When purchasing furniture for rooms that are lacking in space, choose pieces that are high rather than wide, placing pieces in a conversational placement.

Planning Your First Trip to Italy

Wondering what to see on your first trip to Italy? I recommend these three wonderful places: Venice, Florence and Rome. Those cities are the three biggest tourist destinations in Italy, and for good reason.

If you only have seven days, I would suggest 2 days in Venice, 3 in Florence and 2 in Rome. While in Florence, book a Tuscany bus tour which takes you to Siena, San Gimignano and Pisa in one day. That way you'll get to see the Tuscan countryside. If you have more than seven days, then use your extra time for more days in Rome and perhaps a visit to the Cinque Terre (Italian Riviera).

Train travel between Venice, Florence and Rome is easy and fast. Start in Rome, then take the train to Florence and then spend your final two days in Venice. you won't spend more than two hours on the train on any leg of this journey. Or start in Venice and then go to Florence, ending with Rome. You can book and pay for your train tickets ahead of time online. Just do a search for "trenitalia.com" which will take you to the official train website. Once there, click on the link at the top of the page for "English" (beside the British flag).

One tip for booking train tickets online: when you make your bookings make sure you select the main train station for each city, not one of the outlying stations. In Florence you want "Florence Centrale" and in Rome you want "Rome Termini".

In Florence, get a bed and breakfast or hotel close to the train station (it's a nice enough neighbourhood) so that you can walk to your accommodation from the train station (this is assuming you don't have a lot of luggage). TripAdvisor.com is a good place to find recommendations for bed and breakfast accommodation, as well as hotels.

If you are wondering whether Venice is worth the time, don't worry. Venice is wonderful and it's the rare person who isn't completely smitten with the city. When I was planning my first trip to Italy, I wasn't sure if I would even like Venice. I'd always wanted to see it but was afraid that it might be like Disneyland: crowded and tacky. I needn't have worried. Yes, it's crowded in the main tourist areas (but not in the side streets). But it's definitely not tacky, it's unique and unforgettable. You'll love it!

Food Dehydrators and What to Look for When Buying One

Have you ever wished that you could eat healthier? Maybe you've decided to go vegetarian - or even vegan - and now the question for you becomes, "What am I going to eat now?!" In the beginning you might try buying dried goods from health food stores, but it usually ends up being an expensive proposition over time. Thankfully for you, there could be a better solution: dehydrating your own food at home!

With so many different types and brands of food dehydrators on the market today, it can be difficult to know which one to choose. The truth is that it really helps to know what the main features are which are available to you, and how much you should spend.

Most people start using food dehydration for one of several reasons - either to lead a more healthy lifestyle, or simply to create their favorite foods at home. Many people often do it for both reasons. The advantages to dehydrating your own food at home are many though, and that includes having control over the foods you prepare, including the levels of salt and other seasonings. Plus there is the obvious cost advantage; a one-time payment for a food dehydrator easily outweighs the cost of repeated trips to the natural foods store to buy items in bulk at retail prices!

Traditionally, the most common method of dehydration was to use Mother Nature - curing food in the sun. This goes back to ancient times and is still by far the most popular way it is done in many parts of the world. This is changing, however, in our modern age, with the advances in technology. Now you can obtain a food dehydrator which you can plug into the wall and use any time of day or night, instead of being dependent on the weather. Plus, an indoor dehydration machine will make the whole process significantly faster for you! Most machines will come with one or several trays for food. You simply load up the trays as directed, flip the switch, and watch. Within no time you'll have healthily prepared foods, which have all the vitamins and minerals that are sorely lacking in conventionally cooked food.

So how do you choose the right food dehydrator? Well, I say from experience that it is best to avoid purchasing these items used from eBay, Craigslist or other resale channels. Sometimes these dehydrators can have damage or structural defects or damage from the former owner. Although you may not be able to tell until you receive the item, you should be able to do quite a bit of checking in advance. First of all, make sure the food dehydrator comes from a decent manufacturer, such as Excalibur. All too often, cheap knockoffs are available. While they will likely be cheaper, like most things in life you really do get what you pay for. That being said, there are many high quality options available in price ranges in the low hundreds. You also want to make sure that you order a model with enough trays to suit your cooking needs (and the size of your kitchen.) If you're planning to cook in large batches, go with a nine-tray machine. But if you don't cook as much, a couple trays will work just fine.

I hope this quick article was useful to you in your search for the perfect food dehydrator! With a little time and research, it will be easy for you to find the best fit for your needs.

10 Ways to Bring Meaning to Your Life

My life always appears to be so hectic. It's as if I purposely overload myself with more things than I could possibly ever accomplish. As I'm going to sleep I think about all the things I need to get done And when I'm awake during the day I think about all the things that need to get done. Take a shower, make coffee, eat breakfast, brush my teeth, go to work, etc... It's almost as if at the end of the day I can truly ask myself, "where did the day go?" Enough of these and I can ask myself the same questions in weeks, months, or even years!

So when I feel like these questions are coming up, I do some brief exercises that help bring me to the present moment and remind myself that I'm living.

1. For 5 minutes: Whatever you are doing, just do it slightly slower. At work we are all given tasks to do. One time per day, for 5 minutes do that task a little bit slower. Do not do the task in slow motion, or take breaks from the task, simply do it a little bit slower.

2. Take 5 minutes at lunch to notice what you're eating. You can actually do this at an meal, or anytime you eat. You are going to notice what your food looks like, how it smells, feels, and tastes. As you pick up your food, notice the texture of it, is it bumpy, smooth, wet? Notice what you smell. As you take it in your mouth notice how it feels in your mouth, notice the tastes that are coming out of it, how your teeth break it down. As you swallow it, notice it going down your throat. Do the same with the drink.

3. Take 3 minutes to just sit and notice your breath. Sit in a place of your choice, could be behind your desk, or anywhere. Close your eyes. For 3 minutes simply pay attention to your breath. For these 3 minutes your breath gets your undivided attention. If you notice yourself thinking about something, even the thought "why am I doing this stupid exercise", just notice that your're thinking that and then gently bring your attention back to your breath.

4. Wash the Dishes. If you're not used to doing dishes, there will be many benefits to this one. As you begin to wash the dishes, notice the texture of the plate and the warmth of the water on your hands. Inhale and notice if there is any scent. Listen to hear the rush of the water or any other sounds that are happening around you. Not only will you be able to practice being in the moment, but many of your family and friends will be thrilled with you.

5. Take a Bath or Shower. Preferably a bath if you have one, but even with a shower, you can take your moment in the shower or bath to feel the warmth of the water or feel how your body is immersed in the water. How does your skin feel? Do you notice any smells? Is your hair wet. Just be in the moment and notice all your senses....breathe.

6. Make Love Slightly Slower for a few moments. As you are making love to your significant other, take a moment to purposely move slightly slower. As you do this begin to mentally feel over all parts of your body. How your skin feels when touching his/hers, how are you breathing? Are you sweating? Is there a scent in the air. Take a moment and really be there making love.

7. Smell a flower for an extra breath. This one I love. Often times I will be passing by a flower and if I remember to smell it, I take an extra inhalation to really get the full experience of the scent. You will be surprised how much that extra inhalation makes a difference in the experience.

8. Be Silly. I'm serious;). Being silly allows your creative juices to flow and your creative juices is what life is all about. Letting yourself be silly can also be very relaxing and create joyful situations that are full of meaning.

9. Write a letter to someone close to you... telling them how much you appreciate them. This is not a new idea by any stretch yet it is always worth mentioning since it is so meaningful. A letter that that person will always cherish.

10. Remind yourself that you are a miracle. This may be the most important. How they heck did any of us get here? When we break it down to nanotechnology and quantum physics, scientists are stumped to figure out the great mystery of us physically being here and interacting and creating symbols and concepts and communicating.

It's boggling. That's why our moments on this earth are so precious and it is a wonderful gift to attempt to cultivate those moments in life that you consider to be sacred.

You get the idea... try it out.

Free Game Downloads For PSP

Why should we still spend our Dollars to buy psp games in a retail store, if we could actually get free game downloads for PSP?

If you do not know anything about downloading psp games for free you might be asking yourself these questions:

Is it really possible to download the games online? Yes, it is possible. Is it safe to do that? No, it is not Are there any alternative ways to get the games I want and save money at the same time? Yes, there are.

You would not want to get free game downloads for PSP because:

You do not want to waste your time searching for the games randomly on the search engine You do not want to waste your time downloading them and just to find out that the files are corrupt in the end. You do not want to risk your computer and PSP by downloading unsafe and illegal files, which might contain spyware and viruses

If there are other alternative ways to save my money, what are they?

Firstly, you can rent the games instead of buying it. You can join a PSP membership site that provides you with all PSP contents you want, which include music, games, movies, TV shows, emulators, software, and tips on how to deal with your PSP

How much do I have to pay to join the site and what benefits can I get?

The price is relatively cheap and you only need to pay once for lifetime access, if you are about to calculate price per game download, you would see why PSP fanatics say they can get Free Game Downloads For PSP The Site allows you to download at a high speed, you do not have to waste your time searching all over the internet because all contents are in the inventory waiting for you to download, you can access live support if you are having troubles with your PSP, and it is safe and legal.

Top Ten Bar Movies

Considering that a lot of us spend a large amount of time in bars, it is amazing how few movies feature bars as a central element of the story. There are classic bar scenes (Star Wars Cantina for example or the saloon in High Noon) but few movies feature a bar as a character unto itself. Bars are usually plot devices thrown in as shorthand. Depressed or lonely? Then the seedy run-down bar on the bad side of town reflects the character's inner angst. Happy? The trendy martini bar with its neon and bright colors is front and center. Mysterious, jaded or edgy? Then the characters are sitting up at the hotel bar drinking scotch.

For all the evidence out there and spots for solid research, few movies actually capture the atmosphere of a real bar. Bartenders rarely respond to "hey barkeep," and "gimme whiskey" is usually met with a blank stare. Capturing the essence, smells, sounds and feel of a real drinking hole is apparently hard. Here are ten movies set in a bar. Not necessarily realistic representations, but interesting nonetheless.

10. Coyote Ugly. (2000) A ridiculous bar movie that follows a young girl trying to make it big in New York as a songwriter but ends up working at an all girl bar named Coyote Ugly. This film featured lots of dancing on bars and scantily clad women tossing bottles around. The bar was modeled after an infamous Greenwich Village watering hole and spawned a whole raft of copy-cat bars across America.

9. Road House. (1989) Either the finest bouncer genre movie of all time or one of the worst pieces of drivel ever committed to film. But you can't resist anything with Patrick Swayze, who hung up the dancing shoes to play a tai chi practicing bouncer. Swayze plays our pec-flexing hero who is given the impossible task or cooling down the violence at the Double Deuce, a rowdy honky tonk bar. He must also learn the secret ways of the bouncer guru and then confront the most evil man in Jasper, Wyoming -- Ben Gazarra.

8. Cocktail. (1988) The trend of "flair bartending" reached its nadir or apex depending on your point of view with this fromage from 1988. A youngish Tom Cruise is the hot shot young bartender who is shown the ropes by the older wiser Brian Brown. They become partners then fall out over a woman and become rivals. Rivals at throwing bottles in the air and shaking girl drinks. Imagine John Wayne ordering a drink from these guys.

7. Robin and the Seven Hoods. (1964) Ocean's Eleven is the most famous rat pack movie and probably the worst. Much better is this stylish retelling of the Robin Hood legend. This movie mostly took place in prohibition era Chicago speakeasies, where the hard drinking, crooning and partying band of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr and Bing Crosby take on the evil sheriff and Guy Gisborne (Peter Falk). The band sign, swap zingers and spend most of their time downing anything they can brew up.

6. Swingers. (1996) Technically this movie does not take place in one bar, but its grand tour of Los Angeles and Las Vegas drinking holes is money baby. This movie launched the career of Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn and made swing bars and tiki-lamped cocktail lounges hip again.

5. 54. (1998) Studio 54 was the most famous nightclub in late 1970s New York. It was the quintessential disco and was the party place of the famous and wannabe famous. Mike Myers steals the show as the gay club owner Steve Rubell, while Ryan Phillipe, Salma Hayek and Neve Campbell play the beautiful people who made the nightclub home. Perfectly captures the disco era and the exuberance of the 70s nightclub.

5. BarFly. (1987) On one level depressing, on another a great expression of the joy of life. Mickey Rourke plays Henry Chinaski, a poet and alcoholic (loosely based on the real poet Charles Bukowski). He spends his life in LA bars drinking every night. One day he meets and falls for Wanda (played by Faye Dunaway). She's an alcoholic too but she sees the true Charles. She helps him get his poems published and for a short time he becomes famous. But in the end they are both happier as anonymous barflies.

3. Trees Lounge. (1996) Indie star Steve Buscemi directed this small picture imagining what would have happened to him had he stayed in his small hometown on Long Island and not moved to Manhattan to pursue acting. His film centres around, and perfectly captures, a neighborhood bar full of colorful eccentrics who can't seem to move on. Also starring Anthony LePaglia, Samuel L. Jackson and Chloe Sevingny, Buscemi plays Tommy Basilio a drunk who wanders through his life desperate for some sort of meaning beyond the bar that is his only home.

2. Lost in Translation. (2003) Sofia Coppola's gem of a movie mostly takes place in a hotel bar in Tokyo. Disillusioned, weary and bored actor Bill Murray meets neglected newlywed Scarlett Johansson and the two create an unlikely bond as they try to discover or rediscover themselves while in a foreign and confusing land. They end up at a Japanese nightclub which is a great counterpoint to the austere bar. While they don't form a traditional romantic attachment they find something that awakens each other.

1. Casablanca. (1942) Perhaps the perfect movie. Bogart and Bergman shine is this classic romance drama. Originally named "Everybody Comes to Rick's," Casablanca regularly tops best of lists. It's World War II and Rick Blaine, exiled American and former freedom fighter, runs the most popular bar in Casablanca. It's filled with thieves, spies, Nazis, partisans, refugees and piano players. The Nazis and their puppet Captain Renault are after underground leader Victor Laszlo who is supposed to be somewhere in Casablanca. Lazslo secretly arrives at Ricks, only not alone. With him is Ilsa, Rick's one time love and the breaker of his heart. "Of all the bars in all the world she walks into mine." The rest is cinematic magic.

Using Sign Language With Apraxia

Although there is some controversy in using sign language for a child with severe verbal apraxia, I found it to be extremely useful. Some experts seem to think that non-verbal children with rely only on their signs and not be motivated to speak. In our experience that wasn't the case, using sign language allowed her to communicate her needs with us and greatly reduced her frustration level.

My daughter wasn't diagnosed with apraxia until she was three. At that time she only said about thirty partial words, and they were difficult to understand. Prior to that she was in speech therapy making very little progress, and was prone to frequent outbursts due to her inability to communicate her needs.

We had much difficulty with her at mealtimes. She would point and scream at what she wanted, making for an unpleasant dining experience. Around age twenty-five months we began teaching her sign language related to meal time, such as more, milk and please. It was amazing how quickly she leaned them and how much more pleasant meal time became. Children even younger can learn sign language; I wish we would have started sooner. She very quickly knew about ten signs and became much calmer and was happy to have a way to communicated with us. In order to reenforce speech we would verbalize the word she was signing, however we would never make her say it - as she simply couldn't. A goal of learning one new sign a week could easily be achieved, and in a short period of time have a large vocabulary of signs.

As she grew and learned more language, her need for signs gradually dropped away. It did not slow her progress at all in learning to speak. In fact by the time she was six she was almost fully recovered from apraxia.

Perfume Is An Essential

Women's perfume is now an essential part of any woman's wardrobe of accessories. Perfumes are no longer seen as something only the very rich wear or a splash of something fragrant and gorgeous to wear to a society event. Perfumes, scents and fragrances are nowadays worn by women everywhere from every possible background and all age ranges. Even men wear fragrances today and they smell great.

The market for women's perfume is huge and is now such a multi billion pound industry it is hard to imagine a world without perfumes. Go into any large store and a good section of the ground floor, usually fairly close to the entrance, will be devoted to beauty products and perfumes. Individual shops, selling a wide range of designer brands in perfumes and cosmetics have now sprung up and it is rare to go into a high street chemist without seeing perfumes close to the front and on display everywhere. In addition, the marketing for women's fragrances hits us everywhere we go. Step outside your door, open a magazine, go online or switch on the television and it will only be a matter of minutes before you see a large bill poster, or advertisement, showing off a well known perfume brand. Demand more than matches this supply; it seems few of us will now even go to the office without a few drops of fragrance.

What is it that attracts so many women to perfume? Often it is the simple inspiration that wearing a fragrance can give. Modern women like to feel empowered, beautiful and oozing self confidence. Interestingly the very first famous women's fragrance was designed in 1921. This was made up of many of the same ingredients that are still used today: ylang-ylang, vetiver, rose, sandalwood and jasmine. Of course, the original ingredients have now been replaced with synthetic fragrances. In addition certain stimulating additives such as pheromones are added. These have proved to trigger emotions.

Fashion and style now have their place in the heady world of fragrance, not just the scent itself. Memory also comes into play as many people find that if a particular scent evokes a strong memory from the past, then this can easily create a connection to a happy or comforting event in the past. There is no doubt about it, wearing perfume and scent can help us to feel warm and positive which can be no bad thing.