Lomilomi

One of my clients recently reminded me of some of the myths about women and diet and exercise that are so prevalent in our society. One of which is the idea that women need to starve themselves to lose weight, when in fact, women need to eat to boost their metabolic rate to burn fat.

Metabolism is simply the way your body uses energy and there are three factors involved. Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) burns calories sustaining vital functions like heart rate, breathing and cellular repair and accounts for about 60-75 percent of your daily expenditure. Physical activities, known as the thermic effect of exercise (TEE), account for 10-25 per cent of your daily rate. And the final 10 percent is used to digest and process (transport, metabolize and store) the food you eat.

This phenomenon is known as the thermic effect of food (TEF) and it is influenced by how much, how often and what you eat. Processing protein requires about 30 percent of the calories you burn, dietary fat accounts for about 2 or 3 percent and carbohydrates burn somewhere between that of protein and fat. So 10 percent is generally used to account for the total thermic effect of food.

When you eat too few calories, your metabolism slows down in an effort to conserve energy and the fat you take off may begin to creep back on, over time. You'll also be more likely to crave calorie-rich foods - foods that are high in carbohydrates and fat - if you reduce your caloric intake too much.

The best way to boost your metabolism, through diet, is to start the day with a healthy breakfast - breakfast helps to fire up your metabolism after a full night on a slow simmer. You also want to eat about every four or five hours - a regular meal schedule keeps your body working to digest and absorb foods. And, make sure you eat protein with every meal.

All foods contribute to the thermic effect but protein, in particular, has the greatest thermic effect of all. And, protein can increase your metabolism by helping to maintain and build lean body mass.

Feel free to use this article in your publication or website. The only requirement is the inclusion of the following, after the article...

Article by Mikki Reilly, BA, MFS, of FitnessTransform. Visit her web site, http://www.fitnesstransform.com, and her blog, for the the most up-to-date news, information and tips that will help you transform your health, fitness and overall quality of life.

Whether its young love or your golden wedding anniversary, a romantic break for two is an ideal way to guarantee some quality time together - something that's vital for a healthy relationship. And though Valentines Day, anniversaries and birthdays are all opportune occasions to take a romantic break, dont forget that a surprise trip on a random date can be an even more meaningful and exciting time for both of you. But with so many options for romantic breaks away, how do you start planning?

A few days spent in a vibrant city can do wonders for your love life. Whether you prefer arts and high culture, museums and music, or just exploring the history and architecture of a city, there is a huge choice of exciting places to visit - from New York to Niagara, Santa Barbara to Scottsdale. A city trip also allows you to eat out in style and sample some of the finest cuisine around, not to mention get a taste of the nightlife and dance the evening away in vibrant bars and nightclubs.

Or, if youre already a city dweller, then perhaps a few days in the peaceful countryside will be more suited to your taste. A stay in a country hotel in a charming rural village will prove to be a relaxing break, allowing you lots of quiet, quality time in which to enjoy each others company. By day youll be able to take a walk into nature and enjoy the fresh air; while by night, you can go for a meal in a local bar or restaurant, sit by a crackling log fire, and take in the romantic rustic atmosphere.

If youre less of a culture vulture and more of an adrenaline seeker, than planning an active weekend for two is a great way to get your blood pumping. Why not spend a few days in the great outdoors under canvas, hiking by day and cooking by firelight at night? If you prefer your creature comforts, however, you can try a snow sports or water sports weekend and stay in a luxury hotel, with on-site hot tubs, fine dining and an expert massage to sooth away your aches and pains after your day of exercise.

But, whatever your taste in romantic breaks, youre sure to find that a little quality time spent with your loved one will do wonders for your relationship.

Andrew Regan is an online, freelance journalist.

So here I am in my newly rented, jasmine-bedecked cottage in the luxury seaside village and tucked into a downy bed like Snow White and falling fast asleep.

And what days! Walks on the beach, buying armfuls of fresh flowers, picking up delectable organic fixings at Whole Foods, stopping for a latte at the smart little cafe on Ocean Avenue. Yeah, this was the life all right. And at night I'd watched a film by the fire, while out the French doors I'd spy a deer sipping from the garden fountain. I was living in a Disney film and that was fine with me. I'd even met a refined older gentleman who was coming for lunch and to paint watercolors. Yes, my life had taken a verdant turn I thought that night in my snuggly bed.

Little did I realize that the noises I'd heard that night coming from the attic was trouble was creeping up in Paradise on teeny, tiny, itty-bitty feet.

In the morning, I decided to investigate while awaiting the landlord's housekeeper and grabbed a flashlight and pulled down the ceiling ladder in my room to climb into the immense attic stored with several generations of decrepit, cobwebby junk. "Welcome to Morticia Munster's School of Housewifery and Dcor" I thought as the flashlight shone on shiny piles of raisins on the floor.

The housekeeper shouted up the ladder.

"Oh, hi, " I replied cheerily. "Do you know anything about these raisins?"

She climbed up and huffed. "That's rat shit, lady! And loads of it." My scream derailed putts over on Pebble Beach's 17-Mile Drive golf courses. "Call the health department! Call the Mayor! Call someone!! What do we do?"

She deadpanned. "Traps. Lots of 'em. Cut back the trees so there's no roof access. Close up any openings," she looked around and shook her head. "At least, that's what we did last time..."

Rat Man came and flirted with me. A beefy woman from the health department arrived to advise on abatement. The tree trimmers erected tall metal ladders and flipped on screaming power saws. Their boom boxes pounded out Rap that consisted mostly of "Bitch!" The fix-it man wore a 50-pound belt of tools and trooped in massive workman boots up and down the ladder tracking rat poop through my pristine room.

I was a wreck trying to sleep that night on one of the 4' living room sofas with my knees at my chin. "What IS that snoring!" I flipped off the duvet and tiptoed outside in my white nightgown and through the witchy talons of furiously blowing trees. As I rounded the cottage, the flashlight beam landed on on a massive hulk against the house. A buck leapt up and crashed his antlers into the forest and I ran back into Rat Cottage and bolted the door. From the attic came the CLINK of a trap, and an ungodly scream that I matched decibel for decibel.

Shaking, I called Rat Man and left a message on his voicemail. "Please, I beg you, come get this dead thing from above my head!" With that, the wind blew the lights out. Why, oh, why had I left The City where all there is to worry about is dinner reservations and muggings.

Traps went off all night as I whimpered on the sofa in the dark. Rat Man arrived at 6AM, and with bleak determination, black garbage bags, and thick rubber gloves stormed the ladder into the gory remnants of last night's rat-rout.

"Don't tell or show me anything." I raised my hands unable to take anymore. "Just please sneak whatever out of here,"

I called Cleaning Lady and asked her to rent a shop-vac, then drove to the hardware store to stock-up on plastic gloves, plastic booties, plastic facemasks, plastic sheeting to cover the things in my room, and boatloads of bleach. She came. She saw. She sanitized. Carpet cleaners arrived en masse. I went to the beach to breath fresh air, now possessing the unfortunate literal knowledge of "I smell a rat."

I peered out to sea, hugged myself, and repeated like a mantra. "You're OK. They're handling it. Just go buy things for your nice lunch tomorrow with your new friend." My teeth chattered as I walked the aisles of my beloved Whole Foods. Or, Mecca, as I like to call it.

The next morning erupted hot and sunny. I made lobster salad from two large lobsters, 3 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce, 1/4 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger, a bit of sugar, 3 tablespoons of grapeseed oil, a bunch of watercress, an avocado cut into chunks, and freshly ground pepper and sea salt. Measuring. Cutting. Chopping. I was control of my life again! I'd constructed a work of art. I put chardonnay in to chill. "All better," I smiled to myself.

CLINK.

"Oh, no! Not in this heat!" I called Rat Man. He was gone. Cleaning Lady was gone. It was a three day weekend in the tiny hamlet and everyone had split. Well, Refined Gentleman was just going to have to suck-it-up. I changed into something more persuasive. And while in the bedroom held my breath and quickly spread plastic on the bed, then assembled a soldierly line of plastic bags, gloves, booties and masks.

Then came the knock-knock-knockety on the front door. "Oh, this is so charming!" He kissed me on the cheek and swept in with an arrangement of flowers. I mumbled thanks and tossed it aside like a Field Marshall distracted with pre-mission plans.

"Yeah, well. Mmmm, hmmm. I wonder if you could do me a favor." I crooked my index finger to follow me into the boudior.

He eyed the bed, then me, "Are we having SEX?!"

"NO!!"

"Oh," he pouted and eyed the bed. "I thought this is how they do it today."

"Ahh, no." I said sweetly and asked if he wouldn't mind slipping into all the plastic, "And bring down a moldering rat." I pulled down the ladder and pointed above. He reluctantly agreed and I scooted off to arrange our lunch.

Just as I arrived at the table with the lobster salad, my friend reappeared on the deck resembling an Alien and dangling the trap at a disgusted distance with its 7-pound deceased occupant still attached. I dropped the glass bowl that shattered onto the deck. He hid the rat behind him and ran it over to the neighbor's trash where he ripped off all the plastic, then returned to disinfectant his hands.

We went out for lunch at Clint Eastwood's Hog's Breath Inn. "Carmel has HOGS?!" I lamely joked.

Never saw that nice man again.

2008-Suzanne de Cornelia. All copyrights apply. This article may be reprinted on websites as long as the entire article, including email link and resource box below are included and unchanged.

The author's romantic adventure novel, French Heart, set on wineries in Aix-en-Provence, France, and Santa Barbara will released in 2008. Please sign up today for the book's one-time announcement list on her blog at: http://web.mac.com/myfrenchheart

And more on wonderful Carmel: http://carmelcalifornia.com

The heart of Summit County, that area of Colorado brimming with fantastic skiing, hiking, and general year-round vacation delights, is also filled with many fantastic vacation rentals that tend to add some oomph to run of the mill getaways. All it takes is a little bit of exploration to discover a lodge, cabin or villa thats worth falling in love with and returning to year after year.

For example, the town of Silverthorne contains the best of the best when it comes to winter sports, summer adventures, and everything in between. No matter what kind of trip you have a taste for or when youre able to find some time in the calendar to make an escape, the accommodations and activities here are top-notch and definitely worthy of your time. Large groups, just the family, or a romantic getaway for two will each find answers to their needs in the form of a spacious mountain mansion or cozy, hidden-away cottage.

Different sizes, shapes and set-ups dont obliterate the fact that vacation rentals share certain common traits; they offer specialized amenities not found in the usual lodgings, they are convenient to wherever you want to be, and they are one-of-a-kind, which lends a bit of spring to the step of whoever is lucky enough to settle down into one. If youve never unpacked your bags within anything other than a boxy hotel room, think about trying something new this time around.

Winter weather in Silverthorne invites the urge to strap on a set of skis, hop on a snowboard, and bundle up in your warmest clothes for an invigorating set of escapades involving speed, snow and fun. A chill in the air also awakens the desire to get comfortable indoors at the end of a brisk day, perhaps before a roaring fire or beneath the down comforter of a king-sized bed. Nice Silverthorne cabins invite their inhabitants to keep snacks and hot cocoa on hand for kid-themed aprs-ski, and champagne chilling in the fridge to complement a grown-up soak in the Jacuzzi tub. Either way you want to do it, when the jackets come off the pampering will begin.

If the pleasures of summer are what attract you, the exact same property can be just as warm and welcoming. Open the windows at night to luxuriate in the cool alpine breezes, and each morning enjoy your cup of coffee on the deck, allowing the babbling brook to peacefully set your day moving in the right direction. The hiking trails, bike paths and awesome expanse of natural beauty exist right outside your door, so feel free to toss the car keys into a drawer for a few days and make your own two feet your means of transport. Itll feel good to reconnect with Mother Nature and forget about the price of gas for a precious period of time.

Family-friendly activities like white water rafting, horseback riding, and exploring the wilderness will be complemented by the social interaction-oriented layout of your vacation rental. A large family room with entertainment center, a spacious kitchen and dining area with plenty of seating, a patio with a barbeque grill, and a card table and selection of board games will all encourage everyone to play, laugh, and bond. The breakneck pace of daily life often prevents these moments to arise, so now is the chance to make some memories.

Your upcoming trip, be it a summer frolic or a winter excursion, would be well-served by choosing to stay in a Silverthorne Vacation Rental. There are dozens to choose from, each capable of pleasing someone or other, so go online to find the one thats best for you.

http://www.HomeAway.com is an extensive marketplace of vacation rentals in locations all over the world.

Is decaffeinated green tea good for you? How does the caffeine in green tea impact its flavor? Let's look at some of the information about green tea and try to sort fact from fiction. As green tea becomes more and more popular throughout the world, there are many questions about its health benefits, and many myths about its properties floating around.

Green tea, like all tea, does have some caffeine. Caffeine, like many things, is healthy in small doses. The amount found in a cup of green tea is the right amount for most people to feel a bit of a lift without getting the jittery feeling that comes with getting too much at once.

Caffeine Benefits

Caffeine in small doses acts as a mild stimulant. This is beneficial - it improves circulation, helps with mental clarity and alertness, and even helps with weight loss. Scientific studies have repeatedly shown that caffeine may reduce your risk of developing Parkinson's disease. The tannins and theanine that are found naturally in green tea have a stabilizing effect, and together with the caffeine produce an alert yet relaxed feeling in the drinker.

Decaffeinated Green Tea?

There are two methods of decaffeination that are widely used. The first involves soaking the leaves in ethyl acetate. This releases caffeine and other compounds. Unfortunately, most of the antioxidants are lost along with the caffeine. This process may destroy 30% or more of the beneficial compounds found in green tea. In addition, a small amount of the ethyl acetate is left on the leaves. Most people find that the flavor of the tea is ruined in this process.

The second method for decaffeinating tea is soaking it in a carbon dioxide solution. The water is then treated with either charcoal or carbon to remove the caffeine. The leaves are then soaked in the water so they can reabsorb the other nutrients. When this method is used, most of the healthful compounds remain in the tea. However the flavor may not be nearly as good as the original.

Because there is such a small portion of caffeine in green tea, and it is balanced by the other compounds found in tea, most people find that it is not necessary to drink a decaffeinated green tea.

Learn why decaffeinated green tea routinely destroys 30% of tea's antioxidants. Tea caffeine has many health benefits. Learn the 4 sure-fire ways of reducing green tea caffeine content without destroying its taste and nutrition.

Could your online marketing campaign use Red Bull? Maybe it's time to energize your website with an infusion of direct response marketing. Conventional marketing requires a hook or an attention getter, but sometimes a good tagline isn't enough. The key selling point for a successful business online is to engage the viewer by providing clear benefits. The viewer must instantly relate to your products or services. Remember, they are on your site looking to fulfill a specific need or want.

Arousing Your Audience

Get attention. Use catchy headlines with searchable keywords that relate to your business and content. Tell a story that is relevant and believable. One that hits a nerve, strikes an emotion. Think about why people would want or need your products and/or services. What separates your company from competitors? This is called a unique selling proposition (USP). If you are a business sales consultant, you're USP might be that you can guarantee results in three months as opposed to years.

You can use your USP to add steam or be the foundation of any marketing campaign. Use testimonials or case studies from satisfied customers to support your claims. Offer incentives such as a free report or Webinar.

Now that you have a call to action, make it easy and simple for surfers to navigate. Make your shopping cart visible and accessible. Add an opt-in on the homepage to capture information. Consider adding a Tell-a-Friend button so that satisfied customers can recommend your business quickly and easily.

LESS Can Get Up to 500% More

Internet surfers do not want to weed through fancy styles, images, flash and other do-dads on a website. They want something simple and direct. News-style advertising can get up to 500% greater results. No, that's not a typo. Take Google for example. One of the main reasons Google is one of the most used search engine websites in the world is because of its incredible use of white space. It is simple and easy to use.

If your homepage looks like a giant pop-up ad, it's time to re-evaluate your web design. Simplify your branding. Viewers will be more likely to stay on your site if they are not overwhelmed. Give your marketing campaign one direction and surfers will follow through with action.

TeamWork Builds Web Success

The Web Success Team http://www.websuccessteam.com specializes in SEO and SEM to build and market direct response websites that take full advantage of the latest developments on the Internet. The Team has an arsenal of effective web strategies, online tools and proven techniques to promote your products and services. And we'll show you ways to increase the amount of qualified traffic to your site through the expanding "social web" and how to convert visitors into buyers at a high rate of return.

Your website can become an effective marketing hub for your business. To learn more about the power of Direct Response Web Marketing, log on to http://www.websuccessteam.com/whydirectresponse.htm

Contact the Team today for a complimentary consultation!

Teens have to face many challenges living in the world today. It is apparent that a teen is troubled when he or she starts hanging out with new kinds of friends, lies about their whereabouts, and has extreme mood swings etc. Parents are always trying to figure out the best way to help their child make it through this difficult part of their lives. Helping troubled teens is a topic of great interest and is something that Christian-based camps have confidence in because of the unique approach they take.

Religion is something of great importance to any Christian family. Parents are continually trying to instill the basic principles taught by Christianity in their children. However, there is in almost any family, some children who have the need to rebel against those basic beliefs and the authority of their parents. Parents are almost constantly wondering, How can I help my troubled teen?

Getting help for troubled teens can be confusing. Christian camps make it easy and simple. By using the principles taught in the Bible, they are able to help troubled teens in a way that no other troubled-teen program can do.

In an effort to help troubled teens with these issues and the many other issues that cause a teen to be troubled, sometimes medicine and different kinds of therapy don't work. Christian camps offer a completely new approach to helping troubled teens. Using Christian-based principles, they are able to help troubled teens find strength and purpose using their inner core spirituality. Helping troubled teens from this angle allow the teens to find a special, long-lasting sense of self worth. This helps them find the desire to succeed at the good things in their lives.

Christian camps are known to be a great alternative to other kinds of programs for helping troubled teens like boarding schools, boot camps, and other programs that can only have a short-term affect on a troubled teen. They use professional Christian counseling and teach Biblically based coping skills.

They have a variety of programs that can help troubled teens with most issues. They can do this by helping the teens find scriptural answers to their problems and concerns. When a troubled teen is able to find these answers within him or her self, he or she is able to feel more self-worth and competence in their abilities to deal with the many challenges of our day.

Greg has done a lot of research about helping troubled teens. Through his research he has compiled a lot of information about how to help troubled teens overcome their issues. Visit http://iamhelpingtroubledteens.com for more information about help for your troubled teen.

NARRATIVE (Continued from part 1)

It was relatively a short time after we lost our son that
Norvel Hayes came to speak at our local FGBMFI. He showed me
through his teaching that I could look at a verse and still
miss something quite obvious. He was teaching on Matthew 15
where the Canaanite woman is first ignored by Jesus and then
later Jesus grants her what she wanted. Norvel rhetorically
asked how her second approach was different from her earlier
approach and I could not see it. He had to point out the very
word before I got it.

This Scripture will be discussed later in this document but
for now I am just relating that I then realized how important
a teacher is. While I was just reading the Scripture on my
own, I was somehow blinded from the clear teaching of what I
was reading. It was only when the teacher pointed out the
critical element was I able to see what was hidden in plain
sight.

Norvel was not doing any tricky interpretation nor any out of
context misuse of Scripture. All Scripture references were
clear primary meanings taken in obvious context. All of the
teaching was based on the concept that if the Bible said it
then it was true. It then went the next step and said that if
Scripture contradicts reality and you continuously affirm
Scripture, that contradiction goes away by reality changing to
conform to the Word of God.

Norvel got me thinking more and more about the faith teaching.
He was good friends with Kenneth Hagin. Norvel related how
that Ken was healed of incurable blood disease as a young
Baptist boy by acting on Mark 11:23 and 24. I obtained many
books and tapes by Ken Hagin and studied them with my open
Bible. Ken even said that if you believe this because I say
it, it won't work. You have to believe it because the Bible
says it. I assured myself that the teaching was 100 percent
in line with Scripture and I developed my belief system based
solely on Scripture even though it took teachers to show it to
me in Scripture.

(continued in part 3 of 5)

This is part of a FREE 23 page document, Faith Healing Consistent with the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which can be found in the Cooperation Among Christian Denominations section of the Independent Christian website.

The document does not speak for the Catholic Church but the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) does. The CCC is quoted and the footnotes are followed where they are often linked to Scripture. It is suggested that the reader have available both the CCC and his/her Bible and see whether the representations are correct.

Doug Johnson has been writing and online publishing Christian and Social Conservative articles since the 1990's on http://www.IndependentChristian.org/

Doug has been a Bible believing Evangelical Christian since childhood. He has been received into fellowship with the Evangelical Free Church, the Plymouth Brethern, the Assembly of God, the American Baptist, and the Southern Baptist.

In the early 2000's, he was received into full communion with the Catholic Church after careful study of the Catholic Catechism and the Bible. He believes Catholics and Bible believing Protestants should build on what they have in common rather than looking at what is different.

He is presently helping to establish the Independent Christian On-Line Academy at: http://www.ICOLA.us

Doug has an online retail wallpaper business at: http://www.TheWallpaperPirate.com/

Doug is available as a consultant and or speaker. To reach him, use the Contact Us page at any of the above websites.

Address of the Grand Master to the Diplomatic Corp

Rome, 9 January 2007

His Most Eminent Highness the Prince and Grand Master,
Fra' Andrew BERTIE
SOVEREIGN MILITARY ORDER OF MALTA

I will visit the Holy Land during 2007 within the framework of an international pilgrimage that I will be carrying out next October.

In this spirit I would like to recall the various observations which have been made over the years with regard to the problem of the Holy Places, and in particular the position of the Holy See in relation to Jerusalem. A city of three religions, it is at the same time a land of two peoples, Jews and Palestinians, as well as a World Heritage centre. Pilgrims from all over the world must be able to have access to it. It should thus be given a special, internationally guaranteed statute.

The Sovereign Order of Malta, for whom the protection of the Holy Places has always been an absolute priority in its mission in the service of the Church and in its hospitaller and humanitarian activities, is at the disposal of governments to help seek any kind of solution, bearing in mind the aspirations and legitimate interests of the different populations involved.

This is because Jerusalem must be a permanent place for seeking peace and reconciliation between religions, peoples and cultures. [Emphasis mine]

The cauldron that is Jerusalem is having the heat turned up by a series of planned events, the concerted efforts of Roman wolves in sheep's clothing, orchestrated by the Vatican. The Roman Catholic Cult, the Babylonian Mystery religion, covets the Holy City and aims on wresting control of Ariel (Jerusalem's nickname) from Israeli sovereignty by any means necessary. The Time of Jacob's Trouble is brewing in the North.

Due to the inexcusable increase in Israeli sins, especially their rejection of the miracle of 1967 -- the Six Day War that liberated Jerusalem and its biblical territories from Arab occupation, namely Judaism's holiest site, the Temple Mount -- and because so many Israelis tolerated the intolerable expulsion of Jews from their homes in Gush Katif and Shomron rather than return to God and remove the threat of sworn Arab enemies, the Great Creator God of Jacob-Israel will permit the King of the North (the imminent wannabe divine emperor elect by the German-Jesuits) to have his way with Israel, to pollute His Holy Land and stomp Jerusalem with his filthy EU jackboot for three and a half years -- a signature act that God has so decreed it (Dan. 12:7).

Jeremiah 1:13-16

13 And the word of the LORD came to me the second time, saying, "What do you see?"

And I said, "I see a boiling pot, and it is facing away from the north."

14 Then the LORD said to me:

"Out of the north calamity shall break forth

On all the inhabitants of the land.

15 For behold, I am calling

All the families of the kingdoms of the north," says the LORD;

"They shall come and each one set his throne

At the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem,

Against all its walls all around,

And against all the cities of Judah.

16 I will utter My judgments

Against them concerning all their wickedness,

Because they have forsaken Me,

Burned incense to other gods,

And worshiped the works of their own hands.

Israel's election of the bought and paid for foreign interest party, the rotten to the core Kadima party of prostitutes and criminals, proved Israel was intent on going backwards, dead set on digging themselves in deeper, rather than going forward (as Kadima means "forward" in Hebrew, twisted purposely in true Luciferian style - Isa. 5:20) to get out of their national mess:

Jeremiah 7:23-24

23 But this is what I commanded them, saying, 'Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.' 24 Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but followed the counsels and the dictates of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward.

Both Torah-observant Jews and Christian Zionists warned Israelis against Kadima and encouraged them to remember the Land Covenant to keep it (it's the Promised Land of Israel). Men and women of faith implored Israelis to refuse to surrender to post-Zionist forces who would continue to dismember the Jewish Homeland to forge an accursed "Palestine" that would ultimately burn every Jew.

The Grand Master, quoted above, is thinly veiling his references to UN Resolution 181. It's been laying in wait all these years, like the secret Nazis -- both about to come back with a vengeance!

Catholic Europe is determined to restore their Royals to dormant thrones and revive the "Holy Roman Empire" with its crown: the Crusader-Kingdom of Jerusalem.

Treacherous Jews, UNJews, apostate Jews, aid and abet those who would undermine Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem. Forces within and without the Holy Land are driven to help Rome fulfill its grand design and pave the way to transfer Israel's most prized possession, its priceless crown jewel -- the Temple Mount -- to the Vatican. Mt. Zion is already under siege, as they seek to secure a foothold to breach the Holy City.

The glorious good news, our glimmer of hope in this growing world of darkness, is that Two Witnesses will rise and shine and testify in occupied Jerusalem and face the nations and address Israel's captive audience -- in the spirit of Elijah -- and give hope and comfort that our God will come and save us. The unholy alliance between Ahab (Israelites and Jews) and Jezebel (Roman Catholic Cult) will soon be history, as we're assured its days are numbered.

David Ben-Ariel is a Christian-Zionist writer and author of Beyond Babylon: Europe's Rise and Fall. Check out the Beyond Babylon blog.

And let them make me a Sanctuary that I may dwell among them" (Ex. 25:8).

This holy command in the Scriptures seems clear enough, so what's the problem? Why has Israel tolerated Jerusalems "abomination of desolation" a Temple Mount without a Temple? Why havent the religious leaders encouraged the people to do what they can in fulfilling this mitzva?

Why are the political leaders afraid of such thoughts and shamefully bar my entry to Israel? Could such talk lead to war? Is the Arab moon god greater than the God of Israel? Have the Muslim hordes yet defeated the Lion of Judah? Isnt Jerusalem Israels eternal capital?

Must we wait until were perfect before we can build the Third Temple? Are we less worthy than our forefathers who provoked God ten times in the Wilderness, yet were instructed to build the Tabernacle?

Doesnt God work through very human instruments? How many times does God have to emphasize in the Torah that Hes chosen us because of His Great Purpose and love of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? Our role in Gods Plan is because of His goodness and mercy, not our greatness!

Where are the true leaders like Moses and David who made public appeals to prepare a Sanctuary for our God? (Ex. 35:4-5). Everyone, men and women, were encouraged to give of themselves in whatever way possible: skills and talents, time and materials. There was such an overwhelming response to Moses request that he had to ask for restraint! (Ex. 36:6-7).

David, unable to build the Temple, nevertheless did everything he possibly could in preparing for it. He didnt just pray about it and hope that someone else would do something! And setting such a sterling example, David used it as a golden opportunity to ask the nation to follow his lead. The rulers and people responded and found transcendent joy in their generosity! (1 Chron. 29:2,6).

It took Haggai and Zechariah to challenge the Jewish leaders of their day to quit making excuses and build the Temple. God had restored Judah to Zion, so why wasnt it time for Him to also be invited Home?

Note that those Jews made aliyah (emmigrated) to Israel and built the Temple without a Messiah! And for the first 22 years the Temple and sacrificial system was working WITHOUT THE ASHES OF THE RED HEIFER!

Israel and world Jewrys inaction concerning the Temple is without excuse! Even for those who would ignore biblical history and demand that we first become ritually pure, there's no reason for failing to prepare for that glorious day! Its incumbent upon the Chief Rabbinate and Israeli government to do so!

Israel must make a public call and international issue stating the The Vatican must return the Temple treasures!

Thankfully, the Temple Mount Faithful, the Temple Institute and Yeshiva Ateret Cohanim have begun the process. As Abraham Lincoln stated: "I will prepare and the opportunity will present itself."

David Ben-Ariel is a Christian-Zionist writer in Ohio and author of Beyond Babylon: Europe's Rise and Fall. With a focus on the Middle East and Jerusalem, his analytical articles help others improve their understanding of that troubled region. Check out Beyond Babylon.

I am by no means a neat person. This list is from my own vast personal experience with the messes. You may have your own. However, if you are organizationally challenged, you WILL relate to this humorous top ten type list! I am an official wannabe neat freak. Unfortunately, all you will get from me is humor, support, and insights into the mind of an organizationally challenged work at home, homeschooling, overworked, and underpaid Mom of two.

OK...so when these things are goin' on in el' fridgeO...well, it may be time to...ya know...

* You have some old fruit that could be donated to science for a new type of penicillin.
* Your magnets have gone on strike.
* Your Baking Soda is fuzzy.
* There is something in there with a hairdo.
* Your milk is still in a glass container from the 50's.
* There is a hardened mass at the bottom that may be used to cut diamonds.
* You would rather use the fast food ketchup packs than what's in your ketchup bottle.
* You swear that something is living in the veggie bin.
* Your lunch meat has become jerky...and you didn't plan it.
* You can smell the contents of your fridge from the living room.
* When there is a package in there that says cheddar, but you swear it's limburger.
* And...when what you thought were brussel sprouts are actually icicles.

I hope this made you laugh and encourages you to clean your refrigerator! It can be quite a daunting task, however, once you get it clean, you will be happier! Plus, you will reduce the risk of getting any food born illnesses!

I would love for you to stop by ThouShaltClean.com and submit your own humorous tales. However, I must warn you, if you are naturally neat, you may not fit in to the chaos!

Copyright Lara Velez, ThouShaltClean.com

Lara Velez is a Christian wife and homeschooling Mother of two. She is a published writer, successful web designer (http://designedbylara.com), and the owner of ThouShaltClean.com (http://thoushaltclean.com), a site for the organizationally challenged. She also enjoys cooking, writing, scrapbooking, and web design.

Do you want to know what there is about Doomsday? Your chance is finally here. Doomsday first appeared in 1992 in Superman: The man of steel. Doomsday was a creation by a scientist from an alien world, trying to create the perfect life form. The process which created Doomsday was the most pity invoking of all Superman villains.

During Krypton's most violent time, as an infant, he was put out in the horrific atmosphere to die. When the baby died, whatever was left was harvested and used again to recreate him, only to let him die again. This process happened thousands of thousands of times so that this being would be a better, stronger life each time until he reached perfection. Doomsday would forever carry the memory of these deaths and eventually force him to detest all living things.

For this most menacing of Superman villains, defeating the entire Justice League was achieved easily, and this caught Superman's attention. In fact, he battled the team with one hand tied behind his back, literally. There was only one of the group who had any chance of defense against Doomsday, and that was Maxima. Once Superman and Doomsday meet, they are ready to battle. Much unlike other Superman villains, Doomsday was more than a match for Superman, and in one battle, they both fought hard and long, with Superman taking serious damage and losing strength quickly. Both of them would continue to fight, neither would concede.

At the end of possibly the greatest comic book battle of all time, each of the fighters simultaneously struck the other with a fatal blow. Thus, the end of Superman, and the legacy lives on. At that point, a Cyborg took Doomsday to a place faraway, never to return again, so they thought.

Want to know more about your favorite villains? Visit Superman Villains and discover little know facts about Doomsday, Darkseid and the rest of the Superman villains.

Kim Basinger in this film brings to life one of the strangest paths that leads from catatonic grief to no holds barred carnal pyrotechnics that I've ever seen in a movie, which makes it not easy to understand the Marion character.

How can a mother bring "closure" to her son's death by having sex (and definitely not "love") with a college kid that exactly looks like her son, and do it not once or twice but 60 times over a few months is really hard to understand.

Yet it is clear that she thinks not to be a mother to her young daughter is better than to be a "bad mother" to her. That's a little bit more understandable a motivation that helps us put her final act into a perspective. And at the end, our sympathies are still with her. That's the kind of winning performance she manages to pull through.

And let's not forget the two other actors who contribute significantly to this solid production.

Mimi Rogers (as Ted's painting model and humiliation object Evelyn Vaughn), smart and strong in every film she did in the past, still looks so irresistible at her mid-age and delivers her part without a flaw even though it has relatively few lines. She is as dependable a supporting actress as they come.

Let's also applause the 5 year old gem, Elle Fanning, who plays Ted and Marion's precocious little daughter Ruth. It's scary to witness the intelligence and talent this little girl has at only age five. What's she going to be like when she is fifteen or thirty five? How many Oscars will she line up on her mantel when she is fifty five? I hope life will spare her from the dead ends that some similarly talented youngsters before her could not back out from -- observe Britney Spears. I wish this lovely and immensely talented acting prodigy many fruitful years ahead.

This is a small-budget movie with great actors and a terrific script and everything works like a (to use a contemporary metaphor) well-configured operating system ("well oiled machine" is so nineteen century). Or "Apple of a movie," I guess, if you excuse the irresistible world play there.

Highly recommended for those who enjoy intelligent adult dramas without any special effects or car chases -- well, almost no car chases. Highly recommended for those who enjoy intelligent adult dramas without any special effects or car chases -- well, almost no car chases.

Ugur Akinci, Ph.D. is a writer with 20 years of experience. He is available for a wide variety of freelance assignments. Visit his web site http://www.writer111.com for more information on his services.

When I was a child I had many sports heroes. I was born in 1957 so I was a big fan of Lombardi's Green Bay Packers of the 1960's. I can vividly remember watching each play of the famous Ice Bowl game with my father and brother. I remember sobbing painfully when I thought that my beloved Packers would lose that game and I also remember celebrating ecstatically as Bart Starr snuck into the end zone to score the winning touchdown. What a feeling!

Another hero of my early years was Cassius Clay. Many of you young people would know him as Muhammad Ali. Clay was a brazen, skillful, fast as lightning heavyweight boxer. Crowds admired him for his skills, but despised him for his bravado and cockiness. Many watched him because they wanted to see him lose.

Did you know?

Cassius Clay was a quiet, unassuming young man in his early boxing career. That would all change the night that he went to see a professional wrestling show featuring Gorgeous George. George was as loud, arrogant, and irreverent as anyone Clay had ever seen. He realized immediately that there was a certain amount of self- promotion missing from his act. Clay noticed George's display and also noticed that the arena was full to the rafters. There were 5000 people in the arena. Clay's biggest crowd to that time was 1500. That would change very soon. It was at that wrestling event that Cassius Clay became "The Greatest." Clay realized that even though he was blessed with amazing boxing skills, he would have to change his presentation and his way of thinking if he were to become the popular success that he envisioned himself to be.

You must understand that Clay/Ali was a very intelligent man and a student of the power of visualization and of positive self talk. He was who he was, as good as he was, because he gave himself permission to be and he believed strongly in the power of his visualizations.

You've all seen one or all of the Rocky movies by now. You've watched as Rocky runs up the many stairs of the Philadelphia Museum of Arts. As he reaches the top of the stairs he throws his arms into the air a symbol of triumph and his readiness to fight for the heavyweight championship of the world. What a great symbol. Any idea where the hands over head in celebration came from? You guessed it, Muhammad Ali.

"I am the Greatest"

Whether you're a champion athlete or you're an average guy or gal who has big dreams and wants to be a champion, you can kick your subconscious mind into gear by seeing yourself as a winner in whatever endeavor you want to achieve championship status in.

Here's a few tips:

1. Close your eyes and see yourself with arms raised in celebration before whatever contest you might enter. Do the work and visualize yourself winning regularly and you'll be pleasantly surprised by how often it becomes reality

2. Say the words to yourself (say them out loud)

"I will ace this test"

"I am a champion"

"I expect big things of myself"

"I will win"

3. Do it while you're looking in a mirror.

4. Do it everyday for 2-3 minutes 2-3 times per day.

This may feel a bit uncomfortable to you as you start. All good things take time. Don't give up.

Understand this reality- your subconscious mind doesn't know the difference between real and unreal. It will, however, turn your life into that which you consistently think about and focus on. Think as if you already possess the quality that you seek. Your mind is your greatest tool. Utilize it well and fill it with good thoughts and incredible goals.

You too can be "The Greatest"

Make the plan, work the plan-

Fred Nicklaus

For tips on raising more Rock Solid Kids visit http://www.ConfidentKidsCoach.com for free tips on raising your child to be a leader, and for the fitness training that will sky rocket your core body strength, check out http://www.CombatEnduranceTraining.com.

With income mortgage protection behind you there would be no worry of where to find your mortgage repayments if you lost your own income. A policy would be there for you to make a claim against once you have been unemployed through such as redundancy or if you are unable to work after suffering an accident or an illness.

Income mortgage protection would ensure that you would not get into arrears with your mortgage and so you would not be at risk of losing your home to the lender through repossession. You would be able to determine the amount that you insured against when taking out policy with a standalone provider and in some cases would be able to save on the cost of protecting the roof over your head by as much as 40%. If you choose a payment protection specialist that offers age based policies then the cost of the cover would also go on your age. This is excellent for first time home buyers who sometimes have pushed their outgoings to the limit by taking on huge borrowings to buy their home. Where once covering their mortgage repayments was impossible age based premiums make it possible.

Of course income protection would also allow you to keep up with other essential outgoings and one of the repayments you could continue making would be your loan repayments. If you want to keep out of debt and keep your credit rating in good form then taking out protection that would allow you to continue repaying is essential. You could maintain the payments and this would ensure that you would not earn a bad mark against your credit file. If you do get a bad credit rating through missed repayments then borrowing in the future could be almost impossible. Getting behind on loan repayments could also mean the lender could take you to court and in the worst case you would gain a County Court Judgement against you.

Your policy would also allow you to pay any other essential bills such as heating, lighting and food bills. You would not have to juggle money around or skip payments and hope that the red bill does not drop through the letter box.

Income mortgage protection would begin to payout after a certain period of time which differs depending on the provider. Some will begin to provide you with a tax-free income after 30 days and the protection could be backdated to the first date of unemployment or incapacity. Other providers might ask that you wait as long as the 90th day before putting in your claim. Providers could payout on the policy for 12 months while with others it could be extended to the 24th month. You do have to check the terms to find this information and also information relating to the exclusions which are always found in any policy. The amount of exclusions that exist in the cover would again depend on the provider. Some add in the basic few while others could add-in many and these need to be checked against your circumstances if you are to be sure you would be eligible to put in a claim.

Simon Burgess is Managing Director of the award-winning British Insurance, a specialist provider of income mortgage protection.

Losing your job is one of the most upsetting and stressful periods of your life. However there is more to it than just being out of work perhaps for the first time in your life, you also have to take into account the loss of income. You will have to face up to the fact that you have bills coming into the home that still have to be maintained each month and other than your redundancy money have nothing coming in. One way of protecting yourself is by considering one of the unemployment protection policies that a specialist in payment protection offers.

You are able to take out unemployment protection for mortgage and loan repayments and you can also take out a policy for your income in general. Which policy you choose to take out will depend on what you have to payout each month and your circumstances. They all take into account the fact of your age and how much you want to insure against when setting the premium. The premium will also vary with providers and standalone specialist providers can help you to make savings of up to 40% on protecting your mortgage and 80% for your loan repayments.

A policy is usually offered with a deferment period and this is the amount of time that you need to be unemployed before you are able to put in a claim. Usually it will be in the region of between 30 and 90 days. Some providers will backdate your policy to the first day of you becoming unemployed and others do not so check this in the terms and conditions. A policy would then run for between 12 and 24 months again depending on the terms set by the provider.

Income payment protection cover would provide the most protection as this allows you to insure up to a certain amount of your own income. If you then need to make a claim you would get this money back tax-free. You can use it to continue meeting the demands of your mortgage and this is essential. By getting behind on your mortgage by just one missed payment the lender will want to know how and when you are going to catch up. Keep missing payments and they will instruct their solicitor to take you to court to repossess your home and have you evicted.

Of course income cover as unemployment protection would allow you more protection than just for your mortgage. You would also be able to keep up with all of your other outgoings such as any loan or credit card repayments you have to make each month. If you get behind on these then again serious problems arise. At the very least your credit rating would be affected and if you wanted to borrow again in the future this could be very hard. You might even have to pay top rates of interest for a bad credit loan. In the worst case you could see the lender taking you to court and this would mean a County Court Judgement and possibly bailiffs taking your possessions. You would also not have the worry of where to find money for bills such as food, heating and lightning or have to make drastic changes to your lifestyle.

Simon Burgess is Managing Director of the award-winning British Insurance, a specialist provider of unemployment protection.

There are many different types of traveller. There are business men and women who are flying from one city to another for brief meetings, then there are families taking a two week holiday to the sun with young children, then there are students or gap year travellers who will be backpacking around exotic locations on extremely low budgets. There are really about as many different types of traveller as there are different types of person.

There are many different approaches you can take to booking your travel arrangements. Your main priority may be convenience, for example if you have a meeting near the airport you will need airport accommodation and little else, however, if you are travelling for pleasure, you are likely to have far less restrictions and will be willing to consider all types of arrangements. You can have these arranged for you by a travel agent or you could do it for yourself online. Or alternatively, you may wish to simply travel to a city or country with absolutely no plans and just see what happens when you get there.

On of the things you should always travel with is proper health and travel insurance. Obviously your requirements will again vary depending on what kind of travel you are undertaking. If you are travelling for business, full travel insurance that will provide you with alternative flights if yours is cancelled or delayed will be important. For most holiday travellers, this may not be quite as important. If you are travelling with children you may wish to consider it, but otherwise you may be quite flexible and tolerant if delays do occur. But you may be more worried about your luggage and belongings and wish to have good coverage for loss or damage to your property. All these options are available today with the various travel insurance companies that are operating in the market.

Generally speaking, you will always need health insurance when you travel. You cannot afford to take the risk that an accident or serious injury occurs and you do not have proper coverage. There are many parts of the word where free national health insurance is not provided and if you do require medical treatment, it will only be provided if you can pay for it. Particularly if you are travelling with children, you should always arrange adequate travel insurance with medical coverage. This is simply a risk that you do not want to be bearing yourself especially when the cost of travel insurance is so affordable.

Joseph Kenny is the webmaster of the insurance site http://www.insure121.com/ where you will find information, news and links to the leading providers of travel insurance in the UK.

Recently, the Principles Based Valuation approach (PBV) has enjoyed considerable support and momentum within the life and health insurance industry. Instead of prescribed methods, assumptions, and tables for statutory reserves, they would be computed based on actuarial judgment in accordance with standards of practice. A key requirement would be peer review of such reserves by another professional actuary, before reserves were officially released.

Many actuaries have already spent considerable hours of professional time in developing the framework for a viable valuation structure. Our primary trade association, the American Council of Life Insurers, has endorsed the approach in late 2005. However, one regulator has referred to the Principles Based Valuation support as a "steam roller." This should be the time for small insurers and others to voice their reservations about the entire Principles Based Valuation proposal. Strict opposition may not be appropriate, but key questions should be asked.

Reservations

These reservations include:

1. Is there a burning need for Principles Based Valuation? Supposedly, it would reduce redundancies inherent in current statutory reserve requirements. The 3 or 4 industry groups who seem most concerned with alleged redundant statutory reserve levels are: High amount competitive term writers (through requirements for deficiency reserves); universal life writers whose minimum guarantees result in policies that are defacto term (and who may not hold reserves at all, or possibly not even half the cost of insurance after account values have run out); term insurers who have designed policies creatively to lessen reserve requirements of Regulation XXX; and variable life and annuity writers who apparently believe the New York Insurance Department's standard scenario to cover minimum general account guarantees is too high a reserve basis. There may be insurers of other products also. Mostly, there are large companies, but small insurers may also be part of this constituency. However, do these industry groups represent a majority of insurance companies?

2. Would adoption of Principles Based Valuation lead to still lower statutory reserves, even without the above portions, and bring their prevailing levels closer to reserves under generally accepted accounting principles? Would this be desirable from a solvency viewpoint?

3. Some small companies are concerned about a "level playing field." Large companies, willing and able to pay for an actuarial peer review, could hold smaller statutory reserves under Principles Based Valuation. Would this provide them an unfair competitive advantage?

4. Statutory reserves under Principles Based Valuation need continued qualification for federal income tax purposes. Proposals so far have called for a cash value floor as a minimum reserve, in hope that this would protect tax qualified status. However, this floor would not apply to term life or health insurance reserves. Also, the Treasury has sometimes implied that they will not allow reserves that do not correspond to a table specifically mentioned in National Association of Insurance Commissioners regulations.

5. The New York Insurance Department recently proposed a model law and regulation to implement Principles Based Valuation. Some aspects of it may have merit. For example, it seems to require sufficient margins in reserves that would keep Principles Based Valuation liabilities more conservative than under generally accepted accounting principles (if not very close to current statutory levels). Also, the model law describes Principles Based Valuation as an option, while expressing no preference for formulaic versus stochastic calculations.

6. On the other hand, at least one objection could be raised to New York's proposal. For testing reserves with minimum reserve scenarios (gross premium reserves), they seem to propose that minimum test reserves use a Treasury rate of interest, regardless of the company's investing rate of return. New York had previously demanded that these minimum or best estimate reserves be increased to 7.5 percent as official tests. This latter seems sufficiently conservative. An additional requirement for a Treasury rate of interest when a company is earning more than this (even in the current low interest environment) seems unrealistic.

7. Some regulators have expressed concern that, under Principles Based Valuation, small companies, left to their own devices, would hold unacceptably low reserves. If peer reviewing actuaries, for these purposes, are deemed agents of regulators, and their responsibilities are sufficiently defined, this could answer their concern.

8. Some proponents of Principles Based Valuation have referred to the recent bankruptcy of Equitable Life in the United Kingdom. They seem to claim that this demonstrates the need for Principles Based Valuation in the United States, so that actuaries can use all their professional judgment in setting sound reserves.

This argument seems weak. For many years, in Britain and other countries, actuaries have been setting reserves under an equivalent of Principles Based Valuation. Peer reviews or adequate peer review standards may have been lacking. However, Britain seems to be backing away from Principles Based Valuation, so as to hold actuaries to very strict oversight from a government Board. In effect, the entire actuarial profession in that country received a black eye (deserved or not) from existence of defacto Principles Based Valuation.

9. One implied argument for Principles Based Valuation, not so far explicitly stated, is that its adoption will raise the status of actuaries. This would come at a time when the profession is very concerned about its image, its status in the general field of risk management, and concern over inroads to actuarial prerogatives from other professions.

First, reserve calculations have always been tied to unique actuarial expertise. Also, actuaries design current formulaic reserves and reserve standards. Society of Actuaries members, both from industry and departments, have prepared new reserve tables as experience has evolved. Actuaries have designed guidelines and reserve standards for even more complex products.

In other words, even before actuarial judgment and peer review have been emphasized in the new proposal, actuaries have always been intimately involved with statutory reserve developments of all sorts.

10. One primary concern over Principles Based Valuation is the belief of some actuaries that stochastic processing techniques should be used in all reserve calculations. They claim that stochastic is inherently superior to formulaic approaches, such that actuaries should be forced to justify why they don't choose the stochastic approach.

The dictionary defines stochastic as "a process involving a randomly determined sequence of observations, each of which is considered as a sample of one element from a probability distribution." The key words here are "probability distribution." The distribution is chosen in advance and is itself an assumption. It may be based on statistical experience and professionally compiled, but it is still an assumption.

Proponents have stated that stochastic calculations can capture the outlying risks inherent in many coverage's i.e. very low probabilities, but extremely damaging if actualized. Again, these low probabilities themselves are assumptions within an overall distribution.

All or almost all formulaic reserve scenarios call for alternative calculations. The greater the tail risk, the more likely that large numbers of alternative reserves are needed to capture the range of outcomes. This could well result in higher reserves. The more numerous the benefit options, and the more extensive the variety of policyholder behaviors that could affect results, the greater the number of alternative scenarios that should be tested. This involves sound actuarial judgment. In short, this does not seem to demonstrate the superiority of the stochastic approach.

11. A key element of the current stochastic approach is the Conditional Tail Expectation (CTE). It involves use of reserves based on the arithmetic average of the desired number of worst-case scenarios. In other words, "65CTE" uses the average of the 35 worst-case scenarios. An "80CTE" uses the average of the 20 worst-case scenarios. This means that "80CTE" would have worse results and higher reserves than "65CTE."

However, these worst-case scenarios are themselves assumptions within the probability distribution. Many adverse scenarios, unless weighted by a probability, would mean insolvency of the company. It would only make sense to use them if so weighted. Actually, true worst-case scenarios involve:

a. All policyholders dying.

b. All policyholders under health insurance entering nursing homes for 20+ year stays.

c. For variable coverage, the stock market tumbling to zero and all policyholders transferring to the general account and then dying.

No one uses these scenarios, because they mean the breakdown of our society.

12. Some proponents of Principles Based Valuation have stated that small companies could request exemptions from stochastic processing requirements. However, as stated above, sufficient justification for the inherent superiority of this approach has not been provided. Only then could stochastic be touted as a required replacement for the traditional formulaic option.

13. It is a legitimate concern that these proponents could insert requirements for use of stochastic processing into Actuarial Standards of Practice.

14. In regard to the stochastic processing approach, some actuaries have stated, "If we don't do it, somebody else will." In other words, if actuaries don't uniformly adopt the stochastic approach, other statisticians or non-actuaries will replace the profession as those qualified to calculate reserves. One answer to this argument is that there are activities that no one should be doing. In other words, even today, stochastic processing will undoubtedly be used extensively in calculating or testing reserves for certain products. For it to become a uniform standard, though, it must be subjected too much more rigorous tests and critiques than employed so far.

Summary of Issues

Small companies should be aware of possible pluses, but also, significant pitfalls, from the Principles Based Valuation proposals. Pluses include:

1. Possibly lower statutory reserves, especially for a company writing certain types of products that generate large deficiency reserves or other types of reserves mentioned above.

2. Potential to enter into certain product lines where previous reserve requirements would have kept them out.

Minuses include:

1. Onerous expenses from peer review.

2. Onerous expenses from software and computer machine time involved in stochastic processing.

Possible Approaches for Small Companies:

1. Oppose Principles Based Valuation across the board.

2. Lobby for Principles Based Valuation laws and regulations to be general and not require or in any way favor either the formulaic or stochastic approach.

3. Insist that either formulaic or stochastic approaches remain optional.

4. Actuaries for small insurers should remain watchful and oppose any attempt to mandate use of stochastic approaches in Actuarial Standards of Practice.

5. Lobby for Principles Based Valuation requirements for peer review and for margins that are "appropriate to the risk profile of the particular insurer." In other words, small companies with relatively simple portfolios of products and investments should be able to employ Principles Based Valuation with the least amount of additional expenses.

Norman E. Hill, FSA, MAAA, CPA, http://www.noralyn.com has executive experience with large and small insurers. A frequent speaker and facilitator for the life and health insurance industry, Norm is well known for his articles on a broad range of insurance industry issues. Norm's expertise includes strategic, financial, and regulatory planning, along with a wide variety of special projects. He has been a partner with 2 of the Big 4 accounting firms, Chief Actuary and CFO of a large insurance holding company, and Executive B.P. and Chief Actuary for a smaller insurance company. Norm is currently active in several industry and actuarial committees as well as a member of the Board of Directors of the National Alliance of Life Companies. Norm's book, "Winner and Final Chairman" http://www.booksbyhills.com was recently released. It is about a corporate power struggle, in which some great innovative plans fall apart, for almost everyone, due to infighting, backstabbing, indifference-make that mistreated and misused, abandoned and abused. Norman is published in many insurance industry magazines. He also writes some travel articles with his wife Maralyn.

I learned of a story this week that really tugs at the heartstrings.

A man in our area is fighting with his insurance company because they don't feel he is stressed enough. Mental maybe, but not stressed.

Let me go back to the beginning. The man, a family guy whose life was good; wife, children, job. Then they have a child who is not well and has to live at Toronto Sick Kids Hospital with mom at his side. That's bad. Dad is stressed. He can't eat, he can't sleep, he can't concentrate at work. That in itself is a safety hazard cause his job entails concentration.

So, the man's doctor does not think this man should be at work. His new child, is dependent on him and he needs to focus. The doctor says this guy is a mess. The man needs to be there for his other children and he needs to be there for his wife.

The doctor tells this man he is far too stressed to work and tells him get the insurance papers. The man has been paying into this program for years and has never filed a claim. Now he needs the service. He brings the papers to the doctor, the doctor fills them out and the man sends them away. The insurance company declines the request. They want to know what drugs he is taking. They want to know 20 pages of stuff. They suggest the man may need a psychiatrist. They could fulfill the wishes of the applicant if he could just be crazy. The man does not want to be mentally ill, he just wants to help his family. Maybe he should see a psychiatrist to confirm his case.

There are many people who think they are covered under all kinds of policies. That is until they try to collect.

David Share, a life insurance denial lawyer who specializes in these kinds of cases says he fights the insurance companies in such issues and usually wins. He says it is difficult to know what the "magic wording" is in this man's situation but at the end of the day, if a doctor states the man is stressed, that is almost always the final word. He said a legal solution is not immediate and will not alleviate the financial situation for the man, but it is a means to the end. Medical evidence is solid, he says and that should not be disputed.

Granted, the insurance company deals with fraud all the time. That is a given in today's society. People try to stick it to the big guy. So, premiums go up and we all pay. But, in this case, the man has what seems to be a valid claim. Maybe the illness is not specifically to him, it is his dependent child who is sick. That is likely what the insurance company is hanging its hat on. More and more employees who find themselves unable to work due to serious illness, accident or stress find that between their employer and group disability insurer, the race is on to show them the back of the hand, and the door. Please visit sharelawyers.com for more information.

Jacob is a well known author who writes on the topics related to Bad faith Insurance Claim litigation & Disability Claims.

Small auto loans are the path for you which lead to the destination of fulfillment of your hope of enjoying a car of your own. This loan comes to you as a help when you are in a dire need of that extra money to buy the car.

Small auto loans can be of two types. They are secured loans and unsecured loans. To get secured auto loans, you will have to produce security and collateral against the loan amount accessed with. The unsecured auto loan is easier to avail. That is without pledging any security. There is a minute thing to understand about the small auto loans. You will not get the whole amount which you need to buy the car. Only a small part of the amount is allocated through the loans. People with bad credit status are now provided these loans by the lenders. For this, they had to assure the lenders that they are in suitable position to repay the loans.

These loans are to be paid within short period of time. The interest rate goes down if the down payment is higher. In the secured loans, the interest rate is lower as compared to the unsecured ones. The simple reason is the pledging of collateral or security against the loan amount.

Financial institution along with auto dealers allocates these loans to the borrowers. These loans are also available online. The online lenders offer different quotes, terms, conditions, etc. Do research work before entering into the term with any lenders. In case you are opting for the small auto loans of secured type, you will have to produce security. Mostly the car can be placed as collateral. You can even use your home, assets and jewellery as the security. You will have to be a citizen of UK. You must be above 18. You must have a monthly income source. The proof of your income and residence must e provided to the lender.

Kalvin Jason is proficient in the credit market because of a degree in finance from the esteemed University of Oxford. He has also done his masters in insurance management from the Risk Management Research Institute. To find used car loan, new car loan, loan calculator visit http://www.ultracarloans.com

Mortgage life insurance protects the family of the borrower against the danger of losing the home due to non-payment in case of the borrowers' death. Mortgage life insurance offers peace of mind to the lenders as well as the borrowers since the mortgage will be repaid, no matter what. It is possible for borrowers to obtain mortgage life insurance online.

There are a number of mortgage lenders online who not only provide mortgage but also mortgage life insurance online. There are many Web sites that allow customers to compare mortgage life insurance rates of the different companies at the same time. This process saves a lot of time, effort and money of the customers. It also allows customers to compare and contrast various mortgage life insurance options to find one that best suits their needs.

Online mortgage life insurance includes two major types of insurance options. They are decreasing term insurance and level term insurance. Decreasing term insurance is for the mortgage borrowers who have taken a repayment mortgage loan. As the balance on the mortgage decreases, the sum of life insurance cover also decreases. Level term insurance is especially designed for borrowers who have an interest only mortgage. Terminal illness benefit guards the borrower against the risk of losing his home, if the payment is not made due to loss of income. Critical illness is additional coverage can be taken as it ensures a payout of the sum of the coverage in case of a critical illness.

The family's emotional as well as financial loss is already a lot to cope with. The worry about how to keep the house as well gets a little too much for the individual. Therefore, borrowers take a mortgage life insurance as the balance mortgage amount is paid by the insurance company.

Mortgage Life Insurance provides detailed information on Mortgage Life Insurance, Mortgage Life Insurance Leads, Mortgage Life Insurance Quotes, Mortgage Life Insurance Rates and more. Mortgage Life Insurance is affiliated with Mortgage Insurance Leads.

Student auto insurance is very essential for young motorists and drivers. Uninsured driving could put a question mark on your future and lifelong driving and credit ratings. It could also land you in jail if you have an accident and are without any student auto insurance. You can avail different discounts and other concessions on your insurance premium by adhering to simple restrictions.

What are the available premium rates?

Premium rates of student auto insurance are normally high. There are various determinants like your age, driving record, your car make like sports car, etc. DUI-Driving under influence of alcohol or drugs or DWI-Driving while intoxicated receives higher ratings on your premium. Besides, new age and trendy cars are mostly of fiberglass and hence insurance companies ask for higher premiums to insure such cars.

Additionally, you pay premiums according to your place of residence. Proximity to bigger and prominent cities attracts higher premiums. Again premium rates go north if you are male under the age of twenty-five as accident rates for people in this category are the maximum. Normal annual insurance rates for students range from $3,600 to $13,800.

Can I lower my insurance premiums?

Yes, you can lower your student auto insurance premiums through simple measures. The best option is to maintain good driving records. Discounts also depend on your academic grades. Maintain good levels in your college grades and present a copy of your mark sheet to insurance company to receive substantial discounts.

If you live close to your campus and drive less, you can opt for low-mileage discount. Further discounts are available for participating in Drivers Training Programs, community defensive driving classes, etc. It is best to receive coverage through your parents auto insurance as secondary driver.

If you install different alarm and antitheft devices, automatic seat belts, air bags, etc. in your car, you can ask for substantial discounts on your student auto insurance. A higher deductible lowers premium rates. Besides, you need to ensure that there are no gaps in your insurance coverage.

You should buy your new policy before you are out of your parents policy coverage. Drive old cars instead of new makes as you then pay lower premiums. Most important of all is to drive confidently and steadily to avoid accidents and develop a good driving record, which can hold you in good stead in the future

Helping our student drivers get better rates on Student Auto Insurance stop by our site and get a no obligation Discount Car Insurance quote today. The Cheapest Car Insurance anywhere.

For most of us who work and get medical benefits through our employer, once a year we are asked to select an insurance plans as part of our health benefits. Every year we are also given a choice to add coverage for dental and vision insurance.

Some employers may not provide the coverage for both dental and vision coverage but in some cases they may cover up to a certain amounts or some basic services. For example federal employees have their own federal employees dental and vision insurance program.

Normally since we go along with the employers group insurance provider we may be able to get a discount rate for vision and dental plans.

It is highly recommended for you to scrutinize the dental and vision plans offered in order to see what are the services covered and you can do the cost benefit analysis. That is comparing the services offered to the monthly premium amounts that you have to pay.

Most of the time you will come out as a winner, since dental and vision package can save you a lot of money in the long run. Most of the major provider make this plan available at a reasonable rate. Some of the plan are tied to your health insurance but some are available independently.

At the same time you may also realize that your vision or dental check up are long overdue and it is about time to visit the dentist or eye doctor.

Most of the adults do not visit eye doctor or dental office on a regular basis. Many of us will visit the dentist and the eye doctor only when we have problems and absolutely have no other choice.

It is very important for the adults to get regular dental and vision care especially as we get older. Of course with the coverage of dental and vision plan, that would take care of the expenses for the services provided.

The cost for dental and vision insurance is relatively cheaper than the regular medical or health insurance. For a simple reason since your visit to dentist or eye doctor are less frequent than your visit to family doctor.

On a final note, it is a very good deal to have both dental and vision insurance as a package plan. If you look at the long term the benefits, it is far out weight the monthly cost.

Dental and vision expenses are normally quite expensive. Without insurance coverage it is pretty painful to pay from your own pockets.

Zul Rahman is a freelance writer who writes and contribute on various topics of interest. For more resources on discount dental plan and also on dental insurance plan and package for individual, family, business owner and self employed visit his website at http://www.dental-insurance-guide.com

In our world today the having of loans either mortgage loans or consumer loans has been made necessary. The idea of using cash for payment is no longer advisable due to the rising cost of living and high cost of everything. Loans acquired can be used to buy a home which is a long term investment unlike an automobile which takes money worth of getting two new homes. Having two major differences, a home increases in value while automobiles depreciate in value. Also automobile loans can only extend from 24months to 72 months while payments in mortgage loans are extended for, 30 years and above.

Many consumers fail to understand that they can still get a value out of their cars than selling it for a new model. This can only be done by getting an auto refinance loan. Without this a consumer ends up buying a car with the help of auto loan and by the time the auto loan is paid off the car looses its value. For a car that costs $25,000 you might end up paying $40,000 with the rate of interest. But with an auto refinance loan the bank will transfer the value of the first car thereby placing on the second car.

Auto refinance loan helps the consumer to pay less the amount stipulated for a new car because the value of the old car will be deducted from the price of the new car. With this the idea of paying a big amount of money or paying for a new car won't come in.

Author: Ndimele Ikechukwu Phelim "Iyke Phelim"

Quality Service Provider. Loans And Loan Quotes Available Online. Visit:

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With gas prices reaching close to $4.00 a gallon nation wide, everyone is looking for ways to cut their expenses.

One way of cutting down on the budget is to get the cheapest car insurance available and still have good coverage. You need to find out what companies offer discounts for defensive driving. Which company has discounts for your teenagers?

Many companies take certain situations into consideration; for instance, the number one item on a companies list would be your credit rating. Your credit rating has the greatest impact on your auto insurance.

If you own your own home helps in lowering your premium rates considerably. Having your home and car insurance from the same company helps tremendously.

The more safety features you have on your car helps lower the premium even more. Safety features such as air bags, anti-lock brakes, and automized seat belts in your car, having a small fire extinguisher within reach, keeping good tires on your car, if your car is equipped with environmental units such as emission control.

Any class that you have taken for defensive driving is another advantage you can use. You could check with the local city or state police to find out if they offer classes that may be taken, some insurance companies may even provide classes just for this purpose.

Having good grades in school can reduce your auto insurance, especially if the student maintains a "b" average or higher.

Taking part in a car pool will help lower premiums, as the time you spend on the road in your own vehicle determines how low your rates can become. The further you drive too and from work greatly increase your insurance rate.

If you have a good driving record is another very important aspect that insurance companies look for in a driver.

When shopping around for auto insurance quotes, be sure that the quotes you get from each comparison are for the same coverage that you want from the other companies. One company may offer a low cost, or cheap insurance covering two or three specific items, whereas, another company will offer only one or two of the same coverage and not the other.

When doing auto insurance comparisons check to see if the insurance company offers a discount on people that are below 25 years old.

The cheap auto insurance usually does not cover anyone other than yourself, to operate your vehicle, so never loan your car to your friends or relatives if you are the only person covered on your insurance policy.

When searching for auto insurance quotes online, ask them if there is a discount of some kind for getting online auto insurance.

Check quotes to find out if you can get greater deductions for collision and comprehensive coverage.

The area you will be driving in greatly affects your premium rates, if you are in the city and traffic is heavy will increase your chances of having an accident, rather than living in a rural area and only driving for a short distance.

Insurance companies also consider the fact that if you have had any tickets or been involved in an accident.

If you live in one state and have to move or commute to another state, it would be a very good idea to check with both states insurance laws to make sure that you will be covered in both states. You may have to make a change in your policy that will cover both states.

Kian Chew is a car insurance expert and owner of Car Insurance Hot Zone. Car Insurance Hot Zone helps those who wish to lower their car insurance cost for life by using a few basic rules and some strategies which few people know. You can instantly view the secrets by visiting http://www.CarInsuranceHotZone.com

With the advent of downloadable content on the internet and the rise of social networking websites, our buying habits have gone through a change when it comes to purchasing music.

With a wide range of mp3 players on the market and a variety of methods for selecting and downloading music, the choice for consumers is endless.

As we move away from the world of CDs and film reels into an age where music and photographs are stored and shared digitally, so the value of the data we keep on our computers is on the increase.

As a result, the risk of loss and theft has also increased, many now leave the house with packed music players and laptops - which may contain music files that run into thousands of pounds and priceless personal photographs and images for business purposes.

The thought of such equipment, and the data contained on it, being lost or stolen is enough to send a shiver down the spine of any music lover, graphic designer or social networking addict.

Whilst you are able to include electrical equipment - such as stereos and computers - on your home insurance policy, newer equipment such as mp3 players were not usually included in the list of contents that are covered by their policies.

However, many insurance companies are now beginning to include digital content - such as music, digital photographs and video game files - as part of home contents cover.

Keeping a record of your downloads can be crucial when it comes to making a claim, usually this can be done by e-mail - so printing the receipts and keeping them safe can be very beneficial should anything happen to your computer.

In order to ensure that your digital data is kept safe and secure, it's best to keep a backup of all your important data. Its also essential to ensure that you have updated anti-virus software installed on your computer, for your cover might not extend to loss and damage as a result of a computer virus.

External hard-drives are becoming more freely available and cheaper to purchase, so it can be worth buying one to give yourself a bit of reassurance and to keep your most important data secure.

It's always best to check with your contents insurance provider to see if there is the potential to cover your digital data. Many companies will offer the chance to insure your files as an add-on to your existing policy.

Looking for cheaper contents insurance? Compare a range of insurance providers to find a deal to keep your data safe.

If you and your family relocate overseas, one of your first priorities from a financial planning point of view may very well be establishing health care.

Costs and services abroad can differ greatly to what you are accustomed to back home. Therefore its essential to make sure that you are fully covered.

Starting with straight health insurance for you and your family you may then need to consider both critical illness insurance and income protection. Making sure that you have the important insurances in place will afford you greater peace of mind coupled with greater security as a family.

Personal peace of mind will enable you to get on with enjoying your time abroad and allow you to concentrate on establishing long term financial freedom.

Health insurance

In terms of health insurance, its essential to make sure that you and your family are covered in your new country of residence and also when travelling.

Always make sure that you are comfortable with any restrictions or limitations of policies recommended to you, and any excess you may be liable for in the event of a claim.

Medical costs differ greatly around the world, as do the standards of treatment available. Find out what services are available in your country of residence, what your expatriate insurance covers you for, and always make sure that you have the option to repatriate in the event of an emergency.

There are so very many companies offering health insurance to expatriates in the marketplace today and all come with features, benefits, exclusions and exceptions.

I would recommend that you speak to a financial adviser to find out what your best options are depending on your personal needs and those of your family.

With something as precious and essential as your health are you prepared to accept second best?

Know whats available and be a smart buyer!

Critical illness insurance

Critical illness insurance can take away stress and financial strain if ever you are incapacitated through serious illness.

Financial expenditure and outgoings will not cease if you are taken ill: your ability to provide for your family will however cease. Critical illness insurance is designed to payout in the event that you are unable to work due to serious and ongoing illness.

Income protection insurance

Income protection insurance may also be available to you and of interest. This insurance is used to replace a percentage of your income if you are unable to work through injury or illness.

Life Insurance

As an expatriate living in a foreign country there are many uncertainties, upheavals, unknowns and concerns especially when it comes to fiscal matters.

Life insurance is one of the most important products when it comes to peace of mind. You want to protect your loved ones in the event of your death protect them financially and emotionally.

For your family to maintain the same standard of living in the event of your death you have to make sure that you have the correct type and level of life insurance.

The type of life insurance you need depends on what you want to achieve with your policy.

If you simply require insurance against your untimely death for the fixed number of years of your offsprings childhood for example, this can be arranged via level term life insurance.

Decreasing term insurance can be used to pay off a mortgage or other loan in the event of your death during the outstanding period of the loan.

Whole of life insurance is exactly as it sounds it covers your beneficiary in the event of your death whenever it occurs.

And annual renewable life insurance can be used by expatriates who wish to insure themselves one year at a time depending on their changing circumstances.

Life insurance policies are available for your whole family and are definitely something worth considering when it comes to financial peace of mind.

First steps

Whether you are a new expatriate, an expatriate in a new country, or an expatriate worried about the levels of insurance you have for your family, you shouldnt put off until tomorrow that which you can get done and dusted today!

Yes, insurance is boring!
But insurance does bring protection.
And protection brings peace of mind.

When it comes to financial and wealth management and making your money work harder for you and your family, the first step is to actually make sure your current position is secured.

We all know that we should have enough in the bank readily to hand to cover a rainy day or an emergency trip back home but at the same time we need to look out for ourselves and our family today as well as securing our future tomorrow.

Based on your country of residence, country of domicile, intention to remain or repatriate, and the needs and requirements you have, a financial adviser will be best placed to advise you when it comes to all your insurances and assurances.

Rhiannon Williamson is the publisher of http://www.shelteroffshore.com/ - the online resource for expatriates, international investors and those dreaming of a new life abroad.

Shelter Offshore features three main channels - offshore investment, property investment abroad and overseas lifestyle.

Rhiannon Williamson also offers readers the chance to receive a free financial review or to improve their overall financial planning with The Offshore Advantage http://www.shelteroffshore.com/index.php/shelter/offshore_advantage/ This free guide teaches readers how to build secure wealth using their secret offshore advantage.

Small auto loans are the path for you which lead to the destination of fulfillment of your hope of enjoying a car of your own. This loan comes to you as a help when you are in a dire need of that extra money to buy the car.

Small auto loans can be of two types. They are secured loans and unsecured loans. To get secured auto loans, you will have to produce security and collateral against the loan amount accessed with. The unsecured auto loan is easier to avail. That is without pledging any security. There is a minute thing to understand about the small auto loans. You will not get the whole amount which you need to buy the car. Only a small part of the amount is allocated through the loans. People with bad credit status are now provided these loans by the lenders. For this, they had to assure the lenders that they are in suitable position to repay the loans.

These loans are to be paid within short period of time. The interest rate goes down if the down payment is higher. In the secured loans, the interest rate is lower as compared to the unsecured ones. The simple reason is the pledging of collateral or security against the loan amount.

Financial institution along with auto dealers allocates these loans to the borrowers. These loans are also available online. The online lenders offer different quotes, terms, conditions, etc. Do research work before entering into the term with any lenders. In case you are opting for the small auto loans of secured type, you will have to produce security. Mostly the car can be placed as collateral. You can even use your home, assets and jewellery as the security. You will have to be a citizen of UK. You must be above 18. You must have a monthly income source. The proof of your income and residence must e provided to the lender.

Kalvin Jason is proficient in the credit market because of a degree in finance from the esteemed University of Oxford. He has also done his masters in insurance management from the Risk Management Research Institute. To find used car loan, new car loan, loan calculator visit http://www.ultracarloans.com