My Destiny

Everyone finds there own destiny. It may for a work or love life, they keep on searching the best for them. Take for instance, in looking for a true love, they say that when you broke-up with your present lover then it is not yet your destiny to be in that person. That's why what ever happen when you feel that way, you must cheer-up because there is online "dating". Every adults is welcome to search their destiny in here. So don't waist your time anymore, have fun in finding the real love you've looking for. Wanna know more how it goes about it? Just browse in this site of "Free Dating USA". They have some featured services for you to know so that for the second time around an everlasting relationship will be your's to keep. That would only mean to say that more sweet memories can be experience to both of you. And will linger forever in your heart, mind and soul upon being together. So welcome! in this popular online dating. Truly that in here, you can say that you are born to be with in that awesome and awful boys and girls. This is your chance now to say that you already meet your destiny.

Sexy Birthday Gifts For Her

A birthday is a perfect opportunity to share your love and affection. Show her how much you love her, and remind her how sexy she is with one of the sexy birthday gifts her heart will flutter over.

Jewelry

Every woman knows jewelry helps you feel and look sexy. Whether it's a diamond-encrusted heart pendant, a gold anklet or charm bracelet with special-meaning charms, your woman will thank you again and again for the thoughtfulness behind a gift of jewelry. To some jewelry might seem frivolous, but to a woman in love, a piece of jewelry from her man is indicative of a true piece of his heart.

Gift Baskets

Other sexy birthday gifts her heart will thump over are gift baskets filled with her favorite things. Is she a big fan of chocolate? Order (or create your own) various chocolates based on her tastes. Perhaps she adores hazelnut chocolate, dark or even white chocolate, take the time to notice and the generous thought will come back to you threefold in the future. Adding items to the chocolate gift basket such as teddy bears, jewelry, lingerie or self-made "coupons" ensure her birthday will be one of the sexiest ever.

Perfume

Perhaps it has been overdone in the past, but perfume truly can be a unique and wonderful gift for the woman in your life. If you take notice of what she likes, the thought will be especially appreciated. Does she pick up the bottle of CK every time you enter the mall? Surprise her with it for her birthday. Perhaps she adores woodsy, earthy scents, ask the salesperson for a new scent based on what you know. Or perhaps try something different. You might find something you love and would love to smell on her, oftentimes spontaneous gifts such as these are perfect.

Lingerie

Lingerie is among the sexy birthday gifts her heart will adore, and so will yours. Sure, you can go to the big name places like Victoria's or Fredericks, but did you know you can also find lingerie at regular department stores, and many times they will be much less expensive - which allows you to purchase more! Keep in mind her body type and how she feels about her body. If she isn't comfortable showing lots of skin, be thoughtful and present her with a lacy or silky robe. It is also best, if possible, to obtain her measurements so you can be sure to purchase the right size. Take your cues from what is in her closet already, what she prefers to wear, and what she might have noticed in the past.

A Day at the Spa

Another of the sexy birthday gifts her heart will adore you for is a day at the spa. There isn't a woman alive who doesn't enjoy a day of pampering. Provide her with enough for a massage, perhaps a manicure and/or pedicure, and your woman will sure to reciprocate the kindness. In today's stressful world, there isn't a better gift around to show her how much you love and appreciate her.

Crude Oil Weekly Outlook

Crude oil prices continued to decline last week reaching a low at 6857 as demand hit a nine year low for the week ended Oct. 10. As demand has been in a steady downtrend, the price of a barrel of oil has been cut in more than half since peaking at 147.27 in July 2008. Crude oil closed the week out at 7185 on Friday's session of mild profit taking.

The overall technical trend remains down. However, we are likely to begin to see a pause in downward momentum with sideways to upward price action early this week as we've now hit our key monthly support range at 7100-6800. Additionally, in an effort to curb downward momentum, OPEC has moved their meeting up again to Oct. 24 and is expected to cut output by as much as 1 million bpd.

We'll be looking for upward moves this week to head into the 7500-7700 Resistance range, with the 7700 area being last week's key breakdown. Trade crossing above 7700 will be targeting the 8000 mark with OPEC goal to reclaim 8000 as their new benchmark price. If a settlement above 8000 is achieved for the week, we'll be looking at an expected trading range between 8000 and 9000 in the following weeks.

Trade that struggles this week at the 7500-7700 range is expected to leave downward pressure on oil, at least pre DOE reports and OPEC meeting, with dips retesting the 7100-6800 range. A turn below the lower end of the range at daily support 6850-6800 is expected to trigger a continuation of the major downtrend with the next objectives seen at 6300-6000 and potentially 5500 on any major DOE surprises.

Get Ready For the Global Financial Crisis

The failure of major US investment banks and insurance companies, and sharp declines in stock market indexes are affected the value of the world's major currencies. At present, major banks, central bankers, hedge funds, and home-based investors are in uncertain condition. Generally, when people feel unsure about market direction they will sell off their riskier assets and they buy safer investments.

When investor confidence collapse they will start buying US government debt. This is brings benefits to U.S dollar because they need dollars in order to buy US Treasury's. Investors are buying US Treasurys, which are viewed as safe investments because they are backed by the US Government. The riskiest investments have produced the biggest returns. This is the art of investing, the more risk you take, the larger your potential returns.

Generally a nation with a higher interest rate will attract more investment into its currency than a nation with a lower interest rate. The currency of the nation with the increased investment can rise in value as the demand for that currency increases.

The worst scenario is when paper money becomes virtually worthless, then consider gold or inflation adjusted Treasury securities. Neither investment will make you rich. But if either one will keep you from having a panic attack, then it's probably a good investment to save you from the hyperinflation period.

Be carefull with the European Central Bank interest rate decision. Be aware that often the comments made by ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet are generally more influential than the actual decision itself. And then on October 29 keep watching for next decision of the US Federal Reserve.

How Many Cells Are in a Battery?

Question from a reader: "How many cells are in the Toshiba Satellite M105-S3041 Laptop Battery? The battery is for a Toshiba Satellite M105-S3041 and its technical ratings are 10.8 volts 8800 mAh, Lithium Ion."

The question from the reader is a great question for it gets to the heart of battery manufacturing and begins to unravel the power of a battery. The answer is simply: 12 cells. But what does the answer mean and how does the number of cells relate to the overall value of a battery? Let's find out...

How Does A Battery Create Energy?

A battery is a device that converts chemical energy into electrical energy. Batteries create electrochemical energy by a chain of events that have to occur prior to the creation of electrical energy. Electricity is introduced into a battery via a charger. The charger acts as a conduit of the pushing electrons that are forcing their way into the chemical lithium. This charge process involves intercalation where electrons join with other molecules in the lithium's minuscule spaces between the the lithium's crystallized planes. Electrons are in essence ionizing lithium which loads the crystal planes to the point where they are forced into a current flow. Intercalation replenishes, in effect, lithium but the net result of ionization is the ultimate depletion of the lithium reactive property.

But what makes lithium good for batteries is that lithium is a highly reactive metal. Lithium has a very high electrochemical potential. In some lithium-based cells the electrochemical potential can be five times greater than an equivalent-sized lead-acid cell and three times greater than alkaline batteries. Lithium is also pliable and bendable allowing lithium to fit in tight configurations (perfect for in small cell designs in PDAs. Laptops, Cameras etc...).

What Type of Lithium Cell is Used in Laptops

Now this brings us to battery cells and our original question from the reader. Lithium based battery cells are good but there are a variety of lithium based battery cells. For example the lithium based cell identified as 18650 is one of the most common battery cell on the market for laptops. 18650 is manufactured by many manufacturers including many private branded companies to public companies like LG, Sony, Sanyo, Samsung, and Panasonic.

18650 is a 3.6V cylindrical Li-Ion cell. 18650 has no memory effect (distinguish between digital memory effect) and longer storage life than NiMH battery cells. 18650 is light weight and has a high energy density. It is in effect perfect for building batteries for laptop and other portable power devices.

The additional technical specifications for the 18650 battery cell include:

• Nominal Voltage Average 3.7 V - the concept of nominal voltage is that voltage range exists depending on the number of cells in the battery.
• Nominal Capacity - 2200 mAh (above 2200 the stability of lithium based cells is called into question)
• Max. Charging Current - 2.4 Amps Max.
• Max. Discharging Current - 4.6 Amps max.
• Dimensions (DxH) 18.3 mm (Max 18.4) x 64.9 mm (Max 65.1)
• Weight 46.5 g (1.64 oz)
• Internal Impedance Internal Impedance: less or equal to 90 ohms
• Cycle Performance is 80% of initial capacity at 300 cycles

Now as stated above the reader asked how many cells were in the Toshiba Satellite M105-S3041 Laptop Battery? The battery is rated at 10.8 volts and a capacity of 8800 mAh.

As I mentioned above the nominal voltage average is 3.7V. Some manufacturers may use 3.6V and some may use 3.7V. In the case of a laptop battery with 10.8V the nominal voltage rating used is 3.6V. Thus if we divide 10.8V by 3.6V we get 3. Thus 3 cells in a series. We also know that the batteries capacity is 8800 mAh. We know the nominal capacity is 2200 mAh. Therefore if we divide 8800 mAh by 2200 mAh then we get 4 in parallel.

Therefore we have: 3 cells in series multiplied by 4 cells in parallel equals 12 cells in total.

You Can Protect Your Children From Sex Offenders

The greatest way for you to protect your children from sex criminals out there is to educate them. It is the best thing to do to teach your children on how to protect themselves, whether they are on the playgrounds, on the mall, at home, or online. In addition to the education that you provided your children about protecting themselves, you have to shower them with all the love, care, attention, time and nurturing that they need to boost their confidence. Children with high self esteem are least likely to be victimized by predators out there.

According to an article by BBC News, MySpace reported that they've removed about 29,000 registered sex offenders' members from their website. Actually, it is not only MySpace; Facebook.com has an equally problematic attraction for sex offenders.

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and Cox Communication, just recently released a survey about children between 13 to 17 years old who uses the internet. The survey showed that there are about 71% reported that they've received messages from people that they do not know on the internet. About 4% are children who meet face to face with people that they met online. About 30% who considered meeting the people that they only met through the internet. And there are 45% who said they have been asked about their personal information.

With all of these facts, definitely, more and more parents out there are worried so much about their children. These predators are most of the time in search for children, in which as parents are the closest persons in our lives.

As parents, you can get rid of the worries that you have by performing sex offender search on people that are in relations with your children. You can conduct searches on your neighbors, your children's teachers, bus driver, and so on. This is not about not putting trust on others; this is about protecting your children from any harm or from sex offenders out there. There are plenty of search services online, you can visit one and conduct searches on the people who are around your children, these search services are for free, so you can perform plenty of searches if you want.

What is Fantasy Football?

It is almost that time of year again, football season. Football is the most popular sport in the United States and every year generates a ton of interest and creates a lot of excitement. Over the past several years it has even spawned a very popular game, fantasy football. Perhaps you have heard of fantasy football, but do not really understand what it is. You may think that it is everyone's fantasy to play football and that it is some sort of daydreaming thing that people waste their time with. However, this is false. Fantasy football is a complete game that is available to be played by hard core football fanatics as well as casual fans. Below is a brief introduction to fantasy football so that you can become a little more familiar with it.

Basic Structure

In fantasy football, the players are called owners. These owners "own" a team. The owners do not own a specific football team (such as the Tennessee Titans), but instead have the opportunity to put players from all different teams onto their one team. This is why it is called fantasy football, because you get to build your own fantasy team, trying to put your favorite quarterback and wide receivers together and so forth.

In most leagues, the owners put together their teams through a draft. The owners take turns drafting the players, once a player is drafted no other owner may have that player on their team. The draft lasts as long as the owners agree to have it last, with the typical draft lasting 12 - 14 rounds.

The owners agree as to what the roster limit will be. The owners also agree what the starting lineups should be. For example, they can agree to have the starting lineup be a quarterback, two running backs, three receivers, one tight end, a kicker, and a defense. The owners are free to adjust this how they see fit.

One of the owners is designated as the commissioner, and it is his duty to oversee the fantasy football league and make sure that everything runs smoothly. He will settle any disputes and help the other players as needed.

Points

The players on the teams score points for the actions taken by the real players on the football field each week. For example, running backs will get points for how many yards they run and for how many touchdowns they score. The owners agree as to what it takes to score points and how many points to award for certain actions.

In Person League or Online

There are two choices to joining a fantasy football league. You can join up with friends and acquaintances and create your own league. Or you can join an online league and play with people you may not know. Two of the more popular fantasy football leagues are Yahoo and ESPN. You can go to their websites to get more information and sign up for a league if you would like.

Top Fantasy Busts So Far in 2008

So far through 2008, here are some early fantasy football busts. A couple of these players have the ability to bounce back, but some should be dropped or traded from your team. Unless you are in a keeper league, and you think some will bounce back next year if you drafted or bought low on them in a draft or auction.

Probably a bust:

Reggie Williams, Jacksonville, avg. 1.6 points per game. He was supposed to be passed up this year by previously troubled free agent additions, Jerry Porter and Troy Williamson so I feel a little hesitant putting Williams on the list. But he has stayed in the lineup, but is no longer the Jags top option. Matt Jones has put his recent legal troubles behind him and has risen as the top option in Jacksonville.

Chad Ocho Cinco, Cincinnati, avg. 3.8 ppg. Has had a horrible year so far, and it doesn't look to stop. The Bengals are terrible all around, especially the offense, and not much will change this year. At 30, he could be on the decline for his career.

Carson Palmer, Cincinnati, avg. 8.5 ppg played. Has been banged up this year but also had a terrible start before his injury. He will probably play most of the year, but look for him to be ineffective playing with a throwing arm below 100%.

Braylon Edwards, Cleveland, Avg. 3.5 ppg
Derek Anderson, Cleveland, avg. 5.8 ppg
Jamal Lewis, Cleveland, avg. 8.25 ppg played.

A pattern has emerged in Cleveland. Most of the team is playing poorly, and the league has figured out Derek Anderson. Look for Brady Quinn to start soon, which will detract from Lewis' numbers when teams force Quinn to beat them. Edwards' needs to remember how to catch the ball and surpass his preseason hype the rest of the year as a budding elite receiver and dominate to justify he preseason fantasy ranking.

Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville, avg. 9.2 ppg and only more than 7 touches in one game. Has played tough defenses, but it appears Fred Taylor will get a majority of the carries.

Laurence Maroney, New England, avg. 2.0 ppg, 0 TDs, never more than 10 touches in one game. The Patriots are spreading carries around, which is killing Maroney. Maroney is starting to look like a first round bust instead of just an '08 fantasy bust.

Can bounce back:

Thomas Jones, avg. 7.8 ppg, 1 TD, has not scored more than 7 fantasy points or 20 touches in a week since week 1. Games upcoming are Cinci, Oakland, and KC, which could allow him to finally put up consistent numbers. Maybe sell high if he performs because he could have a repeat of his disappointing season last year.

Fred Taylor, avg. 4.4 ppg, 0 TD, only scored more than 4 points once, but has played some tough defenses. Taylor has been given the load in Jacksonville, and their next 4 games are against easier run defenses, Denver, Cleveland, Cinci, and Detroit. After that, probably sell high.

Are Any Work at Home Programs Really Free?

The answer is yes! It seems that they are hard to find, but if you really look hard you can find many programs that require no start-up fee.

What are the real differences between the free programs and the paid program? In my opinion the paid programs are like using a self-help book read to help do a project at your home or office. In most cases you can find the information if you spend the hours necessary on the web necessary to do so. In addition they help you avoid many common pitfalls, which save you time. Time is money in my opinion.

Having said that you can be successful going the free route, but it will take a bit longer to get your income rolling. My suggestion is to do your research join as many programs as you can so that you can do a second round of research filtering out the programs once again after you have worked them for awhile. In the end you will be able to find 2 - 3 programs that will meet your work at home profile and should put you on the track to success.

You will need to exercise patience and work hard to get your work at home endeavor up and running. Keep you goals in front of you at all time. Envision how you will use the extra money created by your new work at home endeavor. Spend some of the money earned on yourself, as it will encourage you to work harder. Many people fail to stick around long enough to get their income up to the point where they are pleased. Nothing comes easy, but on the Internet once you reach that level most people are very pleased with the ease at which your income increases over time. Do not join any free programs if you are not prepared to exercise patience and work hard.

There are many affiliate programs and network marketing programs to choose from in addition to the typical work from home jobs that you may find on the Internet.

Do not just jump into the programs that sound the easiest to work or programs that offer you thousands of dollars for doing nothing. If it sounds to good to be true it more than likely is and you will likely not make a dime. You must spend the time to do your research or find a website you like that has done some research for you.

Many of the free programs offer an option once you have earned some money to upgrade to a higher level, which should help you grow at a faster rate. There are many people who like this option, because they are earning the money working the program before they upgrade. This serves as a great testimonial for the program. Please feel free to read both this article or one of my many others by visiting my link in the resource box below. I always enjoy getting emails pertaining to my articles or my site. Your feedback is important to me.

I wish you great success!

Tips For Maintaining Children's Toys

Toy maintenance is very maintenance to sanity and sanitation of your child's play area. Children will spend most of their day around these thing so don't be lazy about keeping up with these things. Remember some storage space, a couple cleaning tools and some sense of discretion is all that's really necessary to keep things running smooth in your household.

Before we even get to toy maintenance let's talk about which toys to get. First try to limit the amount of toys you get so you can avoid clutter in your home. Avoid buying similar toys not matter how much they want it as they will most likely get bored thus wasting space and your money. Try to get toys that are simple to manage and clean. Be sure to check if the stuffed toys you buy are machine washable to make it easy on yourself. It's hard to test the durability of toys that require assembly so try to find some reviews online about it. If in doubt it is always better to be safe than sorry so hold off for little on it.

Common sense says that toys can and will get dirty over time. Regular maintenance and inspection of all toys can keep your child from any mishaps or incidents that could have been otherwise easily avoided. Check to make sure not only that the toys are clean but also that the toys are still sturdy and stable to save your child from any physical accidents. Wash down toys with safe antibacterial cleaners with no harsh chemicals. This way you are sure your child is safe physically and health wise. Cleansing toys can guard against your children getting sick, so use antibacterial agents to assist.

Proper storage and rotation of toys is also important to maintain. A clean dry storage place is necessary to keep toys from flooding the floors and also prevent breaking any of them so your money is not wasted and your child's feelings spared. Regularly rotate toys so that your child will not get bored as quickly, even though they will still eventually, and this gives you time to inspect the toys not in use at the same time.

Supervision during playtime is necessary to avoid silly accidents that need not be. Watch that they play safe with their toys and not get too excited and hurt themselves due to reckless mobility. Lastly just use your head when it comes to keeping the play areas clean and all will be well.

Presidential Pets

"If you want a friend in Washington, buy a dog," said President Harry S. Truman. Since the days of our first President, George Washington, presidential pets have been loyal friends and have captured the interest of the American public.

President Washington adored his pets. His favorite was his horse, Nelson. When General Cornwalis surrendered at Yorktown, Washington was riding Nelson.

Lewis and Clark sent Thomas Jefferson two bears from their expedition, but it was probably John Quincy Adams who had the most unique pet in presidential history. The Marquis de Lafayette gave him an alligator that he kept in a bathtub in the East Room.

President Lincoln liked to indulge his boys, Tad and Willie. He let them have as many pets as they wanted. Perhaps the most famous was Jack, the turkey. Jack was intended to be on the Thanksgiving Day menu, but Tad took a fancy to the bird and asked his father to spare the turkey. Lincoln did so, issuing a presidential reprieve to Jack, thus starting the traditional Thanksgiving Day turkey pardon.

The last cow at the White House was owned by President Taft. Pauline was a gift from a Wisconsin senator. Pauline the cow was a Holstein and frequently slept in a garage next to the cats. Pauline was good for a fresh glass of milk a day. After Taft left office, Pauline went back to Wisconsin.

President Wilson followed Taft into the White House. During his tenure, he employed a flock of sheep to graze on the White House lawn. This helped to keep the grass tame and was cost effective while World War I raged on.

During the 1960's when President Kennedy was in office, Soviet Premier Nikta Khrushchev presented Caroline Kennedy with a dog named "Pushinka." The dog was descended from "Strelka," one of the first dogs in space. Before Caroline could play with Pushinka though, the dog had to be checked for spying devices and hidden microphones.

President Lyndon Johnson made the cover of Life magazine with his beagles, Him and Her. He caused a scandal though when he was photographed holding Him by the ears.

More recently, President Reagan was known for his dog, "Lucky," and "Millie," belonged to Barbara and George H.W. Bush. Millie was voted "ugliest dog," by a prominent Washington magazine while she was in the White House, but she's most famous for her memoir, "Millie's Book: As Dictated to Barbara Bush." The book earned over one million dollars in royalties for Barbara's family literacy foundation.

Currently serving as first dog with George W. Bush is "Spot Fetcher," a puppy of Millie's.

Create a Creativity Hot Spot

Many companies claim to be on the leading edge of technology and they show us a new innovations and projects, which are a state of the art. These high tech corporations that are into innovation have very creative research and development departments and they spend big bucks designing, creating and building the next generation of products. Still, when creative consultants take a look at what these companies are doing they often cringe.

You see, many companies claim to be creative and innovative, yet they are riddled by a bureaucracy and primate politics within their project management teams. They take the fun out of creating and whereas they claim to be focusing their minds and energy like a laser, all they're really doing is preventing people from using their creative genius.

If the company is really into innovation then they need to hire the people who have been creative in the past and have come up with original thoughts and inventions. The people designing the prototypes should be allowed leeway to explore, experiment and ultimately discover new and interesting things.

However, since the research and development department is a business unit within a larger group or corporation, all too often the creativity is forced and thus the innovation is fake, controlled and not as creative as they might have your believe.

Creativity is essential to winning the innovation game, but true creativity cannot be micro-managed, rather it must flow. Creativity is contagious in the right atmosphere and it leads to more of the same. Creativity is the key to innovative companies and their future. Please think on this.

Get Bad Credit New Car Loans

When you are trying to get a new car loan but you have a bad credit history, your chances to get approved will get hurt, but you will still be able to get a new car loan. The only thing that you have to worry about is that you'll probably get a high interest rate on the loan. If you're not knowledgeable about credit ratings, the lenders may even give you a higher interest rate than your bad credit deserves. Having a bad credit is like placing a sign on your forehead that you are desperate for a car loan. Trying to obtain a bad credit new car loan makes you a vulnerable to lenders who will take advantage of your unfavorable position. Allowing yourself to be duped will put a bigger dent on your credit rating than there already is. So make sure that before getting a bad credit car loan, try to read up about it and your chances first.

Perhaps the best way to avoid being taken advantage of is to wait for the right time to obtain a car loan. Don't make the attempt when you know that your credit rating is not going to cut you a good deal. A bad credit car loan will also limit you to just a few car choices. You will have better chances of getting a good deal if you choose to clean up your credit first. If you managed to get by with your old car or by commuting for a long time, going on that way for a little more time won't hurt. At least, in the end, you will get the car you want, and you won't have difficulty paying off the soaring interest rates.

Here is how bad it can get. When you try to obtain a bad credit car loan, you will most likely get a high interest rate on the loan. The interest rate can get as high as 23%. Aside from the interest rates, you can also expect the insurance rates to soar. As mentioned, you can avoid these scenarios by cleaning up your credit first. However, the worst case scenario is that your bad credit new car loan application will get rejected. It is also important to remember that when you do get rejected, don't let it get you down. Don't let the rejection make you feel desperate and agitated. The more desperate you seem, the more chances you get of being taken advantage of.

To increase your chances of getting approved, your best move is to wait and try to repair your credit first. You don't need someone else to do this for you. There are a lot of tips and advices online on how you can repair a bad credit. Aside from that, if you recently moved into a new house, it will not be the best time to get a new car loan as well. You will have better chances if you've been in your present address for about six months. Also, your current debts will also matter. Make sure to pay off your balances if you have any credit cards, and any outstanding loans and late payments. These are all considered negative marks on your credit.

Getting a bad credit new car loan is like setting up a trap for yourself. So if you are planning to get a new car loan someday, make sure that you take care of your credit rating. And wait for a while as you repair your credit rather than get a bad credit new car loan.

Bad Credit Car Loans For Anyone

Just about anyone can qualify for a bad credit car loan, no matter what a person's credit history or current credit score is. In order to get a car loan when you have bad credit, there are some things you need to know that can help you get the lowest rate and highest amount of money possible.

Here's a brief overview of what you need to know in order to get a bad credit car loan:

Understanding a Loan

When you approach a loan officer, it is important that you demonstrate to the loan officer that you understand what the terms of a loan are. Essentially, a car loan is money that is borrowed from the lender. That money will need to be returned to the lender over a pre-determined period of time. Because the lender needs to make a profit on the loan in order to stay in business, the lender will charge an interest rate for the loan. Therefore, be sure that you are comfortable talking about interest rates with the loan officer when you sit down for a chat.

Interest Rates

The interest rate for a car loan is the amount of money that the borrower will have to pay back to the lender in addition to the loan principal. For example, if you take out a loan for $10,000 in order to buy a car, you not only have to repay that loan, but you will have to repay interest on top of the loan. If you get an interest rate of 6 percent, then you would need to pay back an additional $600 on top of the principal amount of money that you borrowed.

Credit History

Your credit history will affect just how low the interest rate is for your loan and how much money you can take out. For this reason, borrowers with brad credit will usually have higher interest rates and lower loan caps than borrowers that have proven that they are able to repay loans on time. When you speak with a loan officer, be able to explain why you have bad credit. If you are able to prove to the officer that you are in a different position now than you were when you got the bad credit, you may be able to get a better interest rate. For example, you may need to show the loan officer that you have a job that will allow you to pay back the loan amount on a regular basis.

No matter how bad your credit is, it is always possible to get a car loan. The amount of the loan and the interest rate on the loan amount may vary a great deal depending on your credit history, but remember that getting a loan is always possible if you are in need. Contact one of our sales agents today to discuss loan options and to match your budget with a vehicle on our lot.

Is it Possible to Make Money on My Blog?

Make money on anything. That is the world today. Exploiting every niche and crack in reality to squeeze some dollars to line our pockets is the attitude a lot of people are taking. It is completely legal and you would be insane not to sit up and at least take notice. Let's look at something as simple as a blog; a chronicle of your life, a journal of your emotions, hopes and dreams told in words or pictures. Is it possible to make money on my blog? If that's the question on your mind, this article will tell you just how to do that.

If your blog is already interesting and you get a high hit rate on it, then you already have the battle half won. People are coming to read your daily news and they are actually coming back, checking for updates and generally 'subscribing' to your 'publication'. Now if you were to pick up a magazine or newspaper, what is the one thing that is common to all of these things? That's right, advertising. People who read might just be people who buy. Once you have a solid following of readers you can sell your blog to advertisers. The route most people take is to recruit services like Adsense or BlogAds that pay you a small amount per click. It's free and the returns can be quite a tidy sum if you have a high volume of people reading your blog.

Or, you can start to recommend good and services from other online merchants. This is essentially affiliate marketing at work. There are no restrictions to this as you can even choose which product you want to plug, write about it, get an affiliate program to track purchasing and make some money when anyone buys the product you briefly mentioned in your blog. You can even recommend several products which means that your revenue increases as that increases!

Blogs can also be like online resumes for you to market your specific talents. Since it is primarily about writing, a lot of people are making money because they get recognised either for their unique writing skills or their interesting feedback which resonates with contemporary views and ideas. Major spreadsheets and magazines are growing a digital arm and they are constantly on the lookout for creative writers to enhance their cyberspace publication. You can even sell your expertise on issues, or if you have a particular topic that is popular and that you have a wealth of knowledge on, you can sell your opinions to the highest bidder.

These are just some of the ways that you can make good money just from your blog and you don't even have to work insanely hard to achieve this aim. This can be a supplement to your normal job and who doesn't want to earn extra money on the side? Make some cash while doing something you were already doing on a daily or bi-daily basis. Now that is smart thinking.

The 8 Harmful Effects of Fat

Ever thought of losing weight but just cannot find the reasons to justify that? Well, at the end of this article, I am sure you would have found at least 8 more reasons as to why you want to start working on that treadmill of yours so as to get rid of those excess fats you have accumulated around your waist.

1) Lose weight or lose your life.

If you have a family history of heart disease, high blood pressure, or high triglycerides, then by losing weight, you can actually lower the probability of having such diseases.

2) Obesity is on a rise

In the past, incidences of people dying from lack of food were common, but today, there have been a reversal in trend, and more and more people are dying as they over-eat. A survey taken in America showed that two-thirds of the American population is overweight, and one-third of them are classified as "obese". Over-eating puts you at a higher risk of having a heart attack, as the excess fats might clog up your arteries, thereby preventing the flow of blood to your heart. Obesity is also closely linked with certain types of cancer too.

3) Fats go straight into your heart

As mentioned above, excess fats clog up the blood flow to your heart. Besides heart attacks, obese people are at a much higher risk of getting a stroke.

4) Fats makes you a man

Strictly for the ladies, fat increases your body's release of male hormones. In case the gentlemen out there think it's a good idea to put on weight, fats cause you to bald at a faster rate and cause acne outbreaks as well.

5) Fats leads to diabetics as well

Male hormones aren't the only hormones affected. Fats affect your body's release of insulin as well, therefore putting fat individuals at a higher risk of having diabetics at a later part of your life.

6) Fats work while you sleep

Fats are closely linked to sleep disorders as well, and it affects your amount of oxygen intake when your body is in a deep sleep. This can spark off major problems such as strokes and heart attacks.

7) Fats increase your burden

Fat people are more prone to osteoporosis as well, and it gives problem to your hips and back due to the heavy burden from the upper parts of your body.

8) Make a difference now!

Adjust your lifestyle to a more active one now, and reduce your intake of those foods that makes you fat, mainly the sweet ones and the oily ones. Remember, a little goes a long way. Taking an extra mile of walk at the nearest park and a reduction on those junk food can really make a difference to your lifestyle.

Building in the Lake Travis Floodplain

If you are considering building on Lake Travis and probably on many other lakes, there are some things you need to know. Lake Travis is west of downtown Austin, Texas around 45 minutes. Everything in this article will be specific to Lake Travis, but it may provide some things to think about for anyone building on any lake.

The first thing a buyer of Lake Travis waterfront property needs to learn about is the floodplain. The full level of Lake Travis is 681 feet above sea level. The floodplain is at 722 feet. Why the huge difference? Lake Travis rises and falls depending on rain and on water use. Lake Travis is the main flood control lake of the Highland Lakes and it is managed by the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA). The LCRA has obligations to release water downstream because of water contracts. At times without rain, the lake will drop. When we get too much rain, the LCRA holds it back in Lake Travis to minimize or prevent downstream flooding.

OK, so the level of Lake Travis can change. What does that have to do with building on lakefront property? With the floodplain at 722 feet, the requirement for building is that the first occupied floor of a house needs to be at 723 feet or higher. So the first thing you need to know is the elevation of the lot - the whole lot - and the location of the floodplain if part of the lot is in it. Most lots on Lake Travis slope and the slope can be gentle or it can be very steep. If the lot is low to begin with, you probably want to build as close to toe highest level of the lot as possible.

Some lots are obviously very much in the floodplain. Many of the houses will be built on stilts. Some leave the area under the house open. The builder of other houses enclose large garages under much of the house with brick or stone.

Many of these houses will have multiple flights of stairs. Others will install ramps. You may be wondering about an elevator instead of stairs or a ramp. My thought is that this is just one more mechanical system that will be damaged when the water rises and an elevator would probably be pretty expensive to replace or repair.

Other things to think about that get more detailed are the septic system, the location of air conditioning compressor, a propane tank if you will have gas, the electrical service panel (breaker box) and water system equipment if not on city or other private water. To minimize damage, these items should be elevated. Lake Travis has been above 700 feet three times and above 690 four times since 1990. As the lake has never been higher than 711 feet, placing these at 715 feet or higher would probably fine, but there would still be some risk.

Many of the available lots you will find with frontage on Lake Travis will not have public water or sewer. Septic systems are quite common. There are two types you can install. If there is sufficient room, a gravity system can be used. These septic systems have next to nothing mechanically so they are less susceptible to damage by flood waters. Aerobic septic systems have many mechanical parts. Aerobic systems are generally installed when there is less room for a large underground septic drain field.

Here is the problem with a septic system: when the lake floods, the septic tank cannot function properly. If it is an aerobic system, the electricity will not be working and the equipment will not work. If it is a gravity system, the tank won't be able to drain. In other words, when the lake floods and your system is under water, you can't count on using plumbing. This may be fine if you have a weekend house, but what about living there full time. When Lake Travis floods, the water usually is back down in a week or so, but even being unable to use a house for a week may be a problem.

The LCRA has specific rules about locations of septic systems. The basic rule is that the lowest point of the septic drain field must be at the elevation of 691 feet or higher. In some cases a holding tank might be lower than this, but the effluent would need to be pumped to a higher drain field and this would require a variance from the LCRA. So once again, you need to know the elevation of the entire lot in order to know if a septic system can even be installed.

Regarding water, if the lot you are looking at does not have some sort of municipal water supply, you will need a well or to draw water out of the lake. The LCRA does allow pumping water from Lake Travis for household use and landscaping, but you need a contract with the LCRA to do that. You will also need a holding tank and purification equipment. All of this should also be placed at a high enough elevation so none of the equipment is within easy reach of floodwaters.

So getting back to building on a Lake Travis waterfront lot, there are things you need to know before going out and looking at lots. If you work with a Lake Travis REALTOR®, he or she should be able to provide guidance in these areas.

The Evolution of Pots and Pans

The Evolution of Pots and Pans

In the earliest days of the primitive human race, food was cooked over an open flame or placed on hot rocks which were heated in an open flame. As time progressed and civilization marched on, the invention of dishes came along. With the ability to boil water in a controlled environment, suddenly a multitude of new recipes and new methods of cooking became available to everyone.

As time progressed, the simple concept of food preparation items has become a veritable forest of options and choices for the skilled cook, with no shortage of fancy pots and pans to choose from. With Teflon cookware coatings, nonstick surfaces and all manner of new improved cookware items, the dishes in the modern day are truly amazing and serve a variety of functions.

It's interesting to note that in the earliest days of mankind; simply boiling a pot of water was almost an insurmountable task. While there are all manner of archaeological findings which gave credence to the idea that the earliest dishes were clay, even before these clay dishes came along there was a need for heating and cooking of food, even before sanitary food preparation came along.

Many times, these foods were cooked on hot rocks, over an open flame or simply eaten raw. It is a commentary on how advanced our civilization has become that we no longer depend on these somewhat unappealing and difficult methods of preparing food with limited cookware.

In fact, some products such as pots and pans are so advanced in the modern day that we have eliminated much of the difficulties of cooking altogether. Simply flick a switch and the gas instantly comes on. Push a button and a timer is set. By utilizing all these modern-day functions, in addition to the aforementioned revolutionary invention of pots and pans, cooking in the modern day has become routine, even boring in some cases.

While it seems somewhat commonplace, some of the revolutionary breakthroughs with pots and pans include pressure cookers, slow cookers and crock pots, staples of the modern-day kitchen. But these items were not always so common and quite often preparing food in primitive times was more of an adventure than a chore.

From chopping up firewood to getting a roaring flame started, all the way down to applying the food to open heat, the difference between cooking in primitive times compared with the modern day with cookware is like night and day. There really is no comparison, as we have grown so efficient and so simple that it is no longer even in doubt how easy it is to prepare food.

Fortunately, along with the pace of civilization, the evolution of pots and pans has kept up nicely. With the ability to prepare food on nonstick surfaces in stainless steel pots and pans and other types of modern-day cookware implements, the modern day cook can focus solely on preparation of the food, rather than dealing with all of the external and peripheral difficulties of primitive life. Rather than piling up firewood and starting a fire, the modern-day cook simply turns on the stove burner.

In primitive times, the food would have been cooked on a spit or laid on a flat hot rock. Today, we simply chuck these products into a pan and set the timer, confident that our food will be cooked correctly thanks to modern technology. With such modern conveniences, it is no surprise that so few people make the effort to go back to nature and live on the land as our forebears were so accustomed to.

It is easy enough to take the evolution of pans for granted, but without these extremely fascinating leaps in technology, we would very likely still be cooking food with a hot rock or holding our meat over an open fire. The wonders of modern technology have brought us a long way and mankind has made great advances, not the least of which is the way in which we prepare our food.

Without these leaps in technology, mankind would still be subject to all manner of difficulties, not to mention parasites that are easily spread through uncooked foods and unclean surfaces. After all, cooking food on a big rock can't be all that sanitary.

Granny Talks in the Kitchen

In my last article I told that I had decided to try out the boat job. I was scared to death. All I could think about was what if I got sick? How would I get off the boat in the middle of the river? What if they didn't like me? What if I didn't like them? What if I ran out of cigarettes? I had no clue what I was getting into. Was it going to be like "Loveboat " or "Pirates of the Pacific?" None of the above.

I showed up for work at the office at 7am. I live two hours away so I was a little early. There were two or three guys standing around with their suitcases, pillows, a stereo, and cases of drinks. Boy, did I pack light! I had a suitcase full of cigarettes and Excedrins.

Shortly, a man in a van pulled up. He opened the back doors and the guys all started loading their stuff. One came up to me and asked if I was Cookie. I said no, Patricia, I am the cook. The driver started laughing and said "yep, that's the new cook." They call all the cooks "Cookie" I found out. One grabbed my suitcase and put it in the van. I asked where we were going. They said we were going to meet the boat, which was five hours away. This gave me plenty of time to find what the deal was.

They told me they didn't really care what it was, as long as there was plenty of it. The captain liked biscuits and gravy for breakfast. I was looking to impress the captain because he was my boss.

By the we time got to the boat it was late. Everyone was sitting around the table talking and waiting on us. When we got loaded and unloaded they all introduce themselves. We talked a few minutes then I asked where the captain was. One piped up and said "I am the captain". My eyes and mouth flew open and I said "You are the captain?" Everybody laughed and I felt right at home after that.

The next morning I went to the "galley" to cook breakfast. I made about three or four dozen bisquits along with bacon, sausage, fried bologna and, of course, gravy. The captain came down to see if I had found everything. He took one look at the bisquits and just died laughing. When they all came in for breakfast, they all had something funny to say about me cooking a months worth of groceries at one meal. So was my first day as a river boat cook. What took me so long?

I don't think there is a real recipe for "cathead bisquits" or "sawmill gravy". But I will tell you how I do it. It must be good because when I was ten years old my brother of seven years wanted me to make the bisquits on Saturday mornings.

The first thing is to get everything ready. Turn your oven on to 350 degrees. Grease a baking pan. If you are going to roll them out, prepare your spot. I use a piece of waxed paper with plenty of flour on it. If you plan to make drop bisquits you need nothing else. You can also use a bowl with flour in it and just drop a spoonful of dough in it. Roll it around to cover with flour and make a small patty out of it. My grandma always told me not to play the bisquits. Mix them and be done with it. According to how many you want, use about two cups of self-rising flour. Add about one healthy heaping tablespoon of Crisco.(Or another good quality solid shortening). Cut this into the flour using a fork, two knives, pastry cutter, or better still, your fingers. Don't make it like cornmeal but mix it pretty good. Next, add about one half cup or so buttermilk. If you don't have buttermilk, use regular milk. Even water will do but the less fat content of your liquid, the tougher your bisguits will be. Mix with the quickness. Try to add liguid once. You just have to do it a few times to get the feel of it.

Now you are ready to roll them out. Turn a couple of times to cover with flour. Roll out to about one half inch thick. Dip your cutter in flour to keep it from sticking to the dough and go to cutting. Place on a greased baking pan and top with a spoon of melted grease from bacon or whatever you got. Bake untill brown.

Now for the gravy. Use the skillet you used for frying the bacon or put enough grease in a skillet to cover the bottom real good. Add a couple spoons of flour, salt and a plenty of black pepper. Cook on medium high to high untill your flour is browned. Add a couple cups of milk and turn the heat down to medium. Add water if it is too thick. Cook untill it is as thick as you want. You can also make the gravy with all water. I think that is real sawmill gravy.

Did you know red-eye gravy came from the people who went west on the wagontrain? They used coffee to clean thier iron skillets and sopped up the "gravy" with bisquits. Interesting huh?

Comptia Exam Preparation - A Plus Essentials

After you study your text books it is important to test your newly acquired knowledge and see just how well you have absorbed the material. Practice exams....

* Reinforces what you learnt - fill in the gaps of what you missed
* Gets you used to answering questions to build confidence and familiarity

Here are 15 True/False exams questions for you to practice on:

Q.1 - FAT32 is the file system Windows XP uses for encryption. True/False

Q.2 - Ad-hoc is the wireless technology used to describe a direct wireless connection between two pcs. True/False

Q.3 - A RJ-45 connector is used to connect a telephone modem to the telephone service provider for a 56k modem. True/False

Q.4 - To inspect the hard disk drive for errors, we use the Defrag program. True/False

Q.5 - To see the number of operating systems that can be booted on a PC running Windows XP, you would view the BOOT.INI file. True/False

Q.6 - The Drums of a laser printer and not photosensitive and it's ok to expose them to light. True/False

Q.7 - A Line Analyzer is used to check for line-voltage sags. True/False.

Q.8 - If you replace a floppy drive in a PC and the FDD light is constantly on when you boot, this means that you have connected data ribbon backwards. True/False

Q.9 - If you forget the password you have entered for the BIOS, you can reset the CMOS jumper and it will change it to the default which is no password. True/False

Q.10 - POST error codes starting with 2 indicate a memory related problem. True/False

Q.11 - With msconfig.exe you can access start up files like Win.ini, System.ini and Boot.ini. True/False

Q.12 - Receiving a 'Bad or missing COMMAND.COM' error messages can be caused from having an older version of COMMAND.COM or a corrupt COMMAND.COM. True/False

Q.13 - The command Fdisk is used in Windows XP to create a disk partition. True/False

Q.14 - If the power supply ceases to work, the best cause of action is to open up the power supply and fix the problem. True/False

Q.15 - For the command prompt to appear, we type 'cmd' in the Windows XP run dialog box. True/False

Comptia Exam Preparation A plus Essentials Answers

The questions along with the answers are included in this comptia exam preparation for your better convenience

Q.1 - FAT32 is the file system Windows XP uses for encryption. True/False

False. Its actually NTFS

Q.2 - Ad-hoc is the wireless technology used to describe a direct wireless connection between two pcs. True/False

True

Q.3 - A RJ-45 connector is used to connect a telephone modem to the telephone service provider for a 56k modem. True/False

False. A RJ-11 connector is used.

Q.4 - To inspect the hard disk drive for errors, we use the Defrag program. True/False

False. We use the Chkdsk program.

Q.5 - To see the number of operating systems that can be booted on a PC running Windows XP, you would view the BOOT.INI file. True/False

True

Q.6 - The Drums of a laser printer and not photosensitive and it's ok to expose them to light. True/False

False. They are photosensitive and should not be exposed to light.

Q.7 - A Line Analyzer is used to check for line-voltage sags. True/False.

False. A Polarity Tester is used.

Q.8 - If you replace a floppy drive in a PC and the FDD light is constantly on when you boot, this means that you have connected data ribbon backwards. True/False

True

Q.9 - If you forget the password you have entered for the BIOS, you can reset the CMOS jumper and it will change it to the default which is no password. True/False

True

Q.10 - POST error codes starting with 2 indicate a memory related problem. True/False

True

Q.11 - With msconfig.exe you can access start up files like Win.ini, System.ini and Boot.ini. True/False

True

Q.12 - Receiving a 'Bad or missing COMMAND.COM' error messages can be caused from having an older version of COMMAND.COM or a corrupt COMMAND.COM. True/False

True

Q.13 - The command Fdisk is used in Windows XP to create a disk partition. True/False

False. The command Diskpart is used.

Q.14 - If the power supply ceases to work, the best cause of action is to open up the power supply and fix the problem. True/False

False. The power supply shouldn't ever be opened. You should replace it.

Q.15 - For the command prompt to appear, we type 'cmd' in the Windows XP run dialog box. True/False

True

Will You Make This Same Car Buying Mistake?

It's Friday afternoon. You leave work a little early and head on down to the car dealership. On the way you take special notice of three late model BMW's - the exact model you've been thinking about for the last several weeks. One is the same color you want. "Darn, that car looks good," you say almost aloud. You can't help thinking that the person driving that car looks pretty good too. Prosperous. Self assured. The kind of person who should be driving a Beamer like that. You can see you in that car. And with the dealership only a few minutes away you resolve to make that happen.

You make a couple extra turns so you can approach from the South and drive the full length of the lot before turning into the dealership. "There it is. Front row. Third car from the left. It's still here."

You park and head straight for the showroom. You don't even glance toward the lot. Better not to show any interest in case one of the salesman is looking out the window. You've got this whole car buying thing under control.

Two hours later you walk out of the dealership with the keys to Front Row-Third From The Left in your hand. You're tired. That was tougher than you thought it would be. You're happy alright. You got the car you dreamed about. But you're feeling a little uneasy.

You signed all the papers but the finance manager told you that there was a "little problem" with your credit report. " We couldn't finance you through our regular banks," he said, "but I think I can talk to some other financing people and take care of this on Monday." You only have the car - for sure - for the weekend and the dealer's finance guy is going to call you on Monday. What the heck. You bought that wall size plasma TV on credit a few months ago. If your credit report was so bad they wouldn't have you sold that TV, right?

We don't know what happened on Monday. Either our guy got yanked around like fresh taffy and paid way more than he should have, or he got his self-esteem pulverized when he handed back the keys to Front Row-Third From The Left.

This could have been a different story if our guy knew his FICO credit score and the financing rate he would qualify for in his part of the country before he walked into that car dealership. When the finance and insurance manager played the credit report gambit, our guy would have ready for him.

Car dealers make more money selling the financing packages of the people who buy their cars than they do the cars themselves. They may as well be selling a truckload of tomatoes. Same difference to them.

If you don't have a relative or a friend in the car finance business so that you can walk into a car dealership with your financing in hand, then you should be looking for something like the Car Coaching tool in the Suze Orman FICO Kit. The Orman FICO tool pulls information right off your credit report, tells you your FICO score for all three credit reporting bureaus, and then tells you the interest rate that a person with your credit history and FICO score would qualify for in the state you live in. You can't get better information than that.

Holiday Cards Inspire Company Teamwork

The holiday season will be here before you know it and sending holiday cards to clients and business associates can be a fun activity that inspires company teamwork. By sending holiday cards, you are promoting the company's name and goodwill and sending messages of thanks for successful partnerships, while encouraging customer loyalty. The process of sending cards to all customers, friends and business associates can be time consuming and labor intensive, but here are some ways to get the job done cheerfully and to promote office teamwork at the same time.

1. Pre-planning. Just as Santa has checked his list twice, so should you. Confirm all contact names and mailing addresses with every department in the company. Be sure the list is as up-to-date as possible and that all new contacts have been added since last years list. Also delete those that you'll not be remembering with cards this year for whatever reason. A correct list is a significant time saver later.

2. Proof. The cards have arrived. Have several team members look them over to be sure they were imprinted correctly and that the cards received match the order placed. Double check the quantity of cards and envelopes so there are no last minute rushed reprint orders which can prove costly.

3. Assemble. If your card has multiple parts, like ribbons to tie around layered cards, gather a team for hands on help. Make it fun. After all, this is one task you can do while you discuss your holiday shopping plans or what to wear to the annual office party. Put one together as a sample before doing them all. Keep hands and work areas clean and keep the group small so the work actually does get done.

4. Addressing. This is the most labor intensive part of the operation but doesn't have to be overwhelming. A handwritten address is much nicer than stuck on labels. Attractive cursive handwriting is the key. Divide the list and find several with nice penmanship to help as it is not necessary for all envelopes to be addressed by the same person. If you can't handle it all internally, hire outside help for a portion of the list. Hopefully the return address was preprinted.

5. Personalize. Throw a signing party. The holiday cards are imprinted with the company name and logo but if you can, add a short note or sign your name for a truly personalized card. Break your list up into manageable batches and do a few at a time so the handwriting will be recognizable towards the end! Depending on the size of the company or the size of the list, you may not want to sign every card. Do try to sign cards for those you work with directly for a special, personal touch. Go ahead and put the personalized card in the right envelope!

6. Seal and stamp. You're almost done! This is another step that can be fun, since it can be done while visiting! Gather a group that doesn't normally interface for an office networking opportunity. Seal and stamp each envelope in assembly line fashion. Have someone at the end check each card off the mailing list. The holiday cards are ready for mailing and the team enjoyed the experience of getting them done together. Next year you'll have employees volunteering to help in the process!

How to Treat Dog Heartworm Disease

Heartworm disease occurs when a dog becomes infested with a roundworm called Dirofilaria immitis. It was first identified in the United States in 1856 and occurred most frequently on the seacoast in the southeastern United States. Heartworms are parasitic worms, which inhabit the heart muscle and lungs of infected dogs. Heartworm disease can cause serious health problems including death due to heart failure or pneumonia. Dogs are considered the definitive host for heartworms. However, heartworms may infect more than 30 species of animals (e.g., coyotes, foxes, wolves and other wild canids, domestic cats and wild felids, ferrets, sea lions, etc.) and humans as well.

Heartworms belong to the same class of worms as roundworms. In fact, they look a bit like roundworms, but that is where the similarity ends. When a mosquito carrying infective heartworm larvae bites a dog and transmits the infection, the larvae grow, develop, and migrate in the body over a period of several months to become sexually mature male and female worms. These reside in the heart, lungs, and associated blood vessels. Even as immature adults, the worms mate and the females release their offspring (microfilariae) into the blood stream. The time elapsed from when the larvae enter the dog until the minute offspring can be detected in the blood (pre-patent period) is about six to seven months.

The severity and onset of clinical signs relate to 3 things: the number of worms, the duration of the infection and the dog's response. Many dogs infected with heartworms may not show any evidence of the infection in the early stages of the disease. Signs can eventually appear and will worsen with increased numbers of worms and with lengthy infections, making early detection and prevention programs an important part of managing your pet's health.

Initially dogs tend to develop a cough and experience difficulty breathing. They may also exhibit a decreased tolerance to exercise, develop fainting episodes or suffer severe weight loss. Since the heart and lungs are affected, many of the clinical signs seen or observed are typical of heart failure, pneumonia or other debilitating diseases.

Dog heartworm disease can be treated by medications. These medications are :

• Adulticide
• Microfilaricide
• Melarsomine dihydrochloride (Immiticide®, Merial)

Dog heartworm disease can be prevented by medications. These medications are :

• Diethylcarbamazine
• Macrocyclic Lactone (ML)
• Ivermectin (Heartgard®, Heartgard Plus®, Merial, IverhartTM Plus, Virbac)