Month: July 2021

Santa Claus comes to us under various names. For some it is known as Saint Nicholas, and for others Santa Claus or simply Santa Claus. While people trade Santa and Father Christmas from a historical perspective, they are two different people.

It was Saint Nicholas of Myra, who lived in the 4th century in present-day Turkey, who gave birth to the present-day Santa Claus. As a bishop, he developed a reputation for secret gifts.

In the Western tradition, the gift-giving day is December 25, while in the Eastern tradition the gift-giving day is New Year’s Day.

Most of us see Santa as a kind of friendly, pot-bellied character who goes from house to house, through the sky, on a reindeer sleigh. It is possible that the tradition of riding through the sky comes from a Germanic tradition in which the god Wodam is seen riding a flying horse through the sky. The horse has eight legs, the same amount of reindeer that Santa uses!

While Santa is portrayed as a jolly man who gives deserving children gifts, he is also used to keeping children in check. Traditionally Irish children, and a large number of their European and American counterparts, hang up a stocking for their gifts, but are told that if they are not good all year long, they will receive a lump of coal instead of a decent gift.

In most traditions, food or drink is left with you to aid you on your journey. In Ireland it is traditionally a bottle of Guinness, in America biscuits and a glass of milk, in England it receives mince pies and sherry. It is no wonder then that he is perceived as a happy paunchy character!

So how did Saint Nicholas transform from bishop into a jolly old man with red cheeks? The transformation did not happen all at once, but over a period of time and dates back before the American Revolution to the time when the Dutch controlled what is now New York. When the Dutch arrived in America they took the legend of Saint Nicholas with them, at this stage he was still dressed as a bishop.

In Washington Irving’s New York Story, Sinterklaas was Americanized to “Santa Claus” but lost his bishop clothes, and was at first portrayed as a thick-bellied Dutch sailor with a pipe and a green winter coat. Irving’s book was a satire on Dutch New York culture, and much of this portrait is a joking fabrication.

Santa’s dresses changed over the years until the modern suit was born in 1885. Around this time his horse turned into reindeer and sleigh, his slaves into elves, and the date was brought forward to coincide with Christmas.

For those interested, Santa’s eight reindeer were named after Clement Clarke Moore’s popular poem “The Night Before Christmas.”

Have you heard of Google Drive? Dropbox? iCloud? These are some of the most widely used cloud storage devices today.

Think of it as a USB flash drive, as most of us call it. We can store anything in it: Word documents, PowerPoint slides, photos, videos, and more. A cloud storage works the same. The difference is that cloud storage can store a large amount of data without having any hardware device, because everything is done online.

Anything can happen with offline documents

Most of us save our important files (Word documents, photos, etc.) on our PCs or transfer them to a USB flash drive or other external devices. But there are unwanted circumstances when our PCs get infected with a virus and unexpectedly shut down, or our flash drives get corrupted. We tend to get nervous (especially when there are pressing business for meetings!) And we can’t do anything. Isn’t it frustrating?

Benefits of cloud storage applications

It’s free. Many cloud storages are free. That is, users only need to register for an account and voila! You have your own cloud storage in front of you. Two of the most used are Google Drive and Dropbox.
(Note: once you sign up, there is a default storage size assigned to your account.)

It can be accessed from anywhere. Files can be accessed via other PCs, a mobile phone, and a tablet. Provides convenience for users, especially when they are on the go and need to prepare presentations or reports. You just need to log into your account.
(Note: for mobile phones and tablets, you need to download the application from Google Play or App Store before logging in.)

It is upgradeable. Once an account is successfully created, there is a default storage size. For Google Drive, it offers free 15GB storage, while Dropbox offers 2GB storage. The good news is that users can upgrade the storage to make room for more files and pay an affordable monthly fee.
It’s easy to use. Most of these storage applications allow you to simply drag and drop files from your PC, allow you to create folders and organize them. The files can also be downloaded quickly!

Get your own storage app now

Get started with Google Drive and Dropbox. With just a few clicks, you will have your own cloud storage and can save files right away. You don’t have to worry about your files because this cloud storage will take care of them. Isn’t it amazing?

Many new investors are easily confused by the concepts of “Subject Mortgages” and “Surrounding Mortgages”. Both are very useful types of financing that can help you close a deal when conventional financing is not possible, without having to use hard and expensive money.

Subject-Tos or “Sub2s” are agreements in which the buyer purchases a property subject to the existing mortgage. The buyer will obtain the property and will continue to make the existing mortgage payments. Often times, the seller will simply hand over the payment booklet to the buyer. There is no new mortgage. Sub2s are often used when the seller is behind on their mortgage, and the buyer will usually pay the seller a small amount to cover the move.

One thing to keep in mind when buying a Sub2 property is the expiration clause on sale. Most mortgages have a maturity-on-sale clause that states that the loan balance must be paid if the property is sold. Typically this would mean that the seller has to pay off the loan when the property is sold. However, banks rarely enforce this clause. As long as the mortgage continues to be paid, banks are usually happy. Remember: banks do not want homes to be foreclosed, as they are not in the business of buying / selling real estate. So while you need to know the expiration clause on sale, it’s generally not a problem.

“Surround mortgages” or “envelopes”

A comprehensive mortgage is commonly used when you sell a property that you have an existing mortgage on and are willing to finance. You set the terms of the new loan so that the buyer will make you a monthly payment that is higher than the current payment on your current mortgage. Therefore, the buyer is making you a payment that you will use to make your payment, hence the “wraparound”. The difference between your payment and your payment is your monthly cash flow.

So the bottom line to this is, use Sub2 when shopping and use Wraps when selling.

Planning an RV adventure? If so, you don’t have to pack all your things to take with you. What you need to do is pack the things you really need. This will help you keep things organized, comfortable, and easily accessible. Below are some of our tips to help you avoid clutter and save as much space as possible.

1. Use a magnetic strip

You face many challenges in an RV and one of them is that you don’t have unlimited storage or space. You can try a magnetic strip to take advantage of the wall space. On the wall, you can hang utensils and knives so that you can access them without any problem.

2. Divided organizers

We suggest you use divided organizers to keep your closets and other things safe and organized. Apart from this, you can use ottomans to store extra blankets and sheets. This trick worked for most users and it may work for you too.

3. Foldable kitchen supplies

Buying folding kitchen supplies is a great idea to save a lot of space. If you have plans to cook in your RV, we suggest purchasing collapsible kitchen supplies such as measuring cups and a salad spinner. For the kitchen, you can buy plastic bowls that are stackable bowls.

4. Old CD racks

This idea can work for the bathroom. In fact, if you don’t want to spend a lot of money on storage shelves, you can use many other ideas for high-quality wall shelves that can be attached. Old CD racks don’t cost a lot of money as they are made of plastic and are very cheap.

5. Hooks and hangers

If you want to increase your storage space, you can use a clever trick. You can use hanging baskets and command hooks to have a sense of order in the RV storage space. Using hooks and hangers will also make it much easier to hang up the necessary things without using up a lot of space.

6. Stackable kitchen shelf

We have another great tip that can make things fun for you. If not organized properly, your shoes can end up making you dirty and cluttered. In fact, you can use the kitchen shelves to store many more shoes. Don’t worry, they are not too expensive.

7. Glass jars

For better storage, we suggest that you screw the jar lids under the cabinets. This is a great trick for spices or other small things like matches, clothespins, and other things that you might need quickly.

Bottom line, if you’ve been looking for some easy RV storage tips, we suggest you give the tips in this article a try. This will help you avoid clutter and make the most of your adventure. Hopefully this will help you a lot.

Not so long ago, there was a time when buying a family vehicle offered only two viable options: truck or minivan. Parents of this older generation of car buyer didn’t have much choice in the type of vehicle for their family, nor was there a wide range of family characteristics that would make a choice truly prove to be an outstanding model. However, modern moms and dads now have a third option when it comes to determining the best vehicle to transport their families from point A to point B: the full-size sport utility vehicle.

An Easy Pick: How Current SUVs Stand Out From The Standard Minivan

If you are currently in the market for a new family vehicle, you owe it to yourself to see some of the many reasons why more and more parents are opting for an SUV over a standard minivan. Choosing a full-size sport utility vehicle over a minivan can offer owners the following benefits:

Easier loading / access to car seat: Some sport utility vehicles are an easier option for securing and accessing child safety seats, making them an ideal choice over vans.

Better driving visibility: In some minivans, the driver’s visibility can be minimized, especially for smaller drivers. Some high-quality sport utility vehicles allow smaller drivers to better customize the driver’s seat configuration for better overall visibility.

Car chassis design: Beyond visibility, some SUV options offer a car chassis design. The result? These vehicles are quieter and easier to drive than a potentially boxy and cumbersome van.

Sleeker body structure: It’s no secret that the essential body structure of a minivan hasn’t changed much over the years (or decades). However, the look of a sport utility vehicle is constantly evolving. Who doesn’t want to take the family on a visually appealing outing? Each new year brings sleeker lines and sophisticated styles that make these cars as eye-catching as they are functional.

Best model selection: Vans tend to have only one common style; however, there are countless sports utility vehicle models to choose from. No matter what your preferences are in terms of seating configuration, size, and fuel economy, you are sure to find a quality SUV that truly meets your specific requirements.

Buy your next family-friendly SUV from an authorized dealer

Ready to see for yourself why an SUV is a perfect family car? When you begin the search process, be sure to only work with an authorized manufactured dealer based on the make and model you have your mind set on. An authorized dealer will offer a wide selection of inventory to ensure that you find the exact car you are looking for.

Plus, working with a certified showroom means you’ll have access to a professional sales staff who are knowledgeable in the SUV lineup that interests you. Regardless of the questions you have, they will be able to provide you with the answers you need. The result? You will have the confidence that comes from knowing that you are making an informed purchasing decision.

With so many benefits for the whole family, it’s easy to see why parents around the world are opting for an SUV over a standard minivan as their favorite passenger transport.

To be productive as a writer, you need to actually write. I know this isn’t a surprise, but I also know how easy it is to let other tasks, projects, people, or any other distractions take us away from our writing. Consider using the following words to describe your writing time (in case someone asks you to quit).

  1. Sanctioned – Tell yourself, this is my authorized writing time. It’s a great honor.
  2. Protected – Tell someone in your family: “This is my protected writing time. Let’s work around that.”
  3. Programmed – Tell a person who asks for time when you are scheduled to write: “This is my scheduled time to write, but what about _____ as an alternative?”
  4. Sacrosanct – This sounds like a good word for a writer to say about their writing time, doesn’t it?
  5. Strategic – Use this word to describe your writing time to someone who thinks strategically and needs to understand that writers are also planners and deliberate, not just playing games.
  6. Required – If you are a writer (and I suppose you are because you are reading this), you must write or you are no longer a writer.
  7. Non-negotiable – There are people who consider that Saturday afternoon nap time is non-negotiable, so I think you can describe your writing time as non-negotiable. If it is, that’s …
  8. Dedicated – You may have to say this to yourself.
  9. It does not matter that – You can use this out of desperation when faced with a deadline. Saying it out of desperation isn’t very powerful, but if it works, use it. However, if you’ve used some of the above on the list, you’re less likely to despair.
  10. Unless there is blood or bones in sight, it is not to be disturbed … Generally, this is one that should be used by mothers, graduate counselors, and the like. It is when “children” (be they real children or adults acting like children) seem unable to make any decisions when the “parent” is not there to arbitrate. Use this if you need to.

If you need to practice, do it. Imagine the scenario where you have 10 – noon on Thursday as your write protected time. When someone asks you if you can meet then, you say, “I can’t meet then because that’s my required writing time. How about we meet at noon or anytime later that afternoon?”

Note: When I was sharing this list with people in one of my writing groups, one person said that the word they use to talk about their time spent writing is “MINE!” I like this!

Depending on your size and the amount of body fat you have, you can expect to lose 6 to 20 pounds of body weight in the first 3-4 weeks of any properly designed nutrition program. Beyond this, a reasonable goal is to try to lose 2 pounds per week for the rest of the time. This means that a realistic weight loss goal is between 30 and 40 pounds over a 3-4 month period. More than this in this time period is rare and dangerous and should only be attempted with close medical supervision. If you are 100 lbs. losing, for example, normally cannot be achieved in a 12-16 week program; you will need more than one nutrition program to reach this goal. If you need more than one diet program, don’t plan on doing one after another, as you will have diminishing returns. Taking a short 1-2 week break between programs is recommended, but the point is, if you have to lose more than 10-15 pounds, you can expect to suffer through dieting for months. Staying as mentally fresh as possible throughout your plan will be imperative to staying on track.

Considering the time it takes to produce fat loss results on a diet, it’s smart to start easy and practice steps to prevent burnout. Even if you are very excited about starting your new diet, avoid the cold turkey method of diving right in and trying to stick with your plan from the start. If you’ve got 12 tough weeks ahead of you, starting too strict too early causes most to start to wind down long before the end from hunger and mental stress. If you’ve been overweight for a long time or have more than 30 pounds of body fat to lose, neglecting can be dangerous. Cutting calories too much, eating completely clean, and / or exercising excessively when you’ve never done this (or haven’t in a long time) can release toxins stored in body fat. This can make you sick and even cause harm if done too quickly. Dieters who have excessive amounts of body fat should be put into their program to avoid poisoning their body with the rapid dumping of toxins that can occur when starting a diet that is too strict. An example of this is when an obese person begins a drastic 85% raw diet, drastically switching from highly processed foods to almost nothing but raw vegetables. Few can do this without getting sick. This is not recommended as the result can be very dangerous.

They say you have to do the same for 21 days before it becomes a habit. Once you’ve hit the 3-week mark on your diet, there will be numerous procedures that have become a habit, making it so much easier to stay on track in the long run. The trick is to adopt healthy nutrition habits so that it is not so difficult to get sick or mentally collapse before you hit the 21-day habit zone. The best way to do this is to take the first ten days or even 2-3 weeks of your program and stick with it halfway through, gradually tightening up until you are soon doing everything according to the book. This can be done in several ways. One way is to practice several days of strict dieting followed by a day or two off the diet. Start the first week with just dieting on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and take the rest of the days off. In the second week, try to diet strictly for Monday and Tuesday, Wednesday off, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Sunday off. Diet for week three throughout the week and take a half day of the diet on Saturday as a reward. The fourth week should be a strict diet for the rest of the program.

Another way to get into a prolonged weight loss program is the elimination method. This is probably the most common and possibly the safest method of starting a diet, especially if you have a large amount of weight to lose. Instead of mixing strict days with days off in the first 2-3 weeks, take this time to eliminate bad foods and replace them with good ones. For example, for the first week, instead of a strict portion-controlled diet, eat the way you have; however, eliminate all processed sugar and bread; replace only with clean, complex starches like brown rice, yams / sweet potatoes, oats, and legumes. Replace all your fluids with water and increase the amount of water you drink to at least 64 ounces / day, but up to nearly a gallon / day if you exercise hard enough to sweat. If you eat out, you’re choosing plain chicken breasts, lean steak, plain potatoes, and salads for week one. In the second week, all meals away from home are replaced with pre-planned home-cooked meals only, with each meal containing the correct amount of protein, but still without calorie restriction. The third week begins with calorie restricted meals and strict diet until the end of the program.

In addition to making your diet easier, it’s also a good idea to get into your exercise program. For the amount of exercise needed to effectively burn body fat, jumping head first can also produce adverse effects. Juggling strength training and as much cardio work as possible is like suddenly taking on a second job that can easily overwhelm you, especially if you’re new to the gym. As with your nutrition program, take the first 1-2 weeks to begin your exercise program. If strength training isn’t something you’re used to, start out moderately with low volume for the first few sessions. If you don’t, muscle pain can be overwhelming, discouraging, and needs to be watched closely or overtraining will be difficult to avoid. Get a certain number of cardio hours a week and increase over time. For example, in the first week do three 30-minute cardio sessions. In the second week, do two sessions of 40 minutes and one of 30 minutes, continuing to increase the number of sessions and the duration of time increasing up to 5-6 hours of cardio / week (or whatever your effective volume of work is).

Another reason neglecting your nutrition program is a bad idea is because of the undue mental stress it adds. Success in most weight loss plans is due to being consistent with your regimen over a period of time. Being absolutely ruthless and strict for 12 harsh weeks will cause any professional to collapse mentally without some kind of at least temporary relief. Taking a few weeks to get into your program helps reduce the mental stress of dieting for long periods of time. Taking time to prepare for the diet also helps tremendously with this type of stress. For best results, stick to your diet as strictly as possible during the week, but reward yourself with a cheat meal on the weekend. This gives you something to work on, look forward to, and satisfy your cravings. It also gives your mind a break and will renew your enthusiasm for starting over next week. Instead of always trying to see the light at the end of the tunnel, eat one meal at a time, one day at a time, and focus on making each one perfect. Focusing on perfecting the process rather than just the product will keep your mind busy stringing together a string of numerous small wins. Soon enough time will have passed for habits to develop and results to show.

Nightingales are notoriously territorial and will take over bird feeders and scare away shy birds. When other territorial birds, or bullies, take over a feeder, you can usually discourage them by changing their food. Nightingales, you will read, prefer foods like worms, tallow, berries, and insects. But if you’re handing out free seeds, they’ll crash your bird feeder party every time. Not only do they try to expel other birds, but they also take on dogs, cats, and occasionally dive-bomb a human to let him know who the head of the feeder is. It can be very, very difficult to get rid of a nightingale once it is comfortable. Your bird feeder plans can be sidetracked by these stalking birds.

If you can’t beat them, join them, or at least let them stay in your garden. Nightingales aren’t all bad, of course; they are following their natural tendency to assert themselves. They can help keep pests out of your yard, and learning to recognize their calls is something any bird lover will enjoy. But perhaps the most common reason people let mockingbirds stay in their yard is because they don’t have many options. Nightingales will stick around as long as they get food, even if it’s food they might not prefer if given a choice.

Some people try to put up plastic or wooden silhouettes of owls or hawks to deter the bird from returning, but this is not reliable and often the nightingale will find that these “predators” do not pose a threat. Another time-consuming, not to mention absurd, idea is to fill a Super Soaker with soapy water and shoot the nightingale every time it enters your garden or near the feeder.

You don’t want to stop producing food or seeds because you want to encourage other birds to visit your garden. How to get around the important obstacle that the nightingale presents? Try drawing another set of bird feeder plans and building your feeder elsewhere in your garden. If possible, be sure to place a natural or artificial barrier between this feeder and the one your nightingale has claimed. A grass hedge or fence will work; You can also place the other feeder on the other side of your house or building. The other birds will start arriving at this feeder, while the nightingale will stay to rule his own.

Everyone wants to get their body in shape quickly. There are several ways to get your body in shape and lose some weight, but nothing comes close to aerobics. Aerobics are one of the best and fastest ways to lose weight really fast and burn calories like crazy. Read on to discover some of the most effective aerobic exercises that will help you lose weight very fast …

Jumping Rope: This may not be easy for some, but once it becomes a habit, it is a lot of fun and at the same time, it burns a lot of calories really fast. You will see that if you jump rope for just 15-30 minutes a day, you will never have to do any other training because this is very effective in helping you lose a lot of weight.

Swimming – Swimming is known to be one of the best and most effective aerobic exercises, which is a complete workout for the whole body. You will see that the great thing about swimming is that the longer you stay in the water, the more you will have to exercise, otherwise you could drown. So this is an exercise that will keep you going even when you don’t feel like it.

Playing a sport: Another really effective aerobic exercise is playing a sport of some kind, especially one that requires a lot of running and body movements. Soccer, basketball, and tennis are the best exercises out there when it comes to really losing weight and burning some fat. You see that the best possible way to make sure you stay in a sport is to get some friends involved, as that would keep you in a rut and at the same time you would also have a sense of competition that would make you try harder.

Much of daytime television is filled with court programs, which appear to be extremely popular. In the local area alone, six hours of courtroom dramas are broadcast between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on three television stations.

All of the judges are well known, as all but two of the shows are named after the robed man or woman waving the gavel on the bench. These people have become celebrities and, in one case, the highest paid person on television.

Less well known, but almost as vital to the shows, are the bailiffs. Each one has a personality that complements the judicial ruler at his side, thus adding to the entertainment of the cases.

The first sheriff to gain some notoriety was Rusty Burrell, who kept order for Joe Wapner in the early years of “The People’s Court.” So vital was Burrell’s presence that Wapner, after taking over “Animal Court” for the Animal Planet network, insisted that Burrell be hired alongside him.

Burrell’s replacement on “The People’s Court” was Josephine Ann Longobardi, who served as a bailiff on the show when former New York City Mayor Ed Koch replaced Wapner on the bench. She, for whatever reason, never matched Burrell’s attractiveness, so her tenure was much shorter than his.

Today’s bailiffs have acquired a loyal following, no doubt aided by the onslaught of the internet and social media that did not exist during previous programs. Here are my five favorite sheriffs, ranked in descending order.

5. Juan Bustamante from “Judge Faith”

He’s a big, clean officer who doesn’t hesitate to tell litigants to shut up or wait their turn.

4. Sonia Montejano from “Hot Bench”

A veteran on television, Montejano used to hold the same court position as Joe Brown during his tenure in organizing. Her greatest strength is probably her fluency in Spanish, which is often helpful to the trio of Tonya Acker, Patricia Dimango, and Larry Bakman.

3. Doyle Devereaux from “Judge Mathis”

He provides comic relief by making brooding remarks during cases, and his sense of humor is like Greg Mathis’s own. Too often you can’t help but laugh when interviewing litigants after their cases.

2. Douglas MacIntosh from “The People’s Court

Judge Marilyn Milian has this former professional soccer player at her service, who appears to be fit enough to dress for the National Soccer League. Added to her charms are her captivating humor and polite delicacy.

1. Petri-Hawkins Byrd from “Judge Judy”

The right hand to the left of Judith Scheindlin is known simply as Byrd, who only speaks when she addresses him. Throughout the cases, she works on crossword puzzles while occasionally researching the car’s blue book or helping Judy work on a cell phone.