Untwisted Vortex

Essential Windshield Repair Facts

RT Cunningham — Thu, 31 May 2012 06:02:14 +0000

Windshields are typically made up of three layers. The two outer layers are separated by one thin layer of polyvinyl butyrate, popularly known as PVB. The PVB film is composed of plastic and holds the other two glass layers together.

Unless you completely shatter your windshield, damage occurs in the form of small star or bull's-eye shaped cracks. Climatic changes and the varying conditions of the road accelerate the windshield damage process.

Repair vs. replacement

Repairing your windshield is usually a measure of preventive maintenance. Most drivers tend to ignore small cracks, especially if it does not directly hinder their view. But fixing cracks as soon as they appear is often smarter than ignoring them. Small chips tend to get larger, eventually requiring windshield replacement, which is more expensive.

The cost of getting your windshield replaced depends largely on the type of vehicle you own and its model. Windshields can come with a wide range of features, like sun block film, heating elements and antennae, which will contribute to the varying costs.

Replacing your windshield compromises the original factory seal, which is very hard to replicate. The windshields that come with a car are usually of very high quality, and buying such a glass can be quite costly. A windshield that is replaced in an improper manner can lead to leakage and even not provide protection in case of an accident.

A few other important facts

Since windshield replacements are done in various conditions, make sure the quality of glass used is superior. Shop around and perform sufficient research on the dealer and the type of glass used. Once the glass is chosen, monitor other aspects of the installation procedure.

A poor windshield fitting job could let air and water enter your car, damaging the interiors of your vehicle. If the glass is loosely fitted, it will tend to vibrate and may even come loose, which can be extremely dangerous. Make sure the person replacing your windshield cleans the frame properly before applying the fresh adhesive.

Windshield repair could save you a lot of money, as it is way cheaper than getting the glass replaced. Getting your glass repaired is more beneficial because the factory seal is not broken. Try to prolong the life of the original windshield by ensuring timely repair and maintenance.

When you notice cracks on the windshield, it is best shown to a professional who can help you determine the course of action. They are trained and will be able to tell you how serious the crack really is.

Windshield repair takes not more than about half an hour. Once repaired it should look like sparkling new, like it did before the cracks appeared. The blemishes should be minimal and not easily noticed.

For those who like to fix things themselves, windshield replacement kits are available that are pretty simple to use. But it is absolutely essential to follow all the instructions so that the repair is done well and is effective in the long run.

About the Author

Penny is an expert associated with Auto Glass Quotez. Their Sacramento Windshield Replacement, among many other locations, is one of the best they offer. Contact Mobile Glass for the finest and the most reliable service.

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Essential Windshield Repair Facts is an article from: Untwisted Vortex

All about Oiling your Car

RT Cunningham — Thu, 31 May 2012 06:01:49 +0000

When it comes to maintaining your car, oiling it is of utmost importance. Oiling the engine, gears and brakes are all equally important. Oil is vital to any vehicle. It is as important as blood is to humans. Over the years, oil has been designed carefully to facilitate the longest lubricant change intervals, maximize engine life, and minimize oil wastage to lower their negative impact on the environment.

Lubricating your engine well is central to keeping it in the best possible condition. Lubrication companies are constantly working to develop increasingly advanced lubricants according to their purpose and usage. It is essential to understand that petrol and diesel engines function differently. For the best maintenance, you should address your engine specifically and understand its needs.

Companies that specialize in car lubrication consistently perform research and development, and aim to serve you with the highest quality products. Here are a few tips that can ensure optimal working condition and lubrication of your car.

Select the right grade of oil

It is important to make sure you use the correct grade of lubricant for your vehicle. Different grades are designed for different purposes and lubricants are rated by the company. The manual that comes with your vehicle will contain details regarding the rating of lubricant that is ideal for different areas of your car. Never experiment with these ratings, and abide by the vehicle manual.

Check oil levels periodically

Before you fire up your engine in the morning, check all lubricant levels. Make sure all lubricants are filled to the levels specified by your vehicle manual. It is important to regularly check your oil levels in order to prevent them from drying out.

Inspect for impurities

In case you find the oil to be grainy, make sure you get fresh oil put. Grainy oil is so because it has grime and dirt, which could damage your engine. Check for other impurities like the coolant or fuel mixing with the engine oil. To check if fuel is getting mixed with the oil, examine the dipstick in the morning. In case you notice a separate line of a fluid that is lighter in color on top of the oil, it is most probably your fuel mixing with the oil.

To check if your coolant is mixing in with your oil, just check the coolant tank and see if there is oil floating around in it. If there is coolant or fuel mixing in your oil, it means your engine requires some modifications and the problem is not just solved by changing the oil.

Follow directions closely

Vehicle manuals recommend the frequency of oil changes. The method of these changes and other specification may be mentioned as well. It is absolutely essential to follow all the instructions closely to avoid any malfunction.

Regular service

Getting your car routine serviced is important as it makes sure your mechanic is keeping track of oil changes, checkups and other such requirements. It also helps fixing minor and major issues with your car, often nipping the problem at its bud.

About the Author

Penny is an expert associated with Mobile Glass, windshield replacement & auto glass repair firm. Their windshield replacement Waco and car window repair Austin, among many other locations, are two of the best they offer. Contact Mobile Glass for the finest and the most reliable service.

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All about Oiling your Car is an article from: Untwisted Vortex

Is there anything better than Skype on Linux for Computer to non-Computer Calls?

RT Cunningham — Wed, 30 May 2012 13:35:22 +0000

As I sit here and write this, I can honestly answer my own question, "Is there anything better than Skype on Linux for computer to non-computers?" The answer is no, conditionally. The latest magicJack Plus doesn't require a computer to operate.

Searching for a Replacement

I installed the latest "beta" version of Skype for Linux and I was unimpressed. To be fair, some of the shortcomings are due to how Linux handles audio, but there is one shortcoming that is wholly unacceptable. You can't store phone numbers (home, work, mobile) on it. That option just isn't available. This version of Skype was updated (as a beta) to work with Ubuntu 10.04 and Ubuntu is now on 12.04. There hasn't been an update since Microsoft acquired the technology in October 2011.

I use Skype with my USB headset and PulseAudio controls it just fine. The problem arises when I want to use my regular speakers. When I select my audio card to watch a movie with the VLC media player for example, and I want to answer a voice call on Skype, I have to kill the player, open the system settings dialog box and close it again. If I reboot the computer or return it from hibernation, I have to check the system settings again. I have twice found it set to the front microphone (which I don't have plugged in) and the audio card and I'm not even sure why.

I'm positive there's a way to fix the audio situation, especially since I like listening to music on Rhythmbox without wearing the headset. I guess I'll figure it out eventually. MagicJack is looking more enticing every day and it's actually cheaper than Skype. Since I'll be in the United States for a couple of months (starting sometime in November), I'll investigate it on that end.

I've already read tons of articles about VoIP and chat clients that are better than Skype (like Pidgin) but those are for computer to computer. I haven't found anything else that operates on Linux that can call non-computer landline or cell phones. That part is a necessity since it's how I talk to my wife while she's in the US.

I'm Open to Suggestions

If you have any, that is. Right now, I'm thinking magicJack Plus is the best replacement for Skype. While I'm in the US, I can order it and set it up and then bring it back with me. I can pick up a cheap router and plug into the magicJack and my computer at the same time. I can then untether myself from the computer and use a regular phone with it, freeing my desktop PC to do whatever I want to do as far as audio is concerned.

I already have a landline at home because of my DSL service and the only problem I can foresee is answering the wrong phone.

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Is there anything better than Skype on Linux for Computer to non-Computer Calls? is an article from: Untwisted Vortex

Make Money Online — Building an Authority Website with WordPress Part 5

RT Cunningham — Wed, 30 May 2012 09:29:13 +0000

Before I write anything further, I need to tell you this: Building an authority website, with or without WordPress, takes time. Time is not the only factor, but it's the primary factor. Building RTCX.NET into an authority website is no different. My goal with this installment, however, is to show you some of the steps I've taken to help mitigate the time factor.

Time is of the Essence

Not really, but it sounds cute. It's a general consensus that Google, as the world's leading search engine, doesn't pay much attention to websites that aren't popular for the first two years. Yes, I said two years.

There are a whole bunch of signals that the main search algorithm looks at and one of them is the domain name's age. Another is when the domain name will expire. If you buy an aged domain name from someone else, over two years old, and it's still being indexed by Google, you get to skip that signal. If you want to skip the second signal, you need to make sure it expires in more than one year. Five years would be a good bet. Only a few domain registrars let you register for more than a single year, so you have to shop around.

Building Content

Building new, unique, original content is hard. It is, however, the only way to guarantee success. It's extremely important to be passionate about what your website is supposed to be about. In my case, I'm passionate about programming projects and websites, without the emphasis on programming. I believe you should always use the best tool for the job and if it already exists, it doesn't need to be reinvented.

Google has been ruffling its feathers about fat pipes, whatever that means. I do know they use Pubsubhubub as a feed something or other and it's a good idea to publish your content to it and there's a WordPress plugin for that. I'm using it. Somewhere along the line they said it identifies original content, you know, the first post. That's important because it tells them that if it's published anywhere else, it's duplicate content and shouldn't rank over yours.

I only put original content, even if it isn't awesome content, on my eventual authority website. I won't be accepting guest articles or anything of that nature either. It will be purely me.

Microsites

It may sound like something you don't care about, but microsites are merely independent websites that serve a specific purpose and reference your main, authority website, in one way or another.

Feel free to take a look at one microsite I built, my JavaScript Encryption Demo. If you look closely, you'll see two or three links, including the footer link, pointing back to RTCX.NET.

Okay, so it's sitting on a subdomain of rtcx.net and I say so what? Google and all the other search engines treat subdomains as independent domains. Subdomains can work as microsites just as well as any other domains. In fact, I'm building another microsite that will be a bit bigger than the one I've built so far and it's going to be a simple forum. I'm taking my time with it, of course, since I just recently created my development environment with Ubuntu Linux and Windows XP.

Links, Backlinks, whatever

One of things I started in the beginning, when RTCX.NET was just a placeholder, was to point links back to it from other websites, websites under my control in one way or another. RTCX.NET has over 22,000 links pointing to it and some of them are of my own doing. I have multiple domains on my server and only a few are mine. In the footer of mine and in the footer of those that I administer for someone else, I have a single link pointing back to RTCX.NET. By the way, it's proof that footer links don't carry any real weight with Google.

Other than that, I've linked to it from only here and my microsite. Anything from anywhere else is organic. Wait, I think I pointed forty-something director links to the domain name using Directory Maximizer, but they didn't seem to do anything, at least not yet. Since I receive affiliate payments from those guys, I just turn around and use those payments to get more links. I'm not doing that right now because my PayPal account is kind of on the barren side of things.

Oh wait. I stopped using www.untwistedvortex.com as my URL when I comment on other websites and now I use rtcx.net. I won't hold my breath to figure out the value of doing that, but it might get me a visit or two.

Metrics, who cares?

I only use metrics as measuring sticks. I like to see how I improve in them but I don't care about them. For example, the last time I checked my Alexa rank it was at 798,902. It's now at 598,169. Meh.

I checked the domain at Google Webmaster Tools and I looked at the traffic on Google Analytics and I'm getting what I consider a trickle of visitors. It's what I expect at this point. I'm more concerned about getting content on the site than anything else right now, so it doesn't bother me in the least.

Right now, I know only one thing. If I continue to build the content and continue doing the things I'm doing. RTCX.NET will eventually rise to the top of the search engines for multiple keywords.

The End Goal

The goal post I'm trying to reach is to simply get 100 visitors or more per day to my "new" site. And that's just so I can carve out another tiny slice of online income. After all, the reason I'm doing this is make money online in the first place, right?

Eventually, and it all depends on other factors of course, I want to build that domain and the subdomains of it into a supersite, with multiple revenue streams. I think I can do it.

Please don't expect to be updated on RTCX.NET any time soon. Unless something major happens, I'll probably write an update in a month or so.

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Make Money Online — Building an Authority Website with WordPress Part 5 is an article from: Untwisted Vortex

Clothes Stores – Pick it up or Point me to the Door!

Kathryn — Wed, 30 May 2012 08:20:46 +0000

I know there are a million and one other things you could be doing whilst walking around a clothes shop, but one thing that always catches my eye is how the store actually looks. It might sound picky but consider this; you walk into a packed clothes store on a Saturday looking for the perfect outfit for a night out and are faced with what can only be described as a jumble sale. If you are in a rush it's even worse, especially as you start to sift through the piles of clothes that have been folded and unfolded so many times they look like they have never been in the same room as a clothes hanger.

I understand that sometimes after a mad rush, especially during the sales, some items can go astray but when you finally find that cream top you have been coveting for weeks and it has a giant muddy footprint in the middle, well let's just say the Hulk has nothing on me! Of course it's not just the shop's fault, every time I hit the high street I am incensed by the amount of people that knock entire rails of clothing onto the floor without giving it a second thought. Children are a complete other story, watching sticky fingered kids play hide and seek in the rails of my favourite store gives me the chills. I wholeheartedly believe that if everyone stuck to the idea that if you drop it you pick it up, the shopping world would be a better place!

An unorganised shop often sends me running out of the door to the safety of a bright, airy alternative with plenty of glorious racks, rails and slatwall displays. Point me in the direction of size order and if I'm really lucky colour coordination and I will be reaching for my purse. It really goes to show that appearances are everything when it comes to shopping, and it's not just the new stock that I will be scrutinising! I can't be the only one that's immediately turned off by a messy store; surely it's a pet peeve of many women who escape the mess of their own home to run to the safety of a high street store? Ah well, at least there's always online shopping and those trusty catalogues to see me through the messy Christmas period!

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Clothes Stores – Pick it up or Point me to the Door! is an article from: Untwisted Vortex

Never Rely on Google for Income

RT Cunningham — Wed, 30 May 2012 07:56:43 +0000

Every time I read about or listen to a Google horror story, I thank God I don't rely on Google as my sole source of income. For those of you that do, it's time to quit riding the coattails of a tyrant. Now, I've been on the web for a long time, in one way or another, and I remember how it all started. I can also see where it's headed.

The Early Days and Google

Back in the early days, the days of Netscape version 1.0 (circa 1995), the only search engine player was Yahoo. If you're not old enough to remember how Yahoo search looked in those days, take at look at the Open Directory Project. Yeah, it looked a lot like that.

Google came onto the scene as a search engine around 1996, but most people ignored it until it eventually became the best search engine in the world. I'm summarizing because the steps along the way aren't important.

Google AdSense wasn't invented by Google. Google bought Applied Semantics in 2001 and built AdSense from that. Google AdWords, on the other hand, was wholly invented by Google the previous year.

The AdSense Business Model

From 2001 until just recently, building your business model using AdSense as your advertiser publishing service was a good deal. While I won't go into the details, you could earn a lot of money if you paid attention to how the Google search engine worked and how to build websites that capitalized on how the search engine worked. You could even earn your living on it.

All that has changed with the Panda and the Penguin algorithm updates. Before those updates, Google was simply making adjustments to weed out the web spammers and black hatters. Those updates turned the knob to a different channel, so to speak.

For years, Google has been harping on organic links and good content. Well, it's time to ignore the harping because it's a big lie. It might have been true in the past, but it isn't now and if you're relying on Google for income, you're going to be in for rough ride.

The White Hat Way

I read James Hussey's article, about Google not rewarding quality content and listened to his interview with the owner of AskTheBuilder.com, Tim Carter.

Tim has been doing everything the white hat way since 1995. He was even used as a Google poster child for the right way to build organic links for the last few years. Well, Tim lost most of his web traffic with the Panda updates and even more with the Penguin update. I guess doing things the right way doesn't really work anymore, does it?

The white hat way, according to Google's guidelines, is really a "build it and they will come" kind of thing. It's bullshit and they know it. That's why they built Google+ to compete with Facebook. Facebook was "stealing" Google's thunder, if you know what I mean.

The Future of Search and the Web

I've seen the past and I see the present. I can almost see the future. The search results you see today favor the big brands and Google's web properties. The days of the little guy or the small business getting ahead on the shoulder's of Google are over.

Google is a corporation and I could almost see this coming when they announced their IPO. Corporate charters shift the responsibilities of the businesses they cover and Google is no different. They are owned by stockholders and their primary responsibility is to them and to make profits for them. When Google was just an independent company, the consumers (translated to searchers) were their primary responsibility.

Google is now a brand name and in the future, you will have to buy your way into the top rankings for search or you will be destined to be on any page but page one for any of your search terms.

Rely on Something Else

We can all still do the things we love to do, like producing awesome content (or publishing it for someone else). We just need to rely on something other than Google and its AdSense-related products.

Regardless of all the brainwashing, there are other search engines, other advertisers and other ways of making money that are directly related to building awesome content. You mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find those other ways.

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Never Rely on Google for Income is an article from: Untwisted Vortex

Proper Relief: Knowing when to use the Right Allergy Medication

RT Cunningham — Wed, 30 May 2012 02:46:56 +0000

You can probably visualize a dozen or more different television spots for allergy medication, each shilling for a different brand of pill, spray or eyedrop. It's hard enough to keep the names of all these different products straight, let alone know when, how, and for what symptoms to use them properly. Use the following product list to stop guessing and start arresting your allergies before they become a nuisance.

Types of Allergy Medication

There are three basic forms of allergy medication: pills, nasal sprays, and eyedrops. Within these categories, there are several different types of active ingredients. They are:

Decongestants. This class of medication can come as a pill or in a spray and generally provides the most transitory relief of the major allergy-fighting drugs. If you suffer from hay fever or certain mild food allergies, spray decongestants like Afrin can help reopen your airways and get you breathing easier in no time.
Antihistamines. This medication's mechanism is simple: It blocks the accumulation of histamine, an inflammatory compound that your body produces naturally in response to the presence of certain allergens. Common oral antihistamines include Clarinex and Allegra. If you're experiencing symptoms of pinkeye, Patanol eyedrops provide powerful relief with minimal side effects.
Corticosteroids. They may have a scary-sounding name, but corticosteroids are a safe and powerful addition to your allergy-fighting repertoire. Common corticosteroid nasal sprays include Flonase and Nasonex, which combat allergens that cause hay fever and hives, as well as asthma-fighting treatments like Flovent.

It's important to know when to use each type of allergy medication. You'll find the appropriate remedies for several basic types of allergic reaction outlined below.

Hay Fever

Common symptoms of hay fever include itchy eyes, runny noses, and frequent sneezing and sniffling. If you're sensitive to seasonal changes, you'll notice these effects during peak spring and fall pollen seasons. Indoor allergens can also set off hay fever. Regardless of the cause, hay fever is best treated either with corticosteroid nasal sprays like Flonase and Nasonex or antihistamine pill medications like Clarinex.

Hives and Respiratory Constriction

If you're allergic to certain foods, perhaps nuts or shellfish, you know what hives and bronchial constriction feels like. To combat these potentially serious allergic reactions, you'll need to choose from one of several powerful medications. These include prednisone corticosteroids, which can be taken in pill form. If you are suffering from a medical emergency, you may need to inject your corticosteroids, but the most effective non-emergency medications can easily be taken in pill form.

Allergic Pinkeye

Although mild eye irritation is a common side effect of hay fever, serious allergic pinkeye requires specialized medication delivered by eyedrops only. In other words, over-the-counter eyedrops like Visine-A and similar brands are usually sufficient to treat mild to moderate red or dry eye symptoms, but you'll need specialized prescription eyedrops like Patanol to tackle the worst cases of painful pinkeye.

It's a lot easier to keep everything straight if you remember that there is an ideal treatment for each of the common forms of allergic reaction. Nasal sprays work best for certain types of hay fever, while hives is best treated orally and severe eye irritation requires eyedrops. With these tips in mind, you can look forward to consistent relief no matter what symptoms you're experiencing.

About the Author

Guest author Genie York is a freelance blogger writing on behalf of edrugstore.md where you can order medications online. For more information check out these Edrugstore Videos.

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Proper Relief: Knowing when to use the Right Allergy Medication is an article from: Untwisted Vortex

Remodeling your Office Space with Eco-Friendliness in Mind

RT Cunningham — Wed, 30 May 2012 02:34:34 +0000

Follow these simple steps to give your office a green makeover.

You might not think of your office as particularly significant to the environment, but with over three-quarters of the US workforce working in front of a desk, the cost adds up. Here are some ways you can make your office a cleaner, classier place to work, while doing your bit to protect the environment.

1. Use a laptop

A desktop uses more power when it's idle than a laptop does at full capacity. Because designers don't have the harsh constraints of laptop battery life, desktops are notoriously wasteful, using eight times more power than the average laptop. They're also big and bulky, and generally don't get unplugged at the end of the workday, so they burn energy 24 hours a day. Even if you use an external display and keyboard, switching to a laptop can be one of the best Eco-friendly switches you can make. The switch will also free up desk space and help you keep a neater office. Of course, you don't want to just throw the old desktop in the dumpster — it contains components that are highly toxic, and should be processed safely at a specialized e-waste facility.

2. Tidy up your power cables

You might be surprised to hear that the tangled swarm of power cables under your desk is draining unnecessary energy, all by itself. "Vampire power" is the energy that cords and appliances drain just by being plugged into the wall, even when they're not running (or even turned on). To limit this waste and give your office a leaner, classier look, see which cords you can eliminate; if you've got an electric pencil sharpener and nothing but mechanical pencils, pack it up. Once you've tamed the beast and narrowed down to the essentials, plug everything into a single surge protector or power strip. This allows you to shut everything down once you've finished work for the day, and simply unplug the surge protector, eliminating all vampire drain from your office.

3. Go paperless

This step is a good idea just for efficiency's sake, but it also reduces your office's carbon footprint. Any transactions that can be done online, including payroll, billing, or ordering fresh supplies, should be done online. Instead of making notes on loose scraps of paper, invest in a clean glass whiteboard — you'll save paper, you'll cut back on clutter, and you'll never have to worry about where you put this or that stray receipt or phone number. Overall, there are few good remaining reasons to use paper for daily office tasks, and having a clean desk can make a surprising change in your stress level.

4. Switch to LCD displays

This is another step that is just as valuable aesthetically as it is environmentally. A yellowed old CRT monitor is as inefficient as it is ugly, using twice the energy of an equivalent LCD display. Tube displays are heavy, hard to clean, and they generate static that draws dust like a magnet. When you decide to make the change, bring your old monitor to an e-waste processing center, and buy a smaller display if you can — a 14-inch monitor uses half-again as much power as a 10-inch one.

5. Look for used furnishings whenever possible

The cheapest and greenest way to buy green furnishings is to buy used; there are great old desks and office chairs available at thrift stores that can give your office a slick, vintage look while saving you a great deal of money; and since they've already been manufactured, and usually come from in town, they put no new strain on natural resources. It's possible to find new furniture that purports to be Eco-friendly, but those claims are almost never independently verifiable, so do your homework.

About the Author

Angela is a writer, loving wife, and mother of two beautiful twin girls and a standard poodle named Morty. She graduated with her Master of Arts Degree in English from the University of North Carolina. During her time at UNC, she wrote a number of children's short stories that focus on a set of curious twin sisters and their dog (go figure).

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Remodeling your Office Space with Eco-Friendliness in Mind is an article from: Untwisted Vortex

The 8 Secrets of Salary Negotiation during an Interview

RT Cunningham — Wed, 30 May 2012 02:19:31 +0000

Keep salary talks amicable, but don't be afraid to ask for what you want.

You can never underestimate the importance of negotiating salary during the interview process. However, many people are self-conscious or too shy to ask for what they believe they deserve. Others hate the thought of confrontation with a new employer and think that if they negotiate they are starting things off on the wrong foot.

However, even though salary negotiating can be uncomfortable, it will ensure you are satisfied and stick with your new job for the long-term, and it may prevent you calling on an attorney like I had to do after I ended up in a miserable job for a really low salary. Remember, if you try to negotiate a higher salary, you will almost always get a bit more than originally offered. This is because employers would rather pay you a little more than risk you leaving for a higher paying job in the first year.

If you feel anxious about negotiating your new salary in an interview, I'm happy to share the following 8 secrets that will help you negotiate a higher salary — and maybe even better benefits and holidays as well.

1. Be prepared to negotiate: Going into any interview setting, you have to be prepared that the topic of salary expectations is going to arise sooner or later. So prepare before your interview by researching the average pay scale for people with your same job title and qualifications, as well as any salary info that you might be able to find out about the company you're interviewing with. For example, is this company renowned for paying their employees well?

2. Don't be the first to bring up salary: Many interviewers will ask straight out what you're salary expectations are. However, if you let the interviewing employer provide a range, you have something to work with and can aim for the higher end without seeming outrageous. If you mention a salary expectation first, you may never know if you are below the range and could have asked for more.

3. Give a range not an exact number: After the interviewer establishes the salary range they are willing to pay—then offer a range within that same ballpark on the high end. Let the employer make the final offer with a solid number and negotiate from there.

4. Play up your skills and value added: Your potential employer will expect you to support any salary request with hard facts. For instance, offer up the reasons why you deserve a high salary based on your education, skills and past accomplishments.

5. Don't be afraid to top up a low salary with benefits and holidays: If the salary you're offered is a little low for your liking, but you still want the job, you can still top up a half decent salary with additional holidays or benefits. The employer may want to hire you, but be unable to offer a higher salary. That doesn't mean he or she won't be willing to add more perks to your offer to entice you. After all, things like benefits, lieu days, time with your family, reduced hours, work from home options, bonuses and holidays can add up to 40 percent to a basic salary.

6. Negotiate in a friendly manner: Just because you're negotiating doesn't mean you need to be defensive and rude. Keep the negotiations friendly. Saying what you want, but remaining amicable will tell the employer that you are willing to work with them to find a suitable salary for everyone involved.

7. If it's unsatisfactory — don't be afraid to decline: If the offer is unacceptable, thank the employer, but decline the offer. After all, this may cause them to come back a few weeks later with a better offer—so don't burn any bridges.

8. Get the final offer in writing: Don't sign any employment contracts until you have the full offer (including salary, holidays, benefits and any other perks you agreed to) in writing.

About The Author

Colleen Harding is a staff writer for a personal injury lawyer in Denver on topics relating to employment, labor and state law. Colleen hopes that sharing her knowledge will make us all happy, law-abiding citizens. She is also a member of Amnesty International as well as an active volunteer in her community.

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The 8 Secrets of Salary Negotiation during an Interview is an article from: Untwisted Vortex

Cheap Romance: Five Affordable Dating Ideas

RT Cunningham — Wed, 30 May 2012 01:55:48 +0000

Whether you've been in a committed relationship for years or you're a veteran of the casual dating scene, chances are good that you have a mental list of favorite date activities, which rotate depending on the occasion and the degree of romance required. Chances are also good that these date ideas are a constant source of financial stress both for you and your significant other. The good news: you don't have to cut out date night completely. You'll have plenty of affordable yet romantic one-on-one activities at your disposal if you just follow a few simple cheap-dating rules.

1. Light the Candles

If you're on a tight budget, expensive restaurant meals should be the first discretionary expense to go. Even if you've only been dating for a few weeks, a candlelit dinner at home with your significant other can be just as romantic as a night out on the town. In fact, with the pretensions of a fancy restaurant setting stripped away, cooking a romantic in-home dinner together for two can be a great way to build trust. Who cares if you're not the world's greatest chef?

2. Good Flicks, Good Eats

If you want to stay in but don't want the meal to be the main attraction, let Netflix be your guide. If you rent your movie on demand and order Chinese delivery food, which is by far the most cost-effective and filling date-night prepared-food option, you'll be set for a low-key night on the couch. Choose an unfamiliar movie so neither of you will be able to ruin the ending for the other. The best part of this date idea: cuddling is free.

3. Take a Stroll

Nowhere is it written that you must squeeze in your dates in the evening after a hectic workday. Relax with your date on a warm weekend afternoon instead, packing a low-cost picnic lunch of sandwiches, cheeses, and whatever else and taking a stroll around your local park. Pretty views and burbling water features are naturally romantic and cost nothing to take in!

4. Sun-Soaked Culture

Another affordable summertime date activity whose popularity has grown in recent years, free outdoor concerts and plays offer the perfect opportunity for you and your date to get a little culture while you spend quality time together. If you live in a bigger town or near a major university, each new week probably brings several such opportunities within easy driving distance.

5. Laugh a Little

By the time you factor in the cost of parking, popcorn, drinks, and other ancillary expenses, a trip for two to the movie theater can easily set you back forty bucks. If you're set on going out, opt for a comedy club instead. For about the cost of a movie ticket, you and your date will be treated to unique live entertainment and will share an experience you'll remember for years.

The dating scene is already stressful enough. Don't make it any worse by spending too much money on an expensive restaurant meal or trip to the movie theater. Instead, keep these affordable date ideas in mind for the next time you want to show how much your significant other means to you. Your financial savvy will not go unnoticed.

About the Author

Renee Varney is a freelance blogger and occasionally writes for delivery.com a site she loves using to find local Thai Food Delivery and Order Chinese Delivery.

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Cheap Romance: Five Affordable Dating Ideas is an article from: Untwisted Vortex