By Jason Broderick

Infrared grills get their energy from natural gas or propane. This energy superheats a tile made of ceramic, causing the ceramic tile to give off infrared radiation that cooks food. The main benefit from using an infrared gas grill is that the heat is distributed uniformly throughout the cooking surface. The temperature reaches more than 900 degrees Fahrenheit, which allows the items to be seared quickly. With other types of grilling, hot air cooks the food. But instead of heating the air, the infrared radiation penetrates the food, heating it directly. Infrared grills have shorter pre-heating times, and the food gets less dried out than with other types of grills. Many people say that the food cooked on an infrared grill tastes somewhat like charcoal grilled food, but that it is juicier. Other great things about infrared grills include instantaneous ignition, uniform heating of the ceramic tile, and superior heat control.

Alfresco infrared gas grills have been around since 2000, when the company was founded to bring the great features of a professional kitchen to an outdoor setting. Alfresco’s grills lead the industry with 27,500 BTUs of power. They’re made form high-heat stainless steel, and the burners have a lifetime warranty. Alfresco’s hybrid infrared system brings the searing power of a commercial grade infrared broiler to the backyard. And they happen to look great, too, with hand-polished accents. Alfresco infrared grills were designed to be an integral part of a complete outdoor kitchen that’s designed for the best efficiency, great ergonomics, and a well-thought-out approach to food preparation. Alfresco allows outdoor chefs to have a top-end outdoor kitchen fit for a professional chef.

Alfresco’s open air kitchen refrigerators are all built with commercial stainless steel construction and doors with gaskets to seal out the outside environment. They’re made to fit underneath Alfresco grills and other outdoor Alfresco open air kitchen appliances. These refrigerators are designed to perform even in very high or very low temperatures. With adjustable wire shelves and a high velocity evaporator, Alfresco’s refrigerators bring true commercial quality to the open air kitchen. You can also buy an optional keg kit that turns an Alfresco outdoor under-counter refrigerator into a keggerator. Even if the outside temperature reaches 120 degrees, the inside of an Alfresco under-counter refrigerator remains a cool 37 degrees Fahrenheit. These refrigerators may be expensive, but that’s because they have to be designed and built to withstand the extremes that outdoor cooking can bring. They’re a great complement to an Alfresco infrared gas grill, because they can be installed right underneath or beside the grill for maximum convenience and efficiency when cooking outdoors.

The latest line of Alfresco infrared gas grills is the LX2. It comes in 30, 42, and 56 inch sizes, and offers the most advanced features of any gas grill on the market, even among commercial grills. It has professional features like flip-down control panels, integrated rotisseries, and the trademarked Neverstore Warming Rack, which is a specially engineered warming rack that has four adjustable height positions. It even has an “up” position that allows the use of the rotisserie without having to remove the rack. These are designed not only to impress the neighbors, but to impress even the world’s leading chefs.

Alfresco infrared gas grills are considered the best because they are made to high commercial quality standards, and no corners are cut for the home market. These grills are designed to be an integral part of an open air kitchen, so that cooking out doesn’t depend on the indoor kitchen for storage, warming, or refrigeration. Any outdoor kitchen has to be able to stand up to extreme weather conditions, and Alfresco products are specially designed to take whatever the outdoor environment dishes out, from extreme low to extreme high temperatures. From multi-use cookers to special “prep zones” to commercial quality refrigeration and grilling, Alfresco is designed to make the outdoor kitchen every bit as well-equipped as the best indoor kitchen.

Alfresco’s LX2 series features 27,500 BTU main burners, porcelain ceramic briquettes that are shaped to evenly distribute heat. The chain-driven rotisserie has a hidden built-in motor and roller bearings so that no counterweight is needed. The flush-mounted ceramic infrared burner provides direct high heat to lock in flavor and juices. An integrated smoker accommodates wood chunks for cold smoking, and the smoke ejector is designed to distribute smoke before rising so that food takes on an intense smoked flavor. The LX2 grills feature integrated high intensity halogen work lights, and as an option on the smaller models (and standard on the 56″ model) is the Sear Zone ceramic searing system. It preheats to 1,400 degrees in under 5 minutes and flash-caramelizes food.

Alfresco’s AGBQ series has a flush-mounted infrared rotisserie with an oversized spit rod and motor capable of turning more than 100 lbs. The Sear Zone as in the LX2 line is optional on smaller models and standard on the 56″ model. The main burners are made from high temperature stainless steel, resisting heat up to 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit. They carry a lifetime warranty. They also come with electropolished solid stainless steel racks, and pyramid-style ceramic briquettes for even heat distribution. There is a removable drip tray for easy clean-up, and a convenient 9-volt ignition for easy starting. You can get the AGBQ line in built-in and cart models, and you have the option of integrated refrigeration.

Alfresco infrared gas grills, like Alfresco’s outdoor refrigeration and other outdoor kitchen appliances are commercial quality for the home. They aren’t just good “for a home grill,” they’re good period, appealing even to the world’s top chefs. Infrared grilling gives food a juicy, great taste and even heating. The grills heat up super fast, deliver the best quality food, and have numerous features that make the chef’s job more convenient with more options than ever. An Alfresco infrared gas grill is the heart of a great outdoor kitchen.

About the Author: Alfresco infrared grill and gas bbq grill replacement parts are available at rill-Repair.com with fireplaces, fire pits and custom bbq grill island summer outdoor kitchens built on site.

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=593114&ca=Home+Management ]]> http://www.k-towncafe.com/alfresco-infrared-gas-bbq-grills-and-replacement-grill-parts/feed/ 0 http://www.k-towncafe.com/proven-systems-to-win-the-pick-3-lottery-exposed/ http://www.k-towncafe.com/proven-systems-to-win-the-pick-3-lottery-exposed/#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 20:24:35 +0000 admin http://www.k-towncafe.com/?p=490

By Malcolm. Christian

The Pick 3 Lottery, according to many experts, is the easiest lottery game to play and to win from as well. Proven systems to win the pick 3 lottery are the most accessible strategies to figure out and understand. They are just basically three numbers in a set that are drawn randomly. If it is drawn randomly as you know, choose numbers also randomly. I would not blame you if you play the Pick 3 lottery basing on pure intuition or using birthdates of loved ones and other persons significant to you. Furthermore more, I have no right to mock you if you base your Pick 3 lottery games to the symbols of numbers according to some expert numerologists or fortune tellers.

If it is your strategy, just go on. It’s just a game anyway. But for some people who are making the Pick 3 lottery as an investment and not a game of luck, I undoubtedly salute them. These people are disciplined enough not to cram on the game. They are wise spenders at that. Using a useless formula wastes a lot of you money rather than benefiting from them doubly. People who think that playing the lottery should be an investment and not a liability are those who are passionate of the game. And more so, they are the ones who really use heir heads and inductive reasoning skills. Intelligence, keen senses and broad analysis for winning combinations are what these people possess. And with such connivance of the said skills, they are like establishing their own approaches to winning the Pick 3 lottery. There are proven systems to win the pick 3 lottery but they are seldom exposed. These proven systems were mostly formulated by the frequent winners. They would not like to share the strategy of course. They will let you figure out how their systems work and learn from them. The proven systems are not to be revealed. They are kept discrete up until the time you discover them yourself.

Playing the Pick 3 lottery is just like a beloved business. You shall not give up until you find effective business solutions. As with many forms of businesses, the first things businessmen consider and aim for establishing a business is to incur profit and to educate consumers regarding the services and products involved. The same is true with investing on lottery games. Your first target is to double or even triple the amount you have used to purchase a game. And secondly, you aim to educate yourself about proven systems to win the pick 3 lottery. Consequently, you will eventually impart to other players your strategies and winning formula. Another great way to win the pick 3 lottery is choosing the so- called the “unmatched numbers.” The unmatched numbers are those combination of three’s that are not used in doubles or triples. Each number is unique and used once. A number doubled or tripled in a set come out so seldom. Just base it randomly on unmatched numbers to increase your chance of winnings.

Therefore, if you want to win consistently on the pick 3 lottery, you can also use past results and winning combinations which were drawn within a week. Analyze the trends and how they are drawn. Analyze some patterns wisely.

About the Author: Want to win $357 tonight using proven systems to win the pick 3 lottery? We know the best methods that WORK to beat your state’s lottery. Learn free lottery insider secrets at http://www.LotterySystemsExposed.com

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=381336&ca=Recreation ]]> http://www.k-towncafe.com/proven-systems-to-win-the-pick-3-lottery-exposed/feed/ 0 http://www.k-towncafe.com/gain-health-the-healthy-way-not-the-supersized-way/ http://www.k-towncafe.com/gain-health-the-healthy-way-not-the-supersized-way/#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 21:07:22 +0000 admin http://www.k-towncafe.com/?p=488

By Thomas Calkins

While it may seem that the entire weight world is focused on losing weight, there are some individuals who actually need to gain weight due to health complications or fast metabolisms. If you are one of those people it may seem as if there is no help for you and that the best way to do so is a daily dose of fast food meals and other junk food. This however is a dangerous recipe for success as it is possible to weigh little and be just as unhealthy as an obese person. You do not want to succeed looking like you are a healthy weight with the consequence of a fatty and unhealthy heart.

There are some simple things you can do starting with learning how to eat healthy to help you gain weight in a healthy manner. Foods that are high in carbs, protein, and healthy fats that contain the omega 3 acids such as fish, flax, and walnuts can help you gain weight while keeping your fat and cholesterol down. Even if you do not seem obese it is possible to have too high of a body mass index which is based on the idea of fat versus muscle. You only need to add 500 calories a day, so look into purchasing a calorie counter to help you make informed decisions while you are adjusting to your new diet plan.

Exercise is another way to start gaining healthy muscle instead of fat. Free weights and regular visits to the gym utilizing free weights and interval training can help you gain muscle mass while burning fat. This will translate into a healthier looking you with added weight instead of just letting your metabolism burn away your nutrients along with the fat. Some experts warn away bodybuilders from cardio additionally, but a moderate amount of cardio a day will help maintain the muscles you are building and keep your heart healthy which is also important. Remember, as much as the health industry may seem geared towards losing weight, the whole point of exercise is to actually keep your body healthy, and that should be true rather you are looking to gain weight or lose it.

You may also find that certain amino acids such as creatine found in diet supplements will aid in your body in the production of muscle mass thus increasing your overall weight. Creatine is often used by professional body builders who need to build muscle mass and strength. Be sure to follow your regular vitamin and mineral regime when adding a diet supplement to your daily weight gaining routine as these are important to your overall weight as well. Gaining weight may seem to be an uphill battle for you, but with the proper patience and utilization of these three guidelines, it is possible to gain weight in a healthy balanced manner. Following a workout plan, diet plan, and supplement plan will help you put healthy pounds on and produce a more muscular you.

About the Author: Get FREE tips on Build Muscle Naturally, Nutrition, Muscle Building Workout, and supplements to build muscle at MuscleBuildingEdge.

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=289579&ca=Wellness%2C+Fitness+and+Diet ]]> http://www.k-towncafe.com/gain-health-the-healthy-way-not-the-supersized-way/feed/ 0 http://www.k-towncafe.com/truck-batteries-remember/ http://www.k-towncafe.com/truck-batteries-remember/#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 20:13:58 +0000 admin http://www.k-towncafe.com/?p=486 Remember that when your batteries are done charging, you should let them sit for an additional eight hours so that they can cool down properly. In certain environments, you may need to also have a batteries service Stand. This is essential if you plan on removing and swapping your batteries when you are running double shifts. Crown forklift batteries are made out of lead acid. This means that they are very dangerous if they are not handled properly. Keep in mind that the batteries have enough charge that accidental contact can be very lethal. When you’re charging your batteries, you need to make sure that the battery charging area is adequately ventilated. Batteries produce hydrogen gas when they are charging, and it is important that you never smoke when you’re in this area. Whenever you are handling forklift Truck Batteries make sure that you are wearing protective gear as well to avoid being injured by accidental spillage of electrolyte from the forklift batteries.

By Colleen Langenfeld

Does the thought of a family road trip strike fear into your heart? During the past 25 years, my family has taken many road trips traveling thousands of miles and we have great memories from those trips.

When we first started out, truthfully, we just threw our trips together and hit the road. But as time went on, we came to see the wisdom of planning our road trips a bit. If you are considering a family road trip, you’ll find some simple upfront planning will make all the difference in your travels.

Using a road trip checklist, you will save money, sanity, and time, as well as make sure your vacation is as fun as it can be. You can also make sure each member of your family pulls their own weight (depending upon age, of course), teaching them that great vacations are made, not born.

You can make your own road trip checklist (keep it on your computer for repeated usage) or feel free to use mine (see the resource box at the end of this article). On it, you’ll want to keep track of such things as…

- your travel budget (make sure your money gets spent on what you REALLY want),

- what food to take in the car (save big over buying snacks in gas stations),

- travel activities and games (you want to have fun, right?),

- vital extras that can actually make or break a family road trip,

- and destination details such as directions, phone numbers and ticket information.

When it comes to family road trips you will find success is in the details. For example,

- a mess in the car is no big deal when you have plenty of extra plastic bags and moist towelettes. But if you don’t have any of these items, a sick kid or a spilled drink can ruin everyone’s vacation mood…for many, many miles.

- Worried about hearing “are we there yet” so many times your ears will pop? You can cut these words significantly with the right amount and type of travel activities. But do you know how to structure those activities for maximum effectiveness?

A road trip can save you quite a bit of money compared to the cost of flying your family to your vacation destination. In addition, you won’t need a rental car once you get there.

However, you will be, in effect, living in your car with several people for several days. The more detailed your road trip checklist, the more satisfied you will be with your overall road trip experience. For example, by scheduling your meals and activities, you can make the trip itself as much a part of your vacation as your destination.

A road trip is an especially great way to spend long chunks of quality, unhurried time together as a family. This is where you will make the sweetest memories, Mom or Dad. It will be just your family in that car, to talk, to sing, and to laugh together for hours on end.

Just remember to take along your patience and your flexibility. Those are two qualities no successful road trip can be without.

About the Author: Colleen Langenfeld has been parenting for over 25 years and helps other moms enjoy mothering more at www.paintedgold.com. Get more helpful tips plus a free road trip checklist here.

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=144229&ca=Travel ]]> http://www.k-towncafe.com/road-trip-checklist-how-to-make-endless-miles-turn-into-your-familys-dream-vacation/feed/ 0 http://www.k-towncafe.com/qauntumlinx-ecommerce-and-the-power-of-impression-the/ http://www.k-towncafe.com/qauntumlinx-ecommerce-and-the-power-of-impression-the/#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 20:22:29 +0000 admin http://www.k-towncafe.com/?p=482 The Polar Verbalize is a enjoyful children’s story that tinctures the restraint of a ethnical Yule with an ingredient of faith. Children ride the legendary verbalize in an exertion to recover trust in something they no yearner think in – Santa Claus. A polar point is plain at the end of the story when a slight boy says, ‘I think’ after having firm denied the beingness of the jolly old elf. The wizardly world of puerility reopens for the boy and the children passengers he has divided up his astonishing adspeculations with and we are left with the very warm fuzzies the writer hoped we would feel Qauntumlinx. Whether by DVD or by book this story is divided up each vacation temper to the enjoy of children or so the world. I think this movie and/or storybook should be read/seen by everyone who decides to speculation into the world of ecommerce. In turn this intensity will belike be passed along to some other coevals as a precious variation to vacation stories. Just like those who have lost the wide-eyed feel of Yule it is potential (and even likely) for business organisation owners to suit a bit jaded in their view of a new business organisation speculation Qauntumlinx. If these entrepreneurs have been part of business organisation inaugurations in the past they will often treat business organisation as, well, just business organisation. They can lack the warmth they need to tincture their inauguration with something more than tried, tried and proved methods. Sometimes a business organisation inauguration will only make sense in circumstance of the heart that is plain in the personality stamp of warmth. Yes, business organisation is about deliberate risk, business organisation models and administrator foresightfulness, but without warmth the business organisation may be more biscuit cutting tool than rebel – more unimaginative than fun – more clinical and less adspeculation Qauntumlinx. Perhaps that is one of the biggest conflict ‘tween the heart of those who genuinely ‘think’ in the entrepreneurial idea they are pursuing and those who plainly act in answer to satisfactory numbers game Qauntumlinx. That’s not to say a more collective coming won’t work, but the reason out many small business organisationes hang in there is because the owner ‘thinks’ so much in the cartesian product or serving that they will warmthately follow up on their impression even if it leads to a failed inauguration. One coming can seem cold and shrewd while the other is new soil with no map in sight. It may seem that learned everything about what you’re doing is a break coming, but this coming takes the personal and makes it something much less. I tend to think that a more collective coming only works when team construction occurs. Where individuals with free gifts can make the new inauguration personal. If this scenario happens the team can tincture their own warmth into the most unimaginative inauguration. Ecommerce is an arena that is perfective tense for geographic expedition and breakthrough Qauntumlinx. It is a place where impression thrives and prospers Qauntumlinx. Ecommerce is a place for brave mass to bring the faith of a child and reckon the insufferable as potential and then proving the unthinkrs wrong.

By Bill Revill

One of life’s many paradoxes is our constant desire to gain maximum control over our ‘operating environment’, despite the knowledge that so many aspects of daily life remain beyond our influence. Result being, we spend considerable time, money and effort attempting to get everything just right before taking ‘the plunge’.

In the military, as I recall, this was referred to as the ‘Ready – Aim – Fire’ principle, whereas many human endeavors are, in fact, better suited to the more appropriate method of ‘Ready – Fire – Aim’! And it seems to me that preparing for a fulltime life on the road is a fine example of this latter approach. After all, there are so many unique skills and practical techniques involved, it’s reasonable to expect that much of what we need to know cannot be learned sitting at home. As they say, one learns to ride a bike by riding a bike.

Accordingly, while there is a raft of personal preparations to get squared away, there is much about serious ‘bumming around’ that simply evolves as each day rolls by. By way of illustration, out there on the road you’ll find that few if any long-term, committed nomads have identical travelling outfits, nor do each follow precisely the same routines as when they first set out on the road. (One question I love to ask the old hands is: ‘If you were starting out again, is there anything you’d do differently?’)

So, if you dream of taking up the wandering life, though you may be unsure as to what you need or how you might travel, I suspect the Buddha would simply say: ‘Follow your heart. Our time in this life is limited.’

Nevertheless, it still behoves all good RV nomads – and intending nomads – to place considerable emphasis on getting their outfit right, and then equipping themselves for a long and trouble-free life on wheels. (Nothing much wrong with hedging your bets by building up an abundance of good karma!)

Of greater importance than travel hardware, though, is your nomadic ‘software’: YOU, ie, your personal mix of attitude, personal preparations, and strategies for living on the road rather than simply travelling on the road. Because most often, it’s the mental / psychological pressures rather than equipment failures that result in wannabe nomads scurrying back to suburbia.

In short, although you do need to look carefully at equipment and hardware, right up front during your preparation and planning phase you and your team must get absolutely clear on what lies ahead. To put it bluntly, you are heading toward a substantial culture shock!

That’s right: shock. After all, if you’ve spent the past thirty or fifty years wallowing in the comforts and relative boredom of modern western society, taking a giant step ‘backward’ into a lifestyle positioned somewhere between ‘upper third world’ and ‘new-age fringe-dweller’, you have a mixed bag of challenges ahead. Heading onto the road fulltime, with some dewy-eyed notion that you’re embarking on a romantic adventure, is asking for trouble. Not necessarily trouble of the ‘money can fix it’ variety (though there are sure to be a few of those), more of a ‘what the hell are we doing here’ personal confrontation.

The first attribute, then, which serious nomads should add to their psychological toolbox is mental tenacity, sufficient to accept, meet and live with all the interpersonal / societal negatives that we drifters bump up against along the way. Get ready, for example, to have humanity’s contempt directed toward you. Not every day, perhaps, but from time to time you will sense it, subtle though it may be. If not fully committed to the lifestyle, if you don’t feel the Zen – some ‘higher purpose’ in the whole thing – those jibes may slowly erode and ultimately destroy your self-esteem. Next stop: Suburbia.

The best defence against pressures of this sort is to find some deeper reason for becoming a fulltime RV traveller. Perhaps a hobby, a ‘calling’, some sort of mobile money-earner, or even a personal Holy Grail – anything that provides you with the ‘justification’ for such a ‘bohemian lifestyle’, while at the same time adding purpose and depth to your days and your travels.

Examples might include fossicking, fruit picking, writing, wineries, historic sites, bird watching, visiting bush pubs, searching for inner truth, or here in Oz, that good old standby, ‘seeing Australia’.

Having said that, however, there are countless fellow nomads out there who are happy – even proud – to thumb their noses at designer bias and opinion, and just ‘do it’. You have to decide for yourself which approach fits best, so that any necessary lifestyle preparations, by way of training and equipment, are included as you ramp up to ‘Departure Day’.

Of course, identifying and building a ‘purpose’ is only one small part of your learning curve. To move from a fully supported, fixed, urban existence, to a high level of mobile independence, requires a certain amount of training, learning and research. Fortunately, independence is a skill and as such it can be learned. Moreover, this wandering nomad thing has been going on since mankind first walked upright, so you’ll find an endless variety of sources from which to learn.

You could, for instance, study pioneering lifestyles and how the early settlers tackled their daily challenges; or perhaps delve into the nitty-gritty of the ‘survivalist’ and ‘homesteading’ movements. Other fertile fields of gypsy techniques can be found amongst the lives of explorers, and Earth’s ‘real’ nomads, such as the Australian Aborigines, American Indians, hoboes and swaggies. Within their lives and their stories you’ll find many similarities – and many of the answers to the day-to-day trials of self-reliance.

Another early stage of your nomadic apprenticeship ought to be setting out on the road for increasing periods of time to field test a few ideas for yourself. Certainly, short holidays will seem nothing more than ‘junk food’ to the true nomad, but to become independent and resourceful to any useful degree you do need to get out and practice the skills and techniques involved. It’s an endless process of reading, thinking, trial and error, and practice – all of which develop both experience and confidence.

During this process you will also be ‘easing’ yourself into the life of a nomad. You might start by hiring a caravan or motorhome to ‘try it on for size’. Meanwhile, your first taste of overnight independence might be in a national park or state forest. And essential skills like camping, bush cooking, first aid, map reading, vehicle maintenance, and 12-volt power should start to play an ever-expanding role. Because the truth is, no matter which way you dress it up, moving from a house to a ‘box on wheels’ is likely to involve a significant step down from your current living standards so it’s sure to be stressful. Baby steps are the best way to go.

Mind you, any knowledge, skill or piece of kit that eventually enables you to replace or supplement all those amenities and utilities enjoyed at home (or those of a tourist park) serve to increase independence. It pays, therefore, to start by asking yourself how you might satisfy – or better, reduce – your lifelong reliance on daily necessities such as power, lighting, water, refrigeration, toilet, shower, etc.

By the way, at the risk of jumping about here I should point out that, among all the skills that should or could be learned, those that offer potential to become sources of income on the road are doubly valuable. If you become adept at, say, mechanical repairs, baking bread, article writing, cutting hair, sewing, or basic carpentry, you can, potentially, use these skills to top-up finances along the way. In other words, concentrate your time and effort on skills that either make or save money.

At this point, you may be forming the impression that being a nomad requires a certain level of mental toughness. Well, you’re darned right it does! But it’s more an attitudinal toughness than physical. And it will come over you quietly, as a by-product of all this learning.

Another example of attitudinal toughness lies in the comparative level of ‘roughing it’ that each of us is prepared to accept. If decisions regarding comfort and convenience aren’t discussed and mutually agreed with partner or group, troubled waters lie ahead! Get together with your team members and talk about the standard of lifestyle that suits your goals, your commitment, and your budget. Once settled, subsequent preparations – in terms of skills development and finances – can be directed along this chosen path. Keep in mind, however, we all tend to choose our own personal (and slightly different) path, so remain true to your own aspirations, values and needs (not to mention your limitations!), rather than being swayed by friends or experienced nomads.

On that point regarding other team members: Sure, there may be only one other, but whatever the number, they each have a different view of what ‘nomadism’ entails, secretly influenced by their own levels of ‘mental toughness’. Ignore them at your peril! There is always room for compromise.

Not only do travel companions harbour various (possibly unspoken) fears and uncertainty about minor annoyances such as dust, heat, flies, remote and lonely campsites, creepy-crawlies, and bush toilets, each also has his or her own ‘dependencies’ and comfort zones to dismantle, such as friends, relatives, television, social activities, family memorabilia, and an array of home luxuries. All the cards must be turned face-up on the table before detailed preparations and financial commitment get too far advanced.

Besides, no matter what the quality or degree of your preparation and planning, difficulties WILL occur; problems come along regardless of where we are or how we live. Even so, chances are better than good that – accidents aside – most ‘road’ problems are easier to fix than those of suburbia – depending, of course, on all of the above.

Yes, the Zen here is mental toughness: Being prepared to take measured risk, then being ready to cope with and rectify problems as they arise. Trust your judgment and abilities, particularly your natural ability to learn, to gain experience and to get better, day-by-day, in all that you do.

Interestingly enough, none of this stuff is age-dependant. Nor is it dollar-dependent. Provided we stick to reality and practicality, while steering clear of fantasy and dreaming, any of us can learn to become a ‘smart’ nomad within the parameters of our limitations, plans and goals.

On the other hand, there are a number of hidden traps that you won’t find mentioned in the ‘positive’ press about RV lifestyles. For example, if you (or any member of your party) has a strong craving for any of our modern-day ills – like alcohol, drugs, sex, television soapies, Internet, telephones, gambling, etc. – now’s the time to start the ‘weaning off’ process. Otherwise your nomadic life may be voluntarily but prematurely cut short. Here again, gradual change is best, so allow plenty of time.

There is no doubt, a change as significant as fulltime bumming around requires loads of focused preparation. Indeed, across a planning horizon of less than two years I would think it unlikely that you could resolve, or even consider, all that you should. On the other hand, this long period of preparation and planning is part of the fun: the anticipation leading to excitement, the trips that lead to skill and confidence, and the experience levels that lead to safety. Allow sufficient quality time to enjoy and absorb this evolutionary process.

Remember: over-planning is far better than no planning, but be sure to incorporate sufficient flexibility to accommodate the new ideas, diversions, and changes that inevitably arise.

About the Author: Bill Revill is an Australian freelance writer, fulltime RV traveller, and remote lifestyle expert. This article is an excerpt from his e-book ‘Zen and the Art of Bumming Around’. For details of this and other titles visit: http://www.livingontheroad.com http://www.authorsden.com/billrevill Copyright 2007 by W.V. Revill

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=218887&ca=Travel ]]> http://www.k-towncafe.com/living-aboard-an-rv-are-you-ready-for-it/feed/ 0 http://www.k-towncafe.com/philosophy-and-mental-illness/ http://www.k-towncafe.com/philosophy-and-mental-illness/#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 21:28:50 +0000 admin http://www.k-towncafe.com/?p=478

By Karen Hastings, Edinburgh

‘I think therefore I am’ – Renee Descartes (1640)

It is a beautiful summers day and you are walking in the countryside. In a clearing to your right you see a cherry tree, the red fruit peeping from under the lush green foliage. You walk up to it. You touch it, feeling the rough bark under your fingertips. You can hear the breeze rustling the leaves, and smell the odour of the fruit. You take a cherry and pop it in your mouth, savouring the sweet juice as it floods over your tongue.

But does the cherry tree exist? You can see it, hear it, feel it, smell and taste it’s fruit – but this is not enough. You may be hallucinating, or asleep and having a particularly vivid dream. How would you know?

You wouldn’t. All our experience of the world and ‘reality’ is governed by our five senses (I leave aside any discussion of a ‘sixth sense’). These senses are our only connection with the world outside our selves. A blind person has no visual contact with the outside world; somebody with a severe cold has little taste or olfactory contact with the outside world. And these senses are basically biochemical machines designed to send information to our brain. For example, the eyes collect and focus reflected light onto the retina (at the back of the eye). Receptors in the retina convert this light into electrical impulses (this electricity is produced by chemicals in the receptors). These electrical impulses are then fired along a network of nerve cells to the brain. The brain, another very complex mass of interconnected nerve cells, analyses these impulses – their strength, their rate, their pattern and frequency – and generates an internal picture based upon them. It is this brain-generated picture that we ‘see’. It is a similar case with the sensation of touch. Receptors in our skin are stimulated by physical contact and produce electrical impulses that are sent to the brain – what we ‘feel’ is the result of the brain’s analysis of these impulses. And so on for taste, smell and hearing.

So the tree that we saw, felt, heard, smelled and tasted isn’t actually ‘out there’ in the world – it is in our brains. More accurately, it is the brains image or impression of the tree constructed from the impulses it receives from our senses. Whenever our brain received this particular pattern of impulses from the senses, it would construct an image of a tree – colour, shape, smell, taste, touch and sound – whether or not a tree was actually there.

There is little controversy in stating that our brains can be deceived. We can block the path of the electrical impulses as they pass from the sense receptors to the brain – this is the case with local anaesthesia, where a patient can watch as his appendix is removed without pain. Or we can interfere directly with the brains analysis of the sense impulses – a drunken person is aware that he has fallen over, but it doesn’t hurt (until the next day!). And we don’t need alcohol or drugs for this deception to occur – at some point, most of us have believed, albeit briefly, that we’ve seen or heard or felt something that has turned out to not be there.

It was this sort of reasoning that led Descartes to question the very existence of a world outside our selves. In light of modern science, Descartes is questioning the existence of a world outside our brains (our bodily sensations such as feeling hungry or having an aching leg are also mediated by our senses). In these terms, our own bodies are considered as part of the outside world. If all we see, hear, touch, feel and taste in the outside world is but a representation in our brains, and this representation is based on information from our senses, and these senses can be deceived, then we can never be sure that the outside world exists. Descartes talked of the possibility of us being hypnotised by a demon who is tricking us into believing we are moving around in a world with trees, houses, other people etc when in fact we’re locked in a dungeon somewhere. The film ‘The Matrix’ provides a technological alternative.

So we can’t know if the outside world exists – it could all be in our brains. But in that case can we know that anything exists? Thankfully, yes. We can be sure our thoughts exist. How? Because we think them. There seems no way that we can be deceived about our thoughts existing – in the very act of having a thought, that thought exists. The thoughts may be based on deceptive information from the senses, but they are still real, they still exist. It is difficult to conceive of deceiving someone into believing they have thoughts when, in fact, they don’t. You need to have thoughts to be deceived.

So we can safely say that our thoughts definitely exist! Descartes moved on from this ‘rock of certainty’ and went on to ‘prove’ the existence of the outside world. Unfortunately, this further ‘proof’ is highly suspect and relies on the notion of a beneficent and all-powerful God – but then Descartes was writing on behalf of the Catholic Church! Most modern philosophers discount this extension of his theory, but they do still accept his earlier reasoning – ‘I think therefore I am’ has stood the test of time. If we are being pedantic, Descartes quote is better rendered as ‘There are thoughts’ – just because I experience thoughts doesn’t mean they are mine! But this isn’t as memorable as the original.

So what has all this got to do with mental health? Well, if the outside world doesn’t exist as such and all we have is thoughts, then (potentially) the world is what we think it to be. I’m not saying we can change things dramatically. It would take a lot of effort to ‘create’ a thought-world where trees can talk and people fly by flapping their arms – for this to be ‘real’ one would have to interact constantly and consistently with trees and people as though they could do these things. Rather, I am talking about how our thoughts and feelings can ‘colour’ our experience of the outside world (I am using the terms ‘thoughts’ and emotional ‘feelings’ interchangeably here). Depressed people (i.e. people with depressed or depressing thoughts!) experience the world differently to others. They see colours less vividly, food can seem tasteless and unpleasant, and harmless everyday situations can appear threatening. They predict bad consequences from actions and events where others see only benefit. A depressed persons world is very different to a happy person’s, but to an observer they will seem one and the same.

A person with depressive thoughts who is looking to ‘get better’ has three courses of action open to him.

Firstly, he can accept the ‘medical model’ of mental illness and depression. This model sees the brain (rightly) as a complex neurochemical structure, and postulates that depression and other psychological illnesses are due to defects or malfunctioning in this system. The brain, when examined anatomically, consists of millions of various cells, each of which is in turn composed of smaller structures. When these structures are examined in turn, they are found to consist of chemicals (as does all physical matter). The medical model thus presumes that it is a defect or malfunctioning of these chemicals that adversely affect the brains cells, leading in turn to the malfunctioning of the brain and finally a ‘malfunctioning’ of thinking – depression or whatever.

On this model, the course of action is clear – correct the malfunctioning of the brain. This is done using drugs that enter the brain and interfere with the cells chemical structure and functioning. This all makes perfect sense. Unfortunately, there is a vast gulf between the theory and the practise. Medical science just does not know enough about the brain at present. There are numerous different cell types, numerous different chemicals in and around these cells, and numerous different interactions and connections between each cell and the others. No test has been developed that shows which chemicals/cells/connections are malfunctioning. The best that the scientists can do is make an educated guess as to those chemicals/cells/connections seem likely to be defective, and choose drugs that act on these. The initial guesses (based on drugs that were found in the 1950′s – by accident!) are still the main focus of research today. The result is predictable – a large number of different drugs that work seem to work sometimes and not at others and have side effects (because they are also affecting perfectly healthy cells). This is likely to remain the case for the foreseeable future.

A second course of action for the depressed person is to change the outside world i.e. their circumstances. This makes perfectly good sense. If you are feeling depressed because you hate your job or your relationship, then change it. If you feel depressed because you’re overweight, then diet. Of course, this is rather flippant. If it were that easy to do, people would just do it. And it must be acknowledged that depression often saps the will and motivation to change just these sorts of situations. Further, many situations cannot be changed by our own actions – the loss of a loved one, poverty, ill health, war, famine etc. The outside world can be very resistant to change.

The third course of action takes a leaf out of Descartes book. We are what we think – a depressed person is no more and no less than someone with depressed thoughts. If they stopped having depressed thoughts, then the depression disappears. It is possible for people to be happy, or at least content, even in the direst of circumstances. Most of us have known people face up to unpleasant and distressing events with resilience and even cheerfulness. We say they are ‘naturally happy’ or are ‘positive people.’ One can also say that they think ‘happy thoughts’ or think ‘positive thoughts.’

Perhaps they were born like that. Or perhaps they learnt to think like that as they grew up (I believe this is more likely). Either way, though, they enjoy life a lot more than many of us. But this needn’t be the case – if we can learn to think a little more like them, learn to think in a more pleasant, positive way. It seems unlikely that depressed people are ‘born like that’, just as it is unlikely that happy people are ‘born like that.’ Even the wackiest psychiatrist will hesitate to diagnose a baby as depressed! Young babies can’t think as we do – and they can’t have depressed thoughts. As they grow, their thinking abilities develop under the influence of their parents, siblings and peers. Patterns of thought are developed, ways of thinking, with each person having their own particular patterns, unique to them. By the time adulthood is reached, these patterns are likely to be ‘ingrained’ in us, to the point where we’re not even aware of them – we automatically process situations, events, and interactions with others in terms of these thought patterns. The thoughts we actually think (and are aware of) are the results of this processing. Therefore, if this processing is ‘set wrong’ (e.g. if it constantly produces thoughts that are depressive), then psychological problems are likely to follow.

This is the basic theory on which are based the cognitive therapies for psychological problems. With the prompting and guidance of the therapist, an individual is taught to examine his or her thinking patterns, searching for maladaptive and detrimental ways of thinking. This is not an easy task – the patterns are usually ‘automatic’ (like a habit) and the individual is likely to be unaware of them initially. An important task for the therapist is to elucidate these ‘faulty’ patterns. These can then made explicit to the individual, and the first steps taken towards challenging these ways of thinking. The aim of the cognitive therapies is to minimise or remove entirely the identified faulty patterns, and for the individual to learn more adaptive and helpful ways of thinking in their place. A successful therapy can change a persons life forever – when a person no longer automatically thinks depressive thoughts, they are insulated and protected from becoming depressed in the future. Karen practices Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Edinburgh and NLP Edinburgh.

About the Author: Karen has a degree in Psychology and is also a qualified mental-health occupational therapist, with NHS experience. Karen is registered with the HPC. Karen practices privately and offers Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Edinburgh and NLP, Edinburgh. Visit http://www.karenhastings.co.uk

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=124528&ca=Self+Help ]]> http://www.k-towncafe.com/philosophy-and-mental-illness/feed/ 0 http://www.k-towncafe.com/cheap-web-hosting-in-india-forced-the-companies-to-start-the-promotion-of-their-companies-over-net/ http://www.k-towncafe.com/cheap-web-hosting-in-india-forced-the-companies-to-start-the-promotion-of-their-companies-over-net/#comments Sun, 13 May 2012 21:30:18 +0000 admin http://www.k-towncafe.com/?p=476

The digitalization in the lives of many has forced the companies to start the promotion of their companies over net. With this rises the need of looking for a perfect web hosting India that caters all their needs at an affordable price. This is one such web hosting company in India that not only provides the offers which are cheap and affordable but are also loaded with features that have never been provided with any other company. The web hosting India is a tough task to do as the main feature that a web hosting company should have is the spam mail killer. The companies go unseen because the mailers sent by them to the customers go unnoticed because they end up in being a spam mail. We offer the companies in their web hosting plans with such a technology that will make their mails seen as they will end up directly in the inboxes and will never be a spam mail.

Linux is one such language which is now considered to an obsolete language by many. Though the requirements of Linux haven’t faded out. Linux web hosting though are available at free of cost but it does not do much justice to the seekers as they don’t get much benefits out of them. A cheap Linux web hosting is being offered by us which ensures the seekers with maximum benefit without paying much price. A pocket friendly company is what will be the positioning of us, that will be there in future because of their best pans in Linux web hosting India.

Serving in the muddle with competitors pulling you down constantly is the current scenario of market and with this comes the need of being superior to stay at the top all the time. This can be done by launching a special site as many people these das spend their maximum time over net. Linux web hosting is one of the best selling features in market as it contains all the features that are required to make the site of the company the best amongst the all. We being one of those few companies that provide Linux web hosting and the only company in India to provide a cheap Linux web hosting loaded with all the features.

Linux server hosting is also one of the most favorite these days in market. Not many companies provide a web server hosting but various offers provide the Linux server hosting at the best possible price making it affordable and pocket friendly for major companies. Web hosting India is not an easy task because of the increasing demand of consumers that they expect to see in a site, that takes care of all the needs. The market research also shows that the cheap web hosting and cheap Linux web hosting in India is done for making it the most sought out web hosting company with the sole aim of service and not profit making.

Article Source: http://www.sooperarticles.com/internet-articles/web-hosting-articles/cheap-web-hosting-india-forced-companies-start-promotion-their-companies-over-net-681587.html

About Author:

eWebstream Technologies is fastest growing Web Hosting company of India. It provide web hosting service to a number of web sites. Explore Web Hosting Company India, Cheap Linux Hosting and Cheap Windows Hosting. Author: Deepak Joshi ]]> http://www.k-towncafe.com/cheap-web-hosting-in-india-forced-the-companies-to-start-the-promotion-of-their-companies-over-net/feed/ 0 http://www.k-towncafe.com/ex-girlfriend-wants-to-be-friends-but-you-want-more/ http://www.k-towncafe.com/ex-girlfriend-wants-to-be-friends-but-you-want-more/#comments Sun, 13 May 2012 20:52:48 +0000 admin http://www.k-towncafe.com/?p=474

Ex Girlfriend Wants to Be Friends but You Want More.

Finding out that your ex girlfriend wants to be friends and nothing more is tough to face. Emotions start to run wild and irrational thinking sets in. You begin to think the world is folding in on you and you aren’t sure how to go on without your other half. The pain and heartache of a breakup is enough to bring the strongest of men to tears and leave them questioning what they can do next to move on with their lives. It can be even harder when your ex girlfriend wants to be friends because seeing her will rush back the intimate feelings you still have and leave you yearning for her affection when she is around you. What you need to do is take the situations you have in front of you and use them to create the outcome you desire.

When your ex girlfriend wants to be friends after a break up it shows that she is still interested in spending time with you, talking, etc. You can be happy that she is willing to keep in contact and isn’t trying to cut you out of her life because getting her back with no contact is a much more difficult thing to do. Since you will still be able to make an influence in her life you can use the time to figure out what her specific wants and needs are. She had enough affection for you at one point in time to be together with you so who says the flame can’t be re-ignited? It can be! You just need to make some adjustments so that the flame continues to burn. Spend less time thinking about the fact your ex girlfriend wants to be friends right now, not lovers, and spend more time thinking about what it is that can change so you and your girl will be happy for the future.

I recommend you take this time as friends to learn the way women think, what their needs are, how to make them happy, how to improve yourself for them, why your ex girlfriend wants to be friends, what women find important, what caused your relationship to fail in the first place, and use this information to become the man your girlfriend wants to be lovers with, not just friends. When your ex girlfriend wants to be friends, become the man she wants more with or return to being the man she wanted more with from the start. To learn all that you are looking for you should use one of the top-selling, professional resources.

Article Source: http://www.sooperarticles.com/relationship-articles/breakups-separation-articles/ex-girlfriend-wants-friends-but-you-want-more-327002.html

About Author:

Get your ex girlfriend back by appealing to the desires she truly has. If your Ex Girlfriend Wants to Be Friends you need to make the changes that will make her want more. For the most effective way to get your ex girlfriend back you will want to use professional advice. You will not find everything you are looking for by reading articles. A proven strategy guide can ACTUALLY make the difference you are looking for. Author: Thomas Soler ]]> http://www.k-towncafe.com/ex-girlfriend-wants-to-be-friends-but-you-want-more/feed/ 0