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Travertine In Nature

Noted as a beautiful material used to adorn homes, businesses and even civic buildings, travertine offers a design quality that exudes a “weathered” appearance. The color variations are only the beginning of the story that these expressive, wonderful stones contain within there many layers.

Where can you find travertine in nature? In a variety of environments. One notable environment that many have seen this amazing rock is in caves. Stalagmites and stalactites often consist of travertine; cave walls, ceilings and even floors being made up of the stone. In fact, many caverns are environments that offer the very conditions under which travertine is formed.

How Travertine Is Formed

As mentioned above, one of the reasons travertine is found in caves is because of the atmosphere found in them. Boiling the information down to keep it from getting overly technical, travertine is a kind of limestone. It forms through a process in which water and organisms interact with limestone. The result is a limestone-like rock with notable “voids” or pockets throughout the material.

The voids created in the stone during the formation process result in very creative looking design materials that get used in diverse places and projects. However, much of the travertine that makes it into homes and other architectural designs goes through processing to “enhance” or alter its appearance from its natural state.

Smoothing Out Natural, Raw Travertine

As mentioned above, raw travertine has distinctive holes throughout the material that are visually interesting. Yet these empty areas of the stone mean that the material can be weak. As a result, travertine is often filled with grout or epoxy. The travertine filler is used to strengthen the stone by filling the spaces in the material. Thus the material becomes strong enough for purposes that it might otherwise be too weak to use.

Travertine fillers come in many colors that compliment the natural appearance of the rock. Additionally, transparent fillers are available. These clear fillers allow for capturing the natural look as the stone is filled in to strengthen it.

Travertine Color Variations

Most of the time, when you see ready for purchase travertine, it will be in either grey, tan, or brown tones. However, it forms in virtually all colors and some travertine formations even sport a rainbow of colors including:

• Rust
• Orange
• Peach
• Yellow
• Purple

Nonetheless, most of the time you will find travertine tiles to be a grey or beige hue.

There you have it; some basic facts that contribute to the marvelous nature of the natural stone known as travertine. As we have considered, it is a distinctive rock. How travertine is formed involves a particular process that produces pockets or holes in the stone. Additionally, it is filled or processed so that it can hold up to the architectural and design for which it is meant to be used.

If you have the opportunity to use this rustic, intriguing natural stone in your project, don’t dismiss the option without giving it serious consideration.

Building an HTML WYSIWYG editor oriented Windows Form application on .NET Framework could never been simpler. You are a .NET Developer, looking for a WYSIWYG editor control that will take / return HTML string and you want that your application should run on .NET 2.0, 3.0, 3.5 and 4.x, right ? You have landed to the right place. SpiceLogic offers you a highly efficient .NET WYSIWYG editor control for Windows Forms which GETs and SETs HTML string. You can use this control for developing windows applications like Web Page Content editor, full Web Page editor, email message composer or any application that uses a rich formatted text editor for your user. The control comes with 2 special value properties, “BodyHtml” and “DocumentHtml”. The BodyHtml Gets/Sets the partial html content like [b] Hello World[/b]. The Document HTML Gets/Sets the whole HTML document which can be used for a full web page like [HTML][head][/head][body][b] Hello World [/b][/body][/HTML].

The editor comes with many HTML editing tools. You can customize all of the items in the toolbars. Even if you do not want to use the default factory items and instead use your own, this control provides you a user friendly interface to build your own toolbar items. All the factory items are fully customizable. Moreover, all toolbar item functionality can be implemented externally using the rich set of public methods. This time you do not need to be bothered about localization. You can customize all the texts and replace the factory provided dialogues with your own dialogues in your own language! It is highly optimized for Windows Vista 64 bit operating systems. Html value properties are optimized for Data Binding. It is featured with many useful public properties, methods, and events. A good spell checker is just built in there. Also body style can be edited using a rich GUI CSS editor, which is available both in Design time and run time.

Highlights:

Base and Relative URL support:

This control is highly suitable for HTML documents that have Relative Urls in it’s resource’s path reference. So, now you can show an image in the editor simply with the following tag : [img src=”myImage.jpg” /]. The control comes with a property named “BaseUrl”. You need to set that property to the image folder or internet url. So, Guess What !! You can ship your application to your user’s pc where you simply change the Base URL programmatically so that the images can be shown in any of your user’s PC.

Spell Checker:

This control is featured with a spellchecker. You can use your own dictionaries with the spellchecker.

Searching API:

Searching API is included with the control. You can use the default searching dialogue or you can implement the search dialogue yourself.

Customizable interface:

This control comes up with two factory toolbars, with many rich toolbar items. They are perfect enough to do almost all of your editing task. Also you can customize them. Even if you do not want to use them and instead use your own toolbar items, you can also do that.

Design mode and source mode:

There are two editing modes available. WYSIWYG design mode and Raw Html source mode which will give you a complete control over the HTML content.

Events:

Two feature events are worth mentioning. Pasting event and HTML Changed event. Guess What !! You can intercept the Pasting event and manipulate the pasting content from ClipBoard and apply your filter logic. Very much useful for filtering MS Word content while pasting. HTMLChanged event, fires as soon as the html is changed, similar to TextChanged property of a TextBox Control. Also you can change the default behavior of the loading and saving HTML to the editor to your needs.

Methods:

Lots of useful methods are there like getting or setting caret positions, scroll positions, GetPlainText() method. GetPlainText() method is not a return a simple text version of the HTML. Rather the returned text will preserve the layout of the original HTML content like tables, paragraphs etc. Cool isn’t it?

Properties:

Lots of useful properties are there like Scrollbar visibility properties (GET/SET), Read Only property (GET/SET), Word Wrap property (GET/SET). Property available for choosing Single Line Break or Paragraph on Enter key response.

Operations composite property contains Methods associated with the toolbar items. That is, if you want to create a button of your own and give it the default copy functionality, you can invoke the Copy() method of this property.

The SelectionState property as its name goes deals with the editor’s content. Like getting the attributes of the editor items and also to determine the state of current selection. It has properties like, IsBold, IsHyperLinkSelected, IsImageSelected, IsItalic etc. It contains one of the important properties ActiveHTMLElement of type IHTMLElement. This property gives you full programming control for getting the Active Element as Document Object Model and manipulating the Element (as a node).

DataBinding:

For Data Binding purpose you can bind any data sets’ string field to the editor’s BodyHtml or DocumentHtml properties. This will give you an excellent opportunity to use database models with the editor.

Styling the Document:

Apart from the designer mode and you can change the body style of the document right from the editor both in the designer mode and from run time.

Other exciting features include:

— Basic enough for even the most novice of users.

— Optimized for Vista 64 bit OS.

— Design time GUI Collection editor available for manipulating the properties of the toolbar items.

— Easier interface to add new toolbar item.

— HTML can be retrieve as plain old HTML, XHTML and XML

— Generates clean [span] tags for font elements; ([span]text here..[/span] (not [font]text here.[/font])

— GUI Dialog for Table Insert/Update

— GUI Dialog for editing table cells.

— GUI Search dialog; Search API is also available for implementing your own search user interfaces.

In altruism, a person directs his or her activities towards the welfare of others. It is considered to be a selfless action, but if we examine it closely the self or the ego is always involved. This is because helping other people, whether it is benefiting the other person or not, always makes one feel good. You may not be aware of it, but please understand that this is a conditioned response in our subconscious mind when we are helping others.

Altruism is thus found in many professions, but one cannot deny the fact that doctors, nurses and religious missionaries must be regarded as front-runners. This is because people who enter these professions are genuinely out there to do some good in society and at the same time feel good about themselves. Hence we find the greatest collection of helpers and ego-trippers gathered under the sun in the medical profession. Undoubtedly doctors are mostly nice obliging fellows, always willing to help their patients. These chaps find it difficult to say no to their patients because they subconsciously feel bad if they said no.

This is why many of us are taken for a ride by our patients simply because it does not occur to us to say no.

However, there is one exception to this rule, and that is euthanasia. In this case most of us will say no because actively taking a human life, no matter what the circumstances makes us feel bad.

It is easier to keep a person alive and make oneself feel important rather than help a dying suffering patient go to sleep permanently. In this we use the law of the land as a good excuse to hide behind, as many of us do not want to feel bad.

A few years ago I visited a patient of mine in a palliative care unit of a local hospital where he was dying from throat cancer. He had intravenous tubes attached to him and had a nasal-gastric tube down his throat. One could see that he was dying and in pain and was wasting away from starvation. Sitting beside his bed I could see all the doctors and nurses looking very important and busy doing their jobs. He pleaded with me to ask the doctors to put him to sleep permanently. I said, “Do you know that if we obliged you, all these people would be out of a job”. He quietly understood and accepted the reality of the situation.

Hence it would be a wishful thinking for anyone to think that the medical profession would accept euthanasia as a means of peaceful exit from this world in the near future. The livelihood of a doctor depends on his patients. So I do not think that any doctor would be in a rush to cut down his living this way even though there is a moral obligation for him or her to do so.

Therefore, is legalizing euthanasia the answer? Please observe and think. Anything we legislate is always exploited by the ego. If we give an inch, the ego always wants to take a foot. That is the nature of the beast. Clearly, anything we legislate is open to abuse by unscrupulous individuals amongst us, no matter how well-meaning our intentions might be. If we legalize euthanasia we will be surely creating more problems than we will be solving.

In the olden days when doctors were practicing medicine in the traditional way, there was a direct bond established between a doctor and a patient, and euthanasia would not have been an issue. The doctor would have treated the patient in a humane and compassionate way. Now however, in this consumer society where there are consumer laws and litigation to deal with, our value system has changed. It has destroyed this true doctor-patient relationship. The laws have inculcated doctors into treating patients as consumers and as a consequence both the doctors and the patients have become the losers. The doctors cannot treat patients as they should be treated and the patients cannot be treated as they would want to be treated. They are kept alive under all circumstances no matter what quality of life may be waiting for them.

So what avenues would terminally ill and dying patients have to put themselves out of misery? Apart from depending on the medical profession to keep them comfortable or taking drugs that can relieve their suffering, there is not much one can do. Most of us if we were in that situation would be too weak to drag ourselves out into the snow.

However, all is not lost. As I see it, those in this terminal situation who possess some insight into their mind and have retained some capacity to think, can still use the power of their subconscious mind to exit this world peacefully. All they have to do is to understand the fact that death is a just a beautiful sleep from which one never wakes up. It is an eternal sleep.

In my book “The Enchanted Time Traveller – A Book of Self-Knowledge and the Subconscious Mind”, you will find a chapter on Insomnia where you train your subconscious mind to help you to go to sleep naturally. You should study it and learn how to go to sleep naturally. If you are terminally ill and wish to exit this world permanently, all you have to do is to change the instructions I have given at the end regarding waking up. You will be amazed and pleasantly surprised to find that once you understand how you can go to sleep naturally all your fears about death and sleep will ease and disappear.

Tips for a Better Doctor Visit

1. Have as many medical records as possible with you to document your medical condition, especially for a new visit or a consult. Go by the hospital, lab or other doctor’s office and get copies. This saves the doctor time and sometimes even avoids an extra official call.

2. Bring in the actual bottles of prescriptions. While lists are helpful, the bottles reveal how many are prescribed at a time, dosage, and if there are any refills left. There is no more guessing about the “little blue pill.” With so many generics the same drug can show up as many different shapes and sizes depending on the manufacturer. Now you can both be on the same page when talking about a specific medication. I am also surprised at the many errors on the bottles by the pharmacist.

3. Create a list of questions/requests before your visit. In fact, it would be ideal to tell the person making the appointment what areas you need to discuss. This is not the time to say its “personal.” We assume it is all personal in a medical office. It helps us be prepared in scheduling, equipment, and assigning the proper room. Believe it or not, we have heard most of your problems before. Of course if it is extremely sensitive in nature than just tell the receptionist how much time you will need to discuss your personal problem.

4. Try to keep to one system of the body per visit unless a complete physical is done. Most office visits are geared to blocks of 15 minutes. Usually this is adequate to cover most simple problems such as a rash, upper respiratory infection, and urinary infection just as examples. The longer you have had the problem or the vaguer the symptoms such as abdominal pain or dizziness expect to spend more time. Don’t hesitate to ask for more time. We would rather know ahead of time what your expectations are.

5. Ask for prescription refills, notes for work or school, and forms to fill out at the beginning of the office visit rather than at the end. Of course, a friendly reminder is always good if it has been overlooked when you leave. You can always give a list of medications needing refills to the nurse at the beginning of the visit too. Again, communication helps everyone get their needs met.

6. Be realistic in your expectations. If you start the discussion on a topic that is unrelated to the original problem on the schedule and want some answers, this leaves less time available for other problems. For example, if you are due to have a pap smear and gynecological exam but start with a headache complaint that requires a physical and full history, don’t expect all of it to be done in one visit. Always prioritize what is most important for that day. Sometimes problems become more important, symptoms severe since the original appointment or follow up was made. Just tell the nurse or doctor things have changed as soon as possible. That way we can stay on schedule and you can get the most important problem addressed.

7. Don’t leave the office without telling someone if you aren’t satisfied with your service. Most doctors and staff assume everything is going OK unless told. It is easier to fix a problem, answer a question or complaint as soon as possible while the information is still fresh. If you are uncomfortable talking or can’t stay, write a quick note. Many areas are sensitive and highly charged emotionally. It is easy to misunderstand directions, reasons for tests, or the intent of the doctor’s remarks. We really do care how you feel.

8. It is easier to process your visit on time and handle paperwork if all of your information is correct. Tell the receptionist if you have moved, have a new telephone number, or changed medical insurance. Always bring your insurance card with you.

9. I know everyone is busy and overscheduled. The number one reason doctors are behind in the schedule is patients showing up late. True, other factors can play a role such as telephone calls and very sick patients. Just be aware that as the day progresses the problem gets magnified. If you must get in and out quickly try to book the very first or second appointment of the morning or afternoon.

10. Be flexible. Medical offices are there to serve the patients. Sometimes bad news, a tragic accident, or a serious medical condition requires more time and attention of the staff. We can’t hurry someone out who is in tears. Just be understanding that if it is you, you will get the extra time and attention needed.

Losing weight is one of the ever growing fads which is here to stay. People have different reasons as to why they want to lose weight. Women want to lose extra pounds to boost their self-esteem. Society nowadays put s high regard to women who can actually maintain a 24-inch waist. We frown upon women who have big arms, wider waists, and chubby cheeks.

We cannot blame these people if they want to lose weight. Aside from this, people want to lose weight mainly for health reasons. A lot of diseases are precipitated by accumulation of excess fats in the human body. So as to avoid further health degradation, the older population in general would resort to eating healthy and exercising daily.

New-age Wicca has recently introduced spells to help people lose weight. Weight loss spells were not rampant during the middle ages. Witches in this period did not care much about how fat they have become, or how unhealthy their eating habits were. It is the middle ages, weight and figure does not really matter much during these times. This is probably the reason why folk tales involving witches describe them as stout or pudgy. Wiccan weight loss spells have not been concocted during this period in Wiccan history.

Since women mostly perform Wiccan weight loss spells, it is crucial that they call upon Goddesses to aid in their request. Usually Wiccans evoke the aid of Venus, the Goddess of Beauty. It really does not matter which Goddess a person calls upon to help her in granting the request. Venus also symbolizes the moon, which to Wiccans is sacred for it lights up the night sky during rituals and sabbatical celebrations.

They believe that the moon brings them mystical powers, and provides them with the energy which they need for spiritual sustenance. Some Wiccans practice moon bathing, wherein they are skyclad (naked) under a full moon. They believe that this is an effective way of harnessing energy, and also provides the body with vitality and vigor.

A very effective weight loss spell is the Venus Evocation. This spell has been passed on from generations of witches since the 1950s. The beauty about spell-casting in Wicca is that you can change or alter some steps or procedure according to your preference. Wiccans are very open about their spell-casting rituals that they encourage fellow Wiccans to go through their Book of Shadows to share Wiccan spells and potions, which they have found to be very effective and powerful.

Here’s the Venus Evocation that surely will help you to lose some of the weight that you have been dying to shed off:

“Venus, Goddess of Beauty. Goddess of Women. Goddess of Love. I evoke your power to aid me, make me strong; to fill me with your power, to help me in my purpose. To be the best that I can be.”

This sounds very general and non-specific to losing weight. You can add a stanza or two about how many pounds you want to lose. Also be specific with how long you would want to lose them. Since you have started with evoking the Goddess Venus, it is a must that you also address to her the next stanzas which you will create.

Love is in the air when spring comes around! Spring is the season of new beginnings, the season of weddings. Your big day is approaching fast and it is time to start thinking about the finishing touches like finding that perfect flower girl dress. As fun as it sounds, shopping for one can be stressful and time-consuming – there are so many to choose from! But if you are looking for vintage flower girl dresses for your vintage wedding, the place to start is Dollcake clothing.

Designed in Australia, Dollcake is a vintage-inspired boutique girls clothing brand. Dollcake finds its inspiration in the innocence and wild imagination of little girls as well as in old-fashioned elegance of vintage clothing. Created for girls who love to lose themselves in the land of make-believe, Dollcake clothing uses soft knit fabrics in pastel hues as well as lace, crochet, feathers and silk flowers to create its beautiful dresses for girls ages newborn through 12 years.

Dollcake is popular among brides who want to have unique vintage wedding. Dollcake flower girl dresses are made in limited quantities and sold at only a handful of online and brick-and-mortar boutiques in the United States. That is why when you chose Dollcake clothing for your wedding, you know your flower girl will look and feel very special for your special day. Even though Dollcake dresses are high quality and very exclusive, they are affordable as well. Most dresses cost anywhere between $ 60 and $ 100, so buying one will not break the bank.

During the wedding everyone's attention will be on the flower girl as she walks behind the bridesmaids, scattering flower petals along the aisle. To make sure she feels calm and confident, seat her parents near the front where she can see them. This will create a calming effect for her. You will need to invite her to the wedding rehearsal to make sure she knows her responsibilities. You also can get her a fun book about flower girls, so she better understand her role at the wedding. Finally, when choosing between different vintage flower girl dresses, your need to make sure you get that one that is comfortable as well as pretty.

All Dollcake clothing garments are made of the softest knit fabrics, so your little flower girl will feel comfy all day long! There is nothing scratchy – all the intricate details are made of the softest materials as well. There is no question that Dollcake clothing creates some of the most beautiful vintage-inspired dresses for girls. Because of its focus on style, elegance, quality and price, Dollcake is a great place to start when you are looking for that perfect flower girl dress for your vintage wedding.

You must know by now how delicate phones can be when it comes to getting damaged. Any phone can easily get damaged when it comes in contact with water or when it falls on a hard surface. There are so many elements that can render a phone useless and this can be very unfortunate. More unfortunate is when you have spent lots of money purchasing a good phone only for it to get damaged within a short period of time. It could be as a result of choosing the wrong phone for the setting in which you operate.

The popular, modern smartphones are quite functional, but they are also the most delicate. They are expensive and the fragile quality keeps many from choosing them. However, now, thanks to the introduction of rugged smartphones, you a can use your phone in the most rugged environments, be it a construction site or a factory without worrying about the common elements that might cause damage to it. The phones are designed dustproof, shockproof and waterproof, making them preferable in harsh environments.

Your rugged smartphone will function normally even if you drop it hard on a surface or in water. The worries of your child damaging your phone are lessened by this phone too. You will literally enjoy a worry-free life when you purchase a rugged phone.

How to Buy Your Rugged Phone

The rugged phones are gaining popularity not just among those working in areas where phones are readily exposed to harsh elements, but also to individuals who prize the durability feature when it comes to smartphones. The demand has increased as a result of the rise in dealers offering rugged smartphones for sale. Here are questions to ask when you go shopping for a rugged phone.

Does the dealer have variety?

It is a simple question that will lead you to the best phone. When you have variety, you can easily make comparisons to make the right decision in the end. Even when looking for a rugged phone, you might want to look at other phone options before making the purchase.

Does the dealer understand phones he deals in?

Only a very good dealer will give you all the details that you need about a phone you are about to buy. You should get to know about all the features of the phone from your dealer. This will give you confidence in your seller and the phone that you are about to buy. A genuine dealer will also offer you only genuine original phones to serve their functions without fail.

How are the prices?

Even though rugged smartphones come at a much higher price than all other smartphones, the prices of your dealer offers you should not be out of this world. When you have done a market research, you will know which price range is reasonably good. Rugged phones that are unbelievably cheap might not be that genuine, so be careful with low prices you can't trust.

A guide to many of the terms used in the consumer finance market.

A

Acceptance Rate – The percentage of customers that are successful when applying for a loan or credit card. 66% or more applicants must be offered the advertised rate know as the Typical APR (See 'Typical APR' below).

Annual Percentage Rate (APR) – The rate of interest payable annually on the loan or credit card balance. This allows potential customers to compare lenders. Under the Consumer Credit Act Lenders are legally required to disclose their APR.

Arrears – Missed payments on a loan, credit card, mortgage or most kinds of debt are termed Arrears. The borrower has a legally binding obligation to settle any arrears as soon as possible.

Arrangement Fee – Generally for the administration costs of setting up a mortgage.

B

Base Rate – The interest rate set by the Bank of England. This is the rate charged to banks for lending from the Bank of England. The base rate and how it may change in the future has a direct influence on the interest rate a bank may charge the consumer on a loan or mortgage.

Business Loans – A loan specifically for a business and generally based on the businesses past and likely future performance.

C

Car Loan – A loan specifically for the purchase of a car.

Consumer Credit Association (CCA) – Repeats most businesses in the consumer credit industry. Government, local authorities, financial bodies, finance focused media and consumer groups are all members. Members sign a constitution and must follow a code of practice and business conduct.

County Court Judgment (CCJ) – A CCJ can be issued by a County Court to an individual that has failed to settle outstanding debts. A CCJ will adversely affect the credit record of an individual and can possibly result in them being refused credit. A CCJ will stay on a credit record for 6 years. It is possible to avoid this major negative stain on your credit record by settling the CCJ in full within one month of receiving it, in this case no details of the CCJ will be stored on your credit record.

Credit Crunch – A situation where Lenders cut back on their lending simultaneously usually down to a shared fear that borrowers will not be able to repay their debts.

Credit File – Information stored by credit reference agencies, such as Experian, Equifax and CallCredit, on an individuals credit and borrowing arrangements. The Credit File is checked when Lenders consider a credit application.

Credit Reference Agencies – Companies that keep records of individuals credit and borrowing arrangements, amounts owed, with who and payments made, including any defaults, CCJ's, arrears etc.

Credit Search – The general search undertaken by the Lender with the credit reference agencies.

D

Debt C0nsolidation – The transfer of multiple debts to a single debt via a loan or credit card.

Default – When a regular debt repayment is missed. A default will be recorded on an individuals credit record and will adversely affect the chance of success of any future credit applications.

Data Protection Act – An act of Parliament in 1998 and the main legislation that governs the use of personal data in the UK. Lenders are not allowed to share an individuals personal data directly with other institutions or companies.

E

Early Redemption Charge – A fee charged by Lenders if a borrower pays back their debt before the debts agreed term is reached.

Equity – The value a property has beyond any loan, mortgage or other debt held upon it. The amount of money an individual will receive if they sold their property and repaid the debt on the property in full.

F

Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) – The government appointed institution responsible for regulating the finance market.

First Charge – The mortgage on a property. A Lender who has first charge on a property will take priority for repayment of their mortgage or loan from the funds available after the sale of a property.

Fixed Rate – An interest rate that will not change.

H

Homeowner Loan – Also commonly known as a secured loan. A Homeowner Loan is only available to individuals that own their own home. The loan will be secured against the value of the property usually on the form of a second charge on the property.

I

Instalment Loans – Multiple loan repayments spread over a period. Depending on the Lender their may be flexibility in the repayment amounts and schedule.

J

Joint Application – A loan or other credit application made by a couple rather than a single person eg husband and wife.

L

Lender – The company providing the loan or mortgage.

Loan Purpose – The purpose for which the loan was acquired.

Loan Term – The period of time over which the loan will be repaid.

Loan To Value (LTV) – Generally associated with a mortgage and taking the form of a percentage. This is the loan amount in relation to the full value of the property. eg an individual may be offered a mortgage of 90% LTV on a property worth £ 100,000. In this case the offer would be £ 90,000.

M

Monthly Repayments – The monthly payments made to settle a loan including any interest.

Mortgage – A loan taken specifically to finance the purchase of a property in most cases a home. The property is offered as security to the Lender.

O

Online Loans – Although most loans are available online. The Internet has allowed for the development of technology that allows for the faster processing of a loan application than traditional methods. In some cases a loan application, agreement and the funds appearing in your account can take as little as 15 minutes or less.

P

Payday Loan – A short term cash advance of up to 31 days which is repayable on your next payday. Payday loans come with a high APR because of the shorter term of the loan.

Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) – Insurance to cover debt repayments should the borrower be unable to maintain their repayments for any number of reasons including redundancy, illness or an accident.

Personal Loans – A general loan for any purpose and in varying amounts that can be provided to an individual based up on their credit history.

Price For Risk – Lenders now have a range of interest rates that are chosen based on an individuals credit score. An individual with a poor credit score is deemed High Risk and will likely be offered a higher interest rate as the Lender factors in the possibility of them defaulting on their repayments. Conversely an individual with a high credit score and a good credit history is considered low risk and will be offered a lower rate of interest.

Q

Qualifying Criteria – The eligibility requirements required by the Lender. The most basic criteria required to qualify for a loan in the UK are; permanent UK residency, age 18 or over and a regular income. Many Lenders may also include extra lending conditions.

R

Regulated – financial 'products' that are overseen by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Lenders must follow a code of conduct and individuals are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).

Repayment Schedule – The time period over which a loan will be repaid and the details of the loan repayment amounts.

S

Second Charge – A second loan, in addition to any other loan, that is secured against an individuals property.

Secured Loan – Also commonly known as a Homeownr Loan. A secured loan is only available to to homeowners. The loan amount is secured against the value of the property. The Lender has the right to repossess your property should you fail to maintain the loan repayments.

Shared Ownership – An agreement in which an individual owns only a percentage of the property. The remaining percentage is owned by a third party often a housing association. The individual may have a mortgage on the part of the property they own and pay rent on the part of the property they do not own.

T

Total Amount Repayable – The total amount of the loan plus the interest and any applicable fees.

Typical APR – The advertised interest rate that is offered to a minimum of 66% of successful loan applicants.

U

Underwriting – The process of verifying data and approving a loan.

Unregulated – Not covered and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

Unsecured Loan – A loan that does not require collateral and is provided on 'good faith'. Under the belief by the Lender that you can repay the loan based on your credit score, credit history and financial standing amongst other factors.

V

Variable Rate – An interest rate that will change during the loan repayment period.

The Sacred Heart Memorial Hospital Diet (also known as the Sacred Heart Diet) is another of those diets which, like the Tuna Fish Diet, is attributed to hospital staff who were attempting to reduce the weight of a cardiac patient by some 10 lbs. It has been around since at least the 1980’s and takes the form of a vegetable soup which is consumed, along with a few other foods, over a period of seven days.

Intending users should be aware that the origin of this plan is uncertain. Hospitals have denied being the source, as have other institutions that have been nominated as likely creators, including the American Heart Association.

Nonetheless, the diet continues to be circulated and has adherents who are happy to use it, along with others who were skeptical or did not find it useful. This soup diet is also known as the Cleveland Clinic Diet, the Cabbage Soup Diet, and the Spokane Heart Diet. I have found reports from users who state that they were introduced to it by their medical practitioner.

The dieter is expected to eat the soup at least once a day and, at various times, meats, rice, vegetables and fruit may be included in the eating plan. Excluded are bread and alcohol. Included are Chicken Noodle Soup, stewed tomatoes, beef broth, celery and more. The only drinks permitted are water, black coffee, cranberry juice (unsweetened) and skimmed milk. A detailed outline of this plan can be found with a quick search for my article “Sacred Heart Memorial Hospital Diet – Recipe and Diet Plan”.

EFFECTS:

1. The Sacred Heart Memorial Hospital Diet is essentially a low calorie, short term diet, with the difficulties typical of such a plan, such as dizziness, lack of energy, occasional diarrhea and sometimes fainting.

2. Short term weight loss is often water loss rather than fat loss and is easily regained once the diet has ended.

3. The body tends to conserve energy and fat reserves with low calorie diets. This makes it harder for lasting weight loss to occur.

4. There are reports of significant amounts of weight reduction but the feelings of hunger and discomfort caused by this diet plan make it likely the user will eat excessively after the seven days of restricted eating. Thus the amount of weight that has been lost will soon be regained.

5. A change in eating habits is not required except for the seven day period of the diet. This means that the benefits are unlikely to continue as returning to the same conditions as before will soon restore whatever has been lost.

To obtain lasting weight loss requires, in effect, a change of lifestyle – a different selection of foods as part of the normal diet rather than a crash program that adds stress to the body and provides only short term benefits. Such a plan would include food that has high nutritional value and suits the tastes and preferences of the dieter. As well, a significant portion of the weight that has been lost should be fat loss and not merely water which is easily replaced. Unfortunately, the Sacred Heart Memorial Hospital Diet does not meet these requirements.

Do you always feel like scuffing your skin? Does your skin feel dry all the time? One of the skin conditions that distresses many people is itchy, or dry skin. Based on the degree of harshness, it can be quite annoying. Actually, it can be intensely aggravating. Not only that, itchy and dry skin can disrupt your sleep and daily activities as well.

Some various causes of itching and dry skin include:

• Some medications
• Detergents and soaps
• Dry weather
• Skin infections
• Insect bites
• Allergic reactions

The good news is that you can enjoy relief from dry and itchy skin right from the comfort of your home. Here are the top 10 natural remedies for dry and itchy skin:

1. Baking soda

Baking soda is not only effective for treating itchy skin but also skin rashes. It boasts a soothing effect because of its anti-inflammatory properties. Moreover, it’s a natural acid neutralizer, which is handy at relieving itching.

2. Colloidal oatmeal

Simply put, colloidal oatmeal refers to the extremely fine powder version of ground oats. This powder is highly effective at comforting and soothing itchy skin. It contains soothing, anti-inflammatory, and anti-irritating properties. All these properties are great at providing instant relief from itching.

3. Lemon

For ages, people have utilized lemon to treat itchy and dry skin. Lemon is rich in acetic and citric acids that have anti-irritating, anti-inflammatory, anesthetic, and antiseptic properties. While lemon is effective in this regard, it’s not recommended for those with sensitive skin.

4. Milk

Milk boasts soothing and anti-inflammatory properties. It greatly helps to solve issues related to itchy and dry skin. Additionally, the lactic acid contained in milk is efficient at exfoliating dead skin cells. By doing that, milk helps to increase the ability of the skin to retain moisture. Additionally, milk is great at helping to lighten up your complexion.

5. Coconut oil

One of the best home remedies for treating dry skin is coconut oil. It brings with it vast amounts of fatty acids, which make up for loss of skin moisture. All you need to do is apply warm coconut oil on your face prior to going to sleep. In the morning, wash it off. By doing this daily, you’ll make your skin look smooth and soft.

6. Honey

Honey is without a doubt one of the best natural moisturizers. It’s loaded with humectants, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. When you apply honey to your skin, you’ll be able to lock moisture in thus making the skin extra smooth and soft. Honey is also great at providing itchy skin relief.

7. Cool water

Sensations of both itching and cold travel on the same nerve fibers within the body. Therefore, applying cool water on your affected skin brings instant relief from any form of itchiness. You can rub ice cubes wrapped in a cloth over affected areas. Alternatively, you can choose to take a bath or a cool shower.

8. Cloves and juniper berries

When you use cloves and juniper berries together, they make a fantastic home remedy for treating itchy skin bumps. While cloves contain extremely powerful essential oils that are handy at numbing nerve endings to alleviate itching sensations, juniper berries boast anti-inflammatory properties.

9. Yogurt

Yogurt has always been, and still is, a great skin-hydrating agent. Additionally, its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties are handy at helping to soothe itchy skin rash and dry skin. The high lactic content in yogurt is effective at eliminating bacteria and germs, which might be the cause of itchiness oil, or dryness.

10. Olive oil

Olive oil is rich in healthy fatty acids and antioxidants, which are great for the skin. This home remedy has the ability to condition and soothe dry skin all over the body.

Flaky, itchy, and dry skin affects many people. This is especially true during winter. Dry and cold winter air tends to suck the life out of smooth and silky skin. Some of the other factors that can contribute to your dry skin include genetic predisposition, nutritional deficiencies, and aging. The market has plenty of moisturizers and lotions to combat itchy and dry skin. Unfortunately, most of them contain harmful chemicals or are pricey.

Home remedies are not only pocket friendly, they’re highly effective when it comes to hydrating and nourishing dry skin. The above are the top 10 natural remedies for itchy and dry skin.