Business

Are you using this 100 year old business model?

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If you’ve been doing business online for some time, there’s no doubt you’ve heard of tracking. Following up with a customer is simply contacting them after the initial point of contact to convert them into a customer.

This is a marketing tactic that people have been using for over 100 years to close more deals. The fact is that keeping track of your leads will attract more of them to your offer and many will buy.

Why is this?

Studies have shown that it takes 7-12 exposures to your product, service, or offer for most people to buy. That may sound like a lot and if you were a door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesman, you might not be profitable. But the good news is that there are solutions that make tracking possible for anyone (even a door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesman). But the truth is that most people are not doing this and the people who are doing the tracking are not doing it right.

Why is this?

Tracking principles have been lost in the rapid technological boom surrounding the business world. Most companies aren’t doing it because they don’t know any better or they forget.

Those who are doing it are not using the correct principles, which makes any effectiveness they have had vanish. This is a pretty big problem that no one really knows exists because tracking is being affected by other things like SEO.

You may be thinking “Why do I need to keep track of my clients?” Or maybe you’ve been thinking… “Shouldn’t I work on my landing page?”

The answer is this…

Most of the people who visit your website simply won’t have the trust built up for you to make a purchase. It is not personal; it’s just that they don’t know you through a hole in the wall and they don’t have any relationship with you. This is why follow-up is so important! You can build a relationship with these visitors through effective follow-up!

Home Kitchen

Kitchen Solutions: Eight Ways To Upgrade Your Kitchen Without Gutting It

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Your kitchen may have ‘good structure’, but it may need help to become the warm and comfortable heart of your home. Perhaps your kitchen could use a little more storage, more functionality, or a few conveniences like pull-out trays. Maybe you would like a bigger change. The doors may look dated or worn, or the countertop may not shine like it used to. You could rip everything out and redo the entire kitchen, resulting in a completely new look, but with weeks or months of downtime, inconvenience, dust, and significant expense. Here are several ways to refresh your kitchen without ‘gutting’:

  1. Change small items like the hardware on your doors and drawers. This can often bring in a lot of money and perhaps provide the ‘POP’ your kitchen needs. In many cases, you can install the hardware yourself or hire a professional with the right tools to do the job. If you would like to install hardware that is larger than what you have now, you can find a contractor who can fill and blend the old holes out of sight.
  2. Install a new countertop, sink, and faucet. Quality, attractive countertops are available in a variety of materials such as HD Laminate, Solid Surfaces, Engineered Stone and Natural Stone that will breathe new life into your kitchen and won’t break the budget. You can find reliable and reasonable installers on the Better Business Bureau or Angie’s List websites.
  3. Pull-out trays can make it much easier to store items in and out of deep cabinets without dragging on the floor. Pop-up trays are easy to install, come in wood or metal, and are full extension.
  4. Adding moldings such as crown molding or track lighting to your wall cabinets will add a touch of elegance at a reasonable cost. Molding can be purchased at a variety of stores and installed by the homeowner, but sometimes it’s best to let a professional do the work. They have the right tools, experience, and can match the color of the new trim to the finish on your cabinets.
  5. Under cabinet lights not only add functionality to your kitchen work surfaces, they can make your entire kitchen look brighter and fresher. Under cabinet lights don’t have to be the big fluorescent things that belong in factories. All kinds of stylish and efficient under-cabinet accessories are available that come in a variety of trendy colors and metallic finishes. Under cabinet lights can be either line voltage which usually requires an electrician to install or low voltage where a transformer is plugged into an outlet and the lights are connected to the transformer.
  6. If your kitchen has the space, adding a few cabinets can not only improve storage, but can drastically affect functionality. Islands offer another work surface for prep, a place for family and friends to gather, and additional storage. You could even install one of the pull-out waste bins which will free up floor space and give your kitchen a neater look. Just make sure you have enough room to maneuver around the island. 36″ between surfaces is usually a good rule of thumb. If you have some unused wall space, you may want to consider installing a pantry cabinet. They come in various heights, depths, and widths to fill almost any space.
  7. Maybe you like the color of your cabinets, but the doors and drawers look dated. One way to remedy this situation is to put the doors back on the cabinets. New doors and drawers can be installed providing a completely new look. Just by changing the doors, you can change the style of your kitchen to elegant, contemporary or modern. Replacing the door is a quick fix, as the job usually takes a day or less; however, the results will bring that ‘wow’ factor back into your kitchen. Doors are available online and in some stores, but if your DIY skills are limited, you may want to seek out a qualified remodeler.
  8. Refinish your kitchen cabinets is one of the fastest ways to give your kitchen a spectacular new look. No matter what type of cabinets you have or what color they are, as long as the cabinet boxes are structurally sound, they can be resurfaced. Cladding not only updates the look of the doors, but also allows you to change the overall look. The transformation can go from white laminate to cherry wood or from oak to maple. You can choose from a wide range of door styles, wood species and finish colors. There are also Rigid Thermal Foil (RTF) doors that are available in an incredible variety of colors, as well as sheens, wood tones, and styles. For a project like this, it might be best to hire an experienced repairman and in as little as four days your kitchen will be looking amazing new.

Any of these suggestions can be done separately or in combination to achieve the fresh look you want for your kitchen, without the need to dismantle and replace everything. They’re affordable on the budget and don’t take much time to make, so add a little ‘POP’ and start enjoying your cooking.

Digital Marketing

Definition of Efficiency, Effectiveness and Productivity

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According to Currie, productivity is defined as “the quantitative relationship between the resources we use and what we produce.”

Beeching and Smith added: “The volume of production is obtained in a given period of time in relation to the total of indirect and direct efforts invested in its production.”

productivity

This term is different from production. While productivity refers to the relationship between output and input, output refers to the increase in output over a given period of time. The writers did not detail this definition of productivity in relation to relationship.

Productivity indices refer to units of a single product (i.e., labor costs, total cost, or number of days worked) to a single product (financial measures such as value added, earnings, or physical measures such as standard minutes of work). or tons produced)

All these given definitions and ratios do not include efficiency, the important concept of productivity evaluation.

Efficiency

This term as a notion assumes the ability to identify changes in the productivity ratio. A manager wants to assess the potential extent of productivity improvement and compare it to his competitors. Efficiency takes this factor into account and compares it to several known potentials.

A good example of efficiency measures are typical labor productivity measures of standard hours compared to productive hours. And they can have a good labor productivity index of how well the workforce is being used or working. They show whether organizations are “doing it right”, while they do not give an indicator of whether organizations are doing “right”.

Effectiveness

This term can be defined as “maximizing efficiency as a value”. In reality, it cannot be understood as “greater benefits per cost, but greater measurable benefits per measurable cost”.

Productivity and efficiency normally consider how people work. Things like adaptability, initiative, cooperation, and flexibility would not be included in the entry measures.

Baldamus (1961) noted: “Efficiency, as a word, has no scientific basis, we tend to suppose that maximizing efficiency is certainly desirable, if not the main objective of the industrial enterprise.”

The writers related efficiency to concern about the rise of a cult of tailoring that excludes many of the less quantifiable and essential ingredients of a successful business.

Consider this value of extremely efficient production of non-tradable goods or perhaps a person who pursues his own goal and refuses to cooperate with his colleagues who are left behind. This is an example of individual efficiency maximized, but not an organizational example.

Measuring productivity brings us a qualitative dimension in which efficiency is a factor. But the problem is that some of the components of productivity are easier to measure than others.

Materials consumed or labor hours are easier to quantify than product quality, customer satisfaction levels, or the caliber of staff.

Productivity, at this point, must have a strategic dimension. However, when considering efficacy, new developments and technologies on the market should be taken more into account.

Relationship

Question everything when your child is in the hospital

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As a parent, it is your job to monitor everything that happens with your child when they are in the hospital. Make sure there is an adult who is familiar with your child and your child’s needs the entire time your child is in the hospital. When they take your child to things like x-rays, physical therapy, etc. You must be there with them at all times. If well-intentioned staff tell you that there is no reason for you to accompany your child, thank them and go anyway. They don’t know your child like you do.

The example of a mother:

“Three nurses came in to put my seven-year-old son on an IV. When they came in, they started talking fast and completely ignored me as they started to circle him. Before I knew it, everyone was putting on gloves and reaching for him. “Wait a minute” I said picking him up as he was starting to panic “Everyone outside except one nurse” I demanded They all looked at me like I was crazy but they all left.

Andrew and I have an understanding that nobody understands. He knows that I will explain everything to him step by step and I will not let him be held down if he stays still. He knows that he can cry, scream, kick and do whatever he has to do, but he can’t move his arm. If he hadn’t been there they would have held him back and in doing so they would have caused him to panic and undo everything he and I had worked on for the last 7 years.”

Some tips for when your child is in the hospital:

  1. Do not ask the staff for help with your own personal needs. Take care of your own food, drink and hygiene needs. Ask the staff where you can do these things and ask what the hospital’s particular policies are, but they’re not there to take care of you, they’re there to take care of your child.

  2. Protect yourself and your child from additional hospital-acquired infections, especially during times like RSV season, which typically occurs during the winter months and is spread by respiratory particles or contact with contaminated objects, such as bathroom fixtures or even clothing. These kinds of things can even be passed on by doctors and nurses using the same stethoscope and blood pressure cuffs on your child that they use on children who have things like RSV. Keep a hand rub at the bedside – use it yourself and offer it to professionals and staff before they touch your child.

  3. Since both children and hospitals tend to be sticky, carry a container of disposable antibacterial/antiviral wipes and frequently wipe down the surfaces that need it most: TV remotes, phones (including your own cell phone), doorknobs, etc. control buttons for beds, toys and dolls.

  4. Know your surroundings. At first, read the rules and regulations that are posted in each room. Know where the nursing station, emergency exit, drinking fountain, and public or visitor bathroom are (unless you can use a private bathroom). What services are there? Food delivered to parents, game room, toys, in room, DVD or Internet access? What is the visitor policy? Locate the nurse call button, locate the phone and read the instructions, locate the lights and TV controls. Find out how the bed buttons and side rails work. These seem like small, simple steps, but each hospital has different ways of doing things and you need to know what your hospital does and expects.

  5. Know where you are going to sleep before night falls, and become familiar with that piece of furniture.

  6. Ask the nurse to tell you about each line and tube that is connected to your child to give oxygen, fluids, medications, blood, and liquid food; to collect for the laboratory or to evacuate stomach contents, urine, drainage, pus, and air pockets. Each line must be clearly identified so that fluids and medications do not go into the wrong tube.

  7. Be vigilant when any substance is injected into a line. If you think someone is about to make a mistake, speak up right away, but try to be attentive, not offensive. “Sorry to interrupt, but I thought that line was an arterial line, and they said nothing should be put in.” Ask questions and don’t be afraid to speak up.

  8. If there is going to be a change in treatment or procedure, make sure you understand what it is and why. If the person doing the procedure doesn’t know you or doesn’t make sense to you, ASK.

“While my 7-year-old son was sick and in the hospital the nurse was having trouble taking his temperature accurately. She went in once and took him under his arm and got something close to normal. ‘That’s not right,’ I said. “It’s at least 102” I said feeling the lower part of her stomach where she has the fever. She looked at me as if she had lost her mind again, but took it again, this time under her tongue. It showed 101. Then she left. She came back a few minutes later. “Sorry” She said. “The resident ordered her rectal temperature to be taken.” She said, embarrassed. “No, you won’t.” , IN A 7 YEAR OLD! NO! So I asked what was the reason for this since at 7 it didn’t matter if it was 101 or 102.

“What difference does it make?” She said that she didn’t know, but that the doctor had ordered it. I told him to call the doctor to come and explain to me why they would take a 7-year-old’s rectal temperature. She looked horrified.

She returned a few minutes later looking even more shocked, saying, “The resident thought she was 7 months old.” Scary, right?

  1. Your child may be on monitors that keep up with the signals your child’s body is giving off. Most commonly, monitors measure heart and breathing rates, blood pressure (how hard the heart needs to work), and the oxygen supply in the blood. Make sure you know what the monitors are and what the normal numbers should be for your child.

  2. Monitors can’t monitor everything, like how your child feels, talks, behaves, or looks just before vomiting. They also can’t announce that even though the numbers are within the “normal” range, like for an hour the oxygen saturation drops from 100 to 93, something is clearly wrong, but the alarms aren’t going off. To spot the trend, someone has to be watching the child. That is what nurses used to do in the past: get to know their little patients and be alert to such changes. now it’s up to YOUR.

  3. If you think your child’s condition is getting worse, call a nurse.

  4. Nurses appreciate gifts, but even better, give them real help. A positive attitude that assumes they know what they are doing and have your child’s best interests in mind. A note of praise to the nurse, with a copy to the supervisor and the head of the hospital, goes much further than the chocolates. If you really want to bring a gift, most nursing staff appreciate fresh fruit even more than processed candy.
Health Fitness

The right way to lose weight and gain muscle

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Many people go about losing weight the wrong way. Some people try to starve themselves with super low calorie diets, while others follow a low carb or low fat diet. These diets can leave you in poor health, with a damaged metabolism. A healthy diet would be one that has the right mix of protein, fat, and carbohydrates for the individual.

There are three main ways your body loses weight. 1. Water or dehydration 2. Lean weight loss which is muscle loss and 3. Fat loss. Water and muscle is something you don’t want to lose. The more muscle you lose, the lower your BMR (basal metabolic rate) will be. Your BMR is how many calories your body uses each day at rest. In my last post, I showed you how to calculate your BMR and how to add your activity level. That’s the first thing you’ll need to know.

Once you know your daily caloric intake, you can now divide your calories into proper macronutrient ratios. Macronutrients, that is, proteins, carbohydrates and fats. A good place to start would be a 1-2-3 ratio. One part fat, two parts protein, and three parts carbohydrates. That equals six parts. So take your daily calorie intake (DCI) and divide it by six. For example, let’s say our DCI is 3,000 calories per day. 3000/6=500. So each part will have 500 calories. That would mean 500 calories from fat, 1,000 calories from protein, and 1,500 calories from carbohydrates. There are 9 calories in a gram of fat, 4 calories in a gram of protein, and 4 calories in a gram of carbohydrate. (1 g fat = 9 cal) (1 g protein = 4 cal) (1 g carbohydrate = 4 cal). So if we do the math, it would be 500/9 = 55.5g fat per day, 250g protein, and 375g carbs per day. This is just a good starting point. If you’re doing a lot of high-intensity training, you can go with a 1-2-4 ratio. As you go, you can find the ratio that works best for your body, but I would never recommend going below 0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight. Every cell in our body is constantly being recycled. Our new cells come from the protein we consume every day.

Now, how do we use this information to lose weight? The answer is to zigzag your calories to build muscle while losing fat! Remember that the more muscle you have, the more calories your body will use each day! For 4 or 5 days a week, reduce your caloric intake by two calories per pound of lean body weight. These days should be your light training days or your rest days. On the remaining 2-3 days, increase your caloric intake by 2 calories per pound of lean body weight. These should be your heavy or intense training days.

Healthy fat loss happens at a slow pace. This is one of the most effective ways to lose weight and increase muscle mass.

Legal Law

The HBO series The Sopranos

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The Sopranos was a long-time award-winning HBO television series. It aired on HBO from January 1999 to June 2007. The series followed the story of a character named Tony Soprano played by James Gandolfini. He was a mob boss and a family man. The plot often switched between his personal life and his exciting crime-ridden business life.

Throughout the seven-year series, Tony goes through several sessions with his psychiatrist. The doctor is called Jennifer Melfi and is played by Lorraine Bracco. Much of the subtextual tension in the show revolves around Tony’s double life as an ordinary good man and a murderous mobster.

The show’s creators want the audience to deal with their affection for Tony, the seemingly nice guy in one scene, and Tony, the killer, in other scenes. One of the main functions of the psych sessions is that it gives Tony, himself, a place to deal with these issues. Dr. Melfi is also required to deal with her notions of right and wrong as she advises Mr. Soprano. In some of the later episodes of the show, they even have a love affair.

Besides Tony’s doctor, the other characters who play a prominent role in his life are his immediate family. The Sopranos are made up of his wife Carmela, who is played by Edie Falco, his daughter Meadow and his son Anthony Junior. Though Tony instructs his nephew Christopher to become a fellow mobster, when his own children grow up near the end of the series, he doesn’t seem to want the same fate for them. Meadow is a great student and the most difficult decision for her is whether to study law or medicine. By contrast, Anthony Junior, who goes by AJ, seems to be getting nowhere. He doesn’t excel at school or at work. Although AJ gets involved in some minor criminal activity, his father never brings him into the mob family. The series ends with no conclusions regarding AJ’s future.

Besides Tony’s blood family, the other most important part of his life is his mob family. Throughout the series, Tony is forced to make many stressful decisions regarding his crime family. He must run it like a business and make ruthless financial decisions. Also, he is forced to occasionally kill very close friends when they turn out to be rats or FBI spies. The FBI, by the way, is always lurking in the background and trying to infiltrate the family.

If you are looking for a show that has both action and drama, The Sopranos is a great option. Even now, years after its original air date, the show still retains a level of creativity and entertainment value that is hard to match.

Lifestyle Fashion

HD Radio (Hybrid Digital) vs. Satellite Radio – Coverage, Price and Technology

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What exactly is HD radio and how does it compare to satellite radio?

You’ve probably noticed an increasing number of ads promoting this new thing you’ve never heard of before: HD Radio. They say you can hear “undiscovered content” and digital-quality audio. You’ve probably heard the best part of the entire announcement, “No subscription fee!”

Let me help you learn a bit about HD Radio. I’ll try to keep it simple to give you all the information you need with as little technical jargon as possible.

HD is NOT high definition

First of all, you’ve probably heard of HDTV, and if you haven’t, I guess you live in a cave. HD Radio is not the same as HDTV. HD in HDTV stands for High Definition. Do not confuse this with the same in HD Radio because HD in this context means Hybrid Digital.

However, it offers much better radio transmission than standard radio signals. Some HD radio stations broadcast 5.1 surround sound digital audio signals, allowing you to enjoy a true concert-like experience. You can be sure that more stations will opt for this mode of transmission in the future.

Digital channels and subchannels

HD Radio allows various radio stations to broadcast digital information over the FM or AM frequencies. Additionally, these digital broadcasts could be sent on numerous subchannels, allowing for about three stations per frequency. This would triple the number of stations you could listen to on HD Radio. What would it look like on screen, you ask?

Generally, standard AM/FM radios would display the following: FM 104.7

On HD Radios, it would show as: FM 104.7 HD-1 or 104.7 HD-2 (each HD-X indicates a subchannel)

As of 2007, the signal quality is reported to be close to CD-quality audio on FM channels, representing a huge leap in the radio industry. However, AM frequencies are very unlikely to experience this improvement since AM operates in a much smaller band. Think of it like a hose. A smaller garden hose could not supply as much water as the fire department hose; and unfortunately AM is that smaller garden hose.

Advances in digital technology

There were reports and complaints in the early stages of HD Radio (2006) of static and interference when tuning to these HD channels. However, the technology has advanced significantly in the last two years and has improved signal quality and isolation. Don’t worry so much about quality loss unless you’re on AM channels.

You may have also heard that the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) began the process of making analog radio and television broadcasts obsolete. what does this mean to you? Well, you can be sure that only improvements will be made. Unfortunately, this would mean that most standard AM/FM radios would become obsolete in the next couple of years, possibly forcing you to purchase a new HD Radio for your vehicle or home.

Comparison with satellite radio

Price

Satellite requires a monthly subscription fee ($10-$15/month), activation fee, and cancellation fees if you cancel before your contract ends (if you sign up for the “reduced” contract subscription). To receive the satellite radio signal (either Sirius or XM), you would need a special antenna and a satellite radio that has a built-in satellite tuner or just satellite-ready without the built-in tuner (tuner is still required and sold separately) ). Expect to spend $150-$300 on equipment alone, depending on what you need (additional tuner or antenna, etc.)*

HD Radio is completely free. You just need to spend money on the receiver itself. Like satellite radio, you can get an HD tuner built into the in-dash receiver, or you can get them separately (in the event you already have an HD Ready head unit). They’re much more affordable, either way, costing you $100-$200 total*.

*Please note that these are generalizations of the bare minimum and do not take into account additional features you may want with your radio (ie Bluetooth, USB support, 3.5mm aux input, navigation, etc.). They also don’t take into account labor and parts, as each vehicle varies.

Quality and Coverage

The advantage of Satellite Radio is the coverage. You could drive from Los Angeles to New York City listening to the exact same station the entire trip. Satellite Radio tends to also specialize in its stations rather than HD. For example, there are specific channels for comedy or sports. Satellite radio is also commercial-free since, after all, you pay for it.

HD Radio has a local focus. It tunes into local metro stations and would not have the same coverage as Satellite as exemplified above. Although HD stations are much more like typical non-specialty radio stations, they may do something similar to satellite radio in the future.

Both HD and Satellite Radio broadcast in digital quality audio. At this point, one does not have a significant advantage over the other because, as with radio-type transmission and reception, it is susceptible to interference and static. Don’t be fooled by the word ‘Satellite’ because of this fact.

If you’re trying to keep up with today’s technology but also want to save money, then upgrading to HD Radio isn’t such a bad thing. Most of the well-known brands like JVC, Eclipse, and Kenwood are producing HD Radio Ready integrated receivers, forcing you to get additional accessories. Only a handful of companies like Dual and JVC (again) are marketing integrated HD radio tuners.

If you’re more picky about your listening selection and aren’t too concerned about the fees associated with satellite radio, then perhaps you should go for Sirius or XM radios. Many popular brands like Sony, Alpine, and Pioneer sell built-in, SAT-ready satellite tuner receivers, so you shouldn’t have a problem looking for them.

The choice is yours to make of course. However, one thing is for sure. Digital technology is rapidly advancing and becoming the standard for audio and video entertainment. Analog (or non-digital) technology will become obsolete. You’ll have to upgrade to digital eventually. Find out what you like and try them both. Sometimes the best on the market may not be the best for you. Good luck in your digital revolution!

Pets

Goldfish Care – What a wonderful way to teach children

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Life is fast. It’s good to stop and ‘smell the roses’ as the old saying goes. So busy getting the kids to school, work, after school activities, soccer, dance, piano lessons, homework, dinner, bath, bed. Does that routine sound familiar to you?

Many of us are living in a whirlwind with no time to stop for a moment, take stock and look at what is truly wonderful in this world. I have found it rewarding to take a little time to relax, sit with the kids and watch our goldfish every day.

I want children to grow up understanding commitment. Trends and fads can easily take over every part of our lives, from the food we buy, the clothes we wear, to the home we live in. The term “disposable society” sneaks into our vocabulary far too often.

Our young children have the job of feeding our goldfish. The feeding ritual itself is a lesson for the children. Not only the commitment to feed the fish daily, but they learn that variety is important for the health of the fish. Even goldfish need their fruits and vegetables. A little zucchini and peas help keep your body healthy, just like ours. Reinforce the message of the importance of good nutrition.

They help with the weekly task of cleaning the fish tank. Being diligent about aquarium care and keeping the tank clean is vitally important to the health of your fish.

I love the deeper lessons our children are learning from caring for their fish. Unlike cats and dogs, these pets can’t go to the door when they need to go out or want to go for a walk. Goldfish is fully connecting with our diligence for your needs. If we let them down, we may shorten their lives. Their lives completely depend on our care.

The great thing about goldfish is that they are relatively hardy, particularly the comet breed. These fish are very lively and add great color to the tank. Comet tails are ¾ the length of the fish’s body and therefore look magnificent when added to an aquarium.

Overcoming society’s ‘throwaway’ attitude can be difficult. Children are conditioned from a very young age to ‘throw away’ used or imperfect things.

All too often, a goldfish meets an untimely end and is flushed down the toilet. With diligence, attention and a little knowledge this can often be avoided.

With care we can breastfeed our pet until it recovers health. A small hospital tank can be set up to isolate and treat sick fish. It is a rewarding experience to see the fish recover and go home with the other fish.

We go to the computer and investigate together. Setting up a breeding tank, learning about and observing the life cycle is another important lesson in care and breeding.

Keeping goldfish is a way to instill a caring attitude towards nature. The lessons for our children are invaluable: commitment, responsibility, the life cycle of nature and the importance of caring for life.

In addition to providing a wonderful addition to our home, these fish provide our family with much more than the scant attention and care necessary for their survival.

Real Estate

Costco Car Rental Guide – Are you a Costco Member? Know your car rental offers

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Cotsco members can take advantage of the location’s discount car rental services and tools. The “low price finder” aggregator, for example, makes it easy to compare rental rates from multiple providers. Whether you simply want to venture out on a scenic drive or spend several days exploring a big city, you can find a great deal with Costco car rental services.

Rental options are available in most parts of the world, including the US, UK, Canada, Spain, Netherlands, Ireland, Germany, and France. Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands are included in US rentals. Please note that Costco allows you to obtain services from other car rental companies such as Avis and Budget. These discount offers will not be found anywhere else. Whether or not you get unlimited mileage with your rental vehicle depends on the specific company and location and not on Costco itself.

What rental companies does Costco work with to offer you discounts? You can find a variety of offers from Avis, Alamo, Enterprise and Budget. To make an online charge, you just have to select the offer that you think best suits your needs, book it and confirm the reservation. If you find a better deal later, you can cancel the old reservation and book/confirm the new one.

During the collection process, you will be asked to present a major credit card. At some pickups, monetary holds are placed on the card for vehicle rentals above a certain price.

Some tips to save on car rentals at Costco

Keep in mind that you might have a better chance of saving by skipping airport rentals. In some cases, you can get up to 50% off simply by renting downtown or in a suburb instead of renting a car from Costco directly from the plane. It may be worthwhile to simply take a bus or taxi into town first and then pick up your rental car.

As with everything the organization sells, Costco requires you to present your valid membership number to reserve a rental. You will be asked to submit the information on the online reservation form or when you call to speak with a representative. If you want to rent a vehicle for a family member or friend, you can do so with your membership card. However, the lead unit must also be a member and have a valid card to present at pick up. Passengers do not have to be members.

Although the base rate itself does not change with a Costco car rental, taxes are still subject to change. Possible fluctuation in taxes is beyond Costco Travel’s control.

Get even better Costco car rental discounts by shopping online. Combining Costco deals with online promo codes and other special offers is the best way to get a cheap car rental, no matter where you want to go.

Shopping Product Reviews

African Travel Tips When Visiting Mozambique

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Mozambique is mainly famous for its beaches and shrimps, Mozambique also offers the visitor World Heritage sites, colonial architecture and a colorful local culture. Bustling markets sell exquisite carvings and basketry featuring Makonde wood and ivory sculptures, recognized as one of Africa’s most sophisticated art forms.

Mozambique has also produced talented painters like Malangatana and the country’s murals adorn many walls, especially in Maputo. Traditional music is in the form of Marrabenta music, as well as marimba and gourd orchestras. Following the rhythm of Africa, the Nhau and Mapico ritual initiation dances can be a terrifying sight. Popular activities for travelers include scuba diving, snorkeling, bird watching, and fishing for marlin, sailfish, or kingfish.

CAPITAL:

Maputo

CLIMATIZED:

Subtropical, although droughts and low rainfall are common. The rainy season is from October to April and the dry season is from April to September.

BADGE:

1 Mozambican metical = 100 cents. Traveler’s checks in dollars or pounds sterling are recommended. Change money in authorized institutions. Credit cards are not widely accepted. A lot of traders prefer USD. The import and export of local currency is prohibited.

ELECTRICITY:

220 volts, 50 Hz. Plugs are round 2 and 3 pins.

HEALTH:

Yellow fever vaccination is required for travelers over 1 year of age coming from infected areas. Visitors are advised to take pre-arrival precautions against malaria (the risk exists throughout the year throughout the country), hepatitis A, polio, typhoid and meningitis, depending on the area visited and the time of year. year. Other health problems include rudimentary medical facilities, unavailable medicines, cholera (maintain strict food and water hygiene), and influenza (risk is year-round).

IDIOM:

The official language is Portuguese, but Makua and Tsonga are also spoken. English is not widely spoken, but it can be understood.

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS:

New Year’s Day (January 1); Heroes’ Day (February 3); Women’s Day (April 7); Labor Day (May 1); Independence Day (June 25); Victory Day (September 7); Armed Forces Day (September 25); Day of the deceased (November 2); Christmas Day (December 25); Boxing Day (December 26)

SHOPPING:

basketball; reed mats; Wood carvings; More expensive; printed cloth; Leather articles; prawns; came.

SOCIAL AGREEMENTS:

The religion is primarily Roman Catholic, but other religions include Muslim, Hindu, and traditional beliefs. The handshake is the usual form of greeting. Portuguese customs apply, eg modes of address (Senhor/Senhora). Dress is casual and formal wear is rarely required. For business, safari suits are acceptable in hot weather, while light suits are recommended for the rest of the year.

TIME DIFFERENCE:

GMT+2

TIPS:

Ten percent is common, but discouraged in hotels. Taxi drivers expect 10 percent.

DESCRIPTION OF THE TOP TEN ATTRACTIONS:

Maputo:

The capital city has wide avenues lined with flowering red acacia and lilac jacaranda trees; it offers many historical, cultural and landscape places, for example, the Cathedral; City Hall Chambers; Tunduro Gardens; Train station; the Fortress and the Museum of Natural History; beaches include Praia da Macaneta; Ponta do Ouro and Ponta Malongane.

Xai-Xai:

224 km from Maputo; the nearby beach is a popular tourist destination with its huge reef that protects the shores from strong waves at high tide; at low tide, locals collect shellfish to sell to tourists; in the area also visit Praia do Chongoene, Bilene and the Banhine National Park, with its rich variety of wildlife.

Mozambican Island:

Approximately two-thirds of the island was declared a “World Heritage Site” by UNESCO due to the buildings being constructed from coral; the places of interest include the Palace of San Pablo, the Museum of Sacred Art and the Fortress of San Sebastián; nearby beaches are Praia de Fernão Veloso and Praia das Chocas; on the mainland, in the city of Nampula, see the Cathedral and the Museum.

Beira:

The country’s second city, Beira stretches along the coast; see the Largo do Municipio, Casa Portugal, Casa Infante de Sagres, Casa dos Bicos and the Cathedral; the best beaches are between the Clube Nautico and the lighthouse; near ‘Six Miles’ there is an inland resort with an artificial lagoon with islands where you can swim or rent pedal boats; The observation of wild animals in the province is carried out in the famous Gorongosa National Park and the Marromeu Buffalo Reserve.

Bazaruto:

Archipelago Very popular tourist area formed by the islands of Bazaruto, Benguerra, Magaruque and Santa Carolina facing the mainland with high quality hotels; At Inhambane on the mainland, see the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Conception; conservation areas include Zinave National Park and Bazaruto National Park.

pemba:

The city has an unspoiled natural beauty; visit the old town, where you can visit several traditional markets, the beaches of Praia do Wimbe and Praia do Farol; the nearby island of Ibo is part of the idyllic Quirimbas archipelago.

Niassa Lake and Niassa Reserve:

The province of Niassa offers impressive views and landscapes; Unspoilt Lake Niassa is accessible only by 4×4 and gives you a ‘real Africa’ experience, with fishing villages where you can buy fresh fish and coconut milk; The Niassa reserve is famous for its large number of elephants.

Inhaca Island:

34 km from Maputo in the bay, accessible by boat or plane; Tours of Ponta de Santa Maria and the Portuguese Island are possible.

Maputo Elephant Reserve:

79 km south of Maputo, the reserve is famous for its herds of elephants; Flamingos can also be seen in the large inland lakes near the sea.

Old Man’s Face:

In the city of Chimoio, ‘Cabeça do Velho’ is a spectacular natural stone formation that resembles the face of an old man.