Sauvignon Blanc Wine

Sauvignon Blanc wine is crisp, high in acidity and light- to medium-bodied, and Sauvignon Blanc wine is recognizable for its grassy, herbaceous flavor and aroma. When grown in warmer climates the flavors are more fruity, melon-like. The grape is important in California, New Zealand and Northeastern Italy, but it really shines in France's Loire Valley and Bordeaux regions.

There it is used prodigiously as a blending grape and is responsible for the stand-alone varietals Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume. Though not as rich and complex as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc is a versatile grape, one that grows well in a number of places, responds well to oak or a lack thereof, and can be drunk young or aged several years. As well, Sauvignon Blanc can make for some fabulous late-harvest offerings.

The most salient characteristic of Sauvignon Blanc wine is its distinctive, penetrating aroma, which can evoke scents of grapefruit, lime, green melon, gooseberry, passion fruit, freshly mown grass, and bell pepper. Grown in cooler climates and in fertile soils promoting excessive vine growth, herbaceous smells and flavors can dominate the character of Sauvignon Blanc wine, while in warmer regions, the melon, citrus and passion fruit aromas and flavors emerge.

Sauvignon Blanc Wine Tip:

Sauvignon Blanc wine's acidic taste works in your favor, with oily-based dishes such as salads, and is perfect with lobster, oysters, scallops or in fact any type of fish. Sauvignon Blanc wine is also known as Fume Blanc.

Wine Ratings - Wine ratings, wine and winery related information for the enjoyment of fine wines.

Back To School ? Educators Deduct School Expenses

As teachers and students head back to school following a glorious summer, it's time to remind teachers to organize 2004 school expenses. Under a temporary tax code change, teachers can deduct certain school-related expenses from adjusted gross income.

Educator Expense Deduction

If you work in the education field, you may be able to deduct up to $250 from your adjusted gross income for 2004 taxes. Unfortunately, the deduction is only applicable to 2004, but there is a reasonable possibility it will be extended to the 2005 tax year and beyond. As a result, you should continue to keep records so you can claim the deduction if it is extended. So, who can claim it and what can be claimed?

"Educators"

Under the tax code provision, "educators" are defined as a fairly broad group of professionals. You are an education if you comply with the following guidelines:

1. You teach kids in kindergarten or through grade 12;

2. You are a teacher

3. You are an instructor

4. You are a counselor

5. You are an aide, or

6. You are a principal

If you fit within one of the above positions, there is an additional time requirement that must be met. You must work at least 900 hours in an elementary or high school during the year in question. This equates to roughly half a year.

Expenses

As an educator, you are allowed to deduct unreimbursed expenses you paid for school room items. Examples include books, computer programs, writing supplies and those little stars I used to love getting on my book reports. Just make sure the school is not covering the costs.

The educator expense deduction is a rather disappointing $250, but every deduction counts when it comes to taxes. Make sure you claim the deduction and keep your receipts for the write off.

Richard Chapo is with http://www.businesstaxrecovery.com - recovering overpaid taxes for small businesses. Visit our article page - http://www.businesstaxrecovery.com/articles - to read more tax articles.

11 Things Small Business Owners Can Learn From Tiger

1. There Are No "gimmes" ? They count two-foot putts on the PGA Tour. Hold your small business team accountable for completing everything they commit to starting.

2. Set Priorities ? Like Jack Nicklaus before him, Tiger plans his schedule around peaking at the majors. Make time to prioritize your daily, weekly and monthly goals for maximum results.

3. Step Outside Your Comfort Zone ? The recent commercial with Tiger spoofing Bill Murray in "Caddyshack" shows he will take chances. Allow yourself to reach beyond your imagined limits.

4. Keep Smiling ? While Tiger certainly shows frustration throughout a round, he still flashes that brilliant smile. Remember to do the same, especially when your employees need to see it.

5. Eliminate Distractions ? When Tiger was young, his father would jiggle change, make noises and toss balls during his swing. Practice overcoming conditions that affect your productivity.

6. Always Finish What You Start ? Tiger gives his best every Sunday, regardless of whether or not he's in contention. Follow through on important initiatives, instead of allowing your daily responsibilities to consume them.

7. Take Time Away ? Tiger limits himself to a set number of events each year to maintain some form of a normal life. Be sure to pause and recharge yourself occasionally.

8. Practice ? Golf is "the magnificent game of skill," and Tiger excels because of the work he puts in between competitive rounds. Continue learning and growing to maximize your potential.

9. Priorities Change ? Some said Tiger's struggles in 2004 were because he discovered a significant other. Life is a series of stages, and it's all right to focus on what's important along the way.

10. Think Big ? When Tiger turned pro, his father predicted greatness. That's a lot of pressure, but he clearly prepared his son for the spectacular. As the leader of your small business?imagine the impossible.

11. You Can't Do It Alone ? Tiger continually works with a coach to perfect (read: change) his swing. Even the greatest need an objective opinion to help them excel.

Copyright ? 2004 by Success Handler, LLC. All rights reserved.

The Coach, David Handler, is the founder of Success Handler, (http://www.successhandler.com), and specializes in helping small business leaders find clarity and take action. He understands the challenges of running a business, because he's been there ? as a small business owner, franchisee, franchisor, corporate leader and trainer. Much like sports coaches, his coaching will show you how to compete on a level playing field in your industry.

Union with Christ Unites Us to One Another

Jesus knew He would be abandoned

On the night He was arrested, Jesus knew His disciples would abandon him and scatter. "Scatter" means that not only would they be separated from Him, but also from one another. Nor would this be a one-time event, but an ongoing tendency. Scattering is what sheep do. That very night, to prevent the scattering of his followers, Jesus did at least three things:

• He washed their feet, setting an example of humility and service;
• He prayed for them to be united, establishing both a path and a destination; and
• He established the Lord's Supper.

The Lord's Supper not only unites us to the Lord as we remember His death until He comes, but because we share in this symbolic meal, it also unites us to each other.

As Paul said, "Is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf" (1 Cor. 10:16-17).

Acts 20:7, the passage that suggests the first-century disciples were in a habit of weekly communion, says, "On the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread?"

In this verse, not only is the first day of the week and the breaking of bread an important pattern, but also the coming together. "On the first day of the week, the disciples CAME TOGETHER to break bread." The disciples were scattered throughout the region around Troas, and the Lord's Supper brought them together.

With an attitude of humility, with a willingness to serve, with a willingness to follow the Lord's path toward His destination, let us "come together" and share in the bread.

What Jesus Predicted Came True

Jesus knew what would happen and it did: all of his disciples deserted Him and scattered. Can we read the gospel accounts, witness how the disciples abandoned Jesus and yet, like Simon Peter, claim, "That's not what I would do! Even if everyone else deserts Him, I never will"?

No, if we are honest with ourselves, we have to admit that we are just as weak as they were. When the pressure is on and the stakes are high, when we are called upon to take a stand for Jesus, how often do we turn and flee?

Instead of standing together, united with Him and with each other, how often do we abandon Him and in our shame, avoid each other?

The cup we share symbolizes the blood of Christ, God's provision for the forgiveness straying sheep like us need. Paul said, "Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ?" (1 Cor. 10:16).

Once more, in becoming one with Christ's death, we all converge on Christ Himself, and in doing so, we also draw closer to one another.

Here is a dynamic means of changing the world. Christ inspires us first to love Him and then to love each other; to unite with Him, which unites us with one another; to seek forgiveness from Him, and then to forgive and seek forgiveness from one another. The love we celebrate in the Supper is the love a bleeding, groaning world needs so badly.

Copyright ? 2005 Steve Singleton, All rights reserved.

Steve Singleton has written and edited several books and numerous articles on subjects of interest to Bible students. He has taught Greek, Bible, and religious studies courses Bible college, university, and adult education programs. He has taught seminars and workshops in 11 states and the Caribbean.

Go to his DeeperStudy.com for Bible study resources, no matter what your level of expertise. Explore "The Shallows," plumb "The Depths," or use the well-organized "Study Links" for original sources in English translation. Sign up for Steve's free "DeeperStudy Newsletter."

Shooting Around Corners with New Concept

Currently the United States has weapons, which can shoot around corners, but they are not as accurate as we wish them to be. Often an insurgent will sit a top a building with a superior vantage point and a good location. He will then pick off our guys as they attempt to move and advance forward. Once this is learned a gun, which shoots around corners can be used to try to get the sniper or group of insurgents around the corner. Currently or soldiers have small cameras which display what is around the corner on the barrel of the gun which is bent to shoot around the corner, which displays in the night vision goggle system or head display on the helmet.

There are a couple of problematic issues with this shooting around corners weaponry. One is the recoil, which moves the weapon away from the wall and thus makes it hard to pick off your target first time, meaning you have now made yourself the enemies target as well. I propose suction devices to be used to place the gun against the wall and use the wall as a point for pivoting the weapon for aiming. I propose the same type of suction type grips used in the hardware business for vice clamps on workbenches. Here is one such device, but realize there are so many to choose from in the J.C. Whitney Catalog that we can pick one most similar to our needs and modify it slightly.

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/product.asp?p=040310003&r=2133&g=116

There could also be a double lever, which uses suction for the other side of the wall without sticking your arm or other body part around the corner to secure it. The lever would automatically attach as you secured the suction devices on your side of the wall.

Next I propose we use no-recoil The AA-12 and AA-12 CQB type system or little recoil weapon where the bullets are fed around the corner into the chamber and then use this scenario:

http://www.military.com/soldiertech/0,14632,Soldiertech_AA12,,00.html

With a rapid-fire system of many bullets at a time or a combination of this system and the designs used for the larger shelled "metal storm" weaponry. Additionally we need to look at a centrifuge scenario weapon, which can be used to shoot around corners in rapid fire like a machine gun. The wheel spins and lets loose of the bullets as it spins and wheel slightly sticks out around the corner. The suction clamps would in this case have and "L" bracket on the end to insure that it rests in place so the bullets clear the wall. The eye or vision camera would sit on top of the wheels center with an extension arm and site, as the information is sent to the helmet vision system for day or night warfare.

http://www.defensereview.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=539

We must be able to shoot around corners and kill the murderous insurgent radical international terrorists without losing our own soldiers. Besides such devices make sense for the "War on Drugs" and gang warfare as well. Think on this.

"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs

Startling New Evidence: You Can Slow the Aging Process, Scientists Say

What if you could actually slow your rate of aging, and live healthier longer, simply by eating certain foods? U.S. Government scientists now say it's possible.

Floyd P. Horn, then Administrator of the scientific research arm of the USDA, broke the exciting news in February 1999.

"Young and middle-aged people," said Horn, "may be able to reduce risk of diseases of aging -- including senility -- simply by adding high-ORAC foods to their diets."

I don't know about you, but I find that statement tremendously exciting: "simply by adding high-ORAC foods."

Buddy, Can You Spare Some ORAC?

Unfortunately, most Americans have no idea that there may be a simple solution to preventing- or at least postponing- the ravages of decline, disease, and feeble old age.

ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity. It's a test developed by the USDA and Tufts University to measure the antioxidant speed and power of foods and supplements. The ORAC test is quickly becoming the accepted standard for comparing antioxidant capacity.

And as you may know, oxidative stress, or free-radical damage, is implicated in all diseases associated with aging, including cancer, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and diabetes- a short list of the 5 major killers of Americans.

She Told You So

An easier way to understand ORAC is to look at particular foods. Let's take spinach, for example. We all know spinach is good for us. Mom said so. And Popeye.

When USDA scientists tested spinach, they found it has an ORAC value of 1260 units per serving. So spinach qualifies as a "high-ORAC food," which may help slow the aging process.

It turns out Mom was right. She knew it would keep you healthier. But she probably never told you that spinach may keep you younger- to actually help you age more slowly.

Sound the Alarm

We have an epidemic of age-related disease in America. The statistics are shocking. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) in Atlanta now says that 80% of elderly Americans have at least one chronic disease. And 50% have two or more!

And the ORAC tests help explain these terrible numbers. The truth is, our diets are woefully deficient in nutrient-dense, high-ORAC foods.

USDA researchers estimate that you need somewhere around 5,000 ORAC units in your diet every day to get the ORAC benefits that slow aging and prevent disease.

But they also estimate that the average American gets only 1,200 ORAC units a day. This means that most of us are eating our way to one or more of the chronic diseases of aging.

Is it any wonder, then, that the diseases of aging are out of control? The average American gets less than the antioxidant (ORAC) value of one serving of spinach every day.

So what do you do if you hate spinach? No worries! There are many foods that rank high on the ORAC scale. Many delicious fruits and vegetables have high ORAC values: prunes, raisins, blueberries, blackberries, kale, alfalfa sprouts, and Brussels sprouts are all rich in ORAC. Just find the ones you like, and eat more of them.

Vitamin C, a common health supplement, scores 1,890 units per gram. (For comparison, spinach delivers 12.6 units per gram) And that's another very good reason to supplement your diet with antioxidant vitamins.

But if you want to get serious about a true anti-aging diet, there are specialty food ingredients available that deliver far higher ORAC values than ordinary foods and vitamins.

The Next Level of ORAC

Scientists are now testing "superfood" antioxidants that can give you astonishing ORAC protection- much higher than ordinary foods and vitamins.

One of these new generation ORAC foods, derived from the skin of immature apples, tests as high as 13,000 per gram on the scale- over 1000 times more powerful than spinach!

Anti-aging enthusiasts are now using these super-antioxidant ORAC foods to get maximum protection for aging and related physical and mental decline.

Why? Because high-ORAC foods may slow aging. And the next-generation ORAC food ingredients are showing remarkable health benefits in human and animal studies, against the same diseases associated with aging- heart disease, cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer's.

So let me ask you:

If you are growing older

If 80% of older Americans have at least one chronic disease

If the USDA says that high-ORAC foods may slow aging

Isn't it time that you consider adding a lot more high-ORAC foods to your diet?

Or maybe, you didn't get the memo.

David L. Kern is a health researcher and specialist in anti-aging nutrition. "There is now solid scientific proof," he asserts, "that we can actually slow the aging process." Discover the latest breakthroughs in high-ORAC anti-aging nutrition at http://www.applepoly.com/anti-aging.

Your Wedding Countdown

This is intended as a guide to help you plan the essential elements in the count down to the wedding day. Organise everything in advance and everything should go smoothly and seek help from family, close friends and professionals.

One year before your wedding

?First things first, set the special date and arrange a time with the priest, minister or registrar.

?Discuss in full detail your plans with the person who will be performing the ceremony.

?Decide on a budget and stick to it.

?Remember to suit the ceremony to your budget, and to both your personal tastes and wishes.

?Talk it all out now!

?Decide on the type of ceremony, type of reception and hoe many guests will attend.

?Choose your venue and arrange a meeting with the people in charge.

?This goes for hotels, caterers, musicians (for the ceremony, the reception) etc.

?Plan your wedding cake, cars, photographer and florist.

?Think about wedding clothes and costumes, particularly your bridal dress, colors, fabrics and accessories.

?Remember you will probably want a color scheme and a style that carries throughout the day so talk your plans through with the your dressmaker, florist and caterer.

?Both of you should book in for a pre-marriage course. Start thinking about your honeymoon.

Six months before the wedding

?Order wedding stationery, cake boxes, and favours.

?Discuss the order of the service with the person performing the ceremony and decide on service sheets for guests.

?Discuss your wedding menu with your caterers/hotelier. ?Decide on a wedding present list.

?Choose the rings.

?A doctor and dentist check up is a good idea.

?Plan inoculations for your honeymoon if necessary.

?Organise visas, passports etc.

?Think about your 'going away' attire and clothes for your honeymoon

Three months before the wedding

?Make sure you have all the appropriate pre-marriage documents and certificates.

?Finalise details of your color scheme, bouquets, buttonholes with the florist.

?Finalise the wedding guest list and have the invitations sent. ?Remember to keep a careful track of replies.

?Choose gifts for the best man, bridesmaids and attendants.

?Arrange accommodation for attendants and advise travelling guests of the rates for your hotel.

A month before the wedding

?Organise the final fittings for your dress and for the bridesmaids.

?On the day of your final fittings make sure all the bridesmaids are wearing the same shoes that they intend to wear on the big day.

?Finalise fittings for the groom and best man. ?Have a hair and make-up rehearsal.

?On the day of the hair and make-up rehearsal remember to bring the head-dress with you for the experts opinion.

?Finalise seating arrangements for the church and wedding reception.

?Plan the wedding rehearsal with the priest, minister or registrar.

?Eat properly for the next few weeks, you will need all your energy with all the running around you will be doing.

A fortnight to go

?Arrange your honeymoon and going away clothes, including passports, tickets and visas.

?Now is the time to arrange travellers' cheques, insurance, car hire and all other documentation.

?Give advice to the hotelier of the approximate number of quests for the reception.

?Plan the table setting, place cards and linen etc.

?Finalise details with the florist, photographer and caterers.

?Try all your wedding clothes on and make sure all fits correctly and all is comfortable.

A week to go

?Have the wedding rehearsal.

?Nominate someone to look after the wedding dress and the groom's outfit after the wedding.

?Wrap all the gifts for the bridesmaids, best man and attendants.

?Arrange all fees for the church or registrar, musicians (best man should do these).

?Do one last check on all documentation required including passports for the honeymoon.

?Give all documentation to the best man for safe keeping.

Two days before the wedding

?Confirm your final guest list to your hotelier.

?Make sure the wedding cake is fine and arrange all transport to and from your reception.

The day before

Have a manicure and pedicure, a long hot bath and an early night

The Big Day

?Relax.

?Have a good breakfast.

?Get your hair and make up done.

?Give yourself plenty of time to reach the church or registrar and always allow for the last minute hiccup.

Have a fantastic day to remember

About the Author
Declan Tobin is a successful freelance writer providing advice on purchasing a variety of Wedding Dresses which includes Wedding gowns, Designer wedding gowns, and more! His numerous articles provide a wonderfully researched resource of interesting and relevant information for all of your wedding interests.

Starting a Shade Garden...

The shade garden can be exploding with color and texture. No matter how much shade is in your landscape, the right flowers, plants, bushes and bulbs will grow in this area when given a chance. As there are various types of shade, you will need to choose the plants that are 'right' for the type of shade you have: partial, dense, full, or filtered shade. In starting a shade garden, one of the easiest shade gardens will be the filtered shade garden. What you need to do first is look at the trees or bushes that are making this area a filtered shade garden. Pruning off the lower branches on taller bushes and on the tree will allow additional light into your garden. Because you are planning a filtered shade garden, you do want some amount of sunlight in that garden below the tree.

Thinning out the bottom saplings that are trying to grow from the tree is needed at this time to ensure they do not grow up in your garden. Underbrush and thorny bushes should be cut down and dug up at this time before starting your shade garden.

Now you can work on the soil that is in the area that you want to create that new garden. Adding organic materials, more soil, compost, manure or other types of nutrients to the soil will prepare the fine garden bed that will hold your shade plants.

When possible, do not disturb the roots of the tree that will be in or around the garden area. Cutting or disturbing the roots of a tree can cause damage or death to the tree over time. Working with the soil and adding the needed materials to make your garden about six inches deep is going to be the ultimate situation for your new plants.

After planting your first shade plants in the garden continue to water them every few days until the roots begin to 'take hold' and support the plants. When placing your plants in the soil of your new garden, mulching around the plants will hold the water in the soil for your plants to thrive best.

Shade Garden Plants

Do you have a landscape that involves trees, shrubs, and bushes? When your landscape is filled with shade during certain times of the day, you can still have wonderful plants, flowers and color using the shade garden plants. You might find it most interesting that within the shade garden plants, there are additional types of shade needs. Shade gardening does give you various opportunities to change your landscape and to enhance the tree line of your yard. Shade gardens give many gardeners a more relaxing feel, as a place where you can stroll and be calming in the shade. The sun areas of your garden and landscape are lively and energetic.

To discover more about the different shade areas of a garden, take a walk through this area, or walk through the woods. Taking a walk through the woods you will find that sunlight does still hit some areas and some soil is in the shade all the time.

Filtered shade is an area where the sun will lightly hit. This indirect sunlight filters to the ground between leaves, branches, and other bushes. An example of where filtered shade is - this the soil at the bottom of a very tall tree that has branches that have been thinned out. The thinning of the tree allows sun to still fall on the ground below but in an indirect manner.

Partially shaded areas of your garden are different from the filtered shade areas. The portions of your landscape or gardens that does get sun four or five hours a day, but then remains in the shade of a tree or house the remaining portion of the day is a partially shaded area. The plants that are sensitive to the high temperatures of the full sun in the afternoon are plants that you will grow in this area.

Full shade areas of your garden are the areas of your garden that remain in the dark for most of the day. Sunlight may shine in this area of the landscape when trees loose their leaves or for less than an hour each day. Choice plants that mature in the spring or produce flowers in the fall are the plants that grow in this portion of your landscape.

Dense shade is yet another area of your landscape where the sun never shines and the area never do receive partial shade. Dense shade areas of your landscape include those that are beside fences, houses, in the thick of the wooded area or similar type areas.

Read the information that is available when purchasing plants that you want to place in shade gardens. Some shade plants still require some amount of sun as described above for the best results.

Gordon Goh is author of the free, informative website Simply Flower Garden offering quality useful tips for flower garden lovers.

Gel Candle Safety: What You Should Know Before You Buy

A lot of attention has been focused on gel candle safety in recent years. Irresponsible (usually foreign) candlemakers have flooded the shelves of dollar stores and discount retailers with poor quality and at times unsafe container gel candles. As a result, gel candles have gotten a "bum rap" as being hazardous works of the devil, rather than being viewed as an alternative decorating option for candle lovers. Following the guidelines here will help you in choosing safe gel candles for your home or gift giving needs.

Most gel candles are container based, meaning decorative materials (called embeds) and a wick are placed inside a container (generally glass) and the container is then filled with molten gel. The gel is mostly mineral oil, blended with a stabilizing polymer, which helps the candle retain fragrance load. The thicker (more dense) a gel is, the more fragrance load it can carry. Remember, too that the thicker the gel, the higher the melt point, which means a generally hotter and longer burning candle.

And there's the rub! Careless manufacturers assume that gel candles can be made in the same manner as traditional paraffin candles. Not so! Because the candle "wax" is hotter, there are more safety precautions that need to be taken into account.

First, gel candles should not contain flammable materials as embeds. The wick can float in a gel candle and set any of those embeds on fire. The added heat can cause a container to crack or even worse, explode, sending flaming gel around the room. Embeds should be made of glass or other non-flammable materials and should be secured away from the path of the wick. The wick should be secured with a wick clip (also called a sustainer base). The wick clip should have at least a 3mm neck. This helps control the burn path of the wick by holding the wick upright as it burns. Many gel candles have no sustainer base of any kind, which results in wick "float" as it burns.

Second, it is important to inspect all your container candles before lighting - this includes paraffin candles. Often a chip or crack goes unnoticed until the glass breaks under heat stress - a very dangerous situation. Many times a gel candle is otherwise not a threat to life and limb, until the integrity of the glass is compromised. Make sure that glassware used to house your candle is designed to withstand the heat of the candle inside it. Ask your candle maker. Candle glassware comes in many shapes and sizes and not all are suited to gel.

Finally, it is important to supervise a burning candle. The Navy Safety Center tells a story of how lighting a gel candle led to a horrible explosion and severe burns on the hand of one Michelle Shebloski Weyer. While the glassware may or may not have been unsuitable for gel candle use, the author glosses the fact that the candle was left unattended and when she heard it fall to the floor, she noticed it was broken and picked it up anyway - while it was still burning. The end result was days in a burn unit and plastic surgery to repair her severely damaged hand. Careless consumers can cause just as much damage as careless manufacturers. Never leave a burning candle unattended - and never touch a burning candle!

Another type of container candle is called a "double glassed" gel candle. In this instance, a smaller container with the actual gel candle is placed inside an outer container where the design using gel and embeds has been made. This is a safer design concept that allows you to burn the candle without losing the original look of the scene designed within the candle. It segregates the burning wick from the potentially flammable embeds The candle also becomes refillable - which is a great way to try different scents.

In the last five years a new type of clear candle has emerged - freestanding gel-type candles. Again using a base of mineral oil, candle uses a patented resin as the stabilizer, creating a candle that outshines both traditional paraffin and gel candles. It requires no container like gel candles, burns longer than paraffin and holds more fragrance than either. The flame burns down through the inside of the candle as light radiates through the candle's side wall. Without the potential of an exploding glass container, there are fewer safety concerns with this type of candle. Resin-based candles can be made in traditional paraffin pillar shapes, lending them more decorative appeal than gel candles and more durability than paraffin.

Whatever your candle choice, know what your burning. Read and follow the directions that come with each candle. Understand how candles create heat and light. Take the time to learn about candles and be an informed consumer. That can literally make the difference between life and death.

Lisa Robbin is the Director of Product Development for the giving candle, the maker of Heavenly Gems resin-based clear candles. Lisa writes articles on all things candle related in an effort to educate consumers about making the most out of their candle purchases. You can email her directly at lisa@thegivingcandle.com

Email Marketing Best Practices

Now that we've explored the importance of sending permission-based email, let's take a closer look at some of the techniques and practices that the most experienced email marketers use. These best practices can make the difference between rapidly growing your list through word of mouth, increasing your sales, and building strong relationships and losing subscribers to list attrition, aggravating customers, and getting your messages blocked before they even reach your recipients.

From Names & Subject Lines

For most people, a majority of emails received are junk email. As a result, each of us has developed a little ritual we follow when checking our email. Initially, most people looked first at the subject lines to determine whether to read a message. Today, however, studies have shown that recipients glance at the "From" field to see if they recognize the sender's name or email address. Then, only if they recognize the From Name do they look at the "Subject" field to see if it's of interest to them. This is why we recommend using a From Name that is either your organization's name or a well-known person within your organization-and to keep that name consistent with every mailing.

Regarding subject lines, we have found a good strategy to be having one part of the subject line be consistent, and the other be variable. This way recipients can recognize your newsletter when it comes in as well as get a small taste as to what type of information might be featured for that issue.

Some examples of bad subject lines are:

The Permission-Based Email Marketing Monthly for September, 1 2005 from IntelliContact Pro

This subject line is simply too long. We recommend keeping subject lines between 20 and 50 characters whenever possible. This 80 character subject line is likely to get cut off in most email clients and could cause the message to have a higher chance of being blocked by a content-based spam filter.

[FNAME]'S ENTREPRENEURS CHRONICLE FOR SEPTEMBER

This subject line is in all caps, which will increase the change the message will get blocked by content-based spam filters.

Garden Tips

This subject line doesn't provide any information as to what the message is about. We would recommend adding at least what month the message is for.

Oxy-Powder Special ? Save $10 Today Only Buy Now!!!!

This subject line includes both a dollar sign and multiple exclamation points. Both of these things would cause the message to have a higher chance of being blocked by a content-based spam filter.

Here's is a revised version of each of these subject lines:

1. Permission-Based Email Marketing Monthly for September

2. [fname]'s Entrepreneuers' Chronicle for March

3. Garden Tips Monthly ? Are Year Round Orchids Possible?

4. Oxy-Powder Special: 15% Off

By following these tips on From Names and Subject Lines you can maximize the chance of your message being opened by your end recipients.

HTML or Plain Text, or Both?

In the early days of the Internet, say 1998 and before, when most surfers were using Internet Service Providers such as Prodigy, AOL, and CompuServe, all email messages that were sent were plain text emails.

Then, with AOL 5.0 came the ability to send Rich Text messages that allowed you to bold or italicize text, insert pictures, and add links. Still, however, most email clients (the software tools that allow you to view your email, such as Outlook, Eudora, Thunderbird, Hotmail, etc.) did not have the ability to display full HTML messages.

Today, almost all email clients have the ability to display HTML messages. While some organizations still send their emails as plain text, there are a number of advantages of sending your message as an HTML message, especially with the easy to use WYSIWYG (What You See is What You Get) HTML editors that are available. The difficulty is, even today around 5% of email recipients either are unable to view HTML messages or have turned this feature off within their clients. To solve this problem, almost all marketers today send in a format called Multi-Part MIME. Multi-part MIME is a method by which one can send both an HTML message and a text message within the same document. When using Multi-Part MIME, you simply create your regular newsletter, announcement, or promotion as an HTML message and then create a separate text version. Then, when your message is sent, all the persons who can see HTML, will see your regular HTML message, and the 5% or so that cannot will receive the text version of the newsletter. Today's email clients can automatically detect a Multi-Part MIME message and display the proper message.

It is for this reason that one should always create a text version of every newsletter that is sent out. Without a text version, the message will either show up blank or show up as garbled HTML code for the percentage of recipients who cannot view HTML messages. On a final note, you can go about creating your text message one of two ways. The first option is to recreate the message in the text-only section by copying and pasting the text from the HTML message. If you choose this method, be sure to type out the URLs of each link). The second option is to upload your HTML message to your web site and then send a message like the one below:

Dear [fname];
Your September edition of the Gardening Tips Monthly Newsletter is now available. You can read it online at http://www.gardentips.com/newsletters/septnews.html.

Regards,
Betty Sampson, Editor
Gardening Tips Monthly
http://www.gardentips.com

When to Email

In marketing timing is everything, but with email marketing it can make the difference between emails being read and being trashed. Naturally every person has his or her own preferential time to deal with email, but there are a few general rules of thumb for when it is best to send email messages.

If you're mailing to business recipients it's best to sent email Tuesday thru Thursday, between 9:30 am and 3 pm. Studies found that Monday's are generally reserved for meetings, organizing, and catching up on all the tasks left over from the week prior and emails sent Friday afternoons are often ignored or show up at the bottom of the list when downloaded on Monday morning.

If you are emailing consumers directly, emailing between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. is generally more successful than other times of the day. Friday thru Sunday emails are the most effective, generally because consumers are more likely to be online over the weekend and have more leisure time to ponder your offer.

These mentioned times may change based on which time zone you are in and which time zone most of your customers are in. For example, if you are based in San Francisco but most of your clients are on the East Coast of the United States, you may wish to adjust the sending windows by three hours. In some cases, we have seen some international clients segment their list by geographic location to be able to more easily send messages during the most optimal time window.

Email Sending Frequency

As with all marketing, balancing the frequency of your messages is extremely important. If you don't send enough messages, it is difficult remain in the forefront of your customer's mind and be considered when they are ready to buy. If you send too many, you may annoy your recipient and cause them to unsubscribe.

We have generally found that either a bi-weekly or monthly sending schedule produces the best results. This may vary, however, based on your type of newsletter and subscriber that you have. One strategy could be to create a signup form that allows your subscribers to specify what mailing frequency they prefer. Then you could tailor how much material you send to each specific subscriber preference. Make sure, however, that each message you send has something of value to the end recipient. We've found that it is better to send a high quality monthly newsletter than a medium-quality weekly newsletter.

Personalization

Email marketing tools like IntelliContact Pro generally have a powerful method of improving open rates and response rates. This method is personalization. Message personalization can be done by inserting what is known as mail-merge fields into your message. For example, if you wanted to insert the first name of a subscriber into a message subject or body in IntelliContact Pro you would just type in [fname]. Take a look at the two below messages and see the difference inserting mail-merge personalization fields can have.

Message 1 ? No Mail-Merge Personalization Fields

Dear Subscriber,

Thank you for purchasing one of our products in the past. Today we have launched a new online catalog that may help you in your future purchases. You can find this catalog at http://www.autobodycorp.com/catalog/.

We appreciate your business. Please know I am always here if you have any questions about your past purchases.

My warmest regards,
Frank Desean, President
Autobody Products Corp.
http://www.autobodycorp.com

Message 2 ? Using Mail-Merge Personalization Fields

Dear [fname],

Thank you for purchasing [productname] on [purchasedate]. Today we have launched a new online catalog that may help you in your future purchases of [productcategory] products. You can find this catalog at http://www.autobodycorp.com/catalog/.

We appreciate having the business of [businessname]. Please know I am always here if you have any questions about your purchase of [productname] or any [productcategory] purchases that you may make in the future.

My warmest regards,
Frank Desean, President
Autobody Products Corp.
http://www.autobodycorp.com

As you can imagine, message #2, using mail-merge personalization fields, is a much more personal communications and would likely lead to a greater message response rate.

List Segmentation

There is no doubt that specifically targeted emails with valuable and relevant content work the best. By dividing your database either by interest or demographic, you will be able to appeal to the needs and wants of your consumer and improve your sales results. An effective segmentation strategy, however, begins with the sign up form. Make sure you are collecting the information during the initial signup that you will want to segment by later. IntelliContact Pro includes a list segmentation feature that makes it easy to segment your lists by any field in your subscriber database.

Ryan Allis is a nationally recognized expert on email marketing. Ryan is the CEO of Broadwick Corp, providers of the email marketing software IntelliContact Pro. For additional information on email marketing software, visit http://www.email-marketing-software-resource.com.

Bacteria and Food-borne Diseases

Types of Bacteria

Bacteria are all around us, in the air, water, ground, on our skin and in our bodies. They are classified in a variety of ways, but for our purpose we can categorize them in a more basic way.

Harmless bacteria ? Most bacteria fall into this category. They are neither help us nor are harmful to us. These bacteria have a specific purpose, but are not a concerning to us in terms of food safety,

Beneficial bacteria ? Believe it or not some bacteria are helpful to us. Some bacteria are used in foods to make cheeses and yogurts. And still others live in our bodies to fight of harmful bacteria.

Undesirable bacteria ? Undesirable bacteria is responsible for food spoilage. This type of bacteria may not make you sick, but they show themselves by the use of odors, sticky or slimy surfaces and discoloration.

Illness causing bacteria or pathogens ? These are the bacteria that cause most food-borne illnesses. Pathogens do not necessarily leave detectable odors or taste in food. This makes it impossible to tell if food is contaminated by smelling or tasting, or looking at it. The only way to protect yourself from this bacteria is by proper food handling and sanitation.

Bacteria Growth

Bacteria simply multiply by splitting in half. Under the ideal conditions, they can double in number every 15 to 30 minutes. This means that one single bacterium could multiply to a million in less than 6 hours.

What do bacteria need to multiply?

Food ? Some from of food is a basic requirement for bacteria to grow.

Moisture ? Water is required for bacteria in order to absorb food. Dry foods will not support bacterial growth. As well, foods with very high salt or sugar content make bacteria unable to use the moisture present.

Temperature ? Bacteria grow best at warm temperatures between 40 and 140?F. This temperature range is what we call the food danger zone.

Air ? Most bacteria require oxygen to grow, but not all. There are some exceptions, one type of bacteria being botulism.

Time ? When bacteria are introduced to a new environment, they need time to adjust before they start to grow. This time is called the lag phase and last about one hour.

How is bacteria transferred?

Bacteria are carried from one place to another by being carried. This can happened by peoples hands, coughs, other food, utensils, equipment, water, or pests.

Preventing Bacteria Growth

Now that we know how bacteria grow and are spread; we should be able to prevent food-borne illness by following three simple steps.

1. Keep bacteria from spreading by not letting anything that might contain bacteria tough the food. This includes people, dirty equipment, utensils and possibly other foods.

2. Stop bacteria from growing by taking away the conditions that encourage growth. The most effective way is to keep food out of the danger zone. Keep foods below 40?F and about 140?F

3. Finally kill the bacteria. Most bacteria are killed if they are subject to a temperature above 165?F for 30 seconds. This is how we make food safe by cooking. This heat is also how we sanitize dishes and equipment. Certain chemicals (such as bleach) also kill bacteria. Using sanitizing agents is best way to sanitize counter tops and large equipment.

About The Author

Chef Richard has worked in some of the finest restaurants in Washington State and is the author of the ebook "Chef's Special". You can find free recipes, informative articles and order the ebook at http://www.csrecipes.com