How to Select an Independent Auto Repair Shop

Posted on November 22, 2011 by ynectofk

A good way to comparison shop is to ask questions and look for estimates from a high quality, full-service repair shop. You will not save money by delaying or foregoing your routine vehicle maintenance. The longer you wait, you risk paying increased repair costs. In many cases you can help prevent vehicle breakdowns by focusing on keeping your smaller repair services on schedule.

Independent repair shops compete to charge less expensive labor rates than dealerships and can be more personable in aiming for high customer satisfaction ratings. It is easier to deal directly with the owner or the car technician at an independent facility, allowing you to have better communication with the experts who directly repair your car. You can expect more focused service.

You can ask to view their technology certifications and training certificates. In most cases their certifications from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) are posted in the waiting area along with other manufacturer service training credentials. Collision repair shops often have certificates from training offered by the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair (I-CAR).

You can also ask about their repair equipment and technology. A good independent shop should be able to explain to you how they keep their service equipment and technology current. The amount of information necessary to repair various car brands cars can no longer be effectively contained in paper manuals. Quality Independent shops have Internet access to repair information or an on-site service information library of CD or DVD’s.

Independent shops often offer discounts. If you are seeking to be a new customer, ask them if they can provide you with a first time discount.In some cases, if you are paying in cash instead of credit card and saving them processing fees, they may be willing to offer a better discount on your estimate. They may belong to certain car clubs and auto forums that also offer discounts to members.

A good warranty can often be a deal maker or a deal breaker. Before you choose a repair facility, ask for their warranty on the service or repair you are seeking. Compare the miles and timing of each. A Quality independent repair facility will stand behind their parts and labor.

An independent repair facility will buy quality parts and should be are able to pass down reasonable part costs to their customers. Ask to see the parts information and parts warranty so you can make sure they are using the best recommended parts on your car.

The tiny details matter. A clean customer waiting area and restrooms are all signs of attention to detail and quality. It is best to try out an independent shop with a small service first, such as an oil change or minor tire service, just to judge the experience before you invest more. See how they respond to your questions and view the operations to make a decision.

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How To Treat A Woman

Posted on November 22, 2011 by ynectofk

Have you ever seen a woman so beautiful that you thought if you could only have her, you’d treat her so well and you’d be totally in love? The woman you’re with now is the one you need to impress. Most think you capture a woman’s heart once. But quite to the contrary, you must love her enough to try to make her fall in love with you EVERY single day! You should always treat her as if you’re trying to win her love for the very first time. No matter how many years have passed, never take her for granted.

When you are dating, what is really happening? From a current perspective, you may think that it’s just getting to know someone better, testing to see if they are the right one or even some more shallow reasons. But, being in a relationship and looking back you will see that what you were really doing is creating a collection of special moments. So, realize this from the very start. Everything you are doing is going to have a great impact on how beautiful your relationship can be. Make your time with her meaningful!

Continue to look for these special connections together. This mindset will make things automatically happen. You will automatically look for nice and romantic atmospheres. Over dinner, you will look deeply into her eyes. You will hold her hand. You will say nice things. You will want to learn everything about her. She will tell you everything she likes and what moves her. You will learn the answers to the questions you had about the first date. It is very important to be specific. If she likes flowers, for example, you need to know what type of flowers, what color, where and how often she likes to receive them.

As time goes on, these special moments are like links in a chain that you are welding together. This is what your relationship will be built upon. So, here we are as these moments get linked together. In one of these moments, if it is meant to be, she is going to fall in love with you. You may not know which moment this is because it may not be the same moment that you fell in love with her. How romantic is it to think you fell in love at the exact same time? It’s never really talked about, but it is more than romantic … It’s powerful!

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Benefits of Buying a New Car

Posted on November 22, 2011 by ynectofk

There are two types of cars that a buyer could purchase. Most buyers would prefer to buy the used version while some of them would want to purchase the brand new ones. These car finders have their own reasons for selecting one of the available options and one of these is the budget involved on the actual purchase. Those with lower budgets would usually resort to the idea of buying used cars since these vehicles are sold at lower prices.

What they don’t know is that buying previously owned cars is very risky. They might end up regretting their used car purchase since these vehicles are not that reliable. In addition to this, buying a new car offers a lot of benefits that are not found on the used ones. To encourage new car finders to buy new cars, this article provides the most common benefits that are obtained from doing this and these are provided below.

1. Lower vehicle ownership cost

One of the most significant benefits that a car finder could achieve when he decides to buy a brand new car is the reduced ownership cost. Not all buyers know that buying a brand new car is more affordable compared to buying a pre-owned one, most especially on the long-term basis.

Yes it is true that a new car model has a higher purchase price, but this requires lesser maintenance and fuel expenses. Due to this, a new vehicle owner is saved from excessive maintenance expenses. In addition to this, new cars have better fuel-economy compared to a pre-owned version and this is considered as a good source of savings.

Given this situation, a buyer might spend more money in buying a new car, but this would eventually pay itself off since he will no longer worry about the car’s maintenance cost for the first few years.

2. Best safety features

Another advantage that buying a new vehicle could provide is the opportunity to own a car with the best safety features. Recently produced cars are usually manufactured with the latest safety gadgets and tools that ensure the safety of the car occupants. Car makers make use of the most advanced safety gadgets on new cars and these are very advantageous on the part of the buyer.

Used cars on the other hand may not be able to provide the latest safety mechanisms since car makers are upgrading the safety capabilities of their vehicles each year. This simply means that older car models sold as used vehicles are not as safe as the brand new ones.

3. Availability of warranties

Finally, buying a new car is beneficial since car dealerships offer warranties for this type of vehicle. This means that whenever a new car gets damaged the dealership would handle the repairs, the replacements needed, and the expenses involved.

In short, the available warranty for each new car helps the buyer from incurring additional expenses from vehicle repairs. This could help the car owner increase his savings and use this in other vehicle-related expenses such as the auto financing premiums.

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Divorce to Remarriage – Still Angry? Try the “F” Word! (Part 2)

Posted on November 22, 2011 by ynectofk

Last time we discussed why it’s essential to move past anger toward your ex-spouse. Today I want to focus on HOW to do that.

It’s not an easy thing. I’m well aware of that. As I said in the last article, this is probably the most difficult hurdle to clear in moving forward emotionally from a divorce. But, it’s the most important.

The answer is a simple one. Applying the answer is the hard part. The answer is the “F” word – simply forgiveness. Now hold on!!! I know a bunch of you just about jumped out of your seat at that one! Hear me out!

There is a lot of confusion about what forgiveness means. Forgiveness is a letting go process. It is for YOU, not for your ex-spouse.

It is not condoning their behavior.

It is not letting them off the hook for their actions.

It doesn’t mean that you aren’t hurt or that you’re ok with what happened.

Instead, it is a very powerful CHOICE.

You are choosing to no longer allow what the other person did to rule you.

You are choosing to no longer allow your life to be stuck in the past.

You are choosing to move forward.

It’s important you are very clear that making this decision is about YOU and your children. It isn’t about your ex-spouse. You are not required to tell them “I’ve forgiven you.”

Without that forgiveness, the bitterness, resentment and anger will continue to fester and cause more hurt. It will taint your life view and by doing so, your ability to effectively parent.

This is a slow process. It doesn’t happen by just saying “I’m forgiving him/her”. It’s a choice you will have to make EVERY day for awhile. New things will pop up that will cause you to want to slide back into that anger. That’s when you remind yourself of the choice you’ve made.

It’s especially helpful during this difficult time when this is new, to have a trusted friend to keep you on track. If they hear you start slipping into the anger, they can gently remind you of the choice you’ve made to not let this person control you or your emotions any longer.

Is this easy? Of course not! It takes time. With time and dedication to the choice you’ve made, it will get easier. You won’t feel as if things are out of control or worse yet, controlled by your ex-spouse. Instead, you will feel as if YOU are the one making the choices in your life. Choices to move forward and be a better parent.

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Foreign Blueberries

Posted on November 22, 2011 by ynectofk

Don’t be timid

and don’t be shy

Foreign blueberries

are good for you!

Pick them from a bush

put them in a bag

Roll them across your tongue

and feel free to remove them from your cold grubby hands;

But if you should choose to take them from the till,

I suggest that you keep them dangling forever,

from your delightful little itty-bitty blue velvet stash.

But keep in mind that it makes no difference what mama says

Someday she will learn that foreign blueberries

are good and there is no reason for you to be afraid at all

Served on an intrepid milky white monkey plate

they make such a tantalizing scene

Pretend you are smokey the bear because she knows how

stiff and sumptuous they can really be

So behold! Goldie Locks was no salacious sinner,

even though she had such a lovely cornucopian mane

So take them over to grandmother’s house even before you decide

to walk down mockingbird lane. The porridge is so hot and the cookie

cutters have all been finely sharpened. Besides isn’t it about time that you

had an enchanting summer evening date?

Braided hair and pony tails

bobby socks and chestnut snails

have all been set up upon the incandescent vodka still

Drink them down

with the power of a peanut freight

Chug along to the sweet memories of the tune

Open your eyes, smell the weed

and stand absolutely upright in the wicked wind tonight

A firm set of lungs is likely to put you in a festive mood

Annisette and eggnog go well with the lemon custard pie

and may be smeared upon her chubby adolescent thigh

But you must speak kindly of the mountain range

because it is fresh and new

Hold it in your hands and make it jingle like jello

For it is the logical thing for you to do

slurp it down slowly and rub the berries in a wide circular shift

Cocconut may add to the graphic design as there is an antler’s rack

on a yellow rod park bus. But beware! You know that the belfry is after you

A short pleated skirt in traditional plaid will be the mark of a candy man’s crescent,

as long as a Spanish quilt has some sort of legal right that will begin to make

some of this stand up just for you. And it should bring a subtle smile

to the pretty French cuticles of that insipid jester who is destined to become

an ungrateful, dissatisfied muculent crump.

But a sleek design should be an asset to this rambling rum. It could bring out the moon

in full season and dispell the notions of any young children who are just about to assault the kitchen floor

if they wake up just a tad too late

But if you must know the gingerbread man is still in Cleveland,

with his hands upon his hips and his heart upon a cold smoking

winter time grate

So shackle the horse

Wail the pine and let the alpine nectar flow

Sit up in a glass until it raises its dreary head

but avoid the plastic powder at noon

It might make all of us wish

that we weren’t standing up in a sinking canoe

Or feeling the motion of a drunken pirate

who pretends that he is Napolean

even when he can’t manage to keep his imminent pecker

high above the strait

Oh boy, oh boy

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Foreign Blueberries

Posted on November 22, 2011 by ynectofk

Don’t be timid

and don’t be shy

Foreign blueberries

are good for you!

Pick them from a bush

put them in a bag

Roll them across your tongue

and feel free to remove them from your cold grubby hands;

But if you should choose to take them from the till,

I suggest that you keep them dangling forever,

from your delightful little itty-bitty blue velvet stash.

But keep in mind that it makes no difference what mama says

Someday she will learn that foreign blueberries

are good and there is no reason for you to be afraid at all

Served on an intrepid milky white monkey plate

they make such a tantalizing scene

Pretend you are smokey the bear because she knows how

stiff and sumptuous they can really be

So behold! Goldie Locks was no salacious sinner,

even though she had such a lovely cornucopian mane

So take them over to grandmother’s house even before you decide

to walk down mockingbird lane. The porridge is so hot and the cookie

cutters have all been finely sharpened. Besides isn’t it about time that you

had an enchanting summer evening date?

Braided hair and pony tails

bobby socks and chestnut snails

have all been set up upon the incandescent vodka still

Drink them down

with the power of a peanut freight

Chug along to the sweet memories of the tune

Open your eyes, smell the weed

and stand absolutely upright in the wicked wind tonight

A firm set of lungs is likely to put you in a festive mood

Annisette and eggnog go well with the lemon custard pie

and may be smeared upon her chubby adolescent thigh

But you must speak kindly of the mountain range

because it is fresh and new

Hold it in your hands and make it jingle like jello

For it is the logical thing for you to do

slurp it down slowly and rub the berries in a wide circular shift

Cocconut may add to the graphic design as there is an antler’s rack

on a yellow rod park bus. But beware! You know that the belfry is after you

A short pleated skirt in traditional plaid will be the mark of a candy man’s crescent,

as long as a Spanish quilt has some sort of legal right that will begin to make

some of this stand up just for you. And it should bring a subtle smile

to the pretty French cuticles of that insipid jester who is destined to become

an ungrateful, dissatisfied muculent crump.

But a sleek design should be an asset to this rambling rum. It could bring out the moon

in full season and dispell the notions of any young children who are just about to assault the kitchen floor

if they wake up just a tad too late

But if you must know the gingerbread man is still in Cleveland,

with his hands upon his hips and his heart upon a cold smoking

winter time grate

So shackle the horse

Wail the pine and let the alpine nectar flow

Sit up in a glass until it raises its dreary head

but avoid the plastic powder at noon

It might make all of us wish

that we weren’t standing up in a sinking canoe

Or feeling the motion of a drunken pirate

who pretends that he is Napolean

even when he can’t manage to keep his imminent pecker

high above the strait

Oh boy, oh boy

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The Choices We Face

Posted on November 22, 2011 by ynectofk

A crossroads… what a nice, simple concept. You’re on a journey along a road and get to a place where you need to choose whether you this way or that way, black or white, yes or no. It’s such a convenient analogy and at times to be sure it’s appropriate. Art is a journey and sometimes you do reach a crossroads that is a clear choice, so often though we are not travelling as on a road but are adrift on the open sea, we have a course but are influenced by forces beyond our control and can end up drifting off in an unexpected and unwelcome direction.

It’s so easy to drift into bad habits, I’ve recently caught myself taking my art for granted, I’ve been pushing myself hard to produce work for my coming exhibition and have found I’ve developed a ‘that’ll do, next!’ attitude to my paintings. Where the hell did that come from?…and how will ‘that do’ exactly? Will it do because it’s saleable? because it’s up to a certain standard that I’ve come to expect my art to adhere to? Sounds a lot like a feeling of complacency to me, something an artist has no business experiencing.

Just this morning I read a post on t’internet from a gallery owner about being spammed by aspiring artists who tell him that their art will be just the thing for his gallery, he went on to say, quite rightly of course, that a gallery cannot simply display anything that any artist thinks is worthy, the business doesn’t work like that and on the whole aspiring artists need a bit of business acumen. There is of course a large element of truth in that, if you want a gallery to display your work then you’ll need to conform to the gallery’s standards, they know their market after all. If you want your art to sell then you need to produce work that appeals enough to buyers that they buy it. I can’t help though to feel a bit uncomfortable about this though, of course we have to compromise ourselves to some extent. If we accept a commission we are probably working with a subject that is not one we would have chosen, sometimes it’s necessary to ‘brute force’ such work to get it done.

This is one of those areas where there is no definite choice but a subtle shift in direction. We don’t decide to never paint what we want and how we want to but to cynically turn out work that conforms to a sensible model that is appropriate, saleable, complements the galleries wall decor etc, where we decide that inspiration, wonder, experimentation all get thrown out in favour of grinding out pretty pictures. What happens is that it’s easy to get lazy, to slowly slide into a way of painting that ‘ticks the boxes’ without even realising it’s happening until one day you look at the work you’re doing and say ‘what the hell’s all this stuff?’

What’s to be done though to prevent this slide into conformity, even into mediocrity? You have to pay your way. How far are we prepared to let ourselves slip, to slowly compromise our work to gain a modicum of critical & financial success as an artist? Once we’ve developed enough skill to consistently turn out crown pleasing work then it’s very tempting to do so at the expense of what you could become if you stuck to your guns, didn’t give an inch and painted what and how you were inspired to paint.

At some level we all know that that’s how you become great, not by knowing which arses to kiss and pickling cows and such but by being absolutely honest and 100% dedicated to our vision, our ideas in art.

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Long Distance Relationship – Important Considerations to Make It Work

Posted on November 22, 2011 by ynectofk

You often hear some people say, “Life is simple”. At some point, it really is and it should be. However, this is not always the case especially if you are in a relationship; either married or in a boyfriend-girlfriend situation. There will always come a time when priorities are bound to change brought about by some developments in the environment they exist in. People are expected to reach the point when they need to decide between a relationship and their career. This is not easy but in the event that one chooses the latter, this would put them to a test related to how they can make their long distance relationship work.

There is no doubt; long distance relationship is not easy seeing that it would be totally challenging to keep the closeness or intimacy if you are not seeing each other. However, just like all other questions, there will always be something that you can do to provide answer for this need as long as you are willing to exert sufficient effort to keep the fire of intimacy and love burning with flame. With the introduction of innovative creations like the internet and mobile phones, you can easily communicate with your husband or boyfriend, whichever the case might be.

The first important ingredient that can make any relationship work is honesty. When both are honest in whatever they communicate and reveal, it builds trust and there is tiny room for doubts and suspicion to sneak in. You need to combine it with constant communication because it is vital that they talk with each other sharing everything that is happening in their lives. In doing so, both would feel involved as if they are not far from each other. This would not break their bond but instead link them closer.

Needless to say fidelity or faithfulness should never be compromised. Also, emotional fidelity should not be taken aside for in the present situation of the society wherein social networking sites are usually avenues for infidelity. However, if you made it a promise and committed yourself to fortifying your emotional attachment while you are far from each other, this would be one way to firing up the romance in your relationship even if you are thousands of miles away from each other.

Long span of time spent away from each other may cause one party to feel disheartened reaching to the point that he wants to give up. This is when encouragement would be useful and elemental to keeping your relationship alive. Always keep in mind that showing your support and giving him confidence that everything will be fine would do wonders. These are the times when your partner would need your words of encouragement that you are willing to wait for his return. It would be helpful if you work on ways to revitalize the connection through chatting or sending love messages by means of letters or cards.

With effort and your love for each other, long distance relationship is bound to work after all. Always keep in mind that tough times will eventually last and your patience would bring back its rewards later on. Soon, you would both be near each other again and enjoying the moment together proving the saying that “absence makes the heart grow fonder!”

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Tanjore Paintings

Posted on November 22, 2011 by ynectofk

Culture is a dynamic force that complements the life pattern of a society. It reflects the procession of time and the crisscross patterns of migratory influences in arts and other progressions of life.

Ancient Tamil Nadu, in the Southern part of India, comprised of three kingdoms, the Chera, the Chola and the Pandya. The Chera kingdom roughly corresponds to the area of the present Kerala state, the Chola corresponds to the northern area of Tamil Nadu and the Pandya to the southern area of Tamil Nadu.

Chola kingdom it’s capital Thanjavur can be called the gift of Cauvery. The word Thanjavur reflects the meaning of “a place of refuge” (thanjam) in Tamil. The land of Tanjore has been a background of mythology, the God of Wealth, Kubera ruled from this place.

During the reign of Rajaraja Cholan, many sculptors and painters from Andhra came to Tanjore. The Vaishnavite element in paintings entered the “chitrakootam”. The walls of the Ramaswamy temple at Kumbakonam were painted with Ramayana episode and the Ramar Pattabhishekam scene painted there was adopted for Tanjore Painting by the Andhra painters.

The painting artists of Tanjore were of Telugu speaking origin. There are two main communities of these families, Rajus in Thanjavur and Trichy and Nayudus in Madurai. Both are from Andhra area and they came down to Thanjavur and Madurai in search of patronage after the disintegration of the Vijayanagar Empire. F.R. Hemingray in Madras district gazette, Madras 1906, reports, “some good painting is done at Tanjore by men of Raju caste. They paint on wooden tablets or on cloth made beautifully smooth with a paste of powder and gum and their drawing is correct and the tints employed are astonishingly delicate and even”. This is a reference to early Tanjore Painting artists of Tanjore.

Timelessness is one of those words that floats around blissfully, it is a quality that we generally assume “great art” to have, while lesser works of art do not.

Quoting an essay, “Great art always has two qualities with relation to temporality. It is of its moment – any art cannot help but be shaped by the realities of the era, but great art also reflects and shapes its moment, and does so in a different manner than equally great art of an earlier era. It is timely. Simultaneously, great art transcends its moment, it communicates powerfully well after its creation. It is timeless.”

Tanjore Painting is closely associated with and interlinked to Hinduism, it’s lore, puranas and epics.

The mainstay is God and Goddesses who were objects of worship from time immemorial. The earlier painters were called upon to paint the walls of temples, palaces, durbar halls with mythological and puranic subjects. the painters were also asked to paint portraits of the royal family. They were on the payrolls of the royal treasury.

The art of painting was generally hereditary. Training in painting was passed on from generation to generation, handed down to the family by the elders and experienced. In an orthodox method of teaching involving a combination of tradition and innovation, the training covers a period of three years.

In the first year, after auspicious initiation, the trainee is taught to prepare free hand designs, which include the various Godheads mudras, outline of the Godheads, flowers and animals, curtains, embellishments, angels in line drawings. Along with the pencil drawings, the outlines of the various parts of the body, proportion, apparels like dhotis, sarees and ornaments are taught. Later, brush practice is initiated. Pencil models are also taught. along with and immediately after brush practice, application of color shades is taught.

Today, Tanjore Paintings are made on a wooden board, richly embossed with 22 carat gold foil, embellished with semi-precious stones. A variety of themes are depicted, from Hindu gods/goddesses to Jesus, Mother Mary and jewels and musical instruments in today’s tanjore paintings.

At Timeless Tanjore, we strive to make every painting timeless. Our focus on high quality materials, such as water-proof, termite-proof, kitply wooden base, original 24 carat gold foil, 100% authentic Jaipur gemstones and natural pigments for painting ensure that your Tanjore Painting will stand the test of time. Divine subjects also demand that the painting be of a beautiful, admirable nature, and we ensure that every painting of ours evokes devotion and steals the hearts of onlookers.

We also take Tanjore Painting classes in Bangalore.

Please visit, http://www.timelesstanjore.com for more details on Tanjore Paintings and Tanjore Painting classes.

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Long Distance Relationship Tips

Posted on November 22, 2011 by ynectofk

This is a sticky area and depends a lot on your own personal situation. When getting into or analyzing your own pre-existing long distance relationship, you need to ask yourself a couple of questions. How long had the two of you been together before someone had to move? Is there a finite amount of time before you or your significant other will be back? Is there more going on in your frequent phone conversations than “I love you, I miss you, I wish you were here with me?”

If the two of you have already had a good relationship going for a while, that’s all well and good, but if the two of you barely spent any time together and suddenly you’re separated by a great deal of distance and never get to see each other, odds are you need to look at your situation very carefully to see if this is a place you want to be right now. Yes, correspondence only relationships can and do work until someone pops the question and suddenly one party or the other is picking up their life to move half way across the globe, but are few and far between. Their rate of long term success is even rarer. Talk about this with your lover and see if this is a place in your relationship you both want to be. If you’re going for eventual permanence in your relationship, you need to spend some time actually living with (either literally or just spending a lot of consecutive time in the company of) your partner.

This leads us to the next question: when will you or your SO be coming out to join the other for an indefinite amount of time? If he or she is away on business and will be back in a year or two, this is fine. I know it’s hard, but if the two of you are really committed to one another, you can get through this and be back together again in no time. Try to arrange visits as often as possible and talk frequently. If you are in a more flexible or open relationship, discuss ground rules for conduct with others ahead of time and make sure you set some hard limits on what you don’t want your SO doing while you’re not around. Make it clear you don’t want to lose him or her while they (or you) are away, and remind them they’re one of the most important people in your life, and that you expect the feeling to be mutual!

That said, a relationship cannot exist solely on “I love you, I miss you, and I wish you were here.” Find something else to talk about after the first five minutes or so on the phone, and if you can’t come up with anything, you need to take a look at what it is keeping the two of you together! Being IN a long term relationship just for the sake of being IN a relationship does not work and will only end in hurt feelings. What did you talk about in person? What do you both care about enough to have long conversations on? A relationship should be about each other.

Long term relationships are hard. They’re often impossible, but if the two of you were going to work out anyway, you can make it work from a distance until you manage to get yourselves together in the same place again.

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