The Brogue Hog

Did you have any power problems at your house? Did you notice if your refrigerator broke last night? Are you concerned about the food that was in your freezer being okay?

Not to worry - there are some simple guidelines to food safety in such a situation.

If the food has been completely thawed or even warmed to room temperature, throw it away. If your food has been setting out for more than a couple of hours, it needs to be thrown out.

Largely thawed food that is still cold should be cooked immediately. Foods that have been cooked may then be consumed or refrigerated for later use.

If the food still has ice crystals on it, you may refreeze it. If you do not have a freezer available, throw it in a cooler and add dry ice. You will not have the longevity that a normal freezer offers, and will need to cook these items.

You can immediately get rid of items that have signs of freezer burn.

It’s not possible to prevent the occurrence of unexpected power interruptions due to weather or accidents, but it is possible to react properly in such cases.
If your current refrigerator or freezer isn’t working like it should, your best bet is to purchase a new one. If you have the space, you should certainly consider a large American Style fridge freezer. Any kitchen will be much better by having this. This site contains a wide range of American made fridges and freezers, aiming to serve you better.

The phone rings. You hear an authoritative voice say, *Hello, I’m the producer of…Good Morning America or Oprah, or Larry King Live* or any other top talk show, you name it. This is your big moment, the break you’ve been waiting for. After you catch your breath what do you do?

Producers make an instant assessment of you in thirty seconds–or less. When you get that coveted call from a producer, you aren’t just *talking* to him: you’re auditioning. You are being screened to be accepted or eliminated as a guest on their show. How can you pass the audition?

Secret #1: Ask Before You Speak

Before you even open your mouth to start pitching yourself and your story to the producer, ask them a simple question: *Can you tell me a little bit about the kind of show you envision?* In other words, ask the producer the angle he is planning to take.

Doing so has two advantages. First, it gives you a moment to overcome the shock and to collect your thoughts.

Second, once you hear the producer’s reply, you can gear your pitch to the type of information he’s seeking. Listen closely to the angle that he’s interested in and tailor your points to it. Publicists often use this technique to get their clients booked on shows. They *get* before they *give* - so they are in a good position to tell only the most pertinent information about their client.

Secret #2: Wow the Producers with Brevity

Follow the advice of jazz musician Dizzy Gillespie: *It’s not how much you play. It’s how much you leave out.* Keep your list of talking points by the phone when you call a producer (or a producer calls you), so you’ll be succinct. You will already have rehearsed your points so that they’ll sound natural and inviting. Be prepared with several different angles or pitches, different ways to slant your information. *Nobody gets on these shows without a pre- interview,* says publicist Leslie Rossman. *Be a great interview but don’t worry about the product you want to sell them because if you’re a great guest and you make great TV, they’ll want you.*

And keep in mind the words of Robert Frost: *Half the world is composed of people who have something to say and can’t, and the other half who have nothing to say and keep on saying it.*

Secret #3: Prove You’re Not a Nutcase

If you area nutcase on the air, the producer will lose their job. What constitutes a nutcase? You may think it’s a positive trait to be enthusiastic (and it is), but anyone who is overly zealous about his passion is considered a nut. Best-selling author and screenwriter Richard Price talks about this phenomenon as *The dangerous thrill of goodness.* He says, *What happens is you can get very excited by your own power to do good.* Don’t get carried away by this thrill.

One way to tell if you’re being too zealous is that you’re hammering your point at top speed with the energy of a locomotive pulling that toot lever non-stop. I remember a man calling me up about how he was single-handedly taking on Starbucks - who, he felt, had done him wrong. He wanted me to promote his cause. While this could have been a great David versus Goliath type story, he was long on emotion and short on facts. Some statistics or figures would have tempered his mania.

But he also never checked in with me to see if he had my interest. By talking loudly and barely pausing for a breath, he appeared to be a man who wouldn’t take direction well. His single-mindedness was off- putting, not engaging.

When you’re talking to a producer speak for 30 seconds or so and then check in by asking, *Is this the kind of information you’re looking for?* Listen for other verbal cues, such as encouraging grunts, or *uh huhs.*

Secret #4: Can You Mark *The Big Point?*

Contributors to the popular radio show *This American Life,* hosted by Ira Glass, have taken to calling the wrap-up epiphany at the end of a story, *The Big Point.* This is the moment that the narrator gives his perspective on the story in an attempt to elevate it from the mundane to the universal.

Another radio personality, Garrison Keillor, is a master at it. He tells long, rambling stories (not good advice for you), then ties up all the story strands in a coherent and satisfying way. As a great guest, you want to illuminate your story with a big standout point that helps the audience see the significance of your story in their world and the world at large. Rather than hitting them over the head with a two-by-four, you want to share your insights with a feather-like touch. By framing your story you alert the producer to the fact that you’re a thinker and can contribute great insights and clarity to a story thus increasing its appeal.

Harrow’s clients have appeared on Oprah, 60 Minutes, GMA, 20/20, Larry King Live, E!, CNN, MSN, and in TIME, USA Today, Parade, People, O, NY Times, Wall Street Journal, and Inc. Don’t miss your chance to appear on the top TV talk shows. Discover what it takes to make the cut when you get that coveted call from the producer: www.prsecrets.com

Power boating as a sport, hobby or used as a company tool is incredibly gratifying. There are also exceptional sailing & boating events which make it equally refreshing & can be something that the complete members of the family are able to go & watch all at once. One of the core weeks of the sailing calendar is the Skandia Cowes Regatta Week; this event takes place every year and has been established since 1826 which makes it the longest running sailing event at this moment. With more than six-hundred ocean racing yachts & five-thousand contenders playing a part, being scrutinised by well over ninety thousand viewers every day Cowes week has realised the stature as one of the principal sailing corporate hospitality & social event of the whole year.

The 8,500 entrants occupy Olympic & world class trained sailors to weekend sailors. Still if you are not partaking yourself, viewing the yachting, having fun at the gatherings & live shows, & to witness the unique atmosphere, makes it a one of a kind event.

With Ondeck Yachting, two-thousands and eight sees the opening of their most modern Regatta Division. Strengthen on their exceptional position within the charter marketplace, this has seen Ondeck Sailing and Powerboat School, run numerous well-liked events for organisations, they have currently united with Britannia Sailing Events the foremost organisers of industry events within the United Kingdom. Ondeck.co.uk have details on a range of corporate sailing events for Cowes Week 2008.

The track of the race itself will differ each day as topics like that of the climate status, tidal flow & relative pace of each division of boat is taken into deliberation. A standard Cowes Regatta has over 35 start offs each day for contenders of cruiser series one designs and keelboats; adding up to over 900 sailing boats. In this moment the Solent which is a busy industrial waterway, is overflowed with boats of all types and is particularly rich in colour due to the spinnakers. As pointed out prior besides of the yachting activities the week includes a great number of onshore activities such as live music & cocktail parties. From private or commercial residential parties & nominally private yacht clubs and boats, there are gigantic marquees erected in the ports offering food & drink.

The family vacation is a tradition intended to bring families closer together and one that many of us would just not think of giving up. Quality time for the family reinforces the importance of family values. It’s sort of a “time out” from the day to day routine of living and growing. A chance to focus on getting to know better those that are most important to us, our family. Of course, how much importance you place on this event depends on your past experiences.

In today’s fast paced society a vacation just isn’t a vacation unless its costing you a small fortune to get to, and stay at, some exotic venue that usually offers no excitement without dishing out more money. I suggest we put on the brakes and get back to basics. You surely won’t have a better opportunity to do so than on the family vacation.

Let’s not forget that the “family” extends beyond our home life. Most of us have family that we rarely get to spend time with either because of distance or time issues. But, one should always make time for family. Right? I knew you would agree!

Not trying to make you feel guilty here but, we do have a way of letting life rush us through the years. I call it “non-intentional neglect” and most of us are guilty of it at some point in our lives. So, let’s re-invent the family vacation to include some real quality time that reinforces the value of our families.

Would you consider a visit to grandparents, distant uncles, or a friend’s home a vacation? When I was growing up, the family vacation usually meant visiting family members who lived some distance away. Coming from a family of limited finances, this tradition was budget friendly yet, was sufficient to satisfy our need to escape the norms of home life.

Of course, as the teen age years approached, it became harder and harder for my mom to convince us that “we would have a good time” visiting the relatives. Some of which we had already spent several vacations visiting and had, I guess, lost their uniqueness to us as teenagers.

That said, if any of you can figure out what makes a teenager happy, except socializing with their own peers, then congrats! Let me know your secret. All kidding aside, I believe that they still enjoy the family outings but have a strong resistance to acknowledging that they are actually having fun. In other words, they are having fun and just refuse to admit it!

I was a single parent for many years and just didn’t have the money for family vacations requiring hotel stays and admission fees. I guess I followed in my mother’s footsteps in hoping that a visit out of town would suffice. And it did. For many years, the family vacation consisted of a visit to a dear friend or family member’s home who was willing to put up with four kids for a week. These are truly “beloved friends and family!”

I am fortunate to have a good friend for life who has two children within the same age group as my kids. Since we didn’t get to visit often throughout the year, these visits were exciting for both my kids and hers who had become good friends.

So, by all means plan to visit a family member’s, or friend’s, home for a week. Young children especially enjoy these trips. They make new friends and the family ties are strengthened. This is an excellent way to reinforce family values and the importance of keeping in touch with family members that may live some distance from your home.

Do a little research before you go. Find out if there are any museums, historical sites, low cost attractions, or state parks within driving distance from where you’ll be staying and plan to visit. Remember to ask the family member or friend you are visiting if they have any suggestions. Since they live in the area, they will most likely be aware of popular spots. Ask about bowling, roller skating, or special movie nights in the area and plan accordingly. You can even plan some game or craft activities to keep everyone busy and having fun.

For those of you who have worn out your welcome or simply don’t have family within a reasonable distance, finding vacation spots that will provide a memorable experience for everyone in the family can be a challenge. Especially on a tight budget. Don’t be discouraged, it is not impossible. Plan for your vacation and include it in your budget. This is the easiest way to prepare for a vacation expense and take the stress out of planning.

Wherever you go, whatever you do, don’t lose sight of the value of a family vacation. Be sure to schedule quality time together no matter what your destination. Be safe and enjoy!

Cheryl Johnson is a mother of four on a mission to become debt free. As publisher of Simple Debt Free Living at www.SimpleDebtFreeLiving.com she hopes to guide and encourage others to live debt free. Budget, manage debt and save!

You may have already heard about Upromise®, you may already be a
member, or maybe you’ve just seen the notices at your local
grocery that they participate. If not, you really need to learn
more about it. Upromise® is a free service designed to help
families save for college. Every time you shop, you could be
saving money for your kids’ college education. This not only
means when you shop at the grocery, but whenever you shop
online, at your favorite stores, when you travel, eat out, and
much more. This is something you shouldn’t overlook. Who can
join? Parents, grandparents, extended family, friends, literally
anyone can join. The only requirement is you must be a U.S.
resident to join. Even if you live abroad, you can join. If you
travel and make eligible purchases outside of the U.S., you will
get savings back. The more people you have saving for your kids’
college, the better. At Upromise®, you can send a personalized
email inviting family and friends to support your kids’ future
college education. It is then up to your family and friends who
receive the email you sent to let you know they accept your
invitation. Your family and friends can allocate any portion of
their Upromise® college savings to your kids ~ this way
grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends can help save for more
than one kid. With the help of others, you could be saving more
than twice as much for college. Where can I save? You can save
at retail stores, grocery and drugstores, home financing, auto
services, moving companies, restaurants, online shopping, and
more. These are respected companies you probably already shop
with ~ you just aren’t getting anything back to help save for
college. How does it work? Upromise® has set up a network of
companies. One of the easiest ways to save is with your grocery
card. The grocery where I usually shop has a loyalty card and
every time I buy brands like Coca-Cola, Kellogg’s, Tide, and
many more, I’m saving money for my kid’s college. Another way is
with your current credit cards. You can get free college savings
at thousands of retailers and restaurants by using the cards you
already have in your wallet. All you have to do is register them
with Upromise® and every time you use one of the cards, you will
be getting a percentage of your spending back into your
Upromise® account ~ automatically. Your credit card information
is protected with strict security precautions. You can also shop
online through an online shopping section at Upromise®. If you
forget to start your shopping through Upromise.com and go
straight to your favorite participating online retailers, you’ll
miss out on college contributions you’re entitled to from your
purchases. You can maximize your college savings by being
reminded when you could be getting money back for college while
shopping online by using RemindU®, a downloadable software
application. You can get 1 to 25% back for college when you
shop.

Upromise® also has special programs with companies like Citi®,
McDonald’s® and many more. How does this work? Once you start
accumulating savings into your account, you may want to open a
529 College Savings Plan to increase the return on your savings.
Upromise® can automatically transfer your savings into your new
account. Contributions to a 529 plan account are made with
after-tax dollars and are currently free from federal income tax
if used to pay qualified higher education expenses. You can’t
ask for more than that. Or can you? Yes, there is more. If you
already have student loans, you can make payments to your loans
via Upromise®. I already have a 529 College Savings Plan, what
can this do for me? This is a great benefit ~ Upromise® will
automatically transfer any savings you accumulate in your
account directly to your 529 College Savings Plan. What else do
they offer? The site has some really great information about
applying for college loans and preparing for college. Even if
you decide Upromise® is not for you, check out their website,
there are lots of things of value to be found. Ok already, what
is the website? Go to www.upromise.com. It’s that simple. I hope
you have as much success as I have. The first month, just by
registering my grocery card, more than $30 was deposited into my
account. After that, I registered all of my other cards. Not
only can you access your account online, but you will also
receive special coupons and promotions through the postal
service. In my humble opinion, this couldn’t be easier. I’m
getting money back for buying things I would be purchasing
already. I don’t mind shopping near as much as I have in the
past because I know now that part of every dollar I am spending
is going for my kid’s college education.

Neither Sati nor http://www.mykidstoo.com are affiliated with
Upromise® in any way. Readers of this article may copy it
without the copyright owner’s permission, if the author and
publisher are acknowledged in the copy and the copy is used for
education, not-for-profit purposes.

Holy matrimony the wedding, a special day in two peoples lives where they get to exchange vows pledging their undying love for one another.

Infinity together forever.

Love honour and obey through sickness and in health are just a few promises that you verbally sign a contract to with the words I will and I do.

But do you?

Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life, so get it right. Divorce rates are quite high where grounds for parting of the ways are due to infidelity, and following strongly behind we have high up on the list for ending a marriage, is the day in question itself where you were prompted by a man of the cloth at the altar to take this man or woman to be your lawful wedded husband/wife. How could this be cited in a divorce court you may well ask?

The reason being is your partner does not see you today as the person he/she married yesterday.

At the time of courtship when all the wooing was done, everyone one of us would take care in our appearance. How we would dress to impress, hair styled to perfection, and you would never find a hole in the sock or stockings of your girlfriend/boyfriend. But then the inevitable happens when the gold band is placed on the finger, we incline to let our image and appearance go, it is now that the partner sees you as an intruder/impostor in his/her life.

He/she feels let down as this is not the person they pledged to stay with for the rest of their lives therefore a great excuse for divorce proceedings. There will be times when we can not be dressed up to the nines due to work commitments, like holding down a busy job or being a full time mum and dad. But you owe it to yourself and that of your partner to keep the marriage alive and if that means being flavour of the month, then so be it.

You need to dedicate a little spare time to yourself so you can make an effort to go back to the days of your courtship, try to do this at least once a month.

Watch the reaction from your husband/wife when you enter the room as your old self. You will find your partner will have no problem living with this stranger for another month as long as he/she can look forward to this regular rendezvous

Spice up the occasion with some flattering underwear like in the days gone by, not with your Wee Willie Winkie favourite nightgown. Add a little sparkle to the evening with a glass of champagne or sip it from a slipper, what ever takes your fancy. Remember this is your night where memories will come flooding back, and rest assured the memories will be all good. Should there have been any bad then there would have been no ceremony.

Find the time to start loving again, you will love yourself for it and so will your husband/wife.

Wishing all a true mega life and health on your wedding day.

Wedding ceremonies abroad are simplified with the right help and guidance. See my wedding page at www.benidormbeaches.com you may find some useful tips.