The AAPHI Blog

The recent spikes in oil and natural gas prices have put the
topic of alternative fuels for home heating at the forefront of
discussions around the country. Alternative fuels that in the
past were seen as marginal, odd, or strictly for rural use are
getting a second look.

Wood heat has been used for generations in the rural U.S., but
has been replaced in the past fifty years or so by central
heating provided by oil- or gas-fired furnaces. However, in
recent years, wood stoves have been making a comeback.
Attractive stoves by Jotul and other manufacturers have taken
their place in communal living areas like kitchens and living
rooms to supplement heating while providing a cozy ambiance to
the rooms. Wood furnaces, both internal and external and in many
new designs based on the latest technology, provide the ability
to load the furnace so as to provide hours of central heating
before needing re-stoking. An advantage of burning wood, at
least in rural areas, is that it can be locally obtained; people
with a wood lot can get it with “sweat equity”, and can
supplement their income by supplying their neighbors as well.

New plant-based fuels like wood pellets and corn pellets can
also provide heat when used in specially designed, clean-burning
furnaces and stoves. In addition, more and more people are
taking a new look at biodiesel, a fuel manufactured from
vegetable oils, primarily soybean oil. Most furnaces can use
B20, a fuel made of 80 percent traditional heating oil and 20
percent biodiesel, without any adjustments; some people are
getting their furnaces adapted to be able to burn B100, a fuel
made entirely of vegetable oils. The biodiesel burns much
cleaner than traditional heating oil, but has its own problems
(for one thing, biodiesel tends to cause rubber gaskets to
erode), so be sure to check with your furnace servicer or
manufacturer before you opt for B100.

If you choose to use B100, and your furnace will handle it, you
have a couple of options. B100 is becoming more available around
the country; check on the Internet to find a supplier near you.
Also, waste oil - that is, used vegetable oil discarded by
restaurants - can be filtered and used in some furnaces. Several
furnaces on the market are designed to burn waste oil.
Commercially manufactured B100 has an additive that keeps it
liquid at low temperatures, which recycled vegetable doesn’t
contain, so do your research - and check again with your furnace
servicer - before you attempt burning used vegetable oil.

We’re facing a new world with lots of challenges in terms of how
to heat our homes, especially in colder winter climates. Luckily
there are technologies like wood
gasification and biodeisel, available today which can help
us move away from our decades-old dependence on fossil fuels.

I asked my friend who works for an online college. Why online
degrees are becoming popular, even the best Institutions have
started offering online education in the last few years. His
answer was shocking and I could not believe what he said. He
replied, “People love Internet and that’s why they spend a lot
of time searching, reading, listening, chatting or writing on
it. To make excuses to themselves or to their social
surroundings they want to cement their newfound friendship with
something tangible.

Most students are still skeptical about online degrees but it
gives them an excuse to be online whenever they want. If you
hear the questions they ask you will be surprised. Most of them
are just worried about spending money and ask again and again,
“is it worth it” in different ways.

The result is they want to be online; they want everyone else to
believe that they are doing something important and not just
wasting time on it. That’s why they take admission but instead
of working hard and finishing course quickly, they are taking
much longer then necessary.

It is acceptable anyway, because it makes them happy, the best
thing is, they don’t have to finish the course in a set period
of time, in most cases. To tell you the truth they do not expect
a lot at the end from an online degree. For some strange reasons
they are sure that they will get a degree anyway, which might
not be the case for some students. First and foremost in their
mind is the fact that they are doing something important in the
eyes of others. If they actually understand the importance and
worth of online degree they would be shocked with stunning
clarity. They will work so hard that they will start to loose
hair and leave everything else for the sake of their degree.

They start the course with enthusiasm and promises but after few
weeks when the going gets though the promises evaporate. They
feel that they are stuck and continue with their other online
activities and do not even log in for weeks. The knowledge that
they do not have to finish the course in a set time-period is
doing all the damage. Soon it will change, it has to, and
students will be required to finish the online degrees within a
set period of time”.

His answer was really surprising for me and I left him with a
regret that I shouldn’t have asked him that question. There are
so many different Universities and colleges and you can find out
more on http://www.friends4study.com For some strange reasons I
feel that he was telling me the truth about most students. I
hope you don’t mind me asking, are you one of them?

This week I want to talk about guys who are “Sports Potatoes.” I know you’re thinking, “What in the hell is a Sports Potato?”

Let me explain. I’m sure that you have heard of a “Couch Potato,” which is a person that spends most of his time sitting on the couch watching TV. Well, a “Sports Potato” is a guy who spends all of his time watching sports on TV. He literally spends his whole weekend watching sports on TV.

So what does this have to do with succeeding with women? A whole lot and I’ll explain why:

Let’s face it guys, most single women are not obsessed with sports and they don’t spend their weekends on the couch watching sports on TV.

When you first start dating she might not mind or rather I should say, put up with you wanting to spend all your time watching sports. But, eventually and sooner than you think, she’s going to get pissed at you wanting to spend all your time watching sports instead of spending quality time with her.

This conflict of interest could even cause her to dump you and find someone else who can fulfill her needs that you are neglecting.

So, what’s the solution if you refuse to change your habits? Try to find a woman who is just as obsessed with sports as you are? (Good luck on this one).

Or, the smart thing to do is to cut back on watching sports and spend more time taking her places and spending quality time with her. I’m not suggesting that you give up your interest in sports. Just balance your time to include her. That’s all.

There’s another drawback for men when they are watching sports on TV that turns women off. Men don’t want to be bothered when they are watching sports and if a woman tries to talk to them, they don’t listen very well or not at all. And this upsets women when you ignore them and don’t listen to them.

What would be ideal is to be dating a woman who is understanding and accepts the fact that some men are obsessed with sports. After all it’s no different in women being obsessed with watching soap operas. If you try to talk to them while they are trying to watch their soap opera, they won’t be listening to you while you’re trying to talk to them and they really don’t want to be bothered.

This article written by Don Diebel (Americas #1 Singles
Expert). If you would like more free dating tips on how to
successfully meet, date, attract, and become intimate with
women, please visit his website at: http://www.getgirls.com.

Looks like Microsoft Great Plains becomes more and more popular, partly because of Microsoft muscles behind it. Now it is targeted to the whole spectrum of horizontal and vertical market clientele. Small companies use Small Business Manager (which is based on the same technology - Great Plains Dexterity dictionary and runtime), Great Plains Standard on MSDE is for small to midsize clients, and then Great Plains serves the rest of the market up to big corporations. There are several reporting tools available and you definitely need to know which one to use for different types of reports.

If you are developer who is asked: how do we create report for Microsoft Great Plains - read this and you will have the clues on where to look further.

1. Great Plains Report Writer (ReportWriter) - this is built-in reporting tool. All the original report in Great Plains are written in ReportWriter. ReportWriter itself is Dexterity module. You should use this tool if you would like to modify existing Great Plains reports, such as Blank Invoice Form - here you can place your company logo, change the positioning, fonts, colors, etc. ReportWriter will allow you also do new reports - simple option if you want to export all the records from one Great Plains table - use it. New report, however doesn’t have interface where you would enter parameters - so it is not useful for real custom reports. Another limitation of ReportWriter - you can not do cross-modules report - when you need sales and purchasing info on the same report for example.

2. FRx. This is excellent tool when deal with financial reporting - it works on the General Ledger level (Balance sheet, P&L, Cash Flow Statement, etc.). It also allows you to do multiple companies consolidation - when you do consolidated Balance Sheet (with inter-companies transactions elimination).

3. Smart List - Export to Excel - this is nice feature in Great Plains - you could create a list with simple criteria and then export it to Excel.

4. Crystal Reports. It gives you unlimited functionality. Obviously flexibility requires you to know Great Plains table structure: Launch Great Plains and go to Tools->Resource Description->Tables. Find the table in the proper series. If you are looking for the customers - it should be RM00101 - customer master file. If you need historical Sales Order Processing documents - they are in SOP30200 - Sales History Header file, etc. Create ODBC connection to GP Company database. Use the same technique as when you create standard ODBC connection for GP workstation - but change default database to targeted company database. Create SQL Query to probe the data - we always recommend tuning your query and see that you are getting adequate results - in any case - Crystal Report is just a nice tool to show the results of your query.

5. Direct Web Publishing off Great Plains databases - yes - it is easy now with Visual Studio.Net and you can hire good programmers. This is good - Microsoft Business Solutions products: Great Plains, Solomon, Navision and Axapta will be integrated into so called Microsoft Business Portal - which will have web interface - you can get the idea if you look at Microsoft CRM web client - so derecti web publishing is good taste.

6. SQL Queries. If you have SQL background - this is great field for you. You know - with properly formatted SQL query you can realize simple EDI export/import for the integration with legacy systems.

Happy designing! if you want us to do the job - give us a call!

About The Author

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies - USA nationwide Microsoft CRM, Microsoft Great Plains customization company, based in Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, Atlanta, and Miami and having locations in multiple states and internationally www.albaspectrum.com, he is Dexterity, SQL, VB/C#.Net, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK developer.

akarasev@albaspectrum.com

1-866-528-0577 help@albaspectrum.com

From tankinis, grass-effect bikinis and halter-tops to one-piece maillots and ankle-length covers, women are taking pains to dress up and look glamorous by the poolside or beach.

Today there are swimsuits to flatter every body type and aesthetic taste. Heavier women, or those with wide hips, should definitely stick with solid colors and avoid busy prints. Halter-tops and high-necked swimsuits are a good option, too, but high-cut legs should be avoided at all costs, as they tend to emphasize the hips. Those who are busty or have broad shoulders should emphasize the bottom half of their bodies; medium- to high-cut legs and printed bottoms are their safest bet, and they should stay away from deep necklines and strapless tops.

Bikinis and cutout maillots made quite a splash at the Los Angeles Fashion Week, thus dictating the swimwear styles this year. Wild was the key word, as itsy-bitsy crochet bikinis were tied at the hip with stringy bows and even in some cases embroidered corsages. The Fashion Week clearly highlighted that frills and embellishments are in vogue this season. Hipster bottoms with very wide belts are stylish too, although a variety of belt widths are available, usually in the same color as the suit or even in contrasting colors.

The summer of 2005 witnessed another interesting swimsuit trend: the emergence of round, square and rectangular metallic rings, which adorned the bottoms as well as the tops. The metallic detailing could be seen off the sides, in the bust, on the straps and even at the back.

A safe area where people sit around a base camp fire is known as fire pits. There is an array of fire pits ranging from Big Stone tile fire pit to Tree fire pit.

In rural areas, the fire pit is a basin in the ground embanked by bricks and burning woods inside it.

For urban people, it more than a basin dug in a ground. It is more of a show piece which is a metal bowl in the center of wooden table. People prefer them in a garden which is a safe place for roasting marshmallows and a perfect center place to warm the entire company.

Some fire pits are movable and some are permanent which are dug in the ground. The movable fire pits are easy to manage and once they are used, can be put in a corner.

There are a number of fire pits according to the lifestyle of a person. People with huge yards can always make a Diamondback Mosaic which is a bowl in the center and diamond shape tiles around it while the person with outdoor life can make a Tree fire pit which has a metal bottom with supports around.

A fire pit add to the entertainment of an evening and is also cheap.

When choosing a humidor, make sure to buy one that’s somewhat larger than what you expect to need, or you’ll run out of space quick when cigar fever hits or that special box goes on sale unexpectedly. The typical humidor will hold around 100 loose cigars and will generally cost somewhere between $50-$100, depending on the manufacturer and materials used. Humidors that store thousands of cigars are readily available, but don’t forget your visa card, they are very expensive, usually in the $1,500-$3,000 range.

Once you determine the capacity of the humidor you’ll need, you can then begin to choose a model that appeals to you. From experience, most people know what they want in a humidor, be it glass top, dome, a table design, or a plain old milano, when it comes to the outward appearance the sky is the limit. The humidors appearance should match and add to the decor of the room it will reside in, but also match the person that it belongs to.

Setting up a humidor isn’t as simple as filling the humidifier with water and tossing in your cigars. You’ll need a solution of Propylene Glycol and distilled water, mixed at a ratio of 50%/50%. The prop-glycol solution is readily available at most cigar shops. Apply this solution to the element of your new humidor just once to start, all subsequent recharges should be pure distilled water only. You should re-up the prop-glycol/distilled water solution once every couple of years. Never use tap water. The minerals will clog your element and render the device useless. If the humidor is constructed of solid spanish cedar you can use a damp cloth to lightly moisten the inside surfaces, giving you a substantial head start in preparing the box for cigar occupants which are anxious to get in and relax. If your box is lined, I don’t suggest this method, it could cause damage to the wood if it is thin. Watch the humidity inside the humidor. If it refuses to rise, place a small saucer of distilled water in the bottom of the box and close the lid. Leave this in until the humidity builds and reaches 70% or greater. Remove the saucer and watch the hygrometer.

Once it pegs 70% and sustains this reading for 2 days you can slowly begin to add your cigars keeping a close eye on the humidity. If you suspect a faulty hygrometer test it. Place the hygrometer in a zip lock type bag large enough to accommodate the gauge and a small container of salt and water, heavy on the salt. Heavy so much that it makes a sort of paste. Close the bag and leave it for 6 hours. The humidity reading should be a perfect 75%. If it isn’t then throw the culprit hygrometer into the floor and smash it with your boot, or take it outside and blow it to smitharines with a gun, or melt it in a blast furnace. The most annoying thing on this earth is a faulty gauge. Do the right thing and make sure no one else could ever wind up with this demonic barometer. A trip to the vise, perhaps. The best hygrometers are digital models, because they are always accurate, never needing calibration. A wise $20 investment in the future comfort of your prized puros.

Once your new humidor is fully loaded with cigars you will need to keep a close eye on your perfectly calibrated hygrometer. The first weeks and even months of the new humidors life can be a thirsty time. The inner surfaces are all absorbing moisture and it takes from the element, which means it will need to be refilled more frequently in it’s infancy, less as it matures and begins to soak in the sweet smell of it’s guests.

Ed Brown owns and operates Tarheel Cigars Discount Cigar Shop located at http://www.tarheelcigars.com and can be contacted at admin@tarheelcigars.com

Microsoft certified systems engineer (MCSE) is the designing and implementation of the infrastructure based for business solutions. They schedule their instructors led classroom MCSE training at your complete control. They invite the best Microsoft and CISCO certified trainers in the industry to help us for the development of the ultimate training and certification program. Te MCSE training program includes everything one needs to fully prepare for and pass the MCSE exams.

There are some coach and career advisors are also available in the MCSE training camp for providing a toll free advisor hotline. During the MCSE training, and certification program, you will be provided some materials and resources that access to a MCSE training coordinators who will advise the examinee how to best utilize the MCSE training material to complete the certification goals successfully and also teach how to apply new skills towards the career advancement.

Career academies virtual boot camp is a cost effective method that meets the critical demand of the computer users. Experienced users have been arranged here to lead courses in a comfortable and convenient environment. Environment of these camps makes one feel like a classroom delivered through flexible and familiar technology. The MCSE training provided for MCSE assessment and real world insight from the experts with vast experience in the subject matter. It is engaged in a dynamic learning method where multiple Microsoft operating systems were derived simultaneously and multiple senses help reinforce learning concepts. The videos help in clarifying the neutral steps and uplifting of the skills in right direction. They have proven methodology that provides as unequalled training experience with exceptional skills.

Career academies learning system include several unique features. Video lectures given by instructors during the MCSE training show one on one experience with the experts. The full motion video allows the examinee to see the steps, listen to the explanations and perform the Microsoft’s operating system practically. MCSE training is one of the most flexible and comfortable training programs. The users are able to work according to their own convenience in any MCSE training program. They can opt to take the training at home or choose any convenient location for onsite training.

The MCSE training provided during the training sessions is quite rich, interactive and engaging. They incorporate all the live videos, screenshots, power point presentations, white board and lab simulations. All these give the examinee an engaging learning experience.

Lab simulations are the best components in MCSE training, which help in studying a lot. During any MCSE training program practice is provided with production level hardware and software along with step-by step detailed descriptions and instructions. Valuable hands-on experience can be easily experienced with real world scenarios such as installing windows 2003 server operating system as well as experience in adding WNS, WHCP, Domains, etc. can be easily received. Intelligent lab simulations during MCSE training programs allow the examinees to reinforce the concepts that have been learnt during the event and they can also perform various tasks.

The references are given so that the users can easily accrue the MCSE training PowerPoint slides, the printable study guide to help them to focus on areas of need and chart the programs. The practice exams of MCSE training program ensure your eligibility status and help in identifying areas that need more practice. Since various companies offer MCSE training, their task helps the IT candidates selected for the highest quality products and services.

James Croydon, Microsoft Certified Professional and MCSE Training advisor - focusing on MCSE Certification Online and MCSE Online Training

Colin Shaw urges you to ensure that your branding and marketing activities are aligned with your Customer experience.

I work with a client in the North of England. Whenever I visit them I always stay at the same hotel. At this hotel their slogan is “We never say No”. All the employees wear badges saying “We never say no”, and there are even posters and flyers in your room saying the same thing. So ask yourself this, do you think the people “never say no”?

Of course not! This is marketing hype, and so far from reality it’s ridiculous. The marketing people have sat in a darkened room and come up with a great slogan that is totally impractical to implement on the shop floor. The contrast is vivid. You talk to an employee who is saying “No” to you about something and yet their badge tells you that they “never say no”.

You hear customers point out the inconsistencies - “I would like a non-smoking room, are there any available?”. The employee replies “no, I’m sorry they are all gone” - and inevitably the customer says “but I thought you never said no”?. The employees get into games saying everything but the word “no” like “not really” or “that is not possible” to avoid saying the word “no”. When a customer points out they are really saying “no” I’ve actually heard an employee say, I didn’t say no, I said “not really”. It becomes like the game show where you cannot say the words “yes” or “no”. It made me think, “what are the brand values of this company?”. Given the scenario above I guess they maybe:

1. Create and expectation that is not fulfilled

2. Treat customers as if they are stupid

Now clearly these are not their brand values. But why have a slogan that is so obviously incapable of being implemented?

These examples are all around us. Only this week I wanted to buy some travel insurance. Therefore, after seeing an advert on TV, I decided to call this company - their slogan was “Quote me happy”. The images portrayed on the advert are of customers rolling around the floor laughing, and being very happy, with a telephone glued to their ear as they receive their quotation - and of the company’s call centre staff happily dealing with the customer’s enquiry. SO I thought I would give it a go……………..

The first thing I was greeted with was an automated service! The message said that when they collect my data to give me my quotation that they would use this information to send me further information about their products and services! Does that make me happy? No it doesn’t. The message also says that if you don’t want this to happen that all you have to do is tell the agent, when you do get through to them, and they will take you off the list. Do I trust that will happen? I eventually got through to the agent and asked for travel insurance. I explained that I didn’t want to give my details as I don’t want to be mailed with 20 million emails or letters and that I simply want travel insurance. Their reply was they couldn’t provide it to me as their process is to collect the data before the quote. Does this make me happy? No. Were the people really friendly and happy? No. Were the messages happy? No.

So why do marketing sit on one side of the fence and the people who deliver the reality sit on the other? The creative people in agencies and marketing have great fun in creating marketing campaigns without any thought to how these actually get delivered, and the subsequent impact on the Customer Experience. In my experience, most employees do not even know what their companies brand values are. These are something that marketing do. They mean nothing to the people in the front line. Therefore what happens is that an expectation is created by marketing which is then not fulfilled by the people who touch the customer.

I would urge you to ensure that your branding and marketing activities are aligned with your Customer Experience.

About The Author Colin Shaw is the Founding Partner of Beyond Philosophy and guru of the Customer Experience. His first book, Building Great Customer Experiences sold out within just eight weeks, is on a third reprint and available in paperback. Colin’s second book, Revolutionize Your Customer Experience will be released in September 2004. Colin has enjoyed over 20 years of experience working in blue chip companies, including Mars Ltd., Rank Xerox and BT. Colin’s final position was Director of Customer Experience for one of the world’s largest global companies. In his career, he has held senior positions in a number of different functional areas including Sales, Marketing, Customer Service and Training. Colin now indulges in his real passions, strategic thinking, conference speaking and Executive Briefings, writing books and advising boards of companies. Colin is a member of the Professional Speakers Association and enjoys a hectic conference speaking schedule. beyondphilosophy.com

This winter, Midas touched every makeup product he could
possibly reach. Soft golden liners and shadows are the latest
evening accessory to any outfit. In fact, gold is a very easy
color to play with: it looks lovely with all skin tones and
complements day or party look if used wisely. A touch of gold
gives your face a warm glow that enlivens the paler winter skin.

“Everybody can wear gold,” says Julie Redfern, Beauty Editor at
Sephora. “It’s all about how you apply it. Take just one feature
and apply gold on it. If you choose to apply gold on the eye,
you can add some golden shimmer to your lips, but you don’t want
a golden cheek. I would mix it up a little bit.” Sexy and
sparkling gold-dusted eye shadows look great worn by itself or
with black eyeliner, and with nude lipgloss or a berry-painted
mouth.

Eye is the best place to play with golden hues. “Your eye
captures the most attention, because when you talk to someone,
they are looking at your eye,” says Julie Redfern. “And you
don’t have to reapply eye shadow!”

It is a nearly foolproof trend to applyjust use a light hand
and avoid shades that are too yellow. Go for warm gold tones or
even gold shades mixed with bronze hues, they work extremely
well for all colors of eye irises. Never do an entire eyelid
from lash to brow in gold. Keep the color concentrated near the
lash line or work the inner corner of the eye with a lighter
hue. To intensify the look, blend the shadow up toward the brow.
Blending different shades of gold from brassy to almost silver
we let the shade fade naturally toward the crease.

If you choose adding a bit of golden touch to your face (we used
Guerlain Let Meteorites Dorees to highlight Aliona’s
cheekbones), make sure your skin is in prime condition, because
shimmer will accentuate every little flaw. Exfoliate and
moisturise your skin properly before applying a shimmery
highlighter or a powder. “When your face is clear and glowing,
the makeup will look better”, adds Julie Redfern.

And the best part is that you don’t have to resemble an Oscar
statue to complement the bold eye: Julie Redfern suggests
applying a lighter pink wash as a blush. “Pink is already
beige-y type of color. It will add you a pop of color, which is
essential when you go for gold”, recommends Julie. Liner is
truly optional, but not mascara! Finish your look with black
mascara, and for the maximum impact, attach a set of gorgeous
golden eyelashes. Add a touch of muted golden loose powder to
the center of your forehead and on the apples of your cheeks.
Keep the rest of the face neutral - apply a shiny pink sheer
gloss, and you look like a million bucks!