5 Organizing Tips to Simplify Bill Paying by Marilyn Bohn

When the weather is cold I love turning up the furnace. I am glad I wasn't a pioneer because I love my electric blanket and warm showers. In the summer it is nice to step into our home and feel the cool air when it is hot outside. But having heat and air conditioning means there is a bill to pay for these services. Bill paying can be an arduous task. Here are 5 organizing tips to simplify bill paying.

When the mail comes sort through it using my 4-D Plan. These aren't in any particular order; it depends on what piece of mail you pick up first.

1. Delegate-if it isn't your mail hand it off to the person who received it.

2. Do-if it is something that can be done in less than 2 minutes and you have the time right then, do it. This could be to RSVP for an event or make an appointment for the dentist that you received a reminder for.

3. Deliver-if it is something that is going to take more time; put it in a folder or in a basket on your desk for you to take action on when you have more time.

4. Done-when a bill arrives put it in the folder in your filing system labeled Bills to Pay. You don't have to take any action until the day you have set to pay your bills.

I recommend paying bills on line. Set up a bill paying system through your financial institution. It is fast, easy and secure. Instead of getting paper invoices from utility and other companies ask them to send you paperless invoices. Make a folder for these bills and move the invoice to the folder until your scheduled bill paying day.

You can also have bill paying set up automatically. The financial institution will automatically withdraw and pay the amount you have designated to the specific vendor.

If you receive paper invoices here are 5 organizing tips to simplify bill paying:

1. After you have separated your bills from your other mail the first step is to place the pending bills in the Bills to Pay folder. This process is done both with paper received in the mail or with notification emails received.

2. Calendar specific days you are going to pay the bills each month. Most of the time bills that arrive don't have to be paid immediately.

3. Keep all of your bill paying essentials together. This will save you time and make it effortless. Some supplies to have are: your check book, envelopes, stamps, pens, pencils, a calculator, and return address labels.

4. As soon as you pay each bill, immediately record the payment in your check register or computer software register.

5. Mark your invoice with the date and amount paid. Clip all paid bills together and either make a folder Bills Paid or put them in the Bills to Pay folder. Because they are clipped together they won't get mixed up with the other bills that are pending.

Keep these paid invoices for one month. When you receive your bill the next month it is convenient for you to reconcile any question on payment. Then you can throw away the old bills that have been paid. If you need them for tax purposes, file them in your tax folder.

Bill paying will probably never be pleasant but with these simple organizing tips bill paying can be organized and less of a hassle.

About Author

Marilyn is a creative organizer who has been organizing for over 20 years. She is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers and is working towards becoming a Certified Professional Organizer. Professionally she has been organizing homes and offices for two years. She holds a bachelors degree in Social Work. She has reared five daughters and currently lives in Utah.

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Reasons For Hair Loss

by Bronwyn Stringer

Do either of your parents have a history of baldness? If so, then you too may be at risk for hair loss. According to studies, the leading cause for hair loss in both men and women is known as male pattern baldness or female pattern baldness. This form of baldness is usually identified by hair loss in the front of the scalp that moves steadily to the back and top of the head.

Male pattern baldness usually starts with a receding hairline and thinning hair. Female pattern baldness usually starts by a general thinning of the hair. The thinning becomes more noticeable in the back of the head rather than along the hairline. Bad hereditary luck is not the only reason for hair loss. A condition known as trichotillomania, or compulsive hair pulling, is known to cause hair loss. This condition usually targets whatever part of the scalp is being pulled on. This condition is usually not cause for serious alarm. Simply stop pulling on the affected areas and the hair will begin to grow back.

A slightly more serious and long-term hair loss condition is known as scarring alopecia. Certain hairstyles can put someone at risk for scarring alopecia. Tight braids, for example, around the scalp can cause excess tension and eventually lead the hair to fall out. Constant pressure on the hair follicles leads to inflammation and eventually to scarring.

Other reasons for hair loss include medical treatments. Certain prescription drugs are known to cause hair loss in a small percentage of individuals. Blood thinners and certain medications for heart conditions are two of the leading types medications that can result in hair loss.

Another medically related treatment that causes hair loss is chemotherapy. Most of the drugs used in chemotherapy cause hair cells to stop dividing. The hair becomes thin and breaks off as it pushes through the follicles. Although the patient is likely to lose all of their hair when on chemotherapy, it generally does not contribute to any long-term hair loss. When treatment is over, the hair will grow back.

There are many types of infections that cause hair loss. Ringworm is probably the most common fungal hair loss infection in children. It is a fairly contagious infection and can be identified by small circular patches on the scalp. The skin where the hair is infected is replaced by pink scaly looking skin. The treatment for this infection is anti-fungal cream applied directly to the infected areas. The condition is usually cleared up within 2-3 weeks of treatment.

About Author:

Bronwyn Stringer, the proud owner of the http://www.HairLossEffects.com promises to provide day to day information about hair loss for the people with hair loss challenge. Click on any of the list of links provided in the website by identifying the ones that apply to the personal hair loss issue. For lots more unique tips about Hair loss Cures, visit the website http://www.HairLossEffects.com.

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Candidates Wary of SMS Campaigns

Legislative candidates said Wednesday they would be careful in sending out SMS campaigns to voters because it could provoke a backlash.

Although the legislative candidates welcomed the ministerial decrees allowing then to campaign through cell phones, they expressed worry that excessive messages could bore or anger voters.

“It is time for Ciamis’ people to lead the country. We can make it come true at the elections,” read an SMS sent by Saryono Jahidi, a legislative candidate from the National Awakening Party (PKB).

“SMS is the most effective and cheapest way to inform voters about our missions and visions,” Saryono, who is competing for a seat in Kuningan, Banjar and Ciamis electoral districts in West Java told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

“But, I must be very careful in sending SMS because it could bore people and cause me to lose votes.”

Saryono, who is employing an 100-member campaign team, said he gave his team the task of texting messages to a number of phones belonging to potential voters.

Under a 2009 ministerial decree signed by the Information and Communications Minister Muhammad Nuh, political parties, candidates of the legislative and Regional Representatives Council (DPD) can use telecommunication devices and services, including the cellular phones, to campaign.

The decree allows legislative and DPD candidates to send their visions, missions and programs through SMS with or without cooperation with content providers.

The candidates should stop sending SMS during the silent days, a week before election day.
Article 9 of the decree states that legislative candidates and content providers are prohibited from sending SMS to people who rejected them earlier.

There are 12,000 legislative candidates running for 560 seats at the House of Representatives.

In addition, there are 1,109 candidates of the DPD with another hundred of thousands of candidates running for seats in provincial and regencies’ legislative bodies.

The legislative elections will be held on April 9 after over nine months of campaigning.

The Indonesian Telecommunications Regulatory Body (BRTI) estimated that cell phone users reached about 80 million in 2007.

The polls body has registered about 170 million voters for the 2009 general elections.

Saryono said the use of SMS would be cheaper than advertising on television, printing street banners and making T-shirts.

Dini Mentari of the United Development Party (PPP) said SMS campaigns were more effective as they could reach potential voters directly.

“But, if we don’t have data on cell phone numbers, we can’t do anything,” said Dini, who is running for a seat in Bandung regency and West Bandung, West Java.

Legislative candidate from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Apong Herlina said she was careful when using SMS to campaign.

She said her SMS was only sent to numbers listed in her cell phones.

“I sent my friend an SMS informing about my candidacy and asking them to relay the information to others friends within my electoral district,” she said.

Apong is running in the electoral districts of the Central Jakarta, South Jakarta and foreign countries.

Daniel Dhakidae from the Institute of Research, Education and Information of Social and Economic Affairs (LP3ES) said people could be flooded with ‘unwanted’ SMS from the candidates anywhere and at anytime.

“It could cause psychological distress for the receivers. It could be so terrible that could trigger pessimism and stop people from participating in the election,” he said.

Adianto P. Simamora , THE JAKARTA POST , JAKARTA | Thu, 02/12/2009 9:26 AM | National

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Burning Seat

Police officers secure a crime scene in Kuningan, Jakarta, after a violent brawl between two groups of people that led to the destruction of properties at the office of Indonesian Youth National Committee (KNPI). The violence was allegedly linked to a competition for the top seat at the country’s most prominent youth group.

The Jakarta Post
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Ade Kadarisman: Bahasa Ibu

WADYA BALAD SMANDA ...
menjelang Hari Bahasa Ibu Internasional ... dan saya juga terilhami
dari facebook nya Diding 96 ...
YU kita ngumpulin kata-kata KHAS KUNINGAN .... atau sehari hari kita
sering denger ... Jujur saya sendiri SONO en Rindu denger kata-kata
atau kalimat KHAS KUNINGAN he he ....
Seperti :
- CUANG ..
- ANDIKA ...
- KAGILA-GILA KEDING ...
- MENIT...
- KANDI ...
- MANGKARA ....
...............dan ..... dan .... aya deui ???? Sok lah derrrr ....
lumayan ... itung-itung mih teu hilap ka jatidiri urang ....

Hatur Nuhun ...
ADE Selengkapnya...

BBC: AS kirim bala bantuan ke Afghanistan

Presiden Amerika Serikat Barack Obama memerintah pengirimkan bala bantuan pasukan tambahan ke Afghanistan. Dalam pernyataan, dia mengatakan, 17.000 personel militer diperlukan untuk menstabilkan situasi yang memburuk. Dari Washington, Justin Webb mengirimkan laporan berikut.

This is the first big military decision from the new White House team. In a written statement, Mr Obama said Afghanistan had not received the strategic attention, direction and resources it urgently required.

Speaking on Air Force One, the president's spokesman Robert Gibbs suggested that the extra troops were sorely needed in order to address an immediate crisis combating a deteriorating situation ahead of a Taleban spring offensive.

In the longer term though it's not yet clear what the president intends to do about Afghanistan. In advance of a visit to Canada he told a Canadian TV interviewer that he thought the war was still winnable, al-Qaeda could still be stamped out. On the other hand he said the spread of extremism could not be stopped solely through military means, diplomacy and development were also important.

He may well add to the seventeen thousand troop reinforcements, his commanders would like more, but the president has yet to decide on a long-term plan.

Justin Webb, BBC News, Washington

the new White House team
tim orang-orang yang bekerja untuk Presiden Obama

strategic
strategis, direncanakan baik di depan untuk suatu tujuan tertentu

Air Force One
pesawat kepresidenan Amerika Serikat (yang kerap disebut 'Gedung Putih terbang')

sorely needed
benar-benar perlu

combating a deteriorating situation
mencoba mencengah situasi yang buruk memburuk

spring offensive
serangan militer yang terjadi di musim semi

winnable
dengan peluang untuk meraih kemenangan

stamped out
dibasmi, digusur

solely through military means
hanya dengan sarana militer, hanya menggunakan pasukan bersenjata

reinforcements
bala bantuan, tentara yang dikirim untuk memperkuat pasukan yang sudah anda

Source: bbc dot co dot uk

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Huda Kismandana: Juu Nin to Iro

Juu Nin to Iro
Oleh : Huda Kismandana, Smanda 95

Di kepulauan Galapagos banyak terdapat species burung yang berbeda bentuk paruhnya. Asalnya mereka satu species. Tapi karena seleksi alam, mereka dihadapkan pada perbedaan objek yang dimakannya. Tiap mereka akhirnya menemukan makanan yang menjadi interestnya, kemudian menjadi default makanan pokoknya. Sehingga terbentuklah species-species baru.

Munculnya species-species baru ini semakin menambah variatifnya hayati burung di Ekuador khususnya dan dunia umumnya. Indahnya lagi, dalam variasi itu tidak ada saling rebutan makanan antar species. Tiap mereka saling memahami dan obey mana yang menjadi jatahnya dan mana yang menjadi jatah species lain. Prinsip berkeadilan dan menghormati telah menjadi common sense mereka. Wahai burung yang berkicau merdu di sana, adakah bangku sekolah yang mengajari dikau untuk saling mengormati dan menghargai ? Adakah ta’lim moralitas
yang dikau ikuti?

Jika saya analogikan ke human being, species-species burung itu adalah beragamnya kita yang
bersuku-suku dan berbangsa-bangsa. Beragamnya human being melahirkan pula perbedaan cara pandang, sikap hidup, budaya, dan lain-lain. Tiap kitayang zoon polticon secara otomatis
akan dihadapkan pada perbedaan itu. Tiap kita tidak bisa memisahkan perbedaan
itu karena memang kita diciptakan berbeda-beda. Tapi diciptakannya kita berbeda-beda bukan untuk saling konfrontasi, melainkan untuk saling kenal-mengenal dan menghormati satu sama lain.

Dalam bahasa Jepang ada peribahasa Juu Nin to Iro. Juu itu artinya sepuluh, Nin itu artinya orang, to itu sebagai kata sambung, Iro itu artinya warna. Maksud dari peribahasa ini bahwa setiap orang memiliki warna. Yaitu memiliki perbedaan-perbedaan dalam segala aspek sehingga memberikan warna tersendiri terhadap cara pandang, sikap hidup dan lain-lain. Warna itu akan menjadi indah jika dilukiskan pada tempat yang selayaknya. Substansi dari warna ini harus kita
jaga sehingga jika bertemu dengan warna lain menjadi asimilasi warna
yang indah bagaikan indahnya lukisan pelangi yang terbentang di jamrud khatulistiwa.

Seyogianya perbedaan diantara kita dijadikan hikmah. Sisi positifnya kita jadikan contoh dan referensi untuk kita tiru. Sisi negatifnyapun harus kita jadikan contoh dan referensi untuk tidak kita tiru. Kita pun harus terus belajar menghargai perbedaan. Adalah benar tidak
mudah menghadapi dan menghormati yang namanya perbedaan, terlebih jika perbedaan itu sangatlah menusuk personal space diri kita. Tapi bukan berarti kita harus menjauhi perbedaan itu. Karena boleh jadi perbedaan yang kita hadapi itu adalah sub proses dari proses menuju kedewasaan yang sejati.

Di sisi lain, dalam menyuarakan perbedaan sebaiknya kita mempertimbangkan apakah yang akan disampaikan itu tidak akan menyinggung perasaan orang lain? Apakah kita sudah berpikir melingkar dan mempertimbangkannya berdasarkan rasa empati dan hati nurani? Adalah boleh saja jika hal yang akan disampaikan itu hanya menimbulkan perbedaan persepsi. Tapi adalah sebaiknya tidak disampaikan jika hal itu akan berakibat pada terdloliminya orang lain dan retaknya silaturahmi.

Orang yang bisa menjaga sikap dan ucapannya sehingga tidak menyakiti orang lain serta bisa sabar dan easy going dalam menghadapi perbedaan mencirikan seorang yang sudah dewasa. Dewasa tidak serta merta terbentuk hanya lantaran jenjang pendidikan formal. Diperlukan faktor lain untuk membentuk dan menumbuhkembangkannya. Yaitu pemahaman dan pengamalan nilai-nilai agama, moralitas, nilai sosial, dan intensitas keberhasilan kita dalam menghadapai tantangan dan perbedaan.


Matsumoto, 11 Feb 2009 Selengkapnya...

5 Tips For Kitchen Survival by Kathryn Lang

My oven died. It put up a good fight and was faithful enough to tough it out through a heavy Easter dinner, but it just couldn't go on. I was crushed. The signs had been there for months but I held my breath and believed that my oven could over come. The struggle ended with my dear friend no longer able to function.

This was a dilemma I did not want to face. Sure, I could have been saving all this time for a new oven, but I felt like it would be a betrayal (and I didn't have any extra funds). Now the oven was dead and there was no money to replace it.

The first week we ate out. We didn't really have the money for that either, but I didn't want to have to deal with the empty shell that was now my oven. The bank account was close to bleeding when the week ended so I knew I had to come up with a plan.

Necessity may be the mother of invention but creativity has to be a second child or at least a cousin. I knew we couldn't afford a new oven so it was time to find ways to utilize the other appliances in our home to meet our needs.

1. The crock pot - ever an appliance of convenience it now became a key tool in my kitchen. I found ways to make lasagna, bake a taco pie and even back a cake all in the crock pot. It took a little tweaking of existing recipes and the discovery of new recipes online but I managed to create a wonderful menu for the family time and time again.

2. The toaster oven - it was no longer for just warming things. I used the toaster oven just like my regular over and even cooked casseroles (albeit tiny ones) in the toaster oven.

3. The electric skillet - I had always used it for cooking things like pancakes but now it was my ONLY tool for frying or boiling. I tried everything in the electric skillet that I might otherwise have cooked on the now cold and quiet stove top. The best thing about the electric skillet is that I could set the exact temperature with the control.

4. The microwave - this was my second place for boiling items (especially vegetables).

5. The grill - ever the summer cooking tool, the grill became one of my favorite ways to cook meat and vegetables (second only to the crock pots) and even to toast bread.

About Author

Kathryn Lang is a freelance writer that is focused on living a passionate life and helping others follow their own path to a similar purpose. She share her personal experiences to help others with financial changes, family relationships, freelance writing and personal goals. Kathryn Lang has been published in several regional and national print publications and on websites that cover everything from travel to personal finance to writing.

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Leadership - 5 Reasons to Keep Focus on the Bigger Picture by By Duncan Brodie

In these challenging and demanding times, much of the focus is naturally in areas such as cash and cost cutting. Yet if you are a leader in the organisation, it is important that as well as tackling the immediate challenges, you don't lose sight of the bigger picture for the following reasons.

Reason 1: The recession won't last forever

While this might seem like a statement divorced from reality, we all know that the economy has historically gone through cycles. At some point the economy will improve and no organisation will want to be in the position where it takes too long to get back in the game.

Reason 2: The overall purpose, vision or need for the organisation has not disappeared

Any organisation big or small we set up at some point to serve a particular need. While there might well be examples of the way in which the need is addressed changes, it is unlikely that the overall purpose for which the organisation was established will disappear.

Reason 3: People have short memories

Once the economy improves, chances are new opportunities and new threats will appear. If you are not ready to exploit opportunities or detect new threats, stakeholders will ask the question why? Yes you may have been focusing all of your attention on the short term but people will quickly forget how bad it was.

Reason 4: You cannot afford to stand still

An organisation that is going to achieve longer term sustained success needs to continue to innovate in difficult times. If you don't you run the risk of being caught up or even being passed by others who have more successfully balanced the short and long term.

Reason 5: You want to take the best decisions

Without doubt you will have to take decisions. Ideally you want to take the best decision, with the best information you have available. The best decisions are those that appropriately balance short term fixes and long term sustainability.

Bottom Line - When times are tough it is easy and tempting to get caught up in the circumstances and problems. On the other hand the best leaders will focus will be on the bigger picture.

Sources: ezinearticles dot com

About Author

Duncan Brodie is Managing Director at Goals and Achievements a Leadership Development Company that works with highly rated technical professionals who are ready to make the transition to highly successful managers and leaders. He is a qualified accountant, certified coach and team coach facilitator. Before settting up his own business spent 25 years in accountancy working with major organisations including, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, a UK retail bank and the NHS.

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How to Achieve Success by Nnamdi Uyanna

To arrive at the success place, at some point you must work long and hard. This may involve going beyond the usual 8/24 or 5 to 9. If you study the lives of successful people, you will discover that a good percentage of them paid the price in advance. This is one attribute of any endeavour worthwhile in life.

It is usual to crawl before walking, to travel before arriving. Every worthwhile venture requires some level or degree of apprenticeship or tutelage. Ask the Artist, ask the Netpreneur, Ask the Lawyer, ask the Bricklayer. They paid their dues learning the ropes in time, sweat, tears and discipline. If you add entrepreneurship and financial intelligence to any of these professions, the winner instincts will come to the fore. With these, success is almost guaranteed.

In life everything has a price. Jim Rohn says that "We all must suffer from one of two pains-the pain of discipline or the pain of regrets. The pain of discipline which weighs very little will lead to the success place while the pain of regrets which weighs tons will come as a result of failure.

To achieve success, you need to find out what the price is and pay upfront. This comes with discipline, persistence and commitment. It is love for what you do that will keep you going if for any reason the passion dies otherwise you need to have it reborn or move to something new and exciting. However if you fail, you could try and find out why. A new approach may be the answer in order to avoid making the same mistake twice.

Success does not respond to wishes but to definite plans enrobed in definite decisions, through persistence. Ordinary people with no gift of words and little formal education have achieved great feats, accumulated stupendous wealth because they had as their road maps, persistence, purposefulness and concentrated effort.

Depending on your goals and your yardstick for success, the price might be inform of giving up the benefits of years of training, an enviable income paying job or career, family consideration amongst others. What are you prepared to give up in return for what you want? You may have to do what you despise to achieve your desire. There is a price for everything and hard work is still the price for success.

Source: ezinearticles dot com

About Author
Nnamdi Uyanna is a success expert and co-owner of the failurebuster dot com website. For more articles that will show you simple ways to change your life visit failurebuster dot com. Selengkapnya...