Grill Warning: Use These Tips To Stop Grease Fires

Grease fires are unfortunately an all too common danger in the cooking, and especially the barbecue, and live fire outdoor kitchen environment. Meats marbled with fat, and poultry dripping oil directly on to an open flame can cause real problems for the apathetic pit master. When you set out to grill use extra caution with high fat content meats like ground beef, sausages and skin on meats like chicken and pork.

Of course you should never leave any open flame unattended. It takes mere moments for flare ups to run out of control. By the time you walk inside the house to get a beverage in the refrigerator you could have a blaze on the kettle grill.

First, if you expect dripping oil or any pooling grease at all consider using a drip pan and an indirect heat source (off set flame or coals) before you cook.

Place a sturdy aluminum pan filled with water (juice or beer may be nice) under the grate beneath the meat or drips. This will avoid major flare ups and protect succulent meats from over cooking. Indirect heat like this is usually desired for cuts thicker than the palm of your hand.

Second, make sure you start with a clean grill. A dirty grill can mean pooling oil and grease that can ultimately flare up.

Third, have a dry chemical fire extinguisher handy whenever grilling. It's O.K. to use the one temporarily from the kitchen (you DO have one in your kitchen right)? Baking soda can also be used to stop a small grease fire. You may need a lot (and baking flour!)

Fourth, NEVER spray water on a grease fire. It will most likely flare up and spread.

Fifth, In the kitchen you can often cover a grease fire with a pan lid. to cut off oxygen. This is very difficult on a grill grate. A heavy wool or flame retardant blanket can sometimes smother a flame.

And finally do not try to move the flaming material. Turn off the burners and if all else fails get away and call 911.

Flare ups can be a real danger with live fire cooking. Keep charcoal grills off wood decks and all grills clear of vinyl siding. In fact its good practice to remove any and all flammable material at least ten feet away from active and hot grills and barbecues. This includes the ground (dry grass can catch fire in an instant in the dry summer months). Use some advance planning and keep it safe. Visit Barbecue Tricks for more tricks and tips to make your cook out fun, delicious, and danger free.

Is Your Lawyer or Law Firm Bragging That They Have You or Your Company As a Client - Loose Lips

Social networks can be dangerous if you are someone who owns a small business. It's far too easy to give important information away, details about your company that your competition can use against you. I am always amazed at how many small business owners list their clients, and have their customers come and post information about themselves on their profile page. As soon as they do that, they just alerted the competition that they are a buyer of those types of goods or services, therefore the competition might try to "friend them" and steal them away.

Of course, this is not the only thing that business owners and entrepreneurs do that can hurt them in the competitive world of business. Often business owners talk too much about their future plans, and what they are doing to their vendors, customers, employees, government inspectors that come in, and even their law firm. Oh, now I have your attention. You probably thought that lawyers have a strict code due to the "client privilege rules" well, I would suggest to you that you shouldn't kid yourself.

Lawyers and law firms often brag about their client lists and even if your lawyer personally never mentions that you are a client, someone else at the law firm might mention it. They know things about your business that you don't want your competition to know, and they are liable to spill the beans in casual conversation at the bar, the local watering hole that is, if not the actual bar. And they do it all the time. In fact, I noted that one of the law firms I used when I was in business, often bragged about its client in its brochures, even listed a few on the website.

They were actually using the brand names of larger corporations which they represent as proof that their law firm was worthy of taking on new clients. Perhaps even worthy of charging you increased legal fees for services. This can be a real problem in a competitive world, and I would submit to you that loose lips sink ships, and it is often people you don't suspect that are giving away your company's most important information and intellectual property.

A lawyer at the law firm you use could discuss a negotiation with a new vendor, and upcoming merger, or any of a number of things that can hurt you competitively in the marketplace. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.

What Are the Benefits of Eating a Salad Every Day?

Salad recipes with chicken is a popular type of salad at home and in restaurants as well. Eating a salad a day could be a simple thing to do but it can change your life dramatically while enjoying the rich menu of salad choices.

To start with, a salad normally contains vegetables and it does not matter which salad you prefer, you will find this as the best way to provide your body the veggie and fruit that you need. There are lots of people who are not comfortable eating vegetables and fruits. To solve this issue you can create salads recipes with chicken that may contain these vegetables and fruits which can really help boost your health.

Being part of your total health a salad can likewise help lower the danger of having cancer. Because there are lots of vegetables that has antioxidants a salad a day can essentially help lower the possibility of having this life threatening illness.

Another great benefit of eating salads recipes with chicken a day is weight loss. Are you aware that those who include salad in their diet will feel hungry less frequently? This is because of the high fiber content of the salad. These high fiber foods do not only help to improve the function of the digestive tract that can aid in lowering your weight but it may also help boost your metabolism while acting as a natural colon cleanser. Because most individuals do not have enough fiber in their diets a salad every day could be a great help in your bowel movement.

Naturally, salads recipes with chicken are low in calorie that helps you complete your plate with lots of other healthy foods. Of course it is best to eat a low-calorie dressing and make sure that you use it with moderation. It might look like as a healthier alternative but fat free dressing blocks some of the best benefits of consuming that salad. It is best if you choose a dressing which has at least some fat for best health benefits.

If you are thinking of making some healthy changes in your lifestyle and are not actually certain where and how you will start, eating salads recipes with chicken for lunch every day is a good start. By doing this you will have a better chance to get a healthier body and likewise gives you lots of choices for the ways that you will be satisfied and a chance to eat out at various restaurants. Consuming a salad a day could simply beat out the apple as the best way to keep the doctor away.

Renting Property and How to Find Letting Agents in Milton Keynes UK

Background on Milton Keynes

Milton Keynes is one of the foremost up and coming places to live in the UK, with excellent road and rail links not only to London, but to other major cities in the UK including Manchester and Birmingham. Milton Keynes has so much to offer and attracts people from a multitude of different backgrounds which in turn brings a broad cultural and exciting environment to live, work and play. Situated in the middle of the UK you are never far away from the countryside whilst you can also experience all that city life has to offer.

Milton Keynes can boast excellent employment opportunities, living environments and recreational facilities in one of the UKs fastest growing areas. If you want to know more about what Milton Keynes has to offer then a good starting point is MKweb.

Useful Links

MKweb website with Information on Milton Keynes and surrounding area.

Multimap - Where is Milton Keynes?

Renting in Milton Keynes

There is a wide range of property available within Milton Keynes, everything from 1 bedroom maisonettes and bungalows, town houses suitable for growing families to large detached properties. All these range in price ensuring that no matter how much income there is available you should find a home in Milton Keynes.

The first thing to do before starting your rental search is to know how much you can afford to pay each month/week. Once your budget is decided then you can begin your research. The first and most obvious place is the internet. It is essential that you know what you can get for your money per month or per week before contacting the letting agents.

A good idea is to get a broad view of what property you can get for your budget, the best way is to check the online property portals. These offer properties that are available from a number of letting agents and give a vast selection so you will be able to get a general idea of costs from a number of letting agents in one place (saving time on trawling through 10s of websites). All of them offer either:-

Multiple Emailing Service

Email service to all agents advertised on the site, sending details of your requirements. The agent then contacts you with property details that may apply.

and/or

Property Specific Email Service

Email service to send directly to the letting agent your interest in a specific property advertised.

and/or

Website Click Throughs

Click through to advertised letting agents own websites.

A good example of a portal is Rentright Residential Property Letting Portal - Milton Keynes Page from here you can either email agents directly about your general requirements or you can refine your search and send email about specific property advertised on the site.

Rentright is only one of many property portals, if you do not find what you require from one then you may find it on another.

What to do next?

Make a note of the areas that you have found interesting property and then you can begin on the second phase of planning. This is the "area" research. People will always have different requirements of what they want, for example some people want quick access to the Motorway, or need to be on a bus route to the City Centre or maybe the local schools are important and the catchments areas. To find information like this then I would recommend a website such as Upmystreet, from here you can find a whole host of information to aid you in your decision of whether you would like to live in that area and it meets your requirements.

Shortlist

Once you have researched the areas and feel confident of the suitability then, if you have already found a property/properties of interest on the internet contact the letting agent and arrange a viewing. If not then you may consider visiting the agents websites directly and registering your details or making a trip to the town to visit the agents personally. Remember that it is also best to visit a property at different times of the day in order to get the overall picture of the area.

Top Tips

Fix your budget Research available property on the internet Research the areas where you have a property interest for suitability Contact Letting Agents to arrange viewings Re-visit an area on different occasions

The Cost Of A Winter Holiday

It's something that one assumes everyone knows, namely how much is a week's skiing? But I watched something with Eddie Edwards (yes, "the eagle") some woman and some PR bloke from Austria and it dawned on me that perhaps people might like to be told.

Skiing (when I say skiing I mean sliding on snow holidays, boarders don't get your noses out of joint, it's just skiing is a shorter word to type) has always been considered expensive, there was a democratising of price that went on during the eighties and until quite recently, but now you'd be lying to say it was cheap, although perhaps we had more money then.

The papers and PR mouthpieces always try and say "good value yada, yada" - do not believe it, in truth I reckon you're looking at the best part of a grand in any currency for a week per person.

There are three ways you can do the holiday: a hotel - up to you how much you spend, self catering or package. The latter former: A week's ski is usually about GBP500 a head (could be a bit less, could be almost double on the busy half-term week) but as a yardstick a monkey is what you're looking at. This includes flights, transfers, an evening meal (with booze) with breakfast and usually an afternoon tea after leaving the pistes.

Now, when you see 500 it looks to be a deal, BUT (do you like big buts?) this does not include lunch (usually), does not include a ski pass - Eur200 and does not include ski hire - Eur100. There is also one night a week where you will not get fed as the chalet staff are entitled to one night off - perish the thought that enough staff be employed to cover this contingency.

So there you go, the best part of a grand, but this will come with peace of mind. Now the other type of holiday is your self-catering. I'm going to say for a two bedroom apartment in some comfort (such as Alice in Monetier) you're looking at Eur1000 for low-season and say Eu1500 for higher, more if it's half term. Of course you can squeeze your mates in on the sofa-bed, but aren't you getting a bit old for that? I's not 18-30 you know. So let's say Eur300 p/p for a bed.

Flights say Eur100 p/p, could be less, could be more, but as a working figure it's about right. Transfers: Eur50 each way p/p. Or a hire car. The airports that serve Serre Chevalier are Turin and Grenoble with Lyon only 20 minutes beyond that. Car hire is about Eur150 a week.

So we're up to Eur400 right there. Ski pass and hire brings you to Eur700 and I'd say you'd get change out of Eur100 for a supermarket shop for a week, with booze, you do get the ability to make a lunch up, so that makes up for paying rather a lot for food on the hill.

I wish I could say eating on the piste is good value, but you're probably looking at Eur20 p/p per meal. For a family of four that's Eur480 over the week. Yes you can have a sandwich and a bowl of onion soup, always the most economical and hearty, in which case you can pay less. Not certain kids would understand why they can't have a can of coke, but there you go.

Chuck in lessons, that's another Eur100 for the class. There are some places that do bundles lessons, ski-pass and ski hire, such as the Serre Che-based Ski Connections, this can help shave points off the price and are worth investigating. There are some deals to be had, but for the packages these are usually in January or April, the price soars in school holiday times - and anyway why be on the slopes when they are full of kids?

In truth skiing is expensive, but man is it worth it.

Natural Pain Management!

Life in today's hectic society is going more and more in the direction of fast foods, sugar in all sorts of foods you would never think should be there, trans fatty acids, preservatives and pesticides, which we consume in large amounts every year. We even go so far as to invent foods, such as artificial sugars which your body may or may not recognize as actual food.

We are bombarded with hormones in most of our meats and dairy products. There is mounting evidence that many girls are maturing physically at a much younger age because of this.

With all this going on, it's no wonder that our immune systems are on overload and physical ailments are growing in leaps and bounds. Pain in some cases, is what some people's lives revolve around.

Lets look at pain. It is your signal that injury, disease or too much strain has occurred on the body. Without it you wouldn't know that something needs to be addressed. Even mild pain can limit your activities, which in turn can lead to a loss of strength, endurance and flexability.

Chronic pain can be on and off or be consistent. If you are like most people, you'll reach for over the counter drugs or prescription drugs. This is what the drug companies would love for you to do.

If you suffer from pain there are many more options for you to explore than drugs or surgery. With vitamins, minerals and herbs lacking in our daily foods, you may want to consider a nutritionist to assist in establishing healthy diet and exercise program. Supplements, and organic foods, may improve your immune system's ability to repair the body and should reduce pain.

There are also other natural remedies that can enhance your nutritional handling such as acupuncture, chiropractic, massage, relaxation techniques such as deep breathing or yoga.

I hope this helps.

Renting Property and How to Find Letting Agents in Milton Keynes UK

Background on Milton Keynes

Milton Keynes is one of the foremost up and coming places to live in the UK, with excellent road and rail links not only to London, but to other major cities in the UK including Manchester and Birmingham. Milton Keynes has so much to offer and attracts people from a multitude of different backgrounds which in turn brings a broad cultural and exciting environment to live, work and play. Situated in the middle of the UK you are never far away from the countryside whilst you can also experience all that city life has to offer.

Milton Keynes can boast excellent employment opportunities, living environments and recreational facilities in one of the UKs fastest growing areas. If you want to know more about what Milton Keynes has to offer then a good starting point is MKweb.

Useful Links

MKweb website with Information on Milton Keynes and surrounding area.

Multimap - Where is Milton Keynes?

Renting in Milton Keynes

There is a wide range of property available within Milton Keynes, everything from 1 bedroom maisonettes and bungalows, town houses suitable for growing families to large detached properties. All these range in price ensuring that no matter how much income there is available you should find a home in Milton Keynes.

The first thing to do before starting your rental search is to know how much you can afford to pay each month/week. Once your budget is decided then you can begin your research. The first and most obvious place is the internet. It is essential that you know what you can get for your money per month or per week before contacting the letting agents.

A good idea is to get a broad view of what property you can get for your budget, the best way is to check the online property portals. These offer properties that are available from a number of letting agents and give a vast selection so you will be able to get a general idea of costs from a number of letting agents in one place (saving time on trawling through 10s of websites). All of them offer either:-

Multiple Emailing Service

Email service to all agents advertised on the site, sending details of your requirements. The agent then contacts you with property details that may apply.

and/or

Property Specific Email Service

Email service to send directly to the letting agent your interest in a specific property advertised.

and/or

Website Click Throughs

Click through to advertised letting agents own websites.

A good example of a portal is Rentright Residential Property Letting Portal - Milton Keynes Page from here you can either email agents directly about your general requirements or you can refine your search and send email about specific property advertised on the site.

Rentright is only one of many property portals, if you do not find what you require from one then you may find it on another.

What to do next?

Make a note of the areas that you have found interesting property and then you can begin on the second phase of planning. This is the "area" research. People will always have different requirements of what they want, for example some people want quick access to the Motorway, or need to be on a bus route to the City Centre or maybe the local schools are important and the catchments areas. To find information like this then I would recommend a website such as Upmystreet, from here you can find a whole host of information to aid you in your decision of whether you would like to live in that area and it meets your requirements.

Shortlist

Once you have researched the areas and feel confident of the suitability then, if you have already found a property/properties of interest on the internet contact the letting agent and arrange a viewing. If not then you may consider visiting the agents websites directly and registering your details or making a trip to the town to visit the agents personally. Remember that it is also best to visit a property at different times of the day in order to get the overall picture of the area.

Top Tips

Fix your budget Research available property on the internet Research the areas where you have a property interest for suitability Contact Letting Agents to arrange viewings Re-visit an area on different occasions

Five Reasons to Relocate to Perth

Perth, Western Australia's thriving capital is fast becoming the nation's most preferred city. With its wonderful sceneries and animated history, who would not want to live in this lovely city? Before you start packing your stuff and contacting movers, however, make sure that relocating to Perth is the best choice. To help you determine this, take a closer look at what makes Perth a migrant's paradise.

Reasons to Move to Perth

For the Lifestyle

Perth boasts of an incredible outdoor lifestyle ideal for people who prefer the outdoors. With a climate characterized by more hours of sunlight than in other Australian cities, you would not find Perth wanting of exciting activities.

Perth is also host to many restaurants, pubs, cafes, and bistros located at the city's several known gastronomic areas. You can find many places to eat that can suit your appetite.

Perth restaurants and bistros are the perfect places to go to if you are a foodie, or just want to enjoy great food and great service. They can offer all types of cuisines at different prices, all prepared with locally produced ingredients. Perth pubs and cafes, on the other hand, can offer great tasting alcoholic beverages and coffees of your preference.

For its Attractions

Perth has a range of attractions you can visit and enjoy. Some of the most famous attractions in Perth include the Kings Park and Botanic Gardens, the Perth Zoo, and the Perth Bell Tower.

The Kings Park and Botanic Gardens, located just outside of Perth's centre, consist of 400 hectares of parkland and gardens. It is set high on Mt. Eliza, providing a spectacular view of the Swan River.

The Perth Zoo offers locals and tourists alike the opportunity to see wildlife up close and in their natural habitats. Its exhibits include the Australian Walkabout, the African Savannah, and the Asian Rainforest.

The Perth Bell Tower or the Swan Bell Tower consists of a green glass spire, surrounded by copper "sails." With its 18 bells, which originated from London, it is the largest change ringing instrument in the world.

For its Culture

Perth is a cultural melting pot, with most of its residents originating from more than 200 different countries. Perth residents can speak as many as 270 different languages and identify with more than 100 religious faiths.

For its Geography

Perth is nestled along the banks of the magnificent Swan River and situated between the Darling Ranges and the Indian Ocean. The Swan River, named after Perth's native black swans, binds Perth to the east and to the south. The Darling Ranges, on the other hand, are upland granite and quartzite areas, which serve as the city's borders.

For its Economy

As Australia's economic boom centre shifts to the west, more and more people are deciding to relocate to Perth. Home to some of the nation's largest and most successful companies, it is the best economically performing city. Moreover, in a recent "State of the States" report, it achieved the top spot in six out of eight economic categories.

Central Macedonia Dipping Into The Aegean Sea Full Of Summer Resorts And Spiritual Monastic Beauty

The name and region of Macedonia - the second largest prefecture in all of Greece - conjures up many conflicting feelings and images. For one, Central Macedonia is the birthplace of Alexander the Great, King of Macedon and the world's most successful military commander who conquered most of the then known world. With an ancestor sporting those sorts of credentials, Greek Macedonians are fiercely proud of their land. Which leads to the ongoing battle over ownership of the name "Macedonia" between Greeks and other Macedonians who live outside of the region in what was formerly known as Yugoslavia.

But putting this political battle aside, the Macedonian region in Greece is one of the most ancient and provocative, with a history that goes back much further than the 4000 years of the parties on both side of the battler, after all, in Halkidiki prehistoric remains of one the earliest inhabitants of the region are dated to 700,000 years ago, or the 6000-year-old Nea Nikomidian clay idols and the 4000-year-old clay hands found in the area of Drama. This is a most ancient region and absolutely evocative to see.

Everything you do in Central Macedonia and everywhere you go is overshadowed by the imposing presence of the legend of Alexander the Great. Here the flag with his stamp - the Vergina Star - is everywhere almost eclipsing the Greek flag. But there are other greats who add to the imposing presence of age-old history here, for the great philosopher Aristotle was born here and Apostle Paul visited here on his third missionary journey. Many great dynasties ruled here, too, such as the Argead Dynasty, Antipatrid Dynasty and the Antigonid Dynasty

And yet, there is more in Central Macedonia. It is right here where you will find Mount Olympus, with peaks reaching the tallest heights in all of Greece. It is here where you will find the lakes of Prespa, with bird sanctuaries that are amongst the most important in all of Europe. And it is here where you will find Thessaloniki, one of the most cosmopolitan cities in all of Greece, rich with long traditions, a buzzing night-life, cultural treats both ancient and contemporary, and stunning Byzantine and post-Byzantine architecture. And it is in Central Greece where you will find the Halkidiki Peninsula with its three fingers - of Kassandra, Sithonia and Mount Athos - dipping into the Aegean Sea full of summer resorts and spiritual monastic beauty.

The best thing for tourists, especially first time visitors to the region of Central Greece, is that it is very well organised and offers many facilities for tourists, making it a good choice all year round. There are numerous options for accommodation and excursions to historical sites or adventures amongst the natural landscape of the region.

Thessaloniki is actually a gourmet culinary treat with a wide choice of folkloric and traditional tavernas and ouzeris - such as Agora and Bit-Pazar - to the best in haute cuisine and foreign and international restaurants. There are stores that specialises in sweets from Asia Minor and others that specialise in making trigona or pastry triangles filled with cream. Some of the best places to explore are up near the Byzantine walls and down by the sea-front near the famous White Tower.

This region is has everything one could want, from one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Europe to some of the most remote and forgotten villages, the best beaches and some of the most diving natural environments. All in all, a definite must for anyone considering visiting a Greek region.

Motorhead "Inferno"

When David Grohl of Nirvana and Foo Fighters fame release the sensational CD "Probot" this year it rekindled my metal tastebuds. For those of you not familiar with his project I'll explain. He recorded songs on which he played all instruments and he had guest vocalists come in and sing as well as write the lyrics and play whatever instrument they might also play. The cd features vocalists such as King Diamond, Snake from Voivod, and many other great singers/musicians. The whole cd flows like it was a gift from God or at least the Heavy Metal God. On that cd Lemmy from Motorhead does a fantastic job on the tune "Shake Your Blood". On first listen I was excited to hear Lemmy singing on such a awesome tune and the excitement was enough for me to do some Google searching and that is where I found out that the boys were back and had a new CD released on the indie label Sanctuary entitled "Inferno". Like Monster Magnet, being on an indie has enhanced their sound big time!

Always a rough and tough rocking band, Motorhead has never rocked like they do on this CD. What's amazing is how great Lemmy's vocals sound. I have loved the band since their beginning and my fondness for Lemmy dates back to his Hawkwind days. I have to say I have enjoyed Motorhead whenever I've bought a cd and listened. But NEVER have I been entrapped into their sound like I am today.

The opening song, "Terminal Show", features Steve Vai on guitar. I have to admit even though I'm a guitarist I respect Steve Vai but I just can't get into the instrumental cds he's released. Actually, I dig them I just don't find myself playing them very often. But Steve takes hold of "Terminal Show" and sounds like he's in the band. He refrains from overplaying his part and he fits Motorhead like a glove. Philip Campbell, Motorhead's guitarist, allows Steve Vai to play with no conflicts and it's sweet as honey! But Philip Campbell then goes on to play lead on all the rest of the tunes like a banshee in heat except the end of "Down On Me" on which Steve Vai returns. What's cool about this is the fact that the two tunes on which Steve Vai plays guitar are not necessarily the best on the cd. It's a seemless collection of tunes that will rock the toughest crowd. I can only imagine how great they sound live and I can't wait to catch them on their current tour.

Mikkey Dee returns on drums and this cat pounds the hell out of them. Lemmy attacks the bass like a maniac and his vocals are his best to date. The cd never gets politcal but it does paint a dim look at life in these troubled times. It's really kind of creepy how convincing Lemmy sounds on the tune "Killers". Obviously the dude is fascinated with murder because he sings three tunes about the topic. I'm glad he's got his bass and band to keep him busy!!!!

I know I claimed Monster Magnet have the best cd this year but I have to say that Motorhead are coming in with a tie at least! "Inferno" is a must buy cd for any hard rock fan. From start to finish the album soars past and demands repeated plays. I am sure that Motorhead's old fans will freak out over this cd and also they've created a cd that will hopefully get them some new young fans. Visit their site at http://www.imotorhead.com Buy this CD!

Climbing the Maasai Mountain of God - A Journey to the Top of an Active Volcano

The Maasai call it "the mountain of god", for not only do they believe their ancestors descended from it; they believe God lives atop it. It rises sharply and proudly out of the Great Rift Valley with jagged edges and carved angular slopes - as regal as is ominous, as beautiful as is rare - we call it Lengai. "Lengai" [pronounced: ling-eye] rolls trippingly off the tongue while conjuring images of mythical lands and far off places. It is, in actuality, a volcano - an active volcano at that; and the only active sodium carbonate volcano in the world.

Lake Natron

Lengai is situated in one of the most spectacularly jurrassic and underrated areas of Tanzania. Lake Natron is a natural alkaline soda lake that, from a distance, looks like a great, expansive puddle that covers the valley floor and glistens in the sunlight. The environment, however, is hostile; temperatures of the mud can reach up to 50 degrees Celsius and the alkaline level can reach a pH of 9-10.5!

Natron's edges are dotted in a pink tinge created by the thousands of flamingos that migrate there annually. They are some of the only creatures who can thrive in these conditions, the caustic environment actually acting as a barrier against predators. The fringe of the valley around it is composed of emerald green hills and slopes that create scenery unrivaled anywhere else in the world. Among this naturally pristine spectacle sits Lengai.

Setting up Camp

We arrive at the riverside base camp dusty from the hours of rambunctious 4 x 4 off-roading (no other type of vehicle could possibly make it out here). The campsite is minimalist complimented by the grandiose of the looming mountain that overlooks us. That is what we're going to climb tonight?? A few meters walk from where we set up our tents is a small river winding its way out of a canyon. We are told it leads to water falls, so we decide to take the short hike to cool off in the mid-day heat. After about 30 minutes of trekking in and out of water along the rocky ledges we reach the fall. Situated between two cliffs, it is blanketed in moss and flora. The noon sun makes rainbows in the mist and we swim and baske lazily on the shore like sirens. The scene is something of enchantment.

The Climb

The hike begins at midnight, the reason being we are to get to the top in time to watch the sunrise. As our vehicle clamors along the pocked earth to her base we can just make out a faint tableau in the moonlight. Our minds begin to wonder and we all sit silent with our doubts. We start trekking and immediately the effects of the 45 degree slope are felt. Our legs burn and shake with uncertainty beneath us. We laboriously climb higher through different elevations of vegetation: aromatic fields of mountain heather, dense grasses, rocky crevasses, and burned bush. We rest intermitantly to break our sweats and catch our breath. As soon as we stop moving however, the chilled wind penetrates our jackets forcing us to continue on our way, only to sweat again in minutes. It is virtually impossible to find a level of temperate comfort between the cold wind and the body heat generated by the climb.

As we near the top the landscape changes from difficult to hostile; the earth is covered in jagged rocks and loose volcanic debris. The slope continues to get steeper still and parts of the climb are having to be done on all fours. Whose idea was this?? Moments when one has to catch themselves from a stumble are often thwarted by a giant blast of cold air that wails down the incline like a banshee. We continue despite the innate urges to turn back - and suddenly the top comes into view in the blue-haze of daybreak. We lob ourselves over the side and all sit back in exhaustion and amazment as the African sun rises in the East.

From the distance, Lengai looks like her peak is exactly that, a peak. In reality, however, her ashen and barren cavern is vast and plain-like. The summit itself is lunar covered in a white molten crust with towering individual peaks (formed by mini-eruptions) that jut out in sharp, sporadic disarray. As you wander its vastness you feel a sense of tremendous accomplishment negated by a certain sense of unease. In certain areas, your feet crack through the crust setting free sulfurous smoke that rises out of the footprint as an eerie reminder that while Lengai may appear to be stable to the eye, she is anything but.

The wind is a constant force at this elevation; clouds fly past your face and seem to fall down the side of the mountain with no hesitation as if they're being poured like milk out of a carton. A trip to volcano's edge offers a spectacular view: a sweeping panorama of the entire region and beyond. Kilimanjaro, Meru and the lesser mountains are seen in the distant haze. The Serengeti lies just on the horizon. The sloping Great Rift slips effortlessly into the valley and from this vantage point looks like a massive green velvet curtain rippling to the floor. Summiting Lengai offers some of the most beautiful landscapes the eye can behold and is definitely a unique and worthwhile endeavour.

That is, until you start down!

Interested in climbing Lengai or planning a Tanzania Adventure? Combine this climb with a Crater Highlands Trek for a real "Out of Africa" experience! Contact Tropical Trails - The Tanzania Adventure Specialists at:

info@tropicaltrails.com

www.tropicaltrails.com

AdSense Account Problems

Google AdSense is a great way for any website owner to earn an ongoing passive income from a website. However getting an account can be hard as your website has to comply with a lot of important criteria that Google give out in their Terms Of Service (TOS). Fail to meet these and your site will not get approved and your application will be rejected. Also note that once your site has been rejected it is notoriously hard to get a re-submitted site approved for the programme.

If your site does comply and you successfully apply for an account then you will want to make very sure that you do all you can to keep it. This is because if you get banned from Google AdSense then legally speaking you are not supposed to re-apply to the programme. Many people do re-apply after a ban and then wonder why they get turned down, well being banned once would be an obvious reason! However, many people simply fail to realise that it is their website that is banned as well as their account. This means even if you get a new account, by buying one from a dubious source as an example, if you put the code on your old (Banned) site then they will just ban you again, and again. This is because the minute the Google bot scans your site and finds a new code on a banned site then it bans the new account automatically.

This means if you have bought an account then you have just wasted your money. You also need to understand that any site you were running it on a the time of your ban will never be able to run AdSense on it again. Even if you were to sell the banned website the new owner could not run it on it, if they tried to run their own code on it then their account would also get a ban. This is something to keep in mind if you ever decide to buy a website, as you could be in for a shock if you suddenly got a ban as a result of the previous owner of the sites actions.

Also you need to be aware that buying or selling an account is strictly against Google's terms and conditions and worst case you could face legal action. Also I would suggest that it is not wise to by something that you have no idea where it came from. As an example would you buy a new car without any ownership papers?

A Ghost in Cornwall

This land is my memories. For two thousand years this valley has been mine alone.

I know every rock, every stream and every tree. I know the forces that shape this land and the people who inhabit it.

A billion years ago this land was a migratory trail for the animals of Western Europe. They roamed freely across the huge land of one continent. Millennia passed as the rivers washed silt to the ocean and the sun raised rain to the sky. At that time the mass of Eurasia was joined. The tectonic plates shifted and islands formed, raising proud, green peninsulas on green water, thrust out to the ocean. Long before my time the forces of nature battled along the coasts of Western Europe. From the Southwest, the Gulf Stream warmed and opened the land with summer heat. From the north, ice raged and cracked the rock of what would become the British Isles.

The land tells me it was an epic struggle. The generous heat of earth, venting her spleen, the wash of the water, cooling and circulating air. Rain succoured the land and ran back to the sea, endless cycles, repeating endlessly. The earth shifted, chasms opened and the sea swept in, submerging areas and separating the islands of Britain and Ireland from the mainland.

Spouts of boiling lava spewed from the molten centre of earth to create granite formations, a source of wonder till the end of time. A great rift opened up what is now the Bristol Channel and the Irish Sea, separating the land into distinct areas. Many characteristics still connect Brittany, Ireland, Wales, and Cornwall. Their joining can still be seen in place and people. But veins of power run through the sea, a matrix of energy criss-crosses the land and reaches out around our planet.

The Phoenicians, Egyptians and Greeks journeyed to these coasts even before the Iron Age, in search of Keltic wisdom, since long before the time of my youth. They followed the trail of gold and wisdom across the sea to Cornwall and then to Wales and Ireland. Later, tin trade followed these routes across Brittany and the journeys of wise men and saints to the west of land, the land of setting sun, of Gods and the quest for immortality that haunts us all. Ships and boats from the French and Spanish coasts often sailed to rivers on the south coast of Cornwall in search of trade and journey with the friendly and civilised Keltii, hopefully avoiding the pirates that have ravaged these coasts for millennia.

2000 years ago I was killed trying to save my mother from Portuguese raiders on the river, who stole the gold that came from Ireland. My story is located in the valley of one of these rivers, now called 'River Fowey'. It is a story that I have not been able to tell until now. My own story starts with the visit of Jesus of Nazareth to the river Fowey in 30 AD (according to the Julian Calendar and allowing for a seven year miscalculation). He was twenty three years old. He journeyed on a vision quest to the west-of-land, in search of the wisdom of the Keltii and union with his father spirit. I have spent much time thinking about this moment and my brief encounter with a man who claimed to be Son of God. For hundreds of years I puzzled at his smile, the light in his gaze. He had a quality of being rare in the extreme, an utter and unconditional compassion for all life.

Who am I? A ghost; Fintan, born 2000 years ago and caught in the matrix of nature unable to tell my story until now. I am here, waiting for you.

Ways on How to Grow Mushrooms

People have various kinds of hobbies. Some are fond of gardening, while others are busy collecting antique items. Gardening requires a vast knowledge on different types of plants and their particular behavior. Growing varieties of fruits, flowers and vegetables is quite common. But there are some persons who adopt a different approach and thinking altogether. They are fond of growing different varieties of mushrooms which are widely consumed throughout the globe. People are interested in learning about the process of growing mushrooms. However, it can be time-consuming at times, so it is important to keep patient. There may be several questions arising in the minds of learner regarding the techniques. Fortunately cultivating mushrooms at homes is easy and does not require any specific soil.

After medical science has researched extensively on its medicinal value, there has been a considerable increase in its demand from almost all the countries. Several countries are even exporting them in bulk. The more commonly consumed are the white button mushrooms and the Portobello mushrooms. The mushrooms are generally grown from mycelium, which is the vegetative part of the fungus. It is white in color but the color may vary. So as a learner you will have to learn about cultivating mycelium effectively. The main obstacle that most people run into is contamination of their mushroom cultures by competitor fungi. There are some cakewalk techniques of how to grow mushrooms which can be discussed as follow.

People started cultivating mushrooms by using cakes. Cakes can be grown very easily and a pre sterilized cake can be purchased from a vendor. There are different types of cakes available in the market. They are brown rice cake, wild bird seed flour cake and the wood cake. There are other techniques such as the practical way to grow mushrooms. The reasons are mostly due to the fact that size and yields of the mushrooms are increased substantially, and the cost of cultivation also decreases. However, this is not generally a method used by the beginner because there are more steps to success, which increases chances of failure. Bulk methods involve two processes 6-12 quart clear plastic shoe boxes and 60-120 quart clear plastic storage bins. On the more you can also consult websites which gives detailed information on how to grow mushrooms effectively.

The sterile method is making the environment favorable for the cultivation of mushrooms. In this process the bacteria and the spores must be killed which restricts its growth. Once the environment is achieved it has to be maintained so that the mushrooms can be cultivated in bulk. You also need to inoculate the substrates in a glove box. Apart from that if you are growing the mushrooms at home, it would be better to purchase a mushroom kit which can be brought from the market.

You also need to protect them from the direct sunlight as it can get damaged. It requires a cool and dark place to grow properly. So learn how to grow mushrooms and you can also earn a lot of money as well.