Heating your home or apartment is not just something you want to do during the winter months, it’s something you need to do to survive. With energy prices expected to be up to 50% higher this winter many folks are actualy scared, because they find it hard to pay the heating bills every winter, and this year may be the worse in history.

I live in a small apartment in the Northeast U.S. in the state of Pennsylvania. In the winter it gets very cold here. It’s normal for us to have very cold temperatures from November - March, and during the months of January and February, we often have weeks where the daytime temperature never gets above 15 degrees.

I heat my apartment here with baseboard electric, and it’s very expensive. I usualy only heat two rooms, sometimes three. My monthly heating bill used to average $200 during the winter months sometimes closer to $250. My apartment is not
insulated that good or built correctly, because the floor gets very cold during the winter and feels like a refrigerator during the cold months, requiring me to wear slippers most of the time.

Making a few alterations I managed to lower my winter heat bill to an average of $125 per month, which is a nice savings for me. If you follow the tips I am giving you here, you should also be able to lower your winter heat bill nicely, and save yourself some money.

Heat Bill Saving Tips - Winter Heating Tips For Saving Money:

1. Lower The Thermostat
Lowering the thermostat is the easiest and one of the most cost effective ways of saving money. Try dropping it a few degrees, maintaining safe levels for good health.

2. Don’t Block The Heat
Don’t block the floor registers, baseboards or radiators with rugs, furniture or other items. The warm air must be able to circulate around them for maximum efficiency.

3. Seal The Gaps And Cracks
Walk around the outside of your home or apartment, and slowly examine the windows,doors, siding, water faucets and any other through-the-wall openings.Any such cracks or openings should be caulked and sealed. Cold air can easily get in, and warm air escape.

4. Clean The Filters
If your furnace or heating system uses filters, make sure you clean or check them monthly. A dirty or clogged filter makes the heating system work harder and produce less heat, wasting your money.

5. Reverse The Fans
If you have ceiling fans that have a reverse setting, turn them on low and on reverse when your using a lot of heat. The warm air rises and often gets trapped near the ceiling area, the reverse air flow from the fan will help circulate the warm air around your whole room.

6. Unleash The Beast
If your furnace seems to heat the whole basement, open the door going down to it, The heat accumilating near it will rise and can help heat the living areas.

7. Heat From Cooking
If you do any winter baking in the oven, always leave the oven door openwhile it cools down, to allow the heat to help keep you warm while making sure any children and pets are not in harms way.

8. Close The Dampers
Warm air rises fast, so make sure when your chimney fire is completely out, that you close the damper, or else your letting warm air escape faster than a prisoner on the run.

9. Cut The Branches
Trees protect us from wind and help shade us from the hot summer sun, but they can also cost us money. Inspect your trees in the cool months and cut off any branches that block the winter sun from getting into your windows. That winter sun is at a lower angle then it is in the summer, but it still helps warm a room when it shines in.

10. Dress Unlike The Rest
If you sit around the house in shorts and a loose fitting shirt or blouse in the winter you will probably feel cold, and have the desire to turn up the thermostat. Dress for the season, and try wearing a sweater. Dressing warmer will make you feel warmer, so you can keep the thermostat turned down lower and save money.
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If you want to learn about other great ways to save money on your winter heat bill, just read the free eBook called:
How To Reduce The Winter Heat Bill - Savings Tips For Home Owners And Apartment Renters.

The eBook can be downloaded from this website:
http://www.rb59.com/winter-heat-savings

By Robert W. Benjamin
Copyright c 2005

You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter on your web site as long as it is reprinted in its entirety and without modification except for formatting needs or grammar corrections.
bio = Robert W. Benjamin has been in the software business on the internet for over 5 years, and has been producing low-cost software for the past 25+ years. He first released products on the AMIGA and C64 computer systems in the late 1970’s-80’s.

RB59.COM Software
http://www.rb59.com/software

Popularity: 28% [?]

elebrities seem to be competing for the wierdest baby names. Among the social elite, you’ll find names like Apple, Banjo, Cosima, and Daisy Boo. As always, Americans
seem to be following suit. Walk into the classroom and you don’t see the same Jack and Jill’s of yesteryear. Today’s names are often made unique by alternate spellings, combinations of two names, and even made up names.

Here are some of the weird celebrity baby names you might see on Hollywood.

Weird Celebrity Baby Names :

Fifi Trixibelle (Paula Yates and Bob Geldof)
Moon Unit (Frank and Gail Zappa)
Apple (Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin)
Satchel (Mia Farrow and Woody Allen)
Peaches (Paula Yates and Bob Geldof)
Tiger Lily Heavenly Hirani (Paula Yates and Michael Hutchence)
Maddox (adopted by Angelina Jolie)
River (Arlyn and John Phoenix)
Dweezil (Frank/Gail Zappa)
Brooklyn (Victoria/David Beckham)
Zowie (Angie and David Bowie)
Phoenix Chi (Mel C and Jimmy Gulzar)
Banjo (Patrick and Rachel Griffiths)
Chester (Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks)
Cosima (Nigella Lawson)
Daisy Boo (Jamie Oliver)
Dexter (Diane Keaton)
Maddox (Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton)
Racer, Rebel, Rocket (Robert Rodriguez)
Willow (Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith)
Zola (Eddie Murphy)

bio = Alli Ross is the granmamma in residence at the Baby Names Box, where you’ll find over 20,000 baby names and their meanings .

Popularity: 27% [?]

Choosing the Right Pepper Spray

There are so many types of pepper spray on the market today that it has become confusing for you to decide which one to get. There are three basic chemical compounds that compose these defensive sprays.

CS (Orthochlorobenzalmalonitrile)

CN (alphachloroacetaphenone)

OC (Oleoresin Capsicum)

The first two, CS and CN, irritate the membrane tissues and cause stinging and tearing. They can take from 5 to 30 seconds before they are effective and may not work if someone is drunk, on drugs, psychotic, or can’t feel pain. The time delay and the fact that they may or may not be effective, is enough to turn people away from the self defense sprays. However, the remaining compound, OC, does not have these limitations.

OC, or Pepper Spray, is an inflammatory agent; not an irritant. When someone is sprayed with OC pepper spray, the person’s eyes slam shut. Even if someone does manage to get their eyes open, they won’t be able to see because OC dilates the capillaries and causes temporary blindness. Additionally, instant inflammation of the breathing tissues restricts all but life suport breathing. They double over coughing uncontrollably.

But I hear about people who aren’t affected by pepper spray?

What you have heard about are the man made chemical compounds commonly referred to as CS or CN. These are your tear gases. For example, military personnel are subjected to similar chemicals in the course of their training to simulate a chemical attack in a war time situation. After repeated exposure, a resistance is built up so the “gas chamber,” as it is called, does not affect them as much. And it’s true that some people are just not as affected as others are. Other law enforcement personnel, martial artists, and yes, even determined criminals can fight through the effects of CS or CN chemical sprays.

Chemical Compounds that make up defensive sprays:

CS (Orthochlorobenzalmalonitrile)

CN (alphachloroacetaphenone)

OC (Oleoresin Capsicum)

Pepper Spray, on the other hand, has the effect of putting a brick wall in between the assailant and the sprayer. When someone gets a full blast of OC pepper spray, they stop what they are doing. They stop what they are thinking. Even people previously mentioned that could withstand the effects of tear gas, are very personally affected by OC pepper spray. This includes people that are drunk, on drugs, or psychotic.

Ok, so how do I decide which one to buy?

Once it became known that OC is superior to CN and CS, many brands became available with different concentrations, formulations, sizes, and spray patterns. Choosing the right spray is a critical decision if the spray ever has to be used in a self defense situation.

Defensive Sprays Considerations

Size and capacity: Sizes can range from a 1/2 ounce personal pepper spray up to 9 ounces for the bear pepper spray. Keychain sized defensive sprays or sizes easily carried on a belt or in a purse are ideal for most situations. Even the smallest units have enough in them to handle multiple attackers if done properly. The two main factors you want to look for are the range and the number of shots. A 6-8 foot range is plenty since that is where most personal assaults will take place. Most defensive sprays are also classified by number of one second bursts. A good 1-2 second burst will disable almost any assailant.

Spray Pattern: There are two basic types of defensive spray patterns, stream and mist. Stream patterns give good range but require aiming directly at the face. Cone mists have shorter range but you don’t have to aim as well. If there is a breeze, a stream is more controllable. Mists can be blown off target or even back to the sprayer. OC pepper spray works best when it hits the eyes and is inhaled. The mist is inhaled instantly while the stream might take longer for the person to breathe in the pepper spray. In all cases, it is critical to hit the attacker in the face!

What else should I know about purchasing defensive pepper sprays?

Aside from size and capacity, and spray pattern of pepper spray, the formulation can also be a consideration.

Formulation: OC comes in concentrations of 5%, 10%, 15%, or even higher. Bear pepper spray is rated at 20%. Because of different marketing that has evolved around these defensive sprays, the percentage is not always a good indicator of effectiveness. TBO-TECH Self Defense Products only carries the highest quality pepper sprays, including Mace brand, that have been proven to be most effective.

Other factors: Many pepper sprays come on keychains. This is a sound idea because since most people usually have their keys with them, they will also always have their pepper spray with them. But don’t forget about the times you don’t have your keys. The small investment in an extra pepper spray could actually save your life!

The best pepper spray in the world or the most extensive training will amount to nothing if you don’t do two things: Carry your pepper spray wherever you go and practice using it!
bio = Steve Thibeault is the owner of TBO-TECH Self Defense Products located at http://www.tbotech.com. Formed in April of 2000, TBO-TECH has become one of the largest online outlets for personal protection and self defense products in the US. Product offerings include stun guns, pepper sprays, tasers, home and personal alarms, spy and surveillance equipment, and many other products not usually found in stores.

Popularity: 16% [?]

If you are interested in collecting coins, it’s important to be able to have a rough idea of how much coins are worth. Knowing how coin values are determined will enable you to find good deals, and ensure that you don’t get cheated into paying too much money for a coin with a low worth.

Supply Influences Coin Values One major factor in determining coin values is the law of supply and demand. If there are many coins of a particular type available, that coin will not be worth much. On the other hand, if only a very few coins of that type are produced, the coin values will rise. This is why a completely normal-looking copper penny minted in 1943 is worth about $200,000, whereas a 2,000 year old Roman coin may be worth less than $100 - because thousands upon thousands of Roman coins were minted, but only 40 pennies produced during war-time 1943 were made out of copper.

Demand’s Effect on Coin Values Even among coins with a similar number of copies in existence, some have a higher worth than others. This is because some coins are in higher demand, driving up the coin values. Coins may become popular because they are particularly lovely to look at, because they are part of a topical set that is often chosen by collectors, or because they have a certain historical significance.

Precious Metals and Coin Values Some coins are made out of precious materials like gold bullion or platinum. These coin values are less volatile because the worth is guaranteed in part by the material. A gold bullion coin, for example, is usually worth more than its melted weight, but it is never going to be worth less.

Coin Values are Tempered by Grade or Classification The final major factor in determining coin values is the grade or classification of the coin. The more wear and tear that a coin has undergone, the less value it is going to have. This is why uncirculated coins are usually more valuable than coins that have been passed from hand to hand. Uncirculated coins have always been kept in the very best of conditions, making their value much higher. A coin in flawless condition may be worth hundreds of times more than a low-grade version of the exact same coin.

Now that you understand the basic factors that influence coin values, you have a better grasp of which coins may have real value and which will be worthless. In order to get a ballpark estimate of the value of any coins you might have, you will first need to determine its grade or classification. You can do this by comparing your coin’s condition to a published list of guidelines. Then look up the value of a coin in that condition in a book such as “The Standard Catalog of World Coins,” which should be available in most public libraries. If you need to know the exact amount that your coin is worth, you should take it to a coin dealer and let him or her evaluate it for you.
bio = Coins and Coin Collecting, http://www.coinsandcoincollecting.com

Your guide to getting the very best from your coin collection.

Popularity: 15% [?]