Family

Planning a Family Trip to Big Bear Lake, CA? Things to Do Besides Skiing and Snowboarding!

Big Bear is a great place to get away from the city life and take a deep breath of fresh mountain air. There's lots do in Big Bear besides skiing and snowboarding. There's plenty to do all year round no matter how little or old your kids are. Here's a list of things my family does every time we go up.

Grizzy Manor. If you're looking for a delicious restaurant to start your morning right, then go to where the locals go and eat at The Grizzly Manor for breakfast. This place gets packed early so be prepared.

Bowling Barn. Enjoy a day of bowling with the family here.

Moonridge Zoo. It's a small, intimate zoo, but this is a must for our kids. They love the bears, bison, and wolves.

Discovery Science Center. Why not learn a little about the San Bernadino National Forest? There's also camping information, forest service permits, Adventure passes and group tours offered here.

The Village on Pine Knott Ave. This is Big Bear's "Main Street." Here you'll find shopping, candy shops, movie theater, and restaurants, some of which have been around for many, many years.

Backyard BBQ. You can drive to this restaurant, but of course, there's nothing like renting a boat from the marina (or if you're lucky enough to own a boat), parking it at the dock here, and having lunch at the Backyard BBQ. It's right on the lake and there's a little something here for everyone. Most summers they put up a volleyball net. There's lawn chairs to sit and relax and watch the boats cruise the lake, and there's also a full bar. Kids love to come here and play on the shore. People bring their dogs and throw balls into the lake for their dogs to fetch. It's a fun, but very relaxing atmosphere here.

Big Bear Marina. Rent a boat or pontoon here and spend a day on the lake. A definite must in Big Bear.

Oktoberfest. This is a big deal up here. Grab your stein mug, drink up and have fun at Oktoberfest. There's contests on who can carry the most stein mugs across the room, dancing, singing, and plenty of eating and drinking. Kids are allowed up to a certain time.

4th of July on the lake. This is my personal favorite. There's nothing like being out on a boat on Big Bear Lake and watching the fireworks right above your head in time with the music. The fireworks reflect on the water giving the show an almost surreal feeling. Say hello to your fellow boater beside you, sit back and enjoy the show!…

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English

BA in English and Struggling for Employment

Since I was a young girl, I knew that I would grow up and go to college. Like many young people, my future plans changed as I aged. I once wanted to be an archaeologist, then a pediatrician, and also a psychologist. As I ended my junior year in high school, I had applied to several colleges of interest. Then senior year began, and my life changed. During the first few months of my senior year, I became pregnant. I knew that I had new decisions to make, and keeping a child was one of them. I chose to keep my daughter. This also meant that supporting her would be my first priority and college was now put on the backburner. I vowed to myself, my family, and others around me that having a child would not prohibit me from going to college and making something of myself. I stuck to that, and I earned several degrees.

After I graduated from high school I have to admit that college was not on my mind too much. I had to find a place to live and work. My parents refused to support me, and like so many young girls who become pregnant, the father of my child was not in the picture. I had to do it all on my own. I met a man shortly after having my daughter, who is now my husband, and it was his sister who inspired me to remember that promise I had made. She insisted that I go back to school. I was determined to go back. Then I became a married woman. I had support from my husband and I was going to embrace that support. I enrolled in college, and so did my husband!

I enrolled in San Bernardino Valley College, a local junior college in San Bernardino, CA. It was fairly close to home and it was the inexpensive way to attend college. I had lost sight of what I wanted to do in life. I decided to just take a broad spectrum of classes and find my way. I took a load of general education classes. Two years after enrolling, May 2001, I had graduated with an Associate's degree in Liberal Arts. This degree was so broad that it did nothing to help me gain employment. I knew that I had to transfer to a four year college and continue my education. Again I was stumped. I had no calling. I went cover to cover through the college catalog several times. It was my husband who helped me decide my major.

My husband knew me better than anyone else. He told me that since I loved reading and writing so much I should major in English. I gave it some thought and finally decided he was right. I attended California State University of San Bernardino as an English Literature major. At this point I knew that I wanted to work with writing, but still I had no clear career in mind. All I focused on was completing college. I wanted to graduate. I wanted to prove to all of those people in my life who may have doubted my ability to be successful, that I would graduate. I would make something of myself. I graduated in December 2006 with my Bachelor's degree in English Literature.

I was at another point in my life where I had a degree and it was not very useful. I applied for jobs, but none of the jobs I applied for required an English degree. Many of the writing jobs required previous writing experience. I had not taken any journalism classes or proofreading classes. My degree seemed worthless. I was working for the United States Postal Service, and every day other workers reminded me that they too once had dreams, but they never reached them. They assured me that I would be working there until retirement. That job was not ideal and I hated every minute of it. I chose to go back to school.

In August 2007 I decided to get my Master's degree. I figured I would go back to college one more time and get a degree in Education, emphasis in English, so that I could teach. I enrolled at The University of Phoenix to get my MA and teaching credential. I had a new hope of becoming an English teacher. Many of the students in my MA program were substitute teachers. Many of them liked their job very much. In order to become a substitute teacher, you needed to have a four year degree and pass a test called the CBEST or California Basic Educational Skills Test. I took the test and passed. I applied at two school districts and was hired to be a substitute teacher in both districts. I have been a substitute teacher for two years now.

I finished my Master's program in December 2008. If I complete 16 weeks of student teaching I will have a preliminary teaching credential for the state of California. I would not have been able to get a job with just an associate's degree. Even my Bachelor's degree is just a stepping stone. In today's society, I needed to obtain a Master's and credential in order to begin a solid career. Unfortunately I have not finished. I am so close to finishing. I know I will finish, it is only a matter of time. My advice to young people is to have a goal in mind and make sure it is feasible. Do not just go to college to say you did. Go to college with a career in mind, so that when you graduate your degree will help you get the job of your dreams. Never settle for less, and never let anyone tell you that you cannot succeed.…

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Internet

Dangers of Internet Security Associated with Passwords

Something happened to me yesterday that reminded me of the importance of creating more difficult passwords, and making sure that they are well protected. When I loaded one of my websites, I saw a nasty little note from my web host, stating that my account had been suspended. Evidently, without knowing it, I had violated the Terms of Service Agreement. My host had cut disabled all of my sites, and had shut down my incoming and outgoing email. I could not imagine what I had done to violate my TOS Agreement, so I jumped on the phone to contact Customer Service.

It turns out that someone had gotten one of my passwords for an email account, logged in, and sent at least one SPAM email through my webmail account. Upon identifying it, my host shut everything down, leaving it impossible for me to get into my account to find out what was going on. In their defense, this is the procedure outlined in the TOS Agreement.

This event made me start thinking about how important it is to have good passwords, and to keep them protected. I had gotten comfortable with the same old password, using it or a slight alteration of it, for years. I have used the same password for email, online accounts, and signing up for "freebies" on the internet. Simply put, that is about the dumbest thing that you can do! It is my guess that I signed up for something, and the owner of that site went back to my email account, and tried the same password (or some alteration of it), and got back into the account, and then used it for his or her own purposes!

So, here are a few suggestions to use when making up passwords to help to make sure that you don't get hacked like I did:

  1. Do not use the same passwords on multiple accounts. This is just not a smart way to operate on the internet. You need to pick different passwords for all the accounts that you use. If you use any online financial institutions especially, make sure that each account has a different password. At least that way, if one is broken into, the rest will still be secure.
  2. Do not use easy to guess elements in your passwords. Never use things like your kids' names, or the names of pets. Anyone set on getting in to your accounts will try these things first, as they are commonly used for passwords. Also avoid common numerical strings, such as birthdays, anniversaries, addresses and especially Social Security Numbers!
  3. Use a mixture of letters and numbers. This makes passwords harder to remember, but it also makes them harder to guess. If you just add a number into your current passwords, perhaps changing only the number from time to time, it will make your passwords that much more secure. Even if someone is able to guess one element, they probably will not be able to guess a number inserted in, especially if it is completely random.
  4. Use capital letters randomly throughout the password. Most of the time, passwords will be case sensitive. If you capitalize a letter in the middle of the word, something that would not be capitalized, it will make it extremely difficult for a hacker to guess. Put 2-3 capitals in the password string, just to solidify the difficulty of the password.
  5. Use long passwords. Most people choose short passwords, just because they are easier to remember. But, if you choose longer passwords, they are harder to guess. Put two or three words together, but choose words that really don't go together. If there is no relationship between the words, then it will make them that much harder to guess.
  6. Use random strings of numbers and letters. If you use the "generate password" feature that is now available on many accounts, you will find that the password is almost always just a random string of numbers and letters (some of which will be capitalized). This provides a very secure password, because the chances of simply guessing all the elements are very slim.
  7. Do not save passwords on your computer. If you are in any kind of environment where there is the chance that another person will be using your computer, do not save your passwords in the "auto save" feature of your browser. Doing so makes it too easy for another user to hack into your account, or save your passwords for doing so at a later time.

The chances are, if you follow these recommendations, your accounts will be much more secure. However, you will not be able to remember all the passwords that you create. That will mean that you will need to have a master list of your passwords. Write them down, and keep them with you. Make sure, however, that you do not lose, or misplace this list, as it will open all of your accounts up to the finder of the list.

It is sad to say, but there is a need for hundreds of passwords if you use a computer or surf the internet today. Just remember, there are a lot of people out there trying to find out what your passwords are so that they can hack your computer, send out their spam, steal your identity, or get into your bank accounts. Protect those passwords so that your information will remain secure!…

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Internet

5 Ways to Make Money On Instagram

There are several ways to make money on Instagram, but it’s important that you only use methods that don’t violate the terms of service agreement of the site.

This includes anything that asks you to buy, sell, or try to alter the way that the site works in any way.

While a lot of people have made some quick and easy money through ads on the right side of the page, there are limits to what can be done, so you should only dabble.

The best strategy is still to build your followers and turn them into buyers by promoting the products that they want or love.

You can get a better feel for how to do this by reading the rest of this article.

Sponsored posts:

Some companies will pay you to promote their product on your page.

You don’t have to do all of the work, but some companies will throw in an extra post for free if you do.

For example, if you like pizza, they might send you a sponsored post on a monthly or quarterly basis.

You can also make money through sponsored stories, which allows you to write about someone who uses their product and give an honest review.

Photos and videos:

This is the bread and butter of Instagram marketing, you can read more at SMM World.

People enjoy visual content, especially on a site like Facebook where there is so much content already there for you to look at.

Take a lot of pictures from different places and post them to your account.

If you are into videos, make sure to post some to your page as well.

People love watching videos, so you’ll definitely have people following your updates if you can provide them with something interesting to watch.

The trick is to provide content that people will want to see on a regular basis, so keep your page updated all the time.

Business feeds:

You can set up a business feed that shows customers the latest products and deals that you’ve found on the web.

Most of the time, these feeds are updated manually by Instagram staff, but you can help them do this by adding links to your products on your page.

Business feeds can turn into huge profits for you, especially during the holiday season.

With so many people shopping on Black Friday and Christmas, make sure that you are one of the first people to show up with deals on these holidays.

Private messages:

You can make money through private messages on Instagram.

You can send other Instagram users messages that will only be seen by them.

You can sell anything that you want on your page, and you can even put coupon codes so that people can save money when they buy products off of your shelf.

Make sure that you read the guidelines carefully before you start sending messages so that you don’t get in trouble.

Engagement levels:

When you follow people on Instagram, you’ll increase your chances of them following you back as well.

The best way to attract followers is to make sure that your page is fun and engaging.

People love interacting on social media, so if you want to make money, make sure that you keep your page updated at all times.

If you constantly stay away from updates, then you’ll only have a handful of followers.

Tips:

There are also many tips that you can find on the internet to help you make money.

One of the most popular ones is using coupon codes.

Coupons are great because they can save you some money on whatever you’re purchasing.

Make sure that you research each code thoroughly before you try it out on your page.

Instagram may seem like a gimmick at first, but you can make real money on it.

There are many different ways that you can go about making it work for you, though it helps to have a clear plan in mind before you get started.

Follow the above-mentioned tips and you should be able to make a lot of money off of your page in no time at all.

It’s a great way to share your pictures and let everyone know what you’re up to.…

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Engineering

Is test and tag a profitable business?

We’ve all seen the commercials and ads for test and tag businesses.

In this blog post, we’ll explore whether or not these companies are a viable option for business owners.

First, let’s look at what these types of companies do: they’re in charge of testing homes’ plumbing systems to ensure that there is no leakage from pipes or fixtures.

Next, we’ll examine the pros and cons of starting a test and tag company so you can determine if it would be a good fit for your own personal goals.

Finally, we will discuss how much money you could expect to make with this type of company once it has been up-and-running for five years based on different factors such as location, number of employees, etc.

In Australia, when we talk about the testing and tagging industry, we could be talking about a $100 million business or one that earns around $5 million to $10 million – depending on who you ask.

It’s difficult to define exactly how much revenue is brought in by companies involved with this sector because there could be many not-for-profit organizations running testing and tagging programs for schools, sporting clubs, and other groups barely turning over any profit.

However, there are certainly plenty of commercial operators making a tidy sum from their businesses.

For example, Brisbane-based company Toxguard runs tagging programs for thousands of children each week and has various outlets spread throughout the country.

This type of business is also supported by businesses such as Service First, which supplies equipment to firms in this sector, including cash registers and point of sale systems.

Mark Hewitt is one individual who has worked hard to carve out his own business in test and tag.

His company’s official name is National Electrical Safety (NES) Services, but he recognizes that these sorts of companies need an edge over their competition to ensure they can survive.

Mark tells us more about how he set up the business below:

“When I first started my electrical tester training course I had no idea there were so many opportunities out there for people with the right skills.

I had always worked in construction so I never really considered being a tester or testing company as an option, but now I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“I was able to use my electrical skills along with my qualifications to get my business off the ground.

Once you know what the industry is about and how it works, then opportunities will start to become apparent through your own research into the specific test and tag companies.

Being a sole trader didn’t seem appealing at first because of the lack of security.

But when you find something you love doing it’s all worthwhile.”

“My advice to anyone thinking about setting up a test and tag business would be not to rush into things too quickly, if you decide to start a test and tag business in Australia, call your service something like “Testing and Tagging Melbourne“.

No matter what your market segment maybe, the whole idea of electrical safety compliance is pretty simple: make sure equipment used by others has been safely tested and indicate that it meets Australian Standards.

In manufacturing, there are two types of testing, Factory Mutual (FM) and Heavy Industries Science And Technology Association (HISTA).

With FM you are required to test or check that all installations comply with Australian Standards at least once every six months.

Has varied depending on the type of equipment being used in your business – whether it’s power tools, forklifts, or other plant equipment.

The main advantage of hiring an electrical tester is that you don’t have to buy your own test and tag equipment.

However, if you do decide to set up your own business as a testing company then there are various forms of equipment needed such as lockout gear, plug testers, and earth fault loop impedance testers.

You can get all the necessary equipment from Service First Electrical.

Mark Hewitt says it’s important to stay close with customers so they know exactly where their maintenance funds are being spent.

This also provides the opportunity for businesses to create good relationships with clients so they can be given higher priority in any emergency situation.

“It’s really important to keep your finger on the pulse when it comes to industry trends because this way you will always be the first to hear about market opportunities.

For example, if you’re in the area of power tools then it would be wise to know what other types of equipment companies are using.”

“All information is good info when it comes to this business, so I’m always on the lookout for new opportunities.

If there’s one thing that I’ve learned it’s you shouldn’t try and tackle all your problems by yourself.

Sooner or later these things will come back and bite you if not resolved properly.”

“You’ve got to stay ahead of the game even though the basic idea might seem simple enough.”…

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Family / Posts

What Car Should I Buy: A Beginner Guide!

What car should I buy for a beginner?

There are several cars you can start with, starting with an economical small car towing a light trailer behind a truck.

It is best to find at least two cars that are affordable and will get you on the road.

Once you know how safe a car is to drive, you can work your way up to a more powerful sports car.

The type of car you should buy depends on your style of driving, safety concerns, your wallet, and your needs as a driver.

When you consider what cars to buy for a beginner, the first thing you need to consider is the safety rating of the vehicle.

Is it worth buying or should you stay away?

How safe is it?

This question is most important when it comes to four-door sedans.

If the car has a low rating, it may not be worth buying, especially if the car will be used for transporting children.

A safe driver can get good grades in school, but that doesn’t mean you can take your car out on the highway without knowing how to drive it.

In fact, some people who are involved in an accident don’t even know how to fix their cars.

That is why it is so important to purchase a safe car.

There are so many different makes and models available on the market today that finding one that has been well maintained can help you avoid any costly repairs in the future.

Before you even begin thinking about what car to buy for a beginner, you want to think about what level of driving you plan to do.

Are you just learning to drive for pleasure or do you have a goal of becoming a safe, dependable driver?

Even if you want to become a safe driver, you can start by selecting a safe car from the beginning.

This is a great way to begin learning how to drive because you won’t have to worry about losing money if you get into an accident or have an accident that costs you lots of money.

The first and best thing you need to do is find out how safe the car you want to purchase is before you even begin looking.

You should first try to find out how much damage each vehicle has been through.

In most cases, vehicles that are sold for cheap are known to be unsafe because they have been abused.

Ask friends or family members if they can recommend any reliable dealers who sell cars for cheap.

If you don’t have anyone who can give you advice [click here] you can always check online to see what other people have said about various dealers.

Another way to find out about the safety of a particular car is to ask around your community.

People living around you will be able to tell you if a car is safe to drive or not.

Of course, you have to take their word for it, but it’s a good idea to ask around.

What car should I buy for a beginner to help them become a safe driver?

It would also be a great idea to find out from your local police force if they know of any reliable dealers in your area.

Ask them for advice.

What car should I buy for a beginner to help them become a safe driver?

If you are new to driving, you should get a vehicle that has a high safety ranking.

High-ranking cars are known to have a reduced chance of having accidents, which means that they are less likely to cost you a lot of money in repairs.

Now that you have found out what car should I buy for a beginner, you should make sure that you are ready to go out and drive it.

You never know when you might have an accident, and it would be horrible if you had an accident while on your first trip with your new car.

You never know when something may happen that could have unforeseen consequences.

That is why it is important to make sure that you are insured because if you get into an accident without insurance, you could owe a lot of money and be unable to get any money to fix the car.…

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Fashion

Zipper Fashion Rosettes

Supplies:
Metal zipper
Fabric scrap
Scissors
Hot glue
White glue

You might have been saving zippers to sew into other garments, if those zippers go bad, but sewing zippers into clothing isn’t the only way to reuse them. Cut zippers up and use them in an unusual way to make embellishments for fashions and home decorating projects, rosettes for crafting, and other fanciful items. If you already have zippers, you won’t pay a penny for the rosettes, which can be used in many different ways.

Unzip a zipper and cut it, straight across, to remove the zipper pull, and to separate the two sides of the zipper. Since each piece has fabric stitched to it, it’s necessary to remove the cloth. Cut the stitches to remove the biggest part of it; use a lighter to burn off the rest. Remember to hold the zipper with a potholder because the zipper will get hot as you burn the fabric off.

When all of the cloth is off of the zipper it’s the easiest thing to turn it into a rosette. Simply lay it flat on a table and begin winding it around itself. Hold one end down, and wrap the other end around and around the stationary end. You’ll make a flat circle of zipper teeth, which is metallic and lovely. If you want the rosette to be larger than it is when you finish wrapping, use a dot of hot glue to hold the end in place, and start wrapping another zipper-half around it.

The rosette you make is a flat one but you can give it dimension by making another one on top of it. The top rosette should be a bit smaller than the bottom one. Add another rosette, and another, to create the depth that you want; make each rosette smaller than the previous one.

The zipper rosette will be easiest to attach if you glue a piece of cloth or felt to the bottom of it. Glue the finished flower to a purse, a garment, a lampshade, a mirror or picture frame corner, or even a hat. Attach it to a piece of fabric to make a curtain tie-back, or make a large zipper rosette, and turn it into a coaster.

Don’t like the metallic color of the rosette? Paint it! You can easily spray paint the zipper before you start, or paint the rosette when you’re finished. That gives you many options for coordinating colors on your fashions, or for your home decorating.

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