Sand, grit and glassbead blasting are well known techniques in the restoration industry for removing grease and grime build-up, underbody sealant and paint from parts and panels. An unfortunate side effect of these methods is damage to the surface structure, resulting in buckles and bulges. A gentle but equally effective alternative would be welcome.

One answer may be a new technology called dry ice blasting. During the blasting dry ice pellets hit the affected surface at very high speeds. On contact, the solid pellets return to gaseous carbon dioxide in a minor explosion. Due to the sudden increase in volume, the paint or grime layer is lifted and becomes suddenly cooled, becomes brittle and is easily removed. Afterwards, the part retains its original structure.

Thermo Blast, a Queensland based company, are specialists in this blasting alternative. Thermo Blast offers their blasting services for individual restorers and will also deliver the BUSE blasting equipment to the automobile industry. The German engineered and manufactures system combines the dry ice pellets, widely available from the major gas suppliers, with air inside the blasting unit. By adjusting air pressure and concentration of the pellets, you can remove, for example, underbody sealant without damaging the underlying paint layer. As the age and composition of sealants vary, the blasting unit can be accurately adjusted.

Compared to manual removal, dry ice blasting can considerably reduce the time required. A further benefit is that no parts need to be removed. Its non-abrasive nature does not damage parts such as axles, steering elements, springs, shock absorbers or brake lines. Even rubber, other sealing material and glass remain undamaged. This makes the process suitable for sensitive body parts like door panels and bonnets without the danger of pitting or warping. Chrome, aluminium and fibreglass are all safe. Dry ice blasting is also an effective method on engine parts, from pistons to cylinder heads. Unlike grit or glassbead blasting, there is no residue that could later result in an oil duct blockage.

Prices are determined individually and depend on the material being removed but for underbody sealant, Thermo Blast charge about $ 900 for a small car and $ 1,800 for medium-sized vehicles. Cars can typically be delivered and treated the same day. Please contact 07 5472 7555 or info@thermoblast.com.au, and visit http://www.thermoblast.com.au/

We’ve had them as pets since time immemorial, even as companions. I remember myself having Noche Buena or that Christmas Eve dinner together with my favorite dog. We shared hearty laughs and sumptuous meals together. Too bad for my sister, she’s sleeping.

Let me share you some tips and pointers on how to pamper those four-footed loyal species.

My dog loves small treats and whenever she’s done eating her meal, breakfast, lunch or dinner; I always have something for her. By the way, her name is Maui, a mini pinscher. Lately, she craves biscuits with a dash of sugar and veggies.

I would bring her to the grocery and let her sniff different packs of treats. I once had cookies with choco chips, lamb biscuits and a chewbone with tutti frutti flavors. I had it placed in front of other doggie treats selections while I brought her at the other end of the aisle to let her senses guide her into the right choice.

Upon standing up, she headed frantically to the fruity flavor and lamb biscuits. She practically slid down and laid down on them like a spinning bowling ball and toppling pins.

We would always do the same thing over and over again except for her meal which is lamb and rice. This way, we can have fun together almost everywhere. She once grabbed a bag of chocolates for my nephews and though its light on the pocket, the quality was there. It was sweet, my nephews love it!

Aside from doggie treats, you can have your dogs groomed at salons. Who said that humans are the only ones who has the right to be groomed and look at their best even on an ordinary day?

Salons nowadays give dogs the luxury to be masters. To be the one in command, the one to be pampered and cared for. A quick warm bath is given to dogs. They are given massages on the back, the torso and the legs. Massages give dogs the relief over tensions and agitations from everyday life. They can be nervous at times especially with unknown visitors who frequent the house.

After scrubs and shampoo, our paw friends will head straight into the drying area and still being given those occasional tummy rubs and back rubs. Their ears will be cleaned as well as their nose. Just about every nook and cranny will be scrutinized in their body. Wouldn’t you love to have your dog be thoroughly cleaned before heading back to home?

Nails are trimmed. The same goes for their hair if their coats are long enough to be shagged. They can even have their nails polished or coated with anti-scratch pads so as to save valuable wood furniture and other sensitive things scattered around the house.
With them all cleaned within 30 minutes or so, you can now have them accessorized from head to foot.

Your local pet shop have hats. They can be those funny hats you see on soccer games. Or even hats that exude the dog’s confidence over their counterparts.

Dresses are available and they come in different sizes as well as for different purposes. They have party dresses, formal coats, wedding gowns and sports attires. I love most is the Brazilian jersey of the world famous’ yellow and green. Of course, it should be number NINE!

Lastly, shoes that will complete all the get-up! High boots are preferred by owners since it gives dogs the much needed protection for their ankles. Dogs have fragile legs especially little breeds.

To top it off, shops have collars that sparkle in gold plate or silver. They can bear names of up to nine characters. They come in different variety!

There are so many ways that dogs can be treated nicely just like a pat in the back or a simple brush of the coat down the neck. We have to remember that our friends are like humans in every bit. They should be loved, appreciated and cared for. Dressed, fed and sheltered.

OK, I quit!

I’m tired of beating my head against the wall in a healthcare system that believes that its most valuable resource, the healthcare professional is indiscriminately disposable.

Let’s face it; nurses have the hardest job in healthcare today. Hours are getting longer; job duties now include public relations, maid services, complaint resolution, cryptography and social work. Nurses are absolutely abused by the very hospitals that are in desperate need of nurses now and will soon discover the true meaning of the phrase “nursing shortage.”

The baby boomers are aging and the current generation of healthcare professionals is aging with them. Healthcare needs more geriatricians, those physicians who specialize in the care and treatment of patients over 55 years of age, but as our physicians age, we will need more not only to replace those retiring, but also to participate in disaster care.

I’m a geriatrician as well as emergency medicine and disaster medicine and I’m out!

I’ve taught medical students and residents; given my specialties it will take 3 of them to fill my shoes. The problem is that most medical students are now gravitating towards the high pay, low stress, low time demand specialties. Surgical, Pediatric, Obstetrical, and Primary Care specialty residencies are closing for lack of applicants. In short, there is no one to fill my 3 sets of shoes.

Now I am not prone resigning from the field of battle. I’ve earned multiple degrees and multiple certifications. I’ve worked at the scene of many disasters at all levels of care. I’ve served every deployment to the end regardless of personal or professional issues that may have arisen. But enough is enough.

I have recently seen healthcare take a turn that is not only unprofessional, but immoral and unethical. Money has always been a necessary evil in healthcare and I do not mind making a very comfortable living in medicine, but when outright extortion determines care, staffing and caregivers available, the stench of the system has become too great to stand.

I am not alone. I have spent the past several weeks with healthcare professionals from around the nation at a number of venues. The recurrent theme, they quit or are in the process of “phasing out.” Physicians are willing to spend well over $5000 per weekend for seminars on “Alternatives to Clinical Practice” but whine about spending less than $500 for continuing medical education. Programs in law, business and research aimed at nurses are full across the nation. None of these professionals are planning on returning to the healthcare industry after they graduate, they plan on non-healthcare careers.

Why are so many leaving? The same reasons I am, because our focus is no longer healthcare, its money. We are no longer partners with those who run the business side of healthcare; we are their opponent or their victim. Problems are no longer discussed; the business people mandate a specific solution and the healthcare professionals are expected to comply.

The latest odious trend is policies that state that an individual nurse may NOT determine that he or she is in a patient care situation that endangers their license and the life of those for whom they care. This is absolutely contrary to basic safety operations. On a railroad, on an airline, or in a mine, anyone from the baggage carrier to the captain of the jet can stop all operations for safety reasons. The Institutes of Medicine in 1999 pointed out the fact that medicine is the only safety sensitive industry in America where the ability to determine what is safe is restricted to those also charged with keeping the income flowing. This is an irreconcilable conflict of interest.

Healthcare professionals are also leaving because they are tired of being cannon fodder. With the coming pandemic those of us in healthcare know we will die in the line of duty just as our colleagues did in Toronto with SARS. We simply won’t sacrifice our lives for a system that no longer values us, our positions, our education or our experience.

What impact will all this have on healthcare? If I am the only one who leaves, no one will care, but I’m not alone and the pandemic is coming.

Will you let us leave?

If you do, who will fill our shoes?

Dr. Maurice A. Ramirez is co-founder of Disaster Life Support of North America, Inc., a national provider of Disaster Preparation, Planning, Response and Recovery education. Through his consulting firm High Alert, LLC., he serves on expert panels for pandemic preparedness and healthcare surge planning with Congressional and Cabinet Members. Board certified in multiple medical specialties, Dr. Ramirez is Founding Chairperson of the American Board of Disaster Medicine and a Senior Physician-Federal Medical Officer for the Department of Homeland Security. Cited in 24 textbooks with numerous published articles, he is co-creator of C5RITICAL and author of Mastery Against Adversity. Dr. Ramirez invites comments at: http://www.disaster-blog.com

Are you really tired of running from home to office and then back home? It seems to have become a vicious circle of one’s life. A break from such a monotonous life will surely give you some time to relax and enjoy beautiful views. Bahamas is an ideal pace to spend some quality time with friends and family. After all, you also deserve some time to relax and regain the energy that is being lost in your hectic work schedule. Though you can visit Bahamas any time in the year, still spring is the best time to go. Spring break Bahamas will give you an opportunity of experiencing some of the most memorable moments of your life.

Bahamas is an ideal destination point that can be visited without having to worry about its location. You can settle on the island that you have to visit and then meet a travel agent for having the knowledge of the packages that he or she may have. Spring break Bahamas package will surely provide you with what you want in your holiday package. The travel agent may have a range of tour packages that can suit every type of budget and needs. You can discuss with your travel agent and they will definitely make all the arrangements in this regard. And if you happen to get a spring break Bahamas vacation that carries discount, then you are one of the luckiest chaps.

Every island in the Bahamas has something or the other to offer to the visitors. Nassau, Abaco, Bimini and Eleuthera, Grand Bahama, Andros, Long Island, Cat Island, Inagua, San Salvador and Paradise Island are some of the must visit islands that give you a lot of opportunities to explore various activities including water sports, fishing and sun bathing or just relaxing. After all, you are on a holiday and would like to make the most of it. You can also try swimming and beach volleyball to pass your time and even play other games. Bahamas is an exceptionally awesome destination that has inviting atmosphere.

If you are planning to go on spring break Bahamas, then you ought to make all your preparations well in advance. Just imagine that what will happen that you plan to visit Bahamas and get to know that all the reservations are full and even the hotels are booked. So, to be on the safer side, you should contact a travel agent as soon as possible. A travel agent would be the right person who will be giving you complete knowledge on packages, site seeing points and hotel bookings. In this way, you will be able to decide on the type of holiday package that will best suit your budget.

The awesome beaches, mesmerizing views, great hospitality and an opportunity to spend the time as you wish are some of the reasons that make Bahamas one of the most preferred destinations. Bahamas is the place that has got something or the other for everyone. Moreover, you will definitely get to have one of the most wonderful times of your life. In order to take full advantage of spring break Bahamas, you have to be completely prepared for this and that too well in advance.

Suzane Gray has been offering Bahama travel and vacation packages advice for quite some time. She is working as a consultant for GoBahama. To find Cheap Bahamas vacation packages,spring break bahamas,Bahamas travel package,freeport bahamas package at cheap rates that best suits your needs, visit http://www.gobahama.com

Despite the many advice and the long years of having relationships with women, many single senior males often louse up on dates. The reason-most of them try to impress their senior dates… the wrong way.

It is very untrue that women’s standards with men decrease as they age. By the age of fifty, most women have established individualities, strengthened characters, wised intensely, and developed humor. They have been lingering for years to know who they are, what they need and from whom they’d get it. Having grown beauteously, senior women would never settle for anything less.

Enumerated are senior dating tips for senior men to guarantee that they don’t miss out on the chance of finding a relationship before it even starts:

First Impressions

Contrary to stereotypes, elder women are generally not into buff bodies and drop-dead gorgeous looks. These women are more into a senior man who knows how to take care of himself and is refined. Decent clothes and an excellent hygiene are essential in senior dating. Designer brands aren’t necessary. Show good taste by wearing attires that are perfectly fitted and occasionally called for. Having impeccable cleanliness is a plus and please mind your manners.

Conversation-wise

Intellectual stimulations are a real turn-on. It is an appealing thought for single women to find a knowledgeable potential mate through senior dating. Nothing could be more disastrous than discovering that her senior date knows only about cars and money. No woman would want to end up and spend her after years trying to go down on her companion’s level, boring herself to death.
Having had her share of various kinds of relationships and commitments with different types of men, it would be very unwise for a senior man to be pretentious. A senior woman’s gut-feel is more sensitive than it had been way back. Never lie. Just like your mom, she would always know. And without batting an eyelash, she would tell you straightforwardly what a jerk you are.

Do not brag. A senior woman would definitely take this as a sign of immaturity. A person at a ripe age who has not matured would seem unimaginable and psychologically unstable to her. Having the resources, you need not flaunt your cash around to show her off. Having your date know that you have a decent career and could provide for a comfortable future should be done in a modest way.

In senior dating, these tips are of the most basic, and in their simplicity, they are often taken for granted. Single men should put in mind that as women age; they tend to evolve from emotional to intellectual beings. And flattery, if not strategically imposed, would take them nowhere. Older women are independent, self-assured, and wise. So to get the best out of a senior date, regard your date highly and be your best true self.

_____________________________

Meet senior travel companions, activity partners and romance wherever you are. Visit SeniorFriendFinder.com. You have to be fit for these activities, of course, so you need the low-impact fitness e-book that’s specially designed for seniors, The Man Who Grew Younger: Fitness Tips for the Middle-aged and Senior Citizens. Applicable to both men and women.

Jim Cathcart developed and characterized “Relationship Selling” as a system to describe and teach the paramount importance of the interpersonal relationship in business and the conduct of business around the world. Mr. Cathcart has transformed the business world by instilling the values of simple human kindness and contact back into the conduct of the business day. Too bad Mr. Cathcart doesn’t teach disaster preparedness.

When I look at my market today, I am as amazed as Jim Cathcart was decades ago when he looked at his market and I draw the same conclusion, what is needed are relationships. I know that those in healthcare value relationships with customers, but what relationships are developed with vendors, employees, nurses, doctors and competitors. Are these relationships nurtured in the good times?

Everyone in Disaster Planning, Preparation, Education, Response and Recovery should be true disciples of Jim Cathcart and Relationship Selling. The lessons taught in that simple system will build the type of healthcare system resilience that American desperately needs.

But there is more to nurture than just business relationships; as healthcare prepares in an “All Hazards” manner, Relationship Leadership is needed.

What is Relationship Leadership?

Relationship Leadership is the use of interpersonal skills beginning long before a disaster looms to create an environment of mutual trust and respect to influence others to work towards common organizational goals. This means permanently abandoning healthcare’s current dependence on the power and control (demand and threat) method of leadership.

Nurses would be the first to benefit from this process change. Rather than threatening nurses with loss of licensure or disciplinary sanction if they must leave at the end of a shift in a disaster, imbue undying loyalty by showing undying loyalty in the “good times.”

Nurses would not be the only ones to benefit however. After Hurricane Francis, Cape Canaveral hospital needed a new roof. Many of their employees also needed new roofs after 2 hurricanes. When the hospital hired a roofing contractor, the hospital included “front of the line” roof replacement for all hospital employees who needed it. 95% of the hospital employees lived within 1 mile of the coast so the hospital went a step further. The hospital added that the “front of the line” status for hospital employees would be perpetual.

The roofing contractor was thrilled by the long term hospital contract and the “guaranteed work” that the “front of the line” clause represented. The hospital employees loved it because it showed that the hospital genuinely cared about the employee’s safety and the safety of their families. Interestingly, the hospital saw a surge in new employee applications and a drop in attrition. The cost to the hospital was nothing more than the effort to demonstrate Relationship Leadership.

Relationship Leadership requires that those in positions of “power” surrender power to the relationship and leave their ego permanently at home. Relationship Leadership is a unifying process between two equals who care for and about each other and the organization. Relationship Leadership is based on mutual respect, freedom and trust and seeks the happiness and wellbeing of each other and the organization as a common goal.

Relationship Leadership is a great challenge, but for those who implement it, the benefits are limitless.

Dr. Maurice A. Ramirez is co-founder of Disaster Life Support of North America, Inc., a national provider of Disaster Preparation, Planning, Response and Recovery education. Through his consulting firm High Alert, LLC., he serves on expert panels for pandemic preparedness and healthcare surge planning with Congressional and Cabinet Members. Board certified in multiple medical specialties, Dr. Ramirez is Founding Chairperson of the American Board of Disaster Medicine and a Senior Physician-Federal Medical Officer for the Department of Homeland Security. Cited in 24 textbooks with numerous published articles, he is co-creator of C5RITICAL and author of Mastery Against Adversity. Dr. Ramirez invites comments at: http://www.disaster-blog.com

In 1991, a major medical training hospital made the national news after the wrong leg was amputated twice in one week. Despite “an abundance of care” two unfortunate people entered the hospital expecting to lose one leg and walk out with a prosthesis and ended up loosing both legs and leaving in a wheelchair.

In 1999, the Institute of Medicine published a landmark report on patient safety titled: To Err is Human and the Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) began championing the cause of patient safety and the prevention of wrong site surgery. Over the past 16 years, hospitals, doctors, nurses and many, many others have developed and implemented procedures designed to stem the rising tide of tragic errors.

In 2007 at a conference on patient safety, the CEO of JCAHO disclosed that despite tremendous effort, expense and study, the number of wrong site surgeries has risen unabated and exponentially since 1991. Every attempt to change this horrific reality has failed!

How can this be?

The title of the 1999 report summed it up: To Err is Human.

Think about modern surgery. You, the patient, are moved to an operating room. Your identification band confirms that you are the patient scheduled for surgery.

This is the first possible point of error, wrong name on the surgery schedule.

Once the operating room staff ensures you are you, the site of surgery is confirmed in the chart and marked. You may even be asked to confirm that they are marking the correct spot.

This is the next possible point of error, wrong site listed in the chart or told to you.

Once your surgery site is marked, you receive medication (if you didn’t earlier). Your surgery site is washed and “prepped” further entrenching this as the “correct side.” Then your entire body is covered by surgical drapes and other items that reduce you to an unidentifiable pile of cloth with a small window of skin.

This is an opportunity to reinforce prior error by eliminating the ability of the surgeon to recheck each of the above steps easily.

The surgeon arrives and prepares to begin cutting. The surgeon confirms that you were identified and the correct surgical site was marked. The amputation is completed and the surgery team removes the surgical drapes and discovers your diseased leg was NOT amputated!

So is there a solution?

Perhaps, imagine if you could mark the surgical site days or even weeks before surgery without risk of changing the marking. Imagine a pre-operative marking system that provided a unique identifier for the surgical site that is not affected by the process of washing, prepping and draping. Imagine a patient and surgical identifier that can be checked repeatedly from the point of admission through the pre-operative procedure, during the operation and even after the correct limb were amputated.

Impossible?

Technology has the solution. Implantable RFID chips are currently in use as unique medical record identifiers for patients and disaster responders world wide. Contrary to popular myth, there is no GPS tracking system or other privacy issue created by these passive electronic numbers.

RFID chips are biologically inert and implanted through a small needle as easily as giving an antibiotic shot. These are the ideal characteristics for a wrong site surgery solution.

Think about RFID assisted surgery. You, the patient, see your doctor weeks before the surgery. Your regular doctor has determined that you require surgery. An RFID chip is implanted in the fat of the diseased leg and you are sent to see the surgeon.

You see the surgeon several days later, but your medical records have not yet arrived. Instead of rescheduling your appointment, the surgeon scans your leg with an RFID receiver and gets your medical record number. You authorize immediate release of the medical records and your surgeon schedules surgery.

You are admitted to the hospital and the first human error occurs as your healthy leg is entered into the medical record as requiring surgery.

The day of your surgery, the second human error occurs as your roommate is moved to the operating room. Instead of amputating the wrong leg from the wrong person, your roommate is scanned for an RFID chip and the unique identifier reveals that you and your roommate received the same wristband.

You are moved to the operating room. Your identification band confirms that you are the patient scheduled for surgery. Once the operating room staff ensures you are you, the site of surgery is confirmed in the chart and marked. You may even be asked to confirm that they are marking the correct spot. The chart indicates your healthy leg is the surgery site. You have already received medication and agree as a result of the sedation.

Once your healthy leg is marked, your healthy leg is washed and “prepped” further entrenching this as the “correct side.” Then your entire body is covered by surgical drapes and other items that reduce you to an unidentifiable pile of cloth with a small window of skin.

The surgeon arrives and prepares to begin cutting when the final RFID chip scan is performed. No RFID chip can be found in the leg about to be amputated. The surgery team immediately removes all the surgical drapes and scans your diseased leg. The RFID chip is found and the correct leg is washed, prepped, draped and amputated.

Tragedy averted!

To Err is Human - RFID may be Divine

Dr. Maurice A. Ramirez is co-founder of Disaster Life Support of North America, Inc., a national provider of Disaster Preparation, Planning, Response and Recovery education. Through his consulting firm High Alert, LLC., he serves on expert panels for pandemic preparedness and healthcare surge planning with Congressional and Cabinet Members. Board certified in multiple medical specialties, Dr. Ramirez is Founding Chairperson of the American Board of Disaster Medicine and a Senior Physician-Federal Medical Officer for the Department of Homeland Security. Cited in 24 textbooks with numerous published articles, he is co-creator of C5RITICAL and author of Mastery Against Adversity. Dr. Ramirez invites comments at: http://www.disaster-blog.com

USE ORGANIC PESTICIDES
You do not need to buy costly chemical fertilizer or pesticide sprays.
Some good pesticides come straight from your kitchen cupboards.

This is a recipe for canola oil spray which suffocates soft body insects. Use one cup of canola oil and add to one gallon of water. Do not try to make it work better by using more canola oil, you could harm your plants.

Garlic spray also kills your soft bodied insects, use one bulb of garlic and blend it with two cups of water, leave it overnight and strain, mix it with one gallon of water and spray all over your plants.

If you have animals eating your plants, put some really hot peppers into your garlic spray, cut the hot peppers up finely and soak with your garlic overnight, again strain & mix with one gallon of water and spray all over your plants. Leave the seeds in when you add the hot peppers.

Place your pumpkins and other curcubits on a bed of sand, snails and slugs will not cross over the sand, this way you save on buying slug and snail bait. :o)

If you have powdery mildew on your curcubits, mix one part skim milk or nonfat milk to nine parts water and spray all over your plants.
In New Zealand the growers are saving thousands of dollars each year with this recipe.

It pays to use this recipe once a week as a preventative measure.
Do not put more milk in this recipe than 1 in 9, or your plants will get a fungus.

To kill flying insects use three to four tablespoons of ground cloves in one gallon of water, spray over your plants.

A dusting of boric acid can eliminate cockroaches, apply where they hang out, as always (keep out of the reach of pets or children)

Most of these homemade recipes need to be applied fortnightly for the maximum affect.

Gordi Hall just loves teaching others about gardening. To learn more about organic pesticides and to get a more comprehensive version of this article and other great gardening tips, visit :
http://www.best-home-gardening-tips.com

The role of Business Triage has never been more important than in the world of marketing. Many authors, speakers and consultants will tell you to feed your business money, lots of money. While money is needed to start a new business and make a business grow, in a resource-limited environment, undirected money is NOT the food your business needs.

You feed your business a balanced diet from the 4 business food groups:

Education
Public Relations
Marketing
Advertising

Many of you are wondering how to get four groups out of what most business owners see as two spending categories. Be assured, these MUST be 4 spending accounts in your ledger, if not you’ll have empty bank account.

Education:
The concept of the highly educated business professional is not new, but education is so much more than course work and technical expertise. Education includes investing in mentoring for you and being a mentor to others. It also includes becoming a member of your Professional Associations.

How much should you spend on education? It is recommend 3% to 5% of your gross business income. If you are still in the first 2 to 3 years of a new business, double that! If you are still operating off your business loan or investment funds, 6% to 10% of total yearly expenses should be budgeted to education.

Public Relations - Marketing - Advertising:

When it comes to Public Relations (PR), Marketing and Advertising, the situation becomes a little more complex. The first problem is that in most small business owner’s minds, these are synonymous terms. THEY ARE NOT.

“Public Relations” is the establishment of you and your company as THE recognized expert within a specific demographic, geographic and/or professional group. This is also known as “Branding.” Thus Public Relations is the process of Branding. At this stage, it is almost irrelevant what your PR says as long as it positions you as the expert’s expert.

“Marketing” is association of your established brand with products and or services in the mind of a particular person, demographic, geographic and/or professional group. A “market” is that identifiable person, demographic, geographic and/or professional group. While Public Relations is the process of “Branding,” Marketing is the process of “establishing the Brand.”

“Advertising” is the establishment of a sense of need for a product or service in the mind of you market. Even if your market knows your name (brand) and your products/services, if they do not know that they need your products or services, they will never buy! On the other hand, if they “feel the need” and you have established your brand, they will seek you out.

So how much should you spend on PR, Marketing and Advertising? The answer reflects the progressive nature of this process. In this case, one sum of money should be allocated for the entire process of PR, Marketing and Advertising. At first, the entire amount will be spent on PR, with little Marketing or Advertising. Your target market needs to know you are the expert. As you become the recognized expert (1 to 2 years), spending on Marketing increases and spending on PR decreases. This will overlap the 1 to 2 years for PR. Finally, you will be established as the expert and your brand will be established in your market by your Marketing. This is when you will begin to shift spending to Advertising. Again their will be overlap, but don’t expect to spend much on advertising until at least 1 year after you begin a well planned PR program and at least 6 months after you begin a highly targeted marketing plan.

How much should you spend on PR, Marketing and Advertising? If you want success, spend 10% to 20% of gross revenue. Again, if you are a start-up still operating on loans or investment capital, budget 20% of that money per year for this process.

Putting It All Together:

Several years ago, in a resort community in the panhandle of Florida, an advertising battle like nothing the community had ever seen took place. Over the years, The Mannis Clinic had become the dominant practice in the county, but a new doctor in town had arrived with a very successful PR, Marketing and Advertising campaign. To counter this new threat, Dr. Mannis began running full page ads for his own clinic. Dr. Mannis hired an ad writer who wrote several ingenious pieces of advertising. Dr. Mannis personally reviewed each ad to ensure it was ethical and in good taste. Every ad ran as Dr. Mannis intended except one. In this disastrous ad, the promise at the bottom of the ad was supposed to read,

“When you visit the Mannis Clinic, you’ll be seen by Dr. Mannis”

Instead, at the bottom of the ad in one inch print was the promise:

“When you visit the Mannis Clinic, you’ll be seen by a real doctor.”

Every physician in town was outraged. The implication was that Dr. Mannis considered himself the only “real doctor” in town. Dr. Mannis was mortified. Before the conversation around town could spiral out of control, Dr. Mannis sent letters to every doctor expressing his sincere apology. He also fired his ad writer and in his letter promised never to run another ad implying that somehow medical care at his office was better.

A few days later Dr. Mannis did however run another ad. It said nothing about doctors or offices, it didn’t even include the office address or phone number. Dr. Mannis simply reprinted his physician recognition award from the American Medical Association. It was a brilliant piece of advertising. The ad implied that somehow Dr. Mannis had done something that nobody else had done and been recognized by the AMA for it. In reality, the physician recognition award is nothing more than a certificate received for completing l50 hours of continuing medical education. Every other doctor in the county received the award but most just throw it in the trash as one more piece of junk mail from the AMA. Somehow Dr. Mannis realized that to people outside medicine, this award actually meant something and by publishing his first, he definitely became the talk of the town.

Dr. Mannis had learned on of the vital lessons from the disaster field office, re-task resources to achieve extraordinary results. Like Dr. Mannis triaged the resources available and the needs his image and marketing faced. He learned that even in the face of a marketing disaster, the lessons learned in the disaster field office provide insights missed by the casual observer.

Dr. Maurice A. Ramirez is co-founder of Disaster Life Support of North America, Inc., a national provider of Disaster Preparation, Planning, Response and Recovery education. Through his consulting firm High Alert, LLC., he serves on expert panels for pandemic preparedness and healthcare surge planning with Congressional and Cabinet Members. Board certified in multiple medical specialties, Dr. Ramirez is Founding Chairperson of the American Board of Disaster Medicine and a Senior Physician-Federal Medical Officer for the Department of Homeland Security. Cited in 24 textbooks with numerous published articles, he is co-creator of C5RITICAL and author of Mastery Against Adversity. Dr. Ramirez invites comments at: http://www.disaster-blog.com

Ayurveda has a glorious world decorated by herbs and natural remedies. It has a divine origin and was created to treat people with all there despair they were suffering from. Ashwagandha is one of these herbs that is gifted to man by God.

Ashwagandha as the name suggest means smell of a horse (ashwa means horse and gandha means smell). Ashwagandha is an herb that is famous by many names world wide few of them are Indian ginseng, Indian winter cherry and Samm Al Ferakh. Ashwagandha bears a great effect on our body.

This herb finds its reference in the very beginning of one of the greatest medicinal science, ayurveda. Ashwagandha is considered to be one of the best herb that helps in achieving a disease less condition and more importantly, the mental peace to attain the mental satisfaction important in today’s fast moving and distracting life. It maintains the health and also helps in treating us from the diseases we may suffer from.

Pharmacologically Ashwagandha has the power to suppress vata dosha that is the ultimate cause of carrying the vitiated doshas to other parts of the body. As per modern sciences Ashwagandha has variety of pharmacological activities that facilitates it with the wonderful results it is presenting to us.

· Adaptogenic properties - It is one of the best Adaptogenic agents that we are blessed with. It helps in increasing our body’s resistance and also helps us in fighting against any outer invasion that can harm our body’s homeostasis. The powerful actions of the constituents of withinia help our body to maintain the required equilibrium to attain a disease free condition of the body. These actions are produced by it due to presence of high amounts of oxygen rich steroids derivative C-28. It also contains at least 40 different types of withanolids that are having strong efficacy in promoting metabolism and inhibiting the free radical formation. This gives it an antioxidant property. It for this reason Ashwagandha has gained its popularity as one of the finest anti-oxidant.

· Anti inflammatory and analgesic action - Ashwagandha has also been found very effective in relieving from pain and inflammatory condition that might be caused due to some mishap or injury. The supremacy of Ashwagandha lies with the fact that it has the potential to normalize any kind of disturbances happening in the body. Due to its vata suppressing properties it is very much helpful in eliminating diseases that are caused by vata vitiation.

· Cancer - this name creates trebles in our body, but not to fear now. Researches held at various research centers throughout world has shown that Ashwagandha posses the properties that are very much beneficial in curbing the growth of cancer cells. It strongly acts on the cancer cells there by inhibiting the action at the initial stage thereby helping our body to face the risk of cancer. In technical terminology it wipes out the spindle formation at the metaphase.

· Nervine weakness - One of the best qualities that Ashwagandha is blessed with is the power to strengthen our nervous system. The protective action of pentylenetetrazol helps in inhibiting the convulsions and wobbly movements of the body caused due to disturbances in are central nervous system (CNS). Researches have also proved that withinia has a strong effect on our nervous system. It provides proper nourishment and balance to it and also tones it up to facilitate better working.

· Cardiovascular system - Recently astonishing effects of Ashwagandha has been seen on cardiovascular system. Research conducted at All Indian Institute of medical science (AIIMS), New Delhi, India has shown that Ashwagandha has sufficient amount of various agents that are extremely helpful in preventing ailments like myocardial necrosis and high degrees of blood pressure. Ashwagandha is slowly gaining its popularity as cardio-protective anti oxidant. It also has anti anxiety properties.

· Aphrodisiac actions - as mentioned earlier also that Ashwagandha is called as Indian ginseng. It also finds its reference in the greatest love book ever written kamasutra. It is known to enhance the libido and increases the sense of indulgence to complete the act of love. As per the researches, the presence of nitric oxide facilitates it with the power to dilate blood vessels essential to carry out the sexual activity to the fullest.

· Mental health - Ashwagandha has strong tendencies to fade away the negative energies that creep into our mind and helps to attain the new enthusiasm to fulfill our work. It promotes new zeal into our life and is also responsible for enhancing the memory skills due to presence of acetylcholine receptor capacity.

It is just miracle that a small bushy herb that grows wild here and there has the power to completely change our life in every means. It fills us with the new energies and makes us strong from inside.

Read more about the benefits of Ashwagandha herb and Ashwagandha Supplements at http://www.ayurvediccure.com - World’s Finest Portal on Ayurveda and Herbal Remedies