« Older Entries

Shoe Repairs And Several Other Things When I Was 7

Shoe Repairs And Several Other Things When I Was 7
My Dad repaired most of our shoes believe it or not, I can hardly believe it myself now. With 7 pairs of shoes always needing repairs I think he was quite clever to learn how to “Keep us in shoe Leather” to coin a phrase!

He bought several different sizes of cast iron cobbler’s “lasts”. Last, the old English “Laest” meaning footprint. Lasts were holding devices shaped like a human foot. I have no idea where he would have bought the shoe leather. Only that it was a beautiful creamy, shiny colour and the smell was lovely.

But I do remember our shoes turned upside down on and fitted into these lasts, my Dad cutting the leather around the shape of the shoe, and then hammering nails, into the leather shape. Sometimes we’d feel one or 2 of those nails poking through the insides of our shoes, but our dad always fixed it.

Hiking and Swimming Galas
Dad was a very outdoorsy type, unlike my mother, who was probably too busy indoors. She also enjoyed the peace and quiet when he took us off for the day!

Anyway, he often took us hiking in the mountains where we’d have a picnic of sandwiches and flasks of tea. And more often than not we went by steam train.

We loved poking our heads out of the window until our eyes hurt like mad from a blast of soot blowing back from the engine. But sore, bloodshot eyes never dampened our enthusiasm.

Dad was an avid swimmer and water polo player, and he used to take us to swimming galas, as they were called back then. He often took part in these galas. And again we always travelled by steam train.

Rowing Over To Ireland’s Eye
That’s what we did back then, we had to go by rowboat, the only way to get to Ireland’s eye, which is 15 minutes from mainland Howth. From there we could see Malahide, Lambay Island and Howth Head of course. These days you can take a Round Trip Cruise on a small cruise ship!

But we thoroughly enjoyed rowing and once there we couldn’t wait to climb the rocks, and have a swim. We picnicked and watched the friendly seals doing their thing and showing off.

Not to mention all kinds of birdlife including the Puffin.The Martello Tower was also interesting but a bit dangerous to attempt entering. I’m getting lost in the past as I write, and have to drag myself back to the present.

Fun Outings with The camera Club
Dad was also a very keen amateur photographer, and was a member of a camera Club. There were many Sunday photography outings and along with us came other kids of the members of the club.

And we always had great fun while the adults busied themselves taking photos of everything and anything, it seemed to us. Dad was so serious about his photography that he set up a dark room where he developed and printed his photographs.

All black and white at the time. He and his camera club entered many of their favourites in exhibitions throughout Europe. I’m quite proud to say that many cups and medals were won by Dad. They have been shared amongst all his grandchildren which I find quite special.

He liked taking portraits of us kids too, mostly when we were in a state of untidiness, usually during play. Dad always preferred the natural look of messy hair and clothes in the photos of his children.

Tags:

Types Of Online Businesses That May Interest You

There are various types of Internet businesses that an Internet business newbie or aspiring online entrepreneur could choose from. Generally, online or e-businesses are relatively cheaper to set up & easier to run than their offline counterparts, but they’re arguably more competitive. To succeed in the world of online business, an e-business newbie must be passionate about the business, must have a good knowledge of the business and must possess a good deal of communication & marketing skills. The early days of new Internet businesses are usually the toughest & most discouraging, and during these times, it’s only passion that keeps the newbie from throwing in the towel. Of course, it would be foolish to jump into what you know absolutely nothing about. Doing a lot of research & planning is, thus, absolutely crucial to the ultimate success of any online venture. Most importantly, if you cannot communicate adequately and promote your products or services, then don’t even bother starting an Internet business because the competition will just put you out of business.Types of online or e-businesses include the following:1. Corporate Websites – these are not actually e-businesses in the real sense of the word. They are, rather, online representations of established offline businesses. These established “physical” corporations use their websites to maintain an online presence through which they market their products or services to a much broader audience. They can also use this medium to transact business with clients who, otherwise, would have been impossible to reach out to, hence increasing their customer base.2. Informational Sites – this type of Internet business includes online encyclopedias, online news, e-magazines, blogs, forums, specialized websites, etc. These e-businesses monetize their sites by paid subscriptions, placement of contextual ads like Google AdSense, promotion of affiliate products, or even selling ad spaces on their sites directly to advertisers. Of all these, I believe blogs are probably the easiest and most inexpensive to set up and run, hence I advocate blogging for any Internet business newbie or aspiring online entrepreneur with little or no start-up capital.3. Web Services – this type of online business include email services, search engines, social networking sites, chat rooms, bulk SMS service, web hosting, graphic design, web design, Internet marketing, translation services, market research, online payment services, directories, online market place, software development, etc.4. Online Shops – just as the name implies, this type of Internet business entails displaying and selling of ones own products in a shop, except in this case both product display and transactions are carried out online. Delivery of the sold “physical” products, however, is done offline, well except for some digital products like software, e-books, music, videos, games, etc, that are downloadable directly to the buyers computer, PDA, phone, etc. Note that in this type of business, the shop owner must actually own the “physical” products on sale, not necessarily being the manufacturer, but has at least acquired the products and have them in stock ready for delivery to any buyer. Hence, it could also be an already established offline shop looking to expand its customer base online.5. Affiliate Shops – the difference between this type of online business and online shops as described above is that with affiliate shops, the shop owner doesn’t have to own or have in stock any of the “physical” products on sale. It is also not the responsibility of the affiliate shop owner to deliver any sold product to its end buyer. All the affiliate shop owner does is to market and sell products owned by other individuals or companies.6. Online Trading – this includes forex trading, stock trading, options, futures, precious stones, crude oil, real estate, e-minis, etc.Now, of all these various types of Internet businesses, some are easy to setup while others are less so, some are also easy to run while others, not so and some are relatively less expensive than others. For a new Internet business owner or aspiring online entrepreneur, I advocate blogging and/or affiliate marketing because they are relatively easier to set up and run, and also very inexpensive. For instance, you could start a money-making blog with NO CAPITAL at all, provided you have access to a computer linked to the Internet.Well all I can say at this point is good luck with your chosen type of Internet business.

Tags:

Can Nutrition Bars Really Be Nutritional?

My patients frequently ask me if using nutrition bars would be of any benefit to their overall health or weight loss plan. I admit, even I grab one of these bars every now and then for a quick snack, or even lunch on a really busy day sometimes. In fact, I would much rather have my patients substitute a good nutrition bar for lunch than grab a high-saturated-fat burger and fries.These bars are convenient, they don’t require refrigeration, and, if you read labels before buying, they really can help you get some good nutrition in a hurry. Here’s what I tell my patients about the pros and cons of the “nutrition on the run” that these bars offer.Are All Nutrition Bars Alike?Seems every time I go to the health food store, there’s a new nutrition bar promising to be better tasting, or more vitamin/protein-packed than all the other bars! However, what tastes good to me may not to you, so, different flavors aside, let me explain what ingredients should be in a good nutrition bar.•Protein:For meal replacement, a good bar should have at least 15 grams of protein, preferably from whey or even casein protein and not soy, gelatin or collagen protein. Many bars, however, contain soy protein isolate, or a blend of whey, casein, and soy. Soy products can interfere with thyroid hormones as well as imbalance male and female hormones, as it adds plant estrogen, or phytoestrogens, to your body.•Fat: Should be fairly low in fat, not more than 3 grams saturated fat and 0 trans fat, 10 grams total fat. Steer clear of bars that contain cholesterol-boosting oils like palm kernel oil. Bars with polyunsaturated vegetable oils like olive, safflower, or coconut oil are best.•Carbohydrate: For meal replacement, there should be a balanced fat/carbohydrate/protein ratio, in a 40/30/30 distribution, i.e., 30% protein, 30% fat, 40% carbohydrate. If you want added protein only, then the carb and fat level can be lower than this distribution. Some bars can contain a whopping amount of sugar, however! Limit sugar to 10-15 grams.•Sugar Alcohols: Many low carb nutrition bars contain sugar alcohols. These help sweeten the bar without adding carbohydrates. When figuring the carbohydrate, or glycemic load, they should be subtracted from the overall carbohydrate content. For example, if the bar contains 25 grams of carbohydrate and also 20 grams of sugar alcohols, then the effective carbohydrate count would only be 5. Some people get digestive upsets from sugar alcohols which can be a drawback to bars that contain it.•Vitamins: A good bar has at least 1/3 of the minimum daily requirements for vitamins, usually in the 30% range for crucial vitamins like C, E, D, A. This is especially important if you are using a nutrition bar as a meal replacement.•Minerals: Many good bars also contain 1/3 the minimum daily requirement of necessary minerals like potassium, magnesium, calcium, zinc. Again, should be in the 30% range for meal replacement use.•Fiber: Many nutrition bars contain very little fiber, but several brands have between 4-6 grams. Or, at least have a piece of fruit, or a salad, with it to make up for fiber deficiencies.•Calories: If you’re using it as a meal replacement for a quick lunch, your nutrition bar should have between 200-300 calories in it. Otherwise you’ll be at the snack machine in an hour!Are There Any Cons to Nutrition Bars?We’ve talked about what I recommend a good bar should contain. Now, are there any real disadvantages, or cons, to using nutrition bars? As I tell my patients, I think that answer depends on how you use them. With that in mind, here are some possible disadvantages to using nutrition bars that you might consider when deciding to use them everyday or just occasionally:•Cost: Most good nutrition bars can cost anywhere from $2 to $3 a piece. This can get expensive if you use them everyday. However, if you use them as a meal replacement for one meal a day, that’s still less than the cheapest burger place for lunch, a lot less fat and salt, controlled calorie amount, and more vitamins and minerals.•Excessive Nutrition: If you’re using a nutrition bar for just a snack here and there, and not as meal replacement, look for one that has less than the 30% minimum daily requirement of vitamins and minerals to avoid over-intake of nutrients. This is especially true if you are taking a good vitamin/mineral supplement already everyday and eating well at your other meals. Too much Vitamin A can pose liver problems. Too much Vitamin E can result in excessive bleeding should you cut yourself.•May Contain Herbals: Steer clear of nutrition bars that contain “energy boosting” herbs such as ephedra, bitter orange, or even caffeine from green or black tea extracts which can affect some people’s heart rate or blood pressure adversely.•Taste: The taste of these bars can vary widely from brand to brand and price range. Some are in the “acquired” taste category and can be rather dry. Then there are others that really taste great. You really have to shop around and try a lot of different ones to find one you like and could eat on a regular basis.If you take medications, it’s always a good idea to ask your doctor about adding anything with vitamins/minerals in it that may interfere with absorption of your medications. Nutrition bars should not take the place of a balanced diet of whole foods, but they can provide a satisfying solution to a chocolaty-sweets craving, or provide a quick and nutritional meal on the run!