Tim Pim Blog

When my wife and I recently stepped off a cruise ship in Skagway Alaska, we were excited to be revisiting some her family’s history. In 1897 her grandfather Jim and her great uncle Albert, joined almost 100,000 gold-rush prospectors who were going to the Klondike to search for gold. They were among the 30,000 or so prospectors who actually reached the Yukon. The journey was long and arduous and they walked most of the way as their pack horse was used to carry their supplies. The Canadian Northwest Mounted Police insisted that each Klondiker must bring a year worth of supplies with them before they were allowed to go to the Yukon. There were two routes through the mountains to Whitehorse on the Yukon River: The first route was the Chilkoot Pass trail which was too steep for pack animals. Klondikers had to stage their supplies and leapfrog back to carry their year’s worth of supplies up the steep icy trail. Many prospectors abandoned their quest here or perished in the extremely cold weather. Jim and Albert chose the second route called the White Pass Trail, which climbed to almost 3,000 feet in elevation out of Skagway and was just as steep and treacherous, but could accommodate pack horses. This information was of doubtful value as over 3,000 pack animals were killed on this trail which was nicknamed “dead horse trail”. Jim and Albert lost their packhorse during the climb but eventually made it to Bennett Lake with their supplies. They rafted down the Lake and onto the Yukon River while undergoing many difficulties and adventures, but reached Whitehorse and then Dawson City and the goldfields. Unfortunately most of the gold claims had been staked by locals and early prospectors and they ended up working as miners for the next two years until they had earned enough money to return home. The fact that they survived the extreme cold and harsh conditions was a tribute to their strength and indomitable spirits. Although they didn’t bring home any gold, they brought home a lifetime of stories to pass onto their grandchildren.

After my wife and I toured historic Skagway we then embarked on the most fantastic train ride of our lives - The White Pass and Yukon Route or WP&YR. We booked an all day excursion to Bennett Station British Columbia. The rail cars were authentic 1900 parlor cars or converted to look authentic and we joined our cruise ship passengers on a wonderful narrated tour back into history. The scenery was incredible and you had to marvel at the engineering prowess of the railroad builders as they constructed tunnels, switchbacks and hanging trestles up the steep mountain pass. The slow journey up the mountain gave us ample opportunity to view the steep and treacherous White Pass trail that Jim and Albert had climbed. We saw skeleton horse heads on the trail but whether these were of 1897 vintage or had been placed there by the local tourist board is not for me to say. We eventually reached Bennett Station where we had a box lunch and were given a guided tour before making the return journey to Skagway. It was an incredible journey which prompted me to do a little more research on the WP&YR and its links to the Klondike gold rush.

The WP&YR is a narrow, 3-foot gauge railway that connected the port of Skagway Alaska and Whitehorse, the capital of the Yukon. It is the most heavily used tourist railroad in existence today and carries over 400,000 passengers each year during the May until October season. The railroad is isolated and not connected to any other system. The original line was over 110 miles in length but the most commonly used section today is the first 40 miles between Skagway and Bennett Station, although plans are to add some excursions to Carcross, Yukon. Originally the intention was to link Skagway at the northernmost end of the Inside Passage to the gold mining districts of the Klondike. British investment was secured and construction was started in 1898 and finished in July 1900. Three companies managed the railroad known as the WP&YR:

- The Pacific & Arctic Railway from Skagway to the British Columbia border near White Pass.
- The BC-Yukon Railway from White Pass to the BC Yukon border near Pennington.
- The British Yukon Railroad to Whitehorse.

Traffic on the WP&YR dropped significantly after the gold rush with the severe decline in the population of the Yukon Territories. Tourist trade saved the WP&YR as they began promoting recreational travel off the steamships that stopped in Skagway. The Second World War brought about the need to build the Alaska Highway linking Alaska through the Yukon and BC to the lower 48 states. The WP&YR was the best way to move supplies to the highway site. The US Army leased the railroad from 1942 to 1946 and ran multiple daily supply trains during that period. After the war, increased mining activities in the Yukon maintained the rail traffic to 1982. Numerous spur lines were opened and closed to mines in the district. The WP&YR pioneered some of the first transshipment of containers from ships to rail during the post-war period. In 1982 extremely depressed metal prices forced the mines to close and the railroad shut down in October, 1982. However by 1988 increased cruise ship traffic to Skagway prompted the WP&YR to reopen in 1988 and traffic has increased every year.

The WP&YR rolling stock consists of approximately 20 diesel-electric locomotives, 2 steam engines and 70 antique and replica parlor car type coaches. 11 diesel-electric locomotives are ALCO 251A’s built by GE between 1954 and 1966, and 9 are ALCO 251D’s built by ALCO between 1969 and 1982. The two steam locomotives are Engine #73 which is a fully restored 1947 Baldwin 2-8-2 Mikado class unit and recently rebuilt Engine #69 which is a Baldwin 2-8-0 steam locomotive originally built for WP&YR in 1907. The parlor cars are antique or replicas of antique coaches with an average age of 50 years and with an average of approximately 40 seats per carriage. The parlor cars are named after lakes and rivers in Alaska, Yukon and BC and the oldest car is Lake Emerald which was built in 1883.

The future of the WP&YR railroad looks promising with the continued increase in cruise ship traffic visiting Skagway. I urge all readers to visit Skagway and travel on one of the most scenic and historic train routes in operation today. Information on the schedules and fares can be found at www.whitepassrailroad.com/schedule.html.

Mike Mathews is an author and contributor for Model Trains, which is a new and very popular model train website.

If you ever thought of building your house you need to read this. I built my house and had full design and construction control and I was NOT a general contractor! There are many advantages to building your own home. From saving money, creating your dream design and home style, owner building is very satisfying.

I will tell you the steps I took and how you can do the same.

Let’s take your property and make your dream home come true!

If you are going to the bank to finance this, you will apply for a construction loan as an “Owner Builder”. When the loan is approved the bank issues you progress payments based on the phase of construction you are at. The amount of the check issued to you is based on a percentage rule that the bank uses. They also send a loan agent to confirm. Then your payment is issued to you so you can forward payment to your sub-contractors (companies you hire). You’re the “owner builder” or general contactor.

The first thing to do is decide on the design or style of home. The square footage (size of home), ceiling height (8ft or odd sizes), wood frame verses CBS block, the number of rooms are some of the items you need to consider.

Explore some home design books. They offer a lot of information about material costs and the floor plans (the drawings that show your layout of the rooms) are open to redesign to your taste. You get to visualize your house.

The square footage is directly related to the cost and budget you wish to work in. Cost can range from $45 a square foot or higher. Get lots of quotes and research material costs and save dollars.

When the construction materials come into play ceiling heights are important. Odd sizes or overly tall heights will increase wood costs tremendously because cutting wood to make this work will leave a lot of “leftover drops” which are too short to use elsewhere. Expect some leftovers but consider keeping heights standard.

Depending on where you live, the weather, insects and costs of materials in your area will help you decide on whether to use wood frame or concrete block to build your home. Also when you talk to your architect he will also advise you. Use his knowledge he is familiar with your area and what materials to decide on.

Once you have a design ready the next step is to get this drawn by an architect. His job is to take your home design and redraw it to the correct local building codes and standards that are required and essential to building a safe structure that will last a lifetime. He will help you with material choice, room sizes and layout, floor coverings, roof shingle or tiles, placement of home on property, exterior wall coverings and overall style. These drawing will also have to be signed and sealed by the engineer. It may be your architect/engineer or one who he recommends. The engineer’s job is to assure that the design and materials used are structurally safe and strong enough to withstand the elements and ok for you to live in. This cost can range from $2,000 - $4,000. This process is important, so take the time to review and completely be sure you like the design. Get at least seven (7) copies of these blueprints. You will need to distribute them to different departments and subcontractors.

The first place to bring your drawings is the building department. This is where you submit your drawing for approval so you can get the permits to begin construction. This can take a few weeks for the plan reviewer to look at your plans and make any revisions to your drawings, if any, and return them to you with his stamp of approval. Then you may apply for the permits and setup the account they will issue you for calling in your inspections as you progress along the construction.

To see the next page to this, check www.thankyoudollar.org and keep on schedule with the building of your home! GOOD HOME BUILDING!

Eddie
ed007g@thankyoudollar.org
ed007g@hotmail.com
Feel free to contact me and talk!

We all want to have a successful website. Having such a website can mean the difference between having a successful business and going bankrupt! This is particularly important if our only marketing strategy is our Internet presence. What then are the secrets to attaining a successful website? This article sets out some of the critical elements that your website should have.

User-friendly Layout

Nothing pushes away a website visitor more than a layout that is difficult to navigate. Visitors should find it easy to move from page to page in a seamless and organized manner. Clearly labeled icons with the same format or position on each page are essential. The visitor should also have the ability to go to the home page from any page on your website.

Constant Theme

Have a constant theme throughout your website. Do not appear to be confused as to what business you are in. What is the purpose of your website? Ask yourself this question repeatedly as you design the pages.

Content is King

This is often said yet there are still a lot of websites that lack useful content. They resemble a page of classified advertisements. Give your visitors information of value to them, give it free and give it often.

Grammatical Errors

Grammatical errors on your website suggest that you are not a professional. People are reluctant to do business with persons who appear to be too lazy to take care of simple matters.

Language Tone

Visitors to your website want to be relaxed as they move around the pages. If you employ a conversational tone in your writing they will feel at home and stay longer!

Design Sticky Pages

Your website pages must have features that encourage or require visitors to spend a fair amount of time when they arrive. Don’t be boring. Bored visitors will not hang around for long.
Encourage Future Visits

Repeat visits should be encouraged. An effective way of doing this is to make your visitors aware of coming attractions/events/reports. Ask them to bookmark the site for future visits.

Customer Support

Always provide a customer support facility even if it is through email only. Add a “Frequently Asked Questions” page or pages to make it easier for visitors to get instant answers to basic questions.

Action Required

Let visitors know what action you want them to take. Ask for the order or ask them to signup for your newsletter etc.

Build Customer List

Always try to collect the email address of your visitors. Offer them a free report as incentive to signup and follow up with useful information from time to time. Research suggests that visitors seldom purchase on their first visit to a website.

I. O’Neil Williams (c) 2005

O’Neil is an internet entrepreneur who believes in achieving financial independence through passive income streams. He is President of TranswebSystems, a one-stop Internet web-store that provides all you need to get your online business up and running in minutes.

The popularity of the salon business continues to grow year after year, and more and more entrepreneurs are jumping into this exciting world.

There are many ways to run a successful salon, and many different types of salons to run, but the key to making any salon business work is a detailed and complete salon business plan.

==Detail Exactly What Type Of Salon You Propose To Run==

It goes without saying that the salon business plan should lay out in detail exactly what type of salon you propose to run. There are many types of salons, from hair salons to nail salons to day spas and beauty retreats.

Some salon owners focus on just one type of salon, while others offer a variety of related services to their clientele.

==Detail Your Financial Information==

A good salon business plan will contain detailed financial information on the proposed business to be opened, if it is a new business.

In the case of an existing business, it is important that the salon business plan contain information on the current financial health of the business.

==Attracting Financing And Potential Investors==

A business plan has many uses to the entrepreneur, but one of the most important of all is in attracting financing and potential investors in the fledgling business.

After all, no responsible investor will want to part with his or her hard earned money unless he or she is certain the business has a shot at succeeding.

==The Business Plan Is The First Thing Investors Will Want To Look At==

It is important that your salon business plan be professionally prepared, and that it be a good reflection on you and your business.

After all, the business plan will be the first thing any potential lender will look at. It is important that it put your business in the best possible light.

==Legal And Tax Planning Considerations==

A good business plan, whether for a salon business or any other type of business, will also be quite useful in planning your taxes properly, and in planning the legal strategy for your new business.

There are a great many legal and tax planning considerations when starting a new business, so it may be a good idea to consult with a good lawyer or tax attorney when creating your salon business plan.

Shaunta Pleasant is a professional web writer and editor on business plan topics. Visit my site to learn more about writing a business plan at http://www.business-plan-made-easy.com/salon-business-plan.html

The Ford Motor Company has been one of the leading manufacturers of vehicles up until the current time. At present, it is the producer and creator of many brands of automobiles and vehicles, and among its list is Ford.

Ford offers its clients and the world’s varying lifestyles reliable and affordable vehicles. It has made its way in the marking of milestones, and one of these is the Model T that was created and made by Henry Ford, and this automobile is actually more known as the car that first brought driving to the masses. Currently, Ford vehicles and automobiles is now counted and is among the world’s most popular cars and trucks. Ford, while developing their vehicles, had kept in mind and had made it their top priority to give their patrons the value for their hard-earned money, while never compromising the quality of the vehicles that they produce. They had strived to meet consumers’ real-life requirements - a wide range from the smaller cars for Europeans to the “smarter” cars for the ever-changing surroundings. Among their growing list of top-notch automobiles is the Ford Explorer.

The Ford Explorer 4×2 has turned out to be a 4-door sport-utility vehicle. It can contain up to seven passengers, and is available in seven trims. The Ford Explorer ranges from the XLS 4.0L to the Limited 4.6L. It is a mid-size sport utility vehicle that is sold mostly in North America. It was built in 1991 and is still in production at present. Since its introduction, it has been the best selling vehicle in its class, and has made its way to become one of the vehicles instrumental in turning the SUV from a special-interest vehicle into one of the most popular vehicles on the road.

Ford Parts Online

Ford Explorer Parts

——————–

Chuck, a 38 year old freelance writer from Charleston, South Carolina, has been specializing on automotive-related articles and news. He has a degree in Automotive Techonology.

Lots of people try to get outside during Labor Day and having your party outside is a great way to celebrate the day. You can go to the park and BBQ or picnic or you can hold the party in your backyard. If you have a pool this is an extra bonus and guests will flock to your party to eat some BBQ and cool off in the water.

Add a patriotic theme to your Labor Day menu with some red, white and blue fruit salad. Guests, especially the kids will enjoy eating unusually decorative foods on the holiday. You can mix up special colored drinks for the adults and properly themed Kool-Aid for the kids. Decorations can be patriotic pinwheels scattered around the yard and alternating solid red, white and blue tablecloths on the picnic tables. If you hold the party in the evening you can put up electric lights with miniature stars and other patriotic or workplace themes. For an office party theme on Labor Day put up the red tape, literally. Decorate everything, even yourself if you like in red streamers or red duct tape. For party favors it might be fun to give out paper weights for office employees to put on their desks or pencils and pencil sharpeners.

Since this holiday is in honor of the working man, why not invite your co-workers to this backyard feast. It could make a great office party for bosses looking to reward their employees. Or it can simply be a way of getting to know your co-workers and coming up with an instantaneous guest list. Plus they are all in the same place and you don’t need to spend money on stamps for the invitations. You can simply hand them out at work. Making use of these ideas should help Labor Day go from being just another holiday to a memorable and important time that your guests will look forward too.

Mrs. Party… Gail Leino is the internet’s leading authority on selecting the best possible party supplies, using proper etiquette and manners while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. Labor Day Weekend has Free Party Games, Ideas, Activities, menus, recipes, history, word find, coloring pages etc. to help complete your event.

“If you do anything foolish or try to get out of the car we will shoot you” were the terse words which hung in the air like a bad smell.

The small car was being driven at over 120 KPH down the dark roads and highways. Beside me - at the wheel of the car, was one man. Behind me, sat his partner, with a cold gun pressed against the back of my head. There was no doubt that they would do what they said.

A few hours before many thought had been in my head. I had many plans and things that I intended to do. But now, I was focused on ONLY ONE THING - getting home alive.

I knew this happened often where I was visiting - but never expected it to happen to me. Life was cheap, and over 100 people died each week at the hands of criminals like these. They wanted the car, and I was taken along to give them more time. Nerves were tense and something could go badly wrong.

Everything was focused on getting home alive…

That night I focused on keeping myself and the others calm. We knew that if we were stopped by the police it would become a shoot-out and we would be killed. We talked and I persuaded them not to tie me up and throw me into a gutter. Within one hour I was left in a dark industrial estate with my hands tied.

Within one more hour I was at home… alive…

WHAT IS THE POINT OF THIS STORY? Is it just to tell you about my experience? NO! I want you to answer one simple question.

If you knew that you had to earn $100 online within the next month what would you do? If the gun was pointed at your head and you had to make money online or face the consequences - what would you do?

There are many folks out there who have never made one cent online. You would like to make money but since it’s not essential you have never bothered doing anything about it.

What about you… If the gun was pointed at your head today and you were given 30 days to earn at least $100 what would you do? (and in case you are wondering - you can do it easily)

What am I getting at? I am trying to tell you that if you want to earn that $100 you are going to have to do some specific things. You need to learn quick, but most importantly you will need to start doing what your have learned - do it now!

Do you see what I mean? I am challenging you to work at your business during the next 30 days. Focus on one program. Create your own website with your own domain name. Promote your website and services.

Work… work… work… and then work some more. It will cost you less than $100 cash but it will take time, enthusiasm and effort.

About The Author

Andre Clelland

If YOU have reached the stage where the gun is at your head and you MUST make money online, then we have tools that will help you. We have searched the internet for free or cheap (no more than $1) resources that you can use to earn money within the next 30 days…

Check it out today at http://www.opt-in-leads.info

andrew24752@yahoo.co.uk

“Forget words like ‘hard sell’ and ’soft sell.’
That will only confuse you. Just be sure your
advertising is saying something with substance,
something that will inform and serve the
consumer, and be sure you’re saying it like
it’s never been said before.”
— William Bernbach

I ran across the above quote earlier today and
loved it so much it’s going to appear inside
my Marketing Tips 2 ebook.

And, like many times when we see a new word
or hear something in a new way, the oddest
things happen.

Today I also received an update from a program
I’ve been participating in since it’s inception.
So as not to embarass anyone - or myself for
that matter - I won’t tell you which one.

Suffice to say I’ve written to the owner of
the program numerous times asking for
clarification. Sure, I’m no doubt just having
a “blonde moment,” (no slam intended I assure
you!), but the fact of the matter is apparently
I am not alone.

The email today says the program is doing very
poorly, very little in terms of revenue or use
is happening.

And, it’s no surprise to me… unfortunately.

Logging into the member’s area is a nightmare,
and once inside you truly haven’t a clue WHAT
it is you’re suppose to do next.

The emails that come to “help everyone” tend
to be even more confusing. Information
overload to the point that the point is
completely and utterly lost.

Read Williams’ words above again and then
take it a step further.

It doesn’t matter if you truly HAVE built a
better mouse trap or have the best program
the internet has every seen, if you don’t
explain it for everyone to fully understand
you are doomed to failure.

I have this problem a lot Not doom, but
having to take something I’m thinking or
doing - knowing full well I see the “big
picture” - and then making sure, beyond
a shadow of doubt, that the person who was
NOT in on my brainstorming session will
understand it, too.

If they can’t follow it, they can’t do it!

Yes, “it” may make perfect sense… to you!
But, if you’re being asked over and over
to explain “it” and you are still having
problems promoting it or getting people
involved, the problem lies not with them,
but you!

Many of us are familiar with the words
speaking and/or writing “to the lowest common
denominator.” This isn’t a put down, it’s
a plain and simple fact.

Do choose your words carefully, and, when
you THINK you are done, always remember to
ask yourself, “Am I saying it correctly?”

If in doubt, seek a second opinion!

© Theresa Cahill - All Rights Reserved. Feel free to distribute this article. Please keep it intact and with the resource box included below.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Theresa Cahill, a two decade veteran of marketing, is the owner of http://www.mywizardads.com and invites you to take a look at the services of MWA and download fr.ee helpful information and more at http://www.mywizardads.com/sitemap.html

When the creditors are ringing the phone off the wall you know
it is time to repair your credit. The United States alone has
over millions of individuals and families struggling to find a
way out of debt.

This is why when you go online you see thousands of web sites
that say they have the solution for relieving debt. Don’t be
fooled! Many of the telemarketers that claim they can get you
out of debt can only bring forth more problems.

There is no answer for all of us, but there is an answer for us
all individually. Let’s take a look at an example. Ok, you make
$210 each week per paycheck. Your debt is around $5000 and you
can’t seem to see a way out.

Now let’s say you have two vehicles both are paid in full, and a
monthly rent that equals $400. We know that you only have $640
per month to purchase food, pay utilities, clothes, and other
items needed to survive. We can’t forget the phone bill.

This sounds like an impossible situation, but in reality there
is an answer available. Now if you phone bill is around $90 per
month and you spent around $50 per week on groceries and around
$150 per month on utilities.

Be time you are finished adding this up you will see that you
don’t have a dime left at the end of the month. Therefore the
solution is finding a job that pays more, searching for a
low-income apartment that basis the rent on your income and
using less utilities per month.

In today’s time you will spend $50 easily on groceries and not
get enough to make it to the next week. Therefore is it possible
you can eat foods that are less expensive and last longer? When
you are poor you got to live like a poor person. The sadness
about people that are struggling they often envy or strive to
purchase items they don’t really need.

Instead of paying the bills on time, they often pay a portion of
the bill and buy things that are not needed. If you have two
cars and a single individual it is wise to sell one of the cars
and apply the balance toward the bills. You can see from this
deduction that more money is needed to survive.

Why are you paying $400 for rent when there are many sources
available that offer you rent for less? Now let’s turn this
around. What if you successfully rented a low-income apartment?
Let’s say that your amount is reduced to $200 per month.

This leaves you an extra $200 per month to pay utilities, buy
groceries, pay insurance on one car, pay your phone bill, and
have a couple of bucks left over each month.

This is one solution and it doesn’t bring forth much, but it
does bring forth a small reward. Now if you can reduce your
utilities to around $100 per month that is another $50 you could
spend on bills.

If your credit history is delinquent, yet you are not swarming
in quicksand you might be eligible for a credit card. The
solution is not to get the card to buy items, rather it is to
get a card that will help you make your monthly bills and allow
you room to repay.

Make sure the card has low interest rates and there are no
annual fees attached. If you can get by without a credit card
all the better, but the fact is it is nearly impossible now to
go without a credit card. If you can get a job that pays more
for your work then this is helpful too.

The downside is when people get better paying jobs that often
take it for granted and land deeper in debt. The more money you
make the more you will spend. It pays to be careful with your
money and stay alert to your credit situation to keep a repair
in place.

When creditors are calling it is time to repair your credit, so
get ahead of the game before the phone rings.

Telemarketing is one of the most controversial elements of advertising and sales that has ever been. With a turn towards avoiding this means of marketing, business are looking elsewhere. But, can an effectively run telemarketing campaign still pay off? Is your business the right type to take on the telemarketing world? There is little doubt that telemarketing has been successful, but with so many worries about legal action, it is necessary to do several things to ensure your telemarketing campaign is successful.

For example, with many new laws in place regulating the use of telemarketing to specific time frames as well as to only individuals who have not said they do not want to be called, it is necessary to insure that the company that is used to market is of the most highest of standards. If you consider your business not at risk, think again. The image alone that the customer has when they are ‘bothered” is not one you will want to tarnish your business’s name. But, with the use of regulated services that really do pay attention to detail, you can benefit from telemarketing.

Telemarketing is necessary to many businesses. It can be done quite successfully. If you are considering the use of telemarketing to promote your service or company, insure that you use a company that screens employees, hires and trains employees effectively and that has a successful rating. With these things kept in mind, just about any need that you have in telemarketing can be fulfilled successfully.

For more information please see Telemarketing specialists