The Truth and Nothing But the Truth

Written by Carl Agard on January 2012. Posted in Finance

Understanding Your Credit Score

The first thing you need to know about your credit score is that you don’t have one credit score: you have many, and they change all the time.

Credit scores are designed to be a snapshot of your credit picture- typically, the picture that’s contained in your credit report. New information is constantly being added to your report, and old information is being deleted. Those changes affect your score.

Because of this, maintaining your credit can sometimes seem be hard work. If you have a bad score now, you’re not stuck with it forever. You can do a lot to improve your situation and make yourself more credit-worthy in lender’s eyes. When you have a good score, you need to constantly monitor your credit to make sure it stays that way. There are five parts to the FICO Credit Scoring System:

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Noodle Nutrition 101

Written by Editor on December 2011. Posted in Chow

Fettuccine Florentine

I first ate fettuccine similar to this at Nick’s, a wonderful little Swiss-Italian restaurant on the Atherton Tablelands. As I have a serious love for anything spinach I promptly decide to try and recreate the flavours of the dish so I could eat it at home too. It has since become one of our favourite pasta dishes and a staple in my kitchen. Thanks Nick!!

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Dating a Vegetarian

Written by Contributor on November 2011. Posted in Chow

So you’ve found a potential match. You like the same music, you get each other’s humor, like the same movies, both like to travel and take long walks on the beach.

Everything looks great and you’re heart jumps a beat as you get ready for that first date. You make your way to the restaurant to enjoy an intimate dinner when out of nowhere your date drops the big “V” bomb. They’re a vegetarian or worse… a vegan.

So is it a deal breaker? It’s not like they smoke cigarettes and you have asthma. But let’s face it, you’re a carnivore and that’s simply something you’re not willing to change. You start to wonder…What’s next? Tree hugging? Will you be subjected to countless, painful hours of yoga classes? Your heart drops and the excitement quickly fades…

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How to Find Cheap One-Way Flights

Written by Contributor on November 2011. Posted in Trek

Cheap one-way flights are great for open-ended travel and for people who do not need to return anytime soon (for instance, if you are moving cross-country).

Travelers who want a trip to Europe and still have a flexible schedule use one-way flights to maximize their options. But historically, one-way fares have been far more expensive per mile than round trip travel. While that is still true with some routes flown by legacy airlines like American and United/Continental, there are enough exceptions that finding cheap one-way flights is easier than ever…

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Airlines Offer Free Flights to Disgruntled Passengers

Written by Contributor on November 2011. Posted in Trek

Frequent travelers expect the usual hassles at the airport that come with booking cheap flights. But, surprisingly, airlines are starting to make overtures to their disgruntled passengers.

Airlines Offer Free Flights to Disgruntled Passengers

For example, after flooding in Bangkok, Thailand, U.S. airlines that fly there waived their ticket change fees for their Bangkok passengers. The recent labor dispute that shut down Australia’s Qantas Airline resulted in free tickets for disgruntled passengers, and JetBlue passengers stuck on the tarmac after a recent early snowstorm in the northeast were offered similar compensation. These incidents show that airlines are being slightly more pro-consumer these days, in hopes of counteracting bad press and making passengers happy…

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The Complete Body: PART 1 Series

Written by Chadwick Washington on November 2011. Posted in Fitness

We’ve all seen this before in the gym, big strong upper body and small lower body.

And the sight of it I must say is very alarming. It shows a huge disproportion. Many strive for what they believe is a complete body but most fall short because of what we allow to limit us; our genetic background. One thing we must note when developing a complete body is… balance is needed…

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Vespa Summer

Written by Jerris Madison on May 2011. Posted in Speed

The 2011 Vespa LX50 4V is stylish, gas efficient and will keep money in your pocket this summer.

If you want an alternative to spending a lot on gas this summer, a Vespa is your means of transportation. We understand the Vespa isn’t for everyone. It’s practical if you travel short distances to work, school or the office.

With the maximum speed at 39 mph and gas mileage 85-90 mpg you surely can’t go wrong. The Vespa is the primary means of transportation in a lot of foreign countries due to fuel cost and over population. Make a difference and consider one of these scooters. Your carbon print will impressive. Side Note: Wear a helmet even if you’re in a state that doesn’t require you to do so…

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Phucket Island, Getaway

Written by Editor on March 2011. Posted in Trek

Phuket is a city located in the southeast of Phuket Island, Thailand. It is the capital of the Phuket Province, covering all of the island. As of 2007 the city has a population of 75,573 people. Phuket has a dry season that runs from December through March and a wet season that covers the other eight months. However, like many cities that feature a tropical monsoon climate, Phuket sees some precipitation even during its dry season.

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Women: Tired of Your Noodle Arms?

Written by Chadwick Washington on January 2011. Posted in Fitness

Women’s Guide to a Sexier Upper body.

“I don’t wanna be too bulky, I put on muscle real quick” or “I don’t wanna look like those bodybuilder women”.

These are phrases women often use when asked about working their upper body. But let’s look at the facts first. Women don’t naturally produce enough testosterone for this to even take place and as for those bodybuilder women, most are using a supplement that decreases estrogen and increases tester one to allow that effect to happen. So let’s not allow this to discourage you from getting a tighter toned upper body. Also remember the more muscularly fit you are the lower your body fat percentage…

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Speed: Rolls Royce Ghost

Written by Jerris Madison on November 2010. Posted in Speed

I’ve never been much of a car person but this Rolls Royce Ghost 2011 has changed my mind.

Zero to 60 mph goes by in 4.7 seconds and if you keep your Allen Edmonds fully planted in the shearling wool carpeting, you’ll reach 120 mph in about 12 seconds. The eight-speed automatic transmission dispatches full-tilt gear changes with the barest perceptible flutter.

The Ghost in all ways is a more measured, more realistic car. It is, first of all, much smaller—17.7 feet in length (17.1 inches shorter), 76.7 inches abeam (down 1.6 inches), 61 inches high (down 3.3 inches) and weighing 5,445 pounds (down 353 pounds).

The 2011 Rolls-Royce Ghost is indeed an historic car: It’s the first small Rolls-Royce launched since the 1949 Silver Dawn. “Small” is a relative term, however. Though 17.1 inches shorter than a Phantom sedan, the 212.6-inch Ghost is still 4.3 inches longer than a Bentley Continental Flying Spur, and weighs a not insubstantial 5450 pounds. This is not a compact econo-Rolls.

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