Home Improvement

Vacation home security is now more vital than ever. With rising unemployment, vandalism due to high scrap prices for copper, metals and aluminum, and longer times between visits due to high gas prices or airline fees.

While foreclosure rates remain high, even for vacation homes or second homes, criminals will be seeking crimes of opportunity.

Some of us turn to time-share properties as a more affordable alternative. Each of these two forms of vacation home ownership present unique home security issues.

If you own your own vacation home and live there either seasonally or on a weekend basis, you’re leaving your second home unoccupied for significant periods of time. You’re also establishing a pattern of occupancy that any savvy intruder can soon learn and use to his advantage. If you own a time-share property, you own a percentage of a vacation home. You’re sharing it with complete strangers who may or may not adhere to the same standards of security that you do. And, of course, you trust your time-share company to properly maintain and secure the property during those periods when nobody is staying there.

You may believe that merely applying the same safety practices you follow in your primary residence should be enough to protect your vacation home. But in fact, you need to go above and beyond the rituals of safety you’d observe in a home you live in on a more frequent basis. Homes that look unoccupied are easy targets. You’ve seen those homes with newspapers piled up outside or that appears pitch black at night when the rest of the neighborhood is lit. Consider the following guidelines for protecting your vacation home year-round:

Consider a GE Home Security System from your local Fortune Hi Tech Marketing representative. With FHTM and GE Home Security, it is now simpler than ever to protect what means most to you. With customizable systems to meet your specific needs, keep your family, possessions and investments safe. GE is continually advancing new technologies that help homeowners monitor their properties, make schools safer, improve airline security, and more. Plus GE can integrate new security technologies with existing equipment and IT systems. Whether you need an entire system, or individual products, GE has the right technology to keep you safe.

Introduce yourself to your neighbors – particularly those who reside in your neighborhood year-round. Tell them what your schedule is, and question them to keep an eye on things while you’re away. That doesn’t mean handing them a key, although you may wish to do so if you know and trust your neighbors well enough. And watching over your home doesn’t have to be a job to which you burden your neighbors; simply question them to remain alert to your home’s appearance. Leave with your neighbors all of your contact numbers at your primary residence, so that they may contact you immediately in the event they spot suspicious activity. Give them verbal approval to contact the local police department in your absence, particularly if they spot suspicious activity and can’t reach you by phone.

Consider the personal items you’re leaving in your vacation home when it’s unoccupied. Anything expensive – including cars, computers, televisions, DVD players and stereo equipment – should be stored under lock and key while you’re away. Take photographs of all of your possessions in your second home, and store them in a safe at your primary residence for insurance purposes. Engrave your name on the back of your expensive electronic equipment.

If you own a timeshare property, find out from the management company exactly what kinds of security measures they have in place. This includes the policies to which maintenance staff are required to adhere. Find out if the management company replaces the locks on doors in the event that tenants lose a key.

For most homeowners, the acquisition of a vacation home is the culmination of years of hard work. That’s why you owe it to yourself and your family to obtain for your vacation home the most stringent standards of safety within your means.

With the GE Home Security lifetime replacement of parts warranty and state of the art UL listed technology, you can rest easy. The highest quality products, competitive pricing and up to 20% off of homeowner and vacation home insurance makes GE Home Security the leader in the industry. One button arming, pager features, door chimes and a 24 hour emergency button make around the clock peace of mind a reality. Let FHTM and GE Home Security give you the power to protect your family and your home.

Here are just a few of the reasons to trust your security with a GE Wireless Home Security System:

One Button Arming: You arm your wireless home security system by pushing a single button.

The Peacekeeper® wireless home security system comes with entry/exit delays at the doors you select, and you can also place these same doors and windows on instant alert with the push of a single button.

Pager Feature: The wireless home security system has a pager feature. Should your child not return from school at the proper time and turn off the system, the system can be programmed to page you.

24-hour Emergency Button: You have access to an emergency panic button that allows you to summon help 24 hours a day.

Battery Back-up: In the event of a power failure, your Command Station will automatically convert from AC to DC.

Door Chime: The wireless home security system will, at your request, act as a door chime. Should your child try to slip out a door unattended, the system will say you?

Your security and the security of your guests is the most vital concern, if you are considering a home or vacation home monitoring system, please contact your local Fortune Hi Tech Marketing Representative, a GE authorized dealer or visit this link to get a Free GE Home Security System  http://fhtmus.com/monaview.

Your Travel Buddy uses and recommends GE Home Security by Fortune HI Tech Marketing. Your Travel Buddy (http://www.ytbvacationrentals.com) is a free vacation rental listing services and publishes vacation rental marketing and cost savings articles for the vacation home or vacation rental owner.

If you want to have a successful corporate relocation, you should have a solid, fool-proof action plot. You should make a complete relocation checklist so that you can track that action plot. A relocation checklist will also provide extra accountability and cut through the complication and confusion. Moving a company can be a torture even for some expert corporate relocation companies. So, if you maintain a relocation checklist you will get rid of some possible mistakes.

It is obvious that a relocation checklist should have a definable flow that organizes each part of the corporate relocation process into several steps that maintain every vital point of progress in proper alliance with the rest. Inside every phase, various activities are delineated. Often this is done in a pre-defined order but it does not always follow a rigid schedule. Rather, the checklist can is like a framework that can be modified if required.

These details may differ considerably depending upon the kind of business that is being relocated. Also, there are vital aspects that will apply in many cases. Accordingly, you will have to cope with the same facts in the same hierarchy no matter what the business checklist. Relocation of corporate or private businesses will follow the same basic guidelines.

What are the broad points in the checklist?

* Listing down your requirements

* Finding out about specialized relocation companies

* Preparing the relocation site

* Organizing the actual go

* Regular updation of the checklist to cope with changes in budget and progress

* Installing basic requirements like phone connection and electricity etc.

* Making the new location ready

* Making sure all certifications and inspections have been taken care of

A relocation checklist should also look after the employees. Adequate care should be taken to ensure proper arrangements for accommodation and education of the families of the employees.

With any vital process, it is vital that you set a time frame to your relocation process. Start plotting well in advance. Allot enough time for plotting and research. Also give enough time to your employees to settle their personal commitments. You should know before hand how long will it take for you to shift, and how long will it take to really set up your new site. Having such time-bound schedule will ensure better efficiency and you will not waste time on things that do not matter much. Having a time frame will give proper accountability and will help you in proper relocation within stipulated duration.

If you follow all the above points your relocation process will go very comfortably. Your stress level will be low, and confidence will be high. The result? A hassle-free, smooth relocation!

You know, I spend a lot of time in my kitchen. Every morning I’m sitting at my kitchen table having my usual cup of coffee or two. If I happen to be at home during the noon hour, here I am, back in my kitchen fixing myself something to eat for lunch. In the late afternoon, once again, I’m back in my kitchen preparing the evening meal for myself and my family.

I have noticed over the years that the one thing most kitchens have is a clock hanging on the wall. I have also noticed that the style of kitchen clock hanging on the kitchen wall can make the difference between dull and unnoticeable and charming and sensational.

In order to compliment the style of your kitchen with a kitchen wall clock that will be a charming sensation, all you have to do is know what kitchen wall clock will add these attributes to your kitchen’s atmosphere.

So okay, let the truth be known that the thought of writing this information on kitchen wall clocks wasn’t all my thought. I received an email from the contact page of the website the other day. It was a note from a lady by the name of Catherine.

Catherine had written me a note saying that she was browsing through the website and came across “Wall Clocks.” As she further explored this section of the website, she was so impressed by the information on kitchen wall clocks, she chose to write me to express her appreciation. So this is really how I got the thought to write about kitchen wall clocks.

So let me see. Where do I start? How about I go over different styles of kitchen decor and then I will make suggestions of what style kitchen wall clock might be the perfect match.

When it comes to kitchen styles or decor, you have Art Deco, Country, Modern and Retro. The colors of your kitchen may or in some cases may not influence the style of kitchen wall clock you hang on your kitchen wall. This all depends on basically on the type of kitchen wall clock you choose to hang.

I will start out with the Art Deco kitchen. This type of kitchen decor usually has some sort of wall art hanging on the walls. This could be plaques in the forms of fruit or vegetables. Also, the kitchen backsplash walls will typically have mosaic tile murals running above the counters with pictures of Horns of Plenty, Wine Bottles with Platters of Fruit and Cheese or Baskets of a Colorful Fruit and Vegetable Arrangements.

The Art Deco kitchen could be accompanied by several styles of kitchen wall clocks. These clocks include the Recipes Decorative Wall Clock which starts its life as an actual painting which is then transformed into a kitchen wall clock. In this style of kitchen wall clock you also have Whimsical Teapots, Cappuccino Decorative and The Vitis wall clock that features a Vitaceae vine design. These are more than kitchen wall clocks. These are works of art.

So now let’s take a look at Country Kitchens. Here there are a variety of themes to choose from. You have to question yourself is your Country Kitchen theme based on flowers, farm animals, domestic animals, fruit, vegetables, wild birds or frogs (yes, I said frogs).

If your answer is flowers, then you might want to choose the Sunflower with the Brown center kitchen wall clock, Red Garden Wall Clock, the Daisy pendulum wall clock or the Bouquet Tiny Times Clock. Your choice is just a matter of which clock will best match up with the colors and style of your kitchen.

Next we will take a look at the Modern Kitchen. Here you have stainless steel appliances with metal wall tile walls and backsplashes. Glass top kitchen tables with acrylic chairs, chrome pot racks and multi-colored small appliances sitting on counter tops.

So now you question me, “What style of kitchen wall clock would be the perfect solution to this modern day mess hall?” Well let’s have a look. You could go with the Stainless Steel Kitchen wall clock and keep the metal thing going in your kitchen. You could go with the Round Mirror or the Thin Mirror kitchen wall clock. That is, of course, if mirrors in your kitchen are your thing.

You can go with the Studio 24 Collection. This stunning contemporary kitchen wall clock will turn heads. This rectangular wood wall clock, finished in Black Coffee, features a curved front with recessed brushed nickel bands, with complementing brushed nickel finished hands. This kitchen wall clock features a curved pendulum that is supported by a bold brushed nickel stick to match the case. You never know what style wall click will have you friends saying, “Wow, where did you get that clock?”

Now let’s turn our mind’s eye to the Retro Kitchen. For those of you who have the Diner style kitchen in your home, these kitchen wall clocks are for you. You know who you are. You have the red Formica kitchen table with the chrome table edge and four red padded kitchen chairs with the bent metal chrome chair framing. You have a checkered tablecloth and a jukebox table top music selector that just happens to be a combination AM/FM Radio/CD Player/MP3 Player.

Well let’s see. What kind of kitchen wall clock are you looking for? You could go with your standard Retro Round Metal Wall Clock in you color choice of red, green, black, silver or white. Then you have the Deco Retro Kitchen Wall Clock. This white porcelain frame is accented wonderfully by retro-styled red Arabic numerals and a red center dial. Maybe?

For those of you who really want the finishing touch to the retro diner look in your kitchen you have to go with a retro logo kitchen wall clock. Here you have clocks such as the Coca Cola Double Bubble Clock, the Nesbitt’s LTD Edition Double Bubble Clock and the Orange Crush Double Bubble Clock. These are reproductions of the same clocks that hung on the walls of diners across the USA in the 50’s and 60’s.

So now you know that when it comes to kitchen wall clocks you have choices. So many choices that it is mind boggling. My suggestion, take your time to before you choose your time.

Frank and Todd discuss and practice the science of Cat Calls on the construction site. This is a sketch from our unaired NBC pilot, “This Is Culdesac”. Delight in! Be sure to check out the other pilot clips too! Milkman vs Mailman www.youtube.com The Excellent Word II: Missionary Rap www.youtube.com Neighborhood Watch www.youtube.com Mr. Wentworth www.youtube.com

Allison talks about living in her bath/shower and possoms.