How to Switch to Firefox and Why You should

First things first, what is Firefox? Well, it's a browser. OK but what's that? A browser is a computer program used to view web pages, to browse through the world wide web. In fact you are reading this article with a browser at the moment. Browsers are very useful. For a start, they can remember what pages you have looked at, you can even store your favourite pages as Bookmarks. Browsers can do much more depending on which one you have.

Firefox is a free browser developed by the Mozilla Foundation. The Mozilla Foundation develops open source software. Another excellent application is Thunderbird, an email program.

More than likely you are using Internet Explorer to view this webpage. This browser is part of Microsoft Windows operating system. To check which browser you are using:

Click on the Help in your browsers menu bar. (It's the last option on the right hand side, after File, Edit...) Click on the last option in the menu that appears.

If it says Microsoft Internet Explorer® then you have the browser that between 80% and 90% (depending on who you talk to) use.

So why change?

Security: Most experts agree that you are less likely to be the subject of a malicious attack by "hackers" if you use Firefox than if you use Internet Explorer.

Firefox Extensions: There is a whole array of quick and easy to install extensions available for Firefox. Extensions add functionality to your browser. They are a bit like the added extras that you get with your car (except they're free!). Everything from Ad blockers to your local weather forecast.

Tabbed browsing: Instead of opening your browser more than once to view more than one page at a time, which can slow down your computer, tabbed browsing allows you to open many web pages, in tabs, in only one browser.

So how do you get the Firefox browser?

Click on this link to go to the Firefox download page. In the top right corner of the page is a green area with a link to the free download. When the dialog box appears, click save. Select a location to download the file to. The file should start downloading to the location you selected. When the file has finished downloading, (it should be called something like Firefox Setup 1.0.5.exe) double click on it to open it. If you have Windows XP service pack 2 is installed, a dialog box may appear. Select execute. After Firefox has extracted, click next. Click on the radio button beside 'I accept the terms of the License Agreement' and then click on the next button. The standard installation is fine so just click on the next button. This screen just confirms the location that Firefox is to installed, so just click on the next button again. Click Finish to complete the installation and launch Firefox.

Congratulations! You have now installed Firefox. When Firefox starts the first time it will ask if you want to set Firefox as your default browser. Select yes.

One last thing. Under no circumstances remove Internet Explorer from your system. Firefox is a better browser but Internet Explorer is used by your computer for other things than browsing the web.

What Treasures Are Hidden in Your Office Drawers?

'Have you got some staples?' someone asks you, waving a dead stapler urgently. You always have supplies of everything - your reputation as the company hoarder is well known - but just where is the $99 question.

You rummage in your top drawer, embarrassed that they see the pile of junk that has sneaked in. Dead bus tickets fly out and a tatty packet of chewing gum splits apart. Two pairs of broken sunglasses, three combs and a heap of other equally fascinating jumble tap dance under your fingers. At last, with a sigh of relief you find the box of staples you just KNEW were lurking in the depths.

This doesn't describe you? I bet it describes someone you know! Obvious as it seems, the way we set up our drawers can make a large difference to our productivity. Let's consider how to use your office drawers to increase effectiveness.

The most common configuration has now become one or two drawers and a file drawer and it works well. If you have the space, five pullouts and one file drawer is ideal. Less or no drawers can be compensated for by alternative mobile and auxiliary storage systems but for the rest of this discussion we'll assume you have at least the basic layout. (Some unfortunate souls have no drawers at all!).

Put your basic office tools such as paper clips, stapler, paper-punch, ruler, spare staples, rubber bands, eraser and pencil sharpener in the top drawer. Two reasons. They're less likely to walk(!) and having such items on top of your desk (as many do) crowds your working space and makes you feel cluttered. It takes a fraction of a second to open a drawer (if it's tidy) and reach for the equipment you need. The spin-off is a lovely feeling of space. I know - I used to have so much gear around the edges of my desk it left only a tiny area in which to work. I constantly wondered why my elbows were always knocking things off the desk! (And if your top drawer sounds like the treasure trove described earlier, de-clutter it. Most of that stuff can go in the rubbish, be taken home or recycled to the stationery cupboard).

Your current activity is probably lurking on top of your desk so you won't forget it. Problem is - the piles get bigger and bigger and you're liable to forget things anyway. There are a number of options - let's look at the two most common ones.

Option One is to house your current work in the hanging file drawer in your desk. If you name it 'Action - Current' it keeps the system alphabetical and easy to find for anyone else managing your work when you're on leave or sick. Position this file at the front of your file drawer or on the side closest to you, depending on the configuration of your drawer. If you have a number of long term items which don't need daily focus but you need to keep close at hand, make a second file called 'Action - Pending'.

Option Two caters to the visual folk, and there are many. They truly know that anything put away in a drawer, no matter how well labelled, will not see the light of day again - at least when they're looking for it. If this describes you, try using a step file. One of my clients has designed quite the best I've ever seen. (This product flows out of our warehouse by the box load - it's FABULOUS!) The value is that it's out in view on the top of your desk or near your desk, it's easily seen and things placed there can be retrieved in a milli-second. Everything is at your fingertips and you've applied one of the key principles of paper management - storing things upright instead of flat.

The exception, obviously, is bulky projects that don't fit. You've got several options.

1. Place them in their own named files in the file drawer or Quefile. (If they're bulky and not something you're working on constantly, they're better out of the Quefile and placed in either the file drawer or your regular filing cabinet.) 2. Use an upright periodical box with the sides cut away so you can see the contents (readily available in all stationers). 3. Place them on a nearby shelf, but NOT on your desk. It's visual graffiti and a distraction.

Now what's left?

Most of the rest of your 'stuff' can go in a suspension file called the '1/2 way to the Rubbish Bin' file (and I do tag it with that name!). The future contents of this file are probably sitting on your desk because 'you might need them still'. Benefits of pulling this 'almost clutter' together into one file? The paper is off your desk but still within easy reach. You haven't wasted time filing paper you're probably not going to need again (and about 85% of what we file is never looked at again). If you do need to check it, it's not far away. Occasionally you'll need something from the file. As you touch each piece of paper decide whether you still need it. Throw out anything no longer needed. You'll never have a very fat file.

Since I learnt this technique, many years ago now, I've never had an overflow. Think of it as weeding a garden - unwanted weeds settle into a garden just as easily as into our workspace. We have to be just as rigorous at weeding paper as we do plants, in order to keep order.

If you have more drawers they can be used for a week's supply of regularly used stationery, things like often-used computer discs and one drawer for personal things.

You've got an old 3-drawer desk and no suspension file? Either get a mobile one and place it under or beside your desk or use drawer two to store your current action and drawer three to hold your '1/2 way to the rubbish bin' material.

Don't use your desk file drawer for longer-term projects to which you're not constantly referring - they should be in your main filing cabinet (if your work justifies having another cabinet). Remember the basic rule - use the space closest to you for the things you constantly need.

And now - have fun clearing out those drawers. You'll feel great when you're done!

Medicare Supplement Insurance Companies - Knowing Your Options

Medicare Supplement insurance is also known as Medigap insurance. As you may have guessed, the purpose is to fill in the gaps left by regular Medicare coverage. Medicare Supplement insurance companies offer the 12 same plans across the board.

This is made possible because they are government-standardized plans. However, there are so many companies offering their services that deciding the plan you want is not enough. There are many aspects that make companies different from one another. Three important factors go into deciding which company you want to get your Medicare Supplement insurance from.

The most important and finite aspect to consider is the price each company offers for coverage. It is not necessarily that one company will simply charge more than another but that they will charge in a different way.

Some consider age while others base your cost on the average amount that other seniors in your community are paying. Some will increase in price as you age while others start higher but do not increase over time. All these add to the complexity of choosing which of the Medicare Supplement insurance companies you want to do business with, but fortunately other deciding factors play an important role as well that can help you make up your mind.

Some Medicare Supplement insurance companies will include additional benefits, discounts and features to your service. These services are not federally-standardized, but rather just something that the company will do on their own to better serve you.

Example of such benefits could be access to a vision insurance discount program or a monthly informative newsletter about Medicare so you are always up-to-date on important matters. While these little incentives should not be the utter deciding factors, they can certainly play a part in helping you make a wise decision about who to receive coverage from.

The final area is the reputation of Medicare Supplement insurance companies. A brand new company could offer prices that are far below their competition in an effort to draw clients, but the solid status of a long-standing company that charges just a bit more could be well worth the slightly higher investment.

Medicare and Medigap coverage are tough topics, ones that often require customer service. When you sign up with a company that you know is reputed to have great customer service, you can rest your mind at ease knowing you will be taken care of if an issue arises.

Kenya Food: Finest Kenya Food - Staples - Cuisine & Dishes Traditional Meals

Kenya food & Dishes

The Kenya food tradition has generally emphasized on feeding the masses as efficiently as possible, with little room for flair or innovation. Nonetheless, Kenya is blessed with a cornucopia of natural produce and the food scene is definitely on the improve. Kenyan markets are bursting with crisp vegetables, the steamy coast provides abundant tropical fruit and fresh seafood, and through out the country, meat-be it beef, goat, mutton, or even camel-is consumed with gusto. So while traditional fare may veer towards the bland and filling, if you are prepared to be adventurous you may well have some memorable or unique gastronomic experiences.

Staple Kenyan food and specialties

Although there are some interesting Kenyan dishes, travelers mostly encounter simple meat stews and curries with fillers such as rice, potatoes or another high-starch option. These aren't culinary masterpieces-its just survival food for the locals offering the maximum opportunity to fill up at minimum cost. Vegetarian visitors are likely to struggle; meat features in most meals and many vegetable dishes are cooked in meat stock.

Breakfast in Kenya is generally a simple affair consisting of chai (tea) accompanied by mandazi, a semi-sweet flat doughnut. Mandazi are best in the morning when they are freshly made-they become rubbery and less appetizing as the day goes on. Another traditional breakfast dish is Uji, millet based porridge similar to Ugali. Uji is best served warm with lashings of milk and brown sugar.

Main Kenyan dishes

The true staples of Kenya diet are Ugali and sukuma wiki. Ugali is maize meal cooked into a thick porridge until it sets hard, then served up in flat slabs. Its incredibly stodgy and tends to sit in the stomach like a brick, but most Kenyan swear by it. It will fill you up after a long day's safari but it won't set your taste buds atingle. Many Kenyan dishes are accompanied by sukuma wiki-braised or stewed spinach.

Sukuma wiki in Swahili means literally 'stretch the week', the implication being that they are so cheap they allow the householder to stretch the budget until the next weekly pay cheques. Despite its ubiquity, a dish of well-cooked sukuma wiki with tomatoes, stock and capsicum makes a refreshing change from the preponderance of meat in other recipes.

Another noteworthy staple, especially in the central highlands is irio (kienyeji in Swahili), made from mashed greens, potatoes and boiled corn or beans. Also common is mukimo, a kind of hash made from sweet potatoes, corn, beans and plantains. Vegetarians can find githeri- a mix of beans and corn-in most local eateries.

But Kenyan food is all about meat. Kenyans are enthusiastic carnivores; their recognized national dish is nyama choma (barbecued meat) and most other dishes are based around stewed meat, accompanied by a generous portion of carbohydrates, beef, goat and mutton are the most common, and they tend to be pretty tough. Carbohydrates come in five major forms; Ugali, potatoes, rice chapatti and Matoke. The chapatti is identical to its Indian predecessor. Matoke is mashed green plantains, which when well prepared can taste like buttery, lightly whipped mashed potato.

The most distinctive Kenyan food is found on the coast; Swahili dishes reflect the history of contact with the Arabs and other Indian Ocean traders and incorporate the produce of the region. The results can be excellent and spices such as clove and cinnamon feature prominently. The rice-based dishes, biriyani and pilau, are clearly derived from Persia; they should be delicately spiced with saffron and star anise, and liberally sprinkled with carrot and raisins.

You will also encounter Indian food. Most restaurants serve curries and Indian - inspired dishes such as masala chips (i.e. with a curry sauce) and Indian restaurants on the coast and elsewhere dish up traditional curries and other fare. Western dishes such as roast chicken and steak are staples in more up market restaurants found in the larger towns.

Fruits of Kenya

Because of the country's varied climate, there is often an excellent array of fruits to be found. Depending on the place and the season, you can buy mangoes, papayas, pineapples, passion fruits, Guavas, Oranges, custard apples, bananas (of many varieties), tree tomatoes and coconuts. Chewing on a piece of sugar cane is also a great way to end a meal. Prices are low and the quality is very high.

Buying Lingerie to Suit Your Figure

Buying the right lingerie can give you more confidence and dramatically improve the look of your outfit, yet many women find lingerie shopping a complete nightmare. When you are trying on lingerie, you want garments that will flatter your figure and fit your curves perfectly, however, local high street retailers often fail to provide the right styles and sizes that you require. To really make the most of your body, you should look further into the more specialist shops to seek a better selection and achieve a sexier you, but what should you be looking for.

Lingerie buyer for the fuller figure

If you have a fuller or more curvaceous figure, there are plenty of styles you can opt for to feel sexier, whether you are dressed for an interview or in the privacy of your own bedroom. A good, supportive bra is a necessary companion for larger breasts and will cause them to look younger and perkier. To ensure your breasts are supported and lifted properly you have to get the correct size. The majority of women wear bras that are too small for them, to the safest way to select appropriate bra is to get a shop assistant to measure you and check your size. This service is available in most underwear stores or department stores, and it should only take a moment. Lingerie providers are introducing more sizes than ever before so if you shop around, you are bound to find the size you require, no matter how rare you consider it to be.

You may now have the right bra but what about the other half of your underwear? Not everyone suits or feels comfortable in skimpy thongs so don't feel pressured into buying them. If you are worried about your stomach area, you can find underwear that will give your bottom and stomach a flatter appearance. Although these won't be the smallest of underwear garments they can give you a tremendous boast in confidence and make you look even sexier in that little black dress you have for the office party. You will be surprised at how much better an outfit can look with the correct, supportive underwear.

Lingerie for smaller frames

For those with smaller breasts, there are plenty of styles on the market that can either flatter or increase the size of your chest. There is now a wide range of alternatives to the padded bra to give you extra shape or lift up top. You can buy gel or water inserts to fit just under the bra to give a bigger but natural look. However, if you are you keen on adding on extra layers, a well-designed push-up can really work wonders. Many styles are adjustable so you can alter the height to suit your outfit.

Many women do not realise how much great underwear complements the body and contributes to a stunning outfit. There are now so many innovative products arriving on the market, that underwear could be the new cosmetic surgery. No matter what your size or shape you are certain to find something that fits well and complements your figure.

Layoffs Lead to Luxury

How are the layoffs going to lead to luxury lifestyles for some people? Because they will use it as an opportunity to change what they are doing and chart a new course in freelance work.

When you have a nice, comfortable job there is no incentive to try to work for yourself. Someone hands you a paycheck, they offer benefits and you don't have to worry about anything but showing up and doing a good enough job not to get yourself fired.

Then the economy sours a bit and you lose your job through no fault of your own. Tough break? Maybe. Opportunity to work for yourself? Absolutely. Now you have no excuse to keep padding someone else's pockets. It is time to start padding your own wallet.

How do you get started? A great place is through any of the various freelance communities online. They can get you started by posting your skills for potential clients to see and showing you jobs that are available to bid on.

Some jobs are available now that you can do the very same day that you sign up.

Once you start doing some freelance work, you can make a name for yourself, earn some great experience and gather some great references from satisfied clients.

Since freelance professionals often make a great deal more than their "employee" counterparts, it is no wonder that once people try freelance work they become hooked on it and never want to work for someone else again.

Why let layoffs get you down? It may just be time to try something new and go freelance.