The 7 Best Free Web Tools You Need To Know About

As more and more new users sign up for Internet access for the very first time, most are completely over-whelmed by the huge array of relatively high priced web services and tools available. They then ask themselves "what are the best free web services and tools available".

Here are 7 of the best free web tools and services we have found on the web.

1. Link Popularity Check

CheckYourLinkPopularity.com

Now days,just about every major search engines rank web pages based on the number of links that point to them. If you want your site to rank well, you must have lots of incoming links. Link Popularity Check is a great FREE windows based application that you download and run on your PC. The program is developed by the same people who wrote Arelis (axandra.com), so we know its pretty good to start with. It quickly checks how many incoming links each one of your domains have in all the major search engines such as Google, Yahoo, MSN, AltaVista and HotBot. I have not come across any limit to the maximum number of sites you can check at one time. A great utility you should definitely have.

2. Keyword-Explorer.com

This FREE Windows based application allows you to find keywords from all the major Overture search engines as well as from Yahoo. Its fast, it is very efficient and it works well. I use it almost everyday to create AdSense sites and to look for keywords for Adword campaigns. Its complete FREE!

3. PonyFish,com

What if wanted to have an RSS feed for your old web site, but cannot run software to create a RSS feed? Simple.. Just visit PonyFish.com and get a FREE account. The PonyFish site will then visit your website, and it will rapidly create a RSS feed for you using your content. It couldn't be any easier!

4. LiveJournal.com

LiveJournal is very easy to use (ok..maybe not as easy as Blogger.com) but still easy enough for a complete newbies to get going within a few minutes. Blogs have become an indispensable method in getting websites visited by search engines and having a few quality blogs on hand makes the chances of getting your next web projected listed in the search engines much, much easier. LiveJournal also has a "paid" option as well, but when starting out the FREE option is very good and easy to use.

5. ScanR.com

ScanR is an absolutely amazing service. Its allows you to send in your images or photos and have then sent back to you in a searchable PDF format (all for FREE!!!) Imagine you go to a business meeting where you brainstorm on a white board for a while. You jump up with your trusty digital camera enabled cell phone and take some photos of the white board. While you at it, you quickly "snap" some shots of some proposal paperwork. Then you email the photos off to ScanR and within no-time they send you back a searchable PDF document of all your information. Check out their home page for what you can actually do with this service, this is an immensely valuable service. Bookmark this one..

6. Mon.itor.us

I'd guess that this site's name was inspired by del.icio.us, but provides a very handy service monitor your web services. I quote from their website "website and server monitoring service with personalized interactive interface, where you can add server performance and availability tests, get uptime reports, add contacts to get the alert notifications."

It wasn't that long ago that you had to pay $30-$80 a month to have the same service as these guys are providing for FREE. So if you need your web servers monitored these guys could be just the one.

7. CoolArchive.com

A site that claims to have 4000 icons in 125 different categories. The site does have a lot of advertising on it and the occasional pop up does make its appearance, but if you are looking for an icon for that next software project or for your next web site then this could be the site. If you want to make a favicon (short for favorites icon) for your site, then simply take one of the icon from CoolArchive.com and visit http://www.favicongenerator.com

FavIconGenerator.com is a free favicon generator that will make your site stand out from the crowd, especially when the visitor clicks on their list of favorites and your site has a distinctive icon associated with it.

All of the tools I mentioned above are absolutely FREE, none of their are affiliate links or anything like that.

I use almost all of them on a daily basis, so don't waste your hard earned money on expensive tools, use these FREE one.

Asthma Attack Symptoms

During an asthma attack a series of things happen in your lungs and airways that all contribute to the symptoms of an asthma attack. The cells that line your airways create and excrete more mucus that they normally do. This creates an excess that clogs the airways and makes breathing more difficult. This mucus can also settle in the lungs creating breathing problems by filling the air pockets that would normally hold the air you breath.

The muscles in your airways tighten. These muscles are wrapped around the airways and when they tighten they constrict the airways and cause them to narrow. This has a two-fold negative effect in an asthma attack. It lessens the amount of air that can travel in them and also hinders in the ability to cough up and out the excess mucus that is being produced in the airways. Both of these combined have the effect of inhibiting the ability to inhale end exhale air comfortably.

Another thing that happens is the airways themselves begin to swell. This swelling takes place in the tissue lining the airways, closing off the inside of the airways. All three things combined cause and contribute to the symptoms of an asthma attack. Excess mucus that fills the airways and lungs. Swelling on the inside of the airways resulting in lesser volume of air capacity. Tightening and constricting of the muscles wrapped around the airways all bring on an asthma attack.

Asthma attacks may be severe, moderate or mild. They can come on suddenly or take days in developing. A severe asthma attack can be deadly. It can cause the person to literally suffocate. In the severe asthma attack the person become so breathless that they may be unable to talk. The person suffering the attack may feel their neck and chest muscles tightening. Due to the lack of oxygen in the blood, lips and fingernails may begin to turn bluish in color.

It is important for the person suffering a severe asthma attack to get immediate help. Delaying treatment in any way can have catastrophic consequences. The first thing that should be done is to take your prescribed medication to help stop the attack and relieve the symptoms. Contact emergency medical services and handle it as such, a medical emergency. If someone is with you have them get you to the hospital immediately. Time is of essence in the event of a severe asthma attack.

A mild asthma attack has the same causes and the same symptoms, they are just not as extreme and are not deadly. There should be a plan in place for the person who suffers a mild asthma attack. If they are treated promptly with prescribed medication, while uncomfortable, they will pass. Keep your medication available and ready to use at all time and never run out. Replace medications before they run out A quick response is the key to stopping an asthma attack.

An asthma attack can be a traumatic experience, but there are some things you can do that will help ease the situation.

Peppercorns & Ways To Use Them

New and exciting varieties of peppercorns are becoming available to chefs everywhere. Pre-ground pepper out of the tin no longer provides the complex flavors and versatility that great cooks everywhere are looking for. A small collection of different types of peppercorns provides fine cooks with just the right pepper flavors and colors to create perfect culinary creations. Peppercorns crusts, rubs, marinades, dressings, and sauces are just a few of the creative ways these unique flavors and colors can be utilized.

Peppercorn sauces are a great way to present distinct and unique flavors to the pallet while providing a splash of brilliant colors. A rainbow of spicy flavors such as white, green, and pink can easily create an impressive dish.

Green peppercorns are a lively green color with a sharp, fresh flavor. These immature peppercorns are hard to find but well worth the search. Their fresh flavor is a perfect for making meat sauces for pork and beef. Green peppercorns are also a good match with salad dressings and vegetables.

Pink peppercorns are the rarest of the peppercorn varieties but provide an exquisitely unique flavor. These exotic peppercorns have a delicate, fragrant, sweet, and spicy flavor. Pink peppercorns also add a lovely dash of color to all kinds of cuisine. They go especially well in fruit sauces, vinaigrettes, and desserts.

White peppercorns are preferred in much of the world because freshly ground white pepper doesn't leave dark, unappealing specks in food. It's white color is especially important in light colored sauces and foods such as mashed potatoes.

Black peppercorns are the high quality equivalent of the stuff you used to get out of those little tin cans. Black pepper starts losing its potency as soon as it is ground, and its flavor is significantly degraded after only a few months. Whole peppercorns retain their flavor for several years as long as they remain un-ground.

A blend of all these colors makes a beautiful and flavorful mix of pepper perfect for any pepper mill or stunning enough to place on display.

Go to Spice of Life Gourmet Peppercorns at http://www.bulkpeppercorns.com to find peppercorn: recipes, information, facts, and prices that can't be beat.

Improve Your Core Strength for Cheerleading Competitions With These 3 Cheerleading Workouts

If you're getting some cheerleading workouts into place to help improve your performance when going about your cheerleading practice or at games, it's important that you make sure to take core strength into account.

Maintaining a strong core will help you as you go about all the various moves that you do, ensuring that you never become injured at any step along the way.

Additionally, core exercises will help to ensure that you maintain good base stability so that each and every time you land from a jump, you're able to stay on top of your feet and carry on right to the next movement.

Those dancers who have poor core strength will really struggle with this, which can significantly hinder their performance.

To help boost your core, let's look at some of the primary exercises to keep in mind.

Plank On An Exercise Ball

The first of the core exercises that you'll definitely want to get in place is a plank on an exercise ball. The plank itself is excellent for generating good muscle endurance and strength and then by placing the hands up on the exercise ball, you only intensify it.

Note that this one is rather advanced to do, so if you can't hold a normal plank for at least 30 seconds on its own, work on building up to that first and then advancing from there.

If you jump onto the ball too soon, you won't be able to stabilize yourself.

Decline Sit-Up With A Twist

Next, also consider performing a decline sit-up with a twist. The fact that you're going to be working against gravity while doing this exercise is going to boost the intensity of it, allowing you to enhance your overall core strength and generation.

A decline sit-up with a twist will work the core muscles lining the front of the stomach as well as the obliques, so really is a great choice all around.

Perform it in a slow and controlled movement pattern to keep as much tension as possible on the muscles at all times.

The Bicycle

Finally, last but not least, consider the bicycle. This is a good one to add to your cheerleading workouts because it'll hit he obliques along with the front core muscles as well. Furthermore, it'll help you maintain good body control as well, which can be helpful when doing more advanced cheerleading movements.

When doing this one, make sure that the feet stay elevated up off the floor at all times to keep constant tension on those lower abs.

So there you have the top core movements that you should be including in your cheerleading workouts. Do a few sets each workout at least twice a week and you will be on your way to success.

Student's Guide to Buying Cheap Car Insurance

Many factors go into the cost of your car insurance. Getting a quote may not reflect the actual amount you have to dish out monthly because insurance companies have to take in a number of components to come up with an accurate insurance quote. Age, driving record, and coverage are some things u need to be aware of. For high school and college students, buying affordable car insurance is a high priority, and there are ways to get the best, most affordable quote for your vehicle.

One way to save drastically on car insurance is to make sure you do not overspend on your policy coverage. Unnecessary things should be avoided and reassessed according to your specific circumstances. Knowing what you want your policy to cover is very important. For example, for students, if you only have collision and theft insurance on your policy, you can cut out unnecessary costs on your monthly car insurance bill. Campus areas are especially prone to auto theft, fender benders, and collisions. If you think back during final examination weeks, how little sleep you've had, all-nighters, and long days of classes, you'll realize that getting collision liability covered is probably a smart and essential thing. In comparison to the entire country, the statistics for auto theft in or near college campuses are significantly higher. Students often are responsible for getting into wrecks due to young age, less driving experience, driving in a relatively new area (away from their hometown), and driving older vehicles. It is always important to be safe and get the essential liability coverage than fall deeper into debt due to accidents not covered by your insurance policy.

Another way to save on auto insurance for Students is to know every bit of coverage on your insurance policy and then do your homework, research, and online comparison of quotes. Things like background, driving history, age, and accident history affects your overall rate, but you do have some control of other factors like great credit and paying all your outstanding debts. You are also in control of producing a responsible driving record - driving safe and smart, avoiding tickets, and focus on getting good grades, because making the Dean's List helps build trust with you and insurance companies. If you project yourself to be a smart and reliable student, you will save much more money on car insurance.

Shopping online and comparing many auto insurance companies instantly efficiently produces many options from which you can pick policies that match your budget and coverage needs. After you've narrowed down your search to a couple providers, talk directly to the representative to see if the policy is worth it's price or quote. Price should not be your deciding factor, but getting the most coverage option for the amount you pay is.

Another way to reduce your insurance for your car is by taking an online defensive driving class. For students, if you send your insurance provider your grades every few months, this can also help keep your discounts going for a while.

Get Them Back to Work From a Rhode Island Divorce Lawyer

After eight (8) years as a Rhode Island lawyer dedicated to divorce and family law and another thirteen years in law here in Rhode Island, there is one situation that I have seen consistently and it almost always results in an unhappy husband paying alimony to his spouse. The scenario goes pretty much like this one.

John and Melissa get married and have a child. Melissa stays home to take care of the child because daycare expenses would be too costly and Melissa doesn't want her child raised by someone else. Melissa promises that when the child gets into school full time that she will get a job or return to work to help with the family income. The day comes when the child is in full time school and Melissa refuses to go back to work. She wants to be able to bring the child to school, participate in school events during the day and pick the child up after school. This situation often ends with a very upset husband and may eventually lead to the husband filing for divorce.

John files for divorce and Melissa who has not been working for years seeks alimony and child support as the primary caregiver for the child. John is upset. John can't understand it. He pulled the financial weight for his family for years and now when he wants to get out of the relationship he might be expected to pay for several more years.

Why?

Just because Melissa stayed home with their child and refused to return to work as she had agreed to help out their little family?

The answer is a resounding "NO".

It is not because Melissa broke her promise.

Practically speaking it is because John allowed her to stay home without contributing to the household income.

Many families are economical. Attorneys understand that. Yes, I understand that. However, everyone should take into consideration that more than one out of every two marriages end in divorce.

When you have that kind of figure working against you then you have to consider the consequences if your marriage happens to be one of those that don't make it.

So what is the answer? Families need two incomes even if it means the majority of one income goes to daycare for a while. Women can earn as much as men these days and the old ways of the mother just staying home with the child are disappearing. Frankly, they should be.

The answer to John's predicament and for many other men is to get the mother out and working for your financial future as soon as possible after the child is born. It is not a right of a mother to stay home with the child any more than it is a right of the father not to pull his weight with diaper changing and late night feedings.

In the end, if John, or you, or your neighbor Tim, is one of those two marriages that isn't going to make it for 50 years or so and you end up in Rhode Island Divorce Court, then if you let the mother stay at home with the child then prepare to pay alimony for a few years. At that juncture you have no one to blame. You should be informed. We balance the pros and cons on house buying. We also do it on whether we take a job or not. Why shouldn't we expect to do it with a marriage? After all, isn't it one of the biggest decisions in our lives?!

7 Techniques to Avoid Foreclosure

What is the most feared financial event in most people's lives? Job loss? Bankruptcy? Children? Divorce? For the vast majority of those who own their own home, none of the above. Foreclosure is frequently the most feared financial event imaginable. For most homeowners, the fear of foreclosure is enough to paralyze an individual into thinking irrationally and therefore compounding a very unfortunate situation.

There are a myriad of reasons as to why homeowners are faced with foreclosure, but most foreclosures in New Mexico originate in one form or another as a result of an adverse life event such as divorce, a death in the family, or health issues. Unfortunately, when life gets back to normal, homeowners often find themselves back at work, several months behind on their mortgage payment, and staring face to face with an individual delivering a summons to notify the homeowner that their bank is filing a claim against them. Also known as foreclosure.

At this point, you ask, "What options could I possibly have?" Most foreclosure counselors agree that the following are 7 options you can take to avoid foreclosure:

1. Do nothing.

Doing nothing will do nothing but speed up the foreclosure process. Best skip to option #2.

2. Borrow from family to re-instate the loan with the bank.

Many homeowners have family who understand their situation better than any bank or lending institution. Should you find yourself in foreclosure and you have family with the means to help, it is time to put your pride aside and ask for help.

3. Borrow from your 401K plan at work or IRA as a hardship loan to reinstate your loan.

Most 401k plans allow you to "loan yourself" money as a result of a hardship such as foreclosure. However, remember that you need to pay yourself back. Otherwise, you could be hit with major tax ramifications and/or penalties.

4. Borrow from your credit cards to pay off the remaining debt on your mortgage loan.

Depending on your credit card balances and available credit vs. your total remaining debt, you may be able to borrow enough from your credit cards to pay the re-instatement costs in full!

5. Re-finance the property.

There are many mortgage brokers and direct lending institutions who deal solely with individuals who have poor credit or who are in need of a quick transaction. Beware, however, of predatory lenders who try take advantage of your situation for their own benefit. If you have time, shop around to see which lender and/or program meets your needs the best.

6. Sell the property.

When selling your property, chances are you don't have a lot of time. If you need to sell quickly, you are best off selling to a reputable Real Estate Investor. Make sure the investor has references, and make them prove their track record. If done correctly, these companies can turn a bad situation into a good one by purchasing your home and giving you cash at closing to move on to your next chapter in life.

7. Negotiate a forbearance plan or loan modification with the bank.

If you have some money saved, you may be able to negotiate the time frame in which you pay the arrearage back to the bank. However, most people need more time than the typical foreclosure timeline allows to save enough money to enter into a repayment program or loan modification. Some Loss Mitigation or Foreclosure Counselor companies are able to slow the Foreclosure process down so the borrower can save as much money as possible to present to the bank. So as not to enter into an agreement with a "fly by night" operation, make sure the company you are dealing with has referrals and that they are members of the local Better Business Bureau.

This is not an exhaustive list of options to avoid the formidable New Mexico foreclosure process. These are just the basics. With that in mind, foreclosure can be a daunting experience. But with the right attitude, tools, and know how, it can be avoided and become a positive memory of goal setting, persistence, and creativity that you can build on in the future.

What Are the Available Restaurant Maps Online?

Traditionally, when people were looking for a new restaurant, they would pick up a copy of Zagat's or some other fancy food guide. But in just a few short years, online maps have come a long way and now offer local information on businesses, shops and eateries too. Sites like Google Maps allow users to create their own maps of favorite establishments that they can save or share with friends and family. There are hundreds of food maps online, although a few noteworthy ideas have risen to the top.

On the West Coast, what could be better than eating a real, authentic Mexican taco out of a truck? With heaping portions, loads of options and mama's homemade guacamole, you just cannot go wrong. You just can't get that level of deliciousness from a restaurant, Californians say. However, it can be tricky to locate these trucks, especially if you are from out-of-town. Thus, Yumtacos was born.

Creator Joshua Lurie-Terrell of Sacramento, California said he had been keeping a list of the best taco trucks for quite some time. "As soon as friends of mine knew I had this list, people were calling me all the time," he admits. From there, transferring the data onto a Google map was no problem. Once the site was live, people could add their own taco truck sightings. Yum Tacos primarily focuses on California, although authentic Mexican taco trucks have been plotted from as far away as Baltimore, Maryland.

Another site, Chinesefoodmap, is based on mapping out the Chinese restaurant locations for Chinese immigrants. Web users will also have access to reviews, menus, driving directions and other local information. Creator Brian Hui first created this site only in Chinese and focusing on Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay Chinese food establishments. However, the site has grown nationwide to metros like Houston, Seattle and Atlanta, and an English version inevitably popped up as well.

Users of Google Maps have created a number of restaurant "mashups" based on the Google template. One of the most notable sites is Menurequest, which features more than 5,000 links in New York, San Diego, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Napa Valley, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington DC. Users can visit the restaurant's website, read reviews, get driving directions and make online reservations through this amazing map. These are just a few of the food maps available to culinary curators. Perhaps your very own city has a site designed just for hungry local residents like you.