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Cheryl Posner

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Forget Just Shopping: Do Meta Shopping!

Meta shopping is something relatively new on the internet panorama but it is absolutely taking the world as we know it by storm. This is something so subtle but yet so powerful in so many ways, it would be crazy not to use meta shopping engines for many of your shopping needs.

Why Meta Shop?

Meta shopping has radically transformed the shopping experience, especially in the few areas where people felt they still needed to go to malls for, like shopping for clothing. Meta-shopping for clothes is truly a game changer. This new level of effectiveness in shopping for things online may truly spell the death knell for malls around the world.

Found exactly what you want, but not in the color and size you want? Meta shopping can take care of that for you. It can even store your measurements, and connect you with a tailor who can make what you want or need, but tailored to you, with all the data passing automatically.

Ok, But What Exactly Is It?

For those of you who are not one hundred percent familiar with the term, meta shopping is to shopping what meta search engines were to the traditional search engines back in the day.

Those of us who remember the early days of the web in the 90s remember there being several popular search engines, and then Meta Crawler came out and changed the game by being a META search engine that searched all the other search engines at once. Most of what was once the old search engines ended up being assmiliated by Google, but there are modern meta search engines that are more powerful than ever.

Meta shopping works the same way; sites such as Lyst, Amazon Fashion and The Iconic all link to multiple retailers and allows for a common interface to shop all of them. ‘  and add in the additional links to Amazon and The Iconic.  Often a common shopping cart is even included. And the best part is that the whole process is run by smart algorithms that can be educated about your tastes, preferences, styles and needs. The algorithm even learns from you naturally as time goes on and helps you to make more intelligent shopping decisions.

Where is Meta-Shopping Most Effective?

We have found over time meta shopping is the most effective in areas where the choices are so many they can become bewildering. This is especially true for areas like clothes as mentioned above, but also for things like car parts and electronics, where you have many similar options, and a meta shopping engine can help you sort through all of them more quickly and better.

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Family

Go Sexy for St. Patrick’s Day

This coming weekend, a whole lot of people are taking to the streets and bars of our great cities to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. The liquor will flow as usual, and a whole bunch of craziness will happen.

But St. Patrick’s Day doesn’t have to be just about drinking yourself into a near-coma. For starters, why not make it sexier, and get real dressed up for the occasion?

A few of us here were looking at some of the options on the website 3wishes, which specializes in costumes, dressing up, sexy garments and the like. We were truly amazed at the wide array of options just on one site. There is no excuse for being mediocre and just throwing on some drab green t-shirt anymore.

To start off, why not look at getting a blatant green wig to really stand out in the crowd? It’s fun and fun is what this day is all about. Wigs allow you to even go out of yourself and get in character for the big day, so they are big winners for an occasion like this.


Then, you could get a very slinky and elegant pair of green satin gloves that go all the way up to your elbow. These are absolutely perfect for the occasion because they are sexy but elegant and classy at the same time. There’s nothing like being sexy and still looking like a million bucks while doing it.

Don’t forget the accessories. From getting a green ribbon or two in your hair (or wig), to getting a nice subtle pair of green clover earrings, no detail should go unnoticed. With the proper accessories you can be the envy of any party.

There is even a pair of Sexy Green Boot Warmers on the site. These would be great for anybody celebrating the holiday anywhere it may get just a tad bit cold. You want to stay warm and stay stylish while doing it.

And of course, for the intimate moments that may well occur after the festivities with Mr. Right or even just with Mr. Right Now, you’ll want some matching green lingerie. There are plenty of styles to choose from depending on your mood and your own personal level of cheekiness.

So let the luck of the Irish be yours this coming weekend with a splendid new look for the party.

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Automobile

Car Rental Saving Tips

Planning on hitting the road with a car rental? Here are a few car rental saving tips that could really come in handy.

Join the Rewards Program

Most car rentals have loyalty reward programs for their customers. Joining is easy and in most cases free. Some of the perks that come with these programs are:

  • Free upgrades or rentals
  • Vehicle availability guarantee
  • Skipping lines

If you frequently use car rentals, it is worth signing up for these programs.

Ask If They Offer Discounts

The first thing you should ask at a car rental is: “Do you have any discounts?” Whether corporate, AAA, senior, Military or otherwise, a lot of these associations qualify for price breaks from the car rental businesses. All you need to do is ask.

Consider the Prepay Option

A lot of car rental businesses offer their customers different rates: one is for those who wish to pay as soon as they pick up the vehicle and the other one is for those who choose to pay in advance.

Prepaying is usually a better option. You can be able to save up to 20% as compared to upfront payments. Usually, the savings increase when you rent a better car.

Find Coupons

Coupons will most definitely help you save big. Sometimes, if you are lucky enough to get the right code, it is possible to save up to 50%. If you don’t feel like sleuthing for deals and codes, you can check out the rental car coupons.

Compare Prices

There are numerous deal aggregators online that will help you compare the prices of different car rentals at the same time. Before booking a vehicle, make sure you get the best available deal by making use of such tools.

Rent a Car Outside Airports

Renting inside airports is easy and convenient. However, you will pay 10-30% more for their convenient services. Part of what constitutes this fee is the concession fee charged for having a car rental space at the airport. It will, therefore, be worth using public transport or a taxi into town to get a car rental.

Understand the Fine Print for Fee and Tax Information

Most people overlook the asterisk that goes along with some information. For instance, a car rental may claim that you will pay $15 a day for car hire. Although this price tag might be quite alluring, you may end up realizing that there are hidden fees and taxes in your total.

Just because a car rental has advertised that you will pay the said amount doesn’t necessarily mean that’s all you will be spending. Find out from the rental site if that’s all you will be paying or if they are any hidden charges and taxes.

Reserve Your Car Rental for Extra Hours

You can even extend the return date by a day. Did you know that you can get prorated refunds for early returns? This is especially a great idea if you aren’t sure of the traffic situation on the day of returning the car.

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Travel

5 Things Northerners Should Know About Heading South

As the Starks of Winterfell say “Winter is Coming”, and with winter comes the mass of people who want to avoid the cold by moving south. Every year thousands of people living in the northern states of the United States flock to the south for various reasons. Unfortunately, some of these northerners heading south are completely unaware what they’re getting themselves into. There are many differences between life in the northern portion of the U.S and life in the South. You might not realize it, but moving down south could result in a complete change in your lifestyle. These people who don’t know how exactly their life will change from the move tend to struggle with adapting to change. So, here are five things you should know about the South so you’re absolutely prepared for the big move.

The Climate

The South is a wide area, but the general rule is the further south you go towards the equator, the warmer the climate is going to be. You can say goodbye to cold snowy winters and say hello to mild winters. For most people this is the primary reason for moving to the South. Sometimes people simply can’t handle the cold anymore, so they pack up their bags and head for a warmer climate. It’s no secret that one of the biggest differences between the two regions is the difference in climate.

The Culture

One of the most interesting parts of the southern United States is its deep rooted culture. Culture varies from region to region in the South, but regardless of where you go you are sure to find some amazing pieces of culture. For example, in New Orleans you can enjoy the sweet sounds of smooth jazz and swing music. In the heart of the South you can catch football fever along with your new fellow Alabama and Georgia fans. Along the Miami coast you can enjoy the strong Latin culture that generations of Cuban immigrants have brought with them. Regardless of where you are in the South, you are sure to find some amazing pieces of culture that you probably have not been exposed to before.

The Entertainment

Entertainment in the South is very similar to the entertainment in the northern portion of the U.S. however there still are some slight differences. For example, if you’re planning on on looking for homes in Houston, Tx, then you’ll probably become accustomed to entertainment options such as rodeos. In contrast, other portions of the South such as Florida and South Carolina offer amazing beaches for relaxation and entertainment. Regardless of where you choose to go in the South, you can be sure that amazing entertainment options will be available to you.

The Natural Disasters

Although the climate of the south is perfect for most people, other aspects of the region’s weather can be dangerous and even potentially life threatening. By the coast, the threat of a hurricane during hurricane season looms large. As you move inland toward flatter land, tornadoes, floods, and wildfires are major threats. Regardless of what region of the south you choose to live in, make sure you are well prepared with emergency disaster plans.

The History

Although recently embroiled in messy controversy, the history of the South is strong and proud. Southerners revel in their history, and look to famous Southerners as local heroes and role models. While sometimes others may not always understand why they do it, Southerners take great pride in their heros and thus have built countless statues and memorials to them. Learning about the history of the southern portion of the U.S can be very interesting, as the region’s history is strongly embedded into the local culture.

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Travel

Thinking of Moving Out of Sydney?

There’s no question that prices in Sydney just seem to keep on going up, and your dollar just doesn’t go as far as it used to back in the day. And on top of it, you wind up paying more and more for an environment that just gets more and more crowded, it seems without even adding infrastructure. It’s easy to understand why people may think of getting out of Sydney.

One great option is to go a little bit south of the city, still within striking distance but far enough away where you can avoid the crush. For example, something like buying a Lendlease property near Wollongong is something that can appeal to many people. You still have your coast access, but it comes together with much better quality of living at a much lower cost.

A lot of people may get a tad bit worried about leaving Sydney and losing job opportunities, but the facts are that more and more people are starting to do their jobs online. Especially if you are in the IT field or work as a writer artist coder etc. of any nature, these days you can work from anywhere on Planet Earth with ease, as long as you have a good enough internet connection. So you could wind up definitely having the best of both worlds.

The bottom line is, with changing technology and an ever increasing world population, even Sydney is starting to feel a little more crowded these days. And, lamentably, the city seems to be filling up more and more with people who just don’t respect the city the way people used to, and frankly unfortunately just don’t know how to act.

And other Australian cities have many of the same problems, so just changing cities is not necessarily your best option. In fact, as far as costs go, Perth in some areas can even be said to beat out Sydney on the expensive scale. And then you have areas like Gold Coast, which gets trashed every year by disrespectful tourists, and thus is not the best place to live either. And moving to the outback isn’t going to work out for most people honestly, plus the climate is a big issue for many, understandably.

The Wollongong area is a prime destination for people in the Sydney area because it avoids all the above problems, while allowing you to retain ties to Sydney, and shortening your move time/distance. And values will be sure to go up in the future as more and more people discover the area and how great it really is!

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Home

A Look at Solar Energy Versus Coal Power

One of the hot topics of discussion in the United States, and elsewhere around the world, in recent years has been about the pros and cons of solar energy versus coal power. Making decisions regarding solar energy versus coal power does necessitate an understanding of some of the key facts associated with both types of energy.

Trends Relating to Coal Use

Less than two decades ago. coal was responsible for 56 percent of all electricity generated in the United States. Since that time, the utilization of coal as a means of generating electricity has been in retreat. An examination of what types of underlying energy resources are being utilized in new power generation facilities illustrates the point.

Coal Versus Solar in New Power Generation Facilities

The most remarkable change in regard to the utilization of coal versus solar power is found in the type of energy resource being utilized to run new generation facilities. In 2014, solar and wind were utilized with 52 percent of all new power generating facilities that went online in the United States. In that same year, coal accounted for 1 percent of new power generation facilities.

The trend shifted more dramatically still a year later. In 2015, solar and wind power were utilized with 69 percent of new power generation facilities and coal was used at none.

Construction Costs of Solar Versus Coal Power Generating Facilities

One of the main reasons why solar is winning the new power generation facilities race in recent years is the fact that the construction of a solar facility is cheaper than building a coal plant that has so-called clean coal technology. In recent years, with regulations and other considerations, the movement has been moved to the construction of coal plants with clean coal technology, at least when those plants were being built.

The estimated cost for building a coal power plant that utilizes clean coal technology is $2.6 billion. On the other hand, a typical solar power plant costs $1.8 billion.

As noted, traditional coal plants are not even particularly considered when it comes to the construction of new power generation facilities. But, in the interests of full disclosure, if there was a shift back to building old style coal power plants, the cost of such a facility would be $1.5 billion.

The cheapest type of power plant to build is one that runs on natural gas. The cost for constructing this type of plant is $482 million.

Materials Used in Power Plant Construction

There is some commonality in the types of materials that are utilized in constructing coal, solar, and natural gas power plants. The same holds true if you add wind power into the mix.

One type of material that is found in the construction of all types of power generating resources is steel. For example, steel pipe is utilized in different ways in coal, solar, and natural gas power plants. Steel pipe is also an important component in the generation of wind power as well.

The Future of Coal Power Plants

Another trend associated with coal power plants is going to become clearer in the not too distant future. As mentioned a moment ago, traditional coal power plants were not really being build at all for some time. In addition, the rate of construction of new coal plants with clean coal technology bottomed out all together.

The typical coal plant has a useful lifespan of about 30 years. After that, the plant typically is shuttered and decommissioned. Historically, a new plant would be constructed to take its place.

As plants in operation today begin to approach the their 30 year anniversary of operation, there has been little movement to construct replacements. Therefore, in the approaching future, there is likely to be a good many coal plants permanently decommissioned and not replaced with even some type of next generation coal plant alternative.

Of course, what policies take root in Washington, D.C., will play some role in the future of coal and solar energy. This can, and does, change from one Administration to the next. The Obama Administration was decidedly more favorable to alternative energy resources and contributed to the lessening of use of coal for the generation of electricity. The Trump Administration appears to be intent on returning to the use of coal on a broader scale, but that evident determination has not yet played any appreciable role when it comes to building new or replacing old coal power plants. Determining what will happen in that regard will take a few years.

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Jessica Kane is a professional blogger who writes for Federal Steel Supply, Inc., a leading steel tubing suppliers of carbon, alloy and stainless steel pipe, tubes, fittings and flanges.

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