Saturday, April 28, 2012

Living on a Cruise Ship Full Time

Have you ever dreamt about living on a Cruise Ship forever?

Traveling the world, seeing all kinds of exotic places, cruising forever with not a care in the world.

House And Condo

It is now a reality, and several possibilities exist.

Living on a Cruise Ship Full Time

1. The World of ResidenSea was launched in 2002 as a condominium-style residential community contained on a 644-foot cruise ship, complete with restaurants, a spa and fitness center and other amenities similar to what you'd find on a typical mid-size cruise liner.

As with land-based condo resorts, short-term rentals of a week or more may be arranged without committing to ownership, and a wide range of ports is included on The World's ongoing circumnavigation of the globe.
Residensea has problems.

-disputes between owners of Condos on the ship and tourists.

Owners want to stay in exciting ports for several days, tourists that the ship needs to get full occupancy to cover the cost of unsold suites want to move from port to port every day.

Sales of actual condos on the ship have stalled due to fears of terrorism, uncertainty in financial markets and uncertainty about the future of the ship.

Annual maintenance costs run at 0,000 per suite while an actual suite now costs 1.9 to 4 million dollars.
This ad recently appeared on the Internet:

"Rent an outside luxury cabin

from 0 a day"

From somebody who owns 2 cabins on the ResidenSea.

That runs to ,000 per month.

2. Join an organization that will buy a used Cruise Ship and convert it to Condos.

This concept has been tried and failed.

The practical problems were just too great.

-Trying to get enough people interested

-Trying to get commitments from people

-Trying to find a ship that was not going to fall apart immediately upon leaving the harbor

-Trying to get cash from people before a ship was bought.

And these were just problems BEFORE a ship was even bought.

Think about the problems there would be after the ship was bought.

3. Buy regular cruises on an on-going basis.

This seems the only practical way in which you can live permanently on a Cruise Ship.

Here are the estimated costs based on double occupancy starting on the cheap:

Basic Cruise Costs; 0 per day x 2 people = 00 per month

This includes gratuities, all you can eat and port costs.

Independent costs of living for Seniors seems to be about 00 per month per person = 00

This includes food.

So for 00 per month extra a couple can live on a Cruise Ship (or ships) forever.

The advantages of this type of living if you have that extra ,000 per year to spend are these:

-Quality of the meals on a Cruise Ship is probably a lot better than what you would get in an independent living type of situation.

-You can vary cruise lines, use a Caribbean Cruise Line this month, an Alaska Line next month
and a European Line for the next 6 months.

-Shows every night.

-Built-in new friends every week or so. Most cruises end within 7 days and a new crop of potential friends arrives for you to interact with.

-An entire Cruise Staff to help you with ANYTHING if you have a problem.

So, if you want to live on a Cruise Ship: ,000 a year is all it takes for 2 people.

Living on a Cruise Ship Full Time

J Shipper is very interested in living on a Cruise Ship forever and in traveling the world. Check out these sites for more information:

[http://www.2qz.com/condo-cruise-ship] http://www.condo-cruise-ship.com

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Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Top 10 Meeting Ice Breakers

Getting people comfortable in a group setting before a team meeting can be the best investment of ten to 15 minutes of time that you can make. Ice breakers get creative juices flowing, can increase the exchange of ideas, establish team identity, and create a sense of community. All of these items are important in forging top productive teams. But how do you get people to participate and not feel uncomfortable with an ice breaker?

For meetings in a business setting in which participants are professionals, ice breakers that require actions not normally associated with day-to-day behaviors in the office generally make people uncomfortable. Successful ice breakers for these type of groups generally consist of having attendees share memorable information with each other, create innovative ways to get people to introduce themselves to each other, or have group members collectively work on a problem where everyone has to contribute.

Top 10

We've selected our top ten team meeting ice breakers that are sure to get your meeting participants relaxed and ready to focus on your agenda as well as to connect with others in the group.

Top 10 Meeting Ice Breakers

1. Brainstorm!:Break the meeting into teams of four or five. Give each team a topic. Pick topics that are fun and simple like, "What would you take on a trip to the desert?" or "List things that are purple". Give your teams two minutes, no more, and tell them "This is a contest and the team with the most items on their list wins." Encourage the teams to write down as many things as they can and not to discuss anything, just list things as quickly as possible. At the end of two minutes, the team with the most items on their list wins! This helps people to share ideas without fearing what other people will think.

2. Same or Different:

Divide the meeting into teams of three or four and give each team a large sheet of paper and then give each person a different colored marker. Have each person draw a large oval such that each oval overlaps with the other ovals in the center of the piece of paper. Give the group or groups, a theme that pertains to your meeting objectives. Ask the participants to write down at least five or more entries in the non-overlapping and mutually overlapping areas of their ovals. Give them five minutes, no more than that, to talk about their similarities and differences and write them in their own ovals on the paper. If there is more than one group, compare results and identify common themes in both parts of the diagrams and what light these similarities and differences shed on the purpose of the meeting. This helps team members develop an understanding of shared objectives and in a non-confrontational way learn how their views differ from others in the group.

3. Fact or Fiction:

Have everyone write down three surprising things about themselves, two of which are true, and one of which is made up. Each person, in turn, reads their list and then the rest of the group votes on which "fact" they feel is the "false" one. If the group does not correctly pick a person's made up "fact", then that person wins. A group can have more than one winner. At the end, the whole group votes on which of the "winners" of the final round, had the most deceiving "fact". This helps people get to know and remember their colleagues.

4. Free Association:

The object of this ice breaker is to have small groups generate as many words or phrases as they can that are related to a particular topic that focuses on the objective of your meeting. Give the group or groups a key word you want them to associate with and then give them two minutes to list, as quickly as possible, as many words or thoughts that pop into their heads. For example, if your company is trying to decide on whether to reduce travel and increase the use of teleconferencing, you might use the word "teleconferencing" and have people list as many words or phrases they can that they associate with the key word. For example they might say: "saves money", "saves time", "impersonal", "need to see other people", "get distracted", "sound quality".... This reveals what people are thinking, similarities in viewpoints, and possibly even problem areas or topics that need addressing or further discussion.

5. Nametags:

Prepare nametags for each person and put them in a box. As people walk into the room, each person picks a nametag (not their own). When everyone is present, participants are told to find the person whose nametag they drew and introduce and say a few interesting things about themselves. When everyone has their own nametag, each person in the group will introduce the person whose nametag they were initially given and mention something of interest about that person. This helps participants get to know and remember each other.

6. Desert Island:

Group people in teams of five or six and tell them they will be marooned on a desert island. Give them 30 seconds to list all the things they think they should take and each person has to contribute at least three items. At the end of 30 seconds, tell the teams they can only take three things. Have the person who suggested each item on the list tell why they suggested it and defend why their item should be one of the chosen three. This helps the team learn about how each of them thinks, get to know each other's values, and how they solve problems.

7. Commonality Plus:

Group your meeting participants at tables. At each table ask the group to list ten ways that everyone in that group is similar. Let them know that they cannot list body parts or clothing and that what they select cannot have anything to do with work. One person at the table should be tasked to make their list. At the end of your time limit have the group share their list with all meeting members. This is a great opportunity for your meeting attendees to learn about each other's hobbies, families, and common interests.

8. Line Up:

As people enter your meeting hand each one a piece of paper with a different number written on it. Ask the group to arrange themselves in numeric order without using their voices, hands, or showing their number. This helps the team to think of other ways to communicate with each other and to work together to achieve a common goal.

9. Meet and Greet Shoe Pile:

This works great in large groups and is a variation of the name tag ice breaker. Have everyone take off one of their shoes and throw it into a pile. Have each group member pick up a shoe and walk around the meeting room greeting other people as they try to match their selected shoe to the one another team member is wearing. This is a great way for new people to meet several members in a group.

10. First or Worst:

Have each member tell the group their first or worst job in turn. This easy to use ice breaker works great with teleconferences too and allows team members to spark conversation with each other and to have some fun commenting on the jobs that they have each done. Many of our top ten ice breakers can be used for on-site meetings and teleconferences alike. The nature of ice breakers is to get the group to talk, to share, and to get to know each other in a casual exchange. The best and most successful teams start with a little bit of fun; learning how to value what each member brings into the group. Ice breakers can help facilitate this exchange of information and comfort in doing so at the very start of the team forging process.

Top 10 Meeting Ice Breakers

Amy Linley gives practical and usable advice regarding communication and meetings at AccuConference.

Find out more about our conference call, web conferencing and video conferencing services from AccuConference.

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Top 10 Exercises Without Weights

If you hate to go to the gym, you are not alone. The good news is - you can get results in the comfort of your own home with some simple home exercises.

Bodyweight training CAN be effective. It CAN be a substitute for weights, if necessary. Training using your own body weight as a source of resistance is a time tested technique to get results fast.

Top 10

Here are the ten best bodyweight training exercises that give you great workouts and great results - without the gym.

Top 10 Exercises Without Weights

1. Supine Pull-Ups (works major muscles in back, shoulders, and biceps) Use two chairs and a pole - a heavy broom handle works well. WARNING: make sure the chairs are stable and that the broom handle is strong enough to take your weight. You could be SEVERELY injured if the pole were to break or the chairs to slip. Lie on your back underneath a low bar. Grab the bar with a wide overhand grip. Pull up. Lower and repeat for 6-8 reps.

2. Supine Biceps Pull-Ups (biceps, some back) Use the same chairs-and-pole arrangement from #1. Sit underneath a low bar. Grab the bar with a reverse grip (palms facing you), hands about shoulder-width apart. Keeping your body upright, pull up until your chin just clears the bar. Focus on the tension in your biceps, trying to relax the rest of your body. 6-8 reps.

3. Push-Ups (chest, triceps, shoulders) The key when targeting the chest with Push-Ups is the direction in which your elbows travel. As with bench presses, the elbows must move AWAY FROM THE BODY to target your chest, and be kept CLOSE TO THE BODY to target the triceps. Place each hand just outside your shoulders, slightly behind the line of your shoulders. Hands pointing straight ahead, upper body rigid as a board. 6-15 reps.

4. Tent Push-Ups (primarily upper chest) Assume the position in #3, but walk your feet forward so your body is bent at the waist, and your hips are up high in the air. Bending at the elbows, lower yourself until your nose touches the floor. Push up. Repeat. 6-8 reps.

5. Push-Ups, Triceps Position (you guessed it - triceps, and some chest) Begin with fingers facing forward in position from #3, hands slightly LESS than shoulder width apart. Lower your body to the floor keeping arms in against your body. Push up. 6-8 reps.

6. Triceps Dips With Chairs With your hands behind your back, support yourself on your palms at the edge of a chair. Your hands should be touching; your elbows should angle outward. Dipping in this position relieves a lot of stress on the elbow and shoulder joints. Lower yourself, keeping your back close to the chair. Bend your elbows back and slightly to the sides. Keep your body angled slightly forward throughout the motion. Press yourself up until your arms are straight. 6-15 reps.

7. One-Legged Squats (front thighs, glutes, hamstrings) Stand perpendicular to a wall, about arm's length away from it. Extend your arm out to the side and place your palm against the wall at just under shoulder-height. Angle the foot farthest from the wall at 45 degrees. Bend the other leg back. Keeping your body upright, lower yourself until the non-weight-bearing knee is close to (but not touching) the ground. Support yourself by leaning against the wall. Press yourself back up to starting position. Repeat 6-8 reps.

8. One-Legged Hamstring Bridges Lie on your back with one leg extended, heel on the ground. Hold the other leg up off the floor. Pushing through your heel, flex your hamstrings to lift your body. Lower and repeat for 8-10 reps. Repeat with other leg. You can control the resistance and the degree to which the glutes contribute by changing the distance you place your heel relative to your butt.

9. Lunges Begin the lunge by taking a large step forward, keeping your head up and torso erect. Lower your hips and allow your trailing knee to drop to a point just before it touches the floor - never let the knee touch the floor. To return to the start, push off with your forward leg and then step back when the knee is completely straight. Repeat with other leg, 10-15 reps each leg.

10. Stair Running Stair running isn't usually considered a resistance exercise, and in fact, it makes hefty demands on your cardiovascular system. However, it also does an incredible job of conditioning the lower body. If your knees are in good shape, try doing 10-20 one-story sprints, preferably two stairs at a time. As you get stronger, work up the number slowly, keep one hand on the stair rail to catch yourself if you lose your balance. Give yourself a bigger challenge by wearing a backpack filled with nice and heavy books.

Top 10 Exercises Without Weights

To read reviews on home exercise equipment and learn how to choose the best exercise gadgets for your needs, visit Nitin Chhoda's new site guide to exercise equipment

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Sunday, April 22, 2012

Defining Low Rise Condominiums in Center City Philadelphia

Here in Center City Philadelphia, low rise condominiums (LRCs) are numerous and are often favored by many buyers. LRCs are generally characterized by buildings that are less than four stories tall and generally have less than twenty condominium units in that particular association. They can be found in converted brownstone buildings or possibly small warehouse buildings throughout Center City. Many buyers find low rises advantageous for a number of reasons; probably the most significant would be the generally low condo fees. Since these buildings, in nature, lack services such as a front door man, a swimming pool, an attended parking garage, and sometimes elevators, naturally your condominium fees are going to be lower than you might find in a full service high rise condominium (HRC).

LRCs tend to have more charm than what you might find in an HRC. The reasoning is a lot of the brownstone that are being converted into LRCs were built 200 years ago where you have the big moldings, the thick doors, the fireplaces, the arched entryways, as opposed to a newer HRC which was built 25 years ago and wouldn't have the elements of style and architecture. So the LRC buyer is generally very motivated by the low condo fees and the style and the architectural elements inherent in a lot of these old brownstones or warehouse buildings where you might have high ceilings and lots of exposed brick.

House And Condo

A few disadvantages that I hear buyers discuss when thinking about an LRC is sometimes a lack of an elevator if the unit they like happens to be a third floor walk-up. That can limit the "resalebility" of an LRC. Also, the lack of a large association; in a LRC, buyers are more involved in the operation of the condominium because generally there's four or five other people making decisions about where the money is being spent. As opposed to a high rise, where you pay your condo fees and, generally speaking, the board takes care of it. In an LRC you're more apt to be involved in the board, and some people just don't want to be bothered. However, the small board offers the opportunity to bend the rules a little bit. Say you live on the top floor of a five unit LRC and want to put a roof-deck in. The board is much more approachable than a 200 member board in an HRC, to make such condominium document alterations.

Defining Low Rise Condominiums in Center City Philadelphia

Another potential drawback we see in LRCs is that someone buying into, let's say, a five unit building where there has been clearly very, very low condo fees being paid and therefore very little maintenance being done to the building over time. Like a high rise, and like a single-family, low rise buildings need to be maintained consistently over the years, otherwise buyers might find themselves buying into a low rise that is in need of significant improvements, and the cost is therefore only split between, let's say, four or five other people. That hardship sometimes does have a tendency to alienate the LRC buyer.

There are a number of examples of LRCs here in Center City Philadelphia. From the "PUDs" (planned unit development) which are characterized by one condo being stacked upon another condominium and running down a city block. The other style of condominium that we commonly see is the brownstone conversion, where a very large single-family would have been converted into condominiums in time. Lastly, we'll find LRCs prevalent in the small warehouse buildings primarily in the Old City or in the Northern Liberties area, where someone's taken a small building and converted it to anywhere from four to twenty units. So, LRCs are a viable option for potential condo buyers here in Center City Philadelphia.

Defining Low Rise Condominiums in Center City Philadelphia

To find out more about Low Rise Condos in Center City Philadelphia, visit www.centercitycondos.com/low_rises.htm!

Mark Wade, Owner, Center City Condos, Center City Homes

During the late 1980s, Mark fell in love with the Philadelphia real estate market. The first condo he bought for himself was in Old City. Working with bank foreclosures on multi-unit buildings, Mark began to carve his niche as a condominium specialist. Since that time, Mark has progressed into helping developers turn apartment buildings into condominium buildings. Having been inside countless condos in the Center City real estate area, Mark is intimately familiar with the available properties. Mark prides himself and impresses others of his vast knowledge of what's trendy and knows which finishes buyers look for when selecting a home.... so much so that he's been seen on HGTV's What You Get For The Money, CN-8's Money Matters and was the 2005 winner of Philadelphia Magazine's Kitchen of the Year contest.

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