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AC/DC

February 25th, 2008

AC/DC - THE BOYS FROM DOWNUNDER
SOCIALLY MALADJUSTED
STEP INTO LEGEND
BAND OF BROTHERS
CAN’T HOLD ME BACK
FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK
PLAY TIME TUNES
VELVET UNDERGROUND
SCHOOLBOY
CAN’T STAND STILL
THE KING
WHAT WOULD OUR FANS THINK?

AC/DC - THE BOYS FROM DOWNUNDER

Many can argue that Australian rock band, AC/DC is one of the world’s greatest. Their raw, simple and spacious sound is deemed as a backlash to the lumbering stadium rock of the 1970’s. It was this down and dirty ethic that solidified themselves with their fans as being deeply grounded men of the people and for that the world embraced them as one of their own.

SOCIALLY MALADJUSTED

Lead singer, Bon Scott helped cement the band’s image as a group of brutes by having several convictions of minor criminal charges and by being rejected by the Australian Army when he was deemed, “socially maladjusted”.

STEP INTO LEGEND

Their 1980 album, “Back in Black” is one of the defining albums of rock n roll. Despite its undeniable success, it was difficult for the band. Lead singer, Bon Scott, died tragically shortly before recording on the album was set to start. In an 11th hour replacement, Brian Johnson joined to front the band, recording the album a month later. What emerged was rock history. Fans flocked to the album like none other the band had released. It broke many sales records and supported the band’s sold out global tour.

BAND OF BROTHERS

George Young returns to run the boards with his brothers, Angus and Malcolm. George last joined his brothers with 1978 classic, “Powerage”. “Malcolm and I were sitting around going over possible producers one day”, chimes Angus. “We started talking about records and stuff and the idea of using George again just snapped into our heads at the same time. Obviously he knows what AC/DC is all about. For us there has always been that subtle blues element in what we do. All good rock has that foundation of the blues in it somewhere.”

CAN’T HOLD ME BACK

Angus announces the fanfare, “It was fun to make this record. We never like to be under pressure, and no band should make an album like it’s some sort of a chore. George likes to capture the character of the people in the studio and I think we did that. He doesn’t care so much about what’s technologically correct, as long as it sounds like AC/DC.”

FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK

“We know who we are. We trust each other and rely on that. A lot of music you hear starts getting that fast food mentality, just put it out. We’ve never been about that.”

PLAY TIME TUNES

Brian’s enthusiasm was apparent during the new recording, “When the boys first played me that riff I just started going off in what I like to call my ‘Satchmo’ voice. I was like ‘is this too much?’ But the boys were ‘no, no that’s perfect.’ We had such a great vibe making this record. I think all the brothers had such simpatico going with the guitar exchanges and riffs - the whole thing was just a refreshing ball.”

VELVET UNDERGROUND

Guitarist Malcolm Young formed AC/DC after his band, The Velvet Underground subsided. Don’t get confused though, his Velvet Underground had no relation to the legendary American band with the same name.

SCHOOLBOY

One of the many things that has made AC/DC stand out in the world of rock is Angus Young’s trademark schoolboy attire. You can alter your attire to pay homage to this great band with one of their t-shirts from http://www.t-shirtking.com

CAN’T STAND STILL

Their new song, “Can’t Stand Still” epitomizes what AC/DC style rock n roll is all about. “I love that one,” says Brian. “When I listen to that song it reminds me of everything that’s fun and alive about rock n’ roll. I sang it through in one take and if you listen at the end you can even hear the boys applauding. That’s the kind of atmosphere we had throughout the making of this album.”

THE KING

Horror master Stephen King is big AC/DC advocate, his film, “Maximum Overdrive” featured an AC/DC soundtrack

WHAT WOULD OUR FANS THINK?

One of the key points of their success is that their audience kind readily to relate with AC/DC. “We always stop and say ‘what would our fans think?’” says Angus. “Sometimes it’s like we’re on a first name basis with ‘em. We’ve learned never to pay too much attention to the trends, or to what the experts are telling you is the next big thing. Our fans know what to expect from us. And that’s how we approach making a record. I always say sometimes it’s the guy digging the ditch that can tell you more about building the road then all the engineers put together.”

To read more articles by Chad, visit the American Pop Culture Encyclopedia at: American Pop Culture Encyclopedia.

If you would like to read this article, or others like it, on American Pop Culture Encyclopedia, please visit: AC/DC

Plastic Laminate Countertops Explained

February 25th, 2008

The most popular material used by far when it comes to kitchen countertops is plastic laminate. Some people may even call it Formica, but that is a brand name just like WilsonArt is.

The reason they are so popular is that they are easy to install, easy to clean and maintain, very inexpensive, and come in a huge range of textures, patterns, and colors.

You will want to take some care with them; use a cutting board since scratches and chips from sharp knives will damage your countertop fairly easily. If you do get a scratch or chip call in a professional to repair it or you may be replacing your countertop.

Always use trivets since the countertop cannot take heat from hot pans and burns and scorches cannot be removed.

While solid core laminate is a little more expensive it is worth it. Since the color runs all the way through it small scratches won’t be obvious and both your seams and edges will look better.

A design element I like to see when it comes to plastic laminate countertops is when people add a stone or tile edge material on them. If you are interested it is not hard to dress up your counters that way, you can have the manufacturer leave the countertop front edge open (just like the ends) and then you attach your edging choice after the countertop is installed.

One last thing I would like to mention is when it comes to backsplashes the post-formed backsplashes look so much better because it has a seamless look. So keep that in mind and think about purchasing your backsplash at the same time you get your plastic laminate countertops.

Robin Reckard, co-founder of Jorbins.com Lifestyle Magazine - http://www.jorbins.com/ keeps busy producing, writing, and editing for the magazine as well as raising and enjoying her six year old daughter.

Also visit Jorbins Kitchen Discussions and Kitchen Countertop Discussions for more great information concerning designing and remodeling a kitchen.

Copyright 2006, Jorbins Inc. - Reprints of this article can be made as long as the article is in it’s entirety, unchanged, and the resource box with links and urls remain unchanged

Stock Breakouts And Resistance

February 24th, 2008

Breakouts through resistance are the most desirable of all trade opportunities. (This discussion will be the buy opportunity discussion of breakouts. (An equal sell opportunity exists on breakdowns through support). A breakout is a penetration of resistance based on a pricing established over time with price reversals taken place at approximately the same price point in previous time periods.

Sounds easy. Well it sure sounded easy when that guy in the $1000 seminar told me about it. I also read how easy it was in the $90 book on trading that said would make me a wealthy independent trader.

Breakouts are wonderful if they continue. If they fail you can expect the pricing not to trend but to return to a range bound probably touching the lower pricing before it rises again. That price movement is probably beyond your stop loss and you will not be pleased.

This occurs more often than you want to believe. Since so many other people see the breakout they are as nervous about it as you are and you have a larger number of quick exits with the slightest wiggle. This is referred to as “buyers remorse” or a “bull trap”. What this really represents is a serious hit against your P&L.

Remember, breakouts are a product of an established range bound market. The continuation of the sideways market is the rule with a move away from support or resistance back into the trading range. That means a failed breakout is the rule. The breakout is the exception. Some traders believe the reverse is true. That can cost you a bundle of cash in trading losses.

In addition, MACD Plays: When you are considering any stock you need to know if that stock is exhibiting a tendency to trend. If you wish to be more successful in your trades, then you should be able to identify those stocks with this tendency. Logic dictates that you will make more profits in trending stocks rather than in those issues that fluctuate up and down.

The Stocks2Watch® newsletter has been published since 1998. For a FREE report on HOW TO TRADE FAST, enter your email address at: lb.bcentral.com/ex/manage/subscriberprefs?customerid=12826

Amazing Pictures from Flaws or Inclusions Found in Stones!

February 22nd, 2008

FROM NATURAL FLAWS TO PICTURES
Everyone will I am sure appreciate well hollowed stone antique Chinese snuff bottles, once handled, as the lovely shapes and purity of the stones used just cannot fail to impress. One would imagine that the approach would have been to avoid any inclusions or flaws, and to form the bottle from only the best parts of the stone. This often was the case. But what I find even more fascinating, is the amazing way they deliberately and brilliantly, took advantage of natural flaws and inclusions often found present in these stones.

Most quartz and jade stones have an outer layer of a different colour, particularly the pebbles from the riverbeds. They also have faults and flaws plus other coloured material, often deep in the stone. Sometimes these can be very thin skin-like inclusions, whilst in others large chunks are found.

When one considers that no one knows just what is inside any of these rocks until, as the cuts are made and the secrets of the stone are revealed, they discover how pure, or otherwise, the stone really is. It is with the stones that have inclusions or flaws that ‘Picture Agate’ snuff bottles are made. The best of these incredible bottles, once completed, manage to make the inclusion, that forms the image, look as if it has appeared in just the right place as if to order!

There are different types of work within this group of snuff bottles and the first ones are what we call ‘Cameo’ carvings. These take advantage of any outer skin or blob type of inclusion (of a different colour); they can be quite thick and are carved in relief. Another type is called ‘Shadow Agates’ and these take advantage of markings in the stone where, with the help of only a little carving, an image is created. Lastly, the most fascinating ones are called ‘Silhouette Agates’ but in this group no apparent carving is required. The image is achieved mainly by the angle and choice of shape, as well as the size and position of the bottle to be formed out of the rock so that the inclusion becomes an image. These bottles have to be seen to be believed.

What is really mind blowing to me is the fact that there are even some of these bottles with pictures on both sides!

Sadly, few of them were signed. We only know that there was a certain school of carvers known as the ‘Suzhou School’. Their works are easily recognised by the style and quality of the carving, plus the fact that they make use of every mark in the stone to form the picture. They are amazing bottles when good, but there are many later works that tend to look too stiff and the carving lacks the more fluid artistic touch of the master carvers. Unfortunately, hardly any of these bottles are really well hollowed.

OUR FIRST SNUFF BOTTLE
So to describe my first purchase, this was a ‘Shadow Agate picture bottle’ involving a little carving, and very well hollowed. It is a most appropriate subject and colour for a snuff bottle because the russet inclusions have been used to show ‘Putai Ho-Shang’. He is always depicted as a very corpulent man with a bare chest and abdomen and he is the patron saint of tobacconists. In this bottle he appears surprised by a bat whilst sitting below some tobacco leaves. The bat to the Chinese is a good luck symbol. You can see how easily he appears, nicely placed within the bottle yet only his head and a suggestion of his hand have been carved. (See the photograph by using the link at the bottom of this article).

We now own a number of ‘Picture Agates’ and to illustrate the different types described, the photograph of the Duck with Lingzhi fungus in its beak is a good ‘Silhouette’ example. Incidentally, the fungus is a symbol for wishing long life. This bottle is very unusual as there is a recess carved originally to create the image that serves as a built in dish. (See the photograph by using the link at the bottom of this article).

Lastly, a superb bottle of fishes with pictures on both sides: the pair of fishes on one side are ‘Cameo’ carved and to the Chinese represent fidelity and happy conjugal rights in marriage. On the other side a fish and aquatic plants make use of every mark in the stone, all this on a well shaped bottle that is very well hollowed. All these bottles illustrated were made between 1750 and 1860. (See the photograph by using the link at the top of this article).

ASSESSMENT
To effectively judge hard stone snuff bottles, the first consideration should be concerned with the overall artistic impression. You need to be satisfied that the work looks well composed and well positioned and that the images formed are flowing rather than stiff and awkward. The next stage is to have a closer look at the technical skills. When I look at a cameo type of carving I study the shape and finish of the background, close to the edge of the carving. On poorer bottles this can be indented, uneven and not so well polished as the rest. Really fine examples look as if the raised cameo part has somehow been glued onto a beautifully formed bottle. Engraved work at its best is very precise and provides the detail. When closely looking (under magnification) at a poor bottle these engraved parts can look very crude.

John Cohen - EzineArticles Expert Author

The author has been a very keen Asian antique collector for many years helping to create ‘The Cohen collection’.

To view the photographs that relate to this article please use the following link: -
http://www.jncohen.net/antiques/articles.htm

For more information about Chinese snuff bottles please use the following link: -
http://www.jncohen.net/Chinese_Snuff_bottles/index.htm

Recreation in the capital - The Wheel & The Theatre

February 21st, 2008

The capital is brimming with excellent spots to go to. Here are merely two locations.

The world famous London Eye is known as the Millennium Wheel, & for individuals that don’t know this, it is in reality an observation wheel; an opportunity for the public to see out capital from a profuse number of and varying angles from around the heavens.

With neigh on forty kilometres of eye-opening views on an unclouded day, the Wheel gives its guests with fantastic sights of London & legions of London’s world famous landmarks. The wheel is in fact ok to explore the Wheel around evening or the morning - the crucial decision is thinking about which you actually want to do, investigate in the daytime whilst all the landmarks can be seen, or at nighttime so one can get an exceptionally wondrous view of the capital’s lights.

Theatreland within the city has been in existence since times of Victoria, indeed, the majority of London’s famous theatres are of latter Victorian & Edwardian design. All the properties enjoy a phenomenal character & this can add to the agreeableness of stopping by. West end events go on for a differing amount of time. This is often dependent on the theatre’s admission numbers.

The tickets are also not as high priced as they were once known to be, on the other hand they’re still not cheap. If someone reserves the tickets enough in advance they should buy the tickets at reasonable prices. Look & for bargains that certain organisations are able to give. Possibly it would be good to go for a delicious meal before the show, or maybe reside in one of the local hotels later. Time Out is able to make your visit to the theatre smother - & more enjoyable with its famous guidance of what can be the coolest productions within the city & maybe what acts one should abstain from. You can get london theatre tickets from the Time Out website.

The Real Dangers to Kids Online and How to Avoid Them

February 21st, 2008

Did you know

1 out of 5 kids has been sexually solicited online 1 out of 4
kids has been sent a picture of naked people or people having
sex online that May 21, 2002 there was the first death of a
child linked directly to an Internet Predator?

Parents’ biggest concern about the Internet used to be
pornography, but there is definitely a greater fear today.

You have probably taught your child not to talk to strangers,
and in many situations, they would remember this. But the
Internet is different.

Due to the Internet’s anonymity, strangers are talking to
children all the time. They try to gain the child’s trust by
having friendly conversation at first, but over time, their true
objective of sexually soliciting the child becomes evident.
Children and parents alike are unaware of this, yet this is
exactly what is going on via the Internet.

What can today’s parent do? Armed with information, there’s
quite a bit a parent can do.

Software4Parents.com’s Top 5 Internet Safety Tips

1. Tell your child to NEVER EVER reveal their name, address,
phone number or any other personal information to ANYONE online.
Once you give out this information, it is impossible to retract.

2. Communicate regularly (not just once) with your child about
WHAT they do online and WHO they talk to online. If you have
actually met the friends they are talking to in person, you’ll
know it is OK for them to chat with them online.

3. Take computers out of kids’ rooms and put them into public
areas such as the family room. Many parents think they are
helping with homework by giving the kids a computer, but it also
opens certain dangers that you may be unaware of.

4. Choose your child’s screen name, email address or instant
message name wisely - don’t’ reveal ages, sex, hobbies, and
CERTAINLY NOT suggestive or sexy names. Predators are more
likely to pursue a child with the screen name “sexyteen5″ than
“happygirl5″

5. Use technology to help you protect your child. Monitoring
software gives you the ability to review your child’s Internet
usage. Even if you don’t look at each and every email or instant
message they send, you’ll have a good idea if they are making
smart choices online.

The Internet can open many doors and provide useful information
for children. An aware and informed parent can help keep
children safe.

The Secret to Success

February 21st, 2008

It seems the longer think we have, the longer we put off living the life we see in our heads.

You know what I’m talking about. The way you wish things were. Not that you want everything to change, just a few areas of your life. And because you feel like you’ve got some time to kill, you’ll get to it -

‘Someday…’

I know where you think I’m going, and I also know you’ve heard it all before: seize the day, make the most of it, live life to its fullest, and on and on. But that’s the problem. You’ve heard it all before. These ideas have lost their impact and have become cliche.

Luckily, that’s not my thing.

I’m not about to tell you to live it up and then walk away thinking all your problems will be solved.

No, the answer isn’t a catchy saying. The real answers wake something up inside you. They hit a chord and make you think. That’s what I want to give you today. A story that wakes you up to the truth.

HEARD OF THESE TUNES?

Here’s the problem: We think we have forever and a day to do the things we want to do.

Here’s the truth: We only have a sliver of time to put together a great life and need to get moving today.

And here is today’s solution: The story of Bobby Darin.

If you haven’t heard of the man, I know you’ve heard his songs. Among his many hits are Mack the Knife, Beyond the Sea, Dream Lover, and Splish Splash.

In the span of only seven years, Darin had several top ten hit songs, was nominated for four Grammy Awards (winning two), nominated for four Golden Globes (winning one), and even nominated for an Oscar.

In a word, he was driven.

So what was his secret?

THE TRUTH THAT DRIVE HIM TO TRIUMPH

All his life, Darin suffered from a heart condition that developed from a childhood illness.

The doctors at the time said he would be lucky to live to 16. In other words, his time was limited.

And this was his secret. He knew the truth. He knew what we all have such a hard time accepting: Life is short.

You can’t just say it, you can’t just hear it. You have to know it, believe it, and feel it.

Because Darin knew his time was limited, he packed as much life as he could into the time he had. But he had an unfair advantage. He knew, without a doubt, his time was limited.

There was no fooling himself, no putting it off. It was now or never.

And only when you get that kind of feeling inside you will you enjoy the same remarkable life. So how can you do it?

‘WHAT CAN I DO?’

To begin, use Bobby Darin’s story. Think about what you would do if you knew you only had a few more years to go for it.

Think about that right now. What could you do if you had that kind of mindset? Where would you be right now if you packed as much life as you could into the time you had?

Next, I want you to think of your own personal example of this idea. Because Bobby Darin isn’t a major figure in your life, his story won’t make as much of an impact as someone or something much closer to you.

When you think about life being short, who or what comes to mind? Use that idea, focus on it. Let it drive you to make the most of your time.

Life feels long and passes quickly. Don’t be fooled. Get out there and start packing more life into what time you have.

About the author:

by Jason Gracia - Motivation123

Get your Free Motivation Kit filled with dozens of quick and easy motivation tips and techniques at the Motivation123 Web site. Visit www.Motivation123.comnow!

How do you make music to increase your traffic?

February 21st, 2008

Ohh that is a good title, how do you make music to increase
your traffic?
But it is a title with good meaning. What are
we going to do with our music when we make it, put it on a web
site then wait for the downloads? We need a plan, and we need to
attract surfers before any downloading can happen.

Well, we are all surfers though aren’t we? We seem so buried in
our sites that we forget sometimes that we are actually
the people that create internet traffic to other sites. It is
such a radical, yet simple solution to most of our problems,
that because it is so simple, we forget about the thought. So we
must think like surfers.

I know that when I search through the free engines (Google,
directory sites, etc) I never search for techno. What!
You may be thinking. Well, do you know how many sites are
dedicated to techno? Millions, absolutley millions, and that is
not a good sign. So what do I search for? Well I search for a
type of techno, a group, etc.

This is a really fundamental fact that is generally
forgotten, and it also has a drastic effect on your traffic, and
what you actually produce. Honestly, I have seen someone write,
“I want to make a techno site”, and the reply has been…”well,
what type of techno do you want to focus on?”…”ermm, there are
different types?” came the reply.

My friend has made a rock band, and has produced some MP3s. They
are cool, and so they are now housed on a general MP3 site, that
has some traffic coming to it, listening to the free MP3s. The
main problem comes in that why is he getting little
traffic,
and why aren’t people downloading these great MP3s
at a greater rate?

Well there is one answer that will answer both questions.

Why should they? They like the type of music, but do they
trust the music to fully download it? Come on, 3.5 MB is
nothing, but it is a chore to download. Also, there are
different styles of rock music- punk, death, soft etc, so why
should they pick his?

A technique that should be used is to pre-sell. This
pre-selling technique should be used on any type of music, or
software that you would like your surfers to download, if used
properly it will lead to increased downloads. So how do we
utilise this?

Well first off we must see what type of music we are
producing. If it is similar to say the Prodigy well, make a few
pages dedicated to the Prodigy style of music, give a mini bio,
your favourite tunes and maybe even a step-by-step discussion
and description of one of their tunes. By making a page
dedicated to a style of techno who are your influences, you are
then targeting the right type of people of similar
interest, attracting those people who like your certain type of
techno.

When you target surfers by this method, they really like the
style of music that you are writing about. Remember the Internet
is full of free information hungry surfers willing to devour
any type of information on their chosen topic
. You are
preping the reader, getting them in the right frame of mind-
preselling them. They are excited, curious and warm to your
thoughts and views. Now within the text, or at the bottom of the
page, you can recommend, free MP3s that the reader would be
interested in- your download rate will increase. Because you
have recommended something, subconciously the surfer goes “hmm,
I like what he has written, it is true, and if they are
recommending something free, well what have I got to loose?”

What else could you add? How could you increase your
download rates even more? How about covers, remixes of
the tracks that you like…freely available, and then state
something like “if you are interested in these songs, take a
look at these…that have a similar style and can be downloadd
for free”. You could even have loads of pages dedicated
to many influences, and you could “capture” many targeted
surfers with this approach- highlighting your MP3s on each page,
as well as a main page linking to each of the influences, and to
each other.

Now when people type into the search engines they will look for
Prodigy MP3s, or Prodigy style MP3s, Prodigy remixes, your music
and web pages will be placed higher, because they are much more
relevent to the surfers question than before and your traffic
will increase, likewise increasing your download rates.

Things To Get Started In Gambling Business

February 20th, 2008

Gambling is one of the lucrative gaming activities in the
society today. It is lucrative in the sense that it renders
endless possibilities for a businessman to earn more money.

This is where the reality sinks in, that, in gambling, the only
person who gains from it is the business man or the owner of the
gambling business. This is because people who play gambling
games usually end up losing more as they continuously try their
luck by adding more bets and risking more money, and even
property.

With this fact, no wonder why more and more people are resorting
to put up a gambling business, especially now that the Internet
is incessantly growing at breakneck speed.

Moreover, with the advent of the Internet, setting up a gambling
business online is relatively easy. Best of all, you don’t just
get to earn more money but get to penetrate the industry faster
and even better because of the wide diversity that the Internet
can cover.

No wonder why in the United States alone, commercial casinos
have accumulated almost $29 billion in just a year of gross
revenue.

In fact, commercial casinos are prevalent in the US nowadays.
There are currently 28 states that have Indian casinos, 11 have
commercial casinos, and 40 states have lotteries. All in all,
the US has 445 commercial casinos.

So for people who want to start gambling business, especially
those online, here’s how:

1. If a person wants to start an online gambling business, it is
important to get the needed items first. The most important
thing of all is the software. Be informed that this costs
millions of US dollars. This goes to show that people who want
to start an online gambling business must be really rich.

2. Whether online or not, starting a gambling business needs an
approval from the government. This goes to show that the
gambling business being put up is legal and conforms to the
rules and regulations set up by the law.

3. For online gambling business, it is a must that the owner has
to be a licensee of an online gambling software provider. In
this way, the business owner will be able to receive the
necessary equipments and software needed in the online gambling
business.

Indeed, gambling business can be very lucrative, especially if
it is a legal one. And just like any businesses, proper
management is the key element in order to succeed in the
industry.

Fast-Tracking to “Mortgage Free”

February 20th, 2008

Copyright 2006 Donna Lewczuk

Just imagine - as you’re going through your favourite coffee drive-thru this week - that a well-dressed gentleman stops and offers you $11,000 for your medium double double. Who would hesitate? We’d take the cash. It’s not so far-fetched. In fact, if you take that coffee budget and apply it to your monthly mortgage payment, a mere $30 extra per month -you could save yourself about $11,000 over the life of your mortgage.

Strategies for knocking years off your mortgage

Most of us can accept the idea that we must borrow money to purchase a home. We look for the best mortgage, and then just keep doling out the money for as long as it takes to pay it off. Most Canadians choose to amortize their mortgage over 25 years. That’s a long financial commitment, and it could more than double the cost of your home. But with good planning - and a few smart tactics - you should be able to enjoy your mortgage-burning party much earlier. Here are a few strategies for fast-tracking your mortgage:

1. Increase your monthly payments. Rather than choosing your amortization period first, ask yourself how much you can afford each month. For example, you may feel that you can afford $1,000 per month. You’re delighted when your $125,000 mortgage only demands an $800/month payment (at a 6% interest). But make a monthly payment of $1,000 instead, and you’ll shave 8.75 years and almost $46,000 off your total interest cost.

2. Take advantage of lower rates. In addition to reducing the overall interest component of your mortgage, you can take the opportunity to pay down more principal faster - simply by maintaining your original payment. You should even increase your payment if you can, to reap the benefits of some of the cheapest mortgage money in memory. Again, you could take years - and thousands of dollars off your mortgage.

3. Tie mortgage payments to your pay schedule. Many Canadians are paid on a bi-weekly schedule. If you accelerate your payments to bi-weekly instead of monthly, you could improve your own cash flow and fit in an extra payment each year. That means that you’re paying off principal faster - leaving you with less interest to pay overall. It doesn’t seem like much but - like putting your coffee budget to work - the bi-weekly strategy can have you mortgage free four years sooner, with almost $22,000 in savings.

4. Use any bonuses, tax refunds or “found money” to pay down principal. This is especially valuable in the early years of your mortgage. If you receive an annual bonus or other lump-sum compensation, see if you can put it against the principal. An extra $1,000 per year is a great way to fast-track to mortgage-free!

5. Consolidate your loans into a new mortgage and use the savings to boost your payments. If you’re a homeowner with some equity, you can use your mortgage to consolidate your other loans: student loans, car loans, etc. Add the money you’ve been spending on loan payments to your mortgage payments, and you could see big savings in overall interest.

With mortgage rates still low, you should take the opportunity to get an expert mortgage analysis from an independent mortgage broker with access to mortgages from a wide spectrum of lenders. You’ve got a great opportunity to put some fast-track tactics in place. You’ll remember what a good decision you made at your mortgage-burning party.

Donna Lewczuk has been in the financial services industry for over 20 years. She specializes in helping people with damaged credit get the mortgage financing that they require. If you would like to discover if you qualify to slash your debt in half, get your FREE report at www.donnasmortgages.com .

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