Women, who complain about unfair and unrealistic body expectations, obviously haven’t been in the midst of a gay pride festival at the height of summer. While models are usually content to keep to catwalks and glossy magazine covers; any gay man looking to step out, for some of that famed down under sunshine (behave), is constantly met with examples of his physical inadequacy.
Yes, we all love the occasional burly bear but the truth is that most of us have an innate appreciation for the pleasures of a chiseled six pack, toned arms, legs and a V-line to die for (looking at you emen8). So if you’re worried about stacking up this season, here are some tips and tricks to get your body ready for the summer.
Avoid the Thirst
Yes, we recognize it’s a difficult task when you’re spending all summer hanging around beaches, and pool parties; but we’re actually talking about hydration this time around. Getting at least 10 cups of water is necessary, especially if you’re staying active, which you will be if you follow this guide.
When you sweat, your body loses vital nutrients and salts; these have to be replenished in order to maintain your chiseled torso. Without proper hydration your body cramps up and you become dehydrated, but worst of all your muscles retain water; and there’s nothing that kills a six pack quicker than bloating.
Get the Right Nutrition
The key to weight loss is diet, not exercise – unfortunately no amount of sit-ups will fix a daily routine of Macca’s and Snickers bars. While fads like Keto and gluten-free are all the rage nowadays, the best way to get ready for the beaches is to stick to a healthy, balanced meal plan.
Instead of drastically cutting calories, try reducing your intake by about 1/6th of your regular allowance. This will prevent your body going into starvation mode, which leads to stored fat and a dwindling metabolism. By just cutting out snacks, evening carbs and junk foods instead, you can make sure you’re burning fat, not muscle.
In terms of what you should be eating, plenty of fruits and vegetables are of course a must. They provide vital nutrients such as zinc, chromium, vitamins D, and B12 all of which boost your metabolism and promote weight loss. Because you’re going to be working out a lot more, you’ll need to stock up on lean proteins to build muscle, add pork, chicken, fish and healthy nuts into your dietary routine. Instead of three large meals, try 5-6 smaller ones; a handful of almonds or a protein shake should be plenty to tide you over until dinner.
Work Your Butt Off
It’s the part most of us loathe, getting up and getting active. But you needn’t fear, spending hours and hours in the gym isn’t necessary to get great results. Instead look to make your workout as efficient as possible.
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is the most effective form of exercise for weight loss. Basically it involves alternating between short, intense burst of energy and longer more controlled periods of exercise. For example, if you’re using the treadmill then try running flat out as hard as you can for 30 seconds, then go back to jogging for 2 minutes; repeat this a couple of times and most amateurs will already be ready to drop. This type of training is great for stripping away fat and increasing muscle definition, and works best when paired with 60 minutes of moderate exercise such as swimming, every week.
For muscle tone and definition strength training at least twice a week is imperative. Compound routines that work the entire upper or lower body through your core are the best for busy people who don’t have the time to dedicate to each muscle group. Squats, deadlifts, and full body exercises such as pushups and burpees will kick your metabolism up a gear, and turn you into a Greek God well in time for the summer.
If you are looking for new ways to win big when it comes to betting, why not take a look at horse racing, one of the most famous sports for punters and a great chance to bash the bookies. Horse racing is not for everyone and in order to win you are going to need to be prepared to spend quite a bit of time selecting your bets.
The reason that horse racing is such a great sport for punters is because the odds are often widely varied and the idea of a 14/1, 30/1 or 100/1 winning a race, is not as unlikely as it appears. In order to make the most out of your betting on horse racing at William Hill UK, here are the factors that you will need to take into account.
Form
Form is highly important when it comes to racing and unlike many sports with big upsets and underdog victories, horse racing results generally go in favor of form. You should be studying the racing guides to see how well horses have fared in similar races previously in order to get an idea for how they will get on.
Handicap
A handicap race is a horse race where horses of many different weights can take part, the horses will carry additional weight in order to bring them in line with the field. It is important that you understand how the handicapping process works before placing any bets on such a race.
Race Length
Race length is really key, especially when you are studying form as some horses have far greater stamina than others. For example, you may find a horse in the form guide that has been successful in recent races, except this time the trainer may be testing their horse out on a longer distance, understanding this can be key to ensuring that you put your money on the right horse.
Odds
More often than not in sports, the bookies get the odds right but picking a horse to win out of a field of 15, is very different from picking team A or B to win in a football match. For this reason it is important that you understand why various odds have been given to the horses, and that you are able to find the best odds on offer for the horse of your choice. As mentioned before, it is not rare for a horse with long odds to win a race and you need to ensure that you understand how the odds are put together, and how you can capitalize on them.
Nature
Something that many people fail to look at when placing bets on horses is the weather conditions, a highly important factor when betting. Some horse for example may fair better in the wet or dry conditions and when studying the form, you need to bear this in mind. Equally, the weather conditions on the days running up to the race will have a huge impact on the ground of the race track and this again affects your horse’s chances of winning.
The key to winning at horse racing is to carefully study the guide and all of the factors that could affect the outcome of the race, do this and you will be giving yourself the best possible opportunity. Have fun and good luck at the track!
By graduating with an accounting degree, you’ve already cleared a major hurdle. The next step is landing your first all-important job. Whether you ultimately go on to work for a nationally recognized accounting firm or accept a position at a well-respected local firm in your hometown, there are several essential steps in a fruitful job search.
Network With Others in the Field
Networking is a crucial action to take in any employment sector, but especially one as competitive as accounting. Your university may have employment-seeking resources for new graduates, such as local meetings of fellow accounting students in your area that allow attendees to come face to face with prospective employers.
However, networking opportunities often come along when you least expect them. That’s why it’s crucial to always be ready to distribute contact details and talk about why you’re such a worthy participant in the accounting industry’s job market.
Stay Dedicated to Your Search
While seeking employment, some people take action irregularly, feeling extremely motivated during one week and hardly doing anything to secure employment during the next. If you feel tempted to fall into that common pattern, resist the urge. People who land accounting jobs they love are typically those who worked hard to secure them and never got complacent in their search frequency and techniques.
Contact a Reputable Recruiting Firm
Working with an accounting firm could result in a much smoother, more efficient job search. Beacon Resources matches well-qualified prospective employees with top employers in the accounting sector.
Propelled by a track record of meaningful, long-lasting relationships with clients, the company uses a proven methodology to ease the job search and hiring processes for people seeking employment and those in need of talented accountants.
Start strong in your accounting career and increase your chances of landing a position that matches your skills and personality. Getting in touch with an executive recruiter from Beacon Resources is an excellent way to streamline the specifics related to looking for accounting work.
You’ve been browsing the internet looking for home remedies to remove a tattoo. Maybe you’ve experienced a change in views that your tattoo reflects, or maybe your new workplace’s dress code is different than your previous one. Or maybe your tattoo reminds you of a bad memory like a past spouse you want to forget about.
If medical tattoo procedurals like laser, dermabrasion and surgical excision are just too extreme or expensive, take heart. There are a number of painless and effective ways to fade and remove your tattoo, all from the comfort of your own home.
Tattoo removal at home
According to the Mayo Clinic, laser treatment, surgical excision, and dermabrasion are the three most powerful ways of removing a tattoo. Unfortunately, these treatments are not only costly, they can also lead to nasty side effects such as scarring, bruising, burning, and discoloration of the skin post-treatment. While TCA creams are widely advertised as an effective tattoo removal method, it’s important to understand that trichloroacetic acid (TCA), which is commonly used in spas as chemical peels to fade wrinkles, acne scars, and fine lines, can be potentially damaging to your skin. TCA has been known to cause adverse reactions with the skin among 10 to 20% of users according to the Tattoo Health Organization. Side effects of TCA use include blistering, skin irritation, and discoloration of the skin. If you are considering TCA creams, apply the product on a small area of the skin first to check how your skin reacts to it.
Use a product with natural ingredients
If you’re looking for a treatment without the high price tag, hassle, and gore, consider a tattoo fading product that does not contain any damaging acids such as TCA and hydroquinone and is made with natural, skin-nourishing ingredients. Make sure to pay attention to the type of tattoo the cream is effective on. Most people make the mistake of choosing a product that does not work on all ages, colors, or sizes of tattoos. Look for a product that works on both old and new tattoos to enhance the effectiveness of your tattoo removal option.
It’s critical that you check tattoo removal cream reviews of each product and stay away from anything that has been reported to cause unpleasant side effects such as scarring or bruising. If you’re looking for a product made with natural ingredients with no risk of side effects, check out the Trufade reviews. It can be used at home but it also has a complex formulation with skin-enhancing ingredients like Gigawhite that helps fade your tattoo, while Chromabright is designed to brighten your skin, allowing the tattoo to fade faster. Tattoo fading creams like Trufade should be used twice a day at home. The process is easy, quick, and will have your tattoo fading in no time.
Takeaway
Some home remedies that claim to fade tattoos may give decent results depending on the tattoo and skin type. With salabrasion methods, however, there’s a higher risk of infection as you are scraping your skin to get to the layers where the tattoo ink lies. So the problem with most natural home remedies is that they either don’t work on most people or they are potentially damaging to the skin. Medical treatments may sound like the most efficient approach, but they are costly and can cause permanent physical side-effects.
Fortunately, there are plenty of tattoo removal and fading creams on the market that do not harm the skin and help make your tattoo removal journey a pleasant one. Remember, with any product, patience is key so be sure not to overuse any cream, and always follow the product’s instructions.
A stag-do is an amazing opportunity to do something fun with the boys before making a life-changing commitment. You can fill your days with fun packed adventures and spend your nights exploring the nightlife. More and more people are travelling to experience stag weekends, but if you want to avoid the touristy areas then here are five unusual destinations for an awesome stag-do.
Israel
You wouldn’t necessarily associate spending time in Israel with being on a stag-do, but that is what makes it unusual. If your group is more interested in spending time learning about history and absorbing culture then this is perfect for you.You can take a two day tour of Bethlehem where you can view some of the most stunning churches in the world and see the birthplace of Jesus.
There is no partying allowed but if you do want to let off some steam, Tel Aviv is only 60 km away and the nightlife doesn’t get started until 11pm. There is no closing time so you can party until the sun comes up. A stag do in Israel could be the perfect combination of culture and fun.
Brno, Czech Republic
Prague is already one of the most popular destinations for a stag-do because of its cheap bar, exciting day activities and fabulous nightlife. Brno is a great place for people who are looking for a more unique place. Flights are fantastically cheap, the beer even cheaper and there are some great activities for revellers to do. You can drive a tank and fire machine guns, work as a team to get out of an escape room, or try go karting. The bars, pubs, and restaurants are open past 6am so it a great place to party.
Madeira, Portugal
Madeira is the perfect place for a group of guys to head who are looking for a great bonding experience. Madeira is the largest island in Portugal and it is a great destination to give canyoning a try. Canyoning is exploring canyons using different techniques to explore like walking, rappelling, swimming, and climbing. There is an option for beginners if the group has never tried this exciting sport.
Although Madeira doesn’t have much of nightlife there are several pubs that are open until the early hours of the morning so that you can sit around and rehash your exciting day’s adventure over some pints. Or you can head to the casino. An interesting fact about Maderia, is that its airport is named after the footballer Christiano Ronaldo, so when you are organising your airport transfers, you’ll understand why they are refering to the airport as this.
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital city of Finland and it offers many exciting things for stag parties to do. There are plenty of great activities to do during the day like hiking, cycling, white water rafting, and quad biking. At night you can experience the thrill of a pub crawl where it never gets dark. Helsinki is a great place for music lovers and you can find bars that offer techno, trance, and live rock shows complete with mosh pits.
Macau
Macau is a great destination and offers many exciting adventures for a group of guys to experience. You can play golf, go go-karting or charter a private yacht complete with alcohol, models, and food. You can also experience a Casino Royale style private tournament at the famous Starworld Macau. Make sure you pack a suit so you don’t feel out of place here.
er once the news had past.
Hillary Clinton has certainly had that feeling of late publicly admitting that there were times this week when she didn’t want to leave the house again. A good percentage of the world was with her on that. But where are the other second placers that couldn’t quite push the voters over the edge? We take a look at the world’s best nearly men in the last 20 years.
Mitt Romney, 2012
Mitt who? Oh just the guy who lost to Barak Obama in 2012. Admittedly it isn’t a defeat by Trump, but worthy of some decent moping time nonetheless (although apparently not enough to dissuade him!)
A Republican party candidate and Mormon (go figure?!) Mr Romney tried his luck again in 2016 but was rejected. Let’s face it; they did him a favour.
Since then Mitt has filled his time sitting on the board as a director for Marriot International and presumably playing golf.
John Kerry, 2004
Right there in the Hillary Clinton camp of nearly men is John Kerry. Losing out to George W Bush in 2004, this man narrowly misses out on first place in the list of most embarrassing presidents to lose to (we’ll let you take a guess at the first).
He replaced Hillary Clinton as 68th Secretary of State in 2013 and currently remains in charge of foreign policy as one of the four most important Cabinet members in the US….presumably also playing golf.
Al Gore, 2000
Right at the centre of a very public Florida recount alongside George W Bush is Al Gore. Bill Clinton’s former Vice President missed out on the Presidency by one Electoral College vote, because losing to a man who considers ‘misunderestimate’ wasn’t enough.
Since accepting defeat Al has received a Nobel Peace Prize for his environmental work plus created a box office success. Some would argue Al achieved more in the years since running for President than the President. Some.
Bob Dole, 1996
The oldest and quite possibly the most interesting nearly man in the last 20 years, Bob lost out on the race for President to Bill Clinton.
Since the loss he has worked in legal services and television industry as well as being a spokesman for the likes of Pepsi, Dunkin’ Donuts and Viagra. Arguably the safer Presidential candidate for his inability to have a sexual relationship with any woman…it was too easy. Ironically, he has also written books about jokes told by US presidents.
“As you look at past failures with your current eyes, you realize not only that they’ve brought you closer to what you are now, but also that they’ve made you a more complex, perhaps an even more interesting person,” Bradatan says. “Failing an exam when you were 18 was catastrophic at the time, but it caused you to take a detour, which allowed you to have some experiences without which you cannot conceive of yourself today. The fabric of our lives is always made of such failures,” he adds.
In their study, King and Hicks note that it is indeed painful to think about a lost possible self. It causes regrets, distress, and lower well-being. Not surprisingly, then, the more salient a possible self was for subjects, the less happy they were. However, subjects who scored high on both maturity and happiness later painted more vivid and richly detailed portraits of those lost possible selves than did others, but reported that they did not think of them often. Essentially, those who have failed should ideally generate an elaborate picture of their loss, but then go on to seldom call that portrait to mind. Rather than shoving it out of their minds forcefully, they might first flesh out the counterfactual life—the life in which they reached their particular dream—to investigate which precise aspects of that life seem so desirable or important to them, and why. Then, with this self-knowledge and recruitment drive, they can move on, without unproductive wallowing in what could have been.
So there you have it Hillary. There is life after Trump! A life filled with Nobel Peace Prizes, joke books and Viagra. You may also have to take up golf.
Whenever people visit France, the first place that they generally head to is the capital city, Paris. This is completely understandable, it is the poster child of the country, it has iconic landmarks and a reputation that precedes it. Indeed, the first time that I myself came to France, I too headed straight for the city of love and ended up living there for around 6 months.
After the first half year, I got sick with the France-bug and decided that I wanted to see more of the country. This proved to be a great decision as the more I traveled throughout France, the more I realized just how much more there is to see in this beautiful country than just its glitzy capital. Vacation rentals in France are becoming more and more popular throughout the city and this is one of the best ways to explore the country, using them was how I managed to discover so much of my adopted country as many of them are situated where hotels are not. If you want to see what more France has in store for you aside from the capital then here are my top picks for places that you should travel to.
Bordeaux
One of the most famous exports that has become associated with France is without question its wine and if you want to see where the magic happens then there is no better place to go than Bordeaux. Not only is Bordeaux wine one of the nation’s most loved, it is also the oldest with production of wine in this region dating back to the 8th Century. Aside from the vineyard visits that you will take and of course, the wine sampling, Bordeaux is filled with beautiful spots and several World Heritage sites where you can see some of the very best of the French countryside.
Bretagne/Brittany
The best place to see the French coast is, in my opinion, in Brittany or as it is locally known, Bretagne. Here you will find an altogether different side of France, the coast is rough, the waves crash and the temperature drops significantly when you get to Brittany. Walking around Brittany feels as though you have stepped back in time and there is a really medieval feel about the place. Most activities take place on the water and if you are up for a bit of sailing then look no further than the Brittany coast. One of my favorite things to do in Brittany is to indulge my love of seafood and I honestly have not tried fresher or tastier seafood in France than in the little restaurants on the coast of Brittany.
Foix
Not only will you find one of those traditional small French towns here in Foix, complete with medieval castle, but you will also find a castle which was actually in operation as a fortress. Unlike many of the quaint castles that you see throughout France, this one has battle wounds and is as impending as it is impressive. The whole town feels like something from a fantasy novel and it feels as though nothing would be untoward if a wizard walked straight through the huge gates.
Lyon
A far cooler city, in my view, than Paris and a city which offers some of the finest French food anywhere in the World let alone France. Here in Lyon you will find the usual historical sights which most French cities offer but more importantly you will find a chic and vibrant cultural scene throughout the city. From the nightlife to the themed cafes and plentiful Michelin starred restaurants, if you want a relaxing break in a trendy environment then look no further than the streets of Lyon.
Corsica
For a truly awesome trip away you can head to the little island of Corsica, reached by ferry, this islet offers tourists pure natural splendor and a wide variety of it at that. The island juts out into the Mediterranean like a noisy neighbor and the landscape alters dramatically in just a few short miles, one moment you are enjoying the vistas of calm waters and beauty coves, the next you are watching the rugged hillside, swooping valleys and thick forests. You could comfortably spend a week or two in Corsica and whether you want to relax by the sea and sunbathe, or get adventurous in the woodlands, Corsica has got you covered on both fronts.
So there you have it, my list of awesome destinations in France that you should consider before, or perhaps just after, you visit Paris. Paris is beautiful, classy, exciting and iconic for sure but there is so much more to this amazing country than just its capital and I would implore you to broaden your horizons and get traveling through the country the next time you take a vacation in France.
Today’s modern man has options to secure money very quickly through a variety of fast money loans. But each carries different terms, fees, and interest rates. Here is a look at three of the most popular and how they work:
Cash Advances / Payday Loans
These are the most popular type of quick cash loans and are made as advances against a borrower’s paycheck. Therefore, the borrower must be employed with a minimum income that is typically set with a floor of $1000 monthly. The borrower must also usually have a checking account in good standing that can accept direct deposits.
Payday loans have gotten a really deservedly bad reputation because of their extremely high interest rates that often can sometimes top 600% annualized. In addition lenders can charge an establishment fee of up to 20% of the loan simply for making the loan and additional fees or charges, such as; an arrear fee, late payment fee or early repayment fee.
So why would anyone want to pay these high rates? Often the answer is they have no choice. Many have bad credit and cash advance lenders do not do credit checks. Some need the money quickly and cash advance lenders can act extremely quickly to get them money. And certainly for those who do not have any forms of collateral, payday advance loans are a potential source for money that requires no collateral other than your employment.
However, because of the extraordinarily high interest rates, typically loan amounts are less than $1,500 and are for terms no longer than a few weeks.
Vehicle Title Loans
Vehicle title loans have gained considerable popularity because of their simplicity and their ability to get borrowers small amounts of cash quick. Most vehicle title loans can be acquired in 15 minutes or less and offer loan amounts as low as $100. These loans are nearly always short-term, and carry higher interest rates, but not nearly as high as payday loans.
Vehicl title loans are secured by lenders placing a lien on a borrower’s car, motorcycle, truck or even boat title as security for a loan. The lending company evaluates and then gives a loan based on the wholesale value of the vehicle. If the borrower defaults on their payments, the lender may repossess the vehicle and sell it to repay the borrowers’ outstanding debt. If however, the borrower pays off the debt in full, the lender relinquishes the vehicle’s title back to the borrower.
Because the loan is based on the value of the vehicle, there is little need for lenders to check credit history of borrowers, but the borrowers must own his vehicle.
Credit Card Cash Advances
Today, most credit cards offer a cash advance via a check or money at the ATM and cardholders find themselves tempted by what seems too often like free money. While the process to borrow this money is simple, card holders must keep in mind that the interest rates are usually very high when borrowing money in this manner. Fees for credit card advances range from 2 to 5 percent of the total amount borrowed, and interest begins accruing as soon as you withdraw the money. This would mean that for every $1000 you borrow, you would owe $40 in fees. Interest rates, which are additional costs to the fees, can as high as 28%. So that simple spur of the moment ATM withdrawal can be very expensive. Card holders need to be mindful that some card issuers place credit card advances at the back end of the payments on their credit cards meaning, the money you send will first go to paying off your credit card balance before you start paying off your cash advance balance. This will cause the high credit card cash advance rates to be with you longer and cost you even more money.
Many credit card holders have gone into deep debt because of credit card cash advances and the industry faces constant scrutiny and regulation. Therefore Credit card companies put hard caps on the amount of cash advance money card holders can borrow. Card holders should only use cash advances if they are sure they can pay them off quickly preferably by the end of the month.
These three fast money loans can help you if you are in a fix but should be approached cautiously because like all borrowed money, if you cannot repay, you will potentially create more problems than the ones you seek to solve with the loan. So be a man and be cautious.
Walking the path of owning a business is a long and arduous road that includes a lot of obvious and unforeseen oppositions. This comes in the form of bigger businesses, and in simple choices that one must make to be a successful business in today’s market. One of the big choices a small business owner will face is how to accept payment from their customers. One must look into the best credit card machine for small businesses if they truly want to succeed in this economy.
A credit card reader is an essential tool for any business today. Accepting only cash went out of fashion along with overalls in the 90’s. Today there are so many options for accepting payment that it is basically working against a small business to not do so. Walmart and Target are two of the largest companies, and they pose direct competition to almost every kind of business out there.
Related: Don’t fall for this little known credit card trap
Accepting payment methods like credit cards and debit cards are necessities. Accepting other payment method, like Apple Pay and Paypal, give any business an advantage in today’s market. However, doing this can pose a burden to smaller businesses. Especially if that business is struggling. Some credit card processing services provide free credit card machines with their packages to help businesses in this respect. Along with that, some also offer technical support and installation for free as well.
Small businesses are at a disadvantage from the beginning and to not accept payment methods other than cash is a hindrance to any growth. It is a vital part of staying competitive in today’s market, and should be a part of all business from the beginning. In this respect, the pros heavily outweigh the cons.
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Forget video games – escape the digital drudgery of modern life and solve some problems in the real world.
Escape rooms are a growing phenomenon in major cities across the world. They come with all kinds of setups and scenarios, but the basic premise is the same: you’re locked in a room and you have to solve puzzles to win back your freedom.
“The good ones really are works of art,” says David Spira, whom Newsweek cites as America’s first escape room reviewer and blogger.
Starting from a simple premise, escape rooms have been growing more complex. They incorporate such technological elements as blacklights, laser-triggered alarms, trapdoors, and secret rooms. The production values for the best of these rooms rival those of Hollywood movie sets.
One Washington DC escape room that masterfully combines such technological spectacle with engaging puzzle design is The Alchemist by Insomnia Escape. It earned a 2016 Golden Lock-In Award from Spira’s blog Room Escape Artist, placing it in the top 13 of around 150 escape rooms from around the world.
The Alchemist locks you and your teammates in a mystical library with just 60 minutes to find the fabled Philosopher’s Stone. Fail and the Order of Alchemists will use the Stone to take control of the entire world.
With dramatic intrigue, a lavish environment, and elegant puzzles, this escape room in DC is a great example of the medium rising to the level of art.
Of course, there can be a learning curve with these kinds of games. It can be difficult to parse a room into mere props and actual clues you can use to solve the puzzle. Most escape rooms feature some kind of system for giving hints – otherwise, success rates would drop too low and people might lose interest.
In fact, some of the earliest escape rooms in Japan (where the phenomenon started) boast success rates in the single digits.
Even if you’re not up for those more difficult rooms, if you’re looking for a mental challenge that’s more immersive, social, and engaging than video games, why not try an escape room?
