Sunday 29 March 2009

Trip insurance has angered travelers and drawn state scrutiny



Is the nightmarish possibility of being laid off keeping you from taking the vacation of your dreams?

Several travel companies are hoping to allay your fears — and then wish you bon voyage.

Cruise retailer CruiseOne, with several locations in Northeast Ohio, recently added job-loss coverage to its basic travel insurance policy. If you get laid off, you can cancel the cruise with no penalty — provided you’ve purchased the insurance, the price of which varies by the cost of the cruise but starts at $35.

“You wouldn’t think something so simple could make such a difference,” said Becky Piper, who runs a CruiseOne franchise out of her Strongsville home. “My sales have skyrocketed.”

“Everyone is just so fearful,” she said. “They don’t want to make plans for six months from now if they think they might not have a job.”

To qualify for the policy, which is administered by Travel Guard, you must have been employed for a year. Information: cruiseone.com.

Ecruises.com, an online travel agency specializing in cruises, also offers job-loss protection through its basic travel insurance policy; and Ecruises is picking up the cost of the insurance.

Norwegian Cruise Line also recently added job-loss insurance to its travel insurance plan for sailings in May and beyond. Prices start at $29, depending on the fare. Information: ncl.com.

A bed-and-breakfast in Vermont is offering six free two-night getaways to people who have been unemployed for more than six months. Rabbit Hill Inn in Lower Waterford, on the New Hampshire border near St. Johnsbury, will offer a two-night freebie, dubbed the Pink Slip Getaway Giveaway, each month in April through July and again in November and December. Send a letter or e-mail by Monday, June 1, explaining your story in a page or less: Box 55, Lower Waterford Road, Lower Waterford, VT 05848 or info@rabbithillinn. com.

Ohio’s two CoCo Key water parks, in Newark and Cincinnati, are offering a price break to workers who have been forced to take unpaid time off. For $119, a family of four can spend a night at either resort, which includes two full days of water-park passes. Information: cherryvalleylodge.com or sheraton.com/cincinnatinorth.
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Sunday 15 March 2009

Cute and Essential Dog Clothes



It’s still cold outside and not spring quite yet so your dog still needs quality and cute dog clothes such as this dog parka. More and more pet owners are realizing that their pets get cold too and so you might be thinking about getting your special dog something warm to wear. Now you can keep your dog warm and stylish at the same time.

With several different types of dog apparel to choose from you are sure to find the perfect dog sweater, dog jacket, and even dog pajamas. Since we all know we are in hard economic times SuppliesJust4Pets.com is offering tiered coupons for customers. You can now save $5 on orders of $50, $10 on orders of $100, or $15 on orders of $175. Find these coupon codes at http://www.suppliesjust4pets.com/coupons.html.

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From the Pets - breeding, nutrition, health weblog



Dental practice caused patient an uneven bite, suit claims



By Kelly Holleran

A Madison County man has filed suit against an Alton dental practice, alleging the dentists did not properly diagnose him with TMJ and performed a procedure that made his bite worse.

Gene Silveus claims he visited Humbert Road Dentistry on March 16, 2007, where dentists grinded down the teeth and crowns of the left side of his jaw, causing him to have an uneven and unbalanced bite.

In the suit filed March 6 in Madison County Circuit Court, Silveus claims Dr. Terry Ortman and Dr. Timothy Pranger improperly worked on his mouth, causing him to suffer acute and prolonged physical and mental pain and suffering.

They also failed to initially diagnose Silveus’ TMJ and bi-lateral click before they grinded on his teeth, the complaint says.

The two dentists failed to render dental services consistent with Silveus’ needs, failed to adequately evaluate his condition, failed to diagnose and treat him, failed to take a proper history before grinding on his teeth and failed to fully explain the procedure to him, the suit states.

“After assuming the care and treatment of plaintff, Gene Silveus, the defendant, Dr. Timothey Pranger, D.M.D., through his authorized agent, employee or partner, co-defendant Terry Ortman, D.D.S., committed battery against the plaintiff by intentionally grinding down his teeth and crowns on the left side of his jaw without plaintiff’s consent,” the suit states.

Silveus claims they also failed to properly equilibrate the left and right side of his teeth on the same day.

As a result, Silveus has incurred dental expenses, according to the complaint.

In the 13-count suit, Silveus is seeking a judgment in excess of $650,000, plus costs.

He is represented by Jeffrey A. Kopis of the Kopis Law Office in Belleville.

Madison County Circuit Court case number: 09-L-0220.



Saturday 14 March 2009

A reality’s blogging



The South Beach nourishment is a wildly popular diet, that’s why South Beach diet recipes are so in demand. There are many delicious low-carb foods that fit on the fare. Almost everything you can think of is included in some south beach diet recipes. Read on to discover a few.

One of the terrific South Shore diet recipes is for chicken Marcela. Add chicken broth, minced parsley, half cup of Marcela wine, olive oil, mushroom slices to boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Brown the chicken in the olive oil. Cook onions and mushrooms until they’re furry, then add the wine and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add some broth as liquid is needed. Cover the chicken with the sauce. The calories and carbs will bowl over you 336 calories, and 3 g of carbohydrates

Another of the terrific South Beach diet recipes takes us to the east, in Thailand. It’s be that as it may for some chicken salad from Thailand. It’s a combination of chicken with various vegetables and spicy Thailand sauce. It’s very Spartan to make mix together the salad ingredients, mix together dressing ingredients, then toss them together. It makes four servings and has 8 g of carbohydrates in 297 unconditional calories. It really looks delicious.

How about south of the border with South Beach at recipes? This way for fajitas includes a soy sauce, a recommendation from a cook in a Mexican restaurant. ? to 2 pounds of skirt steak or chicken is cut into strips, combined with a normal onion, two bell peppers, quarter cup of soy sauce, ? cup of wine juice, 1 teaspoon of chili granulate, and 2 tablespoons of oil. Let the meat marinate in the liquid ingredients for at least an hour. Brown the meat then cook the vegetables for a terse time. This serves five, has 4.5 g of carbohydrates in a total of 307 calories per serving.

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From the Free recipes - food and drink recipes weblog



State bans sale of bankrupt firm’s travel insurance



A Southwest Florida travel agency says it long ago stopped selling insurance policies from a company under investigation by Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink.

According to the Department of Financial Services, Sink this week notified three travel agencies to stop selling insurance on behalf of Colorado-based Prime Travel Protection Services Inc. and any other unlicensed travel insurer. Prime Travel Protection Services Inc., run by Jerry Watson in Colorado, reportedly filed bankruptcy in January.

Sink issued legal notices to Palm Coast Travel of Lake Worth; Vacation Superstore Network Inc., DBA Best Price Cruises, of Port St. Lucie; and Legendary Journeys Inc. of Sarasota, charging they violated state law by selling insurance for Prime Travel, which is not licensed in Florida to sell insurance. The travel agencies have 21 days from the receipt of the notice to respond.

Reached by phone in Sarasota on Friday, Legendary Journeys Vice President Al Ferguson said his company hasn’t sold Prime Travel Protection policies in six months. “We were getting complaints regarding their repayment schedule for valid claims,” Ferguson said. State regulators were informed, Ferguson said.

Legendary Journeys has offices throughout Southwest Florida, including one in Fort Myers.

Sink’s office said other travel agencies are under investigation, and may be named for selling policies from insurers that aren’t state-licensed.

Travel insurance can protect consumers against costs from unforeseeable circumstances, including trip cancellation, early return and emergency medical needs. Sink advises consumers to get confirmation that the insurer providing travel insurance protection is licensed by the State of Florida (Office of Insurance Regulation) before purchasing the product.
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