New USERRA Employer Responsibilities Going into Effect 1/18/06

SUNRISE, Fla., Jan. 11, 2006 -- For the second consecutive year, U.S. employers have new USERRA responsibilities regarding employees who take military leave from their jobs.

In December 2004, President Bush signed into law a USERRA amendment that requires employers - small or large, public or private - to give employees notice of their job and health insurance protections if they enter or return from military service.

On Dec. 19, 2005, the federal Department of Labor issued a USERRA "final rule" that now requires employers to officially inform employees who are members of the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) that they also have such employment and insurance protections. This mandate takes effect Jan. 18, 2006.

NDMS is an asset-sharing program among federal agencies, state and local governments, private businesses and civilian volunteers. It provides medical resources after a disaster that overwhelms local health care providers.

What Employers Need to Know About USERRA

USERRA - the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act - was enacted in 1994 to protect the workplace rights of employees who take leave for active-duty military service. But, as the labor law experts at Sunrise-based G.Neil Inc. caution, the recent revisions to the law have created additional compliance obligations for employers.

"USERRA applies to all employers due to the anti-discrimination provision of the law, which prohibits discrimination against applicants and employees on the basis of their military status or affiliation," explained Ashley Kaplan, head of the G.Neil legal team.

"Don't make the mistake," she stressed to employers, "of thinking USERRA doesn't apply to you because you don't have any employees who are currently in the uniformed services. You could have some tomorrow, so you need to be informed."

Make Sure You Know the Basics

"Because USERRA provides employment protections for active-duty military personnel, it simultaneously limits an employer's freedom to hire or promote employees," Kaplan noted. G.Neil's legal team advises employers to be aware of these other USERRA basics:

Employment Rights: In general, an employee returning from military duty is entitled to reemployment in his or her former position - or one of comparable seniority, status and pay - unless conditions in the workplace have changed so radically that reemployment would be "impossible" or "unreasonable."

The Escalator Principle: When reemployed, the returning workers are to be placed on the seniority scale not just at the place where they left but in the position they most likely would be if they had stayed on the job.

Vacations and Benefits: If you grant vacation days based on years of service, a returning soldier's benefit must be calculated as if he or she never left.

G.Neil, which has specialized in labor law and human resource solutions for more than 16 years, offers numerous tools to help employers meet their HR challenges, including its USERRA Comprehensive Kit to assist with compliance. For more information or to request a catalog, call toll-free 1-800-999-9111 or visit http://www.gneil.com.

For more information, contact:

Ashley Kaplan
954-514-2311

Reduce Stress in the New Year through the Ancient Science Of Breath

What could be better than starting the New Year with a relaxed mind and improved health? Make this year's New Year's Resolution possible by enrolling in the Yoga of Breath stress reduction workshops offered throughout the Bay Area by the non-profit Art of Living Foundation.

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) January 10, 2006 -- What could be better than starting the New Year with a relaxed mind and improved health? Make this year's New Year's Resolution possible by enrolling in the Yoga of Breath stress reduction workshops offered throughout the Bay Area by the non-profit Art of Living Foundation.

Between the parties, music and gifts, the holidays lift the spirits. But soon it’s January and the crash begins. The bills and lack of rest conspire with the dark weather to bring on a case of the post holiday blues. The stress accumulates, and we are not able to release it.

It is now a well-known medical fact that chronic stress leads to irreversible physiological changes, resulting in diseased states such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attacks, asthma etc. “In fact, stress may affect every cell in your body,” says Ronald Glaser, Ph.D., a researcher at Ohio State University Medical School.

So how can one easily remove the effects of stress in each cell of the body? The secret lies in the breath. The flow of breath controls the state of our mind. When upset, our breath becomes shallow and quick; when calm, our breath is deep and slow. Ancient Yogic practitioners studied this natural phenomenon and turned it into a science of de-stressing the mind. The practical application of this ancient science of breath is available in the Yoga of Breath Stress Reduction Workshop, also known as the Art of Living course.

The cornerstone of the course is the Sudarshan Kriya®, a powerful breathing technique that purifies and rejuvenates both the mind and body. It is known to have beneficial effects on the physiology, nervous system, endocrine system and the immune system.

As Suzanne Foti noted, “After the shopping, parties and family functions, I felt low. I remember feeling so lonely after the holidays. I enrolled in the Art of Living course last January, and have felt refreshed at so many levels ever since. I am able to truly relax and enjoy life.”

The Art of Living Foundation is an international nonprofit, educational and humanitarian foundation. Our educational programs are offered in more than 140 countries around the world. As a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), we work in special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations, participating in a variety of committees and activities relating to health and conflict resolution. For more information on the Art of Living Foundation, please visit our website at http://www.artofliving.org. For San Francisco Bay Area information please visit http://www.artoflivingsfba.org.

Matt Tanner Aviation Announces a New Website at matttanner.com

The new website is designed to promote aviation. Matt Tanner's Aviation Guide is also available for purchase. It is the most comprehensive guide for getting your private pilot license.

(PRWEB) December 1, 2005 -- The new website for Matt Tanner Aviation is http://www.matttanner.com The website includes a bio about Matt Tanner, and aviation photos. The purpose of the site is to promote aviation. This guide is a must read for anyone who is considering getting a private pilot license.

Matt Tanner's Aviation Guide is the most comprehensive guide to getting your private pilot license. The guide is available in pdf format and contains flying tips from professional flight instructor, Matt Tanner. The advice in this guide will help flight students become safe, proficient pilots and save them considerable amounts of money on their flight training. Matt Tanner's Aviation Guide is available for purchase at www.privatepilotguide.com

In "Matt Tanner's Aviation Guide"
You Will Learn...

• How to reduce your flying expenses during and after your training
• The exact steps to take to earn your license, and what to expect along the way
• How to best prepare for your FAA checkride
• Training mistakes to avoid
• What to look for when choosing an instructor: questions to ask that will help your training, and what to watch out for
• How to choose the best training airplane to fit your aviation goals and budget
• What you must know before choosing a flight school
• Examples of the most common training aircraft and which one is best for you
• Plus much more…

About Matt Tanner: Matt Tanner is a graduate of Auburn University with a bachelor’s degree in Aviation Management. He is an experienced aircraft owner. Matt has had the privilege of instructing Air Force cadets and officers at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Also he has flown with Armed Forces test pilots, Alaskan Bush pilots, aerobatic pilots, and weekend flyers.

Currently, Matt is flight instructing in Atlanta, Georgia, the busiest airspace in the world. His experiences have given him a huge wealth of knowledge to pass on to his students. Matt loves taking that person, who has never even been in an airplane before, flying for the first time. The incredible feeling that they leave with really inspires him. He tells everyone who asks about flying to go for it. You will never be any younger.

www.matttanner.com
www.privatepilotguide.com

New Book Captures Excitement of the Outdoors

Author’s interview style resonates with readers

Longwood, FL (PRWEB) December 18, 2005 -- People who work hard often play hard and soon discover their needs for recreation and renewal are met through outdoor adventures such as hunting and camping and other outdoor activities. Because his first book was so popular, author Richard E. Davis decided to interview more outdoorsmen for his second compilation, The Storytellers II.

His storytelling power helps readers imagine themselves taking part in the actual adventures shared by outdoor enthusiasts. Though fourteen deer hunting camps are featured, many other outdoor activities are shared to help this second book be of even greater interest to a wider audience. The book includes 45 chapters and over 187 photos. The Storytellers II includes something for just about every outdoors enthusiast. Even the most home-bound reader can imagine themselves enjoying the Great Outdoors. Gather around your imaginary campfire or woodstove this evening, and enjoy.

Readers are sure to be informed and entertained by Davis’s interviews on everything from black powder and bow hunting, brook trout fishing, the use of calls in hunting, and backpack camping, to learning to fly an airplane, turkey hunting, canoe camping, hunting poisonous snakes, mountain climbing, triathlon events, elk hunting with bow, American Revolution Bicentennial reenactments, jumping out of airplanes, coyote hunting, sage grouse hunting, trapping and fishing with flies for Atlantic salmon, and much more. After Davis and his wife retired to a log home in the wilds of Scott, New York, they entered into a new phase of life. Living in the woods, the two discovered a natural world which came alive for them.

Davis shares stories contributed by a multitude of “storytellers” in The Storytellers II (December, $24.99, 1-59781-643-4). His second book showcases an abundance of outdoor activities in the woods Davis calls home. Patrick C. Ruppe, staff reporter for the Courtland Standard, says of the first Storytellers book, “Conversational in tone, written almost like a theater script, the reader, even a non-hunter, is aware he or she is being made witness to a part of living history. Told not from some distant, objective viewpoint, but rather through the memories of an individual who cherishes the recollection.”

Davis shares, “I was raised during the Depression years, and the fish we caught were not just for entertainment, but were for the table. My father learned early on the importance of mixing hard work with meaningful recreation. The whole outdoors was his playground and he delighted in sharing that with me! I was privileged to have been introduced to the joys and camaraderie of deer camp at an early age and shared that experience with my father and valued friends over fifty years. My dad introduced me to his world of the out-of-doors. My mom shared with me her love for her Savior. I trusted Jesus for my salvation at an early age, and that relationship continues to grow.”

Richard E. Davis joined his father, Lester J. Davis, in his general insurance business in 1955 and worked in that capacity for forty-four years. This is his third book—written with the help and participation of a multitude of storytellers. The first book, Dear Camp: Oswegatchie River and Other Places was published in 1996, and The Storytellers I was published in 2002

Xulon Press is the world’s largest Christian publisher, with more than 2,500 titles published to date. Retailers may order The Storytellers II through Ingram Book Company and/or Spring Arbor Book Distributors.

Dog Sledding and Snowmobiling at Haliburton Forest Makes for an Ontario Canada Winter Wonderland

Haliburton Forest is a private 50,000 reserve that offers winter recreation like Snowmobiling and Dog Sledding.

(PRWEB) December 19, 2005 -- Haliburton Forest is frequently referred to as “Ontario’s Winter Wonderland.” Consistently superior snow conditions at the top of the Algonquin Dome, aided by North America’s only mobile snowmaking assembly, and operating on more than 300 kilometers of well developed trails through some of Ontario’s most scenic wilderness has earned Haliburton Forest this reputation.

This ensures unmatched Ontario Snowmobiling (www.haliburtonsnowmobile.com) and Dog Sledding (www.haliburtondogsledding.com) conditions on a consistent basis even when the rest of Eastern North America is suffering from repeated winters of little snow.

While comments from visitors pay tribute to these unsurpassed conditions and amazing Snowmobile and Dog Sled experiences at Haliburton Forest, they had also revealed a concern about the degree and nature of traffic on the trails and its effect on the future use in this 50,000 acre private wildlife reserve. “We are trying to strike a balance between offering the attributes one would expect in a wildlife reserve and offering a managed level of outdoor recreation for Snowmobile and Dog Sled enthusiasts” says Peter Schleifenbaum owner of the 50,000 acre private forest (www.haliburtonforest.com) that is studded with dozens of remote wilderness lakes, wetlands, and canopied forest.

Like most Snowmobiling areas in Ontario, Haliburton Forest has seen a dramatic growth in their Snowmobiling operations over the past years. Haliburton Forest is committed to Snowmobiling for the long term.

To avoid jeopardizing the development and the future of Ontario Snowmobiling or sacrificing the quality of its own Snowmobiling experience, Haliburton Forest has reorganized the way it conducts its Snowmobile operations. This change also addresses environmental and safety concerns, which are both of primary importance within the overall concept of Haliburton Forest’s year-round operation.

Under the new rules, seasonal users continue to enjoy the quality of trails, scenery, and the services they are accustomed to—unrestricted and with few encumbrances. However, daily use is subjected to a quota of 100 machines per day. This figure was established reviewing present levels of use, peak periods, and expected demand. With this new policy, Haliburton Forest is able to guarantee consistently superior Snowmobiling conditions throughout the season to visiting Snowmobiling enthusiasts, even when surrounding areas have no trails open. To obtain day access, Snowmobile trail riders will have to register by phone prior to arrival. This ensures a place on the trails for the day. It also ensures that guests are guaranteed a Snowmobile tourism experience unmatched in North America.

This policy also has an added benefit for the many Dog Sled enthusiasts who enjoy the pristine setting that Haliburton Forest provides. With less machines on the trails, those participating in a Dog Sledding excursion do not have far to go to leave the outside world behind and find themselves closer to nature than they have been before. There is nothing like the sound of the crunching cold snow under the runner of a Sled as a team of eager Siberian Huskies take you deeper into the wilderness.

In fact, most of the trails on which these Ontario Dog Sled tours take place are not shared with snow machines, which helps add to the ambiance of a true northern adventure. Whether you are an experienced musher or a first time adventurer, Haliburton Forest offers an experience which is right for you. Prior to departing on your tour you are introduced to your guides and dog team. After a brief, but intensive and comprehensive training session, one can become involved in harnessing the dogs. Then, under the leadership of the guide, the tour departs. Taking charge, you drive your own team; or, one can simply sit back in the basket of the sleigh and enjoy the trails as the dogs pull you along. The choice is yours.

For the inexperienced, an introductory tour will show you to the basics of Dog Sledding. After instructions on how to use your equipment, you will be introduced to your 4-legged team of eager and very friendly Siberian Huskies. One can then expect to spend up to two hours on the winding and scenic trails.

Those with more confidence in their ability will find that a half day tour may suit your wilderness adventure needs. These tours will stop en-route for a drink of hot chocolate to warm you up, and presents the opportunity for some amazing photography. The average distance covered in the half day tour is 20 km of rugged Canadian wilderness.

Experienced mushers will find plenty of challenge in a full day excursion. The average distance covered is approximately 40km depending on trail conditions. This route can incorporate both winding, rugged trails through the deep and silent bush to breathtaking scenic trips across frozen lakes. A stop over for a “bush lunch” on an open fire gives both sledders and huskies alike a little rest before making the journey home.

Upon returning to the Base Camp of Haliburton Forest, one should consider a visit to the world renowned Wolf Centre. Here you will find an educational program with a twist… a chance to view real wolves in an enclosed natural habitat! Although the centre does not guarantee a sighting of the resident pack, visitors are rarely disappointed as the odds of a 90% successful viewing rate are always in your favor. The Wolf Centre does open on a more limited schedule in the winter season of Friday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm so be sure to plan your adventure accordingly.

Just as trail permits are by reservation only for Snowmobile use, so to are the Dog Sled tours. Be sure to book your tour well in advance as the popularity of Ontario outdoor winter wilderness activities is ever increasing in today’s active society. Haliburton Forest can be found only three hours north of Toronto making it within reach for a one day of activities.

For more information on this “Ontario Winter Wonderland”, one should visit the Haliburton Forest and Wild Life Reserve website at www.haliburtonforest.com.

From Boardroom to Boredom to Boats

Retired Corporate Exec Develops Unique Software Program for Sailing Clubs

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 4, 2006 -- After a long and distinguished career up the corporate ladder, Richard Wesson found retirement not to his liking. Specifically, it was boring and lacked the challenges of the everyday corporate world. To overcome the boredom factor, Richard and his wife, Marlene, decided they needed a hobby that would be both entertaining as well as challenging.

Living in southern California, the wide expanse of the Pacific Ocean beckoned and sailing seemed to fit their requirements. Being novices, they joined a sailing club and therein were the challenges Richard was seeking: not learning to sail, however, but the frustrating process of making reservations for a date and time to sail. The process had to be improved.

Having already enrolled at the University of California, San Diego, returning to school 30 years after getting his Ph.D., Richard opted for a computer-programming course. Having completed that, he then set about creating a program specifically for sailing and yacht clubs that would solve the tiresome process of calling the club, often getting a busy signal, calling again to request a date and time, finding that date and time taken, then exploring other options. Coming from the corporate world of problem/solution, Richard took on the challenge.

After 10 months of creating the program, testing, fine-tuning, and embellishing, Richard had what he wanted. The unique program uses Microsoft Net and is one of the first to utilize a complete net solution. With as few as six clicks on a computer, a sailing club member could contact the club 24/7, scan a full week of fleet schedules, and book and confirm the date and time wanted in no more than ten seconds. Members could also book lessons, check and modify personal data, make purchases in the club's shop, and charge it all to a credit card.

Benefits to the sailing club were equally impressive.
Research and testing showed a savings to the club of 20 hours per week or more that resulted in a direct personnel cost-savings plus the elimination of costly paper mistakes. Up-front costs were minimal, and per-transaction costs just pennies. Projections were that up to 60 percent of all reservations and class bookings would eventually be made online.

Richard christened the program "iSail" and set about making some initial contacts, and eventually sales. The problem was the proverbial one of getting a foot in the door. Once he was able to accomplish that, the program literally sold itself, but the initial problem persisted. He had even developed a presentation that could be done online with the prospect sitting in the comfort of his or her office and watching and listening as Richard took them step-by-step through the program.

With sales relatively slow due to the process of getting to the prospects, the next logical step was to develop a marketing program. Richard contacted an acquaintance that had recently retired as founding partner in a large advertising agency. An agreement was drafted and the marketing program developed and launched. Results to date have exceeded projections, and Richard's retirement has gone from boredom to busy-busy, much to his satisfaction.

Contact:

Richard Wesson
United Resources Enterprises
760 Market Street, Suite 1047
San Francisco, CA 94102
415-771-2444
FAX 415-986-0596
http://www.iSail.biz
info@iSail.biz

On The Menu Launches 17 Cookery Courses Worldwide

For immediate release - on the menu (www.holidayonthemenu.com)

Responding to the demands of our food-loving clients, on the go tours, with offices in London and Australia, has launched 17 new cookery courses worldwide, from India to Indonesia, Morocco to Mexico and Sydney to Seville.

Our philosophy is simple - great cooking in great places.

The cookery courses run from 3 days to 8 days and include accommodation, transfers, cookery sessions and more. on the menu now has a dedicated 1 800 number for potential clients throughout the United States who want to book any of our cookery courses, which combine informal cookery instruction with healthy doses of sightseeing.

Countries covered
Australia
France
India
Indonesia
Italy
Jordan
Mexico
Morocco
Spain
Thailand
Vietnam

Each on the menu cookery school is structured for inspirational hands on sessions where you learn new techniques and culinary secrets to impress your friends and family back home. Our teachers range from gourmet chefs like celebrated TV chef Valentina Harris of Italy, to local women who have been cooking since they could walk.

Chef Rene, who heads up our cookery school in Provence France, dishes up the secrets of time-honoured French dishes using traditional flavours and fragrances of the region. Rene also offers a special truffle course in December for the impassioned food lover.

All our classes are deliberately small to allow for plenty of individual attention. Those who don't want to take a particular cookery course alongside their partner can still come with at a reduced rate. Between cooking and lingering over long meals, there is plenty of time to relax and explore.

On the menu is relaxed, educational and above all fun. Our prices are affordable, our chefs the best in their fields and the accommodation ranges from rustic to five-star. The only problem is deciding which cookery school to book!

Booking details

on the menu, London
(www.holidayonthemenu.com)
68 North End Road
West Kensington, London W14 9EP

Tel: 1-877-541-0882 - ring our US agents today to request a brochure or to book. You can also access all the information you need on www.holidayonthemenu.com