The fastest way to get a passport will allow you to get your travel document the same day. Routine service takes from four to six weeks and expedited service through an acceptance facility or by mail takes from two or three weeks. When you cannot wait that long, then you have to get your application to a regional passport agency.

Regional passport agencies serve American citizens who must travel out of the country in two weeks or less. Individuals who also need to obtain visas for the countries they plan to visit can submit their passport applications at the regional agencies up to four weeks before their departure dates. All requirements for the type of passport service you need still apply when visiting a regional agency.

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Passport application processing agencies can be found in several major cities throughout the United States. A couple of new centers were opened in 2009 and the State Department has plans to open another in Buffalo, New York in 2010. Agencies are located in Aurora (Co.), Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Honolulu, Houston, Miami, Minneapolis, New Orleans, New York, Norwalk (Ct), Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Tucson and Washington DC.

In order to apply for a passport at a regional agency, you first have to set up an appointment by phoning 1-877-487-2778. Due to the high demand, it often takes several attempts to get through to the automated system. It is possible that the next available appointment is later than you can wait. In this case, you have two alternatives.

One thing you can do if you have difficulty scheduling an appointment is merely show up at the nearest passport agency. While the State Department states that applicants need to make an appointment and they have no obligation to receive applicants from those who do not schedule one, I have never heard of anyone being turned away. In fact, many travelers have shared how they were able to get same day passports without an appointment.

A second option you have if you are unable to set up an appointment or you just do not have time to get to a regional agency is to authorize a professional expediting service to submit your application in your place. Expediters have been around for decades and are a reliable means for getting your passport fast. Just be sure to choose one that allows you to request their services online and has good reviews and ratings with prior customers.

If you are in a hurry, applying at a regional passport agency is the fastest way to get a passport. Whether you do it yourself or go through an expediter, you can obtain your travel document as quickly as the same day.

Where Canopy Beds Came From

Canopy beds originated in medieval times when castles draped heavy curtains over the beds to keep out drafts and retain warmth in the winter then replaced them with light, thin netted canopies in the spring and summer to keep out bugs and other pests. Seen this way, a kids canopy bed doesn't seem so girlie at all.

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The rich later adopted the practice of sleeping under canopies simply because canopy beds had by then taken on the mystique of being associated with wealth, no matter they now had central heating, air conditioning, and screen windows to take care of all the practical concerns that canopies resolved.

Boys canopy beds, then, provide one way for you to help make your son feel like the richest little boy on the block.

Fabric is Only One Option

Many people, when they think of kids canopy beds, think of billowy fabric, sheen and frilly, but that's by far the only kind of canopy there is. The canopies in kids beds can be built of wood or wrought iron too.

Creative Boys Canopy Bed Ideas

To help jump-start your creativity, here are some ways that canopies can be incorporated into some of the more popular boys theme bed ideas:
A tree house theme bed could have a wooden slat platform for a lower canopy, creating a multi-use "cave" or sorts embedded in the tree's trunk, and a jungle foliage canopy branching out over the upper level adding to the forest ambiance. A racecar bed could have a sheet metal canopy as the roof of the car (it can even be made convertible) or it can form the ceiling of the garage where the race car bed is parked. Alternatively, use a canvas canopy and give your little boys race car theme bed its own indoor/outdoor carport. A seafaring vessel like a sailboat, a pirate ship, an ocean liner, an aircraft carrier, or a tanker could have a canopy of sorts as its sail or mast. Make your little boy feel like a pioneer with a wild west theme boys bedroom that incorporates a canopy into a custom covered wagon theme bed that's on an important frontier expedition. A jungle safari theme bed could have a netting canopy to emulate the mosquito netting needed in the buggy tropical rainforest environment. And lastly, drawing on the very history of canopy beds, make your little boy feel like lord of his manor with a princely (or kingly) custom castle bed equipped with its own canopy.

The name of your cleaning business will make up a large part of the perceptions that customers have about your brand. It will eventually become one of the most valuable assets that your company has, representing the sum total of all the goodwill that you build up over the years. The process of naming a cleaning business is indeed something that you should take very seriously.

One approach to naming a business is to give people a clear idea about what a business does so that people immediately know what a company can do for them. Other experts believe that this approach is too limiting and that as you may want to change the direction of your company in the future you should go for something a little more creative. abstract and versatile. Including the word 'cleaning' in a name is a good idea but you wouldn't want to describe the services that you offer to precisely in the name as you might discontinue that particular service at some point in time.

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Using the owners name or the area where the business operates in as part of the business name, while seemingly adding a nice touch can also be limiting and inappropriate as your business evolves.

Depending on your budget you could even approach an expert in naming businesses to come up with something creative and effective for you. The naming decision is worthy of some expert attention as so many entrepreneurs regret their selection further down the road. Maybe business owners shouldn't name their own business when someone a little more objective and with more business experience could do a much better job.

A name should be reasonably short, distinct and memorable, separating a business from the crowd. Use strong words that command attention. Stay away from overused words like 'Global' or 'Best'.

Try out a few of your favorites on friends and family. Ask them what they think of your top choices and see if they can remember them the next day. Make sure that they can pronounce them correctly too.

Make sure that your selection is not already in use by another cleaning business. Check online and also do a database search at your city or county clerks office. You might also want to check to see if there is a suitable domain name as you will undoubtedly set up a website for your cleaning business at some point. Most importantly, you, as the business owner have to like the name. It has to inspire you, instill confidence in you and allow you to envision your success.

A name forms an important part of a companies overall branding strategy and is one of the factors contributing to overall success. Changing a cleaning business name in the future would cause a loss of brand power and would result in a serious inconvenience and expense. You should do everything that you can to get the name right first time round.

For the past year I have been compiling a list of hobby shops with a good selection of model trains. These shops all look like a lot of fun to visit, but what are the most popular? Here is a list for the great state of New York.

The most popular model railroading shops (based on online chatter) in the state of New York are:

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10. Dutchess Train and Hobby in Poughkeepsie

9. Trainland in Brooklyn

8. J and K Trains and Parts in Marlboro

7. Hudson Shores Model Train Depot in Blauvelt

6. Locomotive Works in Wilson

5. Got a Hobby in Bedford Hills

4. JR Junction Train and Hobby in Syracuse

3. Model Trains And Parts.Com in Schenectady

2. Aurora Rails and Hobbies in East Aurora

...and the most popular shop for model trains in New York is...

1. Empire Northern Models in Webster

Hobby shops not quite making my top 10 were Adirondack Train and Hobby in Saratoga Springs, Bay Shore Hobbies in Bay Shore, Bruckner Hobbies in The Bronx, Bud's H. O. Cars in Cortlandt Manor, Delhi Station Train and Lighting Shop in Delhi, Flying Scotsman and Walden Hobbies in Monroe, Groton Hobby Shop in Groton, Lantz's Train Shop in Horseheads, Nassau Hobby Center in Freeport, NHS Hobbies in Ridgewood, Norwood Hobby Shop in Norwood, Scag's Electric Train Shop in Staten Island, Trainville Hobby Depot in Levittown, TreatStation in Peekskill, Village Train and Hobby in Windsor, Walt's Hobby in Syracuse, Willis Hobbies in Mineola, World of Trains in Forest Hills, and Xtreme Hobby Shop in Deer Park.

Also in New York be sure to visit some of the great railroading museums including Empire State Railway Museum in Phoenica, New York Museum Of Transportation in West Henrietta, Railroad Museum of Long Island in Greenport, Rochester and Genesee Valley Railroad Museum in West Henrietta, and Salamanca Rail Museum in Salamanca.

So lots of great model railroading shops from all over New York in the top 10. Empire Northern Models probably made it to the number one spot by having a popular website as well as a fantastic retail store. I was a bit surprised that Trainland, where "Bobby Bacala" from the TV series the Sopranos purchased the Blue Comet was not higher on the list because of that publicity, but I guess that was a few years ago.

I compiled this list by searching for the hobby shops listed on a number of search engines and ranking them by the number of web pages, discussion forums, photos, videos, etc that are available online. I further screened this list to include only pages that mentioned model railroading.

There is much debate about the causes of addiction. Because there are two components to addiction --the physical addiction and the psychological addiction-- it is likely that many factors create a risk for addiction. In the case of certain drugs such as methamphetamine or heroin, almost any individual who comes into contact will become addicted. On the other hand, addictive behaviors such as shopping or eating are used moderately by the majority of the population and only become addictions for some.

The following risk factors are involved in developing addictions:

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Genetics: It is believed that addictions such as alcoholism may be inherited. Individuals from families with a history of alcoholism are more likely to develop the disease themselves. Also, individuals from families with a history of any kind of addiction are more likely to develop some other form of addiction. For example, someone from an alcoholic family may develop a problem with compulsive overeating or workaholism. While environmental factors can also have influence, individuals who have been removed from their alcoholic parents and raised by non addicted individuals still show a higher risk for developing an addiction themselves.

Environment: Children raised by alcoholic or drug addicted parents are more likely to view substance abuse or certain behaviors as acceptable, making them more likely to engage in the addiction themselves. Individuals from countries where use of a certain substance or engagement in an addictive behavior are frowned upon or hard to obtain show a much lower incidence of addiction, pointing to possible environmental factors.

Abuse: Individuals who experienced sexual, psychological, emotional or physical abuse are more likely to become addicts. The addiction becomes a coping mechanism, helping the addict to deal with strong negative emotions surrounding the abuse, feelings of severe low self-esteem, and possible flashbacks.

Emotional Disorders: Emotional disorders such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder often increase the risk of substance abuse and addictive behaviors, especially amongst those who are misdiagnosed or undiagnosed. Individuals often use drugs, alcohol, food, exercise, or work as a way to self-medicate and escape the symptoms of their primary disorder.

The Substance: Certain substances are more addictive than others, and risk of full-blown addiction is higher for drugs such as cocaine, heroin, or methamphetamine because of their ability to create dependence after just a few uses.

Low Frustration Tolerance: One common factor found amongst addicts of all types is a low frustration tolerance. Addicts are highly susceptible to the negative effects of stress, often experiencing distress at a relatively low level of frustration. They become easily upset over everyday stress factors, creating a need for escape. They find this escape in their addiction.

These are all contributing factors as to why addiction occurs. Overall, there is no absolute solution when dissecting the causes behind addiction. Today, there are many options available to the alcoholic or drug addict who wishes to stop and stay stopped.