College Humor

A survey from The Co-operative Insurance has displayed that home insurance has increased only slightly over the last ten decades, and still remains a good value for the money. Looking back to August 1931, premium cover for house insurance would insure against disasters such as fires, house breaking, burglary, storm, floods, burst water tanks, boiler explosions and even accidents to servants.

The cost of a comprehensive home insurance policy that year was "a very reasonable rate" of 5 shillings, per 100 worth of household goods, with a minimum premium of 5 shillings. In decimal currency, that works out to a cost of 25pence, per 100 of cover.

Fast forward to 2008, and we see that the average contents sum insured at The Co-operative Insurance is currently 36,000 and the average contents premium 75.00. This equals out to the cost of only 20pence per 100 of cover, which actually means premiums have decreased compared to those in 1931.

This is despite that fact that home insurance policies now provide a much wider cover, with extra benefits, and protects homeowners against the loss of high value goods, such as electrical items involving flat screens TVs, DVD players, personal computers and video cameras. Therefore, this results in an inflated sum insured far beyond the 1930's, when the type of property cover included furniture, jewellery, ornaments, tea sets and radio sets.

Financial marketing slogans have also been subject to change over the last 77 years. The Co-operative Insurance findings showed that slogans concerning the nature of home insurance included sayings urging people to protect themselves "From ghosties and goulies long-legatty beasties and things that go bump in the night." Current Co-operative slogans contain messages such as 'good with money', and cannot claim to be poetic. The fundamental message though is still the same that it pays to insure your belongings.

David Neave, the director of General Insurance at The Co-operative Insurance said that: "This clearly shows that even though the home insurance market has changed significantly with products developed to provide wider cover with greater benefits. The Co-operative Insurance still continues to provide value for money products that are backed with high levels of service at premiums people can afford."

However, those with small children may find that home insurance does not always work out as good value for money. Adults with toddlers pay out more than 555 million to pay for the damage caused around the home by reckless children, according to a new survey from Abbey Insurance. More than 2.5million homes with children aged between one and five have experienced this problem in the last year alone. One to five years old are 23% more likely to cause damage than 22% of children aged six to ten years old.

A difference in gender comes into play, as boys are twice more likely to cause destruction than girls. Children in Scotland have been named 'most mischievous,' causing damage that costs around 625 to repair.

Tony Beckwith, head of Santander Insurance UK stated that: "Dealing with the damage caused by children can be inconvenient, costly and can cause unwanted tension if people do not have the appropriate level of insurance cover."

The most common damage in the household was to paintwork or wallpaper, 38% of all people who have had the misfortune of suffering damage to their property have needed to redecorate. The second most common form of damage was to furniture reaching 31%, whilst broken ornaments and other items came third at 30%.

Catherine has several articles pertaining to Home Insurance

The new Guild Wars expansion, Eye of the North, is supposed to act as a bridge between the first 3 Guild Wars installments and Guild Wars 2, slated for release in 2008. The new expansion takes place 6 years after the campaign that occured in Prophecies which places the occurrences found in Eye of the North 3 years after Nightfall and 8 years since the occurence of "The Searing".

4 New Title Tracks - (Asura, Deldrimor, Ebon Vangaurd, and Norn)

* Asura Title Track - Set in the Tarnished Coast.

* Deldrimor Title Track.

* Ebon Vanguard Title Track.

* Norn Title Track - Set in the Far Shiverpeaks and the Charr Homelands.

* Master of the North Title Track.

Eye of the North takes place 8 years after "The Searing" happens in the Prophecies Guild Wars stand alone. A race of cat creatures from the northern regions of the Guild Wars world. This race is known as the Charr demolish Tyria, the kingdom of Ascalon. A series of earthquakes shake all 3 of the world's continents. Each of the stand alone Guild Wars campaigns takes place in one of these three continents. Strange beasts rise from the abysses created by the earthquake.

After you've fought through the legions of the Undead you will meet a Dwarf by the name of Ogden Stonehealer as well as an Asuran known as Vekk. Soon after, your party is attacked by Destroyers, an enemy new to Eye of the North. You and your party escape through a portal and destroy it behind you. On the other side of the portal you'll be introduced to the Norn race of viking-like giants.

With the assistance of a Norn named Jora, you'll then make your way to the Eye of the North, a huge structure, where humans have been rumored to be seen. At The Eye of the North you'll meet up with Gwen, a character who first appeared 8 years earlier in Prophecies. Once inside The Eye of the North you'll discover the Hall of Monuments. The Hall of Monuments will later be used to transfer a player progress from the expansion to Guild Wars 2 rumored to release in 2008.

Each campaign will require you to battle your way through the dungeons found below the surface with the help of the new Eye of the North maps. After you've completed the title tracks and make your way through the dungeons you're final battle will be against "The Great Destroyer".

Tom Kranz is a an avid player of Eye of the North the expansion to the award winning Guild Wars Follow the links for more information on Eye of the North maps and Guild Wars gold.