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Discover the Best Caribbean Cruise Lines

2006-02-11T08:17:00.000+14:00

By: Bob Hett

If you want to take a relaxing vacation where you are totally pamper, you may want to go on a cruise. The best and most sought after vacation spot for a cruise is that of a Caribbean cruise. If this sounds like something you want to do, then discover the best Caribbean cruise lines available. If you are unsure of which Caribbean cruise lines to choose from, then please read on to learn about Caribbean cruise lines that are the best on the market.

The top rated Caribbean cruise lines are the best ones to consider. One of these Caribbean cruise lines is that of Royal Caribbean. Royal Caribbean has a 5 star rating. They are the biggest and most innovative of all of the Caribbean cruise lines. Their accommodations are the most superb and luxurious of all of the Caribbean cruise lines as well. On board you will be pampered by a well trained staff. There is free 24 hour room service and all meals are also included at any of the restaurants or buffets. The only extra thing you will have to pay for is the gambling at the onboard casino! There is also a spa treatment facility, a pool, hot tubs, and many other amenities.

The prices for this cruise line varies by how long you wish the cruise to last and by what kind of room you stay in. There are 3 rooms to choose from: indoor, ocean view, and balcony.

The next top rated Caribbean cruise lines you should consider are that of the Carnival Caribbean cruise lines. Carnival Caribbean cruise lines have received a 4 and a half star rating. Carnival cruise ships are somewhat smaller than the Royal Caribbean cruise lines and not quite as luxurious.

But if you have kids or a family, Carnival Caribbean cruise lines is the way to go. This is because they have many kid oriented activities on board and they cater to children more than most other Caribbean cruise lines. They have pools, saunas, shops, bars, restaurants that are all included with your ticket fee, and many other amenities. The cost again varies by how long you stay on the cruise, and by what kind of room you choose.

Both of these Caribbean cruise lines were the top rated and the most highly sought after for people vacationing on a cruise to the Caribbean. Before you decide which cruise liner you wish to use, do some research online. If you want a more adult oriented cruise, then go with a Royal Caribbean cruise. If you are taking children, then go with a Carnival cruise. With all of this in mind, you should be able to select between the 2 best Caribbean cruise lines!

Sandy Beaches offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning Caribbean Cruises.
Get the information you are seeking now by visiting http://www.caribbeancruisecenter.info

Advantages of Owning a Condo/Condominium

2006-02-10T16:04:00.000+14:00

By: David Chandler

Condos have become an increasingly attractive home ownership option for singles, young couples, families and retired couples (that's just about everybody!). A condo is a viable option for anyone who wants to own a home without the worry of repairs, maintenance and dreaded chores like snow shoveling.

Condos are usually located in well established, proven neighborhoods. Giving you the opportunity to see where everything is before you decide to buy. Some condos are the same size as houses as far as square footage is concerned, and the accessibility is a little more governed. You have people closer to your condos so there is more of a chance that someone will watch your property while you are away.

You need an inspection completed before buying a condominium. Do not forget that when you buy a condo, you are also buying into the entire building in which your condo is located. As a co-owner of the building, you will be assessed your proportional share of the cost for corrective work required in common areas, such as the roof, heating system, or foundation.

Condominiums will increase your buying power. Condos usually sell for 20 to 30 percent less than similar detached homes. You will have all the luxury of owning your own home, but will be able to share the cost of upkeep on the building, roof, and foundation. For most buyers the choice is to buy a condo that meets their living needs or continue to rent.

Condominiums usually cost less to maintain than detached homes. The replacement cost of the high rise's roof, may be more in absolute terms than replacing the roof of a detached single-family home, but the cost per owner should be less.

Condominiums have amenities that you could not otherwise afford, such as swimming pools or tennis courts, there own community center with exercise rooms and much more. Condominiums are ideal homes for people without children or some with a very small family.

After reading this article completely you should have a general idea of why buying a condominium maybe what you are looking for.

For more information, visit www.CodominiumsInfo.com

The Most Perfect Diamonds In The World And Where They Come From

2006-02-09T18:42:00.000+14:00

By: J Shipper

Diamonds are allotropes of carbon , whose hardness and high dispersion of light make it useful for industrial applications and jewelry.

Diamond in Greek means "impossible to tame".
Diamonds are found mainly in central and southern Africa ,although significant sources of the mineral have been discovered in Canada ,Russia ,Brazil ,and Australia.

There are Synthetic Diamonds and Natural Diamonds.

There is something so special about diamonds, and they are so valuable, that people have been trying to make them for a long time.

Synthetic diamonds were first produced in 1953, in Stockholm ,Sweden by ASEA ,Sweden's major electrical manufacturing company. Pressure was maintained within a device at an estimated 83,000 atmospheres for an hour to produce these diamonds.

It now seems that it is possible to make diamonds in a laboratory so perfect down to the same atomic structure that DeBeers, the world's largest diamond consortium, is running scared.
And you know what, these diamonds can be made and sold at a profit.

Apparently there are in Russia alone 5 laboratories producing synthetic diamonds that have the same atomic structure as natural diamonds but with ONE difference, they are too perfect.
They have the same characteristics as real diamonds, the same hardness, same conductivity, the same sparkle.

Different types of Synthetic Diamonds

2 different processes are being used to produce Synthetic Diamonds:

The oldest process uses pressure, lots of it, and carbon.

Since diamonds are carbon, eventually people were able to make diamonds in this manner, but these diamonds were easily distinguishable from natural diamonds.

Originally, the pressure process was developed by GE and, by major manufacturers, on a much larger scale.

There is also a cubic press system.

The newest process actually grows diamonds layer by layer as a chemical process and is called Chemical vapor deposition.
This process allows many new uses for diamonds which in the past had previously been either too expensive to implement or too difficult to make.

The most important characteristic of CVD diamond growth is the ability to control the properties of the diamond produced.

Diamonds are now being used to machine tools, especially for non-ferrous alloys.
CVD diamond also has applications in electronics. Conductive diamond has been demonstrated as a useful electrode under many circumstances.

Diamonds are also being used as radiation detection devices.
Diamonds also have uses as semiconductors because the diamonds can be contaminated with impurities.

Diamond is the ideal material. It can be used in computers to run them at speeds that would melt anything on the market today.

Diamonds can also replace rubies to make lasers of extreme power.

Diamonds can be used as memory storage devices which could be so small as to allow a cellphone to fit into a watch and an iPod to store 20,000 movies.

Real Estate Timeshare - Good investment?

2006-02-08T22:15:00.000+14:00

By: Frank Vanderlugt

Timeshares are a large part of the vacation travel industry. Travellers who cannot afford to own a home abroad, or who don't want the worries associated with exclusive ownership, often see timeshare as an affordable alternative. However, unscrupulous salespeople, poorly maintained properties and unexpected hidden costs have brought a lot of bad publicity to the industry. A well-informed consumer can avoid the common pitfalls.

It is always risky to buy property sight unseen, but many people do this when they purchase timeshares. If you purchase in an area where you wish to vacation, you may be unpleasantly surprised when you arrive at your destination. However, many timeshares are purchased with the intent of trading them for others in different locations, and in this case the location of the property is a bargaining chip, not the actual physical property. Timeshares in prime locations such as Hawaii are easier to trade than others.

Recently, big corporations such as Disney, Hilton, Marriott and Hyatt have entered the timeshare market, and their properties are of a uniform standard around the world. First, you should know that if you buy a new unit directly from a timeshare company, it may cost up to 60% more than if you purchased from the resale market. Buying from a time-share company is more expensive primarily because of the company's marketing costs, which include free trips, meals and vacation activities for prospective buyers. Most customers of these timeshare companies buy on impulse, without any intent to purchase when they first walked into the timeshare seminar. Hard-sell tactics and "Buy-it-NOW-one-time-only-offers!!!" are the rule, and to avoid being pressured into a bad deal, the best tactic is to avoid these sales presentations altogether.

Try the resale market for better deals. Time-share resales are listed on many websites, on eBay and with independent time-share brokers. The search term "timeshare resale" produced approximately 500,000 results on Google, so there are plenty of services to choose from.

If you buy directly from an individual, a resale broker or a lawyer can handle the closing for a charge of $300 to $500.

If you are buying a timeshare for the resale value, consider regular real estate instead. Timeshares do not increase in value in tandem with conventional real estate. From a strictly financial point of view, time shares are poor investments. Most real estate increases in value, but this is not always the case with time-shares, especially those bought directly from timeshare companies. If you get a good deal on a resale timeshare in a prime location, it may increase somewhat in value. But usually time-shares are like cars -- they are commodities to be used, and are resold for less than the original purchase price. Don't think of timeshares as real estate; you are buying a vacation plan.

Also, unless you buy in a prime location, swapping them may not be easy. Timeshares are frequently sold on the claim that the buyer can trade a week in one place for a week at another location. This is only true if the location is in demand by other vacationers. Otherwise, expect to vacation in the original location each year.

To find out whether or not you will be happy with a timeshare, it may be a good idea to rent one for your next vacation. Many timeshare units are placed on the rental market by owners who couldn't get away to vacation at their alloted time, and these units often rent at bargain prices. Check the same websites that offer timeshare resales for available rentals.

There is a new "points" system being offered by some timeshare properties. Instead of getting a week each year, buyers purchase a set number of "points." These can be redeemed for a week's stay during the peak season, for longer periods during the off-season, or even spread over the year in two- or three- day segments. Some large hotel companies such as the Marriott also offer a points systems whereby a stay at their hotel earn points in the company's time-share system. Points systems can be confusing, so be sure you have a clear understanding of the services you are buying. For instance, find out how much advance time is required to reserve a week at the resort during peak season, whether the points have an expiration date, and if it is possible to transfer the points to other facilities in the same resort chain. However, when it comes to vacation planning, the points system offers more flexibility because the buyer is not locked into the same week every year.

Most important, don't forget the annual maintance fee. Time-share owners are responsible for paying a portion of the property's upkeep. These annual fees, including maintenance and real estate taxes, typically range from $300 to $700 per week of ownership.

In summary, timeshares can be a good buy if they offer some flexibility in terms of transferring to other locations and timing your vacation. The typical timeshare is a small condo with kitchen facilities and one or two bedrooms, ideal for a family vacation, and since such units rent for $150-200 per night, a timeshare purchase may be cheaper way to travel. However, if you are a mobile traveller who likes to stay in a different town every night, a single person who doesn't need the extra space, or if you travel at unpredicatable times, then a time share may not be suitable.

J Shipper loves timeshares: http://www.timeshares-now.info http://www.condo-cruise-ship.com http://www.2qz.com/condo-cruise-ship

Rose Layering Tips

2006-02-05T13:24:00.000+14:00

By: Robert Hellon

Layering is one way to increase the number of your favorite rose plants without incurring any additional expense. Careful preparation, a few basic tools and couple of hours spent performing this once popular task. The rewards of performing this easy to do task will be additional blooms of your favorite rose plants for you to enjoy for years to come.

This method of propagation is reliable, though rather slow. It is adopted in nurseries particularly with Hybrid roses and climbing roses. A plant from a layer is, of course, on its own roots, and such is very desirable when it is possible to obtain it, for every growth that develops is of the true rose; there can be no question of sucker growths from the stock as in the case of budded roses.

Layering is best done in June, July, and August, It should be understood that only plants with growths close to the ground can be layered conveniently.
A rose bush is easily prepared for layering. The leaves are first removed from that part of the stem most readily brought to the ground.

The ground round about the plant to be layered should be well forked, and a liberal quantity of gritty soil mixed in with a trowel. A sharp knife and some pegs will be needed the pegs, are used to secure the layers in position. Take the shoot with the leaves removed in the left and hold the knife in the right hand. Cut the shoot close to a bud, choosing one that is on the upper side. Pass the knife upwards for about one and a half inches, and in the centre of the shoot. Place a little piece of matchwood in the middle part to keep it open; then take the trowel and drive it into the soil at a point to which the rose shoot may in bent down conveniently. Work the trowel a little too each side to widen the aperture, then press in the shoot, previously giving it a slight twist, and secure it in position in the soil about three inches below the surface. The part that is cut should then twisted too protrude like a tongue.
Hence its name; and this tongue should point downward when buried in the soil, for it is here that the roots are formed.

A little practice will soon enable the amateur to layer his own roses, and it is an excellent way to multiply the stock of any favorite roses. It is usually takes nine months before the layers become well rooted. The layers should not be taken off the parent plant in less than this time. Leaving the layer on the plant longer would increase the chances of the layering being successful. This in mind it is even be better to leave the layer for around fifteen months before transplanting the layered rose.

Climbing roses may be easily layered in the summer months when growth is active, and are regarded by many experts as the easiest of all roses to layer successfully.
If the weather continues dry after layering, it would be well advised to water them occasionally.

Quite fine masses of roses may be had by layering the shoots of an old plant and leaving them alone. I have seen as many as forty layers round about one old plant, and when the layers and the parent plant were in bloom together they made a gorgeous show. Layering roses takes care and patience, but the careful gardener will be rewarded for his efforts with healthy new plants bursting with blooms in the summer months.

Seven Top Tips For Your Las Vegas Wedding

2006-02-02T11:36:00.000+14:00

By: Susan Jones

Research

Unless youre a spontaneous, spur of the moment person, research is essential in order to have a great Las Vegas wedding, including setting the wedding date.

Yes, you could hop on a plane at the last minute, fly to Vegas and turn up at the chapel of your choice only to find out that:
1. You need a marriage licence from the Marriage Bureau, Las Vegas, Nevada which is located at 200 S. 3rd Street, 1st floor Las Vegas, NV 89155-1603 (cost at time of writing was $55) before you can get married in Las Vegas.
2. The chapel is booked solid, even when you return with a marriage license. Then youre roaming Las Vegas wedding chapels, trying to find one that can marry you.
How To Get There

You also need to research how youll get to Las Vegas. Plane, train, car or bus? If you decide to fly, youll need to check airfares with the different airlines to find the best deal.
Venue

When you were doing your research, you probably came up with an idea of what sort of wedding you wanted. For example, you can be married by an Elvis impersonator, get married in medieval costume at Excalibur or opt for a traditional ceremony in an elegant wedding chapel.

Once youve decided on your wedding theme and researched wedding chapels, its a good idea to book the chapel of your choice as soon as possible, in order to avoid disappointment.
Reception

To reception or not to reception? Instead of having a traditional reception you could have a memorable wedding meal at a top restaurant in Las Vegas, depending on how many will be in your wedding party. Or if its just the two of you, you could dine a deux with room service in your honeymoon suite.
Your Wedding Night and Honeymoon

Now that you know where and when youre getting married, its time to book the wedding night and or honeymoon. Its easy to research the casino hotels online by visiting their websites or reading messages on Las Vegas forums to find a hotel that appeals to you. Once you find your hotel, its a good idea to make your reservations as soon as possible.
Wedding Attire

Its time to decide on your outfit for your Las Vegas wedding. Youve already decided what sort of ceremony youve having, which will help to narrow your choice of outfit. If you dont want to pack your wedding gown into a suitcase you could always rent or buy a wedding gown in Las Vegas. Just make sure you do your research first before you arrive in Las Vegas.
Invitations

Before sending out your invitations you should have completed the above six steps: deciding on a wedding date and type of wedding, mode of transport to Las Vegas, booking a wedding chapel, deciding on what sort of reception youll be having if any, reservations for your wedding night/honeymoon and planning your wedding attire.
Now its time to invite your family/friends to your Las Vegas wedding. Unless you just want it to be the two of you - how romantic!

Susan Jones loves visiting Las Vegas and sharing her knowledge with others. For great information on getting married in Las Vegas visit her site at: Las Vegas Wedding Directory http://www.las-vegas-wedding-directory.com

Cruise Ship Jobs

2006-01-08T17:30:00.000+14:00

By: Steve Wilcott

Considering a job on a cruise ship? There probably isn't any better way to see the world or to meet new people. There are many different careers to choose from on a cruise ship. These types of position are generally full time ones, but you will get some "down time". Generally if you work on a cruise ship you get free room and board, free medical care and meals. These jobs seem much better suited to younger people who aren't settled down yet. It can be very hard spending long lengths of time away from loved ones.

There are generally three different departments on any cruise ship and all available positions are divided into these different areas; the hotel, the deck, and the engine department. As with any job position, each of these departments has a supervisor that you will report to. Most entry level positions are available in the hotel department and comprise the following: Pursers Office, Cruise Staff, Food Department, Bar Department, Dining Room, Housekeeping, Gift Shop, to name a few. Other departments are Salon, Photography, Casino, Shore Excursions, Engine Room and Medical Staff.

As with a lot of companies, a lot of people who work on ships in positions of authority have worked their way up through the ranks, proving they can do the job. Of course someone applying for a job in the Medical Office or the Salon or even the Engine Room would have to have the obvious pre training requirements beforehand.

If you are planning to work with the general public on a cruise ship such as with shore excursions or serving in a dining room or bar you will need to have an outgoing personality, and remember that the public is always right. A smile goes a long way to soothing a customer who may not be happy.

Generally cruise ships want a commitment from their workers of at least four months. There is usually a break of four to six weeks between contracts.

This article provided by the courtesy of http://www.alaska-cruise-guide.com

Build Muscle Mass - How Long Will It Take To Gain Muscles

2006-01-07T10:23:00.000+14:00

By: Chris Chew

There are many factors to consider when you want to know how long will it take for you to gain and build muscle mass. Questions like are you eating enough and the right nutrients to accelerate muscle growth, are you exercising correctly and regularly and do you have the genes for quick muscle growth need to be addressed.

In this article, we shall discuss whether you have the genetic make up to gain and build muscles quickly. Dont despair if you dont because this is only one of the several factors that determine how long will it take for you to build muscle mass.

It is certainly helpful to know your body type when you want to build muscles. By knowing your own body type, you can then plan your nutritional and exercise program to suit your specific body type to encourage muscle growth.

We shall discuss the 3 common body types and their characteristics here.

Endomorph: You have naturally big frame body and usually have a round face, wide hips, big bones and slow metabolism. You are the type that gain weight and body fat easily. However, you also have potential for gaining muscle mass quickly. Only problem is that your muscles may be hiding under your body fat making you look big bulky and clumsy. Your six pack abs is hidden under your tummy fat is not going to show.

So you will have to build muscles and then burn off the fats to reveal your muscle definition. That means you will take slightly longer time than the next body type to show off your muscle gain and mass because you need time to cut away body fats as well.

Mesomorph: You are blessed with a naturally muscular body and have wide shoulders, small waist, athletic body frame structure, low body fat with a somewhat high metabolism. With your natural predisposition, you can pack on muscles real fast and are the type that can take up bodybuilding as a career if you want to. You excel naturally in sports and will always have that sexy and handsome body that is to everyones envy.

You are the type that will not take a long time to see your muscle gaining size, mass and definition. In fact, if you train, eat and rest correctly, you will visibly see your muscles growing week after week right before your eyes until you hit a body building plateau.

Ectomorph: You are the skinny type with small muscles, very very high metabolism, narrow shoulders, hips and waist. You find it hard to put on weight and muscles no matter how much you eat. You will need much more greater effort than others to build muscle mass on your skinny frame. People call you the hard gainer.

You will take a longer time and need extra effort to gain muscle mass. Although it can be done, it is a constant battle for you because you are fighting what nature has given you.

Most people fall in between the three types. For example, a person can be a mixture of Mesomorph and Endomorph or Mesomorph and Ectomorphs.

Now that you have identified your body type, you can then write down your goals, objectives and the methodology you wish to take to gain muscle mass. By having a specific body building program to follow, it allows you to take concrete actions each day to achieve your muscle gain goals. How long will it take to build muscles and gain muscle mass certainly depends on the body type you have but it will also depend on numerous other factors.

Chris Chew is a personal trainer of actors, pageant winners, models and other celebs. Check his health and fitness sites at
http://www.sgfitness.com and http://www.sgfitnessonline.com/yourfitnesscareer.htm

Disney Cruise - Bahamas

2006-01-03T14:36:00.000+14:00

By: Bryn Hiner

Our Anniversary vacation started on Sunday with a surprise to my husband of a trip to Orlando, Florida, where we stayed for 4 nights at Walt Disney’s Beach Club Resort. We reluctantly packed our bags on Wednesday night for pickup and transport to the cruise ship on Thursday morning. Since we had rented a car, we drove back to the airport to return it, and took the motorcoach from there for the 45 minute ride to Port Canaveral, arriving just before noon. A special video plays during the trip with highlights about the ship and all the activities you can expect once onboard.

Our trip included a stay at Walt Disney Resort, so we were already “checked-in” for the cruise, and our WDW resort room key was also our boarding pass and stateroom key on the ship, eliminating the need to check in at the port; we were among the first to arrive onboard. Your stateroom key also allows you to make purchases onboard without having to carry any cash.

We each had a day bag with the essentials we would need upon boarding, and after stopping for a pre-boarding photo at the gangplank, we made our way on to the Disney Wonder. The staterooms would not be ready to occupy for several more hours, but we were directed to one of the restaurants where a sumptuous buffet awaited us. Mountains of Shrimp, carved beef, every kind of salad imaginable, decadent deserts, and festive tropical drinks were just a few of the offerings. We then toured the pool deck, and found some comfy lounge chairs to soak up some more sun, and even played a little ping-pong.

When the staterooms were ready, we found our luggage had already been delivered and settled in. A list of the daily activities is available in each room, and one of the television stations has information about on-board entertainment. We had pre-booked a special dinner at Palo’s, an adult’s only dining experience, as part of a specially purchased package – though normally you would have to make those reservations as soon as you board. We also had a spa treatment booked for the following day, and again, you would normally book that upon arrival. A life raft drill is held, then it’s on to the Sail Away party, and finally departure from the port in the late afternoon.

Disney Characters are on hand, and there are ample photo opportunities for your family. Ships photographers are available at every occasion, and photo’s can be viewed that evening and purchased if desired. Photo packages are available and allow you to select the best of the shots from your trip.

The unique dining experience rotates between 3 dining rooms for each night, and your waitstaff “travels” with you each night. The first night we enjoyed Animators Palate, the next night was Palo’s, and the third night was at Tritons.

The first night sailing takes you to Nassau in the Bahamas, where you can spend the entire day as you choose, departing around 7:00 p.m. -- be sure to allow plenty of time to re-board! There are so many on-shore excursions to choose from, the hard part is deciding which to choose. We selected the Thriller Power boat tour that reaches up to 60 mph and tours Nassau Harbor, Paradise Island, and highlights nearby private islands. This thrilling morning tour is a great way to start the day, and leaves plenty of time to explore Nassau in the afternoon on your own. We walked around the shops in Nassau then headed to Paradise Island and Atlantis Resort, where we toured the grounds, scoped out the casino, bought a few trinkets, then took a cab back to the ship.

This was also our spa day, and we enjoyed a facial (for me) and both had a relaxing massage, then on to the steam room. Although the on-board gym was well equipped, we never had the time to enjoy those facilities.

There are plenty of activities on-board to keep you entertained even while in port. This was our 6th day of perfect weather -high 70's, sunny, and clear skies. Every minute was filled with plenty of activity, and we also had plenty of relaxation time. Even though there were nearly 1,000 children on board, we never felt over-run by kids and thoroughly enjoyed the cruise. Kids have their own private deck on board, and activities designed to keep them entertained throughout the cruise.

There were night clubs, bingo games, movies, character appearances, deck parties, live shows, and more than you could possibly fit into each day. Whatever your desires, be it a romantic honeymoon cruise, romantic anniversary trip like ours, or a family getaway, you’ll find it all onboard the Disney Wonder.

This second night onboard was our night at Palo’s, and we enjoyed the quiet adult’s only dining capped off with a special chocolate soufflé. The service is particularly attentive here, and the meals are superb. We had purchased a wine package upon boarding, and the wine selection was especially paired with the meals we ordered. They’ll even re-cork a bottle for you, if you don’t finish one during the meal.

We set sail that evening for Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay, where unfortunately the weather Saturday morning turned windy and rainy, and most of the day was spent on-board the ship. Ever attentive to the needs of the guests, the crew kept everyone on-board fed, active, and happy throughout the day. When the weather cleared some in the afternoon, we headed on-shore and enjoyed a leisurely walk around the island and along the sandy shores. Barbecue lunch was available, but we opted for room service in our stateroom onboard instead. This was to be our final night on-board and we were rotated into the more formal Tritons for dinner, and a special formal portrait was available beforehand. The meals are lavish, and you’ll never leave the table hungry! Each night you can select your appetizer, entrée, and desert from the menu provided, so you always get exactly what you’re hungry for.

The Disney Wonder is meticulously maintained to Disney’s normal high standards, and the service on-board met or exceeded every expectation you could have. The ship is a delight, beautifully appointment, with gorgeous teak decking, those special Disney touches, and again because it was early December decorated for Christmas.

We reluctantly packed our bags for the final time, in preparation to depart the ship early the next morning. Sunday dawned sunny and warm as we head to our assigned breakfast seating, where you eat in the same restaurant as the final night, then immediately disembark at Port Canaveral. A 45 minute motor coach trip back to Orlando International Airport completes your journey, with Disney cartoons playing to pass the time.

Bryn Hiner - read more about Walt Disney World at our website http://www.cheapdisney.info

Maui Wedding

2005-12-23T08:32:00.000+14:00

By: Shaan Randow

Maui Sun, sand and surf, this tropical island paradise is something everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime. The Hawaiian Islands have it all and the island of Maui has it in spades. Maui is the perfect place for a vacation, the perfect place for a honeymoon, and the perfect place for a wedding. What could be more romantic, exotic, and exciting than a beautiful Maui wedding? In fact, with the costs of destination weddings dropping steadily, many couples are choosing to travel to this beautiful island specifically to get married in this amazing tropical location. Maui weddings are as breathtakingly romantic and astounding as anyone could ever hope their wedding could be and they’re much more affordable than you might think.

Should you choose to have your wedding in this fun and exciting location, the first thing you want to do is search for a Maui travel package. The price of travel and hotel accommodations may surprise you once you start looking into them. Contact a travel agent to see what kind of a package deal you can get on air travel and hotel rates. Booking your airfare and hotel stay together this way is bound to save you money as compared to purchasing them separately. All too often people will find what they think is a great price on a hotel room only to find that they can’t afford the airfare, and vice versa. Using a travel agent to book them together can save you a considerable percentage. Remember that booking far in advance will usually get you the best rates and that you’re always going to get a better price during the off season.

Once you have the hotel and travel arrangements out of the way, it’s time to start planning the actual wedding. Maui has become such a popular destination for weddings that several companies that specialize in planning Maui weddings have popped up all over the island. Most of these companies offer to hold ceremonies in a number of uniquely beautiful Maui locations. The majority of them also have web sites that detail the wedding packages that they have to offer. These packages include things like the wedding cake, photography, a minister or other official to perform the ceremony, and a number of other wedding related details. Some will even make an appointment with the state’s marriage licensing department so you can obtain your marriage license. The cost of the Maui wedding packages vary, of course, depending on the company making the offer and exactly what you want to include. Most of the prepared packages range in price from about three hundred dollars for the most basic to nearly three thousand dollars for the most exquisite.

A beautiful and romantic Maui wedding is definitely within your reach. By choosing to marry in such an exotic and romantic location you are basically guaranteeing yourself a wedding ceremony that you will remember fondly forever and promising yourself a wedding experience that you may have thought could only happen in your dreams.

This article provided courtesy of http://www.wedding-answers.com

Insurance Claims

2005-11-02T14:38:00.000+14:00

By: Neil Shevlin

When you are involved in, accident insurance claims may not be the first thoughts on your mind. However, there are some procedures you should follow in order to preserve your right to file an insurance claim. This may be anything from hail damage to a stolen vehicle and does not refer solely to car accidents.

The first thing you want to do is prevention. Most insurance claims can be prevented even before the incident occurs. For instance, to prevent auto accidents be cautious and think about taking a defensive driving course. To prevent stolen vehicle insurance claims, keep you vehicle locked up and parked in a secure place. To prevent damage from the forces of nature do not travel in bad weather and keep your car in a covered parkway. There are many ways to prevent yourself from incurring loss. Most ideas are just common sense. However, for more information contact your insurance agent for ideas on prevention. Next, you will want to remain calm. When disaster strikes people react. That is our nature. However, sometimes peoples reactions can make things worse on their insurance claims.

If youre in a car accident this might mean taking the blame, leaving the scene of an accident, or putting your self in danger. If you're car is stolen you may act on your reaction by accusing innocent persons. There are a number of problems that can arise when people over react that is why it is essential to your insurance claim for you to remain calm.

Now, the next thing you need to be aware of is time. You see, time is not on your side when filing an insurance claim. The longer you wait the less your chances are of recovering your loss. Most insurance companies will not even consider a claim if it was turned in a certain amount of time after the incident. It is also harder to prove the longer you go before submitting an insurance claim.

Finally, you will want to follow procedures and document everything. Insurance companies are hit with frauds all the time. In order to weed out the actual claims from the fraudulent ones, they have to have clear cut procedures. Unfortunately, this can sometimes be confusing to actual victims. Yet, they are in place out of the need to protect the company. This means that you will have to educate yourself to what the policies are. Find out what documentation you need and what forms you will have to file. If you need help, contact your insurance agent. That is what they are there for. If you follow this advice, you should be able to file a claim relatively easy and with the least amount of lag time before payment.

Alan Jason Smith is the owner of http://www.lanzinsurance.com which is a great place to find insurance links, resources and articles. For more information go to: http://www.lanzinsurance.com

The Teamwork Alphabet

2005-10-30T10:46:00.000+14:00

By: Susan Friedmann

What differentiates a great trade show exhibit from a so-so one? The booth staff! The best displays are manned by a coordinated team working together to ensure the exhibit’s success, rather than a haphazard handful of employees who happened to be available that week. How do you transform your staff members into a strong team? Just remember your ABC’s.

Assign creative, intelligent, and enthusiastic people to trade show duty.

Begin early to be adequately prepared for the show.

Create goals and objectives for the show.

Determine benchmarks for the show, both for individuals and for the entire team.

Establish a time-frame for each of the benchmarks.

Find ways to make the trade show fun and exciting for all staff members.

Get upper management involved to make the show a success!

Highlight each team member’s strengths with appropriate job assignments.

Identify how team members can support each other to reach team goals.

Justify all trade show activities: Are they helping your team achieve their goals?

Knock off any practices or behaviors that keep your team from succeeding.

Last minute contingencies require advance planning and coordination.

Maintain a chain of command. Every staff member needs to know who is in charge.

New ideas are valuable: Encourage, capture, and implement the best.

Open your mind to creative, innovative displays and approaches.

Plan how to convey essential information and skills to your staff members.

Question your staff. What do they know? What do they need to learn?

Recognize the need for training. Ensure your staff is adequately prepared.

Success is quantifiable. Decide how you will measure yours.

Time tables and schedules help keep the team on track.

Understand what kind of teamwork will be necessary to put on a top-notch show.

Vying for prizes motivates many staffers. Offer great rewards as incentives.

Watch out for trouble: Identify where the project can go wrong and plan accordingly.

Examine the decision making process: Is it clear and efficient?

Yes men don’t help: Encourage independent, autonomous capable staffers.

ZZZZZ: Trade shows are very long. Adequate rest before the show is imperative!

Written by Susan A. Friedmann,CSP, The Tradeshow Coach, Lake Placid, NY, author: “Meeting & Event Planning for Dummies,” working with companies to improve their meeting and event success through coaching, consulting and training. For a free copy of ExhibitSmart Tips of the Week, e-mail: susan@thetradeshowcoach.com; website: http://www.thetradeshowcoach.com

Samsung The Asian Elephant

2005-10-29T19:07:00.000+14:00

By: Carl Delfeld

Samsung dominates life in its home country like no other company in the world. But the slogan what is good for Samsung is good for South Korea is open for debate.

The South Korean economy is a paradox. It has become the third largest economy in Asia after Japan and China. Its 48 million citizens have in one generation enjoyed a sizable jump in their standard of living and no country has benefited more than South Korea from the rise of China which has become a vital export market. Its sovereign credit rating was recently upgraded due to reduced tensions with North Korea and it enjoys foreign exchange reserves of over $200 billion. The Korean people should be full of satisfaction for a job well done but instead are rather a discontented lot.

Its per capita income is about one third that of the OECD average. Economic growth is expected in the 3-4% range closer to a mature economy than an Asian tiger. Unemployment is becoming an issue and a stronger currency and relatively high wage levels are crimping exports which account for 40% of its economy. Exports are up only 7% this year after a 31% jump last year. After a credit card binge, average net consumer borrowing is equal to 100% of disposable income and the bank of Korea recently bumped up its benchmark rate for the first time in three years.

What is going on here? Somewhat surprisingly, South Korea is experiencing many of the same outsourcing issues that Americans complain about. It was the largest investor in China last year with over $6 billion in fixed investments. Its largest steel maker POSCO announced its intention to invest $12 billion in a steel plant in India where it already runs 24 steel companies. Hyundai manufactures 600,000 autos in China and its affiliate Kia makes 150,000 more.

Meanwhile Samsung Electronics has become Asias largest technology company by market cap (larger than Sony), and its largest maker of memory chips and flat panel screens and mobile phones. Samsung enjoys a credit rating higher than South Koreas sovereign rating. With 62 affiliates, the Samsung group dominates life in Korea like no other company in history. It represents 15% of the nations total economic activity, 25% of the capitalization of the KOSPI stock market and the taxes it pays represent almost 10% of total government income!

Samsung, up 25% so far this year, is still attractive at about 11 times consensus 2006 earnings estimates and its operating profit was up 29% in the third quarter. Despite third quarter net income declining 30%, a strong fourth quarter is expected. There is a shortage of LCD television panels and its flash memory chip global market share exceeds 60%. As prices have come down flash chip sales have gone up 40%.

But the company is not a terrific play on the South Korean economy. Rather it is a global play on its three key markets and the expected payoff from its extraordinary commitment to R&D. The South Koreans are discontented because the five largest companies are growing outside the country more than in it and at a stage of development where it should be more competitive manufacturing onshore. The challenge is the low cost manufacturing platform with huge economies of scale just next door the issue is China. Samsung already has already has 29 plants and 50,000 workers in China.

Since China is already starting to manufacture stuff like machine tools that the South Koreans were busily exporting in 2003 and 2004, South Korean planners believe it must quickly transform itself into a finance, communications and transportation hub akin to the role of Singapore or Switzerland. The question then becomes do they have the right companies, the right skills and what is its competitive advantage?

Together, Samsung, POSCO, KEPCO (Korea Electric Power) and SK Telecom account for almost 50% of South Korean stock markets market capitalization. To use a basketball analogy, the South Korean starting five are strong but its bench is a bit thin and its team has lost the home court advantage. The problem is not Samsung but rather that they need about ten more Samsungs.

The top four companies also make up 40% of the South Korea iShare (EWY) ETF which is up 29% so far this year. Samsung alone accounts for 23% of this ETF and buying the iShare gives you more exposure to the top ten South Korean companies. I am trimming our position in the South Korea iShare to take some profits off the table and with the expectation that the stronger won and higher interest rates will lead to a slowdown in exports. Together with the likely re-emergence of the North Korean problem, this may very well undermine investor confidence.

Bottom line: buy Samsung based on valuation and top notch global reach and R&D but expect tougher going for the South Korean economy as China turns from robust export market to direct competitor.

Carl Delfeld is head of the global advisory firm Chartwell Partners and editor of the the "Asia-Pacific Growth" newsletter and is the author of "The New Global Investor." For more information please visit http://www.chartwellasia.com

Vital Golf Swing Movement Brings Success

2005-10-29T06:07:00.000+14:00

By: The Golf Bandit

I think it is what you say about how to swing the arms correctly that has caused a real improvement in my golf swing. I've been playing golf for 18 years and I have never before managed to quite master this movement. But now the club seems to come squarly onto the ball every time I swing.

Yours is the first book I've read about the golf swing which has a really clear description of how to use one's arms properly, and what a difference it makes once one manages to master this simple movement. I really enjoy hearing that solid 'click' sound every time the clubhead strikes the ball.

I remember reading in Ben Hogan's excellent book on the golf swing about the hands 'supinating' and never being to understand quite what he meant. Your description of how to achieve this vital movement is so much clearer to me. How I wish I'd understood it years ago.

I must say that when I first downloaded your golf swing book I was a bit apprehensive. But the great benefit of it being so easy to read is that I go back to it time and again to find other ways to fine tune my golf swing more and more.

I always knew that I was never swinging the golf club properly. But now I feel that I've mastered an effective golf swing and I have a clear movie in my mind of how it should look and feel. And because it is so clearly etched into my mind I feel sure that I will continue to play well.

I really feel that the days of watching my ball fade away to the right are over forever. Having mastered a golf swing that makes my shots fly further and straighter is just so much fun. And it's even more fun when I hear the ghasps of surprise from others in the group I've been playing with for over ten years.

This article is taken from an e-mail sent in by a delighted golfer who had been playing for 18 years before he found a really effective way to hit the ball.

David Ferrers wrote The Golf Mind-Movies Power Pack one of ClickBank's top selling publications - read more about it here: http://www.Thegolfbandit.com/golf-swing-Mind-Movies.htm. He researches and writes quick, easy-to-use ways to play golf well.

Pilot Training: Getting In The Air

2005-10-26T09:10:00.000+14:00

By: Noel Matthew

If flying is something that you have dreamed about, then pilot training can and should be part of your future. This type of learning is one of the most exciting because it takes individuals to places that they could never be otherwise. Being in control of a plane is something that is amazing, a feeling that is truly unmatched. If you are interested in pilot training, strap in and start learning first about how it will work.

There are several opportunities available in pilot training. Some of these options include programs that certify you to become a private, commercial or airline transport pilot. These are exciting careers that can have you spending your working hours each day high above the ground. For many, this has been a dream in the making that they have dreamt about for years and years.

But, what happens now that you know you want to get a pilot training? You will want to choose the right pilot training school. To do this, you'll want to focus on finding a school in the right area. If you have the option to choose anywhere, consider locations that have good weather conditions for most of the year. This will help you to get your hours of flying training in as quick as possible.

Next, you'll find yourself learning. The first step in training for pilots is to do the book work. You'lll find yourself learning about all sorts of things from how and why a plane works to how to manage a crisis in the air. From there, you'll be able to use flight simulators to help teach you what you should be doing while you are safely on the ground. Some of these simulators are amazing in that they are actually the size and feel of the cockpit.The final stop, of course, in pilot training is getting off the ground and into the air. You will be amazed at how wonderful it can be to get up in the sky. You will spend anywhere from 1500 to 20,000 hours of pilot training in the skies.

For more information please see http://www.pilot-training-info.co.uk

Finding Law School Info

2005-10-25T08:36:00.000+14:00

By: Noel Matthew

If you are thinking about it, then getting law school info is something that you should just do. There are many opportunities out there for you, but if you do not reach out to grab them, you will likely miss them. Before this happens to you, make sure that you take the time to gather information such as law school info so that you can make the right decisions while you still have the opportunity. Good news is that all the information that you need, including law school info is available to you right here on the web.

Wondering how long it will take for you to study? Thinking about where you should go to school? Perhaps you are not 100% sure that you even want to go to law school. Whatever it is that is holding you back from going to law school, get the information that you need to make the decisions that you need to. Dont put off finding the law school info that you need one more day. Why should you when it is all there in front of you?

Some of the best locations to find the law school info that you need to make these decisions are right here on the web. But to find it, youll need to do some digging. Or, you can visit some of the law school websites and gather it that way. Understanding the career is something like understanding your future. You need to invest time in doing so now so that you can excel later.

Take a few minutes and ask some questions. What do you want to know? Is there a school out there that interests you? Will you take the next step to finding the law school info that you need? If so, get started today and find yourself answering all of your own law school questions right away.

For more information please see

Online business snippets

2005-10-24T14:04:00.000+14:00

By: Richard Grady

Copyright 2005 Richard Grady

There are a couple of things I want to share with you this week, both based on my own experiences recently.

Keep a very close eye on your PPC advertising

Over a year ago, I wrote a newsletter about how I had managed to save myself $750 a month by cancelling one of the pay per click advertising campaigns that I had been running for months and months. I spent some time tracking the conversions from the advertising and found that the number of sales resulting directly from that particular campaign were minimal and as such, it was pointless continuing with it. At the time I made a point of recommending to everyone that they keep a close eye on their own expenditure and track results carefully.

Obviously I listen to my own advice and it occurred to me recently that one of my other pay-per-click campaigns may not be as lucrative as it once was. I therefore devoted some time to tracking conversions from this campaign and found that it had gone from being my main source of sales a few years ago, to now contributing hardly any sales at all. At the beginning of the month, I cancelled this campaign too and it has made absolutely no difference to my business turnover. The amazing thing is that this campaign was costing me nearly $2000 a month which is now money in my pocket :-)

So why is PPC becoming less effective?

It is, of course, impossible to say that PPC is actually becoming less effective and the fact is that it works for thousands and thousands of people. However, it has certainly become less effective for me and I think that the main reason is simply competition. When I first started the above campaign, there were no other advertisers offering a similar service to my own. Today there are something like ten different alternatives. This has two main effects - firstly it means that customers have a much wider choice and regardless of how good my service may be in comparison to the competition, some people are inevitably going to buy from one of my competitors. Secondly it means that the cost that each advertiser is paying for their exposure has increased considerably and this means that they have to either make more sales or increase their prices in order to make the increased advertising cost worthwhile.

The above situation is one which is likely to affect pretty much all online businesses that use PPC advertising at some point. This is why you need to get your business to the point whereby you can comfortably turn off your pay-per-click advertising campaigns (if you ever need to) and still generate sales. This means spending time now building traffic from other sources. Believe me, the time I have spent over the past few years writing articles, getting good search engine rankings, building links and gaining strong affiliates and joint venture partners has certainly been worthwhile and has made the difference between me having a profitable business today and having nothing.

Mac vs PC

Something else that I wrote about last year was my dilemma as to whether to replace one of my Windows computers with an Apple Mac. I was forever hearing about how reliable they were and how pleasant they were to use and I couldn't help being tempted.

So last week, after months of deliberation, I took the plunge and replaced my old laptop with an Apple iBook. I have to say, it is one of the best computer purchases I have ever made!

I don't have the space to go into detail here about the various features and benefits of the Mac but if you are like I was and keep thinking about buying a Mac but don't actually do it, take my advice, go and get one (even if it is a secondhand one from eBay) - I am sure you won't be disappointed.

Richard Grady has been helping ordinary people earn online since 1998. He writes a free newsletter which is published every two weeks. To subscribe (and claim your free gifts), visit: http://www.thetraderonline.com/newsletter.html

Japanese Cellular Phone - Unlimited Capabilities

2005-10-23T08:26:00.000+14:00

By: Diana Lee

One of the notable signs of the times in the 21st century is the remarkable cellular phone. It rapidly evolves from a simple voice communicator to a complex apparatus with multi-purpose capabilities encased in a handset. Japan is the leader in spearheading the transformation of communications technology by developing the state-of-the-art mobile phone.

In Japan, the third-generation mobile phones, boasting high-speed and high-volume data transfer, have been steadily overtaking the use of computers for web surfing. The increasingly broad range of features and services provided by a palm-sized cellular phone is mind-boggling:

telephone – offering all the operational functions of a phone

cellular email – began in 1998, allowing user to send and receive electronic mail in text of up to 1,500 Japanese characters

i-mode Internet service – providing direct access to email, web surfing, news headlines, and even mobile shopping without the use of a computer

candid camera – started in November 2000, enabling users to transmit instantaneously color images by email (like a video phone) and make photo stickers from those images

movies – allowing download of digital movies for viewing

radio and digital television broadcasts – offering user high-quality sound, moving images, and text

music – allowing download of melodies as background music to still or moving images and text display

songs for ring tone – enabling user to customize a ring tone with a popular or favorite tune

games – allowing download of electronic games for playing

e-books – allowing download of e-novels for reading

home security – enabling homeowner to operate a door lock system by punching in a code

banking services – providing online banking transactions

tickets – enabling owner to make ticket reservations and use it as a ticket for airlines, concerts and movie theaters

Other services now in the works will be made available soon:

train tickets — to be used as a train ticket or a commuter pass

electronic money – to be used as currency at station kiosks and nearby convenience stores

MTV Networks – ‘Flux service’ to be launched in Japan for short music and animation videos as a new market for the music venue

With all the marvelous features handling daily activities consolidated into one small device — from office work to personal affairs, and top it off with amusement — no wonder cellular phone has become so indispensable!

The demand for cellular phones began in 1994 when they were made available for sale for the first time in Japan. The substantial lowering costs of cellular phones and services have spurred a sharp climb in the mobile phone industry. Since 1996, phone sales have surged at a rate of 10 million per year. Nowadays, mobile phones appear everywhere and on almost everyone — workers, homemakers, teenagers and even junior high school students.

Besides the useful multiple functions, the cellular phone has sprung a keitai (mobile phone) culture in Japan. The cellular phone is viewed not only as a necessity and convenience but also as a fashion and expression of individuality. Owners are customizing their phones' exterior and sound, turning cell phones into prized possessions. The latest fad is to give the cell phone’s casing a personal touch with original designs, such as zebra stripes, leopard dots or floral patterns. Programming selected popular melodies in place of a standard ring tone has become the trend. According to a recent survey, the top possession of young Japanese women is none other than their cell phones. Without them, these women feel restless and insecure all day.

Unfortunately, the growing popularity of cellular phones has brought a headache of problems. People often violated public social etiquette by conversing loudly on their cell phones in certain crowded or forbidden places, such as on public transportation or in hospitals and classrooms. As a result, signs appear on buses and trains recommending passengers not to use their mobile phones and to turn their ringers off. In addition, mobile phone ringers should be turned off in hospital and in class. After a hike in reports of car accidents caused by drivers talking on their cell phones, a traffic law has been enacted to prohibit drivers to use cell phones while driving on the road. Furthermore, users have been complaining about the increasing problem of spam. Moreover, radio waves from mobile phones are believed to cause interference with heart pacemakers. Contrary to the claim by European researchers, four major Japanese mobile operators (NTT DoCoMo Inc., KDDI Corp., Vodafone KK and Tu-Ka Cellular Tokyo Inc.) in their recent joint research declared no evidence of radio waves causing DNA damage or body harm, further fueling the controversy over the detrimental effects of mobile phones on people's health.

According to the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association, the saturated domestic market with nearly 70% of Japanese own mobile phones showed sales of cellular and automobile phones down 12.2% from the previous year, totaling 44.77 million units in fiscal 2004. However, songs for ring tones recorded by artists specifically for cellular phones rose to 20.1 billion yen in 2004. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the mobile content market, which includes chaku-uta, games, mobile commerce, and other downloadable content, grew 31.1% to 461.6 billion yen in 2004.

As the mobile phone becomes more useful and complex with rapid technological advances, the market for mobile phones will continue to thrive in Japan and gain popularity overseas as the world becomes more tech-savvy.

UniOrb

Dealing With Emotional Stress

2005-10-22T16:48:00.000+14:00

By: Trevor Dumbleton

Copyright 2005 Trevor Dumbleton

One very difficult form of stress to cope with and manage is emotional stress. After all, it is often self-created, it can come out of nowhere and the stress caused by it only heightens the emotions felt. Thus, as the emotional stress increases, the emotions get worse, heightening the emotional stress. Thus, the problem recreates the cause and the problem only gets worse.

Emotional stress is often triggered by a dramatic event that puts a person's nervous system under severe strain. This could be an event such as losing a loved one, seeing someone die, or being put into a life-threatening situation. An event such as this can put severe strain on a person's mind and nerves and the incredible strain can cause changes in the way that the brain works. In fact, a severe emotional strain could even cause someone to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.

However, emotional stress does not arise from a sudden shock. It can also arise from a total emotional strain that adds up to an overwhelming strain that prevents a person from thinking about anything other than the problems that seem to have no solution. Then, as the stress mounts, the mind is left in its own cocoon of stress that can only call attention to itself, cutting the person off from the world outside. Thus, emotional stress can lead to detachment, and inability to concentrate, fatigue, and even memory problems.

Unfortunately, emotional stress also increases moodiness, which can often make things worse. In fact, those attacks of emotional excess can turn emotional excess up to unbearable levels, leading to further attacks. Then, as these bouts of emotional stress keep adding up, it all becomes too much and the sufferer is left almost completely lost and alone in their own cycle of emotion that hammers incessantly at the brain.

In order to deal with emotional stress, the person who suffers from it needs to take a break from everything that is creating all the emotions. For instance, going on a vacation can be an excellent diversion, as it provides the brain with new inputs that are not charged with associations. By leaving the so-called "scene of the crime" the person who suffers from emotional stress will be able to remove some of the emotional stress by removing its triggers. Then, hopefully, the loop will be broken, allowing the person to start fresh.

Another effective means for dealing with emotional stress is to practice yoga or learn to meditate. Exercises such as these are designed to put the person's mind in the moment, so that they will not worry about anything other than what they are doing in the case of yoga or, in the case of meditation, by clearing the mind entirely, allowing it to shed its emotions and start again with a clean slate. Either method can be very effective for dealing with emotional stress, as they give the brain a chance to relax. Then, once it is relaxed, it will be able to shed the emotional stress and get back to the business of thinking clearly.

Likewise, having a hobby can be very good for emotional stress. An activity such as needlepoint, building model ships, playing a sport, or going fishing can help shed stress. This is because a person who is engaged in a hobby is enjoying him or herself while thinking only about what they are doing rather than everything that needs to get done. It is as though it is a cross between a vacation and meditation, in that the person is taking a break from life while putting the mind onto something else. Thus, the stress disappears and the person can feel like they are accomplishing something, even if it is only a minor, pointless success. After all, a pointless success is still a success, be it finishing an Afghan, building a small version of the Cutty Sark, or simply catching a nice trout. It's always nice to know that some sort of effort has been effective, and hobbies are an excellent way to suddenly become effective.

People should not be daunted by emotional stress. Rather, they should try to understand where it is coming from and what they can do to prevent it. Though the effort can sometimes be difficult, success is truly its own reward. After all, achieving an escape from emotional stress will provide instant benefits for the mind and long-term benefits for the body. As well, by understanding emotional stress, people can see what causes it and, hopefully, discover what they need to do to either cope with it or eliminate it entirely. So if you or someone you know is suffering from emotional stress, find some solutions that will work. And by continuing to implement those solutions, emotional stress can be turned into a thing of the past.

LowerYourStress.com: for everything to do with stress. Get a free ebook to help with your stress levels: http://www.loweryourstress.com/stress-book.html

The Laser Hair Removal Process

2005-10-21T16:35:00.000+14:00

By: Aimee Smyth

Laser Hair Removal is becoming more popular then ever for the removal of unwanted body hair. Before making the decision to go forward with laser hair removal it is important to understand the removal process and to determine if you would make an ideal candidate for laser hair removal.

Below we are going to talk about some of the most common questions asked before making a decision to get laser hair removal done.

Is it safe?

Yes, the removal process is safe. Some patients may notice pinkness or redness to the skin on the treated area. Most commonly the color will go back to normal in a few minutes up to a few hours. In a few rare cases it may take a few days for the normal skin color to appear. The skin color variation will depend greatly on the process used during the hair removal as there is more than one process available.

What is the laser hair removal process?

The laser hair removal process works by sending a beam of laser light to a group of hair follicles with enough power to disable or destroy the root, but not enough power to harm the surrounding skin. The laser beam finds the hair follicles by targeting melanin (the substance that gives skin and hair dark color). People that have dark hair and light skin are the ideal candidate for laser hair removal. However, it is important to note that the laser process will not work on those people that have red, grey or real blonde hair.

Is the hair removal process painful?

The answer to this question varies greatly by patient as everyone feels pain differently and no two people are the same. Some patients have said it feels like a pinch while other patients noted it feels like a rubber band snapping your skin. For the most part most patients have noted mild discomfort and in those cases the doctor will usually provide the patient with a mild anesthetic during the hair removal process.

How long is the hair removal process? And how many treatments will I need?

Both of these questions don’t have a single definitive answer. The length of time for removal will depend on the area being treated. How many treatments needed also have many different variables to consider making the answer different per case - skin tone, hair coloring and the coarseness of hair are all variable that help determine how many hair removal treatments will be needed.

While these are our opinions on the laser hair removal process, it is best to do your research and find out the specifics for your removal process. It’s always best to get more then one opinion and be thorough before making your decision.

Aimee is the owner of My Laser Hair Removal a site that provides information about laser hair removal and what to expect during the process. For more information, visit her at My Laser Hair Removal.info.

Aruba

2005-10-20T11:14:00.000+14:00

By: David Chandler

Geography

Aruba is an island in the West Indies, in the Caribbean Sea, near the Paraguaná Peninsula of Venezuela. An integral part of the Netherlands, Aruba was a member of the Netherlands Antilles until 1986. Aruba is about 30 km (about 19 mi) long and about 8 km (about 5 mi) wide, and has an area of 193 sq km (about 75 sq mi). The population of Aruba at the 1991 census was 66,687, giving the island an overall population density of about 342 persons per sq km (about 889 per sq mi). Oranjestad (population, 1991 estimate, 20,000) is the capital and main town. Sint Nicolaas, the site of an oil refinery, has a population of about 17,000.

Economy

Until the mid-1980s, the refining of Venezuelan oil was the main source of employment in Aruba. In 1984, the petroleum refining industry accounted for 25 percent of the island's gross national product. When the refinery closed in 1985, many Arubans lost their jobs and experienced a drastic reduction in their standard of living. Rehabilitation of the refining industry began in 1989 and in 1993; the refinery's daily output was 140,000 barrels. The island now depends mostly on tourism and the service industries related to tourism, cooperating with the Netherlands Antilles to attract visitors. Some light industry produces tobacco, beverages, and consumer goods. Aruba's principal port is Oranjestad and the island's international airport is located nearby. The island's unit of currency is the Aruban guilder or gulden.

Political Information

In 1986, Aruba became an autonomous and self-governing entity. The official head of government is the Dutch monarch, represented by an appointed governor. The governor is responsible for all external affairs. The prime minister nominates a council of ministers and together they are responsible for the island's internal executive functions. Popularly elected officials fill the 21 seats of the legislature, called the Staten. The Court of First Instance and a court of appeal comprise Aruba's judiciary. Defense is the responsibility of the Netherlands. The University of Aruba (1970) is located in Oranjestad.

For more information visit http://www.ArubaInfoCenter.com

Avian (Bird) Influenza - An Old Chinese Report

2005-10-17T16:39:00.000+14:00

Efforts urged to prevent bird influenza

By: Zhao Huanxin (China Daily)

Updated: 2005-01-29 01:28

Highly contagious avian influenza has not surfaced so far in China, but that gives no reason for the country to relax, Vice-Premier Hui Liangyu warned on Friday.

Instead, all localities should strengthen their prevention efforts and improve their contingency plans to stop deadly bird flu from appearing in China or entering the country from neighbours, Hui told a national tele-conference in Beijing.

The meeting coincided with the first anniversary of China's outbreak of the H5N1 strain of bird flu, which was detected on January 27, 2004 at a duck farm in the Dingdang Township, South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

To read more, please follow this link:
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-01/29/content_413294.htm.

How You Can Support Your Immune System

2005-10-16T16:34:00.000+14:00

By: Maoshing Ni, D.O.M., Ph.D., L.Ac.

Media coverage of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has incited fear among the American public, emptied Chinatowns all over North America and stopped much of the travel between the U.S., Toronto, Canada, China, Taiwan and southeast Asia. While SARS is an urgent concern for the World Health Organization, a larger worry on the horizon for the world health agency is the fluthe long awaited influenza pandemic.

The flu pandemic has historically occurred at 25-30 year intervals and its destruction has been cataclysmic. The Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, for example, killed more than 40 million people worldwide (670,000 Americans alone). The most recent flu pandemic struck 35 years ago and killed more than 4 million people. SARS, by comparison, has caused less than one thousand deaths and is much less infectious. Dr. Klaus Stohr, the head of the influenza program at the World Health Organization who is also leading the agencys fight against SARS said in a Wall Street Journal interview, We are not prepared for the devastation of a flu pandemic SARS will be something to smile about, he said.

Regarding the likelihood of a major flu pandemic striking in the near future, Albert Osterhaus, a Dutch scientist involved in pandemic preparedness in Europe said in the same Wall Street article, Its not a matter of if, but when, this will happen. I am far more scared of a flu pandemic than I am of SARS. The flu, SARS and other communicable diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis are the twenty-first centurys major heath challenges.

Overcrowding and global travel have increased the risk of diseases spreading unchecked. However, the real threat lies in a viruss ability to undergo small changes or mutations that evade peoples natural immunities or commercial vaccinations. Similarly, the widespread use of antibiotics in poultry and meat producing industries has enabled bacteria to become stronger and more resistant. According to some critics, even our current medical practices of over-prescribing antibiotics may contribute to the rise of super-bugs!

When these new microbes strike, they move quickly and wipe out victims, leaving a wide path of destruction. The West Nile and Ebola viruses, for example, both have at least a 90% mortality rate.

Dont panic. You can prevent or minimize your chance of contracting infectious diseases both at home or while traveling. Some of my recommendations are common sense:

Wash your hands frequently

Avoid touching your face

Eat well-cooked foods

Maintain a distance from someone who is sick

Avoid crowded and poor ventilated places

Sometimes you cannot help but travel on airplanes, meet with someone who may appear to be sick, eat out at a restaurant or be in a crowded place. Therefore you must make sure that your immune system is functioning at a peak level. This involves avoiding activities that would weaken or deplete your immune system and engage in immune strengthening and supporting actions. Below I have outlined a checklist of things to avoid:

Stress and negative emotions

Sleep deprivation

Overwork and over-exhaustion

Diet high in sugar, caffeine and refined products

Under or over-exercise

Frequent use of antibiotics, steroids or immuno-suppresant drugs

Many people who were exposed to SARS, Ebola, the West Nile virus or the flu virus never came down with the infection. The reason is simple: Their immune systems are much stronger and better equipped to fend off the viruses than those who came down with the illnesses. I have outlined below actions to strengthen your immune system:

Reduce stress and maintain equanimity

Get plenty of rest and sleep

Pace yourself at work and in your life

Eat a healthy diet consisting of high fiber, low fat and at least nine servings of vegetables and fruits each day

Moderate daily exercise including cardiovascular and light weight training

Avoid drugs and chemicals whenever possible

Take herbs and vitamins that have been shown to optimizing the immune system

Extensive studies of ways to strengthen the human defenses have been carried out for centuries in China, producing a wealth of knowledge on Chinese herbal medicine and its effect on the immune system. While there is currently no cure for SARS, the Chinese Government Health Authority recently released its recommendations for preventing SARS. These recommendations consist of Chinese herbal medicine formulations as prophylactic agents against SARS. They are herbs that have been found to contain anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties and have immune boosting qualities. Some are effective in increasing the white blood cell production in your body (they are your defense troops), while others increase lymphocyte activities such as killing foreign invaders, etc. Fundamental principles of Chinese medicine are, of course, Treating disease before its occurrence, and Strengthen the defenses to prevent sickness.

The recommendations are listed below:

Lu Gen (reed root), Jin Yin Hua (honeysuckle flower), Lian Qiao (forsythia fruit), Chan Yi (cicada shell), Jiang Chan (silkworm), Bo He (peppermint), Gan Cao (licorice)

Cang Zhu (Chinese atractylodes rhizome), Bai Zhu (white atractylodes rhizome), Huang Qi (astragalus root), Fang Feng (siler root), Huo Xiang (patchouli), Sha Sheng (silver beech root), Jin Yin Hua (honeysuckle flower), Guan Zhong (dryopteris root)

Guan Zhong (dryopteris root), Jin Yin Hua (honeysuckle flower), Lian Qiao (forsythia fruit), Da Qing Ye (Isatis leaf), Zi Su (perilla leaf), Ge gen (Kudzu root), Huo Xiang (patchouli), Cang Zhu (Chinese atractylodes rhizome), Pei Lan (ornamental orchid), Tai Zi Sheng (pseudostellaria root)

Persons whose jobs (health workers) or relations may bring them into contact with someone with potential SARS are advised to take the following formula:

Da Huang (Chinese rhubarb root), Jin Yin Hua (honeysuckle flower), Chai Hu (bupleuri root), Huang Qing (skullcap root), Ban Lan Gen (Isatis root), Guan Zhong (dryopteris root), Cang Shu, Yi Yi Ren (Jobs tears), Huo Xiang (patchouli), Fang Feng (siler root), Gan Cao (licorice)

We cannot rely on the government or a world health body to protect us from communicable diseases, nor should we. In a world grown ever more connected and fast-paced, the risks of disease transmission are greater with each passing day. However, individuals have the ability to protect themselves and loved ones by being proactive in ensuring optimal health and immune function. As frightening as the prospects of SARS and the flu pandemic are, we are far from being helpless. With the steps that I outlined above you can take minimize weakening your immune system and increase your immune functions. You do not have to be a sitting duck waiting for the inevitable to happen.

Dr. Maoshing Ni, a Licensed Acupuncturist and a Diplomat of Chinese Herbology, is currently in general practice at the Tao of Wellness Clinic in Santa Monica, California. The Tao of Wellness Clinic is one of the oldest in Los Angeles, established in 1976. (310) 917-2200. Dr. Maoshing Ni is also the publisher of Points Newsletter, found at http://www.acupuncture.com.

The One Horse Oil Town

2005-10-13T15:16:00.000+14:00

By: Ieuan Dolby

If Oil had never been found an Oil Port would have been another unknown village or scrap of waste land, a fisherman’s dream or an unblemished sand dune. All over the world from SongKla to Azerbaijan little hubs of activity sprang up in hours: little fishing ports or isolated swamps to booming hives of activity they became before the eye could blink.

The necessary ingredients for an oil town are two of number. The first is that the prospective area (swamp, marsh, dessert or waste land) is close to an oil field that is being developed. The second is that the area has either a natural harbour: already has a jetty or wharf or is sheltered and so able to accommodate supply ships and anchor handlers. Many other factors collude indiscriminately to kick start an empty lot into a centre of industry and a future concrete jungle. From logistics to airports, from workforces to angry locals many other ingredients contribute to how an oil base survives in the long term but none of them have any say on that first day.

The Beginning

Oil is discovered. The company, whether it is Shell, BP, CPC or some Mickey Mouse outfit initially looks for the nearest strip of land and the place to dock a ship that will be used to run essential supplies for its drilling process in the middle of the ocean. For the average fisherman, shopkeepers or farmers that inhabit the strip of land the welcome of this vessel is enormous, it brings the outside world in and provides a little boost to the economy, thus keeping the dogs away from the door.

This happy beginning though is only a precursor to the onslaught that is yet to come. Once this toe in the door has gained solid earth there is nothing that was once sacred will remain untouched and the toe becomes a foot. From the once weekly supply vessel that was heralded by the locals comes two supply vessels and then three. And the supply vessels need a bigger wharf and to build the bigger wharf manpower is needed and to bring the manpower in accommodation is needed and to build houses and living quarters materials are shipped in.

In a matter of months what had once been a sleepy unrecognised and worthless dot on the coast springs a town that has potential, maybe not to the desires of those who had lived there quietly before but to those that see the makings of a dollar. Shops spring up that quickly put the corner grocer to shame, bars open doors wide throwing out loud music that silences the lone beer seller into oblivion and hotels offer five stars to the previous family B&B that had existed silently and without custom for many years previously.

Outsiders pour in from the bigger towns, from abroad and from all corners of the globe. Cheap labour is shipped in to construct and deconstruct: expert’s set-up shop to design and to organise and money is never an object. National citizens open up branches of their shipping agencies and their own oil and services companies, partnerships are formed and new companies spring up as those with the dollar in their eye see light.

And from what was once a sleepy and unrecognised piece of earth grows a town that is active, wealthy and bright, from a once sparse landscape grow the bricks and mortar that will obliterate the natural surroundings that had once been the home to so many. And yes, somewhere beneath it all are the unheard and sad few that did not join the bandwagon of progression, who could only watch as their land was taken away from them and who lost the tranquillity of their past before another day arose.

The Hotel Users

Many oil towns apart from becoming the logistical centre for supplies out to the fields also become the base for human transportation out to the rigs and platforms that dot these fields like small pox. All rigs, ships and platforms require humans to operate them to keep them functioning and alive so that the steady flow of oil from under the sea to the petrol pump and the power station can be maintained. Engineers, Riggers and Cooks share seats with Barge Masters, Tank Cleaners and Foremen on helicopters and crew boats so that they may join their respective vessels and floating constructions and all use the oil town as a collection point before proceeding outwards. Others flow steadily inwards in similar droves as they finish their time or contracts on the field: they looking forward to getting home, to a beer or to spending all the cash that they have just earned.

Surveyors and experts fly out for the week, the day or night, to cajole or to advise wisely for big bucks and seafarers and those on the rigs for the month or more. But all pass through the oil town as they wait for planes or boats to take them onwards, some request extra time to wind down and to meet up with friends and some stay to fall in love or to recapture a lost one.

Some want to get out, some want to stay but all are a moving mass of humanity, where no-one is an individual and where one goes another will fill its place. And all require hotel rooms.

The Stayers

It is the dreaded nightmare of many an expert or manager to be posted to the last outback of civilisation. To be issued orders to pack up and ship out to a place still known for its head-hunters or where violence, aggression and hatred of the outside world still take the upper hand. For many these postings are a step up the ladder, maybe a two year stint will see them back home and behind a desk in head office with a house paid for or the pension fund ticking over nicely. For others they represent excitement and thrill, some thrive on the life and others shrink from it. From all corners of the world and for whatever reason they flow inwards, houses and apartments spring up to accommodate them and a life they begin for better or for worse. Families and possessions arrive not soon after and communities spring up based on similarity, on nationality, on company orders or on desperation. Westernised shops take over from the local stalls, steaks become more popular than “sweet and sour pork” or Thai Rice and local markets get squeezed out as chain stores see profit.

Divorces may happen as wives can’t accept the lifestyle or decide that their husband was not the man that they married, men split as they fall in love with local beauty or turn to the bottle. Others enjoy the life and breed on it building a future and togetherness than would not have been found back home.

But they come and they go, some quicker than others and some extend contracts but throughout, the community that springs up continues forcibly and without deterrence and it is never long before a vacant house becomes occupied and a bar stool finds another backside to keep it warm.

The Bars

Should a wandering tourist find himself between touristy spots and stuck for the night in an oil town he or she will not find much to do. Apart that is from eating, drinking and enjoying the night life that all oil towns have to offer. With the throughput of relieved oil workers form the fields, of experts and workers who tend to drink copious amounts of alcohol on a daily basis, bars and pubs always abound. A main street usually finds itself as the centre of this activity and endless establishments fling open doors to offer beer and comfort to those in need. Huts with a couple of chairs and run by the locals vie for business with the big spenders, the large pub owners and the opportunists.

Seafarers fallen in-love with a local girl see the dream of escape by investing in a bar or buying one outright, Expatriates tired of the stress of business see the opening of a bar the chance to mix pleasure with an expatriate lifestyle and all of them see profit as the hordes of seafarers, oil rig workers, surveyors and specialists drift through in never ending streams.

Some bars offer music, others woman wine and song. Some attract customers with scantily clad girls standing in doorways, others through darkness and mystery. One bar might offer western style cooking; another bar has variety of beer that is from home. The O’Hara’s bar gives song and Guinness, the London bar sells fish and chips and Tenants lager. The Offshore Bar or the Sea Breeze advertises the woman attraction and local beer whilst the Lounge or the Hideaway gives quieter refuge and a place for expatriate wives to take their husbands without fear from the local prostitutes. The Rig gives a decent strip tease for the lustful, the Port Hole a strong sense of still being on a ship and the Landing Stage a certain sense of wanting to get off!

Bouncers or sexy girls block doorways with invitation; local taxi-drivers block exits with promise of ‘fares cheaper than anywhere else’ and mama sans block stairwells to take money from deep willing customers.

Music blares out, lights and neon sign flash welcome, doors bang as enthusiastic drinkers move on to the next establishment; doors bang as overfilled drunkards rush to kerb-sides to empty out their system. Doors bang as excited drifters take the promise of love to their hotels for the night in exchange for payment and doors bang as revellers break the rules of the bar or upset someone who is bigger and meaner than they are.

These are the bars, the night life and the heart of the oil town when the sun sinks below the horizon.

The End

A time will come when the world will run out of oil, when oil is no longer viable to produce or to drill for. A time will come when Oil Towns will become like shanty towns in the wild west, people will move on to other places, big businesses will move to other towns were money beckons and along with these departures will go the hotels, the bars and the expatriates, leaving behind an eclectic mixture of locals and foreigners who have invested life savings in bars and marriages that are now worthless. The towns may survive by reverting back to fishing or tourism but the heart and the pace will have departed along with the loss of oil - the revenue will have dried up.

Burns and Burn Treatments

2005-10-12T17:27:00.000+14:00

By: Steve Larson

There are an estimated 4,500 deaths and 45,000 hospitalizations per year in the United States as a result of burn-related injuries. A burn is a type of injury to the skin caused by heat, electricity, chemicals or radiation. Types of burns are divided into 3 categories; first degree, second degree and third degree. Each type of burn must be treated in a specific manner and it is important to know how to recognize each form of burn as well as the treatment methods used in each specific situation. Treating a burn in an incorrect manner can cause serious harm to the victim. Here is a summary of each form of burn as well as treatment methods for each:

1. First Degree Burns - This is the least serious type of burn and will usually heal on its own within a couple days. First degree burns typically heal completely and rarely result in any form of scarring. This type of burn injures the epidermis (top layer of skin) and usually produces a pink or reddish color on the area of skin which is burnt.

Treatment – First degree burns (also known as minor burns) can be treated at home and very rarely require medical assistance. Your best option is to run the burnt area under cool water for approximately 10 minutes to stop the burning. Do not use ice or cold water since they can potentially cause further the damage to the skin. If you are applying a bandage to the wound, make sure it is loose otherwise it will stick to the burn, become painful and possibly cause infection. Vitamins C, E and zinc will help with the healing process, but only in recommended amounts. Aloe Vera is said to have healing properties as well.

2. Second Degree Burns – This type of burn is an injury to the tissues in the body. Second degree burns are classified according to the amount of tissue they affect and how deep they are. Second degree burns not only injure the epidermis but continue down to the deeper layers of skin called the dermis. Second degree burns are usually bright red and produce blisters. This type of burn is likely to cause scarring and usually takes about one to three weeks to heal.

Treatment – Second degree burns require medical assistance and antibiotics are often prescribed to help the healing process. Call for medical help as soon as the burn occurs and make sure not to apply any form of lotion or greasy substance to the wound. These trap in heat and prevent the wound from healing correctly.

3. Third Degree Burns – Third degree burns destroy the dermis and epidermis and often affect other organs, tissues and bones. Third degree burns are considered the most serious of burns and often produce charred patches on the skin which are white, brown or black. There will likely be very little pain for a victim experiencing a third degree burn since the nerves will likely be destroyed and the victim may be in shock.

Treatment – All third degree burns require medical attention and it is crucial to get the victim to the hospital (or an ambulance on scene) immediately. You can assist the victim by removing jewelry and tight clothing from the burnt area before swelling occurs. Do not try and remove clothes if they are stuck to the wound. Never apply ice, cold water, lotions, ointments sprays or any other form of liquid to the wound. Third degree burns often require cosmetic surgery or skin grafting in order to heal.

Learning and understanding the types of burns and their treatment methods can potentially save your own life or the life of someone else.

Have Laptop Will Travel

2005-10-11T20:13:00.000+14:00

By: Jon Castle

There are virtually unlimited home based business opportunities out there that can earn us the income we need while allowing us the freedom to travel. The world is an enormous place; a playground on an epic scale filled with exotic cultures, creatures, and serene landscapes. For most of us however, the greater world is a separate place, disconnected from the smaller one we occupy. During the workweek our scope of existence barely extends past the perpendicular lines of the office or workplace. Whats worse is that our destinies are not in our control. In essence, our current function in life is to make a handful of rich men richer.

On our days off we have just enough time to finish all the errands that have aggregated over the previous five days. When we find a moment to scavenge for food we usually find it in a grease smeared paper bag handed to us through a window by some goofy kid with a paper hat and an apron covered with what looks like the remnants of a bovine suivide bomber. Surely, there is more to life than this? There must be a way to break free from our enclosed existence and explore the beautiful wide open spaces beyond. In fact, there are several ways.

The good news is that our future is entirely in our hands. There are virtually unlimited home based business opportunities out there that can earn us the income we need while allowing us the freedom to travel. All we need is persistence, a laptop computer, and a wireless connection to the internetand maybe a map. Then the question that we have to ask ourselves is not how badly do I want freedom but rather, how hard am I willing to work for it?

Building a home business during our free time leaves little time for us to unwind after our regular job. This sounds difficult, and it is, but it should be viewed as a temporary sacrifice. Think of building a home-based business as whittling away at the prison bars of your cell after a long hard day breaking rocks for the man. Do you want to break rocks your whole life for a brief daily respite, or would you rather double your work so that one day you can escape altogether?

We are each a single drop of rain strafed by the wind to merge with other droplets and thereby form an ocean. For unconventional home business wisdom, Home Business Opportunities and more please visit Jon Castles website American House Dad

Four Main Factors Causing High Cholesterol

2005-10-10T11:06:00.000+14:00

By: James Ellison

Besides diet, other causes of high cholesterol are lifestyle, gender and the heritage of the individual.

For some, even maintaining cholesterol at the right levels and being fit and thin will still not prevent the development of high levels of bad cholesterol. Due to heart risk factors besides diet, some people require a very aggressive approach which includes cholesterol lowing medication.

When we opt for convenience in eating over nutrition, we are setting ourselves up for problems. Eating fast foods and convenience foods results in eating too many fats and salts, which can raise our bad cholesterol levels. In addition, a more sedentary lifestyle also contributes to unhealthy levels of cholesterol. If you want to see a graphic representation of this, consider renting the documentary movie “Supersize Me.” This documentary details the attempts of one man to live on fast foods and little exercise alone. The results on his cholesterol and body health in just 30 days are truly frightening.

A visit to a nutritionist or dietician can help us all better understand eating for the right reasons and for optimal health. It is never too late to start on this path.

Regular exercise will effectively lower cholesterol and will maintain your body strength to function best. Just 20 minutes of aerobic exercise, including walking, each day will lower cholesterol. Exercise does not have to be a large time or money commitment. Simple activities that get you moving and that you enjoy enough to repeat are almost always adequate.

An important consideration in eating is choosing lower fat.

Buy cooking oils that are unsaturated. Use low fat cooking sprays to replace heavy oils whenever possible. Reduce your overall use of oils even further by using cooking techniques that require little or no oil.

Cholesterol levels increase with age. Women generally have a lower level than men from age 50 to 55. Once a woman starts menopause, the cholesterol level starts to increase.

While there is not much that you can do about your age, you can make sure that age does not threaten your heart health by sticking to a healthy lifestyle and diet and by getting your cholesterol levels monitored.

Genetics play a key role in a person's health and this includes the amount of cholesterol you might have.

Find out if your family battles with high levels of cholesterol and then bring this to your doctor’s attention right away. If you have a family history of heart disease and high cholesterol levels, work harder and start earlier in adopting a healthy lifestyle and eating plan.

Jim has been interested in health factors for most of his life. Most of his knowledge is from investigating the many faucets for a healthy being. You can learn more of his research on low carb dieting by visiting:
http://www.low-carb-dieting-secrets.com

Postpartum Depression: What Women Aren't Telling Their Doctors

2005-10-09T23:47:00.000+14:00

By: Robyn B. Surdel

Robyn’s Nest ~ The Parenting Network
www.robynsnest.com
robyn@robynsnest.com

Postpartum mood disorders come in many shapes and sizes. Approximately 80% of all women in the United States will experience some form of mood disorder after the birth of their child. The emotional and physical discomfort they feel can be triggered by hormonal changes, lack of sleep, stress, socioeconomic factors and other changes. What is concerning, however, is that only 20% of women actually report their feelings to a qualified health professional, such as their physician, midwife, or pediatrician. Perhaps women are concerned about the stigma associated with mental health issues, or they fear that in reporting their mood swings and emotional pain they may jeopardize custody of their new baby. Whatever the reason, it’s time to change the way we look at perinatal (after birth) mood disorders.

The majority of women experience what is referred to as “the new baby blues”. This milder form of postpartum depression may be characterized by insomnia, fatigue, anxiety, tearfulness or sadness and may last anywhere from several hours to a week. The more serious forms of perinatal mood disorders include Postpartum Depression and the extremely severe Postpartum Psychosis.

Approximately 10-15% of new mothers will experience Postpartum Depression. Family members, partners and heath professionals should watch for symptoms that could include sleeping and eating disturbances, anxiety and insecurity, mood swings, confusion, loss of self, guilt or shame, and thoughts of harming herself.

Dr. Cheryl Beck and Dr. Robert Gable at the University of Connecticut have developed a new screening tool to assist health care professionals with identifying new mothers who may be at risk or suffering from postpartum depression. Dr. Beck suggests that doctors, midwives, and nursing staff should continuously evaluate new mothers throughout the first year after giving birth as the more severe of these conditions may not surface until well after the 6-week obstetric check up.

While only 1% of new mothers may experience the more obvious symptoms of Postpartum Psychosis (hallucinations, delusions, an inability to sleep, poor appetite, and bizarre/irrational behavior) these are the women who are at risk of hurting themselves or their new baby. Early detection of perinatal mood disorders is imperative to prevent another senseless loss of life, however our perception of mental illness and its associated diseases must change. Women need to feel confident that their healthcare professionals will take appropriate steps to get them the help they need without fear of shame or consequence.

If you are concerned that someone you love is experiencing any of the above symptoms, please request help in your area by going on the web to www.postpartum.net. Professionals are standing by to answer your questions.

After having children, Robyn found that there was a need for reliable and current information on all children's issues. Not finding the medical, behavior or psychological information available to parents or grandparents, she wondered what to do. Of course, being skilled on the computer, informed about children's issues and with a desire to help others, she started her web site and put aired information on TV.

It Sure Is A Scientific World - The Perils of Pandiculation

2005-10-08T16:16:00.000+14:00

By: John Dooley

Pandiculation has existed since the dawn of man. It affects humans, reptiles, birds, and most mammals. Although most human beings have been known to experience pandiculation while still in the womb (as early as 11 weeks after conception), we achieve pandiculatory contagiousness between the first and second years of life. It is believed that the entire human population has already been affected.

People with the highest susceptibility are those who suffer from fatigue, drowsiness, boredom, insomnia, and excessive contact with humorous scientific hyperbole. Although studied by institutions throughout the world, it still is not completely understood. Everyday people are unsuspecting agents, who 'infect' helpless individuals. There is no cure, and the only treatment is allowing the behavior to run its course.

Pandiculation is the act of yawning and stretching, and it is highly communicable.

A common misconception is that pandiculation is brought on to increase oxygen levels in the blood and to reduce carbon dioxide, but scientific evidence has proven that theory unsound.

Dr. Robert Provine of the Psychonomic Society studied effects on college students who were given different types of gases (air is a gas, remember?) to breathe for 30-minute intervals. Using four gaseous concoctions, ranging from normal air to those with both extreme levels of oxygen and/or carbon dioxide, Dr. Provine detected no change in occurrences or duration of yawns. Subjects did tend to breathe a little faster in a low-oxygen atmosphere, but stopped short of looking like goldfish trying to breathe in bleach water. Provine also conducted the same experiments with subjects before, during and after exercise, with the same results.

So, what causes pandiculation, and why is it contagious? Dr. Provine believes it is due to evolutionary history, and is a response developed to coordinate the social behavior of early humans, yet remains as a vestigial response. Strangely, there is no pecking order when it comes to contagious pandiculation--it can be as infectious coming from an innocent child as from Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, or balloon-busted country music crooner Dolly Parton.

In any case... experiencing a complete and satisfying pandiculation, without interruption, feels pretty good. Pass it on with impunity, and coordinate your own social behavior experiments.

5 Things To Know About The Stock Market

2005-10-07T07:16:00.000+14:00

By: Alan Korber

50% Of U.S. Households Invest In The Stock Market

Individuals invest in the stock market directly, through mutual funds, their pension plans, profit sharing plans, 401k's, IRA's, etc.

Mutual Funds Dominate The Market

It is mainly the mutual funds, buying and selling, who move the market and cause individual stocks to go up and down. Mutual funds are the 800-pound gorillas of the stock market; at the end of 2003, mutual funds held more than $3 trillion dollars worth of stocks.

The Dow Jones Average Is Not The Stock Market

The Dow Jones Industrial Average is comprised of only 30 selected stocks. In reality, there are more than 7,000 different stocks listed on the 3 major U.S. stock exchanges. That makes it quite possible that, in a given time frame, the Dow Jones Average may be flat or down but many individual stocks may actually be up.

Most Investors Fail

Over time, most individual investors fail to achieve the stock market success they would love to have. This is due to many factors, including lack of knowledge, lack of time and effort, lack of a good strategy that works, and emotional decision making.

Can You Beat The Market?

Investing in stocks can be a very rewarding experience, financially and emotionally. If you do it right. With the right effort, the right knowledge, and the right strategy, an individual investor can do extremely well in today's stock market, and, as a result, realize a brighter and richer financial future.

Alan Korber is a private investor and the creator of the Korber Strategy, a simple and easy stock market strategy that uses certain parameters to identify stocks that have the highest potential return with the lowest acceptable risk. As an individual investor he uses his own strategy and the stocks he buys normally generate up to 50% or more annualized return. For more info go to http://akorber.com

The Subconscious Control of Your Diet and Weight Loss

2005-09-22T03:19:00.000+14:00

By: Kelly Burris

What determines human behavior and in particular your eating behavior? I have yet to come across a psychiatrist, psychologist or physician who can answer this question, yet this is the most fundamental question if you wish to initiate lasting permanent behavior change. If you can not answer this question, how could you possibly expect to help someone make a change in there diet or insure permanent weight loss? How can you move forward if you do not definitively know what is moving you forward. What determines human behavior and in particular your eating behavior is simply information. Can you do anything in your life without talking to yourself or seeing a picture of what you need to do? Of course not! It would be a little bit like trying to read from a blank page. No information = no action!

The next question is: What are the components of this information? The components of the information that determines your emotional state and behavior are words and pictures. The next logical question then is how do you Recognize, Access and Change the information that is driving a behavior that simply does not work? This is where over 20 years of research and development come in with a program process now known as Burris MIND/FITNESS. MIND/FITNESS answers the last question with great precision and accuracy by virtue of starting out with the first two questions. In the resolution of any problem it is always about the question. Never has this been more relevant. Imagine if for the last 60 years psychologists asked, How can I fix it? instead of Why is it broken?!

Why You Absolutely Must Take Control of Your Subconscious

To give you an idea of the power of the subconscious, you can speak at a rate of about two to three hundred words per minute. Your subconscious runs at a rate of about one thousand to twelve hundred words per minute which is about four times faster than you can speak. This is why you can talk on the phone and perform other tasks like typing on the computer or driving a car because the subconscious is already programmed to do the other tasks. You can look at the conscious mind and the subconscious mind like a tug of war with a vat of mud in the middle for whom ever loses. The conscious mind is one-person on one side against the subconscious, which are four people on the other side. If the conscious decides to move in a different direction like changing your diet, losing weight, increasing your fitness program, quitting smoking or any number of other things, it is usually a losing proposition because you are simply out numbered with information. This is why it is so difficult to attain spontaneous change. Burris MIND/FITNESS will to make sure you have the most people on your side in the tug of war.

Burris MIND/FITNESS is based on the reality that all behavior is emotionally driven or in other words your emotional state = your behavior. How you feel about things you do will always determine whether you move toward them or not. You will always move toward perceived pleasure and away from pain. The key component of any behavioral change program must include how to get control of your emotional state. So what is the biggest difference between MIND/FITNESS and any other behavioral change program? The question MIND/FITNESS asks is: How can I fix it? as opposed to Why is it broken?
Example: If you get a flat tire on your car, do you want to walk back down the road to find out why you got the flat or do you want to know how to fix it so that you can keep moving forward?
It is certainly not necessary to spend the last 40 years of your life analyzing the first 40 years of your life.

It is imperative that you understand how to take control of the subconscious because the mind is like a car without an off switch and an unknown driver, if you do not predetermine the destination. If you decide not drive it, it is going to drive itself or someone else may get in the seat and drive it for you. Someone else driving might be ok if you agree to where they are going but what if you do not like where they are going?

For the first eighteen years of your life someone else drove the car. This was usually with little or no consideration to the younger passengers. Almost every decision was made for you. You were told what to do, what to eat and learned how to react to any given situation. All of this information is stored in the subconscious and will arise randomly to determine your lifes path.

There are also a tremendous number of variables that can occur in your initial programming that may have little to do with your parents. The bottom line still remains. Do you, at some point, want to drive or do you want to continue letting someone or something else drive?

Regardless of weather your goal is a change in diet for weight loss, an increase in your fitness program or to take control of an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia. In the end the question you need to ask yourself isAm I completely happy with the mind running itself or do I need to take control of it? If your answer is I need to take control of it, then Burris MIND/FITNESS is the answer.

Kelly Burris is the author of Reprogramming the Overweight Mind: 7 Steps to Taking Control of Your Subconscious. You can read the first two chapters, or become a Certified Burris MIND/FITNESS Consultant by going to http://www.KellyBurris.com

Become an Investment Advisor

2005-09-21T21:16:00.000+14:00

By: Nick Hunter

There are many people who feel that to make money in todays market and in the future, you must work off of advisory fees and not commissions.

An Investment or Financial Adviser is someone who manages a portfolio or advises a person what to do in their portfolio. For these services, an Adviser can retain a fee for doing so. They operate much like an Accountant or an Attorney would. Rather than directly sell a security for commission, they will receive a fixed percentage of the assets they manage. The license that most of them receive is the SERIES 65 (Registered Investment Advisor). What makes this arrangement attractive for the Adviser is that your income stream is much steadier. Your fees are set so if a customer is not particularly active, you still retain the normal advisory fee you charge.

The arrangement is equally beneficial to the customer. A customer does not feel the same pressure to buy as they would from a commission Stockbroker. A Stockbroker does not make money unless a customer buys or sells.

The SERIES 65 does not need to be sponsored and can be practiced independently. It also looks terrific on a resume and only takes 4-6 weeks to study for. If you are looking to add financial credentials prior to entering the securities business, the Series 65 is a great license to get. It is a multiple choice test and no educational pre-requisites are required.

A few states do not require an individual to hold a SERIES 65 to practice investment advice but it is a good idea to get it anyway. You want to be aware of certain rules and background of the industry. The licensing curriculum will explain all of the securities that apply. It is also a good "Title" to practice business under. Thousands and thousands of CPA's, Lawyers, and other professionals have obtained their SERIES 65 license and became Financial Advisors. The ability to offer investment advice to their existing clientele has proved to be very beneficial to their business.

You are not allowed to work on commissions and advisory fees from the same client. The SEC views that as "double charging", so you should decide what route is best for you. As said earlier, many feel the "fee route" is the best way to go now.

Good Luck!

Nick Hunter is the President of American Investment Training, Inc. (AIT) www.aitraining.com. He has personally taught thousands of students in the securities industry for over 15 years. AIT produces training courses for the financial industry.

Avian (Bird) Influenza - Nano-masks Protection

2005-09-20T20:38:00.000+14:00

Nano-masks can help you lower the risk of viral diseases such as Avian Influenza.

For more info, please follow the link: http://www.flupharmacy.com/

Top 10 - Proven Oil Reserve Countries

2005-09-04T14:03:00.000+14:00

By: Austin Culley

This is a list of countries with proven reachable oil reserves in billions of barrels, and is a rough estimate based on the ability to recover the oil by current technological and economical means.

Saudi Arabia - 262

Saudi Arabia is the largest exporter of petroleum in the world, and plays a leading role in OPEC, which stands for The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries; an international organization made up of eleven oil producing nations.

Canada - 180

Canada's Athabasca Oil Sands Project is what puts Canada on the map in this list. Current surface mining techniques and in-situ methods to extract bitumen from the oil sands make for an overwhelmingly positive future for Canada's oil industry.

Iran - 126

Iran's economy relies heavily on oil export revenues, and as oil prices rise, Iran's economy improves. Iran is in the process of diversifying by investing some of it's oil reserves into other areas, such as petrochemicals; and is in the process of creating more favorable climates for foreign investment.

Iraq - 115

According to oil industry experts, new exploration may raise Iraq's reserves up to 300 billion barrels. This has created global foreign interest to re-establish within the country. The US, UK, France, China, Russia, and Japan all vie for major concessions complicated by unrest in the post-Saddam Hussein era.

Kuwait - 102

Though the loss has been estimated at 2% of total oil reserves, Kuwait has recovered fully from the invasion of Iraq. The KPC, or Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, has grown to become one of the ten largest oil companies in the world.

United Arab Emirates - 98

At one time an underdeveloped region, by 1985 the United Arab Emirates had the highest per capita income in the world. The largest areas of petroleum production occur in two of the seven constituent parts of the UAE; these being Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi qualifies as a oil state in the same sense as Kuwait.

Venezuela - 77

Venezuela is the fifth largest oil exporter in the world, and a founding member of OPEC. Oil output has been hampered at times due to protest and controversy, but the country remains an active contributor to the world supply of oil.

Russia - 60

Russia has the world's largest natural gas reserves, the second largest coal reserves, and the eighth largest oil reserves. The country is the world's largest exporter of natural gas and the second largest oil exporter. Reorganization of the Russian Energy Sector has shown improvements in the industry over the last few years.

Libya - 39

Though sanctions against Libya had been removed by United States President Bush and also by The United Nations, some Libyan authorities caution foreign optimism about prospects in the country's socialist driven economy. Nonetheless, the removal of sanctions allows Libya to drive forward.

Nigeria - 35

Nigeria is the largest oil producer in Africa, and is a major oil supplier to both the United States and Western Europe. Proven oil reserves are expected to be expanded to 40 billion barrels by the year 2010.

Austin Culley is the Vice President of Oil-Net.Com Inc. http://www.oil-net.com

Ecommerce Hosting Considerations

2005-09-03T14:06:00.000+14:00

By: Eric Lester

Website hosting can be a complex undertaking. Determining how much space you need, how much transfer, finding a reliable host, and getting everything online is no simple task. Add ecommerce to the mix and things become even more complex. This article will deal with some of those additional complications to finding a host for an online store. All of the same considerations to finding general hosting can be applied to ecommerce hosting, there are simply a few additional ones that need some attention.

Basics- Disk Space and Transfer

The core states of any kind of hosting, ecommerce or not, remain space and transfer, or traffic. Generally measured in monthly increments, your space and transfer will place a crucial role in determining just what size plan you need. Ecommerce sites will, generally speaking, require more space and transfer than an equivilant sized site without ecommerce. This is due to the presence of the shopping cart upon which the online storefront is based. Shopping cart programs are installed to the account on which they operate, requiring space, and their scripts for running the store will require additional transfer to handle customers as they browse, add items to their cart, and check out. Will there be a tremendous amount of extra transfer required by the cart? That depends on how many use the cart and on the cart itself. This is why its best to start small and having a clear upgrade path to handle future popularity.

Prospective online merchants will generally have a good idea how many products they'll be selling initially. This will vary wildly from merchant to merchant, and many merchants don't put their entire stocks online. It is wise to start with a considered selection of products first, especially if you wish to initially keep your hosting plan small and upgrade as the store prospers. Those with a great deal of products need to be aware they will probably be facing a bigger monthly fee for a larger hosting plan. Once the decision is made regarding the products, attention can be turned to finding a suitable shopping cart program to contain them.

Shopping Cart

The choice of shopping cart can be a personal one. Those entirely new to ecommerce will probably not have any experience with any kind of shopping cart software. There are a number of popular choices, and most hosting companies will provide one, if not a variety, from which you can choose. It is important to find a shopping cart that suits the individual user, as attempting to change your shopping down the road can be a long process that will, most likely, bring your store down during a transitional period. Don't immediately jump at the first cart a host offers. Ask if they have demos and try them out. Be sure it's a program you can learn and use, as it is the primary way you'll be doing your online business. Even if you have a large business and have a design firm setting up the cart, a rudimentary knowledge of the cart's processes is highly recommended.

Learn as much about your prospective shopping cart software as possible. Make sure it supports SSL, a common site security protocol that will help keep your customer's credit card numbers safe when ordering online. It will need to support your merchant account and payment gateway. In many cases a host might bundle these services, so compatibility isn't an issue. If you secured your merchant services separately from hosting, be sure they are compatible. Find out if the cart has a recommended maximum product limit and, of course, try not to exceed it. The store may slow down and perform poorly if there are too many products in it.

Finally, make sure it will do everything you want it to do. Some merchants sell services and downloadable items that don't conform exactly to the order-product-ship-product flow. If your cart doesn't support these features by default, there may be 3rd party add-ons that will provide this functionality. Miva Merchant is one such shopping cart with a very active 3rd party developer community providing a wide range of add-ons, or "modules" to extend the feature set of the original program. The merchant will have to buy these add-ons and have them installed on their own initiative, though, and the hosting company will not be able to support them.

Reliability and Support

Perhaps of greatest importance is reliability in your chosen host. Think in terms of a "brick and mortar" storefront. If someone locks the front door during business hours, then no customers can come in and nothing is sold. Similarly, if an online store is down at any hour, no customers can come in and nothing is sold. You want the most reliable hosting for such a mission-critical site. Never just take the word of a hosting company's site in regards to their uptime. Do research and look for customer reviews of your prospective host. Online merchants should always be willing to pay more for a reliable hosting company with good uptime and support. A good rule of thumb is to stay away from free or "bargain basement" hosts, since support and uptime are usually the first things to suffer with this kind of hosting.

Conclusions

Finding the right ecommerce hosting company requires a few additional considerations. Decide on your products, your shopping cart, and then shop for your hosting company. You will need more space and transfer than an equivalent site, but start small with your product selection and you can still save money on your hosting. Find a shopping cart that's easy for you to use and understand, as switching at a later date can result in downtime and a lot of work transferring your products. Finally, make sure your host has solid uptime, as an online store that's down isn't generating any sales.

Mr. Lester has served for 4 years as the webmaster for http://www.apollohosting.com and previously worked in the IT industry an additional 5 years, acquiring knowledge of hosting, design, and search engine optimization. Apollo Hosting provides website hosting, ecommerce hosting, vps hosting, and web design services to a wide range of customers.

Finding The Best Mortgage Lender Online

2005-09-02T08:46:00.000+14:00

By: Carrie Reeder iSnare Expert Author

Finding the best mortgage lender online is simply a matter of doing some smart shopping. Begin by gathering your financial information, and then request quotes from several lenders. Compare the rates and fees for each quote to find the best mortgage lender.

Online Mortgage Lenders

Online mortgage lenders bring you all the services of a mortgage broker with the convenience of the internet. With online lenders though, you can quickly compare rates without feeling committed to a loan. Most mortgage loan information can be found on a lender’s website, but you can also contact a representative through email or the phone.

Start Prepared

Start prepared by gathering all your financial information in one spot for easy access. Bank statements and previous tax records will usually be all you need. Also, determine how much you would like to borrow and use as a down payment.

Gather Quotes

Online mortgage lenders provide almost instant mortgage loan quotes by asking you basic questions about your income, the loan amount, and your credit rating. These types of quotes will allow you to quickly compare rates and come up with a handful of potential mortgage lenders.

Actual mortgage rates are determined by many more factors, such as property location and value. Once you have a list of potential mortgage lenders, take the time to fill out the longer application to get a detailed mortgage quote to make your final decision.

Compare Financing

With detailed mortgage quotes from a few lenders, you can pick the best loan for you. Rates are certainly one way of measuring the cost of the loan, but you should also look at the fees. Fees can come with many different titles, but in the end they all cost money.

To determine the total cost of the mortgage loan, add the fees plus the interest you will pay over the course of the loan. With this figure, you can choose the best mortgage lender.

Complete Your Application

Once you have picked a mortgage lender, you can finish your loan application. Pre-approved loans will give you an advantage in your search to buy a home. With your application completed, paperwork is sent to you for review, and then finalized by the mortgage lender. You can be approved in as little as a few weeks.

Carrie Reeder is the owner of http://www.abcloanguide.com, an informational website about various types of loans. To view our list of recommended mortgage lenders online. Visit this page: http://www.abcloanguide.com/mortgageloans.shtml

Aleve, Vioxx, Celebrex, and Bextra: What You Need to Know About Arthritis Pain Medications

2005-09-01T13:02:00.000+14:00

By: Chris Spewock

Recent controversy about the safety of pain medications for arthritis has left patients and health care professionals alike confused about which medications are safe to use. In fact, a recent survey by the Boston-based Rippe Lifestyle Institute indicated that many people with arthritis are suffering unnecessarily because they have stopped or reduced their use of pain relievers due to confusion about which drugs are considered safe.

The survey also showed that now, more than ever, those with arthritis need to understand the benefits and possible side effects associated with all arthritis pain medications. In order to do so, people with arthritis, their caregivers and families must be familiar with recent news about the two types of drugs most commonly used to treat arthritis pain non-selective, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and another group of NSAIDs known as cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) specific inhibitors.

COX-2 specific inhibitors vs. Other NSAIDs

COX-2 specific inhibitors are the newest members of the NSAID class of medications. Available by prescription only, they became widely used in recent years to reduce joint pain and swelling. COX-2 specific inhibitors work by selectively blocking, or inhibiting, one of the two enzymes associated with inflammation. Some experts think that this selective inhibition may be one reason for some of the negative side effects currently associated with COX-2 specific inhibitors.

Non-selective NSAIDs were developed earlier than COX-2 specific inhibitors and have been widely used to relieve arthritis pain and inflammation for many years. Unlike COX-2 specific inhibitors, non-selective NSAIDs inhibit both major enzymes involved in the inflammatory process, COX-1 and COX-2. The non-selective NSAID category includes a number of different medications that are available in both prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) products.

Timeline of Events

To understand the current state of affairs, it is important to understand the sequence of events. The controversy started when a study published in the October 21, 2004, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine cited the COX-2 specific inhibitor, Vioxx as potentially causing major adverse events, including heart attack and stroke, among patients taking the drug. As a result, Merck (the drugs manufacturer) voluntarily withdrew Vioxx from the market. However, in the months following, the safety of the other available COX-2 specific inhibitors such as Celebrex and Bextra, as well as other arthritis pain medications in the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) class, were also called into question.

Consequently, in February 2005, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) convened a special Advisory Committee, made up of members of the Arthritis and Drug Safety Advisory Committees, to review the cardiovascular safety of these arthritis pain medications.

FDA Directive: Stronger Warning Labels for Some Pain Medications

On April 7, 2005, taking into account the recommendations of the Advisory Committee, the FDA issued the following directives:

Bextra, a COX-2 specific inhibitor manufactured by Pfizer, was withdrawn from the market.

All prescription NSAIDs must revise their labeling to include a black box warning that highlights the potential increased risk for cardiovascular (CV) events as well as the potentially life threatening gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding associated with these drugs. Celebrex, the only COX-2 specific inhibitor remaining on the US market, was included in this directive.

All OTC NSAIDs (except aspirin) will be required to revise their labeling to include more specific information about the potential for GI and CV side effects, a stronger reminder to follow label instructions, as well as a warning about potential skin reactions.

To further evaluate the potential for increased CV risk, the FDA also announced that all NSAIDs must conduct and submit to the FDA a comprehensive review and analysis of pertinent safety data from clinical trials.

Aleve (naproxen sodium) is supported by clinical studies conducted to gain approval of naproxen as a prescription product and as OTC that do not provide any evidence of increased risk of cardiovascular events.

Treatment Options: What Should Arthritis Patients Know?

For some people who suffer from pain associated with arthritis, their symptoms can be managed with exercise, heat/cold therapy, joint protection, assistive devices, weight control, or in some severe cases, surgery. For others, medications are needed to help manage the symptoms associated with arthritis.

When taken as directed OTC medications such as Aleve provide a safe and effective way to treat mild to moderate pain of minor arthritis. If patients have questions, they should consult their health care professional about which treatment option is most appropriate.

Why Its Important to Treat Arthritis

Arthritis affects approximately 66 million Americans and is the nations leading cause of disability. There are over 100 different types of arthritis, and they all have different symptoms that vary in severity from person to person. The most common form of arthritis, osteoarthritis, is characterized by the breakdown of cartilage that causes the bones to rub together, resulting in pain, loss of movements and stiffness . Arthritis is usually a chronic condition.

For more information on Aleve and naproxen, visit the Aleve website at www.aleve.com.
For more information on arthritis pain relief, visit .

Storage Organization - The Key to Preserving What's Important

2005-08-31T19:35:00.000+14:00

By: David Arnold Livingston

Even before the coming of man, animals like the ants have been doing storage of food and other stuff to cope with the daily demands of life. Storage is a vital part of human life. In the Bible, the wisdom-filled Joseph used storage to escape the problems of famine which happened for seven years. During the seven years of fullness and abundance, Joseph suggested to the Pharaoh to put up stock houses for food to carry on with the famine.

Storage is also important in our day to day living. Our refrigerators have stocks of food to be used for our everyday survival. Storage is of major concerns for big companies and businesses involved with different products ranging from the items that will fill up mans basic needs to the complex wants that man desires and longs for.

Storage is done not only by placing in one corner the items or products to be used later on. There are several factors to be taken to ensure that the stored stuff will be in safe condition so people that will make use of it. In the case of food storage, the place or the equipment to be used for storage must be free from any toxins caused by different factors in the environment ranging from the tiny bacteria and other microorganisms to big rats, cockroaches and other insects. Improper food storage can lead to food poisoning and death.

There are various ways of food storage which can include canning, freezing and drying. Drying is used to remove the moisture from the food so as to prevent the growth of micro-organisms. Freezing is the commonly used method of food storage and preservation to slow down spoilage through chemical reaction done by transforming water into ice or liquid into solid. Canning is a form of storage which includes the use of jars and other containers in which food is heated first to kill or destroy the microorganisms that can mess up with the food.

Storage areas for other commodities are also a major concern of businessmen thus they have storage plans to ensure the safety of their products. The fabricators of various products must have a secured dry storage area that can sufficiently be used to stock all the items. The location and size, together with other vital factors must be carefully considered to guarantee the efficiency of storage. The advancements in technology is a great help in the efficiency of storage since the different factors involved which may include the temperature and lighting system can be easily adjusted to suit the condition of the items and the area.

Stacking of different products is made easier by using the new racking systems. Aside from organized location, it can also save spaces for other items or products. The Flow-through and First In - First Out systems are the commonly used racking types for storage. The Flow-through system works by positioning the older ones in a location that will allow it to be used first. A First In - First Out storage system is also a variation of a flow-through though it uses gravity rollers adjusted at an angle that will provide easier facility by simply moving the product forward. The brakes on the rollers control the movements of the items. After which the products are placed systematically for the next process.

Normal Cells Vs. Tumor Cells

2005-08-30T10:38:00.000+14:00

By: Lisa Parmley

What makes a tumor cell so different from a normal cell? Explore the basic differences.

Tumor cells vary from normal cells in several basic ways. First, the division of normal cells is tightly regulated by special cell signals. With tumor cells, it’s as if the signals are no longer produced or perhaps they are no longer received.

Research involving cells is often accomplished by removing the cells from an individual and growing them in a sterile dish with the nutrients required for their survival. Growing cells for research use is termed “cell culture”. Just by watching normal cells in cell culture it is obvious that their division is regulated by something. Normal cells in culture grow until the bottom of their dish is carpeted with the cell. The layer is only 1 cell thick. Once this density is reached, they stop dividing because there is no more space. If one cell dies, an adjacent one will divide to fill in the space. Additionally, normal cells will divide a certain number of times after which time, the division process halts. There are a certain pre-determined number of generations that may be produced and then there is no more dividing. Eventually, the entire culture will die.

With tumor cells, it’s a completely different story. Tumor cells will divide over and over, time after time; forever if supplied with nutrients. With enough time, tumor cells in culture will become a piled up mess. They lack order to their growth. It is as though tumor cells lose have lost the capacity to follow the rules and they divide (proliferate) out of control.

A second major difference between normal cells and tumor cells is that normal cells perform a special function or duty for the body. Healthy cells have specialized behaviors and serve a purpose. For example, lung cells have a specialized duty to perform while cells of cardiac tissue have a very different one. Normal cells taken from different tissues even have very different appearances. Tumor cells have a different appearance than normal cells taken from the tissue they are derived from. This is due to the fact that they have lost their specialized function.

Differentiation is the term given to describe the specialized function a given cell has. Differentiation and proliferation are closely tied together. In general, a cell that proliferates at a high rate loses some of its specialized function. The problem is, it really doesn't have time to perform a specific function since its too busy dividing. Cells that perform a highly specific function (i.e. differentiated) have a lower rate of proliferation. Researchers are studying the possibility of making tumor/cancer cells differentiated so they might lose their ability to proliferate continuously. In theory, this would cause the tumor to stop growing.

Lisa Parmley - M.A. in Biological Sciences specializing in Molecular Biology. Please review more cancer related articles at… http://www.cancerpreventionreport.com

What Is Lyme Disease?

2005-08-29T17:41:00.000+14:00

By: J P Jackson

Lyme disease is an infectious condition caused by a spirochete (a bacterium shaped like a corkscrew) called Borrelia burgdorferi, spread by ticks. Because of its unspecific symptoms, it is hard to diagnose and easy to mistake for other diseases, a reason why the specialists sometimes refer to it as "the great pretender". It has been identified in both humans and animals, particularly those with fur, which usually carry ticks.

Lyme disease got its name from the place where it was first identified - Old Lyme, Connecticut, in 1977. It all started when two concerned mothers decided to track down the source of an unexplained increase in the number of cases of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and ended up finding a new disease. Since then, the condition has proven more common than initially considered, and thousands of Lyme disease articles have been written and published.

Considering the time of year and the areas where the outbreaks occurred, the specialists soon linked the disease to a certain type of tick, commonly found among deer. As the investigation progressed, they also realized that the infection had both early and late phases involving rashes and other dermatological symptoms, and, without the proper treatment, it could affect the nervous system, eyes, heart, joints (hence the confusion made in earlier studies with arthritis), and, in the most severe cases, it has even been linked to meningitis.

Today, the infection can be detected quite easily. If you have the classic bull's eye rash and you inform your physician that you've been exposed to contact with ticks (either by walking in woods or through pets, which may have carried the ticks inside the home), no further tests are necessary and any doctor will probably think of Lyme disease immediately. If you are not sure, a simple blood test is usually enough. The treatment includes two or three weeks of antibiotics. Despite what you may have read in Lyme disease articles available in libraries and on the Internet, the disease is fully curable and leaves no long-term side effects, if the right treatment is used early on. Except for antibiotics, there aren't any other effective solutions, so you should see a physician at the very first symptoms and follow the treatment accordingly.

Lyme disease is quite common in the United States these days, with hundreds of thousands of cases diagnosed every year, and the number of diagnoses is also increasing in Europe (possibly because of atmospheric changes which allow ticks to thrive in many areas). Also, it has been registered more often among children than adults. As usual, it's better to prevent the infection than to treat the disease, so specialists recommend caution when living, walking or camping in areas infested by ticks. Using insect repellent is a good idea, since the bacteria can enter your system only through tick bites, and it cannot spread from one infected human to another, or from sick animals to humans.

J.P.Jackson is the creator of lyme-disease-info.com which offers informative articles on Lyme Disease, the causes, the symptoms, prevention and more....please visit http://www.lyme-disease-info.com/ for more information

Mirror Images

2005-08-27T02:08:00.000+14:00

By: Tenille Martin

A look at cloning.

When scientists succeeded in cloning a sheep in 1997, the world woke to a startling discovery. Someday, somewhere, there could be a human clone. The discovery was a dream come true for many, but for others it was a nightmare. What would a cloned human being turn out to be? What makes humans different from each other?

Even identical twins are different in many ways. Whether physical, mental, or emotional, each is a different individual. Obviously, a clone would not be the same "person" as its DNA benefactor. The Frankenstein thoughts that many have towards cloning raise the important question of whether the clone is a "real" person, or just technology.

What is the value of a human being? Will a human clone have the same value?

First, let's investigate the exact definition of cloning. The American Medical Association (AMA) defines cloning as "the production of genetically identical organisms via somatic cell nuclear transfer. 'Somatic cell nuclear transfer' refers to the process which the nucleus of a somatic cell of an existing organism is transferred into an oocyte from which the nucleus has been removed" (Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs 1). In layman's terms, the clone has the same genes as his/her DNA parent. Our genes determine the color of our hair, eyes, the pigment of our skin, height, weight, etc. So, by creating a clone, we are creating a "replica" of ourselves.

Some scientists are supportive of cloning for reasons other than medical advantages. Chicago physicist Richard Seed believes that human cloning is a necessary venture in the name of research and scientific progress. "We are going to become one with God. We are going to have almost as much knowledge and almost as much power as God. Cloning and the reprogramming of DNA is the first serious step in becoming one with God." Joe Palca, "Human Cloning," National Public Radio's All Things Considered, January 6, 1998

One of the benefits touted by mainstream scientists in favor of cloning would be the fact that scientists would be able to create a clone in order to provide organs or cells to humans. Dr. Robert Lanza states, "Our intention is not to create cloned human beings, but rather to make lifesaving therapies for a wide range of human disease conditions, including diabetes, strokes, cancer, Aids, and neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease."

So, does that mean we are creating replacements for our organs and cells? Kind of like rechargeable batteries? Those in opposition to human cloning frequently raise concerns that scientists will create "disposable" humans. OK, it sounds off the wall. However, consider the fact that The Rosland Institute needed 400 implants to make Dolly the cloned sheep. What happened to the 399 that didn't work? Even more startling statistics occurred in the first human cloning experimentation this year. All forty-eight embryos created by Dr. Hall and Dr. Stillman perished.

Forty-eight human beings were destroyed in the quest to create a human clone. Was it worth it? That's the question we must answer within ourselves.

Tenille is currently a freelance writer and editor. She is a former professional ballet dancer and actress.

Penny Stock Investing

2005-08-26T12:18:00.000+14:00

By: Peter Leeds

The Nature of Penny Stocks

For anyone new to investing in penny stocks, you should first be made aware of the differences between these micro-cap stocks and the more conventional blue-chip and mid-cap investments. Unlike buying shares in a large, stable company like Ford or IBM, you are dealing with speculative investments.

Penny stocks literally trade for pennies per share, or for as much as a couple of dollars. The beauty of penny stocks, of course, is that sometimes they ‘grow up’ and become mid-cap stocks, multiplying in value hundreds of times over and making many people very wealthy.

With penny stocks, also called micro-caps or juniors, you will see much greater price volatility, and thus greater and quicker gains and losses in asset values. It is precisely this volatility which draws investors to the junior markets, as one good pick could make you hundreds of times what you could ever make on the larger markets.

Of course, there is more risk than buying bonds, blue chips or defensive stocks - but this added risk is tempered with the possibility of making the big gains.

Most penny stocks, but not all, are resource or technology companies who initially sold shares in an effort to raise money for exploration or product development programs. Many of the companies have large debt loads and are not necessarily making more money than they are losing.

However, it is the potential of a major, or even minor success in their quest that often incites dramatic price climbs, and this is where their value lies.

Profit Potential

Modern Strategies Inc. owner of http://www.pennystockinsider.com, has been in the business of researching penny stocks for many years, and has become effective at uncovering the best small cap investment opportunities and the most rewarding profit situations in the penny stock markets.

There are several ways to profit from penny stock investments. Modern Strategies Inc. has uncovered the most highly rewarding investment situations.

Promotional Stocks - These issues may or may not have much actual value. Promoters generate interest in these types of stocks in an attempt to drive share prices higher. The promoters own great amounts of shares and so they make more money the higher the share price travels. Eventually, they sell their holdings into the promotion and generate great personal profit. Then they move on to the next project, leaving the original stock and all its investors behind. Without the work of the promoter, the promotional issue soon comes crashing down.

These are the type of stock investor hear horror stories about, because many people often lose a good deal of money when they are naive about promotional ploys. However, getting in on a promotional stock early in its life cycle, and keeping an eye on the actions of the promoter can be very, very rewarding. It's like having a full time stock promoter doing everything in his power to get the share prices of the stocks you own to go through the roof, and investors who get in early can go along for the ride!

Technical Precursors - Often technical analysis can reveal patterns in the trading cycles of penny stocks. Sometimes these patterns illustrate excellent buying opportunities, where the underlying stock has a high probability of moving up strongly, and only a low probability of declining in value.

In addition, there are sometimes situations where several positive technical indicators combine at once to reveal that an issue is very likely to increase strongly in price over a short time frame, indicating that the particular issue is has excellent investment potential.

Fundamental Strength - Fundamentals involve such criteria as earnings, debt load, assets, and many others. It was long thought that earnings were the major driving force behind share prices, but Modern Strategies Inc. has since disproved this theory as it applies to penny stock companies. Instead, uncovering the best medium to long term investment opportunities must be done through exhaustive analysis of company financial statements. Investors should get involved with the companies that are making the most money, have the most effective management, and have improving trends in all factors of their operations. As well, industry comparisons and the examination of key financial ratios present clues as to which companies are destined for higher share prices.

Proper fundamental analysis of penny stock companies will generally reveal that there are about 2 or 3 superior investment opportunities out of every 100 companies examined. These 2 or 3 excellent corporations often represent better investments than 90% of stocks on the large-cap markets like the NYSE.

Undervalued Situations - Sometimes companies see their share price slide dramatically. There are occasions where this decrease in price has very little to do with the underlying fundamentals, and more to do with factors such as overall market weakness, interest rate increases, or others.

Opportunity exists in such situations because the shares are often 'unfairly valued' and a return to more realistic prices is inevitable. There are often cases where companies have more cash on hand per share than their share price, or have price to earnings ratios as low as 5.0. Although there is much more to uncovering the best undervalued situations, this is the basis behind the concept.

Minimized Downside - Often the combination of technical analysis and undervalued situations can reveal penny stock companies that have tremendous upside potential, and have a very low probability of declining in value to any significant degree.

These type of investments are excellent choices for penny stock investors that are less risk adverse.

Special Notes About Penny Stock Companies

Penny stock companies change their names more commonly than other publicly traded companies, and are also subject to more stock-swaps and consolidations. In any of these events, your shares in your account will be automatically replaced with the appropriate stock by your broker and notice will be delivered to you.

For example, if you owned 5000 shares of EXO and for every 5 shares you were to receive 2 shares of LOR, you would find your account holdings re-adjusted to reflect 2000 LOR which can be traded as normal. You will no longer have the 5000 EXO.

On rare occasions, a penny stock company can become delisted. This means that the shares will no longer trade on the exchange, and if the company does not get listed on another exchange or re-instated at a future date, you may be subject to a loss of capital equal to 100% of the total investment. However, this is a very rare occurrence, and there are simple ways to protect yourself against it which are periodically discussed in Modern Strategies Inc. publications. Delisting generally becomes a greater concern for investors who intend to use a long-term (several years) buy and hold strategy with penny stocks.

Four Tips to Save Money in Your Divorce Case

2005-08-25T18:18:00.000+14:00

By: Scott Morgan

1. Have an Clear Written Fee Agreement

Most experienced and effective divorce attorneys charge by the hour and require an advance retainer (or deposit) that is paid at the beginning of the case. Fees and expenses will be charged against the retainer until it is exhausted, at which point the client will be responsible for any additional sums incurred.

Clients will sometimes seek an attorney who will represent them on a flat fee basis, thinking that this will save them money. The problem with this arrangement is that the attorney has no incentive to do anything beyond the bare minimum. The client often feels like his case is being ignored, the attorney often feels like the client is intentionally trying to take up as much of his time as possible, and they may both be right.

Whether you hire a lawyer on an hourly or flat fee basis, it is extremely important that you get a written fee agreement that makes clear the terms of the representation, including whether any retainer is refundable, how often you will receive statements, the attorney’s hourly rates, etc. You should get and keep a copy of this fee agreement.

2. Don’t Mistake Your Divorce Lawyer for Your Therapist

Divorces are extremely emotional. Because your divorce attorney is (or at least should be) firmly in your corner, talking to him can be a very reassuring experience. This person understands your side of the situation and it feels good to talk to someone who sees the righteousness of your position. Because it makes you feel better you get into the habit of calling often, almost daily.

Unless you have more money than you know what to do with you should NOT fall into this trap.

Remember that every time you call your lawyer the clock is ticking and you are getting billed by the hour. Think of it as a very expensive cab ride. As soon as you get in the cab, the meter starts running. It works the same with a lawyer, as soon as you are on the phone with him the meter is running and you are getting charged.

This does not mean you should never communicate with your lawyer. On the contrary, you should communicate with your attorney anytime you need legal advice on your case. But before you pick up the phone make a list of questions or issues you want to discuss and limit your conversation to these points without wasting time ranting about the unfairness of the situation.

3. Don’t Use Your Attorney to Negotiate a Division of Personal Items

Arguing about which party deserves the blue sofa or the bread maker is not a good use of attorney’s fees. As much as possible, you should try to resolve these issues with your spouse. Ideally, if you and your spouse have already separated, you could divide these items by agreement and exchange them before the case has been completed.

Then, when it is time to finalize the divorce the term in the agreement and/or Final Decree, the document would simply state that each party keeps all personal effects (furniture, clothing, electronics, appliances, kitchen equipment, etc.) in that party’s possession. This can save a great deal in fees by avoiding debates over property that has very little market value.

4. Don’t Throw Away Dollars Trying to Save Nickels

This is extremely important. People will often be extremely frugal about hiring an attorney and think they are saving a lot of money by hiring a lawyer for a small flat fee, or hiring someone who is not very experienced but will work cheaply.

This is a mistake.

Your goal should be to reach a reasonable settlement as quickly as possible. In order to reach this goal you will need an effective lawyer who sincerely shares that objective with you. That lawyer will then use his experience and skills to help you reach that objective.

But notice that I said “reasonable” settlement, not just any settlement. If the other side cannot be convinced to settle the case on reasonable terms it is imperative that your lawyer be skillful and confident enough to effectively try your case.

Someone who is learning on the job, or is simply unprepared, can cost you a great deal of money. So don’t cheat yourself out of dollars in an attempt to save nickels.

Scott Morgan is a practicing Texas divorce attorney. For more information on texas divorce visit his website at http://www.texas-divorce-info.com. The website provides general information and resources on divorce, as well as specific information on Texas divorce law.

What's The Big Fuss About Long Domain Names?

2005-08-24T16:04:00.000+14:00

By: Alan Yap

The word is out. You can now register domain names of up to 67 characters. This is going to shoot your ranking way up on the search engines. Because if you stuff all your keywords into your domain name, search engines are simply going to love your site. Or so they say...

But is that really the truth?

No point speculating. Let's do a little test...

Go to your favorite search engine, say AltaVista. Key in your search term, say "website promotion." Look at the top 10 rankings, closely.

How many of these top rankings actually have the full term "website promotion" in their domains?

No hype, just facts.

Call me a natural sceptic if you want. When the news hit the town, with all the "Special Announcements" flying everywhere, urging people to "go grab a new all-you-can- stuff keyword rich domain name and emerge tops in search engine ranking," I was not at all moved. I believe this is too simplistic an approach to getting high search engine placements:

Besides keywords in domain names, search engines look at a few other factors for relevancy. In fact, this is what Don Dodge, AltaVista's Director of Engineering said: "Keywords in the domain name do not help much in ranking. We look at half a dozen factors in ranking. The words on the page, their frequency and position on the page, are still among the most important factors."

Search engines are constantly evolving. Once they find out that such keyword-stuffed domain names are content-poor sites with low relevance, they are going to come up with new rules to preclude such sites from getting the top spots.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not against registering for long domain names. I just feel that we should see things in perspective. If you're getting a long domain name in the hope of securing a high search engine placement, err... based on the facts, please don't expect miracles.

So what should we look for when choosing a domain name? I use a simple "3 Es" guide:

Easy To Remember

Easy To Spell

Easy To Pronounce

What do the 3 Es have in common? They make things simple for your visitors! Our world is complex enough. We don't need another complex domain.

Must your domain name be relevant to your site content? Not necessarily. What has the name "Yahoo" got to do with a search engine or a directory? And is there any real connection between the words "Amazon" and "books"?

Selecting a domain name is an extremely important step. So do it carefully.

Alan Yap, founding editor of ProfitJump.com. Alan offers free tips and strategies for effective Internet marketing. Visit now or subscribe at and
receive 3 Bonus Reports, guaranteed.

An Introduction to Offshore Investing

2005-08-23T18:57:00.000+14:00

By: Jeremy Pickles

Once upon a time, offshore investment strategies were spoken of in hushed tones. They were conversations restricted to the plush offices of private Swiss bankers, or a dinner table topic in the expensive playgrounds of the multi-millionaires.

Thanks to the information explosion of the 1990s, the internet has opened up many investment possibilities that were traditionally the exclusive preserve of the billionaire boys club.

Many readers of Offshore News are new to this arena and probably confused by the barrage of information online. After all, these are shark infested waters and there are many out there who make a very good living ripping off the recent stream of naive new entrants to the offshore world.

First, you need to consider your reasons for going offshore. You need to take very careful note (and sound legal advice) of your domestic tax liabilities first. Americans for example will still be tax liable to the IRS on their investments no matter what country they are in.

Many investment funds are available only to entities located in 'tax haven' countries - IBCs (International Business Companies), Offshore Trusts, Offshore Foundations and the like. You will need to establish a suitable structure in a tax friendly country to gain access to some of the better opportunities available, which is reason enough to go offshore for some even ignoring the tax benefits.

Again, residents of the USA in particular are not acceptable as clients in many offshore investment funds, but this can be worked around by establishing a suitable offshore company or trust.

It is most important that you do not engage any professional advisors who are 'foreign' to the offshore investment field. If you are your accountant or lawyer's first client ever to enquire about offshore structuring, you need to change accountants.

Whilst their consultancy is charged at a premium, the large multinationals are very experienced in the field - talk to the likes of HSBC or deVere and Partners.

Be careful dealing with smaller consultant shops who may be pushing the latest 'schemes' like the recent 'Son of Boss' shelter for example. The legal expenses incurred from running afoul of the IRS or other government agencies will far outweigh the tax benefits of the latest gray area fad or tax dodge.

Be aware that as an offshore investor you must take strong measures to protect your own interests. Domestic government agencies like the SEC have no jurisdiction outside your home country, you will need to do your own due diligence on the companies you deal with and invest in, and you will need to research what legal protection is available to you in the jurisdictions concerned.

Again, this will differ from what you are used to in your home country and professional advice will be necessary. Avoid any internet based company that does not have real physical contact details - street address, phone/fax, contact names. Learn how to use DNS research tools like www.betterwhois.com to learn who it is hiding behind the web site.

If you have determined that offshore investing is something you wish to pursue, Offshore News reports on the latest developments in the tax haven jurisdictions. As a general guide it is often more discrete to establish your offshore structure in a location far from your residential jurisdiction.

Americans for example would be best to investigate South Pacific countries like Nauru, Vanuatu and the Cook Islands. Australians could look at Caribbean or European jurisdictions. Some tax havens have strong investor protection laws in place, others are unstable and politically volatile. It's a moving landscape best tracked by staying up to date with the latest Offshore News and via your offshore advisors.

Always work directly with the banks and investment funds you are interested in, and be wary of any advisor who suggests you should transfer the money to them so that they may place the funds discretely. Once you are happy with the safety of your investment in a particular country you need to perform thorough due diligence on the particular funds, banks and brokers you are looking at placing your funds with.

Many sound offshore advisors, banks and related companies are linked to from the Offshore News site at www.offshore-income.com - bookmark us and return often to stay up to date with the latest developments and resources on offshore investments and banking.

Offshore News blog posts all the latest news, articles and reports on the Offshore Banking world, including Offshore Finance, Offshore Credit Cards, Offshore Merchant Accounts, Tax Haven Companies and Offshore Investments. Visit us at http://www.offshore-income.com/"

Emergence of Personal Robotics

2005-08-22T12:20:00.000+14:00

By: Diana Lee

In the 21st century, Japan has taken one step further in robotics technology by developing personal robots to serve humanity. The dawn of a new generation of mobile robots has arrived to the glee of their human masters, for they can perform mundane household chores, provide home security, and amuse a crowd. Within several decades, Japanese robots have evolved from machine-like industrial assembly line automatons to human-friendly domestic helpers and entertaining androids for mass consumption. Japan is displaying its superior robotics technology in more than 100 robots of 74 types at the 2005 World Exposition Aichi from March 25 to September 25.

Apparently, Japanese fascination with robots has spawned a culture of personal robotics to advance Artificial Intelligence scientists’ dream of creating an android race. Although many celebrated Hollywood sci-fi movies generally depicted humanoids as dangerous and threatening to humans (I-Robot, Terminator, Blade Runner), the Japanese perception of androids is just the opposite — they are useful companions for humans.

The concept of a ‘benign’ robot originated from popular manga (comics) characters in the 1950s. Astroboy, a robot with a human boy’s heart and emotions, was often cited as the inspiration for constructing a robot as a beneficial tool for society. Another influential manga series, Tetsujin 28, a humanoid operated by a remote control, became an instant hit among youngsters. Recently, a motion picture based on this series, also named ‘Tetsujin 28,’ was released to coincide with the marketing of the replica Tetsujin 28 robot toy produced by four collaborating companies specialized in robotics components: Vstone Co., Sanwa Electronic Instrument Co., Sunpac Co., and Dentsu Inc.

In the 1960s, Japan began developing robots for industrial work, supported mainly by large companies. Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. manufactured the first Japanese industrial robot based on the U.S. version, Unimation. Soon afterwards, Japan experienced a boom in factories employing robotics in the 1980s, and has emerged as a global leader in the development and deployment of industrial robots. According to the Japan Robot Association, the sales of industrial robots rose to 500 billion yen before leveling off due to the burst of the economic bubble in the early 1990s. Japan remains the most robotized economy, home to more than 50% of industrial robots in the world.

When the nation was coping with its economic deterioration in the 1990s, many institutions including universities, research organizations and corporations poured money and efforts into designing the next generation of robots while improving the quality and functionality of industrial robots. Because of their focused endeavor, backed by the government, to push ahead in the robotics market, the Japanese have succeeded in developing personal robotics and the standard of technology is considered the world's most advanced.

At the turn of the century, Japan captured worldwide attention when it unveiled two of its remarkable creations — a robotic canine and a humanoid. In 1999, Sony Corp. introduced AIBO, a robotic dog that can beg, dance and play with a ball. Even with a price tag of US$2,500, the initial run of 5,000 units of the technological pet sold out immediately. According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) 2004 survey, the sales of the latest AIBO model at US$1,500 have been steadily climbing, over hundred thousands around the world. In 2000, Honda unveiled ASIMO (Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility), the world's most advanced 1.2-meter-tall two-legged robot that can maneuver smoothly — walk, climb stairs, and understand human voices. Contrary to popular belief, ASIMO was not named after Isaac Asimov, a famous science fiction writer known for establishing the three basic laws of robotics. It is believed that Honda spent US$100 million in developing its first humanoid. Since then, the sky is the limit in perfecting the model of a humanoid. The upgraded version ASIMO can kick a ball and run at a speed of 3 kilometers per hour. Sony Corporation produced SDR-4X that can sing and dance, pick itself up from the ground, recognize faces and voices, and hold simple conversations. Recently, Sony introduced its latest version of a humanoid, QRIO, which possesses all the capabilities of SDR and can jog at a top speed of 14 meters per minute.

A robot is an aggregation of different technologies — sensors, software, telecommunication tools, motors and batteries. A basic robot consists of the following components: a mechanical device capable of interacting with its environment (body of robot); sensors to give feedback to the mechanical device (transducers and cameras); and systems that process sensory input in the context of the device's current situation and issue a reaction from the device (computer software). The key to develop an intelligent robot lies in the technological factors — increased speed of microprocessors, along with advances in software, microelectronics, and mechanical engineering.

The growing global interest in service robots indicates a potentially large consumer market for domestic robots. A sharp rise in sales for self-navigating vacuum cleaners and lawnmowers in the last two years proves that robots are indeed practical and reliable. Takara Company has developed three small and self-propelled robots for use around the home: one for healthcare is equipped with sensors to clean air in the room and to check heart rate and body temperature; the other for entertainment is designed with a built-in projector and DVD player; and another for home security is installed with a camera and fingerprint reader to identify and warn of intruders. More recently, NEC Corporation has built a robot to converse and play with children by recognizing each child’s personal features and voice identification.

In the last few years, the Japanese culture of using robots for entertainment has spread overseas, gaining popularity and an enormous following among a younger generation. Robot competitions featuring everything from wrestling robots to soccer-playing humanoids have become the latest craze for young males. Robo-One holds wrestling matches for various types of robot toys designed and controlled by their human masters. The wrestling event itself is based on K-1, a popular sport that combines movements of kickboxing, karate, turning somersaults, and knocking down the opponent. Another robotics sport, RoboCup soccer is played as an effort to develop fully autonomous androids that could eventually compete in human soccer games. Since the 1997 debut tournament in Nagoya, the humanoid teams have gradually shown improvement in coordination and competitiveness. The most highly publicized event is the annual RoboCon competition among university and college students in the Asia-Pacific region. In 1991, the first RoboCon event was sponsored by NHK as a national contest held in Tokyo. Due to its huge popularity, RoboCon expanded as an international robotics competition in 2002. Participants representing their school have to use their creativity and technological abilities for constructing a robot to compete against their peers from other countries. The contest offers a platform for students to demonstrate their prowess in engineering and operating a robot in an international arena.

The future points to a growing trend of human dependence on personal robots as domestic assistants and a source of entertainment. The latest UNECE survey claims that over 600,00 household robots are already in use with several million more expected for domestic consumption in the coming years. The study also says that domestic robots will surge sevenfold to 4.1 million by 2007. What appears to drive the consumer market for personal robots is the continuously improving technology and falling robot prices.

It seems that Japan had the right idea to invest heavily in personal robotics technology during its economic slump after all. As Tetsuhisa Shirakawa of Tokyo's Science and Technology Agency once said, “In the future, technology will support Japan.”

The cord-blood controversy

2005-08-21T09:13:00.000+14:00

By: Alix Christie

First we were supposed to eat the placenta. Now we're supposed to freeze it.

First we were told to bury the placenta in the backyard under a full moon -- unless we were willing to dice it into a risotto and share it with our closest friends. Now my husband and I -- awaiting the birth of our second child -- are informed of the miraculous new properties in the afterbirth. Now we are supposed to put it in a private "bank" as medical salvation for our unborn child.

As a person who only reads baby magazines in the obstetrician waiting room, I had remained ignorant of the brisk new business in umbilical cord blood banking that had sprung up since my last pregnancy. Suddenly I was the bloated target of ads promising "biological insurance" for a mere $1,500 plus $100 per year in storage fees. All I had to do, according to the Cord Blood Registry, was realize "why it is so important to store your baby's umbilical cord blood stem cells." Once I was with the program, I would need to decide whether to freeze this purported "gift of life" or simply waste it. (It was, it seems, less a choice than a matter of life and death.)

New York Laser Hair Removal Clinics Are All The Rage

2005-08-20T21:33:00.000+14:00

By: Jim Stacey

Laser hair removal: New Yorkers are in love with it. With no time to spare, New Yorkers find that laser hair removal is a quick and efficient way to clear their faces, backs, legs, armpits and bikini lines of that unwanted hair. The latest machines allow specialists to remove hair from virtually any part of the body, as long as it is fully grown hair and not just peach fuzz. After six months of treatment, you can expect that somewhere between 60 to 95 percent of the treated hair will be gone.

Where can I find a New York laser hair removal clinic?

Ask your friends and relatives who have undergone laser hair removal treatment for recommendations—they will be able to give you first-hand knowledge of the New York laser hair removal clinics that you are considering. For listings, you can check citydex, a guide of Manhattan, or the yellow pages.

Does laser hair removal work for everybody?

Laser hair removal works best for people who have light-colored skin and dark hair. The latest lasers work with almost all skin types, but generally speaking, people with darker skin and light-colored hair (white, grey or red) are not good candidates for laser.

If laser hair removal does not work for you, there are many other techniques you can explore, such as waxing, sugaring or electrolysis.

How does it work?

Hair grows from follicles, which are located underneath the skin. Follicles are dark in color because they contain melanin—the protein that gives color to our hair. Laser generates heat as it goes through the skin and it is attracted by the darker color of melanin. The laser rays generate enough heat to kill the follicles and prevent new hair from growing while not damaging the surrounding skin.

Our hair grows in cycles, which means that only some hairs are growing at any given time while others are dormant. Laser hair removal techniques can only target active hair, so you usually need several sessions a few months apart to target all the hair in a particular area.

A New York laser hair removal research company, Paradigm Laser, was among the pioneers in researching how laser could be used to remove hair.

What about laser hair removal costs?

The American Association for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery estimates that the average session costs $388. Laser hair removal prices vary according to the area that you want treated. For example, the price of treating your upper lip is significantly lower than treating your legs or your back. Generally speaking, you can expect laser hair removal costs to range somewhere between $200 and $600, depending on the area you are treating and your clinic.

Even though laser hair removal prices can be steep, you should keep in mind that laser techniques are much more comfortable than the alternatives of electrolysis or waxing and that the results will last for years.

How can I prepare for my session?

Laser hair removal and the New York summer sun are not good partners, so avoid tanning. Tanned skin increases the chances of skin discoloration. Also, avoid waxing or plucking the area to be treated. Instead, shave the area two to three days before your appointment and allow some stubble to grow back. Some doctors might recommend that you apply a cream with lidocaine—a mild anesthetic—an hour before the session begins.

Is it safe?

Laser hair removal is a safe technique. After each session you might experience some redness and mild swelling, but this should quickly go away. It is recommended that you avoid the sun and strenuous exercise for a few days after the treatment. In some rare cases, patients might experience pain and blisters. In extreme cases, permanent scarring or skin discoloration can occur.

Jim Stacey is an editor at the Laser Hair Removal Directory where you can find more information and listings of New York laser hair removal providers.

Bextra, Vioxx and side effects – Do you need a lawyer?

2005-08-19T15:58:00.000+14:00

By: Charles Essmeier

The recent withdrawals of the prescription medications Vioxx and Bextra from the marketplace have many people concerned. Studies show that the use of Vioxx could increase the likelihood of strokes and heart attacks; Bextra carries those same risks and also increases the chances of contracting Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, a potentially fatal skin disease. Frequently prescribed to minimize the inflammation and pain of arthritis, these prescription drugs belong to a family of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs known as COX-2 inhibitors.COX-2 inhibitors are a relatively recent breakthrough in medicine; they interfere with the COX-2 enzyme, which causes pain and inflammation, without interfering with COX-1, which protects the stomach lining.. Previous anti-inflammatory drugs eased the symptoms, but also interfered with COX-1, leaving many patients suffering from gastric discomfort. While everyone who has been taking either Vioxx or Bextra would be well advised to see their doctor immediately, they might also wish to consider whether or not they should seek an attorney. While most people who have been taking these drugs have not suffered from adverse effects, anyone who has suffered from a heart attack, stroke, or other unusual symptoms while taking these medications may have grounds for a lawsuit. People who believe that they have been harmed by their use of Vioxx have already filed numerous lawsuits; similar suits involving Bextra are now being prepared. These suits are generally brought forth by attorneys who are experienced in drug litigation. A meeting with such an attorney, along with information from your physician, can probably help determine whether or not a prescribed COX-2 inhibitor may have harmed you. He or she can also advise you as to whether it would be in your best interest to either file a lawsuit or participate in a class-action suit, in which you and a number of other people with similar claims would file a suit as a group. Most attorneys who do this type of work charge on a contingency basis; you do not pay unless they both agree to take your case and win in court. Settlements in these sorts of cases vary widely; some class-action suits yield just a few dollars per person. Individual suits could yield dramatically larger amounts, and if you need long-term medical care as a result of Bextra or Vioxx-induced harm, you could qualify for a structured settlement.If you believe that you have been harmed by your use of Bextra or Vioxx, you may or may not benefit from speaking with an attorney. You will certainly benefit from speaking with your physician, and anyone who has been taking either one of these drugs would be well advised to speak with their doctor immediately.

Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including Bextra-Info.net, a site devoted to the withdrawn drug Bextra and StructuredSettlementHelp.com, a site devoted to structured settlements.

Class-action lawsuits – Can they help you?

2005-08-18T19:26:00.000+14:00

By: Charles Essmeier

The recent withdrawals of the prescription medications Vioxx and Bextra from the marketplace due to safety concerns has class-action lawsuits in the news again. What is a class-action lawsuit? If you have been wronged, can a class-action lawsuit help you?A class-action lawsuit is one in which a single law firm or attorney represents a group of individuals who have been wronged in some common way. The wrong may have come in the form of physical harm from a commercial product or perhaps in the form of financial harm done by a company misleading the public in some way. In the early 1990s, class-action lawsuits were filed on behalf of women allegedly harmed by silicone breast implants, and now attorneys are filing class-action suits on behalf of people allegedly harmed through the use of Vioxx and Bextra. There are advantages and disadvantages to class-action suits. The primary advantage is that they allow a group of people, perhaps numbering in the thousands, an opportunity to have their case heard in court without each of them having to file a separate lawsuit. If thousands, or even tens of thousands, of people filed individual lawsuits against the same company for the same reason, the courts, both at the Federal and state levels, could become hopelessly clogged with nearly identical cases. Another advantage is that it allows people who may not have individually suffered enough harm to justify a lawsuit by themselves to seek compensation as a group, or class where the harm committed is cumulatively large. The courts decide whether or not a case is to be heard as a class-action suit, as the court must decide if the merits of the case justify handling the suit in that way, and whether or not the attorney or law firm in question can adequately represent the victims involved. Should the case proceed as a class-action suit, only one or two representatives of the class need appear in court. They will represent the class; it is not necessary for all members of the class to be present at trial.Once the case is certified as a class-action lawsuit, all parties representing the class are notified by their attorney either via mail or public notice. They then have the opportunity to opt out, should they not wish to be represented in the case by the attorneys in question. Unless the notified individuals opt out, they are included and will share in the award, should the lawsuit proceed to a successful conclusion. Individuals who choose to opt out may then elect to hire their own representation and perhaps file a lawsuit on their own.Class action lawsuits typically take several years to reach their conclusion, particularly if the suit is followed by appeals by the losing party. It is not uncommon, however, for class action lawsuits to be settled out of court.As always, should you find yourself in a situation where a lawsuit might be warranted, be sure to consult with a qualified attorney.

Riding ATVs the Right Way

2005-08-17T20:24:00.000+14:00

By: Mitch Johnson

If you have experienced all terrain vehicles in action, whether it was for sport and/or utility purposes, then you know the reason behind the growing popularity of their use. ATVs can perform multiple tasks very effectively and because of this they appeal to a diverse audience. For many of you, your ATV adventures have just begun. Whether you plan to rent ATVs for recreational riding or are thinking of buying your own for a farm utility vehicle, there are several aspects of quads that should be taken into consideration in order to find the best four-wheeler for your money.

Nearly anyone who knows what ATVing is also knows that the sport appeals largely to a young population. This known fact is also the root of much controversy. Many people protest the use of ATVs by children under 12 and others even believe teenagers under the legal driving age should be banned from driving ATVs. There are actually no strictly enforced regulations or age limits for riding ATVS.

Court cases have ruled with requests that ATV manufacturers print a recommended age limit for certain size engines. Manufacturers now recommend that ATVs with engines larger than 70cc are for ages 12 and up. A 90cc engine is recommended for 16-year-olds and up. These recommendations are not enforced, which frustrates some people, however, ATV manufacturers continue to make ATVs for the young crowds. Several companies have released an ATV model for riders as young as six-years-old.

The age limit is ultimately up to you, but no matter how old you are, it is important to find the right ATV style to ride whether it is a rental or your own. If you have a choice when renting ATVs, find one that suits your comfort with respect your weight and height. Rentals are typically for sport riding; therefore the ATVs will have a light design with less body plastic in comparison to a utility ATV.

Utility ATVs ( i.e. http://www.atv-parts-n-accessories.com/atv_shoppers_guide.htm) have a few features characteristic only to its classification. They are always the ATVs with a larger body and most utility quads have racks for equipment carrying. The suspension on a utility ATV is generally stiffer than the sport styles because you need a smoother ride when carrying a work load.

Sport and sport/utility ATVs are those used for racing and thrill riding. The suspension on these styles is longer to endure hard landings. SUV ATVs may still have small carrying racks for work as well, but the sport styles have as little body material as possible for speed. All ATV styles have a common characteristic, which is their ability to endure rough rides on the toughest terrain.

As you familiarize yourself with ATV riding you will learn which quad styles suit your body and riding type the best. ATVing is similar to many consumer products in that it is wisest to try them out first hand in order to make the best decision. If you are trying ATVing for the absolute first time, start with a smaller engine, just to get the feel, and then move up as you gain confidence.

How to Write a Credit Policy for your Business

2005-08-16T17:37:00.000+14:00

By: Michelle Dunn

The book, Become the Squeaky Wheel, by New Hampshire author Michelle Dunn, says the different ways people use and extend credit makes or breaks your credit policy and bottom line, which could result in less or more sales and money for your business.

Business owners all have different types of businesses but can all extend credit, explains Michelle Dunn. So it should only make sense that no two credit polices can be the same.

Dunn explains that one major difference is if you have a service or retail business. Your credit policy should use multiple facets to cater to prospective customers but also protect the business owner.

You are limited in what you can and cant ask a prospective customer in order to extend them credit, says Dunn. Business owners need to be aware of what these questions are and what the laws are before they create their credit policy. Your credit policy helps to filter customers so you dont have to spend your time chasing your money. Your best policy will be short, easy and to the point, it will avoid long-winded statements and a lot of legal or big words. Always create your forms with the reader in mind, the easier and clearer the better.

Nutrasweet and Brain Tumors: Class Action Suit Ready To Launch

2005-08-15T13:43:00.000+14:00

By: David Lear

Had any Nutrasweet lately? If you have, you might like to know that a class action lawsuit is in the works against Nutrasweet manufacturer G.D. Searle.

A consumer rights advocacy group calling itself Mission Possible is leading this potentially explosive litigation. In their lawsuit they plan to expose evidence pointing to the fact that aspartame - also known as Nutrasweet - has been found to be a causative agent for brain tumors and that the FDA has known of these risks for years.

Mission Possible has amassed an impressive array of studies and reports proving that aspartame is not a bonafide food additive but a neurotoxic drug that spins off the deadly brain tumor agent: DKP (diketopiperazine).

The founder of Mission Possible, Betty Martini, explained the situation as follows: Neither congressional hearings nor repeated petitions calling for a ban have stopped aspartame manufacturers from exposing the public to this sweet poison. In fact, aspartame producers are reporting increased sales and boasting the market place addition of Neotame, a new aspartame product.

It is a matter of documented record that for sixteen years, the FDA tried to resist pressure to approve aspartame because of various studies that linked the artificial sweetener to a variety of adverse reactions. Among those reactions were brain tumors that occurred in animals that ingested aspartame.

In 1977, FDA investigator Jerome Bressler discovered that Searle had intentionally destroyed evidence of a large number of laboratory animals that had died from ingesting aspartame. Bressler later met with doctors H.J. Roberts, MD and Russell Blaylock, MD to brief them on his findings.

For quite a long period of time during the initial lab testing, the fate of aspartame was uncertain. The FDA had been resisting approval based on mounting evidence that aspartame was toxic.

Then - enter Donald Rumsfeld (yes, THE Donald Rumsfeld). In 1978, the Board of Directors of G.D. Searle recruited Rumsfeld to head up the company as CEO. Three years later, political wheels turned and the FDA reversed its longstanding opposition to aspartame and approved its sale.

Since then, the FDA has received thousands of complaints and has amassed a list of no less than 92 symptoms of aspartame poisoning. This list includes neurological problems, seizures, vision loss, blindness, headaches, cardiovascular problems, and death.

Of all the consumer complaints filed with the FDA each year, a whopping eighty percent of those complaints have to do with adverse reactions to Nutrasweet-related products. Eighty percent!

Fortunately for all of us, Martini has been collecting data about this controversy since 1992. She has tried executive and administrative remedies to have aspartame removed from the market place, but little has come of her efforts.

She is now of the opinion that: Litigation is the only way to spare consumers from the misery of aspartame poisoning. Her reasoning is supported by the outcome of recent product liability controversies such as the now famous Vioxx fiasco. In the case of Vioxx, it had become clear to many observers that the FDA wasn't going to be part of the solution - at least not soon. It finally took a well-orchestrated class action lawsuit to get everyone's attention and pressure the agency into taking corrective action.

To back up these allegations about Nutrasweet, there's a large body of evidence in Mission Possible's possession that accurately documents the history of aspartame from its initial discovery to its politically-engineered approval. That a product with so many known health risks continues to be allowed in over 9000 commonly consumed foods, beverages and medical products, is, well, food for some very disturbing thought.

Over the years it has been demonstrated that aspartame is a neurotoxic agent and that it interacts with other drugs and vaccinations in unexpected, harmful ways. For example, in one set of discovered documents, Searle conducted Nutrasweet experiments in six third world countries (1983-1984). During that period, some of the subjects who were given Nutrasweet developed brain tumors and others started to have seizures.

The bottom line is that large numbers of people who were asked to consume Nutrasweet in early Searle studies came down with brain and nervous disorders. The damaging results from these studies were statistically significant and yet, for reasons that are now becoming obvious, the FDA was not advised.

In 1999, an aspartame study was done by Dr. Peter Nunn at King's College in England. Based on the results, Dr. Nunn concluded that: it is possible that the aspartame breakdown product may be capable of enhancing the rate of malignant progression of preexistingtumors in the brain. These results validated those of famed neuroscientist Dr. John Olney, who had also determined that there was a connection between brain tumors and aspartame.

Currently, about seventy percent of adults and forty percent of children consume aspartame in one form or another. Coincidentally, brain tumors in the United States have been steadily on the rise since the early 1980s when aspartame was approved.

In a powerful video documentary called Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World, aspartame investigator Cori Brackett pieces together key interviews with doctors, scientists, attorneys, and FDA investigators. Most troubling is the body of evidence pointing to the fact that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld used his considerable political influence to cause the FDA to approve aspartame, knowingly putting hundreds of millions of people at risk.

So here it is in a nutshell: if you consume any product that contains aspartame (AKA: Nutrasweet) you are in fact consuming a poisonous chemical known for its ill-effects on the human body. If you eat or drink products containing Nutrasweet, you're just asking for it. For the sake of your health and for the sake of those who love you and want to see you around for a long time, please stop. Read the label. If it says Nutrasweet or aspartame, reach for something else.

Please consider forwarding this important health information to your email list.

David Lear is an independent nutrition researcher and free-lance writer. His principal interest is in natural, cutting-edge supplements that improve health and reverse incurable illness. For more info, see: http://www.diabetes-hypoglycemia.net

Car Insurance Online – Benefits of Applying for Auto Insurance Online

2005-08-14T13:43:00.000+14:00

By: Carrie Reeder

Drivers are applying for auto insurance online not just for the convenience of comparing quotes, but also to find the best insurance rate. The benefits also include discovering new discounts and not being locked into a long term relationship with an insurance company.

Comparing Quotes

Before the internet, getting real quotes from auto insurance companies was difficult. But, now with a few clicks of a mouse, you can get instant access to insurance quotes based on the coverage you choose. Online insurance sites also allow you to look at the details of each plan, so you can compare the quality of coverage as well as the price.

Finding Discounts

You can reduce your auto insurance premiums by hundreds a year by finding and qualifying for discounts. For instance, installing an alarm system in your vehicle or taking a certified defensive driving course can reduce your premiums with some insurance companies. You can find additional discounts through online auto insurance sites.

Saving Time

By applying for insurance over the internet, you don’t have to schedule your life around keeping an appointment with an agent. You can fill out the forms in the middle of the night, stop, and come back the next day to finish. Online insurance sites will mail the final paperwork for your signature, and you will finish the process without having to miss a day of work.

Changing Insurance Companies

Applying online for auto insurance makes it very easy to change insurance companies. In the past, a driver stayed with one company even if they didn’t have the best rates. With online auto insurance companies, you can regularly check to be sure that you are getting a low rate. If you find a better quote, then you can quickly switch to the better auto insurance company.

Research Before You Buy

Insurance rates can vary widely between vehicles, and you can find out the cost before you purchase. By researching insurance rates for different makes and models, you can make an informed choice. Also find discounts for safety features and vehicle options, and add those to your vehicle package to ensure the lowest insurance rate.

To view our list of recommended companies for auto insurance online, who can give you multiple insurance quotes from different companies, visit this page: Recommended Auto Insurance Companies Online.

Carrie Reeder is the owner of eZerk, an informational website with articles and the latest news about various topics.

Laser Hair Removal

2005-08-13T05:31:00.000+14:00

By: Virginia Wong

There are many different techniques to remove unwanted hair. Some of these include waxing, shaving, coils, electrolysis and laser. Although each has its advantages and disadvantages, they all perform the same function. That is removing unwanted hair.

One such technique that has become quite popular these days is laser hair removal. This technique works by using a laser on the hair at a specified wavelength that emits a specialized light. The light from the laser is passed through the skin and is absorbed by the hair follicle. This light actually targets the melanin (colour) in the hair follicle and damages it, thereby causing the hair to fall out. Interestingly, the use of certain laser for removing hair has been approved by The Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Although the technique is popular, there are advantages and disadvantages of using this method.

Advantages of Laser Hair Removal

The laser hair removal process has advantages in that larger areas can be treated. In addition it is also safe enough to be used on all parts of the body such as the face, back, underarm, bikini line, legs and arms. Compared to electrolysis, it is less painful as the laser only causes a slight burning sensation compared to the needle prick feeling of electrolysis. Unlike shaving or waxing, laser hair removal is usually long lasting.

Disadvantages of Laser Hair Removal

One disadvantage for laser hair removal is that not everyone is the perfect candidate for this type of treatment. Those with lighter skin and dark hair have a much higher chance of permanent hair removal than grey, red or blonde hair. In addition, those with dark skin or who are tanned are also not good candidates as the laser may cause damage to their skin due to high pigment levels. The reason being is that dark hair contains a pigment called eumelanin which effectively absorbs more laser energy and therefore results in more effective destruction of the hair follicle. Due to the higher effectiveness of the treatment towards dark haired fair skin patients, it leads to fewer treatment and is therefore less costly. Other the other hand, grey, red and blonde hair contain a pigment called pheomelanin that absorbs less laser energy reducing the effectiveness of the treatment. Therefore extra treatment is required for the same effect. So before you sign up for this treatment, make sure you know the principal of this treatment. If you are not an ideal candidate, be prepared for extra treatment charges.

Laser hair removal is expensive due to the multiple treatments required. The reasons is that hair grows in a cycle that ranges from approximately 6 to 12 weeks and this is the amount of time that it takes hair to grow from the base of the follicle to the surface of the skin. As hair grows during these cycles, only a portion of the hair is being treated during this growth period with each laser treatment. Therefore multiple treatments (approximately four to eight depending upon your colour of your hair and skin) are required during this growth period. This is so that each treatment allows total coverage on all hairs during the various growth cycle. This can range from approximately a four to eight week interval. As discussed above, darked hair patients with fair skin require less treatment.

The average cost per treatment ranges from $500 and about four sessions are required. Again, this number will differ depending upon the size of the area treated and the colour of your skin and hair. To get an exact cost, a consultation on pricing is an individual process and it is best to discuss this with the laser center.

Once you have decided to undertake this treatment, make sure it is performed by an experienced laser treatment centre. Due to different state regulations, there has been varying level of compliance with laser hair removal centres and this has resulted in improper treatment by unskilled clinics. Some states require a doctor to perform the treatment, whilst for others; anyone including “unskilled” personnel can perform the treatment. Read the latest news on laser hair removal for more information. These improper unskilled clinic may result in burns (similar to sunburn), lesions, skin discolouration that can last several months, or patchy/patterned regrowth. One rule to remember is that cheaper is not always the best, so find the best laser hair removal centre around.

For more information on laser hair removal please visit Laser Hair News

This article is free to use, distribute and copy as long as the link remains in place.

Cord Blood To The Rescue

2005-08-12T09:08:00.000+14:00

By: Catherine Arnst

A study in the Nov. 25 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine confirms that stem cells in blood extracted from the umbilical cords of newborns can help leukemia patients. Bone marrow from a relative continues to be the preferred source of stem cells, but each year some 16,000 patients in the U.S. fail to find such a match.

A team of researchers led by Dr. Mary J. Laughlin at the Ireland Cancer Center in Cleveland analyzed the outcomes of 600 leukemia patients who had received cord-blood transplants, bone marrow transplants from a relative, or bone marrow from a closely matched nonrelative. Patients who received bone marrow from relatives fared the best, with 33% of patients surviving the disease. But those who received cord blood did just as well as those who received bone marrow from an unrelated donor -- 22% of both groups survived. "This study should provide reassurance" to doctors using cord blood, says Laughlin.

Vioxx Lawyer says: There are Many Valid Vioxx Concerns

2005-08-11T12:49:00.000+14:00

By: Joe Regan

The FDA approved Vioxx in 1999. It was intended to reduce the pain and inflammation caused by osteoarthritis as well as menstrual pains. Afterwards, the FDA approved Vioxx for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. The drug, which is a once-daily pill, was considered more effective than traditional pain killers and to cause fewer gastrointestinal side effects.

What is Vioxx?

Vioxx is a COX-2 selective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). Vioxx is also related to the nonselective NSAIDs , such as ibuprofen and naproxen. Vioxx is a prescription medicine used to relieve signs and symptoms of arthritis, acute pain in adults, and painful menstrual cycles.

Minor side effects with the use of Vioxx include upset stomach, dizziness, heartburn, vomiting and constipation. In March, 2002 an FDA report linked Vioxx to five cases of a nonbacterial type of meningitis. In May 2002, a report published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research stated that it may also impede bone repair due to the arthritis drug inhibiting cox-2 (which assists bone-forming cells in the healing process.)

The makers of Vioxx launched a three year study to confirm the relative gastrointestinal benefits of Vioxx when compared to another pain medicine, naproxen. The study did show that patients who took Vioxx had fewer ulcers and other stomach ailments, but the shock of the study proved to be the greater tendency to experience serious cardiovascular events when taking Vioxx.

In September 2004, Merck & Co., Inc., announced a voluntary withdrawal of Vioxx from the market due to safety concerns of an increased risk of cardiovascular problems such as heart attack, stroke, and blood clot. The study found that both high and low levels of the medication increase the risk, but patients taking the highest doses increase their risk of heart attack more than three-fold.

In Vioxx and naproxen test groups with more than 4,000 patients in each, Vioxx users suffered 101 “serious cardiovascular events” and 20 myocardial infarctions. That compared to 46 naproxen users who had cardiovascular events and only four who suffered heart attacks.

If you have concerns about the safety of Vioxx, or if you have experienced serious side effects associated with the drug, consult your doctor. It may also be important to contact an attorney who can help protect your legal rights. Please keep in mind that there may be time limits within which you must commence suit.

If you would like to locate a Vioxx Attorney, visit Personal Injury Lawyer page on www.hugesettlements.com

You are welcome to reproduce this article: Vioxx: Valid Concerns as long as a live link to HugeSettlements.com is provided. We can help you find a professional Vioxx Attorney. Visit us today for a Vioxx Lawyer

Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer today.

Hawaii Volcanoes

2005-08-10T21:22:00.000+14:00

By: Gayle Olson

The Island of Hawaii is made up of five volcanoes. Each began to grow beneath the sea and eventually joined to form a single island. The volcanoes grew from a hotspot beneath the sea. The chain of volcanoes were created as the Pacific Plate moved northwestward over the hotspot. Kohala was the first to emerge from the sea followed by Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, Kilauea, and Loihi. Activity has ceased at Kohala and now the most activity has been occurring at Kilauea and Loihi.

Loihi is still beneath sea level about 20 miles off the southeast flank of the island. A scientific team has installed underwater cable to Loihi. On October 12, 1997, the cable was laid and scientists discovered that Loihi was in full eruption. The communication cable provides a direct connection to Loihi. In the past, instrument experiments had to be dropped off at the seamount and later physically picked up by a submersible research vessel to recover the data.

What sort of results have scientists received from the communication cable? An underwater microphone called a hydrophone is sending back sounds of popping, booming and crashing. This may be the first real-time monitoring of an undersea eruption. Once the cable was installed and tested, scientists linked up the communication system to carry data first to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and then to Oahu where it is available for researchers.

Entire article and related Internet resources: http://scienceforfamilies.allinfo-about.com/features/hawaiivolcanoes.html

OBESITY: An Overblown Epidemic?

2005-08-09T12:27:00.000+14:00

By: M H Ahsan

A growing number of dissenting researchers accuse government and medical authorities--as well as the media--of misleading the public about the health consequences of rising body weights. Could it be that excess fat is not, by itself, a serious health risk for the vast majority of people who are overweight or obese--categories that in the U.S. include about six of every 10 adults? Is it possible that urging the overweight or mildly obese to cut calories and lose weight may actually do more harm than good?

Such notions defy conventional wisdom that excess adiposity kills more than 300,000 Americans a year and that the gradual fattening of nations since the 1980s presages coming epidemics of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and a host of other medical consequences. Indeed, just this past March the New England Journal of Medicine presented a "Special Report," by S. Jay Olshansky, David B. Allison and others that seemed to confirm such fears. The authors asserted that because of the obesity epidemic, "the steady rise in life expectancy during the past two centuries may soon come to an end." Articles about the special report by the New York Times, the Washington Post and many other news outlets emphasized its forecast that obesity may shave up to five years off average life spans in coming decades.

And yet an increasing number of scholars have begun accusing obesity experts, public health officials and the media of exaggerating the health effects of the epidemic of overweight and obesity. The charges appear in a recent flurry of scholarly books, including The Obesity Myth, by Paul F. Campos (Gotham Books, 2004); The Obesity Epidemic: Science, Morality and Ideology, by Michael Gard and Jan Wright (Routledge, 2005); Obesity: The Making of an American Epidemic , by J. Eric Oliver (Oxford University Press, August 2005); and a book on popular misconceptions about diet and weight gain by Barry Glassner (to be published in 2006 by HarperCollins).

These critics, all academic researchers outside the medical community, do not dispute surveys that find the obese fraction of the population to have roughly doubled in the U.S. and many parts of Europe since 1980. And they acknowledge that obesity, especially in its extreme forms, does seem to be a factor in some illnesses and premature deaths.

They allege, however, that experts are blowing hot air when they warn that overweight and obesity are causing a massive, and worsening, health crisis. They scoff, for example, at the 2003 assertion by Julie L. Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that "if you looked at any epidemic--whether it's influenza or plague from the Middle Ages--they are not as serious as the epidemic of obesity in terms of the health impact on our country and our society." (An epidemic of influenza killed 40 million people worldwide between 1918 and 1919, including 675,000 in the U.S.) What is really going on, asserts Oliver, a political scientist at the University of Chicago, is that "a relatively small group of scientists and doctors, many directly funded by the weight-loss industry, have created an arbitrary and unscientific definition of overweight and obesity. They have inflated claims and distorted statistics on the consequences of our growing weights, and they have largely ignored the complicated health realities associated with being fat."

One of those complicated realities, concurs Campos, a professor of law at the University of Colorado at Boulder, is the widely accepted evidence that genetic differences account for 50 to 80 percent of the variation in fatness within a population. Because no safe and widely practical methods have been shown to induce long-term loss of more than about 5 percent of body weight, Campos says, "health authorities are giving people advice--maintain a body mass index in the 'healthy weight' range--that is literally impossible for many of them to follow." Body mass index, or BMI, is a weight-to-height ratio.

By exaggerating the risks of fat and the feasibility of weight loss, Campos and Oliver claim, the CDC, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the World Health Organization inadvertently perpetuate stigma, encourage unbalanced diets and, perhaps, even exacerbate weight gain. "The most perverse irony is that we may be creating a disease simply by labeling it as such," Campos states.

On first hearing, these dissenting arguments may sound like nonsense. "If you really look at the medical literature and think obesity isn't bad, I don't know what planet you are on," says James O. Hill, an obesity researcher at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. New dietary guidelines issued by the DHHS and the U.S. Department of Agriculture in January state confidently that "a high prevalence of overweight and obesity is of great public health concern because excess body fat leads to a higher risk for premature death, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia [high cholesterol], cardiovascular disease, stroke, gall bladder disease, respiratory dysfunction, gout, osteoarthritis, and certain kinds of cancers." The clear implication is that any degree of overweight is dangerous and that a high BMI is not merely a marker of high risk but a cause.

"These supposed adverse health consequences of being 'overweight' are not only exaggerated but for the most part are simply fabricated," Campos alleges. Surprisingly, a careful look at recent epidemiological studies and clinical trials suggests that the critics, though perhaps overstating some of their accusations, may be onto something.

Oliver points to a new and unusually thorough analysis of three large, nationally representative surveys, for example, that found only a very slight--and statistically insignificant--increase in mortality among mildly obese people, as compared with those in the "healthy weight" category, after subtracting the effects of age, race, sex, smoking and alcohol consumption. The three surveys--medical measurements collected in the early 1970s, late 1970s and early 1990s, with subjects matched against death registries nine to 19 years later--indicate that it is much more likely that U.S. adults who fall in the overweight category have a lower risk of premature death than do those of so-called healthy weight. The overweight segment of the "epidemic of overweight and obesity" is more likely reducing death rates than boosting them. "The majority of Americans who weigh too much are in this category," Campos notes.

Counterintuitively, "underweight, even though it occurs in only a tiny fraction of the population, is actually associated with more excess deaths than class I obesity," says Katherine M. Flegal, a senior research scientist at the CDC. Flegal led the study, which appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association on April 20 after undergoing four months of scrutiny by internal reviewers at the CDC and the National Cancer Institute and additional peer review by the journal.

These new results contradict two previous estimates that were the basis of the oft-repeated claim that obesity cuts short 300,000 or more lives a year in the U.S. There are good reasons to suspect, however, that both these earlier estimates were compromised by dubious assumptions, statistical errors and outdated measurements.

When Flegal and her co-workers analyzed just the most recent survey, which measured heights and weights from 1988 to 1994 and deaths up to 2000, even severe obesity failed to show up as a statistically significant mortality risk. It seems probable, Flegal speculates, that in recent decades improvements in medical care have reduced the mortality level associated with obesity. That would square, she observes, with both the unbroken rise in life expectancies and the uninterrupted fall in death rates attributed to heart disease and stroke throughout the entire 25-year spike in obesity in the U.S.

But what about the warning by Olshansky and Allison that the toll from obesity is yet to be paid, in the form of two to five years of life lost? "These are just back-of-the-envelope, plausible scenarios," Allison hedges, when pressed. "We never meant for them to be portrayed as precise." Although most media reports jumped on the "two to five years" quote, very few mentioned that the paper offered no statistical analysis to back it up.

The life expectancy costs of obesity that Olshansky and his colleagues actually calculated were based on a handful of convenient, but false, presuppositions. First, they assumed that every obese American adult currently has a BMI of 30, or alternatively of 35--the upper and lower limits of the "mild obesity" range. They then compared that simplified picture of the U.S. with an imagined nation in which no adult has a BMI of more than 24--the upper limit of "healthy weight"--and in which underweight causes zero excess deaths.

To project death rates resulting from obesity, the study used risk data that are more than a decade old rather than the newer ratios Flegal included, which better reflect dramatically improved treatments for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The authors further assumed not only that the old mortality risks have remained constant but also that future advances in medicine will have no effect whatsoever on the health risks of obesity.

If all these simplifications are reasonable, the March paper concluded, then the estimated hit to the average life expectancy of the U.S. population from its world-leading levels of obesity is four to nine months. ("Two to five years" was simply a gloomy guess of what could happen in "coming decades" if an increase in overweight children were to fuel additional spikes in adult obesity.) The study did not attempt to determine whether, given its many uncertainties, the number of months lost was reliably different from zero. Yet in multiple television and newspaper interviews about the study, co-author David S. Ludwig evinced full confidence as he compared the effect of rising obesity rates to "a massive tsunami headed toward the United States."

Critics decry episodes such as this one as egregious examples of a general bias in the obesity research community. Medical researchers tend to cast the expansion of waistlines as an impending disaster "because it inflates their stature and allows them to get more research grants. Government health agencies wield it as a rationale for their budget allocations," Oliver writes. (The National Institutes of Health increased its funding for obesity research by 10 percent in 2005, to $440 million.) "Weight-loss companies and surgeons employ it to get their services covered by insurance," he continues. "And the pharmaceutical industry uses it to justify new drugs."

"The war on fat," Campos concurs, "is really about making some of us rich." He points to the financial support that many influential obesity researchers receive from the drug and diet industries. Allison, a professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, discloses payments from 148 such companies, and Hill says he has consulted with some of them as well. (Federal policies prohibit Flegal and other CDC scientists from accepting nongovernmental wages.) None of the dissenting authors cites evidence of anything more than a potential conflict of interest, however.

Even the best mortality studies provide only a flawed and incomplete picture of the health consequences of the obesity epidemic, for three reasons. First, by counting all lives lost to obesity, the studies so far have ignored the fact that some diversity in human body size is normal and that every well-nourished population thus contains some obese people. The "epidemic" refers to a sudden increase in obesity, not its mere existence. A proper accounting of the epidemic's mortal cost would estimate only the number of lives cut short by whatever amount of obesity exceeds the norm.

Second, the analyses use body mass index as a convenient proxy for body fat. But BMI is not an especially reliable stand-in. And third, although everyone cares about mortality, it is not the only thing that we care about. Illness and quality of life matter a great deal, too.

All can agree that severe obesity greatly increases the risk of numerous diseases, but that form of obesity, in which BMI exceeds 40, affects only about one in 12 of the roughly 130 million American adults who set scales spinning above the "healthy" range. At issue is whether rising levels of overweight, or of mild to moderate obesity, are pulling up the national burden of heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

In the case of heart disease, the answer appears to be no--or at least not yet. U.S. health agencies do not collect annual figures on the incidence of cardiovascular disease, so researchers look instead for trends in mortality and risk factors, as measured in periodic surveys. Both have been falling.

Alongside Flegal's April paper in JAMA was another by Edward W. Gregg and his colleagues from the CDC that found that in the U.S. the prevalence of high blood pressure dropped by half between 1960 and 2000. High cholesterol followed the same trend--and both declined more steeply among the overweight and obese than among those of healthy weight. So although high blood pressure is still twice as common among the obese as it is among the lean, the paper notes that "obese persons now have better [cardiovascular disease] risk profiles than their leaner counterparts did 20 to 30 years ago."

The new findings reinforce those published in 2001 by a 10-year WHO study that examined 140,000 people in 38 cities on four continents. The investigators, led by Alun Evans of the Queen's University of Belfast, saw broad increases in BMI and equally broad declines in high blood pressure and high cholesterol. "These facts are hard to reconcile," they wrote.

It may be, Gregg suggests, that better diagnosis and treatment of high cholesterol and blood pressure have more than compensated for any increases from rising obesity. It could also be, he adds, that obese people are getting more exercise than they used to; regular physical activity is thought to be a powerful preventative against heart disease.

Oliver and Campos explore another possibility: that fatness is partially--or even merely--a visible marker of other factors that are more important but harder to perceive. Diet composition, physical fitness, stress levels, income, family history and the location of fat within the body are just a few of 100-odd "independent" risk factors for cardiovascular disease identified in the medical literature. The observational studies that link obesity to heart disease ignore nearly all of them and in doing so effectively assign their causal roles to obesity. "By the same criteria we are blaming obesity for heart disease," Oliver writes, "we could accuse smelly clothes, yellow teeth or bad breath for lung cancer instead of cigarettes."

As for cancer, a 2003 report on a 16-year study of 900,000 American adults found significantly increased death rates for several kinds of tumors among overweight or mildly obese people. Most of these apparently obesity-related cancers are very rare, however, killing at most a few dozen people a year for every 100,000 study participants. Among women with a high BMI, both colon cancer and postmenopausal breast cancer risks were slightly elevated; for overweight and obese men, colon and prostate cancer presented the most common increased risks. For both women and men, though, being overweight or obese seemed to confer significant protection against lung cancer, which is by far the most commonly lethal malignancy. That relation held even after the effects of smoking were subtracted.

It is through type 2 diabetes that obesity seems to pose the biggest threat to public health. Doctors have found biological connections between fat, insulin, and the high blood sugar levels that define the disease. The CDC estimates that 55 percent of adult diabetics are obese, significantly more than the 31 percent prevalence of obesity in the general population. And as obesity has become more common, so, too, has diabetes, suggesting that one may cause the other.

Yet the critics dispute claims that diabetes is soaring (even among children), that obesity is the cause, and that weight loss is the solution. A 2003 analysis by the CDC found that "the prevalence of diabetes, either diagnosed or undiagnosed, and of impaired fasting glucose did not appear to increase substantially during the 1990s," despite the sharp rise in obesity.

"Undiagnosed diabetes" refers to people who have a single positive test for high blood sugar in the CDC surveys. (Two or more positive results are required for a diagnosis of diabetes.) Gregg's paper in April reiterates the oft-repeated "fact" that for every five adults diagnosed with diabetes, there are three more diabetics who are undiagnosed. "Suspected diabetes" would be a better term, however, because the single test used by the CDC may be wildly unreliable.

In 2001 a French study of 5,400 men reported that 42 percent of the men who tested positive for diabetes using the CDC method turned out to be nondiabetic when checked by a "gold standard" test 30 months later. The false negative rate--true diabetics missed by the single blood test--was just 2 percent.

But consider the growing weights of children, Hill urges. "You're getting kids at 10 to 12 years of age developing type 2 diabetes. Two generations ago you never saw a kid with it."

Anecdotal evidence often misleads, Campos responds. He notes that when CDC researchers examined 2,867 adolescents in the NHANES survey of 1988 to 1994, they identified just four that had type 2 diabetes. A more focused study in 2003 looked at 710 "grossly obese" boys and girls ages six to 18 in Italy. These kids were the heaviest of the heavy, and more than half had a family history (and thus an inherited risk) of diabetes. Yet only one of the 710 had type 2 diabetes.

Nevertheless, as many as 4 percent of U.S. adults might have diabetes because of their obesity--if fat is in fact the most important cause of the disease. "But it may be that type 2 diabetes causes fatness," Campos argues. (Weight gain is a common side effect of many diabetes drugs.) "A third factor could cause both type 2 diabetes and fatness." Or it could be some complex combination of all these, he speculates.

Large, long-term experiments are the best way to test causality, because they can alter just one variable (such as weight) while holding constant other factors that could confound the results. Obesity researchers have conducted few of these socalled randomized, controlled trials. "We don't know what happens when you turn fat people into thin people," Campos says. "That is not some oversight; there is no known way to do it"--except surgeries that carry serious risks and side effects.

"About 75 percent of American adults are trying to lose or maintain weight at any given time," reports Ali H. Mokdad, chief of the CDC's behavioral surveillance branch. A report in February by Marketdata Enterprises estimated that in 2004, 71 million Americans were actively dieting and that the nation spent about $46 billion on weight-loss products and services.

Dieting has been rampant for many years, and bariatric surgeries have soared in number from 36,700 in 2000 to roughly 140,000 in 2004, according to Marketdata. Yet when Flegal and others examined the CDC's most recent follow-up survey in search of obese senior citizens who had dropped into a lower weight category, they found that just 6 percent of nonobese, older adults had been obese a decade earlier.

Campos argues that for many people, dieting is not merely ineffective but downright counterproductive. A large study of nurses by Harvard Medical School doctors reported last year that 39 percent of the women had dropped weight only to regain it; those women later grew to be 10 pounds heavier on average than women who did not lose weight.

Weight-loss advocates point to two trials that in 2001 showed a 58 percent reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes among people at high risk who ate better and exercised more. Participants lost little weight: an average of 2.7 kilograms after two years in one trial, 5.6 kilograms after three years in the other.

"People often say that these trials proved that weight loss prevents diabetes. They did no such thing," comments Steven N. Blair, an obesity researcher who heads the Cooper Institute in Dallas. Because the trials had no comparison group that simply ate a balanced diet and exercised without losing weight, they cannot rule out the possibility that the small drop in subjects' weights was simply a side effect. Indeed, one of the trial groups published a follow-up study in January that concluded that "at least 2.5 hours per week of walking for exercise during follow-up seemed to decrease the risk of diabetes by 63 to 69 percent, largely independent of dietary factors and BMI."

"H. L. Mencken once said that for every complex problem there is a simple solution--and it's wrong," Blair muses. "We have got to stop shouting from the rooftops that obesity is bad for you and that fat people are evil and weak-willed and that the world would be lovely if we all lost weight. We need to take a much more comprehensive view. But I don't see much evidence that that is happening."

Forget SEO – It’s All About Conversion!

2005-08-08T14:13:00.000+14:00

By: Stephen Munday

Which SEO hat do you wear? Is it white or black? Or perhaps it’s a subtle shade of gray. Well, wherever you are on this spectrum, if you are like 99% of the SEO-fixated webmasters out there, you are doing all you can to get visitors to your site. Where you used to optimize your keywords meta tags, you now worry about anchor text and XML site maps.

So, you finesse your site, schmooze the algorithm du jour and begin to climb the slippery search engine rankings pole. But this is where you have to leave your SEO tricks behind and start thinking conversion.

Whoa there! Conversion? That’s all about making sales on shopping sites. My site’s a forum! I don’t sell anything. What has conversion got to do with me?

Everything, my friend. Everything….

SERP Conversion

You want visitors to come your site, right? That’s why you climb greasy SERP pole, after all. (And why you lay awake at night wondering when the next Florida, Hilltop or Bourbon algorithm earthquake is going to hit.) But what does it matter if you reach the peak, but no one clicks through to your site anyway?

The fact is that you have to convert prospective visitors even before they arrive. You have to pique their interest, tweak their curiosity and make sure they click your link and not the other guy’s. And all you have to use are words. No technical tricks will help you now – your only tools are plain ol’ words.

The SERPs will show words from two of three places. Two of these you can control and one you can’t:

1.Your title tag.
2.Your meta description tag.
3.A directory description.

(For example, Google is known to use DMOZ descriptions in their SERPs, and Yahoo uses their directory descriptions in theirs.)

Now, there’s not much you can do about how Yahoo or DMOZ editors describe your site, so don’t worry about number 3. But do what you can do: Place your value propositions clearly in 1 and 2, and use them to lure searchers into your website.

So you have to convert people before they even get to your site. But that’s not all…. You want them to stay, right?

Flash Conversion

No, this has nothing to do with being blinded by bright lights on the road to Damascus. Nor am I telling you to go and make a 100% animated website.

This “flash” is that split second, that tiny window of opportunity that opens up when a searcher arrives at your site and decides whether they have actually found what they are looking for… or not.

Typically, you’ll have a couple of seconds to persuade the new visitor to stay and hang out. That’s all you get. It’s the ultimate in speed-dating. So, how do you wow your “date”? Do you show him a page of scraped “content” interspersed with Adsense ads? Not if you want this to be a lasting relationship.

Follow these tips and be sure to impress your “date”:

1. Have a clear theme

Ranking high for “blue widgets”? Then be sure your visible title, copy and images are clearly focused on them.

2. Have a clean design

Imagine you are taking a first date to a movie. Do you pick her up wearing your pajamas in a dirty, trash-filled car? Or do you clean the car, wash your face and dress to impress? Of course you want to impress her, so you make sure you look (and smell) good.

It’s the same with your site: Clean design, a nice text size and pages that don’t scroll from here to eternity are going to float your first-time visitor-date’s boat.

3. Write clearly and focus on your “date”

Waffle on about yourself and your date will get bored. She wants you to be interested in her. And in terms of your site, that means giving her what she wants to know as quickly and succinctly as possible. This comes down to your ability to write and communicate. So, if you are like Steve Martin in “Roxanne”, make sure you get a someone else (a copywriter) to compose the lines to wow your “date” for you.

OK, so let’s say you have successfully wooed your first-time visitor date. He’s here and he has decided to stick around. You’re going steady, getting to know each other a little more. That’s all you want, isn’t it?

No, it isn’t! You want to pop the question, of course!

Getting hitched

You’ve made all this effort and spent money on getting your “date” this far, so you want to get the most out of your investment, right? You want to hear those sweet words, “I do”:

I do… want to click your Adsense ads. I do… want to become a forum member. I do… want to buy that cool digital thingy.

So how do you turn a whirlwind romance into a successful proposal? Try these ideas for size:

Have clear navigation

You want to make your date dizzy with excitement, not frustration! Make sure you have clear, consistent, well-labeled navigation and make your visitor-date’s time with you a pleasure, and not a reason to reach for the Advil.

Have a clear proposition

What do you want your visitor to do? Buy something? Sign up for something? Join something? Whatever the point of your site is, it does have a point, right? So don’t beat about the bush, and don’t hold back waiting for the right moment: Make your “proposal”, and make it clear and direct.

Happily Ever After…

You thought that was the end of the story? Wait a minute, it’s not over yet! I thought you were in this for a long-term relationship, not a one night stand?

I know, you were thinking that having made all that effort while you were dating, you could ease off now that you’re “married”. But don’t you know that the real rewards start here?

So what are the secrets of a long, blissful relationship with your visitors?

1. Feed them!

You convinced him to come visit once. But how often will he come back if all you give him are the same old leftovers? Cook him up something juicy and delicious, and have him salivating for more:

Enliven your content with new, relevant pages and, not only will you set the search engine robots drooling, but you will also find you have a hoard of visitors coming back for seconds. And in this age of fast-(visitor)-food creation tools called blogs, there’s really no excuse anymore.

2. Shower them with gifts

Everyone likes a gift - and not just on birthdays, anniversaries and at Christmas:

Money talks, and if you are selling anything through your site, then discounts and other offers to previous visitors and customers will draw them back like magnets. Throw in tempting freebies as well and you will have a potent marketing mix.

3. Send them “love” letters

Anyone who has been in a long-distance relationship (like my wife and I were for a year and a half), knows that if you can’t be together, the next best thing is a letter or email. For your website, this means an interesting ezine that is light on sales pitch and rich in information.

4. Start a family!

Not literally! But you can create a “family” atmosphere by adding a forum where your visitors can interact with each other – not just with you and your site. People are social animals, so use a forum to keep them coming back.

OK, so perhaps I overstated it a little in my title. SEO is not dead, so don’t forget about it quite yet. Just remember that it will only get you so far: If you want to actually achieve anything with your site, then you need to focus on conversion like a laser.

About the Author

Stephen Munday lives in Japan. His most recent project is a Japanese name translation website where you can get your name in beautiful Japanese calligraphy.

This article is © Stephen Munday 2005. Permission is given to reproduce this article in whole with the URLs correctly hyperlinked.

Investing in Structured Settlements

2005-08-07T14:23:00.000+14:00

By: Lance Winslow VI

Often some derelict will be awarded some huge amount of money from a noble company due to a run away jury in a Kangaroo Court. Since many times the company paying the money out agrees on a structured over time settlement, the plaintiff of course is a lowly human and has lots of desires for riches and he has little if any cranial capacity to understand the enormous gift the courts have grated him as our nation turns in to a socialist quagmire of re-distributing wealth to those who do not deserve it. Yes a few have been damaged and do deserve something, but usually not. If you disagree with that, you are wrong and I am right.

Now then, since these folks who are future Darwin Award Winners and probably free T-Shirt Jerry Springer guest stars have these huge structured settlements you can make some money by buying these structured settlements from them. For instance if a man receives a 10 million dollar settlement over ten year, he will receive 1 million per year. But he may want all the money now instead so he can go buy stuff? So you may be able to give him 6 million in cash now and you get the 10 million over ten years. This means you get a 40% return guaranteed over the next ten years. Now then such an investment is not as good as others in that your annual rate of return is only 4% and many of us know that in the stock market over time we have seen 7.7% annual returns. But it is something to think about. Now then, what if some one receives 1.2 million over 5 years and you give them 500,000 in advance? Now things are looking a lot better aren’t they? Any way think on this.

Monitoring Your Teens for Drug Use without Appearing to be Spying

2005-08-06T12:15:00.000+14:00

By: V. Michael Santoro, M. Ed.

Even if your teenagers do not use drugs, you still need to keep an eye on them. It is much better to realize that things could change, and anticipate that your teen COULD become a user. Essentially, it is not wise to make assumptions about topics such as drug use. Also, having been a high school teacher afforded me the opportunity to witness peer pressure, and how even good kids could be convinced to try drugs - just to fit in. It is important that you play a proactive role in ensuring that your teenagers and the rest of your family remains drug free.

About drug use

Initially, I learned that the signs of drug use included three basic symptoms:
A loss of interest in hobbies
A change in friends
A drop in grades

What I later discovered was that not seeing these symptoms only provides a false sense of security regarding teenagers and potential drug use. The above behaviors apply more to signs of drug addiction, as opposed to experimental drug use.

Teens who experiment with drugs dont start out addicted so logically, they do not show any symptoms. They generally look healthy and nothing seems to be wrong. In fact, teens can casually use drugs for over a year before their parents would even suspect any drug or alcohol use.

Many teenagers who decide to experiment with drugs start out casually, using them with friends and then progressing towards regular use. It is important that you look for clues pertaining to casual drug use so that if your teen is prone, you can proactively deal with it.

What you can do

You need to monitor your teens behavior and watch for signs of drug use, without appearing to be spying. Your goal should be to prevent him or her from feeling free to experiment with drugs or alcohol. The best way to accomplish this is to keep abreast of your teens activities and friends. You will be able to spot a problem early if you keep your eyes and ears open, and believe that YOUR teenager is capable of using drugs. Many parents get blind-sided by thinking that their teen would never try drugs. Only then will you be ready to intervene if the situation presents itself.

The following are ten ways to monitor your teenagers behavior and watch for signs of drug use, without appearing to be spying:

Hug your teen as soon as s/he arrives home. Check for odors of possible marijuana smoke or alcohol. Remember that cologne or chewing gum may be used to hide the odor.

Teenagers under the influence will usually go straight to their room when they arrive home. While making eye contact, hold a brief conversation. Check for bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and their sense of balance.

Keep the lights on and stay up until your teenager comes home.

Ask your teen for the time and watch the way s/he looks at his or her watch.

If your teenager unexpectedly wants to spend the night at a friends house, and you have concerns, say no.

Maintain a flexible schedule. Be unpredictable so your teen cannot find it easy to plan around your activities.

Keep abreast of what your teen is really doing when away from home. Meet their friends and their parents and participate in mutual activities. This is a very effective form of networking.

Ask your neighbors to discretely keep an eye on any activities that may take place while you are not home.

Check to see how your teens are doing in school. Ask their teachers if there is any cause for concern or if your teen has been behaving differently.

After you meet your teenagers friends, always ask them to identify themselves when they call. Get to know them. Always encourage your teens to invite their friends over while you are home.

Remember, your goal should be to prevent your teenager from feeling free to experiment with drugs or alcohol. The best way to accomplish this is to keep abreast of their activities and friends using the above methods.

Lastly, but most important, talk to your teenager on a regular basis about the drug use she witnesses, and how she feels about it. Also, if she has been approached, have her describe how she handled the situation. Strive for honesty and ask how you can help her to remain drug free.

Hollywood’s Just a Click Away

2005-08-05T12:47:00.000+14:00

By: Ray La Foy

The district of Hollywood, Los Angeles, California is known as the film industry center of the United States. It is also the main focal point of the American television business with which thousands of tourists are attracted each year. In 1911, the first film studio was acclaimed in Hollywood by Centaur Film Co., and then other studios quickly followed. Although other big studios are located at the outskirts of Hollywood, the name is often applied to refer to the whole United States film-making business.

With the advent of technology, to access Hollywood had been made easier by putting up a website such as Hollywoodanswers.com. Access to excellent Hollywood movies has never been more effortless than it used to use without this superb website. Features of shows, movies, coverage of the film industrys merrymakings, awards nights and many other festivities and events are within ones reach just by going to Hollywoodanswers.com.

What more? Of course, what could be more sensational but the stars of the Hollywood. Hollywood stars lives are not spared! Either in the form of interviews and press conferences, this website provides comprehensive coverage of the lush details of the goings-on in the day to day eventful existence of movie stars and other popular people. These people are no less than Tom Cruise, Jennifer Lopez, Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp and much more. Whos hooked with whom? Whos living with whom? Whos accused with what? Whos seen doing this and that? More than a tailgating paparazzi this Hollywood expose online updates and information site subsists on these celebrity news.

Guides to new and upcoming Hollywood movies are also available on this site. Old and recent movie reviews can also be accessed here to better scrutinize the different production aspects and results of these colossal films. Most Hollywood movies are well-budgeted to be able to come up with first-rate pictures that the whole production team and Hollywood actors and be proud of. And this site could no less than be also taking pride on relaying the how-tos and how-abouts of these films. Movie trailers, news, show times, box office stats and other information regarding these Hollywood products are also found in this online source of the best info regarding everything about Hollywood. Links to movie releases and actor databases can also be found in this section of this Hollywood site.

All the answers to queries of those who are planning to get involved with a weight loss diet scheme known as Hollywood diet are also accessible on this site. This 24 and 48 Hours Miracle Celebrity Hollywood diet has been gaining popularity since its being advertised by various Hollywood stars. What else could be expected but weight loss aficionados pouncing on every information they could extract from just about anywhere just to get into this diet fad. This diet system is reportedly based on a more liquid consumption program. More links and web pages are unveiled in this section of this site that offers answers to all your Hollywood questions.

Want to know where the mansions of the rich and famous could be seen? No where else but in Hollywood Hills. This residential area in LA has always been noted for its being dotted with the glamorous homes of Hollywood stars and other Whos Who. If one wants to know more about this place and would even want to acquire a piece of it, this web site could also be of help.

Other information on other Hollywood matters is also found on some of the links on this website. If youre just dying to know more, just click more!

Asbestos and Mesothelioma

2005-08-04T01:54:00.000+14:00

By: MesotheliomaFirms.com

Asbestos is a dangerous and potentially deadly substance that was once widely used in a wide range of items, from ceiling and wall tiles to insulation and auto brakes. In the past, most people outside of the industry were totally unaware of the dangers relating to asbestos. However, over recent years the dangers and deadly effects of asbestos have becoming all too apparent, with more and more cases of the most deadly of these effects – mesothelioma – coming to light every day.

Mesothelioma is a malignant cancer that can start in the cavities of the lungs, the heart, or the abdomen. This cancer is the direct result of exposure to disturbed asbestos, where the fibers become airborne. These airborne asbestos fibers can then be easily ingested or breathed in by those in the vicinity that are not wearing adequate protection. Once the asbestos fibers have lodged themselves within various parts of the body, they cannot be destroyed by the cells of the immune system, which are known as macrophages. Instead, the asbestos fibers lead to scar tissue within the body, and this is what can lead to mesothelioma and other asbestos related injuries.

People that have contracted mesothelioma through asbestos exposure do not realize that anything is wrong for years. The typical latency period for this cancer is around twenty to forty years, which means that those affected may not find out for three or four decades following the exposure. Further delays can be experienced because of the symptoms of mesothelioma, which are very non-specific in nature – this means that they could easily be attributed to other more common ailments. This often leads to a delay in diagnosis, causing further delays when it comes to treatment of any sort.

There is currently no known cure for mesothelioma, although clinical trials and tests are continually being conducted. Over the past few years, many breakthroughs have been made in short term treatments and diagnostic procedures, which gives fresh hope to sufferers of this cancer. However, until a cure has been found, many people will continue to lose their lives due to the irresponsibility of various companies and manufacturers in decades gone by.

Understandably, sufferers and their families want to see some form of compensation for the pain, suffering, and misery caused by asbestos and mesothelioma. Although no amount of money can make up for the damage done by unprotected asbestos exposure, it can help to pay for medical costs, and can also provide the sufferer’s family with a more financially secure future.

It is important for anyone that is diagnosed with mesothelioma to seek legal assistance from an experience mesothelioma lawyer without delay. Although legal action may not be something that you wish to think about after being dealt a bombshell such as this, any delay could make a difference between claiming millions of dollars for your suffering, expenses, and your family’s future, or getting nothing at all. Your lawyer will need to know the extent of damage and the stage of your cancer, so it is advisable to provide a medical report from your doctor to enable your lawyer to put together a solid mesothelioma lawsuit and get as much compensation as possible for you and your loved ones.

Find Mesothelioma Lawyers and Asbestos Attorneys at http://www.MesotheliomaFirms.com

How to Use Eye Contact Effectively to Make a Good Impression

2005-08-03T12:43:00.000+14:00

By: Royane Real

Researchers have discovered that one of the most striking differences between people who are socially confident and those who are shy, is that confident people have much more frequent eye contact with their conversational partners.

Many shy people never make eye contact at all, tending to look downward or away, instead of looking at their conversation partner's face.

Most North Americans, especially Caucasians, prefer to have a lot of eye contact when they are talking with someone. When a person doesn't make eye contact with them, North Americans tend to assume that person is hiding something.

When you are speaking with someone who is from a culture that prefers a lot of eye contact, be sure to keep looking at that person frequently while you are talking, even while you are wondering what to say next.

You don't need to use a piercing stare, a friendly gaze will do.

If it really bothers you to look directly into another person's eyes, you can look at the persons face without focusing solely on the eyes. If you gaze generally at the eyebrow area or the bridge of the nose, this is close enough to the eye region that you will appear to be looking at the persons eyes.

You may find that it eases your own discomfort if you let your vision go slightly out of focus.

Whenever you are in conversation with someone, keep the majority of your focus on the other person.

If you glance around the room too much, or look too frequently at other people, your conversation partner may assume that you are bored, or that you are looking around for someone else you would rather talk with.

If you have difficulty knowing exactly how to make eye contact, you can benefit from practicing in front of a mirror, or with another person.

While some people have difficulty maintaining eye contact during conversations, others have the opposite problem. They stare too intently into other peoples eyes when they are talking to them, often making their conversation partners feel very uncomfortable.

It can be very unpleasant to be on the receiving end of an intense stare, particularly at close range.

Avoid intense, prolonged staring into another person's eyes, except in very rare situations.

Although some people use staring intently as a deliberate tactic to intimidate others, not all people who stare piercingly at others mean it as an act of aggression or dominance.

Some people who stare very intently into the eyes of others are quite unaware of the negative impression they are creating.

If it has been your habit to stare intently into the eyes of other people without looking away, you may have been making your conversation partners very uncomfortable.

You can lighten the impression you are making by smiling more often, nodding, and by gazing at the entire face as well as the eyes. In addition, you can frequently glance away for brief periods.

This article is taken from the new book by Royane Real titled "How You Can Have All the Friends You Want Your Complete Guide to Finding Friends, Making Friends, and Keeping Friends" Sign up for the free newsletter filled with life improving tips at http://www.royanereal.com

7 Steps to Selling Artwork

2005-08-02T12:27:00.000+14:00

By: Steve Popkin

Selling arwork is easy when you follow a road map. In this article you learn the step by step guide to marketing art for profits. Now onto the plan!

Decide that you want to sell your artwork!

Decide what you want to sell.

Decide where you are going to sell it.

Decide how much you are going to sell your work for.

Set up an efficient shop and process to produce your work.

Organize your schedule.

Create art & Sell it!

Steve Popkin, a veteran glass artist, makes it easy for artists to become successful. Learn the secrets most artists and craftsmen will never know about selling artwork in his complimentary e-course just visit http://www.thethrivingartist.com

Battery Memory Effect - What it is and what you can do about it

2005-08-01T06:01:00.000+14:00

By: Bryan Noonan

What's the scoop on the memory effect in rechargeable batteries? Is it true? Is it worth buying rechargeable batteries? We'll tell you... Almost anyone who uses rechargeable batteries has heard of the memory effect problem.

For those who have not heard of this problem it is commonly believed that when rechargeable batteries are not fully discharged between charge cycles that they remember the shortened cycle and are thus reduced in capacity (length of use per charge). This problem was very common with rechargeable batteries up until about 5 years ago. With improvements in batteries and charging technology this 'memory effect' is becoming a thing of the past.

Little known facts:

'Memory Effect' is the common term used to replace the more accurate term 'Voltage Depression'.

Voltage Depression is more a problem with incorrect charging than a battery problem.

Voltage Depression does not necessarily permanently damage a battery. It can most likely be corrected by fully charging and discharging the battery.

Voltage Depression ('Memory Effect') is often incorrectly used to explain low battery capacity that should be attributed to other problems, such as inadequate charging, overcharge, or exposure to high temperatures.

Voltage Depression can be affected by the discharge rate of a battery. Generally speaking, the depth of discharge will be less on discharges at the higher rates. This increases the capacity loss as less of the active material in the battery is cycled.

Voltage Depression occurs primarily in NiCad batteries. NiMH batteries are almost never affected and Li-Ion batteries are NEVER affected.

So how can you maximize the use of your rechargeable batteries? Here are a few steps to take to get the most use out of your batteries:

Invest in a good charger. NiMH batteries should not be charged in a NiCad charger, unless the charger is specifically made for both chemistries. There are cheap chargers and there are expensive chargers. Make sure the charger you get has good reviews and is well made. Chargers with micro-controller chips are usually the best choice.

When charging your batteries occasionally discharge them fully before recharging them. This is especially helpful to NiCad batteries. Be careful not to discharge too deeply. (Less than 1v per cell for NiCad and NiMH. E.g., a 3.6v pack to no less than 3v.) Discharging to absolute zero will make your battery useless. It's best if you have a charger with a conditioner that will cycle the battery for you.

Be sure to store your batteries properly. Do not leave your batteries in a hot car, or in humid conditions. The best storage conditions are a cool, dry place. The refrigerator is fine if you stick in a packet of silica gel with your batteries in a sealed bag to keep them dry. It is a good idea to charge your NiCad or NiMH batteries fully before use if they have been in storage.

Most cordless phones use NiCad batteries. To maximize your cordless phone battery life, make sure to leave your phone off the base every once in a while until it is dead. Then leave it on the base until it is fully charged. You should leave your phone on the base for at least 24 hours to charge it fully.

There is no need to avoid rechargeable batteries. They can save you significant amounts of money over time. Don't be scared off by the 'memory effect'. It is easily manageable if it ever occurs.

About the Author

Bryan is the Operations and Marketing Manager for Zbattery.com. He has helped to bring this Internet business from obscurity to one of the top battery businesses online. He also operates his own independant web development and marketing company, AdvantageSolutions.net

Wireless Network Security

2005-07-31T16:19:00.000+14:00

By: Lawrence Andrews

Working from home has its advantages, including no commute, a more flexible work schedule and fresh coffee and home-cooked meals whenever you want. But working from home while using a wireless local area network (WLAN) may lead to theft of sensitive information and hacker or virus infiltration unless proper measures are taken. As WLANs send information over radio waves, someone with a receiver in your area could be picking up the transmission, thus gaining access to your computer. They could load viruses on to your laptop which could be transferred to the company's network when you go back to work. Up to 75 per cent of WLAN users do not have standard security features installed, while 20 per cent are left completely open as default configurations are not secured, but made for the users to have their network up and running ASAP.

It is recommended that wireless router/access point setup be always done though a wired client.

Change default administrative password on wireless router/access point to a secured password.

Enable at least 128-bit WEP encryption on both card and access point. Change your WEP keys periodically. If equipment does not support at least 128-bit WEP encryption, consider replacing it.

Although there are security issues with WEP, it represents minimum level of security, and it should be enabled.

Change the default SSID on your router/access point to a hard to guess name. Setup your computer device to connect to this SSID by default.

Setup router/access point not to broadcast the SSID. The same SSID needs to be setup on the client side manually. This feature may not be available on all equipment.

Block anonymous Internet requests or pings.

On each computer having wireless network card, network connection properties should be configured to allow connection to Access Point Networks Only. Computer to Computer (peer to peer) Connection should not be allowed.

Enable MAC filtering. Deny association to wireless network for unspecified MAC addresses. Mac or Physical addresses are available through your computer device network connection setup and they are physically written on network cards. When adding new wireless cards / computer to the network, their MAC addresses should be registered with the router /access point.

Network router should have firewall features enabled and demilitarized zone (DMZ) feature disabled.

You can test your hardware and personal firewalls using Shields Up test available at http://www.grc.com

All computers should have a properly configured personal firewall in addition to a hardware firewall.

Update router/access point firmware when new versions become available.

Locate router/access point away from strangers so they cannot reset the router/access point to default settings.

Locate router/access point in the middle of the building rather than near windows to limit signal coverage outside the building.

While none of the measure suggested above provides full protection as counter measures exist, a collection of suggested measures will act as a deterrent against attacker when other insecure networks represent easier targets.

The author of this article ia a software developer, consultant and author of numerous books. Visit his site for more infomation about the Top Spyware Removal Software.

Men at home, the next big thing?

2005-07-30T05:39:00.000+14:00

By: Chris Souther

When men lose their jobs and have to spend a good bit of time at home, what goes on in their heads? This article might give you some insight into someone you know.
I've often heard women who have raised children in the home lamenting the fact that they feel empty, especially after the kids are raised and out of the house. Many a marriage has been tested when the woman decides she wants more than daytime soaps and cooking dinner.

Things change and certainly for many unemployed men, this couldn't be more true. When I was laid off my Pre-Sales Engineering position, I was certain that a new job was just around the corner. I couldn't have been more wrong.

Most men are creatures of habit. We sit in the same places when possible and get grumpy when we find someone else in "our place." In restaurants, we like to be able to "see" the room. At a young age, most of us have accepted the fact that for at least 30 years, we'll be getting up at the crack of dawn, leaving for work, and coming home in the evening to do whatever. We understand that this is our place - it always has been and we thought it always would be. Not so.

For the first few months after my layoff, I sat at my computer looking for a job for four to six hours a day. I did little else other than yard work. Months later, when nothing changed, I realized that my new job was that of taking care of the house and basically taking over the chores. My wife works, so her job is outside of the home, and now mine is inside. I'd like to say that I just woke up one day and accepted my new role and all was well with the world, but it didn't happen that way.

There have been some difficult choices of late. Some, I've grown accustomed to, but even at age 30, there are some things that I'm still not comfortable with and I suspect plague many men in my situation.

There are days when I am so depressed that I don't even want to get out of bed, let alone exercise and clean the floors. Other days, I clean the house and rake the yard like some whirling dervish that just can't get enough. Both are methods of coping with the stress that comes with my new responsibilities.

Because I'm in school full time and maintaining the house, I'm not working. The problem with that is that I can't go out and just buy something whenever the need hits me like I used to be able to do. Now if I need to go to the grocery store, I have to forge my wife's name on the credit card receipt because I've only enough cash in my account for gas. That's a big "ouch." Women will never understand the humiliation a guy feels when his wife whips out a $20 to pay for the movie tickets, or when the waiter hands me the check and I pick it up only long enough for him or her to leave so I can hand it to my wife to pay. I can only wonder what they think when they come back with her card and hand it to her to sign the receipt.

I should be thankful I suppose, that we don't have any kids. I would probably be out of my head then. Maybe I would cope. Maybe that's the next step in man's evolution - the acceptance and even desire to perform those tasks traditionally seen as women's. Women have certainly had no problem leaving the home and performing in the traditional man's world. Perhaps the next step is for the men to leave the office and start performing the duties that we have always insisted were suited only for the women. It's not like most of today's high-paying jobs involve physical labor, so men's muscles aren't needed as much. Most office jobs rely instead on brain power; something women aren't short of.

The biggest challenge for men will be setting aside our desire to dominate, our need to excel and be recognized for our accomplishments, because let's be honest, raising children and keeping a clean house has rarely earned national recognition. And that's the problem. Men have a competitive drive to be the best. Rarely are we really happy doing a mediocre job where someone else gets all the credit. We want to be the one with the big idea, the one who comes through and saves the day. Few men would consider finding five dollars worth of coupon savings a worthwhile challenge.

It's not going to be as easy for men to change as it has been for women. Even in the home, women have used their mind and body to keep things running smoothly - to outwit cunning children who don't want to eat. For older women, the transition to the workplace was as simple as putting on a business suit. For today's young, educated ladies, it's expected that they will get out of college and head directly for the workplace.

But what about men, young and old, who started out working and now find themselves married, and without a job? To make that transition from the public eye to the often thankless, and to them, unrewarding job of maintaining a home, it's going to require a complete mindset change. This is something that won't come naturally. We haven't had 30 years to transition like women did - instead, try two or three years for most men.

Could this be the next step towards a gender-neutral evolution of our species? Children coming up in the world will see it as a natural thing and won't be confused about the changing roles. For those of us living the change though, how long will it take before we are comfortable with it? For people like myself, brought up with "old school" values, maybe never.

At least being in school gives me a purpose. I guess that's all women have ever really wanted. I do see an end in sight, a change for the better. In a couple of years when I'm working again, I'll probably come to view my wife and me as back on equal footing. For now though, I still sometimes feel like less of a man. Call me foolish, call me stubborn even, I can't help it. It's who I am. I'm not sure I can change that.

About the Author

Chris Souther is a Technical / Freelance Writer & Trainer in Atlanta, GA. His freelance articles cover a wide variety of topics. See his most current E-book on Job Hunting at: Http://Learn.To/GetaJobOnline

Consolidate your card debt

2005-07-29T04:04:00.000+14:00

By: Janet Williams

With the popularity of plastic money in the present age, card cards are gaining immense importance. With the growing increase in usage of such cards the credit rates are also reaching the horizon. Debts are thus becoming a common happening in our daily lives. People who are under the claws of card card debts need to give a serious thought to debt consolidation and lighten their burden. In the US more than half of the population has an average of $8000 debts, only because of the usage of card cards.

You must be eager to know:

How does debt consolidation helps in case of card card debts?

How consolidating my card card debts could be beneficial?

A card card debt consolidation loan can be a resource to consolidate the outstanding balances on your cards into one single loan. They can also be transferred to one single card that has a lower interest rate than the ones you are currently paying. The path to savings should be very cautiously chalked out and one needs to make calculated moves all the time. When you are paying high interest rates on some of your current card cards then it might be a wise idea to go for a balance transfer onto another card card or cards that have relatively low interest rate. Know more about balance transfer in the "members only" contents. We offer free membership. Calculate the interest on your card card debts and transfer it accordingly.
The ideal way to consolidate your card card debts!
In order to make you understand better we have a small example of how consolidating your card card debt could be beneficial.Let's say you have $100 in outstanding card card debt and the average annual percentage rate (APR) on that card or cards is 18 % ( which is the average). If the outstanding balance remains at $100 then over the course of a year you would pay approximately $18 in interest charges alone. If you consolidate your card card debt into a single loan with a lower interest rate or if you do a balance transfer onto a card card or cards with a low interest rate you would save a significant amount of money.

If the new loan or card card have a 9% APR then you would save roughly $10 in interest charges over the course of that same year. If you save $10 for a debt of $100, then think about a debt of $10,000. This trick will save you $1,000 over the course of that same year. Just think of $1, 00,000 debts; you can save $10,000. And this amount of $10,000 can be used to repay some of your debts. Life becomes easy with simple calculations and cautious moves. If you are under a mountain of debts our experts will help you to consolidate your debts and help you tread you into a debt free land. Consolidating your debt is perhaps the fastest, safest and best way today to get rid of your financial obligations and we are experts in this field. Fill our free membership form to view all the alternatives. With debt consolidation we are here to consolidate all your financial loans in a single monthly payment. Thus we help you take the first step nearer to freedom.

You can take a look at the following articles:

http://www.debtconsolidationcare.com/card-counseling.html

http://www.debtconsolidationcare.com/creditcard-terminology.html

http://www.debtconsolidationcare.com/creditcardfaq.html

http://www.debtconsolidationcare.com/credit-counseling.html

Janet Williams is a contributing writer to http://www.debtconsolidationcare.com/ and is currently working on a special section in the site called do it yourself where you can eliminate your debts and become debt free.

How To Get a Low Interest Credit Card

2005-07-28T04:57:00.000+14:00

By: Tom Coleman

Consumers often have the first credit card that they ever applied for, never really analizing how the interest rate affects their payments, but many other options exist and can help consumers decrease their payments and achieve financial stability.With interest rates on some credit cards rising to over 23%, even low balance credit card debt can be crippling. One of the first research elements a prospective borrower should look at is the interest rate on transferred debt. This interest rate is often lower than the usual interest rate for the credit card, and can be an especially good deal for borrowers who have debt already. Anothere element to consider is the interest rate on new purchases – this rate will be the main concern in the years to come, as this new credit card will probably become the most heavily used. Borrowers often worry about annual fees, but these are often temporary. Getting a credit card with low interest rates will save a borrower significant sums, usually much more than the annual fee. Plus, once good credit is established, the annual fee may later be waived. Another interest rate will usually apply, as well – the rate for cash advances. Cash advances are usually limited to a couple hundred dollars, but credit card companies often insist that when paying back the balance, the credit portion must be paid back first, then the portion that the cash advance applies to. So if you are going to keep a balance on your credit card, be aware that cash advance interest rates are higher than the regular interest rates. Cash advances can be incredibly helpful in emergencies, though, when a credit card cannot be used.Visa and MasterCard are by far the most commonly accepted credit cards, so less commonly used cards such as American Express and Discover often offer special rates for new customers. These rates are worth attention, even if you think that you may not be able to use the card as easily as your previous credit cards, because transferring the balance to these new cards to obtain the lower interest rate may significantly lower your payments. While your AmEx or Discover Card may not be accepted as often, they can be a good tool to achieving your financial goals. Even less commonly used are credit cards that are store specific, such as gas cards or department store cards, but these cards can offer incredible deals on interest rates. They rely on the fact that consumers will often switch their spending patterns to the new gas station or store, and this increased revenue makes up for the lower interest rates. A slight change in your habits, such as consistently using the new credit card at the new gas station, can lower payments and improve credit scores.Researching new credit cards can seem daunting, but by comparing the four main factors, which are the regular interest rate, the rate on transferred balance, the rate on cash advances, and the annual fee, you can reduce your credit card payments significantly.

The author runs the finance website http://www.pawninfo.com about short-term loans and payday loans, and any part of this article may be reproduced in any form as long as there is a link to the website.

Fibonacci - Who was he and how could he improve my stock trading profits?

2005-07-27T16:21:00.000+14:00

By: Chris Towland

The word Fibonacci means a lot of things to a lot of different people. For mathematicians, Fibonacci is an important number sequence. For some painters, sculptors, and other visual artists, Fibonacci is a principle theory of the arts. For traders, businessmen, economists and the like, Fibonacci is a system that can efficiently predict market trends. Yet, for most of us, Fibonacci sounds incredibly complex and something that we'd rather not discover. But what exactly is Fibonacci? What does it mean and for what is it used?

Fibonacci, which means son of Bonacci, is actually a nickname used by the famous Italian mathematician and businessman Leonardo Pisano. Bonacci, on the other hand, is the nickname of his father and it means 'good natured' or 'simple'. While Fibonacci was born in Italy, he spent most of his childhood years in Bugia (now Bejaia), a Mediterranean port in Algeria where his father, Guilielmo, worked as a consul for the merchants of Pisa. It is in Bugia where he learned the Arabic numeral system, and later as he traversed the rest of the Mediterranean world, he learned more of the Arabic mathematical system and its practical uses.

In 1200, Fibonacci ended his travels and returned to Europe. There he wrote a number of books that disclosed the mathematical skills he had learned in his Mediterranean travels. Among his works that were published are the Practica Geometriae, Flos, Liber quadratorum, Di minor guisa, and his commentary on Book X of Euclid's Elements; the last two mentioned, unfortunately, are already lost. His Liber quadratorum, or Book of Squares, is probably his most magnificent book, but it was not his most popular work. His most popular work was rather the Liber Abaci, his first book that was written in 1202 where he introduced to the Europeans the Arabic numerical and mathematical system. In this book, he also taught the Europeans how to use such mathematical system in accounting and in trading. Most importantly, it is in the Liber Abaci where he introduced the Fibonacci numbers and sequence for which he is best remembered today.

The Fibonacci numbers, or sequence, was first used in Liber Abaci as a solution to a problem regarding the ideal population of rabbits. It is a recursive number sequence that starts with 0 and 1, and the succeeding numbers being the sum of the two numbers preceding it. This number sequence efficiently predicted the ideal growth of the population of rabbits. Later, mathematicians and scientist discovered that the Fibonacci number sequence has a lot of other uses aside from just predicting the population growth of rabbits. They have discovered that the Fibonacci sequence, in fact, occurs in many various patterns of nature.

What started out as a way of counting rabbits has now found a large number of other uses and applications. And as our present day scholars continue to study about the Fibonacci sequence, more and more uses for it continue to be discovered. Today, there are a variety of applications where the Fibonacci sequence, and its derivatives, are being used. It has found use in many computer programs. A ratio derived from the Fibonacci sequence, called the Golden Mean, has been considered by ancient Greeks to be the ideal aesthetic ratio and is now being widely used by many visual artists in their works. The Fibonacci trading system, which is an efficient way of predicting future trends in the world financial markets, has also become popular to expert traders and aspiring traders as well.

Who in the past might have known that such a simple number sequence like the Fibonacci numbers would have a great impact on a lot of things today? Maybe, not even Fibonacci himself.

To learn more about how you can use Fibonacci to accurately predict major stock market turning points, visit Fibonacci Trading at http://www.fibonacci-trading.com

The Life and Works of Vincent van Gogh

2005-07-26T05:42:00.000+14:00

By: Alex Oke

Perhaps the most prolific post-impressionist painter of all time, Vincent van Gogh gave us his mind, his heart, his soul, and, most notably, his ear. Van Gogh paintings are probably better known generally than those of any other painter in history. His masterpieces, such as Starry Night and Sunflowers, have graced art lovers’ walls for nearly 150 years.

Born in 1853, van Gogh was the son of a Dutch Protestant minister. Early in his life, he possessed a moody temperament that would later haunt him in his efforts to become a successful artist. His brief and turbulent life epitomizes the mad genius legend. Rejected by the women he loved because of his difficult and contradictory personality, his few friendships usually ended in bitter arguments.

Strangely, van Gogh’s life had very little to do with painting. By the age of 27 he had been a salesman in an art gallery, a French tutor, a theological student and an evangelical minister. It was not until 10 years before his death that he decided to pick up a brush. His early work, the Dutch period of 1880-85, consists of dark greenish-brown, heavily painted studies of peasants and miners. By 1888, after working under Pisarro, van Gogh began experimenting with a brighter range of colors that are characteristic of many of his later works.

In 1888, in ill health, van Gogh moved to Arles with Gauguin for a brief period for release from Paris. At Arles, fraught with internal tension, van Gogh mutilated his left ear in the course of his first attack of dementia. His paintings from this period include the incomparable series of sunflowers: Two Sunflowers, Vase with Twelve Sunflowers, Four Cut Sunflowers and Sunflowers.

Dr. Jan Hulsker, one of the world's foremost scholars of Vincent van Gogh, suggests that the sunflower series "perhaps more than any other of his paintings, have made him known throughout the world. They are often the only works with which he is identified." In recent years a great deal of attention has been devoted to the authenticity of some of the sunflower paintings (namely, the Yasuda version). Most experts, however, have come to the conclusion that the Yasuda work is genuine. Unfortunately the arguments about authenticity have detracted from more critical and analytical studies of the works themselves, and detailed critical commentary of the sunflower series is surprisingly difficult to find. Overall, Jan Hulsker's observation of the sunflower series truly mirrors Vincent's own belief that these works would indeed prove to be those for which Vincent is best beloved. Van Gogh once said in a letter to his brother, Theo, in 1889, “You may know that the peony is Jeannin's, the hollyhock belongs to Quost, but the sunflower is mine in a way."

Vincent van Gogh's time in Arles, France was a pivotal point in his life, and many of his most renowned works originated there. After years of study and struggle he moved to the south of France in an attempt to further explore his art. Surprisingly, during the period in which Vincent was at his most productive, he was alone. Called "fou-rou" (crazy red-head) by many of the townspeople of Arles, Vincent was often viewed with suspicion and scorn. A number of Vincent's letters to his brother, Theo, reflect his isolation and his loneliness.

And yet one family welcomed Vincent and encouraged his work. In many respects, the members of the Roulin family were Vincent's only friends in Arles. Always challenged to find willing subjects for his portraits, Vincent found the Roulins to be extremely accommodating and patient. In total, Van Gogh painted or sketched 25 works of the Roulin family, including one of Augustine Roulin. Thanks to the kindness shown toward this eccentric and troubled painter by the old postman, Joseph Roulin, and his family, Vincent was able to produce some of his most beloved works.

During Van Gogh’s period of illness he was confined first to the Arles hospital, then to the asylum at Saint-Rémy, where, in 1889, he painted the swirling, climactic Starry Night. Starry Night is probably Vincent Van Gogh's most famous painting. Instantly recognizable because of its unique style, this work has been the subject of poetry, fiction, CD-ROMs as well as the well known song "Vincent" or "Starry, Starry Night" by Don McLean.

While there's no denying the popularity of Starry Night, it's also interesting to note that there is very little known about Vincent's own feelings toward this work. This is mainly due to the fact that he only mentions it in his letters to Theo twice, and then only in passing. In his correspondence with his brother, Vincent would often discuss specific works in great detail, but not so in the case of Starry Night. Why? It's difficult to say.
Some people have made stylistic comparisons to Vincent's other well-known and equally turbulent Seascape At Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer. Does the tumultuous style of these works reflect a tortured mind? Or is there something more we can read within the whorls Vincent's raging night sky? This is what makes Starry Night not only Vincent's most famous work, but also one of its most frequently interpreted in terms of its meaning and importance.

Some people have speculated about the eleven stars in the painting. While it's true that Vincent didn't have the same religious fervor in 1889 when he painted the work as he did in his earlier years, there is a possibility that the story of Joseph in the Old Testament may have had an influence on the composition of the work.

'Look, I have had another dream' he said, 'I thought I saw the sun, the moon and eleven stars, bowing to me.'
-Genesis 37:9

Whatever the interpretations or underlying meanings, Starry Night stands out as one of the most important works of art produced in the nineteenth century. After painting Wheatfield with Crows during the last three months of his life in 1890, Van Gogh’s work began projecting ominous overtones of distress. Two days later, he shot himself, dying in the arms of his brother shortly after.

Some of Van Gogh’s other notable paintings include, The Seine Bridge at Asnières, Old Man With His Head In His Hands and The Reaper.

AH-002

About the Author

David Sasson has worked in the wall art industry for over 5 years. He now heads OverstockArt.com. OverstockArt.com provides hand-made oil reproductions of paintings by master artists. Acquire magnificent recreations of works by Van Gogh, Picasso, Monet and many others today at http://www.overstockart.com.

How to Break In and Succeed as a Screenwriter

2005-07-25T04:30:00.000+14:00

By: bskcom bskcom

Screenwriting is a competitive trade. To distinguish yourself as a prize-winning writer you need to master organizational skills, take creative risks, and learn how best to present your final product. For the aspiring screenwriter, Tom Lazarus' book, "Secrets of Film Writing" is one of the best. An exceptional screenwriter with five produced screenplays, Lazarus developed this book for beginning writers enrolled in his classes at UCLA.

This article examines a few of the many techniques outlined in "Secrets of Film Writing" and provides examples of screenwriters who succeeded with Tom Lazarus' guidelines.

ORGANIZATION IS KEY

Master organization and you're closer to producing a stellar screenplay, not a mediocre one. Ask yourself these questions:

Does the screenplay have a clear beginning, middle and end?

Does the story drift aimlessly or does it make its point successfully?

These may seem like basic questions, yet many screenwriters grapple with organizational problems.
Lazarus addresses this issue in his book; he recommends writers use one of four organizational methods to ensure their screenplays flow smoothly: outlines, treatments, index cards, and scene lists. All four of these tools are equally effective. Writers need to be discreet to decide which organizational crutch best suits their needs.
In writing the screenplay for the Hollywood feature film "Stigmata," Lazarus chose to use a scene list for organizational support since he already had specific ideas about the chronology and action details of his story. To writers who have difficult organizing and prefer a different method, Lazarus says, "Go for it, because no one is going to see it. It's a process. There is no wrong way."

MAKE IT INTERESTING

Writing is a process. Great screenwriters take creative risks. Without an interesting story, even the most organized screenplay will be unmarketable. The goal should never be to copy another writer's style; instead exercise your own imagination and experiment with different ways to spark your story.

When Warner Brothers hired Tim McCanlies to adapt Ted Hughes' famous English novel "The Iron Man" for the screen, he struggled with whether he should remain true to Hughes' vision or develop a new story based loosely on the original book's events. McCanlies chose to do something risky and wildly creative; he Americanized "The Iron Man" by setting the story in the 1950s during the Cold War terror and renamed it "The Iron Giant." His calculated risk proved worthwhile. American audiences related to the film and appreciated its examination of an unusual time in their nation's history. Also, English audiences embraced "The Iron Giant" despite its variation from the original English text and awarded it the 2000 BAFTA Award for best feature film.

There is a valuable lesson for aspiring writers in McCanlies' success: when you risk nothing, you gain nothing. McCanlies, Lazarus, and other successful screenwriters embroil themselves in chances, write creatively, experiment with different ideas, and raise their characters' stakes.

SUBMIT YOUR SCRIPT LIKE A PRO

Once you have written an interesting, well-organized screenplay you need to submit your script neatly and according to studio standards. Lazarus warns his UCLA students about several technical errors in script presentation that annoy studio readers. Follow these guidelines:

A feature length screenplay should be longer than 95 pages and shorter than 125 pages when you submit it for studio consideration.

Don't include a synopsis or character biographies with your script as it gives studio readers an excuse not to review the whole screenplay.

Don't put scene numbers on your script until it is sold. This is a rule of the game; readers find scene numbers distracting and use them as an excuse to dub a screenplay "amateur" and unworthy of further consideration.

Studio readers prefer to receive scripts bound with circular metal brads. Using folders and binders hog office space and interns may discard scripts unintentionally during spring cleaning.

Finally, use one of the many screenwriting programs to help format your script, such as Movie Magic Screenwriter, Final Draft or Script Wizard. You can find discounted deals at MasterFreelancer.com (http://www.MasterFreelancer.com), StoryScribe.com (http://www.StoryScribe.com), and Wizards4Word.com (http://www.wizards4word.com).

Make sure you proofread your script several times before submitting a script for Hollywood review. Busy studio readers will not peruse screenplays riddled with basic errors like confusing "it's" with "its" and using "are" when you mean "our." Use a program like Style Writer (found at http://www.StyleWriter-USA.com) to remedy such embarrassing grammar mistakes. When you're ready to submit your script, grab a Hollywood Creative Directory (found at http://www.storyscribe.com/mgbooks.html) to find markets for your script.

THINK SUCCESS AND BE A SUCCESS

Remember to take risks with plot and character development, and follow studio standards for script submissions. Studying resources like "Secrets of Film Writing" by Tom Lazarus, "How Not to Write a Screenplay" by Denny Martin Flinn, "Crafty Screenwriting" by Alex Epstein, and "Alternative Scriptwriting" by Ken Dancyger and Jeff Rush can be helpful for aspiring writers. Developing strong writing skills takes time, a willingness to learn, and perseverance. Writers who constantly improve their skills and experiment with new ideas will succeed.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brian Konradt is a freelance writer and founder of FreelanceWriting.com (http://www.freelancewriting.com), a free web site to help writers master the business and creative sides of freelance writing; he also is founder of BookCatcher.com (http://www.bookcatcher.com), a free website to help authors promote their books.

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Editor: You may reprint this article online or offline as long as no text is altered and it is reprinted in its entirety. You do NOT need my prior permission to use this article.

This article has a readability level of 10th grade, as per ReadabilityCALC (http://www.readabilityformulas.com)

Finding a Job Under Tough Circumstances

2005-07-24T07:14:00.000+14:00

By: Joel Vance

Anyone can find a job. That’s right, I said “anyone”. And I meant it. But the caveat is: I didn’t say what kind of job. You can go out and start flipping burgers, and whine about the tough breaks life handed you when your company down-sized, or you can reach higher, and go for that job you really want, and know you have the experience and enthusiasm for.

Reaching higher means being on your toes, in every sense of the words. You’ll have to stretch yourself too- make that extra effort to overcome the obstacles in your way. Nobody said getting the right job would be easy. But it’s there, waiting, if you’re willing to reach.

To show you what we mean, I’m going to give you an example of one executive’s ego-crushing layoff. Down but not out, this man took personal circumstances that could have held him back, and built on them so that he stood on a solid foundation and put that perfect job within his reach.

Sean Davidson* was a senior level marketing manager. His company was downsizing, and in a performance review, it was felt that Sean was the staff member in that type of position that they could most do without. What followed was eight months of frustration, and confidence testing, as he attended job fairs, network events, and searched Internet employment sites. Then he landed an interview for a job that not only matched his skill set, but which he wanted badly. How did he overcome the negativity of his layoff?

When asked about the gap in his employment, Sean took the initiative and spoke about strategic mistakes he had made in his last position, and how the slow growth in their industry, had led to a decision to lay off staff. He then went on to talk about new growth areas and the how a company can make the most of the opportunities offered, and increase their market share. His explanation and proposals, not only showed his awareness of current market conditions, but also displayed his business competency.

He had turned the focus of the question from why he was laid off, to showing what he had learned from the business conditions that caused it, and how he could help the interviewing company to improve their position. And he got the job!

*Names changed to protect confidentiality

Joel Vance is an Human Resources expert who has been in HR for 17 years and interviewed 3,159 people. He has also taught at 4 major universities around the country and currently has a best selling book on interviewing entitled The Perfect Interview at http://www.theperfectinterview.com

How We Got Movie Stars

2005-07-23T15:30:00.000+14:00

By: Stephen Schochet

Early movies had no stories, no stars and no sound. A popular movie in the 1890's was two girls getting undressed by a lake. Right before their last garments came off, a train came by to block your view. In the next scene the two girls were swimming in the lake. The film was a hit throughout the country.

One old farmer went and saw this same movie for weeks and weeks. One day the theater manager came down and said," Say old timer. Every day we show the same film with the girls, the train and the lake and every day you keep coming back." "Well sonny, one of these days I'm hoping the train will be late!"

Many of the early film actors were quite content to stay anonymous, reasoning that the new flickers were a novelty and would damage their reputation on the legitimate stage. They were often expected to work all day long. Their duties included hammering nails, painting the set, picking up trash, and lifting heavy equipment. There were no trailers or perks or glamour or big houses. A casting director might meet a newspaper boy on the street and hire him as an lead actor for five dollars a day. Ladies of the evening were often given jobs simply because they provided their own wardrobes. Not knowing their real names, the movie going public would give their favorite actor's appropriate nicknames such as "the waif" or "the cowboy". The growing curiosity surrounding the identities lead to the birth of movie fan magazines such as Photoplay in 1909. But fearing that their players would demand huge salaries the producers still refused to release their names.

One of the most prominent movie theater owners was a former clothing store manager from Oshkosh, Wisconsin named Carl Laemmle, the eventual founder of Universal Studios. By 1909 he was sick of buying movies from Thomas Edison and had decided to make his own. Laemmle would listen each night, as his patrons would leave his theater; many would excitedly discuss the actors on the screen. He decided if he was going to produce his own pictures he would sell them by creating a star.

He wasted no time in hiring a twenty-year-old actress named Florence Lawrence known to the public as the Biograph Girl after the studio she worked for. One tale had the four-foot Laemmle conducting a midnight raid of Biograph where he carried his new star away over his shoulder. He then announced her real name and 250-dollar week salary to the new fan magazines then arranged for her to mysteriously disappear. "My competitors will stop at nothing to ruin me. They've kidnapped poor Florence, perhaps even killed her!" he told the press.

For the next few weeks Americans followed the saga in the newspapers, there were several false reports of foul play. One account had Florence killed by a streetcar. Then, as pre-arranged by Carl Laemmle, Florence "miraculously" resurfaced in St. Louis were she was mobbed, her clothes ripped off by hired fans. And so Florence Lawrence gained a huge following. Movies with her name on the marquee started selling like hot cakes.

A few years later she was working on a film when a fire broke out on the set. Young Florence courageously risked her life to save her fellow actors and the incident left her temporarily paralyzed. By the time she recovered no one would hire her. But though she ended up in obscurity, Florence Lawrence was the first movie star.

Stephen Schochet is the author and narrator of the audiobooks "Fascinating Walt Disney" and "Tales Of Hollywood". The Saint Louis Post Dispatch says," these two elaborate productions are exceptionally entertaining." Hear realaudio samples of these great, unique gifts at www.hollywoodstories.com.

Using Firewire to Capture Video to Your Computer

2005-07-22T06:08:00.000+14:00

By: Gary Hendricks

Learn how to use a Firewire card to capture video from a digital video camera to your computer.
To get video into your computer using a direct-firewire connection, you need the following items:

Digital Video Camera
The camera is the method of getting a staged reality saved to tape. You can get the a digital video tape's contents transferred to your computer by making sure is has a Firewire port (aka 1394, iLink, or DV port). If you have an analog camera, you need to follow a couple more steps that will not be discussed in this article (but if you are interested, check out Dazzle Hollywood DV-Bridge). More about Digital Video Camera's here.

Firewire Cable
This is how the data actually gets sent from your camera to your computer. Some new models include a wireless capability for transferring data, but the bandwidth is slow to consider as a viable option right now. You need a cable. The longer the cable, the more you will pay for this cable (typically about 40 dollars). Most Firewire cards will include a cable!

Firewire Card
in Your Computer Firewire cards are the mechanism by which you can connect your camcorder to your computer. A firewire cable runs from your camera's DV port to your computer's DV input. Firewire runs at a higher speed than a USB cable and has a smaller interface than SCSI, making it an ideal transport for moving digital video to your computer. That's a quick definition of Firewire. Here's more about selecting a Firewire card. Once you've got a camera, firewire card, and a cable, you are ready to get video into your computer. In order to capture video captures that will be used in the editing process, you can use:
1. Video Editing Software
  Most video editing software has a mechanism by which you can control your DV device and capture video through the firewire cable. The easiest way to find out if your video editing software will function as a capturing mechanism, be sure to use the Help pages included with the software - search for "capture." Some software will allow you to pull in proxy files, which are low-resolution depictions of the larger video files. Some software will for batch capture, which will allow you to mark the entire video tape with areas you want to capture and the software will control the camera (fast-forwarding, rewinding, and recording) for you. This is a nice feature which saves a lot of time. Learn more about video editing software in this article.
2. Software Included with Firewire Card Higher-end (non-OHCI)
  Firewire cards will sometimes include their own software for controlling the camera. In general, this software is easier to use and more feature-packed than using option 1 (editing software). If neither your firewire card nor your video editing software has no mechanism for controlling your camera to be able to record your video clips... then it might be TIME FOR AN UPGRADE!

About the Author

Gary Hendricks is the editor of Desktop-Video-Guide.com, a hobby site providing tips and tricks on how to shoot, capture and edit digital videos.

Protecting your HTML and PHP Source Code

2005-07-21T06:04:00.000+14:00

By: Vince Edwards

There are many reasons now as a web designer, software programmer or website owner that you may want to start considering the safety of your HTML or PHP source code. Some related reasons are:

Email Address theft – Have you ever wondered how you get SPAM mail even though you’ve been super cautious NOT to subscribe to anything, yet it still comes your way? One of the reasons could be that you have your EMAIL link on a website. With email harvesting software available (even for free trials) anyone can harvest your email address right off your website automatically.

Picture Theft – Most average users are aware that you can right-click pictures on a website and download them to their own computer. It is common knowledge for most internet users and webmasters.

Return URLs – For some credit card processing companies (such as PAYPAL and EGOLD) it is possible to view the source of web pages and look at the return (thanks for purchasing) page, where you can directly go to the URL, click on the link to download the software without paying for it.

Website Layout - If a Webmaster likes your site, they can save out the page (and structure) and edit it in their own HTML editor software and claim the design layout for themselves.

PHP Scripts - If you have a clever script (i.e. written in PHP) and you need to send it to someone, they could easily have a look at your PHP script to see how you did it. They can then copy the code or re-write it slightly and call it their own Or use it for their own PHP software and scripts.

These are just some of the reasons why you need to consider encrypting your web pages or source code. Encryption of web pages and source code is becoming more and more popular and in the future will become an absolute necessity. We can now see a huge market (on the web) of HTML encryption software that enables you to protect your source code from prying eyes. Although HTML encryption is not 100% foolproof, it is effective enough to keep out MOST users and acts as a good deterrent, since not everyone has the time to decipher encrypted HTML source just for the fun of it.

Fortunately, the technology for PHP Encryption is foolproof since it works on the server side and cannot be tampered with. In the market, there are now various PHP encryptors available (at varying prices) that enable you to encrypt all of your source code (as well as your HTML generated output ) so that it is virtually unreadable to humans, but still functional to computers.

If you are a PHP developer and create your own scripts, then it is absolutely vital that you make the decision to encrypt your scripts before distribution. If you don’t, you run the risk of your code being stolen, modified, emulated or copied. All it takes is one hacker or experienced programmer to “Learn” from your code, make a few of their own modifications and bring out their own “Version” of the software under a different name. This can cause serious problems as well as the problem of ruining your own market because you have contributed towards creating a competitor.

If your script is exclusive or unique then you must encrypt your code to protect your intellectual property. It’s like creating a secret recipe on how to cook your favorite food dish, then posting your recipe on the local supermarket’s notice board for everyone to see (sound silly doesn’t it?). If you value your work at all, then you need to seriously consider protecting and encrypting it!

Vince Edwards is the owner of Codelock.co.nz the software that protects your intellectual property

LCD Touch Screen Computer Monitor

2005-07-20T05:50:00.000+14:00

By: Sara Jenkins

Liquid Crystal Display Touch Screen Computer Monitor is a widely used monitor as compared to its counterpart Cathode Ray Tube Computer Monitor. LCD Touch Screen Computer Monitor offers exceptional performance at a fairly reasonable price. This high contrast LCD Touch Screen Computer Monitor is brighter than a normal desktop. LCD Monitors feature a standard interface with a power switch to extend the life of the monitor and a reliable internal power supply for easy hook-up via a standard power cord.

LCD Touch Screen Computer Monitors have a sturdy aluminum case and sealed glass construction. It gives LCD Computer Monitors protection against dirt and moisture. All this makes LCD Touch Screen Computer Monitor the ideal choice for a wide variety of applications. If you just plug the LCD into your Touch Screen Computer in place of a CRT, you’d end up running in minutes. The LCD Touch Screen Computer Monitor is the easiest monitor you can use.

LCD Touch Screen Computer Monitors are very popular for eye pleasing clarity and stunning image quality. Many manufacturers produce lots of designs for a wide array of customer monitor solutions, including desktop, touch screen, and open frame units. LCD Touch Screen Computer Monitors are compact, visually impressive, and offer many different touch screen models to fit your needs. Moreover you can get most of these designs at affordable prices.

LCD Touch Screen Computer Monitor was designed to address the key needs of touch applications, resulting in a product that can truly be called "designed for touch." LCD Touch Screen Computer Monitor has a unique combination of flexibility, reliability, performance, easy installation and a distinctive visual appeal. Most of the LCD Touch Screen Monitors have high quality panel with 140°x140° viewing angle, analog and digital (DVI-D) video inputs.

How to plan superbowl party?

2005-07-19T12:17:00.000+14:00

By: ajay pats

This articls briefly summerizes how to organize superbowl party

The traditional Super Bowl Party is probably the least fussy, most unpretentious party you can host all year. So, there is no point in holding anything back! Go all out and serve everyone's favorite high fat, finger-licking snack foods. After all, your television set is the focal point, not the food. Or is it?

Thinking about the traditional party food for this event- chips, sour cream or cheese dips (onion soup dip springs to mind), chili, salsa, Buffalo wings, cheese balls, pizza (the Domino's kind, thank you very much, not the goat cheese and smoked pheasant kind) - I wonder whether these items are served because they're easy to serve and eat while watching the game, or because this has become the one event where Americans can eat their favorite foods without guilt. Men take the lead at this party, and their tastes have set the tone for the snacks as well as the entertainment. Let's all eat what we enjoy and forget about the diet ramifications or culinary trends!

According to the folks at Hallmark Cards, Inc., Super Bowl parties are one of the top at-home party events of the year. Super Bowl parties have become much more than a gathering of football lovers. In fact, many people attending these parties don't love football as much as they love the excuse to get together with friends at the end of the very boring month of January.

Whether you're planning a Super Bowl party out of love for the game or just the desire to host a fun, relaxing party, here are tips for making this a super bash:

Plan simple, portable foods. A buffet is your only option. Nobody wants to be sitting down at a table to eat when they'd rather be screaming at a television set or two. Set up as many televisions as you have available around the party area. Don't prepare recipes that will keep you locked in the kitchen all night. You should enjoy the party too. Have one room set aside without a television for partygoers who aren't interested in the game and would like a quieter place to talk. Likewise, set up one room with a television for serious football fans who don't want to be distracted by idle chatter. Plan on plenty of beverages, and don't forget the beer. With all of those beer commercials bombarding your guests, they'll be working up a strong thirst for the suds. If you feel compelled to decorate, think team colors, footballs, team jerseys, goal posts, and pennants. But don't knock yourself out. Most eyes will be more impressed by the clear reception on your television. Have lots of paper towels, napkins and rug cleaner handy for messes created during exciting plays. Keep a little spare change and small bills handy for any betting pools that just might pop up over the course of the evening.Visit http://venturemall.tripod.com/winbidbuy/id9.html to read sports related articles.

About the Author

Ajay Patole is a qualified management professional working as sales manager and runs a site 'Venturemall',a cool hangout to play money games,buy and sell in auctions,date and photochat.It is available at URL http://venturemall.tripod.com and newsletter to rediscover true colors of life at http://www.topica.com/lists/venturemall.Also he runs a community 'Venturecon', for entrepreneurs which is available at URL http://groups.msn.com/venturecon.

Lord of the Rings - History of the Sindar Elves

2005-07-18T05:35:00.000+14:00

By: eMViDiuM

Long ago before the rising of the Sun or the Moon, in the far east of Middle-earth, Cuivienen, The Water of Awakening, awoke the first Elves. The Elves awoke under the starlight of the Years of the Trees, on the shores of the Inland Sea of Helcar, beneath the mountains of the Orocarni. The Valar did know anything about their existence, but the spies of Melkor soon discovered about the existence of Elves. Melkor then sent his creatures to watch and harass the Elves. A lot of the ancient Elves were captured and imprisoned in Utummo by Melkor. The tortured Elves are thought to be the origins of the Orcs. The period of time that the Elves were in this terrifying and unprotected state is unknown.

The Valar had discovered about the existence of Elves form Orome, who had heard their singing voices. He had named them Eldar, the People of the Stars, but Elves called themselves Quendi. Concerned for the Elves safety, Valar left Valinor and went to war against the Dark Lord, this was the Battle of Powers. Valar was victorious, and he took Melkor captive and brought him back to Valinor.

After the defeat of Melkor, the Valar debated on the fate of the Elves. It was decided to bring them to the land of Valar. Orome was sent back to Cuivienen to summon the Elves. Orome found that Elves were afraid of Valar and did want to go on the journey. To help the Elves decide, three ambassadors were chosen, Finwe, Elwe, and Ingwe. The three ambassadors traveled to Aman with Orome. Then they arrived there, they were filled with awe by what they saw there.

Most of the followers of Finwe, Elwe and Ingwe set out on the Great Journey across the land of Middle-earth. They were known as the Three Kindreds, the Noldor, the Vanya, and the Teleri. Those who disobeyed the summons were known as Avari, or the unwilling.

Orome lead the people of the Three Kindreds. The Teleri, led by Elwe and his brother Olwe, were the greatest amount. Many of them were uncertain and doubtful. Many of them left the Great Journey and remained in Middle-earth. The most noble of them were known as Nandor, who were lead by Lenwe down the vales of Anduin.

Some of the Teleri Elves decided to leave the journey. They settled east of the Misty Mountains, and became known as Silvan Elves. They lived on ether side of the River. Some lived in the land that would later be know as Lorien, and other’s around the hill of Amon Lanc in the far south of Greenwood the Great. At the time, of when the Silvan Elves were living closely together, that the Silvan Elvish language was created.

As time goes by, the Silvan Elves move further away form one another, and join with other Elves. Because of that the Silvan Elves branch would become extinct. But nonetheless the ancient language survived.

The Silvan Elves of Greenwood the Great would later become known as Mirkwood Elves. In the Second Age Sauron's power grew. The Mirkwood Elves slowly withdrew farther northward. In time Sauron chose to settle within the Forest of Mirkwood itself, built his fortress of Dol Guldur on the hill of Amon Lanc. Sauron brought darkness and shadow to Mirkwood. The King of Mirkwood, Oropher, died in the Battle of the Last Alliance. His son Thranduil became the lord of Mirkwood. It was from Thranduil's underground halls that his son Legolas journeyed at the end of the Third Age, to play a great part in the War of the Ring.

Unlike their cousins in the east, the Lorien Elves remained settled in their land. Amdril was the ruler of Lorien but he was lost in the battles of the Second Age. His son, Amroth, would become the ruler of Lorien. With the power of Sauron growing in Dol many of Lorien Elves fled into the south. Amroth was among them. He was drowned in the Bay of Belfalas. At this time Galadriel and Celeborn became the Lord and Lady of Lorien.

In the Third Age, during the time of the War of the Ring, Sauron’s forces attack both Lorien and Mirkwood. Thanks to the help of Galadriel and her ring, Lorien withstood the tree waves of attack form Dol Guldur. But Thranduil had no ring of power to protect his people, but he was able to drive back the enemy. With the fall of Sauron and the destruction of Dol Guldur, the Mirkwood Elves return to the home land. Yet again the Silvan Elves dwelled in the south of the Wood.

Strong Passwords

2005-07-17T05:53:00.000+14:00

By: Lew Newlin

Strong passwords are your first step in securing your systems. If a password can be easily guessed or compromised using a simple dictionary attack, your systems will be vulnerable to hackers, worms, Trojans, and viruses.

Trojan, virus, and worm authors have had great success attacking systems with weak and/or default passwords. Take IRC/Flood Trojan for example. McAfee’s virus profile states that IRC/Flood has over 120 variants and has infected over 60,000 machines in the last 30 days. IRC/Flood succeeds by checking for 22 different different easy to guess admin passwords (variants vary). Unfortunately, there are a lot more where IRC/Flood came from, W32/Tzet.worm, W32/Random.worm, and W32.HLLW.Gaobot.gen are in the wild just to name three.

Hackers also have no problem compromising systems with weak passwords. Programs like L0pthCrack for example make the process simple and efficient. Creating a password-cracking dictionary is not even a challenge. Type the words "Creating Password Cracking Dictionaries", without the quotes, in to your favorite search engine. A comprehensive dictionary can be downloaded or created from scratch in short order.

Below is a list of commonly used weak passwords that should NEVER be used. If any of these passwords look hauntingly familiar and are being used, you need to change the password immediately.

Alpha
Weak Passwords

A
a, A.M.I, A52896nG93096a, aaa, aammii, abc, abcd, academia, academic, accept, access, ACCESS, account, accounting, action, adam, ADAMS, adfexc, adm, admin, ADMIN, Admin, admin2, administrator, Administrator, adminttd, ADMN, admn, adrian, adrianna, adtran, adult, Advance, ADVMAIL, aerobics, alfarome, ALFAROME, ALLIN1, ALLIN1MAIL, ALLINONE, aLLy, ALLy, alpha, AM, AMI, AMI!SW, AMI.KEY, AMI.KEZ, AMI?SW, AMI_SW, AMI~, AMIAMI, AMIDECOD, amipswd, AMIPSWD, AMISETUP, anicust, anon, anonymous, any@, ANYCOM, AP2SVP, aPAf, APL2PP, APPLSYS, APPS, AQDEMO, AQUSER, ARCHIVIST, Asante, ascend, Ascend, asdf, asdfgh, at4400, attack, AURORA$ORB$UNAUTHENTICATED, AURORA@ORB@UNAUTHENTICATED, autocad, AUTOLOG1, Award, award, AWARD?SW, AWARD_SW, awkward

B
BACKUP, BATCH, BATCH1, BATCH2, bbs, bciim, bciimpw, bcms, bcmspw, bcnas, bcnaspw, bell9, BIGO, bin, bintec, BIOS, BIOSPASS, biosstar, biostar, Biostar, BIOSTAR, BLAKE, blue, bluepw, boss, BRIDGE, browse, browsepw

C
c, cablecom, cable-docsis, CAROLIAN, cascade, CATALOG, cc, CCC, ccrusr, CDEMO82, CDEMOCOR, CDEMORID, CDEMOUCB, central, CHANGE_ON_INSTALL, changeme, checkfs, checkfsys, checksys, CHEY_ARCHSVR, circ, cisco, Cisco router, CLARK, client, CLOTH,
cmaker, CMSBATCH, CMSUSER, CNAS, COGNOS, Col2ogro2, comcomcom, COMPANY, Compaq, Compleri, computer, CONCAT, condo, CONDO, Congress, CONV, CPNUC, CPRM, cr0wmt 911, craft, craftpw, Crystal, CSPUSER, CTX_123, CTXDEMO, CTXSYS, cust, custpw, CVIEW

D
d.e.b.u.g, d8on, daemon, Daewuu, Database, databse, DATAMOVE, Daytec, DBSNMP, DCL, DDIC, death, debug, DECMAIL, DECNET, default, DEFAULT, Dell, DEMO, demo, DEMO1, DEMO8, DEMO8, demos, deskalt, deskman, desknorm, deskres, DESQUETOP, dhs3mt, dhs3pms, diag, diamond, DIGITAL, DISC, disttech, D-Link, dn_04rjc, dni, DS, DSA

E
EARLYWATCH, echo, EMP, enable, eng, engineer, enquiry, enquirypw, enter, ESSEX, EVENT, Ezsetup

F
fal, FAX, fax, FAXUSER, FAXWORKS, FIELD, field, FIELD.SUPPORT, FINANCE, FND, foobar, friend, ftp

G
g6PJ, games, ganteng, GATEWAY, GEN1, gen1, GEN2, gen2, glftpd, gnumpf, god, godblessyou, gonzo, gopher, GPLD, gropher, guessme, guest, GUEST, Guest, guest1, GUESTGUE, guestgue, GUESTGUEST

H
h6BB, hacker, halt, HARRIS, hax0r, HELGA-S, HELLO, hello, HELP, help, HELPDESK, HEWITT RAND, hewlpack, HLT, home, Home, HOST, HP, hp, HPDESK, HPLASER, HPOFFICE, HPOFFICE DATA, HPONLY, HPP187, HPP187 SYS, HPP189, HPP196, HPWORD PUB, hydrasna

I
I5rDv2b2JjA8Mm, ibm, IBM, ibmcel, ihavenopass, ILMI, inads, indspw, INFO, informix, INGRES, init, initpw, install, Internet, IntraStack, IntraSwitch, INTX3, INVALID, IPC, IS_$hostname, ITF3000, iwill

J
j09F, j256, j262, j322, j64, JDE, Jetform, JONES

K
kermit, kiddie, komprie, ksdjfg934t

L
l2, l3, laflaf, lantronix, LASER, LASERWRITER, last, lesarotl, letacla, letmein, LIBRARY, lineprin, LINK, lkw peter, lkwpeter, LKWPETER,
Lkwpeter, llatsni, locate, locatepw, login, looker, LOTUS, love, lp, lpadm, lpadmin, lucenttech1, lucenttech2, lynx

M
MAIL, mail, MAILER, maint, maintain, maintpw, man, manager, Manager, MANAGER, MANAGER.SYS, Master, MASTER, masterkey, MBIU0, MBMANAGER,
MBWATCH, mcp, MDSYS, me, merlin, mfd, MFG, MGR, MGR.SYS, MICRO, MILLER, mirc, mlusr, mMmM, MMO2, MODTEST, monitor, MOREAU, mountfs, mountfsys, mountsys, MPE, mtch, mtcl, MTYSYS, my_DEMARC, mypass, mypc

N
n/a, naadmin, NAMES, ncrm, NETBASE, NETCON, NETFRAME, NetICs, netlink, netman, NETMGR, NETNONPRIV, NETOP, netopia, NETPRIV, netrangr, netscreen, NETSERVER, NETWORK, NEWINGRES, NEWS, news, NeXT, NF, NFI, NICONEX, nms, nmspw, nobody, noway, NONPRIV, ntacdmax, nuucp

O
OCITEST, oem_temp,op, OP.OPERATOR, operator, OPERATOR, OPERVAX, oracle, ORDPLUGINS, ORDSYS, OUTLN, OutOfBox, owner

P
PAPER, pass, PASS, Pass, passwd, Passwd, PASSWORD, password, Password, pat, patrick, PBX, pc, PCUSER, PDP11, PDP8, PFCUser, PHANTOM, phoenix, piranha,
pmd, PO, PO8, poll, Polrty, POST, Posterie, postmast, POSTMASTER, postmaster, POWERCARTUSER, powerdown, PRIMARY, prime, primenet, primeos, primos, primos_cs, PRINT, PRINTER, PRIV, private, prost, PSEAdmin, public, PUBSUB, pw, pwd, pwp

Q
q, Q54arwms, QDI, qpgmr, qsecofr, qserv, qsrvbas, qsvr, qsysopr, quser, qwer

R
raidzone, rcust, rcustpw, RE, read, readonly, readwrite, REGO, REMOTE, replicator, REPORT, RJE, rje, RM, RMAIL, rmnetlm, RMUser1, ro, ROBELLE, ROOT, root, Root, ROOT500, ROUTER, router, RSBCMON, RSX, rw, rwa, rwmaint

S
sa, SABRE, SAMPLE, san fran 8, SAP*, satan, SCOTT, script, scriptkiddie, SECDEMO, secoff, secofr, secret, secure, security, SECURITY, SER, sertafu,
server, service, SERVICE, servlet, SETUP, setup, sex, shutdown, signa, SKY_FOX, sldkj754, smile, snake, SnuFG5, software, sp99dd, Spacve, spcl, speedxess, SPOOLMAN, spooml,
star, STEEL, STUDENT, su, Super, super, SUPERVISOR, support, SUPPORT, supportpw, switch, SWITCHES_SW, Sxyz, SY_MB, sybase, sync, synnet, SYS, sys,
sysadm, SYSADM, sysadmin, sysbin, SYSDBA, SYSLIB, syslib, SYSMAINT, SYSMAN, Sysop, system, SYSTEM, system_admin, SYSTEST, SYSTEST_CLIG, syxz, SZYX

T
t0ch20x, t0ch88, TCH, teacher, tech, technolgi, tele, TELEDEMO, TELESUP, temp, temp1, TEST, test, testing, teX1, tiara, TIGER, tini, Tiny, tlah,
topicalt, topicnorm, topicres, Toshiba, toshy99, tour, TRACE, TRACESRV, trancell, trouble, TSDEV, TSEUG, TSUSER, TTPTHA, tutor, TzqF

U
uClinux, UETP, umountfs, umountfsys, umountsys, unix, User, user, USER, USER_TEMPLATE, USER0, USER1, USER2, USER3, USER4, USER5, USER6, USER7, USER8, USER9, USERP, uucp, uucpadm, uwontguessme

V
VAX, VESOFT, Vextrex, VMS, VNC, VRR1

W
WANGTEK, web, WebAdmin, WebBoard, webdb, weblogic, webmaster, win, WINDOWS_PASSTHRU, WINSABRE, winterm, wodj, WOOD, WORD, WP, wradmin, write, www

X
xljlbj, XLSERVER, xo11nE, xp, xxx, xxxx, xxxxx, xxxxxx, xxxxxxx, xxxxxxxx, xxxxxxxxx, xyzall

Y
YES, youwontguessme, yxcv

Z
zbaaaca, Zenith, zeosx, zxcv

Numeric
0, 1, 1.1, 2, 5, 7, 12, 30, 110, 111, 123, 1111, 1234, 2002, 2003, 2222, 2600, 8429, 12345, 54321, 111111, 121212, 123123, 123456, 166816, 256256, 654321, 1234567, 1322222, 7061992, 11111111,
12345678, 19920706, 22222222, 88888888, 123456789, 1. 1, 1234qwer, 123abc, 123asd, 123qwe, 1RRWTTOOI, 240653C9467E45, 24Banc81, 3098z, 3ep5w2u, 4Dgifts, 4getme2, 4tas, 57gbzb

Other
!@#$, !@#$%, !@#$%^, !@#$%^&, !@#$%^&*, !root, $ALOC$, $secure$, $system, %username%12, %username%123, %username%1234, (none), ?award, }

Additional Information about Strong Passwords

The links below contain policies, guidelines, practices, and general protection information about weak and strong passwords.

Password Policy from SANS

Password Security from Red Hat

How to create stronger passwords from Microsoft

Protecting Yourself from Password File Attacks from CERT Coordination Center

Lew Newlin is CTO of Information Solutions, Inc. that operates . SiteRecon specializes in security, email monitoring, and web site monitoring for Internet service providers and businesses.

The Causes Of Acne ... And How To Avoid Them

2005-07-16T03:15:00.000+14:00

By: Steve Williams

If you aren't a sufferer of the effects of acne, feel lucky. Acne is one of the most common skin diseases in the United States, affecting some 17 million people.

By definition, it occurs when the pores of the skin are plugged, where the natural oil, called sebum, can't reach the pore's surface.

Doctors believe that it could be the overproduction of sebum that contributes to the clogging of pores, which results in the formation of pimples and zits. All of this occurs especially around the time of puberty, adolescence and even into adulthood.

Problems with severe acne can go on for years, even into one's forties or fifties.

The sebaceous glands, which produce the sebum, connect to the hair follicle. Breakouts of pimples and/or zits on the face, upper-back and chest are most common in this are because this is where the glands are most active.

While acne isn't a deadly disease, per se, it can lead to problems later for those who've been inflicted by it. Whiteheads and blackheads can last for an extended period of time, causing irritation and inflammation.

Sufferers of acne usually become self-conscious if the pimples and zits lead to cysts that can leave deep facial scars. These scars may never truly disappear.

Now that we understand the biological factors that contribute to acne, we can focus on the environmental and genetic aspects of the disease. As far as genetics are concerned, adolescents with a family history of acne tend to also have the disease.

At some level, it's the way our genes program our glands and hormones, which in turn affects how much oil the glands produce.

Other factors can actually make acne worse. Greasy make-up, and other types of drugs, usually androgens, can cause acne to flare up. Women are more at risk as their menstrual cycle nears each month.

Wearing tight collars, hats or even bags over the shoulders can also contribute. Many times the weather can also affect acne. A hot and humid day can cause a breakout.

Also, squeezing, popping or picking at lesions (pimples, whiteheads, blackheads and zits) will not help at all. In fact, the oil and bacteria on your hands will actually clog other surrounding pores more.

So not everyone can avoid Acne, but if you know the causes, then there's a chance to prevent it.

Discover useful advice and information about the causes and prevention of acne. Website contains useful articles and updated information on this nasty skin condition.
Click ==> http://www.acne-treatment-zap.com/

Shedding Light on Cheaper Solar Energy

2005-07-15T11:20:00.000+14:00

By: Brenda Townsend Hall

Renewable sources of energy are the key to solving two of the worlds most pressing yet seemingly irreconcilable problems. On the one hand the developing world needs vastly to increase access to affordable energy because, at present, 1.6 billion people in the world's poorest countries do not have a power supply. However, on the other, we cannot go on depleting the world's finite resources of fossil fuels and contributing to the emission of harmful greenhouse gases by burning them. Thus sustainable development is threatened by a 'double whammy': the difficulty of meeting increasing demands for energy, without which development aims cannot be met, and the by environmentally harmful systems most often used to provide it.

Affordable, renewable energy sources would contribute greatly to breaking this impasse. However, the field is a complex one and nobody believes a single solution will be found that can answer all the world's energy needs. Even renewable sources have their drawbacks - wind and solar systems, for example, may never be able to stand alone as energy providers because they are, by their very nature, intermittent. However, they can be used very effectively in conjunction with other systems. A judicious mix of energy-producing systems can contribute to sustainable development by increasing the availability of energy to the poor, while reducing harmful impacts on the environment. But an intransigent limiting factor is the cost, particularly of the conversion of sunlight for energy. If systems are not affordable they will be beyond the reach of the poorer countries whose needs are most pressing.

Recently, however, a project undertaken by a team of physicists, chemists, material scientists and engineers at Sheffield Hallam University, with funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), has given a new boost to the economic feasibility of solar energy. The research has shown how to reduce the cost of generating solar electricity. Although electricity generation through the interaction of the sun's heat and light with semiconductors (called photovoltaics [PV]) has recognised environmental benefits, the technology has hitherto been hampered by the relatively high costs involved.

Now the Sheffield Hallam University team has come up with some cost-cutting ideas: a low-cost semiconductor production method called electrodeposition, less reliance on expensive semiconductor materials, and the identification of alternative solar cell devices and manufacturing techniques with higher conversion efficiencies. Such efficiencies mean that more power can be produced per cell so that the cost of each unit of electricity generated is reduced.

PV can help the environment by offsetting the need to rely on electricity generated from the burning of fossil fuels. Two distinct systems now entering the PV market are based on the use of cadmium telluride (CdTe) and copper indium gallium di-selenide (CIGS) materials in solar cells. The team at Sheffield Hallam University has increased our understanding of PV by showing how solar cells based on CdTe and CIGS structures work. Lack of knowledge in this area, combined with cost, has hindered the widespread take-up of the technology. Now the team has opened up the prospect of new solar cells being developed commercially with higher conversion efficiencies than those currently available.

Dr I. M. Dharmadasa, who led the research team says: 'We've already applied for two patents and are preparing the final draft of the third patent in connection with our work, but there's a lot more science to be explored that could increase conversion efficiencies to over 20% in the near future'.

The research initiative, Low-cost, High-efficiency Thin-film Solar Cells with Electrodeposited Semiconductors, has received initial total Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council funding of £104,632 and follow-up Sheffield Hallam University funding of £140,000. EPSRC is the UK's main agency for funding research in engineering and the physical sciences and invests more than £400 million a year in research and postgraduate training to help the nation handle the next generation of technological change.

With affordable energy provision remaining one of the world's most urgent needs, the advances being made in this area offer real hope for a future in which energy supplies are more widely available without the drawback of environmental damage.

For more information, contact:
Dr I M Dharmadasa, School of Science & Mathematics, Sheffield Hallam University,
Tel: 0114 225 4067, E-mail: dharme@shu.ac.uk;
website: www.shu.ac.uk/schools/sci/teaching/as1/SCResearch.html
EPSRC: www.epsrc.ac.uk/
Jane Reck, EPSRC Press Officer, Tel: 01793 444312, E-mail: jane.reck@epsrc.ac.uk.

The author is a British writer resident in France. She specializes in development and environment issues and writes about the EU. Find out more at www.worldsapartreview.com.

Panicked at the Podium? Practical Skills To Cope With Performance Anxiety

2005-07-14T23:15:00.000+14:00

By: Connie de Veer, MFA, CPCC

Are your options for career advancement limited due to performance anxiety? Learn techniques field tested by a certifed Life Coach, former professional actor, and fellow panic sufferer. I know what you’re going through. No matter how many times you may have done it, thinking about your next presentation fills you with dread. As you head up to the podium, waves of panic sweep over you from head to foot. You look out at the sea of expectant faces, all eyes on you, and what you want more than anything is to RUN AWAY!

In spite of the fact that I was a professional, successful actor/singer/dancer for fifteen years, and have subsequently taught many classes and given many presentations, I still have stage fright. What I’ve learned, from first-hand experience, is that this is a condition that affects some of us, while others are blissfully oblivious to fear at getting up in front of people. Out of my own dire necessity, I have learned techniques and created skills to target performance anxiety. Here are some of my favorites, field-tested by yours truly.

Learn to breathe diaphragmatically
Get in a comfortable, symmetrical position, sitting, standing, or lying on the floor. Make sure your rib-cage, neck, and abdominal region are not restricted by belts or tight clothing.

Focus your attention on freeing up your belly, jaw, and neck. (The rest of your body will follow when these are released).

Inhale slowly (on about a count of 5), through your nose. A nose breath offers muscular resistance to release the muscles and displace the organs deeper in the body cavity. Mouth breathing is more for quick, emergency inhalations, as when running.

Exhale (nose or mouth) for twice as long as you inhaled. Stay focused on making this as easy and tension free as possible.

Perform about 5 repetitions.

Visualize/Imagine/Practice
Since the body doesn’t know the difference between a real and an imagined stimulus, imagining yourself giving your presentation flawlessly and effortlessly, feeling calm and relaxed, not heeding creeping thoughts of self-doubt or fear, will yield huge dividends. Here are some musts to keep in mind:

Imagine as many sensory details as possible: what you’ll be wearing, who will be there, the light in the room, the smells, etc.

You have to practice this skill! I recommend imagining the presentation, then performing it physically at least 5 times before you give it. That way, you’re literally training your body to perform on your conscious cues, not to be caught unawares in the moment.

Know the room, and if you can practice physically in the actual space you’ll be presenting in, all the better. This really helps you not be caught off guard by any unknown variables. You will literally be training calmness into your body.

Be your own Director
A good portion of anxiety is triggered by a feeling of not being in control. So as much as possible, control as many of the variables of your presentation as you can. And remember, it never hurts to ASK FOR WHAT YOU WANT, as far in advance as possible. Even if they say no, you then have the chance to practice your presentation with the variables you’ll encounter when you get there. Here are some commonly occurring situations to consider:

I feel lost in space standing up there! Ask if it’s okay to sit and have a more informal atmosphere for your presentation. You’ll feel more grounded and your knees won’t shake so visibly.

All those faces staring up at me…yikes! Ask if the lights can be dimmed. Or weave in a video component that requires the lights to be dimmed!

I can’t think straight and I keep losing my place! Design your presentation with interactive breaks, if it’s appropriate. Shift the focus off of you to the group, inviting discussions, for example: What are some of your experiences with this new software?

LOVE what you’re presenting
Even if you’re presenting material that’s been assigned to you, and not of your own choosing, search for some element or message in it that you’re passionate and excited about. Passion is energy and can transmute the chaotic energy of panic into a clean, focused message that really excites your listeners.

Get moving!
Panic is the classic fight or flight response to perceived danger. Our bodies dump a huge amount of adrenaline into our systems to help us either fight or boogie on out of there. And that adrenaline stays in our bodies for up to 3 hours! Therefore, it will help immeasurably to detox that stuff from your system and release the feel good hormones known as endorphins by moving your body.

Right before you present, find some private space, such as, your office, a deserted hallway, even a cleaning closet if you have to, and get very physical, very fast for at least one full minute. I find jogging in place or punching the air to be highly effective.

Earlier in the day of your presentation, exercise vigorously followed by stretching and diaphragmatic breathing. Take a long, brisk walk; an aerobics class; a bike ride, anything that works up a sweat and is a cardio-vascular work-out. Sweating and breathing cleanse the body of excess stress hormones and release endorphins. You’ll feel great a lot better and more like your body and voice are under your conscious control.

Finally, consider this perspective: Panic attacks and performance anxiety are often a signal from our unconscious mind that we are not listening to our intuition, or are somehow internally dissonant and not in agreement with what we are doing or saying. I once had a highly perceptive pastoral counselor ask me What if it's God? regarding my panic attacks. That shifted my viewpoint radically! I now regard panic as a loving (albeit insistent!) friend that lets me know when I need to align my words and actions with where my inner spirit is leading me. It is a helpful gauge letting me know if I'm really speaking my truth, or if I'm trying to please others by serving as their mouthpiece. I invite you to ponder the same possibility for yourself.

You CAN learn to manage this condition. With practice, desire, and compassion, you can get your voice back.

As we say in the Theatre, Break a leg on your next presentation!

Connie de Veer, MFA, CPCC, is a Certified Life Coach and published author. She teaches successful professionals how to break free from performance anxiety and move ahead in their careers. Look for her e-book, Pull the Plug on Panic: Speak With Confidence, and Keep Your Armpits Dry! due out August 2003. Learn more at www.cdvcoaching.com.

The Colour of Electrons and the CCD

2005-07-13T13:15:00.000+14:00

By: Charles Douglas Wehner

The world of physics is a strange world indeed. At the end of the nineteenth century it was found that a negatively charged metal plate would discharge when illuminated, but a positively charged one would not. Then it was found by some researchers that NO metal plate would discharge. Other researchers found that red light had no effect, but blue discharged the plate. The "photoelectric effect" was a mess.

Max Planck discovered that light consisted of particles. And each particle (or quantum) had an energy that could be defined as Joules. The science was very simple. Take the frequency of that light particle, multiply by Planck's constant, and you find how many Joules of energy are in that particle. You could even pretend that this light particle collided with an electric particle - the electron. If so, it would transfer its energy to that electron in just the same way as the chemistry of a battery energises electrons. So we could define the near infra-red as 1.7 electron volts, and at the other end of the spectrum ultra-violet begins at 3.2. For this he got the Nobel prize.

With the electron-voltages of light being now defined, Einstein decided to tackle the problem of the metal plate. Why was it that only NEGATIVE electricity would be discharged? Because there is only one kind of "charge-carrier". Or so it seemed at the time. Why did some researchers find that NO metal plate would discharge? Because the voltages are LOW. Even the slightest film of grease or dirt could INSULATE against less than 3.2 volts. And why did blue light work when red did not? The answer lay in Planck's electron voltages. Einstein discovered that the effect varied with the TYPE of metal used for that plate. Each element, sodium, potassium, iron, copper, the noble metals such as platinum &c., had a unique voltage. That voltage represented the energy that had to be present in the light in order to free the electrons. That voltage became known as the WORK FUNCTION.

Knowing this, scientists began to research the forces that hold atoms together. In the technical literature, Einstein's name was cited so often that the Nobel Prize Committee could not ignore it. So Einstein won the Nobel Prize.

It is true that further researches modified the simple model that scientists had used. For example, the particle model of Planck suggested that an ultra-violet "PHOTON" could travel for thousands of millions of years through space, retaining its 3.2 eV energy - and NEVER become two photons at 1.6 eV each. This is the LAW OF CONSERVATION OF MATTER. But after that huge journey, it needs only for that photon to hit a suitable crystal and it does indeed divide. You get TWO photons for the price of ONE. This is only possible if the photon consists of NOTHING. So the wave model of light began to supervene. Waves consist of nothing but a pattern. And questions were asked as to whether there is a SUBSTANCE in which the waves are formed. Does space consist of aether? In some of my work I have reintroduced the concept of aether, but not as a SUBSTANCE. To me, there is a need for a grid of lines in space, for navigation. As on a map there is latitude and longitude (which are not substances), so in space we need a kind of latitude, longitude and altitude. Without that we get lost. But the question of whether light is particles or waves was never resolved. Sometimes it behaves as one, and sometimes as the other. Again, the concept that there is only one kind of charge-carrier has been overthrown. In solids there can be positive, negative or both. A conductor conducts both charge-carriers. A vacuum conducts only the negative ones. So a vacuum is an N-TYPE SEMICONDUCTOR. The discovery of semiconductors led to huge advances in the field of electronics. There are P-TYPE as well as N-TYPE semiconductors, and a remarkable symmetry of behaviour can be seen between them. So light is like a particle in the VACUUM STATE, and shows the properties of a wave in the SOLID STATE. Bizarre!

My interest in these things is not amusement alone. Wherever profound discoveries are made, profound new benefits to Mankind become possible. If a metal is used for that photocell plate, that needs 1.5 volts, and infra-red shines upon it at 1.7 eV, electrons emerge at 0.2 volts. If the light is at 2.5 eV, the "secondary electrons" will have 1 volt of charge. If the light is blue, at 3 volts, the elctrons will have 1.5 volts. It is a simple subtraction process. That is Einstein's photoelectric effect. So with a field plate charged to minus 0.2 volts, we can push back the "infra-red electrons". With minus 1 volt on the plate, we can push back the yellow ones. With minus 1.5 volts, we can push back even the blue electrons. Infra-red electrons? Yellow electrons? Blue electrons? In reality, these things are not their colours but their speeds. For each electron retains the energy that was left over after the Einstein Work-Function was subtracted from the photon. This makes the colour sensitivity of a digital image-sensor PROGRAMMABLE. Instead of having red, green and blue filters on an image sensor, we can have NO FILTERS. Digital techniques are used to analyse the colour of the image. The benefits are enormous. For example, we live in a world of daylight and artificial light. Daylight is rich in blue, tungsten light is rich in red. When the colour balance of the device depends not upon chemical filters with their fixed colours, but upon software, the device can better adapt to the lighting. You can read about this new concept in CCD image sensor design at http://www.wehner.org/electro/einstein/ . Seven related inventions are also described, to help the design along.

Born in 1944, Charles Douglas Wehner was a factory manager, design engineer and technical author in photoelectrics.

Add Some Light To Your Life With Candles

2005-07-11T21:21:00.000+14:00

By: Wendy Yeager

Candles first served as the main source of light for early civilization. They have made many changes through the years. The candles of today are not the same candles from hundreds of years ago.

Before the introduction of wicks, early Egyptians lit their reed torches by soaking them in molten tallow, which is fat from sheep or cattle. Romans later developed wick candles which they dipped into the tallow.

By the Middle Ages, beeswax was being used in the making of some candles. The candles burned cleaner than tallow and had a more pleasant odor than the tallow candles. However, they were more costly and only the wealthy could afford them.

In Colonial times, the settlers found they could boil berries from the bayberry bush to make a sweet smelling and clean burning wax for their candles. Unfortunately, it was tedious work and it took many berries to make just one candle.

By the 18th century, candles were being made from spermaceti, a wax which was crystallized sperm whale oil. These candles had an even better odor and would not bend and soften in warm weather.

In 1834, a machine was invented which mass produced molded candles. By 1850, we were using paraffin wax made from oil and coal shale. It was processed by distilling residues of crude petroleum refinement. Soon after, stearic acid was added to the paraffin wax and these are still the basic ingredients of today’s candles.

Today, we have many kinds of candles to choose from. We have candles in all different shapes, sizes, and scents. Not only do candles add soft light to our home décor, they also add tantalizing aromas which can affect our moods. We have many aromatherapy candles to help us feel better. And how about those candles which bring back childhood memories—There’s nothing like a deliciously scented chocolate chip cookie or apple cinnamon candle to warm up your kitchen on a cold winter day!

About The Author

Wendy Yeager
Publisher
http://www.wenmarcorp.com/candles-go2
mjy222@hotmail.com

The 21st Century Way to Build Equity

2005-07-10T21:20:00.000+14:00

By: B. F. Boggan

Here to stay and firmly established in the U.S. mortgage market, biweekly mortgage payments are gaining momentum. First introduced into the U.S. in the early 1980's by several small Northeastern Banks, the idea of biweekly mortgages has it's origins in Canada.

This concept soon became the popular choice nationally within less than a decade after it's arrival placing the biweekly payment plan in the forefront of Canada's mortgage industry around 1972 for several good reasons. Consider the following:

Most people are paid weekly or biweekly, therefore, it is reasonable to have as an option "biweekly mortgage payments".

On a biweekly mortgage payment schedule one half of a loans monthly payment is made and credited to the account holder every two weeks. This is equivalent to making 13 monthly payments instead of the usual 12 monthly payments reducing the loan payoff time.

Faster accumulation of equity build up of up to 300% plus a reduction in interest owed on the loan due to your prepayment is the result of using a biweekly payment schedule; that's without any increase to your monthly output. In other words, you'll get more value per dollar and save thousands as well; as much as 25% to 30% in interest over the life of the loan.

Combine the benefits of a biweekly payment schedule with a union between an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) mode of account servicing that is governed by Regulation "E" of the Federal Reserve to a plug into the internet and you will find a super-efficient, safe, consumer-friendly method of paying a monthly obligation that won't take a huge bite from one paycheck. It doesn't take nuclear physicists to understand why this type of arrangement is frequently referred to as the "Common Sense Mortgage".

Now that there's breathing room because money has been "freed-up" and also saved by using a service such as this go on an excursion for some sunshine, sand and surf, have dinner at a five-star restaurant, or better still, invest in your financial future. It's your money. Once you've tried this equity acceleration program (EAP) for yourself, you'll realize its value.

With more available choices, creating enjoyable lifestyles and looking out for your family's financial well being is easier today than it ever has been. The bad news is that time is not on you side with a standard monthly mortgage payment on a 30 year loan. Additionally, you are not getting the most for your money. The good news is that help is here; the technology does exists giving consumers unparalleled conveniences plus an advantaged boost. Welcome to the 21st Century.

Publishing Guidelines: Thank you for publishing this article in its entirety including the author's resource box and bylines. When possible , please notify me of the publication by sending either a website link or a copy of your ezine upon publication via email. All rights are reserved.

B. F. Boggan is a distributor of the on-line resource the Mortgage Manager Hi-Tech Mortgage Payment Service. To download a free full version copy of the software to perform a personal mortgage analysis, or to obtain an application to apply for the biweekly
payment service at no cost. A password protected mortgage auditing program is also included at no cost to the consumer after 6 months of using the service. Visit http://www.eMortgageManager.net.

The Domain Name Game

2005-07-09T21:18:00.000+14:00

By: Jason Shpik

The Widgets Corporation decides to start a Web site and naturally wants to name it Widgets.Com. But much to the consternation of its management, it discovers there already is a Widgets.com. Someone else has registered the "domain name" and Widgets is stuck.

It happens every day as the battle for the best domain names grows. But what in fact is a domain name and what are the issues surrounding their use? Domain names are simply the addresses of the Internet. Without the domain name, a computer would have no idea where to look for a Web page, and e-mail routers would not be able to send e-mail. Domain names are divided into hierarchies. The top-level of the hierarchy appears after the last dot in the domain name. In "microsoft.com", the top level domain name is .com. The .com name is the most common top-level domain name, and is used to indicate that the domain name is owned by a commercial enterprise.

The disputes that arise over domain names involve "second level" domain names directly to the left of the top-level domain name. For instance, in the address "www.microsoft.com," the second-level domain name is "Microsoft".

Two identical second-level domain names cannot coexist under the same top-level domain. For example, even though both the Delta Faucet Company and Delta Airlines would like the "delta.com" domain name, only one Delta company can have delta.com. Unfortunately for both Delta Faucet Company and Delta Airlines, that Delta company is Delta Financial of Woodbury, New York. Instead of using delta.com, Delta Airlines uses deltaairlines.com, while Delta Faucet Company uses deltafaucet.com.

In order to register a second-level domain name under a top-level domain, a request must be made to the organization that has the power to assign names for that top-level domain. Prior to December 1999, a company called Network Solutions Inc. ("NSI") was almost solely responsible for the registration of second level domain names for the most popular top-level domains, including .com, .net and .org.

As of December 1999, the ability to register .com, .net and .org domain names was spread out among many registrars. These registrars are accredited by The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (or "ICANN"), a non-profit corporation formed specifically to control Internet domain name management and similar functions. NSI continues to assign domain names, but now they are just one of many domain name registrars. All of these registrars assign names on a first-come, first-served basis, and do not do any checking before assigning a new domain name.

Because of the increasing popularity of the Internet, companies have realized that having a domain name that is the same as their company name or the name of one of their products can be an extremely valuable part of establishing an Internet presence.

When a company finds that the domain name corresponding to their corporate name or product trademark is owned by someone else, the company can either choose a different name or fight to get the domain name back from its current owners.

When a dispute over a domain name occurs, the parties can always turn to the courts. While courts and judges have the authority to award control and ownership over domain names, the judicial process is notoriously slow. Consequently, many parties have avoided the courts and turned to the domain name dispute policies of the domain name registrars.

In response to intense lobbying from trademark owners and famous individuals, Congress passed the Anticyber-squatting Consumer Protection Act in November of 1999. This act made it easier for individuals and companies to take over domain names that are confusingly similar to their names or valid trademarks. To do so, however, they must establish that the domain name holder acted in bad faith.

One portion of this Act related to famous individuals. This portion allows individuals to file a civil action against anyone who registers their name as a second level domain name for the purpose of selling the domain name for a profit.

The more general portion of the statute protects companies against persons who, in bad faith, register a domain name that is the same or confusingly similar to an existing trademark.

Submitted by HostingChecker.com - for help on all your hosting needs. http://www.hostingchecker.com

Article may be republished if this portion is not removed.

Choosing a Mesothelioma Attorney

2005-07-08T05:15:00.000+14:00

By: Maggie Kay

Filing a mesothelioma lawsuit is a long and dwindling process. Selection of a mesothelioma attorney whom you trust and have a good rapport with is very important.
If you are thinking about filing a mesothelioma lawsuit, you must meet with a variety of lawyers before making your final decision. Choosing from a long list of mesothelioma lawyers can be a daunting task, so here is a guide to help you through the process:

1. Start the Search

Look for a qualified mesothelioma attorney in the following places:

Bar Associations

Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory (found in most public libraries)

Yellow Pages

Internet (many firms have their own sites)

2. Narrow Down the Field

Once you have found the names of some mesothelioma attorneys in your area, begin by contacting each firm by telephone for further information. Describe your legal issue to each attorney and inquire as to whether he/she can handle your situation. Don’t forget to ask whether there is a fee for an initial consultation, and the approximate cost to handle a mesothelioma lawsuit. It is advisable to schedule appointments with two or three different attorneys before making your final selection.

3. Meet the Prospective Attorneys

The initial consultation is an opportunity for you and the lawyer to get to know each other. After listening to your case, the lawyer should be able to outline your rights and offer you alternative courses of action. The initial consultation is the mesothelioma attorney's opportunity to explain what he or she can do for you and how much it will cost. You should not hesitate to ask about the attorney's experience in handling previous mesothelioma lawsuits. Feel free to ask about the lawyer's fees and the likely results. If you are considering going beyond the initial consultation and hiring the lawyer, request a written fee agreement before proceeding. It is also important to ask each attorney for a list of references that you may contact.

4. Making Your Decision

After each initial consultation, ask yourself the following questions about the mesothelioma attorney you just met:

Did the attorney listen to me?

Was the attorney knowledgeable about asbestos law?

Did the attorney give me a firm understanding of my alternative courses of action?

Do I understand the range of possible results associated with each course of action?

Did the attorney seem trustworthy?

If need be, take notes after each consultation, indicating your initial reaction to the mesothelioma attorney you have just met.

Maggie Kay is a freelance writer from Montreal and is the head researcher and content manager of Mesothelioma Attorney Advice Center (www.maacenter.org).

Mortgage Terminology for the First Time Home Buyer

2005-07-07T05:57:00.000+14:00

By: Dale Ronewicz

Buying a Home for the first time can be a little “nerve racking”. Mortgage terminology that brokers use everyday can leave you scratching your head or shaking your head pretending that you know what they’re talking about. Here are some mortgage terms and definitions that you”ll be hearing when shopping for a first time home buyer loan:

Adjustable-rate loans, also known as variable-rate loans, usually offer a lower initial interest rate than fixed-rate loans. The interest rate fluctuates over the life of the loan based on market conditions, but the loan agreement generally sets maximum and minimum rates. When interest rates rise, generally so do your loan payments; and when interest rates fall, your monthly payments may be lowered.

Annual percentage rate (APR) is the cost of credit expressed as a yearly rate. The APR includes the interest rate, points, broker fees, and certain other credit charges that the borrower is required to pay.

Conventional loans are mortgage loans other than those insured or guaranteed by a government agency such as the FHA (Federal Housing Administration), the VA (Veterans Administration), or the Rural Development Services (formerly know as Farmers Home Administration, or FmHA).

Escrow is the holding of money or documents by a neutral third party prior to closing. It can also be an account held by the lender (or servicer) into which a homeowner pays money for taxes and insurance.

Fixed-rate loans generally have repayment terms of 15, 20, or 30 years. Both the interest rate and the monthly payments (for principal and interest) stay the same during the life of the loan.

The interest rate is the cost of borrowing money expressed as a percentage rate. Interest rates can change because of market conditions. Loan origination fees are fees charged by the lender for processing the loan and are often expressed as a percentage of the loan amount.

Lock-in refers to a written agreement guaranteeing a home buyer a specific interest rate on a home loan provided that the loan is closed within a certain period of time, such as 60 or 90 days. Often the agreement also specifies the number of points to be paid at closing.

A mortgage is a document signed by a borrower when a home loan is made that gives the lender a right to take possession of the property if the borrower fails to pay off the loan.

Overages are the difference between the lowest available price and any higher price that the home buyer agrees to pay for the loan. Loan officers and brokers are often allowed to keep some or all of this difference as extra compensation.

Points are fees paid to the lender for the loan. One point equals 1 percent of the loan amount. Points are usually paid in cash at closing. In some cases, the money needed to pay points can be borrowed, but doing so will increase the loan amount and the total costs.

Thrift institution is a general term for savings banks and savings and loan associations.

Transaction, settlement, or closing costs may include application fees; title examination, abstract of title, title insurance, and property survey fees; fees for preparing deeds, mortgages, and settlement documents; attorneys’ fees; recording fees; and notary, appraisal, and credit report fees. Under the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, the borrower receives a good faith estimate of closing costs at the time of application or within three days of application. The good faith estimate lists each expected cost either as an amount or a range

When shopping for a first time home buyer loan make sure you shop around and find a broker or a loan officer that’s responsive to your needs. And don’t be afraid to ask question. Remember, it’s the questions you don’t ask that could keep you from saving money.

Mortgage Terminology for the First Time Home Buyer was written by Dale Ronewicz (American-Lenders.org). For more on First Time Home Buyer Loans please visit: http://www.american-lenders.org/firsttime_home_buyer_loans/

How strange! The sky is blue!

2005-07-06T16:49:00.000+14:00

By: K.A.Cassimally

Look up! Just do it. What do you see? Stupid question, eh? You see the ceiling of course. When you look upwards during a sunny day while picnicking however, you see the blue sky. Ever wondered why the sky is not green nor but blue?

Before answering this question, let’s go back to the basic physics of light. Sorry, but here I go…

Light is a kind of energy, which travels in waves. In fact, light is a wave of vibrating electric and magnetic fields. Light forms only one small part of a larger range of vibrating electromagnetic fields called the electromagnetic spectrum. Electromagnetic waves travel through space at an amazing 300 00km/s. Therefore this is also the speed of light.

When you see white light from the bulb, you are actually seeing the seven colours of the rainbow! This is because white light consists of a combination of these seven colours.

Each of these colours has a different wavelength, frequency and energy. Wavelength is the distance between the crests of the waves. The frequency is the number of waves that pass by each second. Note that the longer the wavelength, the lower the frequency and the less energy it contains.

·Violet: Shortest wavelength, highest frequency and energy
·Red: Longest wavelength, lowest frequency and energy

Now back to our main topic. That blue colour of the sky is due to an effect known as the Rayleigh scattering. As light from the sun moves towards Earth’s atmosphere, not all the colours are actually able to pass through that atmosphere. Most of the longer wavelength colours do pass (red, orange and yellow for sure) but the shorter wavelength ones however are mostly absorbed by gas molecules found in the atmosphere. Absorbed blue light is then bounced back (radiated would be a better word) in all directions. This makes the shy to appear blue!

You would however ask me why it’s the blue rays, which get scattered, and not the indigo nor the violet rays (the other colours pass through the atmosphere remember – there’s also blue that pass through but it then gets scattered). Well in fact, the shorter the wavelength, the more the colour gets scattered. Violet, which has the shortest wavelength of all colours of the rainbow thus gets scattered more than blue rays do. Our eyes however are much more sensitive to blue than to violet and the sky therefore doesn’t appear to be violet but blue (in reality the sky is violet-indigo!).

Now do take the time making the following:
Take a look at the horizon (if you’re at the seaside) and note the sky’s colour there. No, it’s not as blue as the rest of the sky, is it? It’s much paler. This is because for the blue light to reach your eye, it has to travel more. Blue light will thus pass through more air consequently getting scattered more. Conclusion: less blue light reaches your eyes than compared to blue light from just above you.

K.A.Cassimally is the editor in chief of Astronomy Journal and Astronomy Journal Ezine. He is also the co-founder of the RCPL Astronomy Club. K.A.Cassimally is best known for his article 'Harry Potter and the Moons of Jupiter'.
He is also Senior Columnist at BackWash.com where he writes 'Not Scientific Science'.

Web Site Hosting Plan - Key Elements

2005-07-05T01:43:00.000+14:00

By: Brian Thorn

What are the key elements in a good web host package? The answer to that question depends mainly on the service you expect from the web host provider. To decide what you need, you'll need to have at least a brief understanding of the typical services and features offered by web hosting companies.

The number of e-mail accounts available might be one of the key elements in a good web host package. If your ability to send and receive e-mail is important, you'll want to carefully consider whether a particular web host package includes enough e-mail accounts to accommodate that need. Some companies tout unlimited e-mail accounts and depending on your specific needs, this might be a very favorable element of a potential host company. If you are a businessperson, remember that it's possible your company will grow in the future. While you might need to only establish one or two e-mail accounts now, consider what your future needs could be. It would probably be difficult to change hosts later if you find that you need additional (even unlimited?) e-mail accounts.

Which brings up another of the key elements in a good web host package. If you are establishing a connection with a web host provider for business purposes, consider your provider's ability to grow with your business. The last thing you want to do is start with a company that will be unable to keep up as your business grows. Changing companies later is always an option, but that transition is not likely to be without problems.

The amount of disk space that will be allotted to your web site is another of the key elements in a good web host package. While it might seem that 30 megabytes is plenty of room, the potential for growth of your company means that you could easily need more space later. If you choose a web hosting provider that simply can't offer more space, you might find that your growth will be severely limited.

Other issues that can be key elements in a good web host package include the bandwidth, security and speed. Finding a company that provides the best of all these features is likely to be a daunting task, but it is possible.

Price is naturally a key element in a good web host package as well. Prices generally vary only by a few dollars per month and the difference between paying $6.95 per month and $9.95 per month is not likely to play a significant role in the final choice. If the less expensive service provider doesn't fulfill your needs, you'll certainly face significant expense and trouble rectifying the situation later.

In the end, deciding which are the key elements in a good web host package will be up to you. If you need large storage space, that becomes an important element. If your needs include larger-than-normal space requirements, that becomes one of the most important elements in a good web host package. The true test of a good web host package is answered with one easy question: "Will this provider adequately meet my needs at a competitive price?"

Brian Thorn is an avid internet enthusiast who writes easy-to-understand articles about web hosting. Also check out: cheap web hosting package, internet service provider hosting and email domain hosting.

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