Just imagine what it would feel like to have smooth hairless skin all over your body without needing to either shave or wax ever again. Well thanks to Revitol Hair Removal Plus you can actually achieve the elimination of un-wanted body hair both easily and painlessly.
Revitol Hair Removal cream contains an advance hair inhibitor system and can be used by both men and women. Also it is safe enough to use anywhere on the body and it only takes one simple application which is absorbed quickly and can be removed instantaneously. So no longer will you need to shave, wax or use tweezers on a regular basis and no need for paying out all that money to have hairs removed by either electrolysis or laser.
However before you begin using Revitol Hair Removal plus it is important that you test it on a small patch of skin in order to see how the chemicals react to your skin. What you need to do is leave the product on for the required amount of time stated in the instructions and then rinse it off. If you find that there are no signs of irritation after testing it out then you can use it for the rest of your body.
So just why are more and more people looking to use Revitol Hair Removal Plus as a way of eliminating un-wanted hair. Here are some of the reasons why more people are considering this particular product.
1. It is safe to use on any part of the body.
2. It eliminates un-wanted hair both instantly and painlessly.
3. You can even use it to remove un-wanted hair from eyebrows, upper lips as well as your legs.
4. It gets rid of the un-wanted hair in seconds without causing you any irritation.
5. But not only does it remove un-wanted hair it also conditions, moisturizes and protects your skin against the environment.
Not only does Revitol Hair Removal plus contain ingredients in order to eliminate unwanted hair, it also contains a protective natural barrier and pro-vitamin, anti-oxidant complex that contains Vitamins A and E, as well as Green Tea, Aloe Vera and other natural plant extracts.
Revitol Hair Removal Plus gently removes hair from the follicle bulb so it leaves your skin feeling baby soft and silky. Because of its unique blend of bio-active plant extracts these seep into the hair free follicle and reduce the hair shaft naturally. It helps the hair becomes thinner and finer and after a period of time, hair will stop growing.
More information HERE
Ricky Lim
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Is Revitol Right for You? - Revitol Skin Care Products Review
I am always on the lookout for new and innovative anti aging skin care products. I have personally reviewed dozens of the most sought after anti aging skin care packages in the world and recently had the chance to do a full review of the Revitol product line.
This product has become known for its top of the line image, mainly because many movie stars and wealthy people have caught on to the seeming fountain of youth Revitol appears to offer. This review is going to reveal all of the facts you need to know to make the most informed buying decision for your anti aging skin care package. Let’s take a look at what makes Revitol special in today’s market.
The Revitol anti aging skin care solution consists of three parts. The anti aging wrinkle complex treatment, the skin care hydration treatment serum, and moisturizing skin treatment cream. You have the choice of buying any one of the stated products or buying them as a skin care kit for a reduced price. Each bottle of product lasts for a full month. This makes the cost per day quite reasonable.
Now let’s take a look at what advantages Revitol offers over its competitors. I was quite impressed when I viewed the ingredients list of Revitol products. I found it to be high in potent antioxidants, vitamins, skin tighteners and essential oils -- all of which have been proven to greatly improve the health of the skin and reduce the effects of aging.
VITAMIN E- Potent antioxidant, protects skin from harmful free radicals, soothes and softens skin.
VITAMIN A- Firms skin, renews collagen and elastin, smoothes out pigmentation removing age spots.
SQUALENE- Protects skin from free radical damage, slows aging process by shielding skin from harmful toxins.
SHEA BUTTER- Long known for its amazing moisturizing and regenerative capabilities, contains fatty acids which prevent drying, cracking, and burning of skin.
IDEBENONE- Proven antioxidant which has been proven to slow the aging of skin and protect entire body from a variety of inflammatory diseases.
HYDROLYZED WHEAT GLUTEN and CAROB- This blend has been shown to have a very synergistic effect when used in combination. First penetrates deeply into skin and then tightens skin. Great for relieving wrinkles.
HYALURONIC ACID- Important component found in high concentration within healthy skin, most people suffer from low levels of this critical acid. Acts to lubricate the three layers of skin thereby reducing inflammation and wrinkling.
EVENING PRIMROSE OIL- anti inflammatory, improves texture of skin, prevents wrinkles, relaxes skin, improves cell membranes.
EDELWEIS EXTRACT- Prevents ultra violet damage, antioxidant protects against toxins and other pollutants, slows skin aging.
DMAE- Helps heal acne scars, improves skin tone and firmness, DMAE levels are high in young skin and low in older skin, replenishes supply thereby removing years of aging.
ARGIRELINE- Made from naturally occurring amino acids, relaxes facial muscles by regulating release of neurotransmitters responsible for muscle tension. This relaxing removes facial wrinkles because the muscles stop pulling on the skin.
DERMOX- restores surface of skin, increases synthesis of collagen.
Obviously, Revitol offers quite a robust ingredient package. It is rare to find such a complete and high quality combination of high-end components brought together into one package.
But let’s look at what really counts: Results. Does Revitol’s exotic ingredient package give it what is necessary for real results? My answer is a definite yes. I have been very impressed by the results I have noted from Revitol’s three part product line. Each individual product offers unique benefits, and in combination they are quite amazing at reducing the effects of aging.
This product has proven itself to be a real winner in my eyes. I have never tested anything that offers such noticeable results in such a quick amount of time. You can literally notice a difference on the very first day. By day six, lots of people start commenting on the improvement and asking you for your secret. It really is that powerful. I feel fortunate to have found Revitol’s anti aging skin care products. I have not found anything on the market that even comes close to Revitol in my opinion.
I feel that anybody who uses Revitol consistently can easily shave ten or fifteen years off their appearance with great ease. You don’t need a face lift or harsh acid peel to look your best. Give your skin what it needs to heal itself. Revitol’s skin care line does exactly that. I would recommend these products to anyone. Especially the package that includes all three components necessary for optimal results.
More information HERE
Andrew Kryzak
This product has become known for its top of the line image, mainly because many movie stars and wealthy people have caught on to the seeming fountain of youth Revitol appears to offer. This review is going to reveal all of the facts you need to know to make the most informed buying decision for your anti aging skin care package. Let’s take a look at what makes Revitol special in today’s market.
The Revitol anti aging skin care solution consists of three parts. The anti aging wrinkle complex treatment, the skin care hydration treatment serum, and moisturizing skin treatment cream. You have the choice of buying any one of the stated products or buying them as a skin care kit for a reduced price. Each bottle of product lasts for a full month. This makes the cost per day quite reasonable.
Now let’s take a look at what advantages Revitol offers over its competitors. I was quite impressed when I viewed the ingredients list of Revitol products. I found it to be high in potent antioxidants, vitamins, skin tighteners and essential oils -- all of which have been proven to greatly improve the health of the skin and reduce the effects of aging.
VITAMIN E- Potent antioxidant, protects skin from harmful free radicals, soothes and softens skin.
VITAMIN A- Firms skin, renews collagen and elastin, smoothes out pigmentation removing age spots.
SQUALENE- Protects skin from free radical damage, slows aging process by shielding skin from harmful toxins.
SHEA BUTTER- Long known for its amazing moisturizing and regenerative capabilities, contains fatty acids which prevent drying, cracking, and burning of skin.
IDEBENONE- Proven antioxidant which has been proven to slow the aging of skin and protect entire body from a variety of inflammatory diseases.
HYDROLYZED WHEAT GLUTEN and CAROB- This blend has been shown to have a very synergistic effect when used in combination. First penetrates deeply into skin and then tightens skin. Great for relieving wrinkles.
HYALURONIC ACID- Important component found in high concentration within healthy skin, most people suffer from low levels of this critical acid. Acts to lubricate the three layers of skin thereby reducing inflammation and wrinkling.
EVENING PRIMROSE OIL- anti inflammatory, improves texture of skin, prevents wrinkles, relaxes skin, improves cell membranes.
EDELWEIS EXTRACT- Prevents ultra violet damage, antioxidant protects against toxins and other pollutants, slows skin aging.
DMAE- Helps heal acne scars, improves skin tone and firmness, DMAE levels are high in young skin and low in older skin, replenishes supply thereby removing years of aging.
ARGIRELINE- Made from naturally occurring amino acids, relaxes facial muscles by regulating release of neurotransmitters responsible for muscle tension. This relaxing removes facial wrinkles because the muscles stop pulling on the skin.
DERMOX- restores surface of skin, increases synthesis of collagen.
Obviously, Revitol offers quite a robust ingredient package. It is rare to find such a complete and high quality combination of high-end components brought together into one package.
But let’s look at what really counts: Results. Does Revitol’s exotic ingredient package give it what is necessary for real results? My answer is a definite yes. I have been very impressed by the results I have noted from Revitol’s three part product line. Each individual product offers unique benefits, and in combination they are quite amazing at reducing the effects of aging.
This product has proven itself to be a real winner in my eyes. I have never tested anything that offers such noticeable results in such a quick amount of time. You can literally notice a difference on the very first day. By day six, lots of people start commenting on the improvement and asking you for your secret. It really is that powerful. I feel fortunate to have found Revitol’s anti aging skin care products. I have not found anything on the market that even comes close to Revitol in my opinion.
I feel that anybody who uses Revitol consistently can easily shave ten or fifteen years off their appearance with great ease. You don’t need a face lift or harsh acid peel to look your best. Give your skin what it needs to heal itself. Revitol’s skin care line does exactly that. I would recommend these products to anyone. Especially the package that includes all three components necessary for optimal results.
More information HERE
Andrew Kryzak
Revitol - Natural Cellulite Solution Cream
Are you tired of dieting only to find out that your belly fats are still there? Indeed, women want to look good and confident about themselves.
Women always find way in order to look good and feel good. They want to make sure that they are physically looking good. So if they are gaining weight, they will definitely find the solution that can help them lose weight.
Usually, women gain weight due to too much eating and being inactive, so you have to find solution that can lose your unwanted weight and feel great about yourself again.
Yes, women can lose weight by eating healthy and by dieting. You can change your habits. That is maybe hard but if you are determined, you can do so. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Do some exercising for 30 minutes each day; these can help you lose weight.
But at some point, even if women try to lose weight, there are still some cellulites that show up. Cellulites are bumps under the skin which causes the surface of your body to look dimpled; these are what women covers up when they go to beach and even at work. Cellulites are fat cells that have become distended which cause these cells now to acquire up more space between the skin's connective tissues than normal, the fat then expands these spaces that results in the overlying skin dimpling in.
Cellulites get worse if it is untreated. So you have to really find way to treat it. So you have to take good care of that tough cellulite now before it worsens.
If you want to remove that cellulites now, you can try out Revitol Cellulite Cream Solution that can help you eliminate cellulite dimples, boosts muscle tone and sculpts our body. It can also tighten your thighs, legs and butt. This cream can make you get rid of those cellulites on your body. It is easy to apply and it can work both for men and women.
Revitol Cellulite Cream Solution doesn’t need any prescription, so anyone can buy it online and even offline. You can purchase you’re months supply or even a year.
So if you are having problems with cellulites, you have unsightly bumps on your legs, stomach, buttocks or arms, and you can simply use Revitol Cellulite Cream Solution to get rid of these cellulites on you body.
Just apply Cellulite Cream to your thigh, waist, tummy, or chin and gaze at the fat disappear. Some even undergo to some dangerous methods such as surgery just to get rid of their cellulites. But with this Cellulite Cream, you do not have to undergo some dangerous methods to solve your problem. With Revitol Cellulite Cream Solution, you do not have to subject yourself from dangerous and risky methods such as surgery. Simply apply it to your skin and viola, cellulites are gone in time.
Just make sure to follow the instructions given to make sure that Revitol Cellulite Cream Solution will work effectively. So to get rid of those unpleasing cellulites, use Revitol Cellulite Cream Solution.
More information HERE
Eliza Maledevic Ayson
Women always find way in order to look good and feel good. They want to make sure that they are physically looking good. So if they are gaining weight, they will definitely find the solution that can help them lose weight.
Usually, women gain weight due to too much eating and being inactive, so you have to find solution that can lose your unwanted weight and feel great about yourself again.
Yes, women can lose weight by eating healthy and by dieting. You can change your habits. That is maybe hard but if you are determined, you can do so. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Do some exercising for 30 minutes each day; these can help you lose weight.
But at some point, even if women try to lose weight, there are still some cellulites that show up. Cellulites are bumps under the skin which causes the surface of your body to look dimpled; these are what women covers up when they go to beach and even at work. Cellulites are fat cells that have become distended which cause these cells now to acquire up more space between the skin's connective tissues than normal, the fat then expands these spaces that results in the overlying skin dimpling in.
Cellulites get worse if it is untreated. So you have to really find way to treat it. So you have to take good care of that tough cellulite now before it worsens.
If you want to remove that cellulites now, you can try out Revitol Cellulite Cream Solution that can help you eliminate cellulite dimples, boosts muscle tone and sculpts our body. It can also tighten your thighs, legs and butt. This cream can make you get rid of those cellulites on your body. It is easy to apply and it can work both for men and women.
Revitol Cellulite Cream Solution doesn’t need any prescription, so anyone can buy it online and even offline. You can purchase you’re months supply or even a year.
So if you are having problems with cellulites, you have unsightly bumps on your legs, stomach, buttocks or arms, and you can simply use Revitol Cellulite Cream Solution to get rid of these cellulites on you body.
Just apply Cellulite Cream to your thigh, waist, tummy, or chin and gaze at the fat disappear. Some even undergo to some dangerous methods such as surgery just to get rid of their cellulites. But with this Cellulite Cream, you do not have to undergo some dangerous methods to solve your problem. With Revitol Cellulite Cream Solution, you do not have to subject yourself from dangerous and risky methods such as surgery. Simply apply it to your skin and viola, cellulites are gone in time.
Just make sure to follow the instructions given to make sure that Revitol Cellulite Cream Solution will work effectively. So to get rid of those unpleasing cellulites, use Revitol Cellulite Cream Solution.
More information HERE
Eliza Maledevic Ayson
Diflucan for Vaginal Yeast Infections - The Side Effects of Diflucan Pills
Diflucan is an anti fungal antibiotic that is used to treat infections caused by fungus. Many women consider taking diflucan for vaginal yeast infections. Before you do, you should be aware of the side effects. This article will discuss the side effects of diflucan pills.
Serious Effects
Seizures and convulsions are reported to be one of the most serious side effects of diflucan pills. Women have also experienced severe blistering and peeling, along with a red skin rash. When taking diflucan for vaginal yeast infections, you may also have vertigo or dizziness. In some cases, it took up to a year for the vertigo to go away. Other serious side effects of diflucan pills include loss of appetite, yellow skin or eyes, and abdominal pain.
Allergic Reaction
Although it is relatively rare, one of the side effects of diflucan pills is an allergic reaction. This reaction will trigger various symptoms such as hives, difficulty breathing or swallowing, or a sudden drop in blood pressure. You may also have swelling on the face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Less Serious
There are also less serious effects of taking diflucan for vaginal yeast infections. The most common include vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, and upset stomach. Other less serious side effects of diflucan pills include headache, bloating, and an unpleasant taste in the mouth.
Diseases
Diflucan for vaginal yeast infections should not be taken if you have certain diseases. These include liver disease, kidney disease, or a heart rhythm disorder. You should also not take it if you have a personal or family history of "Long QT syndrome".
Before taking diflucan for vaginal yeast infections, you should be aware of the potential risks. The side effects of diflucan pills include nausea, diarrhea, headache, and bloating. Occasionally, seizures and allergic reactions are reported. Before taking diflucan for vaginal yeast infections, you should consult with a doctor, especially if you have any of the diseases mentioned above.
More information HERE
D Swain
Serious Effects
Seizures and convulsions are reported to be one of the most serious side effects of diflucan pills. Women have also experienced severe blistering and peeling, along with a red skin rash. When taking diflucan for vaginal yeast infections, you may also have vertigo or dizziness. In some cases, it took up to a year for the vertigo to go away. Other serious side effects of diflucan pills include loss of appetite, yellow skin or eyes, and abdominal pain.
Allergic Reaction
Although it is relatively rare, one of the side effects of diflucan pills is an allergic reaction. This reaction will trigger various symptoms such as hives, difficulty breathing or swallowing, or a sudden drop in blood pressure. You may also have swelling on the face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Less Serious
There are also less serious effects of taking diflucan for vaginal yeast infections. The most common include vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, and upset stomach. Other less serious side effects of diflucan pills include headache, bloating, and an unpleasant taste in the mouth.
Diseases
Diflucan for vaginal yeast infections should not be taken if you have certain diseases. These include liver disease, kidney disease, or a heart rhythm disorder. You should also not take it if you have a personal or family history of "Long QT syndrome".
Before taking diflucan for vaginal yeast infections, you should be aware of the potential risks. The side effects of diflucan pills include nausea, diarrhea, headache, and bloating. Occasionally, seizures and allergic reactions are reported. Before taking diflucan for vaginal yeast infections, you should consult with a doctor, especially if you have any of the diseases mentioned above.
More information HERE
D Swain
Important Information About Prostate Treatment With Flomax Medication
Flomax is a prescription medicine that has been approved and licensed by the FDA for the treatment of enlarged prostates. The medical terms for an enlarged prostate include benign prostatic hyperplasia, benign prostatic hypertrophy or BPH. Flomax is manufactured by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
How It Works
This medication works like the common alpha blockers, it blocks the alpha-1 receptors. These receptors can be found throughout the body including the prostate. When alpha-1 receptors are blocked it allows the muscles to relax in the prostate and the bladder neck. Flomax is different from other prostate medications since it doesn’t actively shrink the prostate as some other drugs do. However, the symptoms are quickly relieved with it when the muscles relax. This means that Flomax provides relief for the symptoms, but it isn’t a cure for the condition.
Taking Flomax
This drug is taken by mouth as a capsule every day at least thirty minutes after a meal. You should take the whole capsule and never open, chew or crush the capsules. You should take the capsules at the same time each day so that you have an even level of the drug in your blood. You should always take Flomax, as prescribed since this helps it to work properly. If you stop taking it, prostate enlargement will return and you will not longer receive the benefits.
Side Effects
There are possible side effects with this drug as there is with all prescription medications. Although side effects won’t be experienced by every individual taking. Rather the opposite is true, many people tolerate this drug very well. Most side effects that occur are minor and either have no necessary treatment or can easily be treated by your healthcare provider. The most common side effects of this drug include abnormal ejaculation, runny or stuffy nose, dizziness and infections including the cold or flu. There are a number of drugs that can interact with Flomax so you should tell your doctor of any medicines you are taking and they will make sure no interaction will occur.
Before you start taking Flomax there are several things you should tell your health care provider. If you have any allergies including foods, dyes, preservatives or sulfa then you should tell your doctor. If you are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant or breastfeeding then you should also talk with your doctor before taking this drug. When telling your doctor about any medicines you are taking you should be sure to include both prescription and non-prescription medicines as well as vitamins and herbal supplements.
More information HERE
Brian Welsch
How It Works
This medication works like the common alpha blockers, it blocks the alpha-1 receptors. These receptors can be found throughout the body including the prostate. When alpha-1 receptors are blocked it allows the muscles to relax in the prostate and the bladder neck. Flomax is different from other prostate medications since it doesn’t actively shrink the prostate as some other drugs do. However, the symptoms are quickly relieved with it when the muscles relax. This means that Flomax provides relief for the symptoms, but it isn’t a cure for the condition.
Taking Flomax
This drug is taken by mouth as a capsule every day at least thirty minutes after a meal. You should take the whole capsule and never open, chew or crush the capsules. You should take the capsules at the same time each day so that you have an even level of the drug in your blood. You should always take Flomax, as prescribed since this helps it to work properly. If you stop taking it, prostate enlargement will return and you will not longer receive the benefits.
Side Effects
There are possible side effects with this drug as there is with all prescription medications. Although side effects won’t be experienced by every individual taking. Rather the opposite is true, many people tolerate this drug very well. Most side effects that occur are minor and either have no necessary treatment or can easily be treated by your healthcare provider. The most common side effects of this drug include abnormal ejaculation, runny or stuffy nose, dizziness and infections including the cold or flu. There are a number of drugs that can interact with Flomax so you should tell your doctor of any medicines you are taking and they will make sure no interaction will occur.
Before you start taking Flomax there are several things you should tell your health care provider. If you have any allergies including foods, dyes, preservatives or sulfa then you should tell your doctor. If you are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant or breastfeeding then you should also talk with your doctor before taking this drug. When telling your doctor about any medicines you are taking you should be sure to include both prescription and non-prescription medicines as well as vitamins and herbal supplements.
More information HERE
Brian Welsch
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Belichick Scandal - The NFL Doesn't Want the Truth!
How is it that Bill Belichick can be caught cheating in a regular season NFL football game and the NFL doesn't ask him the obvious question:
Bill, have you done it before?
If a grade school teacher catches a student cheating on a test, the first question asked is whether this was the first test the student cheated on.
The question is obvious and yet NFL Commissioner Roger Goodall seems not interested in asking it.
I wonder why?
Actually, I don't wonder at all. I'll tell you why the NFL isn't interested in pursuing that question.
The reason is because the increasingly obvious answer is that Belichick and the Patriots have been cheating for years. Apparently, the Patriots have been taping the signals of opposing teams, observing what play is run when a particular signal is called – and, the next time they see that signal, bingo, they know what to expect.
Since the Spygate Scandal broke, numerous accounts of the Patriots taping signals (and electronically jamming the headsets of opponent coaches) have come out of the woodwork. Yet, incredibly, "no comment" from the Patriots, Belichick or the NFL.
Stonewall, whitewash, silence.
The Patriots have enjoyed remarkable success this decade, winning three Super Bowls. Belichick has "earned" a reputation as a genius. Quarterback, Tom Brady is supposedly one of the most clutch QB's in history.
But, maybe, their apparent genius and clutch plays were due to the fact that they knew what the other team would do in advance. Even I could hit an open receiver if I knew ahead of time who would be left open.
Did the Patriots win those three Super Bowls because they cheated?
That's the unasked and unanswered question at the moment.
The answer, if we ever get it, will likely challenge the fundamental integrity of NFL football since the Belichick era began.
That's why the NFL doesn't want to go there.
If you think the NFL should fully investigate the Belichick Spygate Scandal, let the football world know at Belichick Spygate Scandal: Unanswered Questions Mo Johnson is editor of http://www.secsportsfan.com
Mo Johnson
Bill, have you done it before?
If a grade school teacher catches a student cheating on a test, the first question asked is whether this was the first test the student cheated on.
The question is obvious and yet NFL Commissioner Roger Goodall seems not interested in asking it.
I wonder why?
Actually, I don't wonder at all. I'll tell you why the NFL isn't interested in pursuing that question.
The reason is because the increasingly obvious answer is that Belichick and the Patriots have been cheating for years. Apparently, the Patriots have been taping the signals of opposing teams, observing what play is run when a particular signal is called – and, the next time they see that signal, bingo, they know what to expect.
Since the Spygate Scandal broke, numerous accounts of the Patriots taping signals (and electronically jamming the headsets of opponent coaches) have come out of the woodwork. Yet, incredibly, "no comment" from the Patriots, Belichick or the NFL.
Stonewall, whitewash, silence.
The Patriots have enjoyed remarkable success this decade, winning three Super Bowls. Belichick has "earned" a reputation as a genius. Quarterback, Tom Brady is supposedly one of the most clutch QB's in history.
But, maybe, their apparent genius and clutch plays were due to the fact that they knew what the other team would do in advance. Even I could hit an open receiver if I knew ahead of time who would be left open.
Did the Patriots win those three Super Bowls because they cheated?
That's the unasked and unanswered question at the moment.
The answer, if we ever get it, will likely challenge the fundamental integrity of NFL football since the Belichick era began.
That's why the NFL doesn't want to go there.
If you think the NFL should fully investigate the Belichick Spygate Scandal, let the football world know at Belichick Spygate Scandal: Unanswered Questions Mo Johnson is editor of http://www.secsportsfan.com
Mo Johnson
Monday, September 24, 2007
Animal Coffee
While searching the many resources of the internet today on coffee, I found a very interesting coffee...blend we'll call it. The coffee is made with animals' stomachs and is called Luwak Coffee. The process as how they get their coffee is simple.
Coffee beans are harvested and fed to animals that live in the Sumatran forest. After the animals have done their business, workers walk around the forest and collect the remains to be brewed into "fresh" made coffee. The actual coffee is owned by the company AnimalCoffee, which is based in Indonesia. The coffee apparently is very popular and is considered to actually be Gourmet Coffee. The beans come from various places around Indonesia but they can offer both Arabica and Robusta type coffees. The company is so far only online based but does have offices in Indonesia as well and is run by someone with the name Troy Davis but they have been in operation for 13 years as of yet. Currently he lives in Australia but his company is starting to pick up steam and the word is spreading.
Big orders are being placed for these coffees so perhaps there really is something to it. If you would like to try some of it, you can always request a sample. If you are into animal stomach type foods don't forget there is also Haggis and I'm sure lots of other types of companies that sell animal organ related foods as well. But then again, some just don't have the stomach for it.
Eric Hartwell
Coffee beans are harvested and fed to animals that live in the Sumatran forest. After the animals have done their business, workers walk around the forest and collect the remains to be brewed into "fresh" made coffee. The actual coffee is owned by the company AnimalCoffee, which is based in Indonesia. The coffee apparently is very popular and is considered to actually be Gourmet Coffee. The beans come from various places around Indonesia but they can offer both Arabica and Robusta type coffees. The company is so far only online based but does have offices in Indonesia as well and is run by someone with the name Troy Davis but they have been in operation for 13 years as of yet. Currently he lives in Australia but his company is starting to pick up steam and the word is spreading.
Big orders are being placed for these coffees so perhaps there really is something to it. If you would like to try some of it, you can always request a sample. If you are into animal stomach type foods don't forget there is also Haggis and I'm sure lots of other types of companies that sell animal organ related foods as well. But then again, some just don't have the stomach for it.
Eric Hartwell
Investment Clubs Debunked - Even Groups of Average Investors Aren't Very Good
A lot has been written about individual investor underperformance - the little guy, on average, just doesn't fair very well against the market. In this study we set our sights on investment clubs and show that when individual investors work together (think "internet forums") they don't do much better...or perhaps even worse.
Between 2001 and 08/2007, investment clubs in our study underperformed the market by a gut wrenching 4.5% a year; and that was before accounting for commissions, taxes, and other costs of trading.
What is an investment club? An investment club is a group of individuals who pool their money and invest together. The club buys or sells based on a majority vote or some other agreed upon method. In the U.S. alone, clubs control tens of billions of dollars.
How We Performed Our Study
To perform our study we turned to one of the largest providers of investment club accounting software, Acme Co. That's not their real name of course, but we don't want to run afoul of anyone's crack legal team, so for the purpose of this study they're Acme Co.
Acme maintains an index of the holdings of the thousands of clubs using their software, representing several tens of millions of dollars in holdings. The index is hailed by Acme as a completely scientific tool for determining how well investment clubs pick stocks. The index is weighted based on club holdings, is rebalanced monthly, and ignores trading costs such as commissions.
Now, Acme Co was not so kind as to provide a handy-dandy-graph depicting how well clubs underperformed versus the market (that would be kind of self-defeating wouldn't it), but they were kind enough to provide a daily snapshot of the value of the investment club index since its inception. Our ingenious and not a little devious programmers simply wrote a software program to record this information daily.
And what did we find? Between 2001 and 08/2007, the index underperformed the S&P 500 by 4.5% annually (again, that's before accounting for transaction costs). This abysmal performance was consistent across the entire period sampled.
Perhaps we're focusing too much on returns - maybe these investors are a risk-averse bunch investing in lower returning investments to decrease their level of portfolio risk? That would be a negatory - the monthly standard deviation on the club portfolio was 5.2%, 35% higher than the S&P 500.
Taking this one step further, if we generously assume that trading costs run somewhere around 2%/year as is in the actively-managed mutual fund industry, that brings the underperformance to somewhere around 6.5% a year…and well, that just makes me want to cry.
Implications
The only conclusion we can draw from these results is that investment clubs (and by proxy, groups of individual investors) just aren't very good at managing a portfolio. Not just the meager 2% underperformance we see from “professionally managed” mutual funds mind you, but a dizzying 6.5% kind of underperformance.
I think the implication for investors is to be careful who you toss around investment ideas with - the fine folks on that internet bulletin board may seem like a savvy bunch, but the numbers show that on average, they probably aren't. So do your due diligence and expect empirical results - not just anecdotes.
Happy Trading,
MarketSci.com
Between 2001 and 08/2007, investment clubs in our study underperformed the market by a gut wrenching 4.5% a year; and that was before accounting for commissions, taxes, and other costs of trading.
What is an investment club? An investment club is a group of individuals who pool their money and invest together. The club buys or sells based on a majority vote or some other agreed upon method. In the U.S. alone, clubs control tens of billions of dollars.
How We Performed Our Study
To perform our study we turned to one of the largest providers of investment club accounting software, Acme Co. That's not their real name of course, but we don't want to run afoul of anyone's crack legal team, so for the purpose of this study they're Acme Co.
Acme maintains an index of the holdings of the thousands of clubs using their software, representing several tens of millions of dollars in holdings. The index is hailed by Acme as a completely scientific tool for determining how well investment clubs pick stocks. The index is weighted based on club holdings, is rebalanced monthly, and ignores trading costs such as commissions.
Now, Acme Co was not so kind as to provide a handy-dandy-graph depicting how well clubs underperformed versus the market (that would be kind of self-defeating wouldn't it), but they were kind enough to provide a daily snapshot of the value of the investment club index since its inception. Our ingenious and not a little devious programmers simply wrote a software program to record this information daily.
And what did we find? Between 2001 and 08/2007, the index underperformed the S&P 500 by 4.5% annually (again, that's before accounting for transaction costs). This abysmal performance was consistent across the entire period sampled.
Perhaps we're focusing too much on returns - maybe these investors are a risk-averse bunch investing in lower returning investments to decrease their level of portfolio risk? That would be a negatory - the monthly standard deviation on the club portfolio was 5.2%, 35% higher than the S&P 500.
Taking this one step further, if we generously assume that trading costs run somewhere around 2%/year as is in the actively-managed mutual fund industry, that brings the underperformance to somewhere around 6.5% a year…and well, that just makes me want to cry.
Implications
The only conclusion we can draw from these results is that investment clubs (and by proxy, groups of individual investors) just aren't very good at managing a portfolio. Not just the meager 2% underperformance we see from “professionally managed” mutual funds mind you, but a dizzying 6.5% kind of underperformance.
I think the implication for investors is to be careful who you toss around investment ideas with - the fine folks on that internet bulletin board may seem like a savvy bunch, but the numbers show that on average, they probably aren't. So do your due diligence and expect empirical results - not just anecdotes.
Happy Trading,
MarketSci.com
Credit Card Debt Help
Most people prefer credit cards when they have to make huge amounts of payment. The issuer of credit card provides money to the users, through credit card network between the retailer and the bank. It allows the consumer to hold onto to their cash and buy on credit, at the cost of having interest charged. Debt is granted with expected repayment and interest. But debt is not easy to manage. Everyday million of consumers face credit card debt problems, and they need credit card debt help.
Credit card debt is an example of unsecured consumer debt. Debt results when a client of a credit card company acquires an item or service through the card system. Debt mounts up via interest and penalties when the consumer does not pay the company for the money he or she has spent. In credit card debt help sites there are financial experts who specialize in finding the proper form of debt help for each and every consumer, in any kind of dire financial circumstances.
People generally think that they will use their card astutely, at the end of the month they will pay it all off, and build their credit. But often quite the opposite happens. Statistics prove that in North America an average family has $12,000 of credit card debt.
Follow the simple credit card debt help tips below to help yourself out of financial crisis:
-You have to stop spending with the cards. Before you can get out of the hole, first you need to stop digging deeper.
-Make a budget. Having a budget will help you in your financial priorities, and to set them in order. While making the budget keep in mind your credit card debt payments.
-Discuss with credit card debt help services, about your credit debt problems. Try to negotiate with the credit card company on the interest rate. They often lower it as they do not want their consumers to transfer the balance to another credit card with a lower interest rate.
-It is a common though that debt consolidation is an easy way to get rid of credit card debt and other debts problems. But this is not true for all kinds of debt. If you have a personal credit card debt problem it is best to go to an expert credit card debt help service for the right information and guidance.
Credit card debt help can bring welcome relief if your credit card debt is getting beyond your personal control. When you select debt help services, do some research so that you select a bonafide company with just the right services that suit your needs.
With a good credit card debt help service you can consider making one payment with an affordable, lower interest rate instead of several payments each month, each with varying and much higher interest rates. This will help you cut down the outstanding dues by almost half as well as lower interest rates by 50%.
Debt Help Finance provides debt solutions to improve your credit ratting. Debt Help Financial marketplace connects consumers with multiple debt relief companies that compete for your business. For more information please visit Credit Card Debt Help
Martin Lukac
Credit card debt is an example of unsecured consumer debt. Debt results when a client of a credit card company acquires an item or service through the card system. Debt mounts up via interest and penalties when the consumer does not pay the company for the money he or she has spent. In credit card debt help sites there are financial experts who specialize in finding the proper form of debt help for each and every consumer, in any kind of dire financial circumstances.
People generally think that they will use their card astutely, at the end of the month they will pay it all off, and build their credit. But often quite the opposite happens. Statistics prove that in North America an average family has $12,000 of credit card debt.
Follow the simple credit card debt help tips below to help yourself out of financial crisis:
-You have to stop spending with the cards. Before you can get out of the hole, first you need to stop digging deeper.
-Make a budget. Having a budget will help you in your financial priorities, and to set them in order. While making the budget keep in mind your credit card debt payments.
-Discuss with credit card debt help services, about your credit debt problems. Try to negotiate with the credit card company on the interest rate. They often lower it as they do not want their consumers to transfer the balance to another credit card with a lower interest rate.
-It is a common though that debt consolidation is an easy way to get rid of credit card debt and other debts problems. But this is not true for all kinds of debt. If you have a personal credit card debt problem it is best to go to an expert credit card debt help service for the right information and guidance.
Credit card debt help can bring welcome relief if your credit card debt is getting beyond your personal control. When you select debt help services, do some research so that you select a bonafide company with just the right services that suit your needs.
With a good credit card debt help service you can consider making one payment with an affordable, lower interest rate instead of several payments each month, each with varying and much higher interest rates. This will help you cut down the outstanding dues by almost half as well as lower interest rates by 50%.
Debt Help Finance provides debt solutions to improve your credit ratting. Debt Help Financial marketplace connects consumers with multiple debt relief companies that compete for your business. For more information please visit Credit Card Debt Help
Martin Lukac
How To Build An Unstoppable Belief System
Why do we make the choices we do? What makes some people persevere and take risks to achieve their goals while others seem stuck or locked into an unfulfilling position for years? Here is the answer, my friend: Your beliefs shape your life and behavior!
We become what we think about, what we wish we were; and when we’re possessed by an exciting goal, we reach it. It’s as simple as that! That is why it has been said: ‘Be choosy, therefore, of what you set your heart upon. For if you want it strongly enough, you will get it.’
Goals are the very basis of any success – the definition of success itself! Yet success does not lie in the achievement of a goal, but in the journey toward that goal. We are successful as long as we are working toward something we want to bring about in our lives. That’s when the human being is at his/her best.
Being successful is not far off place. It’s even closer than we think if we have the mindset to see the opportunities to our best life. Being successful is not about making the right move every time; it’s about ‘maximizing’ those moves.
The first step in preparing for this ‘success voyage’ is believing in yourself; if you don’t think well of yourself, no one else will and you will surely miss some opportunities. So the way you feel about yourself matters and has a direct influence upon your success, which, as a result of a positive attitude, would enter your life easily and effortlessly from all around you. Wouldn’t we all like that? Just think about it!
Even though scientists have not completely figured out where thoughts come from, psychologists state that thoughts are generated by our beliefs. So, if you believe you are worthy of something, you will think thoughts to support that belief and draw it into your life.
You have to believe you deserve it, to feel worthy of success and welcome it into your life! Start making a plan, visualize it and verbalize your desire. Then, just as your thoughts and intentions call new opportunities you must be willing to act upon their arrival. Make a plan, include the necessary steps in achieving the success you desire and start moving to that direction! I know…this may imply serious changes in your daily routine, a certain amount of effort, maybe a series of things you have neither done before nor thought of. Are you getting nervous about it already? Come on! Be flexible and stay open, for as long as you believe you can do it, you will. You might even discover that your plans have been too small and life has something better in store for you. You are entitled to adjust your plan to the newly-encountered situation. Think even bigger! You know you are worthy of what you desire.
The feeling of worth is one of the foundations of a worthy self-esteem. When you feel you are worthy, you believe it is your right to be happy and get the reward that you deserve for your efforts. When your self worth is low, you may believe that you are not entitled to what is on offer and you may walk away from a life-changing opportunity and even let other people take advantage of you unfairly.
Self worth is a positive thing, which, of course, does not mean we are superior to other people and they must be eliminated from the competition of life. It is inwardly focused on us, it means we respect ourselves and deserve the respect of others, it means that our happiness or fulfillment is worth pursuing.
When you start believing in your potential, you can clearly get that vision of your future in the shape you really want it to be, because you know you deserve it, you are worthy of what’s best in this life.
You might ask yourselves: ‘How the heck are we supposed to get to believe we are worthy?’ Hello!... It is not quite a difficult process. We must simply start by doing the exercise called "You are worthy of success". Write down a few things that you are either grateful for or proud of. They don’t have to be very big things, you may not have had the opportunity of proving to the world how special you are just yet, but you know it, you know there have been some moments in your life when you felt proud of something you said or did that reflected in other people’s eyes and those moments meant something to you and to others. Then think of other moments when you felt grateful for something that life (or somebody) had just offered you and - I assure you - they were not just ‘accidents’, you really deserved them, they were not gifts, but rewards for being yourself, saying or doing what you did.
With this ‘powerful’ list in your mind you will become aware of your value as a human being and start thinking even further and trying yourself much more, for the more you believe in yourself the more you are likely to prove you can do!
Looking back to the history of mankind, to the greatest leaders of nations who climbed the highest peaks that mortals could, we can draw this one very sane conclusion: They could not have achieved their goals in life unless they had strongly believed in their power to change things, to reach certain levels, unless they had seen themselves worthy of what they desired, worthy of success. You don’t have to be a leader to think big and move mountains for the sake of mankind; you must only think of yourself and what is best for you; set the appropriate goals ahead of you and start pursuing those goals believing that you can do IT! If you believe it, it will be!
To sum up, there are some basic elements that lead to the desired outcome: You, your plan or path, the actions and behavior and the goal itself.
The belief you will develop around each element will form a winning belief system that will empower you in achieving anything you really want in life. This is how to build unstoppable confidence and self-esteem. When we talk about the Law of Attraction, it all comes down to beliefs. When we talk about dreams, goals, independence, freedom, it all comes down to beliefs. If you truly believe in yourself, you can do ANYTHING!
Sam Santiago
We become what we think about, what we wish we were; and when we’re possessed by an exciting goal, we reach it. It’s as simple as that! That is why it has been said: ‘Be choosy, therefore, of what you set your heart upon. For if you want it strongly enough, you will get it.’
Goals are the very basis of any success – the definition of success itself! Yet success does not lie in the achievement of a goal, but in the journey toward that goal. We are successful as long as we are working toward something we want to bring about in our lives. That’s when the human being is at his/her best.
Being successful is not far off place. It’s even closer than we think if we have the mindset to see the opportunities to our best life. Being successful is not about making the right move every time; it’s about ‘maximizing’ those moves.
The first step in preparing for this ‘success voyage’ is believing in yourself; if you don’t think well of yourself, no one else will and you will surely miss some opportunities. So the way you feel about yourself matters and has a direct influence upon your success, which, as a result of a positive attitude, would enter your life easily and effortlessly from all around you. Wouldn’t we all like that? Just think about it!
Even though scientists have not completely figured out where thoughts come from, psychologists state that thoughts are generated by our beliefs. So, if you believe you are worthy of something, you will think thoughts to support that belief and draw it into your life.
You have to believe you deserve it, to feel worthy of success and welcome it into your life! Start making a plan, visualize it and verbalize your desire. Then, just as your thoughts and intentions call new opportunities you must be willing to act upon their arrival. Make a plan, include the necessary steps in achieving the success you desire and start moving to that direction! I know…this may imply serious changes in your daily routine, a certain amount of effort, maybe a series of things you have neither done before nor thought of. Are you getting nervous about it already? Come on! Be flexible and stay open, for as long as you believe you can do it, you will. You might even discover that your plans have been too small and life has something better in store for you. You are entitled to adjust your plan to the newly-encountered situation. Think even bigger! You know you are worthy of what you desire.
The feeling of worth is one of the foundations of a worthy self-esteem. When you feel you are worthy, you believe it is your right to be happy and get the reward that you deserve for your efforts. When your self worth is low, you may believe that you are not entitled to what is on offer and you may walk away from a life-changing opportunity and even let other people take advantage of you unfairly.
Self worth is a positive thing, which, of course, does not mean we are superior to other people and they must be eliminated from the competition of life. It is inwardly focused on us, it means we respect ourselves and deserve the respect of others, it means that our happiness or fulfillment is worth pursuing.
When you start believing in your potential, you can clearly get that vision of your future in the shape you really want it to be, because you know you deserve it, you are worthy of what’s best in this life.
You might ask yourselves: ‘How the heck are we supposed to get to believe we are worthy?’ Hello!... It is not quite a difficult process. We must simply start by doing the exercise called "You are worthy of success". Write down a few things that you are either grateful for or proud of. They don’t have to be very big things, you may not have had the opportunity of proving to the world how special you are just yet, but you know it, you know there have been some moments in your life when you felt proud of something you said or did that reflected in other people’s eyes and those moments meant something to you and to others. Then think of other moments when you felt grateful for something that life (or somebody) had just offered you and - I assure you - they were not just ‘accidents’, you really deserved them, they were not gifts, but rewards for being yourself, saying or doing what you did.
With this ‘powerful’ list in your mind you will become aware of your value as a human being and start thinking even further and trying yourself much more, for the more you believe in yourself the more you are likely to prove you can do!
Looking back to the history of mankind, to the greatest leaders of nations who climbed the highest peaks that mortals could, we can draw this one very sane conclusion: They could not have achieved their goals in life unless they had strongly believed in their power to change things, to reach certain levels, unless they had seen themselves worthy of what they desired, worthy of success. You don’t have to be a leader to think big and move mountains for the sake of mankind; you must only think of yourself and what is best for you; set the appropriate goals ahead of you and start pursuing those goals believing that you can do IT! If you believe it, it will be!
To sum up, there are some basic elements that lead to the desired outcome: You, your plan or path, the actions and behavior and the goal itself.
The belief you will develop around each element will form a winning belief system that will empower you in achieving anything you really want in life. This is how to build unstoppable confidence and self-esteem. When we talk about the Law of Attraction, it all comes down to beliefs. When we talk about dreams, goals, independence, freedom, it all comes down to beliefs. If you truly believe in yourself, you can do ANYTHING!
Sam Santiago
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Simple Ways To Relieving Stress And Anxiety In Our Lives
Why are we so stressed, why are we so full of anxiety these days? Is there so much pressure on us these days that we have to conform to every one else in society that we have forgotten who we are as people and that we have forgotten what we want in our life.It seems life of today is just one big competition of keeping up with the ego.
The media of today are always throwing so many ads on TV on how you can get this great car, stereo, Plasma TV, house, house extension or just more money and buy what you want for this interest free period and how easy it is to get ourselves into more debt. Then there’s more stress and anxiety in our lives because of debt.
People of today have forgotten how to think for themselves, they spend so much time in front of the TV that they don’t have to think, it’s all put in front of them. There are so many subliminal messages coming from the TV. Go do a search on subliminal messages on the TV; you would be surprised on how you are being programmed. Do you want to be programmed?
How about giving up TV all together. I gave up TV 4 years ago now and don’t miss it at all. I gave up newspapers and radio. Now I don’t have the media portraying to me how I feel today I make the decision how I feel today. People ask me but how do you know what’s going in the world? If I really want to know I can look it up on the internet and I read the story for myself, you always know what’s going on around the world but you know what you want to know not what the media thinks you should know. Yes we do have choices and options in this world and if we are in control of what is being fed to our brains then the less anxiety and stress we are going to have in our lives because we are taking control. Wouldn’t it be an interesting concept that if we had a no TV for a week campaign.
So what do you do instead of TV, how about some music, think about it, when one of your favorite songs come on the radio how do you feel, you feel great and you smile. Then there are other songs that can make you feel sad. So if music can do that to you what is TV doing to you. So for a week try playing all your favorite music every night for a week, play music that is relaxing while you unwind from work and eat your dinner don’t watch the news.
Then after dinner you can play high vibration music and turn it up loud let the music vibrate through your body dance around the house and sing, the worst that can happen while you’re doing this is you will probably let go, let go of what? Well that’s it isn’t? Let go of all that doesn’t really matter anyway and you will feel good again and that’s what is important it’s about you not anyone else. Learn to let go it’s the only way to go in getting rid of stress and anxiety in your life.
This article was written by Cynthia Kerry for more information on how to conquer anxiety in your life and a list of high vibration music you can play to let go: http://www.anxiety.guide-7.com
Cynthia Kerry
The media of today are always throwing so many ads on TV on how you can get this great car, stereo, Plasma TV, house, house extension or just more money and buy what you want for this interest free period and how easy it is to get ourselves into more debt. Then there’s more stress and anxiety in our lives because of debt.
People of today have forgotten how to think for themselves, they spend so much time in front of the TV that they don’t have to think, it’s all put in front of them. There are so many subliminal messages coming from the TV. Go do a search on subliminal messages on the TV; you would be surprised on how you are being programmed. Do you want to be programmed?
How about giving up TV all together. I gave up TV 4 years ago now and don’t miss it at all. I gave up newspapers and radio. Now I don’t have the media portraying to me how I feel today I make the decision how I feel today. People ask me but how do you know what’s going in the world? If I really want to know I can look it up on the internet and I read the story for myself, you always know what’s going on around the world but you know what you want to know not what the media thinks you should know. Yes we do have choices and options in this world and if we are in control of what is being fed to our brains then the less anxiety and stress we are going to have in our lives because we are taking control. Wouldn’t it be an interesting concept that if we had a no TV for a week campaign.
So what do you do instead of TV, how about some music, think about it, when one of your favorite songs come on the radio how do you feel, you feel great and you smile. Then there are other songs that can make you feel sad. So if music can do that to you what is TV doing to you. So for a week try playing all your favorite music every night for a week, play music that is relaxing while you unwind from work and eat your dinner don’t watch the news.
Then after dinner you can play high vibration music and turn it up loud let the music vibrate through your body dance around the house and sing, the worst that can happen while you’re doing this is you will probably let go, let go of what? Well that’s it isn’t? Let go of all that doesn’t really matter anyway and you will feel good again and that’s what is important it’s about you not anyone else. Learn to let go it’s the only way to go in getting rid of stress and anxiety in your life.
This article was written by Cynthia Kerry for more information on how to conquer anxiety in your life and a list of high vibration music you can play to let go: http://www.anxiety.guide-7.com
Cynthia Kerry
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Mind Fitness, A Healthy Emotional Life
As you can assume, your mind is a powerful tool and it helps you through each step of your day. It controls the way that you perform each action, the way that you see life and it controls all of those little things like breathing and your heart pumping that you don't think about.
Yet, there are many ways that your mind's fitness may not be the right level that it should be. In fact, for many people living in today's hectic lifestyle, it's anything but easy to make it through the day without dealing with some type of stress or pressure.
The mind's health is quite an important aspect and, believe it or not, plays a significant role in the quality of life and the longevity that you have in your life. When you are emotionally or mentally unfit, your body's health is directly related.
There are many different ways that this can happen, including the simple fact that you may have to battle illnesses more often and with greater intensity.
Although you may be wondering just how you can control your minds fitness, the good news is that this can be one of the easier steps to take in total health and wellness if you allow it to be.
Let's get started by learning what exactly is healthy and what may not be the best choice for your overall health and well being.
What's Healthy for Mind Fitness?
For your mind to be in a healthy state, several key things must play a role. First, you need to be fully capable of thinking clearly; performing mental tasks and you need to be able to conquer problems effectively. In addition, you need to tame those other things that happen throughout your life that limit you or otherwise affect the quality of your mind and lifestyle.
A Healthy Brain
With the onset of Alzheimer happening to more and more people, the importance of having a healthy brain is very evident. Whether or not you can stop this disease or other debilitating diseases from happening to you is yet to be seen, there is evidence that says that you can actually push off the onset by some time if you do the right things.
For this particular battle, you need to exercise your mind. Keeping your mind active, challenged and attentive is essential to your well being and this fight.
Emotional Health
Another aspect that you probably don't want to talk about is that of emotional well being. While life affects each one of us, the way that you handle the problems that happen to fall into your lap are critical in maintaining a healthy life. For example, should something emotionally troubling happen to you, such as a death or deception, you need to be able to effectively deal with it and then to move on.
Emotional health is an important battle that everyone must strive to improve. There are many various ways that you can improve your emotional state by learning how to react to critical situations. Indeed, the right social activity is one way to improve your emotional health.
Stress Management
Yet another factor that plays a significant role in the well being of your mind is that of stress. Not only does it pull you down through causing large amounts of emotional trauma, but it also causes all types of physical problems for those struggling with it. It can lead to various health issues physically, too.
While you can't take away everything in your life that causes stress, learning to effectively manage stress is important. It can help you to tackle even challenging tasks with more ease and with success. Sometimes it may be important to remove the stress from your life, but that's not a common occurrence.
Spiritual Well Being
Spiritual well being is yet another consideration that you need to take. While there isn't always a need to be religious or spiritual, it can often play a role in the way that you see your life as well as in your emotional state of mind. For those that do believe in a Higher Power, the need for spiritual well being is even more evident because it places a significant role in your self esteem and your outlook on your own life.
Spiritual well being is a critical factor in maintaining your health, too. Those that are spiritually fit, feel good about themselves which allows them to be more likely to improve and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
This is a personal decision, of course, but aren't all of these aspects of fitness personal decisions that you need to commit to? Spiritual health is something to think about.
Codant Wright is an author writing on Fitness and Exercise Visit my website and get my Free Brand New 5 Part Fitness Ecourse at http://www.best-fitness.info
Codant Wright
Yet, there are many ways that your mind's fitness may not be the right level that it should be. In fact, for many people living in today's hectic lifestyle, it's anything but easy to make it through the day without dealing with some type of stress or pressure.
The mind's health is quite an important aspect and, believe it or not, plays a significant role in the quality of life and the longevity that you have in your life. When you are emotionally or mentally unfit, your body's health is directly related.
There are many different ways that this can happen, including the simple fact that you may have to battle illnesses more often and with greater intensity.
Although you may be wondering just how you can control your minds fitness, the good news is that this can be one of the easier steps to take in total health and wellness if you allow it to be.
Let's get started by learning what exactly is healthy and what may not be the best choice for your overall health and well being.
What's Healthy for Mind Fitness?
For your mind to be in a healthy state, several key things must play a role. First, you need to be fully capable of thinking clearly; performing mental tasks and you need to be able to conquer problems effectively. In addition, you need to tame those other things that happen throughout your life that limit you or otherwise affect the quality of your mind and lifestyle.
A Healthy Brain
With the onset of Alzheimer happening to more and more people, the importance of having a healthy brain is very evident. Whether or not you can stop this disease or other debilitating diseases from happening to you is yet to be seen, there is evidence that says that you can actually push off the onset by some time if you do the right things.
For this particular battle, you need to exercise your mind. Keeping your mind active, challenged and attentive is essential to your well being and this fight.
Emotional Health
Another aspect that you probably don't want to talk about is that of emotional well being. While life affects each one of us, the way that you handle the problems that happen to fall into your lap are critical in maintaining a healthy life. For example, should something emotionally troubling happen to you, such as a death or deception, you need to be able to effectively deal with it and then to move on.
Emotional health is an important battle that everyone must strive to improve. There are many various ways that you can improve your emotional state by learning how to react to critical situations. Indeed, the right social activity is one way to improve your emotional health.
Stress Management
Yet another factor that plays a significant role in the well being of your mind is that of stress. Not only does it pull you down through causing large amounts of emotional trauma, but it also causes all types of physical problems for those struggling with it. It can lead to various health issues physically, too.
While you can't take away everything in your life that causes stress, learning to effectively manage stress is important. It can help you to tackle even challenging tasks with more ease and with success. Sometimes it may be important to remove the stress from your life, but that's not a common occurrence.
Spiritual Well Being
Spiritual well being is yet another consideration that you need to take. While there isn't always a need to be religious or spiritual, it can often play a role in the way that you see your life as well as in your emotional state of mind. For those that do believe in a Higher Power, the need for spiritual well being is even more evident because it places a significant role in your self esteem and your outlook on your own life.
Spiritual well being is a critical factor in maintaining your health, too. Those that are spiritually fit, feel good about themselves which allows them to be more likely to improve and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
This is a personal decision, of course, but aren't all of these aspects of fitness personal decisions that you need to commit to? Spiritual health is something to think about.
Codant Wright is an author writing on Fitness and Exercise Visit my website and get my Free Brand New 5 Part Fitness Ecourse at http://www.best-fitness.info
Codant Wright
Mind Power - How To Increase Your Mind Power
How can I increase mind power? Well, the answer is simple. In the previous articles, I've talked about this, but let me summarize this now in to make it easy for you. So, now you have it! You know what to do to make your lifestyle improved through these changes. Here's a quick look at the changes that you can make today that will increase your mind's power later and throughout your life.
Improve your stress levels and see physical, mental and emotional benefits right away. Relieve your stress by doing something that you love. For example, I love writing, thus when I get stressed I will write some articles to release stress.
Improve your social network to reduce stress and to improve your quality of life. It also helps to make it through difficult times when you have someone by your side. Don't keep your problem kept within yourself. Find friends to talk to about your problem.
Improve your brain's fitness by challenging it through new adventures, continuous learning and through challenges of all types.
Do things that are enjoyable to you. If you can't think of anything, learn something new. New adventures coupled with doing them with those that you love make life better and help to improve your mental fitness.
Keep your self esteem positive. Working on this is hard, but feeling good about yourself is a must for overall health. Think positively! Get positive affirmation, such as "I am competent", "I can succeed", and "I will be able to do well today".
By doing these things it will significantly improve the fitness that your mind has physically and emotionally. The good news is that you can change the outcome of your day by just making the right decisions on the way to look at challenges during the day. Procrastination is a bad thing you should avoid. Make changes like these today and see results today.
Codant Wright is an author writing on Fitness and Exercise. Visit my website and get my Free Brand New 5 Part Fitness Ecourse at http://www.best-fitness.info
Improve your stress levels and see physical, mental and emotional benefits right away. Relieve your stress by doing something that you love. For example, I love writing, thus when I get stressed I will write some articles to release stress.
Improve your social network to reduce stress and to improve your quality of life. It also helps to make it through difficult times when you have someone by your side. Don't keep your problem kept within yourself. Find friends to talk to about your problem.
Improve your brain's fitness by challenging it through new adventures, continuous learning and through challenges of all types.
Do things that are enjoyable to you. If you can't think of anything, learn something new. New adventures coupled with doing them with those that you love make life better and help to improve your mental fitness.
Keep your self esteem positive. Working on this is hard, but feeling good about yourself is a must for overall health. Think positively! Get positive affirmation, such as "I am competent", "I can succeed", and "I will be able to do well today".
By doing these things it will significantly improve the fitness that your mind has physically and emotionally. The good news is that you can change the outcome of your day by just making the right decisions on the way to look at challenges during the day. Procrastination is a bad thing you should avoid. Make changes like these today and see results today.
Codant Wright is an author writing on Fitness and Exercise. Visit my website and get my Free Brand New 5 Part Fitness Ecourse at http://www.best-fitness.info
Tips for Winsor Pilates at Home
Busy lives and hectic work schedules can often conflict with our personal fitness goals. This is common regardless of the type of exercise you are trying to do on a continuous basis. One of the best options you have is to seek out a way you can do your exercises at home without having to set aside a specific time for your exercise constantly. While regular exercise is important some schedules do not allow this exercise to always fit into the same time slot conveniently.
This need for flexibility has created an entire industry that is designed to help people bring Winsor Pilates to their home or place of work or where ever they are able to exercise to help ensure they stay in the best shape possible without losing ground that they have accomplished through hard work. With mats as well as Reformers available that can be used in the home there is virtually no excuse for not doing your Winsor Pilates at home now.
If you are interested in doing Winsor Pilates at home then it is highly advisable that you take at least 2 Pilates classes at a local gym or club to help you really grasp the ideas of the exercises as well as get a good feel for the breathing techniques. If you do not try have the ability to take continuous classes at a studio then you are one of many, but having at least a couple of classes under you will make it easier to build your skills and really help you accomplish your fitness goals.
You should also ensure you are working with the best equipment possible in your home. If you are most interested in the mat techniques of Winsor Pilates then you should ensure you have a good mat available to use, this also applies to the Reformer methods. With many models available in affordable options for personal use it is possible to never be far away from your exercise.
As you can imagine Winsor Pilates at home is going to be a much cheaper option than taking classes continuously at a studio, club or a gym. Just ensure if you become stuck you seek out a class to help increase your motivation again so you can continue making progress towards your fitness goals without becoming stuck for very long. Seek out a friend you can team up with to help encourage each other so you do not start to slack. With work and effort most people are very happy with the results of Winsor Pilates regardless of where they practice at.
Chris Wight is a health and fitness enthusiast who has done everything from weight lifting to kung fu. You can learn more about Winsor Pilates at his site http://www.winsorpilatessource.com
Chris Wight
This need for flexibility has created an entire industry that is designed to help people bring Winsor Pilates to their home or place of work or where ever they are able to exercise to help ensure they stay in the best shape possible without losing ground that they have accomplished through hard work. With mats as well as Reformers available that can be used in the home there is virtually no excuse for not doing your Winsor Pilates at home now.
If you are interested in doing Winsor Pilates at home then it is highly advisable that you take at least 2 Pilates classes at a local gym or club to help you really grasp the ideas of the exercises as well as get a good feel for the breathing techniques. If you do not try have the ability to take continuous classes at a studio then you are one of many, but having at least a couple of classes under you will make it easier to build your skills and really help you accomplish your fitness goals.
You should also ensure you are working with the best equipment possible in your home. If you are most interested in the mat techniques of Winsor Pilates then you should ensure you have a good mat available to use, this also applies to the Reformer methods. With many models available in affordable options for personal use it is possible to never be far away from your exercise.
As you can imagine Winsor Pilates at home is going to be a much cheaper option than taking classes continuously at a studio, club or a gym. Just ensure if you become stuck you seek out a class to help increase your motivation again so you can continue making progress towards your fitness goals without becoming stuck for very long. Seek out a friend you can team up with to help encourage each other so you do not start to slack. With work and effort most people are very happy with the results of Winsor Pilates regardless of where they practice at.
Chris Wight is a health and fitness enthusiast who has done everything from weight lifting to kung fu. You can learn more about Winsor Pilates at his site http://www.winsorpilatessource.com
Chris Wight
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Merle Norman Cosmetics - I Finally Found Gold!
I'm nearly 50 years old and for 30 some odd years I've looked, or should I say, 'hunted' foundation that would at the very least, calm my oily skin. Well... just about a month ago I went into Merle Norman and for the first time, somewhat opened up to the consultant on duty... Ok, I poured my heart out, begging her to help me! She was so sweet and calmly took me to the Luxiva Lasting (liquid) Foundation. We picked out a shade and even though I just couldn't see it being any different than the thousands of other brands I've tried, I thought... ok... I can do this. I can take this girl's word, take it home and since they have a money back guarantee, hey, what did I have to loose? She also talked me into their new Pure Mineral Make-up, which I liked since it was in a powder form and could sop up any oil that the liquid foundation she talked me into would create.
Well, I'm delighted, elated, over the roof excited to report that it works! For the first time in my life I have not been running to the powder room every hour to take toilet paper or the nearest tissue to remove the oil coming from my gigantic pores that I inherited! Now I live in Florida, where the humidity alone could make you think I'd been swimming in the middle of the day by the wet clothes, hair and body... But this line has saved my face! (Everything else needs a good drying down, but that's another story)!
And oh, did I tell you, she gave me some of their clay mask and I've got to tell you, my blackheads are nearly gone! Yes, my skin was a mess! Anyway, I'll be going back for that mask and I'll be a faithful follower of Merle Norman from now on. At least until some 'man' comes in and changes the formula. (Don't you just hate it when companies do that? I figure it's just GOT to be men who don't use the product that make all those stupid changes to your favorites!)
A great big "kudos" to Merle Norman! Thank you!
Deborah Sheehy
Well, I'm delighted, elated, over the roof excited to report that it works! For the first time in my life I have not been running to the powder room every hour to take toilet paper or the nearest tissue to remove the oil coming from my gigantic pores that I inherited! Now I live in Florida, where the humidity alone could make you think I'd been swimming in the middle of the day by the wet clothes, hair and body... But this line has saved my face! (Everything else needs a good drying down, but that's another story)!
And oh, did I tell you, she gave me some of their clay mask and I've got to tell you, my blackheads are nearly gone! Yes, my skin was a mess! Anyway, I'll be going back for that mask and I'll be a faithful follower of Merle Norman from now on. At least until some 'man' comes in and changes the formula. (Don't you just hate it when companies do that? I figure it's just GOT to be men who don't use the product that make all those stupid changes to your favorites!)
A great big "kudos" to Merle Norman! Thank you!
Deborah Sheehy
A Home Remedy for a Sinus Infection
The sinuses are actually a wonderful thing. Not only do they stand between the bacteria and germ filled air outside and out lungs, but they also help to shape the way our faces look, as well as the way our voice sounds. They are a wonderful creating that we should be thankful for. I have to admit, though, that it is hard to be thankful when you are suffering from a sinus infection. I have had problems with my sinuses for most of my life that was caused by allergies and weather patterns, but from time to time I would get a sinus infection so I started to look for a home remedy for a sinus infection and I found something that helped me with all of my sinus trouble.
The thing that helped me the most was the use of nasal irrigation. I bought a Neti pot and used it on a regular basis. Although I wasn't too fond of the idea right away, after I got the hang of it there were some great benefits. I felt less cloudy in the mornings, seemed to breath better and my sinus problems were much easier to deal with. The key, for me, was to get the right mixture of salt and water so that it did not burn at all. Another thing that many people have used, and this seems to help with so many different things, is to take a couple of spoonfuls of apple cider vinegar every day. Some people would put it in a cup of water and sip it throughout the day, and others would just go ahead and get it over with all at one time, but a few people that I have heard of said that they saw some good results from using this method.
Stop your sinus infections quickly and naturally without the use of steroids or drug store potions that just leave you feeling drained. Download our special report at http://www.stop-sinus-infection.info/
The thing that helped me the most was the use of nasal irrigation. I bought a Neti pot and used it on a regular basis. Although I wasn't too fond of the idea right away, after I got the hang of it there were some great benefits. I felt less cloudy in the mornings, seemed to breath better and my sinus problems were much easier to deal with. The key, for me, was to get the right mixture of salt and water so that it did not burn at all. Another thing that many people have used, and this seems to help with so many different things, is to take a couple of spoonfuls of apple cider vinegar every day. Some people would put it in a cup of water and sip it throughout the day, and others would just go ahead and get it over with all at one time, but a few people that I have heard of said that they saw some good results from using this method.
Stop your sinus infections quickly and naturally without the use of steroids or drug store potions that just leave you feeling drained. Download our special report at http://www.stop-sinus-infection.info/
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Ad growth for AOL called vital to a remake
Just over a year ago, AOL unveiled a radical plan to remake itself into a business built on advertising from one driven by Internet access subscriptions.
To a great extent, AOL had little choice in the matter. Customers were rapidly deserting its once-lucrative dial-up access service, and retaining them was costly.
The new plan certainly seemed to make sense. With the advertising business growing rapidly across the Web, AOL appeared to be in an ideal place to capitalize on that trend. It remains, after all, one of the most popular online destinations, with more than 90 million people visiting its sites in a month.
But a precipitous slowdown in advertising growth has raised new questions about AOL's transformation plans. AOL executives say the slowdown is probably temporary, but Richard D. Parsons, chief executive of Time Warner, which owns 95 percent of AOL, said this month that he no longer expected AOL's ad growth to match or exceed the overall growth rate of online advertising. The company's challenges highlight one of the quirks of today's Internet market. As advertising is moving from offline media to the Internet at a rapid clip, portals, which command some of the biggest audiences online, should be among the top beneficiaries. Instead, the travails of the mass market portals like AOL, as well as Yahoo and Microsoft, indicate a decline in power.
Online advertising in the United States is expected to increase 28.5 percent this year, according to eMarketer, a research firm. AOL's ad revenue increased 16 percent in the last quarter after gaining 40 percent in the previous quarter. Revenue at Yahoo, the No. 1 Internet portal, rose 8 percent in the latest quarter.
Part of the challenge for portals is that people are starting to approach the Internet in a different way. A new generation of Web users has grown increasingly adept at finding what it wants online and is less reliant on portals for guidance. What is more, younger audiences are spending more time on social networking sites and less time on traditional Internet portals. "Just like Yahoo, AOL is fighting MySpace, Facebook and others for audience and ad dollars, and those are tough competitors," said Jordan Rohan, an analyst with RBC Capital Markets.
Social-networking sites are not the only culprits. Thousands of smaller Web sites, like blogs, news collectors and niche content sites, are also attracting growing numbers of Internet users and advertisers.
AOL knows all this. It may even have been the first among the major portals to recognize this trend. In 2004, it bought Advertising.com, a network that collects ad space from across the Web and sells it to marketers, giving them a way to reach the Web's increasingly fragmented audience.
Since then, Yahoo, Microsoft and Google have all invested significantly to remake themselves into companies that not only sell advertising on their own sites, but also help sell or broker ads across the Web. And AOL has sought to further the success of Advertising.com by buying a string of online advertising companies.
Advertising.com is now AOL's fastest growing unit. "The brand that we build around Advertising.com might become more important than the AOL brand itself," said Randy Falco, AOL's chief executive.
Falco and other AOL executives reject any notion that their turnaround plan is in trouble. They say the slowdown in advertising growth in the most recent quarter was tied to specific events, including redesigns of several of the portal's channels and a change in the way it displays search results.
"In the first six months of the year, we have accomplished more in terms of a turnaround, in terms of fixing products and the platform, than in the past three years," Falco said.
Falco, a longtime NBC Universal executive who took the top job at AOL in December, said the company was systematically revamping its channels and services. It has redesigned many of its pages and embarked on an expansion into 14 countries.
AOL plans to re-engineer its site so users can choose various channels and services they like and include them in their blogs, personalized home pages or favorite social networking sites.
"We are not trying to build yesterday's portal," said Ron Grant, AOL's president. "We are trying to build a network of sites that users can combine or do whatever they are most comfortable with."
The efforts are beginning to pay off, AOL executives said, noting that page views have increased 4 percent in the second quarter from the first.
Now on News.com
Goals lead to Dell cooking the books
Lyrics sites out of tune with copyrights
The Internet's new Dr. Spock?
Extra: How to hack Starbucks Not all changes have been well received. After an earlier executive team devised an innovative way to display AOL search results, which are powered by Google, Grant and Falco decided to roll back the changes and mimic Google's presentation of 10 links on a page. The decision led to defections.
John McKinley, the former president of AOL Digital Services, thought the imitation would serve to dilute the AOL brand. "Over time, the average consumer is going to develop more of a tendency to just go to Google.com directly," he wrote in his blog. Grant defended the decision, saying the change to the Google-like results stopped a decline in the use of AOL's search service.
AOL's revamping has focused not only on consumers but also on its advertisers. Advertising executives say that for the first time in years, AOL's customized ad packages are competitive with those of Google, Microsoft and Yahoo.
None of the improvements has been able to prevent the recent slowdown in growth at AOL. Gordon Hodge, an analyst with Thomas Weisel Partners, said that if the slowdown continues, it could spell trouble for AOL's turnaround plan. "I think the dial-up subscriber losses and profit losses could overwhelm the gains they could make from advertising," he said.
Louise Story contributed reporting from New York.
Entire contents, Copyright © 2007 The New York Times. All rights reserved.
To a great extent, AOL had little choice in the matter. Customers were rapidly deserting its once-lucrative dial-up access service, and retaining them was costly.
The new plan certainly seemed to make sense. With the advertising business growing rapidly across the Web, AOL appeared to be in an ideal place to capitalize on that trend. It remains, after all, one of the most popular online destinations, with more than 90 million people visiting its sites in a month.
But a precipitous slowdown in advertising growth has raised new questions about AOL's transformation plans. AOL executives say the slowdown is probably temporary, but Richard D. Parsons, chief executive of Time Warner, which owns 95 percent of AOL, said this month that he no longer expected AOL's ad growth to match or exceed the overall growth rate of online advertising. The company's challenges highlight one of the quirks of today's Internet market. As advertising is moving from offline media to the Internet at a rapid clip, portals, which command some of the biggest audiences online, should be among the top beneficiaries. Instead, the travails of the mass market portals like AOL, as well as Yahoo and Microsoft, indicate a decline in power.
Online advertising in the United States is expected to increase 28.5 percent this year, according to eMarketer, a research firm. AOL's ad revenue increased 16 percent in the last quarter after gaining 40 percent in the previous quarter. Revenue at Yahoo, the No. 1 Internet portal, rose 8 percent in the latest quarter.
Part of the challenge for portals is that people are starting to approach the Internet in a different way. A new generation of Web users has grown increasingly adept at finding what it wants online and is less reliant on portals for guidance. What is more, younger audiences are spending more time on social networking sites and less time on traditional Internet portals. "Just like Yahoo, AOL is fighting MySpace, Facebook and others for audience and ad dollars, and those are tough competitors," said Jordan Rohan, an analyst with RBC Capital Markets.
Social-networking sites are not the only culprits. Thousands of smaller Web sites, like blogs, news collectors and niche content sites, are also attracting growing numbers of Internet users and advertisers.
AOL knows all this. It may even have been the first among the major portals to recognize this trend. In 2004, it bought Advertising.com, a network that collects ad space from across the Web and sells it to marketers, giving them a way to reach the Web's increasingly fragmented audience.
Since then, Yahoo, Microsoft and Google have all invested significantly to remake themselves into companies that not only sell advertising on their own sites, but also help sell or broker ads across the Web. And AOL has sought to further the success of Advertising.com by buying a string of online advertising companies.
Advertising.com is now AOL's fastest growing unit. "The brand that we build around Advertising.com might become more important than the AOL brand itself," said Randy Falco, AOL's chief executive.
Falco and other AOL executives reject any notion that their turnaround plan is in trouble. They say the slowdown in advertising growth in the most recent quarter was tied to specific events, including redesigns of several of the portal's channels and a change in the way it displays search results.
"In the first six months of the year, we have accomplished more in terms of a turnaround, in terms of fixing products and the platform, than in the past three years," Falco said.
Falco, a longtime NBC Universal executive who took the top job at AOL in December, said the company was systematically revamping its channels and services. It has redesigned many of its pages and embarked on an expansion into 14 countries.
AOL plans to re-engineer its site so users can choose various channels and services they like and include them in their blogs, personalized home pages or favorite social networking sites.
"We are not trying to build yesterday's portal," said Ron Grant, AOL's president. "We are trying to build a network of sites that users can combine or do whatever they are most comfortable with."
The efforts are beginning to pay off, AOL executives said, noting that page views have increased 4 percent in the second quarter from the first.
Now on News.com
Goals lead to Dell cooking the books
Lyrics sites out of tune with copyrights
The Internet's new Dr. Spock?
Extra: How to hack Starbucks Not all changes have been well received. After an earlier executive team devised an innovative way to display AOL search results, which are powered by Google, Grant and Falco decided to roll back the changes and mimic Google's presentation of 10 links on a page. The decision led to defections.
John McKinley, the former president of AOL Digital Services, thought the imitation would serve to dilute the AOL brand. "Over time, the average consumer is going to develop more of a tendency to just go to Google.com directly," he wrote in his blog. Grant defended the decision, saying the change to the Google-like results stopped a decline in the use of AOL's search service.
AOL's revamping has focused not only on consumers but also on its advertisers. Advertising executives say that for the first time in years, AOL's customized ad packages are competitive with those of Google, Microsoft and Yahoo.
None of the improvements has been able to prevent the recent slowdown in growth at AOL. Gordon Hodge, an analyst with Thomas Weisel Partners, said that if the slowdown continues, it could spell trouble for AOL's turnaround plan. "I think the dial-up subscriber losses and profit losses could overwhelm the gains they could make from advertising," he said.
Louise Story contributed reporting from New York.
Entire contents, Copyright © 2007 The New York Times. All rights reserved.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Gastric Bypass Methods Of Today
With the popularity today’s media has placed on physical fitness and the beauty of those who are physically fit, gastric bypass surgery has gained popularity as a solution for obesity, especially morbid obesity.
While there are two primary methodologies within the world of gastric bypass surgery, the original method, called the “loop” method. Having been practiced in the 1960s, this method is now commonly avoided because of better advances in research and medicine. Right now, the most common gastric bypass method is known as the Proximal, or Roux en-Y system.
As with any gastric bypass method, with Proximal, or Roux en-Y gastric bypass surgery, food intake is significantly restricted due to the mechanical limitations of the stomach.
With this surgery, a small pouch of a stomach is created and essentially closed off from the rest of the stomach. As you take in food, it moves into this tiny pouch and then on to the ‘Roux limb’ of the small bowel which is created during surgery. This allows the food to bypass the rest of the stomach and the first part of the small intestine. With this re-routing of the intestinal tract, the body is unable to absorb as many calories as previously done. This allows the body to lose weight at a rapid pace.
Finally, the remaining gastric bypass method is known as the biliopancreatic diversion. This method is used less frequently and is rather complicated. With the biliopancreatic diversion , portions of the stomach are literally removed from the GI tract. A tiny pouch of remaining stomach is then directly connected to the end section of the small bowel. Since this method bypasses the remaining intestine there are less calories absorbed and weight loss occurs.
The gastric bypass methods used today are important advances in the field of surgical medicine and have helped thousands of people who previously suffered with obesity to lose the weight with which they struggled for years. No, it is not a quick fix, but in some cases, the gastric bypass methods are life-saving alternatives to continuing to haul around the excess pounds.
Jeff Foster
While there are two primary methodologies within the world of gastric bypass surgery, the original method, called the “loop” method. Having been practiced in the 1960s, this method is now commonly avoided because of better advances in research and medicine. Right now, the most common gastric bypass method is known as the Proximal, or Roux en-Y system.
As with any gastric bypass method, with Proximal, or Roux en-Y gastric bypass surgery, food intake is significantly restricted due to the mechanical limitations of the stomach.
With this surgery, a small pouch of a stomach is created and essentially closed off from the rest of the stomach. As you take in food, it moves into this tiny pouch and then on to the ‘Roux limb’ of the small bowel which is created during surgery. This allows the food to bypass the rest of the stomach and the first part of the small intestine. With this re-routing of the intestinal tract, the body is unable to absorb as many calories as previously done. This allows the body to lose weight at a rapid pace.
Finally, the remaining gastric bypass method is known as the biliopancreatic diversion. This method is used less frequently and is rather complicated. With the biliopancreatic diversion , portions of the stomach are literally removed from the GI tract. A tiny pouch of remaining stomach is then directly connected to the end section of the small bowel. Since this method bypasses the remaining intestine there are less calories absorbed and weight loss occurs.
The gastric bypass methods used today are important advances in the field of surgical medicine and have helped thousands of people who previously suffered with obesity to lose the weight with which they struggled for years. No, it is not a quick fix, but in some cases, the gastric bypass methods are life-saving alternatives to continuing to haul around the excess pounds.
Jeff Foster
Craziest Fad Diets Ever
There are a lot of people out there who are overweight, whether they are obese or just a few pounds over the norm. If you're like me, you have tried out at least one diet for every year of your age. There are countless fad diets out there, waiting to lure you in and get you to spend your money. Most offer quick weight loss, and claim that you will keep it off. However, if you think you've seen every kind of diet there is, check out this list of the craziest fad diets ever. If you're like me, by the time you've finished reading, you'll have burned up several good calories just from laughing.
The Cabbage Soup Diet - This diet suggests that you eat cabbage soup every day for a week, and nothing else except fruit and vegetables. You're supposed to lose a substantial amount of weight on this diet, and be ready for that new party dress by the weekend. Here's the thing with this diet. You're essentially fasting when you go on this diet, and you will end up losing muscle mass instead of fat. While cabbage is a healthy food, eating cabbage soup for seven days straight and nothing else will likely make you curse cabbage for the rest of your life. What's more, as soon as you start eating normally again, you will gain the weight right back. The only sensible thing about this diet is the fruit and vegetables that are supposed to be snacks.
The Negative Calorie Diet - Here's a good one for you! This diet actually claims that certain foods you eat will leave you with less calories after eating them than you had before. Hmmm...Does this one scream crazy? The foods they promote are healthy foods, such as oranges, however, your body needs nutrition from many different food sources. Scientists argue with people who promote this diet, because they say there is no food that contains 'negative calories.'
The Cookie Diet - Man oh man, does this one sound good. Unfortunately, with this diet, you're not actually eating cookies in the chocolate chip sense. These are more like fiber and amino acid...things. You eat six of these 'cookie things' everyday, and the only real meal you eat is dinner. They are supposed to make you feel fuller, and only consume 800 calories a day. The problem is, calories provide us with necessary energy to live. They also suggest that you take certain supplements to make up for the fact that you are consuming so much fiber. Does this just sound unsafe to me, or are you a little freaked as well?
The Grapefruit Diet - This diet is based on the idea that grapefruit is a big calorie burner, and they suggest you eat it with every meal. Now, while grapefruit is a healthy food, the low amount of calories you are allowed to consume in this diet is not healthy. In fact, some people who have been on this diet reported dizziness, faintness, and upset stomach. Some of these problems may be due to the fact that this diet suggests you drink unlimited amounts of black coffee every day. This much coffee in your stomach and so little food...how do these people sleep at night?
The Vinegar Diet - Here's a goofy one for you. When you're on this diet, you must take three tablespoons of vinegar before every meal. Supposedly, vinegar has amazing 'fat burning qualities,' and you will lose weight quickly. If you can manage to choke it down. If you lose weight on this diet, it is likely because the promoters of this diet suggest you watch what you eat and monitor your caloric intake. Not because you gulped down 9 tablespoons of vinegar a day without vomiting.
The truth is, no matter what diet you are on, there's no miracle diet. Unfortunately, we must go back to that boring old idea that we must eat healthy, watch what we eat and exercise, because that is what truly does work. So if you hear about an amazing new pickled okra and banana diet, be suspicious!
Kristi Patrice Carter
The Cabbage Soup Diet - This diet suggests that you eat cabbage soup every day for a week, and nothing else except fruit and vegetables. You're supposed to lose a substantial amount of weight on this diet, and be ready for that new party dress by the weekend. Here's the thing with this diet. You're essentially fasting when you go on this diet, and you will end up losing muscle mass instead of fat. While cabbage is a healthy food, eating cabbage soup for seven days straight and nothing else will likely make you curse cabbage for the rest of your life. What's more, as soon as you start eating normally again, you will gain the weight right back. The only sensible thing about this diet is the fruit and vegetables that are supposed to be snacks.
The Negative Calorie Diet - Here's a good one for you! This diet actually claims that certain foods you eat will leave you with less calories after eating them than you had before. Hmmm...Does this one scream crazy? The foods they promote are healthy foods, such as oranges, however, your body needs nutrition from many different food sources. Scientists argue with people who promote this diet, because they say there is no food that contains 'negative calories.'
The Cookie Diet - Man oh man, does this one sound good. Unfortunately, with this diet, you're not actually eating cookies in the chocolate chip sense. These are more like fiber and amino acid...things. You eat six of these 'cookie things' everyday, and the only real meal you eat is dinner. They are supposed to make you feel fuller, and only consume 800 calories a day. The problem is, calories provide us with necessary energy to live. They also suggest that you take certain supplements to make up for the fact that you are consuming so much fiber. Does this just sound unsafe to me, or are you a little freaked as well?
The Grapefruit Diet - This diet is based on the idea that grapefruit is a big calorie burner, and they suggest you eat it with every meal. Now, while grapefruit is a healthy food, the low amount of calories you are allowed to consume in this diet is not healthy. In fact, some people who have been on this diet reported dizziness, faintness, and upset stomach. Some of these problems may be due to the fact that this diet suggests you drink unlimited amounts of black coffee every day. This much coffee in your stomach and so little food...how do these people sleep at night?
The Vinegar Diet - Here's a goofy one for you. When you're on this diet, you must take three tablespoons of vinegar before every meal. Supposedly, vinegar has amazing 'fat burning qualities,' and you will lose weight quickly. If you can manage to choke it down. If you lose weight on this diet, it is likely because the promoters of this diet suggest you watch what you eat and monitor your caloric intake. Not because you gulped down 9 tablespoons of vinegar a day without vomiting.
The truth is, no matter what diet you are on, there's no miracle diet. Unfortunately, we must go back to that boring old idea that we must eat healthy, watch what we eat and exercise, because that is what truly does work. So if you hear about an amazing new pickled okra and banana diet, be suspicious!
Kristi Patrice Carter
Elvis - The Once and Current King of Rock and Roll
Elvis Presley, along with Buddy Holly and Chuck Berry, turned music upside down and brought a new sound to the world. With his roots in Tupelo, Mississippi and his childhood in Memphis, Tennessee, Elvis was constantly exposed to Gospel and black rhythm and blues. His first appearances and recordings merged these musical genres with country music. As he further developed his style, Elvis revolutionized Rock ‘n' Roll into an accepted musical form.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s Elvis was the King. His chart-busting songs continuously played on the air, transistor radios close to the ear or jukeboxes blaring out his deep, resonant voice. Featured in over 31 movies, Elvis acted, sang and danced with his characteristic pelvic swerve.
Scandalous at first, Elvis' pelvic gyrations sent mothers rushing to shield their daughters' eyes from his bold movements. It was his appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1959 that tipped the general public's opinion of this upstart musician. When Elvis finished his set, TV Host Sullivan walked onto the stage, put his hand on Elvis's shoulder and proclaimed, "This is a fine young man, a fine musician."
Nationally, over fifty of Elvis's songs reached the Billboard Top 20. His stellar climb to international fame is short of remarkable. With only three television stations nationwide, no internet or cable, nor any overseas concerts, the world recognized Elvis as their King of music.
In 1964 Ed Sullivan introduced the Beatles on his show. The British "Fab 4" swept the nation and contributed to a gradual decline in the popularity of Elvis among the younger generation. The King who had brought his unique blend of rock, southern blues, Gospel, and country music took a back seat to a wave of long-haired English gents who moved music into yet another direction.
Within less than five years, generational boundaries evolved as music again radically changed. Elvis's music seemed irrelevant to the youth who staged Woodstock, expanded the hippie movement and organized anti-Vietnam war demonstrations on college campuses. While retirees flocked to Las Vegas to see Elvis in sold-out concerts, Rock ‘n' Roll slipped off the airwaves as the younger generation thrived on folk music and acid rock.
As the 30th anniversary of his death passes, Elvis remains the King of Rock ‘n' Roll with thousands making a pilgrimage to his Graceland Mansion. Elvis's international records sales are over one billion; 150 of his record albums have earned gold, platinum, and multi-platinum status.
Yvonne Perry
In the late 1950s and early 1960s Elvis was the King. His chart-busting songs continuously played on the air, transistor radios close to the ear or jukeboxes blaring out his deep, resonant voice. Featured in over 31 movies, Elvis acted, sang and danced with his characteristic pelvic swerve.
Scandalous at first, Elvis' pelvic gyrations sent mothers rushing to shield their daughters' eyes from his bold movements. It was his appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1959 that tipped the general public's opinion of this upstart musician. When Elvis finished his set, TV Host Sullivan walked onto the stage, put his hand on Elvis's shoulder and proclaimed, "This is a fine young man, a fine musician."
Nationally, over fifty of Elvis's songs reached the Billboard Top 20. His stellar climb to international fame is short of remarkable. With only three television stations nationwide, no internet or cable, nor any overseas concerts, the world recognized Elvis as their King of music.
In 1964 Ed Sullivan introduced the Beatles on his show. The British "Fab 4" swept the nation and contributed to a gradual decline in the popularity of Elvis among the younger generation. The King who had brought his unique blend of rock, southern blues, Gospel, and country music took a back seat to a wave of long-haired English gents who moved music into yet another direction.
Within less than five years, generational boundaries evolved as music again radically changed. Elvis's music seemed irrelevant to the youth who staged Woodstock, expanded the hippie movement and organized anti-Vietnam war demonstrations on college campuses. While retirees flocked to Las Vegas to see Elvis in sold-out concerts, Rock ‘n' Roll slipped off the airwaves as the younger generation thrived on folk music and acid rock.
As the 30th anniversary of his death passes, Elvis remains the King of Rock ‘n' Roll with thousands making a pilgrimage to his Graceland Mansion. Elvis's international records sales are over one billion; 150 of his record albums have earned gold, platinum, and multi-platinum status.
Yvonne Perry
Little League World Series - It's Not the Real World Series - Calm Down!
When I was a little kid, I loved playing baseball. The smell of the freshly cut grass, sunflower seeds, and a day at the ball park were enough to excite me beyond anything else. And while the early morning hours weren’t exactly at my peak activity hours, you could count on me getting up early every Saturday morning to get ready for the weekly game. Simply put, there was something magical about little league games for me.
Nowadays, though, it seems as if some of the magic has been taken out of the game. A prime example of what I am talking about happened last night during a Little League World Series game. In the Northwest Regional Championship game, Lake Oswego, Oregon took on Kent, Washington. These two teams had met previously in a game thouroughly dominated by Kent. The game started as most do in these tournaments - both pitchers were throwing heat and dominating the opposing hitters. Then, in the 2nd inning, the Kent pitcher gave up a solo home run. Up until that point, he had recorded somewhere in the ball park of 4-5 stikeouts. He ended the game with upwards of 10 strikeouts, giving up a meager 3 runs. Yet, despite his stellar performance, he began tearing up with every hit or run Lake Oswego produced.
Another example happened in the same game. After having had two solid at-bats, a Lake Oswego player struck out on his third attempt. He, too, began to cry, even though his team was winning. One would think that having a .667 batting average in a victory would be cause for praise. However, as evident from the aforementioned examples, that is not the case. In both cases, each player was so broken up by minimal mistakes that he began to cry. But why? Why should a player get so upset over such a little thing as making one minor mistake? The answer - Pressure. These young boys are put under a tremendous amount of pressure. Because they are gifted athletically for their age, these players simply destroy the competition during their little league careers. They begin to develop a history of winning. When that happens, anything else is unacceptable. Winning, not the game, becomes the main objective, the driving force. However, for the most part, the kids are not the ones who yearn for victory. They simply want to play ball. The parents and the coaches, on the other hand, who seem to relive their glory days vicariously through their children, need the “W” and are wholeheartedly disappointed when they don’t get it. Believe me, I’ve been there. Overly-critical coaches are the main reason I stopped playing baseball, even though I too played on the all-star team.
We need to remember that baseball is just a game for kids. Whereas the lucky few who find their way to the professional baseball ranks should expect criticism, little leaguers should not. They don’t get paid for playing baseball. The American mentality of winning is a must and second place is the first loser has created a situation in which young boys are subjected to pressure for which they have not been prepared. The result - cry babies crop up every game, terrified of what their coaches or parents might think if they make a mistake. Seriously, baseball is just a game. We need to calm down a little bit and realize that the Little League World Series is not the real World Series. After all, Little League baseball is for kids, not parents.
Nishan Wilde
Nowadays, though, it seems as if some of the magic has been taken out of the game. A prime example of what I am talking about happened last night during a Little League World Series game. In the Northwest Regional Championship game, Lake Oswego, Oregon took on Kent, Washington. These two teams had met previously in a game thouroughly dominated by Kent. The game started as most do in these tournaments - both pitchers were throwing heat and dominating the opposing hitters. Then, in the 2nd inning, the Kent pitcher gave up a solo home run. Up until that point, he had recorded somewhere in the ball park of 4-5 stikeouts. He ended the game with upwards of 10 strikeouts, giving up a meager 3 runs. Yet, despite his stellar performance, he began tearing up with every hit or run Lake Oswego produced.
Another example happened in the same game. After having had two solid at-bats, a Lake Oswego player struck out on his third attempt. He, too, began to cry, even though his team was winning. One would think that having a .667 batting average in a victory would be cause for praise. However, as evident from the aforementioned examples, that is not the case. In both cases, each player was so broken up by minimal mistakes that he began to cry. But why? Why should a player get so upset over such a little thing as making one minor mistake? The answer - Pressure. These young boys are put under a tremendous amount of pressure. Because they are gifted athletically for their age, these players simply destroy the competition during their little league careers. They begin to develop a history of winning. When that happens, anything else is unacceptable. Winning, not the game, becomes the main objective, the driving force. However, for the most part, the kids are not the ones who yearn for victory. They simply want to play ball. The parents and the coaches, on the other hand, who seem to relive their glory days vicariously through their children, need the “W” and are wholeheartedly disappointed when they don’t get it. Believe me, I’ve been there. Overly-critical coaches are the main reason I stopped playing baseball, even though I too played on the all-star team.
We need to remember that baseball is just a game for kids. Whereas the lucky few who find their way to the professional baseball ranks should expect criticism, little leaguers should not. They don’t get paid for playing baseball. The American mentality of winning is a must and second place is the first loser has created a situation in which young boys are subjected to pressure for which they have not been prepared. The result - cry babies crop up every game, terrified of what their coaches or parents might think if they make a mistake. Seriously, baseball is just a game. We need to calm down a little bit and realize that the Little League World Series is not the real World Series. After all, Little League baseball is for kids, not parents.
Nishan Wilde
Friday, August 17, 2007
6 Recommended Living Room Decorations
If your problem is with regards to how you would address the need of your living room to get pumped up from the usual boring way, then you need not be problematic anymore since there are plenty of living room decorations. Below are some of the most recommended living room decorations and accessories to purchase and use.
1. The living room carpet. The living room carpet is an important thing to use. It could be of any color of your own choice whether you prefer to match or contrast it with the wall colors of your living room. Most homeowners go for the neutral color of the carpet as it is easy to blend along with the rest of the living room decorations.
2. The curtains for the windows. The use of window curtains always determines the character of the living room. They are the ones which designate a luxurious, elegant, or simple appeal to the living room. The window curtains should of course be relevant with that of the size of the window. You could turn to professionals for the tips in purchasing and designing the right curtains for your windows.
3. The mantels. Mantels are best to use especially if you've got a fireplace in the living room area. Naturally, there has to be something on top of the mantel. It could be a vase, candle set, or other ornaments.
4. The plants or greeneries. Plants basically provide more oxygen in the living and it could bring you closer to nature. There is a certain ambience created by the use of plants as living room decorations. You may choose from herbal, potted, and hanging plants.
5. The chairs and sofas. These living room decorations must very well blend with the rest of the designs employed in the area. They are important furniture in the living room since the primary use of the area is simply for entertaining visitors and your family members as well.
6. Candles. Whether they are scented or unscented, they never fail to bring about romance and ambience in the air. They are best if your living room does not have a fireplace.
As you go and shop around for the living room decorations, do not be surprised at all if you spot several of them. Do not end up confused since they could always be harmonized with one another. These living room decorations, when handled well, could definitely add up a beautiful personal touch to your living room space.
Albert Lee
1. The living room carpet. The living room carpet is an important thing to use. It could be of any color of your own choice whether you prefer to match or contrast it with the wall colors of your living room. Most homeowners go for the neutral color of the carpet as it is easy to blend along with the rest of the living room decorations.
2. The curtains for the windows. The use of window curtains always determines the character of the living room. They are the ones which designate a luxurious, elegant, or simple appeal to the living room. The window curtains should of course be relevant with that of the size of the window. You could turn to professionals for the tips in purchasing and designing the right curtains for your windows.
3. The mantels. Mantels are best to use especially if you've got a fireplace in the living room area. Naturally, there has to be something on top of the mantel. It could be a vase, candle set, or other ornaments.
4. The plants or greeneries. Plants basically provide more oxygen in the living and it could bring you closer to nature. There is a certain ambience created by the use of plants as living room decorations. You may choose from herbal, potted, and hanging plants.
5. The chairs and sofas. These living room decorations must very well blend with the rest of the designs employed in the area. They are important furniture in the living room since the primary use of the area is simply for entertaining visitors and your family members as well.
6. Candles. Whether they are scented or unscented, they never fail to bring about romance and ambience in the air. They are best if your living room does not have a fireplace.
As you go and shop around for the living room decorations, do not be surprised at all if you spot several of them. Do not end up confused since they could always be harmonized with one another. These living room decorations, when handled well, could definitely add up a beautiful personal touch to your living room space.
Albert Lee
Thursday, August 16, 2007
NASA's Explorer Schools
Usually when we think of NASA, we think of spacecrafts exploring new frontiers. And so they do, of course, but the nation's space agency has its hand in more earthly pursuits, as well—pursuits that may well have a direct influence on the children in your life.
In the NASA Explorer School (NAS) undertaking, created in 2003, the agency partners with under-serviced schools across the nation to bring mathematics, science and technology curriculum to students ranging from K-12. When a partnership agreement is reached, teachers and a school administrator team up to develop and implement a three-year action plan that addresses local challenges in the subjects mentioned earlier. Based on information generated through needs assessments, this customized plan is delivered through a combination of on-site school services and distance-learning networks.
Program elements include professional development workshops during the summer months in which teams of educators meet at the nine NASA Field Centers and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The intensive, one-week training provides opportunities for the teachers to begin to integrate NASA content into the existing school curricula, and extends to creating and implementing action plans to address local challenges.
Throughout the school year, ongoing research-based professional development includes NASA aerospace education specialists, Space Grant consortia, educator resource centers, and NASA Education networks.
That's the somewhat boring explanation of what it's all about. The real-life examples are much more exciting.
Botball, Anyone?
Chances are you've never played botball—given that it's a game played only by robots. But, hey, robots have to have some fun too, right? For the past three years, students at Explorer Schools have been accepting the challenge to build and program robots to compete with opponents on a field the size of a ping-pong table. The challenge for 2006 was "Search and Rescue." Robotics teams worked autonomously to locate a plush robot and his "tribble" friends. ( Star Trek fans understand tribbles. They're the round, furry animals that reproduce faster than spam in your Inbox.) The challenge was to complete various tasks and score points ahead of the opposing robots. (It's a bit like Survivor, without the bikinis.)
Search and Rescue (and the other botball challenges) gives middle and high school students a hands-on learning application in science, technology, engineering and math. The competing teams built their robots from an official kit containing such goodies as 1,800 LEGO building blocks, two Xport Botball Controllers (XBCs, attached to Nintendo® Game Boy Advance devices), and 20 censors, including color-recognition cameras. After using the pieces to build their robots, students programmed them using a version of the C computer language.
The annual botball challenges have generated so much enthusiasm that at least 13 regional tournaments are held across the United States. Hawaii is actively involved, with more than 20 participating schools. The 2007 national tournament will be held in Honolulu in July, and will be one of the events at the National Conference on Educational Robotics.
NASA's Web site quoted Jade Bowman, the NES team lead at Hawaii's Waimea Middle School, as saying, "The Botball program has been an avenue for our students to broaden their horizons in many areas." Bowman added that the botball program exposed the students to new careers, taught them to use a variety of technology, increased self confidence, developed complex thinking, and showed the importance of team playing.
Cassini Scientists for a Day
On January 23, 2006, a group of California third, fourth and fifth graders became "scientists for a day," and selected where to point the cameras on the Cassini spacecraft as it continued its tour of the space around Saturn. These students of Shirley Avenue Elementary School in Reseda, California (part of the Explorer network), had 10 days to study three target options and decide which opportunity would make the most scientific sense. After much debate, they decided to take an image of the planet's rings.
Mission planners calculated the needed maneuvers and sent the commands to the spacecraft. The students had been studying Saturn prior to the project, so they had some idea of what the mission entailed.
The "Cassini Scientist for a Day" activity helped them understand how much time it takes to gather scientific information, and how complicated it is to make decisions. The NASA Web site quotes the kids' teacher, Kathy Cooper, as saying, "I was stunned to hear a fourth grader saying, 'You need a good eye and have to be patient, because science isn't quick—we didn't learn about the universe overnight; it takes time,'" Cooper says. "The activity brought a higher level of thinking; they kept coming up with good questions."
Build Your Own Rocket Ship
Michigan's Southfield School was the nation's first to be designated a NASA Explorer School. In early 2006, NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, announced a $2,500 grant to students in Southfield, Michigan, to help them design, build and launch their own rocket. Part of NASA's Student Launch Initiative, the project helps students learn more about engineering and teamwork through a hands-on approach to create and launch rockets with payloads.
The Student Launch Initiative is jointly managed by the Marshall Center in partnership with the Huntsville Area Rocketry Association, a group of rocket enthusiasts and engineers who launch their own rockets. Each participating student team designs, builds and tests its own rockets, while documenting their progress on a Web site. Students can request guidance from professional engineers during the design and testing phases. The teams also learn problem-solving skills, how to prepare and present proposals, and how to budget.
The teams display and launch their rockets in a competition. Competing rockets carry a tracking device and a recoverable science payload weighing between one quarter and one half-pound. The rocket must reach an altitude of one mile during flight and be reusable. After flight, the team collects data from the payload, analyzes it, and reports the results to Marshall Center engineers, the project's mentors, who evaluate each rocket and determine the winners. The winning teams receive a school trophy.
How to Become an Explorer School
According to the Web site, competitive applications are accepted and selection of the NASA Explorer School teams occurs each spring. Up to 50 teams will be added each year, for a maximum total of 150 teams.
June Campbell
In the NASA Explorer School (NAS) undertaking, created in 2003, the agency partners with under-serviced schools across the nation to bring mathematics, science and technology curriculum to students ranging from K-12. When a partnership agreement is reached, teachers and a school administrator team up to develop and implement a three-year action plan that addresses local challenges in the subjects mentioned earlier. Based on information generated through needs assessments, this customized plan is delivered through a combination of on-site school services and distance-learning networks.
Program elements include professional development workshops during the summer months in which teams of educators meet at the nine NASA Field Centers and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The intensive, one-week training provides opportunities for the teachers to begin to integrate NASA content into the existing school curricula, and extends to creating and implementing action plans to address local challenges.
Throughout the school year, ongoing research-based professional development includes NASA aerospace education specialists, Space Grant consortia, educator resource centers, and NASA Education networks.
That's the somewhat boring explanation of what it's all about. The real-life examples are much more exciting.
Botball, Anyone?
Chances are you've never played botball—given that it's a game played only by robots. But, hey, robots have to have some fun too, right? For the past three years, students at Explorer Schools have been accepting the challenge to build and program robots to compete with opponents on a field the size of a ping-pong table. The challenge for 2006 was "Search and Rescue." Robotics teams worked autonomously to locate a plush robot and his "tribble" friends. ( Star Trek fans understand tribbles. They're the round, furry animals that reproduce faster than spam in your Inbox.) The challenge was to complete various tasks and score points ahead of the opposing robots. (It's a bit like Survivor, without the bikinis.)
Search and Rescue (and the other botball challenges) gives middle and high school students a hands-on learning application in science, technology, engineering and math. The competing teams built their robots from an official kit containing such goodies as 1,800 LEGO building blocks, two Xport Botball Controllers (XBCs, attached to Nintendo® Game Boy Advance devices), and 20 censors, including color-recognition cameras. After using the pieces to build their robots, students programmed them using a version of the C computer language.
The annual botball challenges have generated so much enthusiasm that at least 13 regional tournaments are held across the United States. Hawaii is actively involved, with more than 20 participating schools. The 2007 national tournament will be held in Honolulu in July, and will be one of the events at the National Conference on Educational Robotics.
NASA's Web site quoted Jade Bowman, the NES team lead at Hawaii's Waimea Middle School, as saying, "The Botball program has been an avenue for our students to broaden their horizons in many areas." Bowman added that the botball program exposed the students to new careers, taught them to use a variety of technology, increased self confidence, developed complex thinking, and showed the importance of team playing.
Cassini Scientists for a Day
On January 23, 2006, a group of California third, fourth and fifth graders became "scientists for a day," and selected where to point the cameras on the Cassini spacecraft as it continued its tour of the space around Saturn. These students of Shirley Avenue Elementary School in Reseda, California (part of the Explorer network), had 10 days to study three target options and decide which opportunity would make the most scientific sense. After much debate, they decided to take an image of the planet's rings.
Mission planners calculated the needed maneuvers and sent the commands to the spacecraft. The students had been studying Saturn prior to the project, so they had some idea of what the mission entailed.
The "Cassini Scientist for a Day" activity helped them understand how much time it takes to gather scientific information, and how complicated it is to make decisions. The NASA Web site quotes the kids' teacher, Kathy Cooper, as saying, "I was stunned to hear a fourth grader saying, 'You need a good eye and have to be patient, because science isn't quick—we didn't learn about the universe overnight; it takes time,'" Cooper says. "The activity brought a higher level of thinking; they kept coming up with good questions."
Build Your Own Rocket Ship
Michigan's Southfield School was the nation's first to be designated a NASA Explorer School. In early 2006, NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, announced a $2,500 grant to students in Southfield, Michigan, to help them design, build and launch their own rocket. Part of NASA's Student Launch Initiative, the project helps students learn more about engineering and teamwork through a hands-on approach to create and launch rockets with payloads.
The Student Launch Initiative is jointly managed by the Marshall Center in partnership with the Huntsville Area Rocketry Association, a group of rocket enthusiasts and engineers who launch their own rockets. Each participating student team designs, builds and tests its own rockets, while documenting their progress on a Web site. Students can request guidance from professional engineers during the design and testing phases. The teams also learn problem-solving skills, how to prepare and present proposals, and how to budget.
The teams display and launch their rockets in a competition. Competing rockets carry a tracking device and a recoverable science payload weighing between one quarter and one half-pound. The rocket must reach an altitude of one mile during flight and be reusable. After flight, the team collects data from the payload, analyzes it, and reports the results to Marshall Center engineers, the project's mentors, who evaluate each rocket and determine the winners. The winning teams receive a school trophy.
How to Become an Explorer School
According to the Web site, competitive applications are accepted and selection of the NASA Explorer School teams occurs each spring. Up to 50 teams will be added each year, for a maximum total of 150 teams.
June Campbell
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Apple iPod Shuffle - Music, In a More Refined Way
For the last five years, Apple has unequivocally dominated the world of hard disk based audio gadgets. Although, the competition has become more stiff these days, but Apple continues to enjoy a dedicated following. And, at the same time, the sudden surge of music phones have also pushed the limit for such manufacturers, as now they are adding some additional music features to retain their dedicated customers. Consequently, their prices have also gone down. So, now you can afford to buy an Apple ipod with a reasonable price. The newest kid on the block is the Apple iPod Shuffle, which comes equipped with an improved hard disk and now, you can store a far greater amount of music, as compared to earlier Apple iPods.
The Apple iPod shuffle comes with two capacities with 1GB and 512MB options. Since Apple has already released some of the most magnificent iPods, we can expect something special from this newest edition. First of all, the Apple ipod shuffle is the second generation iPod and on the other hand, it is also acclaimed as the smallest iPod ever designed. Hence, it is quite obvious that this iPod has really lost a lot of fat to get that sleek look and there is a certain ommission of any real display. There is only a small tri-colour led, which indicates the basic functionalities to an user. Currently, this iPod is available in five enticing colours –choose your favourite one to enter the ecstatic world of music.
As such lot has been said about this iPod, but does it really serve the basic purpose, as being the cheapest, simplest and smallest iPod to date. So, there are some interesting aspects, which should be considered to review the appropriate usefulness of this music device
Compatible size:
When you take a first look at the new Apple iPod shuffle, you would find it like another small media player. Although, its overall dimensions are slightly larger than the original nano's screen. On the other hand, its control scheme does look like other iPods, as it comes with similar features like a ''scroll wheel'', which does not offer any scrolling functionality. Thus, you can easily press down on the top and bottom of its wheel to increase or decrease the volume –whenever you want. There are two toggle switches on the bottom of this iPod. One is used as a simple on/off switch, while the another one is a ''shuffle switch'', which randomly adjusts the song order to make things further easier for you. Well, this shuffle iPod is endowed with the latest version of Apple's highly popular earpbuds, which offer brilliant sound quality.
Improved features:
It is because of its extremely small size, the Apple ipod shuffle does not work with same docking mechanism like other iPods. Instead of that, it utilises a specifically designed USB dock, which can be easily plugged into the headphone jack.
So far, nothing significant has been done in the Apple ipod shuffle, but it does have it all to play all your music – the way you like.
Raina Kelsey
The Apple iPod shuffle comes with two capacities with 1GB and 512MB options. Since Apple has already released some of the most magnificent iPods, we can expect something special from this newest edition. First of all, the Apple ipod shuffle is the second generation iPod and on the other hand, it is also acclaimed as the smallest iPod ever designed. Hence, it is quite obvious that this iPod has really lost a lot of fat to get that sleek look and there is a certain ommission of any real display. There is only a small tri-colour led, which indicates the basic functionalities to an user. Currently, this iPod is available in five enticing colours –choose your favourite one to enter the ecstatic world of music.
As such lot has been said about this iPod, but does it really serve the basic purpose, as being the cheapest, simplest and smallest iPod to date. So, there are some interesting aspects, which should be considered to review the appropriate usefulness of this music device
Compatible size:
When you take a first look at the new Apple iPod shuffle, you would find it like another small media player. Although, its overall dimensions are slightly larger than the original nano's screen. On the other hand, its control scheme does look like other iPods, as it comes with similar features like a ''scroll wheel'', which does not offer any scrolling functionality. Thus, you can easily press down on the top and bottom of its wheel to increase or decrease the volume –whenever you want. There are two toggle switches on the bottom of this iPod. One is used as a simple on/off switch, while the another one is a ''shuffle switch'', which randomly adjusts the song order to make things further easier for you. Well, this shuffle iPod is endowed with the latest version of Apple's highly popular earpbuds, which offer brilliant sound quality.
Improved features:
It is because of its extremely small size, the Apple ipod shuffle does not work with same docking mechanism like other iPods. Instead of that, it utilises a specifically designed USB dock, which can be easily plugged into the headphone jack.
So far, nothing significant has been done in the Apple ipod shuffle, but it does have it all to play all your music – the way you like.
Raina Kelsey
South Africa's Public Health Sidelined Over Political Power Play
During the Nationalist Party, or white government, days in South Africa, the only time the country made it into the international newspapers was when apartheid based atrocities and anti-apartheid campaigns were reported. It used to annoy the government immensely as they felt that the good stuff was being overlooked.
President Mbeki, and his apostles, must be feeling the same at this moment. The front page of the Independent in the UK says it all. ‘A President in denial, a nation denied hope’ is the headline. The article is in response to the firing of deputy health minister Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge.
Ms Madlala-Routledge had worked hard to obtain some form of credibility for the government. She had been outspoken about new treatment campaigns to ensure medication was available to infected people and co-authored a five year treatment action plan. She had visited hospitals and pointed out how bad the health services were in some areas such as the Eastern Cape.
Mbeki and his Minister of Health Tshabalala-Msimang have been ridiculed by the world for their denial of the epidemic. Mbeki ascribed to the theory that HIV and AIDS were not linked and Tshabalala-Msimang maintained that eating beetroot and garlic were more useful than anti-retrovirals which she said were harmful to people. This is the country where coffins are made from cardboard because the wooden ones can’t be made quickly enough to fill demand.
The Deputy was fired, according to the South African press, for having attended an AIDS conference in Spain. It was felt that this was wasting tax payers’ money. Besides which this trip had apparently not been authorised. One might remember a Christmas a season ago when the Deputy President used tax payers’ money to use the government jet to take herself and a couple of buddies off to a shopping holiday in Dubai. She certainly didn’t get fired for that unauthorised trip.
Which all points to the fact that the Deputy Minister’s firing had really very little to do with health issues. It has to do with political power. Mbeki has, during his years as president, surrounded himself with people whom he feels comfortable with and who have shown him total loyalty. These select few will remain within his orbit whether they do the job or not. The Deputy Health Minister, by undermining the power base of the Health Minister had to go.
Health Minister Tshabalala-Msimang is one of these apostles. She could decide to hand out arsenic pills at hospitals and she would not be fired. I suppose giving people beetroot and garlic to cure HIV/AIDS is about the same.
Political power is particularly relevant as the succession debate to Mbeki’s rule hots up. The issue centers around the new leadership of the ANC which will be determined shortly. At the same time, the head of the ANC is automatically appointed as president of the country. According to the constitution, President Mbeki may only serve two terms and he is completing his second term now.
This is not really a serious issue. One needs to remember that the ANC acquired over two thirds of the vote during the last general elections. This means the ANC is able to change the constitution. It could very well mean that Mbeki is padding his supporter base in preparation for re-election. He has indicated that he wishes to stand for the ANC leadership.
The consequences of the political maneuvers being played out are dire though. The public health system is falling apart at a rapid rate, and not only with respect to HIV/AIDS treatment. Reports on the state of public hospitals are dire. According to one Doctor quoted in the Independent, people are dying in the queues.
The absolute tragedy is that South Africa has money in the bank to improve the health system. Not only did Finance Minister Trevor Manuel submit a surplus budget in February this year, but today’s South African version of the Independent states that the taxman is heading for another big tax bonanza.
Never a more appropriate saying than the one that states that Rome burns while the politicians fiddle.
Anja Merret lives in Brighton, UK, having moved across from South Africa just over a year ago.
She now looks after the business interests of her daughter who is a Flash Developer and Accessibility expert. She started a blog at the beginning of the year under the heading of chatting to my generation. Although she is chatting to the baby boomer generation, she sometimes feels that all generations have the same issues to face, they just don't have hearing aids or walking sticks!
One of her pet peeves is the war in Iraq and in fact anything that causes innocent people to get hurt. But she also loves tech stuff, although only as an amateur. She considers herself a Silver Surfer Gadget Geek. She is even considering queuing for an iPhone in the UK later on in the year. But her daughter has offered, so she will only be taking hot food to the Brighton Geeks waiting in line.
Her musings may be found on http://www.anjamerret.com Her observations on personal power and self-development may be found on http://www.pinkblocks.com
Anja Merret
President Mbeki, and his apostles, must be feeling the same at this moment. The front page of the Independent in the UK says it all. ‘A President in denial, a nation denied hope’ is the headline. The article is in response to the firing of deputy health minister Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge.
Ms Madlala-Routledge had worked hard to obtain some form of credibility for the government. She had been outspoken about new treatment campaigns to ensure medication was available to infected people and co-authored a five year treatment action plan. She had visited hospitals and pointed out how bad the health services were in some areas such as the Eastern Cape.
Mbeki and his Minister of Health Tshabalala-Msimang have been ridiculed by the world for their denial of the epidemic. Mbeki ascribed to the theory that HIV and AIDS were not linked and Tshabalala-Msimang maintained that eating beetroot and garlic were more useful than anti-retrovirals which she said were harmful to people. This is the country where coffins are made from cardboard because the wooden ones can’t be made quickly enough to fill demand.
The Deputy was fired, according to the South African press, for having attended an AIDS conference in Spain. It was felt that this was wasting tax payers’ money. Besides which this trip had apparently not been authorised. One might remember a Christmas a season ago when the Deputy President used tax payers’ money to use the government jet to take herself and a couple of buddies off to a shopping holiday in Dubai. She certainly didn’t get fired for that unauthorised trip.
Which all points to the fact that the Deputy Minister’s firing had really very little to do with health issues. It has to do with political power. Mbeki has, during his years as president, surrounded himself with people whom he feels comfortable with and who have shown him total loyalty. These select few will remain within his orbit whether they do the job or not. The Deputy Health Minister, by undermining the power base of the Health Minister had to go.
Health Minister Tshabalala-Msimang is one of these apostles. She could decide to hand out arsenic pills at hospitals and she would not be fired. I suppose giving people beetroot and garlic to cure HIV/AIDS is about the same.
Political power is particularly relevant as the succession debate to Mbeki’s rule hots up. The issue centers around the new leadership of the ANC which will be determined shortly. At the same time, the head of the ANC is automatically appointed as president of the country. According to the constitution, President Mbeki may only serve two terms and he is completing his second term now.
This is not really a serious issue. One needs to remember that the ANC acquired over two thirds of the vote during the last general elections. This means the ANC is able to change the constitution. It could very well mean that Mbeki is padding his supporter base in preparation for re-election. He has indicated that he wishes to stand for the ANC leadership.
The consequences of the political maneuvers being played out are dire though. The public health system is falling apart at a rapid rate, and not only with respect to HIV/AIDS treatment. Reports on the state of public hospitals are dire. According to one Doctor quoted in the Independent, people are dying in the queues.
The absolute tragedy is that South Africa has money in the bank to improve the health system. Not only did Finance Minister Trevor Manuel submit a surplus budget in February this year, but today’s South African version of the Independent states that the taxman is heading for another big tax bonanza.
Never a more appropriate saying than the one that states that Rome burns while the politicians fiddle.
Anja Merret lives in Brighton, UK, having moved across from South Africa just over a year ago.
She now looks after the business interests of her daughter who is a Flash Developer and Accessibility expert. She started a blog at the beginning of the year under the heading of chatting to my generation. Although she is chatting to the baby boomer generation, she sometimes feels that all generations have the same issues to face, they just don't have hearing aids or walking sticks!
One of her pet peeves is the war in Iraq and in fact anything that causes innocent people to get hurt. But she also loves tech stuff, although only as an amateur. She considers herself a Silver Surfer Gadget Geek. She is even considering queuing for an iPhone in the UK later on in the year. But her daughter has offered, so she will only be taking hot food to the Brighton Geeks waiting in line.
Her musings may be found on http://www.anjamerret.com Her observations on personal power and self-development may be found on http://www.pinkblocks.com
Anja Merret
Monday, August 13, 2007
New Contraceptive Patch Leads to Concerns About Health
The Ortho Evra Patch released by Ortho McNeil has recently come under fire for the patch’s contribution to serious thrombotic problems such as heart attack and stroke.
After its approval in November 2001, the Ortho Evra Birth Control Patch revolutionized birth control by allowing women to wear a patch directly on their body giving it the nickname the “Birth Control Band-Aid.” Following its release to the public in 2002 over 5 million women have tried the Ortho Evra contraceptive.
Recently, however, the Ortho Evra Patch has been linked to an increased risk of a number of serious thrombotic problems. These problems might include heart attack, stroke, blood clots, myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis.
Those problems have been shown to be caused by the constant level of estrogen and progestin absorbed by the body while the patch is in use. Oral contraceptives, as compared with the Ortho Evra Patch, give users 35 micrograms (mcg) of estrogen in a daily dose as opposed to the patch that provides 20 mcg continuously for a week.
A British study completed in 1969 found that the body could not receive estrogen in excess of 50 mcg without the risk of inflicting the user with serious blood clots. All companies selling estrogen with more than 50 mcg had taken their products off the market by 1988.
The problem with the Ortho Evra Patch is that, although it only is a 20 mcg dosage of estrogen, it provides it for a prolonged period of time. The FDA issued a new warning in November of last year, asserting that the Ortho Evra Patch exposes users to 60% more estrogen than those on the oral contraceptive.
Essentially, the patch actually floods the users system with a 56 mcg dosage of estrogen over a longer period of time
There have also been new studies that have been released indicating that progestin, another active ingredient in the Ortho Evra Patch, also poses dangers to health. An anti-throbotic, prostegin inhibits the user’s blood from forming clots. This is the opposite of estrogen, a pro-thrombotic, which causes blood to clot. It was thought that each would cancel the other out. What everyone failed to see was that the prostegin, which was a 3rd generation version of the drug, indicating that the drug actually allows for the creation of more blood clots. This combined with the increased dosage of estrogen puts women at serious risk for many clotting-related issues such as heart attacks and strokes.
It was discovered that the Ortho Evra Patch fails to warn women adequately of the risks imposed on them by the levels estrogen and progestin exposure.
Currently, there are many attorneys that are working on a class action lawsuit against Ortho McNeil, maker of Ortho Evra. You may qualify to join this lawsuit if you:
Have been prescribed the Ortho Evra Patch
Have taken oral contraceptives for an extended period of time prior to using the Ortho Evra Patch without incident.
Suffered from a serious thrombotic event like heart attack, stroke, pulmonary embolism, blood clot, etc.
Were forced to stay in a hospital for an extended period of time as a result of the thrombotic incident
Were forced to undergo surgery as a result of the thrombotic incident Have to undergo coagulant therapy for at least 6 months.
Also, if you are a smoker and have had a thrombotic event after using the Ortho Evra Patch, you may still qualify to file a lawsuit. Although there is a warning against smoking while using the Ortho Evra Patch, it does not specify the severity of the consequences, or mention the risks associated with smoking while using the Ortho Evra Patch.
Sara Goldstein
After its approval in November 2001, the Ortho Evra Birth Control Patch revolutionized birth control by allowing women to wear a patch directly on their body giving it the nickname the “Birth Control Band-Aid.” Following its release to the public in 2002 over 5 million women have tried the Ortho Evra contraceptive.
Recently, however, the Ortho Evra Patch has been linked to an increased risk of a number of serious thrombotic problems. These problems might include heart attack, stroke, blood clots, myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis.
Those problems have been shown to be caused by the constant level of estrogen and progestin absorbed by the body while the patch is in use. Oral contraceptives, as compared with the Ortho Evra Patch, give users 35 micrograms (mcg) of estrogen in a daily dose as opposed to the patch that provides 20 mcg continuously for a week.
A British study completed in 1969 found that the body could not receive estrogen in excess of 50 mcg without the risk of inflicting the user with serious blood clots. All companies selling estrogen with more than 50 mcg had taken their products off the market by 1988.
The problem with the Ortho Evra Patch is that, although it only is a 20 mcg dosage of estrogen, it provides it for a prolonged period of time. The FDA issued a new warning in November of last year, asserting that the Ortho Evra Patch exposes users to 60% more estrogen than those on the oral contraceptive.
Essentially, the patch actually floods the users system with a 56 mcg dosage of estrogen over a longer period of time
There have also been new studies that have been released indicating that progestin, another active ingredient in the Ortho Evra Patch, also poses dangers to health. An anti-throbotic, prostegin inhibits the user’s blood from forming clots. This is the opposite of estrogen, a pro-thrombotic, which causes blood to clot. It was thought that each would cancel the other out. What everyone failed to see was that the prostegin, which was a 3rd generation version of the drug, indicating that the drug actually allows for the creation of more blood clots. This combined with the increased dosage of estrogen puts women at serious risk for many clotting-related issues such as heart attacks and strokes.
It was discovered that the Ortho Evra Patch fails to warn women adequately of the risks imposed on them by the levels estrogen and progestin exposure.
Currently, there are many attorneys that are working on a class action lawsuit against Ortho McNeil, maker of Ortho Evra. You may qualify to join this lawsuit if you:
Have been prescribed the Ortho Evra Patch
Have taken oral contraceptives for an extended period of time prior to using the Ortho Evra Patch without incident.
Suffered from a serious thrombotic event like heart attack, stroke, pulmonary embolism, blood clot, etc.
Were forced to stay in a hospital for an extended period of time as a result of the thrombotic incident
Were forced to undergo surgery as a result of the thrombotic incident Have to undergo coagulant therapy for at least 6 months.
Also, if you are a smoker and have had a thrombotic event after using the Ortho Evra Patch, you may still qualify to file a lawsuit. Although there is a warning against smoking while using the Ortho Evra Patch, it does not specify the severity of the consequences, or mention the risks associated with smoking while using the Ortho Evra Patch.
Sara Goldstein
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Ideas For Painting The Living Room
In most instances, the living room is one of the public areas of your home. This is the place wherein the visitors are received. This is the space provided for gatherings. Then, it is mostly the one that is very much open to criticism. Therefore, the painting of your living room matters a lot.
Here are some ideas that you could keep in mind and know by heart when it comes to the attempt of painting the living room. Making over your living room is such a venture that you need to be careful when attending to it.
Firstly and basically, you must select the hue scheme that needs to be employed in painting the living room. It means that there is the need for you to select the paint color that you would like to have for your walls, doors, trims, accents, and other accessories.
Mix and match your color paint choice with the biggest furniture in the living room. That is your focal point, so to speak. You also need to take note of the lighting factor, the function of the living room, its size, and the mood that you definitely want to create within the living room.
Then, you must have the time to spend to focus yourself on the selection of the paint finish since it could alter the mood that you want to sweep into the room. When the walls contain some imperfections, truly, you could always get a paint finish which could hide them. Usually the paint finish which are not glossy and those that give off a matte finish are the best to use. These paint finishes also provide an equally effective resistant to the possible wall stains.
The architectural details, trims, and doors may always be highlighted with the gloss finish such as the satin or the semi-gloss. These areas are thus easier to clean since they are sheen and smooth in texture.
Painting the living room could be better off with the latex or water-based paints. However, the doors and windows must be employed with the acrylic paints.
There are paint colors that would ask you to put on more than one application of the paint coat so you need to also keep it in mind. The usual one gallon of any paint color could only cover a capacity of 400 square feet.
Painting the living room would be best done with hard work as coupled with your creativity. There are techniques and concepts that you must bear in mind to come up with a successful venture.
To learn more living room decorating ideas, visit http://www.livingroomdesign101.com
Here are some ideas that you could keep in mind and know by heart when it comes to the attempt of painting the living room. Making over your living room is such a venture that you need to be careful when attending to it.
Firstly and basically, you must select the hue scheme that needs to be employed in painting the living room. It means that there is the need for you to select the paint color that you would like to have for your walls, doors, trims, accents, and other accessories.
Mix and match your color paint choice with the biggest furniture in the living room. That is your focal point, so to speak. You also need to take note of the lighting factor, the function of the living room, its size, and the mood that you definitely want to create within the living room.
Then, you must have the time to spend to focus yourself on the selection of the paint finish since it could alter the mood that you want to sweep into the room. When the walls contain some imperfections, truly, you could always get a paint finish which could hide them. Usually the paint finish which are not glossy and those that give off a matte finish are the best to use. These paint finishes also provide an equally effective resistant to the possible wall stains.
The architectural details, trims, and doors may always be highlighted with the gloss finish such as the satin or the semi-gloss. These areas are thus easier to clean since they are sheen and smooth in texture.
Painting the living room could be better off with the latex or water-based paints. However, the doors and windows must be employed with the acrylic paints.
There are paint colors that would ask you to put on more than one application of the paint coat so you need to also keep it in mind. The usual one gallon of any paint color could only cover a capacity of 400 square feet.
Painting the living room would be best done with hard work as coupled with your creativity. There are techniques and concepts that you must bear in mind to come up with a successful venture.
To learn more living room decorating ideas, visit http://www.livingroomdesign101.com
Reach a New High with Samsung U Series Phones
What is it that you have always wanted from your mobile phone? Is a decently operational communication platform the only thing in your mind when you think about mobile phones? For all you know, your mobile phone can also back up as one little treasure of a host of fun filled activities and features to light up your face. We have witnessed a steady growth in the mobile phone industry since that day these wireless communication devices hit the stands across the world. The primary reason behind this almost seemingly well-coordinated progress is the gradual modification of mobile phones through newer and better technologies with each developmental phase. The constant evolution of technological standards have incessantly paved the path for mobile phone manufacturers to ship-shape their intelligence and offer something more enriching with every subsequent release of their products. Such gregariousness has evidently been a customary endeavour for South Korean giant Samsung, which has made its expertise widely known through its U series phones for one.
The Samsung U series is a highly stylised range of mobile phones under the Ultra Edition banner that promises to make some impressive strides in the history of the mobile phone industry. These phones have been introduced by the manufacturer as a new breed of communication devices in ultra slim frames with highly attractive designs and the best of what modern mobile technology has to offer. All you have to do is purchase one of these U series phones and behold what the future has to offer. The Samsung U100, Samsung U300, Samsung U600 and Samsung U700 are the U series phones by the manufacturer, which are apparently creating quite a big storm in the phone market.
Samsung has been living up to its reputation as an unfaltering innovator of mobile phones for quite some time now, and the introduction of the U series is a testimony to the fact.
Andrena Markley is the webmaster of 3contractmobilephones.co.uk and deals in all kind of mobile phones. Get latest updates on Samsung U100, Samsung U300, Samsung U600 and Samsung U700 from the site.
The Samsung U series is a highly stylised range of mobile phones under the Ultra Edition banner that promises to make some impressive strides in the history of the mobile phone industry. These phones have been introduced by the manufacturer as a new breed of communication devices in ultra slim frames with highly attractive designs and the best of what modern mobile technology has to offer. All you have to do is purchase one of these U series phones and behold what the future has to offer. The Samsung U100, Samsung U300, Samsung U600 and Samsung U700 are the U series phones by the manufacturer, which are apparently creating quite a big storm in the phone market.
Samsung has been living up to its reputation as an unfaltering innovator of mobile phones for quite some time now, and the introduction of the U series is a testimony to the fact.
Andrena Markley is the webmaster of 3contractmobilephones.co.uk and deals in all kind of mobile phones. Get latest updates on Samsung U100, Samsung U300, Samsung U600 and Samsung U700 from the site.
New York Style Cheesecake Recipe
New York style cheesecake recipes are made with a combination of cream cheese and Italian cheese cakes made with ricotta cheese. In the early 1920's, this particular silky style of cream cheese was developed in the New York area.
New York style cheesecake recipes were introduced by Jewish delicatessens in New York City. Arnold Reuben Jr., owner of the legendary Turf Restaurant at 49th and Broadway in New York City and a descendant of immigrants from Germany, claimed his family developed the first cream cheese cake recipe. Reuben’s cheesecake was so good, it won a Gold Metal at the 1929 World’s Fair.
The superior qualities that make Reuben’s classic New York style cheesecake are a graham cracker crust, a creamy texture, and distinct lemon flavor that is firm but light in density. Below you will find his Classic New York Style Cheesecake recipe.
Classic New York Cheesecake
Crust:
Heavily coat 10-inch spring form pan with cooking spray
1 1/2 cups commercial graham cracker crumbs
5 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. honey
1/4 cup sugar
Mix ingredients together with hands until well blended and crumbs appear moist. Pour into pan. With hands, spread evenly across the bottom and pat down firmly.
Filling:
5 8-ounce bars cream cheese, at room temperature
2 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. confectioners' sugar
11/2 cups sugar
grated rind of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp. orange liqueur
3/4 tsp. vanilla
2 egg yolks at room temperature
5 eggs at room temperature
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place first five ingredients in large mixing bowl and beat on high until they are completely blended. Add vanilla and 2 yolks, and beat again. Add eggs one at a time, beating well. Pour into prepared pan. Batter will fill pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Top will be golden. Lower oven temperature to 200 degrees and bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until top browns, cake feels bouncy to the touch, and a toothpick tests clean. Cool to room temperature. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Yield: 16-20 slices
The history of cheesecake is believed to have originated in ancient Greece. The first recorded mention of cheesecake was when it was served to the athletes during the first Olympic Games held in 776 BC. Centuries later, cheesecake appeared in America. The recipes were brought over by the immigrants.
If you ask a New Yorker, the only true cheesecake makers and connoisseurs are in New York. Every New York restaurant has their own version and thus the cheesecake from New York has been re-named New York cheesecake.
I hope you enjoy this New York style cheesecake recipe.
Copyright © 2005 Best-Coffee-Makers-Online.com. All Rights Reserved.
This article is supplied by Best-Coffee-Makers-Online.com where you can easily shop and compare coffee makers so you can purchase exactly what you’re looking for at great values.
New York style cheesecake recipes were introduced by Jewish delicatessens in New York City. Arnold Reuben Jr., owner of the legendary Turf Restaurant at 49th and Broadway in New York City and a descendant of immigrants from Germany, claimed his family developed the first cream cheese cake recipe. Reuben’s cheesecake was so good, it won a Gold Metal at the 1929 World’s Fair.
The superior qualities that make Reuben’s classic New York style cheesecake are a graham cracker crust, a creamy texture, and distinct lemon flavor that is firm but light in density. Below you will find his Classic New York Style Cheesecake recipe.
Classic New York Cheesecake
Crust:
Heavily coat 10-inch spring form pan with cooking spray
1 1/2 cups commercial graham cracker crumbs
5 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. honey
1/4 cup sugar
Mix ingredients together with hands until well blended and crumbs appear moist. Pour into pan. With hands, spread evenly across the bottom and pat down firmly.
Filling:
5 8-ounce bars cream cheese, at room temperature
2 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. confectioners' sugar
11/2 cups sugar
grated rind of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp. orange liqueur
3/4 tsp. vanilla
2 egg yolks at room temperature
5 eggs at room temperature
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place first five ingredients in large mixing bowl and beat on high until they are completely blended. Add vanilla and 2 yolks, and beat again. Add eggs one at a time, beating well. Pour into prepared pan. Batter will fill pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Top will be golden. Lower oven temperature to 200 degrees and bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until top browns, cake feels bouncy to the touch, and a toothpick tests clean. Cool to room temperature. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Yield: 16-20 slices
The history of cheesecake is believed to have originated in ancient Greece. The first recorded mention of cheesecake was when it was served to the athletes during the first Olympic Games held in 776 BC. Centuries later, cheesecake appeared in America. The recipes were brought over by the immigrants.
If you ask a New Yorker, the only true cheesecake makers and connoisseurs are in New York. Every New York restaurant has their own version and thus the cheesecake from New York has been re-named New York cheesecake.
I hope you enjoy this New York style cheesecake recipe.
Copyright © 2005 Best-Coffee-Makers-Online.com. All Rights Reserved.
This article is supplied by Best-Coffee-Makers-Online.com where you can easily shop and compare coffee makers so you can purchase exactly what you’re looking for at great values.
Download Free Ipod Nano Song- Two Easy Methods
There are two simple methods for downloading free Ipod Nano song, or songs for any other Ipod for that matter. Many people find the whole situation a little confusing, so hopefully this quick guide will come in useful.
The first and most common method is to download the songs from your existing CD collection onto your Ipod. This will give you some songs to listen to instantly, and it won’t cost you a penny! Here’s how it’s done:
Step 1-
Fire up your computer and connect to the internet. You’ll need Itunes, so if you haven’t got it, download it, and make sure it’s the most up to date version. Both the download and the updated won’t take too much time at all.
Step 2-
The next step is to get the songs from your CD collection actually onto your computer. It’s a pretty simple process, Itunes will do all the work for you, but it can be time consuming so set aside an hour or two to do this if you have a lot of cds.
Step 3-
Connect your Ipod to the computer using the USB lead. Once the two recognise each other you can simply use the mouse to drag whichever songs you want onto the Ipod. Ipods aren’t the fastest things in the world, especially the Nanos, so be patient while you wait for the process to finish.
Step 4-
The last step is to listen to the songs. That’s all you need to know about the first way to download free Ipod Nano song.
The second method of downloading the free music is to find a decent free download site and get the songs from there. The trouble is that the majority of sites offering “free” downloads will actually ask you for a per download fee, or even worse try to infect your computer and Ipod with nasty software.
It’s well worth taking the time to find a few trustworthy download sites. The best ones are ones that charge a small one off admin fee for membership-they put the fee toward upkeep of servers and software etc, so you know all the downloads will be high speed and good quality. I’ve selected a few of the best sites like this for you to check out, and you’ll find them in the links at the bottom of this article.
Hopefully you’ve got a better understanding of how to download free Ipod Nano songs now. It can be pretty tricky at first but once you know what you’re doing the sky’s the limit. If you did find this useful, why not pass it on to a friend using the link at the top right?
Sean Hamilton is the webmaster at http://www.ipodlowdown.com
The first and most common method is to download the songs from your existing CD collection onto your Ipod. This will give you some songs to listen to instantly, and it won’t cost you a penny! Here’s how it’s done:
Step 1-
Fire up your computer and connect to the internet. You’ll need Itunes, so if you haven’t got it, download it, and make sure it’s the most up to date version. Both the download and the updated won’t take too much time at all.
Step 2-
The next step is to get the songs from your CD collection actually onto your computer. It’s a pretty simple process, Itunes will do all the work for you, but it can be time consuming so set aside an hour or two to do this if you have a lot of cds.
Step 3-
Connect your Ipod to the computer using the USB lead. Once the two recognise each other you can simply use the mouse to drag whichever songs you want onto the Ipod. Ipods aren’t the fastest things in the world, especially the Nanos, so be patient while you wait for the process to finish.
Step 4-
The last step is to listen to the songs. That’s all you need to know about the first way to download free Ipod Nano song.
The second method of downloading the free music is to find a decent free download site and get the songs from there. The trouble is that the majority of sites offering “free” downloads will actually ask you for a per download fee, or even worse try to infect your computer and Ipod with nasty software.
It’s well worth taking the time to find a few trustworthy download sites. The best ones are ones that charge a small one off admin fee for membership-they put the fee toward upkeep of servers and software etc, so you know all the downloads will be high speed and good quality. I’ve selected a few of the best sites like this for you to check out, and you’ll find them in the links at the bottom of this article.
Hopefully you’ve got a better understanding of how to download free Ipod Nano songs now. It can be pretty tricky at first but once you know what you’re doing the sky’s the limit. If you did find this useful, why not pass it on to a friend using the link at the top right?
Sean Hamilton is the webmaster at http://www.ipodlowdown.com
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Public Speaking AMD Presentations - Top 10 Tips
1 – Start strong, finish strong! Your conclusion and wrap-up are just as important as your intro. Many people memorize the first paragraph or so to ensure a great beginning, but then end off with a wobbly “so...uhm…I guess that’s it…uhm…any questions? Ok thanks.” No good. Your ending should leave a strong impression and give them a “call to action” or otherwise motivate them to do something immediately. Plan both ends.
2 – Know your audience. Adapt your language and materials to them specifically. That may mean doing some advance research on who will be there, and what they are coming for. It’s no good making a great speech to people who are not following you, or are not interested in what you’re saying. Modify it.
3 – Be prepared but stay flexible. Can this be delivered without any visual aids (e.g. if they are left at home) or audio/visuals or computer support (in the event of loss of power)? Remember Murphy’s Law – anything that can happen, will!
4 – Have back-up. CD, flash memory stick, email attachment. Have back-up equipment too, like extension cords, computer cables, batteries, pointers, cue cards and notes, etc.
5 – Manage time efficiently. No tangents or digressions. Learn how to control audience questions so that they do not lead you off track and out of time before your great pitch!
6 – Perform a head-to-toe pre-check. Go to the restroom and check to see that the wind has not blown your hair funny. Is there any food stuck in your teeth? Is your tie straight and clean? (Carry a back-up tie). Is your belt straight? Any lint hanging off your clothes or suit? Are your shoes shiny and clean? Do you have your water for your dry mouth? Mints? (No gum, of course!)
7 – Act it and have fun! Show passion and enthusiasm. This is a moment on stage after all, so you’ve got to know how to own it. Don’t be so serious that you’re boring. Don’t read notes. The audience must “feel” your passion and believe in your presentation or pitch, so you must as well. Smile!
8 – Rehearse it. Try it on someone at home or a colleague that will give you honest feedback. The more you do it, the smoother it will get, and you will gain confidence from competency. Perfect practice makes perfect.
9 – Don’t overuse visuals and slides. Your voice and presence are the main tools. A great PowerPoint or Keynote display can never replace a great speaker. If you are a great speaker, you will always have confidence, no matter what happens to your audio/visuals. Don’t depend on “things.” YOU are the presentation. YOU are the information. YOU are the pitch.
10 – Control handouts. Don’t give out at the beginning of the presentation, unless it is a brief “skeleton” agenda. You want to keep them focused and listening to you, and watching you, not reading their handout. At the end of the presentation, always give them a “takeaway” that adds value to the experience. This could be special offers, brochures, relevant articles from press releases, a survey or questionnaire, etc. They should leave with some literature, and know how to get a hold of you afterwards.
Ric Phillips
2 – Know your audience. Adapt your language and materials to them specifically. That may mean doing some advance research on who will be there, and what they are coming for. It’s no good making a great speech to people who are not following you, or are not interested in what you’re saying. Modify it.
3 – Be prepared but stay flexible. Can this be delivered without any visual aids (e.g. if they are left at home) or audio/visuals or computer support (in the event of loss of power)? Remember Murphy’s Law – anything that can happen, will!
4 – Have back-up. CD, flash memory stick, email attachment. Have back-up equipment too, like extension cords, computer cables, batteries, pointers, cue cards and notes, etc.
5 – Manage time efficiently. No tangents or digressions. Learn how to control audience questions so that they do not lead you off track and out of time before your great pitch!
6 – Perform a head-to-toe pre-check. Go to the restroom and check to see that the wind has not blown your hair funny. Is there any food stuck in your teeth? Is your tie straight and clean? (Carry a back-up tie). Is your belt straight? Any lint hanging off your clothes or suit? Are your shoes shiny and clean? Do you have your water for your dry mouth? Mints? (No gum, of course!)
7 – Act it and have fun! Show passion and enthusiasm. This is a moment on stage after all, so you’ve got to know how to own it. Don’t be so serious that you’re boring. Don’t read notes. The audience must “feel” your passion and believe in your presentation or pitch, so you must as well. Smile!
8 – Rehearse it. Try it on someone at home or a colleague that will give you honest feedback. The more you do it, the smoother it will get, and you will gain confidence from competency. Perfect practice makes perfect.
9 – Don’t overuse visuals and slides. Your voice and presence are the main tools. A great PowerPoint or Keynote display can never replace a great speaker. If you are a great speaker, you will always have confidence, no matter what happens to your audio/visuals. Don’t depend on “things.” YOU are the presentation. YOU are the information. YOU are the pitch.
10 – Control handouts. Don’t give out at the beginning of the presentation, unless it is a brief “skeleton” agenda. You want to keep them focused and listening to you, and watching you, not reading their handout. At the end of the presentation, always give them a “takeaway” that adds value to the experience. This could be special offers, brochures, relevant articles from press releases, a survey or questionnaire, etc. They should leave with some literature, and know how to get a hold of you afterwards.
Ric Phillips
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