Ski resorts in france

The ski resorts of Les Arcs and La Plagne in France is surrounded by spectacular mountain ranges and both ski resorts attract phenomenal amount of skiing enthusiasts on vacation in France and Europe. La Plagne is like a space city, with its own suburban satellites and at least 2.5 million so called 'skier days' and is arguably the single most visited ski resort in the world along with its link to neighboring Les Arcs ski resort. With so many visitors to La Plagne and Les Arcs, it follows that there are many hotels and accommodations to cater to the skiers and tourists alike. La Plagne, is a 'third generation' French ski resort and it probably influenced other French resorts like Flaine, Avoriaz and Les Arcs to go for brave new world space age architecture abandoning the traditional charming rustic designs of ski resort architecture. Skiing in La Plagne, you will encounter every conceivable permutation of piste and off piste, from exhilarating descents on the huge sweeping glacier at Bellecote (3,000m or almost 10,000ft), to delightful cruising down quiet, meandering, larch lined avenues to the charming villages of Montchavin-Les Coches, Champagny-en-Vanoise and Montalbert. In between these two extremes is La Plagne's biggest attraction for intermediate skiers anxious to cruise till they drop in the seemingly endless wide open skiing adventure. Having extended its empire to 10 different ski villages, La Plagne is planning to send a tentacle across the valley between Montchavin and Peisy Vallandry to form what will arguably be the third ski domain in the world. Les Arcs, whose connection by Eurostar train terminal at Bourg St. Maurice makes it the most accessible high-altitude French resort and has always been at the cutting edge of skiing and snow boarding. It pioneered 'ski evolutif', a technique for fast learning by progressing quickly from very short skis to longer ones. It became the principle home of the Kilometre Lancee in which daredevils on huge 237cm or 8 ft skis, clad in thin aerodynamic plastic suits and 'Darth Vader Star Wars' style visors, speed down a special track at breathtaking speeds of about 240kph or 150mph. Similar to La Plagne, Les Arcs has acres and acres of good cruising and its off piste opportunities are simply fabulous. The Aiguille Rouge, which dominates the resort has many challenging runs down its front face and is also the starting point for one of the longest skiing descents in the French Alps. The largely black run down to the charming village of Villaroger is over 16km or about 10 miles long. Can you beat that! With such wonderful skiing opportunities, is it any wonder why La Plagne and Les Arcs ski resorts claim to attract the most holiday vacation skiers not just in France but in the world as well?

Jeremy mcgrath a championship supercross racer

Jeremy McGrath: A Championship Supercross Racer Jeremy McGrath; there is a good chance that you have heard that name before. Jeremy McGrath is a California born man, who is most well-known for his supercross motorcycle racing skills. In fact, he is commonly referred to as the “King of Supercross.” Jeremy McGrath is most well known to those in the supercross motorcycle racing community, but his name and fame is so wide spread that you have likely heard of him before, even if you are not a supercross motorcycle racing fan. Although Jeremy McGrath accomplished a lot with supercross racing, he is, perhaps, most well-known for his rookie season. He was the first rookie racer to win the 250cc Supercross Championship. That win can in 1993. However, his rookie year was just the beginning. Jeremy McGrath went on to set even more records. He, currently, is known as having the most wins at supercross events, namely the main events. Like many racers, including supercross motorcycle riders, Jeremy McGrath has made a number of career moves. Those moves had a focus on his teams. When McGrath started in supercross motorcycle racing, he was with Team Suzuki. After a while, he decided to switch to Team Honda. Like his fellow supercross competitor, Ricky Carmichael, this move was widely criticized by many, including his fans. It is a wonder if his fans saw what would be coming in the future. After a hard year, Jeremy McGrath made the switch to Team Yamaha. That team switch came in 1998. The switch to Yamaha racing proved lucky, unlike his highly publicized move to Suzuki in 1997, it proved to be a good move. In fact, Jeremy McGrath later went on to with the Supercross Championship in 1998. The same year that he started with Yamaha. Not long after that, McGrath made a bold career move. He agreed, with Yamaha, to only race at supercross motorcycle racing events, instead of competing in motocross events as well. This allowed him to focus solely on his supercross racing career, which in turn lead to even more wins. However, in 2003, Jeremy McGrath made the decision to retire from supercross motorcycle racing. Although McGrath chose to retire from supercross motorcycle racing, in 2003, it appeared as if he just couldn’t let the sport go. He later returned in 2005. His return caused excitement in the hearts of many fans; however, his return was only on a limited basis. When he did return, he returned with his old team. That team was Team Honda. Despite the fact that the results were not the same as he had seen in the past, they were pretty good. In fact, considering his age and all of the injuries that he had suffered, in the past, the results could easily even be considered great. Despite recently coming out of retirement, in 2005, Jeremy McGrath has stated that 2006 will bring him to his last professional race. In fact, that last race is centered on him. Honda, Jeremy McGrath, and their other sponsors have worked to create the Jeremy McGrath Invitational. This event is highly anticipated as it will take place in the sport’s off-season. It is also expected to be a big event because the payout, otherwise known as a purse, is $500,000, the largest cash purse, ever, in supercross motorcycle racing. If you are unable to make it to Carson, California on October 6th and 7th of 2006, do not worry. The race will be broadcasted at a later date. Word Count 579

Dogs are man s best friend

Dogs are believed to be descendants of wild wolves. They were the first wild animal to be tamed. Ancient man probably brought home cub wolves to raise as pets. The pet wolves were also useful in driving away bears and other wild animals. One of the oldest known breed of dogs is the Salukis, which were bred by Egyptians thousands of years ago as hunting dogs. Greyhounds and Dalmatians are also among the oldest breeds documented. Over the centuries, people have found many ways for dogs to be useful. Dogs helped to pull loads, herd cattle and sheep, and guard their master and the master’s property. The Ancient Greeks developed tiny lap dogs, which were meant to be held in a lady’s lap to help keep her stomach warm. Bulldogs with huge jaws and short noses were developed so they could hang onto the throat of a bull and still be able to breathe. In more recent years, dogs have been trained as seeing eye dogs for the blind. Dogs have also been recruited to work with law enforcement to detect drugs and explosives. Today many dogs, such as the Poodle or Chihuahua, no longer resemble the wolf. Other dogs, such as the Siberian Husky and the German Shepherd still show a strong resemblance to the wolf. There are many different breeds in existence today, from the short haired Beagle and Boston Terrier to the long haired Cockers and Scotties. The Beagle may be better suited to live in the city, while Setters or Collies may be more comfortable in the country. The tallest dogs are Great Danes and the Irish Wolfhound. They would probably be more comfortable in a place where they had a lot of room to run and play. In the United States, one out of three families owns one or more dogs. Most dogs live anywhere from eight to fifteen years. When dogs are one year old, they are as physically mature as a 15 year old human. Dogs can see some color but not as vividly as humans, thus they are considered color blind. Yet, dogs can see much better in dim light than us. Dogs have us beat in the category of smell, also. Their sense of smell is up to one million times greater than humans! Regardless of which kind of dog you choose - big, little, smooth haired, shaggy, fast, slow, playful or dignified, dogs make wonderful companions. Enjoy their companionship and remember they need plenty of love, attention, and petting to be happy!

Visit puerto vallarta

The best benefit of my job as a journalist is that I often get to travel to write for magazines and travel websites. I love nothing more than packing a suitcase and heading off to somewhere unknown with the goal being to explore and learn about the location and the culture. In the past year, I have traveled to a fair number of places, but none have matched the beauty of Puerto Vallarta. If you have ever been to Puerto Vallarta, then you know the beauty that I am talking about. There is nothing that compares to the white sand beaches and the crystal clear blue - green waters of Puerto Vallarta. It was a pleasure to go there and write about reasons why travelers would enjoy vacationing there. So, let me share with you some great reasons to visit Puerto Vallarta. First is the reason that I mentioned before: the sheer beauty of the place. If you are anything like me, then you are hugely affected by the look and feel of whatever environment you are in. When I am surrounded by amazing beauty my entire perspective changes. I loved visiting Puerto Vallarta for the simple fact that I felt better about life when I was there. If you're looking for a great place to gain some perspective and to do some deep thinking, then look no further than the beaches of Puerto Vallarta. Another thing I was surprised to find in Puerto Vallarta was a great mixture of places filled with people and places where I could enjoy solitude. That flexibility of environment is an element that I need in a vacation but can rarely find. I love knowing that I can head to a crowded beach or that I can find a more isolated beach if I so choose. So whether you are looking for a crowded and crazy trip or if you are looking for a place of escape, Puerto Vallarta can be a great place to stay. Puerto Vallarta offers a ton of things to do. This can be important on a vacation. Sometimes laying on a beach all day is the way you need to unwind, but other times it is nice to have some nearby and reasonable activities to choose from. If you are looking into vacationing in Puerto Vallarta, the best value is to stay at an all-inclusive resort. This will include your room, meals and often various activities as well. Start planning a trip to Puerto Vallarta today. You'll never regret it.

Depression help[1]

Helping Yourself with Depression Help If you're currently feeling so out of it, totally out of your normal system and just basically hating and ignoring almost, always everything and anyone that comes along, try to get yourself checked by a psychiatrist because you those little mood swings and erratic Ally McBeal-ish behavior that you're trying to ignore for some long may actually be symptoms of depression. Act fast because if you do, it'll certainly be a lot harder for you to be able to have yourself cured from this illness, especially once self-delusion starts to kick in. Actually start by hauling your depressed ass into the hospital and get yourself diagnosed by a reputable psychiatrist, one that'll actually help you with your depression concerns, answer all the possible questions that you may have when it comes to depression as well as provide you with the best available to depression treatment that'll make you give yourself some good-old, yet extremly effective depression help. All it needs is the right attitude. After actually being honest with yourself when it comes to actually being a patient who is suffering from depression, quit turning youself into a victim and find out from these various types of depression the actual one that you're suffering from: Manic or Bipolar depression - characterized by sudden and extreme changes in one's mood wherein one minute he or she is in an elevated state of euphoria while the next minute (day or week) he or she is feeling to be in a personal hell, Postpartum depression - characterized by a prolonged sadness and a feeling of emptiness by a new mother wherein physical stress during child birth, an uncertain sense of responsibility towards the new born baby can be just some of the possible factors why some new mother go through this, Dysthimia - characterized by a slight similarity with depression, although this time, it's been proven to be a lot less severe, but of course with any case, should be treated immediately, Cyclothemia - characterized by a slight similarity with Manic or Bipolar depression wherein the individual suffering from this mental illness may occasionally suffer from severe changes in one's moods, Seasonal Affective Disorder - characterized by falling in a rut only during specific seasons (i. e. Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall) studies however, prove that more people actually fall in to a rut more during the Winter and Fall seasons and lastly, Mood swings, wherein a person's mood may shift from happy to sad to angry in just a short time. But in spite of how scary or how daunting a task is the road towards a sound mental health is, depression help abounds and is just up to you if you’re willing to take in some of that depression help, may it be from your family, friends, support group and mainly starting from yourself, there really is a lot of depression help to go around. The old adage, slowly but surely greatly applies in trying to treat depression, as the patient continues taking the prescribed medicines for his/her depression treatment, as well as the corresponding therapy sessions with the cognitive behavior therapist, a patient being treated from depression needs all the support and depression help that he or she can get. While being treated for depression, the patient as well as his or her family and other loved ones are advised to make realistic goals concerning depression wherein, to not assume that their depression can be easily treated in a snap. Depression help begins with trying to understand the patient’s situation and continue on being patient as well as always extending your help because depression help is never easy nor is the depression treatment itself, which is why both patients and loved ones need to help each other out through every step of the way. Never set goals that are high above your reach, give yourself some depression help by not being too hard on yourself, believe that you are good and strong enough to achieve your goals but only one step at a time.

Natural psoralen therapy in vitiligo

Vitiligo, a condition in which the skin turns white due to the loss of melanocytes. These cells produce melanin, the pigment that gives the skin its characteristic color. (Melanocytes also impart color to the retina of the eye and the mucous membrane tissues lining the inside of the mouth, nose, genital and rectal areas). In vitiligo, the Melanocytes some are self-destroyed in different parts of body, the result is white patches on these parts. The hair that grows in areas affected by vitiligo may also turn white. It is a well known fact that there is no treatment that will completely eradicate the disease from body. When one says treating vitiligo, it is meant “bringing skin color back” weather root cause is addressed or not. One oldest known way is use of Psoralen. Psoralen is capable of high UV (Ultraviolet) absorbance. It is the UV part of sun light that does the tanning magic. Psoralens are being produced in laboratories since 1970, but before that only source of Psoralens was nature. Psoralen is the parent compound in a family of natural products known as furocoumarins. Psoralen is found in the seeds of Psoralea corylifolia, common Fig, celery, parsley and West Indian satinwood. Oral Psoralen therapy: An oral intake of Psoralea corylifolia (in powder form) along with sun exposure can help in gaining the pigment back, with the disadvantage of (a) Large no. of people will not tolerate it. Some patients experience nausea and itching after ingesting the psoralen compound. (2) It will tend to tan the whole body. And if vitiligo effected areas are not responding, the contrast ratio of these parts with normal skin will increase making the situation worse. The therapy should hence be started with only a small intakes, and with very little sun, on limited body parts only. Topical psoalen theapy: In topical psoralen therapy, psoralen is applied to vitiligo affected areas, then UVA/ SUN light is applied to gain the pigmentation. Oil extracted from Psoralean corylifolia is perhaps the oldest natural topical therapy used for this purpose. The natural psoralen in this magic herb acts and absorbs the UV portion of sunlight resulting in re-pigmentation of the skin. The disadvantage again being the non tolerance of many patients. A low dosage should be tried for this purpose. Anti-Vitiligo, a well known topical Anti-Vitiligo contains Psoralean Corylifolia in 8% weight to weight ratio with other natural herbs. Remember that sun/ UVA is must for any therapy using psoralen. No UVA - No pigmentation. Since artificial UVA sources some times are 5 times stronger than the normal sun, so UVA/ Sun burns can happen very fast. It is highly recommended that atrtificial UVA should only be used under medical supervision.

Train your pit bull terrier whistle dog training

Pit Bulls are an intelligent breed that can be taught nearly anything, as long as they have a good trainer. Having a good trainer doesn’t necessarily mean a trainer that you hired. Many Pit Bull owners are finding that their pets not only are eager to learn, but they also gain much when they opt to train their Pit Bull themselves. Owners who opt to be their dog’s trainer will find that they enjoy spending the extra time with their beloved pet. Many methods of training exist, and just which type you wish to pursue is totally up to you. Depending on what you wish to accomplish as well as how much time you can devote to the task is just a couple of things you’ll need to factor in when picking a type of training for your pet. Over the years, one of the training methods which has began to rise in popularity is whistle training. This type of training uses a whistle to give the dog commands rather than using the spoken word. Each task is allotted a certain amount of blows, or pips, on the whistle. If you’d like to attempt whistle training for your Pit Bull, then the first thing to do is to pick out a good quality whistle with which to give out the commands. Using your own mouth to do the whistling isn’t a good idea. Your pitch would vary, and if you needed to give your Pit Bull a command from a distance, he may not hear you. For these reasons, it’s best to go with a good quality metal whistle. One whistle command you can teach your dog is to come when called. A good way to do this is to use his feeding time as the starting ground. At mealtime, as you put his food down give two short bursts on the whistle. Continue to do this at every mealtime for about three weeks. Always remember to use the exact number of bursts on the whistle. Once you have made it for about three weeks with the mealtime whistling, try blowing the same command when your Pit Bull is not expecting a meal. Be sure to have a nice treat for him at the ready, for when he does come you’ll want to reward him with a nice snack and a reassuring rub. This type of training is useful if take your dog to the park or anywhere in the outdoors. By whistle training your Pit Bull, you’ll know that wherever he is, he can hear you and come at your beck and call.

Upcoming trip to sothebys

Upcoming Trip to Sotheby’s I am planning a trip to an auction at Sotheby’s in June. I have a real interest in 20th century British art and they have an art auction scheduled. I have spent a great deal of time planning this trip. While I was browsing the Sotheby’s online catalog, I found a signed Sickert named South Faзade of St. Jacques. I saw this painting once in London in 1971. It has been in Canada since its purchase around that same time. The painting is thought to be painted around 1900 after the artist had been in the town of Dieppe for two years. He found a great deal of beauty in this medieval place. He loved the architecture and it was the subject of a lot of his work. Sotheby’s has several pieces of his work up for auction at this event. I also noted in the catalog that Sotheby’s will be auctioning off a watercolor of a cat by the artist Gwen John. She painted a lot of cats and also portraits of seated women. She was known to paint the same picture over and over again like Monet did. There was another lot listed in the Sotheby’s catalog that interested me. I really am partial to Sickert and there was a painting that he completed in Venice while he was there with his wife. There are stories of marital troubles between them and the trip to Venice is thought to have been taken to repair their marriage. I can’t wait to see the painting Thunder in the Mountains by James Dickson Innes. His watercolors are really splendid. The painting is thought to have been painted in 1910 in the mountains of North Wales. Sotheby’s has such an extensive catalogue for this auction. I’m anxiously awaiting my trip to London. I love Sotheby’s art auctions and going out to expensive restaurants at night. I plan to go to the Mango Tree while I’m there. It is the best Thai food, hands down, that I’ve ever eaten. My business partner was really taken with the Landscape Near Lyons painted by Sir Matthew Smith. I liked this oil painting as well. The Sotheby’s catalogue reported that the painting was done in 1922 and that there is a still life of flowers on the reverse. My partner will be unable to make this trip and has asked me to bid on it for him. I have a small private collection of pencil drawings. I liked the Flower in a Glass Vase that was penned by Christopher Wood in 1925. I think that it would display nicely with other still lifes that I have. I think that this pencil art may well go for twelve thousand dollars. My favorite pencil drawings have all been found at Sotheby’s auctions I have a patron that is very interested in a lot at the Sotheby’s auction that contains Poppies by Ivon Hithchens. She has authorized me to bid up to sixty five thousand dollars for her. I hope that I am successful in acquiring it for her. I know that this Sotheby’s auction will be well attended because they all are. It is too much to hope for that no one will notice this fantastic painting. After looking forward to this trip for so long and poring over the Sotheby’s catalogue so intently, I must say that I have my heart set on Broomswade by John Piper. I absolutely must have this watercolor. The person that is selling it has been the only owner. He bought it directly from John Piper in 1966. If I win nothing else, I will win this painting. The only other painting that I plan to bid on at the Sotheby’s auction is one by William Turnbull. There is a collector that I know that desperately wants this painting. He owns several of this artist sculptures and has now started to collect his paintings. 652

Diesel vs. unleaded the truth about fuel economy

Ahh, you remember it, don't you? Sitting in the back of your family's station wagon as a kid, your father pulls up to the gas pump and a station attendant—an occupation about as extinct as the dinosaurs—came running out with a rag in his hand, leaned into the driver's window and said… "Diesel or unleaded?" Those days are long gone. And I'm not just referring to the attendant. Nowadays, at least in the U. S., you can expect to find three things at a gas pump: self-serve, pay first, and unleaded gasoline only. Misconceptions about diesel fuel being "dirtier" than unleaded gas several years ago ultimately led to diesel's obsolescence in the more environmentally progressive United States. Car companies began to manufacture cars that, for the most part, ran on traditional gasoline. In response, however, steps were taken to improve the cleanliness of diesel and now major car companies have begun to sell diesel-powered vehicles to consumers once again. In the past, especially in the United States, diesel fuel was considerably dirtier than unleaded gasoline. Vehicles in the United States also tended to be built for traditional gasoline, with the exception of large trucks, buses, and semis. In recent years, however, steps have been taken to improve the cleanliness of diesel fuel through regulation, and many companies have begun selling popular consumer cars that run on diesel fuel. One such company is Isuzu Motors, known for its popular 5-passenger Ascender SUV, and two models of high-performing pick up trucks (the i-290 and i-370). Isuzu's diesel engines have won a laundry list of awards in past years including "Truck of the Year" by Motor Trend Magazine, "Executive Diesel Car of the Year 2002" by Diesel Car Magazine (a publication in the U. K.), "Germany's best small and compact car of the Year 2001" by Mot Magazine (published in Germany), as well as having been named multiple times by Ward's Communications of the U. S. as one of the "10 Best Engines." In addition, Isuzu vehicles were voted the top medium-duty truck brand six times in seven years by truck dealers. Impressive, but not fully convinced that diesel's better? Keep reading… Diesel fuel actually burns more efficiently than gasoline, thus having a better fuel economy—about 30% more efficient on average. Why? Diesel is denser than its unleaded competitor. Proponents of gasoline are quick to point out that diesel engines produce more greenhouse emissions, which is true, emissions with diesel are about 15% higher than those of traditional unleaded gas due to higher volumetric energy density. However, the increased fuel efficiency more than offsets the higher percentage, so in the long run, diesels produce less emissions — 15% more per gallon used, but a trip in the good ole family car will use 30% less fuel to get to wherever you're going. Granted, this wasn't the case with Dad's old wagon. Back then, before the anti-diesel crusade, diesel engines were creating more emissions because they simply weren't efficient. Now, with the modern diesel engine achieving a 20- 40% better fuel economy, it's time to give diesel a second look. But that's not the only exciting news about diesel. Originally, the diesel engine was created as a way to run vehicles using vegetable oils. While farmers originally couldn't compete with big oil companies, with gas prices soaring, there's been a renewed interest in alternative fuel sources—and food-based diesel fuels can be produced quickly, cheaply, and with the abundance of products grown in our very own country. These "hybrid diesels" also known as "biodiesel" are compatible with existing diesel engines and can also be made from waste oils gathered from restaurants or homes—an alternative that serves several ecological benefits at the same time.

Exercise and weight loss tip 1 why behind the neck exercises are bad for you

: Please don't be like me! Several years ago I was warned to stay away from behind-the-neck exercises and movements, and do you think I listened? Of course not. And as a result, I acquired a rotator cuff injury that slowly gets worse and worse over time. It is often said that it is much smarter to learn from the mistakes of others than to have to suffer the consequences yourself. I'd say that I agree with that. Just in case you are not quite sure what a "rotator cuff" is, its a handy little muscle on the back of your shoulder that literally helps your arm to "rotate" around the shoulder socket. For most people, this muscle is not supposed to rotate far enough to take the arms too far behind the head. Behind the neck exercises not only pull this muscle to the edge of its natural range, but often have additional weight resistance involved that cause even more stress to the area. If this is done repetitively over time, the muscle will often get injured. Another thing that may happen is that it will become inflammed and swell to the point where the bone around it pinches the muscle. Both conditions are chronic, painful, and should be avoided at all costs. So, if there are any behind-the-neck movements in your current workout, you will want to find more shoulder-friendly alternatives. And if such an exercise is ever recommended to you by a friend or exercise program, ask or look for a better alternative immediately. You only get one body! Take care of it. To YourBestBody, Lawrence Cole Your Lifestyle and Fitness Coach Read this Exercise and Weight Loss Article at YourBestBodyNOW.

Treating and preventing hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids, or piles as they are commonly known, are the inflamed and swollen veins around the anus or the lower part of the rectum. Hemorrhoids may result from inordinate straining to pass out stool. Pregnancy, constipation or diarrhea, anal intercourse, and aging also may lead to the formation of hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids can be external or internal. It is easy to confuse other anorectal problems like fissures, fistula, or abscesses with hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids are not life threatening and the symptoms usually go away after a few days. Symptoms: Though many people have hemorrhoids, only a few experience the symptoms. Internal hemorrhoids These can neither be seen nor felt. But when a person strains to pass stool, the delicate surface of the hemorrhoid may get injured and this may cause it to bleed. Internal anal membranes do not have pain-sensitive nerve fibers, so the hemorrhoids do not cause discomfort. If an internal hemorrhoid is pushed through the anal opening due to straining, it can lead to pain and irritation. External hemorrhoids These are the painful hemorrhoids. If blood pools in the external hemorrhoid, it is called a thrombus. This forms a clot and causes severe pain, inflammation and swelling. If this hemorrhoid is disturbed, it can cause bleeding and itching. Hemorrhoids are an embarrassing problem for many, but it is also very common among both men and women. More than half the population suffers from this problem by the time they reach 50. Hemorrhoids are common among pregnant women. Causes: Increased pressure in the veins of the lower rectum is what leads to hemorrhoids. Pressure is often applied due to: -Constipation and the accompanying strain to release stool -Continuous expulsion of loose stools through diarrhea -Heavy lifting -Standing or sitting for a long time -Pregnancy and childbirth -Heredity Diagnosis: Rectal bleeding is the most common indication of internal hemorrhoids. But, rectal bleeding may also be a symptom of digestive diseases. The doctor will examine the area for swollen blood vessels, which indicate hemorrhoids. If rectal bleeding is accompanied by dizziness, light-headedness or fainting, a doctor should be consulted immediately. External hemorrhoids may be detected just by looking. To ascertain the presence of an internal hemorrhoid, the doctor may need to do a colonoscope, anoscope or sigmoidoscoope. Treatment: The first phase of the treatment aims at relieving symptoms. Taking a warm tub bath several times a day in mild, warm water for about 10 minutes is effective. Some hemorrhoidal cream applied to the affected area also helps. Persistent bleeding and painful hemorrhoids may need more intricate treatmentmon procedures include Banding, Sclerotherapy, applying Infrared light, and lastly, surgery. Prevention: -Eat food rich in fiber. This will soften the stool and make it bulky, thus facilitating easy passage. -Drink lots of water: This also eases and quickens bowel movements. -Fiber supplements: Fiber supplements can help. Supplements should be taken with plenty of water. Otherwise, constipation results. -Exercising regularly can help increase the blood circulation and also helps to lose weight. -Avoid standing or sitting for long periods as this increases pressure on the veins. -Use the bathroom as soon as you feel the urge, otherwise stools become hard and difficult to pass. Self-care is the best care if your hemorrhoids are in the early stages. You can alleviate pain and discomfort by: -Using topical treatments like creams -Keeping the anal area completely neat -Soaking regularly in warm water helps relieve pain. -Applying ice packs or cold compresses to reduce swelling and relieve pain. -Gently pushing a prolapsed hemorrhoid back into the anal canal. -Using wet toilet paper to prevent friction.

Live in your living room

Is your living room a place for show, only used when you’re entertaining? Living rooms, as their name suggests, should not only reflect who you are to the outside world, but they should also be lived in. Here are some suggestions for making your living room warm and inviting for guests as well as functional and comfortable for family members. If your living room is large, divide it into smaller areas through the positioning of furniture. You want the "conversation pit" to be cozy — a couch and loveseat and a couple of chairs around a large cocktail table will seat many people, yet they’ll all be able to hear what the others are saying. A great place for family meetings as well as for entertaining. Make sure all seats are within reach of a table — someplace to set down those drinks and chips! Face the couch to an architectural focal point, such as a fireplace or a large window that looks out to your garden or the city lights. If you don’t have an architectural element to work with, create one by hanging large pictures or a mural on a wall. This allows people to admire the art and it’s safer than hanging anything heavy right above the seating (especially in areas prone to earthquakes!). Hang cloth wall hangings or small pictures on the wall behind the couch. Don’t, however, hang a mirror where people will see their reflection all the time. Not everyone is thrilled by his or her image. If you divide your living room in two or three seating and/or dining areas, use rugs to define the conversation grouping, another under the dining table, and another to set off a place to exhibit the Buddha you brought back from Thailand or a wall of bookcases that not only hold your books but also display your collection of antique toys or Bennington pottery. Area rugs work well over waxed hardwood floors or neutral, wall-to-wall Berber-style carpeting. A decorative room divider, such as Japanese shoji screens, can be used to separate a large room into a living room and a TV room. In a smaller place, face the couch to a wall unit that holds the television — it’s sure to become a favorite gathering spot for the family. The days of covering the "good" living room furniture with plastic are over! Leather or the new microfiber fabrics are easy to clean, look great, and can survive guests, kids, and pets. If the furniture is in neutral colors, add colorful decorative pillows. Remember to keep a few throw blankets around to stay cozy on cool nights. If your living room walls are painted in light neutral shades, you’ll be able to change the furniture and decorative touches easily. Other ways to change the look of your living room are by adding tall plants or a silk tree, a permanent flower arrangement in a basket or tall vase, or even a fountain and small pond in a large enough space. Don’t forget about lighting! Floor lamps, especially in dark corners, can brighten large areas, while table lamps can provide good light for your favorite reading/knitting chair. An arrangement of candles on the mantelpiece or a table adds ambiance to your living room. Now go ahead, live in your living room!

Playing cards and the bible

Richard Middleton a United States soldier was attending worship services and instead of taking out a Bible, he spread out a complete deck of cards in front of him. When an officer told him to put them away he refused the directive. He was brought before the major because the refusal was considered indecent behavior. When Middleton was asked for an explanation he was told if he could present an acceptable explanation there would be no penalty. He explained to the major and the court that he had just been on an eight day march. He had little money with which to spend on necessities. A man can barely pay for food, drink, washing, or other necessities or buy a Bible or any prayer book. Middleton took out his cards and proceeded to explain his using the cards during service. “The Ace reminds me that there is one God. The two and three remind me of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The four represents the four evangelists - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The five remind me of the five wise virgins who were ordered to trim their lamps. There were ten but five were wise and did as they were told and five were foolish.” “The six represented the time God took in creating the Earth and Heaven. The seven tells me that even the Lord took time for rest. The eight reminds me of the eight righteous people spared from the flood - Noah and his wife and his three sons and their wives. The nine reminds me of the ten lepers that sought healing. Only one returned to thank Jesus. Nine did not but went about telling everyone about what happened. The ten reminds of the Ten Commandments given to Moses.” “The Queen reminds me of the Queen of Sheba who went to Solomon to seek out his wisdom. The King reminds me of the Great King of heaven and earth. The knave (jack) is the person who brought Middleton before the court.” “ The number of dots on a deck of cards is 365 the number of days in a year. The 52 cards represent the number of weeks in year. Tricks that can be won in a deck is 13 representing the months of the year. Finally, this deck of cards is my Bible, my Almanac, and Prayer Book.” The major ordered his men to entertain Middleton. They were to provide him with money and food. The major declared him a clever fellow.

How to shut the water off fast on fixtures

When the Toilet or the sink starts to over flow and you need to shut the water fast and for one reason or another the faucet level or the toilet flapper isn't working you will need to have another way to stop the water. The good news is that there is another way to shut off the water using something called the angle stops that are on the bottom of the sink or if you have a cabinet they will be inside the cabinet. The angle stops are usually gold, chrome or rough brass in color and what you will need to do is to shit off the angle stops by turning the valves as fast as you can to thr right ( clockwise) to get the water to stop instantly. Once and a while there will be a valve that will be "frozen" or stuck and will not be able to be shut off and this is when you will have to find the water main to the house and shut off all the water to the entire house and then have to call the plumber to replace the valve as well as fix the original plumbing problem you had from the start.

Hypochondria fearing something that does not exist

A phobia is a clinical term that is used to describe an irrational and persistent fear of certain objects, situations, activities, or persons. These fears are beyond one's control and may interfere with one's daily activities. There are many forms of phobias, and they can be a fear of something specific such as the fear of flying, or fear of social interaction. Other examples of this disorder may involve fear of small animals, closed spaces, and snakes. Medical experts estimate that at least five percent of the entire U. S. population has one or more clinically diagnosed fear disorder. A phobia usually begins at home and persists into adulthood. Some of these conditions if not treated may debilitate a person. Hypochondria or hypocondriasis is a kind of phobia that refers to an excessive preoccupation or worry about having serious ailments. Often, this kind of condition persists even after a health professional has already evaluated and established that there is really no problem with the hypochondriac's health. Hypochondria is often characterized by a person's fears that minor bodily symptoms could be signs of a severe health problem. The person afflicted with hypochondria would often undertake self-examination and self-diagnosis, which are signs of over-preoccupation with one's health and body. To hypochondriacs, every lump is cancer, every cough is lung disease, every change in one's routine may mean that one's health is on the decline. Many hypochondriacs worry about having the most severe ailments without any of the risk factors. There are no specific causes of hypochondria, it occurs in men and women with equal frequency. Other symptoms of hypochondria may include: • Misinterpretation of symptoms; • Symptoms that may shift and change; • Symptoms that may be vague or specific; • No physical disorder that can account for symptoms; and • Psychological or emotional disturbance that may last for six months or more. Depression also contributes to the development of hypochondria due to the disruption of brain chemicals called serotonin. There is a possibility that the physical symptoms that are felt by hypochondriacs are triggered by neurochemical changes or changes in the serotonin levels. Too little serotonin may cause depression and fatigue. Reduction in the serotonin levels is caused by lack of sleep, sunlight, exercise, and poor nutrition. Adjustments in one's lifestyle improve neurochemical levels and improve one's health. While it is a good thing to be aware of any changes in one's body, being too conscious may hamper one's quality of life. The stress and anxiety of always worrying about sickness may one's life miserable. People with hypochondria fail to appreciate their overall health because they never believe that they are healthy. A supportive relationship with a health professional, family members, and friends is essential in treating persons with hypochondria. There should only be one health professional that is in charge of the patient. This professional should inform the patient that there is no disease that is present and persistent medical follow-up may help control any symptoms. Hypochondriacs feel real distress, that is why it is important not to deny or challenge any symptoms. There is help available for those who suffer from hypochondria. Remedies like cognitive therapy or anti-depression medication, people with hypochondria may not have to live in fear of illness, With help, they may once again enjoy good health and quality of life that they are afraid to lose.

Why are some scientists doubtful about subliminal influence

Does subliminal perception really occur? Can anyone be able to observe something involuntarily without being conscious about it? These questions were raised to challenge the scientific validity of such claims. Experiments were conducted to prove that subliminal perception was indeed a fact. Messages were flashed briefly and fast to the test subjects by the researchers. The subjects did not report seeing any of these. The subjects were asked whether they 'saw' the material that they did not 'see'. The subjects appeared to 'see' what they actually did not 'see'. But then this could neither be confirmed, nor could it be verified whether the subjects were either mistaken or even lying about seeing the flashed messages. For example of subliminals, running on your computer screen (designed for self-help) you can search on Google and download program named Subliminal Flash (by Ded Pyhto, Inc). The experiments came to be considered comical due to the difficulties encountered in both methodology and semantics. But the few devoted researchers continued their search. 'Subliminal perception' after all these was concluded to be an oxymoron by the scientists who were researching perception. Charles Eriksen, a leading important critic, pointed to a number of flaws in the concept. However, though upsetting, the critique was inconclusive. He concluded that subliminal perception, rather than a question to be proved empirically, was actually illogical. He also did not take into consideration the distinction between the conscious awareness and verbal reporting of the stimulus itself. According to him, if the subject was able to discriminate the stimulus in a test and therefore become aware of it, then the experiment was treated as failed. That the subject did not see the stimulus was considered by him as not pertinent. However, this critical factor becomes important subsequently to the understanding of illusions, perceptual bias and subliminal perception. On the other hand, these disapprovals by Eriksen and others led to methodological improvements later and finally to the very recognition of the experience. Though these experiments were unsuccessful in some ways in terms of behavioral and introspective measures. The experiments were not lacking in results but were failures due to the weakness in their integration with available conceptual models and interpretations that lacked clarity. The earlier Vicary's "eat popcorn" projector studies had exaggerated claims. These claims were acknowledged by many in the beginning of subliminal research despite the fact that Vicary himself considered it to be a weak technique. In the 1960s the debate over subliminal perception was considered dead by the discerning students of psychology. Rather than alarming claims, these were closed as a debunked hoax. However, this was not to be. N. F. Dixon brought out an inclusive review of the research till then after a decade of Eriksen's upsetting assessment. Dixon, though relying on the same data that Erikesen depended upon, gave a different conclusion. He pointed out that though the information processed were devoid of awareness; the responses were in reaction to external stimuli which were not acknowledged. Dixons' review gave impetus to Wilson Bryan Key who had laid claims to subliminal perception that led to a wave of fear particularly by Vance Packard, a social reviewer, who cautioned the creation of advertisements by advertisers using psychoanalysts. Key worked further following upon this social critic. This fear exists to the present day. In subsequent years, the research on subliminal perception took a turn with the acceptance of the fact of unconscious information processing of the human mind besides the conscious information processing. The unconscious information processing differs from the conscious in some respects at the level of cognition (thoughts) and affects (feelings). We see a figure against the backdrop of a scene that we are watching. At any point of time we observe only one interpretation. This has been established with the use of different perceptual illusions, for instance, reversible figures. The scene is then brought to the level of consciousness. The stimuli are grouped by the mind into outlines in line with how we interpret the scene as established in psychology. Experiments in subliminal perceptions initially indicated that we see patterns and figures in the ground though we may not have observed these patterns. The processing of conscious and unconscious thoughts is different. This is because the level of patterning of figure-ground organization that is required in conscious processing of features in perception is not required in the unconscious or preconscious processing. The unconscious or preconscious processing is carried out by connecting resemblances of features instead of interpreting the meaning that we might observe in the background image that we attribute it with. Psychoanalysts interpret this as the 'primary process' of the 'unconscious mind'. Unnoticed words or images then go through limited semantic and lexical analysis activating temporary motivational states or influencing preference in unclear decisions which then become visible as associated images in free association or dreams. This reasoning is behind the claim that advertisers are likely to implant pictures in ad for influencing the viewers. The important issue is to what extent this is possible and with what impact. The New Look movement emerged in the 1970s based on the efforts of Jerome Bruner amongst others during the 1940s and 1950s in the studies related to the effect of values and needs on perception. This movement provided the basis for a revival of interest on the topic. Marcel's string of experiments on subliminal perception in cognitive science was perhaps the most significant. Marcel used demonstrated semantic priming with the use of pattern masking. The methodology deployed in these studies was subsequently improved with the criticism of Marcel's studies. This later led to the critics' acknowledgement of subliminal perception as a distinct reality. However skepticism abounds with the allegation that advertisers sold subliminal audiotapes which could not be substantiated. There have also been the ridiculous allegations that there is a global plot to conceal the positive research data on these. But the possible influence of unheard or unseen messages can also not be out rightly discounted. Though this may sound cynical, yet this is not sufficient reason not to continue building upon the present studies.

Hidden spy cameras all seeing eyes

With the advent of reality shows, more and more people are becoming aware of the possibility of using hidden cameras to spy on other people for different reasons. Seeing people in their most unguarded moments can be fascinating. Camera manufacturers have taken advantage of the fact that people want to have hidden spy cameras similar to that of James Bond or the popular prank shows of television. This has since contributed to the steady rise of the hidden spy cameras industry. While most hidden spy cameras are used to capture harmless pranks on video, there are other uses that are not as wholesome. Voyeurs spying on their neighbors and secretly filming other people having sexual intercourse shamelessly utilize hidden spy cameras. Hidden spy cameras, however, are not just for people with nefarious plans. Hidden spy cameras are also great tools to keep watch over your home and loved ones, thereby ensuring peace of mind. They can be used to make sure that your children are treated well by their nannies and babysitters. Similarly, they can also be used to catch criminals or philandering spouses. Hidden spy cameras are so effective and handy, in fact, that they are even used by law enforcement agencies, such as the police and the FBI. Strings or No Strings Attached Hidden spy cameras can either be wireless or wired. Wireless hidden spy cameras have concealed transmitters that send captured images to a remote recording equipment. Wired hidden spy cameras, on the other hand, are connected to recording equipment, like VCRs and PCs, through a physical cable. Wireless cameras rely on battery power, while the wired sort has the advantage of a ready power supply. Its Hidden for a Reason As the name suggests, hidden spy cameras are always concealed. They are usually hidden in everyday, nondescript objects, such as clocks, calculators, radios, teddy bears, and even plants. Recent breakthroughs in wireless technology now allow hidden spy cameras to transmit videos real-time. So, not only can you see the action as it unfolds, you can take the necessary action as well. All you would need is a PC or laptop with an Internet access to view your hidden spy cameras. You can even do online surveillance, if you wish. You can also set up your hidden spy cameras in such a way that they trigger alarms or send emails to you when suspicious activities are captured. If you don't have this technology, however, don't fret. Most hidden spy cameras can be set up to work unattended. They can record hours of video and can be plugged into your VCR or PC directly for review. This way, you don't miss anything and can gather solid proof of misbehavior. Hidden Or Not, You Still Want the Best There are a few things to consider when investing on hidden spy cameras. You have to take into consideration the range of the video you wish to capture. Wide-angle viewing is also a nifty feature to consider. It allows you to view the captured video from several vantage points. For image quality, you need to consider your hidden spy cameras' resolution. Invest on hidden spy cameras that can automatically adjust to varying lighting conditions so you can get the clearest images possible. This way, you don't miss what happens in your home or office when you're out.

Fast loading website how to

Are you interested in getting your website to load in the browser quickly? In case you have a personal website for hobby sake, it may be no big deal but if you are responsible for a corporate website attracting customers, this can be tremendously important. If the homepage takes forever to load into the browser, you may be losing out on crucial business. The only solution is to design the page again so that visitors or customers who open it stay there. We need to understand that not every internet connection works on Cable, T1 or ISDN. A major number of surfers in the world still use modems today (normally 56.6Kbps). Therefore it is imperative that the site design should take into consideration that it should load quickly on a low speed internet connection. Design parameters that have to be kept in mind are very simple: Loading time depends upon the size (disk size) of the page. More space is occupied when you integrate images and multimedia content. The bigger the size, the larger the bandwidth required assuming that the loading time is constant. Multimedia files containing sound (.wav) occupy a lot of space (for example, a sound clip of 30 seconds occupies about 140KB). Video content is more taxing (at least 1MB). This content should be weeded out of the home page unless you feel that it can make or break your website. If you feel that you should keep these, make sure the page sizes are around 30-40K. Or you could put them on another page linked form your homepage. Images can also get very large in size, especially if they are of high resolution. Keep the image size as small as possible. A page with a 600X600 image would take a long time to load. Image size depends upon the size. They can also be compressed using certain utilities available free on the internet. Try and use images that you have used on your homepage, on the other pages also instead of changing them. When the images are opened for the first time, they are stored in the browsers cache, and subsequently loaded from there. This will fasten the loading process immensely. Another way to load images quickly is by defining the image dimensions in the image tags. By this, the browser understands the amount of space required for the image and it does not need to readjust text and other content after loading the image. This will also prevent page jumping during the image loading process. The home page should be short and descriptive. The longer the page more is the time taken to load. All extra information can be moved to subsequent pages and linked to the homepage. This will also help organizing the website better.

3 Memory foam mattress topper

3 memory foam mattress topper are actually 3 inch memory foam mattress topper. But for sometimes they are referred to as 3 memory foam mattress topper. When looking for this mattress product, it is important to know that there are many good selections out there, so there is no need to settle for any lesser quality products. Currently, a very popular and new 3 memory foam mattress topper which just hit the market is the Advanced Concept 3 inch 4 lb Visco Elastic Memory Foam Mattress Topper Overlay Pad. This is a special product that is made using urethane foam. Urethane foam is the material that is used in the padding and cushioning in all kinds of products from football helmets to furniture. Viscoelastic refers to a property of the foam. Viscoelastic has appreciable and conjoint viscous and elastic properties that flows just like honey or syrup. This is how the product came about getting its name. Another very similar product is the Comfort Clinic 3-Inch VE Memory Foam Mattress Topper. This product comes in Queen Size. This brand has an extra softness to your mattress with 3-inch topper made from memory foam which is originally created by NASA. The foam of this 3 memory foam mattress topper slowly conforms to every curve and shape of your body and also adjusts to your body weight and temperature. This is especially good for adapting to various climatic conditions. A very fitful product made for Queen beds. Essentially, 3 memory foam mattress topper has three additional inches of Memory Foam to the bottom of the topper and finish the construction with a Hanes Grip-Tite Floor to keep the topper from sliding once it is placed on top of any mattress. By having a 3 memory foam mattress topper, you will get added softness to your mattress or even an extra layer of comfort.

The golden hour

During a conversation earlier today, a formerly svelt young lady said that she had given up on the idea of exercise, because to have a body worth the trouble, it would take three or four hours a day. Novice writers complain that in order to build their careers, it would take six or seven hours a day…so what is the point! And more times than I could count, stressed-out acquaintances have said that they would love to meditate, but “don’t have the time.” It is time we explode these falsehoods. The truth is that misconceptions like the above can completely steal your chances for health, happiness and success. The truth is that you can get started on a fantastic fitness regimen in only an hour a week. Further, a focused writer can create a novel in a year in only an hour a day. And gigantic strides can be made toward stress relief in only five minutes a day. THAT is the playing field: give yourself five minutes, and you can cut your stress in half. Give yourself an hour a week, and you can have health and fitness. An hour a day can jump-start a career. 1) Five Minutes a day. Five times a day, for just sixty seconds, stop and breathe slowly and deeply from your belly. Go to a local yoga or Tai Chi school and ask to learn a relaxation breathing technique. If you can’t find one, then slow down, get quiet, and feel your heartbeat for sixty seconds. Do this every three hours for sixty seconds, and you will halve your stress levels. 2) An hour a week. Three times a week, perform twenty minutes of the right body-weight or weight exercises. Hindu Squats and Hindu Pushups are wonderful whole-body exercises. Do a Google search for them, and you’ll find multiple sites on the Internet selling or giving away the information for free. For faster results, use “Kettlebell” style whole-body weight exercises. These exercise tools look like little cannon-balls with handles, and they are used in a variety of swinging and yoga-like moves that are unbelievably efficient for developing strength, endurance, flexibility, power and athleticism, all at the same time. You can even use an ordinary dumbbell in the beginning. Again, do a Google search, and you’ll find the information, often for free! 3) An Hour a day. This is what I call the “Golden Hour.” You need to accept the idea that one hour out of every day belongs to you. Not your job, not your husband or wife, or your kids—it belongs to you. During this time, if you plan it properly, you can exercise, practice your art, meditate, read—whatever. If you are a writer, I’d suggest that Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, you “flow”—just create rough draft, with no attempt to edit it. Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday you do your editing, polishing the work you did the previous day. If you learn to focus properly, there is no reason in the world you can’t learn to produce 1000 words of rough draft in an hour. That’s enough to produce a novel a year, in just an hour a day. The “Golden Hour” is a goal, one that might take you a year or two to work toward. But if you will just start with five minutes a day, and a commitment to an hour a week…working TOWARD an hour a day, you have placed your feet on the road toward peace of mind, a healthy body, and a happy heart: a tiny investment for a gigantic reward.

Rules and strategy of online casino baccarat game

The rules of baccarat are so simple and easy to understand that with a little practice you can play it confidently. There are two types of baccarat, one is a full version, and the other is a mini-version of the original game, which is called mini-baccarat. In a full-pit version, around 12 players play the game at the same time and several members represent the house focusing on bets and deals. A mini-baccarat game has one-dealer and 6 to 7 players. Although the stakes are less in mini-baccarat, it attracts more players, as it is less intimidating compared to the lavish set up of original baccarat. The game is very easy to play as you have to select the winning hand and there is no strategy required to do this, as it is purely a game of probability and chance. There are many, who spend long hours calculating the probability of winning hand, but in no way it is going to get you the desired result, as the outcome is random in nature. In short, there is not fixed pattern to be followed for getting a winning hand. Now coming back to the playing rules of baccarat and these rules also apply to online baccarat. There are three hands in a game of baccarat – the player hand, the banker hand, and the tie hand. You have to bet on any one of these hands and wait for the outcome. After you place your bet on one of the hands, two cards each are dealt for player and banker hand. Following a certain set of rules, the dealer decides which hand wins the bet. In baccarat, every card has a numeric value assigned to it. Cards from two through nine are counted at face value and Aces are counted as one. All the faces and 10s are counted as zero. The winning hand is decided by adding the numeric value of two cards for each hand. A hand wins the bet if it gets the winning total of 9 or eight. In case of total exceeding 10, the first digit is dropped and the last digit is considered as the two cards. With expansion of Internet and almost everything available online, casinos are not left behind. Now, you do not need to be a multimillionaire to play a game of baccarat because online casinos provide you with ease and convenience to play online baccarat anytime, anywhere. There is a huge rise in the popularity of online baccarat due to its simple rules and lower house edge. You can play online baccarat by signing up for a free membership offered by all the online casinos. This membership qualifies you for exciting benefits and sign-up bonus like contests, sweepstakes, free weekly promotions, etc. However, you should be careful before making any bet and know all the rules while playing online baccarat, as there is a difference of rules between online casinos and actual casinos. If you are new to the game of baccarat, you should first play online baccarat for free to learn all the rules and anticipate the winning hand. A free online baccarat game also makes you eligible for benefits and other promotional gifts and it increases your confidence level. The online casinos offer you the convenience of playing the baccarat immediately after signing up and you are no longer required to download bulky software for running the game on your computer. You can play the game instantly at your convenience that is the power of online gaming.

Make your life happen in 2006

Here it is again. The end of another year. Did this year go by in a flash? I know it did for me, just as it does every year. With 2006 just around the corner now is the time to sit down and write out our goals for next year. If we don’t, we will suddenly be at the end of the year again wondering what happened in the last twelve months and wondering why we are no closer to our dreams than we were when the year started. When we don’t set goals we see and experience the effects of what life brought to us rather than what we brought to our life on purpose. We need to write our goals down on paper so we can refer to them often. They become a roadmap of the direction you are heading in. You can change them, tweak them, or refine them as often as you like. If they are in your head, you have to try to remember them as well as have the internal battle with your subconscious that keeps telling you not to worry about them anymore or that goals are too hard so you should just quit, and that can become difficult. Setting goals is not that difficult. You remember the riddle, “how do you eat and elephant?” Well the answer is: “One bite at a time”. Obtaining the results you want in your life are very much the same way as eating an elephant. We certainly can’t expect to loose 20 percent or more of our weight in one month, just like we can’t expect to triple our income in one week. We must work through a process of steps and phases. Think about “what” it is that you want to accomplish or that you want to have in your life. Consider “why” you want it. Finally start to write down ideas of “how” you might reach or obtain it (also known as “action plans”). Goals and objectives aren't the same thing, although many people think they are. Goals are where you want to end up. Objectives are the steps to get there. Use the SMART process when setting goals. You will find this method is simple and easy to execute. The S stands for Specific. To have a goal that is not specific means whatever you get or wherever you finish is quite alright with you. To set a goal to have more money is not specific. It does not say how much more money. Make it more specific by saying, “I want to have $100 dollars more income per week”. This is specific. You can measure the progress. You will be able to see if you are on track or not and what you might need to do to adjust. M stands for Measurable. We just discussed measuring. If you can’t measure it, how will you know if you are accomplishing it? You won’t. You will never get the satisfaction of knowing that you have accomplished your goal if you can’t measure it. Keep that in mind when setting goals. Think about how or what you will use to measure it. Many people trying to loose weight no longer use a scale. They use a piece of clothing they would like to fit into. It is their reference point and measuring tool. Once they are able to fit into it, they know they have accomplished their goal of loosing weight. When a plane takes off for Hawaii, the pilot doesn’t just set the course and drink coffee for the duration of the flight. The pilot is constantly reading where the plane is and where it needs to be. The plane is always drifting off course, a little to the left or to the right. The pilot is always making corrections until the final destination is reached. If they were not paying attention and constantly checking, or measuring, who knows where the plane might end up? A stands for Achievable. Is the goal you are setting achievable? Can you really become a millionaire in 3 months? Are you setting yourself up for failure? Probably. You want to set your goals to be “just out of reach of your fingertips”. This way, with perseverance, it can be achieved. Too far, and failure is guaranteed. Go back to eating the elephant example. To have a goal to become a millionaire is a good goal to have, but that may be out there on your five year plan. A gentleman once told me that I could become a millionaire just as soon as I figured out how to make my first ten dollars. He was right. Small steps. Think about what steps you need to take now in order to become a millionaire in five years if that is your goal. Then make one of those steps your achievable goal to work on this year. This year’s goal might be to start your own business by first deciding which business to be in, obtaining your business license, getting a resale number from the board of equalization, all by Dec. 31st, 2006. That is certainly an achievable goal. R stands for Relevant or Realistic. Can it be done? Can you do it? Will this goal push you to learn something that you don’t already know? Will it begin to force you to think outside the box if you do not currently do that? Start to plan on ways that you will make the goal happen. Again, not too easy as it will not be worth your effort, and not too hard as you will likely give up too easily. The goal should also help move you towards achieving your bigger picture? If your goal is to build your business by adding at least 5000 customers, can that be done? Is that goal realistic? Do you know how to do that? What is your plan of attack in order to achieve this goal? Most people actually set themselves up for failure in this step of the process and they are not even aware of it. They set a goal, it is measurable, it is achievable, but it is not realistic or relevant and consequently they fail and become disappointed. You have to be able to believe in what it is you are striving for and know that you can do it. You have to be able to feel it: taste it: breathe it: live it, and visualize it. If you don’t believe you can do it, your goal will die because there is nothing to fuel it. This is also where they say that a person’s character is measured: by their ability to continue to work the plan or idea long after the emotion they had when setting it is gone. T stands for Timely. What is the timeframe you are going to give yourself in order to accomplish these goals? Again, this needs to be specific. Is it one month, 6 months, 1 year? You need to have goals that have a time frame on them (that also have to be realistic). This will help to keep you on track and give a sense of urgency. No timeframe and you can just tell yourself you will start whenever. You need a very clear target to shoot at. Finally, start working your goals and adjust them where you need to. Measure them often to make sure you are on track. When 2006 is over, you will be proud of your accomplishments and knowing that YOU created your life in 2006 and that life didn’t just happen to you.

June 25th is child safety seat inspection and installation fair in indiana

A child safety seat inspection and installation fair would be held this coming Sunday, June 25th. This event would all be part of the campaign towards the reduction of fatalities among children. Three groups have joined forces so as to make this event a reality. These groups comprise of the State of Indiana, the 21st Century Insurance, and the Governor’s Council on Impaired and Dangerous Driving. The latter is actually a division of the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute. This big event would be held at the Wal-Mart located in Fort Wayne and it would start at 11 in the morning and end at one in the afternoon. If you travel to the state of Indiana, you would know that there is a strict rule for child safety seats. Under various programs promoting such, children who are actually eight years old and below should still be restrained in a child safety seat or booster seat. On the other hand, if you do have children who are aged 16 and below, they still must be properly restrained, not in booster seats, but in a child restraint system or seatbelt. It does not matter where the child is seating. What is important is that they are properly restrained in their seats. This kind of event is indeed very beneficial for the driving public, especially to those drivers who have children as their passengers. Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that vehicular crashes are actually the leading cause of death of children who are two years old. Vehicular crashes are also the leading cause of death among people aged four years old to 34 years old. Moreover, upon investigation, more than 80 percent of the child safety seats in such accidents have been found out to be improperly installed. During the child safety seat inspection and installation fair this Sunday, safety technicians would be part of the event. They would be inspecting and checking the child safety seats of those who will be attending. If necessary, they would also replace and put in new ones. The 21st Century Insurance has donated new child safety seats for the benefit of the said event.

Protecting your children from internet predators

In 2002 thirteen-year-old Christina Long, a Connecticut suburbanite, became the first confirmed murder in the U. S. by an Internet predator. Unfortunately she has not been the last. Fortunately, recent media attention is finally making parents aware of dangers linked to Internet use. A study performed by National Institute for Missing and Exploited Children concluded that in the past year one in five minors were subjected to sexual solicitation through chat rooms and instant messengers. 5% received aggressive sexual solicitation in the form of phone calls, mail, money, or gifts, as well as being asked to meet. Almost 70% of all solicitations occurred in the home, yet less then one-quarter of minors told a parent. Shockingly, by an average age of just eleven years most minors have been exposed to Internet pornography. Internet predation is an issue that cannot be ignored. The Long family did not realize their children were in peril until it was too late. We must learn from their loss and take action before more children suffer a similar fate. Amazingly, many responsible parents who wouldn’t dream of letting their children cross the street without teaching them to look both ways, or under the supervision of a crossing guard, will let their kids play on the Information Super-Highway without any safeguards! There are several excellent resources designed to provide education to both parents and children. One of the best is the National Institute for Missing and Exploited Children ( missingkids). Here you will learn how to identify dangers and how to effectively address them. As an example, one of the easiest changes that can be made is moving the family PC to a highly visible area, making it easier to watch for risky behavior. There are other valuable tips, such as how to pick chat room and instant messenger user names that draw less attention from predators and what type of chat rooms to avoid. The most important thing you must teach your children is that the Internet is not always a safe playground where they can let their guard down. Children often have a false sense of security on the Internet because they believe its anonymous nature will protect them, even from behavior that would make them run in real life. Children must be taught that behavior that would make them uncomfortable in person must not be tolerated online either. Most minors would be afraid of a stranger who starting talking to them with sexual innuendo or talking about their sexual fantasies, but fail to be afraid when they are approached online. In fact many children will even engage in conversations when approached, perhaps because the Internet gives the illusion of personal safety. Children must be taught that giving out personal information is extremely dangerous. Teach your children that even the smallest piece of information, such as what softball team they are on, is enough for a predator to find them. Also teach them that a stranger online is not always who they say they are. Predators will often masquerade as children themselves to obtain information they can use to identify and find victims. Your child may think they are talking to someone their own age, when in fact they may be talking to someone intent on doing them harm. In addition to education you must put in place parental controls and monitoring tools to add a second layer of defense. Even the best child will break the rules on occasion, and even the smartest child will fail to identify every dangerous situation. Quality parental control software should allow filtering of web sites and permit monitoring of which sites your children are visiting, allowing you to identify risky behavior before it is too late. Instant messenger controls that permit conversation monitoring, as well as permitting limits on which contacts your kids can have conversations with, are invaluable since predators often use these messengers to meet and entice their victims. Another option that is vital, although often overlooked, is a means of block peer-to-peer file sharing programs. These programs are typically used to download music, but can also serve as a portal for pornography, including the most insidious forms of child pornography. Finally, a quality monitoring tool to that allows you to watch everything your kids do will help identify and address risky behavior. The most typical tool for this is a keystroke logger, which logs every keystroke your child makes. Perhaps the greatest value of installing good parental controls and monitor tools is the positive effect it will have on your children’s behavior. They are less likely to break the rules if they know you are watching. Educate yourself, educate your children, and invest in the tools to make sure they’re safe. Don’t let your family be the next saying they never thought it could happen to them. Visit css-software for more resources and tools to help protect your children before it’s too late.

A fake wholesale distributor verses a real wholesale distributor

The ability to spot a fake wholesale distributor can save you a lot of time, money, and trouble. There are many things to look out for when sourcing products from a potential wholesale distributor. If you are trying to find a wholesale distributor for your home business or just looking to add new items to your catalog then you need to be on the watch for the certain signs of a fake wholesale distributor to avoid disaster. If you found your wholesale distributors’ website in a major search engine chances are that they are not a real factory direct source. The reason why is that most of all wholesale distributors do not have a budget to market their products over the web. They have contracts with large companies they ship products to regularly. They don’t need to spend money on marketing their products because the company that made the products will handle all the advertising. A wholesale distributors’ only job is to warehouse the products they receive from the factory and ship them out to the companies who are buying them for resell. It does not make any sense for them to spend money on marketing the products they have. This is why if you find a huge website full of products for resell, chances are it is a middleman buying the products in bulk, marking up the price a little bit, offering a drop shipping service to you, and getting you to do all the hard work for less money. Another sign of a fake wholesale distributor is if they require a membership. Some will try to charge you a monthly fee to do business with you. This does not make any sense either. If you are buying products from a wholesale distributor they are making money from the products you are purchasing. Would you make your customers pay a monthly fee just to be able to buy your products in your store? A real wholesale distributor needs your federal tax id number and resellers permit to do business with you. They need this so they do not have to charge you sales tax. When a potential wholesale distributor asks for this information you can count on them being a legit factory direct dealer. A fake wholesale distributor could tell you that all you need to do is fill out a W-2 form and give them your social security number. They tell you that for the products you sell they will send you a check each and every month for your commissions. While this isn’t a bad thing, this sounds pretty easy. The easy way is the hard way though and you have to consider how many other people are selling the same products on the web at the same low prices. You will have a very hard time selling products from these types of dealers. To run a successful ecommerce home business you need to eliminate any middleman and source products in bulk. A drop shipping supplier, even if they are a real factory direct source, will charge you more for their products and shipping services since you are not buying in quantity. To be successful you need the best price for quality products and the only way to obtain low prices are to source products from a real bulk wholesale distributor, one business to another. The easy road is the one most often traveled and you will learn that it leads no where.

Saving for your childs college education

Paying for college is one of the largest expenses a parent will face in their lifetime, other than paying for a house. Because of this, care needs to be taken as well as special planning and allocations of finances in order to take the burden away from this expense. Starting early is the best option, even when your child is a toddler is not too soon. Consider the following timeline for saving for your child’s college education. When college is 15 years or more away, then you should open and education IRA that will allow you to save conservatively for your child’s college. Also, since there is a lot of time before your child will need the money this is the time to invest in aggressive funds or stocks. As the time for college nears, you will want to save money in conservative ways, but now is ok to be aggressive if you wish. When college is 10-15 years away for your child, then there are some additional things you can do. First, consider prepaid tuition plans that allow you to pay for college over a period of time before your child ever reaches the first day of school. The problem with this is you take the decision away from your child of which college they want to attend. Also, talk to your accountant about different savings plans your state offers for college savings. More than likely, there are some plans that will help you meet your savings needs or receive tax breaks. Also, make sure your portfolio is more secure and stabilized. Try to get your investments in order and start saving more conservatively. At the five to 10 year mark, you will need to start moving your money into different accounts or bonds. For example, bonds are a good option as well as fixed income. If you are unsure, talk to a financial planner to help you make the decision. When there are only five more years until your child enters college, make sure your investments are safe and secure and not in any aggressive funds. This is the time to guard the money rather than risk it on aggressive markets. If you realize that even though you have been saving for more than 15 years, you will not have enough money to pay for your child’s tuition, you can consider different student loans that do not need to be paid back while the child is enrolled in school and that have low interest rates. There are loans available for the parent as well as the child, so whatever works for your family is the best option. Also, once your child is actively enrolled in college there are different tax breaks that you can file on your tax return that will help out significantly. When it comes to paying for college, starting early and making a plan is the best way to go about it.

The pleasures of starting a home business

Even with today’s relaxed corporate atmosphere and major businesses like Best Buy and Microsoft promoting more employee freedom, nothing can beat the simple pleasure of working for yourself, from the home. However, many people confuse working from home with laziness and the dream of not having to work at all. This is simply not the case. Many, if not most, times, the home business owner will work much longer and harder hours than the out of the house professional, at least in the beginning. However, there is no denying that the pleasures of working from home are vast. Here are a few of the reasons you might consider starting your own home based business. No more answering to the man. Obviously, starting your own home business eliminates the boss factor. You are your own boss. If you want to work overtime, you can work overtime. If you don’t, you won’t. If you’re feeling sick and can’t do your work that day, you won’t have to explain it to anyone but yourself (well, and perhaps your customers). If you feel like you deserve a raise, it will be up to you to make more money. The freedom factor is one of the major forces behind many people’s decision to start their own home business. Set your own hours. If you’ve always been something of a night owl, this could be your chance to shine. If you’ve always regretted not being able to attend little Suzie or Johnny’s school functions, you now have the freedom to work your hours around them, rather than being stuck in a cubicle from 9 to 5 every day. If you are an amateur fisherman and you’ve always resented being trapped in an office when the weather is ripe for a couple of hours out on the lake, this is your chance to take advantage of those times. Spend more time with your family. Leaving your kids in day care or with a babysitter can be one of the most stressful decisions a young parent can make. But it is often necessary if both parents have to be out the house all day slaving away for someone else. With a home business, this decision eliminates itself. Now you can divide your time between business and family, and not miss out on the important developmental stages of your young children. Running your own home business is hard work, and making as much as you would otherwise make in the corporate world requires a lot of patience and determination. It can happen, but it will take time. Still, the pleasure of working from home are numerous, and the rewards can be worth it if you stick to it and work hard. Good luck.

Training for wrestling

The wrestling training plays a very important role in shaping a wrestler, the amount of time he/she spends in training and practicing in summation will show up at their performance. The following steps can be helpful for getting started with wrestling practice: Work out the posterior chain muscles The posterior chain is the powerful area of the body that comprises the glutens, and hamstrings, is a key section to concentrate on for overall wrestling performances. There shall be will notice a marked improvement in speed and power in the neutral and bottom positions once strength improves in these areas. Some really good exercises to enhance the posterior chain are good-mornings, stiff-leg dead lifts, dead lifts, barbell squats (bar low on shoulders). For ultimate in working out the posterior chain muscles, reverse hyperextension and the Russian glute-ham-gastroc machine are advised. Wrestle fast Wrestlers those that try to move a barbell quickly in their workouts use momentum to help move the weight. To wrestle fast one should minimize the momentum, and maximize the amount of muscle that gets worked by slowing down. It depends on fast or slow one move a weight during the strength training. Building up the protein You need to add on proteins rather than carbs, whether you are trying to cut weight or go up a weight class, you need regular feedings of protein. Protein helps to repair and rebuild the muscle tissues. It is vital to keep up protein feedings if you are trying to cut weight unless of course you don’t mind losing muscle and getting weaker. The difference lies in the carbohydrate intake. If you need to lose weight, you should begin slowly dropping carbs, but never completely. You can’t wrestle if you don’t have energy to burn. Carbohydrates are you body’s preferred source of energy.

An option arm even my mother would love

Callers and prospective clients often ask me, "Would you put your mother in an Option ARM?" I used to point out that my mother made two mortgage payments a month on a 15 year mortgage and paid it off in 10, because she knew she was going to live in her house forever. But when it came time to cash out to make some major home improvements on her beautiful old Tudor, we selected an Option ARM. A very different kind of Option ARM. Many of you have read our articles about the Hybrid Option ARM or Fixed Option ARM mortgage. The phones at both East and West Coast offices have been ringing so much that the owner of the company is even fielding calls from customers on his personal number due to all the volume overloading the lines (you might get lucky and get him if you call, he waives application fees for anyone who gets him directly). Just like the hundreds of callers who reach out to us each day, my own mother saw the sense in the Hybrid Option ARM value proposition. That's because unlike a standard Option ARM, the Hybrid has a fixed interest rate and payment for a period of time ranging from 3 to 10 years, and even after the fixed period is over most of them retain an interest only option. Now they don't have 1% start rates, but they do start anywhere from the high 3s (for excellent credit like my dear old mom) to the low 5s or equivalent. You can generally expect a minimum payment option on a Fixed Option ARM to have a payment of about 55% of the interest only payment at the rate of the note. In my mother's case, she locked in for 10 years and was able to pick up $100K for home improvements and debt consolidation for a monthly minimum payment of about $275. That's equivalent to the fully amortized payment on a loan of the same size with Zero Percent Interest. You heard me right. Of course your mileage will vary with your credit history and the amount you are borrowing with respect to the appraised value of your property, but if you have a credit score of 620 or above and have at least 25% equity in your home, you probably qualify for this type of program. It's not quite as cheap as the start rate on the Option ARM, but it is a lot easier to understand and more stable to boot. The payment is fixed for a period of time, as is the interest, and you can make payments to principal whenever you want just like a regular Option ARM, but without the monthly rate variations. And it has a 15 year equivalent payment option on the payment coupon. Guess which one my mom likes to use? If you guessed the 15 you're right, but now that she's on a more limited income than when she was working, having the flexibility to make a minimum payment when necessary helps her during expensive seasons, like the Holidays (spoils the grandkids like you wouldn't believe), or my Dad's birthday! And with the cash she pulled out, all of her credit card debt has been paid off and consolidated, so her monthly expenses have actually decreased, even though she's been able to upgrade all of the floors, fittings and furnishings with the balance of the money. She loves it. I love her. Hey she's my mom. And if she's happy, I'm happy.

Hot air balloon advertising works

Traditional advertising consists of tri-media meaning the television, radio and print. These mediums are still very powerful and effective but more and more marketing people are entertaining the idea of using non traditional advertising. This is mainly because traditional media is becoming so saturated and also becoming very expensive. In order for your brand or message to get across, a marketer should make sure that the medium used is unique from the rest. Small brands on the other hand have no budget as big as established brands so there is the challenge to find not only unique mediums but mediums that will not cost so much money. This challenge has opened many new entrepreneurs to think of all sorts of non traditional advertising. One of the hit non traditional advertising options is hot air balloon advertising. Hot air balloons used to be just decorations in air much like fireworks. Ingenious people of the olden times came up with ideas on how to use it as a recreational tool by making it possible for people to ride on it. Now hot air balloon fairs are famous all over the world. Young and old people flock to these fairs to ride in these balloons or simply to marvel at the beautiful colors as they are launched into the air. Entrepreneurs then noticed that hot air balloon has a potential to be a medium of advertising. A very keen observer will see the potential of hot air balloons when placed in any event. Hot air balloons can be designed. It has enough space for a logo and tagline. The most important thing is that it is visible to the naked eye even from afar. It is especially nice to see a hot air balloon when it is the centerpiece of an event or is the centerpiece of any area for that matter. Hot air balloon advertising has to consider all these things to make sure that it will shine as a non traditional advertising medium. Hot air balloon advertising maybe expensive but the mileage you get is exceptional. The traditional tri-media might even pick up your hot air balloon ad so even if you did not spend for any of those tri-media, there is a very big chance that you will see your ad in print or television or that you will hear your ad being talked about over the radio. In which case the budget you spent on the hot air balloon advertising will have a return of investment that is triple your original investment.

Sm frugality and saving money

A Frugal Lifestyle The word “frugality” has left a more negative connotation for most people than simply being a saver, a cheapskate or tightwad. There is a thin line difference to saving and too much frugality to the point of being awkward and ridiculous. This is where the negative connotation comes from. But if you are guided with the right principles and reasons in deciding to live a frugal life, you would never go wrong. If you have decided to live frugally, no need to be worried of insults. Keep your head up high. And keep your focus through these tips. 1. Eating Out - Having gimmicks with friends on a Friday night is fine if you do it once in a while. But this can be expensive if you add them up at the end of the month. 2. Clothing - Naturally, if you are the kind of person who adores signature and designer clothes, do not expect that there will be something left of your take home pay. Instead of being trendy, wear clothes that can easily be matched with your other clothes. 3. Own Home - If you are planning to move out and find a place to settle, do not be overwhelmed by the excitement, instead be practical. As a start, buy a smaller house or try other ways like rent-to-own, do-it-yourself arrangements, and owner financing. 4. Buying Your Own Car - Shy away from sports cars or SUVs. Just stick to your purpose of buying a car which is to transport you anywhere you need to go. Check out also program cars like a new car warranty. Maybe this is not just the best time to replace your car with a new one. 5. Shopping for Groceries - As much as possible do not go with items that are branded. Choose non-brands and try looking for items on the highest or lowest shelves for best prices. Grab the opportunity and shop during sales or use coupons. 6. Family Out - There are inexpensive ways to bond with your family and be entertained like going to libraries, local parks, malling, picnics, visit friends and local church. 7. Buying School Supplies - Stock school supplies at home and do not buy anything fancy. 8. Be contented with what you have and try to live within what you earn. 9. Plan your Child’s College Education - Teach them the ways to be independent and self-supporting by encouraging them to apply for scholarships and “on campus jobs”. 10. Be Aware of your Financial Limitations 11. Anticipate your Failures by Planning - Have always a budget plan so you would avoid impulsive buying.

Top accolade for haven s wild duck holiday park

Haven and British Holidays' Wild Duck Holiday Park has been named among the best in the country by Britain's leading holiday review website. The caravan and camping park, set in 90 acres of pine, alder and silver birch woodlands at Belton, near Great Yarmouth, was came second in a survey to find the best holiday park. The popular website, which attracts more than 40,000 "hits" a week, features holidaymakers' reviews of their holidays which can vary from being highly favorable to very critical. Wild Duck – which last year won a special excellence award after achieving the coveted David Bellamy Gold Conservation Award status for five consecutive years -- was named first runner-up behind another Haven holiday park Littlesea at Weymouth on the Dorset coast. In the latest review of Wild Duck, a holidaymaker who enjoyed a break there last October gives it 10/10, and says the park "was A1, very clean, friendly staff, beautiful setting and excellent value for money. The caravan was top class and very clean. I would recommend Wild Duck to anyone. "We saw lots of wild animals in the woods and round our caravan. Overall excellent time!" Wild Duck is one of four holiday parks in the Great Yarmouth area operated by Britain's leading family holiday company Haven and British Holidays. Together Wild Duck, Caister Holiday Park, Hopton and Seashore attract more than 10,000 holidaymakers and caravan owners a week during the peak season. They are also major local employers with a total complement of almost 600 Team Members in the summer. Haven is committed to regular investment in its parks and over the closed winter period parks have benefitted from many upgrades and improvements in facilities including the addition of outside patio areas with awnings, heating and lighting near the main entertainment venues in advance of the smoking ban which comes into effect this summer. Second runner-up in the survey was Center Parcs Oasis, Whine fell Forest, Cumbria. Commenting on the first holiday park awards, Chris Brown, Managing Director said: 'These awards are not given out lightly and are a valuable accolade for a holiday park to achieve. It is a great thing for the consumer as they can now know where the best holiday parks are at a click of a button and be as sure as possible of having a great holiday. 'It is especially relevant to the consumer as the awards are given based on their customers' comments and evaluate the park's service, cleanliness, value for money and quality of staff.'