Good To Know

Important Things to Know About Ipods

2007-03-12T04:02:00.000-05:00

It's one thing to find creepy people on a subway, but it’s another to have that creepy person mug someone for their iPod. Because iPods are so popular (and become more so with new models like the video iPod or the iPod nano) they are more likely to get stolen by a mugger. Someone may want a free iPod, and rather than buying one, or looking online for a free iPod, they take someone else’s iPod.

Because it is so common, some major cities have published a version of guidelines for people to protect themselves and their ipods. Many of these flyers share statistics of the amount of ipods that are stolen. According to one statistic from San Francisco, only 15 robberies were reported, but 11% of those were ipods). Many people suggest using regular headphones rather than the white pieces so that it becomes less obvious. Anyone that is smart with their iPod and knows how to conceal it will most likely keep their iPod, and the muggers will not get a free iPod very easily.

Concealing an iPod is easy, but learning how to use a new iPod can be frustrating. One of the biggest issues facing new iPod owners is the stacks of music that remain unripped and an unrealistic expectation that go along with the loading process. But owning an iPod should not be a burden. Any iPod owner can have access to thousands of songs on their iPod nano, if they give themselves plenty of time to load the songs. An entire library of music does not need to be loaded at one time. It is possible to load music onto the new iPod in increments. Allowing the iTunes collection to grow makes for better selection when loading the iPod. Also, an incomplete library doesn't mean failure. An entire CD collection does not have to be ripped in order to enjoy an iPod. Remember that can only a single song can be listened to at any one time time.

Don't feel tied to older music. People grow and change. The CDs from a decade or two ago might help connect to the past but if musical tastes have changed over time, allow new tracks in the library without feeling obligated to the older collection. No one will be checking in to make sure all those 80's and 90's CDs got digitized.

One of the great things about iTunes is that new music can be tested without commitment. It is possible to listen to the free 30-second samples and check out new play lists. And don't forget that every Tuesday, iTunes offers free tracks that might lead to new artists and styles to enjoy on the iPod. If a CD collection is just too much of a burden to face, enjoy any number of free pod casts on the new iPod and if possible, own a 5G or newer unit to watch TV and movies as well. The iPod does not begin or end with music. iPods shouldn't remain wrapped and unused on a coffee table.

Does the Lifepop Stereo Pet Carrier really steal the spotlight? Chances are it probably does not steal the show more than the pup itself, but it's a pretty cool iPod-compatible accessory. It can be used to carry around the pooch as he or she rocks out to iPod music, or whimpers in abject misery while listening to you’re the old music collection on the iPod. It's basically a soft padded bag with built-in speakers and a mini-plug to hook into the iPod. There's a fully zippered ventilated top so Fido will be able to breathe while grooving.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Groshan_Fabiola

What You Need to Know to Be Creative

2007-01-27T04:30:00.000-05:00

Submitted by royanereal

Would you like to improve your creativity?

Before you answer yes or no, think about what that word means to you. If you associate creativity with artistic expression, and you happen to be a middle-manager in a corporation, you may think increased creativity is not really necessary to your life. But creativity is something far, far broader than artistic expression.

Your idea of a creative person might be someone who lives in a loft, painting gigantic canvases all day long. Or perhaps a writer at her computer, working on a long novel. Or a musician, actor, or singer performing on stage to an audience.

These are all people actively pursuing artistic expression and they can all rightly be said to be creative people, even if no one else enjoys their art.

But what about an entrepreneur who has an idea for a new product, who forms a company to produce and distribute it, eventually employing hundreds of people? Is this not creative?

What about a research scientist toiling in a lab, developing new compounds in an effort to cure disease? Is this creative? What about a single mother who manages to come up with healthy delicious meals on a tiny budget? Is that creativity?

To one person, creativity can mean gluing seashells to a picture frame. To another, creativity might mean solving a grand unified theory in physics. To someone else it might mean coming up with an ingenious new way to speed up a factory assembly line.

When we define creativity only in terms of artistic expression, we miss a lot of other potential applications for creative thinking.

An artist painting a picture or a writer working on a novel has something in common with the researcher in the lab, and the entrepreneur, and the person gluing seashells to picture frames.

They are all working on problems and devising solutions that didn’t exist before. These people are using their minds to imagine fresh ways of doing something.

They are combining existing ideas or materials in unexpected ways, creating something different from what has gone before. It may be a new idea, a new look, a new product, or technique.

Creativity can be exciting, fun, personally fulfilling, and even financially lucrative. It can also be frustrating, challenging and scary.

Can we improve our ability to be creative?

Yes. In fact, learning to be more creative can be quite enjoyable and easy to do.

There are many techniques that have been developed to improve creative and artistic ability, as well as to improve creative problem solving. Such techniques include brainstorming, hypnosis, and various forms of guided imagery and meditation.

What all creativity enhancement techniques have in common is they aim to bypass the inner judge or critic in our head.

Neutralize the Critic Within

Most of us have an inner voice that is running a constant commentary on everything we think and do. This inner voice may barely be noticed most of the time, yet it has a great impact on what we can accomplish in our life.

In many of us this voice is usually critical of our efforts, and no matter what we do it’s never good enough to please our inner critic.

As we attempt to come up with new ideas our inner voice may be saying, “This idea is stupid.” Or it might tell us, “I should never be mediocre or average, I must be brilliant and perfect all the time. If I can’t be totally brilliant and innovative right from the start, I am a failure and it’s better not to even try”.

Sometimes we may not be aware of an inner dialogue, but we may picture images of ourselves failing, or we may have sensations of fear and embarrassment that stop us from pursuing new ideas or new actions.

Why is it important to bypass or shut off our inner critic when we want to be creative?

In most of us, the inner critic is quite harsh and is never pleased with anything we do. None of our ideas are good enough. All our ideas are stupid and bound to fail.

What effect does this constant running dialogue in our heads have on us?

Our inner critic is trying to make us perfect, but it usually has the opposite effect. If our inner judgmental dialogue is mostly negative, our creative abilities will suffer.

Instead of enabling us to come up with better ideas, it is far more likely that the negative inner dialogue will cause our ability to come up with new ideas to dry up completely. The creative part of us will feel inadequate and embarrassed and shut down.

Young children are inherently creative.

They have not yet learned the official uses of objects around them so they experiment to see how they can be used. They are very willing to try new combinations. They don’t have a concept of failure. The younger they are, the less they have set ideas in their mind of how things are supposed to be.

When young children sing or dance or tell a little story they are not yet competing with some imagined standard of excellence they are supposed to match. To them, everything is an exploration.

Your inner critic isn’t being evil when it criticizes you, or when it tells you your ideas are not very good. Your critic is actually trying to protect you from being ashamed or embarrassed by the potentially negative comments and reactions of other people to your ideas.

The problem is that the inner critical voice can become so automatic that it will criticize your ideas before you even formulate them. It just starts to spew forth its negative assessments before you have a chance to develop and realistically evaluate your ideas.

Eventually, under the constant barrage of inner criticism, your creative side may shut down in fear and discouragement. In some people this shut down of creativity can become permanent.

Even people who are very bright and very talented can suffer because of the messages from their internal critical voice, telling them that nothing they do or think is good enough.

The critical, judgmental, analytical function of the brain is not the part that knows how to generate creative ideas.

Even if you have the most kindly inner critic in the world, you still need to bypass the judgmental part of yourself when you want to be creative.

When it's time to be creative, tell your inner critic to go out for a walk.

This article is taken from the new book by Royane Real titled “How You Can Be Smarter – Use Your Brain to Learn Faster, Remember Better, and Be More Creative” If you want to learn how to use your brain better download it today or get the paperback version at http://www.lulu.com/real

Source: http://www.articleavenue.com

The History and Evolution of the Sexy Thong

2007-01-27T04:29:00.000-05:00

Submitted by rickho2u

The loincloth, worn thousands of years ago is likely to be the first undergarment worn by humans and it evolved into the thong over the years. Ironically, it was first worn by men in ancient times before it evolved into part of women’s lingerie in modern times. The Egyptians were one of the earliest people to wear this thong-like clothing. The earliest loincloths were made of leather and this was used until the introduction of fabric much later on. The famous King Tutankhamun was found buried with more than a hundred loincloths in his tomb.

Some people in ancient Greece, Rome and Japan also wore loincloths. In Japan, sumo wrestlers in particular are known to wear a loincloth when they are wrestling. In fact, right up to this very day, they still wear this.

In the middle ages, the loincloth was replaced by a large, loose outfit called ’braies’. This was usually made from linen and is much bigger than the loincloth. The braies is made with a covering at the front that could be buttoned or tied closed.

In modern times, historians trace the thong’s first public appearance to 1939 when New York Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia directed that the city's nude exotic dancers to dress more appropriately.

Fashion designer, Rudi Gernreich was credited with introducing the first modern thong back in 1974. The thong was worn for many years by exotic Brazilian dancers and was very widely worn during the festivals. These tight, tiny thongs grew in popularity during the 80s in South America and were used as swimwear at the beaches. Its popularity and influence spread to various parts of the world in the late 90s.

In the US, the sexy thong only gained wide acceptance in the 90s when exotic lingerie came into the mainstream. Today, the thong is one of the best selling styles of undergarment in the world. The size of the lingerie industry is said to be over US$2 billion a year.

The thong became so popular that there were even songs written about it. The most famous one was of course ‘The Thong Song’ by Sisqo under the Def Soul label. The Thong Song from Sisqo’s debut album ‘Unleash The Dragon’ was such a big hit that it reached number 3 on the US pop charts and sold over 4 million copies worldwide.

Besides the sexy thong, there are also many different types and variants of exotic lingerie available in the market today. Some of the different types of lingerie available include the chemise, camisole, boy shorts, bustiers, corsets, teddy and G-string.

Many designers today have come up with very flamboyant and creative designs and the thongs today are very different from the designs of yesteryears. It is extremely minimalist, erotic and chic. Many women prefer the thong to other types of lingerie because they can wear tight pants without showing the panty line. Besides being extremely sexy, the thong is also comfortable to wear. You can find out more about sexy thongs and romantic dating ideas at http://www.1sexythong.com

Source: http://www.articleavenue.com

Who Wrote The Most Famous Love Poem

2007-01-27T04:21:00.000-05:00

Submitted by jrgjg

The Most Famous Love Poem

Love poems have been written for centuries to inspire lovers and create romance. When you give your special someone a love poem, you can express your feelings through eloquent words in a memorable way. Many famous love poems are written by classical poets, such as Lord Byron, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and Shakespeare. But a famous love poem by a modern poet may appeal to a younger person who likes a less formal tone.

The poet E. E. Cummings wrote what is probably the most famous love poem currently. It has been featured in other books and movies, used as inspiration for other writers.

i carry your heart with me
by E. E. Cummings

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in
my heart) i am never without it (anywhere
i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)
i fear
no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want
no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)

The poet E. E. Cummings is quite a unique writer in that he used new methods of creating mood and setting the words to paper. He explored the use of white space on the page and made the words’ appearance just as important as their sound when the poem was read aloud.

This poem is a perfect example of his use of parentheses and unusual stanza variation. He found a wonderful way of expressing very abstract ideas with some concrete grammatical forms. Use this poem to express to your loved one just how much they mean to you.

Visit to find out more about famous love poems.

Art Hill is an internet poet who operates an independent poetry publishing company.

Source: http://www.articleavenue.com

Shocking eBay Auctions

2007-01-27T04:15:00.000-05:00

Submitted by splat

Over the years the worlds largest and most successful online action house, eBay, has run some really bizarre sales.

Some are listed under eBays' StrangestAuctions on the Home page. Here are some wilder ones that aren't!

November 1999 - Pregnant Keychain.

MMMmm. Lady's torso in plastic with a transparent stomach so you can glimpse baby Chuckie from front and sides whenever you open the front door. Educational! Uplifting!

EBay May 2000 - Purse made from a dead frog. Some fashionable person snapped this up for $5.50, and is no doubt wowing Manhattan to this day!

April 2000 - The most unrecognisable pelican ever, made from conch shells. Apparently of Dutch extraction, as he's wearing a couple of the molluscs as clogs.. And he's called 'Stinky'.

July 2000 - Funeral Home Coffee Scoop. Appears to be marked, presumably to reduce pilfering by customers with time on their hands? Online it went for $4.99.

August 2001 - Gator Bride Mummified (sic) alligator in bridal finery.Assumed female, but the firmly erect tail is worrying. Others must have felt the same, as there were no bids.

July 2003 - Inflatable Ladys Legs. Under Home Furnishings of course. Seller says that when the legs are deflated they will go in someones mouth. Strong selling point indeed, but sadly no bids.

Some random shots - Cow Seed... GrowYour Own Herd (Item #145597342). Hey, this could be a hoax, you know? Probably works for sheep,though, they really are all the same like lawn grass.

Knitting with Dog Hair (2000) A book to tempt the most jaded spinster. Moulty Mutt=Money! Hats, sweaters, equipment - illustrated, but not sure if theres a section on taking shears to your Spitzer if the poloneck is behind schedule come Yuletide....

Young Mans Virginity For Sale (1999). Bad times indeed that a sterling young man like Francis D. Cornworth, owner of the BFGs spectacles, and cool 9 year old Honda Civic, plus being a jazz trumpeter and a standing member -excellent - of the National Honour League in Miami, would have felt compelled to raffle his most priceless possession to man or woman for a mere $10 million before eBay, took him down, pulled him off, oh, ok - removed him.

2006 - LEPRECHAUN FLUTE AS REPORTED IN MOBILE ALABAMA LEPRECHAUNS ARE LETTING THEMSELVES BE SEEN. DON’T BE WITHOUT YOUR VERY OWN LEPRECHAUN FLUTE. WHEN YOU SEE THE LEPRECHAUN PLAY THE FLUTE AND HE WILL TAKE YOU TO HIS POT OF GOLD. DON’T BE FOOLED BY IMITATIONS REAL LEPRECHAUN FLUTES ONLY MAKE NOISE A LEPRECHAUN CAN HEAR. Particularly wonderful is fact that leprechauns are into sheer flute noise -is they why they are out of Ballymeena and down in Alabam?

What can I say but - keep on selling!!

Mick Madigan is fascinated by strange auctions and in honour of this, and the World Cup has his own offer - 'The Mystic WayneStone,' available for a short time over at http://tinyurl.co.uk/o3kc

All proceeds to charity!

Source: http://www.articleavenue.com

The Ten Most Common Mistakes When Buying an MP3 Player (and How to Avoid Them)

2007-01-27T04:12:00.000-05:00

Submitted by hansd

When you go out to buy an MP3 player, make sure you get one that fits you. Here the 10 most common mistakes. Make sure you don't make them.

One of the most common reactions after buying a new MP3 player is "GEE! My player doesn't have X!” Substitute “X” for FM radio, microphone, or enough memory and you get an idea of some of the options which are available on MP3 players. Everybody has different requirements for an MP3 player, so avoid the first common mistake --

1. Not considering how the MP3 player will be used.

Sure, everybody (or almost everybody) wants a portable player to listen to music. Every MP3 player does that! What else do you need it for? Do you need a microphone for recording lectures or business meetings? Do you need an FM radio for keeping up-to-date on the weather reports or traffic conditions?

2. Not getting enough memory.

You can pick up an MP3 player for less than $50. What a bargain! The trouble is, you don't get very much memory for $50, and if you have a sizable music collection you will need to transfer music to the player almost every day.

3. Not getting a powerful battery.

Check out the battery life when you buy a new player. Flash based devices should last for more than 20 hours on a single charge, and hard drive based players should run for at least 15 hours. This is enough power to keep you in music for several days before recharging.

4. The player doesn’t handle “X” format.

What kind of files can be played? If you have a sizeable MP3 collection and discover that your new player only plays WMA files you will have to convert all your music to that format.

5. The sound is not great.

Some players have less-than-ideal sound for music. Look for a signal to noise ratio of at least 90dB.

6. Low (or high) bitrates are not supported.

If you want to use the player to record voice, look for a player that supports a range of bitrates. Voice recordings do not need a high bitrate and lower bitrates will give you more storage capacity.

7. There isn’t an equalizer.

If you wish to customize the sound of your music you need to have an equalizer which allows you to adjust individual sound spectrums.

8. Not getting a line input.

If you wish to record sources like cassette decks or TV shows you should get a player that allows you to connect these devices with a line input.

9. Not getting a big enough display screen.

Some players come with tiny or non-existent screens. It’s hard to see what song is being played or to change the settings.

10. Not being firmware upgradeable.

MP3 players are driven by software and this software can have bugs – especially if the player was rushed to market. There should be a way to upgrade the player’s operating system.

About The Author:

Ross audio enthusiast and author of the Audio How To Section of the Selected Audio Review Guide

Source: http://www.articleavenue.com

Who is rigging American Idol?

2007-01-14T23:56:00.000-05:00

By: Groshan Fabiola

American Idol is a ratings phenomenon. Bringing in close to 35 million viewers every season, the reality show boasts itself as a competition for Americas great undiscovered. Thousands of hopefuls are auditioned, the grand prize? Nothing short of the ultimate in success: a full-fledged recording contract with a major label. But as American Idol approaches its sixth season, questions have begun to proliferate over the veracity of the contest, and the frailty of the voting system.

At the forefront of the dispute is the web site “Vote For The Worst” that directs the efforts of millions of non-fans every week. Since American Idol does not publish the winning margins, it is impossible to get a feel for how much of an impact an endeavor like this may have. However, the season four victory was rumored to be by a margin of merely 100,000 votes. With a number like that, it is impossible to deny the impact.

Is “Vote For The Worst” just another crank trying to be a fly in the ointment? According to the creator, no. David Delle Terez, who started the site as a joke, claims that his motivation lays in the misrepresentation of the show. In an interview with BuddyTV, Delle Terez portrayed his site as not being an attempt to thwart the contest, but rather celebrate it for what it really is. He claims American Idol is not a singing contest at all, but a reality show cleverly disguised as a singing contest with the intent of selling their product on the emotions and pageantry of the contestants. Not their musical talent.

Whether any of this is true, or not, is anybody’s guess, and if so, one thing is for sure; the efforts of sites like “Vote for the Worst” have done nothing but help further American Idol’s success.

Article Source: http://www.content.onlypunjab.com

If you want to find out more about American idol or even about American Idol Rigged please visit this site www.buddytv.com

Cheap Flights Guide

2007-01-14T21:29:00.000-05:00

By: http://en.europelowcost.com/

General information on low cost airlines
Low cost airlines and their fares deeply changed the flight sector. A low cost (or no frills, or low fares) is an airline company that offers flights at very competitive prices (Cheap Flights) by not offering or by selling most of passenger services (like on-board meals, seats bookings, etc.). Cheap flights were born in USA in 1971 with Southwest Airlines, and started spreading in Europe at the beginning of the '90s with Ireland's Ryanair.
Statistics and history in brief

To point out the strong growth of low cost flights we will show a few stats: in 1994 about 3 million passengers flew low cost, most of them with Ryanair, and in 1995 they reached 17,5 million.
In 1995 British Airways founded their cheap flights division named Go, operating from London Stanstead airport in 1998. The same year Go started operating form London Luton as well. In the year 2000, Go was sold to EasyJet.com with an operational loss of over 21 million Pounds. In 2000 KLM also entered the low cost world with Buzz, which was bought over by Ryanair in 2003 with very high losses. Currently EasyJet.com and Ryanair are among the most successful European low cost airlines, and operate over several hundred routes.
Today's market situation sees a strong and constant growth of the cheap flights sector, new routes being opened every day by all main airlines, In the future a strong growth of low cost companies it is foreseen also in the long range flights segments.

Why low cost flights are such
Low cost airlines are very flexible and efficient organizations with a cost structure that is very different from the one of traditional airlines. Cutting many costs allows them to offer very competitive prices.
Costs are optimized mainly in the following areas:
- Tickets sales are direct, Internet being the main channel. By shortening the intermediation chain, costs can be deeply reduced.
- Smaller and cheaper airports are used, that are also less jammed by traffic.
- On-board services and crews. No meals are served. Fewer crew members are used, and airplanes need less cleaning.
- Full usage of aircraft capacity. Airplanes always fly full charge and fly more often to amortize costs. They have faster load/download times (25/35 minutes vs. 2 hours of traditional companies).
- Newer and all equal aircraft. Low cost companies fleets are made all of the same make of planes, all new ones and easy to service, in order to have them all at maximum efficiency.

Characteristics of low cost companies
To operate cheap flights, airlines must have specific characteristics to allow them to keep prices as low as possible. The basic ones are:

- A single passenger class, with free choice of the seating place.
- A single airplane make (in order to optimize service costs), such as Airbus A320s or Boeing 737s (for instance: Ryanair uses Boeing 737 series, EasyJet favors both Boeing 737s and Airbus A319s).
- Airplanes have more seats (for instance, Lufthansa's Boeing 737s carry 132 passengers, EasyJet's ones carry 148).
- Lower weight allowance for both hand carried and stored luggage.
- No free meals or beverages are served on board, but they are available to buy.
- Crew members fulfill multiple tasks (mainly stewardesses and stewards).
- Intensive use of airfleets. For instance, EasyJet flies an average of 10.7 hours a day, while British Airways flies 7.1 hours. Airport stops are shorter (with a faster turnover, usually 25 minutes between flights), and flights are shorter too.
- Connections are made using convenient secondary airfields, often far away from town centers, without slot restrictions, little air traffic and lower airstrip fares.
- Straight peer-to-peer connections without luggage transfers to other coincident flights (separate check-in and check-out), no coordinate flight plans with other airlines.
- Expenditure savings trough direct ticket sales, especially trough the Internet and outsourced call centers, automated check-ins and, occasionally service fees.
- Certain offers (as low as 0.99?) are only valid for in-advance bookings or are limited offers, for a relatively low number of seats.
- Lean management (savings on staff). For instance, Germanwings in Cologne employs no more than 50 people.

It isn't easy to be low cost: flops
There were new low cost companies that flew only a few months, or even only a few days, like Ireland's JetGreen Airways, that stopped all activities in May 2004 after only one week without paying back about 40.000 already sold tickets.

- V Bird flew from October 23, 2003 to October 8, 2004 from Düsseldorf.
- VolareWeb, low cost daughter of Italy's Volare went bankrupt on November 23, 2004. On October 30, 2004 they stopped at once their flights between Germany and Italy. In June 2005 they started to fly again, mainly to domestic destinations and a few European ones.
Several more or less known flops were: Minerva, Gandalf, Azzurra, Air Sicilia, ItalAir, Air Libertè.

When to book
It is usually better to book your cheap flights in large advance, at least 15 days before leaving. Better offers are for departures from Mondays to Thursdays: Better to avoid leaving on week ends. Always buy return tickets and be ready to take off at unusual times (early mornings or late evenings).

Canceling or modifying bookings
Before booking read thoroughly the company's regulations about cancelling or modifying bookings! Usually cheap flights tickets not used on the booked flight are not payed back as recession rights for long distance travel do not apply to this kind of sales. About changing departure dates, every company have different regulations, which you better always check on the company's site. Usually changing dates is not convenient. It is better to loose your old ticket and buy a new one.

How to pay
To shorten intermediation chains, thus offering competitive prices, low cost airlines use favor Internet and call canters (these may apply a small overcharge). Therefore be ready to pay via credit card (payments are secure, to verify be sure that Internet addresses change form http: to https:).

Cheap Flights Confirmation and check in
If you book on line, you will receive a confirmation mail at the e-mail address you specified. For telephone bookings at a call center, you will receive confirmation via fax, e-mail or, eventually by regular mail. In the last case, certain companies ask for a small overcharge if sending via messenger mail. If you are e-booking, that means if you buy your ticker on line, you receive confirmation via e-mail. It is enough to print it out and to show it at the booking counter at the airport.

Secure on line payments
On line payments are preferred by low cost airlines. To guarantee discretion in data transfer on the web, credit cards use the most advanced SSL (Secure Socket Layer) technology. When paying, if your browser uses SSL you just select Protected Mode and your data will be protected. If the browser has limitations, you can use Unprotected Mode. We recommend to get hold of the latest version to be able to carry out without problems all transactions.

Watch out for taxes and extras
Unfortunately, in offers of may low cost airlines there is a not yet regulated very bad habit of give only a partial price, not including overcharges and extras. So don't be fooled by offers at 0.01 cents, always calculate global prices including taxes, overcharges and fuel costs. Sometimes there are huge differences in price.

Get organized for transportation
Low cost companies usually fly from secondary airfields that can be very far from final destinations (there are almost 70 miles from Stanstead to London), so make sure you know your way out (costs, timings and transportation time) and get organized to reach your destination.

Your luggage
Luggage transport is another point to pay attention to when flying low cost to avoid spending more on extra allowances than on tickets. Extra payload is usually very expensive and companies are very strict about it. So pay extreme attention to luggage overweight regulations and "weigh well" your suitcases.

This article is brought to you by Europelowcost.com http://en.europelowcost.com

Article Source: http://www.content.onlypunjab.com

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The Top Seven Reasons People Break Their New Year's Resolutions

2007-01-14T20:37:00.000-05:00

Stephen Kraus

Have you broken your New Year's resolution yet? If so, you aren't alone. Studies suggest that 20% of resolutions are broken within the first week of January. At least 80% are broken within one year, and the actual figure is probably much higher.

But the big question is: Why?

An even bigger question: What can we do about it?

In this article, we'll explore the top seven reasons for breaking resolutions, and proven science-based techniques

for avoiding them.

==> #1. All-or-none thinking.

"Resolutions" set us up for failure by luring us into all-or-none thinking. Most people think in terms of "keeping" their resolutions, or "breaking" them.

Thinking in black-or-white terms of "success" or "failure" can be fun as long as you are making good progress. But the joy of feeling like a "pure success" soon fades with the first minor setback, and you plunge into feeling like a total failure.

In other words, all-or-none thinking leads to the next cause of breaking resolutions: the snowball effect.

==> #2. The snowball effect.

We've all experienced the snowball effect: letting a minor lapse snowball into a major relapse and a total collapse. Because all-or-none thinking is a major factor, it happens to resolution-makers all the time.

D'ieters frequently suffer from the snowball effect as well, because they typically think in terms of being "on" their d'iet, or "off" it. Any little setback leads them to think that they have "broken" it, and they pig out.

==> #3. Overlooking progress, and dwelling on setbacks.

The "law of effect" is the most fundamental law in psychology. It's simple: actions followed by rewards are strengthened and likely to recur.

It seems obvious, but most people do just the opposite. Study after study has shown people who try -- and fail -- to make life changes self-reward too little, and self-punish too much.

Resolutions-makers (and d'ieters) do this all the time. After two weeks of healthy eating and exercise, for example, they have an ice cream cone. But instead of rewarding themselves for two weeks of solid progress, they beat themselves up over their minor setback.

==> #4. No plan (& bad goal setting & we forget)

These reasons all go together, and they all have the same root cause.

Most people resolve to do X in the coming year, and don't think much beyond that. But an annual resolution is too far in the future to be motivating. You won't be inspired to take action, or to make a plan and follow through. And because such a distant goal simply won't show up on your "radar screen," you'll soon forget about it. Until next New Year's.

Instead, studies show that resolution-keepers use the proven principles for setting goals that will keep them focused, motivated and confident.

==> #5. The "nice-to-keep" syndrome

Let's face it -- for most people, their resolution is a "nice-to-keep," not a "need-to-keep."

Sure, they'd like to be fit, or quit smoking, or have better relationships, or whatever. But by January 7th, they get focused on issues that are supposedly more "pressing," or get bogged down "putting out fires." Their longer-term, nice-to-have goals keep getting put on the back burner, and are soon forgotten.

Resolution-keepers do it differently.

They use a variety of commitment-enhancing and pre-commitment strategies that ensure they avoid the "nice-to-keep" syndrome. They find ways to keep themselves accountable, and follow through on the things that are truly important to them.

==> #6. No Vision (& not understanding the all-important "why")

The motivating power of any goal comes from truly understanding *why* you want it. But most resolution-makers don't think through their underlying motivations.

Just wanting to l'ose ten p'ounds for its own sake may be a fine goal, but it won't be enough to motivate you when you have to make sacrifices or suffer a setback.

But you'll have that motivation if you know that getting in shape will mean having more stamina for playing with your kids, or going on a big hiking trip with your friends.

As Antoine de Saint-Exupery once put it: "If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea." Clarify your Vision, and motivation will come.

==> #7. Not enough action.

All of the "small" reasons for not keeping resolutions add up to one big reason: not enough action.

Most people know what to do in order to keep their resolution. They have the blueprint for success. But they don't take sufficient action.

There's no great secret to weight loss success: just burn off more calories than you take in. Eat more vegetables, watch your portion sizes, and exercise more (studies have shown that weight loss maintainers average one hour of exercise per day!). It's not hard to figure out. It's just hard to do it, and maintain these lifestyle changes over the long-term.

Most people start out OK, but don't take sufficient action to make cement their new habits, and make their life changes permanent.

About the author: Harvard-trained psychologist Dr. Stephen Kraus separates the science of success from self-help snake oil. Get his free 7-day Real Science of Success e-course, and report on Becoming More Resilient & Persistent at http://www.RealScienceofSuccess.com

A guide to dream interpretation

2007-01-14T20:20:00.000-05:00

Shen Gerald

Most of us dream. But only a very small percentage of us understands that dreams hold much importance and opportunity for our self growth, improvement and self discovery. But many mystics of both Eastern and Western origins are aware of the fact that dreams hold a wealth of untapped knowledge. Because of its inherently vague nature, dreams and the art of interpreting them never entered mainstream sciences. Jungian psychology is the closest mainstream science that took dreams seriously.

This article is a concise description of the method of dream interpretation that I use. There are several points/guidelines to take note.

1. The dreams are often symbolic representations of what we are experiencing or are about to experience in the near future. I have found that my dreams often convey messages of occurrences that will most likely happen within a month or so.

2. Usually the people that we encounter in the dream symbolize the different aspects/characteristics of ourselves. For example: a woman may represent a feminine aspect of oneself even when one is male in the waking hours. Much of our repressed tendencies also tend to manifest themselves as characters in dreams as well. Have you ever wondered why we sometimes appear and behave so differently in our dreams. Well, my take is that dreaming offers an outlet for us to be 'somebody else' that we never had the opportunity to be during our waking hours.

3. Often how we feel and the emotion we felt during the dream reveals and conveys much about the meaning of the symbols. Intuition and the willingness to examine ourselves with brutal honesty are two very important factors for successful analysis. Below is a list of commonly encountered symbols. In my opinion, we should always take into consideration the fact that symbols hold certain semantics and meanings that are specific to individuals. Thus the interpretations of symbols are not generic and therefore there can be no hard and fast rules with regards to dream analysis.

Common dream symbolism

Water- associated with emotion.
Ocean or any large body of water - often represents the subconscious mind. The state of the sea often is an indication of the emotional state as well
Eating/digesting- Trying to understand an issue/situation
Walking- associated with learning and assimilating.
Path, road or pavement- symbolizes life or spiritual Path/journey
House- symbolizes our self. Within the house, the various rooms could represent the various aspects of self.
Snake- symbolizes knowledge.
Tree and forest - subconscious feelings that governs our emotions
Bridge- a transitional phase or period of transformation / change

Below is an example of a dream and its interpretation. Like any other types of skills, dream interpretation is an art in which one's proficiency improves with experience.

Dream
Miss A was visiting a foreign country. She boarded a train that has a stop in a shopping complex that meanders through mountains and terrains. She remembered telling the train driver that she wanted to alight in the shopping centre so that she can find her way home. Instead of alighting at the intended destination, she alighted at a strange place. She had difficulty getting to her destination. She contacted her partner (boyfriend). Though they communicated through the phone, she was still stuck and lost in that unfamiliar place. By this time, she was starting to get depressed. In the moment of depression, she woke up from the dream.

Symbolism involved
Foreign country- unknown knowledge, new experience Train- accelerated learning and understanding Through mountains and terrains- ups and downs Find the way home- spiritual path Train-in-charge guiding aspect Her partner male/ mental aspect Queen shopping center station an intermediate stage that must be attained.

Interpretation
Miss A is currently experiencing and/or learning something that is still unknown to her. It is something that is rather difficult for her to grasp and apply. She is/will be experiencing some feelings of ups and downs. However, if understood, the newfound understanding and knowledge could significantly accelerate her self-growth and discovery. However, for the time being, it is something not within her experience yet (as symbolized by alighting at a strange place instead of the designated station). When she tried contacting her male partner (which symbolizes using her mental reasoning), she was still confused and thus became depressed.

Well, that's all for a quick lesson in dream interpretation. I hope it is informative and beneficial.

Happy Dreaming...

Euphemisms for Saying "I Don't Know"

2007-01-14T20:14:00.000-05:00

Jeanie Marshall

There are times when the perfect answer is, "I don't know". At those times, say precisely that, with confidence or authority.

People ask questions for all different reasons. Sometimes it's helpful to know the statement behind the question; other times, it would be insensitive to ask why someone is asking. The key is to find ways to respond that keep you feeling as empowered as possible. It s also a really good policy to respond in such a way that the person who is asking feels empowered, or at least not disempowered.

Sometimes it s unwise to say "I don't know". At those times, you may want to avoid the question or answer another question. Most politicians do this very well. Not all questions are appropriate, but, even so, it's also not always appropriate for you to highlight the inappropriateness of the one asking the question.

Here are some euphemisms for saying "I don't know" when you re asked for information and you don't have the answer. Some of these are also useful when you re being asked for your point of view, rather than for factual information. And a few of them might be appropriate when you really want to say, it's none of your business.

In one-on-one situations...

1. I've been wondering the same thing.

2. I'll be happy to get the answer for you.

3. That's a really good question. I wish I had a really good answer. I think [name of person] will know the answer or have some ideas.

4. That s something we've been working to discover. Let me tell you my thoughts so far.

5. Let's think this out together.

6. That's not my area of expertise. I'll ask the appropriate expert to get back to you. (Or, I suggest you call [name of person] and say that I thought he or she can help you.)

7. I'll check that out. (Or, I ll have to check that out.)

8. I've got an idea about that, but I want to double check something first.

9. I can think of several possibilities (approaches, considerations). What do you have in mind? (Or, What have you tried so far?)

10. I'm hearing several questions in your question. Maybe we can get clear about what information you re really looking for and then I can be more helpful.

11. I think that s a really good question to ask someone else (or a specific person).

In group situations...

1. Has anyone in the group had a similar experience?

2. Can anyone in the group answer that question or at least shed some light on it?

3. I think that's a wonderful question for us to explore together.

What are some of your euphemisms for saying "I don't know"?

Copyright 2006 Marshall House Jeanie Marshall, Empowerment Consultant and Coach with Marshall House, produces Guided Meditations on CD albums and MP3 downloads and writes extensively on subjects related to personal development and empowerment.
Voice of Jeanie Marshall, http://www.jmvoice.com

More money, more health, more happiness!

2007-01-14T19:55:00.000-05:00

Alexander Tretjakov

You can change the quality of your life by doing these simple steps

1. Change the way you feel.
Emotions are very important in our life. When we feel down, our life seems bleak and we feel unmotivated to do anything. Good news is that you can change your mood simply by thinking of pleasant memories from the past. Our mind is incredibly powerful.
We just need to be able to steer it in the direction we want it to go.

2. Change the way you think
This one is tricky. Here I am not talking about simply forcing yourself to be unnaturally positive about everything. I am talking about developing an understanding of things around you, so you will be able not to be negative. Through understanding why things happen, you will be able to not get mad at unimportant things. You will simply let them go.

3. Change the way you relate to other people.
When we relate to others it is highly important to understand where they are coming from. Just think how many times you were upset at someone simply because you did not understand them or their point of view. If we will start looking for understanding first, in any situation, instead of simply reacting, we will avoid half of the problems that we have in our lives today.

4. Change the way you think about money.
Money is a sticky subject. People, from the time immemorial, had issues with money. Be it, calling money evil, or putting it on a pedestal, there was always a lot of drama surrounding this subject. The fact is though - money by it self is natural.
People do good or bad things with money. But in it self money is just an energy that flows from one person to another. It also plays an incredibly important role in our lives. It is like glue that allows everything to work in this physical world.
And just as glue isn't the most important part of any object, money isn't be all and end all. However, it is so important that without an idea of some sort of an exchange of currency, this world would not be able to function. So with that in mind, money is another vital skill that we need to learn, to fully participate in this worlds affairs. We need to know how to earn it, save it and spend it. All of that is very important to our existence.

5. Change the way you think about your self.
You can't affect any sort of change in your life if you do not like your self. Your self worth will influence everything you do. If you do not think you are worth it, your chances for success in anything diminish significantly.
One of the ways of increasing your self esteem would be to pay attention to any success that you achieved, however small. Learn how to forgive your self when you fail. This is a way of conditioning your mind to look at your self as a valuable being.

6. Use creativity in every aspect of your life.
One of the greatest and most fulfilling things we can do to change our life is to use our own creativity as much as possible in our daily life. Being creative is one of those things that is integral in our life yet we pay almost no conscious attention to it. If you feel that your life became a drag, all you have to do is to awaken your creativity again and it will be transformed in an instant.
One of the surest ways to awaken your creative ability is to simply use it as much as possible. You can also check out a program where you go through an intense boot-camp to do the same (www.burstcreativity.com). Whichever way you do it however, you must do it, if you want to sky rocket your satisfaction in life.

7. Change the way you think about your body.
You probably heard many times that our bodies are our temples.
Even though we often don't treat our bodies as such, it is worthwhile to make an effort in that department. You see one of the best arguments I know for this is simply that everything in life is interconnected. If we don't take care of our bodies, both from physical exercise and nutrition point of view, they simply will not function very well. And if we don't feel well physically, you can bet that we will not feel well emotionally, neither. Another point to bring up is the reverse of the previous statement - you can easily improve your out look on life by taking the time to improve how you take care of your self. It is not difficult to start feeling great if you haven't exercised in a while or you are eating really badly.

8. Change what you eat.
Nutrition, although previously mentioned, definitely deserves more emphasis. Today obesity is one of the biggest problems in North America. If we don't change that soon it will become catastrophic as the population ages. So how do we actually improve our eating habits? We educate our selves. The best tip I know in changing the way you eat is ... (drum roll) ... learn from an expert. Go see a nutritionist. Not only a good nutritionist will be able to craft an ultimate way for you to eat, but they would do it in a customized way specifically made for your body and situation.

9. Pay attention to what is happening around you.
We lead very busy lives. Work, kids - it seems that every minute of the day is taken by something important. In this constant rollercoaster it is easy to get "stuck on yourself". We sometimes lose perspective and stop seeing what is happening around us, as we are trying to deal with our own problems. If we do, it can cause innumerable problems and friction with people around us. The best practice to avoid that is, from time to time, to become an observer. Develop the ability to view your life from the third person perspective. This may be a difficult concept to understand, but getting help in this department is easy. Most meditation traditions teach exactly this principle.

10. Give only what you would like to receive.
Give on to others what you would like for your self - is one of those ancient Christian sayings that rings true in our modern time. To bring it to the modern era, let's look at it from a business perspective. Psychology that applies to sales process also applies in many other areas of our life. In sales in order to persuade the prospect to buy, we use such techniques as mimicking, sincerity and others designed to make that person trust us. But in reality all we are doing is practicing that old principle of making others feel how we want to feel. We are creating an emotional experience for another person and they reward us with a sale. This as well as all the other principals we discussed is very simple. All we need to do is apply them one by one and we will become happier better human being.

Want Free Money? It’s Easier Than You Think!

2007-01-03T05:12:00.000-05:00

By: Jessica Roop

Start thinking of the stores you shop at often. What comes to mind? Is it Circuit City, Starbucks, Banana Republic, Sephora, Barnes & Noble? Undoubtedly most of us could easily come up with a list of ten to twenty, if not more.

I’m the kind of person who loves to save money. I’ve been doing something so simple for the past few years that has saved me hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars – I’d like to think of it as "free money"! It’s so easy, yet surprisingly few people take advantage of it.

You’re probably wondering what I do. It’s simple:

I purchase gift cards online for the stores I shop at most often at a discounted rate.

I mainly use eBay, but there are others like CertificateSwap.com and SwapAGift.com. A lot of people receive gift cards as presents but aren’t interested in the store or would prefer cash, so they list the cards online. Expect to usually pay 80 to 90 percent of face value, although some prices can be higher or lower depending on the popularity of the merchant. The way I see it is, if I’m going to spend the money at the store anyway, why not purchase a gift card and save a few dollars?

One method I have found to be quite useful in finding good deals is to go to the Gift Certificates category on eBay and search for "Buy it Now items" in the search options. I then sort the results by the most recently listed auctions. Some sellers underestimate the value of their gift cards, so they may put up a Buy it Now price that is lower than what the card would generally go for. You have to be at the right place at the right time to snatch up those deals, but it can be worth it! (Just to prove that it does happen – as I was writing this article, I was able to purchase a $100 gift certificate redeemable at hundreds of spas nationwide for only $50!)

One word of caution: as with any online purchase, be sure that you are purchasing from a reputable seller. Unfortunately scammers are out there, so do your homework on the seller before making a purchase.

I hope you are able to use this technique to save money like I have. It is one I plan on using for years to come!

About Author
Visit http://www.losewithcaralluma.com to order Slimirex or Lumatol AC, two highly effective diet supplements containing Slimaluma, the standardized extract of Caralluma fimbriata. LoseWithCaralluma.com also features helpful weight loss tips and healthy recipes.

Why You Should Talk To Fat And Ugly Girls

2007-01-02T05:39:00.000-05:00

Why You Should Talk To Fat And Ugly Girls

by: Dan Tolumbro

From Pickupmastery.com:

One thing I’ve been noticing from going out lately is that the hottest girls I end up making out with or number closing usually aren’t in the set when I open..

What happens is I go up to some girls who are maybe 5’s to 6’s, and chat with them, get them giggling, etc. From there, a hot girl, maybe an 8-9 walks up and introduces herself to me. Believe it or not, a lot of hot girls roll with less attractive girls. From there on you already have the group’s comfort and appreciation so it is easy to isolate the hot girl from there.

Just two weeks I had rolled up to a couple less than attractive girls and said “You seem fun, I just had to say hi.” We were chatting back and forth, when a hot 8.9 came up. I started doing some dance spins with her around, and within a minute said “Your legs are tired, my legs are tired; Let’s go sit at that booth.” I took her by the hand and led her to a booth away from the others and we started cuddling. Within minutes, we were making out and I got her number. She’s still calling me back and we’re setting up a meet soon.

Now could this have worked had I waited until the 8.9 was already in the set? Of course. But I’ve found it to be far easier to attract a girl if you hit the set before she arrives. You’ve already won over her friends at this point. Even if you haven’t won over her friends it can still work well if you’re already in the set. Some months back, I went up to two girls who weren’t that interested, and a third girl came up who was interested. She stayed behind when her friends left and we ended up making out at the bar.

On a more general note, you should be playfully bantering with all types of women, and guys as well. Throughout your day, you should be bringing joyful interactions to as many people as possible. The fat ghetto girl serving you at Burger King? Make her smile. You don’t have to outright flirt of course, but just a little playful misinterpretation can help the day.

Also by talking to as many people as possible you can sort of “neg” the girls you finally legitimately approach. If you only go up to hot girls in a bar, the girls around you notice that you’re gaming. However if you’re talking to one legged girls and random guys all around the bar, when you’re finally going up to the hot girls, they assume you’re just being social and that It’s not a full blown approach.

About The Author

Dan Tolumbro is a dating advice coach for men at: http://www.pickupmastery.com.

At his site he provides free information on how to meet women in bars without fear and how to take it to the next level. To receive updates on new dating tactics, amd a free 46 page ebook, send an email to pickupmastery@getresponse.com.

Top 5 Most Often Carried Handbags

2007-01-02T00:39:00.000-05:00

Submitted by designerhandbags101

Handbags have become the most popular accessory on the market and there’s no reason to wonder why. There are so many styles and trends to choose from that it’s hard for a woman to choose just one handbag. Each outfit calls for a different type of handbag so it’s hard to distinguish which types are most popular. In order to help you determine which types of handbags are in style right now, I have compiled a list of the top five most often carried handbags. You do not have to choose one of these as the type of handbag you’re going to carry but use this as a guideline illustrating which are in fashion at the moment:

1. Shoulder Bag – A shoulder bag comes in many different sizes and shapes. They are usually larger, providing more space for essentials such as your wallet, books, makeup etc. Shoulder bags are meant only to be worn over the shoulder and provide a combination practicality and style in one handbag.

2. Handheld Handbag – Handheld handbags are handbags which are designed to be held in the hand and no other way. They are usually smaller and provide less space than a shoulder bag. The difference between this form of bag and a clutch is that a handheld bag usually has a strap or handles. These types of bags are best suited for shopping or cruising around town.

3. Back Pack – Back Packs are very popular bags which are most beneficial to students of all ages. Back packs have two straps which make them better suited for carrying since there is a balance of pressure of both sides of your shoulders and back (as opposed to just one with most handbags).

4. Tote Bag – Tote bags are very popular because they are casual yet very practical. These bags usually fall in the middle of the body, around the elbow. They are big and provide a lot of space for the user. They usually only have one or two compartments and are available with a number of images on them or a simple solid color.

5. Clutch - A clutch is a handbag which does not have handles and is meant to be carried in the hand. That said they are usually quite small and only provide enough space for the bare essentials which you will need. These bags can be casual or dressy and are often worn to parties or nightclubs because they are so small and efficient.

The handbag you choose will depend on your style and your personal preference. As a woman you will probably feel the need to change the style of handbag you carry on a regular basis. The style of handbag differs each day depending on where you are going and which type would be best suited for the occasion. Have fun with your handbag and let your personality show through the style you choose.

Cathy Feldman is an avid purse enthusiast who has more handbags than she can count. She has become complete addicted to name brand bags and enjoys sharing her knowledge as a contributing editor of http://www.designerhandbags101.com - a site that offers information about designer handbags, prada handbags, coach handbags and more.

Beauty Salon- 12 Tips They Don't Want You To Know

2007-01-02T00:32:00.000-05:00

Submitted by Noori

Beauty Salon tips that salon owners don't want you to know.
Beauty Salons in Los Angeles & elsewhere are numerous. Don't get burned by selecting the wrong one! Imagine that you've found a hair stylist that makes you look fabulous. All your friends are green with envy. How do you find such an artist? This article describes what is required to find the right beauty salon for you.

Hair Care Professional- Breaking One In

Beauty Salon- It is so important for us to find the right beauty salon so that we can have the right look at the right time. However, there are certain things that beauty salon owners don't want you to know.

According to the September 13, 2005 issue of the LA Times, soon after Hurricane Katrina passed through the states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, beauty salons with power and water reopened. Women who had lost EVERYTHING flocked to those open beauty salons. They wanted to look good even though they did not have a place to live. They wanted and needed professional hair care.

This fact alone confirms your intuition about the absolute necessity of finding the right beauty salon. This holds true for a beauty salon Los Angeles, a beauty salon Santa Monica or a beauty salon Long Beach, Mississippi.

Let me give you some general guidelines and tips to use when you are looking for a new beauty salon. I will also include some helpful suggestions about how to deal with your hair stylist.

1. How far is the beauty salon from your home or work? Is it convenient to either or both?

2. Telephone the salon. Ask if their hair care stylists have experience with your type of hair. For example, is your hair long, curly, textured or exposed to frequent changes to hair color, heat and the elements?

3. Search the Internet for reviews of beauty salons in your work or home zip codes.

4. It seems obvious, but it's crucial: Who do you know whose hair looks fabulous? Ask them where (and to whom) they go.

5. When you get to the beauty salon what does the atmosphere FEEL like to you? Is it peaceful or stressful? Which do you prefer?

6. Are you greeted right away or are you forced to wander around or “twiddle your thumbs” until someone attends to you?

7. If you've made an appointment is it kept and on time?

8. Is the beauty salon clean and well organized? Does everything seem to be in its place?

9. How is the staff dressed? Are they dressed appropriately to your taste?

10. What does the hair of the staff look like to you? Is the hair of the staff professionally done or is it sloppy?

Ok, you've decided that the beauty salon environment is satisfactory, now how do you deal with the hair stylist?

11. Collect and bring pictures that are appropriate for your type of hair. The biggest beauty salon hair disasters occur when your hair stylist doesn't understand what you want. Pictures help convey your message.

12. Don't immediately go for a cut, take it slower. Book a blow-dry with your selected stylist. Ask, if you were to cut my hair, how would you do it? Once you've set aside the time for a real consultation, here are some key questions to ask yourself as you talk to your stylist:

• DO YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE with the hair care stylist? You should like his or her sense of style. This means clothing, grooming, personality, everything.

• IS THE STYLIST ASKING YOU questions, giving ideas and suggestions that relate to your personality, rather than pointing to a style on the wall or in a book?

• IS THE HAIR CARE STYLIST ADDRESSING the health of your hair, not just proposing to cut off split ends? The two of you should be talking about conditioners and rinses that enhance shine and bounce, and special treatments that can prevent or repair damage done by the environment, such as pollution, sun, chlorine, humidity, or dry air.

• ONCE YOU'VE AGREED ON A LOOK, does the stylist preview how you'll need to blow it dry, wash it, and maintain it? These are all things to think about before actually getting the cut.

If you can answer most of the questions to your satisfaction, then you've probably found a beauty salon and a hair stylist that will make you look fabulous. If you cannot, then move on to the next beauty salon on your list.

Take the above tips with you when you come to Next Salon in Santa Monica, CA. We think that you'll find that you came to the right beauty salon.

About The Author:

Noori Daili specializes in making women & men look fabulous. She owns Next Salon at 2400 Main Street in Santa Monica, CA. Call now at 310-392-6645 and mention this article for a 10% savings on hair care. Go to http://www.nextsalon.com for more info.

Sunglasses – The Benefits of Wearing Shades

2007-01-02T00:31:00.000-05:00

by Debbie and Susan

You can find many styles of sunglasses in stores today. These styles include everything from fashionably chic to practical and functional to groovy and retro. While looking stylish is one reason to wear sunglasses, there are many other benefits as well.

1. To keep the sun out of your eyes. The lenses should be large enough to actually protect your eyes from the sun.

2. To cut down on glare. Polarized sunglasses help to cut down on glare and make things much clearer.

3. To help prevent cataracts. A pair of sunglasses with a high UV protection factor are recommended.

4. To keep other people from recognizing you. Hollywood stars use sunglasses in this way quite often.

5. To hide the fact that you've been crying. The darker the lenses of your sunglasses, the better for this purpose.

6. To spice up an outfit. Sunglasses come in many colors and styles so that you can accessorize nicely with any ensemble.

7. To keep the wind out of your eyes. This is especially helpful while riding a motorcycle.

8. To protect your eyes while playing sports. Be sure to have sunglasses with impact-resistant lenses.

9. To accentuate your looks. Your facial shape can drive which shape of sunglasses look best on you.

10. To look cool! Enough said!

Copyright © 2005 Susan Daniel and Debbie Overstreet

About Susan and Debbie: Susan and Debbie are internet marketers. You can review more articles on sunglasses and also find the perfect pair of sunglasses for your needs by visiting http://www.spunkysunglasses.com.

Ten Tips for Healthy Aging

2007-01-02T00:29:00.000-05:00

Your chances of staying healthy and living a long time can be improved if you:

1. Stay physically, mentally, and socially active.

2. Eat a nutrient dense diet of small frequent meals, including 5 to 9 helpings of fruits and vegetables a day. Don't over eat, even "good" food!

3. Get regular health check-ups and screening tests for heart disease and common cancers (skin, colon, lung, prostate, breast, cervical). Don't delay seeing your doctor for new symptoms, especially over 40!

4. Avoid overexposure to the sun and cold, don't smoke (it's never too late to quit), drink in moderation and don't drink and drive!

5. Practice safety habits at home to prevent falls and fractures. Always wear your seat belt in a car.

6. Keep or develop a spiritual belief system that enables you to re-negotiate life at every turn, adjusting to and accepting the inevitable losses and changes that come with longevity.

7. Cultivate (or keep) a love of and appreciation for life and others, and a positive, yet realistic, attitude. Don't sweat the small stuff. Do the things that make you happy. NOW!

8. Keep personal and financial records in order to simplify budgeting and investing. Plan long-term housing and money needs.

9. Supplement your diet, adding an iron free multi-vitamin/mineral and anti-oxidant supplementation. Keep abreast of the advances in natural medicine and anti-aging.

10. If you desire feeling, performing and looking young as long as possible, maintain the "hormones of youth" (HGH, DHEA, sex hormones, melatonin) at optimal levels through natural hormonal enhancements.

Dr. John H. Maher,
Editor.,"Longevity News" Your FREE Anti-Aging Prescription On-line. http://RxforWellness.com

Dental Hygiene an Ancient Practice - The History of the Toothbrush

2007-01-02T00:21:00.000-05:00

by: Rebecca Blain

One of the most asked questions by adults and children is the origin of the toothbrush. There are several schools of thought on when the real toothbrush was created, but you need to look far into the past for the first evidences of oral hygiene.

The Chinese were believed to create the first real toothbrush, or a device that was used to clean teeth, but it was much different than the ones that we are used to today. These first toothbrushes, crafted in the 1400s, did not use nylon for bristles, or plastic for the handles. They were crafted from bamboo, one of the most common plants from that area. The bamboo formed the handle for people to hold on to. Attached to this handle was a set of bristles, which were crafted from the tough hair of the Siberian wild boar. The hairs used came from the back of the neck of this animal. This is the toothbrush associated with having been the ancestor of the one that we use today.

However, there is evidence that there was another form of the toothbrush dating up to 3000 years before the birth of Christ. Due to this, the history of the toothbrush proves that this device is one of the oldest still used by man, only truly outdated by the wheel. This form of the toothbrush was found within pyramids of the Egyptians. These toothbrushes were crafted from a stick. Unlike the Chinese version of the toothbrush, the end of the stick was flayed so that the fibers of the wood were more soft. This stick was then rubbed against the teeth to serve as a form of oral hygiene. This form of the toothbrush did not become far spread as the Chinese version.

The Chinese version of the toothbrush spread to Europe, where the Siberian wild boar took the brunt of the growing popularity of the invention. The only downside to the hairs of the Siberian wild boar was the fact that it was very rough on the gums. On account of this, some people began to use the hairs found on the backs of horses to craft the bristles on their brushes, as this was much easier on their gums and teeth. Despite the added softness of the horse hair bristles, the boar hairs were more commonly used, as horses were too valuable to Europeans during this period of time.

The boar hair toothbrush continued to be used until the early 1900s. In 1937, nylon was created in the Du Pont laboratories by Wallace H. Carothers. This invention forever changed the history of the toothbrush, as well as every other device that required a fibrous material, including ropes. In 1938, Nylon became the sign of modernization, from the creation of nylon stockings to Dr. West's first nylon toothbrush. This brush was called Dr. West's Miracle Toothbrush. Even with this breakthrough in the toothbrush, it wasn't until World War II that Americans began to take oral hygiene more seriously. This was a direct result of the war. This influence spurred on the development of better toothbrushes.

Toothpaste & Whiteners

Another aspect of toothbrush history that should be taken into account is toothpaste and other whiteners. These are usually used with the toothbrush in order to make certain that the teeth and breath were acceptable. The concept of toothpaste and mouth washes is pretty old - almost as old as the Egyptians toothbrush. The earliest known toothpaste was created by the Egyptians. It was said to contain a drachma of rock salt, two drachmas of mint, one drachma of dried iris flowers and 20 grains of pepper. This was then crushed and mixed together to form a powder. When mixed with saliva and applied to the teeth, it would help whiten and clean your teeth. When experimented with by an Australian dentist, the mixture worked far better than anything else created until the twenty first century. The only downside was the fact that it caused his gums to bleed.

In the 18th Century, the next recorded version of toothpaste occurred. This mixture called for dragon's blood, cinnamon and burn alum. This mixture tends to be more of an amusement for many scientists, as there is no proof that "dragon's" existed. What may have really been considered to be dragon's blood is unknown.

The 19th Century saw a lot of innovations to toothpaste, although many of them would be repulsive compared to what we are used to today. Charcoal, for example, was used to clean teeth. Most of the toothpastes of this time were powders that became a paste when introduced to saliva. A lot of these different toothpastes were designed to both clean teeth and give the user better breath. This is where the modern idea for toothpaste came of, and one of the turn points in the history of toothpaste. The combination of these pastes and the toothbrush worked to ensure that there was a higher chance of cleaner and healthier teeth and gums.

It wasn't until the 1900s that toothpastes evolved to be more modern. Colgate, and many other toothpaste companies, worked to design toothpastes that tasted good while providing the means to clean teeth while not causing gums to bleed. Many ingredients are now used in toothpastes, with Fluoride being one of the most common. There are a wide variety of "herbal" toothpastes as well, which do not contain this component. Each of these types are designed to fit the needs and wants of every type of person out there. This high level of choice is the primary evolution of toothpastes. While only a few were available as early as the Egyptian days, now there is something for everyone.

The combination of the toothpaste and modern toothbrush gives everyone the oral hygiene and dental health that they need to be able to have the sparkling teeth that is desired by so many. This combination also helps prevent the loss of your teeth later in life, so that dentures are not required as early. The history of the toothbrush and toothpaste shouldn't be looked down upon, as the options used back then were no where near as pleasant as the types available today.

About The Author

Rebecca Blain is a professional and hobbyist writer who enjoys taking care of her fish and educating people about oral health care such as Crest Whitestrips, which you can read about here:

www.everything-teeth.com/whitestrips-review.html

Should Saddam Have Been Guillotined?

2007-01-01T06:08:00.000-05:00

Backdrop

Amid all the hoopla surrounding the execution of Saddam Hussein by way of hanging, I recently found myself in a heated debate with a few friends over Saddam's fate. For the sake of discussion, we decided to agree that he should die. Then came the interesting question of "how". And quite surprisingly (to me at least), they insisted he should have been beheaded, or more precisely, guillotined!

So I'm putting it out there... Let's forget that the guillotine has been "retired" decades ago. I decided to have the online community weigh on this hypothetical mean of execution. And mind you, I placed a wager on what kind of response (yes or no) I would be having. So let the games begin :)

The History of the Guillotine

It's worth pointing out that the practice of beheading is all mixed up in class distinctions. In ancient Greece, Xenophon singled it out as a noble punishment. The Romans, who did horrible things to common criminals, also saved decapitation for nobler folk. They called it capitis amputatio.

William the Conqueror brought beheading to England, where it was, again, set aside for nobility -- for people like Lady Jane Grey and Anne Boleyn. When the English beheaded the lower classes, it was only to finish off a victim who'd first been tormented in ways too nasty to talk about here.

The guillotine is a device used for carrying out executions by decapitation. It consists of a tall upright frame from which is suspended a heavy blade. This blade is raised with a rope and then allowed to drop, severing the victim's head. The device is noted for long being the main method of execution in France and, more particularly, for its use during the French Revolution. It became infamous (and acquired its name) in France at the time of the French Revolution, but inventors were devising beheading machines at least as early as 1300. Sixteenth-century Scots used a device they coyly named the Maiden, and England's old Halifax Gibbet greatly resembled the French guillotine. However, the French developed the machine further and became the first nation to use it as a standard execution method.

The device derives its name from Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, a French doctor and member of the Revolutionary National Assembly, on whose suggestion it was introduced in 1789. Dr. Guillotin proposed the use of a mechanical device to carry out the death penalty. The basis for his recommendation is believed to have been his perception that it was a humane form of execution, contrasting with the methods used in pre-revolutionary, ancien régime (old regime) France. He suggested the use of beheading machines so that "the privilege of decapitation would no longer be confined to nobles, and the process of execution would be as painless as possible". The story has it that, in 1738, shortly before his birth, Guillotin's mother witnessed a poor wretch being publicly tortured to death on the wheel. She was so stricken by the horror of it that she went into immediate labor. Guillotin's mother may have been an early influence on his later advocacy of the beheading machine. In any case, one was built, tested on dead bodies, and turned loose on common criminals in 1792. On April 25th, highwayman Nicolas J. Pelletier became the first person executed by guillotine.

In the case of decapitation, it sometimes took repeated blows to sever the head completely. The condemned or the family of the condemned would sometimes pay the executioner to ensure that the blade was sharp in order to provide for a quick and relatively painless death. The guillotine was thus perceived to deliver an immediate death without risk of misses. Furthermore, having only one method of execution was seen as an expression of equality among citizens. The guillotine was adopted as the official means of execution on 20 March 1792. The guillotine was from then on the only legal execution method in France until the abolition of the death penalty in 1981, apart from certain crimes against the security of the state, which entailed execution by firing squad.

When Guillotin himself died it wasn't on his invention as myth would have it, but instead of natural causes on May 26, 1814. The descendants of Dr. Guillotin have since changed their surname because of the association with a method of execution.

The last public guillotining was of Eugen Weidmann, who was convicted of six murders. He was beheaded on June 17, 1939, outside the prison Saint-Pierre rue Georges Clemenceau 5 at Versailles, which is now the Palais de Justice. The last execution in France was of Hamida Djandoubi and took place on September 10, 1977. The death penalty in France was abolished in 1981.

The guillotine outside of France
Just as there were guillotine-like devices in countries other than France before 1792, similarly other countries, especially in Europe, employed this method of execution into modern times. A notable example is Germany, where the guillotine is known in German as Fallbeil ("falling axe"). And although the guillotine has never been used in the United States as a legal method of execution (it had been considered in the 19th century before introduction of the electric chair), in 1996 Georgia state legislator Doug Teper proposed the guillotine as a replacement for the electric chair as the state's method of execution to enable the convicts to act as organ donors. The proposal was not adopted.

Quick, painless death?
From its first use, there has been debate as to whether the guillotine always provided as swift a death as Dr Guillotin hoped. With previous methods of execution, there was little concern about the suffering inflicted. But where the guillotine was invented specifically to be "humane", the issue was seriously considered. Furthermore, there is the possibility that the very swiftness of the guillotine only prolonged the victim's suffering. The blade cuts quickly enough that there is relatively little impact on the brain case, and perhaps less likelihood of immediate unconsciousness than with a more violent decapitation, or long-drop hanging.

The person guillotined becomes unconscious very quickly and dies from shock and anoxia due to haemorrhage and loss of blood pressure within less than 60 seconds. It has often been reported that the eyes and mouths of people beheaded have shown signs of movement. It has been calculated that the human brain has enough oxygen stored for metabolism to persist about 7 seconds after the supply is cut off. As in hanging, the heart continues to beat for some time after decapitation.

Various experiments have been made on guillotined heads and generally seem to show that little consciousness remains after 2-5 seconds of separation from the body although some have concluded that the head retains feeling for much longer. Whatever the truth, guillotining is probably one of the least cruel methods of execution and yet one that has a high deterrent value because it is perceived as gruesome.

So what's your verdict?

The History Of Handbags

2007-01-01T05:06:00.000-05:00

The very first handbags were literally crude pouches fashioned from leaves and animal hide.

However, the first documented use of handbags is from the 14th century—Egyptian hieroglyphics which depict men carrying little sacks around the waist. Called “pockets”, these handbags were hung by thongs at the back of the girdle, and were used mainly by men to carry flint or money.

By the 1400’s both men and women were using handbags, which gradually became a status symbol. People would adorn their handbags with jewelry or embroidery to reflect their wealth, and use expensive materials such as silk.

Needless to say these fragile handbags were not very practical—although the mentality was that if you could afford those handbags, you could afford a servant to carry your things for you. Portraits of the most affluent and influential people of the time often depict what you could consider the first “designer handbags”, prominently fastened to the dress with tasseled strings.

Then it became fashionable for women to wear their handbags under their skirts, and handbags literally disappeared for several decades with little development in design. Embroidery and jeweled accents were abandoned for practical, everyday materials like leather. Men also abandoned using handbags because of development of built-in pockets in pants.

It was only in the 1800s that handbags “reemerged”. It was no longer fashionable to wear puffed skirts, and the streamlined clothes made it impractical to wear bulky handbags. This led to the development of the “real” handbags—held in the hand and seen as a complement to the clothes. Women had different handbags for different occasions, and used it to carry perfume, a fan, smelling salts and visiting cards. These handbags were called “reticules.”

The term “handbags” actually only emerged in the 1900’s, and was used to describe the luggage (similar to today’s satchels or briefcases) that men would carry. Not to be outdone, designers of women’s handbags made similar versions that would suit the feminine sensibility and needs, including tiny compartments for fans, gloves and makeup.

Then in the 1920’s, handbags really came into its own. There was more variety in terms of designs, materials, accents and colors—in fact, some of the most popular handbags from that period reflected Egyptian art, a tribute to the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun.

When it became fashionable for women to carry dolls wearing miniature versions of their outfit (a mini-me, so to speak), designers of handbags would make two sizes of their designs—capturing even the smallest detail in the dolls’ tiny handbags.

When the Second World War led to a shortage of metal and leather, manufacturers of handbags began using plastic and wood. It was the beginning of many, many decades of exploring non-conventional shapes and material.

In the 50’s, certain designers gained reputation for creating bold, beautiful and elegant handbags. This signaled the emergence of important designer houses: Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Hermes. Up to this day, handbags carrying their labels command a premium price.

The last half of the century saw a leap in technology and the introduction of new materials and textiles for handbags (such as waterproof canvas, space age synethics, faux reptile skin). Improvement of manufacturing processes also meant that handbags could be produced at a lower cost, allowing people to buy beautiful handbags at affordable prices.

The history of handbags comes full circle at the start of the century. At first, handbags were a men’s accessory, which they abandoned until it became associated with women. But as men’s fashion grows more streamlined, men’s handbags are once again making a comeback. At least they’re a little sturdier than leaves.

About this author:

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Your New Year Can Mean New Opportunities

2007-01-01T04:50:00.000-05:00

By: Kevin Sinclair

The end of the year has always been a good time to reflect. A time to look back on the past year but also to look forward to the New Year and years to come. A new year means new opportunities, a new chance to make changes and work on various aspects of your life that you feel could use some improvement.

Of course there are the standard new year's resolutions: stop smoking, drink less, eat healthier, make more money, spend less, save more, invest wiser, be nicer, spend more time on the people you love. This short list probably takes care of well over 90% of all New Year's resolutions. Unfortunately most people don't get much further than that. And to make matters worse most of their resolutions will have been forgotten before January has passed.

If you're a success oriented person however your list will probably be very different. And your resolutions probably last a bit longer than January too. Some of your resolutions may have already worked wonders and your new year did indeed turn out to be your best year ever. Yet for others the New Year may have been more of the same. Nothing much changed. You had some good ideas, a number of goals and the intention to do something about them, but when you got going life just seemed to get in the way of you sticking to your commitments and good intentions... again.

Chances are you have even found yourself re-setting some new year's resolutions year after year. You might ask: "Why?" Fair question, quite simple too. Fortunately the answer is almost just as simple. You simply lacked the necessary leverage to persist. It would appear that what you set out for wasn't important enough for you. Although probably painful to admit, there is certainly a lot of truth to this.

It doesn't quite tell the whole story however. It's critically important to realize that reflecting, getting inspired and setting goals is one thing but actually moving into sustained action is quite another. Especially when your goals take you in a different direction than the one in which you're currently headed.

So how and why does this happen time and time again? You're a motivated person. You've set goals that you went on to achieve in the past. How come you get all fired up and excited thinking about the opportunities before you and making the necessary changes to make it all happen for you, yet before you know it most of your excitement has dwindled and you're stuck in your old daily routine once again? How does this happen? The answer again is simple: Things do indeed get in the way. Or better yet, and closer to the truth, you have allowed things to get in the way. You have allowed old habits to sneak back in. You have allowed people in your environment to sway or discourage you. Bottom line is: you have allowed it to happen.

When you think about whatever it is that got in the way, you'll find that in most cases many of these circumstances and factors would have been quite easy to predict. Think about the things that have gotten in your way in the past. People that had a pull on you in the wrong direction. Old patterns that prevented you from making lasting changes.

Wouldn't it be safe to say that these factors will come into play when you set some new goals or decide on some new changes? Of course they will. Your peer group, your relative, your habits and everything else remain pretty much the same. Their influence on your life doesn't automatically change much either just because you set some goals.

The point is that you need to become aware of the influence they have on you. Once you have done that then you can come up with ways to counter their negative effects. Whenever you set some new goals or decide on some new commitments take a couple of minutes to think about what may prevent you from following through on it. Make a list of those things that are likely to get in your way. Sometimes just having identified this will help you catch yourself. You may realize that you get back into one of those habits that you wanted to break away from.

For example you may have decided to do some quality reading every night before going to sleep. An excellent decision and one that has changed the lives of many people in a positive way. Since the mind dwells on the thoughts you feed it, it's a great idea to feed you mind some ideas from a good book before dozing off. Somehow you never really get to it because when you actually go to bed you're just too tired to read. The book may be next to your pillow, but it remains unopened for months. You could make it a point to read more next. You have to get to bed just a little bit earlier. Perhaps this means skipping the late show that always starts around 23.00. Perhaps it's something else.

Whatever it is try to identify it. Find out what is keeping you up and then think of a way to change this. We all know the late show can be very interesting, but think about what would ultimately be more valuable: watching the late show or reading a good book that could give you some new and powerful insights to advance your life.

Obviously a good book would do more than the entertaining garbage that most late shows give us. Because you gave this some thought, the next time you hear the tune of that late show coming on, the question of what would be more valuable will probably pop up. That will make it a lot easier for you to turn off the TV and pick up your reading material. Of course this is just a simple example, but in many cases you will find that the obstacles keeping you from sticking to your resolutions are quite simple. The big problem is that they tend to sneak up on you. They're often habitual and that's exactly why it can be so hard to break away from your old patterns.

Some of you might say: "Hey, but what about the law of attraction?" You get what you focus on. You become that which you think about most of the time. Wouldn't I be focusing on the wrong things if I think about the obstacles?" All are valid questions of course. Make sure you don't spend too much of your time there. You should by no means obsess yourself with obstacles and distractions. It does however make sense to be aware of them. How else can you tackle them if you're oblivious to their existence and their effect on you? Spend no more time than necessary identifying them and then focus most of your efforts on finding ways to eliminate them.

Whenever you come up with any resolution, especially one you've had before, it will be helpful to ask yourself: "What could prevent me from implementing this in my day to day life?" See what you can come up with. Make sure you at least become aware of the things that have stopped you in the past. Then go a little further to find effective ways to counter them so when you go back to your day to day activities you will be much better prepared. This little exercise will greatly improve your chances of successfully making the changes you desire and really making next year your best year ever.

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesBase.com

About the Author:

Kevin Sinclair is the publisher and editor of besuccessfulnews.com, a site that provides information and articles on how to succeed in your own home or small business.

How To Get Your Man To Talk To You

2006-12-31T17:03:00.000-05:00

By: Gil Bryan

Many women feel like their man just doesn't like to communicate to them. This is because they believe that in order for him to be communicating to them; he has to communicate the way they think he should be communicating.

A woman may not even realize that her man is, and has been, communicating to her, but she hasn't been hearing him.

When men communicate, they do it the way they are primarily made up, and that is logically.

When women communicate, they do it the way they are primarily made up, and that is emotionally.

And as I have said before, one is not better than the other, they are just different.

Since he is logical, he is going to be solution oriented. So, what he is trying to communicate to you must pass through his mind. In other words, he must think it through first. And this process usually takes some time.

But if you don't understand this about men, a man's way of communicating may become frustrating to you. Plus, you could end up pushing him to communicate like you do.

For example, since you are a talker you want him to be a talker, too. So, since he is not communicating to you like you think he should; by talking, you write him off as being insensitive or uncaring. And you figure that, if he is so insensitive and uncaring to your needs, you are better off either by yourself or with someone else.

And, because you did not invest the energy and time to get the right knowledge, you simply jump out of one relationship and into another, only to find yourself in the same predicament again.

But before you jump ship try applying these 5 keys to getting your man talking… to you:

1. Don't ask you're man what he is feeling, ask him what he is thinking

When trying to get your man (or any man for that matter) to communicate to you, don't ask him 'what he is feeling'. Instead ask him what he is thinking. Feeling is an emotion that does not compute with him. (Note: I did not say he doesn't have feelings.)

It's just when communicating a man must process what you are saying through his mind (his logical side), and you are trying to get him to talk through his feelings or his emotional side. When this happens, a man will most likely clam up, short circuit, and decide to not say anything.

Or, he will do like most men do, either he will get angry and walk away or get angry and attack.

But it is imperative that you do not come to any conclusion about what he is feeling until you find out what he is thinking.

2. Give him the space and time he needs to think his thoughts through.

A man needs time to get his thoughts together. This could take a little while or a long while. How long this may take really depends on your man. But a good way for you to give him the space and time he needs to get his thoughts together is to ask him when he thinks it will be a good time for you two to get together and talk.

Notice I said, when ‘he thinks'. If your man feels like you are trying to control or push the idea on him, it will cause him to back away from the idea.

3. Set a time and date

Set a time and date for the ‘talk'. Setting a time and date is important to a man because it appeals to his logical side. But don't set a time and date too far into the future because anything after a few days, most men will simply forget or put it out of their minds.

4. Set boundaries Before the ‘talk' even begins set boundaries which you both agree can't be crossed. For example, start off by agreeing that there will be no yelling, no name calling, and no finger pointing. And, there will be no use of words like ‘never' and ‘always'. In other words, you wouldn't want to say things like, "You never listen to me", "You always wait for me to pick up after you" or "You always do that".

5. Write down your questions and concerns

If your man continues to put off the ‘talk' then write down your questions and concerns and ask him to read over them at a time that is convenient to him. This is good because even though he knows the ‘talk' is important to you he also feels comfort in knowing that you are not pushing it on him. Which makes him feel like he is still in control. And also gives him time to process (think about) your concerns as he goes through his day.

Plus, as an added bonus, by you writing out your concerns and organizing your thoughts, you are learning different and better ways of communicating.

Remember, that is what this is all about, you being in control of you. You can't control other people but you can control you. And the more you learn what it takes to be a better you, the wiser you become. And as your wisdom increases so does your value – to the point where you become priceless.

Free Article brought to YOU by ArticlesOn.com, where you'll find Articles On Everything! Visit http://articleson.com to get more free content.

The secret of men has been revealed! Why are some women great at finding and keeping a good man while other women are not? Get Gil Bryan’s, "9 Spiritual Laws To Attract And Keep The Man Of Your Dreams!" www.GilBryan.com

Do you suffer from Male P.M.S? ... yes pre-menstrual stress!

2006-12-31T16:58:00.000-05:00

By: Dr Graeme Teague,

Yes, you read it. Men suffer from P.M.S (pre-menstrual stress).

I am a man, and I like you (if you are also male) may suffer from P.M.S, why? Just like women you have a hormonal system. If this system is out of balance, then symptoms may occur.

A common symptom of hormonal imbalance is premenstrual stress. The problem with men is that you don’t menstruate. So you just don’t know you are suffering because there is no way to know it is premenstrual.

How do you know if you suffer?

Ask your wife, spouse, girlfriend or family or friends, to mark on a calendar when you are grumpy, moody or just feel as if you are under stress. When you feel tired, when work is upsetting you, when you stress affects you or you are anxious. Mark it on the calendar and note the pattern.

Every four to six weeks you will have a period where you feel grumpy, moody, tired etc. This is the male hormonal cycle.

Most of you will be saying … it isn’t me; it’s just been a busy period of time. I’m not grumpy, people just don’t understand me. Of course I’m anxious, look at all the work stress I have, the deadlines I have to complete by Friday.

Look around you, if everyone else is doing the same workload as you, are they just as grumpy, tired and irritable. If not … it is you … and yes … you are suffering from P.M.S (pre-menstrual stress).

Just ask those around you, if they believe you suffer. Don’t get mad, grumpy or depressed if they say … yes!

Men's health is a common topic today. You die earlier than women; have worse health statistics, more heart disease and many other health complaints. You deal with stress less efficiently and the effects of stress are worse.

The hormonal system is part of this. Did you know that your hormonal system controls your heart rate, cholesterol, stress response and blood pressure? All common problems, in men.

The first symptoms of imbalance in the hormonal system are not a heart attack or high blood pressure. It is the annoying symptoms that you discount easy … P.M.S (pre-menstrual stress).

Like most other bodily functions, the hormonal system is ignored when there are only minor signals saying it is out of balance. How often do you wait until your back is crippling you, before you see someone to remove the pain?

Hormonally, the same applies. You ignore the minor symptoms (this is not just men, women do this also hormonally), until larger ones occur.

Women end up with Hysterectomy’s, or cancers of the uterus etc, thyroid problems and many other health problems. Men, because even though you have the same organs as women, you still function differently, end up with heart problems.

As life is increasing in stress, the hormonal system is asked to work harder. Notice how as life is more stressful, there is an increasing number of testicular cancers, prostate problems, heart disease … all the statistics for these are getting worse not better.

So what to do?

Get healthy, hormonally included. Reduce stress, boost your energy, have more holidays, relax more, learn ways to look after your self better.

Male P.M.S (pre-menstrual stress) is just the first sign of ill health; don’t put it down to a bad day at the office, or just too much stress. Change now before it is too late, don’t end up clutching your chest, riding to hospital in the back of the ambulance and then remembering …

If only I had listened, become healthy and lived better … if only.

Free Article brought to YOU by ArticlesOn.com, where you'll find Articles On Everything! Visit http://articleson.com to get more free content.

Dr Graeme Teague is an expert on stress and the affects it has on health. His unique and fresh views on anxiety, depression and stress are a welcome change. His web site Fast Stress Relief.com is designed to give you all the information and facts on how and why stress affects you, and more importantly simple, proven and natural ways to eliminate anxiety, depression and stress. Learn more here - just visit ... Anxiety ... X--Stress ... Home Page

World's Most Bizarre Specialty Coffee

2006-12-31T07:32:00.000-05:00

Jon Symons

Anyone who lives in a big city these days has seen first-hand the proliferation of 4-dollar-a-shot coffee shops. Thanks to Starbucks and their like coffee has become the number 2 commodity in the world (petroleum is number 1).

Grown in dozens of countries world wide the coffee 'bean' is actually the pit of a coffee 'cherry'. In normal circumstances the cherries are picked at the peak of ripeness and once the outer fruit is removed the coffee bean is ready for roasting, grinding and transporting to your local café.

However, there are three small islands in the Indonesian Archipelago called Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi where this process takes a bizarre twist. You see coffee is coveted by not only by us humans but a local creature called a Palm Civet. The Palm Civet is a tree dwelling marsupial with a particular fondness for the local variety of coffee cherries.

Of course, these cat-sized coffee aficionados don't have the time to peal the cherries and eat just the fruit, so they swallow them whole. Well guess what comes out the other end? Yes that's right, a non-digested, semi-fermented coffee bean.

It started as a way for locals who weren't brave enough, or too lazy to climb the coffee trees, to have coffee too (mind you some bravery is required to sift through mountains of Civet droppings for coffee beans!).

Through the magic of international trade what was once a source of free coffee beans for impoverished locals turned into the most expensive beverage in the world. It is marketed as a coffee variety called "Kopi luwak". Kopi is the Indonesian word for coffee and luwak is their name for the coffee eating Civet.

Kopi luwak sells for a whopping $75 a pound and it is estimated that the worldwide annual production is only about 500 pounds. Japan is the largest importer of this specialty coffee and it is now available in the United States and many other countries as well.

The flavor of the coffee is described as complex and very rich. This special flavor is attributed to the natural fermentation process that occurs as the beans travel the length of the Civet's digestive tract.

You can be sure that you won't be finding Kopi luwak for sale at your local Starbucks any time soon but if you are ever in a café and you notice the daily special is "Kopi luwak" and is going for $5 a cup, how could you not give it a try?

Jon Symons is a coffee lover and writes about specialty coffee for http://specialty-coffee.oftheday.ca.

Make Up Strategies

2006-12-31T07:28:00.000-05:00

By Paul Davis

Disagreements and arguments occur in any close relationship. Don't be disillusioned or disheartened by them. Nevertheless beware of allowing arguments and disagreements to escalate out of manageable proportions.

Making up instead of breaking up requires tact, gentleness, and humility. Here is how to do it.

1. Don't beat a dead horse after you've spoken your mind. We all want to be heard, but don't go overboard and force feed someone.

2. Avoid raising your voice to make a point. Nobody wants to be shouted at. Besides if you feel someone is not listening to you, raising your voice certainly isn't going to change their heart or mind to do so.

3. Seek to listen and understand where the other person is coming from. Listen with your heart more than your head.

4. If what is being said seems illogical and irrational, at the very least honor the person's feelings. Feelings are everything in a relationship. Whether or not you understand the mental model and way of reasoning is of little consequence compared to the importance you should place on how the person feels at any given point in time.

5. Led a sympathetic heart and ear. Regardless of your ability to understand and agree, kindly give your heart to them showing mercy and kindness.

6. Hug your beloved and tell them you are there for them. Always be supportive, while not conceding to change or yield unless you truly feel such is an appropriate course of action.

7. When you know you've done something grossly inconsiderate, been insensitive, or acted inappropriately apologize. Simply and humbly admit your wrong doing and ask for forgiveness. Acknowledge precisely what is was you did or said that upset the person and gently apologize asking to be forgiven.

8. Give chocolates or flowers. Extend some type of small gift to build a bridge and make peace. Everybody loves gifts. Yet beware of using gifts to replace your time and heartfelt commitment. Take care of the first things first than follow with a loving gift that you know will help make amends.

9. Do something together to reignite the passion and sense of celebration. If your loved one has a particular hobby and activity they enjoy, spend the day together doing that.

10. If other people are involved, try to get everyone together and rectify the wrong from the offense that occurred. Sometimes a private apology will not suffice for a public embarrassment. Do your best to apologize in front of everyone who was present to restore the dignity of the person you bruised.

11. Send an apology through a letter, love note, or email putting it in writing. Written apologies are good if you have difficulty formulating your thoughts. Make sure you include everything you want to say to acknowledge you were fully aware of what was inappropriate about the situation.

12. Express all of the wonderful things you like and cherish about your beloved. Compliment and assure them that they are valuable and special to you.

Words and acts of reconciliation go a long way. Don't lose heart. Endeavor to build bridges, humbly grow personally, and become increasingly self-aware to minimize future relational damage.

Best of wishes as you grow in love and learn to love better.

Paul Davis is a FL real estate professional, life coach (relational & professional), worldwide minister, and change master.

Paul is the author of several books including Breakthrough for a Broken Heart; Adultery: 101 Reasons Not to Cheat; Are You Ready for True Love; Stop Lusting & Start Living; Waves of God; Supernatural Fire; Poems that Propel the Planet; and God vs. Religion.

Paul's compassion for people & passion to travel has taken him to over 50 countries of the world where he has had a tremendous impact. Paul has served in many war-torn, impoverished and tsunami stricken regions of the earth. His Dream-Maker Inc. is building dreams, breaking limitations & reviving nations.

Paul's Breakthrough Seminars inspire, revive, awaken, impregnate with purpose, impart the fire of desire, catapult people into a new level of self-awareness, facilitate destiny discovery and dream fulfillment.

Contact Paul to minister, speak at your event or for life coaching: RevivingNations@yahoo.com, 407-284-1705.

For additional info:
www.DreamMakerMinistries.com
www.CreativeCommunication.TV

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Davis

The Psychological Aspects of Balding

2006-12-28T02:32:00.000-05:00

By: Robert M. Bernstein M.D.

Hair loss is a problem for millions of men and women, both young and old. It can decrease self-esteem and confidence, and limit the ability to enjoy life to the fullest. Balding affects people in different ways, but certain emotional reactions seem to be shared by many.

Hair Loss and the Mating Game

The most common concern that people have when they begin to lose their hair is that they will be less attractive to the opposite sex. The interesting thing is that this is often only the view of the person that is balding and not that person’s partner. The spouse, or friend of those experiencing hair loss, commonly state that the only thing that bothers them is that it makes their partner depressed. The balding does not bother them per se.

It is interesting that women sometimes express that they want their spouses to look good for the wedding pictures, but once married, they become far less concerned. In fact, when a married man suddenly becomes interested in having a hair transplant, we have seen the spouse become suspicious of extra-marital interests and object to the procedure.

Balding on the Job

Another concern is that the person with hair loss feels he or she looks older than they actually are and will not be as competitive in the work force. Unfortunately, studies have shown that this is a real concern. When employers are screening job applicants, all other things being equal, those with hair are viewed more favorably than those who are bald.

Mirror Mirror on the Wall

People experiencing hair loss complain that the way they look does not fit with their own image of themselves. This occurs when someone begins to lose hair early i.e., in their late teens or twenties, but it is as much a problem when someone has had a full-head of hair for years (and is used to receiving compliments about their hair) and then their hair thins unexpectedly in middle age.

Hair loss is a universal marker for aging, with ones locks gradually diminishing over time. Your body slowly changes as well, with more sagging and wrinkles and ones muscle mass decreasing. However, hair loss hair can also occur suddenly at a young age, making you appear much older than you actually are.

Another aspect of balding is that people feel a loss of control. Hair is one of the few body parts that you can actually manipulate yourself. You can grow hair long, cut if off, you can wave it, dye it, or pull it back in a pony-tail. It serves as a form of self-expression. As people start to lose this form of self-expression, they can become depressed and withdrawn. But not everyone responds this way. People react very differently to their hair loss, with some considering it only a minor nuisance and others finding it so debilitating that they won’t be seen in public without their head covered.

So Did You Hear the One About...

One of the things that makes going bald difficult is that, for some reason, people feel that commenting or joking about hair loss is "fair game" when they wouldn’t dare mention that someone had bad skin, or had a limp. I often point out to patients, that just because people chose to comment about thinning hair, doesn’t mean they are judging that person or really care much about it. It just seems to be a socially acceptable thing to mention.

He Thinks, She Thinks

Women seem to believe that female hair loss is less acceptable than hair loss in men. While this may be true, the vast majority of women have hair loss in a pattern that can be easily camouflaged. Women are often reassured when they realize that about 40% of women experience hair loss over their lifetime, but it is to such a small degree that it is rarely recognized by the opposite sex.

Mane Options

The important things to remember are that hair loss is very common, it is much more acceptable as one ages, and it is generally less important to other people than the person experiencing hair loss thinks. That said, it is not unreasonable to be upset about going bald. Fortunately, for those who are bothered by their hair loss, there are now excellent medications to prevent hair loss and excellent surgical treatments to restore hair once it is gone.

About Author

Dr. Bernstein is Associate Clinical Professor of Dermatology at Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York and is the Director of Bernstein Medical – Center for Hair Restoration in Manhattan. http://www.BernsteinMedical.com

A History of the Vibrator

2006-12-11T13:03:00.000-05:00

By matron winger

Back in the 19th century female sexual arousal didnt have a name, it had a diagnosis, Hysteria. Fortunately, this recurring alignment could be cured with hysterical paroxysm (aka orgasm). The use of vaginal massage as a therapy for hysterical patients dates back to Hippocrates.

The treatment was not generally regarded as sexual but doing it by hand was tiring, although lucrative, work for the medical professional. Not surprisingly, the invention of stream-driven vibrating machines was welcomed by all but they were expensive and not easily portable.

The vibrator was first patented as a medical device by Joseph Mortimer Granville, a British doctor, in 1883. The electromechanical version of the vibrator was designed to relieve Hysteria but it too was large and not easily portable.

The huge potential market for hand-held vibrators was recognised by entrepreneurs with Hamilton Beach of Racine, patenting their first hand held vibrator in 1902. The vibrator was the fifth electrical home appliance available, after the sewing machine but well before the electric iron and vacuum cleaner. Vibrator innovation was even a driving force behind the creation of the small electric motor.

In the early 1900s women could use mail order to buy vibrating massagers from advertisements in publications such as Needlecraft, Modern Priscilla and Womens Home Companion. One Vibrator advertisement, from 1910 stated, The secret of the ages has been discovered in Vibration. Great scientists tell us that we owe not only our health but even our life strength to this wonderful force. Vibration promotes life and vigour, strength and beauty. ... Vibrate Your Body and Make It Well. YOU Have No Right to Be Sick..

These days an enormous range of vibrators can be purchased using the Internet. Broad categories would include;

Rabbit Vibrators
From Dolphins to Rabbits with shiny little pearls all rabbit vibrators have a clitoral stimulator for clitoral stimulation. As seen in Sex And The City, the rabbit vibrator is the sex toy no girl should be without! A girls best friends and the UK's best selling sex toy.

G-Spot Vibrators
The G-Spot does exist and theres no mystery about it. It's simply an area of increased sensitivity that many women like to have stimulated. Named after Ernst Grafenberg, a German doctor who wrote about "an erotic zone located on the anterior wall of the vagina along the course of the urethra that would swell during sexual stimulation". G Spot Vibrators have curved ends or middle bits just in the right spot to provide the added pleasure many women enjoy.

Remote Control Vibrators
Remote controlled vibrators can be lots of fun! Once properly inserted or secured your partner will get great enjoyment in watching you squirm when the remote is activated. Nothing leads to a more impassioned night of lovemaking than playing with remote-controlled toys while having dinner at a nice restaurant. Matron warns, Don't think you'll get away with your little game in a quiet lecture hall or art museum. Stick to places with a light cover of sound, and only use remote-control toys at events from which you can easily escape!.

Dildos
Dildos are for penetration, they don't vibrate, move, or talk, they just fit well in the hand and in whatever orifice you choose to use. Vibrators vibrate; dildos fill space, whether it be vaginal or anal. While lots of people enjoy the stimuli vibrators produce, many others enjoy the feeling of fullness a dildo provides, as well as the level of thrusting control they can experience with this stationary device.

Realistic Vibrators
Realistic vibrators look just like the real thing with veins, testicles and some even squirt on command.

Jelly Vibrators
Soft, supple and durable, Jelly rubber is a great material for sex toys. Jelly toys can also be very colourful, coming in pink, black, blue, red, orange and purple.

Jackrabbit
Two pronged for stimulation of both the vagina and the clitoris.

Discreet Vibrators
Vibrators discreetly shaped as every-day objects, such as lipstick tubes, cell phones, or art pieces.

About the Author
Matron Winger is the founder and pleasure distributor for Matron.com (http://www.matron.com), a sex toys superstore based in the UK.

Lonely Bank Guards Distracted by Virtual Woman during Robbery

2006-12-11T12:25:00.000-05:00

Written by Jane Trebay

Two Leeds bank security guards were playing the computer video game Virtual Woman Millennium when thieves made off with 39,000 Euro (roughly 52,000 US Dollars) right under their noses.

The robbers broke in through a side door off of an alley leading to the bank and stole the money, which, along with a number of bank cheques, was waiting to be picked up for delivery by armored truck. The guards were so engrossed in the video game that they didn't hear the brazen heist.

The guards at first refused to admit that they had been not performing their duties. But under questioning from detectives they said that they had become lonely working at night and had borrowed a bank teller's personal computer for entertainment, using it to talk to a user created virtual woman. A detective on the scene said that a routine surveillance would have uncovered the crime, which looked to be the work of opportunistic amateurs.

Bank officials refused to comment on whether the guards would be sacked. "Let's put it this way" the bank manager said, "I don't think they are getting promoted."

Related Links

http://virtualwoman.net

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBlast.com

Healthy Habits

2006-12-11T12:06:00.000-05:00

by: Nitin Jain

Incorporate these HEALTHY HABITS in your life

Following healthy habits can statistically increase your lifespan by up to 11 years! That's a lot of extra time to get to live, and you can add it to your life by following a few simple habits:

1. Never skip your breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Still, many of us skip it thinking that it will help us shed pounds. When you skip breakfast your blood sugar levels, as well as other nutrient levels drop, depriving you of the required nutrition and energy for the rest of the day. Breakfast eaters have a more positive attitude toward school and work, and they perform better.

2. Bite into something good. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Fruits are cool and juicy, so they get you the water you need to stay hydrated and they also provide the vitamins and nutrients that fat-free snack foods don't. They're good and they taste sweet - and some contain antioxidants that help prevent aging.

3. Eat regular meals. Skipping meals can lead to out-of-control hunger, often resulting in overeating. When you're very hungry, it's also tempting to forget about good nutrition. Snacking between meals can help curb hunger, but don't eat so much that your snack becomes an entire meal.

4. Quit smoking. Now, studies show that quitting smoking, you can restore your heart function back to that of a non-smoker within a few years. You'll breathe easier, cut down your chances for heart disease, cancer, and more. But you knew that, right? Also, if you're not a smoker, stay away from those who do. Secondhand smoke is a major killer - don't be afraid to tell people gently that you'd prefer it if they didn't smoke around you.

5. Exercise Daily! You don't have to be a professional athlete - just make time for 15-20 minutes of exercise daily. Take a walk, dance crazily to music, go for a jog, play volleyball on the beach, whatever it takes to get your heart pumping for a little while.

6. Get your sleep. Getting at least 8 hours of sleep every night can extend your life. Your body has time to recharge every night so it's fresh and ready to face the onslaught of the next day.

7. Every day, devote a little time for yourserlf. Take some time out of your "busy" schedule. First, eliminate all forms of intrusion. Then close your eyes, breathe deeply and let your thoughts float downstream like a log carried by the river. You can practice meditation or relax in a hot bath with aromatherapy. When a thought comes up, just watch it float away.

Read more health articles here: www.vitaminsdiary.com/articles/index.htm

About The Author

Educational guide to vitamins, minerals, amino acids and herbs for a healthier life - www.vitaminsdiary.com/

If you wish to reproduce the above article you are welcome to do so, provided the article is reproduced in its entirety, including this resource box and LIVE link to our website.

Four Stages of Breaking an Addiction

2006-12-11T12:04:00.000-05:00

This article is brought to you by Conquer Your Food Addiction.

Nowhere do the Four Stages of Addiction come into play more powerfully than they do when you resist changing a habit relating to the foods with which you self-medicate. For most of us those foods are the instant, and easily available – Bread, Beverage, Dessert, or Alcohol. For others they are the fatty foods, and plenty of them. You might choose huge portions of steak, hamburger, and French fries, enormous bowls of salad with globs of dressing. Perhaps chunks of cheese appear as a part of your daily food consumption.

Whether it is a basket of bread, a huge salad, or a box of cookies, your body takes so much extra time to slog through the extra food – more food than you’re able to burn – that it cannot easily process it. The body wears itself out. You get tired.

Calories are units of energy. After eating your meal you want to feel energized, not tired.

Eating more than you need causes you to feel as if you are in a drugged state. This altered state, zones out the brain, and helps you to escape from feelings.

Stage One – Resistance to change

My Program comes along and says: “Let’s not have a beverage at every breakfast. Sometimes, choose to have a beverage every two, or even three days. Soup is a meal. Put your fork down between bites. Weigh yourself twice a day.”

This is scary stuff. You may be thinking you’re comfortable this old way. Therefore, a new way can’t be as comfortable. You erroneously conclude you’ll feel uncomfortable. You don’t know this will be the outcome; you’ve never tried the new way before; but you resist change even though you know the old way is not working. One component of addiction is that you continue doing what you’re doing even though there are negative consequences.

It is your old Addict Pea Brain resisting change by projecting a negative outcome even though you don’t have any knowledge or experience that your projection is valid. The addiction twists your thinking to justify your behavior.

Stage Two – Begrudging attempts

You join a weight loss group or purchase a book and decide, however grudgingly, you’ll give it a try. “I don’t want to do this, but I’ll pick one no-coffee day. I don’t want to weigh myself twice a day. I don’t want to write down everything I eat. I don’t want to eat a bowl of cereal for breakfast. I don’t want to eat breakfast, but I will because I want to weigh ________ pounds.

Stage Three – Surprise, I enjoyed it

“I tried hot cereal at breakfast and I enjoyed it. I tasted the most wonderful soup for lunch one day. I didn’t think I’d like it, but I did. I had a cup of hot water instead of tea one night and it was actually very nice.”

Stage Four – The new way becomes the comfortable and preferred way

It’s important to know, however, that the attachment you seem to feel for certain foods is not predicated on how much you “love” that particular food. Rather, it indicates how very addicted you are to numbing yourself with that food. Thinking about the food, getting the food, eating the food in a certain way, has become an integral part of your self-medicating ritual. The thought of not “acting out” (not getting your drug) causes you great anxiety. You eat the item (bread, beverage, candy, popcorn, etc.) to relieve the discomfort caused by not eating the item. Consider not drinking coffee and getting a headache and then drinking a cup of coffee to relieve the discomfort caused by not drinking the coffee. It’s like a puppy chasing its tail.

Knowing there are four stages to breaking an addiction will help you be pro-active in traveling through stages two and three and shifting from resistance to change all the way to knowing the new way is the comfortable, preferred way. This information will break you of the food rituals you use to help quell your anger, anxiety, or other uncomfortable feelings or thoughts. Then you can deal with the feelings more directly, more appropriately.

This article is an excerpt from the book Conquer Your Food Addiction authored by Caryl Ehrlich. Caryl also teaches The Caryl Ehrlich Program, a one-on-one behavioral approach to weight loss in New York City. Visit her at http://www.ConquerFood.com to know more about weight loss and keep it off without diet, deprivation, props, or pills. Caryl welcomes questions or comments about this article and the behavioral methods she incorporates into her weight loss program. Contact her at Caryl@ConquerFood.com or call 212-986-7155.

How To Remove The Psychological Addiction To Smoking

2006-12-11T11:49:00.000-05:00

( http://www.quitsmokingonline.com) All Rights Reserved.

Consider this:

Already since 1972, over 60 million people in the USA alone have successfully quit smoking!

At one stage over 60% of the adult population was addicted to this drug. Today it is 28% and dropping........

Now, isn't this a fair thought......

If all these people can do it (60 MILLION OF THEM!) - and they include EVERY TYPE of person imaginable - surely that is PROOF that IT IS POSSIBLE to successfully give up smoking.

Here's another Fact......

We now know from the latest scientific research, that although nicotine is one of the world's fastest acting drugs --- the actual PHYSICAL withdrawal pangs when you give up ARE SO MILD, YOU WILL HARDLY NOTICE THEM WHEN YOU STOP.

YES, you have read that sentence right!

I know you will want to argue with me on this point, but, first, let me first make the following points.......

The Desire to Smoke

Yes, when you stop smoking you will feel the desire AGAIN and AGAIN to smoke.

We all know that feeling -- 'I must have a cigarette'. But that desire in itself is not bad or painful.

It is just a feeling, a sensation we feel in our body.

However........this is where, for most of us our problems start.....

If we start to fear that 'craving' or try to use 'Willpower' to REPRESS it or FORCE it go away, -- "I wish this feeling would go away" we WILL create pain and tension.

This is what as smokers we have all done in the past.

That 'feeling' of wanting to smoke then becomes painful, annoying and terribly irritating.

Now this is the hard part to realize.......

The pain, the horror does not come from the desire to smoke, but from HOW we deal with this desire, moment-by-moment WHEN we stop.

Can I emphasize this:

You do not have to experience ANY pain or agony when you stop. Yes, when you stop you WILL experience a ...........

Temporary feeling of loss
A feeling that you are being deprived of something
A feeling of emptiness
A feeling that you will never be able to enjoy yourself again.
A feeling that you must have a cigarette

These feelings, although very real in themselves are not inherently bad or painful. What is important is how you deal with these feelings when you stop.

The key part of giving up smoking naturally is learning how to deal with these cravings when you stop.

Conflict

Right now, you don't want to give up smoking because you are TERRIFIED of how you will FEEL when you can't smoke.

Let's be honest.

You smoke now because you enjoy it.

Or -- to be more accurate: You smoke now because you have conditioned yourself to enjoy it.

It is important that we are honest with ourselves here.

In fact, even the 'THOUGHT', the mere 'thought' of not been able to smoke probably fills you with utter dread now.

But there is another undeniable fact: This 'pleasure' is killing you. Again we must be brutally honest here. Everyday, you are systemically destroying your health.

This is the conflict all smokers face.

On the one hand, smoking is killing you and you desperately want to stop.......

And yet on the other hand, you don't really want to stop because you believe you really enjoy it.

Yet, one other truth cannot be denied and this applies to every smoker........

We are terrified of how we will F-E-E-L when we can't smoke. We are convinced it will be unbearable and impossible.

FEAR

Right now, the ONLY thing -- yes, THE ONLY THING stopping you from giving up smoking is this fear of how YOU WILL FEEL WHEN YOU STOP.

And yet this very fear is the actual key to giving up smoking naturally.

Giving up smoking is really all about learning HOW to deal with the cravings and feelings you WILL get when you stop.

When you learn how to do that - you will realize that there is nothing to fear when you give up.

What is there to fear ?

When you get the craving to smoke, which you will, again and again - - you will now take the OPPORTUNITY to 'change' or 'transform' that craving so that it is actually enjoyable or at least tolerable to experience.

Imagine......

You have decided to give up smoking. It's dinnertime.

You have finished a day's work.....

You finish your meal and ..... subconsciously, you reach for a cigarette.

But then, of course you remember you no longer smoke.

Bang! At that moment, certain gut feelings will arise.

Feelings of regret........a feeling that you are missing out on something important and then maybe..... terrible feelings of emptiness..... We all know how it feels.

But the real question is: How will you deal with this feeling -- this craving to smoke?

Will you just suffer it, try to repress it and hope that it will go away? That is one option. The old willpower method.

Or will you give in to the feeling -- and start to smoke again (promising to start again tomorrow)?

Or will you - - for the first time ever: - - follow our instructions and actually ALLOW yourself to transform the feeling/craving so that it is actually enjoyable or at least pleasant or tolerable enough to experience.

You see, when you can do that, you will no longer be AFRAID of these cravings when you stop smoking.

In fact, you will start to WELCOME them because they will give you another opportunity to RESPOND and DEAL with them in this NEW WAY.

This process is the essence of giving up smoking naturally and finding it a pleasant and life-affirming experience.

Weight-loss?

Are you now beginning to see how these principles can also apply to losing weight.

You see a beautiful cake. You want to eat it....when BANG! -- You remember you are on a diet.

Now watch HOW YOU feel when this happens?

Couldn't we describe it as .... 'Feelings of regret........a feeling that you are missing out on something important and then maybe..... terrible feelings of emptiness.....

Isn't it essentially the same feeling as not being able to smoke?

However, the real question is the same with smoking: How will you DEAL with this feeling -- this craving to eat?

Will you GIVE IN to it -- and eat the cake or will you try and FORCE yourself not to eat it- and be miserable?

Why not consider our alternative?

Accept this feeling, this desire to eat. But, instead of giving in to it, learn how to deal and respond to it in a NEW way so that you don't MIND experiencing it?

Transform the craving so that it is actually enjoyable or very pleasant to experience.

The Joy of Giving up Smoking?

Remember, when you stop - yes, you WILL feel something but there will be no physical agony, only a temporary feeling that you are MISSING OUT on something.

A feeling that you are being deprived of something SPECIAL --- but these feelings will ONLY be temporary.

However, to quit smoking successfully and to start to enjoy doing it we must go deeper than these temporary cravings.

We must realize that :

You find it difficult or impossible to stop smoking now because......... you BELIEVE ABSOLUTELY that you NEED to smoke and even deeper, you BELIEVE that if you give up smoking now, your life will never be as ENJOYABLE again.

In one sentence: You believe your life will be intolerable.

It is these beliefs that makes giving up smoking difficult NOT Nicotine addiction.

Right now, you are not only physically addicted to smoking but you are psychologically dependent or addicted to smoking.

If your addiction were purely physical wouldn't all these nicotine patches have a 100% success record ?

Yet, we all know that even if we use a nicotine substitute, we will still continue to feel a terrible desire to smoke.

Again and again, we'll feel we must have a cigarette. At times, it will even get to the stage where we just don't care - even the most dire health warnings will have no affect on us - we just WANT to smoke.Where does this desire come from ?

It comes from our conditioning, our beliefs about smoking.

This moment, we believe that smoking is an essential pleasure. In fact, most of us have a terrible resistance to EVEN thinking about giving up smoking.

Why ?

Because we believe that in order to do anything about our addiction, i.e. give up smoking -- we would have to end our pleasure and ending pleasure is something we have NO DESIRE to do.

YOUR REAL JOB

Your real job in giving up smoking lies in REALLY UNDERSTANDING that you don't NEED to smoke.

You remove the psychological addiction to smoking.

You will never be truly free until you realize that smoking is not a real pleasure and that when you stop, you WILL NOT BE depriving ourselves of a real pleasure....... ......and then you will not only be able to give up smoking for good but you will enjoy doing it!

======================================================

Is it possible to enjoy, yes ENJOY quitting smoking - and not gain ANY weight? Follow the famous 10-day Free online Quit Smoking Course by Sean O'Riain at http://www.quitsmokingonline.com and prove it for yourself.

Sean O 'Riain is also the author of the Bliss of meditation.

Nineteen Foods to Help Prevent Breast Cancer

2006-12-11T11:48:00.000-05:00

Recent research suggests that adding these foods to your diet could significantly lower your risk of breast cancer.

#1 Yellow orange vegetables -- Eating foods high in beta- carotene has been linked in many studies to lower rates of breast cancer. Tip: Baby carrots beta-carotene is more absorbable then regular carrots and carrots beta-carotene is 500% more absorbable than in raw carrots. (MultiWellness)

#2 Cruciferous vegetables-- radish, broccoli, cauliflower, rutabaga, cabbage, turnips, turnip greens, contain indole -3-carbinol, which lowers women's levels of a type of estrogen that may promote breast cancer.(16-hydroxy- estradiol and 16-hydroxy-estrone). Tip: Look for BroccoSprouts, a brand of broccoli sprouts with megalevels of SGS, a compound that fights mammary tumors in mice. (Super Foods Wellness)

#3 Warm a mug of 1%-2% organic hormone free milk (Alta Dena), add 1 tbs. ground almonds, pumpkin seed or walnuts or 1/4 tbs. natural almond extract, and enjoy it at bedtime. Why not fat-free milk? Because there's an intriguing compound in milk fat (including butter)-- conjugated linoleic acid -- that fights breast cancer cells in test tubes and animals.

#4 Eat tomatoes, including cooked, dried, soups, juice and sauces, even Ketch-up to fill up on a compound called lycopene. Diets high in lycopene are linked to lower rates of breast and prostate cancer.

#5 Give up the red wine and eat grapes instead. More than one alcoholic beverage a day increases your risk of breast cancer. But concord grapes have cancer-fighting antioxidant power.

#6 Eat cold water fish (salmon, tuna,* anchovies, swordfish, polluck, crab, sardines) and omega-3 rich nuts and seeds (walnut, pumpkin, flax). Research suggests that women with higher tissue levels of omega-3s have lower rates of breast cancer. <*not light tuna.>

#7 Women whose diets are higher in vitamin D have less breast cancer. To ensure that you get the recommended level, add Vitamin D to a healthy diet, advise many experts, especially in climates or lifestyles with out year round sun (20 minutes a day).

#8 Eat a small bowel of dark cherries. Cherries are a top source of a compound that may inhibit mammary cancer in rats.

#9 Compounds called limonoids, found in the peel and white membrane of oranges, inhibit breast cancer in test tubes. Eat whole fruit oranges and tangerines. Look for herbal teas made w/ orange lemon peel. Use real orange and lemon oils in cooking and health drinks.

#10 Avoid refined grains and choose whole grains instead. At least one study has shown that women who ate the most refined grains had more breast cancer. Another study showed women who ate one serving a day of a cereal high in wheat bran lowered their level of breast cancer -promoting estrogen.

#11 Use butter over margarine. Butter contains CLA's mentioned in #3. One study suggests that a diet higher in trans fats may increase the risk of breast cancer. Margarine, most french fries, both frozen and fast-food, and many processed and fried foods made with hydrogenated fats are a top trans fat source. If you prefer margarine, use a trans-fat free brand.

#12 Drink green tea, hot or cold. Green tea is rich in EGCG, a compound that inhibits breast cancer cells in mice. Caffienated brands have twice as much potency as uncaffienated. And most bottled brands have little. Mix with herbal teas and lemon peel for taste, or naturally sweeten with a little Concord grape juice or super low glycemic Agave.

#13 Instead of commercial "olive oil" dressings - usually made with a mixture of oils -- make your own easy dressing with half olive oil, half balsamic vinegar. Mediterranean women who eat lots of olive oil have low rates of breast cancer, studies show.

#14 Garlic kills breast cancer cells in the test tube and maybe in you. But if you're going to cook garlic, always peel and chop, then let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes before you heat. Heating right away doesn't allow time for the cancer-fighting compounds to develop.

#15 Women in one study who ate a serving of spinach at least twice a week had half the rate of breast cancer of women who avoided it .

#16 Flavorful veggie burgers and sausage won't form the same compounds that meat does when it's being cooked and those compounds may explain why women who eat lots of red meat and lots of very well done meat seem to get more breast cancer.

#17 Why flaxseed? Because it has 75 times more lignin precursors, compounds that inhibit mammary tumors in animals.

# 18 Add soy. Soy's isoflavinoids work as weak estrogen’s, blocking the more powerful estrogen’s from stimulating estrogen sensitive cancer cells. (UltraMeal)

#19 Phyto herbs, like don quai, fennel, black cohosh are also weak estrogens that compete with stronger estrogen’s for estrogen receptor sites. These are found in many "Change of life formulas. (Menopause Wellness)

The 20th step is to just do it!

Dr. John H. Maher, Editor.,"Longevity News" Your FREE Anti-Aging Prescription On-line. http://RxforWellness.com

How To Choose A Good Quality Vitamin Supplement

2006-12-11T11:16:00.000-05:00

How To Choose A Good Quality Vitamin Supplement For You And Your Family Without Getting Ripped Off

As you may have already experienced, figuring out how to choose a good quality vitamin and mineral supplement can be a confusing and time consuming task.

The purpose of this article is to look at several important factors that you should consider when looking for a good quality vitamin and mineral supplement and to provide you with resources where you can learn more.

CONSIDERATION #1: ABSORPTION

Here is one of the first questions you should keep in mind:

Will the ingredients in the vitamin and mineral supplement you are considering actually be absorbed by your body?

There are many steps that the ingredients in your vitamin and mineral supplement (referred to as supplement from now on) have to go through in order to make it all the way through your digestive tract, into your blood stream and ultimately to the location where your body can use them.

It's a complex process and there are many opportunities for the process to not go quite right and prevent your supplement ingredients from getting to where they are supposed to. Let's look at some factors that can affect the journey your supplement takes and also affect how well your body can absorb a supplement's ingredients.

WHAT IS BIOAVAILABILITY?

Bioavailability is the degree to which a nutrient is available to the body for use. More specifically, for a nutrient to be bioavailable it must be within physical proximity to the cell so the cell can use it. Also, for a nutrient to be bioavailable it has to be dissolved in some sort of solution so that the nutrient can be transported across the cell membrane.

From a non biochemistry perspective, here's a simple way to picture what needs to happen; the nutrient has to make it all the way from your mouth to the cell and be in a form the cell can use.

For bioavailability to occur, certain things have to happen once you put that supplement into your mouth. Here are two of those processes. One is dissolution which refers to how fast a supplement dissolves. An example to help you picture this process would be taking some sugar, putting it in a glass of water and stirring it with a spoon until the sugar disappears.

Another process is disintegration. This is similar to dissolution only disintegration refers to how fast the capsule or tablet breaks into smaller pieces so that the dissolution process can take place.

HOW TO TELL IF YOUR SUPPLEMENT WILL DISSOLVE

So how in the world are you going to be able to tell if the supplement you are considering does all this dissolution and disintegration stuff? Fortunately, it's pretty straight forward to figure out. A good way to know that your supplement is meeting these standards is to make sure there is some sort of "USP" designation on the label of the product.

USP refers to U.S. Pharmacopeia, an organization that was established to create state-of-the-art standards to ensure the quality of medicines that humans use. This includes vitamin/mineral supplements.

An example of the kind of USP designation that you want to look for on the label of a product you are considering would be something like, "this product conforms to the USPXXVII requirements for disintegration and dissolution".

WHAT CHELATION DOES

Chelation is very important when it comes to making sure that the minerals in your supplement are bioavailable. Chelation refers to a process that increases the absorption of minerals such as chromium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum and zinc.

It can be hard to get minerals all the way to that bioavailable state that was discussed earlier. Chelation involves wrapping the mineral in an amino acid so that the body can more easily absorb it. This can improve the absorption of some minerals from only 10% absorption for a non chelated mineral to 45% and more for a chelated mineral.

So when you are looking at the label of a vitamin supplement and you find a trace mineral such as manganese as one of the ingredients, you want to see something like "Manganese (as Manganese Chelate)" on the label. This indicates that the manganese mineral has been chelated.

WHAT CAN HAPPEN IF YOU PICK THE WRONG SUPPLEMENT

If the vitamin supplement you are considering doesn't meet the standards discussed above, it can pass right through your body and do you no good at all.

To give you an example of this, I have actually seen a photo of an x-ray taken of a person's colon area with the vertebrae of their backbone off to one side. In this photo I could clearly see two supplement tablets, still intact, looking like they had just came out of the bottle. These supplement tablets were poorly made, never disintegrated and would soon end up in the toilet.

Photos like these are a graphic illustration of the fact that just because you swallow your vitamin supplement doesn't mean your body is going to be able to use it.

ARE YOU WASTING YOUR MONEY?

With this in mind, let's look at this useless, undissolved supplement from a another perspective; a financial one. Let's say you find a great deal on a supplement and start taking it. We'll call it Supplement X. Let's also say this Supplement X costs $20 for a sixty day supply.

You think you've found a great deal, however what if it turns out that your Supplement X has been poorly manufactured and is only 10% bio available. What this means is that your body will be only able to use $2 worth of this supplement ($20 times 10%).

And what happened to the other $18 you paid for the supplement? It went right through your body, that's what. Looking at it another way, you paid $20 for your sixty day supplement supply yet ended up completely wasting 90% of that $20 you spent. You literally flushed $18 right down the toilet.

Just like everything else in life, there is no free lunch. When it comes to choosing a supplement, don't be cheap. Do your homework and find a good quality supplement that your body can actually use.

OTHER FACTORS TO CONSIDER

Are the health benefit claims being made by the company provable?

Vitamin supplement companies will claim that their product will do certain things or that the way they put together their product together or package it will create a particular health benefit. This may be true but the only thing that matters is have they proven it. Are their proven health benefits from taking their supplement.

Is the supplement you are considering safe to consume?

Just because the supplement is in a bottle, the bottle has a fancy label and it looks like it comes from a big company doesn't mean the ingredients in the supplement are pure and safe. There can be many harmful substances in that capsule that can have an immediate harmful effect as well as over the long term.

WHERE YOU CAN LEARN MORE

These other two aspects of how to choose a good quality vitamin and mineral supplement, that is, are the health benefit claims being made by the company provable and is the supplement you are considering safe to consume, are beyond the scope of this article.

However, if you would like to learn more about these health benefit and safety subjects, details on these additional topics are included on web pages that I have a link to below.

http://www.ajpip.com/vitamin_supplements/res/ind.htm

On these vitamin resources pages you will also find:
- organizations that can help you figure out what kinds of vitamins, minerals and other supplements may be right for you
- where you can get unbiased evaluations on the product you are considering
- some more interesting facts on absorption
- surprising information on colloidal minerals

FINAL THOUGHTS

If you have gotten to the point where you are looking for a vitamin and mineral supplement to take, congratulations. You have taken a positive step towards improving your health and taking better care of your body.

However, make sure to continue that commitment to yourself by doing your homework and making sure that you choose a good quality supplement. It makes no sense to go that far then end up wasting your money on something that your body can't even use.

- Andy Long

Aloe Vera - No Wonder They Call It The Miracle Plant

2006-12-11T11:14:00.000-05:00

by: Kay Blackiston

Aloe Vera is a member of the Lily family. It is a succulent that looks a lot like a cactus and is known by various names such as the burnt plant, the miracle plant, the natural healer and the medicine plant. Although there are more than two hundred species of Aloe Vera, only a few have medicinal properties, and of these Aloe Vera Barbadensis is the most beneficial.

The Aloe Vera plant reaches maturity at about four years of age. The outer leaf is smooth and rubbery and inside is the gel and sap which is harvested, preserved and bottled to give either a juice or when combined with other ingredients creams, lotions and gels. About 96% of the plant is water. The rest is made up of minerals such as magnesium, zinc, copper, chromium and the antioxidant selenium, vitamins including the antioxidants C, E and beta carotene, 20 of the 22 amino acids required by the body including 7 of the 8 that cannot be manufactured by the body, sugars, enzymes and fatty acids. The combination of these elements has a more powerful effect together than they would individually. This is because each enhances the effect of the other, an occurrence that is known as synergism.

Aloe Vera works in two different areas; by promoting healing or preventing injury to the epithelial tissues (the skin, the lining of the gut, the bronchial tubes, etc) and by balancing the immune system when its antioxidants fight the free radicals produced by our metabolism and pollutants in the environment.

When taken internally, Aloe Vera is soothing to digestive tract irritations, such as colitis and peptic ulcers. The anti-inflammatory fatty acids are also helpful for the stomach, small intestine and colon. It alkalises the digestive juices preventing overacidity – a common cause of indigestion. Amongst many other ailments that have been helped by Aloe Vera are diverticulitis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, constipation and haemorrhoids. Conditions that are improved by balancing the immune system are arthritis, asthma, ME (post viral fatigue syndrome) and LE (lupus).

When applied to the skin Aloe Vera improves a large variety of skin complaints such as eczema, psoriasis, ulcers, burns, stings, acne, bites, scrapes, abrasions, scalp care, sore muscles, cold sores, bruises, sprains and frostbite to name but a few!

More recent studies show Aloe Vera can help prolong survival time and stimulate the immune system of cancer patients. This is partly by fighting free radicals with its antioxidant properties and also by stimulating the white blood cells causing the release of immune-activating and anticancer substances such as interferons, interleukins and tumour necrosis factor. These properties of Aloe Vera have also made it an effective part of a nutrition support program for HIV patients; leading to fewer occurrences of infections such as thrush, fatigue and diarrhoea and an increase in the number of white blood cells meaning a boost to their immune system.

About The Author
Kay Blackiston has had an interest in health and nutrition for several years. She is now a personal weight loss coach supporting anybody who wishes to take charge of their lives and lose their excess weight. www.from-flab-to-fab.com. Various Aloe products are available from: www.healthandbeauty-online.com