Top natural depression remedies

: Most cases of depression if not all can be helped with treatment, but many people are too scared to seek treatment. They may be afraid of the questions that a therapist might ask, or they may be afraid of the medication that is designed to help with depression, but untreated depression is a very dangerous thing. There are some natural remedies that can at least help with depression. It is best to talk to a doctor before following a natural course of treatment for depression. 5-HTP 5-hydroxytryptophan, or 5-HTP, is a supplement that works to boost the serotonin levels of the body. Studies have not produced conclusive results yet, however it is known that 5-HTP should not be used in conjunction with antidepressants. Alternative Medicine There are natural remedies like yoga, color therapy, flower therapy, aromatherapy and acupuncture or acupressure that can have some effect. These effects vary from person to person, so try to see if any appeal to you and check them out if you are interested. Diet It might be hard to hear that giving up your beloved coffee or your daily sweets might help you feel better, but removing sweets from your diet can help to keep your mood more stable, preventing the false highs and exaggerated lows as your blood sugar soars and then plummets. Avoiding caffeine and alcohol can also both help, as both of these dampen moods. The alcohol is a relaxant while the caffeine is an energy booster, but the effects of both quickly wear off leaving us feeling worse than ever and producing symptoms like insomnia, anxiety, mood swings and even depression. Since vitamin B6 and Magnesium can both be gotten from your diet and can help you keep your natural serotonin levels up, it is important to add food to your diet that include one or both of these. Magnesium can be found in nuts, whole grains, legumes and vegetables. As a side effect, eating healthier can also help your depression by helping you to feel healthier and boosting your self-image. Exercise Like diet, exercise is something that most of us avoid as much as possible when we are depressed, preferring inactivity and isolation. Regular exercise, however, can boost your mood by eliminating the stress hormones in your body as well as by boosting your own self image as you begin to look and feel better. Exercise itself releases mood-boosting chemicals in your brain, and gives you something productive and hopefully fun to focus your mind on. Folic Acid Folic Acid or Folate is a particular kind of B vitamin that is often found to be deficient in depressed people. You can get Folate from eating leafy greens as well as some beans or fortified grains. It is a very common deficiency because of poor diet, certain medical conditions, and various medications such as birth control pills that eliminate it in the body. Light Therapy Getting enough sunlight is a natural mood booster, and a lack of sunlight can lead to depression. Getting out in the air and the sunlight for a walk or a run or other exercise can be helpful to boost your mood and can be a double-threat to depression because you are getting exercise as well. If you cannot get out in the sunlight for any reason or if you can't get enough sunlight, you can use lamps that simulate natural sunlight to help you boost your mood with this light therapy. Don't forget to wear sunscreen to protect your skin while you are out on your walks. Omega-3 Fatty Acids Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in fish like salmon, and offer many benefits including improved mental functioning. Omega-3 fatty acids can be used in conjunction with antidepressants to help these medications function more effectively. Depression is less common in countries like Taiwan and Japan, which have a culture that consumes much more fish. SAM-e SAM-e is short for S-adenosyl-L-methionine, and is a chemical that is found naturally in the body. It has been shown in studies to be more effective than a placebo at treating depression, and is available in the United States as an over the counter supplement in health food stores and drug stores as well as online. It is somewhat expensive, but it can be argued that it is worth the expense as long as it helps. St. John's Wort St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) is traditionally used for worry, nervousness, poor sleep and sadness. Over 20 clinical trials conducted to date suggest that St. John's Wort is about as effective as medication for mild to moderate depression, although it is not effective in severe cases.

Rc helicopter flights how easy

So how difficult is the model helicopter to control in fight? Well, it has been described as similar to balancing a steel ball on a knife edge whale riding a bicycle! Added to this is the type of thrill that is involve every second of flying. The electric RC Helicopter is also much cheaper than the next type of RC Helicopter: the gas RC Helicopter. So here are the things you should know in order to get you end up getting the right radio-controlled helicopter for you. Evaluate your flying skill. You can also start with a scale-model plastic helicopter. There are model RC Helicopter that are made from wood. If you want to fly with the airplanes (which they tend not to like when you hover all over the runway) you will need AMA insurance. Homebuilt RC Helicopters are motorized (although wit less power) and can lift you off from the ground with the same experience you can get from a conventional full-size helicopter. What kind of engines do RC Helicopters run on? Special remote control RC Helicopter engines. They come in 2-stroke and 4-stroke glow burning engines as well as 2 stroke gasoline models. If you descend to quickly you will enter your own down wash and the RC Helicopter will pull itself into the ground and need considerable collective to compensate. This is a bad condition. Full RC Helicopter guide at rchelicopterguide. info/heli/index. html. The HELICOPTER STATS give you a brief guide to price. If the RC Helicopter has NOT got RTF beside it you will have extra costs to get it flight ready and will have to do some building. Then there are the bad RC Helicopter crashes where you look for the parts that aren't broken. Thanks to James for providing this sample of what happens when you turn a rotary-wing into a fixed-wing while in flight. Do not over-react and send it launching into the sky. All problems were eventually overcome and the fully controllable R/C model helicopter had arrived. Just take it easy and if it gets "on top of you" do not touch anything but a little forward cyclic for 1 or 2 seconds. Before we start it is traditional for other pilots to share their experiences so get there and ask ask ask and ask.

Panama real estate evictions

Introduction - Our law firm, Panama Legal, occasionally gets queries about the eviction process in Panama for residential real estate. Below follows a brief summary of the process and time frames involved. This is not legal advice, just an overview of what is involved. Applicable Law - Law #93 dated 1973 is the law that covers residential real estate leases in Panama. Some leases that would be excluded from coming under this law would be leases with following attributes: * leases of rural property * leases of property in the reverted Canal Zone * leases where the rent is calculated by the day such as a hotel, motel, bed and breakfast, boarding house, Inn, etc. * leases of property primarily designated as vacation property where the term including any existing renewals of the lease is under 180 days * leases whereby the government of Panama or its municipalities are parties in the lease agreement. However if they do appear in the lease agreement as the property owner or landlord they can utilize the eviction provisions of the applicable law we are dealing with here. Rental Values - If the residential real estate in question has an initial rent in excess of $150 per month, the agreement can incorporate rental increases as agreed to by the parties of the lease agreement. Lease Term - There is great freedom allowed in selecting a term for the lease as long as the rental value is in excess of $150. There can also be provisions for extensions of the lease term as well. Lease Cancellation - The tenant is allowed to cancel any residential lease on 30 days written notice. Security Deposit - Normally a security deposit equal to one months rent is submitted to the Panama Housing Ministry, which is returned at the end of the lease unless the landlord files a claim for damages. Eviction Proceedings - This is generally going to take 120 days. The collection of the unpaid rent (if any) is going to take about 270 days. If the workload of the court is high legal processes could take longer. Do not plan on it going any faster. Conclusion - The eviction process is a fairly long one. In many other countries it can even take longer. Some countries that are known for their large amounts of homeless people do have more abbreviated eviction procedures. If you are renting to an expatriate one needs to bear in mind that they may up and decide to leave Panama someday. If they do this discretely and not pay rent for their last few months here the landlord would suffer. They could have their funds out of the country along with all of their assets. They could also have their assets secreted in foundations and corporations that you know nothing about therefore keeping them immune from your attaching them. If you are a landlord and are concerned about leasing to foreigners contact our law firm and we should be able to design some protective measure for you that are lawful. If you are a landlord never engage in any self-eviction practices. Never disconnect the electricity or water, never change the locks and do not decide that their front doors or windows need painting on a Saturday night and remove them for painting. Tenants could file counter claims against your legal action and further extend the time frames for eviction. Do seek competent legal counsel.

Bad breath cures

So you know that you have bad breath, and want to find a way to relieve it simply and quickly? The following bad breath cures work in the majority of cases, though if you have a really bad case or these cures make no difference, you should consult your physician. Bad breath is associated with a dry mouth, so taking steps to not have such a dry mouth can reduce the smell. - Make sure that you drink sufficient quantities of water so that you're not generally dehydrated. - Dieting or missing can reduce saliva and dry the mouth, so be sure to eat at regular intervals. - Chew on special sugar-free gum, to cause salivation. - Don't drink excessive alcohol as that dries the mouth. - Smoking dries the mouth, and is also bad for a number of other well known reasons. Bad breath also has a component that comes from lack of hygiene. - Teeth should be brushed after every meal Be sure to be thorough and remove all the food particles. - While you're brushing your teeth, brush also the roof of your mouth and your tongue, using regular toothpaste, as this will help to clean adverse compounds. - You should also floss between the teeth at least once a day, to dislodge any entrapped particles. What you eat can cause troubles for various reasons. - Eat a low-fat diet rich in fruits and vegetables. - Avoid too much meat and protein, as the protein is fuel for the bacteria which cause bad breath. - Avoid particular smelly foods, such as garlic and onions. When these get to the stomach, the smell transfers to the bloodstream, and the air you breath out picks up the smell from the lungs. Visit your dentist to discuss the matter. Bad breath may be caused by dental problems, including gum disease (periodontal disease), and your dentist will be able to advise, and may save you more pain and expense in the long run. You should visit your dentist regularly, at least once every six months, for a regular checkup and cleaning. This will dig out the stubborn food particles that your brushing and flossing have missed. You can use a mouthwash for temporary relief of the bad breath smell. Be aware, however, that many mouthwashes have alcohol content, which is detrimental. If you seek temporary relief by sucking a breath mint, like Altoids, you should also note that the high sugar content is a disadvantage.

Orkut googles social networking website

Orkut: Google’s Social Networking Website Are you interested in meeting new people online? How about people that share the same interests as you? If so, one of the best ways to find those individuals to use online social networking websites. Social networking websites are often compared to neighborhoods or communities, but ones that are online. If are interested in making use of these popular websites, if you haven’t been already, you will need to find a social networking website to become a member of. One of the websites that you may be interested in joining is Orkut. Orkut, sounds interesting doesn’t it? With other popular websites such as Yahoo! 360, Friendwise, Classmates, and MySpace, there are many who wonder how Orkut became the name of this popular online community. Orkut is named after the individual who created it. That man was an employee of Goggle and he is known as Orkut Buyukkokten. If the name of the website doesn’t automatically draw you in, there is a good chance that the website features will. Like many other social networking websites, Orkut has a number of different member benefits. These benefits are what makes it worthwhile to become a member of this popular social networking website. As popular as Orkut is and as much as you would like to join, there are special procedures that you must follow. Unfortunately, Google does not allow just anyone to become a member, you must be invited. Current community members are the only ones who can extend you an invite. This means that you should not waste your time trying to convince Google to let you join. Being invited to join Orkut really isn’t as difficult as it may sound. Orkut is so popular that there is a good chance that you know someone, if not personally than online, who can extend you an invite. By performing a standard internet search, you should also be able to find Orkut members who would be willing to extend you an invitation, without even knowing who you are. Although many internet users refrain from joining Orkut, just because of the invitation requirements, there is a good reason for limited membership. Orkut is a social networking website that is free to use. Unfortunately, free means that many people would wish to use the website. Many online social networking sites, that are free to use, have literally become ridiculous. A large number of internet users get joy out of creating fake accounts and causing online controversy. Google decided to make Orkut a special membership online website to prevent instances like that from happening. Orkut, like many other online social networking websites, has a number of different purposes. Of course, the main purpose of Orkut is to allow you to connect with your friends, especially the ones that have extended an invitation to you, but you can do much more than that. Once a member of Orkut, you can easily famialrize yourself with other website members who share the same interests as you do. This will not only help you make new friends, but it may also result in the finding of your next romantic partner. That is what is nice about Orkut, once you are a member, just about anything is possible. If you are interested in learning more about Orkut, before trying to obtain an invite, you will want to visit their online website. You can do this by going to orkut. Word Count 567

Give brown bag lunches a nutritious makeover

There's no reason to rely on the same old brown bag lunch every day. Create simple, wholesome recipes and "out of the box" lunches to help beat brown bag lunch boredom and give you and your kids more nutritious choices. Let's face it, the main staple of most brown bag lunches is a sandwich made with lunch meat. In fact, according to ACNielsen research, lunch meat is purchased by 85 percent of U. S. households. With the new, great tasting sandwich meats on the market and some fun and interesting recipes and a few additions, you can easily take the boredom out of brown bag lunches. Jackie Newgent, RD, CDN, recommends the following simple tips to give the brown bag lunch a nutritious makeover: • Use bread alternatives. Prepare sandwiches using a different type of bread each day of the week. Try a flour tortilla, French baguette, flatbread or sesame seed bun. Use alternatives to bread, such as lettuce wraps. Or skip the sandwich or wrap idea altogether and make meat and cheese kabobs on toothpicks or small bamboo skewers. • Spice up your sides. Pack imaginative fruit and vegetable sides. Add peanut or almond butter and raisins to celery to build "ants on a log." Create a dazzling fruit salad by combining three or more colorful, flavorful fruits. Make a multicolored pasta salad from green, orange and red pasta. • Keep it natural. Instead of using lunch meat with preservatives, try a more nutritious, great tasting alternative, such as Hormel Natural Choice Deli Sandwich Meats. They're 100 percent all natural, with no preservatives and no artificial colors or flavors. • Add some fun. There are other ways, besides switching up ingredients, to add some fun to your child's lunch. Try putting an entertaining trivia question or educational fun fact on the lunch bag. Throw in stickers, a toy or an easy game. Use something besides the basic brown bag to hold the lunch, such as a lunch box or brightly colored sack.

What are anger indicators

Here we will sum up the signs of anger, because even though everyone is different, there are certain comparable signs that denote this strong emotion. Sometimes, an angry person will verbally or physically assault others. They are sometimes prone to violent outbursts, often involving hurting others or destroying things. An angry person is often aggressive, and might complain a lot about seemingly everything. They often engage in malicious behavior toward others, retaliating or striking out against others. People who are angry are often antisocial, with an incapability to relate to their peers. Often, they disparage people, say cruel or unkind things, or hurt people to make themselves feel better. Their lack of dealing with the anger problems leads to the inability to trust others. They exhibit suspicious, judgmental, or jealous characteristics toward others. Angry people might try to undermine others, and be disruptive if they do not agree with something. An angry person is not pleasant to be around, and they desperately need help. Recently I heard about a woman that had serious anger problems. For seemingly no reason she would react to what most people would consider minor issues such as a child eating too much or eating something that she envied. Something like this was enough to bring about an irrational reaction. Sometimes she was mild in her acts, and other times she was out of control. In most cases, she had no basis for her behavior; however, there was an underlying source, as is usually the case. The woman did in fact display anti-social behaviors, and she often conveyed odd thinking patterns. For example, she would say that all men are pigs. She also talked about leading men on; leading them down to her basement and having alligators eat them alive. The woman was unbalanced and very ill. Now she was diagnosed with Bipolar – Manic Depression, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. After careful examination Posttraumatic Stress was dismissed and the diagnosis was that of exaggerated, anti-social traits. According to her, the cause for her anger was that the many men she had been involved with had mistreated her. This was only part of the reason, and the truth surfaced when she talked more about her life. She had been adopted as a child; therefore, she felt a sense of abandonment. The origin here is understandable, since she most likely resented her parents for giving her up for adoption. Even if the parents’ reasons were valid, she rebuffs when prompted to hear the other side of the story. Since the woman’s symptoms were ongoing, the treatment would probably never work since she was a victim of her own mind and in denial. It was obvious that the woman had anger manifesting in her own behaviors. She performed illegal acts, such as writing bad checks. Therefore, the symptoms she endured were partially of her own choice. She produced her anger and paranoia; therefore her anger is her own responsibility. However, angry people will often undermine others. For example, an angry individual might say something like: try these diet pills; they will help you take off some weight. The angry person is well aware that the other individual has a sore spot about their weight, even though she is normal weight. Therefore, the angry person is trying to disparage the individual by undermining her self-esteem. An angry person will also seek attention and use damaging words. For example, an angry person might say, “I am fat”. The angry person is waiting for you to disagree, and offer compliments. The best thing to do in this situation is to ignore the angry person. Because denial is at the source of the problem, no matter how many times you try to convince the person otherwise, they will not believe you.

How to learn blogging software 234

How to Learn Blogging Software A lot of blogging software is specifically designed to be simple to use, but even the least intimidating blogging program can feel very overwhelming to somebody who has not spent a lot of time learning the ins and outs of different kinds of software. Particularly for newer bloggers, learning how to use the interface of blogging software is the most difficult part of blogging. If you are somebody who feels comfortable expressing themselves in another medium, it may prove to be well worth your time and effort to learn blogging software, but that doesn't mean that the task will be easy. The main thing that will help you find success as you learn how to use a new kind of blogging software is to try and take things slowly. Many people get so excited about learning to blog that they try to rush into the thick of it and start exploring the most complicated features of a program right away. This can lead to getting confused and feeling frustrated, and all too many potential bloggers burn out during this stage of the process. If you take your time learning the basics of your blog software program before you move on to more advanced techniques, you will be more likely to retain what you have learned, and to keep feeling positive about your ability to understand the world of blogging. (Word count 234)

Effective tips for daily skin care

Now that you have spent some time improving the health of your skin and giving it the tools it needs to rebuild itself, you can work on establishing the best possible maintenance routine. Remember that habits are made in three to four weeks. Start with what you know you can follow for those three weeks. If that means just working on establishing your skin maintenance routine for a month, then your hair routine, that’s fine. Just don’t forget your foundational routine improving your nutrition, hydration and rest! FACIAL SKIN MAINTENANCE Cleansing All makeup should be removed before bed each evening. There are a countless number of products for cleaning your skin, with different formulas for each skin type. Unless you use heavy makeup, it’s easiest to pick a cleanser that also removes makeup. Another option is to just use makeup remover or oil on eye makeup, as foundations and blushers usually come off easily with most regular cleansers. Either way, clean your facial skin every evening before bed, and again in the morning. If you’ve cleaned your face properly in the evening, morning skin will just require a light washing to remove sebum and sweat and prepare your face for your makeup. If using a water-based cleanser, wet your face with lukewarm water. If using an oil-based cleanser, apply directly to dry skin. Using your fingers or a soft cloth, gently apply cleanser in small circles over your face, working from your nose to your hairline. Don’t forget to apply cleanser to your neck, using soft swipes upward towards the jaw line. Be careful not to pull or stretch the skin when cleansing. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water. If you are planning to take a shower or bath, apply your cleanser before getting into the shower/tub to give it a few minutes to work on your skin. Toning Toning restores the skin’s natural pH and provides a protective acid mantle that makes the skin stronger. It helps remove any cleanser residue and reduces the size of pores. Depending on your skin type, toners will range from gentle acidic formulations to highly antiseptic formulas. Soak a cosmetic pad liberally with your toner and gently wipe your face from your nose outward and over the forehead. Don’t forget your neck. You can use cotton balls, but cotton cosmetic pads are easier. You should avoid the delicate skin around your eyes unless using a very gentle toning formula that contains absolutely no alcohol or peroxide and only then to remove oil and dirt from the eyebrows. Protecting Your skin should be protected from harmful UV rays daily. “Protecting” is a two-step process. The first part of the process is providing your skin with antioxidants and ingredients that will help it protect itself by maintaining natural protective enzymes. The second part is providing it with sunscreen protection. If you are going to use a vitamin/nutrient antioxidant solution or serum, you can soak a cotton ball with your solution and apply to face, patting your “problem areas” first, then gently wiping over the rest of your face. Apply to neck in upward motion. If using a commercial antioxidant serum, follow manufacturer’s directions. Moisturizing As women get older, their natural sebum production slows. Skin needs inner and outer hydration to maintain is strength, flexibility and integrity. Moisturizers also reduce the risk of mechanical damage to the skin, by reducing friction and reducing the chance the skin will be stretched or torn by contact. You can protect and moisturize in one step, but use an all-inclusive skin lotion that provides vitamins C, E, and A, and oils to moisturize and a sun block. You can also provide your own antioxidant protection by applying solutions of nutrient vitamins/herbs to your skin, then using a moisturizing sunscreen. We’ll show you more about which ones to chose and how to apply them in later chapters. Apply moisturizer lightly to face in outward motions. Apply to neck in upward motions. Be careful not to pull or stretch your skin. For daytime, if your moisturizer does not already contain sun protection, apply a grease-free sunscreen to your face, throat, as well as all body skin exposed to the sun. Exfoliate As your skin grows and repairs itself, the outer layer of dead cells slough off. To expedite this process and get to the fresher, newer cells below, it’s recommended that you exfoliate your skin at least once a week. There are basically two ways of doing this, mechanically and chemically. For mechanical exfoliation, you can use a good skin scrub, a microdermabrasion cream or a loufah pad. Chemically, you can use one of the common acidic exfoliating preparations, glycolic acid peels, lactic acid peels, alpha-hydroxy, etc. Some skin cleansers come with this step built right inside the formula. Your skin type will determine how often you should exfoliate and which method you should use. Irritated skin, like that with acne, eczema or rosacea will not appreciate the heavy scrubbing of mechanical exfoliants, and even a chemical formula may be too irritating for more than occasional use. Older skin that is highly sun-damaged may require either or both methods, perhaps more often, to remove the layers of damaged skin and help stimulate the production of healthy collagen structures in the deeper layers of the skin. Again, we’ll show you how to determine how often and which method of exfoliation will work best for you. Whatever formula you plan to use, exfoliants should be applied similar to cleansers. If you are using a chemical peel, avoid “scrubbing” your skin, let the chemicals do the work. If using a scrub, apply VERY light pressure, and work in tiny circles. Again, be careful not to pull or stretch the skin. Most exfoliants will require some time to “work”. Applying exfoliants right before showering is a good idea, because you can rinse them off under the shower, which helps in removing any residue. Masks Facial masks serve several purposes, the most important one being the deep cleaning of pores. Masks are also made for super-hydration, the increase of circulation and for sheer enjoyment. Which kind you use and how often will be determined by your skin type and your results using the P-Method. Generally, it is a good idea to use a deep cleansing clay-based mask at least once a week. Various cosmetic clays are used in these masks because they “pull” and absorb impurities, dirt and dried sebum out of your pores, allowing sebum to flow naturally and smoothly, brightening the appearance of the skin, helping to prevent acne infections, and improving the texture of your skin. Several types of clay masks are available for every skin moisture type. Apply the mask gently and allow it to dry. Most clay masks will require 10-15 minutes to absorb all the impurities and wastes from your pores. Rinse the mask off gently with fingertips – don’t pull. Again, it’s a good idea to apply these before getting into the shower. After exfoliating or using a mask, tone, protect and moisturize your skin. Example Routines MORNING: Cleanse: Use a gentle cleanser to remove any sweat or sebum from your skin. Tone: Use the proper toner for your skin type. Using toner will help your makeup go on smoother. Moisturize: Use a non-oily moisturizer if wearing makeup. The combination of an oily moisturizer and foundation can make a made up face look cakey and greasy within a few hours – even on dry aged skin. If you don’t wear makeup, you can use an oilier moisturizer. Protect: Absolutely necessary – use a sunblock of at least 15 SPF daily (unless you work the graveyard shift). Even the darkest skin should be protected from the harmful rays of the sun. Sun protection can also be found in some commercial foundation formulas. If you use a moisturizer or foundation with a built-in sunblock of at least 15 SPF, you do not need to add a separate sunblock, though you should reapply these throughout the day. EVENING: Cleanse: Cleanse your skin thoroughly before bed at night. Remove all makeup and use a cleanser that is right for your skin type. Tone: Use a toner to remove cleanser reside and restore pH balance. Protect: Add any anti-oxidant serum to your skin and allow to soak in (may be combined with your moisturizer. Moisturizer: Add any special eye cream plus skin moisturizers gently to your skin.

Four creative steps to healing

Ever have the feeling that dis-ease was controlling your life? Perhaps it's not even a chronic illness. Do you harbor anger? Resentment? Frustration? Maybe it's just me and I'm talking to myself, but I've let all of these rule my life at some point. Therefore, in this short article, I thought we'd take a look at "Four Creative Steps To Healing." From it, I hope you'll gain insight into yourself, your behaviors and perhaps the way you deposit or withdraw from your own health currency. Step One: Understand Your Energy We've all heard about the aura that surrounds the body, but what could this possibly have to do with our health? According to Carolyn Myss in her audio program "Why People Don't Heal," the energetic exchange that happens within this field is where our thoughts become translated into energy (or what she terms as one's biography becoming their biology). Translation: These cycles or waves of energy that surround our body are a function of our thoughts. Thoughts are energy waves then, that affect our health in a positive or negative way. Let's look a little closer to see why this happens: The contributors to this energy surrounding the body are the 7 major "chakras" (chakra in Sanskrit means "wheel or vortex"). It may help to note that Myss refers to each energy wheel as a "computer," one which collects and interprets information and “perceptions” the mind has about the world. It has been shown scientifically that each of these 7 wheels of energy corresponds to a particular endocrine gland in the body. Translation: In light of the adage, "you are what you eat" we could conclude with with some degree of certainty that "you are what you think." Step Two: Let Go Of Old Wounds Now that you've been (hopefully) examining your thoughts and translating all of your negative energy into positive, Myss throws another curve ball. Would you agree with her that "healing is unattractive?" I needed some time to think about this: Why in the world would healing be unattractive? Answer (According to Myss): Our wounds give us power! And after careful contemplation, I've outlined three ways I have done this, myself. Ask yourself: Are you leading with your wounds? You'll know if you done any of the following: 1. Used Wounds to Manipulate a Situation or a Person. Let's say we find a situation unsavory, scary or inflaming a personal "hot button." Have you ever avoided a situation when you really needed to face head on? Or, how 'bout this one: "I just can't get into this relationship - I've been burned before!" Okay, maybe I am just speaking to myself here, but I admit, I've used my wounds (more times than I care to admit) to refrain from loving unconditionally. 2. Use Them to Attract Other Wounded Souls Who Want to Exchange in the “Wound” Game. I’ve done this myself, too. In listening to another share their wounds, I’ve given up compassion for wound ante – “Ill see you and raise you one.” Agreed, there is a difference between healing from a wound and “leading with a wound" but, in my humble opinion, I'd be willing to bet that we know the difference between being healthy and not. For example, I know when I’m healthy when I can listen with empathy, void of getting out my toolbox to “fix" or laying out my wounds unsolicited. 3. Give Up Our Ability to Listen. Dr. Bernie Siegel in his book "Peace, Love and Healing" basically says, listening is the work of angels. Many times listening is all we have in a situation when someone calls on us for help. If we express what Ms. Myss calls "woundology" or "leading with our wounds" we're saying that we can’t stand the loss of power and desire all the attention for ourself. Since I'm laying out all my laundry here today (And what would Myss have to say for this?) here’s an example of the way I’ve led with my wounds: Recently someone confided in me about a situation where they had lost a loved one. While listening attentively, my mind searched its experiences for a similar event. All this so I could say: “Oh that’s terrible! Don’t feel so bad though, because I’ve been through this thing that is so much worse!" To reclaim my character, however, (and after I realized what was happening), I caught myself. In reality, all this person really needed was my ear to listen unconditionally. Step Three: Learn To Forgive Yourself and Others The final two steps are remedies which can help heal our anger, resentment and frustration. Step three then, is simply forgiveness. For to forgive in earnest then takes our energy out of its emotional investment in the past. We give up the need to spend wasted energy making negative deposits into this account and to paraphrase Myss, is the fastest way to bring our energy into real time. Translation: Trust me, you'll know authentic forgiveness when you experience it. The body literally “lets go” of the weight of the past. Step Four: Love Yourself The final creative step to healing? Loving yourself, of course! This is the most challenging concept, in my opinion. Why? To begin we must start where we are, and love and accept ourselves for who we are, today. How does this help our health? It's simple, when we realize that we are stunting our personal growth and health through negative self talk, we can then begin to love ourselves one piece at a time. Here’s how it’s done (Author's note: beware, this practice may seem untraditional yet, if you'll consult Louise L. Hay's book: "You Can Heal Your Life" - you'll find that this is one of the remedies she used to heal herself from cancer): Every day spend 15 minutes in the mirror sending love to yourself! Start small by finding one part of yourself where you can find perfection. Each day, or week, or month choose new parts of yourself to love. Before long, you'll find an image of perfection before your eyes. And you'll have purified your energy, to boot! In closing, we could make all of these steps very simple, indeed. For there is only one step here that will make you healthy and happy. Remember: It's when we've learned to love ourselves that we can truly be healed. References: Myss, Carolyn, Ph. D. Why People Don't Heal. Colorado, 2001. Sounds True Audio. Siegel, Bernie, M. D. Peace, Love and Healing. New York: HarperCollins. 1989. Hay, Louise L. You Can Heal Your Life. California: Hay House. 2004.

Company politics and six sigma

No grouping of human beings is without some amount of politics. Managing deployment of Six Sigma in your organization will unavoidably run into some personal issues and conflict. However, with deft handling of the personal and political issues that come up, along with patience and perseverance, your Six Sigma deployment will not get derailed. Political factors that can affect a Six Sigma project include personal resistance to change, inflexible company policies, and incompatibility with existing organizational methods and goals. Not surprisingly, all of these factors also affect business processes of any kind. They are not unique to Six Sigma. This is one of Six Sigma's strengths: realistically acknowledging the way politics work in an organization. Six Sigma is not just number crunching. It understands the importance of and encourages the involvement of people throughout and at all levels of the organization working together toward a common goal. Six Sigma encourages planning, communication, and openness about processes, procedures, and information. Many people see change, any change, as loss—a loss of their power or a loss of the security of the old way of doing things. Thus, people are prone to defend the old way, out of habit and out of unease. They wonder how change will affect them and what exactly happens behind the scenes and if they don't know, become apprehensive. This is a problem that can be overcome through communication. Six Sigma successes require clear and open communication at all levels. Any change in an organization will meet some resistance, either intentional or just from inertia. When management can effectively communicate that it is behind that change and can communicate the positive aspects of the change, resistance and “turf” politics can be countered and overcome. Another problem is people who disregard the value and power of Six Sigma and consequently, they are reluctant to support Six Sigma projects. To the uninitiated, Six Sigma may appear similar to or simply an evolution of other quality programs. There have been so many quality improvement fads over the years. It is not surprising that people are now a little jaded. Others may see Six Sigma as solely another cost-cutting or productivity enhancement fad. This is a short-sighted view. Six Sigma is neither a fad nor just another quality initiative. It is a “way of life.” It is a multi-level, cyclical movement toward continual process improvement. The quality improvement fads sell themselves as cheap and easy quick fixes. The reality is that there are no quick fixes to significant process improvement. Six Sigma understands that; it is not a simple quick process. However, the right Six Sigma training and information will help people to understand that Six Sigma is significantly different; it is a robust continuous improvement strategy and process. Once projects are begun, Six Sigma projects can become a battle of wills for control over which strategy, approach, or tool is used. Team meetings can devolve into arguments over which measurement to use, how it will be calculated, which charts will be generated, whether to use DMAIC or DMADV, etc. Six Sigma is not about making things more difficult. It is about using common sense to make things easier. It is certainly about recognizing that there is more than one road to improvement and more than one right answer to a problem. In overcoming political problems, the leadership of senior management is critical. Successful Six Sigma programs are built on a solid organizational foundation. The organizational structure and system needs to be clearly identified and communicated to the entire organization to successfully implement Six Sigma Quality. Becoming a Six Sigma organization doesn't just happen. Planning and training goes into setting up a successful Six Sigma organization. Employee roles and responsibilities must be established and clearly communicated to all. For many companies successful in Six Sigma, the key factor has been the direct involvement of their top leaders. Six Sigma is about getting everyone involved. A Six Sigma project forms a team of people who work together to identify problems and develop solutions. Such teams are not isolated teams rearranging the world for everyone else to live in. These teams are serving the organization by employing the skills and tools they have learned to increase quality and reduce defects. Instilling the team concept along with expert training will go a long way toward solving potential political troubles in your organization.

Car parts putting a car back together again

So you’ve sunk a whole load of money into an old car with the intention of lovingly restoring it to its former glory. But it’s only now that you’ve started looking for car parts that you’re beginning to wonder what on earth have you let yourself in for. Whether you’re in it for the money or for the sheer fun of it, any car you restore is only going to be the sum of the car parts you put into it. So before you start building from scratch, here are a few points to consider. Cars aren’t that complicated to understand, right? Well, there’s a world of difference between replacing the odd car part here and there and refitting the insides of an empty carcass like a jigsaw. Before you commit financially to any project, be sure to ascertain honestly what your ability is, and also how much time and effort you’re prepared to put into the project. A fancy paint job and new upholstery can be as much fun as installing the most basic of engine parts, if that is where your technical comfort level is. Consider what you’re prepared to put in, before you start ripping those old car parts out. Once you’ve decided upon the type of project you want to work with, be sure to wait for the right car with the right parts. Of course you can learn as you go along, and that might even be part of the fun, but don’t invest in a car minus parts you haven’t the interest in learning to find and fit. You might love that make and model at the time of purchase, but a few weeks of sitting in your front yard without the final missing part will be enough to sour your relationship forever. If you are a novice, be sure to take an expert car parts man along with you when you view potential cars and parts. What might look about right to you might actually be along the wrong lines completely, and you could find yourself shelling out a fortune for a part that is completely unsuitable. Also bear in mind always how much money you are willing to spend on car parts, and what you plan ultimately to do with your restored car. An older part might be fine in a vehicle you hope to use for show purposes only, but a fully operable car will need car parts of the same standard. Caution is the watchword when choosing car parts to put into your restoration job. Know what you want and stick to that, and if in doubt then save your money. Whatever your reasons for restoring a car, the parts you put inside need to be just right, so do the best job you can by waiting for the best parts.

Wedding cakes texture taste and terror

A guarantee to put a smile on the face of all your guests attending the wedding is when they are handed a slice of wedding cake also a few pounds in weight if not careful. Wedding cakes will always hold second place to the bride in looking glamorous on this occasion. But as beautiful as the bride may be it is the cake we will be sinking our teeth into. Wedding cakes are a major issue when piecing together your wedding plans. Cake type and flavours will be of your own choosing. Grand or simple from one tier two tier 3 4 5 if you want. This is your wedding cake so you get to decide. One very important thing you have to remember more tiers can lead to more tears if your budget is tight and you can not afford the cake you had your heart set on. Well let me let you in on a little secret which is, simple is just as tasty and pretty as eye candy. There is no difference in the cake that stands tall. This is about taste, so the simple round mound and the replica of the empire state building will both taste exactly the same. There is just one thing dont expect second helpings of the simple choice. The wedding cake is finely detailed by the confectioner just like a creator at work on a piece of canvas. The works that goes behind the making of a wedding cake is not as simple as it may look especially when it comes to decorating and adding decorations. Heaven forbid should you try to pipe cream a wedding cake with the shakes. Time is such an essential factor when ordering your wedding cake. It would be wise to talk with the bakery doing the catering to find out the best time to place the order. Your cake baker will know precisely how long it will take to make after you have given him/her the details on what design style flavour and ingredients. Be sure to ask how much it will cost because every little added extra to your wedding cake comes with a price. If you are planning to wed in a flower garden or on the hot sun kissed beaches of Benidorm then let the confectioner know. If the baker has all this information under his hat he will attend to the needs of the wedding cake in a professional and sensible manner where he/she will deliver and place the cake in a suitable place. In other words they will protect it from the climate or weather conditions on the day. There are some really fabulous books out there to help you with ideas on how to decorate your own cake; this is a great option if money is tight. All you need to do is order a plain wedding cake and take it from there. If you are terrified of botching it up dont fret, nip along to the baker and he will finish the job. Try it you really have nothing to lose but a little time. So what are you waiting for go save the pennies to put towards that going away outfit.

Communicating ceos

I see a PR firm has done a survey on the amount of time Canadian CEOs spend on communication. According to the survey, CEOs spend almost half of their time on communication. I think we're supposed to be impressed that CEOs spend that much time on communication. But, quite frankly, what else does a CEO do? And, if you consider both direct and indirect communication, wouldn't that be more like 90%? So, what do CEOs do, and how much of that involves communication of one kind or another? Well, they make decisions. But before they make them, good CEOs get information from specialists in their organization. They also may check other options by reading newspapers and magazines, attending conferences, and talking to their peers. All of which involve communication. For example, let's say a CEO must decide whether or not to launch an important new product line. Before she makes that decision, our CEO will have had discussions with, and reports from, senior members of the sales department. She will also consider the country's economic outlook in the coming months and years, talk to others about what competitors might do, and review the financial implications with the VP of corporate finance. It's all about gathering, distilling, and transmitting information: what we call communication. Turning to another CEO function, what about envisioning a new future for the organization and developing a strategy based on it? Again, communication can't be taken out of the mix. After all, you can't just pick a vision out of the air. It's the outcome of reflective thinking combined with information, knowledge, and insight. All of which come from communicating. And, there's often a kaleidescope effect before a vision emerges. All sorts of information tumbles around in the mind, over and over, like clothes in a dryer, until eventually a new and promising pattern reveals itself. For example, suppose a Vice President of Human Resources has just been promoted to Chief Executive Officer, and the board made it clear it expects him to put his own, unique stamp on the company. He might retire to his office and spend a lot of time inside trying to think of a new direction. But, it's far more likely he'll reach out, rather than withdraw. He'll talk to staff on the front lines as well as managers. He'll read everything relevant he can find in books and magazines. As that information pours into his mind -- as the communication process enriches his imagination and knowledge -- he'll start to envision possibilities. Some will be more promising than others, and he'll talk about them with others in the organization. Eventually, some sort of consensus will likely emerge about the most promising vision. Those are just a couple of examples from the work of CEOs, but you can see why I'm skeptical about the 50% figure: There's not much about a CEO's job that does not involve communication of some kind. In summary, CEOs may do more than communicate, but almost everything they do will be driven or influenced by communication processes inside and outside the organization.

It does not get better than this unsecured tenant loan

More than secured loan, it is unsecured loan that is the popular choice of the loan borrowing public all over the world. UK is not different in that regard, with most of the people looking to go in for the unsecured loans, rather than the secured ones. A possible reason for that could be that most of the people are tenants and they would prefer to have a risk free unsecured loan than a secured loan. Another variant of unsecured loans is unsecured tenant loan. Unsecured tenant loan aims to serve all the tenants, who are putting up in UK, by its various features. The features of the unsecured tenant loans available to all the borrowers are: •Unsecured tenant loans are the type of loans where the borrower of the loan does not have to provide any collateral to the lenders of the loan. This feature enables many people to apply for the loan and utilize the loan, as they want to. •The unsecured tenant loan is available for a variety of reasons. This allows the tenants to use the loan for their specific purposes. Some purposes for which the loans are normally taken are for business development, for debt consolidation, for wedding purposes or for educational reasons. •Almost any one who is a tenant can apply for the unsecured tenant loan. It can be a person with a good credit history or a bad credit history. Once the criteria are met everyone has equal rights to apply for the unsecured tenant loan. These features also generate a few benefits which the borrowers can enjoy with unsecured tenant loan. •The loans are available at low interest rates. •There is an option of taking a loan up to Ј25000. •Borrowers can also negotiate their monthly installments and choose the repayment period. •Keeping the security of the data in mind the loan can be applied on line as well. People with bad credit history can also improve on their previous credit score by following the guidelines given by the lender. With these benefits and many others, it is not that hard to imagine as to why the unsecured tenant loans have proven to be such a hit among the borrowers. The last part of any deal is the submission of the application for the reason. Unsecured tenant loans follow the same pattern and the borrowers just need to apply to any lender who can supply them with the loan. If the criterion matches, the loan will be approved in a few days.

Consolidating student loans consider your best options

A change in the law in 2006 means that borrowers in the USA are no longer obliged to stick with their original lender when they’re consolidating student loans. The “single holder” rule gave students no choice but to stay with the lender that their existing student loans were obtained from. The good news is that you can now apply for consolidating student loans from any approved lender. The bad news is that the information and products they offer can be overwhelming! The Federal Consolidation Loan program. Federal student loans include: Stafford (subsidized and unsubsidized) Federal Perkins loans HPSL (health professions), HEAL (health education) LDS (loans for disadvantaged students) PLUS loans (graduate and parent loans) When you’re considering consolidating student loans, note that private loans cannot be considered under federal consolidation loan program. One of the main advantages of consolidating student loans is that the interest rate is fixed and the repayment period is longer, making your monthly payments lower than the amount of your existing combined student loans. This is great if you have variable interest loans and eliminates the uncertainty of rising interest rates in the future. In addition to this, you have only one payment to make if you are consolidating all of your student loans, and there are no credit checks or fees so consider. Consolidating student loans with the federal program does, however, have its drawbacks. Paying any debt over a longer period of time means more interest overall, and consolidating student loans in this way could result in a higher cost over the full term of the loan. You could also be paying a higher interest rate, as the fixed rate on your consolidating student loans might be above that of your existing agreement in the future. The best time to look at consolidating student loans is within the grace period – the six months after graduation – as the interest rate is lower. If you miss this deadline though, you can still apply but you will be a slightly higher rate. Choosing the right lender when consolidating student loans. First of all, the government determines the maximum interest rate so all lenders have to adhere to this. To attract your custom in consolidating student loans, many lenders will offer incentives such as a discounted rate for making repayments on time, or for making monthly payments by direct debit. Take time to look at the various consolidating student loans that are available. While some of the discounts come across as attractive initially, you need to consider the possibility that making every repayment on time could be difficult, or that electronic payments may not suit you in the future.

Your secret to success have a vision of who you are and who you want to be

Life Mapping: A Vision of Success Success is more than economic gains, titles, and degrees. Planning for success is about mapping out all the aspects of your life. Similar to a map, you need to define the following details: origin, destination, vehicle, backpack, landmarks, and route. Origin: Who you are A map has a starting point. Your origin is who you are right now. Most people when asked to introduce themselves would say, “Hi, I’m Jean and I am a 17-year old, senior highschool student.” It does not tell you about who Jean is; it only tells you her present preoccupation. To gain insights about yourself, you need to look closely at your beliefs, values, and principles aside from your economic, professional, cultural, and civil status. Moreover, you can also reflect on your experiences to give you insights on your good and not-so-good traits, skills, knowledge, strengths, and weaknesses. Upon introspection, Jean realized that she was highly motivated, generous, service-oriented, but impatient. Her inclination was in the biological-medical field. Furthermore, she believed that life must serve a purpose, and that wars were destructive to human dignity. Destination: A vision of who you want to be “Who do want to be?” this is your vision. Now it is important that you know yourself so that you would have a clearer idea of who you want to be; and the things you want to change whether they are attitudes, habits, or points of view. If you hardly know yourself, then your vision and targets for the future would also be unclear. Your destination should cover all the aspects of your being: the physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. Continuing Jean’s story, after she defined her beliefs, values, and principles in life, she decided that she wanted to have a life dedicated in serving her fellowmen. Vehicle: Your Mission A vehicle is the means by which you can reach your destination. It can be analogized to your mission or vocation in life. To a great extent, your mission would depend on what you know about yourself. Bases on Jean’s self-assessment, she decided that she was suited to become a doctor, and that she wanted to become one. Her chosen vocation was a medical doctor. Describing her vision-mission fully: it was to live a life dedicated to serving her fellowmen as a doctor in conflict-areas. Travel Bag: Your knowledge, skills, and attitude Food, drinks, medicines, and other travelling necessities are contained in a bag. Applying this concept to your life map, you also bring with you certain knowledge, skills, and attitudes. These determine your competence and help you in attaining your vision. Given such, there is a need for you to assess what knowledge, skills, and attitudes you have at present and what you need to gain along the way. This two-fold assessment will give you insights on your landmarks or measures of success. Jean realized that she needed to gain professional knowledge and skills on medicine so that she could become a doctor. She knew that she was a bit impatient with people so she realized that this was something she wanted to change. Landmarks and Route: S. M.A. R.T. objectives Landmarks confirm if you are on the right track while the route determines the travel time. Thus, in planning out your life, you also need to have landmarks and a route. These landmarks are your measures of success. These measures must be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time bound. Thus you cannot set two major landmarks such as earning a master’s degree and a doctorate degree within a period of three years, since the minimum number of years to complete a master’s degree is two years. Going back to Jean as an example, she identified the following landmarks in her life map: completing a bachelor’s degree in biology by the age of 21; completing medicine by the age of 27; earning her specialization in infectious diseases by the age of 30; getting deployed in local public hospitals of their town by the age of 32; and serving as doctor in war-torn areas by the age of 35. Anticipate Turns, Detours, and Potholes The purpose of your life map is to minimize hasty and spur-of-the-moment decisions that can make you lose your way. But oftentimes our plans are modified along the way due to some inconveniences, delays, and other situations beyond our control. Like in any path, there are turns, detours, and potholes thus; we must anticipate them and adjust accordingly.

How to survive as a working parent

Basic Tips 1municate with your babysitter, nannies or au pair, mother’s help to keep up-to–date. Make as much time as possible to talk to your child care provider. If you can keep the lines of communication open beyond the rush, you'll have a much better feeling about your child's development and well being. 2. Don't get wound up by small issues. If your child only wants to eat burgers every day, let him eat them. He will outgrow this phase. Providing the child is not harming itself (getting over-weight etc.) or someone else by the behaviour just let it go. 3. Be flexible and open to new ideas and options If you have an early morning meeting and it takes your child an hour to decide what to wear in the morning, consider letting them sleep in their clothes. They will think it's fun and you'll be at work on time. 4. Be honest and up front with your child about going to work and leaving them with the babysitter, nannies or au pair, mother’s help Explain that you have to work, encourage the child to ask questions of the carer. Be enthusiastic about the carer as your attitude will shape your child's expectations and experiences. Remember research proves that children benefit from trusting relationships with more than one caregiver. The research has shown that babies with more than one attachment are less distressed when mother leaves for work, they are more playful and content in the presence of other adults, and are less distracted at the birth of a sibling. 5. Don't panic or feel guilty when your child cries when you leave Young children don't understand what "I'll be back later" means. As your child grows older, she will begin to understand that you'll return for her at the end of the day. With older children, reassure them that you'll return. Never sneak away. You're trying to build your child's trust, not break it down. Remember that childcare can be great for your child, as your child will benefit from personal attention, interactions with other children and age-appropriate educational programs that will be great preparation for school. Research shows that children who receive good quality childcare tend to be ahead of other children both intellectually and developmentally. Research also shows that children in childcare show the same degree of attachment to their mothers and the same amount of security as children with mothers who stay home. Remember if working makes you happy, you're children will be happier. Working mothers who like their jobs have better personal adjustments, are happier, and are less depressed than full-time mothers, even those who prefer being at home. Depressed mothers naturally have depressing effects on their children. 6. Accept help When your relative or neighbour offers to baby-sit the children or pick them up from school or childcare, let them. They wouldn't offer if they didn't mean it. 7. Keep duplicates of "vital stuff" Extra blankets, nappies, clothes, and dummies will come in handy in a panic. 8. Get organized Plan ahead, menus for the week so you can cook extra so there are leftovers, pack the baby’s bag the night before. Generally working parents are organised. For example, working mothers spend the same amount of time in direct interaction with their children as full-time mothers. Employed mothers spend as much time reading to and playing with their children as those at home, although they do not spend as much time simply in the same room. 9. Abandon the idea of the perfect home Perfectly clean house, nutritionally balanced meals, clean well-dressed children, and a fantastic career is an impossible standard that will cause you unnecessary strain. Give yourself a break and concentrate on what's important. Get in a cleaner, mother’s help to help you with the laundry, house-cleaning, and household work. It will be money well spent. Fast food and ready meals are not poisonous. 10. Occasionally pamper yourself with me time Consider lighting some candles or josh sticks, put in some bath oil and grab your favourite magazine. As most kids hate the bathroom you should be undisturbed. 11. Plan time without the kids. Eat some chocolates, read the newspaper or a book, go to a movie, visit a new restaurant, or go to a museum and relieve some stress. Escape. 12. Go on a course. There are many courses to assist with everything from cookery, through home economics to child psychology How To Choose Quality Child Care 1. Is the carer trained and/or experienced? 2. Have you spoken in person or got reports on at least one (preferably two) parents who've used the carer and said good things about her or him? 3. Does the carer respond to your child as an individual and communicate well with you? Are you and your child happy and appreciated? 4. Is she or he willing to help you continue your child's routine with things such as sleep, food or any special needs? 5. Is she willing to fit in with your ideas on discipline, toilet teaching, sweets and other issues? 6. Does she or he obviously like children and enjoy caring for them? Copyright Amie Porter

Interior shutters buying basics

Window shutters add a nice touch to a home’s exterior. In other parts of the world, especially Europe and the Caribbean, shutters serve a functional purpose. They cover windows by night or in bad weather to keep out bad weather or cold air. By day they are pushed open from the inside and secured in place to let daylight and the sun’s warmth into a home. This is especially important in communities where the majority of residents lack central heating or air conditioning. But in many industrialized nations, housing includes shutters more as accent pieces or adornments than as functional window covers. Shutters may cover the home’s largest windows, the windows on the front side of the house, the windows on the sides as well as the front, or every window in the home. Shutters typically coordinate with a home’s design to bring out a certain style in its appearance. For example, you can get shutters that are rectangular-shaped, or those that come in other forms. Here are some things to consider when selecting shutters for your home. 1. Does the home’s exterior paint or paneling come with matching shutters? If so, consider using these to match the existing design, even if you had the siding done first and now want to add shutters. If not, check with the home supply provider for suggestions about the type of shutters that will go well with your current outdoor siding. You may be able to look at a print or online catalog, or view samples at the store. Some stores provide references of previous customers who have purchased these shutters, and you may be able to talk with them about their level of satisfaction or drive by their homes to have a look. 2. Choose a coordinating design and color. If your home’s siding or finish does not come with matching shutters, check out several possible options before selecting one for your home. Popular styles are made of aluminum and vinyl, along with other materials that are weather-resistant, so find out what’s available, along with the merits of each. 3pare styles to find one that suits your home’s design and structure. Some shutters come with two matching panels, while others have four. You can get louvers, but keep in mind these can collect dust and may be difficult to clean. Even when operational shutters are not needed, some people choose to install them for special effect on their homes. 4. Find out all you can about the product’s quality. Ask the sales associate about each product’s durability and lifetime expectancy. Also ask about how to clean various shutter types, and what type of special cleaning substances will be needed, if any. You might also want to know about any particular conditions that afflict certain products. Wood shutters, for instance, may tend to get dry rot, termites, or other wood-associated conditions. Any type of shutter might attract insect nests, and aluminum shutters may be prone to rusting. What are the best shutters? The best kind are those that are affordable, are easy to install, and offer the greatest protection. Which of these properties is most important depends on individual circumstances. For a disabled or elderly person it may be ease of installation with either an automatic closing mechanism or accordion type shutters. For those with limited incomes plywood shutters may be the only affordable option. For most people the best compromise would be steel panels, which offer good protection, but are certainly more expensive than plywood. The most worthless type of protection is the often employed use of various types of tape over the windows. This practice does little or nothing to prevent breakage, may result in large, more dangerous pieces of flying glass, and is extremely difficult to remove after the storm. With today’s changing global climate, and the increase of tropical storms frequency, some regions of the world will need to equip themselves with window shutters to prevent damage to their properties.

Things i did before i started my online business

Why did I start an online home-based business? Of course, I decided to do that after reading about others doing it and they not only make a lot of money from their business and gain their financial freedom, but also they achieve their time freedom. They can do whatever and whenever they want. I want to lead that kind of lifestyle that I used to dream about ( I'm sure most people do). So I decided to change my life and felt so crazy about starting my own online home-based business that I told everyone about my intention ( to start an online home based business). However, rather than getting a 'green light' for that decision, what I received was a whole lot of negative remarks saying that 'it won't work' and 'you will be caught in a scam'. However, I remained strong and started to look for information in the internet. I checked out all the affiliate marketing sites, newsletters and forums. I looked for e-books about internet business by searching for keywords like 'proven internet business', 'automated income streams', 'internet marketing' and so on. There are so much information on different types of online business opportunities. All provide a guaranteed successful income (a six figure monthly income, mind you), and ask to join them and follow in their footsteps. At this point, I thought that the first words were going to be true, that I will be scammed and I felt the need of a mentor or teacher who has already been there and done that, and is able to guide me to succeed. While searching the internet one day, I found a free e-book called The Dotcomology, written by the Home Biz guy. I studied that e-book and finally signed up through the pluginprofit site. After that, it was all history. Now, I have a website to promote my online opportunities. Also, the system provides full guidance to start my online home-based business. By having my own website with my own domain name and hosting account, my website looks professional and gives a good impression to my subscribers. As compared to a free server website which nobody likes to visit. Therefore, making a research before I actually started my internet business has really paid off. I managed to avoid the mistakes made by most internet business starters who jump into any online business and subject themselves to scams. So, after all this while, I am left to ask myself " What if I have started sooner?" After all, having my own internet home-based business gives me some advantages as to working for a company boss. I do not have to spend the time commuting to office which can be gruesome during the peak hours. i can now choose my own time and dresscode even if that means in my pyjamas the whole day. By spending more time in my online business, it makes more profits and increase s my earnings. An internet business does not require a large capital as compared to owning a traditional shop. Owning a website allows me to run my business 24/7. This will not stop even though I'm enjoying my vacation in some remote places. Everyday, my online business gets exposed to a growing market as more and more people are exposed to the internet. And of course, the most important reason for me to start my internet business is I can have my weekends off as no boss will tell me to come and work over the weekend again.

Acne scarring

A detailed and comprehensive discussion of acne scars starts with causes of scarring, prevention of scarring, types of scars, and treatments for scars. Before talking about scars, a word about spots that may look like scars but are not scars in the sense that a permanent change has occurred. Even though they are not true scars and disappear in time, they are visible and can cause embarrassment. Macules or "pseudo-scars" are flat, red or reddish spots that are the final stage of most inflamed acne lesions. After an inflamed acne lesion flattens, a macule may remain to "mark the spot" for up to 6 months. When the macule eventually disappears, no trace of it will remain—unlike a scar. Post-inflammatory pigmentation is discoloration of the skin at the site of a healed or healing inflamed acne lesion. It occurs more frequently in darker-skinned people, but occasionally is seen in people with white skin. Early treatment by a dermatologist may minimize the development of post-inflammatory pigmentation. Some post-inflammatory pigmentation may persist for up to 18 months, especially with excessive sun exposure. Chemical peeling may hasten the disappearance of post-inflammatory pigmentation. Causes of Acne Scars In the simplest terms, scars form at the site of an injury to tissue. They are the visible reminders of injury and tissue repair. In the case of acne, the injury is caused by the body’s inflammatory response to sebum, bacteria and dead cells in the plugged sebaceous follicle. Two types of true scars exist, as discussed later: (1) depressed areas such as ice-pick scars, and (2) raised thickened tissue such as keloids. When tissue suffers an injury, the body rushes its repair kit to the injury site. Among the elements of the repair kit are white blood cells and an array of inflammatory molecules that have the task of repairing tissue and fighting infection. However, when their job is done they may leave a somewhat messy repair site in the form of fibrous scar tissue, or eroded tissue. White blood cells and inflammatory molecules may remain at the site of an active acne lesion for days or even weeks. In people who are susceptible to scarring, the result may be an acne scar. The occurrence and incidence of scarring is still not well understood, however. There is considerable variation in scarring between one person and another, indicating that some people are more prone to scarring than others. Scarring frequently results from severe inflammatory nodulocystic acne that occurs deep in the skin. But, scarring also may arise from more superficial inflamed lesions. Nodulocystic acne that is most likely to result in scars is seen in these photos: (Photos used with permission of the American Academy of Dermatology National Library of Dermatologic Teaching Slides) The life history of scars also is not well understood. Some people bear their acne scars for a lifetime with little change in the scars, but in other people the skin undergoes some degree of remodeling and acne scars diminish in size. People also have differing feelings about acne scars. Scars of more or less the same size that may be psychologically distressing to one person may be accepted by another person as "not too bad." The person who is distressed by scars is more likely to seek treatment to moderate or remove the scars. Prevention of Acne Scars As discussed in the previous section on Causes of Acne Scars, the occurrence of scarring is different in different people. It is difficult to predict who will scar, how extensive or deep scars will be, and how long scars will persist. It is also difficult to predict how successfully scars can be prevented by effective acne treatment. Nevertheless, the only sure method of preventing or limiting the extent of scars is to treat acne early in its course, and as long as necessary. The more that inflammation can be prevented or moderated, the more likely it is that scars can be prevented. (Click on Acne Treatments for more information about treatment of mild, moderate and severe acne). Any person with acne who has a known tendency to scar should be under the care of a dermatologist. (Click on Find a Dermatologist to locate a dermatologist in your geographic area). Types of Acne Scars There are two general types of acne scars, defined by tissue response to inflammation: (1) scars caused by increased tissue formation, and (2) scars caused by loss of tissue. Scars Caused by Increased Tissue Formation The scars caused by increased tissue formation are called keloids or hypertrophic scars. The word hypertrophy means "enlargement" or "overgrowth." Both hypertrophic and keloid scars are associated with excessive amounts of the cell substance collagen. Overproduction of collagen is a response of skin cells to injury. The excess collagen becomes piled up in fibrous masses, resulting in a characteristic firm, smooth, usually irregularly-shaped scar. The photo shows a typical severe acne keloid: (Photo used with permission of the American Academy of Dermatology National Library of Dermatologic Teaching Slides) The typical keloid or hypertrophic scar is 1 to 2 millimeters in diameter, but some may be 1 centimeter or larger. Keloid scars tend to "run in families"—that is, abnormal growth of scar tissue is more likely to occur in susceptible people, who often are people with relatives who have similar types of scars. Hypertrophic and keloid scars persist for years, but may diminish in size over time. Scars Caused by Loss of Tissue Acne scars associated with loss of tissue—similar to scars that result from chicken pox—are more common than keloids and hypertrophic scars. Scars associated with loss of tissue are: Ice-pick scars usually occur on the cheek. They are usually small, with a somewhat jagged edge and steep sides—like wounds from an ice pick. Ice-pick scars may be shallow or deep, and may be hard or soft to the touch. Soft scars can be improved by stretching the skin; hard ice-pick scars cannot be stretched out. Depressed fibrotic scars are usually quite large, with sharp edges and steep sides. The base of these scars is firm to the touch. Ice-pick scars may evolve into depressed fibrotic scars over time. Soft scars, superficial or deep are soft to the touch. They have gently sloping rolled edges that merge with normal skin. They are usually small, and either circular or linear in shape. Atrophic macules are usually fairly small when they occur on the face, but may be a centimeter or larger on the body. They are soft, often with a slightly wrinkled base, and may be bluish in appearance due to blood vessels lying just under the scar. Over time, these scars change from bluish to ivory white in color in white-skinned people, and become much less obvious. Follicular macular atrophy is more likely to occur on the chest or back of a person with acne. These are small, white, soft lesions, often barely raised above the surface of the skin—somewhat like whiteheads that didn’t fully develop. This condition is sometimes also called "perifollicular elastolysis." The lesions may persist for months to years. Treatments for Acne Scars A number of treatments are available for acne scars through dermatologic surgery. The type of treatment selected should be the one that is best for you in terms of your type of skin, the cost, what you want the treatment to accomplish, and the possibility that some types of treatment may result in more scarring if you are very susceptible to scar formation. A decision to seek dermatologic surgical treatment for acne scars also depends on: * The way you feel about scars. Do acne scars psychologically or emotionally affect your life? Are you willing to "live with your scars" and wait for them to fade over time? These are personal decisions only you can make. * The severity of your scars. Is scarring substantially disfiguring, even by objective assessment? * A dermatologist’s expert opinion as to whether scar treatment is justified in your particular case, and what scar treatment will be most effective for you. Before committing to treatment of acne scars, you should have a frank discussion with your dermatologist regarding those questions, and any others you feel are important. You need to tell the dermatologist how you feel about your scars. The dermatologist needs to conduct a full examination and determine whether treatment can, or should, be undertaken. The objective of scar treatment is to give the skin a more acceptable physical appearance. Total restoration of the skin, to the way it looked before you had acne, is often not possible, but scar treatment does usually improve the appearance of your skin. The scar treatments that are currently available include: Collagen injection. Collagen, a normal substance of the body, is injected under the skin to "stretch" and "fill out" certain types of superficial and deep soft scars. Collagen treatment usually does not work as well for ice-pick scars and keloids. Collagen derived from cows or other non-human sources cannot be used in people with autoimmune diseases. Human collagen or fascia is helpful for those allergic to cow-derived collagen. Cosmetic benefit from collagen injection usually lasts 3 to 6 months. Additional collagen injections to maintain the cosmetic benefit are done at additional cost. Autologous fat transfer. Fat is taken from another site on your own body and prepared for injection into your skin. The fat is injected beneath the surface of the skin to elevate depressed scars. This method of autologous (from your own body) fat transfer is usually used to correct deep contour defects caused by scarring from nodulocystic acne. Because the fat is reabsorbed into the skin over a period of 6 to 18 months, the procedure usually must be repeated. Longer lasting results may be achieved with multiple fat-transfer procedures. Dermabrasion. This is thought to be the most effective treatment for acne scars. Under local anesthetic, a high-speed brush or fraise used to remove surface skin and alter the contour of scars. Superficial scars may be removed altogether, and deeper scars may be reduced in depth. Dermabrasion does not work for all kinds of scars; for example, it may make ice-pick scars more noticeable if the scars are wider under the skin than at the surface. In darker-skinned people, dermabrasion may cause changes in pigmentation that require additional treatment. Microdermabrasion. This new technique is a surface form of dermabrasion. Rather than a high-speed brush, microdermabrasion uses aluminum oxide crystals passing through a vacuum tube to remove surface skin. Only the very surface cells of the skin are removed, so no additional wound is created. Multiple procedures are often required but scars may not be significantly improved. Laser Treatment. Lasers of various wavelength and intensity may be used to recontour scar tissue and reduce the redness of skin around healed acne lesions. The type of laser used is determined by the results that the laser treatment aims to accomplish. Tissue may actually be removed with more powerful instruments such as the carbon dioxide laser. In some cases, a single treatment is all that will be necessary to achieve permanent results. Because the skin absorbs powerful bursts of energy from the laser, there may be post-treatment redness for several months. Skin Surgery. Some ice-pick scars may be removed by "punch" excision of each individual scar. In this procedure each scar is excised down to the layer of subcutaneous fat; the resulting hole in the skin may be repaired with sutures or with a small skin graft. Subcision is a technique in which a surgical probe is used to lift the scar tissue away from unscarred skin, thus elevating a depressed scar. Skin grafting may be necessary under certain conditions—for example, sometimes dermabrasion unroofs massive and extensive tunnels (also called sinus tracts) caused by inflammatory reaction to sebum and bacteria in sebaceous follicles. Skin grafting may be needed to close the defect of the unroofed sinus tracts. Treatment of keloids. Surgical removal is seldom if ever used to treat keloids. A person whose skin has a tendency to form keloids from acne damage may also form keloids in response to skin surgery. Sometimes keloids are treated by injecting steroid drugs into the skin around the keloid. Topical retinoic acid may be applied directly on the keloid. In some cases the best treatment for keloids in a highly susceptible person is no treatment at all. In summary, acne scars are caused by the body’s inflammatory response to acne lesions. The best way to prevent scars is to treat acne early, and as long as necessary. If scars form, a number of effective treatments are available. Dermatologic surgery treatments should be discussed with a dermatologist.

Blogs free promotion for your online business

It's been a few years since blogging first emerged. But it's only recently that it's been considered as more than just a fad. Many teenagers have resorted to blogging as an outlet for their emotions, a little online nook where they can sound off about whatever bugs them or makes them happy. Now savvy marketers have discovered that blogging is one of the best Internet marketing methods that doesn't cost a cent. So, what exactly is a blog? Blog is the shortened form of "web log". Basically, a blog is an online journal. A blog can be set up for no cost at all, and can be used just for the fun of it or for business purposes. Blogging for your Internet business is a great way to boost the visibility of your products and services. Here are a few ways that your internet advertising will benefit from using a blog: 1. Keep your clients or customers abreast of changes to your website. You can announce new products and affiliate websites through your blog. 2. Publish your opinions, advice or reviews on specific products or services that are related to your business. Publishing is an easy process with blogging. 3. Include articles that will fetch back-links, and links to your website that will subsequently improve your ranking on search engines. This can be helped by putting well written articles in both your blog and your website. 4. You should also include affiliate links in your blog to earn extra income. In fact some people earn good incomes just from niche blogs with relevant affiliate links. 5. Collect responses through the ability of blogs to accept comments from your blog readers. Not only does this build your content without any effort on your part, but you can learn and improve your products and services through the feedback from your readers. 6. Connect with other bloggers. When other bloggers notice that you have something good to say in your blog, they might put you in their favorites lists - that will automatically link you to their blogs and further help your rankings and traffic. So, how do you set up a blog? There are a few options you can use to take advantage of this fun and fairly easy way to advertise your Internet business. You can either load blogging software, such as "wordPress", on your own domain or use a blog hosting service. Host services such as LiveJournal and Blogger are the most popular in this field. Those hosts provide you with easy instructions on how to put up your blog. Once you've got your blog up and running, you can promote it through the usual methods. Some examples are blog directories, participating in relevant forums or writing and submitting articles. Remember also that most blog software or providers have an inbuilt function to provide an RSS feed of your blog contents. So you can also submit that feed to RSS directories, and to feed servers such as FeedBurner But whatever else you do, remember to add the RSS feed as content to your personalized home pages at Google, my. yahoo and my. msn It'll help get your blog spidered and listed faster by those search engines. So now you know a bit more about the free advertising benefits of blogging, the next step is to take action - now. Happy blogging.

Serviced apartments or luxury hotels in paris for your holiday

: Finding the right kind of accommodation can make a world of difference to your holiday. The kind of holiday you are going to embark will also decide your accommodation. However, before you decide to select any accommodation in Paris you must see the pros and cons of serviced apartments and luxury hotels.Serviced ApartmentsServiced Apartments is popularly known as “part-home part-hotel” which means that you have the privilege of both hotel and comfort of home in a single place. Paris Serviced apartments are self-catering where you can do and manage things on your own. You can cook on your own in the well-equipped kitchen and save money on eating out. You can feel home away from home in these serviced apartments as it provides you the privacy and comfort of a home. Fully equipped with modern facilities including Internet access, direct dial telephone, tea /coffee making facilities, hairdryer, satellite television, and others, you have the luxury of hotel without your need to shell out extra for these amenities. Serviced apartments are comparatively cheaper thus making it suitable for both short and long or extended stays. If you are traveling on tight budget or with family or groups, serviced apartments are ideal. The spacious, comfortable rooms and bedrooms can accommodate large number of people.

Serviced apartments in Paris are popular with all kinds of travelers, be it budget, leisure, and business traveler as it takes care of your need without burning a hole in your pocket.Luxury HotelsIf you love being pampered and have the money to spend, splurge it on luxury hotels. Luxury hotels in Paris are ideal if you are in holiday mood and love to be taken care of each and every necessity of yours. You will feel heavenly in the sophisticated and well furnished ambience.

The world class amenities and highly personalized services will make your stay highly rewarding as you will get great value for your money. Paris luxury hotels are ideal for your leisure and business trip as these hotels have been tailor made to suit the purpose of every kind of travelers. Make your stay in Paris perfect by choosing luxury hotel as your accommodation. Enjoy to the fullest as you stay in luxury hotels and get away from the mundane of everyday life and indulge in the extravagance of luxury hotels.

Having seen and heard the pros and cons of both serviced apartments and luxury hotels, it is up to you to decide and select the best accommodation for your holiday in Paris. If you want complete freedom and dislike interference of any kind, then serviced apartments are the best bet. It will take care of your budget and provide you the best of both hotel and home. But if you want to take a break from your every day life, you deserve a royal stay in luxury hotels provided you have money to shell out.

Holiday fashion know it or santa might not be the only one red faced

What to wear, what to wear? Are you at a loss when it comes to dressing for holiday get-togethers? Do not despair; many people share your concern. However, there are a few guidelines you can keep in mind when preparing to attend a holiday party. Know where you are going This is a big one. Simply having an idea where you are going and how others will be dressed will save a lot of time and a major headache. If you are going to an office Christmas party, business casual will probably be the best choice. However, if you are just going to your sister's house, you may be able to tone it down. If you are unsure, ask someone what the dress code will be. Keep in mind that "casual" means different things to different people. When you are told "casual" in a business setting, you should dress business casual, no jeans. Likewise, "formal" may mean black tie or simply a jacket and tie; be sure to clarify if you are unsure. Stay away from clothes that are too sexy Especially in a business setting, you do not want to show up in revealing clothes. It is not professional and will probably reflect poorly on you. This should also be the practice if you are attending your spouse's office party. If you are going out with your spouse for a night on the town, sexy clothes are more appropriate. There is a thin line between attractive and sleazy; be sure not to cross that line and embarrass yourself. Keep it simple The simpler you can keep your attire, the better. Nine times out of ten, you will be better off in a simple black dress than trying to coordinate slacks, a blouse, and three other layers of clothes. Make it easy on yourself when possible. Too many sparkles Many women will use the holiday season to wear a lot of sparkles and shiny clothes. This is fine in moderation; however, if you look like you have been wrapped in tinsel, you should probably go with something else. Jewelry Nothing can be as flattering as the right accessories. However, when used the wrong way, they can destroy a good thing. When you are choosing your jewelry, stay with subtle beauty -- nothing huge or gaudy. While some people can pull off Santa Claus earrings, most of us can not. Especially the more formal a party, the more conservative the jewelry should be. Makeup When it comes to your face, you should also keep it delicate. Certain occasions will dictate red lipstick and more drastic makeup; however, you should be careful not to over-do it. Dark blush or rouge almost never looks good.

Jewelry wholesale and estate sales 212

Jewelry Wholesale and Estate Sales Buying jewelry wholesale at estates sales is actually quite easy. In fact, in most cases, this is the easiest way to get very rare or old pieces at or below jewelry wholesale prices! There is, however, a method to the madness when it comes to walking away with an heirloom piece at a rock bottom price! Most people have estate sales when a person has died. Unless the person was extremely wealthy, an appraisal of all of the items that will be sold is not done…and in most cases, the people holding the sale are heirs that simply want to cash in. They have no idea what the real value of what they are selling is. Furthermore, these sales are often run just like your average garage sale, with items marked at incredibly low prices! You can literally walk away with thousands of dollars of jewelry for just a few dollars. Even if the jewelry is not that valuable, the pieces of the jewelry may be of some use to you when you are constructing your own pieces. You can carefully take the pieces that you buy at estate sales apart, and save the reusable gems, chains, settings, and other pieces. You can typically buy these pieces far below jewelry wholesale prices! (word count 212)

How to get affordable car insurance in maryland

If you drive a car on any public road in Maryland you must have car insurance. That’s the law. If you break this law you are subject to some rather severe penalties which include (but are not limited to) having your registration revoked and having your car’s license plates confiscated. There can be additional penalties as well. In Maryland you are required to carry liability insurance, uninsured motorist insurance (UM) and you must carry personal injury protection (PIP). If your car is financed then your lender will undoubtedly require that you also carry collision and comprehensive insurance as well. None of this insurance is free, which has many motorists in Maryland scrambling to get affordable car insurance. Fortunately there are things you can do to help keep the cost of insuring car as low as possible. The first thing you need to do is to resolve to drive safely and legally. If you receive a speeding ticket not only will you be forced to pay a hefty court fine, your car insurance rates will also skyrocket – and they will remain high for several years to come. Likewise, if you are convicted of drunk or impaired driving you can expect to pay two or three times as much for your car insurance for quite some time to come. Speeding and driving under the influence are both things that are totally under your control; if you are convicted of any of these offenses you have no one to blame but yourself for your higher car insurance premiums. If you are in school and you can maintain a “B” grade point average then you can probably qualify for what is called a Good Student Discount, which translates into a monthly savings of about 5% on your car insurance premiums. If you are 55 or older you may experience a rate increase based on age. However, many insurance companies encourage their older drivers to take a refresher driver’s course; for those who successfully pass such a course the savings on their monthly car insurance premium can be as great as 10%. If you have an older car, especially one that is fully paid for, you may wish to consider dropping collision and comprehensive coverage. Dropping those coverages will save you considerably on your insurance premiums. If you drop collision and comprehensive and you are involved in an accident your insurance will not pay for the repair of your vehicle – but to be honest, if your car has little or no Kelly Blue Book value then your insurance would not have paid much, if anything, even if you had paid for the coverage. The final thing you can do is to increase your deductible. The more money you are willing to pay out of your own wallet any time you have a claim, the less your insurance company will charge you in premiums. Now that you have designed the best possible car insurance policy for your circumstances it is time for you to get online and compare car insurance policies between different insurance companies and their rates. If you truly want to get affordable car insurance in Maryland then you will need to fill out all of the required information on at least 3 different comparison websites. In this way you will be certain to be comparing all of the car insurance companies in Maryland and you can rest easy knowing that you have truly found the most affordable car insurance in Maryland.