Born on June 7, 1975, Allen Iverson is a graduate of Georgetown and currently plays a guard position for the Philadelphia 76ers. He stands 6' tall and weighs 165 lbs. Following his high school years at Bethel High School in Hampton, Virginia, Allen Iverson was honored by having his jersey number retired during the school’s 1993 State Championship halftime ceremony.
Born on June 7, 1975, Allen Iverson is a graduate of Georgetown and currently plays a guard position for the Philadelphia 76ers. He stands 6' tall and weighs 165 lbs. Following his high school years at Bethel High School in Hampton, Virginia, Allen Iverson was honored by having his jersey number retired during the school’s 1993 State Championship halftime ceremony. After high school, Iverson continued his love of basketball as he entered into his collegiate years. During his freshman year in college, Allen Iverson was named the Big East Rookie of the Year. The following year, during his sophomore season, Iverson was named First Team All-America by the Associated Press. In addition, he was chosen as the Big East Defensive Player of the Year consecutively.
The 1996-1997 season marked Allen Iverson’s rookie year in the NBA. After quickly establishing himself as a soon-to-be household name early in the season, Iverson went on to become the second youngest player to reach the 50-point plateau in a single game in NBA history. The points were continually racking up for the 76ers in the 1997-1998 season due, in part, to Iverson’s game strategies. In 1998-1999, Allen Iverson was named to the All-NBA First Team and continued scoring game-high points throughout the season.
During the 1999-2000 season, Allen Iverson was selected for the All-NBA Second Team and once again tied his career high 50-points in a game against Sacramento on February 6, 2000. The following season, dating 2000-2001, was one of fantastic rewards. Despite an injury that caused 11 games to be missed, Allen Iverson started in 71 games and was honored with the Maurice Podoloff Trophy as the NBA’s Most Valuable Player. As the 76ers progressed to the 2001 NBA Playoffs, Allen Iverson was there. With an average of 32.9 points per game, he continued to set records and set career-highs during the five-game series.
During the 2005-2006 NBA season, Allen Iverson marked his 10th anniversary with a league that made him famous. He is the second player in NBA history to have ever played for only one team for this length of time. The only player to have been on a team longer is Kevin Garnett of Minnesota. After starting in 72 games and averaging 33 points per game, Iverson recorded his 19,000th career point in a game against Washington.
As an athlete who believes in giving back to his community, Allen Iverson founded the Cross Over Foundation and hosts the annual Allen Iverson Celebrity Classic. As part of the 76ers Community Assists Program, Iverson established the ‘A.I.’s Crossover Crew,’ which is a ticket distribution program that allows area-youth to attend a Philadelphia Sixers home game.
Fans who would like to request a signed photo or simply send Allen Iverson their best wishes are urged to do so in care of his NBA franchise team. If you are requesting an autograph, be sure to include a SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope) along with your request. Letters and requests should be mailed to:
Allen Iverson
Philadelphia 76ers
First Union Center
3601 S. Broad St.
Philadelphia, PA 19148
Minggu, 31 Januari 2010
All About Love
How do you know when you’re in love? This article takes a look at the processes we humans go through (and put other potential mates through!) in order to find ‘the one’. The funny and inspirational (mis)guide.
How do you know if you’ve ever been in love? Most people would argue that although being in love with someone is non-tangible, there is absolutely no doubt in their mind of it existing. In fact, if you are questioning whether or not you are in love, then you are most certainly not.
While I do not doubt for a second the existence of being in love (albeit being one of those sad individuals yet to experience it), I am somewhat perplexed over our perception of what constitutes humanities most sought after experience.
For me, falling in love with someone is a decision made based on the successful matching of ones own predetermined criteria or preferences.
I fondly refer to the preliminary stage of partner selection as the ‘terminator glasses’ phase, since it filters through a potential mate’s attributes and matches them off against our own unique preferences.
On the New Years Eve just passed I went to meet friends at a bar where we would be celebrating the evening. There, waiting at the door with my friend, I saw HIM for the first time. I did a quick terminator scan:
Height: Around 6 foot. MATCH.
Build: Not too skinny, not too fat, not too buff. MATCH.
Hair: Short dark brown. Not over the top alla David Beckham. MATCH.
Complexion: Dark olive. MATCH.
Lips: Plump. MATCH.
Smile: Oh my God. MATCH.
Eyes: Big, brown, expressive, with long thick lashes. MATCH!
Stance: Gentle, not cocky. MATCH.
Nationality: Clearly foreign, probably Brazilian. MATCH.
With the terminator glasses still firmly planted on my face, the confirmed Brazilian was permitted to move onto the second part of phase one: interaction. This is often the most fatal part of any potential relationship, since every sentence uttered, every look given, and every movement is put through the filter of the terminator glasses. Any miss-match could lead to premature relationship death. Very little is forgiven during this part, especially if one’s program is set at ‘long term mate’. In saying this, it is also my favorite part of the process as it is the most fun. I see it as a game we both know we’re playing, but refuse to acknowledge as existing. One can withdraw from the game at anytime without repercussion (that is, of course, when both parties are working under the same set of rules. If this is not the case a few unwanted phone numbers are collected, followed by a few awkward conversations. And depending on how weak one is - unwanted dates followed by unwanted kisses, possibly ending in unwanted sex!).
Stage two, ‘the rose coloured glasses’ phase, is extremely dangerous and not usually approached with caution by either candidate. Depending on the impact of stage one, bombs warning ‘relationship doom’ could be dropped right in front of ones eyes, yet getting let go un-noticed. Everything appears and is, invariably, utterly workable. Despite my cynicism, this stage is defiantly more exciting than the terminator phase, albeit being laced with the fear of it all ending. The premature ‘I love you’ could escape ones mouth, falling like a ball onto a roulette table. The stakes are high, but it could also very well pay off and pass you onto stage three. Or not…
Declaring the title of stage three is difficult. And the truth is, I don’t know what to call it because I’m usually making my way to the green exit sign above the fire escape before you can say ‘marry me’.
My experience with stage three is that I usually realize Mr Perfect is human. I resist accepting him just the way he is, and try to point out where he is lacking (he is usually not so open to my constructive criticism. I wonder why?). This of course does not lead him to change his ways, but firmly ground himself in them (and resent me in the process). Love and commitment gets swapped with fear and dependence. Some stay to battle it out to the very end, most head straight for the green exit light.
People claim at this point that they have ‘fallen out of love’. My argument is that they were never in love in the first place. One of my favourite movies, ‘Moulin Rouge’, melodically states, “The greatest thing you will ever learn, is just to love, and be loved in return”. I believe this is what we think being in love is all about. Yet being loved in return implies that there is a condition to your giving love. So romantic love is conditional love. If romantic love only goes one-way, it is termed unrequited love or even ‘desperate’.
What if I said that true love can only be unconditional? And inside of that, true love can only mean 100% acceptance of the subject, just the way they are and just the way they’re not. What if love, real love, is just loving?
How do you know if you’ve ever been in love? Most people would argue that although being in love with someone is non-tangible, there is absolutely no doubt in their mind of it existing. In fact, if you are questioning whether or not you are in love, then you are most certainly not.
While I do not doubt for a second the existence of being in love (albeit being one of those sad individuals yet to experience it), I am somewhat perplexed over our perception of what constitutes humanities most sought after experience.
For me, falling in love with someone is a decision made based on the successful matching of ones own predetermined criteria or preferences.
I fondly refer to the preliminary stage of partner selection as the ‘terminator glasses’ phase, since it filters through a potential mate’s attributes and matches them off against our own unique preferences.
On the New Years Eve just passed I went to meet friends at a bar where we would be celebrating the evening. There, waiting at the door with my friend, I saw HIM for the first time. I did a quick terminator scan:
Height: Around 6 foot. MATCH.
Build: Not too skinny, not too fat, not too buff. MATCH.
Hair: Short dark brown. Not over the top alla David Beckham. MATCH.
Complexion: Dark olive. MATCH.
Lips: Plump. MATCH.
Smile: Oh my God. MATCH.
Eyes: Big, brown, expressive, with long thick lashes. MATCH!
Stance: Gentle, not cocky. MATCH.
Nationality: Clearly foreign, probably Brazilian. MATCH.
With the terminator glasses still firmly planted on my face, the confirmed Brazilian was permitted to move onto the second part of phase one: interaction. This is often the most fatal part of any potential relationship, since every sentence uttered, every look given, and every movement is put through the filter of the terminator glasses. Any miss-match could lead to premature relationship death. Very little is forgiven during this part, especially if one’s program is set at ‘long term mate’. In saying this, it is also my favorite part of the process as it is the most fun. I see it as a game we both know we’re playing, but refuse to acknowledge as existing. One can withdraw from the game at anytime without repercussion (that is, of course, when both parties are working under the same set of rules. If this is not the case a few unwanted phone numbers are collected, followed by a few awkward conversations. And depending on how weak one is - unwanted dates followed by unwanted kisses, possibly ending in unwanted sex!).
Stage two, ‘the rose coloured glasses’ phase, is extremely dangerous and not usually approached with caution by either candidate. Depending on the impact of stage one, bombs warning ‘relationship doom’ could be dropped right in front of ones eyes, yet getting let go un-noticed. Everything appears and is, invariably, utterly workable. Despite my cynicism, this stage is defiantly more exciting than the terminator phase, albeit being laced with the fear of it all ending. The premature ‘I love you’ could escape ones mouth, falling like a ball onto a roulette table. The stakes are high, but it could also very well pay off and pass you onto stage three. Or not…
Declaring the title of stage three is difficult. And the truth is, I don’t know what to call it because I’m usually making my way to the green exit sign above the fire escape before you can say ‘marry me’.
My experience with stage three is that I usually realize Mr Perfect is human. I resist accepting him just the way he is, and try to point out where he is lacking (he is usually not so open to my constructive criticism. I wonder why?). This of course does not lead him to change his ways, but firmly ground himself in them (and resent me in the process). Love and commitment gets swapped with fear and dependence. Some stay to battle it out to the very end, most head straight for the green exit light.
People claim at this point that they have ‘fallen out of love’. My argument is that they were never in love in the first place. One of my favourite movies, ‘Moulin Rouge’, melodically states, “The greatest thing you will ever learn, is just to love, and be loved in return”. I believe this is what we think being in love is all about. Yet being loved in return implies that there is a condition to your giving love. So romantic love is conditional love. If romantic love only goes one-way, it is termed unrequited love or even ‘desperate’.
What if I said that true love can only be unconditional? And inside of that, true love can only mean 100% acceptance of the subject, just the way they are and just the way they’re not. What if love, real love, is just loving?
Sabtu, 30 Januari 2010
All About Criminal Background Searches
A criminal background search is a great tool to use for hiring purposes. If own a company or work in a human resources department you should definitely look into using a background check company in order to make sure that you are not hiring criminals.
Background check companies are skilled at finding criminal information on applicants that you may be thinking about hiring. The only thing that you need to do as a company to get set up is get your applicants to sign a waiver...
A criminal background search is a great tool to use for hiring purposes. If own a company or work in a human resources department you should definitely look into using a background check company in order to make sure that you are not hiring criminals.
Background check companies are skilled at finding criminal information on applicants that you may be thinking about hiring. The only thing that you need to do as a company to get set up is get your applicants to sign a waiver that states that you can run a background check on them. At this point all you need to do then is find a company that will actually do the search. This is not difficult and can be done by running a simple internet search.
After finding the right company for you, they can explain what searches are the best for which employees and situation. These background check companies are skilled at performing searches and have all of the necessary resources and contacts to provide you with accurate reports.
A criminal background search can be had for a relatively cheap cost. You can run a national criminal database search for as little as $10 on each applicant. This will pull criminal information from every state and will allow you to see if the person you are considering has a criminal record. You can also get more in depth by running a state, county, or federal criminal search.
The best thing to do is to contact a background search company and let them walk you through it. They are the experts in the business, and will be able to help you in getting set up. This is a process that every company should consider putting into place. It can save you a lot of hassle in the future.
Background check companies are skilled at finding criminal information on applicants that you may be thinking about hiring. The only thing that you need to do as a company to get set up is get your applicants to sign a waiver...
A criminal background search is a great tool to use for hiring purposes. If own a company or work in a human resources department you should definitely look into using a background check company in order to make sure that you are not hiring criminals.
Background check companies are skilled at finding criminal information on applicants that you may be thinking about hiring. The only thing that you need to do as a company to get set up is get your applicants to sign a waiver that states that you can run a background check on them. At this point all you need to do then is find a company that will actually do the search. This is not difficult and can be done by running a simple internet search.
After finding the right company for you, they can explain what searches are the best for which employees and situation. These background check companies are skilled at performing searches and have all of the necessary resources and contacts to provide you with accurate reports.
A criminal background search can be had for a relatively cheap cost. You can run a national criminal database search for as little as $10 on each applicant. This will pull criminal information from every state and will allow you to see if the person you are considering has a criminal record. You can also get more in depth by running a state, county, or federal criminal search.
The best thing to do is to contact a background search company and let them walk you through it. They are the experts in the business, and will be able to help you in getting set up. This is a process that every company should consider putting into place. It can save you a lot of hassle in the future.
Jumat, 29 Januari 2010
Alcoholism among Young People
“Social diseases” is a familiar term for everyone despite the reaction to it. This article reveals one of such diseases and gives a description of the cause and consequences.
At first sight it may seem that life in society is peaceful and quiet. People are surrounded by comfort and cosiness and don’t seem to be longing for anything else. The real life seems less colourful than from the first sight. The more independent we get from each other, the lonelier we become. Loneliness creates stress and aggravation within the micro climate of an individual and he/she always seeks ways to get rid of negative feelings and problems that circle a person. If a grown up is under pressure, can you imagine how hard it is for a teenager to get acquainted with the world around and face first difficulties. Both grown ups and teenagers look for a cure from stress and the first thing they gat a hold on is alcohol, cigarettes or even drugs.
Every person has a freedom of choice, but the question is will this choice be easy or right? Strong personality will never pick the easy way if it will appear to misleading. A weak personality will do everything to postpone the solution of the problem. Alcohol or the “spirits” is something that may make the world look different and friendlier for an hour or so. If that is the example of a weakness of a grown up, you can imagine, how much more impressible a teenager is. There are a couple reasons for a teenager to take a glass or two and repeat the procedure even more often than a grown up. First of all, they might be following an example of parents that have this problem within the family and consider it ok when their child drinks spirits right in front of them. Parents might not even know or care what happens even more often, than be alcohol addicted themselves. The situation in the family may be built on complete ignorance of every member as soon as it doesn’t harm anybody but the individual rebelling. The “rebelling individual” is usually a teenager that requires attention of parents that for some reason can not give it t the fullest. Another reason may be to show off, to be different, not like others that look so boring and so not fun. And another one that is called the “adult reason” is the desire to escape from the harshness of reality by means of drinking.
This is a serious problem that the government and social organizations can not fight alone. If the society realizes the importance of the cure from alcoholic addiction, then the lifestyle of the society will change for better.
At first sight it may seem that life in society is peaceful and quiet. People are surrounded by comfort and cosiness and don’t seem to be longing for anything else. The real life seems less colourful than from the first sight. The more independent we get from each other, the lonelier we become. Loneliness creates stress and aggravation within the micro climate of an individual and he/she always seeks ways to get rid of negative feelings and problems that circle a person. If a grown up is under pressure, can you imagine how hard it is for a teenager to get acquainted with the world around and face first difficulties. Both grown ups and teenagers look for a cure from stress and the first thing they gat a hold on is alcohol, cigarettes or even drugs.
Every person has a freedom of choice, but the question is will this choice be easy or right? Strong personality will never pick the easy way if it will appear to misleading. A weak personality will do everything to postpone the solution of the problem. Alcohol or the “spirits” is something that may make the world look different and friendlier for an hour or so. If that is the example of a weakness of a grown up, you can imagine, how much more impressible a teenager is. There are a couple reasons for a teenager to take a glass or two and repeat the procedure even more often than a grown up. First of all, they might be following an example of parents that have this problem within the family and consider it ok when their child drinks spirits right in front of them. Parents might not even know or care what happens even more often, than be alcohol addicted themselves. The situation in the family may be built on complete ignorance of every member as soon as it doesn’t harm anybody but the individual rebelling. The “rebelling individual” is usually a teenager that requires attention of parents that for some reason can not give it t the fullest. Another reason may be to show off, to be different, not like others that look so boring and so not fun. And another one that is called the “adult reason” is the desire to escape from the harshness of reality by means of drinking.
This is a serious problem that the government and social organizations can not fight alone. If the society realizes the importance of the cure from alcoholic addiction, then the lifestyle of the society will change for better.
Kamis, 28 Januari 2010
Alcohol Rehab: How Rehab Centers Help Addiction Recovery
Alcohol addiction is a serious disease. Not only can it tear a family apart and lead to financial ruin, it can also lead to the premature death of the alcoholic. Therefore, it is vital for person suffering from this disease to find help immediately. Without help, it is nearly impossible for a person with an alcohol addiction to recover and return to a normal, healthy life.
* Choosing the Right Alcohol Rehab Center
An alcohol rehab center is the best source for a person ...
Alcohol addiction is a serious disease. Not only can it tear a family apart and lead to financial ruin, it can also lead to the premature death of the alcoholic. Therefore, it is vital for person suffering from this disease to find help immediately. Without help, it is nearly impossible for a person with an alcohol addiction to recover and return to a normal, healthy life.
* Choosing the Right Alcohol Rehab Center
An alcohol rehab center is the best source for a person looking for assistance with addiction recovery. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the type of rehab center best suited to the individual's needs.
There are two forms of help a person with an alcohol addiction can receive from a rehab center: inpatient and outpatient. With inpatient treatment, the patient remains on the premises of the alcohol rehab center. Outpatient treatment, on the other hand, permits the individual to continue with his or her regular life while still reporting to the rehab center for assistance and guidance. The majority of alcohol rehab centers offer both forms of treatment.
* The Support of an Alcohol Rehab Center
Regardless of the type of program the person with an alcohol addiction follows, the basics of alcohol rehab remain the same. In all cases, the addiction and other difficulties the patient faces are kept confidential. In addition, the rehab center will also include five primary components: a medical evaluation, a psychological evaluation, therapy, detox, and extended care.
* The Medical Evaluation
The medical evaluation conducted by the alcohol rehab center is meant to help the staff identify any physical problems the person with an alcohol addiction may have. Often, these physical problems are actually caused by the alcohol addiction. Problems with the liver, for example, may have developed as a result of the addiction. After medical problems have been identified, the staff of the rehab center can work toward making the patient physically healthy once more.
Improving the patient's physical health is an important component of addiction recovery. This is because it takes a holistic approach to get an addict back on the road toward recovery. This includes taking care of the patient's physical, mental, and emotional health. Without this three-pronged approach, the patient is more likely to fail in the process of addiction recovery.
* The Psychological Evaluation
The psychological evaluation also provides the staff of the rehab center with volumes of important information about the patient. The psychological evaluation helps the team better understand the patient. In addition, the team of specialists can determine whether the person suffering from alcohol addiction is also struggling from certain psychological problems. For example, it is common for a person suffering from alcohol addiction to also suffer from depression. If this is the case, the program developed to assist the patient will also include a plan to address this issue.
* Therapy
Generally, an alcohol rehab center will provide both group and individual therapy to its patients. The group therapy is designed to give the person with an alcohol addiction support from others who are experiencing the same difficulties. Being able to share in the struggles with those who can truly understand often makes the process easier for a patient to deal with.
Nonetheless, individual counseling is also critical to addiction recovery. Having the opportunity to work one-on-one with a counselor helps the patient work through his or her own individual conflicts. Through individual therapy, the patient can come to terms with his or her addiction and work through ways to resolve it by setting individual goals.
* Detoxification
In addition the medical and physical evaluations, patients of alcohol rehab centers generally undergo a 24-hour medically supervised detoxification and withdrawal period. During this period, the patient is forced to go without alcohol. For many patients coping with alcohol addiction, this may be the longest time they have gone without alcohol in many years.
The detoxification period is difficult for the person suffering from alcohol addiction because it is accompanied by extreme withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms take their toll on the patient both physically and mentally. For this reason, an alcohol rehab center also provides close patient monitoring and assistance during this period.
* Extended Care
Extended care, which is also sometimes referred to as aftercare, is vital to the success of addiction recovery. Through an extended care program, the patient continues to receive support and assistance from the alcohol rehab center after being released from the more intensive alcohol rehab program.
Extended care programs are designed to help monitor the patient's success in alcohol addiction recovery. To do this appropriately, the program staff watch over the patient to be sure he or she is utilizing the new skills gained during rehab. For instance, the extended care specialist may work with the patient to be sure he or she is staying away from specific crowds of people that encourage drinking. Or, the extended care specialist may check to be sure the patient is utilizing appropriate resistance skills. Without a strong extended care program, it is easy for the patient to fall back into the cycle of abuse.
* Choosing the Right Alcohol Rehab Center
An alcohol rehab center is the best source for a person ...
Alcohol addiction is a serious disease. Not only can it tear a family apart and lead to financial ruin, it can also lead to the premature death of the alcoholic. Therefore, it is vital for person suffering from this disease to find help immediately. Without help, it is nearly impossible for a person with an alcohol addiction to recover and return to a normal, healthy life.
* Choosing the Right Alcohol Rehab Center
An alcohol rehab center is the best source for a person looking for assistance with addiction recovery. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the type of rehab center best suited to the individual's needs.
There are two forms of help a person with an alcohol addiction can receive from a rehab center: inpatient and outpatient. With inpatient treatment, the patient remains on the premises of the alcohol rehab center. Outpatient treatment, on the other hand, permits the individual to continue with his or her regular life while still reporting to the rehab center for assistance and guidance. The majority of alcohol rehab centers offer both forms of treatment.
* The Support of an Alcohol Rehab Center
Regardless of the type of program the person with an alcohol addiction follows, the basics of alcohol rehab remain the same. In all cases, the addiction and other difficulties the patient faces are kept confidential. In addition, the rehab center will also include five primary components: a medical evaluation, a psychological evaluation, therapy, detox, and extended care.
* The Medical Evaluation
The medical evaluation conducted by the alcohol rehab center is meant to help the staff identify any physical problems the person with an alcohol addiction may have. Often, these physical problems are actually caused by the alcohol addiction. Problems with the liver, for example, may have developed as a result of the addiction. After medical problems have been identified, the staff of the rehab center can work toward making the patient physically healthy once more.
Improving the patient's physical health is an important component of addiction recovery. This is because it takes a holistic approach to get an addict back on the road toward recovery. This includes taking care of the patient's physical, mental, and emotional health. Without this three-pronged approach, the patient is more likely to fail in the process of addiction recovery.
* The Psychological Evaluation
The psychological evaluation also provides the staff of the rehab center with volumes of important information about the patient. The psychological evaluation helps the team better understand the patient. In addition, the team of specialists can determine whether the person suffering from alcohol addiction is also struggling from certain psychological problems. For example, it is common for a person suffering from alcohol addiction to also suffer from depression. If this is the case, the program developed to assist the patient will also include a plan to address this issue.
* Therapy
Generally, an alcohol rehab center will provide both group and individual therapy to its patients. The group therapy is designed to give the person with an alcohol addiction support from others who are experiencing the same difficulties. Being able to share in the struggles with those who can truly understand often makes the process easier for a patient to deal with.
Nonetheless, individual counseling is also critical to addiction recovery. Having the opportunity to work one-on-one with a counselor helps the patient work through his or her own individual conflicts. Through individual therapy, the patient can come to terms with his or her addiction and work through ways to resolve it by setting individual goals.
* Detoxification
In addition the medical and physical evaluations, patients of alcohol rehab centers generally undergo a 24-hour medically supervised detoxification and withdrawal period. During this period, the patient is forced to go without alcohol. For many patients coping with alcohol addiction, this may be the longest time they have gone without alcohol in many years.
The detoxification period is difficult for the person suffering from alcohol addiction because it is accompanied by extreme withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms take their toll on the patient both physically and mentally. For this reason, an alcohol rehab center also provides close patient monitoring and assistance during this period.
* Extended Care
Extended care, which is also sometimes referred to as aftercare, is vital to the success of addiction recovery. Through an extended care program, the patient continues to receive support and assistance from the alcohol rehab center after being released from the more intensive alcohol rehab program.
Extended care programs are designed to help monitor the patient's success in alcohol addiction recovery. To do this appropriately, the program staff watch over the patient to be sure he or she is utilizing the new skills gained during rehab. For instance, the extended care specialist may work with the patient to be sure he or she is staying away from specific crowds of people that encourage drinking. Or, the extended care specialist may check to be sure the patient is utilizing appropriate resistance skills. Without a strong extended care program, it is easy for the patient to fall back into the cycle of abuse.
Rabu, 27 Januari 2010
Alarm Clocks – An Insight
For most the sound of an Alarm ringing first thing in the morning is a shock.
For most the sound of an Alarm ringing first thing in the morning is a shock. You set it the night before, for whatever time you would like to wake up, and yet you are still annoyed with it when it actually goes off at the time you requested.
If you are like me, then you will prolong the act of getting up by constantly hitting the snooze button – which gives you another few minutes before it rings out again. The irony is that I personally never go back to sleep as I wait in anticipation for the sound of the dreaded clock to go off yet again.
Clocks nowadays have very different sounds to wake you, but none of them in my experience are welcoming, my current clock has a very high intermittent bleeping sound – which drives me crazy each morning, but without it, I would not wake up, so ironically I do depend on the irritating sound it makes. Perhaps I need to look at alternative clocks that offer a better noise to wake up to?
Traditional mechanical alarm clocks have a bell on top that rings, but digital alarm clocks can make other noises. Simple battery-powered alarm clocks make a beeping sound whereas novelty alarm clocks can speak, laugh, or sing.
Clocks have definitely improved in time (no pun intended) and the features too have improved – these range from: built-in radios, nature sounds, dual alarms, CD players, iPod docking bays, sunrise simulators, programmable snooze etc.
The Digital Clock is probably one of the most popular Alarm clocks in use today because they can be very useful (they are usually fitted with in-built radios as standard and are usually inexpensive to purchase)
However the digital clock does have its drawbacks. Since they run on electricity and have no permanent memory, digital clocks must be reset every time they are moved or the power is cut off. This is a particular problem since a power outage during the night usually results in the clock failing to trigger the alarm in the morning.
To reduce the problem, later designs often incorporate a battery backup to maintain the time during power outages.
What does the future Alarm clock have in store for us?
Among annoyances caused by alarm clocks is sleep inertia, a feeling of grogginess that results from abrupt awakening. Progressive alarm clocks claim to solve this issue. They include sunrise alarm clocks, dawn simulators and progressive auditory alarm clocks.
For most the sound of an Alarm ringing first thing in the morning is a shock. You set it the night before, for whatever time you would like to wake up, and yet you are still annoyed with it when it actually goes off at the time you requested.
If you are like me, then you will prolong the act of getting up by constantly hitting the snooze button – which gives you another few minutes before it rings out again. The irony is that I personally never go back to sleep as I wait in anticipation for the sound of the dreaded clock to go off yet again.
Clocks nowadays have very different sounds to wake you, but none of them in my experience are welcoming, my current clock has a very high intermittent bleeping sound – which drives me crazy each morning, but without it, I would not wake up, so ironically I do depend on the irritating sound it makes. Perhaps I need to look at alternative clocks that offer a better noise to wake up to?
Traditional mechanical alarm clocks have a bell on top that rings, but digital alarm clocks can make other noises. Simple battery-powered alarm clocks make a beeping sound whereas novelty alarm clocks can speak, laugh, or sing.
Clocks have definitely improved in time (no pun intended) and the features too have improved – these range from: built-in radios, nature sounds, dual alarms, CD players, iPod docking bays, sunrise simulators, programmable snooze etc.
The Digital Clock is probably one of the most popular Alarm clocks in use today because they can be very useful (they are usually fitted with in-built radios as standard and are usually inexpensive to purchase)
However the digital clock does have its drawbacks. Since they run on electricity and have no permanent memory, digital clocks must be reset every time they are moved or the power is cut off. This is a particular problem since a power outage during the night usually results in the clock failing to trigger the alarm in the morning.
To reduce the problem, later designs often incorporate a battery backup to maintain the time during power outages.
What does the future Alarm clock have in store for us?
Among annoyances caused by alarm clocks is sleep inertia, a feeling of grogginess that results from abrupt awakening. Progressive alarm clocks claim to solve this issue. They include sunrise alarm clocks, dawn simulators and progressive auditory alarm clocks.
Selasa, 26 Januari 2010
Airsoft Guns - Air soft Guns
The right place to find quality airsoft guns & airsoft rifles at cheap price.
What are airsoft guns ?
Airsoft guns are realistic-looking toy guns that fire small plastic BBs to ranges of 25 to 45m at speeds of around 75 - 100 meters per second. Airsoft game is a paintball-like team game that's originally come out of Japan.
Most airsoft weapons come with hop-up and come in three basic types:
1) Springers - manually cock the firing spring before each shot is required.
2) Gas - use compressed gas to propel BBs .
3) Electric - the most popular and the hottest automatic weapons that use a motor to push back the spring between shots with a rate of fire of up to 1000 rounds per minute . Good for both of experts and beginners , especially for beginners .
There are so many different types of guns to be used in paintball. There are electric guns and airsoft guns. But there are so many different brands of guns to choose from, how do you know which ones to choose. One style of gun is the Tokyo Marui Glock 17 3rd Generation Airsoft. This is a gas blowback air pistol. This air soft gun looks like a real pistol. It is an accurate pistol that looks very, very real. Another real looking gun is from the company CYMA, you can get these guns in Machine Markers, Assault rifles, Sub Machine Markers and even a James Bond Pistol. These are just a few of the air soft rifles.
Some of these markers are cheap gas and electric air soft guns. These guns are for those beginner players that are just starting out. The more experienced players play with markers that cost anywhere from $ 400 to $ 2000 plus. The experienced players take the game much more seriously, they are weekend players and tournament players not a once a month player. They know what it is like to get hit with a paintball or a BB and they don’t mind because their adrenaline is pumping and they can’t feel it. That is a true player.
ICS is another name brand of air soft markers. There is the ICS MP5 A4 is a AEG. This markers is made from metal and you can use one battery charge all day. The starter pack comes with the marker, the battery, the charger and a 3700 rounds of BB’s. The ICS CAR97 with LE Stock. This gun has a full metal body with a reinforced barrel. It can carry 400 round magazine, it is a great gun for the advanced player.
The UTG which stands for Under the Gun. This air soft brand is run by the company leapers. The UTG line is not for kids or beginners. These are hard core markers. The Accushot Competition Shadow has the Ultimate Bolt Action Airsoft Spring Rifle. The marker comes with a spare magazine, tactical sniper rifle sniper with an effective long range shooting. These guns are not toys they should be left for tournament players only.
These markers all run a pretty penny and while you want the best products you don’t want to spend your life’s savings on one marker unless you have to. There are so many places where you can find less expensive markers. On the site Cheap-Airsoft-Guns.net you can get a wide variety of air soft guns for a less expensive price. They have so many in stock that it may be hard to buy just one. They have great air soft pistols like the Green Gas Guns, Electric Blade Trinity Style, Electric Robocop Pistol FPS-150 Blowback Airsoft guns. They have the AEG Electric M4, The Spring Pump Riot Shotgun Remington 870 with FPS-250 Pistol Grips. They have the UTG series, the Spring Well MP5 Sub.
Choose your markets carefully, these super powerful markers are not for indoor play they should be used outside and all players should be wearing the proper equipment . Everyone would be wearing safety glasses and the proper attire. When using these markets make sure the safety is on until you are ready to shoot because these markers can go off accidentally, almost like a real gun. Make sure that when you play that these guns are regulation and are allowed to be used where you play. Visit www.cheap-airsoft-guns.net today and chose a great brand air soft gun that best fit your needs and your budget !
What are airsoft guns ?
Airsoft guns are realistic-looking toy guns that fire small plastic BBs to ranges of 25 to 45m at speeds of around 75 - 100 meters per second. Airsoft game is a paintball-like team game that's originally come out of Japan.
Most airsoft weapons come with hop-up and come in three basic types:
1) Springers - manually cock the firing spring before each shot is required.
2) Gas - use compressed gas to propel BBs .
3) Electric - the most popular and the hottest automatic weapons that use a motor to push back the spring between shots with a rate of fire of up to 1000 rounds per minute . Good for both of experts and beginners , especially for beginners .
There are so many different types of guns to be used in paintball. There are electric guns and airsoft guns. But there are so many different brands of guns to choose from, how do you know which ones to choose. One style of gun is the Tokyo Marui Glock 17 3rd Generation Airsoft. This is a gas blowback air pistol. This air soft gun looks like a real pistol. It is an accurate pistol that looks very, very real. Another real looking gun is from the company CYMA, you can get these guns in Machine Markers, Assault rifles, Sub Machine Markers and even a James Bond Pistol. These are just a few of the air soft rifles.
Some of these markers are cheap gas and electric air soft guns. These guns are for those beginner players that are just starting out. The more experienced players play with markers that cost anywhere from $ 400 to $ 2000 plus. The experienced players take the game much more seriously, they are weekend players and tournament players not a once a month player. They know what it is like to get hit with a paintball or a BB and they don’t mind because their adrenaline is pumping and they can’t feel it. That is a true player.
ICS is another name brand of air soft markers. There is the ICS MP5 A4 is a AEG. This markers is made from metal and you can use one battery charge all day. The starter pack comes with the marker, the battery, the charger and a 3700 rounds of BB’s. The ICS CAR97 with LE Stock. This gun has a full metal body with a reinforced barrel. It can carry 400 round magazine, it is a great gun for the advanced player.
The UTG which stands for Under the Gun. This air soft brand is run by the company leapers. The UTG line is not for kids or beginners. These are hard core markers. The Accushot Competition Shadow has the Ultimate Bolt Action Airsoft Spring Rifle. The marker comes with a spare magazine, tactical sniper rifle sniper with an effective long range shooting. These guns are not toys they should be left for tournament players only.
These markers all run a pretty penny and while you want the best products you don’t want to spend your life’s savings on one marker unless you have to. There are so many places where you can find less expensive markers. On the site Cheap-Airsoft-Guns.net you can get a wide variety of air soft guns for a less expensive price. They have so many in stock that it may be hard to buy just one. They have great air soft pistols like the Green Gas Guns, Electric Blade Trinity Style, Electric Robocop Pistol FPS-150 Blowback Airsoft guns. They have the AEG Electric M4, The Spring Pump Riot Shotgun Remington 870 with FPS-250 Pistol Grips. They have the UTG series, the Spring Well MP5 Sub.
Choose your markets carefully, these super powerful markers are not for indoor play they should be used outside and all players should be wearing the proper equipment . Everyone would be wearing safety glasses and the proper attire. When using these markets make sure the safety is on until you are ready to shoot because these markers can go off accidentally, almost like a real gun. Make sure that when you play that these guns are regulation and are allowed to be used where you play. Visit www.cheap-airsoft-guns.net today and chose a great brand air soft gun that best fit your needs and your budget !
Senin, 25 Januari 2010
Age difference – is it important?
In the world of the online dating Russian girls usually pursue relationship with the gentlemen who are much older. Today it's absolutely common that a lady of 18-20 years old goes out with the man who is 40-45 years old. Of course, it may seem strange, but nevertheless there several reasons for it.
As everyone knows, girls as usual mature faster than boys. In the FSU countries this process is even more accelerated. Many children here know about a lack of money and food (it's not a secret that Soviet government sold corn while people there were duying from femine), they watch all that corruption and unfair proceedings of the country, challenges of life. Girls, in particular, often face behavior that in some other countries could be considered harassment: many women can find a job and earn money only if they win favor of their male bosses; often ladies are perceived as merely dolls without brains. Basic instinct of self-preservation and aiming for improvement make <a href=http://www.oksanalove.com>Russian brides</a> search for better alternatives and men, who can appreciate them.
Until recent years there was a tendency among Russian/Ukrainian women to marry men close to their age who were either their high school sweethearts or college and university pals. Statistics show that 50-60% of marriages break within first three years of the union. Many women end up leaving the relationship with children, as well as disappointment in men their age from their home country. As a result, they turn to foreign men who are older and expect them to be more courteous, wise and caring.
An additional factor in searching for older men is also women's psychological perception. Since many girls grow up in "incomplete" families and are abandoned by their fathers, when they search for a relationship, on a subconscious level they veer more towards older partners. In other words, they are looking for a "father figure". They sometimes don’t even realize it, but when they turn to older men, they are looking for someone to be their protector, someone who'd take care of them and give them security they were deprived of as a child.
Although such pressure is getting less in the current days, until recently a lady could be viewed as an old maid unless she got married by the age of 22-23. On the contrary, most men do not face much pressure and begin getting serious about starting a family only close to their 30s. That automatically puts a 7-8 year difference between the partners. Add to it the time that men spent with the "wrong" partner in a previous marriage or relationship, and that puts available male candidates right at their late 30s – early 40s, which creates such a drastic age difference between the ladies and them.
Bottom line is: true love has no boundaries. If you find someone who seems attractive and interests you as a person, be daring and take a chance of finding your <a href=http://www.oksanalove.com>Russian bride</a> despite the age and distance.
As everyone knows, girls as usual mature faster than boys. In the FSU countries this process is even more accelerated. Many children here know about a lack of money and food (it's not a secret that Soviet government sold corn while people there were duying from femine), they watch all that corruption and unfair proceedings of the country, challenges of life. Girls, in particular, often face behavior that in some other countries could be considered harassment: many women can find a job and earn money only if they win favor of their male bosses; often ladies are perceived as merely dolls without brains. Basic instinct of self-preservation and aiming for improvement make <a href=http://www.oksanalove.com>Russian brides</a> search for better alternatives and men, who can appreciate them.
Until recent years there was a tendency among Russian/Ukrainian women to marry men close to their age who were either their high school sweethearts or college and university pals. Statistics show that 50-60% of marriages break within first three years of the union. Many women end up leaving the relationship with children, as well as disappointment in men their age from their home country. As a result, they turn to foreign men who are older and expect them to be more courteous, wise and caring.
An additional factor in searching for older men is also women's psychological perception. Since many girls grow up in "incomplete" families and are abandoned by their fathers, when they search for a relationship, on a subconscious level they veer more towards older partners. In other words, they are looking for a "father figure". They sometimes don’t even realize it, but when they turn to older men, they are looking for someone to be their protector, someone who'd take care of them and give them security they were deprived of as a child.
Although such pressure is getting less in the current days, until recently a lady could be viewed as an old maid unless she got married by the age of 22-23. On the contrary, most men do not face much pressure and begin getting serious about starting a family only close to their 30s. That automatically puts a 7-8 year difference between the partners. Add to it the time that men spent with the "wrong" partner in a previous marriage or relationship, and that puts available male candidates right at their late 30s – early 40s, which creates such a drastic age difference between the ladies and them.
Bottom line is: true love has no boundaries. If you find someone who seems attractive and interests you as a person, be daring and take a chance of finding your <a href=http://www.oksanalove.com>Russian bride</a> despite the age and distance.
Minggu, 24 Januari 2010
Addiction: When Gambling Becomes a Problem
In Washington, D.C., the Smithsonian Institution will soon welcome an addition to its family of museums that house priceless works of art and other relics.
In Washington, D.C., the Smithsonian Institution will soon welcome an addition to its family of museums that house priceless works of art and other relics.
To celebrate the legacy and contributions of black people in the U.S., the Smithsonian is developing the National Museum of African-American History and Culture. The museum will be the only institution devoted exclusively to the documentation of African-American life, art, history and culture. Its exhibits will cover topics as varied as slavery, post-Civil War reconstruction, the Harlem Renaissance and the civil rights movement.
Aflac, an insurance company based in Columbus, Ga., donated $1 million to the Smithsonian for the museum, making it the first Fortune 500 company to donate funds toward the landmark's construction. Corporate donations like these are vital to the museum's future success and timely presentation of the facility to the public.
"Aflac is proud to lead the way in contributing to this most worthy cause," said Dan Amos, chairman and CEO of Aflac. "The museum will serve as a great way to spotlight America's diverse history while honoring the African-American experience that has been instrumental in the development of our great nation."
During the presentation of the check to the Smithsonian, Aflac was presented with a special smithsonite stone in honor of its gift to the museum. Further, Aflac was recognized with a special glass engraving of the company's name that will be housed in the Benefactors Room of the Smithsonian, an honor designated for museum donors.
Aflac also is dedicated to the fight against childhood cancer and sponsors the Aflac Cancer Center and Blood Disorders Service at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta as part of its major philanthropic effort. The company has pledged more than $20 million to the center and over 66,000 plush Aflac Ducks have been sold, with proceeds benefiting the center.
In Washington, D.C., the Smithsonian Institution will soon welcome an addition to its family of museums that house priceless works of art and other relics.
To celebrate the legacy and contributions of black people in the U.S., the Smithsonian is developing the National Museum of African-American History and Culture. The museum will be the only institution devoted exclusively to the documentation of African-American life, art, history and culture. Its exhibits will cover topics as varied as slavery, post-Civil War reconstruction, the Harlem Renaissance and the civil rights movement.
Aflac, an insurance company based in Columbus, Ga., donated $1 million to the Smithsonian for the museum, making it the first Fortune 500 company to donate funds toward the landmark's construction. Corporate donations like these are vital to the museum's future success and timely presentation of the facility to the public.
"Aflac is proud to lead the way in contributing to this most worthy cause," said Dan Amos, chairman and CEO of Aflac. "The museum will serve as a great way to spotlight America's diverse history while honoring the African-American experience that has been instrumental in the development of our great nation."
During the presentation of the check to the Smithsonian, Aflac was presented with a special smithsonite stone in honor of its gift to the museum. Further, Aflac was recognized with a special glass engraving of the company's name that will be housed in the Benefactors Room of the Smithsonian, an honor designated for museum donors.
Aflac also is dedicated to the fight against childhood cancer and sponsors the Aflac Cancer Center and Blood Disorders Service at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta as part of its major philanthropic effort. The company has pledged more than $20 million to the center and over 66,000 plush Aflac Ducks have been sold, with proceeds benefiting the center.
Sabtu, 23 Januari 2010
Accessorize with Halloween Jewelry
For many people, the holidays are some of the best times of the year. They often mean a chance to take a little time off of work, gather the family together, decorate, and basically just have fun. Having fun and happy times make the day to day drudgery of the everyday that much more bearable.
For many people, the holidays are some of the best times of the year. They often mean a chance to take a little time off of work, gather the family together, decorate, and basically just have fun. Having fun and happy times make the day to day drudgery of the everyday that much more bearable.
Of course, some people dive into the holidays a little harder than others. And everyone has their own personal favorite – some like Christmas with the lights and the gifts, others Easter with cuddly bunnies and chocolate eggs, and then there is Halloween, with scary costumes and more candy than you know what to do with. And for those who dive whole heartedly into the holidays, accessories are just a part of the celebration.
A new trend
Wearing holiday jewelry is a newer trend. Starting with Christmas, it has now spread to the other holidays as well. So while you can have candy canes, nativity scenes, and packages in December, there are other things that you can wear throughout the year to celebrate the other holidays as well. Bunnies and crosses for Easter, snowflakes and snowmen for winter, menorahs for Hanukkah, and flags four the Fourth of July and Memorial Day are all popular additions to holiday accessories.
How you can accessorize for Halloween
While Christmas might still hold the lead for holiday accessories, Halloween is a close second. You can now choose anything from little ghosts, witches, pumpkins, black cats, spiders and more. And these Halloween icons can be found on earrings, pendants, bracelets, and other jewelry items so that you can mix and match your favorites into your everyday wardrobe.
Why do it?
You might wonder what would possess someone to don a pair of skeleton earrings during the month of October, or sport a brooch shaped like a black cat with glowing red eyes. However, it is an easy way for you to celebrate the holiday that you love without being obnoxious about it.
Take, for instance, the average office situation. Chances are, there is probably a dress code that you have to follow involving wearing business attire. So unless your office takes a casual day and allows you to dress up, wearing the clown, monkey, or witch costume to work on Halloween is probably going to be considered inappropriate. However, most bosses will not say anything about a tastefully chosen jack-o-lantern lapel pin or earrings shaped like black cats. So it can be a discrete way to observe the holiday without putting your job at risk.
Halloween accessories can also be that finishing touch that you need to your costume. For instance, what glamorous witch would you be without some flashy bat earrings or a large spider ring to complete your look? Halloween jewelry will add that finishing touch.
If you are looking for a fun, and possibly discrete, way to observe Halloween, or any of your other favorite holidays, choosing some holiday jewelry can be a fun way to do it.
For many people, the holidays are some of the best times of the year. They often mean a chance to take a little time off of work, gather the family together, decorate, and basically just have fun. Having fun and happy times make the day to day drudgery of the everyday that much more bearable.
Of course, some people dive into the holidays a little harder than others. And everyone has their own personal favorite – some like Christmas with the lights and the gifts, others Easter with cuddly bunnies and chocolate eggs, and then there is Halloween, with scary costumes and more candy than you know what to do with. And for those who dive whole heartedly into the holidays, accessories are just a part of the celebration.
A new trend
Wearing holiday jewelry is a newer trend. Starting with Christmas, it has now spread to the other holidays as well. So while you can have candy canes, nativity scenes, and packages in December, there are other things that you can wear throughout the year to celebrate the other holidays as well. Bunnies and crosses for Easter, snowflakes and snowmen for winter, menorahs for Hanukkah, and flags four the Fourth of July and Memorial Day are all popular additions to holiday accessories.
How you can accessorize for Halloween
While Christmas might still hold the lead for holiday accessories, Halloween is a close second. You can now choose anything from little ghosts, witches, pumpkins, black cats, spiders and more. And these Halloween icons can be found on earrings, pendants, bracelets, and other jewelry items so that you can mix and match your favorites into your everyday wardrobe.
Why do it?
You might wonder what would possess someone to don a pair of skeleton earrings during the month of October, or sport a brooch shaped like a black cat with glowing red eyes. However, it is an easy way for you to celebrate the holiday that you love without being obnoxious about it.
Take, for instance, the average office situation. Chances are, there is probably a dress code that you have to follow involving wearing business attire. So unless your office takes a casual day and allows you to dress up, wearing the clown, monkey, or witch costume to work on Halloween is probably going to be considered inappropriate. However, most bosses will not say anything about a tastefully chosen jack-o-lantern lapel pin or earrings shaped like black cats. So it can be a discrete way to observe the holiday without putting your job at risk.
Halloween accessories can also be that finishing touch that you need to your costume. For instance, what glamorous witch would you be without some flashy bat earrings or a large spider ring to complete your look? Halloween jewelry will add that finishing touch.
If you are looking for a fun, and possibly discrete, way to observe Halloween, or any of your other favorite holidays, choosing some holiday jewelry can be a fun way to do it.
Jumat, 22 Januari 2010
About Apologizing
We all make mistakes. Howsoever intelligent we may be, or wealthy, or experienced, we all make mistakes.
We all make mistakes. Howsoever intelligent we may be, or wealthy, or experienced, we all make mistakes. Sometimes we realize, other times we don't. But we all make mistakes because we are human. Only God does not ever make any mistake.
Some of our mistakes hurt our interest. They don't hurt anyone else. But sometimes, we do few things knowingly or unknowingly that hurt others. That is the time to apologize. Why do many of us apologize immediately, and why do many of us avoid it? Why do many of us say sorry even for an insignificant hurt, while some wait for ages to sorry after committing gigantic blunders? That is a mystery. It all depends upon our thinking, our upbringing, our humility, our sense of right and wrong, and our opinion of others feelings and so on. But do we become smaller by saying sorry? Are we confessing a blunder by saying sorry? Are we hurting our ego by saying sorry? Certainly not.
We rather become better by saying sorry. When we say sorry, we feel good, the other party feels good. By saying sorry, we are not making a mistake of confessing a blunder and putting ourselves to risk of ridicule, but saying that- look here, I made this mistake, and I am very sorry for that. Please forgive me and let us be friends again. An apology makes us a better person by cleansing us of our guilt. Let us all say sorry as soon as we realize that by any act of ours, we have hurt someone even if the hurt is insignificant. If the mistake is bigger, our apology should match it to bring matters back to normal.
Let us apologize at all the times, we make a mistake and make someone happy again and get happiness in return.
We all make mistakes. Howsoever intelligent we may be, or wealthy, or experienced, we all make mistakes. Sometimes we realize, other times we don't. But we all make mistakes because we are human. Only God does not ever make any mistake.
Some of our mistakes hurt our interest. They don't hurt anyone else. But sometimes, we do few things knowingly or unknowingly that hurt others. That is the time to apologize. Why do many of us apologize immediately, and why do many of us avoid it? Why do many of us say sorry even for an insignificant hurt, while some wait for ages to sorry after committing gigantic blunders? That is a mystery. It all depends upon our thinking, our upbringing, our humility, our sense of right and wrong, and our opinion of others feelings and so on. But do we become smaller by saying sorry? Are we confessing a blunder by saying sorry? Are we hurting our ego by saying sorry? Certainly not.
We rather become better by saying sorry. When we say sorry, we feel good, the other party feels good. By saying sorry, we are not making a mistake of confessing a blunder and putting ourselves to risk of ridicule, but saying that- look here, I made this mistake, and I am very sorry for that. Please forgive me and let us be friends again. An apology makes us a better person by cleansing us of our guilt. Let us all say sorry as soon as we realize that by any act of ours, we have hurt someone even if the hurt is insignificant. If the mistake is bigger, our apology should match it to bring matters back to normal.
Let us apologize at all the times, we make a mistake and make someone happy again and get happiness in return.
Kamis, 21 Januari 2010
A Sweet Way To Make A Difference
Sending a message of hope can be one way to help a worthwhile cause.
It would be a sweet reward to find a cure for pediatric cancer and other life-threatening diseases that affect children-and ice cream fans now have a way to help.
Fans of ice cream-whether it's on a stick, in a cup or on top of a cone-can visit Icecream.com to "stick up" for kids with cancer.
For every virtual frozen pop stick message sent from the site between May 15 and Dec. 31, 2006, Nestlé Ice Cream will donate 25 cents to City of Hope Cancer Center, where the money will be used for pediatric cancer research, treatment and education.
Visitors to Icecream.com are invited to write some words of inspiration, a favorite joke or simply a message of hope on a virtual frozen pop stick that will be shared with kids who are currently undergoing treatment.
At the end of the program, the number of virtual frozen pop sticks will be counted and an equivalent number of real-life frozen pop sticks will be used to construct a sculpture. A talented artist will design a kid-friendly, whimsical sculpture that will be placed at City of Hope to remind children that people throughout the country are wishing them well.
The sculpture will be erected in spring 2007 and an image of the sculpture may be placed on selected frozen treat packages to support and grow the program.
"Nestlé Ice Cream is proud to partner with City of Hope to support research and treatment programs that will benefit kids with cancer," said Maggie Hughs, senior manager, Nestlé Ice Cream. "We hope enabling ice cream fans across the nation to send a virtual message of hope will not only help this worthwhile cause, but also inspire both the sender and recipient of each message."
City of Hope is one of the world's leading research and treatment centers for cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening diseases. Named by U.S. News & World Report as one of America's best medical centers for cancer treatment, City of Hope is a Comprehensive Cancer Center, the highest designation bestowed by the National Cancer Institute, and a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Founded in 1913, City of Hope is a pioneer in the fields of bone marrow transplantation and genetics.
City of Hope's scientific knowledge is shared with medical centers locally and globally, helping patients battling life-threatening diseases.
It would be a sweet reward to find a cure for pediatric cancer and other life-threatening diseases that affect children-and ice cream fans now have a way to help.
Fans of ice cream-whether it's on a stick, in a cup or on top of a cone-can visit Icecream.com to "stick up" for kids with cancer.
For every virtual frozen pop stick message sent from the site between May 15 and Dec. 31, 2006, Nestlé Ice Cream will donate 25 cents to City of Hope Cancer Center, where the money will be used for pediatric cancer research, treatment and education.
Visitors to Icecream.com are invited to write some words of inspiration, a favorite joke or simply a message of hope on a virtual frozen pop stick that will be shared with kids who are currently undergoing treatment.
At the end of the program, the number of virtual frozen pop sticks will be counted and an equivalent number of real-life frozen pop sticks will be used to construct a sculpture. A talented artist will design a kid-friendly, whimsical sculpture that will be placed at City of Hope to remind children that people throughout the country are wishing them well.
The sculpture will be erected in spring 2007 and an image of the sculpture may be placed on selected frozen treat packages to support and grow the program.
"Nestlé Ice Cream is proud to partner with City of Hope to support research and treatment programs that will benefit kids with cancer," said Maggie Hughs, senior manager, Nestlé Ice Cream. "We hope enabling ice cream fans across the nation to send a virtual message of hope will not only help this worthwhile cause, but also inspire both the sender and recipient of each message."
City of Hope is one of the world's leading research and treatment centers for cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening diseases. Named by U.S. News & World Report as one of America's best medical centers for cancer treatment, City of Hope is a Comprehensive Cancer Center, the highest designation bestowed by the National Cancer Institute, and a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Founded in 1913, City of Hope is a pioneer in the fields of bone marrow transplantation and genetics.
City of Hope's scientific knowledge is shared with medical centers locally and globally, helping patients battling life-threatening diseases.
Rabu, 20 Januari 2010
A Sneaker Evolution
Those shoes that you just can’t live without, that you use for working out, doing yard work, walking, running or just hanging out – the sneaker – has a fascinating history.
The sneaker has been around since the 1800s when the Industrial Revolution took hold on America and rubber began being produced. Sneakers were once called plimsolls when they were first made in the 1800s as a plain rubber soled shoe. Goodyear, now a tire manufacturer, began as a rubber shoe company and ...
Those shoes that you just can’t live without, that you use for working out, doing yard work, walking, running or just hanging out – the sneaker – has a fascinating history.
The sneaker has been around since the 1800s when the Industrial Revolution took hold on America and rubber began being produced. Sneakers were once called plimsolls when they were first made in the 1800s as a plain rubber soled shoe. Goodyear, now a tire manufacturer, began as a rubber shoe company and in 1892 introduced Keds Ò to the world. The word “sneaker” was also introduced to the world about a decade later when an advertising agent gave these rubber soled shoes the name sneakers because the soles were so quiet and didn’t make any noise on any surface.
Converse was the next company to release a sneaker to the world in 1917. They called it the Converse All Star and it was the shoe worn by basketball players. This shoe – the Converse All Star – later became the Chuck Taylor All Star and became a necessity to basketball players, kids and others for more than 50 years.
Adi and Rudolph Dassler introduced the first shoe used for tennis, or the tennis shoe, in 1931 and the brand name Adidas was born. Soon after Rudolph Dassler teamed with Puma Schuhfabrik to produce the Puma brand shoe for football.
It took until the 1950s for sneakers to be the preferred footwear of teenagers after James Dean was photographed wearing his jeans and white sneakers. Girls and boys wore their sneakers as a symbol of rebellion.
In 1968 the sneaker giant Nike enters the sneaker scene after Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman partner to create Blue Ribbon Sports shoes which was later changed to Nike after the Greek Goddess of Victory. In 1971 the famous Nike swoosh was bought from a graphic design student for a mere $35! In 1979 Nike created the first Nike Air sole shoe claiming a revolutionary air-cushioning shoe. They introduce the first shoe using this technology called the Nike Tailwind. However, one of the most memorable shoe lines that Nike released was the Air Jordan which hit the markets in 1985.
Since then Nike has captured the athletic shoe market. In 2001 they introduced their Nike Shox advanced support technology. This system uses columns of engineered foam to give runners and athletes superior cushioning and support. This was a new revolution in shoe design.
Nike continued to lead the market in 2003 and acquired Converse, Inc. The Chuck Taylor All Star is reintroduced and is again a fashion staple in the lives of teenagers across the country.
Sneakers have come so far that they are not strictly for athletes anymore. In 2004 Reebok formed a partnership with music professionals to create their Sound and Rhythm line. This was done on an attempt to grow and heighten sales and to recognize the growing popularity of the music industry and it’s effect on today’s youth.
Whether you are a professional athlete, casual athlete, music enthusiast or lover of fashion only, there is sure to be several pairs of sneakers in your wardrobe to fit every facet of your life. But did you ever know that this staple item had such an interesting history behind it?
The sneaker has been around since the 1800s when the Industrial Revolution took hold on America and rubber began being produced. Sneakers were once called plimsolls when they were first made in the 1800s as a plain rubber soled shoe. Goodyear, now a tire manufacturer, began as a rubber shoe company and ...
Those shoes that you just can’t live without, that you use for working out, doing yard work, walking, running or just hanging out – the sneaker – has a fascinating history.
The sneaker has been around since the 1800s when the Industrial Revolution took hold on America and rubber began being produced. Sneakers were once called plimsolls when they were first made in the 1800s as a plain rubber soled shoe. Goodyear, now a tire manufacturer, began as a rubber shoe company and in 1892 introduced Keds Ò to the world. The word “sneaker” was also introduced to the world about a decade later when an advertising agent gave these rubber soled shoes the name sneakers because the soles were so quiet and didn’t make any noise on any surface.
Converse was the next company to release a sneaker to the world in 1917. They called it the Converse All Star and it was the shoe worn by basketball players. This shoe – the Converse All Star – later became the Chuck Taylor All Star and became a necessity to basketball players, kids and others for more than 50 years.
Adi and Rudolph Dassler introduced the first shoe used for tennis, or the tennis shoe, in 1931 and the brand name Adidas was born. Soon after Rudolph Dassler teamed with Puma Schuhfabrik to produce the Puma brand shoe for football.
It took until the 1950s for sneakers to be the preferred footwear of teenagers after James Dean was photographed wearing his jeans and white sneakers. Girls and boys wore their sneakers as a symbol of rebellion.
In 1968 the sneaker giant Nike enters the sneaker scene after Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman partner to create Blue Ribbon Sports shoes which was later changed to Nike after the Greek Goddess of Victory. In 1971 the famous Nike swoosh was bought from a graphic design student for a mere $35! In 1979 Nike created the first Nike Air sole shoe claiming a revolutionary air-cushioning shoe. They introduce the first shoe using this technology called the Nike Tailwind. However, one of the most memorable shoe lines that Nike released was the Air Jordan which hit the markets in 1985.
Since then Nike has captured the athletic shoe market. In 2001 they introduced their Nike Shox advanced support technology. This system uses columns of engineered foam to give runners and athletes superior cushioning and support. This was a new revolution in shoe design.
Nike continued to lead the market in 2003 and acquired Converse, Inc. The Chuck Taylor All Star is reintroduced and is again a fashion staple in the lives of teenagers across the country.
Sneakers have come so far that they are not strictly for athletes anymore. In 2004 Reebok formed a partnership with music professionals to create their Sound and Rhythm line. This was done on an attempt to grow and heighten sales and to recognize the growing popularity of the music industry and it’s effect on today’s youth.
Whether you are a professional athlete, casual athlete, music enthusiast or lover of fashion only, there is sure to be several pairs of sneakers in your wardrobe to fit every facet of your life. But did you ever know that this staple item had such an interesting history behind it?
Selasa, 19 Januari 2010
A Reminder to Parents: Holiday Gifts Can Open Pandora’s Box - Protect Your Child’s New PC
Newly released software by Pandora Corp. allows parents to monitor their kids new PC's to protect them from online threats.
Ask any expert and they will tell you that computers should be kept in high-traffic areas of the house, such as the kitchen or family room. Almost everyone will agree that letting a teenager have his or her own computer in the bedroom is not a good idea. But in a time when many families have more than one PC in the home, teens having their own Internet connection is an unavoidable reality. Add to that fact that this is the season of giving and making young wishes come true, chances are a lot more teens will be online with their own connections within the next month.
As technology advances, however, parents can easily give their online youngsters privacy and freedom, while at the same time protect them from the dangers online. One word: monitoring software!
Parents need to be smart when giving teens their own PC. It’s important to adopt and enforce a new set of rules, such as leaving the door open and a “no Internet after” time. Also, visit your child’s room often when they are online, and ask them questions about what websites they are visiting and who their online friends are.
“But before you even do that, as you get ready to give them the ‘big gift’ this year, make sure it is outfitted with the proper parental control software, such the latest PC Pandora release, version 5.0.” says Pandora Corp. co-founder, James Leasure.
Tools like PC Pandora make it easy to find that happy medium between teens being able to freely use the Internet socially, and parents not being left in the dark about their child’s online activity.
Co-founder Manuel Coats explains, “PC Pandora works like a TiVo for your PC, by recording and taking sequential snapshots of what is on the computer screen. This enables parents to see exactly what their children see.” Coats continues, “ In addition, it has all the features that other programs utilize, such as website filtering and blocking, time scheduling, and it will even email a busy parent at work with updates on their child’s online activity.”
The new version 5.0 boasts a revamped user interface, new webcam snapshot capture and Instant Messenger blocking.
If someone is approaching your kids with ill intentions, you will know. It’s really the best all-around defense you can get to help keep your children safe online.
As a special promotion for the holidays, the company is offering the software at a discounted price. Parents can use the code ‘holiday07’ at the pcpandora.com store to get $15 off the Standard or Pro editions of the program.
The www.PCpandora.com website has become a place where parents can go to discuss issues, get tips, educate themselves and find answers. They have an interesting Blog and you can find 18 Tips for Safe Surfing.
Online safety is an important topic, now more so than ever – and parents are the first and best line of defense for their kids. Parents, educate yourself on the Net, talk to your kids and protect your PCs with PC Pandora!
Ask any expert and they will tell you that computers should be kept in high-traffic areas of the house, such as the kitchen or family room. Almost everyone will agree that letting a teenager have his or her own computer in the bedroom is not a good idea. But in a time when many families have more than one PC in the home, teens having their own Internet connection is an unavoidable reality. Add to that fact that this is the season of giving and making young wishes come true, chances are a lot more teens will be online with their own connections within the next month.
As technology advances, however, parents can easily give their online youngsters privacy and freedom, while at the same time protect them from the dangers online. One word: monitoring software!
Parents need to be smart when giving teens their own PC. It’s important to adopt and enforce a new set of rules, such as leaving the door open and a “no Internet after” time. Also, visit your child’s room often when they are online, and ask them questions about what websites they are visiting and who their online friends are.
“But before you even do that, as you get ready to give them the ‘big gift’ this year, make sure it is outfitted with the proper parental control software, such the latest PC Pandora release, version 5.0.” says Pandora Corp. co-founder, James Leasure.
Tools like PC Pandora make it easy to find that happy medium between teens being able to freely use the Internet socially, and parents not being left in the dark about their child’s online activity.
Co-founder Manuel Coats explains, “PC Pandora works like a TiVo for your PC, by recording and taking sequential snapshots of what is on the computer screen. This enables parents to see exactly what their children see.” Coats continues, “ In addition, it has all the features that other programs utilize, such as website filtering and blocking, time scheduling, and it will even email a busy parent at work with updates on their child’s online activity.”
The new version 5.0 boasts a revamped user interface, new webcam snapshot capture and Instant Messenger blocking.
If someone is approaching your kids with ill intentions, you will know. It’s really the best all-around defense you can get to help keep your children safe online.
As a special promotion for the holidays, the company is offering the software at a discounted price. Parents can use the code ‘holiday07’ at the pcpandora.com store to get $15 off the Standard or Pro editions of the program.
The www.PCpandora.com website has become a place where parents can go to discuss issues, get tips, educate themselves and find answers. They have an interesting Blog and you can find 18 Tips for Safe Surfing.
Online safety is an important topic, now more so than ever – and parents are the first and best line of defense for their kids. Parents, educate yourself on the Net, talk to your kids and protect your PCs with PC Pandora!
Senin, 18 Januari 2010
A place to meat and greet
Amazon Churrascaria in Fullerton, California, is an amazing mix of steakhouse and barbecue.
I took a lunch meating with a Hollywood pal in May, 2005.
We talked movies, and we talked meat. Meat, meat and more meat.
Tri-tip. Pepper steak. Garlic steak. Beef kabob. Top sirloin.
It's (almost) all about meat when you're at Amazon Churrascaria in Fullerton (in Orange County, Calif.). Churrascaria are a particularly Brazilian mix of barbecue and steakhouse, featuring waiters who roam the room bearing sword-length skewers, each loaded with a chunk of meat, still steaming hot from the open-flame grill tucked into the kitchen.
Brazilian touches extend to the decor. A waterfall cascades down a wall facing the front door. Faux jungle plants, and crypto jungle-ruin panels cover the walls. It made me think of the kid-favorite Rainforest Cafe chain, sans roaring animatronics, flashing lights and corporate-restaurant mega-merchandising.
A curious touch of the American Midwest dominates the middle of the large restaurant, which has served in former lives as a Chinese buffet and a Country Inn buffet. A salad bar of sorts, the kind popular in Peoria in the '80s, harbors mayo-based salads, three-bean salads, cheesy breads, some soups. And in one corner, the very Brazilian treat of banana frita: ripe banana strips rolled in cinnamon-flavored flour, deep-fried and coated with sugar. Delicious.
Returning to your booth, it's pretty basic. Red oilcloth-covered tables, well-worn water goblets, a short list of Chilean table wines and the guys bringing the meat. As long as you keep a little tabletop red-yellow-and-green spindle turned green-side up, they keep carving. It's all you can eat, for as long as you can eat. (Put the spindle red side up and it means stop, already! Sideways means bring the bill.)
For lunch ($12.75), the fare typically is limited -- if you can call it that -- to a dozen cuts of beef, pork sausage, giant chicken drumsticks and turkey cubes wrapped in bacon.
At dinner ($21.75), the choices expand to 22 different meats. All the beef you can get at lunch, plus skirt steak, succulent beef and pork ribs, ribeye, lamb. There's roasted salmon. And now the exotics come in. Alligator, duck, quail, chicken heart.
The aroma of smoky meat fills the room, and depending on your sensibilities, it is either delectable or overpowering.
None of it should come as a surprise. You know what you're getting the minute you pull into the parking lot.
One of those big photo banners hangs on the exterior wall facing the parking lot. A smiling meat server manhandles a loaded skewer. A dozen other full skewers loom next to him. Barbecue smells, richer than anything that wafts over your backyard fence, fill the air.
My pal (who introduced me to this place that we've come to call ``that meat palace'' while we were each in our Atkins Diet phase) and I liked the smell outside and in. My wife, who joined me for a Saturday-night meal, was firmly in the overpowered camp.
She liked the skirt steak and the ribeye, but six or seven servings of different meats later, she was full and ready to go. She waited patiently for me to work through the beef rib -- as beautiful as any prime rib I've had -- the quail, the alligator, the rabbit, the pork.
For her patience, she rewarded herself with a chocolate cheesecake served from a rolling cart by Jessica, the ``dessert girl'' -- another curious Midwestern touch -- and we split a pineapple sorbet that was a perfect cap to my gorging: light, creamy, cold and served in a hollowed-out pineapple husk.
Restaurant manager Roman Alcaraz says they've built a loyal following, among area Brazilians to be sure -- perhaps it's the caipirinha cocktails, a sort of Brazilian margarita made with cachaca, a type of Brazilian rum -- but also from the full melange of Orange County's many immigrants, be they Asian, Latin or Illinoisan.
Owner Kent Choy, a CPA in Los Angeles' Koreatown, got the idea for Amazon from a client, and in December 2002 it opened as the only one of its kind in Orange County. A few churrascaria serve Los Angeles County, and the staff in Fullerton hears rumors of a competitor coming to Irvine.
But for now, it's a singular kind of experience, a great place to meat a pal.
I took a lunch meating with a Hollywood pal in May, 2005.
We talked movies, and we talked meat. Meat, meat and more meat.
Tri-tip. Pepper steak. Garlic steak. Beef kabob. Top sirloin.
It's (almost) all about meat when you're at Amazon Churrascaria in Fullerton (in Orange County, Calif.). Churrascaria are a particularly Brazilian mix of barbecue and steakhouse, featuring waiters who roam the room bearing sword-length skewers, each loaded with a chunk of meat, still steaming hot from the open-flame grill tucked into the kitchen.
Brazilian touches extend to the decor. A waterfall cascades down a wall facing the front door. Faux jungle plants, and crypto jungle-ruin panels cover the walls. It made me think of the kid-favorite Rainforest Cafe chain, sans roaring animatronics, flashing lights and corporate-restaurant mega-merchandising.
A curious touch of the American Midwest dominates the middle of the large restaurant, which has served in former lives as a Chinese buffet and a Country Inn buffet. A salad bar of sorts, the kind popular in Peoria in the '80s, harbors mayo-based salads, three-bean salads, cheesy breads, some soups. And in one corner, the very Brazilian treat of banana frita: ripe banana strips rolled in cinnamon-flavored flour, deep-fried and coated with sugar. Delicious.
Returning to your booth, it's pretty basic. Red oilcloth-covered tables, well-worn water goblets, a short list of Chilean table wines and the guys bringing the meat. As long as you keep a little tabletop red-yellow-and-green spindle turned green-side up, they keep carving. It's all you can eat, for as long as you can eat. (Put the spindle red side up and it means stop, already! Sideways means bring the bill.)
For lunch ($12.75), the fare typically is limited -- if you can call it that -- to a dozen cuts of beef, pork sausage, giant chicken drumsticks and turkey cubes wrapped in bacon.
At dinner ($21.75), the choices expand to 22 different meats. All the beef you can get at lunch, plus skirt steak, succulent beef and pork ribs, ribeye, lamb. There's roasted salmon. And now the exotics come in. Alligator, duck, quail, chicken heart.
The aroma of smoky meat fills the room, and depending on your sensibilities, it is either delectable or overpowering.
None of it should come as a surprise. You know what you're getting the minute you pull into the parking lot.
One of those big photo banners hangs on the exterior wall facing the parking lot. A smiling meat server manhandles a loaded skewer. A dozen other full skewers loom next to him. Barbecue smells, richer than anything that wafts over your backyard fence, fill the air.
My pal (who introduced me to this place that we've come to call ``that meat palace'' while we were each in our Atkins Diet phase) and I liked the smell outside and in. My wife, who joined me for a Saturday-night meal, was firmly in the overpowered camp.
She liked the skirt steak and the ribeye, but six or seven servings of different meats later, she was full and ready to go. She waited patiently for me to work through the beef rib -- as beautiful as any prime rib I've had -- the quail, the alligator, the rabbit, the pork.
For her patience, she rewarded herself with a chocolate cheesecake served from a rolling cart by Jessica, the ``dessert girl'' -- another curious Midwestern touch -- and we split a pineapple sorbet that was a perfect cap to my gorging: light, creamy, cold and served in a hollowed-out pineapple husk.
Restaurant manager Roman Alcaraz says they've built a loyal following, among area Brazilians to be sure -- perhaps it's the caipirinha cocktails, a sort of Brazilian margarita made with cachaca, a type of Brazilian rum -- but also from the full melange of Orange County's many immigrants, be they Asian, Latin or Illinoisan.
Owner Kent Choy, a CPA in Los Angeles' Koreatown, got the idea for Amazon from a client, and in December 2002 it opened as the only one of its kind in Orange County. A few churrascaria serve Los Angeles County, and the staff in Fullerton hears rumors of a competitor coming to Irvine.
But for now, it's a singular kind of experience, a great place to meat a pal.
Minggu, 17 Januari 2010
A Noble Mission
An inspiring article about the Free Wheelchair Mission, a non-profit organization working to enhance the lives of disabled people in developing countries.
Over 25 years ago, a fellow named Don Shoendorfer was traveling in Morocco and witnessed a sight that inspired him to make a difference in the world. To bear witness to the sight of a crippled Moroccan woman dragging herself across a dirty road in the middle of town proved too much for him. Her image haunted him for many years to come, until he decided to put his education to use for those less fortunate. He has undertaken a task of great importance, which has the potential to change lives.
In 1999, Don established the Free Wheelchair Mission as a non-profit organization and set to work giving mobility and dignity back to disabled people in developing countries. With his PhD in Mechanical Engineering and an absolute heart of gold, Don has achieved what so many well intentioned organizations strive for. He has given thousands of people the renewed opportunity to live and experience life. And with that, he has given them hope for the future.
The initial challenge facing Don was that of developing a wheelchair that was safe and functional, but also relatively inexpensive. He set about doing research and development and, over time, came up with a design that has virtually eliminated the cost burden generally associated with wheelchairs and wheelchair production. The Free Wheelchair Mission has developed a wheelchair that sells for approximately $50.00 USF, which includes the costs of manufacturing, shipping, and distribution.
The second major challenge facing Don and his organization was the ability to provide these low cost wheelchairs to disabled persons in developing countries at no cost. To overcome this challenge, they have established partnerships with a number of charitable organizations. To date, they have provided wheelchairs free of cost to over 70,000 people in 46 countries. Their mission is to provide 20 million wheelchairs by the year 2010. This is a noble mission, indeed. The Free Wheelchair Mission has generated a lot of positive press for their amazing work, and they were recently acknowledged by the American President, George W. Bush, for the wonderful work they are doing. If only there were more people like Don Shoendorfer.
Over 25 years ago, a fellow named Don Shoendorfer was traveling in Morocco and witnessed a sight that inspired him to make a difference in the world. To bear witness to the sight of a crippled Moroccan woman dragging herself across a dirty road in the middle of town proved too much for him. Her image haunted him for many years to come, until he decided to put his education to use for those less fortunate. He has undertaken a task of great importance, which has the potential to change lives.
In 1999, Don established the Free Wheelchair Mission as a non-profit organization and set to work giving mobility and dignity back to disabled people in developing countries. With his PhD in Mechanical Engineering and an absolute heart of gold, Don has achieved what so many well intentioned organizations strive for. He has given thousands of people the renewed opportunity to live and experience life. And with that, he has given them hope for the future.
The initial challenge facing Don was that of developing a wheelchair that was safe and functional, but also relatively inexpensive. He set about doing research and development and, over time, came up with a design that has virtually eliminated the cost burden generally associated with wheelchairs and wheelchair production. The Free Wheelchair Mission has developed a wheelchair that sells for approximately $50.00 USF, which includes the costs of manufacturing, shipping, and distribution.
The second major challenge facing Don and his organization was the ability to provide these low cost wheelchairs to disabled persons in developing countries at no cost. To overcome this challenge, they have established partnerships with a number of charitable organizations. To date, they have provided wheelchairs free of cost to over 70,000 people in 46 countries. Their mission is to provide 20 million wheelchairs by the year 2010. This is a noble mission, indeed. The Free Wheelchair Mission has generated a lot of positive press for their amazing work, and they were recently acknowledged by the American President, George W. Bush, for the wonderful work they are doing. If only there were more people like Don Shoendorfer.
Sabtu, 16 Januari 2010
A New Take on DUI
There are a growing number of “DUI” driving accidents involving drivers that have had no alcohol. The new risk is the prescription sleep drug Ambien, sleep disorders such as sleep apnea and drivers “sleep driving.” The threat they pose is every bit as serious as an intoxicated driver and maybe just as common.
When most people hear the dreaded words Driving under the Influence they see dollar signs because of the costs involved anymore. Organizations like M.A.D.D. and S.A.D.D. have done a terrific job of heightening awareness across the country on driving under the influence of alcohol. States like New Mexico have come the furthest but only because it seemed like they were a safe haven for drunk drivers. Today there is a new problem!
One of the unspoken related problems of drunk driving is drivers falling asleep while intoxicated. Now there is a new epidemic sweeping the country in the form of “sleepwalking” drivers-driving under the influence of the most popular prescription sleep medication in the U.S. - Ambien.
Drivers who are unaware they are asleep at the wheel are a rising threat on U.S highways according to a recent NY times article. In Washington State alone in 2005, for example, 78 impaired drivers were arrested, up from 56 the previous year, with Ambien in their bloodstream. According to the Times article, ten state toxicology labs that test for the presence of the drug rate it as one of the top ten found in impaired drivers yet most states do not even test for the drug. Ambien had 26.6 million prescriptions last year with $2.2 billion in sales according to the article.
According to the report, following their arrests many of the drivers claim to have no recollection of getting behind the wheel. In many of the cases the drug was taken incorrectly either as an overdose or in addition to other drugs such as alcohol—HELLO!
Bizarre behavior often accompanies the misuse of the drug. The label warns of combining the drug with alcohol and possible sleepwalking side effects. Those warnings apparently have been relatively ineffective because broad misuse continues.
Additionally, sleep apnea and other sleep disorders which continue to grow in the U.S. provide another source of drivers falling asleep at the wheel. A study showed that people with sleep apnea were seven times more likely to have multiple car accidents.
So it’s not just your alcohol DUI any more. Drugs, legal and illegal, and a host of sleeping disorders are turning the streets into a nightmare for drivers falling asleep at the wheel all across the country. There are a variety of devices that can keep drivers awake if they are suspect, but maybe the best thing to do is not drive-what a co
When most people hear the dreaded words Driving under the Influence they see dollar signs because of the costs involved anymore. Organizations like M.A.D.D. and S.A.D.D. have done a terrific job of heightening awareness across the country on driving under the influence of alcohol. States like New Mexico have come the furthest but only because it seemed like they were a safe haven for drunk drivers. Today there is a new problem!
One of the unspoken related problems of drunk driving is drivers falling asleep while intoxicated. Now there is a new epidemic sweeping the country in the form of “sleepwalking” drivers-driving under the influence of the most popular prescription sleep medication in the U.S. - Ambien.
Drivers who are unaware they are asleep at the wheel are a rising threat on U.S highways according to a recent NY times article. In Washington State alone in 2005, for example, 78 impaired drivers were arrested, up from 56 the previous year, with Ambien in their bloodstream. According to the Times article, ten state toxicology labs that test for the presence of the drug rate it as one of the top ten found in impaired drivers yet most states do not even test for the drug. Ambien had 26.6 million prescriptions last year with $2.2 billion in sales according to the article.
According to the report, following their arrests many of the drivers claim to have no recollection of getting behind the wheel. In many of the cases the drug was taken incorrectly either as an overdose or in addition to other drugs such as alcohol—HELLO!
Bizarre behavior often accompanies the misuse of the drug. The label warns of combining the drug with alcohol and possible sleepwalking side effects. Those warnings apparently have been relatively ineffective because broad misuse continues.
Additionally, sleep apnea and other sleep disorders which continue to grow in the U.S. provide another source of drivers falling asleep at the wheel. A study showed that people with sleep apnea were seven times more likely to have multiple car accidents.
So it’s not just your alcohol DUI any more. Drugs, legal and illegal, and a host of sleeping disorders are turning the streets into a nightmare for drivers falling asleep at the wheel all across the country. There are a variety of devices that can keep drivers awake if they are suspect, but maybe the best thing to do is not drive-what a co
Jumat, 15 Januari 2010
A New Definition Of Drug And Alcohol Addiction And Treatment - Substance Abuse Has No Societal Boundaries
An addict is not considered an addict just because he drinks and drugs too much, nor because his life spirals downwards because of drugs. These are just predictable symptoms of the progressive disease. Perhaps if we had a new definition for addiction, it would not be so difficult to accept that individuals may be suffering from a disease that will eventually destroy their lives.
We have all heard that addiction is a disease, but how do we truly feel about this issue? When ...
An addict is not considered an addict just because he drinks and drugs too much, nor because his life spirals downwards because of drugs. These are just predictable symptoms of the progressive disease. Perhaps if we had a new definition for addiction, it would not be so difficult to accept that individuals may be suffering from a disease that will eventually destroy their lives.
We have all heard that addiction is a disease, but how do we truly feel about this issue? When you hear the word "addict", do you think of a junkie, crack addict, prostitute, or a homeless person who begs for money on a street corner? When you here the word addict, do you think of a lowlife, who has unacceptable behaviors, and lower morals? Do you somehow believe that their life circumstance is their fault and that they could, "just say no?"
A successful CEO, attorney, doctor, or professional with a substance abuse problem, would not fall into the category of addict according to the stereotypical definition. Perhaps, this is one of the reasons why a professional with a drug problem, alcohol included, does not easily consider himself to be addicted and readily seek addiction treatment . Success in other venues tends to convince the professional that he can also handle this problem as well, especially when he compares himself to addicts who have bottomed out and not entered a drug rehab. If the addicted professional is still semi-functioning and has not yet lost their job, house or family, his denial system will still be relatively intact.
Perhaps if we had a new definition for addiction, it would not be so difficult to accept that individuals may be suffering from a disease that will eventually destroy their lives. According to the American Medical Association, in order for a illness to be classified as a disease, it must meet one of the following criteria. It must be either progressive, predictable or terminal. Addiction qualifies as a disease by meeting not just one, but all three criteria. An addict is not considered an addict just because he drinks and drugs too much, nor because his life spirals downwards because of drugs. These are just predictable symptoms of the progressive disease.
Everyone knows that there are blood and urine tests to determine if drugs or alcohol are present in the body. Few of us are aware that there is now a test which determines whether someone has the DNA for the addiction. There is a “Y” factor in the genetic coding of alcoholics and addicts. This genetic makeup determines how the body processes, and breaks down alcohol or drugs in the system. This “Y” factor distinguishes the addict from the drug abuser.
An addict born with the DNA coding, or Y factor, is similar to the person who is born with the predisposition for cancer, diabetes, or lupus. As with cancer, when certain favorable conditions exist the diseases will activate and progress. For those with the addictive gene, once addictive chemicals are introduced into the body, the disease activates. It does not matter whether the addictive drugs are prescribed by a doctor or bought illegally.
There are exceptions to this genetic predisposition guideline. While the children of addicts will almost certainly have the addictive gene, in some instances, it may skip a generation. However, some who do not have the genetic coding for addiction, will also become addicted. Why? Drugs like crack cocaine have been designed in laboratories to intentionally cross over this genetic line, and become instantly addictive. Have you ever heard of a social crack cocaine smoker? This drug causes someone to bottom out at a much faster pace.
Drugs change the brain’s receptors sites. Enough drug usage can permanently alter the brain, and its ability to absorb vital nutrients. Our receptor sites are similar to loading docks in the brain, sending and receiving messages continually. These messages are sent through chemicals which are moved about though electrical surges. Not only do drugs alter the chemical balance in the brain, they eschew the pattern of energy pulses. But the most damaging effect of drug usage is permanent change in the cell walls, upon which other cells dock, much like how a key fits into a lock. If the lock is changed then the key won’t fit.
If you knew that you have the genetic coding for a disease, wouldn’t you do everything in your power to keep the disease from activating before the need for a drug rehab program? If you understood that your disease was actively progressing, wouldn’t you seek drug treatment? How can you help someone who does not yet realize that they need help? Family, friends, and co-workers are in a position to see the effects of drugs, long before the addicted has a clue.
We have all heard that addiction is a disease, but how do we truly feel about this issue? When ...
An addict is not considered an addict just because he drinks and drugs too much, nor because his life spirals downwards because of drugs. These are just predictable symptoms of the progressive disease. Perhaps if we had a new definition for addiction, it would not be so difficult to accept that individuals may be suffering from a disease that will eventually destroy their lives.
We have all heard that addiction is a disease, but how do we truly feel about this issue? When you hear the word "addict", do you think of a junkie, crack addict, prostitute, or a homeless person who begs for money on a street corner? When you here the word addict, do you think of a lowlife, who has unacceptable behaviors, and lower morals? Do you somehow believe that their life circumstance is their fault and that they could, "just say no?"
A successful CEO, attorney, doctor, or professional with a substance abuse problem, would not fall into the category of addict according to the stereotypical definition. Perhaps, this is one of the reasons why a professional with a drug problem, alcohol included, does not easily consider himself to be addicted and readily seek addiction treatment . Success in other venues tends to convince the professional that he can also handle this problem as well, especially when he compares himself to addicts who have bottomed out and not entered a drug rehab. If the addicted professional is still semi-functioning and has not yet lost their job, house or family, his denial system will still be relatively intact.
Perhaps if we had a new definition for addiction, it would not be so difficult to accept that individuals may be suffering from a disease that will eventually destroy their lives. According to the American Medical Association, in order for a illness to be classified as a disease, it must meet one of the following criteria. It must be either progressive, predictable or terminal. Addiction qualifies as a disease by meeting not just one, but all three criteria. An addict is not considered an addict just because he drinks and drugs too much, nor because his life spirals downwards because of drugs. These are just predictable symptoms of the progressive disease.
Everyone knows that there are blood and urine tests to determine if drugs or alcohol are present in the body. Few of us are aware that there is now a test which determines whether someone has the DNA for the addiction. There is a “Y” factor in the genetic coding of alcoholics and addicts. This genetic makeup determines how the body processes, and breaks down alcohol or drugs in the system. This “Y” factor distinguishes the addict from the drug abuser.
An addict born with the DNA coding, or Y factor, is similar to the person who is born with the predisposition for cancer, diabetes, or lupus. As with cancer, when certain favorable conditions exist the diseases will activate and progress. For those with the addictive gene, once addictive chemicals are introduced into the body, the disease activates. It does not matter whether the addictive drugs are prescribed by a doctor or bought illegally.
There are exceptions to this genetic predisposition guideline. While the children of addicts will almost certainly have the addictive gene, in some instances, it may skip a generation. However, some who do not have the genetic coding for addiction, will also become addicted. Why? Drugs like crack cocaine have been designed in laboratories to intentionally cross over this genetic line, and become instantly addictive. Have you ever heard of a social crack cocaine smoker? This drug causes someone to bottom out at a much faster pace.
Drugs change the brain’s receptors sites. Enough drug usage can permanently alter the brain, and its ability to absorb vital nutrients. Our receptor sites are similar to loading docks in the brain, sending and receiving messages continually. These messages are sent through chemicals which are moved about though electrical surges. Not only do drugs alter the chemical balance in the brain, they eschew the pattern of energy pulses. But the most damaging effect of drug usage is permanent change in the cell walls, upon which other cells dock, much like how a key fits into a lock. If the lock is changed then the key won’t fit.
If you knew that you have the genetic coding for a disease, wouldn’t you do everything in your power to keep the disease from activating before the need for a drug rehab program? If you understood that your disease was actively progressing, wouldn’t you seek drug treatment? How can you help someone who does not yet realize that they need help? Family, friends, and co-workers are in a position to see the effects of drugs, long before the addicted has a clue.
Kamis, 14 Januari 2010
A New Approach to an Old Problem- Racism
An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. - Mahatma Gandhi
There is a lot of hatred in this world. On the morning of September 11, 2001, the world witnessed the terrible repercussions of such hatred. Now I’m reading this blog titled “I Hate Racists” on ihatethis.org that is filled with venom and hatred towards racism and bigotry. By preaching sheer hatred like this you are only adding fuel to the fires that burn in a world already filled with hatred and violence.
An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. - Mahatma Gandhi
There is a lot of hatred in this world. On the morning of September 11, 2001, the world witnessed the terrible repercussions of such hatred. Now I’m reading this blog titled “I Hate Racists” on ihatethis.org that is filled with venom and hatred towards racism and bigotry. By preaching sheer hatred like this you are only adding fuel to the fires that burn in a world already filled with hatred and violence.
Most of us are waiting for the world to come together in peace. We may never reach that and it may seem like a farfetched dream, but together we must find the means. We must create a safe and secure environment for our children and our children’s children.
Racism is a difficult subject to tackle and in order to form a culture free of such racism, we must begin with education. If you don’t want your children to grow up in a word of hatred, teach them tolerance toward race, religion, color, and sexual orientation. We must expose racism and bigotry for what they are.
It is important to understand what racism is. Wikipedia describes racism as “Historically, it has been defined as the belief that race is the primary determinant of human capacities that a certain race is inherently superior or inferior to others, and/or that individuals should be treated differently according to their racial designation. Sometimes racism means beliefs, practices, and institutions that discriminate against people based on their perceived or ascribed race.”
Racism is based on ignorance, stereotyping and learned hatred. Many people accept that we live in a diverse society today and we appreciate different cultures. However, there are still large segments of society that won’t accept human capacities are not determined by race.
There is no doubt in my mind that we need to find a healthy solution to end racism. It is important to understand the nature of racism and intolerance. Together we can end prejudice. Our fight against racism cannot be won while there are attitudes like the one displayed on ihatethis.org against racists. Such behavior is unacceptable.
Racism is not an issue that will be easily resolved, and the sooner that we begin to work together the sooner we’ll come to a solution. There is a history of racism that cannot be undone but we can look to the future and make positive changes in how society views those of different ethnic backgrounds.
Give your children the opportunity to develop close friendships with people of different races. Teach your children to accept people as individuals. We must teach them that there is no room for discrimination. Remember that our children are influenced by the world around them.
Examine your own attitudes and opinions about those of a different race. Before stereotyping people, stop and think what your stereotyping is doing to our world today.
I don’t hate all the people in the world, I only feel ill towards those who are blind and cannot accept people for who they are.
The ability to accept that we are equal regardless of origins is necessary in order to live in a diverse society.
To quote the words of John Lennon, “I hope someday you'll join us and the world will live as one.”
There is a lot of hatred in this world. On the morning of September 11, 2001, the world witnessed the terrible repercussions of such hatred. Now I’m reading this blog titled “I Hate Racists” on ihatethis.org that is filled with venom and hatred towards racism and bigotry. By preaching sheer hatred like this you are only adding fuel to the fires that burn in a world already filled with hatred and violence.
An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. - Mahatma Gandhi
There is a lot of hatred in this world. On the morning of September 11, 2001, the world witnessed the terrible repercussions of such hatred. Now I’m reading this blog titled “I Hate Racists” on ihatethis.org that is filled with venom and hatred towards racism and bigotry. By preaching sheer hatred like this you are only adding fuel to the fires that burn in a world already filled with hatred and violence.
Most of us are waiting for the world to come together in peace. We may never reach that and it may seem like a farfetched dream, but together we must find the means. We must create a safe and secure environment for our children and our children’s children.
Racism is a difficult subject to tackle and in order to form a culture free of such racism, we must begin with education. If you don’t want your children to grow up in a word of hatred, teach them tolerance toward race, religion, color, and sexual orientation. We must expose racism and bigotry for what they are.
It is important to understand what racism is. Wikipedia describes racism as “Historically, it has been defined as the belief that race is the primary determinant of human capacities that a certain race is inherently superior or inferior to others, and/or that individuals should be treated differently according to their racial designation. Sometimes racism means beliefs, practices, and institutions that discriminate against people based on their perceived or ascribed race.”
Racism is based on ignorance, stereotyping and learned hatred. Many people accept that we live in a diverse society today and we appreciate different cultures. However, there are still large segments of society that won’t accept human capacities are not determined by race.
There is no doubt in my mind that we need to find a healthy solution to end racism. It is important to understand the nature of racism and intolerance. Together we can end prejudice. Our fight against racism cannot be won while there are attitudes like the one displayed on ihatethis.org against racists. Such behavior is unacceptable.
Racism is not an issue that will be easily resolved, and the sooner that we begin to work together the sooner we’ll come to a solution. There is a history of racism that cannot be undone but we can look to the future and make positive changes in how society views those of different ethnic backgrounds.
Give your children the opportunity to develop close friendships with people of different races. Teach your children to accept people as individuals. We must teach them that there is no room for discrimination. Remember that our children are influenced by the world around them.
Examine your own attitudes and opinions about those of a different race. Before stereotyping people, stop and think what your stereotyping is doing to our world today.
I don’t hate all the people in the world, I only feel ill towards those who are blind and cannot accept people for who they are.
The ability to accept that we are equal regardless of origins is necessary in order to live in a diverse society.
To quote the words of John Lennon, “I hope someday you'll join us and the world will live as one.”
Rabu, 13 Januari 2010
A Moving Experience
Ah, the joys of sending your child out to his or her own apartment. This scenario will be a humorous reminder to a few of you.
I’ve found a cool apartment! Okay, okay…so it’s not perfect. Just a few bugs. I mean literally! First expense? An exterminator! Is it worth the cash? Well, I can’t afford a more expensive place, so a one-time (please!) cash outlay should be okay. Maybe just a can of “Raid?”
I need a way to move my stuff. Daddy, can I borrow your truck? You don’t have one? Why not? Do you want one? I’ll help you pick it out! Well, it was just a suggestion. No need to get all bent out of shape! I guess I’d better call the truck rental places. What do you mean…$200…PLUS mileage? AND Gas? Good grief!
While I’m on the phone I’ll call the utility and phone companies. Yes, I know I haven’t used your services before. No, I don’t have a credit card; this is my first place. You want what? A $100 deposit? For EACH? Holy cow…do you people have a license to steal?
Daddy, I need $500 for moving expenses! I used all my money for the first and last months rent AND the damage deposit. Well, how was I to know this was going to be so expensive? Sell something? Daaaaad…I NEED my TV!
Boy, this place is pretty empty. Maybe I should buy a couch and a chair. Nah…I have my bed. That’ll be good enough. I don’t need a table; I’ll just use this box.
Renters Insurance? I don’t think so! What do I have to insure?
Just got my first phone call! I’d love to come to your party! Daddy, I need a car. Because it’s too far to walk to work, that’s why. Umm, Daddy…there’s car insurance too! Thanks, Dad…you’re the best! And gas? I didn’t think so…
Time for dinner. Let’s look in these boxes. Oh, No! No dishes or pans. No FOOD!
Uhhh, Mom?
I’ve found a cool apartment! Okay, okay…so it’s not perfect. Just a few bugs. I mean literally! First expense? An exterminator! Is it worth the cash? Well, I can’t afford a more expensive place, so a one-time (please!) cash outlay should be okay. Maybe just a can of “Raid?”
I need a way to move my stuff. Daddy, can I borrow your truck? You don’t have one? Why not? Do you want one? I’ll help you pick it out! Well, it was just a suggestion. No need to get all bent out of shape! I guess I’d better call the truck rental places. What do you mean…$200…PLUS mileage? AND Gas? Good grief!
While I’m on the phone I’ll call the utility and phone companies. Yes, I know I haven’t used your services before. No, I don’t have a credit card; this is my first place. You want what? A $100 deposit? For EACH? Holy cow…do you people have a license to steal?
Daddy, I need $500 for moving expenses! I used all my money for the first and last months rent AND the damage deposit. Well, how was I to know this was going to be so expensive? Sell something? Daaaaad…I NEED my TV!
Boy, this place is pretty empty. Maybe I should buy a couch and a chair. Nah…I have my bed. That’ll be good enough. I don’t need a table; I’ll just use this box.
Renters Insurance? I don’t think so! What do I have to insure?
Just got my first phone call! I’d love to come to your party! Daddy, I need a car. Because it’s too far to walk to work, that’s why. Umm, Daddy…there’s car insurance too! Thanks, Dad…you’re the best! And gas? I didn’t think so…
Time for dinner. Let’s look in these boxes. Oh, No! No dishes or pans. No FOOD!
Uhhh, Mom?
Selasa, 12 Januari 2010
A Military Tribute
It is truly beyond my abilities to express my gratitude and give my thanks to the military for their service to the world as they fight for our freedom. It is my hope that the following tribute will in part do that.
We are at war! While we enjoy our comfortable homes, food on the table and clean water to drink, thousands of brave men and women of the armed forces are defending our homeland in constant danger, lack of sleep, cold, wet, filth, dust, trenches, hunger and lon...
It is truly beyond my abilities to express my gratitude and give my thanks to the military for their service to the world as they fight for our freedom. It is my hope that the following tribute will in part do that.
We are at war! While we enjoy our comfortable homes, food on the table and clean water to drink, thousands of brave men and women of the armed forces are defending our homeland in constant danger, lack of sleep, cold, wet, filth, dust, trenches, hunger and longing for home, so that we may enjoy our freedom. They have put their personal lives on hold, left their families, comfort and all they know to go to another country and fight for not only the U.S.A. but the whole world. The United States is the only country who defends other countries and then returns it back to its people, enabling them to enjoy their new found freedom from tyranny. The military prevents terror from spreading throughout the world. So let's get behind our troops!
Terrorists are brutal murderers without conscience. It is their determination to take out the U.S.A. at any cost and are currently infiltrating and targeting many strategic places of work, including government. They will be ready to strike again when the command is given just as they did with the Twin Towers. You can do your part to help prevent this again. We must be prepared.
We, who have been left at home can also defend our country and there are many ways to do that, first, by defending and supporting our troops. Families should support their sons and daughters in their decision to defend our country. Suspicious activities should be reported. The media should also be supportive. Think how we could lift our troops morale knowing they have our full support.
So the next time you are eating, drinking or having a wonderful evening of dancing, remember, remember who you owe that enjoyment to. Remember those families who kissed their sons and daughters good bye and had the heart wrenching experience of waving their heroes good bye; watching them until they are out of sight, not knowing when and if they will return. How can we ever repay our debt to these brave souls and their families? God bless and protect our heroes, our military men and women! God Bless America!
We are at war! While we enjoy our comfortable homes, food on the table and clean water to drink, thousands of brave men and women of the armed forces are defending our homeland in constant danger, lack of sleep, cold, wet, filth, dust, trenches, hunger and lon...
It is truly beyond my abilities to express my gratitude and give my thanks to the military for their service to the world as they fight for our freedom. It is my hope that the following tribute will in part do that.
We are at war! While we enjoy our comfortable homes, food on the table and clean water to drink, thousands of brave men and women of the armed forces are defending our homeland in constant danger, lack of sleep, cold, wet, filth, dust, trenches, hunger and longing for home, so that we may enjoy our freedom. They have put their personal lives on hold, left their families, comfort and all they know to go to another country and fight for not only the U.S.A. but the whole world. The United States is the only country who defends other countries and then returns it back to its people, enabling them to enjoy their new found freedom from tyranny. The military prevents terror from spreading throughout the world. So let's get behind our troops!
Terrorists are brutal murderers without conscience. It is their determination to take out the U.S.A. at any cost and are currently infiltrating and targeting many strategic places of work, including government. They will be ready to strike again when the command is given just as they did with the Twin Towers. You can do your part to help prevent this again. We must be prepared.
We, who have been left at home can also defend our country and there are many ways to do that, first, by defending and supporting our troops. Families should support their sons and daughters in their decision to defend our country. Suspicious activities should be reported. The media should also be supportive. Think how we could lift our troops morale knowing they have our full support.
So the next time you are eating, drinking or having a wonderful evening of dancing, remember, remember who you owe that enjoyment to. Remember those families who kissed their sons and daughters good bye and had the heart wrenching experience of waving their heroes good bye; watching them until they are out of sight, not knowing when and if they will return. How can we ever repay our debt to these brave souls and their families? God bless and protect our heroes, our military men and women! God Bless America!
Senin, 11 Januari 2010
A Look into Cool
Some people will buy a Corvette, and another a Harley Davidson, but does that make either one of them cool. Read about what people buy to be cool and what others think of those things.
Lots of people who went thru school as one of the not cool people, spend much of their adult lives trying to become the cool kid they always wanted to be in school, and they go but and buy anything they can that may make people think they are cool, instead of taking a look at what makes some people cool and some people not cool.
Motorcycles and Cars: Many people who are looking to be cool will buy a motorcycle, maybe a Harley Davidson, a big sports bike or a sports car. This is because they feel that a fast car or motorcycle will make people look at them in a positive way, but in reality most people think less of these people.
Clothes, many people like to spend lots of money on the latest fashions to help them improve their image, thinking that people will find them interesting because they know what the hot new things to wear are.
Music: many people will find out what music is being played at the most popular clubs and drive around blasting it from their cars to make people think they are cool because they listen to the same music that is played in all the hot clubs.
Online and Casino Gambling: gambling has become a very popular thing in recent years and with Poker shows popping up on all the TV channels, many people think it is cool to go to the casinos dressed up like famous poker players, including vests with patches from sponsors. As un-cool as dressing like a professional poker player may be playing casino games like Craps, Poker and Blackjack may be cool, games like Sic Bo, Keno and slot machines are not cool unless you hit a Multi Million Dollar jackpot.
Bling: Bling is a term for gold ad silver jewelry, and in recent years the rule has become the cooler you want to appear the large your jewelry must be. For the most part these people are spending lots of money trying to look cool but wind up looking like fools.
Physical Fitness: in recent years many people have decided that if you want to look cool you have to belong to a gym, the people in the gym that are there just to look cool are always easy to spot. They are usually found sitting at the juice bar or in the hot tub. If they do ever actually do any type of workout it is usually ridding a bike for 5 minutes and before they even break a sweat they have to stop.
But the truth is that cool is not about what you have and how you look it is about who you are, and if you are choosing your car, your clothes, your music and anything else so that other people will believe you are cool and not because you enjoy these things then as cool as you may think you are, is in direct proportion to how cool you are not.
Being cool is not about wanting to be cool, being cool is about not caring what other people think and living life to its fullest, and in doing this you will find others with the same interests and these people will think of you as cool.
So I guess the key to being cool is just to make friends with people who enjoy the same things you enjoy and in doing so you will find that as your self image increases your need to be cool decreases, and then you will be cool.
Lots of people who went thru school as one of the not cool people, spend much of their adult lives trying to become the cool kid they always wanted to be in school, and they go but and buy anything they can that may make people think they are cool, instead of taking a look at what makes some people cool and some people not cool.
Motorcycles and Cars: Many people who are looking to be cool will buy a motorcycle, maybe a Harley Davidson, a big sports bike or a sports car. This is because they feel that a fast car or motorcycle will make people look at them in a positive way, but in reality most people think less of these people.
Clothes, many people like to spend lots of money on the latest fashions to help them improve their image, thinking that people will find them interesting because they know what the hot new things to wear are.
Music: many people will find out what music is being played at the most popular clubs and drive around blasting it from their cars to make people think they are cool because they listen to the same music that is played in all the hot clubs.
Online and Casino Gambling: gambling has become a very popular thing in recent years and with Poker shows popping up on all the TV channels, many people think it is cool to go to the casinos dressed up like famous poker players, including vests with patches from sponsors. As un-cool as dressing like a professional poker player may be playing casino games like Craps, Poker and Blackjack may be cool, games like Sic Bo, Keno and slot machines are not cool unless you hit a Multi Million Dollar jackpot.
Bling: Bling is a term for gold ad silver jewelry, and in recent years the rule has become the cooler you want to appear the large your jewelry must be. For the most part these people are spending lots of money trying to look cool but wind up looking like fools.
Physical Fitness: in recent years many people have decided that if you want to look cool you have to belong to a gym, the people in the gym that are there just to look cool are always easy to spot. They are usually found sitting at the juice bar or in the hot tub. If they do ever actually do any type of workout it is usually ridding a bike for 5 minutes and before they even break a sweat they have to stop.
But the truth is that cool is not about what you have and how you look it is about who you are, and if you are choosing your car, your clothes, your music and anything else so that other people will believe you are cool and not because you enjoy these things then as cool as you may think you are, is in direct proportion to how cool you are not.
Being cool is not about wanting to be cool, being cool is about not caring what other people think and living life to its fullest, and in doing this you will find others with the same interests and these people will think of you as cool.
So I guess the key to being cool is just to make friends with people who enjoy the same things you enjoy and in doing so you will find that as your self image increases your need to be cool decreases, and then you will be cool.
Minggu, 10 Januari 2010
A Finishing Costume Touch – Contacts Lenses
If you are looking for a way to make your Halloween costume complete and stand out above everyone else, you can consider special effect contact lenses. Here is a look at how these creepy contact lenses can help you complete the look.
If you are looking for a way to make your Halloween costume complete and stand out above everyone else, you can consider special effect contact lenses. Here is a look at how these creepy contact lenses can help you complete the look.
Will I be able to see?
Most of the special effect contact lenses are designed so that you can see while wearing them, including the blackout styled ones. The center portion of the lens remains clear. The exception to this is the ones that are designed to make the entire eye look white, since they hide the pupils. As you will have limited vision, it is suggested that you wear these lenses in only one eye at a time.
Can I still wear them if I wear prescription contacts?
Halloween contact lenses come in styles for both those who need corrective lenses and those that do not. However, the selection of corrective powered lenses is more limited, and do not go higher than a -6 prescription. Some styles are only available as non-corrective lenses.
Will they be comfortable to wear?
If you go with a higher quality brand of contact lenses, they should be comfortable. However, if you do not wear contacts normally you will probably notice that they are there. You should also keep in mind that costume contacts do not allow as much air flow to the eye as your traditional lenses, and so can start to feel irritated sooner. Most costume contact manufacturers do not recommend wearing the lenses for longer than 8 hours at a time.
Can I wear them more than once?
The typical name brand Halloween contact lenses are designed to last for a year, just like your regular contacts would. With good care and only occasional wear the nicer brands can last up to 18 months. Some brands are designed for only temporary wear and will last about 30 days. Less expensive than the other styles, these can be a good option if you only plan on wearing your Halloween contact lenses once.
Are there any risks?
There are some FDA warnings about Halloween contact lenses, and most are associated with the proper wear. You should always see an optometrist before ordering contacts, and purchase them from a registered contact lens retailer. Never share your lenses with another person. Do not sleep in lenses or wear them for longer than 8 hours. Remember to carry a case and contact lens solution with you so that you can remove your lenses if they become uncomfortable. Always wash your hands thoroughly before handling contact lenses.
How much will they cost me?
Traditional Halloween contact lenses range in price from about $60-$80 a pair. Hand-painted Halloween contact lenses are much more expensive and can cost over $200 a pair.
Where can I buy them?
You can often purchase Halloween contact lenses from your regular optometrist as well as online retailers. Since they are often special ordered, make sure that you allow enough time for them to arrive and order early for Halloween orders.
Halloween contact lenses can be a great way to add a finishing and unexpected touch to your Halloween costume.
If you are looking for a way to make your Halloween costume complete and stand out above everyone else, you can consider special effect contact lenses. Here is a look at how these creepy contact lenses can help you complete the look.
Will I be able to see?
Most of the special effect contact lenses are designed so that you can see while wearing them, including the blackout styled ones. The center portion of the lens remains clear. The exception to this is the ones that are designed to make the entire eye look white, since they hide the pupils. As you will have limited vision, it is suggested that you wear these lenses in only one eye at a time.
Can I still wear them if I wear prescription contacts?
Halloween contact lenses come in styles for both those who need corrective lenses and those that do not. However, the selection of corrective powered lenses is more limited, and do not go higher than a -6 prescription. Some styles are only available as non-corrective lenses.
Will they be comfortable to wear?
If you go with a higher quality brand of contact lenses, they should be comfortable. However, if you do not wear contacts normally you will probably notice that they are there. You should also keep in mind that costume contacts do not allow as much air flow to the eye as your traditional lenses, and so can start to feel irritated sooner. Most costume contact manufacturers do not recommend wearing the lenses for longer than 8 hours at a time.
Can I wear them more than once?
The typical name brand Halloween contact lenses are designed to last for a year, just like your regular contacts would. With good care and only occasional wear the nicer brands can last up to 18 months. Some brands are designed for only temporary wear and will last about 30 days. Less expensive than the other styles, these can be a good option if you only plan on wearing your Halloween contact lenses once.
Are there any risks?
There are some FDA warnings about Halloween contact lenses, and most are associated with the proper wear. You should always see an optometrist before ordering contacts, and purchase them from a registered contact lens retailer. Never share your lenses with another person. Do not sleep in lenses or wear them for longer than 8 hours. Remember to carry a case and contact lens solution with you so that you can remove your lenses if they become uncomfortable. Always wash your hands thoroughly before handling contact lenses.
How much will they cost me?
Traditional Halloween contact lenses range in price from about $60-$80 a pair. Hand-painted Halloween contact lenses are much more expensive and can cost over $200 a pair.
Where can I buy them?
You can often purchase Halloween contact lenses from your regular optometrist as well as online retailers. Since they are often special ordered, make sure that you allow enough time for them to arrive and order early for Halloween orders.
Halloween contact lenses can be a great way to add a finishing and unexpected touch to your Halloween costume.
Sabtu, 09 Januari 2010
A Card That Celebrates Giving All Year Long
A greeting card that does a world of good for children around the world will now be available year-round.
A greeting card that does a world of good for children around the world will now be available year-round.
For the first time ever, greeting cards carrying the logo of UNICEF-The United Nations Children's Fund-will be available all through the year at participating Hallmark Gold Crown® stores. UNICEF has been raising money for its programs from the sale of greeting cards since 1949. To date, over 4 billion cards have been sold.
The new collection will feature 20 different varieties of boxed cards packaged in keepsake boxes with an African Kuba-cloth-patterned bottom. Birthday cards, thank-you cards, thinking-of-you cards and blank cards will be included in the collection-the first produced for UNICEF by Hallmark. Most boxes have four designs per box. The cards will be priced between $10 and $20 and come in groups of eight cards with nine envelopes or groups of 20 cards with 21 envelopes.
Since 1947, the U.S. Fund for UNICEF has supported the work of the United Nations Children's Fund by raising support for its programs and increasing public awareness of the challenges facing the world's children.
UNICEF's programs are funded entirely by voluntary contributions and have made a tangible difference in the lives of children in 155 countries and territories. For example:
• $10 can provide a box of 200 disposable syringes for use during immunization campaigns.
• $12 can provide two long-lasting insecticidal mosquito nets, protecting families from malaria, which kills one African child every 30 seconds.
• $12 can provide 20 packets of high-energy biscuits, specially developed for malnourished children in emergency situations.
• $17 can immunize one child for life against the six major childhood diseases: diphtheria, measles, polio, tetanus, tuberculosis and whooping cough.
• $20 can buy blankets to protect five small children from the cold.
Kansas City-based Hallmark is known throughout the world for its greeting cards, related personal expression products, and one of television's most honored and enduring dramatic series, "Hallmark Hall of Fame." The company publishes products in more than 30 languages and distributes them in more than 100 countries.
A greeting card that does a world of good for children around the world will now be available year-round.
For the first time ever, greeting cards carrying the logo of UNICEF-The United Nations Children's Fund-will be available all through the year at participating Hallmark Gold Crown® stores. UNICEF has been raising money for its programs from the sale of greeting cards since 1949. To date, over 4 billion cards have been sold.
The new collection will feature 20 different varieties of boxed cards packaged in keepsake boxes with an African Kuba-cloth-patterned bottom. Birthday cards, thank-you cards, thinking-of-you cards and blank cards will be included in the collection-the first produced for UNICEF by Hallmark. Most boxes have four designs per box. The cards will be priced between $10 and $20 and come in groups of eight cards with nine envelopes or groups of 20 cards with 21 envelopes.
Since 1947, the U.S. Fund for UNICEF has supported the work of the United Nations Children's Fund by raising support for its programs and increasing public awareness of the challenges facing the world's children.
UNICEF's programs are funded entirely by voluntary contributions and have made a tangible difference in the lives of children in 155 countries and territories. For example:
• $10 can provide a box of 200 disposable syringes for use during immunization campaigns.
• $12 can provide two long-lasting insecticidal mosquito nets, protecting families from malaria, which kills one African child every 30 seconds.
• $12 can provide 20 packets of high-energy biscuits, specially developed for malnourished children in emergency situations.
• $17 can immunize one child for life against the six major childhood diseases: diphtheria, measles, polio, tetanus, tuberculosis and whooping cough.
• $20 can buy blankets to protect five small children from the cold.
Kansas City-based Hallmark is known throughout the world for its greeting cards, related personal expression products, and one of television's most honored and enduring dramatic series, "Hallmark Hall of Fame." The company publishes products in more than 30 languages and distributes them in more than 100 countries.
Jumat, 08 Januari 2010
A Better Way To Prepare And Protect America For Catastrophes
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita revealed America is not as prepared for natural disasters as it should be. While we can't stop them from occurring, we can do a better job preparing and protecting America from their consequences.
Contrary to popular belief, the epicenter of the strongest earthquake to ever strike the continental U.S. was not in California, but in Missouri. It was so powerful that it changed the course of the Mississippi River.
Twenty states, including Hawaii and every state that borders the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, face the threat of hurricanes every year.
As the population of the U.S. has swelled, so has the risk of Americans facing a catastrophe, whether it's a tornado, hurricane, flood or earthquake.
Home values have also increased in areas prone to natural disasters, and many of those homeowners have their net worth tied up in their homes. This puts their biggest financial asset at risk.
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita revealed America is not as prepared for natural disasters as it should be. While we can't stop them from occurring, we can do a better job preparing and protecting America from their consequences.
National coalitions such as Pro tectingAmerica.org, comprised of emergency management officials, first responders, disaster relief experts, insurers and others, are advocating ideas that would help prepare Americans to deal with the consequences of natural disasters before they occur.
One solution is the creation of privately funded, government- sponsored catastrophe funds. These funds would accumulate money in advance of catastrophes, and would be funded by a portion of the insurance premiums collected by private insurers. At the state level, the funds could cover restoration from local disasters. At the federal level, there could be a catastrophe fund that covers losses that can't be covered by one state. Money would not be accessed until needed, and would grow tax-free to help pay for future losses.
Besides catastrophe funds, other solutions could include strengthening first responders, improving building codes, and sensible land use policies.
While a better solution is still in the works, there are some things you can do now to prepare for catastrophes:
• Become familiar with your community's disaster preparedness plan and develop a plan for your family.
• Prepare an emergency supply kit including a three-day supply of bottled water, nonperishable food, a manual can opener, paper plates, cups, utensils, first-aid kit, flashlight and battery-operated radio with extra batteries.
• Organize documents in waterproof containers. Include financial information, important phone numbers, wills, insurance policies, immunization records and passports.
• Prepare an inventory of your personal property and videotape your household contents.
Contrary to popular belief, the epicenter of the strongest earthquake to ever strike the continental U.S. was not in California, but in Missouri. It was so powerful that it changed the course of the Mississippi River.
Twenty states, including Hawaii and every state that borders the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, face the threat of hurricanes every year.
As the population of the U.S. has swelled, so has the risk of Americans facing a catastrophe, whether it's a tornado, hurricane, flood or earthquake.
Home values have also increased in areas prone to natural disasters, and many of those homeowners have their net worth tied up in their homes. This puts their biggest financial asset at risk.
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita revealed America is not as prepared for natural disasters as it should be. While we can't stop them from occurring, we can do a better job preparing and protecting America from their consequences.
National coalitions such as Pro tectingAmerica.org, comprised of emergency management officials, first responders, disaster relief experts, insurers and others, are advocating ideas that would help prepare Americans to deal with the consequences of natural disasters before they occur.
One solution is the creation of privately funded, government- sponsored catastrophe funds. These funds would accumulate money in advance of catastrophes, and would be funded by a portion of the insurance premiums collected by private insurers. At the state level, the funds could cover restoration from local disasters. At the federal level, there could be a catastrophe fund that covers losses that can't be covered by one state. Money would not be accessed until needed, and would grow tax-free to help pay for future losses.
Besides catastrophe funds, other solutions could include strengthening first responders, improving building codes, and sensible land use policies.
While a better solution is still in the works, there are some things you can do now to prepare for catastrophes:
• Become familiar with your community's disaster preparedness plan and develop a plan for your family.
• Prepare an emergency supply kit including a three-day supply of bottled water, nonperishable food, a manual can opener, paper plates, cups, utensils, first-aid kit, flashlight and battery-operated radio with extra batteries.
• Organize documents in waterproof containers. Include financial information, important phone numbers, wills, insurance policies, immunization records and passports.
• Prepare an inventory of your personal property and videotape your household contents.
Kamis, 07 Januari 2010
18 Wheeler Accidents in San Antonio, Tx
Semi trucks or 18-wheelers are increasingly becoming a hazard for law abiding passenger vehicle drivers in Texas. Due to the size of 18-wheelers, accidents involving one are often catastrophic.
Semi trucks or 18-wheelers are increasingly becoming a hazard for law abiding passenger vehicle drivers in Texas. Due to the size of 18-wheelers, accidents involving one are often catastrophic.
The commercial trucking industry is governed by strict laws that must be followed to insure the safety of other vehicles on the road. Drivers holding a Class-A Commercial Driver’s License, required to drive an 18-wheeler, must observe rest periods after a specified number of hours on the road. Their mileage logs must be kept up to date after every change of duty. Unfortunately, drivers are often pushed to meet deadlines and safety becomes secondary to profit or even job security.
The laws governing 18-wheelers are specific and include, but are not limited to: driver logs and weight restrictions. All of these factors can influence the amount of compensation you may be entitled to.
The commercial traffic increase on interstate 35 in recent years is staggering. Statistics from the US Department of Transportation show that an alarming 30% of 18-wheeler accidents are due to driver fatigue. The injuries from these types of accidents are often life altering, requiring lengthy hospital stays and long rehabilitation periods. Medical bills are often astronomical.
If you have been in a serious accident involving an 18-wheeler, you should not attempt to deal with the insurance carrier yourself. The trucking company has their own team of professionals that are immediately dispatched to the accident scene to begin building a strong defense for the trucking company. You will be pressured to accept an offer much lower than the insurance company was actually willing to pay. Don’t let this happen to you. Have an experienced <a href=http://www.maliselawfirm.com/><b>San Antonio Personal Injury attorney</a></b> negotiate with the insurance company making sure you get the fairest amount possible for your claim.
Semi trucks or 18-wheelers are increasingly becoming a hazard for law abiding passenger vehicle drivers in Texas. Due to the size of 18-wheelers, accidents involving one are often catastrophic.
The commercial trucking industry is governed by strict laws that must be followed to insure the safety of other vehicles on the road. Drivers holding a Class-A Commercial Driver’s License, required to drive an 18-wheeler, must observe rest periods after a specified number of hours on the road. Their mileage logs must be kept up to date after every change of duty. Unfortunately, drivers are often pushed to meet deadlines and safety becomes secondary to profit or even job security.
The laws governing 18-wheelers are specific and include, but are not limited to: driver logs and weight restrictions. All of these factors can influence the amount of compensation you may be entitled to.
The commercial traffic increase on interstate 35 in recent years is staggering. Statistics from the US Department of Transportation show that an alarming 30% of 18-wheeler accidents are due to driver fatigue. The injuries from these types of accidents are often life altering, requiring lengthy hospital stays and long rehabilitation periods. Medical bills are often astronomical.
If you have been in a serious accident involving an 18-wheeler, you should not attempt to deal with the insurance carrier yourself. The trucking company has their own team of professionals that are immediately dispatched to the accident scene to begin building a strong defense for the trucking company. You will be pressured to accept an offer much lower than the insurance company was actually willing to pay. Don’t let this happen to you. Have an experienced <a href=http://www.maliselawfirm.com/><b>San Antonio Personal Injury attorney</a></b> negotiate with the insurance company making sure you get the fairest amount possible for your claim.
Rabu, 06 Januari 2010
10 Alternate Energy Sources To Live Well With Global Warming.
Feeling hot under the collar?
Glaciers and polar ice are melting, ocean levels are rising, hot, dry weather, huge forest fires, water restrictions, crop failures...
You name it, if these don't feature in your life yet, they soon will. Global warming and climate change are facts of life now, according to the International Panel on Climate Change, and many scientists.
Huge problems beyond our control!
But are you hot under the collar?
If you're not, you probably ...
Feeling hot under the collar?
Glaciers and polar ice are melting, ocean levels are rising, hot, dry weather, huge forest fires, water restrictions, crop failures...
You name it, if these don't feature in your life yet, they soon will. Global warming and climate change are facts of life now, according to the International Panel on Climate Change, and many scientists.
Huge problems beyond our control!
But are you hot under the collar?
If you're not, you probably live in a city where half of the Earth's citizens live now and take much for granted. Because in city living we are far removed from natural processes that deliver our food, clothing and energy.
Does your child even know that milk comes from a cow - or a soya bean if you're that way inclined - and not from a milk carton?
Even in the city you cannot stick your head in the sand (or under the asphalt?) and you are not immune from climate change. Witnesses are the 15,000 mostly elderly people that died in Paris alone in the sizzling hot European summer of 2003. Or the many killed in New Orleans at the 'hands' of cyclone Katrina.
And if you are hot under the collar, do you think perhaps that there will be some miraculous scientific break-through so they ever-responsible 'They' will fix the Earth? The ultimate stem cell technology maybe that can clone a new home for us!
Seriously, for many of us it is just all too hard.
All we want is to live a life where we may raise our children to have a future.
A future of some predictability: of schooling, a job, a family, community, of achievements and an enjoyable life - on a healthy planet Earth.
Is this a fading dream, once a reasonable expectation?
Maybe, maybe not.
Our world is changing. There are great challenges ahead and it is too late to stop global warming. The Earth has changed and the processes it uses to regulate itself are adjusting themselves. And these changes will not suit human life as it is.
But you are not powerless.
Each person alone can change the world, one by one. Let me explain.
Do I say that these problems are under our control then?
Well, yes and no.
We are talking about a severely disabled world really.
And from the experience of disability we can learn how to survive and thrive!
"Come on, get real", you say? Do I hear: "Just show me the right alternate energy sources and we'll get out of this mess."
Yes, we desperately do need to switch to renewable energy sources that do not make a greenhouse out of our home, the Earth. But all the technology in the world will never be enough to survive and flourish.
Renewable energy sources alone will not teach us to accept limits, unpredictability and what it is to lead a rewarding life.
How we have lived collectively, in our billions, for the last few hundred years, has got us to this point. And by changing what we do we can live through climate change as best as we might.
Even now.
It's simple and it's hard work. No way out of that.
Many people with severe disabilities know this. And they report the same or better life satisfaction as anyone else--under highly challenging, vulnerable circumstances.
So, we can learn to live well in a disabled world.
Regardless of what is to come you and I will be well served by the beliefs and strategies that people with disabilities use to - not just to survive - but to live well.
These are true alternate energy sources.
Those that guide us how to use what we have sustainably.
These 'disabled people' believe this:
* Accept that all of us are fragile and vulnerable
* The world is full of limits. We need some of these to live well
* Vulnerability and dependence are an inevitable part of a whole life
* No-one is independent, but interdependent
* Connection with others is our lifeline and our wellbeing
And they do this:
* Engage with others to build positive relationship, where you live, work and play
* Pay attention to other's needs and that of the environment
* Take responsibility for the situation you're in
* Care for others and the environment competently
* Be assertive and use your humour and creativity
Not all people with disabilities act in this way of course. And I'd be the last to portray people with disabilities as heroes. We're just people - trying to get on.
You try that!
Talk to that elderly woman in your street. Offer a hand when someone needs it.
Doing such small things will connect you with others and your environment.
And do also use the 'regular' renewable alternate energy sources, and recycle too.
You can change your local world by acting in these ways.
And if all fails - regardless?
Well, it's the only way to go!
Perhaps your world might be just as hot but it'll be cooler under your collar!
Glaciers and polar ice are melting, ocean levels are rising, hot, dry weather, huge forest fires, water restrictions, crop failures...
You name it, if these don't feature in your life yet, they soon will. Global warming and climate change are facts of life now, according to the International Panel on Climate Change, and many scientists.
Huge problems beyond our control!
But are you hot under the collar?
If you're not, you probably ...
Feeling hot under the collar?
Glaciers and polar ice are melting, ocean levels are rising, hot, dry weather, huge forest fires, water restrictions, crop failures...
You name it, if these don't feature in your life yet, they soon will. Global warming and climate change are facts of life now, according to the International Panel on Climate Change, and many scientists.
Huge problems beyond our control!
But are you hot under the collar?
If you're not, you probably live in a city where half of the Earth's citizens live now and take much for granted. Because in city living we are far removed from natural processes that deliver our food, clothing and energy.
Does your child even know that milk comes from a cow - or a soya bean if you're that way inclined - and not from a milk carton?
Even in the city you cannot stick your head in the sand (or under the asphalt?) and you are not immune from climate change. Witnesses are the 15,000 mostly elderly people that died in Paris alone in the sizzling hot European summer of 2003. Or the many killed in New Orleans at the 'hands' of cyclone Katrina.
And if you are hot under the collar, do you think perhaps that there will be some miraculous scientific break-through so they ever-responsible 'They' will fix the Earth? The ultimate stem cell technology maybe that can clone a new home for us!
Seriously, for many of us it is just all too hard.
All we want is to live a life where we may raise our children to have a future.
A future of some predictability: of schooling, a job, a family, community, of achievements and an enjoyable life - on a healthy planet Earth.
Is this a fading dream, once a reasonable expectation?
Maybe, maybe not.
Our world is changing. There are great challenges ahead and it is too late to stop global warming. The Earth has changed and the processes it uses to regulate itself are adjusting themselves. And these changes will not suit human life as it is.
But you are not powerless.
Each person alone can change the world, one by one. Let me explain.
Do I say that these problems are under our control then?
Well, yes and no.
We are talking about a severely disabled world really.
And from the experience of disability we can learn how to survive and thrive!
"Come on, get real", you say? Do I hear: "Just show me the right alternate energy sources and we'll get out of this mess."
Yes, we desperately do need to switch to renewable energy sources that do not make a greenhouse out of our home, the Earth. But all the technology in the world will never be enough to survive and flourish.
Renewable energy sources alone will not teach us to accept limits, unpredictability and what it is to lead a rewarding life.
How we have lived collectively, in our billions, for the last few hundred years, has got us to this point. And by changing what we do we can live through climate change as best as we might.
Even now.
It's simple and it's hard work. No way out of that.
Many people with severe disabilities know this. And they report the same or better life satisfaction as anyone else--under highly challenging, vulnerable circumstances.
So, we can learn to live well in a disabled world.
Regardless of what is to come you and I will be well served by the beliefs and strategies that people with disabilities use to - not just to survive - but to live well.
These are true alternate energy sources.
Those that guide us how to use what we have sustainably.
These 'disabled people' believe this:
* Accept that all of us are fragile and vulnerable
* The world is full of limits. We need some of these to live well
* Vulnerability and dependence are an inevitable part of a whole life
* No-one is independent, but interdependent
* Connection with others is our lifeline and our wellbeing
And they do this:
* Engage with others to build positive relationship, where you live, work and play
* Pay attention to other's needs and that of the environment
* Take responsibility for the situation you're in
* Care for others and the environment competently
* Be assertive and use your humour and creativity
Not all people with disabilities act in this way of course. And I'd be the last to portray people with disabilities as heroes. We're just people - trying to get on.
You try that!
Talk to that elderly woman in your street. Offer a hand when someone needs it.
Doing such small things will connect you with others and your environment.
And do also use the 'regular' renewable alternate energy sources, and recycle too.
You can change your local world by acting in these ways.
And if all fails - regardless?
Well, it's the only way to go!
Perhaps your world might be just as hot but it'll be cooler under your collar!
Selasa, 05 Januari 2010
9 Secrets about Romanian Brides
Almost all foreign bride sites tell you about the women which are in their database that are:
“gentle, respectful, and loving”
“strongly maternal and family-oriented”
“plays a subordinate role to men in both the public and private spheres”
“a mail order bride does not really ask for a lot”
I am sure that you have read these facts about women who are seeking a western man for marriage or friendship. But how can we classify thousands of women just in a few words?
Almost all foreign bride sites tell you about the women which are in their database that are:
“gentle, respectful, and loving”
“strongly maternal and family-oriented”
“plays a subordinate role to men in both the public and private spheres”
“a mail order bride does not really ask for a lot”
I am sure that you have read these facts about women who are seeking a western man for marriage or friendship. But how can we classify thousands of women just in a few words?
The scarcity of suitable husbands in Romania has led many marriage-minded Romanian women to explore the possibility of pursuing a Western man.
1. Romanian mail order brides are not character-less toy dolls. She needs what every woman needs: a good husband.
While there is no denial that a substantial number of foreign brides hope to live a better life in a western culture, it is just as legitimate to argue that a fat bank account does not top the list of qualities that these women look for in a man.
What women want is a man who is honest, loyal, sincere, respectful, and able to provide for her children basic needs. The same happens with western women too.
2. A Romanian bride does not harbor the illusion of landing a millionaire for a husband, but instead pins her hopes on finding a man with strength of character, a shared respect for family values, and the financial means to adequately support a family.
Romanian woman perceive Western men as decent, responsible, easy going guys who know how to treat their women well.
3. Because she is a healthy balance of traditional values and a modern, tolerant outlook, the Romanian brides possesses the intelligence and sensibility to adapt to a western environment without sacrificing her norms and customs.
4. Most of the ladies who apply to dating agencies can at least read and understand English.There are doctors, lawyers, teachers, government employees, sales clerks with ages ranging from 18 to 40-plus.
5. A Romanian bride is just seeking the man of his life. Are You the one?
If you believe in destiny you should check out some Romanian brides. Your soulmate can be right there.
6. Just BE YOURSELF when you get in touch with these women and you will be surprised to see the success you'll have.
7. NEVER try impersonate someone you are not. Not only will you come across as insincere, but you will also feel uncomfortable and make others feel this way right along with you.
8. Never tell lies to your date or pretend anything about your life that isn't true. If this is your perfect match for God's sake do not allow it to be ruined by some silly lie told early on.
Trying to be cool, aggressive generally just makes you awkward and unapproachable. Relax, be natural, be the you that your friends and others who know and like you, see and appreciate.
9. Show Enthusiasm but stop acting like Kiss-Ass Wussbags. Romanian Brides are looking for someone that would ADD VALUE to their lives!
And don't forget that you don't have to impress all the women, only those which are things in common with you: same goals, same interests. You have to know what are you looking for.
Just try, maybe you are single only because you haven't searched in the right place yet. :)
“gentle, respectful, and loving”
“strongly maternal and family-oriented”
“plays a subordinate role to men in both the public and private spheres”
“a mail order bride does not really ask for a lot”
I am sure that you have read these facts about women who are seeking a western man for marriage or friendship. But how can we classify thousands of women just in a few words?
Almost all foreign bride sites tell you about the women which are in their database that are:
“gentle, respectful, and loving”
“strongly maternal and family-oriented”
“plays a subordinate role to men in both the public and private spheres”
“a mail order bride does not really ask for a lot”
I am sure that you have read these facts about women who are seeking a western man for marriage or friendship. But how can we classify thousands of women just in a few words?
The scarcity of suitable husbands in Romania has led many marriage-minded Romanian women to explore the possibility of pursuing a Western man.
1. Romanian mail order brides are not character-less toy dolls. She needs what every woman needs: a good husband.
While there is no denial that a substantial number of foreign brides hope to live a better life in a western culture, it is just as legitimate to argue that a fat bank account does not top the list of qualities that these women look for in a man.
What women want is a man who is honest, loyal, sincere, respectful, and able to provide for her children basic needs. The same happens with western women too.
2. A Romanian bride does not harbor the illusion of landing a millionaire for a husband, but instead pins her hopes on finding a man with strength of character, a shared respect for family values, and the financial means to adequately support a family.
Romanian woman perceive Western men as decent, responsible, easy going guys who know how to treat their women well.
3. Because she is a healthy balance of traditional values and a modern, tolerant outlook, the Romanian brides possesses the intelligence and sensibility to adapt to a western environment without sacrificing her norms and customs.
4. Most of the ladies who apply to dating agencies can at least read and understand English.There are doctors, lawyers, teachers, government employees, sales clerks with ages ranging from 18 to 40-plus.
5. A Romanian bride is just seeking the man of his life. Are You the one?
If you believe in destiny you should check out some Romanian brides. Your soulmate can be right there.
6. Just BE YOURSELF when you get in touch with these women and you will be surprised to see the success you'll have.
7. NEVER try impersonate someone you are not. Not only will you come across as insincere, but you will also feel uncomfortable and make others feel this way right along with you.
8. Never tell lies to your date or pretend anything about your life that isn't true. If this is your perfect match for God's sake do not allow it to be ruined by some silly lie told early on.
Trying to be cool, aggressive generally just makes you awkward and unapproachable. Relax, be natural, be the you that your friends and others who know and like you, see and appreciate.
9. Show Enthusiasm but stop acting like Kiss-Ass Wussbags. Romanian Brides are looking for someone that would ADD VALUE to their lives!
And don't forget that you don't have to impress all the women, only those which are things in common with you: same goals, same interests. You have to know what are you looking for.
Just try, maybe you are single only because you haven't searched in the right place yet. :)
Senin, 04 Januari 2010
6 Things to do if involved in a Motorcycle Accident
Motorcycle accidents have a reputation for being some of the deadliest. Motorcycles offer little protection to riders in the event of an accident; therefore the injuries are often severe requiring long recovery periods.
Motorcycle accidents have a reputation for being some of the deadliest. Motorcycles offer little protection to riders in the event of an accident; therefore the injuries are often severe requiring long recovery periods.
Usually, motorcycle accidents are not the biker’s fault. Due to the size difference between a motorcycle and passenger vehicle, motorcycles are harder to see and are frequently lost in the passenger vehicle’s “blind spot.” Due to this fact biker’s are often sideswiped by vehicles that simply did not see them.
Some shocking statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that motorcyclists are 32 times more likely to die in an accident than passenger vehicle occupants, and 6 times more likely to suffer injuries. It is important to remember that biker’s are entitled to compensation for injuries due to someone else’s negligence as well as passenger vehicle drivers.
If you are involved in a motorcycle accident it is important to remember the following things:
1. Report the accident to police. The police report is helpful to your auto accident injury lawyer in determining fault.
2. Record the names and statements of witnesses to your accident. Take pictures and record any unusual circumstances or whether that may have contributed to the accident. This will be especially useful should your case go to court.
3. Do not speak with any insurance agents or adjusters that may show up at the scene. This is an unscrupulous tactic sometimes used to get people to admit fault or say something that could hurt their claim.
4. Call your insurance company to report the accident. Do not speak with the other party’s insurance carrier. Let your motorcycle accident injury lawyer deal with them.
5. Even if you feel you haven’t sustained a serious injury, it is a good idea to get checked out by a physician. Some brain injuries do not show up right away and insurance companies may be reluctant to pay for an injury later on.
6. Contact a motorcycle accident injury lawyer as soon as possible.
Motorcycle accidents have a reputation for being some of the deadliest. Motorcycles offer little protection to riders in the event of an accident; therefore the injuries are often severe requiring long recovery periods.
Usually, motorcycle accidents are not the biker’s fault. Due to the size difference between a motorcycle and passenger vehicle, motorcycles are harder to see and are frequently lost in the passenger vehicle’s “blind spot.” Due to this fact biker’s are often sideswiped by vehicles that simply did not see them.
Some shocking statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that motorcyclists are 32 times more likely to die in an accident than passenger vehicle occupants, and 6 times more likely to suffer injuries. It is important to remember that biker’s are entitled to compensation for injuries due to someone else’s negligence as well as passenger vehicle drivers.
If you are involved in a motorcycle accident it is important to remember the following things:
1. Report the accident to police. The police report is helpful to your auto accident injury lawyer in determining fault.
2. Record the names and statements of witnesses to your accident. Take pictures and record any unusual circumstances or whether that may have contributed to the accident. This will be especially useful should your case go to court.
3. Do not speak with any insurance agents or adjusters that may show up at the scene. This is an unscrupulous tactic sometimes used to get people to admit fault or say something that could hurt their claim.
4. Call your insurance company to report the accident. Do not speak with the other party’s insurance carrier. Let your motorcycle accident injury lawyer deal with them.
5. Even if you feel you haven’t sustained a serious injury, it is a good idea to get checked out by a physician. Some brain injuries do not show up right away and insurance companies may be reluctant to pay for an injury later on.
6. Contact a motorcycle accident injury lawyer as soon as possible.
Sabtu, 02 Januari 2010
3 Important Planning Steps before Working with a Divorce Lawyer
There are 3 steps that you can take to make the process of working with a divorce lawyer more expedient and cost effective.
If you are planning on a divorce then it is paramount to know how to work with a divorce lawyer. There are three important planning steps that you can use to make the process simpler and also try and keep costs down.
Get Organized – It is important that you get yourself organized. A lawyer is going to ask you for an inventory of all of your assets and liabilities. You can get all this information before you meet with the attorney. The attorney will need this information in the form of written evidence such as bank statements, credit card statements, etc. They cannot just operate on the work of their client in this matter. Understand that tax returns will likely be requested, also. Other items that come into play are 401K plan statements, pension statements, and IRA statements. Also, if you have wills or other documents that may prove that some of your property is separate and not community property. Separate property was either brought into the marriage or received in the form of inheritance.
Set priorities – Setting priorities can be vital in making sure that you do not get bogged down in the process. By priorities, I mean determining what is important for you. Remember that all the assets are going to be divided. You should figure out if you want to keep the house or not. You should then determine other material possessions and what is important for you. It is important not to get too carried away, because you may not be able to “keep everything”. Realize that your spouse will get things as well. If you have children, determine who will get custody. Then determine a proposed visitation schedule for the other spouse. Children and visitation are often the issues that bog down the divorce procedure.
Be reasonable - Being reasonable can help you get divorced so that you can get on with your life.
Think about what may be important to the other spouse. Sure you may hate him/her, but you still have to reach an agreement on separation of property, residence for the children, and visitation. A big part of getting through the divorce procedure is being prepared for negotiations. This way ahead of time you can have an idea of what you may give up and what your spouse may give up. As mentioned under the priorities section, these are the things that really matter. Don’t treat this like a contest. Generally, the people that win in a contest are the attorneys due to the high legal fees that can be incurred. Realize that it may be a 50/50 split in the end. Thus, being reasonable should help you contribute towards the other spouse’s 50 while getting you the things that are most important.
In summary, a divorce lawyer works for an hourly wage in most circumstances. Planning on your part can help keep these costs down and also speed up the divorce process.
If you are planning on a divorce then it is paramount to know how to work with a divorce lawyer. There are three important planning steps that you can use to make the process simpler and also try and keep costs down.
Get Organized – It is important that you get yourself organized. A lawyer is going to ask you for an inventory of all of your assets and liabilities. You can get all this information before you meet with the attorney. The attorney will need this information in the form of written evidence such as bank statements, credit card statements, etc. They cannot just operate on the work of their client in this matter. Understand that tax returns will likely be requested, also. Other items that come into play are 401K plan statements, pension statements, and IRA statements. Also, if you have wills or other documents that may prove that some of your property is separate and not community property. Separate property was either brought into the marriage or received in the form of inheritance.
Set priorities – Setting priorities can be vital in making sure that you do not get bogged down in the process. By priorities, I mean determining what is important for you. Remember that all the assets are going to be divided. You should figure out if you want to keep the house or not. You should then determine other material possessions and what is important for you. It is important not to get too carried away, because you may not be able to “keep everything”. Realize that your spouse will get things as well. If you have children, determine who will get custody. Then determine a proposed visitation schedule for the other spouse. Children and visitation are often the issues that bog down the divorce procedure.
Be reasonable - Being reasonable can help you get divorced so that you can get on with your life.
Think about what may be important to the other spouse. Sure you may hate him/her, but you still have to reach an agreement on separation of property, residence for the children, and visitation. A big part of getting through the divorce procedure is being prepared for negotiations. This way ahead of time you can have an idea of what you may give up and what your spouse may give up. As mentioned under the priorities section, these are the things that really matter. Don’t treat this like a contest. Generally, the people that win in a contest are the attorneys due to the high legal fees that can be incurred. Realize that it may be a 50/50 split in the end. Thus, being reasonable should help you contribute towards the other spouse’s 50 while getting you the things that are most important.
In summary, a divorce lawyer works for an hourly wage in most circumstances. Planning on your part can help keep these costs down and also speed up the divorce process.
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