Boomer the tennis ball machine

While a tennis ball machine can be useful for helping tennis players with their practices, there is one machine that is more advanced and can help players in more ways during practice. This tennis ball machine is known as Boomer, and it is referred to by many as the “ultimate tennis ball machine.”

Created by robotics designer Dave Jordan and used by programs such as the University of Georgia’s tennis program, Boomer is a tennis machine that can help with not only practice shots for responding to serves and returns but also with other aspects of the game, including reading lines and scores, as well as the quality of your shots. Generally speaking, it is a tennis ball machine that doubles as a virtual competitor. Boomer helps to analyze how well you are doing and offer you more assistance in your practice that what any typical tennis ball machine would offer.

Unlike any ordinary tennis ball machine, Boomer can give information for people of all skill levels from beginner to expert. The user can also adjust the skill level of Boomer for the person’s own needs. This means that Boomer can play at a skill level of a pro tennis star or of a regular casual player. Therefore, this tennis ball machine is able to respond to your moves with a variety of shots, ranging from hard smash shots to slow volley shots.

Another advantage of thismachine is that Boomer can shoot with a variety of different shots used in tennis. For instance, Boomer can shoot volley, net, serve, approach and ground shots, which allow for a better variety than what a normal tennis ball machine has. Also, the scale of the shots can be arranged between 2.0 and 7.0. Boomer also gives points to its shots, ranging them from a scale of one to nine based on the depth and width in the shot. This allows for more range than what a typical tennis ball machine would offer.

One advantage of using Boomer as a tennis ball machine is that it makes practices more exciting and enjoyable. Boomer works like a regular tennis player would with different difficulties, making this a more challenging tennis ball machine to use in your practice. Also, it can simulate an entire match for you, which makes the practice a good way to prepare for a real match. It is like a real person when you don’t have one to practice with you.

Whether you are an expert at tennis or you are just learning to play the game Boomer is a great tennis ball machine that you can use for your practice. This tennis ball machine will analyze the quality of your shots and give you a variety of shots with which you can respond to. This machine is one that works like a real person to give you a challenge in your practice. No matter what skill you have Boomer will be a great practice buddy for you.

You can go to jail for software piracy - why would you do it

There are many ways for a thief to perform his or her trade. In past decades, there were limited ways for thieves to steal. Most of them have perfected their craft with little chance of getting caught. However, with the ever-evolving Internet, thieves have a whole new venue for them to choose from. The latest product to come under the attack of theft is Software. With all of the software that is available and that is being developed, all a software pirate has to do is “choose” the software that they want from the Internet.

Software Piracy has been on the rise in recent years because of the cost that is associated with the software itself; however, it is the business and programmers who suffer the most from software piracy.

All software comes with a licensing agreement that the end user must agree to before they are allowed to use the software. These agreements are legal and binding and are usually only meant for the person who has purchased the software. However, even though the person agrees to this, they end up sharing the software with friends and family and sometimes even with their co-workers. When this occurs, it is considered software piracy. Although it is on a very small scale, it is still stealing.

Perhaps you and your co-workers are not aware of the consequences of sharing software files. In recent news stories, software piracy has become the focal point for many lawmakers. New laws have been passed that make fines for software piracy steep and jail time is a real possibility for those who continue to pirate software. The person who gets a hold of that software and turns around and sells it as bootleg certainly understands the penalty for getting caught. However, the temptation to make a lot of money for very little work proves to be too much for some to pass up.

Schools throughout the country and the world use commercial software and shareware. Most schools are eligible for discounts on software that allows their students to research their subjects. Freeware and Open Source software are also available to schools throughout the world, and this type of software is also vulnerable to software piracy. One way to reduce this particular piracy risk is to use older versions of the software.

Consumers have never had a high opinion of freeware or Open Source software. They have always felt that these products were lacking in performance and were very low quality. They are so wrong. In recent years, with the upgrades that have been developed, the quality of freeware has increased dramatically. The quality has increased so much, that the commercial software corporations have begun to take notice and protest that they are loosing money due to the freeware that is being developed.

When you are looking for software, it is important that you research all of your possibilities. There are literally thousands of programs both commercial and freeware, however it is important that you read and understand the licensing agreement before you accept it. It is a legal and binding agreement, and the consequences of breaking that agreement are also very real. It is also not necessary to commit software piracy, rather use the freely available Open Source products.

How to learn french language that fits your schedule

For those who wish to learn French language but think they cannot because of their busy schedules, there are actually plenty of options.

In many countries, lots of institutions offer classes. However, not everyone has the opportunity to take these time-extensive courses that are spread over several years for in-depth learning. With the fast and busy pace of these modern times, lots of people need quicker and more convenient methods. Fortunately, there are learning techniques that can be squeezed into a tight schedule and yet still be effective.

To learn French language efficiently, consider your needs and your current schedule, so that you can set realistic goals. As a starter, you can turn to the Internet, which provides you with plenty of programs. Many sites offer free material that are basic and introductory. This is a great way to learn numbers, letters, grammar, verb conjugations, and basic sentences such as greetings. If you are at least at intermediate level, you often have to pay a certain rate to get access to lessons with more substance and features.

Considering your needs helps save you time and energy. For example, if you are more interested in becoming fluent with your speech than in improving your reading and writing skills, you do not need to include books or writing exercises in your studying.

Instead, go for audio-based lessons such as those that are offered through cassettes and CDs. These courses concentrate on proper pronunciation and make you apply your listening skills, which is similar to having an actual conversation with a native speaker.

When the aim is a quick learning of the language, choose methods that have a practical approach to teaching, such as words and phrases used in everyday conversations. That way, you focus on picking up essential words and phrases—only those that are pertinent to daily use, as opposed to memorizing dozens of vocabulary that you are unlikely to use often.

If you do want something in depth and have the time, learn French language from experts and not from amateurs. Do not risk picking up wrong sentence structures and inaccurate translations of words and phrases. It is important, therefore, to find and choose accredited programs and tutors who have the knowledge and the experience to show you the right way. Also, when you feel comfortable enough, you could try a language exchange with a native speaker to improve your pronunciation and vocabulary.

A source where you can learn French language is Pimsleur-language. com. The website provides 30-minute lessons on cassette or CD. The lessons last for one month, and include instruction from a teacher and pronunciation practice with a native speaker. Visit pimsleur-language. com to find out more about the courses they offer.

Poker strategy how to improve your poker betting strategy

The betting strategy of poker is complex and it is simple. That is why poker is such a fun game for people of all ages. And, knowing a solid betting strategy is a great way to get the most out of the poker games you play.

Here are some helpful scenarios to help you improve your poker strategy:

When you are in the dealer’s position and only you and the blinds remain in the game, a raise in this position is called Blind Stealing. This is because the blinds may fold and if you raise then you can buy the blinds in this way. Just calling at this point allows the players who posted the blinds to just check. Failing to raise here is an opportunity missed.

If you are the last player to act and your opponents have checked, betting to limit the amount of players or to take the pot is called a Steal Raise. It is best to use this strategy when you are holding a drawing hand such as a flush. You shouldn’t use this move very often since better players will recognize the move and begin to Check Raise your hand.

A Check Raise is to get an insight into your opponent’s hand by checking, waiting for them to bet and then raising, which increases the pot.

The Opener is a move done by people who are bluffers; when they are in the position to act first, they raise, making the other players call two bets at once. This limits the amount of players in the pot. It is a sort of Backwards Steal Raise. This will usually force many players to fold. Any of the remaining players can be characterized as aggressive or as having an excellent hand. This technique is also known as betting for information.

Squeezing is a strategy that you can use. It is betting when you are holding a good hand and presume that another player may be on the draw.

Now, let’s talk about pre-flop strategy:

Before the flop you need to consider your hole cards, the number of players, your position at the table, your bankroll, the aggressive or passive players at the table and how much you are willing to risk.

The best strategy for Texas Hold’em is to play tight and aggressively. That means only betting on high ranking hands and then when you do bet, bet often.

If there are a lot of players in a hand, chances are high that one of them has a strong hand in their pocket. If there are fewer players, it is less likely that another player has a strong hand. In larger games, there is also a higher risk that someone else’s pre-flop hand will fit the flop. Also consider that players in earlier positions are more able to influence the size of the pot than players in later positions.

If you only have a couple dollars left, then you must play with extreme caution, with an even more tight strategy than usual. If you have more money, you can play more regularly.

If you have been playing in enough hands at a table to recognize a player that is raising every pre-flop, then you must play a much tighter game. That player will win the big blinds often, but you can hurt him or her later with a winning hand.

If you want to go for large pots but don’t mind loosing a few hands, you should raise pre-flop, especially if you are in a late position. If you prefer to be selective at pre-flop then you should patiently wait for a winning hand.

Pre-purchase dos

Because of the fast-paced world that we live in today, the scene would usually be: so little time with so many things to do. Also, high-technology which seemed impossible before is now almost impossible to miss. Definitely, everything around us has something to do with technology.

An audio book is an example. Instead of reading books, we now have recorded versions, even dramatized ones complete with sound effects. They are so efficient; you will never miss out on any of your favorite books. You can listen to them while you're stuck in traffic, waiting for your flight, and even while doing the laundry. Talk about multi-tasking!

So assuming that you are now convinced to get one for yourself, it's about time for you to know the things to consider before buying an audio book.

Make sure you know what type of format you want to get. First off, check what kind of media player you are currently using. This will narrow down the choices. If you have a cassette tape player, you should opt for an audio book recorded in a tape then. But if you want, you could also buy yourself a new portable media player.

Cassette tapes are obviously the oldest type among all formats. CD's have been around for quite some time, while mp3's are the newer additions. Mp3 formats can just be transferred to a CD or any portable media player if you ever want to bring your audio books with you everywhere you go.

Surely you are now aching to compare how much each of them costs. Though a cassette tape is the more popular kind, they are more expensive, not to mention inconvenient. Their low storage capacity is a big disadvantage. One tape can only accumulate two to three chapters. This means you will have to buy tapes in bulk in order to finish one whole book. A CD, on the other hand has more or less the same price as with a book. But if you are on a budget, audio books in mp3 format are the best choice. They can just be downloaded on the internet for free or at a discounted price depending on the website. This could also mean that you will no longer wait for them to arrive in the mail or pay added amounts for shipping.

You should also check the store if they have a "no return, no exchange" policy. There could be some instances when while playing the audio book, you will hear some scratches and strange noises which can't possibly be just sound effects.

Your kids might be dyslexics read on

It was a well-known fact that decades ago, before there were televisions, radios, or computers, men only had one form of leisure, reading. Our ancestors just read to keep themselves abreast with what is going on with their surroundings. They read so they can travel and experience the world. But with the influx of modern technology such as the Internet, cell phones and electronic games, the younger generations have somehow placed the skill and virtue of reading at a back seat. Many young people have lost the passion and skill to read and, instead, they waste their time and resources by playing video games or hanging out in the mall.

It has been observed that children and teenagers who love reading have comparatively higher IQs. They are more creative and do better in school and college. The children who start reading from an early age are observed to have good language skills, and they grasp the variances in phonics much better.

But while other kids developed the love for reading and learned it easily, there are others who seem to have difficulties in engaging in this type of normally stimulating activity. These children are often diagnosed as suffering from a form of disability called dyslexia. Dyslexia is an impairment in the brain's ability to translate written images received from the eyes into meaningful language. Also called specific reading disability, dyslexia is the most common learning disability in children. It is affecting 5 percent or more of all elementary-age children.

A child who has dyslexia might start out doing fine in school. But gradually, it can become a struggle, especially when reading becomes an important part of schoolwork. A teacher might say that the child is smart, but doesn't seem to be able to get the hang of reading. If a teacher or parent notices this, the best thing to do is to go to a specialist who can help figure out what's wrong.

Dyslexia can be difficult to recognize before a child enters school, but some early clues may indicate a problem. If your young child begins talking late, adds new words slowly and has difficulty rhyming, he or she may be at increased risk of dyslexia. Dyslexia may occur in children with normal vision and normal intelligence. Children with dyslexia usually have normal speech, but often have difficulty interpreting spoken language and writing.

The cause of dyslexia seems to be a malfunction in certain areas of the brain concerned with language. The condition frequently runs in families. Treatment plans for children who have a specific reading disability should follow a sequence. The first intervention that should be tried, particularly with young children, involves systematically teaching word decoding skills. These are generally called phonics-based intervention approaches. There are many variants of phonics-based approaches and no research indicating that one approach is superior to another.

Dyslexia, as a learning disability is a condition that produces a gap between someone's ability and his or her performance. Most people with dyslexia are of average or above-average intelligence, but read at levels significantly lower than expected. It has nothing to do with IQ; many smart, accomplished people have it, or are thought to have had it, including Winston Churchill and Albert Einstein. Dyslexics are unusually insightful, who bring a new perspective, who think out of the box.

Without the needed support for dyslexics, dyslexia can snuff out dreams at an early age, as children lose their way in school, fall into depression, then lose their self-esteem and drive. Dyslexics don't outgrow their problems, and reading and writing usually remain hard work for life. However, with proper teaching, counseling, and adept tutoring, they do learn to manage.

For sale by owner and the web

Unless you have been living under a rock, you know the Internet has radically changed society. In real estate, this has led to a massive surge in for sale by owner properties on the web.

For Sale By Owner and the Web

In the past, choosing to go the path of “For Sale By Owner” could turn out to be incredibly difficult and overbearing. Realtors dominated the market because they had proprietary access to the multiple listing service, known as MLS, and you had to be listed in it if you wanted your property to be seen. Thankfully, the Internet has made selling a home yourself incredibly easy in a variety of ways.

If we flash back 10 years to the pre-internet days, we would find a real estate market that looks foreign to what we have today. In that market, the number one method for selling your home was to list it in the multiple listing service controlled by real estate agents. This, of course, allowed them to get their hooks into you and squeeze out a commission regardless of the quality of service they provided. If we flash forward to the present day, we find a new landscape.

A 2005 study of homebuyers across the United States revealed a fact that most realtors are loath to admit to, but know exists. Over 70 percent of homebuyers shop for potential properties on the internet. Yes, seven out of every 10 are hopping online and finding the property of their dreams. Why? The reason is very simple. Would you rather drive all over town looking at homes that don’t really match what you are after and blowing your valuable time or would you prefer to sit at your computer and click through properties with pictures? Unless you really love driving, the answer is obvious.

In our modern society, time is the most valuable asset. Listing your property on the internet is a huge time saver because it is all point and click. If you are selling, you can upload descriptions and pictures for buyers to view. If you are buying, you can see pictures of both the inside and outside of potential properties while relaxing at your desk. Either way, it beats sitting in traffic while driving all over town.

Keeping your valuables while traveling

Traveling, be it just across state or to another country is always a great experience. To help people enjoy it rather than having an untoward incident such as losing one's passport or other items such as luggage, it is best to be prepared to avoid such things from happening.

An essential item for any passenger traveling is the passport. This, aside from cash and the tickets must be nearby at all times preferably in a small handbag or purse for easy accessibility. If it is possible, one should memorize the passport number just in case for some reason it gets lost.

There is a high probability that when one travels, one usually uses the same bag for various trips. It is best to remove all the old destination tags and just have the new destination tag attached to avoid confusion. Also, for personal protection, one must have a lock and key for the bag and have it labeled both inside and outside the bag to avoid having another traveler from getting the luggage by mistake.

Depending on the length of the trip, one should just bring enough bags that one can carry. If the trip will take a few days or longer, choose a more appropriate bag to bring along. Taking such precautions will make the person feel comfortable and not helpless or immobilized when one is also not certain where the taxi stand or the bus stop is located.

While traveling, one should be careful of the surroundings. One should never let a stranger look after the luggage because it is possible that they will put something in it or even steal it.

During the trip, one should choose a hotel located on a well-traveled street. Usually, the more expensive the hotel, the better the security. The first thing to do when entering a hotel room is to check the windows, sliding doors and connecting rooms if there are any and make sure it is secure.

Most hotels have a small vault in the room and safety deposit box, which is complimentary. When leaving the hotel, it is also advisable to leave the room key in the lobby and just claim it when entering the hotel room.

Do not answer the hotel room door before verifying who it is. If someone claims to be a hotel employee and one does not recall making any request from the help desk, it is best to call the front desk person first to verify.

Most importantly, make sure the hotel room door is locked at all times.

Can i be a christian and believe in an old earth

Yes, you can! There is no verse in the Bible which causes you to accept a young earth as the only answer. The Bible does not say, "Thou shalt believe in a young earth." The fact is, no verse in the Bible makes any claims as to the age of the earth. All the so-called verses that young earth proponents point to can be interpreted by the reader to mean old or young. Also, the key doctrines of the Bible are not affected by either interpretation.

Many young earth believers will claim that you cannot believe in an old earth and be a Christian. The reasons for this belief vary, but there are several overlying principles underneath this argument.

Death, Disease Before Sin

The Bible teaches that death is the penalty for sin. The young earth proponent carries it one step further than the Bible teaches by adding their own belief that there was no physical death before sin. However, when Adam and Eve sinned, spiritual death was introduced, not physical death. This mistaken belief is due to a misinterpretation of the Bible.

Why do they misinterpret this key fact? Let's look at the key verses.

Genesis 1:29-31

"And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. 30And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, where-in there is life, I have given every green herb for meat; and it was so. 31And God saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”

Romans 5:12

"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned."

Yes, Adam introduced death. However, he did not introduce physical death…only spiritual death. Consider these key points:

1. God said creation was "very good" (Gen 1:31). Young earth proponents claim it can't be "very good" if it contained disease and death. They fail to realize that God created a thriving, renewing ecosystem. Death and regeneration are crucial to the working of God's creation. If it were not self-renewing, it would not last very long, and then God's creation would indeed not be "very good."

2. The Bible says that God gave the green plants to all animals to eat. Young earth proponents claim that since the animals ate grass, there was no death due to carnivorous activity. Two points. First, the Bible does not say that animals "cannot" eat meat...it only says they were given grass to eat. Second, this was the condition of the Garden of Eden, which was different from the world outside the garden. Inside the Garden there was perfection and peace, but outside it was different.

3. Spiders are wondrous creatures. They spin their silk webs in order to ensnare their victims before consuming them. How would they have survived in a pre-death world? Would their webs have been used to catch falling leaves? No, they could just simply go into a tree, or to the ground, to feast on the leaves. Spiders were created with only one diet in mind...a dead insect.

Also, why were some spiders created with poison? What is the purpose of this poison? They didn't need to poison the leaves, or whatever else they were supposed to eat in the Garden. And, it could not have been for self-defense, since there were no predators in the Garden? In fact, the same thing goes for poisonous snakes. Poison only has one purpose...to kill. Even poisons that incapacitate are for the same thing in the end, for once the creature is incapacitated, it is consumed.

The only logical conclusion is that God created poison to kill. Poison serves no purpose in a calm, friendly Garden with no death. If God did create poison, according to the young earth model, then His creation was not perfect, as the poison served no purpose.

4. It is obvious that these passages mean spiritual death, not physical. Here's a simple logical answer...when Adam ate the forbidden fruit, he entered into spiritual death...he did not physically die when he bit the fruit. We know this because he had children with Eve after he ate the fruit. Adam did not introduce physical death, but spiritual death (see the blue text box above). In fact, if you read Satan's dialogue with Eve, then you will see the answer plain as day. He told Eve she would not die, but would become knowledgeable. Satan knew that he would be introducing spiritual death to the world. How else was Satan to prevent people from following God...killing them physically did not end their spiritual relationship with God. By introducing spiritual death, Satan knew he could prevent people from worshiping God.

5. Young earth proponents claim that sin and suffering entered the world after the Fall of Man. They claim that disease is a result of sin. However, what is disease? It is sickness caused by viruses, bacteria, etc. Did these microorganisms exist before the fall of man? If you listen to young earth proponents, they could not have existed before the fall. However, they had to. To imply that they came about as a result of the fall of man, is to imply that God created them after Adam sinned. But, since God is in His seventh day of rest, and the creation is already 100% complete, he could not have created them after the fall. They had to be created sometime during the six days of creation.

Here is conclusive proof that bacteria existed before the fall. How do we know this? Because Adam and Eve were normal human beings, and as human beings, they required the aid of bacteria for the breakdown of foods in the human digestive tract. Right now, as you read this, millions of bacteria cells are in your colon, breaking down your foods into waste products. (Perhaps the young-earth proponents will argue that the bacteria and viruses we have today mutated from this original bacteria source. There response would be interesting).

6. The rock record, through its fossils, indicates that death existed for millions of years. By young earth models, all fossil-bearing rock layers must be laid down after the fall of man. The mechanism they point to is the Flood of Noah. However, the flood has been shown to be scientifically impossible. Bottom line...if the Flood can't do it, then there must have been physical death before sin.

There is absolutely no sound reason for not believing there was death before the Fall of Man.

What is Time?

The other major stumbling block for young earth objections is time. Here we will examine two concepts; first is God and time, and second, a weak God.

Nowhere in the Bible does it teach that the earth is young. The Bible does not say "the earth is 6,000 years old." Nor does it say "the earth is 4.5 billion years old." The fact is, the Bible makes no claims as to the age of the earth. We must interpret the age of the earth from science and the Bible.

Young earther's will make a defense of the "days" of creation being literal 24-hour days. The truth is, there is no claim in the Bible that states the length of these days. The "day" as we know it didn't even begin until the fourth day of creation, when the sun and the moon were created (according to young-earth interpretations). The saying I like to use is, “If you are God, and you are in outer space, a million miles away from any stars or planets, then how do you mark the passage of time? As God, you do not sleep, you do not need rest, therefore time has no meaning.” When we get to heaven, we will spend eternity there. Are we going to have clocks in heaven? Wow, there goes another million years! It won’t matter to us, just like it doesn’t matter to God.

Should finite man limit infinite God to a twenty-four hour day? It is finite man that has imposed his interpretation of the word "day" onto an infinite God. Well, our rules of time don't apply to an infinite, everlasting being. Just look at the creation. God rested on the seventh day. In fact, he is still resting, and we are still in the seventh day! If this day has lasted for over 6,000 years, then who are we to impose time limits on the other days of creation? The use of the word day is just so that man can have some type of framework to understand creation, and does not imply 24-hour days.

The Bible says in II Peter 3:8, “…that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” God does not see time the same way we do! To him, one second could be a million years. Therefore, no matter what the interpretation is of the original Hebrew for the word “day,” it does not apply to an infinite God. The early church fathers, including Justin Martyr, believed the days of creation were a thousand years long. Literal days were not even considered until the fourth century, and it did not become a major theologic issue until the 19th century.

One more point to ponder. Old-earth creationists say the earth is 4.5 billion years old. Was God here 4.5 billion years ago? Obviously, the answer has to be yes. Think about it.

Our second major concept concerning time is a weak God. One of the claims by young-earth creationists is that the old-earth theory waters down, or weakens, Gods powers, by in effect saying that if God could not create the earth in six days, then he must not be as powerful as the Omnipotent God of the young earth believer.

Here again, simple logic will prevail. It doesn't matter how long the period of creation is, God's power is beyond comprehension, beyond anyone else's capabilities, and He remains omnipotent no matter how long creation lasted. I could say “An all powerful God could have created the world in six seconds. Why did it take him six days…he must be weak.” This obviously is not true.

To prove this, here is the simple argument. I challenge any young-earth creationist to do this...starting right now, I challenge you to create a brand new world, complete with new plant and animal species, complete with a thriving ecosystem, complete with coal beds, fossils, oceans, etc. And, I'll even be generous and give you 10 billion years to do it. Can you do it? Of course not. But the all-powerful, omnipotent God that we worship can, and did do it.

Could He have done it in six days? Sure, if He wanted to. If He wanted to, He could have done it in 6 seconds. Is the God of the six-day creation weaker because He didn't do it in 6 seconds? Of course not.

Conclusion

What then are we to conclude? Spiritual death, with the eternal possibilities of heaven and hell, began with Adam and Eve. They were the first humans to have this option. But physical death has been here long before Adam ever walked the earth.

Concerning age, the creation itself testifies to its age. Job 12:8 says "Speak to the earth, and it will teach you." Fortunately, none of the objections of young earth proponents carries any weight. You can be 100% confident that you can be a Christian, and believe in an old earth.

This article comes from the Answers In Creation website ( answersincreation. org). The source article is located at answersincreation. org/question. htm.

Do your self-realizations quickly fade

As we grow, we do so in fits and starts, lurching forward then back, sometimes looking more like clowns than seekers.

Winston Churchill wrote: "Man will occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of the time he will pick himself up and continue on as though nothing has happened."

We humans, in searching for success and happiness, have several great loves. One is the love of discovering new things. New places... new people... new ideas... they fascinate us.

We also love finding new ways to solve problems. If we've been suffering the indignities and inconveniences of a long-standing problem, we have an unquenchable urge to find what's causing the discomfort and fix it.

Unfortunately, an equally strong drive within our psyche is the compulsion to keep things from changing.

We love variety and change, but we also love predictability. When things start shifting in our world, we get uncomfortable; uncertain; unsure what to do next.

So with our left foot we strike out to seek change, while at the same time our right foot drags along behind us, trying with all its might to remain planted in one spot.

Often, as Churchill points out, we unquestioningly follow that urge to maintain status quo. Why? Well, it's the same reason we continue to do anything automatically -- habit.

Then how do we break the grip of habit? How do we escape the gravity well of inertia?

It's the same way we change any habit.

First step: become acutely aware of what we're doing. No habit can operate properly when we draw back the curtains of inattention.

Have you had a realization about yourself or the way you live your life? Maybe you don't want to let it drift away and become lost to you, the same way countless realizations have done before.

Then make a big production of it. Fasten your attention on it. Roll it around in your mind, play with it and explore the implications.

Don't let old habits rob you of the treasure you've found.

And that's exactly how you can stop yourself from stumbling over a truth and then continuing on as though it never happened.

The secret to success

Most people are looking for the secret to success; the secret to being a millionaire; the secret to winning at working. To help them find it, Amazon. com currently inventories 1,797 books promising success secrets, everything from "Mustang Sallies: Success Secrets of Women Who Refuse to Run With the Herd" to "The 21 Secrets of Self-Made Millionaires."

So, if you're one of those looking, I'll save you some time. The bottom line is this - there is no secret. There's no magical formula to follow; no short-cuts to take or lottery tickets you can purchase. People who are winning at working know it takes persistence, determination, commitment, passion, practice, focus and hard work. There are no secrets to any of that. Just look around.

Take Chester Carlson. Chester became a rich man as the successful inventor of an electrostatic paper-copying process that later became the Xerox Corporation, even though twenty corporations rejected his idea. It took Chester seven years of persistence and determination before he found one tiny company willing to purchase his invention.

Or take Julia Child. After receiving a contract for a French cookbook, Julia worked five years, with two collaborators, only to produce a manuscript that was rejected by the publisher. A year of revisions produced another rejected manuscript. But Julia refused to give up. It took eight years and a second publisher for Julia's cookbook, which sold more than a million copies, to find a bookshelf.

If you want to be winning at working, stop looking for some secret "out there" to bring you success. Instead, turn your sights inward and you'll find everything you need. You see, you're the secret to your success. But if you think you don't have what it takes, think again.

Visit any craft fair, hobbyist, volunteer organization or internet blog. Note poets, musicians, artists, athletes, hackers, spammers and graffiti artists. Determination, persistence, initiative and hard work manifests itself in many ways and places, some positive endeavors and some not so positive. But it's the same ingredients. And they're inside you waiting to be tapped.

People work on novels after a full day's work. They develop products in their garages, then figure out how to manufacture and market them. They volunteer to coach their daughter's soccer team or organize food drives for their community. They put energy into their interests and passions. They persist against hardships, set-backs and disappointments, demonstrating with their actions they have what it takes.

Stop looking for success secrets and start realizing you're the best kept secret you have. Like Moliere puts it, "The heart can do anything." Find your heart in your work and you can do anything, too.

(c) 2005 Nan S. Russell. All rights reserved.

Hormonal supplements the key hair generation agents

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Hormones play a crucial role in hair growth process. There are a number of hormones governing hair growth in men and women. This is where the significance of high hormone supplements originates.
Testosterone and Estrogen are two examples of hormones governing human hair growth. Testosterone governs bard, body hair and armpit among men. Estrogen prevents hair growth on the chin among women. It also preserves frontal hair. Disturbance in estrogen level causes hair loss and balding among women.

Some other examples of hormones regulating hair growth are as follows –
Human Growth Hormone (HGH), Di Hydro Epi Androsterone (DHEA), Melatonin the sleep hormone, the natural progesterone, the natural bromelein.
Human Growth Hormone (HGH) – It is secreted by pituitary gland. It reaches its peak level during adolescence. And then it starts decreasing. Humans produce 500 mg of growth hormone at the age of 20. It comes down to 200 mg at the age of 40. And it is a paltry 25 mg at 80. Post-adolescence, one can use HGH supplement for various purposes including healthy hair. You may take natural hormone replacement pills or synthroids. But you must be careful about general health and nutrient intake.
Di Hydro Epi Androsterone (DHEA) – This steroid is found abundantly in the body. Improper intake of this highly potent hormone can cause male pattern baldness beside increasing facial hair growth. Over the counter hormonal supplements like androstenedione, pregnenolone and DHEA can cause hair thinning. Rather one should use FDA approved treatments like Rogaine and Propecia. Avodart and Nizoral also come in the list of high hormone supplements.
Melatonin – It increases anagen hair rate in women with pattern baldness. It plays a key role in hair growth. Some hormones secreted from pituitary and thyroid glands have significant impact on hair growth.
Dietary and Vitamin supplements
Various dietary and vitamin supplements also play determinative roles in hair growth. And they form core parts of the overall modern hair care mechanism.
Dietary supplements – One should also be careful about diet for healthy hair. The present day busy lifestyle demands more dietary supplements on a daily basis. A proper diet intake will go a long way in supporting a healthy hair growth.
The elements that an ideal diet for healthy hair should contain include –
o pantothemic acid
o L-Cystine
o vitamin C
o folic acid
o Vanadium
o Chromium
o Molybdenum
o zinc picolinate
o iron
o copper
Sometimes the dietary supplements contain stress vitamins and energy releasers. They are present in addition to the vital components.
Nutrition ingredients generally contained by dietary supplements are as follows –
• Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) - It is an antioxidant water-soluble vitamin needed for proper and healthy hair growth.
• L-cysteine and l-tyrosine – They are the basic amino acids in human hair. L-cysteine comprises up to 14 per cent of the hair. It is available in chicken and aged grains.
• Vitamin C – Deficiency of this water-soluble nutrient stops the flow of nutrients to the hair follicles. Its deficiency also causes hair tangling and breaking. The sources of Vitamin C include citrus fruits, green vegetables, tomatoes and potatoes.
• Folic acid (vitamin B9) – It prevents thinning and graying of hair. It is found in cereals, lentils, asparagus, spinach, black beans, peanuts, orange, enriched breads, romaine lettuce and broccoli.
• Vanadium, molybdenum, chromium, zinc picolinate, iron and copper are important minerals for restoration and growth of hair.
Vitamin supplements - Hair loss vitamin supplement is also helpful in getting a healthy hair. These supplements are no less effective than hair growth shampoos or conditioners. Vitamins supplementing hair growth include –
• Vitamin A - Its role in cell division, differentiation and immune regulation makes it crucial in hair growth phases. Retinol is the most usable form of this vitamin. Its source lies in eggs, liver, whole milk and fortified foods like fat-reduced milk, cereals and breads.
• Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) – Thiamin is available in meat, whole grains, cereals, pasta, dried beans, nuts, blackstrap molasses, rice, brewer’s yeast, bran and wheat germ.
• Vitamin B12 – Its deficiency leads to malnutrition and deterioration of hair health. It is found in dairy products, eggs, meat, poultry and fish.
• Niacin (Vitamin B3) – The sources of Vitamin B3 include most high-protein foods like beef, chicken and turkey, tuna and other fatty fish like salmon and swordfish, pork, brewer’s yeast, beets, milk, peanuts and sunflower seeds.
• Vitamin B-6 – The foods offering Vitamin B-6 include beef liver, lentils, chicken, turkey, shrimp, salmon, tuna, soybeans, nuts, brown rice, carrots, sunflowers seeds, wheat germ, avocados, peanut butter, pork, whole grains, bananas and many vegetables.
• Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid) – They are found in dark green leafy vegetables, asparagus, beans, kelp, soybeans and soy flour. Other sources include oranges, strawberries, rice, brewer’s yeast, beef and liver.
• Vitamin C - Red and green peppers, leafy greens like beet tops, turnip greens and spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, potatoes brussels sprouts, squash, cauliflower and cabbage have rich supply of Vitamin C. Fruits like pineapple, oranges, watermelon, papaya, kiwi, mango, cantaloupe, raspberries, cranberries and blueberries are good source of Vitamin C.
• Vitamin D – This Vitamin is available in fortified milk and cereals, cod liver oil, egg yolks, liver, and fatty fish like salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines and herring.
• Vitamin E – Vitamin E is found in wheat germ, peanuts, vegetable oils like corn, soybean and safflower, almonds, walnuts, meat, dairy products, fruits and green leafy vegetables like spinach. Many of its natural sources are rich in fats. And that makes it an effective hair growth supplement.
• Vitamin H – Its sources include egg yolks, rice, soy products, cauliflower, oatmeal, barley, whole wheat, milk, cereals, almonds, beef liver, peanuts and brewer’s yeast.
• Vitamin K – Vitamin K is found in collard greens, apples, avocados, asparagus, green beans, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, olive oil, cauliflower, dark green lettuce, oranges, peas, potatoes, soybeans, etc.

How to choose your affiliate program wisely

Affiliate marketing programs have sky-rocketed in popularity in the past few years. As one of the fastest and easiest ways to start an online home business people are jumping on this wave by the millions. Affiliate programs offer merchants the opportunity to employ vast armies of sales people who get paid for the results they achieve.

The rewards for affiliates can be very good, and the skilled affiliate marketer can earn many thousands of dollars per month. This win-win situation has led to an explosion in the number of affiliate programs that are available to affiliate marketers.

With this growth of affiliate opportunities have come many questions, such as: how do you go about choosing the right affiliate program for you? What qualities should you look for in a program and which gives you a good chance of making a sustainable income? Below are some tips that will help you to evaluate affiliate programs, and help you to avoid wasting time and money.

What Commissions Does the Program Pay?

It is very important that you know how much you can expect to earn from a sale. There is no point in spending time and money promoting a product that pays very small commissions. You could end up spending more on marketing than you make on sales. It is probably best to stick with marketing products with a high commission value, unless you have found a niche market where you can sell vast quantities of product, and make substantial commissions on your volume of sales.

How Much Traffic is their Website Getting?

Try to discover the amount of traffic the affiliate owner’s website is already receiving. Alexa. com is a very useful tool for doing this research. If the website is ranked in the top 100,000, the merchant is getting a good volume of traffic, so it's possible that there may already be too many affiliates. If it is ranked below 500,000 it may be no good, or it could be a golden opportunity to make some real money by becoming one of the first affiliates!

Always research a merchant's product if their website has a low traffic ranking. It may be a good idea to buy the product yourself if you can afford it. Otherwise you could do a search to find out if there are any negative reviews about it on the internet. Be careful who you listen to though because many people are in the habit of bashing affiliate programs with nothing to really support their comments. If you find a large amount of negative reviews with little positive ones then it would probably be a good idea to stay away from that affiliate program.

How Often Are Affiliate Commissions Paid?

Some affiliate programs pay commissions every week; some once a month, others only pay every quarter. It is important that you know how often you can expect a pay check if you are going to have financial control over your business. Do you have the financial resources to continue to market a product if you have to wait a long time before you get paid? It would also be wise to find out the minimum commission that you have to earn before you get paid.

Does The Affiliate Program Use Tracking Cookies?

Many customers do not buy on their first visit to a merchant's website. It is important therefore that the merchant uses cookies for their affiliate program, so that you get credit if the customer returns and buys at a later date. Check out how long the cookies last. The longer the cookies lasts; the better the chances of you getting paid!

Does the Affiliate Program Pay on Subsequent Sales?

Some programs will only pay commission on sales that come through customers visiting their site via a direct link from your site. They pay you nothing for any subsequent purchases that the customer makes if they visit the merchants site directly. It is important that you get paid no matter what route the customer returns by if you are to build a sustainable affiliate business.

What Marketing Resources Does the Affiliate Program Offer?

Look at the type and quality of the marketing resources that they provide. Do they provide articles, advertisements, or other content that you can use to put on your site? Do they provide free guides, special offers, free viral e-books, or product samples that you can send to your list? If the marketing material they provide is good then it is likely that the business will provide good support for their affiliates.

Finding the right affiliate program for you can be tough to do. The best advice is to do your own research, follow the advice above, and listen to your instincts. Use the above questions as an aid to finding an affiliate program that enables you to reach your financial goals. You never know... You might just strike affiliate marketing gold!

Let your kids learn and enjoy

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Today’s kids carry a sharp visual learning ability and have a great intellectual during their early days of childhood. So when you find that your creative child is getting bored indoors due to bad weather outside, you can make him utilize his time with kid crafts book.

Kids craft book usually has fun and games for the child such as drawing, coloring, cutting and assembling, crafts learning and other games and activities for adults that they could indulge along with their kids. You can make the child indulge in other craft projects such as making straw sculptures, painting, dying and much more.

1. If your girl child has an interest to make different decorative items, you can bring her a craft book that guides how to make beautiful paintings or toys. Other crafts book are also available that enables one to make cards, scrap booking, painting and many other things.

2. If your child is more interested in indoor games it is better to bring puzzle books and make him indulge in more creative activities. A craft book with innovative coloring projects will make him learn faster.

3. There are different craft books that come for the grown up children whereby even the adults can share learning with them such as cross stitch book, knitting book, candle making book, fabric painting book and other books teaching how to make decorative items.

Therefore, kid crafts book allows a kid or child to learn and improve his or her skills and spend their time in a more innovative and creative manner. This also helps to prepare some handmade crafts that can be decorated in the home and family. It is a great way for your children to learn and enjoy and also you too can learn a lot while you indulge with your children in such craft projects.

You are recommended to visit our website craft-books. net for more information.

Law of attraction from zero to tens of thousands

Do you feel stuck and frustrated? Most people do. A lack of money can get most people to feel stagnant and quite frustrated about life. If you could change your situation from one of lack to one where money is flowing into your life would you take the steps?

A few months ago I met someone who was quite frustrated in his life. He had a very funny statement which he repeated very often and it goes like this. “Now if only I could just get some money then I would….”

The funny thing about this man is that he knew the law of attraction and he knew quite a few things that most people don’t even have a clue about. Yet every time he made that statement he was informing the universe of what he did not want. He was no doubt vibrating from a place of lack and the law of attraction made that very clear in his life.

Quite honestly despite his vast knowledge of the law of attraction and deeper metaphysical science he was stuck. He could not seem to get out of the rut and his deep dark miserable circumstances. All of that did change when he learned to apply a simple technique that altered those gloomy thought patterns in his space.

Most people experience feelings of being stuck. Although they know that certain steps need to be applied they cannot shift their old energetic state. The old energy of lack and poverty lingers like a dark cloud and that needs to be washed down.

There are techniques that do cleans those old negative debris that must be dealt with first before the new circumstances can manifest. It does require an easy daily practice but once it is done the changes begin to show in such a magnificent way.

All knowledge and no practice leads to an understanding without results. Many people are like this, they acquire lots of knowledge but never use it. Many times the knowledge is incomplete. What makes the knowledge complete is having an actual technique a step by step plan to make that knowledge work.

With applying the law of attraction a person must learn the actual technique and go immediately into practicing it.

Eventually I told him. I made it clear to him what he was doing. Luckily for both of us he accepted without resistance and I showed him the clear techniques to increase his own thought power, while eliminating the negative energy and circumstances which he had previously created.

The results were outstanding. He diligently went about the techniques and within a matter of days things took off. He kept it up and within months he was making a very hefty amount of money. Far more money than he has ever seen in his lifetime.

He is remarkable proof that the techniques to applying the law of attraction once understood can and do create outstanding results.

Using the law of attraction to manifest what you want is powerful granted you apply the necessary techniques. Almost everyone can run but not everyone can run a marathon. The difference is that it takes right knowledge of breathing and particular ways of running and without this knowledge you are guaranteed if anything to fail. Using the law of attraction to manifest is the same.

Casino games and mathematics. part 3

After one more year Thorp published a book (I mentioned it at the beginning of the article) in which he rather in details, in the form comprehensible to any even a slightly literate and sensible person, set the rules of formation of a winning strategy. But the publication of the book did not only cause a quick growth of those willing to enrich themselves at the cost of gambling houses' owners, as well as allowed the latter ones to understand the main reason of effectiveness of the developed by Thorp strategy.

First of all, casinos’ owners understood at last that it was necessary to introduce the following obligatory point into the rules of the game: cards are to be thoroughly shuffled after each game! If this rule is rigorously observed, then a winning strategy of Thorp cannot be applied, since the calculation of probabilities of extracting one or another card from a pack was based on the knowledge of the fact that some cards would already not appear in the game!

But what does it mean to have “thoroughly shuffled” cards? Usually in gambling houses the process of “thoroughly shuffling” presupposes the process when a croupier, one of the gamblers or, that is still oftener seen of late, a special automatic device makes a certain number of more or less monotonous movements with a pack (the number of which varies from 10 to 20-25, as a rule). Each of these movements changes the arrangement of cards in a pack. As mathematicians say, as a result of each movement with cards a kind of “substitution” is made. But is it really so that as a result of such 10-25 movements a pack is thoroughly shuffled, and in particular, if there are 52 cards in a pack then a probability of the fact that, for instance, an upper card will appear to be a queen will be equal to 1/13? In other words, if we will, thus, for example, shuffle cards 130 times, then the quality of our shuffling will turn out to be more “thorough” if the number of times of the queen’s appearance on top out of these 130 times will be closer to 10.

Strictly mathematically it is possible to prove that in case our movements appear to be exactly similar (monotonous) then such a method of shuffling cards is not satisfactory. At this it is still worse if the so called "order of substitution" is less, i. e. less is the number of these movements (substitutions) after which the cards are located in the same order they were from the start of a pack shuffling. In fact, if this number equals to t, then repeating exactly similar movements any number of times we, for all our wish, can not get more t different positioning of cards in a pack, or, using mathematical terms, not more t different combinations of cards.

Certainly, in reality, shuffling of cards does not come down to recurrence of the same movements. But even if we assume that a shuffling person (or an automatic device) makes casual movements at which there can appear with a certain probability all possible arrangements of cards in a pack at each single movement, the question of "quality" of such mixing turns out to be far from simple. This question is especially interesting from the practical point of view that the majority of notorious crooked gamblers achieve phenomenal success using the circumstance, that seemingly "careful shuffling" of cards actually is not such!

Mathematics helps to clear a situation with regard to this issue as well. In the work “Gambling and Probability Theory" A. Reni presents mathematical calculations allowing him to draw the following practical conclusion: " If all movements of a shuffling person are casual, so, basically, while shuffling a pack there can be any substitution of cards, and if the number of such movements is large enough, reasonably it is possible to consider a pack "carefully reshuffled". Analyzing these words, it is possible to notice, that, firstly, the conclusion about "quality" of shuffling has an essentially likelihood character ("reasonably"), and, secondly, that the number of movements should be rather large (A. Reni prefers not to consider a question of what is understood as "rather a large number"). It is clear, however, that the necessary number at least a sequence higher than those 10-25 movements usually applied in a real game situation. Besides, it is not that simple "to test" movements of a shuffling person (let alone the automatic device) for "accidence"!

Summing it all up, let’s come back to a question which has been the headline of the article. Certainly, it would be reckless to think that knowledge of maths can help a gambler work out a winning strategy even in such an easy game like twenty-one. Thorp succeeded in doing it only by using imperfection (temporary!) of the then used rules. We can also point out that one shouldn't expect that maths will be able to provide a gambler at least with a nonlosing strategy. But on the other hand, understanding of mathematical aspects connected with gambling games will undoubtedly help a gambler to avoid the most unprofitable situations, in particular, not to become a victim of fraud as it takes place with the problem of “cards shuffling”, for example. Apart from that, an impossibility of creation of a winning strategy for all "cases" not in the least prevents “a mathematically advanced” gambler to choose whenever possible “the best” decision in each particular game situation and within the bounds allowed by "Dame Fortune" not only to enjoy the very process of the Game, as well as its result.

Exterior paint schemes for historical houses

Owners of historical homes know that choosing paint colors is a nerve-wracking and critically important decision. Ready-mix paints have been available since the middle part of the nineteenth century and from that time home owners have had to choose their colors without really knowing how their finished home will look. After all, a two inch paint chip looks very different from a 3,000 square foot house!

In a visit to New England in the 1840s, famed novelist Charles Dickens commented, "All the buildings looked as if they had been painted that morning ... Every house is the whitest of white; every shutter is the greenest of green."

If you have an older home and want to choose colors other than green and white, here are some guidelines"

1. Light colors "advance" a home while dark colors cause it to "recede". This means that lighter shades will make your home appear larger and closer to the street, while darker shades make your home seem smaller and further away. If you want your house to blend in and be less noticeable, therefore, a darker hue is best.

2. Light dramatically affects how colors appear to the human eye. In cooler climates the light is diffused and bold colors are intensified. In southern climates, the harsher, brighter sunlight will cause pale tints to appear washed out.

3. If you want your gutters and downspouts to be less noticeable, paint them the same color as the house.

4. Make sure any mildew problems are solved before painting. Test suspicious spots with household bleach and if they change color, you definitely have a mildew problem.

5. Moisture problems must be eliminated before painting. If they are not, water will ruin even the best paint job.

6. Some paint manufacturers offer color 'families' to simplify choosing. That is, there are several colors that go well together and eliminate the agony of figuring out the exact right shade for the trim so that it will relate well to the primary exterior color.

7. It's always possible to get expert help. This is especially desirable if you own a historical landmark and wish for it to be restored to its former appearance. Historical paint consultants are familiar with shades available at the time the home was built and can often do research to determine original colors. These folks understand chemical changes in paint and can usually figure out what the original colors looked like before they faded to today's milder colors.

8. There is software available that allows home owners to scan in a picture of their home and then try out different colors without making an actual commitment. It's powerful to see your home in Colonial Barn Red or Patriot Federal Blue before actually putting a drop of color on the outside.

9. You might consider staining your historical property, rather than painting it. Stain is cheaper and it won't peel off or crack the way paint does. This is because it actually sinks into the wood, rather than coating it so it will instead weather and dim over time. Stain won't cover up any imperfections in the wood the way paint does, however.

Owning and living in a historically significant home is a privilege and maintaining that house is a responsibility to take seriously. Therefore, avoid hasty color choices and take the time to choose wisely.

The evolution of photography the beginning

Photography! Who could have thought that we would now be able to take pictures through a digital camera and transfer to a computer and change the colors or any of the attributes of an image or a photograph? Digital cameras are sharper and provide high quality pictures that can be used over multiple mediums.

Sir John Herschel is a man who invented the term ‘Photography’ in 1839.

This was also the year when the process of Photography was unveiled to the public.

How did photography really evolve? Well! It is the bi-product of laws of physics and compounds of chemistry. The evolution of photography is a completely scientific process starting with the use of optics in the 1830’s.

The dark room or Camera Obscura existed some four hundred years back, while cameras were being used since the 11th century and yet photography did not come into public use before the 1830’s.

There were different observations made by several people that finally led to putting together of all the missing pieces and this also announced the advent of photography. Some of those important observations are:

* In the 15th century, Robert Boyle found out that silver chloride turned dark when exposed to air and not light.

* In the early 1800’s Angelo Sala observed that when silver nitrate powder is kept in the sun for long, it turns black.

* Around 1727, Johann Heinrich Schulze made a discovery regarding colors. There were some liquids that changed their colors when they were exposed to light.

* Thomas Wedgwood conducted some experiments in the early 19th century. He had captured images but could make the images permanent.

* The first ever successful production of a photograph emerged in the June-July of 1827 by Joseph Nicйphore Niйpce. The material used for this became hard when exposed to light for almost 8 hrs. Niйpce went into a partnership with Louis Daguerre on 4th Jan, 1829 to work further on this.

Four years later in 1833, Niйpce died and Daguerre continued alone to discover how to develop photographic plates. Invention of the photographic plates meant that the exposure time was reduced considerably, from 8 hrs to 30 minutes. He also made another important observation and the conclusion drawn was that immersing an image in salt would make it permanent.

Paul Delaroche, a leading French scholar made a report on this and the French government bought the rights in July 1839, and made it public on 19th Aug, 1839. This process was named Daguerreotype after Louis Daguerre.

The Daguerreotype process was expensive and one time affair. At that time there were no negatives available and hence the original photograph could not be reproduced. The only way of getting two copies was by using two cameras side by side. This led to the growing need of finding a way to copy pictures and finally led to the invention of the Calotype process by William Henry Fox Talbot.

Although the Daguerreotype was superior to the Calotype, the latter was able to provide multiple positive prints of a single picture in 1840. This was the calling of a new dawn!

What an opportunity - bad debt instant homeowner loans

Bad debt instant home owner loans as the name suggests are the loans which are intended to help people with bad credit history. That too very quickly as the loans is approved in a quick time.

The people who are eligible for these loans are people who have had bad credit history, also known as sub prime or non status history. Generally people with these credit histories are one of the following:

• CCJs

• IVAs (Individual Voluntary Agreement)

• Arrears

• Defaults

• Late payments or,

• People who have previously filled for bankruptcy.

The tag of bad credit history is put on when the borrower fails to meet the targets set by the creditors in relation to the loan and its related terms. This brings about a lot of discomfort in the lives as far as the finances are concerned. As people with poor credit history do not get loans that easily.

To solve this problem for people with bad credit history, we now have bad debt instant homeowner loans. These loans help the borrowers in the same way as any other loan would do. To apply for these loans two essential features required on behalf of the borrowers are. The borrower should be of or should have bad credit history. The other important aspect is relating to the home. This means that the borrower must be a home owner.

This loan with the features and benefits has proved to be a blessing in disguise for many a people with bad credit history around the world. The benefits apart from the usual benefits. Benefits such as:

• Bad debt instant homeowner loans help the people with bad credit history in improving their credit score. If they follow the loan terms in a correct manner.

• There is a wide range of loan choices available to the borrowers.

• The borrower can choose between all forms of the loans i. e. a secured loan and an unsecured loan.

• The loan that is arranged gets arranged in a very quick time. This helps in stopping the problems from developing further.

• The data remains confidential. Thus the safety issue is taken care off as well.

• Applying for the loans is easy. Once the criterion is fulfilled all the borrowers need to do is just go online and apply for the bad debt instant homeowner loans.

With these benefits it is pretty hard to ignore the bad debt instant homeowner loans.

For people with bad credit history it can be a dog’s life, if the finances are strangled. To help people from this predicament the bad debt instant homeowner loans have been initiated. So that the all the customers get an equal opportunity.

Is blogging worth a try

Blogging is definitely worth a try. There are many people who enjoy Blogging, if you check out swapw. blogspot. com, you will come to know that Blogging can really be one of your hobbies and you can do it as part of fun when you are tired of other activities. Saying that, there are people in Blogging industry very serious about their sites and really work hard to make tons of money, but that takes a long time to establish a career in Blogging.

I would say, that Blogging is fun, because you can choose your own topics and write on almost anything you want, you can learn from different Bloggers the history of Blogging and the way it has reached a pace today.

With Blogging you can write on anything like, advertisement, advertisement reviews, affiliate marketing, article submission, bank blog, blog make money, business consultancy, cash cartes, cash, e-gold, criticism, news, click ad, google adwords, google adsense, half. com etc, this is what swapw. blogpspot. com is about.

I have many friends who have been Blogging now for a while, they have developed a deep interest in Blogging, because they can research, write and at the same time earn revenue on different Blogs. You can have many Blog sites with different topics and this is also one of the ways you can earn your income.

One of the fun ways is video blogging and some of it can be seen on the swapw blog, you can earn lot of revenue on video blogging, but it should be something that people would be interested and they would like to watch, and you have to make it worthwhile so that people can really take interest in the videos you upload either on your site or any where like youtube. com and googlevideo. com.

Blogging can also become one of the ways for people to know you, you can create Blogs on your life if it has been inspirational, people love reading autobiographies that interest them, and so if you have stories to tell, it can be love or action story but an interesting one, people will definitely pay their attention to your blogs everyday.

If you are interested in writing on different products than there are many sites that would allow you to write reviews about their products, in fact you can earn good money in writing reviews on products and earn from the top companies who are willing to pay you good money for your write up on products.

Some sites will also give you a HTML code for the products to be pasted on your Blog and people can see that, in this way you are earning income when they buy the product they choose.

So these are only some of the ways of Blogging, Blogging has lot of potential and you can do it, if you are a good researcher and if you really love to write, than Blogging is desirable for you and you can earn good revenue out of your own site, just like every one is earning on Blogging.

The many benefits of vitamin a

We may fail to realize this but Vitamin A is one of the vitamins that offer numerous benefits. We can obtain vitamin A from food sources like animal kidney and liver, fish liver oils, fruits and vegetables that are yellow orange in color like melon, orange, mango, peach, carrots, and others which contain beta carotene (one of the components of vitamin A), dairy products like milk, cheese cream, butter and eggs and certain green vegetables like broccoli, spinach and lettuce. Beta Carotene can be converted into Vitamin A when more supply is required by the body.

One of the foremost benefits of Vitamin A is in helping promote better vision and eyesight. Studies have indicated that despite the advancement in medical practices and technology, there is still a growing increase statistically when it comes to people getting blind. Deficiency of this vitamin would often lead to weak vision which in the long run may lead to complications and eventually blindness. It has been noted that most accidents that occur while driving especially at night are caused mainly by people not being able to see where they are going or having what you call night blindness. If night blindness is not addressed immediately it may lead to permanent blindness in the long run. Vitamin A has long been used to help prevent this and has helped in restoring vision for those whose cases are not advanced.

Vitamin A has also been reputed to help you attain naturally healthy skin and maintain good complexion. It helps your skin retain moisture, prevent from having blackheads and breakouts and aids in the treatment of pimples and acne as well as other skin ailments. Vitamin A even helps in delaying the aging process that is why it is an important ingredient in most anti-aging products.

But the most important benefit that Vitamin A could provide is that it contains properties that could work against the dreaded cancer. Vitamin A helps protect against lung cancer. There have been studies conducted and it shows that vitamin A does play an important role against this sickness.

It is advised though that you don’t just prescribe by yourself to take any vitamin A supplement. It is best to consult a doctor for improper doses could be toxic for the body.

It is better to get enough vitamin A from healthy sources of it like fruits, vegetables and animal sources.

Want to watch movies on your psp

The Sony PSP was originally developed for playing cutting edge video games. This is what the PSP can do best. It has got superb display and sound quality and a media called UMD (Universal Media Disc) for mass storage.

But besides playing games the developers had another cool application for the console in mind: Watching movies and video clips. The display of the PSP has the perfect 'wide-screen' format to display current movies in their full wide-screen format. It turns out that the resolution of the PSP display is able to render movies in a quality that you normally wouldn't expect from a small device like this.

If you have even been on a flight were people left and right of you just watch the board movie you know how it is if you take you PSP and watch your favorite Star Trek episode. You know how good it feels to get all these envious looks. Some people may pretend they are not watching - others will openly ask you: 'Hey, I didn't know you could watch movies like that with a PSP - I bought this for my son but I thought it was just for video games.' So many times I have heard this or a similar statement.

In general people are surprised by the quality of the image displayed by the PSP. If you hold the PSP in your hand you get a sufficient details level to enjoy an entire movie.

There are two ways to watch movies on your PSP: One is to buy movies on UMDs. These are available in most electronic shops where they sell PSP games. The discs are even smaller than the old mini-CDs that the record industry tried to establish.

However, you cannot buy all movies on UMD. Especially TV-series are not usually found on UMDs. Also, if you already have your favorite movies at home on a DVD you don't want to buy them again. Especially since the price of a UMD can be even higher than the DVD.

The second option that is very trendy right now is to download PSP movies from the net or convert your existing DVDs and transfer the movie to the PSP.

Unfortunately UMDs are not writable so the only place where you can store a movie on a PSP is the memory stick. The memory stick was designed to hold saved games, but Sony quickly realized that people wanted to put all kinds of things on the PSP like music and videos. So now memory sticks with 1GB or more are easily available and affordable.

For watching movie you should have a memory stick of at least 1GB. Anything smaller will not give you're the full length or quality for a movie.

Fortunately there is software available that automatically converts a DVD into the right format and transfers it to the DVD.

Christmas gifts for her a unique approach

The holidays are quickly approaching and that means you need to come up with Christmas gifts for her. Instead of stressing out, consider the following approach.

Christmas Gifts for Her – Gift Ideas

As the holidays approach, we are all subjected to a frustrating phenomenon. What the heck should I get for my wife, sister, mother, daughter and so on? We each arrive at the answer differently, but it usually comes in one of the following forms.

1. You see something while browsing a web site or moving with the herds at the mall,

2. You buy something you like, which of course means she will like it [lingerie?], or

3. You give up and buy soothing oils and such for the bath.

Entire industries have been set up around mans inability to think of good gift ideas for women. Next time you are the mall, take a look at the “bubble bath” stores. While you agonize of whether to go with the peach fragrances or the lavender skin restorer, you should try to keep in mind what such gifts say to her. When she opens the gift, she’ll think that you really didn’t put much thought into and react accordingly. This, of course, means there better be a little box somewhere under the tree containing a rare precious gem or car keys!

A Better Way

The best method for coming up with Christmas gifts for her is to consider what she really likes. Importantly, this does not mean considering what you think she SHOULD really like. Put another way, tickets to the next football game are not going to cut it. Instead, really give some thought to what she does when she has some spare time.

If she likes to go antique shopping, then buy her something related to antiques. Preferably, this should be a book or something discussing antiques, not actual antiques. Men have no taste, so don’t risk buying an antique she hates. Trust me on this one.

If your wife or daughter likes to get out into nature, you should consider something along those lines. If she likes to go for walks to get away from the chaos of the home, consider getting her something related to hiking. This could include things such as a book detailing the local hikes in your area or a Nomad Hiking Journal that will let her keep a diary of where she hiked and with who. Regardless, the point is you should give her something related to his passion.

The biggest key to coming up with Christmas gift ideas for her is to think about her. What does SHE like to do in her down time? Figure out the answer to that and you are well on your way to finding gifts that will go over big.

Dry skin is no picnic

Oh the itchiness, the flakiness, the tightness! Dry skin is no picnic. Dry skin doesn’t just come with the dry air of a cold winter, but any time of year. There are many contributing factors to dry skin. The main factor for this is that people are just too dehydrated. Water is essential for the body and for the skin. Flaky dry skin is a signal that your body is getting dehydrated and it’s time to fill up again. 8-10 glasses of water a day is needed for optimum healthy skin.

Another factor that contributes to a dry complexion is the use of harsh chemicals on your skin. Harsh cleansers strip the skin of all necessary oils and dries out the skin, leaving a tight uncomfortable skin that you just want to crawl out of. Using milder cleansers will clean your skin and still allow your natural oils to moisturize and soothe it.

Moisturizers are essential, especially in winters, for keeping moisture within your skin. Moisturizers, cool, hot, tight skin, and provides a barrier against heat and water loss, as well as dirt, and makes your skin feel smoother…. although it’s temporary, until you re-apply the moisturizer again.

Hot water irritates dry skin and provokes it into drying out more. Long, hot baths are a no-no, no matter how cold the winter is. Take shorter, lukewarm baths or showers, and try taking them every other day to maintain the moisture on your skin. Taking a hot shower everyday prevents natural oils from being present and helps skin look great.

Once out of the shower, don’t rub skin dry, but rather pat it gently, even leaving skin slightly damp, and moisturize right away to look in the moisture. Moisturizing is so important for great skin, as it replaces lost moisture and the cream contains water-binding ingredients that help skin keep its moisture.

Alcohol and caffeine has a drying effect on skin. Certain drugs, prescription or recreational, also contribute to the drying of the skin. Overexposure to the sun also increases the dryness of skin. Wearing sunscreen and limiting exposure to the sun is essential to keeping good skin, or any skin at all as skin cancer is a very real possibility for sun lovers. Using a humidifier will help skin, as well as patting skin dry when exiting the shower. Choosing natural fabrics that skin likes is also a helpful method.

For dry skin that is not being cared for, it can lead to more complications than just dry skin. Eczema, folliculitis, and cellulites are complications caused when the skin’s natural defense mechanism is faulty. Eczema is a persistent condition that causes redness, cracking and inflammation of the skin. Folliculitis is the soreness of the hair follicles. Cellulites is a serious bacterial infection of the skin’s underlying tissues.

On the aesthetics side, dry skin ages people a lot faster than other skin types. The flakiness and tightness is uncomfortable, and it disrupts with the application of make-up on women. The itchiness causes people to scratch, and can lead to redness, patchiness and scratches on the face. The easiest and quickest way to gain back beautiful skin is by drinking lots and lots of water, to replace all of the moisture that’s been lost. It is a simple but a method that will never fail.

Genetic code for diseases slowly being cracked

New York, March 30, 2008 – Advances in the technology required to scan and map human DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) have led to a new wave of tests aimed at finding genetic sequences for diseases. DNA is an acid or substance in the body that contains information about the development and growth of a human being. the

The research and analysis aimed at this particular goal have, so far, found genetic links to diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and arthritis. There is potential, according to various researchers, for even more genetic links to human illnesses to be found somewhere in human DNA.

This has been stated as a reward for a project dedicated to mapping all of the building blocks present in human DNA, which had been completed five years ago. With every sequence and genetic string now identified and mapped out, the process of analyzing DNA for links to diseases has experienced an almost astronomical level of growth. The follow-up research into the human genome project, has also contributed to the continuing flow of reports on genetic links to a variety of diseases. The entire process has also been made much easier by advances in the technology required to scan things at such a level.

In one example from just February of this year, three different groups reported finding three different genetic links to prostate cancer within one day. The groups were working independently of one another, and had not only found links, but also several genetic variants tied to the risk. Scientists and medical journals have reported incidents like this happening for the past year, with diseases as serious as cancer and diabetes being represented alongside less dangerous conditions, like restless legs syndrome.

According to some reports, over 100 variants have been discovered thanks to the gene mapping technology since 2005. This covers an estimated 40 common illnesses, along with DNA variations on their traits. Two researchers from Harvard, in an article that appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine, stated that there have been very few instances of such a wide-scale burst of discovery in the medical field in history.

Of course, some people are asking just what all these discoveries would mean for them. The short answer is that there isn’t a whole lot for them, just yet. While the scanning and technology have allowed people to find the genetic links that make someone more prone to a given illness than the rest of the population, that doesn’t mean that this knowledge can be used to prevent such risks. Treatment based on these factors are, as expected by most experts, several years – if not decades – away, at best.

However, there have been a few pay-offs. One research group mentioned that, thanks to wide genetic scanning, there has been a better understanding of age-related macular degeneration. This condition is the leading cause of the elderly losing their eyesight over time. The genetic studies have allowed for a better understanding of how the disease works, which in turn have helped develop better, more effective treatments.

There have also been some difficulties. A research laboratory based in Texas compared the process of finding these genetic links – and subsequently developing treatments based on them – as being similar to “finding a needle in a haystack.”

The human genome project took decades to complete, largely because even just a single DNA double-helix can potentially contain thousands of genetic markers and sequences, making mapping it out an increasingly complex affair. In essence, while which strands are for what can be found, the infinite variations in individual DNA helixes make mapping things out difficult. According to one team, the average DNA double-helix will differ in about ten million different points from any other given DNA double-helix, barring situations involving twins, triplets, and the like.

Reference : abc. net. au/7.30/stories/s144410.htm

msnbc. msn. com/id/23017210/

The truth about low rate credit cards

Low rate credit cards or as some know them as low APR credit cards can be very great for those individuals that carry a balance forward every month. The problem is that most people that really need or want low rate credit cards are unable to receive one because most credit card companies will only offer low rate credit cards to people with above average or excellent credit. This puts the majority of the population out of the market for low rate credit cards.

These low rate credit cards are out there, you can see them advertised on the television, on the internet and even in your email, but unfortunately, you may not qualify. The average rate for low rate credit cards is around 9 percent and some even go as low as 3.99 percent for certain individuals with an excellent credit rating. If you have credit that is less than appealing, you can always negotiate and possibly receive low rate credit cards if you have been employed with the same company for a certain amount of time, and the credit card company believes your income will stay steady.

However, many companies that offer low rate credit cards also have a pretty hefty annual fee or membership fee, which can be as high as $100. This can cost you more in the long run that owning a credit card with a higher APR from the start. Watch out for those introductory specials as well, just because the low rate looks wonderful, it may only be for 3 months and then the rate can go up drastically to up to 17%. You can always discuss these fees with the credit card company to see if they may waive this fee.

low rate credit cards may only be for an introductory period. You can even find a few with a 0% APR, the problem is once again that after the special there will be an increase. Some introductory specials for low rate credit cards are for 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, 12 months, and in some rare cases 15 months. If you are sure you will be able to pay off your balance before this period is over then it would be a great deal, however, if you will have it paid off you may notice that you will be paying 17% APR on your balance.

Just because, there are low rate credit cards out there does not mean that everything will be cheaper, the balance transfers can be expensive as well at around 3%. So, be sure that you read all the terms and conditions carefully before you even apply for low rate credit cards, or choose your Low APR Credit Card.

Many low rate credit cards offer a variable or a fixed rate of interest. If you choose a fixed rate of credit, this means that the rate will stay the same, however, with a variable interest the rate can fluctuate.

Crohn s disease - symptoms and treatment

:
Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory disease of the digestive tract. The disease is also called granulomatous enteritis, colitis, regional enteritis, regional ileitis, ileitis, or terminal ileitis and it causes ulcerations of the small and large intestine. The disease can affect the digestive system anywhere from the mouth to the anus, but distinctively affects the terminal ileum as well as demarcated areas of large bowel. The disease is named after the American physician, Burrill Bernard Crohn (1884–1983), who described the disease in 1932.

Crohn’s Disease Symptoms

Crohn's disease symptoms may include:

• Chronic diarrhea & disrupted digestion: It becomes difficult for the patients in the acute phase of the disease to eat and/or digest food.
• Painful and debilitating inflammation
• Fistulas of the colon
• Hemorrhoids
• Lipid absorption problems
• Anemia: Persistent rectal bleeding may lead to anemia.
• Bruising of the shins.
• Fever, pain and psychological damage in many cases
• Crohn's disease in children may cause delayed development and stunted growth.

Crohn’s Disease Treatment

Crohn's disease treatment may include medication, surgery, dietary advice and Helminthic therapy (current research).

- Medication Treatment

Acute treatment: steroids are used in the initial stages. Long-term steroid therapy is discouraged because of their side effects. Corticosteroids like prednisone are traditionally used medications. The side effects of steroids may include insulin resistance and frank diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), glaucoma, osteoporosis, severe psychological issues etc.

Chronic treatment (Steroid-sparing): The treatment may include Salicylates - 5-ASA derivates - 5-aminosalicylic acid compounds such as sulfasalazine (Azulfidine®, Salazopyrin®), mesalamine (Pentasa®, Asacol®), olsalazine, and balsalazide. Immunomodulating drugs such as azathioprine, 6-mercaptopurine and methotrexate are given mainly in moderate-to-severe cases. Infliximab (brand name Remicade®) is given in patients with therapy-resistant or fistulating Crohn's. Adalimumab (brand name Humira®) has been used in patients who show allergic reaction to infliximab. The drugs like thalidomide are under study trials.

- Surgery

In the case of widespread intractable Crohn's colitis, the colon and rectum (protocolectomy) are removed by the surgery ileostomy. Surgery is generally avoided, as this does not cure the disease. Crohns disease can recur at the site of the anastomosis or ileostomy.

- Dietary Advice

Crohn’s patients should avoid the following foods and liquids:

• Dairy foods
• High fiber foods should be avoided during flare-ups.
• Hot spicy foods
• Alcohol & caffeine
• Foods containing saturated fats, found in meat and dairy products. However some fats such as in fish oil may actually be helpful.
• Products containing corn or gluten, those made from wheat, oats, barley, or triticale
• Foods, such as soy, eggs, peanuts, tomatoes
• Gas-producing foods such as cabbage family vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and brussels sprouts), dried peas and lentils, onions and chives, peppers and carbonated drinks
• Foods that may irritate the intestine (particularly the cabbage family vegetables)
• Simple sugars
• Dried fruits or high-sugar fruits, such as grapes, watermelon, or pineapple
• Sorbitol (an artificial sweetener)

Beneficial Foods:

• Fluids to keep the body hydrated and prevent constipation
• Fruits may be protective
• A high protein diet with lean meats

Advice:

• Eat small frequent meals
• Prebiotics such as psyllium may help in the healing process.
• Probiotics may also be helpful in aiding recovery of the intestines.

- Helminthic Therapy

Recent studies have come up with a promising Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis treatment. Helminthic therapy is a new treatment that has shown impressive results in clinical trials. It argues that the absence of intestinal worms (due primarily to higher hygiene standards) from the human intestinal tract may cause the immune system that is not evolutionary adapted to this condition, to over-react causing inflammation and other negative effects, and that reintroducing helminths through ingesting eggs of a certain species (which is not dangerous to humans) can help down regulate and normalize immune responses.

Helminthic therapy like the fecal bacterio therapy induces a characteristic TH2 white cell response in the diseased areas which seems to be the key in achieving and maintaining remission, and may prove to be of key significance in further research.

Diabetes management 9474 managing a child s diabetes at school

As the school year winds down, parents of children with diabetes may want to take a few minutes to evaluate their child’s relationship with the school. Was the school staff able to handle any problems that arose this year? “There needs to be really good communication between the parent and the school,” says Virginia Zamudio, R. N., M. S.N., C. D.E. and past president of the American Association of Diabetes Educators.

Assessing how things are going and establishing effective diabetes management at school can yield a variety of positive results, including:

* Promoting a healthy, productive learning environment (when your child is experiencing lows, it is very difficult for him or her to learn)

* Reducing school absences and classroom disruptions

* Creating an effective response in a diabetes-related emergency

The younger the child, the more important it is to check in with the school on a week-to-week basis. Age matters: A recently diagnosed kindergartner will need a much different approach than the one you’d take with a high school senior who has been managing diabetes since childhood.

At every age, however, you should talk with your child regularly about how things are going. In a little heart-to-heart, you might help him or her become adept at recognizing signs of trouble and asking for help if and when it’s needed. You also have to give school personnel enough information so that you can trust they will look out for your child’s welfare.

Provide the school with an individual action plan from your child’s doctor that gives instructions on: testing, shots, oral medications for low blood sugar problems, dietary requirements (e. g., need for snacks), and explicit plans for handling low and high blood sugar.

“If the nurse isn’t available, even the bus driver and other school personnel need to be able to recognize if your child is having symptoms of hypoglycemia and offer a form of quick-acting sugar,” Zamudio says. Work to establish an overall diabetes-friendly environment. The American Diabetes Association’s Safe at School campaign recommends that capable students should be allowed to self-manage their diabetes in the classroom and during school activities. To learn more about diabetes management at school, go to diabetes. org/advocacy-and-legalresources/discrimination/school/safeschool. jsp

Open communication between you, your child and the school staff is the key. With a diabetes management plan in place at school, you and your child can rest easier knowing the right care will be given when it’s needed.

Writer: Kalia Doner

©Diabetes Focus, Second Quarter 2007