Buy Home Decor to Suit your Home's Character

For the first nineteen years of my life I lived in the same town in my parents home. Whatever home decor there was interested me little, it was just there. Then I went to Italy for a year and lived with an Italian Duke and his family. They lived in a villa in Rome. There I noticed the home decor. The rooms were huge. The Duchess had a penchant for elaborate baroque wall mirrors. They were everywhere, with the rest of the home decor to match. Most days the gardener cut arms full of fresh flowers. I often helped to carry them because I liked to follow him around so that I could look at the classical art statue sculptures and fountains. They, and marble benches, strategically placed between the trees and flowers, were the garden decor. Since I liked to do it, it soon became my job to arrange the flowers in decorative vases. I had a free hand in placing them on tables, cabinets and plant stands. It wasn't exactly decorating, but it gave me a satisfying feeling to contribute something to those marvelous rooms.

After one year I moved to Paris, France. Not much scope for home decorating there. I lived in a tiny furnished room, where the home decor consisted of a narrow bed, a pine wood chair, a wardrobe and a wood cabinet with a washbowl. A bare light bulb hung from the ceiling. All I added was a decorative mirror, a reading lamp and a crystal vase, which I kept filled with fresh flowers from the market.

After that it was great to move into a house near Los Angeles, California, which I shared with my sister. Without much planning, we decided what we needed and went out to buy whatever appealed to us. As nice as the furniture had looked in the showroom, somehow, in that house it did not seem right. For one thing, it was much too massive and the colors clashed with the paint colors and window coverings. We did not have much time to stew over it since we both carried a full load of courses at the college and worked four hours after class and eight on Saturdays.

The day after I graduated, I got married and my wonderful husband and I moved into an apartment near his work. At first I had fun buying new furniture and making the place look nice, but soon I realized that apartment living was not for me. I missed wandering between the flowers and sitting on the garden bench under the open sky with that first cup of coffee.

As soon as our lease was up, we moved into a house on a steep hillside. We used the furniture we had, even though it looked somewhat out of place. Going around to flea markets and buying items without thinking whether they would fit in with what we had, did not help. At the same time my husband inherited his uncle's collectible knives, swords and sabers. They presented a real challenge for me. What was I to do with home decor like that? Mother Nature soon took care of my dilemma. The house and most of what we owned was burned in the Bel Air fire.

Of course I was very sad about the loss, yet I was excited.

Here was my chance to start all over again and this time I intended to make the home decor match the house. We rented a bungalow with a slanting roof, dark, exposed beams and lots of windows. We moved in with just a few borrowed necessities and stacks of home decor magazines and books. As I saw pictures of things that appealed to me, I would sit in different corners of the empty room I wanted to furnish and envisioned those things in place. It was a great method to decide on my selection. Lime green and lemon yellow were very much in fashion then and probably would have looked ghastly in any of the other dwellings we had had. But in that house, with the dark beams, dark oak flooring and big windows framed by citrus trees, I could envision that it would look nice. And it did. It was a delightful home.

A year later my husband decided to go back to college for his Masters Degree. We loaded what we could into our Volkswagen Bus, sold the rest of our belongings and headed for Austin, Texas, accompanied by two babies and a cat. Money was tight and home decor took a back seat to all else. Like so many student accommodations, ours had a lot of make-do furnishings. The bricks and boards book shelve, the milk crate and plywood tables and second hand sofas and beds. Our newborn slept in what used to be a packing box for toilet paper, nicely lined with colorful fabric. It didn't seem to matter. I devoted my time to my children. My husband devoted his time to his studies .

In less than twelve month he got his degree and was recommended by his professor to a company in Pasadena, California.

We found a lovely cottage style home. Once again I was absolutely thrilled to be able to start decorating from scratch, since we had brought nothing with us. I went through the routine of sitting in different corners of the empty rooms and envisioned what, of the things I had seen in magazines and home decor stores, would look good in that house. I settled on country cottage style home decor and in the end, of all the homes we had lived in, this one, still today, was the one we felt most comfortable and at home in.

Our bliss lasted for almost two years until my husband was transferred to Atlanta, Georgia. Fortunately the company let us fly there ahead of time to check the place out and I could see right away that in the colonial style homes we looked at, country cottage home decor would never do. My husband came to an agreement with his company, that instead of paying for the movers to transport our furniture, they would give him a lump sum.

With great pleasure I acquainted myself with colonial style home decor, sat in the empty rooms envisioning what to put where and in the end came up with a truly elegant period masterpiece. What a delight it was to entertain in that house.

I should have known that it would not last but must admit that I said yes faster than my husband when his boss offered him a job in Nepal.We had no idea what to expect in that country. Things seemed primitive compared to what we were used to but we loved it. We found a rather grand looking house where the water pipes and electrical lines were all outside the walls. The fuse boxes were right by the entrance so that everybody could see that this house was modern enough to have such luxuries. The floors were naked cement and there was no heating. Sitting in corners of the empty rooms to envision them furnished did not do it here either, since there were no stores where one could just go and buy furniture. Simple beds, with hemp cords strung between the sides and badly made whicker chairs were all one could buy ready made. Other expatriates advised us to get pictures of home decor we would like to have and take them to a carpenter who may or may not come up with something similar. We did and also found a place in the bazaar where we could order coir carpeting. It did not look like much but felt invigoratingly rough under bare feet. Dishes, cutlery and whatever else one needs in a home also were of ghastly quality, but it did not matter, nobody else had anything better, except for embassy staff, who got everything shipped in. Slowly the pieces of furniture we had ordered were delivered and little by little the place started to look like a home. Finally we could reciprocate for all the many invitations we had accepted from ex pats and local people alike. We might not have had the home decor we would have liked but since the electricity often failed anyhow, by candlelight it did look delightful. Besides, we had one of the best cooks in Katmandu and visitors told us that they would have come to eat his food, had the house been empty.

We were supposed to go back to the United States after my husbands contract was up but even before that, his boss wanted him to transfer to Madras, India. By good fortune we found an almost new bungalow which had been build on stilts so as to not disturb the roots of a huge holy tree in front of it. The house was built in a square around a courtyard with a mango tree in the middle and all rooms had big glass double doors opening out to it. When I saw the place, I could immediately envision a garden theme and was glad to find fabrics with a lattice and bamboo design for the curtains and matching green upholstery for the sofas and chairs we had made. Even though it took many trips to the bazaar, and frequent reminders to the carpenters, eventually all the home decor complimented the garden feeling I had wanted to achieve. It was like living outdoors.

After that we moved fourteen more times, always to different countries, all over the world, without ever bringing any furnishings with us. Each time I went through the same process of sitting in the empty rooms, envisioning the results I wanted to create, then finding the right home decor. The look was always perfect for that particular house.

Few people move as much as I did. For them it is even more important, right at the beginning, to decorate their home to suit it's character. Having chosen what looks right then will still look right years later.

Elisabeth Mcgill is now permanently living in Tucson, Arizona. To make use of her expertise in home decorating and her knowledge of decorator items from around the world, she is in the process of creating a home and garden decor business. http://www.buyhomeandgardendecor.com (not yet published)Concordia Blog48173
Cristy Blog1795

On Cars, Baseball and the Halcyon Days of Summer

The automotive world was introduced to economies of scale in 1954 as Nash and Hudson (yes, those were makes of cars exactly 52 years ago) merged to form American Motors. Both Nash and Hudson models are history now. Heck, American Motors has taken a hike since then too.

Two other auto manufacturers-Studebaker and Packard-also merged their production in response to economies of scale. They are both gone now as well.

As these four auto manufacturers were headed toward oblivion, another entrepreneur was just getting started. Ray Kroc founded McDonald's in 1954 and went on to create the fast food restaurant industry as we know it today.

The first nonstick pan was produced in 1954, leading to Teflon (a trademark for polytetrafluoroethylene), and Reagan (who would become the Teflon President) was not even President. It was another guy named Ike (Dwight David Eisenhower), who in 1944 was made Supreme Allied Commander for the invasion of Europe during World War II.

While Ike was busy making war plans, I was born in Flint (MI), then headquarters of General Motors and its vast manufacturing facilities.

The New York Yankees, who had won five consecutive World Series from 1949 through 1953, were watching the World Series from the sidelines in 1954, as the National League Champion New York Giants (the other team from the city so nice they named it twice) swept the American League Champion Cleveland Indians in 4 games.

Leo Durocher, the Manager of the Giants, could not say "Nice guys finish last" that year.

Interestingly enough, Cleveland's Bob Lemon lost games 1 and 4 of the Series and Early Wynn lost game 2. Both Lemon and Wynn are in Baseball's Hall of Fame. Cleveland's Bobby Avila also won the American League batting title in 1954 with a .341 average (now that is what you call a trivia question), and Larry Doby (who broke the color barrier in the American League) won the home run title with 32 dingers.

For the Cleveland Indians, it became what some would call a bad year. Imagine getting to the promised land and coming up short with two eventual Hall of Fame pitchers, a batting champion and an eventual Hall of Fame home run champion.

I remember the 1954 Series as the one at the Polo Grounds when Willie Mays made "The Catch," a dramatic over-the-shoulder catch off a line drive by Vic Wertz to deep center field which could otherwise have given the Cleveland Indians a game one victory (remember, the Giants swept the Series that year, winning four straight games).

A lot more happened in 1954, but here you get the tidbits I learned later in life, much later. I celebrated my 62nd birthday June 27.

In 1954 I was 10 years old and just about my whole world was baseball. We played during the school year but there was never enough time. Summer was a dream come true, no school and lots of hot, sunny days. After rolling out of bed, eating the requisite breakfast and meeting my buddy Tommy, we walked two blocks to St. Michael's, the private school in our lower middle class neighborhood.

We could not afford to go there, but we wore out the brick wall on the side of the school all summer.

The Catholics who built St. Mike's meant for it to stand for a long time. At that point in time, Christianity had been around for 19.5 centuries, and they built it like they meant for it to be there for another 19.5 centuries.

No one ever ran us off the property. We were very lucky, too small or too insignificant to be noticed. Maybe they thought we were their students.

Back then Tommy and I played several games a day. We were there by 10 and did not quit until after 3. Man, it was hot most days. Having a game with only two players was simple. The home team pitcher took the mound, an appropriate distance away, and fired in a rubber ball. The batter stood about 5 feet from the brick wall, and if he did not swing at the pitch or swung and missed, the ball bounced off the wall and back out to the pitcher.

You learned pretty fast how to throw strikes, because if you did not, you were running all over the blacktop lot to retrieve the ball after each pitch.

When you connected, the distance of the ball in the air determined what kind of hit you had, hit it to the chain link fence on the fly and it was "Good-bye Baseball, Hello Home Run." The rubber ball you hit never went as far as you thought it would. You had 3 swings for each out, and 3 outs to an inning. Balls were ignored to not cause disputes.

The sun would get hotter as the day wore on. Even at age 10, we thought we invented sweat because it was so prevalent in the blistering sun. No one ever called us to come home, both our parents worked when it was not the thing to do. I think it was called survival on the wrong side of the tracks.

We never thought about lunch. We were a couple of 10 year olds, dreaming about the 9th inning with the scored tied, 2 outs and a 3-2 count on the batter. Always we thought of Mickey on that fateful pitch.

Mickey Mantle of the Yankees did not win the American League home title in 1954, but even at 10 we knew he was a legend was in the making. Mantle did win the home run title the following year (1955) and added 3 more titles in 1956, 1958 and 1960.

In 1961, Roger Maris of the Yankees would break Babe's record with 61 humdingers. We were so excited on that day we could not pee straight.

After hours of play we headed to the local drugstore. Both Tommy and I worked or we would not have had money. I had a TV Guide route with about 200 customers. Youngsters today would have no idea that TV Guide, long before it relied on grocery stores and direct mail for sales, had routes just like paper routes. We delivered once a week and collected monthly.

We lived for two things at that drugstore, baseball cards and cherry Cokes. I purposely down-cased the "c" in cherry because back then you could not buy Cherry Coke off the shelf at your local supermarket like you can today.

You got Coke and the fountain person would squirt in cherry concentrate and stir it up, pour in ice and bam, once that hit your throat after 5 hours in the hot sun, it was like visiting another world.

We would sock down 4 or 5 of them while buying baseball cards, and with each pack of cards we opened, the bubble gum would go into our mouth, every last slice of it. We were looking for that elusive Mickey Mantle card, and when we got more than one, we had an awesome bargaining chip for trades.

Always, we tried to build up enough chewing gum so we could push it out in our cheek, like Nellie Fox, the sure-handed second baseman for the Chicago White Sox with the biggest chaw of tobacco in his cheek you ever saw.

Fox was another Hall of Famer, and probably would have been even without the chaw of tobacco. He was a 12-time American League All-Star who never struck out more than 18 times a season in 15 full seasons, and was the American League Most Valuable Player in 1959.

We loved Nellie because he was a little guy like us that made it big. Fox had 200+ hits in 1954 and a .319 batting average (his best year in the majors). Man, we thought Nellie was something.

We then walked home, exhausted, happy, poor kids who never knew any better. It would be a number of years before we got our first car, and cruised the A&W Root Beer stand on Friday nights after the high school football game. But without any cars or car repair bills, 1954 was a great summer.

Ed Bagley is the author of Ed Bagley's Blog, which he publishes daily with fresh, original writing intended to delight, inform, educate and motivate readers. Visit Ed at...Ddene Blog69324
Crysta Blog94283

How To Build A Computer Without Really Trying

I didnt start out trying to build a computer. My CD disk drive stopped working and I kept getting an error message which said, This drive is not available. I went to the my computer file to check the status of the drive through the properties but the drive wasnt listed. I then went to the device manager to check the drives status but it wasnt listed there either.

Now Im not a computer whiz or computer geek but I do have some knowledge, although limited, as to how a computer works. After spending literally hours trying to figure out what happened to my CD drive, I finally decided to cross the line and venture into the unknown. I took the cover off the computer case. I had no idea what I was looking for so I started tinkering around to see if maybe something had come loose. Sure enough, a cable going to the back of the CD player was unplugged. I plugged the cable back in, put the cover back on, plugged in the power cord and pushed the power button to fire her up. I was kind of surprised to see that it actually worked. This got me to wondering how hard it would be to build a computer from scratch. I went searching on line to see if this was possible, something that I could do. After reading various articles and visiting numerous web sites I decided to give it a try.

The first step was to determine what kind of computer I wanted. First and foremost it had to be fast. No sense going through all the trouble to build a dud. It also had to be capable of handling large video files, many photographs, and a vast amount of music (songs). And finally I wanted it to be a media center; capable of playing and recording music, playing and recording DVDs, downloading and playing games, and capable of playing cable television. I also wanted to be able to connect an overhead projector and have my wall as the screen while surfing the net. Once I decided what I wanted, I started looking for the components and or parts I would need.

The first thing I needed was a case, or tower. I found out that there are guide lines standardizing case such as ATX Form Factor. This is a standardized case designed to accept certain motherboards, and thus determining the layout of the inside of the case. I found a great source for the parts I would need, in a online store named Newegg.Com. Although I didnt know it at the time, I quickly found out that in addition to a vast product selection, and very low competitive prices, their customer service was top flight. Yes I highly recommend these guys.

First on my list was a Rosewill R114A-SLV silver steel mid-tower computer case. This case came with a 400w ATX 20-pin main connector power supply. (See photo A). Next on the list was a motherboard. I needed an ATX Intel motherboard, (ATX meaning it would fit perfectly in my ATX mid-tower). For this I chose the ASUS P5P800 Socket T (LGA775) Intel 865PE ATX Intel motherboard. It is very powerful and affordable, and supports Intels Pentium 4 processor. This processor supports Hyper-Threading technology which, according to Intels web site results in more efficient use of processor resources, higher processing throughput, and improved performance on todays multithreaded software. This motherboard also comes with a 775 pin Land Grid Array (LGA-775) socket designed for the Intel Pentium 4 processor, and most importantly to me, a Users Guide.

Next on the list was a processor. I chose the Intel Pentium 4 processor; 530J 3.0 GHz, 800 MHz FSB in the 775 Land package. This super fast processor comes with a heat sink and fan assembly which uses push pin technology to install. For memory I decided on Rosewills 512 MB 184-pin DDR SDRAM DDR400 (PC3200), four times. For the hard drive I chose Western Digitals WDC1600, 160 GHz 7200 RPM Serial ATA Hard Drive. I chose a Mitsumi 1.44 MB 3.5 Internal Floppy, a Rosewill DVD burner; model RD-162, and Rosewill CD burner; model RR-52, (both retail). With the exception of the floppy, all of my components were retail, IE, in original manufacturers packaging, etc. Also on my list were 2 80mm Sleeve, Blue LED light case cooling fans, a Sound Blaster Live sound card, an ATI All In Wonder 9600 8X graphics/TV card, a Dell 17 Ultra Sharp flat panel monitor, wireless mouse and keyboard, HP Photo Smart 7660 printer, and Logitech Z 2300 speaker system.

As you can see I did my homework. Before taking on this task, I didnt have a clue as to what a motherboard was, what was a CPUs function, what a hard disk was and what it was for, what if any compatibility issues I would encounter, and how all of this stuff worked together. So over the course of about three months I purchased all of these components. My very first mistake was that I ordered the ASUS P4P800SE instead of the ASUS P5P800SE. The P4P800SE is not compatible with the Intel P4 LGA-775 processor. So here was a chance to test the service level of Newegg.com. I emailed them and explained my situation, and without hesitation they exchanged the motherboard and didnt charge me a restocking fee or freight. They acted as if they had made the mistake. Needless to say, I was VERY impressed.

Once all of the parts and components were here, I laid everything out, identified everything, and read the users guide that came with the motherboard from cover to cover. Now was the nuts and bolts time, the time to put this thing together. The motherboard came with ten screws and ten felt washers which were used to attach the motherboard to the case chassis. I placed the felt washers over the holes on the chassis and placed the motherboard on top of the felt washers. Therefore the felt washers were between the chassis and the motherboard. I then secured the motherboard to the chassis with the ten screws. Next was installing the CPU. I found out real fast how sensitive a piece of equipment this was. There are 775 tiny pins or connectors that could easily get bent, and thus make the CPU useless. This I considered the most intimidating. However, I said a prayer, took my time, got the CPU lined-up correctly, and proceeded with caution. Perfect match! Perfect fit! The sweating was over. I then installed the heat sink and fan assembly onto the CPU with the push pins, (push down and twist clockwise). I then plugged the CPU fan cable into the connector on the motherboard labeled CPU_FAN. I then installed the Serial ATA hard disk drive into one of the internal bays. Then I installed the floppy disk drive. Next to install was the system memory. Its very important that you first ground yourself by touching the metal chassis before handling the Dual Inline Memory Modules (DIMM). This motherboard comes with four DIMM sockets enabling the use of various configurations, based on the amount of memory to be installed. I chose four 512MB DIMM modules, which kept it simple. I just unlocked the DIMM sockets by pressing the retaining clips outward. Next I aligned the DIMM on the socket so that the notch on the DIMM matched the break on the socket. By pushing straight down, I firmly inserted the DIMM until the retaining clips snapped back into place. I then installed the DVD optical drive in the first bay, and the CD optical drive in the second bay. This particular case has flip up doors which conceal the optical drives. I then installed a network card into one of the five PCI slots and secured it to the chassis with screws. Next I installed the ATI All In Wonder9600 graphics card into the Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) slot. This motherboard only supports a 1.5v or 0.8v AGP card which is keyed to fit into the AGP card slot. Next, was time to set the jumpers. The jumpers are set to determine how a part of the computer will function. For example, theres a three pin keyboard power jumper which lets you enable or disable the keyboard wake up feature. Theres a jumper cap that covers two of the three pins to determine the jumpers function.

Next came the fun part, the internal connections. I connected the FDD to the floppy disk connector with the FDD signal cable. Then I connected a power cable to the FDD. Next I connected the serial ATA hard disk drive to one of the two SATA connectors with a serial ATA signal cable, and then connected a power cable to the hard drive. I then plugged in the CPU fan connectors, the serial (COM) port module cable to the serial port connector, two USB 2.0 ports, and game module. I then connected power cables to the two optical drives. Next I connected the ATX power connectors (24-pin EATXPWR, 4-pin ATX12v), the internal audio connector (4-pin CD, AUX), front panel audio connector (10-1 pin FP-Audio), and last but not least, the system panel connector (20-1 pin Panel). The system panel connector is color coded so connecting it was fairly simple. I then replaced the system case cover, connected the monitor, the wireless receiver for the keyboard and mouse, the speakers, and the power cord. I then plugged the cord into a wall outlet. Now for the moment of truth! I pushed the power button. Nothing happened! No lights on system panel, no onboard LED light, no CPU fan running! Nothing! Needless to say I was crushed. All of this work for nothing. I started wondering what I could have done wrong, or was it some kind of compatibility issue. I went back to the beginning and retraced all of my connections, and they were all correct. After about an hour of tracing and retracing my steps it hit me. There was no power coming into the system! I then plugged in a lamp to test the outlet, and it worked fine. After going over everything again and again I realized that maybe, just maybe the felt washers were somehow preventing a connection. It was worth a try so I uninstalled everything, and I mean everything! I then took out the motherboard, removed the felt washers, replaced the motherboard, so that it was in direct contact with the case chassis, put the felt was hers on top of the motherboard, and then tightened the motherboard to the chassis with the ten screws. I realized that the only instruction not in the users guide was the correct placement of the felt washers! I then reinstalled everything. When I plugged the power cord into the wall outlet the onboard LED light came on! I pushed the power button and she came right on. It worked! Oh how happy I was. I then went into the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) and followed the steps to set the many different parameters to control the operation of the computer. With the users guide, these were pretty easy to set. Once I finished setting the different parameters I installed the operating system, Microsoft Windows XP with service pack II. Seeing the ASUS logo followed by the Windows XP logo was one of the most gratifying parts of this whole ordeal. I was thrilled! My computer worked flawlessly the first time I used it, and has worked flawlessly every since. I can watch TV programs, search the internet at super fast speeds (with cable modem), download songs and create a play list, create photo disk, and albums, listen to AOL radio, watch videos, watch DVD movies, play games, Call Of Duty, The Big Red One, and print excellent photos. This computer is awesome! Overall this was a very intense learning experience. Once I was committed there was no turning back, because too much money had been spent. By the way, I already owned a desktop computer system made by a highly respected manufacturer. I paid close to $1,100 for the complete system and it has no where near the capabilities of the computer I just built. There is just no comparison. And I spent a whole lot less building my own, actually saved hundred of dollars. I priced major name brand computers with the power and capabilities of the one I just built and the cheapest came to about $2,200. Unbelievable! Just goes to show, anything is possible if you stick to it, and more importantly, if you have the Lord on you side

Darryl Griffin
November 2006
http://www.thegadgetship.com

Darryl F. GriffinDelphinia Blog2567
Corry Blog74880

Self Defense and Stun Guns

Stun Master stun guns have been on the market for over 10 years. These personal protection devices have a proven track record, and are some of the most popular and reliable self defense devices in the world! I carried one of these devices while on assignment to some pretty hairy areas of the globe, and always felt more confident and secure knowing I was not totally defenseless. You must realize that there simply are places and situations where it is not wise to be without some type of protection. I found this especially true overseas, where lawlessness can often be the norm rather than the exception. Even in the U.S. there are many unsafe areas and environments. Carry a self defense device like the Stun Master series, might make the difference between life and death.

Folks, I am no James Bond believe me, so preparing for a deadly encounter with a thug is not always the foremost thing on my mind. I have always been too busy with my work in forensic entomology to give much thought or time to planning for some kind of assailant. Most of us are in situations where we are very busy with work or family to have extra time. The simplest thing for me, and perhaps you, was to educate myself about some different kinds of personal defense. I found that, with some reading, I could make myself more aware of dangerous situations, and prepare as best I could for my response to these potential threats. I researched different types of deterrents and defense weapons, and finally decided on a stun gun. These non-lethal personal defense weapons are safe to use, compact, and most importantly effective. The effectiveness of any self defense plan is the most crucial aspect of any decision to select a weapon. It is also vitally important for the user to be comfortable with whatever weapon he/she chooses. The Stun Master weapons were a perfect fit for my situation, as they are inexpensive, easy to use, and compact.

Every one of us has been in a situation where we felt threatened or out of control. Being armed with knowledge, preparedness, and a means to diffuse these situations is so crucial for every person. Stun guns are non-lethal weapons that disable an attacker without doing permanent harm. Any self defense class will teach you that evasion is the best defense. That is what a weapon like the Stun Master can do for you! Any attacker can be put on their knees with one jolt from these powerful devices. The assailant will remain helpless to do harm for 10 minutes, while you are free to make your escape and cal the authorities. It is your safety we are talking about, so do the homework and feel free to ask us any questions. Please surf our site and gather information about Stun Guns and other defense solutions. You will find the one that suits you best, and we will help in any way we can. If you need time to decide, it may be a good idea to bookmark this site so that you will have access when you need it.

Stun guns use high voltage and low amperage to temporarily disable an attacker for several minutes. The stun gun does not rely on pain for results. The energy stored in the gun is dumped into the attackers muscles causing them to do a great deal of work rapidly. This rapid work cycle instantly depletes the attackers blood sugar by converting it to lactic acid. In short, he is unable to produce energy for his muscles, and his body is unable to function properly. The stun gun also interrupts the tiny neurological impulses that control and direct voluntary muscle movement. When the attackers neuromuscular system is overwhelmed and controlled by the stun gun he loses his balance. Should the attacker be touching you, the current will NOT pass to your body! Look at some of these amazing gadgets at: http://www.ento-guard.com/

As a forensic entomologist, I am familiar with law enforement and security. In my working experience in forensics I was contracted by various government agencies to establish evidenciary proof for a wide variety of crimes. In particular, I was often on the deadly end of crime scenes, where self defense was rather obviously not in use for the victim. Delila Blog94192
Constanta Blog20021

Teach Your Child Grammar Early

For some reason, grammar is the forgotten cousin of reading programs. Back in the good old days, second- and third-graders would learn what a noun is, and the difference between present and past tense verbs. Now the educational system waits until middle school, which is long past the best learning age. Kids then wonder why they need to learn rules about talking and writing, and get no good answers.

As the parent, you have the power to bring language to life for your children.

If you havent already noticed, children love to group similar things together. They collect stones of a certain color, or put all their marbles in one place when you make them clean their room. When you show children that words have similar characteristics, they grasp the concept very quickly. Grammar is second nature to children.

The best way I found to introduce grammar to my children was to make a game of it. Several games, actually: the Noun Game, the Verb Game, the Helping Words Game. The rules are very easy: Nouns are words that name something. I am going to say a noun, then it is your turn. Play for a very short time, until the child is very happy with some noun that he thought of, then tell him he won and end the game. He will beg you to play it again.

Do play it again, later that day or the next. Then do the same thing with Verbs. Then Helping Words (adjectives and adverbs) which get attached to nouns or verbs. When he starts getting bored with these games, add the Preposition game.

Fairly soon, you can introduce him to Advanced games, that include proper nouns and common nouns, different tenses of verbs, etc. Before long he will know all the elements of grammar.

What you will see, as your child learns to read, is that he will recognize all these word forms, and identify them to you. You, of course, will praise him to high heavens for being so clever.

By the time he is in second grade, he will be so far ahead of his classmates in understanding and appreciating how sentences are put together (grammar) that he will gravitate into a leadership position. From there it is a short step to Class President, then a full scholarship to Harvard Law, then being drafted as a Congressional candidate, and finally winning the Presidency.

All from knowing what a noun is.

Don Dewsnap is a writer who with his wife Vykki brought up successful children who love to read. Don and Vykki have begun to publish basic glossary e-books at http://www.basic-glossaries.com, starting with the Basic Glossary of Grammar.Celine Blog74908
Clarine Blog15914

Give Your Customers Everything They Expect and More

When you set out to write your "How To..." book or any book selling information, do not make the mistake of leaving your readers with more questions after reading your book than they had before starting it. They will punish you for misleading them and the Internet will get their opinion out to anyone with an interest in researching your book before buying it.

Before you publish your book and start selling it, give copies to a few friends that do not know a thing about the topic. Ask them to read it and let you know if they have questions that were not answered in the book, but should have been. If necessary, do some editing to make sure these questions get answered before you make the book available for sale to the public.

As a consumer myself, I always look at what other readers have to say about a book before I purchase it. If a particular book has a few stellar reviews, an equal number of good reviews, and some negative reviews, I do not assume it is good or bad, I try to determine if the book gives the reader what its marketing says it will. That is, if the negative reviews come from readers that were advanced practitioners of the subject, and their negative reviews are owing to the fact that they got nothing out of a book intended for beginners, I cannot fault the book or the author. On the other hand, if I am looking to buy a book about advanced engineering mathematics and reviewers gave the book bad reviews because the book only included high school algebra, I would decline to buy it and would assume the negative reviews were deserved.

In writing "How To..." books, the old saying, "Honesty is the best policy" is certainly applicable. In a world where everyone is looking to make a quick buck, you will find yourself in debt as an author if you shortchange the customers of your book. If your book is marketed as a book that will teach them how to do something, make sure it does. This is particularly true if you are marketing a book that purports to instruct the reader with respect to how to do something to generate an income. Readers of this type of book are not happy when they pay good money for your book and find that after they have read it, they still do not have a clue about how to use the information to make money. They will justifiably give you bad reviews assuring that others do not become victims of deceitful marketing. Give your readers everything they expect and more, and they will give you good reviews that will lead to even more sales. Then, if you do write a follow-up or companion book, they will know they can expect a quality book from you.

This practice applies to other products and/or services as well. I cannot count the number of products I have purchased over the years that broke or malfunctioned within a week of taking them out of their packaging. In fact, I have found that packaging these days is usually more durable and functional that the products inside.

How many times have you purchased something that looked or sounded great only to find out when you open the package that the product is significantly less that what you expected? The Internet and information sharing can be devastating to even the best product if it does not meet the expectations of the consumers buying it, so before you start selling something, whether it be a book or another product, test it yourself and ask others to test it to make sure it will live up to consumer expectations. If it does not and you proceed to sell it, sales will be brief and your customers will speak their mind.

Michael E. Mould is the author of "Online Bookselling: A Practical Guide with Detailed Explanations and Insightful Tips," [Paperback ISBN 1427600708, CD-ROM ISBN 1599714876] and the developer of "Bookkeeping for Booksellers" [CD ISBN 1427600694], you can learn more about online bookselling at: http://www.online-bookselling.com , or by emailing mike@online-bookselling.com.Collete Blog14277
Corry Blog74880

Choosing The Right Adoption Agency

When you are looking to adopt you should research different adoption agencies very carefully. There are many things to consider in order to help you narrow down to a list of specific adoption agencies. Here are some questions to ask yourself before you being any research:

1. Do you want a domestic adoption (within the United States) or an international adoption?

2. If you do want to adopt internationally which countries would you consider adopting from?

3. Do you want to adopt an infant or older child?

4. Do you want to work with an adoption agency close to your home or anywhere within the United States?

5. How will you finance your adoption?

6. How soon do you want to adopt?

7. Which races are you willing to adopt? (Caucasian, Asian, African American, etc.)

8. Do you want a boy or girl?

9. Do you have any special circumstances? (single-parent, gay couple, older couple, etc.)

10. Do you know anyone who has adopted before?

Once you ask yourself these questions you can develop a list of adoption agencies that you can request information from. Most adoption agencies will send you an information packet free of charge about their adoption services. Research on the internet and write down agencies that you feel can meet your needs. Once you have at least ten ask them to send you an information packet. Review the packets and throw away the ones that you do not like. With the remaining agencies call them and ask more questions about their services, how they operate, and other common questions.

Finally choose an adoption agency. Once you have chosen an agency double check with the state licensing department and ensure that they are in good standing. You may also want to check with your local BBB to see if any complaints have been filed against them. Finally ask the agency for some references of previous adoptive parents that you can talk to personally. Once they have passed the test you can start filling out the paperwork to adopt a child.

Eric Morgan owns an adoption agencies website. You can visit it to find a list of adoption agencies that may fit your needs. Go to http://www.myadoptionagecies.com for more information.Deeyn Blog99611
Christina Blog61647

Yoga Room Decorating And Design Ideas

A room in which a person can practice a yoga routine must be one of comfort. In order to truly reap the benefits of yoga, a person must be able to move around freely and in perfect comfort. When considering your yoga room decorating and design you must be sure to add things that will free you mentally while in the yoga practice so that its benefits will be felt to their fullest.

Yoga, which comes from the ancient practice of meditation, is a moving practice in which you are trying to train your muscles in certain directions while also concentrating on making them more firm. In order to do this practice, there are certain items that you will need to use. Yoga mats should be used to provide your body ultimate cushion and support. There are yoga balls that get used as well as several other tools. These can be added to the dcor of your yoga room.

The color that you choose for your yoga room should be an earthy tone. Perhaps a rosy yellow or a waterfall blue/white combination would be a great color for this room. This will add to the calming effects of yoga while in practice of it. Another color choice may be a deep red to reflect the color of dcor that yoga originated from. Either way, you want the color to help your mind relax as you concentrate on particular muscle groups in your practice.

Candles are another important part of yoga. The colors of the candles you choose can either match or contrast with the colors that youve chosen to paint the room. They will grace your practices as you light them and reflect upon their glow when you are doing yoga. Their flames will add to the dcor and feel of warmth in the room. Other knickknacks throughout the room may include Buddha statues or paintings of waterfalls. These add unity to the room as you bring together your own tastes and the history of the practice of yoga.

A final touch that will enhance the use of this room would be a set of speakers to surround the person practicing. This would be something thats both functional and decorative. Speakers can come in several different colors or they can reflect the wood grain that they are made out of. They can be on stands in several places throughout the room, or they can be placed within the walls themselves. Ultimately, as they are used in the yoga practices, they will create the feel of tranquility that is so important.

A yoga room should create a feeling of relaxation while remaining functional. Though you are certainly not relaxing while doing yoga, your mind should be free to concentrate on the muscles being worked. By adding these decorative touches in your yoga room decorating and design efforts, you are freeing the mind to be where it should be while your body is prepared for the stretches and practices of yoga.

Lee Dobbins writes about http://www.home-improvement-solution.com. Visit http://www.home-improvement-solution.com where you can read more about decorating styles and how to incorporate them in your home.Celine Blog6615
Daveen Blog17243

Cubs Fans as Metaphor for Chicago Dating

Cubs fans, known throughout the baseball world, and the country in general, as the most die-hard, loyal, and dedicated fans in the sport. Wrigley Field regularly packs the stadium with fans... fans who are sure that this year things will be different. This year they'll make it to the World Series.

And yet...

The Cubs haven't been to the World Series since 1945, and they haven't won the Series since 1908. And yet the Cubs fans continue to believe. They continue to hope against hope, and show up at every game, cheering them on and throwing back the opposing team's home run balls. For what? A team that continues to let them down?

One could examine Chicago dating (or any dating for that matter) in the same way. We hope against hope that this time our blind date will be worthwhile or that this time a relationship will make it past the third date. Like a true Cubs fan, we are completely dedicated to our cause, and our belief is pure that someday our Chicago dating will garner success. It's the epitome of Blind Faith, but let's face it, we love the struggle and the journey into the unknown.

Sometimes, when we go through a dry spell (maybe month for us, a century for the Cubs) we tend to look for reasons anything that would explain why these failures or rejections are happening to us. But of course, we tend to look for reasons that are beyond our control That way, it's not our fault.

The Curse of the Billy Goat has dogged the Cubs since 1945. Every time the Cubs get close to the World Series, something outside of their control steps in to ruin everything and stomp on the hearts of Cubs fans one more year. Chicago dating also offers plenty of scapegoats. No one understands me, Girls always want someone with a better job, Guys are all jerks, and so on and so forth. We fall back on these because they are a simple way to avoid Chicago dating demands.

And just when we think we can overcome all these problems and have an enjoyable life, Steve Bartman reaches out and knocks the ball away from our grasp.

And we were so close!

Every time we get close to achieving that long term goal it seems like any number of obstructions can pop up and and make trouble for us. For the Cubs, it was Steve Bartman, for Chicago singles it could be any of the common speed bumps that we pin a failed relationship on. Nevermind that the Cubs were still leading after the incident, and nevermind that it's only a simple misunderstanding that has come between a couple, these speed bumps become our focus and our reason for letting everything else fall apart.

Now here's the tough question: As all these speed bumps and problems pop up in a Chicago dating situation or on the road to the World Series, do we really want to overcome them? Or have we gotten too comfortable in the status quo?

The Cubs have a history of questionable trades and not using their funds to improve the team. Part of the current Cubs identity is the team that is cursed. Every year we get to watch them battle against an overwhelming curse year after year. Would they really still be The Cubs if they didn't have a curse to overcome? Could the owners still fill the stands if the Cubs were just another team in the MLB?

Do our Chicago dating habits follow the same trend? If we come across the means to change our dating life, do we take the chance to grow the relationship to take the relationship to the next level or do we pass it by because it wouldn't be me?

The Cubs have employed various means to eliminate their curse. Most recently, a fan paid more than one hundred thousand dollars to buy the Steve Bartman baseball and blew it up in front of a huge gathering of fans. Rather than taking the basic steps to build up a winning team, they seemed to think a big explosion would solve all their problems.

Are we also looking for a mystical cure to our Chicago dating woes? Do we think that a big explosion will solve all our problems?

There is, luckily, a cure. According to Sam Sianis, the nephew of the man who placed the curse, the Cubs have to show a sincere fondness for goats, and not just welcome them back as a publicity stunt.

The Chicago dating cure may be just as simple. One has to have the dedication and determination of a Cubs fan to make it through the rough patches, but dating has to be for the sake of dating. Because you really want a relationship. When you can honestly enter the Chicago dating scene with those intentions, rather than to keep up an image, you'll find yourself on the road to the World Series... or a happy relationship. One of the two.

Andy Eliason is a writer at Main10. You can learn more about Chicago dating and developing lasting relationships at http://HeavenlyMatched.com.Daffy Blog15456
Courtnay Blog69219

Getting your Money - Back on Track

Have your money matters run off the tracks ? There are a variety of methods for getting those wheels turning in the right direction again. Lets stop the engine and take a look at how you got to this stage.

There are two sides to the track what goes in and what goes out.

Your financial situation is the same as driving a car with a full tank of gas. Your income ie salary/wages you receive is like filling up the tank. Your spending is the kilometres you travel, that takes the money out. Do you keep your tank full? Or do you run you tank on empty and not quite reach your destination?

Income

If you are in a situation where you do not have enough money in the bank account. Is there an opportunity to increase the money going in for example ;

Work an extra hour each day that could be 7 hours a week, almost an extra day

Find a skill you have to provide an additional service

Volunteer for opportunities that may not pay today, but may increase your skills to get a better position in the future

Look carefully at all your treasures are they still needed or could you sell some of them to fill up the tank in the short term

Keeping the tank filled up allows you to get to where you want to be

Expenses

Expenses are all those things we need to pay for. Some are more important than others. Lets split them into essentials and nice to have. Look at what you spend in the following areas. How far you can travel before the next payday !!!

Essentials...................... Weekly Spending...Changes I can make
Rent, mortgage or housing cost
Basic Food for daily living - groceries
Transport Fuel/Bus/
Electricity / Gas
Water
Telephone - landline/cell
Insurance - house/life/public/medical
Loans
Credit card Payments
Family Obligations childcare etc
Superannuation/savings programme
(a) Essentials Sub Total $
(b) Record you take home pay $

Take (a) away from (b)This is ( c )$
Nice to have lifestyle choices

What does your bank account look like :
If (a) is greater than (b) it is like driving your car too much. Your Bank account is not big enough for what you need to pay for.

If (b) is greater than (a) well done you have planned for the essentials on this trip. You have money for extra treats nice to have lifestyle choices.

You can only spend what is in (c) to cover what you think you really want Eating out, coffee/lattes, clothes, movies, hobbies, subscriptions, vacations etc

I can hear you saying that you are different and this would not work for you !!!! Set a goal for how you would like to be living in 5 years. Carry a picture in your wallet of your future dream or goal. When you open your wallet to spend you will see this picture. It will remind you every day that you are stealing from yourself, and you deserve better than that for your life.

Living within your means, will get your finances back on track

Lyn BuckleyDel Blog7762
Cheri Blog22318

Lipid Transport

LIPOPROTEINS

Once lipids are disassembled in the intestinal lumen and mucosal cell (enterocyte) they are reassembled in the mucosal cell as chylomicrons (CM's) and very low density lipoproteins (VLDL's). These vehicles contain primarily nonpolar cholesterol esters and triglycerides in the core and polar cholesterol, protein, and phospholipids in their membranes. (Fig. 20)

[ Lipoproteins Image ]

They are transported via the lymph and blood circulation to the liver, fat depots, and muscles. There the endothelial enzyme lipoprotein lipase removes the lipid contents.

Lipid carrying vehicles are also made by the liver primarily as very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) and these function to move lipids made by the body itself into tissues. On the other hand, high density lipoproteins (HDL), which are made in the intestines and liver, function primarily to reverse this process and transport lipids from tissue to liver hepatocytes.1 HDL's are of two types: HDL3 and HDL2. HDL3 is an empty package composed of a bilayer lipid membrane plus proteins. Lysolecithin cholesterol acyl transferase (LCAT) and apoprotein A associated with HDL3 remove free cholesterol from the blood, esterify it and fill the HDL3 package.

The LCAT enzyme uses the fatty acid in the number two position of lecithin to esterify to cholesterol. If this fatty acid is saturated, the process is inhibited: if it is unsaturated, the process is enhanced. Thus, cholesterol blood clearing by HDL3 is linked to dietary intake of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. High saturated triglycerides are often clinically associated with high blood cholesterol levels.

As HDL3 swells with cholesterol ester, it becomes HDL2, which in the liver releases its cholesterol through the action of hepatic lipase. Released cholesterol is conjugated with the amino acids glycine (predominantly in most species) and taurine (predominantly in cats) to form bile salts which are then excreted in the bile into the small intestine.2,3 Some cholesterol is then reabsorbed via the enterohepatic circulation and some passes with the feces. The less reabsorbed, the lower the blood levels of cholesterol. A variety of complex factors influences the reuptake of bile cholesterol. For example, some of the beneficial effects of fiber and certain bowel microorganisms can be related to decreasing cholesterol uptake.4,5

Characterization of lipid transport vehicles is based on physical density, size and ratios of constituents. Chylomicrons are the largest particles, the very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) is the next largest, the intermediate density lipoprotein (IDL) is the next largest, the low density lipoprotein (IDL) is the next largest, and then high density lipoproteins (HDL) are the smallest. In terms of their constituents, as the particle becomes smaller as it is hydrolyzed by lipoprotein lipase on capillary endothelial cells, its protein and cholesterol content becomes greater, triglyceride content becomes smaller and its density increases.6 Thus chylomicrons are laden with lipid but lean of protein, whereas high density lipoproteins contain smaller amounts of lipid and larger measures of protein. (Fig. 21)

Lipid Transport Vehicles Image

Diagnostically the measure of these lipid carriers in the blood is important as indicators of risk particularly to cardiovascular disease. If there are high levels of LDL's, this would be unfavorable whereas high levels of HDL's would be favorable. High levels of LDL's mean that there is a large amount of circulating cholesterol which may have atherogenic potential. On the other hand, a high level of HDL's would mean that lipid stores are being mobilized from tissue and metabolized in the liver to be excreted in the bile.7

APOPROTEINS

The proteins associated with lipid carriers help solubilize the lipids, and identify them for enzymatic action. There are a host of these apoproteins. Some of those believed to be most important diagnostically are B, found on LDL's and VLDL's, E, found on IDL's, and A. found on HDL's. Apoprotein B on LDL's and VLDL's tags lipids for uptake by liver cells or scavenger cells in blood vessel walls. Apoprotein A tags HDL's for liver uptake. Another apoprotein, C-2, serves as a cofactor for lipoprotein lipase which hydrolyzes the contents of low density lipid carriers on the endothelial wall. (Fig 22)

Lipoprotein Metabolism Image

This is a very brief overview of some increasingly complex biochemistry coming to light.8-l0 Diagnostically, identifying apoproteins may be most revealing since they are more specific than simply measuring cholesterol or lipoproteins. High apoprotein A, for example, indicates high levels of HDL's whereas high levels of B indicate high levels of LDL's.

Lipoprotein (a) (different than A) may be one of the best independent markers for both cardiovascular risk and severity of existing disease. It is comprised of LDL and apoproteins B-100 and (a). Lp(a) is genetically controlled and due to the homology between apo (a) and plasminogen, a blood clot lysing factor, it interferes with clot lysis and adheres LDL to the endothelial surface where it can initiate atherosclerosis. Lp(a) levels greater than 50 mg/ell, plus high LDL levels can increase cardiovascular disease risk six fold. 11-14

TARGET BLOOD LEVELS

Blood cholesterol is increasingly used as a screening tool for cardiovascular risk. One third of all adults in the U.S. now know their blood cholesterol level. How much is the right amount? Looking at just LDL cholesterol, it is argued that since newborns have levels of approximately 30 mg/dl and that 25 mg/dl is sufficient to nourish the body's tissue with cholesterol, and that species which do not experience cholesterol-related cardiovascular disease consistently have LDL cholesterol levels of less than 80 mg/dl, a recommended level of 25-80 mg/dl is considered to be in the healthy range. This is 1/5 the level normally seen in Western societies.15 Other tests measuring HDL, total cholesterol, triglycerides, apoproteins and cholesterol/HDL and Apo A/Apo B ratios are also used to determine cardiovascular risk.

Blood Lipid Levels Image

By measuring various lipid factors it is possible to compile a composite lipid risk score.16 Diagnostic values, however, are subject to error both in testing and interpretation. We are far from being able to accurately quantitate health. A false "positive" risk could create anxiety and disease (convert a normal person to a patient) where none was present, and a false "negative" risk could lead to complacency and exacerbation of existing disease. Therefore, laboratory results and "normal" values should always be viewed with suspicion and used only as leads for further diagnostic evaluation.17-20

CHOLESTEROL

The level of various lipids in the blood, including cholesterol, is dependent upon cholesterol ingested and the amount of cholesterol being synthesized within the body. Cholesterol is an extremely important compound that makes up part of cellular membranes, is a substrate for the synthesis of a variety of hormones and vitamin D, and also is a component of bile acids which permit the digestion of lipids.

If cholesterol is a normal and healthy physiological compound, why such an uncomplimentary reputation? Government, through the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) seeks to decrease the nation's blood cholesterol levels. This is the largest medical intervention in the history of the U.S.A. It has not been done without cause. Heart disease takes the life of one of every two in this country. Cholesterol is an integral part of the atherosclerotic plaque and major studies such as the federally supported Framingham (Mass.) Heart Study following thousands of subjects since 1948 show significant correlations between cholesterol and heart disease.

Simply lowering blood cholesterol is not a panacea, however. If the diet were totally depleted of cholesterol, the body would be forced to produce that which is necessary to sustain life. If blood cholesterol is unusually low (less than 160 mg/dl) the risk of stroke increases three fold and the risk of cancer increases two fold.21, 22 Thus dietary cholesterol, although perhaps a contributing factor to disease, is not likely a "poison" in its natural food form. The body has elaborate biochemical systems designed to synthesize approximately 80% of the cholesterol found within normal tissue. The body evidently thinks cholesterol is important. Cholesterol synthesis uses foods such as sugar, alcohol and starch to form the precursor acetate. A host of enzymes specifically designed to assure cholesterol availability then builds the complex molecule from acetate.

Cholesterol has been a part of the diet since the beginning of life yet cholesterol-linked disease is recent, reportedly being of significant consequence only since about the 1930's. The Masai in Tanzania consume up to 2,000 mg of cholesterol per day yet their serum levels remain low, 115-145 mg/dl.23 A study of South African egg farm workers who consume large numbers of eggs resulting in a cholesterol intake of 1,200 mg per day have serum cholesterol levels of 180 mg/dl.

So why would cholesterol cause cardiovascular disease, the number one killer in many developed nations, when:

1. Cholesterol has been a part of the natural diet of humans and animals for millennia:

2. Cardiovascular disease is not significant in many so societies consuming high levels of cholesterol:

3. As cardiovascular disease increased, cholesterol and saturated fat levels have remained relatively constant: (Fig. 24) and,

4. As deaths from heart attacks decreased by 42% from 1963 to 1986, average cholesterol levels decreased only 3%.24

Some argue that the apparent paradox of increased cardiovascular disease is a result of increased life span creating an older population naturally more given to degenerative diseases. But contrary to popular belief, life span (the length of life one can expect to live, life potential) has not increased significantly since actuarial data has been reliably tabulated. Life expectancy (the average length of life of a population), on the other hand, has increased (47 years in 1900, 73 years today) due to decreased infant mortality resulting from better public hygiene and food distribution. Thus although at birth our chance of survival to a natural old-age death is increased, our age at the time of a natural death has not increased over that of our distant ancestors.25 Increased cardiovascular disease rates are therefore not simply a function of the increasing average age of our population.

The evidence is, however, quite convincing that cardiovascular disease is linked to diet in some way. Additionally, atherosclerotic plaques in vessel walls (particularly carotid and coronary) do indeed contain cholesterol although it may be difficult to prove that cholesterol's presence is a cause rather than a result of atherosclerosis. The issue is not closed. There is evidence that cardiovascular disease is ancient and that genetics and the stresses of modern living. particularly. may be more important than diet.26

It is likely that atherosclerosis is a consequence of the influence of a variety of modern factors. These include but are not limited to sedentary living, stress, environmental pollution and diet. Looking only at diet, correlations between cardiovascular disease and increased consumption of proinflammatory omega-6 oils, processed (hydrogenated, oxidized) polyunsaturated fatty acids found in manufactured margarines and a wide range of other commercial processed products and oxidized cholesterol are far more logically convincing as etiologic factors than natural cholesterol or saturated fats.

The Cause Of Cardiovascular Disease Image

The early 1900's, marking a seemingly rapid rise in cardiovascular disease, also marked the rise in the consumption of the fabricated, fractionated processed diet.27-30 (Fig. 23) Cholesterol as a part of raw, whole, natural foods (natural here would also mean food animals in the wild, not factory farmed) has not been demonstrated to be linked to any disease conditions. The putative relationship between cholesterol and disease confuses definitions. The cholesterol referred to and shown through metanalysis, retrospective studies and prospective controlled clinical trials to be positively associated with atherosclerosis is not "natural" cholesterol. For example, in animal studies which induce atherosclerosis, an oxidized ("activated") cholesterol is used.31,32 Additionally, human studies measure the effects of processed fats and oils as they occur in processed foods, not lipids as they occur in raw, natural, whole, fresh foods. Cholesterol in a homogenized, pasteurized butter, scrambled egg, fastfood burger or a grilled steak is a whole different creature than the cholesterol found in the living tissue of a wild antelope. (Fig.24)

Not only is the form of the cholesterol different (there are over 60 different cholesterol oxide species alone) but its context is totally different. The value of food is not only determined by its individual components, but by the company kept, the kind and relative amounts of neighbors -- its synergonic nature. Processed foods are made from fractionated ingredients which are modified and then reassembled to create taste, shelf life and profit. Afresh, raw, natural food is entirely different, it is a complex milieu of interrelationships. It is a whole more than an assemblage of parts. A real food is no more X% protein, fat, minerals, vitamins and carbohydrates than a novel is X% ink, cellulose and glue.

Although experiments have yet to be devised to measure the effects of natural cholesterol by means of an all raw diet, the results are predictable. The grandest experiment of all, that of the development and sustenance of life on the planet prior to the roller mill, extruder, solvent extractor and hydrogenator, has already given the answer. Life owes its very existence to the presence of whole raw natural food. Such food is not the cause of disease, it is the cause of life.

Cholesterol Forms Image

Natural food was the only food available until the technological era. The new food, the new cholesterol, hydrogenated and oxidized fatty acids and their new artificial combinations, were born out of technology. Also, it is argued, born at that time was the plaque of atherosclerosis. Thus the relationship of "cholesterol" and "saturated fats" to atherosclerosis is an indictment of food processing and not true food cholesterol as a part of whole, raw, natural foods.

REGULATING BLOOD LIPIDS

The level of cholesterol in the blood is regulated by a wide array of feedback mechanisms. If there is an excessive amount of LDL cholesterol in the bloodstream, receptors in the liver responsible for taking up these transport units will become saturated. When high blood levels of LDL are reached, the liver cells decrease the number of LDL receptors thus decreasing the liver's ability to clear the blood of cholesterol. Thus when the liver is saturated with cholesterol and it needs no more, it simply shuts down the production of LDL receptors. At the same time, cholesterol excretion of bile acids would be increased to capacity. If the diet is low in fiber, or digestive tract microflora are out of balance, much of this cholesterol would be reabsorbed thus contributing to escalating blood levels of cholesterol. The cycle perpetuates itself continuing to build higher and higher blood levels of cholesterol. A familial hyperlipidemic condition whereby receptors for taking up LDL are defective can also contribute to exaggerated blood levels of cholesterol in some individuals.33 (Fig. 25)

High blood cholesterol and saturated fat levels and unfavorable lipoprotein ratios are a reality for many individuals and may place them at risk of life threatening disease. Improvements in lifestyle can decrease the absorption of cholesterol, increase its excretion, and change the ratio of LDL's to HDL's resulting in blood levels which are more conducive to

Cholesterol Metabolism Image

the healthy state. Such improvements include: (1) increasing the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, and: (2) consuming a variety of high fiber foods containing various sterols which compete for uptake of cholesterol in the intestinal tract combined with: (3) a lower consumption level of processed cholesterol combined with: (4) increased exercise: (5) and perhaps increased consumption of omega-3 and omega-9 fatty acid containing foods. Omega-3's are extremely effective in mixed hyperlipidemias, and omega-9's are reported to have the ability to decrease LDL's while increasing HDL's.34-37 Decreasing saturated fat consumption also may help since saturated triglycerides are hydrophobic and encourage the formation of the higher fat and cholesterol carrying LDL's and VLDL's and retard cholesterol uptake by HDL's.

Additionally, certain drugs (Probucol, Cholestyramine, Colestipol, Clofibrate, Gemfibrozil, Lovastatin and others) have been devised to decrease the hepatic synthesis of cholesterol and decrease the amount of cholesterol that is intestinally absorbed or reabsorbed from bile into the enterohepatic circulation which may be required if more natural modifications are not effective. (These are not without significant dangers, however.)38-42

Diet modification and lifestyle changes are sensible tools to improve health and will offer the greatest chance of optimizing health and preventing disease. Careless hedonistic living based on the presumption that early diagnosis and heroic invasive procedures, such as transplants, angioplasty, bypasses, or drugs will provide forgiveness is a poor second to thoughtful preventive practices.

References available within book text, click the following link to view this article on wysong.net:

http://www.wysong.net/articles/lipid/06_article_lipid_chapter_six_nflammation.shtml

For further reading, or for more information about, Dr Wysong and the Wysong Corporation please visit www.wysong.net or write to wysong@wysong.net. For resources on healthier foods for people including snacks, and breakfast cereals please visit http://www.cerealwysong.com.

Dr. Randy Wysong: A former veterinary clinician and surgeon, college instructor in human anatomy, physiology and the origin of life, inventor of numerous medical, surgical, nutritional, athletic and fitness products and devices, research director for the present company by his name and founder of the philanthropic Wysong Institute. http://www.wysong.net. Also check out http://www.cerealwysong.com.Deeann Blog84251
Daisi Blog24300

Which Government Websites Have Product Recall Information?

There is no one government agency in charge of issuing recall notices for all products. Instead, different products fall under different jurisdictions, each of which is handled by a completely separate agency. In this article we will explain the jurisdiction of each of the six major government agencies in charge of recalling products and issuing recall alerts.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) - http://www.fda.gov:
The FDA is probably most thought of when the word recall comes up. It is obvious that the FDA deals with food and drug issues, but they are also in charge of testing, monitoring and recalling medical devices (pacemakers, contact lenses...), animal feed, cosmetics, and products with the potential to cause health-related side effects, such as cell phones and lasers. Although the FDA is in charge of food, they also share that responsibility with the next federal agency

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) - http://www.usda.gov:
The USDA was founded by President Abraham Lincoln in 1862, and has been involved in a variety of agricultural initiatives ever since. Not only is the USDA steward to our nation's 192 million acres of national forests, and providing food to children through school breakfast and lunch programs, but the agency is also responsible for the safety of meat, poultry (including egg), milk and fish products. These responsibilities often encompass the study of pesticide use, which overlaps with the next governmental recall arm...

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - http://www.epa.gov:
The EPA, in addition to the many other responsibilities involved in protecting our environment, are charged with the recalling of products that threaten to harm humans, animals, or the environment in which we live. For instance, recently the EPA ordered five national retail chains to recall a brand of spray confetti string which contained banned hydro chlorofluorocarbons blamed for depleting the ozone layer. This very same product could have also been recalled by another government agency, however, for its highly flammable contents, which are often sprayed over people at birthday parties near flaming candles. The agency that would be responsible for this type of recall is...

Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) - http://www.cpsc.gov:
The CPSC is in charge of protecting the public from "unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction". They handle recalls for a host of potentially dangerous products, from toys with choking hazards to heaters with propensity to start a fire. Most products with a defect of some kind will find their way into the CPSC database of recalled consumer products. But if that product has wheels and an engine, or is a part of a product that has wheels and an engine, you might be better off researching at the next governmental agency...

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) - http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov:
The NHTSA was established to reduce deaths, injuries and economic losses resulting from motor vehicle crashes. They set and enforce safety standards for motor vehicles and vehicle parts, and provide studies and reports on anything related to motor vehicle use, from tires and seatbelts, to SUVs and cell phone use while driving. If you want to know if the used car you just purchased has any defective auto parts, the NHTSA database is a good start. However, if you just purchased a used boat, the following agency is better suited for your needs...

US Coast Guard - http://www.uscg.mil:
You probably dont think of product recalls when someone mentions the Coast Guard. However, in addition to their duties to patrol Americas coast line and assist those in distress, the Coast Guard also tests, reports on, and recalls boats, boating parts, and marine safety devices like flares and life jackets. But good luck finding recall information on the Coast Guards website!

As you can see, the responsibilities of each agency overlap to some degree with other agencies. Furthermore, issuing recall alerts is only a small part of each organizations responsibility. This is why is can be difficult, time-consuming and frustrating to locate the information youre looking for among these six websites. Luckily, this problem has been remedied by an ex-journalist with a passion for social corporate responsibility and citizen journalism

US Recall News http://www.usrecallnews.com:
US Recall News is a non-governmental website that brings together recall alerts from each of the six major government agencies listed above, and separates them into various categories. The alerts are then archived at the end of each month, and remain searchable from the website.

Everett Sizemore is a journalism graduate of Bond University. He is the Editor-in-Chief at http://www.usrecallnews.com and writes the editorial blog about Recalled Products and Corporate Responsibility.Dalia Blog43371
Charmion Blog92446

Understanding Your Credit Score

Most people know that our credit reports have a lot of information about our borrowing history. How credit worthy we are how likely we are to pay off our debts (on time or not) is also looked at as an indicator of how people are likely to behave in other areas. Employers rely on credit reports to see if well be good employees. Landlords pull credit reports to see if well be reliable tenants. Auto insurers rely on credit information when deciding what sort of an insurance risk we are. But for years theres been a piece of the credit report the average consumer has been unable to see.

YOUR CREDIT SCORE

Its called a credit risk score and if you have a credit rating you have one. The scores range from 300 to 850, with a higher score being better than a lower one. Fair Isaac, which is the countrys pre-eminent producer of credit scores, takes information from your credit report, gives different weights to different pieces of that information and how long ago those things occurred, and comes up with a number for you. Then when a lender is trying to decide whether or not to give you a mortgage, for example, or what rate of interest to charge on your loan, the score is one important factor they consider when making a decision.

DO MOST LENDERS USE THESE SCORES?

We know that over 75 percent of home loans are decided with help from as theyre called in the industry FICO (Fair Isaac and Co.) risk scores, and that if you take the 100 largest financial institutions in the country, 70 percent use FICO scores. So theyre definitely a big player in the marketplace.

HOW DO MOST PEOPLE DO?

Not as badly as you might think, considering that bankruptcies are in the headlines so often these days. With the scale ranging from 300 to 850, the average score is about 720.

Below that, you may have problems borrowing. Twenty percent of people score below 620, for example. Since that population includes about half of all people who default on their mortgages, lenders are very wary of extending them credit. The next 20 percent of people score between 620 and 690. A score in this range may not stop you from getting credit, but Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (buyers of mortgages for the secondary market) suggest that lenders probe for more information to understand why theres been a problem before they agree to make a loan. On the high end, anything above 780 is considered elite. Only about one to two percent of consumers score in the 800s.

There are a few factors that make a big difference in your score lets talk about them and how you can make changes in them to improve your score:

-Your bill-paying record (This accounts for 35 percent of your score). We all know to pay bills on time. If you always have, youve done well in this category. If you slip up here and there, it can hurt your score a fair amount. The more recent the slip up, the more it hurts your score.

And, as in all of these categories, a pattern of bad behavior is worse than one mistake. A string of 30-day late payments is worse than one 60-day late. (The way credit scoring works is to compare your habits to those other individuals who have proven to act in a positive or negative way overall. But there are different groups of patterns, so a seasoned user wont be compared to a new user.)

-How much you owe now (30 percent). The scoring companies look at how much you owe relative to how much credit you have available on your credit cards. The closer you are to maxing-out your cards, the lower youll score in this area. But owing nothing doesnt prove your ability to handle credit owing a little bit is better. For example, being at 80 percent of your limit would be viewed as very high and a negative; 60 percent in most cases is detrimental enough. Having your balances at 20 to 30 percent of your maximum is just fine.

-How long youve managed credit (15 percent). This one is interesting. When people are trying to get their credit cards under control, one of the things they do indeed that we advise them to do is to make sure they dont have too many tempting cards in their wallet. But when it comes to your credit score, you may not want to cut up that one card youve had the longest. Then the credit scoring companies lose the ability to see just how long youve been managing credit. It may be better to keep that old card even if its at a high interest rate, use it once a year and pay it off completely rather than cutting it up.

-Mix of credit (10 percent): Its good to show that you can manage different kinds of credit. So having an installment loan (on a home or a car) as well as having a revolving credit account (credit card) is a positive.

-Pursuit of new credit (10 percent): The media often exaggerate how much searching for new credit can hurt you. Thats because, a few years ago, the scorers methodology was changed to reflect the idea that it was OK indeed smart to be shopping around for a loan. So all of your inquiries into a mortgage over a 30-day period now count as one. That said, if you have real credit problems and youre constantly shopping around for new cards or loans, its going to hurt your score. Moderation is key. If youre out looking for credit every month, its a minus. Less fre- quently than that, youll probably be okay.

Now that you have this information, you can use it to your benefit.

When you get your report, you can take it and use it to talk to lenders in a preliminary way. You could talk to a mortgage broker and say, This is my score. How easy will it be for me to get a mortgage? If you buy the FICO score, youll also get a guide explaining how the scores work and the top four factors that contributed to deciding your score. Then, if you need to, you can work on your score before you apply for credit. Give yourself a good six months to get it in shape.

If you go on the Web and search on free credit score, what youll come up with are a number of mortgage lenders and banks who are willing to give it to you. In some cases, you have to actually apply for a loan.

There are other scores that arent FICO scores (even the ones that are legitimate dont have FICOs database). In other cases, providing them with your e-mail address and phone number (so that they can market to you later, one assumes) seems to be sufficient. So if youre willing to give up some personal information, you can get your score for no money. Or you can pay the $13. (Even if youre not up for checking your score, you should check your credit report about once a year. If there are problems, you should check all three of the credit bureaus.)

John Prentice is a credit repair expert in the mortgage industry. He provides credit repair advice via newslatter and offers tools from his website: http://www.AccelerateMyCredit.com.Darlleen Blog73637
Chrissy Blog2315

UK Credit Card Tips & General Advice

As Christmas approaches, many of us in the UK will be considering taking out a new credit card to purchases those all essential gifts. With a plethora of card offers out there, deciding which card,if any, is best for you can seem a little daunting

What follows are some useful tips and advice that hopefully will help make your decision a little easier and clearer.

Loyalty/Bonus Cards

As people's circumstances vary so do the credit card deals on offer. If you intend to clear your bill each month, the interest rate on your card becomes irrelevant as you won't have to pay it. Therefore you should consider going for a card that offers some form of loyalty bonus such as redeemable points, cashback or air miles.

Interest-Free Offers

These cards are particularly useful for those don't clear their balance each month. Shop around for cards that offer 0% interest on balance transfers and purchases. The length of these offers tend to vary, so choose one that is appropriate to you needs i.e whether you intend to use the card mainly for purchases or a balance transfer.

Some cards allow you up to 59 days to pay for purchases before being charged interest on them, thus giving you some breathing space to pay for your goods or/and services.

Special Offers

One way to save money on your card debt is to take advantage of the many debt-transfer offers available from most banks. These offers are usually exclusive to new customers and allow you to pay off your debt from a more expensive card at a lower rate for a limited period.

Cash

Although you can withdraw cash from ATM's with your credit card, it is best left as a last resort as, although convenient, you will pay for the privillage through a steep interest rate.

Plus Points

Using the plastic to pay for expensive items such as jewellery, electrical goods or goods bought online, gives you the piece of mind of consumer protection i.e under the Consumer Credit Act, the card company are liable ( as is the seller of said goods or services) if there is a breach of contract.

This is especially handy if the goods either arrive faulty/damaged or don't arrive at all due to the supplier, for example, going bust. If any of these scenarios were to arise, you should have the money spent redeemed to your credit card.

Charges

Most cards will levvy a charge against you if you fail to pay your monthly repayment on time, with penalties usually around 20. You will also incurr a charge if you go over your set credit limit. Setting up a direct debit to make your monthly payment will eliminate the possibility of being late with your monthly payment and thus avoid that nasty charge.

What Card Then?

Deciding what credit card to apply for really depends on your personal circumstances and requirements.

If, for example, you intend to do some serious short-term shopping, a card that offers, say six month interest free on purchases, would be more suitable.

If you know in advance you wil be unable to clear the balance in the short term, then a card that offers a low rate for the lifetime of the balance, would be suitable as you will save a graet deal in interest paymnets compared with a card that resorts to a higher rate after any offers expire.

If you are able to clear your balance each month, then going for a card that offers rewards, such as cashback on purchases, would be most prudent.

Joe Kenny writes for the Loans Store offering secured loans and offer more information on car loans and other loan topics available on site.Cherilyn Blog10703
Clair Blog49197

Owning A Ferret

Fun does come in small packages!

Owning a ferret is a lot of work, but can be rewarding too. For those who are looking for a pet that can keep them occupied and amused, this may be the perfect animal for the task. The ferret is a small creature -- one that can be easily lifted and carried about.

But don't let size fool you, they are very inquisitive and amused by their surroundings. They need attention not really in the manner of caring for them, but rather in providing it with fun things to do. If you don't see to this need, he will find something to do for fun that you may not like.

When you decide to get one of these little guys, you should take the time to learn about their needs. You will need to purchase a few things to get your self started -- including a proper cage, vitamins, the right ferret foods, and toys. You should also plan to take the animal to the vet within the first few weeks that you own it. It will need to visit the vet yearly, must like any other pet that you may have.

Owning any pet is a lot of time and commitment -- just as much as having a baby in the home. You are responsible for entertaining this little creature and making sure that it stays safe.

The best option for someone considering getting a ferret is to head to the animal shelter and spend some time with one. This will give you a good idea of what ferrets are like, as well as help you to find the one that is best suited for your needs and your capabilities. A baby ferret, known as a kit, is a lot of work, and needs to be trained. This may not be the best way to go if you are getting your very first ferret.

If you want a pet that is small and playful, a ferret might be right for you!

Robert Davis writes for several web sites, especially http://rosuf.com and http://dicez.com.Dahlia Blog66084
Christal Blog16309

Children Online Educational Resources

The internet has a great educational potential that parents should really consider. There are many websites that publish educational articles for your children as well as articles for parents about children education. You should really encourage your children to visit educational websites, point them to websites that publish educational games, stories, children songs, etc. It is well known that at young ages, the best strategy to learn is through playing. Let them play intelligent games that make them think. Games also make them develop their competition spirit.

Educational websites for children put a lot of importance on games. They encourage children to play. Playing is good! Have fun and learn, best strategy ever! www.Crayola.com for example is such a website. It has well defined areas: children, educators, parents. Everybody can learn something.

An other educational site is www.FamilyEducation.com where resources are split in many categories, for children of 0 month up to 18 years. Also has great resources for mums. You can easily find a lot of nutritional advices, children movie reviews, tutorials on how to treat your children, etc.

Also you can find great resources for children with special needs, such a website is www.dotolearn.com where parents can find a lot of information and resources that ease their way to the heart and mind of their children.You should really check out www.kaplanco.com ,www.cyfernet.org and many other such websites. Just search Google for some words like educational resources for kids or children education, there are a lot of great resources to study. Just remember that the internet is one of the greatest source for education and experience exchange. Don't hesitate to contact other parents to ask their advice, maybe they know other websites from where you can find valuable information. Read children forums, school websites, etc. Be dynamic and teach your child to be the same way. Teach him to learn, to search for information,teach him to use such websites. Remember that you should not just feed them fish, but also learn them how to fish...

John Howard Smith is the editor of http://www.magictemplate.com source of free Christian website templates,church website templates and religious announcements,news and eventsCrissy Blog89762
Claudetta Blog21568

What Easy Unsecured Loans Can Do!

Researches indicate that number of property seizures in the UK have increased in the recent past. Since, more and more people are now availing easy unsecured loans because they are very much concerned to the safety of their securities which they need to offer in case of other loans. Easy unsecured loans do not require putting property as collateral. No placing of any property as of collateral results out avoiding the risk of property repossession and seizure.

Easy unsecured loans are invariably more expensive than other loans i.e., secured loans. And repayment periods stipulated by lenders are shorter, as presence of insecurity to the lenders. No guarantee the borrowers places as collateral, therefore in prospect of more in interest to cover the cost of the insurance policies that they need to take out to protect them from any default on repayments. In the event that a borrower does not pay up, the lender can invoke the terms and conditions of the legally-binding credit agreement and pursue the borrower through the legal system.

People who are in arrears with their loan repayments or who have defaulted altogether, bankrupts can too avail the facility of easy unsecured loans. For, a lender will ask your permission to check your credit file. They will go to the services of one of the large credit reference agencies for information about your repayment record in recent times. It will show how many times that you have applied for credit, whether you have met the repayments, fallen into arrears, defaulted or been taken to county court for non-payment and been handed a CCJs.

If you refuse permission for the lender to see this record, the lender will almost certainly ignore your application for easy unsecured loans. So, it is helpful to maintain a good repayment record to give you the best chance of success when you apply for easy unsecured loans for tenants or non-homeowners and homeowners.

There are many benefits of easy unsecured loans. These are as follows:

Paying long medical bills.

Purchasing a brand new car.

Holiday expenses for your dream destinations.

Debt riding under the act of debt consolidation.

Meeting the expenses of a wedding.

Financial assistance for childrens higher education.

Carrying the expenses of renovation and improvement at home.

Simon Peyton has done his masters in finance from CPIT. He works for the Loans Fiesta. For any type of loans easy Easy Unsecured Loans, quick unsecured loans, personal debt loan uk, personal bad debt loan, fast personal debt loan please visit http://www.loansfiesta.co.ukChristina Blog61647
Cynthea Blog7623

Kauai Vacation Rentals

If youre planning for a beach vacation, you might want to consider Kauai, one of the popular islands in Hawaii. Better known as the The Garden Isle, this beautiful island is situated at the northernmost of the main Hawaiian Islands and is well known for its fabulous picturesque setting for some famous Hollywood production. Kauai is overall suitable for all travelers, from younger kids to adults, surfers, divers and etc. Literally, this place is a playground for every one of different interest and needs.

Vacation rentals are abundance at this place, be it home rentals, condos, cottages or villas. The wide range of vacation rental choices available caters for everyone with different preferences and travel needs. If you could spend some time doing some research on the Internet, youll surely find some great deals and bargains offered by some of those online vacation rental websites.

If youre going for a large family reunion holiday, opting for a home rental may be more suitable as some of these vacation homes can comfortably accommodate for large group vacationers. However, a couple going for a romantic beach getaway may prefer renting a smaller space such as a cottage and condo. What more could be more relaxing than sitting by the beachfront lanai with your partner while listening to the gentle waves splashing against the sand or simply just stargazing at night.

Most, if not all of the vacation rentals in Kauai are equipped with full rental facilities such as kitchen facilities, beach gears, TV, DVD, BBQ facilities, Internet access and swimming pool. Sometimes, renting a car is not necessary as some vacation rentals are conveniently located near to restaurants, grocery stores, beaches, golf courses and other Hawaiian entertainments.

Take a couple of minutes walk to the beach and enjoy many activities that this island has to offer. From snorkeling to surfing, swimming or simply sunbathing by the beach, you'll definitely have a memorable experience of the true aloha spirit in this Hawaiian Island.

A Kauai vacation rental is the perfect choice for you and your family to avoid the hustle and bustle of the crowded hotels. Considering the many choices of vacation rental available, youll surely find a good place that will fit your travel budget will all amenities to make your stay a pleasurable one.

Emillie Loh is a beach enthusiast and owner of an online Kauai-Hawaii travel website. Visit http://www.kauai-vacationrentals.net/ now to start searching for the perfect vacation rental for your next island getaway.Daffi Blog68836
Darlleen Blog73637