Attraction vs. Love

When we first meet someone, regardless of the way or medium that we meet, we are either attracted or not. Attraction, when pursued, eventually grows into levels of friendship and then may cross the barriers we build up, to protect ourselves, and grow into love.
Attraction usually involves an instant decision of like or dislike, based on our own subconscious criteria. If we meet someone in person, we tend to size them up physically. If we meet through letters or phone conversation or internet chat, we tend to size them up, over a longer term, by how well they converse and how interesting (or complimentary) they are while we interact with them.
It is true that people can act however they want, be whatever they want to be, over the internet. But eventually the true person leaks through the cracks and we begin to see their true self. Moral of the story? It's best to be your real self. You may eventually want to meet the person on the other end of the conversation.
On the other hand, when you do meet the 'real' person on the other end, remember that you have grown to like that person because of what's inside their mind and heart. You have found a potential 'soul mate' who thinks as you think and feels much the same way that you feel.
No one is perfect. We all have our own flaws and shortcomings. The concept of finding the 'right' person is good. The concept of finding the 'perfect' person is improbable and discouraging, because 'perfect' doesn't exist.
The way this person looks, their physical appearance, isn't as important as their inner looks, or soul. What we see is what we get, and hopefully the heart ranks the highest. We fall in love with someone's soul, not the shape or size of their body. And although a certain number of things can be done to improve physical appearance, that shouldn't be our main criteria or requirement for friendship or companionship.
We fall in love with their heart. With their inner self. With their true being. And that's what matters most.

About the Author

Bob curtis has been writing articles, short fiction and poetry for over 30 years. He has been a lay consultant for families and individuals for a number of years, and is currently the managing director of People4People.com and the President of Nexus Publishing in Midvale, Utah.

BVitamins Help Promote Healthy Arteries and Heart

A 2002 study reported, funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation reported that a six-month regiment of taking folic acid, vitamin b12, and vitamin b6 can be instrumental in the prevention of recurring blocked arteries in coronary angioplasty patients.

The findings, which were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association are an extension of a clinical trial that examined the effects of combining vitamins on the treatment of heart disease. The treatment apparently works by reducing levels of homocysteine, and amino acid which has long been associated with heart attacks.

The original study involved 205 patients who were given either a vitamin combination of vitamin b6, vitamin b12, and folic acid or a placebo for six months. Over that time period, the patients who took the combination of vitamins showed a 48% reduction in the development of restenosis, or re-narrowing of the vessel, compared with patients who received the placebo.

The new study added 348 new patients, and extended the follow-up observation period from six months to one year. The head researcher, Dr. Guido Schnyder, says that this time extension is important, since six months to one year is the time frame in which restenosis typically recurs. Out of all the patients monitored, the need for additional bypass operations was reduced by 38% over the entire year. This shows that the vitamin actually prevents the development of restenosis, rather than just preventing it.

Dr. Robert Bonow, the chief of cardiology at Chicago's Northwestern Memorial Hospital, and president of the American Heart Association said that the results of the study are very encouraging, offering more evidence that B vitamins are very important in maintaining healthy blood vessels.

About the Author

About the Author: Jeremy Maddock is the webmaster of Immune Wellness, your source for high quality information about Vitamin B12 and other health products.

Kyrgyzstan's Revolution : a New Definition of Partytime

Kyrgyzstan's swift and sudden revolution happened almost before one could have managed to pronounce this obscure country's name. The chaos in the country where activists chased away their ruling leaders show a country coming to terms with a colonial past and on a quest to find a new identity. Despite the looting and the - tempered- violence, the initial reading of this revolution is that the catharsis might preclude a positive outcome. Not so much only for this tiny country, but more importantly perhaps in the wider context of the rise of democracy in the ex Soviet countries. Even the Russian leader Vladimir Putin has shown a new attitude to regime change in a former Soviet state - vouching support for the new regime and also promising to treat its old leader kindly.
Kyrgyzstan's revolution likely will have opened the doors to a more pragmatic government that nevertheless will still be leaning on Russia. As such, it will be the third of the ex-Soviet countries that has seen a grassroots revolution within the last 18 months that Russia has had to swallow. Opposition activists took matters into their own hands to ensure -what else- improved living conditions for a people that have become seriously impoverished at the hands of a not so corrupt but still corrupt bunch of leaders.

Kyrgyz nationals followed in the footsteps of Georgian and Ukrainian opposition forces. In Georgia, the opposition - backed by the US government- overthrew their Russian puppet cabinet in 2003. More recently, Ukraine last December held another round of Presidential elections after the pro -Moscow outcome of the first round was contested - putting in place the pro Western Viktor Yuschenko.
Russia's reaction to the events, which one overseas based Kyrgyz diplomat branded 'a coup', can be seen as uncharacteristic. Perhaps issuing a blue print of a new party line - one of utter pragmatism- President Vladimir Putin did not waste many words over the issue. Moscow is 'ready to work with the Kyrgyz opposition', he said. He also offered refuge to Akayev. Russia has never been very much interested in this poorest of the five Central Asian states.
Regional organizations aside from Russia that might be called onto for mediation are not immediately considered capable of inventing an adequate solution, observers say. Most of the five central Asian countries have internal problems and have had difficulties in coping with fledgling economies since well before the fall of the Soviet Union. After 1991, the region has failed to develop any robust political and economic institutions with clout and this is believed to have an impact on the economic development of the countries, most particularly that of Kyrgyzstan.
There is also a lot of personal competition between the region's -mostly elderly- leaders and this attitude, which harks back to Soviet days. This highlights why a distinct cooperative atmosphere in Central Asia is simply non-existent. Russian imperialist ambitions never really very strongly connected to Kyrgyzstan, although Russia has some troops on the ground. US troops are also stationed outside the airport in the capital Bishkek in accommodation that recently started to take a more permanent form than the tents the soldiers set up when they first arrived some two years ago, say people who've visited the country. The base camp was meant to be a staging ground for US troops before the fall of the Taleban in Afghanistan.
All central Asian countries have long been cited to be particularly vulnerable to outside interference from greater powers, yet it's unlikely that the events we've seen this week in Kyrgyzstan were the result of outside meddling. The last years, the country has shown an ambivalence toward anything that reaks of hegemony. On the one hand there has been fear that Russia would step up its influence and at the same time people have wondered what would happen to them if Russian troops would leave.
Kyrgyzstan is the only country in the Central Asian region to have very limited oil reserves -it pumps out 2,000 bpd- and as such it has escaped every foreign power with an interest in the region. Just after the fall of the Soviet Union, an enormous discovery of oil reserves under the Caspian Sea was made, which it was believed would put the region on a par with the Middle East in terms of oil reserves and would make it the number one spot for natural gas in the world. Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazachstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan mutually agreed to carve up the rights to the undersea reserves. The estimates however were somewhat exaggerated and the region's oil interests are of distinct yet not vital importance.
The events in Kyrgyzstan did surprise the leading parties as much as the rest of the world. The irony in this is that the leaders apparently think they have eternal rule so long as they manage to create the circumstances that keep this situation the status quo. By foregoing their duties to create truly collaborative institutions with their neighboring countries and by failing to instigate domestic democratic support, they relied on mechanisms similar to those their predecessors before them had relied on without considering that their home base was expecting change. Not creating the systems necessary to effect better democracies and market economies, the leaders slowly developed a blind spot for the possibility that a transfer of power might occur. Over time, dramatic catharses tend to be the result as Kyrgyzstan has shown.
Observers say that now it's likely dawned on everyone that Russia is not going to be able to increase its role in the country and that the US will only lend its support to democratic movements. It's all up to the people themselves to create a new structure out of what they so joyously went to town on during their short revolution.
The only other source that could manifest an ambition toward becoming a regional hegemony wishing to exert influence is Uzbekistan, which is better equipped on a unilateral level and also happens to be the region's largest natural gas developer. The country has indicated its wish to improve intimate ties with its neighbours and has on occasion started to officially delineate its borders, an old Soviet way of showing who's boss. However, after the events in Kyrgyzstan, the country quickly pinpointed on its map where the border had been and closed it off without further deliberation.
Kyrgyzstan's largely impoverished market economy has hardly got a chance of picking up rapidly and international worries that its largely Muslim dominated population might turn to religion as an alternative to economic prosperity are still downplayed. Even though the initial disappointment over the benefits of independence 15 years ago led to a renewed focus on Russia, if the country's civil society turns out not to be adequately responsive in soaking up new disappointment and resultant negative sentiment, it's unlikely that people will turn to their religion. Kyrgyzstan has never really been prone to fundamentalism. By comparison, Uzbekistan poses a way greater Islamic fundamentalist threat, and its leader Islam Karimov is held up as an example of how to manage these sentiments. Should anyone feel the need to create insurgencies, they'd likely team up with the Chinese Western region Xinjiang separatists, who've got plenty of experience in this field.
The country's ethnic differences were also highlighted in its revolution, but are not believed to have been a major factor in the events. People also cited chisms in the Ukrainian population along ethnic lines, yet the recent elections proved the opposite there. It is likely that as soon as people belonging to an opposition find they have a legitimate basis and can go about their business freely, ethnic issues tend to become associated with the old regime. Ethnic Russians living in Kyrgyzstan -what's a characteristically pieceful country- also are way less overtly Russian still than their peers in Ukraine. They are near assimilated and cross cultural marriages are common.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Angelique van Engelen is a freelance writer based in Amsterdam. She runs www.contentClix.com and contributes to a writing ring http://clixyPlays.blogspot.com

Basic White Contact Lenses

Contact lenses come in a variety of colors and effects these days. These include basic white contact lenses. Courtesy of the fact that many of these lenses are now created for cosmetic purposes, with a power of 0.00, basic white contact lenses can be made available for all, not just those with poor eyesight.



One must wonder of course, how basic white contact lenses could affect poor vision, and the answer is that they couldn't of course.



However, at a party, the effect of pure white in one's eyes could be very striking, if not a little bit scary .....



In a dramatic sense, theatrical contact lenses are used to help portray specific characters, or idiosyncrasies that these characters may possess. If a character were blind, then having basic white contact lenses could have a significant effect on the portrayal of that character. Having said that, basic white contact lenses will have a 'pupil hole' which would show up as a black dot in the eye. Without this hole, you wouldn't be able to see anything of course.



Taking this theme a bit further, it is possible to get other color lenses which give an 'all out' effect. By this I mean which are made of a solid color, with only the pupil hole showing. These solid color lenses are available in colors such as silver, black, red, yellow and violet. Again the effects of these types of lenses would be considered theatrical in nature, or perhaps used to add an effect for a night out.
The Author, Charlie Cory, runs a sight dedicated to special effects contact lenses called http://www.fx-eyes.com

10 Tips to Attract Women Like Magnets

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


J. E. Barron is a relationship expert and editor of RomanticKLE.com, the online romance site featuring unique and creative tips and ideas designed to enhance your love life and immediately create the relationship of your dreams. Visit www.RomanticKLE.com for more great tips on enhancing your intimate relationship.

Avoid This Tendency And You'll Press Beyond Your Limits!

Inside of every one of us is the desire to press beyond our own limitations. Just forty years ago, the goal to land on the moon was a huge step for mankind. Now, we've gone beyond the moon and the end is nowhere in sight. But, consider this: Every challenge we face, can be stopped dead in its tracks with one little undesirable tendency. Hmm

As Dead As Dead Can Be!

Many people allow themselves to be de-railed by their opportunities. They look at their short comings and limitations and say, I'm too young, I'm too old, I'm too uneducated, I don't have enough money, I'm too much of this, and I'm too little of that. Blah, Blah.

Let me give you a perfect example of what I'm talking about. You remember the story of Abraham in the Bible? He was told he would become the father of many nations. But, when he was told that, he was already seventy five years old.

Now, looking at this in the natural way of thinking, you tell me how a seventy five year old man could be the father of anything, especially a nation. And naturally thinking; how was that grandma, he was married to, going to give birth to a nation?

He Never Was The Sharpest Tool In The Shed!

And, the Bible says she was barren. Well, here is this old man and he thinks he's the father of many nations. He even went around telling everyone he met, I'm the father of many nations. You can imagine how people must have looked at him.

They probably thought all of that old man's wealth has made him crazy. Well, Abraham's got a problem or opportunity if you will. He knows what his limitations are. He knows his body is beyond the time of fathering a child, and he knows his wife is barren.

But, Abraham didn't think of the condition of his body or his wife's barren condition. In other words, he avoided the tendency to make excuses for his limitations. Now get this: Abraham did have a child and, by his barren wife.

That Takes The Cake!

But, he was one hundred years old before the child was born. And, this is the part I'm amazed with; He waited twenty five years and kept believing that he was the father of many nations. I sometimes think I've gone the limit when I've waited twenty five minutes. But, the point is; he didn't make excuses for his limitations.

He couldn't afford to. Abraham was no different than we are. If he had considered his wife and his own body, there is no way that old man could have kept saying I'm the father of many nations for twenty five years! He would have been just like some of us and quit after three days.

Abraham could have said, I'm too old, my wife is too old, . You see, his wife was ninety years old when the child was born! Don't you know she was surprised? When she went into labor she probably thought she had appendicitis. Nah, I'm kidding.

Now I know that this is an extreme example, but, still the same, excuses are part of our natural tendencies no matter how extreme they are.

The Conventional Wisdom!

The more challenging the situation, the more the excuses seem to have an insatiable desire to rear their ugly head. Check up on yourself sometime. What is the first knee-jerk reaction that you find coming out of you when you first face some challenge that has to be handled. Now, you may have trained yourself to avoid excuses, and I commend you for that.

But, if not, It seems that excuses are the first thing we start looking for to see if we can get out of it, or find a real easy way to solve it. If we don't think of a real easy way to solve it, we focus on excuses to get out of it.

You Need Excuses Like A Kangaroo Needs A Purse!

If you believe you have some limitation that is holding you back, then you are making excuses. The only real limitations we have are in our own mind. If we think about the limitations more than we think about how to solve it, then we have excuseitus.

Excuseitus can have a far reaching effect into areas of our lives that we know we can handle. But, it becomes so easy to make excuses that we will start making them all the time, because now, it seems so natural to do so.

You can look at limitations as a sort of a test; A test of your tenacity. Fail the test, and you get to take it over again. :>(. And over and over. Every time you get a zero you get put back in the first grade.

Your Tower Of Strength!

And, guess what? Even if the outcome is not what you wanted, you will feel so good that you pressed beyond the limit, that when the next test comes, you're more confident, composed, determined, and relentless.

At that point, the final outcome is not the real focus and goal. Then what is? Your faith and determination that you can press beyond any limits you have in your mind! When you get there, you'll start reaching for the stars, instead of the ceiling.

Go ahead; shoot for the stars, what if you miss it half way? It's better than shooting for the ceiling and missing it half way. Somebody said; what if I fail? So what! Join the club. The thing can't eat you! Besides, you never really have a failure; you have only discovered another way that it wouldn't work.

Will Wonders Never Cease!

And, besides, I have experienced situations where no matter what I did worked. But, then something else came along and I discovered I was happier with the last thing than I would have been with the first one. Go figure.

Limitations will shout you can't! But, how do you really know if all you do is sit down and have a discourse with your limitations. They will win every time. Don't ever eason with your excuses. If you do, you'll come up with more excuses; ones that you thought you would never think of.

Your Mission In Life!

If you don't focus on your limitations and make excuses, you can take what little resources you do have and, just by beginning, you'll find many times that your efforts are making giant strides. And, you'll find yourself pressing beyond those self-imposed limitations.

Richard Vegas ©

Richard Vegas is a popular recording artist and internet marketing professional. He invites you to subscribe to his FREE weekly ezine Wing-Tips Teaching The Success System That Never Fails, at: http://www.1-work-at-home-based-business-opportunities.com. You may also hear some of Richard's free music at: http://www.richardvegas.com.

webmaster@1-work-at-home-based-business-opportunities.com

Arthritis Treatment The Good And The Bad

We use this title because not all arthritis treatments are, shall we say, enjoyable. If you suffer from the painful effects of this debilitating condition though, very little can seem worse. The pain is often so severe that the simplest movements can cause anguish and even tears. But, there are treatments to help arthritis. Can they cure it? That is still to be seen, but many have shown to be effective in fighting off the pain. First, there are many different types of arthritis. The causes of each will help to determine the treatment. But, here, we will talk mainly of the treatment options available and then those that are quite possibly the best at treating rheumatoid arthritis.

The symptoms of any arthritis start with pain. There is pain in the joints in a way that limits the amount of movement a person has. Now, remember, as well, that arthritis can strike any individual, not necessarily just older people. So, if a child stops using a limb complaining of pain, a doctor should be seen. On top of this, if symptoms of pain are accompanied with fever a doctor should be seen immediately as this can be a sign of a deadlier arthritis known as septic arthritis. In all cases, arthritis is an inflammation in the joints. The problem in rheumatoid arthritis is that, in trying to deal with the inflammation, the immune system ends up attacking the cartilage in the joints. The end result is pain and lessened use of the effected joint.

In order to stop this process, arthritis treatments can be anything from surgery to medications. There are some good notes about medications, but in the end, they can not resolve the entire problem, only mask the pain for a while. Surgery is invasive and costly. Physical treatment is available and has shown good progress in helping some patients. There are also herbal remedies that have shown good signs of helping as well. There is one product that we would like to mention in a little more detail. What is so unique about this product, though, is that it is a natural treatment that can be taken.

In the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in particular, collagen type II can be just as good as a cure to some individuals. This natural substance is actually a main component of cartilage itself. But, no injections are needed because this is an oral treatment. You will take a pill, in other words. There are many reasons why this medication works including the fact that it has an absorption rate of 70 to 90 percent. This means more of it is used and fewer doses are needed. There are other reasons why it works so well.

For instance, the immune system has a component of cells in the intestine called the GALT. This is where proteins are recognized as food or friend and therefore not treated as allergies or sensitivities by the digestive system. When collagen type II is ingested, the GALT recognizes this amino acid as a friendly protein. This action switches off the immune system's attack on collagen elsewhere in the body as in arthritic joints. Instead of the immune system fighting the inflammation and destroying the remaining good material, the Galt simply tells it to stop. And, probably the most important aspect of this natural arthritis treatment is that it can also help to rebuild the damaged and destroyed cartilage. The combination of these two factors can help to restore a normal way of life.

No matter which method proves to be more beneficial to you, you'll find that talking with your doctor about the type of arthritis you have and arthritis treatments can get you on the right track to overcoming this pain. You can regain your life!

About the Author

Yvonne Loubet is a Natural Therapeutic Specialist who retired from her 20-year massage therapy practice because of arthritis. She operates a website http://www.arthritispainsolution.com which provides information on an alternative arthritis treatment. More information can be found at http://www.arthritispainsolution.com/arthritis-treatment/rheumatoid-arthritis.html

Recipe for turning dreams into reality

I love nothing more than to cook and fiddle with meals that for the most part, are very time-consuming. I particularly loved an avocado recipe I found that took one hour of cooking all the bits and pieces needed to make it look good! It was eaten in less than five minutes, but boy, what a delicious masterpiece it was!

The following recipe can also be time-consuming depending on the ingredients you choose to work with. Your creation will be worth waiting for when you eventually get to see how your work of art turns out, because once fully cooked, it'll be ready for you to taste, savour and share with those near and dear to you.

Ingredients you'll need:

A vision in all its glory

A dose of determination

A smattering of networks

A cup full of resources

A blueprint of your plan, written, of course

Preheat oven on low heat

Mix all ingredients together

Sprinkle liberally with courage

Place in oven and bake on low heat to start, turning slowly at times designated by you

After careful consideration follow by turning the heat up to medium, watching carefully for any leakages

Turn heat to high observing with joy the catalyst which were the ingredients to what is now your dream that has come to life in all its magnificence!

http://www.michaelascherr.com

About the Author

Michaela is a Transformational Coach, certified practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), writer and Metaphysician who is totally committed to helping others create positive and action oriented changes to their lives. (visit http://www.michaelascherr.com)
Michaela is the author of the eBook 10 Colour Meditation Scripts, and publisher of a monthly e-newsletter called From My Desk.

Curbing the Public Nuisance (Part 2)

Yes, that pillar of society that has been with us since that slithery dude threw humanity for a curve in the Garden of Eden - that cornerstone of society has been automated.

I am speaking, of course, of the public nuisance ( I wrote about him in Part 1 at http://www.thehappyguy.com/nuisance1.html. )

No longer do pests have to come around in restaurants and train stations and villages singing loudly and playing their harpsichords. We now have machines to do that for us - machines like televisions and radios and elevator muzak and backfiring Mustangs.

In the olden days, you could just throw a brick at a public nuisance, and that would usually shut him up for two minutes - five if the brick hit its mark.

But it's harder to throw a brick at a TV, because bar owners send bloodthirsty lawyers after you, something the old-fashioned public nuisances knew nothing about. And how can you throw a brick at the shadowy creature producing elevator muzak?

So it was inevitable that some guy named Mitch Altman would invent a high-tech way to neutralize those high-tech public nuisances. It's an infrared keychain called TV-B-Gone that shuts off intrusive TVs remotely.

Hey I was watching that show, calls out the six-foot-four, burly guy at the bar. Whoever zapped my show has five second to unzap it., or I'll get off this stool. Oh, well. I suppose there are still a few technical adjustments to tinker with.

But I was thinking, Hey. I could invent something useful like that. I could invent a high-tech brick to shut down those high-tech public nuisances for at least five minutes. So I did.

First, I set out to defeat muzak. I invented a device called the Automated Elevator Hostage Taker. I was so excited, I decided to take it for a test drive. I found a really high building and headed straight for the elevator.

Half way up, I activated my Automated Elevator Hostage Taker. Aha! I called out. We have your elevator hostage. If you shut the muzak off, we will release it unharmed.

The other passengers looked at me like I had a purple horn growing out of one ear.

I said, turn off the muzak and your elevator won't be harmed.

One passenger was starting to get interested. What the *$&% do you think you're doing?

I was positively giddy that my fellow passengers were so eager to participate. One of them even wanted to get his hands on my Automated Elevator Hostage Taker, but for public safety reasons I couldn't let it into untrained hands until it had been fully tested in both laboratory and field conditions.

How did your test drive go? my wife asked.

I looked up at her from my hospital bed. I think the next prototype will be equipped with life insurance.

Fortunately, I came up with another invention as soon as I recovered. I call it the Tailpipe Plug-in. Cars emit the most ghastly-smelling fumes. No. Wait. I take that back. Cars emit the second-most ghastly-smelling fumes. Diesel buses emit the most ghastly-smelling fumes.

But those days will soon be over, as people arm themselves with their personal Tailpipe Plug-ins.

How does it work? my wife asked.

So glad you asked. It uses spidey technology.

Spidey technology? she looked puzzled.

That's right. You know, like Spiderman. Let's say a bus come within a few yards and threatens to belch out yucky black stinky stuff. You just flick your wrist like this...

SPLAT! BANG! CRASH!

Oops.

You knocked over my prize lamp and broke it. And what's this ugly goop splattered all over the carpet and the wall? Yuck. Get it off, my wife demanded.

I can't.

What do you mean, you can't? she raged.

It's like that expanding foam insulation. No. Wait. It's like very fast-curing expanding foam insulation.

Well, what do you plan to do about it? my wife wanted to know.

I guess I'll have to put on a warning label - Do not use indoors.

Once back in my hospital bed, I realized I had not given the right answer.

I still had many inventions left in me. Like the Automatic No-parking Sign Dissolver. And the Perfumalizer, handy for use in crowded buses where people hold onto bars and posts above their heads. And I can't wait to invent the Escalator Fast-forward Button.

But for now, I am way too distracted by the very loud TV show my hospital roommate is watching. I sure could use Mitch's TV-B-Gone right about now.

About The Author

David Leonhardt is a humor columnist

http://www.thehappyguy.com/positive-thinking-free-ezine.html

He is author of Climb Your Stairway to Heaven

http://www.iuniverse.com/bookstore/bookdetail.asp?isbn=0-595-17826-X

Read more personal growth articles:

http://www.thehappyguy.com/self-actualization-articles.html

Visit his liquid vitamins store:

http://www.vitamin-supplements-store.net

Info@thehappyguy.com

Are You Stuck? Consider Changing Your Focus!

If you sometimes feel as though you're caught in life's quicksand, you have a lot of company. We work, we struggle, we try to do everything we possibly can to move on to a higher level of well-being but it seems like the harder we work, the more stuck we get. If you're approaching a Category 5 frustration level, you might give this a try

Switch your focus from that really nice - but frustrated - person in the mirror to one or more of the other folks who inhabit this good earth.

I realize that it's important to watch out for number one - ourselves. We need to set goals, lay out plans and then do those things we need to do so that we can at least make some progress toward our goals. We need to demonstrate personal financial responsibility, plan for retirement and frequently just cover our backside so it doesn't get chewed off by one or more of life's rodents.

However, what frequently happens is that we become so over-focused on ourselves and our own personal well-being that we wind up building huge walls. We lose the ability - or even desire - to see the bigger picture and the possibilities that life presents to us. We become so focused on me that we sometimes begin scrutinizing even the most insignificant events to determine their potential impact on our personal lives. We become victims to ourselves. And to be real honest about it, we sometimes just become so busy being busy that we lose track of where we thought we wanted our lives to wind up in the first place.

One possible solution as I mentioned earlier is to change our focus from me to others. From being the receiver to being the giver. And no, I'm not even implying that this requires any major change in the things we do every day. It may eventually lead to that but it's not a critical part of the initial process.

Here's what I mean. No matter what you do to earn a living or keep the household moving in a logical direction, somewhere down the line a real person will probably benefit from what you do. Think about it. The work we do is not just to stuff computer systems full of information or help machines work better. It's not just to take people's money so we'll have a paycheck at the end of the week. It's not just filling out forms, nailing pieces of boards together, assembling electronic devices, hauling packages, going to meetings, cutting down trees, repairing cars, painting houses, stocking shelves, installing drywall or flippin' hamburgers. Somewhere, sometime (and maybe immediately) another human being will likely be positively affected by what you do.

And yes, if you're paying attention, you've noticed that I've used a couple of cop-out words in the preceding paragraph - likely and probably. I had to do that because in the real world there are some individuals whose money-making efforts are focused mainly on on-beneficial activities. That's just the way the world is.

For the rest of us however, our activities and work generally reflect a more positive endeavor. That leads us back to the original suggestion. If you are caught in the quicksand, take a few minutes to really think about the people - the individuals who will be better off, healthier or happier because of what you do. Think about how you are giving of your time and talents so that others will profit in some way from your efforts.

Do you see what can happen here? When we change our focus from me to others, our work - the things we do every day - starts taking on a new significance. We are now a giver. Our life honestly is meaningful. We know that what we do is truly important to someone else. That's pretty special, huh?

If you're having to really stretch your imagination to see at least one other person benefiting from the things you do and it's really not fitting together, you might consider looking into a different occupation - or at least a different way to spend your free time. There are a bunch of people who could really benefit from your talents. Think about what you do well - what you enjoy doing that could help others have a better life. Then go do it. You'll be out of the quicksand before you know it.

Gene Simmons, through NuPathz.com, provides an easy reading self-help blog, articles, quotations, thoughts and links along with affordable self-help and self improvement books & materials - all designed to help folks find the road to a more enjoyable lifestyle, to pass on some of life's secrets for survival in a chaotic world & offer a few smiles along the way. It's a down-to-earth, simple approach to discovering a better life. You can visit Gene at http://www.nupathz.com/.

gene@nupathz.com

Art of Fellatio cook suckking

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Are there cures for skin treatment

Have you been looking for the latest and accurate advice relating to skin treatment.
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The dangers of asbestos

If you read the newspaper or watch the nightly news, chances are you've heard about some of the dangers of asbestos. What is often ignored in these messages, however, is that asbestos also has a number of useful properties. If used responsibly and maintained in good condition, asbestos can be beneficial without causing harm.

What is asbestos? The term refers to microscopic, naturally occurring fibrous silicate minerals. These minerals have been used for years by the construction industry. The three most common types of asbestos are chrysotile, amosite, and crocidolite. Asbestos is commonly used in insulation, fireproofing, roofing, flooring, and other building materials. The strength of the fibers and asbestos's resistance to heat make these materials very useful.

Why, then, are people afraid of asbestos? Well, asbestos is a carcinogenic, toxic substance. Asbestos-containing materials are not a health risk if they are left undisturbed. However, if these materials become damaged, the asbestos fibers separate and become airborne. This is when human exposure is likely to occur, as asbestos may be inhaled into the lungs.

While no safe level of exposure has been determined, health problems are more common with greater and longer exposure to the fibers. Some of these health problems include asbestosis, mesothelioma, and lung cancer. It is not true that asbestos causes headaches or sore muscles, as many once believed. Immediate health issues like these are rarely seen. In actuality, most damaging health effects of asbestos exposure don't surface until many years later. Perhaps this is why building buyers prefer to err on the side of caution when asbestos inspections are done.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed a program for schools and other building owners in order to keep asbestos fiber levels low. In an effort to protect students and residents, the program aims to teach people how to recognize asbestos-containing materials. It also educates people about how to manage these materials and how to avoid exposure. With proper education and careful management, health risks from asbestos can theoretically be prevented.





About the author:


Jeff Lakie is the founder of Asbestos Resources a website providing information on asbestos

The Risks of Desktop Security Software Part 1

This is the second in a series of articles highlighting reasons why we need a new model for anti-virus and security solutions.

Reason #2: the Desktop Security Software Risks

The risks of placing software on the desktop are such that I will be breaking this article into two parts.

Fundamentally we think of having software on our desktops as a good thing. I love downloading or installing new packages and seeing what new creative things people do to the user interface or what they do to make certain aspects of my life easier or more fun.

But there are problems inherent with software that resides on the desktop, especially security software. All developers will know what I mean. First and foremost, desktop software can be reverse engineered. What's that mean? Have you ever inadvertently double-clicked on a file and had garbage show up or seen something that looks similar to this?



The old hex dump. Programmers will know it well. We actually spend a good deal of time trying to read this stuff. Basically, if there are programs that can (and do) turn instructions like the following

If UserBirthDate < 1/01/1960 then
IsReallyOld = Yes
Else
IsReallyOld = No
End If

into something like the picture above, then the reverse is true: people have developed software that can take that gobbeldy-gook in the picture above and turn it somewhat into the if-statement I wrote out. The reversing software won't know that I had an item called UserBirthDate, but it will know I was testing for a value of January 1, 1960 and it will be able to say that based on that value I set another item to Yes or No.

So now we install our fool-proof anti-virus software on our desktop (or our firewall for that matter). Well, so too can a virus author. And that virus author or hacker will also have gotten a copy of the latest reverse-engineering software from his local hacking site. He now goes upon his task of reverse-engineering the software and then trying to decipher the results. It's not easy but it can be done. Unfortunately, vendors know this and understand this as an acceptable risk.

The problem here is that your security software is at risk. If your vendor codes an error, the virus author can and will detect it. For example, if your vendor should exclude a file from scanning, it's possible the virus author will figure out which file (or type of file) that is and bury his code there. If the vendor excludes files from scanning or heuristics, it's possible that virus author will figure out a way to corrupt that file.

That being said, there are other risks. As we have said, once software is on the desktop it affords virus authors an opportunity to reverse-engineer security software. The knowledge that reverse-engineering provides is invaluable to a virus author when building his next software attack. Third, virus authors can learn where the anti-virus vendors put there software and put the links to their software (directory folders, registry entries, etc.). This too is invaluable information. In fact, in some ways it teaches people intent on writing malicious software clues as to how to infiltrate the computers' operating system, where registry entries need to be made to force software to be loaded every time a computer is started, etc.

This information is generally available all over the web and in manuals for operating systems, especially manuals on such subjects as the Windows Registry. But having the software teach you where things belong to be effective is powerful knowledge.

Lastly, and perhaps most significantly, is the issue of forebearance. The anti-virus vendors usually know more about the potential exploits inherent in programs than virus authors but they are bound by the fact that should they try to prevent them before the exploits occur, they could be branded as irresponsible for teaching virus authors about these very exploits.

For example, when Microsoft first released the macro capabilities of Word, anti-virus vendors immediately realized the potential for danger in macros, but they were handcuffed. If they released software that disabled macros before the first macro virus was ever released, they would signal to virus authors the inherent destructive powers of macros. They chose instead to wait, handcuffed by the limitations of desktop software.

Until the Internet there really has been no better medium for delivering virus solutions than desktop software. It was relatively inexpensive to deploy (either market the software and sell it in stores or provide free downloads on bulletin boards and web sites). It is, however, expensive to keep updated in terms of time and effort, even with automated update systems.

The Internet caused several things to happen: by becoming a powerful medium for sharing files, whole families of viruses disappeared practically overnight (boot sector viruses, for example); by becoming the option of choice for sharing files, it was easier to infect a single file and have thousands download it.

A better solution is to place the security software in an offsite appliance of its own making. All Internet, intranet, networking connections flow through the appliance.

Selling off the shelf hardware appliances with built-in security software is better than a desktop software solution but it still suffers -to a lesser extent- from the pratfalls that desktop software falls prey to.

Even better is to create a service that a 3rd party vendor manages in a secure environment. In such an instance both the software and the hardware are away from the prying eyes of the malicious software authors. This further reduces the opportunity for malicious authors to discover the tricks and techniques employed by the security vendors to protect you.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Tim Klemmer
CEO, OnceRed LLC
http://www.checkinmyemail.com
Tim Klemmer has spent the better part of 12 years designing and perfecting the first patented behavior-based solution to malicious software.

Down Payment Assistance Programs How They Work And How To

Down Payment Assistance Programs - How They Work, And How To Use Them
By Rob Beeman
There is more than one form of down payment assistance program available to the property buyer seeking them. There are those offered by local governments, be it city, county or state; those offered by the federal government; and those offered by non-profit organizations. This will help you understand them, locate them and use them to your advantage if you need them.
How can you, as the seller of property, benefit from a down payment assistance program? It's simple; the assistance to the buyer can help:
Sell the property faster
Make the property attractive to more buyers (especially those with limited funds)
Put more profit into the pocket of the seller
If a buyer is qualified to gain a mortgage however lacks the required down payment, or even the necessary funds to close, using a down payment assistance program can now make that non-able buyer an able buyer. So the buyer short of cash, who had to pass on other properties because of the lack of necessary funds required, can now purchase your property because you directed them to a down payment assistance program. The buyers that you used to have to turn away because of not enough cash required can now possibly become a sale. Thus, faster sale - faster profit.
You can now advertise the property differently to gain greater response. Consider an ad like this:
555 Maple Lane, 3Br, 2Ba, lg yrd.
Own it for only $1000 down! 555-5555.
Bet you'll get more calls! Most of the down payment assistance programs have certain requirements that must be met in order to be used. One such requirement is usually the need for the buyers to have some of their own cash into the transaction. The amount of cash required by the buyer varies from program to program; however most require at least $500 to $1000 of the buyer's funds to be in the deal, or in some cases as much as 1% of the sales price.
If the buyer is using funds offered by a local municipality (city, county or state) in the form of a grant or low interest loan (second mortgage), and the seller had originally planned on offering seller's assistance to the buyer for settlement help, this will allow the seller to gain an additional profit, since little or no seller's assistance will be needed.
As we mentioned earlier, there is more than one form of down payment assistance program available to direct buyers to in order for you, the seller, to reap the rewards. They are:
Non-Profit Grants
Municipal Grants
Municipal Low Interest Loans
We will cover the pros and cons of each. What is available will vary in different parts of the country, but we will supply you resources to investigate what is available near you.
Non-Profit Grants
This form of grant is offered by a qualified non-profit organization as assistance to the buyer for help with down payment and/or closing costs associated with the purchase of their primary residence. The funds, wired directly to the settlement agent's escrow account, come from a pool of money available to assist buyers. The amount of funds supplied to assist the buyer are deducted from the seller's proceeds at settlement and wired back to the non-profit organization after settlement to replenish the pool in order to help the next buyer requesting aide. In addition to the reimbursement to the pool, the seller is charged a fee by the non-profit organization to cover administration costs. This fee varies between programs and is disclosed in their advertising info. Here are a few of the programs that we are aware of:
www.nationhomefoundation.org
www.housingassistancenetwork.com
www.mortgagepages.com / www.partnersincharity.org
www.buyers-assistance.com
www.fha-home-loans.com
www.bmortgage.com/downpaymentprograms.htm
www.ameridreamcharity.org
www.thebuyersfund.com
www.getdownpayment.com
www.genesisprogram.net
www.dsrdownpayment.com
www.fhap.org
www.nationwidedownpayment.org
www.cdsgrants.com
www.neighborhoodgold.com
www.fairhousingassistance.com
www.familyhomeproviders.org
www.americanfamilyfunds.com
www.ezdownpayment.com
www.cornerstonegrant.org
www.usadownpaymentassistance.com
www.hartprogram.com

Municipal Grants
Municipalities such as city, county or state typically offer grants (which are not required to be repaid) to assist purchasers with down payment and/or closing costs assistance. There usually are restrictions on the use of the programs such as: maximum household income, number of persons occupying the property, maximum sales price of the property, and home buying education seminar attendance. The funds are normally replenished annually, and are available for use as long as they exist. A link to a web site that offers numbers and addresses for most state housing and finance authorities is:
http://www.mortgage101.com/Articles/DownPayment.asp?ArticleID=1013&p=ABCentMiss .
Municipal Low Interest Loans
The low interest loans offered by municipalities (city, county or state) are typically linked into participating local mortgage lenders and banks. The funds are secured by a second mortgage on the property and are usually not required to be paid back until the property is sold or refinanced, or the first mortgage is paid off. The funds are normally replenished annually and are available for use as long as they exist. Use the link referenced above to locate the municipalities near you to gain info on what programs are currently offered. In addition here are a few sites that are regional:
www.ci.longmont.co.us
www.ci.modesto.ca.us
www.homestreetbank.com
www.cityoforlando.net
www.ihfa.org
www.mhdc.com

Rob Beeman started investing in real estate in 1996, and enjoys passing on to other investors: Knowledge, Information and Contacts in the forms of Books, Special Reports, Guides and Newsletters, to help them start, accelerate, or supercharge their business.

You can find his writings on How To Discover Opportunities Others Overlook at either of these sites: www.theartofrealestateinvesting.com or www.findingforeclosuresforprofit.com .

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Rob's knowledge and experience has been gained first hand, in the trenches.
An Author of two books on real estate investing, The Art of Real Estate Investing and Finding Foreclosures for Profit; he does not consider himself to be a Guru. He is a Hands On Real Estate Investor starting every day with a desire to discover deals that others overlook, and pass on a little Knowledge, Information and Contacts to other investors.

Aromatherapy for Common Ailments

Aromatherapy works in several ways to combat common
ailments. Essential oils contain molecules that once
applied or dispersed through the air trigger nasal
receptors to send healing messages to the brain. The brain
then experiences changes of chemistry that tell your body
to feel relaxed, cheered or numb to pain.

A common physical complaint today is arthritis. A blend of
a couple of drops each of clove, ginger and peppermint oils
dispersed in eight ounces of a carrier oil such as almond,
olive or jojoba can be worked manually into the areas that
feel sore. These oils have the effect of cooling hot spots
in the body and bringing oxygenated blood to the affected
areas. Tea tree oil can also be used along with geranium
or lavender oil to heal cold sores. Mixed with chamomile
oil it is an effective remedy for eczema.

Essential oils are also very effective when it comes to
soothing the pain of muscle soreness. You can mix a few
drops any one of the following oils in 8 ounces of a
carrier oil and add them to a bath or rub them directly
into the skin: balsam fir, pine, juniper, ginger, cloves,
peppermint or rosemary.

Many aromatherapy oils are extremely effective when it
comes to diminishing the pain of headaches or curing them
all together. Basil, lavender, peppermint, eucalyptus,
neroli (orange blossom) or linden blossom oil either
diffused through a room or rubbed on the temples and neck
can greatly relieve headache pain that seems to be caused
by stress or tension. Headaches that are provoked by sinus
problems are effectively relieved by diffusions of basil,
clove, eucalyptus, frankincense, lemon, lavender, juniper,
pine or rosemary oils. If the headache is believed to have
a hormonal cause, chamomile, clary sage, geranium, jasmine
or lavender may relieve it.

Tea tree oil can be bought in commercial preparations or
made into an oil by yourself by diluting two or three drops
of the essential oil into eight ounces of a carrier oil
such as witch hazel or aloe vera. This oil can then used to
heal and disinfect small cuts, scrapes, bruises, insect
bites and bee stings. Tea tree oil can also be used along
with geranium or lavender oil to heal cold sores.

Aromatherapy can also be used to treat nausea. This is
effectively done simply by rubbing a blend of peppermint
and ginger oils in a circular motion on your stomach and
pulse points or by anointing a handkerchief with a few
drops so that you can sniff the aroma while on a road trip.

Did you know that aromatherapy oils can also be used to
relieve jet lag and hangovers too? Oils that are very
effective for warding off that feeling like you overdid it
are peppermint, orange, clary sage, geranium, eucalyptus,
ginger and basil. The optimum cure would be a preparation
that you would blend yourself in almond oil called
hangover helper!

About the Author

*******
(c) 2005 Liz Santher - All Rights Reserved

Liz Santher is a aromatherapy enthusiast and freelance
author.

http://www.AromaTherapySecret.com
*******

Are You Taking Responsibility?

It is time to take responsibility for our actions and the results we create in our lives. It's time to stop expecting someone else to do for us what we are unwilling to do for ourselves. It's time to remember that no one is doing it to us and no one is going to do it for us.

We have the right and the responsibility to powerfully, positively choose what we desire for our lives, and to create our life we must also take the appropriate actions in our world.

I was leading a workshop where people voiced a string of I can'ts and one woman said she wants to be out of debt. There are no can'ts. Either you choose to or you don't choose to. There is no rying. Either you do it or you don't.

Remember that your mind does not have a sense of humor, does not know true from false, and does not know fact from fantasy. All your mind knows is what you feed it.

Your mind also has a strange way of eliminating certain words so that if you say I want to be out of debt your mind hears the shortened version of want debt.

If you say you don't want to be afraid, your mind hears e afraid. When we say I don't want to forget, we tend to forget. It's best to say I am remembering. Focus on the positives of what you choose for your life so there is only certainty.

I have had several powerful reminders of this recently when I needed to take responsibility for my own actions.

In one case, I set aside a savings jar for credit card debt. The money I put in became like a magnet and do you know what happened? Yep! My credit card bills were growing each and every month.

Now, the truth is that I pay my credit cards in full every month, but I got rid of the jar so that I could create prosperity for more joyous events in my life.

In another case, I had a conversation with the director of an organization I'd joined. I'd paid for the membership on-line but she couldn't find the records. I specifically told her I don't want to be charged twice for this. Do you want to guess what happened? Right again. I was charged twice.

Here are some tips to improve your communication for creating:

1. Avoid using negatives. Take responsibility for your life by making powerful, positive statements of what you choose to experience. Remember that your mind does not have a sense of humor and will take whatever you tell it literally.

2. Be clear, specific, and detailed about what you choose for your life. Invest the time and effort to focus your thoughts so you can get more of what you desire and deserve. If what you get doesn't meet your needs, become even more clear and specific in your choosing.

Be grateful for what you receive, and yet refine and define your choices more powerfully. Conscious creation is your right and your responsibility. You CAN have what you choose.

3. Let go of any old stories you've been telling yourself and others about the past. It's the past. It's gone. You can't go back and redo it, but in the re-telling and re-living you re-create more of the same by keeping the past alive.

Live responsibly by responding, rather than reacting, to life. Learn the lessons you need so you can let go and grow into your powerful, prosperous future.

Instead, vision what you DO choose so that you can feel the excitement of everything you know is coming your way.

4. Be conscious. Be aware. Be awake. Not only of others, but of yourself and what you think, say, and do as a co-creator in your life. Be responsible. If something happens that you hadn't expected, take time to figure out what you did to create it so you can do better in the future. No blame. No shame. Only gain.

Last, but not least, take time to have fun, laugh, and play. Those are the truly exquisite moments in life.

About The Author

Debbie Friedman, M.S., C.Ht., is the Manifesting Maven who helps people consciously create the life they love to live. She is the creator of the popular Cleaning Out the Closet of Your Mind for Wealth series.

www.CleaningOutTheCloset.com

HOW TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS

Especially the really important ones...

Life is full of decisions; we make hundreds of them every day.
Most are automatic and minor ones. However, occasionally we
are compelled to make vitally important decisions about major
life-goals. These decisions are often practical or ethical ones. For
example, we occasionally have to take major decisions like
choosing a marriage partner (assuming they'll take you, that is),
choosing to leave a partner in marriage, or decisions about what
to do with your life.

HINTS IN DECISION MAKING

A positive attitude to life helps make major decision making far
easier and less stressful. Here are some general hints on
decision making (although it's one of my weakest areas); but
I'm trying hard to improve...

1. Get rid of your mental blocks.

2. Give up the notion that there is only one 'right solution'
to the problem/dilemma you are confronting.

3. Don't fear making a mistake.

4. View your problems as a normal part of life (is that possible?).
Every problem requiring a decision is an
opportunity in disguise.

5. See yourself not as an indecisive person; but rather someone
who sometimes behaves indecisively...that's a rather kind way
of putting it.

6. Develop your intuition and logic, but listen to what your heart
says (gut feeling).

7. Stop and think before you act. Stop yourself doing the first
thing you think of. That's me for sure!

8. Be specific.

9. Know what your goals and your values are, the principles of
your existence, before taking a major life decision. Ask yourself,
if the ideal outcome is in alignment with your values.

10. Write down all the positive and negative factors for and
against taking a particular course of action. American president,
Benjamin Franklin did it in two columns when confronted with
major decisions.

11. Think how the decision will benefit YOU first. Do what you
and not what other people really want.

12. Try to think calmly and rationally (very difficult for me).

13 (lucky). Do your homework and get all the facts before
you make the decision.

14. Get opinions and feedback from others you trust; but don't
let them make the decision for you.

15. Establish priorities and soulsearch (for a soulmate). Ask
yourself what are the critical factors? What is the single most
important consideration?

16. Trust your impulses, your gut-feelings. Use your intuition through
meditation - this is God, the Universe speaking back to us through all
the accumulated wisdom of the world.

17. Don't take your decision too seriously; nothing is that
important, no matter how much it appears like that to you. Ask
yourself how much will it really matter in one, five or ten years
time? Remember, no decision is irreversible; if you find out some
way down the track that you've taken the wrong course. But
some decisions are pretty important: finding another lover, or
trading in the old man (I chose that word very carefully; so I
wouldn't be beaten up by the feminists).

18. Look for OPPORTUNITIES in any decision. Each mistake is
an opportunity to learn. I've launched into a writing career
from a mistake (???) coming to the other side of the world.
Crazy wife! A problem became a great opportunity to do
something I'd never ever thought of doing (is it the winds of fate,
he unseen hand of God, perhaps guiding me in a conscious decision).
If you are making mistakes, you are not learning and growing.
So say to yourself, it doesn't really matter, or so what...
then get into this world.

19. Accept total responsibility for your decisions. Responsibility is
not BLAME - so don't blame others for putting yourself in this
predicament. Sorry 'wif'! This attitude helps to relieve your
anger or resentment and gives one peace of mind.

20. Change course if your strategy is not working - the quality of
your life is at stake. My mistake is that I persist on a chosen
course for far too long at times, like writing! Learn when to
correct your direction. If you don't change direction, you'll end
up where you're heading.

Bear in mind that pilots are off course on their flight-path 90% of
the time... but they still arrive at their destination. Usually! When
driving you are also continually making little corrections; so there's
hope for me yet.

21. Be prepared to take a few risks in life. Look out for
opportunities. Every successful business or venture started out
with an idea which was a risk. Nothing is infallible. The knowledge
that you can handle anything that comes your way is your key
to allowing yourself to take risks. Security is a state of mind. It's
not having things, it's HANDLING things.

and finally,

22. Look ahead to the future in a spirit of hope and optomism -
the past is already gone. See the path ahead as an adventure
into the unknown and a time for challenge with many new
opportunities. Every problem requiring a decision is an
opportunity in disguise.

It's a matter of making correct small daily decisions, which are
our stepping-stones on the road to success

I love the following quotation...

The past is history,
the future is a mystery,
and this moment is the gift,
that is why this moment is called the present.
- Depak Chopra

May all your decisions guide you towards a prosperous and happy tomorrow
May all your moments be full of joy and the rich promise of the future.

Back Pain And The Office Worker

Back Pain and Facts

At least 120 million working days are lost every year because of people's back problems.

10% of all major back injuries take place whilst handling, lifting or carrying.

Nearly two thirds of adults mostly in their 20's and 50's, experience back problems.

Back Pain is the single greatest cause for time off work through ill health.

Every person complaining of back pain, and any related condition, takes an average of 13 days off work.
(Shocking huh)

Unfortunately, you won't find a magic wand to cure your back problems, but you will find that you can improve or prevent a lot of problems by adopting back-friendly work habits.

Manual Handling

If you think about it, we all manually handle throughout every day of our lives, but have you ever stopped to think just how you go about it...

Do you bend from the waist (naughty),
Do you twist without moving your feet,
Do you slouch in your office chair,

How do you pick boxes, or your screaming toddler up from the floor?

If you sat down and thought about the weight you lift during a normal day, you would probably die from shock because it probably run into tons... Ha, is there any wonder you have those aches and pains?

If you must lift something...

Bend your knees rather than your back,
Keep your feet wide apart to provide stability (This is really important)
Carry objects close to your body
Bend again at the knees to put the object down
When carrying loads, try and lighten them, i.e. try and break them down into lighter smaller loads and store them in areas which are easily accessible.

How do you rate when working in an office?

Make sure your chair is comfortable and adjusted for you, (not everyone else)

Sit so your pelvis is upright
Try and ensure your thighs are at a 110 degree angle to your trunk

Ensure the lumbar support of your chair fits the small of your back so it maintains the natural S shape of your spine

Ensure the armrests of the chair touch your forearms, when your shoulders and elbows are relaxed at your side (This helps to avoid strain in your neck and upper limbs)

Ensure the seat depth allows your bottom to be at the back of the seat with a two finger gap between the front edge of the seat and behind the knees. (Ensures adequate thigh support whilst allowing movement without obstruction).

Make full use of the chair movement especially when reaching for items such as the phone

Don't slouch
Alter your position frequently when using a keyboard
Move if you are uncomfortable. (It's surprising how many people don't)

Change your posture frequently to give your muscles a break
Take frequent breaks from your desk (And no it's not an excuse for a cigarette break)

Keep your mouse and telephone as close as possible (Allowing you to remain relaxed and in a natural position at your desk)

Ensure your monitor is square on so you don't have to turn your head to look at it. (Document holders are handy)

Ensure your screen is at arms length away from your face so the top of the screen is horizontal to your eye line.

The next time you are at work again, open your eyes, and just see how much damage your office job is doing to your back...You just might be shocked.

About the Author

Kim is a Back Care Advisor working in the UK for a large hospital Trust. She's passionate about back Care, and can be found at www.backpain-free.com and www.nursing-hints.com

Are You a SelfSaboteur?

Take this questionnaire to get clear on what you may be doing to undermine your own success and happiness in life. An explanation of your score awaits at the end.

1. When someone offers help you usually

answer no without even thinking

consider for a moment, but then decide their help would be inadequate

consider for a moment, but then decide it would be asking for too much

happily accept

2. Your level of organization is

catastrophic -- you can't even find your toothbrush at night

okay, except that when it comes to your dream you tend to keep everything on tiny slips of paper that get lost

not bad ... you organize everything. It's just that you never act on it

fine -- you keep a running file or list of what you need to do on your dream projects every day

3. If someone gives you a key contact, you

tuck it away in a pocket with no intention of using it anytime soon

stick it in a safe place in your organizer or wallet, then lose it

put it on your desk where it sits untouched for the next four months

get in touch with that person within a few days

4. When opportunity knocks

you get a strange feeling in your gut and do nothing

you always manage to get sick

you seize the opportunity, but not until after several hours hair-tearing while you try to find necessary materials, the correct directions, a parking place, an open Fed Ex office, etc.

you open the door and let it in

5. The idea of being prepared, i.e. keeping an extra clean suit handy, having a beeper, always keeping extra promotion materials on hand, seems

downright silly

like a good idea, but one you probably wouldn't do

smart, and you may even do one or two of these things

critical -- you even keep extra panty hose on hand, and business cards in your gym bag

6. The idea that someday you will be successful enough to call your own shots seems

unlikely

scary, but possible

likely ... if you could just get your act together somehow

fated

7. When an important project begins to reach some kind of climax, as it nears its conclusion, you

withdrawal and let others finish it

begin to get pretty bloody sick of the whole thing, and start to complain loudly

start looking for the next thing to work on

hang in there for completion, taking care of the details, knowing the next thing will come along soon

Scoring:

If most of your answers were

You are committed to hanging out, which is fine, unless you've got that nagging feeling you should be doing something more. If so, you probably need a therapist, or a life coach at the very least (see Chapter X, What is a Coach and Why Do I Need One?) when you're ready to get serious.

Your fear is definitely getting in the way of what you want to do in life. You need to get an arsenal of support including a support group, a coach, and plenty of meditation time.

You're grappling with the usual fear and doubts, but the problem is you're listening to them, even though you know the deal. Set up a regular support group and find a support buddy or coach who will bug you to get your work done every day.

You're doing the job the way it should be done. The only possible problem is burn-out, so be sure to schedule in the rest you need, and stimulating stuff to keep you perking along. A coach would be a wise investment towards seeing how far you could go.

Want to get out of your own way and get on with your dreams? Check out Suzanne Falter-Barns' ebook, Living Your Joy* How to Find the Time, the Money and the Energy to Live Your Dream at http://www.howmuchjoy.com/livingyourjoy.html Her free ezine, The Joy Letter, brings you a crisp, fresh burst of inspiration for your dream every week or two. Sign up at http://www.howmuchjoy.com/joyletter.html and receive her valuable report, 35 Guaranteed Time Savers.

Suzanne Falter-Barns is the author of How Much Joy Can You Stand? (Ballantine) and keeper of http://www.howmuchjoy.com -- a website where you can push past your fears and create your dreams. Join her if there's more you want to accomplish in life, and you just need an inspiring nudge!

info@howmuchjoy.com

Herbal Acne Pills Natural Acne Remedies The Clear Acne F

Remember the angst ridden acne years of your youth? Or perhaps you are still a youth. By youth, I mean either adolescent or teenaged. So many people today suffer from teenage and adult acne. The effect acne has on your self esteem can be devastating, especially at a young age, when appearance seems so important, and people can be cruel. The nutraceutical acne pill is now changing that scenario for many teenagers, and is also helping many people suffering with acne into adulthood to permanently clear acne.

There are some excellent, and fairly new acne pills that actually clear acne through precise combinations of herbal compounds and pure, natural ingredients. These acne pills have been used as very successful, and often times permanent, remedies to clear acne on both adults and adolescents.

How do acne pills work? Acne pills actually work by correcting the hormonal and chemical imbalances in the body that lead to acne flareups, persistent acne, and the more severe form, cystic acne. People suffering from cystic acne can really benefit from a natural acne pill, since they are designed to treat acne at it's source, from the inside of the body, rather than topically. Cystic acne sufferers really tend to have hormonal issues, which acne pills address by calming, soothing and balancing.

Some of the common ingredients in these complexion-clearing acne pills are actually known in herbal communities for their skin soothing and calming properties, and have commonly been used to treat various skin disorders in the past. Natural acne pills actually blend several of these ingredients together in precise combinations to effectively clear acne permanently, or with very little follow up treatment.

Let's look at some of the common skin clearing and therapeutic herbs and compounds that are found in an acne pill. First, vitamin E is a common ingredient. Vitamin E has been used as a skin soothing and repairing agent for decades. Vitamin E actually will help smooth rough skin when taken in the proper dosages, and actually helps facilitate the clearing of acne in combination with other ingredients.

A second common ingredient in the acne pill is aloe vera. Aloe vera actually has many of the same skin soothing properties and advantages as vitamin E. I'm sure you've used aloe vera at least a couple times to treat sunburn or irritated skin. Aloe vera seemed to be a staple in everyone's home growing up for it's skin repairing benefits.

Two more ingredients you may find in an acne pill are alpha lipoic acid and collagen, both of which are actually beneficial for both aging skin and skin suffering from disorders such as acne or acne rosacea. Alpha lipoic acid is gaining a lot of recognition in recent years, especially with the publication and advocation of popular cosmetic dermatologist Nicholas Perricone in his book The Perricone Prescription and other popular follow up books on how to stop and reverse the aging process of the skin.

Other skin cleansing, purifying and balancing ingredients botanicals found in the acne pill are chamomile, rosemary, rose essential oil, and horsetail, all traditionally used to clear, tone and purify the skin for the most blemish-free complexion possible, even back as far as the early 1800's.

The bottom line is, I highly recommend investing in either a natural acne system that combines topical treatment with an oral acne pill or just investing in a natural acne pill that is high in purity standards and has a good track record of customer satisfaction. These treatments have proven to be just as effective as many of the often long-term and sometimes harmful treatments dermatologists prescribe. Not only that, you can order them from the comfort of your own home, and don't need to be burdened by dermatologist visits, or repetitive costs. It is truly one of the best investments you can make in your skin!

About the Author: Danna Schneider is the webmaster and founder of CosmeticsGalore.com http://www.cosmeticsgalore.com, a natural cosmetic enhancement and cosmetic correction product review site that offers acne, rosacea and breast enhancement (among others) products reviews, testimonials, and honest information about the latest in cosmeceutical and nutraceutical technology.

Source: www.isnare.com

Balancing the Light and Dark

Integrating my dark side was a fairly torturous process for me, partly because I made it harder than it had to be. Apparently I do that a lot. :)
One of the problems at the time was my inability to get out of my own way and I continually tried to micro-manage the process rather than giving in to it and going where it wanted to take me. Part of that was from my own misconceptions about the light and dark and my reactions to them.
Many of us spend a long time trying to suppress the various elements of our light and dark sides partially because we're taught to believe that light is 'good' and dark is 'evil' as if the 2 extremes didn't exist in all of us.
For example, a lot of healers tend to shy away from the dark side and when it does manifest it's usually in some context that the healer may be shocked by or ashamed of. Thereafter the healer may have a negative connotation with the dark side of their being. Sometimes these connotations can come from events that happen when we're small children or even possibly be hold-overs from past lives.
It's important to find examples of the dark and light that can be manifested positively and enjoyably as everything has to balance and it's unnatural for us to always be one or the other. Music, dance, theatre, movies, martial arts and sexuality are some of the ways that you can find positive examples of both the dark and the light. In reality you can find positive examples anywhere, these are some that I personally enjoy.
This is where the self awareness part of kundalini awakening comes in. You have to know yourself well enough to become comfortable with all the aspects of your personality, and to find creative ways to balance your proclivities. If you spend all day giving reiki treatments and listening to soothing new age music then take some time in the evening and pop in a suitably dark movie or some nice dark music on the stereo. If you choose the music then turn off the lights, close your eyes and do some moving meditation and ecstatic dancing. You might be surprised at what you're able to clean out of your system this way.
What's important here is to learn to be comfortable with your dualities, and then get beyond them. This can be a journey of self discovery that can take you places that you didn't know you could go.

Dealing with Negativity
Once you begin to become comfortable with your dualities you can begin to associate with the positive (good for you) light and dark traits and abilities.
Keeping a positive mindset is extremely important here as you're pushing your comfort levels to new extremes. We usually lump negativity into the 'Dark' category, but having a negative attitude isn't a positive dark trait. 
Remember that this is all about developing your own sense of personal mastery. When you give in to negative feelings and emotions then you are giving away your personal power.

Yin/Yang Exercise
Here's an exercise that I've been playing with for a couple of weeks now.
Pick the meditation position that you prefer and take a moment to ground yourself. Do this by letting your energetic roots grow down into the earth and feel the earth energy flow up into you on the inhale, all the way up over your head.
As you exhale release all your stress and tension and let it flow back down into the earth to be recycled. Feel your muscles relax as this stress bleeds out of your body and feel your connection to the earth increase and you draw in each breath. Do this as long as necessary to become relaxed and feel a good connection to the energy.
Now as you inhale, feel the dark earth energy flow up the back side of your body, while simultaneously opening up and feeling the light universal energy flow down through the crown of your head and down the front of your body.
As you exhale see the 2 bands of energy swirl through you and into a yin/yang symbol that encompasses you. Continue at this level til you can do that with one breath comfortably.
The next step is to let loose of your perceptions and BECOME the yin/yang symbol. Feel yourself expand beyond your usual physical boundaries with the light and dark energies swirling through you in perfect balance. If the energy wants to continue spiraling then let it.
Now begin to expand yourself, feeling the connectivity to the light/dark energy in everything around you. It's all the same energy and the parts of it that are in you are also the parts of you that are in it. Feel your energy expand til it fills (feels) the room, now let it expand to fill your house, your city, your state. Continue expanding out through the solar system, then the universe.
This is the energy that's all around us all the time. We're as much a part of it as it's a part of us, and in reality there's NO DIFFERENCE between it/us. We/it encompass everything and we're/it's the basic building blocks for everything that ever was or is.
It's the proper balance of the light/dark/, masculine/feminine, good/bad and positive and negative that holds everything together. For every action there's an equal and opposite reaction is not just a good idea, it's the law. 
Take awhile here and feel the connections to the universe within and without. FEEL the swirl of the galaxies within you and visualize them as tiny yin/yangs all swirling together inside a larger yin/yang which is also just another swirl and realize (make REAL) that the dualities don't really exist, that they are just perceptions of the same reality.
Now choose one of the swirling yin/yangs at random and let yourself fall into it. This should be easy since (sense) your connection to everything also gives you unlimited abilities. As you fall into this swirling galaxy you can see that it's made up of billions of swirling little solar systems all made up of little yin/yangs. Choose one at random and flow into it. See the little yin/yangs rotating around a larger one in the center. Choose one of these at random and flow down to it. When you look more closely at it you can see that it is also made up of billions of swirling, individual yin/yangs. Choose one of these and flow into it.
Now without letting go of your connection to the universe, can you open your eyes and feel the light/dark energies swirling all around you? Did you come back down to the same room and body and mindset that you left? Does it matter?
Play with this as there are infinite possibilities and energies to explore.

About the Author

---
Robert Morgen is a Reiki Master who currently holds a Black Belt in Hoshin Roshi Ryu and founded High Mountain Hoshin in Denver, CO.
He travels and teaches as much as possible and you can find out how to attend one of his Kundalini Awakening seminars at his website at;
http://www.windhavenco/events.html
His new book Personal Mastery: Develop your true internal power by awakening your kundalini will be released in June 2005.

Ayurvedic medicine for diabetes

For Salacia Oblonga herb Capsules and Extract Write to Botanika herbalpowders@operamail.com treeseeds@operamail.com treeseeds@rediffmail.com : : : :
WWW.SALACIAOBLONGACAPSULES.COM
Traditional Indian medicine, herb Salacia oblonga may help treat diabetes Posted By: News-Medical in Medical Study News Published: Tuesday, 8-Feb-2005 Printer Friendly Email to a Friend : : : : Herbs used in traditional Indian medicine to treat diabetes seems to lower blood sugar and insulin levels in a manner similar to prescription drugs, a new study reports. Researchers gave extracts of the herb Salacia oblonga to 39 healthy adults, and the results were promising. The largest dose of the herb extract - 1,000 milligrams - decreased insulin and blood glucose levels by 29 and 23 percent, respectively. : : These kinds of reductions are similar to what we might see with prescription oral medications for people with diabetes, said Steve Hertzler, a study co-author and an assistant professor of nutrition at Ohio State University. : : Salacia oblonga, which is native to regions of India and Sri Lanka, binds to intestinal enzymes that break down carbohydrates in the body. These enzymes, called alpha-glucosidases, turn carbohydrates into glucose, the sugar that circulates throughout the body. If the enzyme binds to the herbal extract rather than to a carbohydrate, then less glucose gets into the blood stream, resulting in lowered blood glucose and insulin levels. : : Lowering blood glucose levels lowers the risk of disease-related complications in people with diabetes, Hertzler said. Also, poor compliance with diabetes medications often hinders the effectiveness of these drugs. It may be easier to get someone to take an herb with food or in a beverage, as opposed to a pill. : : The study appears in a recent issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. : : Thirty-nine healthy adults participated in four separate meal tolerance tests. These meals, which were given in beverage form, were spaced three to 14 days apart. Each participant fasted for at least 10 hours before consuming the test beverage. : : Participants were asked to drink about two cups' worth of the chilled beverage, which contained zero, 500, 700 or 1,000 milligrams of Salacia oblonga extract. Afterward, the researchers used the finger-prick method to draw blood samples from each person every 15 to 30 minutes for three hours. These blood samples were used to determine insulin and blood glucose concentrations. The biggest changes in blood glucose and insulin levels usually happen within the first two hours after eating. : : The beverage that contained the highest concentration of the herbal extract - 1,000 milligrams - provided the most dramatic reduction in insulin and blood glucose levels. Insulin levels were 29 percent lower, while blood glucose levels were 23 percent lower as compared to the control drink, which contained no herbal extract. : : As Salacia oblonga can cause intestinal gas, the researchers had the study participants collect breath hydrogen samples hourly for eight hours after drinking the test beverage. The participants collected their breath in small plastic tubes. The researchers then analyzed these breath samples for hydrogen and methane content - the level of either substance in the breath corresponds to the level contained in the colon. : : The subjects also rated the frequency and intensity of nausea, abdominal cramping and distention and gas for two days after consuming each test meal. : : While the test beverages containing Salacia oblonga caused an increase in breath hydrogen excretion, reports of gastrointestinal discomfort were minimal, Hertzler said. : : Right now he and his colleagues are trying to figure out what dose of the herb is most effective, and when it should be taken relative to a meal. : : We want to know how long it takes for the herb to bind to the enzymes that break down carbohydrates, Hertzler said. The participants in this study took the herb with their meal, but maybe taking it before eating would be even more effective. : : The researchers also want to study the effects of Salacia oblonga in people with diabetes. : : A lot of studies show that lowering blood sugar levels reduces the risk for all kinds of diabetes-related complications, such as kidney disease and nerve and eye damage, Hertzler said. We want to see if this herb has this kind of effect. : : Salacia oblonga is still relatively difficult to find in the United States, Hertzler said, although there are manufacturers that sell the herb through the Internet. : : This study was supported by the Ross Products Division of Abbott Laboratories in Columbus. : : Hertzler is continuing to conduct Salacia oblonga studies with the Ross Products Division of Abbott Laboratories. He has no links to the company beyond this affiliation. : : Hertzler conducted the work with former Ohio State colleague Patricia Heacock, who is now at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey; Jennifer Williams, a clinical scientist with Ross Products Division, Abbott Laboratories; and Bryan Wolf, a former research scientists with Ross Products Division

About the Author

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Are You Still Blaming Acne on Bacteria?

All life forms strategize to survive and procreate. Weeds, worms, birds, fungi and bacteria all work to sustain their own lives on this planet. In fact, we humans survive because of the biological games constantly unfolding in our mist.

Propionibacterium acnes, or p acne bacteria, are no different. They want and need to survive. Skin bacteria perform an important function. Bacteria use the secretions of our sweat and sebaceous glands (sebum is the oil that makes our skin look shiny) as nutrients. P acnes that are in balance with your body prevent colonization by more harmful bacteria.

P acne bacteria only encourage acne formations if the production of oil on the face is excessive. This surplus of oil of prompted by hormonal, nutritional, environmental and/or psychological changes in the body. So to prevent acne, you do not what to kill bacteria per se, but keep the amount of bacteria on your skin at an optimal balance. You optimize your oil secretion by understanding and controlling your response to hormonal, nutritional, environmental and/or psychological changes.

If we upset the balance of bacteria in our bodies by taking antibiotics, our resident flora is upset and this enables harmful bacteria (such as Staphylococcus aureus and Acinetobacter baumannii) to colonize our skin. What's more, antibiotics can destroy the balance of intestinal flora and cause constipation.

In short, using antibiotics on bacteria is a battle amongst intelligent parties involving the bacteria, the body, and the human mind. If we fail to appreciate the bacteria as bodily maintenance workers and continue dousing them with antibiotics, the bacteria just become more resistant to our antibiotics. The bacteria are practiced at playing dead as a tactic for survival. Even people who have used the strongest acne drug on the market, Accutane, have witnessed the cunning behavior of bacteria as zits reappear some months after using this course of acne treatment. These people have discovered that bacteria do not die; they silently and strategically multiply. If you do not want your bacteria out of balance, do not provide them an environment conducive to acne.