Posted on November 30th, 2011 at 4:11 PM by admin

Stress and anxiety are among the two most common sources of work-weariness and complaint among urbanites, corporate executives, and other people who go each day to fight in the concrete jungles. Endless streams of tasks and unbeatable deadlines seem to push people near to the brink of resignation, if not from the job itself, but from the ability to meet the various expectations heaped upon them in the office. Aside from having the beat the early morning traffic and going off to work sans breakfast, the sheer competition in climbing up the corporate ladder have gotten into the minds of not a few men in ties and women in heels. No wonder, the 21st Century rat rate itself has spawned a new and thriving industries — the spa and the anti-anxiety medication businesses.

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November 30

Discover Model Trains
Posted on November 30th, 2011 at 10:20 AM by admin

Model train manufacturers have done a great job of recreating life size trains as realistic models. And theyve been doing it since the late 19th century when electric model trains first appeared. Take a moment to discover the magic of model trains.

Germany is where it all began when Marklin introduced their full line of model trains back in 1891. Their first trains were based on earlier toy models and were available in three scales. They were made from tin and were very crude, but they were a great success.

Then, in 1901, Joshua Cowen entered the market with Lionel trains. Lionel would soon come to dominate the model train market in America.

Of course there were other companies that came on board with their own lines of model trains. Ives, American Flyer, and Marx all introduced model trains.

Because model trains are so interactive they are a great choice for children and adults. Even the youngest children can enjoy them. Its not uncommon for adults to recall their first train when talking about their fondest childhood memories.

Lionel was quick to recognize the importance of starting train collectors at a young age and thats why theyve got wooden train sets for ages 4 to 6. By the age of 8, kids are ready to be introduced to S scale, G scale, and the ever popular HO scale electric trains. And the hobby continues into adult life. Of course expanding on your model trains is just a matter of time, money, creativity, and space.

There are several different scales of model trains to choose from to fit your space, budget, and personal preferences. For example, if you are limited by space you can choose one of the smaller scales. Here are some of the most popular scale choices you have.

1. Z Scale is a 1:220 ratio. It is tiny and highly detailed, and is an excellent choice if you have limited space.

2. N Scale is a 1:160 ratio. It is the second smallest scale available and its a great choice for the hobbyist that want to be able to incorporate scenery and longer trains.

3. HO Scale is a 1:87 ratio. It is probably the most popular scale of model train. There is an endless supply of trains, cars, tracks, buildings, and scenery. The detail on HO is good and a fabulous setup can be put together in a reasonable amount of space.

4. S Scale is a 1:64 ratio. It is larger than the HO and is popular among those with plenty of room. It is the scale of American Flyer products.

5. O Scale is a 1:48 ratio. It is a popular choice for young children because they are able to easily handle them. Lionel carries a full line of O scale for the young ones.

6. G Scale is a 1:22.5 ratio. It is the perfect choice for the garden set up. Bachmann, L.G.B, and Aristo-Craft all make G scale trains.

To put together your model train you will need at least one engine along with some train cars. You can decide whether you want passenger cars or freight cars. And of course you will need train track. The type of track and how much track youll need is a personal choice.

Youll also need a transformer to provide the electricity to your train. Then all thats left is the scenery you want. Choose trees, tunnels, people, signals, or a host of other items.

If you are looking for a fun and rewarding hobby, why not discover the magic of model trains?

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Posted on November 30th, 2011 at 8:20 AM by admin

Along with face-lift, breast enlargement and a number of other plastic surgery procedures, rhinoplasty is considered as one of the most commonly performed plastic surgery in America. This procedure works by reshaping the contour of the nose for the following reasons: for enhancing the size, change of tip or bridge, change of angle in relation with your upper lip and the nose and to narrow the size of the nostrils. It may also be that it corrects some breathing problems and other birth-related conditions.

Rhinoplasty wont help increase the ideality of your face nor will it change other peoples perception on you. Like with most plastic surgery procedures, the patient often expects that after the surgery, their psychological views about themselves will change along with the change in their physical appearances. Rhinoplasty is not a means to make other people look at you in a way different from how they currently see you or to match your ideal look.

People who are considered as best candidates for rhinoplasty are those who are after the improvements it may result to and not for perfection. You have to be physically, emotionally and psychologically healthy before you may be considered as candidate or else all your expectations will become failures. It is mostly performed for aesthetic purposes. The person has the only command over the attitude he or she may take after the procedure.

Age can also be part of the considerations before you may be passed as a candidate for the operation. Majority surgeons do not allow surgery for teenagers. Not until they are past the stage of development, 15 for girls and a bit later for boys. It must be noted too that the teenagers intention is healthy.

As it may be observed, all surgeries entail risks and possible failures. However, these chances can be decreased if a certified and experienced surgeon will perform the surgery. Nonetheless, there would still be some complications that can never be prevented such as reaction to anesthesia (both local and general), nose bleeding and infections. It is best to follow your surgeons guidelines to minimize such negative effects.

There can be permanent and temporary side effects after rhinoplasty. Usually after the surgery, small spots of red blood cells may be seen on your nose. These typically become permanent, it is best to ask your physician concerning it. Scarring on the other hand is very minimal. Rhinoplasty is normally performed inside the nose so the scars wont be visible. Nevertheless, when the surgery is open, especially with the case of shortening the expanse of your nostrils, the scars may still not be visible.

There is also a possibility of repeated surgery. But this is a minor issue since only around 10% of all patients will have to endure secondary surgery for correcting deformities. This can never be avoidable and may also happen among the most skilled surgeons.

Communication, specifically a good one, must be made between you and your surgeon. You have to discuss your goals and see if they will work for you. On his part, in return, he has to answer all your queries and assure to it that you know all the risks that are covered by the procedure. He must also stress out the factors that will seriously affect your rhinoplasty procedure. These factors, when not properly addressed may have adverse effects on the outcome of your surgery. It is best if these will be disclosed to you.

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Posted on November 30th, 2011 at 6:22 AM by admin

I love to shop as much as most of the women I know. I enjoy nothing more than an afternoon or a weekend with nothing on the agenda other than to shop. However, as all busy people know, life rarely provides such a time. More often than not my shopping happens in small segments of time in between other errands and responsibilities. In the past few years, shopping at a department store has become my best friend for this very reason.

I love going to a department store especially when I am in a hurry because I can pick up almost anything I need in one stop. Whether I am looking for clothing, shoes, jewlery, makeup, or something for my home, the department store usually has just what I need. It is much easier for me to shop in one place that I know provides a variety of great products. There is nothing better than entering a department store and then leaving it an hour later with my entire list accomplished.

I also enjoy shopping at department stores because usually they are very reasonable in price. I do not have the money to spend on unique stores and specialized boutiques all of the time, so a department store is often a great alternative. I can usually find great name brand items at a fraction of the regular cost. Keep track of sale flyers that come in the newspaper or sign up to receive weekly store coupons through your email account. There are ways to make shopping more reasonable, especially at department stores.

Another great thing about a department store is that I can usually find items for everyone in my family, regardless of their ages or preferences. It is an amazing thing to be able to enter one store and come out with something for my grandmother, my father, my husband and my three year old daughter. I love it. I just move from department to department until I have accomplished everything I need. I cannot begin to think of all the time I save by just going to a department store or two rather than to a speciality shop for all the ages of people I need to shop for.

One of my favorite times of the year to utilize a department store is the holidays. Shopping during the holidays is magical no matter what, but there is no place quite as magical as a well-decorated department store. Department stores are often filled with great deals and specials based on the amount of money you spend there.

I encourage everyone to explore the possibilities that shopping at a department store offers. See if you don’t just fall in love with how easy, reasonable and fun it is.

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November 30

Get away from it all
Posted on November 30th, 2011 at 2:21 AM by admin

Haven’t you ever had time you wanted to get away from it all? In March/April 1978, www.motherearthnews.com published a story about a couple who bought McLeod’s Island a 90-acre island off the coast of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada.

They have a few animals, spend very little on groceries, and are pretty well sustained by the island itself. Although it does present them with some challenges:

“The sea, you know, is not called “restless” for nothing. A glass-smooth bay (as we’ve learned so well!) can churn-sometimes seemingly in seconds-into a windswept chaos of currents and combers. We’ve also seen that same bay (the one in which our island is located) thaw and then completely refreeze in just hours on a single December day.

Winters up here can be especially variable. Continual spring-like thaws throughout 1976′s cold season, for instance, kept our bay filled with slushy ice that was too thick to push a boat through … but too dangerous for even a fox to walk on. We were marooned for three full months, from the first of January until the end of March. Last winter’s record cold snap, on the other hand, filled the bay so solidly with pack ice that we could hike back and forth to the mainland for our mail and toboggan loads of supplies any time we wanted.”

For some of us, we find the Internet gives us the freedom to be able to work and live almost any place we want to. These people didn’t have that luxury. I use the past tense as I can’t find any current information about them. Who knows?? Maybe the tide swept the out to sea.

Life is full of sacrifices. Some are just more dear than others. Still, I don’t think buying an island is in my future.

You can read the whole article here.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/library/1978_March_April/We_Homesteaded_an_Island

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Posted on November 29th, 2011 at 10:25 PM by admin

Indian cricket is headed for a disastrous World Cup and only those who wish to bury their head in the sand can think that they will do well there. The pitches in West Indies are fast and the players (who anyway have a tough time on such pitches) will succumb easily. They will advance (I truly hope so) to the next round by beating the weak teams but they will lose once again to the strong ones and they will find ourselves out and forgotten very soon. So instead of feeling sad, the only thing left for the fans to do is to joke about them. So here goes!

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Posted on November 29th, 2011 at 8:07 PM by admin

Do you want to know the biggest reason most people use ticket brokers in order to buy performance tickets, event tickets and sporting tickets? Its not the price (although many brokers are more than reasonable) and its not the ease (although phone and internet shopping is a heck of a lot easier then buying your tickets from the stadium). In fact, its a lot more trivial then thatits the time. People like time because time is the one thing you can never get back. It is possible to save time through using a ticket brokerheres how:

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Posted on November 29th, 2011 at 6:16 PM by admin

Michael Owens twisted knee and subsequent World Cup exit, coming only weeks after recuperating from a previous injury was not only a personal set-back, but also ultimately a fatal blow to Englands World Cup hopes.

Sven-Goran Erikssons nonsensical squad selections for the World Cup left England not only light in the striker department, but also seriously comprised our chances of a successful tournament.

With only four strikers to choose from Eriksson always knew he was playing a dangerous game. This was compounded by the fact Rooney and Owen were returning from injury and Theo Walcott had never played a first team game for Arsenal.

But Owens injury will have hurt Eriksson. He took an unnecessary risk, overloading his squad with midfielders, assuming the goals would be shared amongst the team.

Michael Owen became an overnight sensation one humid evening in St Etienne during the France World Cup of 1998.

As a young eighteen-year-old, Owen scored a sensational solo goal against Argentina in the second round only for England to lose once again on penalties.

But he returned to Liverpool Football Club a national hero and England had found a striker whose presence on the field could spark fear into the heart of the opposition.

The arrival of Raphael Benitez as new Liverpool FC manager triggered a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid and a linkup with England colleague David Beckham.

Despite a relatively successful season he was sold to Newcastle United where his appearances have been blighted by injury.

England fans everywhere will be wishing Owen a speedy and successful recovery. England arent blessed with many quality forwards at the moment and Owens restoration is vital for their assault on the European Championships in 2008.

Only time will tell if Michael Owen can return to top form and fulfil the potential he showed as a young lad. England fans everywhere will be keeping their fingers crossed.

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Posted on November 29th, 2011 at 12:09 PM by admin

Buying a house is one of the most precious lifetime goals and requires a large sum of money. That is why real estate has always been a serious business especially now that the values of real estate properties rarely depreciate. In turn, most real estate buyers are now more prepared mentally and financially.

For this reason, most realtors know that they have to do their best to attract more clients and to keep up with the growing competition in the market.

In one aspect, realtors value their leads the most. They know that real estate leads are the primary source to their success. They know that without leads, there would be no deals. And without deals, there will be no sales. That is why they try to find ways on how to generate more leads and boost their sales.

Consequently, with the advent of information technology, the Internet has always been the primary source of effective marketing tools and strategies. This is because the Internet has a wider reach that can generate millions of people in just one sitting.

Hence, experts contend that realtors must conform to the growing trend of marketing today, wherein most salespeople generate their leads using the Internet.

And how is that? They build their own web sites.

Alternatively, in a recent study, the demographic profile of the Internet users showed that 50% of it have college degrees, the typical earnings of Internet users is $52,500 and almost 42% earn beyond that, and the total frequency percentage rate of Internet users on a daily basis is almost 88%.

This goes to show that more and more people are using and accessing the Internet. And with the average income of most Internet users, the National Association of Realtors contends that 96% of the Americans who would buy houses will access the Internet to find their dream houses.

These facts, in turn, require a realtor to create his or her own web site to gain the profit they wish to obtain. Most realtors just do not understand the potential of the Internet in generating the sales that they need. They do not realize that the generation of leads through the Internet can significantly increase your sales.

However, creating your own web site is a lot of work. There are a lot of various expertise and flairs that need to be mastered especially if you do not have a basic knowledge on web designing and developing. It entails the use of graphic designs, programs, search engine optimization tools, different software, etc.

On its total concept, it is really hard to incorporate all of these things on an instant. Actually, it is not a requirement that you have to create superfluous designs and features on your web site, but keep in mind that the Internet market has more fierce competition when compared to the outside world.

Hence, it is relatively important that you pay attention to your web site and come up with something that will generate leads for your business. The trend of the market today is based on the fact that the more proficiency and skill you can incorporate on your web site, in any aspect, the tougher your competitive spot in the market.

Therefore, the important aspect that you should focus more when creating a web site is on how you can generate your leads, work on it and turn it into prospects, and convert prospects into deals. That is basically how you can generate your income.
Here is a list of some of the benefits you can derive from creating your own web site:

1. You get to connect with other web sites that have greater flow of traffic where they generate almost 60,000 of visitors a day.

2. You get to create your own listings, which can significantly add usefulness to your website.

3. You can use email marketing to get hold of individuals in the target market, who are more than willing to gain updated information on real estate listings.

4. You can participate on virtual tours such as Yahoo virtual tours and on other web sites and provide links that can generate traffic to your web site and generate your leads.

5. You get to advertise your properties without the expenses that the typical advertising can give.

Indeed, creating ones own web site should be the primary marketing tool of every realtor. Realtors should grasp the growing potential of the Internet in increasing their sales. The drift of the market today is based on the fact that the money is in the Web.

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Posted on November 29th, 2011 at 8:06 AM by admin

Everyone these days wants to find easy, low-carb recipes to build a healthy diet that is low in carbohydrates. With the recent low-carb craze, dieters can find information all over the place. Here are some guidelines to help you get what you want out of the low-carb phenomenon.

Whether you are searching the Internet, paging through a cookbook or digging through a friends pile of recipes, you need to keep in mind what it is that you want out of this diet. You should desire low-carb recipes that appeal to you, that will help you lose weight healthily, that you want to eat and that you can prepare without too big a headache.

Just because foods are low-carb and diet-friendly doesnt mean they have to be bad or boring. You can find easy, low-carb recipes without sacrificing foods you enjoy. You can easily find recipes focusing on meat, poultry or seafood. You can find dozens of great ideas for breads, pastas, sauces and dips, as well as low-carb desserts and snacks. You can even have low-carb beer and other alcoholic beverages.

When preparing meals containing meats, be sure to choose carefully. As you make an effort to avoid carbohydrates, you will naturally move toward foods higher in protein. Many of these high-protein foods are our favorite meats, but many of these meats are also contain large amounts of fat. To get the best out of your diet, choose easy, low-carb recipes that call for lean meat, poultry or seafood. Even lean cuts of pork are better for you than meats like bacon and beef.

Breads are another area of interest in a low-carb diet. People are often surprised to learn that cutting breads out of their diet entirely is unnecessary. With an assault on carbohydrates in their diets, many people see breads as off limits. Books have even been written discussing how to live without bread.

Breads themselves are not bad, but some can certainly not low in carbohydrates. Many easy, low-carb recipes are available that allow you to enjoy sandwiches, burgers, toast or muffins. These recipes use a slightly different list of ingredients, but they yield healthy, tasty breads. Also, breads contain fiber, which is important to include in your diet.

Many recipes targeting a low-carb audience will specify nutritional information for the food, especially carbohydrate, protein and fiber content. This information is provided for a reason: as you probably know, foods low in carbohydrates and high in protein are central to the Atkins and other low-carb diets. Fiber is also a big part of the equation; simply put, you can have more carbs in your diet if they are in the form of fiber. Also, foods high in fiber are generally full of good carbs, the type of carbohydrates you dont need to eliminate from your diet.

This brings up another good point: you dont need to completely eliminate carbohydrates from your diet. Keeping some carbs in your diet is healthy and does not negatively affect your diet. Most low-carb recipes have at least some carbs. Instead of cutting out all carbohydrates, you should focus on minimizing or eliminating empty carbs, carbohydrates that come from foods with little or no nutritional value. Soft drinks and candy bard have empty carbs; fruits and vegetables, for example, have good carbs.

An important part of a low-carb diet is variety. Youre trying to limit carbohydrates, but that doesnt mean you should eat eggs every day and avoid bread like the plague. Abide the guidelines for a healthy, low-carb diet: limit but dont eliminate carbs, get plenty of fiber, make sure your protein-rich meats are not too full of fat.

Again, to easily sustain a healthy, low-carb lifestyle you should eat foods you enjoy. Low-carb foods should not be a burden. The list of diet-friendly choices has enough variety to make even the pickiest eaters happy. You have plenty of delicious, easy, low-carb recipes to choose from.

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Posted on November 29th, 2011 at 6:00 AM by admin

When you are desperate to raise emergency funds, it usually doesnt take very long for you to realize who really cares about you, who is truly a friend … be they family or not.

Here are a few emergency budgeting tips:

Budgeting Tip #1: The first thing you want to do is prioritize to get back on track very quickly. If that means letting your credit card bill go for a bit, so be it. As soon as you realize that you have a money emergency, contact your credit card issuers and request reduced interest rates and payments. Not only one, both!

Budgeting Tip #2: For your car payment, call the creditor and request a payment extension. Perhaps you hate payment extensions, because they require a fee and you still have to make the payment at the end of the contract. In this case, a payment extension can allow a little breathing room to help you recover during your money emergency. Expect that you will likely have to pay a fee (usually about – 1/3 the car payment amount) for the extension. Freeing up the money you need today is your first and only goal at this point.

Budgeting Tip #3: Check to see if your mortgage holder will allow an extension for a nominal fee. Do this today!

Budgeting Tip #4: Another quick fix, is to host an on the spot yard sale. You dont have too much time for planning, so do a quick survey of your personal belongings. Come up with clothes that no longer fit, but that are in good condition, knick-knacks, dishes, and books as well as stuff you bought but no longer use. Throw it all together, quickly. Put some notices up the same day at laundry mats and grocery stores around town, and remember to place a sign at the end of your driveway. You can make a quick $300 this way with very little time and effort.

Budgeting Tip #5: If you have a larger item to sell, call into the local radio stations to see if they have a call in swap show on the weekends. This is a very popular way to quickly convert gently used and more expensive items to fast cash.

Budgeting Tip #6: Another quick option is with utility and telephone bills. If you arent already on a budget plan, ask that the current bill (plus any previous balance you owe) be set up for a budget plan. Expect to pay a down payment (usually of the bill) and that all future bills (while on the back payment budget plan) must be kept current. The nice thing about it … its usually interest free, and can give you some much-needed breathing space for a month. You must be sure though that you maintain the regular utility payments AND the budget payments in the coming month.

Budgeting Tip #7: Check with your family church regarding emergency help. Local churches can be one of the best places to find out whats available in the community to help those in need, or in times of emergency. Check with your local church, first.

Getting Fast Cash through Borrowing

If you are absolutely, positively, in a bind, a real cash emergency, and you have exhausted all of the above, then consider borrowing. First, ask your family, then your local bank.

As a last resort, you may want to consider whats known as a Payday Loan. These types of borrowing stores can be useful when all else fails.

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Posted on November 29th, 2011 at 2:24 AM by admin

Recent statistics reveal that one out of ten women between the ages of 40 and 65 wears reading glasses. If you already wear glasses or contact lenses, then bifocals might be in your future. If you are like most women, this is not an event to look forward to.

In what is considered the normal aging process, the lens of your eye begins to stiffen as the years.go by. As the lens becomes less flexible, it becomes more difficult to focus on something close. This is a form of farsightedness called presbyopia. This condition is generally corrected with reading glasses or bifocal lenses.

There are also several age related eye diseases that can occur over 40. Most serious eye diseases are painless, and show no symptoms for years. Only a qualified professional can detect and diagnose them before they cause permanent damage.

Glaucoma is one of the most common eye diseases. Glaucoma causes almost 12% of all blindness in the US. Increased fluid builds up within the eyeball, causing pressure. This pressure, over time causes irreversible damage and blindness.

Cataracts are caused by a build up of protein on the lens of the eye. Over time, the lens turns milky white, and clouds vision. The lenses then need to be surgically replaced to restore vision.

Macular Degeneration results in the loss of sharp vision. The macula is the part of your eye that is responsible for sharp focus, and bringing things clearly into view. The cause of this condition is still unknown, and it generally affects people over 60.

Like all other parts of your body, your eyes respond favorably to great nutrition and exercise. Optimum nutrition for your eyes includes proper amounts of Vitamin A, C, and E, as well as the minerals selenium and zinc. These nutrients are found in fresh fruits and vegetables, especially in yellow and yellow-orange foods like yams, cantaloupes, and carrots.

A growing number of vision therapists believe that a series of eye exercises done daily can help keep your eyes younger. Common sense tells us that exercise is important for all the muscles in the body, and the eye muscles are no different.

There are several hundred various exercises for your eyes, and no single exercise can offer the solution to every vision problem.

One you can try if you work at a computer all day is to tack a piece of newsprint to the wall, about 8 feet away from your computer terminal. Interrupt your work every 15 to 20 minutes, and focus on the newspaper, then back to your computer screen. Do this several times daily. This exercise can help prevent the blurry vision that some people experience at the end of their workday.

Deteriorating vision does not have to go along with the aging process. If owning a pair of reading glasses, or bifocals is the last thing you want to do, then its time to focus on prevention.

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Posted on November 28th, 2011 at 10:07 PM by admin

Most people understand that there are multiple types of epileptic seizures. The best known variety–and certainly the most spectacular–is often termed “grand mal,” which is French for “major illness.” In these attacks the patients lose consciousness, fall to the ground and experience convulsive jerking of their bodies that lasts for 1-2 minutes before subsiding. These attacks are more properly termed tonic-clonic seizures.

A less dramatic form of epilepsy also involves loss of consciousness, but without a fall to the ground or convulsive movements. These attacks are aptly called “staring spells” because the patients stop what they’re doing, lose eye-contact with other people, and appear to stare into space. If spoken to during attacks, the patients do not respond.

What is often under-appreciated is that more than one kind of epileptic attack can take the form of a staring spell. And the differences between them can be crucial in understanding the underlying causes as well as the best treatments.

Staring-spell seizures are often lumped together in public awareness under the heading of “petit mal” epilepsy. Petit mal is French for “minor illness,” reflecting their more subtle appearance. However, using current terminology, there are two main kinds of staring-spell attacks–absence seizures and partial-complex seizures. Absence attacks correspond to the original “petit mal” designation, while partial-complex seizures were once called “psychomotor seizures” and “temporal lobe epilepsy.” The “temporal lobe” label reflects the fact that most seizures of this kind emanate from one of the two temporal lobes, the portions of the brain nearest the tops of the ears.

Although both absence and partial-complex seizures involve staring and unresponsiveness, that’s where the similarities end. The attacks differ in the following ways:

  • usual ages of onset
  • duration
  • symptoms recalled by the patients
  • movements or behaviors during the attacks
  • after-effects
  • electroencephalogram (EEG) patterns
  • underlying causes
  • most effective treatments

Absence seizures begin in childhood, and often in the pre-school years. They usually disappear by the time the individuals who have them reach their twenties. Partial complex seizures can begin in either childhood or adulthood, including late in life. So if a middle-aged person has staring-spell seizures, they are almost always of the partial-complex type.

The duration of the attacks also separates the two kinds of seizures. Absence seizures are shorter. Most of them end within 10 seconds. and they almost never continue for 30 seconds. In contrast, partial-complex seizures are longer than 30 seconds, and typically last 2-3 minutes.

Most children with absence seizures are unaware of having them, though might notice a loss of time. The relative lack of symptoms in absence seizures, along with their brevity, can cause them to be overlooked. Teachers, noticing episodic loss of eye-contact, are often the first to detect them. But children and adults experiencing partial-complex seizures often recognize them due to specific, recurrent–and often complex–symptoms. One person with partial-complex seizures might notice a sudden, particular odor that no one else can smell. Another patient might experience a sudden sense of familiarity with their surroundings, a perception that they had been there before (also known as “dj vu,” a French term meaning “already seen”).

Another point of distinction is that the patient’s movements or behaviors during attacks are different. In absence attacks there might be a brief flutter of the eyelids or a minimal shiver, and that’s all. In fact, absence seizures are more notable for inactivity than for extra movements. But in partial complex seizures, the behaviors can be elaborate–and complex. There can be facial movements like chewing or puckering of the lips. The patient might repeatedly pick at a button or a pant-leg, or recurrently peer beneath a table. For any one patient with partial-complex seizures the behaviors are the same with each attack.

Yet another difference concerns after-effects. After absence seizures, children resume their preceding conversations or activities as if nothing had happened. There are no after-effects. But following partial-complex seizures, patients can be confused for a few minutes and then often head for bed, complaining of tiredness.

If brain-waves are monitored during attacks, then the two kinds of epilepsy show completely different patterns of abnormality. Absence attacks show characteristic electrical discharges simultaneously generated by both sides of the brain, cycling at a rate of three per second. These can even be induced during an EEG recording by having the child hyperventilate. But in partial-complex seizures, one side of the brain is abuzz with rapid, electrical discharges, while the opposite side is barely affected. Also, hyperventilation is not an effective trigger.

Absence seizures, which occur on both sides of the brain at once, are usually inherited and the underlying problem is invisible to MRI scans. But in patients with partial-complex seizures MRI scans sometimes reveal defects in brain anatomy. Because just one spot in the brain–usually within a temporal lobe–is generating the seizure activity, MRI scans can show defects in the brain near the hot-spot. Some defects, like strokes or tumors, might require treatments of their own. Others, like holes, scars or even just under-developed tissue, have no specific treatments.

Finally, the medications that best control the two kinds of seizures can differ. For example, ethosuximide, also known by its brand name Zarontin, is effective in preventing absence seizures, but has no effect whatsoever on partial-complex seizures. Two other medications–phenytoin (Dilantin) and carbamazepine (Tegretol)–are useful in controlling partial-complex seizures, but can actually worsen absence seizures. So it’s important to get it right.

(C) 2005 by Gary Cordingley

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Posted on November 28th, 2011 at 6:00 AM by admin

Overcoming public speaking phobia: Useful techniques on how to overcome and conquer the fear of public speaking.

Do you realize that people tend to rate the fear public speaking more than death? Ironically, that means more people will prefer to be in the coffin than giving the eulogy during a funeral.

Why Do People Fear Public Speaking

Glossophobia or speech anxiety is the fear of speaking in public and many people are known to experience it at least once in their lifetime.

According to various global surveys and statistics, the fear of public speaking ranks top among the world top ten fears, surpassing fear of spiders, fear of flying, fear of heights and often the fear of death itself.

Public speaking fear typical starts out as an increase in the speaker’s heart rate and dryness in the mouth. In extreme cases, panic, nausea, headaches and even anxiety attacks, would be experienced by the speaker before the speech starts.

Once the speech starts, the heart will start beating even more rapidly and the speaker will start hearing the tremble in their own voice. The speaker will start stuttering or start speaking rapidly. In extreme cases, the legs and even the body will visibly start to shake.

On the mental side, negative thoughts of looking foolish may start to cloud the speaker’s mind and their mind may go blank due to their overwhelming fear.

Even after a speech is over, prevalent thoughts of being embarrassed and looking stupid will occupy the mind of the speaker.

It is no wonder that most people would do anything to avoid such an experience.

How can one overcome such a powerful fear?

5 Simple Techniques for Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking Phobia

There are many techniques for overcoming the fear of public speaking and here are some helpful ways to help you conquer public speech phobia and anxiety.

1) Rationalizing your Fear

People typically are afraid of public speaking because of the fear of looking and sounding foolish in public. This fear is an innate emotional response to a threat and is a basic and natural human response.

The only way to combat the fear is to train the mind to acknowledge that fear is normal and that everyone faces this fear in varies degrees.

The common misconception about excellent public speakers is that they are born with a natural flair for public speaking and are not afraid of speaking in public, which is totally incorrect.

Excellent public speakers are people who have mentally trained themselves to accept this fear and use it to propel themselves to extraordinary heights.

2) Come Prepared

The best way to gain confidence in conquering stage fright is to come well prepared for a speech. Knowing your topic well is the key to gaining confidence.

Good communications begins with an understanding of the audience. For example, if your audience is mostly primary school children, it is advisable to keep your sentence short and your language simple.

3) Practice Makes Perfect

Before speaking in front of a large audience, start by practicing in front of a mirror. Once the initially “silliness” is overcome, try practicing in front of your best friend or a small group of close friends and family.

Having a friendly crowd who are supportive of the speaker will definitely help in boosting self confidence.

4) Breathe In, Breathe Out

Remembering to keep calm is important when giving a speech. Give yourself three breaths to relax your body and mentally count to 10 before starting the speech.

Take note to speak in slow measured breathes when speaking. This will calm your nerves by bringing in more oxygen to your brain and also works in getting the audience to follow your train of thought.

5) Find a Reason to Just Do It… Again and Again

Excellent public speakers do not become excellent by giving one speech. They understand that confidence comes by giving many speeches.

Volunteer to give presentation at your company or get involved with a local toastmasters club that will give opportunities to practice public speaking. Seek out an instructor to give you advice and to push you to improve yourself when speaking.

Only by constantly giving speeches will you overcome the fear of public speaking and with time and practice, it only gets easier.

“You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can’t get them across, your ideas won’t get you anywhere.”

– Lee Iacocca

Do you know many great speakers use self hypnosis to overcome their nervousness and anxiety when speaking in public?

You too, can conquer this overwhelming phobia of speaking in public quickly and easily with public speaking hypnosis and become a more confident and effective public speaker TODAY!

The world needs great communicators. Be fearless!

Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lee_Tuan_James

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Posted on November 28th, 2011 at 12:17 AM by admin

Im such a jerk. How could I have said that?
Im a looser. Ill never get anywhere.
Im so stupid. I should have learned this by now.
I dont fit in. I dont belong with these people.
Ill never be good enough. Ill never do it right enough.
Im permanently emotionally damaged. Ill never be okay.
No one could love me. Im not lovable.

and so on and so on.

Are you aware of your self-judgments? Are you aware of how often you judge yourself as bad, wrong, or inadequate? Are you aware of how you end up feeling as a result of your self-judgments?

In my counseling work with people, I find that self-judgment is one of the major causes of fear, anger, anxiety and depression. Yet most people dont realize that these painful feelings are the result of their own thoughts, their own self-judgments. Most of the time, when I ask an anxious client why they are feeling anxious, they tell me that its because of something that happened to them. They usually believe that an event or a person caused their anxiety. Yet when I ask them what they are thinking that might be causing their anxiety, they will tell me a self-judgment such as, Ill never get this right, or they are projecting their own judgment onto me and telling themselves, Margaret doesnt like me, or Margaret is getting impatient with me. When they judge themselves or make up that Im judging them, they get anxious. There is nothing actually happening that is causing their anxiety, other than their own thoughts.

Pointing out to them that they are causing their anxiety with their self-judgment doesnt not necessarily stop the judgment. This is because self-judgment is often an addiction. An addiction is a habitual behavior that is intended to protect against pain. What is the pain that self-judgment is intended to protect against?

Generally, the hope of self-judgment is to protect against rejection and failure. The false beliefs are that, If I judge myself, then others wont judge me and reject me. I can be safe from others judgment by judging myself first, or If I judge myself, I can motivate myself to do things right and succeed. Then I will feel safe and be loved and accepted by others.

However, just as a child does far better in school with encouragement than with criticism, so do we as adults. Criticism tends to scare and immobilize us. Instead of motivating us, it often creates so much anxiety that we get frozen and become unable to take appropriate action for ourselves. More self-judgment follows the lack of action, which results in more anxiety and immobilization, until we create a situation where we are completely stuck and miserable.

The way out of this is to become aware of the feelings of fear, anxiety, anger or depression and then ask yourself, What did I just tell myself that is creating this feeling? Once you become aware of the self-judgment, you can then ask yourself, Am I certain that what I am telling myself is true? If you are not 100% certain that what you are telling yourself is true, you can ask your higher, wise self or a spiritual source of wisdom, What is the truth? If you are really open to learning about the truth, the truth will pop into your mind, and it will be much different than what you have been telling yourself.

For example, Im such a jerk. How could I have said that? becomes We all mess up at times. Its okay to make mistakes – its part of being human. Making a mistake does not mean that you are a jerk. When we open to the truth, we will discover a kind and compassionate way of speaking to ourselves, a way that makes us feel loved and safe rather than anxious, angry or depressed.

Addictions are always challenging to resolve, and an addiction to self-judgment is no exception. So be easy on yourself, and dont judge yourself for judging yourself! It will take time and dedication to become aware of your self-judgments and learn to be kind toward yourself, but the end result is so worth the effort!

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Posted on November 27th, 2011 at 8:00 PM by admin

Copyright 2006 Mary Desaulniers

We are bombarded on all fronts with new anti-wrinkle treatments and new sophisticated skin regimen that are supposed to take years off the facemicrodermabrasion, botox injections, face lifts and laser resurfacing. More than ever, we are harnessing the powers of technology to create a Brave New World of ageless boomers. And while I have no objections to wanting to look young (who doesnt), I do think that being young is more a state of mind than a state of looks. Looks can be artificially manipulated; a state of mind can only be cultivated.

Even the word cultivation tells us that the process of staying young takes time. And time is something our society seems intent on making dispensable. Yet the best things in life take time. Think of your children through the lenses of the family album; it is the changes tabulated in those pictures that make them so rich in character and experience now. Time deepens the experience; time ages the moment by filling it with layers made accessible through memories. Without time, we are like antsfilled only with a pale and surface instant. Living the moment is a call for cultivating the layers of time within the moment.

And so with the face; the layers of time that wrinkle a face are tributes to its resilience. It has weathered the helter-skelter twenties and it has survived the frantic pace of the thirties (when most of us had full time jobs and children). The marks of having lived a life rich in love, struggles, failures and successes are written all over our faces and it is these we need to embrace because they are not signs that we need anti-wrinkle treatments, but signs that we have struggled, we have loved and we have lived. They are the marks of a life that is extraordinary in its ordinariness.

These marks on our faces are not the things we need to fear; they are not the signs of age. The signs of age that we need fear are those that speak of a life unliveda terrified urgency to keep everything as is, a fear of learning new ways of thinking, new ways of doing things, a fear of going beyond right and wrong, or more specifically, a fear of understanding the world and its events from the heart without the prescriptive lens of right and wrong, a fear of change, of investing heart,mind and soul into someone or something lest it goes wrong, a fear of making mistakes, of having to start all over again because those mistakes showed you a new and different path, a fear of pitting yourself against the wisdom of the ages because you have a need, a passion to find out for yourself what is right for you.

I have seen age in twenty-something eyes and endless youthfulness in people over 70.

So what are my anti-wrinkle treatments?

1.Find something you love and pursue it to the end. Ignore all nay-sayers; just follow your heart.

2. Begin each morning and end each day with exercising your mind; a half hour or twenty minutes of meditation on all that is right in your world and what you have to be thankful for.

3. Cultivate the long-term vision; see the layers of possibilities within each moment in time; with such long-term vision you will never be unsettled by an individual event because you are open to what it will bring in its wake.

4. Eat healthy foods and exercise; a strong body will empower your sense of self so that you can sustain the courage to do what is right for you.

5. Honor yourself and honor the world and all that lives, breathes, moves in it (including rocks, trees and skies).

6. Honor your desire which is a calling for change. Most people dread change and end up on the sidelines wishing wistfully for something better. They have not learned to honor their desire. Desire as Dr. Lee Pulos states in The Biology of Empowerment, is the purest of potential seeking manifestation or change. Be open to change.

Last but not least, know in your heart that you will have no regrets because being young is knowing that you can start all over again.

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Posted on November 27th, 2011 at 4:14 PM by admin

The skin is perhaps is the most pampered part of the human body, a least, for most women. From soaps to lotions to whole body scrubs — women spend thousands of dollars each year just to achieve that smooth, clear, flawless look. They want smoother skin and finer pores. Even if they have to spend a fortune, these women repeatedly go to their favorite salons to get rid of their dark spots, acne scars, and fine lines. Some try all the latest skin treatments hoping that the next one would really make them look whiter and rosier.

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Posted on November 26th, 2011 at 2:14 PM by admin

Planning can be a tedious activity especially if you are planning for retirement. Many people realize how advantageous financial planning for retirement can be while others find it mysterious.

In fact, most experts say that for people who are only making enough money to make due payments in each month, then it means that they should start contemplating on how they can still make money even if they are already retired.

Surveys show that almost 75% of the American population is earning enough money to pay their monthly bills. This means that they do not have any extra money to put in a bank or in any financial institution that could provide them enough profit after their retirement.

What’s more Social Security is not enough guaranteed income for retired people to live on. Actually, it is still a big question if ones Social Security will still exist when the retirement day comes.

Hence, it is extremely important to generate some methods that will provide an individual a reasonable amount of money in the future. This should be done regardless of how much an individual earns, the important thing is to start saving today.

1. Visualize and calculate

It is important for a person to visualize his or her own situation after retirement. Then, you can calculate how much money is needed to live on after retirement. Furthermore, people need earnings that compensate 75% of the present amount that he or she is expected to take home.

2. It is important to seek the help of a financial planner or any person competent in financial planning.

By asking for advice from the experts, you will be able to gain more knowledge know how to proceed for you situation. These people are proficient and knowledgeable in all kinds of financial planning and they can provide the most feasible and workable approach for your individual needs.

3. Get rid of loans, debts, and other financial obligations in as little time as possible.

By simply paying off all debts, loans, and other financial obligations in a shorter period of time, you can realize a substantial amount to invest for that retirement. A good financial planner will know exactly how to direct you so you can meet your retirement goals.

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Posted on November 26th, 2011 at 12:00 PM by admin

As you read these words, there are millions of people making a full-time income on the internet, working part-time hours from the comfort of their own home. These people set their own working hours, live wherever they choose to live and have a ton of spare time (and money) to spend with their family and friends, simply doing things they love to do.

Does this sound like something you would like to be doing?

Well, rest assured, youve made the right decision if you would… Because youre about to learn everything you need to know to get started on your internet business and be pointed in the right direction towards online business success.

In this guide, youll not only learn the basics to starting an internet business but youll also learn about the many different online business models you can choose.

You can even analyze over 50 successful online businesses which you can then imitate!

But before we get started, just so youre as excited as I am about doing business online.
Here are some of the main reasons most people decide to start an online business:

It takes very little money to start

Unlike a business in the real world, an online business DOES NOT need a lot of start up money. All you need is an idea, a domain name, internet access and hostingall of which can be obtained for very little indeed.

You choose when you work

Who says you must work from 9 to 5 everyday? People who are NOT Internet Business owners!

The Internet Business is the biggest proof why the statement working from 9 to 5 is no longer true. With an Internet Business, you dont have to wake up in the wee hours of the morning so that you can get to work by 9am anymore. You can start work at anytime since youre your own boss!

Work from the comfort of your own home

Where you put your computer is where youll be working! And since youre going to be working from home, youll be saving at least two hours of your time each day by not having to travel to and from your work place – during rush hours when everybody else is going to work or heading home.

That means youll be saving at least 730 hours a year! Wouldnt you shudder at the thought of wasting 730 hours a year doing nothing productive?

With the internet, the whole world is your market!

By sitting in front of the computer, everyone in the world is now within your reach. You leverage on free or low-cost software and hardware and the Internet Infrastructure, all of which when combined will give you leveraging power that far exceeds any conventional business, allowing you to achieve more and more with less and less work!

You can fully automate your online business

If properly set up, some Internet Business models can be fully automated. I have a number of fully automated income streams at present.

No need to work 8 hours a days every single day

Once youve automated your Internet Business in some way, you can use the time you save to start other income streams, improve your existing business, or however you like.

You just spend the time online checking your e-mail, promoting and expanding your business all in front of your computer. And theres absolutely no need to spend even more than four hours online.

Spend more time with family and friends

Owning an Internet Business allows you to spend more time with your family, or watch your children grow up. This is what most busy parents crave for.

If youre one of them, then youll do well to seriously consider starting an Internet Business.

Your online business can be all about your hobbies and passions

And this is my favorite reason for anybody wanting to start an Internet Business! The Internet Business allows your passion and dream to come to life, which is also the most important component of any businesses.

Online businesses have very little expenses

Believe it or not, some Internet Businesses can be set up and running at zero cost, if not a very low cost. Other Internet Businesses can be run with monthly operational expenses so low that theyre negligible!

You can have more that one!

Since the cost of setting up and running an Internet Business is so low, and you can automate their operations, you can operate multiple Internet Businesses as a one-person Internet Business owner. You dont need to hire employees since your Internet Business system is doing most of the job, if not all, for you. It works 24/7 for you. It wont call in sick. It wont give any excuses. And it definitely wont blame you if it ever had problems!

The internet is a huge market (the whole world) and its getting bigger as you read these words

According to the Computer Industry Almanac, there were 934 million Internet users up to September 2004; and there will be 1.07 billion in this year.

Now, is there any doubt that a 934 million-user pool is a very attractive target given the leverage you have on the Internet?

Given all the wonderful reasons for starting your very own Internet Business, Im sure that by now you have already made up your mind whether starting an Internet Business is for you

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Posted on November 26th, 2011 at 2:32 AM by admin

Would you like to rake in $10,466 per month without having your own products? If you would like to then read on

1. So What Is It?

It is called affiliate marketing. It, as a matter of fact, is one of the easiest and fastest ways to start your online business and rake in thousands of dollars every month.

2. Whats Affiliate Marketing?

Affiliate marketing simply to say is promoting other peoples product and in return youll get certain percentage of the merchants item if and only people who buy the merchants item buy through your link.

So we can say some sort of online multi level marketing.

Why I said that? Because many of these programs have 2-tier which means you can refer another affiliate below you. Whenever he or she makes sales youll get certain percentage of those sales.

3. How do I get started?

Well, first off, you have to identify which niche you want in? For example if you are a maniac golfer, then the chance youre more likely to promote golf equipment rather than fishing equipment.

Then estimate the competition, go to Google and type in your appropriate term for example beginner golf guide and see how much sites on that subject already exist?

For me personally, I dont care much about the competition if you have more crowded competition that means youll need to wait longer to make profits and so vice versa. Its just that simple.

However, be sure to do something you really love, because in the end it will be life and death of your business.

4. Lets Find The Eager-To-Give You Money Merchant

Now you should have roughly figure on which niche you want to in. The next thing were going to do is find potential merchant that could bring you the potential income you always dream of.
To faster the process we are going to choose them from affiliate programs directory. Affiliate programs directory is site that already does the hard-work for us in selecting which one the potential merchant, so you just need to pinpoint which one you want to embrace.

Some of the best are:
www.associateprograms.com
www.5staraffiliateprograms.com

5. Skyscraper Website versus Mini Content Site

As the time writing, therere 2 current opinions:

The first state in order to get money from affiliate program you have to build skyscraper site and fill it with hundreds of content while

The second state in order to get money from affiliate program you have to build multiple stream of mini site

Which one that works?

Both work, it is ultimately up to you which one you want to adopt for example of the first one in action you can see www.sage-hearts.com which has been running by Rosalind Gardner while the second one you can see www.dominatesearchengine.com which has been running by Anik Singal (Actually, I havent ask their permission to cover their web site in this article but I bet they wouldnt mind)

Both is very respected and highly acclaimed both affiliate marketer and internet marketer.

Herere the pros and cons:

If you decide to build mini site then youll have to forget the possibility of getting traffic from generic search engine.

If you decide to build skyscraper content site then youll have to invest considerable amount of time and energy to build it.

Dont re-invent the wheel theres no point in doing so just follow what already works. Examine both of their sites carefully and see which part you can adapt to your business model. (But mark my words dont copy them words-by-words!)

6. Ready to Drive Traffic?

Now you have proven business model at your disposal, it is the time to drive traffic to your site. Id recommend first off you start by going to build reciprocal link campaign. Reciprocal link is the act of exchanging link between two sites in hope to send traffic to each other.

Lets put it into action

Once again type in your keywords on search engine, next click on each of the site you found, if you like this site then examine it carefully. Are they having something like submit URL or add URL?

If they have click on the link there should be simple self-explanatory instruction to exchange your link with that website but what if they didnt have one? Just contact them through email or phone and ask if theyre willing to do reciprocal link with you.

Whats great about this method? Heres what will happen

Lets say after doing reciprocal link for one month in the end of the month you get 30 links. Each one refer one people per day to your site, now you already have 30 people visit your site without you doing a thing. In one month you will get 900 people visit your site on completely auto pilot. Thats the beauty of reciprocal link-)

What happen if you can manage to get 200 links?

7. Final Note

Like any of other endeavors if you expect some results it means hard work and persistence. Dont expect result in a week I tell you that wouldnt happen but expect in a year or so. Trust me though it seems long far away at the beginning but in the end your perseverance will pay off many times.

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