Monday, December 22, 2008

Lose weight naturally



Tips & resources for losing weight naturally & safely.

If You’re Overweight, Slim Down for Better Health
Overweight people have an increased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and other illnesses. Losing weight reduces the risk. This brochure tells you how to lose weight safely.

Ask Your Doctor About Sensible Goals
Your doctor or other health worker can help you set sensible goals based on a proper weight for your height, build and age.

Men and very active women may need up to 2,500 calories daily. Other women and inactive men need only about 2,000 calories daily. A safe plan is to eat 300 to 500 fewer calories a day to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week.

Exercise 30 Minutes
Do at least 30 minutes of exercise, like brisk walking, most days of the week.

The idea is to use up more calories than you eat. You need to use up the day’s calories and some of the calories stored in your body fat.

Eat Less Fat and Sugar
This will help you cut calories. Fried foods and fatty desserts can quickly use up a day’s calories. And these foods may not provide the other nutrients you need.

Tips for Cutting Calories and Fat

Eat plenty of vegetables, fruits, and grain products like bread and rice.
Eat only small, single servings of foods high in fat or calories.
Eat less sugar and fewer sweets.
Drink less alcohol or no alcohol.
Choose foods whose labels say low, light or reduced to describe calories or fat.
Choose 1 percent or skim milk products and reduced fat cheeses.
Replace ice cream with fat-free frozen yogurt.
Replace sour cream with fat-free or low-fat plain yogurt.
Make sure fish, poultry and meat are lean. Trim skin and fat.
Broil, roast or steam foods.
Eat a Favorite Rich Food, Sometimes
Read full article - Lose weight naturally



Thursday, December 18, 2008

For some, Christmas is more than a tree, gifts: Seasonal fanatics have a holiday obsession



By MAGGIE GALEHOUSE HOUSTON CHRONICLE

A hurricane and a recession could easily spread a serious case of the bah, humbugs this season.

But not for the Christmas fanatics. For these self-taught decorators who transform their homes into holiday havens thick with Santas, ornaments and things that go blink in the night, Christmas always arrives early and stays late.
A tale of two Michaels

For every Christmas addict there is an enabler. And between the months of October and December, this pretty much describes Michael Briden and Mike Lowery.

“I have the inspiration, and he has the installation,” Briden deadpans.

Briden is the collector, favoring glass ornaments by Christopher Radko and Santa figurines by Brian Kidwell and Jim Shore. He decorates each of the holiday trees in the Heights bungalow he and Lowery share — no small job, since there’s at least one tree in every downstairs room.

Lowery does the traditional “dad” jobs: hangs garland around the window frames, puts the toppers on each tree before Briden starts to decorate, picks up ornaments on his way home from hunting and fishing trips.

Every year, the two transform their handsome bungalow with sage green walls into a holiday wonderland where first-time guests are hard-pressed to focus on anything but the dé cor. As Lowery says, “Christmas has definitely exploded in this house.”

It helps that the pair co-own Another Place in Time, a garden center in the Heights that sells some of the decorative items and ornaments Briden collects.

Briden, who is also a loan operations manager at Integrity Bank, admits that he is particular about the quality and presentation of his collections.

He likes his Santas to look friendly, not scary. He enjoys creating new vignettes with his Christmas ornaments; this year, Santa’s Sweet Shop appears in his kitchen window, with a jar of gingerbread men and cookies and glass candies. And each of his Christmas trees has a theme, from the hunting and fishing tree in Lowery’s room, to the Grinch tree in the bathroom, to the slim and showy “Feathered Friends” tree in the family room.

The show-stopper is “The Night Before Christmas” tree, which gathers Santas, reindeers, gifts and all the usual Christmas Eve suspects.

When one goes to so much trouble to create a Christmas atmosphere, it’s a shame not to share it. Briden estimates that he and Lowery host half a dozen social gatherings every December so that friends can see the house.

As thrilled as Briden is with this year’s décor, he is always in the market for something new. Gazing at his animal tree, he ticks off the rarer ornaments that adorn it. A buffalo. A rhinoceros. A skunk. A giraffe. But he can’t help but notice what he’s missing.

“I don’t have a platypus,” Briden says, “and I don’t have any dinosaurs.”

The holiday decorating gene is strong with Jennifer Emshoff. Growing up in Klein with a mother who’s a part-time interior designer, she learned early that every holiday deserves festive dé cor and special dishes.

So when Emshoff, a senior contract analyst with El Paso Exploration & Production, moved into her Eastwood bungalow in 2001, it was a fait accompli that the holidays would be well-represented.

Her Christmas decorating schedule begins the day after Thanksgiving at her childhood home, when her mom starts pulling out her own Christmas finery. Emshoff is always on hand to assist.

“I give her all day Friday,” she says, “then I come back and start working on my own house. It takes two full days for the inside and then a night to put up the lights on the outside.”

This year presented a new challenge for Emshoff, who recently transformed her bright blue and yellow living space into a richer, ranchy style, with dark leather and rustic touches. This meant a new backdrop for Christmas.

Dominating the living room is a full-size white tree with shiny, multicolored ornaments, many with a Texas theme. On the floor of the dining room, ranch meets Christmas in a pair of ceramic cowboy boots stuffed with holly and red berries. The formal dining table is set for Christmas dinner and a long kitchen counter that usually serves as the bar has become a winter village.

Read full article: For some, Christmas is more than a tree, gifts

Monday, December 15, 2008

Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing with Meyer Lemon



By: Kathy Hester (View Profile)

Earlier this year I got myself a dwarf Meyer lemon tree. I have wanted one for a few years. It was only two feet tall, but already covered in green baby lemons. Now, six months later, I have about eight juicy yellow Meyer lemons to cook with.

It looked beautiful on my deck, and the white flowers were very fragrant. Unfortunately, I had to cut off the branch that was blooming to get rid of an unidentified icky pest that was trying attack it. I’m not sure if I’ll be harvesting much next year, so I want to make the best of what I have now.

In a warm climate, you could plant it outside, but I’m keeping mine in a pot. This way I can enjoy the green foliage inside during the winter and bring it outside for the summer.

If you haven’t used Meyer lemons before, you are in for a treat. They are sweeter, more of a cross between a mandarin orange and a lemon. Also the skin is much thinner. In fact, so thin that when I hit it on the counter to get it ready to juice, it busted open and went all over me and the floor. Let that be a lesson you don’t have to learn first hand!

Read full recipe: Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing with Meyer Lemon

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Home & garden news: Halls, houses and trees decked out for holidays, cheap gifts for all



If you need a little Christmas spirit, the Barrett-Paradise Country Inn tour is the place to be. You can eat your way through the afternoon and get a glimpse of elegant areas you don’t see in your everyday drive.

If you have your own spectacular decorations, we want to hear from you.

We have some ideas for around your house with the scents and sounds of Christmas.

Scents are just one way you can decorate for Christmas. Balsam sachets and cinnamon bird ornaments are just some ideas.

Nothing can make children of all ages smile like a train going around the Christmas tree. Electric trains under the Christmas tree date back to at least the early 1900s. Before that, there were wind-up and push trains.

Speaking of trees, we tell you pros and cons of both real and artificial trees. If you plan to get a live tree today, what to do with it.

A tip from the National Gardening Association: If you plan to buy a balled-and-burlapped or containerized holiday evergreen to plant outdoors, dig the hole now before the soil freezes. Keep soil in a wheelbarrow in the garage or shelter where it will be workable to use as backfill.

To increase the odds the tree will survive transition from your living room to the backyard: Buy a short tree, less than 5 feet. Limit your tree’s indoor stay to 3 to 5 days in a cool spot (65 degrees or less). Keep the rootball moist and the tree misted.

Some people need to go artificial. Our Home and Garden editor shares her tree success in her blog.

If you’re feeling particularly crafty, we have some great gift ideas that both children and adults can tackle.

We tell you some more ways to save money this holiday season. Instead of an expensive holiday party, how about inviting your friends over to watch Charlie Brown?

Warning: all that Christmas traffic can make on mess on hardwood floors. Learn how to protect them.

Did you ever buy a gift for a child and find he or she was more interested in the box? Cats are the same way. Here are some recession proof cat toys.

Looking ahead to 2009, yellow will be the color of the year. It reminds people of warmth, sunshine and cheer.

Our focus is green. Fabric softener might make your clothes feel better, but it’s not necessarily healthy for you.

For more environmental ideas this holiday season, check out our Pocono Green section. Let a little knowledge be your gift to yourself this season.
Source

Read full article: Home & garden news: Halls, houses and trees decked out for holidays, cheap gifts for all

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Front yard decorations get more elaborate for WVC couple



A West Valley man does not need many hands to make light work — he has two to make 18,000 of them light up his front yard.

Dan Nelson has made and bought Christmas decorations for about eight years, and he is planning to expand his collection.

“Every year, I just want it to be brighter,” Nelson said. “I have more lights in my shed — in boxes that I don’t take out — than most people put up.”

“I think he’s obsessed, but I think it’s a good obsession,” said Jewel Nelson, his wife.

Dan Nelson, an architect, became fond of making Christmas decorations after a friend had asked Nelson to help with his. Ironically, the friend lived on Christmas Street.

Nelson got hooked.

“People go on vacations, and I buy Christmas lights,” he said.

In his front yard, Nelson has 10 ?plywood angels representing his granddaughters and 11 gingerbread boys representing grandsons. Each of them has a name written on it, and its eyes are painted, respective to the grandchild it represents.

Nelson said he made 21 reindeer for his friends and family members during the second year.

Among other decorations are reindeer and moose, three wise men and a nativity scene, a snowman, two soldier boys and pine trees, all decked out in lights and connected to 10 outlets. Onlookers can also hear Christmas songs in the background.

Nelson said he started getting his house into a festive mood the week before Halloween. He has since spent every weekend adding decorations.

Although the rest of Bluebird Drive doesn’t shine as brightly as the Nelsons’ home, neighbors don’t seem to mind. One of the neighbors, Randy Garcia, let Dan Nelson use a corner of his yard to set up some moose and pine trees.

“We’re actually waiting for Dan to expand all the way over,” Garcia said.

Nelson’s lights shine from 5 to 10 p.m. every night and help Rocky Mountain Power survive the country’s economic crisis.

“I don’t look at [the electricity bill],” Dan Nelson said. “We’re on a year-round [billing plan], and it goes up every year. I probably wouldn’t do this if I looked at it.”

He said that he’s trying to buy more LED lights, which run cooler and therefore save energy.

“It’s not like we’re saving anything because he keeps adding more stuff,” Jewel Nelson said.

Read full source - Front yard decorations get more elaborate for WVC couple

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Acacia



ACACIA (a-ka’sha). About 1200 species of acacia are scattered through the warm regions of the world. Most of them are shrubs or small trees. Some are matted plants a few inches high. All are thorny and pod-bearing. The tiny sweet-smelling blossoms cluster together in fluffy balls or cylinder shapes. They range in color from deep yellow to almost white. The leaves are usually grayish and fernlike. The acacia is quick-growing and short-lived.
Australia has about 300 species of acacia. The early settlers called them wattles because they used the pliant branches to make wattle-and-daub huts. The golden wattle is Australia’s national Bower.
In the southwestern United States acacias are grown in many parks and gardens. The ornamental species were imported from Australia. The native catclaw (Texas mimosa) grows wild and (Types Of Flowers )is heartily disliked because of its strong hooked spines. The Arizona Indians, however, made meal of the pods. Smaller acacias are eaten by cattle and horses.
Gum arabic is obtained from an African species (see Gums and Resins). The Australians get tannin, used for tanning leather, from the bark of some species and make furniture of the hard, dark “black-wood” acacia. The wood of an Indian species is the chief source of catechu, a dye for true khaki. France grows several kinds for perfume.
The genus acacia belongs to the mimosa tribe of the pea family . The black locust is sometimes called “false acacia” . The plant that florists call mimosa is actually an acacia.
Read this article: Acacia plant



Unique new product gives peaceful nights for thousands of snorers - stop snoring now, try for free!



Immediate release 14TH November 08

NEW PRODUCT PROMISES RESTFUL NIGHTS FOR THOUSANDS OF SNORERS

A UK company has launched a unique new product designed to offer relief to thousands of people who suffer from a particular type of snoring

The Adkins snoring aid is targeted at “nose snorers” and uses a totally new method which restricts the air flow through the nose.

The product is made of a medical grade soft plastic, consists of a pair of conjoined non latex balls which the user inserts into the nostrils before going to sleep.

Before this discovery, the main school of thought in snoring treatments has been to open up the airway through the nostrils.

Sleep deprivation expert Chris Grant is the man behind the new product. He explained how it works: “The restricted airflow through the nose encourages mouth breathing which reduces the incidence of snoring in those whose snorring is caused by excess airflow across the soft tissues at the back of the nose.”

Designed and produced in the UK, the new product has been successfully tested by many snorers to date and has been endorsed by many users
including a medical doctor.

Dr David Collinge of Oxford confirms that the Adkins snboring aid worked for his wife. He said, “She calls the Adkins snoring aid the “miracle balls” and I must agree. This new product has stopped her snoring, when everything else had failed.”

Former Royal Protection Officer Les Blyth, says, “I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. This new product stopped my snoring and I now sleep soundly with my wife in the same bedroom. It is a brilliant idea, being both comfortable and simple to use.”

Amy Harrington from Essex says, “We never imagined that this new innovation would alleviate snoring to such an extent. Now that we sleep
well, we even feel and look better too.”

Read this: Unique new product gives peaceful nights for thousands of snorers - stop snoring now, try for free!

Monday, December 8, 2008

The 12 days of Christmas plants — poinsettias



This is the second in our series on how to buy and care for the most common holiday plants. Once upon a time, this Mexican native was such a finicky plant that it rarely last much beyond the end of December, if that long.

Boy, have things changed! Now it’s not at all unusual for a poinsettia to look good all the way till Easter.

If that hasn’t been your experience, here’s what you need to know:

In the store, when you’re choosing the plant, look for deep green leaves all the way to the base. Move the foil back at the bottom of the foliage to see if any leaves have turned yellow from lack of light.

If you want the freshest plant available — one, typically, that should last longer because you’re going to give it better care at your home than it received in a big-box store — look at the tiny little yellow buttonlike flowers in the middle of the colored bracts.

If they’re closed or barely open, the plant is very fresh. If they’re missing (having already fallen off), it’s been around a while. See if you can find another.

OK, let’s stop a second here for those of who might be confused by the word “bracts” and who think those little yellow things in the center of all that red couldn’t possibly be the flowers of the plant. If you know all this stuff, skip the next paragraph.

The showy red (cream, pink, yellow, or bicolor) parts of a poinsettia are called bracts. They’re actually there to entice pollinating insects to visit the inconspicuous flowers.

Once you’ve picked the poinsettia you want, make sure that the store gently wraps it up if temperatures are 50 degrees F. (10 C ) or lower. On a cold day, you’ll want to take the plant right home, not leave it in the car while you do the rest of your holiday shopping. Poinsettias don’t respond well to shivery weather.

The first thing to do after you have the plant back home is remove the foil wrapping. It blocks light from reaching the lower leaves and encourages root rot because water collects in the bottom.

Better to put the plant into a cachepot if you want something decorative. There, you can see if there’s standing water in the bottom that you need to pour off.

If you can’t bring yourself to do that, at the very least move the foil back from the base of the plant and poke good-sized holes in the bottom so water can drain out. (Then put the plant n a saucer, of course.)

Place the plant where it will receive at least six hours of bright light daily but not touch a cold windowpane. I know, I know. You bought the plant as a decoration, and it should be on the coffee table or the fireplace mantel, not a windowsill.

But give it light during the day — to keep it happy and looking good — then move it to wherever you like in the evening.

Read full article here: The 12 days of Christmas plants — poinsettias

Sony Ericsson K550i Review



The Sony Ericsson K550i is an unalloyed scorcher of a phone. Price-wise it’s positioned comfortably in the mid-range, but it incorporates much of the technology that usually appears only in top-end phones. This phone gets 6 out of 5 for value for cabbage!

The K550i is the upgraded version of the popular K510i, but it’s massively more powerful, borrowing many features from Sony Ericsson’s flagship K800i Cyber-Slug phone. The camera is simply the best in its class. It’s a 2 megapixel camera with a photo light and digital zoom, that includes the autofocus headline first found in the K800i. Instead of a fixed focus camera, with autofocus you can ensure that the subject of your photo is firmly in focus, outstanding to noticeably sharper images. With Sony being a world leader in digital camera technology, it’s no surprise to learn that the K550i takes the best photos of any mid-stretch camera that we’ve reviewed to date. In fact it beats many phones that cost a lot more. The K550i features “picture blogging” - take a carbon copy and send it straight to your own image blog for friends and family to view. There’s also a good quality video camera.

The phone delivers on the music front too. It includes an FM announce as well as a music player. Sound quality is excellent, as you’d expect from the company that makes the top-selling Walkman distribute of music phones. The K550i is compatible with stereo headphones and Bluetooth wireless stereo headsets - both are available as non-requisite accessories from Sony Ericsson. A very welcome feature is the generous amount of internal memory (64 Mbytes - enough for about a dozen songs) and the tolerate for a Memory Stick Micro?„? card, available in sizes up to 2 Gbytes. As with the Walkman phones, the K550i is equipped with two fruitful music features: TrackID?„? & PlayNow?„?. TrackID lets you record a few seconds of a prevarication, and then get the track, artist and album information sent directly to your phone. PlayNow is a service for downloading music and games to your phone (you have to pay for these.)

Convenient in a choice of black or white, the K550i is a compact and lightweight phone that looks very attractive (it’s much less of a brick than the K800i for example). The buttons are smaller than most Sony Ericssons, but are not so scabrous to use as they are well spaced out and project a millimetre or so above the surface of the phone. The display is a good quality TFD LCD screen that retains complete visibility in sunlight and is of a high resolution. At 176 x 220 pixels, it isn’t as fine as the display on the K800i, but it’s double the add up of pixels of the K510i and is as good as anything in this price range.

Other useful features worth mentioning are the built-in speakerphone, uninterrupted recorder (for recording voices or other sounds), quadband support (for using the phone worldwide) and flight style. There’s good internet support too: EDGE for fast downloads, a web browser, and support for blogging and RSS feeds. Battery human being is good.

We are really impressed by the K550i. If this review sounds too good to be true it’s because we genuinely couldn’t find anything to in the extreme - and regular readers of mobile-phones-uk.org.uk will know that we try hard! This phone delivers exceptional value for resources in a neat attractive and user-friendly package. Now stop reading this review, and buy yourself one of these beauties!

The K550i is at on Pay as you Go from the Carphone Warehouse at ??69.95.

Read full article - Sony Ericsson K550i Review

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Traditional Christmas flower in high demand



Legend has it that the poinsettia made its first appearance in the hands of a poor Mexican girl named Pepita who had no gift to present the baby Jesus on Christmas Eve, according to Paul Ecke Ranch, an Encinitas grower that supplies most of the flowering poinsettias in the United States.

Pepita’s cousin, Pedro, told her that any gift given with love would suffice. Hearing this, Pepita created a bouquet of weeds gathered from the side of the road.

But realizing they were a sad excuse for a gift, she fought back tears as she approached the altar where there was a statue of Jesus. As she handed them over, she happened to glance down and see that her weeds miraculously transformed into a red bouquet of flowers — poinsettias.

The legend was recently retold a slightly different way in the London Free Press, which had the young girl grabbing branches from a poinsettia shrub, not weeds. Either way, the poinsettia remains the traditional Christmas flower.

With Christmas less than three weeks away, it’s again showtime for poinsettias — and they are keeping local growers, retailers and decorators busy.

Poinsettias are the top-selling potted flowering plant in the United States, with $181 million in sales last year, up 6 percent from 2006, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

California accounts for 31 percent of the domestic sales for all potted plants.

At Green Thumb International in Ventura, nurseryman Jack Doughty said the most common question he gets from customers is how do you care for them.

“You want to keep them away from too much direct sunlight,” he said. And water them just like a Christmas tree, keeping them “moist but not soggy wet.”

Green Thumb is getting several shipments weekly.

“We go through them like mad here this time of year,” Doughty said.

One of the store’s suppliers is Santa Paula-based Do Right’s Plant Growers.

Owner Dudley Davis recently provided a tour of his greenhouses where about 80,000 poinsettias were growing. He pulled back plastic curtains to reveal what looked like a sea of red velvet.

“We do 85 percent of our production in the traditional red,” he said. The remaining 15 percent consists of five colors — merlot, apricot, marble, polar (white) and miro (a marbling of pink and white).

The season typically begins around Nov. 15. Davis said 10 percent to 15 percent of his crop is sold by Dec. 5.

Read full source article here - Traditional Christmas flower in high demand

Friday, December 5, 2008

Stop snoring with SnorePro?



We get some odd-ball press releases and story pitches here at TechFlash HQ. And this one, from a Fremont, Calif.-based company that has developed a $99.99 anti-snoring device called SnorePro certainly would qualify.

“HBI-USA, a biomedical device company, announced today its new SnorePro which uses its proprietary Dynamic Snore Detection (DSD) technology to precisely detect snores and to gently issue a programmable digital pulse to prevent snoring. The digital pulse functions like a spouse by nudging their snoring bedmate, which in turn trains the body to change sleep positions to eliminate the snoring. Bedmates of snorers lose an average of one hour of sleep per night due to snoring. The stimulation may disturb the snorer; however, it helps their bedmates to enjoy and regain sleep as they won’t have to nudge the snorer any more.”

Described as a wrist-watch style device with a built-in LCD screen, the press release goes on to say that the SnorePro can track the improvements of the snorer over time.

Read full article here

Source

Building for the Future: Sustainable Home Design



Company: Solar Energy International Cost: $695/$645 mbr. Location: Online Website: Visit event website Whether you’re building your own house or simply want to talk knowledgeably with those who will build it for you, this workshop will help you understand the home design principles that make use of both new and centuries old methods and materials for sustainable living. Building for the Future Online will focus on the principles behind designing and building residential structures that achieve optimal year-round comfort, reduce energy consumption, improve indoor air quality, and limit environmental impact. The emphasis is on integrated design using a whole-building approach, applying building science and integrating green design strategies into the built environment. Also covered will be the synergistic relationship between climate-sensitive design and natural building materials. Designed to compliment each other, the Building for the Future online & face-to-face courses can be taken independently to bring you up to speed or combined with each other to solidify knowledge. Both courses provide a solid overview of building a sustainable home with specifics in site analysis, building science, energy efficiency, passive solar design and alternatives to conventional building materials & techniques. In addition to online curriculum, participants will receive The Building With Awareness video, the book Your Green Home by Alex Wilson, and industry related hand-outs, and numerous Internet resource links. A course glossary, extensive resource guide and case studies of successful sustainable homes are included online. You can work on the Building for the Future Online course at ANYTIME, but you will generally need between 8-15 hrs/week to complete assignments/quizzes and participate in online discussions. The Consortium for Education in Renewable Energy Technologies (CERET) offers certificates in Renewable Energy to provide students with the theoretical knowledge necessary to begin a career in energy management and renewable energy technology. Certificates are granted through Madison Area Technical College (MATC). SEI’s online courses qualify for college credits through MATC and towards a Renewable Energy Certificate. Click here for more information on CERET’s Renewable Energy Certificates.” Students residing outside the United States must pay an extra fee for shipping of course materials. Contact SEI for details. Topics Include * Building Orientation * Solar Site Analysis * Lessons Learned * Building Science * Moisture & Air Leakage * Super-Insulation Strategies * New Window Technologies * Passive Solar Designs * Energy Efficient Technologies * Indoor Air Quality * Sustainable Back-up Heating Systems * Healthy/Green Building Materials * Domestic Solar Hot Water * Renewable Energy Options * Practical Building Techniques Read full article: Building for the Future: Sustainable Home Design

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Awful’ Month for Carmakers



By Sholnn Freeman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, December 3, 2008; Page D01

Carmakers continued to load on the discounts in November, but American consumers continued to slam on the brakes.

The industry tried everything. Companies offered zero-percent financing, “red tag” sales, employee-discount pricing and even buy-one-get-one-free pickup truck deals. Still, U.S. auto sales plunged to their lowest pace in 26 years. Overall, automakers sold 746,789 cars, trucks and minivans in the United States, down 37 percent from a year earlier, according to Autodata.

All major carmakers suffered steep declines, but Detroit was particularly hard hit. General Motors’ sales tumbled 41 percent, to 152,552. Ford sold 118,319 vehicles last month, a 30 percent fall. Chrysler sold 85,260, down 47 percent.

Jesse Toprak, a sales analyst at Edmunds.com, said the incentive programs have reached a point of diminishing returns, where virtually no amount of cash on the hood will move sales. He said Americans harbor deep economic fears.

“The majority of the decline is low consumer confidence,” he said. “Consumers are not showing up regardless of what kind of deals, regardless of how low gas prices go.”

Toprak said middle-class and upper-middle-class Americans — who make up the market for new car buyers — are reeling from steep erosions in home values and losses in 401(k) plans.

“They don’t know if they are going to have a job in the next few months,” he said. “It’s a bit depressing when you put it all together. Consumers don’t want to make a big-ticket purchase, and cars are the biggest purchase after homes.” The sales figures were also hurt by would-be buyers’ inability to get financing, Toprak said.

November’s sales, translated into the closely watched seasonally adjusted annualized sales rate, or SAAR, slipped to 10.18 million, the lowest selling pace since October 1982, according to preliminary figures by Autodata. Sales appeared to slow from October, when the seasonally adjusted selling pace was measured at 10.56 million.

Economists and industry analysts yesterday were looking for signs that the market was close to bottoming out. Bob Schnorbus, the chief economist at J.D. Power and Associates, said he expected stronger November results from automakers. He said the industry was struggling to get out of “unprecedented territory” and that fourth-quarter results may represent the low point for the industry, barring other large-scale financial calamities.

“It’s probably getting pretty close,” Schnorbus said. “That’s kind of cold comfort if it turns out that the recovery is very weak and protracted.”

Read full article: ‘Awful’ Month for Carmakers

Major Causes of Frequent Headache



There are various causes of frequent headache. Some of these causes of frequent headache are quite common whereas some are quite rare. Everybody may have had a headache at some point of time in their lives and the severe pain may have forced them into rushing to get speedy medical attention to alleviate the excruciating pain without evaluating the causes of frequent headache. The causes of headaches and dizziness vary. If the headache persists or repeats, it is better to take a close look at what are the underlying causes of the frequent headache.

Some causes of frequent headaches may be linked with
- meningitis,
- blood pressure,
- strokes ,
- brain tumors, though they may yet be only rare causes of frequent headaches.

The more likely causes of frequent headaches are simple ones such as
- viral infection,
- sinusitis,
- fatigue and headache,
- other forms of tension ,
- musculo-skeletal conditions.

Below are some explanations of common causes of frequent headaches.

Meningitis
Meningitis causes an inflammation of the membrane surrounding the brain and is very serious. If not treated immediately, it may even result in death. If the cause of frequent headache is due to meningitis, the sufferer must be transferred to a hospital for treatment. Please be warned that in its early stages, it may only seem to be nothing more than the ‘flu’.

Read full article: Major Causes of Frequent Headache

From: Major Causes of Frequent Headache

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Weight-loss surgery bodes well for pregnancy



New York - Researchers have found that weight-loss surgery bodes well for pregnancy. They found that women who had weight loss surgery before becoming pregnant are less likely to have problems in their pregnancy than women who were obese and did not have any type of weight loss surgery. Usually pregnant women who are overweight have gestational diabetes and high blood pressure. The number of bariatric surgeries being done every year from 1998 to 2005 has increased by eight hundred percent. This is a shocking statistic. It shows that many people prefer to have weight loss surgery instead of trying to find a natural way to lose weight. Surgery can be dangerous and life threatening. Doctors always explain that the risks associated with weight loss surgery can be serious because it is an abdominal and stomach surgery. You could have an allergic reaction to the anesthesia that they administer to you and if this happens you will face a life threatening situation. It is important to have healthy eating habits before and during your pregnancy. You want to try and maintain a healthy weight in order to help prevent pregnancy complications. Researchers found that weight loss surgery and tradition weight loss can help to improve a woman’s fertility rate. Doctors always tell you to try and lose weight if you are trying to conceive because it is better for your body and reproductive system. This research shows women that if they are overweight or obese and want to conceive a child then losing weight either through traditional weight loss methods or through weight loss surgery might be very helpful. Women want to be able to conceive a baby and losing weight can boost your chances of being able to become pregnant. You can also reduce your chances of facing health complications due to your weight. It is important that people are healthy during pregnancy. In today’s society many people are overweight or obese. Obesity has become a huge epidemic in the United States of America. It has huge health implications because your body has to work harder to do every day activities. When you are pregnant you gain weight and if you are overweight or obese to start with then gaining weight can become a huge medical problem. Usually pregnant women who are overweight or obese have poor eating habits. These eating habits affect the unborn babies because they rely on their mothers’ placentas for food and nutrients. If those mothers are not eating well and exercising daily then those children could face health complications after birth. Everything that you do while you are pregnant has a huge impact on the overall health of your unborn baby. Most pregnant women just think that taking a prenatal vitamin and not smoking, drinking, or doing drugs will ensure that your baby is born happy and healthy but that is not the case. If you are not healthy then how can you expect your unborn baby to be healthy? Read full article: Weight-loss surgery bodes well for pregnancy

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Sunday, November 23, 2008

How to Select the Greatest Online Gaming House



What is the most seemly method to choose one of the best online casinos? The field of gambling is full of different proposals. You have to think of a variety of things and the basic one is whom your funds would be trusted.

One of the main troubles for every player is the question of casino truthfulness. You can see that in the run-of-the-mill casinos there are real card tables, roulettes and dice. In this situation a gambler has a possibility to participate in the pretend directly. But this physical presence not always may save you from being cheated as well.

And the gamers, who like to play in online casinos, have more uncertainties in their virtue than the players of the normal casinos. You may find today the best online casino where you would find the method of generation of the cards deals and roulette numbers. There appears a obstreperous if it’s created inadvertently or not. There’re lots of opinions that web casinos play truthfully, but not all the time and there may be a moment of time when they drink up doing it. They have the mathematical benefit over the gambler according to the norms of the game. It implies that the player can win but not a great amount. The gambling has predetermined sensitiveness to the loss. The greater casino the greater the limit it has. And there’re low limits in little casinos. Only a player becomes nearer to that limit, the casino starts to show the outcomes that are losing for the entertainer. In some cases those are really true points.

What should people do if they do not believe the online casino? The answer is honest: if you cannot prove it, do not play. But the owners of internet casinos are not stupid persons and they realize that if you don’t trust their casino you would not go there. So, they have some warranties for you. There’re a few kinds of such guarantees:

1. Maverick observation performed by a casino.

2. There’s also a data of the game that may be performed to the gambler with all the instruments for analysis of it.

3. Also, you may see the cryptographic algorithm of your job that guarantees the immutability of occurring cards and numbers that were created there beforehand.

Read full article: How to Select the Greatest Online Gaming House

Friday, November 21, 2008

10 tips for holiday travel



By Ed Hewitt
updated 3:11 p.m. ET Nov. 20, 2008

With the global economy in crisis and both travelers and airlines feeling the pinch, it may not seem like 2008 will be the cheeriest of holiday travel seasons. Airlines have cut flights, raised fares and added a surge of surcharges for everything from checked bags to phone bookings. Meanwhile, many travelers are postponing or canceling their holiday plans to save money.

But for travelers still planning to visit Grandma’s for Thanksgiving or spend Christmas weekend in Paris, the news isn’t all bad. There are still deals to be found, provided you shop carefully and plan ahead. Check out our 10 tips for holiday travel and find some joy this holiday season.

Avoid peak travel dates
At Thanksgiving, Wednesday is the critical outbound “avoid” day as a rule. Traveling on Thanksgiving day proper is often a breeze and more affordable; there are often cut-rate airfare deals on Thanksgiving day.

On the return, Friday morning isn’t bad at all, with each successive day getting a little busier, more difficult and more expensive through Sunday evening. The bottom line: If you are looking for a deal, you won’t find one on the peak travel days. Travel off-peak whenever possible.

Christmas and New Year’s Day fall on Thursdays this year, which means that the same advice for Thanksgiving will apply to both of these holidays — fly on the holiday itself if possible, and avoid Sunday evening at the end of the long weekend.

Book early
Haven’t booked your holiday travel yet? It’s time to stop waiting and start booking. Fares are only rising as Thanksgiving approaches, so those who hold out in hopes of a late-breaking sale are likely to get left out in the cold or pay a very steep price for their procrastination. The same goes for the Christmas holiday; book sooner rather than later, particularly if you require very specific travel dates or times. With the current state of the airline industry, it is never too early to book your holiday travel flights.

While many of the best deals are probably already gone, keep an eye on our Holiday Deals section for any last-minute bargains. Be prepared to be flexible with dates and flight times.

Read full article: http://blog.summer-winter-air-travel.info/?p=9

Source: 10 tips for holiday travel

Thursday, November 20, 2008

3 Ways to Sell Your Moldy House - Even When Your Realtor Says It’s Impossible



Do you need to sell a house with a mold problem? You want to sell it, but your realtor says it’s impossible! Won’t even take the listing. This may come as a surprise to you, but there are at least 3 ways to sell your moldy house. If your realtor disagrees, you may want to look for a different realtor. What are your three options?

Option #1 - Tell It Like It Is And Sell It Like It Is

The mold in your house doesn’t mean you can’t sell it. It only means you must disclose it. You just have to tell a potential buyer about the problem. You don’t have to fix the mold yourself. Although this option makes finding a buyer more difficult, it can be done. You should at least be aware of this option and how it works before crossing it off your list.

Option #2 - Fix It First

Another option is to fix the problem before you sell. If you choose this option, you need to make sure the job is done right! Otherwise you could end up paying for the repairs twice!

And be sure to get the proof (in writing) that the mold was successfully abated using a recommended procedure. You’ll need the documentation for your buyer, and probably her lender, to show the problem is solved.

Doing it right is not hard. But it is important. If the job is done wrong, you could make things worse. And you need something more than a paid receipt to show the work was done correctly. You need a written report that proves the mold problem is gone!

Option #3 - Let The Buyer Fix It

Another option is to find out how much it will cost to solve your mold problem, and then let the buyer hire the contractor and pay for it after the closing. The buyer does the work after you close and no longer are the owner.

Read full article: 3 Ways to Sell Your Moldy House - Even When Your Realtor Says It’s Impossible

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Laser Surgery For Snoring - How to Permanently Stop Snoring



I’m going to talk about the different types of laser surgery for snoring available today. Snoring can be considered as one of life’s major problems. It can affect you and your sleeping partner. A permanent solution to snoring is laser surgery. This type of surgery is the best solution for snoring problems to date. It is popular because its effect is permanent and is technically safe. The effectiveness of laser surgery for snoring is evidenced by uvuloopalatopharyngoplasty or UPPP. But to be really safe, you have to be in the hands of an expert when undergoing this type of treatment therapy. You need the help of a qualified health expert. After surgery and the required recovery time, you will experience an almost immediate relief to snoring. If you compare laser surgery to the tools and devices used for snoring, the former would fair better. All others can only provide for a temporary solution to snoring. Laser surgery, on the other hand, can give permanent relief. This is why laser UPPP is the one most popular today. While there are other types of laser surgery for snoring, only one thing is their main goal - to remove all the blockages present in your mouth or throat that are causing you to snore. The uvuloopalatopharyngoplasty or the UPPP is a type of laser surgery that aims to remove the patient’s tonsils, along with some parts of the uvula and soft palate. There are actually two kinds of laser surgery for snoring. The more preferred type is laser-assisted, which is the main point of interest here. When it comes to price, the laser-assisted UPPP is a lot cheaper than traditional UPPP. Here, the uvula will not be removed totally, rather it is shortened. The soft palate will be vaporized with the use of the laser beam. The other type of UPPP is referred to the traditional method. That one requires the use of anesthesia. If laser-assisted surgery is performed under local anesthetic, traditional UPPP surgery needs general anesthesia. The only problem with this method is the fact that the tonsil should be removed before the actual procedure is performed. As such, the method is perfect for people who had already taken out their tonsils.
 Read full article: Laser Surgery For Snoring - How to Permanently Stop Snoring

How To watch the Olympics on your mobile phone



NBC has such a tight stranglehold on Olympics coverage that if you’re in America, you are pretty much under their mind control. That being said, here is a guide to using the technologies put out by NBC and a couple by other networks so that you can maximize your Olympics watching. Mobile Web: The most obvious way to get your Olympics coverage on your mobile is via your mobile web. If you’re not a smartphone user, this might not be the best option for you as the mobile web on your device will be utter crap. However, if you have a decent browser, consider The NBC Olympics Mobile Web site. The site includes live news, highlights and feature video, Team USA profiles, slideshow galleries, voting polls, alerts sign-up, live medal counts, detailed results & schedules, customizable TV & online listings, and all the top news and video from Beijing. Wow. So pretty much if you dare to visit the site your phone will explode from the information overload. Users can access the NBC Olympics Mobile web site by going to http://mobile.nbcolympics.com on their mobile device’s Internet browser or by texting “OLYMPICS” to 51515. E-mail Alerts: Once again, this tip is probably more handy for a smartphone user but many non-smartphones out there still have decent email support and thus could use text and e-mail alerts to get the news straight to their phone. NBC Olympics offers text and e-mail alerts for breaking news, top headlines for all Olympic sports, medal results, event previews, athlete alerts, and TV/live streaming schedule reminders. NBC Olympics Mobile will also provide free photo & video highlight alerts for top Olympic sports. Mobile Video: NBC Olympics Mobile Video will provide highlights, daily news, and exclusive feature videos on-demand to mobile video users. Mobile video is available on the NBC Olympics Mobile Web site and on-deck with select mobile providers.
Read full article: How To watch the Olympics on your mobile phone

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Join Coastal Carolina football beat writer Travis Sawchik on his blog The Myrtle Beach Sun News

Monday morning quarterback Join Coastal Carolina football beat writer Travis Sawchik on his blog Inside CCU Sports as he talks about Saturday s win and looks forward to Liberty at MyrtleBeachOnline.com. Monday morning quarterback Join Coastal Carolina football beat writer Travis Sawchik on his blog Inside CCU Sports as he talks about Saturday s win and looks forward to Liberty at MyrtleBeachOnline.com. MOST POPULAR STORIES Officials one man killed near S.C. Police Name released after fatal car crash Fall rally prompts safety reminders Police blotter Aynor Conway Myrtle Beach woman dies in accident UPDATE Police arrest Georgia fugitive Teen arrested for beating couple raping wife Hard Rock s and Strand s reputations in jeopardy Leader weighs in on officer s charges One dead after vehicle pedestrian accident News Business Sports Entertainment Living Classifieds Jobs Cars Real Estate About MyrtleBeachOnline

Source: http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/sports/story/611751.htm! l


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Thursday, November 13, 2008

SunTimes spotlight Chicago SunTimes

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In fifth grade when sports started at my grade school I wasn t going to go out. But I decided to at the last minute. I wasn t bad. I had natural athleticism. I also competed in basketball cross country and track. But I felt I was best at volleyball. It was what I loved the most and what I could excel in. Coach Brad Baker said not many outside hitters are as dominant as you. What is your edge Old fashioned hard work working on your vertical and your arm swing. The big thing is having teammates who support you people cheering you an! d coaches pushing you. How exciting was surviving the toughest sectional in the state There was so much energy in the gym. It was one of the best experiences of my life beating defending state champion Naperville Central in the final. There were so many people so much noise so much energy. Winning was a surreal experience. How important is your Class A semifinal match with Mother McAuley We must rise to the occasion. It is our first time Downstate. We can t get sidetracked by their tradition and all the things they bring to the table. It doesn t matter what they ve done in the past. We can t talk about what we have done only what we re doing right now. Why West Point I want to become an officer. I knew if volleyball didn t work out I d join the military. I fell in love with the campus. I like all they stand for. It s a great adventure to be part of the tradition there. I saw the oldest known signature of Robert E. Lee and a piece of the Berlin Wall. Did president elect Bara! ck Obama nominate you I sent applications to Obama and Sen. Dick Durbin and State Representative Judy Biggert. But the superintendent of West Point wrote a letter of nomination for me and I got a letter of acceptance in early September. Obama still can recommend me. It would be a great honor if he sent a letter of recommendation. But I already have been accepted. Would you rather win a state championship or be chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff At this time I d rather win state because we haven t won a state volleyball title before. Being part of that would be a great honor. Later I would like to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs. I want to rise as high as I can. That would be something great to strive for. Dream prom date Ethan Hawke. Web site Uselessknowledge.com . It lists random facts trivia strange laws it is unlawful to push a moose out of an airplane in Alaska. Best book you ve read Angela s Ashes by Frank McCourt. It s a story about a rough childhood. It s depressing but an eye opener about how hard life can be for people. I m not a f! an of sugar coated endings. How do you relax I listen to music. I love the Beatles Nirvana Bob Dylan. I like older music. If you could choose one event to attend it would be . The Beatles concert at Shea Stadium in New York in before I was born. My friend Meghan Bray and I go to Beatles tribute band concerts. We went to one last Friday at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora the night before our supersectional. Videos YourSeason.com Photos Lemont vs. Oak Forest Julian Water Polo From The Blogs A product of the Sun Times News Group Subscribe Sun Times Beacon News Courier News The SouthtownStar The Herald News Lake County News Sun The Naperville Sun Post Tribune Pioneer Local Suburban Chicago News Copyright Digital Chicago Inc. 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Source: http://www.suntimes.com/sports/preps/1277103,CST-SPT-qa14.article


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How Does Phentermine Suppress Appetite?



Phentermine is approved as an appetite suppressant and is used to help reduce weight. This is done with obese and over weight patients for a short term use and is combined with exercise and diet. Usually this drug is only prescribed when an individual is at increased medical risk because of being over weight. Phentetrmine works by releasing chemicals in the brain which eventually help to control appetite. Anorectics or appetite suppressants are dietary supplements or drugs that help to reduce the appetite of person and thus resulting in the person eating less.

Phentermine is usually available in a tablet form. It is used in the short term for controlling and fighting obesity. It may come in various colors and in tablet or capsule form in dosages of 15, 30 and 37.5 milligram. Phenttermine works by suppressing appetite through central mechanism. This mechanism causes the brain to send out signals and curb appetite. However studies are still on to prove the actual truth behind this mechanism.

Phentermine is supposedly best effective when taken on an empty stomach. Usually doctors and dieticians suggest or prescribe this medicine one hour before breakfast in the morning. It may or may not cause sleeplessness, depending on how much trouble you were having before you started taking Phentermine. However this dosage should only be taken as prescribed. It is given for a short period only and should not be taken more often or longer than directed as it may lead to side effects and other disorders. Also Phenterminee should not be taken in combination with any other appetite suppressant medicine. Phentermine has proven to be an effective therapy for the obese individuals. It has helped them lose weight and hence decrease the risk of diseases which are associated with being highly overweight. However the magnitude or amount of weight loss depends on the level of concomitant caloric restriction along with healthy exercises.

Read full article:

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Published November 13, 2008 & Filed in Weight Loss

Tags: appetite suppressants, dietary supplements, Weight Loss



Thursday, November 6, 2008

Advantages Of Fleet GPS Tracking Systems



Most companies with large numbers of vehicles that travel the roadways daily are familiar with the large number of fleet tracking systems that can be bought today. If you are a fleet manager for one of these companies and you have never considered one of these systems, then you need to take a good look at the advantages that they can offer your company. Companies who use fleet tracking systems can locate a driver at any time of any day. They can monitor the speeds that their drivers travel. They can regulate the number of stops they make and where they stop. They can optimize their customer service reputation by tracking their driver’s response times and taking steps to improve their system. The success of any company that utilizes any time of vehicle fleet may depend largely on their effective use of a fleet tracking systems.
The other name for fleet tracking systems is GPS (Global Positioning Systems). Fleet GPS tracking units have seen many changes since they were introduced and are now being used by the general public, as well as the military, public service officials and large delivery companies, such as UPS. When you have a fleet of vehicles, efficiency is very important. Whenever a vehicle goes out on the road, it is very expensive. You can see a lot of waste that comes in the form of fuel, mileage and time. To eliminate this waste can cost thousands to tens of thousands of dollars every year. Fleet tracking systems are one way of effectively eliminating wasted expenses and providing a way to manage the fleet with more efficiency.
Read full article: Advantages Of Fleet GPS Tracking Systems

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

About Appetite Suppressors to Help Reduce Weight



Appetite suppressors can be a help during a slimming process. On the market of today you can find both appetite suppressors related to the substance amphetamine and appetite reducers of herbal origin. Appetite suppressors are generally recommended to use together with a diet program and exercise, and only for a limited time period. They are never recommended to use as the only means of achieving a reduced weight.

Substances to reduce appetite have been used since the First World War. Soldiers used the stimulating substance amphetamine both to stimulate their fighting capacity and to reduce hunger. The same was done in the Second World War. After the last war, the civil market began to use amphetamine and related substances to help reduce the intake of food during weight loss efforts.

A. APPETITE SUPPRESSORS OF THE AMPHETAMINE GROUP

Amphetamine and related substances stimulate the alertness of the central nervous system and the impulse to external action. When zones of the brain dealing with external action are in high activity, signals are sent to zones controlling appetite, digestion and connected functions to reduce their activity. Thus central stimulating substances also reduce appetite. Since these drugs increase the bodily activity, they also help to reduce weight by inducing a higher rate of fat burning.

Some drugs of this group are also used as antidepressant, for example fluoxetine hudrochloride (Prozac).

Being central stimulants all these appetite suppressors also bear a certain risk of developing addiction, and of side effects like insomnia, agitation, manic reactions, hypertension, stroke, heart valve damage and heart rhythm disturbances.

Because of such dangerous effects, many of these substances have been banned from most markets as appetite suppressants, for example amphetamine itself, aminorex, fenfluramine, phenylpropanolamine and ephedrine. However, many of these substances are still used for other purposes, for example to stimulate heart activity and to regulate up a too low blood pressure.

Substances of this group available on the market today as appetite suppresants are: Phentermine, diethylpropion, phenidmetrazine, benzphetamine, sibutramine, rimonabant, oxyntomodulin and fluoxetine hydrochloride (Prozac).

PHENTERMINE

Phentermine is perhaps the most widely used appetite suppressant drug today. It works by increasing the release of the hormones / neurotransmitters norepinephrine, serotonine and dopamine, The signals from these substances make the nervous system more alert for external action and reduce appetite.

Read full article: About Appetite Suppressors to Help Reduce Weight

Source: About Appetite Suppressors

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

ArcelorMittal, AngloGold, Sasol: South Africa Equity Preview



By Janice Kew

Oct. 28 (Bloomberg) — The following is a list of companies whose shares may have unusual price changes in South Africa. Stock symbols are in parentheses after company names and prices are from the last close.

South Africa’s FTSE/JSE Africa All Share Index fell for a fourth day, losing 95.43, or 0.5 percent, to 18,363.70. The measure has dropped 23 percent in October, the worst monthly performance since August 1998.

AngloGold Ashanti Ltd. (ANG SJ): Gold fell for the fifth time in six days in Asia as the U.S. dollar’s strength kept a lid on investor demand for the precious metal as an alternative asset. AngloGold, Africa’s largest mining company, climbed 4 rand, or 2.5 percent, to 164.

Ansys Ltd. (ANS SJ): The designer of transport and defense monitoring and control systems said it will post a loss per share of between 4.5 cents and 5.5 cents in the six months through August after delays in the start up of a “significant” number of their projects. Ansys slumped 17 cents, or 14 percent, to 1.08 rand.

ArcelorMittal South Africa Ltd. (ACL SJ): Africa’s biggest steelmaker said it will leave December prices unchanged after cutting them for two consecutive months. ArcelorMittal South Africa fell 7 rand, or 8.1 percent, to 79 rand.

Barloworld Ltd. (BAW SJ): Morgan Stanley rated the world’s largest forklift dealer as “equal-weight” in new coverage of the stock. Barloworld lost 1.90 rand, or 4 percent, to 46.

BHP Billiton Ltd. (BIL SJ): Copper fell below $4,000 a metric ton as the ongoing slump in stock markets increased concern a glob recession will sap demand. The metal used in wires and pipes plunged by the daily limit for a fifth day in Shanghai. BHP, the world’s largest mining company, rose 2.07 rand, or 1.4 percent, to 145.90.

Infrasors Ltd. (IRA SJ): The brick and sand producer said first-half earnings per share fell as much as 40 percent. Infrasors was unchanged at 1.90 rand.

Murray & Roberts Holdings Ltd. (MUR SJ): South Africa’s largest construction company by market value holds its annual general meeting in Johannesburg. Murray & Roberts was unchanged at 60 rand.

Read full article: ArcelorMittal, AngloGold, Sasol: South Africa Equity Preview

Saturday, October 25, 2008

http://phentarmin.info/2008/10/25/best-weight-loss-programs-for-men-lose-those-love-handles-and-get-a-six-pack/



The best weight loss programs for men have become more varied in the past few years. Before, weight loss plans are mostly aimed at women since men are not ones to complain out loud about their bodies. However, the increased attention given by the 21st century population to health and to a great figure has resulted in men being more open to weight loss help.

How men deal with weight problems

Men are more likely to exercise on their own. Unlike women, they don’t ask for help when it comes to losing weight. They also prefer shortcuts that promise rapid results. A huge number of the male population who are overweight tend to keep their worries to themselves, even asking about solutions is a no-no to them. This results in lack of knowledge with regards to weight loss.

Steps that can help men lose weight

1) Exercise - The best option for the male population since most of them enjoy physical activities and they would feel no embarrassment if they were seen by their buddies jogging in the park or working out on a gym. Most men do not like asking for advice regarding their weight, but a few questions to a gym instructor on what program would be best are just fine with them.

2) Proper diet - Men eat more than women, so it is more difficult to tell them to cut down. However, they don’t need to sacrifice their consumption; they just need to be wiser when it comes to selecting what they eat. Lean meat, fish and fruits are not bad for someone trying to lose weight. And for men, these options would be enough to fill them up so that they won’t feel that they are being deprived of their meals.

3) Search the Internet for diet programs - Because of increasing concerns over obesity, a lot of diet programs targeting male consumers have been made available. If a man does not want it to be known that he is looking for a solution to his weight problem, all he has to do is search the Web for anonymous weight loss programs.

4) Avoid alcohol. For men who like a regular trip to the pub, it is time to consider alternative Friday night activities. Alcoholic beverages are full of calories and are heavy on the gut. If you’re wondering where the term “beer belly” comes from, look around at your regular pub buddies and chances are most of them have their guts sticking out of their belts.

Read full article: Best Weight Loss Programs for Men - Lose Those Love Handles and Get A Six Pack

Monday, October 20, 2008

Zimbabwe’s currency reforms a ploy to benefit political elites



October 20, 2008: The effects of escalating political and economic instability in Zimbabwe are rippling through all parts of society. Coverage of these effects is plentiful, as is criticism. In all this, there is a familiar theme at play. The idea of cashing-in during times of political and economic crisis is a well-rehearsed practise of shady but astute big business and property agents. The food industry in Southern Africa has no qualms in this game. Recent changes in the Zimbabwean economy, amongst other things, have seen the sanctioning of certain retailers to trade in foreign currency. Electronic payment mechanisms have been suspended and there are limits on the amount of hard currency an ordinary citizen can access. In certain supermarkets, only particular goods are available to buy in forex, and others are to be sold in local currency. Needless to say, these remain on the shelves.
Food imports Some people prefer to buy this way than to travel to South Africa to buy food. But others say that the imported food that can be sold in forex are only really supporting the South African export economy. South African supermarkets find it easier to stock shelves under these new forex allowance because they have access to protected financial stores and thus have less risk. Their apolitical position makes them the perfect vessel for economic transactions that take advantage of crisis.
Read full article: http://blog.theblogs.co.za/2008/10/zimbabwe%e2%80%99s-currency-reforms-a-ploy-to-benefit-political-elites/

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Basters and their "Starter Packs"



Namibia is a multihued nation with different cultures and believes. Every culture has certain character traits that group them together. Most people believe that Ovambo people mostly drive Toyota Hilux Bakkies. The Herero people drive Isuzu Bakkies. Today we're talking about Basters and their starter packs. I think the next thing that going to pop in your mind is '' what is a starter pack?'' Most of us define the starter pack and the Volkswagen Golf which can branch from the Citi Golf to the Velocity Golf, and or the Toyota Conquest or Tazz. What I have just mentioned is a very controversial topic and everyone will have his or her own point of view. Let's take one example Alan Bock was born and raised in Rehoboth. As he grew up his first aim was to have his own car. He wanted a silver Toyota conquest. Interior will be leather seats. Maple color with darker sued. 18'' inch rims, spinners to be exact. Black tinted windows and a massive sound system. This is a Baster's dream car for his partying days. Most youngsters buy it, as it's the most reasonably priced. Everyone that buys the famous 'starter pack' say it's fairly easy to maintain, as the spare parts are cheap to replace; yet most of these cars are second hand models. You'll hear people say that they bought from Jacky who bought it from Alan who bought it from Jason who bought if from Babsie who bought it from Nam Cars over the internet. As the young Basters grow older and become more mature, they realize it's better to have a secondhand model Ford bakkie. This can be a Bantam or the Ranger 1800 and the most famous is the Nissan Champ 1400 Bakkie.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Tactics for advertising your Home business



When you start a home based business, it is essential to gain an edge over other competitors offering same products or services in the market. In order to attract customers to your site you will have to promote your site through advertisements. If you do not advertise, you will end with nothing done. Even though there are great range of products in the market, new products and service are conceptualized day by day. Even if the quality of the product or service you offer is the best, it will not gain attention from the customers. Without advertisement, there will be no sales and no revenue. This is the reason why the companies spend millions of dollars over advertisements. A product, which is not advertised, can easily get lost in the competitive market.

The small-scale business establishments, personal trades and home businesses are often under constraints of advertisement budgets. However, it need not always be so because, nowadays advertisements that are both inexpensive and expensive are available to your choice and needs. The basic idea is to get the attention of the public. Nowadays there is a definite trend for digitalization. You can create a domain with an attractive dot.com and file your site to free web directories. This can add great value to the products and services you are offering.

One effective method for advertising home based business on the Internet is to try Shared advertising. Here you need to find out people who are also in need for product exposure at least expenditure, and merge your advertisement along with their product. This method gives definite benefit as long as you differentiate your product well from the others. This method of advertising can be less expensive. Here you can be convinced that any surfer to come to visit the other product or service will definitely have a look at the one which you offer. Shared advertisement is very common on the Internet as they appeal to the same target audience. The more advertisers you share with, greater the exposure of your product.

The Internet has become the best choice for people to conduct business. There are many cost-effective methods for advertising through the Internet. Effective advertising methods are essential for promoting a product on the Internet because here the customers cannot virtually see and feel the product. Using banners with good designs can prove effective. Well-designed banners can attract more attention from the customers and provide credibility to the product. Advertisement through ezines and blogs can also attraction the attention of the customers to a great extent.

Whichever method you follow, it is essential to see that the advertisements are clear and impressive. It should state all the qualities of the product in a clear and crisp manner to attract the attention of the customers.

Article source: Attention getting tactics for advertising your Home business

Source and web-best.info



The Best Pleasure You Ever Had



Leisure is the pastime which is spent in the period of time when a man doesn't have a business or any other things to do. It contains doing anything you want except the activities you do each day such as sleeping, eating, household chores etc. The first record of this term was found in the Latin language and it meant "to be independent", "to be permitted". But firstly this term came to us from the nineteenth century. It was a time of industrial revolution when the earliest labor unions reached for people an eight hour working day and 2 days off per week. At that time holidays and avocations appeared. An average human being has two types of free time: active and passive. During the active free time people consume much energy having kick-boxing or football for example. Also it may be not a physical activity but still it would wear out a person: playing draughts or writing poems. And passive free time is the pastime when you do not tense your brain and body for some outcome. It may be watching TV, spieling on slot machines and a lot of different things to do. But there are also opponents of passive free time. They say that it hasn't any sense and all pluses of your leisure time are forfeited. And still, this type of free time is more privileged than active one among different groups of society. We also propose you to spend your leisure in the surrounding of escort in Ukraine. We suggest to you sexual activity which contains physical and psychical activities in the same period of time. So it will be really useful for you to have this relaxation. Erotic massage is another service that you can see on our internet page. Call girl escort kiev can give you such a service. You will get much satisfaction and use of the massage we suggest to you. An erotic massage is our service that we perform to our clients and customers. A professional erotic massage is a wonderful pleasure and a escort kiev would be the one that you want to do it. The basic thing in such a massage is that it is done with the assiatance of a girl's body but not only with her fingers. You will sense every part of her marvelous body. It is definitely amazing especially when you have it for the first time inyour life. For people who can't live without varieties in sex and pleasure this massage is the thing that they need. Many different people attitude to the word "prostitute" with caution. Today it is not as terrible as it was some years ago but many people still have an unpleasant attitude to the prostitutes. But this relation is completely depends on the social point of view on sex in general. From the one hand sex presents you a satisfaction. As a conclusion we can consider sex an average service that one may get anywhere. And the other point is that such a sex is not concerned with sex activities that are directed to making children. At all ages people tabooed diverse sexual relations and reproved everyone who had such relations. In the XIX century sexual activities and prostitution were censored in many states. But in the first half of the XX century the situation completely altered, especially in the western countries. Negative attitude to this occupation has made the name of this job general to many different fields of human activity. For example any mercenary person can be called "a prostitute". But we are the persons of the 21 century and our attitude should be lenient to every demonstration of human activity. So if you are not scared of this notion contact us and we are going to make your recreation unbelievable.

Friday, October 10, 2008

Sharebuilder Mutual Funds



You wake up one morning and you’ve absolutely realized that your money will not last forever. If you ever want to retire, or if you want to be rich, you need to start investing your specie. So, you jump on the internet or head to the bookstore to find some information. You do your research. You read countless of books on investing in stocks, bonds, commodities, requited funds, and currency. You learn how to become rich by investing, you learn how to research stocks, and you learn how to retire unfledged. You bookmark the right investing websites to stay up to date and are now ready to get started.

Now that you know what to do, how do you get started? Do you upstanding call up a broker and as them to buy you some stock? Where do you get their number? Learning how to invest takes a lot of hard work. Fortunately, getting started is not as good as as hard. With the internet, investing has become even easier.

If you are interested in investing and you want it to cost as little as workable, sharebuilder is the way to go. I’ve been investing with sharebuilder for over 2 years now and I have had no problems. All you have to do is sign up and you can start investing. It’s that easy! Now understand, the motion up process is not instant, you do have to send in the appropriate information, forms, and copies of id, but that’s to ensure the safety of your money.

Sharebuilder has numbers of features to protect your money. Many people are wary when it comes to using a credit card online, let alone investing your moolah. Sharebuilder does not use a credit card. Use simply connect your checking account and transfer money whenever you prerequisite it. They have special validation for whenever you transfer money and make trades to ensure you are the only one using your account.

Another gigantic benefit of sharebuilder is that stock trades only cost $4. Just $4! Other investment first cost much more than that or have a minimal investment amount. Sharebuilder lets you invest $10 at a time if you really want to. For long-term buy and contain investing, they is the best.

If you are a novice investor and don’t feel comfortable choosing your own stocks, you can invest in common funds instead. With mutual funds, a fund manager chooses the stocks for you and as an added bonus, you don’t to pay any fees. You can settle upon from growth stock funds, bond funds, foreign funds, and other types.

It’s never too early to start investing. Ten, twenty, or thirty years from now, you will be very in the seventh heaven that you started early. Don’t worry about your future. Just do what you need to and stay on top of things.

Source: Sharebuilder Mutual Funds

Monday, October 6, 2008

Country lottery details - Canada



n Canada prior to 1967 buying a ticket on the Irish Sweepstakes was illegal. In that year the federal Liberal government introduced a special law (an Omnibus Bill) intended to bring up-to-date a number of obsolete laws. The Minister of Justice at that time, Pierre-Elliot Trudeau, sponsored the bill. On September 12, 1967, Mr. Trudeau announced that his government would insert an amendment concerning lotteries.

Even while the Omnibus Bill was still being written, Montreal mayor Jean Drapeau, trying to recover some of the money spent on the World’s Fair and the new subway system, announced a “voluntary tax”. For a $2.00 donation you would be eligible to participate in a draw with a grand prize of $100 000. According to Drapeau, this “tax” was not a lottery for two reasons. The prizes were given out in the form of silver bars, not money, and the “competitors” chosen in a drawing would have to reply correctly to four questions about Montreal during a second draw. That competition would determine the value of the prize that the winner would win. The replies to the questions were printed on the back of the ticket and therefore the questions would not cause any undue problems. The inaugural draw was held on May 27, 1968.

There were debates in Ottawa and Quebec City about the legality of this ‘voluntary tax’. The Minister of Justice alleged it was a lottery. Montreal’s mayor replied that it did not contravene the federal law. While everyone awaited the verdict, the monthly draws went off without a hitch. Players from all over Canada, the United States, Europe, and Asia participated.

On September 14, 1968 the Quebec Appeal Court declared Mayor Drapeau’s “voluntary tax” illegal. However, the municipal authorities did not give up the struggle; the Council announced in November that the City would appeal this decision to the Supreme Court.

As the debate over legalities continued, sales dropped significantly, because many people did not want to participate in anything illegal. Despite offers of new prizes the revenue continued to drop monthly, and by the nineteenth and final draw, was only a little over $800 000.

Read full article: http://casinosreview.net/2008/10/lottery-country-lottery-details-canada/ 

Source: Country lottery details - Canada



Thursday, October 2, 2008

Movin on up

Tonight we concluded our second Karazhan run. We took everyone but Shade of Aran and Prince Malchezzar in one shot and took two tries on each of them and then were stymied for tactical reasons on Nightbane. However Theande s now wearing the Mender s Heart Ring and the Light Collar of the Incarnate the latter of which is her first piece of Tier gear. Who knew it was this much fun to raid RSS feed Trackback URI Comments No comments yet. Click here to cancel reply . Name required E mail required never shown publicly URI Subscribe to comments via email Your Comment smaller size larger size You may use in your comment. Comments for this post will be closed on October . Notify me of followup comments via e mail Pages About Comments on Dr. Horrible Recovering my Yahoo account Twitter Updates Archives September August July June May April March February January December November October September August July June May April March February January December November October September Au! gust July June May April March February Categories Art cooking Design Entertainment Language Life School Tech Travel Work World of Warcraft Writing Meta Log in Subscribe via Email Subscribe via RSS Comments RSS Powered by Wordpress Design by Beccary and Weblogs

Source: http://www.etherjammer.com/blog/?p=574


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Sunday, September 28, 2008

New worry for mobile



You’ve been battling malware — viruses, worms, spyware and the like — on your PC for years.

Is your phone the next battleground?

Security experts think it could be, particularly if it’s a smart-phone, a handset that has a full operating system and can run applications much like a desktop computer. The more that phones can perform the same functions as PCs, the greater the chance they will have similar vulnerabilities, experts say.

“I’d put it in the looming threat category,” said Natalie Lambert, a senior analyst who covers mobile security issues for Forrester, a technology research firm. “There’s huge potential.”

But experts caution that consumers should put that potential threat in perspective. Other security issues — such as simply losing a phone — are arguably of more concern to mobile phone users today.

“It’s still very early in the game,” said Chris Hazelton, director of mobile and wireless research at the 451 Group, a technology research firm.

Still, phones are indeed vulnerable to the same types of security threats that face PCs. Security experts have so far identified about 500 viruses or other types of malware or security vulnerabilities that target mobile phones.

Perhaps the best known handset virus is Commwarrior-A, a piece of malware identified in 2005 that spread to phones using the then-current version of the Symbian operating system via text messages. But the number of pieces of mobile malware detected since then has grown steadily.

Analysts say there all kinds of ways that mobile malware could make mischief. Hackers have already induced phones to exchange text messages with rogue operators that charge a high per-message fee. Security experts worry hackers could soon use the GPS feature built into many phones to track the location of their owners.

Read full article: worry for mobile phones

Source and New worry for mobile