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Should the Catholic Church Allow Priests to Marry?

Fri, 27 May 2011 09:34:25 -0400

Borderline Personality Disorder Test

Wed, 25 May 2011 14:48:41 -0400

Borderline Personality Disorder known as BPD is a type of mental illness which is considered to be quite serious. It is characterized by instability in behavior, moods, interpersonal relations and self-image. Family and work life, long term planning and awareness of one’s individual identity is usually affected by this instability. People with BPD often find it difficult to regulate their emotions. Though this disorder is not as popular as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, it does affect 2 percent of the adult population, mainly young women. The rate of self-harm without having the intention of suicide is high in such cases. In some cases patients suffering from Borderline Personality Disorder also tend to commit suicide. Among patients hospitalized for psychiatric problems, patients with BPD make 20 percent. Over time many improve with help and are able to lead useful lives eventually. Last month I located this website explained this simply on this cla side effects webpage.

While people suffering from bipolar disorder or depression tend to display continued state of mood for a longer period, people suffering from BPD may undergo severe outbreaks of anger, anxiety and depression lasting for a few hours or maximum a day. These may have associations with series of aggression which is impulsive, such as alcohol or drug abuse and injury to self. Lack of self esteem is also common amongst patients suffering from BPD. They may feel mistreated unfairly, empty, or even bored at times. These symptoms are most severe when people having Borderline Personality Disorder feel that they do not have social support and are isolated.

The social relationships of people having BPD have highly unstable patterns. There is a change in their attitude towards their friends, family and loved ones, from love and great admiration to dislike and intense anger. BPD often appears with other psychiatric problems such as bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, depression, substance abuse, and other disorders. BPD is caused by the abnormal functioning of the Lymbic area of the brain controlling emotions. It may involve neurotransmitters such as dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, and norepinephrine.

A borderline personality disorder test is an evaluation used for diagnosing borderline personality disorder. A mental health professional administers the borderline personality disorder test. The test usually comprises of a series of questions or statements which the patient has to answer accordingly. If five or more symptoms are identified through the patient’s answers then the diagnosis follow accordingly.

Some of the questions covered in the test are check for reactions to abandonment, relationship issues, instability, questions pertaining to self esteem and self image, questions that try to find out more about the self destructive behavior of the individual or patient, questions on suicidal thoughts and behavior, or self injurious behavior, questions pertaining to feelings, especially feelings of emptiness and difficulty in controlling emotions especially anger and ones revolving around paranoia and loss of reality.

There are a number of websites having border personality disorder test which can help you determine whether someone you care about may have the symptoms of BPD. Once you have administered the test you can then discuss the results with a mental health professional to help with diagnosis and treatment of BPD. The causes, symptoms, signs are generally covered by the borderline personality disorder test. Treatment along with the steps you can take by yourself to fight this condition should be recommended by qualified doctors only.

There have been improvements in the treatments for BPD in the past few years. Individual and group psychotherapy have produced positive results for many patients. A new treatment termed dialectical behavior therapy known as DBT, is a psychosocial treatment that is usually recommended for BPD and seems to be promising. Depending on the specific symptoms the patient has, medications may be prescribed.

5 Tips On Caring For A Bonsai Tree

Mon, 23 May 2011 14:25:41 -0400

Keeping a Bonsai tree takes a lot of work and dedication. Since these trees have to constantly be trimmed and taken care of.

Here are some tips on caring for a Bonsai tree:

1. Bonsai trees are usually kept in pots or trays. They would need to be repotted once a year. This is to promote the growth of new roots. Eventually, they would need to be moved into a bigger container as the need arises.

The best containers are the ones specially designed for Bonsai trees. These have holes on the side that allow excess water to drain out of the holes, so the plants do not suffer from too much watering. A few weeks ago I located this weblog demonstrated this amazingly on this Dylan Kaczka web post.

2. Watering a Bonsai tree is tricky. Since they are contained in pots, there’s not much room to water them in. Also, too much watering can cause growth of fungus. The moisture level of a Bonsai tree should be closely inspected everyday, and moderated.

A Bonsai tree should never be allowed to completely dry out. A good method to check for moisture level is to put in a toothpick right inside the soil. This way individuals will now if it is still damp.

3. Bonsai trees need sun light! But be careful, since too much exposure to the sun can also damage the Bonsai tree. That is why individuals must make sure that their Bonsai trees achieve the proper balance of watering, sun exposure, and pruning, so the trees will remain healthy.

4. Remember that there are many types of Bonsai trees. Each will need to be individually cared for according to their type. This especially applies when it comes to the amount of sunlight they receive. So it is important to identify exactly what type of Bonsai tree one has, so they can find proper instructions on how to best to take care of it!

5. Do not trim Bonsai trees with just a pair of scissors! There are a lot of tools available that are especially designed to trim Bonsai tress. Each specific tool serving a different purpose, such as shaping the tree, cutting the leaves, tweaking its branches, etc.

Growing a Bonsai tree is an art form. So much work, attention, skill goes into maintaining its appearance. The trick is to make it appear that not a lot of work has been done to achieve their shape and symmetry. This is why these trees are so special and priced greatly for their beauty.

Oprah! How to Appear on The Oprah Winfrey Show

Sun, 22 May 2011 05:00:59 -0400

Do you dream of being on Oprah Winfrey’s television show? Lots of people do. An appearance on Oprah is considered by many to be the pinnacle of success. Authors dream of having bestselling books as a result of an Oprah appearance. Even David Letterman staged a long-running bit on his show where he openly campaigned to be invited on Oprah’s show. I found that this person described this smartly on this Cortez Pinch web page

Before pitching your story to Oprah, become familiar with how the show is structured. Oprah changes the show’s focus from year to year. Watch at least a full week of shows to learn the type of stories the show features and how regular segments fit into the show. As you watch, imagine how your story might be told on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Don’t send your pitch to Oprah Winfrey. Watch the credits to get the names of producers who work on the show. If you have a media kit, send it to the appropriate producer. Tell them why you think your story is right for the show, and how you see your story fitting into the format of the show. Include a copy of your book, a product sample, a short video, or other items that help make your case. You can get the current mailing address at the Oprah web site: http://www.Oprah.com/.

The Oprah.com web site is a great resource to help you land a spot on the show. The web site includes a list of topics they’re working on for upcoming shows, and tells you how to contact the show to tell your story. There are links for getting your story into O, Oprah’s magazine, too.

You can also use the web site to research regular show features and the topics of past shows. That knowledge can help you target your pitch to the show.

Remember that Oprah and her staff watch television, read newspapers and magazines, and listen to the radio. They are always on the lookout for great stories. Get your story in other media and they may find you. Doing lots of other interviews will also be great practice for when you actually make it to the Oprah set. The Oprah Winfrey Show is based in Chicago, so you might want to make a special effort to get publicity in Chicago media.

Know the show. Visit Oprah.com frequently to see what guests they are looking for. Follow up and contact the show when you can make a connection with an upcoming topic. And have a nice time in Chicago!

Arabic Sweets: Borma

Thu, 19 May 2011 13:15:47 -0400

This article attempts to describe one of the most desired types of Arabic sweets, namely the “Borma”. A differentiation is also made between the Lebanese and the Syrian versions of it.

Among all types of Arabic sweets and all varieties of assorted Baklava, the “Borma” is considered one of the richest and most desired types, as well as one of the most expensive as it is richly filled with nuts, being pistachios, pine nuts, or cashews. The pistachios filled version if more popular in general, but many people do like that one with a combination of pine nuts and cashews. I found that this webmaster explained this incredibly on this Mabel Debrock web site

Borma, which is also written “Burma”, consists of thin strings of dough wrapped around a variety of nuts. It is usually filled with either pistachios or with a mixture of pine nuts and cashews. The dough is made from flour and water and it is called Knafeh dough. At first, it is very flexible which allows it to be rolled in long cylinders as is the case in this dessert, and after it is baked it hardens and it takes its final form.

It is one of the sweetest types of Middle Eastern sweets as it is fully submerged in sugar syrup for a long time during preparation. The amount of sugar that stays in it depends on how long it is left to drain afterwards.

The Lebanese and the Syrian versions of Borma differ slightly in shape and taste. The Lebanese type tends to be smaller in diameter but thicker and sweeter. The syrian version is called “Mabrouma” instead. Both are derived from the same Arabic word that means “round”. Even though the Syrian version Mabrouma is exclusively filled with pistachios, the Lebanese version is filled with either pistachios or a mixture of pine nuts and cashews.

It is one of the many types of Arabic sweets that are usually classified under the type of “assorted Baklava”, which comprises original Baklava, Basma, Bassima, Ballorieh, Kol Weshkor (Roses), Asabi (Fingers), Bokaj, Iswara (Rings), and Is El Bolbol (Bird’s Nest), and Hadef, which are all made of nuts filled dough. All these types of pastries are made from very similar ingredients, but each one is unique in its own way. Borma for example has a unique brown color and rounded shape which makes its pieces stand out in any baklava assortment.

Arabic sweets are also known as Middle Eastern sweets, Mediterranean sweets, and Lebanese sweets.

What Does Your Gut Say?

Mon, 16 May 2011 12:49:07 -0400

We spend a lot of time sharing our opinions. Whether it’s about a Super Bowl ad, a new car or energy drink or the best new direction for our friend’s business - we share what we think with others. I found that this site explained this incredibly on this Berta Tyszko blog post

Everybody has an opinion. On pretty much everything.

We spend a lot of time sharing our opinions. Whether it’s about a Super Bowl ad, a new car or energy drink or the best new direction for our friend’s business - we share what we think with others.

We also all tend to listen to what others think about our lives, our careers and our businesses. Especially when that other is a respected leader - in our community, our industry or our lives.

What if those others are stuck in the status quo?

I learned that lesson recently in the publishing and marketing of my book. The publishing industry, as we all know, is so stuck in the past as to be a dinosaur sinking in the tar pits. I knew that going in. My BIG lesson was in learning that those who are the supposed ‘modern thinkers’ in the publishing business are also stuck in yesterday’s news. Even those new experts’ opinions were flat out misdirecting me.

I learned an important lesson. What experts say and think may be of value in your thinking - but when it comes right down to it - the only thing that matters is what you know to be true. For yourself.

Listen to the experts. Gather diverse perspectives. But then come back and ask yourself one simple question.

“What does my gut say?”

Listen carefully, then follow your gut. You know better than any expert about what’s right for you and your future.

First Thursday's on South Congress in Austin Texas

Sun, 15 May 2011 09:05:02 -0400

Austin is a great place for families. All year round the city is full of events that cater to its citizens young and old. One of the most popular destinations is First Thursdays on South Congress Avenue where once a month the shops stay open late and the entire street becomes a pedestrian friendly party that the whole family can enjoy. The South Congress Area (or SoCo as it is now called) has long had a reputation for its eclectic shops, art galleries, and restaurants. On First Thursday, everything stays open until 10pm on South Congress between Riverside Drive and Ben White Boulevard.

For those with kids in tow, you may want to make your first stop the Big Top Candy Shop. They carry a wide selection of vintage candy that you’ll remember from when you were a kid as well as all the new verities that you may have not have tried. They also have an old fashioned soda fountain serving up hot chocolate, peppermint shakes, and desserts.

You may want to then head over to Lucy in Disguise, Austin’s largest costume shop for a quick game of dress up. Lucy’s opened its doors on April fool’s Day in 1984 and has grown into an 8,000 sq. ft. costume mega store. Whether it’s a funny hat or a Mardi gras mask, Lucy’s has something for everyone. It’s a great place to get lost among the rows and rows of wacky costumes. I found that this page described this amazingly on this Parker Exantus web site

A new addition to South Congress is the Farm to Market Grocery. Inside you’ll find a wide selection of specialty items and fresh fruits and vegetables. On First Thursdays it’s a great place to stop in for a quick snack or to pick up a piece of fruit to carry with you down the street.

If you’re looking for a gift, you should take a moment to step into Monkey See, Monkey! Doing their part of Keep Austin Weird, they specialize in bizarre gifts that you may not ever see again. Where else are you going to find a Sock Monkey Wine Coozy? They also claim to carry 7 out of the 10 stupidest gifts listed on yahoo.com. The best part is that they’re proud of it.

When you get hungry from all the walking and shopping, there are a number of great food options. Guerro’s serves up world famous Mexican Cuisine and some of the best Margaritas in town. It is also a favorite haunt of local celebrities and a great place to people watch. Homeslice Pizza serves up some of the best New York style pies in town. They’re so serious about their pizza that they closed the whole shop for a week to take the staff to New York on a pizza tasting tour. If you have a sweet tooth, you should head over to Amy’s Ice Cream, an Austin original that serves up their own unique ice cream flavors.

Fans of live music will have to check out the Continental Club, one of Austin’s most well known music venues. Every night of the week, they showcase both local and national touring acts. You may also want to check out their new gallery space upstairs, a comfortable lounge with live jazz and blues every night of the week.

There really is something for everyone of South Congress and First Thursdays offer an amazing opportunity to explore every hot spot in the street. You never know who you’ll see and are guaranteed to discover something new.

How to Lose 4 Pounds a Week by Shifting Your Calories

Sat, 14 May 2011 14:03:43 -0400

If you want to lose 4 pounds a week and do it over and over again, you need to adopt an eating method which will get you to not only lose weight for a short while, but help you develop healthy lifestyle and nutrition habits for the future.

The key is to find an eating method that has the following characteristics:

1. It helps you lose weight fast.

2. You eat all the major food groups in good quantities.

3. You don’t need to starve.

4. The food is easy to prepare and affordable to buy.

These attributes ensure that you’ll be able to stick to this plan for the long run, lose weight, and keep it off for a long time. If you follow an eating method which doesn’t correspond to these characteristics, you are likely to gain the weight back again. I found that this weblog showed this incredibly on this Margie Bombard blog post

So, which eating method should you follow to lose 4 pounds a week?

I recommend following the Calorie Shifting method. This eating plan is based on constantly changing (or shifting) the types of calories that you eat from one day to the next so that you maintain a high metabolism. This is done by following a special software generated menu which arranges your food into an appropriate, calorie shifting menu.

Each day is made up of 4 meals with diverse food and basically no calorie restrictions (within reason) so that you don’t starve and always have something new to eat.

You eat for 11 days according to the calorie shifting menu and then get 3 days in which you can eat practically whatever you want. After the 3 days you shift your calories for another 11 days and so on.

Each 11 days you can lose up to 9 pounds so that you can easily lose 4 lbs a week.

The weight loss plan which uses calorie shifting is called Fat Loss 4 Idiots. I highly recommend it for men and women who wish to lose weight.

How To Lose 2 Pounds A Week So Effectively You Never Thought You Could

Sat, 14 May 2011 07:46:19 -0400

So the question is how to lose 2 pounds a week? It can be said that losing weight is no small feat. In fact, the mere mention of having to lessen your daily food intake automatically sends hunger pangs to your thought processes.

A lot of experts and dieticians have introduced thousands of diets, calorie calculators, workouts, nutrition plans and calorie counters to help people combat those unwanted pounds. We see all kinds of advertisements professing to have done the seemingly impossible. Most people seem to forget that they have to first accept the challenge of parting with those unwanted pounds forever and have the determination to see it done. Once this is achieved, there is no reason why you can’t fit in a size 6 dress, or perhaps that pair of pants you’ve been dreaming to buy off the rack. Here are some tips:

Eat? Skip? Be Merry? Don’t ever think that skipping meals is good. Contrary to popular belief, skipping a meal will not help you lose weight. Instead, focus on well-planned, balanced meals that give you energy throughout the day, especially during breakfast.

Not so Sweet! Remember that too much sugar in your body can only do harm. Battling those unwanted pounds is enough without you adding diabetes to the list. Fruits and low calorie yogurt always does the trick. Picture a serving of watermelon that has 9.5 grams of sugar, has no cholesterol, high in Vitamin C and A, and low in saturated fat. Then imagine a serving of low fat vanilla ice cream that has 15 grams of sugar in it and no Vitamin C content. Big difference right?

Can you read it? Food and nutrition labels are there for a reason. It’s no good trying to lose weight and ignore what you eat. Make it a habit to check and compare nutrition labels when you go food shopping. Watch out for foods that have high sugar, sodium, fat, and calorie content and pay attention to those that have high protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. You don’t always have to stick with tradition. Check for alternatives and don’t be afraid to try.

Oh Sodium! Too much salt in your diet can ruin it. Keep in mind that excess sodium in your body plays a big role in water retention, which in turn adds to your weight and makes you look and feel bloated. A diet which consists of 2500mg daily sodium intake should do it.

Get Physical! You don’t need a gym or a personal trainer to get that body back in shape. Brisk walking and jogging are sure bets. When at home, try those lunges, sit-ups and push ups. Twenty to thirty minutes of exercise per day will not only burn those fats and calories. It will also make you feel more invigorated and less sluggish. I found that this weblog described this intelligently on this Richie Mantey web post

Think Positive, Be Positive. Don’t be discouraged when results are not the way you want them to be. As long as you have the determination and the will, you’re already on your way to achieving that two-pound a week weight loss you’ve been thinking about. Stick to your plan on how to lose 2 pounds a week, work hard, always keep a fresh outlook and really just keep at it.

How to Cure and Prevent a Common Cold Naturally

Mon, 02 May 2011 08:03:24 -0400

When I was a child, I remembered I would occasionally catch a cold and spend about two weeks lying in bed, suffering. My joints and muscles would ache and, although I received better treatment, being served meals in bed and having a TV in my own room, it was still a very unpleasant period.

Eventually my mother blurted something about some Nobel prize winner (Linus Pauling) who wrote an article about eating lots of vitamin C to kill colds. So I tried that one time and found I managed to get the period of immense discomfort down to four days.

Then at one point garlic was mentioned and, after trying that as well, I seemed to get the period down to around one and a half days. In my earlier years, it seemed that whenever a “cold was going around”, I would catch it at the beginning AND at the tail end of it, when it had mutated slightly so that I managed to catch the next strain. Now though I’d say I get sick on average about half a day a year.

Since this is potentially a costly sickness, I thought I would add this to my list of natural ways to battle various illnesses.

The common cold is “a contagious viral infection of the upper respiratory tract characterized by inflammation (swelling and irritation with presence of extra immune cells) of the mucous membranes, sneezing, and sore throat. It is our only effective weapon against the alien attack of War of the Worlds, where all our military strength and nuclear weapons proved useless.

The following explains how I manage to avoid or kill colds. Sometimes I could be in a pub and drink from a less than clean glass and soon feel a scratchy feeling in my throat, like the bacteria left on the glass from the previous sick person. Or I could generally be feeling weaker and susceptible to catching a cold. So I immediately bombard my system with at least a thousand milligrams of vitamin C and one pill of Echinacea (description later). Generally, I throw at least 5 cloves of garlic into everything I cook, so my body’s general immunity should already be okay. I’ll take this dose of vitamin C and Echinacea once or twice a day, for one or two days until I feel my body is resilient again. This usually manages to avoid me from getting sick. However, if the virus gets out of hand, such as if I was on a drinking binge for a few days and lacked sleep, I then roll up my sleeves and get prepared for the all-out ATTACK on that virus!!

How to Kill a Cold

Once a cold has succeeded in establishing a good foothold in my body, I have several approaches I use to “kill” it. However, as usual, I prefer to avoid all “western medicine” approaches requiring chemicals or drugs. In the Czech Republic, where I presently live, someone sniffles and is immediately handed a doctor’s slip to lie in bed for four days and pound themselves with antibiotics. Although this practice is fading, it seems to come out of communist times, when everyone supported each other so as to work as little as possible. Of course, instead of staying at home most people would go out drinking and weaken their bodies further. I heard that these manmade antibiotics actually weaken your body, because your body does not produce the antibiotics itself and over time grows weaker and more susceptible to catching sicknesses.

Echinacea, on the other hand, is a natural antibiotic and actually STRENGTHENS your body against future sicknesses. I find Echinacea is most useful for killing viruses entrenched in my lungs, whereas vitamin C seems to work overall on the body.

Another natural herb which is supposed to be good for strengthening the body’s immunity system is Lapacho, although I don’t like its flavour very much and tend not to use it. You should be able to go to your local herbal drug store and ask what various natural ingredients are good at strengthening your body’s immunity system. Ginger is also good. When sick, I tend to bombard my system with 3,000 mg of vitamin C daily, spread over the day, each time taking a dose (one pill) of Echinacea.

l instinct apparently is to fast. This is because the body needs to use the energy it has to fight the cold and not to process the food you are eating. Therefore, it is generally a good idea to not eat foods, such as meat, which require greater energy to break down and process. When I feel REALLY bad, I go all out and fast totally. Maybe one and a half days to two days, depending on how strong the virus is.

However, as I am sure your doctor will suggest to you, all the killed virus must get flushed out of your system, in which case I find it quite important to drink lots of water. When I feel real bad, I find I can still work, but I get tired frequently and resort to sleeping in intervals. Sleeping is a time when the body generally rehabilitates itself, and is very important while you are sick.

If you do not want to resort to all out fasting, you can try cooking natural rice with lots of diced garlic. Ginger is also very good at fighting or preventing colds.

Therefore, you can try my favourite super duper cold killing soup, as an example:

in a small pot throw some cooking butter and sprinkle with certain spices, such as curry, pepper, thyme, bit of oregano, hot chilli/cayenne combination according to your tastes (I always put caraway seeds into everything I cook, but a lot of people do not like caraway seeds). In Indian cooking with curry, the trick apparently is to fry/cook the curry at the beginning into the butter (or Gi - very condensed butter), until a certain point (not very long) when the spices have merged into the butter and each other;

once the spices have melted into each other (be careful not to burn the butter or curry), throw in the diced ginger. Perhaps add a little oil to prevent burning or if you don’t like too much butter flavour in your soup;

shortly after that (depending on how much you want to soften the texture or weaken the flavour of the ginger) you can add onions and garlic. Stir fry until your desired level and throw in water;

you can add soya now or during the frying process at the beginning;

as the water heats up, you can add essential ingredients, such as natural rice, precooked lentils, maybe Chinese noodles, to give yourself your carbohydrate blast and fuel. Or nothing at all - depending on how much of a fast you think you can handle or are willing to take. (If you reaaally want to avoid fasting, you can make a similar meal by cooking only rice and then flavour it with the same ginger/garlic and or onion combination, with some vegetables);

add spices to your liking, tobasco spice and all the hotness you think you can handle. Hot spices are good for getting the nasal juices pouring.

You can also suck all day on raw lemon. I heard once that the difference between the molecules in store-bought vitamin C and the vitamin C in for example in a lemon is that the natural, living vitamin C molecules are spinning, where the store-bought ones are stagnant. This tells me that they are essentially dead and I assume that the natural ones should be a lot more powerful. You cannot overdose on vitamin C and you apparently just urinate out the excess, so feel free to have as much “live” vitamin C as you can handle. (However, I find my body starts to feel a bit overdosed if I have more than 3,000 mg of store bought-vitamin C pills a day.

Drink lots of water, take a lot of sleep naps, and I find I am virtually cured by the next morning. Try to avoid beer or wine - it seems to me that the yeast or something in these feeds viral growth in my throat, not to mention that it tends to neutralize or kill vitamin C and other nutrients in your body. If you really do need to drink booze or party, try to limit it to only hard or herbal alcohol.

This is how I generally manage to kill a cold - once I actually do catch one - by the next morning. Deep uninterrupted sleep helps a lot. But this is only once you do actually catch a cold. As usual though, why catch it at all when you can apply a bit of PREVENTIVE medicine?

How to Avoid Catching a Cold

Obviously, colds are transmitted by little virus bugs which land into your throat or nasal passages and start to eat away at your body. You can be on a metro or tram and inhale the bug from someone else’s sneeze. To prevent this, I guess you’d have to wear a gas mask or some other mask; but for most of us, this is not a viable option. Or you can generally eat lots of garlic and ginger as I do, as such strengthening your body’s immunity system (my girlfriend catches colds frequently and I certainly get closer to her than I do to people in elevators, although I still never catch colds from her).

But there are three main ways, at least here in the Czech Republic, how I found I tended to catch colds: I found that this webpage demonstrated this amazingly on this Margot Keyon weblog.

the hygienic standards here in Czech were not as strict as back home in Canada, I ordered myself a beer and caught a cold. So I try to always drink from just above the handle - a weird place from where most people do not drink - increasing my chances of not putting to my lips the juicy chunk of virus left by the last user. Or if not a glass with a handle, I pick a point on the glass, such as above the label, and drink only from that location, hence lowering my chances. If possible, I ask the bartender to pour my next beer into the same glass, since I have already “broken it in”, so to speak;

if travelling by public transportation or while in any other location where my hands come into contact with frequently touched objects (handle rails etc.), I try to always hold only with two fingers and at a “strange” location (joint between handle rails etc.) where most other people will not grab hold of (wearing gloves is certainly also good). And above all, try not to absent-mindedly wipe my nose with my fingers after holding onto something which the last hundred people held onto after wiping their nose with their fingers. This is a perfect way to transmit a virus;

one last thing you can try and which, as part of my internet research on this subject, I learned may help is to put a jar of water on your heater in the winter. When it is cold outside, we heat up our homes, and heaters tend to dry out the air. When the air is dry, my lips start to chap and I often wake up in the morning with a dry and sore throat. This seems to make it more susceptible to catching colds. You can be fancy and spend all sorts of money on a humidifier, or just put a jar of water on your heaters, which slowly evaporates and helps keep the air in your home more moist. Aquariums also help.

and lastly, perhaps contrary to the above few points, is not to be so obsessive about sterilisation. The new generation is said to be catching colds quickly and constantly because everything is so sterile, and many people take prescription antibiotics at the first sneeze. Synthetic antibiotics weaken your body. It is like a crutch, or a wheelchair, and if you sit in a wheelchair too long and don’t exercise your muscles, your body gets weak. It develops a dependence on your crutch. But natural antibiotics, such as garlic, ginger, vitamin C and Echinacea instead strengthen your body. And the introduction of foreign bacteria will also strengthen your immune system, because your body is forced to develop antibodies against it. It is like taking a vaccine. A small dose and weakened version of a disease which your body can react to and develop against it an immune system. So hey, don’t be so obsessively clean. But avoid strong doses as mentioned above.

These are general preventive tactics. Of course, I guess you can include in that trying to avoid going on drinking binges for too many days in a row while depriving yourself of sleep, or other forms of stressful work which tend to weaken your body’s immunity system. Or by trying to maintain a healthy and balanced diet, with lots of vegetables and vitamins, or by exercising and taking care of your body to make it stronger. In my internet research on this subject, I also learned that sugar is bad for the immunity system. White sugar is supposed to be bad for you generally.

How to Cure and Prevent a Common Cold Naturally

Mon, 02 May 2011 06:42:10 -0400

When I was a child, I remembered I would occasionally catch a cold and spend about two weeks lying in bed, suffering. My joints and muscles would ache and, although I received better treatment, being served meals in bed and having a TV in my own room, it was still a very unpleasant period.

Eventually my mother blurted something about some Nobel prize winner (Linus Pauling) who wrote an article about eating lots of vitamin C to kill colds. So I tried that one time and found I managed to get the period of immense discomfort down to four days.

Then at one point garlic was mentioned and, after trying that as well, I seemed to get the period down to around one and a half days. In my earlier years, it seemed that whenever a “cold was going around”, I would catch it at the beginning AND at the tail end of it, when it had mutated slightly so that I managed to catch the next strain. Now though I’d say I get sick on average about half a day a year.

Since this is potentially a costly sickness, I thought I would add this to my list of natural ways to battle various illnesses.

The common cold is “a contagious viral infection of the upper respiratory tract characterized by inflammation (swelling and irritation with presence of extra immune cells) of the mucous membranes, sneezing, and sore throat. It is our only effective weapon against the alien attack of War of the Worlds, where all our military strength and nuclear weapons proved useless.

The following explains how I manage to avoid or kill colds. Sometimes I could be in a pub and drink from a less than clean glass and soon feel a scratchy feeling in my throat, like the bacteria left on the glass from the previous sick person. Or I could generally be feeling weaker and susceptible to catching a cold. So I immediately bombard my system with at least a thousand milligrams of vitamin C and one pill of Echinacea (description later). Generally, I throw at least 5 cloves of garlic into everything I cook, so my body’s general immunity should already be okay. I’ll take this dose of vitamin C and Echinacea once or twice a day, for one or two days until I feel my body is resilient again. This usually manages to avoid me from getting sick. However, if the virus gets out of hand, such as if I was on a drinking binge for a few days and lacked sleep, I then roll up my sleeves and get prepared for the all-out ATTACK on that virus!!

How to Kill a Cold

Once a cold has succeeded in establishing a good foothold in my body, I have several approaches I use to “kill” it. However, as usual, I prefer to avoid all “western medicine” approaches requiring chemicals or drugs. In the Czech Republic, where I presently live, someone sniffles and is immediately handed a doctor’s slip to lie in bed for four days and pound themselves with antibiotics. Although this practice is fading, it seems to come out of communist times, when everyone supported each other so as to work as little as possible. Of course, instead of staying at home most people would go out drinking and weaken their bodies further. I heard that these manmade antibiotics actually weaken your body, because your body does not produce the antibiotics itself and over time grows weaker and more susceptible to catching sicknesses.

Echinacea, on the other hand, is a natural antibiotic and actually STRENGTHENS your body against future sicknesses. I find Echinacea is most useful for killing viruses entrenched in my lungs, whereas vitamin C seems to work overall on the body.

Another natural herb which is supposed to be good for strengthening the body’s immunity system is Lapacho, although I don’t like its flavour very much and tend not to use it. You should be able to go to your local herbal drug store and ask what various natural ingredients are good at strengthening your body’s immunity system. Ginger is also good. When sick, I tend to bombard my system with 3,000 mg of vitamin C daily, spread over the day, each time taking a dose (one pill) of Echinacea. I found that this weblog showed this well on this Rod Dellwo page.

l instinct apparently is to fast. This is because the body needs to use the energy it has to fight the cold and not to process the food you are eating. Therefore, it is generally a good idea to not eat foods, such as meat, which require greater energy to break down and process. When I feel REALLY bad, I go all out and fast totally. Maybe one and a half days to two days, depending on how strong the virus is.

However, as I am sure your doctor will suggest to you, all the killed virus must get flushed out of your system, in which case I find it quite important to drink lots of water. When I feel real bad, I find I can still work, but I get tired frequently and resort to sleeping in intervals. Sleeping is a time when the body generally rehabilitates itself, and is very important while you are sick.

If you do not want to resort to all out fasting, you can try cooking natural rice with lots of diced garlic. Ginger is also very good at fighting or preventing colds.

Therefore, you can try my favourite super duper cold killing soup, as an example:

in a small pot throw some cooking butter and sprinkle with certain spices, such as curry, pepper, thyme, bit of oregano, hot chilli/cayenne combination according to your tastes (I always put caraway seeds into everything I cook, but a lot of people do not like caraway seeds). In Indian cooking with curry, the trick apparently is to fry/cook the curry at the beginning into the butter (or Gi - very condensed butter), until a certain point (not very long) when the spices have merged into the butter and each other;

once the spices have melted into each other (be careful not to burn the butter or curry), throw in the diced ginger. Perhaps add a little oil to prevent burning or if you don’t like too much butter flavour in your soup;

shortly after that (depending on how much you want to soften the texture or weaken the flavour of the ginger) you can add onions and garlic. Stir fry until your desired level and throw in water;

you can add soya now or during the frying process at the beginning;

as the water heats up, you can add essential ingredients, such as natural rice, precooked lentils, maybe Chinese noodles, to give yourself your carbohydrate blast and fuel. Or nothing at all - depending on how much of a fast you think you can handle or are willing to take. (If you reaaally want to avoid fasting, you can make a similar meal by cooking only rice and then flavour it with the same ginger/garlic and or onion combination, with some vegetables);

add spices to your liking, tobasco spice and all the hotness you think you can handle. Hot spices are good for getting the nasal juices pouring.

the hygienic standards here in Czech were not as strict as back home in Canada, I ordered myself a beer and caught a cold. So I try to always drink from just above the handle - a weird place from where most people do not drink - increasing my chances of not putting to my lips the juicy chunk of virus left by the last user. Or if not a glass with a handle, I pick a point on the glass, such as above the label, and drink only from that location, hence lowering my chances. If possible, I ask the bartender to pour my next beer into the same glass, since I have already “broken it in”, so to speak;

if travelling by public transportation or while in any other location where my hands come into contact with frequently touched objects (handle rails etc.), I try to always hold only with two fingers and at a “strange” location (joint between handle rails etc.) where most other people will not grab hold of (wearing gloves is certainly also good). And above all, try not to absent-mindedly wipe my nose with my fingers after holding onto something which the last hundred people held onto after wiping their nose with their fingers. This is a perfect way to transmit a virus;

one last thing you can try and which, as part of my internet research on this subject, I learned may help is to put a jar of water on your heater in the winter. When it is cold outside, we heat up our homes, and heaters tend to dry out the air. When the air is dry, my lips start to chap and I often wake up in the morning with a dry and sore throat. This seems to make it more susceptible to catching colds. You can be fancy and spend all sorts of money on a humidifier, or just put a jar of water on your heaters, which slowly evaporates and helps keep the air in your home more moist. Aquariums also help.

and lastly, perhaps contrary to the above few points, is not to be so obsessive about sterilisation. The new generation is said to be catching colds quickly and constantly because everything is so sterile, and many people take prescription antibiotics at the first sneeze. Synthetic antibiotics weaken your body. It is like a crutch, or a wheelchair, and if you sit in a wheelchair too long and don’t exercise your muscles, your body gets weak. It develops a dependence on your crutch. But natural antibiotics, such as garlic, ginger, vitamin C and Echinacea instead strengthen your body. And the introduction of foreign bacteria will also strengthen your immune system, because your body is forced to develop antibodies against it. It is like taking a vaccine. A small dose and weakened version of a disease which your body can react to and develop against it an immune system. So hey, don’t be so obsessively clean. But avoid strong doses as mentioned above.

15 Funny Jokes to Take to Work

Mon, 02 May 2011 04:10:07 -0400

Every stress-filled job needs a little injection of humor to lighten the workday load. With deadlines zooming, quotas not being met, mistakes made, boss not pleased with your performance, co-workers complaining, and back-stabbing…some days the workplace can seem like nothing but one big self-esteem sucking machine. Since the innate desire to shout and slam will not be acceptable try taking two jokes and laughing your way to the next part of your day.

1. We should have known the patient was going to be mean and ornery, he had different colored eyes; two of them were blue.

2. The patient started to settle down after he had been in the hospital for a week, we know because he finally starting waiving at the nurses with all five fingers.

3. The doctor put Sally on a diet, she’s trying to get down to her original weight of six pounds and seven ounces.

4. You know you’ve had a tough day at work when you get home and try to open the front door of your home with your car clicker.

5. The stress level has gotten out of hand when you find yourself at lunchtime standing in front of the microwave yelling, “Hurry!”

6. You know you’ll be working more than 40 hour work weeks when your first day on the job they issue you a badge, lap-top, cell phone and a sleeping bag. I found that this person demonstrated this amazingly on this Guy Gronosky web post.

7. The barista at the company coffee shop is getting a big aggressive. First his tip jar said, ‘Thanks a latte’, then it read, ‘Feeling Tipsy?’ now it has a big sign with, ‘Don’t make me put a bug in your drink!’.

8. My friends say that I’m think, pretty and smart…which is why, of course, they are my friends.

9. What do you call a cow with no legs? Ground beef

10. Why don’t cannibals eat comedians? Because they taste funny.

11. There ought to be more accurate names for deodorants. Why don’t they have names like, Pitt Stop, No Sweat, or for the deodorant that is so effective you don’t even know it’s there, Vice President.

12. Thought out to rename Starbucks to Steal-bucks.

13. I’ve got a frog in my throat; tastes like chicken.

14. Q: What did the cow name her baby calf? A: Patty

15. Q: How much did the cow’s baby calf weight when it was born? A: A quarter pound

Country Music in the 21st Century

Sun, 01 May 2011 13:16:30 -0400

Winners of the 2011 Academy of Country Music Awards (ACM) have been announced! Competition for the coveted ACM Entertainer of the Year award was fierce with a record-breaking 600,000 fans casting ballots, but 2011’s clear winner and the youngest female to take home the prize was Taylor Swift. After being beat out by Brad Paisley for Entertainer of the Year at the 2010 Country Music Association Awards (CMA), Taylor Swift had her revenge. Rounding out a year that saw her Hollywood acting debut in Valentine’s Day and the completion of the Asian and European legs of her Speak Now world tour, this 21-year-old superstar is about to embark on the North American leg of her tour with the world as her oyster. Other big winners at the ACM Awards included Male Vocalist of the Year Brad Paisley, Female Vocalist of the Year Miranda Lambert, Vocal Duo of the Year Sugarland and Vocal Group of the Year Lady Antebellum.

Not to be confused with the CMA, the ACM was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California to represent country music on the West Coast. The CMA, founded in 1958, started in Nashville. Nowadays both organizations play host to the world’s biggest country artists. Though the CMA awards won’t happen again until the fall, the CMA Music Festival is right around the corner. From June 9th through the 12th, some of country’s biggest names are donating their time to raise money for music education. Originally called the Fan Fest, the CMA Music Festival has been raising money for charity since 1972. This year’s program includes ACM Award winners and nominees Jason Aldean, The Band Perry, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley, the Zac Brown Band, Sugarland, and Keith Urban to name a few.

For those of us who like both kinds of music (country and western), there are a wide variety of subgenres to choose from. The music being played by ACM and CMA musicians today evolved over a long history. Early country music originated in the American South in the mountains of Appalachia when Irish, Spanish and West African immigrants who brought the fiddle, guitar and banjo from their homelands began string bands. African and European Americans living, working and playing music together developed the early folk sound that was the foundation of today’s country.

On the way, country music incorporated elements of jazz, Western music from cowboy movies, bluegrass, gospel and honky tonk. With the advent of rockabilly in the 1950s, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash ushered in the modern era of country. During that time, country music morphed into a multimillion dollar industry around the Nashville cum countrypolitan sound of Patsy Cline and Tammy Wynette on the East coast and the renegade Bakersfield sound played by Merle Haggard and Dwight Yoakam on the West Coast which eschewed Nashville’s squeaky clean production in favor of swing and rock and roll elements. I found that this webpage explained this well on this Maynard Thomsen post.

The late 1960s through the 70s saw change in all walks of American life. Rock and roll merged with country in the music of Gram Parsons, Hank Williams Jr., Dolly Parton, Rosanne Cash, and Alabama, all of whom pioneered the “country rock” sound. Most of today’s country sound, a hybrid of country rock and pop with neotraditional elements, originated in the 90s and was popularized by the worldwide success of folks like Clint Black, Billy Ray Cyrus and Garth Brooks. In the new millennium, country music is breaking down walls and musicians from other genres are having crossover success.

Richard Marx, Bon Jovi and even Poison have recorded hit country songs while artists like Taylor Swift, whose single Love Story became the bestselling country song of all time, are annihilating chart records and redefining what it means to go country in the 21st century. Regardless of your taste, we are in a golden age for actually seeing your favorite musicians on tour.

Guitar Scales For Country Music

Sun, 01 May 2011 07:44:22 -0400

The trick with music theory is to break everything down into

baby-step i.e., guitar scales for country music, guitar scales

for bluegrass music, guitar scales for jazz music, guitar scales

for rock music.

Let’s say your primary style of music is country music. We could

subdivide the subject of music theory into: what guitar scales

for country, what chord progressions for country, what style of

country music, what guitar techniques for country.

What guitar scales for country:

major pentatonic, major diatonic, cascading scales …

What chord progressions for country:

two chord songs, three chord songs, four chord songs …

What style of country music:

Traditional country, modern country, country rock … What guitar techniques for country:

Hammer-on’s, pull-off’s, bends, slides …

As you zero in on the specific skills you need to learn the

complex subject of music theory becomes a lot less stressful

and much more achievable.

By dividing and sub diving any complex subject you also learn how

to accelerate your progress on guitar. The scales you would

learn for country guitar would be determined by what style of

country music you intended to play.

Instead of just saying “I want to play country guitar”, if you

are prepared to dig a little deeper, you will decrease the amount

of information and skills you need to acquire by looking at each

area of country guitar playing i.e., chord progressions, if you

predominately played three chord songs in the keys of G and D,

you would only have to learn four chord shapes.

Three chord songs in key of G: G - C - D

Three chord songs in key of D: D - G - A

Although country guitar has spawned no shortage of modern greats

(Albert Lee, Ray Flacke, Danny Gatton, and the Hellecasters come

quickly to mind, although there are many others) in general,

however the music buying public doesn’t really know how hip and

entertaining instrumental country guitar is.

Here’s ten top country guitarists to get listening for specific

country guitar playing techniques.

1. Chet Atkins

2. Merle Travis

3. Jerry Reed

4. Roy Clark

5. Hank Garland

6. Albert Lee

7. Maybelle Carter

8. Doc Watson

9. Norman Blake

10. Tony Rice

The classic electric guitar sound for country music is

characterized by the undistorted sound of single-coil guitar

pickups, usually a Fender Telecaster or Fender Stratocaster, and

the employment of fairly undistorted amplification most often a

Fender Twin Reverb 100watt amp.

Guitar scales for country music are: major Pentatonic, major

diatonic, and to a lesser degree the minor pentatonic scale and

the blues scale.

The most popular guitar scales for country music are without

doubt the major pentatonic. the two most common ways of playing

this scale for country music is:

A major pentatonic scale (PATTERN 1)

sixth string, fifth fret, fourth finger

fifth string, second fret, first finger

fifth string, fourth fret, third finger

fourth string, second fret, first finger

fourth string, fourth fret, third finger I found that this webmaster demonstrated this really well on this Devin Kaneholani blog post.

third string, second fret, first finger

third string, fourth fret, third finger

second string, second fret, first finger

second string, fifth fret, fourth finger

first string, second fret, first finger

first string, fifth fret, fourth finger

A major pentatonic scale (PATTERN 2)

sixth string, fifth fret, first finger

sixth string, seventh fret, third finger

sixth string, ninth fret, third finger

fifth string, seventh fret, first finger

fifth string, ninth fret, third finger

fourth string, seventh fret, first finger

fourth string, ninth fret, third finger

fourth string, eleventh fret, third finger

third string, ninth fret, first finger

third string, eleventh fret, third finger

second string, tenth fret, second finger

The fingering for the A major pentatonic scale (pattern 2) may

seem a little unusual at first, however with a little practice,

it will work out fine.

Both these patterns feature the same notes in the same

sequence, if you play each scale slowly and listen carefully you

will notice however a tone from certain notes, this is because

the notes are being playing on different strings resulting in a

different tone. Thicker strings produce a more mellow tone.

By learning these guitar scales for country guitar you will soon

be playing your favorite country guitar sounds.

Country Foyer: Inviting Decorating Ideas

Sun, 01 May 2011 06:04:47 -0400

Since the foyer area of your home is what guests see first, it is important to make it a very inviting and attractive area. Most people’s expectations of what the rest of your home will look like are set by what they see in the foyer. Although you can certainly create an inviting foyer to complement any style of home decor, the country-styled foyer often has an especially welcoming appearance. If you have your home decorated in a country, cottage or rustic style, here are some ideas you can use to add a beautiful and inviting touch to your home’s foyer area. I found that this blogger showed this incredibly on this Nakisha Berch website.

Assessing the Foyer
Because foyer size and location can vary so much from home to home, it is important to first assess your space before planning your decorating ideas. Although you may love the look of a beautifully decorated spacious area, you may in fact have only a small foyer with which to work. Fortunately, regardless of its size and shape, there are many things you can do to create an appealing country foyer that will make your guests as well as your own family feel welcome. Even if your foyer is small, you can often create the illusion of spaciousness, simply by using some creative decorating techniques.

The Small Country Foyer
Small country foyers often look best with minimal furniture items. For example, instead of taking up floor space with a larger table, a simple storage bench or small chair and shelf could be sufficient. Utilizing your wall space can be especially important when you have a small foyer. For beautiful country styling, add a peg or hook rack to the wall. Not only will it add a touch of country charm, but you’ll also have a convenient place to hang jackets, bags, and personal accessories such as hats, umbrellas and pet leashes. If you only have room for a small table, make the most of it by displaying something beautiful. A basket of seasonal flowers, pine cones or seashells can add a simple decorative touch that will add to the beauty of your country decor. Wooden storage benches often have a rustic look that works nicely with country styling. Not only will these useful pieces of furniture provide you with a handy place to sit when putting on your boots, but they can also provide plenty of hidden storage. Paint the foyer walls in a light warm shade, or use wallpaper with a small pattern such as pin dots to add country charm.

Decorating the Larger Foyer
If you are lucky enough to have a larger foyer, you’ll be able to expand a bit on your decorating style. A long narrow table can be a great addition to the foyer, providing you with plenty of space to hold books, a basket of flowers, or as a convenient spot to place your purse or gloves as you get ready to leave the home. An umbrella stand or a small cabinet can also be handy foyer additions. Larger foyers can also be painted with darker warm shades without fear of making them look too small. Add a wall shelf or a mirror flanked with candle sconces for the perfect finishing touch.

Impact of Social Media on Society

Sun, 01 May 2011 03:22:35 -0400

“Do you have Facebook?”

“Yes, of course. But I don’t think you can find me, as there are too many people who have the same name as me. Try searching with my surname as well.”

“Hey, you celebrated your birthday in K-Box, right? I saw the photos in your Facebook.”

“Bro, I saw your comments about the YouTube video that I’ve posted in my blog. I’m happy that you are also deeply moved by the ‘Dancing Peacock Man’ as well.”

Social media or “social networking” has almost become part of our daily lives and being tossed around over the past few years. It is like any other media such as newspaper, radio and television but it is far more than just about sharing information and ideas. Social networking tools like Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and Blogs have facilitated creation and exchange of ideas so quickly and widely than the conventional media. The power of define and control a brand is shifting from corporations and institutions to individuals and communities. It is no longer on the 5Cs (e.g. condominium, credit cards and car) that Singaporeans once talked about. Today, it is about the brand new Cs: creativity, communication, connection, creation (of new ideas and products), community (of shared interests), collaboration and (changing the game of) competition. I found that this webpage demonstrated this simply on this Renaldo Faulkenburg page.

In January 2010, InSites Consulting has conducted an online survey with 2,884 consumers from over 14 countries between the ages of 18 to 55 years old on social networking. More than 90% of participants know at least 1 social networking site and 72% of participants are members of at least 1 social networking site. On the average, people have about 195 friends and they log in twice a day to social networking sites. However, 55% of the users cannot access their social network websites at work. In the past, not many adults were able to make more than 500 friends, but with social media, even a child or teenager can get to know more than 500 people in a few days by just clicking the mouse. Social media has devalued the traditional definition of “friend” where it means trust, support, compatible values, etc. Although we get to know more people, we are not able to build strong bond with all the people whom we met as our available time is limited. Hence, there is an upcoming social trend of people with wider social circles, but weaker ties (people we don’t know very well but who provide us with useful information and ideas).

Social media also influences people’s buying behaviours. Digital Influence Group reported that 91% of the people say consumer reviews are the #1 aid to buying decisions and 87% trust a friend’s recommendation over critic’s review. It is thrice more likely to trust peer opinions over advertising for purchasing decisions. 1 word-of-mouth conversation has an impact of 200 TV ads. With the prevalence use of social media, there is numerous news related to it from the most viewed YouTube video on “Armless pianist wins ‘China’s Got Talent’” to Web-assisted suicide cases (e.g. New Jersey college student who killed himself after video of him in a sexual encounter with another man was posted online). Thus, does social networking make us better or worse off as a society?

Positive Effects of Social Media

Besides having opportunity to know a lot of people in a fast and easy way, social media also helped teenagers who have social or physical mobility restrictions to build and maintain relationships with their friends and families. Children who go overseas to study can still stay in meaningful contact with their parents. To a greater extend, there is anecdotal evidence of positive outcomes from these technologies.

In 2008, President-elected Obama won the election through the effective use of social media to reach millions of audience or voters. The Obama campaign had generated and distributed huge amount of contents and messages across email, SMS, social media platforms and their websites. Obama and his campaign team fully understood the fundamental social need that everyone shares - the need of being “who we are”. Therefore, the campaign sent the message as “Because It’s about YOU” and chose the right form of media to connect with individuals, call for actions and create community for a social movement. They encouraged citizens to share their voices, hold discussion parties in houses and run their own campaign meetings. It truly changed the delivery of political message.

Obama campaign had made 5 million “friends” on more than 15 social networking sites (3 million friends on Facebook itself) and posted nearly 2,000 YouTube videos which were watched over 80 million times. At its peak, their website, MyBarackObama.com, had 8.5 million monthly visitors and produced 400,000 blog posts. In order to ensure that their contents were found by people, the Obama campaign spent $3.5 million on Google search in October alone, $600,000 on Advertising.com, $467,000 on Facebook in 2008, etc. Currently, Obama’s Twitter account has close to 6 million followers.

In 2010, after the earthquake happened in Haiti, many of the official communication lines were down. The rest of the world was not able to grasp the full picture of the situation there. To facilitate the sharing of information and make up for the lack of information, social media came in very handy to report the news about the affected area on what happened and what help was needed. Tweets from many people provided an impressive overview of the ongoing events from the earthquake. BBC covered the event by combining tweets from the work of its reporter Matthew Price in Port-au-Prince at the ground. Guardian’s live blog also used social media together with the information from other news organisations to report about the rescue mission.

It has been two years since CNN officially launched iReport as a section of its website where people can upload video material, with contact information. During the Haiti crisis, CNN had published a range of social media material but not all the materials were verified. The editorial staff would vet the reports from the citizen journalists and labeled them differently compared to unverified contents. On Facebook, a group, named “Earthquake Haiti”, was formed to show support and share updates and news. It had more than 14,000 members and some users even pleaded for assistance to the injured Haitians in the group. Using email, Twitter and social networking sites like Facebook, thousands of volunteers as part of Project Ushahidi were able to map reports sent by people from Haiti.

The most impressive part of the social media’s impact on Haiti is the charity text-message donations that soared to over $10 million for the victims in Haiti. People interested in helping the victims are encouraged to text, tweet and publicize their support using various social networking sites. The Global Philanthropy Group had also started a campaign to ask wealthy people and celebrities, like Ben Stiller and John Legend to use Twitter and Facebook to encourage others to give to UNICEF. An aid worker, Saundra Schimmelpfennig, allowed the advice from other aid workers and donors to post on her blog regarding to choosing which charitable organisations to support. In the meantime, donors were asking questions in Twitter, Facebook and blogs about their donations and endorsements of their favourite charities. After every crisis, the social media for social cause becomes a more effective medium to spread the word.

Negative Effects of Social Media

There are always two sides of every coin. Social media is just a tool or mean for people to use. It is still up to the users on how to use this tool (just like a knife, can help you to cut food or hurt others). Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project and Elon University’s Imagining the Internet Center conducted a study on “The Future of Online Socializing” from the highly engaged, diverse set of respondents to an online, opt-in survey consisted of 895 technology stakeholders and critics. The negative effects presented by the respondents included time spent online robs time from important face-to-face relationships; the internet fosters mostly shallow relationships; the act of leveraging the internet to engage in social connection exposes private information; the internet allows people to silo themselves, limiting their exposure to new ideas; and the internet is being used to engender intolerance.

Some respondents also highlighted that there will be development of some new psychological and medical syndromes that will be “variations of depression caused by the lack of meaningful quality relationships”, and a “new world society”. The term, “Social Networking”, has begun to deceive the users to believe they are social creatures. For instance, spending a couple of hours using Farmville and chatting with friends concurrently does not convert into social skills. People become dependent on the technology and forget how to socialise in face-to-face context. The online personality of a person might be totally different from his/her offline character, causing chaos when the two personalities meet. It is apparent in online dating when the couple gets together in face-to-face for the first time. Their written profiles do not clearly represent their real-life characters. It is more enticing for people to type something that others want to hear than saying the truth.

Besides the “friendship”, creators of social networking sites and users redefine the term, “privacy” in the Internet as well. The challenge in data privacy is to share data while protecting personally identifiable information. Almost any information posted on social networking sites is permanent. Whenever someone posts pictures or videos on the web, it becomes viral. When the user deletes a video from his/her social network, someone might have kept it and then posted it onto other sites like YouTube already. People post photographs and video files on social networking sites without thinking and the files can reappear at the worst possible time. In 2008, a video of a group of ACJC students hazing a female student in school on her birthday was circulated and another video of a SCDF recruit being “welcomed” (was hosed with water and tarred with shoe polish) to a local fire station made its way online.

Much news has been reported about online privacy breach in Facebook and Facebook is constantly revising their privacy policy and changing their privacy controls for the users. Interestingly, even when users delete their personal information and deactivate their Facebook account, Facebook will still keep that information and will continue to use it for data mining. A reporter asked whether the data will at least be anonymized. The Facebook representative declined to comment.

In the corporate world, human resource managers can access Facebook or MySpace to get to know about a candidate’s true colours, especially when job seekers do not set their profiles to private. Research has found that almost half of employers have rejected a potential worker after finding incriminating material on their Facebook pages. Some employers have also checked the candidates’ online details in Facebook pages to see if they are lying about their qualifications. Nowadays, younger generations have a complete disregard for their own privacy, opening doors to unwelcome predators or stalkers.

Travel and Leisure Book Review - Palm Springs Life - Sun, Fun, Stay, Play

Sat, 30 Apr 2011 13:01:20 -0400

Tired of the weather up North? Well, you are not alone, as every year 100s of thousands of folks come to Palm Springs CA and the surrounding areas to get out of the cold weather, snow, blizzards, ice storms and thundering rain. Why do they call it Palm Springs? And why have people chosen this desert paradise for over 50-years now?

Let’s see, it would take me thousands of words and 100s of pages to explain it all, but it might be better if you go and pick yourself up a picture tourist book from Palm Springs, CA and the neighboring desert cities such as Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells and La Quinta. Let me recommend the perfect book for you, which also makes a wonderful coffee table piece for your living room:

“Palm Springs Life - 2007-2008 Edition” printed in conjunction with California Prestige Magazine and Hilton Resort Palm Springs. Edited by Milton W. Jones - copyright 2007. I found that this weblog showed this nicely on this Kyle Tangen article

This 380 page volume has gorgeous pictorials on nearly every page, with suggesting to the finest restaurants, spas, golf courses and attractions. You will be amazed that there are so many things to do and see. Whether you are looking for a vacation home, snow-bird rental or just a couple of weeks in a desert paradise, this is one book that will bring it all to life.

All the museums, art galleries and world renowned shopping districts are listed with maps, advice and specialties explained. One thing occurred to me, when I picked up my last copy, this years edition; “What if every tourist destination had a book like this?” Well, with all the traveling that I do, my shelves would be full and I would be a happy man.

Green Ideas for Children This Holiday Season

Sat, 30 Apr 2011 07:20:06 -0400

The holiday season is fast approaching and there are many ways to spread the good cheer to our children by not only giving green toys but also teaching them green practices.

If you’re children like mine ask every two seconds while watching a cartoon “I want that!” “No I want that!” “Wait, wait, I want that!” You are not alone. There are toys from crying babies that can eat and talk to full size robots that can move around with a touch of a button. Bikes and trikes, scooters, and mini toy cars. Lets not even mention the stocking stuffer toys that are itty bits of plastic that are used as filler that will soon get thrown away.

Also you soon realize that after giving all your children toys and gifts that after a week or two most of them lay in the toy room and not picked up again for months or never. Then the next Christmas comes along and more toys are added and more and more until finally there are so many toys with missing pieces, broken arms and ripped out pages that they get thrown away. It can be a never ending cycle of buying more and wasting more. Not just your money but also the earth.

I would like to offer some green present ideas and green gift substitutes for this holiday season. I think that the holiday season can be more memorable and enjoyable if we can take the time to focus on our families and our community. When we keep things small and simple we feel healthy in our minds and our bodies. Our community and earth benefit as well with less waste products filling land and air.

Green Present Ideas

Try to upcycle toys with neighbors and extended family. Most toys in your own home are in great condition but are maybe not age appropriate. If you have a neighbor who has a daughter a few years older than your daughter see if there are some toys that you could either trade for or buy to save money and landfill space. If you have a friend who’s son is obsessed with trains contact her and let her know that your son has outgrown all his.

Look around your house for objects that can be made into toys. Try making a doll house out of a large sturdy cardboard box, take your time cutting out windows and doors, attach wallpaper from leftover wallpaper from your dining room, use extra fabric to make bed coverings and window curtains. Children love getting gifts from the heart not just from the toy store.

If you know how to wood work ask for free leftover wood at a lumber store or construction site. Check out the internet for instructions to build wooden toys like trains, cars, toy guns, and even action figures. Any boy would love to play and imagine with something that was made just for him.

Green Gift Substitutes

For older children who have grown out of toys a great idea to enjoy the holiday season while being green is volunteering at homeless shelters and soup kitchens either during Christmas season or even on Christmas day. Have them look for gently used toys and clothes that they have outgrown that they would like to donate. Or try a road side clean up activity where all cans collected could be exchanged for money and donated to a cause. I found that this weblog showed this amazingly on this Quintin Brazen weblog.

Another great idea for gift giving within the family is gifts of service. A foot rub for mom, doing dishes for one week for brother, shoveling snow for dad. Gifts of service often say more than a watch or new CD.

If you do buy toys try to look for toys that are made from recycled plastics. Check out Etsy for homemade gifts that are made in a more homemade green way.

Six Ways to Stay Sane This Holiday Season

Sat, 30 Apr 2011 06:58:44 -0400

1. By changing your reaction you can change your child’s reaction too. The wonderful thing about your own response is that you have the power to stop and change it. IT IS possible to keep cool even when your girl is losing it. Now is the time to remind yourself of your own cool down methods (as often as needed).

2. Power struggles are not about winning and losing. They provide opportunities for learning how to deal with strong emotions and solve problems together. So you are not a failure when you are in a tug of war with your girl. But rather you have found yourself the opportunity to learn what’s important to you and her. Now that shift in perspective should make you feel better already!

3. Believe it or not your girl is not “out to get you.” Right below every challenging behavior lives a feeling or need that is not being recognized or met. You can discover this feeling or need and help your girl address it in a mutually respectful way. Come from a place of genuine curiosity and caring. Listening or working with your girl does not mean spoiling her or giving in. Instead you are modeling the respectful interaction you want her to have with you and others. I found that this blogger demonstrated this nicely on this Cory Kment weblog.

4. Emotions can be used as your guide. Emotions allow us to recognize when our boundaries are being pushed. Understanding emotions helps us to identify the source behind the misbehavior and gives us the opportunity to teach a more appropriate response. Help her put words to the emotions she is feeling. In a short time she will be doing this on her own and when she does this her meltdowns should decrease too.

5. Repetition, Repetition, Repetition. Learning new life skills and ways to respond to emotionally charged situations takes practice. Look at us adults…we’re still learning, right? When you get frustrated take a break (whatever that might be for you) and come back to it (don’t give up). And then repeat, repeat and repeat.

6. Learn about yourself and your girl. You will not only teach your girl a lot over the years but your relationship with her will teach you a lot about yourself! In fact this relationship can be one of the most rewarding relationships you will ever create. So roll up your sleeves and enjoy the journey! It only comes around once!

Mobile Locator - Easily Locate Any Mobile Phone

Sat, 30 Apr 2011 05:17:06 -0400

Are you looking for a good mobile locator that you can use to find out where a phone is? If you are interested in seeing where they are via the GPS device in the phone then this article is just for you. I’m going to go over how you can easily know where the phone is at all times. This pretty much entails putting a simple device on the phone which will point the GPS data towards an area that you can see it, and provide you with live streaming of where they are. Here we go, let’s get into the article below to get started. I found that this weblog showed this incredibly on this Al Barcliff weblog.

How a Good Mobile Locator Works

A great mobile locator provides you with one thing: Gps data. They will show you where the phone is at all times, and should give you live streaming with a dot on a map to show where they are. The dot should move rapidly as they move, and there shouldn’t be too much of a delay. The high quality programs really have nailed this and you can track them and even drive behind them, making all the right turns which is very impressive for a device that has to relay a lot of information over the internet.

What Else Do Mobile Locators Do?

There are some fantastic mobile locator programs that you can download which do a whole lot more than simply track where the phone is. They show you everything that the phone is doing, including the phone calls being made, the text messages being sent and received, as well as the browser history and other data centric things that the person is doing. So you basically get a window open to the phone and you can see all the data as if you were actually using it. This is very impressive and it makes it even more transparent, when you are trying to find out where the person is and what they are doing with their phone.

Warning: Don’t download a virus. Always check reviews, and only use a program that you know is trusted by others. Customer reviews are great for this. If the reputation is high and the customers are happy then I’m sure you can go ahead and try it out yourself.

Download this Mobile Locator to Begin

I wanted to save you a headache, so here’s the best one you can start with.I’ve tested, and compared this tool with many others, and this tool is simply the best. Why? Because it’s easy to install, easy to use, undetectable, reliable and it’s actually working.