HEALTH CARE, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT), FUN, MUSIC, JOBS, CODES, SOFTWAR, FOREX, CARGO

Cyclone Safety Tips

2010-06-05T13:56:00.001+05:00

Food and Water

Water

Store water in plastic containers such as soft drink bottles. Avoid
using containers that will decompose or break, such as milk cartons or
glass bottles. A normally active person needs to drink at least two
quarts of water each day. Hot environments and intense physical
activity can double that amount. Children, nursing mothers, and ill
people will need more.
Store one gallon of water per person per day.
Keep at least a three-day supply of water per person (two quarts for
drinking, two quarts for each person in your household for food
preparation/sanitation).*
Food

Store at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food. Select foods
that require no refrigeration, preparation or cooking, and little or
no water. Select food items that are compact and lightweight. Include
a selection of the following foods in your Disaster Supplies Kit:

Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits, and vegetables
Canned juices
Staples (salt, sugar, pepper, spices, etc.)
High energy foods
Vitamins
Food for infants
Comfort/stress foods
First Aid and Non-Prescription Drugs

First Aid Kit
Assemble a first aid kit for your home and one for each car.

(20) adhesive bandages, various sizes.
(1) 5" x 9" sterile dressing.
(1) Roller gauze bandage.
(2) Triangular bandages.
(2) 3 x 3 sterile gauze pads.
(2) 4 x 4 sterile gauze pads.
(1) Roll 3" cohesive bandage.
(2) Germicidal hand wipes or waterless alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
(6) Antiseptic wipes.
(2) Pair large medical grade non-latex gloves.
Adhesive tape, 2" width.
Anti-bacterial ointment.
Scissors (small, personal).
Tweezers.

Non-Prescription Drugs

Aspirin or nonaspirin pain reliever
Anti-diarrhea medication
Antacid (for stomach upset)
Laxative
ORS

Tools and Supplies

Mess kits, or paper cups, plates, and plastic utensils
Emergency preparedness manual
Battery-operated radio and extra batteries
Flashlight and extra batteries
Cash or traveler's checks, change
Non-electric can opener, utility knife
Fire extinguisher: small canister ABC type
Pliers
Tape
Matches in a waterproof container
Aluminum foil
Plastic storage containers
Paper, pencil
Needles, thread
Shut-off wrench, to turn off household gas and water
Whistle
Plastic sheeting
Map of the area (for locating shelters)
Sanitation, Clothing and Bedding

Sanitation

Toilet paper, Hand towels
Soap, liquid detergent
Feminine supplies
Personal hygiene items
Plastic garbage bags, ties (for personal sanitation uses)
Plastic bucket with tight lid
Disinfectant
Household chlorine bleach
Clothing and Bedding
*Include at least one complete change of clothing and footwear per
person.

Sturdy shoes or work boots
Rain gear
Blankets or sleeping bags
Hat and gloves
Thermal underwear
Sunglasses
Special Items

Remember family members with special requirements, such as infants and
elderly or disabled persons.

For Baby*

Formula
Diapers
Bottles
Powdered milk
Medications
For Adults*

Heart and high blood pressure medication
Insulin
Prescription drugs
Denture needs
Contact lenses and supplies
Extra eye glasses
Entertainment

Board games and other games that don't require batteries or
electricity, books for adult readers and for children.
For Pets

Do not leave your pets behind.
Securely fasten a current identification tag to your pet's collar and
carry a photograph of your pet. It's important to include the phone
number of a friend or family member on the tag so anyone who may find
your pet is able to reach someone who knows you.
Pack a week's supply of food, water and other provisions, such as
medication or cat litter.
Do not wait until the last minute to evacuate. Rescue officials may
not allow you to take your pets if you need to be rescued.
Keep a list of emergency phone numbers (veterinarian, local animal
control, animal shelters, Red Cross, etc.).
Possessions and Documents

Keep these records in a waterproof, portable container:
Will, insurance policies, contracts, deeds, stocks and bonds
Passports, social security cards, immunization records
Bank account numbers
Credit card account numbers and companies
Inventory of valuable household goods, important telephone numbers
Family records (birth, marriage, death certificates)
Store your kit in a convenient place known to all family members. Keep
a smaller version of the supplies kit in the trunk of your car.
Keep items in airtight plastic bags. Change your stored water supply
every six months so it stays fresh. Replace your stored food every six
months. Re-think your kit and family needs at least once a year.
Replace batteries, update clothes, etc.
Ask your physician or pharmacist about storing prescription
medications.

20 Tips for More Efficient Google SEARCHES....

2010-05-19T15:44:00.001+05:00

1. Either/or. Google normally searches for pages that contain all the words you type in the search box, but if you want pages that have one term or another (or both), use the OR operator â€" or use the symbol (pipe symbol) to save you a keystroke. [dumb | little | man]

2. Quotes. If you want to search for an exact phrase, use quotes. [dumb little man] will only find that exact phrase. [dumb little man] will find pages that contain the word dumb and the exact phrase little man.

3. Not. If you dont want a term or phrase, use the - symbol. [-dumb little man] will return pages that contain little and man but that dont contain dumb.

4. Similar terms. Use the ~ symbol to return similar terms. [~dumb little man -dumb] will get you pages that contain funny little man and stupid little man but not dumb little man.

5. Wildcard. The * symbol is a wildcard. This is useful if youre trying to find the lyrics to a song, but cant remember the exact lyrics. [cant * me love lyrics] will return the Beatles song youre looking for. Its also useful for finding stuff only in certain domains, such as educational information: [dumb little man research *.edu].

6. Advanced search. If you cant remember any of these operators, you can always use Googles advanced search.

7. Definitions. Use the define: operator to get a quick definition. [define:dumb] will give you a whole host of definitions from different sources, with links.

8. Calculator. One of the handiest uses of Google, type in a quick calculation in the search box and get an answer. Its faster than calling up your computers calculator in most cases. Use the +, -, *, / symbols and parentheses to do a simple equation.

9. Numrange. This little-known feature searches for a range of numbers. For example, [best books 2002..2007] will return lists of best books for each of the years from 2002 to 2007 (note the two periods between the two numbers).

10. Site-specific. Use the site: operator to search only within a certain website. [site:dumblittleman. com leo] will search for the term leo only within this blog.

11. Backlinks. The link: operator will find pages that link to a specific URL. You can use this not only for a main URL but even to a specific page. Not all links to an URL are listed, however.

12. Vertical search. Instead of searching for a term across all pages on the web, search within a specialized field. Google has a number of specific searches, allowing you to search within blogs, news, books, and much more:
* Blog Search
* Book Search
* Scholar
* Catalogs
* Code Search
* Directory
* Finance
* Images
* Local/Maps
* News
* Patent Search
* Product Search
* Video

13. Movies. Use the movie: operator to search for a movie title along with either a zip code or U.S. city and state to get a list of movie theaters in the area and show times.

14. Music. The music: operator returns content related to music only.

15. Unit converter. Use Google for a quick conversion, from yards to meters for example, or different currency: [12 meters in yards]

16. Types of numbers: Google algorithms can recognize patterns in numbers you enter, so you can search for:
* Telephone area codes
* Vehicle ID number (US only)
* Federal Communications Commission (FCC) equipment numbers (US only)
* UPC codes
* Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airplane registration number (US only)
* Patent numbers (US only)
* Even stock quotes (using the stock symbol) or a weather forecast regarding the next five days

17. File types. If you just want to search for .PDF files, or Word documents, or Excel spreadsheets, for example, use the filetype: operator.

18. Location of term. By default, Google searches for your term throughout a web page. But if you just want it to search certain locations, you can use operators such as inurl:, intitle:, intext:, and inanchor:. Those search for a term only within the URL, the title, the body text, and the anchor text (the text used to describe a link).

19. Cached pages. Looking for a version of a page the Google stores on its own servers? This can help with outdated or update pages. Use the cached: operator.

20. Answer to life, the universe, and everything. Search for that phrase, in lower case, and Google will give you the answer.

__,_._,___

Ways to Use Coffee

2010-02-24T12:14:00.001+05:00

Ways to Use Coffee Around the House and Garden

Coffee may be the most popular beverage in the world – and if it's not, it's pretty darn close – but tasting good isn't the only thing that coffee does well. Coffee has many uses around your home and garden that might surprise you – though chances are good that your grandmother knew them well. Coffee can clean your hands, fix scratches on your wood furniture, get rid of that nasty smell in your basement and make your plants grow faster than weeds. Really, it can. Here's how.

Coffee in the Garden:

Coffee comes in hand in the garden in a few different ways. Here's a quick list:

1. Dump those coffee grounds right into the compost heap. They'll decompose quickly and help other things decompose more quickly.

2. Work spent coffee grounds into the dirt around azaleas, rose bushes and other acid loving flowering bushes for bigger, showier blooms. Be sure to work the
grounds into the soil a few inches away from the stems for best results.

3. Coffee grounds make a great slug and pest repellent. Just draw a line of coffee grounds around plants that are attracting slugs and snails and you'll find that the
little critters turn aside and head in another direction.

Coffee in the Shower:

No, I'm not suggesting that you bring your coffee mug into the shower to help you wake up in the morning, though that's not a bad idea if you have a covered mug. These are some of the ways that coffee can help you with your toiletries.

1. Dissolve slivers of soap (especially glycerin soap) in a small amount of water. Add half a cup or so of fresh or used coffee grounds to make coffee scrub. Keep the scrub in a covered jar on the sink to wash your hands after handling smelly things like fish or onions.

2. Buy coffee soap – or make your own with a glycerin base and coffee grounds – to take advantage of caffeine's firming properties. While there's little scientific evidence to back it up, there's plenty of anecdotal evidence that coffee soap with caffeine encourages your skin to slough off old layers and accelerates the growth of new skin cells. The result is tighter, younger looking skin. Yes, apparently coffee is good for your skin.

3. Keep the depth and gleam of brunette hair by rinsing it with strong coffee. Brew up a cup of strong espresso and let it cool. After you wash your hair, work the cooled espresso through it and let it sit for two to three minutes before rinsing. Repeat a couple times a week to keep dark hair looking shiny and smooth.

Coffee Around the House:

Coffee's deodorizing power is legendary and quite useful around your house. Surprisingly, despite coffee's strong aroma, it doesn't just cover up the stink. Instead, it absorbs other odors. Here are a few ways that you can use coffee to keep your home smelling sweeter.

1. Musty basement odors? Open a can of coffee and pour it out into a couple of bowls. Put the bowls in different corners of the room and leave out for a day or two to absorb the mustiness.

2. Sprinkle dry, unused coffee grounds over a carpet and then vacuum up to get rid of pet smells and musty smells.

3. Stinky closet or locker? Fill a loose cloth bag – cheesecloth is ideal – with dry coffee grounds and tuck it into the closet or on a locker shelf to keep the odors at bay.

What is swine flu?

2010-01-02T10:08:00.000+05:00

What is swine flu?

Swine Influenza (swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses that causes regular outbreaks in pigs. People
do not normally get swine flu, but human infections can and do happen.

Is this swine flu virus contagious?
Swine influenza A (H1N1) virus is contagious and is spreading from human to human. However, at this time, it not known how easily the virus spreads between people. It happened first in Mexico but now has spread to USA, Canada, New Zealand, etc.

What are the signs and symptoms of swine flu in people?
The symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu. In the past, severe illness (pneumonia and respiratory failure) and deaths have been reported with swine flu infection in people.

How does swine flu spread?
Spread of this swine influenza A (H1N1) virus is thought to be happening in the same way that seasonal flu spreads. Flu viruses are spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing of people with influenza. Sometimes people may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.

Swine influenza viruses are not spread by food. You cannot get swine influenza from eating pork or pork products. Eating properly handled and cooked pork more than 70°c is safe.

How can someone with the flu infect someone else?
Infected people may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 7 or more days after becoming sick.

What should I do to keep from getting the flu?
First and most important: wash your hands. Try to stay in good general health. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food. Try not touch surfaces that may be contaminated with the flu virus. Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

Are there medicines to treat swine flu?
Yes. Oseltamivir or zanamivir can be used for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with these swine influenza viruses. Antiviral drugs are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or an inhaler) that fight against the flu by keeping flu viruses from reproducing in your body. If you get sick, antiviral drugs can make your illness milder and make you feel better faster. They may also prevent serious flu complications. For treatment, antiviral drugs work best if started soon after getting sick (within 2 days of symptoms).

How long can an infected person spread swine flu to others?
People with swine influenza virus infection should be considered potentially contagious as long as they are symptomatic and possible for up to 7 days following illness onset. Children, especially younger children, might potentially be contagious for longer periods.

What surfaces are most likely to be sources of contamination?
Germs can be spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth. Droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person move through the air. Germs can be spread when a person touches respiratory droplets from another person on a surface like a desk and then touches their own eyes, mouth or nose before washing their hands.

How long can viruses live outside the body?
We know that some viruses and bacteria can live 2 hours or longer on surfaces like cafeteria tables, doorknobs, and desks. Frequent hand washing will help you reduce the chance of getting contamination from these common surfaces.

What can I do to protect myself from getting sick?
There is no vaccine available right now to protect against swine flu.

There are everyday actions that can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like influenza. Take these everyday steps to protect your health:

Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.

Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

If you get sick with influenza, it is recommended that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

Avoid crowded places and contact with infected people to avoid global pandemic spread.

Wear mask while travelling through endemic areas.

What is the best way to keep from spreading the virus through coughing or sneezing?
If you are sick, limit your contact with other people as much as possible. Do not go to work or school if ill. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick. Put your used tissue in the waste basket. Cover your cough or sneeze if you do not have a tissue. Then, clean your hands, and do so every time you cough or sneeze.

Chemicals in Our Food, and Bodies; You Are What You Eat!; Simple Secret of a Healthy Heart

2009-11-12T16:39:00.001+05:00

Chemicals in Our Food, and Bodies

By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF

Published: November 7, 2009

Your body is probably home to a chemical called bisphenol A, or BPA. It's a synthetic estrogen that United States factories now use in everything from plastics to epoxies — to the tune of six pounds per American per year. That's a lot of estrogen.

Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times

Nicholas D. Kristof

On the Ground

More than 92 percent of Americans have BPA in their urine, and scientists have linked it — though not conclusively — to everything from breast cancer to obesity, from attention deficit disorder to genital abnormalities in boys and girls alike.

Now it turns out it's in our food.

Consumer Reports magazine tested an array of brand-name canned foods for a report in its December issue and found BPA in almost all of them. The magazine says that relatively high levels turned up, for example, in Progresso vegetable soup, Campbell's condensed chicken noodle soup, and Del Monte Blue Lake cut green beans.

The magazine also says it found BPA in the canned liquid version of Similac Advance infant formula (but not in the powdered version) and in canned Nestlé Juicy Juice (but not in the juice boxes). The BPA in the food probably came from an interior coating used in many cans.

Should we be alarmed?

The chemical industry doesn't think so. Steven Hentges of the American Chemistry Council dismissed the testing, noting that Americans absorb quantities of BPA at levels that government regulators have found to be safe. Mr. Hentges also pointed to a new study indicating that BPA exposure did not cause abnormalities in the reproductive health of rats.

But more than 200 other studies have shown links between low doses of BPA and adverse health effects, according to the Breast Cancer Fund, which is trying to ban the chemical from food and beverage containers.

"The vast majority of independent scientists — those not working for industry — are concerned about early-life low-dose exposures to BPA," said Janet Gray, a Vassar College professor who is science adviser to the Breast Cancer Fund.

Published journal articles have found that BPA given to pregnant rats or mice can cause malformed genitals in their offspring, as well as reduced sperm count among males. For example, a European journal found that male mice exposed to BPA were less likely to make females pregnant, and the Journal of Occupational Health found that male rats administered BPA had less sperm production and lower testicular weight.

This year, the journal Environmental Health Perspectives found that pregnant mice exposed to BPA had babies with abnormalities in the cervix, uterus and vagina. Reproductive Toxicology found that even low-level exposure to BPA led to the mouse equivalent of early puberty for females. And an array of animal studies link prenatal BPA exposure to breast cancer and prostate cancer.

While most of the studies are on animals, the Journal of the American Medical Association reported last year that humans with higher levels of BPA in their blood have "an increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and liver-enzyme abnormalities." Another published study found that women with higher levels of BPA in their blood had more miscarriages.

Scholars have noted some increasing reports of boys born with malformed genitals, girls who begin puberty at age 6 or 8 or even earlier, breast cancer in women and men alike, and declining sperm counts among men. The Endocrine Society, an association of endocrinologists, warned this year that these kinds of abnormalities may be a consequence of the rise of endocrine-disruptin g chemicals, and it specifically called on regulators to re-evaluate BPA.

Last year, Canada became the first country to conclude that BPA can be hazardous to humans, and Massachusetts issued a public health advisory in August warning against any exposure to BPA by pregnant or breast-feeding women or by children under the age of 2.

The Food and Drug Administration, which in the past has relied largely on industry studies — and has generally been asleep at the wheel — is studying the issue again. Bills are also pending in Congress to ban BPA from food and beverage containers.

"When you have 92 percent of the American population exposed to a chemical, this is not one where you want to be wrong," said Dr. Ted Schettler of the Science and Environmental Health Network. "Are we going to quibble over individual rodent studies, or are we going to act?"

While the evidence isn't conclusive, it justifies precautions. In my family, we're cutting down on the use of those plastic containers that contain BPA to store or microwave food, and I'm drinking water out of a metal bottle now. In my reporting around the world, I've come to terms with the threats from warlords, bandits and tarantulas. But endocrine disrupting chemicals — they give me the willies.

I invite you to comment on this column on my blog, On the Ground. Please also join me on Facebook, watch my YouTube videos and follow me on Twitter.

There Is a Way to Help Avoid Heart Disease and Diabetes: You Are What You Eat!

By Kathy Freston, AlterNet. October 31, 2009

A plant-based diet is both preventative and healing, whereas a diet high in animal protein is destructive to our health.

"If the truth be known coronary artery disease is a toothless paper tiger that need never, ever exist and if it does exist it need never, ever progress."

So says Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, who was a researcher and clinician at the Cleveland Clinic for over 35 years. In 1991, Dr. Esselstyn served as the president of the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons, and organized the 1st National Conference on the Elimination and Prevention of Heart Disease. In 2005, he became the 1st recipient of the Benjamin Spock Award for Compassion in Medicine. Dr. Esselstyn is also an Olympic gold medalist in rowing, and he was awarded the Bronze Star as an army surgeon in Vietnam.

In this series of interviews I've conducted with extraordinary nutritional researchers and medical doctors, I've sought to understand the link between diet and the most common and dreaded diseases that are prevalent in our culture. What I'm hearing over and over is that a plant-based diet is both preventative and healing, whereas a diet high in animal protein is destructive to our health - this is the case with cancer, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.

The great news is that there is very real hope in shifting the course of our health. What is becoming very apparent through various peer reviewed studies is that by changing our diet - eliminating that which causes havoc in the body (animal protein) and adding in plant based proteins and eating lots of vegetables, legumes, beans, and whole grains, we can not only prevent disease, but also heal from it once it is already in motion. Following is a fascinating conversation I had on diet and heart health.

KF: What exactly is coronary heart disease?

CE: Coronary heart disease is the leading killer of women and men in western civilization. It is predicted to become the #1 global disease burden by 2020.

It consists of an inflammatory buildup of blockages in arteries to the heart muscle. These blockages are made of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and inflammatory cells. Blockages can become severe enough to cause symptoms such as shortness of breath or chest pain (angina). When blockages suddenly become complete, the portion of heart muscle fed by that blocked artery is now deprived of oxygen and nutrients, thus it is injured or now dies. This is a heart attack. The patient may survive or succumb if the event is accompanied by a fatal heart rhythm.

KF: Who develops heart disease?

CE: Everyone eating the typical western diet. In autopsy studies of our GI's who died in the Vietnam and Korean wars almost 80% at an average age of 20 years, had disease that could be seen without a microscope. Forty years later in 1999, a study of young persons between the ages of 16-34 years who have died of accidents, homicides and suicides, finds the disease is now ubiquitous.

KF: What is the cause of the disease?

CE: It is the typical western diet of processed oils, dairy, and meat which destroys the lifejacket of our blood vessels known as our endothelial cells. This cell layer is a one cell thick lining of all of our blood vessels. Endothelial cells manufacture a magical protective molecule of gas called nitric oxide, which protects our blood vessels. It keeps our blood flowing smoothly, it is the strongest dilator (widener), of our blood vessels, it inhibits the formation of blockages (plaques), and it inhibits inflammation.

KF: With such natural protection, why do we ever develop heart disease?

CE: Every western meal of processed vegetable oils, dairy products, and meat (including chicken and fish) injures these endothelial cells. As individuals consume theses damaging products throughout their lives, they have fewer functioning endothelial cells remaining and thus less of the protective nitric oxide. Without enough nitric oxide the plaque blockages build up and grow creating eventually heart disease and strokes.

KF: Can it be stopped or even reversed?

CE: Yes. First we must look at the lessons learned from cultures where there is a virtual absence of coronary artery heart disease such as rural China, the Papua Highlands of New Guinea, Central Africa, and the Tarahumara Indians of Northern Mexico. Their nutrition is plant based without oil.

Beginning in 1985 I initiated a study of seriously ill coronary artery disease patients. Their nutrition became plant based without oil. Their cholesterol levels plummeted. Their angina disappeared. Their weight dropped. I have reported this study at 5 years, 12 years, and 16 years, in the peer reviewed scientific literature and again beyond 20 years in my book Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease. In some of the patients we had follow up angiograms (x-rays) of previously blocked arteries demonstrating striking disease reversal, which is a testament to my often quoted statement "The truth be known coronary artery disease is a toothless paper tiger that need never exist and if it does exist it need never progress." The greatest gift to these patients is the increasing recognition that they are the locus of control for their disease - not some pill or procedure. They have made themselves heart attack proof and lose the greatest fear of all heart patients and their families - when will the next heart attack occur?

KF: What about drugs, stents, and heart bypass surgery?

CE: Admittedly in the midst of a heart attack a stent or bypass may be live saving, however, for the remaining 90% studies confirm that they do not prevent future heart attacks or prolong life. They are associated with significant complications such as hemorrhage, heart attack, stroke, cognitive decline, depression, and death. The benefits erode with the passage of time as the stents and bypasses may themselves develop blockage.

Some drugs may decrease blood pressure and the heart workload. Others interfere with clotting which helps a stent remain open. Statin drugs lower cholesterol. None of these drugs or interventions addresses the basic causation of disease and not surprisingly the disease progresses with the need for more drugs, stents, and repeat bypasses.

KF: Why aren't physicians using nutrition therapy?

CE: Most physicians have no training or understanding of the power of nutrition. In a busy practice they would not have the time for it. It is my belief that physicians must accord the plant based lifestyle transition its due. Every patient with cardiovascular disease should be referred to a physician or nurse practitioner with the knowledge and expertise in these counseling skills.

KF: But I understand physicians don't believe patients will make this transition. How come?

CE: Nutrition counseling is a skill which physicians don't possess. Of all the encounters a patient with cardiovascular disease experiences, perhaps the least time and lowest priority is nutritional counseling. I see many patients with heart disease who recount that nutrition was never even mentioned. It is therefore unlikely that the patient feels that nutrition is important.

KF: What is that you do differently?

CE: In an intensive 5 hour counseling session for a group of heart patients, my first priority is to eliminate the mystery of what causes their disease. It has not been stress, or genes. It is their western diet of processed oil, dairy, and meat. Hypertension, diabetes, and smoking must be controlled but food trumps all. I spend at least an hour defining the protective role of endothelial cells and nitric oxide functioning as the ultimate guardians of our blood vessels. They quickly understand that their lifetime of ingesting these harmful products has totally overwhelmed and destroyed their endothelium to an extent where it is unable to protect them. They fully grasp that they must forever eliminate ingesting foods that will further destroy their already compromised endothelium. They understand heart disease is a food borne illness.

KF: Where is the good news?

CE: The patients understand that they can halt their disease. They are presented with my scientific articles demonstrating reversal of disease. They learn that anginal chest pain may diminish or disappear within 10-14 days in some patients while others may take longer. We share our data confirming reversal of carotid artery disease to the brain, coronary artery disease of the heart, peripheral vascular disease in the extremities, and the reversal of erectile dysfunction. They are made to appreciate how rapidly and powerfully the endothelial function may be restored. The most significant message in our counseling is patient awareness that they are empowered to be the locus of control of their disease.

KF: What is your take on the present management of heart disease through drug stents and bypass surgery?

CE: It is expensive, dangerous, and ineffective. None of these approaches addresses the factors that cause the disease. A doctor would never treat poison ivy without advising the patient to avoid exposure to poison ivy plants. Sadly the usual treatment of cardiovascular disease almost never includes hours of patient counseling so they may completely eliminate the foods which are injuring their endothelium. Stents may block, bypass veins shut down, drug doses increase, and blood vessel disease worsens. The present cost of this non-treatment of heart disease is unsustainable even in our wealthy nation.

KF: Dr. Esselstyn, are you a threat to the stenting and bypass industry?

CE: Not really. Stents and bypass surgery in an emergency setting are absolutely lifesaving. However, for non-emergency situations an intensive lifestyle trial of 3-6 months would eliminate the need for most interventions. It is of interest that when physicians and some interventional cardiologists themselves develop the disease they come knocking at my door.

KF: Why do you think this information on diet and heart disease is not more widely known? Is someone or something blocking your message?

CE: The government, drug industry, and some of my own profession. The USDA every five years produces a food triangle which promotes the very foods which guarantee that millions of Americans will perish.

The drug industry has a $21 billion dollar income from statin drugs alone. The stent manufacturers make billions more. Neither of these industries would want this epidemic resolved.

Physicians who perform stents and bypass surgery earn millions and are hardly clamoring for fewer patients.

KF: Any final thoughts?

CE: When people learn to eat plant based to eliminate heart disease it could inaugurate a seismic revolution in health. Other diseases that resolve include obesity, hypertension, stroke, heart attacks, gall stones, diverticulitis, asthma, osteoporosis, allergies, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, lupus, and a marked decrease in the common western cancers of breast, prostate, colon, endometrial, ovarian, and pancreatic.

Kathy Freston is a health and wellness expert and a New York Times best-selling author. Her latest book is The Quantum Wellness Cleanse: A 21 Day Essential Guide to Healing Your Body, Mind and Spirit. Freston promotes a body/mind/spirit approach to health and happiness that includes a concentration on healthy diet, emotional introspection, spiritual practice, and loving relationships. Kathy's recent television appearances include The Oprah Winfrey Show, Ellen, The View and Good Morning America.

SIMPLE SECRET OF A HEALTHY HEART

Gentle exercise reduces your risk of killer disease

Monday November 2,2009

GENTLE exercise can dramatically cut the danger of an early death from heart disease, according to new research.

Just 30 minutes of jogging or cycling three times a week has amazing results for people with heart problems – the UK's biggest killer – a study has found.

In just three months it slashed the risk of an early death by 60 per cent in those who followed the fitness regime.

The results will come as welcome news for thousands of Britons who suffer from heart-related illness.

One-in-five men and one-in-seven women die of heart disease in the UK, equivalent to 250 deaths a day. Overall, 200,000 people die each year from conditions related to circulation, including strokes, heart attacks and heart disease.

These figures are expected to go up as the population ages and thanks also to a rise in obesity, which leads to furring of arteries.

The study, released today, found the biggest gains were in patients who were also stressed. The authors believe it is because stress can quadruple the risk of death in people with heart problems.

Exercise can offer the double benefit of reducing stress levels while also improving heart health.

The study concludes: "Exercise reduces mortality in patients with coronary artery disease…in part because of the effects on psychosocial stress."

Patients with heart problems are usually put on drugs – statins to lower cholesterol and blood pressure pills – to reduce the risks.

But in recent years the NHS been pushing a rehabilitation programme that includes advice on diet, exercise, smoking and stress.

Previous studies have demonstrated a wealth of life-prolonging benefits from exercise.

People who work out have a lower risk of contracting long-term conditions such as cancer, heart disease and neurological disorders. It also slows death and disability rates.

Exercise acts by improving the health of hearts and arteries, strengthening bones and reducing inflammation. It also boosts the immune system and improves thinking, learning and memory.

This latest study by the Department of Cardiology in New Orleans and published in the American Journal of Medicine reveals in detail just how much these simple changes can boost lifespan.

The team followed 522 cardiac patients, including 53 who had high stress levels and 27 control patients who had high stress levels but who refused cardiac rehabilitation.

Patients were offered 12 weeks of exercise classes, where they did 10 minutes of warm-up, 30 to 40 minutes of aerobic exercise such as walking, rowing or jogging, and then a 10-minute stretch to wind down.

The classes were three times a week and patients were also asked to try to do a further one-to-three exercise sessions a week.

They were also given advice on how to improve diet and lifestyle, and their progress was followed for up to six years.

Those who got fitter were 60 per cent less likely to die in the following six years. Exercise also helped reduce stress levels from one-in-10 patients to fewer than one-in-20 which in turn lowered the death rate for stressed patients by 20 per cent.

However, the weight of patients did not change much, suggesting the benefits are from exercise alone.

Health charities welcomed the report. The British Heart Foundation, said: "This study proves once again that exercise has both psychological and physical benefits for patients with heart disease.

"Health authorities must ensure that all suitable heart patients are offered cardiac rehabilitation.

"Structured, well-resourced programmes have been shown to improve physical and psychological wellbeing and reduce mortality."

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Swine Flu Vaccine Linked to Killer Nerve Disease

2009-10-23T13:36:00.001+06:00

Warning: Swine Flu Shot Linked to Killer Nerve Disease

A warning that the new swine flu jab is linked to a deadly nerve disease has been sent by the Government to senior neurologists in a confidential letter.

The letter from the Health Protection Agency, the official body that oversees public health, has been leaked to The Mail on Sunday, leading to demands to know why the information has not been given to the public before the vaccination of millions of people, including children, begins.

It tells the neurologists that they must be alert for an increase in a brain disorder called Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS), which could be triggered by the vaccine.

GBS attacks the lining of the nerves, causing paralysis and inability to breathe, and can be fatal.

The letter, sent to about 600 neurologists on July 29, is the first sign that there is concern at the highest levels that the vaccine itself could cause serious complications.

It refers to the use of a similar swine flu vaccine in the United States in 1976 when:

More people died from the vaccination than from swine flu.
500 cases of GBS were detected.
The vaccine may have increased the risk of contracting GBS by eight times.
The vaccine was withdrawn after just ten weeks when the link with GBS became clear.
The US Government was forced to pay out millions of dollars to those affected.

Concerns have already been raised that the new vaccine has not been sufficiently tested and that the effects, especially on children, are unknown.

It is being developed by pharmaceutical companies and will be given to about 13million people during the first wave of immunisation, expected to start in October.

Top priority will be given to everyone aged six months to 65 with an underlying health problem, pregnant women and health professionals.

The British Neurological Surveillance Unit (BNSU), part of the British Association of Neurologists, has been asked to monitor closely any cases of GBS as the vaccine is rolled out.

One senior neurologist said last night: 'I would not have the swine flu jab because of the GBS risk.'

There are concerns that there could be a repeat of what became known as the '1976 debacle' in the US, where a swine flu vaccine killed 25 people – more than the virus itself.

A mass vaccination was given the go-ahead by President Gerald Ford because scientists believed that the swine flu strain was similar to the one responsible for the 1918-19 pandemic, which killed half a million Americans and 20million people worldwide.

The swine flu vaccine being offered to children has not been tested on infants

Within days, symptoms of GBS were reported among those who had been immunised and 25 people died from respiratory failure after severe paralysis. One in 80,000 people came down with the condition. In contrast, just one person died of swine flu.

More than 40million Americans had received the vaccine by the time the programme was stopped after ten weeks. The US Government paid out millions of dollars in compensation to those affected.

The swine flu virus in the new vaccine is a slightly different strain from the 1976 virus, but the possibility of an increased incidence of GBS remains a concern.

Shadow health spokesman Mike Penning said last night: 'The last thing we want is secret letters handed around experts within the NHS. We need a vaccine but we also need to know about potential risks.

'Our job is to make sure that the public knows what's going on. Why is the Government not being open about this? It's also very worrying if GPs, who will be administering the vaccine, aren't being warned.'

Two letters were posted together to neurologists advising them of the concerns. The first, dated July 29, was written by Professor Elizabeth Miller, head of the HPA's Immunisation Department.

It says: 'The vaccines used to combat an expected swine influenza pandemic in 1976 were shown to be associated with GBS and were withdrawn from use.

'GBS has been identified as a condition needing enhanced surveillance when the swine flu vaccines are rolled out.

'Reporting every case of GBS irrespective of vaccination or disease history is essential for conducting robust epidemiological analyses capable of identifying whether there is an increased risk of GBS in defined time periods after vaccination, or after influenza itself, compared with the background risk.'

The second letter, dated July 27, is from the Association of British Neurologists and is written by Dr Rustam Al-Shahi Salman, chair of its surveillance unit, and Professor Patrick Chinnery, chair of its clinical research committee.

Halted: The 1976 US swine flu campaign

It says: 'Traditionally, the BNSU has monitored rare diseases for long periods of time. However, the swine influenza (H1N1) pandemic has overtaken us and we need every member's involvement with a new BNSU survey of Guillain-Barre Syndrome that will start on August 1 and run for approximately nine months.

'Following the 1976 programme of vaccination against swine influenza in the US, a retrospective study found a possible eight-fold increase in the incidence of GBS.

'Active prospective ascertainment of every case of GBS in the UK is required. Please tell BNSU about every case.

'You will have seen Press coverage describing the Government's concern about releasing a vaccine of unknown safety.'

If there are signs of a rise in GBS after the vaccination programme begins, the Government could decide to halt it.

GBS attacks the lining of the nerves, leaving them unable to transmit signals to muscles effectively.

It can cause partial paralysis and mostly affects the hands and feet. In serious cases, patients need to be kept on a ventilator, but it can be fatal.

Death is caused by paralysis of the respiratory system, causing the victim to suffocate. It is not known exactly what causes GBS and research on the subject has been inconclusive.

However, it is thought that one in a million people who have a seasonal flu vaccination could be at risk and it has also been linked to people recovering from a bout of flu of any sort.

The HPA said it was part of the Government's pandemic plan to monitor GBS cases in the event of a mass vaccination campaign, regardless of the strain of flu involved. But vaccine experts warned that the letters proved the programme was a 'guinea-pig trial'.

Dr Tom Jefferson, co-ordinator of the vaccines section of the influential Cochrane Collaboration, an independent group that reviews research, said: 'New vaccines never behave in the way you expect them to. It may be that there is a link to GBS, which is certainly not something I would wish on anybody.

'But it could end up being anything because one of the additives in one of the vaccines is a substance called squalene, and none of the studies we've extracted have any research on it at all.'

He said squalene, a naturally occurring enzyme, could potentially cause so-far-undiscovered side effects.

Jackie Fletcher, founder of vaccine support group Jabs, said: 'The Government would not be anticipating this if they didn't think there was a connection. What we've got is a massive guinea-pig trial.'

Professor Chinnery said: 'During the last swine flu pandemic, it was observed that there was an increased frequency of cases of GBS. No one knows whether it was the virus or the vaccine that caused this.

'The purpose of the survey is for us to assess rapidly whether there is an increase in the frequency of GBS when the vaccine is released in the UK. It also increases consultants' awareness of the condition.

Panic over? The number of swine flu cases has fallen sharply in the past few weeks

'This is a belt-and-braces approach to safety and is not something people should be substantially worried about as it's a rare condition.'

If neurologists do identify a case of GBS, it will be logged on a central database.

Details about patients, including blood samples, will be collected and monitored by the HPA.

It is hoped this will help scientists establish why some people develop the condition and whether it is directly related to the vaccine.

But some question why there needs to be a vaccine, given the risks. Dr Richard Halvorsen, author of The Truth About Vaccines, said: 'For people with serious underlying health problems, the risk of dying from swine flu is probably greater than the risk of side effects from the vaccine.

'But it would be tragic if we repeated the US example and ended up with more casualties from the jabs.

'I applaud the Government for recognising the risk but in most cases this is a mild virus which needs a few days in bed. I'd question why we need a vaccine at all.'

Professor Miller at the HPA said: 'This monitoring system activates pandemic plans that have been in place for a number of years. We'll be able to get information on whether a patient has had a prior influenza illness and will look at whether influenza itself is linked to GBS.

'We are not expecting a link to the vaccine but a link to disease, which would make having the vaccine even more important.'

The UK's medicines watchdog, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, is already monitoring reported side effects from Tamiflu and Relenza and it is set to extend that surveillance to the vaccine.

A Department of Health spokesperson said: 'The European Medicines Agency has strict processes in place for licensing pandemic vaccines.

'In preparing for a pandemic, appropriate trials to assess safety and the immune responses have been carried out on vaccines very similar to the swine flu vaccine. The vaccines have been shown to have a good safety profile.

'It is extremely irresponsible to suggest that the UK would use a vaccine without careful consideration of safety issues. The UK has one of the most successful immunisation programmes in the world.'

I COULDN''T EAT OR SPEAK... IT WAS HORRENDOUS

Victim: Hilary Wilkinson spent three months in hospital after she was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome

When Hilary Wilkinson woke up with muscle weakness in her left arm and difficulty breathing, doctors initially put it down to a stroke.

But within hours, she was on a ventilator in intensive care after being diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome.

She spent three months in hospital and had to learn how to talk and walk again. But at times, when she was being fed through a drip and needed a tracheotomy just to breathe, she doubted whether she would survive.

The mother of two, 57, from Maryport, Cumbria, had been in good health until she developed a chest infection in March 2006. She gradually became so weak she could not walk downstairs.

Doctors did not diagnose Guillain-Barre until her condition worsened in hospital and tests showed her reflexes slowing down. It is impossible for doctors to know how she contracted the disorder, although it is thought to be linked to some infections.

Mrs Wilkinson said: 'It was very scary. I couldn't eat and I couldn't speak. My arms and feet had no strength and breathing was hard.

I was treated with immunoglobulin, which are proteins found in blood, to stop damage to my nerves. After ten days, I still couldn't speak and had to mime to nurses or my family.

'It was absolutely horrendous and I had no idea whether I would get through it. You reach very dark moments at such times and wonder how long it can last.

But I'm a very determined person and I had lots of support.'

After three weeks, she was transferred to a neurological ward, where she had an MRI scan and nerve tests to assess the extent of the damage.

Still unable to speak and in a wheelchair, Mrs Wilkinson eventually began gruelling physiotherapy to improve her muscle strength and movement but it was exhausting and painful.

Three years later, she is almost fully recovered. She can now walk for several miles at a time, has been abroad and carries out voluntary work for a GBS Support Group helpline.

She said: 'It makes me feel wary that the Government is rolling out this vaccine without any clear idea of the GBS risk, if any. I wouldn't wish it on anyone and it certainly changed my life.

'I'm frightened to have the swine flu vaccine if this might happen again – it's a frightening illness and I think more research needs to be done on the effect of the vaccine.'

Hotline staff given access to confidential records

Confidential NHS staff records and disciplinary complaints could be accessed by hundreds of workers manning the Government's special swine flu hotline.

They were able to browse through a database of emails containing doctors' and nurses' National Insurance numbers, home addresses, dates of birth, mobile phone numbers and scanned passport pages – all details that could be used fraudulently.

And private and confidential complaints sent by hospitals about temporary medical staff – some of whom were named – were also made available to the call-centre workers, who were given a special password to log in to an internal NHS website.

It could be a breach of the Data Protection Act.

The hotline staff work for NHS Professionals, which was set up using taxpayers' money to employ temporary medical and administrative staff for the health service.

The not-for-profit company runs two of the Government's swine flu call centres – with 300 staff in Farnborough, Hampshire, and 900 in Watford, Hertfordshire.

Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley described the revelations as 'disturbing'.

Anne Mitchell, a spokeswoman for Unison, said: 'There's no excuse for such a fundamental breach of personal security. Action needs to be taken as soon as possible to make sure this does not happen again.'

A spokeswoman for NHS Professionals would not confirm whether access to the confidential files had been granted.

As mentioned in this article, the 1976 swine flu vaccine campaign caused more harm than good, and there are indications that the current campaign may end up being a devastating repeat or worse.

At that time, one person died from the actual swine flu, while 25 people died from adverse reactions to the vaccine, and several hundred people developed crippling Guillain-Barré Syndrome.

According to The Daily Mail, the British Health Protection Agency sent letters to 600 neurologists on July 29^th, warning them to be on the lookout for cases of Guillain- Barré Syndrome once the swine flu vaccine campaign begins.

Why the warning was not sent out to general practitioners, who will be administering the shot, seems an odd choice if public safety is indeed the main concern.

This confidential correspondence between the British public health agency and neurologists in the U.K. is the first clue that all is probably not well with this fast-tracked pandemic vaccine.

Are You Willing to Let Them Experiment on Your Child?

According to a recent report from CNN, the U.S. is set to receive as many as 600 million doses of swine flu vaccine, enough for 300 million Americans.

Based on the recommendations from the World Health Organization' s (WHO) advisory group on immunization matters, the top priority groups that stand to receive the vaccine first include:

Pregnant women

Children over the age of 6 months with chronic health conditions

Adults with chronic health conditions such as chronic respiratory disease, asthma, or obesity

Health care workers

However, pregnant women, children, and those whose immune systems are already compromised are also at even greater risk to suffer severe side effects from the vaccine, as the adjuvants in the vaccine are designed to reduce your immune function.

Barbara Loe Fisher of the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) recently warned about the campaign underway to turn schools into virtual vaccination clinics. In many U.S. states, school has already started, so the decision of whether or not to vaccinate your child may become an issue you'll have to deal with in the coming weeks.

Swine Flu Drug of Choice Causes Side Effects in Half of All Children

In the U.K. the hysteria over swine flu led to flu drugs being offered online, without a doctor's prescription. This is incomprehensible, considering their risk. Just a couple of weeks ago I reported on brand new study findings that the swine flu drug of choice, Tamiflu, caused one or more side effects in OVER HALF of all children who received it!

Side effects included:

Nausea – 29 percent

Stomach pain or cramps – 20 percent

Neuropsychiatric side effects including inability to think clearly, nightmares, and "strange behavior" – nearly 20 percent

Sleep problems – 12 percent

The British Medical Association's lead expert on swine flu went on the record stating that Tamiflu is now being overused.

Keep in mind that, although the swine flu has spread across the world it appears to have decreased in severity. The vast majority of cases are very mild, requiring only a few days in bed.

In fact, the regular seasonal flu is still far worse, and more deadly, than the swine flu.

How Vaccines Can Cause so Much Harm

The intended effect of a vaccination is to help you build immunity to a potentially harmful organism. However, your body's immune system is already designed to do this in response to organisms that invade your body naturally.

Most disease-causing organisms enter your body through the mucous membranes of your nose, mouth, pulmonary system or your digestive tract. These mucous membranes have their own immune system, called the IgA immune system, which fights off invading organisms at the point of entry, reducing or even eliminating the need for activation of your body's immune system.

A vaccination, however, delivers either live or attenuated (dead) viruses directly into your tissues and blood stream through injection, completely bypassing your body's first line of defense. And when combined with an immune adjuvant, your body's immune system kicks into high gear in response to the vaccination. If your immune system is too weak to deal with the assault, severe side effects can occur.

Injecting organisms into your body to provoke immunity is contrary to nature, and vaccination carries enormous potential to do serious damage to your health.

To emphasize this point further, when ingested, the vaccine adjuvant squalene is actually recognized by your immune system as an oil molecule native to your body. It has antioxidant properties and is found throughout your nervous system and brain.

The difference between "good" and "bad" squalene is the route by which it enters your body. Injection is an abnormal route of entry which incites your immune system to attack all the squalene in your body, not just the vaccine adjuvant.

As a result, your immune system will attempt to destroy the molecule wherever it finds it, including in places where it occurs naturally, and where it is vital to the health of your nervous system.

For more information about squalene, and the hazards it poses when included in flu shots, please review my recent special report on the topic, if you have not already done so.

In the Meantime Consider Vitamin D as it Prevents Seasonal Flu

Just last week I reported on Canada's decision to investigate the role of vitamin D in protection against the swine flu. This is great, but there are already overwhelming evidence showing that your vitamin D levels play a significant role in your likelihood of getting the flu.

Vitamin D has been a hot research topic these past few years, and has been shown to have remarkable impact on nearly every single disease studied.

Here is a list of four studies published this year, showing an inverse association between respiratory tract infections and 25(OH)D levels. That is, the higher your vitamin D level, the lower your risk of contracting colds, flu, and other respiratory tract infections:

A 2007 study suggests higher vitamin D status enhances your immunity to microbial infections. They found that subjects with vitamin D deficiency had significantly more days of absence from work due to respiratory infection than did control subjects.

A 2009 study on vitamin D deficiency in newborns with acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI) confirmed a strong, positive correlation between newborns' and mother's vitamin D levels. Over 87 percent of all newborns and over 67 percent of all mothers had vitamin D levels lower than 20 ng/ml, which is a severe deficiency state.

Newborns with vitamin D deficiency appear to have an increased risk of developing ALRI, and since the child's vitamin D level strongly correlates with its mother's, the researchers recommend that all mothers' optimize their vitamin D levels during pregnancy, especially in the winter months, to safeguard their baby's health.

A 2009 analysis of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey examined the association between vitamin D levels and recent upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) in nearly 19,000 subjects over the age of 12.

Recent URTI was reported by:

17 percent of participants with vitamin D levels of 30 ng/ml or higher

20 percent of participants with vitamin D levels between 10-30 ng/ml.

24 percent of participants with vitamin D levels below 10 ng/ml

The positive correlation between lower vitamin D levels and increased risk of URTI was even stronger in individuals with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Another 2009 report in the journal Pediatric Research stated that infants and children appear more susceptible to viral rather than bacterial infections when deficient in vitamin D. And that, based on the available evidence showing a strong connection between vitamin D, infections, and immune function in children, vitamin D supplementation may be a valuable therapy in pediatric medicine.

Granted, so far none of the research has focused on vitamin D's impact on pandemic flu. If your body has never been exposed to the antigens there is chance that vitamin D might not be enough.

However, there's no evidence suggesting that vitamin D supplementation would cause you any harm or make your illness any worse.

On the contrary, if you are coming down with flu-like symptoms and have not supplemented with vitamin D, Dr. Cannell, one of the world's leading vitamin D experts, recommends taking 50,000 IU's a day for three days to treat the acute infection.

Some researchers, including Dr. Cannell, believe the dose could even be as high as 1,000 units per pound of body weight for three days.

Ultimately, your best bet is to maintain healthy levels of vitamin D around 60 ng/ml year-round. Please note that this is far higher than most doctors will refer to as "normal." Rather it is the optimal level you'll want to maintain for disease prevention.

I strongly recommend you watch my one-hour free vitamin D lecture along with my video on vitamin D's role in flu prevention for more in-depth information about vitamin D's role in flu prevention.

Taking care of your health to reduce or eliminate your risk of contracting the flu is always going to be your safest bet. In addition to optimizing your vitamin D levels, this past article details my other recommendations for avoiding the flu naturally, and I strongly urge you to start incorporating these changes into your life today.

Educate Yourself Further

video: http://articles. mercola.com/ sites/articles/ archive/2009/ 09/01/Swine- Flu-Shot- Linked-to- Killer-Nerve- Disease.aspx

This video was originally aired on August 12, 2009, featuring CBS News Medical Correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton and NVIC's Barbara Loe Fisher. Here they discuss the possible dangers of the swine flu versus the H1N1 vaccine. Both provide sensible information and guidelines on this issue. I can't stress enough how important it is for this type of information to make it into the conventional media.

http://articles. mercola.com/ sites/articles/ archive/2009/ 09/01/Swine- Flu-Shot- Linked-to- Killer-Nerve- Disease.aspx

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WATER & RIGHT WAY TO DRINK IT

2009-10-22T11:01:00.001+06:00

Our bodies are made up of mostly water. Just look at the facts: The brain contains 74% water, blood contains 83% water, lean muscle has 75% and bone has 22% water. Experts agree that water is one of the most powerful forms of treatment. So how come most people don't drink enough water?
10 Health Benefits of Water:

1. Water prevents kidney stones. The most common cause of kidney stones is not drinking enough water. Since water dissolves the substances that form stones in the urine, drinking 12 glasses daily helps treat kidney stones.

2. Water treats urinary tract infection. The more water you drink, the more you will urinate. "Drinking lots of water will help flush out harmful bacteria from your bladder," says Medical City kidney specialist Dr. Roberto Tanchanco.

3. Water helps patients with diarrhea by preventing dehydration. As a first-aid for diarrhea, you can make your own oral rehydration solution at home. Mix a glass of water with 2 teaspoons sugar and ¼ teaspoon salt, and drink as much as you can tolerate.

4. Water helps reduce fever. For symptoms of flu, water can help lower your body temperature when you urinate the "heat" out of your body. If you're sick, drink more water for you to recover faster.

5. Water helps treat cough and colds, sore throat, and respiratory infections. Water helps loosen sticky phlegm. A respected lung specialist told me that some mucolytics out there are just as beneficial as drinking lots of water.

6. Water reduces heartburn. Taking 2-3 gulps of water every 20 minutes or so can help flush the stomach acid away. Bananas and water are effective alternatives to taking antacids. Try it.

7. Water prevents constipation and its complications. Too little water can harden the stools and lead to hemorrhoids and diverticulosis, a disease of the large bowel. Drink water and eat lots of vegetables to soften your stools.

8. Water keeps you alert and energetic. If you're dehydrated, your blood is literally thicker. This makes it harder for the blood to circulate. As a result, the brain can become less active and you can feel confused and fatigued. Some studies also show that water may help cure migraine headaches.

9. Water helps reduce weight. By drinking a glass or two of water before a meal, you will lessen the amount of food you can take in order to feel full. Water has zero calories and will not make you fat.

10. Water keeps your skin soft and radiant. Just as a dehydrated person will have deep-set eyes and wrinkled skin, so will a fully hydrated person exhibit a normal and beautiful skin tone.

The Proper Way To Drink Water:

1. Drink water when you wake up. Your body loses water while you sleep, so drink a glass before you go to sleep, and another glass when you wake up. You are naturally thirsty or dehydrated in the morning. Drinking water in the morning helps flush out the toxins that have accumulated all night.

2. Drink 8 to 12 glasses a day. According to the Mayo Clinic, a 120-pound individual needs 8 cups of water a day, while a 190-pound person would require 12 cups daily. Dr. Robert Tanchanco says that we should monitor our urine color and keep it on the light side. However, drink only a maximum of 16 glasses a day, and not more.

3. Drink little by little throughout the day. It is preferable to sip water throughout the day rather than to drink two glasses all at once. This will lessen the stress on the heart (especially if you have heart disease) and give your body more time to absorb it.

4. Don't wait until you're thirsty to drink water. By the time you feel thirsty, you're probably already 2 glasses below your normal water needs. Elderly people are also less sensitive to the body's need for water.

5. Drink water, not soft drinks, alcohol or coffee. Some experts believe that tea, sodas and coffee can be potentially dehydrating. Moreover, the high phosphorus and sugar content in cola drinks can lead to conditions like osteoporosis and diabetes. One study shows that adults who drank six cups of coffee daily experienced mild dehydration. Drinking alcohol is much worse because it actually dehydrates you by making you urinate a lot.

6. Train children to drink water. Set a good example to your kids and drink water together. Make sure that children drink enough water when they're active. Pack a large bottled water in their lunch box.

7. Drink more when it's hot. People living in hot climates like the Philippines need to drink more water. They are more prone to develop kidney stones compared to those living in cooler regions.

8. Drink more as you exercise. When you exercise, you need to drink more water to compensate for fluid loss. Go for an extra 500 ml of water for a 30-minute to 1-hour exercise. Eating a banana also helps keep your potassium up.

9. Drink more when you're sick. Even though you don't feel like it, you really need to drink more water to help your body recover from various infections. If you're dehydrated, you'll feel much worse.

10. Drink more if you're pregnant. Women who are expecting or breast-feeding need additional fluids to stay hydrated. The Institute of Medicine recommends that pregnant women drink 10 cups of fluids daily and women who breast-feed take in about 13 cups of fluids a day.

Vomiting During Pregnancy

2009-10-12T10:34:00.001+06:00

Vomiting During Pregnancy Overview
While you are pregnant, nausea and vomiting are normal. Up to 70% of all women get mild to moderate symptoms during the first three months (first trimester) of pregnancy. These symptoms are usually gone by the fourth month.

Although this condition is often called morning sickness, most women have symptoms throughout the day.

Very rarely, a pregnant woman may experience a more serious condition involving severe vomiting, dehydration, and weight loss. This is called hyperemesis gravidarum.
Vomiting During Pregnancy Causes
The exact cause of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy is not clear. Most evidence points to rapid changes in hormone levels. These fluctuations may cause changes in the muscle contraction and relaxation patterns of your stomach and intestines, thus leading to nausea and vomiting.

The hormones that seem to have the most to do with this process include the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), estrogen, and progesterone. Abnormal levels of thyroid hormones have also been reported in women with severe vomiting, although a cause-and-effect relationship remains unclear. Some studies have shown that nausea is worse when your blood sugar level is low.

Some researchers have found that women who are more likely to have nausea from birth control pills, migraines, or motion sickness are at higher risk for nausea and vomiting in pregnancy.

If you have a family history of hyperemesis gravidarum, you are more likely to have the condition. What causes hyperemesis gravidarum remains unknown despite active research. The more popular theories fall into three areas:

Hormonal: Elevated levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) or a component of this hormone may play a role in inducing vomiting. Thyrotoxicosis or hyperthyroidism is also believed to be associated with the condition. Another hormone thought to be involved is serotonin. Serotonin is a brain chemical that affects both the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. These effects are believed to induce vomiting. During pregnancy, the upper GI tract may slow down and thus contribute to increased nausea and vomiting. Several studies have shown that this slowdown in the GI tract is increased in pregnant women with severe vomiting.
Gastrointestinal: Helicobacter pylori bacteria that live in the intestinal tract may cause the development of peptic ulcer disease. These bacteria are found in a greater percentage among pregnant women and greater still in women with hyperemesis gravidarum. Antibiotics are used to treat all of these conditions.
Psychosocial: Although the idea is controversial, some researchers think the condition may be a woman's psychological reaction against the pregnancy and might arise from conflict within the family and her home environment. In these cases, counseling is recommended.
Vomiting During Pregnancy Symptoms
Morning sickness: Some women experience nausea and vomiting only in the morning. The majority of women have nausea on and off, all day long.

A pregnant woman may also note increased saliva, increased sensitivity to certain smells, and changes in the taste of some foods.

Symptoms usually begin four to eight weeks after the woman's last menstrual period, peak at about 11-13 weeks, and go away by 14-16 weeks into the pregnancy.

Fever, diarrhea, and severe abdominal pain are not associated with nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. If these symptoms occur, be sure to talk with your healthcare provider because it may be something other than morning sickness.
Hyperemesis gravidarum: This condition occurs when a pregnant woman has ongoing vomiting that results in weight loss greater than 5% of her body weight, and evidence of dehydration. Hyperemesis gravidarum is an extreme form of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy that sometimes requires hospitalization. It is different from, and much worse than morning sickness.
Medical Treatment

Your healthcare provider will try to stop the vomiting either by hydration (giving fluids by IV or by mouth) or with medications.

You will be given plenty of fluids to replace important electrolytes such as potassium.

You also may receive thiamine (vitamin B-1) either as an injection or IV, depending how long you have been vomiting.

Once these goals are met, you may be given antinausea medications and instructions for care at home.

If you continue to be severely dehydrated, still nauseous, or still vomiting, you may be admitted to the hospital. Rarely, you may need to be hospitalized for fluid and nutritional supplements in very severe cases of hyperemesis gravidarum.

Self-Care at Home
As miserable as it may seem, nausea and vomiting are usually part of a healthy pregnancy. The misery typically goes away by the middle of the second trimester. You can try home remedies to reduce your symptoms, and if these do not work, your doctor can help.

No single treatment works best for every woman with nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. Different techniques work for different women. You will have to discover what seems to make your symptoms better. Many women have found the following suggestions helpful:

Diet

Eat small amounts of food frequently so that you are never too hungry or too full.

Avoid spicy and fatty foods, and foods with odors that bother you.

Try eating simple carbohydrates, such as saltine crackers, unbuttered toast, plain baked potatoes, white rice, gelatin desserts, broth, pretzels, popsicles, herbal or decaffeinated tea with sugar, or non-diet ginger ale.

Combine these simple carbohydrates with a serving of protein, especially right before bed to minimize swings in blood sugar that may contribute to nausea.

Drink liquids between meals and not during meals to minimize nausea and vomiting.

Keep crackers at the bedside table to help with nausea in the morning.
Vitamin supplements

If you find that your prenatal vitamin seems to worsen your nausea, take it with food instead of on an empty stomach. If this does not help, talk to your doctor about the possibility of switching to a different vitamin. Chewable vitamins are sometimes easier to tolerate.

Some evidence suggests that pyridoxine (vitamin B-6) supplements help reduce nausea and vomiting. The suggested dose is 25-50 mg every eight hours, and it can be given as an injection up to 200 mg. There are no known harmful effects of vitamin B-6 taken at these doses. Some prenatal vitamins are formulated with extra vitamin B-6.
Acupressure

Stimulation of the P6 (Nei Guan) acupressure point on the wrist (on the inside of the wrist about where a watchband is worn) has been suggested as a method to reduce nausea and vomiting.

You can press on this area with your finger or thumb or buy an acupressure band. These bands are often sold as motion sickness treatments, so check with a local drug store or auto club.

Hypnosis

Medical hypnosis has been used to reduce nausea and vomiting.

Some women have also used self-hypnosis to control their symptoms.

If you want to try hypnosis, make sure you work with an experienced professional.

Over-the-counter medications

Solutions containing glucose, fructose, and phosphoric acid are available over-the-counter. These solutions may reduce muscle contractions in the wall of the stomach and intestines. The normal dose is 1-2 tablespoons every 15 minutes for no more than 5 doses. These solutions cause no known harmful effects on the fetus.

Two over-the-counter antihistamines, diphenhydramine (Benadryl) and dimenhydrinate (Dramamine), have been shown to improve nausea and vomiting. Although both are generally believed to be safe in pregnancy, you should discuss the risks and benefits of these medications with your doctor.
Herbal remedies

Powdered ginger is used fairly commonly in Europe as a nausea remedy during pregnancy.

The usual dose is 250 mg, three times daily.

The effect of ginger on the fetus has not been extensively studied.

This Silent Killer is Stalking You… (High Blood Pressure)

2009-10-12T10:31:00.001+06:00

This Silent Killer is Stalking You…

What You Need to Know About Your Heart Health: A sure-fire plan for building a stronger heart, increasing energy and living longer!

High Blood Pressure may be the cause of your headaches, fatigue, dizziness, ringing in your ears, sexual troubles, shortness of breath, feelings of confusion, and frequent nighttime urination ... and all without your knowledge!

Dear Health Conscious Reader,

Did you know 70% of people with high blood pressure don't even know they have it?

Scary, but true. Especially when you consider high blood pressure is a major risk factor for developing heart serious health problems. In fact, people with uncontrolled high blood pressure are seven times more likely to have a life threatening heart health crisis!

And the sobering reality is ... heart health problems are the #1 killer of women and the #2 killer of men.

I'm here to tell you ... and to assure you ... you don't need to be the Silent Killer's next victim.

What You Don't Know ... Will Hurt You

High blood pressure harms more than just your heart.

Your only tip off may be a symptom or two – headache, dizziness, fatigue, frequent urination at night, erection difficulties, ear noise, excessive sweating, blurry vision, confusion. That is if you're lucky. Many people experience no warning at all.

There may be no telltale signs for a long time. High blood pressure can quietly damage your organs and tissues for years, even if you feel fine.1

The Staggering Prevalence of High Blood Pressure

You're not alone. As we age, high blood pressure becomes a major health issue for both men and women. Looking at the following graph, we see a dramatic jump after the age of 50 in the occurrence of high blood pressure in the United States.

Clearly, your chances of developing high blood pressure increase as you grow older – unless you take steps to prevent it.

What can you do to prevent high blood pressure from developing?

If you've already been diagnosed with high blood pressure, the question becomes ... what can you do to keep it under control and actually improve your condition?

Can I Really Lower My Blood Pressure
Without Harmful Drugs?

Absolutely. Let's take a closer look at the ingredients in Blood Pressure LBP and discover why they are so effective at lowering high blood pressure:

Hawthorne Berries - Hawthorne has the ability to dilate heart blood vessels. Studies show its effectiveness in lowering blood pressure. Strengthens your heart and improves circulation. Hawthorne's maximum benefits take only 4 weeks, so you'll see fast results!3
Cayenne (CapsicumAnnoum) - Capsicum is considered the purest and most effective natural stimulating substance in the herbal medicine chest. Cultures consuming diets rich in cayenne have much lower rates of cardiovascular health problems. Capsicum safely boosts circulation and heart action while lowering your blood pressure.4
Alpha Lipoic Acid ( ALA) – ALA is a powerful antioxidant. It moves into all parts of your cells to protect them from free radical damage – and inflammation. 5 Our bodies produce very little ALA but has a tremendous need for it to keep cells and blood vessels healthy. Considering ALA is found only in a small handful of foods – spinach, broccoli, potatoes, and organ meats – it makes good sense to provide an additional source each day.
Selenium - Selenium is an essential trace mineral and vital antioxidant – protects your body from the damaging effects of free radicals and inflammation. Selenium is an important guardian of your heart and blood cells. A deficiency in selenium has been linked with cardiovascular disease.5 Concentrated natural sources in our diet are rare. Daily supplementation is strongly recommended for healthy heart function.
Parsley Leaf - Parsley enhances your kidney's ability to excrete excess sodium and water, thus acting as a natural diuretic. Improves the function of potassium in your body, which is critical for maintaining stable blood pressure.6
Ginger Root - Ginger acts as a powerful anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and effective agent in lowering high blood pressure.7
Garlic (Allium Sativa) - Garlic has long been regarded as a valuable nutrient for lowering high blood pressure. Abundant research supports its effectiveness. The active components of garlic form hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide protects blood vessels by reducing inflammation and relaxing vessel walls, keeping them elastic and healthy.8, 9, 10
Cordyceps (Cordyceps SinensisMycelliumMu shroom) - Cordyceps is a rare mushroom used in Chinese herbal medicine for thousands of years. Proven to lower blood pressure, increase energy levels, and boost memory. Present day studies even show it can improve male sexual ability.5

Here are just some of the healthy actions you'll see from the powerful ingredients in Blood Pressure LBP:

Protects blood vessels and arteries by reducing inflammation and relaxing vessel walls.1
Helps restore elasticity of blood vessels and assists blood flow.
Boosts circulation and reduces the strain on your heart.
Lowers blood pressure – both systolic and diastolic pressures.
Increases energy due to healthier blood flow throughout your body.
Improves brain functions such as memory, language, reading, critical thinking, and reaction time.2
Nourishes delicate blood vessels supplying oxygen-rich blood to the eyes.1
Enhances male erectile function and sexual ability.1
Elevates sense of well-being and promotes more restful sleep.1

Start protecting your heart and your entire body today. In Dr. Woliner's FREE report What You Need to Know About Your Heart Health: A sure-fire plan for building a stronger heart, increasing energy and living longer! gives you the FULL story on how to protect your heart. Discover how to:

• How to know if you are putting your heart health at risk
• The truth about cholesterol and cholesterol lowering drugs
• How you can start protecting yourself NOW
• The best natural supplements to maintain a healthy heart

Discover natural solutions to a healthy and strong heart! Get your FREE report INSTANTLY... along with the latest health information and little-known health solutions that really work.

Motorola H790 Bluetooth Headset

2009-10-07T11:28:00.000+06:00

Motorola H790 Bluetooth Headset Review

Compliment your style while taking crystal clear, hands-free calls with Motorola's newest Bluetooth headset, the Motorola H790. This sleekly-designed accessory delivers an outstanding audio experience on a dual-microphone headset, and is as easy to use as it is to wear. H790 is designed to fit what you're wearing and where you're going. As Motorola's thinnest dual-microphone headset, it strikes a balance between style, sensibility and awe-inspiring technology to get you noticed, in the right way.H790 delivers outstanding call quality using Motorola's CrystalTalk technology, which suppresses background noise for pure-sounding calls, so you can hear and be heard even in noisy environments. Whether you're performing tasks around the house, running errands, traveling or shopping, you'll be able to carry on your conversation in clear call quality.
Become a headset master in no time with audible voice prompts that instruct you on pairing the headset, checking battery life and connecting. Voice prompts alert you when mute is on or off to avoid confusion, and makes multiple phone pairing a breeze so you can take hands-free calls from both phones you carry to keep your life in order. With voice prompt battery life alerts you can be ready to go in minutes using Rapid Charge to generate 2.5 hours of power in just 15 minutes. It has been tested to work with more than 200 compatible Bluetooth enabled phones from more than 15 brands.

Motorola H790 Specifications:

Talk time: Up to 5 hours
Standby time: Up to 168 hours
Bluetooth: 2.1 with Enhanced Data Rate (EDR)
Weight: 9.5 grams
Dimensions: 2 (L) x .8 (W) x .3 (H) inches
Wireless range: Up to 10m (33ft)

Get a higher salary

2009-10-02T10:27:00.001+06:00

Get a higher salary with English

If you're offered a much-desired position at the company of your dreams, it may be tempting to agree to the offer right away. But don't! Many managers expect perspective employees to negotiate their package, and even negotiating a small amount per month can offer big returns in the long run. Here are some tips for negotiating your salary in English.

Thank you for your offer.

No matter what your decision and what the package, make sure you give your thanks. You may also want to offer phrases such as, "I appreciate your consideration" and "I am honored that you have selected me."

Hmm...

It's often difficult to negotiate an offer once you've shown extreme interest in the job and satisfaction in the salary, so it's best to start at the beginning. Instead of saying, "OK", when you hear the salary figure, say "Hmmm..." This lets the hiring manager know you aren't quite satisfied and can lead to immediate negotiations.

Based on my current salary...

Give a reason for your higher expectations. Maybe it's based on your current salary, other job offers or statistics you've recently read about your field. Finish up the sentence with, "I had something a little higher in mind" or "I was expecting something within the 5 to 7,000 range."

Can I let you know my final decision on Monday?

Hiring managers have been known to put the squeeze on, especially if they really want you, but don't rush into decisions. Request at least several days to think through the decision. You can add, "I'm very interested in your company, but this will give me some time to make a more informed decision."

I'll take it!

When it comes down to the final decision, this is a fun and friendly way to accept an offer. If you had something more formal in mind, say "I'd like to formally accept your offer." If, on the other hand, you don't want the job, say, "After much consideration, I'm afraid I won't be able to accept your offer." Be sure to always give an answer, and to always be polite!

RIGHT WAY TO DRINK WATER:

2009-10-02T09:39:00.001+06:00

RIGHT WAY TO DRINK WATER:

10 Health Benefits of Water:

1. Water prevents kidney stones. The most common cause of kidney stones is not drinking enough water. Since water dissolves the substances that form stones in the urine, drinking 12 glasses daily helps treat kidney stones.

2. Water treats urinary tract infection. The more water you drink, the more you will urinate. "Drinking lots of water will help flush out harmful bacteria from your bladder," says Medical City kidney specialist Dr. Roberto Tanchanco.

3. Water helps patients with diarrhea by preventing dehydration. As a first-aid for diarrhea, you can make your own oral rehydration solution at home. Mix a glass of water with 2 teaspoons sugar and ¼ teaspoon salt, and drink as much as you can tolerate. This is similar to the dextrose solution in the hospital.

4. Water helps reduce fever. For symptoms of flu, water can help lower your body temperature when you urinate the "heat" out of your body. If you're sick, drink more water for you to recover faster.

5. Water helps treat cough and colds, sore throat, and respiratory infections. Water helps loosen sticky phlegm. A respected lung specialist told me that some mucolytics out there are just as beneficial as drinking lots of water.

6. Water reduces heartburn. Taking 2-3 gulps of water every 20 minutes or so can help flush the stomach acid away. Bananas and water are effective alternatives to taking antacids. Try it.

7. Water prevents constipation and its complications. Too little water can harden the stools and lead to hemorrhoids and diverticulosis, a disease of the large bowel. Drink water and eat lots of vegetables to soften your stools.

8. Water keeps you alert and energetic. If you're dehydrated, your blood is literally thicker. This makes it harder for the blood to circulate. As a result, the brain can become less active and you can feel confused and fatigued. Some studies also show that water may help cure migraine headaches.

9. Water helps reduce weight. By drinking a glass or two of water before a meal, you will lessen the amount of food you can take in order to feel full. Water has zero calories and will not make you fat.

10. Water keeps your skin soft and radiant. Just as a dehydrated person will have deep-set eyes and wrinkled skin, so will a fully hydrated person exhibit a normal and beautiful skin tone.

The Proper Way To Drink Water:

1. Drink water when you wake up. Your body loses water while you sleep, so drink a glass before you go to sleep, and another glass when you wake up. You are naturally thirsty or dehydrated in the morning. Drinking water in the morning helps flush out the toxins that have accumulated all night.

2. Drink 8 to 12 glasses a day. According to the Mayo Clinic, a 120-pound individual needs 8 cups of water a day, while a 190-pound person would require 12 cups daily. Dr. Robert Tanchanco says that we should monitor our urine color and keep it on the light side. However, drink only a maximum of 16 glasses a day, and not more.

3. Drink little by little throughout the day. It is preferable to sip water throughout the day rather than to drink two glasses all at once. This will lessen the stress on the heart (especially if you have heart disease) and give your body more time to absorb it.

4. Don't wait until you're thirsty to drink water. By the time you feel thirsty, you're probably already 2 glasses below your normal water needs. Elderly people are also less sensitive to the body's need for water.

5. Drink water, not soft drinks, alcohol or coffee. Some experts believe that tea, sodas and coffee can be potentially dehydrating. Moreover, the high phosphorus and sugar content in cola drinks can lead to conditions like osteoporosis and diabetes. One study shows that adults who drank six cups of coffee daily experienced mild dehydration. Drinking alcohol is much worse because it actually dehydrates you by making you urinate a lot.

6. Train children to drink water. Set a good example to your kids and drink water together. Make sure that children drink enough water when they're active. Pack a large bottled water in their lunch box.

7. Drink more when it's hot. People living in hot climates like the Philippines need to drink more water. They are more prone to develop kidney stones compared to those living in cooler regions.

8. Drink more as you exercise. When you exercise, you need to drink more water to compensate for fluid loss. Go for an extra 500 ml of water for a 30-minute to 1-hour exercise. Eating a banana also helps keep your potassium up.

9. Drink more when you're sick. Even though you don't feel like it, you really need to drink more water to help your body recover from various infections. If you're dehydrated, you'll feel much worse.

10. Drink more if you're pregnant. Women who are expecting or breast-feeding need additional fluids to stay hydrated. The Institute of Medicine recommends that pregnant women drink 10 cups of fluids daily and women who breast-feed take in about 13 cups of fluids a day.

NUTRITION FOR KIDS

2009-10-02T09:37:00.000+06:00

NUTRITION FOR KIDS: Guidelines for a healthy diet

Introduction

Nutrition for kids is based on the same principles as nutrition for adults. Everyone needs the same types of nutrients — such as vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, protein and fat. What's different about nutrition for kids, however, is the amount of specific nutrients needed at different ages.

So what's the best formula to fuel your child's growth and development? Click on the tabs to the left for nutrition basics for girls and boys at various ages, based on dietary guidelines published by the Institute of Medicine.

If you have questions about nutrition for kids or specific concerns about your child's diet, talk to your child's doctor or a registered dietitian.

Ages 2 to 3: Girls and boys

Calories	1,000 to 1,400, depending on growth and activity level
Protein	5 to 20% of daily calories (13 to 50 grams for 1,000 daily calories)
Carbohydrates	45 to 65% of daily calories (113 to 163 grams for 1,000 daily calories)
Total fat	30 to 40% of daily calories (33 to 44 grams for 1,000 daily calories)
Sodium	1,000 milligrams a day
Fiber	19 grams a day
Calcium	500 milligrams a day

Ages 4 to 8: Girls

Calories	1,200 to 1,800, depending on growth and activity level
Protein	10 to 30% of daily calories (30 to 90 grams for 1,200 daily calories)
Carbohydrates	45 to 65% of daily calories (135 to 195 grams for 1,200 daily calories)
Total fat	25 to 35% of daily calories (33 to 47 grams for 1,200 daily calories)
Sodium	1,200 milligrams a day
Fiber	25 grams a day
Calcium	800 milligrams a day

Ages 4 to 8: Boys

Calories	1,400 to 2,000, depending on growth and activity level
Protein	10 to 30% of daily calories (35 to 105 grams for 1,400 daily calories)
Carbohydrates	45 to 65% of daily calories (158 to 228 grams for 1,400 daily calories)
Total fat	25 to 35% of daily calories (39 to 54 grams for 1,400 daily calories)
Sodium	1,200 milligrams a day
Fiber	25 grams a day
Calcium	800 milligrams a day

Ages 9 to 13: Girls

Calories	1,600 to 2,200, depending on growth and activity level
Protein	10 to 30% of daily calories (40 to 120 grams for 1,600 daily calories)
Carbohydrates	45 to 65% of daily calories (180 to 260 grams for 1,600 daily calories)
Total fat	25 to 35% of daily calories (44 to 62 grams for 1,600 daily calories)
Sodium	1,500 milligrams a day
Fiber	26 grams a day
Calcium	1,300 milligrams a day

Ages 9 to 13: Boys

Calories	1,800 to 2,600, depending on growth and activity level
Protein	10 to 30% of daily calories (45 to 135 grams for 1,800 daily calories)
Carbohydrates	45 to 65% of daily calories (203 to 293 grams for 1,800 daily calories)
Total fat	25 to 35% of daily calories (50 to 70 grams for 1,800 daily calories)
Sodium	1,500 milligrams a day
Fiber	31 grams a day
Calcium	1,300 milligrams a day

Ages 14 to 18: Girls

Calories	1,800 to 2,400, depending on growth and activity level
Protein	10 to 30% of daily calories (45 to 135 grams for 1,800 daily calories)
Carbohydrates	45 to 65% of daily calories (203 to 293 grams for 1,800 daily calories)
Total fat	25 to 35% of daily calories (50 to 70 grams for 1,800 daily calories)
Sodium	1,500 milligrams a day
Fiber	26 grams a day
Calcium	1,300 milligrams a day

Ages 14 to 18: Boys

Calories	2,200 to 3,200, depending on growth and activity level
Protein	10 to 30% of daily calories (55 to 165 grams for 2,200 daily calories)
Carbohydrates	45 to 65% of daily calories (248 to 358 grams for 2,200 daily calories)
Total fat	25 to 35% of daily calories (61 to 86 grams for 2,200 daily calories)
Sodium	1,500 milligrams a day
Fiber	38 grams a day
Calcium	1,300 milligrams a day

The Origin Of Everyday Punctuation Marks!

2009-09-30T12:50:00.001+06:00

The Origin Of Everyday Punctuation Marks

Question Mark

Origin: When early scholars wrote in Latin, they would place the word questio – meaning "question" – at the end of a sentence to indicate a query. To conserve valuable space, writing it was soon shortened to qo, which caused another problem – readers might mistake it for the ending of a word. So they squashed the letters into a symbol: a lowercased q on top of an o. Over time the o shrank to a dot and the q to a squiggle, giving us our current question mark.

Exclamation Point

Origin: Like the question mark, the exclamation point was invented by stacking letters. The mark comes from the Latin word io, meaning "exclamation of joy." Written vertically, with the i above the o, it forms the exclamation point we use today.

Equal Sign

Origin: Invented by English mathematician Robert Recorde in 1557, with this rationale: "I will settle as I doe often in woorke use, a paire of paralleles, or Gmowe [i.e., twin] lines of one length, thus : , bicause noe 2 thynges, can be more equalle." His equal signs were about five times as long as the current ones, and it took more than a century for his sign to be accepted over its rival: a strange curly symbol invented by Descartes.

Ampersand

Origin: This symbol is stylized et, Latin for "and." Although it was invented by the Roman scribe Marcus Tullius Tiro in the first century B.C., it didn’t get its strange name until centuries later. In the early 1800s, schoolchildren learned this symbol as the 27th letter of the alphabet: X, Y, Z, &. But the symbol had no name. So, they ended their ABCs with "and, per se, and" meaning "&, which means ‘and.’" This phrase was slurred into one garbled word that eventually caught on with everyone: ampersand.

Octothorp

Origin: The odd name for this ancient sign for numbering derives from thorpe, the Old Norse word for a village or farm that is often seen in British placenames. The symbol was originally used in mapmaking, representing a village surrounded by eight fields, so it was named the octothorp.

Dollar Sign

Origin: When the U.S. government begin issuing its own money in 1794, it used the common world currency – the peso – also called the Spanish dollar. The first American silver dollars were identical to Spanish pesos in weight and value, so they took the same written abbreviations: Ps. That evolved into a P with an s written right on top of it, and when people began to omit the circular part of the p, the sign simply became an S with a vertical line through it.

Olympic Rings

Origin: Designed in 1913 by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the five rings represent the five regions of the world that participated in the Olympics: Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. While the individual rings do not symbolize any single continent, the five colors – red, blue, green, yellow, and black – were chosen because at least one of them is found on the flag of every nation. The plain white background is symbolic of peace.

"The Symbol"

Origin: Okay, so we’re running out of symbols, but this is a great pop culture story: In 1993, Prince’s dissatisfaction with his record label, Warner Bros., finally reached its peak. Despite his superstar status and $100 million contract, the Purple One didn’t feel he had enough creative control over his music. So "in protest," Prince announced that Prince would never perform for Warner Bros. again – this unpronounceable symbol would instead.

The symbol for the Artist Formerly Known as Prince combined three ancient symbols: the male symbol, the female symbol, and the alchemy symbol for soapstone, which was supposed to reflect his artistic genius. Prince retired the symbol when his contract with Warner Bros. ran out in 2000. Today, he is again Prince.

Definition of Halal Food

2009-09-30T12:21:00.000+06:00

Definition of Halal Food

Halal is an Arabic word meaning "lawful" or "permitted," but it is generally used in reference to food that fulfills Muslim dietary rules.

It is similar to the Hebrew word "kosher," which references food that is permissible to eat according to Jewish dietary standards.

Definitions

1. In Arabic, the opposite of "halal" is "haram." Most food falls into either the halal or haram categories, but there are certain items, such as processed or man-made foods, that are called "mashbooh," or "doubtful."

Further research is needed before classifying them as halal or haram.
An important distinction when it comes to using the word "halal"
Halal is that it does not always refer to food. In Arabic,
anything in accordance with the Sharia is halal.
However, outside the Arab world, including by non-Arab Muslims,
the term is used almost entirely as it relates to food.
In fact, in many places it has an even narrower definition,
referring only to meat that is permitted under Islamic law.

Halal and Haram Examples

2. Natural fruits, vegetables, juices, fish,
and natural ingredients such as sugar and honey are halal.

For meat, the animal must be slaughtered by a method called "dhabiha."
Foods that are definitely haram include
all products from pigs; meat from improperly slaughtered animals;
alcohol and intoxicants; carnivorous animals; birds of prey;
land animals without external ears (snakes and reptiles for example);
blood and blood by-products.

Foods that are mashbooh include gelatin, and enzymes
and emulsifiers of unknown origin.

Dhabiha

1.
Dhabiha, like the kosher "schechting, " is a swift incision made with
a sharp knife on the animal's neck, cutting both the jugular vein
and carotid artery. The spinal cord must remain intact.
Many Muslims do, in fact, consider kosher meat halal,
though stricter adherents do not. Orthodox Jews,
however, do not consider halal meat as kosher, because
kosher schechting does have other requirements.

Forbbiden Things

1.
The Sharia forbids the eating of pork; the meat from birds of prey
and land-based carnivores; the meat from animals
that were killed by strangulation or beating;
the meat from animals from a variety of named sources
that effectively precludes scavenging a carcass; and blood.
The latter might seem morbid, but many medieval recipes
were efficient about getting nutrients from an animal,
and used blood as an ingredient.

Also, any animal killed without the act being in the name of God
are also not halal. Alcohol is also expressly forbidden.

What is Permitted?

1. It is guessed that 70 percent of Muslims live up to the halal standards.
This permits poultry, water foul, beef and the flesh of many other
herbivores with cloven feet, assuming that all of it has been killed
and butchered correctly. Fish are also on the menu,
with there being no special requirements for their preparation.
All shellfish are also halal.

Intel Introduces Core i7, Xeon 3400 and First Core i5 Processors

2009-09-26T11:49:00.001+06:00

Intel Corporation introduced several high-performance desktop and server processors today, bringing the next level of integration and intelligence to computers. The new Intel Core™ i5 processor family, two new Intel Core™ i7 processors and the Intel® Xeon processor 3400 series bring Intel's latest Nehalem microarchitecture to mainstream desktop and entry server markets.

Formerly codenamed "Lynnfield," these new chips are based on Intel's award-winning Nehalem microarchitecture and are designed for consumers who need top-notch performance for digital media, productivity, gaming and other demanding applications. These processors, along with the new Intel P55 express chipset, are available at select partners in Pakistan. All processors are lead- and halogen-free1 and feature Intel® exclusive Turbo Boost Technology. The top-of-the-line Core i7 processors also support Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology. Combined, these features give computer users absolute "intelligent" performance when necessary and optimum power-efficiency when the computer is lightly loaded.

The new Core i7 and i5 processors are the first Intel processors to integrate both a 16-lane PCI Express 2 graphics port and two-channel memory controller, enabling all input/output and manageability functions to be handled by the single-chip Intel P55 Express Chipset. Previous Intel chipsets required two separate chips. A new Direct Media Interface (DMI) connects between the processor and chipset. The chipset supports 8 PCI Express 2.0 x1 Ports (2.5GT/s) for flexible device support. Dual graphics cards are supported in a "2×8" configuration. The chipset also supports 6 SATA 3 Gb/s Ports with Intel® Matrix Storage Technology providing RAID levels 0/1/5/10. Up to 14 USB 2.0 Ports can be supported with the chipset's integrated USB 2.0 Rate Matching Hub, along with Intel® High Definition Audio for premium digital sound. The new processors are the first to be supported by the new Land Grid Array (LGA) 1156 package and socket technology.

Small businesses requiring 24/7 operation and educators now have more reasons than ever to buy a purpose-built server with Intel's new Xeon processors and Intel® 3400 and 3420 chipsets. These new products improve small business productivity by running email, file, print and dynamic Web serving tasks more efficiently. They also improve education by enabling dependable classroom collaboration and making school administrative services more productive. Servers based on Xeon 3400 processors provide more dependability over desktop systems through differentiated features such as Error Correcting Code memory and RAID 0/1/5/10 for server operating systems. They are designed to help small businesses grow by enabling up to 64 percent more sale transactions and up to 56 percent faster business response time. This improvement is enabled with Intel's Nehalem microarchitecture and a 4x improvement in memory capacity (32 GB). For more information on these products, please visit www.intel.com/xeon.

Intel Corporation introduced several high-performance desktop and server processors, bringing the next level of integration and intelligence to computers. The new Intel Core i5 processor family, two new Intel Core i7 processors and the Intel Xeon processor 3400 series bring Intel's latest Nehalem micro-architecture to mainstream desktop and entry server markets.

Formerly codenamed "Lynnfield," these new chips are based on Intel's award-winning Nehalem micro-architecture and are designed for consumers who need top-notch performance for digital media, productivity, gaming and other demanding applications. These processors, along with the new Intel P55 express chipset, are available at select partners in Pakistan.

All processors are lead and halogen free and feature Intel exclusive Turbo Boost Technology. The top-of-the-line Core i7 processors also support Intel Hyper-Threading Technology. Combined, these features give computer users absolute "intelligent" performance when necessary and optimum power efficiency when the computer is lightly loaded.

The chipset supports 8 PCI Express 2.0 x1 Ports (2.5GT/s) for flexible device support. Dual graphics cards are supported in a "2×8" configuration. The chipset also supports 6 SATA 3 Gb/s Ports with Intel Matrix Storage Technology providing RAID levels 0/1/5/10. Up to 14 USB 2.0 Ports can be supported with the chipset's integrated USB 2.0 Rate Matching Hub, along with Intel High Definition Audio for premium digital sound. The new processors are the first to be supported by the new Land Grid Array (LGA) 1156 package and socket technology.

Small businesses requiring 24/7 operation and educators now have more reasons than ever to buy a purpose-built server with Intel's new Xeon processors and Intel 3400 and 3420 chipsets. These new products improve small business productivity by running email, file, print and dynamic Web serving tasks more efficiently. They also improve education by enabling dependable classroom collaboration and making school administrative services more productive.

Servers based on Xeon 3400 processors provide more dependability over desktop systems through differentiated features such as Error Correcting Code memory and RAID 0/1/5/10 for server operating systems. They are designed to help small businesses grow by enabling up to 64 percent more sale transactions and up to 56 percent faster business response time. This improvement is enabled with Intel's Nehalem microarchitecture and a 4x improvement in memory capacity (32 GB).

HEALTH TIPS

2009-09-14T09:26:00.000+06:00

HEALTH TIPS

To avoid diseases like hepatitis and Typhoid, eat 5 basil leaves everyday.
For tooth ache, keep a clove on the affected area.
You will get a great relief from menstrual pain , if you have a gooseberry daily.
Boil the leaf of Malabar nut, squeeze its juice and add egg white. It subsides cough.
Eat the powder of dried ginger and cumin with sugar for relief from cough.
Have the mixture of mustard paste and honey for good relief from cough.
For a good relief from cough, mix equal quantities of basil juice, honey and ajwain juice and drink on an empty stomach.
Chew some cumin and sugar for relief from stomach pain.
Have a mixture of lemon juice and honey when you are suffering from cold.
If you have bad breath, drink at least five glasses of water in the morning.
Stop nose bleeds by putting a few drops of pomegranate juice into your nostrils.
For nagging cough and chest congestion, boil 3 cups of water with 2 fresh betel leaves and 4 crushed peppercorns, till the water is reduced to half. Strain and drink every morning and night with a teaspoon of honey.
For relief from toothache.. Take two basil leaves, a grain of salt and a pinch of pepper powder and press against the affected tooth.
For minor rashes on the skin.. add few basil leaves in your bathing water before you bathe.
For fever and cough of children, give some honey mixed with water.
The juice of carrot and tomato, mixed with a little honey is good tonic for children.
A teaspoon of the powdered pomegranate skin taken with water early in the morning will not only purify the blood but also will serve as a good de- worming agent
Chewing raw guava leaves is an excellent quick fix for diarrhoea
If you are suffering from acidity, drink a glass of water with a piece of jaggery dissolved in it, after meals.
Drink basil water everyday, it helps in keeping throat infection and cough at bay.

High Cholesterol: Stocking a Heart

2009-08-28T16:29:00.001+06:00

High Cholesterol: Stocking a Heart-Healthy Kitchen

Heart-healthy foods are essential to a heart-healthy diet. If you want to eat a heart-healthy diet but are not sure what foods you should buy, check out this heart-healthy kitchen essentials guide. From fruits and vegetables to whole grain goodness, learn what foods to keep on hand.

Fresh Fruits & Vegetables

Fill your fridge with seasonal fruits such as berries, oranges, apples, pears, and grapes, and vegetables such as bell peppers, broccoli, kale, cauliflower, tomatoes, dark leafy greens, celery, eggplant, zucchini, and squash.

Dairy and Dairy Alternatives

Skim or 1% milk
Soymilk (plain, unsweetened, vanilla, or chocolate)
Low - or nonfat buttermilk
Nonfat half-and-half or nonfat creamers
Nonfat or reduced-fat cheese (bricks, slices, or shredded)
Soy-based cheeses (bricks, slices, or shredded)
Nonfat or light cream cheese
Nonfat or 1% fat cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
Nonfat or 1% fat yogurt (includes fruited, vanilla, or plain)
Soy-based yogurts
Nonfat sour cream
Egg substitutes, egg whites

Meat, Poultry, Fish & Meat Substitutes

Skinless, boneless chicken or turkey breasts and tenders
Skinless, white breast meat ground chicken or turkey
Pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat
Lean ground beef such as ground round or ground sirloin (Note: When buying beef, look for words like "round" or "loin" and choose lean cuts -- the less marbling, the lower the fat content.)
Assorted fish: salmon, mackerel, tilapia, trout, herring, tuna
Tofu silken, soft, firm, or extra firm
Tempeh
Seitan

Frozen Foods

Frozen vegetables and vegetable blends without added sauces, gravies, and added sodium
Frozen fruits without added sugar (for example, frozen blueberries, strawberries, or raspberries)
Frozen soybeans (edamame)
Frozen vegetarian burgers, sausage patties, or links (For example, Boca Burgers, Yves, Morningstar Farms or Gardenburger)
Reduced-fat and sodium vegetarian chili, burritos, and entrees like Amy's Organic and Health Valley.

Fats, Cooking Oils

Assorted cooking oils (olive, canola, walnut, grapeseed, peanut, and sesame)
Non-fat cooking sprays (for example, Spectrum Naturals, Pam)
Baking fat replacements (for example, pureed prunes, applesauce, or Smucker's Baking Healthy)
Non-hydrogenated shortening (for example, Spectrum Naturals)
Trans-free liquid or tub margarine (for example, Promise Activ, Benecol, Fleischmann's Light, Smart Balance)
Reduced-fat or nonfat salad dressings

Herbs, Seasonings & Spices

Here are some delicious seasonings to take the place of salt.

Allspice	Basil	Bay Leaves	Black pepper
Caraway seeds	Cayenne	Chili powder	Chinese five-spice
Cinnamon	Cloves	Coriander	Cumin
Curry powder	Dill	Garlic powder	Ginger, ground
Italian seasoning	Marjoram	Mint	Nutmeg
Onion powder	Oregano	Paprika	Parsley
Red pepper flakes	Rosemary
Assorted sodium-free Mrs. Dash seasonings

Sweeteners

Splenda, Equal, Nutra Sweet, Sugar Twin, and Brown Sugar Twin (sugar substitutes)
Sugar free or "light" maple syrups
Honey
Brown rice syrup for a sweetening alternative to use when baking

Pantry Essentials

Snacks

Assorted raw nuts and seeds (almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds)
Dried fruits
Whole-grain breads, tortillas, pitas
Whole-grain, trans-fat free crackers (such as Health Valley whole wheat crackers, Kashi TLC crackers, Reduced Fat Triscuits, Fat Free Rye Crisp, Wasa)
Baked, trans-fat-free tortilla chips
Brown rice cakes, popcorn cakes
Whole-grain pretzels (such as Snyder's oat bran or honey wheat)
Plain popcorn or light microwave popcorn

Pantry Essentials continued...

Condiments

Assorted vinegars: rice, red wine, balsamic, apple cider, raspberry. These make delicious salad dressings.
Reduced-sodium ketchup
Assorted mustards: whole grain, honey, Dijon, yellow
Reduced-sodium soy sauce
Reduced-fat or nonfat mayonnaise
Barbecue sauce

Beans, Grains, Sauces

Assorted canned beans such as lentils, kidney, garbanzo, pinto, and black beans (Note: Choose low or reduced sodium if you have high blood pressure.)
Dried beans (lentils, split peas, garbanzo beans, black beans)
Reduced-sodium soups with beans (for example, Health Valley)
Vegetarian chili beans (for example, Westbrae Naturals or Health Valley)
Vegetarian or nonfat refried beans
Rolled, steel cut, or Irish oats
Oat bran
Whole or ground flaxseeds
Whole-grain cold cereals (Note: Choose cereals that contain 5 or more grams of dietary fiber and fewer than 8 grams of sugar per serving.)
Barley
Brown rice, wild rice, and brown basmati rice
Grains such as wheat berries, couscous, polenta, millet, bulgur or quinoa (pronounced keen-wa)
Whole-wheat, spelt, or kamut pastas (Note: These whole-grain pastas come in bowtie, fettuccini, lasagna, spaghetti, fusili, spiral, elbow macaroni, and ravioli varieties.)
Wheat germ
Whole-wheat flour and whole-wheat pastry flour
Soy flour
Cornmeal
Reduced-sodium canned diced tomatoes, whole tomatoes, and tomato sauce
Tomato paste
Low-fat or fat-free pasta sauce
Reduced-sodium chicken, beef, and vegetable broths
98% fat-free cream of mushroom or chicken soups (for example, Campbell's Healthy Request)

Earth 4 Energy

2009-08-28T16:27:00.001+06:00

I know this varies from person to person, because everyone uses a different amount of fuel for their home. But it is certain you will gain back your investment for this guide and the devices within a few days. Energy prices will keep going up and fueling your own home can give you much security for the future.

Many politicians and scientists are seeking alternative fuels to reduce greenhouse gases. Now is your chance to do your part in helping our environment. Even if cleaning the environment isn’t your objective, you can still save massive amounts of energy.

Quickly, let’s observe the ROI for the product Earth4Energy.

This windmill will cost you about $100, which is really nothing when compared to the average energy bill. This windmill will be generating you electricity for at least the next 3 - 5 years, possibly saving you thousands of dollars in your energy bill. Also, the solar panel can be constructed with around $150, which is very cheap compared to professional installs.

If you have a professionally installed device, you would have to wait years before you make back the money.

It is easy enough that I can construct it, and I rarely touch tools.

We all know it’s a pain to try and follow instructions that just don’t work.

However, Earth4Energy is different in that thousands of people have already attempted and succeeded in making these energy generating devices. These people are all ordinary people with little to no experience in construction. You can be assured you will know how to build this device.

#3: Earth4Energy is Very Professional

What good is a device if it breaks within the next few weeks?

Thankfully, Earth4Energy is NOT something that will break quickly. The Earth4Energy device teaches you how to construct a windmill and solar panel that will last for years. Other guides we’ve found teach you to create a piece of junk that hardly generates power at all. By following the instructions in Earth4Energy exactly, you are guaranteed to create an extraordinary device.

New York is worst city to build wealth

2009-08-28T11:13:00.001+06:00

If you'd like to build a nest egg with your paycheck, it may be time to give up New York and head for Plano, Texas.

A survey by pay experts at Salary.com evaluated 69 cities with more than 250,000 people and ranked the Big Apple last. Plano came in first among American cities in which to build personal wealth.

The survey, based on census data and Salary.com analysis, focused on local salaries, the cost of living and unemployment. Secondary factors, such as diversity of the local economy, residents' education, percentage of population below poverty level and commute time were also measured.

According to the survey, the top five cities are home to some of the nation's largest companies and have recorded strong periods of growth. Following first-place Plano came Aurora, Colo., Omaha, Neb., Minneapolis and Albuquerque N.M.

New York's diverse economy and highly-educated residents couldn't save it from sinking to the bottom due to its high cost of living and paychecks that just aren't "inflated" enough to make up the difference, the report stated.

Following last-ranked New York were Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Honolulu and San Francisco.

ASP.NET Barcode Web Server Control 9.08 (Windows)

2009-08-28T10:34:00.001+06:00

ASP.NET Barcode Web Server Control 9.08 (Windows)

The ASP .NET Barcode Web Server Control is a new drag-and-drop component that easily adds dynamic barcoding capability to Microsoft .NET Web Applications. It is a server-side component that creates JPEG images, therefore all processing takes place on the server and it is compatible with all web browsers. On-line barcodes may be easily included in .NET Web Applications by dragging the control on a form in the same way a text box control is used. Several barcode types are supported in a single control including Code 3 of 9, Code 128, UCC/EAN-128, GS1-128, Interleaved 2 of 5, UPC, EAN, Codabar, USPS Intelligent Mail, Planet, Postnet PDF417, Aztec, Data Matrix, QR Code and MaxiCode.

To know details about this product visit: http://downloads. zdnet.com/ abstract. aspx?docid= 1119931

Get younger withTechnical knowledge, Internet, Extranet, Websurfing, Push Technology, ASP, PDA, Internet Telephony, Weblog, Thin Client, Rboc, LDC, WWW

2009-08-28T10:23:00.001+06:00

We've put together a list of outdated tech terms, phrases that you shouldn't be using at work anymore because they will make you seem old. This is especially true if you're looking for a new job. For example, on an interview, you should be talking about "cloud computing," not "ASPs" even though they are basically the same thing.

This list is useful for 20-somethings, too. Now when the senior person in the office uses one of these terms, you'll know what he's talking about.

1. Intranet

Popular in the mid-90s, the term "intranet" referred to a private network running the Internet Protocol and other Internet standards such as the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). It was also used to describe an internal Web site that was hosted behind a firewall and was accessible only to employees. Today, every private network runs IP. So you can just use the term virtual private network or VPN to describe a private IP-based network.

2. Extranet

An "extranet" referred to private network connections based on Internet standards such as IP and HTTP that extended outside an organization, such as between business partners. Extranets often replaced point-to-point electronic data interchange (EDI) connections that used standards such as X12. Today, companies provide suppliers, resellers and other members of their supply chain with access to their VPNs.

3. Web Surfing

When is the last time you heard someone talk about surfing the Web? You know the term is out of date when your kids don't know what it means. To teens and tweens, the Internet and the World Wide Web are one and the same thing. So it's better to use the term "browsing" the Web if you want to be understood.

4. Push Technology

The debate over the merits of "push" versus "pull" technology came to a head in 1996 with the release of the PointCast Network, a Web service that sent a steady stream of news to subscribers. However, PointCast and other push technology services required too much network bandwidth. Eventually, push technology evolved into RSS feeds, which remain the preferred method for publishing information to subscribers of the Internet. RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication.

5. Application Service Provider (ASP)

During this decade, the term "Application Service Provider" evolved into "Software-as- a-Service." Both terms refer to a vendor hosting a software application and providing access to it over the Web. Customers buy the software on a subscription basis, rather than having to own and operate it themselves. ASP was a hot term prior to the dot-com bust. Then it was replaced by "SaaS." Now it's cool to talk about "cloud computing."

6. Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)

Coined by former Apple CEO John Sculley back in 1992 when he unveiled the Apple Newton, the term "personal digital assistant" referred to a handheld computer. PDA was still in use in 1996, when the Palm Pilot was the hottest handheld in corporate America. Today, the preferred generic term for a handheld like a Blackberry or an iPhone is a "smartphone".

7. Internet Telephony

You need to purge the term "Internet telephony" from your vocabulary and switch to VoIP, for Voice over IP. Even the term VoIP is getting old-fashioned because pretty soon all telephone calls will be routed over the Internet rather than the Public Switched Telephone Network. It's probably time to stop referring to the PSTN, too, because it is headed for the history books as all voice, data and video traffic is carried on the Internet.

8. Weblog

A blog is a shortened version of "Weblog," a term that emerged in the late 1990s to describe commentary that an individual publishes online. It spawned many words still in use such as "blogger" and "blogosphere." Nowadays, few people have time to blog so they are "microblogging," which is another word that's heading out the door as people turn Twitter into a generic term for blasting out 140-character observations or opinions.

9. Thin Client

You have to give Larry Ellison credit for seeing many of the flaws in the client/server computing architecture and for popularizing the term "thin client" to refer to Oracle's alternative terminal-like approach. In 1993, Ellison was touting thin clients as a way for large organizations to improve network security and manageability. Although thin clients never replaced PCs, the concept is similar to "virtual desktops" that are gaining popularity today as a way of supporting mobile workers.

10. Rboc

In 1984, the U.S. government forced AT&T to split up into seven Regional Bell Operating Companies [RBOCs] also known as Baby Bells. Customers bought local service from RBOCs and long-distance service from carriers such as AT&T. Telecom industry mergers over the last 15 years have formed integrated local- and long-distance carriers such as AT&T, Verizon and Qwest. This makes not only the term RBOC obsolete, but also the terms ILEC for Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier [i.e., GTE] and CLEC for Competitive Local Exchange Carrier [i.e., MFS].

11. Long-Distance Call

Thanks to flat-rate calling plans available from carriers for at least five years, nobody needs to distinguish between local and long-distance calls anymore. Similarly, you don't need to distinguish between terrestrial and wireless calls because so many people use only wireless services. Like pay phones, long-distance calls -- and their premium prices -- are relics of a past without national and unlimited calling plans.

12. World Wide Web

Nobody talks about the "World Wide Web" anymore, or the "Information Superhighway," for that matter. It's just the Internet. It's a distinction that Steve Czaban, the popular Fox Sports Radio talk show host, likes to mock when he refers to the "Worldwide Interweb." Nothing dates you more than pulling out one of those old-fashioned ways of referring to the Internet such as "infobahn" or "electronic highway."

FW: 140080] STC Wireless Router Vase from STC

2009-08-27T13:42:00.001+06:00

STC Wireless Router Vase from STC

The new wireless internet router designed by Saudi Arabia based telecom company STC is a device that can be said to follow the latest ground rule for all conceptual designs – multi tasking. The router apart from being used for its normal purpose can also be used as a flower vase to adorn your table! This can be a perfect product that can reduce the gap of lifestyle and technology. On the back of the vase, are the slots wherein requisite connections like LAN, phone etc can be plugged into. Additionally, its connectivity via VOIP and landline telephony is awesome. It surely is a value for money product!

GPS introduces GPS 2G device

2009-08-27T13:36:00.001+06:00

You can never be too careful these days, considering just how our world has degenerated in a rather alarming manner with all sorts of crimes and evil deeds being reported on the news round the clock. Gone are the days of innocence, where one can sleep in peace without locking the front door of the house. Not to mention the criminal atrocities associated with children by devilish adults, making parenting a more stressful job than it already is. Amber Alert aims to alleviate some of the parents' fears by introducing their Amber Alert GPS 2G child tracking device which is capable of keeping tabs on the little ones all the time, giving their parents a sense of control and much needed peace of mind.

The Amber Alert GPS 2G allows parents to limit their children's boundaries by coming up with a pre-designated safe zone regardless of where they are. In addition, the device will help create a "bread crumbing" trail of the children's route using a series of alerts. Not only that, it goes the extra mile by alerting the parent that the child has reached their designation safe and sound, while voice monitoring and the ability to monitor the vehicle's speed surely go a long way in making this a "must buy" device for new parents who are anxious to keep tabs all the time and do not want to let one moment of carelessness result in a disaster. As for the kids themselves, they can also access an emergency button to alert the parent whenever they are in need of help.

The Amber Alert GPS 2G will retail for $379.99 a pop, but you do have to fork out an additional $9.99 monthly for the basic subscription. Depending on other plans, you will have to pay even more per month which could put a damper on your monthly budget considering the current tough economic weather, but there isn't really too high a price to pay for safety, is there? Eternal vigilance is the phrase I'm looking at here…

Round GPS Device

2009-08-27T13:35:00.000+06:00

If you aren't familiar with Russian Designer Art Lebedev, then perhaps you have heard of the Optimus Maximus, the keyboard with a screen for every key.

It would appear that the innovative designer is working on another device that has become common: the GPS device. His "Navigarius" uses a round display as opposed to the traditional square models. It also includes touchscreen controls, USB connectivity, a microSD reader, as well as a cigarette lighter adapter.

I can think of other features that my source does not list off. For example, voice recognition. However, that's starting to become a standard on many GPS devices these days, especially with those cars with it built-in.

At the risk of gadget-gushing, I will have to say that I love it. Personally, I think this design will probably be picked up, and quite soon. In fact, I think that its design is so revolutionary, that I could easily see it on every dashboard in the future.

So are we looking at an age where we see a GPS device with a rectangular screen and say: "oh, that is so quaint". Do you remember just ten years ago, when all of our computer displays were huge and square. Flatscreens changed all that, and I see the same potential for the Navigarius.

Multipot hides and charges your gadgets

2009-08-27T10:58:00.004+06:00

Hi Virk,
Your friend, Virk, has recommended the article 'Multipot hides and charges your gadgets' to you.
Here is his/her remarks:
N/A
Multipot hides and charges your gadgets
Posted By Ally On August 26, 2009 (2:57 pm) In Electronic Gadgets, Home Gadgets

Now this is one way to charge all of your smaller gadgets without having them cluttering up an area. Instead it charges them all and hides them away so that they don’t have to be seen at all times. Of course if you’re the type that would forget their phone unless it was within plain sight, this might be a bad idea. However, for those that aren’t so forgetful this would be a great multi-gadget to have lying around.
This Multipot looks like just a random light you might have out to create a subtle ambient glow. It does this with an LED light. All the while underneath the lid is a spot to not only charge your gadgets, but to store small items as well. Things that you might need to grab on your way out the door like your car keys. Storing your car keys in with your gadgets might be one way to make sure that you don’t accidentally leave you cellphone. In the charging section you can charge a total of five gadgets. Upon purchasing you can choose between white, black or chrome and it’ll cost you about $325.
Source: CraziestGadgets
...
Article taken from Coolest Gadgets - http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/
URL to article: http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/20090826/multipot-hides-charges-gadgets/

Two Choices - Quite Technical

2009-08-26T16:59:00.001+06:00

What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line, there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the same choice?

At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended.. After extolling the school and itsdedicated staff, he offered a question:

'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does, is done with perfection.

Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do.

Where is the natural order of things in my son?'

The audience was stilled by the query.

The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.'

Then he told the following story:

Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but as a fatherI also understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.

I approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.'

Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart. The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three.

In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again.

Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.

At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game?

Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.

However, as Shay stepped up to the

plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact.

The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed.

The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay.

As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.

The game would now be over.

The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman.

Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.

Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates.

Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, 'Shay, run to first!

Run to first!'

Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base.

He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.

Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!'

Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base.

B y the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball . the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team.

He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman' s head.

Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.

All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'

Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third!

Shay, run to third!'

As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!'

Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team

'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world'.

Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!

AND NOW A LITTLE FOOT NOTE TO THIS STORY:

We all send thousands of jokes through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending messages about life choices, people hesitate.

The crude, vulgar, and often obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.

If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren't the 'appropriate' ones to receive this type of message Well, the person who sent you this believes that we all can make a difference.

We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the 'natural order of things..'

So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice:

Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little bit colder in the process?

A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.

You now have two choices:

1. Delete

2. Forward

Exercise Pill Could Help Athletes, Replace Use Of Steroids

2009-08-26T16:54:00.001+06:00

Washington (dbTechno) - Scientists are getting closer and closer to developing a new exercise pill. The idea behind the pill is to give your body the benefits of exercise, without actually having to work out as hard. It is currently being touted to help people with weight loss, but could also be used by athletes, as a substitute to steroids.

The new study on these two new pills has been published in the journal Cell, and was carried out by U.S. researchers.

There are two possible pills, both with the ability to help build muscle, increase stamina, and help with weight loss.

The two drugs, AICAR and GW1516 were tested on young adult mice. Half of the mice exercised while taking the drug, while the other half did just exercise.

What they found was that the young adult mice who took the drug were able to run farther and faster than those who did not.

The mice were able to run 77% longer, and 44% farther after just four weeks on the drug compared to the other mice.

The drugs work by having an impact on the gene which actually helps build muscle in the body.

Lead researcher Professor Ronald Evans from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and Salk Institute in California, has already forseen possible misuse by athletes.

Because of this, a test has already been developed to allow the drug to be detected in urine and blood samples.

Supernatural Power

2009-08-26T16:53:00.001+06:00

There was this case in this hospital's Intensive Care ward where patients always died in the same bed on Friday mornings around 9am regardless of their age, gender, medical history or medical condition.

This puzzled the doctors and some even thought that it had to do with the supernatural: Why did death occur at that same bed around the same time every Friday?

So the doctors decided to go down to that particular ward to investigate the cause of the deaths.

Come Friday morning, everyone at the hospital ward nervously waited for the terrible phenomenon to occur again. The new (unknowing) patient laid there.

Some doctors held wooden crosses, prayer books and other holy objects to ward off evil...and they waited.

8am, the patient was still alive...

8.30am...still breathing...

Just before the 'cursed' time, the door to the ward swung open...

Then Ah Soh, the part-time Friday cleaner, comes in and unplugs the life support system so that she can use the vacuum cleaner!

A Great Love - Fitness Workout

2009-08-26T16:49:00.001+06:00

What does it mean to practice love-fitness?

We recently joined a gym to stay more fit physically.

We don't actually work up much of a sweat, but we spend 30-45 minutes there several times per week.

It feels good.

We start on the treadmill for about 15 minutes and then do what they call the "circuit" – a series of about 10 machines.

Each machine exercises a different portion of the body.

It only takes about 10 minutes to complete the circuit one time and we often repeat it.

During the "circuit" this week, we thought, "Um, we're investing a good 45 minutes several times a week to our physical heath – like millions of other people. What would be the equivalent of the "circuit" for a great love-fitness workout?"

So we came up with our own "love-fit circuit" of five workout stations, each requiring just about one little minute.

So let's get love-fit.

Here's your love-fitness workout:

Love-fit Station #1: Anger/Irritation Relief.

Do you have any anger or irritation challenging your heart right now?

Time to visit the "Anger/Irritation Relief" love fitness station.

Begin by recognizing your anger and loving yourself for addressing it.

It's part of healing to feel your feelings.

As you take moments to think through your irritation or anger, you realize how damaging and immensely wasteful negative energy is in your own life – not to mention those who experience your negative energy, even if you don't say anything.

As you stay in this #1 love-fitness station, Love moves your heart towards forgiveness – especially towards yourself.

Just residing in this heart space of love strengthens your well being.

Anger and irritation are not part of the real you – your highest selfhood.

As you remember this, peace begins to descend into your heart.

But love wants even more healing.

It's time to move to another love fitness station.

Love-fit Station #2: Doubt Relief.

Who doesn't have thoughts of doubt!

At the "Doubt Relief" love fitness station, your heart opens and surrenders to love.

As ego begins to fade, you remember your essence.

You are a valuable, magnificent treasure in the universe.

This is love's message to you and it is a message of truth.

Let love's admiration of you penetrate your doubt.

Let love circulate in your heart.

Just reside in love loving you as marvelous and important and needed.

We all need waves of assurance that life will turn out well.

At this love fitness station, love reminds you that the more you are tuned into love itself, the more easily good answers appear in your life.

You soak this in as love gently moves you to the next love fitness station.

Love-fit Station #3: Anxiety/Fear Relief.

There's so much to worry about.

What should I do?

Where will be money come from?

Will I succeed?

Will this relationship work?

At the love fitness "Anxiety/Fear Relief" station, waves of assurance start immediately pouring in to your heart.

Yes, love has a plan for your life and it's a good one.

You can relax in this very moment and feel peace.

That is the potential in every moment for the rest of your life.

As you remember this, calmness begins to spread through your mind and heart.

There's even more love and healing waiting for you though.

It's time to move on.

Love-fit Station #4: Guilt Relief.

This huge love fitness station is waiting for you with open arms.

Guilt ravages our inner peace.

You deserve to feel freedom and innocence.

This is the nature of love.

We all make mistakes.

Forgiveness of ourselves is a giant part of learning to love ourselves despite mistakes.

As you stop to experience this "Guilt Relief" station, love speaks the words of innocence, acceptance, and freedom to your soul.

This is how love intends you to feel inside.

Your heart opens to this freedom and beings to relax in innocence.

You feel the deep currents of healing energy from all the love fitness stations you have visited, even briefly.

And there's still another love fitness station.

Love wants you completely fit.

Love-fit Station #5: Hurt Relief.

It's hard to move through even a week of life without feeling hurt by someone or something.

What do we do?

We visit love's "Hurt Relief" fitness station of course!

Here we are invited to express our hurt and acknowledge our feelings.

It is never fair to be treated unkindly by another, even yourself.

Misunderstandings often lead to hurt.

Sometimes it is even intentional.

Hurt lingers and festers in our hearts.

But not here at the "Hurt Relief" station.

Here, love gently guides us.

We discover a kind way to express our hurt without causing anger or more hurt.

We remember that our hurt is robbing us of love's joy, so natural to our well being.

We move towards forgiveness, understanding, acceptance.

We feel love opening new paths.

This entire "Love workout" can be finished in less than 10 minutes.

Imagine living in a state of love fitness where you are experiencing waves of relief and happiness because your challenges and negative emotions are being resolved.

That's the power of staying love fit.

Repetition, more than time, builds strength.

Keep flowing through the love workout fitness stations so you can keep things cleared in your life and not get snagged.

Welcome to love fitness and the heart of love.

Ladies vs the real women

2009-08-26T16:47:00.001+06:00

Ladies - If you accidentally over-salt a dish while it's stillcooking, drop in a peeled potato and it will absorb the excess salt foran instant"fix-me-up."

Real Woman - If you over-salt a dish while you are cooking,that's too damn bad. Please recite with me, The Real Women's motto: "Imade it and you will eat it and I don't care how bad it tastes."

Ladies - Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.

Real Woman - Take a lime, mix it with tequila, chill and drink.. You might still have the headache, but who cares?

Ladies - Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent ice cream drips.

Real Woman - Just suck the ice cream out of the bottom of the cone,for Pete's sake. You are probably lying on the couch, with your feetup, eating it anyway.

Ladies - To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.

Real Woman - Buy boxed mashed potato mix and keep it in the pantry for up to a year.

Ladies - When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, usea bit of the dry cake mix instead and there won't be any white mess on the outside of the cake.

Real Woman - Go to the bakery - they'll even decorate it for you.

Ladies - Brush some beaten egg white over pie crust before baking to yield a beautiful glossy finish.

Real Woman - Swanson frozen pie directions do not include brushing egg whites over the crust, so I just don't do it.

Ladies - If you have a problem opening jars, try using latexdishwashing gloves. They give a non slip grip that makes opening jarseasy.

Real Woman - Go ask the very cute neighbour to do it.

And finally the most important tip....

Ladies - Don't throw out all that leftover wine. Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.

Real Woman - LEFTOVER WINE ?????

Pepsi and Coca Cola Contains PORK (PIG) extracts - PROVEN!!

2009-08-26T16:45:00.001+06:00

Pepsi and Coca Cola contains extract from Pork (Pig)
Most of the people avoid Pepsi and Coca-Cola for various reasons:-
because of harmful chemical contents such as excessive carbonates, etc.

Now there is yet another reason which is more dangerous. The scientific and medical research says that drinking Pepsi & Cola leads to cancer because the key element is taken from Pigs sausage.
The pig is the only animal that eats dirt, dung and urine, which makes lethal and deadly fabric polluted germs and microbes.

According to a report published in Jordanian magazine, the Head of Delhi University Science and Technology , Dr. Mangoshada scientifically proved that the key element in Pepsi and Cola contains extract from the intestines of Pig which causes cancer and other deadly diseases.

The Indian university conducted tests on the impact of drinking Pepsi and Coca Cola which proved that drinking them lead to more rapid heart rate and low pressure.
Also drinking 6 bottles of Pepsi or Cola at a time causes instant death. It also contains chemicals such as carbonic and phosphoric acids, citric acid which harms teeth and causes bone fragility. Bones kept in the Cup of Pepsi melts during the week knowing that the bones of the dead remain in the grave for thirty years.
Research itself confirmed that the calcium dissolved in Pepsi and it weakens the bladder, kidneys, kills the pancreatic, leads to diabetes and infectious diseases.

Pepsi or Coca-Cola lovers, you have nothing to worry as it is not the only drinks available on this earth, as we have other healthy alternatives such as natural fruit juices, canned coconut water, flavored milks, buttermilk etc., all of them are conveniently available even in the small stores.

Galileo's telescope reaches 400th anniversary

2009-08-26T16:43:00.001+06:00

Galileo's telescope reaches 400th anniversary

It is 400 years since Galileo Galilei demonstrated his telescope, which would lead him to make new astronomical observations

Galileo's telescope helped the astronomer to learn more about our solar system. This is a reconstruction of the telescope. Photograph: Jim Sugar/Corbis

While many people have been loudly celebrating this year's double commemoration of 200 years since Charles Darwin's birth and 150 years since the publication of On the Origin of Species, another scientific anniversary has crept up relatively quietly, marking an event which arguably changed human thought and the way we see ourselves even more irrevocably.

Exactly 400 years ago today, on 25 August 1609, the Italian astronomer and philosopher Galilei Galileo showed Venetian merchants his new creation, a telescope – the instrument that was to bring him both scientific immortality and, more immediately, a whole lot of trouble.

A refinement of models first devised in the Netherlands, Galileo's slim, brown stick was puny even by the standards of something one might buy in hobby shop today. But his eight-powered telescope, and the more powerful models he soon produced, when pointed skywards led Galileo to a series of groundbreaking conclusions.

The moon was not, as long believed, completely smooth. Another planet, Jupiter, also had moons. Meanwhile Venus showed a range of moon-like phases, something which could not happen if both it and the sun orbited the earth.

This latter phenomenon had been predicted by Nicolaus Copernicus when, nearly a century before, he had proposed the notion of a planetary system with the sun at the centre, not the earth.

Galileo's discoveries were, perhaps predictably, not best welcomed by the Catholic church, and he spent the final decade of his life under house arrest.

It was certainly a revelation which upset the orthodoxies – and the churches – at least as much as Darwin's, and perhaps merits a bit more of fuss, although museum-goers in Philadelphia and Stockholm can view one of Galileo's very early telescopes, on loan this year from Florence. A good deal more people are likely to be alerted thanks to Google's day-long adaptation of their main page logo to a Google Doodle in honour of the event.

The Telescope

The diagram of the optical principles of the telescope from Sidereus Nuncius.

Image by kind permission of the Master and Fellows of Trinity College Cambridge.

The story of Galileo's telescope is well known, as he recounted it himself in the Starry Messenger. In July 1609, Galileo was in Venice, when he heard of an invention that allowed distant objects to be seen as distinctly as if they were nearby. In October 1608, a Flemish spectacle-maker by the name of Hans Lipperhey had already applied for a patent (which was refused), and news of the gadget was widespread in Europe by the time Galileo had heard of it. Around the same time, a foreigner turned up in Padua with the instrument; Galileo rushed back to Padua, only to learn that the foreigner had gone to Venice to sell his instrument. Galileo's friend, Paolo Sarpi, had advised the Venetian government against purchasing the instrument from the foreigner, since Galileo could at least match such an invention. By then, Galileo had worked out the principle of the telescope and returned to Venice himself with an eight-power telescope. The Venetian government doubled his salary, though Galileo felt that the original conditions were not honoured.

Galileo gradually improved the power of his telescope, grinding lenses himself, and began observing the heavens. In the first two months of 1610, he was writing The Starry Messenger, and by 12 March, the book was already printed at Venice, dedicated to Cosimo de' Medici. Galileo continued his observations with his telescope, some of which he conveyed in ciphers to Johannes Kepler, who had already responded enthusiastically with the Conversation with Galileo's Sidereal Messenger. Galileo's discovery of the 'handles' of Saturn was encoded in 'Smaismrmilmepoetale umibunenugttavir as', which could be unscrambled as 'Altissimum planetam tergeminum observavi': I have observed the highest of the planets three-formed. Kepler deciphered this within one letter as 'Salve umbistineum geminatum Martia proles': 'Be greeted, double knob, children of Mars.' For the discovery of the phases of Venus, the code 'Haec immatura a me jam frustra leguntur oy' (this was already tried by me in vain too early) hid the message, 'Cynthiae figurae aemulatur mater amorum' (The mother of lovers [Venus] imitates the shapes of Cynthia [the moon]). Despite this exchange, Galileo never accepted Kepler's elliptical orbits.

From 1616, Galileo tried to apply his knowledge of the satellites of Jupiter to the determination of longitude at sea. In order to ensure observation at sea, the Tuscan arsenal made for Galileo a headgear which had a telescope attached. Around this time, he also designed a brass 'Jovilabe', a computing device for prediction positions of the satellites. He hoped to gain support from the Spanish crown for this project, but failed.

Make Ramdan a Starting Point of Your Life

2009-08-26T11:53:00.000+06:00

The month of Ramadan is a gift from our Lord. Its days are the sweetest of days and its nights are the most rewarding. Allah gives us this gift so we may purify ourselves, fortify our character, and aspire to greater spiritual heights, thereby attaining eternal bliss. It is a time for us to clean our slates and be forgiven our sins. It is a real opportunity for us to renew our commitment to our faith, perfect our moral character, and earn Allah's pleasure.

This is why Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) would give glad tidings to his Companions on the arrival of Ramadan:

The month of Ramadan has come to you, a blessed month, wherein Allah has enjoined fasting. It is a time when the gates of Paradise are opened, those of Hell are closed, and the devils are chained. In it is a night greater than a thousand months. Whoever is denied its goodness is truly bereft. [Musnad Ahmad and Sunan al-Nasâ'î]

Ibn Rajab says:

How can there be anything but glad tidings for the believer to hear that the gates of Paradise are open? How can there be anything but glad tidings for the sinner to hear that the gates of Hell are closed? How can any sane person not embrace the glad tidings that the devils are chained? How can this time of year even be compared to any other time?

Three Simple Steps

There are three simple steps we should take if we wish to make Ramadan a starting point to bettering our lives.

1. First, start out by feeling more responsible about how you behave in Ramadan.

In light of the great opportunities that Ramadan presents us with, we should feel an acute sense of responsibility about everything we say and do in Ramadan. This is the first critical step. We are all bound by the deeds that we do, and we will be held accountable by Allah to fulfill our duties and shun sinful deeds.

2. Work to infuse yourself with the spirit of this special month.

Ramadan has its own incomparable atmosphere. No other time of year is quite like it. Allah has singled out Ramadan for many blessings. He has given the month a number of distinctions. The most emphatic of these is when the Prophet declared that: "Whoever fasts Ramadan with faith, seeking Allah's reward, will be forgiven all previous sins." [Sahîh al-Bukhârî and Sahîh Muslim]

This is an immense opportunity to renew our faith. The chance to put our accumulated sins behind us really should inspire us and invigorate us.

The special atmosphere of Ramadan helps us to put our faith into practice, ad it is through practice that we truly reform our inner selves. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Knowledge comes by way of learning, a patient character comes by practicing patience, striving for good brings good, and shunning evil protects one from evil."

3. Set for yourself practical and attainable Ramadan resolutions.

We should consider what we wish to accomplish in the blessed days and nights of Ramadan. We should be confident about ourselves and desire to do as much as we can, but at the same time be realistic about our time and our capabilities. We should set for ourselves genuinely reachable goals.

Pick up a pen and paper and write down what you want to accomplish this Ramadan. Plan out your Ramadan schedule so to your goals and aims will be perfectly clear to you and as well as how you are going to fit those goals into your already busy schedule. It is important to plan well, since as the old saying goes: "Whoever plans poorly, plans for failure."

Be honest with yourself. Write down what you wish to achieve in all aspects of your life: in your faith, character, interpersonal dealings, cultural development, et cetera. Avoid negative statements. Be positive in your choice of words, like: "I want to do so and so." "I want to achieve such and such."

After Ramadan

Ramadan is a month wherein it is easy to perform good deeds. We observe the fast on a daily basis for the sake of our Lord. It is a time when worship and the remembrance of Allah become a believer's habit. The fast schedules our daily activities. We start our day with our pre-dawn meal and end it by breaking our fasts. We balance out our bodily nourishment with our spiritual enrichment.

Ramadan is a practical course for us in moral development, charity, and good conduct. We are reminded to help the less fortunate and to strive against our selfish tendencies. We must make sure to make use of what we learn in this course after the course comes to an end.

Ibn Rajab identifies two kinds of resolve: The first is the resolve we have to undertake a course of action. This is the resolve that gets things going. The second kind of resolve is the resolve to persevere. This is the resolve that gets us to our goals.

The devils are chained for a whole month. In this time, we can accustom ourselves to improving our religious observance and our character. We should keep in mind that our Lord is our Lord in Ramadan and throughout the year. What we achieve in Ramadan is a real achievement when it becomes part and parcel of our lives.

The Purpose of Fasting

2009-08-26T11:11:00.000+06:00

Firstly: we must note that one of the names of Allah is al-Hakim (the Most Wise). The word Hakim is derived from the same root as hukm (ruling) and hikmah (wisdom). Allah alone is the One Who issues rulings, and His rulings are the most wise and perfect.

Secondly: Allah does not prescribe any ruling but there is great wisdom behind it, which we may understand, or our minds may not be guided to understand it. We may know some of it but a great deal is hidden from us.

Thirdly: Allah has mentioned the reason and wisdom behind His enjoining of fasting upon us, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

O you who believe! Observing As-Sawm (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqun (the pious) [Noble Quran 2:183]

Fasting is a means of attaining taqwa (piety, being conscious of Allah), and taqwa means doing that which Allah has enjoined and avoiding that which He has forbidden.

Fasting is one of the greatest means of helping a person to fulfill the commands of Islam.

The scholars have mentioned some of the reasons why fasting is prescribed, all of which are characteristics of taqwa, but there is nothing wrong with quoting them here, to draw the attention of fasting people to them and make them keen to attain them.

Among the reasons behind fasting are:

Fasting is a means that makes us appreciate and give thanks for pleasures. For fasting means giving up eating, drinking and intercourse, which are among the greatest pleasures. By giving them up for a short time, we begin to appreciate their value. Because the blessings of Allah are not recognized, but when you abstain from them, you begin to recognize them, so this motivates you to be grateful for them.
Fasting is a means of giving up haram things, because if a person can give up halal things in order to please Allah and for fear of His painful torment, then he will be more likely to refrain from haram things. So fasting is a means of avoiding the things that Allah has forbidden.
Fasting enables us to control our desires, because when a person is full his desires grow, but if he is hungry then his desire becomes weak. Hence the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: O young men! Whoever among you can afford to get married, let him do so, for it is more effective in lowering the gaze and protecting one's chastity. Whoever cannot do that, let him fast, for it will be a shield for him.
Fasting makes us feel compassion and empathy towards the poor, because when the fasting person tastes the pain of hunger for a while, he remembers those who are in this situation all the time, so he will hasten to do acts of kindness to them and show compassion towards them. So fasting is a means of feeling empathy with the poor.
Fasting humiliates and weakens the Shaytan; it weakens the effects of his whispers (waswaas) on a person and reduces his sins. That is because the Shaytan "flows through the son of Adam like blood as the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said, but fasting narrows the passages through which the Shaytan flows, so his influence grows less. [Shaykh al-Islam said in Majmu' al-Fatawa, 25/246]
Undoubtedly blood is created from food and drink, so when a person eats and drinks, the passages through which the devils flow – which is the blood – become wide. But if a person
fasts, the passages through which the devils flow become narrow, so hearts are motivated to do good deeds, and to give up evil deeds.
The fasting person is training himself to remember that Allah is always watching, so he gives up the things that he desires even though he is able to take them, because he knows that Allah can see him.
Fasting means developing an attitude of asceticism towards this world and its desires, and seeking that which is with Allah.
It makes the Muslim get used to doing a great deal of acts of worship, because the fasting person usually does more acts of worship and gets used to that.

These are some of the reasons why fasting is enjoined. We ask Allah to help us to achieve them and to worship Him properly.

And Allah knows best.

[See Tafsir al-Sa'di, p. 116; Ibn al-Qayyim's footnotes on al-Rawd al-Murabba', 3/344; al-Mawsu'ah al-Fiqhiyyah, 28/9]

10 Principles for Peace of Mind

2009-08-25T11:28:00.001+06:00

1. Do Not Interfere In Others' Business Unless Asked.

Most of us create our own problems by interfering too often in others' affairs. We do so because somehow we have convinced ourselves that our way is the best way, our logic is the perfect logic and those who do not conform to our thinking must be criticized and steered to the right direction, our direction. This thinking denies the existence of individuality and consequently the existence of God.. God has created each one of us in a unique way. No two human beings can think or act in exactly the same way. All men or women act the way they do because God within them prompts them that way. Mind your own business and you will keep your peace.

2. Forgive And Forget:

This is the most powerful aid to peace of mind. We often develop ill feelings inside our heart for the person who insults us or harms us. We nurture grievances. This in turn results in loss of sleep, development of stomach ulcers, and high blood pressure. This insult or injury was done once, but nourishing of grievance goes on forever by constantly remembering it. Get over this bad habit. Life is too short to waste in such trifles. Forgive,20Forget, and march on. Love flourishes in giving and forgiving.

3. Do Not Crave For Recognition:

This world is full of selfish people. They seldom praise anybody without selfish motives. They may praise you today because you are in power, but no sooner than you are powerless, they will forget your achievement and will start finding faults in you. Why do you wish to kill yours lf in striving for their recognition? Their recognition is not worth the aggravation. Do your duties ethically and sincerely.

4. Do Not Be Jealous:

We all have experienced how jealousy can disturb our peace of mind. You know that you work harder than your colleagues in the office, but sometimes they get promotions; you do not. You started a business several years ago, but you are not as successful as your neighbor whose business is only one year old. There are several examples like these in everyday life. Should you be jealous? No. Remember everybody's life is shaped by his/her destiny, which has now become his/her reality. If you are destined to be rich, nothing in the world can stop you. If you are not so destined, no one can help you either. Nothing will be gained by blaming others for your misfortune. Jealousy will not get you anywhere; it will only take away your peace of mind.

5. Change Yourself According To The Environment:

If you try to change the environment single-handedly, the chances are you will fail. Instead, change yourself to suit your environment. As you do this, even the environment, which has been unfriendly to you, will mysteriously change and seem congenial and harmonious.

6. Endure What Cannot Be Cured:

This is the best way to turn a disadvantage into an advantage. Every day we face numerous inconveniences, ailments, irritations, and accidents that are beyond our control... If we cannot control them or change them, we must learn to put up with these things. We must learn to endure them cheerfully. Believe in yourself and you will gain in terms of patience, inner strength and will power.

7. Do Not Bite Off More Than You Can Chew:

This maxim needs to be remembered constantly. We often tend to take more responsibilities than we are capable of carrying out. This is done to satisfy our ego. Know your limitations. . Why take on additional loads that may create more worries? You cannot gain peace of mind by expanding your external activities. Reduce your material engagements and spend time in prayer, introspection and meditation. This will reduce those thoughts in your mind that make you restless. Uncluttered mind will produce greater peace of mind.

8. Meditate Regularly:

Meditation calms the mind and gets rid of disturbing thoughts. This is the highest state of peace of mind. Try and experience it yourself. If you meditate earnestly for half an hour everyday, your mind will tend to become peaceful during the remaining twenty-three and half-hours. Your mind will not be easily disturbed as it was before. You would benefit by gradually increasing the period of daily meditation. You may think that this will interfere with your daily work. On the contrary, this will increase your efficiency and you will be able to produce better results in less time.

9. Never Leave The Mind Vacant:

An empty mind is the devil's workshop. All evil actions start in the vacant mind. Keep your mind occupied in something positive, something worthwhile . Actively follow a hobby. Do something that holds your interest. You must decide what you value more: money or peace of mind. Your hobby, like social work or religious work, may not always earn you more money, but you will have a sense of fulfillment and achievement. Even when you are resting physically, occupy yourself in healthy reading or mental chanting of God's name.

10. Do Not Procrastinate And Never Regret:

Do not waste time in protracted wondering " Should I or shouldn't I?" Days, weeks, months, and years may be wasted in that futile mental debating. You can never plan enough because you can never anticipate all future happenings. Value your time and do the things that need to be done. It does not matter if you fail the first time. You can learn from your mistakes and succeed the next time. Sitting back and worrying will lead to nothing. Learn from your mistakes, but do not brood over the past. DO NOT REGRET. Whatever happened was destined to happen only that way. Why cry over spilt milk?

WATER TREATMENT

2009-08-24T17:01:00.000+06:00

RINK WATER ON EMPTY STOMACH

It is popular in Japan today to drink water immediately after waking up every morning. Furthermore, scientific tests have proven its value. We publish below a description of use of water for our readers. For old and serious diseases as well as modern illnesses the water treatment had been found successful by a Japanese medical society as a 100% cure for the following diseases:

Headache, body ache, heart system, arthritis, fast heart beat, epilepsy, excess fatness, bronchitis asthma, TB, meningitis, kidney and urine diseases, vomiting, gastritis, diarrhea, piles, diabetes, constipation, all eye diseases, womb, cancer and menstrual disorders, ear nose and throat

diseases.

METHOD OF TREATMENT

1. As you wake up in the morning before brushing teeth, drink 4 x 160ml glasses of water

2. Brush and clean the mouth but do not eat or drink anything for 45 minute

3. After 45 minutes you may eat and drink as normal.

4. After 15 minutes of breakfast, lunch and dinner do not eat or drink anything for 2 hours

5. Those who are old or sick and are unable to drink 4 glasses of water at the beginning may commence by taking little water and gradually increase it to 4 glasses per day.

6. The above method of treatment will cure diseases of the sick and others can enjoy a healthy life.

The following list gives the number of days of treatment required to cure/control/reduce main diseases:

1. High Blood Pressure (30 days)

2. Gastric (10 days)

3. Diabetes (30 days)

4. Constipation (10 days)

5. Cancer (180 days)

6. TB (90 days)

7. Arthritis patients should follow the above treatment only for 3 days in the 1st week, and from 2nd week onwards – daily.

This treatment method has no side effects, however at the commencement of treatment you may have to urinate a few times.

Tracking Technology

2009-08-24T16:07:00.000+06:00

Tracking Technology

Location tracking is not one, single technology. Rather, it is the convergence of several technologies that can be merged to create systems that track inventory, livestock or vehicle fleets. Similar systems can be created to deliver location-based services to wireless devices.

Current technologies being used to create location-tracking and location-based systems include:

· Geographic Information Systems (GIS) - For large-scale location-tracking systems, it is necessary to capture and store geographic information. Geographic information systems can capture, store, analyze and report geographic information.

· Global Positioning System (GPS) - A constellation of 27 Earth-orbiting satellites (24 in operation and three extras in case one fails). A GPS receiver, like the one in your mobile phone, can locate four or more of these satellites, figure out the distance to each, and deduce your location through trilateration. For trilateration to work, it must have a clear line of sight to these four or more satellites. GPS is ideal for outdoor positioning, such as surveying, farming, transportation or military use (for which it was originally designed). See How GPS Receivers Work for more information.

Photo courtesy U.S. Department of Defense
Artist's concept of the GPS satellite constellation

· Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) - Small, battery-less microchips that can be attached to consumer goods, cattle, vehicles and other objects to track their movements. RFID tags are passive and only transmit data if prompted by a reader. The reader transmits radio waves that activate the RFID tag. The tag then transmits information via a pre-determined radio frequency. This information is captured and transmitted to a central database. Among possible uses for RFID tags are a replacement for traditional UPC bar codes. See How RFIDs Work for more information.

· Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) - Network of devices that connect via radio frequency, such as 802.11b. These devices pass data over radio waves and provide users with a network with a range of 70 to 300 feet (21.3 to 91.4 meters).

Any location tracking or location-based service system will use one or a combination of these technologies. The system requires that a node or tag be placed on the object, animal or person being tracked. For example, the GPS receiver in a cell phone or an RFID tag on a DVD can be used to track those devices with a detection system such as GPS satellites or RFID receivers.

In the next section, we'll take a look at how location tracking can be used to streamline supply chains and track fleets of trucks, ships and planes.

Location Tracking

2009-08-24T16:05:00.000+06:00

Types of Tracking

Companies are finding location-tracking technologies ideal for better managing inventories or fleets of vehicles. Knowing the exact location of each piece of inventory helps to control the supply chain and saves money by not losing those assets that are in transit. Companies, such as retailers, must consider how to track inventory across a wide area, either country or state, and in a smaller area, such as the warehouse or store.

Wide-Area Tracking
On a large scale, companies must track their vehicle fleets across the country or the world. GPS is the ideal tracking technology for tracking over large areas. To do this, every vehicle needs to be equipped with a GPS receiver. As the vehicle crosses the country, the GPS satellites track the truck's position. With GPS, the operator can request positioning at anytime. However, GPS is limited in smaller areas or indoors.

Local-Area and Indoor Tracking
A good example of where GPS would not be suitable for tracking items is in a warehouse or hospitals. The accuracy provided by GPS is not sufficient for such a small scale. Consider all of the medical equipment, wheelchairs, gurneys and even patients that need to be tracked. GPS is not a practical or cost-effective solution.

For smaller areas, companies and healthcare organizations would likely use a network of RFID tags and readers to monitor the location of assets or inventory. A wireless LAN also would be more suitable. In such a system, each asset would be tagged with an RFID tag, and readers would be placed in strategic locations to be able to accurately read those tags within a matter of inches. A hospital worker would be able to find the exact room a wheelchair is located and retailers would be able to locate an item on any given shelf.

Another example of how this technology is already being deployed is in tracking children in some amusement parks. A child can wear a wristband with an embedded RFID tag. Park staff can track that tag through location receivers positioned around the park. One system in use at Legoland in Denmark even allows for the tag identification number to be registered with the parents' mobile phone.

Location tracking isn't limited to just allowing an organization to know where its assets are, these technologies also will help retailers and marketers find you to better target their key markets. In the next section you will learn about location-based services being deployed by wireless service providers.

Location-based Services

Mobile phones are becoming more than just a way to call a friend, they are now allowing us to organize our lives, connect to the Internet, shop and take photos. Soon, new location-based services will be offered as new location-aware technology is rolled out. These location-based services will offer personalized services that are connected the specific location.

New location-based services could set up zones of radio signals that send coupons and other announcements to a consumer's wireless device.

Currently, the most recognized location-based service is the navigation systems found in many new cars. As these technologies advance, it will be easier to find the services you are looking for. For example, if you are looking for an ATM, you just ask for it and the system gives you the location and directions. Other services include traffic advisories and roadside assistance.

On a smaller scale, wireless LANs will be set up in malls and other areas of commerce to locate wireless devices equipped to receive messages. Here is where retailers can send coupons or other offers to your cell phone as you walk through their stores. Shoppers will likely have the choice to opt out of these services.

The success or failure of location-based services largely depends on the roll out of E911 Phase 2 deployment, which is requiring wireless service providers to more accurately locate cell phones in case of emergencies.

Enhanced 911

In America, we learn from an early age to call 911 when there's an emergency. When we dial 911, the call is automatically forwarded to a public-safety answering point (PSAP), also called a 911 call center. When the call is answered, the 911 operator is provided with automatic location information (ALI), pinpointing the exact position of the call. Today, many areas also have Enhanced 911 (E-911), which allows a PSAP to determine the general location from where the call originated, but cannot yet pinpoint the location.

According to the Cellular Telephone Industry Association (CTIA), 150,000 emergency wireless calls are made in the United States each day. The government has stepped in to ensure that E-911 capabilities are improved. New technologies being developed by wireless service providers at the demand of the Federal Communications Commission are expected to enhance the location-finding ability of E-911 to locate the exact position of a wireless emergency call.

The FCC is rolling out E-911 in phases:

· Phase 0 - This is the basic 911 process. Wireless calls are sent to a PSAP. Service providers must direct a call to a PSAP even if the caller is not a subscriber to their service.

· Phase I - The FCC's rule requires that a phone number display with each wireless 911 call, allowing the PSAP operator to call back if there is a disconnection.

· Phase II - The final phase requires carriers to place GPS receivers in phones in order to deliver more specific latitude and longitude location information. Location information must be accurate within 164 to 984 feet (50-300 meters).

Without Phase II, a caller's location can only be narrowed down to the cell from which the call originated. When Phase II is implemented, a cell-phone user's phone number, or Automatic Number Identification (ANI), and the address and location of the receiving-antenna site will be sent to the E-911 Tandem, the switch that routes 911 calls to the appropriate PSAP based on the ANI-defined geographic location. Once the caller's voice and ANI are transferred to the PSAP, the PSAP operator will be able to view a graphic display that shows the longitude and latitude of the person as accessed through GPS satellites. The operator's computer will link to the ALI database, which stores address data and other information.

The implementation of Phase II technology introduces new commercial opportunities. As mentioned in the previous section, location-based services will leverage the infrastructure of E-911 technology to deliver commercial services to phones, including advertising. These new technologies also create concerns over privacy, which we will examine in the next section.

On February 16, 1968, Alabama Senator Rankin Fite made the first 911 call in the United States in Haleyville, Alabama. The Alabama Telephone Company carried the call. A week later, Nome, Alaska, implemented a 911 system. In 1973, the White House's Office of Telecommunication issued a national statement supporting the use of 911 and pushed for the establishment of a Federal Information Center to assist government agencies in implementing the system.

Location and Tracking Privacy

The words location tracking can lead many to worry about privacy. Some may worry about the government knowing their whereabouts, stalkers spying on them or even a spouse monitoring their movements. Although the technology could allow anyone to find you at any given moment, measures are being taken to prevent this kind of abuse.

Wireless companies are ensuring consumers that federal law prevents these scenarios from happening. In 1999, the U.S. Congress amended the Communications Act of 1934 to include a privacy provision by adding section 222, which states:

222 (a)Every telecommunications carrier has a duty to protect the confidentiality of proprietary information of, and relating to ... customers ...

(b)A telecommunications carrier that receives or obtains proprietary information from another carrier for purposes of providing any telecommunications service shall use such information only for such purpose, and shall not use such information for its own marketing efforts.

(c )(1) PRIVACY REQUIREMENTS FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS CARRIERS. - Except as required by law or with the approval of the customer, a telecommunications carrier that receives or obtains customer proprietary network information by virtue of its provision of a telecommunications service shall only use, disclose, or permit access to individually identifiable customer proprietary network information in its provision of (A) the telecommunications service from which such information is derived, or (B) services necessary to, or used in, the provision of such telecommunications service, including the publishing of directories. (2) DISCLOSURE ON REQUEST BY CUSTOMERS. - A telecommunications carrier shall disclose customer proprietary network information, upon affirmative written request by the customer, to any person designated by the customer.

This provision is intended to protect consumers' information from being given out. However, consumers must decide how much privacy they are willing to trade for the conveniences and benefits offered by location-tracking technology.

Tight Jeans, Hot Bath Reduce Fertility

2009-08-24T15:55:00.000+06:00

Common Mistake made During ramzan

2009-08-24T14:26:00.000+06:00

1. Taking Ramadaan as a ritual: For many of us Ramadaan has lost its spirituality and has become more of a ritual than a form of Ibaadah. We fast from morning to night like a zombie just because everyone around us is fasting too. We forget that its a time to purify our hearts and our souls from all evil. We forget to make dua, forget to beseech Allaah to forgive us and ask Him to save us from the Fire. Sure we stay away from food and drink but that's about all.

Although the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "Jibreel said to me, 'May Allaah rub his nose in the dust, that person to who Ramadaan comes and his sins are not forgiven,' and I said, 'Ameen'. Then he said, 'May Allaah rub his nose in the dust, that person who lives to see his parents grow old, one or both of them, but he does not enter Paradise (by not serving them) and I said, 'Ameen'. Then he said, 'May Allaah rub his nose in the dust, that person in whose presence you are mentioned and he does not send blessings upon you,' and I said, 'Ameen.'" (Tirmidhi)

2. Too much stress on food and drink: For some people, the entire month of Ramadaan revolves around food. They spend the ENTIRE day planning, cooking, shopping and thinking about only food, instead of concentrating on Salaah, Quraan and other acts of worship. All they can think of is FOOD. So much so that they turn the month of 'fasting' into the month of 'feasting'. Come Iftaar time, their table is a sight to see, with the multitudes and varieties of food, sweets and drinks. They are missing the very purpose of fasting, and thus, increase in their greed and desires instead of learning to control them. It is also a kind of waste & extravagance.

".....and eat and drink but waste not by extravagance, certainly He (Allaah) likes not Al-Musrifoon (those who waste by extravagance)" [al-Araaf :31]

3. Spending all day cooking: Some of the sisters (either by their own choice or forced by their husbands) are cooking ALL day and ALL night, so that by the end of the day, they are too tired to even pray Ishaa, let alone pray Taraweeh or Tahajjud or even read Quraan. This is the month of mercy and forgiveness. So turn off that stove and turn on your Imaan!

4. Eating too much: Some people stuff themselves at Suhoor until they are ready to burst, because they think this is the way to not feel hungry during the day and some people eat at Iftaar, like there is no tomorrow, trying to 'make up for the food missed.' However, this is completely against the Sunnah. Moderation is the key to everything.

The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "The son of Adam does not fill any vessel worse than his stomach; for the son of Adam a few mouthfuls are sufficient to keep his back straight. If you must fill it, then one-third for food, one-third for drink and one-third for air." (Tirmidhi).

Too much food distracts a person from many deeds of obedience and worship, makes him lazy and also makes the heart heedless.

It was said to Imam Ahmad: Does a man find any softness and humility in his heart when he is full? He said, I do not think so.

5. Sleeping all day: Some people spend their entire day (or a major part of it) 'sleeping away their fast'. Is this what is really required of us during this noble month? These people also are missing the purpose of fasting and are slaves to their desires of comfort and ease. They cannot 'bear' to be awake and face a little hunger or exert a little self-control. For a fasting person to spend most of the day asleep is nothing but, negligence on his part.

6. Wasting time: The month of Ramadaan is a precious, precious time, so much so that Allaah calls this month "Ayyamum Ma'doodaat" (A fixed number of days). Before we know it, this month of mercy and forgiveness will be over. We should try and spend every moment possible in the worship of Allaah so that we can make the most of this blessing. However, there are some of us who waste away their day playing video games, or worse still, watching TV, movies or even listening to music. Subhaan Allaah! Trying to obey Allaah by DISOBEYING him!

7. Fasting but not giving up evil: Some of us fast but do not give up lying, cursing, fighting, backbiting, etc. and some of us fast but do not give up cheating, stealing, dealing in haraam, buying lotto tickets, selling alcohol, fornication, etc. and all kinds of impermissible things without realizing that the purpose of fasting is to not stay away from food and drink; rather the aim behind it is to fear Allaah.

"O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious)" [al-Baqarah 2:183]

The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "Whoever does not give up false speech and acting upon it, and ignorance, Allaah has no need of him giving up his food and drink." (Bukhaari)

8. Skipping Suhoor: The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "Eat suhoor for in suhoor there is blessing."(Bukhaari, Muslim).

And he (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "The thing that differentiates between our fasting and the fasting of the People of the Book is eating suhoor." (Muslim)

9. Not fasting if they missed Suhoor: Some people are too scared to fast if they miss Suhoor. However, this is a kind of cowardice and love of ease. What is the big deal if you missed a few morsels of food? It's not like you will die. Remember, obedience to Allaah overcomes everything.

10. Delaying breaking fast: Some people wait until the adhaan finishes or even several minutes after that, just to be 'on the safe side'. However, the Sunnah is to hasten to break the fast, which means breaking fast whenever the adhaan starts, right after the sun has set. Aa'ishah (RA) said: This is what the Messenger of Allaah (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) used to do. (Muslim)

The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "The people will continue to do well so long as they hasten to break the fast." (Bukhaari, Muslim)

Determine to the best of your ability, the accuracy of your clock, calendar, etc. and then have tawakkul on Allaah and break your fast exactly on time.

11. Eating continuously until the time for Maghrib is up: Some people put so much food in their plates when breaking their fast and continue eating, enjoying dessert, drinking tea, etc., until they miss Maghrib. That is obviously not right. The Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh) was that once he broke his fast with some dates, them he would hasten to the prayer. Once you are done with the prayer, you can always go back and eat some more if you wish.

12.Missing the golden chance of having your Dua accepted: The prayer of the fasting person is guaranteed to be accepted at the time of breaking fast.

The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "Three prayers are not rejected: the prayer of a father, the prayer of a fasting person, and the prayer of a traveler." (Tirmidhi).

Instead of sitting down and making Dua at this precious time, some people forego this beautiful chance, and are too busy frying samosas, talking, setting the food, filling their plates and glasses, etc. Think about it....Is food more important than the chance to have your sins forgiven or the fulfillment of your Duas.

13. Fasting but not praying : The fasting of one who does not pray WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. This is because not praying constitutes kufr as the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "Between a man and shirk and kufr there stands his giving up prayer." (Muslim)

In fact, NONE of his good deeds will be accepted; rather, they are all annulled.

"Whoever does not pray 'Asr, his good deeds will be annulled." (Bukhaari)

14. Not fasting because of exams or work: Exams or work is NOT one of the excuses allowed by the Shariah to not fast. You can do your studying and revision at night if it is too hard to do that during the day. Also remember that pleasing and obeying Allaah is much more important than 'good grades'. Besides, if you will fulfil your obligation to fast, even if you have to study, Allaah will make it easy for you and help you in everything you do.

"Whosoever fears Allah, He will appoint for him a way out and provide for him from where he does not expect, Allah is Sufficient for whosoever puts his trust in Him." (Surah at-Talaaq 2-3)

15. Mixing fasting and dieting: DO NOT make the mistake of fasting with the intention to diet. That is one of the biggest mistakes some of us make (esp. sisters). Fasting is an act of worship and can only be for the sake of Allah alone. Otherwise, mixing it with the intention of dieting may become a form of (minor) Shirk.

16. Wasting the last part of Ramadaan preparing for Eid: Some people waste the entire last 10 days of Ramadaan preparing for Eid, shopping and frequenting malls, etc. neglecting Ibadah and Lailatul Qadr. although, the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) used to strive the hardest during the last ten days of Ramadaan in worship (Ahmad, Muslim) and not in shopping. Buy whatever you need for Eid before Ramadaan so that you can utilize the time in Ramadaan to the max.

Aa'ishah (RA) said: "When the (last) ten nights began, the Messenger of Allaah (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam)) would tighten his waist-wrapper (i.e., strive hard in worship or refrain from intimacy with his wives), stay awake at night and wake his family." (Bukhaari and Muslim).

17. Iftaar parties: Although inviting each other for breaking fast is something good and encouraged, some people go to extremes with lavish 'Iftaar parties' with all sorts of disobedience to Allaah, from flirting, mixing of the sexes and hijaab-less women, to show-off and extravagance, to heedlessness to Salaah, and Taraweeh to even music and dancing.

8 Inspirational Older People

2009-08-24T13:59:00.000+06:00

1.Olive Riley (108-year-old): World's Oldest Blogger

Believed to have been the world's oldest blogger, australian woman Olive Riley began her blog The Life of Riley in February 2007 at the age of 107 and made her final post on 26 June 2008 from a nursing home in Woy Woy, New South Wales, complaining of a cough about two weeks before she died at the age of 108. She had posted over 70 entries, as well as several video posts on YouTube. Her blog (or "blob" as she called it) was inspired by her experience with documentary filmmaker Michael Rubbo who, in 2005, made a documentary about her titled All About Olive.

2.Buster Martin (102-year-old): UK's Oldest Employee and Marathon Runner

Pierre Jean "Buster" Martin claims to be the United Kingdom's oldest employee at the age of 102. Martin works for a well-known plumbing company in southeast London as a van cleaner, and notably refused to take a day off on the day he celebrated his 100th birthday. But he is also a marathon runner. After walking the 10 km (6 miles) distance of the Great Capital Run in 2 hours 22 minutes and the Roding Valley Half Marathon in 5 hours 13 minutes, Martin was entered for the 2008 London Marathon. According to press reports, he walked the 26 mile course in approximately 10 hours.

If the claims about his age are true, he could be the oldest recorded marathon participant in the world. However, officials of the Guinness World Records organization said that they did not consider Martin eligible for the record because he had never provided proof is his age.

3.Winifred Pristell (70-year-old): Holds two World Records in Powerlifting

Meet Winifred Pristell, 70 years old. This great-grandma they call "Heavy Metal" is a competitive weightlifter with two world records and aspirations for more. Winifred first took up the sport in her late 40's due to her struggles with her weight. When she turned 60 she started to lift competitively in powerlifting meets. At 68, she set world records for her age in the bench press at 176.2 pounds and 270 pounds in the deadlift.

Even though she has been struggling lately with arthritis and joint issues, at 70 Winifred still works out three days a week.

4.Jennifer Figge (56-year-old): First Woman to Swim the Atlantic

56-year-old Jennifer Figge pressed her toes into the Caribbean sand, exhilarated and exhausted as she touched land this week for the first time in almost a month. Reaching a beach in Trinidad, she became the first woman on record to swim across the Atlantic Ocean --a dream she'd had since the early 1960s, when a stormy trans-Atlantic flight got her thinking she could don a life vest and swim the rest of the way if needed.

The 56-year-old left the Cape Verde Islands off Africa's western coast on Jan. 12, battling waves of up to 30 feet (9 meters) and strong winds. She had originally planned to swim the Bahamas, but inclement weather forced her to veer 1,000 miles (1,610 kms) off course to Trinidad.

5.The Great Omani (92-year-old): World's Oldest Escapologist

Ron Cunningham, who died in 2007 at the age of 92, was an escapologist and end-of the-pier artist specializing in feats such as eating light bulbs and removing a straitjacket while hanging upside down with his trousers on fire.

To impress audiences he put himself in great danger during many of his stunts using fire, water and glass at his local pub the Bedford Tavern in Brighton. It was here where he performed his last stunt in 2005. This was the escape out of handcuffs with both arms on fire with lighter fluid. He died in Brighton, East Sussex after a whisky and a cigar at his home on October 15, 2007. His last request was for a trapdoor in the hearse at his funeral. He wrote a short poem, which was read at the occasion: "They lay the Great Omani in his box / They have done it up with nails not locks / But at his funeral do not despair / Chances are he won't be there."

6.Arthur Winston (100-year-old): Worked for 72 years at the same company and only took one day off

A Los Angeles Metro employee for 72 years, Arthur Winston (1906 - 2006) was known for being honored as the "Employee of the Century" because he was never late to work and only took one day off during his entire career, that being for his wife's funeral in 1988. He retired at age 100.

7.Bernie Marks (78-year-old): Oldest Man to have a Bar Mitzvah

It took Holocaust survivor Bernie Marks over 60 years to realize his father's and grandfathers' dreams, but he finally honored them - and Jews worldwide - by having a bar mitzvah, the Jewish ceremony that marks the symbolic passage to manhood.

When he was 13, he was living in a Polish ghetto under Nazi rule. Later, his family was sent to Auschwitz where he last saw his mother and brother. Marks and his father were sent to a labor camp until they were liberated by US forces in 1945. So now, 66 years later, in a strong, melodic voice that moved some at Sacramento Congregation B'nai Israel to tears, Marks chanted the Hebrew passages with his daughters and grandchildren looking on.

8.Brownie Mary (70-year-old): Medical Cannabis Activist

Popularly known as "Brownie Mary", Mary Jane Rathbun (1923 - 1999) was an American hospital volunteer who became internationally known as a medical cannabis activist. Brownie Mary was famous for baking and distributing "Alice B. Toklas brownies" and volunteering in the AIDS ward of San Francisco General Hospital. She was active in efforts to legalize cannabis use for people with AIDS, cancer, glaucoma, and other diseases. In 1992, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors declared August 25 "Brownie Mary Day."

"My kids [people with AIDS and cancer] need this and I'm ready to go to jail for my principles... I'm not going to cut any deals with them. If I go to jail, I go to jail," she once said.

She was named a "Living Saint" in 1994 at the San Francisco Saints Alive Benefit. In 1997 the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence dubbed her "Saint Brownie Fucking Mary" at Mary's request as she was a lifelong atheist. Mary was also included in the Sisters' Nuns of the Above AIDS Memorial Quilt for her work with and advocating for people with AIDS. Brownie Mary died of a heart attack at a Laguna Honda nursing home for the poor at age 77.

How Global Warming Works ---------important

2009-08-24T13:40:00.000+06:00

How Global Warming Works

Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of the Earth's near-surface air and oceans since the mid-twentieth century and its projected continuation.

The global average air temperature near the Earth's surface rose 0.74 ± 0.18 °C (1.33 ± 0.32 °F) during the hundred years ending in 2005..

Climate model projections summarized by the IPCC indicate that average global surface temperature will likely rise a further 1.1 to 6.4 °C (2.0 to 11.5 °F) during the twenty-first century.The range of values results from the use of differing scenarios of future greenhouse gas emissions as well as models with differing climate sensitivity. Although most studies focus on the period up to 2100, warming and sea level rise are expected to continue for more than a thousand years even if greenhouse gas levels are stabilized. The delay in reaching equilibrium is a result of the large heat capacity of the oceans.

POINT OF NO RETURN?

Twenty years ago, the scientist James Lovelock work out that the earth possessed a planetery-scale control system which kept the environment fit for life. He called it GAIA… and the theory has become widly accepted.

Now, he believes mankind's abuse of the environment is making that mechanism work against us.His astonishing conclusion that climate change is already insoluble, and life on earth will never be the same." By Michael Mc Carthy, Environment Editor, the independent U.K. pulished 16,January 2006.

Global Warming caused principally by the largescale Emissions of industrial gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) is almost certainly the greatest threat that mankind has ever faced,because its put a question marked over the very habitability of the Earth.This is the inconvenient truth.

We are already seen change.Glaciers are melting,plants and animals are been forcing from their habitat, and the number of severe storms and droughts is increasing.

The flow of ice from glaciers in Greenland has more than doubled over the past decade.

If the Warming continues, we can except catastrophic consequences.Deaths from Global Warming will double in just 25 years - To 300,000 poeple a year.

In egypyt 1 m (3.3 ft..)of sea level-rise is observed in Meditteranean sea. The Surface Air Temperature increase 1960-2060. Global sea levels could rise by more than 20 feet with the loss of shelf ice in Greenland and Antarctica, devastating, coastal areas worldwide.

Ways to MAKE Chat and SMS Much Easier...

2009-08-24T13:26:00.000+06:00

Looking for common chat acronyms, smileys and emoticons? Micro-blogging and text messaging are the hottest trends now a days with the up come of websites like Twitter, Facebook, etc., which allows you to post short messages limited in number of characters. To make the most of the available characters, using short forms of words, acronyms and emoticons is a brilliant idea and most of the people use these short forms in chatting and IM's.

While you are chatting online using an instant messenger or via SMS you need to work out your fingers really fast on the keyboard to keep up with the chat. By using short forms and symbols this task is really easy but most of the users do not know the meaning or which short forms to use. Online gamers also use these short forms to stay in contact with their friends.

SMS & Chat: Acronyms, Smileys, Emoticons

Herein are the most used short forms and symbols in chatting.

Starting with the numbers:

121 - One-to-one
143 - I love you
2G2BT - Too good to be true
2MI - Too much information
2NTE - Tonight
4 - for
9 - Parent is watching

Special characters

? - I have a question/ I don't understand what you mean
?4U - I have a question for you
;S - Gentle warning, like Hmm? what did you say?
^^ - Meaning read line or message above
^5 - high five
<3 - Meaning sideways heart (love, friendship)
<33 - Meaning heart or love (more 3s is a bigger heart)
- smile
- wink
*g* - giggles
@-/- - a rose
:-) - smile
<:-| - curious
:~) - cute
:-} - embarrassed
:,-( or ;'-( - to cry
>:-( - angry
:-O - shouting, or shocked
;-P - sticking tongue out
:-( - sad

Short Forms / Acronyms

A3 - Anytime, anywhere, anyplace
AA - As above
AAP - Always a pleasure
ACK - Acknowledge
ACPT - Accept
AND - any day now
AFK - Away from keyboard
AH - At home
ASAP - As Soon As Possible
ASL - Age/Sex/Location
AT - At your terminal
B - Back
B2W - Back to work
B4 - before
BBL - be back later
BF - boyfriend or best friend
BFN - bye for now
BTW - by the way
BDAY - Birthday
BOL - Best of luck
BRB - Be right back
CAM - Camera
CM - Call me
CSL - Can't stop laughing
CU - See you
DH - Dear
D/L - Download
DM - Direct message
DUR - Do you remember?
E1 - Everyone
EMA - E-mail address
EZ - Easy
F2F - Face to face
FW - Forward
G - Grin, Giggle
GN - Good night
HF - Have fun
HRU - How are you?
I2 - I too (me too)
IB - I'm back
IC - I see
IK - I know
ILY - I love you
IM - Instant message
IMS - I am sorry
JW - Just wondering
JK - Just Kidding
KB - Keyboard
L2G - Like to go?
LOL - Laughing out loud
LOTI - Laughing on the inside
LVM - Left voice mail
N1 - Nice one
NE1 - Anyone
NT - Nice try
NVM - Never mind
NVR - Never
OOH - Out of here
PCM - Please call me
PIC - Picture
PLS or PLZ - Please
PM - Private Message
POS - Parent over shoulder
PZA - Pizza
RU - Are you?
RX - Regards
S2S - Sorry to say
SC - Stay cool
SH^ - Shut up
SIT - Stay in touch
SOS - Meaning help
SS - So sorry
STW - Search the Web
SUP - What's up?
SYS - See you soon
THX - Thanks
TY - Thank you
U - You
UL - Upload
UNA - Use no acronyms
UR - Your / you're
VIP - Very important person
VRY - Very
W@ - What?
W3 - WWW
WAS - Wait a second
W/B - Write back
WB - Welcome back
WC - Welcome, Who cares
WKD - Weekend
WU - What's up?
WUF - Where are you from?
XD - really hard laugh
XLNT - Excellent
Y? - Why?
YR - Yeah right
YW - You're welcome
Z - Zero
ZUP - What's up?

Ready for Ramazan

2009-08-24T13:13:00.000+06:00

Ready for Ramadan

Just like a dear guest giving a brief visit, Ramadan comes and goes. Ramadan is the season when rewards are doubled, devils are chained, the gates of Paradise are opened, and the doors of the Hell are closed. It is the season of blessings.

Muslims are thus required to pay it special welcome. So, let’s get ready for Ramadan so that we reap its fruits in full. Truly happy is the one who makes the best use of every second of the month of Ramadan.

1- Du`a’

Ask Almighty Allah to make this the most inspiring, spiritually uplifting Ramadan you have ever had. Allah is the Only Who can make this happen and complete reliance on Him completely is the major step in boosting our spirits.

2- Clear Your Mind

Turn off the TV, the computer, the radio, your cell phone, pager, iPod, etc. You need not do so all day long, but for at least 10 minutes a day. Find a quiet place where you can close your eyes, remember your Lord and think deeply about your relationship with Him. At first, your mind will swirl with the useless and not-so-useful thoughts in your head. Force them away and focus your thought during these few minutes on three things: Almighty Allah, your purpose in life, and whether you are making due efforts to achieve that purpose. Do this every day of Ramadan, if you can. Should this be not possible, do it at least three times a week.

3- Learn About Great Muslim Figures

Even if you have read it or listened to it before, again read or listen to `Abdul-Wahid Hamid's Companions of the Prophet during this Ramadan. Read about or listen daily to a Companion's story. Well-written and short, these stories inform us in a wonderful way about these noble personalities and about how they maintained the strength of their faith against incredible odds. What a sure-fire spirituality booster!

4- Connect to the Qur’an

The noble Qur’an is the means whereby Almighty Allah talks to us. Indeed, it is the most important key to spiritual upliftment. During this Ramadan, connect to the Qur’an in a new way. If you already recite the Qur’an regularly, you can choose a new theme to focus on or select a particular Surah you have not read for a while. If, however, you are not a frequent reader of the Qur’an, you can start by reciting it for only two minutes a day; recite from the first page you encounter when you open the mushaf (copy of the Qur’an). It is also recommended that you keep a Qur’anic journal in which you can record your reflections, questions, thoughts, etc., about what you recite.

5- Take Care of Others

Whether it is a person who is away from his family, a person who is having problems with his or her spouse or kids, or fellow students struggling with their grades, make an extra effort this Ramadan to help others out. The spiritual boost you get in return is well worth it.

6- Feed the Hungry

While your stomach shrieks in protest, give that panhandler some change, volunteer at a soup kitchen, get involved with your local food pantry or make a couple of bag lunches to give to the hungry you meet on your way to school or work.

7- Give Up One Lifelong Bad Habit

Ask yourself what your fundamental defining traits are. Then decide which is the worst of them. Is it a hot temper? Apathy? Laziness? Impatience? Whatever it may be, utilize this Ramadan to get rid of it. Practice the opposite of this bad habit of yours every day until the end of the month. By then, in sha’ Allah, you will look back and be amazed at the change you have made for the better.

8- Use Those Nights of Power

The last ten nights or Ramadan are not called the Nights of Power for nothing. Use these precious times for deep, heartfelt du`aa’, self-analysis, reflection and serious thought.

QUOTE:
May Allah help us welcome Ramadan and spend it in good deeds! Amen!

Ramadan arabic dishes

2009-08-24T13:11:00.000+06:00

Kuwaiti Chicken & Rice With Daqoos - Garlic Tomato Sauce "

Ingredients

1 baby chicken
1 cinnamon stick
salt
3 cardamom pods
1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons rice flour (to be gluten free)
2 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
4 black peppercorns
2 cups basmati rice
2 large yellow onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup golden raisin, soaked in water
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried lime powder, Loomi
1 teaspoon middle eastern mixed spice, Recipe # 79179
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 cups pureed canned tomatoes
2 tablespoons water
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup pine nuts

Directions

1.Rinse chicken inside and out.

2.Place in a stockpot with enough water to cover. Add cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves, peppercorns, juice of 1/2 lemon and salt to taste.

3.Bring to a boil, and continue to boil uncovered or partially covered until chicken is done (approximately 40 minutes).

4.Remove and drain the chicken, reserving broth though a strainer.

5.Prepare basmati rice according to it's package directions, using broth from chicken instead of water. Add turmeric for colour and salt to taste.

6.While the rice is cooking, cook the onions in a skillet over medium heat, with 2 tablespoons olive oil, until soft.

7.Sprinkle with a little water and stir quickly until onions are brown and the water has evaporated. Stir in drained raisins, pine nuts, ½ teaspoons bahrat and loomi. Cook for one minute. Remove mixture from skillet and set aside.

8.Lightly dust the boiled, drained chicken with flour. In a clean skillet over medium-high heat, brown the chicken in 1 Tbs. olive oil, turning, until the outside is crispy and brown.

9.For the tomato sauce, add water, chopped tomatoes, crushed garlic, tomato paste, salt, sugar and the rest of bahrat in a small saucepan, sauté until tomatoes are soft and the sauce is well blended.

10.When the rice is done, spread it on a serving platter. Sprinkle the onion mixture over the rice, and place the chicken on top. Pass the tomato garlic sauce to spoon onto individual plates.

" Shorba Libiya - Libyan Lamb & Chickpea Soup "

Ingredients

500 g stewing lamb, finely chopped
200 g canned chick-peas (rinsed & drained)
1 liter water (approx)
1 large brown onion, grated (or finely chopped)
3 tablespoons concentrated tomato puree
1 teaspoon fresh gorund coriander seed
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1-1 1/2 tablespoon dried mint
sea salt
1/2 lemon, juice of
4-6 fresh mint sprigs, to serve
1 lemon, cut into wedges to serve

Directions

1.Heat the oil in a large casserole or stock pot. Gently fry the onion
for a few minutes, until pale golden & soft.

2.Add the lamb, chickpeas, tomato puree, spices & salt, cooking for a few more minutes & stirring well.

3.Add the water to the pot, this should cover the mixture - add 1/4 litre more if required. (If adding extra water, remember that you'll need to add a little extra spice & salt to compensate).

4.Cover & simmer over a medium heat for approx 45-50 minutes or until the lamb is tender & the soup flavourful. You may add a little extra water again at this point but remember to adjust the seasoning if you do.

5.Add the dried mint & the lemon, return to the heat for a further 3-4 minutes then serve.

6.Serve each bowl of shorba with a sprig of fresh mint & a lemon wedge on the side.

" Atayif Bil Ishta -- Arab Pancakes Filled With Cream "

Ingredients

For the dough
2 1/4 cups plain flour
6 g fast action dried yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 cups semi skim milk
1 1/2 cups water
For the filling (ishta)
2 cups semi skim milk
7 1/2 tablespoons cornflour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons double cream, stiffly whipped
2 tablespoons rose water
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 cup chopped pistachios

Directions

1.To make the filling:.

2.Mix corn flour gradually with milk and sugar then bring it to boil in
a medium sized, heavy bottomed pan.

3.Stir continually until the mixture thickens, add the remaining ingredients & remove from heat. Spoon mixture into a bowl & refrigerate until cold.

4.To make the dough:.

5.Mix all the ingredients and allow to sit for 30-40 minutes.

6.Ladle approximately 2 tablespoons of the mixture at a time onto a lightly greased, hot frying pan / skillet & cook until full of bubbles - only cook ONE side.

7.After cooking all of the pancakes, let them cool a little.

8.To assemble, gently fold in half & pinch the bottom half edge together - so that you have an opening to place the cream but the rest is sealed.

9.Using a piping bag, fill each pancake with the cooled cream (ishta), before dipping the open ends in the chopped pistachios.

" Sweet Toasted Vermicelli Very Perfect for Ramadan "

Ingredients

200 g toasted vermicelli (Seviyan)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup pre packaged mixed nuts and dried fruit
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
2 tablespoons rose water
1/2 tablespoon ghee
1 pinch saffron
1 teaspoon sunflower oil

Directions

1.Cook the vermicelli in plenty of boiling water with the 1 tsp of sunflower oil added to it ( this will help prevent the vermicelli from sticking together) for 3 minutes.
2.Whilst the vermicelli is cooking, place the ghee, rose water, sugar, cardamom & saffron in a large pan. Heat through gently.
3.When the vermicelli is done cooking, drain well & add to the large pan to cook with the ghee & spices. Mix very well to coat thoroughly & to break up the vermicelli a little, then cook on as low heat as possible for approx 25-30 minutes or until the vermicelli is glossy & has absorbed everything.
4.At this point, stir in the mixed fruit & nuts. Serve.

Vanishing Book Shop, Closing Magazines and Disappearing Libraries

2009-08-24T13:09:00.000+06:00

Buried somewhere in the hot news of financial meltdown and
ruthless war on terror, a single column, insignificant item was
declaration of Bankruptcy by Readers Digest. Given that it
represented Christianity, admitted that it published some
propaganda material of powers that be, it still was a family
magazine of yester years which will be fondly remembered by
its readers.

Having realized that it has to compete with Audio Visual Media,
its editors have struggled to include many interesting subjects
and made the magazine full of smiles by including regular items
like " Laughter is the Best Medicine ", " Life in these United
States" and " All in a days' work ". But the facility to jump from
one channel to other with the press of a button was too much
to give up for the idiot box viewers. Enthusiasts of TV dramas,
sport channels and free movies could not give up the luxury for
the monotonic and similar style of the magazine, month after month.

Death of a magazine is in fact closure of in institution and elimination
of a habit that gave some touch of family life, certain religiosity even
though alien and a vanishing value system.Unemployment for staff and
accompanying horrors aside the closure creates a vacuum in the already
gloomy atmosphere. The Godless educational system and secular
governance have resulted in almost total breakdown of law and order
system, from Israel to Europe to USA. Uncontrolled mobs of youth often
found indulged in loot, rape, arson and murder. If there is no God, why
should one fear. There are 101 ways of committing a crime and get away
with it. Hundreds of TV channels are running a hands on workshops how
to commit a spotless crime .

Even in countries like Pakistan, the evil effect of mass media have
resulted in closure of book shops and vanishing of libraries. The other
day I visited Ghalib library and was disappointed to see very few
readers. Even the staff does not come in time, although it is located
in a very populous area; Nazimabad namely.

Nobody has the time to think that those who are seeking pleasure
have numerous avenues, but those old and the elderly, sick and
disabled who can only kill time by reading a good book or magazine,
have been left with little option. Life is going to get tougher for them.
But who has time to think?

Ramzan Highway Code

2009-08-24T13:08:00.000+06:00

Pakistan Jobs - Dawn - Jang - Express - Nawa-i-Waqt Newspapers Job Ads - Jobs in Islamabad - Lahore

2009-08-24T13:06:00.000+06:00

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