Apple iTunes has sold more than 3 billion songs

Apple iTunes was launched in April 2003, it took about three years to cross 1 billion songs in February 2006, and today it has reached more than three billion songs. RIAA should be happy with this news, are they?

Apple iTunes crossed the 2 billion song mark about 6 months ago and today it has reached more than three billion songs. Maybe the hatred the RIAA have for Steve Jobs would have lessened with this Apple announcement. With the iPhone release in June, the songs will sell even more in the future.

According to the customer surveys by the NPD Group, Apple iTunes is the third biggest overall music retailer in the U.S., behind No. 1 Wal-Mart Stores Inc., and Best Buy. The ranking was based on unit songs sold (12 tracks equivalent to a CD album sold in stores).

Apple has sold more than 100 million iPods worldwide and iPhones are expected to sell more than 3 million by 2008, so iTunes will sell even more music downloads in the coming years.

Shares of Apple fell $3.88, or 2.7 percent, to $137.55 during afternoon trading Tuesday.

Americans spend an astonishing $41 billion a year on Pets

Americans now spend $41 billion a year on their pets, which is more than GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of all but 64 countries in the world. This is twice the amount spent over a decade ago and is expected to grow to $52 billion in the next two years.

This study was done by Packaged Facts, a consumer research company in Rockville, Maryland.

How this cost of buying, feeding and caring of pets compares to other spendings? It is more than Americans spend on the movies ($10.8 billion), playing video games ($11.6 billion), listening to recorded music ($10.6 billion) combined.

Before a dog’s life meant sleeping outside, enduring the harsh treatment of the master, sitting by the dinner table and waiting for scraps to fall, and living with aches, but today it has a different meaning, a dog is almost treated like part of the family.

Bob Vetere, president of the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA), said people want to reward pet not on pet terms rather on human terms. He says they want to reward pets in the form of pet hotels instead of kennels, braces to fix crooked teeth like humans, and luxurious canine ball gowns. The pet owners demand high quality pet food products, services, and medicines.

These are some of the facts.

• 42% of the dogs sleep in the same bed as their owners compared to 34% in 1998.
• Pet owners demand organic meat and vegan snacks for their pets
• 33% buy birthday gifts for their pets.
• Half of all dog owners say they consider their pet's comfort when buying a car
• Pet industries sell $30 an ounce perfume, $430 indoor potties, $225 trench coats, $1,200 Hermès collar and leash, $500 Chanel pearls for parties and many major companies like Ralph Lauren, Nestle, Procter and Gamble want to create nice products for pets.
• Pet care involves drugs for depression or anxiety in pets, high tech cancer surgery, cosmetic procedures, end of life car, psycho therapy and many more
• 63% of US households own a pet
• There are 88 million cats and 75 million dogs in the US
• Americans spend $9.8 billion a year on veterinary services and doesn't include the over-the-counter drugs and other supplies, which adds $9.9 billion in costs.
• 40% of dogs are estimated to be overweight or obese, with similarly high rates for cats.


Catering to pets has grown to a gigantic industry, I don’t think it will stop, it will grow even more.

What do you think about this spending on pet, is it normal? I think it is excess, many of the things are not necessary such as $430 indoor potties, $225 trench coats, some of these expenditure could be used to save human lives.

Pa. Man Struck by Lightning Twice a Decades Apart and Lives

Lightning stuck Frick twice, 27 years apart, he survived both of these attacks. Frick was stuck by second lightning strike Friday and escaped with only a burned zipper and a hole in the back of the jeans.

Frick was enjoying Hamlin’s Ole Tyme Daz festival, Friday afternoon, when storms developed quickly. So, Frick and his friends gathered in a shed nearby, but lightning stuck the shed and the strike sent a shock through Frick and four others in the shed. The shock pushed Frick against the wall, but he was lucky to escape with only a burned zipper and a hole in the back of his jeans. Others in the shed also escaped without any injuries.

Frick told the AP in a phone interview that he is lucky to be alive, and the lightning only gave a shock to him and didn’t cause any burns.

In the first incident, Frick was driving a tractor-trailer in Lenox, Pennsylvania, when the lightning stuck the antenna of his truck. He was injured on the left side and had to be in the hospital for three to four weeks.

Frick was lucky; he escaped both of these lightning strikes. Whenever there is a storm it is better to look for safety quickly and not be bold and be in the open.

Here are some lightning tips:

1. PLAN in advance your evacuation and safety measures. When you see a lightning, it is better to prepare safety measures right away, thunder follows soon after. So try to find the nearest building cover. Don’t wait for the rain to begin preparing, it will be too late.

2. IF OUTDOORS...Avoid water. Avoid the high ground. Avoid open spaces. Avoid all metal objects including electrical wires, outlets, fences, machinery, motors, power tools etc., Don’t try to find shelter in small picnic, or rain shelters, including trees, that is where lightning strikes first. Find a building shelter or stay in a car with windows closed. If you are unable to get shelter on time, try to crouch down with feet together, cover your ears to minimize the hearing damage from thunder. Also, don’t try to stay close with others, you should be apart a minimum of 15 feet from each other.

3. IF INDOORS... Avoid water. Stay away from doors and windows. Do not use the telephone. Take off head sets. Turn off, unplug and stay away from major appliances, computers, machinery, TV sets. Wait until the storm is over. Lightning may strike exterior electric and phone lines, inducing shocks to inside equipments.

4. SUSPEND ACTIVITIES for 30 minutes after the last observed lightning or thunder.

5. INJURED PERSONS do not carry an electrical charge and can be handled safely. If you know First Aid procedures, you can administer a lightning victim, if not call 911 or seek help right away.

6. KNOW YOUR EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBERS.

If you know any good lightning tips please add your comments. I used to ignore them before, but it is better to take precautions than act brave.

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch Longest Named Station

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is the longest named railway station in the world. Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is an actual town in Wales.

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, translated in English means "The church of St. Mary in the hollow of white hazel trees near the rapid whirlpool by St. Tysilio's of the red cave". DJ’s David should know this I think.

The locals hardly use this long word, instead call it as Llanfair. So, if you go to the local station in this Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch town, you will see this picture in their station.

Also, this town boasts the longest single word (without the hyphens) .com domain name in the world. The maximum allowed characters as a .com domain name is 67 characters in length. So this, Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.com has a few more characters to spare (58 characters in length). Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.com is officially in the Guinness Book of World Records and was registered by Internetters on 21st October 1999.

For more information about places of interest or associated with Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, click here.

There used to be another long name in Wales called Gorsafawddachaidraigo danheddogleddollonpenrhynareurdraethceredigion but is not known by that name anymore, it has been replaced with a simpler “The Fairbourne and Barmouth Steam Railway”.

There are two other towns with longer name than llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogery chwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, one in New Zealand with 92 characters long, “Tetaumatawhakatang ihangakoauaotamateaurehaeaturipukap ihimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuaakitanarahu” and the other in Thailand which has a staggering 163 characters long named, “Krungthepmahanakornamornra tanakosinmahintarayutthayamahadilokph opnopparatrajathaniburiromudomrajaniwes mahasatharnamornphimarnavatarnsathitsakkattiyavisanukamprasit”.

Thank God I don’t feel bad saying some long names here.

Have you heard such names before?

Percentage of Americans Who Believe That After Death...

Ref: NY Times http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/07/28/magazine/29wwln-lede.400.620.jpg

What do you believe will happen after death?

• We return to earth in different forms
• There is no life after
  
• The soul lives in a different place, determined by past actions
• We go to heaven or hell depending on confession of sins, accepting Jesus/God

Source: The Barna Group, 2002

Chart by Charles M. Blow

I think God will assign us somewhere depending on our actions. What is your choice among these four options?

Pepsi Admits That Aquafina Is Just Tap Water

Bottled water initially started off selling water by claiming it originated from springs, but later they started filtering regular water and selling them without mentioning this obvious fact. Today Pepsi admitted that their bottled water comes from Public Water sources.

Corporate Accountability International has been urging Pepsi, Coca-Cola and others to mention that the drink comes from the same source as tap water. Until now they had refused but finally complied to state this fact on the bottled water label. Pepsi will mention in their Aquafina brand that it comes from “public water source” before they mentioned only P.W.S without any explanation.

"If this helps clarify the fact that the water originates from public sources, then it's a reasonable thing to do," PepsiCo (nyse: PEP - news - people) spokeswoman Michelle Naughton said Friday.

The Corporate Accountability International has also asked Coca-Cola co., to mention in their Dasani water brand. But for now it will remain the same, Dasani claims they mention that the water comes from public water source in their site. But I doubt the customers know, they still think it comes from a spring source. Coca-Cola spokeswoman Diana Garza Ciarlante says the Dasani label clearly states that it is purified water.

Bottled water sales is a good revenue source for Pepsi and Coca-Cola and have a healthy profit margin compared to their cola brands, which are selling less because of health concerns.

Just one word instead of bottled water you can filter the water yourself with Brita or Pur home filtering system. Pepsi and Coca-Cola are just deluding the customers.

Blue Hole in Belize - Amazing Natural Structure

Blue Hole, Lighthouse Reef, Belize

Belize Blue Hole from afar

If you are a diving enthusiast, this Blue Hole in Belize is a must visit spot on Earth. This Blue Hole is part of the Lighthouse Reef System which extends over 1000 feet across. The blue hole is in the center of Lighthouse Reef, is a large perfectly circular natural hole, 300 foot across and 412 feet deep hole. The depths of the water in this hole give a deep blue color effect and are known as “Blue Holes”.

Like a giant pupil in a sea of turquoise, The Blue Hole is a perfectly circular limestone sinkhole more than 300 feet across and 412 feet deep. The array of bizarre stalactites and limestone formations which mould its walls seem to become more intricate and intense the deeper one dives. Near to The Blue Hole, one of Belize's largest protected areas, Half Moon Caye Natural Monument, encompasses 10,000 acres of the atoll and 15 square miles of surrounding waters.

The diameter of the circular reef area stretches for about 1,000 feet and provides an ideal habitat for corals to attach and flourish. The reef surrounds the hole. The hole itself is an opening to a system of caves in a mountain that is buried under the sea. In various places, massive limestone stalactites hang down from what was once the ceiling of air-filled caves before the end of the last Ice Age. When the ice melted the sea level rose, flooding the caves.

The temperature in the Blue Hole at 130ft is about 76F with hardly any change throughout the year at that depth.

For all the practical purposes the over 400-foot depth makes the Blue Hole a bottomless pit. The walls are sheer from the surface until a depth of approximately 110 feet where you will begin to encounter stalactite formations which actually angle back, allowing you to dive underneath monstrous overhangs. Hovering amongst the stalactites, you can't help but feel humbled by the knowledge that the massive formation before you once stood high and dry above the surface of the sea eons ago. The feeling is enhanced by the dizzying effect of nitrogen breathed at depths. The water is motionless and the visibility often approaches 200 feet as you break a very noticeable thermo cline.

In the waters inside the blue hole, there might a tiger or hammerhead shark once in a while, but mostly very few organisms live there because of little light reaching there and those that live there are harmless in nature.

For anyone who wants to dive into the geologic past, exploring the Blue Hole is guaranteed to be a rewarding experience. For further information on the Great Blue Hole, click here. For photographs of the area, click here. For further information on Lighthouse Reef, especially on the diving sites, shipwrecks, and wildlife, click here.

I like diving in shallow waters, but this one is out of reach for me look awesome from the outside.

Ref: Neotorama.

How To Be A Gardener: Alan Titchmarsh

The Real Threat to Americans - Make a Guess?

The real threat to Americans is not terrorists, but heart disease, which killed 3 million Americans over a period of five years. How much money has been spent to combat terrorism, it is Trillion dollars and counting.

See the figures below, you will see deaths due to Homicides, drunk driving, lack of health care, obesity, suicide, secondary smoking, medical mistakes, diabetes, cancer, smoking related and heart disease are all very high compared to deaths due to terrorism. Instead of spending money and preventing such deaths, the government is wasting money on war.

Since the Government is not going to do anything, we have to take better care of ourselves with proper exercises, eating and healthy habits.

This trend may be similar in other countries also, most of them work together, and the policies will reflect the same patterns.

Sources

(1) CNN (read)

(2) FBI (read)

(3) National Center for Statistics and Analysis (read)

(4) PBS (read)

(5) Washington Times (read)

(6) American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (read)

(7) American Cancer Society (read)

(8) National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine (read)

(9) Center for Disease Control (CDC), NCHS Leading Causes of Death (read)

(10) National Cancer Institute (read)

(11) CDC, Smoking Attributable Deaths (read)

(12) CDC, Cigarette Smoking-Related Mortality (read)

Ref: Stpeteforpeace.

The Cost of the Iraq War: Can You Say $1,000,000,000,000?

How a trillion dollars could have been spent. John Allen Paulos, a professor in Temple University, compares the costs of Iraqi war to the costs of Environmental Protection Agency, Education Department, National Science Foundation etc.,

The price tag for the Iraq War is now estimated at $700 billion in direct costs and perhaps twice that much when indirect expenditures are included. Cost estimates vary — Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz puts the total cost at more than $2 trillion — but let's be conservative and say it's only $1 trillion (in today's dollars).

As a number of other commentators have recently written, this number — a 1 followed by 12 zeroes — can be put into perspective in various ways. Given how large the war looms, it doesn't hurt to repeat this simple exercise with other examples and in other ways.

John Allen Paulos of ABC is comparing how this money spent in Iraq a conservative estimate of $1 Trillion dollars on various projects within the US. Here are some comparison.

1. The Annual budget of the Environmental Protection Agency, is about $7.5 billion, if we consider the budget of EPA as one unit

The total spent in Iraq = 130 times the Spending of EPA (A few units could have helped clean the some toxic sites)

2. Annual budget for the Department of Education (ED) is about $55 billion

The total spent in Iraq = 18 times ED (Improved Budget could have helped "No Students Left Behind")

3. Annual budgets of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) are $6 billion and $5 billion, respectively

The total spent in Iraq = 170 NSFs or 200 NCIs (Some funding units could have been used to cure cancers and other research)

4. Annual budget for the Department of Homeland Security(HS), is about $35 billion

The total spent in Iraq = 28 HS.

5. Annual budget of the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), which is approximately $670 million, or about two-thirds of $1 billion.

The total spent in Iraq = 1,500 NHTSA's (Improved roads could have saved lives in the US from accidents)

And Paulos goes on talks about other monetary measure you can compare the number of soldiers lost and the medical costs of the injured vetarans. And he cites more other uses for it.

And this is just a conservative estimate, and is rising as we speak.

Ref: ABCNews.com.

Oscar the Cat Predicts Patients' Deaths

Oscar, a hospice cat at the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Providence, R.I., waits outside a patient's room, Monday, July 23, 2007. Oscar the cat seems to have an uncanny knack for predicting when nursing home patients are going to die, by curling up next to them during their final hours. (AP Photo/Stew Milne)

A cat in Providence, Rhode Island is able to predict death like the grim reaper. The cat named Oscar, has an unbelievable streak it is able to predict the death of nursing home patients, by curling next to them just hours before their death.

Oscar the cat, has predicted so far 25 deaths, and the nursing staff use this as a cue to call the patients’ family members about the impending death. The cat curls next to them when they have just four hours to live and doesn’t go near them if they die longer the four hours.

Dr. David Dosa writes about this strange phenomenon in Thursday’s issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. He said the cat doesn’t make too many mistakes; it is able to understand when patients are going to die.

Some may be discomforted by this with a cat lying next to their loved one just before their death, but many family members feel comfortable with it and appreciated the companionship offered by Oscar.

Oscar was adopted as a kitten by the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and it grew up in one of the floors. This hospital treats Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease and other illnesses.

Six months after it was adopted, the nurses seem to notice Oscar, which also used to go rounds along with the nurses, sniff and observe patients. Then it sits besides people who would wind up dying in the next few hours.

It seems Oscar is not that friendly with everyone just with dying patients. Dr. Joan Teno, Brown University, Rhode Island, said that Oscar is able to predict death better than the staff. Dr. Teno treats patients in the facility and is an expert in the care for the terminally ill.

She didn’t believe Oscar at first but was convinced when Oscar correctly predicted the 13th death. She noticed the patient wasn’t eating, was breathing heavily and her legs had a bluish tinge indicating that the death was imminent. But Oscar didn’t stay for long, so everyone thought Oscar will fail this time, but instead the patient survived for another 10 hours. And just before the patient’s death Oscar came again, sat next to the patient and few hours later, the patient died.

The patients who are in near death conditions often don’t notice the cat lying next to them, so they don’t feel worse about their death. One time a family member opposed the presence of Oscar, so they took it outside. It seems Oscar felt angry and showed its displeasure by pacing back and forth and meowing loudly.

Everyone is mystified how the Cat is able to predict correctly, and are not sure whether it is able to smell the deaths' tell tale signs or reads from the behavior of the nurses who attend the dying patients.

Nicholas Dodman who supervises an animal behavioral clinic at the Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine says more studies of the cat should be done to documents it every step to see how Oscar spends its time between the living and the dying, so that one can discount the fact that it is just more than coincidence. Dodman also raised doubts that Oscar might be seeking comfort in a heated blanket placed near the dying person. I don’t think Oscar has selfish inclinations, if so, there will be a similar blanket in every room, and it could be more comforted with a person who recognizes it more than the dying patient and also can get more treats in the process.

Oscar recently received a plaque for his “compassionate hospice care”. They should give more treats than a plaque and may be a special room for it.

Ref: CTCentral.com

Mother Cat Takes Seven Chicks Under Her Paw

The seven chicks were left abandoned after its mother died a month ago. Lucky for them, they were adopted by a cat, who suppressed her predatory instincts by adopting the seven chicks along with her own litter of kittens. The cat shown in the picture is a domesticated cat named Nimra from Madaba in Jordon.

The family composed of four newly born kittens and seven adopted chicks and live in a cardboard box and seem to get along well with each other, they eat, sleep and play together.

We are seeing a number of stories how different animals shows this adopting tendencies for other animal species. Here a tortoise adopts a baby Rhinoceros, a Chihuahua takes cares of a chick in China and a deer protects an estranged rabbit.

The video shows a Chicken babysitting a litter of kittens, while the mother cat is out on a stroll.

Stunning Rainbow Photo in Denali National Park

Image Ref: http://alaskareport.com/denali.htm

This rainbow picture was taken by Dennis Zaki in Denali National Park, which is about 11 miles south of Cantwell, Alaska.

The author says it is not Photoshopped picture. It seems there was a normal full rainbow at first but soon after a thunderstorm developed over the mountains to the northeast. The storm clouds moved in and covered part of the rainbow on its edges. To the right and left of the storm it was sunny and you see the shadows.

It is a stunning picture. Here are some more partial rainbow pictures. Have you seen such rainbow pictures?

Ref: http://www.houseofplum.com/gallery/Rainbow_in_Mist_2.jpg

Ref: http://epod.usra.edu/archive/images/main_rainbow_4_e-mail.jpg

Ref: http://www.stormeffects.com/images/061206-HoytCo3.jpg

Toothache and Mudras

Disclaimer: After you read this blog, don't think I am an "Anti-Dentite" like Kramer says in the video. I have no problems with them :) so don't drag us into a fight OK. Thanks. ;)

Let us go to the story, about a year ago, I suddenly developed toothache, before it came and went but I didn't see the dentist then, I just postponed it. But this time it was plain unbearable, I tried using Anbesol, which is a pain reliever, it works effectively but not this time even though I applied more than prescribed :), so I called the local dentist, with a hand in my face of course. The first one said come after a week, the second said the same, it was just frustrating. I couldn't hold this pain that long, had loads of work, if I take a break it will pile on me. So, I had to try something else, I asked my bro, whether he knew any Mudras for this tooth ache. He sent the following, Varun Mudra. But before that you should know the definition of Mudra:

The science of Mudras is based on the principle that "The root cause of disease is the imbalance and improper co-ordination between these elements and proper balance between these elements is the secret of good health." The secret of health lies in hands, fingers and Mudras, which can be performed with the help of fingers.

Human body is composed of five basic elements and the five fingers of our hands represents these five basic elements. Ancient Sages discovered the knowledge of Mudras. By touching of hands to each other or folding fingers in a particular way, we can cure any disturbances in these five elements with the help of our fingers, we can keep the five elements in proper proportion, any disturbances in them can be balanced. So that our body become healthy.

The human body, like the Universe, is made up of fusion of five elements. Body's health depends on the proper balance of these five elements in our body. Mudras help maintaining this balance. Mudras are like control buttons of chetana of our body and their proper study help us not only to control five elements but also to cure many diseases and remain healthy.

There is Mudra for every kind, I will add more in the future blogs. This one is mainly focused on Varun Mudra.

My bro also gave me some advice from his guru, not only I should do this Varun Mudra but also I should get rid of anger. When I was in school, they used to call me "Short Temper", yes direct name at that :) because I used to get upset even for small and trivial things. If anyone says a bad thing about my city, or actor or actresses, or my favorite sports player, I used to get ballistic. My friends used to make me angry knowingly sometimes, that's how bad I was. But in hindsight, I feel it was bad, it just drives them away from you like a fire. Who would want to stand next to a raging fire, that is anger. So I stopped becoming angry like that, but still had it now and then. My project was going slow at that time partly because of my partners, so I was angry. The guru said if the right tooth portions ache then one is angry with males, if the left tooth portions aches means one is angry with a female. Most of the pain and illnesses are caused by emotions, mind and body affect each other significantly.

So, I stopped being angry totally and then I did this Varun Mudra.

Varun Mudra:

Little finger represents water. And only water can put out the fire. So touch tip of the thumb with tip of the little finger. Water will increase in the body and bring down the fire in the body -- I mean fever.

Is basically used for reducing fever and colds, but also to alleviate the pain. If you have fevers you can also do this one, one of my friends did this few days ago, she said it worked.


Varun Mudra: Do this in both hands

It looked simple enough, so I did this for 10 to 15 minutes with normal breathing in and out. You won't believe it the pain was gone and it didn't come back at all.

You can try this if your tooth aches, but also control your anger. Another friend tried this before and after she had a surgery (she drew a painting also), she said it worked. I think she is an Anti-Dentite :).

But jokes aside, this Mudra gives you temporary relief, check your Dentist also, there might be a bigger problem than what it looks from the outside. Don't take it lightly and wait until the end.

Cheers :)

The Unbreakable Walking-Stick Umbrella, Video

This video shows a unique umbrella everyone dreams. It shows how strong the umbrella is, not only it can withstand any harsher weather conditions but you can also use this as a self defense tool.

This Unbreakable umbrella supports the man even and yet works fine after. He beats the umbrella against the punching bag several times and yet it works fine afterwards without a hitch or any breaks of the hinges.

The manufacturer claims that it will resist any high winds, though it doesn't show in the video, but from all the beatings it takes against the punching bag, one can see that it will do as well in winds. It cuts a melon in two pieces shows how strong the umbrella is.

The umbrella looks just like an ordinary umbrella, so there are no problems regarding its appearance. It weighs only 1.56 lb (710 grams).

• Legal to carry everywhere
• Never raises suspicions
• Does not make you look silly (no strange looks if carried by an able-bodied person)

It is priced at $149 + Shipping and you can purchase them from this link here.

A Thousand Splendid Suns

I am halfway through reading this fascinating book by Khaled Hussaini, author of Kite Runner. This is equally good and you will feel totally engrossed on the book. Too bad Afghanistan people go through this on a daily basis for a number of years. Great author. Here is his video explaining his novel.

How can you charm a woman?

Do they like a daily check-in phone call? Does she secretly wish you'd text her in the middle of the day for no reason but to make her smile? Do they prefer expensive dinners to home-cooked meals? Rock-hard abs? Flowers for no reason?

Identifying women's turn-ons is complicated, because they all react differently. Some women you wish came with owner's manuals so you knew exactly how they were wired. Luckily, I've done most of the legwork for you and am happy to pass this knowledge on to you.

Top 10 ways to charm a woman

1. Be aware. This means cracking open more than the sports section on the daily paper. Be up on current events and learn the difference between feelings, emotions and thoughts. Women are emotional beings and tend to think things through.
   They are attracted to men who are as smart or smarter
   They are attracted to men who are as smart or smarter than them, and your knowledge of worldly matters will demonstrate your intelligence.
2. Demonstrate humor. Women love a man who can make them laugh. Now don't fret here if you're not a stand-up comedian. We all have a certain type of humor. You can be dry, sarcastic, hilariously funny, quick-witted or dark. Being able to poke fun at yourself and just plain old being goofy is a turn-on for women. Keep in mind that all women are not attracted to the same type of humor, so if you don't vibe, just walk away and try someone else.
3. Have passion. A guy who lives his life with gusto is incredibly appealing. When you speak to a woman about your life, your travels, your job, your interests, speak with passion. That passion about who you are will turn her on instantly. She will start to imagine what it will be like when you are involved with her and how passionate you will speak about her.
4. Be considerate. Pay attention to the little things and look for opportunities to make small gestures that show you care. A simple "How was your day?" and being able to listen to her when she wants to discuss something are huge. So many men forget about simple things like holding the door, paying for her valet or just thanking her for a great time last night. Women are all about a guy with manners -- she is not attracted to the dope who acts like a caveman.
5. Be honest.
   Share who you are by telling her something personal
   Share who you are by telling her something personal. Maybe share one of your favorite childhood memories or some personal growth that you have been going through. Something that will show her that you are a trusting and honest person. It also shows that you are a confident but vulnerable man. Women love to see the vulnerable side of you. Note: Don't talk about an ex in a bad way here. If you have to talk about an ex, do so in a positive manner and share what you learned and how you grew from the relationship.
6. Be flexibile. Be open to her plans but surprise her with your flexibility. Take charge and surprise her with a fun night out. Instead of being the typical guy who makes a reservation, think about how you can be the guy who listens to her and plans a great date that she did not expect. If you can pull this off, she will be open to all sorts of advances from you.
7. Be positive. If you are positive about life, it shows in your actions. I always tell men to be extra nice to waiters, bartenders and other service people. Be a courteous driver when she's in the car. When you are in line at the movies, don't complain. Look for the humor and try to have fun with people all around you. Be positive about everything, and she will find you to be very sexy and alluring. No one wants to be with a negative hothead.
8. Be balanced. Women love a successful, ambitious man. They love that you work hard, but if you constantly put work ahead of her she will become turned off. She will start to imagine what life with you will be like with her needs being ignored. If you are out meeting women to date, you need to balance your life between work and play. This will be a major turn-on for her.
9. Have ambition. Men who are ambitious about what they do are a turn-on to women. It doesn't matter if you choose to be a rich stock trader or a painter, as long as you are passionate about who you are and what you do. If you don't love what you do, find something that really turns you on. You can't attract the woman you want with a negative ambition. Women love a man who is the best at what he does.
10. Be attentive. You are out with her for the very first time, and she tells you she loves a certain type of music. On the next date take her to a lounge that plays that type of music. It is all about paying attention to the details and working on your listening skills.

This list of 10 things will work in most cases. Keep in mind there is always the woman who you just can't seem to please. If you happen to cross paths with this type of woman, ask yourself, "Why would I want to be with a woman who is so difficult?"

I tend to avoid the difficult, judgmental women. Knowing women's turn-ons and putting them into practice will help you identify women who may be relationship material. You need to realize that you want to attract and turn on the women that are attracted to you on an equal level!

Ref: Yahoo

Mother Earth is Not an Ashtray

The disposed cigarette filters are a major hazard, releases trapped nicotine, tar, toxic chemicals into river streams

Is mother earth being rained upon by over two billion new cigarette butts each day? Although accurate butt facts are rare, that’s an average of less than two cigarette butts daily from each of earth's 1.2 billion smokers. Look closely at the ground at any intersection. They’re everywhere!

The cigarette butts are a common scene in the world except maybe in Singapore where it is a punishable offense for littering. The Cigarette filters supposedly were made to minimize nicotine causes another major problem, they are not biodegradable. Each cigarette filters are composed of 12,000 plastic like cellulose acetate fibers. It takes about 15 years for the fibers to decay into a plastic powder that can’t be seen. When they do decay they release the deadly cargo, nicotine they trap the first time.

The amount of nicotine, 50 to 60 milligrams trapped inside 200 used filters are sufficient to kill an adult human. When there is a rain, they wash away all these nicotine into streams and rivers which becomes harmful if humans drink that water. Aquatic life takes a major beating with deadly consequences if they mistake them for food. Nicotine as well as tars and toxic gases, that is inside these filters, run into waterways.

Tar refers to the more than three thousand five hundred chemical particles and five hundred gases generated by each burning cigarette that include arsenic, vinyl chloride, acetone, mercury and lead. The filters may minimize the damage for the smokers, but they trap half the tar and captures one third of formaldehyde and two thirds of its hydrogen cyanide. All these are released into the water stream.

John R. Polito maintains one of the highways roadside and finds 80% of the littered items are filled with cigarette butts or cigarette packages. Most of the littering go unpunished, if the Police officers are smokers themselves, they wouldn’t punish those who litter.

The entire world turns its collective head while mother earth serves as one big ashtray for over 700 billion new littered butts each year. Polito asks if they are left unpunished it will send a wrong message to children who will do the same in the future. He recommends strong laws be enforced to prevent such littering.

He advises the smokers not to trash it everywhere, put them in the car ash trays and dispose along with other garbage. If you try to pick up those filters, make sure you wear a glove and don’t inhale those toxic fumes.

Near my area in the sidewalks it is a big mess, there are too many filters lying around and most of them near the drainage which go to the nearby streams. I hope they stop smoking all together, where is the high when it causes so much damage to them and the environment?

Not only the cigarette filters are a major litter problem, also the other trash one sees in highway and in some cities where people are reckless and throw trash everywhere.

Do you find similar problems near your area?

Ref: Whyquit.com.

Professor Says Textbooks Are Too Expensive, Quits Using Them

Ron Hammond, Ph. D. is a professor at Utah Valley State College, decides to stop using textbooks in his classes because of their high costs. He says enough is enough and says no to high priced textbooks.

The price of a book runs to hundred dollars or more very easily and Hammond feels he is forcing the students to buy the expensive books for his classes, when they are already paying high tuition and fees to attend schools.

"I think it's immoral because of the cost of it," Hammond told the Central Utah Daily Herald.

Hammond instead of giving his students textbooks, he assigns his students journal articles, reading materials from the library or from the internet. If every one of the professor does the same, they could save students on an average $900 a year. Hammond rewrote his syllabus for the courses he is teaching.

I hope other professors and schools will do the same, but sadly many of them publish their own books and gives them additional earnings, so I doubt they will change their way. They put new editions every year, with hardly any changes, the total changes will constitute less than 1% of the book, but force the students to buy newer books at a high price.

If Ron Hammond is successful or if he is allowed to do this alternative without any interference from the school, it will be a good one for the students. They can offer many lessons via the web in electronic formats and share it easily instead of printing them on books.

25 Reasons Why You Should Start Drinking Green Tea Now

Green Tea

25 Reasons Why You Should Start Drinking Green Tea Now
************************************************************************************

Green tea has increasingly become a very popular drink worldwide because of its immensely powerful health benefits.It is extraordinarily amazing what green tea can do for your health.And if you're not drinking 3 to 4 cups of green tea today, you're definitely NOT doing your health a big favor.Here Are The 25 Reasons Why

You Should Start Drinking Green Tea Right Now:

1. Green Tea and Cancer
Green tea helps reduce the risk of cancer. The antioxidant in green tea is 100 times more effective than vitamin C and 25 times better than vitamin E. This helps your body at protecting cells from damage believed to be linked to cancer.


2. Green Tea and Heart Disease
Green tea helps prevent heart disease and stroke by lowering the level of cholesterol. Even after the heart attack, it prevents cell deaths and speeds up the recovery of heart cells.

3. Green Tea and Anti-Aging
Green tea contains antioxidant known as polyphenols which fight against free radicals. What this means it helps you fight against aging and promotes longevity.


4. Green Tea and Weight Loss
Green tea helps with your body weight loss. Green tea burns fat and boosts your metabolism rate naturally. It can help you burn up to 70 calories in just one day. That translates to 7 pounds in one year.

5. Green Tea and Skin
Antioxidant in green tea protects the skin from the harmful effects of free radicals, which cause wrinkling and skin aging. Green tea also helps fight against skin cancer.


6. Green Tea and Arthritis
Green tea can help prevent and reduce the risk of rheumatoid arthritis. Green tea has benefit for your health as it protects the cartilage by blocking the enzyme that destroys cartilage.

7. Green Tea and Bones
The very key to this is high fluoride content found in green tea. It helps keep your bones strong. If you drink green tea every day, this will help you preserve your bone density.

8. Green Tea and Cholesterol
Green tea can help lower cholesterol level. It also improves the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol, by reducing bad cholesterol level.

9. Green Tea and Obesity
Green tea prevents obesity by stopping the movement of glucose in fat cells. If you are on a healthy diet, exercise regularly and drink green tea, it is unlikely you'll be obese.

10. Green Tea and Diabetes
Green tea improves lipid and glucose metabolisms, prevents sharp increases in blood sugar level, and balances your metabolism rate.

11. Green Tea and Alzheimer's
Green tea helps boost your memory. And although there's no cure for Alzheimer's, it helps slow the process of reduced acetylcholine in the brain, which leads to Alzheimer's.

12. Green Tea and Parkinson's
Antioxidants in green tea helps prevent against cell damage in the brain, which could cause Parkinson's. People drinking green tea also are less likely to progress with Parkinson's.

13. Green Tea and Liver Disease
Green tea helps prevent transplant failure in people with liver failure. Researches showed that green tea destroys harmful free radicals in fatty livers.

14. Green Tea and High Blood Pressure
Green tea helps prevent high blood pressure. Drinking green tea helps keep your blood pressure down by repressing angiotensin, which leads to high blood pressure.

15. Green Tea and Food Poisoning
Catechin found in green tea can kill bacteria which causes food poisoning and kills the toxins produced by those bacteria.

16. Green Tea and Blood Sugar
Blood sugar tends to increase with age, but polyphenols and polysaccharides in green tea help lower your blood sugar level.

17. Green Tea and Immunity
Polyphenols and flavenoids found in green tea help boost your immune system, making your health stronger in fighting against infections.

18. Green Tea and Cold and Flu
Green tea prevents you from getting a cold or flu. Vitamin C in green tea helps you treat the flu and the common cold.

19. Green Tea and Asthma
Theophylline in green tea relaxes the muscles which support the bronchial tubes, reducing the severity of asthma.

20. Green Tea and Ear Infection
Green tea helps with ear infection problem. For natural ear cleaning, soak a cotton ball in green tea and clean the infected ear.

21. Green Tea and Herpes
Green tea increases the effectiveness of topical interferon treatment of herpes. First green tea compress is applied, and then let the skin dry before the interferon treatment.

22. Green Tea and Tooth Decay
Green tea destroys bacteria and viruses that cause many dental diseases.It also slows the growth of bacteria which leads to bad breath.

23. Green Tea and Stress
L-theanine, which is a kind of amino acids in green tea, can help relieve stress and anxiety.

24. Green Tea and Allergies
EGCG found in green tea relieves allergies. So, if you have allergies, you should really consider drinking green tea.

25. Green Tea and HIV
Scientists in Japan have found that EGCG (Epigallocatechin Gallate) in green tea can stop HIV from binding to healthy immune cells.

What this means is that green tea can help stop the HIV virus from spreading.

this was sent to me and i would like to share it with ya.

Facebook Helps Mom Reunite With Son

Lori Haas, 37, a nurse from Vancouver, recently joined Facebook, the social networking site because her friends were on it and wanted to give it a try. It became a worthwhile experience for her, which she will cherish it for a long time.

When Lori Haas was 17, she gave birth to a boy, but couldn’t raise him so she gave him up for adoption 20 years ago. But later, she has been trying to locate him, she searched phone books, adoption registries and on the Internet but with no success. One of her friend recommended her to try search for her boy on Facebook. She joined Facebook and searched for her boy.

She typed “Travis Sheppard” that is her son’s name and immediately she got a result with a photo of him. It was a small thumbnail photo of Sheppard, who was wearing a hat and sunglasses along with a friend. Even though it is hard to recognize from such a photo, she had an inkling that it must be her son. But she didn’t have the courage to contact him right away. She waited for a week, at which time Travis Sheppard put a larger profile picture, and this time Lori didn’t have any doubt, she instantly recognized him as her son.

"We have the same long face and nose! And it was listed that he was in Vancouver. I couldn't believe it. I thought, 'Oh my god, he's been living here too?!'"

In a sheer coincidence, the 20 year old Travis Sheppard had recently moved to Vancouver in the hopes of locating her mother. He knew that her mother gave up for adoption in the suburb of Richmond, Vancouver when she was 17. So he thought, maybe he can try locating her in Vancouver.

Lori Hass initially hesitated to contact Travis, and was also worried whether Travis knows about his adoption. But she went ahead and contacted him and sent a short message that she is looking for a relative and gave the birth date and name details to Travis. To which Travis responded and said those were his and he thought that she was his birth mother. So, they decided to meet the following day.

Sheppard was worried at first, meeting a stranger from the internet and also heard so many horror stories between adopted kids meeting with birth parents. He didn’t have large hopes at first, just wanted to find out one way or the other whether Lori was his birth mother.

As soon as they met, Sheppard knew that Lori was his mother and found they had too many similarities, likes and dislikes.

"It was amazing how familiar it was meeting him and the feeling of being complete," said Haas. "I carried around the pain and anxiety of giving him up for adoption at such a young age, but when I heard him say that he didn't hate me for doing that, a chapter of my life ended and a new one is beginning."

After that meeting, the two have spent many times together, also meeting Sheppard’s birth father, Sheppard’s adopted family and Haas’ extended family.

Lori is extremely grateful for Facebook, without which she says meeting her son would have been impossible. Now both the mother and son, have a new profile picture of both of them together in Facebook. They plan to keep in touch from now on.

Apollo 11 Anniversary -- 1st Moonwalk

Thirty eight years ago on the same day, July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, and Michael Collins riding Apollo 11 landed on the moon. It was one of the pivotal moments in mankind’s history.

More than half a billion people watched, when Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon and said these golden words before taking his first steps on the moon: “That's one small step for (a) man; one giant leap for mankind.”

The images taken by a camera mounted on a leg of the Apollo 11 lunar module were broadcast live to the US and the world. Among the crew only Armstrong and Aldrin spent a few hours on the moon, Michael Collins, orbited in the mission’s primary command module. They planted a United States flag and a plaque that reads “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot on the Moon—July 1969 A.D.—We came in peace for all mankind."

After Armstrong and Aldrin’s moon walk, there were some more moon missions with the last one in December 1972. USA and others could have pursued further after that time, but for some reasons there were no more missions to Moon. In 2004 U.S. President George Bush initiated a plan, starting with a robotic mission by 2008 to Moon and followed by a human mission by 2015. The plan is to set up a base in Moon for missions to Mars and beyond.

The year 2008 will be here soon, still no progress has been made, and I hope there are serious efforts to go there. An international effort and cooperation could achieve the mission faster, if they set aside commercial objectives aside. With all the money being spent on wars, humans could have gone many times to the Moon and back.

There is another controversy that some call this Moon landing and walk episode a hoax, maybe future missions can remove this doubt once for all. Whether it is true or not the first moon walk 38 years ago is one of the greatest moments in human history for the world.

Create Custom Players for Your YouTube Videos

Visit this link and create custom video player and embed it in blogs and sites. After you visit the custom player link, you will see the following:

First it will ask you to name the player, so you can access it at a later time just like your favorite videos page.

Then you have to choose the color theme, layout for the player as shown below:

Theme

Select a color theme for your player.

Layout

Select a layout for your player.

The layout option is only available when you first create a player.

Once you've chosen a layout and saved the player, you won't be able to change it.

Content

Choose your videos, your favorites, or one of your playlists to include as the content of this player.

Click the "Select" button to confirm your content source.

After you choose the content from your playlists, then it will generate a video code which you can embed in the blogs. One of them is shown above.

It is very easy to do.

McDonald’s Strange Menu Around the World

McDonald’s don’t have the same menu worldwide, each country may or may not have all the items served in the US. Some items are available only at selected countries catering to local tastes.

When you walk into a McDonald’s in a foreign location expect exotic items which you may not have seen in your local McDonald’s.

Here is a list of items you won’t find in the US.

INDIA

In India, selling of beef is prohibited (Hindus revere cows) so you won’t find Big Mac’s instead you will find Maharaja Mac, which is similar to Big Mac but made of lamb or chicken meat. They also serve a vegetarian burger not found in the US called the McAloo Tikki burger.



NORWAY

In fish-loving Norway, you can find McLaks, a sandwich made of grilled salmon and Dill sauce.



GERMANY

In Germany, you get most of the items find in the US plus they serve German beer, so you can have a Big Mac plus a Pilsner beer.



CANADA

In parts of Canada, they have a lobster item called McLobster, a lobster roll, the same sold as McHomard in French spoken parts of Canada.



JAPAN

In Japan, McDonald’s has added many items catered to the locals such as Ebi Filet-O (shrimp burger), Koroke Burger (mashed potato, cabbage and katsu sauce), Ebi-Chiki (shrimp nuggets) and a green tea flavored milkshake. Some of these sound healthy; McDonald’s can have similar items here and worldwide.



CHILE

In Chile, burgers are served with avocado paste; no ketchup is used in the burgers.



COSTA RICA

In Costa Rica, McDonald’s serve rice. They sell Gallo Pinto which means rice and beans in Spanish.



GREECE

In Greece, burgers are served in pita bread not in buns; they have a Greek Mac, a burger made of patties wrapped in pita bread.



HONG KONG
This is another location, where rice is served. Hong Kong citizens get Rice burgers in McDonald’s where the burgers are served between two rice patties rather than on buns.



ISRAEL

McDonald's has 3 kosher restaurants where cheeseburger and dairy products are not served because Jewish Law forbids serving "the child [cow/beef] in its mother's milk [dairy]." They have McShawarma, meat in a pita bread roll.



URUGUAY

In Uruguay, McDonald’s has McHuevo (Huevo is eggs in Spanish), a regular hamburger but topped with a poached egg.



Some of the above items look much better and healthy, which the McDonald’s can incorporate here in the US and worldwide. Have you encountered such things in a foreign location of McDonald’s?

Ref: Trifter.com

Fan submits Jane Austen works anonymously to publishers... and gets rejected

A Jane Austen fan wanted to see how the publishers would react to her work, whether they will publish it or not. He sent her works to 18 publishers and agents and all of them rejected or never responded back.

David Lassman a budding writer who having trouble publishing his own works tried a little experiment to see how the same publishers would react if a recognized author's works are sent instead. So he sent Jane Austen's work to the publishers and agents. He changed the name and title of Jane Austen's novels, "Northanger Abbey", "Pride and Prejudice" and "Persuasion" and sent a few chapters from them to 18 publishers and literary agents with a Pseudonym of Alison Laydee. One would assume the literary agents and publishers would recognize the quality and accept the work, but all of them rejected for various reasons.

David Lassman, 43, left several hints in the manuscript so they can identify it as Jane Austen's works, such as he called Pride and Prejudice as "First Impressions" the original title of the book, and left a return address as Jane Austen Center in Bath, where he works as the director of the Jane Austen Festival.

Penguin, which currently publishes the book "Pride and Prejudice", responded to David and said that "First Impressions" seems to be an original and interesting read. But never asked David Lassman to send more chapters of the book simply didn't request any further response.

Other publishers Bloomsbury, Random House, Harper Collins and Hodder & Stoughton either rejected them or never responded.

Christopher Little, the literary agency representing JK Rowling responded with a statement, "not confident of placing the material with a publisher".

David Lassman was confounded and couldn't believe that the publishers and agents wouldn't recognize great literature.

"If the major publishers can't recognize great literature, who knows what might be slipping through the net?"

Only one of the 18 correctly recognized the true author of the works. Alex Bowler, assistant editor at Jonathan Cape publishers, who correctly recognized it as Jane Austen and sent a warning letter to David with the following:

"I suggest you reach for your copy of Pride and Prejudice, which I'd guess lives in close proximity to your typewriter and make sure that your opening pages don't too closely mimic the book's opening. After all, there is such a thing as plagiarism."

David Lassman said the above responses except Alex Bowler's highlights the flaws in the publishing industry.

"Getting a novel accepted is very difficult today unless you have an agent first, but I had no idea of the scale of rejection poor old Jane suffered."

It is awful that agents and publishers can't recognize Jane Austen's works. Who knows how many great works are out there rejected by such agents and publishers, with the internet they can get good exposure but unless recognized by one of the agents it is very hard for authors to make a living. Not everyone is able to become JK Rowling.

Great Maxims of Benjamin Franklin

The principles that build wealth haven’t changed for centuries. These 78 maxims, gleaned from Benjamin Franklin’s Way to Wealth, contain all the wisdom needed to amass a fortune. Unfortunately, it’s still going to take hard work, intelligence, and discipline.

Industry (1-39) - Energetic devotion to a task or an endeavor; diligence.

1. Early to bed, and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise
2. Diligence is the mother of good luck
3. God helps them that help themselves
4. Sloth, like rust, consumes faster than labor wears, while the used key is always bright
5. Dost thou love life, then do not squander time, for that’s the stuff life is made of
6. Lost time is never found again
7. He that riseth late, must trot all day, and shall scarce overtake his business at night
8. Drive thy business, let not that drive thee
9. Industry need not wish
10. He that lives upon hope will die fasting
11. There are no gains, without pains
12. Plough deep, while sluggards sleep, and you shall have corn to sell and to keep
13. One today is worth two tomorrows
14. Have you somewhat to do tomorrow, do it today
15. Be ashamed to catch yourself idle
16. Let not the sun look down and say, inglorious here he lies
17. He that hath a trade hath an estate
18. He that hath a calling hath an office of profit and honor
19. At the working man’s house hunger looks in, but dares not enter
20. For industry pays debts, while despair encreaseth them
21. Constant dropping wears away stones
22. By diligence and patience the mouse ate in two the cable
23. Little strokes fell great oaks
24. Employ thy time well if thou meanest to gain leisure
25. Since thou art not sure of a minute, throw not away an hour
26. A life of leisure and a life of laziness are two things. Do you imagine that sloth will afford you more comfort than labor?
27. Trouble springs from idleness, and grievous toil from needless ease.
28. Many without labor would live by their wits only, but they break for want of stock
29. Industry gives comfort, and plenty, and respect: fly pleasures, and they’ll follow you
30. Keep the shop, and thy shop will keep thee
31. If you would have your business done, go; if not, send
32. He that by the plough would thrive, Himself must either hold or drive.
33. The eye of a master will do more work than both his hands
34. Want of care does us more damage than want of knowledge
35. Not to oversee workmen is to leave them your purse open
36. In the affairs of this world men are saved not by faith, but by the want of it
37. Learning is to the studious, and riches to the careful, as well as power to the bold, and Heaven to the virtuous
38. If you would have a faithful servant, and one that you like, serve yourself
39. For want of a nail the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe the horse was lost, and for want of a horse the rider was lost

Frugality (40-78) - Prudent economy; that careful management of anything valuable which expends nothing unnecessarily, and applies what is used to a profitable purpose; thrift; — opposed to extravagance.

1. A man may, if he knows not how to save as he gets, keep his nose all his life to the grindstone, and die not worth a groat at last
2. Beware of little expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship
3. Buy what thou hast no need of, and before long thou shalt sell thy necessaries
4. A fat kitchen makes a lean will
5. Many estates are spent in the getting, Since women for tea forsook spinning and knitting, And men for punch forsook hewing and splitting.
6. Think of saving as well as of getting: the Indies have not made Spain rich, because her outgoes are greater than her incomes
7. Women and wine, game and deceit, Make the wealth small, and the wants great.
8. What maintains one vice, would bring up two children
9. Who dainties love, shall beggars prove
10. Fools make Feasts, and wise men eat them
11. Buy what thou hast no need of, and before long thou shalt sell thy necessaries
12. Wise men learn by others’ harms, fools scarcely by their own
13. Silks and satins, scarlet and velvets, put out the kitchen fire
14. A ploughman on his legs is higher than a gentleman on his knees
15. Always taking out of the meal-tub, and never putting in, soon comes to the bottom
16. When the well’s dry, they know the worth of water
17. If you would know the value of money, go and try to borrow some
18. He that goes a borrowing goes a sorrowing
19. Fond pride of dress, is sure a very curse; E’er fancy you consult, consult your purse.
20. Pride is as loud a beggar as want, and a great deal more saucy.
21. When you have bought one fine thing you must buy ten more, that your appearance maybe all of a piece
22. Tis easier to suppress the first desire than to satisfy all that follow it
23. Great estates may venture more, But little boats should keep near shore.
24. Pride that dines on vanity sups on contempt
25. Pride breakfasted with plenty, dined with poverty, and supped with infamy
26. But what madness must it be to run in debt for these superfluities!
27. When you run in debt; you give to another power over your liberty
28. The second vice is lying, the first is running in debt
29. Lying rides upon debt’s back
30. Poverty often deprives a man of all spirit and virtue: ’tis hard for an empty bag to stand upright
31. Creditors are a superstitious sect, great observers of set days and times
32. Those have a short Lent who owe money to be paid at Easter
33. The borrower is a slave to the lender, and the debtor to the creditor
34. Disdain the chain, preserve your freedom; and maintain your independency: be industrious and free; be frugal and free
35. For age and want, save while you may; No morning sun lasts a whole day
36. Gain may be temporary and uncertain, but ever while you live, expense is constant and certain
37. Tis easier to build two chimneys than to keep one in fuel
38. Rather go to bed supperless than rise in debt.
39. Get what you can, and what you get hold; ’Tis the stone that will turn all your lead into go

Ref: Pickthebrain.com.

4 Powerful Reasons to Meditate and How To Get Started

Meditation is one of the good exercises easy to do and has lots of benefits. You can do a Google search on meditation and see how it helps the body and mind in many ways. Some of the benefits of meditation are given as follows:

1. Improved concentration - A clear mind makes you more productive, especially in creative disciplines like writing. My brother used to do meditation before exams, he always claims it helps his concentration power immensely. Before you go to a meeting, even a silent meditation helps you to have a great meeting and presentation.
2. Less bothered by little things - Do you sometimes allow yourself to get upset by little things? It is the nature of the mind to magnify small things into serious problems. Meditation helps us detach. We learn to live in the here and now, rather than worrying about the past or future. We do not worry about meaningless things, but see the bigger picture. This is also true, you just don’t worry if something bad incident happens, you just take it in your chin and move on and don’t make a fuss.
3. Better Health - There have been numerous studies pointing to the health benefits of meditation. The reason is that meditation reduces stress levels and alleviates anxiety. If we can reduce stress, many health benefits follow. It reduces stress, aches and pains, fevers, and raises your overall health up a notch.
4. Knowledge of Self - Meditation enables us to have a deeper understanding of our inner self. Through meditation we can gain a better understanding of our life’s purpose.

Is Meditation Religious?

The great thing about meditation is that our philosophy/religious belief is not importanct. Meditation is about consciousness. The beliefs of the mind become trivial. We dive deep into the heart of the matter to gain access to our soul - our inner reality. Therefore, mediation can (and is ) practiced by people of different religions or no religion.

But I don’t have time To Meditate

Many people like the idea of meditation, but feel they don’t have enough time. When you really want to do something you can find time. Get up earlier or watch 30 minutes less TV. Meditation requires an investment of time, but clearing the mind makes the the rest of the day more productive. Nothing is better than the feeling of inner peace. What is the point in being tremendously busy but unable to enjoy it? Meditation is not about retreating from the world; it gives us inspiration. Whatever you do, if you have peace of mind, your work will be more enjoyable and productive.

How To Meditate

Like anything worthwhile, meditation requires practice. To get the most from meditation you need to do it every day. This requires a place and time where you will not be disturbed.

1. Sit with a straight back. Don’t try to meditate lying down because you are likely to fall asleep. Meditation brings relaxation and peace but at the same time this is a dynamic peace. Meditation is quite different than the relaxation of sleep. When we really meditate, we are fully alert and conscious. Our sense of awareness is heightened. Afterwards you’ll have a positive feeling for the world and a renewed sense of dynamism.
2. Don’t eat before meditating. After a heavy meal your body will be lethargic with digestion. This is very important, a clear stomach will help, just like we don’t eat before exercises, we do the same here.
3. It is not necessary to mediate in the lotus posture. It is fine to meditate in a chair, as long as the back is straight.
4. It is helpful to take a shower before meditating.
5. Burning incense and having a candle are not necessary, but they can add a little extra inspiration.
6. It is good to meditate early in the morning. It is said the best time is 3am, although, I feel it is more important to be awake and not sleepy, I meditate at 6.30am.

I meditate for the last four years, I do this early in the morning for 10 to 15 minutes and chant "OM" it is extremely useful like the article says, keeps you cool and composed with less stress. Because of this, I can say for certain I get only a few headaches a year. Before meditation, I used to get plenty of headaches throughout the year. It relieves many common aches, also less occurrences of fevers and cold and you get less angry also. You can either sit up or lie down (I use the latter) and meditate. If you don’t feel like chanting the word, you can meditate in silence, but “OM or AUM” seems to be a good word, it creates an internal vibration in the body helps to keep the cells in harmony.

Do you meditate? Do you find any benefits doing it?

10 Billion-Trillion-Trillion-Carat Diamond Found in Space

The Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics have discovered a star BPM 37093, a mass of crystallized carbon, now known to be the biggest diamond in the galaxy. It is some fifty light years away from the planet Earth in the constellation Centaurus.

It is an old article in 2004 but still relevant today. This diamond has a size about 2,500 miles across and an approximate weight of 10 billion-trillion-trillion-carats (One followed by 34 zeros). The largest diamond found on Earth is the Cullinan, found in South Africa in 1905. It weighs about 3,106.75 carats uncut. So you can see the huge difference between the two.

Travis Metcalfe, an astronomer from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and leader of the team who discovered the gem said:

You would need a jeweler’s loupe the size of the sun to grade this diamond. Bill Gates and Donald Trump together couldn’t begin to afford it.”

You can see a high resolution image and movie here.

What is the value of this diamond found at BPM 37093? Ronald Winston, chief executive officer (CEO) of Harry Winston, Inc., said the value is so large it will completely alter the diamond market, will end up depressing the value of the market diamonds. He said:

Who knows? It may be a self-deflating prophecy because there is so much of it.”

The diamond found in this star BPM 37093 is the crystallized interior of a white dwarf – a hot core of the star that is left over after the star uses up the nuclear fuel and dies. Our Sun will end up the same with a diamond inside its core, which will happen five billion years from now.

A paper has been submitted on this topic for publication to The Astrophysical Journal Letters. The Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics is a joint collaboration between the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and the Harvard College Observatory.

What do you think about this giant diamond? There will be a mad rush by mankind to get this diamond in the future.

Source: diamonds.net

2 year old Baby Anna loves Coldplay on iPhone

This video shows 2 year old baby, Anna using the iPhone. Anna is able to use the iPhone like a professional, she is able to browse the web, access the e-mails and calendar, view the photos and play her favorite music in iPhone.

Just as Apple advertises that iPhone is easy for anyone to use with a simple and an intuitive user interface, Anna proves them right. She is able to navigate easily the various functions of the iPhone like a pro, she is able to make calls, see the maps, watch the pictures stored in the iPhone, browse the calendar, web and e-mails. Her mom guides her a bit, but it is all Anna, who knows what buttons to touch click and browse.

And finally she is able to play the music in iPhone, her favorite band Coldplay. She has to click a few buttons to watch the video, but she is able to do with ease.

I think Apple can use this as an advertisement for their next commercial, iPhone is that easy to use. I played with it for a while, but baby Anna is smart she has learned it so quickly. What will the kids think of next, they are growing too fast and too smart.

See also other children articles:

• Two-year-old 'Matilda' has an IQ 152 equal to Stephen Hawking
• Britain's Got Talent: This Girl is Awesome

Cold Brewed Coffee - Best Tasting Coffee

We usually make coffee in coffee makers, or sometime boil coffee with water and filter it. But there is another system in the market called the Toddy Cold Brew System which has a unique method of making coffee. Freshly ground coffee beans or coffee powder is steeped with water overnight either 12 hours or 24 hours and then this liquid solution is filtered. The resultant product is a coffee concentrate. Once you made the concentrate, you just add hot or cold water and drink the coffee mixture in a coffee mug.

This coffee is considered to be the best tasting ones than the coffee sold in coffee places like Starbucks, McDonald’s and others. The coffee produced is less acidic so it doesn’t upset stomach like the regular coffee drinks, approximately 67% less acidic compared to the conventional hot brew methods.

It was developed and patented in 1964 by a Cornell University chemical engineering graduate; the Toddy Cold Brew System extracts the coffee bean's true delicious flavor and eliminates much of the acidity, producing a bold, super-smooth coffee concentrate that may be refrigerated for up to 14 days without any deterioration in taste or freshness.

I have tried this method it works perfect the coffee tastes much better than regular systems plus it is gentle on your stomach. The initial costs for the Toddy Cold Brew System are like the coffee makers $37, but there is a replacement cost of filters which is sold for $2.50 each and you have to replace it after every 2 or 3 uses. That is the only part I didn’t like, I would rather prefer a permanent filter.

Here is one method of making this coffee.

Cold-Brewed Coffee

1/2 pound medium ground coffee -- darker roasts or coffee with chicory work best
5 cups cold water

Pour coffee into a deep bowl or pot. Add water, stir to mix and cover. Allow to steep between 8 and 12 hours. Pour mixture through a fine-meshed sieve or coffee filter. Repeat filtering process twice if necessary.

Makes 3 cups coffee concentrate.

To make iced coffee:

Add 1/4 cup coffee concentrate into 12-16 ounce glass. Add 1 cup cold water OR fill the glass with ice cubes. Add 3/4 cup - 1 cup milk of choice and stir.

You can make the coffee concentrate yourself or you can buy from the market directly, here are some places you can buy from: French Market, Cool Brew and N.O. Brew. Blue Bottle Coffee.

If you want healthy and tasty coffee you should try cold-brewed method coffee, it tastes fantastic.

Best Lemonade Recipes From Food Network

I bought a whole box of lemons from Farmers market, I use lemon every day, but I have too much and don't want to waste them. I wanted to make perfect lemonade, so I searched the web and found the following lemonade recipes. Hope you guys like it. If you have good Lemonade recipe or recipes please leave a comment.

The Best Lemonade

Good Deal with Dave Lieberman

Recipe courtesy Dave Lieberman

8 lemons
1/2 cup superfine sugar, plus more to taste
5 cups water
Ice cubes

Wash lemons under warm water. Roll them on the countertop with the palm of your hand to get them ready for juicing. Cut the lemons in half through their bellies. Juice lemons using either your hands or a juicer, reserving 2 lemon halves. Add the lemon juice to a pitcher. Add sugar and water and stir until sugar has completely dissolved. Add ice cubes and the reserved lemon halves.

Honey-Vanilla Lemonade

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

Rachael Ray's Block Party

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup honey
2 cups water, plus more as needed
1 vanilla bean
2 1/2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 24 lemons)
Lemon wheels or wedges, for garnish

In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, honey, and 2 cups water and place over medium-high heat. Cut the vanilla bean in 1/2 lengthwise, then, using the back of the knife, scrape the vanilla seeds from the pod and add to the saucepan, along with the pod. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 4 or 5 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Put the lemon juice into a gallon jug or pitcher. Pour the sugar syrup through a strainer into the pitcher and discard the pod. Add water to equal 1 gallon and stir well.

Serve over ice with lemon wheels or wedges.

Lemonade

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Show: Paula's Home Cooking

Episode: A Southern BBQ

2 cups sugar
1 cup hot water
2 cups fresh lemon juice
1 gallon cold water
1 lemon, sliced
Mint sprigs, for garnish

In a 1 gallon container, place sugar and hot water, and stir until sugar dissolves. Add lemon juice and cold water to render 1 gallon. Stir until well mixed. Pour lemonade over glasses of ice, squeeze slice of lemon on top of each, and garnish with a sprig of mint.

Strawberry Lemonade

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2003

Show: Emeril Live

Episode: Louisiana Festivals

2 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1 cup fresh lemon juice
1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
2 cups cold sparkling water or club soda
Ice
Mint sprigs, garnish
Whole strawberries, garnish

In a medium saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon peel and lemon juice, stir, and remove from the heat. Let cool completely, then strain into a clean pitcher.

In a blender, puree the pint of strawberries and add to the pitcher with the lemon juice. Stir well to combine and refrigerate until well chilled.

Add the sparkling water and stir well. Pour over glasses filled with ice and serve, garnished with mint and strawberries.

Blackberry Lemonade

Recipe courtesy Gourmet Magazine

Show: Cooking Live

Episode: Summer Sensations

About 6 lemons
4 cups water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup picked-over fresh blackberries
Garnish: lemon slices

With a vegetable peeler remove zest from 4 lemons and squeeze enough juice from these and remaining 2 lemons to measure 1 cup.

In a saucepan boil 2 cups water with sugar, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Add zest, lemon juice, and remaining 2 cups water and cool.

In a food processor or blender puree blackberries and stir into lemonade. Pour blackberry lemonade through a sieve into a pitcher or other container and chill. Chill lemonade, covered, at least until cold and up to 2 days.

Serve lemonade over ice in tall glasses, garnished with lemon slices.

Raspberry Lemonade

Courtesy Gale Gand, American Brasserie by Gale Gand, Rick Tramonto, Julia Moskin, MacMillian Inc, 1997

Show: Sweet Dreams

Episode: Bake Sale Bonanza

3/4 cup fresh or thawed frozen raspberries
9 cups water
2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 12 lemons)
2 cups superfine sugar

Puree the raspberries in a blender and strain through a fine sieve into a pitcher. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk together until the sugar dissolves. Serve over ice.

Crazy Coconut Lemonade

Recipe courtesy Ingrid Hoffmann

6 to 8 mint leaves, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup mixed lemon and lime juice
Rum, optional
1/2 gallon water, or to taste
Lemon and lime slices
Sweetened shredded coconut

Muddle the mint leaves with a pestle in the bottom of a large pitcher. Add sugar, lemon and lime juice, and rum, to taste. Cover with water and refrigerate until cold. When ready to serve pour over ice, slices of lemon and lime, and coconut flakes. Garnish with a sprig of mint.

For more Lemonade recipes click here.

The Cheapest Days to Buy Certain Items

Thanks to Internet, we, the customers are able to get online coupons, price comparison engines such as Froogle.com, pricegrabber.com and others, memberships discounts. All of them give us great deals to purchase online. But even then if you buy on certain days, you get a better deal than other days of the week. Yahoo Finance has suggested the following after they discussed this with various shopping experts.

Airplane Tickets

When to Buy: Wednesday morning.

Why: "Most airfare sales are thrown out there on the weekend," says travel expert Peter Greenberg, a.k.a. The Travel Detective. Other airlines then jump into the game, discounting their own fares and prompting further changes by the first airline. The fares reach their lowest prices late Tuesday or early Wednesday.

Books

When to Buy: Thursday.

Why: Price compare between major chains Borders and Barnes & Noble. The former releases its weekly sales and coupons on every Thursday; the latter, every Tuesday.

Cars

When to Buy: Monday.

Why: "Car dealers live for the weekend, which is when they make most of their sales," says Phil Reed, consumer advice editor for Edmunds.com. "On Mondays, the low foot traffic makes it seem like the weekend will never come." That dealer desperation, paired with fewer consumers on the lot, give you more negotiating power.

Clothing

When to Buy: Thursday evening.

Why: That's the day when stores stock their shelves for the weekend, and when many retailers — including Ann Taylor, Banana Republic and Express — start their weekend promotions, says Kathryn Finney, author of "How to Be a Budget Fashionista." You'll find great prices and the best selection. "It's an effort to get people to shop in the middle of the week," she says.

Department-Store Wares

When to Buy: Saturday evening.

Why: Department stores have a lot to mark down for their Sunday circulars, so they frequently start the process on Saturday evenings before store closing, says Finney. "They're preparing for the big rush," she says. Bonus: Even if the markdowns haven't been made, many employees will honor the sale price if you ask. Print out the circular preview from the store's web site, and bring it with you when you head to the mall.

Dinner Out

When to Buy: Tuesday.

Why: Most restaurants do not receive food deliveries over the weekend. "Sunday is the garbage-can day of the week," says Kate Krader, senior editor at Food & Wine magazine. "No doubt, they're cleaning out their fridges. Tuesdays, they're starting fresh." Dining out on that day offers the best odds you'll get a meal worth paying for, no matter your price point, she says.

Entertainment

When to Buy: Wednesday.

Why: Plenty of movie theaters, amusement parks and museums offer extra discounts to consumers who visit midweek. Six Flags theme parks offer a $12 discount to AAA members — three times its usual discount of $4. AMC Theatres offers members in its free AMC Movie Watcher reward program a free small popcorn on Wednesdays. (This summer, it's also the day select theaters offer free Summer Movie Camp screenings.)

Gas

When to Buy: Thursday, before 10 a.m.

Why: The price of oil isn't the only factor influencing costs at your local pump. Consumer usage plays a role, too — and weekend demand is high, says Jason Toews, co-founder of GasBuddy.com, a price-monitoring site. Prices usually swing upward on Thursdays as travelers fuel up to head out the following day. By hitting the pump before 10 a.m. (when many station owners change their prices), you'll beat the rush and the price jump.

Groceries

When to Buy: Sunday — or Tuesday.

Why: Maximize savings by combining store sales, which run from Wednesday to Tuesday, with the latest round of coupons from your Sunday paper, says Mary Hunt, publisher of Debt-Proof Living, a money-saving newsletter. "It's a smart idea to wait until you have those in hand to match up with the week's sale items," she says.

To snag savings on items you don't need just yet, shop on Tuesday, advises Hunt. Chances are, the store will have run out of the sale items. "That means you can pick up rain checks, which allow you to buy those items later when you need them, and at the sale price," she says.

Hotel Rooms

When to Buy: Sunday.

Why: There are two kinds of hotel managers, and the kind that won't give you a discount on your room rate has Sundays off, says Greenberg. Call the hotel directly, and ask to speak with the manager on duty or the director of sales. These employees are open to negotiation, he says. They'd rather have a booked room at a discounted rate than an empty room. (The rest of the week, your call would get you a so-called revenue manager, who monitors profits — and is rarely willing to lower rates.)

Do you find any such deals near your place or shopping area?

Ref: Yahoo Finance.

62 Little Known Uses of Vinegar.

Vinegar is a liquid produced from the fermentation of ethanol in a process that yields its key ingredient, acetic acid. Ninety percent of American Households buy vinegar. The 4 major uses are for salads, as cooking ingredients, pickling and home canning.

The author suggests using high quality white and apple cider vinegar like Heinz’s when trying the below methods. The difference between white and apple cider vinegar is that white vinegar is made from acetous fermentation of alcohol and apple cider vinegar is made from cider or apple must.

1. Clear mineral deposits from a steam iron.

Fill the water tank with white vinegar. Turn the iron to the steam setting and steam-iron a soft utility rag to clean the steam ports. Repeat the process with water, then thoroughly rinse out the inside of your iron.

2. Clean lime deposits and calcium sludge from an automatic drip coffee maker.

Once a month fill the reservoir with white vinegar and run through the brew cycle. Rinse thoroughly with two cycles of cold water.

3. Clean the hoses and unclog soap scum from a washing machine.

Once a month pour one cup of white vinegar into the washing machine and run the machine through a normal cycle, without clothes.

4. Clean rust from tools, bolts, and spigots.

Soak the rusted tool, bolt, or spigot in undiluted white vinegar overnight.

5. Keep a garbage disposal clean and smelling fresh.

Mix one cup of vinegar in enough water to fill an ice cube tray, freeze the mixture, grind the cubes through the disposal, and flush with cold water. For The Kitchen

6. Remove stubborn coffee stained cups and pots.

Fill the cup with vinegar overnight, then rinse with hot soapy water.

7. Prevents misty Spots on glassware.

Place a cup of white vinegar on the bottom rack of the dishwasher, run for five minutes, then run though the full cycle. A cup of white vinegar run through the entire cycle once a month will also reduce soap scum on the inner workings.

8. Eliminate unpleasant cooking odors in the kitchen.

Boil one tablespoon of white vinegar with one cup of water.

9. Eliminate odors from used jars.

Rinse peanut butter and mayonnaise jars with white vinegar.

10. Turn a chicken bone into rubber.

Soak a chicken bone in a glass of vinegar for three days. It will bend like rubber.

11. Deodorize a stale lunch box.

Soak a paper napkin in vinegar and leave it inside the closed lunch box overnight.

12. Kill bacteria in meat.

Marinating meat in vinegar kills bacteria and tenderizes the meat. Use one-quarter cup vinegar for a two to three pound roast, marinate overnight, then cook without draining or rinsing the meat. Add herbs to the vinegar when marinating as desired.

13. Cheese storage.

Cheese will last longer if you store it in a vinegar soaked cloth.

14. Prevent cracked hard boiled eggs.

Add two tablespoons of white vinegar per quart of water before boiling to prevent the eggs from cracking. The egg shells will also peel off faster and easier.

15. Clean food-stained pots and pans.

Fill the pots and pans with white vinegar and let stand for thirty minutes. Then rinse in hot, soapy water.

16. Relief Jellyfish stings.

Dot the irritation with vinegar to relieve itching.

17. Relieve a sore throat.

Put two teaspoons of vinegar in your humidifier. Check out these other natural remedies for recovering from a sore throat.

18. Soothe sunburn pain.

Apply undiluted vinegar to the burn.

19. Cure an upset stomach.

Drink two teaspoons apple cider vinegar in one cup water to soothe an upset stomach.

20. Relieve itching.

Use a cotton ball to dab mosquito and other bug bites with vinegar straight from the bottle.

21. Dissolve warts.

Mix one part apple cider vinegar to one part glycerin into a lotion and apply daily to warts until they dissolve.

22. Remove corns.

Make a poultice of one crumbled piece of bread soaked in one-quarter cup vinegar. Let poultice sit for one-half hour, then apply to the corn and tape in place overnight. If corn does not peel off by morning, reapply the poultice for several consecutive nights.

23. Relieve a cold.

Mix one-quarter cup apple cider vinegar with one-quarter cup honey. Take one tablespoon six to eight times daily.

24. Relieve arthritis.

Before each meal, drink a glass of water containing two teaspoons apple cider vinegar. Give this folk remedy at least three weeks to start working.

25. Relieve a cough.

Mix one-half cup apple cider vinegar, one-half cup water, one teaspoon cayenne pepper, and four teaspoons honey. Take one tablespoon when cough acts up. Take another tablespoon at bedtime.

26. Dandruff treatment.

Simply pour a few tablespoons of vinegar on your hair and massage into your scalp. Wait a few minutes, then rinse and wash hair like normal. Try this for a few days until you see results. It restores chemical balance to the skin.

27. Acne remedy.

Remedy for acne skin conditions when diluted 50:50 with water and used as a toner. Careful around the eyes. For Maintaining Health

28. Dry skin repair & Skin Softener.

Add one-half cup of vinegar or so to warm bath water when bathing and get double benefits; softer skin and a cleaner bathtub with less work. Smooth a little vinegar on cracked, dried skin to help it heal.

29. Clean dentures.

Soak dentures overnight in vinegar, then brush away tartar with a toothbrush.

30. Weight loss.

Vinegar naturally helps to remove fat from the body. Apple cider vinegar is especially good for this. Drink some in a glass of water a few times a day. Add a little lemon or honey for a nicer flavor. This will also help reduce your appetite.

31. Cure the hiccups.

Mix one teaspoon apple cider vinegar in one cup of warm water, and drink.

32. Prevent yeast infections.

Apple cider vinegar is a natural remedy for yeast infections, when diluted with water and used as a douche. For example, douche with one tablespoon white vinegar to one quart warm water to adjust the pH balance in the vajayjay.

33. Condition dry hair.

Shampoo, then rinse hair with a mixture of one cup apple cider vinegar and two cups water. Vinegar adds highlights to brunette hair, restores the acid mantel, and removes soap film and sebum oil.

34. Clean eyeglasses.

Wipe each lens with a drop of vinegar.

35. Longer-lasting pantyhose.

Add one tablespoon of vinegar to the rinse water when washing, and your pantyhose will last longer.

36. Prevent lint from clinging to clothes.

Add one cup vinegar to each wash load.

37. Deodorize a wool sweater.

Wash sweater, then rinse in equal parts vinegar and water to remove odor.

38. Remove perspiration stains from clothes.

Apply one part white vinegar to four parts water, then rinse.

39. Prevent bright colored clothes from fading.

Before putting the article in the washing machine, soak it in white vinegar for ten minutes.

40. Remove stubborn stains from furniture upholstery and clothes.

Apply white vinegar directly to the stain, then wash as directed by the manufacturer’s instructions.

41. Remove light scorch marks from fabrics.

Rub lightly with white vinegar, then wipe with a clean cloth.

42. Eliminate animal urine stains from carpet.

Blot up urine, flush several times with lukewarm water, then apply a mixture of equal parts white vinegar and cool water. Blot up, rinse, and let dry. For The Garden

43. Grow beautiful azaleas.

Occasionally water plants with a mixture of two tablespoons white vinegar to one quart water. Azaleas love acidic soil.

44. Kill unwanted grass like weeds.

Pour white vinegar in crevices and between bricks. For The Toilet

45. Kill germs on bathroom fixtures.

Use one part vinegar to one part water in a spray bottle. Spray the bathroom fixtures and floor, then wipe clean.

46. Clean soap scum, mildew, and grime from bathtub, tile, and shower curtains.

Simply wipe the surface with white vinegar and rinse with water.

47. Clean a toilet bowl.

Pour in one cup of white vinegar, let it stand for five minutes, and flush.

48. Unclog a shower head.

Unscrew the shower head, remove the rubber washer, place the head in a pot filled with equal parts vinegar and water, bring to a boil, then simmer for five minutes. For Inside The House

49. Retard patching plaster from drying.

Add one tablespoon white vinegar to the water when mixing plaster to slow the drying time.

50. Wash walls.

Wipe down your walls with a vinegar water mixture, which helps absorb odors and clean surfaces.

51. Remove wallpaper.

Mix equal parts vinegar and hot water. Use a paint roller to wet the paper thoroughly with the mixture. Repeat. Paper should peal off in sheets.

52. Clean windows.

Use undiluted vinegar in a spray bottle. Dry with a soft cloth.

53. Prolong the life of flowers in a vase.

Add two tablespoons of white vinegar plus three tablespoons of sugar per quart of warm water. Stems should be in three to four inches of water.

54. Deodorize the air.

Vinegar is a natural air freshener when sprayed in a room.

55. Deodorize a room filled with cigarette smoke or paint fumes.

Place a small bowl of white vinegar in the room.

56. Repel ants.

Use a spray bottle or mister filled with a solution of equal parts vinegar and water around door jambs, window sills, water pipes, and foundation cracks.

57. Fish bowl cleaner.

Eliminate that ugly deposit in the gold fish tank by rubbing it with a cloth dipped in vinegar and rinsing well.

58. Clean paintbrushes.

Simmer paint brushes in pure vinegar, then wash in hot soapy water. For Outside The House

59. Keep drains open.

Pour one-half box of old baking soda down the drain followed by one cup white vinegar. When the bubbling stops, run the hot water.

60. Prolong and brighten propane lanterns.

Soak new wicks for several hours in white vinegar and let them dry before inserting. Propane lanterns will burn longer and brighter on the same amount of fuel. For The Car

61. Remove decals or bumper stickers or price tag.

Soak a cloth in vinegar and cover the decal or bumper sticker for several minutes until the vinegar soaks in. The decals and bumper stickers should peel off easily.

62. Prevent ice from forming on a car windshield overnight.

Coat the window with a solution of three parts vinegar to one part water.

$600 a Pound Coffee - Indonesia's Kopi Luwak

Indonesia’s Kopi Luwak costs $30 a cup and $600 a Pound of Coffee. This coffee is not harvested by humans rather by the sharp claws and fangs of wild civets, a catlike beast that love their coffee fresh. The Civets hunts in the night and creeps along the robusta and hybrid arabusta trees, sniffing out red coffee cherries and selecting only the tastiest cherry of them all. After they chew off the exterior, they swallow the hard innards of the coffee cherry.

In the animals' stomachs, enzymes in the gastric juices massage the beans, smoothing off the harsh edges that make coffee bitter and produce caffeine jitters. Humans then separate the greenish-brown beans from the rest of the dung, and once a thin outer layer is removed, they are ready for roasting. The result is a delicacy with a markup so steep it would make a drug dealer weep.

This coffee product is called Kopi Luwak, derived from the Indonesian words of Coffee and Civet. By the time it reaches the market, the price reaches $600 a pound. The Royal Family in England is rumored to drink this specialty coffee. In a five star hotel in Hong Kong it costs $30 a cup.

Canadian food scientist Massimo Marcone thought kopi luwak was just an urban legend. Then he did some lab work.

He found that a civet's digestive system does indeed remove some of the caffeine, which explains why a cup of kopi luwak doesn't have the kick that other strong coffees do. The civet's enzymes also reduce proteins that make coffee bitter.

Marcone went to Indonesia’s Sumatran rain forest and collected about 10 pounds of civet droppings and uses them as a “gold standard” to rate other Kopi Luwaks in his lab at the University of Guelph in Ontario. He says the customers have to be careful most of the kopi luwaks available in the market are counterfeit.

Real kopi luwak has a top note of rich, dark chocolate, with secondary notes that are musty and earthy, the scientist said. An Indonesian coffee lover described the scent as the smell of moist earth after a rainfall, with hints of vanilla, that teases the palate for hours after the cup is empty.

Other coffees, such as Jamaican Blue Mountain, may score better on official cupping tests that judge qualities such as aroma, taste and fragrance, Marcone said. But they don't come with quite the exotic cachet of civet brew.

How the kopi luwak originated? The local lore says that villagers were ruled by the Dutch bosses who didn’t give them enough coffee to drink, so they were left off with these droppings and after cleaning made the coffee.

Today, the world's only source for genuine, uncut kopi luwak is Southeast Asian civets, and most still comes from the ones foraging in Indonesia's coffee plantations. That limits production to a craving for coffee cherries, and the digestive abilities, of a shrinking civet population.

A pound of their droppings yields less than 5 ounces of beans. Roasting reduces the quantity by an additional 20%. With just 500 to 1,000 pounds of the real thing coming on the global market each year, demand quickly drives up the price.

With the high demand, many think the Civet population will grow in numbers. But with increased focus of the Indonesian farmers on other products like cocoa and other products, the Civets are left with little coffee cherries to scrounge. Because of this kopi luwak are produced less compared to the previous years. Some farmers are taking an opposite approach they are growing civet cats in farms and producing kopi luwak. These cats are hand fed with ripe coffee cherries. Others want to establish a natural reserve just for civet cats so they can grow in freedom. The resultant coffee will be in hot demand no matter how they are grown in farms or in the wild.

Will you drink this coffee if offered?

Ref: Latimes.

Noise Canceling Headphones Video Review

David Pogue of New York Times did a great review on noise canceling headphones. If you are traveling a lot, you will need one of these headphones, but which ones to buy is a question David answers well.

These headphones you can connect them to a music player, DVD player, laptop, or the plane’s audio system. You won’t hear even the engine sound and best of all you can listen to the audio quality without increasing the sound volume. The noise canceling is done at low, safer sound volume levels.

Bose leads the pack with two expensive models a thinner one for $350 and a thicker one for $250. David compares the qualities and prices of other brands like Panasonic, Sennheiser, JVC, JBL, Audio-Technica, Logitech and Able Planet and gives this review in the video.

Most of these headphones are powered by a single AAA battery. Each comes in a carrying case that keeps the devices together with their accessories: the miniplug cable for your music or DVD player, for example, and the adapters for quarter-inch phono jacks and dual-pronged airplane armrest jacks. Most of these cases exude elegance but take up a huge portion of your carry-on bag.

The “active noise reduction” technology used by these headphones generally cancels only lower frequencies. Higher ones are difficult to stifle electronically. Whatever upper-register noise cancellation you get from these headphones, therefore, comes from the seal they make with your ears, which is “passive noise reduction.”

None of these products touch the sound quality of high-end audiophile headphones. Some people say, for example, that they can hear a faint hiss in some noise-canceling headphones when music is not playing, although my 44-year-old ears couldn’t detect it.

Here is his summary comparison of different models.

JVC HA-NC100

There are three refreshing points to note about JVC’s entry. First, the street price is only $40; you could buy seven pairs of these for the price of one Bose set. Second, these phones rest on your ear instead of surrounding it. As a result, they’re so small, they come in a compact drawstring bag, rather than in a hard clamshell.

Finally, the audio cord is retractable — a brilliant, obvious and extremely handy feature.

You can probably feel a “but” coming, and here it is: the circuitry cuts out only a chunk of the lower frequencies, leaving much of the engine roar unabated. And the music quality is only average and weak on bass.

PANASONIC RP-HC500

The pleasantly smushy-edged earcups on this new model do an excellent job of isolating your ears. That may be one reason the noise cancellation works so well; all but the highest frequencies are subtracted. Better still, the music reproduction is stellar, especially in the crisp, clean higher registers.

I waited to look up the prices for these products until after I’d tested them. So I was astonished to discover that you can find these online for $100. You get quality that’s nearly indistinguishable from the Boses — for a third the price.

AUDIO-TECHNICA ATH-ANC7

Here is another winner, with another surprising price: $132 for these comfy, solidly built, absolutely great-sounding headphones. The circuitry cuts out a huge swath of engine, road or train noise, and the music is crystal clear, sweet and finely textured.

It’s “Bose” without the marketing campaign.

JBL REFERENCE 510

You can’t accuse JBL of designing with the herd. Instead of putting the circuitry and the battery in the earcups, JBL’s engineers offloaded them to a little box that dangles on the cord. You can clip the box to your clothing. Skip to next paragraph

The Panasonic HC500.

Thus relieved of that extra weight and bulk, these on-ear headphones are positively microscopic compared with their rivals. They fold down into a little pocketable stretchy bag.

Unfortunately, these $150 phones are the least comfortable of the lot; those tiny earcups feel like tongs trying to grip your head. The external-fob approach means a lot more wiring to fuss with, too. And you can’t detach the cords when you want to use the headphones for noise cancellation only.

Music sounds terrific, but beware: with a 125-decibel peak, these cans will blow out your eardrums if you’re not careful.

LOGITECH NOISE CANCELING HEADPHONES

The noise-canceling circuit is superb, cutting out both the low roar and most of the middle frequencies. Inside the gigantic case, labeled loops keep everything, including jack adapters and even an iPod, in its place.

Music sounds pretty good for the price ($155), though it does not keep up with the Boses.

ABLE PLANET CLEAR HARMONY, LINX AUDIO

These cans look great and feel great. They sound pretty good, but the noise-canceling is only so-so.

On the bright side, there’s a volume control on the audio cord, which you can use to mute the music when the flight attendant is asking for your drink order; and the volume, as with the JBL set, goes all the way to 11. For $300, though, you can do better.

BOSE QUIETCOMFORT 2

Mmm, nice. Bose may charge a lot ($300), but you have to admit they know their acoustics. The noise cancellation is amazing; when you throw the switch, the world just falls away. Music sounds fantastic — wicked bass, clear highs.

Unfortunately, you can’t use these as regular headphones; when you turn off the noise-cancellation, you turn off all sound.

BOSE QUIETCOMFORT 3

This $350 pair are smaller than the QuietComfort 2’s; they’re on-ear rather than surround-ear. There is no room for a AAA battery. You get a snap-in rechargeable battery instead, which means that you have to pack and track its charger. The 3’s are incredibly comfortable, and both the circuitry and music reproduction is outstanding — but like the cheaper version, they can play music only when the cancellation circuitry is turned on.

SENNHEISER PXC 450

If these headphones were any bigger, they’d be called Sousaphones.

They’re loaded with unique features, like a Talkthrough button that cuts out all the music and the noise-canceling when someone’s trying to talk to you. Volume buttons and a bypass switch turn the Sennheisers into regular headphones.

The noise cancellation works well. But you can’t detach the audio cord. And despite “adaptive baffle damping and Duofol diaphragms,” music reproduction isn’t where it should be for $450.

So what’s the verdict? Nobody has yet knocked Bose off its pedestal, but Panasonic and Audio-Technica have climbed up there with it. These headphones sound amazing, but cost a half or a third as much.

With any headphones listen at a lower volume, prolonged hearing at high volume levels will cause deafness.

Chihuahua Has Perfect Heart-Shaped Pattern on Coat

Ref: Reuters/Issei Kato (JAPAN)

A male long-coated chihuahua named "Heart-kun" with a heart-shaped pattern on his coat sits at Pucchin Dog's shop in Odate, northern Japan. The one-and-a-half-month-old chihuahua was born on May 18, 2007 as one of a litter. The shop owner Emiko Sakurada said that this is the first time a puppy with these marks has been born out of a 1,000 that she has bred. She also said that she has no plans to sell the puppy. I am sure Emiko Sakurada will be getting lot of big offers soon, it is a cute dog.

	Deluxe Pet Booster Seat Amazon Price: $39.99 List Price: $49.99
	Royal Canin; MINI Chihuahua 28(TM) Dog Food 15 lbs Amazon Price: $28.99 List Price: $28.99
	Royal Canin MINI Canine Health Nutrition Chihuahua 28 Amazon Price: $10.99 List Price: $10.99
	New Multivet Anti Bark Deluxe Collar for barking dog problem. Amazon Price: $80.00 List Price: $110.00

	BROWN C BEAR SWEATER dog clothes APPAREL Chihuahua M Current Bid: $7.99
	NEW WEBKINZ CHIHUAHUA W/ UNUSED TAG !!!!RARE !!!! Current Bid: $9.95
	NWT Webkinz Lil Kinz Chihuahua Unused Code SEALED Current Bid: $7.00
	PAUL FRANK CHIHUAHUA PINK JR. HOODIE, SMALL Current Bid: $19.99

Google Maps with Mapplet Tutorial

With Google Maps, not only you can find the best routes but you can also do thousands of ordinary things you do daily. The video tutorial here shows some of it, like finding the show times of movies, finding the best coffee places, and locating the real estates near your area. First you should log in to your Google account (free) to access all the stuff shown in the video. You can also see this Google Maps without a Google account, but it will be better if you use your Google Account to save all the features.

Just follow these steps:

1. Go to Google Maps http://maps.google.com/
2. Click "My Maps"
3. You will see a number of Mapplets, which are small gadgets that bring data from external sources and places them in the map for easy access.
4. If you don't find what you like you can click "Add Content" there are 100s of items.

That's it, after this you can do a number of things, and you once you find your favorite thing in the map, you can get directions and go there with Google Maps. It is easy to use.

Other Google Map Topics:

• Find Gas Prices, Real Estates, Movie Showtimes, with Google Maps Mapplets

• Change Routes Faster in Google Maps - Just Drag and Drop

• Rate Local Businesses in Google Maps

• Google Maps Now Have Transit Information

• Google Maps Street View Launches

• 3D Buildings in Google's Street Maps

• Directions Without Highways in Google Maps

Find Gas Prices, Real Estates, Movie Showtimes, with Google Maps Mapplets

Google Maps integrated mapplets, small gadgets that bring data from external sources and overlays it onto the map. For example if you want to find the gas prices near your area just click this Gas Prices by GasBuddy and it will integrate this Mapplet to your Google Account. When you click the Google Maps and click “My Maps” area, you can checkout the best prices and where the gas stations are located and overlay it onto the map. The feature was launched in May as a developer preview and it's now live on Google Maps.

Here are some Mapplets for Google Maps.

• Google Real Estate Search Search for real estate listings from across the web.
• Gas Prices by GasBuddy.com This Gadget allows you to enter a City, State and displays the most up to date regular gasoline prices available for that area on a map. Data is provided by GasBuddy.com.
• Wikimapia layer beta A layer from Wikimapia placed on Google Maps. WikiMapia is an online map allowing everyone to add information to any location on the globe.
• Flickr Photo Mapplet Show Flickr Photos in the current Area. You may also search for any term to filter the result.
• Random GeoFacts Display facts about a random region of the world
• ChicagoCrime.org Shows crimes that have occurred in Chicago. Based on ChicagoCrime.org by Adrian Holovaty.
• GeoRSS Reader Take a tour of the places in a GeoRSS feed.
• Search Hotels - BOOKING.COM Search Hotels
• Chicago Transit Map Displays Chicago Transit Authority train lines
• Mapplet Scratch Pad Load source code of a Mapplet by URL into a simple text editor, make changes, and preview the Mapplet on the fly.
• I want to see a movie now! Shows movies that are about to start in nearby theaters and your likelihood of getting there on time.
• Earthquake search Find earthquakes of given magnitude within a date range
• Famous Photos Photos from bbs.keyhole.com
• Search In-between Searches for businesses in-between two addresses
• Been There? Where have you been?
• Geotrends Geographic popularity of search terms from Google Trends
• Dig a hole through the Earth Find out where you would come out if you dug a hole straight through the center of the Earth
• Distance Measurement Tool Measure the distance of a path on the Earth
• Zürich Travel Time Visualization Using this isochronal visualization method you are able to determine the travel time from any starting station to all other places on the map. The color shows the time it takes you to reach a selected place in Zürich, Switzerland using the public transportation system.
• Developer Mapplet When this Mapplet is installed, a 'Reload' link will appear when you're viewing a Mapplet. Clicking on this link forces Google Maps to fetch the latest version of the source code for the Mapplet.
• Crop Circles From bbs.keyhole.com.

There are hundred more Mapplets, you can find the ones you like and add it to your account in Google. When you log in the next time, you will see all these tools in your “My Maps” area in Google Maps.

• Other Google Map Topics:

• Change Routes Faster in Google Maps - Just Drag and Drop

• Rate Local Businesses in Google Maps

• Google Maps Now Have Transit Information

• Google Maps Street View Launches

• 3D Buildings in Google's Street Maps

• Directions Without Highways in Google Maps

Dog Nurses Kitten Found Under SUV Hood

Lillie the dog lies next to Tahoe the cat Friday, July 6, 2007, in Victoria, Texas. Ever since the kitten was found under the hood of Eunice Collins' running Chevrolet Tahoe a few weeks ago, he's been feeding from the unusually cooperative longhaired dachshund. Tahoe feeds in the morning, at night and after naps, purring and pawing at the dog's belly. (AP Photo/Victoria Advocate, T.C. Baker)

A stray kitten was found under the hood of Eunice Collin’s SUV, a Chevrolet Tahoe. She heard the sound of a cat all of a sudden and found the cat (named Tahoe) under the SUV. So she took it and kept him in a bedroom along with her 3 year old dachshund dog named Lillie.

Four days later Eunice found Lillie nursing the cat Tahoe. Eunice was surprised at this development and couldn’t believe what she saw. Lillie has taken Tahoe as her baby and has been nurturing and taking care of him. They are very close it seems.

Eunice’s veterinarian John Beck said this type of occurrence doesn’t happen often; the kitten just got lucky and found a dog that showed maternal instincts. The presence of the young kitten induced a false pregnancy in Lillie and created a nursing response behavior in it.

"It made the hormones needed to produce milk," Beck said. "Now, I'm sure the cat obviously had it in mind the dog was (his) mother."

It is another miracle in nature, wonder how will they get along with time.

BakeSpace.com was created by media producer Babette Pepaj as the first true social networking website devoted to bringing together people who enjoy cooking and baking. It’s an online community where you can make new friends, exchange recipes, share ideas, find answers to your questions, download coupons and, in general, get inspired about one of life’s great pleasures.

They have 1000s of recipes in BakeSpace.com, where the users share their recipes and cooking tips. It is free, so if you are looking for a good recipe, you can check it out.

I found one of the recipes shown below, an India tea, one of my friend used to make it like this but I could never get the recipe from her.

Real Indian Chai

Ingredients:

• black tea
• milk
• fresh ginger
• cardamom seeds - fresh green best
• black pepper corns
• sugar
  
  
  

Directions:

In a medium sized pot, put a mix of water and milk. (2-3 times water to milk is usually about right). Make a lot because some evaporates and it's so good, you will want more - it's even good cold as well.

Add black tea, loose or from bags. I use 2 tablespoons of loose tea to make a morning batch but could probably get away with less.

Grate some fresh ginger.

Add the seeds from 8-10 or so green cardamom pods. Tear them open and let the seeds give their full flavor. You can find the green pods in an Indian spice shop or other places. Shells don't go in the brew but if they happen to fall, doesn't matter because you are going to strain it anyway.

Add a small handful of black pepper corns. I never count but I would guess about a dozen or so.

Add sugar, or sweeten individually. Slightly sweet is part of the experience so I add about 1 tablespoon per each large cup.

Some people add cinnamon or nutmeg... experiment.

Brew for about 5 minutes. If it boils, turn it down. Strain and drink.

That's it. Enjoy!

Below is a funny advertisement from BakeSpace.com.

Google’s GrandCentral, a Personal Online Communication Center

GrandCentral is a unique service that is available online to manage all your telephone numbers in one place. Once you become a member of GrandCentral, it assigns you a personal phone number, which you can use it for life. GrandCentral calls it One Number...for Life^TM - a number that's not tied to a phone or a location - but tied to you. So, you can give this number to anyone and don’t worry about getting Spam Calls, which you can easily block it at GrandCentral. Google purchased GrandCentral today, so you will see more features added to it free or for a small service fee. But for now it is free.

So, if you have a mobile phone, office phone, home phone, instead of getting the messages lost or which number you should focus more, you can just give one phone number to everyone. With that phone number, the callers can leave a message for you to return the call. GrandCentral either calls your main phone number (Stored in GrandCentral account) and connects you to the person or notifies you via e-mail about the call you received, so you can answer by screening the calls. This message is recorded and is available online in your GrandCentral Account online. You can either save it or delete it. There is a “call” button after the message, so when you want to talk the person, GrandCentral connects you (wherever you are) to the person that left a message.

Here are the main features of GrandCentral:

• Check your messages by phone, email, or online
• Keep all your messages online for eternity
• Record and store your phone calls (just like voicemail)
• Quickly (and secretly) block an annoying caller
• Click-to-dial from your address book
• Surprise your callers with a custom voicemail greeting
• Forward, download, and add notes to your messages

This free version will include unlimited inbound minutes, unlimited voicemail (up to 30 days old), and access to all of the main features of GrandCentral. You can use this personal number on your business card and can keep in touch with all of your friends, family, customers, and co workers without a problem. And don’t have to worry about changing the phone number, even if you change mobile services or you move out of your current location.

Currently it is available only in the US; it will soon be available for other countries. This is what GrandCentral says about the International phone number option:

As we expand internationally, we will give you the option to pick an international GrandCentral number or forward calls to international numbers.

So, if you need an invitation to get an account with Google GrandCentral, send me a message with your first name and last name and e-mail address. I have 8 invites available.

Foolproof Chocolate Fudge Recipe

I have made this recipe many times and it has come out good every time. Very easy to follow instructions. At the end of the article, there is a video demo that show how this is done in a few easy steps.

Servings: Makes about 2 pounds

Serving Size: not available

Nutrition: not available

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 cups (18 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 (14-ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk)
• Dash salt
• 1/2 to 1 cup chopped nuts (optional, Walnuts or Pecans or cashews)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

• In heavy saucepan, over low heat, melt chocolate chips with EAGLE BRAND® and salt. Remove from heat; stir in nuts (optional) and vanilla.
• Spread evenly into wax paper-lined 8-or 9-inch square pan.
• Chill 2 hours or until firm.
• Turn fudge onto cutting board; peel off paper and cut into squares.
• Store covered in refrigerator.

To see the above instructions in a video click here. You can have the brownie with tea or coffee, makes an ideal combination.

You can also do this recipe in a microwave oven with variations, the instructions are as follows:

Microwave:

In 1-quart glass measure, combine chocolate chips with EAGLE BRAND® and salt. Cook on HIGH (100% power) 3 minutes or until chips melt, stirring after 1 1/2 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Proceed as above.

Other Fudge Variations:

Creamy Dark Chocolate Fudge:

• Melt 2 cups miniature marshmallows with chocolate chips and EAGLE BRAND®.
• Proceed as above.

Milk Chocolate Fudge:

• Omit 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips.
• Add 1 cup milk chocolate chips.
• Proceed as above.

Rocky Road Fudge:

• Omit 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, salt, nuts and vanilla.
• In saucepan, melt chocolate chips with EAGLE BRAND® and 2 tablespoons butter or margarine.
• In large bowl, combine 2 cups dry-roasted peanuts and 1 (10 1/2-ounce) package miniature marshmallows.
• Stir in chocolate mixture.
• Spread in wax paper-lined 13x9-inch pan. Proceed as above. (Makes about 2 3/4 pounds) here.

Other recipes:

• How To Create The Perfect Summer Hot Dog

• Sour Cream Muffins Recipe by Paula Deen

Are you Tired of Automated Phone Answering Service?

Any time you call a utility company or business, you are put in a waiting list and forced to answer automated voice system. In the end you have to talk to a customer service representative to resolve your issue. Instead of being connected to an automated voice message, try the below phone numbers and options to skip the automated voice message and reach the customer service representative directly.

Use this database that has 500 business names.

AAA 800‑222‑4357 Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.

Alamo 800‑462‑5266 Direct to human.

Allstate Motor Club 800‑869‑7997 Direct to human.

Auto Zone 800‑288‑6966 Press 1; at prompt press 2; at prompt press 0.

Avis 800‑230‑4898 Press 2.

BMW 800‑831‑1117 Say "customer relations" and then press 1 for "vehicle" or 2 for "motorcycle."

Budget Rent a Car 800‑527‑0700 Press 0.

Buick 800‑521‑7300 Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.

Cadillac 800‑333‑4223 Press 0

Chevrolet 800‑222‑1020 Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.

Chrysler Financial 800‑700‑0738 Say "agent" at each prompt, ignoring messages.

Chrysler Group 800‑992‑1997 Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.

Dodge 800‑992‑1997 Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.

Dollar Rent‑A‑Car 800‑800‑4000 Press 0.

Ford 800‑392‑3673 Press 0; at prompt press 0; at prompt press 0; at prompt press 1; at prompt press 0.

Ford Interest Advantage 800‑462‑2614 Press # at each prompt, ignoring messages.

Ford Motor Credit 800‑727‑7000 Press # at each prompt, ignoring messages.

GMC 800‑462‑8782 Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.

Harley‑Davidson 414‑343‑4056 Press 0.

Hertz 800‑654‑3131 Direct to human.

Honda 800‑999‑1009 Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.

Honda Financial Svcs. 800‑445‑1358 Press # at each prompt, ignoring messages.

Jeep 800‑992‑1997 Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.

Lincoln Mercury 800‑521‑4140 Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.

Mazda 800‑222‑5500 Press 0.

National Car Rental 800‑227‑7368 Direct to human.

Nissan Credit (NMAC) 800‑888‑2799 Press * at each prompt, ignoring messages.

Nissan USA 800‑647‑7261 Press #.

To get the complete list click here. Some companies have direct e-mail addresses also, you can reach them if you prefer e-mail responses.

Steve Jobs' Tips for a Great Presentation

Carmine Gallo is a Pleasanton, Calif. communications coach and author of the upcoming book, Fire Them Up! analyzed Steve Job's Presentations and gives five ways how one can enhance their presentation and give a great one to their audience.

Here are the five tips, Steve Jobs use mostly in his presentation and delivers a great sales pitch. In the videos he gave a great one for the new iPhone and you can see the result in huge sales of iPhone. In your next presentation, try to include these and give a good one.

1. Build Tension

A good novelist doesn't lay out the entire plot and conclusion on the first page of the book. He builds up to it. Jobs begins his presentation by reviewing the "revolutionary" products Apple has introduced. According to Jobs, "every once in a while a revolutionary product comes along that changes everything...Apple has been fortunate to introduce a few things into the world." Jobs continues by describing the 1984 launch of the Macintosh as an event that "changed the entire computer industry." The same goes for the introduction of the first iPod in 2001, a product that he says "changed the entire music industry."

After laying the groundwork, Jobs builds up to the new device by teasing the audience: "Today, we are introducing three revolutionary products. The first is a wide-screen iPod with touch controls. The second is a revolutionary new mobile phone. And the third is a breakthrough Internet communications device." Jobs continues to build tension. He repeats the three devices several times then says, "Are you getting it? These are not three separate devices. This is one device...today Apple is going to reinvent the phone!" The crowd goes wild.

Jobs conducts a presentation like a symphony, with ebbs and flows, buildups and climaxes. It leaves his listeners wildly excited. The takeaway? Build up to something unexpected in your presentations.

2. Stick to One Theme Per Slide

A brilliant designer once told me that effective presentation slides only have one message per slide. One slide, one key point. When Jobs introduced the "three revolutionary products" in the description above, he didn't show one slide with three devices. When he spoke about each feature (a widescreen iPod, a mobile phone, and an Internet communicator), a slide would appear with an image of each feature.

Jobs also makes the slides highly visual. At no place in his presentation does the audience see slides with bullet points or mind-numbing data. An image is all he needs. The simplicity of the slides keeps the audience's attention on the speaker, where it should be. Images are memorable, and more important, can complement the speaker. Too much text on a slide distracts from the speaker's words. Prepare slides that are visually stimulating and focused on one key point.

3. Add Pizzazz to Your Delivery

Jobs modulates his vocal delivery to build up the excitement. When he opens his presentation by describing the revolutionary products Apple created in the past, his volume is low and he speaks slowly, almost in a reverential tone. His volume continues to build until his line, "Today Apple is going to reinvent the phone." Be an electrifying speaker by varying the speed at which you speak and by raising and lowering your voice at the appropriate times.

4. Practice

Jobs makes presentations look effortless because he takes nothing for granted. Jobs is known to rehearse demonstrations for hours prior to launch events. I can name many high-profile chief executives who decide to wing it. It shows. It always amazes me that many business leaders spend tens of thousands of dollars on designing presentations, but next to no time actually rehearsing. I usually get the call after the speaker bombs. Don't lose your audience. Rehearse a presentation out loud until you've nailed it.

5. Be Honest and Show Enthusiasm

If you believe that your particular product or service will change the world, then say so. Have fun with the content. During the iPhone launch, Jobs uses many adjectives to describe the new product, including "remarkable," "revolutionary," and "cool." He jokes that the touch-screen features of the phone "work like magic...and boy have we patented it."

I think speakers are so afraid of over-hyping a product that they go to the opposite extreme and make their presentations boring. If you're passionate about a product, service, or company, let your listeners know. Give yourself permission to loosen up, have fun, and express your enthusiasm!

Now please don't say, "This sounds great, Carmine, but I'm not as charismatic as Steve Jobs." Well guess what-Jobs worked at it and is far more engaging today as a presenter than he was many years ago. We all have room to grow and to improve the way we pitch ourselves and our products. Good luck!

How to Chill a Hot Beer or Soda in 3 Minutes

This procedure was used to chill a six pack beer. You can also chill hot sodas with this method.

• Place the 6 pack of beer in a large steel pot.
• Fill the pot with ice cubes to completely cover the beer in the pot.
• Fill the pot with water (cold or normal water)
• Add 2 cups of table salt in the container.
• Take a large wooden spoon and stir the contents in the pot until the salt dissolves completely.
• Place the pot in the freezer for 3 minutes, you will get chilled beer.

Ref: Dumblittleman.com

Who is Hosting This Website?

Who Is Hosting This?, is a tool that enables you to find out who is hosting any web site. If you want to know who is hosting sites like hubpages.com (as shown in the picture above), amazon.com, digg.com etc., you can try this link and see who is hosting their sites.

Simply type in any domain name and you'll get a link to the company that's hosting this particular domain. It's that simple!

What is the purpose of this tool? Aren't there enough domain/hosting related tools out there already?

Actually, amongst the many web hosting/domain related tools we've encountered, we haven't found one that gives you a clear answer to the simple question: Who is Hosting This Site? We've found that the best way to find good web hosting is to check out what your favorite web sites are using. This tool makes it very easy to do.

Are these results accurate?

To our knowledge, there is no way to always return 100% results for requests such as this. However, we are using several methods to find out who is hosting a domain, and our results are accurate over 98% of the time.

You can check out the FAQ for more info. It is an interesting tool you can use it as a reference.

Ref: Digital Inspiration.

Are You Tired of Getting Out of Bed for Work or School?

When you wake up, you feel grumpy or feel too tired or lazy for an hour or two. I used to think if you like something or if you love your job you should feel fine getting up without any problems. But I found lately even when you love your job a full 100 percent; there is still a problem to get fully adjusted in the morning.

So, to fell invigorated no matter whether you like the job or not or you like to go to school or not, try this simple exercises. This is from an e-book I am working on for my clients, so I can't reveal a whole lot of details (will reveal more in the future) but still you will find this exercise useful.

When: Early mornings on an empty stomach and before you go to bed.

How:

* Sit up
* Bring your legs close to your chest
* Place the hands under the thighs for support
* Come down slowly continuing to hold the hands under the legs
* Make sure the head doesn't hit the floor
* By pressing the legs, come up again

* Repeat the above for five times

* Now do the movement sideways like a Tanjore Doll

Benefits: Good massage for the back



And after you finish this do the below exercise also for a few minutes, will let the blood flow from your legs to the brain make it more active than before. Will help both your sleep in the night and be active during the day.

After you do either the first or both the exercises, you will feel rejuvenated and won't feel the same grumpiness you used to feel before, I guarantee it. I do this everyday for the past few days, I feel great every morning and raring to go :). Give it a try.

Everyday Uses For Lemon Juice

We have seen many uses of Vinegar, WD-40, not only they are used for their intended uses in cooking and automotive respectively but they are also used widely in homes and do a variety of jobs effectively. Now there is another one which you can use in homes also, they are lemon juice.

Here are some effective uses for lemon juice.

· Remove ink spots from clothing.
While ink is wet, apply lemon juice liberally to the spot, and then wash the garment in normal cycle with regular detergent in cold water.

· Get rid of dandruff.
Apply one tablespoon of lemon juice to your hair. Shampoo, then rinse with water. Rinse again with a mixture of two tablespoons lemon juice and two cups water. Repeat every other day until dandruff disappears.

· Write with invisible ink.
Use a Q-tip as a pen to write in lemon juice on a piece of white paper. Once it dries, hold the paper near a hot light bulb. The writing will turn brown.

· Eliminate blackheads.
Rub lemon juice over blackheads before going to bed. Wait until morning to wash off the juice with cool water. Repeat for several nights until you see a big improvement in the skin.

· Create blonde highlights.
Rinse your hair with one-quarter cup of lemon juice with three-quarter cup water.

· Deodorize a cutting board.
Wash with lemon juice to rid a cutting board of the smell of garlic, onions, or fish.

· Remove fruit or berry stains from your hands.
Rinse hands with lemon juice.

· Remove rust and mineral discolorations on cotton t-shirts and briefs.
Use one cup of lemon juice in the washer.

· Clean a microwave oven.
Add four tablespoons of lemon juice to one cup water in a microwave-safe, four-cup bowl. Boil for five minutes in the microwave, allowing the steam to condense on the inside walls of the oven. Then wipe clean.

· Whiten, brighten, and strengthen fingernails.
Soak fingernails in lemon juice for ten minutes, then brush with a mixture of equal parts white vinegar and warm water. Rinse well.

· Stop bleeding and disinfect minor wounds.
Pour lemon juice on a cut or apply with a cotton ball.

· Relieve poison ivy.
Applying lemon juice over the affected areas should soothe itching and alleviate the rash.

· Clear up facial blemishes.
Dab lemon juice on the blemish a few times a day.

· Eliminate odors in your humidifier.
Pour three or four teaspoons of lemon juice into the water.

· Relieve rough hands or sore feet.
Apply lemon juice, rinse, then massage with olive oil.

· Clean brass, copper, and stainless steel kitchen sinks.
Make a paste from lemon juice and salt, scrub gently, then rinse with water.

· Relieve a cough.
Mix four tablespoons of lemon juice, one cup honey, and one-half cup of olive oil. Heat five minutes, then stir vigorously for two minutes. Take one teaspoon every two hours.

· Train a dog to stop barking.
Squirt some lemon juice in the dog's mouth and say "Quiet."

· Relieve constipation.
Before breakfast, drink four tablespoons of lemon juice in one cup warm water. Sweeten with honey.

The last one I use every morning before breakfast, one fresh lemon squeezed juice with a teaspoon of olive oil, it does a remarkable job in cleaning the body. You can withstand the day without any problems, it seems like you are lubricating your stomach organs and pipes. You won’t feel any stomach aches throughout the day.

Ref: ChefNoah

Guide for Migrating to Google Apps

Scott Hanselman has a "definitive guide" that will help you migrate from your existing mail solutions to Google Apps (Premier Edition). He moved his entire family (wife, parents, brothers, cousins, in-laws) to Google Apps, and there wasn't a single solution for everyone. Scott had to buy a software to migrate Microsoft Outlook calendars, email and contacts, and create AIM Mail accounts to move local archives to AIM's IMAP folders that can be imported using Gmail's migration tools (a feature of the Premier Edition of Google Apps).

The guide also offers a hack that lets you transfer your email from one Gmail account to another Gmail account (it should work for normal Gmail accounts too):

The solution is two-fold. First, in the original Gmail account, make sure you've enabled POP Email in Settings|Forwarding and POP and selected Enable POP for ALL MAIL.

Then, logout, and login to your destination account in Google for Apps and from Add an Email Account, enter in the Gmail username and the POP Server as 66.249.93.109. Also, note the non-standard port 995. Don't select "Leave a copy" because Gmail won't let you anyway. However, don't worry, your emails won't be deleted in the source.

The conclusion is that Google still doesn't offer enough tools to make the migration painless and without buying/using third-party solutions.

How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies?

Annalene asked me to write this article. There are a number of methods to get rid of fruit flies, and all of them are easy and simple to do with no chemicals necessary. I don’t have flies problems as much, but will sure come in handy when we go to a summer home.

First we need to know why Fruit Flies and other flies visit homes and cause nuisance. We have to get rid of those situations. Here are some tips how to avoid Fruit Flies:

Once a fruit fly finds its way into your home, it'll find a medium (fermenting fruit) and lay up to 500 eggs which will take about a week to become foraging, breeding adults. Fruit fly infestations seem to happen overnight, here are some tips to prevent it from happening:

Fruit flies get in through windows. Make sure you check all of your windows for cracks in the sealing or tears in your screens. Also, make sure your screen's frames are flush against their fittings.

Fruit flies love dumpsters. If you live next to a dumpster, it would be wise to make sure any entrances or windows facing that area are sealed. Also, get your landlord to make sure the dumpster's lid closes correctly.

Fruit flies feed on garbage. Make sure you don't leave garbage in your garbage can too long. Take your garbage out regularly to ensure that you don't give young fruit flies the chance to mature in your home.

Fruit flies love dirty kitchens. Like the common house fly, fruit flies are attracted to sugars and sweet foods. Make sure any messes from meals cooked in the kitchen are cleaned quickly. Use a water + bleach solution to wipe down counters.

Fruit flies will find your pantry. If you have a pantry where you keep fruits and vegetables that can't be refrigerated, make sure you don't leave produce in there too long. Fruit flies are bound to find it and reproduce quickly.

Fruit flies likes moisture. Make sure you keep places clean where food and water are bound to mix. Flush bleach down drains and sinks regularly to make sure flies don't breed in them.

Even after doing the above steps, some may just creep in; here are some natural methods to get rid of the fruit flies and other flies:

With Vinegar:

Fruit flies are tiny little flies that are attracted by the fermentation of over ripe, fruits and vegetables, vinegar, fruit juices and yeasts that you might have sitting on your counter in the kitchen or pantry.

If you wish to make a trap to eliminate these little blighters, simply fill a jar with one of their favorite foods, vinegar.

Insert a paper or metal funnel into the mouth of the baited jar. The flies will fly in through the funnel but will not be able to fly out which will help clear out your kitchen of these little pests.

Ref: Vinegarbook.co.uk

With a Banana:

1. Get a small jar you don't plan on using again (like a baby food jar or something similar) and wash it out well. Make sure it is not a jar with a funky smell such as a used pickle jar or anything that use to have strong spices. You want a clean, odorless jar.

2. Take a chunk of banana and place inside the jar. This is why you want a clean, odorless jar - so that the banana smell won't be overpowered by other not-so-tempting smells. Banana seems to work the best, but you can experiment.

3. Fit a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the jar, making sure that it fits tight and well sealed around the edges. Then take a pen or pencil and poke 4 to 5 holes in the plastic, just big enough for a fruit fly to fit into. Once a fruit fly crawls in, it can't get out. You would think they would just fly back out through the holes, but they won't!

4. Place the jar in an area where you have seen the most fruit flies. Depending on the amount of fruit flies you have, you can expect to start seeing the jar fill up within just a few hours. After 24 hours, you will discover just how bad your fruit fly problem is!

Ref: Ezinearticles.

With Cedar Wood

Cedar Wood is a natural, fresh smelling bug repellant. Sounds strange, doesn’t it. Like an Old Wives’ Tale? How about an Old Mother’s tale… My mother brought home little cedar blocks of wood and said that having them around the house would help get rid of flies. My whole family thought it was time to start looking for a home for her.

But it seems to work. Looking around the internet, you’ll see products like Cedar Moth repellant balls and Cedar Fly Repellant blocks. Apparently Cedar has a natural bug repellant in it, which can either kill flies and bugs, or just simply keep them away. And, they can be quite a decoration as well. We tend to put them on a table while eating.

Cedar-Wood-Fly-Repellant-2.jpgPeople have used them in their cupboards for a long time apparently, using them to keep the moths out, and leaving the cupboard smelling forest fresh…

Ref: Homedeco.za

With Bug zappers

Fruit flies like light about as much as moths and houseflies so a portable, inexpensive bug zapper may be the way to go. Try to turn off all of the other lights in the area to eliminate competition from other light sources.

With Fly paper

Fly paper is one of the oldest and ugliest insect traps around. It works poorly for catching fruit flies, too. Stick with the other methods unless you just happen to have some laying around. When deploying fly paper for fruit flies, hanging it near a bright light will increase its effectiveness.

Ref: Howtogetridofstuff.com

15 Household Uses For WD-40

Are you looking for a cheaper cleaning alternative? WD-40 is the answer!

WD-40 is the trademark of a widely used penetrating oil (cleaner, lubricant and anti-corrosive solution) spray. It was developed in 1953 by Norm Larsen (then working for the Rocket Chemical Company) to eliminate water and prevent corrosion on electrical circuitry. It also has many household uses.

Typically WD-40 is used in homes to stop squeaks in door hinges, loosening rusting metals such as nuts and screws, cleaning objects affected by grease. And mostly they are used in automotive repair to clean the various components of autos.

WD-40 however is not limited just to autos and mechanical repairs, it can be used widely in home to do a variety of jobs and they are given below:

1. WD-40 can remove ink from a pair of blue jeans instantly; just a little spray should do the trick.
2. Another amazing WD-40 trick is that it can protect your precious silver jewelry from blackening.
3. If you ever have gum on wallpaper, spray WD-40 on it, and it will get it clean in no time.
4. Have you ever had a coffee stain on your favorite cup? Well you can get rid of it with WD-40.
5. Do you have children who love glue, but get in on furniture? A little WD-40 will get it out in no time.
6. You a big golf fan? WD-40 will make your golf club shiny like new.
7. Love to fish? WD-40 polishes fishing lures.
8. Have bugs been making your windshield dirty? WD-40 will remove all dead bugs on your windshield.
9. WD-40 can remove tape from a hockey stick.
10. Love to play pool, but have dirty pool cue sticks? WD-40 will clean them easily.
11. Do you have a canoe that goes slow? Maybe its from the algae build up on the bottom. WD-40 will clean it off right away.
12. You a tap dancer? WD-40 will keep tap shoes running smoothly.
13. Love to hunt? WD-40 will clean and lubricate any firearm.
14. Love to cheat in games? Spray WD-40 on Twister mats for more fun.
15. Have a nasty piece of gum on your favorite shoes? WD-40 will clean it right off.

Ref: Gomestic.com.

Amazing Pictures of British Castles

Britain is strewn with plenty of ruins of castles, rubble from the centuries of her existence. Castles are tangible relics of a remarkable past history, a lengthy heritage etched in stone, as well as with the blood and sweat of those who built, labored, fought, and died in their shadow. Ruins stir up in us a profound awareness of those past lives. Castles have a timelessness that is awe-inspiring. That they have endured centuries of warfare and the effects of weather is a testimony to the creativity and power of their medieval owners.

There are number of dedicated sites with Castles pictures, here are some great pictures.

Here are some great pictures of British Castles.

For more castle pictures click here.