You’ve got spelling and grammar checkers on your laptop computer, so you’re all set to crank out the perfect sales letter while you’re on the road.

But Chandra Clarke and Terence Johnson of the online editing service Scribendi.com would urge you to not hit the “print” button just yet. Those spelling and grammar checkers can make mistakes, and even one typo could not only ruin the impact of your letter but reflect poorly on you and your company.

Written marketing materials are often the first impression prospective customers have of a company. And prospects can be very unforgiving of those little typos.

In the article “Ethos and Error: How Business People React to Errors,” University of South Alabama English professor Larry Beason found that mistakes in written materials create confusion regarding meaning and harm the image of the writer and the writer’s company. The typos often reflect on more than the writer’s communication skills, Beason said. The people he interviewed called sloppy writers “hasty,” “uninformed,” “careless” and “uncaring.”

“If you don’t care about your work,” wrote one of the respondents, “why should I care about you and your business?”

But carefully proofreading your work may not be enough – studies show that people often miss their own typos. According to the studies, you see what you expect to see in your own writing, rather than what’s actually there. Another person, or an editing service like Scribendi, can provide a fresh set of eyes.

Scribendi offers a variety of services, including proofreading, editing and translation. Clients upload their files to Scribendi’s Web site and download their documents after the editors are done correcting and polishing.

The editors come from a variety of backgrounds, so they’re familiar with their clients’ fields. In addition to correcting grammar, spelling, flow and consistency, they explain word usage issues and standard writing practices, so clients learn how to improve their own writing.

When it comes to making a great first impression, Clarke and Johnson believe no project is too small. The image you create with a short press release, they say, is as important as a deal-closing presentation.

Detox, short for detoxification, in general is the removal of toxic substances from the body. It is one of the functions of the liver and kidneys, but can also be achieved artificially by techniques such as dialysis and chelation therapy.

Diets are very important and are usually the basis for any detox program, whether it is herbs, cleansing or other detox programs. Detox diets will generally eliminate trigger foods, which may cause many problems with digestion and elimination. Foods like wheat and dairy are often the cause of allergies. Sugar is eliminated because of its empty calories and tendency to produce hypoglycemia. Meats are eliminated because they may contain hormones, antibiotics and are difficult to digest. Caffeine is wise to avoid, since it has many ill effects on the body’s digestion. Refined, processed and junk foods are also out for any detox program to work.

Refined white sugar

A lot has been written about the detrimental effects of refined white sugar on the body. It is really very bad for you. Inform yourself because a lot of products contain a lot of refined white sugar. Cola for instance, but also ketchup contains a lot. Try to cut down on it by using brown sugars, like cane sugar.

Sugar has a stimulating effect. If you consume a product full of sugar you get a kick out of it, that’s why products that contain a lot of sugar are so attractive.

One form of the detoxification diet is one made up exclusively of fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, either raw or cooked, and whole grains, both cooked and sprouted; however, no breads or baked goods, animal foods and dairy products or alcohol are used. This diet keeps fiber and water intake up and helps colon detoxification. Most people can handle this well and make the shift from their regular diet with a few days transition.

The lymphatic system is used to bring nourishment to cells and to remove wastes. The lymph nodes, located in the lymph vessels, break down toxins. The breakdown of toxins is especially important during infections and other acute illnesses. Deep breathing and movement help keep the lymph moving through the lymph vessels.

At a time when obesity is growing at an alarming rate, an increasing number of people are turning to gastric bypass surgery to solve their weight problem. But just how successful is gastric bypass surgery in terms of weight loss and can it really make a dramatic change to your life?

Gastric bypass has been around for more than fifty years now and, while there are of course risks as there are with any surgical procedure, in the vast majority of cases patients are more than satisfied with the results and enjoy a dramatically improved standard of living. But there is a price to pay.

Following a gastric bypass patients will need to adjust to a very different lifestyle and this can be hard unless adequate preparation is made in advance of surgery to ease patients gently into a post-operative regime.

Some changes are of course obvious. The basic principle behind gastric bypass surgery is to drastically reduce the size of the stomach and physically restrict the amount of food that the patient can eat and so patients clearly understand that the days of sitting down to a big meal are over. But other consequences of surgery are less obvious.

Even in small quantities the days of eating foods that are high in sugar or fat are also over. The consequences of eating such foods can be extremely unpleasant as the rapid absorption of these foods in the now shortened digestive tract can lead to very unpleasant feelings of faintness.

Patients also find that the dramatic change in their eating pattern also leaves them very short of water and they must adjust to constantly drinking small amounts of water throughout the day to avoid dehydration.

This fairly dramatic change in lifestyle is all well and good but just what can gastric bypass achieve in terms of weight loss?

There is of course no simple answer to this question as results will vary from person to person. As a guide however we need to start by understanding just how post-operative weight loss is measured.

The starting point is to assess just how much excess weight the patient is carrying. This is done by working out the patient’s ideal weight. Measured in pounds, for a man this will be 106 plus 6 times his height in inches less 60. If that sounds complicated then here’s an example. For a man 5ft 10ins tall his height in inches is 70. Deduct 60 from this and multiply the result of 10 by 6 to give you 60. Finally, add 106 and 60 together and the ideal weight for a man of 5ft 10ins is 166 pounds.

For a woman the principle is the same but this time a women’s ideal weight is 100 plus 5 times her height in inches less 60.

Taking the example of our man above, if before surgery he weighs 366 pounds then his excess weight is 200 pounds. Weight loss is then measured in terms of the percentage of excess weight lost over time. So, if after 6 months he has lost 100 pounds then his weight loss will be 50 percent. In other words, at that point he will have lost 50 percent of his excess weight.

As a general guide the average patient can expect to lose about 50 percent of their excess weight within 6 months of surgery rising to 70 percent one year after surgery and to 80 percent after 2 years. For the majority of patients weight loss will not continue beyond 2 years and indeed some long-term weight gain will appear after 2 years, typically about 10 to 15 percent of the patient’s excess weight.

Again, as a general rule, patients who are excessively overweight will lose a greater percentage of the excess weight (perhaps as much as 90 or 95 percent) while people who are less overweight may lose at little as 60 percent within 2 years of surgery.

It is interesting to note that patients very rarely lose 100 percent of their excess weight and thus do not achieve their ideal weight as a result of surgery. For this reason, it is sometimes said that gastric bypass cannot be said to be a complete success. The overwhelming majority of patients would not however agree with this statement.

While they may not reach their ideal weight and may have to condition themselves to a very different lifestyle following surgery, for most patients the results achieved and the improvement in their quality of life is simply unimaginable.

It can be nerve-wracking and worrisome when a friend or family member is sick, injured, or undergoing surgery or a medical procedure. For adults, elective surgeries are accompanied by many of the same risks as emergency surgeries. When the patient is a child, he or she can easily be frightened by unfamiliar surroundings and the team of medical professionals. Often, an ill or recuperating adult will appreciate the ways in which a funny get well card can lift his or her spirits, while a child can be comforted by a thoughtful gift or card.

Photographers as well as painters have realized the revenue potential of printing on the variety of papers available for giclee. Giclee is the use of high quality inket machines to produce prints that will stand quality and time requirements.

Depending on the number of expected output as well as financial, technical and time resources, a decision to buy a machine or outsource needs to be considered. The positive aspect of going in house is obvious: you can print whenever you wish. Also, aside from the time spent, the cost of producing a giclee is limited to the materials and a service contract after the warranty expires.

On the other hand, there are drawbacks: the obvious investment of purchasing the hardware such as a digital camera, scanner, computer, printer etc. To produce large format giclees, this can translate into tens of thousands of dollars. What is more important is the learning curve, which is steep: I have been a professional printmaker for 15 years and I am still learning. Finally, giclee production is time consuming both with file preparation as well as the printing itself.. Do not believe the hype of salespeople and manufacturers who tell you that color matching software and profiling have made color work easy. It is not easy: exact color corrections require skill such as expert use of color layers and Photoshop masking techniques. If you are striving for precise color matching, expect to invest years learning how to. Of course someone can be hired in house. Skilled color technicians come at a price and are not easy to find. Another consideration is how often the machine will be run.

These printers do not like to site unused for days. The nozzles will clog and it will cost money in inks to flush them.
An extreme example is the Iris, which will clog severely even overnight and the nozzles will need to be manually flushed with water.
If you are an artist or photographer with a lot of spare time, willing to invest money and long hours you may be a candidate. I believe that if I was a painter I would rather paint than play around with a mountain of digital equipment. Our clients are all busy professionals who wisely chose to invest their time creating art and going out to market and promote their work.

If you decide to outsource, there are basically two avenues. You can go with a full service giclee printing company that will scan, color correct and proof your work. It is the most expensive road to take.because you will pay not only for the printing but the time involved in the color correction and proofing. Set up fees and extras are common place with this option.

If you have ready to print files because you are soft proofing and have good color management skills, express services that cater to skilled customers, will produce prints with the same equipment and materials available from the full service companies.

Many websites offer a lot of information about the giclee printing process. Take the time to explore them and decide which avenue to take.

At the age of 32 Sigmund Freud developed a new problem. Pricking and other unpleasant sensations had overtaken the skin on the outer side of his right thigh. Walking made his symptoms worse. The affected skin was exquisitely sensitive to touch and even the usual rubbing of his underclothes irritated the area.

Seven years later in 1895, when Freud wrote up his self-observations for a German medical journal, the abnormal sensations were still present, but had migrated. At first, the area of disturbance had been more noticeable near the top of the thigh, but gradually the abnormal sensations moved downward to a palm-sized area a hands breadth above the side of his knee.

When Freud squeezed a fold of skin in this area, it hurt more than it did in his left thigh. Although he could feel a pinprick as such, it also burned. Even so, individual spots within the zone of abnormal skin were insensitive to ordinarily painful maneuvers. He also noticed that temperature sense was impaired. Warm objects placed against the affected skin felt cooler than in unaffected areas. And although the original pricking sensations improved over time, his outer thigh had become generally less sensitive to usual stimulations.

Freuds physician, Josef Breuer, found that the affected skin was in the territory of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve, a nerve that concerns itself with sensation only and has no muscular connections. Dr. Breuer concluded that Freuds symptoms were caused by damage to this nerve. Dr. Breuer also suspected that the nerve might be particularly vulnerable to injury in the groin near the front of the hip where it passes between strands of a ligament. As a result, he thought that wearing tight clothing might aggravate the condition.

Our understanding of this disorder has changed little in the 110 years since Freud wrote his report for Berlins Neurologisches Centralblatt, or in the 20 years since Francis Schiller, M.D., translated it into English for the American journal Neurology.

To set the record straight, Freud and Breuer were not the first to recognize this condition. Max Bernhardt of Germany first wrote about it in 1878 and in 1895 Vladimir Roth of Moscow named the condition meralgia paresthetica, a term still in use. This name is the sum of its three parts. Meros is Greek for thigh, algos is Greek for pain and paresthetica means unprovoked sensations. This entrapment neuropathy (pinched nerve condition) was one of the first to be recognized as such.

The lateral femoral cutaneous nerve is formed in the lower back from branches of the second and third lumbar spinal nerves which combine to form a single nerve (on each side) soon after emerging from the spinal column. The nerve passes through the interior of the pelvis and exits the pelvis near the outer border of the inguinal (groin) ligament before making a downward turn to run beneath the skin of the outer thigh.

The course of the nerve can vary from person to person and even from side to side in the same person. In about 25% of people the nerve splits into branches before reaching the inguinal ligament, and there can be up to 5 branches. This variability might make some people more vulnerable to nerve-injury than others.

Pressure within the pelvis, as from pregnancy, obesity and (rarely) tumors, can injure the portion of the nerve within the pelvis. And as Freud’s physician surmised, the nerve is particularly vulnerable to injury from external pressure at the inguinal ligament, as from corsets, wide belts and tight pants. However, a cause for meralgia paresthetica is not always found, as was apparently the case when Freud had it.

The nerve can also be injured during a wide variety of surgical procedures, including orthopedic, vascular, gynecological, abdominal, hernia and even stomach-stapling operations. In a recent series of spinal surgery cases in Taiwan, 60 out of 252 patients experienced meralgia paresthetica as a complication of the surgery. Fortunately, in all cases it resolved within two months.

Diagnosis of this condition is usually made from the history and the physical examination, with the key features being numbness and unpleasant sensations on the side of the thigh. Other conditions can mimic meralgia paresthetica, for example, a pinched spinal nerve in the lower back, or impairment in the nearby femoral nerve that also emerges from the pelvis at the inguinal ligament. Tests of muscle and nerve electricity–electromyography and nerve conduction studies–can help resolve ambiguous cases.

Treatment of meralgia paresthetica has not been studied by the gold-standard method of randomized, controlled trials involving a comparison group of untreated patients. So in choosing appropriate treatment all we have to go on are collections of cases published in medical journals. Because many cases turn out well without drastic treatments, conservative approaches are tried first. Weight loss, removal of tight garments, completion of pregnancy and simple watchful waiting can all be effective.

While awaiting a favorable outcome, symptoms can be managed with skin-patches containing a local anesthetic drug, anti-inflammatory medications, certain epilepsy and antidepressant drugs known to relieve nerve-pain, and local injections with steroids. Surgery to relieve the pinch is usually reserved as a last resort.

(C) 2005 by Gary Cordingley

Psychic is a term used in the field of parapsychology which refer to the ability to perceive the things that is hidden to ordinary senses through means of extra-sensory perception, or though the use of other techniques such as cold reading,prestidigitation and a lot more. While the term astrology is define as the study of the relationships between people and events on earth, and the cycles, movement of the planets and how they influence the live of peoples. This parapsychology and astronomical matters affects our daily lives in the way it influence the beliefs of many from generation until now. It also depicts the life of a person, events and other phenomena that makes many peoples lives much more interesting and comfortable through the years. Psychic and astrology are all part of people’s lives, this are the aspects of life that affects once decision through love or career, it depicts and steadily point to the part of every peoples journey.

Copyright 2006 Geoff Gannon

Microsoft is a difficult situation for me to evaluate. I think the company still has a lot of growth ahead in some areas. But, that depends on where.management wants to take it.

There are three core businesses that are already well developed: Windows, Office, and Servers.

The moat in the first two are wide. The Windows moat is huge.

The business model in operating systems is great. You keep upgrading every few years; the hardware needn’t progress for you to find things to tweak and get people to buy the next step up. It’s insanely profitable.

I think the new launch (Vista) will be bigger than people expect (eventually) in how it allows for cross selling other Microsoft products (but we’ll see about that). I expect the press to be very negative at least until well after the launch, because there will always be some bugs and delays.

Eventually, video games will be a big business for Microsoft. I hate the economics of the console business, but love the economics of the publishing (and development) side of things.

I’m sorry to see that Microsoft didn’t use its cash pile to buy up an established business here (publishers were cheap in the market a few years ago; an all cash deal would have worked well. Now, everyone thinks video games will be the next big thing).

The console wars are going well for Microsoft. The two keys to establishing a dominant console are launching first and getting good games on your platform. We’ll see how Sony (SNE) does this round, but I expect them to be the big loser.

Nintendo may surprise here. I think the Xbox 360 and Nintendo’s new console (Wii) will do very well. It’ll be interesting to see the breakdown of the consoles in both the domestic and foreign markets. I think Sony may still be strong overseas, but could be in a much poorer position at the end of this round than they were with the PS2.

Search

Long-term I am optimistic about search. I think Google’s position is much weaker than most people think. I don’t think Microsoft will be the only one to benefit here.

Search is a very natural cross sell with Windows. That’s the direction everything seems to be headed in (combining online and desktop search). For future growth in terms of market share I think Microsoft is in a better position than either Yahoo (YHOO) or Google (GOOG).

I also think we might see a couple other (largely unknown) search engines gain some share.

I think Google’s strength is its brand. Its dominance helps with advertisers more than users. I don’t think it has a lock on users. Also, I think Google has been poorly positioned for doing much of anything outside of keyword search.

I expect to see a lot more in the way of intelligent, social search inspired stuff. Years from now, much of search will have to be helping you find what you didn’t know you wanted to find.

Google is dominant in a different business: helping you find what you know you want to find (but don’t know the name / location). The two types of search are very different. Both will be important, but the growth in other forms of search will be coming off a smaller base and will likely integrate with keyword search. Google has the most to lose here.

Other Devices

Microsoft wants to perform well on mobile devices and on your TV. Compared to competitors it is very strong in these respects.

The strategy seems to be the one I would favor – to control the point of initial contact wherever software is used and then to only venture into the actual application or content side of the business where it is highly profitable to do so. In video games it will be highly profitable. In other areas it is less likely to be very profitable.

I expect to see more generic, web-based applications. These will be less profitable for everyone. Office should hold up well, but not as well as Windows. Basically, Microsoft needs to take what it has in PCs and import that to TVs, Handheld Devices, Consoles, and the Web.

That should be the strategy. I think that is the strategy. These aren’t unrelated businesses that need to be broken up to unlock creativity (as some have suggested). Rather, the profit potential for each is greatly enhanced by being part of Microsoft. If you take these pieces apart they are worth very little. There would only be the three businesses I started off talking about and the console / games business.

Internationally, there is going to be natural growth for Microsoft’s dominant businesses. It won’t be a tremendous growth rate, but it will be strong and will require virtually no additional investment to secure.

Obsolescence Issues

Overall, I like the future for software a lot more than hardware, because the marginal gains in the quality of hardware will slow greatly in the years ahead.

The question isn’t what can be done mathematically in terms of increasing specs; it’s what that translates to for the user. We are reaching a point where the individual user will not directly see the benefits of increased hardware performance as clearly as he did in the past.

Much of the research that goes in to this area will only serve to bring down prices and benefit memory intensive businesses – it will not provide as much of a “wow” factor for the user anymore.

This is especially true in games. The situation in desktop applications is already such that improving the software design is where most gains will come from.

Computing power is simply not a scarce resource for most individuals sitting at home or in a cubicle. Advances will benefit some users a lot and will trickle down to the end user (often via the web) through fast responses and cheap services. But, that’s a barely noticeable change.

You’ll see something here akin to the kind of thing you see in the brokerage business. It won’t be obvious, because price competition will never be as great in software.

Generally, you’ll just see the prices for doing anything electronically come down. That’s very different from what we’ve seen over the last few decades, where you also had advancements that attracted new users, because they allowed developers to do something differently, not just more cheaply.

This is a very long-term trend I’m worried about. It could weigh heavily on a business like Dell (DELL), because PCs are actually quite durable; once the rate of obsolescence slows, sales will have to slow as the cycle lengthens.

Management

I think Microsoft’s management is absolutely the best in the business. In fact, I think it’s one of the best in any business.

It would be hard for me to find more than a handful of people I’d rather have managing a business I was part owner of. I also think the current arrangement is a good one.

There is enough of a line between current operations and future investments in the Chairman / CEO split that investors will probably get the greatest benefit from the brilliance of the Chairman this way.

Everyone underestimates Bill Gates. It’s easy, because his great triumph came some time ago now. But, he’s interested in building something lasting. I trust him more than anyone in tech without a question. He always impresses me whether he’s talking about his own industry or some other topic. He has exactly the right kind of mind for someone running a business where the long-run is such a concern.

Qualitatively, I think Microsoft scores close to perfectly. I could cite the profitability stats, but I won’t, because you know they’re better than almost any other business on the planet and that’s with a huge siphoning off of resources to investments in the future that aren’t required to maintain the cash cow, wide-moat Windows franchise.

Valuation

Valuation is a bit more troubling. Microsoft is not at the point on an EV/EBIT basis where I’d be buying the stock if there was a risk of no extraordinarily profitable growth in the future. In other words, at the current price, it clearly makes for a bad bond.

The key is earnings growth. I think you have to believe MSFT will have a real future in search, games, and non-PC devices that will fuel future, highly profitable growth.

I think that future is there. As far as a truly large cap stock (say $10 billion or more) it’s about as attractive as anything on the planet right now – and certainly it’s the most attractive stock of any very large U.S. business. Even though Intel (INTC) and Dell are cheap looking, I don’t like them nearly as much. Dell is an interesting situation, but I don’t understand the business well enough.

I have a better idea of where MSFT is headed and I like it.

Conclusion

I don’t own shares of MSFT. I won’t be buying any either. I don’t normally own such large stocks. I prefer much smaller businesses, because the mispricings tend to get more out of whack. You aren’t going to see MSFT trade at an EV/EBIT of 7.5 or something like that, but you do sometimes get those chances in small (high quality) businesses.

There are a lot of chances to find wild mispricings without much of the future being a concern. Those are the situations I prefer to invest in, because businesses like MSFT have an awfully large anchor with the amount of capital they’ve got plus, they tend to be less likely to be wildly mispriced.

However, if I had to own one business with a market cap of more than $10 billion and hold it for a lifetime I would buy Microsoft here without hesitation.

Every now and again a story comes along that really burns your backside and recently in the news there’s been talk about the National Organization for Women making a huge deal about some words coach Paterno of Penn State said during a press conference concerning a Florida State football player and the situation the player finds himself in concerning allegations a woman has made against him.

The FSU player Nicholson who is a very good player was held out of the bowl game between PSU and FSU over allegations that he was involved in some sort of situation with a woman.

Paterno was asked about it during a press conference and Paterno who is always a gentleman of good nature and sense basically said it’s tough out there in the world and you have to be careful and kids have to be smart and know who they’re getting involved with and so on and so forth.

The coach was not accusing Nicholson and he was not accusing this woman of anything in my mind he was merely stating the situation of the world today and the need to be careful in it.

The womans organization took a hissy fit and asked for the coach to be removed after all these wonderful years of service and after all these years of looking after kids and making sure they graduated and got good grades because I suppose they think he wasn’t sympathetic enough to this woman who is making the accusations against this player.

My feeling on this is when did we on this planet become guilty until proven innocent? In this country we are supposed to be innocent until proven guilty. I am wondering really why Nicholson of FSU was not allowed to play and what was the basis for not allowing him to play? Anyone can make an accusation against someone of anything but until there is proof of a crime an allegation is just an allegation.

Let’s say it turns out Nicholson is indeed innocent then can he sue this woman and turn back time to play in the biggest college game of his life? He’ll get nothing and still miss the biggest college game of his career because someone alledged something which in my mind is not fair in the least.

Don’t get me wrong if indeed evidence comes forward to find Nicholson did do something then I feel for this girl and her family but let’s remember that it’s innocent until proven guilty folks and lets not bring out the firing squad when good coaches and good men give an opinion.

Let’s see the evidence and have it bring out the facts first before we make our decisions on Nicholson and we certainly should not involve a great coach and a great man in this nonsense for making a comment.

I’m disappointed that a national organization would be so quick to jump on an innocent man and a good coach and role model over his comments that to me seemed fine. The National Organization for Women or NOW as they are known should be ashamed really and should get facts on cases and get evidence before they send out the axe man.

Although the electric guitar has originated in blues music, it is rock that gave its popularity. With rock music, the electric guitar became a massively expressive instrument. All guitar lessons have to touch on rock as well, but if you want to learn to play rock guitar, there are special modules you can take up. These modules focus almost exclusively on rock music.

The things you will be taught when you learn to play rock guitar can be roughly spread into three modules: first lessons, where you will learn the basics about playing the guitar, electric guitar improver and power chords.

First Lessons

These lessons are mostly for beginners. If you have some knowledge about playing the guitar, you may skip some of these. This is up to your teacher to decide.

However, if you’re holding a guitar for the first time, this is where your teacher will usually start. You will be taught the fundamentals about playing a guitar in general and playing rock guitar in particular. You will learn the basics about rock lead guitar and power chords. After these first lessons, you will have some idea on how to play classic rock guitar. If you get these right, you are on your way to actually playing rock guitar.

Electric Guitar Improver

In the next lessons, you will probably be taught various rock techniques, such as sliding, string-bending, pull-offs, vibrato and hammer-ons. These tips will enable you to play some fairly good rock solos. You will also learn about scales and chords that will help you start making up your own music.
There might be a lot of blues references within these lessons. Going through all these will help you understand the relation between blues and rocks, which is essential if you want to learn to play rock guitar like a pro.

Power Chords

Power chords are two or three string distorted sounding chords used in some of the most popular rock songs of all times. You will learn to play several rock songs during the first few lessons of this module. Afterwards you will be very familiar with the fretboard and surprise yourself with the sounds you will be able to play.

If you seriously want to learn to play rock guitar, don’t get frustrated or discouraged if you’re not playing the way you would like to at the beginning. If you enjoy playing, the progress will come at some point. Find a guitar teacher you communicate well with, design a workable schedule to practice and, most importantly, try to have fun while you’re learning.

If you havent taken a moment to scout new credit card offers, the time has arrived. Credit card companies are battling for the largest client base, and as a result, consumers are on the receiving end of very attractive benefits. One of the most popular types of cards on the market today is the cash back.reward card. Although the logistics change depending on the financial institution, the result is the same: get cash back on every purchase!

Below are the top four cash back rewards cards; check out the benefits and choose the one thats right for you. Ive chosen these particular offers because of the size of the rewards and because of low interest rates.

Chase Cash Plus Rewards Visa Card

This is one of my favorite cards because Chase doesnt bog down the customer with a laundry list of rules and regulations. With some available cards, you have to follow very specific guidelines in order to receive rewards. With the Cash Plus Rewards Visa, all you have to do is use the card, and youll get cash back.

Every time you use the card at a grocery store, gas station or drug store, you receive 5% cash back. When you use it for other purchases, you get 1% cash back. Then, when you build up a balance, you can either request a check from Chase Bank, or you can request a gift certificate for merchants such as Best Buy, Macys and Home Depot.

Theres no annual fee for the Cash Plus Rewards Visa card, and new customers receive a 0% introductory APR for up to twelve months on both balance transfers and purchases.

HSBC Cash Back Rewards MasterCard

I recommend this card for anyone who enjoys security protection and fair, competitive rewards. With the HSBC Cash Back MasterCard, you receive 1% cash back on all purchases, with no spending requirements. They offer a 0% introductory APR for the first twelve months. There is no annual fee, and youll receive Zero Liability in the event that your card is stolen or used without authorization.

With the Chase card, you received 5% back on some purchases, which is not true of the HSBC card. However, this card comes with unlimited purchase protection, extended warranties, and travel accident insurance.

Citi Dividend Platinum Select Credit Card

This is a card for anyone who wants cash back rewards, but who plans on paying the card off every month. Customers receive 5% cash back on purchases at grocery stores, drug stores and gas stations, and 1% back for all other purchases. Citi offers a 0% APR on balance transfers for the first twelve months, but the regular APR is higher than the other cards being compared here. The cash back rewards are good, but this is not the card on which to carry a balance.

Citi offers the highest in security protection with a Photocard option and a fraud early warning block. They also provide Lost Wallet Protection, which means that if your card is lost or stolen, they will replace it within 24 hours.

Blue Cash from American Express

This is the perfect card for anyone who wants to share the benefits with a family member. Blue Cash offers up to 5% back on all purchases the most at drug stores, grocery stores, gas stations and home improvement stores and you receive the same cash back rewards with additional cards. That means that if your spouse, parent or child has a copy of the card, you earn cash back with their purchases as well.

Blue Cash offers a 0% introductory APR for the first six months, with a low regular APR afterwards. There is no annual fee, and no spending requirement to start receiving cash back. You might also want to check out American Express Smart Chip service with ID Keeper. This web tool allows you to store personal log-in and password information for the web so that you dont have to input your information every time you log on.

Cash back reward cards are an excellent way to get your feet wet in the credit card world. Try some of these on for size, and see what they have to offer. If youre going to be buying things anyway, you might as well reap additional benefits!

If youre a movie lover, and you incessantly rent DVDs, the recent wave and exponential growth of the popularity of online DVD rental stores should please you. The Internets ability to offer you literally any product has grown. Now you can rent DVDs and video games through the Internet and at a serious advantage to your local Blockbuster too.

Sites like Netflix.com offer numerous advantageous to the old way of renting DVDs. For example, you get to choose from almost 50,000 different titles. Imagine the size of a Blockbuster that held that many choices! You get all the new releases when you want them. No more waiting to see a movie. There are no late fees whatsoever. Thats a savior to some people! There is free shipping to and from your doorstep! There are also no long term contracts and you can cancel your economically priced membership anytime youd like!

Its so simple that even a child could do it! After filling out some basic information, you simply add whatever movies youd like to see to a queue and they arrive at your doorstep! Most membership prices range from $4.99 a month to $39.99 a month. Obviously, the more expensive plans allow for you to take out more DVDs at one time.

DVD turnaround time is amazingly speedy. DVDs usually arrive in my regular mail within one or two days after ordering. And when I return DVDs, the company usually receives them in about the same time. Keep in mind Im not paying ANY postage fees as well!

Keep your DVDs as long as you want, too. You wont be charged any late fees at all! Keep a movie for two months if youd like! Of course, that makes no sense, but you can do it if you please! This prevents you from forgetting to take movies back and paying late fees that cost more than actually buying the movie! The money you save from late fees per month is alone enough to cover the cost for this service!

All in all, its a simple choice. For simplicity, to save money and to have a better selection: online DVD renting is the way to go and will be the way to go for years to come!

Just a few years ago it seemed people thought the idea of purchasing clothing through the internet was absurd. How would you know if it fits? What if it doesnt fit? What if my credit card number gets stolen? Those were just a few of the many questions I personally had five or so years ago. Hopefully this article will help enlighten some of your inquiries.

The internet has significantly changed the art market. Significantly, meaning people now have choices at their fingertips. The sometimes intimidating and cold art galleries, is now an option. With many art websites offering money back guarantees, secure shopping and customer support, people do not have to feel as though purchasing anything off the site is Russian roulette.

Here are some hints and tips I feel might be useful:

Search and Search Some More: Without the hassles of walking/driving from one gallery to another and limiting gallery hours you have more time at your disposal to do your research. You will have the ability to view hundreds of artworks within the average time someone will be able to see a dozen by actually going to a gallery. For me that means a greater chance to find a new painting I will fall in love with.

Take your Time: Yes buying off the internet is far from perfect so follow your heart and take your time. Send the image to your friends, research the artist and take advantage of the many gallery website features available at your disposal, such as view-to-scale, background colors, zoom, etc. Ask questions if you want by emailing the website and also you can compare shop. Remember if you like one artwork and its too expensive for your taste or pocketbook there is surely another painting that is similar and can fit your budget.

Protect Yourself: Read up on the website. Find out how long its been in business. See if the website provides secure shopping and secured online purchases. Read about what the customers and any articles have to say about the website and its artists. Check if the artwork will come with an authentication that you feel comfortable with and find out if they have a return policy that you find reasonable. When you have done your homework, buy the artwork and enjoy your new artwork purchased through the future of art shopping with confidence.

A guide to the Chinatown Bus

The word is outthe cheapest way to get from one major U.S. city to another is on the Chinatown bus. In recent years this has become transportation option of choice for budget travelers in New York, Washington DC, and Boston, and more recently on the West Coast. Students, backpackers, and an array of other savvy travelers have long loved the rock bottom prices that these bus companies offer. Despite the popularity of these bus lines it can still be difficult to find information on Chinatown bus service.

What exactly is a Chinatown Bus? Read on and you will have the inside track on this great budget travel option.

Chinatown Bus history

The Chinatown bus phenomenon began in the late 1990s when an entrepreneur in New Yorks Chinatown started running daily bus service from Chinatown in New York to Chinatown in Boston. The service was aimed at Asian immigrants who wanted to shop or visit relatives in either city and needed cheap and convenient transportation. The service was bare bonesno advertising, customer service, or bus stations. Customers simply went to the bus stop, waited for the bus (or van), and paid the driver upon boarding. For those willing to do without frills, they offered virtually the same service as traditional bus companies at a substantially lower price. Before long, the word spread and all kinds of people started using the service. It became especially popular with students, budget travelers, or people for whom the service was simply more convenient.

Soon more bus companies duplicated this model and started offering service in other cities. Now you can find this type of bus service in Philadelphia, Virginia, Baltimore Washington DC, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and San Francisco. At this point the term Chinatown bus is used more loosely to describe this sort of low-cost/low-frills service. Many, if not most, of the companies do not have Chinatown as their main location and may not cater to the immigrant population at all. These operators are also sometimes referred to as curbside operators.

How can tickets be so cheap?

$15 between New York to Boston? $25 from Las Vegas to Los Angeles? It seems hard to fathom. Chinatown bus companies are able to keep prices low because they operate in a fundamentally different way from traditional carriers. Foremost, the service is very basic. There is little in the way of customer service or amenities. Most of these operators do not have formal stations, picking up passengers at bus stops instead. They eschew traditional advertising in favor of word of mouth. Further, many of the operators play a very hands-on role in the operationyou will not see idle executives at a small independent bus company. Finally, these operators make sure they fill their buses. That is why Chinatown bus operators usually only operate on heavily trafficked routes. Indeed some companies only run buses at peak times.

Are they safe?

When these companies first started operating, concerns were raised about safety standards. There is still controversy within the bus industry about whether these newcomers are complying with the same regulations as the traditional companies. However, a task force set up by the Federal government to look at safety issues found that Chinatown bus companies did not perform better or worse than other types of bus companies (ie. charter, tour buses). All bus companies operating in the U.S. must undergo the same inspection standards and must comply with the same rules. Realistically there is probably a range of quality among Chinatown bus carriers. Some are fly-by-night operators trying to make a fast buck, while others are legitimate entrepreneurs who plan to grow and operate a long term business.

What you should expect

 No frills servicethe driver may be the ticket collector; there will not be a lot of customer service.

 Comfortable buses. Despite the low fares buses are usually quite nice. Most buses are comparable to Greyhound and many are actually more deluxe.

 Communication challenges. Drivers are legally required to speak enough English to help passengers in the case of emergency. In reality this is often adhered to rather loosely. At the very least, expect your driver to have an accent.

 Possible delays. Many of these bus routes are on highly congested roads. When the roads are busy, expect delays.

 Rest stops. Buses will have a lavatory on board but there is usually a 10 or 15 minute bathroom break on trips over 4 hours. Dont be late returning to the bus, the driver will not count heads before leaving at the appointed time.

 Full buses. Buses definitely sell out at peak times (weekends and evenings). Book ahead or get there early if you want secure a seat.

 Plastic Bags. An odd little quirk on Chinatown buses is that every aisle seat usually has a plastic grocery bag tied to the arm. I guess they find this is the best way to keep the buses clean.

How do I find the Chinatown Bus?

Again, Chinatown bus is a term used to describe a type of operator and not an individual bus company. Many unrelated bus companies fall into this category. Since most Chinatown buses do not spend money on advertising it can be difficult to find out details about schedules and bus stop locations. Many of the carriers are becoming savvier about the Internet and quite a few have websites with information. Usually an Internet search will yield links to bus service to your destination. There are also several directories, such as chinatown-bus.org that include links for most Chinatown bus companies and the authors employer, GotoBus.com, is a centralized booking site that has schedules and sells tickets online for most Chinatown bus companies.

The Chinatown bus is not for everyone. If you want an orderly system with American style customer service, you should probably stick to traditional carriers. However, if you know what to expect and come prepared with a sense of adventure and humor, you should enjoy the trip just fine. You will also enjoy the money you save!

Copyright 2006 Linday? Symonds

How much water should you drink each day? a simple question with no simple answer. Various studies have produced recommendations over the years, but in truth, your water intake will depend on many factors, including where you live, your health, and your activity level.

Health benefits of water

The health benefits are fairly well known and not very profound. The human body is 55%-65% water, depending on age, sex, and overall health. On average, women have less water than men, and overweight people have less than thin people (fat tissue contains less water than lean tissue).

So how much water do you need?

Every day you lose water through your breath, perspiration, urine and bowel movements. For your body to function properly, you must replenish its water supply by consuming beverages and foods that contain water.

There are generally two approaches:

* Replacement: The average urine output for adults is 1.5 liters a day. You lose close to an additional liter of water a day through breathing, sweating and bowel movements. Food counts for about 20% of our daily fluid intake, so consuming 2 liters of water will typically replace lost fluids.

* Dietary recommendations. The Institute of Medicine advises that men consume roughly 3.0 liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages a day and women consume 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total beverages a day.

It is generally the case that if you drink enough fluid so that you rarely feel thirsty and produce between one and two liters of colorless or slightly yellow urine a day, your fluid intake is probably adequate.

Factors that influence water needs

Your total fluid intake may need to be modified depending on how active you are, the climate you live in, your health status, and if you’re pregnant or breast-feeding.

* Exercise. The more you exercise, the more fluid you’ll need to keep your body hydrated. An extra cup or two of water should suffice for short bouts of exercise, but during long bouts of intense exercise, it’s best to use a sports drink that contains sodium, as this will help replace sodium lost in sweat and reduce the chances of developing hyponatremia, which can be life-threatening. Fluids should also be replaced after exercise.

* Environment. Hot or humid weather can make you sweat and requires additional intake of fluid. Heated indoor air also can cause your skin to lose moisture during wintertime.

* Illness or health conditions. Signs of illnesses, such as fever, vomiting and diarrhea, cause your body to lose additional fluids. In these cases you should drink more water and may even need a sports drink to replace lost sodium.

* Pregnancy or breast-feeding. Women who are expecting or breast-feeding need additional fluids to stay hydrated. Large amounts of fluid are lost especially when nursing.

Dehydration and complications

Failing to take in more water than your body uses can lead to dehydration. Even mild dehydration can sap your energy and make you tired. Common causes of dehydration include strenuous activity, excessive sweating, vomiting and diarrhea.

Signs and symptoms of dehydration include:

* Mild to excessive thirst * Fatigue * Headache * Dry mouth * Little or no urination * Muscle weakness * Dizziness * Lightheadedness

Mild dehydration rarely results in complications as long as the fluid is replaced quickly but more-severe cases can be life-threatening, especially in the very young and the elderly.

Staying safely hydrated

It’s generally not a good idea to use thirst alone as a guide for when to drink. By the time one becomes thirsty, it is possible to already be slightly dehydrated.

To ward off dehydration and make sure your body has the fluids it needs. Nearly every healthy adult can consider the following:

* Drink a glass of water with each meal and between each meal. * Hydrate before, during and after exercise. * Substitute sparkling water for alcoholic drinks at social gatherings.

If you drink water from a bottle, thoroughly clean or replace the bottle often. Refill only bottles that are designed for reuse.

Can you drink too much water?

Though uncommon, it is possible to drink too much water. When your kidneys are unable to excrete the excess water, the electrolyte (mineral) content of the blood is diluted, resulting in a condition called hyponatremia (low sodium levels in the blood). Endurance athletes who drink large amounts of water are at higher risk of hyponatremia. In general, though, drinking too much water is rare in healthy adults who consume an average American diet.

If you’re concerned about your fluid intake, check with your doctor or a registered dietitian. He or she can help you determine the amount of water that’s best for you.

OThere is a prominent feeling that when a band decides to grow up and write more about real life, adult situations they have become a better band. A good case of this can be seen in the popular pop band blink-182. Often known for their childish themes in songs early in their career, this band focused most of their attention on swear words and being naked in various situations. As their CDs grew in number, however, they began to write about suicide and other various harder topics in their music. Many fans of the band felt they sold out at this same time, becoming too main stream and overlooking fans of their previous work. So this article will address whether making meaningful lyrics goes hand in hand with selling out.

The first thing that has to be addressed is that there are some bands which start out playing meaningful lyrics from their very first single. Because it would be incredibly hard to call someone whose never been anything but mainstream as selling out to the mainstream, we will ignore this group for now.

The truth of the matter is that bands cannot make the same songs over and over again. Why would people continuously spend money on buying new audio CDs and going to concerts if all they were going to hear is the same old thing? That may work for diehard fans, but not the casual ones who pack most of the stadiums and concerts. Bands have to change and adjust, like everyone else in life do, to keep their career promising in the future.

It also doesnt make sense when people accuse bands of selling out after they sign with big record companies and play on MTV. The truth is that every band is made to make the big bucks and to be famous. By refusing to go mainstream it would be hard for any band to do this.

That being said, making more sensitive and serious lyrics shouldnt go hand in hand with selling out. While blink-182 may have been happy all the time and felt good enough to not have to write anything but naked humor early, it is likely they witnessed more and more bad events occurring around them as they grew into their later ages. It is hard to keep all your emotions bottled up when you want to express feelings, so it is not a big deal that the band wanted to use harder events in their lyrics. I dont think that makes them sellouts, even though they are much more of a mainstream band than they used to be.

In the end, blink-182 broke apart and no longer play together anymore. Many fans still existed for the band and they are still looking for a reunion. While this may or may not ever happen, one thing is for sure. The blink-182 who used to have nothing to do but run naked down a street while passing hot girls is probably gone forever. But their lyrics will be something that will touch us all forever.

Understanding how fiber optics are made and function for uses in everyday life is an intriguing work of art combined with science. Fiber optics has been fabricated from materials that transmit light and are made from a bundle of very thin glass or plastic fibers enclosed in a tube. One end is at a source of light and the other end is a camera lens, used to channel light and images around the bends and corners. Fiber optics have a highly transparent core of glass, or plastic encircled by a covering called “cladding”. Light is stimulated through a source on one end of the fiber optic and as the light travels through the tube, the cladding is there to keep it all inside. A bundle of fiber optics may be bent or twisted without distorting the image, as the cladding is designed to reflect these lighting images from inside the surface. This fiber optic light source can carry light over mass distances, ranging from a few inches to over 100 miles.

There are two kinds of fiber optics. The single-mode fiber optic is used for high speed and long distance transmissions because they have extremely tiny cores and they accept light only along the axis of the fibers. Tiny lasers send light directly into the fiber optic where there are low-loss connectors used to join the fibers within the system without substantially degrading the light signal. Then there are multi-mode which have much larger cores and accept light from a variety of angles and can use more types of light sources. Multi-mode fiber optics also use less expensive connectors, but they cannot be used over long distances as with the single-mode fiber optics.

Fiber optics have a large variety of uses. Most common and widely used in communication systems, fiber optic communication systems have a variety of features that make it superior to the systems that use the traditional copper cables. The use of fiber optics with these systems use a larger information-carrying capacity where they are not hassled with electrical interference and require fewer amplifiers then the copper cable systems. Fiber optic communication systems are installed in large networks of fiber optic bundles all around the world and even under the oceans. Many fiber optic testers are available to provide you with the best fiber optic equipment.

In fiber optic communication systems, lasers are used to transmit messages in numeric code by flashing on and off at high speeds. This code can constitute a voice or an electronic file containing, text, numbers, or illustrations, all by using fiber optics. The light from many lasers are added together onto a single fiber optic enabling thousands of currents of data to pass through a single fiber optic cable at one time. This data will travel through the fiber optics and into interpreting devices to convert the messages back into the form of its original signals. Industries also use fiber optics to measure temperatures, pressure, acceleration and voltage, among an assortment of other uses.

Now that Im really settled down for bad or good, I cant help but reflect on my lengthy past as a happy-go-lucky single. How can I forget the many bizarre, crazy, and benighted times Ive misled myself into a mans twin loving arms, and how very much I miss loving every minute of it? How?

Why, I squirm as if caught in a velvet trapwell, I could, but my husband is standing right behind me and might ask me what Im sitting on.

Yes, its been nothing but high misadventure for me, especially since I lost my extremely brave and sincere first husband, a wonderful Austrian-American Jew, to combined MS and cancer on February 23, 1985.

I loved him so mucheven after more than a dozen intensive, fascinating, and downright roller-coaster relationships before then, my first real commitment, he was still the only man I ever truly loved (Remigio, stop looking at this over my shoulder!)

Anyway, several eventful years and as many nerve-wracking, tumultuous, and sanity-defying relationships later, I landed in the plastic schoolroom seat in front of Remigio, my future second husband, in a five-week Certified Nurse Aide class held at a nursing home near Northgate in Seattle, next to a merrily perking and brewing coffee pot. Innocent and unknowing, I was headed for yet another high-pitched roller coaster ride.

All my relationships, especially as an adult, have been crazy ones. My first husband thought he lucked out marrying his sexy young attendant. In his early thirties, Gary was dying horribly, often in great pain, and I was forced to fall deeply in love with his stubborn courage and what was ebbing away of his once trim and athletic youthful body. He was the first person who truly needed, wanted, and loved me. His courage lasted completely, until the very end. Oh, how I have missed his loving, gentle arms.

After he died, I had several wild, bitter and tragically brief affairs. If I ever write about everything that happened, it would make three or four excellent trashy novels. Whatever, it was fun being single again, a vast relief from the hours of watching over Garys dying and emaciated form.

But Remigio stopped my new single life cold simply by kicking the frail back of my chair in CNA classHARD! He received all my undivided attention, distracting me from talking to a fellow classmate, a middle-aged black lady. He caught me in the middle of accidentally sniffing at her. I apparently was coming down with a major head cold.

Really, I would like to think twas because he preferred the pretty, teasingly mid-calf length crisp white skirt I was wearing for the first time in class to the pretty much bulkily pantaloned, overweight, and married other female denizens of our class. Well, Grace, the middle-aged black lady, was only sitting pat. A hard worker of several years standing, she was being grandfathered in as a CNA, but still had to take the class.

Remigio may have been trying to protect her from me, as Id been sniffling at her for the last three or four sessionssuch was vengeance from Karen the Terrible. SNIFF !!

Grace was sitting to the right front, I was seated to the rear left, and as Id recently had an extremely weird experience involving three black men and a basketball, I was fitfully taking it out on Grace. I was casting her sidelong glances, and sniffing loudly, intermittently and guiltily considering fetching her a hot cup of coffee as the pot was brewing closer to me than her. It would have been hard for her to squeeze between the seats and fetch herself a hot, fresh cup. I began getting her some coffee.

Sometimes I added creamer. I even stirred it with the little red plastic stir sticks. She finally asked me to add a sugar packet, please.

She liked the coffee, but our distantly commiserative relationship as two ladies of nursing was rudely interrupted by the rapid-fire entrance of Remigios sneakered foot through the reverberating back of my nearly shattering cheap plastic chair. Ive lovingly saved the black marks on the back of my white nursing jacket for years.

Turning around, right after the kick-off, I astonishingly faced a middle-aged, awfully hate-ridden, and flatly Hispanic cold stare. This angry face, however, reminded me of a similar nut-brown countenance, a Middle-Eastern teacher Id been attracted to way back at Ohio University in 1978. Said chap always mispronounced the word equilibrium in a characteristic accent that could shatter a glass retort. He explained the rules of physical science to us neophyte med students in as high of a pitch as he could muster, but it was musical and alluring somehowand this kicky guy behind me looked a lot like him.

Remigio turned out to be a quite engaging and multi-talented Philippino/Hawaiian import, a seventh-degree black belt martial arts expert, a fabulous chef of all regional cuisines and one heck of a lip-locking rugged kisser, in approximately that order. I was an artist and writer of long standing who needed some work “on the side,” so I’d decided to take a Certified Nursing training course and move in with a little old lady I knew who needed the help. It was a great free way to continue with my career without interference. But now this new guy had shown up in my life. What can you do when they come at you from behind like that? I tried out assuming there was something nice about him.

He gradually broke down in his enmity towards me, merrily chasing me to the bus stop in his beat-up old blue and white pickup truck. He soon followed me home, and Mommy said I could keep him. Actually, Mommy was that little old lady, Carrie, a disabled, fellow “freckly” dwarf (you could spot her) I was working for and living with at the time. She needed extensive in-home care, and Remigio went right to work helping us move into a larger apartment, even cooking and cleaning for us. I scarcely had to lift a finger; Remigio was simply everywhere, driving us to church and generally relieving me of my cares and woes until Carrie abruptly died, peacefully in her sleep. Well, possibly those Catholic nurses gave her a lethal injection. She may have been wandering around at night and screaming her lungs out. She had a very bad knee problem, and had kept me awake nights frequently with it. Again, what can you do?

We married a week and a day after Cinquo de Mayo, 1991. Were still madly in love, and near Christmas day of 1994 we were blessed by a Pinay from Heaven, our little princess Angela, nut-brown as her Daddy and sporting my chipmunk cheekbones. Yes, Remigio is crazy about me now. We should be okay, as long as they dont use the nets.

This incident may be the only time in history that a cold-stricken gal every attracted a lonely, jealously protective guy through being an apparently obvious, blatant and coffee-fetching sniffing presumed bigot. Bigots and non-bigots alike, take note.

I guess Id suggest that more single white ladies, and any other intrigued parties, try sniffling (or sniffing) at nearby black people to see whose attention they furtively attract. Of course, you may inadvertently attract a black person, which might work out quite well for you, especially if they happen to be an excellent cook — as the husband of a friend of mine (who used this method) turned out to be. Hope that he or she has a sense of humor. Or, believe in whatever powers that may be.

If so, it helps a lot if you fetch them some coffee. It soothes their tired, ruffled feathers. Seems some folks are more descendants of birds than lizards.

Be sure and add some cream and sugar.

It seems that not so long ago, electric cars were a very distant possibility. However, in todays world, electric cars are becoming extremely popular and may very well be a large part of our not so distant future. Electric cars have been produced, tried, and tested by many manufacturers and consumers are excited about the prospect. Let us take a look at the many positives that can go with the future of electric cars and why we should consider it as a possibility in our own future.

Electric cars are all together cleaner and safer for our environment. By driving electric cars, our generation will virtually eliminate air pollution and make the air cleaner for future generations. Cleaner air to breathe is a necessity and electric cars can work to provide that.

Electric cars are more affordable than fuel powered cars. Studies on electric cars have shown that for a passenger vehicle it will cost less to run the electric cars, than filling your car up every week with gas. In fact, for about $30, electric cars can operate for one full month. With the price of fuel on the rise at a consistent speed, electric cars would offer our finances a nice break. Maintenance is more affordable as well; you will not have to worry about changing the oil, submitting your car for a smog check, or having a tune up performed on electric cars.

Noise pollution is something we all complain about, especially within the bigger cities. Electric cars provide a quieter environment for everyone concerned. The future of electric cars mean no more 3 AM wake up calls by our neighbors loud cars. Furthermore, those that live close to busy streets and highways will sleep and live easier without the extra noises from the cars driving down the streets.

One problem about electric cars is at the present time it cannot travel extremely far without needing a charge. 25 to 60 miles on one charge is about all you can expect at this point in time. However, some areas offer charging stations, for example those in California can stop at a charging station and charge their electric cars for longer trips. It takes about three hours to fully charge the electric cars before you are ready to go again. The technology of electric cars is still being manufactured and research; we can expect great things in the markets in the future.

In the end, we all live here on earth and are all responsible for its preservation. Everyone needs to do their part, however seemingly small that may be. Use of electric cars is only one possibility to consider in preserving quality of life on earth for ours and future generations.

The National Education Association, the nation’s largest teachers union, has said “yes” to moulah made on diets that say “no” to many fruits and vegetables.

Atkins announced that it was joining forces with the National Education Association to educate children about nutrition, in part by sponsoring a school health Web site.

Or, as Greg Toppo put it so well in his USA Today account of the deal: “The folks who brought back three-egg omelets and triple cheeseburgers want to teach your kids a thing or two about health, nutrition and exercise.”

When more than half of kids go without fruit on any given day, and childhood obesity has made this generation the first with a shorter life expectancy than their parents, what kids should be learning is that a diet low in saturated and trans fats and rich in fruits and vegetables is the foundation for preventing disease and maintaining a healthy weight.

Instead, they’ll receive a “nutrition” message bankrolled by dollars earned selling a high-fat, low-fruit diet. Atkins claims it only wants to provide the NEA with “the latest research and information available on controlled-carbohydrate nutrition.”

Really? Do you suppose that will include the research just published in The Lancet regarding the battery of negative side-effects – headaches, muscle fatigue, foul breath, constipation – suffered by Atkins dieters? What about the recent MIT research that suggests that low-carb dieting can cause serotonin levels to plummet? Or the Mayo Clinic survey linking a marked increase in saturated fat intake over the past five years with the Atkins craze? I don’t think so.

If the Atkins folks thought that using educators to carry their low-carb message would be easy, then they were in for a rude awakening. The Partnership for Essential Nutrition – a coalition of consumer, nutrition and public health groups – has launched a letter-writing campaign to demand the immediate cancellation of the NEA-Atkins deal. The partnership warned that “there are very real dangers to children if they were to adopt a low-carb diet because the brain requires 130 grams of glucose a day for normal functioning, a quantity of carbohydrates that even the maintenance level of the Atkins diet does not deliver.”

Sad to say, the NEA gets a big fat “F” when it comes to taking a responsible stand on children’s nutritional needs, though we’ll give ‘em a bright red “A” for Atkins when it comes to irresponsibly taking money made on diets that disregard such needs.

But maybe the unions aren’t so much irresponsible as indifferent. As Albert Shanker, the late, great crusader for teachers’ labor rights once observed: “I’ll start representing kids when kids start paying union dues.” Which raises the question once again: Just whose interests is the NEA representing?