Archive for February, 2008

Proper Usage of Essential Oils

Friday, February 29th, 2008

By Michael Russell Every now and then, I think it is important to refresh our minds with how and why we use essential oils. This allows us to once again, regain our focus, and move forward in life with less stress and anxiety. It shows us the correct methods of using essential oils. It also gives us the background of where they come from, and how we obtain them. All of this is important, and goes a long way in the therapeutic healing of aroma. Many plants contain volatile compounds, i.e. essential oils, that we extract from the flowers, seeds, bark, roots, and even the peels. It is in these oils, which we extract, where the healing properties are contained. Some of these properties are antiseptic, warming, soothing, calming, stimulating, and antispasmodic. The quality of the oil depends on a few items. First, plant species ,i.e. the region, soil condition, and the climate in which the plant was grown. Second, the time of the day the plant material was harvested. And, third, the extraction method used and the storage. It is believed that plants grown organically or collected in the wild yield the highest quality oils. Extracting the oils is done through various methods, but steam distillation and cold pressing are the best. Avoid any synthetic oils or those extracted with chemical solvents. It takes a large amount of material for extraction, so this is a very labor intensive and expensive process. BUY from reputable places. Applications Steam inhalation: Add 5 drops of an essential oil to a bowl of steaming water. Drape a towel over your head and hold your face over the bowl. Breathe in deeply. This is especially good for sinus conditions. Dry inhalation: Put 1-3 drops of an essential oil on a cloth, and hold up to your nose. Breathe in deeply. Healing Compress: Add 5 drops of essential oil to 1/2 cup of hot water or cold water. Dip a cloth in the water, wring it out and apply where necessary. The hot press is good for cramps and the cold press is good for fevers and headaches, or even sunburns. Humidifiers: Add a few drops of lavender essential oil to a humidifier or vaporizer. This will help fight symptoms of colds, bronchitis, and asthma. Herbal Sauna: Use essential oils in the sauna to aid the lungs and help strengthen the immune system. Add 5 drops of essential oil, such as tea tree, to 1 cup of water and pour over the heated sauna stones. Just a suggestion - if the sauna uses lava rocks on an electric heater, it may not be a good idea to pour water in this situation. Some Popular Oils Peppermint - soothes respiratory infections, aids circulation, fightsinflammation, relieves flatulence and indigestion. Tea Tree - Acts as a, antiseptic, is antiviral, is antibacterial, is antifungal,helps heal acne, sunburns, and even infections. Lavender - Is an antibiotic, soothes headaches, and helps heal wounds, and repels insects. Storage Tip Store essential oils in opaque glass bottles in a cool, dark place. Refrigerate citrus oils. Label clearly. Properly stored essential oils will keep well over a year. Please, just remember, keep all essential oils away from children. Using some of the above techniques and information, you can really use essential oils to have a more positive effect on your well-being. ——————————————————- Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Aromatherapy ——————————————————- Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell http://EzineArticles.com/?Proper-Usage-of-Essential-Oils&id=113012 no script ambien cheap how to abuse ativan what is the antidote for ativan ambien usage

Creative Doughs for Spring or Any Time of the Year!

Friday, February 29th, 2008

By Kimie Bringle Children love to make things and they love it even more if it’s something messy. The ideas in this article do not have to be totally messy, but please make sure you have a drop cloth under the table because a mess is usually inevitable with some of these doughs. Only one of these is edible but the rest are still awesome to make and create with! White Bread Dough 2 Slices of White Bread 1 Tablespoon of Elmer’s Glue Tear the bread into crumbs. Mix in the glue. Use a fork to mix until all the bread is moistened. Knead until pliable. Dip your fingers into the water to make it more moldable. Dries in 3 days. Wet dough keeps for a month in an air-tight container in the fridge. ** This is a great dough to make little creatures out of. My children love to make little snowmen for my Mom’s Christmas village. They also like to make polar bears, penguins and mice with this. It can be painted when it’s dry and because of the glue, it doesn’t stink or mold. Maybe your child can make beads and then string them together for a nice Grandmother’s Day gift! Make sure you are the one holding the stringing needle though unless your child is old enough. Another great idea for this dough is to make little things for dollhouses such as food pieces and decorative things. No Cook Dough 1 Cup of Flour 3/8 Cup of Hot Water 3/8 Cup of Salt Food Coloring (optional) Combine the flour and salt. Add water and stir. Knead for about 5 minutes. If you are adding food coloring, do it now and work it in. Plastic gloves are also optional but great if you are using a dark color. Dries in 5 days. Stores for 1 week in an air-tight container in the fridge. ** This is a great dough and has a lot of uses! As long as the things made aren’t too thick, it’ll keep for a long time. Sometimes the thicker pieces tend to dry with bubbles and will crack eventually. This is a wonderful dough to use cookie cutters with. Maybe you could use an Angel cookie cutter. Make sure if you are going to hang them that you put a small hole in the top. How about doggie bone shapes? What a wonderful addition that would make on a holiday tree! Or you could even cut out some hearts to put atop Valentine’s gifts. There are so many great uses for this dough! It can even be painted if you don’t want to use food coloring. Trying smooshing several colors together to make a kaleidescope blend! Play Clay 1 Cup of Flour 1/2 Cup of Salt 1/2 Teaspoon of Cream of Tartar 1 Cup of Water 1 Teaspoon of Oil Food Coloring (optional) Mix all ingredients together over medium heat. Stir constantly until it holds together. Dries in 3 days. Store in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to four weeks. ** This is almost exactly like Play-Doh. It’s awesome to use in so many ways! We usually make up one big batch and then separate it to add colors. If you have a lot of little clear air-tight containers your child can see the colors. Talk to your child about what colors could be used to make things. Usually the back of the food coloring boxes will show you how to mix colors to get other colors. This could be used as a wonderful color lesson! This is a great pliable dough that can be used for a lot of things and it’s totally re-usable for up to a month! If you are going to dry your children’s creations, be careful that they are not too thick. They will crack if they aren’t able to dry inside all the way. Kool-Aid Dough 2 Cups of Flour 1/4 Cup of Salt 1 Tablespoon of Alum 1 Package of Kool-Aid (unsweetened) 1 Tablespoon of Oil 1 Cup of Water Mix it all together. Dries in 4 days. Stores in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to four weeks. ** This is one of the easiest ones to make but it gets messy depending on what color Kool-Aid you are using. My kids like to use the “Magic” Kool-Aid because it actually changes colors as they mix it in. You can make a lot of colors with all the different flavors out there! This is a great dough to make decorations out of! Is your child attending a special birthday party? What a great gift he/she can make! Form the dough into flowers and poke a hole to put a string through! Make lots of beads and string them together for a beautiful one of a kind necklace! Make sure you ask your child what they want to make! You should make a special something for your child also. Cornstarch Clay 1 Cup of Salt 1/2 Cup of Cornstarch 1/3 Cup of Water 1/4 Cup of Cold Water Food Coloring (optional) Heat salt and the 1/3 Cup of Water over medium heat for about 4 minutes. Stir until disolved. Remove from heat and add cornstarch and the cold water. You want to keep stirring until it has the consistency of mashed potatoes. Knead for a minute and then let cool. If it’s sticky, work in more cornstarch. Add food coloring if you’d like. Dries in 4 days. Stores in an air-tight container for 2 weeks in the fridge. ** This is an awesome dough! It’s great if you are going to use cookie cutters! Without food coloring, this dries perfectly white so it’s wonderful to make all kinds of things with! You can even color the creations with markers when dry. Play Clay Ornaments 2 Cups Baking Soda 1 Cup Cornstarch 1 1/4 Cup Water Mix and cook over medium heat until it’s like mashed potatoes. Put on a plate and cover with a damp cloth until cool. Roll out flat and cut out with cookie cutters. Put a hole in each for hanging later. Let them dry overnight. These can then be painted or colored. ** These are great and we make them several times during the year. Because there are so many wonderful cookie cutter shapes available, you can always find a use for these adorable ornaments. Here are some of our ideas! New Year’s - We cut out babies and put in googlie eyes before they are dry. Then we decorate these with glitter glue with whatever year it is and pass them out to friends and family. Valentine’s Day - We cut out several different size hearts. We usually personalize these with special friends names and we attach them to little bags of candy. St. Patrick’s Day - We cut out various shamrock shapes and decorate them in an assortment of ways. These are great to decorate gift bags for parties. There are so many events, holidays and happenings to use these. These ornaments are great because you can push decorations down into the dough before it dries. You can also paint these or color them with crayons or markers. Peanut Butter Clay 1 Cup Smooth Peanut Butter 1 1/2 Cups Powdered Milk 3 Tablespoons Honey Please be careful with this dough and allergies. Some children cannot have the ingredients so please ask before making this dough with someone elses children. Mix it all together in a bowl until smooth. Form into yummy shapes and gobble them up! ** My kids love to make this one. We use carrots, celery and raisins to help decorate. This is really good to make and eat! It’s quite pliable but will get sticky after it’s played with for a while. You can make mini PB&J’s with this too! Just make a ball of the dough and poke a hole in the middle. Drop in a dabble of jelly and munch away. I hope that you have enjoyed some of the wonderful doughs that you and your children can make together. Make sure that you are letting them do some of the work putting the dough together, depending on their ages. So much fun can be had on an otherwise boring day just by spending some quality time together making a mess :) Until next time, stay clean and hug your precious little one… Kimie Bringle ~ FourPoint Moms ~ http://kimie.fourpointmoms.com ~ New Hampshire ~ (603)382-1905 ~ fourpointkimie@comcast.net Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kimie_Bringle http://EzineArticles.com/?Creative-Doughs-for-Spring-or-Any-Time-of-the-Year!&id=164507 medical zolpidem immovane zenegra lorazepam ambien withdrawl ambien and sleep

Is Your Child Ready for School?

Thursday, February 28th, 2008

By Sharyl Calhoun If you’re the parent of an infant or toddler, you might be bristling with indignation at such a preposterous question. Or perhaps youre good-natured enough to laugh and mildly protest: “Hey! Give him time to be a kid!” Either way, you are quite correct. Studies show that children who are pushed into the world of academics too early are likely to suffer setbacks by the fourth grade. Then, why the urgency that sends many parents searching for a highly-structured preschool program, where 2 and 3-year-olds are taught things like the ABCs, social skills, and proper classroom behavior? Furthermore, arent parents qualified to prepare their own youngsters for success in kindergarten? There certainly are experiences and skills that your child should acquire before he ever enters school. Be assured of this . . . your childs teacher will be thrilled if your child simply arrives at school ready to learn. However, many children begin their school years with missing components–social, physical, emotional or cognitive experiences that have somehow been overlooked by caring and concerned parents. And these missing components can mean the difference between success and struggle at school. Some of those components, when missing, are harder to compensate for than others. But by simply attending to some practical principles of parenting, you can help your child be ready for school when the big “first day” approaches. The Physical Development of Your Child Five-year old Jennie had never learned how to climb stairs. Her fear was obvious as she clung to the banister with both hands and laboriously struggled up one step at a time . Her embarrassment escalated as the other students jostled and muttered impatiently behind her. As parents, we are well aware that our children need such things as proper exercise and nutrition to maintain good health. We do everything within our power to protect these little ones from injury or danger. We even have their little bodies immunized against the invasion of life-threatening diseases. But with todays hectic lifestyle, we are often guilty of condemning our little ones (for hours) to the inert world of entertainment. . . we plop them down in front of the television where we know they are safe; they are contented; and we are settling them into a habit that we may soon regret. Can your child actually suffer ill effects from too little physical activity? Yes! An inactive childhood not only hinders the social and emotional development of your child, but the cognitive development, as well. Experts in the field of educational psychology say that activities such as running, climbing, and jumping actually create important networks in the brain. These cognitive connections will need to be in place by the time your child is learning to read, to write, and to think about mathematical concepts. So encourage childish games, which include jumping rope, climbing stairs or slides, and making angels in the snow. Play games together, such as “Mother, May I?” where your child is commanded to do a variety of silly tasks—hopping on one foot, walking like a crab, or stepping heel-to-toe in a straight line. Enjoy a game of pitch and catch with a balloon, a beach ball, a beanbag or a tennis ball. While you two are enjoying each others company, critical pathways are forming in your childs brain. You’re actually preparing your child for academic learning. Dont neglect the arts-and-crafts experiences which help to fine-tune small motor skills. Let your child experiment with a variety of paints, crayons, drawing pads and pencils. When its time for giving gifts, consider ways to inspire creativity, rather than following the latest electronic fad or push-button craze. Make sure your child has access to building blocks, beginning sewing kits (with a plastic needle), and wooden beads to lace onto colorful shoestrings. The best childhood toys are challenging to both mind and muscle. So many things parents do each day require careful eye-hand coordination, and fine motor movement. Let your child develop those skills by “helping” you with little chores. Let him drop loose change into a piggy bank slot, feed the fish with a pinch of flakes, or help you with the laundry and cooking. You may need to develop “patient parent” skills, but when school days roll around, youll be glad you allowed your child to experience the little things in life. The Emotional Development of Your Child Mrs. Miles was shocked to realize that only two first-graders in her classroom were living with both natural parents. Several students had experienced 2 or 3 divorces by the age of 6! Some had never known a father figure. Others lived with two adults, but because the adults were not married, the children lacked the security that a long-term commitment provides. By midyear, Mrs. Miles was greatly stressed. “Im having to spend so much time helping my students cope with family crises, that there is barely enough time for teaching academics!” For your childs sake (and your own), maintain a healthy and stable family life. The stress level at home plays a most crucial role in the your child’s academic success. A child’s physical and emotional needs demand to be met. If not satisfied at home, these needs are laid upon the teacher’s shoulders. Before parents move toward a divorce, they must consider the effect their decision will have on their children. Psychologists tell us that divorce or desertion has the same effect on a child as the death of a parent. As children of divorce struggle to cope with the grief and confusion of troubled homes, learning takes a back seat. The Cognitive Development of Your Child Three-year-old Matt was riding around the grocery store with his chubby little legs sticking out of the cart. “Mommy,” he said loudly, “why is that lady wearing a cowboy hat? Does she think she’s a cowboy?” One of the most critical factors in developing your child’s intellect is simply this: Let him experience as much of his world as possible! Take your child to the grocery store. As you roam the aisles, talk about things that are big and little, soft and hard, sweet and sour, or crunchy and smooth. Be prepared to answer embarrassing questions! Let him find the aisle where the cheese is likely to be found, and the toilet paper, and the ice cream. This is an excellent introductory course on classification, a higher-level thinking skill. Be ready to answer questions about science, and remember that simple answers will do. Introduce him to nature right outside your door! Discover all the living creatures in your backyard. Watch how they live, work, and play. Play board games and guessing games with your child. You can’t begin to imagine how many skills you are teaching your child when playing games together. Talking is teaching a child about life! When you converse with your child about his environment and allow him to explore his surroundings, he gains a vast wealth of knowledge! There is no substitute for these early childhood experiences, and your child will be better equipped for school because of your interaction with him. When you talk, you can be a good role model for how words are articulated and complete sentences are formed. When you listen, you are helping him gain good control over oral language. You are encouraging him to organize his thoughts and to share them with others. It almost seems too simple. It’s just a matter of making your child a part of your day–a part of your life! Attention to these practical suggestions now will help your child be better prepared for every aspect of school life–his relationships, his self-confidence, and even his reading, writing, and math skills! And, finally, read with your child every day! Teach pre-reading skills–looking from left-to-right and from top-to-bottom, pointing under each word, looking at pictures for meaning, and predicting what might happen next. Learning to read should be the natural result of parents reading to their children. The Spiritual and Moral Development of Your Child Mrs. Thorn’s kindergarten class was focusing on feeling. On Monday, they read “happy” books, and each child told what made him or her happy. On Tuesday, the focus was on feeling “mad”, and on Wednesday, it was on feeling “scared.” The teacher was appalled by Sabrina’s story: “I get scared at night when I hear my mom and dad watching movies.” As the girl continued, it was clear that the movies were of a pornographic nature. Let’s face it. The innocence of childhood is challenged the moment your child steps out of the door. It doesn’t always make a difference whether she attends a public school or a private school. You can’t protect your child from the negatives of our world forever. She must be prepared to react properly to bad words, to stories about inappropriate activity, and to children who have experienced the rough side of life. She must have an inner strength and conviction to help her in these situations. Share your own faith with your child. Point her in the right dirction by your own example. Be willing to discuss any topic she brings up. Church can be a wonderful place to find help in your child’s moral and spiritual development. Let her see how faith provides daily strength in your own life. Preparing your child for school requires much of your time and attention. So get ready, get set…learn! S. M. Calhoun is a teacher and freelance writer. For more helpful articles on improving your home and family life, visit the newsletter page of our web site: http://www.poshbungalow.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sharyl_Calhoun http://EzineArticles.com/?Is-Your-Child-Ready-for-School?&id=46768 what is ambien ambien atropine online zolpidem tartrate ambien cr versus ambien

Riding Lawn Mower, The Easiest Way To Mow Your Lawn

Wednesday, February 27th, 2008

By Bjorgvin Arnason Riding mowers, also called garden tractors, are great for lawns bigger than -acre in size and comprised of any kind of grass. A ride-on mower will cost you quite a bit more than a walk-behind mower, so be sure to consider your needs and how often the mower will be used if you are considering a riding mower. Reading mower reviews and understanding the various features of riding mowers will help you make your purchase decision. Although a riding lawn mower is a larger investment than other mowers, they have distinct advantages over smaller models. Certainly, one benefit is the riding feature great for a hot day with a lot of lawn that needs mowing. They can mulch or side-discharge the lawn clippings. Check the riding mower to see how easy or difficult it is to switch the mode on the mower. Some garden tractors might need additional attachments to switch between these modes. If you want more visibility at the front of your mower, choose a mower with the engine at the back. But, again, consider your needs. If you need a more powerful engine, then choose a front-mounted engine; they are more powerful. Some surveys of owners have found that ride-on mowers have the worst reliability of all major appliances. Therefore, experts recommend buying a good warranty so youre covered if you have problems. There are various other things to think about when considering the purchase of a garden tractor. Think about how wide the turning circle is, where the gas tank is, how easy the controls are to use and reach (consider your own height here), how the bag is removed and how easy or hard it is to remove the bag. Bjorgvin Arnason is a marine-engineer, electrician and the owner of Lawn Mower Expert.com, a website dedicated to lawn mowers and lawn keepers. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bjorgvin_Arnason http://EzineArticles.com/?Riding-Lawn-Mower,-The-Easiest-Way-To-Mow-Your-Lawn&id=192453 ativan and sexual side effects zolpidem drug test ambien ambien next day air

Brain Activation in Dyslexic Children

Tuesday, February 26th, 2008

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell] Michael Russell In word reading, information is processed on a letter level, in a semantic system and in an orthographic system. Written word to speech articulation may be processed by two routes: a direct and indirect method. The direct route can be described as a semantic one. In this system, a direct access to the semantic system is allowed. In the indirect route, features of the letters in a word activate the word’s letter units in order to activate the word’s entry to the orthographic lexicon. This procedure is succeeded by the word’s entry to the orthographic lexicon. This route converts a letter string to a phoneme string through grapheme-phoneme conversion. This conversion serially assembles letters into phonology. Dyslexia can be caused by any dysfunction of any of the mentioned components of information processing. One of the most controversial issues on the pathomechanisms of developmental dyslexia is impairment in phonological language processing. Several evidences has supported this notion - studies showing anatomical malformations in language-associated brain regions (Galaburda et al., 1985: Dalby et al., 1998), neurobehavioural and neuropsychological studies showing increasing reading difficulties correlating with increasing task demands of phonological processing (Wimmer, 1993; Warnke, 1999) and functional brain imaging studies describing an abnormal brain activity in the left auditory cortex during reading tasks in dyslexic patients (Helenius it al., 1999; Temple et al., 2001) Developmental dyslexia can be caused by impairments in the phonological input system as well as the phonological output system. Phonological deficits may affect grapheme-phoneme processing, as well as other language related issues, such as phonological awareness, phonological short-term memory and verbal repetition. Several reports reveal that dyslexics display a good performance in purely visual discrimination tasks not involving object naming and letter strings naming. On the other hand, there has been contradictory evidence with regards to the ability of dyslexics in picture naming and confrontational naming. A recent study assessed picture retrieval time in dyslexic children by determining the time between the retina fovea landing on the picture by laser scanning ophthalmoscopy and the beginning of speech articulation. There was a vast range of overlap between dyslexics and non-language impaired children. The finding of normal picture naming, despite severely impaired reading ability in dyslexics may lead to the assumption that different pathways may be involved in processing letter-mediated information and picture naming. To further confirm this hypothesis, a recent study in Germany assessed the brain response patterns in dyslexic children and normal counterparts to see whether different neural patterns were used to process picture naming and word reading. Magnetoencephalography was used to investigate brain activation during word reading and picture naming tasks. Results show consecutive cortical activation spreading in various brain areas. Differences in both groups were seen only during the reading task: a delayed response in the temporal superior and angular gyri at 235-285 milliseconds and absence of neural cortical activation in the anterior temporal and inferior frontal areas at 430-530 milliseconds for dyslexics. Difficulties in phonological processing were reflected in the delay of activity and absence of late activity and language related brain regions. Since there were no significant group difference during picture naming, the researchers concluded that there were two different neural pathways governing both neurological functions: a phonological/orthographic system for word reading, which is evidently impaired in dyslexic children and a visual system for picture naming, which can be unaffected in dyslexics. Overall, support shows different pathways for processing letter-related and visual information. This understanding may be important for dyslexics in relation to coping with everyday life demands and relevant skills training. Michael RussellYour Independent guide to [http://medicine-guides.com/] Medicine Article Source: [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell ] http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell [http://ezinearticles.com/?Brain-Activation-in-Dyslexic-Children&id=242522 ] http://EzineArticles.com/?Brain-Activation-in-Dyslexic-Children&id=242522 best prices for zolpidem online ativan i take ambien every night ambien and high blood pressure

Redwork Embroidery: When Less Is More

Monday, February 25th, 2008

By Deb Schneider Redwork. Bluework. Greenwork. Or Any-Color Work I think of Redwork as an embroidery design style, a line drawing in thread. And that style can be stitched with any color. You’ve heard the term Bluework? Bluework is just Redwork sewn with, any guesses? Anyone? That’s right! Blue thread.Unless you’re recreating an antique look, you can use any thread color with Redwork designs, but to maintain the allure of the design, stitch it with just one color. A Little Redwork History Redwork originally applied to a very simple linear style of embroidery that became popular in the United States in the late 1800’s when Turkish cotton processors developed a secret technique to make a red colorfast thread, creatively known as ‘Turkey red’. Until Turkey red came on the scene colored cotton thread would fade or bleed when washed and line dried and couldn’t be used for everyday items such as towels, bed sheets and bedcovers. Embroidery with colorful silk thread could only be afforded by the wealthy. If the rest of us had anything embroidered it was with common white or natural cotton thread. Kind of boring. Redwork designs were basic line drawings of children, birds, flowers, a water pump, and other objects found around every homestead at the time. The charming simplicity and affordability of Redwork was very popular among the immigrants and middle class of America, partly as a backlash against the excessive ornamentation of the Victorian culture of the time. Redwork’s popularity lasted until the 1920’s when the development of synthetic, colorfast dyes opened up the world of color to embroidery, not just for the wealthy but for everyone. But no embroidery style has ever had, or continues to have, the grass roots appeal of Redwork. The Resurgence of Redwork What goes around, comes around, and the same is true of Redwork. With the advent of digitizing software, skilled digitizers, computerized embroidery machines and thousands of thread hues, colorful embroidery continues to reach new heights. Those same skills and technologies allow us to create Redwork designs that are more intricate than those of the past. But no matter how non-traditional or simple the pattern, there is something undeniably appealing and elegant about all Redwork designs. Because in the case of Redwork, less really is more. Deb Schneider is a machine embroidery design digitizer offering her machine embroidery designs, Redwork embroidery designs and appliques on her website: WindstarEmbroidery.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Deb_Schneider http://EzineArticles.com/?Redwork-Embroidery:-When-Less-Is-More&id=164727 ambien overdose during pregnancy web ambien withdrawing from ativan alternative ambien

Man and Commitment - Why Men Are Afraid of Making Commitment In A Relationship

Wednesday, February 20th, 2008

By Michael Douglas The C-word or committing to a relationship implies the end of freedom for most men. Live-in relationships are on the rise these days and both men and women are deferring marriage. Yet, most men prefer to have light relationships rather than commit to just one. Just why are men so afraid of commitment? We explores the reasons… Freedom’s the word Men want to be free and for most of them, having a steady relationship means giving up that precious freedom. Explains Dan Nicholas, a marketing executive, “We men are extremely independent by nature. We like to make our own decisions and run our lives according to our own rules. We want to do what we want and when we want. But, when a woman enters the picture, all the choices a guy used to take for granted - like hanging out with his friends or watching his favourite programs are gone.” Adds Caroline Howard, a MNC executive, “Men are scared of taking family and financial responsibility. Moreover, with changes in the lifestyle since the new economic policies, the younger generation wants to enjoy life, without getting into a serious relationship. There is yet another apprehension men have - is she the right person to marry? What men want is a girl friend with whom he can go to pub and discotheque and not a behenji whom he has to marry.The younger generation is not interested in a long-term relationship.” Men also want to be free to find that perfect woman and that makes them ready to flit from one relationship to another. Explains Mike Jonson, a sales executive, “Men are often not satisfied with their partner. They want to explore the field and see if there is any other woman, who is better than the previous one and more suitable for them.” Career is often another reason with many men wanting to be financially secure before committing to someone. According to software engineer Nick Trevor, “These days, there are fewer societal pressures to marry and we can weigh our options instead of just jumping directly from school into marriage. We can afford to wait for that perfect woman while we concentrate on getting our careers off the ground, save to buy a house, or actively play the field.” Adds Tony Mckenzie, IT consultant, “Guys look for financial security before they commit, because love alone cannot feed the stomach. So, most guys want to have a heavy bank account and enjoy life, before settling down.” Emotional baggage There are also men who have been in a serious relationship and been burned in it. Now, they want to take it easy instead. So, for Jim Morris, “After my break-up, I want to just enjoy life. I am ready to wait and see if I find someone I really like, before making that decision.” For a lot of women, commitment is the finish line for their adult lives. But, that also leads to the man feeling pressured and hesitant to commit. Explains, Dennis Becker, a graphic designer, “When a woman starts saying things like ‘when are we going steady’, it makes me nervous. Why can’t we take things slow? I feel pressure from women really scares men and that makes them leave.” Sums up DU student, Monica Lenski, “For men, commitment means being emotionally dependent on the woman for her approval. That’s why they avoid it.” About the Author Michael Douglas is a relationship expert and he is the owner of Love-Lectures.com where he provides love advice and relationship advice to help you create better and successful relationships. Also, don’t forget to check out romantic ideas to spice up romance in your love life and relationship. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Douglas http://EzineArticles.com/?Man-and-Commitment—Why-Men-Are-Afraid-of-Making-Commitment-In-A-Relationship&id=304728 phentermine on line without prescription where to buy the lowest price phentermine buy phentermine online without prescription phentermine 37.5 no prescription

Interview Success - the Importance of Mental Preparation

Monday, February 18th, 2008

By Jim Brackin Ask any employer the biggest mistake candidates can make and you often get the same answer - not being fully prepared for the interview. Successful candidates use every conceivable means possible to prepare for the interview and to allow themselves ample time to prepare. They understand that interviewing is a skill and that preparation and practice will enhance their chances of success. Its a fact that preparation can make the difference between successful offer, or disappointment and rejection. One easy method of preparation is to rehearse the interview in your imagination, before the event, using the Successful Outcome Visualisation Technique. As the name suggests its a process where you visualise the event and its successful outcome a number of times, in your head, prior to the interview. The repetition of the successful outcome programmes the mind to automatically reproduce the actions and behaviours that are most likely to produce your desired outcome. This technique is used by many top athletes to help them maintain a competitive edge, so why shouldnt you take advantage of it? Research has shown that this technique actually conditions the unconscious mind, which is responsible for, amongst other things, muscle control and speech. By repeating an imaginary process the unconscious mind is trained how to react when a similar real-life situation arises. Research has shown that the Successful Outcome Visualisation Technique can improve performance by up to 15%. This may not sound like much but often the difference between winning and losing can be measured in percentages of percentage points. For example in the last Olympics the difference between the Gold medal winning time and the eighth place finishing time was just 1.8%. And in most interview situations there are no prizes for coming second. Although this technique has a grand sounding name, in reality many people naturally use this technique on a daily basis without ever realising it. Running through a scenario prior to it happening is a natural process. If you have ever heard someone, before attempting something stressful or difficult say something like Im no good at this, or I know this will end badly then they have already imagined the outcome of the event, and come to that conclusion. Not surprisingly, these people rarely excel themselves and do really well. So, to start the technique, find yourself somewhere comfortable, where you wont be disturbed. Sit down, take a few deep breaths to relax and then close your eyes. After a few moments, imagine the scenario just prior to the interview. Notice that you feel confident, self assured and relaxed. If you dont see yourself as totally comfortable then just remember this is your visualisation so you can control exactly how you feel. If there is anything you dont like then change it. Then only when you are ready, walk into the interview. Imagine yourself being friendly and relaxed answering all of the questions easily and confidently. Imagine yourself having a rapport and empathy with the interviewer. Imagine yourself asking intelligent and relevant questions. Imagine the interview going really well and during this process perhaps you might become an observer watching yourself in the interview. If so, notice how you feel, what you see, how you sound and what you say. Notice the positive effect this has on the interviewer. During this process, make a note of the positive and use the visualisation to change the negative. Remember you are the projectionist of this movie so you can freeze frame, rewind and reply any part of it until you are happy. Finally visualise yourself walking out knowing you did the very best you could, feeling good about the experience. For maximum effect, run through the Successful Outcome Visualisation Technique at least three times before the interview and you will be amazed at the difference it makes to your performance on the day. If you have trouble visualising, then I suggest you download a guided version of the technique. Just Google online, self-help, therapy, interview, success, visualisation and you find sites like virtual-therapist.com that have some useful advice as well as a range of Interview Success downloads to aid the process. Remember the difference between success and failure is often the amount of preparation you put in beforehand. And the amount and type of preparation is one of the things you have total control over. So ultimately you can prepare for success, so why not take action now and tip the balance in your favour? Jim Brackin contributes tips, help and advice on popular psychology to variety of magazines like Cosmopolitan, Real, Spirit and Destiny and Women’s Own. He is the body language expert for Sky News (UK) and developed Personaliteye a visually based personality profile tests that provides free personality based reports on relationships, work, friends and lifestyle. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_Brackin http://EzineArticles.com/?Interview-Success—the-Importance-of-Mental-Preparation&id=242735 no prescription needed for phentermine order phentermine with no prescription cheapest phentermine pharmacy buy phentermine on line without prescription and overnight shipping

LG Shine - Shining Away to Glory

Saturday, February 16th, 2008

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Caitlin_Lucy]Caitlin Lucy The latest model under the high end ‘Black Label’ series is a real stunner called the ‘LG KE970 Shine’. Such is the make of the handset that it is wrapped with a powerful sheen and one feels like holding a precious jewel in the hand. Clubbed with near ergonomics and usability, the LG KE970 Shine becomes more attractive and thus has climbed up the ladder to become the pick of the season. The first thing that one sees in the handset, is its external display. The display is so reflective that one can clearly see one’s image in it. This mirror like quality also makes the phones shine with a exuberance that is classy and quite alluring. Only when the LG Shine is activated, does one realise that the real screen is beneath. More features that makes the mobile a shining sensational is its casing. The LG KE970 Shine comes garbed in a stainless steel casing. The finish is extremely smooth, thus adding to the reason of its glitter. Further, due to its metallic body the handset comes through as a robust gadget. When this slider phone is opened, an impressive keypad is revealed. The make of the keypad is flat so that when light falls on it, there is a shine added to the keys. Again, contributing to the handset’s shine. Apart from brilliant shine, the LG Shine is also endowed with 2 MP camera, a Mp3 player and host of options for playing and downloading games. so far connectivity is concerned, the handset is enabled with tri-band network for seamless connectivity. It also has a built-in internet browser and Bluetooth technology for user to enjoy a wireless connectivity. The mobile weighs 115 g, while it measures 98 x 51 x 14 mm in size. It allows 3 hours talktime and 280 hours standby. Caitlin Lucy is a Expert Author. She has written good quality articles on [http://www.ask4phone.co.uk/Phone_Deal.asp?Ph=LG_Shine]Lg Shine, [http://www.ask4phone.co.uk/]Mobile Phone Deals and [http://www.ask4phone.co.uk/contractphones.asp]Contract phones Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Caitlin_Lucy http://EzineArticles.com/?LG-Shine—Shining-Away-to-Glory&id=591872 where can you buy phentermine buy phentermine on line without prescription buy adipex phentermine order phentermine overnight

How To Bring Intimacy Back Into Your Marriage

Friday, February 15th, 2008

By Angie Lewis Everyday my husband and I will take a long walk together, alone, away from the children, and with no distractions of any kind whatsoever. I call these walks together special time. We do this because we dont want to lose touch with each other; we want to remain close. I believe all couples should dedicate themselves to having special time with their spouse one hour each day. You dont have to take walks to enjoy special time. You might want to meet somewhere, for instance. That meeting might be in a caf or on a park bench. It doesnt matter where you are when you have special time, what does matter is that you make special time an intimate moment for the both of you. It is so easy to lose touch with the person we married. Dont let that happen to you and your spouse. Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. (Hebrews 10:24) Make special time with your spouse extra loving and intimate by giving all of yourself to the person you married - be appreciative of who they are to you in the marriage. When was the last time you complimented your spouse? Let them know how much you care. It is so easy to be negative with your spouse when you do the same mundane schedule day after day. Why do we get negative? Because of the redundancy of marriage, doing the same thing all the time leads us to look at our spouse with the same boredom and negativity that we are feeling. A great relationship requires intimate moments. And those moments need your full attention and compassion. If something else is engrossing your mind, then your spouse will not get the attention they deserve. Your spouse deserves to be treated with kindness and forgiveness everyday, not just when you feel like it. What can special time do for your marriage? It can make it more alive, romantic, intimate, and loving. Special time is a good time to share feelings with each other and communicate productively; talk about issues that are troubling you, or new things you would like to share. Be there for each other! Be supportive of each others needs! Carry each others burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2) Special time together is not having sex. It can, of course, lead up to sex eventually, but special time is mostly for talking and just listening to one another as you each share a little bit of yourself with each other. Special time is not talking about the kids, school, work, housecleaning, finances or any other everyday duty and chore that can take you away from each other in the communication. It is for intimacy and closeness, but without actually having sex. In other words, your objective during special time is to only talk about each other and what you would like to do for each other. Keep the conversation geared toward wanting to understand and appreciate the person you married. How can you do that? Listen to their feelings and what they have to say. Really listen to them. When it is your time to talk, by all means, share a part of yourself, maybe how you feel about a certain issue, and go from there. This is what intimacy is all about. You cannot really feel intimate with someone who only wants sex. Or who keeps their feelings and thoughts inside of themselves. How intimate is that? All it takes is one hour of your loving devotion everyday to make an ordinary marriage extraordinary. ~~~ Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 9:9) Angie Lewis is the author of three marriage books offering marriage enlightenment tips and wisdom filled answers tackling such issues as adultery, pornography, emotions, beliefs, feelings, marriage, children, forgiveness, communication, submission and spiritual influence in the home. Love The Man You Married is a great teaching tool that every Christian wife and husband should read. ISBN: 1411677501 Journey on the Roads Less Traveled is a book that will challenge the reader to go a step further in their faith and beliefs by helping them to identify with all the aspects of their character, namely the spiritual element of who they are and can become. This is Angies personal testimony of overcoming addiction and resentment in marriage. Very inspirational book! ISBN: 1413788904 Besides writing for her own marriage ministry, Angie also writes the marriage columns for two online Christian Magazines. KeepinOn.net and EzraWeb.com. Please see Angies website for additional information about her books and online marriage ministry. http://www.heavenministries.com/ Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Angie_Lewis http://EzineArticles.com/?How-To-Bring-Intimacy-Back-Into-Your-Marriage&id=332924 buy phentermine online mastercard buy phentermine no script phentermine promenade pharmacy phentermine online no prescription needed