World News

Hybrid electric vehicle (HEV)

noreply@blogger.com (Sapawi) — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:46:00 +0000

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) is a type of hybrid vehicle and electric vehicle which combines a conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) propulsion system with an electric propulsion system. The presence of the electric powertrain is intended to achieve either better fuel economy than a conventional vehicle, or better performance. A variety of types of HEV exist, and the degree to which they function as EVs varies as well. The most common form of HEV is the hybrid electric car, although hybrid electric trucks (pickups and tractors) and buses also exist.

Modern HEVs make use of efficiency-improving technologies such as regenerative braking, which converts the vehicle's kinetic energy into battery-replenishing electric energy, rather than wasting it as heat energy as conventional brakes do. Some varieties of HEVs use their internal combustion engine to generate electricity by spinning an electrical generator (this combination is known as a motor-generator), to either recharge their batteries or to directly power the electric drive motors. Many HEVs reduce idle emissions by shutting down the ICE at idle and restarting it when needed; this is known as a start-stop system. A hybrid-electric produces less emissions from its ICE than a comparably-sized gasoline car, since an HEV's gasoline engine is usually smaller than a comparably-sized pure gasoline-burning vehicle (natural gas and propane fuels produce lower emissions) and if not used to directly drive the car, can be geared to run at maximum efficiency, further improving fuel economy.

Ferdinand Porsche in 1900 developed the Lohner-Porsche Mixte Hybrid, the first gasoline-electric hybrid automobile in the world.^[2] The hybrid-electric vehicle did not become widely available until the release of the Toyota Prius in Japan in 1997, followed by the Honda Insight in 1999.^[3] While initially perceived as unnecessary due to the low cost of gasoline, worldwide increases in the price of petroleum caused many automakers to release hybrids in the late 2000s; they are now perceived as a core segment of the automotive market of the future.

Worldwide sales of hybrid vehicles produced by Toyota, the market leader, reached 1.0 million vehicles by May 31, 2007; the 2.0 million mark was reached by August 31, 2009; and 2.68 million units by July 2010, with hybrids sold in 80 countries and regions.Worldwide sales are led by the Prius, with cumulative sales of 2.0 million by September 2010, and sold in 70 countries and regions.The global market leader is the United States with 1.6 million hybrids registered by December 2009, of which 814,173 are Toyota Prius,^[9] and California is the biggest American market.

The Power of Money

noreply@blogger.com (Sapawi) — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 04:16:00 +0000

The Power of Money

by Robert Kuttner

THE IDEAS THAT RICH and poor are equal before the law and that the vote of a rich man counts just as much as that of a poor man are two of the most radical ideas in human history. They are, of course, the essence of democracy.

But money matters everywhere else in society, and it threatens to crowd out democracy. A rich person can purchase a finer house, a nicer car, better food, more effective schools, more courteous service. Why should his money not purchase more political influence?

This paradox is the profound radicalism of the democratic idea. And on all fronts, it is threatened by the resurgent power of money.

The multimillionaire fugitive Marc Rich certainly did not settle for equal justice under the law. Instead he bought himself a pardon.

It is poetic justice that the mass revulsion against the Rich pardon and against the Clintons' taking expensive White House souvenirs is eating into the former president's planned hundred-thousand dollar speaking gigs. But it is appalling that the outrage against the Clintons for stealing White House china is upstaging what should be greater outrage at President Bush for quite possibly stealing the entire White House.

The Bush administration wants to repeal the estate tax, as a favor to the richest 2 percent of Americans. This past week some of the richest of all, led by Warren Buffet, George Soros, and William Gates Sr., warned that this move would be devastating to charities and philanthropies, which are institutions motivated by service and compassion, not profit. America has always had a balance between these rival principles. But the balance is near a tipping-point.

Congress may pass a weakened version of the McCain-Feingold bill, which would restrict unlimited ''soft money'' contributions made by corporations and individuals to political parties - which then launder the money for use in election campaigns. But most incumbents like the system the way it is. And since independent groups, under the Supreme Court's current interpretation of the First Amendment, can still contribute unlimited sums to attack or support candidates, the McCain-Feingold bill will not restrict money in politics, but only divert it to more creative subterfuges.

At the state level, several states, including Massachusetts, have enacted Clean Money reforms. These encourage candidates to take only very small contributions, which then trigger public funding of their campaigns. However, because nominally independent groups may contribute unlimited sums, groups covertly affiliated with rival candidates could still wage stealth campaigns using telephone banks and issue ads against targeted candidates, as the NRA has done in the past. And good-government candidates limited by the Clean Money rules could not raise the funds to fight back. So money still talks louder than votes.

The academic research establishment and hard-pressed hospitals are making terrible bargains with pharmaceutical and biotech companies. These deals bring new money to these supposedly public-spirited institutions but are both addictive and corrupting. Unlike peer-reviewed research sponsored by public agencies with no financial stake in the conclusions, business sponsors tend to reward results deemed profitable.

Here in Boston, there is a cat-fight between America's most literate talk show host, Christopher Lydon, and the managers of WBUR-FM. It is - what else? - about money. Lydon, who has built a huge audience, is paid well over $200,000, a generous salary for public radio. He wants an equity share in the money he generates for the station. But the managers of WBUR, which functions more like a commercial business all the time, want the money for their own empire.

Guys, this is public radio. A commercial radio station never would have hired Lydon. The show is too intelligent. The whole institution is supposed to be about values other than purely commercial ones. Can't we park the money-lust at the door, out of respect for the audience? America has plenty of other institutions devoted purely to profit.

Keeping democratic and extra-commercial values alive in the world's most fiercely capitalist society is a labor worthy of Sisyphus, the figure in Greek mythology condemned by the gods to spend eternity pushing a boulder up a hill, only to have it roll back down again.

The French existentialist Albert Camus ended his reflections on the Sisyphus metaphor with the provocative line, ''One imagines Sisyphus happy. ''

Happy? Not exactly. Resolute - always.

Robert Kuttner is co-editor of The American Prospect. His column appears regularly in the Globe.

Time Management - Start Here!

noreply@blogger.com (Sapawi) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:06:00 +0000

Personal time management skills are essential skills for effective people. People who use these techniques routinely are the highest achievers in all walks of life, from business to sport to public service. If you use these skills well, then you will be able to function exceptionally well, even under intense pressure.

What's more, as you master these skills, you'll find that you take control of your workload, and say goodbye to the often intense stress of work overload.

At the heart of time management is an important shift in focus:

Concentrate on results, not on being busy

Many people spend their days in a frenzy of activity, but achieve very little, because they're not concentrating their effort on the things that matter the most.

The 80:20 Rule

This is neatly summed up in the Pareto Principle, or the '80:20 Rule'. This says that typically 80% of unfocussed effort generates only 20% of results. This means that the remaining 80% of results are achieved with only 20% of the effort. While the ratio is not always 80:20, this broad pattern of a small proportion of activity generating non-scalar returns recurs so frequently that it is the norm in many situations.

By applying the time management tips and skills in this section you can optimize your effort to ensure that you concentrate as much of your time and energy as possible on the high payoff tasks. This ensures that you achieve the greatest benefit possible with the limited amount of time available to you.

Time Management Tools

In this section, we start off with simple and practical techniques, so that you can get off to a quick start in taking control of your time. The articles on Beating Procrastination and Activity Logs help you quickly eliminate the most common time-wasters, while the articles on Action Plans and Prioritized To Do Lists teach simple techniques helping you focus on the most important short-term activities.

We then move onto the really powerful and life-changing technique of goal setting, and then look at the important, well-known, and usually-neglected technique of scheduling, which is fundamentally important if you're going to take control of your workload. (You can learn 14 more, equally powerful techniques in our members area, the Career Excellence Club.)

So follow the links below, and start learning!

Discover the tools that can help you - How Good is Your Time Management?
Manage time. Get things done - Beating Procrastination.
Finding out how you really spend your time - Activity Logs.
Tackling the right tasks first - Prioritized To Do Lists.
Deciding your personal priorities - Personal Goal Setting.
Planning to make the best use of your time - Effective Scheduling.

HyProBulk SMS>>Program Affiliate No 1 di Malaysia

noreply@blogger.com (Sapawi) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 05:02:00 +0000

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.
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Produk kami adalah perkhidmatan eHyProBulkSMS yang memberi kemudahan kepada semua masyarakat samada individu atau syarikat untuk menghantar Khidmat Pesanan Ringkas (SMS), Khidmat Pesanan Multimedia (MMS), WAP Push, SMS/MMS Broadcast, Flash Message dan bermacam-macam lagi dengan kadar bayaran yang amat rendah sekali dan berpatutan.

eHyProBulkSMS menggunakan pelantar "platform" internet secara "online" dan boleh dilayari dimana-mana di dunia tanpa ada sekatan. Perkhidmatan ini boleh dilancarkan contohnya; dari Switzerland, Rusia, USA, Indonesia,

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How To Reduce Your Risks And Limit Your Personal Liability As A Landlord

noreply@blogger.com (Sapawi) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 03:47:00 +0000

By Thomas Lucier

Many residential landlords unknowingly strut around with the words sue me figuratively tattooed on their foreheads in bright fluorescent colors! They're considered in legal circles to be high profile targets because they run their rental housing business in a lax, haphazard manner with little or no regard to how they're perceived by their tenants and other potential adversaries. These are the flashy landlords who collect their rent from tenants while driving exotic automobiles and wearing expensive designer clothes.

These are also the same landlords who are woefully underinsured and totally clueless when it comes to knowing how to reduce their risks and limit their personal liability as landlords. If you don't want to end up as cannon fodder in court, you should take a low-key approach to running your residential rental housing business. By a low-key approach, I mean that you should operate your rental housing business in an honest, ethical, professional manner that keeps both you and your business under the radar screen of jealous tenants, overzealous code enforcement officials, snooping members of the media and sue-happy plaintiffs' attorneys looking for some quick cash.

Landlords Must Know How To Properly Protect Themselves

If you're a residential landlord whose goal is financial independence through the ownership of rental property, you most likely won't succeed until you first learn how to:

1. Maintain adequate property and casualty and general liability insurance on your rental property.

2. Reduce the risk of potential lawsuits as a landlord.

3. Limit your personal liability as a landlord.

Four Types Of Insurance Coverage Landlords Should Carry

At a minimum, residential rental property owners should carry the following four types of insurance coverage:

1. Property and Casualty Insurance. Property and casualty insurance covers residential rental property owners from fire, storm or other catastrophic losses that could render their rental property uninhabitable.

2. General Liability Insurance. General liability insurance is third-party coverage. It reimburses rental property owners if they're responsible for compensating another's losses. General liability insurance doesn't cover intentional wrongdoing such as arson or assault, but it usually covers negligence and general liability issues.

3. Flood Insurance. Flood Insurance is available for rental properties that are located in communities that participate in the National Flood Insurance Program. The federal government administers the National Flood Insurance Program, and insurance companies issue the policies.

4. Umbrella Insurance. Personal or commercial umbrella insurance provides rental property owners with excess liability insurance coverage beyond the limits provided in a general liability insurance policy.

What Your Insurance Coverage Should Protect You Against

Depending upon whether or not you have employees, your property and casualty and general liability insurance coverage should protect you against:

1. Fire, storm and other catastrophic losses.

2. Liability for tenant and employee injuries.

3. Tenant or employee theft.

4. Malicious damage and vandalism by tenants.

5. Loss of rental income.

6. Libel, and slander by employees against tenants

7. Discrimination lawsuits filed by disgruntled tenants and employees.

8. Allegations of fraud, misrepresentation and other intentional acts by employees.

9. Claims made that exceed insurance policy limits.

Require Everyone Working On Your Property Be Insured

To reduce general liability insurance premiums, require that all repairmen and contractors working on your rental property provide certificates of insurance proving that they carry adequate liability coverage and workers' compensation insurance. Require that each repairman or contractor have a minimum of one million dollars in liability insurance coverage.

Don't Allow Tenants To Keep Any Pets On The Premises

I'm not some sort of animal-hater, but for insurance and liability purposes, it makes sense not to allow tenants to keep any type of pets on the premises. For example, many insurers are leery of potential wrongful-death lawsuits that could result from tenants' pet dogs attacking and possibly killing people on the premises. This is what has happened to the owners of the San Francisco apartment building where a woman was mauled to death by two dogs in a hall last year. The landlord's liability insurer ended up paying the victim's estate millions of dollars.

Require All Tenants To Have Renters' Insurance Coverage

As part of your risk management program, include a clause in your rental agreement that requires all tenants to provide proof of renters” insurance coverage prior to taking possession and occupying the premises. Most renters' insurance policies provide coverage against fire and theft to personal property, and personal liability coverage for injuries and damages caused by tenant neglect.

Use An Independent Insurance Agent

Unlike captive insurance agents, who work for one insurance company, independent insurance agents represent many insurance carriers. An independent insurance agent works a lot like a mortgage broker who shops a loan application to mortgage lenders for the best interest rate and loan terms. An independent insurance agent shops an insurance application to property and casualty and liability insurance carriers to get the most coverage at the lowest annual premium.

Four Ways To Reduce Risks And Limit Personal Liability

Here are four ways to reduce your risks and limit your personal liability as a landlord:

1. Maintain adequate property and casualty and general liability insurance coverage on your rental property.

2. Form a separate business entity to hold the title to your rental property in.

3. Practice risk management techniques that reduce your risks and personal liability as landlord.

4. Thoroughly screen the backgrounds of all tenant and employee applicants for criminal convictions.

Maintain Adequate General Liability Insurance Coverage

Regardless of how safe and secure your rental property may be, and how much you plan and prepare for emergencies, you still must maintain adequate general liability insurance coverage on your rental property in order to help reduce your risk and limit your personal liability as a landlord. In addition to general liability insurance, you may want to purchase a personal or commercial umbrella insurance policy to give you added liability coverage.

Best For Residential Landlords To Adopt A Low-Key Persona

The best way to stay off the radar screens of potential adversaries is to adopt a low-key persona as a landlord that doesn't draw the attention to yourself and your rental housing business. For example, I've adopted the persona of the busy landlord who's making a living. Tenants assume that I'm always busy because I walk, talk and work at a rather fast pace. I'm always polite and courteous with tenants, but I never engage in small talk, or discuss my rental housing business with them. When I'm asked about the business, I simply state that, it's a living, and promptly go about my business.

Best To Use A Separate Entity To Hold Title To Your Rental Property

Lastly, given the overly litigious nature of most Americans today, I very strongly suggest, that you form a separate business entity such as a Subchapter S corporation or LLC, limited liability company, to hold the title to your rental property. It's one of the best and least expensive methods available to help to reduce your risk and limit your personal liability as a landlord. This way, there's a clear distinction between your personal and family assets, and the assets held by your corporation or your limited liability company. And, in most cases, any liability incurred by the business entity would be limited to the business entity's assets. However, please be advised that there isn't a business entity known to man that will protect its owners and officers from being held liable when it's used to engage in fraudulent or criminal behavior.

Where Are We In This Financial Crisis & Recovery?

noreply@blogger.com (Sapawi) — Wed, 20 May 2009 01:59:00 +0000

Where are we in the global crisis? Are we recovering yet? Why are stock prices rushing upwards when the real economy still looked unsettled? I have tried to convey some answers in my posts before. Let's look at some more related factors:

a) economic statistics - no doubt the stats that have been coming out are still bad, but we have to remember that economic stats are dated, things that are dated means we all should know already, they do not tell us something we don't already know, we went through it, we read about how many companies have been downsizing, we read about plunging commodity price and the Baltic Dry Index, we hear about the number of foreclosed homes ... hence the main aim when looking at economic stats now is to look for signs of recovery, then we have to distinguish between year on year, quarter on quarter and month on month data, year on year is the hardest to calibrate - we already know that things will be very bad on a basis, thus we look at comparative figure for the past few months, figures are important in that it takes out seasonal effects - its the same month as last year, month on month is deceptive because of seasonal effects e.g. figures for February (Chinese New Year effect / holidays / front loading) when compared to March will have the seasonal effect, which is why it is safer to look at quarter on quarter as it would indicate a more genuine trend change ... considering where we are in the recession cycle, everyone should be looking at the rate of decline, or rather the changes to the rate of decline to get at hints of recovery

b) bad news discounted - just how much of the bad news has been discounted, we can only guess, but when you take into consideration the spike in risk aversion over the last 7 months (which can be measured), it is reasonable to assume that prices have more than discounted the bad news because a depletion of confidence and a spike in risk aversion will lead to oversold markets, and that where we are coming back from, an oversold position

c) bear market rally - in the beginning I would call it a bear market rally, but since February I think its a cyclical market rally, many who call this a bear market rally are those who totally missed out profiting from the rally, the more it rallies, the louder will those who did not buy will shout that it is a bear market rally ... you will also notice that those fundamentals driven experts have gone a lot quieter in recent weeks as the markets continued to climb because they have been wrong and wrong week in week out, hence the only people still shouting are technical analysts, or rather those chartists who also failed to spot the rising trend are now calling for a massive correction ... nobody wants to be wrong and at the same time not being able to make some money when others have traded profitably, beware of the underlying reasons why some people are saying certain things

d) what could go wrong - markets will seize up again if there are major unknowns appearing again, such as if a few big banks were to collapse, or that some of them would require another bailout in the hundreds of billions again, that is not likely after the "stress test" that did not please many people, to me its a very good move by Geithner because it opens up the books and sores for all to see, only with another round of panic will the bond markets seize up, and when they do, the risk aversion will return, looking at what has transpired, that risk has be lowered significantly

So, yes, foreclosures will be bad, unemployment may still rise ( I expect them to peak by end of June/July 2009), pockets of Europe will still be very bad, but the focus has shifted to investors looking for signs of recovery, and every time economic stats DOES NOT say that, markets will just drift lower, but not correct massively, as the amount of liquidity and the need to have an exposure in order not to miss out, will counterbalance the markets in the weeks and months ahead.

Robots In The Army

noreply@blogger.com (Sapawi) — Tue, 19 May 2009 14:53:00 +0000

As a part of the Inspectorbots series of Wireless Video Inspection Robots, the Delta Unit prides itself at being an affordable surveillance and reconnaissance bot. Its been specifically designed for situations where you would want to call the SWAT or the Hazmat team. Quite like the RC car that you like to play with, the Delta moves ahead and beams back live footage of the hostile scenario to the control center, without putting lives at risk.

The unit comes equipped with a pan/tilting camera and can be additionally fitted with sensors to detect various poisonous gasses or radiation levels of the concerned environment. Featuring an aircraft grade, anodized aluminum chassis, this bot can withstand quite a bit of kaboom action.

Designer : Chris Rogers
Source : yankodesign.com

Toyota Avalon 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Sapawi) — Sat, 16 May 2009 13:44:00 +0000

The 2009 Toyota Avalon ranks 1 out of 9 Affordable Large Cars. This ranking is based on our analysis of 55 published reviews and test drives of the Toyota Avalon, and our analysis of reliability and safety data. The 2009 Toyota Avalon is the largest car from the world's largest automaker. While it isn't an exciting ride, it does offer the best fuel-economy in its class, excellent power for everyday driving and an interior that compares well with many cars costing thousands of dollars more. These factors, plus its value over time, helped the Avalon win the U.S. News Best Car for the Money Award in the large car class

The Toyota Avalon combines class-leading interior space, a high-quality interior that's long on comfort, and Toyota's bulletproof reputation for reliability. Its chief drawback is its cost -- at this price, many buyers would rather simply opt for a luxury car. On the other hand, with Toyota's rock-solid reputation for quality, and the best fuel-economy in its class, the Avalon's cost-to-own works in the car's favor.

While many reviewrs note that the Avalon is priced above some competitors, they also say that steep price buys a lot of car. Edmunds says, "Its price of entry may be higher than its rivals', but if you're looking for the most refined, best-built full-size sedan in the $30,000 price bracket, you need look no further than the 2009 Toyota Avalon." Still, the Avalon isn't for everyone. While most reviewers say it is a competent and comfortable performer, it is by no means sporty.

If it's the Avalon's near-luxury interior that you're interested in, we'd suggest that you also test drive to Hyundai Genesis. That car similarly offers an interior that wouldn't be out of place in a Lexus, and a price under $40,000. But, with rear wheel drive and an available V8, it outperforms the Avalon. If a safe, comfortable ride and a lot of space are your requirements, you might want to look at the Mercury Sable. Built on a Volvo-derived platform, it is as safe as you can get in this class, and spacious as well. But the Avalon sits atop our large car list -- there may not be a better fit for your needs.

For 2009, the mid-level Touring trim has been dropped. Several formerly optional pieces of safety tech are now standard on all Avalons - including active front headrest, brake assist, traction control and stability control. The Avalon comes in three trim levels -- including the XL, XLS and Limited.

Come check out this month's Best Toyota Deals where we have done the research to get you the best offer.

From : http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/

Whooping Cough, Why Worry?

noreply@blogger.com (Sapawi) — Wed, 06 May 2009 16:11:00 +0000

Whooping cough is a highly infectious respiratory illness caused by Bordetella pertussis, a known player in the infectious disease world since the 16th century. In its heyday it was responsible for at least 200,000 cases a year just in the United States. These cases were reduced significantly with the development of the vaccine in the 1940's. However, since the 1980's there has been a steady increase again with 9000 cases in 2002 , and 25,000 cases in 2004. The reason for this is unknown, but here's what you need to know.

--The diagnosis is very difficult to make, and it is mostly based on clinical exam and history (not labs) so pay attention to your symptoms which usually occur in 3 stages:

1. Catarrhal stage: 1-2 weeks of cold like symptoms with runny nose, congestion.

2. Paroxysmal stage: 1-6 weeks of severe, rapid coughing spells ending in a long
inspiratory effort with a high pitched whoop. Characteristically this cough ends with vomiting and exhaustion and it is usually worse at night as the lungs try to expel the thick mucus. The patient may appear normal between these attacks.
Hear how it sounds.

3. Convalescent stage: you finally get better in another 2-3 weeks.

--All adults 19 - 64 years old and especially those with infants should receive the new pertussis vaccine which is given as one shot in combination with the diphtheria/tetanus vaccine. It is not a live vaccine so there is no risk of getting the disease from the vaccine. It is considered safe and effective, however, its safety in pregnant women and in those over 65 has not yet been established. Teens 11 - 18 are also recommended to get the vaccine. The immunity from this vaccine is expected to last 6-10 years.

--All close contacts of a patient with whooping cough are recommended to be treated with Erythromycin or sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim for 14 days.

--The patient should be isolated for 5 days after antibiotic therapy has started, and contact with infants should be completely avoided.

Please contact your doctor if you have any concerns.

References:
http://www.medem.com/
http://www.whoopingcough.net/
www.chestnet.org
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/vaccine/tdap/tdap_adult_recs.pdf
The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics, Volume 48 (Issue 1226), Jan 16, 2006.
Photo courtesy of duke.usask.ca

Low Cost Life Insurance? It's Online

noreply@blogger.com (Sapawi) — Mon, 04 May 2009 14:23:00 +0000

Unless you're a carefree, 20-something single with no debt and no property, chances are you've at least thought about buying life insurance. Faced with the hassle of finding an agent, a carrier and a good deal (not to mention the health exam), you may even have considered making your purchase online.

It's a good idea for a number of reasons. First, by using online research tools - Web sites that allow you to compare rates from competing major companies - you improve your chance of getting a good deal. Second, online buying greatly reduces the time you will spend on the process.

"The traditional way of purchasing life insurance can take weeks from start to finish," notes MichaelRowell, CEO of Efinancial.com, a top shop-and-compare site for life insurance. "Online buying is typically much faster. For example, many of our clients can qualify for $300,000 in coverage almost instantly." Visit www.efinancial.com to compare policy quotes from major carriers such as AIG, Prudential and Transamerica.

The key to the quick turnaround and ease of purchase is that most Web sites are dealing with term life insurance policies. Term life insurance tends to be easier to qualify for and offers lower monthly premiums than other life insurance products. Many carriers offer term life products that don't even require a medical exam, although you will still have to complete (truthfully) a survey on your health status.

"Term life can be a great investment for a very wide range of consumer types," says Rowell. "Lower monthly premiums, ease of approval and the variety of products from top companies make term life appealing to many people. Plus, some companies now even offer a term life product that at the end of the term returns every penny of the premium you paid in over the life of the policy."

Applying online for life insurance also gives consumers greater flexibility in determining when they commit to a particular company or policy. While entering your information on some Web sites may result in endless phone calls or e-mails from marketers, Efinancial does not share applicant information. "You will only ever get a call from an Efinancial representative, and only after you've initiated the process by entering your information on our site," says Rowell. "We then act as facilitators to connect the consumer with an agent at the company of his or her choice."

The company uses a proprietary, patent-pending automation engine that speeds along the application process even faster than other online life insurance sites. By pairing applicants with an Efinancial representative who facilitates their application, the company combines the speed, convenience and flexibility of the Web with the personalized service traditionally provided by insurance agents.

To quickly compare quotes from top companies and secure speedy approval for your term life insurance application, visit www.efinancial.com.

Swine flu facts and fallacies

noreply@blogger.com (Sapawi) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 13:47:00 +0000

• What is swine flu?

Swine flu is a respiratory illness caused by a type A influenza virus, usually of the subtype H1N1, that triggers outbreaks in pigs fairly regularly. It can also be transferred from pigs to humans, from humans to pigs, and from humans to other humans.

Four main virus subtypes – H1N1, H1N2, H3N2 and H3N1 – have been isolated in pigs, though the virus, like all influenza viruses, constantly mutates. When influenza viruses from different species infect pigs, the viruses can trade genes to create new versions that mix swine, human and/or avian influenza.

The swine H1N1 virus is not the same as the human H1N1 virus, so vaccines for the latter won't protect from the former.

• Can humans catch swine flu?

Yes, but it is not common. Usually, this happens to people who are in contact with pigs, though there are some documented cases of human-to-human transfer. Human-to-human transmission is believed to occur much like the regular flu, through coughing, sneezing and other contact. Eating pork does not transmit the virus. The symptoms resemble those of the regular flu virus.

• How can swine flu be diagnosed and treated?

Diagnosing requires a respiratory specimen taken during the first four or five days of infection, to be analyzed in a lab. The virus seems to respond to antiviral drugs, including those Canadian health authorities have been stockpiling in case of a flu pandemic.

• When has it happened before?

The best-known case of swine flu is a 1976 outbreak at an army barracks in Fort Dix, N.J., which sickened four soldiers and killed one. There have been no major outbreaks of swine flu recorded in Canada.

• How is swine flu H1N1 virus different from SARS and avian flu H5N1 virus?

All three come from animals, but SARS, a corona virus, and the avian flu are poorly adapted to infecting humans. As a result, it is fairly difficult for humans to catch either virus or pass them on to others, though the effects can prove deadly when infection occurs.

SOURCES: Centers for Disease Control; World Health Organization; Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion

Influenza A virus subtype H1N1

noreply@blogger.com (Sapawi) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 13:35:00 +0000

H1N1 is a subtype of the species Influenza A virus. The "H" refers to the Hemagglutinin protein, and the "N" refers to the Neuraminidase protein. H1N1 has mutated into various strains including the Spanish Flu strain (now extinct in the wild), mild human flu strains, endemic pig strains, and various strains found in birds. A variant of H1N1 was responsible for the Spanish flu pandemic that killed some 50 million to 100 million people worldwide from 1918 to 1919. A different variant exists in pig populations.

Low pathogenic H1N1 strains still exist in the wild today, causing roughly half of all flu infections in 2006.^[2] When the 1918 virus was compared with human flu viruses in 2005, it was noticed that it had alterations in just 25 to 30 of the virus's 4,400 amino acids. These changes were enough to turn a bird virus into a version that was human-transmissible.

In April of 2009, an H1N1 outbreak killed over eighty in Mexico, and was believed to have infected more than 1500 individuals worldwide as of April 26, 2009. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control warned that it was possible the outbreak could develop into a pandemic.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

5 Link Building Tips for New Websites

noreply@blogger.com (Sapawi) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:15:00 +0000

[Editor's Note: Please welcome this guest post from TopRank Online Marketing Content Promotions Supervisor, Dana Larson on basic link building tactics for new web sites.]

Despite the constantly evolving nature of search engines and ranking methods, inbound links continue be a significant influence on website rankings. The higher quality the link, the more authority that link passes on.

Sites that have been live and active on the web for many years attract a substantial number of links when well promoted. But, what about those sites that are brand new? How should they go about getting quality links right off the bat?

Here is a list of 5 link building tactics for new websites to get them off on the right foot:

Links from Local Organizations - If your company is registered with the Better Business Bureau or the Chamber of Commerce, the links from these sites can be very relevant for geographically specific terms and topics. Also, locate other local businesses and organizations that maintain lists of businesses to request a link from.
Optimized Press Releases - Your business just launched or you have compelling news to announce - why not tell the world about it? There are many great press release distribution services available that will not only increase your brand visibility, but also earn you inbound links. Press releases that get picked up will often mention and link to the company being mentioned. Press releases that are copied whole, as content to blogs and information web sites will frequently retain any embedded links within the press release. However, the links in press releases hosted with wire services are commonly short term or devalued. See this past post for tips on press release optimization and distribution.
Reputable Directory Submissions - While some online directories have gotten a bad rap or have become irrelevant, certain directories can still pack a punch when done right. A few of these directories include Yahoo! Directory and Best of the Web. Also, if your business services a specific geographic area, find some good local directories to submit to, such as Google Local or use a service like GetListed. Optimizing and including your site in local data sources, search engines and directories can help boost your local search visibility.
Charity and Non-Profit Links - Does your company’s business model include philanthropy? When you make charitable contributions to organizations and non-profits, find out if it has a “Donors” list on its website and suggest a link.
Blog Based Link Building - If you’re thinking of starting a blog for your company, be sure to network online with complimentary blogs. Share industry news, original ideas and useful tips and you’ll attract links, often times, without asking. Link to other blogs in your industry, and reference fellow industry bloggers. They’ll notice and may link back. Links that come as a result of sharing useful blog content with others can attract traffic in the short term and boost search engine rankings overall. Just look at our own TopRank Online Marketing Blog with over 700,000 inbound links as an example.

When starting a link building campaign for new website, keep in mind relevancy and authority, because nothing beats a first impression. Whether the first external sites that link to your site make a difference in how search engines undstand and rank your web site may be up for debate, but the value of association on consumers that click, visit and share is unmistakable. Focus on attracting links that add value to web site visitors and best represent your most important keywords at the same time.

New version of female condom touted

noreply@blogger.com (Sapawi) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 05:25:00 +0000

Advocates hope to see greater use in global fight against AIDS

updated 3:59 p.m. ET April 16, 2009

NEW YORK - Advocates of the female condom are promoting a less costly, more user-friendly version that they hope will vastly expand its role in the global fight against AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

An early version of the female condom was introduced in 1993, and it remains the only available woman-initiated form of protection against both STDs and unintended pregnancy. Yet despite global promotion by the United Nations and other organizations, its usage is still minuscule, even as women bear an ever-growing share of the AIDS epidemic.

Advocates hope the dynamics will change following last month's approval by the Food and Drug Administration of the FC2, a new version of the female condom produced by the Chicago-based Female Health Co.

About 35 million female condoms were distributed worldwide last year, but that compares to more than 10 billion male condoms, which are far cheaper and, at least initially, easier to use. However, in some nations with high HIV rates, many men refuse to wear condoms, putting women at risk.

Though it looks similar to its predecessor — a soft, transparent sheath with flexible inner and outer rings — the FC2 is made from synthetic rubber rather than polyurethane, making it cheaper to produce.

Mary Ann Leeper, former president of Female Health Co. and now its strategic adviser, said the FC2 also is less noisy during use. Complaints about squeaky noises were among the factors that slowed acceptance of the original version.

Less costly than previous version
The cost of the FC2 is one-third less than its predecessor, and may go lower, enabling health organizations to distribute many millions more than at present. For now, the price is about 60 cents compared to less than 4 cents for mass-distributed male condoms — a difference that's an issue in the developing world.

The FC2 had been accepted previously by some international organizations, and the Female Health Co. distributed 14 million of them abroad last year along with 21 million of the older version. Advocates of the female condom praised the FDA announcement because it opens the door for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), one of the largest global providers of condoms, to distribute the FC2 overseas.

"This is a tremendous victory," said Susie Hoffman, an assistant professor of clinical epidemiology at Columbia University who contends the female condom has suffered from misconceptions.

"In the United States, there has been strong bias against it," Hoffman said. "Some people involved in AIDS and family planning would say, 'Why do we need these? ... It's so weird that women are not going to pick it up.'"

"But if presented in the right way, many women do like it," Hoffman said. "To find these people and help them and train them, you need systematic programming, which costs money."

Resistance is less of a problem in some developing nations. The U.N. Population Fund, government agencies and nonprofits are aggressively promoting female condoms in places such as Brazil, Ghana, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Women's groups in Zimbabwe collected more than 30,000 signatures demanding access to the female condom. In Ghana, nonprofits say more than 10,000 people have attended training programs that teach women how to insert female condoms — they require careful instruction to be used properly — and how to negotiate with their male partners.

Challenges of price, stigma
"The mindset is changing, but there are still a lot of challenges," said Bidia Deperthes, the Population Fund's HIV technical adviser for condoms. "Accessibility is still minimal. There's a huge demand, and we're not meeting it."

Deperthes hopes that with FDA approval of the FC2, the number of female condoms distributed globally could climb to 50 million this year. If the numbers keep rising, she said, the cost to public-sector distributors for each FC2 could drop as low as 25 cents.

Jeff Spieler, a science adviser with USAID's Office of Population and Reproductive Health, said the female condom's future may depend on whether its promoters can develop a private-sector market. Its commercial price in the United States generally has been more than $2.

Another challenge is a stigma associated with the female condom in some places because prostitutes are among those deemed to benefit most from using it. On the other hand, advocates of the female condom say it has invaluable safe-sex potential for married women whose husbands are unfaithful and shun male condoms.

Serra Sippel, executive director of the Center for Health and Gender Equity in Washington, said FDA approval of the FC2 is a key step toward "putting the power of prevention in women's hands." But she bemoaned the product's limited over-the-counter availability.

"We'd love to see the profile raised, to have commercials about it and normalize it so people aren't embarrassed," she said.

Mary Ann Leeper said the Female Health Co. is seeking a corporate partner to help market the FC2. She suggested that concern about HIV/AIDS may generate interest among women in communities with high infection rates.

The female condom's advocates stress that it will never be the "magic bullet" that by itself turns the tide in fighting AIDS. But, they say, it should be a bigger part of the arsenal.

"It's not going to be the one answer," Hoffman said. "But it's got a lot more to contribute than it has to date."

10 ways to save money in 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Sapawi) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 05:09:00 +0000

By Sharon Epperson

You bought a home to build wealth. It's your greatest asset. But now even if you can afford to pay the mortgage, your home is worth less than you paid for it. You've dutifully socked money away in your 401(k), IRA or another retirement account and the value of those investments has dwindled. Those credit cards? You know you should pay them off, but the interest rates are rising at the same time you're trying to whittle down the balance.

The financial pain for many Americans is intense, but would likely feel less acute if you had enough savings on hand. If you had money you could get to at any moment, it could cushion the difference between your income and your expenses, especially if you've been laid off.

Unfortunately, the 2008 National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) Financial Literacy Survey co-sponsored by MSN Money revealed that the majority of people don't have a sufficient emergency fund, defined as three to six months' income saved. More than one-third, or roughly 76 million adults, say they do not have any nonretirement savings. Although the majority of people are currently saving for retirement, more than one-quarter aren't saving.

Here are 10 ways to save in 2009. First step, start small.

Save for one month's expenses. Put 10% of your take-home pay into an interest-bearing savings account. Plan to have saved at least one month's worth of expenses — or better yet, one month's salary — by the end of the year.
Shop around for the best rate. The bank where you have your checking account may not offer good interest rates on a savings account. Compare rates at sites like Bankrate.com and SavingsAccounts.com. Make sure the institution is FDIC-insured. You can open an HSBC Direct online savings account with just one dollar and earn a 3% rate. No minimum balance required.
Make direct deposits from paycheck to savings. Some employers will allow you to designate several accounts for your paycheck. Have at least 10% of your paycheck directly deposited to savings, the rest to checking to cover monthly bills. If you can't do direct deposit, have the money automatically taken out of your checking account every month on payday.

Still not finding enough dollars to put into savings? Look harder. Here's how:

Cut back $10/month on 15 expenses. Examine your monthly expenses and see what you can cut out or cut back. If you could carve out $10 a month out of 15 different spending categories, you'd have $150 a month to go into your savings account. That means that in 12 months, you'd have built up a cushion of $1,800, which should see you through most short-term emergencies. (According to Consumer Reports, just brewing your own 16-oz. cup of coffee can save $350 a year.)

Put your raise, refund, monetary gifts right in the pot. Pretend you never received that windfall, however large or small. Since you weren't living on that money before, don't depend on it now. Use an income tax refund, if you're fortunate enough to get one, as the seed money for your savings. Perhaps it'll give you the funds you need for the first month of expenses, but remember your ultimate goal is to save for at least six months' worth.

Start saving for the holidays now. You probably did all of your holiday spending in the last six weeks — or less. Tally up your expenses for this holiday season, including gifts, travel, entertaining. Divide the total by 10 and contribute that amount to your savings each month from January to October. Next November you can start spending that amount, paying cash for your holiday purchases.

Reduce 401(k) contributions and put that money in savings. Continue to contribute enough money to your company's 401(k) to receive the matching contribution, if offered. But if you don't have sufficient cash savings, don't put in any more than that amount. Direct the excess percentage to your savings account. Don't suspend 401(k) contributions altogether, because it's still tax-deferred savings — a big plus. Just make sure you're able to put at least 10 percent of your take-home pay into cash savings. If you put in that amount, you may want to reduce your 401(k) contributions.

You'll also need to set goals for saving this one-month sum and then getting at least three to six times that amount into your cash savings account.

Here’s how to do it

Designate savings for "emergency" only. Many people regularly deposit money into savings only to pull it right back out. Define what constitutes an emergency, and don't touch the money unless it meets the definition. Also, don't keep your money in a checking account, as that makes it too easy to access.

Define your ultimate savings goal or goals. You need to start small, but don't forget the bigger picture. Ideally, to have a really comfortable cushion, you'll need to save at least three to six months' worth of income. In this economic environment, it's wise to set your savings goal at the high end of that range. Once you have your emergency fund in place, you may want to start a "car fund" or "house fund" or "debt reduction fund." Keeping different funds for each purpose can help you see how close you are getting to obtaining those specific goals.

Make saving a family affair. Set a family goal as well. Have your older children set a target of how much they plan to save (from baby-sitting, working at the supermarket or ice-cream store). Younger children can help you gather and count loose change and go with you to the bank to make the deposit. Let everyone know there will be a reward when the goal is met — a pizza party or night at the movies.

Finally, don't be afraid to ask for professional help. If you can't work out a budget on your own, go to a workshop or seminar at a certified credit counseling agency or hire a certified credit counselor. Find one that is certified by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling at www.debtadvice.org.

Women warned of ovarian cancer risk

noreply@blogger.com (Sapawi) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 13:58:00 +0000

Experts have urged women to be on their guard for ovarian cancer, which is more common than cervical cancer and claims more lives.

There has been an increase in the number of women going for cervical smears since the tragic death of Jade Goody from cervical cancer.

However, the charity Target Ovarian Cancer is concerned that women are less aware of ovarian cancer, a disease that affects around 6,800 women every year in the UK, making the nation's incidence of the disease one of the highest in Europe.

According to research, many women wrongly believe that a negative smear test also means they are clear of ovarian cancer.

Annwen Jones, chief executive of Target Ovarian Cancer, said that women should be given the correct facts.

'Sadly, cervical smears do not rule out ovarian cancer, which is more common and kills more women than cervical cancer. So women need to be on their guard,' he said.

'There is, as yet, no proven screening test for ovarian cancer and this makes it all the more vital for women to be aware of the symptoms of ovarian cancer especially if they have had a family history of breast or ovarian cancer or have already had breast cancer themselves.'

All health news
	Pregnancy complications reduced by good oral hygiene - 31 Mar 09 Medical professionals believe that expectant mothers could reduce the risk of complications in their pregnancies and newborn babies by paying closer attention to oral hygiene.

	Two new breast cancer genes discovered - 30 Mar 09 Scientists have found two new regions of the genome which alter a woman's risk of breast cancer.

	Broken heart 'can be mended by doctors' - 27 Mar 09 A broken heart can be mended, a study which appears in the American Journal of Cardiology suggests.

	Nine in ten Scottish schoolgirls receive first cancer vaccine dose - 27 Mar 09 Early indications suggest nine in ten schoolgirls in Scotland eligible for a cervical cancer vaccine have received the first dose.

	Pregnant women urged to give up smoking before too late - 27 Mar 09 Health experts have found women who give up smoking before the 15th week of their pregnancy can significantly reduce the health risks for their children.

Detroit Electric to build electric vehicles based on the Proton Persona and GEN 2

noreply@blogger.com (Sapawi) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 03:45:00 +0000

Posted by Harvinder at March 31, 2009

Dutch-based Detroit Electric has officially selected Malaysian-based auto maker Proton as a platform supplier for Detroit Electric’s emissions free, fully electric vehicles as both companies signed an agreement yesterday. Detroit Electric, which has Albert Lam as its front man will build electric cars based on the Proton Persona and the Proton GEN 2, dubbed as the Detroit Electric e63 and Detroit e46 respectively. Basically, Detroit Electric will buy the Proton Persona and Proton GEN 2 from Proton and fit an electric motor instead of the CamPro engine. Both models will be built in Proton’s Tanjung Malim plant.

Detroit Electric has released preliminary specifications of both these models. Both models are powered by an Axial Magnetic Flux electric motor that features 75 kW as its continuous power output, while being able to output 150 kW, or 200HP as its peak output. Torque figure is rated between 350Nm and 380Nm. We are not really sure what is meant by “continuous” power output, but we can speculate that it is the output which is available most of the time, meaning the peak power of 200HP is not available all the time. Another thing to note is that spirited driving may reduce driving range.

The GEN 2-based e46 (unfortunately not the BMW e46) features a 25 kWh Lithium Ion Polymer battery pack while the Persona-based e63 features a 40 kWh version. Both cars offer 180 kilometers and 320 kilometers in terms of driving range, respectively. The e46 needs 8 hours for a full re-charge while the latter requires 12.5 hours. Both cars can accelerate to 100 km/h in less than 8 seconds, and feature a governed top speed of 180 km/h. Both cars also feature other fitments such as ABS and EBD, auto cruising, GPS, 430 liters of trunk space, 16 inch alloy wheels and more. May I remind you again, these are preliminary specifications, but so far, it looks pretty good.

Continue reading for the rest of the report and to view more images of the Detroit Electric e46 and Detroit Electric e63, as well as to view three videos.

The Seven dieting sins and how to avoid them...

noreply@blogger.com (Sapawi) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 15:38:00 +0000

By Angela Dowden 2/03/2009

If you are regularly committing one of these seven deadly food sins you need to get your diet back on track.

Diet sins

The Sin: Shaking salt over food without tasting it

>Why it’s so bad Not only does salt cause high blood pressure – it can also make you bloated and puffy as it attracts excess water.

>Absolve yourself Taste before you shake. Wean yourself off slowly by cutting down over a couple of weeks. Experiment with herbs, pepper, lemon and chilli instead.

The Sin: Skipping breakfast

>Why it’s so bad Research shows that breakfast skippers are fatter and unhealthier than breakfast-eaters.

>Absolve yourself No more excuses. A bowl of high-fibre cereal with milk takes just five minutes, and if you’re really up against it you can eat a yoghurt and piece of fruit when you get to work.

The Sin: Shopping haphazardly

>Why it’s so bad Having unplanned supermarket forays means you’re more likely to choose the wrong balance of foods.

>Absolve yourself Make a list and never shop on an empty stomach. Internet shopping is also a good idea. You’re less likely to be distracted by treat foods and you can build up a list of healthy basics for repeat order.

>Why it’s so bad Feeling restrained or guilty about eating food can lead to bingeing.

>Absolve yourself “Make” yourself eat foods you’ve previously thought of as sinful every day in small amounts. Once you are able to master these foods instead of them mastering you, you’ll no longer have the urge to binge on them.

The Sin: Too many takeaways and fast food

>Why it’s so bad Eat them too often and you will greatly increase your chances of being overweight

>Absolve yourself Allow yourself one “fakeaway” a week – that’s a supermarket version which shows the calorie content.

The Sin: Not getting your daily quota of fruit and veg

>Why it’s so bad People who don’t eat lots of fruit and veg have more trouble controlling their weight and are more likely to develop heart disease and cancer.

>Absolve yourself Keep a food diary for a couple of days to see how much fruit and veg you are actually eating and then sneak in more. Try adding dried fruit to your cereal or whipping up a stir fry.

The Sin: Not watching what you spread

>Why it’s so bad Full fat butter or marg on just two slices of bread adds up to 148 calories and 16g fat .

>Absolve yourself Swap to a low-fat spread which on average will save you 74 calories per two slices.

Lose weight and feel great by dropping a dress size in six weeks with our Mirror Diets club

Mesothelioma Types

noreply@blogger.com (Sapawi) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 05:29:00 +0000

Mesothelioma is a cancer in which the lining of the three major organs of our body gets affected. These three organs are lungs (pleural lining), abdomen (peritoneum) and heart (pericardium). Depending upon the affected part, there are three types of mesothelioma, pleural mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma and pericardial mesothelioma.

The most common mesothelioma out of the three types is pleural mesothelioma. The symptoms of pleural mesothelioma are somewhat similar to lung cancer and often these symptoms are mistaken for lung cancer. The difference between them is that lung cancer developed due to malfunctioning of lung tissues, whereas pleural mesothelioma is developed due to malignancy of pleura, which is the lining of the lungs. The primary symptoms of pleural mesothelioma are shortness of breath, fatigue and chest pain. These symptoms occur due to the presence of excess fluid in the pleural cavity.

Peritoneal mesothelioma is another type of mesothelioma. The disease occurs due to malignancy of the peritoneum, the lining that cases the abdomen. Ingestion of fibrous materials especially asbestos is the most common cause of peritoneal mesothelioma. People working in industries where they are exposed to asbestos are at a higher risk of getting it.

The rarest type of mesothelioma is pericardial mesothelioma. This happens when the pericardium, which is the linings of the heart cavity, is affected. As in the lung, the rapid growth of the cancerous tumors can cause expansion of the tissue and accumulation of fluid. Some initial symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma are chest pain and persistent coughing. These symptoms occur due to the interference of fluid disturbing the functioning of the heart.

Tunica vaginalis testis is yet another type of mesothelioma, though only a handful of patients are affected by this disease. Tunica vaginalis testis is developed when fluid accumulates in a sac near the testicles. Removal of the affected testis is the appropriate treatment suggested by doctors.

http://www.mesotheliomawiki.org

Honda’s Ecological Drive Assist System (EDAS)

noreply@blogger.com (Sapawi) — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 04:00:00 +0000

Written by: Aaron Turpen

I think Treehugger.com is right when they call it the “Econo-Nag” system. It’s a speedometer that changes color according to how you’re driving. Remember the similar systems from Ford and Nissan we’ve talked about before, the Ford system using a similar color indicator and the Subaru using forced feedback on the throttle?

Well, it looks like Honda is in on the act. While this idea is pretty good and I’m sure that all major car companies (that don’t go bankrupt) will be sporting something similar soon, I tend to think it’s kind of a waste of time. Drivers generally know whether what they’re doing is “economical” or not and those that don’t likely won’t change just because some gadget is telling them to.

How many people do you know who drive around for months with a “check engine” light on because they know it’s just the computer telling them to spend $50 extra at the mechanic to have it plugged in and turned off? I confess that I personally know how and have overridden this in my wife’s Honda using nothing but a screwdriver and a chunk of spare speaker wire.

What will happen is these will be all the marketing craze over the next year or two and then will be forgotten because most of us (or at least, those who have them) will learn to ignore them just as we ignore most over-played television commercials and skip over get-rich-quick websites without even blinking.

Source: Treehugger

How to Increase Blogs Traffic

noreply@blogger.com (Sapawi) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 06:18:00 +0000

Submitting your site

All search engines require that a form be completed before a search is done. Each search engine

has its own form. The following is a list of links to some search engines:

■ All the Web — www.alltheweb.com/help/webmaster/submit site

■ Ineedhits — www.ineedhits.com/submission/submissionservices.aspx

■ Excite — https://client.enhance.com/ols/index.do

■ Google — www.google.com/addurl.html

■ Search Europe — www.searcheurope.com/submit

■ Gigablast — http://www.gigablast.com/index.php?page=

about&subPage=addUrl

■ Yahoo! — http://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com/submit

■ Microsoft — http://search.msn.com/docs/submit.aspx

Going to each of these pages requires that a comprehensive registration form for each site be

completed. This can be labor-intensive.

Comfort First For Intimate Lingerie

noreply@blogger.com (Sapawi) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 11:00:00 +0000

When it comes to wearing lingerie, the number one thing that ladies look for is comfort. They can be meticulous with the design and style, with the fabric it is made of, even with the color and other minute details but first and foremost they are truly concerned for the comfort and are after for it beyond anything else. Undergarment companies understand the need of woman to feel comfortable wearing lingerie that they even conduct research and interviews and apply certain technology in manufacturing undergarments to come up with something that ensures comfort and much needed support. Every time a new line of lingerie is being presented and promoted, expect that the companies behind them have got something to offer like perhaps a more fitting body contour design or better quality of materials.

Makers of intimate lingerie know for a fact that women nowadays are engage in more activities than ever before and therefore they are more mobile. They just don't stay at home cooking, gardening, knitting and attending to various household chores. Well, they still do those things but more activities were added on their list. Most women go to work, engage in outdoor and recreational activities, go to the gym and do sports. Simply put, women are more active these days and it means that they needed all the comfort and support they could get from they undergarments. Some of the latest innovations in lingerie-making are the following:

• Strapless brassiere are great when you wear tubes or off-shoulder clothes however, many women have complained that the metal underwire is very uncomfortable.

• Brassieres with detachable plastic straps (stretchable and are more comfortable to use, also comes in a variety of color to match a particular outfit, some are even transparent to make the appearance of the bra strap less noticeable since there would be certain occasions where an exposed strap is perceived to be a major turn off)

• Seamless lingerie (the no-trace rule applies here, for those women who would be wearing tight pants or those made of Lycra (like jogging pants and gym outfits) and other body-hugging clothes and do not wish that their panty lines show whenever they bend or twist or walk)

• For lactating mothers, a brassiere that opens are designed to suit their needs. This is so that they do not need to remove the bra when they are breast feeding.

• Body-hugging lingerie (for a more defined body contour the elicits that sexy confidence)

• Breathable bras and underwear are the product of latest technology called the 'breathing technology'. This lets the skin breathe and as a result very comfortable for the wearer.

You can sometimes ague about quality over cost. The good lingerie is often costly which is why not many will be able to afford them. However, if you are willing to wait for sale season, you might just be lucky enough to get them for a friction of the cost.

The materials that are used to make the intimate lingerie and undergarment plays an important role in making it comfortable to wear. Listed below are the three most common type of materials often used to make them:

• Cotton

Lingerie made of cotton are not only reasonably priced but also comfortable to wear especially for those who leads an active life. This type of undergarment will be able to absorb sweat therefore making the skin comfortable to breathe.

• Silk

Silk is a luxurious material and with that comes the expensive price tag. Undergarment and intimate lingerie made from silk will also carry that luxurious and silky feel on the body. Silk is also cooling for the skin. Because of its luxurious trademark, silk is always associated with the royalty and they have been known to wear silk for special occasion.

• Satin

Satin undergarment and lingerie are much more affordable than those made from silk. They are smooth and sensual therefore can ignite passion when worn or felt by the skin. Men like the feel of satin nightgowns because of this. Satin, although smooth and soft is very durable and they can last long and even without the care and attention given to them like silk.

Raymond Plona is the leading marketer for adult costumes and his store holds plenty of different thematically outfits for different occasions. Some examples are elf costumes, Thanksgiving costumes, Easter bunny costumes, poodle skirt costumes, intimate lingerie, pirate costumes and so on. Visit for more details.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Raymond_Plona

Honda Accord achieves 5 star EuroNCAP rating

noreply@blogger.com (Sapawi) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 16:31:00 +0000

Honda Accord is yet another car to achieve this prestigious safety rating system across its range. The rating itself has changed slightly as the previous car had a 5 star adult rating, 4 star child rating and a 3 star pedestrian rating, the new rating is a scoring system that takes to account, adult, child, pedestrian safety, and electronic safety assistance.

If a car reaches a mark of over 70% this would validate a 5-star Euro NCAP rating which the Accord gets at 78%. It has to be said that the Accord only gets this rating with the safety assistance devices (VSA according to Honda) if it is fitted in 85% of the 2009 Euro line-up as standard.

Along with the standard safety systems that achieved the 5-star Euro NCAP rating, the Accord also includes, Passive Dynamic Systems, Vehicle Stability Assist, Motion Adaptive Electric Power Steering, Advance Driving Assist, and Advance Compatibility Engineering body structure, some available on request.

The selling point of Honda at the Geneva Motor show will highlight these particular features.

Related Stories:

From : iCars Singapore website

The Basics on How To Start Making Money with Adsense

noreply@blogger.com (Sapawi) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 16:22:00 +0000

Adsense is considered as one of the most powerful tool in a website publisher’s

arsenal. It enables a person to monetize their sites easily. If used properly, it can
generate a very large and healthy income for them. However if you are not using

them rightly and just maximizing the income you squeeze from it, you are actually

leaving a lot of money on the table. Something all people hate doing.

How you can start earning money with Adsense can be done easily and quickly. You
will be amazed at the results you will be getting in such a short period of time.
Start by writing some quality content articles which are also keyword incorporated.
There are a lot of people given the gift of being good with words. Writing comes
easy for them. Why not make it work in such a way that you will be earning some
extra cash in the process.

There are actually three steps to put into mind before you begin writing your ads
and having an effective Adsense.

Keyword search.
Find some popular subjects, keywords or phrase. Select the
ones which you think has more people clicking through. This is actually a keyword
selector and suggestion tool that some sites are offering to those who are just their
Adsense business.

Writing articles.
Start writing original content with keywords from the topics that
you have achieved in your search. Take note that search engines are taking pride in
the quality of their articles and what you will be writing should keep up with their
demands.

Quality content site.
Build a quality content site incorporated with Adsense ads
that is targeting the subject and keywords of your articles and websites. This is

where all that you’ve done initially will go to and this is also where they will prove
their worth to you.

From>>>http://howyoucanmakemoneyoninternet.blogspot.com

Berjaya dalam Temuduga Kerajaan

noreply@blogger.com (Sapawi) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 16:06:00 +0000

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Dengan krisis ekonomi yang melanda dunia sekarang ini, Malaysia tidak terkecuali turut menerima kesannya. Ianya bakal menyaksikan beratus-ratus ribu pekerja diberhentikan . Apakah nasib mereka seterusnya bagi menyara kehidupan mereka dan juga keluarga mereka...Sungguh kasihan..