Trick n Tips 4 U: Useful and Informative

Make A Successful Yuletide Get Together

noreply@blogger.com (cheri) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 06:09:00 -0800

Don't be afraid to keep things new and fresh when it comes to your holiday gathering.

That's the advice from Calgary party planner Sharon Berwick, who suggests looking for new locations to keep things fun for your guests.

"We do a lot of art galleries, that's been done but if you haven't done that before that's a great idea," says Berwick.

People are doing anything and everything from the holiday season as they strive for more ways to keep things old fashioned.

"Skating parties are really fun where you can rent a skating rink and do an old-fashioned party," she says. "Especially when you're working with children."

Themes are also a great way to get people interactive and getting your guests out of their comfort zone.

"There's some really great acts and people come out and serve you the food," she says. "Then you pretend to spill on someone whose part of a cast, they get onto the stage and are the show."

The party planner says she's also seen parties where artists paint to music upside down, spin it around and it's suddenly Einstein.

Berwick adds, she's noticed that there's been a return to the basics this year.

"CEO's are doing small family parties and are inviting their key employees in a small office," she says.

"People are conscious of their money and optics are important because they have to worry about what their shareholders will see."

iContact: Email & Social Media Marketing Software

noreply@blogger.com (cheri) — Mon, 5 Sep 2011 19:09:00 -0700

We are email marketing experts since 2003, headquartered in Morrisville, NC

We deliver an industry-leading email marketing solution

Focus on People

iContact's proven and industry-leading email marketing software empowers businesses to engage, educate and retain customers, targeted prospects and website visitors – and ultimately maximize ROI. With headquarters in Raleigh-Durham, NC, since 2003, iContact currently provides email marketing software to over 600,000 users across the globe.
It's clear we focus on our customers, but iContact also values employees and community, which is why we express our vision as: "Build a great global company based here in North Carolina for our customers, employees and community."

Focus on Value

At iContact, the goal is to add value and solve problems for our customers, employees and our community. Here's how:

For Customers: Empower small business with the tools they need to grow and prosper.
For Employees: Create an extraordinary working environment to best support and attract A+ talent.
For Community: To make a positive wake locally and nationally by making "service" a responsibility.

Focus on Features

iContact's innovative email marketing software makes it easy for small to mid-sized businesses to create and send professional quality email messages, newsletters and campaigns. Through our comprehensive, yet easy-to-understand reporting dashboard, customers can monitor email campaign effectiveness and track opens, clicks and more – in real time.

Focus on Trust

We are proud to be a trusted email marketing solution that individuals and businesses can depend on. For iContact – and for iContact customers – success is inextricably linked to deliverability (an email's ability to reach a recipient's inbox). Given our industry-leading deliverability rating, it is no surprise that customers worldwide trust iContact.

One of Many Features

Direct Email Marketing

At iContact, we always ask ourselves,
"If our customers could design their ultimate email marketing feature set, what would it look like?"

We handpick and develop each and every feature with our customers in mind, so we can proudly answer, "It would look just like this."

And as our customers would wish, all of these direct email marketing features – standard or advanced – are included in our low-priced product, free of charge.

Some of our most popular features include:

Grow and Manage Your Contacts

Create lists, add contacts and divide lists into segments all within minutes. You can even create custom fields for mail-merge personalization and generate a sign-up form to place on your website. iContact provides all the direct email marketing tools you need, whether your list is 100 contacts, 100,000 contacts or more. Click here to learn more

Create Your Message

Our message creation tools provide you with an easy-to-use editor, the flexibility to choose from hundreds of pre-designed templates from our library, image hosting and SpamCheck™ assistance. We even provide survey functionality included with your account, so you can learn more about your customers the easy way: by asking them. Click here to learn more

Send Your Emails

A third-party company, Pivotal Veracity, scores our email deliverability rates over 99%. Any contact who has unsubscribed or has an invalid email address will automatically be removed from receiving your message. In addition, our Schedule-Delivery option allows you to work when you want, and send when you want. Click here to learn more

Track Your Emails

These reports allow you to see opens, clicks, bounces, successful deliveries, unsubscribes and message forwards for each of your emails. Using this data, you can track the performance of your direct email marketing efforts. We provide you with reports to compare the results from different emails, view your sending history in detail and get results from surveys you've sent. Click here to learn more

Integrations and 3rd Party Apps

Harness the power of iContact in the applications you use for your business. Whether you are an iContact user or a developer, we offer the tools and plug-ins you need to take advantage of our software. Click here to learn more

Best And Worst Ways To Hydrate Your Summer Workout

noreply@blogger.com (cheri) — Wed, 3 Aug 2011 00:17:00 -0700

According to a new report from the CDC, nearly 6,000 people will go to the emergency room this summer for heat illnesses related to sports and exercise. Dehydration is a major culprit of these ER visits, and it's also easily preventable.

We spoke to top nutritionists to find out the best and worst ways to hydrate if you're planning on outdoor exercise. Of course, the number one choice is plain water -- our experts recommend aiming for 20 ounces two hours before a workout --but if you're looking to mix things up a bit, here are some good options, along with some ones to avoid.

GOOD: Coconut Water

BAD: Soda

GOOD: Infused Water

BAD: Energy Drinks

GOOD: Fruits

GOOD: Chocolate Milk

BAD: Seltzer

GOOD: Vegetables

BAD: Super-Cold Drinks

GOOD: Caffeinated Drinks

BAD: Alcohol

It may seem totally obvious, but if you're lazing around on a summer afternoon, have a cocktail, and decide to go for a run a few hours later, you could start off dehydrated before you take your first step.

"Alcohol dehydrates you, plain and simple," says Newgent. "You can drink in the summer, but always do it after workouts, not before, and always have at least a cup of water between drinks."

Courtesy: www.huffingtonpost.com/

What is the Opposite of Nocturnal?

noreply@blogger.com (cheri) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 19:03:00 -0700

Let us define first what is nocturnal?
–adjective

1. of or pertaining to the night.

2. done, occurring, or coming at night: nocturnal visit.

3. active at night: nocturnal animals.

4. opening by night and closing by day, as certain flowers.

(source: dictionary.com)

Now, what is the opposite of Nocturnal?

Answer: Diurnal is the opposite of nocturnal. It describes animals that are active during the day.

Example of animals that are active during night time:

Where did the Jews Originate?

noreply@blogger.com (cheri) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 18:33:00 -0700

The term "Jews" is first used in the Old Testament in the Book of Esther. It refers to the people, primarily members of the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi, who were exiled from the Land of Israel when the Kingdom of Judah was defeated.
Background: After the time of King Solomon (David's son) the nation of Israel split into 2 kingdoms: the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah. The Kingdom of Judah's capital was Jerusalem, on the border between the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and included those 2 tribes, and the tribe of Levi (who were very connected to the Temple in Jerusalem). The Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah were both defeated and forced into exile. As with most exiled kingdoms, the exiles from the Kingdom of Israel did not maintain any national or religious identity. The Kingdom of Judah, on the other hand, maintained many attributes of a nation, including a connection to a land and a set of beliefs (which of course includes many variations). Many of them returned to the Land of Israel after approximately 70 years in exile, and re-established their kingdom in Israel for roughly 400 years before being defeated by the Romans.
It is true that the Kingdom of Judah (and therefore the Jews) does includes only part of the original Nation of Israel, but 2 relevant points:

According to the censuses in the Bible, the Kingdom of Judah was similar in size to the Kingdom of Israel, and included more than just the tribe of Judah, so the claim that "Jews" refers to just 1/12 of the original Nation of Israel is inaccurate.
The Kingdom of Israel was disbursed, and maintained no connection to their original identity. Therefore the Jews constitute the only group that considers themselves to be part of the original convenant between God and the Nation of Israel, and bound by that covenant.

Some other thoughts from the community:

The Land of Israel

In Israel. Read the books of Genesis, Exodus, Judges, 1st and 2nd Samuel and 1st Kings to get a good idea of their early history. They wound up scattered all over Europe because the Romans destroyed their country and deported them in 72 A.D.
Jewish tradition names Abraham as their first ancestor. He came from Ur, and was most likely a tribal leader who brought his people west towards Canaan, a land promised to his descendants by God. Contemporary writings attest to a group of tribes known as "Habiru", "Hapiru" or "Abiru" that came from the deserts and cities of Iran and Iraq. They seem to be separate from the nomads and bedouins we know of today, and held quite a lot of power, and posed a threat to the kingdoms already occupying the lands they passed through. The Bible shows Abraham in contact with several of these kingdoms, possibly as a mercenary, and he bought land in Hebron as a burial ground for his wife and himself.
The Jews were probably a loose confederation of different tribes, some of which went to Egypt during times of famine and gradually came to be slaves until the great Exodus. The Bible makes it clear that there were already kinsmen of theirs in Canaan, when they came back and gradually took over the land of the ancient Canaanites, as promised by God.
Like most other nations, they probably originated as groups of separate peoples, who came together during times of stress, unified by a common God and history.

The Tribe of Judah

The Jews did not originate with Abraham, as the previous writer thought.
The word "Jew" is simply a shortened version of "Judah" (The first mention of the word "Jew" in the Bible is found in II Kings 16:6 which shows Israel at war with the Jews.) They, by themselves, were not "God's chosen people"- the nation of Israel as a whole was, although God later rejected them because they rejected Him.
To think that Israel means Jew is erroneous. All Jews were Israelites, (just as Californians or Texans are American), but NOT all Israelites are Jews. The "Jews" as we know them are descendants of Judah- one of the 12 sons of Jacob, the GRANDSON of Abraham. Jacob's name was later changed to Israel by God, Himself.
All 12 sons had families who grew to become "tribes", ( extended families). All 12 tribes were slaves in Egypt. All 12 tribes left Egypt under Moses and Aaron, and eventually settled in the land of Canaan. For nearly 400 years there was no real Nation of Israel- simply a loose confederation of the 12 tribes. Saul was made the first King of "Israel", about 1090 BC, but it took David, a "man after God's own heart", to actually truly unite the 12 tribes and form the Nation of Israel. After David's death, Solomon ruled and Israel reached its zenith as a nation. Following Solomon's death, however, the people revolted, from the heavy taxation Solomon's successor, Rehoboam instilled upon them. The nation split- with 10 tribes following another leader- Jeroboam, and only the tribes of Judah and Benjamin staying loyal to the House of David, (together with the Levites, who, as keepers of the tabernacle and temple, had no inheritance- no land of their own.)
At this point, the history of Israel as a single, unified nation of 12 tribes ceases, and two separate nations emerge- Israle (The northern 10 tribes), and JUDAH, the southern 2 tribes -plus the Levites.
For over 200 years the two nations existed side by side, sometimes aligning with each other, other times warring with each other, until 721 BC when the nation of Israel was carried away captive by the Assyrians. At that point "Israel" ceased to exist in history. The Assyrians repopulated the area Israel had occupied with foreign captives, who became known as Samaritans.
In 586 BC, Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon carried Judah away captive, and for 70 years they remained captives, under the Babylonian and Medeo-Persian Empires. Cyrus the Great, the Persian emperor issued a decree that all who wished could return to Judah, to "build a house for God", in about 485 BC.
It was THESE captive Jews- remnants of the nation of Judah, who returned, and refounded the nation. These people became known once again as "Jews", which really is a colloquialism, just as Americans are called "Yanks" or New Zealanders are called "Kiwis".
The rest of the nation of Israel- the other ten tribes, taken captive 130 years earlier by the Assyrians- never returned to their land after being taken captive. They became known in history as the "Lost Ten Tribes", although they never were lost. They simply migrated through Asia and Europe, becoming the early ancestors of many European people today.
In summary- the Jews were and are descendants of Abraham, but it is a mistake to say they were Israel of the old testament- they were merely a part of Israel, and later were a separate nation. They WERE and still ARE Israelites, but only constitute 1/12 of the family of Israel. The books of Kings and Chronicles detail the events of the two SEPARATE kingdoms. Ezra and Nehemiah chronicle the events of JUDAH, (The Jews who were taken captive by Babylon), AFTER their return from captivity. The modern nation of Israel, set up by the UN in 1948, mainly consists of descendents of the Tribe of Judah-not the ancient nation of Israel.

reference: www.referencemonster.com

How Big is the Earth?

noreply@blogger.com (cheri) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 19:50:00 -0700

This will make you feel very very very very small. The Earth is not that big, after all.

Tiger attacked by a tiny creature!

noreply@blogger.com (cheri) — Wed, 6 Jul 2011 19:53:00 -0700

Size isn't everything, sometimes it's all about the surprise and even the most ferocious animals can get spooked.
Check out this video to see a tiger, who was just minding his own business, lose his cool when his space is invaded by a feathered friend.
We're not sure what the tiger did, but that's definitely one angry bird.

WATCH:

Top Craziest Swimsuits Tips

noreply@blogger.com (cheri) — Mon, 4 Jul 2011 02:03:00 -0700

Jaws vs. Little Mermaid Swimsuit. (Link)

The Darkside Swimsuit. (Link)

No word if you can swim in this one, but you definitely can't lie on your stomach to even out your tan. Despite the suits impracticality it is certainly on-trend. Complete with a studded inflatable ring, this dangerous swimsuit is the creation of Rio Maddison, a fashion student at Northumbria. (Link)
Vintage Cat Swimsuit by Fiorucci. (Link | Via)

Weird. (Link)

This isn't just some whimsical, longing nerddream, but an actual one-piece bathing suit. Designed by James Lillis, the “Artoo” is inspired by the distinctive look of beloved astromech droid and fashion icon R2-D2. (Link)

2008 Beijing Olympic Swimsuit. (Link)

Tuxedo swimsuit. (tuxikini?)

The Spanish synchronized swimming team in awesome skeleton swimsuits in Rome 2009. (Link)

Bottle Betty suits have a built in bottle opener on the top and on the bottom that replace the usual swimwear accent pieces, but have the added benefit of opening a bottle. Popping tops will never be the same! (Link | Via)

Zigzag swimsuit where the tan lines will reveal the designer. (Danielle Scutt) (Link)

Telly Nigella's bizarre swimsuit: looks like a burqini with a cap to me. (Link)

courtesy www.oddee.com

Have you asked how fishes breathe underwater?

noreply@blogger.com (cheri) — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 02:22:00 -0700

Sometime ago we looked at the question What happens to marine life when a lake or pond is frozen?. But have you ever wondered how fishes breathe in water much less to survive in a frozen pond or lake? Well, if this makes you ponder then read on. Water is the most abundant substance on earth that covers about 70 percent of the earth's surface. Thus, it is the home of various living organisms of which one such is fish. Water provides many functions that are essential to all known forms of life one of which is to provide a medium for aquatic animals to live and call their home. Such a home can be a; lake, pond, sea, river and stream just to name a few.

What is a fish
Fish is any cold-blooded (poikilothermic) vertebrate animal that lives in water. It typically has jaws, fins, scales, a slender body, a two-chambered heart, and gills for providing oxygen to the blood. Thus, in simple terms, fish is a cold-blooded strictly aquatic vertebrate (animal with backbones) with gills. Fishes live in nearly every water habitat such as in fresh water like springs, swamps, lagoons, reservoirs, lakes and ponds and in salty water such as the ocean. They can be found in many climatic conditions from near-freezing Arctic waters to the hot desert springs.

Click image to enlarge
Fish being an aquatic animal, has a respiratory system that is different from that of animals that live on land. It is capable of breathing under water without making frequent trips to the surface to breathe air like marine mammals such as the Whale (see discussion below for more details). This is due to the fact that fishes have a breathing organ known as gills. This is made up of thin feathery sheets of tissue membrane containing many blood vessels through which oxygen passes allowing fishes to breathe.

How fish breathe
The process begins by water in the fish’s surrounding entering its mouth‘s. Water enters the mouth by a very effective pumping system that involves the mouth and the outer flexible bony flap that cover the gills called the operculum. This is achieved by the opening and closing of the fish's mouth as it pumps water through the gills. When the fish’s mouth is open, the operculum closes and water is drawn into the fish’s mouth. Conversely, when the fish closes its mouth, the operculum opens and fresh water is then allowed to flow across the gills.

Click to enlarge image
After water enters the fish's mouth it passes through a structure called the gill rakers. The function of the gill rakers is to act as a filter system by sieving out particles such as food or any other foreign particles that may have entered the mouth from the inflow of water. The filtered water then travel through the gill arches thus passing over the gills (see above diagram). Here each gill consists of two rows of extremely thin membranes called gill filaments. The structure of the gill filaments consist of sequence rows of a thin, disc-like membrane loaded with a capillary network called lamellae. Gill filaments which are projected out into the water flow allows water to flow across the lamellae. This will result in gas exchange where, oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged directly across the capillary membrane.

As water flows through the gills, the oxygen it contains (dissolved oxygen) passes into blood circulating through the gill structures (filaments and lamellae) while simultaneously, carbon dioxide ( the waste product) in the fish’s bloodstream passes into the water. This deoxygenated water is then carried away and out of the body through the operculum. This process repeats itself continually and this is the process by which fish breathe. This is process is also known as respiration.

Discussion:
Whales and dolphins are they fish?
Whales and dolphins are not fish. The definition of a fish is explained and defined in the above article. They are mammals just like humans and breath air using lungs, give birth to live young (rather than laying eggs), and feed their young with their mother's milk. Fish use their gills to extract oxygen from the surrounding water in which they live but mammals on the other hand ( such as humans , whales and dolphin) get the oxygen they need by breathing air, using their lungs. This explains why they come to the surface of the ocean. They have a hole (their nose) in the flat part of the middle of their heads called blow holes which closes when the whale or dolphin is under water and it opens when they are at the surface and need to breathe. The reason why warm-blooded animals like whales breath air like humans is due to the fact that it would be hard to extract enough oxygen from their water surrounding using gills. furthermore, air has approximately 20 times more oxygen in it when compared to the same volume of water. While on the other hand, fish being a cold-blooded animal take on the temperature of their surroundings and uses less energy than that of warm blooded animals which convert the food that they eat into energy to adjust their body temperature. This reduces oxygen demands for fishes thus, gills work best with fishes.

What’s the purpose of fish nostrils?
It is important to note that although fish have nostrils they play no role in respiration but are rather used only for a sense of smell.

Why humans (mammals) don’t breath under water?
Most animals including humans had gills in their early fetal stage of development in the womb. However, they lost this organ further into their development since it has no essential function toward sustaining and maintaining live. Therefore animals, as well as, humans cannot breathe underwater because our lungs do not have enough surface area, that is necessary to absorb enough oxygen from water. Furthermore, the lining in our lungs is adapted to handle air rather than water. Fish on the other hand, retained these gills, which are necessary for their survival in their environment ( water medium ). Gills are very efficient at removing oxygen from water due to their feathery structure that greatly increases the surface area for gas exchange. Hence, gills play an important role in the anatomy of fish.

Where does the oxygen come from that the fish breathes?
Water is formed from the combination reaction of hydrogen gas (H2) and oxygen gas (O2) to produce liquid water (H2O). In other words, each molecule of water is made up of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. However the oxygen that fish breath is not the oxygen found in H2O - the molecular formula of water. The oxygen in liquid water is bound to two hydrogen atoms forming water molecules, thus oxygen from is not free to take part in respiration. Therefore the fish cannot breathe the resulting liquid water, and the oxygen gas (O2) that the fish breaths comes from that which is dissolved in the water. Hence, fish "breathe" the dissolved oxygen out of the water using their gills. This also means that if there is not enough dissolved oxygen in the water, then the fish can suffocate, just as humans and other animals will if there is not enough oxygen in the air that we breathe.

Why some fish thrive in specific habitats?
This is due to the fact that some fish require more oxygen than others. This means that different aquatic environments, have different levels of dissolved oxygen content that suits some fish over others, due to the effective pumping system that extracts oxygen from its surrounding. Some fish have an effective pumping system that involves the mouth and the operculum however, their are some such as the tuna that have a much less effective pumping system and requires constant movement to keep oxygenated water flowing over their gills.
Other fishes deal with this by finding an ideal habitat. In northern streams the water is very cool thus resulting in the water retaining high levels of dissolved oxygen. An example of a fish that needs this high oxygen content is the trout. It is a very active fish and its demand for oxygen is high so the extra oxygen is a necessity. Conversely, warm water and stagnant water has much less dissolved oxygen content and fish with are not that active and have a slower metabolic rate strive well in these habitat. Carp is one such fish, their demand for oxygen is relatively low.

Did you know? - some interesting facts about fish.

a scientist who studies fish is called an ichthyologist

Fish are divided into three main groups: jawless fish, cartilaginous fish, and bony fish.

A seahorse is actually a fish.

The largest fish is the great whale shark which can reach fifty feet in length and weigh up to 15 tons.

The smallest fish is the Philippine goby that is less than 1/3 of an inch when fully grown.

The fastest fish is the sailfish. It can swims at more than 60 miles an hour.

A walking catfish can live out of water for days at a time. They have a special chamber in their lungs to help them breathe.

There are over 25,000 identified species of fish on the earth.

There are more species of fish than all the species of amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals combined.

Some deep-sea fishes attract prey with specialized light organs.( e.g. Anglerfish)

Most fishes sleep with their eyes open. Those that don't, rest by staying in one spot while not swimming around.

Some fish like sharks don't posses an air bladder to help keep them afloat and must either swim continually or rest on the bottom.

Some species of fish can fly (glide) others can skip along the surface and others can even climb rock.

Fish have a specialized sense organ called the lateral line which works much like radar and helps them navigate in dark or murky water. It also detect changes in water temperature, pressure, current, etc. courtesy http://www.myuniversalfacts.com/2006/

Your swirls: tips of how your hair can say a lot about you

noreply@blogger.com (cheri) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 17:43:00 -0700

Did you know about hair whorl?

Counterclockwise scalp hair-whorls appear more frequently in gay men than in the general population, apparently

Amidst the swirls of controversy that buffet other sexuality researchers, one man focuses, quietly, on swirls. In a monograph called Excess of Counterclockwise Scalp Hair-Whorl Rotation in Homosexual Men, Dr Amar J S Klar announces a subtle discovery. "This is the first study," he writes, "that shows a highly significant association of biologically specified counterclockwise hair-whorl rotation and homosexuality in a considerable proportion of men in samples enriched in gays."

Klar heads the developmental genetics section of the gene regulation and chromosome biology laboratory at the National Cancer Institute in Frederick, Maryland. His hair-swirl study appears in a 2004 issue of the Journal of Genetics.

The phenomenon is easy to overlook. Klar explains:
"Since the hair whorl is found at the top ('crown') of the head and thereby it is difficult to observe one's own whorl and the direction of orientation is seemingly an unimportant feature, most people are oblivious to the direction of their hair-whorl rotation. It takes two mirrors to observe one's own hair-whorl." His monograph includes a photograph showing the "scalp hair whorl of an anonymous man selected from the general public", and directs the reader to hold that picture in front of a mirror in order to "appreciate the counterclockwise orientation".

How difficult is it to collect hair-whorl-direction data? Klar explains that he, for one, got lucky:
"By chance I happened to be vacationing at a beach where a preponderance of gay men was fortuitously noticed. The subjects were considered to be homosexuals because of their public display of stereotypical interpersonal relationship deemed typical of homosexual men. This assessment was reinforced by the dearth of females and children on the beach ... Conveniently, the gay men were highly concentrated in one area of the beach. Such considerations made it relatively easy to collect the data on groups of predominantly gay men with great confidence even though the subjects were not asked for their sexual preference."

A year later, Klar returned to the same beach and collected another load of data.
He reports that "altogether in a combined sample of 272 mostly gay men observed, 29.8% exhibited counterclockwise hair-whorl orientation". This, he says, is "vastly different from the value of 8.4% counterclockwise rotation found in the public at large, which included both males and females".

The study does not take account of the erstwhile hair-whorl directionality of persons who are now bald. Klar explicitly excluded them from consideration, along with anyone who was wearing a sun hat.

Klar suggests a direction for further exploration: "It should be equally interesting to compare the proportions of clockwise and counterclockwise hair-whorl orientations in lesbian women with those in females at large."

The report ends with a simple notice that deftly fends off the research-is-a-waste-of-government-money crowd: "Author's personal funds were used for the study". Marc Abrahams

Shocking Banned Advertising Campaign

noreply@blogger.com (cheri) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 02:31:00 -0700

Diesel ‘Be Stupid’ Ads Banned for Being Indecent and Antisocial

For those who are adventurous and have the guts to do something offbeat would love these creative ads. These images are sure to zap you in case you haven’t seen these earlier. These portray sheer courage and are pretty blunt too. It is rightly said that when the message is depicted in the raw form it meets the targeted audience in a far better manner.

However, on the lighter side you’d probably not preach the same concept when out on roads or amongst the friends. Although it might help you in drawing their attention but a permanent concentration can ruin your image. So better not stick to the idea and understand the hidden message behind the Diesel ‘Be Stupid”.

Its being banned for portrayed a strong unexpected image of femininity.

Hair Rebonding Technique & Tips

noreply@blogger.com (cheri) — Fri, 3 Jun 2011 20:17:00 -0700

If you were to ask any woman on the streets, chances are that you will learn that most women desire for beautiful hair and this is where hair rebonding can help turn that desire into a reality! Rebonding of hair is a type of hair treatment which can help change the way you feel and look. Now, before you fix an appointment for hair rebonding with your hair stylist, you will first need to find out as much information about it as possible. By being knowledgeable and prepared for this hair treatment process, you can ensure that you receive the best service and care for your hair rebond.

What is Hair Rebonding?

This is a hair treatment process in which the chemical bonds in your hair are broken, rearrange and then permanently bonded backwards using some really powerful chemicals. Prices for this hair bonding treatment can vary across different hair salons due to the type of products used, your hair type, service provided as well as post treatment care. Once your hair has been straightened out, you will have to touch up on the new growth every 6 months to a year, depending on your hair growth.

Hair Rebonding Procedure & Tips

The time taken to complete a hair rebonding treatment will ultimately depend on the type, length and thickness of your hair. In general, hair till mid back can take roughly 8 hours or more to be rebounded. A man's hair may require only 3 hours. Here's the step by step approach to rebonding your hair.

Hair must first be washed using a mild shampoo with no conditioner being applied. Next, you can have to use a blow dryer to dry your wet hair completely.
Hair is then separated into parts, with the cream softener applied to every hair shaft thus keeping it straight.
Depending on the person's hair type, cream softener or relaxant will be kept on the hair for at least half an hour or more. Do note that keeping it for too long can possibly harm the hair. After this is done, the individual's hair is then steamed for roughly 30-40 minutes, depending upon hair type and condition, and then rinsed.
Hair is blow dried and following this, keratin lotion is applied.
A flat iron will be used to straighten hair further and break any remaining curls. The iron should not exceed 180 degrees. A ceramic iron is better than other metal irons. The hair stylish will iron your hair until it is satisfactorily straight and shiny.
Hair is again parted and a neutraliser is applied to set the bonds and stabilise the hair.
The neutraliser is kept on for at least 20 minutes, and then rinsed off with cold water.
Finally, hair is blow dried and a type of hair serum will be applied. Hair appears silky straight and shiny.

In general, you are advised to not wash your hair for at least 3 days. This is necessary so that the treatment can set in fully. In addition, you should not clip your hair, tie a rubber band or wear any other accessories in your hair. But you are allowed to wear a shower cap while bathing in order to prevent your hair from getting wet.

Hair Rebonding Side Effects

Excessive use of chemicals in hair rebonding products will lead to hair becoming dry, weak and eventually falling off. Hair rebonding requires post treatment care otherwise it may turn harmful. If you are suffering from hair loss, you must avoid rebonding or any other chemical hair treatment at all costs. Also, hair rebonding can become disastrous if you use cheap chemicals or approach inexperienced hair stylists. Always remember this, once your hair is rebounded, you must pamper your hair more.

visit www.infobarrel.com/

Facebook Scams You Need To Know About: The 9 Most Common Hacks and Attacks

noreply@blogger.com (cheri) — Thu, 2 Jun 2011 02:28:00 -0700

by Shaun Zhang
Given Facebook’s fame, it was only a matter of time before con-artists brought their scams onto the network. Facebook today is infested with dozens of different scams, with increasing reports of users falling victim to foul play. If you’re an avid facebook user, here are 9 common scams that you should look out for, and avoid when they inevitably come your way.

1. Clickjacking

[Source: Cheerleaders Gone Wild Clickjacking Tempts Facebook Users] Ever seen applications asking you to paste certain chunks of technical (and illegible) code in your browser address bar? This is essentially what clickjacking is; tricking you to paste harmful code in your browser that authorizes foreign access to your Facebook, baiting your curiosity with “Find out who is stalking you!” claims.

2. Fake Friend Requests

Ever get friend requests from strangers? That might be because programmed bots were created to expand a scammer's social network for personal gain. You might think it’s harmless to accept their request, but what you are unaware of is that they might be just looking to send you spam or viruses. We know it’s hard to turn down a friend request from a Megan Fox lookalike, but think about it, are you really that lucky?

3. Phishing

Phishing simply means an attempt to steal your important personal details (credit card info, passwords) by posing as an authorized or trustworthy site. Facebook has had several of such scams, including some tricky ones that resemble a facebook portal asking you to re-login. The best way to spot phishing sites is to look out for unusual-looking URLs in the address bar.

4. Malicious Pages, Groups & Events

Many scam pages exist solely to extract and collect personal information from you. Such pages and groups often try to trick you into inviting your friends to join them or participate in their quizzes (sometimes booby-trapped with phishing schemes) by offering you phony gifts and rewards. Some of these pages may be pose as authentic companies like Microsoft or Apple in order to gain your trust.

5. Fake “Team Facebook” Emails

The real Team Facebook always sends messages telling you they will never ask for personal information such as passwords, and they mean it. If you ever get an email or message from “Team Facebook” asking you for passwords, you can be sure they are looking to steal your personal information.

6. Worms & Viruses

For a content-rich network like Facebook, there are plenty of opportunities to lay mines for worms and other computer viruses. One such example is the koobface worm in 2008, which posed as links to Adobe Flash Player updates and were circulated to disastrous consequences. Although Koobface worms have mostly been stamped out, there are still cases of infection so watch out for those.

7. Western Union Money Scam

An extremely scary scam, this one poses as your friend, sending you a request to urgently transfer cash to him via Western Union (most commonly) or through other wiring services like PayPal. This is where it works best. How do you turn down a friend in need? You don’t, and your money gets stolen. Be very wary when you are asked for money. Tell your friend to call you personally if he needs it that desperately.

8. Unauthorized Surveys

It’s extremely common to take polls and quizzes on Facebook. Everyone does, and it’s not a surprise to see your friend update his status about how he is "Captain America of the Avengers”. It’s fun, but watch out for the kind of quizzes you are taking. Some surveys redirect you outside of Facebook, while others require you to enter personal details such as your contact number before you can view results. Reject these, as most of them are scams looking to get your personal details.

9. Harmful Apps

Harmful apps often look like they are the real thing. They disarm you with images and text that make them look authentic and harmless, whereas in reality they just want to trick you into “allowing” the app. Once allowed, the app now has liberty to send fake announcements and messages to your network of friends. Heard of the infamous “Facebook Shutdown” scam? This was how it originated.

11 Tips for Feeling Happier at Work

noreply@blogger.com (cheri) — Tue, 31 May 2011 00:38:00 -0700

Let's face it: work is rarely a happy thing, especially when you’re trapped within the confinements of a watchful office space or undergoing a marathon of 14 hour OTs. Whichever kind of unpleasant scenario you find yourself in, here are 11 tips to help you tackle it.

11. Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday
A famous inspiring saying, so be inspired by it. Procrastination is never a good thing, typically so when you are handed a piece of undesirable work – such as calling back a difficult client. In such cases, it’s always better to tackle them quickly or they might never get done.

10. Know your lunch time
There are times when you are overloaded with work and it becomes practically impossible to go for lunch, but it doesn’t benefit you in terms of concentration and workrate either, by starving yourself. Make sure you have some cookies or sandwiches stored up in dire times like these. You can always eat and do work at the same time, during lunch time.

9. Take short breaks
CEO or Pantry Staff? Doesn’t matter, everybody needs a break. In fact, we need more than one, as studies show that taking a short break of 5-10 minutes every 60-90 minutes can help in improving overall work performance. Just don’t get caught talking to your spouse over the phone.

8. Have lunch with someone other than your colleagues
As much as you love your colleagues, it can be bothersome and incredibly mundane to see them all the time, even during lunch. Try to arrange for a lunch date with a friend once a week. Make sure you don’t lunch too near, so you can gossip to your heart’s content.

7. Post pictures of family
If your cubicle and workspace allows, feel free to pin up family photos or pictures with your loved ones. Taking a nice glimpse or simply getting reminded of them can recharge you in wondrous ways.

6. Don’t be too accommodating
It’s a fact; rejection is a tough task, even more so for Singaporeans. When politely asked by colleagues to help out at a task, it’s hard to say no. Well then, don’t say no. An equally polite “I’ll check back with you” or “Let me get back to you once I’m done with on-hand tasks” works much better because you’re not rejecting anyone… nor are you promising anything. Whether you actually get back, is your prerogative.

5. Have snacks or drinks lying around
Not the wisest of choice for those who are overly concerned with their weight or dietary intake, but for most of us, a little “distraction” can help to sooth our mood. Having snacks around also help in productive use of breaks. Just ensure you don’t end up eating more than you should.

4. Clear your workspace once in awhile
Ever had that feeling where you feel refreshed and recharged after a maternity leave or holiday? Well it could really be the holiday, or it could be your clean and tidy workspace that you bothered to clear up before your leave. Regardless, cleaning up your workspace occasionally brings about a comfort and satisfaction that usually translates to good work and consequently, better work performance.

3. Have breakfast with your colleagues
If you the type to arrive at work early, why not take the time to have breakfast with your fellow early birds? Doing so gives you a great opportunity to interact and relax at your own pace before starting work, and that can set the mood for the whole day.
2. Knock off on time
Self-explanatory. It would be a little frightening if you don’t actually enjoy doing this. Technically, this makes you feel happier after work, and not less so during it, but knowing you can knock off on time is a great boost for the day, whenever you think about it.

1. Be ignorant of things that don't concern you
If it doesn’t concern you, the less you know the better. Doing so keeps your mind focused on what is important, and free yourself of unnecessary considerations or accommodations.

courtesy of matchmovegames.com

Chitika: Turning page views into profits

noreply@blogger.com (cheri) — Mon, 30 May 2011 19:27:00 -0700

URL: Chitika.com

Testimonials:

I was amazed by the click through rate... Thank you for providing such a great product
Steve Haworth, www.Washing-Machine-Wizard.com

Chitika is one of my higher revenue ad networks especially my eCPM from Chitika|Premium ad units. Overall, I've noticed a 300% increase in revenue over what I was using before.
Johns Wu, Bankaholic.com

It's really a no-lose situation... We're making much more from it, it's certainly here to stay.
Christopher Price, ChirstopherPrice.net and PhoneNews.com

Chitika is out performing Adsense but the combined income has my earnings almost doubled from when I was running Adsense
exclusively.

Dave, AffiliateBestPrograms.com

Chitika | Premium is rather unobtrusive. My regular readers won't be bothered by any additional advertising, while transient travelers, will have a targeted ad.

Daniel Stout, ManufacturedEnvironments.com

I am still making the same amount of money from AdSense after adding Chitika Premium ads. Chitika is a great way to boost your overall revenue, 25% in my case...

Zedomax.biz

Chitika is easy to use, effective, and provides publishers with an extremely effective and more professional-looking alternative to Google Adsense.
James Rocha

Brief desription about service and company behind it:
Chitika was founded in 2003 is a full-service on-line advertising network that is currently serving over 3 billion monthly impressions across more than 100,000 websites. They can either serve ads to publishers or publish ads for advertisers.

How is Chitika different?
Chitika is the only ad-network which knows when not to show an ad, helping to preserve your user experience.
Can I use Chitika Ads with Google AdSense?
Yes. You can use Chitika Ads with AdSense because Chitika Ads are non-contextual and do not look like AdSense units.

Any required specifications to be accepted into their program:
In order to be accepted into their network your website should NOT have anything to do with the following:
* Adult content.
* Sexual content.
* Excessive profanity.
* Illegal drugs or related content.
* Hate speech or hate graphics content.
* Website under construction.
* Engage in illegal acts.

Registration process:
You can register with Chitika by visiting this link, fill in details in the registration form such as username, website and email. Right after you are going to receive a confirmation email that you must open and click link inside that will redirect you to the welcome page of Chitika. When done you must wait for Chitika approval which usually takes no more than a few minutes.

Advertise and revenue features, how they let you use their service and make money from it:
Bidvertiser asks you to display text ads inside your website and let advertisers bid against each other for the ad spot, highest bidder wins.

Ads display info:
* Option to choose Reporting Category with Channel and Username.
* Search Targeted Ads, Search Keyword Targeted Ads for YOUR Search Traffic.
* Mobile Ads, Pay-Per-Call Ads for YOUR Mobile Traffic.
* Local Ads, Relevant Local Ads for YOUR Local Traffic.
* They support custom width ads trough their Get a List Unit feature from which you can define the width of your ad depending on your website free space for advertisement ensuring no ugly white-space and thusly a clean user experience.
* Various Ad formats such as 550×250, 500×250, 728×90(Leaderboard), 120×600(Skyscraper), 160×600(Wide Skyscraper)468×250, 468×180(Blog Banner), 468×120(Blog Banner), 468×90(Small Blog Banner), 468×60(Mini Blog Banner), 550×120(Content Banner), 550×90(Content Banner), 450×90(Small Content Banner), 430×90(Small Content Banner), 400×90(Small Content Banner), 300×250(Rectangle), 300×150(Rectangle, Wide), 300×125(Mini Rectangle, Wide), 300×70(Mini Rectangle, Wide), 250×250(Square), 200×200(Small Square), 160×160(Small Square), 336×280(Rectangle), 336×160(Rectangle, Wide), 334×100(Small Rectangle, Wide), 180×300(Small Rectangle, Tall), 180×150(Small Rectangle).
* Various of Ad Types such as Multi-Purpose Unit, Map Unit(Available only in certain Ad Formats), Mobile Units(Available only in certain Ad Formats and do not support fallbacks).
* Various Fallback options(for Multi-Purpose and Map Unit Ad types) such as Collapse, Show an Alternate Ad, Show Chitika Backfill.
* They also support showing ads on Blogger accounts.
* Keep in mind that you can server Chitika ads along with Adsense as long as they dont look like each other.

Payment process and any tax identification requirements for people living in the US or outside:
Chitika charges advertisers to be featured alongside your site’s content. At the end of every month they pay you based on the previous month’s earnings (Net 30). Payments are sent after your account earns at least $10.00 (USD) for PayPal payouts or $50.00 (USD) for checks.

Q & A: Dressing Tips for Men

noreply@blogger.com (cheri) — Mon, 30 May 2011 02:35:00 -0700

elegant suit

Q: Should you wear pattern or solid colored socks with a suite?

A: Either is correct. If the sock has a pattern with a color, try to match the accent color in the sock to the tie or the accent color in the suit.

Q: How do I get the creases out of my tie?

A: Put the two ends of the tie together and roll the tie around your finger like a belt. Slip it off your finger and leave it rolled up over night. The following morning, hang it up and the creases should be gone.

Q: What are the best fabrics for a formal top coat?

A: Cashmere, Camelhair, Cashmere wool blend or a high quality wool.

Q: What is the proper length for a formal Top coat?

A: 5’ 6" height 42", 5’8" height 44", 5’10" height 46" 6’ height 47 1/2" 6’2 height 49"

Q: How long should the sleeves be on a formal top coat?

A: They should be about 1/2 past your wrist to cover the shirt and the sleeve

Q: What are my best color choices for a formal top coat?

A: To be worn over a formal suit, wear Black, Navy, Charcoal or Camel

Q: How do I know what to wear for a job interview?

A: Research the dress code of the company you will be interviewing with and dress to the highest level.

Q: What traditional top coats style are to be worn over a suit?

A: The most popular are the 3 button full length top coat or the 6 button double-breasted top coat. (See top coat style section at www.clothesforsuccess.com for pictures)

Q: What are the different types of tie knots and how do they look?

A: There are three basic tie knots.

The Four In Hand, which makes a small knot.

The Half Windsor, which makes a medium knot.

The Full Windsor, which is the fullest knot.

Q: How do you button a single-breasted 4-button suit coat?

A: You button the first three buttons and leave the bottom one un-buttoned.

Q: How should a shorter man dress to look taller?

A: A single-breasted suit two-button suit will elongate your torso because the tie stacks up on the buttons thus creating a vertical line. Vertical patterns such as subtle stripes create length as well. Avoid cuffs and wide leg trousers because it will make

Q: How wide should the lapel on a sports coat be? Should it differ from that on a suit coat?

A: It’s about the same, anywhere form 3 3/4 to 4 1/4 "

Q: How much money should I spend on a suit?

A: Always purchase the best suit your budget can afford

Q: What steps I need to take to look impeccable for my job interview?

A: Decide what you will wear in advance and check that it is clean,pressed, no missing buttons etc.

Q: How can I convert a suit into a more casual outfit?

A: Try wearing a solid navy, or charcoal suit. Wear it with a medium gray or medium blue shirt, black belt and black shoes. When you shed the suit coat and tie, it will look like a finished business casual outfit.

Q: If I am dressed business casual with a open collar dress shirt. Should I wear a undershirt?

A: You will look like your displaying your underwear if you wear your Haines white undershirt. Instead buy different colored solid "T" shirts, and wear a tone on tone combination. Like a navy "T" shirt worn under a blue open collared dress shirt.

Q: If I am in sales and I am seeing a client who dresses very casual, such as jeans, how should I dress?

A: Wear a sport coat and slacks. It will be casual but still put you in the advisory position.

Q: Should I wear an undershirt under my dress shirts?

A: Always! It’s a better look and also holds the perspiration from soiling the shirt.

Q: What do I do if I find moth holes in my clothes?

A: You have to take out all your clothes and have them treated or cleaned to kill the eggs. Then treat the closet with cedar blocks, cedar chips or moth balls

Q: How can I get promoted faster?

A: Dress three levels above the position you are seeking and your employer will start seeing you that way.

Q: How do I dress if I am interviewing for an upper management position?

A: An upper management position requires sophisticated clothing of high quality.

Q: What subliminal message does the color brown give?

A: Down to earth, friendly and forthcoming.

Q: When two candidates are being interviewed for the same position
and everything about them is equal. Which one gets the job?

A: It’s been documented when all is equal the candidate that gets
the job, is the one with more polish and presence and who looks the
part.

Q: If you are short, which will make you look taller, a double breasted or
single-breasted suit?

A: A single-breasted suit will make you look taller because of the vertical
lines of the buttons.

Q: How am I judged by my appearance?

A: Within the first 30 seconds of meeting someone, there are ten value judgments being made about you including: Your education level, socio economic level, success level, position, organizational skills, trustworthiness, likeability, competence, integrity,

Q: What is a pick stitch?

A: A pick stitch is a small running hand stitch at the edge of the lapel and collar of a suit, which is a hallmark of a fine, high end custom handmade suit.

Q: How much of the shirt collar should show out of the back of your suit coat?

A: There should be 1/2 shirt collar showing.

Q: At what point of my waist should I wear my trousers?

A: You should wear your trousers just slightly about the navel.

Q: How should the sleeves of my suit coat fit?

A: The sleeves should taper, gradually ending just over the wrist so the shirt cuff extends about 1/2 inch beyond the jacket sleeve.

Q: How long should the length of my pants be?

A: The length of the pants in the front should touch the front of the shoe and angle towards the back of the shoe to fall just above the heel.

Q: Should I wear cuffs or no cuffs?

A: Cuff or no cuff is a personal choice, however no cuffs will make you legs look longer.

Q: How often should I wear a suit?

A: If you wear a suit everyday, daily rotation is essential. Never wear the same suit two days in a row.

Q: Which "suit of armor " will be perceived as the most powerful for a serious business meeting?

A: A dark charcoal pin stripe suit communicates the strongest power message..

Q: Can patterns be worn together for suit, shirt and ties?

A: Yes! The rule is, two patterns to one solid. For instance, if the suit is a solid than you can wear a patterned shirt and tie. If the suit has a pattern than wear a pattern shirt and a solid tie or a solid shirt and a pattern tie.

Q: Can I look taller by getting dressed?

A: Yes, to look taller wear vertical strips in you suits. You will optically gain one inch.

Q: When I wear a three-button suit do I button all three buttons?

A: No, Only button the first two.

Q: How many buttons should there be on the sleeve of a suit or sport jacket?

A: 3 or 4 buttons are acceptable. It’s a matter of personal taste

Q: Should I button all three buttons on a three button suit?

A: No, You should only button the top two

Q: Regarding suits, what is meant by a "drop"?

A: A "drop " is the difference between your chest and waist. For instance, typically a size 42 suit coat comes with a 36 waist trouser, so it would fit a gentleman with a 6 " drop.

Q: What is meant by "illusionary dressing techniques"?

A: Illusionary dressing techniques are ways of dressing that make you appear taller, thinner, and more proportionate than you actually are.

Q: How do I protect my cloths from moths

A: Buy cedar blocks for your closet.

Q: If you have a serious interview, which color suit would be your safest choice?

A: A solid navy suit is the safest color to wear for an interview

Q: What is the correct tie length?

A: About one half inch past the waist of your trouser

Q: Can I wear suspenders on a trouser which has belt loops?

A: If you always wear suspenders, it is a cleaner look with out the belt loops. If you wear suspenders occasionally, then you can get away with the trouser having belt loops.

Q: In a recent survey, how do most people want to appear in their
clothing?

A: Most people want to appear, taller, slimmer and younger.

Q: What color shoes should one wear with a navy suit or navy dress slacks?

A: A navy suit or slacks works best when paired with either black or cordovan

Q: Is it advisable to wear a button down shirt with a business suit?

A: Actually no! The button down shirt originated with the sport of polo, to keep shirt collars from slapping into players’ faces as they rode. A button down shirt is sporty and should be worn with a sports coat or with dress slacks.

Q: What is a gorge line?

A: The gorge line is the distance from the shoulder at the neck point to the first button of your suit coat. For instance a new Italian model suit coat, might have a higher or lower gorge line for expression.

Q: What is the correct sleeve length for the suit coat?

A: Your dress shirtsleeve should extend a half-inch beyond the suit sleeve. . Your dress shirtsleeve should extend a half-inch beyond the suit sleeve.

Q: How should a shirt collar fit?

A: You should be able to gently insert two fingers through the front neck without creating a crater or gagging yourself, than the collar fits properly.

Q: What percentage of companies has reversed their dress codes, from casual to formal dress within the past year?

A: 1 out of 5 (20%) have returned to business formal and the trend is picking up momentum.

Q: According to a recent article in the New York Times, What is the anticipated rise in productivity associated with the return of business formal dress in the work place?

A: An estimated 3.6% rise in productivity. To put that in perspective, productivity rose only 1.8 percent across all sectors of the economy in 2001.

Q: Are side vents in suit coats and sport coats in style?

A: Yes, it gives the impression of refinement, good taste and elegance.

Q: What collar length is in style?

A: The most current collar length is between 2 3/4 and 3 inches

Q: In a recent survey, how do most people want to appear in their clothing?

A: Most people want to appear, taller, slimmer and younger.

Q: How can I look slimmer wearing casual clothes?

A: Create a clean uninterrupted line, by wearing the same color theme through out.

Q: What’s the most common reason for a person looking a few pounds over weight?

A: The most common reason, is because people tend to still try to squeeze into too small clothing.

Q: What is the correct measurement for the sleeve length on a suit coat or sport coat?

A: The measurement is 4 1/4 from your thumb to the edge of your sleeve.

Q: If I am wearing a standard point collar dress shirt, what tie knot should I tie?

A: You should tie a basic four in hand tie knot.

Q: Should I have my shirts starched?

A: Generally speaking, the cheaper the shirt, the more starch it needs to look crisp. Expensive ready to wear and custom shirts , if they are truly quality, should have more body.

Q: What type of socks do I wear with a tuxedo?

A: Very thin solid black in silky fabric

Q: Are suits coming back?

A: Yes in a big way! In 2002 1 out of 5 companies have reversed their dressing policies back to business formal and the trend is picking up momentum.

Q: What should I wear with a tuxedo, a vest or a cummerbund?

A: A cummerbund is traditional and conservative and a vest is more contemporary and stylish.

Q: How often should I dry clean my suits?

A: Dry clean only when they are very soiled or have an odor from perspiration. Over dry cleaning will make your suits shiny and dry out the fabric. Try spot cleaning and steaming out your suits to get rid of wrinkles.

Q: If I wear a shirt with a spread collar, what tie knot should I tie?

A: You should tie a Windsor knot.

Q: How do I keep my clothes from wrinkling when I travel?

A: Try putting a piece of plastic from the dry cleaner over each one. It will form air pockets between your clothing and prevent them from wrinkling.

Q: How can I make sure my suits and sport coats keep their shape?

A: Do not use wire hangers. Hang them on thick wood hangers designed for suits and sport coats

Q: What are braces?

A: Braces are another word for suspenders

Q: What is meant by "illusionary dressing techniques"?

A: Illusionary dressing techniques are ways of dressing that make you appear taller, thinner, and more proportionate than you actually are.

Q: Should I keep my clothes in garment bags?

A: No! Clothes need to breath. If you keep them in a garment bag, they will oxidize and become discolored

Q: How do I protect my cloths from moths?

A: Buy cedar blocks for your closet.

Q: What width tie is in fashion?

A: 4 to 4 1/4 inches at the widest point

Q: If I have a very serious business meeting what should I wear?

A: A dark navy or charcoal suit, either solid or pinstripe.

Q: What is the current trend, pleated or non pleated pants?

A: The "fashion" look today is non pleated pants. However most men prefer pleated

Q: How do I get wrinkles out of my suits, sport coats and dress slacks?

A: Try steaming the bathroom and let your clothes hang for about an hour. You will be amazed how the wrinkles will disappear.

courtesy of clothesforsuccess.com

What do women find attractive about a man's smell?

noreply@blogger.com (cheri) — Sun, 22 May 2011 23:05:00 -0700

If you've ever been guilty of inching closer to a stranger because she smells good, you'll be glad to know there's plenty of science behind the desire to get a whiff. So, what do women find so attractive about a man's smell? Well, it has more to do with pheromones than expensive cologne (although we're pretty sure the latter doesn't hurt).

Pheromones are odorless chemical compounds emitted not only by men, but also by women -- and a host of animals and insects. In fact, pheromones are all part of nature's mating game, intended to create sexual attraction on a purely physical level. This probably explains why cologne manufacturers and advertising firms spend billions of dollars convincing us that smelling better makes us more popular with the opposite sex. But when it comes to the types of smells women find attractive in men, there are some surprising candidates, including citrus, baby powder and Good & Plenty candies. And, unlike men who rarely seem put off by odors, women are less aroused when the scent of cherries or charcoal barbecue smoke lingers in the air [source: Johnson].

Guys, you should also know women don't particularly appreciate the scent of stale sweat, either. Remember what we said about pheromones being odorless? If you want us to get close enough to pick up on your pheromones, plan on being sweat-free -- or newly sweaty, at least. Women have more sensitive smell receptors than men and prefer certain scents only when they're fresh, such as androstenol, which is emitted when sweat and oxygen intermingle [source: Fox]. Unfortunately for all you hard-workers out there, the pheromone that accompanies male body odor that's been baking on the skin for awhile -- androstenone -- is a female repellent.

Even if you take frequent showers topped off with pleasant-smelling cologne, you may not necessarily attract female counterparts. The good news, however, is that researchers report wearing your favorite cologne will make you feel less tense, angry or confused and -- by default -- more fun to be around. Don't reach for synthetic pheromone spray, though, unless you have money to burn. The jury's still out on whether these sprays are effective, although a few titillating studies suggest they may attract women in small measure. Pheromone sprays, and pheromones in general, seem to have the greatest effect when used in close quarters. However, to get to these one-on-one situations, a man must rely on other means of attracting a mate in the first place [source: Fox].

While this may seem like largely anecdotal advice, there's plenty of research to back it up. Unfortunately, there are a lot of variables to contend with that make strong conclusions elusive. Thanks to a healthy measure of free will, humans rely on complex decision-making to determine attractiveness, including how appealing they feel at the moment [source: Fox]. Of course, if you'd really like a boost, dab a bit of grapefruit juice behind your ear lobes. Studies show that when women smell like pink grapefruit, they're perceived to be six years younger than their actual age [source: Laino]. by Laurie L. Dove

How to Use GPS to Survey Land Tips

noreply@blogger.com (cheri) — Thu, 19 May 2011 02:34:00 -0700

Land surveying is an ancient but still much-used activity. Now you can use Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to accurately survey and mark land. Surveying land involves border marking as well as environmental uses. Any large project will need GPS-based surveying to be in compliance with state, federal and sometimes local laws. While surveying a home lot for a building permit is not necessarily as technical, a good surveyor will take advantage of the GPS technology.

Instructions

things you'll need:

Laser-based GPS-enabled calibrated chronometer
Control point data
Tripod antenna receiver
Position the GPS unit in a static location. Determine the location according to the GPS coordinates and check for accuracy. If the unit is calibrated and clear of obstruction, the control point of this tool should be accurate and on target.
Place the tripod or antenna receiver you wish to use to triangulate or calibrate your area. GPS surveying tools have preset control points of previously verified and surveyed locations. You can use these to create a grid and include this in your measurement of the survey point you are measuring.
Site the instruments to locate the receiver from your control GPS unit, measure and plot the survey using the system, adjusting or calibrating if necessary. Plot the points on the survey map and back up the information using a traditional survey level or other measuring tools if desired.
Move the receiver to the next plot point, and so on, to complete your survey, depending on the area you need to cover and the number of points you are including in your survey. This will depend on the geographic location and the needs of the job. Once these control measurements have been completed, plug in already calculated GPS locations within the grid to complete the survey. Courtesywww.ehow.co.uk

3D Street Art by Edgar Mueller

noreply@blogger.com (cheri) — Tue, 17 May 2011 00:51:00 -0700

These are amazing 3D street paintings. Imagine how artistic these huge pieces are.

Why do we hiccup?

noreply@blogger.com (cheri) — Mon, 16 May 2011 23:12:00 -0700

Hiccup is also called as neuroaccoustic diafragmacontractions and some people call hiccups as hiccoughs.

With the contraction of diaphragm by spasm (diaphragm is a muscular sheet that separates chest and abdominal cavity) the inhaling of air is stopped suddenly. The gap in the vocal cords reduce during the contraction of diaphragm which causes a hiccup and this process is repeated by spasm after few minutes.

CAUSES OF HICCUPS
It can be caused due to the full stomach like eating too much food, smoking, drinking too much of alcohol, excitement, anxiety, stress and it is caused due to the gas problem in the stomach. Sometimes it is also caused due to empty stomach. In many people hiccups occur because of eating hot meal and cold drink at the same time, spicy food, eating very hastily, laughing and coughing.

MORE INFORMATION
The phrenic nerves control the movement and sensation of the diaphragm. Any irritation to these nerves induces a spasm of the diaphragm. This spasm causes a person to take a short, quick breath that is then interrupted by the closing of the epiglottis (a flap that protects the glottis, the space between the vocal cords). The sudden closing creates the sound we all know as a hiccup.

So, hiccups are the result of diaphragm spasms. But what causes the irritation that leads to the spasm? There are only a few culprits for common hiccups, which usually disappear within a few minutes. One of the main irritants is a full stomach -- a result of swallowing too much food or air. A distended stomach pushes against the phrenic nerves of the diaphragm, increasing the possibility of irritation and, therefore, hiccups. A full stomach of spicy food can do double damage -- hot foods can be especially irritating to those nerves. As any smoker on a bender can tell you, excess smoking and drinking alcohol can also cause hiccups. A rapid temperature change outside or inside your stomach, from a cold night or a hot beverage, can be irritating enough to induce hiccups. Finally, emotions -- shock, excitement and stress -- can also trigger a hiccup fit.
Persistent and intractable hiccups can have more serious causes. There are hundreds, from hysteria to heart attacks, but most fit into one of five categories: central nervous system problems, metabolic problems, nerve irritation, anesthesia or surgery, and mental health issues. Because these causes are so varied and potentially serious, anyone suffering from hiccups for more than 48 hours should head straight to a doctor.

Is it bad to take a bath while you are still sweating?

noreply@blogger.com (cheri) — Sat, 14 May 2011 01:18:00 -0700

Taking a shower while sweaty.

Sweating is the body's way of cooling itself. If you have already completed your exercise, showering would not cause ill effects. Sit around in your apartment stinking up the place. Actually, it's irrelevant. The sweat has already done it's job by cooling your body down. This might be hot to you, but cool to the parts of your body that perspired. If you need to run, go ahead and shower. it doesn't matter your body is gonna cool down while your in the shower. But it's best to shower after a long or hard workout mostly for skin reasons. Your sweat loaded with impurities that could cause pimples or other types of acne.

Preferrably, you can shower right after exercising because after exercising your pores are open.

Osama bin Laden Is DEAD

noreply@blogger.com (cheri) — Sun, 1 May 2011 20:13:00 -0700

Osama Bin Laden has been killed by U.S. military forces ... according to numerous news reports.

President Barack Obama is about to address the nation.

How many people attended the royal wedding?

noreply@blogger.com (cheri) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 02:06:00 -0700

Nearly 2000 guests were invited to the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Around 650 people attened the reception.

Top Five Facts About Kate Middleton

noreply@blogger.com (cheri) — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 01:06:00 -0700

Introduction:

In case you live in a cave, Prince William just finally got engaged to Kate Middleton, his girlfriend for the last 8 years. Inevitably compared to her Prince William's mother, Princess Diana, Kate Middleton has some big shoes to fill. But, for this 'commoner', I think she's got the stuff to do just fine. The royal wedding is rumored to be Spring or Summer 2011. Whenever it is, I hope the public allows them to live their lives in a more private manner than poor Diana did.

1. Her Real Name Is Catharine Middleton

Interestingly, her friends and family call her Catharine. It was the English public who dubbed her 'Kate." After the royal wedding, she will take the name Princess Catharine and join the ranks of 5 other former Prince Catharines in the royal family heritage.

2. Kate Middleton Loves Sports

One of the things that attracted Prince William to his future bride was her love of sports. As handy with a rifle as with a tennis racket, this leggy brunette beauty is sure to win the hearts of sports fans. Kate Middleton is also an exercise enthusiast and it shows (I hate her...).

3. Kate Middleton and Prince William Shared a House During Their College Years

During their college years at St. Andrews University in Scotland, Prince William and Kate Middleton shared a house with 2 other roommates. Kate was dating someone else at the time so although they 'live together', it was, supposedly, plutonic. I'm not sure how one gets to share a house with a royal - I sure know my college roommates were commoners....

4. Kate Middleton's Parents Own Their Own Business

Kate Middleton's dad was an airline pilot, her mother was a flight attendant. Together, they own a business called Party Pieces which supplies party supplies through mail order.

5. Kate Middleton Is Related to George Washington

Although England considers her a commoner, to an American, she's our 'royalty.' Family ties can place Kate Middleton as the 8th cousin of eight times removed to George Washington (but, then again, I probably am too...).

By: ListMaker

Increase Bone Strength Tips

noreply@blogger.com (cheri) — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 18:44:00 -0700

Make no bones about it — osteoporosis and its precursor osteopenia affect 44 million Americans and cause more than 2 million fractures (broken bones) every year. These conditions, characterized by weak and brittle bones, typically affect people ages 50 and older. Fortunately, it's never too early to start protecting yourself, and there's a lot you can do to keep your bones strong and lower your risk of osteoporosis.

Start Young

Think of your bones as a retirement savings account; you need to bank a lot of funds when you're young so you have plenty to draw on as you get older. Except with bones, you need to get your stores in sooner. Bones reach peak density when you're in your 20s.
From then on, your job is to keep those levels up by getting enough calcium and vitamin D, exercising, and taking other steps mentioned here.

Milk It

Calcium and vitamin D are like the Batman and Robin of the bone world — best when working together. Calcium is the foundation of healthy bones, and vitamin D is key to helping the body absorb calcium. And on its own, vitamin D helps build and repair bones and keeps muscle strong, which reduces the risk of falls.
Aim for 1,200mg of calcium a day — the amount in about 4 glasses of nonfat milk or 3 cups of nonfat yogurt — and 1,000 IU of vitamin D. Sadly, most Americans fall far short of these goals. If you don't do dairy, drink calcium- and vitamin D-fortified orange juice and consider taking supplements.

Know Your Numbers

Osteoporosis is often called a "silent disease" because it doesn't show obvious outward symptoms until a bone breaks — not the sign you want to wait for.
But a quick and painless test, called a bone mineral density (BMD) test, can tell you how strong your bones are. Your doctor can then combine the results of this test (which is given as a number called a T-score) with other risk factors like your age and gender to determine your actual risk of breaking a bone in the next 10 years.

Meat Halfway

The popular saying suggests all things in moderation, and meat is no exception when it comes to healthy bones. Calcium and phosphorous help the body digest animal protein. Eating too much red meat, fish, pork, and poultry can sap these resources from the bone. But protein deficiency hinders calcium absorption in the intestines.
To get it just right, limit your animal protein intake to no more than twice a day, and eat small portions — about 3 ounces, the size of a deck of cards.

Don't Smoke, Limit Drinking

One more reason to quit: Smoking increases the rate of bone loss. Women who smoke have lower levels of estrogen and tend to hit menopause sooner, both of which accelerate bone loss.
If you drink, keep it to no more than 2 drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women. Anything more will interfere with your body's ability to absorb calcium and will also slow new bone formation.

Ask Mom & Dad

Genes determine a lot of factors that affect your overall bone health — including your bone size and bone mass, when you'll go through menopause, and how well your body uses calcium and vitamin D. These traits are passed down from father to son and mother to daughter. For instance, a woman whose mother had a hip fracture is at a high risk for the same accident. By knowing your family history, you can take appropriate steps to intervene, including earlier screening and use of medication.

Shake It Off

Too much sodium causes calcium to leach out of your bones and get excreted in your urine. To keep more calcium in your bones (and less in the bowl), follow a low-sodium diet by cutting down on processed foods and keeping the salt shaker off the table.

Pound the Pavement

Weight-bearing exercises — activities that force you to work against gravity — strengthen bone by stimulating bone-building cells called osteoblasts. Your leg, hip, and lower back bones benefit the most, which is important because these bones are very susceptible to debilitating fractures.
High-impact exercises like running, tennis, basketball, and kickboxing strengthen bone the fastest, but even more moderate regimens do the trick. A 2005 study from Japan showed that doing just 10 vertical jumps three times a week significantly increased the bone mineral density in young women. If high-impact moves aren't safe for you, try brisk walking instead.

Flex It

Every time you flex your muscles, tendons — which attach muscle to bone — tug on your bones stimulating them to grow. Therefore, any exercise that helps build muscle (lifting weights, using resistance bands, doing yoga) will also help build bone. Another plus: Strong muscles improve your balance and coordination so you're less likely to fall.
You don't even have to leave your house, just strap on one- or two-pound wrist and ankle weights while doing chores at home. "This allows you to build bone and muscle in the course of your everyday activities," says Bridget Sinnott, MD, assistant professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Bonus Tip: Protect Against Falls

Even after taking steps to build strong bones, some people will still be at risk for fractures. And in later stages of osteoporosis, simply walking around your home can become an accident waiting to happen. But several simple, DIY fixes can reduce your risk of falling and breaking a bone.

Secure rugs and fasten down the corners of rugs that are curling up
Remove clutter from walkways
Install a nightlight to illuminate the route from your bed to the bathroom
Use a no-skid rubber mat in the bathtub
Have a handyman install a grab bar in the shower
Make sure your slippers have rubber soles

Also, get your eyes checked once a year. Cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration impair vision and can make obstacles more difficult to see. A 2005 UK study showed cataract surgery reduces the rate of falls by 34 percent.

Courtesy of Healthline Networks Inc.