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The word summer can have two completely different meanings for kids and adults. To kids its that precious time that they can do what they want without the set schedules of school, without set bedtimes and without school work. To you, it can seem like an endless time of trying to keep your kids occupied without allowing them to veg in front of the television and video games all day. You want them to have fun and create great summer memories, but, as a seasoned mom, you know that a complete lack of structure can lead to choruses of Im bored throughout the day.

One of the biggest obstacles to any weight loss plan is getting around the many subtle and not so subtle ways that family and friends use to sabotage your diet. While they may not even be aware that they are doing it, the tactics used by those closest to us have the potential to be the downfall of even our most well intentioned efforts to lose weight.

In some cases, family and friends feel insecure regarding your plans to lose weight and thus may begin practicing various tactics that are aimed at de-railing your diet plans. They may complain about the amount of time that you spend working out; deliberately schedule other activities that conflict with your scheduled exercise times; shower you with tempting and fattening foods and in the worst case scenarios make pointed observations that you dont look as though youve lost weight or make predictions that you will just gain all the weight youve lost right back.

Usually; this type of tactic stems from the fact that the other person is suddenly afraid that your change in lifestyle may affect your relationship with them. This is especially true in relationships concerning husbands/wives and other romantic partners. There may be a very real concern present that you will begin to notice others when you become slim.

In other cases, the tactics employed from those closest to you may not result from insecurities but rather from lack of knowledge. They simply may not recognize that offering that one teensy slice of chocolate cake could set you back an entire week in your diet plans. Or perhaps they truly do not realize the health risks those extra pounds are presenting to you.

This type of behavior from those closest to us can be disheartening when we are already feeling vulnerable. Fortunately, there are several tactics you can use to withstand even the worst tactics friends and family may throw your way in order to sabotage your diet.

First, never accuse friends/family of the obvious tactics they are using. Instead, explain how much it means to you to lose weight and become healthier. Try to turn this into a way to spend more time together and bond by asking them to be your weight loss buddy. Not only will this provide the back-up support you need, but it will help to eliminate the feelings of insecurity they are experiencing as you begin to reveal your new, slimmer body.

When friends and family express judgmental feelings; the first thing you should do is realize that these statements are more about their own feelings of inadequacies. Try not to take it personally. Instead, focus on the fact that you are doing something healthy for yourself.

Be sure to let those closest to you know the guidelines for your diet. In some cases, what appears to be sabotage could simply be the result of not having enough information. If you find that certain areas are especially weak points for you; clue your family and friends in so that they can help you to meet your weight loss goals.

Dont be afraid to toot your own horn. When you reach a milestone in your diet, let everyone know about and see how happy you are in your own success. Chances are that when family/friends see your enthusiasm and happiness, they will be much more likely to provide the support you need.

Finally, while its great to try to introduce your family and friends to a healthier way of living and eating; do realize that no one wants to be lectured to. Toward that end, work together on family meal plans and get-togethers so that everyone is satisfied with the choices offered.

People nowadays are spending a lot of their time in front of a television or a computer. In fact watching videos, either on the Internet or TV, seems to have become a national hobby. Video playback equipment has become an inseparable part of our lives. There was a time when we all used to buy or rent VHS tapes to watch a movie at home. The world has now shifted to the likes of VCDs and DVDs. However, thanks to the increasing popularity of the Internet, it is now possible to access and playback feature films, music videos, cartoons etc without spending a penny! Welcome to the new era of free videos.

No matter what your favorite program on television is, there are a plenty of sites that offer free videos of songs, movies, sitcoms and even news. These could be available for a download or it could be a streaming video. You have an option of accessing, previewing, playback or download. And if you are desperate enough to own it, you can buy these for a pittance.

Every onesit of the major website is moving in to catch on this craze of online videos. Talk of Yahoo, MSN or Google, all of them have their own hosting facility and most of these can be accessed as free videos. The latest offering in the field of free videos is the daily news. You can now watch daily news, as it happens, on the websites of the likes of CBS, CNN etc. Another new phenomenon catching fever is hosting of personal videos. These are the home productions that are uploaded on the host sites and are usually available for free.

We all have been using e-greetings for some time now. Well, the world has changed here also. The latest is the advent of free video postcards! You can have Marilyn Monroe singing happy birthday to JFK or even choose to personalize it based on your own preferences. Dont believe it? Check out one such site at http://tesla.liketelevision.com. Last but not least, free videos are available for downloading on to our iPods also. iPods are becoming popular amongst all and the latest version comes with a facility for video playback. There are plenty of es including iTunes that offer free videos for downloading to your iPod.

Who says you need money to buy things? There are some good things in life that come for free! The only catch is that you should be looking for it in the right place.

Every day when I wake up one of the first items that creeps into my head is getting the newspaper. I have got to get the paper. I have operated this way for over 40 years. The paper gets me in the know. More so than the internet I guess it might be because I can touch it or feel it. Or once I have it I do not have to wait for any uploading or downloading or sideloading (hey a new word) of information.

I confess – I have to see the sports pages. It’s out in the open. I admit it. There is something missing for me if I do not get to see the sports pages. Who hit home runs? Who got the most hits the previous day? How did Pujols or Manny do? What pitchers won? Who drove in the runs? How did the Yankee players do? Yeah I like that one the most. RBIs.If we are out of baseball season, it’s off to the transaction part of the paper. Who signed and who got released? ( I almost always feel bad when I see a name of a player I liked that got dropped by their team). Any trades I may have missed? People’s lives on the move. While this part of the paper announces transactions, it’s really about how lives change by the places these players move away from. And where they move on to. Sometimes that is all it takes like a new city for some players to excel like a Paul O’Neill or Roger Maris to name two great Yankee acquisitions.

During the season I have to see my boys, and how are they doing? Love those Yankee Stats – I always check them out. Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Gary Sheffield and Giambi are the guys whose statistics I scrutinize now. In the old days it was Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Don Mattingly, Reggie Jackson, Roger Maris, and Thurman Munson. I know I am omitting a few. Please forgive me.

When I am done with the statistics I peruse the pages for some good story. I do not have any game plan for this pursuit. I usually get caught by some headline and go from there. Lately I noticed that when I see an article by a writer I do not care for I spit at the paper. No I do not I am only kidding.

I read the paper as if I am about to get a test. I read by myself without any interruptions, sitting in my car or at my kitchen table. With a cup of coffee or tea by my side I engage the paper. I think about who I might run into that might ask me a question about the Yankees that I should know. I better know. I remember when I traveled in Europe in the early 70′s. I had to get to the International Herald for their one or two page sports section. Reggie Jackson was having an awesome first half of the season. It seemed like every day he was hitting another homer for the Athletics. I could not wait to see in the paper if he hit another one.The New York Times, The Newark Star Ledger, The Bergen Record, USA Today and in the past The Newark News has been my companions in the morning. I would not have it any other way.

I hope you get as much enjoyment out of your paper as I get out of mine. I even read the front page and do the crossword puzzle. Sometimes.

Free to pass this article on to anyone you think would enjoy reading it.

I had lived in Vancouver very briefly as a child and it was during that time when I was first exposed to the art of the Northwest Coast Native American Indians. It was the towering colorful totem poles out in Stanley Park that everyone gazed at with wonder and appreciation. It took about 30 years later during a return trip to Vancouver when Northwest Coast Native American art caught my eyes again.

I was in Vancouver for business and landed at the city’s new airport terminal. One could not help but notice the huge native carvings near the arrivals area. Later on during my stay, I decided to wander around in the Gastown district. It was in these shops and galleries in Gastown where I fell in love with Northwest Coast Native American art. I saw many wonderful wooden plaques representing different animals. There were also art prints, paintings, masks, wooden bowls and even furnature with these animals either painted or carved right into the pieces.

The colors and designs, which might be considered a bit exaggerated to non-native eyes, were striking as well as bold. I knew at that time that I wanted to include some of this magnificent artwork on my walls back at home. So I bought two plaque carvings and carried them home like newly found treasure.

Historically, the native Indians who lived along the river valleys and coastal waters of the Pacific Northwest were all hunters and gatherers. The region was blessed with abundant resources from both the seas and forests. These people captured in their artwork the animals they hunted and observed. These included bears, killer whales, eagles, ravens, salmons, wolves, hummingbirds and even frogs. Chiefs and mythical characters important in their legends such as thunderbirds were also included as art subjects.

Northwest Coast Native American art is just only recently gaining some major attention in some galleries and museums around the world. Compared to other native arts such as Inuit (Eskimo), exposure of Northwest Coast Native American art is still rather limited to the northwest coast of Canada and the United States. This form of artwork is virtually unknown to most parts of the world including many regions of North America. This will hopefully change as more people from around the world travel to Vancouver. The future winter Olympics in 2010 up in Whistler, BC will also have a positive impact on the region’s Native Indian art. I personally believe that Northwest Coast Native American art has a lot of potential to be internationally recognized and accepted.

For many years I have occasionally experienced the following phenomenon: just when I would wake up in the morning, right at the state midway between dreaming and waking, I would gain lucidity but still be able to hear the tail end of my dream. A song would be playing, a very complex one, perfectly produced in every detail. And listening to it, I would be absolutely sure that I had never heard that song before. So where did it come from. After some thought I was left with the conclusion that the song came from my own mind. It was amazing to think that my unconscious mind could create and produce an entire song without me being consciously aware of it.

What is the connection between lack of sleep and obesity?

The recommended amount of sleep per night is 7 to 9 hours; however, most Americans average somewhere around six hours. Researchers found that the further away one is from getting the recommended hours of sleep, the higher their risk of obesity is.

What is the scientific basis of sleep debt leading to obesity?

If one is lacking the optimal amount of sleep, their leptin levels drop. Leptin is a blood protein that suppresses appetite and affects how the brain registers when the body is full. Also, sleep deprivation raises levels of grehlin, which is a substance that increases one’s urge to eat. In short, if you sleep less number of hours, your leptin level falls, and grehlin goes up, resulting in overeating and weight gain.

What is the result of obesity on sleep loss?

Fat accumulation in the throat and neck cause obstruction of airways during sleep leading to poor oxygenation of the lungs. This causes pathological snoring called sleep apnea. You wake up several hundred times during the night. You have day time drowsiness, and again another night of disturbed sleep. This condition is called obstructive sleep apnea.

If so, the obstructive sleep apnea leads to more sleep debts, more stress, and more leptin and grehlin problems, more weight gain in a vicious cycle.

So what is the solution?

1. If you snore a lot, get yourself checked for obstructive sleep apnea.

2. Work on weight loss.

3. Control stress and maintain better sleep hygiene

Naras Bhat MD

http://www.NewStressControlSecrets.com

http://www.StressControlBlog.com

http://www.DoctorsMessage.com

Ageing is an irreversible process. We all have to grow old some day or the other. The modern day youths are trying every possible thing to put an end to this process. But the fact is we cannot prevent ourselves from getting older.

Today one can find all types of herbals and natural wrinkle creams in the market. But the question is Do anti wrinkle creams actually work?

Anti wrinkle creams certainly help to reduce the ageing process by a margin but cannot prevent wrinkles forever. Wrinkles are a part of an ageing process and will occur with time, no matter how expensive cream you are using. These creams remove the dead outer layer of skin and give it a natural glow. The cream produces results max after a period of 30 days. But, once you stop using the product the wrinkles return making the skin uglier than before. This clearly suggests anti wrinkle creams are more or less bogus and work as long as you apply them. This certainly is waste of your hard earned money.
Anti wrinkle creams promises a young looking skin which will probably never happen.

If you are still worried of the ageing process you can try out the following natural methods.

Avoid contacting the sun as much as possible. The Ultra violet rays of the sun are harmful to our skin and make the human skin dry.
Drink at least six to eight glasses of water every day. This will keep the skin hydrated.
Avoid having a sunbathe
Moisturize your skin regularly
You need to have healthy food which is high in anti-oxidants
You need to exercise regularly
Use hats and sunglasses when in the sun
Have at least 9 hours of sleep per day
Limit your alcohol intake
Avoid smoking

Sustanon 250 is an oil-based injectable steroid, which is a blend of four different testosterone compounds. Sustanon 250 is a medication used in female-to-male gender reassignment processes, male infertility and testosterone replacement treatment. Sustanon 250 is made by Organon Laboratories Limited. The compounds and their quantities that make up Sustanon 250 include: testosterone propionate – 30 mg; testosterone phenylpropionate – 60 mg; testosterone isocaproate – 60mg; and testosterone decanoate – 100 mg.

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “Idle hands are the devil’s tools” — meaning if you don’t have something to keep you busy, you’re likely to get into trouble. That can be argued of course, since the intent to cause trouble probably has to be present also.

However, the concept itself does hold some truth regarding what we create in our lives. If it’s true that we get back what we put out (into the universe), then it’s easy to see why “idle hands” would be a bad thing for us. Life on this planet is an exercise in creating our own reality. Moment to moment, we are making decisions. Whether we act or don’t act, we are putting forth our intent.

Every action has a consequence, either good or bad. Remember the concept, “like attracts like.” Imagine that every bit of energy you put out is traveling the universe, gathering similar energy, and eventually being returned right back to you. It makes you think more carefully about what type of energy you are putting out every day, doesn’t it? If we do nothing, we get nothing back (or at least nothing very good). Our lives become boring, empty shells. The very act of not moving, not doing, not creating causes stagnation.

Does that mean that as long as we keep busy, we’ll have lots of prosperity and joy? Not necessarily. Remember that we need to focus our intent on what we’re creating. We need to engage in the act of conscious creation every day, putting out positive, purposeful energy. What we get back is more positive energy, more abundance and more joy.

Conscious creation means thinking about what you want to do with your time, moment to moment. There are 24 hours in a day — 1,440 minutes — 86,400 seconds. Some of it has to be put aside for work, sleep, family, errands, housework, and the like. What are you doing with the rest of that time? Are you wasting it on mindless pursuits, or focusing it into purposeful activities? I’m not referring to just hobbies here, either. This is a process that can be applied to every aspect of our lives. Whether we have a lot of time to devote to hobbies or not doesn’t matter. What matters is that we consciously focus our intent on building our circumstances, one minute at a time.

Some of us live our lives on autopilot. It’s not that we don’t want to do anything, we just don’t know what to do. We have no direction, no passion, no purpose to work toward. We get up each morning, go to work, come home and lose ourselves in the television for the rest of the night. In the process, we are creating more of the same stagnant energy. If this describes you, it’s time to shake things up! Develop some passions. Get excited about something. Turn your idle hands into busy hands and create something magical. The very act of moving will put energies into motion and begin pulling more favorable circumstances into your life.

Keep in mind this is a cumulative process and it takes time to fully transform your circumstances. One day of activity and purpose won’t change everything around. Remember that you probably have months or years of stagnant energy built up that has resulted in your life the way it is today. By consistently working at it and keeping that positive energy in motion, it will begin to feed on itself and create even more positivity.

We are living in a very unique time period. Innovation happens faster than we can process it, especially on the internet. If you literally take a week off, you have missed a ton. There’s a good chance you missed Google’s latest release, Apple’s newest iPod, or AOL’s legal battle. Take a few months off and you’ve probably missed the introduction of a technology that will be pivotal in the future (think about how hot AJAX is right now and most of us hadn’t heard of it a year ago).

While it can be exciting to just sit back and soak in all of the amazing things happening, it can also be extremely stressful as an internet entrepreneur trying to keep up. If you are like me, you probably subscribe to a bunch of email newsletters and print magazines. It seems like each one is talking about how to increase my traffic by doing x or increase my conversions by doing y, and if I don’t do it now I will fall behind and my business will fail. It can be enough to make your head explode.

What are we to do? For obvious reasons, the worst thing you can do is stop reading those newsletters and magazines. You need to stay up to date on what is going on in your industry. Going into a shell and focusing entirely on your business without contact with the outside world will lead to missed opportunities. Learning should not be considered a finite thing – we should always be growing our knowledge base. We will never know everything that we need to know.

That said, we also need to understand that we can’t possibly adapt every single change available to us. Any entrepreneur should have a business plan that conveys the major goals of the business, and should try to adhere to it. It will undoubtedly be a fluid, living document that changes over time, but still maintains the core goals of the business.

In the course of your reading, if you encounter a technique or technology that will directly help you meet those goals, then you should certainly pursue it. If not, make note of it and move on. I keep an ‘idea book’ where I write down any ideas I have that are not directly applicable to my current business. That way the idea isn’t lost for the future, but it also doesn’t clutter my mind now.

You have two choices – hate change and watch your business fall behind, or learn to embrace it by implementing exciting pertinent technologies. After all, isn’t it better to live in a time with rapid change as opposed to a hundred years ago when major change only happened once or twice in a life time?

Somewhere in a forgotten corner of the United States or 47 other countries around the world, a family struggling with hunger and poverty could help sustain itself if it had some livestock.

Fortunately, you can fund all or part of the cost of helping such a family through Heifer International, which for more than 50 years has provided farm animals and training in sustainable agriculture to poor families with marginal resources.

So if you’re looking to give a gift that’s both unique and meaningful, start a new tradition this holiday season; donate a sheep, cow, or any other farm animal in honor of your mother, father, grandparent, teacher, client or anyone close to your heart.

Here’s how it works: A goat costs $120 (or a share for $10) and can supply a family with several quarts of milk each day. Extra milk can be sold or made into cheese, butter or yogurt. A llama is $150, and a water buffalo is $250. Heifers are $500 ($50 a share), chicks, ducks and geese are $20, and a hive of honeybees is $30. Honorees receive a unique gift card that describes the generous contribution made in their name.

Once the family has completed training and prepared appropriate facilities, they will receive the animal that Heifer International provides.

This animal will provide wool or milk or transportation or eggs – and a promise of new hope and peace for this family. Surplus products are sold to give them extra income for school supplies, medicine and housing improvements.

Every recipient family promises to “pass on the gift” of its animal’s offspring to another family in need. Then the next family to receive an animal and training makes the same promise, and so on until an entire community is lifted out of poverty and into self-reliance.

Heifer International provides the answer for donors who are looking for more accountability for what their charitable dollars are doing and who desire more specific, sustainable remedies to poverty and care for the Earth.

Less than three short months ago, a new 1Step System was born with a very real potential for generating a great deal of income in a short time. Co -founders Rod Stinson and Chris Koehl have brought this opportunity to people all over the world. Many are joining now because the company is still in its infancy, which from a marketing standpoint is surely the best time to get on board.

What makes this business opportunity so attractive is that it is so easy. It is appropriately called the 1 Step System. It stands to reason, the more an individual puts in to their business, the more he or she will get out of it, however, your early efforts in the beginning stages can easily provide at least some income while you lay back and observe.

Everyone knows, there is no such thing as a free lunch, however, I haven’t seen another business opportunity where start-up costs can so easily be recouped in such a short time and profit starts rolling in. From those who have no experience, to the most seasoned marketer, its a great opportunity to see a steady cash flow in a relatively short time. It’s also a great way to earn extra income at home. Those with years of Internet marketing experience are calling it a brilliant concept designed for building wealth for anyone who is savvy enough to see its earning potential.

Our experience has revealed that to many entrepreneurs out to earn extra money from home, have fallen victim to deceptive and greedy get rich quick scams that guarantee your success. This business sets itself far apart from those, and what is so refreshing about the 1 Step System is there is no selling, no phone calls, no explaining, no answering questions and no closing. Most of the work is done for you. It’s a fact, co-founders Rod Stinson and Chris Koehl have taken the ‘Net by storm. It’s nice knowing that with this business, anyone, regardless of their experience or background, has the same chance for financial independence.

As the weather gets warmer, motorists should begin thinking about getting their vehicles ready for the busy summer driving season.

Given today’s busy schedules and complex vehicle systems, many drivers prefer to take their cars to repair shops than do the work themselves. The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) offers these tips for choosing an appropriate repair facility.

* Start shopping for a repair facility before you need one.

* Ask your friends and associates for their recommendations. Also, consult local consumer groups.

* Arrange for alternative transportation in advance so you will not feel forced to choose a shop based on its location.

* Look for a neat, well-organized facility, with vehicles in the parking lot equal in value to your own and modern equipment in the service bays.

* Look for a courteous staff, with a service consultant willing to answer all of your questions.

* Look for policies regarding estimated repair costs, diagnostic fees, guarantees and acceptable methods of payment.

* Ask if the repair facility specializes or handles your car’s type of repair work.

* Look for signs of professionalism in the customer service area, such as civic, community or customer service awards.

* Look for evidence of qualified technicians. This includes trade-school diplomas, certificates of advanced coursework and certification by ASE.

ASE was founded in 1972 as a nonprofit, independent organization dedicated to improving the quality of automotive service and repair through the voluntary testing and certification of automotive professionals. Its certified technicians wear blue-and-white ASE shoulder insignia and carry credentials listing their exact areas of certification. Their employers often display the ASE sign.

Funny Love Poems

When most people think of love poems, they think of serious and soulful expressions of passion. Long sonnets by Shakespeare or romantic poems by Browning and Lord Byron are the norm for love poetry. However, funny love poems can be good for a laugh. They may not be romantic, but they do give your friends something to enjoy.

Some of the best funny love poems are limericks. Limericks started in Ireland and follow a standard form of five lines and a rhyme scheme of aabba. Here are a few limericks written by anonymous authors:

There once was an old man of Lyme
Who married three wives at a time
When asked “Why a third?”
He replied, “One’s absurd!
And bigamy, Sir, is a crime.”

There was a young fellow named Hammer
Whose had an unfortunate stammer
“The b-bane of my life”
Said he, “Is m-m-my wife
D-d-d-d-d-d-damn er!”

She made friends with a young undertaker;
Her last boyfriend had forsaken her.
But she started to curse
When he turned up in a hearse.
She said next time Ill date a baker!

There was a young lady named Constance,
From boys she wouldnt stand any nonsense.
If her partners grew deft
She would lead with her left;
The results would not weigh on her conscience.

My sweetheart and I are just wed.
Already I wish I were dead.
Two weeks shes been spending.
It was time never ending.
We are thousands of pounds in the red!

Limericks are fairly easy to write if you can rhyme well, so you might try writing a limerick yourself that includes the name of your friend or loved one. This is a good way to make a funny love poem that is personalized.

You can find more information about funny poems at:

http://www.love-poems-quotes.info/funny-love-poems.html

Now save monthly with hundreds of dollars in valuable coupons. If you’re considering purchasing a discount coupon book, Make sure that you are buying it form a reputed company or stores.

Some times we purchase discount coupon book from a salesperson as we get it for a cheaper rate then for merchandise and services valued at thousands of dollars. When you buy it form salesman, make sure before you start clipping your way to savings, though, you’ll get the deal promised.

Coupon book can be used with in limited period of time; you will not be able to use a coupon if the business firm goes out of business after the book is issued. In cases where a business remains open but changes hands, the new owner, also, may not be willing to honor your coupon.

Most of coupon books are typically designed, developed and sold by commercial marketing companies. These have tie-up with merchants, promising them new customers and increased business from buyers who will use their coupon.

This coupon book is value against you purchase something in order to receive the discount. These coupon books can represent a real value, and, at the same time, introduce you to new stores or restaurants.

These coupon books are easily found online and one can take a printout of it and enjoy their shopping. Remember always to check you coupon valid date; see whether it has been expired it will help you to enjoy your shopping.

Anna Josephs is a freelance journalist having experience of many years writing articles and news releases on various topics such as pet health, automobile and social issues. She also has great interest in poetry and paintings, hence she likes to write on these subjects as well. Currently writing for this website Borders Coupon Book. For more details please contact at annajosephs@gmail.com

Whether you are a professional or a student or a desperate housewife who would always try to cook the breakfast at the right time for her husband; your MORNING determines how you would spend the whole day. A healthy morning makes your day more energetic and keeps you out of being groggy through out. So it would really be a great fun to type down something on this topic and share some insights. I was pondering over the topic and wondering where to start exactly and got stuck by a blog “Alarm clocks are bad. How to wake up and feel better” suddenly while searching through Google. Fantastic topic and I would certainly love to spend some minutes on topics like this one. The very first few lines, “Waking up abruptly by the sound of an alarm clock is an inherently unnatural thing to do. Sometimes you can wake up after 8 hours and feel like crap. Other times, you can wake up after 6 hours and feel completely rested. The problem lies in what you’re doing when you’re suddenly woken up from your slumber…” [Quoted from veenix.blogspot.com]

While computers today are generally cheaper than models sold years ago, they still represent a major investment. Quality new computers can cost anywhere from $500 – $1500, depending upon capabilities. Clearly, it is a purchase that deserves your full attention and thought. Speaking of thought, have you ever considered buying a used or refurbished computer? These computers can represent a major savings to you, without loss of performance. However, there are some things you should know before looking into these alternatives to new computers. In this article, well discuss some tips in buying used and refurbished computers.

The first thing to consider when buying used and refurbished computers is the brand. While there are many different companies that specialize in selling used computers, it might be best to go with a reputable brand name. The reasons are two-fold. First, you can be sure that the parts used in manufacturing are of a high quality. Second, you will also be able to secure some type of warranty, which may not be offered by other dealers.

The next tip in buying used and refurbished computers is to make sure that that you receive the proper software documents and licenses. Often times people try to pass off stolen computers as used, so it is important to request the paperwork upfront. It is also important to have this software in case you need to do any type of system restore or back-up.

It is also important that you try any refurbished computer before you buy. Most reputable dealers will allow you to use the computer for a short period of time to check out before committing to purchase. What are a few of the things you should be looking for? Make sure that all installed programs boot up and perform correctly. Do a thorough check of all graphics, video, and sound drivers and also make sure other accessories work properly (mouse, monitor, keyboard, etc.). Lastly, be sure to check all CD and disk drives to make sure they open and close correctly.

Another thing to consider when buying a used or refurbished computer is the support option. Does the company you want to buy from have ample support staff available? And are the hours convenient with your own schedule? If a business does not offer support for the system you are considering, it is best to move on to another choice.

Lastly, make sure that you are safe if shopping online for your used or refurbished computer. The internet can pose many dangers, so protect your personal information on any site that you choose to do business with. A quality site will have some type of encryption service in place to keep your financial transaction private.

We hope that these tips in buying used and refurbished computers will help you make a more informed shopping decision. In addition to the tips mentioned in this article, using common sense will help ensure that you receive the best used computer for your needs, at a terrific value.

There are many types of disablity. I am somebody who believes that to have a stutter is a form of disability.

I think most people would probably say no, however I disagree. People who stutter have to struggle their way through life at times. I am somebody who had a stutter for eighteen years. I am going to now explain one of the situations that I found difficult and how my mind or what I would call my demons would be saying to me.

This is when trying to meet and approach people of the opposite sex. Lets say I am in a bar and I see a woman/girl who catches my eye. I think to myself, who don’t you go and talk to her and make a move etc?? My demons are always talking to me, and are basically saying “She won’t want to know you.

You have a stutter and when you start talking she will hear it. Do you really think she will want to date somebody who has a stutter? Even if she is interested, you then have to possibly meet her friends and family.

How will they find you and treat you, when they realise you have a stutter?” These demons would make me think twice and more often than not I would not even bother going over and talking to the person. I would therefore let the demons win.

This is one example of thousands where the stutter handicaps your ability to live a normal life. This is why I believe stuttering is a disability.

Having a stutter affects your confidence in and gaining employment. People who stutter can find it hard attending an interview, having to speak under pressure to people they do not know.

Social occasions such as weddings or a party can fill people who stutter with dread. Not only finding conversation difficult but also ordering food and drinks.

Stephen Hill

At a glance, Robosapien looks great versus the old school box on wheels with clear dome head. Ooh, you say, looks kinda like a muscled storm trooper and the fart button now thats a hoot. We nod in polite agreement, but behind your back, we snicker at your total lack of appreciation of the advanced robotic theory involved.

Robosapien is a modern day turning point in the evolution of robotics and is the first-ever robot based on the science of applied biomorphic robotics. (Thats what you should have been telling friends and family all this time rather than pointing out amusing cat-chasing ability.) Biomorphic robotics stems from Mark Tildens innovative new concepts in BEAM technology.

A New Philosophy for Robot Kind BEAM is an acronym for Biology, Electronics, Aesthetics and Mechanics. Dr. Mark W. Tilden founded this relatively new branch of robotic sciences in 1989, based on the premise that behavioral-rich robots need not be the wickedly complex projects reserved only for well-funded labs and cartoon villains.

Put another way, traditional approaches to creating robots have started with creating a sophisticated brain to maneuver the mechanics of the body. Though not discounting the incredible engineering feats of robots built this way, most notably the Sony Qrio and Honda Asimo, Mark Tilden strongly contends that this is the wrong approach to take.

Its like trying to emulate a human when modern technology and research cant realistically copy a bug from your garden. [Its] an evolutionary dead end, says Tilden. BEAM robotics is about taking the bottom-up approach, to start from mastering the simple bug and moving up from there.

Rather than attempt to create a centralized robo-brain to process every variable input and spit out a decision (much, much harder than you may think), why not use a system known as “subsumption architecture. Subsumption architecture is a clever technique where the actions of a robot are managed in layers, each layer controlling one facet of the robots operation.

For example, a low-level layer could be Walk Forward, which the robot will happily do until it bumps into something. At this point, the slightly higher level Lift Leg Higher kicks in, overriding the Walk Forward layer until the robot successfully climbs over the obstacle, at which point Lift Leg Higher stops, and the low-level Walk Forward takes over again. *

Egocentric Bugs

So Tilden began building robot bugs on this principle, and more selfish creatures they could not have been.

Whys that?? Well Tilden decided that Asimovs famous Three Laws of Robotics:
1. No hurt human.
2. Listen to human unless told Do hurt human.
3. Try to live with that.
were antiquated notions that left no room for a good practical joke at parties.

So one dark and stormy night he penned Tildens Three Laws of Robotics:
1. A robot must protect its existence at all costs.
2. A robot must obtain and maintain access to a power source.
3. A robot must continually search for better power sources.
informally known as*:
1. Protect thy butt.
2. Feed thy butt.
3. Move thy butt to better real estate.
1. He justified this robotic declaration of self-interest as the only way robots can start evolving the way humans may have came from guppies looking for a good time by leaving the ocean.

From Bugs to Sapiens

Needing to find a lighter-minded group of people from his government and NASA days, Tilden decided to go and join a toy company. Who better than one audacious enough to self proclaim themselves, Wow Wee! It was a great match, and they gleefully began working on toy dinosaurs and bugs based on Tildens now renowned expertise.

Then came the master project that one could fairly say would change the landscape of robotics altogether. FartDude, later named Robosapien after initial market testing, was to be the culmination of Tildens work, finally bringing to bear a humanoid (sapien-like, if you will) robot capable of an impressive list of moves and rude sounds.

In Robosapien, you see the basics of BEAM philosophy and technological research. It follows the B as a biomorphic rendition of humans, E for the fact you cant throw it in a bathtub, A because its stylin the latest magazine covers, and one heck of a lot of M going into the robo dancing capability.

Thats Mr. Sapien

Like no robot ever before, the Robosapien is affordable to the unwashed masses. The Robosapien is a crowning accomplishment when it comes to mobility, power consumption, programmability, and maybe most importantly: hackability.

Each arm has full 360 motion ability allowed by the, ahem, biomorphic shoulder joints and flexible elbows. Ending in three articulated fingers, Robosapien is capable of picking up, gripping, and throwing objects. The genuine full walking motion (most robots dont genuinely walk outside a lab) is made possible design of the large feet and well placed sensors.

And do you know how much power it usually takes to run a robot Fuggedabowdit. Regular robots are dishonorable little battery-eaters always hungry for more, more, more! And whos going to pay for these batteries, hmmm Well Robosapien brings no shame to itself when consuming power, essentially due to the astounding mechanical physics. It runs a full 6 to 10 hours on just one set of batteries. In fact, if you move Robosapiens arm youll actually generate power for it! Hey man, thats shrewd.

For those of you who want a robot that will fetch you a frosty one from the kitchen, you lazy bums will just have to wait until later versions. But you can program your Robosapien to do some pretty cools things in the meantime, like wander around taking swings at things, guarding your bedroom while you sleep, and a hilarious game of pull my finger. Try teaching your dog that trick smart guy.

So whats so hot about the hackability, and is that even a word you ask? Youve got some nerve. Tilden went through some serious, serious effort to be sure that robot enthusiasts could take apart the robot, as he would have done as a child, and tinker with modifications. Everythings color-coded in there to make things easy for those of us without PhDs, and by all accounts, theres plenty of additional room and power to accommodate whatever Frankenstein thing you can think up. There are entire books written on the subject should you wish to learn, so go forth and hack away. If its a good one, send it in and well publish for all too either mock or applaud.

And Another Thing

So the next time you look at your Robosapien give a respectful nod to the worlds first-ever robot based on the science of applied biomorphic robotics. Then go chase a cat with it.

* Graciously lifted from Dr. Tildens excellent Junkbots, Bugbots & Bots on Wheels book.