Skirmishes over LCD versus plasma screen HD TV technology are ongoing, but that type of technology contest isn’t as acute because you can watch TV or a movie on either type of screen. Currently, you can also play every DVD available on any DVD player that is in production and on the market. The next generation of DVD players, however, is coming over the horizon in the form of two distinct and incompatible technologies.

Toshiba versus Sony

Toshiba has developed a proprietary technology dubbed high definition DVD (HDDVD) and to support their format has developed alliances with Microsoft and Universal Films, among others. The HDDVD disks will be available in 15GB and two sided, 30GB versions.

By way of comparison, the current DVDs have enough storage for two hours of standard definition (SD) images, while the one-sided 15 gigabyte HDDVD disk can store up to eight hours of high definition (HD) images. The difference between SD and HD is simply twice the number of pixel lines displayed on the screen in the HD format, thus providing a crisper picture. The increased capacity of these disks will also allow for interactive features such as screen-in-screen director’s discussion of movie scenes playing behind him that today’s standard DVDs cannot support.

In the other corner is the Blu-Ray technology developed by Sony, who has lined up support from Apple, Disney and 20th Century Fox. Both formats use blue laser technology, which has a shorter wavelength than red, allowing it to read the smaller digital data spots packed a lot more densely onto a standard-size disc. Blu-Ray disks are designed to carry up to 50GB of digital material, which may mean that Sony wins the compression competition.

The Early Rounds

Sony Pictures released the first six films on Blu-Ray disks in June of this year, and have released a few more since. Samsung has a Blu-Ray DVD player in the stores, while Sony’s hardware division has released a Blu-Ray compatible PC. Toshiba has its initial HDDVD player on the market and there are a limited number of titles available in the format, mostly re-releases of previous first-run features.

Sony clearly jumped out to an early lead, with support from Dell, HP, Mitsubishi and a number of other hardware manufacturers. In addition, Sony Pictures also owns Columbia and MGM, giving them an enormous library to work with. Sony will also fold its technology into the PlayStation 3 gaming machine, their proprietary product whose 2nd version rules the roost in the videogame market.

On the Toshiba side of the battlefield, proponents argue that the HDDVD disks will be cheaper to produce and that it will be comparatively easy for disk replicators to retrofit their equipment for production purposes. The HDDVD format also makes production of recordable DVDs much simpler than with the Blu-Ray design.

Further, an alliance with Microsoft will be a formidable edge in this battle, should it turn into a protracted conflict. Microsoft’s operating systems are going to be important cogs in the development of future home viewing systems, as the technology moves closer to merging the functions of computers and televisions. If movie downloads become a commercial success, PC compatibility will be critical for these disks.

The Consumer Issues

One of the reasons that Microsoft aligned with Toshiba’s technology is that HDDVD provides for “mandatory managed copy.” What that means is that unlike with today’s conventional DVDs, managed copy allows consumers to make legitimate copies of their HD movies and enjoy this content around the home or across their personal networks. Making this feature mandatory will ensure a consistent consumer experience across all next-generation DVD content.

Then there is the element of iHD, which is the concept of maximizing high definition video for transport across the internet. This is a specific set of video specs which the iHD.org, a group of tech and media companies, is pushing as a cross-platform standard.

The theory is that next-generation HD movies will provide a level of interactive experience well beyond that of today’s conventional DVDs. iHD technology is meant to provide a broad foundation to enable new interactivity with standards-based development tools and technologies.

The pitch for this standard is that it will provide consumers with enhanced content, navigation and functionality for HD films. The business reality is that Microsoft plans to implement iHD support in its Windows Vista operating system, which will not only be a significant step towards integrated video and computer systems but will make help drive adoption of the new Microsoft platform.

Duel to the Death Unlikely

There is some indication that all of these conflicting issues may ultimately force a compromise - some sort of merger or unification of the two technologies. Hardware manufacturers are hedging their bets, with the latest wrinkle being that Blu-Ray-aligned Hewlett Packard has requested that mandatory managed copy and the iHD standard be included in Blu-Ray’s feature set. Sony has agreed to include the managed copy feature, but said no to iHD.

The Betamax - VHS battle was a tussle over hardware with the movie companies playing a predominant role, one Sony lost. This time around, there is much more uncertainty about how the next generation of home video will roll out. How will the Web and the PC fit in? Will the movies be delivered via disk or via download? How will the film industry protect its content rights and how can the hardware companies maximize their role?

PCs have become a commodity. If a scenario arises where every household needs a new computer to match up with new video technology, the Dells and HPs of this world stand to win big. If competing technology keeps people from investing in either, every involved business will suffer. If the film and DVD houses have to produce two sets of content and two disks for every film, their margins will grow considerably thinner as well. The tech bloggers seem to be increasingly inclined to believe that unification of some sort is inevitable. The corporations with the most to lose are too smart not to insist on it.

Madison Lockwood is a customer relations associate for www.apollohosting.com http://www.apollohosting.com . She helps clients understand how a website may benefit them both personally and professionally. Apollo Hosting provides website hosting, ecommerce hosting, & VPS hosting to a wide range of customers.

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Everything in this universe is in motion. Movement produces change, or transformation. This is an eternal constant, a Law of the Cosmos, and it is immutable. The process of transformation occurs in stages, phases, and cycles. Every unit of life unfolds its consciousness in accord with the Law of Activity and Rest. The cycle of activity begins with birth, youth, maturity; it declines with old age and ends with so-called death, which is the period of Rest. The cycle continues repeatedly until the goal for that life-unit is achieved. Reincarnation is an expression of the Law of Activity and Rest as applied to human evolution. It is what Jewish mystics call Gilgul, and was a doctrine taught by the Greek Philosophers, Plato, Pythagoras and Plotinus. Most of the holy scriptures of the world contain references to the law, though some are veiled.

Once man found himself entombed within Matter, it became expedient for him to liberate himself. According to our observation, mankind as a whole, however, is not pursuing this goal, for he is unconscious of the purpose of his existence. The promptings of the Inner Self are misinterpreted for the selfish ambitions of the personal ego. Possessing a physical body, in a sense, is actually a great privilege, for it offers a rapid method for spiritual unfoldment. But to prolong our sojourn in the world of matter is foolhardy. This plane of consciousness is simply a phase, a stepping stone leading towards our spiritual destiny. Greater work, greater tasks awaits us elsewhere in the infinite reaches of the cosmos. We should realize that the physical world is not our true home. We are spiritual beings with a spiritual heritage. Ignorance and egoistic desire are the twin negative causes of our bondage to the wheel of birth and rebirth. Mastery of these causes offer spiritual freedom as the personal will and consciousness becomes united with the Divine Will and Mind of our True SELF.

We are bound to this wheel of reincarnation by causes. There are two sides to everything. We have already mentioned the negative causes. The positive causes are our aspiration for perfection and the balancing of karma. The former of this positive cause is the willful intent of the Soul, as human perfection may be accelerated while interacting and overcoming masterfully the resistance of matter. Karma binds us to the wheel until its misqualified energy has been spent, balanced, compensated, or the Law of Grace precipitated to over-ride the karmic condition as a result of spiritually understanding the required lesson that the Law expected one to learn.

Reincarnation is a common term for the concept of a human soul being born cyclically into the physical world. There are other terms, though, each referring to reincarnation, each with a slight variation as to meaning and implication. These terms are: rebirth, reimbodiment, transmigration, and metemapsychosis. The term transmigration often brings to mind the element of retrogression, of man re-embodying as an animal. This is a spiritual impossibility, for once individualized, the human spirit can never revert to an undividualized animal soul. The animal vehicle in itself would not be able to sustain the great radiations and magnetism of the human individualized Spirit. This concept of retrogression, of transmigration of the human soul into an animal form is a corruption of a doctrine that teaches the similitude of human characteristics to animal nature, which are retained embodiment after embodiment until the energies underlying the bestial nature are transmuted. The astral form is also highly impressionable and mouldable by thoughts and feelings. They tend to reflect the nature of the soul. Should the human soul be beastly in nature, the astral body would reflect the animal form. From a different perspective, the lower components of the soul, the astral and etheric bodies, when discarded by the human spirit, may gravitate to surroundings and objects of a similar nature.Thus we may have the possibility of these ethereal cadavers attaching themselves to animals–this probably started the concept that humans beings incarnate as animals.

If reincarnation is a Cosmic law, a doctrine of Truth, why is it not taught in the churches by the priesthood? This is a common query among the members of the exoteric churches. Unbeknown to them, this doctrine was a basic tenet of the early Church, and references to this law filled the scriptures and the gospels abundantly. St. Augustine, St. Clement, and Origen expressed a belief and an understanding in the doctrine of reincarnation. So did Bishop of Synesius (370–430 AD) of Ptolemais. St. Gregory of Nyssa (257–333 AD.) believed strongly in the law; he wrote:

It is absolutely necessary that the soul be healed and purified, and if this does not take place during its life on earth it must be accomplished in future lives.

Origen expounded the law in his literary works. He wrote extensively on the Law of Reembodiment. In later centuries, however, the mystical teachings of Origen were anathemized in the Council convened in Constantinople in 553 AD, and many references concerning reincarnation in the gospels were expunged. This Council, in which the Emperor Justinian presided, and which the reigning Pope refused to attend, was but a travesty of the Council of Sages that assemble periodically under the auspices of the Great White Brotherhood. The attending bishops of this Council assented to the dogmas drawned-up by Justinian and his co-conspirators–most of them acquiesced out of fear of the Emperor.The Doctrine of Reincarnation was rejected because it clashed with the dogmas that the Emperor and his cohorts among the bishopric circle wished to promote–that of eternal damnation, the vicarious atonement, the resurrection, and the uniqueness of Jesus as a sole son of God. Reincarnation was denounced at this Council by the conspirators so that greater political power might be had to manipulate the minds of men.

No cross-bearers of the Master Jesus were the assenting bishops. Their fear was greater than their love for him. This lack of courage and action on their part commenced and perpetrated an untruth which is misleading the flock of Christ to this very day. This untruth produces an attitude of spiritual slothfulness and fear in which dependency upon another for salvation is hoped and relied upon and not on one’s own mystical resources. Reincarnation was one of the issues that the Gnostics and the exoteric Church quarreled upon. The original, holy scriptures and gospels before being translated and edited by persons influenced by the newly invented creeds and dogmas, contained positive references to the Law of Reincarnation as taught by the Nazarene Master. The translated, corrupted works, however, still contain certain material relating to reincarnation. Some biblical students, though, are unable or unwilling to perceive the implied law in these passages, due to bigotry, prejudice, and the limitation that they impose upon their consciousness. This causes a lack of spiritual discernment and comprehension necessary to intuitively read between the lines and extract the essential meaning. We will quote these interesting passages a little later. It is important here to realize that not all of the teachings of Jesus were recorded in the canonical gospels. The bulk of his secret teachings were passed on to posterity by word of mouth, and some of these oral teachings found their way into modern mystical societies and fraternities. We should also not overlook the existence of hundreds of other scriptures, not considered canonical, which were arbitrarily labeled apocryphal or even works of the devil, that were not included in the Bible because it conflicted with the dogmas that the priesthood wished to promote. Some of these literary works contain sparkling gems of the Gupta Vidya, or the Ancient Wisdom.

How is the truth of reincarnation determined? By personal experience. This requires a mystical development with a certain degree of advancement along the path of evolution, along the Path of Initiation. Some individuals professing a belief in the reality of reincarnation are over-anxious to know their past identity. This is unreasonable, for their present identity remains yet to be discovered, realized, and known Why waste a considerable amount of time and force on something that will occur naturally in the course of time, when more important matters such as Self-Realization awaits one’s attention? It is a dangerous matter to probe into the psyche prematurely with the intention of recalling past lives with tools such as hypnotic regression, drugs, and others of a similar nature. Certainly nature has designed the human psychosomatic system and circuitry in such a manner that man would forget his past lives for an important reason–that of maintaining mental poise and balance. Man drinks the Waters of Lethe at each embodiment to forget painful experiences that occurred in the past history of the soul. To awaken these memories prematurely would simply upset the psychological equilibrium and sanity of the individual–aside from boosting the egoistic expressions of vanity, pride and a false sense of superiority. Nature does not, and will not withhold the knowledge and information that man should possess when he reaches a certain stage of development and maturity. Man will, without force, without tampering unnaturally with his psyche, recall past lives without becoming a psychiatric case. Those giving psychic readings and hypnotic-regression sessions to individuals should realize the possible grave consequences of their actions, as these would flood the psyche of their subjects with buried data that their consciousness may not yet be ready and equipped to handle.

It is true, however, that without personal experiences, man will always have doubts concerning the Law of Reincarnation, especially when one has not come to terms with life after so-called death. Reincarnation from that standpoint would seem to be a mere fancy. Fortunately, there are ways of strengthening one’s belief and faith in the law–as lame as beliefs may be. The truth is not only out there–it is to be found within as well. The truth seeker will investigate in a sane manner with less perilous methods than hypnosis to determine the accuracies of spiritual laws as revealed unto man by higher intelligences. The student’s main research and method of inquiry would probably be along the lines of reason, objectivity, a study of scriptural revelation; the study under those having spiritual experiences and understanding–those with spiritual authority; and the study of the phenomenon of spontaneous recollections.

Along the lines of reason, we may begin our search by inquiring into the manifold inequalities, complexities and differences among the sons of man: why are some born rich, and others poor? why are some born sound in mind and body while others are handicapped with bodily disadvantages or mental retardation? how can we explain the phenomenon of child prodigies? how do we resolve the problem of the mental capacities that differ from person to person–also the multifarious moral, cultural standards and spiritual attainment that each individual expresses? Education, environment and genes are minor factors that do not explain fully life’s situation as we see it. Why does God seem to have favorites? Jacob over Esau, for instance.

The law of reincarnation fills a gap, the missing link that unites the fragmentary parts of our understanding concerning the inequalities between individuals. The different types of man and their point of evolution is the manifestation of the laws of karma and reincarnation. One apparently comes into this world to live a short span of existence, and then to pass out of it without fulfilling one’s goals. What is the purpose of this? If one’s goals are unattainable in one life time then our existence here would be meaningless and futile. By carrying on our reasoning a little further we would perceive the mercy and grace of God in action within our lives; and that reincarnation is the manifestation of that mercy and grace.

As mentioned before, the gospels and Jewish scriptures are replete with references concerning the law of reincarnation. Below are just a few examples, a few verses often quoted by students and researches on the law:

I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God; and he shall go no more out. (Rev 3:12)

This verse implies and signifies that the person who liberates himself from the bondage of matter participates in active work in the spiritual realms, directing the forces and powers of Nature in accord with the Grand Design, with God’s Plan and Will. The attainment of liberation or salvation, guarantees personal freedom from the wheel of birth and rebirth, from samsara. Such a liberated being is no longer compelled to reincarnate, he goes no more out, unless it is to assist lesser evolved beings.

Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. (Malachi 4:5)

The advent of Elijah occurred through reincarnation in his embodiment as John the Baptist. Jesus had this to say about the true identity of John:

. . . Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist . . . all the prophets and the law prophesied unto John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who was to come . . . (Matt 11:7-15)

Some biblical students are of the opinion that the reincarnation of Elijah was an exception and not a law of Nature; however, the general concept, or law was not repudiated by the Nazarene Master. In some passages of the gospels he discusses it freely with his disciples:

‘whom do man say that the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ’some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But whom do you say I am?’ Simon Peter replied: ‘You are the Christ, the son of the Living God.’ And Jesus answered to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter. And on this rock I will build my church; and the powers of death shall not prevail against it . . . ‘ (Matt 16:13–20)

Though Jesus taught reincarnation, he did not put much emphasis on it; we believe he intended to stress the possibility of man attaining Christhood in a single life time, and thus attain salvation, freed from the necessity of reimbodiment. In the above verse he reveals to Simon his past identity as Peter. There is a double meaning involved in the expression on this rock. Peter means rock, but the rock that death shall not prevail is the law of reincarnation that Jesus was referring to, and this was supposed to become one of the tenets, the foundation in his Church.

Another verse, this time from Exodus, shows the relationship between reincarnation and karma:

. . . Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. (Exodus 34:7)

If interpreted literally, this verse presents Jehovah as lacking real mercy; for why should an innocent offspring pay for the sins of its progenitor? The karmic retribution meted out to the children, and the children’s children of the above verse refers to the karmic compensation that the reincarnating Ego has to pay in subsequent embodiments.

Karma

Karma is the Law of Cause and Effect; it is sometimes described as the law of consequence, the law of equilibrium. In the scriptures it is the law As ye sow, so shall ye reap, inculcated by Jesus and Paul to the masses. Jesus declares:

With what measure you mete it shall be measured to you again. (Matt 7:2)

Jesus is actually implying that we should be responsible for the burden of our sins.

We are also told in Galatians that,

. . . every man shall bear his own burden. (Gal 6:5)

Every man has to face the consequences of his own deeds, in thought, words, and action. The dogma that one simply has to have faith or believe in Jesus to save oneself from sin is contradicted by the Master’s own words. The true teachings of Jesus appeals to us to mature in a spiritual manner and not to be dependent upon another.

In the Book of Jubilees, a work considered apocryphal, it is mentioned how the higher law deals with man:

With the instrument with which a man killeth his neighbour with the same shall he be killed; after the manner that he wounded him, in like manner shall they deal with him.

Karma is the expression of divine justice and mercy. It is one of the constants of the omniverse that applies and is readily seen working in the world of physics–aside from being a contributing factor of a person’s evolution. The law is impersonal, impartial, and does not punish as some people believe–instead it teaches, educates. It makes an individual realize the errors of his deeds and the beneficence of his positive works. It shows an individual the relationship between actions and their consequences. Negative actions being the result of negative effects, positive actions in positive effects. Karma is the tool of God’s balancing-out the disturbances in the harmony of the Tao. The Law declares in seemingly harsh terms:

Vengeance is mine, I will repay . . . (Romans 12:19)

Each individual in his daily thoughts, speech, and actions creates karma. No being lives without making karma, for no being lives without putting forces into motion in his daily life. To simply breathe is in one sense karmic–for every breath has its influence, its consequential result in the physical body. Karma is a person’s self-created fate. A Christian of esotericism has a firm conviction in the existence of the law, for he perceives its workings manifesting daily in his life. To such an individual the dogma remission of sins as taught by orthodox Christianity is incompatible with the law of Karma and is seen as a principle invented by the Church to control the minds of the masses. The only prevention of reaping negative results is to avoid putting negative causes into motion. Ahimsa, or harmlessness, should be a constant expression of the devout– to turn the other cheek.

Karma binds one to the wheel of birth and rebirth–even the positive causes are no exception, unless one is unattached to one’s actions; vairagya or detachment is a requisite virtue often advised by Gurus to their chelas to acquire. Being detached from one’s actions is the whole theory and practice of Karma Yoga, as taught by the avatara Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita. Karma may best be understood through Eastern teachings.

There are basically three types of Karma. Hindu philosophy classify them as follows:

Sattvika Karman, where the results of one’s actions are not desired, where one is unattached to them.

Rajasa Karman, where acts are performed sensuously for the desire of their fruits and rewards.

Tamasa Karman, where forces are put into motion out of ignorance, confusion, and delusion, without any real care and concern for the consequences of one’s deeds.

Copyright © 2006 Luxamore

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The alternative medicine of Love is a great Healer. Often times when a child is sick, a Mother doesn’t know where to turn other than to allopathic medicine. Complementary to and integrated with traditional medical treatments and procedures is love. There have been many miraculous turn arounds and healings that have been supported by a caregiver or family member who thru love have held hope and belief that the patient will get well against all the odds. A caregiver’s loving touch, prayers and contribution to a positive environment and positive attitudes can help change the course of an illness. Below are some suggestions to help facilitate healing in someone you love.

As a caregiver, you can learn ways to help your patient’s environment, which in turn contributes to their well-being. The environment that surrounds a sick person takes on the energy of those people that participate in the patient’s healing journey. It is imperative to have all those that are working towards the health of the patient to have a positive can do attitude. Even unspoken dismay and disbelief permeates the patient’s and the environment’s energy field, and contributes negative energy that cancels a positive atmosphere. Holding a positive loving attitude creates a subliminal environmental energy support system that inspires the desire to live and to have better health.

Unless medically prohibited, plants help an environment, as do cheerful colors, soothing music, prayer and laughter. Laughter therapy is rapidly gaining ground as a healing modality, like positive attitudes. Create a happy book, wall, or poster board with fun pictures to contribute to positive mental health that assists healing. The power of laughter and positive attitudes both trigger the brain to create chemicals that cause the body to create better immune system responses which is critical when combating illness.

On a physical level, a caregiver can use their love to help the patient’s health.
(Information for this exercise: you receive energy with your left hand and send energy if you are right handed, and the reverse if you are left handed.)

If you are right handed, placing your left hand on your heart and your right hand on the patient’s left hand state: Thru the Love of my heart I send you my life force energy to do with as you so choose on your healing journey. This honors the patient’s journey, whether it is being physically cured or healing thru transition. If the patient does not want this energy, honor their choice.

Another technique is to hold the ball of the patient’s feet in the palm of your hands and state: I send you my life force energy to use as you so choose, and it is my intent to remove any and all excess, unnecessary, toxic, pain and unhealthy energy and to replace that energy with the physically healing, pain free energy of the Christ White Light (or the Universe, or whatever Higher power source that you acknowledge). So be it, it is done. This helps the patient to become more balanced and stabilized. It has shown great results.

Healing and the power of healing on all levels can to be summed up in the phrase and the greatest of these is love.

Feel free to reprint this article in its original format.

Contact Information:
Brent Atwater, Alternative Medical Specialist
Medical Intuitive, Distance Energy Healing
ATL, GA Phone: 404.242.9022 USA
NC Phone: 910.692.5206 USA
Website: www.brentatwater.com/ http://www.brentatwater.com/

Brent Atwater: Medical Intuitive, Energy Healing: As an alternative medical specialist (CAM), her international evidence based Medical Intuitive & Distance Energy Healing work is published and has been studied by & or documented at Duke, the ARE, & for animals by the NCSU’s Vet school. She participates in research & Clinical trials. ARTIST: An artist 30+yrs, Brent is a pioneer in healing art by scientifically documenting Paintings that Heal™. Her art was featured on PBS . At 16, NC Museum of Art chose her painting for the permanent collection. She founded Just Plain Love™ Charitable Trust to benefit children. AUTHOR: Just Plain Love™ Children’s Healing Books. The books are translated into plays performed in children’s healthcare facilities turning illness negatives into positives. Cancer Kids, God’s Special Children . Positive Attitudes, Affirmations, & Actions for Overcoming Your Health Challenges , & Positive Attitudes, Affirmations & Actions to Help Survive Your Cancer Experience . Brent attended Wake Forest Law School and is a minister.

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Sadly, many of today’s kids would rather watch TV or play video games than read a book. Being a bookworm, or even showing an interest in reading, is percieved as a “nerdish” activity. Most of the heros in today’s society are professional athletes, actors, or music icons.

But don’t despair, all is not lost. Getting your kids to read can be a challange, but with the use of quality children’s books, it doesn’t have to be an insermountable one. Here are some steps you can take in order to encourage reading in children:

The first step to read to your child at an early age. Many adults have fond memories of their parents reading them bedtime stories when they were toddlers, and reading to your child will help foster a love of words and reading.

Be a good reading role model for your children or grandchildren. Let them see you reading on a regular basis, and how much you enjoy reading books and magazines.

Another good idea is to fill your child’s room with books. Kids who grow up surrounded by books learn to think of them as friends, and allies in their pursuit of reading, learning, and wonderful new adventures.

As your child grows and matures, introduce him or her to books that match their interests and hobbies. Show them how an informative book can deepen and expand their knowledge on a particular topic–and expand their horizons as well.

Make sure your child or grandchild has a library card. Libraries are wonderful resources for reading and learning. Show your children how libraries can be places of wonder and excitement, and can open up new worlds of learning that will last a lifetime.

And lastly, consider setting limits on the amount of time your child spends in front of a TV or video game console. While there’s nothing wrong with playing video games or watching TV, those activities aren’t going to do much to develop your child’s reading and language skills. For that, you need to set them down in front of a good children’s book, and make sure they spend at least 30 minutes per day reading it.

They might not like it now, but chances are they’ll thank you for it later on in life.

Kent Johnson - Reading Expert and Career Coach

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One of the major causes of weight gain in women is the changes in their hormone levels and sedentarism. Studies show that about 90 percent of menopausal women experience weight gain between the ages 35 to 55. This is not surprising because weight gain comes with the territory of aging and menopausal.

Medical experts say that menopause occurs when a woman’s ovaries has stopped producing estrogen which is responsible for ovulation and menstruation. Today, more and more women who are experiencing menopause go through weight gain due to hormonal changes brought about by aging. Experts explain that with aging, the muscles in the body start to decrease in bulk along with the slowing of metabolism. This slowing down of metabolism along with decrease in bulk of the body’s muscles contributes to weight gain. Aside from weight gain, menopause also leads to loss of sexual appetite or loss of libido, vaginal atrophy, and growth or loss of hair in the head and face. With all these demoralizing truths, it is common that women who are experiencing menopause lose self-confidence and esteem. But, it shouldn’t stay that way. With the help of science and modern researches, weight gain during menopausal years can be solved.

THE WEIGHT GAIN

Weight gain during menopause is as common as aging. Usually, women sometimes gain about 10 to15 pounds starting from their abdomen, to the hips, thighs, and rear. Studies show that weight gain on women usually starts during their pre-menopausal years and will continue to pile up as they grow older. For those who have experienced early menopausal due to major operation or surgery, they are expected to gain weight faster compared to those who haven’t.

Because of the changes in their weight or size, many women are starting to dread the thought of menopausal. It is recommended to exerciseregularly and eat to one’s appetite. Experts say that women should be more aware when they are entering the stage of menopausal so they can prepare for it. Physicians say that women should expect that as they enter the early stages of menopause, they would have difficulty maintaining their weight because of the fluctuation in their hormones. Because of these natural hormonal changes-that include estrogen, testosterone, and androgen levels-a man’s or woman’s appetite, metabolism, and fat storage are greatly affected.

UNVEILING THE REASONS BEHIND WEIGHT GAIN DURING MENOPAUSE

Before sulking into a pit of depression, a woman must know the reasons behind it so she can make the necessary adjustments.

1. Hormone deficiency and lack of female hormones that slows down metabolism. Lack of estrogen leads to excessive weight gain because it alters certain functions of the body and greatly influences fat distribution in the body. You must understand estrogen and fat distribution very well.

2. Slow metabolism due to aging. As people grow older, their metabolism starts to slow down. One effective way of reducing energy intake, women who are experiencing menopause are recommended to have a balanced diet composed of whole grains, fruits and vegetables.

3. Lack of exercise or physical activity. As women enter their menopausal stage, they become more sedentary in almost everything that they do. This inactive lifestyle leads them to weight gain because they are not getting enough physical exercise they should get. If muscle pains are giving a woman a hard time to do such simple and regular exercises, she can try taking in vitamin and mineral supplement to boost her energy levels that contain calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, chromium and selenium.

4. The use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can also be a big factor in gaining weight. Although HRT is known to help give back lost female hormones, this treatment can also add up on the weight she already has because it works. HRT has also been subject to serious warnings in their use recently.

5. Weight gain can also be traced in increased food intake due to emotional problems like depression. Emotional eating or overeating due to frustration over weight gain is also a big factor that contributes to excessive weight gain. Talking to friends and satying active are powerful ways to fight back.

Dr Nathalie Fiset is a family doctor and a certified hypnotherapist. For more information go to: www.bestmenopause.com/weight-gain.html http://www.bestmenopause.com/weight-gain.html www.aperfectharmony.com http://www.aperfectharmony.com or www.myalpha-power.com http://www.myalpha-power.com

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If you’re keen to find a fun family activity, then give boat fishing a try. There’s nothing better than heading off on your boat with the wife and kids, talking about the fish you plan to catch that day.

It’s important to realize, though, that there are lots of different types of boat fishing, and each one has specialized boat requirements. You can do everything from dangle some bait on a string over the side of a canoe, right through to high-tech rods and a powerful cabin cruiser. It just needs to be seaworthy - the rest is up to you! But if you’re keen to buy a boat, you need to do some homework first. It can be very confusing walking into a boat show or dealership and seeing so many choices. You need to think about what you’re planning to do with the boat before you can decide which one to buy. Here are some popular boat fishing choices.

Freshwater Boats

If you enjoy fishing in freshwater lakes, rivers or streams, then you don’t need a massive boat. Instead, choose an aluminum or fiberglass boat. Make sure it’s easy to transport and lightweight. Popular choices include bow riders, runabouts or walley boats, with either a small or dual console. These boats are fine for family freshwater boat fishing outings.

Offshore Saltwater Boats

Fishing out on the open sea is the most common thing people think of when you mention boat fishing. Most people enjoy fishing offshore because they get the chance to catch huge fish and use heavy tackle. It’s important to have a dependable, heavy boat for this type of fishing. You’ll encounter plenty of different weather and situations on the open sea, so you need to be able to rely on your boat. You can choose twin or single outboard motors, and you definitely need a cuddy cabin or a center console. If you want to spend a bit more, you can start to look at the more luxurious boats, including a bluewater or convertible with luxury quarters, and maybe even an elegant living area. Bigger boats generally have powerful inboard diesel engines as standard.

Inshore Saltwater Boats

If your tastes run to tarpin, snook, trout, bonefish or redfish, then you will want a boat suitable for inshore saltwater fishing. It’s best to have a light boat that is smaller than a 25-footer. All you need is a single outboard motor. You’re likely to be in shallow water at least some of the time, so something like a flat or baby boat works well. These have a spacious deck you can use for casting, and are still float well in shallow water.

Bass Boats

This type of boat is generally suitable for tournament and sport fishing. They’re colorful, fast, and ride low in the water. It’s preferable if the bass boat has a trolling motor mounted on the bow. Generally they have a platform at both the bow and stern ends, which makes casting much easier. You can choose from aluminum or fiberglass.

Float Tubes

These don’t really qualify as boats, but fly anglers find them very handy for fishing in mountain streams, ponds and lakes. A float tube is simply a flotation device containing a seat. The angler is partially submerged when seated in the float tube, and uses fins on his feet to navigate around on the water. They’re tricky to handle, and fly-casting requires lots of practice. You can choose between round float tubes, which are similar to an inner tube, and pontoon float tubes, which have an air chamber either side of the fisherman. The pontoons are slightly eiasier to maneuver, as their v-shaped design reduces the amount of water resistance.

It’s always a good idea to speak to experienced anglers who either have their own boat or use one regularly. They can give you lots of help in deciding which type of boat is right for you. Read magazines, guides, and talk to your local boat charter service. Fishermen generally love to talk about boats, and you can learn a lot to help you select the perfect fishing boat for your needs.

Steve Dolan is an experienced and keen fisherman, who enjoys the outdoors almost as much as catching the fish! Go to www.bestboatfishing.com http://www.bestboatfishing.com to find more articles and information.

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Everyone has numerous wonderful book ideas. My experience and conversations with thousands of people tell me that this is true. The difference between those that actually write a book and those that don’t is simple. Those that don’t write a book don’t believe that they can.

That’s simply not true. Anyone can write a book.

If you can talk, you can write.

Take a look at 5 of your favorite books, fiction or Non-fiction it doesn’t matter. In fact, grab a few of each. Now, open each book and read a few paragraphs. What do you see? What you’ll likely notice is that there is a common theme running in all of them.

They’re written conversationally. They’re written like you talk. Conversational style is the best style because it is easy to read, easy to understand and easy to write.

Take a look at some of the most prolific authors, both fiction and Non-fiction. Stephen King comes to mind as a very prolific fiction writer. Non-fiction writers might include the Chicken Soup series and co writers Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen. All of those books are written conversationally. They’re accessible to readers of all ages, income levels, and IQ’s.

Conversational style eliminates jargon. It eliminates large words that people have to rely on a dictionary to understand. Conversational style also uses the word ‘you’ often. It’s written as if you were writing a letter or telling a story to a friend.

Basically, if you can write a letter to a friend, then you can write a book-I promise. Of course you need to be able to plan a book too but all that requires is a plan or an outline. Once your outline is established, writing the book can take as little as a month to complete.

Bob Burnham

Reuters - High child mortality rates in conservative Afghanistan are linked not just to war but to mothers being uneducated and having little or no say when their children need medical help, a study has found.

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I’ll simply call them client A. Client A runs a business that survives on shipping their product out through UPS. When we first met back in the early spring it was to fix the shipping computer. He had installed an anti-virus program and it wiped out his e-mail in box.

This is a known bug with MaCAFEE anti-virus and it was a matter of a simple file recovery. In the process of fixing that problem we found other problems and the system was acting very un-stable and nothing was backed up. At that point and several others through the year I tried to encourage him to back up his important records.

Well guess what, he never did and a week before the holiday it crashed. Suddenly he couldn’t access UPS, couldn’t access his mailing lists and postage. Essentially he was out of business with a warehouse full of employees sitting around. Now he is losing thousands of dollars a day because he was trying to save a few hundred and put off getting a back-up device, the business owner went into shear panic and called us.

Now just as suddenly he tried to put the responsibility of saving his business on us, if we couldn’t recover his data he was out of business. I wouldn’t accept that responsibility. We will do our very best, we will do everything possible to fix the situation but if the data was lost it was his fault for not backing it up. People, things happen, so if it is the least bit important … BACK IT UP.

Fortunately, we were able to save about 90% of his data and get him running but it took 3 days and cost him thousands. Did he get a back-up device, not yet. This is the one single problem we run into and it comes in many forms. My inbox became corrupted and all my e-mails are gone, can you recover them ? Were they backed up, no. Address books, family photos, your accounting records, what ever it may be, if it is the least bit important, BACK IT UP. If you are a business and your data is mission critical, BACK IT UP.

If it is a bad crash and we have to send it out for professional data recovery, I’ve seen bills as high as $12 thousand dollars. Data recovery can become expensive, not to mention the down time involved. So make sure to purchase a backup device that automatically backs up your important data every day. If you need data recovery, visit Computer Guys Live online for affordable recovery services.

Copyright 2006 Computer Guys Live Inc.

Chris Kaminski has been working in computer repair and web development for the last 20 years. Kaminski is CEO and head technician for Computerguyslive.com, an online computer repair company based in Asheville, NC. Visit www.computerguyslive.com http://www.computerguyslive.com for affordable data backup services. Or call a live tech now at 866-300-8181.

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Spyware is something we cannot escape from if we use the Internet. But if we stay abreast of how some antispyware vendors can take advantage of us with useless products, fake product reviews and advertisements that mislead us on sites we trust, we can make an informed choice in eliminating these hoaxes.

How can you keep from being cheated?

Fake and useless antispyware software can crawl into your system. If you suspect that your system has spyware, you will invest in reliable adware removal and antispyware packages to prevent future problems for your computer. But you have to be very cautious about which antispyware you choose. There are hordes of products out there that do not keep their promise of cleaning up your pc of spyware. Worse still, you might buy an antispyware product that does just the opposite - install new adware and spyware.

Another hassle is that fake antispyware programs might be able to find and eliminate only certain spyware and tracking cookies that don’t pose a serious threat. The actual problem may continue to reside on your pc. Most adware programs continue download adware, so you just have a constant scare about what might happen to your pc.

The thing about adware and spyware is that they are changing all the time, so while you might think you’ve eliminated one lot, a totally different set might have landed on your computer that you cannot detect easily. The people who produce adware, spyware and Trojans are shrewd, providing a challenge to the most effective antispyware in the market. You might be thinking that you are buying reliable antispyware tools, when you might actually be paying for bundled adware, viruses, browser hijacker and all the things you want to remove from your system.

What About Antispyware Reviews

Sites that claim to provide authentic antispyware product reviews abound on the Internet. These may be of questionable credibility and may not give you an unbiased review of the antispyware’s abilities. There are shady companies that pretend to rank high on Google, leading you to think that the reviews are believable.

The worst of the lot is those fake companies that use those disgusting banner advertisements, which offer to scan your pc. They use graphics to show a progress bar just like the one you see when you actually scan your pc. They show results that are obviously not the real thing but a demonstration of how the software may work. Beware of these cheats. They link you to sites that are supposed to fix the spyware problem. These also land up in your email inbox as part of the email message.

Armed with the above information, you can research and select an antispyware package from a reliable source.

Arvind Singh is admin and technical expert associated with development of computer security and performance enhancing software like Registry Cleaner, Window Cleaner, Anti Spam Filter etc. More information can be found at www.pcmantra.com http://www.pcmantra.com

RealClearPolitics.com - It was a fine speech. Beautifully crafted phrases that inspired, though they perhaps did not inform, floated high above the Doric columns on the stage at Invesco Field. At the same time, Barack Obama, his feet on the ground, delivered the meat and potatoes, reciting a checklist of the concerns of ordinary Americans who are hurting.

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Batman Awards:

Academy
1989 Best Art Direction Anton Furst
1989 Best Art Direction Peter Young

Golden Globe
1989 Best Actor - Musical or Comedy Jack Nicholson

PEO
1989 Best Film (in Drama)

and more..

The 1960s Batman TV series focuses on Bruce Wayne, a multi-billionaire living in crime capital Gotham City. Bruce Wayne is Batman a crime fighting super hero that uses only his wits and some advance gadgets and vehicles to combat criminals and bring them to justice. When Bruce was just a child he’s parents were murdered in front of him, because of this Bruce trained himself to become tough enough to fight thugs and criminals. Along with Bruce is Dick Grayson a former circus acrobat who became Batman’s sidekick Robin, they secure Gotham from bigtime criminals such as the Joker, Penguin, Scarecrow, the Riddler and Catwoman.

Batman (1960s TV series)

The series debuted on January 12, 1966 and was marked for its high camp, and continues to be the version many associate with the Batman character despite it perhaps being least representative of the many versions.

Despite the abhorrence of the TV series by Batman’s fans of the 1970s through the present day, the live-action TV show was extraordinarily popular; at the height of its popularity, it was the only prime-time TV show broadcast twice in one week as part of its regular schedule, airing on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

The hippie counterculture of the 1960s enjoyed the fact that even though they would eventually win and put the bad guys in jail, Batman and Robin portrayed the forces of law and order as being woefully humorless, square , and unaware of the fact that the world was laughing at them.

The series was produced in the United States of America and debuted at 7:30, Wednesday evening, January 12, 1966 on ABC television, at a time when other popular TV series included The Andy Griffith Show and The Wild Wild West. The Batman series set a standard that identifies it as a product of the 1960s. It was known for its silly high camp humour and continues to be the version some associate with the Batman character despite it being least reflective of the Batman mythos as it is known today. (The series was very reflective of the character as portrayed in comics in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Archie C. Artienda is on Search Engine Marketing Team. As Search Engine Optimization Specialist (SEO) and his recent project is www.tvdvdplanet.com/ http://www.tvdvdplanet.com/ .

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