Wildlife Habitats

First Steps

Wildlife gardeners can provide breeding places and shelters for a wide range of animals including insects, amphibians and mammals. It is possible to buy nest boxes and shelters for all manner of creatures, from mason bees, bumble bees, bats and hedgehogs to ladybirds and lacewings. It is also possible to construct effective shelters economically using materials found around the garden. For instance, a great hibernating or breeding shelter for hedgehogs can be made by piling up some dry leaves in a quiet corner and leaning a sheet of plywood over it to keep the worst of the rain off.

Similarly, shelters for insects and other invertebrates can be made in a variety of simple ways, for example by drilling holes of different sizes into a piece of hardwood and leaving it undisturbed in a sunny corner of the garden or by bundling together a number of hollow stems, e.g. bamboo canes that can be left in a quiet corner. Log and stone piles also provide myriad breeding and shelter opportunities for wildlife.

Commercially produced bird nest boxes are now available for a wide range of species. Take the time to investigate the wild bird species found in your area and you can then be sure to buy the right box.

A log pile is a fantastic habitat for a whole range of creatures. Not only does it provide shelter, but as it rots many wild animals and plants will find it a rich and welcome source of food. These include stag beetles, wood wasps, woodpeckers, tree creepers, shrews, wood lice, hedgehogs, mosses and fungi. In addition, a damp log pile can provide an ideal habitat for amphibians such as toads and newts.

A Log Pile

The best time to construct your log pile is autumn. By late October many animals and insects will be looking for a safe, damp place to hibernate before the really cold weather sets in. Any wood can be used in a log pile, but native hardwood will support the widest range of insects. The size of the logs is not important, but to make a rich habitat bury the bottom layer of logs in the soil - preferably to around 10 cms deep. Many insects, such as the stag beetle, will only lay their eggs in damp, decaying wood deep in the soil. The log pile does not need to be very tall, since the top of the pile will be dry and less attractive as a habitat. It is better to have two or three low piles than one high pile. Once your pile is established it is important to leave it undisturbed. Moving the pile disturbs wildlife and can undo all the good work you have done. A log pile may take years to rot away, but it remains an important habitat throughout its life cycle. For instance, when the stag beetle eggs mentioned above eventually hatch, the larvae may spend up to five years chewing their way through wood rotting beneath the soil. Stag beetle larvae look rather like huge white maggots. The beetles are still common in the south-east of England although they are declining dramatically due to lack of habitat. Wherever you live, you will find a wide variety of beetles inhabiting your log pile.

Some gardeners add soil to their log pile, creating a 'loggery' - the wood equivalent of a rockery. This idea works best in a cool, shady area of the garden, where it can provide an ideal habitat for ferns and other shade-loving plants.

Advice from the Garden School at Learning Curve:
http://www.gardenschool.eu

To try a free home study gardening course visit:
http://www.onthecurve.co.uk

Copyright: Linda PollittAleece Blog78208
Alina Blog2429

Battling the Sniffles

Sneezing much lately? Are your eyes watery and itching? If so, then you may be suffering from the common illness known as allergies. Americans across the country face the effects of this seasonal syndrome, and though allergies are treatable their symptoms are not always welcomed. Roughly 20% of Americans deal with them each year, emphasizing the need to do whatever possible to hopefully eliminate the possibility of the sneezing and itching episodes that arise. But just how can the estimated 45 million Americans who suffer from allergies prevent the harm that they cause?

First, it is necessary to understand what allergies actually are and how they affect the body. By definition, allergies are abnormal reactions to ordinary substances. The substances that account for these reactions are known as allergens, and they can be contracted through respiration, swallowing, or skin contact, thus making the body very vulnerable. There are hundreds of substances classified as allergens, including pollen, mold spores, and animal dander. When airborne, it is difficult to determine when exposed; the first few signs of allergic reactions include sneezing, itching, and skin rashes. Therefore, it is no doubt important to keep the air purified at all times so that symptoms do not intensify.

Whats interesting about allergies is they are overreactions of the bodys immune system attempting to fight off foreign airborne invaders that become present in the body. Exact causes are quite unclear, but it is safe to say that heredity plays a role in determining if ones immune system will be sensitive to certain substances. For the most part, allergies tend to be seasonal, usually causing the greatest concern in the spring and fall. The proper name for this type of annual illness is seasonal allergic rhinitis. You may have heard it referred to as hay fever as well. But how does a change of seasons bring rise to these unwanted symptoms?

When flowers start to blossom again and plants begin to sprout, they release pollens into the air. These pollens, or tiny powdery grains, are carried off by wind and insects, causing them to spread at rapid rates, especially during the spring and fall seasons. When reaching a persons eyes, nose, and lungs, the body responds in a strange way by releasing histamines, which account for the allergic symptoms. It should be noted that trees and grass also release pollen into the air, thus explaining the reasoning behind why allergies tend to be seasonal.

As a homeowner, it is important to take the necessary measures so that these unwanted contaminants do not build up in your household. Among all allergens, dust mites and pet dander are some of the most common household substances that account for the undesired symptoms. Dust mites are found in furniture, and it is actually the waste particles of these dust mites that make up the chunks of dust found in the corners of your kitchen. As far as pets are concerned, the allergic reactions are not caused by the hair from the pet but rather the urine, saliva, and dander that the animal releases. Dander is defined as dead skin flakes, and when emitted from the pets body it combines with other contaminants to become an airborne allergen.

While various medical treatments are offered to prevent allergic symptoms, cleaning the air in your household is considered an efficient method of eliminating a significant portion of these unwanted substances. Ionic and HEPA air purifiers are filtration products that are able to destroy the pollen, dander, and other airborne pollutants that can have a negative effect on your health. Most of the units today are constructed to operate in single rooms and guarantee an efficiency of about 98%. Ionic purifiers emit an electric field, which basically kills any surrounding airborne contaminants within a certain radius from the unit. HEPA units, on the other hand, actually run cycles of air through a filter which captures the harmful substances, allowing the newly-purified air to pass through. Both types of units are considered effective, but they do have their drawbacks. For instance, some of these models have recently been tested by the government to insure that they are not releasing unhealthy levels of ozone into the air.

In addition to investing in an air-purification system, there are several other measures that can be taken to reduce the likelihood of suffering from allergens (or other air pollutants for that matter). One of the most obvious solutions is to try and keep both the windows and doors closed during heavy pollen seasons. This will eliminate the possibility of contracting any allergens by not even allowing them into the scene. Keeping plants out of the house is also recommended, as the pollen that they can produce is a known catalyst for allergic reactions. Washing sheets and furniture regularly is yet another preventable measure. Finally, bearing in mind that pets can be a primary source of dander is important in families with a member whose immune system is very sensitive to airborne allergens. Well getting rid of a pet is not necessarily the only solution, bathing it regularly and purifying the air will help in preventing dander from accumulating.

Understanding the basis of allergies, such as what they are, how they affect the human body, and why symptoms occur is an ongoing importance that people, particularly adults, need to become more aware of. The best way to recognize them is to monitor how much you are sneezing each day, as it is a common initial reaction to exposure. Taking the appropriate measures is essential in eliminating the possibility of allergies developing in your household, with air purification ranking high on the list of preventable solutions.

In addition, seeking medical attention is advised if symptoms become severe. By following all of the advised steps and taking the time to learn a little about the basics of allergies, you will hopefully be able to finally win the battle against the sniffles.

John McColgan runs Nano 02 (http://www.nanoo2.com/) and Pharmatropic (http://www.pharmatropic.com/) a leading air purification and health product manufacturer. Celestyn Blog28207
Arlie Blog35222

Why Is Content King On The Internet?

The reason the internet was created was to share information. People still use the internet to share information or to find out information. And what is information? Information is content - so, content is king.

There are two ways to gather information on the internet. One way is free and the other way is paid information. Whatever you offer on the internet is done with information, whether you are talking about the value of your site, or your product.

Your selling price for information, or content, is determined by the person that is seeking your information. In other words, how much is a person willing to pay for the information that you have? How much it costs to put together the information does not show you the value. The value only comes through the people that are willing to buy.

For example, if I sent you an e-mail and I said that I had a link to some valuable resources that you would be interested in, would it be worth a few dollars to know the information now or would you rather spend a lot of time finding it for yourself?

With hard products the value is determined by the cost to create and manufacture this product. For example, if you were selling golf clubs the price would be determined by how much it costs to manufacture them plus any overhead costs and shipping.

Some people in the internet have membership sites which charge a monthly fee simply to be informed about new resources on the internet. The reason it is a value to the members is because it saves time. Most information you can find available for free. The value comes into play because it saves you so much time and effort on your part. What is your time worth?

What does it cost to go to college today? What are you getting from a college education? What are you actually getting for your money?

A college education is the passing of information (content) from one person to another.

Now you can be a college of your niche or topic. Now you can give your students, visitors, subscribers and your customers valuable information they need and charge them accordingly. With good content you can earn money. For example, if you have a web site or a blog you can have paid advertising and therefore you can earn money with free content. Web sites, blogs, newsletters, press releases and free reports can all be used to generate traffic which means you have a following and a subscriber base.

With good information, content, you can actually make money selling your own or other people's products. For example, e-books, ecourses, and even teleseminars. The nature of the internet shows that a web site should provide the visitors with information. The better the information, the more money you can charge for it. Your web site can be one page or it can have multiple pages. You can set up a one page web site by using one article, several articles or even a sales letter.

If you want visitors to come to your web site, give them great information. If they want additional information you can exchange the information for the subscribers name and e-mail address. And for those that want even more information they can purchase this information from you. Just make sure you are giving them great information that they can use so they will come back time and time again.

When you promote your web site make sure you provide information that is interesting to the reader and makes them want more. For an example, use articles, press releases and free reports - just make sure it's good information or entertaining content.

If you want the search engine spiders to be interested in your web site make sure the information that you're giving is interesting and relevant to your topic or niche. This is very important.

Fresh content will give visitors a reason to return to your site plus it'll keep the search engine spiders interested in your site. You want both to keep coming back.

People will start out visiting your site as a visitor or prospect, then they will become subscribers and customers, and if they really like you they will tell others about your web site, blog, newsletter or e-zine. When people really like the information that you're providing for them they will start promoting you. Now you have a viral affect going on. This is a good thing. The more people sharing your information around, the more visitors and traffic you will get.

The better your content, the more valuable your content is in many ways.

Jeff Wark is a niche internet marketer who developed a system to quickly and easily create original content. To receive a free ecourse on optimizing your content, visit http://www.QuickContentSecrets.com.Catherina Blog58284
Carmen Blog62201

Search and organize your entire CD and DVD collection

Had you ever inserted multiple compact disks into your PC in an attempt to find just one MP3 song? Its definitely a routine, time-consuming work that you could have easily avoided if youd catalog your files first. But cataloging is difficult and takes more time than just occasionally looking for a file when you need it, right?

Wrong! Cataloging CD and DVD media has never been easier. With powerful computers and sophisticated software you can off-load entire cataloging job to your PC; all you need to do is just inserting the disks one by one. No need to make notes or write down things on paper. Your PC will make the process as easy as one-two-three. Once you try the convenience of your entire CD/DVD collection indexed, theres really no way back!

WinCatalog by Software Institute http://www.softinstitute.com/ is one of the more advanced cataloging tools on the market. It does what its name suggests by automatically indexing files and data such as MP3 tags on your entire CD and DVD collection, but it goes way beyond that. If you are looking for a song, searching by the file name is not always convenient. How about looking for the name of the song, or searching your entire disk collection for all songs performed by a specific artist? That does not take more than a few mouse clicks with WinCatalog!

If you have an abundance of disks, they might get difficult to get around. Mixing data backups with MP3 songs is no fun. WinCatalog lets you organize your collection hierarchically with virtual blue folders, allowing you to create a meaningful structure. For example, you can create different blue folders for DVD movies, audio CDs, digital pictures and data backups.

But what if you are trying to find a file on a CD or DVD that you loaned to a friend and then forgot about it? No problem, as WinCatalog not only finds the file and tells you what CD it was, but can even tell you who and when borrowed that particular disk! Its built-in contact manager lets you track your disks easily. With WinCatalog youll never lose an important disk again!

Once you start organizing things, the convenience of easy index and fast search really strikes at you. So why limiting yourself with just CDs and DVDs? WinCatalog allows you to catalog and track books, VHS tapes, and all other objects such as your stamp collection just as easily as it does with computer disks. WinCatalog wont let you forget about the book that you loaned!

WinCatalog is by all means affordable, but if you just need a simple and free tool to catalog and search your digital media, and do not need reporting and the ability to index things like books and VHS tapes, the free Light version might be just right for you. WinCatalog Light is absolutely free to use, and even includes the useful loaner tracking feature of the Standard edition.

Download your free trial version of WinCatalog from http://www.wincatalog.com/freetrial.html, or get the absolutely free Light edition at http://www.wincatalog.com/light.html

Michael Rusakov is PhD in the sphere of software reliability. He has founded his own company in 2001 for developing WinCatalog. Now after more than 5 years of hard work, the company constantly grows and brings new high quality software to the market.Anna Blog80782
Carine Blog1233

Six Teachers from Spain to Teach in the Ohio Schools

Susan Tave Zelman, superintendent of public instruction for the Ohio schools, welcomed six visiting teachers from Spain, who will be teaching in the Ohio schools this coming school year.

Last year, the Ohio schools signed a memorandum of understanding with the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science, Spains sponsor for the visiting international teacher program. The ministry started the program in 1986 and has since provided 1,500 visiting teachers to the United States. This is the first year of participation for the Ohio schools.

Spanish language educators have been in short supply in the Ohio schools, yet they are in critical demand in order to prepare Ohio schools students for their future and the new millennium. With only 200-225 foreign language teachers being graduated from the 25 or so Ohio colleges and universities, the Ohio schools see the visiting teacher program as a plus for everyone.

The visiting educators will teach their native language, culture and history to middle and high school students, while helping the school districts to expand or maintain their Spanish language programs. The teachers will, in return, gain a first-hand experience of American culture, improve their own English language proficiency, and develop new relationships that hopefully will be lasting ones.

The Ohio schools students will benefit greatly from the program, too. The National Governors Association already has called for state public school systems to expose their students to the global world in which they now live. The association believes that global thinking and learning is essential in the future of todays students. The Ohio schools are accepting this challenge by participating in the visiting teacher program to ensure their students learn to speak another language, as well as understand and appreciate another culture.

Whether Ohio schools students work in the United States or abroad in the future, the exposure today will benefit them tomorrow. Of the U.S. population, 12 percent are Hispanic. Ohios own Hispanic community has grown from approximately 140,000 in 1990 to about 217,000 in 2000. Some states, such as Florida, Texas and California, have even greater communities of Hispanic residents.

Currently, only 45 percent of students across the nation take a foreign language in high school. Ohios Governor Taft has proposed that all Ohio schools students be required to take at least two years of foreign language study, though it is not yet a requirement.

The six educators that will teach in the Ohio schools during the 2006-2007 school year are:

Maria Espada Blanco from Madrid, Spain. Maria will teach in the Constellation Community Schools in Parma, Cuyahoga County

Patricia Hawke is a staff writer for Schools K-12, Which provides free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. Patricia has a nose for research and writes stimulating news and views on school issues.Abbye Blog28528
Cathee Blog5545

Designing a Superstar Team

We've all been part of teams in one form or another. You've probably had "team" experiences since you were very young, whether on a sports-field, the debate team , with a Girl or Boy Scout troupe, or with some volunteer organization. You most likely enjoyed study or project groups in college. In your professional life, you quickly learned that despite your best solo efforts to change the world-or at least your industry-doing the best job and building a successful business meant surrounding yourself with the best individuals.

You might consider it a given that as a business owner or entrepreneur you want to surround yourself with the ideal team. On the other hand, you may be a solo entrepreneur who considers your helpers-accountant, webmaster, etc.-to be merely a part of the peripheral landscape. Either way, intentionally communicating your purpose, aligning your team around it, and communicating your expectations and your passion, can help you attract the people who want to go there with you. Before you can do that, though, you have be able to define what makes not just a teambut a Super Star Team.

First of all, a group is not necessarily a team, especially in today's virtual world, where people with varied skills are dispersed and may be asked to collaborate from around the globe. Second, teams rarely come together simply for the sake of being a team; they come together united for a common purposeone built on shared objectives. Super Star teams are comprised of incredibly bright and talented people who already have individual track records of success. They come together with their collective talents to achieve new, fresh and exciting thingsto achieve Super Star objectives. The team creates a competitive advantage and works together to achieve superior levels of performance.

Before you conclude that this team building process sounds like a walk in the park with everyone stepping in sync, think again. By its very nature, the dynamics of working with a group of brilliant, talented, focused people will stretch every member and require them to tread on uncharted territory. But what an exciting trek! In such an environment, the work remains challenging and new.

How do you build a Super Star Team? Ask yourself these questions:

1. Who is on your team?

It is important to realize and appreciate that beyond the people you hire and the partners with whom you interact-people who are actively engaged in maintaining and growing your business on a daily basis-your team is really anyone who is supportive of your accomplishments. Don't overlook the sphere of influence that your family and friends are part of. Ultimately, it is your responsibility to monitor who provides positive support and who extends negative expectations. Surround yourself with people who know you are shooting for the moon and who wholeheartedly support and reflect your core values.

2. Where are you going and does your team know the itinerary?

You probably realize the importance of keeping your employees and your executive team up to speed on your vision. But what about your family, friends, or the other people whose influence you feel most in your daily life? Have you clearly articulated to them where you are going and how you plan to get there? If you don't share your business plan and your passion with the people who are closest to you, how will they know how to best support you? Don't assume that comments you make in passing will drive home the gravity of your message. Be specific. Sharing your vision can create a dynamic whereby your core values become more clearly defined in the give and take of conversation. Make specific time with people to discuss where you are going and how they can help you get there. Express your passion respectfully and individually with the people who matter most to you, and it will spread like wildfire.

3. What qualities are most important in your team members?

Integrity? Passion? Tenacity? Knowing the qualities you value most is only the half of the equation. It's also up to you to create the environments that allow and, in fact, challenge your team to grow and nurture those qualities. Creating such a platform will also encourage people to admit when they fall short, take constructive criticism, and make adjustments in their performance because they are working within a supportive network of well defined boundaries.

4. Are you tolerating people who don't embody your key values or qualities? If so, why?

Are you afraid of conflict? Do you like to play the martyr? Do you want everyone to like you? Are you afraid of being "wrong"? While any one or all of these may be true at different times, the key to addressing this question goes back to defining and adhering to your must-haves, your core values. When you begin each day with a commitment to them, you won't have time or energy to waste on anyone or anything that does not remain in alignment with what matters most to you and your business.

Essentially, to build a Super Star Team, you must first be a Super Star yourself. There are several keys to being the kind of leader that attracts the best of the best.

1. Think big! Visionary thinkers create visionary businesses.

2. Think fast! Stay on your toes and expect the same from others. A Harvard degree doesn't necessarily equate to best and brightest. Whether a potential team member is book smart or street smart, be sure the person is a quick study with the intellectual and emotional capacity to navigate your growing business.

3. Think now! Change is good. Be cutting edge and ride the tides and you'll attract people who feel empowered by that kind of exciting energy.

4. Think fun! When you are having fun and doing what you love, quality people with similar values will find you and your business attractive. Once you have a Super Star Team in place, fun is one of the things that will keep them there.

A Super Star Team evolves out of the synergistic energy that you put in motion. It begins and grows from being absolutely intentional about your values and your vision. When you have those two things defined, you'll find yourself working with people who constantly inspire and challenge youand not by accident. You will have created a purposeful dynamic in which you and the people who matter most in your life will accomplish great things and touch many lives.

Copyright (c) 2007 Bea Fields and Corey Blake

Bea Fields and Corey Blake with Eva Silva are the co-authors of Edge!:A Leadership Story (http://Edge-Book.com). Fields is an Executive Coach and the President of Five Star Leader Coaching and Training. Blake is an author, screenplay writer and the President of Writers of the Round Table Inc. (Http://Writersoftheroundtable.com).Alice Blog7752
Bernete Blog15026

Career Training: A Popular Choice And For A Good Reason

There are a lot of career training courses which can help a person to develop valuable skills and knowledge. These in turn help the person to earn more money. The courses are designed for people who do not have much knowledge on a particular subject. They assist a person to develop to his or her full potential. There are technical courses, management courses and many other types of courses all of which contribute toward gaining critical knowledge. Career training courses aid a person in utilizing the skills learned in a proper and efficient manner.

There are various types of courses, such as short-term and long-term. Short-term courses help a person to learn about a particular subject or develop a skill rapidly. Long-term courses help a person to learn about a particular subject in greater detail. These courses are taught in a manner in which a person learns everything that is required to be successful in their chosen field. Whether a course is short term or long term they are generally very flexible and can be learned through various means such as online via the internet, correspondence courses or at the school's facility.

No matter whether you intend to take a short-term course that will earn you a certificate or a long-term course that can lead to a bachelors or masters degree, one thing is for sure education is very important for every one. It helps a person to develop his or her potential. It is advised not to miss any of the course material offered. If you are doing an online course and you have fixed a time to study then you should stick with your schedule. A lax schedule will impede your progress or prevent completion of the course altogether.

Even if you feel a particular part of the course is boring don't skip it or rush through it. View all course material seriously so that it can be learned thoroughly. You should study with interest so as not to lose out on any valuable information. After all, you have invested your time and money in the course and you want to get the most out of it.

In addition, distance learning is a very good way to be trained while you work. You require an internet connection and a computer for learning your subject. With technological advancement career training has become a worldwide phenomenon and many people have started to earn more money by means of these online career training courses. Online career training courses help people to study the course, take the tests and get certificates without attending classes everyday in a college or university. The best part is you can self study at your own pace.

There are many institutions which provide career training courses, which help people to learn a particular subject or skill. Millions of people learn through career training every year. The cost of career training is very low compared to attending college.

Some people think that career training does not have value. Nothing could be further from the truth. Investing in career training is the same as investing in yourself. Do the research and you will discover that career training helps in gaining abundant knowledge, skills and self-respect.

Sherry Harris is the President of online career training school, Malibu Institute. For more information on master certificate courses and career education offered, go to: http://www.MalibuInstitute.com.Aubry Blog20536
Ailyn Blog9270

How To Find The Best Spyware Blocker

With the purpose of finding the most excellent spyware blocker for the PC you foremost have to be familiar with what a proper spyware blocker is supposed to do. There is a list of features, which you ought to pay attention to when purchasing anti spyware program and given below are some of those features in details.

A proper spyware detection software will make available to the user a simple to use, total solution to getting rid of spyware. This spyware detection software ought to furthermore come with regular updates and include different monitoring alternatives on hand.

The Features You Have To Pay Attention To

When it is about buying a spyware blocker there are a few features, which you ought to make certain, are incorporated with the anti spyware program you select. The foremost thing you will have to make sure is that the anti spyware program will provide you with a detailed list of the identified spyware, which is located in your PC in order that you can make a decision whether to carry on with them or not. Is there a variety of software incorporated along with the spyware blocker, which will help with the identification of spyware in an even easier manner?

The next feature, which is very important, is real time security. In other words, we suggest that the spyware blocker you select ought to in addition be capable of preventing spyware from setting up in your PC. The spyware blocker ought to be simple to make use of and the time it needs to carry out an inspection of your PC ought to moreover be taken into deliberation. A few spyware detection programs can take about thirty minutes to inspect your PC.

One more vital feature to think about is the easiness of installation and set up of the spyware blocker. If you mean to shell out money on getting rid of spyware then it ought to be simple to set up and make use of. Support and help should furthermore be on hand and their accessibility also ought to be thought about and looked into prior to your purchasing your spyware blocker.

If you follow these little guidelines, you are sure to buy the most excellent spyware blocker for your PC.

Frank ShowalterCathi Blog93933
Annelise Blog34760

What is ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) Doing About Shoulder Dystocia?

Disastrous consequences can be the result if a should dystocia emergency occurs during live birth. Because in this situation the head of the baby is already delivered, but the baby's shoulder become trapped behind the mother's pelvis, there arises a strong possibility of the baby suffocating and dying if too much time elapses and the shoulder dystocia is not properly resolved.

In truth, sometimes even if doctors are able to resolve the dystocia using one of the many maneuvers for handling shoulder dystocia, far too frequently brachial plexus injuries are sustained by the baby. Such injuries affect the movement of the arm and hands and may even leave the baby's arm paralyzed for life. Though some statistics suggest that this occurs in only two to five babies per every 1000 live births, as far as we are concerned that is two to five babies too many. Fortunately, ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) has recognized the seriousness of this birthing emergency and is taking many steps to ensure that brachial plexus injuries from shoulder dystocia can be reduced. Here's a look at what ACOG is doing about shoulder dystocia. Training For Doctors For Prevention Of Brachial Plexus Injuries

ACOG has many different training and educational programs for doctors and health care practitioners to help prevent brachial plexus injuries. They routinely conduct clinical seminars on the subject of Managing Shoulder Dystocia', which help to educate doctors on the following topics:

- Is it possible to predict shoulder dystocia?

- Is shoulder dystocia preventable?

- When the emergency does occur, is it possible to resolve shoulder dystocia without causing any fetal injury or brachial plexus injuries?

- Is excess traction, applied by the doctor, the reason for all brachial plexus injuries?

By taking part in such seminars and completing the training courses, obstetricians and other health care givers are then able to:

- Identify the various risk factors for shoulder dystocia and take measures to prevent it if there is an increased risk of dystocia.

- Resolve shoulder dystocia (if it occurs) in the best possible manner using the various maneuvers for handling dystocia.

- Understand why brachial plexus injuries occur, especially due to the application of excessive traction. With better understanding of these reasons there is higher chance of resolving shoulder dystocia without brachial plexus injuries.

ACOG also has videos on shoulder dystocia that show doctors how to recognize the emergency in the labor room and how they can help reposition mothers so as to widen their birth canal to the maximum and help the baby to be delivered without brachial plexus injuries such as Erb's palsy.

Thus, ACOG is doing its best to educate doctors about shoulder dystocia, its prediction, and prevention. But since shoulder dystocia and resultant brachial plexus injuries are very difficult to predict, ACOG training for doctors also aims to teach doctors how best to resolve shoulder dystocia and prevent fetal injuries.

In addition to the above, ACOG seminars also aim to make doctors aware about the many medico-legal aspects regarding shoulder dystocia and brachial plexus injuries. Shoulder dystocia lawsuits are discussed as well as the various claims that can be made against doctors if fetal injuries do occur. Since doctors are made aware of the huge potential for expensive litigation in the form of brachial plexus injury lawsuit, it does make them try that much harder to prevent shoulder dystocia and conditions such as Erb's palsy.

Information For Parents For Prevention Of Brachial Plexus Injuries

Apart from training doctors and conducting clinical seminars, ACOG is also involved in educating parents about everything related to shoulder dystocia and brachial plexus injuries. By providing relevant information to parents, ACOG is trying to make them more aware of such birthing emergencies and what parents can do to prevent fetal or birth injuries to their babies.

The ACOG regularly releases for parents practice bulletins that contain the most updated should dystocia information. The information contained in these bulletins helps mothers to recognize whether or not they are at an increased risk for shoulder dystocia. If the risk of dystocia and brachial plexus injuries is high, parents are advised as to the best way to reduce such risk and ensure the birth of a healthy baby.

Two main risk factors for shoulder dystocia are maternal diabetes and fetal macrosomia. ACOG has issued practice bulletins on these two topics so that parents can manage gestational diabetes properly and also perhaps opt for a cesarean delivery if the fetus is macrosomic (excessively large). Here are the ACOG guidelines on these two topics:

1. ACOG Guidelines For Fetal Macrosomia: The recommendations are:

- Cesarean delivery is indicated when the weight of the fetus is more than 4500 grams.

- Women who are not diabetic should consider cesarean deliveries if the weight of their fetus is more than 5000 grams. For diabetic women the fetal weight for cesarean consideration is 4500 grams.

2. ACOG Guidelines For Management Of Gestational Diabetes: The recommendations are:

- Mothers should take the laboratory-screening test for gestational diabetes between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy.

- If gestational diabetes is present, ask the obstetrician about the best manner in which to manage this condition during pregnancy.

ACOG also recommends that women who have gestational diabetes and whose fetus weighs more than 4500 grams should seriously consider a cesarean delivery as this reduces the risk of brachial plexus injuries greatly.

The clinical seminars, practice bulletins and training programs issued by the ACOG for doctors and parents therefore greatly assist in lessening the number of brachial plexus injuries from shoulder dystocia.

Peter Kent maintains LegalView.com, your source for everything legal. Anapol Schwartz is a member of the partnership of law firms represented at http://www.legalview.com/, and has real-world experience aggressively litigating birth injury and medical malpractice cases. Their lawyers have won millions for clients injured by the mistakes of their doctors, including an $800,000 settlement won by partner Alan Schwartz, Esq. the shoulder dystocia lawyer in this case. For more information, visit the law firm itself at http://www.anapolschwartz.com/.Carlyn Blog71758
Brigid Blog27601

How To Get Everything You Want

Over 24 years ago I learned a power that they dont teach in grade school, college or any organized educational system. As a matter of fact at that time it was not looked upon to positively by some sectors of our communities.

We all have this power inside of us but hardly anyone knows how to use it properly. Ive personally seen the amazing results of this power in my life and in others. What if you could have everything youve ever wanted regardless of your current situation? You can have more money, power, respect, better relationships, more motivation, less stress and much more. It may sound too good to be true but it isnt. People just like you are currently living the life of their dreams everyday and it all starts with the Subconscious Mind.

Youve probably seen news reports or medical TV shows that prove scientifically that all of us have two minds. A conscious and subconscious mind, basically each has its own job to help us sustain our lives.

Your conscious mind is first and foremost your bodys defense system. It also controls:

Analytical Thinking how to do the things you do.

Rational Thinking reasons why you do the things you do, regardless if they are good for you or not.

Will Power this is an alert to you from the inside that something needs to change in your life. You will draw from this increase in energy to get started on making changes in your life, but this energy is only temporary.

Temporary Memory we take this for granted but we really need this, imagine if you put your keys down someone and ten minutes later you forgot where you put them, life wouldnt be too fun.

Your subconscious mind controls:

Permanent Memory this is everything you have learned before and after you were born.

Habits these are good, bad and utilitarian. Utilitarian is the need to do things that you will be the least amount of pain and the most amount of pleasure.

Protective System it will alert you to problems with your organs, unknown dangers such as bad vibes about a person, being in the wrong place and the wrong time, etc. (but most people dont listen to this inner alert system), it will also turn off your conscious mind if you are experiencing pain that is too painful for you to handle. Youve probably heard of people being in car accidents that didnt remember anything about the accident.

In the Millionaire Mentorship Program www.incometoday.net I go into more detail about the conscious and subconscious mind. Get your FREE Download now.

Steven Williams - Self made multi millionaire in the advertising publishing business. Well known motivational speaker, success coach, Certified Hypnotherapist. Inventor of the 'Smoke Free 9 Day' stop smoking program. Most importantly a family man! http://www.incometoday.netCaralie Blog34758
Ariel Blog31543

Kids' Games

Kids love to play, so games are a major part of their lives. Choosing the right games for you kids can be a challenge. It needs to be fun, but you also want them to "get something" from the games. There are new games coming out all the time, but sometimes the classics are still the best.

Outdoor games - Outdoor games are a great way to encourage teamwork and get exercise at the same time. Softball, baseball, wiffleball are always a hit. Badminton and volleyball are inexpensive, and a lot of fun for everyone. There are also games that require no equipment, like Tag and Duck, Duck, Goose, that are always favorites.

Board games - Board games are a great way to spend family time, and encourage taking turns and playing by the rules. There are the classic board games, like Candyland for younger children. Then games like Clue, which encourage logic and puzzle solving and Monopoly, where they can learn about money. There are also many trivia games that help test knowledge and have a little fun, too.

Card games - Card games are always a fun family activity. Simple games like Go Fish and Old Maid help kids learn to match. Other card games, like Cribbage, can help with math skills. There are other specialty card games, like UNO, which are also good for matching and following directions.

Computer/video games - There are an almost unlimited number of computer and video games, with new systems coming out all the time. Not all the games are bad. There are quite a few educational games, as well. The best games encourage creative thinking, puzzle solving and help improve hand eye coordination. The key is checking out games, through reviews and other parents, before buying a new game for your children.

On-line games - There are several websites that provide kid-friendly and educational games. PBS Kids, Nick Jr. and others have games that feature the kids' favorite characters, and help them learn skills while having fun. Parents always need to supervise the sites to make sure they are safe for kids.

If all else fails, give them an empty box, some crayons and see what happens.

Adriana Copaceanu is a busy mom of 2. If you are looking for Tips for Raising Great Kids, or need to De-clutter Your Life make sure you visit http://www.busy-moms-online.comAloisia Blog76167
Camala Blog71659

Buying A New Computer 101: The Basics

Ok if your reading this I'm going to asume that you already have a computer but lets face it, in todays computing enviroment the power (speed) of computers doubles about every 18 months. We like to joke that when you get a new computer its obsolete before you can get it out of the box.

You have completed the first step, deciding that you need a new computer, now we must make a vital decision before any others can be made. Do you want a Macintosh or a Windows based computer? In the past Macintosh computers could only run the Macintosh operating system, however with the release fo the Intel chipsets in the new Mac Pro line users can now run either windows or Mac OS X. The basic advantages to buying a mac are: more stable operating system (aka it doesn't crash as often), for all practical pourposes they do not get viruses, adware or spyware, the tech support is very good, you can run Windows XP or Mac OS X and the operating system is very easy to use. Now the advantages of owning a Windows based computer are: cheaper, to be honest this is the honly advantage that I can think of and the main reason they are cheaper is usually because inferior components where used.

I own several computers, two Macs and a PC. I love the macs they are a joy to work with, they never break and I never have to defrag the hard drvie or run a virus scan. The PC I use because I like to play games. It is constantly breaking down adn having problems. It really comes down to this, if you want to play games and you cant instal Windows XP on your mac then buy a PC if you cann install windows on your mac buy a mac. Macs use higher quality components and are more reliable!

My name is Ian I am running several websites right now including:Bunny Blog87367
Arlena Blog23163

Training for the Future

It's generally agreed that in order to succeed in the modern world you need to have good computer skills. Perhaps you just don't have the instincts to be a programmer or the savvy to be a top software guru, but with good IT training you'll still find a vast range of possibilities opening up to you. IT training doesn't demand and special abilities, just patience and hard work. If you're prepared to make that effort, IT training can turn your life around.

With a wealth of different courses available, you don't need any special qualifications to undertake IT training. All you need is access to a computer, which doesn't need to be your own, and a willingness to read and to practice the exercises you're given. IT training is constantly changing to take into account new developments in computing technology, so you shouldn't expect to learn everything at once. The important thing about IT training is that it teaches you how to learn. IT training teaches you how to manage current systems and prepares you to adapt to new ones. You should never find yourself at a loss with a new system if you've had good basic IT training.

Because of the way computer systems change, it can be worth considering IT training even if you're already in employment. IT training can help you to stay ahead of the field and deal with new developments in your workplace. If you're a manager, you might want to send your staff for IT training to ensure that changes in your office software are smoothly handled.

IT training isn't just for computing professionals - it can be for anyone who wants to get the best out of the systems they use. It'll make you more employable and it'll also make you better able to cope with all the day to day practicalities of computer use. Everyone stands to benefit from basic IT training, so why not look into it today?

Paul Abbey owns and operates http://www.ittrainingguide.com IT TrainingBellanca Blog91878
Carolan Blog93399

Simple Tips to Improve Your Communication/Relationship Skills

Have you ever been to a function in a room full of strangers and found yourself lost for words?

The art of introducing yourself to others and creating small talk may come natural for some, but most people confess to feeling shy, embarrassed and dont know where to start.

There are four levels of communication: Small talk, fact disclosure, share viewpoints and opinions and share personal opinions.

Small Talk

In new relationships or acquaintances the safest place to start is to talk about surface issues. For instance, make a comment about the weather, current events or the surroundings you are in.

This is called small talk, and is used to size up the other person to determine the comfort zone between the two of you. There is no need to disclose any personal information with the other person at this stage, as this initial interaction assists you to determine how safe they are on your first meeting.

If you are comfortable with each other at a surface level you can easily slip into the next level of communication: fact disclosure.

Fact Disclosure

Fact disclosure is slightly deeper than small talk in that you disclose facts about yourself without triggering topics of emotional interest.

The purpose of fact disclosure is to find out if you have something in common. You can use these common areas to build a friendship. You may want to talk about your career, occupation, hobbies, or where you live.

Avoid topics like marriage, divorce, politics, sex and religion in this second level of communication. If you find a topic of mutual interest you may want to progress to the next level of communication: sharing viewpoints and opinions.

Share Viewpoints and Opinions

Once you have established that the other person is safe through small talk, and have found areas of common interest, you can build rapport by sharing your opinions and viewpoints.

By sharing your viewpoints and opinions you allow yourself to become vulnerable to the scrutiny and objections of the other person. Enter this level of communication once you are comfortable that you both share positive feelings through the first two levels.

Be prepared to listen to the opinions of your new friend. This will enable your friendship to survive.

Make sure you dont use your opinions as a form of character assassination of other people. You may be thought of as a negative person and this may cause your new friend to distance himself/herself from you.

The fourth level of communication is sharing personal feelings. Solid friendships over time usually enter this fourth level of communication.

Share Personal Feelings

After building upon trust, finding things in common and listening to the viewpoints and opinions of others, you may be able to share your personal feelings. This is when an acquaintance becomes a genuine friend.

Things of deep value to you can be shared without feeling threatened. You listen closely to each other without the need to solve your friends problem. You are happy to reflect their feelings back to them forming a bond of empathy and compassion between the two of you.

At this level of communication, it is important that you provide a little distance between yourself and your friend. If the distinction between yourself and your friend becomes unrecognizable, it is possible for your relationship to go sour. If you know how to handle your own feelings, attitudes and behaviors while maintaining your friendship at this level, you will build a successful friendship that can last a lifetime.

Connie Limon. Please visit us online at: http://www.selfimprovementbook1.com Self Improvement Book is a guide to self improvement, personal growth and self help. It is an organized directory referencing other websites on the World Wide Web. Sign up for our FREE bi-weekly newsletter.Alyss Blog52675
Cecile Blog8049

Soil - The World Beneath Your Feet

There is a complex invisible world beneath your feet and it is necessary to make an effort to develop an appreciation of how the state of the soil affects plant growth.

Soil is a mixture of tiny rock particles, living organisms, chemicals and the remains of dead plants and animals. Spaces between the particles will also contain a certain amount of air and water depending on the type of soil.

Rocks near the earths surface are slowly broken down in nature by a process called weathering. Eventually small particles such as sand, silt and clay are formed. These particles create the environment for billions of mostly tiny organisms to live. Larger organisms such as earthworms and insects are also found in soil. A healthy soil is teeming with life.

The main aim as a hobby farmer is thus to try to improve soil health by good management. Poor management can lead to a loss of fertility and degradation of the soil. In extreme cases the valuable topsoil can also be blown or washed away. In the end poor soils lead to low quality crops lacking in nutrition.

Below are examples of some checks I plan to carry out on my farm with the aim of improving soil fertility.

1) Carry out a pH test in different places. This test will determine if the soil is acid, alkaline or neutral. Most plants prefer a pH level around 6.5. Should the pH level be too (below 6) corrections can be made by adding lime. Should the pH be too high (above 7) this can be lowered by adding plenty of organic matter and mulch. Extremely alkaline soils can be changed by adding ground sulphur.

2) Check the soil texture of the soil by rubbing some moist soil between your fingers. This will help to determine the type of soil present. Sandy soils will have a coarse feel. These soils dry quickly. Adding lots of organic matter will improve sandy soils. Very sandy soil can also be improved by adding clay. If the soil feels sticky when rubbed it contains too much clay. Clay soils drain slowly and are difficult to work when wet. Adding gypsum will help in most cases. Should the soil have a good balance of sand, silt and clay you will be blessed with a loamy soil. These soils are generally easy to manage and do not require treatments.

3) Check the level of organic matter in the soil. This can be done by shaking a handful of soil in a jar and seeing how much organic matter floats to the surface. If only a thin layer is present on the surface, lots of organic matter needs to be added. This means more microorganisms can be sustained, these in turn will release essential health giving chemicals needed by plants.

The above tests are simple to carry out and much information is available on these topics. Further tests require equipment or a soil testing company to analyse the soil. These include salinity, especially if bore water is used. Individual soil nutrient levels for Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium as well as trace element levels can also be measured. Other aspects such as fertilizer application and cultivation practices to maintain soil structure also need attention.

Soil care requires years of experience and looking to older gardeners will give you lots of essential tips. Also, experienced gardeners can often identify soil problems by looking at the general appearance of plants. Getting a spade and digging around will give you information about conditions such as waterlogging and excessive dryness.

Do all you can to look after your soil and allow your plants to carry out the magic task of turning fertilizers and compost into healthy and nutritious food.

Ben Tan is a close associate of Alf, the proud owner of a hobby farm in Australia. Ben encourages Alf to share his wealth of hobby farming experiences by writing articles and books. Ben helps Alf to luanch the website http://www.farmforfun.com. Ben is also in the process of helping to get Alf's books published.Anstice Blog42430
Bobbee Blog48834

Facial Exercise is the Best Kept Anti-Aging Secret

Nasal labial folds: you know - the folds and lines (wrinkles) that are determined to develop into permanent grooves on the side of your mouth, in your cheeks and up to your nose. They're more than just laugh lines. Even if they were formed by laughing, you don't feel like laughing now because every time you see them, you know they are winning the war of aging.

Flabby muscles make you look older; if your arm muscles jiggle, those muscles need exercise. If your thighs look dimply or the skin on your upper inner thigh feels thickly soft, you can firm and tone that area with exercise. The same with a thick waist, a droopy backside or a bulging tummy; exercise is the solution.

An exercised body looks streamlined; improved posture means you no longer slouch and your tummy looks flatter because your core muscles have new life and strength; they're in better shape from oxygenated blood, contractions and resistance.

The face and neck muscles can become flabby, too. When these muscles soften and then droop, it is blatantly apparent that something unflattering is occurring.

Mind you, aging in the face is sinister because it takes a lot of years for faces to develop lines, folds and sags. By age forty, most people are seeing the early stages of muscle atrophy when their eyelids feel and look heavy, by fifty, the jaw feels spongy and you see that droopiness is affecting your good looks.

The look of old will affect your confidence and no matter how you wear your hair, or how much makeup you use, you will still see sagging. You can disguise a multitude of aging in the body by the clothes you wear black, loose fitting clothing can conceal waist, tummy, hips, thighs and arms but how can you mask aging in the face?

Thankfully, there are safe and sane techniques that will save your face and they are easy to master. Facial exercises will quickly isolate the affected areas of your face and in just minutes a day, you can deliberately, systematically, and consistently help your face look healthier, prettier, and younger.

These exercises are not contortions; rather, they are isometric and resistance exercises that will shape and contour your face easily and simply without the high costs typically associated with cosmetic or plastic surgery.

From the moment you begin this incredible transformation process, you will see and feel the difference in your muscles and skin every time you perform the exercise movements.

Successfully exercising your cheeks to lift those laugh lines requires you to learn how to anchor the muscles near the nose so when they contract they reposition higher near the ear in the hairline. Have you stood in front of your mirror and pulled the hairline up and back just wishing you could iron out those lines that run from the nose to the mouth?

Exercise helps this to happen. Not just one exercise. Several exercises target specific muscles and muscle groups to contract the cheek muscles up and back to the ear. Contractions and resistance movements plump up the muscles, helps the skin to look healthier from the increased blood supply and gives your face a toned and tightened look.

The muscles in the face weave over and under each other; one end attaches to bone, the other end attaches to either skin or another muscle. This means that when the muscles begin their downward slide, they pool into other muscles and muscle groups, depressing the face making one look tired and even old.

You can stop this.

Surgeons do not want you to know that you can shape and contour your face with facial exercise. They want you to believe that you need injections, surgery and other costly modalities to keep you looking younger.

Exercise is so easy and it makes sense. Consider this, in just minutes a day you can create visible changes that will turn into lasting results. In the privacy of your home, using only your thumbs and fingers, you have the power to reshape and contour your face so that you look younger and healthier without surgery, injections or risky procedures.

For the rest of your life, this exercise program will work for you and you can forever look substantially younger. It's the best kept secret!

Try the following exercise for a few days and see your forehead smooth and your eyes lift.
http://www.rejenuve.com/FacialMagicSL.htm

Cynthia Rowland is widely recognized as an expert in all natural facial fitness with over thirty years experience in health & beauty related fields. She has appeared on The View, Fit TV, HGTV and other popular shows. This author, speaker and television personality is leading the crusade to keep men and women looking vibrantly younger through natural techniques without spending their childrens inheritance. Caitrin Blog28441
Barbabra Blog49206

Long Term Benefits of Positive Reinforcement vs Negative Reinforcement

Long Term Benefits of Positive Reinforcement vs Negative Reinforcement by J. Richard Kirkham

Over the years of tutoring students with behavior challenges, I've noticed a pattern of negative reinforcement by both parents and teachers in an attempt to diminish or stop such behaviors.

Let's review some basic behavioral reactions from all human beings. This includes both adults and children since these are basic behaviors.

Children and adults avoid negative stimuli.

This includes but is not inclusive to spankings, getting yelled at by the boss, or even disapproving looks.

Children and adults attempt to receive positive stimuli

This includes but is not inclusive to hugs, getting complemented by the boss, or even approving looks.

In the absence of any stimuli children and adults will attempt to create situation wherein responses by authority figures or peers is motivated.

In most cases I've witnessed in both children and adults the activity to promote this stimuli tends to be in the form of a negative behavior issue. Again, this applies to both children and adults from throwing paper airplanes to antics at the water cooler at the office.

Why are these behaviors primarily negative?

Let's consider the way we were raised.

I've actually had successful, intelligent parents tell me and I quote one person

"My wife and I don't believe in rewarding expected behavior."

What do you believe my former student will do when he/she feels a need for attention? Do well on a test? No, that's expected. As is behaving in class, in public and basically acting in an appropriate manner in all situations.

I've seen the same attitude in over 75% of the parents who hired me to consult with them over email or tutor their child and it's not the parents fault. Most parents don't have a background in teaching, counseling or psychology They raise their children, in most cases, the way they were raised. Getting the occasional tip from another parent or television. If the technique the parent uses even temporarily hinders a behavior. They feel successful.

For the most part, if the child has no extreme behaviors, the parents techniques raise a socially acceptable child with average goals in life, but at what loss of potential?

Let's look inside the mind of a child through adulthood.

Let's presume he/she has average self-trained parents who understand the benefits of positive reinforcement, but are, for the most part unsure how to execute it and therefore is sporadic at best.

Here's a scenario;

John gets an A on his test. Parents praise him.

The next class John tries hard though he gets a D. Parents admonish him.

John gets another D in the same class. Parents ground him

John gets yet another D parents take away his hand held gamer

John stops trying in the class

John resorts to acting out for attention in that class

As his peers grow accustom to his behaviors John escalates them in order to receive the same amount of attention.

The parents finally have a meeting with the teacher of that class to find out why John gets into trouble in that class.

This can escalate further but generally doesn't. Do you now understand, however, why we act out in a negative manner in order to get attention. We keep the traits in us which are reinforced whether this reinforcement consists of negative or positive stimuli.

Let's now examine some parents who, through classes study or perhaps even buying my book (were they the one's) understand the importance of consistent positive reinforcement.

John gets a D on his test

A compliment is followed by constructive questions

John changes his study habits

John still gets a D

The parents hit a heavy bag, power-walk and release their stress in constructive ways.

A compliment is followed by constructive questions

The parents have a meeting with John's teacher for the class.

The teacher works with John.

John probably does better on the next test.

Regardless of the results John still has his support group and is not alone. Which means I probably won't get the you're my last hope call.

Let's carry both these scenarios into adulthood

Primarily Negative Stimuli

John graduated high school with B's and C's He's working at a grocery store. He bags groceries and is a hard worker. He does what he's told at work because he doesn't want to get into trouble. He shows up to work regularly and has had a few raises.

Scenario with primarily positive reinforcement

John graduated high school with A's and B's. He started out bagging groceries. John knew he could do better than that. He worked hard utilizing the same positive reinforcement techniques his parents had utilized with him to improve his self-confidence. The customers, coworkers, and management appreciated his positive attitude and hard work. John asked questions and was not afraid to try or suggest new ways of performing daily tasks at work.

He's now the manager of the grocery store with a very busy schedule as he is taking college courses in the evening.

Conclusion

Though John's character is fictional, the results are not. Self-confidence and a lack of fear to attempt to achieve tasks without negative reprisals due to temporary lack of achievement is a must for the building blocks for both leadership and innovation. Without consistent positive reinforcement the child's chances of realizing this self-confidence to perserveer and to develop and initiate new ideas and methodology is greatly restricted.

Let me conclude with a quote from my book

Do you want your child to want to do the right thing or be afraid to do the wrong thing?

J. Richard Kirkham is a dual certified teacher and martial arts instructor. He has expertise in alternative teaching methods and positive reinforcement methodology. He's written several books in the printable electronic format and has made downloadable videos and DVDs. One of his books he put his heart and soul into is Tutoring and Positive Reinforcement Techniques and Methodology for all Parents and Teachers formerly titled Raising Your Child to be More Positive and More Confident Feel free to visit Mr. Kirkham's website at http://KirkhamsEbooks.com or you may email him at help@kirkhamsebooks.comBellanca Blog91878
Alta Blog40191

Federal Loan Consolidation for Medical Students

By the time you graduate you will most likely have at least $200,000.00 in student loan debt. After interest is added you could be paying a total of over $500,000.00, so it is extremely important to make sure you are getting the best deal possible with your loan consolidation. You will probably have both federal and private loans but for this article we will be dealing with only your federal loans.

Loan forgiveness

The first thing to look into is if you will be eligible for any loan forgiveness, you dont want to lose your eligibility by not knowing what is required. In general you have to practice in a facility that serves low income people for a number of years but the conditions do vary by state. Check with your states department of education for the specific rules. http://www.ed.gov/about/contacts/state/index.html

With Stafford loans it doesnt matter if youve consolidated the loans or not, they can be forgiven either way. With Perkins loans you lose any chance of forgiveness if you consolidate them so you should check into it before deciding to add them to a consolidation.

The National Health Service Corps offers loan forgiveness programs for physicians who agree to serve a certain number of years in areas that lack adequate medical care. Many hospitals and private care facilities offer loan repayment as an employment incentive for medical personnel.

Deferral and forbearance

When you graduate and go into your residency or fellowship your loans will be switched to repayment status and you will have to make payment arrangements. Since most students in residency or fellowships do not make that much money they want put off making their payments. All federal loans come with the benefit of three years of forbearance and three years of deferral. In deferral the government pays the interest on the subsidized portion of your loans, in forbearance you are responsible for all of the interest. You must qualify for deferral, some fellowships qualify but since residency is considered employment the only option there is if you can show an economic hardship. In general your loan payments must exceed 20% of your disposable income to qualify for economic hardship.

One of the benefits to consolidation is your deferral and forbearance time is renewed. This can be important to a medical student looking at a long residency, in that case you would want to wait to consolidate until you have used all of your deferral time so you can have three more years of it. It is important to remember that you are gathering interest during this time on all but the subsidized portion of any loans in deferral, the costs can really add up. Most lenders will allow you to make payments as you can during deferral and forbearance, if you think you will be able to offset your costs by paying anything during this time make sure your lender will accept payments when you are considering a consolidation company.

Capitalizing interest

When choosing a consolidation company ask how often they capitalize interest during your deferral or forbearance period. A company that capitalizes quarterly will cost you more in the long run than a company that capitalizes yearly.

A student loan consolidation can save you thousands of dollars in interest but you must choose your company wisely. Ask questions before you decide who to consolidate with. Know how much you will be paying in total.

Federal Education Services is a company that specializes in federal student loan consolidation, Stafford loan origination, PLUS and Graduate PLUS loan origination and as a resource for students with questions regarding educational financing. For any questions regarding this article please contact Federal Education Services. A friendly loan specialist can be reached at (877) 222-4727 or you can find us on the web at http://www.feded.net.Bella Blog63179
Annaliese Blog89205

After Bankruptcy, Rebuild Your Credit Before Buying Real Estate

You have gone through bankruptcy and you do not owe anyone. Now is the perfect time to purchase that home you have always wanted right? Wrong! Yes, you can probably locate a real estate mortgage lender, since you cannot declare chapter 7 bankruptcy again for at least 6 years. The problem is that you will pay the highest finance charges for the privilege of obtaining that real estate mortgage, charges that will extend over the life of the real estate loan.

Before even looking at real estate, get your credit straightened up first. The bankruptcy will appear on all three of your credit reports from seven-to-ten years, which will make you a higher risk to real estate lenders. You cannot do anything about this; however, you can show real estate lenders that you are handling credit much better now by rebuilding it. This can lower your risk factor, when obtaining a real estate mortgage. Using the following improvement steps, you actually can rebuild your credit in a relatively short time.

First, get copies of your credit report from the credit agencies, and clean them up. You have the right to one free report from all three agencies annually, which can be obtained through www.annualcreditreport.com.

Ensure that creditors, who were listed in your bankruptcy, have cleared their information from your credit reports. Otherwise, it will appear as if you still owe them money and are not paying.

Ensure any creditors not listed in your bankruptcy and you are paying regularly have been reporting your good credit record to all three agencies. Contact any not reporting this and ask them to do so. This will increase your chances of getting a loan for your real estate.

If there was a specific event or cause for your bankruptcy, you can add up to a 100-word explanation to your credit report at each agency. The real estate lender will get this explanation as part of your credit report.

It will look especially good to real estate lenders if you have received credit counseling, and the counseling will help you in several ways. A good credit counseling agency will help you create a budget and counsel you in how to use and stick to it. They offer counseling on using credit in your future, as well as how to re-establish your credit. They can help you move toward your goal of buying real estate. Once you have successfully completed credit counseling, ask them for something in writing to that effect. It can help when applying for your real estate loan

The problem is finding a reputable agency. Some are downright questionable. Here are a few ideas to assist you in locating a reputable agency:

They should be a member of either the National Foundation for Credit Counseling or the Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies. Both are national trade associations.

Agencies approved by the U.S. Trustees office (part of the Department of Justice) are good agencies. You can see those for your area at: http://www.usdoj.gov/ust/eo/bapcpa/ccde/cc_approved.htm.

Interview the agencies, asking what they offer and the cost for each service. Good agencies should meet with you for 60-to-90 minutes, reviewing your financial situation and offering budgeting advice before doing any credit repair.

Ask for costs in writing from the agency you choose. They should charge around $50 or less, with budget counseling sessions for less than $20 each.

Steer clear of those who push their debt management program, where they want you to pay all your remaining creditors through them.

Check http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/fiscal.htm for more ideas from the Federal Trade Commission.

Use the credit counseling agencies to help you rebuild your credit the right way. It can take less than a year to achieve; yet, it will make a big difference when you obtain that real estate mortgage.

John Harris is an expert researcher and writer on real estate topics such as economics, credit improvement tips, home selling advice and home buying preparations. For more on San Diego Homes for Sale visit http://www.twtrealestate.comBeth Blog11758
Catherine Blog14941

How To Get Rid Of Raccoons

Many of you know that raccoons are known to adapt very easily to a changing environment that is why many people have problems with the damages caused by these creatures. Raccoons have inherited a bad habit: they vandalize garbage cans, fish ponds and also your very own kitchen pantry due to the fact that many houses ( especially in United States ) have a pet door which for a raccoons is like an invitation.

Besides this, raccoons invade attics, chimneys, porches and other similar locations, not to mention that the cities and suburbs offer these creatures a developed underground roadway system for those intelligent animals who use these storm sewers. These raccoons not only invade your privacy but also they cause damage, for example, they can get into crops or just by simply occupying your chimney they make annoying little sounds that eventually will drive you crazy.

The first thing you should do is to find out if you are truly having problems with raccoons because many people have the tendency to affirm that raccoons are the ones to blame for the damages but in reality, the ones who should be blamed for causing these problems are dogs, cats or other friendly animals.

If you dont have the possibility to observe these animals directly the best thing you could do is to identify their tracks. In order to do this you should use the following : flour, nontoxic powders and also cornstarch, these will help you to check out footprints on hard surfaces. A useful tip : raccoons which use chimneys or attics usually begin to make noise when it is getting darker and they stop doing this in the morning, when the sun makes its appearance. The sounds that raccoons make when they are moving can help you detect them more easily. Also, if you hear purring noises then you should know that young cubs are present. Usually, you will hear these noises when their mother comes back to the den.

A wise thing you could do if you have problems with raccoons is simply wait; in other words, many of the problems made by raccoons ( for example: occupation of a building ) resolve themselves within a few weeks or if you are lucky, in a few days. If cubs are also causing you problems then you should know that they wont leave your attic until they are nine weeks of age because until then, they cant take care of themselves so they wont venture in an unknown environment where they will be helpless.

When it comes down to chimneys and attics if yours is uncapped then raccoons will probably use it for denning but also for giving birth and raising cubs. If you assume that after a while they will leave, the best thing you should is that you might try using some harassment techniques so that you could hurry their departure. Also, you might as well leave the attic lights on or place a radio tuned to a talk-show and leave it a high volume.

Once you are certain that you got rid of all the raccoons, the first thing you should do is install an approved chimney cap so that in the future, raccoons wont be able to invade your privacy. A very important note is that you shouldnt use fire or smoke to make the animals come out of the chimneys because by doing so, you will most likely kill the youngsters as they arent able to evade on their own.

When it comes down to yards and gardens, in order to discourage garbage vandalizing you should place cans at the curb when the day of garbage pick-up has arrived. Another thing you could do is that you should secure the lids using bungee cords or weights. Dont forget that raccoons are often attracted by birdseed and suet and they usually cause a lot of damage to garden fruits and also vegetable gardens , especially corn and grapes. Garden vandalizing will often occur when the foods are ready to be picked so you should be more attentive during those periods.

All in all, raccoons can cause a lot of problems so some safety precautions should be taken in order to avoid these problems which can become very annoying if ignored for a longer period of time.

Summary: Getting rid of raccoons can become a very frustrating thing to do if you dont take the best decisions. Patience and clever thinking are a must when confronting with such a delicate situation.

Angelina Diaz has been dealing with raccoon issues for years. You can visit http://www.coonhuntinginfo.com to find the latest tips & tricks about how to get rid of raccoons but also very useful coon hunting info.Cahra Blog30401
Cathleen Blog35374

How To Find The Best Domain Names

Registering a domain name is a pretty straightforward matter. You find a web hosting site, register with them, look for a desired domain name, select one that suits your business or personal fancy, choose whats available and then you will be on your merry way to building the websites innards. Easy, right? Not exactly because there is more to it than just getting a name that is appropriate for the business or a personal preference. The steps mentioned earlier would result in an ill constructed site that is going to be nameless in the world wide web and will be doomed to failure on the get go. This crude way of doing things will get you nowhere fast. Now why would anyone want that?

There is a better approach in making a name for your business or yourself on the net. It will be a presence that will be felt and sensed by your target audience whether they are your customers, prospective clients or a particular group of people. Its easy enough to do this. You just have to know the right place to go on the web for help. Searching for the right domain for personal use or for a business is job best suited for professionals who understand the significance of internet jargons like keyword density, key phrases, search engine optimization, ranking and tags. What all these means is basically to have your site primed for search engines to find when people put in a search that concerns the subject, business identity or personal matter of your particular website.

Websites that exist for the sole purpose of locating or creating a new domain name for you are very reliable in terms of achieving their goal of increasing the likelihood that your site will come up on top of the list of sites when search engines spews out seek results. These so called domains finders are essential in any enterprise that is bent on achieving an online presence immediately. It is an established fact that search engines churn out sites that have been around for years. In other words, the age of a site does count when it comes to search results. How does this concern your site?

The domain finders are in the know as to which existing domains would not be reregistered or renewed by the current owners. Just imagine if your business coincides with a domain name that has been around for years. Youll have first dibs with that domain name through a domain finder, in effect, theyll claim it for you resulting in a well positioned new website with old rankings that will put you on top as quickly as when your site is ready. Another advantage of having a domain finder in your corner is that you can consolidate your entire site building needs from creating or finding a domain to the theme and content of your site. This would mean lesser legwork and lesser expenses since their comprehensive service would cover everything so you wont end up paying more.

Tom Takihi is the owner of the Domains Finders website. To gain more information, please visit http://www.domainsfinders.comBibby Blog7102
Brynna Blog14533

3 Ways To Care For Your Furniture

Its always nice to buy a wonderful piece of furniture and to see it taking pride of place in your home, but if you dont look after it well, then you could find that it no longer looks as great as it once did. Most good furniture is made from solid wood, and there are several ways you can make sure that your furniture is as beautiful in 20 years time as it was when you bought it.

1. Environment

Although some woods, such as teak, are very durable and are not affected by changes in temperature, most indoor furniture can be damaged by over-exposure to certain elements. Ideally, you shouldnt place your furniture next to radiators, open fires or other sources of extreme heat. Whilst the water content of the wood adjusts over time to small changes in humidity, it will suffer if subjected to sudden heat. Also try to keep your good furniture away from direct sunlight, which can damage the colour of the wood. You dont need to keep moving your furniture just draw the curtains or blinds when the sun is strong.

2. Polishing

Most solid wood furnishings dont need constant polishing. You will probably receive details about caring for your furniture when you buy it and it is always advisable to follow this guide when it comes to cleaning. As long as your furniture is not urethane-finished, you can also wax it, although you dont need to do this more than once or twice a year. For dining tables, or surfaces where you may be placing hot items, make sure you are using heat resistant mats. You can get thick mats custom-made to fit your table, which protects the surface from daily dirt and environmental damage as well as providing heat protection.

3. Spills and stains

Water from flower vases, a glass of wine knocked over at dinner, scratches from the cat all these hazards and more are found in our everyday use of furniture. Always use mats when you are putting anything down on the surface and wipe up spills as soon as possible, referring to your care instructions for removing water rings or wood stains.

Napton Teaks specialises in teak and rosewood furniture for your home. Visit our website now by clicking on http://www.naptonteaks.co.ukCarolan Blog93399
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How to Tell if You Have Chemistry With The Love of Your Life

When youre attracted to someone, you might realize it right from the start. They make you feel special or they make your face curl into a smile each time theyre around. You cant explain it, but you can feel it right into your toes. But are these feelings enough to tell if you have the right chemistry or not? Heres what you should be looking for:

How do you feel when they are around?

Whenever you are around a certain person, take a personal inventory of how you feel. Are you happy or are you less than happy? Try to figure out how you are feeling each time they walk into the room. Are you excited to see them and feel anxious to talk to them and be in their presence? The more positive you feel about the way this person makes you feel, the more chemistry you will have.

How do you feel when they are not around?

You dont want to feel like you cant go on, but do you feel like something is missing when the person in question is not around? Do you somehow feel like youre not having as much fun as you could if they were? When the person isnt around, you should be feeling a little less than happy. You might feel like you want them to be around you right then and that everything would be better if they were with you.

How do they feel when youre around?

This is a trickier thing to measure as you can never really tell what someone is feeling unless you ask them. But there are subtle clues a person may be giving off that can show you whether they enjoy your company or not.

Open body language If they are trying to face you to talk to you, keeping their arms uncrossed and not crossing any other part of their body, it shows that they want to remain open to you and to whatever you are saying. This is a good sign that they are attracted to you.

Eye contact While the other person shouldnt be leering at you, making direct eye contact when they are speaking to you and when they are listening to you is a great way to tell if you have chemistry or not.

Increased pupil dilation This is a little harder to tell, but if youre making eye contact with them, you will see that this happens. The black part of the eye will become bigger when a person is excited to talk to someone that the like. It might not be tremendously different, but it will certainly change in size.

A relaxed expression Not everyone will grin from ear to ear when they talk to someone they like, but they should seem relaxed and calm when they are around you. Their face should not be stiff or strained. When you see crinkles around the eyes, this is a sign that the person is relaxed as they look at you.

What are they saying to you?

Chemistry can also be seen in the way that someone talks to you. People that are positive about their lives when they talk are generally feeling positive about the person with whom they are speaking. Subliminally, they are trying to show that they are a good person, so they are only showcasing the good in their lives.

Other things that you can look for include:

A tendency to make plans When youre talking to someone and theyre already making plans for the two of you to see each other more or do something exciting down the road, this is a sign that they want to spend more time with you.

Attempts at humor Not everyone is as funny as a comedian, but when someone tries to be humorous with you, its a sign that they want to make you happy and that they really want to please you. Of course, being fake in trying to be funny can go over badly.

A touch when they are talking No matter what they are saying, if someone tries to touch you when they are talking with you and it doesnt have to be anything more than a quick touch it is a sign of good chemistry between you, especially when you dont turn away from the touch.

Good chemistry is hard to find, but when you find it, youll know.

Cucan PemoCarolee Blog62241
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A Review of Accelerated Nursing Programs

Health care will be faced with deficiency in nurses after a decade or so, claims official research. A lot of practicing nurses will retire after some ten years, leaving a blank space and lack of professional working hands, to suffice the necessity of nursery service throughout the US. In order to solve that problem , a lot of colleges offer accelerated nursing programs for their students. Anyone interested in health care can enroll in the programs. The applicants must only have their bachelor degree taken and they can participate with the accelerated courses. The program is extremely straight forward, and applicants get the degree in several years.

Some accelerated nursing programs have strict requirements about the number of credits that applicants should have in order to enroll. They let only applicants with credits in Biology courses or sciences. There are a lot of students interested in these programs, so the waiting lists are very long, thus the requirements are usually quite strict.

Accelerated nursing programs are offered by most colleges and universities. The students must be very successful in completing the accelerated courses in order to get a license to practice. Accelerated nursing programs offer students basic knowledge on all parts of nursery. The successful applicants will study health assessment, anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, biology, and caring for patients. They have a lot of practical courses so that the students work under professional supervision in hospitals and medical centres. They have a certain number of clinical hours, when they are expected to deal with different problems in the hospital. Accelerated nursing programs have strict curriculum.

Accelerated nursing programs are the best option for someone who is interested in health care. Graduate nurses sit for licensure in their state, after which they can practise. There is an option of credit transfer, alleviating the working students. Many credits will be transferred to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree, for which there are also accelerated programs available for students who are working full-time as well as for family obligations too. A registered Nurse (RN) degree is the greatest one, giving the student the permission to practise.

There are different accelerated nursing programs though. If you feel like ding it, you should check which place is the best , and which one is the most suitable for you. You choice should be based on cost, length of curriculum of the accelerated nursing program. You should also check how the licensures are acquired after you have passed the program. Carefully research into the curriculum, accreditation and the general reputation of the nursery school before you enroll.

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning education. Learn more at http://www.theeducationannex.com/education/education--learning/a-review-of-accelerated-nursing-programs.htmlBrynna Blog61396
Carry Blog64485

Ol-Malo The Perfect Luxury African Safari Lodge In Laikipia Kenya

Ol-Malo or 'The Place of the Greater Kudu' the perfect Luxury African Safari Lodge is set in a 5000 acre ranch and game sanctuary along the Uaso Nyiro River, overlooked by the massive snow covered Mount Kenya in the background, and it overlooks the Mukagodo home of the nomadic Ndorobo people.

It consists of four very luxurious guest cottages built out of natural rock with thatched roofs, and a separate living area and dining room, both with fireplaces, necessary in this part of Kenya.

Each cottage has huge windows to enhance the truly wonderful views, as well as overlooking the water hole and salt lick, and the regular wildlife that comes to visit.

All around is the Bush, and there is a beautiful freeform swimming pool which has incredible views of the valley below.

Ol-Malo was built by the Francombes who were both born and raised in Kenya, and they both knew exactly what was required when they built it, and how they wanted it to be.

Game Drives, Bush breakfasts, escorted walks, night game drives, sundowners, hideouts all feature at lodges and camps, and everyone on an in Kenya Safari, and a luxry Africa Safari will have tried some if not all.

Ol-Malo moves to the beat of a different drum altogether because of the vision of the Francombes.

Without apparent effort you will move in Africa time, totally controlled by sunrise and sunset, it will be as if the real world doesnt exist anymore, and you may find yourself viewing the abundant game from much closer than a safari vehicle. You could be high on a camel, on horseback, or on a mountain bike if you choose.

One thing is certain you will almost certainly see and get close to game that is so protected and undisturbed by human contact, they come to Ol-Malo as a place of security and safety. You will almost certainly view Elephant, Giraffe, Leopard, Lion, Hyena, Common Zebra, and the rare Grevys Zebra, more endangered than the Rhino.

At night you will return to perhaps a dusk swim, watching perhaps a herd of Elephant arriving at the waterhole, absolutely memorable cuisine, and perhaps a night in the game hide watching Leopards close up but in total safety.

Ole-Malo is different, very different, and an unmissable place to visit on your in Kenya Safari, and more than that very high on anyones list of Luxury African safari destinations..

Peter Stewart writes exclusively for http://www.in-kenyasafari.com as well as http://www.worldwidevacationspots.com and he has in depth knowledge of the places he writes about.Allx Blog99056
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