Buy a High-Quality Xbox 360 Headset Online

Today's home gaming systems are absolutely incredible. They feature stunning graphics, offer vast software libraries full of fun games, and provide endless hours of entertainment. Best of all, today's systems let you connect to other players online for head-to-head action. These so-called net games are made all the more attractive because you can actually talk to other participants as you play -- as long as you've got a Microsoft unit and an Xbox 360 headset, that is.

Some gamers might think that the Xbox 360 headset is the least of their worries. In fact, many probably just use the cheesy set that comes bundled with some versions of the main system. Sure, that particular Xbox 360 headset is fine in that it allows you to communicate with fellow players, but that's about all it does. The connection is occasionally spotty, and sometimes the thing doesn't work at all. Plus, it's obvious that Microsoft didn't spend a ton of money on these headsets. They're cheaply made, and their performance is about what you'd expect from a freebie.

But if you really want a complete gaming experience, then you should invest in a high-quality Xbox 360 headset. There are several third-party designs on the market that would be worth checking out. From reading some user reviews of these other headsets, I've learned that the number one feature to look for when buying an Xbox 360 headset is the sound quality. When you use top-of-the-line headphones, you'll discover that you're now able to pick up lots of ambient game noises that you weren't even aware of before. This can give you a crucial boost when playing first-person shooter games where stealth is tied to success.

How much does a good Xbox 360 headset cost? It really depends on the model you select. If you go with a wireless unit with a sleek and stylish design, you could end up spending more than $100. If you go for a mid-range product that provides better sound clarity than the original, but isn't the best on the market, you might have to part with $30 or so. Some people wouldn't be willing to part with that kind of money just for headphones, but if you're serious about gaming, then investing in a high-quality Xbox 360 headset is a no-brainer.

No matter which model you decide to go with, I recommend buying your Xbox 360 headset online. You'll almost certainly get a better deal at a web store than at Best Buy or EB Games, and you can use the savings towards extending your Live Gold membership.

If you don't think the headphones you use can make a difference in how you play video games, try out a buddy's pair before you go ahead and buy. I bet you'll never want to go back to the cheap ones again!

Tips And Tricks For Wrinkle Prevention

There are many stories, articles, and tips for reducing and getting rid of wrinkles, but not many talk about how to go about wrinkle prevention in the first place. You have to start thinking about these things when you are young, but you can follow some advice when you are older to avoid getting more than you already have. Aging is a natural process, and it is impossible to naturally keep the skin smooth and wrinkle free forever, but there are things you can to lessen the amounts at an earlier age.

One step in wrinkle prevention is staying out of the sun. You can not totally do that, as sun exposure gives humans vitamin D, which is essential to good health. However, you can limit some of the time that you are in the sun, and you can make sure you are always wearing a good sunscreen. Remember to reapply if you are sweating or swimming, as even those that are labeled as waterproof will come off as you go through your day. Do not lay out in the sun with a tan accelerator and avoid tanning beds. Contrary to what you may have been told, these are bad for your skin too.

For wrinkle prevention, you should be careful of how you treat your skin. When women apply, fix, or remove makeup, they tend to be a be rougher with their face than they have to be. Use sponges to apply concealer and foundation, as using fingers stretches and damages the skin. The skin around the eyes in the most sensitive, so for wrinkle prevention, use extra care when working around the eyes. The more you pull and tug on your skin with your fingers, the more susceptible it will be to early wrinkles and fine lines.

Do not drink just when you are thirsty. It is a good habit for wrinkle prevention to drink water each and every day even though you may not feel thirsty. Water is the body's natural moisturizer and will keep skin plump and young better than anything you can buy on the market. If you start young with drinking water each and every day on top of whatever else you drink, your skin will thank you for it. This is also something you can do when you are older and it will help with keeping the skin smoother and wrinkle prevention. It's a simple, easy, and free way to look and feel younger.

Moisturizers are always a good idea for wrinkle prevention. They are not a fix-all when you already have wrinkles, but they can prevent more and make your skin softer. When your skin is moisturized from the inside with water and from the outside with a good moisturizer, wrinkles are minimized and may come in later than if you neglected your skin. Remember that total wrinkle prevention is not possible, but you can reduce the amount and look younger for longer with the above tips. You can always get lifted or Botox, but you can avoid such things with more natural remedies.

Using Wrap Baby Carriers

There's probably nothing more important in this world than to make sure that your children are safe and happy. This is never more important than when your children are babies. They are essentially helpless and depend on their parents for everything, including getting around. Strollers have been along for as long as there have been wheels, but wrap baby carriers have been along for even longer. There has been in the last several years a strong push to use wrap baby carriers to take your baby places with you and it can't be said what a great idea this is. Here a couple reasons to start using wrap baby carriers.

Wrap baby carriers allow you to carry your baby comfortably, safely, and simply. Other baby carriers might have straps and buckles that can dig into your shoulder are difficult to set up and unbuckle your baby. The weight distribution can be so off-balance that you find yourself unable to sleep. This generally isn't the case with wrap baby carriers. With wrap baby carriers, you work with one continuous piece of fabric. This means no buckles or latches to snap and unsnap constantly. Also, since the fabric wraps around you, it helps to distribute the weight evenly throughout your body, preventing shoulder, neck or back pain.

Wrap baby carriers are more versatile than other baby carriers. Some baby carriers only offer one particular choice of carrying your baby. For instance, some baby carriers only allow you to wear the carrier on your back and your baby is stuck looking at the back of your head - and worse, you can't see your baby. What if something goes wrong? How would you know if your baby is in the one place you can't see? Wrap baby carriers allow you to hold you baby on your back, facing the world or facing you, all with minimal effort.

Wrap baby carriers are usually made of machine washable fabrics. There is no need to tell a new parent how important this is, as babies routinely make all sorts of messes. Throwing wrap baby carriers in a washing machine is no different than throwing in a load of clothes.

Wrap baby carriers are an excellent way to keep your baby close by without causing you pain or putting your baby in a dangerous situation where you cannot see him or her. Experts agree that babies are always underheld and that parents should hold their babies even more than they do. Wrap baby carriers can keep your baby close to your body and help their development.

How to Avoid Work at Home Scams

I would venture to say that at some point in time, most of us have wondered what it would be like to ditch our full-time jobs and try working out of the house instead. Think of all the advantages: no boss watching your every move, no commute, no expensive wardrobe to maintain. You'd be able to see your kids a lot more often, and would experience far less stress all the way around. People who work at home usually report being happier and more fulfilled than when they worked in offices, which isn't hard to believe.

Because so many people want to work from home, there are some unscrupulous predators out there who take advantage of that desire by perpetrating scams that routinely bilk folks out of lots of money. Let's face it, unless you have a terrific business idea and have the capital to get started on your own, you'll still be drawing a paycheck from someone else. Finding the right outfit to sign on with can be challenging, so here are some quick tips to avoid common work at home scams.

When looking for a telecommuting position, you should absolutely avoid any company that requires you to spend money prior to getting hired. These places often couch these requirements in the form of equipment purchases, which many hopeful job-seekers might find perfectly reasonable. For instance, a data entry company might tell prospective workers that they have to buy special software in order to do the job properly -- and then they charge $150 or more for the items. Once you pay the money, you often find that they don't actually have anything for you to do. The company will come up with all kinds of excuses about putting you on a waiting list or something, but you'll be waiting forever. You should never pay a registration fee or equipment fees in order to work form home. Legitimate outfits loan employees any equipment needed for the job.

Another type of work at home scam involves taking surveys for money. In this scheme, people tell you that you can earn good money or free products by taking marketing surveys for well-known, major corporations. But the truth here is that most surveys pay participants a paltry sum (like 50 cents or $1) and take around 15 minutes to complete. If you don't mind making $2 and hour, then go for it! Also, you have to submit an email address to take these surveys, and you'll subsequently be slammed with hundreds of spam messages per day.

Other bogus work at home programs include assembling crafts like bracelets or necklaces (that the company will refuse to pay you for because they'll never quite be up to specifications), recruiting people into MLM or outright pyramid schemes, or promises of making thousands of dollars per week if you invest in someone else's business.

Many people let their extreme desire to work at home cloud their judgment. Don't make hasty decisions, especially when it comes to parting with cash. Instead, thoroughly check out any company you plan to join and stay far, far away if something sounds too good to be true.

Uses For Wood Picture Frames

As you can imagine, the main use for wood picture frames would be to frame your important pictures and family memories. These are some of the most common ones that you can find in the stores, and they tend to be rather durable and sturdy. You do not have to buy the ones in the stores if you do not want to, as you can find wood frames that are not painted or adorned just yet and then you can do what you want with them. These are also great for children when you want an idea for a craft. They can have fun with them just as easily as you could.

Wood picture frames come in all sizes and shapes. You can find the traditional eight by ten size as well as something as small as one by two inches. Some are round and some are in other shapes too. You can get what works with your pictures and then do what you want with them. If you choose to buy pre-painted ones, you can usually find them in just about any color you can think of and in any size you wish. Some are rather inexpensive, but they can also be the ones that fall off the wall. Make sure they are going to stay put before you choose them.

If you are going to buy plain wood picture frames, you can have fun with them. If you are doing summer pictures up to hang on the wall, you may want to paint them in a fun summer color like yellow and then find some daisies to glue along the outside of the frame. You can get wood ones that you can paint on your own, and most craft stores carry these. You can also get fake daisies like you would use in a flower arrangement, or perhaps you find magnets that you can glue on the frame. Do what you think will look good with your pictures.

You do not have to put pictures into your wood picture frames. You may want to save a special piece of artwork that your child did at home or in school and then frame it in a wooden frame. This is a great way to save something you find to be special, and it will also make your child feel as if they are a valued part of the family. These pieces can last a long time when they are put into picture frames and hung on the wall. The glass in the frames protects these pictures from everything in the air. Make sure they are not in the sun or they will fade eventually.

Buy wood picture frames in bulk if you want to use them for crafts. You can get them out for a craft at kids birthday parties. Take pictures of each guest with the birthday child and then print them out on your computer in the right size. Then allow the children to decorate their frames any way that they want. Once they are done, you can put the pictures into the frames and then send them home with the children as a party favor. These are fun for everyone.

Choosing Winter Wedding Invitations

You know many brides want to get married in June, as it is the traditional month for weddings. However, not everyone thinks this is the ideal time to wed. Some prefer to have a wedding in the spring or fall, but winter is also a popular time. If you are getting married during the colder months of the year, you want to have fun with your dcor and your winter wedding invitations. You can do things with these that you can not do any other time of the year. Best of all, you can buy them or buy the supplies and make them on your own.

Winter weddings can be a lot of fun. Some have them near Christmas, but that does not mean you have to use Christmas colors or theme if you do not wish to. That is up to you. If you do, that might limit what you can do with your winter wedding invitations, but that does not mean they can not be great. The best way to use Christmas in your theme is to be subtle about it. You can go with red or green, or red and green if you wish, but you do not have to use any other signs of Christmas. People will get the subtle colors to know it is a Christmastime wedding theme.

Otherwise, winter wedding invitations can be anything that has to do with winter. Snow is obviously white as are most wedding dresses. Silver is a great color to use for both the wedding and invitations at this time of year, so if you like silver, this is a great time to use it. Otherwise, some believe that blue is a great color, as it has come to symbolize winter in some places. White, silver and blue are great colors together, but do not think of them as your only option. Go with what works best for you and your groom to be. You will know how to make it work.

If you are going to make your own winter wedding invitations, have fun with them. If you are well known for your sense of humor, but want a rather elegant wedding, you can always find a way to put your humor in without making your wedding anything other than what you envision it to be. Your winter wedding invitations should be perfect, but you can add humor to them by adding some fake snow to the envelope. It will come out when they take out the invitation. They will know it is a winter theme, but they will also know it came from you.

There are some things that are the same with winter wedding invitations that stand with invitations sent out at any other time of the year. Make sure you take a finished and ready to go invitation to the post office to be weighed before you mail the bulk of them. You should state that they are your wedding invitations and that you want to be sure the postage is correct so they get where they are supposed to go without being sent back. Many brides have learned this the hard way when their invitations have come back for insufficient postage and mangled too.

Make The Most Of Your Window Air Conditioner Units

There are a few ways that you can stay cool in the summer. If you are lucky, you have a home that does not get too hot, or you have central air conditioning that you do not have to give much thought to. If not, you have a few more options, one of which would be window air conditioner units. You may find that a fan cools your home just fine, but these only work so well. Air conditioners for the windows are still popular and they work better than ever. However, there are a few things that you can do to get the most out of them without running up your electric bill too high.

Before thinking about the best ways to run your window air conditioning units, you should understand how they work. You may think that they pull air in from outside, cool it, and then push it inside. This is is only partially right. More precisely, they take the air from the room, 'condition' it, and then push that air back into the room. It is almost like sucking the hot out of the air. The Freon in the unit helps to cool the cleaned air out so that it comes out much cooler than when it went in.

One of the biggest mistakes that people make with window air conditioner units is having it run too much and work too hard. These are usually made specifically for a particular amount of space usually this space is in square feet. If you try to run them for bigger areas, they are going to work too hard to cool that space and they are not going to be effective no matter how hard they work. Keep the room closed off while the air conditioner is working and then turn it off when you are not going to use that room for a while. That saves money and also prolongs the life of your air conditioner.

All window air conditioner units work in the same basic way, but they are all built slightly different. Some are older but still work, and some are so new they do not have the same parts as their predecessors. If your air conditioning unit has filters, you have to pay attention to these. Most of them do, but some are harder to manage than others. Those that get stuffed up will not cool the room like they should. That means your unit will run and run, but it will not offer you much in the way of relief. Change the filters as recommended or when they seem to be clogging up. Some may even freeze over, signifying a bigger problem that you may not be able to fix on your own.

You may not have to worry as much about maintenance on newer window air conditioner units, but you should keep an eye on them. Do not run them all the time, make sure the room is small enough to be cooled by the unit you bought, and give them a once over a few times a year to be sure they are working well and there are no electrical problems that may cause a fire. If you want to cool a bigger space, you have to close off one area and then buy another unit. If you try too big of an area, even the best window air conditioner units will burn out early.

Having A Wiggles Party For Your Toddler

All children grow up liking something more than parents can understand. You may be throwing a Wiggles party for one of your children for this very reason. Young children thrive on schedule and repetition, so it stands to reason they may find a toy, TV show, or other thing that they become so enamored with you may worry it borders on obsession. Don't worry, this always levels out as a child gets older, but you may have to understand that your child gets comfort from something and that is what is going to make them happy for the time being. For some children, this thing is the Wiggles.

If they love the Wiggles, they are going to love a Wiggles party for their birthday, or for no reason at all. You can have a small one when they reach a milestone in potty training or when they have done something of which they are very proud. Whatever the case, there are great ideas out there for a Wiggles party that you can use, or you can make up your own. If you are familiar with the Wiggles and their shows and movies, making up ideas on your own will not be something that you find to be too hard to do.

Your ideas for a Wiggles party should include some fun activities that are appropriate for the age group that typically loves the Wiggles. This will not be too hard for you, as you can find hundreds of ideas right from the show. You can do a version of Anthony's Workshop, which includes making crafts of just about all types. You can find these ideas online or you can make up your own. Perhaps you could try a few out with your child to make sure they can do it and that they are going to be fun for the party. This trial run also allows you to be sure you get all of the things you need in the right amounts.

Because music is such a huge part of the Wiggles, you can find great ways to incorporate their music into a Wiggles party for your child. You could do your own version of musical chairs, though this does not work well with children who are still finding their balance with walking and running. You can find other ways to use music, or have the toys they can use to make their own or play along with their favorite Wiggles songs. Small instruments can be taken home as party favors once the party is over if you wish. Parents may not appreciate that, but the children will love it.

It may seem that you have a hard time finding Wiggles party items in your local stores, but that does not mean you can not find what you need. You just have to know where to look. Some toy stores are severely lacking in Wiggles items, if they have any at all. However, some party stores have these items when you can not find them anywhere else. You can also find most of what you need if you look around for these items online. You can order from US based companies, or you can order direct from Australia if you wish.

Fun With Wholesale Jewelry Beads

You may not know a lot about crafts, but if you are going to have children, you should learn something about them. Children love to do crafts, and they will be doing them with other caretakers as well as in school. When you want some free time, you may want to set them up with something to do. As you learn more about what you can make up for different crafts, you could find that you love to do them too. If you want something that is fun and versatile for both kid and adult crafts, think about getting wholesale jewelry beads. These are useful and fun, and can be used in many different ways.

Children have to learn fine motor skills, and this is something that can be accomplished with wholesale jewelry beads. They are not going to use these at age one, but they can get into using them before they hit school age. You want to give them a variety of things that they can do with these beads, but stringing up necklaces and bracelets are both common activities that they can learn with at a younger age. You can give them yarn and wide pieces of plastic laces so that they can string together whatever they want. This is a great way to teach them about patterns as well as fine motor skills.

Wholesale jewelry beads are also for things other than necklaces and bracelets. These beads are great decorations for any type of artwork they may want to do. If they are drawing on paper with crayons, markers, or chalk, they can learn to glue beads on as a part of the picture. They can even draw a picture with large dots (or you can do that for them) and then they can use glue to put wholesale jewelry beads on the same colored dots to make a picture with texture. Once you show them how to do this, you will find they want to learn to do it on their own and surprise you with their new creations.

You may also want to involve them in some neat three dimensional types of crafts with wholesale jewelry beads. You may buy things at the store that they can decorate like hats, paper mache items, and other things they can use to decorate their rooms with or give away as gifts. You can buy feathers, felt, beads, strings, and other items for them to glue onto these things. They are going to love doing these and you are going to love how creative they can really be. It may look messy to you at first, but to a mom, that is a masterpiece.

There is no reason why mom can not have fun with wholesale jewelry beads as well. You may want to get the supplies you need to make your own jewelry. You may make things for yourself, or you could see if you can sell some of your better pieces. Not everyone makes good jewelry, but you may find that you have a gift for it. It could be a great hobby for you, or it could be an extra source of income if you find somewhere to sell you items. These can make great gifts too. Think of it as time for yourself and time to spend with your child at the same time. Everyone wins.

Whitetail Deer Hunting

Hunting is a popular type of activity that comes and goes in seasons. One of the most popular seasons in the northeastern part of the country is whitetail deer hunting. People come from all over the country to some of the best hunting spots to take part in this season. If you live where hunting is common, this season is already known to you. If not, you may want to find out when it is so that you can travel. However, like with anything else, there are rules you must follow and things you must know. It is about more than just getting a gun and walking out into the woods. Deer may not seem smart, but they are brighter than you think. You may go home empty handed.

If you live where whitetail deer hunting is common, you may have heard or even told a funny story about those that come out of town to go hunting. These folks do not know a lot about the woods, and their trips are only as functional as those that advise them. Some of these stories include people shooting other people, cars, goats, horses, and even houses. You may laugh, but many of these stories are true. Some come for whitetail deer hunting not knowing what a deer looks like. The biggest sin in hunting is not being sure before you fire a weapon. Don't be a funny or tragic story and learn more about your target.

When learning about whitetail deer hunting, learn about what these deer can and can not do. This information will help you tremendously, but does not always guarantee that you are going to get what you want. Deer are colorblind, so wearing the bright orange designated by law is not a problem, but wearing something like cologne could be a problem. They make up for lack of color sight with a very keen sense of smell. Do not wear any scent of any kind, and leave your clothing outside overnight if you can to take away 'people' smells. Also remember they hear very well, so being quite while waiting in the woods is key.

You should also learn about habit before going out for whitetail deer hunting trips. Deer sleep during the day and are awake all night. That makes dawn a great time to find one, though that does not always work. Deer eat vegetation and have very specific habits that they stick to when eating, mating, and just living in general. Deer may go into water when you are whitetail deer hunting. This may not seem important, but you should learn about this. They are seeking shelter there and you are not legally able to shoot them in water.

One thing to remember in whitetail deer hunting when you are coming from out of town is respect. If you are hunting on someone else's land, treat it as your own and do not go there if you do not have permission from the owner. You may have to use state game lands otherwise. Wildlife is respected and cared for in the areas where whitetail deer hunting is common, and those that own the land are not the redneck, hillbillies you may think they are. Treat them and their land with respect and they will welcome you back year after year if you wish to continue hunting.

Decorating With White Furniture

If you go shopping for furniture and choose something white, your family may think that you have lost your mind. White furniture is more vulnerable to stains, but it can also look quite stunning in the right decor. You should think about what you want to get, why you want to get it, and what may happen in your home before you choose anything white. If that is what you end up liking, that is what you should get. Just be sure you are up on how to clean fabrics to remove stains if you want to buy white and think about some rules if you have children.

White furniture can go with almost any room. That is what some love about it. If you add colorful pillows to your white couch, you are going to have a very bold look for your room. For some people, this is the cornerstone for their dcor. White furniture may include having other white pieces in the room like recliners and stuffed chairs. You can add the same throw pillows to these pieces, especially if they came in a set with the sofa for an extension of the look you want.

Some white furniture comes with different colors included. Some have black accents, and some have other colors. Be careful if you are buying accent colored furniture because color trends come and go. You may love the red and white together, but you may not love it in two years when that is no longer a trend. You may want to go with something more traditional for that reason. You may also want to skip a very specific color if you like to redecorate a lot. You may be limited in what you can do if you buy white furniture that has colors like red, blue, or even yellow included.

Keeping this type of furniture clean is a challenge, even if you do not have children. Ask about the fabric before you buy so you can learn how easy or hard it is going to be to clean. Some fabrics that come with white furniture are coated or treated with stain guard, which makes them easier to clean. Some people do not like the added chemicals and try to keep things clean on their own. If you entertain a lot and have get-togethers on your furniture, you may want to rethink the white without extra protection.

If you have children, you already know your white furniture is going to be hit with something sooner or later. You may be diligent for a while, but that can only last for so long. What you want to do is to set down rules about eating and drinking near your new furniture and do whatever you have to do to enforce your rules. You are not always going to have new looking white furniture, but you can do what you can to keep it that way for longer than a few weeks. Kids eventually learn, but they also make mistakes. Invest in a good fabric cleaner when you get your new set so you are prepared for the inevitable.

Have You Wondered What Causes a Miscarriage?

Pregnancy is an exciting time for those that have planned it, and most that are surprised find that they are excited too. However, not every positive pregnancy test will lead to a healthy baby and birth. Sadly, things can go wrong at any time. When a baby is lost before week 20, this is called a miscarriage. After that, the term used for the baby is stillborn. If you lose your baby before 20 weeks, you may wonder what causes a miscarriage. There are a variety of things that can happen, and many of them are not in your control. It hurts to hear it, but some times the miscarriage was for a very good reason.

When thinking about what causes a miscarriage, there is one very common thing that happens. This is often what happens when a woman has a very early miscarriage. Early means that she has barely found out that she is pregnant before she begins to notice that she is losing the pregnancy. Most of the time, this is because of a problem with the baby. These problems are often chromosomal, meaning the baby was not forming right and would not live anyway. The body is aware of this and ends the pregnancy early. These miscarriages can happen so early women may just think they have a late period.

There are times when what causes a miscarriage is not anything wrong with the baby, but it is something wrong with mom. It is not that she did anything to hurt her baby, but there could be a problem with her body. The cervix is what closes between the uterus and the vagina. This can be a problem in some women. They may have what is called an incomplete cervix. This just means that it has not closed as it should and the pregnancy has been lost. Once doctors are aware of this problem, there are steps that can be taken to prevent or at least try to prevent that problem in subsequent pregnancies.

At times, infections can be the answer when asking what causes a miscarriage. There are times when this is what causes pre-term birth, but a bad infection early in pregnancy may indeed cause an early and tragic end to the pregnancy. Fortunately, most of the time, doctors screen for common infections early so that they are not a problem. There are antibiotics that are safe for pregnancy and these infections can be cleared right up. If you worry, ask your doctor to test you quite often for infection, and report when anything seems to be off. That may save you from a miscarriage or from having a baby too early.

Sadly, other times, there are no answers as to what causes a miscarriage. There are also times when there is no answer as to why a baby is born early or why some do not survive when a pregnancy has been going well. These things may not always be a mystery, but they are today. There may not be anything that you can do to prevent some problems, but having good prenatal care can eliminate some problems that could cost you a pregnancy. If you do not have insurance, search around for someone that will see you no matter what you can pay. There are good doctors out there that will do just that, but you may have to search for them.

Which Weight Loss Surgery is Right for You?

Obesity is an extremely dangerous condition that poses a number of critical health risks. Most obese people have tried some kind of solution to drop the extra pounds, including physician-supervised diet and exercise programs and modified eating habits. When these regular avenues fail, a more drastic approach, such as weight loss surgery, is sometimes necessary, particularly when there's a secondary medical condition (diabetes, cardiovascular disease, etc.) involved. There are many types of surgical procedures to help severely overweight people get down to a more manageable size. This article examines a few of the more popular ones.

Gastric bypass is a procedure that many folks have heard of, though they might not be completely familiar with the details. In this weight loss surgery, doctors divide the stomach into two sections (commonly referred to as "pouches) of different sizes, one significantly smaller than the other. Both pouches remain connected to the small intestine, though the manner in which they're reconnected varies depending on the specific gastric bypass method used. Since the stomach is functionally smaller after this kind of weight loss surgery, the patient is physically unable to eat as much as before and begins shedding pounds very quickly.

Another option for those investigating weight loss surgery is something called laparoscopic gastric banding. Commonly referred to as a lap-band operation, this procedure involves putting an inflatable, saline-filled band around the stomach to essentially squeeze it into two parts connected by a narrow passage. To get a better image of what lap-band is all about, just imagine squeezing an inflated balloon at the middle until the air retreats to the ends. Your hand, which serves as the saline-filled band in this visual exercise, controls the width of the passage connecting both parts. The tighter your grip, the smaller the passage. Loosen up a bit, and the passage gets wider. This is what lap-band weight loss surgery does to the stomach, which greatly limits the amount of food you can eat.

Other types of weight loss surgery include vertical gastric banding, biliopancreatic diversion, and sleeve gastrectomy. This latter is a newer procedure that takes the drastic approach of removing approximately 75% of the stomach. This of course reduces the quantity of food that can be ingested, thereby allowing patients to lose excess pounds.

Weight loss surgery is a decision that should not be made lightly. You need to consult with a knowledgeable doctor who can go over all the different options with you and list the pros and cons of each. Almost all of these surgeries are very risky, and can lead to serious complications (including death), but can also help get your weight under control and allow you to start living a much healthier life. You need to weigh the risks versus rewards as they apply to your own situation, and with the help of your doctor's counsel and input from those closest to you, make an educated decision.

Building Useful and Beautiful Wedding Web Sites

Things are different today than when your mom or your grandmother got married. You can use the Internet for just about anything you can imagine, and it can also be use to plan, shop, and invite people to your wedding. Many people are now using what are called wedding web sites to help those that are going to attend keep up on what is going on, and also to give those that can not come a chance to see photos and videos from the day after the wedding is over. If you are going to work on a web site for your wedding, there are a few tips to keep in mind.

Remember that though not everyone uses a computer, many people that are you are going to invite to your wedding will have at least some access to your wedding web sites of choice. One of the most important things you can put on your site are the time, date, and place for the wedding and reception. You should also link to maps for those that may not know where they are going because they are coming in from out of town. You can also list local hotels and prices if they want to find a place to stay while attending your wedding.

When building your wedding web sites, be sure to add a picture of you and your spouse to be. This ensures that people who do not know a lot about computers and the Internet can tell they have come to the right place. You should also include a short story about how you met your intended and a little about your life leading up to the wedding. This is great for older and more distant members of your family that may have yet to meet your intended or have had limited time in getting to know them. This allows them to share in your joy on the big day even if they can not attend.

If you have a registry for wedding gifts, you may or may not want to include the information on any wedding web sites that you may put together. Some people find that they are not willing to do this, but some do as they know that a registry is more important than it use to be. You may think of it as telling someone what to get you, but many see it as an opportunity to buy you a wedding gift that you can really use and need. There are only so many sets of towels and glasses a person can use, and without some ideas, that may be all that you get. Include this information if you have a registry.

After your big day is over, remember to update wedding web sites for those that could not come, and for those that may have come but did not take pictures of their own. People will love to see pictures of the day and any videos that you may have. You can also blog about your day and how much you appreciate your guests. Some may want to send you a late wedding wishes, so have a guest book for questions and concerns before the event, and for comments from those that have something to say to you both after your big day.

Some Tips on Wedding Presents

Weddings are some of the most important and joyful occasions in one's life - and all the better if you're not the one getting married! I love going to friends' and relatives' weddings. I love seeing them happy, and who doesn't like a good party? But there is one unescapably tricky thing with weddings - the wedding presents. Wedding presents are extremely confusing and to many incredibly stressful. What is the right amount to spend? Should I give cash? How do I pick out the gift? Luckily, there are some really good ideas on how to pick out the right wedding presents, and I have a couple of tips that will help make sure you never dread wedding presents again.

The registry is the best thing that could ever happen to wedding presents. Essentially, the married couple is telling you exactly what they want! Most registries are big and offer a variety of gifts to fit any budget. As far as how much money to spend on wedding presents, a good rule of thumb is to spend under $100 for co-workers or casual friends and anywhere from $100 and up on close friends and relatives. With this benchmark and the existance of registries, wedding presents are easy.

Some people don't want to give wedding presents from a registry. Maybe you think it's not very creative. Maybe you want to surprise the couple with something they didn't expect. Maybe you think it's not very personal and your want your wedding presents to mean something. Fair enough. Might I suggest cash? All kidding aside, cash remains perfectly viable as an option for wedding presents. No couple will turn down an envelope or check. Just make sure you know where to put it at the reception. The bride or groom is usually the wrong choice. Check with the best man, he might be collecting or their might be a container somewhere at the venue.

Finally, if you want to give wedding presents that might mean something special, consider setting up the married couple with a gift certificate they can use on their honeymoon. Obviously, this means you'd have to know where they're going, but if you can buy them a spa treatment or romantic dinner while on their honeymoon, this can be an excellent and memorable choice among all the more predictable wedding presents.

The truth is there's no such thing as bad wedding presents. Everyone likes presents! Just give it a little thought and care, and you'll have no problem picking out wedding presents for all the lucky brides and grooms in your life!

Frequently Asked Questions of Wedding Gift Etiquette

Wedding season is upon us, and if youre like most people youll attend your share of nuptials before the year is through. In these changing times, the dos and donts of wedding protocol just arent as clear-cut as they used to be. Most difficult of all can be the tricky matter of wedding gift etiquette. Everyone has questions about proper contemporary wedding gift etiquette. Here I will try to answer the most common and thorniest questions, and hopefully guide you toward some easy and affordable solutions.

One question I hear often in regards to wedding gift etiquette is: Do I need to give separate gifts for the engagement and the wedding? The simple answer to this is, no. One single wedding gift is always sufficient. At the same time, an engagement gift is considered polite and thoughtful. Basically, its never a bad idea. Its especially advisable to give an engagement present if youre attending an engagement party.

One valuable rule of thumb is that you should give the bride and groom something from their registry as an engagement gift. Then give money for the actual wedding gift. You certainly cant go wrong that way. On the other hand, the engagement gift can be a lovely opportunity to offer something more personal, something that youve chosen yourself, such as decorative crystal or porcelain figurines, or an elegant picture frame. Do make sure to take a look at the bride and grooms wedding registry before purchasing something not on the registry, just to make sure it matches and they wont be getting multiple versions of the same item.

Another common question is: How much should I spend? There is no firm guideline for spending. Proper wedding gift etiquette dictates that you should consider how much the bride and groom, or their families, are spending on you. Generally speaking, weddings cost around $100 - $150 per person. So if you are a single person, you want to give about that amount. On the other hand, if you are a family of three or four or more, you will want to give more accordingly. At the same time, dont feel obligated to spend more than you can afford. If $100 per person is out of your budget, then just spend what you can manage. Your presence at the ceremony and a few kind, sincere words of congratulations will mean as much to the bride and groom as an expensive espresso maker probably more.

Many wedding guests also wonder whether they are required buy a gift off the bridal registry or not. Some people feel that registries are impersonal, and take the individuality out of gift giving. But in todays climate of wedding gift etiquette, the registry is probably your best bet. Its essentially a way for the engaged couple to say, Heres what we want and need. Youre much better off giving the couple something youre sure they want, rather than something which may be unique but which will just get returned anyway. If you feel uncomfortable purchasing off the registry, keep in mind the absolute number one rule of wedding gift etiquette: money is always appreciated.

Are Voodoo Spells Real?

In these days of uncertainty, many people are turning to avenues outside the norm to get things done. How else to explain the recent resurgence in the popularity of voodoo, the Afro-American religious practice based in equal parts Catholic symbology and West African cultural traditions. Many people are looking to make a quick buck selling Voodoo spells and rituals, promised to do everything from bring back lost loves to curse enemies with unbearable afflictions. But do these so-called voodoo spells really work? Science would say no, but in this article I will examine voodoo throughout history and see if I can find an explanation for some of its mysteries.

First, a brief history. Voodoo was brought to Louisiana in the early 1700s due to the slave trade. The vast majority of slaves imported to the territory in that period were from the West African region that would become known as Benin. They brought with them a ritual tradition that centered around the preparation of herbs, potions and amulets that were purported to have a number of effects. These items would become the root of what we now refer to as Voodoo spells. Originally, the spirits invoked in the rituals to create these items were referred to by their African names, but gradually the names of Catholic saints began to be used. Voodoo in its traditional form is rarely practiced today, but the name lives on in a commercial enterprise.

Modern-day voodoo spells can be divided into two main groups. The first is the obviously false hokum sold to tourists and credulous yokels in New Orleans backstreets and the classified sections of tabloid magazines. These mass-produced amulets and potions obviously have no spiritual potency and exist only to part a fool and his money. Investigating their efficacy is a pointless task.

The second, however, is much more interesting. Throughout Louisiana, there exist a small group of individuals purported to practice traditional Voodoo in the way their African ancestors did. Their practice is a curious blend of traditional herbal medicine, hypnotism, and what for lack of a better word I will call channeling, where priests and priestesses are seized by a loa, or spirit. These rites and rituals can be extremely terrifying to watch, and the charms and tinctures produced as a result have been said to have real power. Whether the effects of these modern-day voodoo spells are due to the power of suggestion, some herbal or chemical action, or actual spiritual intervention remains to be seen.

A Guide to the VoIP Telephone

The telephone has been already longer than any of us have been alive. And with the cellular telephone emerging over the last 25 years, you would think that traditional home telephones would soon be extinct. But not so fast. The home and office telephone is going over a massive makeover in the form of the VoIP telephone.

What is a VoIP telephone? VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. This essentially means that you use an Internet connection as a phone line. I find this particularly ironic because I remember a time early in the history of the Internet where you used the phone line to access the Internet! Immediately, this means savings for the home or business as you no longer need to buy both data network access and phone line access - instead, a VoIP telephone means that you can now use both over a data network - which has far more bandwidth, meaning you can use the data network for more things at the same time. If a phone line is a two-lane road, than a data network is a vast expressway.

The chief benefit for the VoIP telephone is the cost. Traditionally, phone lines were charged on a timely basis - in other words, the price of phone usage was calculated by the minutes used in a given billing period. This limited the amount of conversation you might have - too much and you're paying hundreds of dollars. This was especially true with long-distance calls. But there is no long-distance on the Internet, and therefore, there are no long-distance calls on a VoIP telephone. Calling around the world costs the same as any call down the street. Furthermore, data networks are not charged on a time basis, but rather in the data used. Frankly, the amount of data usage given by most Internet providers are more than one would normally use, and the VoIP needs such little data to be transmitted.

The VoIP telephone is still not perfect. As an emerging technology, there remain a few problems. Some complain about the quality of the connection and audio, but work is being done quickly to mitigate this deficiency. In no time, using a VoIP telephone will be no different than any phone experience you might be used to.

So if you're not ready to make your cellular phone your only phone line, take heart. A VoIP telephone is a great option to help keep phone bills down without eliminating the home telephone. And you can save several hundreds of dollars a year as well, all by switching from your traditional phone to a VoIP telephone.

The Apple Cider Vinegar Diet

As much as I want to lose weight, I try as much as possible to stay away from diet pills, chemicals, and medication. I also avoid fad diets which require me to starve myself, or remove important nutrients from my meals. But when I heard about the apple cider vinegar diet, it sounded different to me. Apple cider vinegar is all-natural, and contains no chemicals or pharmaceutical substances. And the diet doesnt require you to drastically change what you eat. All you have to do is take in 2 -3 tablespoons of pure apple cider vinegar before each meal. Then eat nutritious meals in reasonable portions, and dont forget to exercise. It sounded too easy to be true. So I had to try it.

On the first day of my apple cider vinegar diet, I hit my first roadblock. Apple cider vinegar tastes horrible! Before breakfast, I managed to choke back one tablespoon, but I could not bring myself to get the second one down. This was going to be a problem. I consulted some internet message boards, and discovered that different people do the apple cider vinegar diet differently. Some only take one tablespoon of vinegar. Some mix the apple cider vinegar with apple juice or water. Some add honey. Honey seemed like a bad idea (too many unnecessary added calories; Im on a diet here, right?). But the water seemed workable. I mixed the remaining two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with sparkling water. It didnt taste great, but I got it all down.

By day three of my experiment, things were going well. I had gotten into a groove with my vinegar diet. I had already grown accustomed to taking a glass of sparkling water mixed with three tablespoons of vinegar before each meal. I was even getting used to the unpleasant taste, which I hardly noticed anymore. Was I losing weight? Not that I could tell, at least not yet.

By the end of the week I started to notice a real difference. I was leaving food on my plate, something Id rarely ever done before. And the scale showed the difference; I had lost four pounds on this vinegar diet!

So, is the apple cider vinegar diet the answer to all our dieting prayers? Unfortunately, the answer is not so simple. When something seems too easy to be true, it probably is. Nobody would be overweight if all they had to do was stomach a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar before each meal. So I do not believe the claims that the vinegar speeds up a persons metabolism or increases your fat burning.

No, nothing is ever quite that easy in life. But the truth of the apple cider vinegar diet is that it did dull my appetite and caused me to eat a bit less. However, Im pretty sure that drinking a glass of carbonated water before each meal is responsible for that effect. The vinegar, I think, just added unnecessary amounts of acid to my system. Its a good thing I dont get heartburn.

Tuna fish recipes and tips to transform this inexpensive canned

Tuna fish recipes and tips to transform this inexpensive canned staple into a family treat

Canned tuna has been a staple of the American pantry for decades. Most often, it becomes the standard tuna sandwich on white bread, packed into lunch bags as a once-a-week regular. When tuna is on sale, most shoppers stock up, with that sandwich in mind. However, served too often, tuna sandwiches can easily become a disappointing addition to your menus. Here we've got some suggestions on how to prepare some interesting variations of tuna fish recipes, for lunch and dinner entrees, as well as a few tips which will leave the family wondering if your new dish is really that old, boring canned tuna.

Canned tuna is available packed in oil or water. There's no difference in price, but tuna packed in water is definitely superior in taste. Tuna packed in oil leaves an oily and unappealing taste that remains, no matter how well you drain it. Tuna packed in water and well drained simply has a fresher taste. Most people who dislike canned tuna attribute their dislike to the oily, mushy texture of the product. The moral to this story is that tuna fish recipes made with tuna packed in water always deliver a better result.

The second key to successful tuna fish recipes is what type of tuna you buy. The difference between tuna and albacore is enormous. When you shop the canned tuna section, you have probably noticed that the fish is available as 'chunk light tuna' or 'albacore'. Both are tuna, but the albacore is a much better grade. While albacore is more costly, the texture is quite firm, with a cleaner taste. To my way of thinking, it's worth the extra price. Albacore is similar in the 'bite', to chicken or a firmly fleshed fish, such as halibut.

Adding a teaspoon of lemon juice brightens the taste and eliminates that 'fishy' taste some people find objectionable. Snip a couple of tablespoons of fresh parsley and add to the mix. Preparing canned tuna fish in this way gives all tuna fish recipes a good start.

Instead of just mixing up the tuna with some mayo and slapping it on the bread, try one of these variations, using the preparation outlined above: add your mayo or salad dressing and set the tuna aside. Thinly slice a tomato and a small red onion. Spread the tuna on a hoagie roll and top with the veggies. The crunch brings a nice contrast of textures to the sandwich. You might also add a small can of sliced olives, or a finely sliced stalk of celery to your tuna mix and pack it in some pocket bread, lined with a crispy lettuce leaf. Add finely diced tomatoes for a delicious, juicy sandwich. Why stop there? Alfalfa sprouts are another winning topping to the pocket bread style sandwich.

For lunch or dinner, a chef's salad made with chilled tuna salad as the centerpiece makes a tempting and economical meal. This is also a good recipe for diet conscious people, full of protein, fiber and antioxidants, almost absent of fat and low in calories, which means you can enjoy a little extra dressing! Pile your greens on the salad plate, heap a generous serving of tuna in the center and surround it with tomato wedges, avocado, hard boiled egg slices and thin slices of onion. Serve with a chunk of crusty bread and you've got a veritable feast.

Tuna fish recipes, in the form of hot entrees, give you yet another way to serve an inexpensive and quick, but hearty dinner. Boil a batch of egg noodles and drain, removing the noodles to a large bowl. Butter a 2-quart casserole dish. To the noodles, add 2 cans of tuna, 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup and a cup of milk. Slice 5-6 large white mushrooms, 2 stalks of celery and dice 1 red bell pepper. combine the veggies into the tuna-noodle mixture, mixing well. Spoon into the casserole dish and top with a small bag of crushed potato chips. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until heated through. Delicious!

Sadly, I haven't yet come up with tuna fish recipes suitable for breakfast! That may take some doing ...

Youths in Crisis

It cannot be argued that todays youths are a troubled generation. There are so many shocking events of teen shootings, stabbings and such like events that according to the publication, Professional School Counseling, youth violence is a major problem in our society. Recent statistics no doubt back up these claims from experts. While such events are sure to hit headlines, there are other subtle forms of violence that go unnoticed such as school bullying, shop-lifting and burglaries. One news item even noted that gang crimes account for nearly 70 percent of all juvenile delinquencies. Clearly, ours is a generation of troubled teens.

The age in which youths are engaging in promiscuous sex is getting younger and younger. It is not surprising anymore to hear of children as young as 12 engaging in sexual behavior. Despite the seeming danger of teenage sex, more and more of young people seem oblivious or care less about this dangerous behavior. It is now common for young people to talk of casual sex as just hooking up. Emotional problems have also taken a heavy toll on young people resulting in troubled teens who would do anything to escape from the emotional pain. It is estimated that in the United States, millions of people deliberately hurt themselves. Troubled teens who are self injurers are many. As one encyclopedia put it, those who injure themselves feel powerless and isolated or alienated. These people have trouble trusting others with their emotions and have low self esteem. While many young people face fears and insecurities of growing up, troubled teens have to struggle with these fears in a different way. For them, this struggle can be particularly intense. For them such feelings cannot be put down on paper or expressed in words. Self-injurers seem to feel some emotional relief by cutting themselves at least for the moment.

For many troubled teens, self injury and violence is a mechanism to cope with stress. With so many teens suffering trauma from childhood abuse, neglect or family conflicts, they feel that with no one to talk to, these fears and pressures cannot just go away by talking about them. Pain thus becomes relief since they feel that they can control it. Troubled teens are not the only ones who seem to face increasing pressures of our modern world. With the societies moral barriers breaking down and communication between parents and their children breaking down, many people do not see these problems going away anytime soon. However, when parents take the time to talk to their children and really listen to them, the problem of troubled teens can be resolved.

A gift with Evil Within

You are probably familiar with the story of the Trojan in ancient Greek. The definition of a Trojan cannot be further from the truth. A Trojan is a malicious program that comes disguised as legitimate software. Unlike a virus or a worm however, Trojans do not replicate. They do nevertheless enter a victims computer undetected and do a bunch of things such as accessing and gaining unrestricted access to data on the computer and causing damage to data. Hidden in code, a Trojan may be hard to detect without some special software. In most cases however, a Trojan will not cause damage, rather it is meant to spy and steal private as well as sensitive information. This could be credit card information, confidential documents, email passwords, web services passwords and others. Let us look at some Trojan examples out there you might encounter.

Some of the most publicized Trojans are backdoors. This is because these forms of malware offer an attacker total control of the machine. They exploit holes in the Microsoft operating system and are able to capture screen displays and keyboard inputs. Some of the backdoors have simple graphical interfaces for nearly anyone with malicious intent to deploy and use. Other forms of malware are data-sending Trojans. The purpose of these is to send to back a remote hacker such information as credit card details, chat logs and address lists. These forms of malware are able to do this by installing what are called key-loggers that simply send keystrokes to the hacker and he can then extract passwords from these. This information can either be sent to some email address or submitting a web-from to the hackers website.

There are also destructive Trojans that are meant to destroy and delete files. They can be programmed to act as time bombs that go off and start the deletion process on a set day and time. Because these are created purposely to attack a computer network, they are unlikely to be detected by an anti-virus program. Denial of service attack Trojans are meant to generate such heavy traffic on a network that it overwhelms the victims bandwidth causing access to the internet to be denied. Proxy Trojans attack a proxy server and make anonymous requests to any part of the world. Once a proxy is under attack, it can be used to launch attacks to any part of the world which can then be tracked back to that proxy. Others include security software disablers and rootkits. To ensure that you do not get hit by a Trojan, always have an anti-virus and an anti-spyware product that is always up-to-date. This is the best protection from these forms of malware.

T Mobile Sidekick: Great Features for Less

I'm in the market for a new cell phone, so I've been spending the past few days reviewing different phones and service plans. The iPhone was one of the first models I checked out, because everyone and his brother seems to have one. But while this is indeed a beautiful device, I simply couldn't justify paying all that money for it -- especially now that other manufacturers are offering handsets with comparable features at a fraction of the cost. One of the iPhone competitors that really stands out is the T Mobile Sidekick.

The T Mobile Sidekick has been around for a few years, and it seems to get better and better with each new release. The current model is called the LX, and from what I've read, does everything that you could possible want from a cell phone. For instance, one of the things that Apple lovers like to brag about is the availability of applications ("apps") that make their handsets more useful or fun. Apps run the gamut from blogging platforms to calculators, day planners, and games, all of which expand the phone's capabilities. Well, the T Mobile Sidekick can also accommodate many of the most popular social networking apps, including Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter, so you can always instantly alert your friends to whatever you're doing.

The T Mobile Sidekick also comes with other must-have features such as a full web browser; e-mail, text messaging, and instant messaging capabilities; video recording; a 3.2 megapixel camera; and GPS. You can even "tag" your photos with GPS coordinates that show exactly where you were when you snapped the picture! And of course the T Mobile Sidekick comes with a full QWERTY keyboard to all communication easier.

The more I read about this phone, the more I want to buy it. I've been looking around online for the best deals, and have come across some promising offers. For example, some places are offering a free T Mobile Sidekick with a new plan. That's something I've never seen for the iPhone! Other places are offering instant discounts on the handset, or are throwing in free accessories and gear with each purchase. Since my current service contract is set to expire in a few short weeks, I have lots of flexibility in terms of getting a new phone. In fact, I think my best bet would be to wait until the expiration date and then get a free T Mobile Sidekick LX from one of these online stores.

For those of you who have tons of money to burn, I can understand why you'd be attracted to the iPhone or Blackberry Bold. But anyone wanting to get all the best features in a more affordable package would be wise to check out the T Mobile Sidekick first.

Tips On How Kids Can Make Money

Now that Spring is ended and summer is just around the proverbial corner, the kids are bound to home bound for the summer. While they might savor the vacation initially, we all know it will not be long before boredom kicks in and they will all be looking for different tasks and activities to keep them busy. The more industrious little scamps will be looking for a job, but where to look and what to do? In this tricky economy, tips on how can kids make money over a three month span are few and far between. Let us go over a couple of helpful tips and suggestions and hopefully we will have the kids off the couch and earning a pretty penny before you can say School's Out For Summer!

For the under sixteen set for reasons of legality (after all, child labor is totally pass nowadays not to mention highly against the law) it is best for them to stick with do-it-yourself business ventures or opportunities. Lemonade stands are clichs for a reason - they work! Think about it, what's better on a summer's day than an icy cool glass of lemonade from the kid on your block? Just because a lemonade stand seems pass, that's no reason it has to be. Why not work with your child, providing lemonade, tea, and as well as another healthy option - like bottled water - for the more diet conscious consumer! This is definitely one of the more killers tips how can kids make money.

Another one of our tips on how kids can make money in the do-it-yourself method is setting up a shoe-polishing stand! Easy to do, and easy to fund, people will really sit up and take notice. It is also a very helpful way to teach children the value of money itself and buy having them keep a record of their finances, who knows! You could have a future entrepreneur of America on your hands - it helps, as we all know, to start young.

These modes may not deliver the amount of money a teenage child might desire. So let us regroup and refocus - other tips on how can kids make money outside of setting up a do-it-yourself stand? Kids - teenagers in particular - should learn how to use their parents as resources. Most adults have friends and acquaintances who have jobs, and some will actually run their own business. Keeping these connections in mind, a teenager should sit down and list what their interests are, and which family friend's business might be the most help to them in terms of learning experience. Employers are much more likely to hire a teenager when they express long term passion and as a result are more likely to find a flexible summer position for them - one that could turn into a year round part time venture!

Hunting For The Best Cheesecake Recipe

Cheesecake is an acquired taste like so many things that exist in this wacky world of ours, it is not for everyone. But to the many converts, and those few born with a palate smart enough to appreciate the finer things, cheesecake is high art, the greatest dessert every conjured by man or by beast. As such, many loyal worshippers to the church of cheese spend countless hours searching for the one. No, no, no, we are not speaking about love soul-mates, we are talking about culinary soul-mates that nourish our bellies and our souls. We are talking about the hunt for the best cheesecake recipe.

If you are a cheesecake lover and if you are reading this than the odds are high that you are. Then you probably fall into one of two cheesecake related camps. There are those who like their cheesecake moist, almost trifle like in texture, and those were prefer it to be drier and closer to cake in consistency. The best cheesecake recipe I have ever found falls right in the middle of these two camps and is sure to please all lovers of cheesecake alike, and probably even win over a few converts to the camp of cheese.

For the best cheesecake recipe on the planet, you will need the following ingredients: A pre-packaged graham cracker crust, 2 tablespoons butter, melted, 4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, 1 1/2 cups white sugar, 3/4 cup milk, 4 eggs, 1 cup sour cream, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Making the cake can be done as easy as well, pie!

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Make sure you then grease up well a 9 inch cake pan.

2. Transfer your graham cracker crust into your greased cake pan, pressing it into the greased surface.

3. In a big bowl, mix up the cream cheese and sugar until its super smooth! Next blend on in the milk, and then the eggs one at a time do not over mix. Mix in sour cream, vanilla and flour and NOW mix until smooth. Pour filling into prepared crust.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Turn the oven off, and let it cool in over for 1 hour. Chill in refrigerator until serving, at which you can top it with fruit or just eat it all up as is! Voila! The Best Cheesecake Recipe around!

Thanksgiving activities for the family

I always feel a little bit bad for Thanksgiving. It's the most distinctly American of all holidays (with the exception of Independence Day - though even that isn't nearly as "American" as Thanksgiving, since Independence days have been celebrated throughout the world for millennia, while the concept of Thanksgiving itself was new and unique to North America and north americans at the time of the holiday's founding... but I digress...)

Where was I? Thanksgiving is the most distinctly American of all holidays, yet it's become more of an afterthought than a celebration since it's inconveniently located between the two biggest consumer holidays, Halloween and Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanzaa/Festivus. Since North America is a consumer culture, money is always the leading indicator of popularity, and since nothing is being sold for Thanksgiving aside from turkey and cranberry sauce, it's not marketed as heavily as Halloween (costumes, candy, decorations) and Christmas (everything under the sun).

Which is all the more reason, I say, to celebrate with Thanksgiving activities your whole family can enjoy. Maybe it's my innate sympathy for the underdog, or perhaps my love of overeating and football, but personally I've found my memories of Thanksgiving activities with the people I love to be at least equal to my memories of more popular holidays.

Of course most Thanksgiving activities revolve around the concept of giving thanks, so that's a good place to start. It's particularly rewarding to do this with kids, since teaching little ones the concept of "giving thanks" and getting them to think about the things they should be thankful for is a crucial step in developing them into fully fledged adults.

Pick up some construction paper and scissors to make a Thanksgiving wreath, and have your kid write something that he or she is thankful for on each wreath. This also works with making a construction paper turkey, and having the little one write a different reason for thanks on each feather.

Of course there are more involved crafts as well. Collect leaves, straw and hay to make corn dollies - an autumn tradition that dates back into prehistory in the Gaelic and Druid cultures. Or if you're more artistic yourself, you can carve a turkey out of pinecones or driftwood.

The key is to remember the spirit of the holiday and incorporate that into your various Thanksgiving activities.

Teen Bodybuilding risks and rewards

We're living in a particularly image-conscious society in a world that, as a whole, is growing more image-conscious by the day. Thanks to mass-media and the proponderance of websites like Facebook, MySpace and the like, our kids are bombarded with the message that they have to be beautiful, have to be well-liked, have to be a mini-celebrity in and of themselves in order to have any sort of happiness.

And that's a shame, since teens are already at risk for high rates of depression, suicide and mental illness already. They are balls of hormones and stresses, and they have no experience to guide them in how to deal with their changing bodies and emotions.

For many, then, teen bodybuilding is an easy and constructive way out. It's a direct reward activity, one that stresses the message that you get out of a thing what you put into it. Work hard, and your body will improve. Work harder, and your body will improve more. Discipline yourself in terms of only weight work, and you'll get limited benefits. Discipline your diet and cardio work, and your benefits both in terms of health (short and long-term) and physical appearance are limitless.

So teen bodybuilding can be, if not exactly a panacea, at least a constructive activity. Not only will it have the benefits of increasing fitness and all around health, it'll also instill dedication and have the added benefit of building self-confidence. Many teens feel like they'll never accomplish anything, or that things that are hard aren't worth doing. Get them in a gym and watch them improve their fitness over the course of a month or two, and they'll change their tune.

With that improved fitness will come improved bodies, which leads to more self-confidence and less self-consciousness. This is naturally the end goal, but like anything else with teenagers, teen bodybuilding can be taken to extreme, unhealthy levels. Kids are much more likely to become obsessed than people from other age groups, so it's imporatnt to make sure that your teen sees bodybuilding as a hobby or an outlet rather than a way of life. If he or she begins to see it as the latter, there is the risk not only of direct injury from repetitive stress, but the outside temptation of taking illegal substances like anabolic steroids or human growth hormone in an effort to bulk up and get more definition. There's also the risk of your child suffering from an eating disorder, as there's always bound to be someone around who's more lean and cut, leading them to be self-critical.

The best ward against taht kind of behavior is diligent parenting. Teen bodybuilding is not somethign your teen should do alone, in other words. You don't necessarily have to be there at the gym with them, but you should take an interest and engage them on their day when they come home.

Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires public schools to provide an appropriate education to students with disabilities, including but certainly not limited to learning disabilities. IDEA further states that in accommodating the needs of students with disabilities, schools should strive to place the students in the least restrictive environment possible meaning a general education classroom if the child can function and learn within one. As a result, many educators who are not trained in special education find themselves teaching students with learning disabilities.

Certainly this is as it should be, and is the best solution for students. However, it does present an intimidating, if not insurmountable, obstacle for teachers. Teaching a class is difficult enough; teaching students with learning disabilities can seem overwhelming.

The key concept in incorporating LD students into a classroom is differentiation of instruction. Differentiation means modifying the curriculum and lesson plans to meet various students learning needs. When teaching students with learning disabilities, it is crucial to plan ahead and provide alternative tasks, activities and approaches for your learning disabled students. Remember, you are teaching them the same concepts and retaining the same essential objectives. The difference is in how you will go about doing it.

When approaching a lesson, keep in mind that some students with learning disabilities will struggle with specific aspects of the lesson. Teaching students with learning disabilities will require you to plan around that, providing alternative approaches for your LD children. For example, you may find that many learning disabled students have great difficulty with reading and writing. Provide those students with other options, such as texts at a lower reading level which cover the same content. Allow them to draw illustrations with captions instead of writing long reports. Pair them up with stronger readers and writers who can assist them.

In the case of mathematics instruction, teaching students with learning disabilities can be particularly challenging. Again, allowing students to draw pictures can be extremely helpful. Find visual ways to represent mathematical concepts. Allow your LD student or students to use manipulatives often hands-on, tactile activities help students grasp concepts.

Group work is an especially useful tool when teaching students with learning disabilities. Find ways to allow your students to work with peers who are more proficient in the areas where they have delays. The academically stronger students will bolster their weaknesses and help the LD students participate fully in the lesson and feel like part of the class.

Most importantly of all, get to know the strengths and talents of your learning disabled students. Give them every opportunity you can to do what they do best, so that they can feel confident and know that their disabilities do not define who they are as students. If you can manage that, you will find teaching students with learning disabilities to be satisfying and very rewarding.

Teaching English Language Learners

Almost every teacher, at some point in his or her career, will be in the position of having to teach an English Language Learner (ELL). Teaching English Language Learners presents a particular challenge to educators, especially when the teacher is not fluent in the students native language. The rules vary from state to state, but in most situations ELL students will be mainstreamed into a general education classroom long before they have obtained real mastery of Standard English.

They key technique for teaching English Language Learners is differentiation of instruction. Differentiation is a popular buzzword in education these days, but it really is a crucial skill for any educator to have. Essentially, differentiation means modifying the curriculum, and each lesson, to meet the needs of different learners. It is vitally necessary when it comes to teaching English Language Learners.

Now, how you choose to modify each lesson will depend on several factors, including how many ELLs are in your class, how well they speak English, and what subject or subjects you teach.

In math, the best approach is to pair English Language Learners with other students who are fluent in English and allow them to work together. Choose partners who are advanced and comfortable in the subject area, not students who are struggling to learn themselves. The more English-proficient student can help the ELL along throughout the lesson. Just keep in mind that teaching English Language Learners is your responsibility, not your other students job! Dont expect the other children to do it for you. Check in frequently, and use graphic illustrations of concepts as often as possible. Also, incorporate those manipulatives! Give your ELL students a chance to use their hands and to visualize mathematical ideas.

In English Language Arts, you will face particular challenges teaching English Language Learners, for rather obvious reasons. The key here is patience, and again, differentiation. While other students are reading chapter books, your ELL student may be reading picture books and early readers designed for much younger students. Encourage your English Language Learners to bring in their favorite books in their native language. Then, if the students English is strong enough, allow him to explain to you what the book is about in English.

In writing, you might allow your English Language Learners to draw a comic book instead of writing a story. Then invite the student to write a short sentence explaining what is going on in each panel. If her English is not proficient enough for that, encourage the student to write just one word.

Again, when teaching English Language Learners, a lot of persistence and patience, and a little imagination, can bring that student right into the mainstream with the rest of your class.

Earn Accredited Teaching Degrees Online

As unemployment rates continue to surge around the country, I'm looking to move into a field that provides more job security. I have a feeling that being an IT specialist isn't going to cut it for very much longer, especially with huge corporations drastically scaling back the size of their workforce. Plus, it seems that every day a new college grad with a freshly minted computer science degree submits a resume to the HR Department. It's only a matter of time before I get downsized in favor of someone with lower salary requirements.

After giving a lot of thought to my future, I've decided that I want to teach. I enjoy working with young people and I have to admit that I've always been attracted to the idea of having a long summer vacation every year. So I've recently been checking out schools that offer teaching degrees online. I need to take Internet-based classes because there's no way I could just drop everything to sit around on campus all day. I want to keep working so I can finish school with the lowest amount of debt possible. Thank goodness it's possible to get teaching degrees online these days!

Web courses have been around for more than a decade now and have gained credibility with employers. As long as I enroll at a school that offers fully accredited teaching degrees online, I'll have the exact same standing as someone who attended traditional classes. Moreover, taking classes on the Internet provides far greater flexibility and is much more affordable than the old-fashioned route. I just have to find the right program.

An important consideration in this regard is whether or not the program is recognized by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. From what I've learned thus far, it seems like NCATE accredited programs are the only ones worth pursuing. I certainly don't want to waste time and money on a degree that isn't even going to be recognized by school districts when I apply for a job. So I definitely have to check out the institutions offering teaching degrees online to make sure I don't get hosed.

Another critical factor to consider is price. I need to attend a college or university that offers affordable teaching degrees online. I don't want to spend tens of thousands of dollars to get a Master's degree, especially for Internet classes. Even though financial aid could be available to me, I want to keep costs under control.

All in all, I think I'm on the right track here. There are plenty of good universities that offer teaching degrees online, so I just have to get my act together and apply before the next semester begins. Once I obtain a degree and K-12 certification, I'll be ready to embark on an exciting new career. I haven't been this upbeat about my future in a long time!

Teacher Salaries

Its generally understood that teacher salaries are too low. Yet teacher salaries make up the bulk of education expenses in the united states, creating quite a conundrum. If teachers are paid more, education costs will skyrocket. Most states and local governments will not be able to afford it. Yet at the same time, can anybody really afford the hidden cost of low teacher pay?

The first thing to know about teacher pay is that it does vary from state to state. Some of the worst performing states and districts in the nation have the highest teacher salaries. So its not fair to suggest that there is a dollar-for-dollar correlation between high teacher pay and positive educational outcomes.

The reasons for this phenomenon are manifold. First and most obviously, the cost of living varies in different parts of the country. A first year teacher in New York City, making over $40,000 a year, may not be much better off than a first year teacher in Mississippi, making less than $20,000. The money simply doesnt go as far in New York. So its important to keep in mind that teacher salaries do and should vary according to the local cost of living.

Another reason we see poor correlation between teacher salaries and educational outcomes is that not all teaching work is equal. The work that a teacher does in a failing Bronx high school might not compare at all to the work done by a teacher in a well-run, middle-class suburban school, in terms of workload. Teaching at-risk children is extremely hard work. One unfortunate thing about teacher salaries is that they do not reflect this difference. Teachers who work with the most difficult students under the most challenging of circumstances get paid the same salaries as those who work in much more favorable conditions.

So is it fair to say that paying teachers more money will not make a difference and will not improve education? Not exactly. Teachers do need to have higher salaries. It will improve education in America if they do. And the logic is quite simple. Higher teacher salaries will attract more qualified individuals to the field. Administrators will be able to hire from the cream of the crop, rather than settling for candidates who werent qualified to do much else.

Furthermore, higher teacher salaries will help retain the best and most effective teachers at the highest-need schools. Right now, about half of all new teachers leave the public school system within five years. How many bright, eager and competent teachers have been driven away by the low salary? Lets end the bleeding away of good teachers, and finally pay them what they are really worth.

Creative and Innovative Teacher Bulletin Boards

It may sound like the easiest and most fun part of being a teacher, but any seasoned professional will tell you that designing bulletin boards can be a real challenge. These days, teachers are often judged by their bulletin boards, since busy administrators and superintendents just dont have the time to come into the classroom and watch what we do. They need to assess a teachers performance in a quick school walk-through. So they rely on teacher bulletin boards to tell them what they need to know.

Of course, this is a terrible method for measuring teacher success, as any dedicated educator can tell you. It also means incredible pressure on teachers, as fresh bulletin board displays are demanded every month. These teacher bulletin boards must not only be creative and decoratively attractive, but they must also showcase the students accomplishments, provide evidence of learning progress, and update viewers on the specific curriculum being taught.

At the same time, teacher bulletin boards can be a fine opportunity for educators. They dont have to be a burden.

The simplest and most effective way to design a clever and eye-catching bulletin board display is to start with a theme. Themes should be related to the academic topic which the students have been working on. For starters, teacher bulletin boards can always be based around themes such as the four seasons, or specific holidays and celebrations. An autumn themed bulletin board is very easy to do, as long as you have some construction paper. Have the kids cut out large fall leaves. Pin up some shiny red apple cut-outs. Its easy to tie a season into almost any academic subject. Have the students write word problems all involving apples, volume of leaves raked, or the pencils sharpened in preparation for school. Hang up their work amidst the autumn decorations that you and the children made, and, viola! A gorgeous autumn-themed bulletin board has been created.

Other wonderful teacher bulletin boards can be created around any fun theme you can think up. Ive done under-the-sea bulletin boards, which are great for science work. I once created a flower garden bulletin board, which I used to showcase the students writing work. Since I use a process-based writing approach, each aspect of the flower garden represented a stage in the childrens writing process a seed for their original ideas, a stem representing their drafting and revising, and finally their published work was the flower at the top.

Any theme you can think of can be used to construct imaginative teacher bulletin boards. Be creative, and have lots of fun.

Teach Enlish as a second language

One of my favorite things to do is to travel. I love getting to explore the world, from China to Israel to France and beyond. It gives you a chance to learn new cultures, meet people you'd never have encountered in your every day life, and expand your horizons both personally and professionally, if you're so inclined.

The problem with traveling is that it's somewhat hard to do on a budget. Unless you're independently wealthy, you probably can't just hop on a plane and spend six months in a new country, living as you please without regret or responsibility.

So the key, then, is to have a steady income in order to become worldly. If you're an english speaker, then, you're in luck, because there's one profession that's in demand nearly worldwide: Teach english as a second language.

For as much as certain segments of the world hate the west and Americans in particular, a far greater portion of the world has admiration for American culture and wish to experience part of it themselves. So whether you're in Beijing or Tel Aviv or Marseilles, there will be people looking to learn english. And if you have the right mentality and command of the language, you can get a sustainable job almost anywhere to teach english as a second language.

Who's looking to learn english? It depends upon the region. In the area of Alsace-Lorraine on the France/Germany border, they are near a NATO military base, called Rammstein, in the city of Kaiserslautern. Most of the soldiers there are either American or English, which means that it's beneficial for the locals to know as much english as possible. Then there's also intermarrying between American or English soldiers and the Alsacian locals, which means there will be kids needing to learn english as well.

In Beijing, you're more likely to be teaching the kids of manufacturers, financiers and businessmen of all stripes. China is the world's fastest growing economy, and its ceiling is pretty much off the charts in terms of where it could end up. As English is the de facto international language of the business community, these Chinese men and women all want to lean English themselves, and want their families to learn as well.

Elsewhere - say Brussels, or Buenos Aires - you'll find the children of diplomats and politicians who want to learn language. Teach english as a second language to them, and you'll have access to some of the most fascinating people in the world.

Discount Swimming Pool Accessories Online

Everyone in my family loves to swim, so it made sense to take the plunge (no pun intended) and build one of those nice in-ground pools in the backyard. It was a very expensive proposition, but we figured that we'd get so much use out of it that the cost would end up being worthwhile. We were right! We now spend more time together than we ever did before, we always have a bunch of friends and family over, and we swim so many laps that we're all in better physical shape.

What we didn't quite take into account from the beginning, however, was how expensive swimming pool accessories are. Pools take a lot of work to maintain, and constantly have to be replenished with chlorine. Moreover, we have to drain the thing and cover it up during the winter months, then refill it before the warmer seasons return. And of course during the heaviest usage periods, we have to schedule regular cleanings to ensure that the water is safe for everyone. All of this adds up to a great deal of time and money.

For the first year or so, I purchased swimming pool accessories from a big-box home center in the area. They carried a decent selection of products and the place was conveniently located within a mile of the house. I didn't think much about what I was paying because I didn't think I would find substantially lower prices anywhere else. As a result, I never bothered looking for cheap swimming pool accessories. But then a friend of mine mentioned the prices he was paying for comparable items online. That served as my awakening.

I checked out swimming pool accessories online for myself and found the exact same chemicals, covers, filters, pumps, and other supplies that I used -- except that these online retailers were offering amazing savings of anywhere from 30 to 70 percent off. I couldn't believe it! I started thinking about all the money I'd wasted over the past 12 months by shopping at that home center, and just felt like kicking myself.

Once I recovered from this initial sticker shock (the good kind, I mean), I started bookmarking websites for future use. I chose the sites with the biggest selection of swimming pool accessories at warehouse prices, the ones that offered the quickest shipping times, and the ones with the best customer reviews. The next time I needed to restock my supplies, I knew right where to go for the biggest savings -- and have been doing so ever since.

Anyone who knows anything about pools will tell you that it takes a lot of cash to keep them in tip-top shape. But by ordering discount swimming pool accessories online, you'll be able cut your maintenance bills in half just like I did!

The seven signatures of successful restaurants

If you operate or would like to open a restaurant, you know that you've got plenty of competition. Although everyone enjoys eating out, most people can no longer afford to eat out as often as in the past. This means that patrons now have a 'short list' of restaurants which make the expense worthwhile and you may need to take steps to make sure you're restaurant meets the criteria of those on the 'short list' of best places to eat. Here, we provide a list of the seven signatures of successful restaurants, which you can use as a checklist to ensure continued patronage by existing customers and bring in new business based on the recommendations of those happy, loyal customers.

1.There's nothing more disappointing to a patron than a lack of consistency in your operation. This factor permeates all of the following points and includes your hours of operation. Let's say someone stops in for lunch for the first time, enjoys good service, a great meal and observes the cleanliness of your restaurant. Impressed, he decides to bring the family in for dinner. He sees you're open on Sundays and makes note of your hours. When he shows up with his party of six, he's sorely disappointed to find the particular dish he ordered for lunch is not well prepared, the service is terrible and the general appearance is not clean. Worse, let's say you decided to change your hours and he arrives to find the restaurant closed. You'll not see this customer again!

2.It may seem obvious that good food is essential to the successful restaurant. However, you'd be surprised at the number of restaurants which don't properly train their cooks to follow recipes to the letter, including the presentation of the dish. One cook may be terrific, while the swing shift cook becomes lackadaisical in his cooking and serving methods. A new customer orders the Beef Bourguignon, a house specialty and is delighted with the authenticity and elegant presentation. However, the next time he comes, the dish is not up to par. Also, if your recipe is not good to begin with, you won't get his repeat business.

3.The successful restaurant keeps every area of the restaurant spic and span at all times. This means floors are spotless, tables are absolutely clean when a customer is seated, restrooms are pristine and the cooking equipment, tableware and linens are always clean. If you fail to maintain clean premises, customers will assume that your food preparation practices are similarly lacking.

4.Good service and a friendly, accommodating staff are also essential to the successful restaurant. Again, consistency is paramount. Your staff members must be trained to follow procedures to the letter. Each customers should be promptly greeted by the host or hostess. When seated, don't make them wait for water, bread, or beverage service. Wait staff must be prompt in taking their order and bus staff should be attentive in removing plates, bringing coffee refills and the like.

5.A varied menu that caters to a diversity of tastes is another signature of the successful restaurant. For example, you should have entrees available in senior and children's portions, at least a few dishes for dieters and diabetics, less expensive entrees, such as a soup and salad combination for price-conscious diners, as well as a selection of entree sized salads. Diversity encourages large groups to return! Along with a good selection of beverages your chances of getting on that 'short list' are further enhanced.

6.A warm and inviting decor makes people feel at home. Whether your restaurant's theme is casual or formal, create the appropriate ambiance. Music, plants and tasteful artwork that suits your theme all contribute to an atmosphere that is pleasing to patrons.

7.Don't skimp on the quality of your coffee! Most diners enjoy finishing off the meal with a cup of coffee. That good cup of coffee leaves that good last impression of a satisfying experience. Never serve coffee that's past its prime. Coffee must always be fresh and flavorful.

So there you have the seven signatures of the successful restaurant. If you provide these seven elements, you can be assured your business will increase. Remember, word of mouth referrals can work for or against you! To your success!