Health & Fitness: 2016-04-03

4/09/2016

Used Playstation Games

There are things that you can pay a lot of money for, only to go through them quickly. You may also find that you thought you were getting one thing but you end up with another. Those that play video games know all too well the feeling of paying a lot of money for a game only to find it is not what they thought, way too easy or hard, or that the game is just plain not to their liking. With games priced twenty dollars and on up to almost a hundred dollars in some cases, it pays to know more about used Playstation games as a source for new games.

Used Playstation games may not be new, but they are new to you. You can get a great game that you have already played or that you are sure you are going to like for half or even less of the retail price. You may have tried a game at your friend's house or perhaps you tried it out in the store but did not have the cash to buy a new one. You can find used games in many game stores that sell new games. They often have large selections of them from which you can choose.

You can even return most used Playstation games to the store if you find that it does not work right or that it is broken in some way. That is not always the case with other types of used items. Even better, the case may look a little worn, but the game on your television will not look used. It will look the same as if you bought it new. You may not find the newest games among the selection of used games in the store right away, but give it a few weeks to see if something comes up. You may love the game, but chances are good that someone else that bought it did not.

You can also find used Playstation games through online sources as well. You can find them on sites like eBay, or any other auction site that you like to use. There are many web sites out there that buy and sell games, just like your local store, that have used games for all types of gaming platforms. The selection of games that you find online may be quite a bit more diverse than what you find locally. They probably have more copies of each game than your local store as well.

Don't forget that you too can sell your used Playstation games once you are done with them. You may want to keep your favorites so that you can play them again, but there are some that you may get through and then never touch again. If you bought one that you thought you would love, but you feel that it turned out to be a dud, go ahead and see if you can sell it to a used games store. You will not get a huge amount of cash for it, but that is better than it sitting on your shelf indefinitely.

Buying Used Baby Furniture

There is no doubt about it. Having a baby is expensive, and not all families are prepared when they find out that a baby is on the way. The baby may be welcome, but that does not mean the couple or family was expecting a new one just then. When money is tight, parents to be may want to buy used baby furniture to save money. This is a great idea, but it can also be very tricky. Some things should never be purchased second hand, and those that are okay still have to be checked out thoroughly for safety reasons.

One of the most commonly purchased piece of used baby furniture would be the crib. This is very tricky for a few reasons. You can find great cribs that have been gently used that you can use for your new baby without any problems. However, you won't know this when you go out looking at cribs or if you get one from a well meaning relative. Baby cribs are one of the most often recalled items out there. Find out more about the crib and make sure it has never been recalled. Also, check it over for any flaws that may harm the baby.

Car seats are also tricky if you want to get used baby furniture and accessories. These can be recalled as well, so check on any one you are considering using whether new or used. You should also find out more about a car seat that has been used by someone else. If a car seat has been in any type of accident it should never be used again. Upon inspection it may appear to be in perfect condition, but that does not mean that it is. There could be things that broke internally that compromise the effectiveness of the seat. Never take chances, even if it was just a fender bender. Throw it out and go with something else.

Dressers and other nursery pieces are often used baby furniture items that people use again and again. If you want to renew these items, make sure you are using paints and stains that are safe to have in the nursery and that they air out long before the baby arrives. Also make sure these items are safely secured to the walls so that a climbing baby won't tip them over. Check construction to make sure all is well and discard anything that does not seem to be in baby-safe shape.

Used baby furniture may also include things like bouncy chairs, high chairs, and bassinets. These should all be checked over just as thoroughly as anything else that you have bought used for the baby. Some recalled items that are very old may not show up on recall lists so check out how something works on your own. Don't be afraid to be rough and yank on things to be sure they are going to stay secure. Babies are helpless and depend on you to keep them safe, so take some time to make sure none of the used baby furniture items you bring into your home are going to be dangerous.

Tylenol For Infants

There are going to be times when you have to offer your infant some pain relief. Though you can hope that they fly through baby-hood without any problems, that is rarely the case. Most babies develop a fever at one point or another, and there is always the pain that comes with teething. It is hard to know what is wrong at times, but it can be obvious that a baby is in pain and needs help from you. There are a few things you can do for your baby, but Tylenol for infants is what many doctors, nurses, and parents trust, and for a very good reason.

You may have seen a lot on the news about the dangers of giving children under two years of age any type of over the counter medication for things like fever, cold, flu, or pain. Some products were pulled off the market because it was proven that they did more harm than good to these children. Tylenol for infants was not one of these products. Any new parents should make sure that they have this in stock in the even that they need to use it, but they should never just use it on a whim. A doctor should always be consulted.

Tylenol for infants is great at reducing fever. If your baby has a fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or more, parents should call a doctor immediately. In some cases, there is an obvious reason why they have a fever and other times, the reason is unknown. They will recommend how much Tylenol for infants should be given to the baby to bring the fever down and then further instructions can be given. Many babies will get sore legs and a slight fever after immunizations, making Tylenol a good thing to have on hand. Your doctor or nurse may even suggest giving it right after just to make baby comfortable.

Some parents have an easy time when their babies are teething. These babies seem to handle the pain rather well and need nothing more than a teething ring and some topical gel to soothe the pain away. Other children, however, do not deal with teething as well. They are in a lot of pain and need help. They may even get a slight fever from cutting teeth. When this happens, a doctor may recommend that a baby has Tylenol for infants to help with the pain, at least temporarily. Once the tooth comes through, the pain should be all but gone and the baby will feel just fine.

There are cautions parents should keep in mind when using Tylenol for infants. Always talk to a doctor or nurse about what is going on before using it. Always make sure the bottle that you have is current and that it has not been recalled for any reason. Give the exact dosage that will help the baby, and if you are not sure, call the doctor back to make sure. You do not want to give them too much or it could harm them. Wait the appropriate amount of time before giving a second dosage and do not give it longer than your doctor recommends.

Watching TV Shows Online

Many of your favorite prime time television shows are available to watch online on demand or as podcasts to your blackberry or iphone. In todays hectic world it is sometimes next to impossible to set aside specific times to watch scheduled shows. There are other ways of watching these shows besides on your television and seeing TV shows online is one option that is becoming more and more popular.

As computers get faster and bandwidth increases more and more information can travel over cable or DSL lines or by satellite much faster. You can watch streaming movies on demand on sites like www.netflix.com or www.blockbuster.com. For smaller movies and tv shows online you can just go to www.youtube.com and do a search. Even Amazon has pay per view now with streaming video. Not all of your favorite television shows will be available there however. Sometimes you need to set up a log in account with the network that produces the show in order to watch it. You can also get pirated shows using an outlaw service such as torrent or limewire, but it is not recommended and you can get some seriously damaging viruses on your computer. It is not worth the risk and you should avoid these open file sharing sites.

On Demand services are routinely offered free by most cable providers and satellite television companies including Comcast and Astound. Not all programs are available however and even free television networks like NBC charge a small fee to watch your favorite shows. In comparison you will not get as good an image watching tv shows online but you will save money. Again, not all shows are available online.

If you are traveling to a foreign country you may not be able to download or watch your favorite tv shows online by going to the network sites. Pirating is so prevalent in many countries that networks and studios do not allow streaming video to go out on their broadband.

TV shows online can also mean sports programming and there are several sites where you have to pay a fee like a season pass in order to watch your favorite sports teams. This can be great if you are Los Angeles Lakers fan, for example, and you are travelling all the time but still want to see their games every day. Special NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB packages are available for those specific sports tv shows online. They are not cheap however so be prepared to pay up or else miss a lot of games. This is just not acceptable to truly devoted fans and most will pay whatever it takes to watch their games on a consistent basis.

If you dont want to miss your favorite programs you dont have to anymore, not with tv shows online and other on demand packages available. You can also just record the shows and watch them later on our TIVO. Whichever method that you choose everyone agrees that it is always good to have options.

Your Average Ten-Year-Old's To-Do List: Do Homework, Practice the Piano,

Your Average Ten-Year-Old's To-Do List: Do Homework, Practice the Piano, Build a Trojan Horse Virus

You keep hearing about the dangers of the Internet - nasties with names like myDoom and Autorun.ini are supposed to be waiting for you to make one misstep on the Internet, and they latch onto you, to make a nuisance of themselves. Sure, we've all had an infection or two that sometimes the antivirus software that we paid top dollar for did not take care of, but if you do get infected, how bad can it be? Sure, trojan horse virus infections can in theory the vacuum your bank accounts dry and all, but those things never seem to actually happen, do they? The companies that make antivirus software, would have to correct you on that one. They have been to China, to Eastern Europe, to Russia, places where hacking and virus-making skills seem to be taught on the schoolyard, passed from friend to friend. And they are all after stealing your data, for pocket money. If they were to steal your credit card information and use it, wouldn't they get arrested or something? It really is very difficult after all, to do these things and still remain completely untraceable.

Well, here's the thing, this schoolyard rivalry in creating the best trojan horse virus and stealing the most financial information from half a world away, does not directly get them any money. They don't directly go home and start stealing from everyone. They just sell the passwords gained, to criminal gangs who have the means to do their work anonymously. We just get to hear how attacks from China have caused this or that instance of theft or crisis; we get no farther, such as with an identifiable name. Consider the huge outcry we have been having for some time now over how Gmail accounts in China were hacked, and how the hackers got in into Google's main source code back in the US, and stole it or altered it. We don't ever get to hear what particular person it came from.

To young people, this has become the new videogame affliction of their generation. And just as there are gamers' forums and contests and conferences, hackers have them too. There is even a magazine called Hacker X-Files; as a subscriber, you'll get your friendly handholding guide to "Building a Trojan Horse Virus for Dummies". And it wouldn't cost you more than a couple of dollars. For instance, the Hackers Penetration Manual, a book that's available in America too, is easily passed around for about five dollars in China. It must be a real thrill to young kids to be able to unleash such mayhem around the world through their computers. It must just feel like a video game to them, with just a little extra kick. And what is more, they get to gain skills that they can help their government with one day, attacking enemy countries' computer systems.

Can you really blame them? If you were a kid, and you had just learnt these fantastic skills on the computer, and you could make like Hugh Jackman in Swordfish hacking into the FBI's website, would you really be aware of how wrong it was, what you did? Some of them even say they know who was behind the whole Google attack. China does have laws against this kind of misbehavior of course; but just as with movie and music piracy, actual piracy is rarely gone after or punished. In China, real hacking skills, can mean no end of money and comfort. If nothing else, kids could just make a living teaching other kids how to hack. Most of them don't even need to build new a trojan horse virus themselves anymore; they know enough about major software packages used by everyone in the world; when the time comes they say, getting in and out of them would be child's play.

A New Trojan Horse Attacks the Military and the Banks

A New Trojan Horse Attacks the Military and the Banks

NetWitness is probably a name you haven't heard of, but the company is a major in corporate computer security - antivirus for the big boys, if you will. And in February, NetWitness called the alarm on a major Trojan horse attack on government and corporate computers. The attack has gained a lot of notoriety, and they call it the Zeus botnet. On the NetWitness website, the company's press release declares that there were 2500 corporations and government offices hit around the world. And they were not just hit by hackers passing the time for their schoolboy hijinks. This was an attack that stole large caches of corporate secrets (from companies like the pharmaceutical major Merck), and financial information like credit card numbers. Whoever did it, did it for money.

This particular attack is still on the rampage, and it hasn't been contained just yet. But this hasn't been an isolated incident either. For the past year and a half, a ring of cyber criminals in Germany has been using psychological tactics to get employees in major companies and US government agencies to click on tainted e-mail, or to go to tainted websites, in order that they might expose their computers to Trojan horse attacks or virus attacks that could get access to important information Once they had the information, it would have been worth a lot of money to the criminals. Military computer networks were infiltrated in the attack too. All of these computers were fully protected by at least standard-issue antivirus software, and those proved to be completely ineffective against the attacks. If you have an Internet connection, whether at home or at the office, you could consider yourself targeted. So how did it happen this time?

The ZeuS Trojan horse, is basically available for free on the Internet for any mischief monger to use as he sees fit. If enough people carelessly allow the Trojan horse on their computers, the botnet program that lies within, links all the infected computers around the world together over the Internet, and operates them in concert. A botnet, if successful, can actually get together millions of computers to operate this way. Experts estimate that there are about 6000 botnets in operation right now. The botnet they're dealing with this time, is called the Kneber botnet, And it has managed to steal more than 50,000 usernames and passwords for all kinds of websites. Sign-in information from banks and social networking seems to be what they were after.

But perhaps it is a bit simplistic to assign a simple motive to an attack as sophisticated as this - to say that they were just after money. The botnet is so sophisticated, it unleashes other botnets, so that no one really knows when any particular one started operating. This is a botnet that mutates. It is difficult to tell where we go from here. As always, the best defense against attacks by viruses, botnets and Trojan horse devices, is a level of reasonable alertness, and good protection software.

Things to Do on Your Trip to San Francisco

Each year San Francisco tops the list of most desirable places to live, not only in the United States but all around the world. People from every continent on the planet want to come here and when you plan your trip to San Francisco there are several key things you will want to remember.

First thing to remember is that you want to bring some warm clothing such as coats, overcoats, and even rainy wear apparel. You also need some summer type clothes because the weather in San Francisco can change dramatically from morning to afternoon to evening. A typical day can start with overcast skies and clear up by the middle of the afternoon. When the sun comes out it can get pretty warm and the jackets will definitely come off, especially when you are walking around sightseeing. When the wind kicks up however it can get very cold very quickly so it is a good idea to bring your coat or sweater. Scarves are seen almost year round in downtown where the business folks dress up a bit more than in other parts of the city.

Make sure to drive your rented car up Divisadero Street until you get to Pacific Heights. The views of the bay from the top of the hill are truly spectacular and make this some of the highest priced real estate anywhere in the U.S. There are numerous ten million dollar and even twenty million dollar mansions in Pacific Heights that will blow your mind. Drive around on your trip to San Francisco and you will see beautiful homes in many districts, including posh Pacific Heights and the nearby Marina.

In the Marina, close to beautiful Marina Greens you will find the Palace of Fine Arts. You can park and walk and even sit around the artificial lake and have a picnic or feed the ducks. The Palace was built for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition and is comprised of several gorgeous porticos and domed buildings surrounding a lovely lake with a neo-classical fountain.

Fishermans Wharf is a must visit for any trip to San Francisco. You can walk along the piers and see the old ships and stop at sidewalk stands and eat fresh steamed crab or clam chowder in a bread bowl. Delicious.

The nearby Embarcadero is a great walk with stunning views of the bay. On a clear day you can see the Bay Bridge, Alcatraz, and the Golden Gate Bridge. On the Embarcadero itself is the world famous Ferry Building. Go inside and you can shop at many one-of-a-kind boutiques or eat gourmet foods at any of several culinary delight restaurants. You can eat the freshest oysters, buy rare mushrooms, and sample gourmet cheeses from around the world.

Keep walking on the Embarcadero and you will get to AT&T Park where the San Francisco Giants play all of their home games. You can walk all the way around the park and actually see inside from one of the viewing areas located outside the park. No trip to San Francisco would be complete without seeing this modern day marvel.

Treatment of Diarrhea

Diarrhea is one of those diseases that make you wish you had another disease in its place. The discomforting usually uncontrollable periods of passing loose-watery stools are every persons nightmare. During such times, a person looses fluids at a very fast rate, and if no adequate measures are taken to replace the fluids, one can easily become dehydrated. This explains the reason why treatment for diarrhea mainly focuses on replacing the fluids and some salts in the body. Usually, this is done through oral re-hydration or through intravenous fluids, which are usually administered in severe cases.

Diet is also vital in treatment of diarrhea. A common diet used in diarrhea management is the BRAT diet, whose staple components are Bananas, Rice, Apple Sauce and Toast. In recent times, the BRAT diet has been modified to include tea and yogurt. Foods in the three diets have low fiber content and were adopted due to the suspicion that high-fiber foods make the diarrhea worse. In modern times however, medics insist that the BRAT, BRATT or BRATTY diets are not as effective as people thought they were. Though medicine does not completely dismiss the viability of such treatments, in the case of diarrhea, most doctors advice patients to continue with normal diets with the exception of carbonated beverages and sugary drinks. In some types of diarrhea, especially those that occur after stem cell transplants, doctors and nutritionists still recommend the BRAT diets due to the presence of Pectin (a soluble nutritional fiber).

Research into these diets reveals that bananas have amylase-resistant starch, which reduces the loss of water and minerals from the body thus reducing diarrhea symptoms. Rice, on the other hand, has been found to contain anti-secretory benefits, which helps to stop diarrhea sooner by decreasing the amount of stool. The contention that most medics have with the BRAT diet is that it is nutritionally incomplete thus denying people essential vitamins, calcium, fiber, proteins, energy and fat. An alternative CRAM diet containing cereals, rice, apple sauce and milk is currently being considered for the treatment of diarrhea since it contains proteins and fats that would make the diet more wholesome.

In addition to water and food, one must replace depleted electrolytes in order to treat the salt imbalance created by the diarrhea in the body. If left untreated, the salt imbalance can lead to confusion, general weakness and in severe cases, it could cause coma and even death.

Overall, a person suffering from diarrhea may be given pain-lessening medication to counter the effects of cramps and anal discomfort that comes with the condition. The diarrhea treatment that doctors use mainly depends on the main cause of diarrhea. The most common cause includes bacterial and viral infections and parasites. Others not-so-common causes include mal-absorption, inflammatory bowel diseases, ethanol ingestion, and bowel cancer. Tumors that secrete hormones into the body, excess bile, celiac disease and intestinal protozoa are also some other causes of diarrhea.

Prozac may no Longer be the Right Treatment for Depression

Prozac may no Longer be the Right Treatment for Depression

Anyone looking for a treatment for a moderate case of the depression, knows the first stop to make - antidepressants. One isn't really sure how, every professional out there could have come to think otherwise, but research conclusively says now, that antidepressants are really no use, in any but the deepest cases of depression. No better than a placebo. They tried this study with two popular antidepressants, Paxil and Imipramine. Paxil is quite new, a drug that belongs to a class of medications known as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI). It is surprising that they should find this out now; the FDA wouldn't have passed this drug for the market unless it proved itself to be far better than a placebo. The placebo test of course, is something researchers try on patients, to see if a new drug is really effective. They give a group of patients the drug deal they are er trying to test, and they give another group of patients, something that looks like the drug being tested, but is really a sugar pill. The real drug, is supposed to prove itself to be far better than the sugar pill. But when the mind believes that it is being given the real drug, sometimes the body believes it's too. And reacts by curing itself. Even if the drug being given as just a sugar pill. A new drug, to be passed, needs to be proven better than a placebo.

However, antidepressant treatment does really work for patients who have a very serious case of it. Studying people who battle deep depression every day of their lives, the researchers try to use a scoring system to place on a scale how depressed subjects in the study really are. They found that antidepressants actually helped patients with depression that hovered around the top of the scale at 24, quickly drop down halfway down the scale, to around 12. The people on the placebo, could only claim half that kind of improvement. But study subjects who come in with a case of depression that rates no higher than, say 20 on the scale, improve no better on the drugs than they do on the placebo. This entire study is beginning to give doctors and scientists something to think about in the way they understand the standard treatment for depression.

So why is it, the scientists ask, that antidepressants don't work on people with anything less than a serious case of depression? There have been studies done on mice, that seem to help explain the problem. Antidepressants like Prozac and Zoloft, usually work by helping the brain manufacture more of the happiness hormone serotonin, in the very depths of the brain. If the area of the brain that actually manufactures it, is kind of saturated with the receptors for this hormone, it no longer responds to any treatment for depression with antidepressant drugs. There are no ready-made answers on how to proceed from here. Scientists are trying to genetically engineer mice that have brains with different levels of serotonin receptors in different areas of the brain. And dialing down the number of receptors in an area, right away sets the brain up to be more responsive to Prozac. That's where research is headed now in helping people respond better to treatment for depression.

A New Antihistamine is Suddenly the Best Treatment for Dementia

A New Antihistamine is Suddenly the Best Treatment for Dementia and Alzheimer's

Read up on dementia and Alzheimer's at any major medical website today, and you are sure to be told over and over again that Alzheimer's is caused by plaque that forms on the brain, and also that it is the molecule called beta amyloid in the brain that precipitates that plaque. Most current treatment for dementia and Alzheimer's is directed at prescribing drugs that are efficient at cleaning the brain up of beta amyloid, and loosening whatever plaque it brings. Last year, though, scientists in Europe were presented with a new possibility, that seemed a stretch at best. There is a Russian drug, an antihistamine called dimebolin; the drug basically works to raise the levels of the beta amyloid molecule - the very molecule in the brain that other drug makers in the world work so hard to try to eliminate. It would be easy to brush this off as hopelessly misguided, only the drug is twice as effective as anything they've done so far with the traditional approach.

No medical researcher up to now, has tried to obtain results by giving a patient more of the molecule. And yet, the attempt that raises levels in the brain with the dimebolin actually brings improvements that have been verified in two different laboratories. Treatment for dementia done with this drug, visibly slows down, and also reverses, cognitive impairment. What is more, the drug's effects last twice as long as any other conventional therapy. So what does this mean for the way we approach treatment for dementia and Alzheimer's around the world now? To begin with, all the work that has been done so far, aiming solely to eliminate the beta amyloid molecule in the brain, have to be abandoned. And the whole idea that the plaque brought on by beta amyloid is what is at the root of dementia and Alzheimer's, will have to be scrapped too Why, it might actually be dangerous to clear plaque. It is even possible now, to believe that the plaque is actually a substance that keeps all the harmful stuff arriving at the brain, safely shut up inside the sticky substance. The-plaque dissolving drugs that we give people in the name of a treatment for dementia and Alzheimer's, actually just release the harmful toxins back into the brain, that our metabolism tries so hard to keep out. It might actually be opening the brain's Pandora's box.

No one really knows what to make of all this.The scientists believe it's too early to say; it is possible that the new dimebolin drug only raises levels of beta amyloid temporarily, and lowers levels efficiently over a long period of time. It just goes to say, how rudimentary our understanding of the treatment for dementia and Alzheimer's really is. Dimebolin has been sold for years, under the brand name Dimebon, as a drug for hay fever and other assorted allergies. Whatever the mechanism, it does undeniably help Alzheimer's patients reverse quite a bit of their memory loss. For now, this is the best we can do in our treatment for dementia and Alzheimer's.

Travel Solutions that will Save You Aggravation

In study after study it has been found that a certain segment of the general public avoids travelling. They express a desire to go to all of the wonderful vacation destinations, but they dont look forward to going to the airport, having to wait in line with hundreds of people, go through the security checkpoint, or the dozens of other intolerably annoying and stressful situations that todays travelers have come to reluctantly accept as a fact of life. These are the travel challenges that we all face occasionally and that some business travelers face on a daily basis. For these challenges there are also travel solutions which can make all the difference when it comes to eliminating the fear and discomfort of traveling.

First off you need to do everything you can before you get to the airport. When you decide to go on that month long vacation to France, you plan every day and every train stop. When going to the airport to begin your trip you need to use the same type of planning you do for the vacation itself. Go through your luggage and make sure you are not bringing too much. It may not seem like too much now but when you are lugging these things through the airport you will wish that you had taken this advice. Remember when you get to Europe you will have to carry all that baggage on and off of trains and push them through the city until you get to your hotel. Pack as lightly as possible. Most of the time you never use all of the stuff you bring along on trips.

Make sure that you dont have any liquid bottles that are over the limit at the security checkpoint. Bring travel size stuff if you are going to carry it on. To make sure you get through the security checkpoint one of the best travel solutions tips is to wear slip on shoes like loafers. Put all of your loose change, belt, cell phone, etc., into the side zippered pocket of your carry on. This will make your walk through the scanner that much faster and less stressful. If you are bringing your laptop (not recommended) make sure that you take it out of your briefcase before you get to the conveyor belt.

Most of the time you have to wait a while before boarding the plane and this can be a stressful and annoying time. Bring an ipod with a headset in order to eliminate as much outside noise as possible. You can also use the headset in the plane while watching movies. Another great device is the portable DVD player. This device, one of the great travel solutions for stress, can entertain you for hours on the plane and provide you with much more variety than the on-board movie.

These are just some of the most common sense travel solutions for those far too common travel challenges that we all must face. No trip is going to be totally stress free, but you should certainly do as much as possible to avoid stress by utilizing these wise travel solutions.

Travel Secrets at the Airport Security Checkpoint

People who travel for a living know that there are certain travel secrets that when used properly will save them time and stress when vacationing or taking any kind of trip. Some of these travel secrets are really just using your common sense. But you know what they say about common sense: its not all that common.

Traveling anywhere by plane these days means having to go through the dreaded airport security checkpoint. If you have ever been held up by someone who keeps the scanner beeping repeatedly you know how annoying it can be to the rest of the weary travelers standing in line behind them. You can avoid this by doing a few simple things when you plan your trip.

The first of the travel secrets common sense advice is to always wear slip on shoes (loafers are best) or sandals if it is warm enough. Since that shoe bomber wannabe terrorist nearly blew up that plane some years back, everyone has to take off their shoes and run them separately through the scanner. Personally I think this is silly and a little like shutting the barn door after the horses have all escaped, but my opinion does not count. Dont wear a belt if you can avoid it as they are hard to put on again after you have gone through the security checkpoint.

Dont keep change in your pockets or anything else with metal on it or in it. It is easier to put these things into the top pouch of your carry on suitcase which you have to put through the conveyor belt anyway. You can also put these things and your cell phone and keys into the side pocket of your laptop briefcase.

One of the best travel secrets is to trade your old, heavy laptop for a newer lightweight model. There are some very lightweight laptops that weigh less than five pounds. This will make your time at the security checkpoint that much less and save you some wear and tear on your arms and shoulders.

Another of the travel secrets at the airport security checkpoint is to make sure not to have any liquids on you or in your travel case. If you do have some like shampoo, make sure that they are in those little tiny bottles that you get at hotels. Those are great and perfectly sized so I always nab a few of them from the housekeeping cart when I stay at hotels.

If you are going somewhere and staying for less than a week you really should consider taking only a carry on suitcase and no additional check-in luggage. This is one of the travel secrets that is particularly difficult for musicians or surfers to follow because they need to bring their guitars or surfboards with them wherever they go usually.

Travel secrets like these can make your passage through the airport much faster and more comfortable, not only for you but for all of your fellow passengers.

Travel Health Insurance is a Necessity When You Travel Abroad

Travel Health Insurance is a Necessity When You Travel Abroad

There are numerous reasons to get travel health insurance and other types of travel insurance packages when you travel abroad. One of the top reasons is that there are many ways to get sick in other countries and if you want to get good medical treatment you will need to make sure you have enough money to get you back home. What if you need to be airlifted from a remote place to a major city while on vacation? This is very expensive but you could die if you dont get good medical attention immediately in some situtions. Getting picked up by a helicopter is included in many of the top travel health insurance packages that you can buy.

Travel insurance packages can include flight insurance which will cover you when you are actually in the air or in the aircraft. If the plane goes down and blows up on the tarmac, your named beneficiary will be able to collect the death benefit from the insurance company that issued the travel insurance.

The most common way to purchase travel health insurance and other types of travel protection packages are at the airport. There are usually manned or un-manned kiosks near the gates that sell the insurance. Even if no attendant is there you can still fill out the application form, keep a copy for your records and drop it into the collection box before you board the plane itself. The insurance kicks into effect the moment you put the envelope with the application into the secure box. You put your flight number on the application and state the estimated number of days that your trip will take and you are done and ready for your trip.

Travel insurance also covers you in case your plane is delayed or your scheduled flight is cancelled, or in case you need to change travel plans at the last minute. The insurance will then protect you by paying any differences in ticket prices. Some limitations apply so you need to read the fine print on the contract. The same travel insurance package covers not only travel health insurance needs but will reimburse you in case your luggage gets lost or is delayed in arriving when you get to your destination. If you need to buy some replacement clothing, travel insurance will usually pay for it, up to a certain amount.

Travel Guard is one of the most reliable and well known travel insurance companies and they have been providing travel health insurance to travelers for many years now. Their package of benefits includes emergency transportation and prescription drugs as well as surgery and extended hospital stays in other countries while you are traveling. Travel Guard has different levels of coverage packages available and they vary in price as well as features and benefits.

Check out Travel Guard at www.travelguard.com. This is a very informative website with lots of travel tips and advice as well as lists of handy phone numbers for embassies and other aid for Americans traveling abroad.

Advice for Tourists Who Want to Travel Central America

After talking to many people over the years both in the U.S. and abroad, there seem to be many misunderstandings when it comes time to travel Central America. Most people are familiar with Costa Rica and Panama, though many will erroneously say South America when referring to the location on the map of these countries. The other countries that are not so well known such as Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, and Belize all have their own wonderful mysteries and alluring destinations to be discovered and the wise traveler looking for an adventure that is affordable and off the beaten path should consider these countries.

There are several important things one should take note of before they travel Central America. People in general will realize before they travel that these countries are near the equator and so are hot year round, but until they actually get off the air-conditioned plane do they realize just how hot and humid these countries can get. People with extreme asthma or other medical problems should consult with their doctors first before they travel Central America.

If your travel takes you to a remote jungle or beach front area that are prevalent in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Belize and Panama then you need to be mindful of insects and other nasty creatures such as large spiders and especially scorpions. The native scorpion of the region is small and brownish red. This animal will hide in clothing and fall from ceilings and their sting is painful but not lethal. Some swelling may occur and partial paralysis or numbness for a temporary period of time. Tourists are warned to shake out their clothing and shoes before putting them on since this is where these critters like to hide. Pack some Benadryl and take one if bitten and the effects of the sting will most likely go away much quicker, unless one is allergic to the sting and then you need to seek medical help immediately.

There are also snakes that you need to be aware of, though they are more rare than one would think. In Managua, the capital of Nicaragua, residents would complain of deadly coral snakes coming into their homes for a bit of shade. In Costa Rica, many beach front resorts were plagued by one of the most aggressive serpents, the Ferre de Lance, or Terciopelos as the natives call them. One bite from one of these reptiles and it could be all over if medical help is not reached fairly quickly.

When bathing in the waters off the coast you need to be mindful of riptides. There is an area in northern Nicaragua called Poneloya where the waves are so fierce and the riptides so abundant that each Holy Week several hundred people get sucked in and are never seen again. If you are drinking, old or very young, you need to avoid these types of turbulent waters when you travel Central America.

When people swim in the ocean they can be lulled into a false sense of security, especially if they swim every day. They forget that the ocean is teeming with life and not all of it friendly. There are sharks, of course, and other nasty fish like barracuda, but attacks from these animals are rare. More likely is getting stung by jellyfish which will invade certain areas at different times of the year. You need to get good information from other swimmers before venturing out into the ocean.

These are just a few tips to consider when you travel Central America. Use your common sense and ask lots of questions before embarking and you will be alright and have a great time on your vacation.

Tours of San Francisco on a Budget

There are lots of ways to sightsee in this exciting and picturesque City by the Bay. This is the town that Tony Bennett left his heart in, where Carol Doda made the striptease a household word, and where the pro football 49ers won five world championships. This is the city that survived the 1906 earthquake and subsequent fire, that came out of the depression with arms open wide, and whose mayor George Moscone was gunned down by a crazy councilman over thirty years ago.

You can find budget tours of San Francisco if you look online. One of the best ways to see the city is to take one of the replica cable cars that are really buses with a cable car body. These cable cars have drivers who will guide you throughout the city and let you know all of the relevant facts and historical tidbits about different landmarks. You can find these tours at www.sanfranciscotours.us or at www.cablecarcharters.com.

Some of these companies that offer guided tours of San Francisco also do them from double decker buses like the ones you see in London. You can find some of these at www.sightseeingworld.com or at www.buysanfranciscotours.com.

One of the best ways to take a tour of San Francisco is to rent a GoCar for a couple of hours. GoCars are little yellow two seater go-cart sized vehicles with open tops. The cars have audio tracks that play as you drive and actually guide you with a human voice. You can see these beauties at www.gocartours.com/sanfrancisco.html. One of the best routes that they go on is over the hills that overlook the Golden Gate Bridge and the bay alongside the Presidio. This is a fantastically beautiful area that is wooded and naturally perfect. On a clear day you can see very far away over the rest of the city and into Marin County from any of several viewing areas there.

No tour of San Francisco would be complete without a stop at Fishermans Wharf. You can start out at Union Square in downtown and hop onto a real cable car that will take you over Nob Hill and drop you off at Ghirardelli Square, just a few short blocks from Fishermans Wharf and the Cannery. Here you can sample fresh fish and steamed crab from the many sidewalk vendors that sell them right there. You can also eat at world famous Aliotos on the wharf and have one of the best seafood dinners all while enjoying a grand view of the entire Fishermans Wharf.

Make sure to stop at Coit Tower and the Transamerica Pyramid in fun North Beach. North Beach also has some of the best restaurants in the city including Osteria del Forno which features food exclusively cooked in their old-fashioned oven. Try the pizza at North Beach pizza and you will soon forget about any other pizza pie in the world. This is really the best.

If you want to get wet, one of the best tours of San Francisco is to take the Red and White Fleet and cruise around the bay for an hour. You get up close and personal to former Federal Penitentiary Alcatraz Island, home to some of the most notorious criminals in history, including Al Capone.

Get a Total Body Workout in Just 45 Minutes

If you want to look like a Hollywood star you need to get a personal trainer and spend a couple of hours or more in the gym at least five times per week. You will also need to hire your own personal diet chef who will cook three low-calorie meals a day for you. If you are not rich there is still hope with the following total body workout.

Finding the time in our modern day hectic schedules for a total body workout seems impossible. That is why I recommend the following regimen where you can get a total body workout in just 45 minutes a day, four days a week (if possible).

The secret to burning fat and building lean muscle is to surprise the muscle itself. If you do the same exercise routine all the time then you are probably not getting the results you are looking for. If you really want to look your best and dont have a lot of time or money, you need to check out the following five steps:

1. If you go to a typical gym that has lots of machines in it, then head to the nearest chest press machine and do three sets of 15 reps at low weight. Low weight for men is different than for women so just test it until you get it right. You need to feel the burn. Take very little time between sets. Go quickly to another machine, this time for abs and do 3 sets of 15 again at low weight. Again spend as little time as possible recovering. Dont talk to friends or other people working out as that is just a waste of time. Do another set of curls on the curls machine. One more machine should do it and your 45 minutes are up. If you are not sweating then you took too long between sets.

2. Take one day off. The day after that you dont go to the gym but instead find a steep hill to walk or hike. Hike up and down the hill hard and fast (you can run if you are able) for 45 minutes. By the end of the total body workout hike you should be sweating. The next day you should feel it in your calves.

3. Next day you do not take off. Instead you go back to the gym. Instead of doing the machines this time you will go straight to the dumbbell area. Take a low weight dumbbell in each hand and do curls while standing. Then sit on a bench with a back support and do military press. Again, very little recovery time, high reps and low weight give you the best total body workout in the quickest time. Sit at the bench and lay down with the dumbbells in either hand and do chest flys. This is where you extend the arms out and raise them up while lying on the bench with your back flat.

4. Next day you relax. After that you go back to step number 1 above. You can mix up the machines if you feel that you are not getting results. The trick is to fool your muscle memory and break down muscle tissue. This will result in a total body workout.

5 No total body workout would be complete without some diet advice. If you really want your body to respond as efficiently as possible to the total body workout then you have to change your eating habits. Two easy quick tips are: cut out oil, butter, and sugar, and have six small meals (one third the size of a normal meal) spread out throughout the day but nothing but water after 6 p.m.

Follow these steps for three weeks straight and you will see dramatic results.

Top Rated Antivirus Software

There are many software sites that proclaim that their software is the top rated antivirus software and is the only one available that will block any and all incoming viruses and malware threats to your computer. The truth is that no PC security software maker can make that claim. The problem is that viruses are invented faster than the R & D (research & development) departments of the large software companies can identify and write code to block them. Most of the top rated antivirus software available will only block or, in some cases, disable the virus.

Most really malignant PC viruses are so invasive that they actually tag on to hidden portions of your computer, your installed software, and your saved files. That is why when you take a computer in for repairs at places like Best Buy or one of the other big retailers that have computer repair departments they will usually tell you that your entire computer has to be scrubbed. That means that all files need to be individually scanned for viruses and the clean ones are then saved. The rest are lost, along with your operating system and any installed software. Your OS is then re-installed but unless you have your program disks with the registration codes, you will need to buy those programs again.

One of the top selling and top rated antivirus software programs available is Norton Antivirus. One would think that by shelling out a hundred bucks for the latest Norton Antivirus program that you would be able to prevent or block viruses from infecting your computer. You would be dead wrong. Norton is good for catching some Spyware such as tracking cookies, but in my hard-earned recent experience, Norton did nothing to block or prevent a Trojan virus from infecting my laptop.

One day I logged on to find that my browser was literally hijacked by this insidious virus which comes disguised as a security alert. Heres how it works, you are browsing the web using Mozilla Firefox or opening an email sent to you from someone you think is a friend. When you open the attached Powerpoint which usually has a very mundane and safe theme, like Songs of Springtime or Worlds Most Beautiful Sunsets or some other such drivel, the actual file you download will carry the virus straight into your computer, where it will then block you from controlling your browser. Every time you try to open a new browser window you will get this security alert telling you that you need to click here to download their free antivirus software. When you click on this, it either totally crashes your computer, or just will continue giving you pop-up windows. Not even the top rated antivirus programs in the world will help you with these and I know that for a fact because I tried them and they failed, especially Norton.

There is an alternative to these so-called top rated antivirus software programs that has given me great results. It is called Combofix and you can find it by googling the name and downloading the program. Since your browser is hijacked, you will have to download it from another computer and put it on a flash drive. Insert the flash into your computers USB input and use the program to clean your computer. It will take a while and you may have to run it twice, but it really works and a lot better than the top rated antivirus programs out there on the market. Best of all it is totally free.

Some of the Top Advertising Agencies in the U.S.

All of the top advertising agencies used to be headquartered in New York, along famous Madison Avenue in the heart of Manhattans financial district. If you watch the HBO show Mad Men (since picked up by another network in syndication) you will see the fictional characters working at fictional agencies on Madison Avenue, hence the term Mad Men. In the 50s and 60s the top advertising agencies were all run by men and it was a total boys club that women were not allowed to enter, except as secretaries or receptionists. These guys chain smoked at their desks all day long and drank heavily every night while wining and dining clients at fancy restaurants and bars.

Those days are long gone and many are thankful for that, especially women and minorities who now play a much larger role in todays top advertising agencies. Things have changed dramatically in the last twenty years. Graphic Designers were always treated like technical flunkies and were usually not given the opportunity to rise above Art Director status. All of the Creative Directors (CDs) came from the copywriting departments and once you were a CD, you could hope to make partner or V.P. with a few years of ridiculously long hours and hard work under your belt.

Todays top advertising agencies are ones that have survived in the age of the internet and have adapted their services to fit the cyber worlds heavy demands. Thirty years ago ad agencies did not even have computers. Typesetting was done by hand with press on type that you bought at the Art supplies store. Typefaces were limited and you had to be very careful that you did not mess up or else you had to start all over again. God forbid that the Account Executive or the client changed the headline at the last minute. Deadlines were very tight back in the good old days and you had to manually crank out fifty to one hundred ads in one day (and all night) for delivery the next morning to the newspapers.

Of course today all the top advertising agencies have state of the art computer systems, mostly Mac but some PCs too. The employ small armies of Graphic Designers that use software like InDesign and Photoshop CS.

Most of the top advertising agencies now also do online ads and that means that the artists have to have proficiency in HTML, Flash, Dreamweaver, and other website building software. By being so technical some of the artistic side of the craft has definitely suffered. But because the airwaves are slammed and jammed with so many visuals and loud attention hogging banners, the top advertising agencies are forced to become more creative than ever in their attempt to get their clients message through to their target audiences. Most ad campaigns cost so much that the ad agencies use focus groups to get reactions before spending any money.

Although techniques and technologies have changed over the years, the goal of top advertising agencies around the world have stayed the same and that is sell more products for their clients.

20 of the Top 100 Horror Movies of All Time

20 of the Top 100 Horror Movies of All Time

Listing the Top 20 was tough enough, but to attempt to compile a complete listing of the top 100 horror movies can be, well, frightening. Theres the problem of genre splitting, which is what happens when you cant decide if The Hills Have Eyes is a horror movie (it is) or a Slasher flick (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre). Then theres the added complication of objectivity, which of course, goes down the drain from the get-go. So here are 20 of the top 100 horror movies of all time, and you should be grateful for these screen gems.

1. The Exorcist. No film has ever come close to the incredible raw power to absolutely freeze your skin that this movie had. I still get nightmares to this day and definitely number one in my Top 100 Horror Movies of All Time list.

2. Jaws. Though sometimes mistaken for a suspense or thriller movie, this is definitely a creature feature horror movie and one of the most traumatizing films ever made. Everyone out of the water!

3. Carrie. Brian de Palmas masterpiece based on the Stephen King best seller.

4. The Evil Dead. Coen brothers first production. One by one, these college kids end up crawling on the walls. Creepy.

5. The Blair Witch Project. I could get a lot of flak for this one, but I for one will still not walk around the woods at night. No way.

6. Cloverfield. Giant space monster destroys New York, decapitating the Statue of Liberty along the way.

7. Nosferatu. Silent classic in ghoulish black and white.

8. Night of the Living Dead. Of course I mean the 1968 B & W version. Super scary! Our virgin film foray into the land of zombie mobs.

9. Carnival of Souls. Makes absolutely no sense at all, but you will not soon forget this haunting black and white horror noir classic.

10. Pans Labyrinth. Del Toros signature masterpiece remains solidly in the Top 100 Horror movies ever made.

11. Rosemarys Baby. I remember when this movie first came out and it was the type of movie that changed the way you looked at life and the supernatural.

12. Its Alive. Undead zombie baby in a dark subway tunnel. What could be better?

13. From Beyond. Easily the cheesiest and best B movie ever made.

14. Alien. This sci-fi horror fest tested the limits of audience paranoia.

15. The Blob. I like the last one best, but theyre all good.

16. Young Frankenstein. Not really a horror movie, but too good to keep off the list.

17. Paranormal Activity. Fantastically scary. First it bores you to death, then shocks you awake. Like getting hit with lightning while dead asleep.

18. The Ring. That creepy girl with the long hair should have stayed down the well.

19. The Hills Have Eyes. Definitely not members of the Hair Club for Men.

20. The Birds. Hitchcock at his crazy, scary, feathery best.

So there you have it. 20 of the top 100 horror movies of all time. Popcorn, anyone?

10 of the Top 50 Rock Songs of All Time

10 of the Top 50 Rock Songs of All Time

Everyone has a valid opinion on this subject and very few people if asked will refrain from responding. Rock music has so permeated the fabric of our beings that they become impossible to separate from our experience. Why a person would pick one song over another of the top 50 rock songs of all time is purely dependent on where they were and what they were doing when they first heard that song. Our nostalgia for past events in our life is inextricably intertwined with the songs that make up our lifes soundtrack.

I hereby propose the following list (unapologetically) of my very own for the 10 best of the top 50 rock songs of all time.

10. American Pie by Don McLean. Released in 1971 this is another one of the top 50 rock songs that everybody was singing when it first came out. This was one of the first times in history when over-saturation because of excessive radio play could not make you hate a song. To this day this is one of the most requested and played songs on classic rock radio formats.

9. Layla by Derek and the Dominoes from 1970. We just had never heard something so majestic as the multi-layered Layla when it first hit AM radio. Clapton proved he was the best guitar gunslinger in the world with the soaring sounds of this fantastic song.

8. Maggie May by Rod Stewart was a bittersweet melody that we all remember as being integrally mixed in with where we were when we first heard it. Whether it was at a high school dance with your first sweetheart or taking your first road trip with your pals, this song is similar to many others in the top 50 rock songs of all time in that it is unforgettable.

7. Proud Mary by Credence Clearwater Revival. Recorded in 1969 by John Fogerty and company, this song transcended rock and roll and became a symbol of our countrys music around the world.

6. Magic Carpet Ride by Steppenwolf from 1968 ushered in an era of black lights and glow in the dark posters. This Fillmore West favorite band also hit the jackpot with Born to be Wild off the same album.

5. Me and Bobby McGee by Janis Joplin. Drinking Wild Turkey straight from the bottle and doing massive amounts of drugs eventually led to Janis demise, but this southern style rocker is still one of the most challenging female vocal tunes ever to be recorded.

4. Baba ORiley by the Who. Its only teenage wasteland screams Roger Daltrey in this hard driving rock classic, easily one of the top 50 rock songs of our lifetime.

3. Honky Tonk Woman by the Rolling Stones. Written by Keith Richards and Mick Jagger purportedly while they were on vacation in Brazil, this song still makes people dance from the opening cowbell licks to the signature guitar riffs.

2. Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin by 1971. No Playing Stairway to Heaven was the sign at the Guitar Center in the movie Waynes World, but seriously, this song became the ultimate rock anthem. This song invented swaying crowds holding up lighters.

1. Hey Jude by the Beatles recorded in 1968 and released as a single on their Apple label. This is by far the greatest song ever recorded by the greatest band ever assembled (yes, even Ringo).

Useful tips for a toddler birthday party

A toddler birthday party is a milestone in your child's life. While babies won't remember parties you've held for them, toddlers most likely will. When kids are toddler aged, they begin to develop their own interests, and make their own friends. Combining these two things for a toddler birthday party can be fun for both you and for your toddler.

When planning a birthday party for your toddler, consider your child's personality. Some children don't like big crowds or lots of fuss, so make sure that they won't be overwhelmed. If your child is shy, keep the guest list small and the party intimate. If they're outgoing and noisy, you may want to hold it outside or at a park. Some toddlers will get grumpy after a few hours, so keeping the party fairly short is always a good idea. Make sure that parents are able to take their children home whenever they need to. For this reason, try to keep your party central, and fairly unstructured.

A theme is always fun for a toddler birthday party. At this age, you can keep things simple but still fun. A simple color theme can be great fun. You can use one particular color of balloons and streamers, and try to serve food that suits the theme. For a yellow theme, for example, you could serve bananas and yellow lollies, and have a cake that matches, too. Party plates and accessories in different colors and themes are also inexpensive to buy and easy to find.

The cake is always one of the best things at a toddler birthday party. We all have a shameful photo of us covered in chocolate frosting from a novelty birthday cake. The birthday cake is your chance to shine. While it doesn't have to be anything complex, you can have a lot of fun with a toddler birthday cake. You could shape the cake in a number two, for example. Or you could make a cake in the shape of a particular animal or toy that your child is fond of. You could even bake a simple square or circular cake and decorate it with a mix of colorful candy and chocolate sprinkles. Anything goes, but often the brighter it is, the better it is.

When planning a toddler birthday party, food is another thing to keep in mind. Many toddlers are very fussy, and some may have food allergies or specific food requirements. Check with parents if there are any things to avoid, and see if there are any foods that stand out as favorites. Candy and sweets are good fun, but they can rot toddlers' teeth and result in children climbing the walls. Moderate high sugar foods with healthier options such as chopped fruit. Similarly, if you have fairy bread or similarly sugary meals, also provide some low sugar options to ensure that the kids don't run amok on all that sugar.

Make the most of your toddler birthday party with a fun theme and a great cake. And don't forget the all important camera.

Some Easy Tips to Lose Weight Fast

Our countrys fascination with fast food and giant sized, big manly man servings has led directly to the epidemic of childhood and adult obesity that we are hearing about so much on television and radio talk shows. We all secretly believe that we know just how to lose weight and we all give out tips to lose weight fast to our friends or anyone who will listen. The problem is not in the knowledge but in the execution and actual performance of the program. We are just too darned lazy to commit to a real weight loss plan. Most of the fad diets out there are just not realistic if you look at them closely and use common sense. If you drink only beet juice for seven days in a row sure, you will probably lose a few pounds, but you will also be perspiring ruby-colored sweat.

The following are just some casual common sense tips to lose weight fast that you can easily fit into your current lifestyle. It is very important that your weight loss program not disrupt your life too much or else you will fail every time to stick to it.

The most important change that you have to make is the commitment to exercising, even moderately, on a daily basis. One or two days off per week will be alright, but you have to dedicate yourself to working out hard at least four or five days per week otherwise you will not see the results you want. Diet alone will not be enough. It is fairly easy however for just about anyone to walk briskly for thirty minutes per day minimum. Break a sweat and lose weight. Experts say you have to work out for at least forty five minutes each time you do it or else you do not lose weight.

One of my favorite tips to lose weight fast is to work out twice every day, at least four days per week. Working out twice is an incredible fat burner, especially if you are on a diet. But even if you are eating regularly you will lose weight quickly by working out twice a day. Twice a day workouts are not easy but may be preferable to dieting for many folks who just are not ready to stop eating so much. Try this for a week or two and see if it works for you.

Filling up with protein is another great way to stave off that appetite and lose weight. Buy some lean ham or smoked lean turkey breast in slices at your local deli and just munch on those when you get the urge. But just forget the bread for now. No carbs means a lower hypoglycemic index and less storing of unburned fat.

Another one of my favorite tips to lose weight fast is to eat a banana and drink a glass of water before at least two of your scheduled meals each day. You can also substitute an apple for the banana. The fruit and water will fill you up and give you enough sugar to fool your body into thinking you just ate something more filling. Do this for ten days in a row and you will see dramatic results.

These are just some of my tips to lose weight fast. The most important thing is that you get past the first few days. After that it will get a lot easier to stick to your weight loss program because your stomach will shrink and you wont get so hungry.

The Best Thriller Movies and Creative Vision

American cinema has really changed in the last ten years as more and more studios and directors use elaborate and stylized techniques as well as digital effects in their films. The best thriller movies however still have to have some old-fashioned elements in order to be successful including great writing, acting, directing, and editing.

Great writing seems to be something that we take for granted when we go to the see thriller movies but it is also the hardest thing to get right and one of the rarest things in Hollywood movies. Since most Hollywood studio films are written by committee these movies often seem overblown, formulaic and just plain silly. The very best written movies are always written by one person with a unique vision that has hopefully not been tampered with by too many hacks along the way. Under the current Hollywood system a writer has little chance of fulfilling his grand vision. Instead he or she is subjected to script meetings with talentless and arrogant studio executives who proceed to systematically kill any dream the writer happens to have of creating a piece of art.

Art is not essential in the minds of studio executives. Putting people into seats for opening weekend is what matters most. Unfortunately the ultimate result of this type of backward thinking is that you draw for the first week of release based upon hype and advertising then lose audiences with bad word of mouth. Thriller movies cant be made by number crunching but by directors and writers with vision and creative genius.

Martin Scorcese is one present day artist that does not compromise when it comes to originality and creativity. He is one of the lucky few that get to make movies without interference from the powers that be. One of the great movie thrillers was Scorceses remake of Cape Fear starring Robert DeNiro.

Scorceses latest movie is the suspense thriller Shutter Island starring Leonardo DiCaprio and pairing him with Robert DeNiro once again.

Good movie thrillers are like wine and get better with age. Rear Window was one of many Hitchcock masterpieces that viewers can watch over and over again and still enjoy. The Birds and Psycho are more examples of the British directors genius.

Jonathan Demmes 1991 Best Picture winner The Silence of the Lambs still remains to this day one of the best of the best movie thrillers ever made. In 1971 Clint Eastwood made his directing debut with the incredibly scary Play Misty for Me. One year later director John Boorman made his Academy Award winning masterwork Deliverance starring Burt Reynolds and Jon Voight. One of my all-time favorite movie thrillers is John Schleshingers 1976 spy film Marathon Man starring a young Dustin Hoffman.

The United States does not have any particular stranglehold on movie thrillers as was demonstrated in the great 1990 film La Femme Nikita by French director Luc Besson. Stephen Spielberg started his career with one of the simplest and best movie thrillers Duel about a deranged trucker.
One thing all great movie thrillers have in common is the element of surprise and the ability to make audiences squirm and sit on the edge of their seat.

Old Thor Comics in Your Closet Could be Worth Big

Old Thor Comics in Your Closet Could be Worth Big Money

Back in the early 60s, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created a superhero named Thor. Based on the Viking myths of ancient times, Thor was the God of Thunder and the son of Odin. His evil brother Loki was always trying to kill him in the old myths and in the comic books as well.

This was a breakthrough comic for Marvel Comics Group and Stan Lee, the companys founder and leader. Thor rapidly became one of the most popular titles that the company had ever produced. Fans around the world lined up to get the latest issues, which came out once per month.

Thor first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 which was originally published in August of 1962. Odin, Thors all powerful father and leader of all the Norse Gods, puts Thor into the body of Mild-mannered doctor Donald Blake. Blake discovers the mystical hammer Mjolnir in a cave while on vacation in Norway (and subsequently fleeing from a group of aliens) and when he smashes the hammer into the ground he becomes Thor, God of Thunder. Thor goes on to defeat the aliens and save the world, the first in a long line of world saving storylines for the Mighty Thor and his all powerful hammer Mjolnir.

Thor is super powerful and super strong and can even fly with the help of the hammer Mjolnir which Thor holds in front of him while he takes off. Thor comics in general were very well written and you could always identify with this weak doctor who transformed himself into this huge, heavily muscled Viking superbeing. Who wouldnt want to turn into this ultra muscular superhero if they had any say in the matter?

In the old Thor comics, the God of Thunder is constantly being assaulted and imprisoned upon by his own brother, the scheming Loki, who is positively evil and jealously hates the golden haired and much better looking Thor. Loki is always lurking around or trying to murder Thor or one of his pals. Odin looks down on all of this behavior from his throne in Asgard without doing much about it. He is more of an observer and he is not too happy with Thor because Thor refuses to become an immortal forever. In the comics, Asgard is portrayed as this incredible world out in the reaches of outer space. A giant rainbow highway leads you there in case you get lost. Thor would probably have said alright to immortality but he is in love with his beautiful nurse back on good old Earth.

Thor comics in mint condition are incredibly valuable collectibles and depending on the issue and condition can fetch several thousands of dollars per piece. Silver Age Thor comics by Marvel have risen sharply in value in the last few years because of the success of movies such as Spiderman, X-men and the Fantastic Four. The subsequent popularity of characters such as Spiderman, Wolverine, and even the Hulk have led to the rise in prices of these rare, hard to find collectibles. Thor comics have also risen dramatically in price lately due to anticipation over the production and upcoming release of the Avengers movie, which will feature the Thor character prominently.

Personally, I cant wait until the movie comes out!

Navigating the Third Trimester Of Pregnancy

Trying to conceive and hoping for a happy and healthy pregnancy are often what plague women when they want to have a baby and first find out that they are pregnant. That, along with morning sickness and fatigue, may be all that a woman can focus on. Once the first trimester has passed, the mom to be often feels much better, is not so worried about miscarriage, and can then start to feel much better about the pregnancy. She may also think ahead to the challenges that come in the third trimester of pregnancy. It can be a trying time for many women.

The third trimester of pregnancy is the last before baby comes, and can feel like the longest stretch of the pregnancy, especially if the woman goes over 40 weeks. There are quite a few reasons for the feeling of forever during the last three months of any pregnancy. The biggest reason why this women feel this way is because they can not wait to meet the baby and it feels as if the time will not pass fast enough. If she is in any pain or discomfort, she may be in a hurry for that part of the experience to be over as well.

Some women are wildly uncomfortable during the third trimester of pregnancy. This is when the baby gains a lot of weight. When that happens, that weight pulls forward on the spine causing back pain and ache. If a woman has had back problems in the past, this can be downright painful. She may be limited in what she can do. Lying down may be the only thing to alleviate this pain in any pregnant woman, and many find that this is not an option. They may have work or they may have other children to care for.

Some women find swelling to be a huge issue for them later in pregnancy. A little swelling in the third trimester of pregnancy is normal, but a lot of swelling can mean that something is wrong. A woman with moderate to little swelling can put her feet up for some relief and rest as often as she can. A woman with severe swelling should see her doctor right away. It can be a sign of a very serious pregnancy complication that needs medical attention and intervention.

To find some comfort in this part of pregnancy, women can find things to do to help pass the time. She can make sure the nursery is put together, and may go through a nesting phase in which they clean the entire house. She may make blankets or other things if that is her cup of tea, or perhaps she can bake and freeze food and desserts so that she does not have to worry about cooking for the first few weeks after the baby comes. This may not help with some pains and annoyances, but it can take her mind off things and help time pass before the baby arrives and the pains of the third trimester of pregnancy are forgotten.

The pill side effects and what to look for

Many women will go on the pill at some point in their lives. The pill is a hormonal contraceptive that is designed to regulate a woman's menstrual cycle and to prevent either ovulation or conception. The pill has been around for many years, and is generally considered safe for use by most woman who are menstruating. However, as with any medication, there are some side effects that users should be made aware of by their doctors.

If you go on the pill, you'll find that it comes with a leaflet explaining the potential side effects of the pill. However note that medical companies are legally required to provide information about every single potential side effect they know of. Some of these side effects may be extremely rare, and may have only been experienced by a select few. Bear in mind that these side effects may not be due solely to the pill, but to a combination of the pill and other lifestyle factors.

The pill side effects that many women will experience tend to be quite mild. They may include things such as breast swelling, and fluid retention. While some women will notice that their breasts are tender and slightly enlarged after going on the pill, and others that their ankles are slightly puffier, these amounts are usually very minimal in nature. Many women will not even experience these side effects at all.

Some women with a history of epilepsy or migraine may experience side effects from the pill. However, for these women the pill side effects are always explained by their doctor. Doctors will always ask a woman whether she has a history of any sort of neurological disorder. This is because there is a slight risk to women who have previously had these types of symptoms. While there is not necessarily a one to one link between the pill and the aggravation of these symptoms, many doctors will be cautious about prescribing the pill to women with a history of migraine or epilepsy.

Other factors that can result in some of the pill side effects coming to the fore include a woman's health, and her particular lifestyle. If a woman has high blood pressure, a doctor may be wary about prescribing her the pill. This is because the pill has been linked with increased risk of stroke or blood clots in some women with these problems. Similarly, women who are smokers, or who drink heavily should disclose this information to their doctor. Similar risks with blood clotting and stroke are present for women who smoke and drink large amounts of alcohol. While these risks are still small, many medical practitioners may decide not to prescribe the pill to these women.

Reading the information with your pill or searching online will show that the pill side effects are many and varied. However, bear in mind that only a very few women will experience these side effects. Speak to your doctor about going on the pill, and ensure that you disclose as much information about your health and medical history as you can. This will allow you and your doctor to make an informed decision about prescribing the pill, and will help you avoid the pill side effects that concern you.

Things Just Keep Getting Better for the Morning After Pill

Things Just Keep Getting Better for the Morning After Pill

Things are looking up for the morning-after pill. Levonorgestrel, the drug that everyone knows by its commercial name Plan B, has been the mainstay of the morning-after method for quite a while now. The drug is available all over the world, over-the-counter even. But it has always been less than ideal, that the pill can only be of any help if you take it within three days of possible conception after sex. According to the British medical publication, the Lancet, a recent innovation , a drug called Ulipristal Acetate has just gone up for sale in Europe, under the brand name ellaOne, made by HRA Pharma. And it promises to do much better. The researchers followed the cases of more than 1500 women; half of them used the new ellaOne, while the other half used the usual Plan B. The women on ellaOne did one and a half times better. What is more, the women who took the new drug, could get their contraceptive results for two whole extra days longer than Plan B.

The way that this new development in the morning after pill works, it stays just effective for the entire five-day period that it is rated for. Plan B on the other hand, begins to taper off in its effectiveness after the first couple of days. The way the body works, it knows when to start ovulating, by the way it watches the level of the hormone progesterone in the blood. When once a month, the body stops producing this hormone that's the signal it needsto go for it. What the morning after pill Plan B does is, it releases synthetic progesterone in the blood, so that the ovaries gets all mixed up, and put off ovulating. ellaOne works differently. They say that it is more an abortion pill, than a contraceptive, even if it does seem to be pushing it a bit to call a 5-day start a pregnancy. One area in which ellaOne doesn't offer an improvement is in the incidental-effects department. Women who take it, complain of headaches, just as often as women who take Plan B. But the new drug might not really take the world by storm like Plan B has. To begin with, ellaOne is three times as expensive as Plan B. And then, there is the hassle that women need to accept, getting a prescription for the drug each time they need it. It doesn't sell over-the-counter like Plan B. People generally tend to stick with what they can get their hands on easily, even if it isn't as good.

If the pro-choice advocates are happy with ellaOne, they are ecstatic over the new Pentagon policy that every US military base around the world needs to be fully stocked up with the morning after pill. The pro-choice wing had to really fight hard to get Plan B approved for sale over-the-counter four years ago. And now, here is free access to the drug at all military bases. As surprising as it is, it would appear that women's rights groups are getting heard much more than some strident conservative voices.

The Melbourne Age newspaper: an overview

The Melbourne Age is a long running newspaper based in Melbourne, Australia. It has been running since 1855, and was founded by three Melburnian businessmen. It is a broadsheet newspaper, meaning that is much larger than the usual tabloid style newspapers such as the Herald Sun. The Melbourne Age, or as it is more commonly known, The Age, is now owned by Fairfax.

The Age was not initially a successful newspaper. After only one year of publication, it was sold off quite early on in its life. At that point it was explicitly a liberal newspaper, and stated in no uncertain terms that it was to be considered this way. With this view, and with its influential owners, The Age had a large influence on politics in the 1850s and the following years.

However, The Melbourne Age began to lose ground to other more tabloid style newspapers. Many considered it to be outdated in appearance and content. These other more populist newspapers began to dominate the field of journalism in Melbourne and the state of Victoria. It wasn't until the demise of rival newspaper Argus that The Age began to return to a stronger position.

In 1966, Fairfax bought a section of The Age shares, and in 1983 bought out the rest of the business. It remains owned by Fairfax to this day. Fairfax also owns another major newspaper, The Sydney Morning Herald, published in Sydney and New South Wales. However, it was argued at the time that the two were natural competitors, and the large resources of Fairfax were able to be drawn upon to keep the newspaper in business and developing.

There are two different editions of the daily newspaper the are printed. One is aimed at metropolitan Melbourne readers, while the other is aimed at rural and regional readers. The different versions have different emphasis on certain types of content. There are also special weekend editions that contain a number of lift outs and magazines. A variety of special lift outs can also be found within the weekly edition. These include the well known Green Guide, which is a green colored television guide that also includes in depth reviews of films and television shows.

The Melbourne Age is commonly considered as a fairly liberal newspaper in terms of its politics. However, The Age now syndicates much of its material from news sources such as Reuters, meaning that it does not publish as much material that is slanted in a particular way. There are a number of high quality and well regarded journalists who contribute to the newspaper. However, there exist concerns about how well The Age will continue to perform with new online competition. The online version of The Age is considerably more populist in style and content than the print version, perhaps to woo readers of the net generation. For example, it contains many videos and pictorials, and offers a lot of commentary in the format of blogs. Readers are encouraged to comment on and repurpose information. This is quite different from the more sober style of the print Age, which is much more formal in tone and presentation.

The Best Way to Lose Weight in Two Weeks

If you want quick weight loss but dont want to ruin your health in the process you have to be very careful and of course, get your doctors approval first. But there are certain tips and tricks that can help you to lose weight quickly without using over the counter supplements or prescription drugs. These tips are the best way to lose weight and can help you trim down in as little as fourteen days.

Tip Number One: Eat lots of grilled chicken breast. You can buy skinless, boneless chicken breast at Costco in bulk and save lots of money. Cooking tip: cut the breasts in half lengthwise so they are half as thick. Put them in a big plastic baggie and pour in your favorite low fat Italian dressing for a quick, healthy marinade. Make sure to always barbecue it on your outdoor grill for the best taste with the least amount of calories.

Tip Number Two: Drink lots of water or diet cokes. A lot of people will argue with me but this is the best way to lose weight quick that I know of. Diet Coke or Pepsi has zero calories and they fill you up. Basically they are colored water and perform the same function as water, which is to fill you up so you dont eat unhealthy foods. You need to fool your stomach and stay as full as possible in order not to cheat.

Tip Number Three: Do thirty to sixty minutes of exercise per day at least four days a week. This is very important because your body will break down muscle tissue to build leaner tissue, and getting rid of the stored fat. The truth is that most people cannot lose weight by exercise or diet alone. You need to do both in combination in order to have serious and effective long-term weight loss.

Tip Number Four: Dont eat anything after 7p.m. This is probably the best way to lose weight quickly. You will find that it is difficult at first not to have that late night snack but your hunger will dissipate in three days because your stomach will shrink. Sticking with it for 3 days in a row is the key. The problem is that when you eat at night all of that food just gets stored as fat because you cannot burn it off.

Tip Number Five: Rebound from lapses. Know before you even begin this or any other weight loss program that you are bound to go off it one day. That is alright. The key is to rebound from any lapses immediately and jump back on the program the very next day. Once again you need to continue with the program for 3 straight days after the lapse. Eventually you will be able to do 3 straight days, then 1 day off, 3 straight days, then 1 day off, over and over again. This is the best way to lose weight and keep it off. If you can master the 3 day rule you will never be fat again and for two days a week you will be able to eat whatever you want.

The Best Thai Restaurant in the U.S.

When it comes to getting great Thai food, San Francisco and Los Angeles definitely have a leg up on the rest of the country. There are some seriously great Thai restaurants on the West Coast and I dont know if it is because there is a large Thai population here or because the competition among ethnic restaurants is so tough. Whatever the reason, West Coast diners are in luck when they have a craving for Thai or Vietnamese cuisine.

Another type of ethnic restaurant that you see a lot of in San Francisco are Vietnamese establishments. These diners are usually small and modest compared to the gigantic Chinese restaurants around town like Flower Lounge in San Bruno (near San Francisco) which used to have great food. Unfortunately some of these bigger restaurants lose the high quality of their preparation when they expand and become so large. The kitchens just cant handle the sheer volume of food that is coming out.

One of the best Vietnamese places is Pho Saigon located once again in Daly City near Westborough Avenue. They have very modest prices and their Pho soup is really fantastic and comes to the table very hot. Not all restaurants serve their soup hot and that is not acceptable to real soup lovers.

Which Thai place is actually the best Thai restaurant will be open to arguments back and forth, depending on where you live. I occasionally get out to Antioch which is about forty five minutes East of San Francisco. There is a small Vietnamese restaurant there call Da Nang that also serves Thai cuisine and is very good.

The best Thai restaurant in the city of Los Angeles is Thai Thani (like Titanic) in the beach suburb of Redondo Beach. This is a very pretty place and mid-sized. The menu is expansive and you can get all of your Thai favorites including lemon soup and Pad Thai noodles. You need to try their Thai iced tea which is very good. Their best dish is the stuffed crab item called Dearest Crab. This dish is really terrific and will have you coming back for more.

The best Thai restaurant in San Francisco is actually a chain called King of Thai Noodles and I have tried all of them. The best one in the group is the one located on Taraval Street out in the Sunset District. They have an open kitchen and the food comes out in just a few short minutes piping hot to your table. Everything is great there but you have to try one of the ten types of noodle soups they have. I always order the number five which is a huge noodle soup with fish cakes, fish balls, ground pork, cilantro, and chicken slices. Sounds like a lot but the flavors blend smoothly. Make sure and try their appetizers such as the spring rolls or their deep fried rolls. They also have these great little chicken or beef skewers that come with a peanut sauce for dipping. Their fried rice with Chinese Sausage is absolutely the best fried rice anywhere including Chinese restaurants. After dinner, if you still have room in your tummy, you should try the mango slices and sweet sticky rice dish.

Easy Thai food recipes to try at home

Thai food is one of those enduring popular types of cuisines. Most people find it appealing due to its simple, refreshing tastes. They also like the variety that it offers in terms of the different meats, spices, and flavors. And unlike some other types of cuisines, it is not particularly confronting, meaning that regardless who you cook for, a Thai meal is bound to impress. Some particularly popular Thai food recipes include pad Thai, tom yum chicken, green and red curries, and satay skewers.

A pad thai is one of those Thai food recipes that is easy to recreate at home. It's basically a noodle stir fry with some different meats, eggs, and flavors mixed in. It has quite a sweet taste, which you can counter by adding some lemon or lime, or a savory garnish. Pad Thai noodles and sauces can be found in most supermarkets, but if you wish to make your own, you'll need a mix of tamarind, brown sugar, fish sauce, and chilli sauce. These can be mixed in after you've fried up the meat. While you're frying these ingredients, soak some rice noodles until soft, and then stir them in with the rest of the ingredients.

Another of the most popular Thai food recipes is a tom yum soup. This is probably one of the best known Thai dishes. The soup is chicken stock based, with some lemon grass to add flavor. Other spices include garlic, chillies, and fish sauce. You'll also need some coconut soup, some prawns, and some chicken to add to the mix. This recipe is loved by everyone, and you'll find that you can't go wrong.

Thai curries are another popular set of Thai food recipes. These curries are often thick and creamy, with a coconut base. They can involve a variety of different sorts of meat, including chicken, beef, or seafood. The curry is usually served in a bowl with rice added, or as a plain dish. This can vary depending on the thickness of the curry. Bear in mind that these sauces can be quite spicy depending on how you make them, so you might want to have some steamed rice ready if it's needed.

Satay skewers are a well known and popular choice from the variety of Thai food recipes out there. These are quite simple, and make an excellent side dish or entree. Thread some marinated meat of your choice on to a skewer, and then pan fry them until they're tender. You'll also need to make up a satay sauce to accompany them. This sauce is a peanut based sauce, and is thick and sweet in taste. It's very nutty in texture, too. However, bear in mind that those with peanut allergies should be warned before serving this dish.

These are only a few of the Thai food recipes that you can choose from. There are many other different types of stir fries, curries, and vegetable dishes. There are also many vegetarian options available for those who don't eat meat. Bear in mind, however, that most sauces do contain fish or shrimp paste, so check this before feeding these meals to your vegetarian friends.

Botox - The New Terrorism Protection Focus?

Ever since the Nigerian Taliban terrorist tried to blow up his underpants on a packed post-Christmas flight from Europe to Detroit, there have been reports of special full body X-ray scanners they have rolled out at all the major airports across the country. These scanners are actually very intrusive - the scanning expert uses the X-ray to look right past your clothes, at every body cavity, as if you were standing before him unclothed - women, children, old people, the whole lot. There is a reason they are doing this, and a reason why privacy advocates are letting it happen. It has emerged that body cavities and the crotch are the favorite places for suicide bombers to hide their payloads in these days. That's why the Detroit bomber tried to set off his underwear. But is this all we have to fear? What if the terrorists were to get more creative? How much worse could it get? If anyone had suggested that people could hijack aircraft and blow themselves up just to make their point, they would have been laughed at before 2001. Are there any other possible paths for the terrorists to take, that could give them a chance at martyrdom? And how would the terrorism protection agencies deal with them?

There is a particularly striking plan of action that is doing the rounds these days: Botox attacks. Actually, it is botulinum the threat lies in, not Botox per se. Botox, the cosmetic doctor's mainstay, is a very diluted form of the most potent poison known to man, botulinum. A gram of the substance, mixed in with, say, the town's milk supply, could kill anywhere up to 100,000 people. Only bacteria, the kind involved in food poisoning, make this substance, and it isn't easy for just anyone to get started making this. But Botox happens to be a very profitable line of business; and they suspect that terrorists could be setting up Botox factories, just to be able to come into your supply, would they need some further deed. Terrorism protection plans that governments usually have, can have a little way of protecting against this - legitimate factories and businesses in foreign countries making Botox.

Another plan involves using pestilence. Ancient warriors used to collect beehives to be able to lob at their enemy armies. The Department of Defense has tried entomological warfare too, though with severely limited results. Terrorists today have really not let go of that hope yet; they still want to breed disease-carrying bugs at low costs, to release in our cities. But how much can a lone terrorist bring here in a suitcase? All the tourism protection you would need then, would be a can of bug spray. But there is one truly serious possibility that they have uncovered. And this would be difficult to protect against. There are hundreds of paragliding kits being purchased in the Islamic countries these days; a paraglider is essentially a parachute that is powered by a tiny propeller. You don't even need any training or licensing for it. The fear is that the terrorists could take to the skies, and drop bombs right in the middle of our cities. Of all the bizarre threats that have been doing the rounds these days, this is the only one that truly makes some sense.

But not every terrorist threat is this ambitious, or serious. Ever heard of World of Warcraft? If you have an adolescent child living at home, how could you have missed it? A couple of years ago, the US Department of Defense, in a Pentagon report, brought up a scenario where terrorists could actually use the detailed war environments presented in these games, to help train their own religious soldiers. They could even go online, for extra practice pitting people against people around the world. Or how about the way an Islamic terrorist organization tried to make a nuclear weapon using smoke detectors in 2004? Smoke detectors use microscopic quantities of Americium- 241, a radioactive material, for their function. Their plan was to buy thousands of these, and blow them up, so that everyone in the area would be radiation-poisoned. The authorities were aware of such a distant possibility, and were onto them for buying large quantities of smoke detectors, and shut them down before they even got started. But seriously, smoke detectors, once they're used up, land at garbage sites and landfills everywhere. There must be millions of them in the garbage heaps that lie outside every city. And no one ever said they would do anything.

They sure work hard to find ways to make a nuisance of themselves; there used to be that segment on the Tonight Show about dimwitted wannabe robbers who would get caught for one silly reason or another. Perhaps the terrorists are really no better.

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