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Saturday, September 24, 2011

Over the Holidays, Give Yourself the Gift of Sleep

During this busy holiday season, as you nestle snug in your bed, forget the presents yet to be wrapped and settle your brain for a long winter's nap.

Sleep specialists say the best gift you can give yourself this year is the gift of sleep. According to a study published in the September 2005 issue of the journal Sleep, the average sleep duration among U.S. adults is only 6.9 hours per night, and 39 percent get less than the 7 to 9 hours recommended by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM).

Add to that the extra demands of the holiday season - shopping for gifts after work, party preparation, waiting until the kids are asleep to wrap the gifts -and it's easy to see why many people are more sleep-deprived than ever this time of year.

"We see more people in sleep centers after the holidays because the hectic season took a toll on their sleep," said Dr. Donna Arand, sleep specialist for the AASM. "You also will not enjoy the holidays as much if you are getting up early, going to bed late and are stressed out. You can't be your best holiday self if you are fighting sleep deprivation."

The AASM offers these suggestions for better sleep during the holiday season:

* Take time to relax. Even if you have a lot to do, allow yourself to stop at a certain point in the evening. Giving your brain time to wind down before bed will help you sleep better.

* Keep your sleep pattern on schedule. Maintain a regular bedtime and wake-up time. Other regular rituals, such as a warm bath, a light snack or a few minutes of reading, also may help.

* Plan ahead for holiday chores. Set aside time earlier in the day to wrap gifts, decorate the house, plan your holiday menu and similar tasks. To stay on track, write these "appointments" in your daily planner.

* Love eggnog? Avoid too much alcoholic eggnog or coffee at evening holiday parties. Alcohol and caffeine can inhibit your normal sleep pattern.

Get Started With Wells Fargo Online Banking Today!

Wells Fargo online banking offers many of the features you would expect a bank to offer. In addition to the ability to view your bank accounts, pay your bills, and keep up-to-date with your loan payments, Wells Fargo online banking offers customers something even more important: convenience.

That's because when you choose to go the Wells Fargo online banking route, you no longer have to spend your lunch hour doing your banking. You can sit right at your desk or anywhere you have Internet access and find out everything you need to know about your money. And you can find it out regardless of the hour or the time zone you're in.

Need to make a mortgage payment but don't have your coupon book? No problem. Away on vacation and had a little too much fun and now you need to transfer some money from your savings account over to your checking account? That's no problem either! Want to calculate loan payments or trade stocks and bonds? Once again, when you're set up with Wells Fargo online banking, you can do almost anything you would normally do in person. You can even order new checks and get stock quotes. In addition to consumer and business finances, Wells Fargo also provides investments and insurance.

Running a business is hard, but your business banking doesn't have to be. If you have your business banking set up with Wells Fargo, you'll be happy to know that the same activities and monitoring capabilities are available for business customers.

If you haven't already signed up, you're missing out on an incredible opportunity. Anyone who has an account can start taking advantage of the many Wells Fargo online banking features right now. There's no cost to enroll in this program and you need not worry about security either. The Wells Fargo online banking site is secure and you can confirm this by looking for the yellow security padlock on the bottom of the screen.

Translation Companies: Getting The Best Out Of Your Translators

Global trade has necessitated translation to and from many languages of the globe. An intricate process, owning to variations in syntax and construction rules in world languages, translation entails a careful selection of translator and reviewer services.

Since you cant review the quality of a translated document, you can make sure that:

1. The document you are giving for translation is of the best level possible.

2. The team you are paying meets your top notch requirements.

Before handing off:

1. Initiate the spell check and grammar check: An obvious but a completely necessary step. Remember, if your document is error free, there will be fewer translation errors to deal with!

2. Keep a copy of the document with you: This might seem like a superflous suggestion but an excessively enormous number of people forget to do so!

3. In your document: Keep the sentences short and clear and avoid using abbreviations (Say can not instead of cant).

Deciding on the translator:

1. Inexpensive is not best. Your neighbors kid who took a French paper last year might be able to flaunt his French connection but translation is a professional calling. Paying less might turn out to be very costly for you.

2. Choose a service provider who has a large number of years of experience in translating into the language you are seeking.

3. The translator should be a native user of the language and must be conversant with the culture and minutiae of the language he/she is attempting to translate from.

4. The translator should also be able to understand the finer nuances of the language he/she is translating from.

5. Choose a translation company that offers to take the complete project - from translation to editing, proofreading and even desktop publishing.

After handing over

Handing over the document doesnt ensure great translation. Your inputs will be important even after handing over. Time invested here will extract advantages in terms of error free documents of great quality.

1. Make sure you have a detailed discussion about your project with the service provider to explain your requirements and to understand his/her concerns.

2. Be accessible to answer concerns and questions whenever the translator requires you.

Some more things

1. Never press the translator to do a sloppy job. Think through your project well and build in time for assessments and translations properly.

2. Select a good reviewer with the help of your translator.

3. Dont submit a half finished document. Translating corrections and additions can be pricey and may introduce errors.

4. Never try to piece together bits of translated material yourself.

Ensuring the quality of translated documents is as much your responsibility as that of your translator. You can ensure quality by also insisting proofreading and making sure that the numbers, dates and figures are error-free.

You also need to share supporting documents like references and glossaries with your translator to enable him/her to do a better job. Most of all, you must set realistic turn around time for your translators.

Never get lost in translation again! Visit our site for quality translation companies and slang software!

Construction Projects and Gas Prices: Plan your budget accordingly

If you have a construction project planned, you may want to adjust your projections to include the impact that will be felt from rising gasoline prices. As the price of motor fuel goes up, so does the price of goods and services that have to be transported to your job site, and that translates into higher prices for construction.

Almost everything related to building projects runs on gasoline. If it costs more this year to fly business passengers across the country in jets that run on gasoline, that also means it will cost more for you to have your construction workers drive back and forth to the construction site each day. Next time you pass one of these gigantic dual-wheel extended cab pickup trucks with the tool box mounted on the back, consider how many construction workers drive commute to and from building sites in those big gas guzzlers. Those workers have to pay for their gas, and if they are getting hit hard in the wallet, they will have no other reasonable option than to pass the higher cost along to you, in the form of higher hourly wages. But not only labor costs more when gas prices spike. In fact, relative to the cost of raw construction materials, labor costs are affected very little. The real impact on your budget will be felt when you go to the lumberyard or home improvement store to buy supplies.

Many of the supplies used to build homes have to be shipped all the way across the country. And many of those supplies are made in factories or manufacturing plants that operate heavy machinery using – you guessed it – gas and oil. So if you are ordering, for example, power tools or generators that run on gasoline, and those are made in a plant that uses gas to fuel its machinery and then ships the heavy tools to you by truck, you are paying for gasoline several times over. It begins to add up a penny and a dime at a time, and can soon send you over your budget. Truckloads of concrete blocks, sheet rock, lumber, and fencing – whatever materials you need to build your house, they are probably coming to you thanks to gasoline-powered transportation. And they may have built-in gas costs even before they are loaded on the truck.

If you have construction plans, don't' wait for prices to stabilize. You are better off breaking ground now, while the potential spike in cost per square foot is still a topic of armchair speculation. By the time gasoline hits four dollars a gallon, it will be too late to reconsider your options. But plan ahead, and add another 25-30 percent to your overall budget, to make sure that you leave yourself a comfortable margin of error, in case the costs you listed suddenly go higher. And try to lock in contract agreements for prices of labor and materials now, so that they can't fluctuate with the price swings that might happen between now and your completion date. That way, if gas prices stabilize, you will be way ahead of the game and might end up with some surplus capital to invest in upgrades or other amenities you didn't think you could afford.


All about mortgage loan!!!

As the number of people undertaking loans to meet their personal expenses has risen significantly, a lot of people are undertaking mortgages in order to secure the loans. Mortgage can be best defined as the method of making use of personal property and giving it out as security in lieu of the payment of the debt undertaken by an individual.

Mortgage is a term which has its origins from the French word, lit pledge which hints at a legal component used for procurement of a loan. Mortgages are generally given out on personal property, such as home. Most of the loans secured through the mode of mortgages are secured by mortgaging the real estate property i.e. the home of an individual.

In some other cases, where the loan is to be procured for extremely professional purposes, lending companies even accept other personal properties, such as car, land or even ships to be mortgaged.

Mortgage loans are undertaken by the masses mostly when they want to make a new investment in the sphere of real estate, property and land.
Before giving out any part of the personal property on mortgage, it is advisable for an individual to be well-versed with all the intricacies and legal formalities which are involved in the process of securing loans through mortgage.

There are several types of mortgages available which can be undertaken by a person to secure his much-needed loan. One of the kinds of mortgage which can be undertaken by a person is mortgage by legal charge. In this situation, a person can mortgage his personal property in lieu of a loan, while retaining the authority to be the legal owner of his mortgaged private possessions. However, this also allows the creditor (financial institution) to access the right to exercise the power of their security and sell/lease the house, if the debtor fails to repay the loan in pre-determined time.

A financial institution or the lending company which gives out the loan to an individual generally resists taking chances and gets the financial deal registered in public records so as to remain on the safer side. Also, the lending institutes insist that the property proposed by the debtor is not already given out for some other form of loan and is free from all legal hassles.

There are two types of documents included in the mortgage loan. These include mortgage deed and deed of trust. The deed of trust can be described as a legal deed by the borrower to a trustee which is given out at the time of securing the loan. The deed of trust follows no standard and varies from deal to deal. Most of the mortgages are referred as legal deed of trusts officially.

The other way of mortgage is mortgage by demise. In this scenario, the creditor i.e. the lender company becomes the official owner of the property, in case the debtor dies within the repayment period i.e. if the debtor dies before being able to repay the entire loan, the lender company becomes legally entitled to sell the land to recover its costs.



How Home Emergency Cover Can Assist The Needs Of The Over 60s

Imagine that it is Sunday night and you are watching your favourite television show before you go off to bed for the night. The next thing you know your hot water boiler bursts and floods your home. Who are you going to call at such a late hour on a Sunday night? With a home emergency insurance policy in place, all you need to be doing is picking up the phone and calling your insurance company.

Although it would be fair to say that a number of the benefits of a home emergency insurance policy can be found elsewhere, such as in your home buildings insurance policy, with a home buildings insurance policy there may not necessarily be a guaranteed responses time. As such, your Sunday night accident may have to wait to Monday morning to have someone come and fix it. However, with a home emergency insurance policy, the response time should be immediate, to meet the needs of your emergency.

Benefits of a home emergency insurance over include:

- 24-hour call out for a locksmith in case you lose your house keys
- repair man to come and check that you do not have a gas leak
- water repairs if you have a burst boiler, pipe, drain
- roofer, should you have any problems with your roof; such as loose, dangerous titles or a leak
- someone to come and fix your toilets if they should block
- a repairman to come and fix any window panes that may be broken

Indeed, the level of emergency service can be arranged to fit the needs of the person arranging the insurance. As such, this type of insurance is specially beneficial to the aged during the cold winter months in the UK when a number of unforeseen events can occur and when they are ill-equipped to handle the problem.

Two factors you will need to keep in mind with home emergency insurance however:

- firstly, there shouldn't be any excess payment, otherwise this negates part of the reason for having the insurance;

- second, because there is no excess payment, the insurance company will try to cap their maximum liability under the insurance (in most case to between £500 and £750). Here, you need to ensure that the cost of calling the local emergency repair man and for the materials he needs to complete the job will not significantly impact on this threshold limit.

Water and Your Health

Here's a question you've heard many times before:

How many glasses of water do you drink each day?

Two, three, four... more? You've heard it so often because it's a very important question, prompting you to think about the amount of water you consume, urging you to drink more...

Get the basics right, like eating a balanced diet, regular moderate exercise, rest and relaxation, fun and laughter, and life can be free of illness and poor health. Water consumption is one of these essential basics. If you want long-term good health, read on, we're going to give you all the evidence you need to encourage you to drink water, as recommended by the experts: 6-8 large glasses a day!

Why you need a fresh daily supply

At any one time, between 55 and 75% of your body weight is water. Your body's need for water is second only to it's need for oxygen! Take a look at why you need so much of this life-giving liquid:

It assists the digestion, absorption and elimination of the food you eat

It assists the excretion of waste from your bowel and kidneys

It regulates your body temperature 24/7

It lubricates your joints and membranes

Blood is your body's transport system, constantly distributing nutrients around the body

Your blood is made up of approximately 92% water

Body secretions and digestive juices are almost entirely water (your digestive system produces approximately 1.7 litres of saliva each day)

Because of these many important tasks, in normal conditions your body needs between 1 and a half to 2 litres of water daily, in order to function optimally. This daily amount is also affected by your size, diet, how active your lifestyle is and even the weather conditions! The list below shows how your body loses water:

Through exhaling, perspiring and elimination (urine, faeces) your body lose 1.7 litres daily

In hot weather, perspiration increases so more water is needed to help regulate body temperature and keep you feeling cool

During cold weather, additional moisture is lost through breathing

For each hour of physical activity, you need and extra 1-3 glasses of water

Central heating has a drying effect, so you need to drink more, or turn down the heat

DID YOU KNOW?

Water is a natural appetite suppressant. Lack of water can lead to over eating, this is because your brain doesn't differentiate between hunger and thirst, so when you think you are feeling hungry, chances are, your body really needs water, so drink a large glass of water before you eat. In most cases, you will probably find this will satisfy what you thought were hunger pains.

Are you Dehydrated?

You can probably appreciate by now that many, many people are walking around in a constant state of dehydration! So is your body gasping for water? How would you know? You can check for yourself below - we've started with the most common symptoms, right through to the more severe symptoms:

Headaches A major function of water is to flush toxins from the body. Your brain is 75% water, so even being slightly dehydrated can cause headaches.

Poor Concentration/Fatigue If your body is overloaded with toxins and not enough water to flush them out, you will feel less energetic while your body struggles with the toxins.

Constipation Water speeds the process of elimination adding bulk to the stool, so drinking adequate fluid assist the flow and regularity.


Reduced urine Output/Dark Urine The kidneys filter waste products out of the blood. Amazingly, approximately 180 litres of water is recycled by the kidneys daily! This process relies on an adequate fresh supply, without it, output of urine is reduced, waste products become more concentrated, resulting in darker urine.

Furry tongue/bad breath If not enough fluid is passing through the mouth to wash away food particles, bacteria builds up in the throat and mouth, and on the tongue as a white film of fur.

Dry Mouth Saliva lubricates the mouth, dehydration reduces the amount available.

In More Severe Dehydration

Muscle Cramps This happens when not enough oxygen is getting to the muscles via the blood stream because of insufficient water in the body.

Skin If there is not enough water to feed the skin, it loses elasticity. Test by pulling the skin on the back of your hand, it should snap back instantly.

Eyes Sunken eyes and dark skin around/under the eyes are a sign of severe dehydration.

Get Into a Life-Long Water Habit

Your aim is to drink water consistently throughout the day. Avoid drinking too much water at once, or too fast, because it will pass through you with little benefit to your body. For the first few days you may experience more frequent trips to the toilet, this is because your body isn't used to being so well hydrated and needs time to adjust. You should also begin to notice a reduction in weight and centimetres, as your body's water stores become redundant and gradually release their cargo!

TIP If you don't have a water cooler/dispenser at work, take a two litre bottle with you each day - it will also help you monitor your water intake.

Water is your body's life force, without it, you would literally dry up!

WATER RETENTION

Don't overlook water retention... The less water you drink, the more the body will try to store water for later use. This will result in water retention as the body cells swell with their precious water stores, giving the appearance of 'extra weight'

TAKE ACTION NOW

Choose your Source Wisely

Some fluids work against hydration

COFFEE - TEA

Coffee and traditional teas contain caffeine, which produces increased urine output and is therefore a dehydrating agent. The more you drink, the quicker water will pass through your body.

DIET DRINKS

Diet drinks contain artificial sweeteners in place of sugar. These sweeteners send confusing messages to the brain that food (energy) is on the way to the stomach, but because sweeteners contain no calories, no energy arrives, so the brain sends out hunger messages until food finally arrives. People who drink diet sodas on a regular basis therefore tend to eat to much.

FRUIT JUICES

We generally think of fruit juices as being good for us, but in reality, they are sugar water. fruit is always far healthier when eaten in it's whole, fibre and nutrient-rich form. if you do drink fruit juice, dilute 50/50 with water to reduce the sugar content. Beware of fruit cordials/squashes, which are usually sugar-saturated or contain artificial sweeteners - check the labels.

It May Not Be Too Late To Avoid Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy used to be seen as the absolute final straw if you were in financial difficulty. People would do everything in their power to avoid having to go down this route for many reasons – the fact it is a long, difficult and upsetting process for one and the social implications brought about by being declared bankrupt for two.

As credit is made available to more people in more ways and by more lenders, the amount of UK debt is increasing to a staggeringly frightening amount. For the less intelligent borrower, bankruptcy may be seen as the easy option. Your debt is written off without you needing to pay it. However, it does require you to surrender all of you assets which are distributed amongst all of the people you owe. Although it may not add up to the amount outstanding, and so financially you could see yourself as better off, it has real implications for your future.

Up to ten years after you have filed for bankruptcy you can be refused credit. Although you may feel as though you will never want credit again as it is what got you into trouble in the first place, you could change your opinion on this. Credit is required to buy a whole host of household items such as furniture and appliances, to buy a car or even to buy a home. You may be immediately prevented form doing any of these because of your bankruptcy history.

If you are considering filing for bankruptcy I strongly urge you to consider all of the other available options first. Many companies now advertise on television who offer loans against the value of your home and in some cases will lend you up to £100,000. This may give you the opportunity to consolidate some of your debt and reduce the amount of monthly payments you have to make. In addition to this it will provide a set interest rate, which is considerably lower than that of some credit and store cards, for all of the debt and so reducing the amount you have to pay.

Home Loan Refinance Mortgage Rate

Home refinance in other terms can be called refunding on the same property. Home loan refinances are taken up usually to repay the first home loan and continue the second loan with a favorable rate of interest. A home loan refinance always lowers down the interest rate from the prevalent interest rates. This profitable home loan refinance rate can be the biggest reason to refinance your home loan. There also can be various other different requirements for taking up a second loan or a refinance.

Reasons to obtain a Home Loan Refinance

You may like to change the tenure period of the first loan. You may even obtain a home loan refinance rate to shorten the duration of the repayment schedule. A quicker repayment helps to unburden the borrower from the loans. Shorter loan tenure may raise the interest rate a little bit. But paying the loan quickly will invariably save a lot of money.

Home loan refinance rate, which is bargained hard to get at the desirable rate, is the most important factor for a borrower. Some borrowers would often obtain a home loan refinance rate to change the variable rates of interest to a fixed one. With the refinance loan on the same property you can easily avail a fixed rate of interest. A Fixed rate of interest always remains unchanged throughout the period of the repayment of the loan. It does not get affected by the unstable market of the loan industry.

Procedures to obtain the Best Home Loan Refinance Rate

The Internet nowadays has made it quite easy and hassle free to search and apply for a home loan refinance. One can search the web to know the loan market. He can compare and judge the best loan package offered by the various lending companies and the banks. <

To know one's eligibility one can fill in a loan application form with his personal details. The form will ask for the financial details of the borrower. It will need bank statements, credit statements, income proof and other related financial details to judge the eligibility of the customer. After submitting the form online the borrower has to wait for the detailed verification of his credit scores. A thorough checking of all the credit details will ensure the borrower of a grant of home loan refinance. If the credit records are extremely bad the lenders or the banks may also reject the loan application. In this case you may try other lenders to secure the loan.

Advantages of a Good Home Loan Refinance Rate

If the rate available for a home loan refinance is very low then it can prove to be a good deal saving of money. The home loan refinance rate is bargained between the lender and the borrower to make it as low as possible. The lowest rate will proportionately delineate all the extra costs of repayments and save a lot of money in the process. The home loan refinance rates are to be compared between the various websites offering different quotes, rates and terms. A reasonable comparison and a good bargain will help to resolve the financial problems of the borrowers.

Questions about Online Surveys

Surveys have been around for as long as I can remember. It is most common in political polls, government, health, social science and marketing research. Surveys are used mainly to collect information about items in a population. Depending on its purpose, surveys focus on opinions or factual information.

At present, there are several ways of administering surveys, most common of which is through the telephone due to its higher response rate. Other ways include the mail, personal in-home survey (respondents are interviewed right at their front door), personal mall intercept survey (respondents are intercepted at the malls and are interviewed on the spot), and recently, online surveys.

Before the year 2000, lots of people were responding to online surveys. As we all know, corporations and organizations benefit more from online surveys than any other survey method since it is inexpensive, gives fast results, data sets can be retrieved real time and data can be easily manipulated and reporting is also automated. Statistics show the response rate around 90% those times. At present, however, the response rate is rapidly dropping and is recorded at around 2% to 30%. To remedy this situation, several market research companies have already launched online paid surveys.

I know you probably have heard of these online paid survey sites from online advertisements. Before you tag it off as another internet scam, make sure you get all the information you need, for all you know; you're already disregarding an opportunity of a lifetime. <

Perhaps the biggest question you have in mind right now is: Are they for real? The answer to that is yes. A lot of corporations actually pay people to answer their surveys. Why are companies paying people to take surveys? Well for one, legitimate companies need to know more about the product or the services that they offer. In order to make improvements, they need to know the opinions of their consumers and since most consumers are actually in the working class or are studying, these companies give incentives to those who are will respond to their survey. This way, the response rate goes up, the respondent gets compensated and the company now has the information to develop its product even more.

Now before you go off day dreaming to a Caribbean holiday, there are several things you will need to know. Just like anything on the internet, you need to make sure you are dealing with a legitimate business. How do you know it's not just a scam? Well, when you sign up for an online paid survey, the company should not be asking for upfront payment. The idea is that they pay you for the information and opinion you give, not the other way around. Are you planning to quit your office work and take online surveys fulltime? Well, this might not be a good idea. A legitimate market research firm usually sends out a very few invitations per month since each respondent is screened according to their qualifications and if they fit the needs of the company.

The Benefits Of Multiple Sources Of Income

Inflation and economic trends require families to have two incomes just to stay even with their expenses. It may be that, in the future, even two incomes will not be sufficient. It is a good idea to be prepared for bad economic times rather than to simply hope for the best and suffer if the best does not come. Families should have multiple sources of income to guard against an insecure future. It is very important to have a source of extra income.

Wealthy people have always known that it is important to have more than one source of income. If one of their income sources fails for some reason, they always had fallback sources to carry them through. People with ordinary, average incomes generally face problems if they lose just one source of income. The loss will have a dramatic impact on their lives, and it could take years before things return to normal for them. Physical and emotional health can also suffer as a result of financial uncertainty and stress.

Having more than once source of income, or extra income, offers a safety net. If one income source disappears, the others will still be there to lessen the blow. Having extra income gives individuals time to reorganize and consider their options. Everyone alive today can appreciate the benefits of having an extra income.

There are two types of extra incomes. Linear income is extra income that is earned on an hourly, weekly, or monthly basis. No future commitment from either the worker or the employer is associated with this kind of income. Residual income is income that results from working hard one time and reaping the benefits of this work for many years into the future. A single effort is rewarded repeatedly.

Individuals receive linear income through a job or profession. They earn only for the time that they actually work on a daily basis. Some people earn a higher linear income than others. Smart people typically attempt to move away from linear income to residual income by obtaining extra income that will secure their future retirement. Individuals should begin by focusing on one residual extra income effort per year.

The Internet provides many options for extra income, but individuals must be careful when making a choice. There are many scams and get-rich-quick schemes online that are not legitimate residual income streams.

Anatomy of an Anxiety Attack

Anxiety attacks are normal body reactions – coping mechanisms – against different stressors and distressing predicaments. In other words, these are chemical, physical and emotional reactions that are elicit by fear, apprehension, or shock. These reactions also cause a "fight or flight" response. Based on scientific studies, people automatically react to stress or stress-inducing activities by either making a confrontational stance or making a decision to avoid the stress.

Pressure can come from an emotional problem in a relationship at home, demanding tasks and deadlines at the office, the dread of a forthcoming test, or the clamor for a game-winning performance in a championship game. All these can product constant anguish and even anxiety attacks if a person is not able to cope effectively with the stress. A person that is undergoing an anxiety attack often experiences a feeling of numbness or tingling, shortness of breath, dizziness, heightened palpitations, chronic sweating, chills, hot flushes, and nausea.

Extreme levels of anxiety can produce serious ill effects on one's physical and mental health. Anxieties can actually a hinder or adversely affect a person's the day-to-day activities. Aside from the possibility of leaving a person emotionally depressed and physically weak, anxiety can also cause a person lose the ability to make a rational decision. It is not uncommon to hear of cases of people with severe anxiety who have lost their jobs and failed in their relationships. For these people who have become victims of anxiety attacks, life has become a mere matter of survival --- bereft of happiness, fulfillment, and health.

Some people can cope with depression and anxiety. But for a significant number of people who do not have the ability to cope with stress and anxiety, the only means to regain their life is to undergo therapy and, if necessary, take anxiety medications. These anxiety medications, if accompanied by therapy conducted by professionals, offer relief and possibly permanent protection from the debilitating effects of stress and severe emotional distress. Anxiety medications often vary in the dosage and desired effects. However, what is common among these anti-anxiety medications is the ability of these drugs to suppress unnecessary chemical and emotional surges. Controlling these chemical and emotional surges allow a person with anxiety to regain a sense of peace and tranquility.

Anxiety medications, also known as anxiolytics, are prescribed to treat the different symptoms of anxiety. For example, Bensodiazepines are prescribed to treat the short-term and disabling effects of anxiety. These drugs are take effect in a person's central nervous system, which is the reason why a certain degree of sedation occurs in a patient using the medication.
Non-bensodiazepines, however, are used to control the serotonin level in the body. Serotonin is essential to the body for regulating anger, temperature, mood, sleep, vomiting, sexuality, and appetite. Though they are proven to be less effective than bensodiazepines, the serotonin-regulating effect of this type of anti-anxiety drug also helps a person to achieve a relaxed state.

While these medications offer relief, people must still practice a little caution before taking these anti-anxiety drugs. These drugs cannot totally remove all symptoms of anxiety. Of course, these medications cannot resolve an emotional or psychological problem that is actually the origin or source of a person's anxiety attacks.

Plan Your Retirement In As Easy As 1 - 2 - 3 Using Financial Planning Software

Rather than spend your hard earned money hiring a financial planner or consulting with one, there are actually countless software programs that would help you in managing your finances. These programs are efficient tools for planning and making all those important retirement calculations.

One software program is MFC, My Financial Coordinator. It literally serves this purpose. It merges all your income streams into a coherent report therefore making managing your assets so much easier to understand and manage.

This software also helps to determine which of your assets you should sell or hold based on performance. It also details all the financial activities you did for the year and helps you estimate your quarterly tax calculations. Doing so prevents you from incurring those annoying penalties from the IRS.

Other benefits the software program includes are the following:

Monitoring of stop/loss

This software helps in your decision-making on a specific asset prior to it losing its significant value because the stop/loss monitoring function works off the highest value recorded.

Quarterly Federal, State and Local Tax Estimates

The MFC software provides an easy one stop source for determining liability information and accurately reporting it thus ensuring on-time payment.

Confidentiality assured

MFC keeps you in the know as well as preventing others from knowing all your investment information. Details on your assets as well as your financial transactions are secure with you and never leave your sight. Any data transferred over the internet are mere stock symbols and never reveal any number of shares that you may have or any of your personal information
Everything is served to you

Since assets come from various resources, the MFC software groups them all together on the system. All bonds, stocks, mutual funds, certificates of deposit, checking accounts, money market accounts, salary, income from social security, pension, annuities, proceeds from gambling, royalties, income from business and others.

Reporting of monthly income

This feature in the software enables you to see the level of your income on a monthly as well as an annual basis. This to assist you in managing all your financial as well as expense needs.

Calculations on your performing assets

Updates on your performing assets is provided to you by the MFC software program. This would help you in determining which are your non performing assets or under performers. Doing so would be of great assistance to you especially when the time comes to select which will go first when fund liquidation is called for.

You have the power and control

Absolute power in terms of your finances provides absolute control as well as flexibility as this software program enables you to indicate the Federal, State as well as any local adjustments or deductions in the computation of your gross income and liability in taxes.

looking for Bad credit home loan??

There are different categories of home improvement loans, like cheap home improvement loans, low-interest home improvement loans, secured home improvement loans, fast home improvement loans, and bad-credit home improvement loans. A bad credit home improvement loan is for the borrower who has a bad credit history or has certain financial troubles, like amounts outstanding, County Court judgments, defaults and so forth. A bad credit home improvement loan is for a specific purpose, like improving the borrower's home. But it covers only essential improvements, and if any extension work is done, its essentiality has to be proved.

The poor credit history of the borrower may give the lender a chance to find him unreliable and put him in high risk category and reject the loan proposal. Even if the lender provides the loan he charges a very high rate of interest. The most important point to be noted in bad credit home improvement loans is that if the borrower fails to pay the installment on time, he may lose his house, because he has already given his house to the lender as collateral property.

When a bad credit home improvement loan is compared with a mortgage extension loan, which has a similar purpose, it is advisable to get a bad credit home improvement loan rather than a mortgage extension loan, because a mortgage extension loan has to be repaid over the period of the mortgage, which means the borrower ultimately pays more interest. No matter what, realize that no loan is guaranteed to be available in all circumstances.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Taking Your Business International

Q: I'm interested in doing business internationally. I have done some reading on the subject, but there is an awful lot to digest. Have you had any experience in this matter and can you suggest the best way to get started?
-- P. Granger.

A: Great question, Mr. Granger, though not one I'm personally qualified to answer since I have not had direct experience with international sales. So like any good columnist without a clue I can either make up something and hope it sounds semi-intelligent or I can consult someone who really is an expert on international sales and let him answer your question. Since my agreement with The Times prevents me from fabricating anything other than my true age (I'm 29), let's go with the latter.

I called on Jose Rodriguez, President of RISMED Oncology Systems, a Huntsville company that provides high medical technology to radiotherapy professionals around the globe, to get his input on the subject. Jose is an old friend and client and if anyone can give pointers on doing business internationally, Jose is the man.

Jose believes that the decision to do business beyond your own backyard should be based on your success as a local, domestic business first. "Unless the business is intended to be one that sells to international customers only, one should not jump into international business until they have devoted the time to develop a good local and domestic business first," Jose recommends.

Here are a few other points Jose recommends that you keep in mind when considering an entry into the international business arena.

Instill Confidence In Your Customer
Regardless of the type of product or service you sell internationally, you must be ready to provide your international customer with an even higher level of service that you offer your domestic customers. To instill confidence in your international customers you might have to offer such things as around the clock telephone support, extended warranties, and other services that help the customer have confidence in doing business with you.

Know The Rules
You must understand all of the rules and regulations that govern international business practices in this country as well as those in your customer's country. Understanding the rules will allow you to provide service beyond the expectation of the buyer and operate within the boundaries of the law.

Understand The International Shipping Process
If goods are being shipped internationally you must have a thorough understanding of shipping modes and regulations. Any difficulties with shipping will always be viewed by the buyer as the seller's responsibility, right or wrong. Understanding the entire shipping process and having policies in place will help avoid shipping problems and keep the customer happy.


Work With Experienced Companies
Always look for experienced companies to work with, especially when if comes to shipping, insurance, freight forwarders, etc. Such companies are great allies and will help keep everything in order and will also help in solving problems related to their end of the process.

Signed and Sealed
Never conduct business under verbal orders. Always put everything in writing with the required signatures. Doing international business is different than domestic business. Outside the United States signatures and seals are required to seal the deal. Don't worry about offending your customer as this is just part of doing business internationally.

Include A Packing List
If shipping goods, always do a packing list and always number the packages (if 5 packages are being sent, label them 1/5 [1 of 5], 2/5, etc.). If anything is lost, they will know which package is missing and you will have sent a packing list detailing what was in every package, making it easy for the customer, the shipper and the insurance company to solve the problem. Also, always insure your goods for at least 110% of their value.

Have A Damage Policy
Always have a note in your paperwork requiring damage or losses to be reported within 24 hours. Damage reports should be made to the customer's local delivery company as well as to the shipping company on your end.

Signing Off
If you are selling services abroad, always have the required paperwork so that as the work is finished or as deliveries are made, the customer signs off in agreement with what was delivered.

Ensure Payment
Depending on the amount of the sale, always require payment in advance in U.S. currency or payment through a letter of credit to be paid out in U.S. currency. You might also require that the letter of credit be irrevocable and transferable, that it allow for payments of partial shipments, etc. The more flexible the letter of credit, the better, and usually such clauses are yours just for the asking.

There are many other considerations you should investigate before starting your international business, but that's a great list to get you started.

Thanks for the great advice, Jose. I couldn't have said it better myself.

For those people who already have AMD

Apart from the treatments, people who are already diagnosed for AMD can take some measures to improve their vision. There are several products available in the market to help people with low vision. This includes stand magnifiers, monoculars, binoculars, video magnifiers, reading machines and absorptive lenses. Most people get discouraged when using a particular device but you should not stop there try out various devices until you find the most suitable one for you.

The lighting arrangement can be changed to suit your need. Try to avoid glare in your home and office. Several types of special lights are available and you can test them for your needs.

If you are in the habit of reading, go for large print books, which are available in most libraries. Hand held magnifier can be used to read and view pictures.

While writing, write in large letters and increase the font while reading and writing in computers.

Patients in the advanced stage can make use of low vision aids.

Prevention is better than cure

Healthy habits can lower the risk of age-related macular degeneration. If there is a family history of AMD, you should take necessary precautions like consulting an ophthalmologist. As the disease mostly affects adults above 50, they should make periodical visit to the ophthalmologist. Taking nutritional supplements after consulting a doctor can be very helpful for middle-aged people and those with family history of AMD.

Researches have already established a direct relation between smoking and AMD. Lutein, an antioxidant, plays a major role in protecting the retina from ultraviolet rays. Tobacco hampers the absorption of lutein. By stopping to smoke, you are not only saving your eyes but also avoid the risk of several other diseases

People with high blood pressure are more prone to AMD. Regular check up of blood pressure and treating it is very essential for avoiding AMD.

Pollution has damaged the natural protection against sun's rays. So it is wise to wear sun glasses for protection from ultraviolet rays.

A high fat diet is an invitation for AMD. A diet high in fruits and vegetables and antioxidants can prevent the disease to an extent. Including green vegetables and fish also reduces the risk.

Regular exercise and maintaining an optimum weight are also crucial for preventing AMD.

Check Your Vision Daily To Detect AMD

Amsler Grid can be used to check your vision at home. It is quite similar to a graph paper and has a dark dot in the center. By using the Amsler Grid, you can detect early signs of AMD. Missing area, blurring, wavy or broken links while watching Amsler Grid can alert you against AMD. Early detection of AMD is very vital for controlling it.

An Amsler Grid can be easily printed or you can watch it in your computer screen.

1) While looking at Amsler Grid, make sure that you wear your glasses if you have one.
2) Sit or stand about 15 inches away from the grid.
3) Look at the dark dot in the middle.
4) While focusing on the dark dot, you should be able to clearly see the lines.
5) If you see any missing lines or if they are blurred or wavy, immediately contact an ophthalmologist.
6) If there is no problem when you watched the grid with both eyes, repeat the exercise by closing one eye at a time. This is because AMD can affect one eye but the other eye makes up for it.

Seven Tips For A Long And Healthy Life

As good as modern medical technology is, it can never save you from the problems caused by a life style that is unhealthy. Instead of getting a modern medical fix for every problem, it is far better to live in such a way that you will hardly ever fall ill.

An ounce of prevention is certainly better than a pound of cure. Here are seven tips on how to live a long and healthy life. In addition, the same life style that helps you to avoid illness also helps you to lose weight.

1. Get Enough Exercise

In the past people had to use their physical bodies in the course of their normal work. But today someone may get up, go to work in a car, then sit down, get up to go home in the car and when arriving at home, sit down again for the rest of the day. In such a life there is no physical labor. This physical inactivity is one of the main reasons for a host of diseases. Sport, running. walking and other things must be added to our life if our normal work does not require us to exert ourselves physically. I

2. Go to sleep when you feel sleepy

This may sound simple, but many people stay up late even when their body is telling them that it is time to sleep. Yoga and Ayurvedic doctors also say that it is better to sleep in the night and be active during the day. However, people such as students will take coffee and stimulants to study late into the night. Others develop the habit of remaining active at night and sleeping during the day. While we can do this, it eventually takes a toll on health. Alternative health doctors say that this kind of unnatural living is one of the contributing factors in the causation of cancer and other diseases

3. Eat when you feel hungry

This is also a simple idea, but once again we often go against the messages of the body. If you eat out of habit or due to social pressure at certain time of the day, even when you have no real appetite, then you will not digest your food properly. Acidity and indigestion begin, and this contributes to the likelihood of other more complex diseases taking root. Having an appetite is actually a sign of good health, but if you have no appetite you should wait a bit and then eat. (If you have no appetite even after awaiting a reasonable amount of time, then you should consult a doctor because something is wrong.)

4.Fast on a Regular, Systematic Basis

If you would ask any person to work 365 days per year without any rest, they would complain and say that they must have some rest or else they will break down. But we have never bothered to ask or to think about our digestive organs which we compel to work day after day without a rest. They cannot protest the way a person would to his boss, but they do give us signals that they cannot work non-stop. When we ignore those signals and still compel them to work, those organs break down. That is why periodic fasting is necessary. Refrain from eating for one complete day. This gives a rest to your digestive organs and also helps in the elimination of wastes from your body. Regular fasting allows a person to gain extra time for intellectual or spiritual pursuits. Fasting is not for hermits in a cave, but is a sensible practice that anyone can practice.

5. Wash with cool water before going to bed

As mentioned above, proper sleep is essential for the maintenance of health. If you wash your important motor and sensory organs (hands, arms, eyes, legs, mouth, genitals) before sleep using cool water, this will relax you and prepare you for deep sleep.

6. Perform meditation on a regular basis

Your body is linked to your mind. Many of the diseases of this era are psychosomatic. Stress and anxiety take their toll on our physical health. Meditation is a mental exercise which, among other things, allows you to detach yourself from the worries of life. Learn a simple technique and do it regularly.

7. Get up early every day

Once again the old proverb, "Early to bed, early to rise makes a person healthy, wealthy and wise." I don't know if it will make you wealthy, but it will certainly make you healthy. Your body needs just enough sleep, not too much and not too little.

Follow these tips and you can't go wrong.

What Do You Think When You Read, "Entrepreneurs Wanted"?

What would you think if you saw a sign that read, "Entrepreneurs Wanted"? Many people would see such a sign as a rare opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream. They've long envisioned a life where they could make their own hours, follow their passions, and not have to feel as though the people above them are trying to keep them down. Others would view such a sign with suspicion. They might ask, "What's the catch?" They might even come up with a list of reasons why they can't take a chance, begin a new self-made career, and become more successful than they ever thought possible.

While a degree of skepticism can be healthy, all too often people talk themselves out of a business opportunity because, well, they're scared. They might even look at the lives of successful people and think that those people were simply lucky; that they were at the right place at the right time. In fact, the difference between those people who are incredibly successful and those who grind it out in an unfulfilling job day in and day out is that the successful people seize opportunities that come their way. The nine-to-fivers may look longingly at opportunities, but let them slip through their fingers.

Truth be told, there's never been a better time to find a business opportunity and follow your dreams. To a large extent, the Internet has leveled the playing field. If you have a computer and online access, there are unparalleled opportunities to create wealth. The question becomes, how do you separate the wheat from the chaff? How do you know when an opportunity is the real deal?

First, you need to drop any notion of finding success with multi-level marketing. While multi-level marketing may have made a few people at the top wealthy, no MLM today is creating wealth for those who are just joining.

Second, you need to forget direct sales. Very, very few people are have a natural talent for selling; for the rest of us, direct sales is difficult or impossible, and a sure path to frustration, discouragement, and failure.

Third, you need to embrace a company that has a proven system for marketing. So many Internet businesses fail today because business owners simply don't know how to market. After all, you can have the most attractive website in the world, but if you can't drive traffic to your site, you'll never see a penny.

Fourth, you need to find a great product. In this Information Age, the product should be related to the Internet and have enormous growth potential.

Fifth, you want to find affiliate with a company that will take the time to understand your personal and financial goals, and help you in any way they can to reach those goals. Essentially, it's the reverse of what you often find in the corporate world - where the people at the top keep you down. You want to find a business opportunity where the people at the top - the wealthmasters, so to speak - reach down and give you a hand up. They should be able to set you up with the carbon copy of a system that almost runs on auto pilot. They should have eliminated the need for selling, explaining, bothering people, and pitching friends and family. Instead, they should have perfected a powerful, automated, turnkey marketing system that provides you with the best home business opportunity on the planet.

When you've found that kind of company, you'll be glad that you took advantage of the "Entrepreneurs Wanted" sign!

Hot Air Balloons are good for Business and a great day out

One of the best ways to advertise your business is to use a Hot Air Balloon and is considered to be one of the fastest new forms of advertising.

A hot Air Balloon becomes a very mobile Billboard and can travel and is viewed over many miles by thousands of people.

Hot Air Balloons can provide a very dramatic and lasting impression on the consumer especially at Hot Air Balloon festivals as many are photographed and reported some are videoed and can be available on you tube and other internet video sites.

Specially designed Hot Air Balloons that have a funny shape or have a much known recognisable shape can be the most stunning advertising concepts. I was recently at a Hot Air Balloon show in Bristol UK and there was a vast array of different special shaped Hot Air Balloons.

It was great to see some shaped like Beer cans and others shaped like bottles of fizzy pop these forms of advertising can bring a big impact they can be seen over such a wide range of area and have a very lasting impression on the consumers.

A Hot Air Balloon travelling over a busy city centre is likely to catch the attention of over 90% of the people in the city this is a great medium and has chance of raising your company's awareness providing a lasting with consumers that people remember long after the event has passed.

Having a Hot Air Balloon made for advertising, is not as expensive as people imagine compared to large TV ad champagne. It has a longer and more effective publicity as it can be flown most days in summer and brought and flown at Hot Air Balloon festivals.

Good photographs of your Hot air Balloon are very good for promotional pictures in your company's literature and can enhance your marketing strategy. There are many forms of advertising and most cost serious money but sometimes you have to consider that using a Hot Air Balloon could be a cost effective method for your companies needs.

At most Hot air Balloon festivals most of the Hot air Balloons have now got advertising slogans on them or are shaped like a product. As these Hot Air Balloons drift across the sky producing and awe inspiring spectacle that emblazes your company logo in the sky.

Hot air Balloons are the original way man has learnt to fly and ever since the first Hot Air Balloons took to the sky they have always managed to stir something within us to look up into the sky and wonder.

A Hot Air Balloon ride is a excellent day out and well worth looking into but remember that safety is very important within this industry and what goes up will come down and having flown in a Hot Air Balloon then it does come down quite often with a bump even with the most experienced pilots.

Hot Air Balloons are great fun and gliding over the countryside silently looking down at the ground from an unusual angle often seeing familiar objects from a very different angle makes you realise how special a Hot Air Balloon flight can be.

Top Financial Mistakes Made by College Students

1. Blowing your school loan money!
Instead of using your financial aid for books, tuition, room & board, many students will choose to finance their extravagant lifestyle of partying, clothes, gadgets, and eating out. These school loans you've worked so hard to get should be paying for your education, not you social life...so use the money wisely. You'll be paying them off for many years to come.

2. Credit Card Debt!
Even responsible adults can rack up some hefty credit card debt, but students, who have no viable income besides their school loan money, and what cash mom & dad give them, have no business getting multiple credit cards. This is a recipe for credit disaster, because now students will not only have their school loans to repay when they graduate, but large credit card balances. Nellie May, the largest student loan maker, says that most graduate students have an average of $5800 in credit card debt.

3. Not Paying Your Bills on Time!
Racking up huge credit debt and not paying your bills on time is a good way to ensure that you can't purchase a car, rent an apartment or even get a cell phone after you graduate. Keep the credit cards to a minimum, and pay your bills on time to keep your good credit rating. You'll thank yourself in a few years.

4. Bad Budgeting!
Being a college student generally means living on a fixed income. Weather it be your financial aid money or money from a part-time job, or even money from Mom & Dad, the cash is usually limited and setting up a budget is important. A monthly budget doesn't mean you can't do the things you want to do, but simply a plan so you know the "must-pays" actually get paid. Figure out exactly what bills and expenses you have every month and plan for those first. Any money after that you can budget for social / recreational items like CD's and kegs.

5. Going to a College that's too Pricey!
Instead of going to your local community college for your pre-req classes and spending $25 a unit, many students feel they have to go to the 4 year university straight out of high school. Many end up returning home and going to a C.C. anyway, but attending a local school first is a good way to save money, and get those required classes out of the way cheap. After you've completed these courses, transfer to a 4 year school to complete your undergraduate degree. This will save thousands upon thousands of dollars that you would have racked up on student loans, and been paying off well into your 30's.

So many of the bad financial decisions students make is a result of poor financial education. Students haven't been taught by their parents or high school teachers the importance of maintaining a good credit score, paying bills on time, and budgeting income. Wise spending during the college years will ensure that the money you make after graduating will be spent on things you want, not credit card payments, collection companies and school loans.

What is ERP?

Enterprise Resource Planning, also known as ERP, is a method designed to integrate several different data sources and/or processes into one single unified system. This system will require the use of both hardware and software for planning and development and is essentially designed to be used in large enterprises looking for complete integration of their systems. The most important point in most ERPs is the unified database which will store all of the necessary information for each of the system's modules.

What are the necessary components for a successful ERP system?

There are two main components that are required for any successful ERP system. The first is the common, unified database. This allows the ERP system to have access to each and every byte of information as well as all of the data that is required to make each part of the enterprise run as a whole unit. It also allows all of the enterprise's information to be quickly and easily shared in a reliable and accessible manner.

The second key component to a successful ERP system is a modular software design. This essentially means that an ERP uses software that can be added or removed as needed in order to maximize the efficiency and usefulness of the system as a whole. While there are a few companies that can provide all of the software for a particular ERP, most enterprises will mix and match their software from different companies in order to attain maximum efficiency in the enterprise. Every modular application must be able to interface with the common database so that all of the data can be shared as needed.

Where would an ERP system be used?

ERP systems can be used in any large organization that has a lot of data flowing through its computers. Generally, small or medium sized businesses do not have any need for a full scale ERP system. Larger corporations, such as major banks, auto manufacturers, and retail chains can benefit the most from a well planned ERP. Furthermore, individual enterprises often break up their ERPs into smaller units, such as manufacturing, financials, and consumer management so that data can be more easily shared between those resources that would most likely benefit from the data portability.

How is an ERP designed and implemented?

No matter how large of a system is being implemented, all ERP systems require a lot of thought and careful design in order to operate successfully. Traditionally, smaller ERP systems require only months to prepare while larger ERP systems can take as much as a year or two to properly develop and implement. Larger corporations generally seek the advice of ERP consulting firms while smaller corporations will likely use an in-house team to cut costs.

The most critical step to implementing any ERP system is to migrate the data to the ERP. Migrating data, though a critical step, often receives the least attention in many ERP systems. There are six steps to successful data migration. First, identify the necessary data. Second, plan the timing for the migration. Third, build data templates. Fourth, freeze the necessary data migration tools. Fifth, determine data migration setups. Sixth, archive the necessary data.

What are the advantages of using an ERP system?

The most common advantage of an ERP system is that data is easily transferred from one place to another. Also, many ERP systems can also improve the security of an enterprise thanks to its built in safeguards. Other positives factors include low operational costs, better customer service, and improved productivity of employees.

What are the disadvantages of using an ERP system?

The most common disadvantage of an ERP system is the cost. Many ERP systems are extremely expensive to design and implement. Furthermore, despite their modular nature, the software customization options are limited and can be difficult to adapt to certain businesses. Also, the data entered into an ERP system must be high quality, lest it decay even further over time. Finally, the system may be too complex and not be right for businesses that are organized into many smaller departments.

Dealing With The After-Effects Of Acne

Acne, unlike your typical infection, is not something that's over and done with if you manage to make it go away. You still have to deal with the after-effects left behind by the problem. Acne scarring is one of the most common problems encountered during the post-infection stage. If not treated properly, acne can leave physical marks. Acne scarring, with the social stigma that it tends to generate, may end up becoming an even bigger problem than the acne that caused it. No wonder, some people actually see depression as one of the more serious effects of this kind of skin problem.

Treating the acne problem properly at the early stages of infection is critical to prevent the formation of scars. There is a wide array of things you may do to lower the chances of scar formation. The first and most important step is to control the skin infection. Other important things to remember in controlling acne include the following:

l Treat the acne infection as early as possible. This reduces the chances of scars forming later on.
l Avoid using more than one treatment unless advised by a doctor. Multiple treatments may only cause drug interaction side effects.
l If your acne is creating cysts, avoid attempting to prick or tamper with them in any way. Doing so may increase your chances of the cyst forming a scar later on.
l Whenever possible, prevent inflammation. Statistically speaking, areas that have experienced inflammation during an acne outbreak tend to form scars afterwards.

If you develop acne scars, you would be better off avoiding any sort of treatment you found over the Internet, regardless of what it claims to be. Internet remedies are ill-advised measures, as all actual medications for acne scarring require a doctor's prescription and may only be obtained through the office of a medical professional. The "Internet remedies" simply don't work, even if they could theoretically relieve the acne that caused the scars, so you may find it a better idea to consult a dermatologist.

There are more than a few ways to fix acne scarring, if you find the need for it. The likelihood that your dermatologist will suggest one from among the following forms of surgery will vary depending on how deep your acne scars run and how severe the problem actually is.

Dermabrasion, which involves the use of machinery with diamond-tipped blades to cut away the scarred skin, is one such option. If you only have shallow scarring left over from your acne, then your doctor might suggest this type of scar-removal surgery. It removes the scar tissue to let the skin replace the removed sections naturally, leaving you with a new layer of skin. Naturally, creams and treatments are used to help in the healing process.

Another option is through the use of pinpoint medical lasers, albeit this is an option that is not suggested very often. Laser surgery works on the same general concept as dermabrasion, though you would be put under a high-powered laser rather than a set of diamond-bladed tools. This method is seen to be more accurate than using the aforementioned technique, and may sometimes be recommended for slightly deeper acne scars. However, this is undertaken and suggested only by the people with experience in this type of surgery, as the slightest mishandling can cause damage that's not just skin-deep.

If the state of your scarring is not that severe or pronounced, a dermatologist can offer chemical treatments rather than surgery. These treatments operate on the same idea as the two above treatments, but work on an entirely different level. This might involve the use of acids in removing the layer of skin that has the scars, allowing the body to naturally repair the damaged skin. As with both of the above methods, there are some additional products given to help the skin heal after the treatment. Also, excessive or improper use of these treatments can cause side effects that are disastrous on the skin.

It is also important to be aware that discoloration usually occurs when there is an inflammation in the skin. These discolored spots should not be immediately considered as acne scars. In some cases, they discoloration occurs due to the increase of blood flow to that part of the skin. For that reason, it is always best to consult a skin care professional to help determine whether some areas are just discolored or if they are actual acne scars. Being well-informed will help keep your skin safe. Moreover, having a proper diagnosis will help you make a decision on whether your next skin care treatment will involved surgery or not.

Corporate Social Responsibility:By Dr Shanker Adawal

There are customers, employees, shareholders and the neighbours. The business class should render their support to the general people. If they will be uplifted socially and economically, the productivity of the corporate is also bound to increase.

The corporate sector in India very often blames the government for poor governance and lack of farsightedness. The question that comes every time into mind is, do the corporate sector performs its duty to contribute to the overall growth of the country? Does it have right to blame the government for poor governance? Does it contribute to nation building?

In India, most of the corporate do not have a clear policy on social responsibility. While developed countries like England have separate ministries to look after the issue of corporate social responsibility, in India, the government does not have a clear policy on the issue. Out of very few companies who contribute to the social development, the basic intention was not to ensure the good of the nation, rather a business policy to stay away from the tax net.

The corporate and the government should try to build up a relationship between the business and the society. The concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has so far failed to take deep root in India because the nomenclature is not properly defined. The CSR is in a nascent stage. Much needs to be done to bring changes in attitude towards CSR and bring awareness among the corporate about their social responsibilities. The corporate should be made aware about the changing nature of business due to globalization, transformation of market environment and deepening of competition. The market economy has paved the way for enterprise-led development and a new cultural perspective is taking place in Indian business environment that has a strong bearing on social responsibilities.

Social responsibility encompasses the sectors like health, education, employment, income and quality of life. It should be binding on the corporate sector to work on the above aspects, which are thought to be primary social indicators. They have enough money to serve the nation on the above segments of the society. They should not forget that if general health of the mass were good, they would have better bying capacity.

In 1970, Milton Friedman of New York Times rightly wrote: " the social responsibility of business is to increase profits." This view is often held and propounded by those who do not see much merit in companies being engaged in issues of Social Responsibility other than the making of profit. However, increasingly, the profit case, evident indicators that are tangible and the altruistic/ philanthropic/ ethical case, evident in the intangibles are getting blurred. In this context the purpose is to highlight the need for a paradigm shift in the importance of greater investment in intangibles to enhance corporate value.

Significance of CSR for India
The ideal corporate citizenship has ethical and philosophical dimension, particularly in India here wide gap exists between people in terms of income and living standards as well as social status.

A latest survey by the Tata Energy Research Institute (TERI) called 'Altered Images: the 2001 State of Corporate Responsibility in India Poll' Traces Back The History Of CSR In India and suggests that there are four models of CSR.

Ethical model
The origin of the first ethical model of corporate responsibility lie in the pioneering efforts of 19 th century corporate philanthropists such as the Cadbury brothers in England and the Tata family in India. The pressure on Indian industrialists to demonstrate their commitment to social development increased during the independence movement, when Mahatma Gandhi
developed the notion of 'trusteeship', whereby the owners of property would voluntarily manage their wealth on behalf of the people.

Gandhi's influence prompted various Indian companies to play active roles in nation building and promoting socio-economic development during the 20th century. The history of Indian corporate philanthropy has encompassed cash or kind donations, community investment in trusts and provision of essential services such as schools, libraries, hospitals, etc. Many firms, particularly 'family-run businesses', continue to support such philanthropic initiatives.

Statist model
A second model of CSR emerged in India after independence in 1947, when India adopted the socialist and mixed economy framework, with a large public sector and state-owned companies. The boundaries between the state and society were clearly defined for the state enterprises. Elements of corporate responsibility, especially those relating to community and worker relationships, were enshrined in labour laws and management principles. This state sponsored corporate philosophy still operates in the numerous public sector companies that have survived the wave of privatization of the early 1990s.

Liberal Model
Indeed, the worldwide trend towards privatization and deregulation can be said to be underpinned by a third model of corporate responsibility – that companies are solely responsible to their owners. This approach was encapsulated by the American economist Milton Fried-man, who in 1958 challenged the very notion of corporate responsibility for anything other than the economic bottom line.

Many in the corporate world and elsewhere would agree with this concept, arguing that it is sufficient for business to obey the law and generate wealth, which through taxation and private charitable choices can be directed to social ends.



Stakeholder Model
The rise of globalisation has brought with it a growing consensus that with increasing economic rights, business also has a growing range of social obligations. Citizen campaigns against irresponsible corporate behaviour along with consumer action and increasing shareholder pressure have given rise to the stakeholder model of corporate responsibility. This view is often
associated with R. Edward Freeman, whose seminal analysis of the stakeholder approach to strategic management in 1984 brought stake holding into the mainstream of management literature (Freeman, 1984). Ac-cording to Freeman, 'a stakeholder in an organisation is any group or individual who can affect or is affected by the achievement of the organisation's objectives.'

Perception and practices of CSR in India
A survey was conducted by ORG-MARG for TERI-Europe in several cities of India in 2001. The basic purpose of the survey was to capture perceptions and expectations (related to corporate responsibility) of the following three sets of stakeholders such as general public, workers (skilled, semiskilled and un-skilled) and corporate executives (head of corporate relation, labour relations, welfare dept. and manufacturing dept. in MNCs, large and medium sized Indian companies).The poll gathered that people believe that companies should be actively engaged in social matters.
A majority of the general public feels that companies should be held fully responsible for roles over which they have direct control. These include providing good products and cheaper prices, ensuring that operations are environment friendly, treating employees fairly without any discrimination based on gender, race or religion and applying labour standards globally. More than 60% of the general public felt that the companies should also be held responsible for bridging the gap between the rich and the poor, reducing human rights abuses, solving social problems and increasing economic stability.

CSR as business success
CSR is considered to be an important aspect of business success– through efficient resource management, environment protection, employment, eco-friendly atmosphere, etc.

Ashok Khosla, President of Development Alternatives, an Indian NGO, is of the view that sustainability includes sustainable consumption and sustainable production and is thus the responsibility of both procedures and consumers. The CSR is not a one size fits all. The NGOs, citizens and governments must look at sizes, types and locations of companies to explore how
CSR can be brought to bear on companies.

The civil society is good for business and a tool for advancing corporate take-up of CSR. Therefore, the business should view civil society as being the CSR auditors for business and a friend to business, much like traditional auditors. There are lessons for business to learn from their interactions with civil society that cannot only re-duce risk but improve overall competitive
advantage.

Conclusion
The business of the 21-st century will have no choice but to implement CSR. The sooner corporate houses realize this and aggressively pursue this process, the better off they will be. The laws need to be formulated to help in reinforcing CSR practices.

Indian CSR has traditionally been a matter of classical paternalistic philanthropy, financially supporting schools, hospitals and culture institutions. However, far from being an add-on motivated by altruism and personal glory, the philanthropic drive has been driven by business necessity. With minimal state welfare and infrastructure provision in many areas, companies had to ensure that their workforce had adequate housing, healthcare and education and simultaneously the country grows at a fast pace.

The CSR should not be merely a statement of intent. It should be made compulsory for the corporate operating in India. This will definitely help in upholding human rights. In this context, the following measures may be made mandatory to ensure participation of the corporate in social development:
• Incorporation of a section on social actions in annual reports of companies
• Appointment of an independent social accounting committee to measure, monitor, evaluate and report impact of CSR in annual reports
• Separate department to look after the CSR
• Periodic training programmes and awareness camps to train personnel on CSR
• Linkage between CSR and financial success should be established
• A certain percentage of profit should be earmarked for social development that should reflect
in the annual balance sheets of companies.

Home Business Owner's Guide to the Free Money Making Opportunity

A home based business must be built on a solid foundation to succeed. When you hear the words "free money making opportunity" you might think it's too good to be true. But in reality, there are many legitimate free money making opportunities that enable you to sign on for free and earn a profitable income from your efforts.

Keep in mind that when a program is free to join, this doesn't automatically mean a free ride. It means you don't have to sign up with a fee to sell their products or their money making opportunities. You can become a promoter of their offer without paying to join. This differs from many network marketing opportunities in which you must pay to be a member or pay to promote their products.

Key Elements of a Free Money Making Opportunity

The key elements to look for in a free money making opportunity are: it's absolutely free to join with no fee now or later; it's a program with a reputable company with a good track record on payments and customer service; it's something you can easily incorporate in your daily schedule and still earn money online. The opportunity should allow flexibility but should also have set guidelines that are explained clearly up front. These guidelines are meant to help you understand the system and know your limitations in promoting their products.

Types of Free Money Making Opportunities

There are many different ways to make money on the Internet. If you have an existing Web business, you might consider selling advertising on your website. Some types of advertising opportunities include contextual ads (such as Yahoo Content Publishing or Google AdSense), banner advertising, e-zine advertising, or pay-per-play ad slots (ads heard on your site, but not seen - for branding companies). With this type of Internet business, you'll earn website money every time you receive a visitor or click through on your site. The more targeted traffic you have, the more you'll earn.
There are also affiliate programs in which you earn money for promoting someone else's products or services from your website. Some programs will set up a website for you so all you'll have to do is promote the Web address they give you. But beware of programs that offer duplicate sites to hundreds or thousands of affiliates. This could hinder your promotions because the competition will be very heavy.

How to Earn Money on the Internet

With a free money making opportunity, your monetary risks are minimal. You'll want to focus on how to promote the business effectively while spending the least amount of money on advertising. Once you find a great business or advertising venue, do research on promotion methods. Some of the most popular are paid searches through major search engines, banner or e-zine advertising, online auctions, article ads, online malls, traffic exchanges, pop-up advertising, and press releases. Test each avenue to find the ones that are effective for your particular business. And remember, no two Internet businesses will be the same.

Once you find some promotional methods that work, then start finding ways to earn a residual income from your efforts. Residual income might come in the form of advertising on your site where you receive monthly checks, affiliate programs that pay over and over for the same customer, or even opportunities where you can earn a lifetime monthly, quarterly, or yearly commission as long as the customer remains with the company.

With a free money making opportunity, you can sign up without worries of losing an initial investment. So start searching online today for that perfect home based business!

Long term assistance guide

Long term care basically relates to the care or assistance that is needed when the individual is rendered incapable of taking care of his own self. The people who have taken retirement from their work and are dwelling on petite pensions most often constitute this category.


Human life is always standing at threshold of tomorrow. One stage of this precarious life is followed by the other and there comes a stage in everybody's life when he needs special attention, love, care and assistance. But unfortunately, this does not happen for people today are so badly engrossed in their own lives that the old and suffering are most often neglected without a second thought. However, some non-government organizations and the government have taken the onus to help out such people in the time of maximum need.


The Family Factor

The family of the individual who is seeking long term care plays an undeniably crucial role. The long term care patients are generally gripped by some major illness, diseases like Parkinson, Alzheimer etc that make you an oblivious and inattentive individual. There are also cases of life time ailment due to unfortunate accidents that cause spinal cord failure and the like, in other words complete bed rest. Initially the families of such patients readily provide all the assistance. They employ themselves as far as possible in giving the best care to the patient. But the problems come in the long run when the family members have to pay heed to their own jobs. It becomes very problematic for some of the families to take care of the patient then. The amount of daily expenditure is also a chief source of problems. It becomes difficult especially for a middle class family to spend regularly on the prolonged, at times everlasting ailment of one of the member. Not just this but generally it is found that several other disputes start blooming in this grim scenario.

'Prevention is better than cure', abiding by this wise proverb many families get the medical insurance etc. done for each and every member. This offers them great financial backing by the government. While many a well to do families provide long term care via their own personal savings. This enables them to spend whatever amount they want according to their requirement without clarifying and waiting for the external agency to help.


The Role of Government
The government of each country facilitates assistance to the long term care patients. The government care is meant especially for those who have not been able to make any good savings and purchase insurance policies throughout their life due to low salaries. The Veteran's Administration (VA) is meant to provide care to all the veterans and their partners. The veterans taken care of are mainly the former prisoners of war, those with diminished income and the ones who become disabled due to their service. The Medicaid, a joint federal and state venture seeks the nursing of the elderly patients who need long term care. There is also the National Council on Aging working in the area of providing online help to the elderly, informing them about what kinds of benefits are meant for them. This nonprofit organization presents a list of around 1300 programs which are divided form state to state.

The Personal Planning
It is always prudent to accumulate your own money that can be used in case of any emergency. This farsightedness can make your and your family's future happier even in the worst situations. Money is needed in all walks of life. Even if you save a single penny a day since childhood, it will be a great help in the long run. So, it is better to be wise today than to regret tomorrow.

Why Dieting May Not Be The Answer

Obesity is a real life problem that is spreading fast throughout the Western world but most particularly in the USA. It has given rise to literally 100s of diets and a huge money making industry that has grown up around peoples' desperate need to shed those pounds. However there is far more to losing weight than a mere diet.

Diets are good for emergency weight loss but they are in effect just a quick fix. Many people go thorough with a weight loss diet and do indeed lose weight and are ecstatic! Then when they return to a normal diet they see those pounds returning and pretty soon they are the same, or worse still, heavier than they were in the beginning. Depressed they give up and resign themselves to being fat.

You can avoid this happening to you with a few simple steps:

Avoid fad diets (ones in fashion) and "lose weight quick diets"
Do not just rely on diet alone combine with other weight loss techniques
Exercise
Mindset

Diets in fashion are just that. They are not usually long lasting and if you lose weight it is often only temporary. When you lose weight quickly your body will be stressed and you have a very good chance of regaining your weight and even adding more pounds. A better way is to adjust your eating habits permanently. This can be done by:

· Cutting out so-called junk foods like chips candy and sweets.
· Eating smaller portions
· Drinking more water
· Eating more fiber rich foods-these fill you up and stop you from getting so hungry

Combine with other weight loss techniques: do not just do dieting, for success use other techniques to help you lose weight, like exercise.<

Exercise: is one of the best ways to lose weight. You need only do about 20 minutes 3 times a week and you will be losing weight. A brisk walk everyday will help you lose and maintain weight control.

Mindset: Be determined to succeed and you will. Once you decide that you have a problem, (you are fat and need help) and are determined to lose weight you will be able to do it. You just need the willpower and attitude to make the changes in your lifestyle to lose those pounds.

Try to reduce stress (both mentally and physically): mental and physical stress causes your body to react by retaining weight and not allowing you to shed those unwanted pounds. Lack of sleep is a big factor in stressing out your body and one that many of us do. When you deprive yourself of sleep your body reacts to this stress by retaining fat and not enabling you to lose weight. Mental stress is a big factor in weight loss. When you are stressed or even depressed there is a tendency to eat more to relieve emotions. Plus your body views this frame of mind as a stress factor and again inhibits weight loss.

Next time you decide to get rid of those unwanted pounds do not just rely on diet. Change your habits and try to put all these simple techniques to work and you will lose more weight than you expected. When you lose weight you will look better feel better and be able to live a healthier more satisfying life.
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