วันจันทร์ที่ 31 มีนาคม พ.ศ. 2551

Are Webmasters Actually Ninjas?

Author : Steve Hansen

Are Webmasters Actually Ninjas?

1)Webmasters enjoy working at night when no one else is around
and it is quiet. Ninjas work at night under the cover of
darkness.

2)Ninjas where tight fitting black clothing and black shoes.
Webmasters wear tight fitting black T-shirts.

3)Ninjas rely on cunning skill and black magic tricks to
accomplish their mission. Webmasters often resort to black hat
SEO tricks in order to get their pages ranked well in Google and
Yahoo.

4)Ninjas use smoke bombs to disappear. Webmasters are much more
advanced in this area. They do not even need smoke bombs. They
often disappear without notice. You have a better chance of
getting a Ninja on the phone in 2005 than you do your
programmer.

5)Ninjas use deception as a tactic to confuse and spread fear.
Webmasters deceive everyone. Only they can understand their
massive file structures.

6)Ninjas use their special insight to view the source of their
enemy's power. Webmasters use 'view source' as an age old
intelligence gathering technique about their enemy.

7)Ninjas use a secret code to communication to other ninjas.
Webmasters use heavily coded languages to IM other designers. No
one has any idea what they are talking about.

8)Ninjas have been known to throw sharp metallic objects when
encountering an enemy. Webmasters have been known to throw
metallic data processing units across the room when encountering
a blue screen.

9)Ninjas are hired because the client doesn't want to confront
the enemy himself. Webmasters are hired because the client
doesn't want to confront the "HTML for Dummies" himself.

Category : Cardio

The Pregnancy Glow and Other Myths of Motherhood

Author : Barbara A. Eastom Bates
It happened during the ninth month of my first pregnancy. I was going through a department store check-out lane where a teenage girl was ringing up my purchases. She looked shyly at my burgeoning belly with an expression that could only be described as reverent.With eyes full of dreams of future motherhood she asked, “Is pregnancy really as bad as everyone says?”Without the slightest guilt, I replied, “No. It’s worse.”The DeceptionWhen my husband and I announced the birth of our blessed expectation some months prior, along with endless congratulations, I received the good news of the many wonderful changes I could expect."You’ll positively glow.”“Your hair and nails will look fabulous.”“You’ll feel absolutely beautiful.”According to family and friends, as a gestating woman, I would feel nothing short of a precious vessel, glowing with health and radiance given only to those experiencing the miracle of growing a child.About a week later, wearing the pallor of death, I was running away from the smell of my husband’s lunchtime tuna fish sandwich knowing I’d never been so violently ill my entire life.The RealityAlthough it’s rumored there are actually women who sail through pregnancy untouched by any ills or discomfort, I was not one of them. If I’d ever experienced a pregnancy glow, I’m certain I could only have been radioactive.I was told to expect a little morning sickness. I didn’t anticipate 24/7 progesterone poisoning, body aches, or never ending fatigue. And in all the happy tales of pregnancy recounted to me, I'm certain I'd have remembered hearing if pure, unadulterated misery were mentioned as a symptom of gestation.Sitting in my obstetrician’s office near the end of the first trimester, she asked how I was feeling. “Sick.”“Good.” She replied.Seeing my defeated look, she offered a small respite. “You’ll start to feel better after week 12 or 13.”I crossed the days off my calendar waiting for magical week 13. It came and went. My never ending nausea did not. I was sick, tired, and sick of being both.I'd been told how sharing a child together would make my marital relationship more intimate. I, on the other hand, hated my husband. No matter he and I had joyfully consented to make this child together, or that he worried and did the best he could to make me feel more comfortable. Somewhere in the back of my mind, as I watched him lie peacefully asleep at night while I was awake fending off nausea, all I could think was, “this is your fault.”And so it went for the entire duration of nine months. I knew beyond any shadow of a doubt, if I ever survived this go-round on the pregnancy rollercoaster, there would be no more children in my future, ever. Motherhood just wasn’t all that it was cracked up to be.The Grand DebutJacob Lyle arrived in early fall that year, bearing 10 perfect fingers and toes, a head full of brown hair and big blue eyes. He was bruised and battered from birth, yet, to my eyes, perfection unlike the world had ever seen before.Suddenly, my entire life made sense. At 23-years old, I wasn’t yet sure what I wanted to be when I grew up, or what my future held outside of being a wife to my husband. With the arrival of Jacob, I knew exactly why I was hereâ€"to be the mother of this beautiful child. Having Jacob filled my life with a sense of awe and wonder I had never known. I was a mother, and that was enough.Altered ExpectationsWhile I had expected sleepless nights with my newborn, what I hadn’t expected was how much I would enjoy them. I gladly gave up sleep to have the chance just to hold my tiny son in my arms and look at his sweet face.I expected life to change. I never expected the very foundations of my world to be rocked. It came as a total shock that the simple act of becoming a motherâ€"wasn’t simple.Previous to motherhood, tragedy in the world was sad. After the birth of my son, it was heart-wrenching. No longer could I watch a movie or read a news report depicting harm to a child without emotion. Every child became my child. What if it were Jacob who was sick? What if it were Jacob who was injured?Issues I’d previously given no thought suddenly became of substantial importance. Was there truly a difference between breastfeeding and formula feeding? Should we circumcise? If I vaccinated my child, he could have a serious adverse reaction. If I chose not to vaccinate, he could become very ill.I became an information addict and read every book on childcare I could get my hands on and spent endless hours researching my concerns and second guessing my decisions. The rest of my waking hours were spent staring at Jacob as he slept, assuring myself he was still breathing and would only continue to do so thorough my conscious willing of it. Fortunately, he survived my new mother paranoia and came out relatively unscathed-- or at least, I will assume so until I’m presented with a bill for therapy.Personal TruthsI had gone into motherhood with the words of many fostering my belief I’d have a baby, but life would eventually go back to normal again by the magical six-week check-up (at which point I'd also have lost all my baby weight). What I didn’t know when I gave birth was normal was gone forever, along with any peace of mind, my figure, and any hope of a good night’s sleep, but that I’d never trade a moment of my new life to have it back again.Motherhood, I’ve come to find, is a journey rather than a destination. And while we may endeavor to share experiences with a new mom-to-be, the truths of motherhood remain personal and hers alone to find. The only certainty is the journey is well worth traveling.I only wish I could talk to that teenager one more time.About The AuthorBarbara Eastom Bates is the author of the upcoming release, "Basic Training for Brides-to-Be," and editor-in-chief of Operation Military Spouse, http://www.operationmilitaryspouse.com.opmilspouse@yahoo.com
Category : Innovation

วันเสาร์ที่ 29 มีนาคม พ.ศ. 2551

Beginners Guide When Looking To Buy a Pocket Bike

Author : Charles and Susan Truett
When looking to buy a pocket bike (miniature motorcycle) be sure to do your research. You need to find reliable sales professionals, dealers, or Internet connections to make this purchase. There are many 'knock-offs' or imitations out there and to purchase them would be a waste of your money and time. The parts for these imitations are not typically found and in the rare event that you can find them they will be extremely costly and are typically not guaranteed.

To assist you in making the best buy, talk to others that have already have a pocket bike such as a trusted friend or co-worker, your local pocket bike league, local dealers, etc. You can use the Internet to assist in you in your research as well. This will allow you a more time efficient method of comparing prices as well as obtaining information for various bikes. You will be able to compare the price of the actual bike as well as any amenities offered, allowing you to see which has the best offer.

Also note that when you buy a pocket bike, the laws vary from state to state and country to country. Speak with your local law enforcement agencies and local pocket bike league so that you understand all local rules, regulations, and laws. You are making an investment and it would be a waste of money as well as your time to lose such an extraordinary machine because you failed to get all the correct information.

Once you have done your research and have decided to make your purchase, make sure of any safety equipment and/or gear you made need. You are making this purchase to have fun and fulfill some dreams, so your safety should be a priority so that you may continue to do so.

And now that you have done everything you need to make your purchase wisely and ensure your laws and safety, go out there and have fun. This is why you why you want to buy your pocket bike to begin with.

วันศุกร์ที่ 28 มีนาคม พ.ศ. 2551

Barclays Travel Insurance reports winter tourists prefer down under to down hill

Author : PR Sending

Research from Barclays Travel Insurance has shown that Melbourne and Sydney have seen a huge increase in the number of visiting British tourists this winter as millions opted to take in the English cricket teams Ashes whitewash rather than the white slopes of a ski holiday. The research from Barclays Travel Insurance indicates that Sydney has seen a 25% increase in Brits visiting the city whilst Melbourne welcomed a massive 140% more British tourists than last year. The Australian cities are also two of the destinations with the biggest increase in the amount spent by British tourists with spending in Melbourne increasing by 178%. Other destinations which are seeing an upsurge in UK visitors include Hong Kong and Phuket both popular stop-offs on route to Australia and New York, where shoppers have been flocking to take advantage of the strong pound/dollar exchange rateThe top 5 list of destinations and percentage increases by British visitor numbers from December 2005-January 2006 compared with December 2006-January 2007 were:1. Melbourne 140%2. Sydney 25%3. Phuket 24%4. Hong Kong 21%5. Dubai 15%In contrast, spending and visitor numbers to European ski resorts such as Meribel, Val DIsere and Chamonix were down by up to 18% on the same time last year, which was not helped by the limited snow fall which have occurred so far this season across these regions.The list of the top six ski destinations and percentage changes by British visitor numbers and spending from December 2005-January 2006 compared with December 2006-January 2007 shows:1. Chamonix -18%, spending -19%2. Val DIsere -12%, spending +9%3. Morzine -12%, spending -1%4. Meribel -2%, spending 0%5. Courchevel +1%, spending +18%6. Verbier +13%, spending +8%The top five destinations measured by the numbers of visiting British tourists across December and January are currently Paris, Sydney, Dublin, New York and Dubai. Las Vegas, Verbier and Phuket are the destinations where Brits spend the most an average of almost 400 each whilst British visitors to Dublin, Paris and Prague spend less than 100 each. Mark Till, Marketing Director for Barclays Insurance, comments: Long haul breaks seem to be becoming increasingly popular with British holidaymakers over the Christmas and New Year period. Flights are getting cheaper and Brits are prepared to trek further for the chance of some proper winter sunshine. Of course this year the numbers travelling to Australia were boosted further by the added attraction of the Ashes taking place whilst Europes slow start to the ski season due to a lack of snow has also encouraged tourists to look elsewhere.Barclays offers travel insurance for single and annual multiple trips across the world including winter sports cover. For more information, a quote and a 10% online discount visit the Barclays Insurance site. PR Contact:Elizabeth HollowayPR Manager - UK BankingBarclays Corporate AffairsLevel 8 1 Churchill PlaceLondonE14 5HPT: +44 (0)207 116 6229M: +44 (0)7917 503277E: elizabeth.holloway@barclays.com

Category : General Business: Insurance

วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 27 มีนาคม พ.ศ. 2551

Web Hosting, Where to Start?

Author : James Piper

Web hosting is a necessity when starting your web presence, with out it you don't have a site, but finding high quality web hosting can be a daunting challenge, after all, do you need one gigabyte of bandwidth, web hosting with one IP, unlimited databases or a free domain name. What does this really mean and what should you be looking for when you try to find a suitable web hosting company. Web hosting companies are extremely profitable if they are popular, they have high start-up costs, but over time their general overheads dramatically reduce (proportionally). This is evident if you think that they have to pay to get directly connected to the backbone in order to establish the fastest possible connection, they need secure fire resistance premises, equipment, support staff and much more. Once established their costs per web hosting account reduce, if you go to a major web hosting company and order a web hosting server, all they are really doing is adding a computer to their existing network, therefore splitting the overall costs. Then you pay approximately $150-$200 per month to keep that dedicated web hosting server. Your web hosting requirementsYou need to realistically establish what web hosting requirements you have for your site, do you really need 400 gigabytes of bandwidth (transfer) per month? Most sites are lucky to use 2 gigabytes per month from their web hosting account. Databases are another big issue, many web hosting companies change extra for databases, when in actual fact they don't cost anything to maintain as they reside on the same server. So before you proceed, you need to analyse what web hosting requirements you really have, look at the script requirements you have of any potential software products you plan to use on your web hosting account. Another limitation a lot of web hosting companies impose is the amount of mailboxes you can have, many people start on the internet with the intention of offering their friends, family and staff email boxes as well as numerous emails for their site, for example webmaster@domain.com , support@domain.com , jobs@domain.com and contact@domain.com . The chances are you really don't need that many mail boxes and administering them can be a gruelling task. You know your web hosting requirements, what next? Your primary goal should be to visit web hosting information sites in order to obtain a list of potential web hosting companies. A great web hosting information resource is Web Hosting Village, they provide web hosting articles, news and information, and in fact the best place to start your search for quality web hosting. Creating a list of potential web hosting companies Given that web hosting companies are profitable, they tend to advertise immensely across the internet. The more successful a web hosting company is the more they are willing to spend on web hosting related advertising. Therefore finding hosting companies via paid advertising, such as Googles Adsense, is generally a good idea as this a good step to take to establish how successful they have been. Short listingIn order to short list your potential web hosting companies you need to visit each site and just quickly look around, if the design is poor or they don't offer adequate support, then the chances are this web hosting company is not for you. Whether you are new to the whole web hosting experience or an expert, there will eventually be a time when you need to contact your web hosting support. If they are non existent then you will really have a problem, so establishing their channels of communication and support should be one of your top priorities when selecting a web hosting company. Inside informationOnce you have a shortlist of several web hosting companies, you need to research them via forums and webmaster communities. Chances are if someone has had a bad experience or extremely good they will want to write about it somewhere on the internet. SelectionYou should now have a list of two to three potential web hosting companies who you are really impressed with, now you need to make the selection. The best way is to weigh up the features and price and be really realistic as to your requirements, we have all been in the situation where we have been over ambitious and bought something that is too advanced for us.If you have a winning concept that will make you bigger than Yahoo or eBay, the chances are you still don't need a mega server when you start off, you just need something small and stable that will allow you to develop and promote your business. Once you have a good source of income you can upgrade your web hosting account with your current supplier and not experience any downtime whatsoever, so why pay for a mega web hosting account when you can get by with a $19.99 a month web hosting account and use the additional amount on marketing or development. James Piper, the owner of http://www.webhostingvillage.com, and avid web hosting enthusiast invites you to visit the internets best web hosting resource, Web Hosting Village. We have information and articles on everything from web hosting to dedicated servers.

Category : Hosting

วันพุธที่ 26 มีนาคม พ.ศ. 2551

A Mom's Fascination With Face Painting

Author : JoAnne Westcott

As the mom of a three and a five year old, I've been to many school events, community festivals and charity functions where the face painting booth, no matter what else was going on, was the star attraction.So I began to wonder, why is it that face painting booths are so popular? Attention - All children crave attention. Come to think of it, most adults do too. When a child is sitting in the chair, the face painter is completely focused on that child. You can just see how special that child feels at that moment.Creativity - Any kind of painting is an expression of creativity. When kids choose the design they wish to have painted on their face, they take command of their own creativity and self-expression.Individuality - Kids are expected to have the right toys?the right clothes. Generation after generation, youngsters are encouraged to conform to be socially accepted. Face Painting is one way to express individuality.Fun - Let's face it. Having your face painted is just plain fun. And is there any sweeter look than the quick glances that kids take of themselves in the mirror after a face painting session? That little smirk on their face is priceless!Face painting seemed like an awesome way to entertain my kids on a rainy day. Face Painters make it look so easy. I thought, "I can do that." I had so many questions, but not a clue where to start. I searched face painting on the internet and although I found some beautiful photos of full face creations, they didn't really help me much as a beginner. I simply wanted to learn how to paint a flower design on my daughter's cheek. I knew, however, that I could learn a lot from the artists who create those kind of masterpieces.So that's exactly where I chose to begin. I wanted to watch a face painter in action, talk to them, ask questions, dissect their technique. That is a pretty difficult thing to do in the middle of a festival or birthday party, but not if you hire one to come to your house?which is exactly what I did.Hiring a face painting professional could cost anywhere from $50 to over $200 an hour, depending on where you live. But the information you glean will be invaluable. Here are a few things I learned from my friend, the professional face painter:1. Do use the right paints. Don't use any paints that are not specifically designed for use on skin.2. Don't use cheap brushes. Spend at least $3.00 apiece on a few brushes and they will last a long time.3. Don't try to be all things to all people. It isn't necessary to paint 100 perfect designs. A small collection of 10 or 20 simple designs will make you look like a hero to the children.4. Do practice as much as you can?on people or on paper. With practice comes speed.5. Don't be afraid of making a mistake. Children are very forgiving, as is the paint. It's easily 'erasable'.6. Don't be nervous about fidgety kids. Speak calmly and quietly and they'll usually stay still.7. Do have fun. Face painting is a therapeutic, creative outlet.8. Do share your newfound talent. Volunteer your services at events and before you know it, someone may offer to pay you! About The AuthorJoAnne Westcott is the author of Easy Face Painting: How You Can Get Professional Results Even If You've Never Picked Up A Paintbrush. She is a work-at-home mom of two girls, ages 3 and 5, and resides in St. Louis, Missouri. You can learn more about Face Painting and how to acquire the simple skills to get started by visiting at http://www.easyfacepainting.com.jdwestcott@gmail.com

Category : Kids - Teen

How to replace a broken garage door torsion spring.

Author : Ricardo Aquino

Before you begin to disassemble your garage door's
counterbalance system, inspect your garage door thoroughly for
any damage that may have been the result of the spring's
failure. Make sure the center support is securely fastened, as
well as the track's flag brackets, jamb brackets and rear track
hangers. Check for damaged cables, etc. Any discrepancies should
be addressed before you work on that spring.
Ensure that
there is no tension on the spring or springs before you
disassemble.

If your door has only one spring:

1. Unbolt the stationary cone from the center support and slide
it over towards the drum.

2. Take note of the position
of the end bearing plate, then unbolt the bearing plate and
slide it off the shaft.

3. Loosen the drum's set screws
and slide the drum off the shaft. (You will probably have to
tap it with a hammer and wrestle it off due to possible
indentations made on the shaft by the drum's set
screws.)

4. This will be a good time to file down
any indentations that you may find on the shaft.

5.
Slide the broken spring off the shaft.

6. Carefully
slide the new spring onto the shaft. Avoid nicking or scraping
the spring's wire.

7. Slide the drum back onto the
shaft.

8. Slide the end bearing back onto the shaft and
bolt it down in the same spot it was originally at.

9.
Refasten the spring to the center support plate.

10. Go
the opposite drum and ensure that the drum's set screws are
tight and that the cable is wrapped properly around the drum.
Clamp a "Vise Grip" onto the shaft so that it is up against the
wall preventing the drum from turning allowing the cable to go
slack.

11. Go back to the loose drum, reconnect the
cable then turn the drum so that the cable wraps securely around
the drum. Tighten the drum's set screws.

12. Check both
cable's tautness, they should be the same. Adjust as
needed.

13. Wind the spring with a couple of steel rods
that fit securely and all the way into the winding plug's four
holes. There is a chart at
http://www.garagedoorsupply.com/torsionspringinstallation.html
which will tell you how many turns to wind your spring to. This
chart is only a guide, you must test your door's balance after
the spring is wound and adjust the tension as needed.

NOTE: If your door has two springs that share the center support
then you MUST remove the tension completely from the
spring that is not broken before you undo the stationary cone
from the center support.

As you may have realized by now, this repair is not rocket
science. Anyone can do it provided they have a little mechanical
aptitude, exercise caution and common sense.

If you
are unsure of your mechanical abilities, please do not attempt
to replace a torsion spring. Refer to your Yellow Pages for a
qualified garage door repairperson in your area.

Category : Time Management