Posts Tagged → questions
Nip/Tuck & Travel
Looking for an extreme makeover or just a little Nip/Tuck?
Are you aware of the growing trend of medical tourism? If not, consider this, have the vacation adventure of a lifetime in an exotic country, with sun, sea and pristine white beaches. Your personal assistant awaits you at the airport, accompanied by car and driver. You are whisked away to a luxury beach hotel where you are warmly greeted and everything has been made “just right” for your arrival. Sound great so far? Now add world class plastic surgery. Got your interest?
The kicker, the price tag! This “lifestyles of the rich and famous” treatment will run you half the cost of staying home and having just the surgery. Yes, you heard right half the cost of staying home and having just the surgery! Imagine all this and medical treatment or plastic surgery performed by some of most qualified surgeons in the world. No wonder hundreds of thousands of people annually are exploring the advantages of medical tourism.
A well-known Dallas socialite who travels every year to have “a little work done” said “Why in the world would I pay double the money for half the quality?” That’s a good question. She went further adding, “I could never afford the top surgeon in Dallas, but abroad I can, and would I really want to trust my face or body to my second choice because my wallet couldn’t stretch far enough?
Plastic surgery and medical tourism trends continue to grow every year. Medical tourism is expected to be a global $2 billion dollar market by 2012. Countries where medical tourism is being actively promoted include South Africa, India, Malaysia, Philippines Singapore and South America. The latter, South America is known for being home to arguably the best plastic surgeons in the world.
There is no end in sight for the worldwide growth of medical tourism, in fact, Malaysian Airlines recently announced their plans to become the first airline to book medical holidays direct from their travel agents and ticket counters. The giant tour operator Thomas Cook has also announced plans to market medical holidays in the near future.
The worldwide demand for plastic surgery rises every year and as more individuals who desire a “Nip/Tuck” realize they can afford VIP treatment with a top surgeon in another country they’re packing their bags and heading to the airport.
Emotional Eating: A Prime Ingredient for Obesity
Sandra found her weight ballooning 60 pounds after her separation from her husband. While part of the weight gain was apparently tied to the medication she was taking, the rest appeared to be the result of what can be described as emotional eating. In recent years, greater attention has been focused on the problem of emotional eating for both women and men. In fact, some experts have gone so far as to claim that most weight gain can be blamed on emotional eating. According to Women Today magazine, it has been estimated that as much as 75 percent of overeating is attributed to the emotions.
For a number of people, overeating stems from anxiety. For instance, if you find yourself consuming an entire bag of potato chips, it’s possible that anxiety is the cause. While many people realize that alcohol and illegal drugs are not an antidote to anxiety, they may not understand that indulging in comfort food in order to combat anxiety can be dangerous as well.
In other cases, overeating may be the result of depression. If you feel tired, hopeless, and have lost interest in your normal activities, you may be suffering from a depressive episode. In order to deal with these uncomfortable feelings, people may turn to food in an effort to cheer up. The problem is that the food can lead to weight gain, which can lead to further depression.
At times, overeating may be a symptom of boredom. An individual may figure that he or she has nothing better to do than overeat. This can be particularly true when one is watching television or surfing the Internet. Rather than trying to determine a cause for the boredom, an individual may just try to “fix” it by indulging in high-fat, high-calorie food.
How do you know if you are an emotional eater? Ask yourself some key questions: Do I tend to eat when I’m worried? Scared? Sad? Do I find that eating lifts my spirits? Am I spending more time eating than engaging in other activities I enjoy? Do my binges come after I’ve suffered disappointment? Am I turning to food in order to deal with the death of a loved one…a divorce…or the defeat of my favorite team? If the answers to any of these questions is “yes,” you may be overeating purely for emotional reasons.
After you’ve identified yourself as an emotional eater, you’ll need to take steps to correct your behavior. Perhaps the most effective technique is diversion. In other words, if you find yourself reaching for the cookie jar, find another activity to engage in. The answer could be taking a walk, kickboxing, or dancing. Or it could be something less physically demanding, such as needlepoint or crochet. The idea is to get your hands…and perhaps the rest of your body…moving. In time, you might find the urge to overeat subsides as you become involved with other activities.
Another effective step you can take is to identify the triggers for your emotional eating. Do you tend to binge in mid-morning, mid-afternoon, or right before bedtime? Are you snacking while watching television, while at the computer, or when you’re sitting in your favorite chair? By asking yourself these questions, you can identify the time of day when you overeat, as well as the location for your binging. With this information, you can learn to re-direct your behavior to less fattening pursuits.
Yet another helpful technique is to develop a support network to help you combat overeating. The members of your support team could include your spouse, children, parents, friends, or other over-eaters. You may even consider joining a support group which specializes in helping those who engage in binge eating. If you feel the need to overeat, contact a member of your support team. Talking through your emotions could provide you with the emotional release you need, making overeating unnecessary.
If your anxiety or depression persists, consider seeing a psychotherapist. He or she can help you develop more effective coping mechanisms. If you find it difficult to talk to friends or family about your overeating, a psychotherapist can provide you with the talk therapy you need to overcome your problem.
iPhones on eBay
Can you buy an iPhone on eBay? Yes, you can. However, there are important things to watch out for if you want to buy iPhones on eBay. With eBay it is always caveat emptor – buyer beware. This is true when you are looking to purchase iPhones on eBay as well. If you take measures to be sure that you know what you are buying, then you can get a really great deal on an iPhone. However, if you are not careful, you will be disappointed and possibly out of a lot of money. This is what you need to be aware of when buying iPhones on eBay.
First, know what you are buying and if you are not sure ask the seller before you bid. Some things to look out for are conflicting information between the title and the extended description. For example there was a listing for an unlocked 16 GB iPhone. That is what the title said. In the description is stated very clearly that this phone is locked but then went on to say that they are using it with T-Mobile, so it is clearly unlocked. The best way to resolve issues like this is to send the seller an email and ask for clarification. Save this email and the response you get so that if you are the winning bidder you have recourse if the iPhone is not as described.
Know the difference between unlocked and locked. Unlocked means that the firmware has been hacked and now you can insert any chip that will work on ST&T or T-Mobile’s networks. If you use T-Mobile you will lose the visual voice mail, which is an AT&T exclusive feature. In the US the iPhone will work only on cell phone networks AT&T and T-Mobile. This has nothing to do with the chip and everything to do with the wiring. The iPhone will only work on the radio frequencies that AT&T and T-Mobile provide. The terms “unlocked” and “new, unopened box” are incompatible. You have to open up the box and hack into the firmware in order to unlock the iPhone. Apple does not ship unlocked iPhones. In order to hack into the iPhone you must open the box, and hook the iPhone up to a computer. This is hardly unopened. Locked means that the firmware that Apple shipped the phone with is intact and untouched. These phones will only activate and work on the AT&T network. However, a locked phone has no issues or troubles with any firmware upgrades whereas an unlocked phone must be careful when updating to be sure they do not re-lock the iPhone.
Another thing to look out for when buying iPhones on eBay is to know if the phone is refurbished, new, or used. A refurbished iPhone is one that Apple (hopefully) has taken from not working properly to a like new state. This is a great way to get an inexpensive iPhone. However, an ethical seller will clearly state that this is a refurbished item. Les scrupulous sellers may not disclose this. If unsure, ask. New and used are self-explanatory.
Be alerted to the fact that there are phones that are similar in appearance to the iPhone but they are not iPhones. On eBay, you will see phones called A88, iPhone, PDA, cell phone… These are not Apple iPhones, they are iPhone look alike. Make sure that the manufacturer of any iPhone you purchase is Apple and not CECT.
Finally make sure that you are aware of the sellers return policies and only pay through PayPal using a credit card or pay directly with a credit card. Never pay with cash, checks, Western Union, wire transfers or money orders. This way if you are sold a fraudulent item, you have recourse through your credit card company or PayPal. Buyers who do not take credit cards or PayPal are questionable so once again remember caveat emptor, buyer beware.
eBay tries to make their venue a safe place to purchase items. An educated consumer stands the best chance of getting a good deal. Before you buy iPhones on eBay do a little research to be sure you are getting exactly what you are looking for.
Get Started With Your First Blog
There is no question that blogging is one of the best ways to get keyword rich content on your site, get your message on the search engines and get traffic to your website. But how do you get started blogging?
When you consider starting a blog there are many options. A great way to get started blogging quickly (and for free) is to use an online ‘standalone’ service like WordPress or Google’s Blogger. These are free, highly customizable tools that support both new and more advanced bloggers. The negative is that you can’t use your website’s domain name. For instance, if using Blogger, you blog address would be something like ‘yourblog.blogspot.com.’ While you can link to this from your current website, search engines won’t know give you ‘credit’ for the extra content since it is a different domain. With creative cross linking however, you can still benefit from the increased exposure you can get from a blog.
These free services provide powerful software tool that balance value, quality, and ease of use. While some people prefer to use more basic blog services, they too can truly benefit from the ‘built-in’ benefits of WordPress or Blogger along with its existing large community of users.
One of the most notable benefits of these services is the ease of use, and advanced functionality of the service compared to some blog software applications. Neither Blogger nor WordPress require you to know any ‘coding’ and allow you to built and post to your blog with easy to use icons similar to what one would see in a word processing program. Having the ability to utilize a program like this allows people to create blogs that are as high tech, and complete as full blown websites.
If you are occasionally ‘offline’ you can benefit from WordPress’s ability to import posts. This means you can put your blog together while you are not connected to the internet and then import it later. If you already use another blogging service such you can also import your posts directly into Blogger or WordPress.
Another benefit of these services is their large widget or element and theme libraries that allow you to instantly add useful features, and professional looking styles to your blog. A very simple drag and drop interface allows you to add features such as an RSS feed with a few clicks.
Another option to consider would be blogging software that you can directly integrate into your website. Some hosting provides such as GoDaddy allow you to use your existing domain name for you blog. The benefit is that the content of your blog becomes part of what search engines see for your domain. In these cases you are more likely to pay a monthly add-on fee to your hosting provider. As an alternative, Google’s Blogger allows you to publish to a FTP site, which means you can blog from your own domain. You lose some of the flexibility of the ‘out of the box’ service, but with a little effort you can have a customized template and pretty easy posting capability that resides within your domain.
As your needs become more advanced or if you are a more technical blogger you may also consider blogging software that can be directly integrated into your website. One to consider is bBlog. bBlog is an open source, PHP/MySQL application. If you don’t know what the last sentence means, then this isn’t for you. If you do know, then you may benefit from the expanded flexibility an integrated application could provide.
In the end, you have a wide, wide range of very inexpensive (or free) options to get started.
7 Tips For Beautiful Skin
For most women, part of the morning and evening routines involve a skincare regimen of applying creams, moisturizers, tonics, lotions, and the like. Why do women put themselves through this? They do it primarily to combat the signs of aging, and to maintain youthful looks and beautiful skin! It is a safe bet, however, that most women haven’t put much thought into what is in the products that they are using.
Some women probably do not realize that what they are putting on their skin may actually be undermining what they are trying to prevent to begin with. In fact the average woman puts twelve products on her skin daily, most of which contain harmful chemical preservatives. Dr. Myron Wentz, founder and chairperson of USANA Health Sciences, has this to say about beauty in the company magazine’s June/July 2005 issue: “Some say that beauty is only skin deep. Nonsense! I believe that true beauty is a reflection of true health, and true health begins deep inside each and every cell in the body. But true health and true beauty have an outer component, which is why we require protection from environmental insults such as solar radiation, pollutants in our environment and the drying effects of air. . . The fact is you simply cannot contain a healthy body if your skin isn’t healthy. And your skin can’t be healthy if your are subjecting it to toxic substances that are ultimately absorbed into your body.”
So, what can women do? How can they combat environmental pollutants, the affect of solar radiation, and the drying effects of air? How can they be sure they are using the very best products on their skin so they can be healthy inside and out? Here are 7 tips to assist in this process:
1. Be very aware of what is in skincare products. Use products that are all natural as much as possible.
2. Look for products that contain Dermal Surface Renewal Technology. DSR smoothes away existing signs of aging such as laugh lines, crows feet, and dullness.
3. Use products that have regenisomes. Regenisomes penetrate the skin to speed cell renewal after sun exposure. They also use the light of photosomes to undo sun damage, and have ultrasomes to renew skin while sleeping.
4. Find products with Proteo-C and Proflavonol-T. These two vitamins protect the skin from premature aging caused by the sun, pollution, and other environmental factors. They also provide advanced nutrition to the skin to keep it appearing smooth and firm.
5. If possible, use products that are paraben free. Parabens are synthetic chemical preservatives that are widely used in personal care products such as shampoos, conditioners, hair styling products, make-up, facial masks, skin lotions and creams, and deodorants. They also are typically ingredients in baby lotions, shampoos, and other personal care products for infants and children. In addition, parabens are in many foods and pharmaceutical products. Researchers are beginning to find parabens in benign and malignant human breast tumors. While some studies have challenged their toxicity in many products and question their long term affect on humans, using products that are paraben free can eliminate the risk of exposure to this harmful chemical.
6. Drink plenty of water! Water hydrates skin and hair as well as flushes toxins out of the body.
7. Limit stress or learn to manage it effectively. Stress is harmful both emotionally and physically. Find that stress reliever activity that works best and use it on a daily basis!
Follow the above 7 tips to true beauty and health.
Remodeling the Kitchen
Brand new dishwashers, awesome stoves and ovens, along with brand new refrigerators are all types of appliances that are frequently called upon when trying to decide on interesting things to do when remodeling the kitchen area of the house. The kitchen is a great way to remodel your home, but can also be one of the most frustrating projects you could ever take on. Not only are there so many things to consider, but other questions are important to consider also, such as how long the whole process will take and if you will ever be without a kitchen for a day or two while the remodeling is happening.
However, most homeowners enjoy the time that they spend remodeling their kitchens. One of the most common additions that individual homeowners make when remodeling their kitchen is new cabinets. There are so many options to use when adding new cabinets. The first choice is to build completely brand new cabinets to use for storage. If the current cabinets are sufficient then you may only need to do a cabinet makeover, which means simply adding a fresh coat of paint to them.
If you are a homeowner and you do decide to construct new cabinets in the kitchen then there are also a couple other options. First, consider whether or not you truly need to hire a contractor to do the job. You may be able to complete new kitchen cabinets as a do-it-yourself project, which would save money in the long run.
Re-doing the Floors
The floor is another big project to take on, and this is another possible do-it-yourself remodeling project for the kitchen. Unless you are in a big hurry to complete the floors in the kitchen, many people find that it is an enjoyable time when they re-do their kitchen floors by themselves. There are many people who decide to tile the kitchen floors; however, laminate floors are a definite option too. There are several laminate floors that are great for kitchens and some of them will even make it look nice and attractive for potential home buyers.
Scrapping the Entire Kitchen
Of course, many people consider what would be ideal when remodeling their kitchen. Remodeling any room in the house is a big project to undertake anyway, so there are some individuals who just decide to go completely out on a limb and structurally change the way their kitchen is set up. This does mean that you will probably be without your kitchen for a day or two, but the wait will definitely be worth it. If your kitchen is currently a plain old kitchen that needs plenty of updates then consider expanding and re-doing the whole thing.
Changes may be needed if you are going to switch appliances around, but some of the possibilities of this type of remodeling project include adding a built-in stove, adding and building an island to store pots and pans (which can also double as a chef’s work place), as well as making more storage room and expanding the countertops and counter-space. All of these things will not only literally bring your kitchen to life, but they’ll add an excellent value to your home that you’ve never had before!
What is a business analyst?
A business analyst is a person whose job is to analyze business needs and critical problems for the stakeholders and propose practical solutions. Many times this is done with a project proposal. The business analyst is to study the proposal, determining which would be the best course of action to reach the proposed solution. At times this can not be done.
The plan and solution may look good on paper. When it comes time to implement the program, people and teams can be divided. 50% of all project proposals fail due to a lack of communication. The business analyst must also be a good people person to make the teams work together for the betterment of the business.
The entire project is based on saving money. When a qualified business analyst can not perform his or her duties because of the lack of co-operation, the result is a waste of time and money. The project is doomed for failure. A business analyst must be able to use negotiation skills and motivational techniques for the entire project to succeed short term and long term.
A business analyst will listen. Instead of jumping ahead and looking at the goal, he or she will take the time to understand the needs of the company. Asking questions is a key element to success in the world of business analysis. If the business analyst fails to comprehend the true needs of a company, the project can be sidetracked with issues unrelated. Again, the result would be failure.
A certified business analyst has been trained to read and recognize omissions in the project proposal. He or she will understand the need for outsourcing certain tasks. Choosing to use in-house personnel or outside resources will be something the professional business analyst can determine by assessing the needs of the company. This may be where a lack of communication or even team failure comes into the equation. A good analyst will explain as the project progresses so each team knows what is happening.
The business analyst may be hired to complete a proposed project but he or she must pull the company together as a whole. A good analyst knows company failure can result because of division in the offices or departments. He or she will see to it the company as a whole can see the vision of the business. He or she will explain how each department is integrated with the other. The project proposal may include more than is listed. The proposal may take another route to get the job done. A business analyst familiar with the industry involved will be able to recognize the overlooked or not so obvious issues involved.
There are times when services from outside sources may be utilized by the business. The business analyst is trained to understand the importance or lack of need for these sources. He or she can determine the most cost effective way to use the sources. The business analyst may find directing the designated tasks to in-house departments more beneficial to the company. This is part of researching the project proposal. The business analyst is to determine the most cost effective way to reach the goal and still succeed with a bottom line net profit.
How to Avoid Scams
If you want to make money writing articles online, there is a good chance that you will turn to the internet in search of paying clients. Unfortunately, you are likely to come across a number of scams along the way. Writing articles for money is a great work-at-home opportunity, but, work-at-home opportunities are often common fronts for scammers. So, how can you avoid these scams? You may be surprised just how easy it is.
First, it is important to know what types of scams are out there. You may find what appears to be a great client who wants you to write 15 articles on fashion jewelry. However, after submitting your articles, your client is nowhere to be found. They took your articles without paying for them. For a writer who takes great pride in their work, this is one of the worst types of scams to fall victim to. There are also scams where companies, claiming to provide you with article writing jobs charge you a fee and then just take your money and run. Some scammers will also create fake article writing jobs in hopes of getting your personal information.
As for acquiring your personal information and using it illegally, a legitimate business owner may need your social security number, as they need to report this information on their taxes. Unfortunately, this is how many scammers get personal information out of hopeful writers. To prevent this from happening from you, know the difference between a well-established website and company versus someone who is only asking you to write four articles. Work with a new client a few times before providing them with any personal information. If you are paid and without problems, the individual or company in question really may need your personal information.
As for someone taking your articles and running, without paying you, there are a number of ways to avoid this scam. Be cautious of new clients. For projects that are large in size, request a small amount of the payment upfront or at the halfway point. If you aren’t paid, don’t write more articles. For smaller projects, where you may feel uncomfortable asking for payment upfront, use you best judgment. If your articles are not paid for, you retain the rights to them, meaning you can resell them.
As for “companies,” who request you pay a fee, you will also want to use your best judgment. There are legitimate companies online that will charge you $5 or $10 a month to participate in their article writing programs. A small fee doesn’t mean that the site is legitimate, but run away from fees that are high, like $20 or more. Also, never pay a company that claims you can make thousands of dollars a day. Article writing can be a well-paying gig, but since it is a legitimate job, so you should have reasonable expectations.
As previously stated, be sure to use your best judgment. Although some online scams can be easy to fall for, most are easy to spot and from a mile away. As long as you know that article writing scams do exist and what to look for, you can better protect yourself. By steering clear of the above mentioned scams, you can enjoy a long and profitable career as an article writer.
Healthy Minds
Healthy minds and mental health is a revolutionary status that we all must face everyday. We all face many problems everyday including terrorism, child abuse, rape, and murder and so forth whether indirectly or directly. There is no escape, so who is really out in this world with a healthy mind? NO ONE! If you honestly think that you are an exception to the rule then you are on the path to destruction.
Even professionals are plagued with problems and if they say they are not, then you had better see someone else immediately. The fact is most psychological professionals go into the business trying to escape their own realities in life. Many professionals would rather help someone else while burying their problems under the surface.
Mental health related issues interrupt even professionals in the criminal system every single day. There is no one in this world excluded from mental illness.
There are all types of people in the world, starting with business related people who think they do not have a problem. Do you know what they do every night when they go home? Do you know how they handle their stressors? If you do, no need to read on, since I am out to revenge those that believe they have all the answers to each problem we face everyday of our lives, whether it is directly or indirectly.
I am out to avenge those that believe they are special and everyone around them has a problem. I am a realist, an expert in many fields and a woman that has gone all lengths to correct many opinions, theories, guesses and so forth. I do not believe that a person has the right to disregard another simply because they believe someone is imagining things. Rather, I will look closely at a person with mental illnesses and regard them before I will regard the so-called normal. Let me hit you with my best shot. Contributes to Pat Benetar, we can see that there are many individuals in life and all of us have our own state of mind.
We have schizophrenias, psychotics, bipolar, depressive, psychopathic, sociopath, and so forth. The problem is we are not agreeing on one belief. We have people that believe the law is right in all areas, but others that claim the law is controlling, which in fact, this second dis right in a large way.
In reality psychopathic and sociopath as well as other mental ill individuals are deemed GENUISES. Now we have a bunch of geniuses in life and a lot of average thinkers, so what are we going to do? When you are looking at geniuses verses common thinkers there are going to be conflicts, and each one will have their own state of mind devoid the other. We are talking CONTROVERSY!
Controversy? Let’s run like hell until we get there. When we do not understand something it is called IGNORANT. When we understand but refuse to accept it, is called STUPID. Now, if you think I am insulting, well, let’s take a closer look at what I am talking about and then you go ahead and judge me. OK. Ignorant, we have a problem; someone else does not see life the way we see life…HUM! Ok…I see it now.
You are different from the other person you are talking to, and I am not seeing why this person thinks this way? HUM! Is it possible this person lived more than I lived? Does this person have more experience? Is it possible this person has a medical related problem that is instigating their psychological impairment? Is it possible that the mind is affected and the body is not? What about the nervous system, how does it contribute to the mental status of the person? HUM! I am going to let you answer these questions yourself, since I do not have time to waste time.
But, after years of living, it should be obvious. We are talking about some real-life problems here and everyone is ignoring them, or disregarding them, stating that everyone should be treated the same. WRONG! Are you going to treat someone with Schizophrenia the same as you would treat a common mental ill individual? NO! IF you do, you are the one with more problems than the one that suffers Schizophrenia.
The fact is these people are suffering and if you continue to ignore them, you will suffer too. While you are sitting around blaming the victim, you might as well sit around and blame yourself.
There are many cognitive disorders that we will discuss in the next article, however understanding which is cognitive and what is not can help us to understand mental illnesses.
