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Most lamps require either floor or table space to be put into a room that needs light, and this can sometimes be a problem when there is not extra space. Instead of using a floor or table lamp, wall sconces and wall lamps can be used. Wall sconces and wall lamps are lighting fixtures that can be attached directly to a wall, and can provide the same amount of light as any basic lamp. Wall sconces and wall lamps work great in places that need extra light, such as hallways, bathrooms, or even living and bedrooms. They only require a small space on any wall, yet can provide enough light to light up an entire room. Originally wall sconces and wall lamps were meant for hallways and other areas where a floor lamp would not fit, but they are now being put in many different rooms to add a decorative touch along with a significant amount of light.

Wall sconces and wall lamps do require a little installation, since they must be mounted to a wall and minimal electrical work must also be done. Even though installing wall sconces and wall lamps may be a little bit harder than a typical floor or table lamp, they can save you space while adding a beautiful decoration to almost any room.

You can even choose to install a wall sconce that uses candles rather than a light bulb, since they require less installation and you can display your favorite candles almost anywhere in your home. They look great in entryways or hallways, and can still provide light in darker areas that may need it.

Not only are wall sconces and wall lamps great for lighting up darker rooms or areas in your home, but also work great to create certain atmospheres in some rooms. You can install a wall sconce in your laundry room to add a little energy to it, or even place one in your dark hallway to make it seem bright and welcoming. Wall sconces and wall lamps also work great in bedrooms, since they can provide enough light to read at night or watch a movie.

Because wall sconces and wall lamps come in a number of different styles and sizes, it is very simple to find one that can fit almost any room. More traditional sconces and lamps would look great in a formal dining or living room, while unique and colorful ones may look great in a bedroom or playroom for kids. Because wall sconces and wall lamps are placed on a wall rather than a table or the floor, you will never have to worry about a child knocking one down or breaking a lamp.

With wall sconces and wall lamps becoming more popular in the decorative world, they are very easy to find. Lamp specialty stores and even hardware stores contain a wide variety of wall sconces and wall lamps, or they can be purchased at a number of different online stores. They can be found with lights that shine up or down, and even some that can be put either way. Wall sconces and wall lamps are great when trying to add some extra light to almost any room, and also work great to add a beautiful decorative touch to your home.

Des S is the founder of SNSLamps.com,which is a division of SNSDesigns,Inc. They carry wide selection of unique table lamps. They offer the most popular housewarming ideas, such as tiffany style lamps, table lamps, buffet lamps for everyone.

A revolution has turned around Central Alternative High School in Appleton, Wisconsin, and its problem kids. Respect, achievement, and discipline prevail where once kids packed weapons, took drugs, and exhibited terrible rudeness.

Before 1997 the teens, sent there from twelve area schools, ingested a slurry of behavior-altering chemicals that left them irritable, fidgety, and unable to concentrate. The culprit chemicals were not cocaine, speed, marijuana or heroin, but the industrial food additives found on grocers shelves.

Thanks to the simple elimination of commonly lurking food dyes, chemical flavorings, and preservatives, and the introduction of fresh nutritional foods for breakfast and lunch, the school boasts five years of zero drop-outs, zero expulsions, zero drugs, zero weapons possession, and zero fighting on campus.

The startling success at Central Alternative High (CAHS) led the state of Wisconsin to grant funds for the printing and distribution of packets of information about Appleton's nutrition program to 500 of its alternative schools. Already, other area schools have dumped vending machines in favor of salad bars.

Pushing Petrol-Chemicals to Kids?

The Appleton revolution is part of a growing body of evidence that points to extensive chemical processing of childrens foods as a leading culprit in the 20 year surge of cases of hyperactivity (A.D.D./A.D.H.D.), depression and obesity in Americas children.

Consider the simple fact that synthetic food dyes which permeate kids food today -- including even white marshmallows and toothpaste -- are synthesized from petroleum! Scientists have found that many people are sensitive to these petrol-based chemicals, which can trigger a wide number of behavior, learning, and health problems by interfering with electrical functioning of neurotransmitters and synapses of the brain.

Since 1976, the nonprofit Feingold Association has achieved amazing results helping families whose children are diagnosed with hyperactive disorders. The Feingold program is a diet free of synthetic colors and flavors, and the preservatives BHA, BHT and TBHQ.

Barbara Stitt was inspired in the 1970s seeing the effects of the Feingold program: The kids would just change. But earlier than that, in 1963, while working as a parole officer, Stitt discovered a book that dramatically improved her own deteriorating health. She decided to teach its nutritional principles to her 112 parolees and then followed them for 12 years. After they changed their diet, They looked different, felt different, and sounded different. 89% did not get back into trouble -- a rate unheard of in prison recidivism.

Stitt and her husband, a biochemist, own Natural Ovens, the Manitowoc, Wisconsin bakery that launched the Appleton revolution. They underwrote the $20,000 annual cost for the special breakfast and lunch program and provided 3 chefs to prepare whole foods like salads, old fashioned recipes, and whole grain breads that include Omega-3 oils (brain food) found in Flax seed. The Natural Ovens menu is served every day of the year but two, which are designated Junk Food Days.

Natural Ovens Junk Food Days

The students eat all junk for breakfast and lunch. At 2:00 PM they write down how they are feeling in their bodies. The next morning they record how they slept and how they felt at home. It is exciting for the teachers, says Stitt. After dosing themselves with junk, The kids cant spell, cant finish a sentence. The pulse rate for second graders doubles. The experience opens the kids eyes. They see that what they put in their mouths effects their behavior.

Stitts work in Wisconsin schools is a continuation of the late Dr. Feingolds mission. These are our children. This is our future. I dont think theres anything more important facing us today. It is taking a toll we cannot afford.

Kids this year are calmer, more rational. I had thought about retiring but Ive decided Im having too much fun. - Appleton science teacher, Dennis Abrahm

When people argue against the higher cost of a nutritious lunch, CAHS principle, LuAnne Coenen doesnt buy it. She says the savings are high. We dont have the trash, the graffiti, the need for high security. One kid incarcerated costs the state $20,000 for one year. Our lunches cost the school 50 cents per student per day (above the cost of typical lunches).

After years of excusing erratic behavior with, Its just hormones, or Middle-schoolers cant sit still, the Appleton experiment uncovers a more insidious cause. Greg Bretthauer, Dean of Students at CAHS exclaims, If they dont come doped up on bad food, by God, they have the chance to learn something. Grades, test scores, and achievement are all up at Central Alternative HS. ______________________________

A Feingold Lunch Box:

peanut butter
tuna or egg salad
certain potato chips
Snack Pack chocolate pudding
fruits
Juicy Juice ______________________________

Building the Case For Nutrition Reform

The Center for Science in the Public Interest released a report in 1999 concluding that in 17 of 23 studies evidence strongly indicates that for some children behavioral disorders are caused or aggravated by certain food additives and artificial food colors. The Center joined a group of physicians and scientists urging the Department of Health and Human Services to advise parents and doctors to try changing the diets of children with ADHD before placing them on stimulant drugs like Ritalin, with their side effects. A NIH report suggested that the government consider banning synthetic dyes in foods consumed widely by children. ("Diet, A.D.H.D. and Behavior," www.cspinet.org)

The New York City Board of Education, in 1979, instituted dietary changes in 803 schools that raised test scores a whopping 15 percentile points by gradually removing synthetic colors and flavors and some preservatives, and by reducing sugar in the foods served at breakfast and lunch. Before the change, test scores ranked in the 39th percentile. Four years later the students scored in the 55th percentile. (International Journal of Biosocial Research, Vol. 8, No. 2, 1986.)

The Feingold Association newsletter, Pure Facts, described 10 year-old Bradlea Fletchers school science fair project on the effect of food dyes. She took 8 mice and ran them through a maze for 6 days. Then she divided them in half and added 2 drops of yellow food dye to one cages water dish, then timed them for 6 days more. The mice with the dyes were 50% slower than in earlier runs, while the normal mice improved their time by 25%. Additionally, the tainted mice became harder to catch and aggressive -- one even bit her, while the normal mice became tamer.

To learn more information, or to read Chapter One of Why Can't My Child Behave,visit the Feingold Association Web site

Geri Weis-Corbley is Editor and Publisher of the Good News Network, established in 1997 as the first website to feature all positive news from around the world. Weis-Corbley is the author of more than 300 "good news" stories and essays. This article was originally published in the Local News category of the Good News Network and is copyrighted (c) 2002. For an antidote to the daily barrage of negativity in the media, take a Daily Dose of News to Enthuse every morning with the Good News Network.

Seventh grade: it's a world of homework, angst over your social life, homework, clubs, and more homework. You're not the smallest, but you still have to look up to those 8th-graders. So what's a seventh-grader to do? Keep reading and find out.

1) Think about all your homework for the evening, and prioritize it. What must you absolutely do tonight? What stuff is due in two days? Then, get home, and do the first thing on your list first (who would've thought?). Then do something for you that takes less than ten minutes: check your email, listen to a few songs, etc. Then do the second thing on your list. Keep doing that until you have it all done (or at least most of it!).

2) Don't cram. Anyone who's ever taken a test before knows this: 99.9% of the pressure gets taken off if you don't cram. Instead, start studying at least three days before. And now, the three all important studying rules: Make sure you know what's going to be on the test (simple, but how annoying is it when you take it and say, 'We had to study THAT?') If you like to study with your friends, make sure you really are STUDYING, and not just hanging out.

3) Don't cheat. You can get caught, and if you cheat, it obviously means you don't know the stuff, and then if any of it shows up on the next quiz, you'll have to cheat again, increasing the chance of getting caught and sending you into a cycle of guilt and... bad things.

4) Find really awesome friends, even if it takes awhile. Social life varies so much, especially when you have these girls who trade friends like shirts. If you are in a group of friends who you don't love now, think how much it will suck in high school.

5) Get involved in extracurricular activities. Sometimes, people don't join because it's 'uncool'. Listen, there's no logic in that. If the people who say that aren't your friends, why do you care what they say anyway? And if they are - well, they sure don't sound like good friends. Make sure you're not so busy, though, that you can't find time to do the most important thing: your homework.

6) Have fun (while maintaining your grades).

7) If you're having bully issues, then do something about it. If it makes you cry, you have to tell an adult. If it is small, but it hurts, tell your parents. Just because they are the most pathetic excuses for human life you have ever seen dosen't mean they can't help.

8) If you don't have self-esteem, get some. You are smart, pretty (or handsome), talented and you rock! No more lame excuses!

Caty Wilcox is a writer living in Boulder, Colorado. When she's not writing, she's performing or enjoying her four house rabbits.

How does honey affect the growth of mold? First, let us analyze what mold is, how it operates and what honey consists of that makes it a fighter of bacterial growth and why. Mold is a multi-cellular, wool-like growth made up of tiny colonies of microscopic spores that feed off dead matter. The way that mold works is by applying a coat of slime that decomposes food by breaking down food into smaller particles.

There have been many studies on the life of a mold spore and how it operates in order to create mold preventers that would help in preserving health as well as mold destroyers to act as a cleaning agent in cases when one would need to know how to clean mold from antique wood furniture or even studying the life of a mold spore to create mold preventers for the purposes of protecting food from decay in restaurants and homes. Honey has been scientifically studied and proven to inhibit bacterial growth for the following two reasons:

1. Honey has a high concentration of sugar so that it reduces water activity and reduces the growth of bacteria.

2. Honey produces hydrogen peroxide that fights mold as it acts as a cleaner. Honey is an invert liquid sugar. Mold absorbs water and uses that for the slime while honey reduces water activity. This shows how and why honey can be effective in slowing the growth of bacteria. In addition to honey as a bacteria preventer, there have been studies that have shown that colder temperatures for storing food such as in a refrigerator and freezer very greatly reduces the growth of mold. When placed in the freezer, the mold did not grow at all, while in the refrigerator, the life of a mold spore was only perpetuated at a growth rate of .4%. When left at room temperature, the mold growth was increased at a whopping 24%!

This proves that temperature has alot to do with mold growth. If you ever discover mold growing on maple syrup, you should discard the bottle. There are four main types of mold. Various forms of the molds have been known to smother its matter before decomposing it and to cause health problems in human respiratory functions. This is due to the harmful pathogens that produce difficulty in breathing. One of the type of molds is the green mold aspergillius. It causes breathing problems. Penicillium is a blue and green mold that contains the same anti-biotic drug that is found in the drug penicillin and can cause breathing problems if inhaled.

Mucon is another type of mold. It is in the group of white molds in color. Rhizopus is a bread mold. It is part of the black molds group. Instead of the most common mold-like structures of multiple web-type mold spore groups, the rhizopus has tiny tube-structured spores and is single rather than in many webs. The study of how the mold growth is affected by temperature was conducted by a student of science who was conducting the experiment in order to see how various temperatures affect the growth of molds on honey potato bread.

The results are typical of most mold growth on bread as well. The human body, thankfully, has developed a strong defense immune system that protects it against most of the mold toxins, but there are still a few allergic disorders that can result from the molds once it begins to make its way to the breathing passages. The most common is shortness of breath.

Therefore in living conditions such as the case of no ventilation in stucco home with mold, it is important to kill clean black mold and to clean it from all known sources where it could be, such as needing to clean mold from antique wood furniture or in the instances of the mold remidiation Miami following the disaster of hurricane katrina and mold that resulted in the combination of the decay in the aftermath and water damage.

Although the honey did fight and stop the growth of bacteria in the experiment, none of the testing proved that honey was an inhibiter of mold growth.

George Christodoulou

If you have any questions about honey and mold growth,
please visit http://moldsporeinfo.com for more info and a
chance personally ask your own questions or chat in discussion.

No matter how brilliant and invaluable your idea, it is worthless unless you can share it with others. For this reason, effective communication is crucial at every level of an organization. However, the ability to communicate effectively does not come easily to many people, and it is a skill that requires practice.

We begin practicing our communication skills even before we learn to walk. A newborn child communicates by crying, but it slowly learns to mimic its parents' speech. Eventually, the child discovers that certain speech patterns elicit different responses; one of the joys of parenting is trying to decipher the meaning behind certain words. Does baaaaaw mean that the baby wants his ball, his bottle, or his blanket? Slowly, through trial and error, the child learns to manipulate sounds to get what it wants, and as the child develops, this active oral practice leads to more nuanced and fluid conversations. In short, the child learns effective communication.

To effectively communicate a complex idea, however, requires skills beyond elementary conversation. There are two golden rules to remember and follow.

Golden Rule #1: Organize thoughts in your mind before sharing them with others.

One idea often prompts a torrent of others. In order to share your ideas, you must first shape them coherently. Organization is important, because it creates a pattern for your listener, allowing him or her to grasp the larger picture intuitively. This allows the listener to focus on the details of your message, without struggling to understand how you went from Point A to Point B.

As a thought experiment, imagine that a colleague has asked you for directions to the airport. Write them down. Your directions will probably look something like:

* Drive west half a mile on Aurora.

* Take a left on Madison.

* At the third light, turn right and follow Dexter for 2-3 miles.

* Get on the interstate, heading south.

* Etc.

Now, with a pair of scissors, cut each line of instructions into a small strip of paper. Jumble the strips up and arrange them in a completely random order, then give them to your colleague. Even with mixed-up directions, s/he should have no trouble reaching the airport, right? After all, your directions are complete and accurate. Not a single step is missing.

The problem, of course, is that your directions are also completely unorganized, rendering them useless. Your colleague will find it impossible to focus on your message itself, because he or she will struggle to follow your message's structure (or lack thereof).

Golden Rule #2: Communication is collaborative, not competitive.

Thrusting your idea on others mars the beauty and integrity of conversation. Communication is in some ways like a dance; each partner plays off the other, basing his or her steps on the other person's, while simultaneously maintaining a certain amount of individuality.

Communication is a two-way process involving an exchange of ideas. If you try to make it one-way, you prevent this exchange and will eventually frustrate the other person. You may also frustrate yourself, if you read the other person's lack of verbosity as disinterest in the conversation, rather than an inability to get a word in.

The hallmark of effective communication is the coherent verbal projection of your ideas, so that your listener receives the message that you intend to send. By observing these two rules, you will reduce miscommunication and misunderstandings.

Barbara Stennes, CSP, is president and owner of Resources Unlimited, a consulting firm based in Des Moines, Iowa. She is widely recognized as an expert on team building, customer service, creativity, and innovation. To learn how Barbara can help your organization, please visit Resources Unlimited or de Bono Online.

If I had my druthers, Id buy an island with no plains, trains or automobiles. Id probably donate my blackberry to somebody at Dell, give my cell phone to somebody in a prison cell, and fire that computer lady on the phone that always says, hmmm, I didnt quite get that, did you say muster service? You know where Im going with this article. This is the part where I say things have gotten far too complicated. Im either getting slower and stupider or the rest of the world is getting faster and sharper. I always used to be the guy on the cutting edge. Now Im the guy who always hits the wrong button at the ATM and has to cancel the transaction and start over.

Cars are even worse. There can be hundreds of diagnostics codes, 14 million miles of wire (ok, maybe not quite that much), thousands of parts, and an endless list of things that can break and set off that little devil I call the Check Engine Light. I think these guys who build cars need to stop making cars smarter and just make cars again. Im not interested in a car that can toast my toast, play DVDs while Im trying to drive, or have voice activation so I can be misunderstood more than I already am.

The short of it is I have an inferiority complex. My car should not have an IQ higher than mine. But it does. Fortunately, the guys who work in my repair shop are smarter than me and generally smarter than our cars. They talk a lot to the cars. I think our guys think the cars are alive. Maybe theyre right.

Its my opinion that its been a long time since most of your run-of-the-mill mechanics could fix most cars. Today, gosh darn it, the guy has to be a black belt computer technician, an MIT physicist for analyzing real time temperature traces, and a master troubleshooter with skills once reserved for engineers working on the first moon shot. If you wonder why you sometimes have trouble finding a mechanic that knows how to fix your car, its because its hard to find rocket scientists. And you pretty much do need a rocket scientist to fix complex problems on todays cars. One rocket scientist badge in the automotive repair world is called Master ASE certified. To get this badge of car repair honor, the technician must pass a tough set of tests covering many aspects of repair. Think of these guys as gurus. There are not many of them around. Youre on the right track if you see the master word in front of the ASE. If your mechanic has just an ASE rating, thats a good start. But think of these guys like students of Karate with their first belt. The Master ASE guy has all the belts.

Car complexity has been growing over many years. Even my dad complained about it. He used to tell us that power windows were a waste of money since they had more parts and more parts meant more things to fix. He was right. More things to break do mean more things break. In my early days, he would fix his own cars. Eventually cars got so complicated that he didnt even try to fix them anymore. To me, that underscores how complicated our lives have become.

The short of it is, I just want to go to Italy, buy a small house, and pick olives all day while my beautiful wife, Sandy, works in her herb garden. I want a car with no power windows (specifically a horse), a radio with only 3 stations, and a body that Fabio would envy. I want less designer lighting and a whole lot more candles. I want less machines and more good times. I want a lot of things. But the thing I want less of is all the complicated things.

2006 Performance Motors

Frank Bellucci is the President of Performance Motors in Austin, Texas. In addition, he likes to think of himself as a rather funny person. His wife doesn't agree. But that's OK. Frank seems to have limitless funny experiences with cars, one of his great passions in life. You can catch Frank driving down 183 in Austin in his Land Rover. He loves his Rover more than wine. And he really likes wine (just not at the same time). Anyhow, look for articles that have good information with a bit of humor in the coming months! Visit Frank at http://www.perfmotors.com

Being clear about and choosing what I want, followed by a firm decision to achieve that outcome, is where freedom and power is available. Yes, decision does mean killing off other options!

A great way to think about goals is that, goal setting is making a choice.

Handwriting my goal, impresses it on my subconscious. Expressing my goal in the affirmative ensures it is a moving toward goal rather than something that I am moving away from.

It is then vital to make a deliberate decision to accomplish my goal and also to place strong, heartfelt emotions behind a list of benefits that I receive in producing the result.

For the accomplishment of my goal, there are crucial actions that will need to be taken at specific times. Obstacles (real or imagined) will also want contingencies by answering these questions for myself:

What circumstances or conditions may prevent me from achieving this goal? How will I manage each of those?

Writing down and displaying all of the above will serve as signposts to keep me on track, give me deadlines to increase the efficiency of my actions, provide strategies for overcoming blocks and my listed benefits are my personal reminders of why I am taking the actions, for those times that I procrastinate.

I will increase confidence in my ability to obtain what I want when I record and celebrate my personal victories along the way.

Then its time to take a first step and continue taking forward steps.

If we are facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep on walking. (Buddhist Proverb)

Thea Westra is an international life coach who resides in Perth, Western Australia. She is editor and publisher of a free, monthly newsletter at http://www.forwardsteps.com.au Thea also publishes a few blogs, visit here http://inspiration-daily.blogspot.com/ for directional links to each.

Back in the good old days, when I had to walk to school in the snow, uphill both ways, misunderstandings between students at school were usually handled with a good old fashioned fist fight.

O.K. since I grew up in a West Texas border town, fist fights sometimes escalated into knife fights or even gang fights, but no one ever brought a gun to school to indiscriminately shoot faculty or students.

What is happening in the world today? Perhaps it is the prevalence of violence on Television or Video Games. Maybe it is the escalating use of Psychotropic Medications to treat so-called Mental Illness or could it possibly have to do with the fact that you cant beat the crap out of your kids when they get out of line.

Whatever the reason, it is getting downright scary for some people to send their kids off to school these days without fear that some nutcase is going to do them some harm.

So what can Schools do to protect our children, while still providing a friendly environment that fosters open communication and learning?

Obviously the addition of armed security officers that patrol the hallways could go a long way to providing safety and security to students. In fact, many Inner City Schools already employee school resource officers, many of whom are real Police Officers.

Some Police Departments have recently taken it upon themselves to provide certified law enforcement officers who are permanently assigned to a school or a set of schools.

These officers act as comprehensive resources for his/her school and they will typically be enlisted to perform quite a few vital functions in the school including law enforcement, teaching law enforcement courses and even counseling troubled students.

If you would like more information on School Resource Officers, check out the National Association of School Resource Officers. They are a not for profit organization for school based law enforcement officers. http://www.nasro.org/home.asp

Even if they already have a School Resource Officer, every school should have a comprehensive Safety and Security Plan.

Every school safety and security plan should include Access Control policies and procedures. Each entrance to the school should be constantly monitored and, when possible the doors and windows should remain locked.

Without exception, every Visitor should be required to check in with the Central Office and show proper identification before they are issued a visitors badge. They should wear the visitors badge at all times.

School personnel should be knowledgeable and well trained in the Schools Access Control Policies and should not be afraid to confront an unknown person to ask for identification. Any strangers should be reported to the proper authorities immediately.

Depending on the size of the school, consideration should be given to the installation of an electronic access control system. This type of system can allow a large school to limit access to authorized personnel only, while ensuring that all visitors enter through the main office corridor.

In many school districts, Closed Circuit Television Systems (CCTV) are being deployed with great success. With some large urban high schools having upwards of 4,000 students, it would prove very difficult even for a full time School Resource Officer to monitor the school grounds or enforce the school policies without a little bit of electronic help.

A properly installed and configured CCTV system can allow a School Resource Officer to have his eyes on many parts of the campus simultaneously. In addition, a CCTV system can prove invaluable in the investigations of any crimes or infractions of school policy that have occurred.

Schools in very high risk areas have even gone as far as installing walk-through Metal Detectors at every public entrance. Others choose to deploy them only at special functions or sporting events. At a minimum, schools should have access to at least one hand held metal detector for emergency situations.

Regardless of their size or location, each and every school should have a well prepared emergency crisis plan in place. Key staff members should be thoroughly trained in emergency preparedness and crisis management.

Crisis drills should be performed with all staff, students and emergency management personnel. One of the key benefits of having emergency drills is that Police, Fire and Emergency Responders get to meet key staff members of the school and they can become familiar with the school grounds before having to respond to an actual emergency situation.

Above all else, communication may hold the key to preventing school violence. Parents should get involved in safety planning at their local schools. Open forums should be formed to discuss security. Ask students and parents to share any concerns they have about school safety. Encourage staff and students to report suspicious activity or people to the appropriate authorities.

Beyond anything that happens at school, the best advice to possibly preventing a tragedy is simply to talk to your children and get involved in their lives. Make them put away that Play Station and ask them how their day went. Dont just ask, but actually sit down and listen. Getting caught up in your childs life may sound torturous, but it can actually be very fun and interesting and is quite possibly the best way to prevent a crisis before it happens.

Roy Stephenson is a Security Consultant with over 21 Years Experience Designing and Installing High End Integrated Security Systems. He is currently the VP of Marketing at http://www.Security-Kits.com and http://www.EZWatchstore.com

If you are reading this then something terrible has happened. First let me offer my condolences. As Joan Didion says, "Life changes fast." Next let me extend a heartfelt welcome. You are now a member of an exclusive club -- the club nobody wants to be a member of. And though your world's turned upside down, already you're asking questions: "How will I cope? Will things be alright? And oh yeah, Can I please have my husband back?"

Best I can offer is 2 out of 3. As you have already learned, becoming a widow is like sliding down a banister discovering its a razor blade and landing into a bucket of iodine. Worse still, trying to explain your pain to someone not grieving your loss is like trying to describe the color orange to a blind man.

Now that I've got your attention, I'm here to tell you, you're not alone. And oh yeah, everything will be all right. You can, and you will cope.

Here are 2 things you need to remember:

Number 1. Breathe.

Thats right. Assume the position: Right hand on chest, left hand on belly. Now practice sucking air -- In through your nose, and blowing air -- Right back out your mouth.

S-l-o-w- l-y.

When people, or the things people say, begin to overwhelm you (and trust me, honey, it will happen), take one step back, and take a deep breath.

Taking deep breaths will ground you and help you regain your focus. In addition, learning to breathe properly will do wonders for your complexion. Youll look good and youll feel good, too. I know you could care less about what Im saying right now, but for you, the newly widowed, breathing is a good thing and something that will become a distraction when you need one most.

Number 2. Repeat after me: "I'm not up to this conversation at this time."

Good job.

Now get ready to say these words to the next perfect stranger who asks you an inane question that will cut like a knife and make you want to run and hide.

If everything everyone is saying at this time sounds inane, then you already know what I mean. So just open your mouth and whisper the above words. I promise those people will realize right away you need your space.

Not only will you the newly widowed need space, but you must also realize you will need to conserve energy for other things, like washing your kids faces, if you got kids; sitting down to eat a hot meal, hungry or not; and performing simple tasks, like brushing your teeth and combing your hair.

I know its hard to bury a husband. Life as you knew it is changed forever. But its now onto Plan B, whatever Plan B is. Just remember my 2 tips outlined above, and like a good scout, you will have earned your badge of courage, and be prepared to conquer your new world, which is vital to your survival in the days ahead.

Linda Della Donna is a freelance writer. She makes her home 20 miles north from where the World Trade Center used to be with her small dog, Izzy and his little cat, Tux. Della Donna supports new widows through the grief process. Her free ebook, Treasury of Quotations, is available by visiting her website, http://www.littleredmailbox.com just by subscribing to her newsletter and filling out the opt-in box. More information is available about Della Donna by reading her blog - http://www.griefcase.blogspot.com - Need an interview? Got a writing assignment? Contact Della Donna at linda@littleredmailbox.com. Shes waiting to hear from you.

Your head hurts.

Your eyes are burning.

You feel a little sick to your stomach.

Yep. That's right. You just spent the last two hours searching for 'free myspace layouts' and you came up with bumpkiss, nada, zilch, zip, nothing. You may even be a little astonished that such a burgeoning scene can be so bereft of a truly valuable contribution. One would think that the arena would be overrun with opportunists trying to take the internet by storm producing whole collections --not just one or two here and there-- but whole collections of quality premade MySpace layouts.

One would think.

Well after engaging in some serious clanging of swords on the front lines of the MySpace layout battlefield for the past year, let me tell you where it's at.

Free MySpace layout makers generally fall into one of three categories:

The Good
Although these are few and far between, a small (and I mean very small) group of web designers will actually put some major effort into producing a collection of attractive and truly original MySpace layouts. The backgrounds are worked up from scratch and they are customized to fit well with MySpace profiles. On top of this, great care is taken to make sure the colors selected for the fonts are properly coordinated with the background image to make the text easy to read (a big problem on MySpace).

The Bad
A much larger group of web designers (and I use this term loosely here) will scour the net and download any and every image they can lay their mouse finger on. They focus heavily on celebrity and product photos (cars, motorcycles, beer, etc) and all of them, of course, are copyright protected. So what this essentially amounts to is theft, plain and simple. These images are then used in conjunction with some boilerplate CSS code which converts them into MySpace backgrounds. In some cases, these layout makers will even use the original web address of the 'found' image in their layout codes. So in effect they are not only stealing the image itself but they are also stealing the bandwidth of the website they found the image on. All of the above takes absolutely no artistic talent whatsoever so touting the finished pieces as 'original' or 'handmade' MySpace layouts is an utter sham.

The Ugly
This group of MySpace layout makers use the same tactics as 'The Bad' but will go one step further and use any and every black hat search engine optimization (SEO) trick in the book in an attempt to 'game' their MySpace resource sites to the top of search engine results pages. And unfortunately, many of them succeed. Search engines like Google and Yahoo still have a ways to go when it comes to weeding out websites that employ unscrupulous methods like keyword stuffing and multiple site networking.

HOPE

On the bright side, search volume for the keywords 'free myspace layouts' is actually declining while searches for other related keywords is on the rise. This means that MySpace users are finally starting to realize that using the word 'free' is a waste of a good search term since 99.9% of MySpace layouts are free anway (assuming you don't count all the time you spent trying to find a good one). MySpacers are now starting to become much more descriptive with the adjectives they tack on to the keywords 'myspace layouts' in an attempt to find something that will truly adorn their profiles with an original, classy or professional look.

Hopefully this trend will continue and eventually make it a lot easier to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Robert Darrell is the webmaster of ironspider.ca where he provides tutorials covering all aspects of web design. He also provides a fine collection of MySpace layouts which are 100% original (no copyright violations).

You can find his collection of MySpace layouts here: http://www.ironspider.ca/adv/myspace/

There is perhaps no finer flooring choice than laminate wood flooring. The durability, style, and affordability are just some of the many reasons why so many people choose laminate wood flooring over the real thing.

You have so many wonderful choices when it comes to laminate wood flooring today. You can duplicate almost any wood flooring surface that you desire and at a fraction of the cost of the real wood flooring surfaces on the market today.

Classic woods like beech, merbau, oak, maple, cherry or walnut can be had with laminate wood flooring. You may notice some very slight differences in the materials from maker to maker, but for the most part all of the manufactures of laminate wood flooring are very high quality. You will find that there is nothing fake looking about this material at all.

The pride of saving money has become a bigger deal than many ever thought. It is almost a badge of honor for people to realize that you were able to install such beautiful wood flooring at a fraction of the cost of the real material.

Most laminate wood flooring is priced at well less than a dollar per square foot. You can receive even greater discounts for larger amounts of product. The flooring companies will often run specials on laminate wood flooring since it is not a material that is subject to the demand of real wood surfaces. Real wood is always subject to the economy and supply of the materials.

For more information on flooring try visiting http://flooring-solution.com a website that specializes in providing helpful flooring tips, advice and resources to include Laminate Wood Flooring and more.

The childrens furniture market is one which captures the imagination of both adults and children alike. Magical, fun and extremely safe, the best ranges of furniture on offer are designed to last, making bed time exciting, lunch time a pleasure and play time a carnival of colours, textures and fabrics. Most parents will admit that their kids are the most important people in their lives and thats why childrens furniture is a steadily growing market, providing the best in high quality products for little people all across the globe.

In the trendy world of bedroom furniture, a bed is no longer just a place for counting sheep and eventually nodding off. Childrens beds have evolved into all manner of shapes and sizes with popular designs including miniature houses, battle ships and alien spacecraft. These extended play areas are diverse, colourful and designed to suit the most eccentric of tastes in this fast developing market. A little girl who dreams of becoming a princess can truly feel like royalty thanks to wonderfully plush ranges of childrens bedding guaranteed to induce sleep. Specially designed childrens armchairs and sofas mean that little ones can watch favourite cartoons in style, while modern space saving stowaway beds and bunks are a practical solution for sleepovers. There is no end to the variety of furnishings specially designed for kids.

Theres more to lights than just bulbs and shades for children with the emphasis on fun and imaginative aesthetics. The best childrens lighting can compliment any size of room, and well-placed lights can be put to dramatic effect using vibrant coloured bulbs and stands disguised as hot air balloons, light houses and bug eyed robots! The latest childrens lights can brighten up the drabbest of surroundings, putting the magic into every childs own special space.

Moving out from the home and into the play group, there are some stunning durable furnishings and equipment to be found in the nursery school furniture market. Created to stimulate young minds, the best quality furnishings motivate learning with multi-sensory equipment which is a pleasure to use. By combining bright primary colours with furniture such as specially designed tables, chairs, mats and soft childrens rugs, parents can feel assured that their children are playing in a safe environment which their little ones will love.

Current furniture trends mean that children can feel like little VIPs as the market provides more and more furnishings which imitate mummy and daddys things. However, it doesnt have to cost an arm and a leg. This ever evolving market provides something for every type of budget, from handcrafted traditional furniture featuring reproductions from a bygone age to inexpensive durable items which mimic designer products. So if youre looking to buy some childrens furniture for your little darlings, youll find a huge variety of attractive furnishings available, some of which you may just wish to keep for yourself!

An interesting phenomenon is that of someone who enjoys goal setting but shies away from charting their progress. In my coaching experience the clients who regularly take a reality check on where they are with their goals, have an advantage of being able to adjust their approach based on relevant and up-to-date feedback. This article takes a look at how a goal setting chart can be an effective structure in moving you productively toward your goal.

Charting will work best with quantitative goals this is the type of goal that has a benchmark or metric that you can measure yourself against. For example if you set a goal to earn $10,000 net monthly recurring income or better, that is clearly a goal you can measure yourself against each month.

Setting a qualitative goal is nonsensical in my coaching experience -- mainly because it is impossible to reliably measure progress. So for example when a client tells me they have set a goal to enjoy building a business that helps job hunters improve their job hunting skills, I often challenge them on whether that is a goal or a vision. It is important to set a vision and a mission statement for any new business - and perhaps even for personal goals too, since career and personal lives are often intertwined. However, by their very nature they are usually more open ended than goals per se, and primarily fueled by expectation, emotion and desire in their phrasing. And that makes them difficult to measure -- which is fine because goals on their own are like flowers without soil, sun and water to grow in. Most won't make it and for those that do, they won't last long.

What works for many people is to set goals that are effectively objectives or milestones along the way to fulfilling the vision. Remember that a vision statement is often a lifetime or at least a vocational desire that can evolve as time moves on and life unfolds. By setting objective oriented goals and then charting their progress on a monthly basis, the effort and time put into achieving them is measurable and also contributes to the experience of living your vision and staying true to your mission statement.

How should you go about creating a goal setting chart? The easiest way to begin is to take a sheet of graph paper and write the months January to December along the horizontal axis. The goal objective is tracked on the vertical axis. For example if my goal is to publish a total of six information products in my primary market within 12 months, I can make the vertical axis start from zero and go up to 10. Then each month I can put a mark on the graph paper corresponding to the total number of products I have published. By joining the dots you can see graphically the results over time.

This graph then becomes the plain truth that you can choose to use as constructive feedback. If you also mark in a different color the predicted number for that month (you do forecast, don't you?) it is immediately obvious from the 2 colored lines if you are on track or not. In some cases, if your goal is temporarily too ambitious for the time, energy and skill level you can currently bring to it, the chart can help you to course-correct by perhaps changing the goal metrics or getting some additional resources to help you.

The numbers themselves really don't lie although our interpretation of them may sometimes be suspect! Nonetheless, once you get hooked on the constructive feedback available from a paper goal setting chart, you can move on to using software tools such as microsoft excel or the various alternatives to microsoft products. These allow you to quickly update the chart and to print a hard copy, as well as also publishing the chart online for others to see.

Find out how to make your goal setting chart a part of your goal creation map.

http://www.goalcreationmaps.com/art

Mark McClure is a certified career coach and goal setting fan.

Blackheads are formed when pores are closed to the surface of the skin. The 'black' color of the blackheads are due to accumulation of a mixture of cells and oils being blocked in the pores.

Blackheads are formed due to the below reasons:
1 Improper make up or facial cleansing routine
2 Excess oil production
3 Dead cells clogging the opening of the pores
4 Lack of water in the body system
5 Skincare and makeup products

The fact is that blackheads cannot be removed forever so what you need to do is to clean your pores regularly. If blackheads are not removed, they could develop into pimples or zits.

Getting rid of blackheads is no easy task. However, if you follow the below steps, you can minimise the amount of blackheads and keep your pores clean forever.

It is recommended that the you do the pore extraction process once a week.

First, start the blackheads extraction process with a facial scrub. This will remove the tiny whiteheads which are easier to remove.

After that, performing steaming of your face for about 5 minutes.

For extraction of blackheads and whiteheads on the nose, I strongly recommend Biore Cleansing Strips Pore Packs. Biore Cleansing Strips Pore Packs are known to be very effective. However, they do not seem to work with the larger stubborn blackheads. It is recommended that you follow up with toner and moisturiser so that the pores get closed up after that.

For extraction of blackheads and whiteheads on the face, you can try the below remedy which is very effective in removing blackheads and whiteheads

Apply egg white over your nose, apply a single ply tissue over area before it dries up and apply another layer of egg white on top of it, wait for it to dry and peel. It is very effective in removing blackheads.

If you are not afraid of pain or have very firm hands, I suggest you try extracting the blackheads with a metal extractor. However, you need to be very careful when using this or you could leave scars on your face. Alternatively, you can seek beauty salons to perform metal extraction of blackheads at very low and affordable prices.

In addition to the above steps, you can also minimise the amount of blackhead production by either using Effaclar K or using Aspirin Mask.

Effaclar k is highly raved as it helps in reducing blackheads as it contains salicylic acid which is oil soluble and have antiseptic property. It can penetrate the pores and help to dissolve the sebum and thus minimise the formation of blackheads.

Alternative, you can also use aspirin mask as it also contain salicylic which has the same effects as Effaclar K. However, you should only do it once a week.

Remember to follow up with toning and moisturising. As long as you follow the above pore care regimen properly, you can be ensure of clean pores for life.

Check out my site and skin care forums for more tips
http://secretsofmodels.com

Intro.

We all like to have a bit of cash that we can flash about, and we all wish we had more money so that we could go out at the weekends with our mates, but getting the money is not as easy as it seems, youve got Mum moaning youve had too much money this week already and then theres Dad hinting at you to pay your own way by getting a job.

Im sure each one of you have been in a similar situation at one (or more) points in your life, the good thing is, once you hit 13 you are legally allowed to work a job (with limitations). The limitations of what jobs you can do & how long you can work for change as you get older.

At What Age?

Below is a guide on how many hours of work you can do, what you should expect to be paid, and what types of jobs you are allowed to work when your young.

At 13;

- You cant work before 7am or after 7pm.
- You can work between school hours.
- You cant work for more than 2 hours on a school day.
- You cant work for more than 1 hour before school.
- You can only work for 2 hours on a Sunday.

At 14;

- You can work up to 5 hours on a Saturday or any day in the school holidays, but must have a rest break of 1 hour if you work for 4 hours at once.
- You can work up to 2 hours on a Sunday.
- You can work on a market stall IF employed by your parents who must have a licence from the local authority.
- You must take a 2 week break during the year - and in your holiday time.

At 15 (until school leaving age);

- You can work up to 8 hours on a Saturday or any day in the school holidays, but must have a rest break of 1 hour if you work for 4 hours at once
- You can work up to 2 hours on a Sunday.
- You must take a 2 week break during the year - and in your holiday time.

At 16 and 17;

- Theres no limit on hours, but, if youre under 18 you cant work in a job that the Labor Department considers hazardous.

What Jobs Can I Do?

There are a variety of jobs that are available for you to do, listed below are some of the more popular jobs chosen by teenagers.

- Paper Round.
- Babysitting.
- Jobs at home.
- Working in a shop.
- Washing cars (not in a garage).
- Working in a riding stables.

What Jobs Cant I Do?

- Working in the kitchen of a caf, food outlet, etc.
- Working in a cinema or theatre.
- Working in a nightclub.
- Delivering milk in glass containers.
- Collecting money at peoples houses.

What Will I Earn?

The amount that you will earn will vary depending on the type of job you take and the employer. On average you should expect to earn around 3 an hour. The National Minimum Wage does not apply to workers under 16, and there is no protection in English law regarding wage rates for those under the age of eighteen.

Misc Info.

You are classed as school age until the date you are officially allowed to leave school. NOT on your 16th birthday or when you received their National Insurance number. The Law has fixed this date as the last Friday in June for all year 11 pupils.

Teen Job Sites

The following jobs may help you in your job search.

http://teenzone.monster.co.uk/
http://www.directgov.gov.uk/Employment/Jobseekers/fs/en
http://jobs.guardian.co.uk/
http://www.totaljobs.com/
http://www.jobsite.co.uk/
http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/JCP/index.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/onelife/work/

Article wriiten by & copyright MyCYC.com - Free Teen Blogs, for more article like these please visit my homepage.

Jesus practiced mourning regularly. He said in Matthew 23:37, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not. Jesus said in Matthew 5:4, Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. And, James 4:9 tells us to, Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. With sin so evident all around us, it is not time for living it up but rather a time for standing in the gap and making up the hedge so that people will turn from sin and eternal hell to full and free salvation and eternal life provided through our Lord Jesus Christ.

First Corinthians 5:1-2 causes us to think about how we are acting in response to sinful behavior coming from those naming the name of Christ. For, it says, It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife. And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. The indictment against the body of Christ here is that you are indifferent to the sin in your midst. You should be in mourning, or intercession, so that the one allowing the sinful behavior in their life would be taken from your fellowship.

The Apostle Paul then describes the God-given result of mourning, intercession, and the discerning of the Spirit concerning this incident of incest taking place by one in the midst of the congregation by saying in First Corinthians 5:3-5, For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Mourning in its truest sense in the scriptures means intercession, travail, and earnest supplication. We are seeing sin, heartbreak, devastation in peoples lives all around us. We are seeing it in individuals, families, churches, communities, cities, states, regions, and nations. Mourning means that we are seeing or perceiving people and situations through the eyes of the Lord rather than through the judgment of the flesh. True judgment from the Lord means that He is doing something about the work of the devil in the midst of an individual or group of people. When a person is truly mourning from the Biblical perspective, judgment from the Lord is being called for so that righteousness prevails and the glory of the Lord is seen. Amen.

Pastor Dale C. McAnally began ministry in June of 1973. He served in Senior Pastoral roles and Assistant Pastoral roles within two full gospel denominations for 22 years and then in independent full gospel churches for 12 years. He has now stepped out in obedience to the full fivefold ministry call of God upon his life to minister in churches, open air meetings, auditoriums, prisons, hotels, store fronts, hospitals, mental institutions, schools, and before kings and rulers in all nations of the Earth. His vision from God is to have Schools of The Prophets, orphanages, and homes for the widows all over the world. The Lord has raised Pastor Dale C. McAnally up to operate as a prophet of the Lord to the nations and to serve as an apostolic covering for churches, ministries, and ministers all over the world. If you are desiring to hear a true spoken word from the Holy Ghost and to have the fire of the Holy Ghost upon your life, you are encouraged to contact this ministry today. Your life will never again be the same because of the tangible presence of the Holy Ghost.

Gift ideas for birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays are plentiful, but choosing a gift for other occasions such as a graduation, new baby, house warming, or another milestone in life can sometimes be difficult. These monumental events in life deserve to be treated with importance, and your gift ideas should reflect your support of your loved one.

Welcoming a newborn to the family is always a happy time. Items the parents want or need are usually outlined in a baby registry they have applied for before the child's birth.

New parents usually want to have everything that has to do with giving the best care to their firstborn. On the other hand, parents who have more experience believe that the great gift ideas are the basics for feeding and changing, such as diapers, blankets, bottles, and formula.

Gift ideas that both sets of parents can appreciate are gifts that involve their child's financial future such as a savings bond or a savings account. A US savings bond can be purchased in denominations from $25 up to $10,000 with a maturity up to 30 years.

It is a gift that will mature right along with the child. If a child decides to attend college, he or she will have some money set aside to help pay for tuition. Alternatively, help pay for some college books for the student already in school.

As a new high school or college graduate, a young person goes on to take the next chapter of life. As graduation gift ideas, get a book or a poster with messages of hope for the future.

An idea is a set of leather bracelets embossed with inspirational life sayings. The graduate can take these bracelets along with when he or she is away at college or facing a line of job interviews and needs encouragement.

You could also think about giving a money tree as a graduation gift, said to bring prosperity to those who own one.

For friends or family members that have just purchased their first house, look for gift ideas that help maintain the upkeep of their home. A gift basket or toolbox of items such as a tape measure, a hammer, screwdrivers, assorted nails, or some paintbrushes could really come in handy.

You could also think about purchasing small gardening tools, gloves and some seeds for maintenance outside the home. If you know their style, look into getting dinnerware or glassware that suits their tastes.

Special memories of time spent together can be a great gift ideas for a loved one moving away. A glass jar filled with strips of brightly colored paper containing memories of your time spent together can help a loved one feel close when feeling lonely or homesick.

All they have to do is pull one out when they feel the need to remember times past or want a wistful smile, and they'll appreciate the little notes you've jotted down to bring them back home, at least in thought.

Any day can provide an opportunity to share a gift or gift ideas with a loved one. You can give a gift of love and appreciation any day of the year, and there is no reason to wait to show someone that you're thankful the person is in your life. Put some creativity into your ideas, and offer small gifts that show you care.

Mike Selvon has some informative creative gift articles for the creative mind. Find out more about gift ideas for every occassion at his resourceful site. We appreciate your feedback at our gift ideas blog where a free gift awaits you.