Understanding How Eyes Work

Every day you look at objects, people, colours, words, numbers which all help you to understand the world. You might not often think about how your eyes work but they are an essential part of how we carry out our daily activities.

The eyes work like small round machines constantly working to help us see things. They are made up of little parts which work together and send messages to the brain. Light bounces off objects into our eyes to allow us to see them. 

What’s what?

The bits you can see: An eye is made up of several different parts. The parts you can see are the pupil (the black dot in the centre), the iris (the coloured area surrounding the pupil) and the sclera (the white area around the iris). These parts are all enclosed by your eyelids which are rimmed with eyelashes to filter out any nasty dirt or grime before it harms your eyes. In the corner of your eyes are your tear ducts. These are in charge of releasing tears to keep your eyes clean and to cry when you’re feeling sad!

The pupil acts as a little shutter to decide how much light enters your eye. If it is a very bright day, your pupils will contract (get smaller) to allow less light in. In darkness, your pupil will dilate (get bigger) to get as much light into your eye as possible. [Handy tip: Try looking at your cat’s eyes in daylight and then again when it gets dark to see how they change!]

The bits you can’t see: Over the front of your eye is a clear layer called a cornea. This layer is completely clear to allow light to pass through and reach the back of your eye where it can be sent to the brain to be processed.

At the back of your eye, there is a delicate layer called a retina (about the size of a postage stamp) which is made up of tiny cells. These cells are called rods and cones. The cone cells are found in the centre of the retina and help us to see things sharply and clearly. Rod cells are around the edge of the retina and help us to see things moving and in dim light. For example, imagine looking at a car parked outside your house. The cone cells help you to clearly see the shape of the car, the colours and windows etc. Next, imagine the car moving down the road at night. This is when the rod cells start to work. They help you to see the car in motion in the darkness.

These cells collect light signals and send them to the optic nerve, almost like a relay race. The optic nerve receives the signals and sends them to the brain to be processed and allow us to understand what we see.

Interesting facts you might not know:
1.    When an image is projected on the back of your retina, it is upside down! The optic nerve sends the signals to the brain where it is turned the right way up.
2.    All babies are born with blue eyes- ask your parents! This is because other colours such as brown and green take longer to develop. By the time you’re 6 months old, your eyes will have reached their final colour.
3.    You blink around 12 times a minute! You won’t even notice you do it but blinking helps to keep your eyes clean and moist to protect them from dust and dirt. 

It’s useful to understand how eyes work because they are an essential part of how we function every day.

Featured images:

•  License: Royalty Free or iStock source: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/results.aspx?qu=eyes&ex=2#ai:MP900423034|mt:2|

Victoria is a blogger for glasses frames website, DirectSight.

5 Great Anti-Aging Tips That Don't Come From A Bottle~!!

Image by vmiramontes

Growing old gracefully is an idea that seems to have disappeared within the last few years. With the rise of plastic surgery and increase in sun bed users; it is easy to see how this theory has become lost in a world of leathery skin and stretched out faces.

1) Drink Water
The first tip for anti-aging is: never underestimate the power of water! Drinking eight glasses of water a day is proven to flush waste out of our systems and rehydrate the skin. Sixty four ounces is the minimum required daily, yet most people barely reach four. Another fact that goes hand in hand with drinking water in helping you look better; is sleep. Between six to eight hours is the average amount of sleep that an adult needs to function well, and look fresher as a result.

2) Exercise
Exercise is a simple yet effective anti-ageing tip that can cost absolutely nothing! Firstly, it reduces your risk of obesity, which in turn reduces your risk of heart disease and some cancers amongst other ailments.  It also is brilliant in reducing stress levels and improving circulation, which will make your skin look instantly healthier and more glowing.

3) Stop Smoking
The second leading cause of premature wrinkles is cigarette smoking. Smoking over a long period of time also leads to yellowing skin and rotting teeth. However, the leading cause of wrinkles is over-exposure to UV rays, with sunbeds being a leading cause of cancer. Sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 30 helps protect your skin from the rays that would make it appear old and leathery.

4) Eat a Balanced Diet
An important part of keeping your skin looking healthy by natural means is your diet. Oily fish are proven to help your skin as they act as an anti-inflammatory, and are also proven to lower the risk of heart disease. The high water content in vegetables will also help your skin glow.

5) Cut Down On Makeup
Something that may prove to be a serious problem to many women- but that would definitely help you stay looking young- would be to ditch the slap! Most foundations clog your skin, making you more prone to spots, as well as settling into wrinkles, making them appear more noticeable. Also using too many moisturizers to clean your face can actually do the complete opposite! Using a simple combination of warm water and soap can clean your skin more efficiently than all of those bottled cleansers.

Using all of these tips are bound to make you feel and appear younger. However, if all else fails, a sure-fire way to maintain healthy skin is to slip on a pair of dolce and gabbana glasses. Protect your eyes from the sun, and look great whilst doing it!

Do you have any tips and tricks for growing old gracefully? Share them in the comments below!

Charlotte di Placido is a self-confessed beauty addict who admits to spending the majority of her wage on products- and writing about those products for Valley Optics

An Environment for Bullies~!!

An Environment for Bullies

It has become evident, now more than ever, that one of the biggest deterrent to a child learning, is the very real problem of bullying. Children cannot learn when their focus is on survival and not an upcoming spelling test. In fact, any schoolwork pales in comparison to the threat a child feels every day when he walks into the cafeteria for lunch.

The Scope of the Problem
Recent statistics reveal that nearly 3 million students every year are bullied by roughly 2 million students playing the role as bully. In fact 1 in 7 students, from the time they enter school to when they graduate some 12 years later is either a bully or has been victimized by one. Strong evidence suggest that the most common motivation behind school shootings are revenge from being bullied. A staggering 87% of school shooting and other forms of violence is believed to be because of some form of bullying! In fact murderers are twice as likely as their victims to have been bullied, and finally, an estimated 280 thousand students all across the US are bullied each and every month. You cannot draw a more direct line from bullying to the problems children’s face in the school educational system.

The New Problem of Bullying
Back when many of us were children, the problem of bullying thankfully stopped once we were safely home from school. People do not write bullying letters or throw bricks with notes attached through their victim’s bedroom windows. Unfortunately our children today are vulnerable to bullies in a much different way. Bullies now have access to our children through the internet; a practice known as cyber bullying . Children today have access to each other through various social media platforms like Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, Pinterest, Google Plus, and Skype. Children also use basic webcams as well. While the prevalence of cell phones has also made our children more vulnerable to bullies, it seems that bullying pretty much skipped over that form of bullying in preference to online forms of bullying often called cyber stalking. Thanks to the advances of technology in our world today bullies have access to their victims 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They can now attack their victims whenever and wherever and school administrators, teachers, parents, and police have been at a loss when it comes to preventing this enormous scourge on our society. If children cannot successfully regroup back home and get away from their tormentors, what can they do? Only 1 in 4 teachers see bullying as a real problem and therefore only report bullying a paltry 4% of the time even though a staggering 90% of children grades 4^th through 8^th grade report being bullied! Children and guns do not mix, especially when you throw bullying into the mix. Some studies even report as high as 75% of all school violence is due to bullying.

Forms of Bullying
Not everyone recognizes bullying when it is happening, and part of that is due to the fact that even though it is still very serious, not all bullying is so obvious and sticking another child’s head in the trash can in the hall. There are 4 types of bullying.

• 
  Verbal: This can be making threats, calling names, or anything designed to make another person feel intimidated and afraid.
• 
  Physical: This can be as mild as a shove in the hall or a swirly to violence with weapons or just fists. It’s the most obvious but not always the most serious form of abuse a child can be made to endure.
• 
  Social: This can be as seemingly benign as leaving someone out of games or other group activities or deliberately ignored. It can also be in the form of spreading nasty rumors about the victim. This is a very common form of bullying and can be severely damaging to the victims.
• 
  Cyber: This is using technology like chat rooms, instant messaging, instagrams, emails, and pictures to humiliate, coerce, and embarrass fellow students.

Prevention Starts in the Home
If you expect to be able to bully proof your child, you’re going to have to start before he/she begins school. The more you can do at home to create a strong independent child the better. The more you can do to build up his self-esteem the harder it will be for some bully to tear him down again. Keeping the lines of communication open between yourself and your child is important. The better a child feels about himself the less likely he will allow a bully to make him feel bad about himself. Enrolling you child in self-defense classes is a great idea. Do your research so you can find a school that shares some of your beliefs and views on handling school bullies. Any karate school you send your child too should not just teach the physical moves; that is but a part of the whole picture. Your child should be taught, and modeled respect for others and themselves. If they respect their minds and bodies the less likely they will allow others to disrespect themselves. While you cannot stop all bullying, you can lessen the damage it can do to your child.

If your child complains to you about bullying it’s important that you believe him. You can doubt all you want in your mind, but your child should only see you the protector that believes in him. Find out what is happening to your child and what he/she expects you to do about it. You may find that your child wants to handle things on his own and just wants your support. You might also find that you need to step in and exert your parental control and make sure the bullying STOPS immediately. Above all, listen to your child.

The Pain Ends Here
If you discover your child is one of the millions of victims of bullying it’s important that you send a strong message to your child. You must believe and act immediately. You can say you love and support your children all you want but you have to show it. The moment you find out, you need to make a plan of action. Many children do not want their parent’s overt involvement in their help. They do not want a knight in shining armor to swoop in and rescue them. Most kid’s school reputation could not take that much of a hit. Ask your child if he has an idea of what he would like you to do, then read between the lines. You know your child best and what he says may not exactly be what he wants. Trust your gut instinct and act on it.

Lindsay Holland is a professional blogger that provides parents and guardians with information and reviews for after school care programs and day cares. She writes for The Learning Experience, a leading after school program in Merrimack and child care center in Merrimack NH.

Banishing the Bullies

Whether the bully in question is a school teacher, a boss, a friend or even a member of the family, if you are on the receiving end it really can make your life a misery.

The constant and relentless barrage of verbal or physical abuse, can wear a person down so much, they can’t even see a way out.

There is no need to live in fear of a bully, and there are many different kinds of initiatives being developed for every type of bullying out there. If you are, or someone you know is being harassed, I give you some examples of how to deal with it...


Image Source

Praise them
Secondary schools in Scotland are taking a new look at what motivates bullies to behave the way they do.

They have bought in a system of secondary school rewards and praise methods, recognising good behaviour formally and publicly, so everyone knows about it.

Reward systems are not new as such, and you might be wondering what this has to do with bullying.

Well, research shows that bullies typically have very low self esteem and by teachers paying close attention to the good work and good things that the bullies do, they can be publicly rewarded for these acts and then their confidence in themselves will grow.

This results in a happy ex-bully and of course a great relief to the victims.

For it to be successful, all the teachers must be singing from the same hymn sheet, as it were. So, time spent setting up the system and explaining its function is essential. It will be regularly monitored to ensure consistency is maintained.

Essentially, the praise must be genuine in order for it to ring true with the teenagers, and in a school culture which might say that to be a “swot” or teacher’s pet is bad, and that to be cool and macho is the done thing, you need the praise to ignite some pride in them – not have it knocked back.

Face facts
Bullying in the workplace is unacceptable. No-one wants to have to face their oppressor every day, especially when it starts affecting their work standard and may result in loss of job.

Often, the put downs and intimidation is done in front of other work colleagues, therefore turning them against the victim.

It can take many forms, such as racial or sexual harassment, but can also be covert, such as being constantly harangued, blamed for other peoples mistakes, given so much work that it cannot possibly be completed, thus setting you up to fail, or physically and/or verbally abused.
Maybe these can happen on email or fax, as well as face to face.

Luckily, there are laws in place to cover discrimination and harassment in the workplace. If you feel that you, or someone you know, are suffering in this way, then first of all get advice.
This may be from a Union representative, a Human Resources member, or a manager or supervisor. (Of course, things can get difficult if it’s the manager or supervisor who is bullying you, but if necessary go above them within the company).

Your employer has a “duty of care” when your at work, and safety from bullying comes under that umbrella.

It is advised that the victim speaks to the bully, to make it clear how their behaviour makes them feel. Maybe the bully is really not aware of how bad their behaviour is. Ask them to not do it. If it continues, you will have a case. Keep all incidents written down in a dairy, with dates and details.

Then, if you wish to raise a formal complaint, you will be well armed. Ask for the company’s grievance procedure and follow it to a tee.

Have you ever been a victim of bullying? Perhaps you were the bully and wish to explain your motives. Please share here.

Elise Lévêque is an ambitious freelance translator with a passion for anything and everything social media. She can often be found sipping on a latté, and wandering the city with her Lomo camera on the hunt for the newest piece of controversial art. There are few things she loves more than her freedom, and she loves to blog for Carrot Rewards in her spare time.

Is Latin Really a Dead Language?

It’s the common protest you’ll hear from children who have to take Latin class but just aren’t interested: “It’s a dead language! Why do I have to learn it if nobody speaks it?” That sounds like an argument that’s logical enough. But why has “dead language” become synonymous with “Latin?” And if Latin really is a dead language, why does anyone bother to teach or learn it at all?

Perhaps scholars and classical literature and history buffs aren’t so foolish after all. It’s true that people don’t speak Latin to converse on an everyday basis anymore, but does that really mean that it’s dead? It doesn’t. When you look more closely, Latin is far from dead, and it’s even coming back to life more than it has in decades. There must be good reasons for this, but what are they?

Historical Significance
Kids learn a lot of things in history class that are no longer relevant or significant, and sometimes they protest against that, too. But history isn’t considered to be dead; instead it’s intended to give important insight into the past so that the present and future can benefit from history’s lessons. Latin has great historical significance. It was the language of the Romans, and it was the language that was used to communicate so many things that matter today – like democracy. It was an important part of the history of modern civilization, so why shouldn’t we learn about it?

Modern Language
Most modern languages, like the romance languages of French, Italian, and Spanish, have their roots in Latin, as does English. We may not speak Latin today, but we wouldn’t be speaking the languages we do know without it. You can find Latin roots in so many words, and so learning Latin can help you better understand your own language. Knowledge of Latin really opens up the English language in a new way, and it can also help improve SAT scores. Latin grammatical concepts help you understand and improve your English grammar, too. People who learn Latin will no doubt improve in their native tongue as well.

The Classics
One of the most popular reasons that people learn Latin is so they can read lots of classic literature in its original form. Important authors and philosophers wrote in Latin, like Virgil, Cicero, St. Augustine, and Francis Bacon. When these works are translated into English or other modern languages, a lot is lost. Oftentimes meanings cannot be accurately conveyed, and the beauty of the prose is no longer present, which is one of the best things about them in the first place. 

Life After Death
People who are interested in history and classical literature learn Latin and use it regularly. If it is used so often, how can it be dead? Many more schools are offering Latin classes, and there has been a renewed interest in the language from people who want to challenge themselves and broaden their intellect. People continue to teach, learn, and use Latin, and it has many benefits, so it is far from dead.

Martin Olsson is a swedish-born linguistics expert who is an instructor of accent classes. He likes to discuss the origin of language and how language of the past can help shape current linguistic patterns.

Photo Credit: Txalteredart

An Introduction to Dumpster Diving

Intro image CC via Flickr

What, you’ve never heard or partaken in a spot of dumpster diving? What in god’s name have you been doing all your life? Your sheltered life needs some form of excitement in it and dumpster diving is definitely the way to go. Ok, we’re joking; you’re not really a weirdo if you’ve never jumped into the hobby of dumpster diving, but you’re intrigued by what it could be, aren’t you? Well then, you'd better read on!

Ok, so dumpster diving. It’s basically what it says it is: diving into dumpsters. That’s a bin for any of you not accustomed to American parlance. Of course you don’t literally dive in though, that would be ridiculous and dangerous.

The idea around it comes from this new-age concern for trying to stop waste. In the west, we tend to discard a lot of food, clothing and basic items because we’re used to such a luxurious lifestyle of abundance. The US, for instance, wastes 40-50% of its food produce due to government-imposed ‘use-by’ dates, so it’s no wonder that dumpster diving has started to catch on.



Basically, you’ll find yourself a skip or rubbish bin and, as you can imagine, just start wading through it to find items of worth. It sounds disgusting, smells probably horrendous, but there are a lot of companies out there who bin a lot of perfectly usable items – and people have started to realise this.

Supermarkets, for instance, are legally forced to bin items which have passed their sell-by or use-by date. But, in theory, these food items – like cereal – would be fine to eat as long as they didn’t contain any dairy or ingredients which tend to go-off or become mouldy. Dumpster divers will poke their head and hands into the supermarket’s skip and take home their winnings – all for free.

Sounds good, doesn’t it? You’re coming around to the idea and you want some of that dirty rubbish all in and around your face. The thought of cutting down on your bills every month with a spot of dumpster diving appeals and you’re not ashamed who knows it. But wait! There is a bit of a legal issue.



Firstly, you’re trekking onto private property, so in theory you’re trespassing. Likewise, you’re taking something which you didn’t pay for. Ultimately it’s a bit of a grey area. While you’d be technically subject to prosecution should the owner of the dumpster in question want to press charges, the likelihood of them doing so is low since most people don’t really care about the stuff they throw away. That’s why they threw it away.

Supermarkets have been less happy with the divers in recent years as they feel like there’s huge scope for the diver to take plenty of produce which they have paid for. And, if you think about it, the image it portrays for the supermarkets is extremely negative. Would you want to shop at a store which has dozens of people searching through their bins every night?

So be careful out there. Dive responsibly, be respectable to each individual company and don’t take cheese and milk.

Of course, if you're looking for a way to kickstart your finances that doesn't involve wading around in waste, there's always forex trading from www.IronFX.com!

Online Marketing ~ Making the Web Work For You~!!

Online marketing is generally referred to the marketing of products and/or services via the internet.  It brings together the technical and the creative perspectives, including design, sales, advertising and development while delivering media along many different stages of customer interactions.

There are many various types of internet marketing:

1.  Affiliate Marketing:  This system rewards one or more associates for each customer/visitor brought forth by one's own marketing capabilities.
2.  Social Media Marketing:  Gaining traffic and/or attention via websites such as Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, just to name a few.
3.  Search Engine Marketing:  This system seeks to promote websites by increasing their visibility in the search engine result pages via the use of paid placements or inclusions and contextual advertising.
4.  Email Marketing:  This technique involves marketing a message to a large group of people using electronic mail services.
5.  Inbound Marketing:  Sharing information in order to convert prospective customers into repeat buyers using creative and informative measures.
6.  Video Marketing:  Creating commercials or infommercials in order to engage the viewer into buying or considering the information being presented.
7.  Referral Marketing:  Usually word~of~mouth advertising but enticing potential customers through referrals.
8.  Search Engine Optimization:  Using "natural" or "un~paid" search results to track and improve the visibility of a web page in search engines.
9.  Display Advertising:  Third~party website/bogs help drive traffic to a company via the use of web banners and/or banner ads.

As internet marketing is relatively cheap, it is easy for companies to reach wider audiences for just a fraction of the cost of traditional advertising campaigns.  As well, via online marketing, business see a quicker turn~around in consumer sales as they are directed to the product/service in real time.  

Internet marketers are able to track statistics and analytics easily and inexpensively given companies a better advantage of knowing what works and where areas are needed to be worked on.  Marketing campaigns can be measured, traced, and tested through the use of ad servers using pay per impressions, pay per click and pay per play/action type features.  This makes your messages and offers more appealing to the audience you are targeting.

Internet marketing can be a daunting task.  The PR numbers alone can be staggering to achieve without time, dedication and a whole lot of tenacity.  You need to ask yourself what it is you are trying to sell and how you want to make that possible.

Using a online marketing firm could be a viable solution to the task of promoting yourself and your wares and a basic marketing package can be affordable if you are serious about making your name and/or your brand known.  

**  This is a sponsored post for OrangeSoda, however, all the points and views are my own~!!  **

E~Mail Marketing: Mad Mimi Newsletter Templates~!!

Email marketing uses a mass~market appeal in delivering messages to a group of people using electronic mail.  Every single email sent to a potential or existing customer could be considered email marketing whether you are sending general ideas, ads, business requests or to solicit sales/donations.  Emails are used to build a customer relations that are based on loyalty and trust.  

Online resources such as Mad Mimi Newsletter Templates are used to serve the busy individual who has the data they wish to share but doesn't have the time to set up a proper email.  They allow users to not only create their newsletter on site, but also able to send and track HTML email newsletters/campaigns.  They offer simple and affordable solutions to your everyday mass~marketing needs.

In the blogging world, emails and its marketing value go hand~in~hand as blogging moms & dads pour their hearts into their worlds and share via emails their daily newsletters sharing with their public their thoughts, reviews and news.  Email marketing gives the viewer the opportunity to stay abreast of their favourite blogs current updates while maintaining a loyalty amongst readers worldwide.

Email marketing can be extremely important for companies for several reasons:

1.  Companies want an "exact return on investment" which can be tracked and has proven to be successful and is second only to search engines as most effective online marketing tactic.
2.  Email subscribers can opt to receive advertisers newsletters based on subjects that interest them.
3.  Over half of internet users check or send email on a daily basis.
4.  Digital marketers find email a popular and effective way to get their message out to the masses.

Marketing via email removes the financial stress of postal deliveries as well as gives you real time data in order to better manage your marketing campaigns.  If you are computer savvy and whipping up an email newsletter isn't a worry then kudos to you, however, if your like the rest of us and need a place to go that can easily manage and track all the data for you, then I suggest you shop around to find a online Email Marketing site to better serve you and your business marketing needs.

  **  This is a sponsored post for Mad Mimi, however, all points and views are my own.  **

How To Quit Smoking: A Step-by-Step Guide

Quitting Gradually
Many people will simply wake up in the morning and decide they are going to quit smoking. While going “cold turkey” may be admirable, there is a reason that it fails 90% of the time. Giving quitting smoking some thought and preparation will get you ready for the challenge that lies ahead.

Believe
If you are a glass half-empty type who keeps telling yourself that you will never give up, then trust me, you won’t. If you need to read a book on confidence to prepare you for quitting, then do so. Think of other difficult feats you have achieved in life, write them down, stick them on the mirror, put them anywhere you will read them a lot – these will serve as your inspiration.

Understand Why
If you do not know why you are quitting then you probably won’t. Again, write it down and place it somewhere you will see it often. Imagine your life without cigarettes, think of the money you will not spend, and the things you can buy instead.

Get Support
Quitting smoking will be much easier if you have family and friends on board. Tell them you are quitting and your reasons why, you may be surprised by how supportive those close to you are.

See Your Doctor
Make an appointment to see your Doctor and discuss quitting smoking. Before this, perhaps look up some products that will help you to quit, such as an electronic cigarette kit. Your doctor may even be able to prescribe medication to assist you, however avoid the anti-depressants where possible.

Cut Down Before Quitting
Decide whether using an electronic cigarette kit, for example, constitutes smoking in terms of quitting. If it does, then begin to cut down on your cigarette smoking before your targeted quit date, and substitute cigarettes for your electronic version. If you are going to struggle then break the process down into two stages. Quit date one you begin to use an electronic cigarette kit, quit date two is when you cease nicotine intake completely.

Drink
Not coffee or carbonated drinks, but water. Water will act a detoxifying agent in your body, and begin to flush out the nicotine. Once you have gotten over the initial difficulties and you have flushed your body out, the nicotine cravings will begin to subside.

Chew gum whenever you feel the need for a cigarette, as this will satisfy the oral cravings and give you an element of control should you begin to crave a smoke.

Jasper and Jasper are a recognised UK supplier of e-cigs, electronic cigarette kits, and accessories.

Kansas City Homes ~ Fortifying Your Home During Tornado Season

Kansas City homes see more tornado activity than many other homes in the United States.  "Tornado Alley" stretches from the area north of Texas through eastern Nebraska and northeast to Indiana, with Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas seeing more than their fair share of one of nature's most deadliest forces.

Taking steps to ensure one's safety is always an advantage between life and death and its best to be prepared for when nature lets loose no matter where you live, for a tornado can strike at any time and without any notice.  Being prepared by taking a few basic steps will help to protect your family and possibly your home from any kind of severe damage.

First of all, most building structures either meet or exceed the current building codes for high~wind regions, giving your structure a better chance of surviving violent and destructive windstorms.  Although there is no way to predict if your home will stand if struck with a direct hit, it is better to make sure your codes are in place and your structures sound. And one should never open their windows during a violent high~wind storm, you do not want to give the wind any opportunities to enter your building.

When inspecting your home it is best to pay particular attention to the following areas:  windows, doors, roof, gables and your houses connections (how your structure joins together).  If you are handy with a saw and hammer than you will probably get by with doing all the fortifications on your own or if you are not, then there are many professionals who are certified to do the work for you.

Remember to keep your outside grounds clean and trim, make sure weak branches are pruned and one suggestion is to change all your rock/gravel material to shredded bark, ensuring less damage to your home if high winds happen to pick the rocks up and begin hurling them like bullets around your property.  If a storm is approaching, remove all items that cannot be tied down, off of your property; you wouldn't wish to have your child's tricycle or the wheelbarrow come flying through your home as you prepare to ride out the storm.  

It is imperative to always have an Emergency Plan for you and your family, become familiar with the Emergency Broadcast System in your area and keep an Emergency Preparedness kits nearby in case things get really upsetting.  While nothing is ever for sure, being prepared is always better than not, it could save you and your families lives one day.  And like Dorothy once said..."There's no place like home~!!"

  **  This is a sponsored post for Remax, however, all the points and views are my own~!!  **

Resumé Letters ~ Are They Truly Needed~??

Are resumé letters a necessity in garnering employment in today's fast~paced and ever~changing world?  Below you will find the benefits of resumé letters and why they are an important detail to include when seeking employment.   
Basically a cover letter is a letter of introduction and is a viable marketing tool in which one uses to sell themselves to prospective employers.  Job seekers will send a letter along with their resumé to briefly explain their suitability for the desired job position.  Typically employers use cover letters as a method of "screening" out applicants who do not carry the credentials in which an employer is looking for.  

There are three basic types of resumé letters, ones that are used as a letter of introduction, one that inquires about possible positions in a company and the networking letter which requests information and assistance in your job search.

Generally, a cover letter is one page in length, divided into a header, introduction, body and your closing.  The header in your letter uses the standard business letter style, in which your address, the contact information and the date are included at the top and your introduction states briefly the position in which you are applying for, it is an advantageous move to make this as eye~catching as possible to capture your employer's interest.

The body of your letter is geared to highlight your main job points, why you are interested in the position and what value you would be to the employer and/or company.  You can also include briefly, your skills, qualifications and past experience as well as, your availability date.  Remember not to overdo it in this area, this is just to highlight key features about yourself so that the employer feels the necessary need to read your resumé.  Your closing sums up your letter and where you leave your "instructions" for the employer, as in, a future date in which you will be contacting them for further updates.  Bear in mind though, most employers prefer the indirect approach of simply saying that you look forward to hearing from them in the near future.  

A resumé letter is your foot in the door and improper use will turn an employer off, while a well~polished letter will make you shine above the other candidates.  Make the letter an expression of yourself while remaining professional and you will find more opportunities coming your way.  Remember, you are selling yourself and if you don't like what you read, is any future employer?

  **  This is a sponsored post for Pongo, however, all the points and views are my own~!!  **

Facts About Scorpions That You Should Know

Scorpions are one of the most common pests found in dry areas like the desert. These pests can easily invade a home in search of food, water, and shelter. If you do nothing to get rid of them, they can become a huge problem. This is especially true if your home was invaded by the venomous type.

Differences between Venomous and Non-Venomous Scorpions
Technically speaking though, all scorpions have venoms. What makes them "venomous" and "non-venomous" to humans is the amount of venom in their sting and the damage that it can do to humans.

In a nutshell, "venomous" scorpions have thick tails. They also have thin pincers. On the other hand, "non-venomous" scorpions have thin tails, and they also have pincers that are not only thick and broad, but very well-developed as well. Aside from this, the stinger of a "venomous" scorpion is also much bigger and thicker than the "non-venomous" type which is smaller and thinner. What this basically means though is that "venomous" scorpions rely more on their stingers and venom to catch and overpower their prey, while "non-venomous" scorpions rely on their pincers to catch their prey and overpower them.

The importance of knowing these differences is that you can exercise more care and caution when you spot a scorpion. When you see that its pincers are smaller in relation to its body, then you'll know to avoid it or get rid of it carefully because its venom is more potent.

Common Scorpion Facts
Scorpions live in arid, dry places like the dessert. However, their bodies are very sensitive to water loss that they immediately search for water when their bodies begin to lose moisture. If your home has scorpions, you will notice that you'll commonly see them under the sink where there are water puddles. This is because they need water to keep their bodies hydrated. If you want to keep them away, see to it that there are no water puddles under your sink or leaky faucets where they can get their water from.

During the day, scorpions tend to hide from the sun and burrow in tight, snug places like under a rock. If they've invaded your home, they're going to look for similar places to burrow under, so it's not surprising to see them inside shoes. Because of their tendency to look for tight, snug places, it is important that you always shake out your shoes before you put them on. You most definitely don't want to get stung by a scorpion.

Scorpions have excellent sense of smell. They can easily locate a prey using their sense of smell, and they can also easily and quickly hide from any sign of danger. Scorpions are also known to recognize light and dark, so for example you're going to make certain your home has been invaded by scorpions, then do it at night or with the lights closed. With a UV light, shine it along the walls. Scorpions will glow green when the UV light hits them because of the fluorescent in their bodies.

Getting rid of scorpions is quite easy. Get rid of their food and water source, and they're out of your home in no time. If you've having difficulties getting rid of these pests, then a call to your local pest control company might be of good help.

Citations:

• http://sxc.hu/

Jennifer Dallman, a freelance article provider, regularly contributes to pest control blogs, one of which is Preventive Pest. She writes mostly about homemade tips to get rid of pests as well as homemade strategies to keep them away from your home.

What Parents Must Know When Children Steal

A painful and embarrassing, common problem that parents encounter is when their children steal. Quite a number of criminals today began stealing from a very young age due to poverty, neglect and peer pressure. However, it is the responsibility of parents to see to it that their children are educated about what is right and wrong and most of all about stealing. Nevertheless, whatever the reason may be for children to steal, parents must approach the problem wisely and not react to natural inclination.

When grade school aged children steal, it often is due to lack of self control and this can still be controlled with parental advice and discipline. But when high school children steal, the results are usually more uncontrollable. Often, children of high school age, tend to make it a hobby and even carry the habit into adulthood.

Why Do Children Steal?
Children's needs are not met - There will be times when children feel that their needs are not being met by their parents, they tend to take matters into their own hands. Our needs are subjective, so when parents' feels that their child wants something unnecessary and their child feels differently, the child will try to get what he or she wants by stealing.

Amount of attention needed - Even if parents provide their children with all the material needs they feel necessary to make their children comfortable and happy, sometimes attention and personal care is needed instead. As a result, children misbehave and steal to get the attention they need.

Peer Pressure - Children love to experiment and quench their curiosity. This is often a problem in groups of friends who experiment with stealing. With all the excitement and desire to fit in, a child will steal to prove that he or she is brave, to show these friends that he or she belongs in the group. This is most crucial because your child must know how to choose the right friends.

What Do You Do When Your Child Steals?
The first reaction you will have when you suspect your child of stealing is to become angry and immediately confront him or her. This is something you must learn to avoid because you are not 100% certain if it is true. If stealing is done at home, you must be sure to catch your child in the act before jumping to conclusions. Never allow your feelings to dominate you and make matters worse.

Children need to know the difference between right and wrong. A firm but loving reminder of the consequences is always healthy, but never give your child the feeling that he or she cannot be trusted. If they do something wrong, they must learn to correct it. They must understand that even stealing can hurt others and it will not only affect their lives but the lives of others as well. The fact is, there is no excuse for stealing, but your child is innocent until proven guilty and once there is evidence, your child must learn responsibility such as returning whatever was stolen, owning up and apologizing. But don't condemn your child as it will only make matters worse and lead him or her into stealing again.

Teenagers Who Have a Habit of Stealing
When children grow up with the habit of stealing and parents fail to control it, the outcome can be disastrous and disappointing as they will end up being a threat to the community. Teenagers who steal have to pay the consequences with the law and this is a serious matter that must be acted upon quickly. Based on the severity of the crime they committed, their age and state the crime was committed in, they can be detained and imprisoned with large bails that will affect their lives completely.

Valerie Howards is a freelance writer and mother who specialize in theft and other criminal cases. She regularly contributes articles to a number of law firms and Bail Bonds Direct websites.

Business School ~ A Viable Option For Your Future~!!

Have you ever considered going back to school??  Or maybe your considering school for the first time.  A huge advantage to ones future is taking the necessary steps in the proper direction and a possible solution to consider would be to attend a business school.  As you are well aware, business is an ever growing field and the job possibilities are endless to consider if you have a business degree behind you.  From sales to marketing to promotion to CEO, each area of a business or corporation requires knowledge of business and one should strive to ensure that the proper building blocks are in place to put you on a path to success.

Many times people don't often go to college or university after high school.  There are many reasons, some personal, some financial and other spiritual, no matter your reasons, they were  sound ones then and now you have come to a point in your life where serious direction is needed or else, why would you be here?  

There have been many celebrities over the years who didn't continue on with higher education and later, went back and corrected something they felt was missing in their lifes; it gives one a sense of accomplishment.  Did you realize that Howard Stern dropped out of university right after high school but then went back and got his degree in Communication??

Warren Buffet dropped out of college and at his father's urging, he returned and not only graduated with his degree in Business but he worked full time while completing his three year course.  Sarah Palin jumped from course to course before finally graduating with her BSc in Communications~Journalism.  Tyra Banks dropped out of school at seventeen to pursue her modelling career, at 38 she has returned to obtain her degree in Business in order to successfully sell herself to the public.

Obtaining a degree in Business is something that can be dreamed and attained.  Begin by checking local business schools or courses in your area and enroll today, your future will be the better for it!

  **  This is a sponsored post for the University of Denver, however, all points and views are my own~!!  **

5 Most World-Changing Engineering Discoveries of the 20th Century

cc licensed flickr photo shared by auspices

The 20th century featured more engineering discoveries in a shorter period of time than in any other century in the world's history. This makes it very difficult to choose five that have changed the world more than the others up for consideration. Below is the list, not definitive by any means, in reverse order.

Number 5: Radio/Television
Radio, which actually made its' debut broadcasting the America's Cup in 1899, instantly made the world a smaller place. After this initial broadcast, the discovery of the diode and the vacuum tube made live vocal broadcasting possible. Almost every home in America had a radio by the 1930s and televisions soon followed in the 1940s. No longer did people have to wait days to hear important news. It could also be said that radio and television changed the world socially (and continue to do so today) more than any other invention.

Number 4: Airplanes
Almost every great engineering discovery has helped make our world a smaller place, and airplanes are no exception. We can now travel from the United States to Europe in under seven hours, where by boat before flight took about ten days. Invented by the Wright Brothers in 1903, the technology developed quickly, just in time for World War I. By the late 50s air travel overtook railways as the most popular way of traveling for Americans. Planes also allow us to receive goods from overseas very quickly, where before it would take months.

Number 3: Telephone
This is a technology that is still developing now with mobile and cell phones gaining more and more popularity every day. Before the telephone it would take days to send news to a loved one in the next state; the telephone made this possible almost instantly. As technology got better through the 20th century more and more telephone lines went up in even the remotest areas. Today's mobile technology using satellites makes communication in even the remotest locations on earth possible. Imagine your life today without your cell phone.

Number 2: Computers
Computers are a very important part of almost everyone's lives today, but only 35 years ago these machines could take up a whole room and couldn't do more than add up numbers quickly. Today we use them as sources of information, to surf the internet, to communicate with friends and business associates, to write papers for school, and much more. Computers have allowed people from all over the world in vastly different cultures to meet up and share their experiences and learn from each other. Was there ever really a time when Google didn't exist?

Number 1: Electricity
No other engineering discovery even really comes close to the harnessing of electricity. None of the other technological engineering discoveries on this list would've even been possible without it. In fact, the rapid succession of inventions in the 20th century is almost completely attributable to the invention of electricity. Imagine your world without electricity. You would have no refrigerator, no air conditioning, and no lights. The world would be a different and much less comfortable place. We are healthier, our food lasts longer, we are safer, we are more connected, and all of this can be directly attributed to the engineering discovery we call electricity. Nothing has changed the world in quite the same.

Robin Tyler is an electrical engineer and guest author at Engineering-Management.net, a site with helpful information for prospective students about choosing a school to get an online masters in engineering management.

Interesting Facts About Sign Language

Sign language is a great way to communicate with other people, and it has been a breakthrough for those who are deaf or unable to speak. Most people who don't have to use sign language don't know much about it, but the language is extremely interesting, and those who learn it can find it extremely beneficial.

The use of sign language dates back a very long time. The origins of American sign language travel all the way back to the 18th century. While there is no real explanation for how American sign language came to be, many believe that certain events led up to its inception.

American sign language and French sign language are very similar, and it is believed that American sign language was developed with French sign language  and American Indian sign language as a base.

If you use sign language, or if you're simply interested in it, the following are some interesting facts.

1. Sign language is not the same in every country, just like verbal language. Just like different countries have different languages, different countries also have different signs.

2. There is not a sign for every word in the English language. Sometimes one sign will refer to an entire phrase if said verbally.

3. Research has shown that teaching babies sign language—even if they don't have a physical reason to learn it—will improve their cognitive development.

4. In 35 states, sign language is considered a foreign language and can earn you college credits.

5. Sign language can use different emotions. It can be used for poetry, comedy and sarcasm, as well as tell lies and have a regular conversation.

6. If there is no sign for an English word, it is spelled out using the sign language alphabet. All names—both first and last—are spelled out.

7. The grammar in sign language is much different than the grammar in spoken English.

8. Babies are able to communicate physically before they're able to communicate verbally, which is why sign language is recommended for younger children.

9. In order to communicate effectively, you must pay attention to the body language, facial expressions, gestures, hand position, hand movement and hand shape of the person who is signing. All of these items help determine the emotion of an individual.

10. American sign language is the third most used language in the United States, following English and Spanish.

11. American sign language is also known as ASL, but it is not just used in America. It is the recognized sign language used for both Canada and Mexico too.

12. 9 out of 10 children who are born deaf do not have deaf parents.

13. When a deaf child is born to non-deaf parents, it takes much longer for sign language to be taught, as parents often need to learn sign language as well.

If you are interested in taking a foreign language, you may want to consider sign language. Great colleges are always excited to meet new and prospective students, and learning a skill like knowing sign language will  help make your entire life more successful.

Hans Shultz is originally from Germany and is a writer.  He likes to write articles on various topics including language and communication.  Hans also writes for Accent Pros and recently started writing about Accent Pros language classes.

Photo credit: maare6

5 Pioneering Women Who Helped Shape the Modern World

cc licensed flickr photo shared by dbking

There are hundreds of women who, down through history, have shaped our world as it is today. To select only five of them is an awesome task. Most stories include another person who was instrumental in helping and developing the talents latent in each pioneering woman. The following are only five chosen from that great list.

Jane Addams
Born in Cedarville, Illinois, in 1860, Jane became an outstanding example of compassion for the poor, for the black community, for immigrants and for laboring people. Influenced by a settlement house in the depths of London she, with Ellen Starr, founded the Hull House in Chicago to give medical care and other services to needy people.

She supported better working conditions for women and children. She was a charter member of the NAACP, the ACLU and the Women’s Peace Party before her death in 1935.

Susan B. Anthony
Born in 1820 in Adams, Massachusetts, Susan dedicated her life to obtaining voting rights for women. Her Quaker upbringing was responsible for early training in equality for women. She and her friend, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, were successful in organizing the National Woman’s Suffrage Association in 1869.

She authored the 19th Amendment that gave women the right to vote. She was active in founding the International Council of Women and the International Woman Suffrage Council. After her death, in 1906, she was commemorated by a U.S. coin.

Mary Ann Todd Lincoln
Mary was born in December, 1818, in Lexington, Kentucky. Many families during that period were not interested in educating their female children, but Mary’s parents strongly believed in a good education for Mary. She met Abraham Lincoln and, by November of 1842, married him.

Mary’s influence in Abraham Lincoln’s political career and her faith in him was instrumental in getting him elected to the presidency of the U.S. in 1860. During the Civil War, the south saw Mary as a traitor and the north as a spy. When Abraham was assassinated in 1865, after being re-elected to the presidency, Mary’s health began to deteriorate and she never fully recovered. She died in July of 1882.

Marie Curie
Marie was born in Warsaw, Poland in 1867, an era when women in science were rare. Through a succession of positions, Marie joined a laboratory in Paris where she met Pierre Curie. Together they discovered the element Polonium and later Radium. In 1903, she became the first woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics. The first woman to head a laboratory at the Sorbonne University in Paris, she also became the first person to be awarded a second Nobel Prize, this one in Chemistry. After dying in July of 1934, she was commemorated by a movie, stamps, coins and her ashes buried in the Pantheon in Paris.

Helen Keller
Helen’s story cannot be told without including Joanna Macy, nee Sullivan. Helen was born in June of 1880 in Alabama. At the age of 19 months, she had a fever that left her deaf and blind. At five, her behavior led to the hiring of Joanna (Anne) Sullivan as a tutor. Her family could not know what an influence Anne would make on Helen’s life. Herself blind from an illness when she was young, she helped Helen learn and obtain an extensive education. Helen eventually graduated from Radcliffe College and wrote “The Story of My Life” that is her own autobiography.

Her influence did not end with her death in 1968. The Helen Keller International, an organization for blind, was organized in her honor.

Milly Crawford is an ER nurse and guest author at www.top-nursing-programs.com, a site with guides and information to assist potential nursing students.

Going Platinum

Can reality trump fiction?  That was the question of the day on April 24th, at the launch of the firm Planetary Resource’s plan to mine metals from asteroids and return them to Earth, at the Museum of Flight in Seattle.

It sounds like a James Cameron film—fittingly, Mr. Cameron is one of the company’s backers.  The team behind the firm insists they aren’t joking.  The founders are Peter Diamndis, designer of the x Prize awarded in 2004 to Paul Allen and Burt Rutan for the first private space flight, and Eric Anderson, whose company Space Adventures has sent seven tourists into orbit.  Larry Page and Eric Smith, the chief executive and the chairman of Google, respectively, are involved in the project, too.  As is Charles Synmonyi, the engineer who managed the creation of Microsoft Office software (and who has visited space twice via Mr. Anderson’s company).  With a list of backers like that, the least you can do is take them seriously.

Most asteroids consist of unconsolidated lumps of leftover rubble from the birth of solar system.  Many, too, are chunks of small planets that have slammed into one another of the past several billion years.  These particularly have caught the eye of Planetary Resources, because the planet forming processes of melting mineral, and then stratification into core, mantle, and crust, will have organized to concentrate valuable materials into usable ores.  For example, platinum and its allied elements are rare on the Earth’s surface, but are likely more common in our metal-rich core.  It’s likely the same case for planets shattered and turned to asteroids.  Indeed, the discovery of a layer of rock rich in iridium—a relative of platinum—was the first indicator for geologists that an asteroid impact killed the dinosaurs.

Most asteroids hover between Mars and Jupiter’s orbits.  But enough of them are near-Earth asteroids (called NEAs) to be worth investigating as mineral sources—if that can be accomplished economically.

Don’t Count your Chickens
First we must locate a likely prospect.  Today, we know of about 9,000 NEAs, primarily through ground-based programs keeping tabs on bodies that might hit Earth.  That catalogue is a good starting point, but Planetary Resources would like to go further.  They intend to launch a series of small telescopes to seek out accessible asteroids whose orbits near Earth frequently enough for the mined resources to be returned at regular intervals, a plan that will cost a few million dollars.

That isn’t projected as too challenging, but it is seceded by a tougher phase.  In over a decade, when suitable targets have been identified, the company will send another kind of spacecraft to examine what’s been mined.  This is projected as significantly harder than getting telescopes into orbits, but is nevertheless considered conceivable with existing technology.  It is the process from this step onward that is more conceptual.

There are two basic ways to retrieve the materials.  One way is to drop a payload on a large NEA every time its orbit passes Earth.  That’s why the telescopes would try to detect asteroids with appropriate orbits.  This approach will require intelligent robots that can work without instruction for years, mining and processing desirable material.  The second process would be to retrieve smaller asteroids, place them in orbit and then dissect the materials at leisure.  This way, though, would limit the value of the retrievable materials, and risk catastrophe if there is something wrong in maneuvering the asteroid.

In either case, the expense is guaranteed to be incredibly high.  The Kech Institute for Space Studies’ feasibility study projected a $2.5 billion cost for the retrieval of a single 5000-ton asteroid from the moon.  Earlier research indicated a $100 billion expense for even the chance of a successful asteroid-mining venture.  Further, new technologies will need to be developed, including more powerful solar panels, electric ion engines, extraterrestrial mining equipment and robotic refineries—all of which can be doubtlessly accomplished with enough money and ingenuity.  The real doubts arise in the demand, not the supply.  Platinum and iridium are expensive because they are rare.  If they become common, having been dug from the heart of a planet, they will become cheap.  The most important members of the team very well might not be the entrepreneurs and venture capitalists investing, nor the engineers who make it possible, but the economists who can project the effects on price upon the arrival of an enormous amount of the materials.

Sergeo is a writer and rabble-rouser at Edictive. He covers film production, production management, social, casting and film distribution at Edictive.