I’ve always been a pragmatic sort of chap. I mean, when I was younger, I had severe asthma. I couldn’t run around or even play around like the other kids. But it didn’t bother me much. I amused myself by becoming an introvert and by reading books. Of course it meant that I didn’t have many friends, but then hey! I built up knowledge while managing to stay positive. In my teens, I was known as pimple king. With a hideous visage, filled with acne, black heads and white heads of all sizes and shapes, people (not just girls!) avoided me like the plague. Although I tried all sorts of cures, nothing really worked. So I bided my time and tried to be as normal as possible till my acne went right away.
But it was in my twenties that I ran into the problem that almost destroyed my life. When the first sign of baldness came about, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I mean, nobody in my family was bald, and no matter how many other problems I had; baldness was nowhere even on the horizon of my hypochondria. So to wake up one day and realize that when I wasn’t looking, my hairline had receded by a bit, and that baldness was imminent, was not a pleasant thought. And it was no use knowing that if there was any human condition that I was absolutely mortified of, it was baldness.
Having resolved to hide the ugly truth from all m friends, I went to university, the coffee shop, the internet centre and even the gym with a perky cap covering my head. Most of my friends were initially curious. Soon they became perturbed by my bizarre behavior. And when they ganged up to confront me I shamefacedly told them the truth about my baldness. Their first reaction was one of mirth. But soon, they had calmed down sufficiently to try and help me out of my misery. Some of my older and wiser friends shared their own experiences with baldness. One of them in fact took the trouble to take me through all the baldness cures he had personally tried and why each of them didn’t work. Another friend told me in no uncertain terms that if baldness had decided to set in, there was nothing I could do to prevent it. I just had to grin and live with baldness for the rest of my life.
But overall, I was able to get some information about baldness, how to deal with it and what baldness remedies I might try out to get the best results. For instance, I found that Minoxidil, a solution that was to be applied to bald spots was the solution most preferred by balding adults. Nearly two out of three people who had used this baldness treatment, had seen positive results. The other treatment was Finasteride – an oral baldness treatment that I could try. Finasteride seemed to enjoy a higher success rate among people with baldness. But it was not as popular as Minoxidil as it was reputed to cause some side effects which affected sexual performance. Tough choice eh? Lose your hair or lose your drive.
Friday, 27 April 2007
Air Purification Systems
Do you suffer from allergies? I know I do. I sneeze in summer, cough in winter, gasp in spring and choke in fall. All year long, they bother me. I tried everything. Allergy shots helped a little, improving my diet helped a little, but nothing did much until I got my air purification system.
There are several types of air purification systems. Mine is of the type called a hepa. A Hepa filter system has a high efficiency filter that traps particles which are blown through the system by a powerful fan. On top of this, it has an activated carbon pre-filter, which filters out molds, and odors. In most tests done by scientific organizations, this type of filter has rated the best of all of them. There's just no comparison. If you turn it on before you go to sleep, you'll be breathing clearly in the morning and be happy and healthy all day.
Another popular type of air purification system is the ionizer. This is a high tech solution, but people don't think it actually works that well. Basically, it takes all the air that goes through it and electrically charges it. This makes it cling to surfaces – carpets, furniture, bedding. Practically anything. It gets the dust out of the air, but does it by just making it settle in the room. Then you have to dust and vacuum, as well as frequently washing your bedding, or else the allergens are just as bad or even worse.
A washable filter air purification system is supposed to be a good choice, although I have never used one personally. In most respects it is like a hepa, running air through its filter and trapping dirt and dust inside. The problem with hepas is that you have to replaice the filter about every six months and the pre filter even more frequently – maybe every month or two. This can add up to a lot of money! But with a washable filter air purifier system, you never or almost never have to replace the filter. Just wash it, and it will be as good as new!
It is a good idea to read scientific reports and studies before buying an air purification system. There are so many on the market, and some are much better than others. They tend to be rated in several ways: how much space they can clean at once and, on average, how much they improve the air quality. So, if you have a small room, a small air purification system will work, but if your room is big, you might need a larger and potentially much more expensive one.
There are several types of air purification systems. Mine is of the type called a hepa. A Hepa filter system has a high efficiency filter that traps particles which are blown through the system by a powerful fan. On top of this, it has an activated carbon pre-filter, which filters out molds, and odors. In most tests done by scientific organizations, this type of filter has rated the best of all of them. There's just no comparison. If you turn it on before you go to sleep, you'll be breathing clearly in the morning and be happy and healthy all day.
Another popular type of air purification system is the ionizer. This is a high tech solution, but people don't think it actually works that well. Basically, it takes all the air that goes through it and electrically charges it. This makes it cling to surfaces – carpets, furniture, bedding. Practically anything. It gets the dust out of the air, but does it by just making it settle in the room. Then you have to dust and vacuum, as well as frequently washing your bedding, or else the allergens are just as bad or even worse.
A washable filter air purification system is supposed to be a good choice, although I have never used one personally. In most respects it is like a hepa, running air through its filter and trapping dirt and dust inside. The problem with hepas is that you have to replaice the filter about every six months and the pre filter even more frequently – maybe every month or two. This can add up to a lot of money! But with a washable filter air purifier system, you never or almost never have to replace the filter. Just wash it, and it will be as good as new!
It is a good idea to read scientific reports and studies before buying an air purification system. There are so many on the market, and some are much better than others. They tend to be rated in several ways: how much space they can clean at once and, on average, how much they improve the air quality. So, if you have a small room, a small air purification system will work, but if your room is big, you might need a larger and potentially much more expensive one.
Having a foreign Affair
My life was rather dull. It's not exactly that I wasn't happy, at least it wasn't that there wasn't anything to be happy about. As a successful entreprenuer, I enjoy life more than most people do. I put in a little more, pursuing an mba from a prestigious eastern university, worked more than many people would have found humanly possible, and used a professional, outgoing demeanor at all times to ensure that I had plenty of contacts with other successful attractive people. But some how, despite all my hard work and determined success, I was still unhappy. That's when I decided that what I needed was a foreign affair.
I flew to Russia the very next weekend. Officially, the purpose was business, but in reality, love was utmost in my mind. You see, I've always been a go getter – in my personal life, as well as my professional life. I don't even draw a distinction because in all things, the most important thing is decide what you want and go for it.
A foreign affair began at a high-powered business meeting. Her name was Tanya, and she was the most beautiful woman I've ever met. Not just her mysterious, slavic features or her lush black hair, but the way she held herself. Everything about her radiated an aura of confidence and mystery.
You see, a foreign affair with a foreign woman is different from one with an American. There are cultural barriers, language barriers, and the matter of a whole different way of looking at the world than you have. My Russian was poor, and her English was not better, so on our first date at the embassy party, we could only speak with the aid of my manservant and translator, Johann. But our mutual attraction was evident, and the language and cultural differences gave us something to overcome. By the time she could speek fluent English and I could speak fluent Russian, we felt like we had accomplished something and we both had learned so much about eachother. A foreign affair had become an international love.
If you're bored with your life, even if you're as successful as I am, there are many things you can do. A new hobby, such as golf or philanthropy can be a powerful antidote to weltshmerz, and of course there are the pleasures of the written word and of the theatre. But there are few pleasures as great as the pleasure of a foreign affair.
I flew to Russia the very next weekend. Officially, the purpose was business, but in reality, love was utmost in my mind. You see, I've always been a go getter – in my personal life, as well as my professional life. I don't even draw a distinction because in all things, the most important thing is decide what you want and go for it.
A foreign affair began at a high-powered business meeting. Her name was Tanya, and she was the most beautiful woman I've ever met. Not just her mysterious, slavic features or her lush black hair, but the way she held herself. Everything about her radiated an aura of confidence and mystery.
You see, a foreign affair with a foreign woman is different from one with an American. There are cultural barriers, language barriers, and the matter of a whole different way of looking at the world than you have. My Russian was poor, and her English was not better, so on our first date at the embassy party, we could only speak with the aid of my manservant and translator, Johann. But our mutual attraction was evident, and the language and cultural differences gave us something to overcome. By the time she could speek fluent English and I could speak fluent Russian, we felt like we had accomplished something and we both had learned so much about eachother. A foreign affair had become an international love.
If you're bored with your life, even if you're as successful as I am, there are many things you can do. A new hobby, such as golf or philanthropy can be a powerful antidote to weltshmerz, and of course there are the pleasures of the written word and of the theatre. But there are few pleasures as great as the pleasure of a foreign affair.
Friday, 20 April 2007
African American History
There are many shameful events that make up the history of a nation. Many countries have been built on the backs of the oppressed, and some political powers mature slower than others. African American history is inevitably tied to slavery, discrimination and persecution. It must also stand for courage, dignity and determination. Great art also comes from hard times.
The United Kingdom must also bow its head in shame, much of its wealth being accumulated because of the slave trade. It seems remarkable that this happened such a short time ago. Slavery was finally outlawed nationwide in the US, in 1865. This was long overdue and a case for rejoicing but it was not the end of problems in African American history. Racists were not changed overnight and there was a long road to march to freedom. In many ways, the road goes on.
Segregation in the South was vehemently exercised. Then one day, an ordinary woman did an extraordinary thing. Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat to a white man. This was breaking the law. It had been another long, hard day for Rosa and she couldn't take it any more. It wasn't a political decision, or a conscious call to revolution. It was how she felt. This was a landmark in African American history and led to the Montgomery bus strike.
Bit by bit, segregation was broken down. African Americans could, officially at least, sit at the front of the bus, go to the white man's college and drink from the same water fountain. Of course, not everyone agreed and discrimination still operated, sometimes right under the nose of the sherrif. Dr. Martin Luther King made his mighty speeches and fought the good fight, only to be cruelly shot down. African American history would be very different without him. He gave hope and inspiration to millions of people all over America, black, white and Hispanic, who wanted equality.
Eventually, the Civil Rights Bill was passed. The KKK was weakened. There is still disparity in career opportunities and housing. African Americans fought in two world wars in segretated units. They contributed to the fight against fascisim, when they had few rights at home. During the Vietnam War, the point was raised that it should not be part of African American history. After all, they were being sent to kill other men of color to give freedom to the South Vietnamese, when they were not given equality at home.
Despite all this, great art does come from hard times. African American history is not a negative thing. It sings out in Marvin Gaye and Muddy Waters and every work gang that laid a railway track. It sings out in Alice Walker and Toni Morrison.
The United Kingdom must also bow its head in shame, much of its wealth being accumulated because of the slave trade. It seems remarkable that this happened such a short time ago. Slavery was finally outlawed nationwide in the US, in 1865. This was long overdue and a case for rejoicing but it was not the end of problems in African American history. Racists were not changed overnight and there was a long road to march to freedom. In many ways, the road goes on.
Segregation in the South was vehemently exercised. Then one day, an ordinary woman did an extraordinary thing. Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat to a white man. This was breaking the law. It had been another long, hard day for Rosa and she couldn't take it any more. It wasn't a political decision, or a conscious call to revolution. It was how she felt. This was a landmark in African American history and led to the Montgomery bus strike.
Bit by bit, segregation was broken down. African Americans could, officially at least, sit at the front of the bus, go to the white man's college and drink from the same water fountain. Of course, not everyone agreed and discrimination still operated, sometimes right under the nose of the sherrif. Dr. Martin Luther King made his mighty speeches and fought the good fight, only to be cruelly shot down. African American history would be very different without him. He gave hope and inspiration to millions of people all over America, black, white and Hispanic, who wanted equality.
Eventually, the Civil Rights Bill was passed. The KKK was weakened. There is still disparity in career opportunities and housing. African Americans fought in two world wars in segretated units. They contributed to the fight against fascisim, when they had few rights at home. During the Vietnam War, the point was raised that it should not be part of African American history. After all, they were being sent to kill other men of color to give freedom to the South Vietnamese, when they were not given equality at home.
Despite all this, great art does come from hard times. African American history is not a negative thing. It sings out in Marvin Gaye and Muddy Waters and every work gang that laid a railway track. It sings out in Alice Walker and Toni Morrison.
African American Art
One of the biggest icons of African American art is Kadir Nelson. This accomplished artist started drawing when he was only three years old. His early interest in the creative process grew as he did until he reached adulthood. Now Kadir Nelson is a driving force in the African American art scene today.
Nelson’s artistic abilities were apparent at a very young age. He could draw before he could write. He explains that being an artist is part of his essential being and it is engendered within him. His natural talent has earned him a historic place in African American art in the United States and across the globe.
The artist began seriously delving into his craft at the age of eleven. This pioneer of African American art has very early development in his artistic abilities and he began honing his craft at a remarkably young age as well. With guidance from his uncle this preteen grew into a magnificent artist of great magnitude.
His natural abilities come as no surprise to his family. Kadir Nelson grew up in a creative environment surrounded by talented individuals who inspired and encouraged his craft. His uncle was a driving force behind his development and when Kadir was sixteen his high school art teacher took him under his wing.
This icon of African American art began painting in oil during his teenage years. He entered his paintings in competitions in the New York area. His endeavors in contests finally won him a scholarship to Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. There he developed his skills to the remarkable quality we see in his projects today.
His list of accomplishments is astounding. This artist has managed to achieve great things at a relatively young age. His work has appeared on advertisements for Coca Cola, in Sports Illustrated magazine as well as in DreamWorks productions. His work can also be found in homes of people who collect African American art.
Perhaps his most accessible work can be found at your local bookstore. Kadir Nelson has illustrated several children’s books. These masterpieces of children’s literature represent African American art for a young audience. The work of this artist may inspire budding young creative types around the world.
With his eclectic style and his ability to capture a moment or a character this artist is certain to go down in African American art history as one of the greatest artistic forces of all time.
Nelson’s artistic abilities were apparent at a very young age. He could draw before he could write. He explains that being an artist is part of his essential being and it is engendered within him. His natural talent has earned him a historic place in African American art in the United States and across the globe.
The artist began seriously delving into his craft at the age of eleven. This pioneer of African American art has very early development in his artistic abilities and he began honing his craft at a remarkably young age as well. With guidance from his uncle this preteen grew into a magnificent artist of great magnitude.
His natural abilities come as no surprise to his family. Kadir Nelson grew up in a creative environment surrounded by talented individuals who inspired and encouraged his craft. His uncle was a driving force behind his development and when Kadir was sixteen his high school art teacher took him under his wing.
This icon of African American art began painting in oil during his teenage years. He entered his paintings in competitions in the New York area. His endeavors in contests finally won him a scholarship to Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. There he developed his skills to the remarkable quality we see in his projects today.
His list of accomplishments is astounding. This artist has managed to achieve great things at a relatively young age. His work has appeared on advertisements for Coca Cola, in Sports Illustrated magazine as well as in DreamWorks productions. His work can also be found in homes of people who collect African American art.
Perhaps his most accessible work can be found at your local bookstore. Kadir Nelson has illustrated several children’s books. These masterpieces of children’s literature represent African American art for a young audience. The work of this artist may inspire budding young creative types around the world.
With his eclectic style and his ability to capture a moment or a character this artist is certain to go down in African American art history as one of the greatest artistic forces of all time.
Wednesday, 18 April 2007
Affordable web design
een thinking of setting up your own web presence? Well, with the range and affordability of available hosting plans, it sure is a simple task. You can opt to register a domain of your choice, go in for an inexpensive hosting plan, get your content and design organized and publish your website! Hang on there! Maybe I’m over simplifying things. Registration, hosting plans and even content are all things you can do yourself. But web design? Unless you have some sort of experience with professional web tools, you’d better not try this by yourself. Instead, go for an affordable web design.
Where exactly could you begin your search for affordable web design? For starters, you could check with your hosting service provider. Since your hosting provider provides hosting services to numerous clients, chances are she/he has a web designer on board who can give you affordable web design. If you could check this out and find it, you could land yourself an excellent and affordable web design to go with your website. As an existing customer, you could ask for and get a preferential rate.
If this doesn’t work, you could try looking for an affordable web design online. There are a number of online classifieds where you can source affordable web design. Most of the web designers who use online classifieds to advertise their services excel in providing good, affordable web design services. While they might not be well recognized professionals (in which case they wouldn’t be peddling their talent on online classifieds!), they often are talented youngsters who can give you affordable web designs at a fraction of the cost that a full-fledged agency would charge you. There is one problem though. You need to know exactly what you want and you also need to ensure that your affordable web designer is affordable because of the right reasons. Else you might end up hiring someone who is affordable, but useless or worse still someone who takes the advance you offer them and disappears!
Another source for affordable web design could be the freelancer websites specializing in web design. Most web designers who work on a freelance basis tend to be affordable. And if you are lucky enough to source out a talented web designer, you could not only get affordable web design but excellent design too. Additionally, most freelancer websites have a ratings system for service providers and buyers. Which means that you and the web designer providing you with the affordable web design can rest assured that the service will be delivered on time and paid for. Which makes all the parties concerned happy! Most freelancer sites also adopt an escrow model of payment to ensure compliance by buyers and service providers. This way, the risk that your web designer will vanish after seeking an advance is minimal. You stand to get an affordable web design with in-built peace of mind! You can get your affordable web design by adopting any of these ways and be well on your way to setting up your own website!
Where exactly could you begin your search for affordable web design? For starters, you could check with your hosting service provider. Since your hosting provider provides hosting services to numerous clients, chances are she/he has a web designer on board who can give you affordable web design. If you could check this out and find it, you could land yourself an excellent and affordable web design to go with your website. As an existing customer, you could ask for and get a preferential rate.
If this doesn’t work, you could try looking for an affordable web design online. There are a number of online classifieds where you can source affordable web design. Most of the web designers who use online classifieds to advertise their services excel in providing good, affordable web design services. While they might not be well recognized professionals (in which case they wouldn’t be peddling their talent on online classifieds!), they often are talented youngsters who can give you affordable web designs at a fraction of the cost that a full-fledged agency would charge you. There is one problem though. You need to know exactly what you want and you also need to ensure that your affordable web designer is affordable because of the right reasons. Else you might end up hiring someone who is affordable, but useless or worse still someone who takes the advance you offer them and disappears!
Another source for affordable web design could be the freelancer websites specializing in web design. Most web designers who work on a freelance basis tend to be affordable. And if you are lucky enough to source out a talented web designer, you could not only get affordable web design but excellent design too. Additionally, most freelancer websites have a ratings system for service providers and buyers. Which means that you and the web designer providing you with the affordable web design can rest assured that the service will be delivered on time and paid for. Which makes all the parties concerned happy! Most freelancer sites also adopt an escrow model of payment to ensure compliance by buyers and service providers. This way, the risk that your web designer will vanish after seeking an advance is minimal. You stand to get an affordable web design with in-built peace of mind! You can get your affordable web design by adopting any of these ways and be well on your way to setting up your own website!
Advance Cash Loan
It’s a tough thing to balance the check book these days. For anyone who has to survive on a pay check, the money seems to run out much faster than it seems to come in. For a long time, I thought I was the only one who didn’t know how to manage my money. I was always short of cash whenever the need for it arose. And so, I borrowed from friends, family and even the good old credit card whenever I needed some urgent cash. Believe me, it might have improved the quality of my life, but it sure put me under a whole lot of debt!
I was discussing this with a colleague the other day when he told me about something that changed my life. He told me that it was just for situations like this that the concept of advance cash loans were offered by companies. I knew that I should have looked at the employee manual with greater care. If I had, I would have found the advance cash loan tucked away amidst the employee benefits. But now that I knew about it, I sure wasn’t going to waste my time. So I swiftly put in my application and waited for my next pay check to reflect the advance cash loan from the company.
What I got instead was a call from the accountant. He sat me down and asked me a number of questions on why I needed the advance cash loan. I tried to come up with some excuses (you must understand that I wasn’t prepared to be grilled!) but they all sounded futile even to my ears. I had no real reason to ask for the advance cash loan except for the fact that it was possible to ask for and get it. When I confessed to the accountant that I needed the advance cash loan to pay off my credit card debts, he sighed, looked askance at me and gave me a talking to I’ll never forget.
First and foremost, he told me that an advance cash loan was meant for emergencies. He explained that not all of us have nearly as much savings as we would like to have and we all needed an advance cash loan now and then to help us with sudden and unexpected outflows. These could include a ceremony or death in the family, school expenses, sudden hospitalization expenses and the like. Advance cash loans were not there to be availed whenever required for a whim as they could negatively impact the regularity of the salary. He then told me about the case of one other employee (he never named him!) who had made a practice of seeking advance cash loans on his salary to such an extent that he actually would not be paid a salary for another three months because that much had already been advanced to him. So now, rather than having to make do with what he got, he would be putting in three months or more of hard work for money to pay off his advance cash loan! That shook me up and I resolved then and there that I would never seek an advance cash loan unless I really required it!
I was discussing this with a colleague the other day when he told me about something that changed my life. He told me that it was just for situations like this that the concept of advance cash loans were offered by companies. I knew that I should have looked at the employee manual with greater care. If I had, I would have found the advance cash loan tucked away amidst the employee benefits. But now that I knew about it, I sure wasn’t going to waste my time. So I swiftly put in my application and waited for my next pay check to reflect the advance cash loan from the company.
What I got instead was a call from the accountant. He sat me down and asked me a number of questions on why I needed the advance cash loan. I tried to come up with some excuses (you must understand that I wasn’t prepared to be grilled!) but they all sounded futile even to my ears. I had no real reason to ask for the advance cash loan except for the fact that it was possible to ask for and get it. When I confessed to the accountant that I needed the advance cash loan to pay off my credit card debts, he sighed, looked askance at me and gave me a talking to I’ll never forget.
First and foremost, he told me that an advance cash loan was meant for emergencies. He explained that not all of us have nearly as much savings as we would like to have and we all needed an advance cash loan now and then to help us with sudden and unexpected outflows. These could include a ceremony or death in the family, school expenses, sudden hospitalization expenses and the like. Advance cash loans were not there to be availed whenever required for a whim as they could negatively impact the regularity of the salary. He then told me about the case of one other employee (he never named him!) who had made a practice of seeking advance cash loans on his salary to such an extent that he actually would not be paid a salary for another three months because that much had already been advanced to him. So now, rather than having to make do with what he got, he would be putting in three months or more of hard work for money to pay off his advance cash loan! That shook me up and I resolved then and there that I would never seek an advance cash loan unless I really required it!
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