If you become disabled and unable to work in America, you can apply for federal assistance in the form of social security disability and, if you are lucky, your own case will be among the thirty or so percent of claims that are actually approved at the application level. However, if your initial claim is not approved (and seven out of ten are not), you’ll have to go through an arduous appeal system that can literally take years. And years, these days, can easily up to three years.

Title II benefits, otherwise known as RSDI, DIB, or more plainly, Social security disability, is an underfunded (manpower-wise), lumbering, and creaking contraption that does not serve the citizens of this country well at all. In fact, it doesn’t even come close in this regard. During the unreasonably long wait times enforced upon claimants for the processing of disability applications and appeals, a percentage of these claimants, sadly, will end up loosing everything thing they have. And many of them, those that can afford to, will end up looking through the yellow pages to find someone who can assist them in filing for bankruptcy.

It is amazing that this situation goes on in a country like this. And it is unconscionable that so many American citizens are “thrown into such a pit” simply because the U.S. Congress refuses to fund SSA at the proper levels. Funding is available, of course, for the issuance of benefits as are cost of living increases. However, the necessary funding to replace workers who retire or who quit from social security field offices is practically nonexistent (and a great many SSA employees already have the required “time in” to to take retirement).

How does inadequate personnel staffing at the social security administration affect the public? Obviously in this way: as more workers quit or retire and are not replaced, the processing of disability claims becomes, over time, slower and slower and slower. Work loads that were formerly addressed by X number of workers become increasingly handled by an ever-smaller pool of social security employees who, increasingly, become more embittered over the state of their agency. The effect on morale shouldn’t be hard to figure out, of course, nor should the eventual outcome. As the social security administration continues to ignore its staffing issues, the likelihood is strong that existing workers, particularly those who are eligible to take retirement, will at some point begin to quit or retire in numbers that may take the agency to a precipice.

Unfortunately, the situation that exists at the social security administration is not well known, nor understood by the public at large, or the media in general. But it should be.

A 3/1/07 UPI article states some pretty sobering statistics. More than half of all U.S. workers would be in the position of not being able to pay their bills (mortgage, utilities, food) if they developed a disabling condition that prevented them from being able to work. And it is estimated that approximately twenty percent of the U.S. workforce will actually become disabled for a period lasting a year or longer at some point before they reach the age of sixty-five.

Inevitably, if things are not fixed at the social security administration with regard to proper staffing for its social security disability and SSI programs, the situation could go on to negatively affect the lives of millions of American workers over the course of the next few years. And it is for this reason that the politicians we send to Congress should be more concerned, and should be made more responsive to the needs of the public, particularly those who need assistance at one of the worst times they may experience in their lives.

The author of this article is Tim Moore who publishes a Social Security Disability FAQ.

I am an open heart surgery survivor. That by itself makes me a lucky man. However couple that with the fact the entire procedure from beginning to hospital discharge cost me only $125.00 and you can reasonably call me lucky again.

You see, I have a great insurance program. But, what I have doesn’t make any difference to millions of Americans who either don’t have insurance or are underinsured. These are the people who receive those huge medical bills that make headline news at least once a quarter.

It is common knowledge hospitals are extremely aggressive in attempting to collect what they say they are owed. It is also common knowledge hospitals charge the un/under insured full price for every procedure, medication and service.

Should anyone care to read hospitals saying what you just read, I reference the document titled, HHS Guidance on Hospital Discounting for Uninsured Patients. Simply google the title and you’ll be taken to its page.

This article will present a theory based on research and a common sense reading of applicable federal statute. I will use me as the example because I saved every piece of paper I signed/was given during my stint into the medical world.

As you may imagine, I had doctor visits, a hospital stay and follow up visits and treatment. All documented on paper and by my co-pay checks. What I found interesting in this whole trek was the total lack of information I was given about costs.

The medical information detailing the procedure, the medications, the rehabilitation efforts, etc. was outstanding. I knew from the outset it wasn’t going to be a picnic or a walk in the park.

What I didn’t know was the cost. I will readily admit up front I didn’t care about the cost because I knew by discount agreement - the term the hospital and doctors use to get paid by both me and the insurance company - my cost was to be only a small co-pay.

If you reread my co-pay total, small could be called an exaggeration for a six day stay in the hospital that included open heart surgery. But, again, I knew what my discount agreement allowed and liked the number so I didn’t bother to quibble or argue.

Anyone not this lucky should not only quibble and argue but demand better pricing. I think I know the federal law that gives you the right to step over quibbling and arguing and proceed directly to demanding.

The title of the Act is the Consumer Credit Protection Act but is better known as the Truth in Lending Act. Most people believe it applies only to credit cards and real estate. Not true.

The next two paragraphs are redacted sections 103 and 104 copied directly from the statute. If you want to read the statute in its entirety, google Truth in Lending Act.

§ 103. Definitions and rules of construction

(c)-The term “organization” means a corporation, government or governmental subdivision or agency, trust, estate, partnership, cooperative, or association.

(d) The term “person” means a natural person or an organization.

(e) The term “credit” means the right granted by a creditor to a debtor to defer payment of debt or to incur debt and defer its payment.

(f) The term “creditor” refers only to a person who both (1) regularly extends, whether in connection with loans, sales of property or services, or otherwise, consumer credit which is payable by agreement in more than four installments or for which the payment of a finance charge is or may be required, and (2) is the person to whom the debt arising from the consumer credit transaction is initially payable on the face of the evidence of indebtedness or, if there is no such evidence of indebtedness, by agreement.

(h) The adjective “consumer”, used with reference to a credit transaction, characterizes the transaction as one in which the party to whom credit is offered or extended is a natural person, and the money, property, or services which are the subject of the transaction are primarily for personal, family, or household purposes.

(i) The term “open end credit plan” means a plan under which the creditor reasonably contemplates repeated transactions, which prescribes the terms of such transactions, and which provides for a finance charge which may be computed from time to time on the outstanding unpaid balance. A credit plan which is an open end credit plan within the meaning of the preceding sentence is an open end credit plan even if credit information is verified from time to time.

(j) The term “adequate notice”, as used in section 133, means a printed notice to a cardholder which sets forth the pertinent facts clearly and conspicuously so that a person against whom it is to operate could reasonably be expected to have noticed it and understood its meaning. Such notice may be given to a cardholder by printing the notice on any credit card, or on each periodic statement of account, issued to the cardholder, or by any other means reasonably assuring the receipt thereof by the cardholder.

(p) The term “discount” as used in section 167 means a reduction made from the regular price. The term “discount’ as used in section 167 shall not mean a surcharge.

(q) The term “surcharge” as used in section 103 and section 167 means any means of increasing the regular price to a cardholder which is not imposed upon customers paying by cash, check, or similar means.

(u) The term “material disclosures” means the disclosure, as required by this title, of the annual percentage rate, the method of determining the finance charge and the balance upon which a finance charge will be imposed, the amount of the finance charge, the amount to be financed, the total of payments, the number and amount of payments, the due dates or periods of payments scheduled to repay the indebtedness, and the disclosures required by section 129(a).

(x) As used in this section and section 167, the term “regular price” means the tag or posted price charged for the property or service if a single price is tagged or posted, or the price charged for the property or service when payment is made by use of an open-end credit plan or a credit card if either (1) no price is tagged or posted, or (2) two prices are tagged or posted, one of which is charged when payment is made by use of an open-end credit plan or a credit card and the other when payment is made by use of cash, check, or similar means. For purposes of this definition, payment by check, draft, or other negotiable instrument which may result in the debiting of an open-end credit plan or a credit cardholder’s open-end account shall not be considered payment made by use of the plan or the account.

§ 104. Exempted transactions

This title does not apply to the following:

(1) Credit transactions involving extensions of credit primarily for business, commercial, or agricultural purposes, or to government or governmental agencies or instrumentalities, or to organizations.

(2) Transactions in securities or commodities accounts by a broker-dealer registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

(3) Credit transactions, other than those in which a security interest is or will be acquired in real property, or in personal property used or expected to be used as the principal dwelling of the consumer, in which the total amount financed exceeds $25,000.

(4) Transactions under public utility tariffs, if the Board determines that a State regulatory body regulates the charges for the public utility services involved, the charges for delayed payment, and any discount allowed for early payment.

(5) Transactions for which the Board, by rule, determines that coverage under this title is not necessary to carry out the purposes of this title.

(6) [Repealed]

(7) Loans made, insured, or guaranteed pursuant to a program authorized by title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq.).

Let me call your attention to section 104. I believe 104 is very specific as those who write our laws are very careful when they say to whom a law applies and to whom a law does not apply. Hospitals and medical personnel are NOT exempt from TILA coverage or they would be listed in the above exemptions (also see below).

Yes, it is that simple or we would have laws that don’t mean what they say. Hence, no real law at all.

Now go to section 103 and read ALL the definitions. The definition of credit is: “The term “credit” means the right granted by a creditor to a debtor to defer payment of debt or to incur debt and defer its payment.”

Using the paperwork given to me to prove I was granted credit, I look at a document titled: Federal Truth In Lending Initial Disclosures. The hospital admits they are lawfully bound by TILA. Therefore, I was granted credit and/or an open end credit plan (§ 103(i) above). At the same time, they know/admit they are bound by this law by giving me this document.

If this is true, they violated § 103 (u) and (x). No where on any of the documents does it state the amount to be financed. There are only references about the amount to be financed and/or outstanding balance owed. Look at your documents. Do you see any amounts listed? (I assume you have hospital/doctor documents.)

In a second document in my package of documents is one titled Conditions of Testing/Treatment/Admission, paragraph 7A states, “I promise to pay the hospital for all goods and services furnished by or through the hospital and only AFTER DISCHARGE (my emphasis) will a bill be prepared and mailed to me showing charges due and payable at time of service. ” (As a side note, I put the word “valid” between the words “all” and “goods” just in case I actually had to dispute some of the charges. The hospital didn’t blink an eye and accepted the addition.)

Notice any discrepancy between this wording and the wording in § 103(u)? It is only after the surgery that they tell me how much I owe. I’ve been told by legal eagles this admittance paperwork is the first part in a two part legal process. This part is called the offer.

In other words, the hospital is only offering their services under those stated conditions.
Mind you, they haven’t performed a single act, yet. Now, when I sign the documents, I’ve committed a legal act called acceptance. This 2 part process is called offer and acceptance.

By the way, you don’t have to accept them as they appear on the offer. You can make changes like I did on the offer form showing the conditions you will accept. If you sign it and they take it back and don’t change the changes, these become the new conditions of the contract. (Note: I also struck out an entire paragraph and the clerk only shrugged her shoulders. So, it can be done without consequence to you.)

It appears to me only one party, the hospital, in this process has complete and full knowledge of the cost of the procedure but makes only a partial disclosure to me the debtor. So, if I want their service(s), I am forced to accept partial disclosure even if I made changes.

I say partial because the document does not contain any pricing. Hence, according to the law, it is only partial in nature.

Look at § 103 (j). It seems to say I must be given full disclosure in order to make an informed decision. How do you read it?

Full disclosure and notice have been part of American law since the inception of the republic. In fact, tomes exist in the law library on just this one arena. The volumes of material are a sure cure for insomnia or so I’m told.

By the way, nothing in this article is meant to replace competent and professional legal advice. Should you be one of those people being hounded by medical bill collectors or hospitals, it is a great idea to consult with an attorney specializing in this field.

I present the above information for your thought and consideration. It seems to me the hospitals and medical professionals know they are bound by the law yet openly flaunt it. Therefore, in my opinion, it seems writing them a letter and asking for all the information TILA says you should have received will help you resolve those bills sooner. Or, in the alternative, become a basis for your own legal action.

I also fully realize there must be an oversight organization or agency and it must have the teeth to enforce penalties against those engaging in law breaking. To me, the State Attorney General is the main oversight agency. It may be different in your jurisdiction so please do your own research.

I could go on for twenty five more pages but I think you get the gist of my presentation. A law does exist to protect un/under insured people but it isn’t being used for that purpose.

Maybe it is time TILA is brought to center stage and exposed to the sun. Who knows, this exposure may just cure some of the ills (pun intended) inherent in medical billing and collections and save some people’s homes, assets and bank accounts.

Tom Koziol is the Executive Director of a non-profit devoted to making life easier for senior citizens, senior caregivers and baby boomers. Free and low cost resources are available at: http://www.senior2senior.org.

Let’s examine something pretty simple. Workout to lose weight and improve teen fitness. Novel idea! Going to the gym and exercising will improve college health and teen health. However, teen health won’t necessarily improve with exercising, and college health and teen fitness won’t get better just because people are working out.

Teen health, teen fitness and college health is nearing a breaking point in our society. Of college health doesn’t improve the freshman 15 will turn into the sophomore 30. If teen fitness doesn’t get better then cancer, heart and brain problems will run avid in next generation.

That’s right. Teen health today could save kids lives tomorrow. (Perfect example: teen fitness and teen health is so bad that Type II Diabetes was CREATED because of it). And college health is so bad that there is an excuse (the “freshman 15″) to overweight students being the norm.

It isn’t in the numbers. Teen health and college health won’t improve just by working out. Teen fitness will improve with students working out correctly, not just working out.

Working out to improve college health and teen fitness isn’t an hour and a half workout. The only way to improve teen health is not on the treadmill or elliptical. Teen fitness can be fixed one half hour workout at a time.

Don’t just jump on the treadmill for longer to lose weight and improve college health and teen health. It’s a waste. Studies have shown time and time again aerobic training (like a typical “cardio” routine) isn’t good for fat loss.

Millions of students concerned with teen fitness and teen health go to the gym to get healthier and happier. However, millions of students go there and waste their time. Teen fitness and teen health will be improved with proper workouts, not longer workouts.

The biggest mistake people make at the gym is they rest too much during workouts. Teen fitness and college health won’t get better resting four minutes between sets. Here are a few tricks to shorten your rest and improve college health and teen health.

All of these exercises and workout routines can be found at http://www.generationyfitness.com, the only website devoted to teen health, college health and teen fitness. Membership is free!

-Instead of resting, pair up a group of exercises ad perform them back to back. Teen health and college health would vastly improve if students did this.

-If students knew how to do cardio right, college health and teen health would greatly improve. Don’t jump on a treadmill and run or walk for an hour. It’s a waste of time and won’t help teen fitness. Interval training, where you run for a short period of time then walk for a shorter period of time, is vastly better and will greatly improve teen health and college health.

Instead of resting, workout! That will help out teen fitness and college health. Here are a few exercises you can do instead of resting. Remember, if you don’t know how to do these exercises, they are all explained in details and with pictures on www.generationYfitness.com.

-Jumping Jacks
-Push ups
-Jump Rope
-Mountain Climbers

Or heck, jump on a treadmill for a minute between resting!

Teen health, teen fitness and college health is at a breaking point, and it doesn’t have to be. Teen fitness and college health can be improved easily and quickly with a few small changes.

Matt Elder is the co-owner of http://www.GenerationYfitness.com, the world’s only website designed just for high school and college students. The site is exclusive to members, but is completely free. Go today to www,generationyfitness.com today to get your free $27 e-book “How Working Out Will Improve Your Social Life”.

Living into jet age we all know the importance of technology. And everyday somehow the other new technology is evolving but now instead of developing those in-house companies prefer to go for outsourcing. And in this outsourcing race custom software development heads the list. There are many companies which prefer to outsource custom software development to an expert, as this not only saves time but also certain amount of money.

Developing software is an art which is finely executed by the professional. That’s why majority companies instead of burning their fingers prefer to outsource it. But prior going for custom software development the only question pops up in the mind is who to choose for outsourcing. Custom software development is the field of an expert thus; it should be handed over to a company which houses some of the best and highly skilled professionals. If you are in Russia and looking for a company who can help you in custom software development then Softage is the perfect choice.

Softage is complete IT Company making sure that the software delivered to you is of top quality and also in full functionality. Custom software development generally involves a lot of research and also the software designer should have thorough analytical knowledge. All these factors contribute in getting software developed. Softage houses some of the best software designers having minimum of ten years of software development experience. Apart from that they are also certified which seals that you will be provided with the quality software. Hence, handing custom software development work to Softage will be the wisest choice.

Softage always ensures that only the quality product is delivered to the clients and to check its validity and functionality developed software undergoes various tests and checks. Above all Softage’s custom software development services are easily affordable and won’t hamper or disturb your financial budget. In other words, you can say that Softage offers best and quality custom software development services in an affordable manner.

Prior delivering software to the client Softage checks the software on various platforms in different environments including Windows 2000 with IE5.5 and Office 2000 and/or Windows 2000 with IE6.0 and Office XP. That’s the reason why many companies select Softage’s custom software developmentservices. For more information on custom software development, custom software development service, custom software development services, custom software application development and outsourcing custom software please visit: www.softage.ru.

Kirill writes for http://www.softage.ru

No matter what your calling is in life, there are bound to be instances when stress and anxiety rear their ugly heads. Here are some tips on how to eliminate stress and anxiety from disrupting your life.

• Imagery. Sit in a quiet room and in a comfortable position and close your eyes.
  Think of a place you may have been where felt safe and calm. Concentrate on this image and pay attention to the details, such as what time of day it was, the temperature, the feeling of the wind, or the sounds of the waves, or the leaves rustling. Continue to focus on what you remember about this place that made you feel safe and comfortable. Do this for 5 minutes. As you do this more and more, you will be able to imagine places much more clearly. You may find that different images work better at different times.
• Counting. When you feel that feeling in the pit of your stomach causing the anxiety to begin, close your eyes, and count to ten slowly. As you count, focus on your breathing and the numbers only. If stressful thoughts get in the way, start back at one.
• Deep Breathing. Sit in a quiet room and in a comfortable position and close your eyes. Focus on your breathing and breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Breathe slowly and deeply and focus on the steady and comfortable pace that you are keeping. Make sure to exhale completely each time, without forcing the air out. If you find thoughts going through your mind, begin again.
  Continue on for a few minutes until you feel yourself begin to relax. Wait a few minutes, and arise slowly.

While there is no way to predict when or how stress and anxiety will reveal itself, you can use these steps on how to eliminate stress and anxiety in any given situation. These guidelines can also be used at your place of business as well. Give them a try, they do work!

Stress and anxiety cause health problems, don’t be a victim and learn
how to eliminate stress and anxiety.
Only when you learn how to
eliminate stress and anxiety will be you live a healthy life. Visit us at
http://www.endstressandanxiety.com
today and take control of your health.

1.-Use a sharp and clean razor blade.
To avoid skin irritation, use clean and sharp blades. Try the latest blades on the market. Rinse the blade often with warm water to maintain a smooth glide.

2.-Use a good quality shaving gel.
Shaving gel is designed to soften the beard, raise the hairs and provide glide for the razor. Shaving gel allows you to see where you’ve shaved. It should not contain artificial colorants, synthetic fragrance or animal by-products.

3.-Before shaving
Prepare the skin; the best shave can be had once the hairs have softened. Use warm water or a steamy shower to soften up the hairs. Do not shave in the shower as there is a potential for nicks and more bleeding. Get the blade the right temperature by immersing it in warm water.

4.-Shave
Shaving in the direction that the beard grows avoids razor rash and ingrown hairs. However, if you’re not getting a close enough shave; with a fresh sharp blade, hydrated skin and a good quality gel lather try also shaving against the grain for the perfect finish. For the best results, stretch the skin slightly where you are shaving. If needed reapply the shaving lather. Keep the razor unclogged. For preventing ingrown hairs use a quality face scrub. Lerosett and Bikini Saver are excellent products for treating ingrowns.

5.-Afterwards
The best way to tighten the pores is to splash your face with cool water. Dab your face with a towel, avoid rubbing. Finally, lightly apply a serum or moisturizer as well as a UVA/UVB sunscreen of SPF 15 or more. You’re now all set for the day!

From candid snapshot of herself, Tamara saw that her skin had acquired fine lines and wrinkles and had become blotchy and pigmented. She did not look healthy or youthful. Despite paying attention to her general health and fitness, she had forgotten about her skin and those years of benign neglect had taken their toll. This former sun goddess began, for the first time, to get serious about her skin care. In time, she was able to transform her skin to its healthful and radiant condition.

She felt that if she could do it, others could as well, and when the time came for a change of career, she began her formal study of skin care. A basic educational foundation was followed by more than 600 hours of specialized training, seminars and workshops with the most recognized institutions and instructors. Today, this former sun goddess has been named the “skin care goddess’ by her loyal clients. Tamara is a licensed esthetician, and operates Tamara’s Skin Care serving her neighbors in Yorba Linda, Anaheim Hills, Orange and surrounding areas achieve and keep healthy youthful-looking skin.

With Spring just a couple of days away, thoughts of Hiking in our local parks certainly comes to mind. It has been a long cold winter for most of the upper US States and Canada. We all feel the need to get back to nature and enjoy the sunshine.

Hiking can be a wonderful preventative for any number of physical and behavioral disorders. One in every three dogs is overweight and running up trails and leaping through streams is great exercise to help keep pounds off. Hiking can also relieve boredom in a dog’s routine and calm dogs prone to destructive habits. Hiking with our dogs help strengthen the overall bond between K-9 and owner. The health benefits our whole family as well as our pets.

Dogs enjoy the new scents and sights of spring along the trail. Remember that some dogs are better suited to hiking than others. Do you look forward to an entire afternoon of hiking? Is a half-hour enough walking for you? It may not be for an energetic dog like a border collie, golden or german shepherd. Remember to tailor your hiking distance and pace to your dogs abilities and size.

Getting Ready to Hike - Conditioning

Just like us our dogs need to be prepared for the task at hand. An inactive dog cannot be expected to bounce from the easy chair in the den to a hike of 3-hours the first time out. Start with small short hikes around your neighborhood and gradually increase your distance and speed. You must also be physically able to restrain your dog if confronted with distractions on the trail (like a scampering squirrel or a pack of joggers).

Weather-Temperature Conditions

While the spring temperatures are not that hot, some days could certainly make us feel like it is summer and our body will begin to sweat in order to maintain body temperatures. This isn’t the case for our dogs as they do not have sweat glands and the only way possible for them to disperse body heat is through panting. Our dogs are much more susceptible to heat exhaustion and stroke than we are. Unusually rapid panting and/or a bright red tongue are signs of heat exhaustion in your pet. Always carry enough water for your hike. Even days that don’t seem too warm can cause discomfort in dark-coated dogs if the sun is shining brightly. In cold weather, short-coated breeds may require additional attention.

DRINKING WATER on your Hike

Surface water, including fast-flowing streams, is likely to be infested with a microscopic protozoa called Giardia, waiting to wreak havoc on a dog’s intestinal system. The most common symptom is crippling diarrhea. Algae, pollutants and contaminants can all be in streams, ponds and puddles. A must addition to your hiking gear is efficient drinking water for both you and your pet. I’m certain that you take along a water bottle for yourself, but what about your pet. They need to replenish their body fluids as well. We have found a wonderful addition to our hiking gear that accommodates both bowl and bottle in one container just for our dogs. It works great in the car, trailer, hiking trail and just about any travel conditions we encounter

Please visit
http://www.caninesource.com/giftshop/giftshop.html

to purchase yours for $16.00 US including shipping. We have found that the combination bottle and bowl work great for our hikes, car trips, family night out at the drive-in and vacations.

As the opening night selection at the Florida Film Festival, “The TV Set” establishes just the right tone for a 10-day celebration of movies: intelligent, funny, thought-provoking, and star-studded. Written and directed by Jake Kasdan, who has worked on television shows such as “Freaks and Geeks” and directed films including “Orange County,” this new independent comedy peeks behind the doors of a television network as it struggles to bring a new show to the small screen.

David Duchovny stars as Mike Klein, the writer and creator of a new television series called “The Wexler Chronicles,” based on his own life after the suicide of his brother. The story begins with Zach, an over-the-top young actor (Fran Kranz), attending the final casting session. Although Mike invited Zach to the audition in order to make the other actor look better by comparison, the network executives (Sigourney Weaver and Ioan Gruffudd) issue an ultimatum: They will only produce the pilot if Zach is the star.

While assuring Mike how much they love the project, they proceed to change the story, the tone, and nearly everything else about the show. Meanwhile, Mike, a man whose wife (Justine Bateman) is pregnant with their second child, must wrestle with his conscience about adapting his lofty concept into a silly lowest-common-denominator sitcom. As his stress from the situation worsens, his back goes into spasm and he’s hospitalized for a panic attack. His perky manager Alice (Judy Greer) manages to put a maddeningly positive spin on each disappointing development.

Mike watches his dream further disintegrate during production, promotion, and airing of the series. In addition to the thematic differences from the original concept, the show’s name is changed to “Call Me Crazy,” based on how a few people at a shopping mall responded to a survey, and the show’s soundtrack is punctuated with flatulent effects. Duchovny delivers a sympathetic performance as the sensitive, rational counterbalance to Weaver’s insensitive and irrational network executive - someone who destroys the integrity of a show such as “The Wexler Chronicles” while fostering the success of the network favorite, “Slut Wars.”

Coming soon to theaters, “The TV Set” will entertain anyone who’s ever turned on the boob tube, but may discourage anyone who’s ever considered writing for television.

Copyright 2007 Leslie Halpern

For more movie news and reviews visit: http://home.cfl.rr.com/lesliehalpern/leslie_halpern.htm
Central Florida entertainment writer Leslie Halpern wrote the book “Reel Romance. The Lovers’ Guide to the 100 Best Date Movies” (Taylor Trade Publishing), which reviews date movies and suggests romantic ideas inspired by these films. She is also the author of “Dreams on Film: The Cinematic Struggle Between Art and Science” (McFarland & Company), an analysis of representations of sleeping and dreaming in more than 125 movies.

Did you like to read when you were a kid? If you were like most kids, you probably disliked, or even hated reading assignments with a passion. As a rule, only a few children enjoy reading without having to be gently nudged into it. The easily accessible electronic alternatives on the market today make plain reading less appealing. So, can audio books for kids mend the gaps and help children with learning the basic reading skills?

Does it mean that printed books should be scrapped? Is reading physical books the way of the past?

Nope. But those are interesting questions worth investigating, aren’t they?

Of course, reading is as important today as it’s always been. However, researchers suggest that reading any material AND hearing it at the same time makes the reading not only more interesting, but also more effective. It simply engages the reader’s senses from more angles.

Audio books for kids have become a promising tool for children to get better contact with reading tasks they dislike.

Specialists in the educational field agree that audio books in the classrooms connect some loose ends of various learning approaches, which would otherwise stay that way. Audio books help students who are just beginning to read, or those who have reading difficulties.

Using audio books for kids has benefits hard to ignore. The following list of 7 direct benefits suggests a good starting base for those considering audio books as influential learning tools.

1.
Using audio books for kids in schools builds an environment of fresh “variety”. As an alternative to “just” listening to their teacher, they expand their learning abilities through the change of having “a different” lecturer.

2.
There are specific audio books for kids that are both educational and entertaining. These types of audio books spice up the knowledge transfer to a student more than a bland, stereotype teaching can.

3.
Teachers get a refreshing breather, too. Using audio books to teach kids various subjects gives the teachers extra time to prepare for the next lesson, or just to Zen out and reflect on the day.

4.
How about kids with reading difficulties? They can slowly follow the audio “readings” until it feels comfortable to read a book alone.
They follow an audio book while looking at the printed material in front of them, which can increase their learning skills by a high percentage.

5.
Audio books for kids save money, too. Instead of buying dozens of books for a classroom, a single audio book presentation for all the students in the classroom is easier on the budget and storage space.
There are audio book rental services on the Internet. Jiggerbug.com is one of them. Teachers can rent several audio books at a time there - for a small fee. Sometimes, doing so may be more cost-effective than having to buy a single audio book.

6.
Audio books for kids carry the magic of telling captivating stories, which helps children who have become too bored to read and study. Children love to listen to trendy stories. As there is a “buzz about something” in the adult world, so there is one in the children’s world. What their friends have just listened to may be just the natural curiosity trigger to self-engage them in wanting to know more about the subject and expand their minds.
See for yourself what’s “HOT” in the audio books for kids world by listening to professional samples.

7.
To deal with pronouncing certain words, audio books can help. By hearing the correct pronunciation of a word and seeing it printed, the grasp of the correct pronunciation improves.

In conclusion, most children find it much fun to listen to an audio lesson. It is way “cool” to listen to an audio book for kids with high-tech headphones than it is to read a “boring” book in the silence of a lonely corner.

As reading regular books remains a priority in learning basic life skills, more schools and parents are benefiting from the technology of audio books for kids to bridge the learning attention gap that often exists. Audio books serve as a valuable and inexpensive connector in the efforts to teach children in more efficient ways available today.

Lu Smith keeps an eye on the Children’s Space Section filled with Audio Books For Kids and thousands of other delightful Audio Books He invites you to sample them for free right this moment :).

With the phrases “workplace health and safety” and “duty of care”, we all need to be more aware of the safety aspect of our lives and those who we come in contact with.

You may think safety posters are only needed in the workplace and business premises but not necessarily so. If you have a swimming pool in your backyard or a play area for your children with kiddies gym or swing equipment, then you have a “duty of care” to anyone you allow to use these fun activities.

Now this doesn’t mean that you need safety posters plastered up all around your home but there are a few you could have strategically placed.

One important poster to have at your pool is the CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation) poster, this shows how to administer the emergency first aid procedure for someone who has gone into cardiac arrest. This poster needs to be protected from the elements and as it can often be out in the sun, replace it from time to time if there is any fading of the printing.

There are kitchen posters too which show many accidents that can happen in the kitchen and how to administer first aid after one of these accidents.

Below is a list of some of the safety posters available

First Response For Common Ailments Posters
Children’s Safety Posters
CPR Wall Chart Posters
Food Safety
Kitchen Safety Posters a 4 part poster set

1. Food Safety,
2. Avoid Cuts,
3. Avoid burns Prevent
4. Falls and Shocks
Electric Shock Treatment Guide
First Aid for Eyes Laminated Poster
First Aid for Burns Laminated Poster
Child resuscitation guide
Adult Resuscitation Guide
Ricer (Soft Tissue Injuries) Laminated Poster
Chemical Spills Poster
External Bleeding Poster
Preventing Slips, Trips and Falls Poster
Fire Safety Laminated poster
Sharps Disposal and Needlestick Injuries Poster
Be Sun smart Poster

Now you don’t need to have all of the above in and around your home. You may like to select a couple to have in places like your laundry, on the inside of your pantry door or in your bathroom. If an emergency occurs in your household, the information on one of these posters could save someone’s life.

Your liability insurance could cover the financial costs for an accident occurring in or around your home, but being able to administer the correct first aid could cover someone’s life.

There are other safety posters, such as posters about bullying, knowing friends or foes, joining gangs, some of these are not pretty posters and you may not think they are necessary for your home and maybe they aren’t. If you have children, some could be helpful, particularly the bullying ones, that seems to be a big problem in our schools, so a bullying poster could help your child either for themselves or one of their friends.

This brings up a serious question: does a safety poster need to be shocking in order to make its point properly? That is hard to say, since “need” is a fairly strong word and only the person looking at the safety poster will be the judge of what the poster needs in order to be effective. There will be, however, a fairly standard consensus as to whether or not a poster is using shock in order to get its point across.

Over the years, safety posters have become less of the shock tactics and more informative. Many safety posters these days use creativity as opposed to shock to get their message across and seem to do the job quite well. Why not check them out and see if there is one to suit your needs. There are safety posters today for your workplace, your home, around your pool and even just to remind us of the simple things like being sun smart.

Please visit our site PosterInfo-Online for great resources, information, hints, and tips for collecting posters and find Kitchen Safety Posters and more