There are many causes of hair loss and not all baldness patterns are the result of genetics.
One that we will discuss in this article is an auto-immune disorder which can result in thinness and/or balding in both men and women.

What Is An Auto-Immune Disorder?

This is a disease where a person’s immune system actually attacks itself. And when it comes to hair loss, there is one common auto immune disorder called “alopecia areata” that causes the white blood cells to attack the hair follicles. This occurrence does not wipe out the entire follicle, but rather affects the “bulb” area (the deepest part). The result is a temporary loss of hair that can be regenerated in time.

Alopecia areata is one of the top two most common causes of hair loss in the world, with genetic predisposition coming in first place (called androgenetic alopecia). If you are experiencing an auto immune disorder and are affected by the results of alopecia areata, you may notice one or two bald spots that start to show up on your scalp. The spots will become larger and larger over time until your immune system gets back to normal and the hair eventually replaces itself.

Does A Person With Alopecia Areata Lose All Of Their Hair?

Alopecia areata may or may not cause you to experience complete baldness. The size of your bald spots and the length of time in which they get larger depends totally on the stage of your disease, as well as how often your immune system collapses.

Some men and women, regardless of the intensity level of their auto immune disease, may lose their entire head of hair in the very beginning stages. At the same time, others who are going through the same level of disease may only begin to show a few thinning bald spots. There is a technical name for when people lose all of their hair right away and is called “alopecia totalis”.

Don’t Be Surprised If You Also Lose Your Body Hair

Hair loss as a result of an auto immune disease can also reach the point where a man or woman could lose their body hair. It is important to note that this is an extremely rare occurrence, but “alopecia universalis” as it is called, can affect a person in a way which causes them to lose every bit of hair on their body, including private areas. But thankfully, just like on the scalp, the hair will eventually grow back.

Antony Wilton continues to develop his Hair Loss Review site as a leader in this field.

Check it out here and get a head start
Hair Loss Remedies and Products

Your kitchen cabinets are in, your granite countertops are gleaming, and your stainless steel appliances are humming with computer-controlled efficiency. You’re done with your home makeover at last. Or are you?

If you’re like most people taking part in the home makeover craze, you’re enjoying not only how much you have increased your home’s beauty, but also how much you have boosted its value. According to the nineteenth annual “Cost vs. Value Report” prepared by Remodeling magazine in cooperation with REALTOR® Magazine, the cost of a major kitchen remodel averages $54,241 nationwide.

Depending on where you live, a kitchen remodel can raise the resale value of your home anywhere from $38,884 to $58,004, with the national average being $43,603. If you have purchased new appliances, furniture, window treatments, or electronics, the value of your personal property has gone up, too.

Your home value has increased, but what about your homeowners insurance? It may need a makeover, too.

Renovations and updates can cause you to be underinsured in two areas: dwelling protection and personal property protection. You will want to notify your insurance agent of changes that affect your dwelling, such as new windows and doors, kitchen cabinets, custom countertops, islands, flooring, and lighting-anything attached to the structure. You also will want mention new personal property, such as major appliances, furniture, and window treatments.

When insuring personal property, be sure your policy covers replacement value, not actual cash value. The actual cash value is the cost of replacing an item minus the amount it has depreciated. Many items-especially appliances and electronics-depreciate over time. The depreciated amount will not be enough to replace a lost item with a new one.

It’s always a good idea to keep your insurance agent up to date about your home, but a remodel or renovation should trigger an immediate call. If disaster strikes, you always can get another home makeover, but you can’t get an insurance do-over.

Bradley Steffens is the author of twenty books, coauthor of seven, and editor of the 2004 anthology, The Free Speech Movement. His Censorship (1996) was included in the 1997 edition of Best Books for Young Adult Readers. Read his latest work, Ibn al-Haytham: First Scientist, the world’s first biography of the eleventh-century Muslim scholar known in the West as Alhazen.

In the U.S., it is estimated that more than 1 million women reach their menopausal stage each year. That means more than 1 million women undergoing an expected but sometimes unpredictable change that can affect many aspects in their lives. Menopause is not something most women look forward to, thanks in part to the many negative connotations and stories they’ve probably heard during their younger years. But it doesn’t have to be an uphill battle because you can overcome menopause.

What is menopause?

Quite simply, it’s just a woman’s transition from being reproductive to being non-reproductive - the time when menstrual activity slows down and eventually stops. The average age of women beginning menopause is about 47.5 years and menopausal transition itself can last from 4 to 8 years. That means a woman going through menopause will not only deal with the changes for a few weeks or months but for several years. Thus, it is important to learn how to overcome menopause.

How to Overcome Menopause

About two-thirds of women who undergo menopause report physical and emotional changes, some of which are quite confusing and distressing. However, they don’t have to be that bad; menopause and its symptoms can be conquered. Here’s how to overcome menopause symptoms:

Get comfortable

One of the challenges of undergoing menopause is the physical discomfort that accompanies the transition. Be ready for the sudden changes you will have to deal with physically. Hot flashes, for example, can hit you at the most inopportune times. You could be sweating profusely even in an air conditioned room where everybody else seems cool and comfy. Try to overcome menopause symptoms like hot flashes. Wear comfortable clothing, avoid stress and stay away from foods that may trigger a hot flash.

Take care of your body

Just because their bodies seem to be ‘winding down’ doesn’t mean women should just let go and leave their bodies alone. Menopause is a time when your body needs even more special care. To overcome menopause symptoms, get regular exercise, maintain a healthy diet and take vitamin and mineral supplements. Go for regular visits to your doctor and take care of the way you look.

Deal with depression

Menopause can be a time of sudden changes and if a woman isn’t ready for it, she might suffer from depression. As a result, not only is her social relationship affected, so is the quality of her life. To overcome menopause and depression, expand your social life, get a hobby, improve your diet and see your therapist. This time of your life is a time of changes and you can make it a good one if you only choose to do so. You can overcome menopause symptoms if you choose to do so.

Use hormone replacement therapy

Most women who go through menopause suffer from physical symptoms such as mood changes, sleeplessness, memory loss, decline or increase in sexual interest, not to mention the heart palpitations and night sweats. If the symptoms are much too uncomfortable and inconvenient, hormone replacement therapy or HRT may be used to help overcome menopause symptoms.

HRT may be used as a short-term treatment or a long term treatment to overcome menopause symptoms and is very helpful in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. Recent findings have also indicated that using estrogen can help improve memory and mood in menopausal women.

Get help and support

If you’re going to overcome menopause, you don’t have to go through it alone. Get help from health practitioners and support from your family. It will do your relationship with your friends and family members good to discuss the possible challenges you may be facing because of menopause. Go to a therapist if you have to or join support groups and clubs who can provide you with the emotional support you need during a very special time.

Is menopause making you crazy? It’s a shame for you to suffer through menopause when you really don’t have to. What you are about to discover will change your life forever…Discover how to overcome menopause visit Conquer Menopause at Great Discovery-Health and Beauty

Gerry Restrivera writes informative articles on various subjects including Facing Menopause? How to Overcome Menopause Symptoms and Live a Full Life. You are allowed to publish this article in its entirety provided that author’s name, bio and website links must remain intact and included with every reproduction.

These annual, perennial and sometimes shrubby plants are often grown by amateur gardeners, and cultivated for their culinary and sometimes medicinal uses, although they can make attractive specimen plants in mixed borders. In most gardens, a small plot can easily be set aside for growing a few choice herbs. Large or medium Patio style planters and hanging baskets, near the kitchen, using cultivated herbs is fast becoming a popular hobby, as healthier lifestyles are sought throughout the world. The aromatic fragrances are also so refreshing on those balmy summer days as you lay basking and relaxing in the sunshine, enjoying your iced lemon teas.

Generally, herbs need a light, fertile, well-drained soil or compost, in full sun. They can easily be grown in odd corners in the garden, but if space allows, a designated herb garden is the most convenient and can be a most attractive way of grouping them. The ancient Romans, Greeks and indeed even the great traditional English gardeners, all enjoyed and treasured their herb gardens in there many shapes, sizes and complexities throughout history.

Ideally the site should be a south facing position, and on a slight slope to aid drainage. Herb beds should be arranged and planned to make access easier to each group of plants, placing the taller varieties to the back or centralised, where they won’t overshadow the smaller ones, and keep moisture loving varieties to the bottom of any slope. Raised bed culture is also ideal for an herb garden feature, add a waterfall or running water and enjoy the relaxing aromatic tranquility it creates.

Many herbs can be grown from seed in window boxes, on patios, in pots on outside windowsills, hanging baskets or that old discarded wheelbarrow. Use John Innes potting compost No 1 or 2, or a similar good quality brand from your local garden supply centre, and put a good layer of broken crocks or small polystyrene pieces in the bottom to ensure good drainage. Keep the compost just moist during the growing season, and give a liquid feed occasionally, to encourage good growth. The actual windowsill or patio should preferably face south or west, so that the plants receive direct sunshine for the greater part of the day.

The culinary and medicinal uses of individual herbs is beyond this article, but generally the best and fullest flavours always come from the freshest of your picked herbs which will keep for only a limited period in well sealed, and dry air tight plastic containers in your refrigerator. For winter use, herbs must be dried or frozen. Certain evergreen herbs, such as chives and dill, are not suitable for drying and ideally should be frozen or the plants re-potted up for growing indoors, within a conservatory, glasshouse, or on a sunny windowsill.

HARVESTING AND DRYING YOUR HERBS

The time off harvesting individual herbs varies according to whether the herbs are being grown for their leaves, flowers, seeds or stems.

Plants grown for their leaves and stems should be gathered in the young leafy stage before flowering begins for best flavour. Harvest flower heads whilst in full bloom, and the seeds when the pods begin to open and split naturally as they turn yellow or golden brown.

Always choose a dry day for harvesting your herbs, and gather then early in the day before the sun becomes hot, but just after the morning dew has evaporated, to lock in the flavours. Handle the leafy shoots and sprigs carefully to avoid bruising. Large leaves can be stripped from the stems before drying but small leafed types are best left intact. Discard all damaged and discoloured leaves, and if possible wash the remainder gently in cold water. Spread the leaves thinly in flat shallow containers, ideally on cheesecloth-covered frames, which will allow air to circulate. Place the containers in a dry, airy and warm place out of the direct sunlight. An airing cupboard or the warming drawer of a cooker is suitable provided there is reasonable ventilation. Leave for at least 4 to 5 days turning the herbs once a day. They are ready for storing when they become brittle and rustle slightly when touched.

An alternative method is to tie into small bunches and hang upside down in a shaded, dry, warm and airy place. These will take a little longer to dry out completely. You can dry out your herbs quicker in front of a fire, or within an oven on low heat but some of the aroma and flavour will be lost.

The leaves should be completely dry before storing. When completely dry large leaved varieties should be stripped from their stems, small leaved, and fine-stemmed herbs such as rosemary, thyme and bay, retain their flavour better when stored whole and crumbled before use. Discard as much chaff (waste) as possible and pack the leaves or sprigs into small, preferably opaque containers. Clear jars should be stored in a dark place. Remember to seal and label each jar immediately.
Herbs both dried or frozen, may be stored separately according to variety, or as your favourite mixtures and combinations. It is often labour saving to make up your herb bouquet, tied in muslin bags at the drying stage.

The procedure for drying flower heads and seedpods are the same. Loosen seeds by rubbing pods between your palms until the seeds drop out. This is best done outside with a slight breeze present as this will blow away some of the chaff. Once separated dry your seed for a further week and once completely dry store in the same way as for the leaves.

FREEZING YOUR HERBS

Freezing is an excellent way of preserving and storing your herbs, especially chervil and parsley, which have tender leaves unsuitable for home drying. Gather and wash your herbs and place them in a metal colander. Blanche the herbs by immersing your colander in boiling water for 1 minute, then into cold water. Leave to thoroughly cool, drain and freeze immediately, storing in small plastic bags, ice cube making or plastic containers, kitchen foil or even waxed cartons. Frozen herbs need not be thawed before use in soups, stews or gravy’s and can actually be chopped more easily whilst frozen. Frozen herbs are best used for flavouring as they become limp when thawed, and so useless as garnishes. Never refreeze.

OTHER USES FOR YOUR DRIED HERBS

Apart from their culinary and medicinal uses which is beyond this article to explain in any depth, your dried herbs may also be used to make sachets, pot-pourri’s and pomanders, which give off a long lasting aromatic fragrance to rooms, airing cupboards, drawers and linen closets. Lavender sachets are so well known, but many other herbs and flowers make pleasant mixtures.
Particularly pleasant fragrant and aromatic mixtures include:-
1/. Lemon thyme with verbena.
2/. Fragrant leaved geraniums with rosemary.
3/. Lavender, rosemary and a few cloves with a piece of orange, lemon or lime zest.
4/. Equal parts of peppermint, lemon verbena, lemon balm, rose geranium and rose petals.

Well my friends I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s “Over The Garden Wall with Oaky”… it’s off to the potting shed for me, as an amateur gardener’s work is never done no matter what time of year it is… “HAPPY GARDENING” until we meet again.

John Elliott aka Oaky Wood together with Luella May co-founded http://thecorner4women.com

John has been an avid Amateur Gardener for over 25 years and is now “Motivating & Empowering Women, in the Home, for Business, Health & Leisure” through his informative articles

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The equipment we maintained at the Naval Communications Station on Guam was the latest and most sophisticated available in one sense and not so complex in another. But it was what the Navy had at the time and they used it to spy on the world: secret encrypted messages, Russian missile launchings, radar communications sites and a multitude of others, among them, simple, almost archaic Chinese digital communications. Then there were our own people: the news media, telephone and short wave communications, and others.

The reason myself, Juan Trujillo, John Proza, Orion Larson and others were there is the equipment would fail at times and the operators would call down to the Electronics Shop in the basement and ask one of us to come to the third floor and get it going.

The first step would be to discuss the problem with the operator present and many times, while explaining the problem, the operator would notice something he had overlooked and take care of the problem on the spot. But there were times when the problem was real and you had to fix it.

The typical procedure would be to plant your body directly in front of a seven by three foot piece of electronics equipment then reach down to the bottom most drawer and turn the power switch off then back on - a crude sort of rebooting the system as is done these days with computers. If that didn’t work we would open the power supply drawer and close it, and might slam it closed if the first step didn’t work.

There were a number of first checks and if none of those worked we would finally drag out the Oscilloscope and start trouble shooting the beast. But that was always the last resort. We might go so far as to remove one or more vacuum tubes, bend the small pins on each base then replace the tube or tubes before reverting to such drastic measures as a technical manual and the O-Scope.

When it came time to leave Guam, Juan turned toward me as we were all standing outside waiting on a bus to take us to the airport. We had our dark green duffle bags at our side, some lying on the ground, others standing up with a hand grasping a handhold as if the person was afraid the bag might get away with all his stuff.

Juan was one of those individuals. He appeared nervous, a little fidgety and said, “Boy, I sure dread going back to the States!”

I had ulcers in my mouth: on each side, top and bottom. I couldn’t sleep at night and was daydreaming every second about the options that might be available to me once I was out of the Navy. I couldn’t wait to set my foot back on some good old solid North American soil and even turned down a rather large reenlistment bonus to have that chance.

I told Juan. I said, “Juan, you’re crazy. I can’t wait to get back home! Besides, I’ve got a woman back there and I haven’t seen her in a year.”

Juan talked slow, with the remnants of a long ago Spanish accent, but didn’t hesitate. Wagging his head, he said, “Well, I want to go back home too. But it’s the flight back there that scares me.”

My face took on a puzzled look. “W…what do you mean, the flight back home?” I asked him, as the two of us exchanged glances. “How else are you going to get back there? Hell, it’s six thousand miles to San Francisco, Juan.”

“I know that,” the Mexican American shot back, “but aren’t we going to be flying on a C141?

“Yes, but…”

“And that’s an Air Force plane, right?” Juan went on, not allowing me to finish.

“Yeah but…what does that have to do with anything?”

“Well, You know how we maintain this electronics equipment. You know the Air Force men do the same thing!”

Benjamin J Cox is an author, novelist, poet, speaker, writer and humorist. He has written a book, Insider Dreams, a 911 Novel. He was born on a dirt street in a Waldron, Arkansas, in 1943. He graduated from the University of Tulsa with a degree in Electrical Engineering. He is married with three children, five grandchildren. He is the President of Mayes County Writers Club, the Treasurer of Pryor Creek Investment Club and a member of Will Rogers Toastmasters Club. He is retired and lives with his wife in Pryor, Oklahoma. He like to run, enjoys big band dancing, Speaking before groups, and writes every day.

Next stop on the Nextel Cup Schedule is Phoenix International Raceway

Next week, NASCAR gears up for the ultimate test for the new Cars of Tomorrow as the teams head to Phoenix International Raceway (PIR) for the Subway Fresh Fit 500. This year’s spring race at Phoenix will mark the first time the new Car of Tomorrow has ever seen the unique one mile, low-banked, sun soaked asphalt track nestled in the desert hills outside of Phoenix.

That’s right! To date, no test sessions have been run with the new COT’s at Phoenix. Unlike previous COT races at Bristol and Martinsville where teams had an official test session before actually racing at the track, drivers and crews enter next weekend blind to how the new COT’s will react to the challenges posed by PIR.

What’s even more discomforting to teams is that Phoenix is truly a unique track. Most tracks on the Nextel Cup circuit have similar tracks where teams can go and perform tests. However, there is no other asphalt track in the US similar enough to Phoenix that will allow teams the chance to practice with their new cars.

Typically at this point I would give you a list of drivers to watch based on historical results. However, given the huge unknowns for next week’s race, I’ll give you my gut feeling. Expect the top teams, Hendrick Motorsports and Roush Racing, to do the best at Phoenix. The COT project for most teams has been overwhelming. But both Roush and Hendrick have more manpower devoted to developing their COTs. More man power in the shops translates to more horsepower on the track come Sunday.

Next Week’s Schedule:

Nextel Cup: @ Phoenix International Raceway (all times PST)
04/19/07 - 05:10pm NASCAR Nextel Cup Qualifying - SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500
04/20/07 - 04:50pm NASCAR Nextel Cup Practice - SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500
04/21/07 - 05:30pm NASCAR Nextel Cup SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500

Busch Series: @ Phoenix International Raceway
04/19/07 - 06:45pm NASCAR Busch Series Practice - Bashas’ Supermarkets 200
04/20/07 - 02:35pm NASCAR Busch Series Qualifying - Bashas’ Supermarkets 200
04/20/07 - 06:30pm NASCAR Busch Series Bashas’ Supermarkets 200

Craftsman Truck Series off until April 28th at Kansas Speedway

Burton Sets the Course for Richard Childress Racing!

Last year we saw a resurgence in Richard Childress Racing. Not since the days of Dale Earnhardt, have we seen a driver from RCR be a contender not just for a race, but for a championship.

Some skeptics thought last year was an anomaly. No team could compete with the likes of Hendrick Motorsports and Roush Racing in the new age of NASCAR. Even the man who won six championships with Dale Earnhardt, Richard Childress, could no longer do it.

Hopefully, Jeff Burton’s win yesterday in the Samsung/Radioshack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway proved the RCR doubters wrong. In just five races this year, RCR has won a combined 2 Nextel Cup events, the Daytona 500 and yesterday’s race. Only one other team, Hendrick Motorsports, has done better.

Here Mikey, Mikey, Mikey!

If you were a marketing representative for NAPA Auto Parts, what would you do? Your main spokesman, Michael Waltrip, who you’ve paid millions of dollars to showcase your corporate name on the race track, has failed to qualify for every race this year except Daytona. Oh, and don’t forget that Daytona had a bit of negative publicity associated with the whole cheating thing.

It seems that in trying to do the unthinkable, field three Nextel Cup teams along with using equipment from NASCAR’s newest auto manufacturer, Toyota, Michael Waltrip has stretched himself and his organization thin. In doing so, could he be jeopardizing the other quality sponsors, such as UPS, currently signed up with his race team?

For Michael’s sake, let’s hope that he can correct his current course! And if he asked, I would strongly suggest that he let a younger, talented driver take the reigns of the NAPA ride while he took care of managing the business. What’s the famous saying; either crap or get off the pot? I think it’s time for Michael to get off the pot.

Samsung/Radio Shack 500 at Texas Speedway Recap

Going into the Samsung/Radio Shack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, no NASCAR Cup driver had ever won more than one race at Texas. That all changed yesterday as Jeff Burton went on to win for the second time by passing Matt Kenseth on the final lap. Winning ten years ago at the inaugural NASCAR race in Texas, Burton celebrated the track’s 10th anniversary with yet another win, 19th of his career.

Ten years of racing at Texas has yielded ten separate winners. Not included in that list of winners is four time champion, Jeff Gordon. Starting on the pole at the start of the 500, Gordon held on to the top position for much of the race leading 173 of 334 laps. By not winning, Gordon ended a four race winning streak that saw a Hendrick Motorsports driver take the checkered flag.

After missing the last two races while deciding to run a limited schedule in 2007, Mark Martin finished in 3rd place in just his 5th race of the year. The 3rd place finish moved Martin up to 12th in points. Over the five races that Mark has participated in this year, his average finish is 5th.

If the Chase for the Championship were to start today, Martin would be a qualifier. That brings up an interesting scenario for NASCAR, could a driver race a limited schedule and still qualify for the Chase? Mathematically it is possible. But it never could have happened under the old system.

Other drivers to note:

Tony Stewart suffered yet another unfortunate accident when Juan Pablo Montoya pushed up the track going through a turn and rubbed against Tony Stewart. The bump sent Tony Stewart spiraling out of control. Stewart was never able to recover and finished the race in 25th place. He now sits 9th in points.

Dale Earnhardt Jr ran up front at times during the race but got caught up in an unfortunate late race incident. Tony Stewart slowed down and forced Earnhardt to brake. That resulted in Kyle Busch ramming him hard from behind and taking him out of the race. The odd twist came at the end when the team of the #5 car had made enough repairs to get the car back on the track. However, their driver was no where to be found. So instead, they asked Earnhardt Jr to run the last few laps of the race in the #5 car, and he obliged.

Kasey Kahne had an uneventful and quiet day. He finished the race in 20th place and now sits 33rd in points.

Article is provided by http://everythingstockcar.com/ which is owned and operated by Everything Sports, Inc.

Everybody knows to check how many mega pixels their new camera has. Although more mega pixels does not necessarily mean better photos most people understand why mega pixels are important. One characteristic of digital cameras that many ignore is the sensor size.

Digital cameras capture digital photos. A digital photo is a collection of pixels. Each pixel has its color and intensity. When all these pixels are put together the result is an illusion of a photo. Pixels are captured by the camera using an electronic sensor known as a CCD. The CCD sensor is a silicon chip that is built of many tiny light sensors. When taking a photo each such tiny sensor measures the amount of light also known as intensity and some other attributes such as the color. Each such sensor results in one pixel and all the tiny sensors put together represent one digital photon.

This is very interesting to know - but why should you care? The reason is that there is a relationship between the size of that CCD sensor and the number of mega pixels that it supports. This relationship is important and has practical consequences. It is intuitive that for the same CCD sensor size, the more mega pixels the smaller each CCD tiny sensor is. The same is true if the number of mega pixels is fixed: the bigger the CCD sensor the bigger each tiny sensor is. For each CCD sensor size and number of mega pixel we can calculate the pixel sensor size.

The pixel sensor size is important and influences the characteristic of the digital camera especially in marginal light scenarios. Your digital camera sensitivity to light is directly influenced by the pixel sensor size. The bigger the sensor size the more light it can accumulate in a certain period of time. The result is that bigger pixel sensor sizes allow for faster shutter speeds at lower light conditions. In addition bigger pixel sensor sizes result in less noise captured by each such sensor.

In practical terms if you take two digital cameras with the same number of mega pixels but different CCD sensor sizes - the camera with the larger CCD sensor size will be provide digital photos that are sharper and have less noise. It will also be able to take digital photos in scenes that are too dark for the other camera. In normal light scenes the higher light sensitivity allows more range for changing the aperture and shutter speed and more freedom with getting different focus depths.

Bigger CCD sensors are more expensive. There are many reasons for that one of them is the lower manufacturing yield. For that reason cheaper pocket cameras use smaller sensors than high end digital SLR cameras. CCD sensor size also influences other optical attributes of the camera - for example the aperture needed in a specific scene changes as the CCD size changes. The depth of field is directly influenced by such aperture changes. To normalize optical figures many cameras manufacturers choose to normalize their optical attributes to the good old 35mm film (film can be seen as a sensor too, 35mm in size).

Ziv Haparnas is a technology veteran and writes about practical technology and science issues. This article can be reprinted and used as long as the resource box including the backlink is included. You can find more information about photo album printing and photography in general on http://www.printrates.com - a site dedicated to photo printing.

Many people who are seeking dates are limited by their fears of a lot of things in their life which they cannot affect, but are vainly trying to control. A naked fear of failure, of difference, of love, of hurt, of the consequences and even life itself, in the futile search for perfection. Worst of all, they fear commitment to someone for a long time. They might not get hurt by hanging back, but they stay stuck in their fear, fossilised and boring, doing the same old things, with the same expectations, but getting the same joyless results, while becoming increasingly unhappy and unattractive in the process.

The people who fear the most about potential relationships live in regret. They tend to be the ones who don’t make use of the opportunity in the first place because of the constant fear of failure and hurt that dog them daily. They would rather dither over their decisions, or take no decisions, allowing the opportunity to pass, then berate themself later on for not acting on the moment. It is very easy to sit and fret, or to live in regret; to worry constantly about what might happen in the future while feeling sorry for ourselves. Constant regret about the relationship which didn’t take off, the man or woman who hurt us, the partner who behaved badly or the person who rejected us, rather to chalk it up to life and use the experience for better growth. Living in fear and regret takes no skill or courage but it certainly keeps us single!

None of us is perfect, yet we spend our life in a futile effort to achieve such perfection through control. That little word control’ accounts for the numerous regrets we have, especially when we fail to control our lives at every turn and regret our mistakes’ and the hurt we had. Instead we use everything which goes wrong’ to prove how terrible we are or how bad our partners were, fuelling our fear of the future, which then prevents us from getting new dates and moving on with our lives. Fearing a repeat of our hurt, the next person we meet is likely to suffer from our pain without knowing what they have done, and are then deprived of the commitment they rightfully deserve. Men are particularly guilty of this. Often a man will tell the next woman who treats him well that she has restored’ his faith in women, as if the one woman who caused his pain represents the whole gender species!

The Importance of Commitment

The most important word behind love and respect is commitment. When we respect or love someone, we commit to them for whatever time required in the interaction. That’s the price we pay for more happiness with someone else. We commit to affirming them, aligning with them, to reinforcing their aspirations and self-belief, to valuing them as a significant person we admire and to enhancing their happiness while expanding our own. Through commitment come enrichment and joy. So when we cannot commit to another person, we are only half alive without the contentment we seek. Regret and fear keep that commitment at bay.

Human value comes from interaction, affirmation and love. We do not need anyone to complete us physically, but we do need others to enrich the quality of our lives if we are not to become mechanical robots with fossilised emotions. Our life becomes joyous only when we are enriched by someone else, and vice versa. If we are not reinforced in any way, we are likely to feel excluded from the social contact we crave. People give meaning to our lives. Without them we feel invisible. When we fear people, fear commitment to them, or fear repeats of past hurt, they all negatively effect our living. Thus, if fear is keeping you single, you’ll be missing out on a life.

ELAINE SIHERA (Ms Cyprah -http://www.ecademy.com/user/elainesihera and http://www.myspace.com/elaineone) is an expert author, public speaker, media contributor and lifestyle columnist. The first Black graduate of the OU and a post-graduate of Cambridge University. Elaine is a CONFIDENCE guru and a Personal Empowerment, Relationships and Diversity Consultant. Author of: 10 Easy Steps to Growing Older Disgracefully; 10 Easy Steps to Finding Your Ideal Soulmate!; Money, Sex & Compromise and Managing the Diversity Maze, among others (available on http://www.amazon.co.uk as well as her personal website). Also the founder of the British Diversity Awards and the Windrush Men and Women of the Year Achievement Awards. She describes herself as, “Fit, Fabulous, Over-fifty and Ready to Fly!”

This is going to be the 10th and final article of the tid bit series. I have had great response so I will be submitting a lot more fishing articles. However they will not be in a series format but rather single articles. Thank you for everyone’s great support and encouragement. Once again all I ask is that you go and enjoy the fine fun of fishing.

1.-Tough Perch Bait

Sometimes when the fishing is hot you can spend more time baiting your hook then actually fishing when its perch you are after. Perch, when on a bite will steal bait from you all day long so here’s a tip that works for me. Cut a one inch long strip off the belly of a perch you caught. Split it at the half way point in two to simulate a tail. I guarantee this will be harder to steal than something like traditional maggots.

2.-Soft Mouth Crappies

Anyone that has got into a day when the crappies are biting knows that it can be frustrating losing fish because of the thin membrane on a crappies mouth that quite often tears when a hook is set into it. Here’s a little trick. Take the hook that your using and bend it about ten degrees past its original bend. Chances are now that it will stick into the roof of the mouth instead of the membrane.

3.-Bass Rhythm

Success or failure will be determined on what kind of rhythm you build when fishing the top of the water for bass. Where you want to build your rhythm is on hook retrieval.

4.-Fishing Springs

If you know there is springs in the lake your fishing then it would be best to find out where they are. In the summer time the areas near the springs will be cooler and warmer in the winter. Not knowing thee are springs will cost you fish. It wouldn’t hurt to investigate a new lake before you go to fish it.

5.-Bass Shade

Bass love shade. They love it so much that they will use each other for shade. I have made it a point to cast into any spot that has shade no matter how big or small. For this reason alone I know I catch more fish because of that reason.

This is the end of my tenth edition on the fishing tips series. It is also the end of the series. I have had great feed back so I will still be publishing fishing articles, they just won’t be in a series format but rather a random format. Thanks to all my reader for all the great comments and support. Remember to direct all your friends and family to my articles.

Always remember a bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work.

Dale is an expert self taught fisherman of more than 35 years. He would like to share his stories and tips with you. You can go to his blog to check them out. http://fishingtutor.blogspot.com/ two of his other popular blogs can be found at http://relationshiptidbits.blogspot.com/ and http://funtidbits.blogspot.com/

Today I want to show you a misconception that I believe dominates the Christian Church and has distorted our view of the truth of prosperity. In the Gospel of Luke, Christ said,

Luke 4:18: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

Now, having heard this, what picture comes to mind? Most people say, “Look, it says it right there. The Gospel is to be preached to the poor. Doesn’t this sound familiar? Almost everyone has bought into it, but I say that it’s wrong. Look where it takes your thinking: - We preach the Gospel to the poor - They are the ones who need God’s Word - The rich don’t need God - The rich don’t want God - That’s why I never want to be wealthy and get to the place I don’t need God - That’s why money is bad

All this thinking is wrong and the reason is, we don’t understand the word “poor”. People think it is talking about money, but the word “poor” simply refers to lack or meager supply. Have you ever heard the term “poor health”? Does that mean that his or her health has no money? Have you ever heard a farmer say the land was “poor”? Does that mean the land had no money? In both cases it is lack-lack of health and lack of nutrients in the soil.

In verse 18 of Luke 4 it says that he was sent to heal the broken hearted-they were lacking a whole heart and thus poor. He preached deliverance to the captives-they were not free and thus poor. He helped others recover their sight both spiritually and physically-they were blind and thus poor.

It is religion that has taught us that prosperity and wealth are wrong.

Psalm 35:27: Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.

As wonderful as this verse is, it takes on even more meaning when you realize that the word for “prosperity” is the word “Shalom” which means “peace”. It is a beautiful translation. When you are at peace, you are content, you don’t have any needs or lack and that is the perfect picture of prosperity.

Abundance without God is folly: you are spiritually poor so you are not prosperous. But most Christians don’t think they have the right to be wealthy or prosper. Prospering is part of being whole; if you don’t have it, you aren’t whole and that is not how God planned it. You are not whole until you are financially whole and in order to receive that wholeness you must believe that this is at least part of what God wants for your life.

How often have you heard, “You’re being spiritual so, you don’t need money or abundance-that will just distract you.” Distract you? Some of the most distracted people I know are the ones who can’t pay their bills. When my checking account is overflowing, I’m not distracted by bills at all-in fact I have more time to spend with God because I am no longer concerned about money. The fact is the only time you don’t need money is before you came into this world and when you leave it-but while you are here you will need material things and God wants you to have them in abundance.

Now, I am going to teach you something that will really open your eyes and you had better be careful about sharing it, because you could make some people very mad.

Psalm 112:1-3: Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed. Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever.

Here is a man whose heart is with God and God has blessed him abundantly.

Psalm 112:9: He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour.

In verse 9 it says that this man has given to the “poor” and here is where you might get upset. E.W. Bullinger says in his Companion Bible that the word “poor” means “working for a living; poor, not in extreme want, but simply having only what one earns, having nothing superfluous, living sparingly”.

How many Christians use their meager living on bare necessities as a badge of their Christian faith, when God says plainly that they are poor? Don’t get mad at me; I didn’t write the book. So does living meagerly represent God? Not according to this section of scripture.

Now please understand that if you are just getting by, God’s Word says you are poor because there is lack. And if you have a billion dollars, but lack health or don’t know God-you are also poor because of your lack. So to go back to our original question, “Is the gospel for the poor?” Yes it is, but just make sure you understand what poor means.

Copyright (c) 2007 Duke Clarke

Duke Clarke is a writer/teacher/coach/lecturer and minister.

He has started a new website http://www.TheThinkingChristianInstitute.com to get people to think about their lives and walk with God. He is nondenominational in background and invites anyone to visit and take a look.