Even though rape involves forced sex, rape is not about sex or passion. Rape Is Rape and sadly is an everyday occurrence. A single act of rape is barbaric but it would be naïve to assume that rape just involves squalid acts of sexual assault in dimly lit alleyways late at night.

Rape is no longer just the stereotyped gun-to-the-head or knife-to-the-throat situation, contrary to what a large portion of the population believes but an ever growing proportion of rapes and sexual assaults are carried out by attackers who are known to their victims.

Funny that isn’t it? Or rather not funny but in a macabre and sordid way, slowly but surely the lid is being lifted on what has hitherto been viewed as merely a woman’s problem.

To many, rape is exclusively a man’s abuse of power against a woman. Rape is forced, unwanted sexual intercourse. Fact: Rape is a big deal.

Rape is a very personal and intimate traumatic experience. Reporting a rape is difficult, and can be embarrassing, shameful, hurtful, frustrating, and too often unfulfilling. The true victim of a rape is the girl who said no all along.

Ask any victims of sexual assault or rape about the mental scars they carry and sadly all too often you will find that these scars are there for life. For the rape victim, escape from the horrors of what befell them is very rarely an option.

Rape is not about sex to the rapist; it has to do with control and power. But in this entire emotional outpouring let us not try to diminish what this is all about. It is not enough when the authorities are involved and the entire issue revolves around whether the rape or assault was completed or attempted.

Attempted rape is still a serious crime and should be reported. As a result, rape is seen, if at all, as a “women’s issue”. The phrase sexual assault can be misleading because rape is not really about sex.

About 44% of rape victims are under age 18, and 80% are under age 30.

Now take a little time, think and study those figures. If you are a rape victim and you are in your teen that’s a life sentence you are now carrying for something that was not your fault. Is it any wonder the hidden appalling consequences of rape can include mental and social difficulties that can impact on the wider family circle of the victim?

Many rape victims experience what is referred to as Rape-Related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (also called Rape Trauma Syndrome).

Rape is called the most underreported violent crime in America. So forget about the so called “bling bling” culture of glamour, drugs and armed crime. America’s most violent crimes are sometimes being carried out right under the noses of the most sophisticated and middle class neighbours. In towns and streets that you would not believe

Rape is an everyday occurrence. A single act of rape is barbaric. Rape is not about sex to the rapist; it has to do with control and power. Rape is truly an abomination no civilized society can tolerate.

The bad news is that the reality of rape is not simple.

Stephen Morgan writes about a number of social based issues such as
helping victims of rape,
Rape victim advocates and helping to create resources for the prevention of
sexual assault. More information can be found at
He Took It Away

Quick Step Laminate Flooring has changed the face of floors forever. The Quick Step Uniclic ranges are accessible to even the clumsiest laminate flooring installation novice. The real wood looks, textures and tints are so realistic, that the neighbors are likely to think that you had a team of yesteryear’s artisans working their fingers to the bone on your new real wood floors. Instead, you will secretly know that it actually was a hubby and wife team toiling for little less than a day with the help of a few boxes of glueless planks.

What gives this line its unique looks? Why is this range proudly displayed in upper-class homes all over the world? Why is it first on many an interior designer’s top-rated surfacing list? Apart from the quality inner core and the Uniclic design, the finishes spill the beans about the secrets behind this company’s remarkable success.

1. Authentic

Have you ever seen two pieces of wood that are identical? Most likely not. Just as no two humans are exactly alike, every piece of wood comes with a uniquely patterned grain and texture. The Authentic Quick Step Laminate Flooring finish is a surface coating that highlights the motif of the wood pattern. You will see the effect in the grain lines of an oak finish, the matte looks of maple, and the gloss of a cherry laminate floor. This line brings the diversity of nature right into your home.

2. Contour Artisanal

With Contour Artisanal, the manufacturer brings the end-result of a laminate flooring installation even closer to the real thing. Each and every plank gets the recessed edge treatment that emulates hand-scraped floors. You can’t get much closer to nature than this!

3. Natural Variation

What sets today’s floor surfaces apart from the first efforts, is the variations incorporated into the designs. Previously the same patterns were repeated over and over again, giving a ‘plastic’ look to the floors. With Quick Step Laminate Flooring’s Natural Variation patterning, this problem disappears. Each design comes with 18 or 54 wood grain patterns, combined with a diverse range of natural tints. This mimics the natural appearance of wood almost perfectly.

4. SML 3-Optic

These laminates take convenience and a real wood appearance one step further in the Elegance range. Here the clever home remodeling folks give you the perfect balance of three ready-cut plank lengths (small, medium and large) in each pack. What can be easier than this? By using this line, you are virtually guaranteed that the end result of your project will be as close as possible to the real thing. You can just click and go. No worries about producing the right number of each length.

5. Micro-Perspective 4

With Micro-Perspective 4 the Elegance small planks and the Quadra natural stone range get a further reality dose from the Quick Step Laminate Flooring guys. The finest grooves of the planks and tiles are treated to the same design process as the surface layer. The result is an extremely natural look.

6. Perspective 4

This technology subtly creates a v-groove as you click the planks together. In addition, the beveled sides add to the realistic finish. Again the color and design of the surface is repeated in the grooves, adding to the real wood appearance.

7. Country Surface

With the Country Surface finish, Quick Step floors manages to instill qualities in its planks previously associated with artisans and years of craftsmanship. The master touch is clear in each carefully constructed plank.

8. Living Surface

True to its name, this finish adds a wonderful woodgrain structure to the rustic designs. It is also responsible for the natural finish of the Uniclic ceramic tile ranges.

9. Natural Authentic

Innovation is a Quick Step Laminate Flooring trademark. Thanks to the unique Natural Authentic finish, you not only see real down-to-earth woodgrain in the designs, it also adds a more realistic texture to the planks. This is accomplished without doing away with the durability of the surface. If you were under the impression that laminates are not for you, touch a Natural Authentic finish plank and instantly experience a change of mind…

10. Accessories

The finishes are only as good as your final touches with the quality, decorative accessories and moldings Quick Step Laminate Flooring has available in abundance. Installation of the moldings is easy with the clip system. The color palette tones in with your interior design. Every conceivable area has been covered, such as moldings for doorways, around basins and baths, and sliding door moldings. Just make sure that you follow the installation instructions to the letter. You don’t want to void your warranty by failing to take the suggested steps, This also applies to maintenance of the Quickstep Laminate floor after installation.

Uniclic as found in this range takes on a new life with all the innovative finishes dreamed up by the home improvement experts. You do the nurturing in your family. Now let Quick Step Laminate Flooring do the naturing with their real wood home remodeling and renovation remedy.

Awnings-and-Blinds.com - Don’t start your laminate flooring installation before reading the secrets of laminate flooring installation by Rika Susan, and taking a look at pergo american cottage laminate flooring at Awnings-and-Blinds.com. Copyright of this article: 2007 Rika Susan. This article may be reprinted if the resource box and hyperlinks are left intact.

This week let’s talk about sex with single women. Probably your favorite subject I bet! Sex with someone special is great, especially in the beginning when there are a lot of fireworks and things are hot and heavy. However, it’s not a good idea to let your relationship completely revolve around sex. Let me give an example of what I’m talking about:

Don’t fall into the trap of only staying in a relationship with a woman because she’s good in bed and you overlook the fact that you don’t communicate, don’t get along with her, and find her boring with no personality. You just can’t depend on sex alone to keep a relationship alive. If this is the only thing keeping the relationship alive, it will eventually fizzle out. Trust me on this one.

My advice is don’t stay in a relationship that is based on sex alone. Cut your losses and get out of it. Don’t hang around if only sex is keeping you together and you are miserable. Even though you won’t be together anymore, you will always have your sexual memories of her you can replay in your mind.

I have a mental movie in my mind of every sexual experience I’ve ever had with women. It’s a large library of sexual memories I can replay on the VCR of my mind whenever I want to. It’s almost like a form of mental masturbation. I cherish all my memories and will take them to my grave.

So, whenever you want to feel good just reach into your mental library and replay your tapes of your sexual memories. It’s a lot better than going to Blockbuster and it is free!

P.S. - This article written by Don Diebel (Americas #1 Singles Expert). If you would like more free dating tips on how to successfully meet, date, attract, and seduce single women, please visit his website at: http://www.getgirls.com

Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.
- Oscar Wilde

How you handle failure determines your levels of success and happiness in life.

If you are afraid to fail, afraid of what others will think of you, or that your situation could become worse, you will remain exactly where you are.

And this is where the feeling of being in a rut begins.

You probably know certain people who complain about their lives — their jobs, relationships, family or possessions. It’s the same ‘ol, same ‘ol and even though they don’t like where they are and know things could be better, they aren’t willing to step up and create change.

They’d rather remain miserable and in a rut than risk trying something new.

If you are willing to accept the fact that failure is a part of the landscape on the journey to success, and take the journey anyway, you will achieve far more than the common herd.

Successful business owners and high achievers (athletes, writers, actors, teachers) have failed many more times than those who remain average because they were willing to move through and learn from each failure.

If you were to study every successful human being on the planet (and you may define success in any way you choose), you will uncover a history of obstacles they had to overcome and failures they endured along the path to that success.

With failure comes experience. With experience comes wisdom, character and strength.

You must know failure in order to recognize success.

Just like you needed to learn what hot was so you could understand cold, or what up is so you could understand down. It’s based on one of the 7 Natural Laws of The Universe — The Law of Polarity.

You need to experience fear in order to appreciate faith.
You need to experience illness in order to appreciate health.
You need to experience hate in order to appreciate love.

The important thing to understand is that although failure is a part of the process, it does need to be managed. To run blindly into any situation is careless and creates far more failure than needs to exist.

This is where processes and structures and support systems become invaluable — where creating a “success” environment reduces your failures and moves you quicker and easier to where you want to be.

Failure must be a part of the process for it’s in these valleys you grow most - it’s where you become a stronger, more capable person.

And even if what you’ve worked so hard for is taken away from you, you know how to get it back faster and easier because you have the necessary knowledge and experience.

The true measure of success is in who you become.

If there is anything in your life you long for, don’t let the fear of failure stop you because in the end when you look back on your life with regret for the things you never did, you will have realized the ultimate failure.

2007 © Laurie Hayes - The HBB Source

Laurie Hayes, founder and director of The HBB Source, helps freedom seekers cross the bridge from employee to home-based entrepreneur. Subscribe to her FREE e-zine for valuable tips and resources designed to create business success, at http://www.thehbbsource.com

Exercise during pregnancy provides many good benefits for anyone who is pregnant. It is a very important part of having a healthy pregnancy and even making the birth process much easier. Here are some simple tips to keeping in shape while preparing to have your baby.

Exercise also provides other benefits during pregnancy such as keeping excess weight gain to a minimum, as well as helping in pushing your baby out during labor and delivery. Your legs and abdominal muscles, though not as tones as they normally would be, will be stronger and make things a little easier while in labor.

Being tired is another part of being pregnant and exercise is a proven way to give your body a little more energy throughout the day.

What are some exercises that you can do during pregnancy?

1. Yoga is a fantastic form of exercise that is very low impact and helps in stretching muscles.

2. Walking is another good pregnancy exercise for more than one reason. Sure, it gives you some much needed exercise, but it also gets you out of the house and clears your head so to speak.

3. Do some light sit ups. Nothing too strenuous here, but perhaps rest your legs on a chair and try bringing your head up off the floor a few inches.

4. Another good exercise is swimming. The water gives you the ability to move around and work nearly all of your muscle groups, while at the same time it helps in keeping you balanced.

This is only a partial listing of many different pregnancy exercises you can do. There are many others listed below in a good book you can read on pregnancy, as well as exercises you should avoid while pregnant. Keep in mind that you should do any form of exercise during pregnancy in moderation. Talk to your doctor before starting any new workout or fitness routine to be sure it will not have an adverse affect on your pregnancy.

All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active and do not edit the article in any way.

You’re pregnant? Congratulations! By the way, you can get a FREE Pregnancy Tracking Chart as well as much more information on all types of pregnancy issues and the answers to the Top 10 Most Common Pregnancy Questions at http://www.Surviving-Pregnancy.InfoFromA-z.com.

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Locally owned and operated businesses are often looked highly upon, as they tend to help local economies. Although this will automatically give you a little bit of edge above your competition, especially above large corporate companies, you may need to do a little bit more to get your business noticed. When doing this, you may want to think about turning to the internet.

When it comes to using the internet to help with advertising or marketing, there are many locally owned and operated small business owners, possibly just like you, who wonder exactly how the internet can help them, especially when they do not run an online business. Despite what you may believe, the internet can actually help you and your business out in more ways that you could ever imagine. For information on just exactly how, you will want to continue reading on.

When looking to use the internet to help you advertise or market your business, there are many locally owned and operated small business owners, possibly just like you, who mistakenly believe that they have to start their own online store. When using the internet, you don’t have to sell your products or your services online, if you don’t want to, although it may be something that you may want to look into at another point in time. However, for now, you may want to think about getting information about your business out to the public. Since many consumers use the internet to research the products that they buy or services that they need to pay for, even if they don’t plan on buying them online, the internet is a great way to get your business noticed.

If you are interested in using the internet to help you advertise your business, you will want to think about making your own website. If you are only interested in making your website an informational one, like a website that has information on your business, what your business offers, as well as your local hours, you may only need to purchase a small web hosting package, as your website doesn’t need to take up a lot of space. Even if you are just creating a simple informational website for your small business, it is still advised that you try and keep it professional in nature. If you are unfamiliar with HTML and web design, you may want to think about hiring the services of a professional web designer, as it will likely end up being money well spent.

As previously stated, there are many consumers who use the internet to research a product or a service that they need to buy or pay for. Many consumers want to know that they are getting a good deal or a good product before paying for something. This is why many consumers turn to the internet. By having your online website outline some of the services that you offer or the products that you sell, internet users may be able to come across your website by chance, but many may end up being glad that they found it and had the opportunity to learn about your business and possibly even become a customer. You may even get customers who are not local who may be interested in working out an arrangement with you to buy a product that you have available for sale or pay for one of your services.

The decision as to whether or not you want to use the internet to help you advertise or market your locally owned and operated small business is yours to make, but, as outlined above, there are a number of benefits to doing so. Since many web hosting companies allow you to pay as you go or cancel your plans at anytime, you may want to think about at least giving an informational company website a try.

If you found this article helpful, discover how you can get help with your online business by having a peek at the Who Loves Money site and receive $50.00 free for just signing up … Did I Mention You Also Get A Discount Bonus

Sometimes we need to reflect back on our dating and lovelife. Are you not attracting single women like you would like to or attracting the wrong women into your life? Perhaps you can attract them, but you scare them away? (This is a very common problem among men and can be corrected).

Then maybe it would be a good idea to try some self-improvement exercises to gain a new perspective to improve your lovelife. I highly recommend that you try the following four steps:

1. Nobody knows you better than yourself. Picture in your mind how others see you, especially the opposite sex. In other words, how do women perceive you? Now write a description of yourself from the point of view of the women that you meet.

2. Next write a paragraph that starts with; “When women first meet me, they think…” Then complete the paragraph with your perception of what single women are thinking of when sizing you up and analizing you when they initially meeting you.

3. Next, write a paragraph that starts with, “When women meet me for the first time, I would like them to think…”

4. Now it’s time for you to get busy and think of what specific steps you can take to correct the differences between the two paragraphs you have just written in steps 2 and 3 above.

Hopefully, this little exercise will help you discover and open your eyes to some things that are causing you problems in succeeding with women. This little exercise can make a big difference in your love life. Try it. It works!

P.S. - This article written by Don Diebel (Americas #1 Singles Expert). If you would like more free dating tips on how to successfully meet, date, attract, and seduce single women, please visit his website at: http://www.getgirls.com

According to the Independent newspaper, UK households are spending an average of £1000 annually for car and home insurance. Despite the rising cost of car insurance, many insurance buyers are not researching the market thoroughly. If they do so they will be able to get a bargain auto insurance.

There could be many reasons for not researching the insurance market. It could be less time, lack of information, not asking the right queries and many people simply don’t bother.

Comparison of 3 popular Car Insurance Companies:

Norwich Union, More Than, Tesco Personal Finance.

More Than: Car Insurance

A financial brand of Royal Sun Alliance Insurance Group, More Than was launched in 2001. Its services include not only car insurance but also insurance in home, pet, travel and life.

Tesco Personal Finance: Car Insurance

Tesco Personal Finance provides services in finance and insurance. Insurance product range includes car, health, home, pet and life.

Norwich Union: Car Insurance

It is a subsidiary of AVIVA, worlds fifth largest and UK’s biggest insurance groups. Norwich Union’s insurance activities are monitored by Financial Services Authority.

Features of these Car Insurance Companies

- Online Discount Offers:
Of the three car insurance firms, More Than offers maximum online discount of 15%. Both Norwich Union and Tesco Personal Finance offer 10% online discount.

- Breakdown Cover:
More Than: 50% off breakdown is added to car insurance quote, specifically for prospective customers.
Norwich Union: Does not offer a flat rate for breakdown cover. It is calculated based on the insured’s situation and £5 off is given for online breakdown cover.

- No Claims Bonus

More Than- Offers maximum no claims bonus for the life of your car insurance policy. This is offered to drivers with a good record, as a part of fully comprehensive car insurance policy. Driving conviction will make you ineligible for it.

- No Frills policy
No Frills policy is offered by Norwich Union and Tesco personal finance. This does away with replacement car and personal injury cover and consequently reduces the cost of premium considerably.

- Pay as you go
Pay as you go is the latest technology installed by Norwich Union and More Than in order to track down motorists’ usage. An optional offer, this will help car owners to cut down on their insurance cost.

More Than- Targets young drivers between the ages of 17-25 and offers a bonus at the end of the year if they don’t drive between the 11pm and 6 am.

Norwich Union- If motorists keep their car in the garage for six months, they will be charged less premium.

- Pay your premium in one go
If you do not wish to pay a monthly premium, then Norwich Union gives you the option of paying your premium in one go.

All these offers are subject to availability so do check before hand with the company, when purchasing a car insurance policy.

Sara Sentor
Webmaster
http://www.insurancesoso.co.uk

The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) gave its answer to the question “Does Propecia Work? when it gave approval to Merck & Co. to market this drug back in 1998.

For any drug to receive FDA approval, years of tests are involved and a huge investment of time and resources on the part of the pharmaceutical companies involved.

In the case of Propecia, over 1,500 men were involved in a two year study. The results showed that over 80% noticed an improvement in their hair growth and density. So the answer to the question “Does Propecia work?” is: Yes, in the majority of cases.

Obviously results differ on an individual basis and some men will experience better results than others. The drug needs to be taken daily for at least 2-3 months before making a final decision as to whether it is worth continuing.

Bear in mind that once you start taking Propecia you have committed yourself to a lifelong course of medication. Stop taking Propecia after hair has started to increase and you risk losing what you gained.

Just how does Propecia work?

The male hormone testosterone is involved. It is a contributing factor in the production of DHT, (Dihydrotestosterone) which can cause hair follicles to malfunction and shut down. Propecia blocks the process in which DHT is formed.

Each Propecia tablet contains 1mg of Finasteride, a drug originally used to combat prostate cancer in men over 50. It was prescribed in 5mg doses. It was noted that those who used this drug often experienced increased hair growth. Propecia is just the brand name of a different version of Finasteride specifically prescribed to combat male hair loss on the crown of the head or the mid-scalp area.

Does Propecia work for women too?

No. Precautions issued with the drug stress that this medication is for men only.

Additionally, although each tablet is coated pregnant women or women who think they might be pregnant are advised not to handle this medication. Contact with crushed or broken Propecia tablets can lead to deformities in the sex organs of male children.

Does Propecia work for all kinds of hair loss?

No. The drug is effective for hair loss on the crown of the head and mid-scalp. There is insufficient evidence to suggest it can help a receding hair line or loss of hair on the sides of the head.

From comments on user forums to do with hair loss it is evident that Propecia does work for many men. However, there are serious precautionary factors to consider:

1. This is a lifelong commitment which can be quite costly. Additionally the long term effects over decades of use are at this point impossible to predict.

2. A small percentage of men (around 3%) experienced various forms of sexual dysfunction including impotence, once they started taking Propecia. These effects quickly disappeared once the medication was stopped. In the clinical trials it is true that around 2% of the men using the placebo, a sugar tablet, also experienced forms of sexual dysfunction. So the number of men actually affected is quite small. However, it is important to be aware of these side effects.

Regretfully there is no ideal solution for hair loss at this time. However, there are a variety of choices available in combating hair loss. Prescription drugs such as Propecia are one option. Natural herbal remedies without side effects are another. See the resource box.

In conclusion: Does Propecia work? Yes, in the majority of cases from all the clinical evidence and user feedback available. Are you prepared for the possible implications of long term use? That is something you have to seriously consider.

Mike Jones is a writer and webmaster with over 10 years experience. His recommendation - a natural, herbal hair loss solution as opposed to a hair loss drug:

The NewHair Biofactors system stops hair loss within 1 week guaranteed - Click here:

http://www.1bodycare.com/newhair.htm

Comprehensive Information On Propecia And Best Prices:

http://www.4-hair-loss-solutions.com/propecia.html

Comprehensive Information On Rogaine And Best Prices:

http://www.4-hair-loss-solutions.com/rogaine.html

For many years I was deeply involved in both the practices of drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes. For the better part of 15 years I did both things to the tune of a pack of cigarettes and a twelve pack of beer a day. Many people, who are involved in these two practices for as long as I was, say that they were addicted to them. That the practices themselves had “control” over them in some way, and the effects of drinking and smoking are decidedly negative. I walked away from both practices without the aid of any patches, pills, lozenges, or anything else. I found out that everything that I needed to walk away, was right there inside of me the whole time.

While many individuals rail against the negative effects of drinking and smoking, I have a different take. For me, both drinking and smoking were incredibly positive experiences. For example, how could I have told my daughter that she shouldn’t smoke cigarettes, without having the direct experience of smoking? Do you think anything that I said to her would ring true, if I hadn’t had the direct experiences? I’ll tell you from experience the answer is a resounding…NO. People who have no direct experience of things, then preach about the evils of said things, hold about as much water as 50 year old inflatable raft!

The effects that both drinking and smoking had on me are decidedly positive. I can now tell my daughter why neither practice is really the way to have fun and relax, although people will tell her that they are. I can tell her how terrible it feels to not be able to run 100 yards, without being completely out of breath. I can tell her that the quote is true: “If you follow the crowd, you end up stepping in shit!”. Why, because dad spent part of his life stepping in that shit.

The the effects of my drinking and smoking are all positive. I’m thankful that they happened, and that I made it through both of them unscathed. In my mind, focusing on everything that may have been negative about them serves no purpose. I thank God every day for my daughter, because her incarnating into this world is what made dad finally wake up and start living. It’s like Elizabeth Barret Browning said, “You don’t look for miracles, you live one”. I spent 15 years looking for miracles before realizing that I was living one the entire time.

Trevor Kugler is co-founder of JRWfishing.com and an avid angler. He has more than 20 years experience fishing for all types of fish, and 15 years of business and internet experience. He currently raises his three year old daughter in the heart of trout fishing country…..Montana!

Go Fishing With JRW!!!.

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