What On Earth Is Going On In The Market?

Author : Sam P.O
You know it's absolutely crazy. Every time you think you understand the stock market, something comes up that makes you wonder whether there is any sanity in it at all.I mean, just take a look at the way the DOW has been behaving of late. One would be forgiven for assuming that the market has been taken hostage by a bunch of aliens, aiming to wreak havoc on our investments!It would seem that no sooner does the DOW Jones recover from a bad day's trading it swings back into a disastrous trading the following day. And these wild swings appear to have spread to other major indices as well.Exactly what is one to do under such circumstances and how do you protect your investments from being completely wiped out?Well there appear to be two schools of thought as far as this is concerned and depending on your risk appetite you can determine which way to go.The first school of thought is, move with the market, whichever way it goes. In other words, buy when the market is generally moving up and sell when the market is generally moving down In this case short selling of stocks would be the route advocated by this school of thought. This is good advice if you actually know how to do so and have the expertise to come out ahead. It is however a disastrous route to go, if you have no experience in this process, as it could quite easily result in complete loss of investment.The second school of thought suggests that if the market is this choppy and undecided, then this is the time to move into cash and stay there. In other words if you imagine the market as a bad storm, you need to take cover until the storm is over and calmer weather returns. Frankly, rather than try and be a hero, I think the second school of thought is far more appealing and sensible for the average investor. I would rather not make any huge returns, but have my capital investment safe, than put it to risk and which it gets wiped out on investment methods that I do not fully understand how to execute.Put another way, when the going gets tough, then the tough (wise) move to cash at the earliest opportunity. So ask yourself, are you going to try and remain wise, or do you want to risk being a directionless hero? The choice is yours, but I know what I'm going to be doing.Sam P.O.Sam is a financial and management expert with practical experience in advising and formulating workable solutions to clients.Watch out for more current articles on prevailing scenarios...Happy trading.He can also be reached via his e-mail:podera@gmail.com
Category : Finance:Stocks-Mutual-Funds

Benfotiamine And Diabetic Retinopathy

Author : Zach Malott
Damage from diabetes can occur in different areas of the eye. It can occur to the cornea, nerves controlling the muscles of the eye, the lens, optic nerve and retina. The retina is the complication that most people and medical professionals think of first in terms of diabetic complications.Diabetic retinopathy is simply damage to the light sensitive retina. This damage is brought about by hyperglycemia, the medical term for high blood sugar. Retinopathy is directly responsible for approximately 12,000 to 24,000 cases of legal blindness every year in the USA alone. It is reported that there are over 200,000 cases each year globally.Diabetic complications are even more insidious than these numbers because there are several other types of diabetic eye disease created wholly or in part by high blood sugar in diabetics.What Can Be Done To Prevent Eye Disease?It stands to reason that the more informed a person is about a particular situation the better equipped they will be to handle it. Diabetic eye disease is just such a case in point. We need to think of the whole person and not just the eyes when discussing diabetic education because diabetic complications run from eye disease, heart disease, nerve damage, kidney damage, etc. Although benfotiamine has been found useful for all of the above, for the sake of this article in terms of prevention, we will discuss diabetic eye disease in terms of diabetic retinopathy.Diabetic retinopathy is a disease that every diabetic faces the possibility of suffering from somewhere in the course of their disease. The better patients of diabetes are equipped to handle their disease, the lower their risk that they will develop retinopathy. If retinopathy does develop in a patient who is doing all he/she can do to lessen the impact of blood sugar on their bodies, the better chance that they can live productive lives despite the complications and the slower such complications will progress.What Works Best?Unfortunately, there are very few options that are showing much promise for the diabetic in terms of diabetic complications. Benfotiamine has been suggested recently to be a strong deterrent against the development of diabetic retinopathy and also shown to slow its progression significantly if it develops. It is showing great promise in the arena of retinopathy, neuropathy and heart/circulatory conditions brought about by excess sugar in the cells.Benfotiamine, a lipid soluble derivative of water soluble vitamin B1 (thiamine), has been used for the past 12 years in Europe for the treatment of neuropathy, retinopathy as well as heart and circulatory conditions and has shown no adverse effects.Much of the current research on benfotiamine can be discovered by typing the term benfotiamine into a search engine such as google, AOL, yahoo, etc.ConclusionDiabetic complications are a reality that must be an accepted possibility for every diabetic. Diabetic education is highly necessary so that the diabetic community is able to make informed decisions as to their treatment and prevention methodologies. There are few things that show great promise in preventing and/or helping neuropathy, retinopathy, heart and circulatory problems brought about by diabetes. Keeping blood sugar levels close to normal along with adequate exercise in line with the abilities of each individual has shown to help slow the onset of diabetic complications.Benfotiamine is a nutritional supplement that has shown to be helpful in Europe over the past 12 years in terms of diabetic complications and is now available in the United States, and might be worth the time to investigate further. How about for the diabetic who faces the insidious nature of diabetic complications?Zach Malott is CEO of Brentwood Health International, a nutritional supplement company involved in distribution and supplying wholesale, retail and end users.Mr. Malott is available to discuss the research as it applies to benfotiamine in the treatment and prevention of diabetic complications such as neuropathy and retinopathy. He can be reached at:Phone: 505.354.0526web site: http://www.emuhealthproducts.com/benfotiamine.html
Category : Attraction

How to Renew Your Passport

Author : William Manor

You can easily renew your passport by following the instructions below. However, it is important that you apply early. How early?<p align="left"></p>Many foreign countries require your passport to have at least six month's validity remaining before they will issue a visa. Add to this the time required to process your passport and you get a total of eight or nine months.<p align="left"></p>You should apply for a passport renewal if:<ul><li>Already have a passport that is not damaged; and </li><li>Received it within the past 15 years; and </li><li>Were at least age 16 when it was issued; and </li><li>Still have the same name as in passport (or you can legally document your name change).</li></ul>To apply for a passport renewal, you need to send in the following items by mail.<p align="left"></p>1. Completed Application For Passport By Mail , form DS-82.<p align="left"></p>The form can be downloaded at the U.S. Department of State web site or the sites of many travel agencies and travel document expediters.<p align="left"></p>When filling out the form, check everything twice. Be sure to sign the application.<p align="left"></p>2. Your most recent passport.<p align="left"></p>There is no need to cut out the pages filled with visa stamps, you present passport will be returned to you along with the renewed one.<p align="left"></p>3. Two identical passport photos.<p align="left"></p>The two photos must be 2 x 2 inches, identical, taken within the last 6 months. The photos must show a full face, front view with a plain white or off-white background.<p align="left"></p>You should dress in normal street attire. Uniforms, except for religious retire that is worn daily, hats, headgear and dark glasses are not acceptable. Prescription glasses with clear lenses are.<p align="left"></p>4. Applicable fee.<p align="left"></p>The fee to renew your passport is $67. Payments should be made out to U.S. Department of State.<p align="left"></p>If your name has changed, include a certified copy of the legal document specifying your name change (e.g. marriage certificate, divorce decreee, adoption cdreee, or court order).<p align="left"></p>Gather all the appropriate documents and place them in a padded envelope. Send it to the address below:<p align="left"></p>National Passport CenterP.O. Box 371971Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7971<p align="left"></p>If everything goes well, your application should be processed and your renewed passport sent to you within about 6 weeks.

Category : Publishing

Manifestation of Corruption

Author : Daniel Hunt
Freedom of choice can have both positive and negative consequences for peoples that developed democracy within their states as a leading regime. When a person ids to make a choice between the good and evil, the question about what is good and what is easy arises. The majority will pick the easy way without thinking about the consequences of their choice, though they may be quite destructing. World's existence is a matter of balance between good and evil that are to coexist and give people that freedom of choice they are supposed to do. A disbalance drives us to the point when nothing can be certain and actions we take make the situation even worse. Weak human beings are subjected to stress and other harmful influences that require simultaneous actions that border on the necessity to choose between right and easy. The ways to ease the life of a person are not that easy.There is a good characteristic that can be given to a number of events that are devastating to the system and the word that characterizes it is corruption. If you take a good dictionary you will get another proof that the English language is poly-semantic. The first and the most general meaning for corruption is the state of things when a specific matter comes to decay, rotten or decompose. When used by politicians, economists and other representatives of social sciences, it means implantation of illegal ways into the solid system for personal gain.Corruption is characterized by bribery, embezzlement, extortion, nepotism and other ways to corrupt the generally accepted system. Bribery is a well-known crime that means offering, giving or receiving things of value in order to gain influence or control over an official or other person that stands at a wheel of duty. Embezzlement is the fabricated ownership of property without the agreement between the owner and the exploitation entity. Extortion is a crime that involves a demand of matters of considerate value, threatening to harm life property or the surrounding of an individual.Nepotism is a crime when an official shows preference to relatives or family members when choosing a candidate or a partner. Corruption is a wide spread phenomenon that so far has no denial in any country with any regime.Scientists all over the world worked on the problem of corruption and scientific research shows that there are still no effective ways to fight this matter. No strategy or plan has yet been successful and hope to restore balance is lost with every upcoming year. There is no one to blame when it comes to choice between what is easy and income bringing and what is dishonest. Children all over the world write papers on corruption and its influence on the world structure. The only tool, if it is proper to call it this way, would be effective in fighting corruption is a human heart and common sense that should tell the difference between the Code of Conduct and common violation.Daniel Hunt is employed as a writer at SuperiorPapers.com - Essay Paper writing service. He is well-experienced in helping students to produce term papers, and essays of different levels. His effective advice in development of term paper outline idea is included into a popular guide published by him. Your philosophy term paper topic will seem easy to dwell on with his guidance.
Category : Business:Ethics

Putting Workplace Violence In Perspective Following September 11, 2001...

Author : Felix P. Nater

The Security Consultant's Perspective...

Putting the threat of violence and security in the workplace
following September 11, 2001 in perspective has a broader
meaning and greater appreciation. The price of Workplace
Violence has a physical, emotional and financial toll on the
victims, witnesses and the businesses. While worst-case
scenarios are not the norm, incidents of assaults, homicides,
threats and acts of sabotage are real in the typical workplace.
However, the simple but equally annoying and escalating hostile
conduct creates emotional contagions and spontaneous responses.
When thinking of workplace violence one should consider
situations and events of any type that if left uncorrected could
escalate into a violent response. Service employees being
harassed on their routes, nurses fearful of conducting home
visits, plant employees taunting another, use of increased
resources to protect threatened employees and salesmen who
resign rather than do business in certain neighborhoods are all
realities at work. Even though reported incidents of violence
are down for 2003 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics
security awareness should continue to remain high on the
prevention category.

Some Statistics About Workplace Violence...

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 11% (631) of
the 5,559 fatal occupational injuries in 2003 resulted in
homicide (mostly by shootings). A March 2004, FBI Report
estimated that nearly 80% of these workplace homicides are
committed by criminals with no other connection to the
workplace, who have committed robberies or other violent crimes.
In the areas of Non-fatal occupational injuries, BLS reported
that 18,104 such incidents in 2002 resulted from assaults and
violent acts by person, representing nearly 1.3% of the 1.4
million reported occupational injuries and illnesses. According
to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, (BJS) US Department of
Justice, in 2002 nearly 750,000 crimes of violence were
committed each year against people at work or on duty and
another 170,000 against people traveling to and from work.

In January 2004, the Society of Human Resource Managers reported
the results of their own internal survey on workplace violence.
Roughly, almost two-thirds of HR Professionals who responded
reported that at least one incident of 'violence" had occurred
since 200o. Most common were incidents of inappropriate
language, verbal abuse or verbal threats.

In May 2004, the American Society of Safety Engineers' (ASSE)
survey on workplace violence reported that 44% of 750
respondents had indicated that their place of work had been
victim to incidents of violence since 1998. While threats do not
harm victims, the mere utterance damages perceptions of
management's ability to provide for a safe workplace if no
corrective action is taken.

The risk of violence comes in a variety of different forms.
Following September 11, 2001 threats escalated to the use of
potentially harmful chemical and biological agents, directed
targets of violence, bomb threats and an increase in threats
against businesses. The ASSE survey also revealed that 74% of
the 750 respondents had not under-gone any formal risk
assessment or management of the potential for violence in the
workplace. To keep it simple and for a later discussion, if you
work in an electrical or gas plant you should know the risks.

What Others Are Saying About Workplace Security...

The landscape of workplace security has changed following
September 11, 2001 and the subsequent threats. Once relegated to
the back room of IT and facility management departments,
corporate security issues have risen to such prominence over the
past three years that security concerns now have truly become
corporate concerns. Robert Hahn, VP, Strategy & Secure Mail for
Pitney Bowes Management Services, asks, "how does one calculate
the loss to a company if an office building is shut down for two
to three days due to a false alarm?". For example, to clean
buildings like in the case of the two Anthrax infected Post
Offices on the east coast required $150 million dollars and 30
months-time during which the facilities were shut down to all
but the clean up crews and law enforcement, said, Robert Hahn.
The threat is real along with a host of other potential threats;
Terrorist demands, Business discontinuance, Theft of sensitive
data and intellectual property, malicious computer viruses and
intranet attacks, Key personnel taken hostage, Travel security
concerns and Sabotage by disgruntled employee.

In a July 2004 on-line survey conducted by Pitney Bowes, they
asked the participants to define what the term "security" meant
to them. 89% of the 409 respondents viewed security in broad
based terms: protecting company information, protecting business
systems and competitive intelligence. Between 65 - 71% viewed
security as issues of physical and people security and privacy
of employee information. Only 31% believed that their security
was connected to neighboring facilities, roads or
telecommunication systems. The responses in this particular
survey correspond to the ASSE Survey wherein 44% or 335 of the
750 respondents said they had established or changed emergency
response procedures. I can not reflecting on my age old adage
that "Security is everyone's business and that an ounce of
prevention is worth a pound in cure".

Category : Meditation

Tips For Setting Up Your Above Ground Pool

Author : Robin Reckard
Don't we wish these pools would have been on the market when we were kids! These pools put the plastic pools from my childhood to shame.But there IS a little more to setting them up then tossing in the hose. Just follow your pools directions, but keep these tips in mind too.1. Put down a layer of level sand under your tarp or ground cloth to make it more stable and resistant to tears.2. Place the filter in a corner area of your square ground cloth so it is more likely to remain upright and away from the mower.3. Your filter has to plug in, be sure and use a bright colored extension cord to eliminate trips and falls.4. Always have a patch kit or two on hand, they do work well but you may lose a lot of water if you have to run to the store when and if you need one.5. Get as many wrinkles out of the liner as possible starting with the middle.6. Add the water slowly until all the wrinkles have been smoothed out. Too much water makes it hard, if not impossible, to work out the wrinkles.7. Double check to make sure the drain plug is in.8. Double check to make sure your pump hoses are secure and burp the air out of the pump before you plug it in.9. Read the chemical labels and learn what to add when. It really isn't that hard if you consistently take care of it.10. Have Fun!! Be sure and supervise your children carefully and to keep the chemicals out of reach. Also remember that pool covers are meant to keep debris out of the pool and are not meant as a safety device to keep children safe. That is your job, you will be the lifeguard always on duty with a pool in the yard.About the Author:Robin Reckard, co-founder of Jorbins.com Lifestyle Magazine - http://www.jorbins.com/

keeps busy producing, writing, and editing for the magazine as well as raising and enjoying her six year old daughter.Visit Jorbins Home Improvement and Decorating Section to read great articles concerning the home and backyard. Stop by the Swimming Pools - Hot Tubs - and Spas area for more information about backyard swimming pools as well.Copyright 2006, Jorbins Inc. - Reprints of this article can be made as long as the article is in it's entirety, unchanged, and the resource box with links and urls remain unchanged.
Category : Recreation-and-Sports:Swimming

How to Recognize & Respond to Dog Aggression

Author :

&lt;b&gt;How to Recognize &amp; Respond to Dog Aggression&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;by: &lt;b&gt;Julie Butts&lt;/b&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The purpose of this article is not a how-to on correcting the behavior of an aggressive dog. That task is better left to dog trainers, veterinarians, and dog behaviorists. This article identifies seven basic types of dog aggression, however, and offers suggestions on how to communicate better with an aggressive dog to prevent injury from dog attacks.&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Many dog owners are bewildered when they hear their dog growl, bark, or take an aggressive stance. Unfortunately, many of these animals end up in shelters because the owners could no longer live with the dog. Would you give up on your child that easily?&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Of course not! When a baby is brought home to his new family, everyone understands that the baby is learning your language and teaching you his. We begin to understand our child's cry or garbled sounds because we focus on trying to understand him.&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Your dog has his own language as well. Understanding dog aggression and your dog's language will help prevent undesirable behavior and dog bites. Let?s begin our understanding of dog aggression with the acronym DOG BITES:&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Dominant &lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;Opportunity &lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;Game &lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Boy/Girl &lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;Injury &lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;Territorial &lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;Escape &lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Dominant aggression is also known as competitive aggression. It is brought on when one dog feels challenged for his social position by another dog (or human). Dogs are pack animals. Social order helps feed and protect the pack. &lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The dog with the highest social order is called the alpha dog. The alpha dog gets all the perks such as eating whatever he wants, sleeping wherever he wants, and dictating to the others in the pack. He decides when the others get to eat and sleep.&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Even owners of a single dog may observe dominant aggression since the dog sees the owner as a member of his pack. An example of this type of aggression is demonstrated by the dog who lays on a favorite chair and growls at the owner when told to get down.&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The aggression is a challenge for social position and dibs for the seating arrangement. How the owner reacts to the challenge determines whether the dog becomes more aggressive or submissive in the situation. &lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Here is a less obvious challenge to an owner's dominance in the pack:&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;You are sitting in the living room watching television. Your dog comes up to you and slides his head under your hand. You think your dog is adorable and wants your attention, so you pet him as requested.&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Here is the punch line to this situation. Petting is similar to licking. Submissive, less dominant dogs in the pack lick the more dominant dogs. In other words, you were challenged and responded with an ok to be the submissive of the challenge.&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Petting (or licking) behavior does not always signify submissiveness. There are other situations when dogs lick, but we will not pursue that topic here. What we will offer here is a suggestion on how to respond to the situation above. &lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Gently cup your hand over your dog's muzzle. Rub behind his ears with a little pressure. These actions closely resemble social order biting. Dominant dogs bite the ears, nose, and neck areas of less dominant dogs to keep them in line. Just watch a mother dog with a litter of pups! You will see the behavior right away.&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Opportunity aggression is aggression that is intended for another dog or person; however, it is redirected to a closer dog or person because the opportunity to attack is better. An example of this type of aggression is demonstrated when trying to break up two fighting dogs. Sometimes, the person breaking up the fight gets bit. &lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Caution is the best approach to take with opportunity or redirected aggression. If a dog is agitated, it is better to maintain a safe distance until the dog feels less vulnerable and relaxes.&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Game aggression is predatory in nature. A dog will chase anything that moves away from it. The dog is a natural hunter of small game. When something runs from a dog, the dog's chase, hunt, capture, and kill instinct takes over.&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;A human cannot out run a dog. If a dog attacks, the best course of action is to lie down and play dead. This action is a submissive move. &lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;You have probably seen a dog lie down and bear his vulnerable belly to a more dominant dog. He is communicating to the more dominant dog that he is not a threat to the more dominant dog.&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Boy/girl aggression is all about the hormones! This type of aggression is also known as sexual aggression. The male dog protects his female from other dogs and potential threats to his progeny.&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Female dogs, however, also display this sexual aggression when they are pregnant, nursing, or in heat. Even the most docile female may growl or attempt to bite anyone who dares to pick up one of her pups too soon!&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Sexual aggression is reduced through spaying and neutering. Most veterinarians recommend spaying or neutering your dog during the 6-12 months of age.&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Injury aggression is aggression brought on by injury or pain. You might easily see this type of aggression in a dog that has been hit by a car or one who is suffering from age-induced arthritis. &lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Injury or pain aggression is best handled by seeking medical care for the dog. Try not to touch the painful areas unless absolutely necessary for therapy or to get your dog to safety. Diet, activity, medications, and bedding may help alleviate the pain and therefore, the aggressive behavior. &lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Territorial aggression is aggression displayed to protect the pack's territory. The dog's territory may be much different from your thoughts of the house and backyard. Indeed, if you take him on any walks, he may even consider the whole neighborhood his territory! &lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;When a dog is in a new environment, he may be &quot;territorial&quot; because he is not sure of his surroundings. This is why a dog that is boarded may be &quot;cage aggressive.&quot; The dog is protecting the small territory of the cage from intruders. &lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;When this is the case, let the dog have his space. He is stressed out and will feel protected in his own area.&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Territorial aggression may also be used to protect the pack from perceived external threats. A protective dog is one that shows aggression toward other animals or people when he perceives a threat to his owner or other members of the pack. &lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;A dog may also show territorial aggression with possessions. He will protect anything that he perceives as his. This includes food, bedding, toys, affection, and anything else that is part of his world.&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Escape aggression is also called fear aggression. A dog that is afraid will often shake. The ears will probably be all the way back on the head and the tail will be low. He feels powerless and puts up a fight because he feels trapped like he has no where to escape.&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This type of aggression may also be brought on by the fear of punishment. Imagine someone standing much taller than you with his hand raised above his head. Is he going to hit me? &lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Walking straight toward a dog, giving direct eye contact, or making sudden movements can trigger fear aggression. Always move slowly around dogs that are afraid. Never give direct eye contact or move right towards a fearful dog.&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;table width=100% cellpadding=8 cellspacing=0 border=0 bgcolor=#dddddd&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;About The Author&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Julie Butts is a Kennel Manager and author of &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.all-about-small-breed-dogs.com" target=new&gt;http://www.all-about-small-breed-dogs.com</a>, an online guide for selecting, owning, and raising a small breed dog. Her website is dedicated to small breed dog lovers and includes information on breeds, training, behavior, grooming, supplies, books, gifts, and more.&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/table&gt;

Category : CSS