A Boost On IT Hardware Demand

Technology continues to evolve but some things are meant to last for a long time. If you are an adult reading this article, it is safe to say that you have witnessed for yourself the evolution of technology – most especially when it comes to computers. Our modern world right now thrives because of them, including RAID servers, which host many major websites. Even RAID servers are protected, frankly, with the advent of solid RAID data recovery services. The Internet of Things did a great job in integrating itself to the core being of society, where people will no longer just see it as a luxury but a must in their daily lives. No wonder wherever you go today, there are tech contrivances of all sorts that promises to make people’s lives better, easier, and more fulfilling.

But as you’ve probably noticed, the cloud is rising to superstardom and people are seeing just how useful it can possibly be in fueling our modern life especially now that digital data reigns supreme. Many have thought previously that computers are becoming outdated especially with computer hardware. The thing is we are actually seeing a major comeback for computer hardware as some businesses still struggle in completely migrating all their data and services to the cloud. And even if they do, the servers that keep the cloud running at all times is operated through a computer, so we still can’t disregard the importance and relevance of computer hardware in today’s digital era.

In-house IT hardware spending

Share More This Christmas

It’s the time of the year again when it is not just festive but jolly too. People are always in a good mood and sharing is but a natural tendency for many especially that most employees receive bonuses to spend on gifts and good food. For those who have more than enough for their family, they don’t hesitate to spread the love and good cheer by donating to charities and the less fortunate, so they too experience what the holiday spirit is all about. While it is not always about material stuff, we can’t deny the fact that as human beings, we have material needs. We need to eat. That is a primary need and won’t it be a little nicer if others can also get to eat more sumptuous food during one of the most special days of the year.

Charities are actually active all year-round. They are most active during times of disasters and during special occasions when a little kindness can go a long way in uplifting the lives of our less fortunate brothers and sisters. While it essentially benefits the impoverished, gift-giving and donating to charities also has its perks to the donors through tax credits. Yes, your good intentions and good deeds make a difference both to you and to your recipient. But of course, you have to donate to recognized and legit charities and not just anywhere if you want to receive some type of remuneration from the government afterward. However, if you want to share without any expectations, …

Is American Healthcare Any Better Or Not?

The United States of America is one powerful nation. Many countries the world over look up to the “Land of the Free” and the Home of the Brave” for a lot of reasons. But let’s be unbiased here and try to check on one crucial aspect of nation-building: healthcare. Do Americans really enjoy better healthcare services and privileges than citizens of other nations or do they have one of the most expensive healthcare delivery systems in the world? Well, it’s hard to come up with an assumption if we don’t have a point of comparison, right? So, let’s compare healthcare in the US and that of Denmark, a European country that may be thousands of miles from North America but undoubtedly also faces the same medical woes and maladies faced by every American.

The culture between these two countries are strikingly different and we’ll soon find out if the same thing applies to the way health is viewed and taken care of by both. In reality, the Danish healthcare system is arguably far more superior than that of the US in a lot of ways. The thing is that they have a smaller budget for healthcare than in America but theirs is far more efficient. It might make you wonder how they manage to pull it off if a country as big and powerful as the US still struggle with doing so until today but apparently, culture plays a major role. Lifestyle practices like cycling is a great example and in turn, triggers a positive …

Climate Change Is Real

Wherever you live on the planet today, you cannot just ignore the reality of climate change. It is no longer just a prediction you’ve probably heard decades ago. It is now our reality. You can see it always in the news. The world is heating up. The ocean is rising. Natural calamities are getting stronger and more destructive. It is just bad news every single day. However, we can’t just close our eyes and pretend all these things are not happening. It is scary, indeed, but we have no one else to blame but ourselves. For the longest time, humans have been abusing Mother Nature. We use up most of the world’s resources without a care in the world not thinking if there will be enough left for the future generation. Just look around you and it is easy to see why climate change came sooner than expected. Our incessant use of technology requires energy to fuel it. We just keep increasing our demands on the planet and not realizing that all these will trigger something really nasty over time.

Since the whole world is already aware of the problem, the experts have been paying more attention to climate change to hopefully understand what is happening to the planet and if there is anything else we can do to slow it down if that is still possible at the moment. All the little changes in the world signal something and since it has already been a long time that we’ve been abusing and misusing the …

American Education In Peril

We all know that the key to becoming competitive on a global scale is through education. By knowing things, how they work, what makes them work, and their impact on our lives we are able to better ourselves and make life on Earth such a breeze. We have been living with this notion and it is why the global standards have also been set very high. Those with sterling academic credentials get chosen by the top companies and are more likely to go up the corporate ladder. If anybody will ever say that education is the same wherever school you graduated from is seriously delusional. It is not the reality of our times anywhere on this planet especially if you live in major cities where the population continues to explode and many people are competing for the same job.

If you live in the US, you also have an idea how expensive getting an education is. While you have the option of going to a private or public school in your primary and secondary years, the game changes once you step on college and the university. The tuition fee is seriously outrageous and only a handful can afford to pay it without making use of student loans to help them finish school. The downside is that they are already deep in debt by the time they graduate that most of their earnings go to paying off the student debt they have accumulated over the years. Even today’s government does not have an optimistic view on …

It Is Never Too Late To Start A Business

Most of us have that perception that it is difficult to open a business. Well, that is partly true. Of course, with any business, you have to put in your time, effort, resources, and being into whatever business endeavor you decide to take on. You don’t just open the next thing business you think of without proper planning or it will be bound to fail sooner rather than later. But do not let these fears and worries stop you from going out of your comfort zone and realizing your dreams because you will never really know unless you try, no matter how cliché it seems. Sometimes, a little common sense can go a long way and it is something you should never lose regardless of whatever stage you are in planning or implementing your business goals.

You have to extra careful if you are a novice in the field. Experience can definitely help you trudge on this unfamiliar path more confidently. If it is your first time to start any sort of business, you can always learn from other people’s experience and spare yourself from all the misfortune of costly business mistakes. And now that the holidays are almost here, it is the perfect opportunity to dabble in the field of business. People have more cash to burn and they are definitely in a more generous mood. Those with an entrepreneurial spirit can easily make lots of money. You can sell stuff for gifts, sell food, or whatever you can think of that will …

Parenting Is Not Always An Easy Thing

Being a parent is never easy because you have the lifelong obligation to love and care for a child until your last breath. Your children will always be your babies no matter how old they get. Then come grandchildren. Unlike parents, grandparents love to spoil their grandkids with treats because they don’t feel that obligated for their well-being or their future anymore. Well, don’t take it wrong but it’s that way for ages and grandparents love to spoil the young ones while the parents worry themselves over providing for their kids’ needs and what the future holds for all of them. If you look at it a little closer, though, you’d notice that parenting today has drastically changed in just about every aspect. Even kids themselves have changed a lot too and our environment probably has to do with it too.

For starters, there is too much technology in the world today. Even kids have their own smart devices. It is often the parents’ fault why their kids are hooked to gadgets because they just give it to them so they can entertain themselves while their harassed parents multitask on work and many other stuff that characterize modern living. And kids’ don’t just play games because they also have access to the Internet, which isn’t always a good thing with social media full of so many dangers even to adults. If parents aren’t distracted, they are hovering like helicopters making them fully-dependent on adults to do almost everything for them.

Parenting today is even more

The US Embraces KPop Music

For the longest time, it has been difficult for Asian artists to penetrate the Western world. Success in America, for instance, continues to elude them as Americans, in general, won’t give them the time of day or have no appreciation for their music or artistry at all. But that was before. Thanks to technology and rapid globalization, diversity is more widely accepted now and people start to appreciate other cultures than people did in the past. If there is one particular trend that is taking the US by storm, that is KPop. If you look at the numbers, they’ve been making waves in music charts, radio plays, and even digital and actual album sales in various US states.

South Korea, in general, did very well in importing the Hallyu wave a.k.a. the growing globalization of KPop. There are KPop fans now all over America and in other parts of the world. Fandoms grow in number each year as KPop idols gradually become household names outside of Korea. Even the Billboard has been overtaken by KPop idols with BTS in the forefront having stayed in the HOT 100 for a month where they even won the Top Social Artist this year beating Justin Bieber and Selene Gomez who are undeniably among the top superstars in the US today. BTS also recently released their recent comeback with a mini-album “Her” that hit #1 on the iTunes chart in 73 countries. It is a feat that not all Western performers are actually capable of doing but something that …

Recover Lost Data Of Android Users

There are generally just two types of the people in the world today, the few who are iOS users and the rest who uses Android gadgets. Apple fanatics would always say they deserve only the best and that iOS is the best there is in the land today but users loyal to Android might disagree. The latter says that iOS is too rigid whereas Android offers them the flexibility they want. Whether you are an iOS or Android user, you basically face the same issues all smartphone users do. The most notable of all has to do with data loss especially now that these handy smart devices can work just as good as any regular computer does and suffer from the usual tech glitches.

Admit it, losing your data is one of your biggest fears as a tech user. Even smartphones aren’t immune to this problem. You can easily lose all the files: contacts, messages, photos, and other multimedia files stored in your smartphone device because of problems you didn’t expect for like the device getting broken after a terrible drop, submerged in water, reformatted, etc. Imagine the feeling of losing months, or possibly years, of memories stored as digital files in that tiny sleek device. Then, you might also lose track of the people you know especially if all these data won’t be recovered at all.

To most people, one of the most crucial subsets of data is business and personal contacts. By default, Android syncs all the stored contacts in Google Drive, and

Medical Marijuana: The New Painkiller

Not all types of pain are the same. Just like everyone has a varying level of pain tolerance, different health conditions trigger different types and intensity of pain as well. Simple cuts and bruises do not necessarily require you to take a painkiller but some do depend on how big and deep the affected area is. Bur for chronic pain that just won’t go away, patients often get hooked on the painkillers they are taking. The sad part here aside from the obvious addiction is that the dosage of their medicine had to be constantly increased as they become used to its effect and their tolerance to it likewise increases.

Here comes medical marijuana to the rescue. For quite some time now, people have been raving about the positive impact of medical cannabis to patients suffering from certain medical conditions especially the ones who suffer from chronic pain. Since medical marijuana became famous and have even been legalized in certain states, more people want to give it a try and it has consequently resulted in a decline in painkiller use.

Legalizing medical marijuana is controversial. Physicians have not always prescribed controlled substances wisely, as a look at our narcotic epidemic confirms. But marijuana is much safer than narcotics and, according to a recent study, might even save us money, by reducing people’s need for other, often more expensive medications.

Most notably, marijuana can be an effective part of comprehensive pain management. Millions of Americans suffer from chronic pain, caused by a wide range of

Towards The Direction Of Personalized Healthcare

There have been many breakthroughs and innovations in the field of medicine. The healthcare system that we know of today is incomparable to the medical practices observed and practiced decades to centuries ago. But let’s admit it, things are better the way it is now than it was before. If you watch old films or documentaries that show the medical practices in the past, you’d be shaken at the agony patients had to endure in the name of science.

Some think that the science of medicine that we know of today will be here for good but we are badly mistaken. We only have room for progress and at the rate things are going, technology has a lot to do with the direction medicine is taking and we can only aspire for better things to come our way.The medical practice today all boils down to patient assessment through the symptoms exhibited by patients, which may be interpreted differently depending on the physician and sometimes, underlying conditions can trigger different symptoms that will lead to misdiagnosis. Then, personalized healthcare will definitely be a welcome reprieve for all of us. In fact, it may also be the key to reducing morbidity and mortality rates that are constantly going up because of our unhealthy modern lifestyle.

Imagine a future in which, rather than using symptoms to identify a disease, your genes, metabolism, and gut microbiome inform how your individual health is managed. This is the vision of precision medicine.

Traditional medicine uses symptoms to diagnose diseases, and

The Frightful Five And Internet Innovation

The mere existence of the web has ended an era and started another; one that is defined by mindblowing technologies and a different way of life. Imagine what life in the 70s, 80s, 90s, and early 2000s were. If you weren’t personally living through these times, it is quite hard to relate to, right? Even when you watch old TV shows and movies, seeing how people lived during these times will make you wonder how they survived without getting bored to death. Yes, boredom is something that the Internet has virtually rendered irrelevant. How can you even say that you are bored anymore when you can do lots of things on the web and you won’t mind the hours ticking by.

If you think about Internet innovation or the continued advancements on the web today, America is almost always at the top of people’s mind because most big tech companies are found here. However, experts have noticed how these very same big tech brands seem to be dampening the Internet’s progress, thereby preventing the growth of small startups from stealing a piece of their pie. After all, business comes first. We may have seen many of the major breakthroughs made their debut on American soil but big tech brands end up monopolizing the industry in general.

There are multiple reasons why countries like the U.S. have accounted for the bulk of the world’s internet innovation over the past few decades. Simply put, the U.S. is an attractive market with a common language, common currency and

The Dark Side Of Substance Abuse

People often associate substance abuse to the abuse of illegal drugs that give its users an unrealistically high that consequently messes up with their brain and over time with their life. Doing drugs is cool at first. After all, mostly cool people do it. It gives the user a false sense of belonging as they continue to have pot sessions with fellow drug addicts who have lost their sense of direction and reality. It might be fun at the beginning as you relish in the unnatural high these illegal substances bring you but wait until their undesired effects kick in and you’ll regret doing it at all. Drug users look terrible physically as they are no longer able to look after themselves and they look like wasted versions of who they once were.

For years, we have seen drug junkies ruin their lives as they can’t seem to break away from their nasty habit. Drug addiction does not discriminate. It will not spare you from its bad effects whether you are a famous personality or just an average Joe. Celebrities have fallen out of the limelight and weren’t able to stage a successful comeback after succumbing to illegal substances. Some even died either by suicide or because of an accidental overdose as they may also take other prescribed medications in conjunction with their drug use that unknowingly became a lethal combination that took their lives away.…

Why You Need To Learn Coding Now

The world is changing. That cannot be denied. If you just look around you, you’d notice how more advanced our society has become and tech gadgets seem to be sprawled all across town, even in the comforts of our own homes. There is even one or two inside your pocket and your whole world probably revolves around the use of smart technology because that is likely what the rest of the population does. Everybody is so active online that it has opened up a whole new world of possibilities for people whose technical expertise lies in the use of computers and anything tech-related.

If there is one skill that will prove handy in the years to come, it definitely has to be related to technology especially in the use of computers. Wherever you look, some sort of tech device is running a business, office, institution, or even in your own home. We need to learn to adapt to all these changes if we don’t want to be left behind because sooner or later, technology will run the world (as if it is not already doing it now). And if there is another skill you should master or at least know about, it is coding or computer programming. The possibilities are endless if you finally figure out how computers work from the inside and it can work to your advantage when expanding your career options.

A whole new tongue – the language of computers – will be what separates the educated from the ignorant masses of

When Giving Becomes The Problem

People do not hesitate to give and share their blessings if they only have more than enough. We may say that the world is a harsh place to live in now but there is still hope for humanity as people still do random acts of kindness and become a brother or a sister to others especially to those who have nothing. While not everyone is blessed to have more than what they need, many still respond to the call of charity. We may think that this is the answer to many of the world’s current problems but it has barely scratched the surface.

Despite the many internal problems faced by most progressive nations, they are often the first ones to extend a helping hand to any country that has survived the wrath of Mother Nature or any terrible tragedy caused by man. Unfortunately, some poorer countries take advantage of the help they receive from other nations that the mere concept of charity has forced people to resort to fraudulent scams like orphanage tourism in order to continually enjoy the steady stream of outside financial help and keep it coming for a long time. While tourists who volunteer in orphanages do not see anything wrong in what they are doing, this action actually encourages families to give up their children for money, which is just awful no matter where you look at it.

However, just this month Australia pledged to cut federal support for such organisations amid mounting concerns over “orphanage tourism”, where children are

Catalonia’s Struggle Continues

There are many places in the world that struggle with political strife for a long time now despite the many tech advancements we are now enjoying. It is such an irony that human beings still can’t reconcile many of their differences that end up in violence or even more violence. There really is no way out here without suffering many casualties. Freedom is often the cause that people are fighting for, which they can’t always get without bloodshed. Many countries in the Middle East suffered the same fate and are now but left in ashes and a picture of poverty and despair.

Even in Europe, a continent known for its power, affluence, and peace, conflict is still present and is a threat to the peace the region enjoys. Spain, for instance, faces the same problem faced by some countries that are politically oppressed and became battlegrounds of modern warfare. Catalonia has long since wanted to be independent of Spain but their pleas fell on deaf ears until now. European organizations appear to be at risk. Many protests escalate quickly and end up with street violence that disrupts the unity and stability enjoyed by most European nations.

The leader of Spain’s Catalonia region called Monday for help from European leaders in working out the region’s move to be independent.

The request comes a day after a violent crackdown by Spanish police trying to block Catalonians from voting on whether they wanted to separate from Spain.

Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont said he would file

Will Most Religion Ever Approve Of Same-Sex Marriage?

We can’t deny how the world has changed over the past century. Looking back on old photos of the not-so-distant past, it is easy to tell how time has changed in the way people look and the surroundings itself. If there is one thing that has surpassed the test of time, though, it is the people’s faith in their religion. Religion has been the most enduring of all and today’s people still profess their faith and stay true to its teachings. But over the years, we have also witnessed the many changes in people’s perspective. And now, same-sex marriage is already practiced in many countries but does one’s religion really support it?

Most organized religions actually condone same-sex marriage. Just the very idea of a person legally marrying the opposite sex is a ludicrous idea and goes against the teachings of the Church. So, it is but understandable if the Church does not plan on ever giving its go signal and openly condemns those who get married to anyone from the same sex. However, advocates of the LGBTQ community are saying that not allowing same-sex marriage is essentially a violation of a person’s human right to get married even if society, in general, is mainly a heterosexual community.

Conservative religious organisations and politicians have played a major role in preventing the introduction of same-sex marriage in Australia and hope to do so again.

John Howard cited conservative religious views when he banned same-sex marriage. Labor’s fear of losing religious voters to the Liberals 

Are Conferences Getting Old Yet Too Expensive?

You are never too old to learn something new. It can’t be any truer. It is even a requisite nowadays as the world becomes more globally interconnected and people from different parts of the world may even compete for the same job. Hence, education is the key to professional and financial success in later life. Even if you are a degree-holder, it is not often an assurance you’d be able to land the job of your dreams after graduating since many others take the same path too.

Attending academic conferences is a great way to boost your knowledge and skills and make you a more valuable asset to any company or organization. Fortunate for those who are sponsored by the academe or their offices for such lucrative post-graduate continuing education events but most individuals actually have to shell out a lot of (their personal) money in order for them to enhance their knowledge and stay updated on the latest news and trends in the competitive (and often changing) world of Academia.

Conferences have been held since the early days of academia. But their size has changed dramatically. The intimate gatherings of academics from a specific field have now been replaced with mega conferences, frequently featuring 1,000 participants or more. Stockholm World Water Week, which brings together scholars and practitioners, counts more than 3,000 participants.

These gatherings are fancier than ever. Academic conferences used to be in universities. Yet the last annual meeting of the American Association of Geographers, the world’s largest geography conference, was in

The Things That We Do To Protect Our Data

In life, we usually know our priorities. We meet our basic needs first before going after luxuries if we want to be well and healthy all the time. It is not only our basic needs and commodities that must be met but a new breed of necessity that we can’t afford to live without now. Data, big or small, is precious. It defines who we are and are often the product of our hard work. However, cybercriminals are always after it or you may also lose data because of a technical glitch in your system whether it was your own fault or that of nature.

And as such, computer users go to great lengths to ensure their data stays safe no matter what happens because these data are often irreplaceable especially when no duplicate copy was ever made. Not all the time, though, data can still be salvaged depending on the circumstances on how it was lost yet there are ways for you to get it back and it mainly involves data recovery services that are usually costly and as already mentioned, not 100{de482eb4182815e4397bda7e9c10d3fd88d8e09da808395d54f8dd885ae330e2} reliable due to a lot of factors.

The Village of Lindenhurst is creating a computer network recovery program to protect data from hackers and natural disasters.

The board of trustees voted to adopt the Disaster Recovery Program on the recommendation of Village Treasurer Louise Schrader. The program has five components: critical data recovery; off- and on-premise backup; third-party vendor remote access; password changes and deletion of users; and financial program access.

The Dangers Of Traditional Medicine

It is inevitable for humans to get sick. We aren’t born superhumans after all, so we are susceptible to the myriad of diseases that plagues mankind for as long as we can remember. But because of our resiliency and creativity, we have managed to survive through the years. It is because we have developed what we now know as modern medicine and these medicinal concoctions have spared human life from morbidity and mortality over the ages.

Yet despite the many medicinal wonders that are now at our disposal, many still succumb to sickness and death. And as the number of chemical-based medicines abounds the market, people are looking for healthier and safer alternatives that can also deliver positive results. The resurgence of alternative medicine is growing in followers today and it is not entirely a bad thing as it gives people an option as to how they want to be treated. Some of these natural supplements, medications, and treatments are also effective, so it gives people even more reason to explore this aspect of medicine.

In many parts of the world, policymakers, health professionals and the public are wrestling with questions about culture and mental health services. Some have argued that African traditional medicine might be a more appropriate way to meet mental health needs in Africa. In some Asian countries like Pakistan, traditional healers are widely consulted for the treatment of depression.

One argument is that traditional medicine is more accessible and affordable than contemporary medicine. Patients find it easier to

Women’s Sports In Trump’s America

The world of sports is not only a great way to stay fit and active but it can be a career for some too, especially the ones gifted with superior athletic abilities. It is also a lucrative industry that is racking in millions (even billions) of dollars not only in sports events and competitions but even in sports apparel, goods, and equipment. Men aren’t the only ones who excel in sports. Women who devote their time and effort in training for a specific sport can also become world-class athletes. There is even a special Olympics for the differently-abled that is also widely practiced now all over the world. Everyone has an interest for sports but only a handful succeeds and gets the coveted gold medal.

If you are an American woman athlete or whatever your nationality is, it is likely you may get discriminated by males or by the industry at large unless you have proven your worth by winning. But today, simply being a woman is an enough ground for discrimination. After all, we live in Trump’s America. And despite clearly winning the election, we are all aware about his penchant for airing his sentiments on Twitter and his other personal biases that are now reflecting on how he is leading the country to the unknown.

Hardly a month seems to go by without high-profile US athletes speaking out on non-sporting causes. Increasingly, the most passionate voices belong to women.

Take the recent basketball game between Seattle Storm and Chicago Sky. The team’s owners

Homebuilding Slump No More In San Diego

For quite some time now, the country has struggled in rebuilding America’s economy and saying it is more than just shaky until today is not at all far from the truth. Wherever you are in the nation, there is some sort of crisis felt by the people and many homeowners struggle the most in getting their acts together when jobs are closing and basic services aren’t always given for free. Homes have become more expensive, which is actually good for existing homeowners but bad for prospective buyers as they can no longer afford to buy one for themselves and their families. And as such, people could not afford to build homes or buy ones because the cost of materials has skyrocketed and human labor does not cost cheap either.

However, it seems that business is picking up in San Diego where the construction of new homes has increased as of late. Other parts of the state and even of the country still suffer from the continued real estate slump but you can see some work in progress going around the San Diego area although not that much but definitely better than nothing. It sparks a ray of hope amidst San Diego locals despite the many factors making home building doubly harder like government barriers, a slowing market for rentals and houses, and land issues.

New home construction in San Diego County has picked up slightly but is still substantially down from the same time last year.

Building permits for all types of homes — condos,

A Big Blow For Religion

Religion is at the very core of society – organized religion that is. It is even as powerful as the state. The church is even exempted by the state to pay taxes because of the separation of the powers of the two and the extent of the influence they have to society. Morality is still a big issue in our modern world, though. Some people can be so uptight when it comes to their religious beliefs and they would even give up their lives when necessary. That’s the case of religious extremists that eventually become terrorists. It’s probably the problem with the world today. Religion has been taken in the wrong context and interpreted however you like aside from being used to manipulate people to hurt others.

No wonder that even atheists openly attack organized religion in today’s world when it fails to uphold a strong sense of morality among the people and prevent the endless violence and persecution that sows hate and divisiveness among the people. If the church really wants to make a difference in this world, they can do so because they have the resources and the power to make a positive change in other people’s lives. But no, they don’t always act righteously. With all the money and assets of most churches, they can afford to save the homeless people from living on the streets and they can feed the hungry but they don’t and that is a problem most of us are noticing quite increasingly now.

Though the specific sect

The Fight Against Climate Change

The planet is warming up at a scale never seen or experienced before. Changes are taking place at a rapid rate and they are not always a good one. The planet is definitely our home but it does not mean we are always safe from all the (raging) elements. There are times when natural weather systems act up and we end up on the losing end.  The truth is, human activities have triggered climate change. If you want proof, just simply take a look at the world around you. If you live in big cities, pollution is a common issue and there are fewer trees and plants as well as the land is utilized as residential, commercial, or even agricultural spaces. Even in rural areas, forests are going bald as illegal logging and mining are thriving more than ever.

While global warming and climate change have already arrived, it does not mean we can’t slow it down for our own sake (and safety). People die when Mother Nature runs amuck and properties get destroyed too not to mention our natural resources are fast depleting and they happen to be non-renewable too. It is easy to feel discouraged upon seeing the extent of the problem but that does not mean we should not do anything about it at all. Even in our own little ways, we can fight climate change by changing the way we live our lives one day at a time.

The greatest impact individuals can have in fighting climate change is to have

What It Takes To Be A Good Teacher

Teaching is perhaps the noblest of all professions. Whatever your career is, there are teachers that educate everyone about all the essentials to help us function at our best in whatever job we land after graduating. They’re the ones who teach us what we know of from an early age (aside from our parents) and help us better understand the various complexities of life. But not everyone is born to teach, it takes a real passion for teaching and the genuine desire to impart your knowledge to young minds hungry for new knowledge and skills.

You are perhaps wondering then what it takes to become a good teacher (if not the best)? And whether we like to admit it or not, teachers are instrumental in a student’s success or failure. But let’s face it that teachers alone aren’t the only ones who contribute to the child’s learning. The school itself, the rest of the faculty, the instructional materials, and the rest of the things that you can see within the four corners of the classroom and the school all influence a child’s education. But let us not ignore the fact either that teachers are at forefront of education and that they facilitate all aspect of a student’s learning from learning their ABCs until their post-graduate studies.

The key to successful education is to attract good teachers. We can try to do so by raising teachers’ salaries (as commonly advocated). But this strategy also seems to fail, partly because higher incomes go to both good

Paris Tourism In The Wake Of Terrorist Attacks

The world is a pretty big place to stay rooted in one place during your lifetime. They say it is better to have seen a place once than read or hear about it for a thousand times. And yes, how aptly said. Those who give in to their wanderlust know pretty well the exhilarating feeling that traveling gives them. However, money is a big issue especially for those who can barely survive in their day-to-day lives. You spend money in everything you do and the expenses double or triple when you travel somewhere far away. Traveling to great historical locations, or even checking out a great venue is indeed a gift to be thankful for that only a few get to enjoy.

There is another problem that has shaken travelers more often now over the past decade. The problem with terrorism is growing and even major cities in progressive nations like Europe aren’t safe from terrorist attacks. If you regularly watch the news, you probably have seen for yourself many of these breaking news stories that involve bombings and intentional attacks against innocent civilians. For instance, Paris has witnessed its fair share of terrorist attacks over the past few years and there have always been casualties. As a result, tourism in France has been down in the dumps for a while but it seems that the tide has turned and the Parisians are back to business once more.

High-kicking dancers are enthralling full houses again at the Moulin Rouge and art lovers are swarming

The Evolution Of Biologic Drugs

Humans have various needs in their daily lives – the right to food and shelter are among the most basic of human needs. After all, survival instincts are innate in all of us and the human body can only function well without food and water for a limited period of time. Then, there are other secondary needs also requiring our attention. Our health, for instance, needs as much tender loving care from us if want to live a long quality life for all the years of our lives.

There’s a catch, though. The more our technology progresses, the more complex diseases and ailments that affect humans have become. These microbes also evolve and have even rendered some antibiotics useless as they have grown resistant to the drug’s therapeutic effects. In a way, it has contributed to the rising costs of medicine and health care but there is also another reason why drugs keep getting more expensive through the years – medical/scientific research. More extensive and expensive researches and studies are done in various parts of the globe for various issues that mankind faces. Those that pertain to health are the most costly and require the most effort too.

Conventional medicines are stitched together by chemists in large factories using other chemicals as building blocks. Their molecular structures are well defined and relatively simple. Aspirin, for example, contains just 21 atoms (nine carbons, eight hydrogens and four oxygens) bonded together to form a particular shape. A single aspirin tablet – even kid-sized – contains trillions of

Making Money Out Of Technology

The modern world is ruled by technology. It is a no-brainer fact that even school kids understand very well. It’s such a lucrative market with billions of people owning tech gadgets like smartphones, laptops, computers, and other household and communication appliances that come at a hefty price, so you can always be sure there is a demand for it. Most big businesses nowadays are related to technology like Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Apple, Samsung, etc. They have been shaping society over the past few decades and they sure have made lots of money all this time despite being involved in a handful of controversies over time.

But despite the big profits these companies are making, there are undeniable losses too. Not all their gimmicks click to people and they often have to incur millions of losses on a few business risks they have taken. The drop in tech shares in the market as of late is a testament to how unstable the technology industry is and any small changes can have big implications on these businesses and millions more who rely on their products and services in their daily lives.

U.S. stocks are mixed Monday as Facebook and other technology companies open the week with losses. Media companies are rising following a report that Charter Communications might be bought by a Japanese technology company, and cable network companies Scripps Networks and Discovery Communications agreed to combine. Banks are also trading higher.

KEEPING SCORE: The Standard & Poor’s 500 index added 2 points, or 0.1 percent, to

Why The Children Need To Be Exposed To The Arts

Adults today can only fondly reminisce their childhood years of day-long frolic under the sun and countless hours playing outdoors and getting dirty and all. Kids today don’t lead a life as active as most adults once did. They are exposed to a digital world overruled by technology. Kids won’t have a hard time navigating a smartphone or any tech gadget, unlike most adults. Meanwhile, they lack the psychomotor skills to engage in active play and usually don’t spend as much time playing outdoors than kids before did.

One more thing children today miss out on is the opportunity to really dabble in the arts despite the abundance of art materials, supplies, and opportunities. They can even get inspiration from the web but still, they’d rather spend all their free time glued to their smartphones and tinkering with all those apps that were unheard of in the past. Indeed, a lot has changed and in a way, new opportunities open up to children but they also miss out on others that are actually better for their health and well-being.

As much evidence will support, drawing has significant developmental benefits for young children. It gives them space to represent what they think—territory within which they can exaggerate what is important to them or express ideas they are not yet able to verbalize. Through art, children are able to describe and reveal their notions about themselves, the world, and their place in it.

The role of drawing in enhancing childhood development has been acknowledged since art education

Appreciation For The Arts Beyond A Disability

Equality will always be the subject of many heated debates and arguments from then until now. While there are many things that divide people these days, there are still apparently some common denominators that bridge the gap between the rich and poor, gifted and not, or healthy and sickly. The arts will always be that bridge that continues to connect and inspire people of all walks of life.

Who says that you can’t appreciate the arts if you have a disability? You may be lacking in a sense or two but other senses are heightened to make up for what you don’t have. Dabbling with the arts gives differently-abled individuals a newfound freedom to express themselves without being limited by their disabilities. It also allows them to experience a sense of belongingness to the craft and other artists especially to the ones with disabilities themselves.

Being blind yet creating visual arts is just one of the many achievements made possible thanks to the work of the disability charity Open Arts.

And now as part of its 25th anniversary celebrations this year, the charity is giving everyone a chance to see the great work being produced at its art classes with a unique exhibition throughout the month in the Black Box, Belfast.

Embroidery, watercolour and action painting are just some of the techniques which will be showcased in the Three in One exhibition, featuring artwork created by people attending three weekly visual arts groups run by Open Arts.

Eileen Branagh, chief executive of Open Arts,

Why Society Treats Women As Second-Class Citizens

Women are God’s gift to mankind. It may sound a bit like a feminist rant but that is the truth as mankind will perish without women. Most women often put their own personal dreams aside once they have a family because of family obligations and the responsibility of raising children. Unfortunately, as if women’s sacrifices aren’t enough, the society, in general, considers women as second-class citizens who have to prove their worth first before they are even given the chance to try.

A fine example is the right to vote. It took a long while before most women all over the world were recognized to be equals of men and were allowed to help shape the future of the nation by exercising their right to suffrage. But until now, there are still many instances where women don’t get the same treatment as men. Also, violence against women has never waned despite the many advances in technology. It just took off on different platforms like the web. For the most part, women existed for the pleasure of men and it is something that many feminists detest considering many women can even outsmart men in school or at work.

Yet we’re seeing a lot of warning signs that global progress on women’s rights is in real danger of being thrown into reverse. Whether that’s new legal loopholes allowing child marriage in Bangladesh, where ActionAid works, or President Trump reinstating the ‘Global Gag Rule’, restricting access to abortion for some of the most vulnerable women in the

The Pros Of Going To IT Conferences

The world is continually changing. Nothing was and is ever constant. Everyone and everything keeps on evolving as the years go by. These changes are even more evident when it comes to information technology. Everything is high-tech now. And one thing is for sure, whatever technology we now have will definitely get better as the years pass by.

The best place to learn about these tech advancements is attending IT conferences. You’d get the chance to see first-hand up and coming technologies and futuristic innovations that are not yet available to the public. Concepts and theories come to life during these conferences and you can have a new appreciation for technology once more. It’s really different seeing something for real than just hearing about it during discussions and academic arguments. Aside from that, you can also rub elbows with like-minded individuals who have a thirst for knowledge and want to know all about the latest advancements even before they are officially launched to the public.

For the first time in years, Apple Inc. will use its annual developer conference to tout not just its software, but hardware too.

When the Worldwide Developers Conference kicks off Monday in San Jose, California, the iPhone maker is likely to unveil iPads and Mac laptops along with new versions of the operating systems for those devices, according to people familiar with the plans. Cook may even lift the cover on a smart speaker based on the Siri virtual assistant.

It will be the first time Apple

Smoking Pot For Leisure Is Now Legal

 

Smoking pot is frowned upon in most societies for years now. It is considered illegal, which is why many people smoke it away from the prying eyes of the public than risk being caught, reprimanded, and persecuted. Generally called as pot, it actually is marijuana leaves or cannabis that is often smoked by people. Cannabis oil and flowers can also be used and its smoke or vapor is inhaled and is consequently absorbed into the bloodstream. You can also put it under your tongue or apply it on your skin aside from smoking and still enjoy the same high results.

Pot smokers smoke cannabis using bowls or bongs or in a cigarette form. Recent discoveries show that cannabis can help treat various medical conditions, which is why medical cannabis is gaining popularity in various US states and even countries abroad. However, it is not a perfect science and there are many contradictions to these findings that lead to confusion and conflicts. It’s the reason that up to now, legalizing marijuana use still raises the eyebrows of many and remains to be the subject of on-going debates.

Vermont’s Legislature become the first in the nation Wednesday to approve a recreational marijuana legalization bill.

Vermont’s bill, which would legalize small amounts of marijuana possession in 2018 and anticipate the possibility of a taxed and regulated legal marijuana market, was approved in the Vermont House of Representatives on Wednesday afternoon by a vote of 79-66. The state Senate already passed the bill, so it will go 

Making A Career Out Of Playing Video Games

Education is crucial to one’s success. However, other opportunities have also opened up for people who are gutsy enough to take risks and take the less traveled road. Parents used to reprimand their kids who got hooked on video games saying that they can’t make a career out of it. Who would’ve thought you can make a fortune just from playing video games now? It was probably unheard of back then but it is a reality for some really talented and skilled video game player now.

Professional video game players are such a hit now because of technological advancements that make the world go round today. And you are not just limited to becoming a DOTA player, for instance. You can also make money by developing new gaming technologies or sell it if you have the flair of a salesman. You have to be genuinely interested in the technology itself and know your way on the screen using a game console.

Attention Indiana Tech is looking for video game superstars who aren’t necessarily the Mountain Dew-drinking, Cheetos-eating, stay up with the lights off until 3 a.m. stereotype. But they’re welcome, too.

The university has made video gaming a varsity sport starting this fall and is actively recruiting players of two games, League of Legends and Hearthstone.

And, attention parents: Indiana Tech is offering scholarships to gamers with the right stuff.

The new collegiate sport, taking hold at a handful of other universities around the country, can be traced to a modest beginning at Indiana Tech 

Doing Retail On Amazon

Business is a risky endeavor. Sometimes you hit the jackpot, most of the time you don’t. And it is undoubtedly such a big market in America. Over 24 million people make money from retailing, so the competition is tough, to say the least. When you think of retailing, you often relate it to fashion and apparel when the truth is that almost all sorts of goods and services are provided by the retail industry. Examples of which are electronics, appliances, auto parts, food and even other aspects of skilled labor.

An entrepreneur can build a retailing empire in the world today because it is one of the fastest growing sectors in the market. As long as you can offer the consumers something they need or possibly want, you can make it big. Unfortunately, competition is tough as already stated above. Some risks pay off while others can lead to bankruptcy. Many physical stores are actually closing today because people rarely shop in malls these days. They prefer doing it online like almost everyone else does.

 Amazon recently posted its eighth straight quarter of growth. In fact, in the first quarter of 2017 its revenue grew by a jaw-dropping 23 percent, hitting net income of $724 million. Amazon Prime subscribership jumped to over 80 million members, representing a gravity-defying increase of 36 percent. And, while slowing marginally, Amazon Web Services, the company’s cloud computing cash cow, continued to post growth in the mid-40 percent range, giving Amazon plenty of cash to burn on furious innovation.

The Artistry Of Art Aloud

Most of us associate the arts to actual artworks and art pieces commonly seen in museums and parks. But what many are not aware of is that there are different forms of artistic expressions. The truth is that there is no limitation when it comes to the art. Artists are free to express their artistic talents and share them with the world. As the world becomes globally interconnected, we realize how diverse we all are in different aspects of life. An example of which is Art Aloud, an art to poetry collaboration.

While many of you probably haven’t heard of such a collab, it has been happening for ten years already in some states in the U.S. and even in other countries throughout the world. Artistic poetry is a great way to revive the interest and passion in poetry in a very artsy way.

The idea came into being thanks to Paul Dahlston and the Big Picture Discussion Group, a cadre of artists and thinkers who used to meet at the Business of Art Center (now the Manitou Art Center). Even after the group disbanded a few years ago, a few dedicated community members kept Art Aloud alive.

Cas Foste of Academy Art & Frame Company, who now organizes Art Aloud, says: “We get some really dynamic stuff, and we are totally all about collaborations, getting writers and artists to work together on pieces.”

Art Aloud began as a strict art-to-poetry collaboration, but over the years it has evolved to include all manner of

A Visual Appreciation Of The Arts

There is so much more to the arts than meets the eye. And for years, the arts have helped shaped the world in ways that you can’t imagine. Even until today, it has helped us understand the world that existed before us. We try our best to decipher what the images on ancient cave walls mean to give us a glimpse of the life led by our ancestors centuries ago. And these paintings might actually be the inspiration for visual artists to come up with their own various works of art today.

We see and appreciate beauty with our eyes. Whether it be an elegant painting, a striking sculpture, a unique photo, a moving video, or a breathtaking architecture, the visual arts is a rich expression of human talent at its finest. Dance, in my opinion, qualifies as well.

From a young age, we learn how to doodle even though we know so little about the spoken word itself. It only goes to show that this artistic talent is innate in us and a crucial aspect of human nature. After all, you don’t need to be brilliant to be able to appreciate the beauty of the visual arts.

Every two years, a curator comes to Venice with a mandate to rally the world’s greatest artists and unite them in a great enterprise on behalf of humanity. That may sound like a premise out of J.R.R. Tolkien, but it captures the heady, high-stakes spirit of the event, and the organizers rarely stint on ambition. In the

Samsung Galaxy S8 Software Features

For the past ten years, smartphones have dominated the market and our lives. While Apple introduced the technology to the world, Android users have Google to thank for it. And one of the most popular smartphone brands in the world today is brought to us by Samsung. Just recently, the tech giant introduced its newest line of to-die-for smartphone gadget, the Samsung S8 and Samsung S8+.

The company has made various changes to the phone’s design and features over the years. And it seems that Samsung favors the curved display design that is seen in some of the previous Samsung Edge phone models. This new phone line is far different from models previously released by the company and is probably the reason why the tech industry is buzzing with excitement for its arrival. So, what sets apart the S8 and S8+ from the rest? Let us all find out.

Being handsets this ambitious, the Galaxy S8 and S8+ each have a well-stocked bag of tricks. Notable tidbits like iris/fingerprint/face recognition security, Samsung DeX (the ability to use the handset like a computer by connecting it to a screen and periphery), and Bluetooth Dual audio for streaming sounds to two separate headsets are niceties that push the Galaxy S8 and S8+ a level above the competition!
There’s plenty more where that came from, so check out the complete list of key software features below. Are you hyped?

Always On display – View various information, such as a clock or calendar, even when the screen is off.

Quality Education: Is Cloud Computing The Answer?

Technology is a beautiful thing. It allows us to do things we can only dream of as kids. But now that technological advancement have gone through the roof, are we really prepared to have this much technology in our lives? We already deal with so much technology use in our day to day. From school to work, we are glued to our computers or laptops for hours on end trying to get things done. Kids spend their free time watching videos on Youtube or playing with various gaming apps they have downloaded. You won’t often see kids playing outside anymore.

Now, as news of quantum computing is making its round on the web, we also wonder will this technology ever reach the schools too. It may take years from now before this technology reaches the public but the experts are already using the cloud to improve the quality of education.

When you think about a traditional school workflow, it’s not unlike that of a business: paper is generated and moved in a systematic way between the children and the teacher. Just as cloud computing has transformed workflows in business to make them more collaborative and mobile, that same type of change has been coming to schools. Children and teachers use the power of the cloud to collaborate while accessing, storing, and sharing content.

As with business, this change is ongoing, uneven, and by no means complete. But if schools are at least partly about preparing children for the next generation of work, then the

Modern Living And Its Impact To Our Health

Much has changed over the decades and we owe most of it to technology. Cities are growing and life is becoming more complex. Gone were the days when technology did not make the world go round. Today, we can’t live without our smartphones and other gadgets. It allows us to stay connected to the world in real time. Most household chores can also be done in a snap because of innovative inventions like the dishwasher, washing machine, vacuum cleaner, and many others. There’s also no need to spend hours in the kitchen to whip up a delicious dish because you can just pop one in the microwave just like that.

Despite the benefits offered by technology, it has a major drawback – its negative impact on our health. We start leading a sedentary lifestyle as we continue to rely on technology to make life easy for us. We no longer have the time to stay in shape because we are too busy pretending to have a life online that we end up lacking sleep and neglecting our health and well-being in real life.

“We are the supremely arrogant species; we feel we can abandon four billion years of evolution and ignore the fact that we have evolved under a light-dark cycle,” says Oxford University’s Professor Russell Foster, who worked on the study. “What we do as a species, perhaps uniquely, is override the clock. And long-term acting against the clock can lead to serious health problems.” These problems include an increased risk of cancer,

It’s Not Yet Too Late To Save The Environment

The planet is hurting. It’s too obvious for everyone to see yet many of us turn a blind eye to these drastic environmental changes that are happening everywhere. Even other species on the planet are suffering and many have been completely wiped off from the face of the planet never to be seen again after becoming extinct. However, we are too obsessed with the latest trends and with social media that we rarely give the time of day for these more pressing environmental issues.

Environmental protection and conservation are a must because it is our responsibility as the most superior species on the planet (and the ones that also caused the most destruction). Earth is our only home. We haven’t fully explored yet the possibility of living in another planet nor even found one that is as hospitable as ours. Then, there’s climate change that makes life more challenging for many of us. The heat is trapped on the planet and it is affecting major weather systems and has sped up the melting of polar caps, for instance, which can decimate many island nations in a few year’s time.

Predictions for a planet affected by climate change can sound like they’re ripped from a doomsday novel: stronger hurricanes, intense heat waves, rising sea levels and the disappearance of ice in the Arctic.

And scientists have seen some of those changes already taking place, according to NASA.

Climate change — as well as other environmental issues like deforestation and wildlife extinction — have the potential

Do Teens Still Get Enough Sleep?

Life is what you make it. Sounds cliché but it can’t be any truer. You determine your own course in life. There may be stumbling blocks along the way but it is still up to you make the choices you want. Every little decision you make determines what your future will be like. For instance, you decide whether you maintain a normal sleep-wake cycle or not. Unfortunately, it is easier said than done these days. There are so many distractions that sticking to a fixed bedtime routine isn’t as easy as lying down on the bed and closing your eyes.

From teens to younger adults, the tech and smart gadget obsession can’t be denied. Your every waking moment is probably glued to that tiny device that means so much in your life. However, it’s not nice once this obsession affects your health negatively. For a young teen trying to juggle school requirements, personal and home obligations and social life, it can be overwhelming at times and they end up losing sleep every single night, some even have snoring issues.

Why do children wake up early when they are young but want to stay in bed till noon as teenagers?

Experts say it’s biology. Adolescents’ bodies want to stay up late and sleep late, putting them out of sync with what their school schedules demand of them. So kids have trouble waking up, and they often find themselves feeling drowsy in morning algebra class.

But that chronic sleepiness can affect their health and well-being, their

Children’s Health Suffers From A Poor Environment

It is no joke to live in a place continually exposed to dirt and pollution. Big and crowded cities first come to mind as well as most developing countries. You see all sorts of environmental pollution here. Air, noise, water, you name it. Not only adults suffer from health issues arising from constant exposure but young kids too.

These kids are not safe even inside their homes. Many kids get very sick while some even die from it. They have lost their chance in life at a young age and that is a sad reality for those living in impoverished cities and countries all over the world. The statistics did not escape the attention of the United Nations.

Unhealthy environments—both inside and outside the home—cause the deaths of more than 1.7 million child under the age of 5 every year, according to two new reports released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday.

Even in their own homes, many children in developing countries have neither clean air to breathe nor clean water to drink, the reports found.

“Almost half of the world’s population is still cooking or heating or lighting their households with very dirty fuels” such as coal or animal dung, Maria Neira, director of the WHO Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health told Inter Press Service (IPS).

Neira describes the smoke that children breathe in from these fuels as a “hidden and very pernicious” cause of ill health, leading to childhood illnesses, such as pneumonia and asthma, as

Bitcoin Hoarding: Do You Need It Against Ransomware Attacks?

The Internet is a delight to many. It can’t be denied with the number of smartphone and smart gadget users these days. We all enjoy 24/7 access to the World Wide Web because there are absolutely endless possibilities when using it. You can finally say goodbye to boredom at the very least or use it for work opportunities, not just simply to connect with family and friends. Unfortunately, dubious people have found another use for the web. No longer do they confine their evil ways to the dark web, cyber criminals also spread havoc to the majority of online users who often only have an anti-virus or firewall to protect them. Some don’t even have some sort of protection at all against these malicious online attacks.

One of the most popular malware these days is ransomware. What exactly is ransomware? Simply put, it is a type of digital extortion malware. This malware locks your computer or keyboard until you pay a ransom usually in the form of Bitcoins. Until then, you can’t access your PC and all the important files you have saved in it. With the use of a ransom cryptware, cyber criminals use a unique private key to encrypt your computer files aside from locking your device. While it initially targeted PCs and laptops, mobile phones are no longer safe from this new tech headache today.

In the age of cyber threats, companies are stockpiling digital currency in preparation of future “ransomware” attacks — which have grown exponentially over the past few

Conflict In Religion

Religion is supposed to promote more love and less hate. After all, they preach to do good and be a blessing to others. Unfortunately, many of the world’s conflict are often rooted in religion. How can we then expect salvation when the religion we swear by does the opposite?

Many people say that if a religion teaches you to hate other religions, then you need to look for a new religion. And it likely has merit. We have more pressing problems right now than to bicker and argue amongst ourselves because of differences in opinions and religious beliefs.

I take great exception to the article “A Scientist’s New Theory: Religion Was Key to Humans’ Social Evolution,” (March 5). The article quotes evolutionary psychology professor Robin Dunbar saying, “Somehow it’s clear that religions, all these doctrinal religions, create the sense that we’re one family.”

If that is so, we are an extremely dysfunctional family. Does religion do good? Yes, without a doubt. As the article stated, religion does help humans create social networks. But these networks, groups, countries, states, empires are not always there to do good. In the name of religion we had the Crusades, the Thirty Years War (although other factors helped that one along), the French Wars of Religion 1562-1598, the Bohemian Civil War 1465-1471, India and Pakistan, Northern Ireland, and Spain and Islam. Well, I hope you get the idea.

(Via: http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/letters/2017/03/12/Religion-has-been-key-in-human-dysfunction/stories/201703120146)

Unfair treatment to women is also a trait shared by many of the world’s religious orders.

It’s sometimes difficult,

The Allure Of Alcohol To Women: Short-Term Solution Or Long-Term Problem

There is nothing more relaxing than drinking a cold glass of beer while hanging out with family or friends. Sharing stories and adventures over a round of alcohol can free your mind from your worries and let you fully enjoy the moment.

Alcohol is a staple at every party or get-together, especially once night has fallen and the party is almost over. It is normal to hear the loud laughter of drinkers and witness them doing things they do not normally do when they are sober like loud singing, dancing, and non-stop teasing.

We think of drinking in two ways: Either you’re a normal drinker. Or you’re an alcoholic. Either you have a serious problem. Or you don’t. But drinking is way more nuanced and much more layered than that.

Maybe you drink a glass of wine every night to alleviate stress or numb the pain. Maybe you drink to temporarily forget your anxiety. Maybe you have a single drink before attending social events because it helps you feel more confident. It helps you to loosen up. Maybe drinking helps to brighten the dark edges of your life. For a few moments. Maybe you’re worried that you look forward to drinking. Too much. Maybe you spend most Sunday mornings worrying about what you said or did the night before.

(Via: https://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2016/10/28/are-you-using-alcohol-as-a-crutch/)

Men and alcohol are a given. However, women are also becoming heavy drinkers themselves today. It is not uncommon to see women drinking alongside men – and not just drinking ladies drinks or …

The Legalization Of Medical Marijuana Enjoys Public Approval

If marijuana is as bad as what its detractors say it is, why is it that its legalization is quickly gaining traction among the public and 28 U.S. states already gave it the go signal? They must know something that has not yet been disclosed to all of us about the health benefits this controversial weed offers, right?

We are talking about the medical use of marijuana here and not for recreation purposes. There are medical experts who support its use in treating patients where conventional medicines and treatment have failed.

Americans are increasingly in favor of legalizing some form of marijuana — especially medical — and a majority across the board think the federal government should leave legal states alone.

A new Quinnipiac poll released Thursday found 71 percent of Americans would oppose a federal crackdown on legal marijuana, and 93 percent are in favor of medical marijuana, according to the survey of 1,323 voters nationwide.

There is a public clamor to have medical cannabis use legalized and it is impossible to ignore their growing numbers.

Public support for marijuana legalization has grown since the November election, in which a historic number of states approved medical or recreational legalization measures. A June 2016 Quinnipiac poll showed that 54 percent of adults surveyed favored the legalization of marijuana use in the United States and 89 percent supported allowing adults to legally use medical marijuana if their doctor prescribes it.

(Via: http://www.thecannabist.co/2017/02/23/quinnipiac-poll-2017-marijuana-legalization-federal-crackdown/74227/)

The public in general, especially the ones with really sick family member or …

How Drugs Affect Mental Health

A normal and healthy person have various coping mechanisms to stay sane in this increasingly complex urban jungle we call home. Unfortunately, not everyone can keep up with all the stresses that they seek refuge somewhere else. It does not necessarily mean you go somewhere far to get away from all your worries. People often resort to drug use to help them detach from their surrounding and experience an internal high only substance abuse can offer them.

If you do drugs, are you still a sensible individual who is capable of making rational decisions? The answer is likely a BIG no. How can you say you are still a normal walking and breathing person when your system is high on drugs that cloud your judgment. It may be that a person first got hooked on drugs before the deterioration of their state of health or they are already experiencing a major identity crisis and anxiety disorders that they find relief when they do drugs.

At least 50 per cent of regular drug abusers can develop problems of anti-social personality, suicide ideation and depression, said Susan Solomon, Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences.

While drugs of abuse such as alcohol, amphetamines, caffeine, cannabis, cocaine, hallucinogens or nicotine can lead to health hazards and exact heavy personal, economic and social costs, the long-term consequences of abuse included psychotic disorder, mood swings, anxiety, sleep disorder and sexual dysfunction, she said.

(Via: http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/puducherry/drug-abuse-harmful-to-mental-health-too/article17388961.ece)

Drug dependence continues to be a menace to society and leaves behind …

The Youth: The Hope And The Future Of The Nation

The youth will be the future leaders of our country and as such needs a good and strong foundation to be good leaders and citizens someday. However, there is too much violence in our surroundings right now that we may want to question whether our youth are seeing good role models to emulate in the future. Conflicts in and out of the country are reported on the news day in and day out – without fail. Divorce is common, leaving behind young kids without both parents to guide and mold them as they grow up.

Also, overexposure to unsupervised hours spent surfing the Internet can lead the youth to believe that certain acts are acceptable when in reality they are not. They can access sites that they are not supposed to visit exposing them to pornography. Hence, teenage pregnancy is no longer surprising. Drugs and alcohol abuse is also a constant threat and many youths are already hooked into it. Does the future still look bright when the majority of our youth are riddled with all these problems on a daily basis?

A Teen Summit exploring violence-related issues and other youth topics will be held April 1 at noon at the Booker T. Washington Center, 1720 Holland St.

The event, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by Mothers Against Teen Violence, an Erie-based anti-violence group founded in 2010 by community activist Sonya Arrington, in partnership with the Youth Leadership Institute of Erie.

“This is a platform for our youth to

Trump’s New Business Venture: Can He Make America Great Again?

Today is a new era in American politics – the Trump Era. Along with this new presidency are many new policies that are set to shape the future of this country. It will not only affect the common people, and discriminated against minorities, but major business establishments too. After all, President Trump is a renowned businessman himself with multi-million business ventures both in and out of the country.

What can businesses expect from his leadership? Will it propel the economic progress the country has gradually achieved over the years or be the cause of yet another difficult recession because of his outrageous fiscal policies that can affect the many U.S. external relations?

When it comes to President Donald Trump’s constellation of foreign investments, properties, and companies, much of the attention so far has been on his business’s apparent violation of the Constitution’s Emoluments Clause, which bars officeholders from taking gifts from foreign leaders. According to numerous ethics experts, the clause takes an expansive definition of gifts, encompassing everything from a direct bribe to a foreign official’s approval of construction of a new Trump property. But some of the Trump Organization’s properties raise additional red flags due to the specific partners involved. That’s true in Indonesia, for example, where Trump’s affiliates have been involved in bribery scandals and radical Islamic nationalist parties, and Brazil, where the company pulled out of a branding agreement amid a criminal investigation of a local business partner.

Controversies are surrounding his administration right from the very start.

This,

Is Cannabis Treatment Safe For Pets?

Pet lovers consider their pets as part of the family and treat them as such. They look after their needs and shower them with love and affection. In a sense, pets are like babies that are the apple of their eyes. Imagine going home to a puppy that is wagging its tail by your doorstep, excited for your return.

But of course, you are free to choose whatever animal you want as a pet as long as you are capable of caring for it and giving it the love and attention it needs – be it a dog, cat, hamster, fish or birds – it is up to you, and not just abandon them or leave animals in shelters when caring for them is no longer convenient for you.

Take responsibility for our pets. No excuses allowed.

Most do. Most are conscientious when it comes to looking after the well-being of their dogs and cats. Most treat them like the family members they are, feed them, bathe them, let them sleep in the house — even on the furniture. Key is, they keep them, to the end. If they can’t, they do their best to find a home for them before giving their dog to KHS.

(Via: http://thegardenisland.com/lifestyles/opinion/responsibility-a-must-for-pet-owners/article_39d2bcf9-248c-58b6-8344-f14fe0ed6306.html)

Like humans, pets get sick too. Both young and old, pet animals can succumb to sickness and suffer in silence. They are not humans who can speak and say exactly what they feel or say where it hurts the most. They can only whimper in pain …

Is Charity Still Practiced Today?

Poverty is not only a third world problem. There are plenty of homeless people even in a progressive country like America. But being poor does not necessarily mean you have to live on the streets.

Entrepreneurs feed on consumerism. Many consumer goods and services are sold and marketed as essential needs when in reality they aren’t. For example, do you need to change your phone every time major telecom companies release a new model?

With the growing need to acquire stuff, people feel that what they have is not enough. Hence, they forgot to share to others who are desperately in need when they themselves feel that they are lacking. It is why the religious sector is stepping in and gives back to the people what the government can’t always provide.

Religious groups are reclaiming their role from the welfare state, says Anne Danks of the Trussell Trust. It does not always make for an easy relationship with government. Their existence highlights the fact that the welfare state is not plugging the holes, she says. “Sometimes we need to speak hard truths to people in power in order to help the marginalised.”

American contemporaries should learn from the Brits and look after their own poor.

One in four British charities—nearly 50,000 in all—is faith-based, says Rachel Wharton of New Philanthropy Capital, a think-tank. Half of all charities working in overseas aid have religious roots. Such groups receive nearly a quarter of the total income of registered charities in England and Wales—about £16bn ($20bn) a

Women And Their Passion For The Arts

Men have conquered the arts since the beginning of recorded history. Most notable artists are males like Rembrandt, Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso and Leonardo Da Vinci – who all made a name in the field of culture and the arts and forever etched in history books. But how about women artists? I am sure there are plenty of women who made huge artistic contributions but only a handful probably know about them.

As we celebrate International Women’s Month, let us pay tribute to the contribution of women to the arts and how they continue to break out of the norms and share their talent and passion to the world.

Back in the day, it was very unusual for women to become professional artists, they were well known as domestic workers and child bears.

 Things have changed women are taking over the male dominated industry by storm and are doing beautiful work.  We’ve seen Aleta’s work through Yebo Contemporary Art Gallery, Velemseni; the only left-handed female guitarist we have in the country, Bongie’s motion pictures and film, just to name a few.

Discrimination persists and may be one of the greatest obstacles women artists face in their professional career.

Women artists have always been – and unfortunately continue to be – underrepresented in the art world.”

“This imbalance is in no way unique to the arts – it’s evident in all other major international exhibition of contemporary art has achieved gender parity and the highest-level jobs sectors of society where women earn less and

Community Groups And Their Impact To The World At Large

Community groups have a big influence in their community in bringing about a positive change that benefits everybody. Unlike government organizations, they operate independently and support causes that hit home. Often made up of like-minded individuals, community groups offer social support to citizens through various activities, charity work, and in voicing out people’s concerns to make sure it is heard.

Wherever you may be, there are community groups in place that you can tap for support. In California, for instance, community groups met with officials of the State Board of Education to discuss their sentiments regarding the school accountability system.

Parent Revolution, Center for American Progress, and Teach Plus California issued the 18-page report with the support of Educators 4 Excellence, National Council of Negro Women, Students Matter, Students for Education Reform and others. The report offers a variety of suggestions on how to simplify the state’s idea of a color-coded and more nuanced ranking of schools called the California School Dashboard.

(Via: http://laschoolreport.com/community-groups-offer-ways-to-simplify-state-accountability-system/)

Meanwhile, some community groups have a global impact and operate in many countries worldwide. They are a collective body of concerned individuals and professionals that looks after the rights of a child, including the right to an education while working hand in hand with their respective families.

You can likewise visit this page for an example of an active community group that cultivates a community that is evolving and nurtures economic, environmental, and social responsibility among its people.

Community groups are taking the initiative to help citizens in a major …

Why Do Young Boys Are Increasingly Becoming More Suicidal?

Men may be the stronger sex (physically) but that does not mean they do not get hurt too. At a young age, boys are trained to act tough and refrain from crying even when they are hurt. Boys learn to keep their feelings to themselves in fear of being bullied for not being man enough. This culture makes it harder for boys to grow up and have a healthy emotional state.

Regardless of how far we’ve come when it comes to technology, nothing much has changed on how we view male masculinity. Boys fail to develop a positive sense of self when they can no longer escape the scrutiny of other people through various social media platforms they frequent. Cyberbullying is common and it can cause severe anxiety on vulnerable victims., boys increasingly become suicidal because they never learned how to speak up and express their feeling without the fear of being judged for who they are. And the sad fact about this is that it affects boys all over the world – without exception. And boys bottling up their feelings will not do them any good once they reach adulthood.

Hence, boys increasingly become suicidal because they never learned how to speak up and express their feeling without the fear of being judged for who they are. And the sad fact about this is that it affects boys all over the world – without exception. And boys bottling up their feelings will not do them any good once they reach adulthood – if they …

The Circus That Is Politics

Politics never fail to keep us amused. The crazy antics of politicians is both entertaining and irritating to watch depending on which party you support. They say things you would not dare utter because you know that anything posted on the Internet stays forever. However, most politicians appear to forget this and often make a spectacle of themselves in the pursuit of their self-interests.

The United States became more divisive than ever with the unprecedented win of President Trump. Conservative Americans are thrilled with his win but it has become a nightmare for the rest. After all, America is a nation of migrants and many of its big cities are melting pots of different nationalities.

It’s a weird time to be a scientist, with the funding cutspolitical snubs, and colleagues going rogue. But when your scientific province actually is politics? The discombobulation goes up by an order of magnitude.

It’s a tricky balancing act. Having an entire field of researchers with their noses buried in arcane journals read only by their peers is a missed opportunity. But if those researchers dumb down their work, and tailor (or even skew) it to better suit what’s trending, or what CNN or Fox News will cover, that’s bad science. Then again, no science is even worse. No matter how political scientists are feeling about political science, they all agree on that.

(Via: https://www.wired.com/2017/03/topsy-turvy-world-political-science-trumps-america/)

It is safe to say many are not happy about the current political situation and are just as confused as …

Is Medical Marijuana The Answer?

Marijuana has been the subject of many heated arguments for decades now. People are torn as to whether marijuana should be used to help treat sick people or whether legalizing it can trigger many addictions.

However, medical experts and equipment and pipe providers advocate its use in the field of medicine when most traditional prescription drugs have failed to cure or offer relief to suffering patients. Their fight has been fought hard and long, and now, these medical experts and doctors are meeting with senators for a dialogue regarding the legalization of medical marijuana.

Leaders of the group Compassionate South Carolina are organizing the group’s testimony in favor of passing bill S. 212, the Compassionate Care Act, sponsored by Sen. Tom Davis (R-Beaufort). The bill would allow certain patients with debilitating conditions to access cannabis for medical use if a doctor recommends it.

The group cites how effective medical cannabis is as a drug alternative especially when taken under medical guidance. It has been found to be of extreme help in the pain management of terminally ill patients or those who have undergone surgery.

“There is a large and rapidly growing body of evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of medical cannabis,” Dr. Sue Sisley, who traveled to Columbia to provide expert testimony at Wednesday’s hearing, said.

“It is often a much safer option than traditional prescription medications, especially when it comes to treating chronic pain. Patients who could benefit from medical cannabis should be able to access it safely and legally with the guidance of

Economics During Trump Era

Whether you like it or not, Donald Trump is the new U.S. president. It is hard to predict how the American economy will flourish under his leadership. As early as now, though, economists think that Trump’s take on immigration, budget, and trade do not make sense.

Soon dubbed as “Trumponomics”, the public was excited about his economic plans. But economists are worried and anxious since the changes he has in mind has a big impact on the country’s economy. CNBC shared this story.

American business economists think that President Donald Trump’s effort to restrict immigration is a bad idea.

And they think the current health insurance system should be replaced by one that gives consumers more choice and control, with tax credits to support the cost of insurance.

Those are the findings of a survey of some 285 economists released Monday by the National Association for Business Economics.

The group also thinks Trump’s proposal to scrap the North American Free Trade Agreement is a step in the wrong direction.

Roughly 7 in 10 of those surveyed said the U.S. should set up import barriers only “occasionally and tactically, when vital industries are threatened by unfair trade practices.” Another 27 percent said there should “never” be barriers to entry of imports to the U.S.

(Via: http://www.cnbc.com/2017/03/06/economists-think-trump-is-wrong-on-budget-trade-obamacare-and-immigration.html)

The economy is in a better shape now than it did eight years ago when former President Obama assumed office but Trump has even bolder plans to make America great again. He may have high hopes in repealing Obamacare …

Obamacare No More: Say Hello To The New Health Care Act

Cliché as it may seem, health is wealth. However, it probably works the other way around now. You need to be wealthy to be healthy. It’s a sad reality for millions of Americans right now. It is every person’s right to have good health along with some other basic rights like the right to life, food, and shelter. Unfortunately, you may fall ill at times and compromise the state of your health.

Obamacare, or the Affordable Care Act, has been in effect for the past two terms of former President Barack Obama. The unexpected win of President Donald Trump spawned the creation of the long-awaited House Republican bill that is set to change the American economy. No longer will healthcare cover more Americans but it will also benefit more of the rich than those from the poorer classes.

With Republicans now controlling the White House and both chambers of Congress, the bill would drive government policy down routes long advocated by conservatives. The course correction would take at least two years to get rolling, and probably longer to show definitive results. If it falls short, it would give rise to a fresh set of health care grievances.

The Republican legislation would limit future federal funding for Medicaid, which covers low-income people, about 1 in 5 Americans. And it would loosen rules that former President Barack Obama’s law imposed for health plans directly purchased by individuals, while also scaling back insurance subsidies.

(Via: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/gop-bill-settle-passionate-health-care-debate-45955892)

Despite Republican claims of bringing in a new and better health …

Damaged Hard Drive? No Problem!

With many of today’s population now owning a gadget or two, many files have also gone digital. You no longer need to hoard piles upon piles of documents nor spend money on getting documents typed and printed for you. You can save files in different formats and save them directly on your computer, or in the cloud, so you can access it using whatever device you have, or even in a handy flash drive you can always bring with you.

Sometimes, life doesn’t turn out as you want it to be. You may accidentally open an online scam that infects your computer with a virus (this site has a lot of information on that stuff).

What would you do if your good old hard drive decides to take the day off and leave you high and dry of important documents you need for school or for work? You’d probably go into panic mode, right? Well it is expected considering it’s not like you just accidentally deleted a file that you can still access through the recycle bin.

If your hard drive is damaged, we guess you’ll put the security of data, especially important data, in the first place. But as an ordinary user who has no experience in data recovery, how to recover data from damaged hard drive becomes the biggest obstacle you need to overcome. Frustration soon kicks in if you lose valuable photos, documents or other types of files that you can’t recreate the same one.

(Via: https://www.whatech.com/business-software/press-release/263113-recover-data-from-damaged-hard-drive-fast-you-can-do-it)

You can breathe …

Watch Out For These Travel Trends And Go Places

The idea of exploring the globe has never been as tempting and as realistic as it is now. You see photos of other people traveling to different parts of the globe on social platforms like Facebook and Instagram and your heart melts at the beauty of the places.

You do not have to spend thousands to have the vacation of your dreams. In fact, some tourists go backpacking. It is an option that does not suit the taste of many but works for others. Some can even work for their food and accommodation and only spend for their plane ticket.

Air travel is also not as expensive as it used to be. There are different airline promos you can look to if you plan your trip months ahead. Racking up points can also earn you airline mileage that you can use to pay for a flight once you have accumulated sufficient points.

Hostels and Airbnb will help you find the perfect place to stay without ripping off of your hard earned money. Be creative with your travel and you can definitely go the distance at a fraction of the price.

Meanwhile, hostels and Airbnb will help you find the perfect place to stay without ripping you off of your hard earned money. Be creative with your travel and you can definitely go the distance at a fraction of the price.

We all aim for a customized travel experience and you can rarely get it if you go the usual route travelers in the past did.…

Innovation in Education: Is Privatization the Answer?

A good education can spell the difference between a life full of opportunities and one that is devoid of it. Educated people have the edge in a market that has grown global and competitive. From learning your ABC’s and 123’s to comprehending the most complex concepts in your chosen field, it is the role of the educational system to educate its youth in the ways of the world. Today, people educate themselves through the Internet and not from regular classes. Social media took the world by storm and authority sites mushroomed everywhere. Far from the norm, anyone can create their own blogs and take the place of traditional journalists in disseminating information to the public.

Road sign to education and future

Education is no longer limited to what is taught in textbooks nor does it end once you step out of the four corners of the classroom with the numerous advancements in technology.

Today’s kids are more open to embracing all the changes around them but are they educated enough to remain competitive after graduation? Has our educational system learned to innovate and kept up with all the changes?

Despite his strong stance on international trade and immigration reforms, it seems as if President Trump has no clear plan yet when it comes to education along with an even more controversial Secretary of Education appointment whose plans involve privatizing the sector.

How will the present administration address issues surrounding schools and the educational system that is currently taking place and the job mismatch after when the statistics show this idea is …

Road Rage: An Ugly Truth

rrauI remember the exact moment I fell victim to road rage. It happened four years ago on, of all days, Christmas morning. I was driving on a freeway in Austin, TX. My two children, then 8 and 4, were in the backseat.

My driving record at that point was excellent. I had not had an accident since high school. My last speeding ticket was a dim memory. But that day, I was dangerously preoccupied. My mother had died of breast cancer just three months before. This was my first Christmas without her, and my grief was fresh. The kids and I were traveling to my aunt’s house in Houston. I remember hoping my aunt could give my children what I did not have the strength to: a merry Christmas.

Suddenly, a man driving a minivan cut in front of me and shot down the highway in a blue blur of speed. Before he was out of sight, I saw that his rear car,o area was filled with Christmas packages and that he was chatting happily with his wife. “How dare you do that to me!” I said to myself, before stomping the accelerator all the way to the floor.

“Mommy,” I heard Tyler, my 4-year-old. say from the backseat, “what are you doing””

I did not know. Emotion, not reason, was driving my car. All I knew was that I did not want the man in the blue van to get away with that random act of rudeness. I may not have been able to …

Reading The Fine Print In Food Can Help You Stay Healthy

fchushWhen it comes to making choices in the supermarket, most of us try to look for food that is good for our health. And food companies all tell us their products are just what we’re looking for.

Pork has become “the other white meat,” lean and low in cholesterol like chicken. Bran for breakfast may help us reduce the risk for some forms of cancer. Old-fashioned oatmeal helps protect us against heart disease. And TV commercials are full of trim, healthy people who use yogurt, prunes, grapefruit juice, and diet soft drinks.

Not to mention all the food packages that rpoclaim their contents are “Fresh!” “Natural!” “Lite!” “Low-fat!” “High Fiber!” “Sugarless!” “Cholesterol-free!”

Health claims for food are everywhere now, and they’ve stirred up a hot debate among nutrition experts.

The promotion for some products comes across as a mini-lesson in nutrition education. On one major brand of bran cereal, for example, the entire back of the package is filled with advice on a good total diet. It includes information about hig-fiber foods (like bran cereals, of course), from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), offers an NCI hotline number, and provides an address for an NCI booklet with more health tips. TV and print ads have the same emphasis on health.

Product Info: Useful or

Misleading?

Some nutrition experts believe health messages of this kind, if they are truthful and accurate, can carry useful information to many more consumers.

Other experts believe these health claims are a bad idea. Some manufacturers may make …

Usefulness Of The Mouthguard For Snoring

mgfsThere are research facilities that offer to test devices that can be simply called mouthguards for snoring. These facilities deal with sleep disorders and sleep patterns. When they are able to observe the fact that it is interrupted breaths that cause a person to snore, it is easier to design the mouthguard for snoring. Naturally, it is a matter of trial and error and many devices may have been rejected at the laboratory itself.

However, there are some that do come out of the labs to the manufacturing end, thereby creating a mouthguard for snoring. It has been found that these pieces are quite successful and have become very popular. Therefore, it is not too difficult to search through the internet and find a suitable mouth guard. They are available on the internet too and easy enough to buy it online. You might even find a good one on sale during the seasonal holidays. One of the best ways to attract customers is offering a discount or offering the device on sale as people would always want to take advantage of that. Naturally, there is no one that would not be happy to save some money however great the need for a certain device.

Where Can You Find Answer To Does Snorerx Work?

It is often that you find going online is only marginally helpful. This could happen if you asked a question such as does the Snorerx work? That is because it is a subjective answer that you will find. People that claim …

How A Piece of Plastic Can Help The Whole Household Sleep

Lots of people snore; that’s a fact that can’t be ignored. There are a lot of reasons why people snore and there are a lot of products that claim they can help you stop snoring. If you, or someone you love, suffer from the invasive issue of snoring, you want to read this article.

This isn’t just a review on one specific snoring mouthpiece, this is a review on snoring mouthpieces as a whole. We don’t like to play favourites so we want to share the idea that using a snoring mouthpiece can really help you get that desired 8 hours of sleep you’ve been longing for. This snoring remedies site attests to that!

Now, either you snore and you are constantly being awoken by yourself or your partner jabbing you in the ribs with an elbow, or your partner or family member snores and your supply of earplugs is running out. Of the options that are out there that say they can help with the snoring habit, we want you to consider using a snoring mouthpiece.

But why would I want to shove a hunk of plastic in my mouth when I sleep? What help will that be?

Ah yes, we have heard these questions before. Sure, using a snoring mouthpiece doesn’t sound as fun or as easy as say, using a nasal strip that is supposed to hold your nostrils open. It can be easy though and it can be unobtrusive as well. Many people shy away from the idea of snoring mouthpieces …

Hard Drive Recovery Can Be A Lifesaver!

The day arrives, you’ve overcome your writers block and have sat down to complete your life’s work. As you begin to ponder the champagne toast you are going to have as you complete the very last page of your novel, suddenly your computer begins making a clicking noise. And like the ending of a bad movie, your computer’s screen goes dark. It’s lights out, and your life’s work vanishes in front of your eyes.

As humorous as this may sound, it is a reality. In our global society, over 90{de482eb4182815e4397bda7e9c10d3fd88d8e09da808395d54f8dd885ae330e2} of our lives are stored on our computers. From priceless pictures to novels and everything in between. According to the Strategic Research Institute, 50{de482eb4182815e4397bda7e9c10d3fd88d8e09da808395d54f8dd885ae330e2} of companies with a data outage lasting longer than 10 days will fail. As a result, a good hard drive recovery service should not only be something you’re familiar with, but one that is just as important as having good virus and spyware protection.

Data loss can strike at any moment, and this can cause havoc in your life. Like myself, a freelance writer, I have deadlines I have to meet. If I lose my data, I cannot provide adequate service to my customers. Regardless, whether you use your hard drive for work or pleasure, you need to find a capable provider that can fix your broken hard drive in the event it crashes.

Common causes of data loss can include, hard drive crashes, operating system failures, malicious software attacks, power surges and electrical events, fire, smoke or water damage, …

Potatoes: A Wondrous Vegetable

potatoesHere are some fascination things you may not know about potatoes: * They gave a name to the long-ago “Potato War” in Europe, when Austrian and Prussian armies ate all the potatoes along the battle lines-and then stopped fighting. * They gave us two president of the United States. In the 1840s, when blight destroyed the potato crop and brought famine to Ireland, more than a million Irish came to this country. Among their descendants: John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan. * They can help you wrap a present. Cut a potato in half, carve out a design (remember how you did it in kindergarten?), and stamp out your pattern with paint on plain wrapping paper.

That’s just a little of the lore that surrounds this humble yet versatile vegetable. But potatoes are also one of the world’s most important food crops. Potatoes were first grown by Indians in the high sierras of the Andes in South America. they were carried to Europe by the Spanish explorers, and their use spread from there. Today, just one year’s potato harvest is worth more than all the gold and silver the Spanish took from the New World.

The Dieter’s Friend

A lot of people used to believe that potatoes were fattening. Now we’re discovering that just isn’t true. Most of the calories aren’t in the potatoes, but in what’s added to them – butter, sour cream, gravy, rich sauces, fat that’s absorbed in frying, mayonnaise coating the potato salad. Potatoes by themselves are a real …

Should You Consider The Good Morning Snore Solution?

You might already be in search for an effective snoring solution that can finally provide you relief from your snoring problem. One of the tongue retainers you can consider is Good Morning Snore Solution because this is not just a simple oral appliance. It is capable of putting a stop to your snoring problem so you will no longer be plagued by the discomfort is provides. Your tongue is held forward by the device’s bulb. It is prevented from moving back so you will no longer have to worry about snoring. No preparation is needed as well because it is designed to fit all mouth sizes. One of the benefits you can reap from the product is the comfort it provides. Unlike jaw retainers, you will no longer have to worry about facial or jaw pain.

Instead of using bulk oral appliances, you can opt for Good Morning Snore Solution because it fits perfectly. Although it is made of durable materials, experts suggest replacing it every 12 months. You can also read Good Morning Snore Solution reviews for you to find out more about the product. It is indeed out of the ordinary because it is based on scientific studies approved by the FDA. You should give this product a try as you will not be wasting your money.

Get Help With Your Buying Decision
Snoring is not a problem that should remain unsolved for the rest of your life because there are already some devices you can use to control it. Aside from consulting …

Secrets To Successful Test Taking

ststkThe big history exam is coming up…to say nothing of quizzes in English, math, and science. With all that studying to do, who needs to use valuable time learning how to take tests?

You do. It’s true that you, like many students, have been taking tests ever since you started at a good school. Yet, despite all this experience, many students may not be all that test-wise. They may not realize that test-taking is a learned skill, not one you are born with.

Test-taking is also a skill that will be necessary long after you receive your high school diploma. If you go on to college, you will be essayed, multiple-choiced, and final-exammed for years to come. Those of you choosing a non-college career path will still end up taking tests. Armed service recruits take placement exams. Tradespeople must pass exams for licensing. On-the-job promotions often come as a result of work-related tests.

Confidence Helps

One thing that will help your performance in any of these tests is confidence. Karl Kirkland and James Hollandsworth, psychologists at the University of Southern Mississippi, taught students several different ways of preparing for tests to see which was the most effective. They found that students who combined test-taking strategies with self-reassurance performed best on exams. These students gained calm and confidence by coaching themselves with thoughts like “I have plenty of time – read the questions carefully” or when they become distracted, they think, “I will think about that later, now, back to the test.”

Of course, …

Saving Someone From Choking

ssfcWhen Jim first noticed the man sitting at the next table in the fast-food restaurant, he thought the man was having a heart attack. His hand was on his chest, and he looked scared. As the man’s lips darkened in color, Jim knew he should do someting. Jim got up, walked over to the man, and asked, “Are you choking?”

As he looked back on the incident, Jim was amazed. “I was thinking it was a heart attack, but the word ‘choking’ came out, because in my health class last year, that was what I was taught to ask.”

To Jim’s surprise, the man nodded, and Jim went into action. He called out “Help!” loudly, then turned to the man and said, “I can help you.” As he stepped behind the man, Jim turned to the manager of the restaurant, who had appeared at his side, and said, “He’s choking. Call an ambulance.”

Once behind the victim, Jim wrapped his arms around him and made a fist with one hand. He placed it in the middle of the man’s abdomen, below his breastbone but above his navel. He remembered to place the thumb side of his fist against the man and then covered it with his other hand. Keeping his elbows out, he pressed his fist into the man’s abdomen with a quick upward thrust.

It took three thrusts before he heard the food coughed from the man’s throat and onto the floor. Jim heard the ambulance siren as he helped the man sit down. …

Rheumatic Fever – Still A Threat, Believe It Or Not

A funny thing happened on the way to adding rheumatic fever to the list of disappearing diseases – not funny as in “ha-ha,” but funny as in strange and troubling.

rmfThe hospital wards once set up to care for children with this dangerous disease (it can cripple the heart) had closed. To most young people, the image of the sad-eyed rheumatic fever victim watching from a window while friends romped and played outside was just a scene from some old melodrama, an artistic idea from the past. A dramatic 90 percent drop in the annual rate of new cases since the 1960s seemed to show rheumatic fever was going out with bell bottoms and love beads. Then–like Jason and Freddie and those other indestructible horror movie villains–it was back.

Unwelcome and unexplainable outbreaks of rheumatic fever in places as far apart as Salt Lake City, Pittsburgh, and Boston began in the mid-1980s and caused medical experts to take a new look at an old disease. This disease, that usually strikes first among young people between the ages of 5 and 15, can lead to a lifetime with a damaged heart.

In the Begiining — Bacteria

If rheumatic fever is an unfamiliar term to you, how about group A hemolytic streptoccocci? You probably know that better as the bacteria that cause strep throat — and in the beginning, there is strep throat. Though rheumatic fever is not contagious (you cannot “catch” the disease), its potential parents, the strep germs, are. Because these bacteria are easily …

The Drug War And Drugs. What Do You Know About It?

dwadsThe lure of drugs is strong. For dealers, money motivates. For users, the desire for pleasure or escape usually prompts the entry into drugs. The quest to repeat the experience drives addiction.

Unwittingly, each user fuels an international drug economy that is built on violence, greed, and a callous disregard for human life.

The drug business is an ugly one, full of exploitation, wrecked health, and wasted lives. It also is a big business, the biggest in the world, with an annual volume exceeding $300 billion (some estimates go as high as $500 billion). But it is a big business that law enforcement agencies, national governments, and many small but powerful local initiatives are working to destroy. What are the chances of their doing this in the ’90s?

There are more than 40 million illegal drug users throughout the world — more than half of them in the United States alone. In fact, the United States is the single biggest market for the illegal drug trade.

Once thought of as merely a health or a social problem for drug users and their families, drug abuse in the United States during the last five to 10 years has created a set of problems so destructive and far-reaching that solving them has become one of our country’s top priorities. Why? Consider:

* Chief Justice William Rehnquist of the U.S. Supreme Court reports tfhat the number of drug-related cases in the federal courts has risen 85 percent in the last four years.

* The U.S. Department of Justice …