At-home beauty treatments offer lower costs lower risks

There has been an increase recently in Americans' obsessions to look and feel better. Reality makeover programs such as "Extreme Makeover" use cosmetic surgery to erase signs of aging or to change the size and shape of specific body parts. However, for some people, invasive procedures are not an option.

Many are afraid to undergo surgery because of the risks or the expense that is often associated with these cosmetic procedures. Fortunately, there are now products that can be used in the privacy of your own home for a fraction of the cost, are more convenient and offer great results.

For years, those searching to get rid of fine lines and get that healthy glow went to a physician for microdermabrasion, a treatment where dead skin cells are removed with tiny silicon or aluminum-oxide crystals blown against the skin using a hand-held device and then sucked up with a small vacuum. Costing about $1,200 a visit, the procedure was not easy on the wallet. But there's a new generation of at-home alternatives that allows you to get similar results within weeks. Creams and serums that contain Retinol (pure vitamin A) exfoliate the skin, giving a more youthful appearance. Those who want to go a step further can now buy their own high-tech beauty treatment system, a microdermabrasion machine, at a cost of $79.95 ( sharperimage. com).

Some women are unhappy with the size or shape of their bust. They might have always wished they were a cup size larger so that their clothes fit them better, or they may have noticed changes in their shape after childbirth. Regardless of the reason, many of these women are afraid or unwilling to undergo the pain associated with implants. Others are simply not willing to fork over the average $5,000 cost for surgery. Now there is another option available, a system that is clinically proven to grow a woman's own natural breasts about a cup size without surgery, pills or creams.

These are just a few of the do-it-yourself at home beauty treatments that are easier on your wallet, provide you with more control of your looks and can be done on your own time. To find out more about these treatments, log on to their Web sites or try the procedures yourself for the ultimate proof. - NU

Psychology of the hero soul

“There is the known, and there is the unknown, and in between is the doors.” – Jim Morrison

“Break on through to the other side...Where the day destroys the night and night divides the day...Break on through to the other side.” These were the famous haunting words sung by the American poet, rock artist, Jim Morrison of The Doors. With these words, he electrified an entire generation. And with these words, he began his own destruction. Morrison was talking about the great hero quest that he longed to take: to break on through to the other side, the dark side, the spiritual side, the unknown, and beyond. To penetrate the deepest darkness of his soul, enter on to the other side of pure light, and return with a vision to heal himself and his people. But Jim Morrison never returned from the dark side.

Jim was not prepared to enter into the dark side. He did not understand the psychology of the hero soul, and did not have the capacity to deal with the horror of his inner demons. Instead of slaying the dragon, his ego, he fed his ego with more fire and hatred. He set out to kiss the serpent, to ride the snake to the end of time and beginning of eternity, but he was swallowed by it. He was consumed by his own darkness.

The same thing happened with Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. They got stuck in the dark side. By using artificial means, massive quantities of drugs and alcohol, they were able to shut the spinning wheels of their mind and receive a small glimpse of the other side. In their drug-induced trances, they caught the occasional beams of light on ‘the other side’ that penetrated their darkness with visions of poetic expression.

But they did so at a great cost to themselves and people around them. These visions may have electrified their generation, but they did not heal. They simply entertained people, and at best, during their peak, may have satisfied a small yearning inside. But their music did not elevate people to a higher level of understanding like Mozart, Beethoven, or John Lennon.

Joseph Campbell, in his book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, beautifully illustrates the path of the hero: “the birth, life, and death of the individual may be regarded as a descent into unconsciousness and return. The hero is the one who, while still alive, knows and represents the claims of the super consciousness which throughout creation is...unconscious. The adventure of the hero represents the moment when, while still alive, he found and opened the road to the light beyond the dark walls of our living death.”

The penultimate hero is able to enter into the unconscious realm and beyond, still awake, and bring back the boons that elevate entire civilizations and create the titan works that give birth to cultural enlightenment. He or she has the strength, will, courage, and inner capacity to defeat the dark demons of the other side. Heroes also survive the cruel impact of the world. They learn to effectively deal with the initial, furious scorn and ridicule from people that don’t understand them upon their return. They learn to shatter the ego, and return transformed, offering people the life elixir to renew and transform themselves as well. They cause the illumination of the collective soul and liberation of the mind. The highest purpose of the hero is to provide a vision that heals our tribe called humanity.

Can we all aspire to become like this in our lifetime? This is a question that I cannot answer, because I have no authority to decide what is possible and what is not. The important thing to remember is that this work is a composite of the universal hero in a state of perfection. We only need to access a small fraction of this power to experience a new life with new power and new blood." [Excerpted from "Psychology of the Hero Soul," by Sharif Khan, Chapter 1.]

Psychology of the Hero Soul is an inspirational book on awakening the Hero within and rekindling people's passion for greatness. It is based on author, Sharif Khan's ten years research in the field of human development. The Hero Soul is availble to order in most major bookstores including Borders, Barnes and Noble, Chapters, Indigo, and Coles bookstores. To order online visit: herosoul. com

Psychology of the Hero Soul, by Sharif Khan, ISBN 0973192208, Diamond Mind Books, 160 pages, $14.95 US, trade-paperback, Self-help/Inspirational, distributed by Ingram, Baker & Taylor, and University of Toronto Press.

For more information on special quantity discounts call (416) 417-1259 or email: inspire@herosoul. com

How to put microsoft crm into place in your business

No matter how big or how small your firm is, Microsoft’s Dynamic CRM software is right for you and your customer relationship management, as long as you know how to get it integrated with your business. The technological integration in and of itself is easy, but you need a strategy that will work for you, too.

First off, step back a little define for yourself what CRM—customer relationship management—means for your business in particular. Get “deep” with thinking about how you interact with your clientele. In fact you might even want to write up and send a questionnaire to your client base, asking them how they feel about their business relationship with your organization. Ask your employees, too, about how they feel with regards to the client-worker relationships that they maintain. Use the information that you glean to put together a clear vision of CRM at your company. Once you have this, delineate the vital importance of CRM to your employees. Give your staff clearly defined objectives to be met by your business, so that they have something to work with in their minds. Additionally, communicate your expectations and the objectives that you want the new CRM program, including the Microsoft Dynamics CRM aspect, to meet. Make it abundantly clear to your employees just how important your new CRM initiative is to the growth and profitability of your business. The CRM initiative needs to be a high-profile vision within your company.

Next, consider that a successful implementation of Microsoft’s Dynamic CRM software will be able to define your company’s business processes. You need to select the right CRM platform to use, true; but then again that is only one piece of the puzzle. Focus on the overall vision, the entire process. Don’t let yourself get caught up in all of the specialized tools and modules that the software comes with. Don’t be the nail; be the hammer. The tool should not be driving your business; you and your employees should be doing that. What are the best ways that you have always been able to work with your clients? Keep to those ways and let the CRM technology enhance your efforts along those very same lines. And, don’t leave out any aspect or part of your business when it comes to implementation. Don’t give the CRM technology only to certain areas of your business. You want seamless integration and a holistic approach in order to make the initiative a success.

Becoming an ekg technician

EKG technicians assist physicians in diagnosing and treating heart disease, coronary artery disease and a multitude of other heart ailments. These technicians generally specialize in one of three cardiovascular fields: invasive cardiology, echocardiography, and vascular technology. EKG technicians are often referred to as electrocardiograph technicians.

While some, although few, electrocardiograph technicians are trained on the job, most health care facilities require specific training for this position. Most technicians complete a 2- or 4-year program in order to become an EKG specialist. Many people in this field attend a community college in which the first year of studies is general education followed by another year of intense training with internships at local hospitals. Some graduates, depending on the school attended, are able to receive professional certification in this field.

The EKG technician is a highly trained and skilled professional. He or she is trained in the points in which to place the electrodes. During the electrocardiogram, the technician will likely remain in the examination room to monitor the EKD readings. When the exam is complete, the technician can use his or her training to read and interpret the graphed results. Some technicians prefer to wait and allow the physician to relay results to the patient, while others will give the patient an immediate interpretation; this is especially true if no abnormalities are suspected.

Please Note: While the medical field is probably the fastest growing and most understaffed field in the United States and the greatest need in the U. S. medical field are nurses and nurse practitioners, this is not true for EKG technicians. EKG technicians are considered a specialty within the cardiovascular field. According to the U. S. Department of Labor, among all of the specialties in the medical field, the need for EKG technicians is the most slowly growing. With less demand in the field and more student choosing to this field of study, the need for qualified EKG technicians has not grown significantly.

What is blogging the new form of journalism

Ever wonder why most all of the teens today are addicted to the internet? Well it has everything a young exploring mind needs. From browsing the net for document researches, shopping, cooking, gaming, chat, and a whole bunch of stuff going inside a website’s offer.

Yep, all of these including one secluded part of a teen’s life which is their journal. Don’t believe me? Then try hooking up on the internet now and see how much there is that is available today.

Aside from being a window for the readers to see what’s on the author’s mind, a blog lets him elaborate on facts or scribble out whatever idea that pops out his head. A blog is a simplified term for “web blog”-a new generation medium for writing articles, essays, statements and the like.

It’s usually composed of texts or sometimes pictures and multimedia topics. If you’re tired of jotting down every single detail of your life’s worth on paper, why not try the new fad of journalism which is blogging. Blogging literally means sharing a comment of life through the internet.

It is an up-to-date source. A sequence of events. A timeless exhibit of creativity and style. An outlet for one’s self.

The popularity of blog comes in different areas. Anyone can write anything that comes out of his head. Whether a walk on a sunny day or a dip into California ’s wild waters, it serves as a diary and is readily updated. What’s good about blogging is that it is not bounded by editing and is cheap.

The commercial velocity of a blog depends on a writer’s instinct to create a worthy article. Either formative or informative, rational or irrational, for as long as the readers can visualize what the author has posted your blog’s a hit.

Technical specialties and skills, not necessary. Publishing freedom, an advantage. All that is needed is for you to have a witty mind, a desire to share ideas and part of your story, and a bit of knowledge to toggle into the internet. Grammatical errors are welcome. No editors and publishing companies to please. Journalism without rules or guidelines to follow and what’s best is that readers could post a comment or be inspired to write one too.

Blogging wouldn’t be difficult if you have the right recipes. Not just a simple-text article, a blog may be enhanced or converted into other types like an audio blog or a video blog. Nowadays, blogs are more sophisticated and advanced. Element of a blog starts from a good and captivating headline down to the author’s personal profile. Included herewith are the blog post, permalink (combined term for “permanent link”), and the reader’s comments.

A friend of mine is a blogger. She would entertain herself by posting blogs on her web page. She told me that blogging is an advantage for her to speak up to the world of the things that’s keeping her shut. And I quote, “I am an internet junkie. I am not a big fan of journalism or any kind of writing.

But it all changed when the blogging fever entered internet society. I appreciated it more when I felt everything that’s written are real and not just a compulsory decoy to deliver information. Right then, I became a part of a bigger picture.”

Trapped in a world of unwanted opinions, blogging is a benefit. But everything has its own consequences. Blogs are much harder to manage than that of the broadcast media. In politically sensitive issues, blogs can be considered as a political misfit. Results are triggered through suppression of bloggers and punishments were made. Another grave case is the issue of defamation and liability.

Nevertheless, blogging is still out there. So if you’re the type who has the snap for writing, give blogging a shot. You never know how much it would contribute to the society and to your pockets.

Know your dental plan and dental insurance options

There is no doubt that each of us needs dental care, that’s why we are making effort in hunting the best dental plan or deals out there. The teeth is a big contributor to our overall health, if we leave it uncared for due to reasons of costs then you are at the loosing end. We can have the best health insurance plan but without our pearly teeth in tip top condition our general health will fail as well.

If dental cost is you concern, not many of us know that there are actually several means to pay for our dental care services. This where I want to come in, I want to introduce to you the options that you have to consider. Read below.

Traditional Dental Insurance

This type of plan is very similar to any health insurance plans. You will be paying your weekly and monthly premium then you get 80-100% of the overall dental cost covered. Traditional dental insurance plan can be acquired through your employer or direct to an insurance agent. However, the only difference is that when you get a dental plan straight to the insurance agent and not through your employer, you will be paying higher premium since it is your employer who subsidizes part of the cost.

Voluntary Group Plans

If your company does not yet offer dental insurance plan but you and your co-workers want to have one, here’s what you can do. You can ask your employer to arrange for a group dental insurance plan. This type of plan will let you and your co-workers pay for your own dental plan premiums. This way your group can avail of a huge premium discount with better benefits. Remember there is strength in numbers!

Dental Reimbursement Plans

Dental reimbursement plan cannot be considered as insurance but rather, this is an agreement between an employer and employee. It works when you pay for your own dental care services and forward the receipt to your employer and they will reimburse your expenses within a specified amount. With this, both you and your employer will never again worry about paying dental plan premiums every month. Plus, you can have your own choice of dentist! So if you do like the idea, all you need to do is ask your employer, now!

Dental Discount Plans

From the word itself, dental discount plans will let you pay for your dental care services at discounted price. Moreover, this type of plan will sometimes require you to pay for an enrollment fee to your provider and you will be restricted to the dentists in your locale that admit dental insurance plan holder.

Whatever is your choice, it is important that you understand the facts about your chosen plan and make sure it suits well to your needs. There is no more reason for you to delay dental care, remember that we are required to have a dental check twice a year. Cavities and decay will not be apparent until it’s too late. The procedure to correct this will cost you much and it really makes more sense to act now.

The button accordion

Accordions come in a variety of forms and styles. There are the diatonic accordions, the chromatic accordions, the piano accordions and the button accordion among others. The button accordion was adapted from the simpler melodeon in the nineteenth century.

It has one more row of buttons than the melodeon and its pitch is set a half a tone below or above the melodeon. It is also possible on the accordion to get two notes out of one button by maneuvering the bellows a certain way. This helps the player use less finger movement and allows for more expression when playing.

There are many types of accordions under the button family. The differences range from the keyboard structures, the tuning and the construction of the instruments. A well know variety is the Diatonic button accordion.

It comes with a melody sized keyboard and the keys are the notes of diatonic scales. This can be just one. The bass of the Diatonic button accordion almost always has the principal chords not excluding the root notes of those chords.

Diatonic button accordions are usually bisonoric. This means that for every button used there is two sounds that come out: one when the bellows condensed and the other when they are expanded.

It is possible to get varieties that are unisonoric, like the garmon, which plays the same note, no matter if the bellows are expanded or contracted. Other varieties are able to function both as bisonoric or unisonoric instruments.

Another notable button accordion is the chromatic. It has a melody sized keyboard with rows of buttons that are arranged chromatically according to pitch.

The bass of the keyboard is usually the Stradella system. This is a converter system or a free bass system. Under the chromatic button accordians you will find the Russian Bayan.

The chromatic button accordion is sometimes simply referred to as the chromatic accordion. This is not technically the correct term because other accordions, like the piano accordion are chromatic too.

The chromatic button accordion is a more popular accordion among performers because the treble keyboard of the instrument is more dense. This gives the player a wider range.

In various cultures today there has been a number of developments and adaptations made to the button accordions. In Russia for example you have such accords as the Saratovskaya, the Garmonica, the Livenka, the Bayan , the Garmon to name a few.