Blog Info

Elatec World

2008-05-06T10:44:00.000-07:00

Elatec World is the site you need if you are interested in smart cards. A smart card is defined as any pocket-sized card with circuits which process information. It receives input and it is processed and delivered as an output. The site also features loyalty cards or bonus cards. These are basically gift cards that one can use in stores. And lastly, the site features a chart some character display.

Online Games

2008-05-06T10:40:00.000-07:00

Online Games Zone is the site you are looking for when you are ready for some quality online gaming. This site is easy to use and is clearly broken down into categories which make it quite simple to find the games you want. This site has a wide selection of games including racing games and shooting games. This site literally places tons of online games easily at a user's fingertips.

SaunaFin

2008-05-04T13:49:00.000-07:00

SaunaFin is the site you want when you are trying to find your perfect sauna. The site features all the things you will need to make your own sauna or purchase a pre-made, ready to use one. SaunaFin also has infrared saunas that come pre-made or with the do it yourself option. Once you find what you are looking for, the site presents the choice of viewing the price in Canadian or in U.S. currency. This site is clear, and easy to use. As you scroll down the homepage, one can read up about the product. There are a number of benefits and plenty of information about saunas. When you are looking for the perfect place to purchase a sauna, look no further than the experts at Saunafin.ca.

BergelLaw.com

2008-04-27T23:33:00.000-07:00

Bergellaw.com is the site you need when you are looking for the right personal injury lawyer. The site is clearly set up and it is easy to navigate. There are five lawyers featured on the bottom of the homepage. Each picture is clickable and will transport you to the biographies of all the lawyers. One of the options is motor vehicle injury, so if you have found yourself in a car accident in Toronto, then this is the place for the best counsel. You can be sure that these attorneys will help you obtain the personal injury settlement that is right for your case.

ITestCash.com

2008-04-26T14:13:00.000-07:00

ITestCash.com has everything you could possibly need to be sure of your money's legitimacy. Customer's have many products that they can purchase in order to verify counterfeit money. There is a large variety of counterfeit money pens , UV lamps, and counterfeit money detectors. The site is clearly broken down by category and is very easy to navigate. The site clearly displays payment methods used and ensures security is a priority. A toll-free number is also listed in the case of consumer questions. Also, a great feature to this clean cut site is the reputable appraisal made by a member of the Secret Service. Itestcash.com is your go to site to make sure your cash is legitimate.

The DNA of antioxidants

2008-04-16T08:05:00.000-07:00

Hardly a week goes by without news of antioxidants' health-promoting benefits. Experts believe these nutritional substances may help prevent heart disease, fight certain cancers, ward off dementia, and even slow certain aging processes.

There are thousands of antioxidants found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, meats, poultry, and fish. Even foods once not known for being especially healthful, such as chocolate, coffee, and red wine, are now recognized as potent delivery systems for beneficial antioxidants.

However, the growing number of antioxidants being discovered (so far, there are more than 4,000 known flavonoids, and that's only one class of antioxidant) and the continual discoveries of new antioxidant food sources cloud understanding of these substances.

"Most people know that calcium is good for bone health, for example, but they don't know specifically what antioxidants do or how these chemicals benefit human health," says Milton Stokes, R.D,. a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.

Read on as we simplify the latest science to answer those questions for you.

Antioxidants 101

We need oxygen to live. It travels from the lungs to every corner of the body, helping cells metabolize food into energy. But oxygen has a downside. Normally, the molecules in our cells have a full set of electrons, which keep them stable (think of them as a fortress surrounding a castle). But when these molecules come into contact with oxygen (i.e., they are "oxidized") they lose an electron, converting to an unstable type of molecule known as a free radical.

"Free radicals, if left unchecked, assault whatever cell constituents are nearby, including proteins, fats, and DNA," says Joe Vinson, Ph.D., a professor of chemistry at the University of Scranton. "Once those molecules are attacked, their structure and function are changed and they don't work as well."

Ingeniously, Mother Nature created an instant free-radical fix. Antioxidants disable free radicals by donating electrons to replace those lost during oxidation. Some antioxidants can be manufactured by your body; others must be obtained from food. Dietary antioxidants fall into two groups. The first is made up of certain familiar vitamins and minerals, like vitamins C and E, selenium, and zinc, that have antioxidant capabilities. The second consists of the thousands of organic compounds found in plant foods that have functions like giving grapes their purple skins or cabbages their slightly sulfurous odor. They have names like anthocyanidins, catechins, lutein, quercetin, and resveratrol.

Preventing oxidation may have earned antioxidants their name, but we now know these substances do more than disable free radicals. Antioxidants also help reduce inflammation, keep arteries flexible, and preserve the genetic material every cell contains to prevent mutation. Each antioxidant also offers unique perks. For example, flavonoids in berries may help improve artery health, while lutein in spinach may help prevent macular degeneration.

Sorting out food sources

To measure a food's antioxidant content, scientists test it in a lab, where they usually measure equal quantities of each food they test. However, that amount may not be close to the serving size we usually eat. Realizing this, many-but not all-researchers convert their findings to common portion sizes before publishing the results of their work. That's one reason why Monday's health news may place blueberries on top of the antioxidant heap, while Thursday's may claim broccoli contains the highest levels of the compounds. Cooking Light: USDA's rankings of food antioxidant content

Also, several kinds of tests are used to measure a food's antioxidant power, another reason for the multiplicity of findings. The most popular test is Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC). ORAC measures an antioxidant's ability to protect against the most common free radical in human plasma, the peroxyl radical.

ORAC is a helpful starting point to guide consumers to foods that are rich in antioxidants as part of a diet that contains many different antioxidant-rich foods, especially since new antioxidants are being discovered all the time. But most nutrition researchers view antioxidant-counting surveys critically. How a food behaves in a test tube is one thing; how it behaves in our bodies is another.

"We don't know as much about what happens during digestion, absorption, and metabolism," says Ronald L. Prior, Ph.D., a research chemist with the USDA's Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center. "Some of these compounds may be absorbed well and others not as well." Anthocyanidin-rich blueberries are a good example. They may be antioxidant powerhouses in a test tube, but we don't absorb their antioxidants well and their effectiveness in our bodies is short lived. To gain the full benefit, you'd likely need to eat more of them than foods with a lower ORAC score that contain more readily absorbable antioxidants, such as kiwifruit or grapes.

What's more, antioxidant levels vary among different samples of the same food. For example, all apples don't have the same amount of quercetin and all lettuces don't provide the same dose of lutein. "The variability has to do with the climate, the nutrients in the soil, and storage conditions," Vinson says.

Eating for optimal nutrition

When it comes to dietary antioxidants, variety and timing are the key points.

Experts agree-while there's no formal recommendation for the amount of antioxidants we need-the best way to obtain them is from a varied diet. The reason? Antioxidants work synergistically and may provide a greater benefit together than they do individually. Consider a recent European Journal of Clinical Nutrition study that found the total antioxidants in a person's diet had a more substantial impact on plasma beta-carotene levels than the amount of beta-carotene in a person's diet. Researchers surmise other antioxidants pitch in to "spare" beta-carotene so it can work harder when it's needed. The same is true for other antioxidant vitamins. By consuming antioxidant-rich foods, you end up protecting or recycling compounds like vitamins C and E, increasing their levels so they're more available to function.

Unlike many other nutrients, you can't store antioxidants, so you have to keep replenishing the supply. "The important thing is getting antioxidants throughout the day and keeping levels high because they go down very quickly," Vinson says. Even small amounts can provide significant benefits. When German researchers recently looked at the impact of small amounts of polyphenols in dark chocolate on blood pressure, they found that just 0.2 ounces of dark chocolate shaved three systolic points and two diastolic points off hypertensive subjects' blood pressure.

As for supplements? Experts aren't as enthusiastic. Supplements are not substitutes for a healthy diet. "People tend to focus on a single nutrient because that's what research may be highlighting," says Jeffery Blumberg, Ph.D., director of the Antioxidants Research Laboratory at Tufts University. "But the benefits of eating lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can't be overemphasized. You need to have diversity in your diet, and there is no pill that provides it all."

The unknowns about antioxidants provide another reason to focus on food sources. "Because the science of nutrition is still evolving, we have to accept that everything there is to know isn't known," Stokes says. "Until then, just eat healthful whole foods." Cooking Light: Nine nutritional authorities share their perfect foods

The ABCs of antioxidants

Although scientists speculate that many antioxidants are as yet undiscovered, others are increasingly well known. Below are antioxidants you may have read about; they're categorized by family of associated compounds and listed with some of their most common food sources. Cooking Light: Why different colored foods are important

Carotenoids

Beta-carotene: Orange/yellow fruits and vegetables (carrots, cantaloupe); dark leafy greens (spinach, kale)

Lycopene: Red-fleshed fruits and vegetables (watermelon, tomato)

Lutein/Zeaxanthin: Romaine lettuce, dark leafy greens, citrus fruits, corn, egg yolks

Flavonoids

Anthocyanidins: Berries, grapes, wine

Catechins: Tea, cocoa

Flavonols: Tea, cocoa, coffee, berries, grapes, apples, wine

Flavonones: Citrus fruits

Isoflavones/Phytoestrogens (daidzein, equol, enterolactone, genistein): Soybeans, whole wheat, flaxseed

Quercetin: Apples, tea, capers, citrus fruits

Organosulfurs: Cabbages, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower

Selenium: Brazil nuts, red meat, tuna

Sulfides: Onions, garlic, leeks, chives

Vitamin C: Citrus fruits, bell peppers, broccoli, kiwifruit

Vitamin E (tocopherols): Wheat germ, mono-unsaturated oils (sunflower oil, safflower oil), tree nuts (almonds, hazelnuts), peanuts

Vetting antioxidant tests

Many over-the-counter tests claim to evaluate a person's free radical levels by measuring by-products of free radical metabolism via a urine sample. However, assessing antioxidant status isn't that simple. No single test will provide the total picture of what antioxidants may be busy doing inside your body. "What you want to measure is antioxidant concentration in a localized part of the body, like the surface of your arteries where antioxidants help neutralize free radicals, which accelerate atherosclerosis [hardening of the arteries]," Vinson says.

A simpler insurance policy? Following U.S. Dietary Guidelines, which recommend a minimum of four-and-a-half cups of produce and three ounces of whole grains each day. "If you're eating a varied diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, you're getting enough," Vinson says.

China Growth Moderates, But Inflation Rages On

2008-04-16T08:02:00.000-07:00

The People's Bank of China ordered all Chinese lenders to set aside more reserves in an ongoing attempt to clamp down on excess lending, after the country reported on Wednesday that its inflation rate remained above 8% in March.

The central bank on Wednesday lifted the country's bank reserve ratio by 0.5%, the third such hike in this year. Banks will now be required to hold 16.0% of their deposits in reserve, effective April 25.

The National Bureau of Statistics reported Wednesday afternoon that China's consumer price index was up 8.3% in March this year; the inflation rate for the first quarter as a whole also stood at a worryingly high 8.0%. Although the March CPI was lower than the 8.7% recorded in February, which was a 12-year high, the figures are still far above the central government's annual target of 4.8%.

Sizzling food prices, which soared 21% in the aggregate in March on a yearly basis, were still the major problem for Chinese nationals, accounting for 6.8 percentage points of the monthly CPI increase. Housing prices and rents went up 6.6% on average in March, pushing up the inflation gauge by one percentage point further.

Beijing's statistics bureau reported at the same time that the country's gross domestic product grew 10.6% year to year in the first quarter, to 6.2 trillion yuan ($886.6 billion), moderating somewhat from the annual growth rate of 11.9% in 2007.

The economic engine continued to roar in the first quarter, regardless of disruptions caused by heavy snowstorms around the time of the Lunar New Year in late January/early February. Even so, a weaker U.S. economy and a stronger yuan lowered the first-quarter trade surplus, exerting drag on the growth momentum of the world's fourth-largest economy.

Breaking down domestic output by sector, primary-product industries (agriculture and related) generated 472 billion yuan ($67.4 billion) in the first quarter, up 2.8% from the previous year, while secondary industries (manufacturing) produced 3.1 trillion yuan ($442.9 billion), up 11.5%, and tertiary industries (services) contributed 2.6 trillion yuan ($371.4 billion), up 10.9% year on year.

Although higher prices and production costs might put a crimp in the Chinese economy, Citigroup said China's comparative advantage in manufacturing will not disappear. The brokerage noted that China's still relatively low labor costs, the economies of scale from extended production chains and the vast potential consumer market will likely maintain the competitiveness of Chinese products for a long time.

Citigroup predicted that China's own domestic market would pick up the slack if export industries falter. "Consumption benefiting from strengthened household income could boost domestic demand that would be positive for China's sustained growth. Upon completion of the transition, China could become a net importer rather than a net exporter," it said in a note published on Wednesday.

Breakfast-Eating Teens Thinner, Healthier

2008-03-03T19:56:00.000-08:00

Teens and adolescents who eat breakfast every day are less likely to become overweight or obese in the near future and they typically lead a more active, healthier lifestyle than their peers who skip breakfast, according to the latest research published by Project EAT. Researchers followed the dietary habits and lifestyles of 2,200 adolescents for five years to identify any possible link between body weight change and breakfast. The study was conducted by the University of Minnesota School of Public Health’s Project Eating Among Teens (EAT).

In the last twenty years, obesity in children has doubled and tripled for adolescents. Estimates are that as many as 12% to 24% of children and adolescents skip breakfast on a regular basis.

Skipping breakfast and other unhealthy weight-control choices are frequently made in 57% of the female adolescent population and 33% of the males. The number of breakfasts skipped increases at an alarming rate as children grow up.

The Project EAT study, titled “Breakfast Eating and Weight Change in a 5-Year Prospective Analysis of Adolescents: Project EAT,” started five years ago when study participants were adolescents. Now in their teens, those who ate breakfast daily are thinner and have a lower body mass index (BMI) than those that frequently skipped breakfast. BMI is a measurement used to determine risk of obesity.

Many people, including teens, think skipping breakfast is an effective way to limit calories but the opposite is actually true, according to Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, PhD, Project EAT’s principal investigator. Skipping breakfast leads to overeating later in the day, especially in the evenings.

Full details of the Project EAT study are to be published in the March issue of the journal, Pediatrics, the official publication of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Most Americans unprepared for retirement

2008-02-22T16:22:00.001-08:00

Majority of workers will not be able to cover their health care expenses and maintain their standard of living in retirement, according to a new study.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- A majority of American workers will not be able to maintain their current standard of living after they retire, according to a report released Tuesday.

The Center for Retirement Research (CRR) estimates 61% of households are "at risk" of being unable to live the way they would like and pay for their health care when they get old.

CRR considers consumers to be "at risk" if their savings, Social Security and pension benefits combined will fall at least 10% short of the income needed in retirement to support the same standard of living they enjoyed while working.

Previous reports have considered health care to be a cost that retirees factor in by "rearranging their basket of consumption" - that is, spending less on consumer goods.

CRR's study assumes that people want to spend the same amount on goods in retirement that they do now and that they consider health insurance and the added health care costs associated with growing old to be an additional expense.

"People take the notion of health care for granted," said Andrew D. Eschtruth, associate director for external relations at CRR. "The basic assumption of this report is that retirees think they will eat the same kind of foods, travel the same - or more - and buy the same clothes."

If that's the case, then there is cause for concern. Health care costs continue to increase dramatically, far outpacing wage increases year over year.

Additionally, out-of-pocket health care costs for most consumers rise significantly upon retirement. The report assumes that people recognize the burden of health care costs once they retire; however, those retirees to whom the added expense comes as a surprise will have to reduce their spending on consumer goods and spend much more on health care.

Many workers do not have a realistic estimate of how much they will need to spend on health care when they retire, according to a 2007 study by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI).

The study shows that 84% of employees estimated they and their spouse will need to accumulate less than $250,000 for retiree health costs, 32% of whom thought they would need less than $100,000.

But according to the EBRI, couples will need to save about $300,000 in retirement to cover health expenses, assuming they live to average life expectancy and Medicare benefits remain at current levels. For those who live to 95, that amount jumps to $550,000.

Money 101: Planning for retirement
Why are people so inadequately prepared? With the shift from traditional pension plans to 401(k)s, the burden of preparing for retirement has shifted from employers to the employee.

Some workers aren't saving enough to prepare themselves for their golden years. Also, 30% of employees simply fail to sign up for 401(k) plans, according to insurance company Nationwide.

"A lot of people say, 'Oh yeah, my company told me to sign up for my 401(k); I'll do it tomorrow,' and they forget to sign up," said Eschtruth.

As a result, the government passed the Pension Protection Act in 2006 to encourage businesses to automatically enroll employees in their retirement plans.

But there are steps beyond saving that people can take to make make retirement planning easier and more affordable.

"Good physical health matters a great deal," said Paul Ballew, senior vice president of consumer insight and analytics at Nationwide. "Physical and financial health are connected, as being healthy lessens your chance of having high, unexpected medical expenses."

Households planning for retirement are also encouraged to seek professional advice.

"Save early and often, and take advantage of what's available to you," said Ballew. "But also speak to a professional who can help you achieve an adequate investment strategy for your golden years."

Retirement at risk: Who's falling short

A recession won't wreck your retirement

Fidel Castro Steps Down, Cuba sees the light?

2008-02-22T16:21:00.001-08:00

LONDON (MarketWatch) -- Fidel Castro resigned as president of Cuba on Tuesday, with the ailing Communist leader stepping down after 49 years in power.

The 81-year-old Castro made the announcement in a statement to the Communist Party daily Granma, the Associated Press reported.

"I will not aspire nor accept -- I repeat I will not aspire or accept, the post of president of the Council of State and Commander in Chief,'' the statement read.

In practice, his 76-year-old brother Raul has been running the country since July 2006.

The National Assembly meets Sunday to pick the council of state, including the presidency.

Some weren't anticipating much change in the short run.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said "replacing one dictator with another, as appears to be the case, isn't the answer to the repression, brutality and fear produced by five decades of Castro.

"But that doesn't diminish the hope for or the efforts toward the day when the Cuban people can choose their own leaders and enjoy the freedom that Castro so relentlessly denied," said McConnell, R-Ky.

There aren't many opportunities for Americans to invest in Cuba in light of the long-stand embargo around the Caribbean nation, though the Herzfield Caribbean Basin Fund focuses on U.S. and international companies doing business in the region that could extend their operations to Cuba.

Shares of the closed-end fund surged 22% in recent trading.

U.S. sugar refiners including Imperial Sugar could benefit if an embargo was lifted, since the U.S. could decide to import Cuban sugar.

Imperial Sugar's shares rose more than 2% in New York trading.
Also, shares of Sol Melia which operates hotels in Cuba, rose 3.9% in Madrid, while Imperial Tobacco which has purchased Cuban cigar maker Altadis, slipped 0.7% in London.

Kidd in Big D!

2008-02-22T16:20:00.002-08:00

The New Jersey Nets have acquired guards Devin Harris, Trenton Hassell, Maurice Ager, center DeSagana Diop, and forward Keith Van Horn along with Dallas’ first round draft picks in 2008 and 2010, and cash considerations from the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for guard Jason Kidd and forwards Antoine Wright and Malik Allen, Nets' President Rod Thorn announced today.

“This trade provides us with immediate help, most notably with the acquisition of Devin Harris, who we consider one of the rising young point guards in the NBA,” said Thorn. “Harris's numbers have improved each of his four years in the league, and we feel that he has a significant upside. This trade also will give us two future first round draft picks and will give us flexibility to improve our roster.”

"Jason Kidd has been the best player to wear a Nets' uniform during my current tenure with the Nets,” added Thorn. “He was the toughest competitor with the fiercest will to win, and he was the main component in the most successful period in the Nets NBA history. Jason is a first ballot Hall of Famer and the man most responsible for transforming the Nets into a high quality NBA team. We wish him nothing but success in his future endeavors.”

Yahoo Launches 'oneConnect' For Mobile

2008-02-22T16:20:00.001-08:00

The communications service is scheduled to be rolled out as part of Yahoo Go 3.0 and Yahoo's new mobile home page in the second quarter of this year.
By Elena Malykhina
InformationWeek
February 12, 2008 05:00 PM

Yahoo (NSDQ: YHOO) on Tuesday introduced a new service called oneConnect, which will combine e-mail, instant messaging, text messaging, and social networking in one mobile platform.
The company plans to roll out oneConnect as part of Yahoo Go 3.0 -- an all-in-one mobile offering -- and Yahoo's new mobile home page in the second quarter of this year. In the meantime, Yahoo is showcasing oneConnect at the Mobile World Congress conference in Barcelona this week.

One of the more impressive features of oneConnect is a socially-connected address book, which will allow users to transfer activities from social networks, professional networks, and communities to their address book. For example, users will be able to stay on top of when a contact updates their status or uploads a photo to their profile.

Yahoo will also offer integrated mobile messaging. That means any messaging service provider will be able to use Yahoo's application program interfaces to integrate with oneConnect's messaging feature, according to the company. Yahoo said it will use an open communications platform to give users the freedom to send e-mail, instant messages, text messages, and access social networks through a single application.

Users may potentially be able to access both their personal and work messaging services. Yahoo also said it's in discussions with DataViz, which specializes in mobile access to Microsoft Exchange e-mail accounts and Microsoft Office documents. The two would team up to develop widget versions of DataViz's RoadSynch and Documents To Go applications.

Other features in oneConnect include the ability to set up messaging shortcuts to get in touch with people more quickly; a social contact card for collecting relevant information about contacts; and a location-sensing capability for locating, chatting, and exchanging information with nearby oneConnect users.

Yahoo expects oneConnect to support hundreds of mobile devices and mobile browsers worldwide.

Smoking and Diseases: What you need to know

2008-02-22T16:19:00.003-08:00

SUNDAY FEB 10, 2008 (Foodconsumer.org) -- The World Health Organization issued a report on Feb 7 saying smoking tobacco could kill 1 billion people in the 21st century urging the nations to take measures to stop the ever-increasing smoking trends worldwide.

The WHO said no country has done enough to curb tobacco use, which is expected to kill 500 million people worldwide who live today.

The WHO proposed six measures for countries to adopt to fight tobacco smoking including monitoring tobacco use and prevention; protecting people from tobacco smoke; offering help to quit tobacco use, warning people about the dangers of tobacco; enforcing bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship; and raising taxes on tobacco.

It seems the report does not explain much of the danger associated with tobacco use. To help readers understand how dangerous tobacco use is, we publish a summary about the associations between smoking tobacco and various diseases. We hope this could help a few more people quit smoking tobacco.

Smoking and diseases: What you need to know?

Smoking tobacco has been linked to more than two dozen disease and conditions although it is unethical to conduct trials to prove any possible cause-and-effect association. Studies suggest that tobacco use affects every organ of the body and reduce overall health. It is believed that tobacco use is the leading cause of the preventable death and has negative impacts on people of all ages including unborn babies, infants, children, adolescent, adults and seniors.

Smoking tobacco and lung cancer

The most serous adverse effects of smoking tobacco include cancer in the lungs and other organs or parts of the body.

Lung cancer forms in the lung tissue, usually in the cells lining air passages. There are mainly two forms, non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer. The cancer, one of the leading cancers in the United States, was diagnosed in 213,380 Americans and it killed 160,390 in 2007. Smoking tobacco causes genetic changes in the cells of the lungs that lead to the development of lung cancer.

Smoking tobacco and other cancers

Research has showed that smoking tobacco can also lead to respiratory and upper digestive tract cancer, particularly cancer of the mouth, throat (pharynx), voice box (larynx) and esophagus. In addition, smoking tobacco is a contributing cause of leukemia and cancers in the bladder, stomach, kidney and pancreas. Female smokers are at higher risk for developing cervical cancer.

Smoking tobacco and other lung diseases

Affected by using tobacco are also other respiratory diseases collectively called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD including emphysema, chronic bronchitis and asthmatic bronchitis. Smoking tobacco has been linked to an increased risk of respiratory symptoms including coughing, phlegm, wheezing and difficult or labored breathing (dyspnea).

Tobacco smoke contains many toxic chemicals, which directly damage lung tissue and particles that affect the lungs' natural filtering/cleaning system and irritate the bronchial tubes in the lungs which in turns triggers the production of more mucus. Long term tobacco smoking destroys the structure of the lungs reducing their capability to absorb oxygen. Excess mucus in the lungs and problems in adsorbing oxygen are two characteristics of chronic bronchitis.

Long term tobacco use also leads to emphysema of called lung rot, which is a degenerative disease. The most obvious symptom is the difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Nothing can be done to correct the lung damage. Nearly all cases of emphysema result from long term tobacco smoking. Stopping tobacco use will help curb the progression of the disease.

Smoking tobacco and cardiovascular diseases

Smoking tobacco not only affects the lungs, but cardiovascular health as well. It increases risk for heart attacks and angina (coronary heart diseases), blockages in the legs (peripheral vascular disease), and strokes (cerebrovascular diseases). Cardiovascular diseases are diseases of the heart, the blood vessels of the heart and of the systems of blood vessels (veins and arteries) throughout the body and brain.

Smoke or even second hand smoke can affect the heart by reducing the oxygen carried in the blood due to presence of carbon monoxide and other gases; increasing the heart rate due to the decreased oxygen concentration in the blood; and reducing the size of blood vessels due to fat deposits linked to nicotine and due to presence of carbon monoxide which makes blood vessels and arteries smaller limiting the blood supply to the heart.

Smoking tobacco and strokes

Smoking tobacco can both increase blood pressure and fat deposits on the inner walls of blood veins and vessels. Both effects increase risk of stokes including transient ischemic attacks, hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke. In the case of hemorrhagic strokes, a blood vessel bursts inside the brain increasing the pressure in the brain causing injuries to the brain cells. An ischemic stroke, the most serious type, permanently damages brain cells by starving the cells of oxygen and nutrients.

Smokers are 50 percent more likely than non-smokers to have stroke. The more tobacco a person uses, the higher risk he has for a stroke. Those who smoke 25 cigarettes a day have the highest risk of a stroke.

Stopping tobacco use reduces the risk of stroke by 50 percent within a year and to normal levels within five years, according to a study by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Smoking tobacco and impotence

Smokers including second hand smokers are as much as twice as likely to suffer impotence as non-smokers. Impotence is the constant inability of a man to maintain an erection for sexual activity and affects an estimated 30 million men in the United States. A study conducted in the US showed that healthy men using tobacco developed impotence during a period of eight years even if they did not show any symptoms of heart disease or diabetes. It is possible to fully or at least partially recover erection function by quitting smoking, studies showed.

Smoking tobacco and mouth diseases

Smoking tobacco including cigarettes, cigars or pipes increases the risk of cancer on the lips, in the mouth and in the throat. Cigarette smokers are six times more likely to die from cancers in the mouth. Cigar smokers are twice as likely to die as non-smokers from mouth related disease.

Prepare For Retirement

2008-02-22T16:19:00.001-08:00

Here is an article I found on CNNMoney.com tonight. I think it is very imporant to start investing as soon as possible in order to secure a safe and comfortable retirement. You don't have to be making $100,000 a year to save enough in 20 or 30 years. All you have to do is put away as much as possible aside every month and pretend like it doesn't exist. Here is a calculator which I personally love - http://personal.fidelity.com/toolbox/growth/growth.shtml

Question: I’ve been out of college two years and contribute enough to my 401(k) to get the full employer match. Currently, I’ve got 50% of my 401(k) money in large-cap funds, 20% in small- and mid-caps and 30% in international funds. I’m also planning to start saving an additional $200 a month in a Roth IRA. I’m considering going with a target-date fund but I’m leery of taking a cookie-cutter approach. What do you suggest? —A. B., Pennsylvania

Answer: First, let me congratulate you for getting off to such a great start with your retirement planning. By starting to save so early in your career, you’re dramatically increasing the odds that you’ll have a nest egg large enough to support you in comfort when you’re ready to call it a career.

But don’t just take my word for it. Go to our What You Need To Save calculator, plug in your age, salary and the amount you’ve already set aside for retirement, and you’ll get an estimate of what percentage of your salary you should be saving to be able to retire at 65. You can then compare that figure to what you’re actually doing to see if you’re on track.

You also appear to be doing a good job on the investment front. You’ve spread your money among foreign, large- and small-cap stock funds, which shows that, if nothing else, you’re avoiding the three costly investment errors I’ve written about previously that can undermine the growth of your 401(k).

That said, I notice that you don’t have any money in bond funds. You can certainly argue that an all-equity 401(k) is just fine for someone your age. After all, your retirement stash is going to be invested for decades. So why concern yourself with market drops that may seem scary now but will appear like tiny dips in retrospect? You might as well go for all the gusto you can, right?

Well, at the risk of sounding overly cautious, I think even youngsters like yourself should hedge your bets a bit by holding some bond funds. Although I expect stocks to deliver far higher returns than bonds over the next 40 or so years, there’s always the chance they won’t. And having even a small cushion in bonds may provide enough emotional comfort to prevent you from bailing out of stocks if the market takes a nosedive.

So I’d recommend you consider shaving a bit off your holdings in international, small- and mid-cap funds and building a stake of 10% to 15% of your assets in bonds.

Now, about that Roth IRA.

I could see you going either way with that account. You could create something very similar to your 401(k) portfolio in your Roth by investing in individual funds. Of course, you would have to do a bit of research into the funds before buying them, although you can make that task a lot easier by using our Money 70 list of recommended funds as a starting point. And you would also have to rebalance your portfolio each year so that the varying returns different funds earn don’t push your overall asset mix too far out of whack.

On the other hand, if you don’t feel like evaluating specific funds and doing the annual maintenance in your Roth, you could make things easy on yourself and just buy a target-retirement fund. You would get a ready-made mix of stocks and bonds appropriate for your age, and that mix would morph a bit more toward bonds as you near retirement. In short, you wouldn’t have to do any rebalancing with the Roth; the fund would do it for you. I’m sure you could do just fine with any number of the different target funds out there, but I’m partial to the very reasonably priced ones that made our Money 70 roster.

As for your concern about target funds being a cookie-cutter solution, well, they are in the sense that you’re not getting a blend of stocks and bonds tailored to your specific financial circumstances. Everyone in the fund gets the same asset mix.

But I don’t see that as a major shortcoming. For one thing, left to their own devices many people won’t come close to an appropriate asset allocation on their own. So if a target fund gets you a decent asset mix and a coherent long-term investment strategy, that’s for the good.

You may be able to get a better portfolio by going to an adviser, but on the other hand you may not - and either way you’ll pay an extra expense that many people, especially those just starting out, can’t afford.

Finally, I think going with a target fund can protect us from our worse impulses - namely, the urge to dart in and out of different sectors of the market, move from stocks into cash or bonds, buy into the hot fund du jour, etc. By putting your portfolio strategy on autopilot, I think you’re less likely to engage in self-defeating behavior.

Bottom line: if the ease of putting your Roth IRA money into a target fund appeals to you, I wouldn’t let the cookie-cutter criticism stop you. If you don’t think you’ll rebalance your 401(k) portfolio every year (and most people don’t), you might want to consider a target fund there too, if your plan offers one.

Target funds aren’t perfect. But for people who aren’t likely to do better on their own or don’t want to put in the effort, and people who can’t afford to pay an adviser or just don’t want to, target funds can be an excellent choice.

Shaquille O'Neal Trade

2008-02-22T16:18:00.001-08:00

Shaq trade was the 2nd blockbuster trade last week. Right after the Gasol trade the Suns and the Heat made a spectacular deal. In this deal the Suns got aging O'Neal and the Heat got explosive Marion. So who will benefit from this deal the most? This is an easy question at least for me though; The Suns will benefit the most.

The Heat will definitely benefit from this trade as well but Shaq is a real difference maker. I think that he still has enough juice in his engine to get another championship or maybe even two. The Suns were a very good team even before he arrived but now they are the real deal. They have become the no. 1 contender for the championship next to the almighty Spurs. With the Gasol and Shaq trade the NBA instantly became more exciting. Can't wait for the playoffs!

Pau Gasol Trade

2008-02-22T16:17:00.002-08:00

Pau Gasol trade to Los Angeles was an amazing move for the Lakers since now they have a player that can dominate power forward and center positions. Also what is quite amazing is that Gasol picked up on the famous Phil Jackson triangle offense immediately. The Lakers' starting five is standing tall with three 7footers. Well Radmanovic and Odom aren't exactly 7 feet but 6'10'' is still respectable. Derek Fisher is running the point guard position and Kobe Bryant is their superstar at the shooting guard position. This starting 5 gives them million options on offense, the only concern might be defense but I am sure Phil Jackson will do some magic with that as well.

Their bench is solid too, especially once Andrew Bynum comes back, which might take some time though.

Bottom line, the Lakers have a legitimate chance of going all the way once again.

Bumper Sticker Mania!

2008-02-22T16:17:00.001-08:00

The internet is a breeding ground for new trends, everyone knows that. Social networking sites like Myspace.com and facebook.com have gotten their starts thanks to us- the internet community. The speed that these sites have grown is utterly amazing. Facebook is loaded with at least 16,000 applications that users can add to spice up their pages. They range in category from Chat to Fashion and Politics to Gaming. What is one of the most popular you ask? Bumper Stickers, of course! I have decided to let you in on some of the top stickers that are being sent from friend to friend...

Ximmy - Extra Cash

2008-02-22T16:16:00.000-08:00

I came across a website which pays you to use their website. Ximmy is absolutely free, well it takes only your time. I instantly fell in love with Ximmy since they pay me for something I already did every day anyway - post comments, vote, post your own videos, news, etc. Also you can earn money by referring other people. I am not saying that you will get rich with Ximmy but you can earn some decent money every month.

You earn 1 point for every comment or every post and the points accumulate very fast. Another way to earn points is if your story, news or a video is very popular. This way you get extra points. Also if you get your friends to sign up you will get 15 points for each person that signs up under you. Then there is a referral program they have for which you need to have your own website and that way you will get $5.00 for every person that signs up under you.

Once you hit a points bracket, you can redeem the points for cash at any time. Payments are made via PayPal. Here is the points bracket.

Rewards
1,000
$10

1,800
$20

3,200
$40

6,000
$80

12,000
$160

20,000
$300

Bonus: Once you hit any of the points bracket, you'll receive an extra $20 bonus during your first payment payout.(Expires 6/01/08)

Well this is it for now, I would highly recommend all of you to sign up since is absolutely free and you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Again don't expect to earn thousands of dollars a month with Ximmy but you could earn some extra bucks this way. Bottom line have fun and enjoy yourself while making a couple of bucks easy way ;-) Click on the banner below if you are interested.

Key West or Bust!

2008-02-22T16:15:00.000-08:00

So, I have decided to embark on this blog. At first I wasn't sure what I could possibly contribute to this blog. Then I realized that I try to upload some of my best pictures in addition to whatever I want to write about. For my first post, I wanted to share this picture that I took in Key West. I went for the first time my junior year and I went back another time after that. My friends parents have a little house off on Summerland Key. (TRAVEL TIP: If traveling with children, I recommend lodging off Key West. It does have the possibility of getting rowdy. So, if you do not want to expose your kids to the loud scene, I think staying at Summerland Key is for you. Its only a 20 minute drive from the last Key and it has more of). There are so many things to do in Key West. Walking down Duval Street is a day in itself. Then there are countless historical things to see. The Southern Most Point is also really cool! Although there is always a ton of people there. The strip of beach is lined with vendors if you get hungry and there is also a sign up for or other fun water activities. Be sure to catch a sunset in Mallory Square, its something you don't want to miss!!!! Happy traveling...

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Hello!

2008-02-22T16:14:00.000-08:00

Hello!

On this blog you will find all kinds of information about everything and anything. We will write about travel, business, food, health, fitness, finance, technology, entertainment, and many other things. Stay with us and you might even learn some valuable info. Have a nice day!