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Sunglasses are shades for the eyes that may offer protection, better vision, comfort, or just a chic look. They are different from spectacles which only function for people with disorders of vision. Sunglasses are more associated with fashion rather than function.

It is surmised that the idea of sunglasses took birth from the Roman Emperor Nero who liked to watch gladiator fights through emeralds and rubies. But the modern sunglasses took shape only in the 1940s and the movie and pop fraternity has had a huge contribution in making them so popular. Today, sunglasses are available in all perceivable colors, with hundreds of rim and frame styles and protective enhancements.

The most popular classic style of sunglasses is the aviator. They have oval pear-shaped lenses that narrow towards the bridge of the nose. Early movies have stars flaunting their aviators with style. This style is still largely popular; despite the entry of polarized lenses, sports eyewear, wraparounds and clip-ons.

Polarized sunglasses provide protection from severe solar glares from water and snow surfaces, beaches, and roads. They use the light polarization technology mastered by Edwin H. Land in 1936. People who want to discard their spectacles for something trendier without compromising on their visual quality opt for prescriptive sunglasses. Sportspeople wear a different type of polarized sunglasses that are mirrored on the outside that reflect light of different colors.

Whatever type of glasses one might be wearing can be changed into something radically different by attaching a pair of clip-ons. Clip-on sunglasses are a pair of lens available in a wide variety of colors and features that may be affixed onto an existing pair of glasses or even a hat. Sunglasses are associated with fashion in a big way and people like Britney Spears, Ivana Trump, Sophia Loren, and Linda Evans have their own lines of sunglasses. One could say that sunglasses are as much a part of the catwalk as they are of the street.

Oakley was the first brand to recognize the potential of sunglasses as a fashion accessory. Their sunglasses are still very highly priced and exclusive. However there are countless other brands including Ray-Bans, Serengetis, Christian Diors, Chanels, Donna Karans, Dolce & Gabbanas, and Louis Vuittons. thronging the designer sunglasses market. These popular brands have spawned another endless market of replica sunglasses, whose products are available at fractions of the costs of the originals.

Sunglasses are a must-have on beaches, picnics, or just when walking down the street on a sunny day. They have become as important as any other part of clothing.

Sun Glasses provides detailed information about sun glasses, clip-on sun glasses, designer sun glasses and more. Sun Glasses is affiliated with Replica Watches.

First, brace your bow. To do this properly, grasp it at the handle with your right hand, the upper horn upward and the back toward you. Place the lower horn at the instep of your right foot, and the base of your left palm against the back of the bow, near the top below the loop of the string. Holding your left arm stiff and toward your left side, your right elbow fixed on your hip, pull up on the handle by twisting your body so that the bow is sprung away from you. The string is now relaxed, and the fingers of the left hand push it upward till it slips in the nock.

Don’t try to force the string, and don’t get your fingers caught beneath it. Do most of the work with the right hand pulling against the rigid left arm.

The proper distance between the bow and the string at the handle is six inches. This is ordinarily measured by setting the fist on the handle and the thumb sticking upright, where it should touch the string. This is the ancient fistmele, an archer’s measure, also used in measuring lumber.

Hunting bows should be strung a little less than this because of the prolonged strain on them. Target bows shoot cleaner when higher strung.

Change your bow to your left hand and drop the arm so that the upper end of the bow swings across the body in a horizontal position. Draw an arrow from the quiver with the right hand and carry it across the bow till it rests on the left side at the top of the handle. Place the left forefinger over the shaft and keep it from slipping while you shift your right hand to the arrow-nock, thumb uppermost. Push the arrow forward, at the same time rotating it until the cock feather, or that perpendicular to the nock, is away from the bow. As the feathers pass over the string and the thumb still rests on the nock, slip the fingers beneath the string and fit it in the arrow-nock.

Now turn the bow upright and remove your left forefinger from its position across the shaft. The arrow should rest on the knuckles without lateral support. Now place your fingers in position for shooting. The release used by the old English is the best. This consists in placing three fingers on the string, one above the arrow, two below. The string rests midway between the last joint and the tip of the finger. The thumb should not touch the arrow, but lie curled up in the palm.

The release used by children consists in pinching the arrow between the thumb and forefinger, and is known as the primary loose. This type is not strong enough to draw an arrow half way on a hunting bow.

Stand sidewise to your mark, with the feet eight or ten inches apart, at right angles to the line of shot. Straighten your body, stiffen the back, expand the chest, turn the head fully facing the mark, look at it squarely, and draw your bow across the body, extending the left arm as you draw the right hand toward the chin.

Draw the arrow steadily, in the exact plane of your mark, so that when the full draw is obtained and the arrowhead touches the left hand, the right forefinger touches a spot on the jaw perpendicularly below the right eye and the right elbow is in a continuous line with the arrow. This point on the jaw below the eye is fixed and never varies; no matter how close or how far the shot, the butt of the arrow is always drawn to the jaw, not to the eye, nor to the ear. Thus the eye glances along the entire length of the shaft and keeps it in perfect line. The bow hand may be lowered or raised to obtain the proper elevation and length of flight. The left arm is held rigidly but not absolutely extended and locked at the elbow. A slight degree of flexion here makes for a good clearance of the string and adds resiliency to the shot.

The arrow is released by drawing the right hand further backward at the same time the fingers slip off the string. This must be done so firmly, yet deftly, that no loss of power results, and the releasing hand does not draw the arrow out of line. Two great faults occur at this point: one is to permit the arrow to creep forward just before the release, and the other is to draw the hand away from the face in the act of releasing. Keep your fingers flexed and your hand by your jaw. All the fingers of the right hand must bear their proper share of work. The great tendency is to permit the forefinger to shirk and to put too much work on the ring finger.

If the arrow has a tendency to fall away from the bow, tip the upper limb ten degrees to the right and pull more on the right forefinger, also start the draw with the fingers more acutely flexed, so that as the arrow is pinched between the first and second fingers and as they tend to straighten out under the pressure of the string, the arrow is pressed against the bow, not away from it.

In grasping the bow with the left hand, it should rest comfortably in the palm and loosely at the beginning of the draw. The knuckle at the base of the thumb should be opposite the center of the bow, the hand set straight on the wrist. As you draw, be sure that the arrow comes up in a straight line with your mark, otherwise the bow will be twisted in the grasp and deflect the shot. Then fully drawn, set the grasp of the left hand without disturbing the position of the bow, make the left arm as rigid as an oak limb; fix the muscles of the chest; make yourself inflexible from head to toe. Keep your right elbow up and rivet your gaze upon your mark; release in a direct line backward. Everything must be under the greatest tension, any weakening spoils your flight.

The method of aiming in game shooting consists in fixing binocular vision on the object to be hit, drawing the nock of the arrow beneath the right eye and observing that the head of the arrow is in a direct line with the mark by the indirect vision of the right eye. Both eyes are open, both see the mark, but only the right observes the arrowhead, the left ignores it. Your vision must be so concentrated upon one point that all else fades from view. Just two things exist–your mark and your arrowhead.

At a range of sixty or eighty yards, the head of the arrow seems to touch the mark while aiming. This is called point blank range. At shorter lengths the archer must estimate the distance below the mark on which his arrow seems to rest in order to rise in a parabolic curve and strike the spot. At greater ranges he must estimate a distance above the mark on which he holds his arrow in order to drop it on the object of his shot.

If his shaft flies to the left, it is because he has not drawn the nock beneath his right eye, or he has thrown his head out of line, or the string has hit his shirt sleeve or something has deflected the arrow.

If it falls to the right, it is because he has made a forward, creeping release, or weakened in his bow arm, or in drawing to the center of the jaw instead of the angle beneath the eye.

If the arrow rattles on the bow as it is released, or slaps it hard in passing, it is because it is not drawn up in true line, or because it fits too tightly on the string, or because the release is creeping and weak. Always draw fully up to the barb.

If his arrows drop low and all else is right, it is because he has not kept his tension, or has lowered his bow arm.

After the arrow is released, the archer should hold his posture a second, bow arm rigidly extended, drawing hand to his jaw, right elbow horizontal. This insures that he maintains the proper position during the shot. There should be no jerking, swinging, or casting motions; all must be done evenly and deliberately.

The shaft should fly from the bowstring like a bird, without quaver or flutter. All depends upon a sharp resilient release.

Having observed all the prerequisites of good shooting, nothing so insures a keen, true arrow flight as an effort of supreme tension during the release. The chest is held rigid in a position of moderate inspiration, the back muscles are set and every tendon is drawn into elastic strain; in fact, to be successful, the whole act should be characterized by the utmost vigor.

Game shooting differs from target shooting in that with the latter a point of aim is used, and the archer fixes his eyes upon this point which is perpendicular above or below the bull’s-eye. The arrowhead is held on the point of aim, and when loosed, flies not along the line of vision, but describes a curve upward, descends and strikes not the point of aim, but the bull’s-eye.

The field archer should learn to estimate distances correctly by eye. He should practice pacing measured lengths, so that he can tell how many yards any object may be from him.

In hunting he should make a mental note of this before he shoots. In fact we nearly always call the number of yards before we loose the arrow.

Where a strong cross-wind exists, a certain amount of windage is allowed. But up to sixty yards the lateral deflexion from wind is negligible; past this it may amount to three or four feet.

In clout shooting and target practice, one must take wind into consideration. In hunting we only consider it when approaching game, as a carrier of scent, because our hunting ranges are well under a hundred yards and our heavy hunting shafts tack into the wind with little lateral drift.

No matter how much a man may shoot, he is forever struggling with his technique. I remember getting a letter from an old archer who had shot the bow for more than fifty years. He was past seventy and had to resort to a thirty-five pound weapon. He complained that his release was faulty, but he felt that with a little more practice he could perfect his loose and make a perfect shot. Since writing he has entered the Happy Hunting Grounds, still a trifle off in form.

Even a sylvan archer needs to practice form at the targets. He should study the game from its scientific principles as formulated by Horace Ford, the greatest target shot ever known.

The point-of-aim system and target practice improve one’s hunting. Hunting, on the other hand, spoils one’s target work. The use of heavy bows so accustoms the muscles to gross reactions that they fail to adjust themselves to the finer requirements of light bows and to the precise technique of the target range.

The field archer gets his practice by going out in the open and shooting at marks of any sort, at all distances, from five to two hundred yards. A bush, a stray piece of paper, a flower, a shadow on the grass, all are objects for his shafts.

The open heath, shaded forest, hills and dales, all make good grounds. As he comes over a knoll a bush on the farther side represents a deer, he shoots instantly. He must learn to run, to stop short and shoot, fresh or weary he must be able to draw his bow and discharge one arrow after another. With the bow unstrung walking along the trail, often we have stopped at the word of command, strung the bow, drawn an arrow from the quiver, nocked it, and discharged it within the space of five seconds. Deliberation, however, is much more desirable.

Let several archers go into the fields together and roam over the land, aiming at various marks; it makes for robust and accurate game shooting.

Shooting an exact line is much easier than getting the exact length. For this reason it is easier to split the willow wand at sixty or eighty yards than it seems.

Often we have tried this feat to amuse ourselves or our friends, and seldom more than six arrows are needed to strike such a lath or stick at this distance. Hitting objects tossed in the air is not so difficult either. A small tin can or box thrown fifteen or twenty feet upward at a distance of ten or fifteen yards can be hit nearly every time, especially if the archer waits until it just reaches the apex of its course and shoots when it is practically stationary.

Shooting at swinging objects helps to train one in leading running or flying game.

Turtle shooting, that form in which the arrow is discharged directly upward and is supposed to drop on the mark, is difficult and attended with few hits, but it trains one in estimating wind drift.

An archer should also learn the elevation or trajectory at which his arrows fly at various distances. Shooting in the woods over hanging limbs may interfere with a good shot. In this case the archer can kneel and thus lower his flight to avoid interception.

In kneeling it seems that the right knee should be on the ground, while the left foot is forward. This is a natural pose to assume during walking, and the left thigh should be held out of the way of the bow-string. When not in use, but braced, the bow should be carried in the left hand, the string upward, the tip pointing forward. It never should be swung about like a club nor shouldered like a gun.

Shooting from horseback is not impossible, but it must be done off the left side of the horse, and a certain amount of practice is necessary for the horse as well as for the archer.

It is surprising how accurately one can shoot at night. Even the dimmest outline will serve the bowman, and his shaft has an uncanny way of finding the mark.

When it comes to missing the mark, that is the subject for a sad story. It takes an inveterate optimist to stand the moral strain of persistent missing. In fact, it is this that spoils the archery career of many a tyro–he gives up in despair. It looks so easy, but really is so difficult to hit the mark. But do not be cast down, keep eternally at practice, and ultimately you will be rewarded. Nothing stands a man in such good stead in this matter as to have started shooting in his youth.

And do not imagine that we are infallible in our shooting. Some of the most humiliating moments of our lives have come through poor shooting. Just when we wanted to do our best, before an expectant gathering, we have done our most stupid missing. But even this has its compensations and inures us to defeat.

It is a striking fact that we shoot better when confronted by the game itself. Under actual hunting conditions you will hit closer to your point than on the target field.

Study every move for clean, accurate shooting, and analyze your failures so that you can correct your faults. Extreme care and utmost effort will be rewarded by greater accuracy.

Other things being equal, it is the man who shoots with his heart in his bow that hits the mark.

The Author is Publisher of http://www.bowhunting-secrets.com a website containing e-books and great information on Bowhunting and Archery.

“Know thyself”
-Socrates

I’m sitting in a crowded café. Straight ahead is a young couple, the woman staring intently at a computer screen, the man writing feverishly in a notebook. They work steadily, not looking up or speaking with each other. Ahead and to the right sits another couple. The young man sips from a large cup. He stares blankly ahead and then looks around aimlessly. The young woman concentrates on some of the artwork on the wall, turning occasionally to comment on the pieces. The young man breaks his reverie to nod agreement with her opinion. The counter is populated on the customer’s side by a young woman, digging busily in her purse for money, and on the servers’ side by a still younger woman with dreadlocks and a simple cloth skirt over a pair of jeans.

Everyone I see is busy. Whatever they’re doing seems so important to them. They’re very serious. They don’t smile. They seldom interact. If I were a visitor from another planet, I’d say that these Earthlings are a very troubled, very preoccupied species. Actually, they all look hypnotized, dazed, entranced.

I watch the flow of life going on around me. I’m at peace. I’m content. Are there things I could be doing? Yes. Are there things I could be planning, reviewing, or worrying about? Sure. I’m human. I’ve got a life. But, for right now, I’m choosing to be in the moment. For me, there is no past, no future. Just now.

From this perspective, many things become clear: one is just how not present most people are. Another is how unnecessary it is to live anywhere but in the present moment. Our preoccupation with our difficulties is routed in the mistaken idea that something is terribly wrong and must be fixed. The first words to ponder in the workbook for The Course in Miracles by Russ Wise are these:

Nothing matters

That’s it. Just those two simple words with the infinite power to change our entire lives.

Now, I can hear many of you reacting in defiance against this principle. And that’s OK. You’d get lots of agreement from society at large for the insistence that some things do matter. What about war, disease, injustice? Don’t these things matter?

Yes and no. From a human perspective, of course they do. We try our best to live within certain parameters and help when we can. But from a spiritual perspective, it’s all neutral. Nothing has the inherent quality of goodness or badness. It just is what it is. We humans attribute those qualities to the people and things around us. Devoid of judgment, the world actually becomes a friendlier place.

How would you treat others if you were God, or Jesus, or the Buddha? Would you accept some people or situations and reject others? No. You would love and cherish all beings and circumstances. You would treat everyone, regardless of his actions, with respect. You’d see those who acted inappropriately not as unacceptable, repulsive beings, but as confused children who had lost their way. How would you treat yourself? As a broken, hopeless mass of neuroses, or as a cherished, wonderful, and innocent individual, perfect exactly as you are?

We simply don’t have the right to sit in judgment of ourselves or others. We have neither the experience nor the perspective to see the whole picture, and our judgments are necessarily skewed by the culture in which we were raised and the beliefs we’ve unwittingly imbibed.

That is why the great spiritual leaders of every age have advocated detachment. Detachment is the ability to step back from our mental constructs and look at the world from a neutral perspective. It’s what Barry Weiss, a meditation teacher of thirty years, calls “being backstage.” In other words, we recognize that all our thoughts, plans, beliefs, judgments, prejudices, problems, and solutions take place on the stage of life. But here’s the good news. We’re not who we think we are! We’re not the ongoing monologue between our ears. We are, in fact, nothing more nor less than pure consciousness. We are backstage while the play of our life takes place before our eyes.

What is essence? Christians call it soul. Quakers call it that still small voice. Hindus call it the Atman. Buddhists call it consciousness. It is the fundamental you below your learned behaviors, thoughts and preferences. Look at the things that bring you joy: a beautiful sunset, an inspiring piece of music, a laughing child. Nobody taught you to love those things, because the appreciation you feel is inborn. It’s part of your essence. At the deepest level, you are pure essence, and none of the things you use to identify yourself are truly you.

You can’t think your way to that realization because anything you can think is happening in your mind, which is a limited form of consciousness. You need to reach this place in a distinctly different way. It requires courage and discipline to extricate yourself from the mistaken belief that you are your mind and, by extension, that every thought you have is vitally important. It is, however, vital if you’re to break free of your limitations and experience what the Buddha called “liberation,” what Jesus called “salvation,” and what has been termed by spiritual leaders throughout the eons as “self-knowledge.”

Eckart Tolle, the brilliant author of The Power of Now, begins his book with a fable. He tells the story of a beggar, sitting on a box, asking passersby to give him some money for food. One day, a man comes along and says, “I have nothing to give you, but what’s in that box you’re sitting on?” The beggar says, “This old box? Nothing. It’s just a box I sit on.” “Have you ever looked inside?” asks the man. “No, I haven’t.” “Take a look!” The beggar pries the lid off the box and to his astonishment finds it filled with diamonds and precious jewels.

Tolle goes on to say that the beggar represents each of us. We spend our lives begging for scraps of approval, attention, status, financial well-being, sex, sensory pleasures, power, and a host of other things, when our true wealth lies closer to us than the riches in the beggar’s box. Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of heaven and all else will be given unto you.” (Matthew 6:33)

He also said, “The kingdom of heaven is within.” (Luke 17:20-21)

A simple logical deduction, therefore, is that if we seek within, our outer needs will be met as well. The path towards self-realization is one of the most important paths upon which we can embark. Nothing will provide contentment until we learn to touch our own essence. In a subsequent article, we’ll explore the attributes of a path to connecting with that thing we call essence, but for now, let us leave this subject having made the commitment to the pursuit of our deeper truth. If you do no more now than to recognize the importance of this aspect of growth, you’re certain to be met with opportunities to discover the methods that suit you for attainment of that truth.

Dr. Steve Taubman is a hypnotist and physician, and the author of UnHypnosis: How to Wake Up, Start Over, and Create the Life You’re Meant to Live. His writings and teachings guide people in the use of tools of transformation, and bring esoteric spiritual principles down to earth. Learn more about UnHypnosis by visiting http://www.unhypnosis.com

Wholesale body jewelry bulk refers to buying body jewelry in bulk. This is a very good business opportunity, and it is a comparatively easy way to make money. It usually refers to buying body jewelry directly from the manufacturer, and selling it at wholesale prices to retailers who are interested in offering the jewelry to end customers in their stores, through online stores or through auction sites such as E Bay.

However, as a bulk buyer, it helps to keep in mind the kind of body jewelry that is popular. Traditional body jewelry like bracelets, earrings, anniversary bands, finger rings, pendants and necklaces continue to be popular. But new trends are gaining ground. Among the most popular piercing jewelry are labret rings, earlets (as a variation from ear rings), talons, ear barbells, navel rings, tongue rings and nipple rings. This new interest in body piercing jewelry offers an opportunity for those interested in buying wholesale body jewelry in bulk. One can also buy instruments used for piercing. Various piercing tools like plugs, flares and piercing retainers are in high demand.

If you are a retailer and plan to offer body jewelry to individual customers, the Internet offers a good opportunity to research manufacturers and wholesale body jewelry bulk dealers. Proper research can lead to a lucrative business opportunity, since these products are highly popular on online stores and sites like EBay. However, one should remember to check out a sample before actually ordering bulk quantities of any jewelry. Product guarantees and easy return policies are also important.

Some jewelry wholesalers also offer drop shipping. They will pack and ship the products directly to the end customer on your behalf. This saves you the trouble of packing and shipping the products, and you can focus on retailing the products.

Nominated for 58 Emmys, including one for Outstanding Drama Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation fulfilled all the potential and promise anticipated of a long-awaited successor to the original 1960s series: Star Trek. Created by a former L.A. police officer, Gene Roddenberry, the Star Trek TV series morphed into a franchise famous for the unprecedented fanatical devotion of its audience. Lasting only three seasons during its original network run, Star Trek struck gold with its syndicated reruns, launching a number of motion pictures featuring the original cast as well as novels, comic books, collectibles, and reams of Star Trek-related memorabilia. Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) became the first TV series to follow on the heels of the original, and its success would spark the creation of three additional series - Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993), Star Trek: Voyager (1995), and Star Trek: Enterprise (2001). But The Next Generation remained the most popular spin-off. Despite new characters and new episodes, the mission remained the same as before - “to boldly go where no man has gone before…” And to continue the rich tradition of the Star Trek name - a mission Star Trek: The Next Generation accomplishes with relative ease…

Star Trek: The Next Generation takes place in the 24th Century, almost one-hundred years after Captain Kirk’s crew set out to explore strange new worlds. Capt. Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart - I Claudius) commands the USS Enterprise-D and its diverse crew of humans, cyborgs, and varying life forms. Accompanying him on his voyage is an entirely new cast of passengers and crew including Commander William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes - North & South), Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner), Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton), Lt. Tasha Yar (Denise Crosby), Lt. Worf (Michael Dorn), Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden), and her son Ensign Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton)… Together, they struggle against numerous obstacles to carry out the mission of the USS Enterprise: “To explore strange new worlds… To seek out new life; new civilizations… To boldly go where no one has gone before!” This pioneering attitude, coupled with imaginative and brilliantly-produced alien worlds, provides Star Trek with its unique allure and special place within American pop culture - especially those episodes from the original series, widely regarded as the most popular of the Star Trek franchise…

The Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 5) DVD features a number of exciting episodes including the season premiere “Redemption” in which Capt. Picard postulates that the Romulans are behind the recent outbreak of civil war within the Klingon Empire, and he must persuade the Federation to intervene before the war annihilates the Klingon Empire and cripples their ally… Other notable episodes from Season 5 include “A Matter of Time” in which a man who claims to be from the future visits the USS Enterprise, and “The First Duty” in which the performance of an outlawed and dangerous maneuver by Starfleet Academy cadets leads to a scandal, with Wesley caught in the middle…

Below is a list of episodes included on the Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 5) DVD:

Episode 101 (Redemption) Air Date: 09-23-1991
Episode 102 (Darmok) Air Date: 09-30-1991
Episode 103 (Ensign Ro) Air Date: 10-07-1991
Episode 104 (Silicon Avatar) Air Date: 10-14-1991
Episode 105 (Disaster) Air Date: 10-21-1991
Episode 106 (The Game) Air Date: 10-28-1991
Episode 107 (Unification: Part 1) Air Date: 11-04-1991
Episode 108 (Unification: Part 2) Air Date: 11-11-1991
Episode 109 (A Matter of Time) Air Date: 11-18-1991
Episode 110 (New Ground) Air Date: 01-06-1992
Episode 111 (Hero Worship) Air Date: 01-27-1992
Episode 112 (Violations) Air Date: 02-03-1992
Episode 113 (The Masterpiece Society) Air Date: 02-10-1992
Episode 114 (Conundrum) Air Date: 02-17-1992
Episode 115 (Power Play) Air Date: 02-24-1992
Episode 116 (Ethics) Air Date: 03-02-1992
Episode 117 (The Outcast) Air Date: 03-16-1992
Episode 118 (Cause and Effect) Air Date: 03-23-1992
Episode 119 (The First Duty) Air Date: 03-30-1992
Episode 120 (Cost of Living) Air Date: 04-20-1992
Episode 121 (The Perfect Mate) Air Date: 04-27-1992
Episode 122 (Imaginary Friend) Air Date: 05-04-1992
Episode 123 (I, Borg) Air Date: 05-11-1992
Episode 124 (The Next Phase) Air Date: 05-18-1992
Episode 125 (The Inner Light) Air Date: 06-01-1992
Episode 126 (Time’s Arrow) Air Date: 06-15-1992

About the Author

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of the Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 5) DVD.

Piano lessons provide a wide range of benefits to young children. Here are my “Top Five.”

1. Piano lessons help preserve and develop children’s natural creative abilities.

The best analogy of how children learn through music that I’ve found is from Donald Kroodsma’s book “The Singing Life of Birds.” Every songbird can be identified by the unique song it sings, but a baby bird has to be taught by its parents to sing the family song. Baby birds, like humans, just ‘babble’ at first. Mother birds sing the family song over and over to the baby birds as they try to repeat it back. At first, the baby birds are only able to sing back one or two notes, but they gradually learn to sing the whole song. And birds with two voice boxes even learn to sing their own harmony parts! Once baby birds learn the family song, they can start developing their very own songs. Similarly, I encourage students to compose their own music after developing needed skills. In my experience, young children in piano are a lot like baby songbirds!

2. Piano lessons help children perfect their natural learning processes.

Music is a language, and children are programmed to absorb languages. Studies have shown that kids can most easily learn new languages when they start at a young age. Piano lessons help children develop the very same skills needed to accomplish language arts, like reading. In piano, students learn how to follow directions, scan written materials, think critically, create solutions and translate writing into action. For example, students must look at each note, measure and phrase and decide how to play each note to make the music come to life. Many children (including my own sons) have become much better readers after starting piano lessons. Further, piano lessons involves an interplay of both right and left brain activity that stimulates neural development.

3. Piano lessons help children learn how to stay focused and achieve goals.

Piano lessons help children set specific goals and then work towards reaching these goals. Each new piece of music a student learns requires a specific set of skills and playing habits. To achieve these goals students must learn to stay focused and study each note, measure and phrase to understand how to play the song. In doing this students learn to think critically and creatively as they decide how to make the music come to life. Staying focused over time develops good study habits that become natural. This is important because learning to practice good habits that match their goals shows children how to make their dreams come to life!

4. Piano lessons help children develop courage.

It takes courage to face challenges without letting our anxiety and worries get the best of us. Piano lessons help students learn to accept challenges such as learning a difficult song, as well as to perform pieces in front of teachers, friends, and families at recitals. Lessons also help kids learn the importance of keeping a positive perspective despite difficulties. Learning to handle uncertainty and stress in a way that minimizes anxiety and maximizes creativity is a valuable life tool. We all need practice at this!

5. Piano lessons teach children to persevere.

A key part of accomplishing anything difficult is not to give up easily. As children grow, piano lessons teach kids to try and then try again if they don’t initially succeed. However, as Yoda explained to Luke Skywalker, the objective isn’t just trying itself, but accomplishing the desired goal — “Do or do not, there is no try!” Piano lessons teach students how to adjust their expectations if they can’t initially master a tough song or skills, and to tackle these big goals by taking small incremental steps. In the end, just like the baby songbirds that eventually learn to sing, students learn that they can accomplish great things and reach their dreams through careful and consistent effort.

For great home piano activities parents can use to help children ages 5 to 11 develop their musical talent, visit Piano Adventure Bears Music Education Resources You’ll find a treasure box filled with piano resources to create an exciting musical adventure for your child - right in your own home! Visit their website and subscribe to their f’ree internet newsletter so you can download f’ree piano sheet music and mp3s of original piano compositions.

These exciting stories, games, piano lessons, and inspirational gifts feature the Piano Adventure Bears, Mrs. Treble Beary and her new piano student, Albeart Littlebud. Young students follow along with Albeart to learn what piano lessons are all about in a fun way that kids readily understand appreciate. Click here to visit PianoAdventureBears.com For a wealth of information about piano lessons, visit tallypiano.com

High school students and college freshman are always receiving all kinds of advertisements in their email boxes, on websites and even on television regarding information on applying for and receiving a college credit card. There are so many that offer great incentives that the student may not be able to say “no” to the gimmicks provided by the credit card companies such as the popular pre-approved for a college credit card.

Although it is generally a good idea for college students to have a college credit card, parents should take the time to sit and talk with their soon to college student to help them find the best college credit cards to fit their needs without all the bells and whistles. Parents should be sure their college students understand the terminology, interest rates, introductory offer, rewards, etc. of the different credit card companies. Not only should parents explain the ramifications of a credit card but also what it can do to their credit rating if they do not pay on time and how much more they will be spending in interest on any unpaid balances.

A college credit card can be set up with a modest limit for the first year college student to ensure they learn how to budget before they are given full reign with a larger spending limit, especially if the parents will be making the payments. However, if the college student is making his own monthly payments they will need to learn to budget so they will be able to pay their balance each and every month in a timely manner.

Parents should also aid their college students in searching for a college credit card with a low APR or annual percentage rate. If the student chooses a card with a 0% APR, have them read the fine print to learn just how long this APR will last. Most of the time, this is only an introductory special and will rise within 3 to 12 months. Some low APR college credit cards are much better in the long run than ones that only offer 0% in the beginning and then go up considerably after the introductory period.

Have your college student investigate all the cash back and points carefully before they decide on a card that offers this type of incentive. Many college students may not understand that these points may not be worth the cost and can expire if not used within a certain amount of time such as miles points.

One of the best parts about college credit cards is that today students can access their account online and learn if they are close to getting in trouble before it actually happens and they receive the statement in the mail. This can aid them in learning more about budgeting.

Not only will the student be able to access his college credit card account online but also so can his parents. This way if their student is in trouble, they will be able to help before it is too late.

College students should also only apply for a card that has a fraud and theft prevention feature. There are many other students living in dorms at colleges and you will need to protect your card from theft, which can be very hard with a college student’s busy lifestyle.

For more information the basics of college credit card offers, Robert Alan recommends that you visit CreditCardAssist.com.

http://www.plagiarism.org and http://www.Turnitin.com

Latin kidnapped the word “plagion” from ancient Greek and it ended up in English as “plagiarism”. It literally means “to kidnap” - most commonly, to misappropriate content and wrongly attribute it to oneself. It is a close kin of piracy. But while the software or content pirate does not bother to hide or alter the identity of the content’s creator or the software’s author - the plagiarist does. Plagiarism is, therefore, more pernicious than piracy.

Enter Turnit.com. An off-shoot of www.iparadigms.com, it was established by a group of concerned (and commercially minded) scientists from UC Berkeley.

Whereas digital rights and asset management systems are geared to prevent piracy - plagiarism.org and its commercial arm, Turnit.com, are the cyber equivalent of a law enforcement agency, acting after the fact to discover the culprits and uncover their misdeeds. This, they claim, is a first stage on the way to a plagiarism-free Internet-based academic community of both teachers and students, in which the educational potential of the Internet can be fully realized.

The problem is especially severe in academia. Various surveys have discovered that a staggering 80%(!) of US students cheat and that at least 30% plagiarize written material. The Internet only exacerbated this problem. More than 200 cheat-sites have sprung up, with thousands of papers available on-line and tens of thousands of satisfied plagiarists the world over. Some of these hubs - like cheater.com, cheatweb or cheathouse.com - make no bones about their offerings. Many of them are located outside the USA (in Germany, or Asia) and at least one offers papers in a few languages, Hebrew included.

The problem, though, is not limited to the ivory towers. E-zines plagiarize. The print media plagiarize. Individual journalists plagiarize, many with abandon. Even advertising agencies and financial institutions plagiarize. The amount of material out there is so overwhelming that the plagiarist develops a (fairly justified) sense of immunity. The temptation is irresistible, the rewards big and the pressures of modern life great.

Some of the plagiarists are straightforward copiers. Others substitute words, add sentences, or combine two or more sources. This raises the question: “when should content be considered original and when - plagiarized?”. Should the test for plagiarism be more stringent than the one applied by the Copyright Office? And what rights are implicitly granted by the material’s genuine authors or publishers once they place the content on the Internet? Is the Web a public domain and, if yes, to what extent? These questions are not easily answered. Consider reports generated by users from a database. Are these reports copyrighted - and if so, by whom - by the database compiler or by the user who defined the parameters, without which the reports in question would have never been generated? What about “fair use” of text and works of art? In the USA, the backlash against digital content piracy and plagiarism has reached preposterous legal, litigious and technological nadirs.

Plagiarism.org has developed a statistics-based technology (the “Document Source Analysis”) which creates a “digital fingerprint” of every document in its database. Web crawlers are then unleashed to scour the Internet and find documents with the same fingerprint and a colour-coded report is generated. An instructor, teacher, or professor can then use the report to prove plagiarism and cheating.

Piracy is often considered to be a form of viral marketing (even by software developers and publishers). The author’s, publisher’s, or software house’s data are preserved intact in the cracked copy. Pirated copies of e-books often contribute to increased sales of the print versions. Crippled versions of software or pirated copies of software without its manuals, updates and support - often lead to the purchase of a licence. Not so with plagiarism. The identities of the author, editor, publisher and illustrator are deleted and replaced by the details of the plagiarist. And while piracy is discussed freely and fought vigorously - the discussion of plagiarism is still taboo and actively suppressed by image-conscious and endowment-weary academic institutions and media. It is an uphill struggle but plagiarism.org has taken the first resolute step.

About the Author

Sam Vaknin is the author of Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited and After the Rain - How the West Lost the East. He is a columnist for Central Europe Review, United Press International (UPI) and eBookWeb and the editor of mental health and Central East Europe categories in The Open Directory, Suite101 and searcheurope.com.

Visit Sam’s Web site at http://samvak.tripod.com

When you think about side effects of medication you may think of headaches or some stomach disorders, but you never thought about sexual problems, because for some it is too much when you have depression.

Under an article published in the journal Psychiatric Annals, at least 50 per cent of people that take antidepressants in the class of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may experience sexual side effects, such as inability to become aroused and difficulty achieving orgasm.

The reported incidence of sexual dysfunction (SD) with different antidepressants, for instance, varies quite markedly, due in part to the methodologies used for collecting such information.

Researchers of a recently published study, in which patients received newer antidepressants, note that the reported incidence of sexual side effects in the product labeling for the new medication is around 15 per cent, but when asked directly, up to 70 per cent of patients report SD.

The cause of this problem is not really clear yet, but if you were diagnosed to take antidepressants for your depression and you have experienced sexual side effects as the above mentioned, be sure to tell your doctor about it.

The importance of doing this is that your doctor may adjust your medication regimen or change your medication if it is possible, so you will be able to continue taking the antidepressant needed without sacrificing your sexual pleasure and activity.

This matter, however, is not as simple as seem at first sight, since depressed patients with sexual dysfunctions caused by their medication lead them to non-compliance with antidepressant pharmacotherapy which may also complicate their depression state.

Article written by Hector Milla, editor of :: MyDepressionSymptoms.com :: visit for www.mydepressionsymptoms.com/“>Depression Symptoms Information, you may read their online guide to Eliminate Stress and Anxiety . at www.mydepressionsymptoms.com/eliminate-stress-anxiety/. Thanks for using this article in your website or ezine keeping a live link.

Use Print Ads to Bring Potential Customers to Your Internet Site

Print advertizing can be very profitable to Internet operators. Low-cost classified ads in targeted print magazines can drive folks to your site. Ads not targeted will prove to me fruitless.

One problem to Internet business operators is that ads must be tracked to determine the advertising dollar return. If a visitor comes to the site from a print ad, how do you track it? Well, the simplest way is to have your ad send them to a page (URL) used only for a specific ad. Place a counter on that page to see what traffic is generated by the ad. From this page, your customer can than move to your desired URL and message.

You may want to welcome the visitor to your tracking page with a request for his or her first name and e-mail address. That way, you will know which enquires place orders and those that can be contacted later by e-mail to persuade them to buy your product or service. A free gift or newsletter might intice them to leave their information. Just don’t make it a requirement to move on to your sales pitch.

Some operators request more information than the first name and e-mail address. Is that a good idea? How do you feel about it? Remember that the visitor is there to find the information described in your print ad. He is not there for the Spanish Inquisition. With this in mind, you may not want to ask more than two or three questions.

One Advantage of Print Advertising That Directs Traffic to Your URL

Your URL can be an ad in itself. That is if it is named correctly. I have a dozen web sites. I’ve tried to give them descriptive names that make the URLs ads in themselves. For example, one of my sites is www.secret-cash.com.

Another is www.money-making-books.com.

Do you get the point?

These URLs are small ads in themselves. This allows me to use fewer words or just the URL to promote my business.

If you would like a copy of my full magazine published article email me at tjbooks@hotmail.com

John T. Jones may be contacted at TJ Books, 213 3rd Ave. N., Buhl, ID 83316 or by e-mail at tjbooks@hotmail.com. He has a dozen web sites. The e-commerce site where he sells wealth-success books and kits is http://www.bookfindhelp.com