Monday, April 28, 2008

Are Baby Walkers Really Dangerous?

Yes! In US every year about three million baby walkers are sold for their 6 month kids. But by giving a child added height, a walker unexpectedly brings him within reach of hazards such as hot pots, electric irons and unprotected electrical cords. And kids in walkers travel so fast three or four feet a second that even the most attentive parents may not be able to avoid disaster," said Diana Willensky in American Health magazine. Babies in walkers plummet downstairs, door thresholds, and carpet edges, roll themselves against hot wood stoves and heaters, fall over concrete curbs, or tumble into swimming pools are common disaster what we can not avoiding. Especially old-style x-frame walkers cause for many injuries such as finger amputations when a baby's hand got caught in the closing x-joint of the frame.

Generally, the risk of accidents increases in kids who use an hour or more a day in them and most of the accidents occurred in the early afternoon when only one parent was away. Usually we bought the walkers in the belief that it will help our child walk sooner but the facts say otherwise. Rather than assist your baby walk, walkers may make things hard for your child. Freitag, who has developed safety standards for baby products for the American Society for Testing and Materials, said walkers may "get in the way with needed pulling up, crawling and creeping experiences" of babies. This was proven by a study that showed that the leg actions of babies who used walkers differed greatly from those who didn't. In that study, babies who exhausted a considerable time in walkers had stiff legs and shorter steps. They also leaned forward more than children who learned to walk on their own.

Friday, April 11, 2008

Benefits Of Lavender Oil

To day every one use lavender oil to variety of problems like aches, burns, infections, colic, and stress. Because its a gentle tranquilizer and also an effective antibacterial agent. Here are some lavender oil benefits for your health.
  • Muscle ache: When you are suffering with muscle ache dilute 10 drops lavender oil with 2 tablespoons water and softly rub it into the affected area.
  • Sunburn relief: combine 10 drops lavender oil into 4 ounces of water in a spray bottle and lightly spray the sunburn and let dry.
  • Minor skin irritations: If you have the small skin irritations, mix 3 drops of lavender oil with 1 quart of distilled water and dab on affected area every day.
  • Ear infections: soak a cotton ball with olive oil and add 5 drops of lavender oil to it and place cotton ball in your external part of your ear.
  • Dry hair: If you have the dry and dandruff hair then mix 4-5 drops of Clary sage oil with 5 drops of lavender oil and add to 2 tablespoons of shampoo and massage into your scalp and let it soak in for a short time. Rinse out. Do this twice a week.
  • Insomnia: Mix 10 drops of lavender oil to 4 ounces of water into a spray bottle, lightly spray your pillow and let dry. Or fill a muslin bag with lavender flowers and sew shut. Place sachet in your pillowcase.
  • Stomachaches, cramps, and colic: Mix 30 drops of lavender oil, 10 drops of chamomile oil and 3 1/2 ounces of olive oil into a bottle. Shake Well. Massage mixture gently onto the stomach and abdomen for 10-15 minutes in a circular motion. When done wait 15 minutes and apply a hot washcloth, or low-heat heating pad to belly for about half an hour.
  • Relieve menstrual cramps: Run a warm bath and add 2 drops of German chamomile oil and 2 drops of lavender oil. Relax in the bath for about a half an hour.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Market segmentation and its kinds

Market segmentation is a process of dividing the market according to similarities that exist among the various subgroups within the market. The similarities may be common characteristics, or common needs and desires. In other words market segmentation is the process of dividing the market according to similarities that exist among the various subgroups within the market.

The most common elements used to separate consumer markets are demographic factors, psychographics characteristics, geographic location, and perceived product benefits.

Demographic segmentation involves dividing the market on the basis of statistical differences in personal characteristics, such as age, gender, race, income, life stage, occupation, and education level.

Psychographic segmentation is based on traits, attitudes, interests, or lifestyles of potential customer groups. Companies marketing new products, for instance, seek to identify customer groups that are positively disposed to new ideas. Firms marketing environmentally friendly products would single out segments with environmental concerns.

Geographic segmentation entails dividing the market on the basis of where people live. Divisions may be in terms of neighborhoods, cities, counties, states, regions, or even countries. Considerations related to geographic grouping may include the makeup of the areas, that is, urban, suburban, or rural; size of the area; climate; or population.

Product-benefit segmentation is based on the perceived value or advantage consumers receive from a good or service over alternatives.

Thus, markets can be partitioned in terms of the quality, performance, image, service, special features, or other benefits prospective consumers seek.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

How to Be a Good Roommate

Have you ever had to share a home with a stranger or even a close friend, only to find out you can't live together? Living with other people is difficult, especially when each person comes from a different background and has their own ideas about how they want to live. When I am doing my college, I’ve lived with a roommate who is right for me in one of the Atlanta apartment. Here are some points discuss about how to be a good roommate. Find the good roommate to begin with to select a roommate on the basis of how friendly they are, but you're better off judging them on the basis of day-to-day living compatibility. Compare their daily habits to yours.
  • Are they early risers or night owls?
  • What temperature do they think is comfortable?
  • How much TV do they watch?
  • Respect each others other’s privacy and personal space.
  • Avoid from allergic products.
  • Do they smoke or do any other kinds of recreational drugs?
  • What decorating style do they have?
  • Set boundaries and stick with them. This applies to food, clothes, possessions, loud activities, use of common areas, parties, quiet hours, cleaning responsibilities, and so on.
  • Be ready to compromise. Because everyone don’t have the same ideas about day-to-day living as you do. You can't ask your roommate to change himself or herself if you're not willing to change as well.
  • Every day spend some time with your friend and Say hello and goodbye, ask them how their day was, and show interest in his or her life.
  • Divide the responsibilities.
  • Share thoughts and ideas.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Rights & Responsibilities Of Citizens Of The United States

The Immigration and Naturalization Act sets forth the legal requirements for the acquisition of, and divestiture from, citizenship of the United States. The requirements have become more explicit since the ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution, with the most recent changes to the statutory law having been made by the United States Congress in 2001.
Adult citizens of the United States who are residents of one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia have the right to fully participate in the political system of the United States, as well as their state and local governments (with most states having restrictions on voting by persons imprisoned for felonies, some states having restrictions on voting by people convicted of felonies, and a federal constitutional prohibition on naturalized persons running for President and Vice President of the United States), are represented and protected abroad by the United States (through U.S. embassies and consulates), and are allowed to reside in the United States, and certain territories, without any immigration requirements.
Citizens have the duty to serve in a jury, if selected. Citizens are also required to pay taxes on their total income from all sources worldwide, including income earned abroad while residing abroad (regardless of the duration of the residence) – but only beyond the first $85,700 in this case because of the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion. U.S. taxes payable may be further reduced by credits for foreign income taxes. The United States Government also insists that U.S. citizen’s travel into and out of the United States on a U.S. passport, regardless of any other nationality they may possess.
Male U.S. citizens (including those living permanently abroad and/or with dual U.S./other citizenship) are required to register with the Selective Service System at age 18 for possible conscription into the armed forces. Although no one has been drafted in the U.S. since 1973, draft registration continues for possible reinstatement on some future date.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Forced Immigration In American Colonies

Slavery existed in the Americas, prior to the presence of Europeans, as the Natives often captured and held other tribes' members as captives. Some of these captives were even forced to undergo human sacrifice under some tribes, such as the Aztecs. The Spanish followed with the enslavement of local aborigines in the Caribbean. As the native populations declined, mostly from European diseases, but also and significantly from forced exploitation and careless murder, Africans imported through a large commercial slave trade often replaced them. By the 18th century, the overwhelming number of black slaves was such that Native American slavery was less commonly used. Africans, who were taken aboard slave ships to the Americas, were primarily obtained from their African homelands by coastal tribes who captured and sold them. The high incidence of disease nearly always fatal to Europeans kept nearly all the slave captures activities confined to native African tribes. Rum, guns and gunpowder were some of the major trade items exchanged for slaves. In all, approximately three to four hundred thousand black slaves streamed into the ports of Charleston, South Carolina and Newport, Rhode Island until about 1810. The total slave trade to islands in the Caribbean, Brazil, and Mexico and to the United States is estimated to have involved 12 million Africans. Of these, 5.4% (645,000) were brought to what is now the United States. In addition to African slaves, poor Europeans were brought over in substantial numbers as indentured servants, particularly in the British Thirteen colonies.

Friday, January 4, 2008

Variations Of Journalism

Newspapers and periodicals often contain features written by journalists, many of who specialize in this form of in-depth journalism. Feature articles usually are longer than straight news articles, and are combined with photographs, drawings or other "art." Typographic effects or colors may also highlight them.

Writing features can be more demanding than writing straight news stories, because while a journalist must apply the same amount of effort to accurately gather and report the facts of the story, the reporter must also find a creative and interesting way to write the article, especially the lead, or the first one or two paragraphs of the story. The lead must grab the reader's attention yet accurately embody the ideas of the article. Often the lead of a feature article is dictated by its subject matter. Journalists must work even harder to avoid clichéd images and words when writing the lead and the rest of the article.

In the last half of the 20th Century the line between straight news reporting and feature writing blurred as more and more journalists and publications experimented with different approaches to writing an article. Tom Wolfe, Gay Talese, Hunter S. Thompson and other journalists used many different approaches to writing news articles. Urban and alternative weekly newspapers went even further in blurring the distinction, and many magazines include more features than straight news.

Some television news shows experimented with alternative formats, and many TV shows that claimed to be news shows were not considered as such by many critics, because their content and methods did not adhere to accepted journalistic standards. National Public Radio, on the other hand, is considered a good example of a good mixture of straight news reporting, features, and combinations of the two, usually meeting standards of high quality. Other U.S. public radio news organizations have achieved similar results. A majority of newspapers still maintain a clear distinction between news and features, as do most television and radio news organizations.

Thursday, January 3, 2008

4G Technology Objectives

4G (also known as beyond 3G), an acronym for Fourth-Generation Communications System, is a term used to describe the next step in wireless communications. A 4G system will be able to provide a comprehensive IP solution where voice, data and streamed multimedia can be given to users on an "Anytime, Anywhere" basis, and at higher data rates than previous generations. There is no formal definition for what 4G is; however, there are certain objectives that are projected for 4G.
These objectives include: that 4G will be a fully IP-based integrated system. This will be achieved after wired and wireless technologies converge and will be capable of providing 100 Mbit/s and 1 Gbit/s speeds both indoors and outdoors, with premium quality and high security. 4G will offer all types of services at an affordable cost.
  • 4G is being developed to accommodate the quality of service (QoS) and rate requirements set by forthcoming applications like wireless broadband access,Multimedia Messaging , video chat, mobile TV, High definition TV content, DVB, minimal service like voice and data, and other streaming services for "anytime-anywhere". The 4G working group has defined the following as objectives of the 4G wireless communication standard: A spectrally efficient system (in bits/s/Hz and bit/s/Hz/site),
  • High network capacity: more simultaneous users per cell,
  • A nominal data rate of 100 Mbit/s while the client physically moves at high speeds relative to the station, and 1 Gbit/s while client and station are in relatively fixed positions as defined by the ITU-R,
  • A data rate of at least 100 Mbit/s between any two points in the world,
  • Smooth handoff across heterogeneous networks,
  • Seamless connectivity and global roaming across multiple networks,
  • High quality of service for next generation multimedia support (real time audio, high speed data, HDTV video content, mobile TV, etc)
  • Interoperability with existing wireless standards, and
  • An all IP, packet switched network.
In summary, the 4G systems should dynamically share and utilize network resources to meet the minimal requirements of all the 4G enabled users.

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Tire Care Tips

Tire safety is simple and easy. Maintenance, tire basics and a simple education can make your ride on the road a lot safer.
  • Don’t wait until it’s too late - Make it a habit to check your tire pressure at least once per month and before every long trip. Under inflated tires causes excess heat build-up that can damage tires and lead to a failure.
  • Know your pressure point - The correct tire pressure is found on a sticker on the driver's door, door post or owner’s manual not on the tire sidewall ­ that’s the maximum pressure for the tire.
  • Keep your cool - To accurately measure your tire pressure, check tires when they are cold. Wait at least three hours after driving.
  • Take care of your spare - Check your spare tire each month and keep it properly inflated so it¹s ready to go when you need it most.
  • Penny for your thoughts - A penny can tell you if your tire is bald. Place a penny upside down into a tread groove. If you can see all of Lincoln’s head, it’s time for a new tire.
  • Keep yourself in line - Be aware of potholes that can not only damage your tire but can also jar your car¹s alignment.
  • Pick a date and rotate - Make sure you rotate your tires every 6,000 miles to promote uniform wear and longer tire life.
  • Don't take a spin without a cap - Driving without your tire valve cap allows for a slow leak of air from the tire and eventual under inflation.
  • Don't lose your balance - It is important to have your tire balance checked periodically to avoid irregular wear.
  • Be a weight-watcher - Overloading your vehicle stresses your tires and can lead to damage.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Don't Let Your Bacon Turn Into Spam

Bacon is a newly coined term used to describe the permission-based marketing you receive by email. It is not spam, exactly, because you agreed to it, maybe when signing up for a store's newsletter or joining an airline's frequent flyer program. So you probably don't mind getting messages about free shipping on orders over $100 or last-minute deals on flights. But neither are you in a hurry to read them. That's bacon. If your business uses email to reach customers, stressing the fine line in customers' perception between bacon and Spam. If you send subscribers a stream of irrelevant content, they might react by:
  • Creating rules to automatically delete your messages.
  • Hitting the Spam button, increasing the chances you'll be blacklisted by your ISP.
  • Unsubscribe in frustration.

This doesn't have to happen:

  • Make it easy for your subscribers to update their preferences.
  • Use profile data to target a receptive audience for each mailing.

Bacon is acceptable as long as it contains information. Your subscribers will read sooner or later. But if the communication is not relevant to them, they will start thinking of it as Spam.

Friday, November 23, 2007

Car Care Kit

Before you go for a drive, it's important to make sure that the vehicle you are driving is outfitted with a proper car care kit. It is always suggested parents to arrange a Car Care Package for your driving - whether you are making the long drive to an out-of-state or simply traveling to and from your office every day. Planning ahead will help avoid breakdowns and stuck down the roadside. A car care package is inexpensive and contains items that will help people perform necessary preventive maintenance and simple repairs to keep your car moving.
A basic car repair kit should contain the following:
  • Tire pressure gauge
  • Jumper cables
  • Extra oil
  • Antifreeze
  • Windshield wiper fluid
  • Mechanics wire (to wire up exhaust system or sagging bumper)
  • Flashlight with extra batteries
  • Assortment of tools, including a lug wrench, hammer, standard and Phillips screwdrivers, adjustable wrench
  • Duct tape (to tape a mirror in place or temporarily cover a hole in a hose)
  • Extra money (for car wash or to pay a towing company that requires cash)

You must also learn to use the tools in car care package. You should know how to use a hammer to remove a tire rim that might be slightly rusted when changing a flat tire. Have your car periodically checked by a certified automotive technician to confirm they are road ready. The technician must check fluid levels, belts and hoses, tire pressure, filters, windshield wipers, brakes, lights and the battery.