Tips on Filling fuel in your vehicle.

FILL UP YOUR CAR OR BIKKIE IN THE EARLY MORNING WHEN THE GROUND IS STILL COLD.

FACT IS THAT ALL SERVICE STATIONS HAVE THEIR STORAGE TANKS BURRIED BELOW THE GROUND. THE COOLER THE GROUND, THE DENSER THE FUEL, WHEN IT GETS WARMER PETROL EXPANDS, SO BUYING IN THE AFTERNOON OR IN THE EVENING YOUR LITRE IS NOT EXACTLY A LITRE.


IN THE PETROLEUM BUSINESS, THE SPECIFIC GRAVITY AND THE TEMPERATURE OF THE PETROL, DIESEL AND JET FUEL, ETHANOL AND OTHER PETROLEUM PRODUCTS PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE. A 1 DEGREE RISE IN TEMPRETURE PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE. A 1 DEGREE RISE IN TEMPERATURE IS A BIG DEAL FOR THIS BUSINESS. BUT THE SERVICE STATION DO NOT HAVE TEMPERATURE COMPENSATION AT THE PUMPS.


WHEN YOU’RE FILLING UP, DO NOT SQUEEZE THE TRIGGER OF THE NOZZLE TO A FAST MODE.

IF YOU LOOK YOU WILL SEE THAT THE TRIGGER HAS THREE (3) STAGES: LOW, MIDDLE AND HIGH. IN SLOW MODE YOU SHOULD BE PUMPING ON LOW SPEED, THEREBY MINIMIZING THE VAPOURS THAT ARE CREATED, WHILE YOU ARE PUMPING ALL HOSES AT THE PUMP HAVE A VAPOUR RETURN. IF YOU ARE PUMPING ON THE FAST RATE, SOME OF THE LIQUID THAT GOES TO YOUR TANK BECOMES VAPOUR. THOSE VAPOURS ARE BEING SUCKED UP AND BACK INTO THE UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK SO YOU’RE GETTING LESS WORTH FOR YOUR MONEY.


ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT TIPS IS TO FILL UP WHEN YOUR TANK IS HALF FULL.


REASON: THE MORE FUEL YOU HAVE IN YOUR TANK, THE LESS AIR OCCUPYING ITS EMPTY SPACE. PETROL EVAPORATES FASTER THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE. PETROLEUM STORAGE TANKS HAVE AN INTERNAL FLOATING ROOF. THIS, ROOF SERVES AS ZERO CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE PETROL AND THE ATMOSPHERE. SO IT MINIMIZES THE EVAPORATION.


IF THERE IS FUEL TRUCK PUMPING INTO THE STORAGE TANKS, DO NOT FILL UP YOUR VEHICLE. YOU MIGHT GET SOME DIRT IN YOUR TANK DUE TO STIRRING.

Tips to Harden Linux Server...

If you run your own Linux server here are some tips on server hardening,

1. On your firewall (you do have one don’t you?) check the incoming MySQL port and if 3306 is open, close it. If this port is left open it can pose both a security and server abuse threat since not only can hackers attempt to break into MySQL, any user can host their SQL database on your server and access it from another host and so (ab)use your server resources

2. Check /tmp permissions. /tmp should be chmod 1777

3. Check /tmp ownership /tmp should be owned by root:root

4. Check /etc/cron.daily/logrotate for /tmp noexec workaround. Due to a bug in logrotate if /tmp is mounted with the noexec option, you need to have logrotate use a different temporary directory. If you don’t do this syslog may not restart correctly and will write to the wrong (older) log files. See here for a way to do this

5. Check /var/tmp permissions. /var/tmp should be chmod 1777

6. Check /var/tmp ownership. /var/tmp should be owned by root:root

7. Check /var/tmp is mounted as a filesystem. /var/tmp should either be symlinked to /tmp or mounted as a filesystem

8. Check /var/tmp is mounted noexec,nosuid. /var/tmp isn’t mounted with the noexec,nosuid options (currently: none). You should consider adding a mountpoint into /etc/fstab for /var/tmp with those options

9. Check /usr/tmp permissions. /usr/tmp should be chmod 1777

10. Check /usr/tmp ownership. /usr/tmp should be owned by root:root

11. Check /usr/tmp is mounted as a filesystem or is a symlink to /tmp. /usr/tmp should either be symlinked to /tmp or mounted as a filesystem

12. Check /etc/resolv.conf for localhost entry. You should not specify 127.0.0.1 or localhost as a nameserver in /etc/resolv.conf - use the servers main IP address instead

13. Check /etc/named.conf for recursion restrictions. If you have a local DNS server running but do not have any recursion restrictions set in /etc/named.conf this is a security and performance risk and you should look at restricting recursive lookups to the local IP addresses only. Unrestricted recursive lookups are as good as a DDoS attack against your system. They will eat up all your system resources

14. Check server runlevel. For a secure server environment you should only run the server at runlevel 3. You can fix this by editing /etc/inittab and changing the initdefault line to:
id:3:initdefault: and then rebooting the server

15. Check nobody cron. You have a nobody cron log file - you should check that this has not been created by an exploit

16. Check Operating System support. Make certain that your OS version is still supported by the manufacturer and that upgrades continue to be available

17. Check SSHv1 is disabled. You should disable SSHv1 by editing /etc/ssh/sshd_config and setting: Protocol 2 (remove the hash # from in front of the line and edit out the 1.1)

18. Check SSH on non-standard port. Moving SSH to a non-standard port avoids basic SSH port scans. Edit /etc/ssh/sshd_config and setting: Port nnnn Where nnnn is a port of your choosing. Don’t forget to open the port in the firewall first!

19. Check SSH PasswordAuthentication. For ultimate SSH security, you might want to consider disabling PasswordAuthentication and only allow access using PubkeyAuthentication. For more information read this article and this article

20. Check telnet port 23 is not in use. Close this port in your firewall. Telnet is an insecure protocol and you should disable the telnet daemon if it is running

21. Check shell resource limits. You should enable shell resource limits to prevent shell users from consuming server resources - DOS exploits typically do this. If you are using cPanel/WHM set Shell Fork Bomb Protection.
Disable all instances of IRC - BitchX, bnc, eggdrop, generic-sniffers, guardservices, ircd, psyBNC, ptlink. If you are using WHM you can do this in the Background Process Killer.

22. Check apache for mod_security if not installed install it from source

23. Check apache for mod_evasive. You should install the mod_evasive apache module from source to help prevent DOS attacks against apache. Note that this module breaks FrontPage functionality

24. Check apache for RLimitCPU. You should set a value RLimitCPU to prevent runaway scripts from consuming server resources - DOS exploits can typically do this.

25. Check apache for RLimitMEM. You should set a value RLimitMEM to prevent runaway scripts from consuming server resources - DOS exploits can typically do this

26. Check php for enable_dl. You should modify /usr/local/lib/php.ini and set:
enable_dl = off This prevents users from loading php modules that affect everyone on the server. Note that if use dynamic libraries, such as ioncube, you will have to load them directly in php.ini1

27. Check php for disable_functions. You should modify /usr/local/lib/php.ini and disable commonly abused php functions, e.g.:
disable_functions = show_source, system, shell_exec, passthru, exec, phpinfo, popen, proc_open Some client web scripts may break with some of these functions disabled, so you may have to remove them from this list

28. Check phpsuexec. To reduce the risk of hackers accessing all sites on the server from a compromised PHP web script, you should enable phpsuexec when you build apache/php. Note that there are side effects when enabling phpsuexec on a server and you should be aware of these before enabling it

Metabolism Boosting Tips ...

Your metabolism is the rate at which your body burns calories. The faster you burn calories the more weight you can lose even if you eat the same amount, so it makes sense to do everything you can to boost your metabolic rate if you're trying to lose a few pounds.

Your metabolism is the rate at which your body burns calories. The faster you burn calories the more weight you can lose even if you eat the same amount, so it makes sense to do everything you can to boost your metabolic rate if you're trying to lose a few pounds.

You use about 60 of the calories you need each day just by being alive. That's your basal (or resting) metabolism. About 30 of the calories are accounted for by how much you move (your activity metabolism). The remaining 10 are used up by the process of digesting food (your thermic metabolism).

By making some simple changes you can fire up all three types of metabolism and become leaner faster.

1. Eat little and often
Small and regular meals throughout the day will keep your metabolism high. If you eat the same amount of food in just one or two large meals as you do in five or six mini-meals and snacks you will burn fewer calories. This is because your metabolism slows down between meals. Never skip meals to save calories. Having a low-calorie snack will work much better and will also stop you falling ravenously on the nearest chocolate bar later in the day.

2. Eat breakfast
Your metabolism slows down overnight. When you have been through a period of more than eight hours without eating you need food to get your metabolism going again. So have breakfast as soon as you can after you wake up. If you're not a breakfast person take something healthy with you when you leave the house and have it is soon as you can face it. It's not great for your weight loss plans to have to boost your metabolism with a mid morning cookie or cake.

3. Eat enough
If you eat too few calories, your metabolic rate will automatically drop. This is a self preservation mechanism, which kicks in when your body thinks you are starving. The safest bet is to eat about 250 calories less than you need at the sedentary level and to take 250 - 500 calories of exercise each day to give a steady weight loss of between one and two pounds a week.

4. Eat Lean Protein
It takes more energy for the body to digest protein than carbohydrate or fat. Studies have shown that people who eat a high-protein diet burn more than twice as many calories in the hours following their meal as those eating a high carbohydrate diet. While the safety of high-protein diets can be disputed, it does make sense to include some lean protein as part of each meal.

5. Eat Fibre
Food with lots of fibre also gives your thermic metabolism a boost. High-fibre foods like beans, fruit, vegetables and whole grains simply take longer to digest and therefore help burn more calories.

6. Spice up your food
Spicy foods (especially chilli) raise the metabolism by as much as twenty-five per cent for a few hours after eating. So eat hot and spicy food a bit more regularly and see if this helps you. Just go easy on the refried beans and guacamole if you decide to go Mexican!

7. Drink Coffee
Caffeine speeds up your heart rate and the faster your heart rate the more calories you burn. Not great if you have heart problems or difficulty getting to sleep however!

8. Drink Green Tea
The phytochemicals in green tea are supposed to raise metabolism slightly by causing your brain and nervous system to run more quickly. Although not many sizable and conclusive studies have been done on this to date, drinking green tea rather than milky coffee or other calorie-laden beverages will definitely help you lose weight!

9. Get active
Aerobic exercise for more than thirty minutes not only burns calories but also keeps your metabolism high for several hours afterwards. The best time for exercise is in the morning as it will help kick start your metabolism for the day. If you can do 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise almost every day your metabolism will soar. Interval training would help even more.

10. Walk it off
If you prefer to take light exercise, try going for a walk after lunch or dinner. This boosts the rise in metabolism you get after eating. No strenuous exercising on a full stomach though.

11. Build those muscles
Muscles burn calories even when you're resting. For every pound of muscle you add, you burn about 50 extra calories a day without taking any more exercise. So it's a great idea to include some resistance or weight training in your exercise regime. Twenty minutes three times a week is enough to make a big difference in your metabolic rate as well as the shape of your body.

12. Go hot or cold
Any extremes of temperature you experience will help raise your metabolism by up to 20 percent as the body attempts to cool you down or raise your temperature. Make sure it's safe for you to go in the sauna or on the arctic expedition though before you try this one. You could have a go at keeping your home a few degrees cooler than is comfortable for sitting around in winter and restrict the air conditioning to the very hottest days in summer. In the winter it will help you get up and get moving and in summer encourage you to go to the pool to cool off!

13. Drink Iced Water
Another trick is to drink a glass of iced water a few times a day. You'll raise your metabolism just by having to bring the water up to body temperature. Drinking water is required anyway, of course, to keep your bodily functions working smoothly (including your metabolism).

14. Watch the alcohol
On top of the empty calories that alcohol contains, it also has a dehydrating effect, which slows down your thermic metabolism. Alcohol tends to inhibit the process of metabolizing fat too, which can lower your basal metabolism. And there's not much chance of you wanting to exercise after all that booze so it'll have an effect on your activity metabolism too. Bad news all round!

15. Take up yoga
The chemical processes which comprise your metabolism are regulated by the endocrine system, especially the thyroid. Yoga has many postures which have a powerful twisting and compressing effect on the endocrine organs, strengthening and stimulating them and this can help to regulate and boost your metabolism.

If you boost your metabolism with these tips, you'll be improving your general health as well as your capacity to burn calories. You'll not only find that you lose weight more quickly but also that you will have more energy, greater strength and you'll be able to get through everything you have to do in a day more easily.

12 signs , its time to improve your Health !!!!!

The Warning Signs of Heart Disease Are High blood pressure?

1. Fingers or toes feel cold?

2· Night cramps in hands or feet?

3· A diagonal crease in your earlobe?

4· Your arms or legs often "go to sleep"?

5· Experience numbness in the arms or legs?

6· Your lips or fingers have a tingling sensation?

7· Breathless with slight exertion or if lying down?

8· On short walks, your legs get aches or pains?

9· A whitish ring under the cornea in your eye?

10· Your memory worse than it used to be?

11· Ankles that swell late in the day?

12. Loss of Sexual Potency?

If you answered yes to even one of these questions, you have early warning signs of blocked arteries and cardiovascular disease. Your body is telling you that it’s time to improve your health.

9 Tips to save Your Life and Your Loved One's Life....!!!

Everyone should take 5 minutes to read this. It may save your life or love one's life.
Crucial
Because of recent abductions
in daylight hours,refresh yourself
of these things to do
in an emergency situation...
This is for you,
and for you to share
with your wife,
your children,
everyone you know.

1 Tip from Tae Kwon Do :
The elbow
is the strongest point
on your body.
If you are close enough to use it,
do!

2. Learned this from a tourist guide
in New Orleans .
If a robber asks
for your wallet and/or purse,
DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM .
Toss it away from you....
chances are
that he is more interested
in your wallet and/or purse
than you,
and he will go
for the wallet/purse.
RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

3. If you are ever thrown
into the trunk of a car,
kick out the back tail lights
and stick your arm out the hole
and start waving like crazy.
The driver won't see you,
but everybody else will.
This has saved lives.

4. Women have a tendency
to get into their cars after shopping,
eating, working, etc.,
and just sit (doing their checkbook,
or making a list, etc.
DON'T DO THIS!)
The predator
will be watching you,
and this is the perfect opportunity
for him to get in
on the passenger side,
put a gun to your head,
and tell you where to go.
AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR ,
LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE.

a. If someone
is in the car
with a gun
to your head
DO NOT DRIVE OFF,
repeat:
DO NOT DRIVE OFF!
Instead gun the engine
and speed into anything,
wrecking the car.
Your Air Bag will save you.
If the person is
in the back seat
they will get the worst of it .
As soon as the car crashes
bail out and run.
It is better than having them
find your body
in a remote location.

5 A few notes about getting
into your car in a parking lot,
or parking garage:
A.) Be aware:
look around you,
look into your car,
at the passenger side floor ,
and in the back seat
B..) If you are parked next to a big van,
enter your car from the passenger door .
Most serial killers attack their victims
by pulling them into their vans
while the women are attempting
to get into their cars.
C..) Look at the car
parked on the driver's side
of your vehicle,
and the passenger side.
If a male is sitting alone
in the seat nearest your car,
you may want to walk back
into the mall, or work,
and get a guard/policeman
to walk you back out.
IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)

6. ALWAYS
take the elevator
instead of the stairs.
(Stairwells are horrible places
to be alone
and the perfect crime spot.
This is especially true at NIGHT!)

7. If the predator has a gun
and you are not under his control,
ALWAYS RUN!
The predator will only hit you
(a running target)
4 in 100 times;
And even then,
it most likely
WILL NOT
be a vital organ.
RUN,
Preferably !
in a zig -zag pattern!

8. As women,
we are always trying
to be sympathetic:
STOP
It may get you raped,
or killed.
Ted Bundy,
the serial killer,
was a good-looking,
well educated man,
who ALWAYS played
on the sympathies
of unsuspecting women.
He walked with a cane,
or a limp,
and often asked
"for help"
into his vehicle
or with his vehicle,
which is when he abducted
his next victim.
************ * Here it is *******

9. Another Safety Point:
Someone just told me
that her friend heard
a crying baby on her porch
the night before last,
and she called the police
because it was late
and she thought it was weird.
The police told her
"Whatever you do,
DO NOT
open the door."
The lady
then said that
it sounded like the baby
had crawled near a window,
and she was worried
that it would crawl
to the street
and get run over.
The policeman said,
"We already have a unit on the way,
whatever you do,
DO NOT open the door."
He told her that they think
a serial killer
has a baby's cry recorded
and uses it to coax
women out of their homes
thinking that someone
dropped off a baby
He said they have not verified it,
but have had several calls
by women saying that
they hear baby's cries
outside their doors
when they're home alone
at night.

10 BRAIN DAMAGING HABITS !!!!!

1. No Breakfast
People who do not take breakfast are going to have a lower blood sugar level.
This leads to an insufficient supply of nutrients to the brain causing brain degeneration.

2. Overeating
It causes hardening of the brain arteries, leading to a decrease in mental power.

3. Smoking
It causes multiple brain shrinkage and may lead to Alzheimer disease.

4. High Sugar consumption
Too much sugar will interrupt the absorption of proteins and nutrients causing malnutrition and may interfere with brain development.

5. Air Pollution
The brain is the largest oxygen consumer in our body. Inhaling polluted air decreases the supply of oxygen to the brain, bringing about a decrease in brain efficiency.

6. Sleep Deprivation
Sleep allows our brain to rest. Long term deprivation from sleep will accelerate the death of brain cells.

7. Head covered while sleeping
Sleeping with the head covered increases the concentration of carbon dioxide and decrease concentration of oxygen that may lead to brain damaging effects.

8. Working your brain during illness
Working hard or studying with sickness may lead to a decrease in effectiveness of the brain as well as damage the brain.

9. Lacking in stimulating thoughts
Thinking is the best way to train our brain, lacking in brain stimulation thoughts may cause brain shrinkage.

10. Talking Rarely
Intellectual conversations will promote the efficiency of the brain

The main causes of liver damage are:

1. Sleeping too late and waking up too late are main cause.

2. Not urinating in the morning.

3. Too much eating.

4. Skipping breakfast.

5. Consuming too much medicine

10 tips to STOP Worrying.

All human beings worry sometime or the other. The following ten steps can help you keep your worries at bay.

Step 1: Never worry alone. Talk to someone about your problems. This will help put your problems in proper perspctive.

Step 2: Get the facts: Find out if your worry has any basis. Write down what is worrying you, it will help you isolate and identify the problem.

Step3: Take action. Don’t waste your time or energy on worrying. Try to confront and resolve your problems. Avoiding difficulties creates more stress in the long run.

Step 4: Take care of your body: exercise daily, eat healthy food and get enough sleep, because exercising will help relax your muscles. Taking care of your body physically will not only reduce tension, but also gives more energy to deal with the problem.

Step 5: Live for the moment : don’t worry about what will happen in the future and what happened in the past. Focus instead on the present.

step 6: Be positive: always focus on the positive side of things instead of brooding on negative thoughts. Develop a sense of humour.

Step 7: Set aside a worry period of about 30 minutes to think about your problems, arrive at solutions and ease your tensions.

Step 8: Remain busy: plenty of action is a cure for worry. Keeping yourself busy eliminates negative thoughts from your mind.

Step 9: Avoid self – medication: do not resort to taking unnecessary drugs or alcohol. Take professional help, if needed.

Step 10: Finally, count your blessings: whenever your worries make you feel low, think of the blessings. You will start to feel better.

13 ways to HELP yourself. !!!!

SELF BELIEF:
Believe in your dreams and don’t be afraid to chase them


STUB OUT THE NEGATIVE:
cut out the negative vibes and jive with those who emit positive signals.


NEVER SAY DIE:
Don’t give up or give in. failure and rejection happen all the time and have happened to people.


USE YOUR FRIENDS:
when you are down, use your friends to help you stay motivated.


IT’S ALWAYS DARKEST BEFORE THE DAWN:
there may be times when the picture of things around you looks dark and dismal. But remember, if you fight on regardless of the odds, success will be in your favor.


PUSH FORWARD:
Push forward relentlessly. In the end you have to fight for what you want.


LOVE YOURSELF:
there is nothing like loving yourself. By doing you will be a happier and more motivated person.



PLAY FAIR:
never cheat, steal or do anything under hand. Play fair always. This will allow you to be proud of what you do.


NEVER QUIT:
Remember quitters never win and winners never quit.


PRACTICE:
Practice make perfect. The more you practice, the better you will become.


BE AWARE OF THE OPPORTUNITES:
Never let an opportunity pass by you. Be ready to take advantage of things that come your way.


BE IN CONTROL:
Take control of your life and feel the motivation surge into you.


HAVE A BURNING DESIRE:
Every successful person has a burning desire to achieve his goals. If you have this desire, you too can be successful.

7 dont's after a meal

* Don't smoke-Experiment from experts proves that smoking a cigarette after meal is comparable to smoking 10 cigarettes (chances of cancer is higher).

* Don't eat fruits immediately - Immediately eating fruits after meals will cause stomach to be bloated with air. Therefore take fruit 1-2 hr after meal or 1hr before meal.


* Don't drink tea - Because tea leaves contain a high content of acid.This substance will cause the Protein content in the food we consume to be hardened thus difficult to digest.


* Don't loosen your belt - Loosening the belt after a meal will easily cause the intestine to be twisted &blocked.


* Don't bathe - Bathing will cause the increase of blood flow to the hands, legs & body thus the amount of blood around the stomach will therefore decrease. This will weaken the digestive system in our stomach.

* Don't walk about - People always say that after a meal walk a hundred steps and you will live till 99. In actual fact this is not true. Walking will cause the digestive system to be unable to absorb the nutrition from the food we intake.

* Don't sleep immediately - The food we intake will not be able to digest properly. Thus will lead to gastric & infection in our intestine.

Avoid Depression use this 5 Tips

While war and poor economic conditions begin to affect people all over the world, more and more people suffer with depression. The more we focus on news events and the business climate, the more we are depressed. Whatever the reason you feel is the cause of your depression, the following five simple tips guarantee you reduce it significantly.

1. Do not read newspapers.

Newspapers publish negative stories most of the time. Even in peaceful periods, newspapers will find the worst in humanity and place negative stories on display in order to promote sales and subscribers. Stories focused on War, rebellion, death, destruction, doom and despair abound in the newspapers.

You will not miss any news. Friends, family, and your local air raid siren will keep you informed if your attention is needed. Only pay attention to the things you can control in your life.

Stop reading the newspaper and reduce the negative input to your brain.

2. Turn off your television.

Watching and listening about the horrible economy and the losses associated with War will add to depression. In fact, you guarantee the feeling of helplessness. Helplessness allows depression to nurture. If you really need to watch or listen to these kinds of news stories, promise yourself you will bury yourself in the documentaries that are sure to follow in the next 5 or 10 years. A way you can eliminate most of the negative input to your brain is by setting it aside for a date somewhere in the future. I guarantee in the future, you will not find it very interesting.

When visitors come to your home, make sure you turn off your television and keep it off. News television broadcasters are fighting for your guests' attention as they promote despair, war, death, and destruction with many headline news interruptions. Those little banners that run across the bottom of the screen achieve your attention and they take hold of your consciousness. Television will diminish your positive spirit.

3. Say good things about others

My Mother always says, "if you can't say anything nice about others, don't say anything at all." However, when you find yourself in a conversation and a relative says, "Remember Uncle Phil?" " He was an alcoholic" Respond with " yes, Uncle Phil was an alcoholic and he was the most charitable person, I have ever met."

Connect your friend's negative statement about Phil with a positive one. Set yourself up to find the positive in anyone's statement and you will keep negative thoughts and depression from overtaking your life.

Og Mandino, a great motivator once said, "treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight." "Your life will never be the same again."

4. Get physical exercise

Adults forget about exercise when suffering from depression. Make sure you are exercising daily and sending more oxygen to your brain cells. The result of exercise will improve your health as well as your attitude.

5. Breathe deep and relax.

Practice the following breathing exercise to relax your body and mind.

Breathe deeply and relax. For 2 or 3 minutes each hour, take a short mental vacation.

You can engage in this exercise while you are standing in the checkout line at the supermarket or when listening to others while talking on a telephone. You can complete the exercise at home or at work.

Take three deep breathes and relax. As you inhale, concentrate on calm and peaceful thoughts. You may think about relaxing by a mountain, by the ocean or comfortably in your favorite room at home.

As you exhale, concentrate on pushing any tension out of your lungs.

Focus on positive images in your life. Focus on laughter, love, excitement, and hope.

Keep breathing in and out in this pattern until you feel better. If you practice the exercise often, you will notice wonderful changes in your outlook and in other aspects of your life.

Reduce your depression now! Enjoy your family, your friends, and your life.

5 things to avoid while leaving Jobs

Leaving a job is often upsetting, whether you were fired or finally decided to quit. You may have trouble remembering to do the right thing. Here are five things you should avoid doing. 1. Don't tell off your boss and co-workers, even if you think they deserve it.
When you leave your job, your emotions may be running high, especially if you are leaving on bad terms. You may want to tell your boss or co-workers what you really think of them. Don't do it, even if they truly deserve it. You never know who you will meet down the road and who you may have to work with one day.

2. Don't damage company property or steal something.
You may feel you were mistreated by your employer and you may be really angry. However, vandalism and theft are criminal offenses. Not only will your professional repution be damaged by your actions, you could end up in jail.

3. Don't forget to ask for a reference.
This may sound like an odd thing to consider if you are leaving your job on unfavorable terms. However, you will have to include this job on your resume, so you should try to make sure you get either a good or, at least, a neutral reference. If you've been fired because of some horrible offense, this may be a moot point. However if your parting is due to something less serious, you may be able to ask your boss for a reference, in spite of the fact that "things didn't work out as expected."

4. Don't badmouth your employer or any of your co-workers to your replacement.
First of all, it will only look like sour grapes, so there's nothing to gain here. Second, your successor will figure things out for himself or herself. Third, it may have been bad chemistry, and your co-worker will have a totally different experience than you did.

5. Don't badmouth your employer to a prospective employer when you go on a job interview.
The only person who this will make look bad is you. Your prospective boss will wonder what caused your relationship with your prior employer to sour and will suspect that you could have been at fault.

25 Trading Tips for Humans

1. Plan your trades. Trade your plan.



2. Keep records of your trading results.


3. Keep a positive attitude, no matter how much you lose.


4. Don't take the market home.


5. Forget your College degree and trust your instincts.


6. Successful traders buy into bad news and sell into good news.


7. Successful traders are not afraid to buy high and sell low.


8. Continually strive for patience, perseverance, determination, and rational action.


9. Limit your losses - use stops!


10. Never cancel a stop loss order after you have placed it!


11. Place the stop at the time you make your trade.


12. Never get into the market because you are anxious because of waiting.


13. Avoid getting in or out of the market too often.


14. The most difficult task in speculation is not prediction but self-control. Successful trading is difficult and frustrating. You are the most important element in the equation for success.


15. Always discipline yourself by following a pre-determined set of rules.


16. Remember that a bear market will give back in one month what a bull market has taken three months to build.


17. Don't ever allow a big winning trade to turn into a loser. Stop yourself out if the market moves against you 20% from your peak profit point.


18. Expect and accept losses gracefully. Those who brood over losses always miss the next opportunity, which more than likely will be profitable.


19. Split your profits right down the middle and never risk more than 50% of them again in the market.


20. The key to successful trading is knowing yourself and your stress point.


21. The difference between winners and losers isn't so much native ability as it is discipline exercised in avoiding mistakes.


22. Speech may be silver but silence is golden. Traders with the golden touch do not talk about their success.


23. Dream big dreams and think tall. Very few people set goals too high. A man becomes what he thinks about all day long.


24. Accept failure as a step towards victory.


25. Have you taken a loss? Forget it quickly. Have you taken a profit? Forget it even quicker!
    You don't invest ...You will lose.
    You don't manage risks ...You will lose.
    You follow tips ...You will lose.
    You don't investigate before you invest ...You will lose.
    You panic ...You will lose.
    You want to speculate ...You will lose.
    You don't understand your finances ...You will lose.
    You don't use cost averaging ...You will lose.
    You want to play ...You will lose.
    You are greedy ...You will lose.
    You place all your eggs in the same basket ...You will lose.
    You don't know when not to invest ...You will lose.
    You don't know when not to exit ...You will lose.
    You can't afford to lose ...You can't afford to make a profit.

11 Great Tips for Buying a Laptop

If you are a busy executive, generally on the move but needs to constantly refer to your office documents and reply to e-mails, then you positively need a notebook (or a laptop).

Your desktop PC is more convenient with a larger keyboard, wider screen and has a more powerful processor. But you cannot carry it with you.

The good news is that laptop prices have fallen to even below Rs 30,000. However, souped-up laptops could even cost Rs 200,000. So, what should you look out for when buying a laptop?

1. Brands

It's advisable to go for a branded laptop (anyway, there is hardly an assembly market in India). Brands available in India include HP-Compaq, Dell, Lenovo, LG, Sony, ACI, Acer, Zenith, Asus, Toshiba and HCL.

2. Budget

Decide on a budget and scout for laptops within that range. Do remember that you can get high-end laptops (with high configurations) but at lower prices simply because the brand does not command a premium price. It does make sense to explore these laptops if the after-sales service is good.

3. Processor

That decided, you will come across names like Intel Celeron M Processor (basic), Intel Centrino Mobile Technology with Core Solo processor (mid-range) and Duo Mobile Technology with Core Duo (mid-range) and Core 2 Duo processors (high-end).

AMD (the other major chip player) offers Turion 64 (mid-range) and Sempron processors (basic). Apple die-hards can opt for the high-end PowerPC G4. However, regardless of what kind of processor you decide on, you should get at least 1.6GHz of processing speed (this is generally not specified in advertisements).

4. Memory and Video card

You can never have enough memory (especially with memory-hogging operating systems like Vista round the corner). However, for basic laptops, the bare minimum should be 512MB. High-end users should consider 1GB and above.

Basic laptops come with an integrated graphics card that shares memory with the system chipset (mostly an Intel and in some cases from ATI / Nvidia). High-end laptops will also feature dedicated graphics cards from Nvidia or ATI.

5. Hard drive

A 60GB 4,200rpm is the basic capacity you get in most of the latest laptops.

Ideally, if you plan to carry music and video on your system, consider 80GB and more. And look for the latest SATA drives with 5,400rpm at least.

6. Optical drive

Basic laptop users may do with a CD-DVD combo drive. However, high-end users must get one with DVD/CDRW combo drive. The RW stands for read and write and will enable you burn CDs and watch DVDs.

7. Screen size

Depending on the type of work you do, you will want to make sure your screen fits the job. Graphics and spreadsheet tasks call for larger (wider) screens while e-mail requires very little space.

The minimum you will require is a 12-inch display. High-end users (who want to have the convenience of a wider screen and larger keyboard, similar to their PC) should go for a 15- to 17-inch screen.

8. Weight

Ah! Here's the tricky part. If you are mobile, you need a lighter laptop. But lighter laptops with smaller screens (to reduce the weight) come in the ultra-portable category and are expensive - generally Rs 90,000 and above. However, anything from 1.5-3 kg is good enough.

9. Battery

They should last forever, shouldn't they? Alas, laptop batteries do not last as long as they should. For basic laptops, a single Lithium-ion primary battery should at least last 2 years.

10. Networking

You will at least need an Ethernet LAN connection and integrated wireless (preferably 802.11a/b/g - Wi-Fi) card.

11. Final check

Check for Bluetooth connectivity - it will enable you to wirelessly transfer data to other devices for up to 30 feet. High-end laptops feature advanced audio and video connections, such as digital media card readers, S-video outs for connecting to a TV, a DVI port for connecting to digital LCD monitors and a FireWire port for capturing and editing digital video.

Have a bare minimum of two USB 2.0 ports and a VGA connector besides a PCMCIA slot (for modems, network adaptors, memory cards, etc). Besides, a cradle (docking station) for your notebook will give you the comfort of a PC at work and laptop on the move.

You can opt for a universal connector for a physical security lock, named after the company Kensington that invented the feature. Ensure that your operating system is Windows XP (latest version) and not Linux. Upgrading to Windows can set you back a couple of thousands. Also, a decent laptop bag will help reduce laptop deterioration.

And last, but not the least, read your warranty information carefully before you make a purchase.

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Repairing Windows XP in Eight Commands

Most of us have seen it at one time or another; perhaps on our own PC, the PC of a loved one, or perhaps a PC at your place of employment. The system spends weeks or months operating in a smooth fashion, taking you to the far reaches of the wide, wibbly web, and after one particularly late evening of browsing and gaming, you shut your PC off and go to bed. Millions of people across the globe do just this every night, but a few of us have turned our PCs on the next day not to the standard Windows XP loading screen, but instead this dreaded error:

Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:

\\WINDOWS\\SYSTEM32 \\CONFIG\ \SYSTEM

You can attempt to repair this file by starting Windows Setup
using the original Setup CD-ROM.

Select 'R' at the first screen to start repair.

Which renders your PC inaccessible from the standard boot procedures of Windows XP. You try safe mode, to no avail. You're particularly savvy and try issuing the FIXBOOT and FIXMBR commands in the Windows recovery console, but after each reboot, you're merely greeted with the same obnoxious and terrifying blue screen of death that's preventing you from accessing your precious data.

Perhaps you've also seen these error screens:

Windows NT could not start because the below file is missing or corrupt:

X:\\WINNT\\System32 \\Ntoskrnl .exe
____________ _____

Windows NT could not start because the below file is missing or corrupt:

X:\\WINNT\\System32 \\HAL.dll
____________ _____

NTLDR is Missing
Press any key to restart
____________ _____

Invalid boot.ini
Press any key to restart

Get to the Windows Recovery Console for your particular Windows installation, navigate to the root letter of your installation ( C: in most cases), issue eight commands, and reboot. The cornerstone of this process is a command called "BOOTCFG /Rebuild" which is a complete diagnostic of the operating system loaded into the recovery console; the purpose of the command is to remove/replace/ repair any system files that were preventing the operating system from loading correctly. Amongst the files it fixes are:

Windows Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL)
Corrupt registry hives (\\WINDOWS\\ SYSTEM32\ \CONFIG\ \xxxxxx)
Invalid BOOT.INI files
A corrupt NTOSKRNL.EXE
A missing NT Loader (NTLDR)
The command process may apply to other types of blue screens or Hive/HAL/INI/ EXE/DLL-related stop errors, but I have not had the luxury of computers in this type of disrepair. The process I am about to outline is virtually harmless, and if you feel you may be able to correct your PC's boot-time blue screens and stop errors with the sequence, feel free to try.

Let us now begin with a step-by-step instruction for correcting these issues.

Getting to the Windows Recovery Console
Insert your Windows XP CD into your CD and assure that your CD-ROM drive is capable of booting the CD. Configuring your computer to boot from CD is outside of the scope of this document, but if you are having trouble, consult Google for assistance.
Once you have booted from CD, do not select the option that states: "Press F2 to initiate the Automated System Recovery (ASR) tool." You're going to proceed until you see the following screen, at which point you will press the " R" key to enter the recovery console:

After you have selected the appropriate option from step two, you will be prompted to select a valid Windows installation (Typically number " 1"). Select the installation number, (As mentioned, "1" in most cases), and hit enter. If there is an administrator password for the administrator account, enter it and hit enter. You will be greeted with this screen, which indicates a recovery console at the ready:

Continue to page 2 to proceed with the repair functions.

Proceeding With the Repair Functions
There are eight commands you must enter in sequence to repair any of the issues I noted in the opening of this guide. I will introduce them here, and then show the results graphically in the next six steps. These commands are as follows:
C: CD ..
C: ATTRIB -H C:\\boot.ini
C:ATTRIB -S C:\\boot.ini
C:ATRIB -R C:\\boot.ini
C: del boot.ini
C: BOOTCFG /Rebuild
C: CHKDSK /R /F
C: FIXBOOT
To "Go up a directory" in computing is to revert back to the directory above the current folder you're operating in. If, for example, I'm in the C:WINDOWSSYSTEM32 directory, and I want to get at a file in the WINDOWS directory, I would merely type CD .. and I would be taken out of the SYSTEM32 folder and up one level to WINDOWS. We're going to do the same thing here from the WINDOWS folder to get to the basic root of C:

Now that we are at C: we can begin the process of repairing the operating system and that begins with modifying the attributes of the BOOT.INI file. Briefly, BOOT.INI controls what operating systems the Windows boot process can see, how to load them, and where they're located on your disk. We're going to make sure the file is no longer hidden from our prying eyes, remove the flag that sets it as an undeletable system file, and remove the flag that sets it as a file we can only read, but not write to. To do this, we will issue three commands in this step:

C:ATTRIB -H C:\\BOOT.INI
C:ATTRIB -R C:\\BOOT.INI
C:ATTRIB -S C:\\BOOT.INI
to remove the Hidden, System and Read Only flags.


Now that we've modified the attributes for the BOOT.INI file, it's up for deletion. The syntax for it is simple: { DEL | FILE NAME }, e.g., C:DEL BOOT.INI deletes the BOOT.INI file.


Now for the most important step of our process, the BOOTCFG /REBUILD command which searches for pre-existing installations of Windows XP and rebuilds sundry essential components of the Windows operating system, recompiles the BOOT.INI file and corrects a litany of common Windows errors. It is very important that you do one or both of the following two things: First, every Windows XP owner must use /FASTDETECT as an OS Load Option when the rebuild process is finalizing. Secondly, if you are the owner of a CPU featuring Intel's XD or AMD's NX buffer overflow protection, you must also use /NOEXECUTE=OPTIN as an OS Load Option. I will demonstrate both commands for the purpose of this guide, but do not set NOEXECUTE as a load option if you do not own one of these CPUs. For the "Enter Load Identifier" portion of this command, you should enter the name of the operating system you have installed. If, for example, you are using Windows XP Home, you could type "Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" for the identifier. This gives the process some authenticity, if you're keen on being a perfectionist.


This step verifies the integrity of the hard drive containing the Windows XP installation. While this step is not an essential function in our process, it's still good to be sure that the drive is physically capable of running windows, in that it contains no bad sectors or other corruptions that might be the culprit. No screenshot necessary here! Just type CHKDSK /R /F at the C:> prompt. Let it proceed; it could take in excess of 30 minutes on slower computers, when this is finished move on to the seventh and final step.

This last step also requires no screenshot. When you are at the C:> prompt, simply type FIXBOOT. This writes a new boot sector to the hard drive and cleans up all the loose ends we created by rebuilding the BOOT.INI file and the system files. When the Windows Recovery Console asks you if you are " Sure you want to write a new bootsector to the partition C: ?" just hit "Y," then enter to confirm your decision.

Results and Wrap-Up
It's time to reboot your PC by typing EXIT in the Windows Recovery Console and confirming the command with a stroke of the enter key. With any luck, your PC will boot successfully into Windows XP as if your various DLL, Hive, EXE and NTLDR errors never existed. You've just saved yourself from many hours of work, frustration, potential data loss and shelling out your hard-earned greenbacks at a brick'n'mortar operation.

Keep in mind that this solution is only designed to resolve the issues introduced in the preface if the cause is unrelated to spyware and viruses If you believe your PC has affected one of these symptoms due to spyware or viruses, today's fastest-growing PC nuisance, please do a removal and repair

7 ways to MAKE HOMEMADE FRUIT AND VEGETABLE JUICES.

1. You'll need an inexpensive juice machine.

2. All fruits and vegetables should be juiced raw.

3. Small seeded fruit, such as watermelon and pears, may be juiced with
their seeds with the exception of papaya and apple seeds. Orange and
grapefruit seeds might impart a bitter taste to your juice. Remove the
large pits from fruits like peaches and nectarines, etc.

4. Peel all fruits and vegetables that are not organically grown because the
peel is where most of the chemical residues can be found. While most
skins of organically grown fruits and vegetables may be left on, with the
exception of waxed produce, the skins of pineapples, kiwis, oranges,
grapefruits and papaya should be removed.

5. Choose fresh ripe produce. Rubbery vegetables, bruised fruit, wilted
greens and over or under-ripe fruits will produce juices that are neither
tasty nor healthful.

6. Cut the fruits or vegetables into pieces that will fit into the mouth of your
juice machine. Turn the juice machine on and push the pieces through
the mouth of the juicer. As you juice, pulp will collect in a large
receptacle. If you don't clean the pulp out right away, it will develop a
sour odor and tiny gnats and fruit flies may appear after 8 to 10 hours.

7. It is best to drink freshly made juices within one day.

Car Buying Tips

Buying a car is an investment and the returns are satisfactory only when you feel that you have got the right car at the right price. We at DriveInside.com are here to help you make the returns on your car rewarding. Just follow the following simple car buying tips and find the right vehicle for you.

How much you can spend?

Before you embark on the journey to find the car that suits your like and need it is essential that you first identify how much you can invest in a new car. Calculate a realistic amount that you are ready to spend on your new car.
Find out (if you want to finance your car)
• How much down payment you can make.
• Monthly installment (EMI) that you can afford to pay.

Which car do you want?

Buying a car has financial implications on most of us for some years after purchase. Hence it becomes essential that we clearly identify what we need and make the investment wisely.

Find out
• How many passengers will be riding with you?
• How much driving will the car be doing on an average?
• What kind of driving is the car most likely to do-city or highway?
• Is mileage important to you?

Where to start the search?
Having identified the above you will have an idea of which type and price category you should go for.
Use Advanced Search to choose a combination of options and create your own specific search.
This will help you find the various options and help you narrow down to three or four options that suit you the best.
Use the Compare Cars feature in the Research section to compare your chosen models. This feature gives you the specification and feature data of the cars side by side so that you know which car leads from the front.

Contact Dealers

The next step is to contact the dealers of the short listed options. Use the Contact Dealer form to find dealers near you to provide you with the prices and information on the cars you have chosen.
This will help you get the exact price for the model variant you have chosen. Use this free service to compare quotes from various dealers and get the best price option.

You can also now visit the dealerships to test drive your top picks. Make sure the salesperson knows that you have other models under consideration as well and the final decision needs to be made.

While test driving make a note of the following:
• How is the drive of the car over bumps and dips?
• How easy is to maneuver the car?
• What is the acceleration and braking like?
• Are the interiors and the drive comfortable for the rear passengers as well?

Make a note of the service and behavior of the salesperson. A good salesperson will help you answer all your queries and give you all the information accuracy without being pushy.
Don't settle on a dealer because you are ready to buy. Search around until you find the one- or a couple of them that you like, so that you have room to negotiate.

Getting an unbiased opinion

Make sure you get the opinion of the people who currently own the car you are considering to purchase. Asking an actual car owner is definitely better than asking a salesperson. Get the opinion of as many people to remove any biases and get the best judgment.

How to get the best deal?

Buying a car can be very intimidating with all the models available and the huge amount of finances involved. That's why a research before making your final decision is a must.
• Know your financing options well. If getting a loan is the only option then find out what are the various schemes that the bank have on offer for loans. Nowadays there are dealer arranged financing options wherein the bank associated with the dealer gives you the loan.
• Remember that the loan is given on the Ex-Showroom price. To this price is added the registration cost, insurance cost, and handling cost to arrive at the on road price. Thus the down payment you give is a little more than the difference between the ex-showroom price and the loan amount. But the dealers have a lot of cash discounts, free accessories, cash discounts by financers but you negotiate with them well to get them.
• You can also check out the websites of various banks to find out what are the rates on offer by various banks.
• Put down as much down payment as possible. This will give you lower monthly installments and help you save money.
• Be aware of the various financial schemes, rebates and incentives that the dealer has to offer. Talk to him about the insurance, free accessories, warranty and after sales service. Do not agree to any financial scheme without thoroughly checking the terms and conditions.

Know the overall cost of the purchase. Not only should you take into account the present finances but also consider the long term cost of ownership. Take estimates of
o Depreciation
o Insurance
o Registration and sales tax
o Maintenance and repairs
o Fuel costs
• Find out the lowest cost and bargain upwards. There are surely dealer margins and discounts that the salesperson can forego off at any time with a little coaxing and cajoling. Even if you don't manage to get cash discounts you might get free, extra features in your new car. Talk about the insurance coverage, registration fees, road tax, standard and optional features in the car, etc.
• Make sure you cover all aspects and leave no stoned unturned to get the maximum benefit and the best possible deal.

Closing the deal

Compare the final quotes given by the chosen dealers. Settle for the deal which gives you the best deal. Do not look for the lowest price but for the best overall deal including the additional fees and free accessories.
Confirm the delivery date and time.

Post-Delivery Check
Before taking the possession of the car look around carefully. Inspect the car for any scratches, dents or dings. Check all items and accessories that were a part of the deal. If there is any missing report immediately. Either get them installed then or take it in writing and get them later.
Before you drive away with your new car, make sure you take the following from the dealers.
• Receipt of payment
• Insurance certificate
• Delivery note
• PUC certificate (valid for a year for a new car)
• Sale Tax and Octroi certificate
• Registration Certificate
• Invoice
• A pair of identical car keys
• Owner's Manual and Service Book

10 ways to increase performance at Work

1. Communicate. Let the boss know your achievements and problems. Don't boast and don't gripe. Create a sense of teamwork. Define the problem at hand and offer ways to solve it.

2. Do Something for Yourself. Take on a project that's dear to your heart or set aside time for what you do best. For example, if you got into medicine because you wanted to be a caregiver but find yourself buried in paperwork, find the time to be with your patients. Make an effort to connect with each patient and his or her family.

3. Improve a Bad Relationship. Some people are born grumpy and simply won't like you. Instead of fretting about it and thinking it's something you did, simply ask the person each day, "Is there anything I can do for you?" This will ease the tension and, over time, may win over the person who has the long knives out for no apparent reason.

4. Delegate. Never allow process to trump the result. Remember that you can't do everything all the time. Pass off some of the grunt work to a hungry young staffer who needs to learn the basics and a fundamental lesson in life: You don't start at the top, and you earn plumb assignments by working hard in the trenches. If you create a clear path of advancement, the smart employee won't kick when asked to handle routine stuff.

5. Seek Feedback. Ask your boss and co-workers, "How am I doing?" Make it clear that you seek feedback to improve your performance--not because you crave praise. Show others how feedback can increase their productivity and boost their career choices.

6. Tackle Tough Assignments First. Get the difficult or unpleasant work out of the way first, because it doesn't improve with age and will look truly hideous after lunch. This also allows you to finish the day with something you find challenging and enjoy.

7. Have A Little Fun. Work isn't play, but it doesn't have to be mind-numbingly serious all the time. A few quips will boost everyone's morale. If you're not the office wag, encourage the lighthearted goofball in the corner to share his take on why the Yankees are baseball's best team. It beats grinding your teeth for eight hours a day and is likely to boost morale and productivity.

8. Encourage Teamwork. Doing more with less demands increased productivity. Teamwork is a good way to achieve this goal. Working in teams is a learned skill. If you don't know the basics, learn them and share your insights with others.

9. Body and Soul. Pay attention to your physical and mental health. Stick to the basics: Eat right, exercise and get enough sleep. If you feel crummy, your job performance will suffer. You don't have to be a corporate guru to figure that out.

10. Get a Life. People who have interests outside work make better employees, friends, parents and spouses. Take the time to do whatever it is that you're passionate about. No one on his deathbed ever said, "I wish I'd spent more time at the office."

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10 Ways to manage Asthma

Your doctor can offer treatments and suggestions for managing asthma, but there are plenty of things you can do yourself as well. A doctor can prescribe medication to help, but prevention is really the best medicine.
Because asthma can be triggered by so many things, there are lots of ways you can decrease the chances of an attack. The following are 10 of the easiest ways:

1. Follow your doctor's orders. This kind of goes without saying, but do what your doctor tells you. Don't stop taking medication if you're feeling better, follow it according to the doctor's recommendations. If he has you taking daily peak flow measurements, make sure you follow those instructions carefully.

2. Quit smoking. Cigarette smoke is one of the most common triggers for asthma, so if you smoke, quit. This should be the case whether it's you that suffers from asthma or someone else in your household - second hand smoke is bad too.

3. Keep your house as dust-free as possible - dust is another one of the common triggers. Use a cylinder vacuum rather than an upright - preferably one that has a sealed canister to stop dust from escaping back into the air.

4. If possible, remove any carpets and heavy draperies from the house. They catch dust and are breeding grounds for dust mites. If they can't be removed, make sure they get vacuumed regularly (again with a cylinder vacuum).

5. Avoid down and feather pillows or comforters and cover your mattress with plastic. Pillows and mattresses can also harbor dust mites, as can stuffed animals and other "soft" items.

6. Use a scarf to cover your nose and mouth in colder weather. Cold air is another common trigger for asthma.

7. If allergens trigger your asthma, keep track of the outside air quality every day. Avoid fields and wooded areas during pollen season and take extra care on days when the air quality is particularly bad.

8. Mold is another common asthma trigger. Dry wet laundry right away and wash and disinfect showers and bathrooms regularly, to help minimize the chance of mold growth.

9. Pet dander is another common trigger for many people. If you have pets, be sure to keep them out of the bedroom and main living areas to minimize the exposure to dander.

10. Avoid any foods, drinks or other items that may cause allergic reactions.

15 ways to be a better mom

It goes without saying that mothers have an important role to play in their children's lives. Here are a few tips on how you can be a better parent to your child:

1. Respect and value your child

Always respect your children -- respect and listen to their views and values, their opinions. Give them your complete attention when they want to talk to you. Put whatever activity you are engaged in on hold, and if that's not possible, set a time for when you can chat, and make sure to stick to it.

Encourage your children every opportunity you get. Make them feel special and express your love for them often. Hug them, kiss them and say 'I love you' everyday, not just when they are young but also as they grow older. Let them feel your love and affection as often as you can.

2. Talk to your kids

Conversing with children is the best way to influence their ability and love for learning. Children who are spoken to often as infants will understand more words when they are toddlers and pre-schoolers than others. Communication also strengthens the mother-child bond and eases out the communication barriers, even as kids grow older.

3. Have fun with them

Mothers are so busy with their day-to-day routines that they forget to have fun with their children. Take out one-on-one time to enjoy with your child. Do something that both of you like -- indulge in outdoor games, art and craft, board games, go for a walk, chat, cook -- do anything at all that makes you feel good. Laugh together, tickle each other, dance, sing songs, just have FUN!

4. Read to your little ones

Reading to your children is the best way to inculcate a reading habit in them, which leads to a love of learning as they grow older. Reading also creates an emotional bond between parent and the child, whether it's lap-time reading, bedtime reading or any other way of doing it that you both enjoy. Moreover, it develops their imagination, creativity, vocabulary and communication skills.

5. Keep your children safe

All parents want to keep their kids safe. Remember to take the necessary precautions, whether it is making them sit in the backseat of the car while driving, or making sure that there is someone responsible with them at all times. Make sure your home is childproof, with electrical outlets out of reach, furniture edges rounded off, glass items out of the way etc.

6. Teach your children values

Make sure to impart good values to your kids -- it's the best gift you'll ever give them. Values are the foundation of a child's character. Teach your children values through everyday interactions, stories and by the way you conduct yourself. While story-telling, however, make sure you don't connect the story to the child. If, for example, you want to teach your little one about honesty, tell him/ her interesting stories related to it. Do not say, "You should behave in the same manner as so-and-so did and always tell the truth" -- the message will not sink in. To a youngster, this feels like nagging and moralising, which will go in one ear and out the other.

7. Be a good role model

Remember that your kids are watching you all the time and want to ape you in every possible way. Even very young children take in and listen to everything their parents say and do, so remain aware of your actions and behaviour around them. For example, if you talk rudely to the domestic help, you will not be very successful in teaching your children the value of politeness. Model the behaviour that you want them to develop.

8. Keep your kids healthy, but allow them their personal likes and dislikes when it comes to food

Provide nutritious meals for your children, but allow them to make their own choices about what they like or don't like. As long as you are providing them with nutritious options and not junk food, they will almost always make the right choices. With young children, try and be creative with their meals, so that it's fun for them. If, for instance, there is cooked vegetable and chapattis for dinner, fold some cooked veggies into each chapatti so that the kids can enjoy it as a roll.

9. Set rules and limits

A good mother is firm and flexible. Don't leave discipline only to a child's father. Set reasonable rules and limits and discuss them with your kids beforehand. Follow through with the consequences whenever applicable. However, there are times when you have to be flexible and ease the rules; times when youngsters are tired, sleepy, hungry or not well.

10. Be just and fair

Treat all your children in the same manner. However, don't try to be overly fair, as it will get in the way -- for example, if you are out shopping and spot a book that one of your kids needs for a reference project, you do not necessarily have to buy something for the other child. Similarly, bring the other child what he/ she requires when it's needed. As long as you are providing for both of them equally, they will understand and not make an issue. When you try to be overly fair, children tend to find faults with every little thing you do.

11. Don't interfere in your children's fights unless it's necessary

Allow your kids to settle issues on their own. As long as there is no bullying or physical violence, do not get involved in their fights. When you try to resolve their disputes, you will be required to take sides and this will not go down well with one of them. It is better to allow children to handle their own problems as far as possible. If they are not able to do it, or you feel like the situation is getting to you, ask them to play separately till they are able to be civil to each other and find a solution. You will be doing them a favour by teaching them the values of co-operation, problem-solving and compromise in the process.

12. Honour their father

One of the best things a mother can do is honour her children's father in front of them. Even if you are separated or divorced, never speak ill about your spouse in front of your children. Talk about him with respect and teach your children to respect him too.

13. Get the kids to interact with extended family

Get your children to bond with extended family -- uncles, aunts, cousins. Make an effort so that they interact with both the maternal and paternal sides. Even if you don't get along with your in-laws, teach your children to respect their grandparents. They will hold you in higher esteem for doing that.


14. Keep your self-respect intact

Always expect to be treated with respect by others in the presence of your kids and by your kids themselves. Do not allow anyone to cross a line. Maintain your dignity under all circumstances; be honest and keep your integrity intact always.

15. Take care of yourself

Sleep well and take out time for yourself. Keep yourself in good health. Remember, a happy, relaxed mother can give more of herself to her children and family than an overworked, tense parent.

101 Ways to Make You Smile

01. Call an old friend, just to say hi.
02. Hold a door open for a stranger.
03. Invite someone to lunch.
04. Compliment someone on his or her appearance.
05. Ask a coworker for their opinion on a project.
06. Bring cookies to work.
07. Let someone cut in during rush hour traffic.
08. Leave a waitress or waiter a big tip.
09. Tell a cashier to have a nice day.
10. Call your parents.
11. Let someone know you miss them.
12. Treat someone to a movie..
13. Let a person know you really appreciate them.
14. Visit a retirement center.
15. Take a child to the zoo.
16. Fill up your spouse's car with gas.
17. Surprise someone with a small gift.
18. Leave a thank-you note for the cleaning staff at work.
19. Write a letter to a distant relative.
20. Tell someone you thought about them the other day.
21. Put a dime in a stranger's parking meter before the time expires.
22. Bake a cake for a neighbor.
23. Send someone flowers to where they work.
24. Invite a friend to tea.
25. Recommend a good book to someone.
26. Donate clothing to a charity.
27. Offer an elderly person a ride to where they need to go.
28. Bag your own groceries at the checkout counter.
29. Give blood.
30. Offer free baby-sitting to a friend who'sreally busy or just needs a break.
31. Help your neighbor rake leaves or shovel snow.
32.. Offer your seat to someone when there aren't any left.
33. Help someone with a heavy load.
34. Ask to see a store's manager and comment on the great service.
35. Give your place in line at the grocery storeto someone who has only a few items.
36. Hug someone in your family for no reason.
37. Wave to a child in the car next to you.
38. Send a thank-you note to your doctor.
39. Repeat something nice you heard about someone else.
40. Leave a joke on someone's answering machine.
41. Be a mentor or coach to someone.
42. Forgive a loan.
43. Fill up the copier machine with paper after you're done using it..
44. Tell someone you believe in them.
45. Share your umbrella on a rainy day.
46. Welcome new neighbors with flowers or a plant.
47. Offer to watch a friend's home while they're away.
48. Ask someone if they need you to pick upanything while you're out shopping.
49. Ask a child to play a board game, and let them win.
50. Ask an elderly person to tell you about the good old days.
51. During bad weather, plan an indoor picnic with the family.
52. Buy someone a goldfish and bowl.
53. Compliment someone on their cooking andpolitely ask for a second helping.
54. Dance with someone who hasn't been asked.
55. Tell someone you mentioned them in your prayers.
56. Give children's clothes to another familywhen your kids outgrow them.
57. Deliver extra vegetables from your garden to the whole neighborhood.
58. Call your spouse just to say, I love you.
59. Call someone's attention to a rainbow or beautiful sunset.
60. Invite someone to go bowling..
61. Figure out someone's half-birthday by adding 182 days,and surprise them with a cake.
62. Ask someone about their children.
63. Tell someone which quality you like most about them.
64. Brush the snow off of the car next to yours.
65. Return your shopping cart to the front of the store.
66. Encourage someone's dream, no matter how big or small it is.
67. Pay for a stranger's cup of coffee without them knowing it.
68. Leave a love letter where your partner will find it.
69. Ask an older person for their advice.
70. Offer to take care of someone's pet while they're away.
71. Tell a child you're proud of them.
72. Visit a sick person, or send them a care package.
73. Join a Big Brother or Sister program.
74. Leave a piece of candy on a coworker's desk.
75. Bring your child to work with you for the afternoon.
76. Give someone a recording of their favorite music.
77. Email a friend some information abouta topic they are especially interested in.
78. Give someone a homemade gift.
79. Write a poem for someone.
80. Bake some cookies for your local fire or police department.
81. Organize a neighborhood cleanup and have a barbecue afterwards.
82. Help a child build a birdhouse or similar project.
83. Check in on an old person, just to see if they're okay.
84. Ask for the recipe after you eat over at someone's house.
85. Personally welcome a new employee at workand offer to take them out for lunch.
86. While in a car, ask everyone to buckle upbecause they are important to you.
87. Let someone else eat the last slice of cake or pizza.
88. Stop and buy a drink from a kid's lemonade stand.
89. Forgive someone when they apologize.
90. Wave to someone looking for a parking space whenyou're about to leave a shopping center.
91. Send a copy of an old photograph to a childhood friend.
92. Leave a pint of your spouse's favorite flavor ofice cream in the freezer with a bow on it.
93. Do a household chore that is usually doneby someone else in the family.
94. Be especially happy for someone whenthey tell you their good news.
95. Compliment a coworker on their role in a successful project.
96. Give your spouse a spontaneous back rub at the end of the day.
97. Serve someone in your family breakfast in bed.
98. Ask someone if they've lost weight.
99. Make a donation to a charity in someone's honor.
100. Take a child to a ballgame.

And last, but not least...

101. Forward this list to your favorite people!

12 ways to be a better dad

What do I do with a three-year-old who's grabbing my trouser leg just as I am on an important call?'

'I don't really want to play house-house or hide and seek or football after a long, hard day at work.'

'I'd rather watch the news/ financial channels, instead of watching cartoons.'

'How am I going to get this adamant child to eat his food?'

'Isn't this all in the mommy's domain? Isn't my role that a provider?'

And that last is a wail for help! If these questions plague you, then you must be a Dad. And here's what you can do to remove the struggle out of being Daddy.

1. Spend time with your children

How much time a father spends with his children tells them how important they are to him. Spend at least 15 minutes everyday having FUN with your children on a one to one basis, more when you can.

Find something that both of you enjoy, be it a sport, board games, laughing together, tickling, dancing, painting� absolutely anything that is fun for both of you!

Remember, just filling their cupboards with toys and other material things is not going to build the bond, spending time together is what will get you closer.


2. Respect your children

Talk politely to your children. It is very important for us to respect to them if we want them to respect us.

Listening to them when they are talking, not interrupting their conversations, allowing them to make some of their own decisions, all go a long way in showing respect.

3. Communication is important

Talk to your children. Talk about their day-to-day routines and tell them about yours. Be aware of your child's life, know their friends, the activities they do, their hobbies, and their interests. Get to really know your children.

4. Don't just hear, LISTEN

When children talk, what they are saying is very important to them. Don't jump in and start giving advice, just listen to them. Try and understand the feelings behind the words.

Even if the talk seems childish patter to you, it is very important to listen, to really listen to your children.

Be available for them. Keep the newspaper aside, switch off the television, put your mobile on silent. Maintain eye contact and give them your undivided attention

This will tell your children how important they are to you. It will go a long way in increasing their self-esteem and also set the stage for more meaningful conversations, as your child grows older.

Though if your children come to you at one of those times when you are really busy, tell them you will listen to them once you are done. Fix up a time -- it could be half an hour later -- to listen to what they have to say, and make sure to follow through with it.

5. Teach and encourage

Many times fathers think teaching is something their spouses or the school has to do. But a father who teaches his children about right and wrong, and encourages them to do their best, will see his children make good choices.

Fathers who are involved in the daily routines will teach their children the basic values of life through everyday examples.

6. Discipline with love

All children need guidance and discipline, not as punishment, but to set reasonable limits.

Discipline should always come from a place of love to teach the children responsible behaviour.

You have to keep in mind that as the child grows older, the freedom should be increased and the limits have to be reduced. Take something as simple as bedtime. An older child can stay up till a much later time than a younger one.

Use choices where possible, though always remember that the choices given should be acceptable to you. Use positive forms of discipline such as logical consequences; wherein the consequence is connected to the misbehaviour.

For example, if the crayons are not put in the box after using them, the child loses the privilege of using them for maybe two days. Be sure to discuss this with your child beforehand and follow through with it the next time the situation occurs.

7. Demonstrate your love

Children need the security of being loved and accepted by their families. Showing affection is a wonderful way to demonstrate the love you have for your child. Hug them, kiss them and be there for them at all times.

Let them know they have your unconditional love and support. This will strengthen the parent-child bond and make your discipline and communication an easier process.

8. Respect your child's mother

One of the best things a father can do for his children is to respect their mother. If you are married, keep your marriage strong. Show your love and affection for your spouse. When you have a conflict, demonstrate how two people can make up. This teaches your children a lot about relationships.

If you are divorced, it is still important to respect the mother of your children. Don't ever badmouth your spouse in front of the children. When children see you respecting each other, they are more likely to feel accepted and respected as well.

9. Eat together as a family

Mealtimes are special times for bonding as a family. Sharing a meal together is an important part of healthy family life (breakfast, lunch or dinner).

Besides providing stability to busy days, it is a wonderful opportunity for the entire family to share the happenings of their lives with each other. It is a time of togetherness and strengthening the family ties.

10. Take your children for outings

Take your children to the zoo, museums, the beach. Take them for walks; take them swimming, bowling, to the park. Take them to the temple. Fly kites with them, play Holi with them.

Give them your undivided attention and take the opportunity to teach them at these times. Spend time on a one-to-one basis or as a family. But, most importantly, enjoy yourself with them!

11. Be involved in your children's lives and make them feel important

Give priority to your children over other things and other people. Attend parents' days, sports day, annual day celebrations and any events they are participating in or which are important to them.

No matter what you say to them, children know you would give your time to those things and those people who are important to you. Remember this the next time you have to take a decision on whether to attend an event that is important to your child.

Being a part of their important days will not only build your child's self esteem but also go a long way in strengthening your relationship with them.

12. Be a good role model

Practise what you preach. Don't tell your kids that honesty is the best policy and then ask your spouse to say you are not at home when an unwanted person calls.

Children will model themselves on your actions more than your words.

When you make promises, even to your children, follow through with them. Be the same
man behind closed doors as you are in public. This will increase the respect your children have for you.

Kissing Tips

1. Relax
   


2. Move gently to your partner and put your arms around them.
   
   


3. Move your mouth towards them and your lips meet, keep them slightly parted and press gently against their lips. Move your head a little to the side, so your nose won't get in the way.
   


4. What you do next depends on their reaction. If they respond then carry on kissing if you sense no active response then move your lips apart slowly and gently let go of your partner and look into their eyes.
   


5. If you feel that the signals are right then again gently start to kiss your partner and if they respond then you can begin to kiss a little more passionately.
   


6. The golden rule is be gentle and try to read your partners feelings.

More Tips

1. If either of you wears glasses, just take them off if you wish before kissing.


2. If either partner wears braces, the important thing is not to press too hard against their lips.


3. A sure way to ruin a kiss is with bad breath use mints or similar beforehand.


4. A non smoker may not enjoy kissing a smoker, use mints as above.


5. Can you "catch something" by kissing? Yes anything from a cold to a serious sexually transmitted disease. Kissing is not 100% safe so if you are concerned or worried ask your partner if they are ill and don`t kiss them if you do not feel safe.

10 tips for optimizing mysql queries

1.use the explain command
Use multiple-row INSERT statements to store many rows with one SQL statement.

The explain command can tell you which indexes are used with the specified query and many other pieces of useful information that can help you choose a better index or query.

Example of usage: explain select * from table

explanation of row output:

table—The name of the table.
type—The join type, of which there are several.
possible_keys—This column indicates which indexes MySQL could use to find the rows in this table. If the result is NULL, no indexes would help with this query. You should then take a look at your table structure and see whether there are any indexes that you could create that would increase the performance of this query.
key—The key actually used in this query, or NULL if no index was used.
key_len—The length of the key used, if any.
ref—Any columns used with the key to retrieve a result.
rows—The number of rows MySQL must examine to execute the query.
extra—Additional information regarding how MySQL will execute the query. There are several options, such as Using index (an index was used) and Where (a WHERE clause was used).

2.use less complex permissions
The more complex your permissions setup, the more overhead you have. Using simpler permissions when you issue GRANT statements enables MySQL to reduce permission-checking overhead when clients execute statements.

3.specific mysql functions can be tested using the built-in “benchmark” command

If your problem is with a specific MySQL expression or function, you can perform a timing test by invoking the BENCHMARK() function using the mysql client program. Its syntax is BENCHMARK(loop_count,expression). The return value is always zero, but mysql prints a line displaying approximately how long the statement took to execute

4.optimize where clauses Remove unnecessary parentheses
COUNT(*) on a single table without a WHERE is retrieved directly from the table information for MyISAM and MEMORY tables. This is also done for any NOT NULL expression when used with only one table.
If you use the SQL_SMALL_RESULT option, MySQL uses an in-memory temporary table

5.Run optimize table
This command defragments a table after you have deleted a lot of rows from it.

6.avoid variable-length column types when necessary
For MyISAM tables that change frequently, you should try to avoid all variable-length columns (VARCHAR, BLOB, and TEXT). The table uses dynamic row format if it includes even a single variable-length column.

7.insert delayed
Use insert delayed when you do not need to know when your data is written. This reduces the overall insertion impact because many rows can be written with a single disk write.

8.use statement priorities
Use INSERT LOW_PRIORITY when you want to give SELECT statements higher priority than your inserts.
Use SELECT HIGH_PRIORITY to get retrievals that jump the queue. That is, the SELECT is executed even if there is another client waiting.
use multiple-row inserts

9.Use multiple-row INSERT
statements to store many rows with one SQL statement.

10.synchronize data-types Columns with identical information in different tables should be declared to have identical data types so that joins based on the corresponding columns will be faster.

50 WAYS TO CONFUSE, WORRY, OR JUST SCARE THE PEOPLE IN THE COMPUTER LAB

1. Log on, wait a sec, then get a frightened look on your face and scream "Oh my God! They've found me!" and bolt.

2. Laugh uncontrollably for about 3 minutes & then suddenly stop and look suspiciously at everyone who looks at you.

3. When your computer is turned off, complain to the monitor on duty that you can't get the darn thing to work. After he/she's turned it on, wait 5 minutes, turn it off again, & repeat the process for a good half hour.

4. Type frantically, often stopping to look at the person next to you evilly.

5. Before anyone else is in the lab, connect each computer to different screen than the one it's set up with.

6. Write a program that plays the "Smurfs" theme song and play it at the highest volume possible over & over again.

7. Work normally for a while. Suddenly look amazingly startled by something on the screen and crawl underneath the desk.

8. Ask the person next to you if they know how to tap into top-secret Pentagon files.

9. Use Interactive Send to make passes at people you don't know.

10. Make a small ritual sacrifice to the computer before you turn it on.

11. Bring a chainsaw, but don't use it. If anyone asks why you have it, say "Just in case..." mysteriously.

12. Type on VAX for a while. Suddenly start cursing for 3 minutes at everything bad about your life. Then stop and continue typing.

13. Enter the lab, undress, and start staring at other people as if they're crazy while typing.

14. Light candles around your terminal before starting.

15. Ask around for a spare disk. Offer $2. Keep asking until someone agrees. Then, pull a disk out of your fly and say, "Oops, I forgot."

16. Every time you press Return and there is processing time required, pray "Ohpleaseohpleaseohp leaseohplease," and scream "YES!" when it finishes.

17. "DISK FIGHT!!!"

18. Start making out with the person at the terminal next to you (It helps if you know them, but this is also a great way to make new friends).

19. Put a straw in your mouth and put your hands in your pockets. Type by hitting the keys with the straw.

20. If you're sitting in a swivel chair, spin around singing "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" whenever there is processing time required.

21. Draw a picture of a woman (or man) on a piece of paper, tape it to your monitor. Try to seduce it. Act like it hates you and then complain loudly that women (men) are worthless.

22. Try to stick a Nintendo cartridge into the 3 1/2" disc drive, when it doesn't work, get the supervisor.

23. When you are on an IBM, and when you turn it on, ask loudly where the smiling Apple face is when you turn on one of those.

24. Print out the complete works of Shakespeare, then when it's all done (two days later) say that all you wanted was one line.

25. Sit and stare at the screen, biting your nails noisely. After doing this for a while, spit them out at the feet of the person next to you.

26. Stare at the screen, grind your teeth, stop, look at the person next to you. Grind some more. Repeat procedure, making sure you never provoke the person enough to let them blow up, as this releases tension, and it is far more effective to let them linger.

27. If you have long hair, take a typing break, look for split ends, cut them and deposit them on your neighbor's keyboard as you leave.

28. Put a large, gold-framed portrait of the British Royal Family on your desk and loudly proclaim that it inspires you.

29. Come to the lab wearing several layers of socks. Remove shoes and place them on top of the monitor. Remove socks layer by layer and drape them around the monitor. Exclaim sudden haiku about the aesthetic beauty of cotton on plastic.

30. Take the keyboard and sit under the computer. Type up your paper like this. Then go to the lab supervisor and complain about the bad working conditions.

31. Laugh hysterically, shout "You will all perish in flames!!!" and continue working.

32. Bring some dry ice & make it look like your computer is smoking.

33. Assign a musical note to every key (ie. the Delete key is A Flat, the B key is F sharp, etc.). Whenever you hit a key, hum its note loudly. Write an entire paper this way.

34. Attempt to eat your computer's mouse.

35. Borrow someone else's keyboard by reaching over, saying "Excuse me, mind if I borrow this for a sec?", unplugging the keyboard & taking it.

36. Bring in a bunch of magnets and have fun.

37. When doing calculations, pull out an abacus and say that sometimes the old ways are best.

38. Play Pong for hours on the most powerful computer in the lab.

39. Make a loud noise of hitting the same key over and over again until you see that your neighbor is noticing (You can hit the space bar so your fill isn't affected). Then look at your neighbor's keyboard. Hit his/her delete key several times, erasing an entire word. While you do this, ask: "Does *your* delete key work?" Shake your head, and resume hitting the space bar on your keyboard. Keep doing this until you've deleted about a page of your neighbor's document. Then, suddenly exclaim: "Well, whaddya know? I've been hitting the space bar this whole time. No wonder it wasn't deleting! Ha!" Print out your document and leave.

40. Remove your disk from the drive and hide it. Go to the lab monitor and complain that your computer ate your disk. (For special effects, put some Elmer's Glue on or around the disk drive. Claim that the computer is drooling.)

41. Stare at the screen of the person next to you, look really puzzled, burst out laughing, and say "You did that?" loudly. Keep laughing, grab your stuff and leave, howling as you go.

42. Point at the screen. Chant in a made up language while making elaborate hand gestures for a minute or two. Press return or the mouse, then leap back and yell "COVEEEEERRRRRR!" peek up from under the table, walk back to the computer and say. "Oh, good. It worked this time," and calmly start to type again.

43. Keep looking at invisible bugs and trying to swat them.

44. See who's online. Send a total stranger a talk request. Talk to them like you've known them all your lives. Hangup before they get a chance to figure out you're a total stranger.

45. Bring a small tape player with a tape of really absurd sound effects. Pretend it's the computer and look really lost.

46. Pull out a pencil. Start writing on the screen. Complain that the lead doesn't work.

47. Come into the computer lab wearing several endangered species of flowers in your hair. Smile incessantly. Type a sentence, then laugh happily, exclaim "You're such a marvel!!", and kiss the screen. Repeat this after every sentence. As your ecstasy mounts, also hug the keyboard. Finally, hug your neighbor, then the computer assistant, and walk out.

48. Run into the computer lab, shout "Armageddon is here!!!!!", then calmly sit down and begin to type.

49. Quietly walk into the computer lab with a Black and Decker chainsaw, rev that baby up, and then walk up to the nearest person and say, "Give me that computer or you'll be feeding my pet crocodile for the next week".

50. Two words: Tesla Coil.