bselliott

Electroconvulsive therapy

2009-07-14T15:35:00.000-07:00

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a medical procedure that is used to treat a range of mental illnesses such as severe depression, catatonia and some forms of mania and schizophrenia. The treatment induces controlled seizures in the patient via small electrodes placed at specific locations on the head. ECT has been used for over half a century in many different countries, and its effectiveness is well documented. Approximately eight out of 10 patients who undergo ECT will experience dramatic improvement.

The reason why this treatment is so effective is still mysterious. The brain functions using electrochemical messages, and it is thought that ECT-induced seizures interrupt these messages and ‘reset’ the brain. ECT is generally used when other forms of treatment, including medication and psychotherapy, have failed. However, ECT is often the first treatment of choice in life threatening situations, such as a potential suicide, because of the rapid results. Sometimes, ECT is prescribed for older patients who can’t tolerate medications.

The procedure
Usually, ECT is performed under supervision by the prescribing psychiatrist.
The patient is anaesthetised and given muscle relaxants. The electrodes are placed at strategic points on the patient’s skull. Depending on the patient, one or both sides of the head will be stimulated, known as unilateral or bilateral ECT respectively. A series of brief, low frequency electrical pulses prompt a convulsion. The patient won’t feel the convulsion because of the anaesthesia, and won’t have muscle spasm or move because of the muscle relaxants. The patient wakes up after a few minutes. ECT is typically administered three times per week for six to nine treatments, but the exact course of treatment depends on the nature of the illness and the patient's response to treatment.

Risks and complications
Research has shown that ECT doesn’t cause brain damage because the amount of electricity used is too small to harm tissue. Like any operation involving anaesthesia, ECT carries a small degree of risk. Some of the immediate side effects of ECT (these tend to resolve within a few hours) include headache, sore muscles, queasiness and confusion. During the course of the treatment, many patients experience problems with short term memory, but this side effect only lasts a few days or weeks. A few individuals, however, experience long term difficulties with memory. This effect is more common in patients who undergo bilateral, rather than unilateral, ECT.

Patient rights
If your psychiatrist suggests that a course of ECT therapy may be helpful, you have certain rights under Victorian law. These rights include:

A full explanation of the procedure and associated benefits and risks
A second opinion
Legal advice
Representation by a friend or relative
Having a person of your choice with you during discussions with your psychiatrist or doctor
The right to complain
The right to refuse.

Emergency electrical power

2009-06-22T12:48:00.000-07:00

Emergency electrical power is defined as an independent reserve source of electric energy which, upon failure or outage of the normal source, automatically provides reliable electric power within a specified time.

A reliable and adequate source of electric power is necessary for the operation of active industrial operations. Power must also be available at to provide water for fire protection,energy for automatic fire alarms, light for security purposes, heat for preservation of critical industrial equipment, andfor other operations.

Power, supplied by either the local utility company or generated on-site. The source of distribution may be subject to brownout, interruption or extended outage. Safety, and health requirements may require an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) or standby/emergency supply for specific critical loads.Justifiable applications for emergency electrical power are:

Hospitals (life support, operating room, emergency lighting and communication, refrigeration, boiler plant, etc.).

A class B plant (considered a standby long term
power source) is used where multiple commercial
power feeders are not available or extended and
frequent power outages may occur.

Airfields (control tower, communications, traffic control, engine start, security, etc.).

Data processing plant systems.

Critical machinery

Communication and security.

Electromagnetic Fields

2009-06-04T15:59:00.000-07:00

Electric and magnetic fields (EMFs) are areas of energy that surround electrical devices. Power lines, electrical wiring, and appliances produce EMFs. Some people worry about EMF exposure and cancer. A few studies found a link between EMF exposure and a higher risk of childhood leukemia, but the link is weak. Other studies didn't find a link between EMF exposure and other childhood cancers.

For adults, studies of EMF exposure from power lines and electric blankets show little evidence of a link to cancer. In adults, EMFs may reduce heart rate and interfere with brain electrical activity during sleep. This may or may not affect your health.

Some people worry that wireless and cellular phones cause cancer. They give off radio-frequency energy (RF), a form of electromagnetic radiation. Scientists need to do more research on this before they can say for sure.

Erectile Dysfunction

2009-06-01T17:01:00.000-07:00

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is when a man has trouble getting or keeping an erection. ED becomes more common as you get older. But male sexual dysfunction is not a natural part of aging.

Some people have trouble speaking with their doctors about sex. But if you have ED, you should tell your doctor. ED can be a sign of health problems. It may mean your blood vessels are clogged. It may mean you have nerve damage from diabetes. If you don't see your doctor, these problems will go untreated.

Your doctor can offer several new treatments for ED. For many men, the answer is as simple as taking a pill. Getting more exercise, losing weight or stopping smoking may also help.

Esophageal Cancer

2009-05-05T10:57:00.000-07:00

Eesophagus is the hollow, the muscular tube that moves food and liquid from the throat to the stomach. A wall of the esophagus is made up of several layers of tissue, including mucous membrane, muscle, and connective tissue. The Esophageal cancer starts at the inside lining of the esophagus and spreads outward through the other layers as it grows.

* A Squamous cell carcinoma: Cancer that forms in squamous cells, the thin, flat cells lining the esophagus. This cancer is most often found of the upper and middle part of the esophagus, but can occur anywhere along the esophagus. This is also called epidermoid carcinoma.

* Adenocarcinoma: Cancer that begins in glandular (secretory) cells. Glandular cells in the lining of the esophagus produce and release fluids such as mucus. Adenocarcinomas usually form in the lower part of the esophagus, near the stomach.

Emphysema

2009-04-15T14:03:00.000-07:00

Emphysema is a type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) involving damage to the air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs. As a result, your body does not get the oxygen it needs. Emphysema makes it hard to catch your breath. You may also have a chronic cough and have trouble breathing during exercise.

The most common cause is cigarette smoking. If you smoke, quitting can help prevent you from getting the disease. If you already have emphysema, not smoking might keep it from getting worse. Treatment is based on whether your symptoms are mild, moderate or severe. Treatments include inhalers, oxygen, medications and sometimes surgery to relieve symptoms and prevent complications.

Liver

2009-04-10T08:27:00.000-07:00

The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals; it has a wide range of functions, a few of which are detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion. The liver is necessary for survival, there is currently no way to compensate for the absence of liver function.

The liver plays a major role in metabolism and has a number of functions in the body, including glycogen storage, decomposition of red blood cells, plasma protein synthesis, hormone production, and detoxification. The liver is also the largest gland in the human body. It lies below the diaphragm in the thoracic region of the abdomen. It produces bile, an alkaline compound which aids in digestion, via the emulsification of lipids. It also performs and regulates a wide variety of high-volume biochemical reactions requiring very specialized tissues.

Zunich-Kaye

2009-04-03T08:29:00.000-07:00

Zunich-Kaye syndrome, also known as Zunich neuroectodermal syndrome, is a rare congenital ichthyosis first described in 1983. It is also referred to as CHIME syndrome, after its main symptoms (colobomas, heart defects, ichthyosiform dermatosis, mental retardation, and either ear defects or epilepsy). It is a congenital syndrome with only a few cases studied and published.

Zunich-Kay syndrome is considered to have an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern. This means the defective gene is located on an autosome, and two copies of the gene, one from each parent, are required to inherit the disorder. The parents of an individual with autosomal recessive disorder both carry one copy of the defective gene, but usually do not have the disorder.

Eclampsia

2009-03-27T07:55:00.000-07:00

Eclampsia, an acute and life-threatening complication of pregnancy, is characterized by the appearance of tonic-clonic seizures in a patient who had developed preeclampsia; rarely does eclampsia occur without preceding preeclamptic symptoms. Hypertensive disorder of pregnancy and toxemia of pregnancy are terms used to encompass both preeclampsia and eclampsia.

Seizures and coma that happen during pregnancy but are due to preexisting or organic brain disorders are not eclampsia.The term is derived from the Greek and refers to a flash, a term used by Hippocrates to designate a fever of sudden onset.

Quadriceps Femoris Muscle

2009-03-20T09:01:00.000-07:00

The quadriceps femoris (Latin for "four-headed [muscle] of the femur"), also called simply the quadriceps, quadriceps extensor, or quads, is a large muscle group that includes the four prevailing muscles on the front of the thigh. It is the great extensor muscle of the knee, forming a large fleshy mass which covers the front and sides of the femur. It is the strongest and leanest muscle in the human body.

It is subdivided into four separate portions or 'heads', which have received distinctive names:

* Rectus femoris occupies the middle of the thigh, covering most of the other three quadriceps muscles. It originates on the ilium. It is named from its straight course.

* The other three lie deep to rectus femoris and originate from the body of the femur, which they cover from the trochanters to the condyles:
o Vastus lateralis is on the lateral side of the femur (i.e. on the outer side of the thigh).
o Vastus medialis is on the medial side of the femur (i.e. on the inner part thigh).
o Vastus intermedius lies between vastus lateralis and vastus medialis on the front of the femur (i.e. on the top or front of the thigh).

Cardiac

2009-03-13T10:38:00.000-07:00

Cardiac muscle is a type of involuntary striated muscle found in the walls of the heart, specifically the myocardium. Cardiac muscle cells are known as cardiac myocytes (or cardiomyocytes). Cardiac muscle is one of three major types of muscle, the others being skeletal and smooth muscle. The cells that comprise cardiac muscle are sometimes seen as intermediate between these two other types in terms of appearance, structure, metabolism, excitation-coupling and mechanism of contraction.

Cardiac muscle shares similarities with skeletal muscle with regard to its striated appearance and contraction, with both differing significantly from smooth muscle cells. Coordinated contraction of cardiac muscle cells in the heart propel blood from the atria and ventricles to the blood vessels of the circulatory system. Cardiac muscle cells, like all tissues in the body, rely on an ample blood supply to deliver oxygen and nutrients and to remove waste products such as carbon dioxide.

Muscle

2009-03-06T22:36:00.000-08:00

Muscle (from Latin musculus, diminutive of mus "mouse") is the contractile tissue of the body and is derived from the mesodermal layer of embryonic germ cells. Muscle cells contain contractile filaments that move past each other and change the size of the cell. They are classified as skeletal, cardiac, or smooth muscles. Their function is to produce force and cause motion.

Muscles can cause either locomotion of the organism itself or movement of internal organs. Cardiac and smooth muscle contraction occurs without conscious thought and is necessary for survival. Examples are the contraction of the heart and peristalsis which pushes food through the digestive system. Voluntary contraction of the skeletal muscles is used to move the body and can be finely controlled. Examples are movements of the eye, or gross movements like the quadriceps muscle of the thigh. There are two broad types of voluntary muscle fibers: slow twitch and fast twitch. Slow twitch fibers contract for long periods of time but with little force while fast twitch fibers contract quickly and powerfully but fatigue very rapidly.

Galea Aponeurotica

2009-02-27T12:48:00.000-08:00

The "galea aponeurotica" is a long-winded word for the muscle which covers the upper part of the cranium (skull). Its attachment to the frontal and occipital bellies (muscles on the brow at the front and on the upper back of the head) allows it to move the scalp freely over the underlying skull bone.

The occipital and frontal bellies work together with this muscle to draw back the scalp, raise the eyebrows, and wrinkle the forehead in an expression of surprise.

Secondhand Smoke

2009-02-20T13:56:00.001-08:00

You don't have to be a smoker for smoking to harm you. You can also have health problems from breathing in other people's smoke. Secondhand smoke is the combination of smoke that comes from the burning end of a cigarette, cigar or pipe and the smoke exhaled by the smoker. Secondhand smoke contains more than 50 substances that can cause cancer. Health effects of exposure to secondhand smoke include lung cancer, nasal sinus cancer, respiratory tract infections and heart disease.

There is no safe amount of secondhand smoke. Children, pregnant women, older people and people with heart or breathing problems should be especially careful. There's no way around it. Smoking is bad for your health. Smoking harms nearly every organ of the body. Cigarette smoking causes 87 percent of lung cancer deaths. It is also responsible for many other cancers and health problems. These include lung disease, heart and blood vessel disease, stroke and cataracts. Women who smoke have a greater chance of certain pregnancy problems or having a baby die from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Your smoke is also bad for other people - they breathe in your smoke secondhand and can get many of the same problems as smokers do.

Environmental Health

2009-02-13T12:06:00.001-08:00

Our environment affects our health. Our average life span has almost doubled over the past century or so mainly because we have clean, safe drinking water. If parts of the environment, like air and water, or soil become polluted, it can lead to health problems. For example, asthma attacks can result from pollutants and other chemicals in the air and in the home.

Some environmental risks are a part of the natural world, like radon in the soil. Others are the result of human activities, like lead poisoning from paint, or exposure to asbestos or mercury from mining or industrial use.

Mercury in the air settles into water. It can pass through the food chain and build up in fish, shellfish and animals that eat fish. The nervous system is sensitive to all forms of mercury. Exposure to high levels can damage the brain and kidneys. Pregnant women can pass the mercury in their bodies to their babies. It is important to protect your family from mercury exposure.

Hernia

2009-02-06T11:47:00.000-08:00

A hernia occurs when part of an internal organ bulges through a weak area of muscle. Most hernias occur in the abdomen. There are several types of hernias, including

* Inguinal, the most common type, is in the groin
* Umbilical, around the belly button
* Incisional, through a scar
* Hiatal, a small opening in the diaphragm that allows the upper part of the stomach to move up into the chest.
* Congenital diaphragmatic, a birth defect that needs surgery

Hernias are common. They can affect men, women and children. A combination of muscle weakness and straining, such as with heavy lifting, might contribute. Some people are born with weak abdominal muscles and may be more likely to get a hernia.

Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome

2009-01-30T09:10:00.000-08:00

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) is a group of inherited disorders that weaken connective tissues. Connective tissues are proteins that support skin, bones, blood vessels and other organs.

EDS usually affects your skin, joints and blood vessel walls. Symptoms include

Loose joints
Fragile, small blood vessels
Abnormal scar formation and wound healing
Soft, velvety, stretchy skin that bruises easily
There are several types of EDS. They can range from mild to life-threatening. About 1 in 5,000 people has EDS. There is no cure. Treatment involves managing symptoms. It also includes learning how to protect your joints and prevent injuries.

Ear Disorders

2009-01-23T14:32:00.000-08:00

Your ear has three main parts: outer, middle and inner. You use all of them in hearing. Sound waves come in through your outer ear. They reach your middle ear, where they make your eardrum vibrate. The vibrations are transmitted through three tiny bones, called ossicles, in your middle ear. The vibrations travel to your inner ear, a snail-shaped organ. The inner ear makes the nerve impulses that are sent to the brain. Your brain recognizes them as sounds. The inner ear also controls balance.

A variety of conditions may affect your hearing or balance. Ear infections are the most common illness in infants and young children. Tinnitus, a roaring in your ears, can be the result of loud noises, medicines or a variety of other causes. Meniere's disease may be the result of fluid problems in your inner ear; its symptoms include tinnitus and dizziness. Some ear disorders can result in hearing disorders and deafness

Eye Injuries

2009-01-16T12:25:00.000-08:00

The structure of your face helps protect your eyes from injury. Still, injuries can damage your eye, sometimes severely enough that you could lose your vision. Most eye injuries are preventable. If you play sports or work in certain jobs, you may need protection.

The most common type of injury happens when something irritates the outer surface of your eye. Certain jobs such as industrial jobs or hobbies such as carpentry make this type of injury more likely. It's also more likely if you wear contact lenses.

Chemicals or heat can burn your eyes. With chemicals, the pain may cause you to close your eyes. This traps the irritant next to the eye and may cause more damage. You should wash out your eye right away while you wait for medical help.

Diarrhea

2009-01-09T11:49:00.000-08:00

Diarrhea means that you have loose, watery stools more than three times in one day. You may also have cramps, bloating, nausea and an urgent need to have a bowel movement.

Causes of diarrhea include bacteria, viruses or parasites, certain medicines, food intolerances and diseases that affect the stomach, small intestine or colon. In many cases, no cause can be found.

Although usually not harmful, diarrhea can become dangerous or signal a more serious problem. You should talk to your doctor if you have a strong pain in your abdomen or rectum, a fever, blood in your stools, severe diarrhea for more than three days or symptoms of dehydration. If your child has diarrhea, do not hesitate to call the doctor for advice. Diarrhea can be dangerous in children.

E. Coli Infections

2009-01-02T14:29:00.000-08:00

E. coli is the name of a type of bacteria that lives in your intestines. Most types of E. coli are harmless. However, some types can make you sick and cause diarrhea. One type causes travelers' diarrhea. The worst type of E. coli causes bloody diarrhea, and can sometimes cause kidney failure and even death. These problems are most likely to occur in children and in adults with weak immune systems.

You can get E. coli infections by eating foods containing the bacteria. To help avoid food poisoning and prevent infection, handle food safely. Cook meat well, wash fruits and vegetables before eating or cooking them, and avoid unpasteurized milk and juices. You can also get the infection by swallowing water in a swimming pool contaminated with human waste.

Emergency Medical Services

2008-12-27T05:22:00.001-08:00

If you get very sick or badly hurt and need help right away, you should use emergency medical services. These services use specially trained people and specially equipped facilities.

You may need care in the hospital emergency room (ER). Doctors and nurses there treat emergencies, such as heart attacks and injuries. For some emergencies, you need help where you are. Emergency medical technicians, or EMTs, do specific rescue jobs. They answer emergency calls, drive ambulances and give basic medical care. Some EMTs are paramedics - they have training to do medical procedures on site. They usually drive you to the ER for more care.

If you or someone you know needs emergency care, go to your hospital’s emergency room. If you think the problem is life threatening, call 9-1-1.

Eczema

2008-12-19T22:58:00.000-08:00

Eczema is a term for several different types of skin swelling. Eczema is also called dermatitis. It is not dangerous, but most types cause red, swollen and itchy skin. Factors that can cause eczema include other diseases, irritating substances, allergies and your genetic makeup. Eczema is not contagious.

The most common type of eczema is a topic dermatitis. It is an allergic condition that makes your skin dry and itchy. It is most common in babies and children.

Eczema cannot be cured, but you can prevent some types of eczema by avoiding irritants, stress and the things you are allergic to.

Edema

2008-11-21T14:45:00.000-08:00

Edema means swelling caused by fluid in your body's tissues. It usually occurs in the feet, ankles and legs, but it can involve your entire body.

Causes of edema include

* Eating too much salt
* Sunburn
* Heart failure
* Kidney disease
* Liver problems from cirrhosis
* Pregnancy
* Problems with lymph nodes, especially after mastectomy
* Some medicines
* Standing or walking a lot when the weather is warm

To keep swelling down, your health care provider may recommend keeping your legs raised when sitting, wearing support stockings, limiting how much salt you eat or taking a medicine called a diuretic - also called a water pill.

Ultrasound

2008-11-14T15:25:00.001-08:00

Ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to look at organs and structures inside the body. Health care professionals use them to view the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, liver and other organs. During pregnancy, doctors use ultrasound tests to examine the fetus. Unlike x-rays, ultrasound does not involve exposure to radiation.

During an ultrasound test, a special technician or doctor moves a device called a transducer over part of your body. The transducer sends out sound waves, which bounce off the tissues inside your body. The transducer also captures the waves that bounce back. Images are created from these sound waves.

Infectious Mononucleosis

2008-10-10T05:24:00.000-07:00

Infectious mononucleosis, or "mono", is an infection caused by the Epstein-Barr virus. The virus spreads through saliva, which is why it's sometimes called "kissing disease." Mono occurs most often in 15 to 17-year-olds. However, you can get it at any age. Symptoms of mono include

* Fever
* Sore throat
* Swollen lymph glands

Sometimes you may also have a swollen spleen. Serious problems are rare.

A blood test can show if you have mono. Most people get better in two to four weeks. However, you may feel tired for a few months afterward. Treatment focuses on helping symptoms and includes medicines for pain and fever, warm salt water gargles and plenty of rest and fluids.

Hemorrhagic Fevers

2008-10-02T21:58:00.000-07:00

Viral hemorrhagic fevers are a group of illnesses caused by four families of viruses. These include the Ebola and Marburg viruses and Lassa fever virus. VHFs have common features: they affect many organs, they damage the blood vessels and they affect the body's ability to regulate itself. Some VHFs cause mild disease, but some, like Ebola or Marburg, cause severe disease and death.

VHFs are found around the world. Specific diseases are usually limited to areas where the animals that carry them live. For example, Lassa fever is limited to rural areas of West Africa where rats and mice carry the virus.

The risk for travelers is low, but you should avoid visiting areas where there are disease outbreaks. Because there are no effective treatments for some of these viral infections, there is concern about their use in bioterrorism.

Eating Disorders

2008-09-25T22:06:00.000-07:00

Eating disorders are serious behavior harms. They comprise

* Anorexia nervosa, in which you turn into too thin, but you don't eat enough because you believe you are fat

* Bulimia nervosa, involving periods of overeat followed by purging, sometimes during self-induced vomiting or using laxatives

* Binge-eating, which is out-of-control drinking

Women are more likely than men to have eating disorder. They usually start in the teenaged years and often occur along with despair, anxiety disorders and matter abuse.

Eating disorders can cause heart and kidney harms and even death. Getting help early is significant. Treatment involves monitor, mental health therapy, nutritional counseling and sometimes medicine.

Earthquakes

2008-09-19T00:36:00.000-07:00

An earthquake happen when two blocks of the earth unexpectedly slip past one another. Earthquakes strike abruptly, violently, and without caution at any time of the day or night. If an earthquake occurs in a populated area, it may cause goods damage, injuries, and even deaths. If you live in a coastal area, there is the opportunity of a tsunami. Damage from earthquakes can also lead to flood or fires.

Although there are no guarantee of safety during an earthquake, you can take actions to defend yourself. You should have a tragedy plan. Being prepared can help decrease fear, anxiety and dead.

Ear Infections

2008-09-11T22:21:00.000-07:00

Ear infections are the most ordinary illnesses in babies and young children. Most often, the disease affects the middle ear and is called otitis media. The tubes within the ears become clogged with fluid and mucus. This can affect trial, because sound cannot get through all that fluid.

If your child does not yet talk, you need to look for signs of an disease:

* Tugging at ears

* Crying more than usual

* Ear drainage

* Trouble sleeping

* Balance difficulties

* Hearing problems

Often, ear infection go away on their own, but your health care provider may advocate pain relievers. Severe infections and infection in young babies may need antibiotics. Children who get recurrent infection may need surgery to place small tubes inside their ears. The tubes relieve force in the ears so that the child can hear again.

Planet

2008-08-07T21:30:00.000-07:00

A planet is a extraterrestrial body orbiting a star or stellar remnant that is massive adequate to be rounded by its own gravity, not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion in its core, and has cleared its neighbouring region of planetesimals.

After stars and stellar remnants, planets are a few of the most massive objects known to man. They play an important part in the structure of planetary systems, and are also considered, along with large moons, the most feasible environment for life. Thus planetary science is crucial not only to comprehend the structure of the universe, but also to better understand the development of life, and to aid the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Additionally, the planets visible from Earth have played a vital role in the shaping of human culture, religion and philosophy in abundant civilisations. Even today, many people continue to believe true the movement of the planets affects their lives, all though such a causation is discarded by the scientific community.

Contempo Technology Events Photos Celebrations Funs: Contempo Technology Photos

2008-06-20T04:38:00.000-07:00

Contempo Technology Events Photos Celebrations Funs: Contempo Technology Photos

Contempo Technology Photos

Contempo Tech Photos 2008

The photos will show up in our Contempo Technology blog, gently fading into one another. Contempo Technology readers will be able to go forward / backward / pause / click through to the photo's on web page.

The Features of Bluetooth and Your Cell Phone

2008-05-16T03:04:00.000-07:00

Bluetooth us designed to greatly enhance the versatility of cell phone products and cell phone units -- as well as other high tech gadgets. Bluetooth is designed to enhance the versatility and usability of things such as cell phone units, wireless personal computer units, handheld computer units and other types of electronic devices.

Thanks to Bluetooth technology, your cell phone can become a comprehensive communication unit. You can use your cell phone in hands free fashion. In addition, you can also use Bluetooth technology to link your cell phone to the Internet … making your cell phone effectively a wireless personal computer unit.

Thanks to Bluetooth you can use your cell phone for a wide range of different purposes … both for personal purposes and business purposes. In your pocket, you will be able to have a device -- your cell phone -- that allows you all of the communication technology that you do need (again, either for personal or business purposes).

IP address

2008-05-09T04:49:00.000-07:00

IP addresses are analogous to telephone numbers – when you want to call someone on the telephone, you must first know their telephone number. Similarly, when a computer on the Internet needs to send data to another computer, it must first know its IP address. IP addresses are typically shown as four numbers separated by decimal points, or “dots”. For example, 10.24.254.3 and 192.168.62.231 are IP addresses.

If you need to make a telephone call but you only know the person’s name, you can look them up in the telephone directory (or call directory services) to get their telephone number. On the Internet, that directory is called the Domain Name System, or DNS for short. If you know the name of a server, say www.cert.org, and you type this into your web browser, your computer will then go ask its DNS server what the numeric IP address is that is associated with that name.

Every computer on the Internet has an IP address associated with it that uniquely identifies it. However, that address may change over time, especially if the computer is

* dialing into an Internet Service Provider (ISP)
* connected behind a network firewall
* connected to a broadband service using dynamic IP addressing.

Cell Phones and Hearing Aids

2008-05-02T03:30:00.000-07:00

If you have patients or family members who wear hearing aids, you may know that they often have trouble using cell phones. Some cell phones cause radiofrequency interference with hearing aids, so the user hears high-pitched whistling sounds through the hearing aid, or static, or thumping sounds.

But all cell phones aren't alike in this respect. Some of the phones have lower radiofrequency emissions or different technology that can reduce the unwanted effects on hearing aids. So you should advise hearing aid wearers shopping for a cell phone to try several brands and models before they decide. Some hearing aids may be so susceptible to interference that they simply won't work with any of the cell phones available, while others are designed to be resistant to interference. So the same trial and error approach is also important when shopping for hearing aids.

Fortunately, hearing aids are improving and before long it's going to be much easier for hearing aid wearers to find a compatible phone. Also, FDA has begun working with the hearing aid industry on ways to help clinicians and consumers choose hearing aids and cell phones that are likely to work together. The phones will be improving, too. The Federal Communications Commission recently announced that they'll require cell phone manufacturers to make at least some models usable by hearing aid wearers within the next two years.

Heian Art

2008-04-25T15:45:00.000-07:00

In 794 the capital of Japan was officially transferred to Heiankyo (present-day Kyoto), where it remained until 1868. The term Heian period refers to the years between 794 and 1185, the end of the Gempei civil war. The period is further divided into the early Heian and the late Heian, or Fujiwara, eras, the pivotal date being 894, the year imperial embassies to China were officially discontinued. The next period is named after the Fujiwara family, then the most powerful in the country, who ruled as regents for the emperor, becoming, in fact, civil dictators.

Early Heian Art

In reaction to the growing wealth and power of organized Buddhism in Nara, the priest Kukai (posthumous name Kobo Daishi, 774-835) journeyed to China to study Shingon, a more rigorous form of Buddhism, which he introduced into Japan in 806. At the core of Shingon worship are the mandala, diagrams of the spiritual universe; the Kongokai, a chart of the myriad worlds of Buddhism; and the Taizokai, a pictorial representation of the realms of the Buddhist universe.

The temples erected for this new sect were built in the mountains, far away from the court and the laity in the capital. The irregular topography of these sites forced Japanese architects to rethink the problems of temple construction, and in so doing to choose more indigenous elements of design. Cypress-bark roofs replaced those of ceramic tile, wood planks were used instead of earthen floors, and a separate worship area for the laity was added in front of the main sanctuary.

The temple that best reflects the spirit of early Heian Shingon temples is the Muro-ji (early 9th century), set deep in a stand of cypress trees on a mountain southeast of Nara. The wooden image of Shaka, the "historic" Buddha (early 9th century), enshrined in a secondary building at the Muro-ji, is typical of the early Heian sculpture, with its ponderous body, covered by thick drapery folds carved in the hompa-shiki (rolling-wave) style, and its austere, withdrawn facial expression.

Baseball For Beginners

2008-04-18T15:58:00.000-07:00

Baseball is a game played between two teams of nine players each. The game is divided into nine innings, each divided into two halves. In the top half of the inning, the players of one team successively come to bat and attempt to score runs, while the other team plays in the field and attempts to stop the offensive team from scoring. In the bottom half, the teams swap places. The team with more runs at the end of nine innings is the winner of the game.

The game is played on a diamond-shaped playing field, the four corners of the diamond being formed by home plate, first base, second base and third base. In the middle of the infield is the pitcher's mound, where the pitcher stands to pitch the ball to the batter. The area beyond the infield, bordered by the first and third baselines, is called the outfield.

During an inning, the pitcher of the defensive team throws the ball toward member of the offensive team currently in batting position at home plate. The batter attempts to hit the ball with the bat to a location out of the reach of the defensive players in the field and run around the bases. If he is able to round the bases and return to home plate, he scores a run. But if the ball is caught, or can be thrown to first base before he arrives at the base, then the batter is out. A batter is also put out if he strikes out, or fails to hit the baseball three times after three good pitches. The offensive team's time at bat is over when it gets three outs.

WAP / GPRS / UMTS / HSDPA multiplayer game

2008-03-24T19:59:00.001-07:00

A GPRS connection which is regular among GSM mobile phones can be used to share the data globally. Developers can connect a mass number of mobile games with a single server and distribute data among the players. Some developers have achieved cross platform games, allowing a mobile player to play against a PC. WAP and GPRS best supports twist based games and small RPG games. Most of the counties have a weak GPRS velocity in their carriers. In these types of games, the game communicates with a global server which takes action like a router between the mobile phones. Faster connections like UMTS and HSDPA allow real time multiplayer gaming though speeds will still supply some level of lag. Currently, there are a lot of multiplayer mobile games entering the market.

Battery powered mobile phones

2008-03-17T19:15:00.000-07:00

Mobile phones commonly obtain power from batteries which can be recharged from mains power, a USB port or a cigarette lighter socket in a car. Formerly, the most regular form of mobile phone batteries were nickel metal-hydride, as they have a low size and weight. Lithium-Ion batteries are sometimes used, as they are lighter and do not have the voltage depression that nickel metal-hydride batteries do. Many mobile phone manufacturers have now switched to using lithium-Polymer batteries as different to the older Lithium-Ion; the main advantages of this being even lower weight and the possibility to make the battery a shape other than strict cuboids. Mobile phone manufacturers have been experimenting with alternate power sources, together with solar cells.

Tandem Computers

2008-03-10T20:05:00.001-07:00

Tandem Computers was an early manufacturer of fault tolerant computer systems, marketed to the growing number of transaction processing customers who used them for ATMs, banks, stock exchanges and other related needs. Tandem systems used a number of redundant processors and storage devices to supply high-speed "failover" in the case of a hardware failure, an architecture that they called NonStop. Over the two decades from the 1970s into the mid-90s, Tandem systems developed from custom hardware to commodity CPU designs. The company was eventually purchased by Compaq in 1997 in order to give that company with more robust server offerings. Today their software is still known as NonStop, as a divide product line offered by Hewlett-Packard.

Physics in Natural science

2008-03-04T19:18:00.000-08:00

Physics embodies the study of the fundamental constituents of the universe, the forces and connections they exert on one another, and the results produced by these interactions. In general, the physics is regarded as the fundamental science as all other natural sciences utilize and obey the principles and laws set down by the field. Physics relies heavily on mathematics as the logical framework for formulation and quantification of principles.

The study of the principles of the universe has a long history and largely derives from shortest observation and experimentation. The formulation of theories about the governing laws of the universe has been essential to the study of physics from very early on, with philosophy gradually yielding to systematic, quantitative experimental testing and observation as the source of verification. Key historical developments in physics include Isaac Newton's theory of universal gravitation and classical mechanics, an understanding of electricity and it's relation to magnetism, Einstein's theories of special and common relativity, the improvement of thermodynamics, and the quantum mechanical model of atomic and subatomic physics.

The field of physics is extremely broad, and can contain such diverse studies as quantum mechanics and theoretical physics to applied physics and optics. Modern physics is becoming increasingly specialized, where researchers tend to focus on a exacting area rather than being "universalists" like Albert Einstein and Lev Landau, who worked in multiple areas.

Banknote

2008-02-25T18:28:00.001-08:00

A banknote (often known as a bill or simply a note) is a type of negotiable instrument, a promissory note made by a bank payable to the bearer on demand, used as money, and in many jurisdictions is legal tender. Along with coins, banknotes build up the cash or bearer forms of all modern money. With the exception of non-circulating high-value or precious metal commemorative issues, coins are commonly used for lower valued monetary units, while banknotes are used for higher values.

Photographic Printing

2008-02-19T18:18:00.001-08:00

Photographic printing is the method of producing a final image for viewing, usually on sensitized paper from a previously prepared photographic negative.

The procedure consists of three major steps, performed in a photographic darkroom or within an automated photo printing machine:

1. Exposure of the picture onto the sensitized paper using a contact printer or enlarger.

2. Processing of the latent image through a more than one step chemical immersion process.

1. Development of the uncovered image.

2. Optionally Stopping improvement by neutralizing, diluting or removing developing agent.

3. Fixing the final print by dissolving remaining unexposed/undeveloped light-sensitive liquid.

4. Washing thoroughly to eliminate chemicals used in processing, protecting the finished print from fading and decay.

3. If finished on glossy paper, ferrotyping to enhance the reflective gloss.

4. Optional Toning of the print through extra chemical processes.

5. Texturing and drying of the finishing print.

Typewriter-Derived Printers

2008-02-11T18:09:00.000-08:00

Several dissimilar computer printers were simply computer-controllable versions of existing electric typewriters. The Friden Flexowriter and IBM Selectric typewriter were the most-general examples. The Flexowriter printed with a conservative typebar mechanism while the Selectric used IBM's well-known "golf ball" printing mechanism. In either case, the letter form then struck a ribbon which was pressed beside the paper, printing one character at a time. The utmost speed of the Selectric printer (the faster of the two) was 15.5 characters per second.

The real facts about Earth

2008-02-07T22:27:00.001-08:00

The Earth's surface is exceptionally young. In the relatively short (by astronomical standards) time of 500,000,000 years or so erosion and tectonic processes destroy and restructure most of the Earth's surface and thus eliminate almost all traces of earlier geologic surface history (such as impact craters). Thus the very before time on history of the Earth has mostly been erased. The Earth is 4.5 to 4.6 billion years old, but the oldest recognized rocks are about 4 billion years aged and rocks older than 3 billion years are rare. The oldest fossils of presented organisms are less than 3.9 billion years old. There is no evidence of the critical period when life was first getting in progress.

The Earth's environment is 77% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, with draws of argon, carbon dioxide and water. There was perhaps a very much bigger amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere when the Earth was first created, but it has since been nearly all incorporated into carbonate rocks and to a smaller extent dissolved into the oceans and consumed by living plants. Plate tectonics and biological processes now keep a frequent flow of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to these various "sinks" and back over again. The little amount of carbon dioxide occupant in the atmosphere at any time is very important to the maintenance of the Earth's surface temperature through the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse consequence raises the average surface temperature regarding 35 degrees C above what it would if not be (from a frigid -21 C to a comfortable +14 C); without it the oceans would freeze and life as we know it would be impossible.

Earth

2008-01-28T18:07:00.000-08:00

Earth is the third planet on or after the Sun and the fifth largest of the planet. Earth is the only planet whose English forename does not originate from Greek/Roman mythology. The name derives from Old English and Germanic.

Earth, for sure, can be studied exclusive of the aid of spacecraft. However it was not until the twentieth century that we had maps of the complete planet. Pictures of the planet taken from space are of significant importance; for example, they are a huge help in weather prediction and especially in tracking and predicting hurricanes, they are amazingly beautiful. The Earth's magnetic field and its relationships with the solar wind also generate the Van Allen emission belts, a pair of doughnut shaped rings of ionized gas (or plasma) trapped in orbit just about the Earth. The on the outside belt stretches from 19,000 km in altitude to 41,000 km; the inner belt lies involving 13,000 km and 7,600 km in altitude.

Venus and Earth

2008-01-20T18:29:00.000-08:00

Venus is by the side of times regarded as Earth's sister planet. In some ways they are particularly similar:

* Venus is only a bit of smaller than Earth (95% of Earth's diameter, 80% of Earth's mass).

* Both have a small number of craters representing relatively young surfaces.

* Their densities and chemical compositions are in a similar way.

Because of these similarities, it was measured that below its dense clouds Venus might be very earthlike and power even have life. However, unfortunately, more detailed study of Venus reveals that in plenty of important ways it is radically different from Earth. It may be the smallest amount hospitable place for life in the solar system.

The strength of Venus' atmosphere at the surface is 90 atmospheres (about the same as the pressure at a deepness of 1 km in Earth's oceans). It is collected generally of carbon dioxide. There are numerous layers of clouds many kilometers bulky composed of sulfuric acid. These clouds entirely incomprehensible our view of the surface. This thick atmosphere creates a run-away greenhouse effect that raises Venus' face temperature by about 400 degrees to over 740 K (hot enough to melt lead). Venus' surface is truly hotter than Mercury's in spite of creature nearly twice as far from the Sun. The oldest terrains on Venus appear to be regarding 800 million years old. Extensive volcanism at that time wiped out the in move ahead surface counting any large craters from early in Venus' history.

The facts about Venus

2008-01-07T18:55:00.000-08:00

Venus (Greek: Aphrodite; Babylonian: Ishtar) is the goddess of feel affection and beauty. The planet is so named the majority likely because it is the brightest of the planets recognized to the ancients. Venus has been identified since prehistoric times. It is the brightest thing in the sky not including for the Sun and the Moon. Like Mercury, it was generally thought to be two part bodies: Eosphorus as the morning star and Hesperus as the sunset star, but the Greek astronomers knew better.

Venus' rotary motion is rather unusual in that it is both very slow (243 Earth days per Venus day, somewhat longer than Venus' year) and retrograde. Moreover, the periods of Venus' rotary movement and of its orbit are synchronized such that it for all time presents the same face in the direction of Earth when the two planets are at their neighboring approach.

Mercury's dense iron core

2008-01-01T02:33:00.000-08:00

Mercury is to a great extent denser than the Moon (5.43 gm/cm3 vs. 3.34). Mercury is the second densest mainly important body in the solar system, after Earth. Actually Earth's density is outstanding in part to gravitational density; if not for this, Mercury would be denser than Earth. This signifies that Mercury's dense iron core is reasonably larger than Earth, probably comprises the greater part of the planet. Mercury therefore has only a comparatively thin silicate mantle and crust.

Mercury's inner is under enemy control by a big iron core whose radius is 1800 to 1900 km. The silicate on the outside shell (analogous to Earth's mantle and crust) is just 500 to 600 km thick. At least several of the core is perhaps molten. Mercury truly has an enormously thin atmosphere consisting of atoms blasted off its surface by the solar wind. Because Mercury is so hot, these atoms speedily flee into space.

The facts about Mercury

2007-12-25T18:50:00.001-08:00

Mercury is the in close proximity planet to the Sun and the eighth biggest. Mercury is somewhat slighter in diameter than the moons Ganymede and Titan but more than twice as enormous.

Mercury's orbit is exceptionally eccentric; at perihelion it is just 46 million km from the Sun but at aphelion it is 70 million. The position of the perihelion processes regarding the Sun at a very slow rate. 19th century astronomers made extremely careful explanation of Mercury's orbital parameters but could not sufficiently explain those using Newtonian mechanics. The tiny differences between the experimental and predicted values were a slight but nagging problem for many decades. It was thought that one more planet (sometimes called Vulcan) slightly nearer to the Sun than Mercury power account for the discrepancy. But in spite of much effort, no such planet was found. The real reply turned out to be much more dramatic: Einstein's General Theory of Relativity! Its right forecast of the motions of Mercury was a main factor in the early acceptance of the theory.

Vehicle

2007-12-17T19:12:00.000-08:00

The Trikke is a Human mechanical Vehicle (HPV) This article is about the means of transport. For additional uses see Vehicle (disambiguation).

Vehicles are lifeless means of transportation. They are nearly everyone often man-made (e.g. bicycles, cars, motorcycles, trains, ships, and aircraft), although some other means of transportation which are not made by man can also be called vehicles; examples include icebergs and floating tree trunks.

Vehicles possibly will be propelled by animals, e.g. a chariot or an ox-cart. However, animals on their own, although used as a means of transportation, are not called vehicles. This includes humans carrying another human, for example a child or a disabled person.

Vehicles that do not voyage on land are often called crafts, such as watercraft, sailcraft, aircraft, hovercraft and spacecraft.

Most land vehicles contain wheels. Please observe the wheel article for examples of vehicles with and without wheels.

Movement without the rally round of a vehicle or an animal is called locomotion. The word vehicle itself comes starting the Latin vehiculum.

Abstract art

2007-12-12T18:35:00.000-08:00

Abstract art is now typically understood to mean art that does not depict objects in the natural world, but instead uses color and form in a non-representational way. In the very near the beginning 20th century, the term was more often used to describe art, such as Cubist and Futurist art, that depicts real forms in a simplified or rather reduced way—keeping only an allusion of the original natural subject. Such paintings were often claimed to capture astonishing of the depicted objects' immutable intrinsic qualities rather than its external appearance. The additional precise terms, "non-figurative art," "non-objective art," and "non-representational art" keep away from any possible ambiguity.

Bay of Bengal

2007-12-04T20:32:00.000-08:00

The Bay of Bengal is a cove that forms the northeastern ingredient of the Indian Ocean. It resembles a triangle in form, and is enclosed on the east by Malay Peninsula, and on the west by India. On the northern pour of the "bay" lies the Bengal region, comprising the Indian state of West Bengal and the country of Bangladesh, thus the name. The southern boundaries arrive at the island country of Sri Lanka, and the Indian Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The Bay of Bengal occupies a region of 2,172,000 km². It is bordered by India and Sri Lanka to the West, Bangladesh to the North, and Myanmar and the southern division of Thailand to the East. Its southern border extends as an imaginary line from Dondra Head at the southern end of Sri Lanka to the northern angle of Sumatra. A number of huge rivers – Ganges, Brahmaputra, Irrawaddy, Godavari, Mahanadi, Krishna and Cauvery – run into the Bay of Bengal. Among the vital ports are Yangon, Kolkata/Calcutta, Chittagong, Cuddalore, Kakinada, Machlipatnam, Madras, Paradip and Vishakapatnam.

Salad

2007-11-26T18:08:00.001-08:00

Salad is a light meal — or, as part of a bigger meal, much more of an taster — consisting of varied vegetables (usually including at least one leaf vegetable) or fruit, frequently with a dressing or sauce, occasionally nuts and sometimes with the addition of meat, fish or cheese. It is usually seen as a healthy dish, even though not always low in calories, salt, sugar, or fat because of the dressing that is often added. The word "salad" comes from the French salade of the identical meaning, which in twist is from the Latin salata, "salty", from sal, "salt".

Butter chicken

2007-11-19T18:03:00.000-08:00

Butter chicken or murgh makhani is an Indian dish accepted in countries all over the world that have a tradition of Indian restaurants. While the dish's general recipe is well known, the actual flavour can differ from restaurant to restaurant even within Delhi. Butter chicken is usually served with naan, roti, parathas or steamed rice.

It is a dish prepared by marinating a chicken overnight in a yoghurt and spice mixture usually together with garam masala, ginger, lemon or lime, pepper, coriander, cumin, turmeric, chilli, methi and garlic. It is in various ways like to chicken tikka masala. The chicken is then roasted or dry as a bone.

Effects and behaviors of spyware

2007-11-12T18:20:00.000-08:00

A spyware program is rarely alone on a computer: an precious machine can rapidly be impure by many other components. Users frequently notice not needed behavior and degradation of system performance. A spyware infestation can generate significant unwanted CPU activity, disk usage, and network traffic, all of which slow the computer down. Stability issues, such as request or system-wide crashes, are also common. Spyware which interferes with networking software generally causes difficulty connecting to the Internet.

In some infections, the spyware is not even manifest. Users assume in those situations that the issues narrate to hardware, to Windows installation problems, or a virus. Some owners of defectively infected systems resort to contacting technical support experts, or even buying a new computer because the existing system "has become too slow". Badly infected systems may perhaps require a clean reinstallation of all their software in order to return to full functionality.

Routes of infection in spyware

2007-11-05T18:48:00.000-08:00

Spyware does not directly increase in the manner of a computer virus or worm: generally, an infected system does not attempt to transmit the infection to other computers. Instead, spyware gets on a system through deception of the user or through development of software vulnerabilities.

Most spyware is installed not including users' knowledge. Since they tend not to install software if they know that it will interrupt their working environment and compromise their privacy, spyware deceives users, either by piggybacking on a piece of popular software such as Kazaa, or tricking them into installing it (the Trojan horse method). Some "rogue" anti-spyware programs deception as security software, while being spyware themselves.

Spyware, virus and worm

2007-10-29T21:35:00.000-07:00

Unlike viruses and worms, spyware does not generally self-replicate. Like many recent viruses, however, spyware — by design — exploits impure computers for commercial gain. Typical tactics furthering this goal contain delivery of unsolicited pop-up advertisements; theft of personal information (including financial information such as credit card numbers); monitoring of Web-browsing action for marketing purposes; or routing of HTTP requests to advertising sites.

Spyware, adware and tracking

2007-10-22T20:18:00.000-07:00

The term adware regularly refers to any software which displays advertisements, whether or not the user has consented. Programs such as the Eudora mail client show advertisements as an option to shareware registration fees. These classify as "adware" in the good judgment of advertising-supported software, but not as spyware. Adware in this form does not work surreptitiously or mislead the user, and provides the user with a specific service.

Although most adware is spyware in a dissimilar sense for a different reason: it displays advertisements associated to what it finds from spying on you. Visited Web sites regularly install Gator on client machines in a surreptitious manner, and it directs proceeds to the installing site and to Claria by displaying advertisements to the user. The user receives a lot of pop-up advertisements.

History and development of Spyware

2007-10-15T23:03:00.000-07:00

The initial recorded use of the term spyware occurred on October 16, 1995 in a Usenet post that poked fun at Microsoft's business model.Spyware at first denoted hardware meant for spying purposes. However, in early 2000 the founder of Zone Labs, Gregor Freund, used the name in a press let loose for the ZoneAlarm Personal Firewall. Since then, "spyware" has taken on its present sense. According to a 2005 study by AOL and the National Cyber-Security Alliance, 61% of surveyed users' computers had some form of spyware. 92% of surveyed users with spyware reported that they did not know of its occurrence, and 91% reported that they had not given authorization for the installation of the spyware.[3] As of 2006, spyware has become one of the most excellent security threats to computer systems running Microsoft Windows operating systems. In calculate approximately based on customer-sent scan logs, Webroot Software, makers of Spy Sweeper, said that 9 out of 10 computers linked to the Internet are infected.Computers where Internet Explorer (IE) is the primary browser are particularly vulnerable to such attacks not only because IE is the most widely-used, but because its stiff integration with Windows allows spyware access to essential parts of the operating system.

Spyware

2007-10-08T21:29:00.000-07:00

Spyware is computer software that is installed secretly on a personal computer to intercept or take partial organize over the user's interaction with the computer, without the user's informed consent.

While the term spyware suggests software that secretly monitors the user's actions, the functions of spyware expand well beyond simple monitoring. Spyware programs can collect different types of personal information, but can also interfere with user control of the computer in other ways, such as installing extra software, redirecting Web browser activity, or diverting advertising revenue to a third party. In an effort to increase the considerate of spyware, a more formal classification of its included software types is captured under the term privacy-invasive software.

In response to the appearance of spyware, a small industry has sprung up dealing in anti-spyware software. Running anti-spyware software has become a extensively recognized element of computer security best practices for Microsoft Windows desktop computers. A number of jurisdictions have approved anti-spyware laws, which usually target any software that is secretly installed to control a user's computer.

Postal Marking

2007-10-02T03:30:00.001-07:00

A postal marking is any kind of marginal note applied to a letter by a postal service. The most frequent types are postmarks and cancellations; almost every letter will have those, less common types include forward addresses, routing annotations, warnings, postage due notices and explanations, such as for smashed or delayed mail. A key part of postal history is the credit of postal markings, their purpose, and period of use.

Service marks give in sequence to the sender, recipient, or another post office. Advice marks notify about forwarding, miss ending, letters received in bad condition, letters received too late for delivery by a certain time, or the reason for a delay in mail delivery. Dead letter offices would use a variety of markings to keep track of their progress in finding the addressee, such as a notation that the letter had been advertise in the local newspaper. The tracking process for register mail may entail many marks and notations.

Shortly after the eruption of the American Civil War, the Northern authorities affirmed the existing postage stamps invalid and issued new types. Letters using the demonetized stamps received a marking "OLD STAMPS NOT RECOGNIZED", an accidentally humorous comment much prized by collectors today.

Abstract art

2007-09-23T23:16:00.001-07:00

Abstract art is now usually understood to mean art that does not depict objects in the natural world, but instead uses color and form in a non-representational way. In the very early 20th century, the term was more often used to describe art, such as Cubist and Futurist art, which depicts real forms in a simplified or rather reduced way—keeping only an allusion of the original natural subject. Such paintings were often claimed to capture amazing of the depicted objects' immutable intrinsic qualities rather than its external appearance. The more precise terms, "non-figurative art," "non-objective art," and "non-representational art" avoid any possible ambiguity.

Designer jeans

2007-09-16T23:30:00.000-07:00

Designer jeans are high-fashion jeans that are marketed as position symbols. The Nakash brothers (Joe, Ralph, and Avi) are normally credited with starting the trend when they launched their Jordache line of jeans in 1978. Designer jeans are cut for women and men and frequently worn skin-tight. They typically feature prominently able to be seen designer names or logos on the back pockets and on the right front coin-pocket.

Java Island

2007-09-10T00:02:00.000-07:00

Java (Indonesian, Javanese, and Sudanese: Java) is an island of Indonesia and the position of its capital city, Jakarta. Once the centre of powerful Hindu kingdoms and the core of the colonial Dutch East Indies, Java now play a dominant role in the economic and political life of Indonesia. With a population of 124 million, it is the most crowded island in the world; it is also one of the most thickly populated regions on Earth.

Formed frequently as the result of volcanic events, Java is the 13th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island of Indonesia. A chain of volcanic mountains form an east-west spine the length of the island. It has three main languages, and most population is bilingual, with Indonesian as their second language. While the best part of Javanese are Muslim (or at least nominally Muslim), Java has a diverse combination of religious beliefs and cultures.

Types of seat belts

2007-09-03T22:09:00.000-07:00

Lap: Adjustable strap that goes in excess of the waist, Used often in older cars, now uncommon except in some rear middle seats. Passenger aircraft seats too use lap seat belts.
Sash: changeable strap that goes over the shoulder. Used mainly in the 1960s, but of limited advantage because it is very easy to slip out of in a collision.
Lap and Sash: Amalgamation of the two above (two separate belts). Mostly used in the 1960s and 1970s. Generally outdated by three-point design.
Three-point: Similar to the lap and sash, but one single nonstop length of webbing. Both three-point and lap-and-sash belts assist to spread out the energy of the moving body in a crash over the chest, pelvis, and shoulders. Until the 1980s three-point belts were usually available only in the front seats of cars, the back seats having only lap belts. Evidence of the possible for lap belts to cause separation of the lumbar spine and the sometimes associated paralysis, or "seat belt syndrome", has led to a review of passenger safety regulations in nearly all of the developed world requiring that all seats in a vehicle be equipped with three-point belts. By September 1, 2007, all new cars sold in the US will need a lap and shoulder belt in the center rear.

Electron

2007-08-21T22:07:00.001-07:00

The electron is a basic subatomic particle that carries a negative electric charge. It is a spin-½ lepton that participates in electromagnetic connections, and its mass is less than one thousandth of that of the smallest atom. Its electric charge is clear by convention to be negative, with a charge of -1 in atomic unit. Together with atomic nuclei, electrons make up atoms; their interaction with adjoining nuclei is the main cause of chemical bonding.
The electron is in the class of subatomic particles called leptons, which are supposed to be basic particles (that is, they cannot be broken down into smaller constituent parts).
As with all particles, electrons are able to act as waves. This is called the wave-particle duality; also known by the term complementarily coined by Niles Bohr and can be established using the double-slit experiment.

Chef's uniform

2007-08-13T21:32:00.001-07:00

The conventional chef's uniform, including toque (traditional hat), white double breasted jacket, and checked pants are immediately recognized by most members of the Western world, especially in this day of television's celebrity chefs. The double breasted jacket can be inverted to conceal stains. Its thick cotton cloth protects from the heat of stove and oven and protects from splattering of steaming liquids. An apron is an obviously useful piece of utensils used to guard the rest of the wearer's garments from food splatters and stains.

The toque (chef's hat) dates back to the 16th century when hats were regular in many businesses. Different heights of hats point out rank within a kitchen. Some modern chefs have put their own diverse whirl on the traditional uniform. But the traditional, practical, clothing of the chef still remainders a standard in the food industry.

Public transport

2007-08-07T21:53:00.001-07:00

Public transport, public transportation, public travel or mass transit comprises all transport systems in which the passengers do not tour in their own vehicles. While it is generally taken to include rail and bus services, wider definitions would comprise scheduled airline services, ship, taxicab services etc. – any system that transports members of the universal public. A further restriction that is sometimes practical is that it must take place in shared vehicles that would bar taxis that are not shared-ride taxis.

Journalism Basics

2007-07-30T23:07:00.001-07:00

Journalism is a concrete, professionally oriented major that involves gathering, interpreting, distilling, and other reporting information to the general audiences through a variety of media means. Journalism majors learn about every possible kind of Journalism (including magazine, newspaper, online journalism, photojournalism, broadcast journalism, and public relations).

That's not all, though. In addition to dedicated training in writing, editing, and reporting, Journalism wants a working knowledge of history, culture, and current events. You'll more than likely be required to take up a broad range of courses that runs the range from statistics to the hard sciences to economics to history. There would also be a lot of haughty talk about professional ethics and civic responsibility too - and you'll be tested on it. To top it all off, you'll perhaps work on the university newspaper or radio station, or possibly complete an internship with a magazine or a mass media conglomerate.

Metabolism

2007-07-24T22:39:00.000-07:00

Metabolism is the total set of chemical reactions that occur in living cells. These processes are the source of life, allowing cells to grow and reproduce, maintain their structures, and react to their environments. Metabolism is frequently divided into two categories. Catabolic reactions yield energy, an example being the stop working of food in cellular respiration. Anabolic reactions, on the other hand, use this energy to construct mechanism of cells such as proteins and nucleic acids.

The chemical reactions of metabolism are organized into metabolic pathways, in which one chemical is distorted into another by a series of enzymes. Enzymes are vital to metabolism because they allow cells to drive desirable but thermodynamically unfavorable reactions by combination them to favorable ones. Enzymes also agree to the regulation of metabolic pathways in response to changes in the cell's environment or signals from other cells.

Robotics

2007-07-16T23:25:00.001-07:00

It is the science and technology of robots, their plan, manufacture, and application.Robotics requires functioning information of electronics, mechanics, and software. A person functioning in the field is a roboticist. The word robotics was first used in issue by Isaac Asimov, in his science fiction short story "Runaround" (1941).

Although the outside and capabilities of robots vary extremely, all robots share the features of a mechanical, movable structure under some form of control. The chain is misshapen of links, actuators and joints which can allow one or more degrees of freedom. Most modern robots use open sequential chains in which each link connects the one before to the one after it. These robots are called serial robots and often look like the human arm. A few robots, such as the Stewart platform, use closed parallel kinematic chains. Other structures, such as those that imitate the mechanical structure of humans, diverse animals and insects, are relatively rare. However, the development and use of such structures in robots is a dynamic area of research. Robots used as manipulators have a finish effector mount on the last link. This end effector can be something from a welding mechanism to a mechanical provide used to manipulate the environment.

Software tools

2007-07-11T22:45:00.001-07:00

Software tools for distributed processing include standard APIs such as MPI and PVM, and open source-based software solutions such as Beowulf and openMosix which make easy the creation of a supercomputer from a collection of ordinary workstations or servers. Technology like ZeroConf (Rendezvous/Bonjour) can be used to make ad hoc computer clusters to for specialized software such as Apple's shake compositing application. An easy programming language for supercomputers leftovers an open research topic in computer science.

Punt

2007-06-12T22:20:00.000-07:00

A punt is a flat-bottomed boat with a square-cut bow, planned for use in small rivers or other shallow water. Punting refers to boating in a punt; the punter normally propels the punt by pushing beside the river bed with a pole.
Punts were initially built as cargo boats or platforms for fowling and angling but in modern times their use is almost wholly confined to pleasure trips on the rivers in the university towns of Oxford and Cambridge in England and races at a few summer regattas on the Thames.
A customary river punt differs from many other types of wooden boat in that it has no keel, stem or sternpost. In its place it is built rather like a ladder with the main structure being two side panels connected by a series of 4 in (10 cm) cross planks, known as "treads", spaced about 1 foot (30 cm) apart.
The first punts are traditionally linked with the River Thames in England and were built as small cargo boats or platforms for fishermen. Pleasure punts — particularly built for recreation — became popular on the Thames between 1840 and 1860. Some other boats have a similar shape to a traditional punt — for example the Optimist training dinghy or the air boats used in the Everglades — but they are normally built with a box construction instead of the open ladder-like design of a traditional Thames pleasure punt.

Narrow boat

2007-06-06T19:48:00.000-07:00

A narrow boat or narrow boat is a boat of a characteristic design, made to fit the narrow canals in the British Isles.
In the context of British Inland Waterways, "narrow boat" refers to the original working boats built in the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries for transport goods on the narrow canals (where locks and bridge holes would have a maximum width of 7 feet) built in the English midlands during the industrial revolution. The term is extensive to modern "narrow boats" used as homes and for recreation, whose design is an explanation of the old boats for modern purposes and modern materials.

Ketch

2007-05-28T00:40:00.001-07:00

A ketch is a marine craft with two masts: a main mast, and a shorter mizzen mast abaft (rearward of) the main mast. Both masts are rigged mostly fore-and-aft. From one to three jibs may be approved forward of the main mast when going to windward. If a ketch is not rigged for jibs is known as cat ketch, sometimes called per auger. On older, larger ketches the major mast may in addition carry one or more square rigged topsails, alike to a sloop. A ketch may also carry further sails, see below.

The lowest fore-and-aft sail on the major mast is called the mainsail, while that on the mizzen is called the mizzen sail. These may be any kind of fore-and-aft sail, in any grouping. The Scots Zulu, for example, had a dipping lug main with a position lug mizzen.
The ketch is popular among long distance cruisers as the additional sail allows for a better balance, and a smaller more simply handled mainsail for the same overall sail area. It also allows sailing on mizzen and jib only without introducing extreme lee helm, and in an emergency can be quite well steered without use of the rudder.

Inflatable boat

2007-05-20T23:34:00.001-07:00

An inflatable boat is a lightweight boat constructed with its sides and bow made of elastic tubes and a flexible flat floor. Often the transom is rigid allowing a location and structure to fasten an outboard motor onto, and this type of boasting balloon is sometimes called a "Zodiac boat". Often, inflatable boats are intended to be packed into in a small volume, so they can easily stored and transported to water when needed. This feature allows such boats to be used as life rafts for larger boats or aircraft, and for travel or recreational purposes.
Other conditions are "inflatable" and (an old term) "rubber dinghy".
The modern RIB (rigid-hulled inflatable boat) is a growth of the inflatable boat using a solid or section ally rigid floor and capable of taking a high powered transom mounted outboard engine appropriate for high speed operations well up into the ski boat speed ranges.

Cigarette boat

2007-05-13T20:12:00.001-07:00

The cigarette boat or go-fast boat is a high performance boat of a feature design. Originally designed for his offshore racing team by Donald Aronow, the fast, powerful boats became infamous as the drug smuggling boat of choice in many parts of the world in the 1990s and first years of the 21st century.
In harmony with their pure racing heritage, the accommodations on these boats are minimal, and they are built to hold 5 or more passengers. While most do have some cabin under the foredeck, it is low and much smaller than a characteristic motor yacht of similar size. Apart from the racing market, most buyers of these boats purchase them for the mystique; the mixture of the racing and smuggling connections, plus the immense power and high top speeds make these boats popular as ostentatious displays of wealth.
These boats are hard to detect by radar except on flat calm seas or at close range. The United States Coast Guard and the DEA establish them to be stealthy, fast, seaworthy, and very complicated to intercept using conventional craft. Because of this, Coast Guards contain developed their own high-speed craft and also use helicopters. The helicopters are prepared with Anti-materiel rifles which can be used to disable the motors of the go-fast boat. The Coast Guard go-fast boat is a rigid hulled inflatable boat RHIB ready with radar and powerful engines. The RHIB is armed with quite a few types of non-lethal weapons and M240 GPMG.

Air boats

2007-04-02T04:49:00.001-07:00

Air boats, is also known as fan boats, and are flat-bottomed punts motorized by a propeller attached to an automobile or aircraft engine. The propeller has the typical shape and size of an airplane propeller and so requires a large metal cage to look after passengers and other users. The flat bottom allows air boats to find the way easily through shallow swamps and marshes as well as in canals, rivers and lakes; it can also be used on frozen lakes. The driver sits high on a platform to recover visibility and to permit spotting floating obstacles and animals in the alleyway of the boat. Steering is expert by swiveling vertical fins positioned in the propeller wash in the very rear of the airboat, so control is a function of current, wind, water depth and propeller thrust. Crabbing into the wind or current is necessary. The noise from the propeller and engine is quite loud; the greater part of the noise is produced by the propeller. Air boats vary in size from 18 person tour boats to trail boats accepted on a road trailer and suitable for two or three passengers.

A cold winter morning

2007-03-28T02:07:00.001-07:00

I am lying on a white, sandy beach with the glowing sun beating down directly on my tanned summer body. I notice the beautiful, Puerto Rican Cabana boy heading over to replenish my newly empty Margarita glass. I look around my private beach and at the crystal clear, sparkling ocean water tempting me warmly in to its open arms. I get up from my bed on the sand, walking gradually to the water. The sand is flaming my bare feet with such passion that I speed my walk up almost into a jog. As I reach the waterfront I stop, as a falling wave is heading toward my glazing body; I step closer to be in its direct path. I move smoothly in with such grace; I prepare myself for the cool, refreshing bath. I hear an alarm bell screaming, I look around in a panic as it is hurting my ears and giving me a powerful headache. My beach is wandering away, and then it is gone. The ‘warmness my body feels is gone.
I open my eyes; I am gloomy, lifeless room. My alarm clock is going off and the sound can only be compared with exhausted your fingernails across a chalkboard.

Quadriga

2007-03-20T22:58:00.001-07:00

A chariot is a two-wheeled, horse-drawn means of transportation. In Latin they say biga is a two-horse chariot, and quadriga is a four-horse chariot. It was used for very old warfare throughout the Bronze and Iron Ages, and constant to be used for travel, processions and in games after it had been superseded militarily. Early forms may also have had four wheels, even though these are not usually referred to as chariots. The serious creation that allowed the construction of light, horse-drawn chariots for use in battle was the spoked wheel. In these times, most horses could not support the weight of a man in battle; the unique wild horse was a large pony in size. Chariots were efficient in war only on fairly flat, open terrain. As horses were slowly bred to be larger and stronger, chariots gave way to cavalry. The earliest spoke-wheeled chariots date to ca. 2000 BC and their usage peaked approximately 1300 BC (see Battle of Kadesh). Chariot races sustained to be popular in Constantinople until the 6th century. In modern warfare, the planned role of the chariot is played by the tank or the armored personnel carrier. In World War I, just before the opening of the first tanks, motorcycles with machine-guns mounted on a sidecar and armoured cars constitute mechanized versions of the chariot. It might be said that the Russian tachanka for a short time re-introduced horse-drawn chariots, armed with machine-guns but these were much more a light version of the horse artillery which had been a feature of European battlefields for well over a hundred years.

Security

2007-02-20T22:42:00.000-08:00

A security is a fungible, negotiable interest on behalf of financial value. Securities are generally categorized into debt and equity securities. The company or other individual issuing the security is called the issuer.
Securities may be represented by a certificate or, more characteristically, by an electronic book entry interest. Certificates may be bearer, meaning they entitle the holder to rights under the security merely by holding the security, or registered, meaning they give the right the holder to rights only if he or she appears on a security register maintained by the issuer or an intermediary. They include shares of corporate stock or mutual funds, bonds issued by corporations or governmental agencies, stock options or other options, limited partnership units, and a variety of other formal investment instruments that are negotiable and fungible.

Empire State Building

2007-01-21T23:24:00.000-08:00

The Empire State Building is a 102-story contemporary Art Deco style building in New York City, declared by the American Society of Civil Engineers to be one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. Designed by Shreve, Lamb and Harmon, it was finished in 1931. The tower takes its name from the nickname of New York State. Since the September 11th attacks, it is again the tallest building in New York City.

Unlike most of today's high-rise buildings, the Empire State has a classic facade. The building's distinctive art deco spire was originally designed to be a mooring mast and depot for zeppelins. However, after a couple of test attempts with airships, the idea proved to be impractical and dangerous due to the powerful updrafts caused by the size of the building itself, though the T-shaped mooring devices remain in place.

Climate versus weather

2007-01-08T23:01:00.000-08:00

In the most succinct words, weather is the combination of events in the atmosphere and climate is the overall accumulated weather in a certain location.The exact boundaries of what is climate and what weather is are not well defined and depend on the application. For example, in some senses an individual El Niño event could be considered climate; in others, as weather.

When the original conception of climate as a long-term average came to be considered, perhaps towards the end of the 19th century, the idea of climate change was not current, and a 30 year average seemed reasonable. Given the current availability of data on long-term trends in the temperature record, it is harder to give a definition of climate to suit all purposes: over a 30 year period, averages may shift; over a shorter period, the statistics are less stable.

Genetic Engineering

2007-01-01T22:45:00.000-08:00

Genetic engineering, genetic modification and gene splicing are terms for the process of manipulating genes, usually outside the organism's normal reproductive process. It involves the isolation, manipulation and reintroduction of DNA into cells or model organisms, usually to express a protein. The aim is to introduce new characteristics or attributes physiologically or physically, such as making a crop resistant to an herbicide, introducing a novel trait, or producing a new protein or enzyme. Examples can include the production of human insulin through the use of modified bacteria, the production of erythropoietin in Chinese Hamster Ovary cells, and the production of new types of experimental mice such as the OncoMouse for research, through genetic redesign.

Since a protein is specified by a segment of DNA called a gene, future versions of that protein can be modified by changing the gene's underlying DNA. One way to do this is to isolate the piece of DNA containing the gene, precisely cut the gene out, and then reintroduce the gene into a different DNA segment. Daniel Nathans and Hamilton Smith received the 1978 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for their isolation of restriction endonucleases, which are able to cut DNA at specific sites. Together with ligase, which can join fragments of DNA together, restriction enzymes formed the initial basis of recombinant DNA technology.

Marriage

2006-12-26T23:35:00.000-08:00

A marriage is a relationship between or among individuals, usually recognized by civil authority and/or bound by the religious beliefs of the participants. The fact that marriage often has the dual nature of a binding legal contract plus a moral promise, can make it difficult to characterize.In one form or another, marriage is found in virtually every society. The very oldest records that refer to it speak of it as an established custom. Despite attempts by anthropologists to trace its origin , evidence is lacking.

In Western societies, marriage has traditionally been understood as a monogamous union, while in other parts of the world polygamy has been a common form of marriage. Usually this has taken the form of polygyny but a very few societies have permitted polyandry . Precise definitions vary historically and between and within cultures: modern understanding emphasizes the legitimacy of sexual relations in marriage, yet the universal and unique attribute of marriage is the creation of affinal ties . Traditionally, societies encourage one to marry "out" far enough to strengthen the ties, but "close" enough so that the in-laws are "one of us" or "our kind".

Ice age

2006-12-18T01:20:00.000-08:00

An ice age is a period of long-term downturn in the temperature of Earth's climate, resulting in an expansion of the continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and mountain glaciers. Glaciologically, ice age is often used to mean a period of ice sheets in the northern and southern hemispheres; by this definition we are still in an ice. More colloquially, when speaking of the last few million years, ice age is used to refer to colder periods with extensive ice sheets over the North American and Eurasian continents: in this sense, the last ice age ended about 10,000 years ago. This article will use the term ice age in the former, glaciological, sense; and use the term glacial periods for colder periods during ice ages and interglacial for the warmer periods.

Many glacial periods have occurred during the last few million years, initially at 40,000-year frequency but more recently at 100,000-year frequencies. These are the best studied. There have been four major ice ages in the further past.

Temple at Uppsala

2006-12-12T04:24:00.000-08:00

The Temple at Uppsala was a semi-legendary cultic site in Gamla Uppsala, near modern Uppsala, Sweden, that was formed to worship the Norse gods of prehistoric times. The temple is sparsely recognized, but it is referenced in the Norse sagas and Saxo Grammaticus' Gesta Danorum. It is also described by Adam of Bremen. These images might, however, be influenced and biased by the Biblical stories and recollections of the Ancient Roman temples.

The chief controversies regarding the temple focus specifically on determining where in Old Uppsala the temple was located and whether or not it was a building. Some believe that the temple was puzzled with the hall of the Swedish kings. Churches were usually built and consecrated on top of older pagan temples and other sites that witnessed ritual behavior. During an excavation of the present church, the remains of one, and possibly several, large wooden buildings were found beneath the church's foundation.Snorri Sturluson wrote that the temple had been built by the god Freyr, who allegedly used to reside at Uppsala. Snorri and Saxo Grammaticus both claimed that it was Freyr who began the tradition of human sacrifices at the temple site. The Norse sagas, Saxo Grammaticus and Adam of Bremen describe the sacrifices at Uppsala as popular festivals that attracted people from all over Sweden. Many of these sources provide accounts of human sacrifice for the Norse gods.

History of Kerala

2006-12-04T22:21:00.000-08:00

According to fable, Parasurama caused the oceans to retreat, enlightening Kerala. During Neolithic times, humans mainly avoided Kerala's malarial rainforests and wetlands; thus, the first evidence of environment potsherds and dolmens dates to the 10th century BCE. These were shaped by speakers of a proto-Tamil verbal communication from northwestern India, suggestive of that ancient Kerala and Tamil Nadu once shared a common language, civilization, and culture. By the early 14th century, Kerala had become a linguistically separate region. The first major recorded kingdom, the Chera, ruled Kerala from Vanchi. Related with the Pallavas, they warred against the Chola and Pandya kingdoms. A Keralite identity distinct from the Tamils and linked with the second Chera Empire and the development of Malayalam evolved throughout the 8th–14th centuries. In written account, Kerala was first mentioned in the Sanskrit epic Aitareya Aranyaka. Later, figures such as Katyayana, Patanjali, Pliny the Elder, and the unknown novelist of the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea displayed expertise with Kerala.

The Chera kings' reliance on deal meant that merchants from West Asia recognized coastal posts and settlements in Kerala. Many particularly Jews and Christians also escaped maltreatment, establishing the Nasrani Mappila and Muslim Mappila communities.

Morphology

2006-11-27T21:24:00.000-08:00

The basic parts of a tree are the roots, trunk, branches, twigs and leaves. Tree stems consist mainly of carry and transport tissues. Wood consists of xylem cells, and woof is made of phloem and other tissues outside to the vascular cambium.

Trees may be generally grouped into exogenous and endogenous trees according to the way in which their stem diameter increases. Exogenous trees, which include the great bulk of contemporary trees, grow by the addition of new wood outwards, right away under the bark. Endogenous trees, mostly in the monocotyledons, grow by addition of new material inwards.

As an exogenous tree grows, it creates growth rings. In temperate climates, these are usually visible due to changes in the rate of growth with heat variation over a yearly cycle. These rings can be counted to conclude the age of the tree, and used to date cores or even timber taken from trees in the past; this perform is known as the science of dendrochronology. In some humid regions with constant year-round weather, growth is continuous and different rings are not formed, so age resolve is impossible. Age willpower is also impossible in endogenous plants.

Seven Wonders of the World

2006-11-08T08:03:00.000-08:00

The Seven Wonders of the World refers generally to any number of lists which list popular sites for tourism. The oldest and most famous is the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, largely a tourist guide for travelers of the ancient world who wanted to see the most famous and well known sight-seeing destinations

SHEPHERD

2006-10-10T12:12:00.000-07:00

Shepherding is one of the oldest professions, beginning some 6,000 years ago in Asia Minor. Sheep were kept for their milk, meat, and especially their wool. Over the next millennia sheep and shepherding spread throughout Eurasia.Some sheep were integrated in the family farm along with other animals such as pigs and chickens. To maintain a large herd, however, the sheep must be able to move from pasture to pasture, this required the development of a profession separate from that of the farmer. The duty of shepherds was to keep their flock intact and protect it from predators, such as wolves and keas. The shepherd was also to supervise the migration of the flock and ensured they made it to market areas in time for shearing. In ancient times shepherds also often milked their sheep, and made cheese from this milk.In many societies shepherds were an important part of the economy. Unlike farmers, shepherds were often wage earners, being paid to watch the sheep of others. Shepherds also lived apart from society, being largely nomadic. It was mainly a job of solitary males without children, and new shepherds thus needed to be recruited externally. Shepherds were most often the younger sons of farming peasants who did not inherit any land. Still in other societies, each family would have a family member to shepherd its flock, often a child, youth or an elderly who couldn't help much with a harder work; these shepherds were fully integrated in society.Shepherds would normally work in groups either looking after one large flock, or each bringing their own and merging their responsibilities. They would live in small cabins, often shared with their sheep and would buy food from local communities. Less often shepherds lived in covered wagons that traveled with their flocks.

SENSE

2006-09-05T06:45:00.000-07:00

There is no firm agreement among neurologists as to exactly how many senses there are, because of differing definitions of a sense. In general, one can say that a
"sense" is a faculty by which outside stimuli are perceived. School children are routinely taught that there are five senses. It is generally agreed that there are at least
nine different senses in humans, and a minimum of two more observed in other organisms.
A broadly acceptable definition of a sense would be "a system that consists of a sensory cell type that respond to a specific kind of physical energy, and that
correspond to a defined region within the brain where the signals are received and interpreted." Where disputes arise is with regard to the exact classification of the
various cell types and their mapping to regions of the brain.

Blogger update beta by Google

2006-08-30T11:00:00.000-07:00

To add on new features, Google has promoted its Blogger web publishing tool. This fantastic refurbished version is now at present in beta and only selected members can access to it. For the easiness of the Chosen users with existing blogs on the system, will possess a link on the Blogger dashboard, this link will welcome them to move to new system. The one who have been selected can also use the improved features by registering their account directly for the beta version.
The improved Blogger has capacity to categorize different posts with labels, control that can sight a blog and alter the exterior of the blog without having to investigate into the underlying HTML. A communicative tour has also been created by Google in order to give the information about the new features in detail.

State Judiciary

2006-08-28T06:59:00.000-07:00

State Judiciary:

The head of this administration is the High Court. It consists of 21 High Courts and in these three have jurisdiction over more than one state. Under each jurisdiction of different State High Courts comes the Union Territories. And in all these high court a Chief Justice and such other Judges as the President may, from time to time, are appointed.

Each High Court has powers of over all subordinate courts within its jurisdiction, namely the District and Sessions courts and other lower courts. It can call for returns from such Courts, make and issue general rules and prescribe forms to regulate their practice and proceedings and determine the manner and form in which book entries and accounts shall be kept.

Theater

2006-08-17T18:09:00.000-07:00

Colley Cibber (June 11, 1671 – November 12, 1757) was an English actor, playwright, and Poet Laureate. His position in a long line of actor-managers established his colorful record importance in theater history, and He (Apology for the Life of Colley Cibber) was entering the British tradition of long-winded autobiographical method. His works provide valuable documentation of London stage practices for today's historians, and ideology of the early 18th century, two of his original comedies are particularly useful records of the changing way of life.

Contemporary classical music

2006-06-30T02:50:00.000-07:00

In the broadest sense, contemporary music is any music being written in the present day. In the context of classical music the term has been applied to music written in the last quarter century or so, particularly works post-1975. There is debate over whether the term should be used to apply to music in any style, or only to composers writing avant-garde music, or only to "modernist" music. There is some use of "Contemporary" as a synonym for "Modern", particularly in academic settings. A more restrictive use applies the term only to living composers and their works (perhaps only their recent works). Since "contemporary" is a word that describes a time frame, rather than a style or a unifying idea, there are no universally agreed criteria for making these distinctions.

In the early part of the 20th century contemporary music included modernism, the twelve tone technique, atonality, unresolved and greater amounts of dissonance, rhythmic complexity and neoclassicism. In the '50s contemporary music generally meant serialism, in the '60s serialism, indeterminacy, electronic music including computer music, mixed media, performance art, and fluxus, and since then minimal music, post-minimalism, and all of the above.

Since the 1970s there has been increasing stylistic variety, with far too many schools to name or label. However, in general, there are three broad trends. The first is the continuation of modern avant-garde traditions, including musical experimentalism. The second are schools which sought to revitalize a tonal style based on previous common practice. The third focuses on non-functional triadic harmony, exemplified by composers working in the minimalist and related traditions.

Home Decorations

2006-06-01T02:46:00.000-07:00

Art is often seen as belonging to one social class and excluding others. In this context, art is seen as a high-status activity associated with wealth, the ability to purchase art, and the leisure required to enjoy it. The palaces of Versailles or the Hermitage in St. Petersburg with their vast collections of art as home decorations, amassed by the fabulously wealthy royalty of Europe exemplify this view. Collecting such Vases is the preserve of the rich.

However, there is a (not always deliberate) tradition of artists bringing their vision down to earth, and inhabiting a mundane, even poverty stricken, world. The life of Vincent van Goth is a classic example of this starving artist tradition. It hardly needs to be mentioned, however, that few find such a state of existence desirable, and (bearing in mind that "poverty" in this sense also connotes a certain lack of public approval or appetite) that one of the near-defining characteristics of artists is a desire to be seen universally, if not always to be understood. Picture Frames are used for home decorations.

Before the 13th century in Europe, artisans were considered to belong to a lower caste, since they were essentially manual laborers. After Europe was re-exposed to classical culture during the Renaissance, particularly in the nation states of what is now Italy (Florence, Siena), artists gained an association with high status. However, institutions of power as marks of their own status have always used arrangements of “fine” and expensive goods. This is seen in the 20th and 21st century by the commissioning or purchasing of art by big businesses and corporations as decoration for their offices.

Health insurance California

2006-04-26T21:59:00.000-07:00

The california health insurance is beneficial and has unique features. Under dental insurance pans there are several options available like long term and short term insurance plans, temporary and permanent coverage options and lot more. For business life insurance California too, there are different options available. There are also group health and vision plans available in California. If interested in term life health insurance in California, you can go for the same. There are also options like term life insurance policies available that suits your needs. The Kaiser Insurance health available is very affordable and compatible. Insurance is the process of securing one’s life by prior insurance with respect to certain terms and conditions. With many health insurance plans, there is a basic premium involved, which is basically how much you pay to buy health insurance coverage.

Types of Water Treatment

2006-04-11T20:52:00.000-07:00

Water Conditioners is one of the most efficient water treatment method and the water which comes out from them has low sodium diets .it does not contain Lime scales Water which intakes appliances lasts for a longer period. It increases the efficiency of heat. It also the effectiveness of soap, it retains calcium and it is very good for health, it has low running cost. The disadvantage is that it wont treats any specific hard water problems.The water softeners takes off lime scale, it brings up heating efficiency and it increases the life span of clothes.

Activated carbon water filters are good in removing chlorine from the water and they are also efficient in removing organic efficiency. This filtration does not deal with microbes, sodium,nitrates,fluoridesandhardness.Ultraviolet water filters have maximum fabrication capacity and they kill 99% of the germs they are passing through. But these filters do not remove dead cells and do not kill other contaminants. Water Distillers takes away the natural water cycle processes. Distilled Water is very pure and it is free from all the impurities. It has low Filtration Capacity and high running cost.