Life Is What You Make It: November 2007

Holiday shopping guide

Gift CardsBefore you hit the shopping mall, hit the gift card mall. In most cases you don't even have to leave your own neighborhood. Safeway, QFC and some major drugstores sell gift cards for movies, the Mariners, bookstores, dozens of major department stores, even Disneyland and eBay.Right off the bat, you're eliminating the guess work. You're saving yourself a lot of time and you're saving gas money not having to drive around to all these places.By law, in the state of Washington, gift cards cannot expire nor have deductible monthly fees. Just be careful about buying gift cards from the major credit card companies. They're a great option for people who live in other states, but Visa, MasterCard and other major credit card companies have different rules, with fees that can rapidly drain your balance.One downside of gift cards is that many people never use them, so be sure to match the card with the person, so it's something they'll put to use. Hot SellersAs for actual gifts, Nintendo's Wii is again the hot pick of the season.With units flying off shelves at $250, don't count on any price cuts. Unlike last year, retailers say supply is good, but they do run out. So if the Wii is on your list, buy it now to avoid having to wait for new shipments. Ditto for the top selling Wii game, Super Mario Galaxy.Another hot seller: Tickle Me Elmo, the Extra Special Edition. TMX Elmo is so hot, it may be in short supply as we get closer to Christmas. Regular price is $40, but watch the ads and you'll find it for $35.
Coupons aboundDo not miss the Thanksgiving Day edition of the Seattle Times / PI. It'll be stuffed with coupons and specials for nearly 50 retailers this year, more than ever before.And here's a tip that can help you get a jump on the sales: If you see an ad for something on sale that's coming up later in the week, head to the store after 6 p.m. the night before the sale officially begins. A lot of times, the prices are already marked down. For extra savings, shop online and find the special coupon codes -- especially next Monday which is Cyber Monday, when as many as 75 percent of the retailers will offer special promotions.Online shopping expert Hillary Mendelsohn is author of "thepurplebook," a comprehensive directory of thousands of the best online retailers and services and how to get good deals."Log onto your favorite search engine, type in the site that you want to shop at, the plus sign, and the words 'coupon code,' and all the coupon codes and deals will be pulled up on your search," Mendelsohn said.Time to talk turkeyGrocery store sales are in full gear for the holidays, so watch the newspaper coupons, clean out the freezer and make room in the pantry.Keep an eye out for items on sale that you can either freeze or store, to use months from now. Especially butter -- this is one time butter comes on special, guaranteed.One of the biggest money traps you can fall into at this time of year is not knowing what you want ahead of time. Your uncertainty means more money left at the store because you're more likely to buy on impulse.If you're looking for specific items in an ad, take the ad with you so you go to the correct store. Take a supply of paper clips so you can clip all the receipts and guests receipts together. Keep them in one envelope in a safe place. And always keep your purse or wallet closed and close to your body and never leave packages inside your car in plain view.

Stalked by a cell phone: Who's spying on you?

For most of us, the cell phone is our lifeline, but in the wrong hands it's can be a high-tech snooping device.Somebody could be watching or listening with software that could turn your cell phone into their eyes and ears to track your every move. "Your phone can basically spy on you in a heartbeat," says security expert Howard Schmidt.A man we'll call "Dirk," who spoke on condition of anonymity, says he worried about his cyber stalker -- his ex-girlfriend. Even when Dirk's cell phone was off, his ex spied on him. She managed to access his cell remotely without him knowing. With Dirk's cell phone she knew his every move: when he was alone at the corner coffee shop, what he bought at the grocery store, who he ate dinner with -- even details about his dinner conversation. "She always seemed to know where I was at -- 'So you're with so-and-so' -- and I would be with that person, all the time," says Dirk. At first, Dirk chalked it up to a good guess and blamed himself for being paranoid. "She would say 'I'm psychic. I know how you think.'" He believed it. But when his ex knew things he intentionally didn't tell her, that's when it clicked: his cell phone was her microphone. "She knows too much, there is no way she could know this, without having a listening device," Dirk said.Sneaky Software"You don't know what your mobile phone is doing beyond what you think it's doing," insists Schmidt, who worked as a cyber security adviser to the White House and Microsoft's chief security officer.He insists it all comes down to one word: software. If a stalker gets a hold of your phone, he can install it."Some of the software is designed so it will take that conversation and send it through the Internet to a Web site and you can click on the Web site and listen to it," says Schmidt.Schmidt says once the software is installed, you can listen in on conversations from anywhere in the world. And in Dirk's case, even if the phone was off, his ex could hear any conversation taking place within the vicinity of the cell phone.'This Could Result In Something Catastrophic'Schmidt says software already controls every function on cell phones, but spy software can add other functions, like allowing the snoop to remotely and silently turn on a cell phone's microphone while the phone appears to remain off."I said 'how do you know that? How do you know?' " Dirk said. "She said, 'I just know who you are, I know who you are.' "Schmidt says it can result in something catastrophic: "We've seen stalking things go bad where people actually lost their lives over it."And high-tech surveillance isn't limited to a jilted lover. As long as your cell phone is capable of Internet access, Schmidt says it can be hijacked -- and so can confidential e-mails, financial transactions and intellectual property, all without you ever knowing. "It's a mobile PC," says Schmidt.The best defense? Never let your cell phone out of your sight. Schmidt says spy software can be installed in minutes. Dirk thinks that's how his nightmare began. He wants to warn others because the consequences can be long term and severe. "I still can't see myself being in a relationship," says Dirk. He says if you think you're paranoid, check it out -- it could be the eyes and ears in your pocket watching and listening to you. Even when he got a new phone or new number, it didn't stop. "I actually changed it 4 times in one week, she found my number every single time."Dirk says more than year ago he moved out of state and eventually the stalking stopped. As an extra layer of precaution, when he's not using his phone he takes the battery out.Cyber Stalking A Misdemeanor CrimeAccording to court documents filed last year, the FBI arrested two alleged mobsters by using their cell phones as listening devices -- even when their phones were off.Cyber stalking is a misdemeanor crime in Washington unless the perpetrator threatens the victim. Then it becomes a Class C felony.Schmidt also warns you can be tricked into putting spyware on your phone, so know who you're downloading from. When you download things like ring tones or programs for stock quotes, you're giving someone else access to your cell phone.If something doesn't seem right, experts insist it's unlikely you'll be able to detect it on your phone. You may need hi-tech help.

Unusual ocean conditions force Sea Launch to call off launch

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Sea Launch Co.'s oceangoing launch platform and control ship were sailing back from the equator to their home port Tuesday after unusually strong Pacific currents and winds stymied the company's attempt to put a commercial satellite into orbit for the first time since a damaging rocket explosion in January.The launch of the mobile voice and data services satellite for Abu Dhabi-based Thuraya Satellite Telecommunications Co. will be rescheduled, Sea Launch spokeswoman Paula Korn said.Sea Launch is owned by Boeing Co., RSC-Energia of Moscow, Aker ASA of Oslo, Norway, and SDO Yuzhnoye/PO Yuzhmash of Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine.The vessels had been at the Pacific Ocean launch site since Nov. 10, initially aiming for a Nov. 14 blastoff.But the countdown was repeatedly put on hold because ocean currents up to twice as strong as normal and high winds did not allow the self-propelled Odyssey platform to maintain its launch position."We were just using up fuel trying to stay still," Korn said.The countdown was finally stopped and the decision was made Monday to bring the vessels back to Long Beach, Calif."We determined we would come back, resupply, realign ourselves and reschedule the mission," Korn said.The Sea Launch system is designed to take advantage of physics that allow a rocket launched from the equator to carry a heavier payload into orbit than it could if the launch point was elsewhere on the Earth's surface.The vessels have been sailing to the equator for launches since 1999."We've never had conditions like this before," Korn said.Among unusual observations noted by the captains were a drop of sea temperature by several degrees while the vessels were at the equator, she said, noting that the Pacific is in the grip of the La Nina phenomenon.During La Nina, cold water that usually lies along South America moves out across the equatorial region of the Pacific Ocean, altering global weather.A successful liftoff of the Boeing-built Thuraya-3 satellite would have put Sea Launch back on track.The Odyssey had to undergo repairs after the January accident in which one of its Zenit 3SL rockets blew up seconds after ignition during Sea Launch's 24th mission.The platform remained seaworthy, but its massive gas deflector, an approximately 300-ton steel structure suspended below the launch pad, was lost in the blast and had to be replaced, among other repairs.The cause of the rocket failure also had to be determined - debris in a liquid oxygen turbopump - and corrective action taken to prevent it from happening again.The Odyssey has a crew of 67 and the control ship Sea Launch Commander has about 240 people aboard. The ship will reach California next week; the slower platform will arrive in about two weeks.

How to Prevent Identity Theft

The best way to prevent identity theft is to protect your identification and financial information from prying eyes. Don’t keep all of your identification and financial information in one place and never write down your PIN (personal identification numbers) anywhere. The same thing goes for Internet passwords and member ID information, especially if the password and ID leads a person to a financial site.
When dealing with payment on the Internet you should never do business with a site unless it has “secure socket layer” protection. The letters in your URL in your browser window that begin htpps:// indicates this. Web sites that do not have this protection are called htpp://
You should also never respond to emails or snail mail that requests personal information such as passwords or PIN numbers. You should also avoid requests for your social security number or employee identification number as bogus credit cards and access to your personal information can also be obtained through those numbers. Other information you should avoid giving out is your mother’s maiden name, your pet’s name or any other details that could be used as part of a security verification question on your account.
You should know where your credit cards, bank statements and other important documents are at all times and keep them either with you and under lock and key. The same thing goes for your birth certificate and social insurance card.
Another security measure would be to put your mailbox under lock and key. This prevents thieves from rummaging through it and stealing documents such as pre-approved credit card offers which can make it very easy to steal your identification from you.
To prevent identity theft you should never carry your wallet in your back pocket if you are a man and if you are a woman you should always remember to zip your purse up tight as a wallet that is exposed is a temptation for identity thieves.

What is Identity Theft?

Identity theft, also known as ID theft is a crime in which a criminal obtains key pieces of personal information, such as Social Security or driver's license numbers, in order to pose as someone else. The information can be used to obtain credit, merchandise, and services using the victims’ name. Identity theft can also provide a thief with false credentials for immigration or other applications. One of the biggest problems with identity theft is that very often the crimes committed by the identity theft expert are often attributed to the victim.
There are two main types of identity theft – account takeover and true name theft. Account takeover identity theft refers to the type of situation where an imposter uses the stolen personal information to gain access to the person’s existing accounts. Often the identity thief will use the stolen identity to acquire even more credit products by changing your address so that you never see the credit card bills that the thief runs up.
True name identity theft means that the thief uses personal information to open new accounts. The thief might open a new credit card account, establish cellular phone service, or open a new checking account in order to obtain blank checks. The Internet has made it easier for an identity thief to use the information they've stolen because transactions can be made without any real verification of someone’s identity. All a thief really needs today is a series of correct numbers to complete the crime.
Some types of identity thieves hack into databases to steal personal information. However this type of thievery is much rarer than the use of old fashioned methods such as scouring the garbage for old receipts or looking over someone’s shoulder while they are doing a financial transaction. You should also be wary of such criminals at the Department of Motor Vehicles or anywhere else where filling out a long application could provide a thief with enough information to inspire an identity theft.

What do we need to know about AIDS/HIV?

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), which is deadly if left untreated. An HIV infection damages the immune system, your body's defense against disease and infection. A person can die from "opportunistic" infections from bacteria, viruses and other types of microscopic organisms that are usually harmless to healthy people. Because the immune system is damaged, the body of someone with this condition cannot defend itself well. AIDS is the final stage of HIV infection, when opportunistic infections occur because of a greatly weakened immune system.
The white blood cells (lymphocytes) in our bodies work to protect us against infection. Lymphocytes include B cells and T cells. B cells produce antibodies that destroy organisms invading the body. T cells help regulate the production of these antibodies.
Some T cells are helper cells; others are suppressor cells. T helper cells help create antibodies and so-called cell-mediated immunity that also assist in the defense against certain infections. Suppressor cells end the immune reaction. The HIV virus targets a specific kind of T helper cell called CD4 cells. HIV attacks CD4 cells and uses them to make more copies of the HIV virus. As CD4 cells are destroyed, the immune system fails and AIDS develops.
In the United States, more than half a million people have died from AIDS, and about 40,000 people are infected annually. As of 2005, an estimated 438,000 Americans were living with AIDS.

Prognosis
Since 1996, the introduction of powerful antiretroviral therapies has dramatically decreased the number of people who develop AIDS. Before better therapies and medical treatments existed to take care of complications, it was thought people could live an average of 10 years after HIV infection.
Early detection of HIV infection can extend your life if you are treated with antiretroviral therapy, but to date, this infection cannot be cured. These medications must be taken for life.

What is AIDS? What causes AIDS?

AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.
An HIV-positive person receives an AIDS diagnosis after developing one of the CDC-defined AIDS indicator illnesses. An HIV-positive person can also receive an AIDS diagnosis on the basis of certain blood tests (CD4 counts) and may not have experienced any serious illnesses. A positive HIV test does not mean that a person has AIDS. A diagnosis of AIDS is made by a physician according to the CDC AIDS Case Definition.
Over time, infection with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) can weaken the immune system to the point that the system has difficulty fighting off certain infections. These types of infections are known as opportunistic infections. Many of the infections that cause problems or that can be life-threatening for people with AIDS are usually controlled by a healthy immune system. The immune system of a person with AIDS has weakened to the point that medical intervention may be necessary to prevent or treat serious illness.

Dancing with the star

I have been watching Dancing with the star for four season. Last night was a shocking night . Jenny and Derek was my favorite couple and they shouldn't have been voted. DWTS is became a joke. It was supposed to be about the talent not papularity. I've had just about enough of the Marie Osmond saga. It has gone from one sympathetic thing to another (give me a break please). I'm so disappointed in the show. It's unfair how the voters are manipulating the show. The viewers calling-in voting has become a breeding ground for the voters to abuse this privilege. In the case of Marie Osmond it's how much sympathy can be gathered .It should have been Marie Osmond who voted off. Its just so unfair. I will be voting for Mel B.. and i just hope they win this one.

You can Lower your risk for heart disease and stroke

If you have diabetis, you are high risk for having a heart attack or stroke. Heart disease strikes people with diabetis more than twice as often as it strikes people without diabetis. It hits them earlier in life and it hits them harder. In fact, two out of three people with diabetis die from heart disease or stroke.

You can help to lower your risk by managing your ABC of diabetis.

A is for A1C, test that measures your average blood sugar over the past 2 to 3 months.
B is for blood pressure; and
C is for cholesterol.

Talk to your Doctor or other member of your health team about diabetis and heart disease.

Family and Holiday Stress

Some of our greatest stress during the holidays comes from falling short of our own expectations. Images of happy, harmonious families surround us, and those images reach fever pitch around the holidays.
We are led to believe that other families get together and share great love and joy, in a picture-perfect setting. In fact, few families are really like that, except perhaps on TV.
Our families bring out our deepest passions, not always our happiest. People in families have conflicts, both trivial and major. These conflicts don't go away just because we wish they would.
So what's the best way to handle all this when everyone gets together?
First of all, don't try to control others. You can't make others behave or even get along. But, you may be able to influence things in the direction you want.
For example, you can't make kids behave. But if you schedule the family party at a time when you expect them to be well-rested and in a good mood, you'll improve the chances of good behavior.
Be realistic about your expectations for family behavior. Do you really expect feuding relatives to get along just because of some cookies and eggnog? But, you might leave the alcohol out of the eggnog if you know Uncle Bill always drinks too much and spoils the party.
Think about the conflicts in your family. Some are probably petty grudges and personality conflicts. But some may run deeper. Most of the minor disagreements can be bridged with diplomacy, distraction and good humor.
Bigger conflicts can't be glossed over so easily. Different visiting times is one possible solution. Maybe there are people in your family who really shouldn't be in the same room together.
It's really not a good idea to force these things for the sake of some ideal image of family togetherness. It won't work anyway.
Women can be especially stressed around the holidays. We often feel that we bear the responsibility for shopping, food, decorating and ensuring family harmony. When the party isn't perfect or we can't do it all, women may feel disappointed and guilty, and also resentful of the expectations.
Men are often willing to help but resist taking on women's unrealistic expectations of perfection, which they may see as unnecessary and silly. Perhaps the best advice is to do what you can, ask for help where you can get it, and let go of the rest.
Everyone will have a better time if you're relaxed, cheerful, and getting along with your spouse much more than if the tablecloth is wrinkle-free.
Last of all, many families have members from different cultures, some of whom don't celebrate Christmas. They can feel left out of a holiday season so dominated by Christmas.
Those of other faiths and those who are not religious can embrace Christmas as a secular and largely commercial holiday. If your family has such members, you may want to emphasize this aspect of Christmas when celebrating it with them.
It's important to customize your holiday celebrations to who you and your family are, and to not try to live up to some fantasy image. Doing this will reduce your stress, and help the holidays truly be a time to enjoy.

With just six days until we slice our turkey, watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and cheer on our favorite football teams, now is the time to start planning ways to make your Thanksgiving celebration go as smoothly as possible. Here are some ways you can do right now to start preparing for your holiday festivities.

1. Create an autumnal home

Autumn is such a warm time of year. No, I'm not talking temperature wise, but rather feeling wise. Make your guests feel that warm autumn feeling the minute they arrive at your home. Fill the air with some seasonal scents by purchasing a few candles — maybe in pumpkin spice or harvest apple. Just don't mix too many scents together or your guest may lose that warm feeling and instead just end up with a headache. Also, place a few pumpkins outside. Hang an autumn wreath on the door. Fill a bowl with beautiful red apples or miniature pumpkins and gourds and place it on your coffee table. You can find many decorating ideas at your local craft store. Just don't be afraid to use your imagination to create the feel of fall.
2. Plan a menu
Whether you are playing the role of host or guest, typically you will be making a dish or two, or even the whole meal. Sit down now and figure out what you are planning to make for the dinner and plan your list of items you will need from the grocery. By organizing your dishes, you can pace your time in the kitchen better and ultimately feel a little less overwhelmed. (And if you don't want to cook this year, see our suggestions for dine in and carry out in Thursday's Life section.)
3. Clean your fridge
Now is the time to start cleaning out your refrigerator. We all have had that moment where our fridge is jam-packed and we have to spend precious time rearranging things to figure out how to put in the other three dishes we created. By clearing out or eating the food in your refrigerator a week or so in advance, you can leave your fridge fairly open for all the casseroles, gelatin molds, pies — and of course turkey — that you will have.
4. Precook
There are some items — pies, casseroles, stuffing — that can be made before Thanksgiving Day. After figuring out what your menu will be, go through your dishes and decide what can be done ahead of time. Even if it is just making the pie crust or stuffing, it will cut down on things you have to do on the actual day.
5. Thaw the turkey
Nothing is worse than having a turkey frozen solid on the day of Thanksgiving. To properly thaw a turkey — depending on the size — it takes about three to four days in the refrigerator to be ready for Thanksgiving Day. Be sure to plan for this by placing your bird into the fridge with plenty of time to thaw before the big day. Remember, the larger the turkey the longer it takes to thaw. Ask your butcher how long you should allow for the size bird you are purchasing.
6. Set the table
If you are the one hosting Thanksgiving dinner, go ahead and set your table before the big day. Get all your dinnerware set out, napkins folded and glasses in place. By doing this you will be able to focus more on the meal and less on the atmosphere on the big day.
7. Make a centerpiece
Nothing is better than a breathtaking centerpiece for your Thanksgiving Day table. And what's even better is that you can create an easy centerpiece that will look like you spent hours and hours designing it. A day or two before Thanksgiving, go to your local flower store and find your favorite autumn flowers — preferably in a pot and not just a bouquet. I recommend mums, which you can find in many beautiful colors and sizes. Now, find a pumpkin that is tall enough to hide the pot that your flowers are in. Hollow out the pumpkin and make a hole at the top large enough to fit the flower pot directly into the pumpkin. Scatter a few leaves around the table to bring together all the autumn colors. You also can add some miniature pumpkins and gourds around the larger one to give a little more character to your creation. If that doesn't work, go to your local craft store and purchase a cornucopia basket. Fill it with pine cones, flowers, greenery, fruits and vegetables. Depending on your table size, you can even stretch your design out by adding more things to make it appear that the bountiful basket has spilled down the entire length of the table. Whatever you choose to do, make sure that your centerpiece is not so tall that your guests are unable to see one another across the table.
8. Keep guests entertained
Whether you have a bunch of football fans coming over or a bunch of children, you don't want your guests to be bored out of their minds the whole day. Be sure to plan activities or have things on hand to keep everyone comfortable and entertained throughout the day. Have a few child-friendly board games on hand or have a deck or two of cards ready for an impromptu game of euchre. Also, make sure you have plenty of seating, especially around the TV if people are planning to watch football games.
9. Prepare speech or prayer
Are you the person who always is called upon to say a speech or prayer before the Thanksgiving Day meal? If so, this year come prepared. Start thinking now about what you are going to say. If you need a little holiday inspiration, many Web sites offer ideas for both speeches and prayers for Thanksgiving. Whatever you choose to say, make sure that it is from the heart and meaningful. Nothing is worse than a speech or prayer that looks too practiced or memorized. It is OK to get inspiration from different sources, but ultimately have the speech come from your heart.
10. Pack up leftovers
There is only so much you can do with turkey and stuffing. Let's face it, there are always leftovers. Why not give some food to your guests to take home with them so that the food doesn't end up going bad in your refrigerator? Go to your local dollar store or grocery store and pick up some inexpensive, disposable containers. Before your guests leave, you can plate them up a leftovers care package to enjoy once they return home. And since you bought some disposable containers, you don't have to worry about never getting your "good" containers back.

Happy Thanks Giving!!!

Plastic Surgery

Plastic Surgery - Avoid bad plastic surgery today by reading this article! Plastic Surgery The world has changed so much in the last few decades. Although plastic surgery has had a long history that dates back to ancient times, it was considered a fringe part of society until now. However, plastic surgery has become a part of our society. There are many reasons for this - one being, the advancements in technology and procedures that has allowed plastic surgery treatments to become safer and more effective. With these modern plastic surgery techniques, people can now turn the hands of time and regain a youthful look. In fact, many people, not just celebrities, undergo some type of cosmetic plastic surgery procedure. Plastic surgery is a well-defined surgical specialty: encompassing reconstructive surgery and cosmetic surgery. Generally speaking, plastic surgery means reconstruction with the goal being a more aesthetically pleasing you. Of course, it can be difficult to find the right information online about what's best for your plastic surgery. Our goal is to provide you with the highest-quality, most trustworthy plastic surgery content on the Web!!! The History of Plastic Surgery You’ll hear many skeptics talk about how superficial plastic surgery is and how it is a reflection of an increasingly vain culture. Look, there are some good points in that but there are also some misconceptions. Plastic surgery dates back to the 700’s BCE and has had

a fruitful history in many civilizations. Modern plastic surgery can be traced back to the innovations of New Zealander Sir Harold Gillies. Gillies developed many of the techniques that are the basis of modern plastic surgery. He is often referred to as the father of modern plastic surgery. His innovations came about from his attempts to deal with the facial injuries that he suffered during the First World War. Procedures This section on plastic surgery has been designed to introduce patients to the various procedures. In this section, we will examine how plastic surgery can improve your overall appearance and possibly your self-esteem. While others may disagree, the truth is that plastic surgery is a well-defined surgical specialty that can be divided into two fields – cosmetic surgery and reconstructive surgery. The increasing popularity of plastic surgery treatments and the advancement of its techniques are not a mutually exclusive trend. As more and more people turn to plastic surgery to improve their appearance, plastic surgeons are working hard to develop cutting edge ways to tighten the skin, sculpt and rejuvenate a patient’s face and body. Of course, plastic surgery is a competitive industry and very few people have the ability to keep up with the latest developments in this field. To help you out, we will examine the two types of plastic surgery procedures. Reconstructive Surgery Out of the two types of plastic surgery treatments, reconstructive surgery has the best reputation. Essentially, reconstructive surgery is a broad branch of surgery that involves procedures that changes abnormal and damaged tissues or organs in order to restore their function and normal appearance. Whether it was through a genetic condition or an accident, reconstructive surgery can help you overcome health hazards in your life and make you feel whole again. Although many people champion reconstructive surgery over cosmetic surgery, the two overlap. Many of the techniques of cosmetic surgery are utilized in reconstructive surgery. Unlike cosmetic surgery, reconstructive surgery is generally covered by most health insurance policies. However, it is up to you to check your health insurance policy to see the specific procedures and level of coverage. Cosmetic Surgery Although cosmetic surgical techniques are often used in reconstructive surgery, cosmetic surgery tends to have a worse reputation. That is because cosmetic surgery is performed to reshape normal structures of the body in order to improve the patient's appearance. While some people may consider this field superficial, it is hard to criticize the thousands of cosmetic surgery patients who beam with pride when discussing the results. Cosmetic surgery is a very popular form of surgery. In 2006, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons reported nearly 11 million cosmetic plastic surgeries were performed in the United States alone. There are a variety of cosmetic surgery procedures, but popular ones include breast enlargement (augmentation mammoplasty), breast reduction (reduction mammoplasty), nose reshaping (rhinoplasty), and fat removal (liposuction). Although many people tell stories of bad plastic surgery, the truth is that many cosmetic surgical procedures aren’t all that surgical. Cosmetic surgical procedures can be performed safely in a number of locations including: a licensed office facility, a hospital, or a free-standing outpatient facility. It is imperative that you pay your cosmetic surgery and cosmetic surgery related costs in advanced. Unlike reconstructive surgery, you can expect to pay solely for cosmetic surgery, as many health insurance companies consider it as an elective. Depending on the type of cosmetic surgery procedure, your healing time will vary. Therefore, it is recommended that you look through this website to learn more about the type of cosmetic surgery you are interested in. We fully understand that reaching the decision to have any kind of cosmetic surgery involves a great deal of deliberation and thought. Therefore, the principal aim of our website is to provide you with important information concerning the wide range of cosmetic surgery procedures available to you. Unlike many other plastic surgery websites, our only goal is to provide you with a balanced and realistic approach to cosmetic surgery. Conclusion Plastic surgery is a specialty that uses surgical techniques to change the appearance and function of a person's body. It is a broad medical field that can be subdivided into cosmetic surgery and reconstructive surgery. Plastic surgery has become a part of our society and it doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere. In previous generations, plastic surgery was considered the domain of the rich and famous. However, in these times where your looks matter more than ever, it can’t hurt to learn a bit more about plastic surgery. Feel free to browse our website to learn more about plastic surgery.

My son's Poem

This is my son's Poem. I found it amazing, sometimes we dont realized how little kids mind work. My Best friend Gldays had already post it on her website but I thought about Posting it on my website and here it is.

I HATE MONDAYS!!!

Monday morning I woke up in bed,
Looked at the clock and it said'
Nine o'clock.

I am late for school
This is not cool,

The car broke down,
I heard a sound.

I looked under the hood
And there a monkey stood

With a car parts in its mouth,
And with my copmass always pointing south

By: Justin Rankin

Oil Rising up everyday

Oil prices continue to shatter all previous records, climbing above $98 a barrel this morning in what many analysts say is a run up to $100.
As the price of crude rises, the cost of filling up at the pump is really starting to drain a lot of wallets.
Normally, gas pumps see the price per gallon drop in the fall, but this year that hasn't happened.
Here are some tips from the Federal Trade Commission on how to get more miles out of each gallon of gas and keep some dollars in your wallet.
Choose the right octane. For most cars, the recommended gas is regular octane. Using a higher octane gas than the manufacturer recommends offers no benefit, and it costs you at the pump. Unless your engine is knocking, buying higher octane gas is a waste of money.
Stay away from gas-savings gadgets. Be skeptical about any gadget promising to improve your mileage. The Environmental Protection Agency has tested more than 100 such devices -- including "mixture enhancers" and fuel line magnets -- and found that very few provided any benefits. Those that did work provided only a slight improvement. Some can even damage your engine.

Stay within the speed limit. Gas mileage decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 miles per hour.
Avoid unnecessary idling. It wastes fuel, costs you money and pollutes the air. Turn off the engine if you anticipate a wait.
Stop and start gently. You can improve in-town gas mileage by up to 5 percent by driving gently.
Use overdrive and cruise control. They improve fuel economy when you're driving on the highway.
Inflate your tires. Keeping your tires properly inflated and aligned can increase gas mileage up to 3 percent.
Keep your engine tuned. Tuning your engine can increase gas mileage by an average of 4 percent.
Change your oil. Clean oil reduces wear caused by friction between moving parts and removes harmful substances from the engine. Motor oil that says "Energy Conserving" on the performance symbol of the American Petroleum Institute contains friction-reducing additives that can improve fuel economy.

How do you know when you’re living your purpose? When your present moments begin to feel perfect.

When you live on purpose, your relationship with time changes dramatically. You’ll no longer be looking for happiness somewhere in the future. You’ll stop saying to yourself, “Once X happens then I’ll be where I want to be. Then I’ll be happy.” Instead you will look to your present and say, “This is exactly where I want to be right now… and nowhere else. Nothing could be more perfect than this precise moment.”

The emotion that accompanies this state is joy. Joy results from total acceptance of your present moment. Whenever you project your consciousness away from the present moment and seek happiness in another time or place, you leave joy behind. When all parts of your being fully embrace where you are right now, you can’t help but feel joyful.

Most likely you haven’t reached this state yet. But it’s well within your capability to do so. You can reach it by following your internal compass. By assessing your current emotional state and comparing it to the state of joy, you can get a sense of your distance from this state. You can pinpoint where you are at any time along the
levels of consciousness scale. Inner peace is right next to joy. Neutrality is a little further out. Far beyond that lies anger. And really far away is fear. The more powerless you feel, the further you are from joy, and the more you’re resisting what is.

If you are far away from joy, you cannot simply jump to this state immediately and stay there for long. You might be able to experience it temporarily, such as through meditation, but the circumstances of your life will soon pull you back to your previous level. But with conscious intent, you can eventually reach this state and make it your default. And the way you do this is to keep re-pointing your life in the direction of joy by making better decisions.

Whenever you’re faced with a decision, even a seemingly mundane one such as what to eat for your next meal, choose the option that brings you closest to joy. That will be the option that makes you feel the most powerful. It will not necessarily be what makes you feel joyful, especially if you are currently in a very negative state. If you’re currently depressed, you may have zero choices that will produce joy in this moment. But you will have some choice that makes you feel more powerful and alive than the others, and that is the choice that will turn your life in the direction of joy.

If you are feeling fearful and worried, perhaps the best action you can find is one which makes you feel greedy or angry. That is perfectly fine. Greed and anger are both higher states than fear; they are closer to joy. It is better to act out of anger than out of fear, since it will turn you in the direction of joy. And soon you’ll be able to progress beyond anger. Do not beat yourself up if a seemingly negative state like anger is the best you can muster at this time in your life. You cannot expect any more from yourself than your best. The anger will pass, and you’ll soon be able to climb the ladder towards more positive states. If you are in a deep negative state such as depression, you will have to pass through higher negative states first before you can reach the positive ones. So going from depression to anger is a very positive step in the right direction.

If you proceed in this manner with every decision you can, eventually you will reach the state of joy. It may take some time, but you will eventually reach it and make it your default state. Joy is in fact your natural state of being. Babies enter this state very easily because they are fully in the present moment. They do not seek themselves in the past or future.

When you are joyful, your life flows with ease and lightness. Existence is no longer a struggle. Why? Because when you stop resisting the present moment, you stop creating problems for yourself. Resistance creates internal problems like stress, fear, and disease, but it also creates external problems like conflict, scarcity, and injustice. When you learn to choose the direction that creates the most joy in your life, your life will become a joyful experience in each and every moment. And of course it is easy to accept and embrace any present moment in which you feel joyful, so the state will naturally perpetuate itself. Joyful feelings create joyful actions which produce more joyful feelings.

The state of joy enables you to stop worrying about your survival, to stop fearing what may or may not happen, and to stop fighting your present moments. You’ll find it easier and easier to satisfy your needs. This will allow you to direct your consciousness outward and interact with the world without fear. People will seem much less threatening to you. Even strangers will smile at you more because they’ll pick up on your joyful state. Positive people will be drawn to you like a magnet, and you’ll soon find your life filled with empowering relationships. All the support you need will come to you. And this in turn will give you the energy and drive to embrace your true purpose.

Simply make decisions that bring you as close to joy as possible, even if it seems very distant at first, and soon you’ll find your life becoming more joyful. You have free will though, so in any moment you can decide to move towards joy or away from it. The choice is yours.