Good Website

Submitted by mous on 12/10/08 1:44pm
Have found this website for car bits www.les-smith.co.uk

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Submitted by beatriz on 12/10/08 1:14pm
Wednesday, December 10th 10:05pm Dear Diary, Whew, it’s been a whirlwind of political activity since I last wrote in my diary. Well, first off, Barack and I had our meeting on Tuesday with Al Gore. It’s always nice to talk to the guy that once held my office. He was the last guy to rightfully hold this office, so I felt honored to meet with him. Not to mention the Nobel Peace Prize and all…. Well, anyway, we talked about the environment, naturally (no pun intended), and looked to Al Gore for advice as to whom Barack will nominate for the Environmental Team. Al Gore had a few suggestions, and I’ll be curious to see how many of them Barack takes to heart. Too bad Gore is so adamant about staying out of Washington. Apparently, he can get more done when he’s not directly involved in the political sphere. Still, he would have made a great Environmental Protection Agency administrator. In other news, I can’t believe all the corruption surrounding Barack’s Senate seat. The nerve of Governor Rod Blagojevich to have been caught selling Barack’s seat to the highest bidder is an outrage. It’s so sad. Seemed like for so long, it was mainly the Republicans who were caught up in these scandals, with the exception of the sexual stuff, as was the case with Eliot Spitzer. And it’s not like Republicans haven’t had their fair share of infidelity with John McCain, Newt Gingrich, and Rudi Giuliani, just to name a few. Barack is asking Blagojevich to step down, and I certainly think he should. There’s no reason why he should stay in office. His integrity is compromised, and there’s no way he can get anything done in that state. Until next time, Joe the Veep

my 3 sons

Submitted by mous on 12/10/08 1:14pm
Hi everyone. Im new to this board and am hoping to make some new friends. I have 3 sons ranging from ages 2 to 12. All are a handful. My 12 year old was diagnosed with ADHD and depression. I think my 10 year old may have ADD no hyperactivity, but he was not diagnosed. Sometimes I think he is just very lazy. Is anyone in a similar situation? Would love to hear your story. Karen MOM of 3 boys

The Gospel of . . . the Kingdom

Submitted by jemanji on 12/10/08 9:14am
Do you want to see one of Christ's greatest moments in teaching? One of His greatest moments, that is, in terms of the amount of Divine wisdom he allowed us that day ... and in terms of the shock that it put on the crowd? Check Matthew 13. A few of the verses:
Mat 13:1 The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. Mat 13:2 And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. Mat 13:3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow... Mat 13:24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: Mat 13:25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. Mat 13:26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. ... Mat 13:33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
Now, we have to keep in perspective, what the people of the day were hearing from the rabbis of the time. They heard things like, here is when you should give to the temple, and here is where you are exempted. They heard, Here is why you can give tax money to Caesar, or here is why you can't. They heard, Here is what the Gentiles do, and here is why you must live better than the goyim do. They heard, here is what you must not eat, and here is when you should wash, and here is what Deuteronomy 8 means. ........... Jesus of Nazareth came along and taught something of rather larger scope. He said, When the spiritual Kingdom comes... here are the concepts behind its design. Here is the intent in the mind of God for this great Environment, and here is how different men will react, and here is why God will respond.

You remember the physics teacher that couldn't hold your attention. :- ) Blah blah speed equals distance divided by time, and if you have vector F at 15 degrees, you can find angular momentum by... blah blah. Imagine Einstein breezing into the room and beginning a talk about why the universe works the way it does... Jesus preached differently.
Mat 13:53 And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence. Mat 13:54 And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? Mat 13:55 Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? Mat 13:56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?
The basic reaction of the people was not merely astonishment that Jesus should teach such stunning doctrines. It was also astonishment that -anybody- should tackle such subjects. And notice in Matt. 13:19, this same chapter, Jesus tells us what is the essence of wisdom (in this case, at least):
Mat 13:19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
The word of ... what? The word of the Kingdom. This was a doctrine that Jesus loved, and a doctrine that He wanted us to love too. Yet, how many times have you passed a church on the street and its sign read something like, "NOT CHURCH, BUT CHRIST!" .............. Jesus taught us that our environment would be important. A cow would rather be roaming a free range, protected by a rancher, than in a crate, being confined for future presentation as a veal cutlet. The setting in which you live matters. He taught us that He would establish a Kingdom, and in this Kingdom, His sheep would have the setting that they needed for love, and blessings, and salvation, and Christian living. That setting was the kingdom. Any setting designed by men, any setting designed by anyone other than Christ, is not the setting that Christ designed. So, we don't want any setting that men had anything to do with designing. The day will never come when Joe Shlabotnik of Tracy, CA, figures out the magic improvement to Christ's church, that makes it the right place to be. Christ's kingdom was announced 2,000 years ago, and every change since has only made it worse. The word of the Kingdom. Is it self-contained in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John? Kind regards, Jeff ................. image: http://www.breadonthewaters.com/add/0154_Heaven_christian_clipart.jpg

Best Beauty Buys of 2008

Submitted by mous on 12/10/08 7:59am
Celebrities have weighed in on their favorite beauty products, and here are the top five products they simply cannot live without. Selma Blair uses Joe Blasco Ultrabase Foundation in Natural Tan. She uses this product for contouring and defining cheekbones, quite successfully, I might add. . . . . . . Anna Friel’s trick with the smoky eyes is with her Smashbox Cosmetics Try Me Kit brow tech and cream eyeliner palate. She gushes, “It's got every single color you need to do a smoky eye. And the cream shadow is so easy.” And who wouldn’t want Anna Friel’s smoky eyes? That girl always knows how to look amazing. . . . . Becki Newton’s trick to looking amazing is her lip gloss. She uses Benefit Her Glossiness lip gloss in Life On The A-List. She feels that this nude color helps her to look polished without looking overdone. Becki also uses Stila Illuminating Liquid Foundation in 30 Watts to complete her natural look. . . . . . If Elizabeth Banks is your fave, you can’t miss her Sapphire Eyeliner, made by Stila Kajal. She pairs that with her Du Wop Revolotion Face Tinted Moisturizer and is instantly ready to hit the town. . . . . . . . Rihanna has always had an arresting beauty, and lucky for us, she doesn’t keep her beauty tricks a secret. She dons Covergirl Volume Exact Mascara, saying, “This doesn't clump, and it makes your lashes curl up in a pretty way. It also makes them really long.” Can’t go wrong there. She also uses Jane Iredale D20 Hydration Spray, which helps to plump skin and set makeup. No wonder this girl always looks fabulous. And now you can too!

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Submitted by joe six pack on 12/10/08 7:27am
Wednesday, December 10th 10:05pm Dear Diary, Whew, it’s been a whirlwind of political activity since I last wrote in my diary. Well, first off, Barack and I had our meeting on Tuesday with Al Gore. It’s always nice to talk to the guy that once held my office. He was the last guy to rightfully hold this office, so I felt honored to meet with him. Not to mention the Nobel Peace Prize and all…. Well, anyway, we talked about the environment, naturally (no pun intended), and looked to Al Gore for advice as to whom Barack will nominate for the Environmental Team. Al Gore had a few suggestions, and I’ll be curious to see how many of them Barack takes to heart. Too bad Gore is so adamant about staying out of Washington. Apparently, he can get more done when he’s not directly involved in the political sphere. Still, he would have made a great Environmental Protection Agency administrator. In other news, I can’t believe all the corruption surrounding Barack’s Senate seat. The nerve of Governor Rod Blagojevich to have been caught selling Barack’s seat to the highest bidder is an outrage. It’s so sad. Seemed like for so long, it was mainly the Republicans who were caught up in these scandals, with the exception of the sexual stuff, as was the case with Eliot Spitzer. And it’s not like Republicans haven’t had their fair share of infidelity with John McCain, Newt Gingrich, and Rudi Giuliani, just to name a few. Barack is asking Blagojevich to step down, and I certainly think he should. There’s no reason why he should stay in office. His integrity is compromised, and there’s no way he can get anything done in that state. Until next time, Joe the Veep

Originally posted in The Secret Diary of Joe Biden

So, Some ET's Don't Know They Live In Galaxies ?

Submitted by jemanji on 12/10/08 6:44am
Astronomer William Keel of the University of Alabama uncovered an interesting fact about the Earth's view of the universe around it. Perhaps this isn't one that you'd run across, but when I did, I found it rather mind-boggling. Was it only by a stroke of luck that we were ever in a position to realize that such a thing as the Milky Way galaxy exists?

Keel and two University of Chicago astronomers observed distant galaxies from an angle that put their sightline through the spiral arms of closer galaxies. They found that only 15-20% of the light from the more distant galaxies penetrated. ( Ray White III and William C. Keel, "Direct Measurement of the Optical Depth in a Spiral Galaxy," Nature, 359 (1992), pp. 129-130, and Ray White III, William C. Keel, and Christopher Conselice, Astrophysical Journal, 1996 (in press). Most light from distant galaxies, it turns out, is actually absorbed by dust in the nearer galaxies. This carries an amazing implication as to our own solar system's location between, not in, the spiral arms of the Milky Way. According to Keel, if we had been located in one of the spiral arms, we -- wait for it -- may never have seen other galaxies at all, and may never have discovered that we reside in a galaxy. A blind man can't visualize yellow or red. I'm trying to imagine an Earth in which we were not able to see through a fog of space, and were not aware of the movements of extra-galactic objects, and in which we had no concept of the size (much less age) of the universe. How many things would we believe differently than we now do? The Earth has what can be considered a window seat to the majesty of the entire universe. We have an unobstructed view of the ultimate art form. ................... By the way, another benefit to the fact that we live between the Milky Way's spiral arms consist of the fact that intense radiation from supergiant stars within the spiral arms would overwhelm our atmospheric protection from the effects of such supergiants. ..................... One of my favorite Hubble discoveries, and in my opinion one of its most practical ones, occurred in 2004. That year, the Hubble was focused for 278 hours on a relatively tiny sector of the sky equivalent to only one-tenth the diameter of the full Moon. ( Peter Bond, "Hubble’s Long View," Astronomy & Geophysics, vol. 45, no. 3 (June 2004): 328.) This allowed astronomers to calculate the constraints on all the galaxies that COULD possibly exist in any given segment of the sky - even the faintest ones that formed earliest. About 10,000 galaxies were imaged in that segment of the sky. If this density is typical -- and it is hard to imagine how it could fail to be -- and the number were projected to the entire sky, then the number of likely galaxies in the universe would resolve at around 200,000,000,000.

................ In 2006, Alice Quillen calculated and predicted the existence of a planet, orbiting around the nearby star Formalhaut. She is an expert the dust rings orbiting stars, and inferred from the This planet was imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope, making it the second planet (after Neptune) to be correctly inferred and then imaged. Quillen "saw the way the inner edge of the dust ring cut off sharply and recognized that a planet likely orbited just inside," said Eugene Chiang, part of the team that imaged the planet. She surmised that a small planet was using its gravity to throw the dust in its area out of orbit. Her projected orbit for the plant "was amazingly close" to the actual orbit observed. Yesterday, I calculated that ARCO's $0.45 ATM charge made it more expensive for me than the gas station next door that charged two cents more a gallon. Good week for both of us. Cheers, jemanji ........... images: http://imgsrc.hubblesite.org/hu/db/2007/41/images/a/formats/web.jpg http://www.spacedaily.com/images/fomalhaut-extrasolar-planet-bg.jpg

ATP Line-Up: Flaming Lips to Curate

Submitted by cobwebsandstrange on 12/10/08 6:37am

September 2009 seems like a really long way off – it is. But that doesn’t mean the folks aren’t already clamoring about the next All Tomorrow’s Parties festival – the U.S. installment at least.

This year, the Flaming Lips will be head-lining the festival as well as curating the Sunday line-up, which has not been set as of yet. It’s a sensible choice. The Lips’ stage show is given to reckless indulgences with the likes of giant stuffed animals roving around, an enormous plastic bubble that lead singer Wayne Coyne performs in and enough confetti and assorted other substances flying around to blind spectators. What is surprising is the order that the flyer lists the acts.

While Atlas Sound’s disc last year did good business, it doesn’t seem sensible to have them billed over Animal Collective. And beyond that, NYC weirdo stalwart rappers, Antipop Consortium haven’t performed in at least five years. And that, to me, looks like the most intriguing aspect to all of this. Antipop, whose members have all released other work, are reconvening for ATP amidst no other rap groups (so far). There’s certainly good reasoning behind it – the crowd will be an impressive size, but Antipop doesn’t fit in with, let’s say Suicide, who will be closing out Friday’s schedule.

Just as this year the Meat Puppets performed II in its entirety, Suicide has planned to perform its first album. I don’t know how much dancing there’s going to be, but it should be interesting to say the least.

Acne Laser Treatment

Submitted by hellenwyeth on 12/10/08 5:21am
Tired of using expensive creams and wash routines to get rid of acne? Even prescription medication to treat your acne seems hopeless and slowly depleting your bank account but you still find yourself left with a face covered in pimples and/or acne scars. If this sounds like you, there is an alternative that works and gets rid of the problem permanently.
 
Acne laser treatment can be expensive for some but if you are good with money you'll be able to have the funds to pay for it in no time. Each session if you need more than one, is $500.00 costing much less than most cosmetic and enhancement surgeries. There are three different laser treatments and each cost the same.
 
Laser treatment works to rid your face or any acne effected skin by shrinking the sebaceous glands under your skin that get blocked by oils. When your sebaceous glands get clogged you develop pimples. Shrinkage of these glands will cause little to no breakouts since nothing can get in the glands to cause that irritation. The process is painless and you do not feel a thing. As with any treatment there are some possible side effects but are rare. Side effects of the treatment include slight skin discoloration that does go away and even more rare, swelling of the treated area of skin.
 
Of the three, nonablative laser treatment is the most commonly used. It causes absolutely no discomfort, however you may need to have several visits to completely clear up your acne problem depending on how extreme your case is.
 
The Erbium laser treatment is a great option for those that have acne scars and wrinkles that need to be removed as well as your blemishes. Again, this one is not painful but also may take more than one session to complete the process if you have an extreme case of acne, wrinkles and scars resulting from your acne.
 
Third on the list some use as a last resort. Unlike the others, it can be painful but you are very unlikely to need a repeat session. It costs the same $500.00 as the rest and you get the same outcome of not having acne problems any more. Carbon dioxide laser treatment vaporizes the areas of effected skin. It works by using bursts of high energy light on your pimples removing the problem permanently. This particular treatment is highly effective and most recommended as best acne laser treatment method. A side effect of this procedure is afterwords, it can cause skin to produce more pigmentation for a very short period of time.
 
All three types of laser treatments will only take up about 20 minutes of your time. Following your laser treatment you can go home and throw out all those acne medications and creams because you won't ever need them again. Once you have your laser treatment procedure done there is nothing more that you have to do. It is very rare for someone to have to go in for a follow up appointment with complications or complaints of the treatment not working or making a difference at all. If you're ready to be rid of acne take a look at acnelasertreatment.net for more information and what might be available in your area. 

Campus Hardware Basics

Submitted by lisala on 12/10/08 5:06am

I'm going to be blunt about this, right up front.

I'm a die-hard Macintosh fanatic. Given a choice, I'll choose a Mac, even an outdated pre-OS X Mac, over any version of Windows ever. And for most users, I'll choose any Mac over any other Unix flavor.

I'm not going to talk about that today. Today I'm going to talk about non-platform specific digital needs for Campus life. Go with the OS and hardware manufacturer of your choice.

Most campuses now strongly urge all incoming freshmen to bring a computer with them. I agree, whole-heartedly. You do need your very own computer; yes, I know, there are labs on campus, but honestly there are times—frequently where you wait an hour or more to get to a lab computer, and then your time is strictly limited to, well, an hour or so. So even an outdated computer, as long as you can still connect it to the campus network (yes, that is crucial; either Ethernet or WiFi are required), is going to improve your life, and, more importantly, your chances of success.

People always ask; laptop or desktop? A desktop is, in some ways, cheaper, but it does in fact very much tie you to your dorm or wherever you're living. And honestly, that's thoroughly annoying; there will be times you'll need to research, and write, in the library. More and more students are taking notes in class on a laptop. Plus, if you have roommates, and you likely will, it's just nice to be able to take the laptop and your notes, or textbook, and go to a coffee shop or a bar and work. You've got food there, and it's warm, and it's community enough that you don't feel isolated— but you're not going to be socializing either. Plus, other people will be writing, and studying, too.

So. Get a laptop with WiFi if you possibly can.

The next thing you need to think about is backup. You need to be able to have two sorts of backup—emergency "OMG my computer had a seizure and I lost everything," backup, because, frankly, you might get away with that as an excuse and explanation, once, but mostly, you won't. You still will have to have that paper. So you need to backup up your files religiously, every week, at least.

That means you need to get either a small portable external drive; and yeah, you're looking at at least 100.00 for that, or you need to be absolutely religious about making backups using DVDs. So that means you'll need to get a computer with a DVD burner (mostly computers made in the last two years have drives that are just too large to backup to CD-ROMs.

In addition, you absolutely positively must get at least one (two is better) USB Keychain drives (sometimes called a Thumb drive, or a Flash drive), and keep one with you, with the stuff you've written in the last couple of days on it, all the time. You can get a two Gigabyte USB flash drive for $10.00 or less at any number of places. Get two, of at least two gigabytes (you can probably get 4 gigabytes for not much more money). One to keep on you, for portable backup, and one at home, because you will lose the first one. Shop for flash drives at Amazon, or Staples, or Office Depot, if you're comfortable shopping at Fryes, otherwise known as Geek Heaven; these retailers do really do tend to have great deals.

Printing; yeah, you can print at Kinkos, or Staples, or at the campus computer labs; but you can't do it ten minutes before your paper is due, and let's face it, an awful lot of us do need to print the final copy ten minutes before class. If you possibly can, just buy a small black and white laser printer. It's worth the extra money up front for the laser printer because even though the "Ink Jet" printers are less, the cartridges are going to end up costing more than the laser printer and a single cartridge. Keep in mind that most laser printer cartridges will happily print a case of paper, before running out, while the average ink jet, honestly, might get through two reams of paper.

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