Tuesday, July 7, 2009

The Stages of Hypnosis

Ancient people and Shamans used trance states in ritualistic activities. Hypnosis, as we call it today, is championed by an Austrian physician called Franz Anton Mesmer who used hypnotic techniques to treat people of blindness, headache, paralysis and joint pain. However, anxieties and addictions are the conditions that are mostly addressed by hypnotic techniques these days.

The Light or Lethargic Stage


There are many three stages of hypnosis. The first stage is called lethargic or light stage. In this stage you will experience sleepiness and dullness feeling very comfortable and relaxed. The hypnotherapist will ask you to visualize past events that you can remember and also the future events. A good example can be a sportsperson is asked to imagine he is winning an event.
The Medium or Hallucinatory Stage
The second stage is called hallucinatory or medium stage in which you will become clearer about your past events and will be asked to forget your past traumas. You will become more responsive to the directions given by your hypnotist. You will be partially susceptible to the posthypnotic suggestions. You will be breathing deeper in this stage.

The Deep or Somnambulistic Stage

The third stage is called deep or somnambulistic stage in which the hypnotist will have complete control over you. You will perform anything suggested by your hypnotist unless the suggestions would not conflict with your learned values and ethics subconsciously. In this stage you will not aware of your surroundings and remember nothing. Sometimes the deep trance can result in amnesia. This will happen particularly if the hypnotist suggests. You will imagine that you never knew the things that you have forgotten.

Hypnotherapy is very effective in reducing the anxiety and fear created by uncomfortable medical procedures. In an operation hypnosis reduces the recovery time and the pain and anxiety that accompany post surgery. Many clinical studies prove that hypnosis reduces the need for medication and improves the physical and mental conditions before an operation. Dentists use hypnosis to control bleeding and gagging. Although hypnosis was considered unscientific in the past, several orthodox psychiatrists and psychologists use hypnosis these days. The British, Canadian and the American medical associations accept the values of hypnosis. However, you should undergo diagnosis from a physician before considering hypnotherapy. Particularly if your problem is psychological, you should get evaluated by a psychiatrist first. Hypnosis may exacerbate your symptoms at times without an accurate diagnosis.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Options Trading – All You Need To Know

In financial terms, options trading is a contract between two parties, which gives the right to the buyer to buy or sell the concerned asset at a future date and at a fixed price. It is called options trading because there is no obligation on the buyer to go through with the transaction. The buyer of an option pays an amount known as a premium to the option seller. The seller of the option is also known as the writer.

Strike Price: This is the fixed price at which the call option can be bought or the put option be sold.

Types of options:

Two types of options trading exist.

 A Call option
 A Put option

The call option gives the buyer the right to buy the underlying asset, whereas the put option gives him the right to sell the asset.

Advantages Of Options Trading

Flexibility: You can use options trading for a variety of strategies. This can be used in conservative as well as high-risk scenarios. They can be tailored to a range of expressions, not jut the price of the stock.
Limited Risk: The risk is only limited to the premium paid on the option. (the exception to this is writing for a security which is not already owned)
Leverage: The investor has a clear leverage since he is not committed to the trade.
Hedging: Options trading also allow the buyers to safeguard their positions from fluctuating prices, when altering the underlying position is not desired.

Disadvantages Of Options Trading

Costs: The cost involved in trading an option is comparatively higher on a percentage basis.

Complexity: Options trading is relatively complex, it requires close scrutiny and observation.

Liquidity: With different strike prices, some of them will suffer from low liquidity, which makes trading difficult

Option Traders

There are two main types of players.

 Risk Seeker (also known as speculator): This is a type of trader who tries to profit from a prediction in the market direction.
 Risk avoider (also known as hedger): This type of trader uses the option market to insure his position against the market moving adversely.

Some Key Terms

1. Option Style: This indicates whether it is possible to do options trading before the expiration date or not. If you have a European option, it cannot be exercised before the expiration date. However, the American option can be exercised anytime during the contract.

2. Option Value: The price of the option comprises the intrinsic value and the extrinsic value. Intrinsic value is the portion that can be realized if the option is exercised. When options trading is done at more than the intrinsic value, it is known as Time Value or Extrinsic Value.

3. Volatility: This provides an estimate of how much a stock can be expected to move over a given time frame.

In options trading, you need not be familiar with the entire market. You can focus on a few of your favorite asset instruments; closely observe the price movements and patterns. You can then plan a strategy to earn from those patterns.

Monday, June 1, 2009

Rehabbing Properties - Buy And Sell V/S Buy And Hold

Rehabbing properties is a great option if you want to build wealth over a long period of time with limited time and limited funds. The quintessential question that arises while rehabbing properties is whether to sell properties or to hold on to them. The actual question that needs to be asked is: Why keep rehab properties? Why not buy and sell and then get paid? The first question that needs to be answered is: How soon do you need the cash? Most short term cash can be generated by selling fresh rehab properties. But you will again give away that money in the form of taxes next year in April. However, if you buy and hold the rehabbed property, you will stand to earn a lot more.

While rehabbing properties, if you buy and hold the rehabbed property, you will also enjoy many benefits like cash flow, tax breaks in future and more cash with future appreciation of rehab properties for sale. A few months after you buy and hold the rehabbed property, you can still put more cash into it, when you refinance the property from your hard money to long term financing. While rehabbing properties, the short answer is that you as an investor will make a lot more money if you buy and hold rather than if you buy and sell. However there is a disadvantage to saving rehab properties for sale. You need to be a landlord and its your decision. This is fine as long as the land lording is done properly.

However, there are also a few reasons why you should not buy and hold as far as rehabbing properties is concerned.

• In case of rehabbing properties it is difficult to "buy right" and also get a positive cash flow. If you buy and hold a property for sale, all it takes is one small thing going wrong to put you back to square one.

• Most of the people invest in rehab properties for sale for income purposes. However, this income comes in very small amounts. In case of rehabbing properties, this money is spent along the way. In a period of 10 years, your net worth will not have increased substantially. But, when you buy and sell at a profit, you get large profits instantly. You can use some of the money obtained from rehabbing properties for your living costs and you can re invest the rest to increase your net worth.

• While rehabbing properties, even seasoned investors are unable to judge the "bottom" in case of a rehab property for sale. You can't even be sure when the cycle has "topped". You will have to be extremely lucky to make a maximum yield on the properties you hold.

When you are rehabbing properties with the buy and sell strategy, you are involved in a lot more properties. You may also find a striking deal that will evidently tell you to buy and hold. Hence, you will also have more hard cash which you can again invest and utilize for rehabbing properties.

Top Ten Credit Mistakes

Credit mistakes are often made by people who lack financial knowledge. Establishing your credit and wisely managing your credit becomes a lot easier when you know how to do it. This way you'll be able to avoid bad credit. You will also feel empowered by taking knowledgeable steps towards good credit. You will also be on your way to purchase real estate and get greater freedom financially. If you plan financing real estate either as a home buyer or as an investor, you can avoid these credit mistakes. This will help you save your credit score and save money in loan costs.

1. Paying Late: Your credit score is based on a few things. It is based on your credit history. It is also based on how you manage your current and past credit obligations.

2. The Feel Good factor: This is one of the credit mistakes most people are emotionally inclined to make. They are called recreational shoppers. These people buy more on spur of the moment than logically. This can often lead to bankruptcy.

3. Close your credit card accounts: This is what you tend to do when you want to resist the temptation to use or abuse your credit cards. But this is a big credit mistake with the FICO scoring system as closing credit card accounts will hurt your credit scores.

4. Teaching your children responsibly: Children are very impressionable. If they see you using your credit excessively and irresponsibly, they will make the same credit mistakes.

5. Applying for many credit cards: If you apply for too many credit cards in a year, or at the same time, can be a big credit mistake as it is easily noticeable to many credit bureaus.

6. Debt Consolidation: You may hire a credit consolidation company to consolidate your credit card debt. This will not make your debt go away! In fact, this may be seen as a write off. It is advisable not to do it unless absolutely necessary.

7. Skip Payments: You can skip payments occasionally. This can happen to anyone. But, this becomes a credit mistake if you are doing it as per your convenience.

8. High Balance: This will definitely affect your credit score. Adding more and more cards is a sure path to bankruptcy. You are better off carrying one credit card and paying it in full. The best thing you can do is not to quit until it is completely paid.

9. Not using your credit card: This is a credit mistake most people make without realizing it. Your credit report reflects on your credit card management. If you have no record, it shows lack of management.

10. Making minimum payment: This is a sure sign you are not managing your card properly. This is a credit mistake which is a personal favorite of credit card companies.

If you can avoid the credit mistakes mentioned above, you should have no credit card debt and it should be all smooth sailing.

Rent To Own - What Is A Lease Option

A rent to own is a type of contract used in residential real estate that is typically held between two parties. One, the tenant (who is also called the lessee), who will occupy a house or an apartment, and the landlord (lessor), who owns the homes for sale. A rent to own house is one of the many ways in which you can buy a house even with bad or no credit. It is addressed differently as lease option, lease purchase, lease to purchase, rent with option to buy and rent to own.

In the duration of a lease option, the tenant will pay credit to the landlord towards the value of the rental to own, and is allowed to occupy the house in exchange for the credit. When the contract ends, the tenant has an option to make an outright purchase of the apartment. Tenants typically obtain the money for this, by way of mortgage.

In this rent to own option, the tenant pays to the landlord, over and above the usual market rent. Excess credit may also be levied to the eventual purchase of the apartment, or towards the down payment in getting a mortgage. This is one of the lease options that work as an automatic savings plan for the tenant.

Things To Know

There are a few differences as far as rent to own and lease option agreements are concerned. It is essential for you to clarify these as these terms are used interchangeably in the rent to own industry. In case of a rent to own option, the buyer will make an agreement with the owner that some or all of the rent money goes toward the down payment of the apartment.

This will happen at a fixed date 2 to 5 years in future. The person paying the rent will then purchase the apartment by using the money that was set apart as down payment. If the tenant does not purchase the rent to own apartment at the end of the lease, then all the money paid by the tenant, in addition to the market rent will be retained by the landlord.

Advantages

The money put in at the beginning is not much in a rent to own option, apart from what is needed for a rental home. This is a nice way to get into an apartment with little or no down payment.

The rent to own option carries lesser risk to a landlord than a mortgage would for a lender. Its easier and cheaper to get the tenants to evict, rather than a foreclosure on a mortgaged property.

Another advantage in a rent to own situation is that the money you end up paying over and above the rent for possession of the house is relatively lower than taking out a loan for it.

As you can see, there are many advantages to a rent to own option, hence it is definitely a sensible one to go in for.

Rent To Own - Home Ownership With No Credit Or Bad Credit

Home ownership with no or bad credit may seem like a distant dream to you. You would think how would you ever be able to own a home with no or bad credit? You think the only solution to get home ownership with no or bad credit maybe to wait until your credit scores improve or you have saved enough money for a substantial down payment.

Good News!

However, there is some good news! Home ownership with no or bad credit is also a possibility! 100% financing is no longer only for those with perfect credit. In fact there are plans which are specially designed for those with bad credit. These are known as bad credit loans.

Few Key Requirements

This means that even if you have bad credit, you can still purchase a home. You may not have to pay a single penny for the down payment! Imagine, you can buy a home within a month, where you thought you may have to work for a long time for credit repair! There are a few requirements however for a 100% bad credit mortgage.

1. You must have a minimum credit score of 580.
2. To get home ownership with no or bad credit you must not have more than one late rent or mortgage payment in the last 12 months.
3. You must have sufficient income. This income must be enough to easily pay your monthly payment credits and mortgage. Your monthly debt must not be more than 45 to 50 percent of your total monthly household income.

If you meet the above requirements, home ownership with no or bad credit is no longer a distant dream to you!

A Few Solutions

There are a few things you can do to get home ownership with no or bad credit.

1. Keep it in your family: You can ask a relative who has a good credit history to buy the home on your behalf. This person will get a good interest rate. This will make your monthly payments mortgage payments more affordable. Once your relative has closed on the house, you need to take over the mortgage payments, the insurance and the taxes. This will get you tax benefits.

2. Rent to own: This is a great option if you do not have enough to buy a home and you want to get home ownership with no or bad credit. In this, you pay the landlord a little more over and above your monthly mortgage payments. With your bad credit history, this is better, cheaper and more effective than a loan.

3. Get the seller to finance: Since you have a bad credit history, you can get the seller to finance your home purchase. This way you can bypass the conventional loan if you have a motivated seller.

Hence, for those of you think your dream of owning a home is over it is not! You too can get home ownership with no or bad credit!

Wholesale Investor - Philadelphia Is A Real Estate Investors Dream Market

There are many reasons why Philadelphia real estate investing is a good idea. Philadelphia is one of the best places for real estate investment. This is one of the oldest cities in the United States. It has a history of immigrants dating back to as early as the 1500's. Even though there are reports about a down turned real estate market, this is the best time for you to get started as a wholesale investor. There are some factors you can consider when you think Philadelphia real estate investing. These are:

 How long do you want to hold on to the property?
 Which are the areas best suited for your situation?
 Your choice: That is whether you want to use your investment property for a "flip", or you want to develop it over a period of time, while renting it out.

Reasons

There are certain reasons why it is ideal for wholesale investors to venture into Philadelphia real estate investing.

 Architecture: You will find such historical architecture only in countries which have a longer history than the United States. These include Chile, Italy and Mexico. However, in the United States itself, not many cities have architecture like this. Real estate investing in Philadelphia is also of aesthetic value as the old buildings show the deep roots America has in history. This makes Philadelphia the birthplace of the history of the United States.

 Convenience: Another advantage for Philadelphia real estate investing is the convenience. Everything is at a vicinity. If you are in the heart of the city, you are close to restaurants, shopping malls, entertainment and a lot more. There are many entertainment options with clubs and bars along Columbus Boulevard, South Street and many other areas.

 The Value: Another reason why Philadelphia real estate investing is a great option is the value it offers. Real estate investing in Philadelphia has been really under priced for many years compared to its neighboring New York. You have many opportunities in Philadelphia real estate investing to buy your dream home anywhere in Philadelphia irrespective of the prices.

Areas of Investment:

For Philadelphia real estate investing there are many developing neighborhoods which you may want to invest in. These are the Art Museum neighborhood. This includes the communities of Franklin Town, Spring Garden, Fairmount, Francisville and Brewerytown.

For many Philadelphia real estate investors, the best neighborhoods are those which are in close proximity to the major medical schools in the city, including the Hahnemann Medical college, the University of Pennsylvania Medicine School, and The Temple University Medical School.

There are many profitable, cash flow opportunities for you as a wholesale investor in Philadelphia. Philadelphia real estate investing can be a highly lucrative option, but it is not risk free. It has all the aspects required for wholesale investors. It is convenience, it has a history, it has arts, architecture. It has entertainment, value and there are many reasons for real estate investing in Philadelphia.

Top Ten Credit Score Boosters

Credit score boosters are things that you can use to improve your credit scores. Your credit score is not only the numerical expression of your credit files, it represents your credit worth based on the information in your credit report. This is typically sourced from credit bureaus. You can use the following tips as credit score boosters:

 Pay on time: Negative items posted on your spotless credit score have a greater impact than those on a credit report which already has a history of late payments. For example, if you have a perfect credit rating and you are late to pay your car loan by, say a month, then the effect could be as great as a negative 25 to 60 points on your credit score.

 Removing the errors in 2 business days: You can be rest assured this is the fastest way to rectify errors on your credit report and increase your credit score. Hence, this acts as a credit score booster. However, you can only do this through a bank or a mortgage company.

 Deleting your negative credit: This is one of the most effective ways and acts as a great credit score booster. All you need to do is write a letter of dispute to the concerned authority to check credit. They have reasonable time, usually 30 days, to get back to you.

 Don't use finance companies: You need to know that the scoring system guys frown on finance companies. Never use finance companies for your credit repair.

 Use your credit cards: Your scoring model on your credit report takes into account how long it must have been since a certain account has been used. Credit lines which are used (assuming that they have paid in a timely manner) impact your credit score positively. Paying helps your FICO score. This acts as a credit score booster.

 Don't take any new credit: You must keep in mind not to take any more credit. Don't take any more credit on your credit card unless absolutely necessary.

 Different credit types: If your credit report shows different types of credits handled, you are rewarded with a great credit score. This is a great credit score booster.

 No bankruptcy or foreclosure claim: These will show on your credit report for 10 years! These will always reduce your credit score. The older they are, the more impact they have on your credit score.

 Pay your debts: This may seem obvious to you. But, it is not as simple as you think. You must never pay your revolving debt on time. Keep on paying it slowly. This demonstrates your ability to swiftly pay off accounts to avoid managing them. This will decrease your credit score slightly.

 Increase your credit card limit: High credit limits will help you to remove debt ratios, thus positively impacting your scores.

Thus, the above guidelines and steps will definitely help to improve your credit score and serve as credit score boosters.

Financing Your First Investment Property

Financing your first investment property can seem to be a daunting task. Its very important for you to be educated and prepared, before you go into commercial property investment. You can read books on property investments, investment property financing and real estate as a whole. You can also attend seminars and discuss with real estate professionals. Once you have received the education, you need to proceed towards financing your first investment property. There are a few things that need to be considered before commercial property financing:

 The Type Of Investment Property: What interests you? Are you interested in a duplex flat? Is it a multi-unit complex that interests you? You may also be interested in a single family home. You may also be interested in commercial property financing. This is a very important thing to consider while financing your first investment property. This will determine the rest of the factors. It is advisable to focus on one type of property in the beginning.

 The Type Of Area: It depends if you are investing in the city in which you live. If that is not the case, you need to decide, what part of the country will you be investing in? You can find all this information on property investments on the internet.

 Your Financing Strategy: Once you have decided on the type of property, you then need to calculate your assets. This will give you an idea of how much finance you require for financing your first investment property. If the property is a small one like a house, then paying outright may be a good option. Even if you don't have the requisite finance, but it’s a property that has made money in the past, the bank will provide for investment property loans.

 Your Team: This is a very important resource while you consider financing your first investment property. A team is a necessity. This is because of the large amount of work and financial expertise required to handle such a task. You don't have enough time to learn real estate law and accounting. You will also have to broker your own deals and manage your own property investments. Delegation is the key.

 Repair Cost: You also need to take into consideration the repair cost for financing your first investment property. This can also be a huge cost as you want to know whether you want to invest in old buildings or in new buildings. There might be a lot of upgrades required. You need to clearly know what you are getting into and whether you are capable of handling it before proceeding to financing your first investment property.

This is not all you need to know to begin financing your first investment property. Once you get into property investments, you will actually experience it. You will get to know many other things. But, these guidelines will empower you to ask the right questions at the right time. And, as you know, sometimes asking the right questions is even more important than the answers!

Rehabbing Properties - Fixing And Flipping Rehab Properties

Flipping houses has become a major activity in the US in these trying times. Flipping houses is a practice in which a house is bought and then sold off for a profit almost immediately. Before deciding how to flip houses, there are many decisions to be made. Where should you buy the house? If you decide to buy a house for a house flip in an upcoming area, you're relying the price of the neighborhood increasing in value. If everything goes well then you should make a profit, but if something goes wrong while flipping a house, you may be stuck with a house that you cannot get rid of.

Fixing and flipping houses can produce heavy returns for you. The biggest problem with most investors is where to find good deals for a house flip. These are some tips which will help you decide how to flip a house:

1. You can use bandit signs in your area: The bandit signs will help bring you deals regularly in your area. It will be best to out these signs to flip a house on a Friday night and take them down in Sunday night. There are certain officials who might mind these signs and take down your signs. There will be other competitors who like you would be interested in flipping houses. They may try to remove your signs. Hence, try to place your signs in high enough places near major intersections.

2. Drive through neighborhoods: While flipping houses, you need to look for neighborhoods which have average-priced homes. To flip a house, homes in the median price range are the easiest for you to fix and flip. In this case, the owners are willing to give you bigger discounts. There are also more buyers when you get the house fixed up. You can document all the research you made to flip a house. If you consider a house flip, notate the addresses of the homes where work needs to be done. You can then find the owner's address at your county's court house records. While flipping houses, you can do most of the research at home, since nowadays most of the contacts are online. Then you can send the owner a letter asking them to contact you, if they are interested in selling their house.

3. You can look for sellers online: While flipping houses, you can use a few online classified websites to find your next house. You can use terms like motivated, must sell to attract more customers for a house flip.

4. REO websites can also help: You will find many REO websites that have property loaned by the bank. While flipping houses, you can search online for these websites. You can then contact a listing agent for an offer. The only disadvantage of using this method for to flip house is that you must have a Proof of Funds letter. A bank will not accept your offer unless they see you have ready cash in hand.

Now you know how to flip a house, its time for you to look for a property. These days you get properties very cheap.

How To Find A Good Investment Property

If you really want to find a good investment property, there are certain important issues you should know. When you use accurate research and professional expertise for property investment, you build a solid foundation for financial success. You may want to work together with a realtor who can give you advice and identify great opportunities for buying investment properties. You can also choose to work individually. A realtor can provide the inside story on good investment property according to the specific geographical area. However, here are a few tips you can use for buying property hotspots.

Communicate: Let people know you are looking for property for sale. This way, sometimes the property will come to you. There are a lot of people who possess good investment property, but haven't yet listed their property.

Browse: The internet is one of the quickest and most effective tools to look for any information. You can refer a search engine for property buying. You can enter the city and the type of real estate you are looking for. You never know what property for sale you may find. The possibilities are endless!

Travel: You can also drive around your neighborhood to look for a good investment property. You may see many signs such as "For Sale by Owner". You won't see all the properties in the paper because many owners cannot or don't want to pay to keep the ads in the paper every week.

Look for abandoned properties: This can be your golden chance! This clearly means that the owner of the property does not want the property anymore. In buying investment properties which are abandoned, you will actually end up getting a cheaper deal.

Delegate and pay: If you look for a property on your own, the incentive you have is your monetary gain on the particular property hotspot. However, if you pay someone else to look for property & offer them a monetary incentive for their property investment advice, you are more likely to find a good investment property.

Look for eviction notices: Its extremely useful to keep yourself informed about eviction notices. This can be found out form your local newspaper or your courthouse. This is definitely a good investment property. A landlord who has just gone through the process of evicting his tenants is definitely sitting on a property hotspot. This is a property for sale which will definitely sell at a lower rate.

Look for old FSBO ads: it is definitely a good property investment opportunity if you can get your hands on one or a two month old "For sale by Owner" ad. A few owners give up the effort of looking for buyers after some time. However, they are still willing to sell and will most likely sell their property to you for a lower price. This is because you have come to them after they had almost given up.

With proper research and the right amount of effort, it won't be difficult for you to find a good investment property.

Buying Your First Rental

When buying your first rental property, you should ensure that it is the right one for you. This subject is often overlooked when you try to get results by making property investments. Rental property investment can be useful, but you must choose 3 things really well:

1. Your rental house.
2. Your agent.
3. Your location.

Here are a few things you can consider as a first time home buyer:

 Location: You must have heard it before that real estate is all about the location. This is even more important while buying your first rental property. If you plan to purchase a multi-family home and then to rent it out, you must find a place with a healthy and booming rental market. Rental houses in college cities and towns are a great idea! Most students prefer living either off campus or in the city in which they went to college. Other locations where rental houses are a good investment option are cities in general.(people prefer living close to where they work)
 Your Agent: You can also do individual research, but its better you hire an agent to do it professionally. When buying your first rental property, you can have an agent show you the rental houses in town. Then you can get a grasp on the market values of different houses of different sizes. Also give great attention to detail, while buying your first rental property. You need to pay attention to the amount of renovation done. A better renovated house is a better rental property investment than a larger house in a worse condition.
 Set up a budget: Before buying your first rental property, you need to fix up a budget for yourself. If you end up buying a rental house with a fixer-upper, you may not spend enough money initially. However, once you own the property, expect to arrange for some investment property financing to spend for repairs. When buying a fixer-upper, you as a first time home buyer must bring a knowledgeable contractor with you to estimate the repair costs.
 Get pre approved for a mortgage: You need to understand that mortgages for property investments are much more than residential property mortgages. Before buying your first rental property, you need to be aware of the fact that the down payments are often enormous.
 Know your tenant: While buying your first rental property, you need to know the people in and around the area. it does not matter if the rental house is in an area which is going to appreciate. You must ensure the people residing in your rental house are the kind who will treat your property with respect. So, you must try buying your first rental property in an area where you won't attract the wrong kind of renters.
 Motive: There is a motive behind every act. So, while buying your first rental property, try to find out why the seller is selling the house in the first place?

Buying your first rental property is not a big deal, if you understand the things we discussed above.

Important Information on Vacation Rentals in the US

Vacation rentals is a term commonly used in travel industry. It means to use a home or a furnished apartment temporarily as a hotel room. These have been popularized in Europe as well as in Canada. However, they are now becoming increasingly popular all over the world. Some also address these as self catering or villa rentals. There are certain countries like England, France, Spain and Ireland where the government itself promotes and certifies holiday rentals. Some of them also offer their own vacation rental programs.

Vacation rentals are commonly referred to as villas in Europe. The client, in this case rents out the vacation property for a fixed period of time. Many people rent out on a nightly basis in a similar manner to hotel rooms. The practice that is more prevalent in this industry is weekly rentals. An actual vacation rental is not a property to be sold to the guest. What actually happens is that the guests use the property for a predetermined duration.

Pros And Cons Of Vacation Rentals:


 Villa rentals appeal to people for many reasons. One of the most prominent reasons is to save on costs. There is more space, one does not have to pay any tips, taxes and service charges that one would normally find associated with hotel rooms.
 They provide you more of a local flavor. Since, it is an apartment to start off with, you have food cooked in kitchens, there are gatherings in the living rooms and you can experience the feeling of living in a real neighborhood.

 One of the disadvantages, maybe the main one, is that there aren't many systems in place. Hence, this may tend to make it more unorganized. You may not get personalized room service, as in hotels. This may mean compromising on your comfort level. So, this may also lead to concerns about quality and cleanliness.

The advantages like more living space, more facilities, convenience in location and more privacy generally outweigh the disadvantages. These rentals vary in size from budget studios to lavish private villas. Vacation rentals are available almost all over the United States, but they have a bigger market in Europe. This has been a travel option for European travelers since a long time.

There are many agencies specializing in vacation rentals. They can be booked through the internet. Many such property owners employ Vacation Rental Management companies. They take care of marketing these properties. They furnish the information and the photos to the guests and they handle the billing and reservations with the homeowners. Guests who make their bookings through these companies enjoy all the benefits they would enjoy in a hotel. There are many companies specializing only in vacation rentals.

Go in for a reputable vacation rentals management companies as they will be more familiar with the area. However, the cancellations if any, need to be made directly with the owner. Guests who book directly with owners or listing services can enjoy the benefit of lower rental rates.

Forex Pips – All You Need To Know

You should have comprehensive knowledge about forex pips if you are entering into the highly volatile forex market. A forex pip is a way to measure gains and losses when you are trading currencies. Let us discuss about this exhaustively in the following paragraphs.

What Is It Exactly?


Forex pips are least increment in price in forex trading. Pip stands for‘Percentage in Point.’ One pip is equal to $0.0001 of a US dollar and most other currencies, except Japanese Yen. I will give you a simple example to understand this concept easily. Suppose a EUR/USD currency pair is bid at 1.1615 and offered at 1.1620. Here, the spread is 5 pips (1.1620-1.1615). If you have bought it at the bid price and sold at the offer price, you would have made 5 pips. Your aim should be to maximize your forex pips. When you think about trading forex for a long time, you should aim for more pip gains than more losses. You should understand that you will not win always. Hence it is wise to think minimize the losses. You can aim for small forex pips in short term trade.

Value Of Forex Pips

Now you know what forex pips are. The next important thing you need to understand is what the actual value of a pip is. The pip value depends upon the value of your transaction. Your pip will worth around US$10 if you begin with $100,000 or a full lot, based on the currency pairing. Your pip value can go to $1 if you are trading with $10,000 or mini lot and to $0.10 if you are trading with $1000 or a micro lot. The important point for you to remember here is that profits and losses will be depending upon the value of the forex pips. If your pip is $10 and you trade with high leverage, chances are that you will make huge amount if the trade is favorable to you. At the same time, if the trade goes against you, you will end up in making huge losses. Traders with a long term perspective normally look for more than 100 forex pips, while short term traders look for 20 pips per trade.

A Good Strategy

Forex brokers would offer very high leverage to attract you towards them. If you divide the value of your transaction by your actual capital, that is called leverage. Let us see this with a small example. Say, you have $1000 as capital and your broker offers you 200:1, the transaction value is $200,000. Brokers make a lot of money from this margin. However, if you want to go for a mini lot or a micro lot, you need not to go to a forex broker. You can very well trade with the help of a good forex trading software. A forex trading software or forex bot helps you to trade with less risks. The automatic forex bot will help you to build wealth consistently with smaller investments through scalping. By scalping, I mean making small gains in forex pips over a short period of time. If you are a beginner, it is better to build your wealth with small leverage with an automatic forex trading bot.

Finally…

Although the daily movement of forex is very low these days, you should know that the current volatility is cyclical in nature. A complete upturn of the current forex trading signal trend is likely in the near future. It will be very difficult for the investors to make profits in the forex market if the Fx movement is low. An efficient forex trading software that is developed following extensive research, testing and deployed in trading for a long time would help you improve your forex pips even in these difficult times.

Friday, May 29, 2009

Quick And Easy Tips To Help Your Loved One Transition Back Into Society

Quick And Easy Tips To Help Your Loved One Transition Back Into Society

I am sure all of us have been through a point in our lives where someone needed our help. Yes, we have also been on the receiving end sometimes. Once the help needed is provided, your loved one too will transition back into society. He is like a little child. You need to hold his hand to get him back to socialize.

There are a few quick and easy tips you can use to help your loved one transition back into society.

 Focus: This is the most important step. You need to make your loved one understand the fact that all he needs now is a simple shift in focus. What you focus on becomes your world. Hence you need to assist him by focusing all his attention towards the future. He needs to focus on good things in his life. Once he does that, his entire perspective will change.

 Let Go: He need to let go. Explain to him that holding onto the past, results in more pain. You need to make them realize that the thoughts of the past are simply slowing him down. Its time to move ahead. He needs to look at the situation from a detached point of view. This will give him a broad based perspective.

 Be Grateful: Tell him, show him or convey to him that he needs to be grateful for what he already has. Explain to your loved one that by being grateful he is thanking God for giving him so much happiness. This in turn will lead to more happiness and more things to be grateful for.

 Insert Fun: Consciously insert fun into his. Show him funny movies, funny sitcoms. Ensure that you are sitting with him while he does it. It is said that laughter is the best medicine. You can also take him to funny plays. The more he laughs, the sooner he will forget the cause of sadness.

 Activity: It is commonly observed that depressed or sad people prefer staying alone. This can be very dangerous as this will lead to more depression. When a person is alone with his thoughts, he thinks more of negative thoughts. Get them to socialize, introduce them to other people. Man is a social animal. Take him whenever you have the time. A change in environment will certainly make a huge difference.

 Find Out What He Likes: You can speak to his relatives and other friends. Try to get some information on what he likes. Find out if there is any particular activity which he likes, any place he likes to go. Once you find out what he likes, try to do more of that.

 Make Him Feel Valued: Tell him continuously how good a person he is. Remind him of his past achievements. This must be done as many times as possible. Tell him about his virtues. Remind him of events where he took charge of things. Once he remembered it, he can replicate the same feeling now.


 Surprise Him!: Surprise him when he least expects it! Then he will realize that there is more to life than what he thinks about. Once you have an idea of his likes and dislikes, you can then surprise him with a gift or flowers.
 Love Him And Express It: Often we fail to express our love because we take it for granted. Each and every day, tell him how much you love him. Tell him how much he means to you. Every person wants to be loved. He will feel special and elevated.

 Meditation: You can also get him to meditate. Meditation calms the mind and his thought frequency will be lowered.
 Suggestive Behavior: Advise him what to do if a situation like this (the one which put him into depression in the first place) arises. If he is better prepared to handle it, the pain or hurt will be lesser.

You can easily help your loved one transition back into society with the help of the above tips. It is not very difficult to do with good help.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Quick And Easy Tips To Help Your Loved One Transition Back Into Society

I am sure all of us have been through a point in our lives where someone needed our help. Yes, we have also been on the receiving end sometimes. Once the help needed is provided, your loved one too will transition back into society. He is like a little child. You need to hold his hand to get him back to socialize.

There are a few quick and easy tips you can use to help your loved one transition back into society.

 Focus: This is the most important step. You need to make your loved one understand the fact that all he needs now is a simple shift in focus. What you focus on becomes your world. Hence you need to assist him by focusing all his attention towards the future. He needs to focus on good things in his life. Once he does that, his entire perspective will change.

 Let Go: He need to let go. Explain to him that holding onto the past, results in more pain. You need to make them realize that the thoughts of the past are simply slowing him down. Its time to move ahead. He needs to look at the situation from a detached point of view. This will give him a broad based perspective.

 Be Grateful: Tell him, show him or convey to him that he needs to be grateful for what he already has. Explain to your loved one that by being grateful he is thanking God for giving him so much happiness. This in turn will lead to more happiness and more things to be grateful for.

 Insert Fun: Consciously insert fun into his. Show him funny movies, funny sitcoms. Ensure that you are sitting with him while he does it. It is said that laughter is the best medicine. You can also take him to funny plays. The more he laughs, the sooner he will forget the cause of sadness.

 Activity: It is commonly observed that depressed or sad people prefer staying alone. This can be very dangerous as this will lead to more depression. When a person is alone with his thoughts, he thinks more of negative thoughts. Get them to socialize, introduce them to other people. Man is a social animal. Take him whenever you have the time. A change in environment will certainly make a huge difference.

 Find Out What He Likes: You can speak to his relatives and other friends. Try to get some information on what he likes. Find out if there is any particular activity which he likes, any place he likes to go. Once you find out what he likes, try to do more of that.

 Make Him Feel Valued: Tell him continuously how good a person he is. Remind him of his past achievements. This must be done as many times as possible. Tell him about his virtues. Remind him of events where he took charge of things. Once he remembered it, he can replicate the same feeling now.

 Surprise Him!: Surprise him when he least expects it! Then he will realize that there is more to life than what he thinks about. Once you have an idea of his likes and dislikes, you can then surprise him with a gift or flowers.

 Love Him And Express It: Often we fail to express our love because we take it for granted. Each and every day, tell him how much you love him. Tell him how much he means to you. Every person wants to be loved. He will feel special and elevated.

 Meditation: You can also get him to meditate. Meditation calms the mind and his thought frequency will be lowered.

 Suggestive Behavior: Advise him what to do if a situation like this (the one which put him into depression in the first place) arises. If he is better prepared to handle it, the pain or hurt will be lesser.

You can easily help your loved one transition back into society with the help of the above tips. It is not very difficult to do with good help.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Major Advantages Of VOIP For Small Businesses

Many small businesses are shifting to VoIP based telephone systems due to the need for significant cost savings in these difficult times. VoIP phone systems that operate through an internet connection replace high-cost traditional telephone systems. It is an integration of various communication forms. With VoIP platform, you can have all the standard features of your traditional telephone systems and the enhanced calling features at a very low price.

VoIP Saves Costs

Cost savings is the primary reason behind businesses going for VoIP based solutions. According to industry estimates, a business can save 30% of its communication costs at an average through VoIP. However, these savings can vary from company to company depending on the usage pattern. This is not a small amount considering the heavy costs involved with the commercial telephone services. This heavy savings can be invested in other parts of any business. Moreover, the calls that are done the VoIP phone system over a private network are absolutely free. If a business has more than one office, it is better to switch to a VoIP phone system. The cost of communication between offices of a business will be meager once the VoIP system is in place.

Portability

Portability is another important reason why businesses are switching to VoIP phone systems. The employees of an organization need not to stick to a particular place to receive calls. With the VoIP phone system, the calls can be forwarded anywhere in the world to the employees. They just need access to a computer with an internet connection. This literally means the employees can be connected all the times whether they are at office, home or on vacationing on a beech.

Enhanced Communication Services

With VoIP based telephone systems, one can check voice mail on a computer while you checking emails on VoIP enabled phones. The mobile work force of a business will have lot of options to make and receive calls through ‘follow me’ and Softphone features. VoIP comes handy for network administrators. Network administrators will find it very easy to manage a communication network through remote maintenance, since the architecture and the network can be managed through a web interface. Also the need for calling the vendor for Move, Add and Change (MAC) is very low. VoIP based telephone systems have the same features that are available with the traditional PBX, such as caller account information, calling extension and seamless call transfer.

Traditional PBX Systems

Traditional PBX systems are used by organizations in order to reduce the huge number of telephone lines they would require from a telephone company. A company or organization would need to have a single line for each employee, without the help of a PBX (Private Branch Exchange) system. There are analog based PBX systems and software based PBX systems. Recently, VoIP is also added to these PBX systems to reap the benefits of the VoIP telephony.

In a traditional PBX system, each and every telephone is connected to the PBX. When an employee picks up the phone and calls a number with an access code, the system connects that employee to the line outside. Traditional PBX systems were deployed by businesses initially in order to save costs on internal calls and local phone service. Once they gained popularity, these systems offered advanced services such as call forwarding, hunt groups and extension dialing. Then there was the Centrex that offered the features of a central telephone exchange.

Features of PBX Systems

PBX systems these days come with auto attendants, voicemail, ring groups and dial-by-name directory etc. Some big businesses still use traditional PBX systems.

VoIP Enabled PBX Systems

The PBX systems can be integrated with VoIP to have the advanced features of the voice over internet protocol. The current IP PBX systems can do its operations virtually or exist as a physical hardware. They perform the traditional call routing activities of the PBX as a software component. Soft PBX is another name of the virtual PBX.

The PBX systems that are available at present helps you to decide the way you connect, either through IP phones, traditional telephone networks, standard analog telephones. If you have two or hundreds of locations, you may need connectivity for your fax units and analog telephony systems. You may also require ‘hop on’ or ‘hop off’ for your network for that long distance bye pass. There are telecom equipment providers who offer VoIP solutions without the risks of complex implementation and deployment procedures. You may not need to do any substantial infrastructure overhaul since the switches will work with existing routers and PBX configurations. These systems are easy to use with the features of best of the both the traditional and modern worlds. With these systems you can add your telephones or cell phones anywhere as extensions. Your tele and mobile workers can be connected through the system.

SIP Phones - Innovative Services At Low Costs

Softphones or SIP phones are based on SIP (Session Initiation Protocol). It is a signaling protocol being used to establish IP network sessions from two way telephone calls to multimedia conference calls at a cost effective way. SIP offers innovative services such as click-to-dial in a web page, IP Centrex services, voice enriched e-commerce and instant messaging loaded with buddy lists. The simplicity of this protocol offers scale and extensibility. It works well with various deployment situations and architectures. You can change your laptop, PDA or PC into a SIP phone or Softphone by installing the Softphone software.

SIP Phones For Businesses

SIP Phones are a great boon to businesses in general and small businesses in particular. This technology has the ability to handle calls or sessions in which many people participate, like conference calling and three way calling. SIP phones allow you to transfer a call to another phone and putting a caller on hold like traditional phones. The major advantage of the SIP Phones is that they offer the functionalities of traditional phones and latest services and features, but at a cost considerably lower than that of traditional telephone services. This definitely appeals businesses leading to massive deployments.

SIP Phones – Its For All

SIP phones help executives to have clutter free desks. They offer the managers and executives a modern communication system that seamlessly integrates with enterprise applications. This is a good option for telecommuters who spend their time both in office and home. They can use SIP phones to have access to the same phone number and services both from their offices and homes. It is a panacea for mobile professionals since they have the access to reliable phone services minus the heavy costs of mobile phones when they travel across the nation or the globe. These phones also help call centers to save costs by installing SIP systems instead of standalone telephone hardware for each representative. Even NASA astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) use SIP technology from their laptops. A standard IP communication system would not be able to handle such a distance with least possible time. Even for such distance the time lag is just a second with a SIP phone!

The deployment of SIP phones has been increasing tremendously. It is a protocol that has the ability to turn a VoIP network to a complete IP communications network. A true IP communications network has the capability of offering next-generation converged services and that’s what SIP offers. Although the SIP protocol is simple, it is very powerful and cost effective.

Business Communication Systems From Tadiran Telecom

Tadiran Telecom offers business communication solutions that have been the benchmark for the industry. Leading global telecom companies such as Bell South, GTE (Verizon), Sprint & Fujitsu represent the company’s products. The company’s products are known for telco-grade and military-spec.


Secure IP Telephony

Tadiran is reputed for its IP telephony products. IP telephony or VoIP is a convergence of IP networks for data communication and telephony applications that brings down the costs and enhances the productivity for many businesses in the world. Tadiran Telecom will help you to reduce your communication costs significantly, especially if your staff are located in remote areas, regional offices or home. Primarily the communication traffic will be routed through your LAN/Wan. Many federal and state governments across the globe have deployed Tadiran Telecom’s IP telephony solutions. The Coral IPx IP communications solution is the company’s flagship product. The company’s IP telephony solutions are highly secured. They are designed to work behind NATs (Network Address Translators), firewalls and across various private networks seamlessly. The company’s Coral system solves the IP requirements, irrespective of the way you have configured your network.

Business Communication Systems For All Sizes

The world class product line of Tadiran Telecom caters to almost any size of business in the world. It offers products for a company that needs six ports for its communication to those companies that would require 1000s of ports. The company offers key systems to advanced IP communication platforms. Let us see some of the products they offer.

Emerald Ice
The company offers Emerald Ice for small offices. The features of the product include audio help, integrated voice mail, answering machine emulation, call record and CID. The product starts with six lines, two analog stations and 10 digital stations. The telephones work with Coral IPx 500 in this scenario.


Coral IPx Product Line

Coral IPx Office from Tadiran Telecom is designed for VoIP communication for branch offices. This product includes a wireless router and a switch to meet all communication requirements of a branch office. Although designed for small/branch offices, this system supports 240 IP nodes. It is MGCP and SIP compliant. The company’s Coral IPx 500 is designed for small offices. It is designed in a small rack that includes the features of VoIP and Corel Server and SIP. It is a good option for offices that have branches in multiple locations. It has 448 wired end points.


Coral IPx 800 is meant for Medium enterprises. This system has 720 wired end points. Single site distributed organizations find it suitable for them. The system is both MGCP and SIP compliant. The company offers Coral IPx 3000 for large enterprises. It is value for money for large organizations, call centers and network hub. It can work on AC or DC power. The company offers Coral IPx 4000 for mission critical applications. The system comes with powerful processing, redundant DC power and hot standby. Tadiran Telecom also offers Sea Softswitch that is software based. It supports standard end points and IP gateways.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Human Cloning – Another Giant Leap By Mankind, This Time On Earth!

Human cloning, in layman terms, means creating a replica of a person. Scientifically speaking, human cloning is defined as producing a genetically identical replica of a human cell, tissue, or a complete body. Thus, the cloned person has exactly the same DNA structure leading to identical features and traits.

The first ever organism that was cloned by scientists was a sheep named Dolly. Human cloning will also be done through the same technique of reproductive cloning that was used for Dolly. Reproductive cloning involves removing the nucleus from the cell of an organism that is to be cloned and inserting it into an enucleated egg (the egg whose nucleus has been removed).

This egg is then given chemical or electric treatment to activate cell division. The embryo that is formed consequently is relocated to a host uterus for its normal growth and development, so that it is born as a complete organism. The newly born organism will be the clone of the original organism. But, it will not be true-to-type, as it will derive DNA from the egg as well as the host organism.

The Purpose Of Human Cloning


Cloning of animals provides an opportunity to preserve their species from getting extinct. Hence, this technique is particularly useful for endangered species. But the major question that arises is: why is there a need for human cloning? Debaters across the world have ridiculed the idea stating it to be an absurd thought, as already the world is teeming with people and the earth’s resources are getting depleted to fulfill the needs of existing “original” population. Cloning would lead to the doubling of population, creating a human catastrophe on planet Earth.

But, scientists all over the world have assured that human cloning will be used purely for scientific purpose. For the scientists who have successfully cloned various animals like sheep, cats, pigs, and cows, it seems to be a logical step to put humans in the line next.

According to scientists, human cloning would bring a revolution in the world of therapeutic science. It can be used to create new organs that can be used for transplants. There would be lower risk of rejection of the transplanted organ by the body, as the cloned organ would have been created from the cell of the patient requiring transplant and, thus, have similar genetic code. The patients of Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and other such diseases would get a ray of hope through this new breakthrough in science.

Another biggest hope that human cloning would provide is to childless couples. This technique will allow them to have babies from their own genes. Also, normal couples can order designer babies having characteristics desired by the parents. Another wonderful act that cloning can perform is give life to dead people, provided their body cell samples have been preserved at the time of death. This may seem a rather bizarre idea. Also, people wanting to clone themselves to become eternal may have to face the wrath of ethical groups.

The Human Cloning Controversy


Eminent scientists like Richard Gardner and Ian Wilmut, who are involved in the research for cloning, have expressed their concern over ethical issues looming over human cloning. First of all, it is not as easy as it seems to be to clone an organism. It takes many trials and errors to produce an organism exactly similar to the original one.

Dolly sheep was created after 272 attempts! This means 272 embryos had failed or were found defective. Even if the embryos developed, the cloned animals born showed greater defects and died within a short period after birth. Some were given euthanasia. Again, those animals that were successfully cloned, as claimed by the scientists, have not lived to see the old age till now.

When it comes to human cloning, there are many complexities involved. Humans are regarded as a higher class of animals, with a developed mind that reasons and thinks. Hence, there are bound to be moral issues while treating abnormal new-borns or embryos, or physically challenged cloned babies. Scientists have just freshly discovered a way to clone humans. They are yet to find out the long term changes happening inside the body and mind of a cloned person. Speaking in layman terms, cloning a person is a huge risk.

Besides, nobody, not even the scientists, can take guarantee of the human intelligence and emotions. There is a huge controversy surrounding the behavior pattern of a cloned human. The questions that have arisen are: will a cloned person proved to be a good citizen? What if he or she gets anti-social thoughts in the mind and turns out to be dangerous to the human race? There are chances that a cloned person may consider himself or herself GOD and enslave the existing human population. This may seem to be an excerpt from a sci-fi movie, but there are possibilities of it coming true. After all, wasn’t human cloning a fiction until now? Now, it has become a reality.

Recently, a fertility doctor, named Panayiotis Zavos, based in the US, has claimed to have transferred 11 cloned embryos into the wombs of four women. He has created 14 embryos in total. In an interview published in Independent newspaper of Britain, the doctor has confidently claimed that the first ever cloned baby would be born within a couple of years. Although scientists have earlier cloned human embryos in vitro (in test tubes) for the purpose of extracting stem cells for research, Dr. Zavos has gone a step further by implanting them in an actual womb. However, he is condemned by the mainstream doctors about the technique used, safety, and ethics of this act.

Legal Issues

Reproductive human cloning has been banned in the United States of America, United Kingdom, and other countries across the globe. However, therapeutic cloning is given permission to some extent, amidst stiff protest by the religious institutions and pro-life bodies, who are more into theological studies than scientific ones.

It is clear that scientists will have a hard time convincing the religious groups about the merits of human cloning. Till then, the fingers are crossed…

Constipation – Causes, Diagnosis, And Natural Treatments

Constipation is a digestive system disorder characterized by a difficulty in passing stool or experiencing hard stool. This is a condition in which the large intestine absorbs excess water from the food and leaves the stool hard, dry, and tough to pass out.

A large chunk of American population experiences this condition. This is no surprise, as the American diet is typically lacking in fiber, which is an important element for good bowel movement. According to American Dietetic Association (ADA), an average American takes just 15 grams of fiber daily against the recommended dose of 30-38 grams/day for men and 21-25 grams/day for women.

Causes
• Diet is an important factor. Lack of fiber in diet is the major cause of constipation. And much of the food on an average American’s plate is refined or processed that contains very little fiber.
• Insufficient intake of fluids.
• Abrupt change in the environment.
• Inactive lifestyle.
• Pregnancy.
• Resisting the urge to answer nature’s call. The longer the waste matter stays in the intestine, the harder it becomes.
• Hormones – hypothyroidism (inadequate production of thyroid hormone) and high level of parathyroid hormone causes constipation. Also, high levels of female hormones like estrogen and progesterone during menstruation can trigger this condition.
• Too much traveling or sudden change in diet.
• Narrowing of areas in colon or growths may cause serious cases of constipation.

In rare cases, constipation can be a sign of Parkinson’s disease, thyroid disease, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and injuries of the spine.

Diagnosis
Constipation is marked by sporadic bowel movements, passing stools with strain, passing hard stools, abdominal bloating, cramps, and flatulence, along with a wish to expel, but not being able to do so. A constipated person may also experience headaches, nausea, pale complexion, halitosis, dizziness, and coated tongue.

If irregular bowel movements persist for more than one week, medical intervention is needed. Also, if constipation continues in spite of taking adequate fiber and fluids and exercising, a doctor should be consulted.

The doctor checks for hardened matter in the abdomen with the help of his/her fingers. They may also carry out a rectal examination. The other methods to diagnose constipation are blood as well as stool sample analysis in the lab, which tells about internal bleeding or signs of systemic disease; barium enema, which informs about intestinal blockage; and sigmoidoscopy, which involves examining the sigmoid part of the colon through a flexible tube containing a magnifying lens.

There are also “marker studies” conducted in which the patient is asked to swallow a capsule that contains markers. They get displayed on X-rays, which the doctor takes repeatedly for a few days. This diagnoses the condition that may be caused due to malfunction of intestinal muscles.

Natural Treatments
 Eat plenty of fiber. Fresh vegetables, fruits, and salads are the best sources.
 Take whole grain bread and cereals.
 Drink 8-10 glasses of water daily. Warm water is preferable.
 Cook food with turmeric, ginger, fennel, cumin, black pepper, coriander, and asafetida. They help in digestion.
 Start exercising for proper blood and nutrition circulation to the bowels.
 Avoid sleeping immediately after a meal.
 Always answer nature’s call. Suppressing it may lead to chronic constipation.
 Take a glass of warm milk before going to bed. It serves as a mild laxative.
 Take fresh juice either early in the morning or before bedtime. This cleanses the colon. The best juices are of carrots, grapefruit, spinach, asparagus, apple cider vinegar, orange juice with olive oil, and mixed juice of apple and pear.

Constipated people should avoid or take in moderation cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, tea, coffee, whole milk, ice cream, fried foods, fatty meats, cheese, pastries, sugar, white flour, and processed foods.

Talking of herbs, Triphala, which is an Ayurvedic herb, works wonders for intestinal cleansing. It comprises of 3 herbs viz; Haritaki, Amalaki, and Bhibitaka. Besides this, buck thorn bark, alfalfa, cassia pulp, castor oil, psyllium seeds and husk, guar gum, turkey rhubarb, senna pods, dandelion leaves, and aloe gel (which is anti-inflammatory and also used to treat skin disorders) are used for treating constipation.

Tips For Increasing Fiber Intake

 Include bran and oatmeal in breakfast menu.
 Adds fruits like bananas, berries, and apple to cereals. Fruits with skin are a rich source of fiber.
 Instead of taking a glass of orange juice, eat a whole orange. The fruit contains 6 times more fiber than the juice.
 Include kidney beans, white and black beans, and lentils in the diet.

Each one, at some point of their life, has experienced constipation. The condition can be easily treated through some wise changes in the diet as well as lifestyle. However, if the problem persists for more than 3 weeks even after treatment, one should consult a doctor. There might be some underlying cause.
Male Menopause Or Andropause – Symptoms, Causes, Management

Medical science has established the fact that males experience menopause too. It’s called andropause. Although many men refuse to believe this, it’s a reality and doctors have diagnosed this condition in males all over the world. Four in every ten men undergo menopause.

Earlier, men regarded it as a taboo to discuss the changes happening inside their body. They thought it would make them less manly. But now, males have gradually started accepting the existence of menopause symptoms in them. They are more ready to discuss it with their doctors and spouses.

Andropause or male menopause is caused due to a steep fall in the testosterone levels in the body. Testosterone is a male hormone related with manliness. This hormone begins to diminish once a male reaches the age of 40.

Symptoms Of Andropause
• Loss in sex
• Impotence
• Osteoporosis
• Night sweats
• Decrease in muscle mass
• Rise in body fat
• Extreme tiredness
• Disorders in sleep
• Depression

There occurs a transitional phase in every man’s life. In this stage, a man may experience many changes in their physical, hormonal, emotional, social, and sexual life. This might disrupt their day to day routine. Usually, males are not able to understand what’s happening. But, there’s nothing to panic about. It’s the onset of male menopause, which is perfectly normal.

Causes Of Andropause
The symptoms of male menopause and that of female menopause are almost similar, except for one difference that makes male menopause a troublesome thing for males. Testosterone levels may start to fall from the prime age of 35. In the beginning, it diminishes slowly – about 1-1.5 percent annually. On the contrary, in female menopause, levels of the hormone estrogen fall rapidly. This defines the phase of pre-menopause as well as post-menopause clearly in females, which is not possible in male menopause.

So, it should not come as a surprise, if a 35-year-old man goes into depression or wants isolation. This is the effect of dwindling hormone. Also, symptoms like erection problems, low sex drive, irritability, and fatigue may grip a man in the young age of 30. These symptoms may even hit the self-esteem of a man. He may begin to doubt his own capabilities and display certain changes in his overall behavior.

Managing Male Menopause
Male menopause can be dealt with an integrated approach. An integration of different therapies such as psychotherapy, herbal therapy, testosterone replacement, plus a balanced diet and regular exercise is the best way to tackle andropause.

Men who suffer from decreasing bone density, leading to osteoporosis and reduced height, and those having trouble with their normal sex life, in spite of trying Viagra can opt for Testosterone Replacement Therapy.

It’s no wonder that many women complain about their man becoming hostile, secluded, inactive, and less loving at this age. Some women even start thinking their partner does not love them anymore. Relax, ladies! Give your man a break. He’s already going through turmoil thanks to his declining hormone. What he needs right now is your moral support, love, and care. It’s time to love him more than ever!

Newest Trends In Home Furnishings Market

If you wonder what the newest trends in home furnishings market are, they are the trends within contemporary home décor. Although these home décor trends may come and go, the basic idea behind this décor is here to stay. The main theme comprises of strong clean lines on the furniture, neutral colors that mixed with bold accents and minimal decorations. This theme offers simplicity and crisp shapes.

As the contemporary home décor consists of beautifully textured fabrics, strong lines and elegant art work, the lighting should be great. Lighting is one of the most important things you should consider when it comes to contemporary home décor. It can add harmony and structure to a room while highlighting the focal points. You must think about recessed lighting or track lighting and accent lamps made up of metals and wood.

The contemporary home décor theme focuses more and more on rattan and bamboo furniture. You can also consider furniture made up of oak, cherry or birch. But rattan and bamboo are becoming increasingly popular. Metal framed furniture is another trend. You can also consider upholstered furniture having abstract designs with cotton, wools and leather. This is less trendy but very popular.
Contemporary home décor has a lot to do with your bedrooms. You can have a platform bed in your master bedroom with a built in box spring that does not come with a foot board. When you add a bold colored sheet to this, you will have the newest trends in home furnishings market.
You can follow contemporary home décor theme in your bathrooms to impress your visitors. Of course you will enjoy it too. Stainless steel acrylic and glass are main attractions in the contemporary theme. You can even go for a stainless steel toilet or a black and white one. Having the faucet in the wall is another trendy thing to do.
You can follow the newest trends in the home furnishings market that would please you and your visitors. When you have decided to go for a contemporary home décor theme, focus on neutral colors with bold accents, clean lines and minimal decorations. Personalize your space and have a great home!

The Cost Of Solar Power

The cost of solar power may have been higher as compared to power derived from fossil fuels. However, many research reports suggest that the cost of solar energy will come down drastically within a decade. It is said that the cost of solar energy will be at par with traditional power sources by 2013. If you are thinking about installing solar energy system at your home, you should understand how much it would cost. Let us see these costs in detail.

Energy Requirement Of Your Household


The cost of solar power for your home will depend upon three important things. First it will depend upon the required energy of your household. If you require more power, you will require more solar panels. However, the cost of the technology that helps in harnessing the solar power has declined drastically and will come down further.

Government Grants


When you switch to alternative sources of energy such as solar power, the government offers a rebate. Yes, the government bears part of the cost of your solar energy system.

Tax Credits


The government also offers tax credits if you use solar energy at your household. The tax credit you get will depend upon various states in the US. The tax rebate ranges from $1000 to $2000.

Let Us Crunch The Numbers Now

The photovoltaic system that is a part of your solar energy system would cost between $8000 to $10000 for a 1KW system. The cost per watt ranges from $8 to $10. If you have a 3-bedroom house, your power requirement will range from 1.5KW to 3KW. In this case the cost of the solar energy system will be in the range of $14000 to $30000, excluding tax credits and rebates. If you take the state of California, you will get $4200 as rebate for a 1.5KW solar power system. If you require a 3KW solar power system, you will get a rebate of $8400.

To be more specific, the cost of a 1.5KW solar energy system is $14000. After $4200 of rebates and $735 of tax credits, the real cost of the system will be $9065. That is a huge saving.

What Experts Say

The cost of solar power is expected to come down significantly in the coming years since the cost of technology and the raw materials associated with solar energy systems is declining. The decline is a cost is partly due to the economies of scale in production. According to The Utility Solar Assessment Study, the cost of solar power will decline to $1.43 to $1.62 per average peak watt during 2025, as compared to the present $5.50 to $7 level. The Utility Solar Assessment Study is done jointly by Clean Edge research firm and Co-Op America. This report is considered very credible by solar energy experts. Imagine the amount of money you will save in the future by deploying solar energy systems. Not only that you are going to save the planet by opting for these green energy systems.

Thus, the major advantage of going for solar energy is that you will find the reduction in energy costs immediately and for years to come. Moreover, you will find an indirect reduction in health costs with solar energy systems.