My IDEA Online

Microsoft Office program is a programming tool called Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) that comes with Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook, Power Point, and Publisher. VBA can make your repeating jobs automatic. It also can customize Excel, Word and other Office procedures for your own needs. From Office version 2000, all the Office programs are equipped with VBA.Hand-On experience is the key to be a good programmer. Programming tutorials are the easier way to learn any computer programs including VBA. For example, a tutorial can show people how to use VBA to automate (make automatic) an Excel routine like updating the fonts and sizes for a range of cells, or automatically pops up a calendar for selecting a date. VBA can also be used as a tool to automate Word mail-merge or create a text file from a Word document. VBA can even be used as a tool to automate email alert in the Outlook Inbox or scheduling task to do.VBA can make one application like Excel work with another application like Word and Outlook, or any other combination. To make Excel work or control Word is called Excel automates Word. Likewise, Word works with or controls Outlook is called Word automates Outlook.There can be many applications of automation that was introduced in the previous paragraph. For example, we can write a VBA application to make Word read an Excel address list that is saved in a spreadsheet, and then show the addresses in the Word document. Also, we can write an application to use Word to automate Outlook for reading the contact and any other data in the Contact or other folders. Or, we can use Outlook to read in Word or Excel scheduling list and use it to schedule tasks in Outlook.Writing VBA programs is quite straightforward and can be learned in a short period, providing that there are tutorials that are well organized and illustrated with many pictures. After going through a few tutorials, the learner can explore on himself or herself the other possibilities with the programming. Learning programming is not as hard as people think. Rather it can be a fun experience to see the programs work.Besides we need to be good at writing programs, keeping our Windows and Office up-to-date is as important. Please remember to visit Microsoft website to do automatic Windows and Office Update at least once a month, which will assure you have the newest fixes and updates.There are a few free VBA learning tutorials at www.Viccompinc.com. If you would like to learn beyond the free tutorials, you can sponsor us with the other low cost tutorials. You can also request a tutorial for your own needs with the request entry of the Contact page.

Goats are gentle people, kind hearted and caring about the well-being of others. They are possibly the nicest personalities in the Chinese zodiac. If they accidentally cause others unhappiness they will be distraught.Often quiet and shy, Goats usually get their own way by using their charm. People born under this sign are good with people, their compassion making them great comforters – they have all the requirements for a successful and rewarding career in nursing.Goats are very lucky. Even when things don’t go their way they often turn out to be blessings in disguise.Goat people’s biggest failing is their unreliability which can drive others mad. They should try to instil some discipline into their activities. They also need to guard against obstinacy.If you have problems a friendly, compassionate Goat will certainly make you feel better.There are twelve Chinese year signs in the Chinese Zodiac. Unlike in our western astrology, in Chinese astrology each sign lasts for a year. Legend has it that as Buddha was about to depart the earth he summoned all the animals to say goodbye. Only twelve turned up so, to show his appreciation of their loyalty, he vowed that from then on each year would bear the name of one of the animals.Chinese astrology is based on the Lunar Calendar. This means the Chinese New Year does not fall on the same day each year and can vary by as much as 3 weeks. So for babies born in late January/early February it is necessary to consult the charts to determine the correct sign.Chinese Years: February 9, 2005 – January 28, 2006: Rooster January 22, 2004 – February 8, 2005: Monkey February 1, 2003 – January 21, 2004: Goat February 12, 2002 – January 31, 2003: Horse January 24, 2001 – February 11, 2002: Snake February 5, 2000 – January 23, 2001: Dragon February 6, 1999 – February 4, 2000: Rabbit January 28, 1998 – February 5, 1999: Tiger February 8, 1997 – January 27, 1998: Ox February 19,1996 – February 7, 1997: Rat January 31, 1995 – February 18, 1996: Pig February 10, 1994 – January 30, 1995: Dog January 23, 1993 – February 9, 1994: Rooster February 4, 1992 – January 22, 1993: Monkey February 15, 1991 – February 3,1992: Goat January 27, 1990 – February 14, 1991: Horse February 6, 1989 – January 26, 1990: Snake February 17, 1988 – February 5, 1989: Dragon January 29, 1987 – February 16, 1988: Rabbit February 9, 1986 – January 28, 1987: Tiger February 20, 1985 – February 8, 1986: Ox February 2, 1984 – February 19, 1985: Rat February 13, 1983 – February 1, 1984: Pig February 25, 1982 – February 12, 1983: Dog February 5, 1981 – January 24, 1982: Rooster February 16, 1980 – February 4, 1981: Monkey January 28, 1979 – February 15, 1980: Goat February 7, 1978 – January 27, 1979: Horse February 18, 1977 – February 6, 1978: Snake January 31, 1976 – February 17, 1977: Dragon February 11, 1975…

No that’s not a typo or a “fudge” to fit something into the “X” slot that doesn’t really start with the letter itself. There is a marked difference in our cultural lexicon between “extreme” and “Xtreme.” “Extreme” is a respectable word, true enough, meaning over the top, to the limit or as far as you can go. But many people, especially sports fanatics, have coined the term “Xtreme” as a way of describing something that goes beyond the extreme and into the realm of sheer potential and possibility, that goes beyond the proscribed limits, that pushes them further than they have gone before. And there’s something more, too, in the meaning of the word – a spirit of raw life lived on the edge of perfection and brilliance; the creation of a space where time slows, the mind reels and the spirit sings. Bringing the concept of “Xtreme” into your life opens you up to a whole new realm of experience. By refusing to acknowledge socially acceptable norms and boundaries, it is at once dangerous and freeing, aggressive yet nurturing. But how can you integrate this abstract idea into a concrete life? By using your wildest dreams as the jumping off point for your next advancement, by opening yourself up to the full power that you possess to create change and action and by living fully in the moment of your life, every second of every day of every year. This is “Xtreme” living – and it rocks your world! For example, if you are spiritual in nature, go beyond the traditional bounds of spiritual practice and try to imagine how someone could live spirituality to the “Xtreme.” Perhaps you could take on the role of a great leader and work to inspire the entire world to uplifting change. Perhaps you could devote your entire life to one deep and abiding cause. Or maybe you could step into the shoes of your foremost role model and strive to live as closely to that standard as humanly possible for the rest of your days. Heady thoughts, aren’t they? Impractical, too. But when was a great life ever confused with a practical life? And yet, some people manage to live just like this, “Xtreme” to the core – and lightening neither strikes them down nor does doom assail them. And you know what else? They have fun. What parts of your life could do with an “Xtreme” makeover? What fears confront you when you consider doing so? Moving from normal to extreme, and extreme to “Xtreme” are leaps of faith and the gap from one to the other seems uncrossably wide and treacherous. But it can be done, and it can be wild fun. And just think of the cool group of like-minded souls waiting on the other side for you to make that jump!(c) Soni PittsABOUT THE AUTHORSoni Pitts is the Chief Visionary Butt-Kicker of target=”_new” href=”http://www.sonipitts.com/” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>SoniPitts.Com. She specializes in helping others reclaim “soul proprietorship” in their lives and…

Convertibles are stealing the show with their safe investment image in today’s “protective” market. They seem to be overshadowing the stocks and bonds, and this holds true for the mediocre issuers.A convertible bond, as the name suggests, can be converted into a company”s common stock. The bonds are a source of additional profit for the investors. Although investors are particular about short-term performance of stocks, they’re upbeat about a long-term, fixed-income instrument that gives them profit on converting to common stock, if the stock price soars within a range of 20 to 40 percent.Why the sudden craze for convertibles? The chief reason is the strong desire of the investors for “safe” instruments to lock up their precious life savings into. And the issuers have been smart enough to grab this lucrative opportunity. A few years back, liquid issuers—considered to be the stalwarts of the market—were ruling the roost in the convertible bond market, with the average size of a convertible issue touching $300 million to $350 million. But today, nearly nine convertibles have a whopping size of $1 billion and one has even crossed the $3 billion mark. The fall in stock prices and the frequent quivers in the credit markets have created a strong wave of demand for convertibles.A convertible bond is issued at a strike price, 25 to 40 percent higher than the market price of the general stock issued by the company. The convertible bond has a 7-year maturity period and can be called after three years. The issuer can call the bond, if the market price exceeds the strike price. But if the strike price manages to remain high till maturity, the investors have two options: they can either get back the par value of the bond, or convert it to common stock. However, in case of a mandatory convertible, there is no choice—the bond has to be converted to common stock.Convertible bonds are legally debt securities, which are above all equity securities in a default situation. Similar to other bonds, their value is also influenced by the existing interest rates and the credit worthiness of the issuers. However, convertibles have opened two ways for the investors to earn dollars. One way is by selling the convertible bond when its price soars in the market, and the other way is by converting the bond to common stock and selling the shares.The best way for an individual investor to indulge in the convertible bonds business is buying a mutual fund. This is because convertibles are complex securities and, unlike common stocks, it’s not easy for beginners to get all the information about them. Hence, the investors should check out certain things before buying a convertible bond. These are: the interest rate and yield of the bond, the number of years prior to maturity, the common stock price during conversion of the bond, the features of the bond that make it different from a usual bond, the negative aspects of the bond, and the benefits while converting to…

You might be surprised to know that television is one of the main causes of domestic disputes in America. Either the husband is so ensnared by a NFL game that causes the wife to nag him about work around the house, or the wife is so infatuated with Brad Pitt that she grapples with the husband for the remote control. These are but a few of the instances when television spells trouble for the marriage, and when fact is actually stranger than fiction.Hence, we MIGHT conclude that if there is a way to reconcile seemingly conflicting television habits, then it can also be a way to reconcile marital differences.DirecTV DVR by Tivo is a revolutionary product . On one hand, you have the excellent digital quality and a splendid abundance of channels offered by DirecTV, the leader in satellite television broadcasting. On the other, you have Tivo, hailed as the invention that actually changed the face of television viewing. DirecTV DVR by Tivo , being the best thing that has ever happened to our television enjoyment, can also be more efficient than most marriage counselors in the land.DirecTV DVR by Tivo, with its dual tuners, can record two shows at the same time. It could also allow you to watch one live feed, while recording the other. At home, the spouses no longer have to argue between watching Tom Cruise or the Hawaiian Tropic girls The wife could indulge on some masculine charms while the husband records the fascinating young ladies for future viewing.DirecTV DVR by Tivo also promises 35 hours of storage.That means that the family can take a two week road trip to visit the in-laws and nobody will miss a single episode of their favorite TV show. Everything they want to watch will be waiting safely for their return. .Additionally, DirecTV DVR allows users to pause a live feed, something considered impossible in the past. That means that he can freeze the game while he pays for the pizza, or she can put her show on hold while helping herself to a snack in the kitchen. Nothing has to be missed! The husband can simply freeze an NFL game to comply with the wife’s wishes that he tends to their six-month old baby .If he knows she goes gaga over the mere sight of Keanu Reeves, he could simply program the DirecTV DVR to search the schedules by the actor’s name and the box would automatically record all the shows where that actor makes an appearance. that ought to earn a few brownie points!Lastly, our happy couple could simply celebrate a peaceful evening together while enjoying the crystal clear quality of digital broadcast as enhanced by the DirecTV DVR. They could laugh and cry together, while savoring each other’s company with a loving embrace. Though marriage counseling professionals might frown as they begin to lose business, DirecTV DVR by Tivo could prove to be the best thing marriage has ever seen.

If you’re on a diet, or considering going on one, you’re in luck. We’ve put together ten of the most frequently asked questions about diets and weight loss and compiled them here. Enjoy! 1. How much should I weigh? Your doctor can answer that question most accurately. More important than how much you weigh is your body/mass index, which measures your height against your weight. 2. What”s the best diet for losing weight? Any diet that provides all the nutrition that you need for health, and in addition, provides fewer calories than your body burns regularly. 3. How can I keep off the weight that I lose? If you lose weight gradually and re-educate both yourself and your body about food, you”ll have a good start. The secret to keeping weight off is to balance your energy needs with your food intake. Eat enough calories to supply your body”s energy needs, but not so many that your body stores the excess as fat. 4. What”s the story with obesity and diabetes? Obesity increases the risks of a number of chronic health conditions, and diabetes is one of them. People who are more than ten percent overweight increase their risk of developing type 2 diabetes substantially. 5. How do I decrease my intake of sugar? Obviously, you can decrease your intake of sugar by cutting out sweets and refined snacks, but you should also watch out for “hidden” sugars. Check ingredients. High fructose corn syrup and sucrose are both simple sugars that add lots of calories and little nutrition. 6. How often should I weigh myself? Most diet experts recommend that you weigh yourself no more than once a week. Some go so far as to tell you to throw out the scale entirely! A more accurate measure of your loss is your clothing size. If your clothing is feeling looser, you”re doing great. 7. Do I really have to exercise? You don”t HAVE to, but it will be a lot harder to lose weight if you don”t. A half hour of moderate exercise daily is the minimum activity level for healthy weight loss. You can get it walking, running, cleaning your house – anything active burns calories. 8. What”s a calorie? A calorie is a measure of energy. Foods are rated with calories based on the amount of energy they provide to the body when consumed. 9. Can I lose weight without changing my diet? Weight loss results when you burn more calories than you consume. If you only need to lose a small amount of weight and your diet is generally healthy, you can lose weight by increasing your activity level to burn more calories. If your diet is poor, or if you”re more than a few pounds overweight, you really need to learn a new, more healthy way or eating, or you”ll put the weight back on when you go back to “normal” eating. 10. Should I eat fish on my diet? Unless it”s expressly forbidden by your…

As you may know, Google is making an effort to scan every book in the world. The goal is to create a giant online database of every book that can be searched. One small problem is the fact that Google is violating laws. Google argues its book database doesn’t violate laws. The company suggests it only shows short passages and accompanies the text with ads showcasing where the full books can be purchased. Of course, the ads are Google Adwords from which the company makes a tidy profit. On Tuesday, the search goliath rolled out stand-alone book search services in 14 countries. The same day, the Text and Academic Authors Association (TAA) became the latest publishers” organization to call Google”s opt-out strategy backwards. Authors, Publishers and publishing associations are not happy. While Google only publishes the full text of books in the public domain, it is still copying entire books for which it has no permission. Google claims it can do this because the books are being scanned from versions owned by public libraries. Fearing an avalanche of lawsuits, Google backed off. In August, Google stopped scanning copyrighted books in public library collections. At the same time, it gave publishers the right to submit lists of books the publishers didn’t want scanned. As you can image, publishers still aren’t happy. The Arrogance of GoogleOnce viewed as the underdog to giants such as Microsoft, Google continues to act like the local school bully. In this case, the company has taken such an arrogant approach that lawsuits are inevitable. Google is going to take a beating in the lawsuits and here is why. Consider the neighborhood you live in. What if a local crime syndicate informed every household it was going to steal everything in each household. Undoubtedly, there would be calls of outrage. In response, what if the crime syndicate then suggested you could send a list of items in your house that you didn’t want stolen? This is exactly what Google is doing. Google’s decision to scan every book in the world is idealistic, but laughably simple minded. At a time when the recording industry is suing teenagers for file swapping, one would think Google would get a clue.

Our oil and gas drilling rigs are a national asset, as their production and collection effects the supply side of the economic equation. Our country runs on fuel and the flow of these fuels and crude is a necessity to the ability of our civilization to operate efficiently. When things break down or stop due to hostile weather storms we feel it in our economic output and productivity. In fact just about everything you buy has been delivered by something using fuel and most of us need and use natural gas for many things.We must pit these needs of our civilization against the environmental costs associated with them. We indeed cannot afford to make trades, which might cause dead zones of sea life or pollute our oceans. Luckily for us Mother Nature is quite resilient in handling mankind’s pollution, however we must continuing monitor the types of pollution we allow and prevent 99.9% of it whenever we can.Oil and gas drilling rigs often take hits from Hurricane Storms and occasionally one is completely destroyed, causing an unfortunate release of chemicals, oil spill or other pollution. These rigs are coated with very high-tech coatings to prevent rust and corrosion from the constant salt spray of the never forgiving ocean. I propose we add a coating to this already incredible coating; one which will be above the normal water levels. If an oilrig is tipped over or destroyed these coatings would mix with the water and release oil and gas-eating bacteria, which would attach to any spill and start feasting on it. Bio-remediation is a science, which has come very far very fast in the past decade.I further propose that oilrig support structures have environmental dispensers containing spongy bio remediation pellets, which will be released if the rig is destroyed or turned upside down. These pellets would be made of spongy material containing soapy substances of bio-eating bacteria, which would feast upon the gas or oil spill. I propose that the spongy material not stick to ships or hurt the boat hulls of vessels, which might bump into them as they float. Additionally I propose that the spongy material would also be made very distasteful to birds, fish, sea life and wildlife; yet would clean the spill. Timed released biological and environmental remediation is nothing new, many environmental engineers use this to help reduce large algae blooms which threaten drinking water supplies, affect water quality or are a danger to sea life. Think on this.”Lance Winslow” – If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; target=”_new” href=”http://www.worldthinktank.net/wttbbs” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs

How to Get Up-to-Date Weather Info Via RSS Feeds(and every other type of news) If you haven”t heard about RSS or Atom feeds don”t feel bad. I just started using them about 4 months ago myself. Still, you can take a step right now to take your web surfing to the next level. Perhaps you have heard of Blogs or Weblogs as they are properly called. These gems of the web started out and still continue today as diaries or journals put up on the net by those that just like to write and share their everyday world with the outside. These, still at this time, June,2005, are still the largest part of blogging on the world wide web. You can find these very easily by going to Google or Yahoo and typing in a subject followed by the word blog. For example, I just typed in Tornado Blogs into a Google search box and got 150 different blogs about tornadoes. With that kind of exposure you can find blogs on any subject on earth. The great thing about this is that after you decide which blogs are your favorite you can put them in your favorites, bookmarked or otherwise presented on you desktop. The great thing is that many, including myself, have gone to the next level and have turned their blogs into RSS Feeds. A very simple process if you use Blogger.com If RSS is the same as blogs then what”s all this blog stuff? Let me explain, Blogs and RSS feeds are not quite the same. In short, the blogging idea was picked up and many major news sources like Fox and CNN and on and on started putting their own blogs out in the form of newfeeds. Simply RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. And we as end users can gain access to the latest news about anything including weather on our desktops. Yet, doing this is a mystery to so many that I decided to put this report on the website so that you could gain instant access to newsfeeds and hopefully my own TipsOnTornadoes blog and RSS feeds. Now, you should understand that newfeeds are similar to HTML and require a special piece of software that allows you to read the feed. The computer language is similar to HTML on a web page but not really the same. To read a feed we need a “reader”. There are many “readers” available for free online. The one that I use is Feedreader, available at Feedreader.com. The download is free. It is simple to download and easy to use. It has a great feature that helps me out a great deal. That feature is a little balloon that rises up off your task bar when one of your favorite feeds has just uploaded a new article for you to read. The significance of this will become apparent in a moment. I wrote this article for my subscribers to enjoy my tornado blogs as well as any…

How would you feel if you got your ass kicked by a frog?Because that”s what happened to the new Coldplay CD thatjust came out over in the UK this week — it was immediately handed its first setback — by a frog.Seems that neither 2 years of pent-up demand from fans norseveral million dollars worth of promotion by Parlophonerecords (in the UK) or Capitol EMI (here in the U.S.) couldsave X & Y (the new Coldplay CD) from being knocked offthe top of the charts… by a mobile phone ringtone.According to mobiletracker.net, “A ringtone made its way tothe top of the British singles chart this Sunday, toppingBrit-rock group Coldplay. Ringtone Crazy Frog Axel Foutsold Coldplay”s Speed of Sound 4-1, making for adisapointing opening weekend for the popular band.Crazy Frog Axel F is based off the revving sound of aSwedish mo-ped. It marks the first time a ringtone made itto the singles chart for conventional music sales.Interestingly enough, most of the ringtone”s sales havecome from a CD, not from digital download.””This song is incredibly irritating and puerile and we”restill trying to understand why people like it, saidGennaro Castaldo, a spokesman for (British retailer) HMV.This just goes to show you, you must sell to wants” andnot to “expected wants” or “needs” if you want to come outahead.And remember this: You can”t “create” demand. It”s alreadyout there, all around you — and believe me, there”splenty of it.All you can do is tap into it, and then use your sales copyto “build” this already existing demand, into a hot sweatyfrenzy.So hop to it.Now go sell something,Craig Garberhttp://www.KingOfCopy.comP.S. Check out all the prior archives you”ve beenmissing, right here at:http://www.kingofcopy.com/tips/tiparchives.html

Publishing an e-zine will help you to strengthen your status as an expert in your field and convert more of your visitors into customers.The following tips will provide you with ways to successfully increase the revenue you get from publishing your own e-zine:1. Write your own articles.Writing articles will help you to connect with your readers, share your knowledge, and promote your business through your resource box.If you have an affiliate program, let your subscribers as well as your other affiliates reprint your articles with their affiliate URLs in your resource box. You”ll be able get more of your readers and visitors to join your affiliate program and successfully promote your business.2. Include testimonials for your products or services within your e-zine.Your testimonials will increase your readers” confidence in your product. Include testimonials from your customers and also from other experts in your field.3. Provide examples of how you”ve helped your clients.For instance, if you design web sites you could provide examples of the web sites you”ve designed. Your clients will enjoy the free promotion that you give them and you”ll be able to showcase your work.4. Offer a free ebook as a bonus for subscribing.Your ebook will help you to successfully promote your business and also help you to effectively promote affiliate programs you”ve joined to your new subscribers.5. Sell advertising space.Once your e-zine is of sufficient size, you can rake in more profits by selling ads to your subscribers and visitors.Offer your readers special limited time offers to get more people to buy advertising for the first time and to get more repeat sales.Also provide testimonials in your e-zine and on your site that share how advertising in your e-zine has paid off for your advertisers.6. Write a product review.Your product review will help you to successfully “soft sell” your affiliate program”s product to your subscribers.Focus your review on how their product will specifically benefit your readers, and share your positive experiences with the product.Don”t be afraid to point out some minor negative aspects about the product, and keep your review hype free.You can also write reviews about products you”ve bought that disappointed you. Your subscribers will appreciate your honesty and you”ll be able to increase their trust in you.7. Swap an ad for your business.You”ll be able to get your ad run at no cost in a targeted e-zine in exchange for running that publisher”s ad.Track your swaps, and then swap your ads for longer runs with publishers whose e-zines gave you an excellent response. 8. Swap a recommendation with another e-zine publisher.Recommend another publisher”s product in your e-zine in exchange for her recommending your product.You”ll be able to get more sales than you would from a paid e-zine ad because your product will be endorsed by a trusted source.9. Use your thank you page to your advantage.Your thank you page is a great place to offer a special sale, recommend one of your affiliate programs, and include your signature file.In addition, you can get more new…

The following advice comes from my heart and my personal experience. I am not a lawyer. I did graduate from college with a degree in Communications, however, that does not qualify me to offer professional legal advice. If you read this article, remember you must consult an attorney to get help for your specific situation. There are numerous, diverse issues surrounding legal custody of your children. Laws vary from state to state. Each individual situation is different depending on your personal circumstances, such as: marital status; employment; income; other financial resources; family support; relationship with other parent; past history of abuse or domestic violence; arrest record; and past role in children’s life. The following ideas are only some suggestions to consider if you are fighting for custody of your children or if you fear that you may have to battle the father/mother of your children for custody. My first suggestion comes from my own terrifying experience. 1 – Don’t think you will never have to fight for custody of your children. Don’t assume you know the father/mother of your children so well, that you have no fear of being forced to fight this man or woman to retain your parental rights. Don’t foolishly trust everything the father/mother of your children tells you. If they were planning to file for custody of your children, do you really think they’d let you know in advance? Obviously if they gave you with any type of a warning, you would have time to obtain your own lawyer and try to beat them at their own game. So of course, they’re going to lie about their intentions if they’re planning to seek custody of your children. And they’re going to try to make their lies sound so sincere, so convincing and so honest that you could easily be deceived. The only advice I have about how to tell the difference between a lie and the truth is – go with your gut instinct. If you have any reason to believe they may be thinking of filing for custody of your children, follow your heart. If you have any doubt about how honest they’re being with you, don’t wait around to see what happens next. Time is critical, so don’t delay taking action to protect yourself if you feel threatened or mislead in any way. 2 – Be very careful about who you trust with important information. You may be shocked to find out how quickly word travels from what you tell your friends or some of your family members to the other parent’s friends or family members. People love to gossip. Rumors spread like wildfire with little regard for you or your children. The only way to extinguish flaming tales of your tragic situation is to keep your mouth shut. Don’t share your side of the story with anyone unless you are willing to bet your life and your future with your children on their loyalty to you. When you’re hurt by the actions of…

After the fall of the Imperial Palace breeding continued outside the palace in the homes of both the Chinese and foreign families. Kennels were developed that produced the Tibetan Lion Dogs, or the Lhasa Lion Dogs, as they were sometimes called. There was a lot of confusion during this time period trying to distinguish between the Tibetan breeds and there was no central registration system until the 1930s. The Apso and Shih Tzu types were grouped under several different names: The Tibetan Poodle, Shih Tzu Kuo (Lion Dog Lhasa Lion Dog, Tibetan Temple Dog, Tibetan Holy Dog, Tibetan Holy Dog, Lhasa Terrier, Tribute Dog, Apso….The China Kennel Club was formed in Shanghai in 1923. In 1930 the first class was scheduled at a show under the name of Lhasa Terrier or Tibetan Poodle. Mrs. R. Laurenz owned a kennel of almost all black Shih Tzu and took first and second place with her Mo”er and Mei Mei. It is thought that one of her dogs named Chu Po (a stud) was the great grandson of Hai-Ling (Sea Otter Empress Dowager”s favorite dog of all times.Note: I have a solid black stud dog now who resembles the pictures I have seen of Mr. Laurenz”s two black Tibetan dogs that won. My Duke really resembles her line of dogs. The pedigree I have, of course, is not traced back that far, but of all my dogs, Duke is so very extra “sharp, and stands out from all the rest of my Shih Tzu. He is one of a kind at Stain Glass Shih Tzu (except his offsprings of course will be somewhat like him). He really is an interesting Shih Tzu to watch. He makes excellent eye contact that looks just like human eyes looking at me. Duke also has the blue” genes. He is producing blue in his offspring. I would not be surprised if his ancestors would be in the same line as Sea Otter as well.The Peking Kennel Club was established in 1934. That same year a class was scheduled for “Lhasa Lion Dogs.” From all I have read in this time period it seems they were having a terrible time trying to create a standard and exactly what to call these dogs. By this time it looked like also there was many different types. It also appeared as if the size was “large” rather than small. This really makes me wonder if the reason for all this was because at the Imperial Palace, only the smaller ones were kept, and the larger dogs were sold outside the palace as rejects of the Imperial Palace breedings, and many were even sold to peasants on the street. So I imagine from this large pool of the larger size Shih Tzu or what would eventually become known as the Shih Tzu was these Lhasa Lion Dogs and Tibetan Poodles. This is all they had access to, with the exception of whatever might have been saved in the smaller sizes from the…

The only thing a woman can say for certain about her vagina is that it is drenched in mystery. And with this mystery comes a bounty of myths. One myth marring the woman’s body is the concept that her vagina is a filthy pit. Frequent marketing of feminine douches does nothing to arrest this myth. But is the vagina dirty and should a woman douche?A substantial body of medical evidence makes a clear case that douching is not necessary and in some cases unhealthy. Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh led by Dr. Roberta Ness discovered that most women are introduced to the concept of douching by their mothers, sisters, or girlfriends. Yet this well-intentioned sisterly advice has left too many women misinformed about their vaginal health. For instance, a study at the University of Alabama at Birmingham asked 729 women why they douched. Twenty-one percent of the participants said that they believed douching killed infectious germs, while 27% believed that douching prevented pregnancy. Neither assumption is true. As writer Mary Ann Innacchinoe explains in an “American Journal of Nursing” article, the vagina contains, lactobacilli, “good”, aerobic bacteria that cleanse the vagina and protect it from infection. Lactobacilli release hydrogen peroxide, a natural disinfectant. The presence of hydrogen peroxide helps keep potentially harmful anaerobic bacteria in balance. Ironically, some women view menstruation as a time when the vagina most needs a douche. After menstruation, vaginal mucus returns to its thicker, characteristically non-fertile state, which makes it more difficult for pathogens to enter and infect the vagina. Douching could wash this protective coating away and invite vaginal bacterial imbalances and infections. For example, a 2004 study published in the medical journal “Sexually Transmitted Diseases” linked douching after menses with an increased risk of bacterial vaginosis. Bacterial vaginosis, or an excess of harmful bacteria in the vagina, is one of the most common reasons women visit their gynecologist. Symptoms of bacterial vaginosis include a gray or frothy vaginal discharge, a “fishy” odor after intercourse, vaginal itching and a vaginal pH greater than 4.5.While douching can provoke bacterial vaginosis, it may also encourage the herpes virus. In 2003, researchers from the Magee-Womens Research Institute in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania questioned why women are more susceptible to the herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection than men. After examining 1207 women aged 18 to 30 from three Pittsburgh health clinics, the investigators noted that women who douche, smoke, have sex with uncircumcised partners, or have bacterial vaginosis are at greater risk for contracting an HSV-2 infection.Nevertheless, Dr. Christiane Northrup, author of “Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom”, recommends douching in one instance, after having made love three times in one day. But sperm must have been released into the vagina during each round of intercourse. Northrup cautions that after such an entry of sperm, the vagina will not return to its normal pH for another twenty-four hours. Using a vinegar douche, made by adding a tablespoon of vinegar to a quart of water, may help restore the vaginal…

Taking a girl out on a date already says a lot. But this whole business is not just about seducing someone. You must gain the confidence and trust of the person sitting at the other end of the table. More than that, you must make her feel good in your presence and even want more. How to do this? Simple! When you”re not flirting with her just let her take control for a while.Always keep in mind that women”s favorite subject is themselves. This little “bug” in their software gives men a big advantage in a conversation and that is curiosity. Yet, only few use it because of the misconceptions surrounding curiosity in general. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but when a conversation between a man and a woman is concerned, I don”t think it ever hurt anyone. What I”m trying to say is that if she says something that makes you curious… just ask her! This will tell her that you are interested in her person. Nevertheless, watch out for those not so discreet questions that could turn you into a cat and get you killed.Another thing most men forget is that women, even the prettiest, disregard themselves. If you discovered something about her that you really like make sure she can feel your admiration. This rule applies to anything from the color of her eyes to the way she back-parked her car for example. Still, try to use original ways to make compliments and remember that you”ll receive the most “points” for cherishing her intelligence.Always listen to her when she talks! Sounds too obvious? Maybe, but the key thing is that it counts less if you”ve been really listening to her as long as she thinks you weren”t. Therefore you can use several tricks like saying confirmation phrases (“I see”, “yes” etc.) showing that you”re following her. Just don’t do it so much that she mistakes you for her shrink. Re-telling what she just said is another useful skill as long as you don”t abuse it. You simply rephrase what she said and she”ll know you got the point. Nevertheless it can be very annoying if you overuse it.And, as I mentioned earlier, when she makes you curious about something just ask her! This proves you were listening in the first place. The same happens when you make a compliment based on something she just said.But curiosity can also be used whenever you run out of topics in a conversation. Every woman is curious by nature so all you have to do is to stir her curiosity and forget all about you running out of interesting subjects or her getting bored.