What Are the Best Christmas Gifts to Give?

Before buying random gifts and hoping that they will be pleasing to the recipient, read this article and learn how to avoid aimless gift buying. Discover ways to purchase what they desire, or ideally, provide them with a gift card and then enjoy the remainder of the day in each other’s company.

year after year, Christmas continues to get more extravagant Despite everyone saying that next year will be different, it seems like Christmas is spent cleaning up piles of wrapping paper and trying to fit stuff into cars. When we are gift buying for adults, do we really need to go bonkers? Kids get excited for gifts, but adults buy for themselves what they want to have most of the time.

The problem is that most people don’t know what everyone wants. The theory espoused is apparently that if you buy a lot of things, eventually you will hit on something that pleases the receipient. If you really want to go all out for someone, then do some research first. Inquire of someone who is aware of what they desire. Asking very specific questions throughout the year will aid you in finding the perfect gift. Hopefully, this will keep you from buying them useless trinkets and gadgets. When these ideas fail, there is nothing wrong with gift cards. These can be personalized by including a few ornaments or hand-baked cookies or even a personalized card telling them that you wished that they have the last say about their gift. Even if you get to spend all your time surrounded by gifts, the best gift of all is spending time with loved ones.

Many say that gift cards are impersonal, but think about it, isn’t buying someone something they don’t need or want impersonal too? Gift ideas are hard to come up with but gift cards are a great back up when questioning and snooping about fail. For the most part people either don’t know what they want, or they don’t know how to express it. There are plenty of ways to please this group, too. Here is a great site for some Christmas gift ideas for everyone.

Childhood Epidemic Rises 6,000% What Can Be Learned About Autism?

The latest tallies show that over three million people in North America alone carry some type of autism diagnosis. With this increase the biggest question people are asking is why. Over 20 years ago the incidence was estimated to be 1 in 10,000. Now it’s a whopping 1 in 166 according to the U.S. Center for Disease control and is still expected to rise. With the life long care of someone with autism costing approximately 2.2 million per person according to the MIND Institute, we need to start committing proper resources to early intervention now to enable this population to lead fulfilling and productive lives as well as contribute to society

The frustrating point in the above scenario is the lack of interest and resources allocated through government and other agencies towards a solution. This includes actively determining the cause and implementing adequate research towards curative and helpful measures. The US Government will happily spend 1.9 billion dollars for a single Trident nuclear submarine in a fleet of around fifty, yet is only spending 66 million on the entire special education area, which includes special teachers, training and proper equipment and supports.

While hosting an autism conference in Hawaii last month I received a call from a grandmother asking if I could help her thirteen-year-old autistic grandson who was still in diapers. This just shouldn’t be happening in this day and age. Whether there is a cure for autism or not, there are programs and interventions that help all children with autism grow up to be productive community citizens especially through early intervention practices as mentioned earlier. This can happen when parents put their own egos aside and recognize very early that their child has autism, accept the diagnosis and get the treatment the child deserves allowing them to use their inborn strengths and talents to live to their fullest.

Methodologies also need to be more visible and understood. Yes there are successful ways to approach autism like Applied Behavioral Analysis, Greenspan, Daily Life Therapy, Miller Method, the SCERTS method and Relationship Development Intervention which may all sound Greek to some, however, most parents just hear of one and go with it. This could be due to the nature of the beast so to speak, in that many parents of children with autism even show signs of autism themselves such as structured, literal thinking. This forces them to have limited beliefs and be less willing to consider other options in a more abstract manner. Many of these methodologies and belief systems have become rigid and unchanging even though many more options are now available and even more are on the horizon.

As to the cause, many speculate that mercury in addition to other heavy metals could be a strong culprit though the proof is not in the pudding yet. Books like “Evidence Of Harm” by David Kirby, a New York Times writer clearly organizes all the facts for others to draw their own conclusion surrounding the issues around immunizations. Perhaps it’s in the dental amalgams, the fish we eat or other environmental surroundings.

Then still others are pointing to the gene pool saying it is passed on from one generation to the next. I know in my case, I believe my Aeronautical Engineer father has a high functioning form of autism and I grew up thinking he was “normal”. I was therefore attracted to someone who also has many symptoms of autism such as the lack of social skills in certain situations, an egocentric focus, and perseveration (doing the same thing over and over again), especially when it comes to working 7 days a week 12 hour days. And then, there’s me. The more I learn about autism, the more I certainly can see signs in myself.

The best, most proven hope of helping children with autism to lead fulfilling and productive lives I know of, is early intervention. Also, many experience reduced symptoms in their children with autism when gluten and casein are removed or reduced from their diets. Other dietary strategies are being successfully implemented such as a modified Atkins type diet or even sugar and milk free diets. Even if it isn’t perfect, it’s a step in the right direction. Others are having luck by adding vitamins, minerals and glyconutrients back into their systems. Glyconutrients are the sixteen essential sugars missing from our diets due to the poor cultivation processes with our natural fruits and vegetables.

Our Sherwood Park, Alberta based firm, Autism Today is Western Canada’s leading provider of autism conferences. Parents, teachers and professionals can go to: www.keystotreasures.com to learn about our upcoming “Keys To The Treasure Chest” conferences and workshops. Upcoming speakers include: Dr. Lori Ernsperger and Nick Martin, March 2005, Stephen Shore, June 2005, Dr. Steven Gutstein, October 2005, and Dr. Temple Grandin, Dec 2005. Autism Today also hosts online education and Tele-classes as well as a broad selection of books, videos and other learning material.

To wrap up, more studies need to be in place to prove the validity of certain hopeful interventions. Parents need to know what options are available to them instead of hopping on the first methodology train that comes along. Through autismtoday.com we are implementing two such programs. The first is an unbiased study for glyconutrients in a predetermined group of children with autism. The second part of the effort involves devoting a portion of our site, which will be geared to offering a way for parents to sample some different methodologies for their children before deciding on a particular approach of treatment for their child.

Karen Simmons, known to many as “The Autism Lady” is the mother of six, one of which as autism, author of “Little Rainman”, “The Autism Experience”, “Artism”, “Surrounded By Miracle’s and “Peace of Mind for Autism” (CD). She has been featured in local media as well as Woman’s World Magazine, CBC Radio, The Donna Seebo Show and The Vicki Gabreau Show. Also she is the CEO and founder of Autism Today Online Magazine at http://www.autismtoday.com, which is host to the top autism experts in the field today.

Look through the Wonderful Male Sex Aid Guide with Sex Bomb

Choosing a male sex toy for the astonishingly first time might often be a little bit nerve racking and a really scary experience. But once you have got your first male sex toy and had a go on it you will often soon know what you enjoy and do not appreciate as with everything in life. Discover a few ideas.

If you would like to have a larger penis and you would like your sex sessions to go on for longer and be astonishing then try out the penis pumps available on the market. The penis enlarger is an incredible sex toy and when tried with penis enlargement lotions can wonderfully make your member look far bigger and feel lovely. You can often also use penis enlarger pills to go along with the cream and vacuum. Male marital aids have regularly been on the slow side until this Summer when the sexual aid websites are launching some of the most realistic sexual aids on the market. Add a spice of luxury into your sex life with Glass Dildos.

A must for all males is getting the right lube. The most famous sexual lubricants with males are water based as they could be used with condoms. Also, pick a nice sexual lubricant so it does not damage the material of your sex toys. For those guys that are trigger happy attempt a delay lotion to help you last longer in the bedroom.

Getting the Most Out of Your Photo Printer - For Less!

As many photo-printer owners would know, paper and ink costs can quickly exceed the cost of the printer. These six tips will help you get the most out of your photo-printer without leaving a hole in your pocket.
Raise the Resolution: Any digital camera that is less than three years old can capture at least 1 megapixel of data with each shot. This is sufficient to print a good-quality 4 X 6-inch photo; a 2-megapixel image holds enough information to output a higher-quality print of the same dimensions. To generate an 8 X 10-inch print worth framing, you’ll need a resolution of at least 3 megapixels. You’re in a good position if you have a new camera as most new models offer from 4 to 8.1 megapixels.

Adjust your camera to its highest resolution when taking shots that you might want to print. Some newer cameras, depending on the manufacturer’s menu setup, make it very simple to change resolution.
Save your Originals: Don not save the images you plan to print as JPEGs or in any other compressed file format. Each time you compress an image, you lose some data. Before working with an image, make sure it is unaltered and in the TIFF format.

Enhance the Image: Experiment with your image-editing program’s functions such as cropping, contrast, brightness, and other controls until you’re entirely satisfied with the image’s composition. Remember to always save the altered file with a new name.
Plan Your Print Drafts: If you plan to make test prints that you will discard later, reduce the image size and load the printer with plain inexpensive paper. Your printer software may allow you to print multiple images on one sheet.

Use matte-finish photo cards instead of glossy photo paper when printing 4 X 6-inch images. These cards have a nice look and feel, and they cost almost half as much as full-size photo paper. Place the images that you print on 8 X 10-inch glossy photo paper behind glass for added protection from ultraviolet light, and hang them away from direct sunlight.
Save on your ink: Special photo inks can provide your printer with a more refined colour palette. Unfortunately, these come with specific models, and if such ink didn’t come with your model, you may have to buy it separately and install it in place of the standard ink cartridges.

In some cases, photos printed using general-purpose cartridges look almost as good as ones printed using photo ink. Another effective trick is to print your black-and-white photos in colour mode (with standard colour cartridges). This makes the printer use all of its inks to create the tones in your picture, and the resultant prints can be as subtle and precise as pictures printed with photo inks.

Get your Cartridges in Line: Use your printer’s controls to realign your cartridges–especially if you see vertical or horizontal bands, unwanted lines, gaps, or bleeding colours in your prints. Right-click the printer’s entry in Control Panel’s “Printers and Faxes” or “Printers” applet, click Properties, and search for a cartridge maintenance option. If aligning your cartridges does not solve the problem, clean the cartridges with a cotton swab dipped in isopropyl alcohol. Use water merely as a solvent, and clean just the cartridge itself, never the print head or the nozzle plate. Always align new cartridges.

Practice Good Housekeeping: By keeping your printer’s mechanisms clean, you will ensure that the device runs at its best. An occasional blast from a can of compressed air (easily available at electronics stores) will keep dust and bits of paper from clogging the paper path and other moving parts.
Make sure that the small ink nozzles on your print heads are clear of dried ink. Leaving any inkjet idle for even a week or two leads the ink in the tiny tubes that feed the nozzles to dry. Many inkjet printers have a cleaning program in their settings that can handle partially clogged nozzles. Unfortunately these programs use a lot of ink, so use them judiciously. If the tubes are badly blocked, then you will need the services of a professional or an inkjet cleaning kit.

John Sollars is the managing director of Solar Electronics, which are both ink and pc peripheral suppliers based in Shropshire, UK. To access a comprehensive online shop of original and re-manufactured printer ink cartridges please visit http://www.stinkyinkshop.co.uk where you will find a wide range of consumables including printer paper http://www.stinkyinkshop.co.uk/acatalog/Paper.html

When Multi-Tabling Know Your Limit

online poker has made multi-tabling not only possible, but very profitable. If you are playing live you can only play at one poker table at a time, but online you are able to play on as many tables as you like. Some famous online players can play more than twenty Texas Holdem tables at a time, but this can be a huge undertaking for a less experienced player. A good way to see how many tables you can handle at once is to add them one by one. Once you are having a hard time knowing what is happening on each table you should stop adding more tables. Playing very basic poker you don’t have to be aware of every single move at every table but if you have too many tables going at once and you become flustered you might end up making mistakes as simple as clicking the wrong button and end up losing a lot of money unnecessarily. Also note that if you are playing a Stud game (Stud High, Stud High-Low, or Razz) multi-tabling is much more difficult because to be a successful stud game player you have to be aware of the cards that all the other players were dealt. If you are playing multiple tables it will be much more difficult to play these games effectively. As far as multi-tabling goes, it is usually smarter to stick to Texas Holdem because you don’t have to see quite as much of the action at the table to play successfully.

The Newest Thing in Lighting - LED Lighting and What It Can Do

The other day my son said to me, what else could anyone possibly invent? Sometimes it would seem that way, but I think that couldn’t be further from the truth. Back in the late sixties and early seventies someone realized that light emitting diodes could be used for indicator lights. They only were available in the color red, but that didn’t stop anyone, in fact we all became quite familiar with that red color in things like calculators and hand held games. That is pretty much where LED’s stayed until a few years ago.

Suddenly LED’s were available in different colors. A new super bright LED was developed. Controllers made color changing possible as well as mixing colors to create almost any color in the spectrum. A whole new market is emerging now. Many municipalities have started to change over the traffic lights to LED bulbs. I am sure you have seen them; they appear as many small dots of light for the Red and the Green. Car manufacturers are using them inside indicator lights.

The most exciting aspect of LED lighting for me is the entrance of LED’s into residential lighting. They can be used for accent lighting in many applications such as under cabinet lighting and inside cabinets. Cove lighting is another application where they can be used. There are LED bulbs that can replace some existing bulbs like an MR 16 low voltage bulb.

As of right now in their development accent lighting is where they are best suited, the time for them to replace conventional light bulbs is not far off. As an example of where LED’s can really shine is a pool light that can change into seven different colors just by turning the regular switch on and off to change modes. There are other types of color changing bulbs that can be used for decorative purposes. If you want to do some really creative lighting projects, you need to look into LED’s.

If your wondering what is so great about LED’s, let me explain. They have great advantages over conventional light bulbs. Here is a list of just a few things:

Huge energy savings, possibly as high as 80% - 90%
Very long life some claims as high as 100,000 hours
Durable and resistant to heat, cold, shock and vibration
Endless color possibilities
Instant on with no flickering
Small size allows lights in tight spaces
Almost no heat and no UV rays

The one place they still are weak in is general lighting use. When they have that ability though the energy savings will be on a huge scale. The traffic lights I mentioned earlier use a 10 watt LED bulb to replace a 150 watt bulb used in the past. To give you an idea how much this saves at 12.5 cents a KWH, the savings for a single bulb in one year is about $75. Pretty amazing, especially when you consider some 150,000 traffic lights across the country have been retrofitted with these new LED light bulbs. That is an energy savings of over 11 million dollars.
(c)Paul Forte 2005

If you would like to know more or see some of the great LED products available, follow the link below or visit http://www.forteelectric.com/LEDlighting.html

Paul Forte has been in the lighting and electrical field for over 25 years. He has helped countless homeowners across the country with their lighting needs, through his website. Learn more about LED lighting or visit Forte Electric

Used IT Gear Goes Mainstream

Ask any IT manager what they think about used data networking gear and chances are their eyes will light up. Six years after the Telco bust, the secondary market for IT has grown up and with it companies have grown accustomed to buying used. But with the steep discounts come added risk and buyers are becoming savvy about negotiating the vast, complex market for pre-owned equipment.

Contrary to popular thinking, availability often trumps price as the critical factor for buying used. While manufactures like Cisco and Foundry Networks commonly stick customers with two and three-week lead times, virtually any piece of equipment can be sourced from the gray market in 24 hours. Of course the discount for used, which ranges from 50-90 percent off list pricing has proved to be the real elixir; coaxing even the most conservative buyers to board the gravy train. According to industry estimates, 70 percent of companies have experience buying second-hand gear today. What is tricky about the secondary market is finding good gear and buyers have learned a lot about how to protect themselves.

Estimates of the counterfeit and stolen goods trade for data networking equipment run as high as $40 billion, a figure deserving of some scrutiny having been published by the Alliance For Gray Market and Counterfeit Abatement (AGMA) a consortium formed in September 2001 by leading IT manufacturers including Cisco and HP. Whatever the number is, it’s big. And as online market places such as eBay have exploded so has the level of fraud.

Search for
used Foundry Networks on Google or eBay and the results are myriad. Hundreds of resellers, predominately in the US, offer used switches, routers, load balancers and firewalls with varying configurations and terms of sale. With eBay’s built-in seller rating system whereby for each transaction, the buyer and seller are allowed to rate each other by leaving feedback, buyers are encouraged to select only the vendors who have a high positive feedback rating (90% and up) and a history of many such transactions.

Buyers have learned that eBay also is a haven for counterfeiters, primarily from China who list new Cisco auctions at irresistible prices. To the untrained eye, these products appear identical to the real thing and in some cases will operate like normal. The trouble comes when the end-user tries to purchase support, known as SMARTnet from Cisco only to learn that the serial number is invalid or doesn’t exist. By that time the seller has his money and has likely changed his identity online. For the customer, equipment failure is imminent and a refund is merely a pipe dream.

A quick Google search for “used Foundry switches” will garner 1,600,000 results comprising mostly news and other product information together with links to resellers who specialize in the sale of such gear. While most online users will focus on the organic links, companies with paid advertisements on the right side of a Google results page are considered credible sources as well.

Buyer Beware. Things to consider before buying used:

Run a D&B (Dun and Bradstreet) on the company - D& B hosts a database of over 64M businesses worldwide. Through their Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) you can access useful information on a company such as names and contact information for their principals, company credit rating, and pertinent financial information. By verifying with D&B, you can be assured that a company is in good standing and is conducting business with fair-practice in mind.
Validate all serial numbers - Serial numbers unique identifiers that are assigned to every hardware unit. By checking a components serial number, you can verify its authenticity and ensure the unit is not stolen.
Verify Warranty terms in writing - As with any big-ticket purchase, it is always important to clearly understand the terms of purchase. Many companies offer a limited warranty that may cover parts, but not labor. With any used product, something that functions perfectly today, may encounter problems down the road. Make sure you understand what condition the unit is in, and whose responsibility the potential repair costs are. Be aware that there are many companies that offer total repair cost warranties to end-users.
Never pay cash - This should be common knowledge, but cash purchases are not as secure as other forms of payment. Credit cards, wire transfers, and checks all provide a record to a company and bank account. This will provide you with a paper trail to a specific person or business should there be any disputes or legal issues that come up.

Picking up the phone and calling a brick and mortar business is always the safest way of purchasing equipment but it doesn’t guarantee a buyer will not be defrauded. There are hundreds of trusted resellers in North America with a range of scale and expertise. Most firms will accept credit cards, wire transfers, and Paypal. A quick scan of a website will provide some peace of mind but buyers today understand that the more information they can glean on a vendor, the better they will sleep at night.

About Author: Peter Gilberd has a collective 10 years experience in IT sales. He is currently the president of Townsend Assets Group (TAG), a leading reseller of pre-owned data networking equipment. With more than 2500 customers in 23 countries, TAG helps customers acquire, manage and remarket their technology. For more information go to Townsend Assets.

7 Healthy Foods

Some foods seem to have it all. They’re nutritious; they also contain lots of vitamins and minerals, and have great taste. The internet and other media forms sing their praises and urge us to eat our fill. Since none of these super foods come with disclaimers, here’s the flip side of seven extremely touted highly-nutritious foods.

1. Garlic