The SmarTroop Blog

The secret of success is knowing how to deal with your body to maintain peak health condition. The dictum Health is Wealth hold more truth in the modern context than ever before.

While medical science has progressed what one could ever imagine, in treating disorders and disease, the real challenge lies in prevention. Modern medicine has succeeded in treating major disease it has not found a perfect system for prevention of dreaded diseases like cancer and HIV.

The answer lies in looking to a system which is natural sustainable and adaptable for all conditions and all body systems.

This has now led to extensive research in Herbs as the primary preventive source and healthy herbal and organic food products now take the lead in preventive systems.

The king of Herbs as it is known in China and Celestial Herb in Japan is Ganoderma. It is also known as Lingzhi in China and Reishi in Japan.

Lingzhi is now widely researched across the globe by many universities and research institutions and sterling work has been done by China and Japan.

Revered for thousands of years and shrouded in mystery, Lingzhi however was difficult to grow. After much research in 1970 a breakthrough was achieved in commercial cultivation. Still it remains rare and cultivated in few countries like China, Japan, Malaysia and Korea to name a few.

DXN a company from Malaysia remains in the forefront of bringing the benefits of the Lingzhi to the common man. More details at http://globalhealthnetwork.tripod.com

The Magic Effects of Ganoderma

Research is still going on and scientists have discovered 252 active components beneficial and essential to the human body. It is an adaptogen which brings immense benefits to human body without any side effect.

Analysis and experiments done by various universities and pharmaceutical manufacturers have attested to its being a hemocatharsis, detoxificant,diuretic, liver protector, intestine regulator, cardiotonic, blood pressure adjuster, a cold tonic, expectorant, a tranquilizer and inhibits tumour and cancerous growth.

What is the Healing Principle of Ganoderma

Many clinical trials and experiments by doctors, especially Dr. Shigeru Yuji’s experiments has established the reasons Ganoderma is effective because of its basic functions

• Lowers cholesterol in the blood and the amount of free fat
• Reduces blood sugar levels and helps pancreatic functions
• Lowers blood lipids and stabilizes red cell membrane
• Improves the function of the cortex of the adrenal glands to maintain endocrine balance
• Elevates the natural healing ability of the body, allows the body to establish strong immune system
• Prevents tissue cell degeneration
• Prevents senility, maintaining a youthful constitution
• Lowers the side effects of antihypertensive drugs
• Prevents organ degenetation
• Prevents allergy caused by antigens, because it inhibits the histamine release by mastcells
• Relieves pain caused by cancer

While plenty of medical terminology is used to describe various effects on the body, we have avoided such references as the article is not meant as a medical prescription but mainly for use by the common man as an effective health giving food supplement.

Main Health Giving Components

While the Linghzhi mushrooms are said to contain 252 active medicinal compounds, the two main components are:

1. Germanium: Germanium can promote blood circulation, can increase oxygen absorbing capability of the body and keep sufficient oxygen in the body, improve metabolism and prevent functional degeneration. Based on research germanium is the major component of Lingzhi. The germanium contained in Lingzhi is 4-6 times more than ginseng.
2. Poly-saccharides: The poly saccharides can increase antibody count which strengthens immunity. Poly saccharides are the most active health enhancing ingredient for the body.

No wonder the Lingzhi mushrooms are called the ‘Celestial Herb’ by the Japanese for its health giving properties. Modern science and cultivation methods have made this difficult to grow herb available for the past decade or two for everyone to derive the benefits.

While there are thousands of research papers available on the medicinal aspects of the Lingzhi this article primarily is to highlight the health giving aspects of this wonderful herbal remedy for ills of the modern living like stress, pollution and imbalances in food habits.

About The Author

R.G. Srinivasan is professional Soft Skills Trainer, Author and a network marketing leader. He is passionate about alternate healing therapies and writes on these subjects regularly. He is a practitioner of Bach flower therapy and Ganotherapy. You can find out more about the availability of Reishi ganoderma and articles on health and wellness at http://globalhealthnetwork.tripod.com

VoIP Phones are all the rage. These Internet phones are
becoming increasingly popular with the general public as
well as among the technologically gifted avant-garde i.e. geeksRus.
Chances are high you know someone who uses one or you may even
use one yourself.

But did you know it can cost you your life?

We will get to this life-threatening issue later but first you
should have a basic understanding of what a VoIP phone is and
how it works.

VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. These phones
are also commonly referred to as Voice over IP or Voice over
Internet. VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol is a way of
using analog audio signals, like on your regular phone, and
turning these signals into digital data that’s transmitted
over the Internet instead of over conventional phone lines.

How does it Work?

A Voip Phone Service can work on any computer that has
broadband connectivity. If you have a headset/microphone,
along with a Voip phone system set-up or software program
installed on your computer, you can place calls from your
computer or laptop to anywhere in the broadband-connected
world. Assuming that your friends have the same software
set-up or have a Voip Phone Service from many of the commercial
providers, you should be able to communicate, i.e. talk to
each other.

It basically works by sending small packets of data from one
computer to another over the Internet. And since it uses the
Internet, the route these data transfers take is as varied and
as wide as the Internet itself. You call a phone number and the
data is sent to your VoIP company’s call processor. The call
processor connects you to your friend’s phone and a session is
formed between your computer and your friend’s computer.
Your call can now be handled as if it were an e-mail or a web
page but each system must have the same protocol in order for
you to communicate or talk.

This may be over-simplifying things a bit, but this method is
less expensive than a conventional phone system.

Many VoIP companies offer many services that a traditional
phone company will charge you an arm or leg for! These include:
Caller ID, Call transfer, Call waiting, Return call, Repeat
dial, and Three-way calling. And because it is over the Internet
you can check your voicemail via the Web – you may even attach
messages that’s sent to your computer or handheld.

VoIP Phone Services have many advantages over the traditional
system, mainly its cheap price and availability or access. As
the broadband world increases, VoIP phones may become even
more popular.

So what’s the Problem with using VoIP Phones?

There are some major hurdles Voip Phone users should be aware
of and it is where the life saving advice comes in.

The VoIP Phone is only as good as the Internet system or computer
you’re using. There may be down times, for example, if you lose
your power, a Voip phone will not work, whereas a regular wall
phone or conventional phone will. In many natural disasters, be it
a blizzard, tornado or hurricane, the power is sometimes the first
utility that fails. Communications often become critical in these
situations and being stuck with only a powerless VoIP phone may
pose a problem. Assuming, of course, you don’t have your VoIP
Phone hooked up to a portable Wi-Fi battery operated laptop!

You must also keep in mind that your laptop or computer must be
able to handle the phone calls, other programs running on your
system may disrupt or distort your voip signals if your computer
is overloaded or not powerful enough.

Next, perhaps the most important concern, Emergency 911 calls
are a real challenge with VoIP. VoIP phones uses IP-addressed
phone numbers and not NANP phone numbers. There’s no way to tell the
geographic location with an IP address; thus routing the emergency
call may pose a problem for 911 operators. Obviously, this is not good
in an emergency of any kind!

No doubt this hurdle will be fixed in the very near future as Voip
Phones become more commonplace and integrated neatly in the wireless
Wi-Fi systems/networks around the world. But for now, it is something
every VOIP Phone user should be made aware of and prepare for in the
case your VOIP phone becomes your only lifeline.

Another challenge, as more and more voip phones come online, there is
no world-wide standard in place. This would include hardware and
protocols that would make this system work anywhere in the world.

Despite these hurdles and challenges, many believe VoIP Phone Services
will eventually replace the traditional phone lines over time. But the
revolution is just starting! According to the Forrester Research Group
only 5 million U.S. households will be using VoIP phones by the end of 2006.

However, it doesn’t take a Crystal Ball or even the Forrester Research
Group to tell us we are becoming more and more of a ‘wireless world’.
VoIP Phones will find themselves ‘center stage’ in our ever increasing
technologically enhanced universe. No doubt, neatly blended into some
fully loaded portable, Video/VoIP Phone, XM radio, Search Engine, Wi-Fi,
GPS Emergency Beacon, Computer Handheld Contraction. As long as we can
keep our ‘heads attached’ until this technotopia item comes along, we
should be ok.

Hey, when Google finally decides to build that Google Box, maybe someone
should suggest they load it up with a few extra goodies. Can we talk?

…..

The author runs a modest website on Bizware and Business Solutions
– including a section on VoIP Phone Services.
VoIP Phone Services
Get a few Free Marketing Tools
for your business. Titus Hoskins Copyright © 2006. This article may be freely distributed if this resource
box stays attached.

Whether you’re hosting a baby shower for the first time or not, chances are you’ve got some questions regarding the right baby shower etiquette. You want to create a truly special time for the guest of honor without any unintended faux pas. This guide was specially created to help you do exactly that.

The real basics

• Take the wishes of the mom-to-be into account at every stage. That includes the games, food, invitation list and all other aspects of the baby shower.
• You can have baby showers either before or after the baby is born. Generally, they’re held 1 or 2 months before due date. But they’re also held after baby arrives because of medical or other reasons.
• These days, it is perfectly ok for a close relative or even the couple themselves to host a shower. Those “rules” about only non-relatives hosting a baby shower are quite dated now.
• Before deciding on the kind of baby shower you plan to have — girls-only or coed, theme or no theme and so on — consult mom-to-be and find out what she prefers.
• Who can be invited? Generally, anyone the mom-to-be feels she should call. She’s the best guide here.
• Do you always need to send written baby shower invitations? It is usually the better choice. With a written invitation, guests have all details at their fingertips and need not rely on memory. Plus, you can (and usually should) include directions on how to get there.
• At the same time, it is fine to just inform people on the phone. Do tell them well in advance, though. So they have enough time to buy gifts, arrange for a baby sitter, etc. And leave your contact numbers with them so they can reach you easily if they need any clarifications.
• Can you hold a surprise shower? Sure. It can be a wonderful feeling for the expectant mother. But do consult someone close to her (mother, sister, etc) to know about her likely preferences in all areas.

The devil is in the details

Here’s additional information on baby shower etiquette that’ll help you host a truly great party.

• Send out shower invitations at least 3 to 4 weeks in advance. Send them even earlier for out-of-town guests. Request an RSVP by a date 2 weeks before the baby shower.
• If you’re having a coed shower, you might turn the guys off if you send frilly baby pink invites full of baby talk. Stick to attractive, stylish invitations.
• If you’re planning a formal baby shower, avoid totally goofy games. At coed parties (or even at all-girl events), be wary of playing shower games that focus on expectant mom’s tummy — she may not be comfortable with them. Check with her about choices of games and ice-breaker activities.
• Greet all guests at the door as they walk in, provide them with name tags (if there are many guests) and introduce them to others to get conversations going.
• Lots of women have very different food preferences when they’re pregnant as opposed to at other times. So do check with the guest of honor while finalizing the menu — yes, every single item! She may have some ideas of her own about what baby shower food she prefers. Avoid foods are not recommended during pregnancy.
• It’s a real hassle for guests to eat a meal balancing their plate on their lap. Good shower etiquette demands that you provide sufficient tables so everyone can enjoy their meals. That way they don’t have to worry about whether they’re about to spill food on the floor!
• Don’t skimp on quantities of food. Sometimes a lot more may get consumed than you had bargained for! Same holds for baby shower favors, drinks, ice, etc — having a little extra buys you peace of mind.
• Register for gifts at only one place. Even if there are reasons like another store being closer to some guests. Else mom-to-be may end up with duplicate gifts she may have to return. And guests will be disappointed if they find that someone else has chosen the same gift they have.
• While giving gift suggestions, include items at a variety of price points, not just high-ticket items. And do suggest that guests can get together to purchase higher priced items.
• If there are older siblings, make sure they receive a gift each. They may already be feeling somewhat left out with a new baby on the way, so this is a great idea.
• Irrespective of whether it’s a coed baby shower or not, buy a gift specially for dad. He should feel that he was remembered too.
• Record who gave each gift. Essential information when the time comes to send thank you cards! Sending thank you cards is essential baby shower etiquette.
• Hand gifts to mom-to-be for her to open and take it from her once she’s done with it. This will save her the hassle of continually getting up and moving about to pick up gifts.
• Sometimes, some guests may need to leave early. They’ll appreciate it if mom-to-be will open presents while everyone is eating.
• Start the baby shower on time and keep it fairly short. Don’t get bogged down in any one segment like games. Be sensitive to mom-to-be’s energy level and any signs of fatigue she may show. End the party if she’s beginning to feel run down. Walk guests to the door as they leave and be sure to thank them for coming.
• Don’t expect perfection. No party ever is perfect. There’s always the unforeseen — power goes off just as gifts are being opened, you forgot to dust one corner of the room, the pack of baby shower favors you opened just before the party turns out to be a different color than you ordered and so on. You can’t control it all.

Special situations

You might have a friend or relative who just lost a baby, or is infertile despite all treatments. Should you call her for your baby shower? Attending may be a challenge for her. Being confronted with another’s pregnancy may be difficult for her to bear.

The rule in such situations is — ask. Check with her and find out if she is up to attending the baby shower. Don’t just send an invitation in the mail. On the other hand, don’t presume that she can’t come and not call her at all. If she’s close to the mom-to-be, she may well want to come. Or at least, she may send her good wishes and a gift.

But if she tells you that she can’t make it, accept the situation with grace. Never hold it against her in any manner. Even if she said she would come and later backed out. Remember, it is probably one of the most difficult times she’s ever had, so be generous and supportive.

Once you’ve understood these simple baby shower etiquette guidelines, you’ll be far more confident about hosting a baby shower. Have fun, and create a special time that will live on in everyone’s memories!

About the Author

Jessika Ryder is a successful business writer and party enthusiast providing valuable information on hosting fun baby showers. Her numerous articles provide party planning tips and other useful insights.

Isn’t this the question that everyone with a formal occasion wants to know about their hairstyle for the big night? While it may seem like a trivial question to most, how you wear your hair can make a big difference on your overall formal appearance. Choosing the wrong hairstyle to wear with a certain dress can make you look too over the top or make you look like you didn’t pay as much attention to your hair as you should.

When it comes to choosing a formal hairstyle, the most important thing to consider is the dress that you are wearing. Take into account the cut of the dress. Is it long, cropped, off the shoulder? Or does is have plumes of fabric on the shoulders or lace around the neck? All of these are important factors when it comes to deciding whether you want to wear your hair up or leave it down.

Here are just a few basic rules of thumb to help you decide:

Off the shoulder or strapless dresses – These types of dresses show a lot of skin on the neck and shoulders. While it may be the tendency of some to sweep the hair up and off of the neck, doing so can make your neck look too long and thin and can detract the eye from the graceful curve of your neck and soft shoulders. I’m not saying that you can’t wear your hair up with this kind of dress, but if you do, choose a style that leaves a little hair hanging softly down on the neck and shoulders. This will help soften your look and direct the eye to wear it should go. It will also balance your complete look.

Full-shouldered dresses – These dresses are the ones with the full, intricate or puffy sleeves. With this type of dress, you almost always have to wear your hair up. Leaving it down, only makes your whole style look much too busy. You should also choose a simple updo over an intricate one so that you do not end up looking like you’ve tried too hard. If you want the focal point to be your dress, try a simple French twist.

Classic cut, simple gowns – These are the gowns that will really allow you to get creative with your do. You can choose just about anything. You can wear your hair up or down and style it with intricate weaving and braids or leave it simple.

So, the next time you’re battling with formal hair decisions, let your dress be your guide. Doing so will allow you to create a complete look that is complimentary rather than over the top.

enny is a hair expert, and the author of an incredible free minicourse, that explains how to find your unique style, how long or short you should have your hair, how to find the right hair color for you, how to find the right salon, and a lot more. Go to www.hairstylevillage.com/ now and get this amazing hair minicourse – absolutely free.

Do you participate in all the bickering of mankind; all the name-calling, which goes on all the time? You need not be involved in that sort of stuff, you should be above it all life just isn’t that rough? Are you one live in fear? Just get over it sometime this year.

I can tell you all this sound and fury takes its toll on a man who is in such a hurry. Chaos and controversy that’s what they want you see; sure it is interesting, doesn’t cost much; hell it is free? You need to look beyond the mass hysteria of TV; concentrate on what is real like; peace, love, freedom and liberty.

Please wake up and turn yourself back on; you gone somewhere less pleasant and been away so long. Look I do not to sit here and preach to you; you are my fellow man I just don’t want you to be blue. Your mind is yours, it should not be for sale; don’t wait on promises there are no checks in the mail. Live your life free from want and anger; if you fail to do this your health could be in danger.

If you will dump the stress and stand back and simply look at the world and all its characters out there then you will find your self laughing at the situation, rather than taking issue with all of it. You sincerely need to consider yourself above all this sound and fury, so think on this in 2006.

“Lance Winslow” – Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Medieval siege weaponry was required in any self-respecting war leader’s arsenal in a time when castles with thick defense walls were common and cities surrounded by large, fortified walls were not out of place.

With warfare commonplace, it’s little wonder the variety of medieval siege weaponry is great. After all, what was an attacking band of raiders to do when presented with an “impenetrable” castle wall? Break it down, of course, using one of the many designs of medieval siege weaponry available.

One of the earliest examples of medieval siege weaponry appeared around the 300s AD when the ballista was created. The ballista wasn’t the most accurate in the line of medieval siege weaponry, but it could launch a wave of spears further than human arms could muster. Created using two wooden arms, tightly wound ropes and a cord to assist in the hurling of deadly projectiles, this example of medieval siege weaponry used torsion force to launch objects.

The Romans added their own model to the list of medieval siege weaponry when they created the mangonel. This model called for only one wooden arm. The mangonel, however, had somewhat of a design flaw in that in called for a wooden barrier to be constructed.

A ferocious example of medieval siege weaponry came online in the 12th century with the deploying of the trebuchet.

The trebuchet used a long wooden arm rested on a pivot point, which acted as a large lever. A projectile was placed on one end and warriors in this earlier version of the trebuchet pulled on ropes attached to the other end to essentially swing the arm around and hurl the stone.

As far as examples of commonly used medieval siege weaponry are concerned, however, catapults and their sister designs do not hold the only billing. Other tools were readily available to would-be conquerors.

The battering ram, for example, has been used through the ages and still is employed by modern law enforcement.

This version of medieval siege weaponry involved the creation of a very heavy weight placed on wheels used to help batter fortifications. It was usually made of a large tree trunk, and sometimes rather than wheels, a group of warriors or a sling frame helped provide the force necessary to crack fortifications using this simple, yet effective, example of medieval siege weaponry.

Other items in the medieval siege weaponry arsenal included ladders and not-so-simple siege towers. Ladders were employed simply to scale castle walls. If the defenses stopped this measure, siege towers might be built to allow archers clear lines of attack to enemies standing on castle walls.

As far as medieval siege weaponry is concerned, siege towers were somewhat difficult due to their cumbersome nature. Towers were rectangular and often constructed on four wheels. They were as tall as the castle walls or taller and were designed to protect archers, warriors and ladders as an army advanced. The downfall of siege towers in the long line of medieval siege weaponry, however, was their size and the propensity of the defending army to hurl projectiles at them.

The examples of medieval siege weaponry vary greatly, but whatever their design they all had one purpose – to deliver an army to victory.

For more medieval siege weapons information, including how to build a catapult, visit http://www.medieval-castle-siege-weapons.com/medieval-siege-weapons-index.html

Garben Catapult updates the information for http://www.medieval-castle-siege-weapons.com, a site filled with over 100 pages of interesting information covering many aspects of medieval castles and medieval weapons.

Michael was raised in a home where anger was used to control. His parents used their anger to attempt to control each other as well as their children. Sometimes the anger erupted into violence and Michael and his siblings would get physically hurt. Michael never knew when one of his parents would suddenly become enraged, so the threat was always there.

Michael was the oldest of four children and was often put in charge of taking care of his siblings. He often took out on his siblings his fear and rage at being abused by his parents. While some part of Michael didn’t want to be like his parents, this was all he knew.

As an adult, Michael struggles with his frequent anger at his wife and children. His wife threatened to leave him if he didn’t get some help, which is what led him to consult with me.

“Michael, anger is often used to cover up another, more painful feeling. What do you think you are covering up with your anger?” I asked.

“I don’t know. I just get so frustrated and then out comes the anger.”

“What did you feel as a child, besides scared, when your parents were angry and violent with you?”

“I guess I felt pretty much alone.”

“You must have felt very alone and uncared for and also helpless over what was happening.”

“Yes, I felt so helpless! I hated feeling so alone and helpless. It was so scary. I couldn’t wait to get bigger so I wouldn’t feel so helpless.”

“What triggers that helpless feeling now?”

“Humm…I guess it’s when my wife and kids don’t do what I want them to do or what I think they should do.”

“So rather than feel and accept your helplessness over them, which is the reality but is a difficult feeling to feel, you avoid feeling that old helplessness by trying to control them with your anger, just as your parents did. Is that right?”

“I guess so. I guess I try to control them rather than feel helpless. But why should I feel helpless? It’s an awful feeling.

“Michael, when you were a child, you were helpless over your parents brutality, and you were also helpless over yourself in many ways. You couldn’t just leave and go live with someone else. You couldn’t walk away without further punishment. However, today, while you are still helpless over others, you are not helpless over yourself. You can walk away from a situation that doesn’t feel good, or you can speak up for yourself. You can also explore difficulties with your family. You didn’t have any of these options as a child. But unless you accept your helplessness over others, you will try to control them, and anger is the way you’ve learned to do it. Anger is your automatic controlling, addictive response to protect against feeling that old helplessness. You will continue to be angry until you accept your helplessness over others – over what they choose to do and who they choose to be.”

Helplessness over others is a very hard feeling to accept. For many people, it feels like a life or death feeling, because as infants we were completely helpless and if no one came we would die. Some of us cried and cried and no one came and we felt helpless over living or dying. While today helplessness over others is not usually a life or death experience, the feeling can trigger our infant terror. Most people will do anything to avoid the feeling of helplessness, even though we are no longer helpless over ourselves. Yet until we accept our helplessness over others, we will try to control them, and anger is a major way many people have learned to attempt to control.

It took Michael time to learn how to take care of himself – how to embrace and accept his helpless feelings rather than ignore them or cover them up with anger. As he learned to take loving care of himself and his own feelings and needs, he became more accepting of other’s feelings and needs. As a result of accepting himself and others, and of learning to feel and manage his painful feelings, his need to control others gradually diminished.

In the course of working with me, Michael learned to access a personal source of spiritual guidance to help him not feel so alone and to know how to take loving care of himself. Michael found that when he was connected with his spiritual guidance, he was much less likely to act out in anger. He found he could manage his difficult feelings of aloneness and helplessness far more easily when he felt the love and support of Spirit.

About The Author

Margaret Paul, Ph.D. is the best-selling author and co-author of eight books, including “Do I Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By You?” She is the co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding healing process. Learn Inner Bonding now!

Visit her web site for a FREE Inner Bonding course: www.innerbonding.com or mailto:margaret@innerbonding.com. Phone sessions available.

With the trendiest new designers for Autumn arriving from all over the globe each day on the fashion site and in the brick and mortar retail shops, there’s plenty of terrific new shoes to really love. Let designer shop Matches introduce our hippest new fashion talent and our all new favourite skirts of the Winter 2009 season, here is the designer names to know right now. There’s a brilliant buzz all over jewellery designer Alex Monroe’s pieces, not least for the reason that they are the most beautiful neck wear around but because the neck wear are decorated with buzzing bumble bees and cute birds. London’s notorious designer Christopher Kane has yet again delivered the most spectacular piece of the Autumn 2009 season. This time it’s his gorilla print tee for fashion lovers that has designer shop Matches wanting one. Also, designer clothing shop Matches have the amazing Clements Ribero back, Matches were first in line to stock their come-back collection of deliciously soft knits with wonderfully lush embellishments.

Fashion store Matches are presently stocking the all new and truly unique jewellery by fabulous designer Hannah Martin. Jewels that are a little bit dark, a little bit decadent and seriously sexy. We bring you direct from an airy loft flat in New York City- Haute Hippy, the name explains it all. The finest of both worlds combine for a wonderfully vintage inspired, amazingly made pieces that are beautiful, seductive and decidedly cool. And now for the two J guys, Julian David and the super Julien McDonald. With remarkably soft, feather-light scarves in a variety of colours and patterns Julian David is the accessory designer to watch and get set to party in Julien MacDonald’s stunning dresses. Click here for all the latest Balenciaga fashion items.

Be haunted by the most recent designer collection to hit the boutique fashion stores, it is London based brand Loha Vete by Max Zubari. These designer items are love-worn t shirts embellished with Zubari’s own personal slogans about life in general, love and anything in between. Show off your heart on your sleeve and make everyday clothing a personal statement.

Be sure to view the designer clothing store Matches online website for even more information about these trendy new fashion forward designers, the latest must haves and the scoop about all things clothing related on Matches daily blog.

With the dark evenings in essence here it’s time to begin thinking about warming your house. Electric fireplaces are considerably well-liked and are one of the best choices you can choose when it comes down to combining safety with an efficient heating system.

There are three major styles of electric fires to buy on the market at present, these include the wall mounted electric fire, the inset fireplace, and last but not least the standalone electric fire. Most online retail shops that sell electric fires stock the recognised brands such as the Dimplex electric fireplace and the Burley fires.

If space is a big concern in your accommodation then you might possibly want to buy the inset electric fireplace systems rather than the free standing electric fires. Essentially because most are built to fit perfectly inside a familiar sixteen inch or 18 inch fireplace hole and common shafts.

Wall mounted electric fires are terrific for rooms where space is a worry, generally because they take up a good deal less space than quite a few of the normal standalone fireplaces. Wall mounted units normally include a built in surround that really adds lots of charm to these specific types of electric fire suites.

Finally, there is a very unique charm to the freestanding electric fires as many of which look a lot like old style stoves. They are normally more sensibly priced than the fairly pricey wall-mounted or inset electric fireplaces. These are brilliant for buildings that only need to be heated for certain occasions and are also very versatile as they are portable and for that reason can be shifted from room to room should the occasion arises. Find a selection of electrical products such as; electric fires, wall mounted electric fires and flueless gas fires from leading brands online.

Generally, at least for the inset or wall-mounted units, you usually obtain the electric fire & surround at the same time. You are able to buy a surround on its own, which is practical if you propose to modify the décor of your flat & switch the surround to something that better matches the furniture you have.

In evaluation, electric fireplaces are magnificent & you can definitely save a substantial amount of cash if you get a full electric fire suite. Most of the suites are perfect for wall fixing. If you acquire this or any other electric fire online often you are able to receive free shipping within the mainland United Kingdom, which is undeniably an extra bonus for purchasing on the Web.

America, Jihad is Coming!
By nevine Al Seidi |

Friday prayers on the 28th March lasted for hours in all mosques of Cairo ( and all Islamic countries) pushing Arabs for Jihad. Jihad, is fighting in the name of God the enemy of God. The concept of Jihad ( Arabic for Struggle) lies in the belief of the irrelevance of human life next to the interest of the land and the people. Any true Muslim believes in Jihad, be that a member of Al Qaeda, a member of Hizbullah or a member of a football team.
I understand how difficult it is to the Western mind to comprehend the idea of sacrificing your own life for an idea, a belief, or God. In the West, where the culture is about celebrating life and preserving it against all odds and gods, suicide attacks are merely incomprehensible.
Commenting on the Iraqi suicide bomber who lured four American soldiers to his cab handing them a bomb that killed him with them received a typical comment from Capt. Valles. He said: ” I don’t understand what motivated this guy to kill himself. To me, this is not an act of war. It is terrorism.. a man in a civilian vehicle killing himself at a checkpoint”.
Nicknaming Jihad terrorism is very unlikely to make it go away. As long as there is Islam on this globe, Jihad in the name of it will live. No amount of threats, bombs, deprivation, destruction, so-called liberation wars or name-calling will stop it. The only thing that can stop Jihad is to back off from Islamic territory. Trust me on this one!
In Iraq, civilians are inventing ways of taking American and British life. Incredulous of such human sacrifices, both American and British media insist that the Iraqi army fight in civilian attire! The fact is that even women, housewives from villages are fighting the war with the Iraqi army which exceeds 1.5 million persons! You probably have heard of Mayssoon Hameed who shot an enemy tank using an RBJ she never used in her life. She became a national symbol in and outside Iraq. Call her a terrorist if it makes you any happier. Arabs are all Mayssooons, all terrorists to borrow your diction.
The danger that the American forces in Iraq is facing is that they are fighting 26 million Iraqis on their territory that covers desert land, villages and towns and cities. They are not fighting Saddam and his government. Those 26 millions happen to bear the nationality of descendants of the Prophet. In emergency time, they are bound to act as one against the enemy , no matter what sort of differences existed among them.
Iraq has openly invited volunteers to defend Iraq from any and every Arab and Muslim country. Muslims are preparing to go to Iraq . There is a very serious doubt that coalition or conspiracy forces can tighten all borders to stop the trickle of Muslim volunteers into the battlefield.
The most dangerous face of jihad in a time like this uncovers in non-radicals, Christians and other- religion Arabs supporting it, yours truly included. All Arabs agree on one thing today: that a pan-Arabia is the name of the game. And like Victor Hugo says: ” Greater than the tread of mighty armies is an idea whose time has come”.
To worsen the best case scenario, America is bound to lose the war no matter how much destruction it achieves in Iraq. Winning the war means displacing a regime America hates by a regime that does not exist. All those opposition parties that are talking loudly from one European country or another belong to minorities, mainly Kurds. The population of Kurds belonging to various opposition parties are 5 million. Most of the Kurds do not want to rule Iraq, they want to take part of it to call Kurdestan! America will be too naive too see a Kurd ruling Iraq one day. Worse still, the American army is not fighting an army but guerrillas. Those guerrillas are fighting in the name of God, not just Saddam. I can hardly imagine those substituting their belief in God by their belief in the American Jesus who is trying to save them by stealing their oil and distributing contracts to rebuild a country he has not yet conquered but has destroyed himself.
Jihad is coming.. and as Kissinger explains: ” The conventional army loses if does not win. The guerrilla wins if it does not lose”. Bush has introduced a second Middle East crisis to be sure. Iraq is not Afghanistan in any sense.

About the Author

Writer and Peace Activist from Egypt