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Did you know that cooking your food could cause serious damage to your health?

Changes take place, as food is cooked above 117 degrees Fahrenheit for three minutes or longer. Damage becomes progressively worse at higher temperatures over longer periods of time.

* 30% to 50% of vitamins, minerals and amino acids are destroyed. The degree of depletion, destruction, and alteration is simply a matter of temperature, cooking method, and time.

* 100% of enzymes are damaged and the body is depleted of the energy it needs to maintain and repair tissue and organ systems, which will shorten our lives. Eating enzyme-dead food places a burden on the pancreas and other organs and overworks them, which eventually exhausts these organs and rendering them ineffective.

* After eating a cooked meal, there is a rush of white blood cells towards the digestive tract, leaving the rest of the body less protected by the immune system. The immune system “thinks” the body is being invaded by a foreign (toxic) substance when cooked food is eaten.

* Much needed natural fibers break down and the body needs 20-30 grams of fiber daily to have the ability to remove the toxins that accumulate at a rapid rate.

* There is malnutrition at the cellular level. Cooked foods are lower in nutrients and they contain wastes and toxins. For this reason the individual cells don’t receive enough of the nutrients they need to combat the daily onslaught of excess free radicals that build up within the cells. Eventually many of the cells in our body become overworked and unable to handle the continuous attacks. The result is serious disease and illness. A prime example is cancer, which kills an estimated 30% of Americans.

Gee, we thought we were eating a healthy home cooked meal! Now because of all the changes that took place in the food when it was cooked, we have actually caused premature aging in our bodies. We may have even contributed to the attack of a serious illness.

What can be done to counteract all the damage done by cooking? It is virtually impossible to eat nothing but raw food. The good news is that we can live long healthy lives if we know what to do.

1. Eat lots of fresh fruit daily (certified organic when possible)

2. Eat lots of raw vegetables. Choose from romaine or leafy green lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, green peppers, red sweet peppers, pea pods, etc. They are loaded with antioxidants and phytonutrients.

3. When cooking, steam your vegetables and serve on the crisp side.

4. Drink plenty of pure filtered water.

5. Take high quality nutritional supplements including antioxidants, colostrum, phytonutrients and glyconutrients.

In summary, with today’s high stress, fast paced society we have to be proactive about protecting our health and the health of our loved ones. Finding new tips and secrets on good health is one way of the best ways to guard against illness. For more information,

I can be reached at 715-484-2225 or email me at VitalCarbs4You@yahoo.com. I would love to hear from you.

Bonnie Fronek, National Health Educator, has been helping people find alternatives that improve their eating habits and their health. Being a former cancer patient, she seriously pursued learning how to help her body heal and repair and to prevent serious illness from returning. She loves to share her findings and help others to experience better health and well-being. Her website is: http://www.RealHealthSecrets.com.

According to a Deloitte Survey, more than 50% of companies surveyed admitted to having a data loss in from June 2005 - June 2006, with roughly 33% of those incidents directly resulting in financial losses. It is estimated information security breaches in the U.S. are reported at a rate of one every three days.

Information Security - A Never Ending War

Government sites are bearing the brunt of this spurt in hacking activities. Recently the U.S Department of Agriculture website was attacked and defaced by cyber terrorists who stole critical personal information of 26,000 employees in the Washington D.C. area, including names, social security numbers and photos.

Even everyday consumers are not safe. In one of the most serious cyber-crimes of recent times, more than 65000 user’s personal information including names, addresses, passwords and encrypted credit card information were stolen from gaming website SecondLife.

It is estimated that consumer and business identity theft contributed to losses of $2 trillion in 2005(ComputerWorld).

Perimeter Security - The best defense is a good offense.

In today’s world, no business can operate without securing its computers. In order to secure your system you need to know the methods & tools used by hackers. In short, you must think like a hacker.

IDC expects IT security spending to grow twice as fast as IT spending over the next several years, surpassing $116 billion by 2007. Companies across all industries place a high priority on safeguarding their data and systems. Growth in these areas is expected to fuel demand for specialists who are knowledgeable about network, data, and communications security.

Knowledge - The Only Solution

Appin Knowledge Solutions, technology leaders in Information Security and Ethical Hacking have launched courses Information Security and Ethical Hacking Course focusing on this emerging field of information security.

The Information Security course from Appin Knowledge Solutions provide an in-depth coverage of this field - starting from the basics to the most advanced topics like VPN security, BS 7779 procedures etc. From start to finish, the focus is on action: what information security is, how to test security as well as it’s counter measures.

The objective of the course is to master the current trends in information security methodologies and tools. The “think like a hacker” approach encourages students to test the security vulnerabilities of their own networks. Students also learn about intrusion detection, policy creation, social engineering, open source intelligence, incident handling, and log interpretation.

Whether you’re a sys-admin, infosec professional, an ethical hacker or a student of IT - This course equips you will all necessary skill-sets to protect the system and illegal data extortion. These courses also act as a stepping stone for higher certifications like CISSP, GIAC, CISA etc.

Learn from the experts in the field of Information Security: Information Security & Ethical Hacking Course - An Overview

(Course contents may vary from course to course)

Module- 1

1. Introduction to Information Security & Ethical Hacking
Hacker Vs Cracker, Ethical Hacking Challenges for a Hacker

2. Desktop and Server Security
How to Look for Vulnerabilities?, Securing Windows, Windows Security Center, Windows Updating

3. Viruses, Worms, Spywares
Viruses and Worms Introduction, Modes of Spreading , Countermeasures like Norton Anti-virus

4. LAN Security
Encryption, Authentication and VPN, Wireless LAN Policies, Intrusion Detection and Protection

5. Firewalls & Security
Types of Firewalls, Packet Filters, Proxy Gateways, Network Address Translation , Intrusion Detection

6. Internet Security
Tools and methods of safeguarding against Internet Security threats.

Module-2

1. Information Gathering
Detection of TCP Port Scan, TCP SYN Scanning Detection of SYN Scans, SYN/ACK Scanning, Detection of SYN/ACK Port Scan

2. Attacking the System-1
Network Infrastructure Attacks, Operating System Attacks, Application & Other Specialized Attacks, Technical Attacks, Denial of Services attacks (DOS Attacks), Distributed DoS attacks (DDos), Key Logging, Trojan Attacks

Module-3

1. Attacking the System-2:
Phishing, Phishing Prevention, , Sniffer Attacks, Detection of Sniffers Running, Stopping Sniffing Attacks.

2. Data Backup
Reasons for Data Backup, Strategies for Data Backup, Tools & Methods

3. Art of Googling
Terminologies, Advanced Search Techniques

Module -4

1. Penetration Testing
Definition, Methodology, Basic Approaches, External and Internal Views

2. Catching Criminals
Cyber Terrorism, Forms of Cyber Terrorism , Factors & Reasons , Countermeasures

3. Cryptography and Forensics
Introduction to Cryptography, Private Key Encryption , Public Key Encryption, Computer Forensics, Digital Evidence.

Proactive security procedures & policies across networks, desktops and servers are an absolute must. The needs of the hour are trained information security professionals who can take care about the function and administration of networks.

The demand of certified professionals is skyrocketing and very soon they’ll become indispensable for corporates and governments alike.

Jerry Nelson is a practicing Information Security consultant and contributes literature on network security issues.

Coffee is a complex mixture of chemical components of the coffee bean. Some of these components are partially destroyed by the roasting process; however, many of these components are not. Caffeine is one of the components that is not affected by the roasting process. With the addition of hot water, the caffeine is extracted from the coffee bean.

Caffeine was discovered in coffee in 1820. Caffeine is an alkaloid that acts as a mild stimulant. It increases the blood pressure, stimulates the central nervous system and the action of the heart and lungs, and promotes urine formation. It also acts as a diuretic and delays fatigue. Caffeine does have some positive side effects. It has been found to help treat migraines since it helps constrict the dilated blood vessels, therefore reducing the pain. It also has been documented to increase the potency of aspirin and to slightly relieve the affects of asthma attacks. It has been suggested that caffeine has been linked to possible cancers and birth defects. However, this has not been confirmed and there are no bans or warnings that have been issued by the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA).

The amount of caffeine found in the coffee beans varies. On average, a regular cup of coffee contains approximately 90 to 150 mg of caffeine. Coffee brewed in a drip coffee maker has about 115 to 175 mg of caffeine while other coffee makers may brew coffee with about 80 to 135 mg. Typically, espresso has about as much caffeine as a regular cup of coffee. On average, a standard espresso cup would have about 100 mg of caffeine. However, the serving size for espresso is much smaller. The actual content of caffeine per milliliter in an espresso is much higher than in a regular brew. Also, caffeine is assimilated quicker when ingested in a concentrated dosage such as an espresso cup.

The amount of caffeine found in coffee blends will also vary. The following are examples of the caffeine content for different coffee blends:

-Brazilian Bourbons: contains 1.20% caffeine
-Columbia Excelso: contains 1.34% caffeine
-Columbia Supremo: contains 1.34% caffeine
-French Roast: contains 1.22% caffeine
-Costa Rican Tarrazu: contains 1.35% caffeine
-Vienna Roast: contains 1.27% caffeine
-Decafs: contains 0.02% caffeine

People hypersensitive to the caffeine found in coffee may decide to drink decaffeinated coffee. This way, they can still enjoy the great coffee taste, yet avoid the caffeine. Coffee can be “decaffeinated” by treating the green beans with solvents called chlorinated hydrocarbons. Once the solvents are removed, the beans are then roasted by ordinary procedures. Most people become accustomed to decaffeinated coffee and do not have to worry about the effects of caffeine.

Matthew Hick has been designing profitable Niche Adsense Websites for over 5 years. Award winning Adsense Website Service at http://eWebCreator.com.

Are you familiar with student credit cards? These credit cards are meant for college students, and are easier to get than regular credit cards. They can help a student establish credit, but they can also bring credit problems to careless students.

Student credit cards can be a source of temptation for college students. Young adults can be easily tempted to buy unnecessary things with their credit card, even if they do not have the money to pay for it. Eventually the balance they charged for their shopping sprees must be paid back.

If a college student is unable to pay the full amount within a certain period of time, interest will be charged. Credit card companies charge interest at a percentage of the over due balance. For instance, if a student has a $100 balance and the credit card company charges a 15% interest rate, the student now owes $115 to the credit card company.

The interest keeps adding up and eventually the student may end up paying only the interest, and their credit card balance is never going to be paid off. That is why the parents of college students should first explain the proper use of student credit cards to their children, before they allow them to get credit cards.

There are also a few things that should be examined before students choose a particular credit card. It is important to check the annual fee of student credit cards. An annual fee is a lump sum that some credit card companies charge to their credit card every year.

It would also be wise to look at the interest rate and other fees of student credit cards. There are cases where the interest charges can send a credit card over the limit. This will cause extra fees, and the student will be unable to use the credit card. Students should pay attention to the different terms and conditions of student credit cards, so that they can determine the particular credit card that is best for them.

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning Credit Cards. Get the information you are seeking now by visiting http://www.findqualitycreditcards.com/categories/student_credit_cards

Increasing concern for the safety of ingredients in cosmetics has brought some widely used cosmetic preservatives by the family name ‘paraben’ to center stage. Paraben preservatives are listed under multiple names and are used to preserve the majority of cosmetics on the market today, not only to prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi but also to promote the abnormally long shelf-life of products. As with chemically preserved foods, paraben preserved cosmetics ensure that the cosmetic manufacturer can produce the product en masse and take comfort in a multi-year shelf life. Paraben preservatives have recently come into question with new studies that link the daily exposure of paraben preservatives to breast cancer and endocrine-disruption issues.

What Exactly are Paraben Preservatives?

Parabens are synthetic preservatives that have been in use since the 1920s as “broad-band” preservatives (anti-bacterial and anti-fungal) which means that they work within a formula to prevent the growth of multiple possible contaminants such as bacteria, yeast, mold and fungi. They can be found in approximately 75-90 percent of cosmetics such as make-up, lotion, deodorants and shampoos. According to A Consumers Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients, water is the only cosmetic ingredient used more frequently than paraben preservatives. (Winter, 2005) Paraben is the family name for the following permutations of the ingredient found on a common product ingredient label:

- Butylparaben
- Ethylparaben
- Methylparaben
- Propylparaben
- Benzyl-parahydroxybenzoic acid (p-hydroxybenzoic acid)
- Methyl-parahydroxybenzoic acid (p-hydroxybenzoic acid)
- Ethyl-parahydroxybenzoic acid (p-hydroxybenzoic acid)
- Propyl-parahydroxybenzoic acid (p-hydroxybenzoic acid)
- Butyl-parahydroxybenzoic acid (p-hydroxybenzoic acid)
- Parahydroxybenzoic acid (p-hydroxybenzoic acid)
- Parahydroxybenzoate (p-hydroxybenzoate)

The Paraben Controversy

Linked to Breast Cancer: Though paraben preservatives only account for a very small percentage of a product’s actual formula they are quite potent. A study published in the Journal of Applied Toxicology in 2004 expressed concern regarding the use of paraben preservatives. In the UK, researchers found traces of it in 19 out of 20 women with breast tumors. (Winter, 2005) Though the studies did not determine if the ingredient was the cause of the breast tumors, it did establish that pervasive use of this synthetic ingredient is biocumulative.

Possible Endocrine Disruptors: Paraben preservatives have also been identified as endocrine disruptors. The endocrine system is instrumental in regulating the body’s hormones. Paraben preservatives are believed to mimic the female hormone estrogen when introduced into the body. According to recent research, more than 60 percent of topically applied chemicals via cosmetics, lotions, etc. are absorbed by the skin and dispersed throughout the body by the bloodstream. Once absorbed into the body, paraben preservatives mimic the hormone estrogen and can disrupt the body’s normal hormonal balance. In the Archives of Toxicology (2002) , Dr. S. Oishi of the Department of Toxicology, Tokyo Metropolitan Research Laboratory of Public Health, Japan, reported that exposure of newborn male mammals to butylparaben “adversely affects the secretion of testosterone and the function of the male reproductive system.”

This artificial provocation and inflation of estrogen in the endocrine system has been linked to breast cancer in some women as well as the abnormal hormonal development of children including the hormonal “feminization of boys” which may influence the suspected link in decreasing testosterone levels and sperm count in the male reproductive system. It has also been hypothesized to contribute to the early maturation of girls at increasingly younger ages.

Do All Cosmetic Companies Use Paraben Preservatives?

Not all cosmetic companies use paraben preservatives and many are phasing out their use now that enough questions have been raised about their overall long term safety. New cosmetic companies, more focused on offering natural and organic products, have made their “no paraben” policy a platform issue. This means there are a wide variety of paraben-free products which are mostly now available for purchase in health food stores and on the internet.

With the increasing popularity of the natural and organic body care market more companies are jumping on the proverbial “natural” band wagon. With this additional commercial interest and the lack of FDA regulation around the word “natural” one must never rely solely on a company’s marketing and advertising claims and always read the ingredient label to confirm that an ingredient is truly not being used in the formula.

Alternative Preservative Systems

There are good reasons why paraben preservatives are the defacto cosmetic preservative. They are cheap and effective. However, safer and more natural alternatives are available. With formulas that contain certain organic (living) ingredients and/or water as an ingredient, a more aggressive non-paraben preservative must be used to ensure the stability of the formula. In general, the next best option is a synthetic preservative called Phenoxyethanol which has a synthetic chemical composition inspired by a natural anti-bacterial/anti-microbial chemical found in the sage plant. It’s easier to use a natural preservative in formulas that are basically inert (like most powder mineral cosmetics) or have an oil base and no water (like lipstick or liners). In products such as these, a plant extract or essential oil with anti-microbial and anti-oxidant properties such as grapefruit seed extract, grape seed extract or tocopherol (vitamin E) is used as an effective preservative system. In any case, the manufacturer should perform proper stability testing to ensure that the product’s preservative system lasts.

Resources for the Risk Adverse

Much research and observation still needs to be done to ultimately determine the true long term safety and consequences of the wide spread use of paraben preservatives as a daily part of our skin regimen and subsequent absorption diet. The current studies questioning paraben preservatives fundamental safety and the current lack of FDA testing or regulation regarding cosmetics establish a good case for avoiding these questionable ingredients all together. An excellent resource to determine the overall safety of almost any personal care product is the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) Cosmetic Database. This database culls world-wide collective scientific ingredient and cosmetic studies as well as governmental toxicity databases from around the world (examples US, EU, Japan, Korea) and gives a toxicity ranking based on this collective data. The online interface is easy to work with. One simply types in the name of a product/brand or an ingredient and the database will return all the relevant information about that query and its safety. The EWG’s database is a work in progress and is always being refined for further detail and clarity.

Conclusions

More comprehensive studies are needed to conclusively determine the true scope of the damaging effects of prolonged exposure to paraben preservatives by way of the cosmetic ingredients we use every day. A serious effort to reassess the safety of these products must be undertaken by a non-biased group of researchers. To date, among the studies that have been done world-wide, paraben preservatives have been linked to breast cancer and have been labelled as a possible endocrine disruptor that might have specific damaging consequences for young children and those with ongoing exposure. Luckily, we have more options than ever before and can take ourselves out of the equation entirely by educating ourselves and opting for products that use different preservative systems and fewer questionable ingredients in general.

Sources and works cited:

Antczak, Dr. Stephen and Gina, (2001). Cosmetics Unmasked, Harper Collins, London. Fairley, Josephine, (2001). Organic Beauty, DK Publishing, London. Winter, Ruth M.S. (2005). A Consumer’s Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients, Three Rivers Press, NY. Cornell University: Parabens: evidence of estrogenicity and endocrine disruption http://envirocancer.cornell.edu/Bibliography/General/bib.parabens.cfm#risk Environmental Health Perspectives Volume 114, Number 12, December 2006 http://www.ehponline.org/members/2006/9413/9413.html

Kristin Adams is Founder and President of Afterglow Cosmetics, a line of natural make-up including mineral cosmetics infused with certified organic ingredients. Discover your natural beauty at http://www.afterglowcosmetics.com

Unless you’ve managed to build up a large private pension or have a great deal of savings, it’s not always easy to get by in retirement when you’re no longer earning. There are various ways in which the government can help give people of pension age enough money to live on - here’s a concise guide to some of the main benefits.

State pension - this is available to men over 65 and women over 60 (increasing to 65 by 2020), although eligibility for the full state pension depends on whether you or your spouse/partner have accumulated sufficient ‘qualifying years’ through national insurance contributions (NICs). You’ll need to have worked approximately 90% of your adult working life in order to do so. People who have been out of work to bring up children or care for other family members are given ‘Home Responsibilities Protection’ to make up for lost NICs, and people who receive jobseeker’s allowance and income support will also be given credits while claiming benefit. If you don’t have enough NICs to be eligible for the full basic state pension, but have at least 25% of the qualifying years, you’ll receive an amount somewhere between the minimum and the maximum. If you have less than 25%, you normally won’t be eligible to claim any state pension, but you may be able to get financial help in other ways, such as pension credit or the Over 80 pension.

Pension credit - you may qualify to receive pension credits to top up your income if it is very low. Pension credits are made up of two elements: guarantee credits and savings credits. Guarantee credits are available to single people over 60 who have an income of less than £114.05 per week, or couples over 60 with an income of less than £174.05 per week. If eligible, you’ll receive top-ups to bring your income up to these levels. Savings credits are available to individuals over 65 whose weekly income is less than £159 or couples over 65 whose weekly income is less than £233. If you qualify, you’ll receive £17.88 per week if you’re single or £23.58 if you’re a couple. Payments can be made directly into your bank account. Other benefits are not taken into consideration when calculating eligibility, and you may also qualify to receive other benefits if you’re on pension credits, such as housing and council tax benefits.

Over 80 pension - if you’re over 80 and on a low income because you don’t get the basic state pension or receive less than £50.50 per week from your state pension, and as long as you’ve lived in the UK for at least 10 years up to your 80th birthday, you’ll be able to claim an over-80 pension, which will top up your income to £50.50 per week. It is considered taxable income and will be included as part of your income if you apply for other benefits. Again, you can receive payments directly into your bank account.

Cold weather payments - it can be very expensive trying to keep your home warm enough during periods of extremely cold weather. If you’re on a low income, the government can provide cold weather payments to help you pay your fuel bills. If the temperature drops to 0 degrees Celsius or below for seven days in a row between 1st November and 30th March, you’ll automatically receive payments if you’re eligible - normally when you’re also receiving pension credit.

Winter fuel allowance - people aged over 60 can claim winter fuel allowance to help heat their home. The amount varies depending on personal circumstances, up to a maximum of £300. You’ll automatically receive your allowance with your pension payments if you receive a pension. If you’re not receiving a pension, you’ll need to contact the government Pension Service in order to apply. It has a winter fuel payment department for processing claims.

Bus pass - when you reach 60 you’ll be able to apply for a bus pass from your local council, allowing free off-peak travel across the country. The application process varies between council areas. Get in touch with your local council to find out how to apply.

Free or concessionary television licence - everyone over the age of 75 is entitled to a free television licence, which covers anyone else also living at the same address. People aged 60 or over living in residential care homes can apply for a concessionary licence fee of £5 through the administrator of care home in which they live.

Biography:

Every successful online marketer says this is the bar-none, top-of-the-list, number one way to guaranteed success for any online venture.

What Is it?

Any marketer knows that nothing beats word of mouth advertising. It is simply the most powerful and cost effective advertising ever known. Even before the days of the Internet. Word of mouth advertising got every business where it is today.

Many entrepreneurs never have and never will spend money on advertising. Their entire business comes from people telling other people about their product or service.Could you imagine never spending money on advertising, but always having a steady stream of customers on your door step begging for your product or service.

This word of mout is what we call viral marketing.

However, word of mouth does not come easily.There is one catch to running a business only on word of mouth advertising. You must be selling an outstanding product or service. If you sell crap, the only word of mouth advertising you’ll have is negative.

I’m sure you’ve heard the expression before. A satisfied customer will tell three people about your product or service, an unsatisfied customer will tell ten.

If your customers aren’t happy you’ll have to work ten times harder and spend more money on advertising to sell your product.

There are two ways you can benefit from positive word of mouth. These are:

1. It’s free advertising. This is self explanatory. The less you have to spend on advertising, the more money you can put in your pocket and back into your business.

2. People are endorsing your product or service. Having someone endorse your product puts you at a greater advantage. When someone tells their friend about the positive experience they’ve had with your product, there is instant trust. People trust their friends. If a friend says your product is it, they’ll instantly trust you. Trust is a huge barrier to break down when it come to selling anything, online or off.

The one way I have found to work well with positive word of mouth is list building.List building by refering like ten people from your own effort and then these ten will go on to build your list up to a big size.This website does this well http://www.most-important-marketing-tools.com/marketing.html

To give you an idea of how powerful word of mouth advertising can be in helping you to build your list, take a look below. Your list can grow exponentially without you ever even having to lift a finger again.This is a whole new way to LEVERAGE your efforts into a MEGALIST of monstrous proportions!

Let’s say you enroll SEVEN people from your paid advertising or any other form of advertising Seven is still pretty conservative for a completely FREE program… And let’s say each of those 7 also told 7 people and enrolled them And each of those also enrolled 7 people and so on

That would look like this:

YOU
1×7 Members =7
7×7 Members =49
49×7 Members =343
343 x7 Members =2,401
2,401×7 Members =16,807

TOTAL: 19,607 Members

That is 19,607 subscribers you get to mail to! And you only referred seven subscribers yourself!

Want to run the example with 10 referrals each? (That’d be a whopping 111,110 subscribers!) Or 20? I

won’t even do the math on that one, because frankly, you wouldn’t believe the numbers!

You get the idea. More and more people just keep learning about your business all through friends and associates. And it’s all free advertising!

If you think the above numbers are a bit of an overstatement think again. Go to Google.com right now and do a search on Autoresponder Magic. Autoresponder Magic is an eBook that was written by Yanik Siler several years ago. More than 80,000 web sites advertise his Ebook on their sites right now for

FREE!

When Yanik started out several years ago he didn’t even know what an Ebook was. Today he has more traffic coming to his site in a day than most web sites do in a life time.

That is how powerful viral marketing is. Do not skimpon using it. You can set up your viral marketing system to build your list by using ebooks, writing free articles and others.

Visit Lubowa.M.Planet viral Internet marketing websites: For Vira Marketing visit:

Germany has emerged as one of the premier countries in which to vacation in Europe in recent years. Germany has a uniquely diverse landscape for a European, containing mountainous regions contrasted with sandy beaches and large, natural untouched forests. Germany’s beautiful landscape and it’s abundance of amazing destinations add to its appeal. The Germans, themselves, are very hospitable and welcoming to visitors to their country, showing that they are proud of their land and the progress they have made in becoming a world player in economics, culture, and tourism.

For some visitors, Germany may be their first exposure to Europe and its small, but apparent differences in their culture. Here are some tips for traveling to and staying in Germany:

• Germany has adopted the Euro for its currency for the ease of trade across its borders. Virtually every financial institution around the world will be able to accommodate currency exchanges, current exchange rates, and will be able to determine if your credit cards and debit cards will be accepted in most places. Credit cards are typically not accepted quite as much as in other countries, particularly the U.S. so planning ahead is a good idea.

• One of the first things travelers will notice when settling into a hotel room in Germany is the different style of electrical outlet. Compared to, say American 110 Volts, Germans much higher 220 Volt outlets put out much more power. There are adapters available, but you would be much better served by bringing along a voltage regulator with an interchangeable adaptor. The extra voltage being sent to your electrical device without regulation can cause major malfunctions. This is particularly true of relatively fragile electronics such as laptops.

• Speaking of laptops, if you like to stay connected then you will likely want to know how to get online while on vacation in Germany. Many Americans have become accustomed to paying a flat rate for unlimited use of access to the internet, but German ISPs typically charge a per minute rate. Though many hotels do offer Wi-Fi service, they too are typically billed at a daily or weekly rate. Wi-Fi would definitely be the way to go when accessing the web since an adaptor will be needed to plug in. Additionally, it is a good idea to specifically ask about rates and availability at your hotel’s front desk before plugging in - many German hotels’ long distance rates pack a punch!

• If your cell phone provider uses GSM technology, then your phone may work in Germany. If not, then you are probably out of luck. Verizon, Cingular, and T-Mobile have all moved towards GSM technology in recent years in an attempt to satisfy trans-Atlantic needs. Check with your carrier on availability.

• If you are from a major metropolitan area in the U.S. or other country, then you may be familiar with a problem many Germans also face - parking. If you rent a car in Germany, then parking will likely become an issue when visiting the larger cities such as Berlin, Munich, and Hamburg. There are also frequent tolls, narrow streets, one way streets, and no shortage of pedestrians to look out for. Germany’s public transportation system is one of the best in the world and will usually be cheaper than renting a car, so you may want to use the trains whenever possible to avoid some potential stress.

Puripong Koomsin is the owner of http://www.europepathway.com General Tips for tourists in Germany is useful article.

American and Canadian football both descended from rugby and began in Canada as a game played between British soldiers garrisoned in Montreal. The soldiers played a series of games against students at McGill University. McGill played several games against Harvard in 1874 and a tradition was born. Despite their mutual origins, the Canadian and the American game developed differently and now have substantially different rules and regulations.

The biggest difference between Canadian and American football is the size of the playing field. In Canada, football fields are 110 yards long and 65 yards wide. In America football fields are 100 yards long and 53 and 1/3 yards wide. The goal posts in Canadian football are placed at the front, rather than the back of the end zone which is also deeper in Canadian football than American.

Canadian football teams have twelve players as opposed to the eleven on American teams. Because the same number of players is required at the line of scrimmage in both games, this results in an extra backfield player on Canadian teams. This means that the typical Canadian offensive setup has two slot backs instead of a tight end and on defense, two defensive halfbacks and one safety instead of two safeties as is typical in the American game.

Another difference between the two games is the number of downs. Instead of four as in the American game, Canadian football has three. This results in a more pass and kick oriented game since there are fewer downs available for short-yardage running plays. The kicking rules are also slightly different with the kicker being able to recover and advance his own kick. For this reason, kicking is a much more integral part of Canadian football than American.

The biggest difference between the kicking rules in the two games is that there is no fair catch rule in Canadian football. In American football, if a kick returner thinks he will not be able to advance the ball after recovery, he can signal for a fair catch and be immune from contact. In Canadian football no player on the kicking team except the kicker and any players behind him on the field may ever be within 5 yards of the ball unless it has been touched by an opponent. Also, in Canadian football any kick that goes into the end zone is a live ball, except for successful field goals.

There are other minor differences as well including scoring, motion and time rules but they are not as significant as the major differences noted here.

Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles for http://footballorbust.com/ - In addition, Jonathon also writes articles for http://everythingaboutgames.net/ and http://universeofentertainment.com/

All my life I’ve been a little fearful of eating home-canned beans, because of the rare but potentially fatal illness caused by the Clostridium botulinum bacterium. The botulinum toxin produced by this bacterium is one of the most lethal natural toxins known to man. Now that my organic garden is overflowing with fresh beans, and I can’t possibly eat them all fresh, my mind has turned again to this microscopic organism, which lives naturally in the soil.

Eating poorly prepared food isn’t actually the only way you can be sickened by this type of bacteria. It is also possible for the bacterium to infect an open wound, (often caused when drug users share needles), and babies can sometimes be sickened by consuming the spores of the bacteria. Fortunately, the incidence of botulism poisoning is quite rare - only an average of 110 cases are reported in the United states each year. The majority of these cases, 72%, are infant botulism, and 25% are caused by eating contaminated food.

Infants can be infected by eating honey, corn syrup or other sweetener that contains dormant bacterial spores, so parents are warned to not give honey in any form to babies under one year old. Once the child begins to eat solid food, stomach acids will kill the bacterial spores and prevent them from growing.

As a gardener, it is the food-born illness that most concerns me, and the list of symptoms and side effects makes it reasonable to be concerned. Botulism is a paralytic illness, and the symptoms are very similar to those of people who are having a stroke. Symptoms can include difficulty swallowing, drooping eyelids, muscle weakness, and double or blurred vision. These symptoms can occur anywhere from 6 hours to 10 days after eating contaminated food. Patients treated for this illness can be on a ventilator for weeks, under intensive medical care. Paralysis will slowly improve over a number of weeks if the illness is diagnosed early enough. In the past, up to 1/2 of the people contracting the illness dies, but medical care has now reduced the fatality rate to 8%. Patients may continue to feel tired and have difficulty breathing for years after recovering from this illness.

Clostridium botulinum bacteria grow and multiply in oxygen-free environments that are high in moisture and low in acidity. This is an excellent description of the inside of a jar of low-acid vegetables. High levels of sugar can help reduce the production of the bacteria, and its toxins. The bacteria are killed when vegetables are canned under high heat and pressure, the way store-bought canned goods are processed.

My parents canned thousands of jars of beans over the years, but were always careful to follow the common practice of boiling the beans for at least 10 minutes before eating them. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) agrees that this is a good idea. It also makes sense to use the most recent home canning advice from the US Department of Agriculture, since new methods are being developed all the time. It just pays to be safe if you can low-acid foods, like beans, asparagus, beets, and corn.

People have also been known to be sickened by botulinum bacterium growing in chopped garlic stored in oil, which should always be kept refrigerated, and in potatoes baked in aluminum foil, if the potatoes are left in the foil and are not refrigerated.

Do frozen vegetables pose the same dangers as home-canned produce? According to the USDA Safe Food Handling Fact Sheet, “Food stored constantly at 0o F will always be safe. Freezing keeps food safe by slowing the movement of molecules, causing microbes to enter a dormant stage. Freezing preserves food for extended periods because it prevents the growth of microorganisms that cause both food spoilage and foodborne illness.”

However, the same document goes on to say that freezing does not kill bacteria - it simply puts it into dormancy. As soon as the food is thawed, the bacteria can begin to grow and multiply, just as they can in any food. To be safe, use up any thawed (and even fresh) veggies as soon as possible, and keep any left-overs in the fridge.

Jonni writes about gardening and life on her blog at http://www.SmallCityFarm.info