How Social Class Formed in New Zealand

 In pre - European times the Māori lived off the land.  They farmed crops and were a hunter gatherer society.  The first European Immigrants arrived as farmers, traders and merchants. Many moved here to escape the feudal authorities where the Lords owned everything in Britain. Land was purchased from the Māori and turned into farmland and towns and cities.

After the civil wars between the Māori and Europeans more land was confiscated.  Much of the confiscated land was turned into farmland and leased to European farmers. Many Māori were dispersed from the land and forced to live in the cities and towns.   They lost their way of life and were forced to work for the Europeans.

This is how the ruling class and the working class developed in New Zealand.  It still exists today.  This theory came from Marx.

Gay Gene and Rainbow Culture

 Theories from biologists like Wilson from the 20th century like the gay gene have since been proven untrue with advanced DNA testing.  No common genes have been discovered amongst homosexuals in the 21st century.   There is still speculation that it may be a combination of undetectable genetic factors or hormones in the womb but nothing like that can be proven with modern testing.

The factor that causes people to be gay is rainbow culture not genetics.  The aspects of rainbow culture like beliefs and norms are what causes homosexuality.   Foreign cultures have brought homosexuality to New Zealand.  Rainbow culture never came here from Britain it came from Europe.   The European Union was responsible for homosexual law reforms in Britain which flowed down to New Zealand.

Because Rainbow culture is responsible for homosexuality and not genetics it means they can help it and it can be changed.  They don't   have to behave that way and they can repent and change.

Cults In New Zealand

 New Zealand is Christian country, and we have England to thank for it.  What I object to is foreign cultures brings their beliefs here and influencing us with them.  Most of these cults in New Zealand come from the United States, India and Africa, and Korea.

A cult is anything that goes against Catholic and Protestant mainstream beliefs.  These foreign cults in New Zealand include:  Seventh Day Adventists, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhism, the rainbow community and Muslims to name a few.  I won't go into what they believe but they are trying to influence our society and change our beliefs. 

New Zealand has religious freedom and always will have.  These foreign cults are trying to infiltrate our society, and they need to be engaged with.  We need to know the bible and be prepared to engage these cults in New Zealand when they approach us.  It is important to give these foreign cults religious freedom, but it is also important not to believe them.

Winston Churchill and His Early Years.

 I've been reading a 2-part biography about Winston Churchill called The Last Lion.  I have just finished the first part which covers his birth through to Winston Churchills involvement in World War 1.  He was responsible for much and lead an amazing life. 

Winston Churchill had an American mother, and his father was a British Lord.  He was sent to boarding school and rarely saw his parents during his school years.  Once he graduated from school he went into a Military Academy. 

Winston Churchill entered military service and fought in the Boer wars, both as a soldier and as a newspaper correspondent.  He was captured and escaped.  His father was in politics and Winston Churchill soon followed in his footsteps.

Upon the death of his father of syphilis his mother was running out of money and had to retire his beloved nanny while he was still at school.  Winston Churchill was partially responsible for the introduction of welfare benefits.  I those days everyone worked for the Lords or didn't survive, so welfare was introduced to help ease the social class system.

When Briton declared war on Germany at the beginning of World War 1, Winston Churchill became Lord of the Admiralty and was in charge of the British Navy.  When Turkey entered the war they guarded a straight of water called the Dardanelles with forts along it.  They Started sinking all the ships that used the straight.   

Briton needed the Dardanelles to get aid from Russia, so Winston Churchill devised a plan to sent Warships to it to destroy the Forts.  The Turks laid sea mines, which the mine sweepers missed, and the allied navy lost several ships and had to abandon the plan.  Briton came up with a plan for a land invasion of Turkey, which also failed.

Winston Churchill lost his Job because of this and asked for a position in the Army. He got a commission as an officer and was sent to the front.  After the war he got back into politics and continued with his journalism and art.

Cultural Imperialism in New Zealand

 I was thinking today about the theory of Cultural Imperialism and its effect on New Zealand.  Cultural Imperialism is where a dominant culture influences another culture.  Cultural Imperialism first occurred with the arrival of the British to New Zealand.  They brought Christianity and British Law with them and influenced the Māori. 

The influence of Cultural Imperialism was the movement away from things like cannibalism and slavery amongst the Māori and also Christian beliefs.   Many Māori resisted this, and the land wars occurred.  Many Māori also accepted the Pakeha way.

Cultural Imperialism has also occurred in New Zealand and had further influence from the United States.  This is in the Form of the negative influence the Black have had on the Māori. Cultural Imperialism has further occurred on the Māori from the form of the Gang movement in New Zealand.  Gangs like the Black Power, the King Cobras and the street gangs have come from Cultural Imperialism from the United States.  Some are the same gangs as in the United States and others have sprung up from the American Civil Rights movement.

Cultural Imperialism in New Zealand has arrived through Media.   Literature in the early days of the Countries founding and later from movies and music also. 

Influences on Te Pati Māori and the Gang Movement

New Zealand's democracy is under threat from some of the Māori and Polynesians.  They support a political party called Te Pati Māori, who are trying to stop New Zealand from becoming one Nation for all.  The culture of their movement, along with the gang movement in New Zealand originated from the Black Panther movement in the United States.  In New Zealand, it is not about civil rights.  It's about them having more rights than the rest of us.

Don't get me wrong.  I'm not a White Supremacist.   I'm all for immigration and foreign cultures coming to New Zealand for us to enjoy and have an influence on us.  What I am not for is the damage that the American Black Panther Culture has done here.   Two gangs have been formed from it, and it has created a system where people have rights and privileged based on their race.

That movement in New Zealand is a threat to the country and our democracy.  The people they represent are not a majority here.  The previous government introduced Co Governance and put them in charge and gave them preferential treatment.  The current Government has gotten tough on their gangs and stopped giving then a free ride.  Their political wing, Te Pati Māori, is interrupting Parliament by acting aggressively and being rude.  They are also burning Acts of Parliament they don't agree with.  They  are also sharing pictures of and quoting African dictators who have got ex colonies back from the white settlers and mistreated them.

Periods of Old Testament History

1.     Anti-Divilian Period.
        4004 - 2348 BC = 1656 years. From creation to flood.

2.     Post-Divilian Period.
        2348 - 1921 BC = 427 years.  Flood to the call of Abraham.

3.     Patriarchal Period.
        1921 - 1706 BC = 215 years.   Call of Abraham to migration to Egypt.

4.      Egyptian Bondage.  
         1706 - 1441 BC = 215 years.  Migration to Egypt to the Exodus.

5.      Wilderness Wanderings.
          1491 - 1451 BC = 40 years.  The exodus to the crossing of the Jordon river.

6.       Conquest of Canaan.
          1451 - 1400 BC = 51 years.  Crossing the Jordon to the death of Joshua.

7.       Period of the Judges.
          1400 = 1095 BC = 305 years.   Death of Joshua the Anointing of Saul.

8.       The United Kingdom.
          1095 -  975 BC = 120 years.   Anointing of Saul to the death of Solomon.

9.       The Divided Kingdom.
           975 - 722 BC = 253 years.  Death of Solomon to the fall of Israel.

10.     Kingdom of Judah Alone.
          722 = 586 BC = 136 years.  Fall of Israel to the Fall of Jerusalem.

11.     Babylonian captivity.  
          586 = 536 BC = 50 years.   Fall of Jerusalem to the rebuilding of the temple.

12.    Restoration of the Jews.
         536 - 400 BC = 136 years.  Rebuilding of the Templde to the close of the Old Testament.

11 Reasons to Study The Old Testament

1.      We find out about God's nature and character.

2.       It shows many things about man and his character and nature.

3.       It tells the origin, the nature and the consequences of sin.

4.      It reveals the greatest religious teachings found anywhere outside the new testament.

5.      It presents the highest moral and ethical standards found anywhere outside of the new              testament.

6.       It aids in developing a devotional and spiritual life.

7.       It helps one to solve many practical problems in family life, economics. national or civic relationships, education of children etc.

8.       It has historical information not known from any other source.

9.       It gives the only true account of God's people and his actions in this world.

10.     It contains some of the finest examples of literary excellence in the world.

11.     It gives necessary background for the understanding of the new testament.

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How to Clean Jewelry

There are many different brands of jewelry cleaners on the market today. Depending on how your
jewelry is made, these products may or may not be safe for your jewelry! Before using
jewelry cleaner, take a good long look at the jewelry and try to determine what it is made of.

First, any jewelry that has pieces glued on should not be soaked in jewelry cleaner. Instead, use a
little Woolite mixed with water, and soak the piece for just a couple of minutes. Remove the piece from the mixture and dry it immediately – but gently – with a soft cloth. Use a soft toothbrush to gently scrub small crevices.

Avoid soaking pearls! They may come from the ocean – but water from your tap may damage them.
Simply wipe the pearl with a damp cloth, then use a polishing cloth to give it back its shine. Never
soak any of your jewelry overnight. It isn’t necessary, and it may harm the jewelry wholesale.

Again, it is important to know what gems are used in your jewelry, and how the piece was constructed before determining how you will clean it.

Building Courage to Improve your Personal Life

     When you build courage, you start to improve your personal life. Building courage will help you take risks to a brighter future that you ordinarily would not take. When you build courage, you put fear behind you. courage is the process of admitting that you have fears, yet you are willing to find a way to defeat those fears and not allow these fears to take control of you.  It is ok to experience your fears at appropriate times. For instance, if a bus is heading in your path, swerving you have a right to fear. There is nothing wrong with healthy fear. The problem is you have to put healthy fear in its place and unhealthy fear out of your life.

Once you build courage, you will learn to self-direct you in life. You will learn to accept punishment and rewards gracefully. A courageous person will often feel motivated to accept blame and responsibility while reviewing their actions and using what they learn to move forward. Courageous people will step to the front, rather than stepping back when opportunities come their way. On the other hand, a courageous person will step back and take a view at his or her mistakes gracefully.

Sometimes the courageous person is spontaneous. It is never good to plan each day, because no one knows what the next day will bring in. Think about it. How many times have you planned something all to see it shatter in your face the next day. For instance, I plan to go to the ballgame tomorrow. Come tomorrow a blizzard, hurricane, tornado, wind storm, or rainstorm could change your mind. You planned, but did you plan for the weather. Did you make a backup plan in case your first plan failed. As you can see, planning is not always in your favour, which is why courageous people are sometimes spontaneous.  A person willing to improve their life will relax. This person will relax even when plans fail. For instance, if it stormed the next day the person will find something else to occupy his or her time and feel just as happy about joining this adventure.

To become successful and improve your life you will need to learn how to trust you. When you trust you, you can trust others as well. Unfortunately, we live in a world where trust is hard to find, yet when you trust you, you can’t blame others when things go wrong. Improving your life includes using your creative and critical mind. When you can create new ideas, you are off to the road to success. You have many options in this world, it takes you to pull up resources to find those options.

Sometimes in life, we feel uncomfortable. In fact, this is common. Are you willing to accept your discomforts? Perhaps at an interview you feel misplaced. Are you willing to accept this discomfort and find a way to deliver a good speech to impress the interviewer. Alternatively, are you willing to allow negative energies cost you the job.

Do you accept?

Do you accept the things you cannot change? Do you accept the things you have control over? Do you accept other people regardless of how these people act? Do you accept you for who you are? Do you accept the changes that life brings your way?  Acceptance is your key to happiness. When you can learn to accept the good with the bad, you can learn how to live happier and improve your personal life. If you cannot accept however, well, reread this article again.

How Culture Influences Genetics

 I was furthering my education on culture and communication today by doing some reading.  I came across some interesting information about a topic called Dual Inheritance Theory.  The theory goes that culture affects us biologically.  We have genetic ancestors as we all know, but we also have cultural ancestors.  Both culture and genetics make up who we are.

Dual Inheritance Theory provides obvious examples of the influence of culture on genetics.  One example is the cultural influence of relying heavily on technology having the genetic influence of making our bones and muscles weaker. Another example is the cultural influence of moving from a hunter gatherer society to consuming fast food and becoming a microwave society having the genetic influence of the widespread problem of obesity.

Another example of the influence of culture over genetics provided by Dual Inheritance Theory is the cultural influence of changes in diet have on the genetic influence of changes to the digestive system. For example the genetic traits of having flat teeth to chew with, rather than sharp teeth to kill animals with and tear flesh apart, and still being able to digest meat: this has helped humans with the cultural influence of us evolving from a vegan diet to one that includes meat.  As we evolved from being plant eaters in Eden, to meat eaters after the fall of man; this cultural influence had a genetic influence.

The Bell Curve written in 1994 by psychologist Richard Hernstein and political scientist Charles Murray, argues that human intelligence is influenced by environmental cultural influences and inherited genetic influences.  The findings of this thesis is that some cultures are more are more genetically superior to others.  This is because some cultures have a higher level of education and therefore, enjoy a higher socio-economic status than others.

To conclude, Dual Inheritance Theory proves that there is an influence of culture on genetics. Cultural influences on behaviour have genetic influences on the physiology of humans and other species.

How to Clean your Diamonds

Through our day to day movements our diamonds get smudged and soiled.  Even when we are not wearing them, they collect dust.  Lotions, soaps, our natural skin oils, can cause film and grime on diamonds and inhibit their brilliance.
 
Want to keep that Brilliance and Shine?
 
Diamonds require cleaning so that maximum amounts of light can refract fiery brilliance.  Remember that all it takes is a few minutes and a little care to keep that diamond as fiery as the day you first saw it.

You can use an small soft brush such as an eyebrow or lip stick brush and soap and water to clean your jewelry.  Simply make a bowl of warm sudsy water with a mild detergent and place your pieces in the mixture.  Then brush the diamonds with the soft bristles of the brush while they are in the suds.  You will need to make certain that you rinse them clear of the suds after cleaning them.  You can use a small kitchen strainer such as a tea strainer to contain them while rinsing under warm water.  Use a lint free cloth, or a jewelry polish cloth to pat them dry.

If your diamonds are in need of a stronger cleansing, you may want to soak them for 30 minutes in a solution of half and half water and ammonia.  Once they have soaked for 30 minutes, remove them and gently brush the mountings with a small brush.  Then replace \the pieces to the solution and swish them around in the mixture before removing them to rinse and pat dry.  

If you find your self too busy to be mixing soaps and ammonias, many department
stores sell liquid jewelry cleaners.  Most are kits, with everything you need included.  You need to read the labels to determine the one that is right for your diamonds and other jewelry. Read the complete directions and follow all the precautions.

And if you find yourself more the “high-tech type”, even in your diamond cleaning routine, there are multiple ultrasonic cleansers on the market.  These machines use high-frequency to create a cleaning motion.  All machines are not the same, so please read
the instructions before using.

Only you can choose the cleaning method right for you.   But, it is essential to keep your jewelry clean to keep it brilliant and sparkling.  Between cleaning, try not to touchyour clean diamonds with your fingers or handle your jewelry by its edges. This will
help maintain its shine and brilliance for longer periods.

5 Useful Tips on Trout Fishing

In fishing, trout are one of the favorite “fishing friends” of most anglers. These crafty fish are abundant anywhere. The native habitat of these crafty fish depends on the type of trout.
For brook trout, the native habitat includes the territory from Labrador westward to the Saskatchewan, while the rainbow trout is a native of the Pacific slope from Alaska to California.
On the other hand, brown trout has found its way into the waters of every state in the United States except Florida, Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Texas. It has been reported in the waters of some of these states, but according to conservation officials, no authentic reports have been received. It is also found in many parts of Canada.

In trout fishing, there are some factors that need to be considered in order to have a successful catch.

1. For trout fishing, the leader should not be greased. It will not sink far enough to cause any difficulty when picking the line and lure from the water, but if it is allowed to float; it will cast a shadow on the bottom of the stream which may scare the trout.

2. The trout is one of the fishes that are usually secured through the use of the dry fly. For trout, the current as well as the pools should be fished. It may sometimes be a bit difficult to keep the fly from sinking or dragging because of the various conditions of the current, but this is a matter that the angler will have to figure out for himself.

3. It is not good practice when fishing for trout to fish directly upstream so the flies, line, and leader will float directly over fish. The fisherman should make the cast from one side of the stream so the fly will only float over the fish.

4. It is important to make the first cast the best. A feeding trout will usually strike the first lure presented if it is cast so that it will float over his private domain. The angler should never fail to fish the lower end of the pool first even if the trout are rising in the middle or upper end.

5. Trout are sometimes very moody or selective and will try the patience of any angler; hence, possibly a fly with less hackle will do the trick or it may be necessary to use a spent-wing fly or a fan wing.

Indeed, catching trout fishes can be lots of fun. The anglers just have to remember these tips in order to have a happy catch.

Get out of credit card debt

Can I get out of credit card debt?

Yes, you can get out of credit card debt. If you are determined to get out of credit card debt you surely can get out of credit card debt. Though it’s a bit difficult to get out of credit card debt, it isn’t impossible. All you need to get out of credit card debt is determination and planning. Both are equally important (or maybe determination is even more important). Determination doesn’t come without proper reason.

So, you need to first ask this question to yourself –
“What will I get if I am able to get out of credit card debt?”,
“What difference will it make”,
“What’s in it for me” or
“Is it really beneficial to get out of credit card debt”.

 Use the answers to build your determination. The fact that all the nagging via mails/phone (by the credit card supplier and/or their collection agent), will be gone, should do good to strengthening your determination and should provide you with a reason on why you should endeavour to get out of credit card debt. Think about the stress-free life after you get out of credit card debt. Try to link various reasons together and try to see the benefits through them. All these collectively will help in bolstering your determination and prevent it from getting weak at any point in time.

The second thing that you need to get out of credit card debt is planning. The planning to get out of credit card debt will start with making a list of the credit cards that you currently posses and noting the debt and the APR for each of them. The sum total of all these various credit card debts, will give you the total credit card debt. You also need to check if you have been defaulting on payments on some of these credit cards (and hence incurring a late fee). You will need to avoid that and put it on the plan you have prepared to get out of credit card debt.

The next step in getting out of credit card debt is to check your current financial position and make an assessment of what you expect your future financial position to be. Next comes the research to check the various balance transfer offers available in the market; to see if one of these can prove beneficial to you. Use all this information to calculate how much time you will require to get out of credit card debt and how you will distribute the debt payment across your various credit cards (ensuring that you payoff the debt that is hitting you the most and also ensuring that you don’t incur late fee on any credit card payments)

Want a Free Cure for Snoring? Try Snoring Remedy

Snoring stresses. It can be the source of your embarrassment while you sleep in somebody else’s house, even if it is your own friend or family. It may both create a disturbance to your companion in sleeping, and it can make you the centre of their amusement - too shameful.

Although snoring is not an ailment, it is only a disproportion on the human body system. So, it is not impossible for you to cure snoring. If snoring can be completely eliminated, then societal peace can be achieved, especially inside the bedroom.

Nowadays, there are already medicines and devices available in the market to cure snoring. However, this requires a bit of amount of money, and creating further stress.  Nevertheless, if these kind of cure is not included in your budget, there is still another option that will not be heavy in your purse—home remedies.

First, try to change your position in sleeping. Elevate the head of your bed by a few inches, or try to add some more pillows. This will lessen the jamming of the air passage in your throat muscle. Avoid sleeping on your back too; the tendency if you do this is to give more chances on the occurrence of snoring, the reason for this is the draw back of soft palate and tongue, thus, constricting the air passage.

Next, you can try to modify your lifestyle. Your present lifestyle may contribute in aggravating your snoring, for instance, excessive eating, excessive drinking of alcohol, and too much intake of cigarette.  Modifying lifestyle is what the doctors’ called “conservative therapy.” Truth is the doctors stated that this is the advisable primary step in curing snoring before attempting to use other harsh treatments.

Try to motivate yourself to conduct a regular physical exercise to lessen your weight. Avoid excessive intake of alcohol and cigarettes, the effect of not preventing both of these will add to the obstruction to the airway. Likewise, avoid excessive intake of sleeping pills and tranquilizers, these medicines also worsen snoring.

If you will also notice, some of the medicines that are being offered in the drugstore can be classified as home remedies. Examples of these are the nasal strips, nose sprays, and anti-snoring pills. The ingredients contained by these medicines are basically herbs, and plant enzymes, these can manage the swelling of nose and throat tissues. Additionally, these offset snoring by evening the airflow.
Generally, a home remedy is almost alike to the drug free medication. The procedures of such prescriptions are founded in the inventions’ experience.

There is the drug free snoring “mandibular advancement splint” for instance; the function of this is to maintain your jaw in a pressed onward position. This helps to widen the air passage, and according to the report this helps in more than 80 percent in impeding snoring cases.

If you are really determined and will exert further efforts to the suggested home remedies above, it is not impossible to cure your snoring all by yourself. The process for these is simple. Distinguish first the problem, ponder. Then, work on it everyday. Following this will award you a good outcome. And the days of disgraceful nights will come to an end. This may possibly happen earlier than you anticipated.

So good luck on your self-medication!

Learning the proper diet to lower cholesterol

Cholesterol is one of the major substances that cause heart attacks, high blood cholesterol levels, and weight problems. Despite its “bad guy image,” this waxy, fat-like substances made in the body by the person’s own liver serves a number of vital functions unknown to many.

Basically, there are two types of cholesterol: the Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) and the High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL). The former refers to the bad type of cholesterol that is known to clog the person’s blood vessels, thus, increasing the risk for a heart attack or a heart disease. Studies show that a diet that is high in saturated fat is a main dietary cause of a raised LDL cholesterol level. The latter, on the other hand, is the good type of cholesterol that helps clear LDL cholesterol out of the blood stream, thus, reducing the risk for any heart illness. Researches have shown that a diet rich in fruit and vegetables along with average levels of omega-3 from fish oil greatly helps raise HDL cholesterol levels
.
Although diet is the major reason for having high cholesterol levels, experts agree that factors such as genetics, lack of exercise or regular physical activity, obesity, unhealthy lifestyle such as excessive drinking and smoking, hormones, and varying high and low cholesterol levels can trigger the sudden increase of cholesterol levels in the body.

GETTING STARTED

Indeed, cholesterol is a growing problem in the health of many people in the world. Experts say that people over 20 years of age should be more concerned about their cholesterol levels; thus, they should start doing everything they can to lower LDL cholesterol. Although it is quite hard to stick to the needed requirements and regiments to combat the growing problem, experts say that it can be controlled with the proper diet to lower cholesterol.
Studies show that a good diet to lower cholesterol can reduce a person’s risk for heart diseases while getting rid of bad fats because this diet to emphasizes on eating heart-healthy foods. But, aside from using the proper and proven low cholesterol diets available today, the most important thing is that knowing and taking in the right foods and effective cholesterol formulas to assist in lowering cholesterol levels.

Experts say that a diet to lower cholesterol includes good foods like grains—especially whole grain products and cereals—fish rich in omega3 such as salmon and tune, a variety of fruits and leafy vegetables, nuts, juices, and the like. Here are other effective means of lowering cholesterol level through diet:

1. Make sure that you visit your attending physician first before trying out any low cholesterol diets so he/she could administer the proper examinations and access your general health status.

2. You can lower your cholesterol levels by replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat in meat, chicken, and whole milk products.

3. Refrain from eating refined carbohydrates contained by bakery products, pastas, and sugary or sugar-added foods.

4. When eating out, makes sure that you ask the waiter to make serving substitutions like steamed or boiled food preparations. If possible, also pick lean meat, fish, or skinless chicken that is broiled, baked, grilled, steamed, or poached instead of being fried and ask for lots of vegetable side dishes and fresh fruit desserts.

5. Cutting down on eggs, margarine, or butter out of your daily diet.

6. Use natural-based oils such as vegetable, corn, and olive oils when cooking instead of the usual cooking oil.

7. Load up on a lot of garlic when you’re preparing dishes because it contains substances that help lower HDL cholesterol.

8. Take in high quality daily vitamin mineral supplements like Vitamin E to improve blood circulation, and Vitamin C and vitamin B3 to lower your high cholesterol levels.

Avoiding Impulse Spending

Answer these questions truthfully:

1.) Does your spouse or partner complain that you spend too much money?

2.) Are you surprised each month when your credit card bill arrives at how much more you charged than you thought you had?

3.) Do you have more shoes and clothes in your closet than you could ever possibly wear?

4.) Do you own every new gadget before it has time to collect dust on a retailer’s shelf?

5.) Do you buy things you didn’t know you wanted until you saw them on display in a store?

If you answered “yes” to any two of the above questions, you are an impulse spender and indulge yourself in retail therapy. This is not a good thing. It will prevent you from saving for the important things like a house, a new car, a vacation or retirement. You must set some financial goals and resist spending money on items that really don’t matter in the long run.

Impulse spending will not only put a strain on your finances but your relationships, as well. To overcome the problem, the first thing to do is learn to separate your needs from your wants.
Advertisers blitz us hawking their products at us 24/7. The trick is to give yourself a cooling-off period before you buy anything that you have not planned for.

When you go shopping, make a list and take only enough cash to pay for what you have planned to buy. Leave your credit cards at home. If you see something you think you really need, give yourself two weeks to decide if it is really something you need or something you can easily do without. By following this simple solution, you will mend your financial fences and your relationships. 

Do Yoda Proud: Meditation 101

Meditation refers to a state where your body and mind are consciously relaxed and focused.  Practitioners of this art report increased awareness, focus, and concentration, as well as a more positive outlook in life.

Meditation is most commonly associated with monks, mystics and other spiritual disciplines.  However, you don’t have to be a monk or mystic to enjoy its benefits.  And you don’t even have to be in a special place to practice it.  You could even try it in your own living room!

Although there are many different approaches to meditation, the fundamental principles remain the same.  The most important among these principles is that of removing obstructive, negative, and wandering thoughts and fantasies, and calming the mind with a deep sense of focus.  This clears the mind of debris and prepares it for a higher quality of activity.

The negative thoughts you have – those of noisy neighbors, bossy officemates, that parking ticket you got, and unwanted spam– are said to contribute to the ‘polluting’ of the mind, and shutting them out is allows for the ‘cleansing’ of the mind so that it may focus on deeper, more meaningful thoughts.

Some practitioners even shut out all sensory input – no sights, no sounds, and nothing to touch – and try to detach themselves from the commotion around them.  You may now focus on a deep, profound thought if this is your goal.  It may seem deafening at first, since we are all too accustomed to constantly hearing and seeing things, but as you continue this exercise you will find yourself becoming more aware of everything around you.

If you find the meditating positions you see on television threatening – those with impossibly arched backs, and painful-looking contortions – you need not worry.  The principle here is to be in a comfortable position conducive to concentration.  This may be while sitting cross-legged, standing, lying down, and even walking.

If the position allows you to relax and focus, then that would be a good starting point.  While sitting or standing, the back should be straight, but not tense or tight.  In other positions, the only no-no is slouching and falling asleep.  Loose, comfortable clothes help a lot in the process since tight fitting clothes have a tendency to choke you up and make you feel tense.

The place you perform meditation should have a soothing atmosphere.  It may be in your living room, or bedroom, or any place that you feel comfortable in.  You might want an exercise mat if you plan to take on the more challenging positions (if you feel more focused doing so, and if the contortionist in you is screaming for release).  You may want to have the place arranged so that it is soothing to your senses.

Silence helps most people relax and meditate, so you may want a quiet, isolated area far from the ringing of the phone or the humming of the washing machine.  Pleasing scents also help in that regard, so stocking up on aromatic candles isn’t such a bad idea either.

The monks you see on television making those monotonous sounds are actually performing their mantra.  This, in simple terms, is a short creed, a simple sound which, for these practitioners, holds a mystic value.  You do not need to perform such; however, it would pay to note that focusing on repeated actions such as breathing, and humming help the practitioner enter a higher state of consciousness.

The principle here is focus.  You could also try focusing on a certain object or thought, or even, while keeping your eyes open, focus on a single sight.
One sample routine would be to – while in a meditative state – silently name every part of you body and focusing your consciousness on that part. While doing this you should be aware of any tension on any part of your body.  Mentally visualize releasing this tension.  It works wonders.
In all, meditation is a relatively risk-free practice and its benefits are well worth the effort (or non-effort – remember we’re relaxing).

Studies have shown that meditation does bring about beneficial physiologic effects to the body.  And there has been a growing consensus in the medical community to further study the effects of such.  So in the near future, who knows, that mystical, esoteric thing we call meditation might become a science itself!

Growing Online Dating Relationships

Just like regular real-world relationships, online relationships need tending, to grow over time. Here are some quick growing tips.

1. Take time and make time. Does your online date get in touch with you regularly? Do you do the same? Neglecting virtual meetings can be considered abuse or neglect, so treat each other’s time with respect. If it’s lacking, might mean time to move on.

2. Communication needs to “feel” right for both of you. If one of you is too pushy about meeting, for instance, that can give off bad vibes. So don’t rush. Take time to learn more about each other and develop trust.

3. Respect each others privacy. Don’t share personal email addresses or digital photos online, for example, if your online date sent you the information in confidence.

4. Share special online and offline fun times. Online – send greeting cards, links to favorite places to upload digital photos of your favorite pet, download music and video clips, post on favorite forums of interest. Offline- if you’re exchanging addresses or post office boxes, send print greeting cards and postcards, small items from your area (like a key chain with your state bird).

Tend your online relationship. Water it with care and over time it can sprout and grow.

Prevent and Treat Heartburn or Acid Reflux

The most common digestive system disorder people experience is heartburn, which is highly associated to acid reflux. Often, many people will encounter heartburn or acid reflux during night time. When this happens, a burning sensation in the chest will be felt. This particular pain is similar to heart attack symptoms. However, heartburn acid reflux is also a very serious disease that can affect many individuals including infants and young children as well as adults. Infants usually grow out from this condition after time while most young children will likely experience acid reflux in their lifetime. Meanwhile, many adults are likely to experience possible occurrences of this condition due to lifestyle factors and eating habits.

Understanding how heartburn occurs is essential to those diagnosed with acid reflux. Eating habits or lifestyle factors should be changed to prevent heartburn associated to acid reflux. As such, unhealthy eating or eating excessively in one time can cause improper movement of the gastric juices in the lower portion of the esophagus causing possible heartburn to occur that can result to acid reflux eventually.

These juices in the gastric area are highly acidic. When the gastric juice touches the lining of the esophagus, irritation and inflammation of the esophagus occur, causing heartburn. The abnormal gastric juice flow is due to either Lower Esophageal Sphincter, LES in short, caused by the relaxation of the muscle between the esophagus and the abdomen or other related factors such as structural defects or disorders like hiatial hernia or lifestyle factors.

Heartburn or acid reflux needs treatment especially when a night time attack happens. Night time attacks have similar daytime attack symptoms except that night time attacks include snoring, restlessness, fatigue and even abnormalities in breathing are all night time symptoms. Attacks during the night are more severe than attacks during daytime.

Many people with heartburn or acid reflux understand the cause of their condition. However, there are still many people lacking essential knowledge of how heartburn acid reflux can be triggered. The simplest answer is food. Many people experience acid reflux after having a large meal due to improper breakdown of foods causing acid reflux to occur. Foods such as spicy foods, chocolates, fried and fatty foods can trigger this condition. In fact, even citrus fruits have a tendency to flare up heartburn.

If you have been diagnosed with acid reflux, you should try preventive medication and treatments to help aid in its cure. One way that can help lessen the occurrences is by changing your lifestyle. A change in lifestyle can really help rid of acid reflux from recurring. Also, you should avoid eating aa heavy large meal at one time. Instead, eat small meals at intervals. Eating large meals can increase pressure in the esophageal sphincter and at the same time, expand your stomach. Other preventive measures include maintaining your weight, avoiding alcoholic beverages, and not wearing tightly fitted clothes around the waist because all these factors can cause acid reflux.

Acid reflux is a common condition that can lead to severe problems if left untreated. If you are diagnosed with this condition, always take necessary precautions when experiencing it to avoid further serious problems that could affect even the respiratory system. Because acid reflux is a serious problem, people with heartburn acid reflux should seek advice on how to prevent and treat this particular condition.