So many ways to treat so many types of headache

Treatments can vary widely, from medication to surgery or herbs
By CINDY GEORGE Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

Constant shooting, stinging, throbbing and other painful head-pounding could ruin — or rule — your life.

Up to 35 million Americans suffer migraine and other forms of headache, according to the American Academy of Neurology.

• FOUR TYPES OF HEADACHES: The main types of headaches are tension, migraine, cluster and hormone.
Tension headaches, the most common, cause a band-like sensation or other pressure around the head. Most migraine headaches occur on one side of the head. Described as the most intense, cluster headaches attack in groups. Hormone headaches are associated with women’s menstrual cycles.

• OTHER TYPES OF HEADACHES: You might also experience over-medication rebound headaches, sinus headaches and those caused by brain abnormalities, including tumors.
• TRIGGERS: Stress, certain foods and sleeping patterns can trigger headaches.
“Eating meals regularly, staying well-hydrated and trying to minimize stress in life, sleeping well and getting exercise really do make a difference,” said Dr. Pamela Blake, a Houston neurologist at Memorial Hermann Northwest.

Changing weather that causes barometric pressure to spike or dip could be the culprit.

“When the fronts are coming in, primarily in the spring and fall, that will trigger headaches in the front of the head or face,”said Dr. Howard S. Derman, a neurologist at The Methodist Hospital. “People sometimes think those are sinus headaches because of spring flowers, but they’re really not.”

The same concept applies to people plagued with head pain while flying, hiking or mountain-climbing.

Read full article: So many ways to treat so many types of headache

For some, Christmas is more than a tree, gifts: Seasonal fanatics have a holiday obsession

By MAGGIE GALEHOUSE HOUSTON CHRONICLE

A hurricane and a recession could easily spread a serious case of the bah, humbugs this season.

But not for the Christmas fanatics. For these self-taught decorators who transform their homes into holiday havens thick with Santas, ornaments and things that go blink in the night, Christmas always arrives early and stays late.
A tale of two Michaels

For every Christmas addict there is an enabler. And between the months of October and December, this pretty much describes Michael Briden and Mike Lowery.

“I have the inspiration, and he has the installation,” Briden deadpans.

Briden is the collector, favoring glass ornaments by Christopher Radko and Santa figurines by Brian Kidwell and Jim Shore. He decorates each of the holiday trees in the Heights bungalow he and Lowery share — no small job, since there’s at least one tree in every downstairs room.

Lowery does the traditional “dad” jobs: hangs garland around the window frames, puts the toppers on each tree before Briden starts to decorate, picks up ornaments on his way home from hunting and fishing trips.

Every year, the two transform their handsome bungalow with sage green walls into a holiday wonderland where first-time guests are hard-pressed to focus on anything but the dé cor. As Lowery says, “Christmas has definitely exploded in this house.”

It helps that the pair co-own Another Place in Time, a garden center in the Heights that sells some of the decorative items and ornaments Briden collects.

Briden, who is also a loan operations manager at Integrity Bank, admits that he is particular about the quality and presentation of his collections.

He likes his Santas to look friendly, not scary. He enjoys creating new vignettes with his Christmas ornaments; this year, Santa’s Sweet Shop appears in his kitchen window, with a jar of gingerbread men and cookies and glass candies. And each of his Christmas trees has a theme, from the hunting and fishing tree in Lowery’s room, to the Grinch tree in the bathroom, to the slim and showy “Feathered Friends” tree in the family room.

The show-stopper is “The Night Before Christmas” tree, which gathers Santas, reindeers, gifts and all the usual Christmas Eve suspects.

When one goes to so much trouble to create a Christmas atmosphere, it’s a shame not to share it. Briden estimates that he and Lowery host half a dozen social gatherings every December so that friends can see the house.

As thrilled as Briden is with this year’s décor, he is always in the market for something new. Gazing at his animal tree, he ticks off the rarer ornaments that adorn it. A buffalo. A rhinoceros. A skunk. A giraffe. But he can’t help but notice what he’s missing.

“I don’t have a platypus,” Briden says, “and I don’t have any dinosaurs.”

The holiday decorating gene is strong with Jennifer Emshoff. Growing up in Klein with a mother who’s a part-time interior designer, she learned early that every holiday deserves festive dé cor and special dishes.

So when Emshoff, a senior contract analyst with El Paso Exploration & Production, moved into her Eastwood bungalow in 2001, it was a fait accompli that the holidays would be well-represented.

Her Christmas decorating schedule begins the day after Thanksgiving at her childhood home, when her mom starts pulling out her own Christmas finery. Emshoff is always on hand to assist.

“I give her all day Friday,” she says, “then I come back and start working on my own house. It takes two full days for the inside and then a night to put up the lights on the outside.”

This year presented a new challenge for Emshoff, who recently transformed her bright blue and yellow living space into a richer, ranchy style, with dark leather and rustic touches. This meant a new backdrop for Christmas.

Dominating the living room is a full-size white tree with shiny, multicolored ornaments, many with a Texas theme. On the floor of the dining room, ranch meets Christmas in a pair of ceramic cowboy boots stuffed with holly and red berries. The formal dining table is set for Christmas dinner and a long kitchen counter that usually serves as the bar has become a winter village.

Read full article: For some, Christmas is more than a tree, gifts

Lose Your Weight By Choosing Correct Diet Plan

The first step towards a healthy life is a healthy body. And for a healthy body you need to keep your body in shape. In other words you will have to loose the extra pounds you have accumulated for so many years by spending a lot of money. ‘Lose weight’ seems to be the new slogan of the present generation. They want to do it to make their life healthier, more promising and look better. Hence the requirement for a healthy body arises.

The first step toward loosing your weight would be controlling your diet. You will have to make your diet according to the requirement of your body. Many people think that they can lose their weight by abstaining from food, by eating just to survive. But this is not a healthy practice as you also lose the basic nutrients required by the body not just unnecessary fat. A correct diet plan should reflect your life style. For example if you work in a office and all you have to do is to just sit there and then come home then your diet plan would be something else than the person who has to constantly move from one location to another during their day job. It also depends upon whether you work in day or in night.

There are many diet plans available in the market. They include weight watchers, jenny Craig, south beach, and Atkins and nutria system. They all work well. They can help to enhance your healthy life and at the same time make you lose your weight if you follow its rules from the start to the end without any interval, without any break. But do remember that it is always easier said than done. Hence choose your diet plan carefully and accordingly. And once you have chosen them then stick to it.

Read this article - Lose Your Weight By Choosing Correct Diet Plan

Ask the Expert: Treat migraines at first warning signs

Q. How is a migraine treated?

A. Migraines can be treated at two different times: once the person develops a migraine or before they develop one. Both treatments are done with medications that relieve the symptoms, though outcomes are usually better when the migraine is treated as early as possible.

Some women can get severe migraines around their time of menstruation. These types of migraines can be helped with the use of hormones or birth control pills.

Q. When should I get medical help for migraines?

A. You can take over-the-counter, pain-relieving drugs once you experience the first signs or symptoms of a migraine. However, if you are taking over-the-counter medications for them more than eight times a month you should look into seeing your doctor about a prescription treatment. These medications are preventive in nature, sometimes taken daily, and serve to reduce the frequency and severity of the person’s migraines. Your doctor may also discuss medications to take at the first sign of a migraine. These medicines help eliminate the migraine or make the symptoms much more tolerable.

Q. What about alternative medicines or home remedies?

A. Any activity you find relaxing might lessen the effects of a migraine, such as taking a hot bath or sitting quietly in a darkened room. If you are experiencing chronic headache pain, some alternative remedies like massage or even acupuncture might provide relief. Ideally, you should consult a physician before beginning any alternative medicines.

Read full article - Ask the Expert: Treat migraines at first warning signs

Medifast Diet - This diet’s longevity speaks volumes

The Medifast brand has been around for a number of decades, and at one time was only available via physicians. Nowadays the products can be ordered on-line and through a number of distributors.

Medifast offer a stable of meal replacement products - all generally formulated to be low-calorie and low-fat, and containing the optimum levels of vitamins. The formula will generally take users into a mild state of ketosis.

The most popular plan is called 5 and 1. This plan (800-1000 calories daily) comprises 5 meal replacements and one “real” meal containing a lean protein and vegetables and salad. Medifast claim a weight loss of 2-5 pounds per week on this plan.

Proof?

What many people don’t realize is that very few commercial weight loss programs have ever undergone any clinical studies. Medifast heavily promote the fact that a Johns Hopkins university study has shown that Medifast results in significant weight loss (67 pound average loss in males and 57 pound average loss in females). It’s worth pointing out that this study looked at patients who attended Medifast clinics.

There is also an additional study that compared the Medifast program with diabetes medication. The study found Medifast more effective at controlling type 2 diabetes than an ADA-recommended program (see PR).

Both studies were led by Associate Professor Lawrence Cheskin of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and were funded by Medifast .

Successes

Due to the popularity of the program, Medifast have a number of “success stories” - one of which is Nnedi Uzowihe-Igwe of Maryland, USA (currently featured on the Medifast site). She also appeared in People magazine in January 2006 describing a massive transformation that resulted in a 160lb weight loss between June 2004 and April 2005. Nnedi subsequently became pregnant and gave birth to her second daughter)

I was able to find out how Nnedi was going now, and she appears to have maintained her massive initial weight loss (and is aiming to lose the weight she put on with the second baby by the end of this year).

Drastic

Protein fasts and low-calorie meal replacements are a drastic solution, and in my opinion appropriate for drastic situations. Given the choice between gastric bypass surgery or Medifast , then Medifast must surely be a better answer.

The biggest test of a program such as Medifast is the long-term consequences - and in particular weaning off a program based around shakes and soups. The transition phase should be four to six weeks, and often starts off by introducing some oatmeal at breakfast, and some fruit for snacks. Also exercise must become a part of life (5 days a week). Exercise must be fairly low-key during the restrictive part of Medifast - but once transitioning - it becomes increasingly important.

Due to the level of energy intake and exercise levels - it is likely that some muscle loss will occur during the weight loss phase. Once again, the best course of action would be to gradually include strength training during the transition phase - and begin to build up muscle tone.

Costs

The Medifast 5 and 1 plan cost $275 for 4 weeks. However - that’s the cost of the “5? - you will still need to buy your daily “lean and green” meal (lean protein plus salad/vegetables).

Men & Women

Different formulations are used for men and women. Some shakes are called Medifast 55 or Medifast 70. The latter has a higher soy protein content and is more suitable for men (or women who prefer higher protein).

Behaviour Change Required

Read full story: Medifast Diet - This diet’s longevity speaks volumes

New Nokia Smartphone Patent Features Swiveling Widescreen and QWERTY

A new patent from Nokia shows a pretty interesting new design: a full widescreen that can swivel behind a QWERTY keyboard so only half the screen is visible.

When held in one position, the phone looks a lot like Nokia’s traditional QWERTY candybars, but the screen can swivel up and out to present a widescreen, presumably for media or web browsing, apps that need a lot of screen real estate. It’s a cool way to combine the appeal of a giant touchscreen with the utility of a QWERTY keyboard, except unlike sliders like the T-Mobile G1 or the Sidekick, the keys are always available on this concept. The screen can also apparently rotate side to side, though I’m not really sure what use could be had from that.

It’s just a patent, and I’m sure there are a number of reasons why this idea won’t come to fruition (how is that screen attached?). But I like the idea and maybe we’ll see elements of it in future products from Nokia.
Source - New Nokia Smartphone Patent Features Swiveling Widescreen and QWERTY

Samsung Behold (for T-Mobile) Cell Phone

The head-turning Samsung Behold is a responsive touch-screen cell phone with a few advanced features and a great camera.

Ginny Mies, PC World
PC World
Saturday, December 13, 2008; 12:19 AM

The 3G Samsung Behold ($150 from T-Mobile), the younger sibling of the Samsung Omnia on the Verizon network, is a slick cell phone with a bevy of advanced multimedia features and a responsive touch screen. However, the Behold lacks Wi-Fi and a standard headphone jack, and its Web browser is a bit counterintuitive.

Slightly smaller than the Omnia, the Behold measures 2.1 by 4.1 by 0.5 inches. Weighing 3.9 ounces, it’s light but feels solid in the hand.

The Behold’s 3-inch touch screen takes up the majority of the phone, and three physical keys–end, send, and back–reside underneath. The landscape touch-screen QWERTY keyboard, with generously spaced keys and vibrating feedback, is comfortable to use. I didn’t notice any lag between when I typed and when the results appeared on the screen, a problem I’ve experienced with some other touch-screen keyboards. The Behold’s predictive text feature gives two word choices, but you can also turn predictive text off with a dedicated key on the keyboard. The arrangement includes a few dedicated punctuation keys, as well.

The Behold uses Samsung’s TouchWiz interface, also seen on the Omnia. But unlike the Omnia, which seemed sluggish running Windows Mobile, the Behold is very responsive. The accelerometer, which reacted slowly on the Omnia, flipped from portrait to landscape quickly and smoothly on this handset. I encountered some lag only when I scrolled through lists of contacts or my media library. And otherwise, I found TouchWiz very user-friendly.

The lens for the Behold’s 5-megapixel camera, along with a flash, is located on the phone’s metallic back (which is available in a brushed espresso or light-rose finish). A volume rocker and a headphone/USB jack lie on the left spine of the device, while a dedicated camera key and a phone-lock key sit on the right.

Call quality was very good overall. My contacts sounded loud and clear, and I heard no static or interference. Parties on the other end heard some background noise, but otherwise the sound quality was clean. I experienced no dropped calls.

The Today screen–the Behold’s home screen–has a widget bar running along its left side. You can arrange the widgets in any order, as well as drag one into the main part of the screen to launch its respective app. To end the application, you slide the widget back onto the bar. Available widgets include a calendar, a phone book, a music player, and a clock. But other than rearranging widgets and removing them, you don’t have a lot of room for customization; you can’t add new widgets to the bar or buy new programs (there is no app store), which was disappointing.

The Behold offers a full HTML browser, which is a nice addition for a non-smart-phone handset. The browser is difficult to use on occasion: Scrolling through pages wasn’t as smooth a process as on other touch-screen browsers, and getting the hang of navigating took time. For example, to zoom in on a page, you must touch the magnifying-glass icon at the top of the browser and then select the page size to view. The phone doesn’t do Wi-Fi, either, but that didn’t seem like too big of a loss; Web pages loaded very quickly over T-Mobile’s 3G network.

The Behold’s standout feature is its 5-megapixel camera, with 4X digital zoom and a power LED flash. The camera has four resolution settings, light metering, adjustable ISO, a self-timer, a self-portrait mirror on the back cover, an antishake feature, and a setting for shooting backlit subjects. It also has three fun shooting modes (continuous, panorama, and mosaic), as well as a smile-shot mode that will take another shot if the subject is frowning.

Read the rest of this article - Samsung Behold (for T-Mobile) Cell Phone

State boys basketball powerhouses are back for more

(12-09) 21:56 PST — There are quality rivalries and then there is McClymonds and De La Salle. Once again, the two storied programs will be the teams to beat this season and will face each other in the much-anticipated Martin Luther King Jr. Classic at Cal on Jan. 19.

McClymonds-Oakland beat the Spartans two times last season, but De La Salle-Concord appeared to have an edge heading into this season when Georgetown recruit Hollis Thompson transferred to the school from Loyola-Los Angeles in September. Thompson recently moved to Atlanta, but De La Salle coach Frank Allocco is confident his returning players are ready to compete for a Division I title. Meanwhile, new McClymonds coach Brandon Brooks is hoping to get his team back to Arco Arena for the third straight year.

TOP FIVE TEAMS

1. McClymonds (32-0 last season, 2-0 through Monday): Dwight Nathaniel retired as coach after Mack’s 73-54 win over Dominguez-Compton in the Division I state title game, but the dynamic backcourt of Will Cherry (Montana recruit) and Quincy Hill returns, along with energetic forward Damon Powell. The Warriors also benefit from the arrival of Justin Standley, a 6-foot-3 senior transfer from Amador Valley-Pleasanton.

2. De La Salle (28-4, 1-0): Thompson is gone, but Cal-bound point guard Brandon Smith teams with Jordan Estrada in the backcourt. Denver-bound Jefferson Powers (6-7), John McArthur (6-8) and Beau Levesque (6-6) make up a frontline that held its own against Mater Dei-Santa Ana in a preseason scrimmage.

3. St. Mary’s (33-2, 3-1): The state finalists return a solid core of players including senior point guard Aalim Moor, Chris Brew and twins Dominique and Demetrius Lee. The Panthers’ frantic style of play lends itself to some of the more impressive dunks in the region.

4. Bellarmine (19-10, 1-0): The Bells, led by senior Niyi Harrison, a 6-8 post who signed with Santa Clara, have all the pieces to win a West Catholic Athletic League title and another CCS crown. Their early success depends on the transition of football players like sophomore point guard Kris Olugbode and post Michael Clay.

5. Newark Memorial (26-7, 3-0): Newark nearly shocked De La Salle in the NCS Division I final last season, and upset Sacramento High - the defending NorCal Division III champ - 79-72 in the opening game of this season. Khion Sankey had 21 points in that victory and freshman Casey Norris added 20 for the Cougars, who also have a tough returning guard in 5-10 Bobby McCall.

TOP FIVE PLAYERS

1. Powell (McClymonds, 6-6 F): Many players with more refined skills have competed for the west Oakland power, but few have played with the intensity Powell brings to every game. He averaged 16.1 points and 7.9 rebounds per game as a junior. His dunk over a De La Salle defender in last season’s MLK Jr. Classic became must-see footage on YouTube.

2. Brew (St. Mary’s, 6-3, G): The UC Santa Barbara-bound guard turned down offers from Pac-10 schools to play with his brother Will Brew, a freshman starter for the Gauchos. Brew, who averaged 19 points per game as a junior, is known for his dunks, ability to slash to the basket, unselfishness and defensive intensity.

3. Jared Cunningham (San Leandro, 6-4 G): The lanky guard no longer is committed to Arizona State, so Cunningham could be playing with renewed motivation. His ability to move without the ball and handle it make him especially versatile. Cunningham averaged 17.8 points as a junior.

4. Smith (De La Salle, 6-0 G): Smith has all the intangibles that make a great point guard. He is a master at orchestrating the De La Salle system and an on-the-ball defender who makes setting up an offense difficult for opposing point guards.

5. Tim Harris (Valley Christian, 6-3 G): The often-injured Harris hasn’t lit up the WCAL in three varsity seasons, but signing a letter-of-intent with a rising program like St. Mary’s showed that he has turned the corner in his development. Harris scored 25 points in a 61-49 win over Fremont-Oakland at the NorCal Tip-Off Classic.

Defending champions

Read full source - State boys basketball powerhouses are back for more

8 Ways to Green Your Winter Travel

by Trey Granger

This story is part of Earth911’s “Green Eight” series, where we showcase eight ways to green your life in various areas.

Regardless of economic conditions, travel during November and December increases, often up to 23 percent during the Christmas and New Year’s breaks. Whether you’re visiting friends and family by plane, train or automobile, here’s eight ways to travel green this holiday season:

1. Ride the Rails . . . and Bus Routes

Wondering what’s the greenest form of travel? Actually, traveling by bus or train consumes the least amount of carbon per passenger. In the winter, travel by other means is subject to road closures and weather delays. Plus, trains and buses will usually drop you downtown for easier access to the city you’re visiting.

2. Enjoy Paperless Travel

No matter how you decide to travel, there is potential for lots of paper use. You’ve got tickets and boarding passes, baggage claim receipts and even directions to your lodging. But in this technological age, is all this paper necessary?

• Wait to print boarding passes at the airport, where less paper is used (and refuse the “ticket jacket” if offered).
• Enter important addresses into a portable GPS unit to take on your travel, so you won’t need to print directions.
• Ask if travel receipts can be emailed to you instead of printed (except luggage, of course).

3. Prepare Your Car

If you’re one of the 91 percent of people who opt for the holiday road trip, pre-trip car maintenance can optimize your gas mileage. This includes checking your motor oil and tire pressure, as well as removing unnecessary baggage that will weigh down your car. A 15-minute car preparation can help prevent a two-hour car breakdown in cold weather and more money spent on gas.

4. Reduce Airplane Waste

Think about how much waste you go through on an average flight. There’s peanut and food wrappers, aluminum soda and beer cans, disposable headphones, newspapers and magazines and the aforementioned paper travel documents. Other than the headphones and wrappers, it can all be recycled, and chances are your airport has recycling bins.

Keep this in mind before the flight attendant comes around asking for your trash. You can also bring your own headphones and packed lunch, or tuck your newspaper into the seat in front of you for the next passenger to read.

Read full article - 8 Ways to Green Your Winter Travel

Ferrari 430 16M Scuderia Spider Makes Debut at 2008 Bologna Auto Show

The top has come off the Ferrari 430 Scuderia in honor of the brand’s victory in the 2008 Formula 1 Constructor’s World Championship. Ferrari has announced that it will offer only 499 examples of this lightweight high-performance drop-top. The Scuderia Spider 16M will be available in two new color schemes. The standard will be black and grey, but true racers at heart will opt for a tricolor livery available as part of the Carrozzeria Scaglietti Personalisation Programme. In commemoration of Ferrari’s 16th Constructor’s World title the rear grille will sport a special badge. Inside, a plaque reading “limited series” is mounted just above the air vents at the center of the dashboard. Other features specific to the limited edition include a carbon-fiber roll bar and the implementation of a next generation audio system that can be paired with a customized Ferrari 16GB iPod Touch that can be docked right in front of the dash. Having Scuderia in the name implies that this car isn’t all show and no go. It tips the scales at just 2,954 lbs which is 132 lbs lighter than a F430 Spider. Behind the cockpit resides the sweet-sounding 4.3-liter V-8 cranking out 510 horsepower and linked to the quick-shifting six-speed F1-style gearbox. That 5.7 lb/hp ratio is good for a 0-62 time of only 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 195 mph.
 Read full artcle: Ferrari 430 16M Scuderia Spider Makes Debut at 2008 Bologna Auto Show

What US Expats Need to Know About Paying Taxes

The main opinion considering taxes and American expatriates is that there is no need to worry about paying any more dues to the government. However, the meaningfulness is not that simple, and it is vital that you understand exactly the facts concerning the matter to keep yourself from getting into any legal complications.

The following are the facts involving the Internal Gross income Service and the tax liabilities of an American expat:

The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion

This of obviously, refers to any amount that you may have, or have earned from working in another country besides the US. It includes not just your salary but also any allowance that you may receive as compensation.

To avail of the revenues exclusion, you must meet the following requirements: the first is that you must have lived in that foreign country for at least full year, or have spent at least 330 days from a 12 month epoch. The amount that you can take advantage of can reach up to $80,000. You must, however, file all the necessary papers to the IRS to be a part of this program.

Expats and Self Occupation Tax / the US Social security and Medicare

If you are an expatriate who is employed by a company in the United Sates, it is almost always the case that your proprietor will hold back any Meficare or Social Security.

For those that are their own employers (self employed in other words), you will need to pay up to whatever amount you owe the gate service. Moreover, there is a self employment tax that you will have to pay so that you will be entitled to both Social Security and Medicare.

American Expats Employed by ForeignersIn the mainIf you are working for a corporation in another country, you will not, except in special cases, pay anything to the Internal Revenue Service with respect to your Social Safe keeping, and instead will be covered by that country’s own laws concerning taxation.

Facts about Tax Treaties

If the nation you are in has a tax treaty with the United States, then it is possible that you might have to pay some to the IRS. Currently the US has tax treaties with 60 other nations, and it is therefore crucial that you check if you are covered by this over.
There are several online resources you can check for information concerning this subject, but the best and most reliable place to begin would be at the sanctioned website of the Internal Revenue Service, www.irs.gov

Double Taxation and Foreign Tax Credits

Read full article: What US Expats Need to Know About Paying Taxes

Festive Christmas Flowers From Find A Florist Make the Season Jolly

Find A Florist Helps Send Holiday Floral Arrangements and Christmas Trees With the Widest, Freshest Selections From Local Florists

LOS ANGELES, CA, Dec 03, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) — ‘Tis the season to be jolly, and what better way to celebrate the holidays this year than with a flower arrangement from a local florist found through Teleflora’s Find A Florist, the leading online florist locator? With a directory of over 20,000 local florists, Teleflora’s Find A Florist allows consumers to search for florists in specific markets and areas.
“The holiday season is a great time to send centerpieces, wreaths or even table top trees, which consumers will find through their local florists,” said Chris Campbell, Director Online Marketing, Teleflora. “And to beat the holiday rush, we recommend ordering the second week in December as peak flower sales hit the week before Christmas.”
Christmas flowers bought through florists identified on Find A Florist make great decorations for the home or office, and flowers are wonderful gifts for friends, co-workers and loved ones. With same day or next day delivery, customers can be sure that their Christmas gifts will be hand-arranged and hand-delivered by high-quality florists.
“During the holiday season, we find that winter flowers including mini callas, freesia, bouvardia, red and white tulips, star of Bethlehem, nerine lilies, paperwhites, amaryllis and poinsettias are the most popular. However, non-traditional winter flowers are beginning to show up in many arrangements,” said Campbell. “For example, Teleflora’s Festive Fragrance and Christmas Cactus arrangements are quickly becoming new holiday favorites, with their unique spins on classic Christmas decor.”
For additional information on choosing flowers, or to locate a local florist or floral shop anywhere in the country, visit www.FindAFlorist.com.
About Find A Florist:
Read full article: Festive Christmas Flowers From Find A Florist Make the Season Jolly

Innovative Weight-Loss Surgery

Mercy Medical Center has become the first hospital on Long Island to offer a new single-incision Lap-Band(r) (laparoscopic gastric banding) procedure for weight loss surgery.

A team headed by Shawn Garber, MD, Chief of Bariatric Surgery at Mercy, with colleague Spencer Holover, MD, is among the first in the nation to utilize the innovative technique, known as Single Incision Laparoscopic Surgery (SILS), for gastric banding, using just one small opening in the abdomen, through the navel, rather than the five incisions required in traditional techniques.

“SILS is an important new option that holds the potential of less pain, fewer scars and quicker recovery,” explained Dr. Garber, who heads the New York Bariatric Group. “And most patients report that they can barely notice the single incision hidden in the belly button.”

In addition to its latest application in gastric banding for weight-loss, Dr. Garber utilizes the SILS technique for gall bladder surgery.

Read full article here

Awful’ Month for Carmakers

By Sholnn Freeman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, December 3, 2008; Page D01

Carmakers continued to load on the discounts in November, but American consumers continued to slam on the brakes.

The industry tried everything. Companies offered zero-percent financing, “red tag” sales, employee-discount pricing and even buy-one-get-one-free pickup truck deals. Still, U.S. auto sales plunged to their lowest pace in 26 years. Overall, automakers sold 746,789 cars, trucks and minivans in the United States, down 37 percent from a year earlier, according to Autodata.

All major carmakers suffered steep declines, but Detroit was particularly hard hit. General Motors’ sales tumbled 41 percent, to 152,552. Ford sold 118,319 vehicles last month, a 30 percent fall. Chrysler sold 85,260, down 47 percent.

Jesse Toprak, a sales analyst at Edmunds.com, said the incentive programs have reached a point of diminishing returns, where virtually no amount of cash on the hood will move sales. He said Americans harbor deep economic fears.

“The majority of the decline is low consumer confidence,” he said. “Consumers are not showing up regardless of what kind of deals, regardless of how low gas prices go.”

Toprak said middle-class and upper-middle-class Americans — who make up the market for new car buyers — are reeling from steep erosions in home values and losses in 401(k) plans.

“They don’t know if they are going to have a job in the next few months,” he said. “It’s a bit depressing when you put it all together. Consumers don’t want to make a big-ticket purchase, and cars are the biggest purchase after homes.” The sales figures were also hurt by would-be buyers’ inability to get financing, Toprak said.

November’s sales, translated into the closely watched seasonally adjusted annualized sales rate, or SAAR, slipped to 10.18 million, the lowest selling pace since October 1982, according to preliminary figures by Autodata. Sales appeared to slow from October, when the seasonally adjusted selling pace was measured at 10.56 million.

Economists and industry analysts yesterday were looking for signs that the market was close to bottoming out. Bob Schnorbus, the chief economist at J.D. Power and Associates, said he expected stronger November results from automakers. He said the industry was struggling to get out of “unprecedented territory” and that fourth-quarter results may represent the low point for the industry, barring other large-scale financial calamities.

“It’s probably getting pretty close,” Schnorbus said. “That’s kind of cold comfort if it turns out that the recovery is very weak and protracted.”

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Different Types of Taxi Insurance

Looking at the increasing number of road accidents, as well as vehicle theft, insurance for your vehicle is a must. Getting coverage for a vehicle means that at the time of damage or theft, the company from whom the policy is taken will cover the cost of damages, or will pay for the cost of the vehicle in case of theft. Many of the firms are offering insurance policies on a commercial basis as well, one example being the introduction of taxi insurance in which cover is provided for taxis, cabs and even vans. Private hire insurance policies, as well as public hire insurance policies, are two types of taxi insurance policies available. In comparison to the public hire insurance policy, private hire insurance policies are a lot more expensive as they involve a higher risk.

These types of taxi insurances are very popular these days, as having taxis for public as well as private hire includes a lot of risks, and not opting for any kind of insurance policy will make the running of taxis unaffordable. But one must also be very careful in choosing the company from whom the insurance is obtained, as it is a very specialised field, and very few companies are providing it at genuine prices. Getting a cheap taxi insurance policy may not be a very hard nut to crack because of the competition between the companies.

Obtaining these taxi insurance policies is very easy, as one may register directly over the net or can even consult any executive from the taxi insurance company. The best way to get cheap taxi insurance is to directly get in contact with the wholesale insurance agents as they are well trained and can calculate the minimum amount of premium required to obtain a taxi insurance policy. The prices, or the premium, of the policy is relatively cheap, if there is a good number of a taxis included in the policy. Apart from this, there are three types of taxi insurance policies offered by companies and they are: third party, fully comprehensive, and third party fire & theft.

Read full article: Different Types of Taxi Insurance

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