The Refresh Orlando Heirs

‘…O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?…(1 corinthian 15:54)

‘He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall be taken away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it.’(Isaiah 25:8)

Laura, when your article was published some three weeks ago,little did anyboby know that it would be an article of destiny. You beat death to the finishing line by posting an imperishable memorial in honor of the struggle for peace, freedom and democracy.

When you quantified the cost of constructing the 120 kilometer Tarin-Kowt to Kandahar road, little did it occur to any of us that your life and your blood would be an imperishable ingredient of that cost.

In cutting short the distance and time between these provinces to make life and communications easier for the people, we never knew you would be cutting short your life, in your prime, as a supreme sacrifice for the peace and reconstruction of Afghanistan.

You are not the first American soldier to be killed in action by the defeated Taliban terrorists in Kandahar or Afghanistan. But you are the first Lieutenant, the fisrt American soldier, to publicly document on the net through this platform of destiny- ezinearticle.com the graphic account of the civil work of the Peacemaker 864th Combat Engineer (Heavy) Battalion, based in Kandahar, some 23 days before you were murdered by the explosive devices of this treacherous and cruel militia of hate and retrogression.

Your blood has become a seal of victory for peace, democracy and freedom in Afghanistan. Your blood has likewise sealed the permanent defeat of dictatorship and terrorism in Afghanistan and the world in general.

May the 10,000+ pens of your compatriot expert authors in ezine articles.com and indeed writers worldwide, be lifted up in righteous indignation and be converted to fiery arrows of vengeance, shooting from the mighty hands of God, to locate and strike your wicked murderers. May every hand and life of villagers that you have touched, arise and rebuild peace and prosperity in Afghanistan.

Herein lies the mystery of your heroism, you went the extra mile in that documentary masterpiece, in the face of fierce battle to give the world a window behind the battle lines and to demonstrate the superiority of civilty over babarism.

I caught the fire of your passion for peace, freedom and democracy between the lines of your first, only and last article. As you delicately manuevoured between the threshold of life and death, we felt your pulsating heartbeats. You showed us the danger, …the strangers, …the safety, …the security, …the anxieties, …the hopes, …and lastly, …the costs, which included your very life.

Thank you for giving the world those exceptional and immortal glimpses into your very life of peace in Kandahar. It was clear from your article that you were in a hurry to pour out your heart for world peace and progress before the wicked could pour out your life. And pour, you did: the length of that masterpiece was eleven time more than the minimum length acceptable by ezinearticles editorial policy. It was as if you knew…

Peacemaker Laura, we are proud of you, we feel highly honored that you were numbered with us and sought out among the Greats. May God wipe away the tears of your proud and patriotic family. May God take away the rebuke of America as she continued to defend peace, freedom and democracy world over.

Goodbye Maggie, Goodbye Laura, Give a billion laurels to Laura and all the slain soldiers of peace worldwide.

Aderemi Ojikutu (Aderaskeey) is a Motivational Author and Youth Mentor. He is a minister of the Word of God. A political economist and political leader. He is President of the TREASURE WRITERS CLUB in Nigeria (http://ryze.com/go/Aderaskeey). He is also the current President of the National Democratic Forum (N.D.F). He was National Mobilisation Officer of the National Association of Nigerian Students (N.A.N.S) for several years. A revolutionary of over two decades, he was also the political secretary of the defunct Nigerian Labour Party in 1989-1991.

The following article looks at the different skin types, such as oily, dry, normal, sensitive, mature or a combination of these. It provides a brief description of each of the skin types and what you need to be aware of in order to balance your skin and provides you with approaches to natural skin care that help you make the correct choices for your particular skin.

Skin Types: Normal, Dry, Oily, Combination, Dull or Mature

Normal skin type

Normal skin is smooth, finely-textured, soft and supple. If you are lucky enough to possess this skin type, treasure it by using light cleansers and lotions and mild toners and fresheners.

Dry skin type

Dry skin is usually thin and delicate and often flaky and prone to fine lines. It sometimes feels tighter than it should. Extremely rich and greasy creams are not good for it because they strangulate the pores, often enlarging them and so creating an extra problem. Use light oils and lotions for moisturising and choose herbal toners, which are mild and not too astringent. Try to restore the pH or acid-alkali balance with the application of such things as cucumber juice or diluted vinegar so that the sebaceous glands are encouraged to function.

Generally speaking, the emollient and hydrating herbs (chamomile, comfrey, cowslip, elderflower, fennel, marshmallow, orange blossom, rose, violet) are the best to use in lotions and toners for dry skin. But there is no hard and fast rule. Astringent herbs can be good for dry skins, for example, if blended with emollient herbs or oils and gels, and many herbs are suitable for all skin types. If the skin is sensitive as well as dry, see the notes on sensitive skin below.

Oily skin type

Oily skin is shiny and coarser-textured, often with enlarged pores. It is prone to blackheads and spots. Don’t use alcohol to reduce the oiliness of the skin, as it will only worsen the problem. Many herbal toners are suitable for reducing oiliness and tightening the pores (see list of suitable herbs below). Egg-white makes a nice mild face-mask. Don’t over dry the skin; moisturise with a light lotion. Aim to restore your skin’s acid-alkali balance so that the sebaceous glands cease to produce such large amounts of oil

Astringent and cleansing herbs are generally the best to choose when treating an oily skin. These are: cinquefoil, clary sage, comfrey, cucumber, dandelion, horsetail, houseleek, hyssop, lavender, lemon balm, lemongrass, lemon verbena, marigold, mint, parsley, sage, witch hazel and yarrow. But don’t forget that many herbs are suited to all skin types and that many of the strengthening and anti-inflammatory herbs (chamomile, cowslip, fennel, lettuce, elderflower, orange blossom, rose, violet) are suitable for oily skins.

Combination skin types

The person with this skin type will have to follow two beauty routines, one for the dry areas, and another for the oily. I think the oily areas balance up more easily in this type of skin than when the whole face is oily, so don’t despair.

Sensitive skin type

This skin is usually fine-textured and often prone to reddish veins and patches. Keep to light oils and lotions for cleansing and moisturising, and mild herbal toners and compresses to soothe the skin and reduce redness and veins. It is usually wise for people with sensitive skins to stay away from the stimulating herbs (lavender, lime flower, mint, nettle, sage, southernwood, summer savory, thyme).

Dull skin

Dull skin has lost the bloom of vitality and the soft glow of renewal. It looks matt and lifeless. Its acid balance has slipped. If it is oily or large-pored skin use diluted cider vinegar or lemon juice, or cucumber juice to balance it. If it is dry skin, use buttermilk or cucumber juice.

Mature skin type

Older skin can be toned and softened and restored to much of its former beauty. The skin is a wonderfully regenerating organ, given encouragement. Use a light hand with makeup if you must use it, as this dries and ages the skin.

Other Factors that can influence you skin

The foundation of a healthy beautiful skin is diet. Are you getting sufficient polyunsaturated fats? These are essential to a healthy skin and do not cause facial oiliness. They are found in cereal grains, nuts and cold pressed nut and vegetable oils.

Plenty of vitamin C is fundamental to a beautiful skin, because it builds collagen and elastin, the bonding and structural substances which give tone and resilience. There is no need to resort to tablets. Eat bean sprouts, green and red peppers, black currants, oranges and lemons. Then there are guavas and rosehips, so your diet need not be restricted or dull. There is infinite variety to suit every palate.

Lack of vitamin A can cause dryness of the skin. Eat dandelion, parsley, watercress, carrots, pumpkins, celeriac.

If your skin is unbalanced, either flaky or too oily, or if your lips peel, then check your intake of vitamin B foods. Oats, years, bran, goat’s milk, whole rice, sunflower seeds, sprouted seeds and grains are some of the sources.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Danny Siegenthaler is a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine and together with his wife Susan, a medical herbalist and Aromatherapist, they have created Natural Skin Care Products by Wildcrafted Herbal Products to share their 40 years of combined expertise with you.

Join our Natural Skin Care Newsletter - it’s fun, free and Informative and you receive a free eBook on natural skin care.
© Wildcrafted Herbal Products 2004

The Beginners buyer’s guide to digital cameras or The Ins and Outs of
Megapixels.

By Warren Lynch http://www.wlynch.com

The most important part of buying a digital camera is making sure that
the one you select meets all of your needs.

Digital Camera 101

Better digital cameras uses a chip called a “Charged Coupled Device”
(CCD) instead of film. Light enters the camera, through the open
shutter, and strikes the CCD where it is converted to digital data
before being stored in the camera’s memory.

While that is the simple description, things can get pretty
complicated from there.

Megapixels & Resolution

Resolution is a measure of how many pixels are used to make a digital
copy of an image. Pixels are tiny dots of light that make up a digital
image.

The quality of a digital camera’s image is usually measured in
‘Megapixels’ where each megapixel represents one million pixels.

Here’s how to determine how many megapixels you’ll need depending upon
the type of photos you will be taking and what you intend to do with
them.

1 megapixel

Almost obsolete, you might still find these in cell phones, PDAs, and
desktop “web” cameras. They’re OK if you only intend to email pictures
to other people and those people aren’t going to be printing them.

1.1 to 2 megapixels

Only slightly better than the 1.0, this resolution is OK for an average
4×6 snapshot, but it isn’t going to be a production quality image.

2.1 to 3 megapixels

This is the beginning of the decent camera range. You get very good 4×6
images and reasonably good 5×7 images. These cameras are low cost and
provide a good platform for beginners.

3.1 to 4 megapixels

You are qualified to say that you have a “pretty good” camera. You get
professional quality 4×6 images, real good 5×7 and 6×9 shots, and
somewhat decent, but not great 8×10 images.

4.1 to 5 megapixels and up

People will be saying “Hey, great pictures!”. You can count on
professional images all the way up to 8×10’s. Of course, as the
megapixel count goes up, so does the price.

If you are only going to be viewing your pictures online, such as
posting them at a photo site or using them on your web pages, keep your
money in your pocket and pick yourself up something in the 1.5 megapixel
range.

If you will be shooting pictures that will be printed at a print house,
such as for brochures, postcards, etc, then you will need at least a 5
megapixel camera if not higher. Of course, you’ll also need to have a
fat wallet or a lot of open to buy on your credit card because, even
thought prices are steadily falling, these puppies aren’t cheap!

Once you’ve solved the megapixel puzzle, the rest of a digital camera’s
features, such as lens types, storage capacity and shutter speed are
pretty routine and easy to understand. You shouldn’t have a problem
deciding on those features.

Join Photopheed’s Daily Digital Dose and see Warren’s Tips.
Warren Lynch has been shooting commercial photography since 1979 in
Louisville, Kentucky. Clients include Makers Mark Bourbon, Heaven
Hill, Yum Brands, GE, Fruit of The Loom and many more highly
recognizable brands. Have him make your product more recognizable
too. Visit his website at http:www.wlynch.com or just him a call at
1-502-587-7722.

About the Author

Sign-up for Photopheed’s Daily Syndicated Newsletter, the Daily Digital Dose and also receive Bi-Weekly Digital Photography Tips and Techniques from Warren Lynch an award-winning commercial photographer. http://www.photopheed.com

I have always been keen on taking advantage of free offers. Given the choice between a fast food meal with a freebie or one without, I’ll plump for the mystery envelope every time. It’s human nature, and marketers know it well.

Even in 1979, when I bought my first home computer, there were user groups who supplied type-in listings for a nominal charge. When I bought the first of a series of Atari ST computers in the ’80s and ’90s, I was a regular customer and contributor to a public domain (PD) software library. Fast forward to the end of the ’90s and I was distributing the source code to a number of simple educational flash games to other teachers over the internet.

So that’s my credentials. Like many others, however, I have received much more from open source software than I have ever put in. For the uninitiated, it is worth explaining a few definitions here:

Shareware Software: is free to try, but there is a moral obligation to register your software with its creator and receive upgrades and support in return for a fee. The evaluation period may last for a reasonable length of time after which some features of the software may become unusable.

The Public Domain: if the creator of a work relinquishes all his rights to his intellectual property, it enters the public domain and can be used by others to create derivative works or profit from it without payment of any fees or need for some form of license.

License: many creators who wish to share their intellectual property with others will give away limited rights that allow the user to do a range of things - but still maintain overall control of the way their work is used. Many open source software developers will use the GNU Public License (GPL) as a framework for stating how their work can be used.

Open source software does not have to be synonymous with poorly written undocumented utilities that nobody else wants. Here are a few of my favourites:

Open Office: a fully-fledged office suite, word-processor, spreadsheet, presentation software and graphics package. The fact that these programs will export both PDF format to be read by Adobe Acrobat reader and SWF flash files for use on the web makes them incredibly useful to me. They are the main application software that I use on my laptop.

The GIMP: an image processing package with enough features to rival Photoshop. For younger artists, my daughters love Tux Paint with its variety of stamps and special features.

Moodle: an open source content management system specifically designed for educators. There are plenty of other open source CMS packages available for blogging or running your own web portal.

David Hellam is an international educator, currently working on a project at http://www.educator.pro to build a homepage for the professional educator.

The Internet is a vast resource of information and users all over the world are able to download whatever programs they see fit onto their computer. Unfortunately, having an open connection to the world also can be dangerous in today’s online environment, particularly when you look at the rise of adware & spyware applications that can be downloaded onto your computer without you even knowing it.

You may have heard about spyware and adware from some of the tech geeks at work, but what does it actually mean to you? Surely, these kind of things only affect business computers and servers, right? Wrong. Spyware and adware can be downloaded onto any computer, regardless of whether you’re at work or surfing the web at home. It doesn’t even sometimes come from what you would think would be the most likely candidates: porn sites, gambling sites & other illegal material. The unfortunate part is that sometimes companies that we think to be reputable can actually be using spyware as well to track your every move.

Spyware and adware do not work like a typical virus. Normally they are not as malicious, but they can be just as annoying and incredibly difficult to get rid of. They usually end up appearing on your web browser as a new toolbar up on top, and/or triggering random pop-up ads at certain times. What’s happening is these programs are being downloaded and keeping track of your information: the web sites you’ve been to, your search history in Google, Yahoo or another search engine….possibly even your passwords. They’re also doing things that use up your computer’s valuable resources or hijacking your homepage and switching it to some random search site automatically.

You can quickly see what a nuisance this can be, particularly if you end up having a lot of these programs downloaded to your computer. Such applications, when triggered almost simultanously, can cause you serious problems and a lot of time and effort in repair after the fact. Fortunately, however, there are many spyware removers and anti spyware programs that are available to you that you can download; some even have free trial versions. Nine times out of ten, they are very simple to use and can root out files and cookies on your computer that are associated with spyware.

That said, once you download one of these applications, you must be vigilant and remember to use the program on at least a weekly basis in order to avoid further outbreaks. It helps to download a spyware remover program that also contains an adware shield of some sort that is running in the background and blocks the download of a new piece of spyware before it occurs.

Also, be sure to always know what kind of a link you’re clicking before you click on it, even if it is from someone you think you know. Usually, spam e-mails contain “click here” links that will download some piece of spyware, but your friend might send you a link on AIM or something without even knowing that it is a link to download spyware. These incidents are more common than you might think. Again, a spyware remover program that runs in the background can be of great help here.

If you know how to protect your computer from spyware before it gets downloaded, then you’ll be much better off, and you’ll be able to surf the web freely and safely without having to call up the PC tech place down the street to fix your computer for outrageous fees.

Blair MacGregor is the webmaster & publisher of www.anti-spyware-center.com which provides reviews of the latest Spyware Removers and brings you current and up-to-date news on the adware and spyware scene.

Many people, maybe even you, think there is only one life partner for each of us in our lives. I’ve got good news - we all have many, many life partners. A life partner doesn’t have to be a romantic partner. A life partner is anyone with whom you share long term growth, internally and externally. Relationships in which you can grow with another person as change inevitably occurs are life partnerships. So the pressure is off — you don’t have to look for “the one” anymore.

A life partner can be a romantic partner, or a family member, a friend, a coworker, maybe even an animal. My horses are certainly partners in my life, and we have grown together immensely. Any good relationship is centered on growth. All things, all life inevitably changes, including you and me. If I think back even five years ago to the person I was then, and the person I am now, I can see the huge evolution that has taken place. Most of the relationships I had five years ago have dissolved. And some of them have evolved. I have grown, and the other person has grown. It is through this growth that we have been able to maintain the relationship.

In a way, there are no permanent relationships, because all long-term relationships go through changes. If you are looking for a long-term partner, look at the potential to grow together. Look for fluidity and flexibility. Like the shoreline of the ocean, the sun never rises on a relationship that is exactly the same as it was the day before. The sand pattern will have changed, even if just a little. New seashells may have washed up - or even something bigger like a piece of driftwood or wreckage from a ship. Every day brings new change.

Have you ever seen a toddler throw a temper tantrum, kicking and screaming and flailing on the floor? Often the rantings of young children are caused by frustration when they are trying to learn something new. When they are trying to walk and keep falling down, they understandably get upset. When they are learning to talk and no one understands their words, it often brings them to tears. These things happen when they are exploring their growth edges, learning things they have never learned before. You too encounter growth edges and they can be just as frustrating to adults as they can to toddlers. When you reach a place you’ve never been before, the new territory can be exciting, but can also be frightening and maddening.

Just as you hit individual growth edges, relationships hit growth edges, too. When in a partnership, it is inevitable that you’ll come to places you’ve never been before. Good partnerships often go through extreme challenges, and actually it is often these partnerships that are the strongest. It is the ability to work through the challenge of growth that makes a great relationship. The new territory soon becomes known, just as the toddler learns to walk and talk. So if you and your partner sometimes drive each other nuts, know that this experience provides invaluable growth to you and the relationship. All relationships go through occasional rough patches. It is how you work through them together that matters.

Look around you. Who are your life partners? Who provides you with rich and stimulating growth? I bet if you think about it awhile, you’ll find that you have an abundance of life partners. Life changes, relationships change. Explore new horizons, deeper valleys and higher mountains together!

Copyright 2005, Alexia Alderson Chamberlynn

Alexia Alderson Chamberlynn is the Co-Owner of Prosperity Power Training, LLC, a national training company specializing in e-learning, life coaching and live group training. To contact Alexia or sign up for free services such as a Free 7-Day Training Program, free monthly newsletter and free quote-of-the-day club, visit the website at http://www.prosperitypowertraining.com. Alexia expects to release her first novel in 2005. Alexia lives in Florida with her son Gareth.