Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Tips For Teenagers To Get Their First Jobs

Jobs right now are not just geared for those with a degree or experience. Even teenagers need some jobs to support their needs for their own education or to gain experience or even for their own lavish needs that they do not want to hand to their parents. Jobs for teenagers will also teach them responsibility on having a post and to give them more independence and to experience socializing with people of various backgrounds. If you are a teenager and you wish to get the job that you want (be it a summer job or a weekend job), it is essential to follow these simple tips to make sure that you make a good impact, and of course, land the job.

* Do not feel awkward about dressing up for the interview. Even if you are a kid, in a set up where professionalism is required, you should dress for the role. It is not about dressing up in suits or elegant office wear dresses. It is about making sure you are properly groomed as well as dress in a smart casual way. Sometimes this is the requirement for interviews. Depending on the location or the formality, it is still best to look the part.


* Enthusiasm is appreciated in a job interview. If you are passionate about the job, you should have made your homework and researched about the various responsibilities for the job, it is a turn off to the interviewer if you do not even know what you are applying for and if you are half hearted about the job. You may not have a resume at this point but you can present your extracurricular activities and clubs and/or responsibilities held at home, school or community. These are extra points when you present the interviewer.


* Being a teenager, you know that you have some mannerisms or gestures that might be offending someone. Even if the interviewer is nice and crack jokes to keep you calm, it is best not to make unnecessary or rather unattractive mannerisms like fidgeting and tapping your fingers or feeling restless. Be aware of the eye contact.



* Talk with conviction and do not joke around. Remember that even if they know you are a teenager, the professionalism should be present. You do not need to act like a snob or classy but you should act properly and with respect to your superiors.


* When you get the job or even if you do not get the job, it is best to send or to make a thank you note to let them know that you appreciate the offer or that you appreciate the opportunity of being considered. It leaves a good record for your future and who knows, you might get lucky with them next time! They might even refer you to someone else if you showed that you are passionate and are very reliable.

Impressions at work are not like those in school where you express yourself. You have to make sure you apply these simple tips and in the near future, you will get the job that you want!

Choosing Effective Action Words To Use When Creating A Resume

When choosing effective action words to use when creating a resume, foremost, they should be authoritative and be applied when describing your accomplishments. This type of language is typically used to covey something you've carry through, fulfilled, executed or put in effect. For example in work situations where you have "carried out a task", "executed the decision of a group of people" or "actioned an operation". Action words allow you to start a bullet point in an informative way that is specifically relevant to the skills you wish to promote. Additionally, this type of active wording should be used throughout your resume and cover letters to boost your achievements.

Action words are specifically used to show you've done something in an active sense as opposed to passively, therefore, when thinking about the type of effective action words to use when creating a resume, it's important to target specific keywords that are mentioned in an advertisement or a job specification. This is because many companies will scan resumes into a database or a special software application and then look for specific keywords to help them quickly narrow down their search.

Typically the wording is written in the past tense so as to give the impression that something has been done or completed. Put differently, it appears more likely that you have achieved something. Although this not an exhausted list, examples of effective action words to use when creating a resume include accelerated, accomplished, achieved, completed, optimized, maintained, organized, managed, reduced and spearheaded. As previously mentioned, begin by taking the job description and highlight several verbs that best reflect what you as a candidate can offer a prospective employer. The objective here is to identify the most powerful action words that an employer will consider important and match them to your qualifications.

The best action words to use when creating a resume are ones that will increase your creditability. Describing your skills and experience as a past action gives it a sense of truth, that is, something that actually took place. And so, a summary of your skills and experience turns into proven knowledge that makes you as a candidate more worthy and trustable. A work history that successfully inter-mixes effective actions words will always deliver a more powerful impression and encourage the reader to spend more time with your resume.

You can find variety of places on the Internet or even books from your local library that have a huge list of action words or phrases. In any case, either source should provide you with a well-prepared list of action words to use when creating a resume that will work well. Particularly investigate action words that are specifically related to your professional experience. An ideal place to begin is look at samples of resumes by professionals in your career field. Examine their skills and work experiences to get ideas on how to list your own responsibilities, however, don't plagiarise someone else's information. The objective is to make your resume individualized to your professional experience.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Green Tea and 25 Health Benefits

25 Reasons Why u should Drink Green Tea.



Green tea has increasingly become a very popular drink worldwide
because of its immensely powerful health benefits.

It is extraordinarily amazing what green tea can do for your health.
And if you're not drinking 3 to 4 cups of green tea today,
you're definitely NOT doing your health a big favor.

Here Are The 25 Reasons Why You Should Start Drinking Green Tea
Right Now:

1. Green Tea and Cancer

Green tea helps reduce the risk of cancer. The antioxidant in green tea is 100 times
more effective than vitamin C and 25 times better than vitamin E.
This helps your body at protecting cells from damage believed
to be linked to cancer.

2. Green Tea and Heart Disease

Green tea helps prevent heart disease and stroke by lowering
the level of cholesterol. Even after the heart attack,
it prevents cell deaths and speeds up the recovery of heart cells.

3. Green Tea and Anti-Aging

Green tea contains antioxidant known as polyphenols which fight
against free radicals.
What this means it helps you fight against aging and promotes longevity.

4. Green Tea and Weight Loss

Green tea helps with your body weight loss. Green tea burns fat
and boosts your metabolism rate naturally.
It can help you burn up to 70 calories in just one day. That
translates to 7 pounds in one year.

5. Green Tea and Skin:

Antioxidant in green tea protects the skin from the harmful effects
of free radicals, which cause wrinkling and skin aging.
Green tea also helps fight against skin cancer.

6. Green Tea and Arthritis

Green tea can help prevent and reduce the risk of rheumatoid arthritis.
Green tea has benefit for your health as it protects the cartilage
by blocking the enzyme that destroys cartilage.

7. Green Tea and Bones

The very key to this is high fluoride content found in green tea.
It helps keep your bones strong. If you drink green tea every day,
this will help you preserve your bone density.

8. Green Tea and Cholesterol

Green tea can help lower cholesterol level.
It also improves the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol,
by reducing bad cholesterol level.

9. Green Tea and Obesity

Green tea prevents obesity by stopping the movement of glucose
in fat cells. If you are on a healthy diet, exercise regularly
and drink green tea, it is unlikely you'll be obese.

10. Green Tea and Diabetes

Green tea improves lipid and glucose metabolisms, prevents sharp
increases in blood sugar level, and balances your metabolism rate.

11. Green Tea and Alzheimer's

Green tea helps boost your memory. And although there's no cure for Alzheimer's,
it helps slow the process of reduced acetylcholine in the brain,
which leads to Alzheimer's.

12. Green Tea and Parkinson's

Antioxidants in green tea helps prevent against cell damage
in the brain, which could cause Parkinson's. People drinking green tea
also are less likely to progress with Parkinson's.

13. Green Tea and Liver Disease

Green tea helps prevent transplant failure in people with liver failure.
Researches showed that green tea destroys harmful free radicals
in fatty livers.

14. Green Tea and High Blood Pressure

Green tea helps prevent high blood pressure.
Drinking green tea helps keep your blood pressure down by
repressing angiotensin, which leads to high blood pressure.



15. Green Tea and Food Poisoning

Catechin found in green tea can kill bacteria which causes food poisoning
and kills the toxins produced by those bacteria.

16. Green Tea and Blood Sugar Blood sugar tends to increase with age, but polyphenols and
polysaccharides in green tea help lower your blood sugar level.

17. Green Tea and Immunity

Polyphenols and flavenoids found in green tea help boost your
immune system, making your health stronger in fighting against infections.

18. Green Tea and Cold and Flu

Green tea prevents you from getting a cold or flu.
Vitamin C in green tea helps you treat the flu and the common cold.

19. Green Tea and Asthma

Theophylline in green tea relaxes the muscles which support the
bronchial tubes, reducing the severity of asthma.

20. Green Tea and Ear Infection

Green tea helps with ear infection problem.
For natural ear cleaning, soak a cotton ball in green tea
and clean the infected ear.

21. Green Tea and Herpes

Green tea increases the effectiveness of topical interferon treatment
of herpes. First green tea compress is applied,
and then let the skin dry before the interferon treatment.

22. Green Tea and Tooth Decay

Green tea destroys bacteria and viruses that cause many dental diseases.
It also slows the growth of bacteria which leads to bad breath.

23. Green Tea and Stress

L-theanine, which is a kind of amino acids in green tea,
can help relieve stress and anxiety.

24. Green Tea and Allergies

EGCG found in green tea relieves allergies. So,
if you have allergies, you should really consider drinking green tea.

25. Green Tea and HIV

Scientists in Japan have found that EGCG (Epigallocatechin Gallate)
in green tea can stop HIV from binding to healthy immune cells.
What this means is that green tea can help stop the HIV virus
from spreading.

Monday, April 26, 2010

14 Skin Care Tips


Healthy skin is a part of the happy life one is leading. Everybody loves to have glowing, pinkish and healthier looking skin. It is not true that you have to spend a lot of money on skin care products. You are natural and what suits you the best for your skin is natural remedies plus a few skin care products. I have mentioned some of the skin care tips I follow in order to maintain my skin. I used to spend a lot of money on skin care products, but now these simple steps are more than enough to achieve a healthy looking skin.

1. Wash your face with a good cleanser in every morning and night.

2. Scrub your skin with a natural scrub at least once a week.

3. Apply honey on skin two times a week in the morning or night. Massage for five minutes in circular motions and rinse off with warm water.

4. If you have acne on your back, the most probable reason for that is not cleansing the leftovers of shampoo on skin after bathing. Thus, always wash your back with soap after having a bath.

5. If you have blemishes, dark spots on skin, apply some olive oil and massage before going to bed. This remedy is not recommended for facial skin since olive oil speeds up hair growth on skin.

6. If you are suffering from facial acne choose a good cleanser specially created for acne prone skin.

7. Make it a habit to drink at least eight glasses of water a day. Water performs wonders on your skin.

8. Have a separate towel for yourself to wipe face and body..

9. If you have dry skin, apply Vaseline on skin and massage for a few minutes before going to bed. You will see an amazing difference in the morning when you wake up.

10. Once a week apply tomato juice mixed with a few drops of lime juice on your face and neck. Leave for 20 minutes and rinse off. This remedy is recommended for those who have oily skin with blemishes.

11. A natural scrub for skin: get one cup of white sugar and mix it with a half cup of lime juice. Then you can use it to scrub your body as well as your face.

12. Learn to do a few selected yoga exercises.

13. Drink natural fruit juices made of papaya, pineapple, lemon or oranges. These fruits contain vitamins necessary for a healthy skin.

14. Eat a healthy, balanced meal and avoid fast food.

Backaches


Most backaches come from strained muscles in the lower back. Other causes include back injuries such as a slipped or herniated disc, arthritis, osteoporosis and urinary tract infection. The goals of treatment are to treat the cause of the backache, relieve the pain, promote healing and avoid re-injury.

How to Avoid Back Pain:
Lifting causes a lot of backaches. Here are some lifting Do's and Don'ts to help you avoid straining your back.

Do's:

* Wear good shoes with low heels, not sandals or high heels.
* Stand close to the thing you want to lift.
* Plant your feet squarely, shoulder width apart.
* Bend at the knees, not at the waist. Keep your knees bent as you lift.
* Pull in your stomach and buttocks.
* Keep your back as straight as you can.
* Hold the object close to your body.
* Lift slowly.
* Let your legs carry the weight.
* Get help or use a dolly to move something very heavy.

Don'ts:

* Don't lift if your back hurts.
* Don't lift if you have a history of back trouble.
* Don't lift something that's too heavy.
* Don't lift heavy things over your head.
* Don't lift anything heavy if you're not steady on your feet.
* Don't bend at the waist to pick something up.
* Don't arch your back when you lift or carry.
* Don't lift too fast or with a jerk.
* Don't twist your back when you are holding something. Turn your whole body, from head to toe.
* Don't lift something heavy with one hand and something light with the other. Balance the load.
* Don't try to lift one thing while you hold something else. For example, don't try to pick up a child while you are holding a grocery bag. Put the bag down, or lift the bag and the child at the same time.



Resting the back can help treat the pain and avoid re-injury. Resting doesn't have to be in bed, but lying down takes pressure off your back so it can heal faster. Up to three days of bed rest is usually recommended. Your back muscles can get weak if you stay in bed longer than that.

* When you need to get up from bed, move slowly, roll on your side and swing your legs to the floor. Push off the bed with your arms.
* Get comfortable when you are lying, standing and sitting. For example, when you lie on your back, keep your upper back flat but your hips and knees bent. Keep your feet flat on the bed. Tip your hips down and up until you find the best spot.
* Take pressure off your lower back. Put a pillow under your knees or lie on your side with your knees bent.

Cold treatment:
Cold helps with bruises and swelling. You can make a cold pack by wrapping ice in a towel. Use the cold pack for 20 minutes, then take it off for 20 minutes. Do this over and over for two to three hours a day. Lie on your back with your knees bent and put the ice pack under your lower back. Start as soon as you hurt your back. Keep doing it for three to four days.

Heat treatment:
Heat makes blood flow, which helps healing. But don't use heat on a back strain until three to four days after you get hurt. If you use heat sooner, it can make the pain and swelling worse. Use a moist heating pad, a hot-water bottle, hot compresses, a heat lamp, a hot tub, hot baths or hot showers. Use heat for 20 minutes, then take the heat off for 20 minutes. Do this up to three hours a day. Be careful not to burn yourself.

Massage:
Massage won't cure a backache, but it can loosen tight muscles.

Braces or Corsets:
Braces and corsets support your back and keep you from moving it too much. They do what strong back muscles do, but they won't make your back stronger.

Pain Relief:
Take aspirin, ibuprofen or naproxen sodium for pain. Note: Do not give aspirin or any medication containing salicylates to anyone 19 years of age or younger, unless directed by a physician, due to its association with Reye's syndrome, a potentially fatal condition. Acetaminophen will help the pain but not the swelling. Don't overdo it after taking a painkiller. You can hurt your back more and then it will take longer to heal.

More Tips:

* After two to three days of resting your back, try some mild stretching exercises to make stomach and back muscles stronger. Exercise in the morning and afternoon. (Always ask your doctor before starting an exercise program.)
* Don't sit in one place longer than you need to. It strains your lower back.
* Sleep on a firm mattress.
* Never sleep on your stomach. Sleep on your back or side, with your knees bent.
* If your back pain is chronic or doesn't get better on its own, see your doctor. He or she can evaluate your needs. A referral may be given to a physical therapist, a physiatrist (a doctor schooled in physical therapy) or a chiropractor.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Beauty Myths

Beauty Myths : That Deserve to Die
We are all so-called experts on skin care. After all, great aunt Mary Ellen’s best friend’s mother swore by smearing globs and globs of Vaseline on her face each and every night. And her skin was weathered like a piece of leather perfect, so it must be true. Come close and let me share a secret. Would you believe me if I told you that not everything you hear or read is true? (Which might lead one to argue that that statement could therefore be false, which would negate this entire post … ouch I think I just pulled a muscle in my brain.)

Here are some common myths and what I found out about each.

Myth: Preparation H Reduces Eye Puffiness
Yeah okay. No. In fact, using Preparation H around the eyes can cause dry and inflamed skin. Therefore, you’ll just end up with dry, inflamed, greasy eyes. You’re better off just saving it for your nether region.

Myth: Your Skin Pores Open and Close
A pore is not a door or window—they can not open and close. However, if something is built up in the pore (ie. dead skin cells) the pores can appear enlarged. Go ahead and exfoliate in order to remove that gunk stuff.

Myth: Cucumber Reduces Eye Puffiness
The cucumber itself does not reduce puffiness. But consider this, have you ever heard of someone being referred to as hot as a cucumber? No, it’s cool as a cucumber. Cucumbers are able to stay cold for long periods of time outside of a refrigerator. That cold is what actually reduces puffiness (it causes blood vessels around our eyes to contract, thereby reducing swelling). That being said, you could lay a dirty sock over your eyes and it could help. As long as it is cold.

Myth: Soap Is Bad for Your Skin
When soaps contained lye and animal fat, this was true. But newer soaps are less harsh and have good stuff like moisturizers.

Myth: Vaseline on Your Face Every Night Will Prevent Wrinkles?
Petroleum can make wrinkles less apparent by softening lines, but it can’t prevent aging.

Myth: Never Pluck a Gray Hair; Ten More Will Grow in Its Place
Answer me this: If you grow some carrots and pull them up out of the ground, will a bunch more pop up in its place? It’s just not possible.

Myth: Alcohol-Free Is Better
Not all alcohols are drying alcohols. There are also fatty-alcohols. Fatty = emollient. Emollient = softer skin. (Examples of fatty alcohols would be cetyl-alcohol, benzyl-alcohol and oleyl-alcohol.)

Myth: Cutting Your Hair and Eyelashes Once a Week Will Make Them Grow Longer
We’ll believe just about anything, won’t we? Try this one out and you’ll just end up bald.

51 Ways To Perfect Health


1. Drink eight glasses of water a day.

2. Include two vegetables and one fruit in every meal.

3. Begin each meal with a raw vegetable salad.

4. Make a light snack of assorted sprouts.

5. Start the day with a glass of warm water and a dash of lime.

6. Use only fresh vegetables.

7. Once a week have only fresh fruits until noon, make lunch the first meal of the day.

8. Eat only freshly cooked meals, not refrigerated leftovers.

9. Include one green vegetable and one yellow vegetable in every meal.

10. Go on a juice fasta for a day. Start with vegetable juice, and sip fruit for lunch and dinner.

11. Kick the old coffee habit. Have a glass of fresh fruit juice instead.

12. Cut out all deep-fried foods from your diet.

13. Cut down on high sugar products like soft drinks, ice-cream, candy and cookies in your diet.

14. Never skip a meal, even if you are on a diet. Eat a fresh fruit or have vegetable juice instead.

15. Avoid beverages like soda, coffee, colas and so on.

16. Include high fibre foods plenty of fruits, vegetables and grains in planning your diet.

17. Use salt in moderation

18. Wash vegetables throughly in clean water before chopping.

19. Stream or boil vegetables (rather than fry or saute.

20. Retain peels of potato, cucumber, carrot and tomato while cooking.

21. Do take a moment off to mentally list out the nutritional value of the food you are about to eat.

22. Dont rush through your meals. Set aside enough time to appreciate, enjoy and digest your food.

23. Make every meal an enjoyable experience. Set dishes out attractively and chew slowly to appreciate the full flavour of the foods you eat.

24. Choose to be radiantly healthy. Keep yourself informed about the nutritive value of every food you buy.

25. Shop for groceries yourself. Notice the look, feel and smell of fresh fruit and vegetables and enjoy their intrinsic goodness.

26. Watch out for eating habits paired with emotional states, like reaching for a chocolate when you̢۪re depressed. Resist the urge and eat fruit instead.

27. Eat popcorn (rather than chips) while watching a movie.

28. Sit at the table at meal times. Dont read the paper or review bills while eating.

29. Make it a point to have dinner with the entire family at the table, and not in front of the TV.

30. Eat just to the point of the fullness. Dont stuff yourself!

31. Stop smoking.

32. Restrict alcohol consumption.

33. Get a good night sleep, every night.

34. Enrol today in an exercise programme.

35. Take a brisk, 20 minute invigorating walk each morning.

36. Spend 10 minutes every morning and evening doing basic stretches.

37. Do not use elevators when you can climb the stairs.

38. Enrol in a TM programme today.

39. Focus on your breathing. Take a deep breath, then exhale slowly. Repeat a couple of times a day.

40. Learn to relax. Spend 20 minutes consciously relaxing each muscle of your body.

41. Spend 20 minutes a day in silent meditation, prayer or contemplation.

42. Learn the healing power of laughter. Watch a crazy movie, recall a joke or read a funny book and laugh out loud.

43. Tap the powers of your sub-conscious. Relax your body for 20 minutes and project the Perfect You on your mind screen.

44. Balance your lifestyle. Devote equal time each week to work and fun.

45. Join kids in a sports activity and rediscover the joys of childhood.

46. Do keep in touch with friends. Call up or visit them and be at peace with the world.

47. Enrol in an activity (like dancing, swimming or roller skating…) you never indulged in because you were afraid of â€Å“what people might say.

48. Forgive someone who you think has done you wrong and cleanse your spirit of rancour.

49. Do a nice turn to someone you dont know too well, but who could do with a friend.

50. Spend a quiet half-hour chatting with your family.

51. Read a great book once a week.

25 Health Benefits of Lemons

,Lemon is one of those super foods with a myriad health and cosmetic benefits. There are a few persons for whom it is an allergen, so make sure you are not allergic to this natural product, before you start enjoying the many benefits.

1. Lemon being a citrus fruit , fights against infection. It helps in production of WBC's and antibodies in blood which attacks the invading microorganism and prevents infection.

2. Lemon is an antioxidant which deactivates the free radicals preventing many dangerous diseases like stroke, cardiovascular diseases and cancers.

3. Lemon lowers blood pressure and increases the levels of HDL (good cholesterol) .

4. Lemon is found to be anti-carcinogenic which lower the rates of colon, prostate, and breast cancer. They prevent faulty metabolism in the cell, which can predispose a cell to becoming carcinogenic. Also blocks the formation of nitrosamines in the gut.

5. Lemon juice is said to give a glow to the skin.

6. A few drops of lemon juice in hot water are believed to clear the digestive system and purify liver as well.

7. The skin of lemon dried under the sun and then ground to make powder can be applied to the hair for a few minutes before bath which relieves head ache and cools the body.

8. Applying lemon juice to acne dries the existing ones and prevents from getting more.

9. Lemon juice acts as a natural hair lightner and skin bleach which reduces the pigment melanin and prevents the risk of chemical allergic reactions which is common with hair dyes and bleaches.

10. Lemon juice is given to relieve gingivitis, stomatitis, and inflammation of the tongue.

11. Lemon juice is given to prevent common cold.

12. Lemon juice is given to prevent or treat urinary tract infection and gonorrhea.

13. Lemon juice is applied to the sites of bites and stings of certain insects to relieve its poison and pain.

14. Lemon juice relieves colic pain and gastric problems .

15. Lemon juice soothes the dry skin when applied with little glycerin .

16. Lemon juice used for marinating seafood or meat kills bacteria and other organisms present in them, thereby prevents many gastro-intestinal tract infections.

17. Lemon juice with a pinch of salt (warm) every morning lowers cholesterol levels and brings down your weight.

18. Lemon juice is the best drink to prevent dehydration and shock in case of diarrhea.

19. Lemon juice can also be used as a mouthwash. It removes plaque, whitens the teeth and strengthens the enamel.

20. A table spoon on thick lemon syrup everyday relieves asthma.

21. Lemon juice relieves chilblains and itchy skin.

22. Gargling lemon juice relieves throat infection and also used as a treatment for diphtheria .

23. Lemon juice is an excellent treatment for dandruff and greasy hair .

24. Lemon applied over the face removes wrinkles and keeps you young.

25. Lemon juice helps to prevent and cure osteoarthritis.

Friday, April 23, 2010

15 Golden Fengshui Tips for the Home


1) There should be no shoes or slippers lying around outside the main door of every house. Remove it if you can. Allow that space at the main door to be free and clear. Now, allow me to tell you why. The chi (energy) rides with the wind and will collect all the smell of those shoes and slippers into your house causing sickness. These chi then travels about in your house looking for water to stay but if there are no water fountains or fish tanks, then the chi will be disperse by wind.

2) There should be no television sets in your bedrooms: If you cannot get rid of that habit then after watching the televison programmes, cover it with a plastic table cloth. Remember it has to be plastic and not simply cloth.

3) There should be no mirrors opposite your bed or at the side of your bed. Mirrors opposite the bed can attract a third party to the relationship. Therefore, do not place mirrors anywhere you like and especially in your bedroom.

4) There should not be a dinning table opposite your altar table. Some people are still not aware of this concept and still have that in their dinning room. Shift the dinning table.

5) If you have a fish tank in your house, be careful. A fish tank placed correctly can bring about greater fortune as you will tap on the "Divine Water Dragon's Den". But if you tap wrongly, it can cause you to have lawsuits, bankrupcy, work pressure, troubles and problems. If you noticed any of these after placing the fish tank for approximately four months, shift your fish tank to another location.

6) In your kitchen, ensure that opposite your stove there is no refrigerator, washing machine, wash basin and toilet. The fire and water crash causing family members to have disagreements.

The fengshui solution ? Remove one of them.

7) Try not to allow children to sleep on mattresses on the floor. Yes, this allows young children not to fall off beds but it also causes young children to fall sick frequently. The reason is: chi is not able to flow underneath the bed. Ideally, chi should circulate around the mattress where our children sleeps to allow them to be healthy.

8) For young children, try to have their back to the wall when they write. It is important there should be a solid wall behind a children's writing table. This allows the child to have support so that he can sit there and study longer rather than for only half an hour and then they tend to move about because there is no solid wall behind their back. Adjust your writing table.

9) Do not allow children to sleep on double decker beds even if it means saving space. The child sleeping underneath the double decker bed will not have "fresh chi" and so his health might be weak. But if due to space constraints, then monitor your child's health if not add in a metal 6 rods windchime to break up the "stale chi" around his bed.

10) Your bed should always have a solid wall behind you. This is important if you wish to have a good rest. A solid wall simply means that you can go into deeper sleep and therefore enabling you to have good rest so that when you wake up in the morning, you will feel fresh and well rested. This also allows you to be able to concentrate on your work better.

11) There should be no beam on top of your bed, your stove, your sofa sets or the altar table. The beam above causes chi to be pressured thus enabling you to have pressures in life. Therefore, don't place furnitures underneath it or alternatively level the beam. But make sure if you choose the latter, it is important that you have enough height for that space.

12) If you have a lot of work pressure, maybe it's the marble table that you have in your dinning room that causes you to have those problems. Remove that marble table and change to a wooden one or alternatively live with that work pressure !

13) If your child usually falls sick in that bedroom: Then either change them to another bedroom or simply hang a six rod metal windchime as the metal element will break all the earth energies in that room. After hanging, if the wind could not do the job for you then you will have to "chime" it yourself and then watch for the good results.

14) Do not use a red sofa set: The colour red represent the element of fire. And for fengshui, some places simply cannot have the colour red in that sector. For example : the wealth area or some other sectors which without a fengshui check would be unable to tell you where it is. A red sofa sets gives rise to heavy work pressure, troubles and obstacles. Most people simply accept that life is like that without realising that THAT is caused by the bad fengshui of that red sofa ! Fengshui Solution ? Change the colour of your sofa.

15) Always open your bedroom windows at least once 20 minutes a day to allow fresh chi to come in - Why should we do it ? We do this so that it allows fresh new chi from outside to come into your bedroom, if not you will be sleeping with stale chi every night. And if that happens, then how can you expect your life to bring in more good fortune to come to you ? So open that window and never mind if dusts comes in ! The great good fortune that you can have will far exceeds the time you take to clean off the dust !

what IS RSS FEED?


SO I guess many of us may don't know about RSS Feed,
then if u don't then readdd....

RSS is a family of web feed formats used to publish frequently updated content such as blog entries, news headlines or podcasts. An RSS document, which is called a "feed," "web feed," or "channel," contains either a summary of content from an associated web site or the full text. RSS makes it possible for people to keep up with their favorite web sites in an automated manner that's easier than checking them manually.

RSS content can be read using software called a "feed reader" or an "aggregator." The user subscribes to a feed by entering the feed's link into the reader or by clicking an RSS icon in a browser that initiates the subscription process. The reader checks the user's subscribed feeds regularly for new content, downloading any updates that it finds.

The initials "RSS" are used to refer to the following formats:

* Really Simple Syndication (RSS 2.0)
* RDF Site Summary (RSS 1.0 and RSS 0.90)
* Rich Site Summary (RSS 0.91)

RSS formats are specified using XML, a generic specification for the creation of data

hopE you got it....

Annoying Public Speaking Habits

“Speak clearly, if you speak at all; carve every word before you let it fall.” - Oliver Wendell Holmes

Here are some annoying public speaking habits. They can be deal breakers, so avoid these annoying habits at all costs!

*Voice Trailing Off - Many speakers let their voices trail off at the end of every sentence. The audience can hear the first part of their sentence, but they have no idea what pearls of wisdom might be lost in the whispers at the end.

*Looking Down - Sometimes this speaker will deliver complete sentences inaudibly while looking down — obviously not interested at that moment in engaging the audience.

*Mumbling - Mumbling is not cool. Inexperienced speakers will often speak at conversation level, not giving any thought or consideration to the people in the back of the room. Recently, I sat in on a panel discussion at a workshop. The panelists chose to sit instead of stand to address the standing-room-only crowd, which I thought was rude. And one man, whenever it was his turn to speak, would rest his elbows on the table and fold his hands in front of his mouth during the entire time that he was speaking.

*Reading - Some speakers are not good readers. If you are not skilled at reading something out loud, don’t do it while speaking. Especially avoid doing this secretly. In other words, if you plan to deliver your speech by reading all or part of it, and you do not have good out loud reading skills, forget it.

*Not keeping everyone involved - Inexperienced or thoughtless speakers leave members of the audience out. When an audience member asks a question, it is rarely heard in the back of the room. I’ve seen many expert speakers respond to the question by engaging in a one-on-one conversation with this person while the rest of the audience is left wondering. Speakers, I urge you to repeat the question so everyone is on the same page. And then respond to the question so that everyone in the room can hear it.

*Sitting Down - Some speakers choose to sit down on the job. In a very small, intimate group or when the audience is sitting in a circle of chairs or on the floor, for example, speaking while seated is generally okay. But if you have a room containing six rows of chairs or more, you really should express respect for those in the back of the room by standing so that you can be seen as well as heard.

*Filler Words - Even some professional speakers still use too many filler words. It takes practice, but you can rid your vocabulary (especially while speaking in public) of those filler words like, uh, ah, er. Also avoid connecting sentences by overusing “and.”

*Overshooting Time Allotment - Many speakers have trouble staying within the time allotment. Most programs or presentations are carefully organized. Each segment is designed to fit into a specific time slot. I’ve seen speakers completely disregard their time constraints and foul up the entire evening’s program. Not cool.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

ReQuest to Get A Free UBANTU cd


Ubuntu is one of the best Operating System
In order to request free Ubuntu CDs delivered directly to your doorsteps, just go to
Code:
https://shipit.ubuntu.com/


. Either you can order Ubuntu Desktop Edition or you can order Ubuntu Server Edition.

Make sure that you MUST have an account in Launchpad Login Service.

Code:
https://login.launchpad.net


Only users Signed In with Launchpad Account can carry on further steps to order Free Ubuntu CDs.

Also the Home Delivery is completely free, but it will take around 10 Weeks. Feel free to browse the Shipit FAQs for more information about Home Delivery and other questions,
Code:
http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/shipit-faq


You can also go for Ubuntu Online Download.

Code:
http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download



So Enjoy using Ubuntu and feel free to spread the CDs to your friends & near and dear ones.

Windows XP File System NTFS - Faster, Secure, Stable


Article Taken From Microsoft.com
To NTFS or not to NTFS that is the question. But unlike the deeper questions of life, this one isn't really all that hard to answer. For most users running Windows XP, NTFS is the obvious choice. It's more powerful and offers security advantages not found in the other file systems. But let's go over the differences among the files systems so we're all clear about the choice. There are essentially three different file systems available in Windows XP: FAT16, short for File Allocation Table, FAT32, and NTFS, short for NT File System.
FAT16

The FAT16 file system was introduced way back with MS DOS in 1981, and it's showing its age. It was designed originally to handle files on a floppy drive, and has had minor modifications over the years so it can handle hard disks, and even file names longer than the original limitation of 8.3 characters, but it's still the lowest common denominator. The biggest advantage of FAT16 is that it is compatible across a wide variety of operating systems, including Windows 95/98/Me, OS/2, Linux, and some versions of UNIX. The biggest problem of FAT16 is that it has a fixed maximum number of clusters per partition, so as hard disks get bigger and bigger, the size of each cluster has to get larger. In a 2 GB partition, each cluster is 32 kilobytes, meaning that even the smallest file on the partition will take up 32 KB of space. FAT16 also doesn't support compression, encryption, or advanced security using access control lists.

FAT32

The FAT32 file system, originally introduced in Windows 95 Service Pack 2, is really just an extension of the original FAT16 file system that provides for a much larger number of clusters per partition. As such, it greatly improves the overall disk utilization when compared to a FAT16 file system. However, FAT32 shares all of the other limitations of FAT16, and adds an important additional limitation many operating systems that can recognize FAT16 will not work with FAT32 most notably Windows NT, but also Linux and UNIX as well. Now this isn't a problem if you're running FAT32 on a Windows XP computer and sharing your drive out to other computers on your network they don't need to know (and generally don't really care) what your underlying file system is.

The Advantages of NTFS

The NTFS file system, introduced with first version of Windows NT, is a completely different file system from FAT. It provides for greatly increased security, file by file compression, quotas, and even encryption. It is the default file system for new installations of Windows XP, and if you're doing an upgrade from a previous version of Windows, you'll be asked if you want to convert your existing file systems to NTFS. Don't worry. If you've already upgraded to Windows XP and didn't do the conversion then, it's not a problem. You can convert FAT16 or FAT32 volumes to NTFS at any point. Just remember that you can't easily go back to FAT or FAT32 (without reformatting the drive or partition), not that I think you'll want to.

The NTFS file system is generally not compatible with other operating systems installed on the same computer, nor is it available when you've booted a computer from a floppy disk. For this reason, many system administrators, myself included, used to recommend that users format at least a small partition at the beginning of their main hard disk as FAT. This partition provided a place to store emergency recovery tools or special drivers needed for reinstallation, and was a mechanism for digging yourself out of the hole you'd just dug into. But with the enhanced recovery abilities built into Windows XP (more on that in a future column), I don't think it's necessary or desirable to create that initial FAT partition.

When to Use FAT or FAT32

If you're running more than one operating system on a single computer (see my earlier column Multibooting Made Easy), you will definitely need to format some of your volumes as FAT. Any programs or data that need to be accessed by more than one operating system on that computer should be stored on a FAT16 or possibly FAT32 volume. But keep in mind that you have no security for data on a FAT16 or FAT32 volume any one with access to the computer can read, change, or even delete any file that is stored on a FAT16 or FAT32 partition. In many cases, this is even possible over a network. So do not store sensitive files on drives or partitions formatted with FAT file systems.

Show All Menu Commands in Office 2000


By default, Office 2000 displays only the commands that you use most often on the new, personalized menus. Do you wish you could see all of the commands at once like you could in Office 97? Here's how.



To turn off personalized menus:

1. On the Tools menu, click Customize, and then click the Options tab.

2. To show all the commands on the menus, clear the Menus show recently used commands first check box.

You can do this from any Office 2000 program, and it applies to all of your other Office programs as well.

Show Shortcut Keys in ScreenTips In Office 2000


You can teach yourself keyboard shortcuts for the most commonly used commands in Microsoft Word by turning on shortcut keys in ScreenTips. When you choose to show toolbar ScreenTips, you can specify that Word also display a shortcut key combination for the toolbar button.



To display shortcut keys in ScreenTips:

1. On the Tools menu, click Customize, and then click the Options tab.

2. If it's not already selected, select the Show ScreenTips on toolbars check box.

3. Select the Show shortcut keys in ScreenTips check box.

Editor's Note: When you select the Show shortcut keys in ScreenTips check box, the setting affects all Office programs except Microsoft Excel.

Brain Tumors Prevention Tips


What is a brain tumor?

A brain tumor is an abnormal mass of tissue in which the cells grow and multiply without restraint, apparently unregulated by the mechanisms that control normal cells. One factor that distinguishes brain tumors from other tumors is that they arise in the skull, an organ encased by bone, and there is very little room for expansion with the skull. They are also among the few types of tumors that generally do not tend to metastasize or spread to other parts of the body.

Whereas certain brain tumors occur almost exclusively during childhood and adolescence, others are predominantly tumors of adult life. The patient's age appears to correlate with the site where some tumors develop in the brain. Although most primary tumors attack member of both sexes with equal frequency, some, such as meningiomas, occur more frequently in women, while others, such as medulloblastomas, more commonly afflict boys and young men.

The prognosis for patients with a brain tumor is as individual as the patients themselves. Your doctors will help you understand the possible consequences of your specific tumor.


Tumor Types



There are several different types of brain tumors and this section describes most except the ones that are quite rare. We will help you locate the structures of the brain mentioned in these descriptions and will tell you in general terms the functional roles of each structure.



Gliomas
Astrocytoma and Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM)

Other Gliomas
Brain Stem Glioma, Epdendymoma, Ganglioneuroma, Juvenile Pilocytic Astrocytoma, Mixed Glioma, Oligodendroglioma, and Optic Nerve Glioma

Non-gliomas
Chordoma, Craniopharyngioma, Medulloblastoma, Meningioma, Pineal Tumors, Pituitary Adenoma, Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumors (PNET), Schwannoma or Acoustic Neuroma, and Vascular Tumors

Other brain-related conditions
CNS Lymphoma, Meningeal Carcinomatosis, Neurofibromatosis, Pseudotumor Cerebri, and Tuberous Sclerosis

Metastatic brain tumors
Any tumors that spread to the brain from other parts of the body.




Facts about Brain Tumors

o Each year approximately 190,000 people in the United States and 10,000 people in Canada will be diagnosed with a primary or metastatic brain tumor.

o Brain tumors are the leading cause of SOLID TUMOR death in children under age 20 now surpassing acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and are the third leading cause of cancer death in young adults ages 20-39.*

o Brain tumor patients, including those with certain "benign" brain tumors, have poorer survival rates than breast cancer patients.

o Metastatic brain tumors (cancer that spreads from other parts of the body to the brain) occur at some point in 10 to 15% of persons with cancer and are the most common type of brain tumor. The incidence of brain tumors has been increasing as cancer patients live longer.**

o In the United States, the overall incidence of all primary brain tumors is more than 14 per 100,000 people.

o There are over 120 different types of brain tumors, making effective treatment very complicated.

o Because brain tumors are located at the control center for thought, emotion and movement, their effects on an individual's physical and cognitive abilities can be devastating.

o At present, brain tumors are treated by surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy used either individually or in combination.

o Only 31 percent of males and 30percent of females survive five years following the diagnosis of a primary or malignant brain tumor.

o Brain tumors in children are different from those in adults and are often treated differently. Although as many as 69 percent of children with brain tumors will survive, they are often left with long-term side effects.

o Enhancing the quality of life of people with brain tumors requires access to quality specialty care, clinical trials, follow-up care and rehabilitative services. Improving the outlook for adults and children with brain tumors requires research into the causes of and better treatments of brain tumors.

o Complete and accurate data on all primary brain tumors are needed to provide the foundation for research leading to improved diagnosis and treatment and to investigations of its causes.

o The National Cancer Institute and the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke are working together to implement the brain tumor research priorities set by the research, clinical and advocacy community, as summarized in the Brain Tumor Progress Review Group Report.

o Symptoms of a brain tumor can include headaches (headaches that wake you up in the morning), seizures in a person who does not have a history of seizures, cognitive or personality changes, eye weakness, nausea or vomiting, speech disturbances, or memory loss. While these are the most common symptoms of a brain tumor, they can also indicate other medical problems.




Treatment of Brain Tumor

1. Which therapies are used to treat brain tumors?

2. Which medications are used for brain tumor patients?

3. What is radiation therapy?

4. What is stereotactic radiosurgery?

5. What is chemotherapy?

6. What are the newest chemotherapy drugs?

7. What is gene therapy?

1. Which therapies are used to treat brain tumors?



Surgery is the chief form of treatment for brain tumors that lie within the membranes covering the brain or in parts of the brain that can be removed without damaging critical neurological functions. Because a tumor will recur if any tumor cells are left behind, the surgeon's goal is to remove the entire tumor whenever possible. Radiation therapy and chemotherapy, in general, are used as secondary or adjuvant treatment for tumors that cannot be cured by surgery alone.

2. Which medications are used for brain tumor patients?

Steroids and anti-convulsants (to stop seizures) are the most common medications used for brain tumor patients. Steroids are given to reduce inflammation of tissues and control swelling of the brain, particularly before and after surgery. They do not kill tumor cells, but used alone or combined with other forms of treatment, can cause remarkable improvement in a patients condition. If used for only a few days, steroids generally cause no side effects, but used over a long time or withdrawn without monitoring, steroids may produce several side effects. You should discuss monitoring of the steroid and all possible side effects with you doctor.

Other drugs commonly used with brain tumor patients are anti-convulsants. Some are used to keep seizures from happening (prophylactic) while others cut short (abort) seizures that have already started. Some of the more common drugs now used to prevent seizures are Dilantin, Tegratol, Depakote, and Phenobarbital. It is important to remember that side effects of these drugs vary greatly from person to person. But if side effects are a serious problem, there are plenty of newer drugs that can be used, either alone or in combination with others. Newer drugs include Neurontin (gabapentin), Topomax (toiramate), Lamictal (lamotrigine) and Gabitril (tiagabine).

3. What is radiation therapy?

Radiation therapy is mainly used after surgery for tumors that cannot be removed completely, as well as for cases in which surgery would involve too great a risk to the patient. It may be given in a single dose each day, usually for 30 days with weekends off, or it may be "hyper fractionated" into two or more doses daily for the recommended course of treatment.

Standard radiation therapy delivers an external beam of radiation aimed at an entire region, such as the portion of the brain containing the tumor and typically delivers a daily dose of 1.8-2.0 Gy (Gray) to a total dose of 50-60 Gy over 5-7 weeks.

4. What is stereotactic radiosurgery?

Stereotactic radiosurgery is a non-invasive therapeutic alternative for treating brain disorders. Instead of a scalpel, clinicians using stereotactic radiosurgery technology aim multiple"pencil-thin" beams or arced beams of high energy particles directly at the tumor site while sparing healthy tissue as much as possible. With stereotactic radiosurgery techniques, a higher dose of radiation is delivered to the specific site (or tumor) of 15-20 Gy and is usually given in one day. Both Gamma Knife and LINAC X Knife are types of stereotactic radiosurgery.

5. What is chemotherapy?

Chemotherapy works to destroy tumor cells with drugs that may be given either alone or in combination with other treatments. A key problem with chemotherapy has been the difficulty in delivering sufficient amounts of drug directly to the tumor while sparing normal brain cells. Another problem is the blood-brain barrier mechanism that normally serve to keep harmful substances out of the brain - unfortunately, this same blood-brain barrier can also work to keep potentially helpful drugs out of the brain. Although chemotherapy is usually given by mouth or injected in the vein, some new techniques of intratumoral chemotherapy use either small pumps or biodegradable wafers to place the drug inside the tumor.

6. What are the newest chemotherapy drugs?

There is currently a great deal of scientific activity focused on the area of the discovery of new chemotherapy drugs, many with novel or alternative mechanisms of action (how drugs work). Following is a brief list of the various categories of chemotherapies being used to treat brain tumors: Cytotoxic Agents, Anti-angiogenic drugs, Differentiating agents, Anti-invasion agents, Cell signal transduction modulators and Growth factor inhibitors.

7. What is gene therapy?

Currently for patients with malignant brain tumors who have a recurrence after surgery, radiation therapy or chemotherapy, gene therapy may provide an experimental option for treatment. Using gene therapy, researchers inject a substance into the brain tumor that changes the genetic makeup of the tumor cells.




Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is a brain tumor?

2. What is the difference between a primary brain tumor and a metastatic (secondary) brain tumor?

3. What is the difference between a benign brain tumor and a malignant (cancerous) brain tumor?

4. What does it mean when a brain tumor is in remission?

5. What are recurrent tumors?

6. Is a brain tumor cancer?

7. How is a brain tumor diagnosed?

8. How is a brain tumor treated?

9. What will happen to a patient with a brain tumor?

10. What are the parts of the brain?

1. What is a brain tumor?

A brain tumor is an abnormal mass of tissue in which the cells grow and multiply without restraint, apparently unregulated by the mechanisms that control normal cells. One factor that distinguishes brain tumors from other tumors is that they arise in the skull, an organ encased by bone, and there is very little room for expansion with the skull. They are also among the few types of tumors that generally do not tend to metastasize or spread to other parts of the body.

Whereas certain brain tumors occur almost exclusively during childhood and adolescence, others are predominantly tumors of adult life. The patient's age appears to correlate with the site where some tumors develop in the brain. Although most primary tumors attack member of both sexes with equal frequency, some, such as meningiomas, occur more frequently in women, while others, such as medulloblastomas, more commonly afflict boys and young men.

The prognosis for patients with a brain tumor is as individual as the patients themselves. Your doctors will help you understand the possible consequences of your specific tumor.

2. What is the difference between a primary brain tumor and a metastatic (secondary) brain tumor?

Primary brain tumors originate in the brain. The tumor cells do not travel to the brain from other parts of the body and, in most cases, primary brain tumor cells do not travel to other parts of the body either. The most common exception to this rule is the primary brain tumor of childhood called medulloblastoma, which can spread to the lymph nodes, bone marrow, lungs or other parts of the body. But even in this case, it is unusual for medulloblastoma to spread outside the nervous system. Pathologists classify primary brain tumors into two groups: the gliomas, composed of "glial" cells that invade the neural tissue surrounding them; and the nonglial tumors, which are not composed of glial cells and compress, rather than invade, the neighboring brain tissue as they grow.

Metastatic (secondary) brain tumors have spread to the brain from another part of the body. They most often metastasize from tumors of the lung or breast, but almost any tumor can spread to the brain. They arise when abnormal cells that developed elsewhere in the body are carried to the brain by the blood flow. Metastatic tumors are the most common form of brain tumor, affecting 20-40% of all cancer patients.

3. What is the difference between a benign brain tumor and a malignant (cancerous) brain tumor?

Benign brain tumors do exist, and often can be cured with surgery alone. Some primary brain tumors are called benign because their rate of growth is so slow that many years may pass before the tumor grows large enough to compress functional areas of the brain, causing symptoms that require treatment. Others are considered benign because - once the tumor is diagnosed and treated - in many cases, the patient will be cured and live a normal life span and in many others, the tumor will not grow back for many years or even decades.

We use the term benign with caution, however. Even a benign brain tumor may cause intolerable symptoms or may not be controllable because of its particular location in the brain. A tumor in the brain stem or the spinal cord, for example, is often impossible to remove with surgery. In those particular locations even a small amount of tumor growth can compress and cause very serious damage to brain or spinal structures that control functions critical to life. While such a tumor may be called "benign" because of its slow growth, the situation is far from benign.

No one is certain why, but some benign brain tumors may change over time to become malignant. The meningioma, for instance, is one type of primary brain tumor that can be cured, either with surgery alone or sometimes with surgery and radiation therapy. In such cases, meningioma is considered a benign tumor. But in rare cases, even a meningioma may have invasive features, which the pathologist can see in the tumor's cells under the microscope and which suggest that the tumor may behave more aggressively than usual. In such a case, the meningioma may not be curable. It may continue to grow despite surgery, irradiation and chemotherapy and might cause death by its uncontrolled growth. It is because of this potential for aggressive and uncontrolled growth that a tumor is considered malignant.

Malignant brain tumors behave in an aggressive manner and require aggressive treatments. They grow much more quickly than benign tumors and tend to invade normal brain tissue. The goal of treatment in some cases is to control the growth of the tumor as long as possible with the least possible side effects. But just because a tumor is considered malignant does not always mean that it cannot be cured. Many malignant tumors, including malignant primary brain tumors, are curable. Medulloblastoma, for example, is considered a malignant tumor, yet many patients are cured of medulloblastoma by surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

4. What does it mean when a brain tumor is in remission?

When a brain tumor is in remission, the tumor cells have entered a phase in which they generally have stopped growing or multiplying. This may or may not mean that these tumor cells will never grow again. After treatment, in some cases, the tumor has actually been destroyed and the area it occupied in the brain is composed only of dead tissue. In other circumstances, tumor cells remain alive, or viable, and retain the capacity to grow actively again, meaning that the tumor may recur at a later date.

5. What are recurrent tumors?

Tumor recurrence is a term that describes any of three conditions.

1. A recurrent tumor may be a tumor that still persists after primary treatment - a tumor that does not respond to surgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy or a combination of these therapies.

2. Alternatively, it may be a tumor that grows back some time after therapy has seemed to destroy it.

3. A new tumor that grows in the same place as the original one is also called a "recurrent" tumor because it is difficult, often impossible, to distinguish its cells from the cells of the original tumor.

Once treated, a brain tumor may remain in remission for many years, or may never recur. Unfortunately, it is not yet possible to predict whether, or when, any particular tumor may recur, which is why lifelong medical monitoring is essential for people treated for a brain tumor, even for a benign lesion.

6. Is a brain tumor cancer?

Some brain tumors are a form of cancer and some are not. The word cancer suggests a tumor that behaves aggressively and in fact, the word malignancy generally means cancer. According to this definition, most anaplastic astrocytomas as well as medulloblastomas are considered cancer, whereas meningiomas and pituitary tumors are not. In practical terms, these working definitions become blurred, however, because a benign tumor growing in the brain stem or spinal cord may cause severe injury or death whereas frequently, medulloblastoma, a form of cancer, can be cured.

7. How is a brain tumor diagnosed?

The most accurate diagnosis of a brain tumor is made with surgery, which permits the neurosurgeon to see the tumor and obtain a specimen for a pathological examination. Diagnostic surgery is not without its risks, however and there are several diagnostic procedures available today that have considerably improved the chances of detecting brain tumors without resorting to surgery. If a patient's symptoms lead the doctor to suspect a tumor, then a neurological examination, computerized tomography (CT) scans, and magnetic resonance (MR) imagings are the first diagnostic tools most often used to determine if more definitive procedures are needed. Other studies, such as X-ray films of the head and skull, an electroencephalogram (EEG) or radioisotopic brain scans, may also be done.

8. How is a brain tumor treated?

Surgery is the chief form of treatment for brain tumors that lie within the membranes covering the brain or in parts of the brain that can be removed without damaging critical neurological functions. Because a tumor will recur if any tumor cells are left behind, the surgeon's goal is to remove the entire tumor whenever possible. Radiation therapy and chemotherapy, in general, are used as secondary or adjuvant treatment for tumors that cannot be cured by surgery alone. Radiosurgery is used as both a primary and an adjunctive therapy for many brain disorders.

9. What will happen to a patient with a brain tumor?

To a large extent, what happens to you from this point forward depends on the type of tumor you have, its location, the area of the brain involved and the forms of therapy you'll have. But each patient is different, and these are not the only factors to be considered. The more you and your family know and understand each aspect of your treatment, the less uncertainty remains about what will happen. The confidence you place in yourself and your medical caretakers makes a tremendous difference. Perhaps most important of all is your outlook toward your condition and treatment and your willingness to believe in the power of healing - to be a survivor.

10. What are the parts of the brain?

The BRAINSTEM acts as the pathway for motor and sensory messages to the body and face. Tumors located in the brainstem cause cranial nerve symptoms such as inversion of the eyes and motor and sensory changes. In addition, the brainstem contains vital cardiac, respiratory and vasomotor functions.

The CEREBELLUM is one of many parts of the brain that controls motor coordination. A tumor located in this area can cause nausea and vomiting, loss of balance, double vision, difficulty walking and difficulty with fine motor skills.

The FRONTAL LOBE controls the higher cognitive functions such as judgement and emotions, and motor ability. A tumor located in this area can cause marked mood elevation or loss of initiative. Other symptoms may include hemiplegia, difficulty talking and slowing of movements.

The OPTICAL LOBE is the area of the brain that perceives vision. Tumors in this area can cause loss of vision partially or completely in one eye.

The PARIETAL LOBE is the part of the brain that controls the sensory, perceptual and speech functions. Tumors in this area can produce a decrease in perception of light touch and pressurre. Other symptoms may include impairment of right-left discrimination and visual-spacial orientation of the body.

The TEMPORAL LOBE is the area that contains speech, hearing and emotional changes. Tumors in this area can produce aggresive behavior, difficulty processing or expressing words, and memory disorders.