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Saturday, March 1, 2008

50 most romantic things to do with your Girlfriend/Boyfriend | Tech,Fun,This n That at www.Hem.com.np

50 most romantic things to do with your Girlfriend/Boyfriend

1. Watch the sunset together.

2. Whisper to each other.

3. Cook for each other.

4. Walk in the rain.

5. Hold hands.

6. Buy gifts for each other.

7. Roses.

8. Find out their favorite cologne/perfume and wear it every time   you’re together.

9. Go for a long walk down the beach at midnight.

10. Write poetry for each other


11. Hugs are the universal medicine.

12. Say I love you, only when you mean it and make sure they know you  mean it.

13. Give random gifts of flowers/candy/ poetry etc.

14. Tell her that she’s the only girl you ever want. Do not lie.

15. Spend every second possible together .

16. Look into each other’s eyes.

17. Very lightly push up her chin, look into her eyes, tell her you love her, and kiss her lightly.

18. When in public, don’t flirt with each other.

19. Put love notes in their pockets when they aren’t looking.

20. Buy her a ring.

21. Sing to each other.

22. Always hold her around her hips/sides.

23. Take her to dinner and do the dinner for two deal.

24. Spaghetti? (Ever see Lady and the Tramp?)

25. Hold her hand, stare into her eyes, kiss her hand and then put it  over your heart.

26. Dance together.

27. Let your girl fall asleep with her head in your lap.   (It looks real cute)

28. Do cute things like write I love you in a note so that they have  to look in a mirror to read it.

29. Make excuses to call them every 5 minutes

30. Even if you are really busy doing something, go out of your way to  call and say I love you.

31. Call from your vacation spot to tell them you were thinking about  them.

32. Remember your dreams and tell her about them.

33. Always tell her how pretty she looks.

34. Tell each other your most sacred secrets/fears.

35. Be Prince Charming to her parents.(Brownie Points)

36. Brush her hair out of her face for her.

37. Hang out with his/her friends. (more brownie points)

38. Go to church/pray/ worship together.

39. Take her to see a romantic movie and remember the parts she liked.

40. Learn from each other and don’t make the same mistake twice.

41. Describe the joy you feel just to be with him/her.

42. Make sacrifices for each other.

43. Really love each other, or don’t stay together.

44. Let there never be a second during any given day that you aren’tthinking about them, and make sure they know it.

45. Love yourself before you love anyone else.

46. Learn to say sweet things in foreign languages.

47. Dedicate songs to them on the radio.

48. Fall asleep on the phone with each other.

49. Stand up for them when someone talks trash.

50. Never forget the kiss goodnight. And always remember to say, “Sweet dreams.”

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Flickr Photo Download: The Setting Sun and the Farm

Flickr Photo Download: The Setting Sun and the Farm

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Flickr Photo Download: When Waves Collide

Flickr Photo Download: When Waves Collide

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You can use that for WHAT? : Strange food uses for the everyday! by Chelsea R. — uses, tips, food | Gather

TABASCO SAUCE

"If you have a toothache, just put about 5 or 6 drops of Tabasco sauce on your aching tooth with a cotton swab. It numbs your tooth better than Orajel."

"Gently scrub your silver with a few drops of Tabasco on a soft toothbrush and some warm water. Just make sure to rinse well afterward"

MAYONNAISE

"Mayo is good for getting water stain marks off of your kitchen table and other wood furniture. Just put mayo on the water stains and wipe it with a rag."

"If you have a CD with a scratch on it, just rub themayo on the scratch. Let it sit for about 5 minutes, and then wipe off going from the center of the CD to the outside rim."

COOKING SPRAY

"Spray Pam on a soft cloth and wipe on inside of shower doors to clean them."

"Have ants in the kitchen? Non-stick spray such as Pam kills them instantly without having to use chemicals around food prep areas. Of course you have to wipe up the ants and oil, but it's not terribly messy."

"I have used cooking oil spray to grease a hinge on my bathroom door. Just make sure not to overdo it, or it will drip."

POTATOES

"Have a broken light bulb still in the light? Unplug the light from the wall (very important), and cut a potato in half. Press it on to the broken bulb and twist off."

"So you've been out at the beach, and you arefried lobster red. Don't panic -- just take a potato and grate it (leaving peel and everything on it) and put it where you are burnt. Wait 30 minutes and remove the potato. Take a cool shower. Not only is the heat gone, but the next day so will be the pain and most of the red -- if not all."

"If your child has a fever, take a potato and cut it in half. Take each half and put it on the bottom of their feet, keeping the in place by putting socks on over the potatoes. Keep the potatoes on for a few hours. When you take them out your child's fever will either be a lot lower or gone. There is something in the potatoes that helps draw the fever out."

BREAD

"For home-made cookies that are too crispy, put them in a sealed container with slices of bread covering them. The moisture from the bread will absorb into the cookies, making them soft!"

"To make dried out brown sugar like new, put one slice of bread into the box or bag of dry sugar for a few hours. The moisture from the bread goes into the sugar, and the bread dries out. No need to put in a airtight container. Just stick the bread on top of the sugar, and close the box or bag as usual."

"Have a boil or large pimple? Soak a small piece of bread in milk, attach the piece of bread over the boil using tape or another fastener, and the milk will dry out the boil, decreasing its size. Best if done overnight. Toothpaste can also be used to dry out pimples."

"A piece of white bread will stop a cut from bleeding"

But what helps bread stay fresh? "To keep bread longer place a carrot in the bag. It will freshen bread like it was just baked."

APPLES

"An apple's ethylene gas will also help pears and avocados to ripen and bromeliad plants to bloom if they're placed together in a loosely-closed paper bag."

"If your brown  sugar becomes hard, just place it in a sealed container with a few slices of apples for a few days and it will become soft again. Then you can remove the apple slices."

WALNUTS

"Rub the meat of a walnut on any dark wood furniture scratches. Mom always knows best!"

SUGAR

"For a face scrub, use Dove soap & little bit of white sugar. Gently rub into your face in circular motion. Lovely results."

"To trap ants, mix 1 cup sugar, 1 cup borax and 3 cups water, and pour into 4 glass jars with perforated screw-on lids (use a hammer and nails). Place these jars in areas where ants are present, but kids and pets can't get to them."

COLA

"Cola is good for washing road grime off of your windshield. It cuts through the grease and dirt. Just pour a can of cola over your windshield and rinse off with water."

"To get rid of those pesky little aphids on house plants put some Coke in a spray bottle and spray the leaves and buds on the plant. Let dry and stay there for several weeks. Take the plant outside and spray off with fresh water or leave out in the rain. The little buggers will choke on the Coke."

"If you have a tooth ache or abscess, try using warm (not cold) cola and hold it in your mouth for a few minutes until it has stopped foaming and spit it out. Works wonders until you can get to the dentist ."

"One 12 oz can of Coca-Cola ( not Pepsi ) in the wash will get rid of diesel smell in clothes."

"Put some cola in your coffee pot let it soak. Add some ice cubes, swirl them around the coffee pot and most stains will rinse right out.

SELTZER / CLUB SODA

"Seltzer water gets stains out of carpet along with pet accidents. If your puppy or kitten has an accident, just pour some bubbly water on it and it comes out along with the stain. No sticky or smelly mess!"

"2 cups of club soda on a red ant pile will suffocate the mound."

"Cheap soda pop can be used to clean brass. Wash brass to remove any grease or oils then place items in a stainless steel or glass container and cover with soda pop. (Strawberry cream seems to work the best.) Just let the brass soak over night in the pop the next day drain and wash again and dry ."

BEER

"For stains on carpet, a light beer (any kind of yellow beer will do) will pick it up. The smell leaves something to be desired, but if you steam clean the spot afterwards the smell goes with it."

"Soak your hair in beer, and go lay out in the sun. It pulls out some great highlights. Make sure to shampoo afterwards, or you'll smell like a brewery!"

SALT

"I spilled red wine on cream carpet, I immediately covered it with a box of salt. The next morning, I vacuumed it up. No stain was visible." (Note - this also works for Kool-Aid stains.)

"Salt takes the smell of onions from your hands. Wet your hands, put a little salt in the palm of your hand, rub them together good and then rinse. Onion smell will be gone."

"Add either 2 handfuls of table salt or 1 cup of white vinegar to wash water to set colors of new clothes, sheets, & blankets. It will keep colors from fading quickly."

"Sprinkle salt on your carpet/pet bed area (and in your vacuum) to kill fleas. Just so happened that daughter came home for the holidays with her cat that had fleas. That tip came in handy."

"The next time that you spill oil in the kitchen, or drop an egg on the floor, pour a pile of salt on it. The salt will obsorb the oily mess and all you have to do is sweep or wipe it up."

"If youdrop a raw egg on the floor, just sprinkle table salt on it and wipe it up with a paper towel."

VINEGAR

"White vinegar is good for cleaning the winter salt off of shoes and boots. Just dip a cotton ball in vinegar and wipe the shoes or boots."

"Vinegar keeps clothes from fading. One cup per laundry load."

"Baking soda & vinegar are my staple plumbing tools. Sprinkle baking soda in drains, then pour vinegar and voila! Your troubles literally bubble down the drain."

"Got pesky nats and fruit flies? Apple cider vinegar and a drop of dish soap in a small glass. Gnats and flies are attracted to the smell of the vinegar and soap kills them."

"Have a greasy stove top? Pour about 1/4 or less of white vinegar and using paper towels wipe the entire top of the stove (but not the gas jets). The odor dissipates immediately and the paper towel odor disappears as soon as it dries."

"White vinegar is good for nails with fungus. After cleaning the nail, wet the nail with a vinegar-soaked cotton ball andlet it dry. Repeat every day or after a shower."

"Vinegar does an awesome job of getting rid of getting rid of the nasty smell if your children vomit on the rug or other fabric. Just use a rag dampened with vinegar as you clean up. I learned this tip from a pediatrician."

"For athlete's foot relief, pour a cup of apple cider vinegar over foot morning and night for two days. Do not soak in it, just pour it over area. Stops itch immediately."

"If you ever have to paint galvanized metal, wash it first with white vinegar. It works almost as well as muriatic acid and is much safer to have around the house."

"White vinegar is useful as a fabric softener. Use one cup in the final rinse and trappeddetergent will be released. The laundry will be soft and fluffy, and no, there is not any vinegar odor in the fabrics."

"Use vinegar on sneakers after whitening them with chlorine to completely neutralize the clorine. It prevents yellowing and kills lingering foot odor. Vinager neutralizes the ammonia that can burn your skin in leather or canvas sneakers. Rinse with water after applying vinegar."

PEPPER

"I carry a tiny (airline size) container of ground pepper in my purse at all times. It instantly stops bleeding from small cuts with no burning or discomfort at all."

"Ever have cramps that have you doubled over? Cut a square of white cotton, place a tablespoon of black pepper in the center, tie the square into a "tea bag" & place in boiling water. After 2 minutes take out of water and drink the "pepper tea" as hot as you can as fast as you can (it tastes horrid).Within minutes the cramps will go away! I got this from my grandmother (she would have been 105 this year!) who got it from HER mom (and I am a grandmother). Swear it works!"

"If you have a radiator leak, add pepper to the water in the radiator. The tiny grains of pepper will block the leak. It's only a temporary fix but it's a very good temporary fix."

PEANUT BUTTER

"Peanut Butter is great for removing crayon off of wallpaper. It won't fade the color."

"30-some years ago, I remember going to a 50's style dance and putting an incredible amount of vaseline in my hair to keep it slicked back. Well, the next day trying desparately to get the vaseline out, we called a beauty shop and they recommended PEANUT BUTTER. And by golly it worked."

"Peanut Butter is great for removing crayon off of wallpaper. It won't fade the color."

"If you place a small amount of peanut butter on a boil that won't come to a head (or any white-head for that matter) and cover with a bandaid overnight, it should be raised by morning."

"Peanut butter is great for taking rings and age spots off of wooden furniture. Just smear on area, let stand a bit and then wipe off. Do not use fat free; only the real thing will do."

" Peanut butter (creamy) is an excellent product for removing tar from the areas on your car. Just apply to a soft cloth and rub to dissolve the tar. Remove any leftover residue with soap and water."

"Does pitch from pine trees ever get on your car? It's so hard to get off -- unless you rub peanut butter over it. Usea paper towel, rub in a circular motion and to get the peanut butter off your paint finish, just wash the area with warm sudsy water."

"Peanut butter makes a great quick fix for the hiccups. Eating 1/2 to 1 tablespoon should do the trick. Used it for years and it works every time!"

"Polish stainless steel with peanut butter. Smear a thin layer of peanut butter on the stainless steel. Let dry thoroughly and then buff out with a cloth, exactly like you would use paste wax topolish a car."

"Try rubbing peanut butter on leather furniture to get out pen marks, grease and dirt stains. Works great on leather car seats as well."

"Peanut butter removes the scratches out of Plexiglas. I had a boat and used it to rub minor scratches out of the windshield and it works great."

"Peanut butter is great for removing gum from shoes, shirts, and even from your hair."

ONIONS

"If you're having trouble with mosquito bites, put a piece of raw onion on them for about 2 minutes. It stops the itch, and takes the redness away."

"To take the smell out when painting a room inside the house, cutan onion in half and leave half each end of the room. The onion completely soaks up the paint odor and leaves the room without the smell of onion!"

"Remove scorch stains from linen by rubbing the cut side of an onion over the mark and soaking in cold water."

BANANA

"Kill fleas by putting a banana peel on a white paper plate and leaving it under your furniture for a few days. When you retrieve it, there'll be several dead fleas on it."

"Drop a banana peel alongside each of your roses in the garden, and you will never again have aphids."

HONEY

"Clean minor wounds and scratches with Peroxide, place a little bit of honey on the wound, bandage with a bandaid or gauze, then leave it for 3 or 4 days and the wound should be healed. Honey prevents the wound from sticking to the bandage as you remove it."

"Honey, when sterilized can be used to dress a wound the is resistent to antibiotics. Honey will not overstimulate your liver.Honey is the oldest known sweetener and will never spoil."

LEMON

"Use lemons to stop excessive perspiration under the arms. Cut a thin slice and place it under each arm for about 30 min. It will dramatically reduce the "pit drench" when coupled with a good anti-perspirant. This works well for about 1 week and then must be repeated"

"To remove rust stains from fabric, saturate the stain with fresh lemon juice, then cover with a layer of table salt. Rub the salt into the juice, making a thick paste. Wait for the juice to drycompletely, then brush or wash the salt off. The rust will be gone."

"You can also remove onion or fish (or whatever) smell from your hands by just squirting with lemon juice, "washing" and rinsing."

"Cats HATE the smell of citrus, so lightly rubbing your wood furniture with orange or lemon rinds or oils will help deter cats. It doesn't do much for dogs, though."

KETCHUP

"Ketchup is a really good moisturizer. All you have to do is wash your hands with soap and water (make sure no soap suds are left), dry hands, take some ketchup and rub around your hands. Make sure there's no excess ketchup, then wash gently."

"Use ketchup as a gold & silver tarnish remover. Mix ketchup (enough to completely cover the item) with baking soda until it is slightly firm. Place your pure (not plated) item into the mixure & let it sit completely coveredfor 30 minutes (or longer depending on tarnish level), then rub with a dry face cloth (or scrub with a toothbrush if heavily tarnished). Rinse mixture with water and dry."

ICE

"When you move a piece of furniture and the area is all matted down, put a few ice cubes on the spot and allow them to melt. Then vacuum and voila! The spot looks as good as the area around it."

"Use several teaspoons of salt and some crushed ice to clean coffee pots. Just add the 2 into the dry pot and swirl for several minutes."

"Ice is magic! I have used it on my clothes, in restaurants and all over my house. I'm not sure why it works on oily staIns, but it almost always does. I have not found a spot that won't disapear or fade greatly when covered or rubbed with ice."

"Ice is magic! I have used it on my clothes, in restaurants and all over my house. I'm not sure why it works on oilystaIns, but it almost always does. I have not found a spot that won't disapear or fade greatly when covered or rubbed with ice."

"Ever sit on someone else's nasty chewing gum? Regular ice will do the trick! Just rub ice on it and you'll havean easier time taking off that disgusting chewing gum."

OIL

"Using a mixture of olive oil and salt on your face really does give you healthy skin. I always heard that eating olive oil was good for your skin, but I never thought of putting it on your face. I had been struggling with acne for months now and came upon this a week ago. My face is now looking great; I couldn't be happier!"

"My grandson had gotten into oil based paint, and I needed something to clean him up. I didn't want to use turpentine or mineral spirits on hisdelicate skin, so I grabbed the cooking oil. Put it on a wash cloth, and it it cleaned the paint of his skin with no problem. I have also used it to soak enamel paint brushes in until I could clean them. Can then clean them up with soap and water."

"Use olive oil to make scars fade away. It may take a while but it has always worked for me."

"Oilremoves stickiness, and is good for removing price stickers. Rub a tiny bit of oil, use a paper towel to rub itclean off." 

"For a water mark in wood, use a thin layer of vegetable oil over the stain, sprinkle salt, and rub until the stain is gone."

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Found In Translation: Why Travel As A Teenager Is The Best Education

When I first arrived in Tokyo, I was sick, lost, and alone. I was also fifteen years old.

This was my first of many extended trips for work (I’m a model) and the decision to travel solo had been made at the last minute.

That evening, when I got off the bus in the wrong place after a severely delayed 13-hour flight, I had second thoughts, but ultimately traveling alone as a teenager turned out to be a seminal part of my youth.

Life in Tokyo was full of hurdles: navigating the subway, deciphering food labels and getting through the day without committing some grave faux pas. I was working, too, so rather than simply being a tourist, I actively participated in the society.

Working meant that on top of basic self-sufficiency I had to collaborate and communicate with Japanese colleagues. At an age when many can scarcely get to work at the Gap on time, I suddenly had to meet life’s challenges on my own.

Growing Up

Travel quickly showed me just what, and how much, I was capable of doing by myself.

Some travel skills I learned by trial and error, but overall I was surprised by my own competency. Travel quickly showed me just what, and how much, I was capable of doing by myself.

I became emotionally self-sufficient, too. A photographer once asked me if I missed my family, and when I replied that I did, he said “You love your family, but you need to learn to be at peace by yourself.”

At the time the comment bugged me - I didn’t want to be told how to feel. But later I realized that he was right. My homesickness never subsided, but I learned to accept that I missed my home and family, and move beyond that homesickness to become whole as an individual.

Open to Interpretation

octopusAt the same time, the vulnerability I felt being away from home for the first time made me hyper-aware of the fascinating new world around me.

I examined everything: objects, clothing, building, customs. The first thing I noticed was difference. Who knew there were so many ways to look at the same things?

I noticed that aesthetics are very important in Japan (everything from manhole covers to warning signs are made to be admired) and that almost no one wears hats.

Then I started to notice more subtle characteristics of the culture, like the avoidance of saying no: my Japanese acquaintances greatly preferred the term “maybe.” They also thanked people effusively for even the slightest favor.

I realized that everything from pace of life to social priorities to job preferences was open to interpretation.

A Global Classroom

I ran across few other Americans, but was surrounded by people from all other parts of the world, exposing me to even more alternative perspectives.

With my new exposure to such a wide variety of outlooks I had a lot to think about.

Conversations were speckled, if not centered on, comparisons of our home countries and native ways of doing things, be it sentence structure or the traditional age of marriage.

Not surprisingly, I learned a lot about the driver’s licenses, school systems, and age related legislation of various countries, and gained a whole new appreciation for the dominance of American entertainment, stores, and fads.

Following the promptings of my guidebook I frequently found myself in museums, and came to realize that I like art, in a way that has never resonated with me before. Away and alone, I strolled through the aisles, talking to no one and paying attention to nothing but the artwork. I settled into a quasi-meditative state of mind in which the artwork seemed to hit a raw nerve.

At the same time I was taking in large amounts of historical data. I absorbed the history of the Shoguns and became quite versed in the Meji Emperorship. I saw Kabuki performances, though I had no idea what the characters were saying, and visited countless shrines and temples.

Question Everything!

Unfamiliarity and solitude are a great incubator for thought. With my new exposure to such a wide variety of outlooks I had to think about and question many things which had previously seemed concrete.

P1010677I was struck by differences in public policy; how come some countries have universal health care while others do not? Why is college astronomically expensive in the U.S.? Why are bike riding and letting children walk to school alone considered so dangerous in my native New York, while both are commonplace in Tokyo?

Japanese people seemed, overall, to be high achievers, placing a heavy emphasis on academic and professional success. Life was faster here than in the States, and busier too.

Noticing such difference led me to ask myself important questions:

  • What is important to me?
  • How do I want to live?
  • Where do I belong?

I benefited from my youthfulness in that traveling didn’t just make me think, “Wow, there are so many ways of life out there.” Instead, experiencing foreign cultures while perched at the beginning of adulthood, everything I saw was still possible for me to apply to my own life.

All too often I hear older adults lamenting time spent on dead-end tracks to supposed success; traveling in my adolescence has shown me from the start the full range of what life has to offer.

The exposure to foreign cultures that I gained early on preempted my cultural biases and “us and them” thinking, and liberated me from the notion that there is only one right way of doing things.

Discover The World…And Yourself

Traveling is about discovery and finding oneself, for people of any age. But when you travel as a young person, you’re raw material, constantly being shaped, and all that you see, hear, and do has a profound impact on the rest of your life.

At my age, people like to say, you’re naive, not yet disillusioned about the world, and think that “because it feels right” is a suitable reason for action.

Well, what better attitude to maintain as you explore the world? We teens see the world as a limitless opportunity. When you travel, that’s the way it truly is.

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iizsneakin.jpg (JPEG Image, 470x327 pixels)

iizsneakin.jpg (JPEG Image, 470x327 pixels)

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This will not end well | All humor

This will not end well | All humor

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Record Oil and Gas Prices Got You Down? Use This Opportunity Make Money : Generation X Finance

2007 Gas Prices

As most of us remember, early on in 2007 we saw a very rapid increase in gas prices. The jump of an average of $2.20/gallon to $3.25/gallon in just five months was significant. This translates into around a 48% increase during that time. In the second half of the year, gas prices cooled off a bit but still remained well above the starting point on the year. For the entire calendar year, the US average gas price was roughly 39% higher.

What Does This Mean for the Average Driver?

If we strictly look at the effect of higher oil and gas prices on our immediate bottom line when filling up our vehicles, in terms of dollars, how much more are we paying? We’ll stick with averages, but the average person drives around 12,000 miles per year. As of 2004, the average passenger vehicle got an annual average of around 23 miles per gallon.

Basic math then tells us that for a typical person with a typical car, they use roughly 522 gallons of gas per year. 522 gallons of gas at the January 1st price of around $2.20 would come out to $1,148. Those same 522 gallons of gas purchased on December 31st would have cost $1,592, or an increase of $444. Keep in mind that this is a worst-case scenario and does not at all represent what happens in the real world, because obviously nobody buys a year’s supply of gas just once a year. Since most people will fill up at regular intervals, this is the same as dollar cost averaging. So the actual effect of the annual price increase is diminished a bit.

But How Can I Make Money When Gas Prices Are Increasing 40% Annually?

I know what you’re thinking, and trying to find a way to make 40% on any type of investment a year is not easy to do. Well, you’re right, but you don’t have to be a stock picking guru to pull this off when the answer is right under your nose. Why do gas prices generally go up? Because oil prices are going up or supply is reduced. So, wouldn’t it seem like a reasonable idea to invest a few dollars in oil so that you can minimize the effect on your bottom line? Let’s take a look at some of the best options.

Powershares DB Oil Fund (DBO)

DBO ETF

We’ll start right at the root of the problem, and that is crude oil itself. This ETF is designed to track the Deutsche Bank Liquid Commodity Index - Optimum Yield Oil Excess Return. Yes, that is a mouthful, but it basically means it tries to accurately reflect the changes in the light sweet crude oil sector, which is the type of oil used to produce gasoline. As you can see, in 2007 this ETF did very well. In fact, it returned just over 42% in 2007.

Powershares Dynamic Oil Service Portfolio (PXJ)

PXJ ETF

This ETF is a little different in that it corresponds to the Dynamic Oil Services Intellidex Index. What this really means is that it tracks companies in the oil services industry, not oil itself. But generally speaking, the more a commodity costs, the more the companies that deal in the commodity can profit from. In 2007, it saw an almost identical overall increase to that of the price of gasoline at just over 39%.

SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Equipment & Services (XES)

XES ETF

Here we have a similar ETF offered through a SPDR compared to Powershares, and this fund directly tracks performance of the S&P Oil and Gas Equipment and Services Industry. Many of the same holdings as PXJ, but some slightly different weighting. Again, this fund saw a 2007 return of 35.6%. Again, very close to keeping pace with the price of gasoline.

SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Exploration & Production (XOP)

XOP ETF

And I throw this one in there even though it is less dependent on the actual price of gas and more on the exploration and production, but again, since these companies deal with the commodity, they are generally going to be able to make more money as it increases in price. Much of the same here with an annual return of over 35%.

A Two-Fold Opportunity

So, how can this really benefit you? Well, by investing in a little bit of oil, you have two primary opportunities:

  1. Offset gasoline prices.
  2. Long-term appreciation of a limited resource.

As you can see from above, with any of the major oil-related ETF options, you can almost completely offset or possibly make money on rising oil prices relative to what comes out of your pocket at the pump. So, if you plan to spend $1,500 on gas this coming year, you could put $1,500 into an oil investment, and if prices continue to increase, you end up breaking even or possibly coming out ahead (all dependent on actual market performance and whether or not your money is in a taxable account).

Not only can it directly hedge against the prices at the pump, but think of this commodity as a long-term investment. All you have to do is consider the law of supply and demand. Oil is a very limited resource, and if our demand continues to increase or even stay the same, the supply continues to dwindle, what happens to the price? It goes up. Until we begin to make a major push towards alternative fuel sources, this classic case of supply and demand will continue, and if you have the opportunity to, you might as well make some money from it.

It’s a Start, but Not the Solution

This doesn’t mean you should go out and invest a bunch of money in oil or that it will completely offset any losses you see from increased gas prices, but it is a start. Consider that if you would have invested just $2,000 into DBO in early 2007, you would have probably made more money on that return than what you lost in higher prices at the pump.

While you don’t want to go too heavy on any single investment, you may want to consider what effect adding just a small portion of an oil investment has on your overall diversified portfolio. And while the increase in oil prices may not directly go into your pocket if you’re investing it, you can at least rest a little easier knowing that while it might cost you $5.00 more each time you fill your tank, you’re getting that back in your investment.

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Eating Abuse - Say No to Comfort Food: Compulsive Eating

Food is the cure to all worries-at least that's how a great number of people feel. I'm sure you've heard of the term "comfort food". Unfortunately, compulsive overeating is usually used as a tool to escape from stress, worries, or just reality in general. Shame and regret about overeating soon follow bouts of compulsive overeating.

Compulsive overeating appears twice as often in women then it does in men. The overeater will continue to eat even after they feel uncomfortably full. Many of the health risks associated with compulsive overeating relate to the weight gain linked to the overeating patterns. Compulsive overeating usually follows a gradual progression. Roots for compulsive overeating are typically formed during childhood. Food might have been used to make a child feel better if they were upset. This pattern of using food as an emotional distraction or escape would continue and slowly spiral downwards until it reaches it peak later in life.

The shame and guilt that compulsive overeaters feel often leads them to try and stop their eating patterns. This often leads to obsession with food and rigorous dieting standards. The dieting standards might slow down or offset weight gain, but emotional needs are the main reason for compulsive overeating. Dieting standards are often set too high for the person to achieve, which leads them to feelings of failure and disappointment. Since their emotions are the primary reasons overeaters turn to food, the failure associated with not reaching the goals of the diet will lead to even more overeating. This turns into a vicious downward spiral of negative emotions and food. The shame and guilt about weight gain and appearance will cause the person to withdraw from society. Low self esteem is also usually present during this time.

Prejudice is extremely common toward compulsive overeaters. Their problem is seen as a lack of self control. Words like gluttonous, lazy, and disgusting are hurled at compulsive overeaters. Compulsive overeating is just as legitimate as anorexia nervosa, or bulimia nervosa, and is just recently gaining the proper recognition.

Compulsive overeaters can have very interesting habits associated with their aliment. Hiding or hording of food can be common. Lack of control of eating during binge periods is another characteristic. Some emotional symptoms can be moodiness, irritability, depression, regret about eating, perfectionist tendencies, and avoidance of conflict.

Treatment for compulsive overeating is most successful when it is guided by a mental health professional. The mental health profession is recommended because overeating is usually related to deep rooted emotional problems.

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Iraq | Top Ten Reasons

Top Ten Reasons Why Iraq Should Be Our 51st State:

  1. We spend over $5.6 billion dollars a month in Iraq, which is more Federal aid than any current state is receiving.

 

  1. At $5.6 billion dollars, we could pay each and every Iraqi $215 a month, ten times what their average income is now. How could they complain?

 

  1. With an estimated 250,000 American citizens currently residing in Iraq it is already nearly half the population size of Wyoming.

 

  1. Fighting would have to stop because the U.S. cannot declare war on itself.

 

  1. We save time and money not having to draft up a separate Iraqi constitution since we already have one.

  1. Baghdad is only 1400 miles further from Washington than Honolulu is.

 

  1. Historically, we have added new states about every 50 years. We are due.

 

  1. We reduce unemployment by creating jobs for English teachers.

 

  1. Forget the oil. We need a state with a “Q” in it!

 

  1. We made Alaska and Hawaii states.

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