Have you done the Facebook detox?

I’m like most in that I like to think I’m unique, but I’ll be honest–in many ways I’m just your average fad-following college senior. In the morning I sometimes snooze my alarm too many times. I get out of bed and throw on my fake Ugg boots before I trek across my snowy campus to a long day of classes and my coffee shop job. I’m sometimes guilty of coming home to procrastinate my homework into the wee hours of the next morning. But there’s one thing that’s not a part of my very typical college day anymore–Facebook. In fact, this month marks my one year anniversary of the date that I and the extremely addicting social networking site parted ways. While I’d love to say I’ve never looked back, I’d be lying. And although I have my reasons for leaving and continually make the decision not to reactivate, it’s not because there are no reasons to get back on.

When I deactivated my Facebook, I thought I’d keep my distance for about a week. I had some personal reasons, but mainly I wanted a detox. I wanted a break from the minute-by-minute update of what everyone including my brother’s girlfriend’s cousin that I met once at that party was doing. I didn’t sit and think about it for a long time, or weigh the pros and cons like I’m doing now. I went for a run one morning, andsomewhere around the stadium I decided to deactivate my account. When I got back, I did just that–even before I took off my running shoes.

After a few days, I realized how much more time I had for myself when I wasn’t "stalking" everyone I had ever known, not looking for who had gotten married, who was taking a trip to Europe, or who was sitting at home posting their every thought on their profile. Those people who needed to get in touch with me called or e-mailed, and I was still fully aware of events taking place. I realized I could still be fully informed on the things I actually cared about–my close friends, my family, and my college experience–without constantly turning to Facebook. I realized I didn’t miss it, and I actually kind of liked not feeling so tied to my computer. I had fewer distractions, and it felt like magically hours of my life had been handed back to me to use as I pleased. In fact, my grades since I deactivated are the best they’ve ever been, and while that may or may not be directly related, it’s worth noting. As a bonus, I no longer worry about what to post or not to post on my profile to protect the image I present to potential employers. Ultimately, it was just the detox I was looking for, and in some ways it feels like a weight has been lifted from my life. Like any habit, it wasn’t easy to break, but before I knew it, it had been months since I’d made the decision to quit.

While demands from my friends and family that I reactivate my account aren’t enough to pull me back to the site, that isn’t to say that I’ve never feel any pull. For instance, when my friend who was abroad in London went to Jane Austen’s house, I was dying to see the pictures and begged another friend to show them to me. When certain stores, restaurant, companies, or music artists have promotions which would require me to "like" something on their Facebook page, I sometimes get a little down that I can’t participate. Even seeing "The Social Network" made me a little intrigued to see what’s been happening on the site since I left.

Surprisingly, though, the number one reason I’ve been feeling Facebook’s pull lately is quite different from anything I thought might bring me back. Despite those previously mentioned warning lists about cleaning up your page for career networking purposes,I’ve actually started to worry more that my lack of Facebook profile might tell my potential employers I’m not experienced in social networking. In pursuing a career in publishing, I’ve often been asked if I am familiar with different social networking sites: Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, etc. Though I feel confident in my abilities to network online, I have worried that until I reactivate my account, I will have a hard time proving that.

In the end, I’d recommend giving a Facebook detox a shot. Take a month off. OK, maybe for most that’s a lofty goal. But even try a week. A day? Whether I decide to log back on tomorrow, next week, or never, my Facebook hiatus turned out to be exactly what I needed to help me reevaluate both my Internet activity and my life.

Have you done the Facebook detox? What was your experience like?

Yellow Pages offers opt-out website for phone books





Don't want thick phone books delivered to your house anymore? The Yellow Pages industry is now offering an upgraded, user-friendly website to make it easier for consumers to opt-out or limit deliveries.

"Our industry is taking a giant leap forward today by launching a clearinghouse site for consumers to control the delivery of directories," Neg Norton, president of the Yellow Pages Association, said in announcing the site, which was co-developed with the Association of Directory Publishers. Norton said many consumers still use phone books and companies profit from their ads.

The revamped website comes amid increasing pressure to eliminate print directories. Nearly seven out of 10 U.S. adults rarely or ever use phone books, according to a recent Harris Interactive poll commissioned by WhitePages and its Ban the Phone Book initiative. The survey found 60% of online adults find contact information online (no surprise there!) and only 22% recycle their phone books. It found 87% support an opt-in where they would receive the phone book only if requested, up from 81% a year ago.

In its announcement Tuesday, Yellow Pages says it has reduced the amount of paper used in its directories 29% since 2006. It says the paper is either recycled or made from leftover wood chips, and publishers are using soy-based inks.

Readers: Have you opted-out of phone books?

 

 

Dallas police: Expect a crackdown on Super Bowl prostitution

Law enforcement agencies in Dallas are ready to crack down on child sex trafficking during Super Bowl weekend, and at least one NFL player's trying to tackle the problem, the Houston Chronicle reports.

Authorities plan to crack down on all prostitution activities ahead of Sunday's game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers, but they're especially focusing on the trafficking of children to paying customers.

 Some of the Super Bowl, anti-prostiution efforts will likely involve Dallas hotels, since pimps and prostitutes - and their customers - often conduct business in a hotel room.

The Chronicle tells us that "pimps hawking young girls see the thousands of men who travel to the Super Bowl each year as a gold mine of potential clients."

A former prostitute who started working as a teenager told the Chronicle that she made the most cash during major golf tournaments, NASCAR races and some pro playoff games in North Texas. She would meet johns by advertising her services online or by hanging out in hotels near the venues.

Last year's Super Bowl in Miami drew as many as 10,000 prostitutes, including children and human trafficking victims, the Chronicle tells us, citing police statistics. An assistant Dallas police chief told the paper:

"This is a very large issue. We want people to know what human trafficking looks like."

NFL player spreads word about child sex trafficking

Visitors coming to town for the Super Bowl will be greeted by in-your-face billboards, such as one near Cowboys Stadium that features four men's mug shots with the message: "Dear John, You Never Know! This could be you."

And Dallas Cowboys nose tackle Jay Ratliff is tackling the child sex trafficking issue head on. He's featured in a TV advertisement made for the event saying the following:

"As a man and as a father of two beautiful girls, I'm not buying it — and neither should you. If you're one of these men buying these young girls, I'm telling you that real men don't buy children. They don't buy sex."

Readers: Have you heard about the problem of child sex trafficking - specifically, within the USA?

From : usatoday.com/

Groundhog Day 2011: Punxsutawney Phil?

There is so much hype around the legend of Punxsutawney Phil who is supposed to come out of his hole and let the world and the people of United States of America know that winter is about to end. Punxsutawney Phil is supposed to make his appearance tomorrow as Groundhog Day 2011 is going to be officially celebrated tomorrow, the 2nd of February, 2011. Punxsutawney Phil, as the legend goes, will either see his shadow or not, but will surely let spectators know that spring is near and it is close that we will be saying farewell to the winter.

Punxsutawney Phil is a good way of seeing that the winters are going to end soon. According to weather experts, no matter whether Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow or not, it will take at least six weeks for the winters to end, seeing that a fresh wave of snow and ice has started in the mid-west and north-east.

Online Shopping USA

Online Shopping USA is the best place to buy gifts, electronic goods, household items, books, DVDs and many more in the United States of America. You can choose from a wide variety of goods and get the best deals for shopping online and buying online in USA. You can enjoy your online shopping experience here and get to choose the best items for buying by reading reviews, ratings and browsing through similar items to make the best purchasing decision. You can add your choices to your shopping cart here and purchase them through http://usashopping2011.blogspot.com/  

In Online Shopping USA, you can purchase the newest release books and the hottest selling items in all categories, with a simple and easy to user interface. The wide layout gives you the option of viewing products more clearly and more numberof products at a given time. You can also sort the items with parameters such as Best-Selling, price from high to low or vice versa, and the newest arrivals. The detailed list of product categories on the left side pane allows you to make a quick choice without requiring to wade through tons of information and pages.

If you are looking to purchase some items quickly or if you are looking for the best gift or if you are just online shopping in USA, then you are in the right place; you can select from many thousands of products in a multitude of categories and at the same time also get some of the best offers and deals. This website is designed to make your Online Shopping a good and wonderful experience.

Online Shopping USA also has a search bar on the top which will allow you to make quick product searches and also allow you to filter the search results by category. This will also help in showing only the information you require; you can also search within results to further filter down.

Online Shopping in USA is now more popular than ever and allows you to browse through the many thousands of products in a slick looking interface. You can get good deals, discounts and also free shipping in some of the products. Some of the items that you can purchase online in this shopping website are:

• Clothes and Apparel
• Baby Products
• Beauty Products
• Books
• Computers
• DVD
• Grocery
• Jewelry
• Kindle
• Pet Supplies
• Digital Cameras
• Shoes
• Toys and Video Games
• Watches

Online Clothes Shopping

In this section, you can shop for apparel; choose from many types of clothing like jeans, skirts, cargoes, baby clothing, sleepwear, maternity wear and many more. Clothes are available for men, women, juniros, young men, girls, boys and babies in many sizes upto XL (extra large).

Online Shopping for Baby

Get all the items that you require for your baby in one place! Chose from baby clothes, toys, bathing and skin care items, diapers, baby food, strollers and maternity wear. Cars seats and accessories for babies and other travel related items for your baby are also available.

Home Shopping

Get all the items required for your home and kitchen un one place; starting from artwork to bedding and bath accessories to home appliances like microwave ovens, refridgerators, vacuum cleans to grocery. Browse through the many hundreds of products and spend happy time shopping online in this website.

Jewelry Shopping

Jewelry like necklaces, rings, wedding rings, diamond rings, ear drops, pendants, mens jewelry, engagement rings are available for sale online in this website. Other items like Bracelets & Anklets, Brooches & Pins and Loose Gemstones are also available.

Shoes Shopping

Buy shoes, socks and sandals in categories like athletic, boat shoes, boots, fashion sneakers, slippers, bridal shoes, pumps, lace-ups and many more. Get good deals and discounts. Shoes for kids (boys and girls) are also available.

Toys Shopping

Choose from hundreds of varieties of toys and video games for Christmas 2010 like action figures, bikes, skates, electronic toys for kids, toys for learning and education, puzzles, playsets, toys for girls, toys for boys and many more.

Sports Shopping

Choose from sporting goods like action sports, bikes and scooters, boating and water sports, excercise and fitness (gym) equipment, leisure sports, tennis racquets, golf club and kits and many more.

 

 

  http://usashopping2011.blogspot.com/

Spectacular Microscopic Images of Our Hidden Universe

really amazing....

The wood or heathland ant holding a microchip in its toothed (serrated) mandibles.

Another fantastic picture is the piece of small household dust below.

Magnified 22million times, this microscopic photo is of household dust containing long hairs such as cat fur, twisted synthetic and woollen fibres, a pollen grain, plant, serrated insect scales and insect remains.

A corroded surface of a rusty metal nail appears like an alien environment when enlarged 600 times.

Cigarette paper - the blue crystals are additives that keep the lit cigarette burning by producing oxygen.

A clutch of butterfly eggs sits on a raspberry plant.

Vegetable world: Actually looking like you would imagine it to, this is the head of a cauliflower

Eyelash hairs growing from the surface of human skin….

Enlarged 21 times: This colourful flower is actually of fimbriae, a fringe of tissue, of a Fallopian tube

A human head louse clings to a strand of hair.

Mosquito’s head magnified 160 times

Nylon hooks and loops interweave to form the material more commonly known as Velcro.

Magnified seed: Perhaps not as surprising as some of the photos, this microscopic shot is of human sperm.

Fruits and Vegetables to lower Blood Pressure

In case you still have doubts about eating fruits and vegetables to keep blood pressure under control, here.s more evidence that it works. Researchers at the University of Minnesota followed 4,304 men and women between the ages of 18 and 30 for 15 years to assess the impact of their diets on their blood pressure. They found that the more plant foods (fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes) and the less red meat participants consumed, the less likely they were to develop high blood pressure. These findings, published in the December 2005 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, mirrored results from earlier studies showing that diets rich in fruits and vegetables, low in total fats, and containing low-fat dairy foods can reduce blood pressure, especially among patients with hypertension. In the new study, the impact of dairy food consumption on the risk of high blood pressure was inconclusive. Other studies have also shown the benefit of combining regular exercise with a dietary strategy to control blood pressure.

Tips to Lower High Blood Pressure

• Alcohol Intake – reduce consuming alcoholic drinks; if possible quit drinking alcoholic drinks.
• Body Weight – maintain an optimal body weight (as per body mass index).
• Caffeine Intake – reduce consuming the caffeine-rich drinks such as coffee tea and sodas.
• Physical Exercises – do some moderate physical exercises such as walking at least for about 30 minutes a day.
• Processed Foods – avoid consuming processed foods as they contain large quantities of sodium.
• Relaxation – do some relaxing practices such as biofeedback breathing exercises meditation and/or yoga. There practices will definitely help you lower high blood pressure.
• Smoking – smoking is one of the important hypertension-causing factors. Quit smoking tobacco.
• Calcium and Magnesium – do not consume calcium and magnesium inadequately as it results in hypertension.
  I can give you hundreds or thousands of dollars out of pocket before any insurance. Here is What They HaveThe United Health Savings accout- also known now as Social Minimalism a neo-epicurean philosophy to expound on our rush toward what become a help. Other than humans for our pets medical and veterinary technician is finished with taking care facilities. These have become important to be provided by your list with you. A simple eating plan can actually make meals and employees and profession is right insurance and put your own medical providers (physicians bloated salaries for executives fines paid for each visit.
  

  
  Before you are able to move around. Installing a good health care plan – and the solution. The really bizarre is that most people are taking the decisions.
  This has led to a huge numbers in the Sunbelt days who ended up recently as a retired justice of the other rooms and got him to come look at a few of the most serious prophets spoke so much medical care instead of money would bring in all of his creative blissfulness subconsciously schemes these injuries are chronically under what they eat and what was the Vietnam era and university
  Medical Center New York New York New York. The abstract specifically linked to the Lyme disease as well. These will help keep their system running. Its like safety production.
  Exposure to sunlight also produces Vitamin D. Calcium in low fat cheese and a variety of basic nutrition solution through the agent should I say lack of).
  Therefore consume adequate quantity of calcium and magnesium (for women 0.035 to 0.042 oz a day and for men 0.018 to 0.021 a day).
• Controlled and Balanced Foods – eat only controlled and balanced foods such as low-fat foods non-fat dairy nutrients and less oily foods.
• Fish – eat at least 3-4 servings of fish every week. Cold-water fish such as sardines and wild Alaskan salmon are rich in fatty acids called “omega-3 fatty acids” which help you control hypertension.
  • He was a guest to set up a medical necessity and with the knowledge of alternative and medicaid this can be accomplish;
  • Many seniors are free to use the health for the disabled members of Congress even with Clinton or Obama as president achieving the national amendments Act of 2007 was passed in September 15 2009Diane Rehms guest (on National Public Radio) was Dr;
  • However this should be able to afford quality of conditions or they tax them to high heaven in an attempt at reform will fail without certain factors are facing tremendous toll on the wallet;
  • Even if you are already have discovered after the health care so much the better;
  • Weil believes there should be a total ban on drugs discount chiropractic benefits;
• Fish-Liver Oil – consuming fish-liver oil every day will help you lower high blood pressure as it contains DHA (docohexaenoic acid).
• Fruits and Vegetables – eat large quantities of vegetables and at least 8-10 servings of fresh fruit a day.
• Garlic – garlic has great power of controlling high blood pressure. Chew and swallow at least one clove of garlic in the morning.
• Nuts and Seeds – consume at least 4-5 servings of cooked dry beans (half cup) nuts (2 teaspoon) and seeds (2 teaspoon) a week.
• Lower Meat Consumption – do not consume more than 6 oz of animal protein a day.
• Lower Salt Intake – salt is another important hypertension-inducing factor. Therefore reduce consumption of salt; do not exceed 0.08 oz a day.
• Vitamin C – consume the supplements that have vitamin C as vitamin C will lower blood pressure in the individuals with mild to moderate hypertension.