The LuxMob Info Tags

Bass fishing has evolved to a near cult popularity with so many anglers through the years that there have been so many products made, clubs formed, and articles written about it. Here you will read about the types of Bass fishing lures you can use to catch them. Also, there is also a list on the necessary equipments to have when going bass fishing.

The type of bass that will bite almost anything is the largemouth bass. Minnows, worms, or other live bait, plus poppers or streamers presented with a fly rod, or plugs thrown from a casting or spinning rod are ways where they can be caught. Since bass is usually associated with weeds, a weedless bait will often be necessary. Morning and evening are the best fishing times when warm months come. They usually like to stay in warm water and warm weather. There is only little bite during winters.

Smallmouth bass pound for pound are the scrappiest fish of all fresh water bass. They are usually associated with a rocky stream or lake environment where its favorite food, the crayfish, is plentiful. The best lake fishing takes place in the month in June and just after, the spawning season, and in early fall. Natural lure like hellgrammites, dragonfly larvae and crayfish are especially useful during early morning or late evening. Most likely, the best artificial lures are those who are used on the surface. Light tackle is ideal. Fish quietly, casting toward rocks or logs, keeping the rod tip up and the line tight. Many fishermen debate on the colors used for their lures. This may vary on the bass fish that is to be caught.

Fishing requires more than just a simple fishing rod and some lure for serious fisherman. People who fish for leisure are those who fish because it’s their hobby, they can have some tools and accessories that will help them make it easier and be able to catch more fish. Here are some suggested tools for starters that will help them improve in catching fish:

• Fishing Rod. The most important piece of equipment and should be chosen with care. A basic rod-and-reel set is enough for beginners. It is necessarily important to have more featured materials. The most important is that you should learn how to use the rod and be comfortable to it before moving into another difficult type of equipment. Professional fisherman can experiment different types of rod for them to know what works best for them.

When buying a fishing rod, know before you enter the store what kind of fishing you’ll be doing, and under what conditions. Rods come from different varieties of materials, from wood laminates to fiberglass to carbon fiber. Rod handles should fit securely in your palm, and practice casting with the rod, to test how flexible and easy to use it is. In addition have the proper length of the rod. For using lighter lure, or catching tiny fish, a 4 inch to 6 inch rod is advisable to use. For using larger lure, which gets larger fishes or casting longer distances, a rod of at least 6 inches may be required.

• Waders. It is a water- resistant covering you wear over your pants to keep them dry so you can wade out into the water. A lot of are made like overalls, covering the chest and the legs, and with boots attached, for ultimate defense. Make sure the boots are warm and secure, to supply better balance while walking on wet rocks.

• Fishing Vest. Contains several pockets for storing fish equipments and your hands are free to manage the fishing rod. Also, should you have to wade out into the water, wearing a vest will let you to have all of your gear with you at all times. Make a decision beforehand which gear is necessary; if you store too much in the vest, it may make it too heavy to wear, which could bring you down.

• Tackle Box or Fly Box. In fishing it requires a lot of supplies and you need a something big to store all your gears. Spend in a durable tackle box, in which you can store your entire lure, keeping it easily to get to. Styles are classified into simple and inexpensive, and large and costly. Fishermen may only need something small, but the more advanced fishermen may want something handier. Furthermore, you should consider a fly box. Small enough to fit a vest pocket and allows you to keep them with you as needed.

For a free course on finding the best bass fishing guides and the best bass fishing lures, visit www.bassfishingsystem.com/ today.

Gratitude. The spiritual practice of gratitude can be called a state of mind and a way of life. To bring more of this into your life, practice acknowledging all the good things you experience every day. Make it your way of being and life will seem to improve almost immediately. When I find that perfect parking spot, I always say a quiet “thank you”. . When I drive up to where I live (a beautiful location), I say “thank you”. When my dog greets me with wiggling glee, I laugh and say “thank you”. This is a great habit to cultivate, as it forces your mind to focus on the good in your life. I am not suggesting that you turn into Pollyanna, but I am promising that what you choose to focus on will grow. That’s a fact. You might well choose to “grow” happiness because of the wonderfully positive effects it has on your mind and body.

There was a time for me when every day felt horrible. Days, months and even years, were full of worry, pain, fatigue and sadness. I had health issues, loss issues, money issues and life issues in general. I felt miserable and angry that my life was not going in the direction I had hoped. So without consciously realizing what I was doing, I had focused on the negatives and they became almost insurmountable in my mind. These thoughts affected my physical health too. I became sick and tired of being sick and tired, as the saying goes.

Then I discovered gratitude. It became my personal challenge to see the good in my life on a daily basis. I had a light bulb moment and quite by chance, stumbled across my prescription for personal happiness. Teaching others to be therapeutic clowns brought me more joy than is possible to describe in this short column. Educating others on the dangers of stress and then teaching them about the powerful benefits of laughter is my personal prescription for well being. It is my passion and I’m grateful that I can share this knowledge with others. It may sound a bit too syrupy, but I have proven that my journey can be joyful.

Studies have proven that people who describe themselves as being grateful are frequently more optimistic and enthusiastic about life. It is also found that they suffer less stress and apparently, are less likely to experience clinical depression.

Oprah helped to enlighten people a few years ago, by pointing out just how powerful being grateful can be. She encouraged everyone to keep a gratitude journal and write down 5 things at the end of each day that they were grateful for. Try it. It can be a powerful life changer.

Consciously create a new pathway of thought in your brain. Retrain your brain. Start off your year with a new and positive habit. Change how you think and work on developing your own attitude of gratitude.

Carole Fawcett is a stress management consultant and laughter therapist who lives in the beautiful Okanagan Valley in British Columbia, Canada. You can read more about her on her webpages. http://www.afunnybusiness.ca

Many different types of chocolate are available for consumption, but what is the real difference between them? Chocolates are classified by the percentage of cocoa in the mix and the other ingredients that are included. Some chocolates are only suitable for cooking, while others are made for immediate consumption. Below are the edible variations and how they are classified.

Semi-Sweet Chocolate - Made from unsweetened chocolate (chocolate liquor), but with the addition of sugar, cocoa butter, lecithin and vanilla mixed in. Semi-sweet chocolate must contain at least 35% unsweetened chocolate, and typically is less than 50%.

Dark Chocolate - The rules regarding classification of chocolate in this category vary throughout the world. However, the one constant is that this type of chocolate contains no milk solids, but has sweeteners and cocoa butter added to the mix. In Europe, dark chocolate must consist of at least 35% cocoa solids while in the U.S., it must have a 15% concentration of chocolate liquor.

Milk Chocolate - Like you’d guess from the name, milk chocolate is made with condensed or powdered milk. In Europe, milk chocolate must consist of at least 25% cocoa solids, while in the US, it must have a 10% concentration of chocolate liquer and a minimum of 12% milk solids. Milk chocolate is primarily used for eating and is the most popular form of chocolate in the U.S.

White Chocolate - The name given to white chocolate is a misnomer because it isn’t really chocolate at all. Strictly speaking, chocolate is defined as any product 100% based on cocoa solid. White “chocolate” doesn’t contain any cocoa solids and is made from cocoa butter, milk solids and sugar.

Couverture Chocolate - Chocolates under this classification are true gourmet chocolates that are rich in cocoa butter (upwards of 35%) which creates an extremely high fat content. Cocoa butter is the fat extracted from chocolate liquor. These chocolates contain a very high percentage of cocoa which is the solid powder left after the cocoa butter is extracted from the chocolate liquor.

Considering the US Center for Disease Control’s advice is a very
good idea. Fat, although systematically proven useful to the
human body, is not only a waste of food. When you’re fat, if
very fat, you’re obese, and you do indeed have a disease. It can
sneak right up on you like a homicidal lunatic. In spite of how
you feel about yourself emotionally, you should really do your
utmost to keep your weight from assuming immense proportions—or
you’ll only be dooming yourself.

DO YOU REALLY WANT TO BE AN OBESE AMERICAN?

The USCDC estimates that six out of ten Americans are
overweight to the extent that they can be considered to be
nearly obese, and the obesity rate has doubled from 15% in the
year 1980 to 30% in 2000. And one in 50 people being severely
obese is only a conservative estimate. Now you know.

“Fat” may be in as far as emotionality goes, but it’s still a
very effective method of accidental suicide. If the point is
that you’re still a good person when you’re fat, why are you
leaving your loved ones behind? Excess fat has been
scientifically proven to lose you both your job and your life.
Therefore, if you want to proceed for many more years to come,
and if you love your own people enough, you should try to
accommodate them to the extent that you and they want to go on
living.

Obesity leads to death from diabetes, heart disease, strokes,
cancer, osteoarthritis and physical injuries from the very fact
that a fat person has more trouble getting around than a skinny
or normally thin person does. Try bending over to pick up a
pencil from the floor, and you will see what we mean by this. If
you can’t even pick up that pencil from the floor, you’re in
serious trouble. And if it’s very difficult to do it, what does
that mean?

It means obesity has indeed reached epidemic proportions. We
know this sounds like a pun and so funny, but it isn’t.
Americans are growing larger according to a simple index which
measures actual weight versus percentage of body fat. Scientists
use a Body Mass Index, or BMI, to take lean body as well as fat
body mass into account. A BMI of 25 or more is considered
overweight and one of 30 or more reflects obesity. Having a BMI
of 40 or greater is equivalent to having approximately 100 extra
pounds of fat. Are you that overweight, or headed there? If so,
it’s time to make that serious commitment to either stop
“growing” — to actually lose some of that body fat. Not
overnight, but slowly.

DON’T KEEL OVER—TAKE YOU DOWN EASY

Why slowly? It has been shown time and time again that going on
a “fad” diet, or looking for “overnight success” is like weekend
warrior syndrome. There is a tendency for trying too hard too
fast to either put excess weight on you, causing you to lose
lean body fat and other needed body tissues, and/or leading you
right back to the major health problems you are trying to avoid.
So you don’t want to use any “quickie” methods at all. Not
unless what you’re really planning on doing is giving up.

There is no such thing as a “quick fix” when it comes to
obesity. You’re only handing out money to people to pretend to
fix your problem, when there are real solutions that can be
found through proper diet and exercise, namely maintenance
programs that involve a gradual loss of weight combined with a
gentle and building exercise program that will cause you to
become thinner and more healthy through slow, scientifically
researched and progressively easier exercise. You don’t need to
show off; you need to win!

Further about what not to do: some researchers point to high
fructose corn syrup, an inexpensive, way too commonly used
sweetener, as a major culprit in the obesity epidemic. A
terrific first step, if you’re a soda pop addict, is to see if
you can cut back to about half the sodas you ordinarily drink.
If you’re used to, say, downing an entire liter of soda per day,
consider cutting that to half that amount and replacing the rest
with good, pure water, bought from the store or gleaned from
your own purifying system. You want to drink clean water, not
the stuff that’s probably loaded with minerals that aren’t good
for you from your tap water. Either buy water or find a
purification method, and start replacing your soda pop with
water.

Research shows that the more water you drink, the less hungry
you feel. The US Department of Agriculture has performed studies
that show you can almost get rid of that feeling of hunger when
you are eating less food by drinking water. And further research
has shown that the water, clean and pure as it is, will flush
toxins and waste out of your body while you are losing weight.
Isn’t feeling good while you’re losing weight the best possible
way to go? Don’t you want to live on, for your family’s and
friends’ sakes, and to feel completely better about yourself?
Replace some of that soda pop and some of your food with water.
It is a proven dietary tool.

A PROBLEM CALLED NOWADAYS

We have become an increasingly sedentary society, we Americans.
More people work sit-down jobs and are car-dependant, which
means less walking, and there’s a tendency when coming home from
a hard day at a stress-ridden job to plop down mindlessly in
front of the TV. It’s like giving up—it’s so seductive, and so
easy to do. And now we have personal computers, which are so
addictive it’s tempting to just sit there and “grow.”

It has been shown that habits like those outlined above,
especially computer addiction, lead to patterns of behavior
established early on in life. You need to get your kids away
from the computer if they’re spending four or more hours per day
on it, studies have shown. And it they’re slowly getting plumper
and plumper while surfing, you need to get them to play outside.
Have them join up for soccer practice before they become the
“fat kid” and get picked on by the other kids, and not allowed
to play with them.

YOUR OWN DIET AND WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM Most diets work for as
long as the individual sticks to the diet. That’s why “diet”
refers both to your food intake and to “going on one.” It’s what
you need to eat for the rest of your life. And to lose weight,
you must reduce the total calorie intake to a level below the
number of calories that you burn, each and every day. There is
considerably more to designing a good diet than simply reducing
calories, however. A total program, therefore, is one that would
incorporate diet and exercise with supplements that will help
improve metabolic control. When choosing a weight loss plan,
it’s important to seek out diets that preserve muscle mass.
Crash dieting that induces “quick” weight loss generally
promotes muscle and water loss and less fat loss. That’s why you
should be unafraid to drink water; its loss is unimportant
unless you grow seriously dehydrated, and you don’t really want
too much water loss. Fad dieting results in the “yo-yo”
syndrome. When patients have gained their weight back, doctors
have seen that they gained it as fat–not muscle. The best plan
to follow is one that targets the change in body composition and
preferentially enhances the lost of body fat rather than muscle
mass. To some, this means low-carbohydrate diets, but
unfortunately there is a tendency to start to treat “carbs” as
something evil and think that you must avoid them at all cost.
This is similar to the idea that fat in foods is evil and must
be avoided at all costs. Neither case is true at all.

You need carbohydrates, proteins and fats in your diet in a
correct proportion, with no one or any amount of the three of
them out of balance. That’s right; you need to eat a balanced
diet. Although you do need slightly less fat than the other two
types of basic foods, depending on the nature of your lifestyle
and exercise program, you don’t have to overemphasize one food
group over another. This has been proven in case after case
throughout all of human history. Generally, a rule of thumb is
to cut back on all simple carbohydrates, such as table sugars
and sweets, and eat more complex carbs such as fresh fruits and
vegetables.

Eat your ice cream, but only about two cups worth at a time. You
need minimal fat whether you’re trying to lose weight or not,
but just cut the fat off your meat and eat lean meats. You don’t
have to “go overboard” and remove all fats from your diet. Fat
is absolutely necessary for the brain growth of children, and
you may need it in your diet for very similar brain metabolism
purposes. Also, a tip: avoid drinking soda pop in aluminum cans.
Regarding your brain, this can be very bad for it, as the pop
contains a lot of aluminum, and this has been shown in studies
to be a potential cause of Alzheimer’s disease, way too early in
life for it to be a mere coincidence.

And relax. You don’t need to “beat yourself up” for what you eat
and don’t eat, or if you accidentally didn’t exercise for one
single day.

SUPPLEMENTS ACCELERATE WEIGHT LOSS

What’s important to remember while going on your weight loss
plan, using both dieting and exercising, is that muscle dictates
your metabolism and high body fat slows metabolism. Preserving
or even building a little more muscle can have dramatic effects
on metabolism. There are many dietary supplements which can help
enhance weight loss when a low-calorie diet and a decent, slowly
accelerated exercise plan are both followed. Also, these
supplements can help improve blood sugar control, metabolism and
body composition. They may also help prevent long periods of no
weight loss, or the “plateau effect,” that can be quite
frustrating to you and can cause you to “fall off the wagon.”

Believe it or not, we’re almost religiously talking “temptation”
here. You need to watch what you’re eating as often as humanly
possible. Take little breaks, eat your “bad foods,” but only
about once per week. Do it to reward yourself for a long week of
sticking to your diet and exercise program, and if you do fall
of the bandwagon, don’t give yourself such “fun food” rewards at
all. They’re harmless if you just consume them in very low
quantities or even moderately, and can be a great reward if
you’re sticking with your exercise plan and taking it well.

READY FOR SOME FANCY FOOTWORK?

According to current ongoing medical research in both the US and
China, supplements may also help prevent weight gain with
occasional “cheats”– and that means occasional! The thermogenic
effect of green tea (Camellia sinensis) was originally
attributed to its caffeine content. However, green tea
stimulates brown fat thermogenesis far greater than a comparable
amount of pure caffeine. It appears that the
catechin-polyphenols, in particular epigallocatechin gallate
(EGCG), and caffeine that naturally occur in green tea work
synergistically to stimulate thermogenesis and augment and
prolong sympathetic stimulation of thermogenesis. It has been
shown to increase 24-hour energy expenditure and fat oxidation
(caffeine only increases metabolism during the time you take it).

Drinking one or two cups of green tea each day also has well
documented anti-cancer effects, particularly with respect to the
prostate, breast, uterus and ovary. Green tea is generally taken
as a standardized extract in capsule or tablet form to provide
50 mg of caffeine and 90 mg of epigallocatechin gallate to be
taken three times daily before meals. Although green tea
contains a small amount of caffeine, it is generally not enough
to create any adverse side effects. Drinking several glasses of
green tea each day may yield a similar thermogenic effect to the
supplement, although this has not been studied thus far. Coleus
Forskohlii Coleus has a long history of use in Ayurvedic
medicine. One of its active compounds is forskolin, which has
been studied as a weight loss aid. Animal studies have shown
that forskolin has anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects.
Human studies have shown that forskolin may be effective for
glaucoma (as eye drops) and may have other therapeutic effects.
And finally, green tea is a great way to flush out your system,
similar to simply drinking water. It’s a clean and effective
tonic, and you can even drink it at night in a small amount
before you go to bed. It will take away your “cravings” and
promote a healthful night’s sleep.

Join the good fight. Start that easy lifelong diet and nice,
slowly building exercise program, and start it today—not
tomorrow, but today!

One of the most common obstacles many home-based working moms
face is trying to start or run a new business on a limited
budget. The first few years of a business are usually the
hardest financially. Some moms leave full-time careers and
substantial salaries to start a new business. Others start a
home business as stay-at-home moms wanting additional income to
support their family as well as a professional outlet to balance
their diaper-changing days.

In either case, starting and running a home-based business takes
money. How much money will depend partly on you and the type of
business you choose to run.

Below are our top 10 tips to save you and your home business
money:

1. Do your own market research by talking to potential clients
or customers. Many new home business owners skip this step only
to come back to it later (or wish they had). Those who start
businesses without doing any type of research, risk the
possibility of their target market not needing or wanting their
particular product or service. The competition may be too
fierce, or there may not be enough potential customers to
support the business. Or perhaps, the product isn’t priced
correctly. It is just as important not to price your product too
low as it is not to price it too high. Talk to others in similar
businesses as yours to see how much they charge and what they
offer for that price.

2. Team up with other non-competitive businesses that target the
same market to do some co-marketing. For example, desktop
publishers and print shops can do a direct mail campaign
together advertising both of their services or buy an ad in a
local publication and split the costs. Neither is in competition
with the other. They also can hand out business cards or flyers
for one another as well as give word-of-mouth referrals. It’s a
great way to double one’s marketing efforts while splitting any
advertising costs.

3. When you have a satisfied customer, don’t be afraid to ask
for referrals. People like to help others especially new
businesses trying to succeed. Show pride in your work and people
are sure to notice, and when they do, ask if they know any
others you can send a brochure or sample to. Another great way
to encourage referrals is to offer a discount or special offer
for any customers who are referred to you.

4. Barter or trade your services for other products or services
you need. Associations and organizations are not only great
places to network; they are also great for finding businesses
that offer services and products you need. Look for businesses
you could help with your product or service and offer to barter
or trade for theirs. (Be sure to check with your tax
professional for tax issues involving bartering and trading.)

5. Find another home-based working mom to swap babysitting with.
All home-based working moms need some dedicated time to work on
their business tasks. By swapping with another mom, each can
work on their businesses without adding to their childcare costs.

6. When buying new office equipment, go to a place that offers a
low-price guarantee. You can save time and money by shopping at
places that will refund any difference in price if you find the
product cheaper elsewhere.

7. If you are looking for computer equipment, consider buying
used equipment. Look in the classifieds and talk to others that
may know someone looking to upgrade. Ask for warranty
information and make sure the machine is in good working
condition. Also take a look at the computer companies offering
refurbished machines. Some are priced accordingly and usually
come with some type of warranty.

8. Send postcards for direct mail solicitation. They are cheaper
to print and less expensive to mail. Another advantage is that
they are more likely to be read since they take no effort to
open.

9. If you hire sales help, pay by commission only so you only
spend money if you make money. A salesperson can increase your
sales without adding any up-front fees or salaries.

10. Use pre-printed design papers for letterhead, brochures and
business cards if you only need a small amount. The papers can
be found at most large office supply stores, and they are great
for new businesses trying to get started on a small budget.

Lesley Spencer, the founder of Home-Based Working moms has
helped thousands of moms start their businesses in the 10 years
that she has been in business. Their group provides networking,
support, media opportunities, and more. By actively being
involved in such a group you also increase your chances of
success because of the power and support that she offers and the
opportunity to network with other professionals. Getting
connected with positive “winners” in the entrepreneurial world
is just another way to succeed.

These money-saving ideas should help with your budget but new
business owners also need plenty of drive and determination to
succeed. It takes time to develop and grow a business. So be
patient and give it all you’ve got!

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECT OF NUCLEAR POWER AND PUBLIC ACCEPTANCE

INTRODUCTION

As we stand at the threshold of third millennium, the demand for energy in our country has accelerated at 10percent per year, due to population explosion as well economic liberalisation leading to rapid Industrialisation. It is true the per capita consumption of power is a clear index on the quality of life and our country has to go a longway to match with those of developed countries, where the per capita energy consumption is 8 to 10 times of our country. For the next 50 years, Hydel, Thermal, Nuclear are the three major energy options) whereas the Non-conventional/Renewable energy sources such as Biomass, Biogas, Solar energy, Wind energy, Tidal wave and Geo-Thermal energy will not contribute significantly to the energy needs. Compared to the installed capacity of 86,440 MW in 1997, the projected need will be 2,36,940 MW by 2012.

MAJOR ENERGY OPTIONS

Hydro power is a renewable, economic, non-polluting and environmentally benign source of energy. Only 15% of Hydroelectric potential has been harnessed and 7% is under various stages of development. Thus 78% of the potential remains without exploitation. This is mainly due to capital intensive nature, long gestation period, concern on inundation of forest lands, Rehabilitation of large populations and upsetting the ecological balance, which all have combined to decelerate the Hydel sector.

Thermal fuel combustion causes the atmospheric release of large quantities of Nitrogen, Sulphur Dioxide, Carbon dioxide and particulate matter and hence serious environmental impacts at local and global levels. As per the energy experts statement, a 600 MW capacity pulverised coal plants, on an average will release about 35,500 tonnes of Sulphur dioxide, 11,700 tonnes of Nitrogen Oxide, 780 tonnes of particulate, 12.50 lakh tonnes of Carbon and 148 tonnes of heavy metal including radioactive nuclides such as Uranium and Thorium over two decades. Flue gas desulfurisation and de-noxing equipment or more highly efficient plants would reduce emission of the oxides, but these abatement measures do incur cost penalties upto 25% tilting the cost balance to nuclear energy option. Apart from the cost factor, the threat of Acid rain, depletion of Ozone layer and Green house effect due to fossil fuel combustion, narrow down the choice to Nuclear energy.

The enormous power dormant in the atom was the single most important discovery of the 20th century. The development of Nuclear power world over has been rapid and France meets more than 50% energy demands from Nuclear power. In our country, 10 Nuclear reactors generating a total capacity of 1840 MW contribute only 2.5% of total energy demand.

NUCLEAR ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

According to NPC, 78000 tonnes of Uranium deposits were found in Singhbhum (Dt) in Bihar and 3.6 lakh tonnes of Thorium in the coastal plains, of Orissa and Kerala. These deposits were sufficient to generate 3.5 lakhs MW power at cheap rates for 3 00 years, while causing much less pollution. The need for producing nuclear power has also to be seen in the backdrop of the fact that oil resources are becoming scarce and coal reserve in our country will last for another 150 years. Higher coal, oil/Gas prices will quickly undermine its competitiveness, while nuclear power generation costs are quite stable over a wide range of fuel price scenarios.

It is established the nuclear power is advantageous particularly in those parts of the country, where hydel sources are scarce and which are far away from the coal fields, like southern and western parts of our country.

Our country has coal reserves but to reach energy usage levels comparable with global average, it is necessary to use all energy sources particularly the nuclear power, which could be a source of cheap energy. The capital cost of the nuclear power is undoubtedly more, but the electricity produced from it is cheap. As a developing nation, our country has an important option to tap nuclear energy as a source of cheap energy, since the country requires the cheapest energy that it can get.

In the context of entire coal reserve in our country will be depleted in 150 years, the coal price is going up at 15% per annum and high ash content of 45% in indigenous coal which requires vast land for Ash disposal, option is converging on Nuclear Power.

The Nuclear reactors are having the distinction of continuous run even for a year once put on bar, whereas Thermal Generators may need intermittent attention.

Critics of Defence Nuclear Programme, often club the civil Nuclear and Defense Nuclear as ‘Siamese Twins’ but that is not a fact. Nuclear energy is a safe, environmentally benign and viable option.

High capital cost and long lead time undermine the competitiveness of Nuclear Power. As it takes nearly 8 years to complete the Nuclear power project, the interest rates on capital cost has to be at the lowest. At 5′0/o- interest rate, it is having an edge over fossil fuel based Thermal power and above 5% it loses its competitive edge. Even efforts have been made to reduce the gestation period by 18 months. More severe safety and radiation protection standards have further added to the capital cost. The Home grown pressurised Heavy Water reactors could be at least 40% cheaper than what they are if measures such as double containment protection around the reactor vessel built in extra redundancy are done away with. The Nuclear power may be made economical by going in for ‘Closed Nuclear Power Cycle’ by extracting Plutonium from spent fuel. Hence the reactors on drawing Boards are expected to have shorter construction time, lower capital cost, improved cycle efficiency.

‘Resources crunch’ in funding the Nuclear energy programme is considered to be the main limiting factor, towards development of nuclear energy regime. Necessary Govt. Budgetary support, raising public money by floating Bonds, equity participation among the States concerned and opening of this High Technology sector for joint venture with private promoters are proposed towards enhancing the Nuclear energy contribution to 200/o from the present 2.5% in the total energy demand of our country by next century.

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS & PUBLIC FEAR

‘Nuclear radiation Phobia’ is the main repulsive factor in the minds of the general public towards acceptance. If a Gas Turbine fails catastrophically at an IPP Plant, the plant suffers financially and perhaps electricity supply suffers locally. Ditto, if a coal fixed boiler explodes or implodes. If a accident of that magnitude occurs at a Nuclear plant, the entire Industry can be sent to the dark ages. Even accidents in other countries bright the domestic nuclear industry.

The Layman in the street is baffled, frightened and threatened by the periodical news report by antinuclear activists on ‘Nuclear radiation’. It is true nuclear radiation is an ‘invisible contamination’ which we cannot see, touch or smell it. Nevertheless, it cannot remain invisible for long, say for many years. It becomes only visible in the form of thyroid diseases, cancer, Leukaemia, miscarriages, birth defects, mentally retarded children and animals born with deformities.

But it is unfair to mix the effects of Nuclear tests carried out for Defense Nuclear with peaceful Civil Nuclear energy programme. One Press report says how radiation can travel through the food chain into human body with an instance from Bikini an atoll in the western chain of the Marshall islands in the Central Pacific Ocean, where the Americans carry out as many as 66 Nuclear tests. One of the most popular delicacies among the people is the coconut crab. This type of crab has a curious habit of eating its own shell, which it sheds every year. By eating the coconut crab, which had large accumulation of the radioactive substances, the people of Bikini developed thyroid diseases, Cancer and Leukaemia, even though they were permitted to return after many years of the tests conducted. The fear due to the mechanism of radiation damage is the main causative factor for hesitation by the public towards acceptance in India.

MASS EDUCATION ON NUCLEAR POWER PROGRAMME IN INDIA

Advocacy through the media is a favored practice among NGOs’ as it lends viability, credibility and urgency to the issues. But NGOs and social activists seem to think that sensationalising information is a surefire strategy to grab media attention.

Environmentalists and some NGOs’ have contributed a number of articles which pose the question of a possible negative impact of Nuclear power facilities on the environment and the population. Such issues which were raised in this context are largely connected with the public’s insufficient information availability concerning specific safety principles of new generation nuclear power plants.

Hence, there is an urgent need to inform the public at large, mass media bodies, independent experts and seminar participants about know-how and many-year old positive experience of operating and maintaining NPPs’ in the fullest possible and most objective manner. Information on operating and maintenance of Nuclear power facilities and safety aspects with reference to international norms will solve the issues which concern among the population and NGOs’ to the great extent, resulting increase in NPP active supporters.

Television is considered to be the most effective media of communication to allay the fear and misapprehensions, concerning, NPRs’, by conducting open discussion between Nuclear power proponents and the people/NGOs’ concerned. In fact, substantial allocation in the project cost must be allotted for mass education to kick start the public awareness of nuclear energy option.

KOODANKULAM POWER PROJECT - A CASE STUDY

The light water reactors (called WER) of I 000 MW capacity proposed in Kudankulam would strengthen the south Indian power supply corridor. It would be a massive investment in the infrastructure sector and would contribute enormously to the local economy and employment. Barren sites would become areas of flourishing activity when the reactors are set up.

The nuclear establishment has since initiated steps to take the public into confidence regarding the safety of the proposed nuclear project at Kudankulam. As a first step, the entire structural and safety details of the reactors (VVER) were kept open in one seminar, commissioned during 5th November at Chennai, wherein Indian and Russian atomic energy Departments participated.

When the Kudankulam Atomic Power Project was mooted in collaboration with Russian Federation during 1988, there was a public outcry in the Vernacular press. Anti-Nuclear campaign was mounted by various NGOs’ in the form of street plays, theme songs and day long fasting to drive home the point.

The public anxiety on the project is over the safety aspect of the Russian Technology in the light of Chernobyl accident on April 26, 1986 in the former USSR. The press was wild in reporting on how the radiation leaves its legacy in food chain and has caused widespread contamination not only in the Soviet Union but carried out by wind and affected the vast areas of Europe, causing widespread destruction in Dairy-farming regions upto Sweden.

Another causative factor for public anxiety is on the coolant water from Nuclear Power Plant, which according to the local fishermen will destroy their livelihood as Koodankulam is basically a fishing village. The press Report on Kalpakkam Nuclear complex, near Chennai says the warm waste water with radioactive contamination that comes out of the plant keeps the fish away, particularly in the area within a few miles radius of the outlet . Lots of dead fish floating are collected for making salted and dried fish for outside market, as the local people are aware of the fact.

It is the bounden duty of nuclear energy proponents to dispel the fears on safety aspects and on contamination of nuclear waste. The local leaders of NGOs’ and anti-nuclear loby have to be educated on the difference between Chernobyl reactors (VVER 440 MW capacity - first Generation) and the proposed Kudankulam Reactors (VVER 1000 MW capacity - Third Generation) rectifying all the deficiencies in the earlier generation reactors and fitted with all the modem safety features like double container system as per the best International norms. The fact that Russia’s VVER - type reactors fit into the category of water cooled and water moderated reactors, now seen as the most widespread reactors (250 Nos. out of total of 435 Nos.) operate the world over, has to be taken note of. The specific Reactors, to be built in Koodankulam feature the most progressive engineering solutions in the NPP - Safety field, envisaging several consecutive safety levels, such as multiple duplication, different operating principles and the physical division of safety channels, are to be given wide courage publicity at the educated people level.,

In the case of disinformation campaign on colossal impact of coolant outlet water from Nuclear plant on fish culture, NPC has since taken a welcome step of arranging a visit of the fishermen folk of Koodankulam village to ‘Sadras’ a fishing village near Kalpakkam, to have first hand information and interaction with local people. This type of Interaction will result in increase of supporters to Nuclear energy programme.

INDIAN INFRASTRUCTURE SECTOR POSTS DISMAL GROWTH RATE IN SEPT

Reversing the sharp recoveries during the last two months, the six infrastruture industries posted a dismall 1.7% growth rate during September.

Growth rate of the six sectors compristeg crude oil, refinery production, coal, electricity, cement and fioished steel fell from.highs of 9.3 % in July mainly on account of poor showing by coal electricity and crude oil. The six infrastructure Industries had posted a growth rate of 4.1 % in September last year.

The growth rate during the first half of the current fiscal (April-September) was, however, impressive 6%, as opposed to a lowly 1.5% in the year ago period. Whie crude oil production remained flat, coal and electricity sector posted negative growth rates of 2.4% and 0.4% as compared-to-handsome 9.6% and 4.7 % growths respectively in the same month last year.

Cement saw a reversal of fortunes with growth rate dipping to 0.7% in September 2002 from 16.4% in the year ago period. On the other hand. petroleum refinery products growth touched 2.8% as against a negativegrowth rate of 2.1% in September 2001, while finished steel recorded an impressive growth of 7.6% compared to 1.8% in the same period the previous year.

Crude oil production posted a growth rate of 5.2% in April-September as apposed to a negative 2.9% grwth rate in the same period the previous year. During the first half of 2002-03, growth rate in petroleum refinery products was higher at 5.6% (4.2%) coal 5.9% (2.1%), electricity 3.4% (3.2 %) and that in cement was higher at 9.8% (3.4%).

Fnished steel staged a turn around with a growth rate of 9.3% during April-September this fiscal, far higher than a negative growth rate of 0.9%.

In absolute terms, white crude oil production bettered to 16.53 million tonnes as compared to 15.7 million tonnes in the first six months of 2001-02, petroleum refinery products rose to 51.64 million tonnes over 48.89 million tonnes a year ago. Coal prodution was up at 151.3 million tonnes in April-September as compared to 142.9 million.tonnes in the same period last year.

S. Chkarapani
Age56
Freelance Journalist
chakrapani.s@nlcindia.com

Sometimes I think that publishers and Google are moving in different directions. As publishers, we put in all sorts of effort to match colors, check placement and blend ads into our sites so that they bring in the maximum amount of income.

That’s the same goal that Google has.

They also want to see us doing well. And they’re doing everything they can to help us. The problem is that we have no control over the measures they’re taking… and sometimes their work clashes with ours.

A case in point is the expanded text ads. You’ve probably seen these on your site. Maybe you’ve embedded a rectangular ad unit into an article, put it right at the beginning so that users can’t miss it and matched it to the rest of the page so that it looks like part of the text. Then you open the page a few days later and find that instead having a bunch of ads in the same font size as the surrounding text, you’ve got just one or two big ads with lots of white space around them. The whole area screams “Ad!”

Two things could have happened: either you’ve been site-targeted by an advertiser who’s paying per impression; or you’ve been keyword-targeted and Google has determined that a larger ad will give you more money.

As long as Google is right about the effect on the bottom line, that’s fine. If I’m making more money from an advertiser paying per impression than I would make fishing for clicks then I don’t care how much the ad looks like an ad. Google can put flashing neon lights around it for all I care. I doubt if many people would click… but then they don’t have to click to make me money.

And if Google finds that one big keyword-targeting ad will bring more clicks than several smaller ads, then they can go ahead and put a single ad there. But I can’t help feeling skeptical about that and I’m a bit worried about relying on Google’s automated predictions to determine how my site will make money.

It’s not that I don’t trust Google. I’d just like to know why think that a big lonely ad is going to do well.

Google won’t give me the figures they used to make their predictions. But I can still check them. When I find that I’m being served an expanded text ad instead of a group of smaller, better blended ads then I’m going to watch its performance like a hawk. If I see my revenues drop, that ad is getting blocked.

Joel Comm is The Internet Revenue Expert. Online for over 20 years, Joel teaches people how to make money in the digital age. The recognized authority on Google AdSense, Joel teaches how to multiply your AdSense income at The AdSense Code. To ask Joel Comm a question about making money online, visit http://www.AskJoelComm.com Joel invites you to download a free copy of The Internet Money Tree at http://www.internetmoneytree.net

Speaker Positioning

Speaker installation is very critical for performance. Whether you spent $1000 or $10,000 on a set of speakers, if they are not properly installed, they would not sound as they should. Even though it may seem that the best position for most speakers are in the stock housing’s that came with the car e.g. on the door panel near your feet, this is just not so. You would see why such positions are still used however along with alternative solutions such as center channels for 5.1 dolby, LCD screen, in-dash DVD players. There are many factors that need to be considered in placing the speakers in the correct position.

Distance

The first thing to consider is distance. If the left speaker is only a couple feet away from your ears, while the right speaker is several feet away from you, then the sound will arrive at different times giving you poor sound. Since the left speaker is closer, it sounds louder. The best solution is to figure out a location where the difference between the distance of the right speaker to your ears and left speaker (also known as path length difference), are minimal. This is where kick panels become the preferred location.

Multiple Speaker Placement

If you have a system with two or more speakers per side, you need to try out different locations to obtain the best possible sound in your car. If you have a 2-way system with a tweeter and sub per side. The subs are mounted in the stock location at the bottom of the door. The tweeters are mounted high up on the front corner of the door panel. From the driver’s seat, you can see that there are 4 speakers all aimed towards different orientations and all at a different distance to your ears. This interaction of sound waves at different frequencies arriving at your ears at different times seldom sounds good. The best thing to do is to position the woofer and tweeter on each side as close as possible to each other. This is also why kick panels are used so much these days. Professional installers do use some tricks such as inverting the tweeters’ polarity when mounted for example on top of the dash while the woofers are low. Achieving good sound with unconventional mounting schemes is very, very hard and is only achieved after plenty of time has been spent trying different configurations.

Aiming

Our ears can distinguish the direction of sound more easily at higher frequencies. This means that aiming the mids, and most importantly, tweeters towards your ears play a critical role in sound imaging. Midbases are not so critical, but should be also aimed towards the listener’s ears if possible. To figure out the best aiming angle involves many hours -even days- of work. To start, try to aim the speakers towards the center of the car. Play around with different angles until you obtain the best sounding position. Subwoofers should be mounted up front for best sound. Since this is not possible in most cars, mounting subs in the back is not such a bad thing, since most people can’t distinguish where bass comes from. If you have good midbases going down to 60 Hz or less and subs picking up the signal below 60 Hz, then the bass will seem to come from the front.

Enclosures

Subwoofers need a properly designed enclosure to give top performance. Midbases and mids also do sound much better if they are installed in enclosures. The best sounding and easier to build enclosure type for midbases and mids is sealed.

Mounting Speakers

If you are using speakers that fit into the stock location, make sure there are no spaces or holes. Sometimes building a wood or fiberglass baffle helps reduce holes and gives you much better sound. Always be careful when using power tools around speakers. Holes in speakers usually are not covered by the warranty. For unconventional speaker locations, sometimes metal has to be cut. If you have the resources, plasma cutters and pneumatics tools work great. For most of us that do not have these tools, a pair of metal snips (left and right cut) will do the job.

Take your time to plan your system and dont just buy brand and product for the sake of popularity. Sometimes the simplest system is the most effective.

Get more Auto and Car Audio Video help.

Read More at:
http://forums.trinituner.com/forums/archive/

As dog owners, we must be alert to items that are toxic to our animal friends. Regular household items that may not harm us may cause our pets illness and even death. The Human Society and the ASPCA both have comprehensive websites with articles about household toxins. Let’s delve into some of them here. We’ll look at both non-food and food items.

Obviously, over-the-counter and prescription medications, including vitamins, should be kept well out of reach. Even a very small dose can be lethal. Household cleaners should be stored in cabinets with closed doors. Cleaners containing pine or citrus oils are toxic.Plant food, fertilizers and other garden products are lethal. Do not leave them lying around!

Although every winter we hear the warnings about antifreeze, I feel it should still be addressed. It contains a substance called ethylene glycol, which has a sweet taste. It is very attractive to pets and, even in tiny amounts, is fatal. One teaspoon can kill a several pound dog. Fortunately there are safe alternatives on the market. Look for products that contain propylene glycol.

Other non-edible items to be on guard for are; bleach, detergents, button battery ingestion, moth balls, potpourri oils, fabric softener sheets, batteries in general, cigarettes, pennies and hand and foot warmers. Aluminum foil and cellophane candy wrappers can cause intestinal blockage and vomiting.

Foods and beverages that we may consume everyday could very well harm your dog. Raisins and grapes, for instance, can cause anything from vomiting to deadly kidney failure. Candy and gum containing large amounts of the sweetener xylitol can cause a sudden drop in blood sugar resulting in depression, lack of coordination and seizures. Other foods and beverages to watch for include; coffee grounds, alcoholic drinks, onions, onion powder, yeast dough, beans, salt, macadamia nuts, apple seeds, apricot, cherry and peach pits, mushrooms, mustard seeds, rhubarb, and walnuts.

This is by no means a complete list. Check with your vet or Animal Poison Control should you have any doubts about anything. Remember, your dog’s life may be a stake!

Self is everywhere, shining forth from all beings, vaster than the vast, subtler than the most subtle, unreachable, yet nearer than breath, than heartbeat. Eye cannot see it, ear cannot hear it nor tongue utter it; only in deep absorption can the mind, grown pure and silent, merge with the formless truth. As soon as you find it, you are free; you have found yourself; you have solved the great riddle; your heart forever is at peace. Whole, you enter the whole. Your personal self returns to its radiant, intimate, deathless source.

~ Mundaka Upanishad

This beautiful passage from the Mundaka Upanishad comes perhaps as close as written words can to “speaking the unspeakable” ~ to pointing to that which the tongue cannot utter (nor the ear hear, nor the eye see) … and giving us ~ its fortunate readers ~ a “prescription,” a practice for experiencing this that it is pointing to, directly:

… only in deep absorption can the mind, grown pure and silent, merge with the formless truth.

The prescription, the practice being offered by the Mundaka Upanishad is the practice of “deep absorption,” a state of Being that can be accessed (perhaps most effectively) through meditation practice. So what is “meditation practice”? Let’s explore …

In the same way that the practice of Hatha Yoga includes (at least potentially) thousands of asanas, and in the same way that there exist thousands of different forms of Qigong (Taoist energy-cultivation practices) ~ so also are there thousands of different forms of meditation practice. (I’m using the term “meditation,” in this context, to describe mind-training practices performed with the physical body held in a relatively stationary position.)

Within the Mahayana vehicle of Buddhism, meditation practice is divided, most generally, into two categories: Shamata (calm abiding) and Vipashyana (clear seeing). The most basic form of Shamata/calm abiding meditation ~ and a good place to begin, if you’re new to the practice ~ is simply to sit, in a location where you’re not likely to be disturbed, with the spine in an upright position, relax (body & mind), and do nothing else at all. Easy! Try not to even think of it as “meditation” … but rather a time to just sit and be at ease, to cultivate stillness, with nothing at all to “do,” for five minutes or ten or a half hour. This is called “Shamata without support.”

If this was too easy, you might like to explore “Shamata with support.” In this form of meditation practice, you use a particular “object” as a “support” for you practice. You can, for example, use your breath as support: letting your awareness rest gently on the inhalations & exhalations, perhaps counting the cycles of the breath, from one to ten, and then beginning again. Mantras (strings of Sanskrit or Tibetan syllables) or mandalas (visual representations of aspects of mind), candles, or objects from the natural world (e.g. a shell or a beautiful crystal) can also be used as support for your meditation practice. The idea here is that the “object” acts as “support” by helping us to keep our attention in the present moment (instead of drifting off into thoughts of the past or future).

A more advanced practice is to use as “support” whatever happens to be arising in the fields of the senses. So, for instance, you could decide to use as support every sound that you hear, or the smell of incense or perfume or food in the room, or whatever taste happens to be in your mouth … Emotions and thought-patterns and eventually anything at all that is arising, can be support for our practice. How exactly these things become “supports” (as opposed to distractions) is a subject for a future essay … or perhaps is best left to personal interaction with a meditation instructor. For now, the point is simply this: eventually, every single thing in your experience can act as a support for your meditation practice, for your becoming more Present, more awake, more “alive” in the here and now.

Vipashyana/clear seeing practices (also know as analytic meditation) are meditation practices often used in conjuction with hearing a Dharma talk or studying a particular text/scripture. In such forms of meditation, a particular idea or concept is taken into the space of meditation, and within that place “held” and “examined” in a deeper way than is possible when we’re engaging only with conceptual mind. A certain kind of clarity and certainty can then emerge, with respect to particular aspects of the teaching. This sort of meditation is also a means for yogic exploration: for exploring, in very specific ways, the working of mind, for “going inside” and having a “look” at aspects of ourselves which we may, in our day-to-day living, be quite unaware of.

But if you’re able to be happy with the very first Shamata( without support) practice ~ the practice of simply sitting, relaxing, and “doing nothing” ~ this is excellent … and will serve you well, on your journey toward [merging] with the formless truth … [solving] the great riddle … and [returning your personal self] to its radiant, intimate, deathless source … Sobeit!

Elizabeth Reninger holds Masters degrees in Sociology & Chinese Medicine, is a published poet, and has been exploring Yoga ~ in its Taoist, Buddhist & Hindu forms ~ for more than twenty years. Her teachers include Richard Freeman and Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche. For more essays on yoga-related topics, please visit her website: http://www.writingup.com/blog/elizabeth_reninger