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Increase Page Rank for Blogger in No Time !

External links - Jquery You want to Increase Page Rank for Blogger or your site in no time ? Ok ,perfect ! All those what you have found from tips and tricks about SEO and Ranking may work ,but have you came across the tips which I found ?

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What is Twitter ,how to use it and what for ?

External links - Jquery Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?While Twitter may have started as a micro-blogging service, it is grown into much more than simply a tool to type in quick status updates. I often describe Twitter as a cross between blogging and instant messaging, but even that doesn't do it justice.

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Hide Blogger Navbar in New Blogger Blogspot !

External links - Jquery Want to get rid of the blogger toolbar in new blogger that just came out of beta ? If you have shifted your blogspot blog from old blogger to the new blogger beta, you may have noticed that the previous CSS code to remove the blogger navbar will no longer be effective. That's because Google now uses different CSS tags to display the blogger bar. [#navbar-iframe instead of #b-navbar] If you want to hide the navbar in your blogger blog, here's what you should do ! (these instructions refer to the "new" Blogger layouts templates) GO GET IT GUMGUM:)

Super Sexy Bookmarks Widget for Blogger !

Thumbnail image that says sleek button using photoshop that links to a Photoshop tutoril. Looking for professional Social Bookmark Buttons for your blog ! me too :) however, while i was searching the net too, I came across a post by Naeemnur, that had instructions for Blogger (BlogSpot.com) based blogs which was really good.If you have a blog on blogger you can definitely give this a try.

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Thursday 22 September 2011

Scottish supermarkets face extra tax on selling alcohol

 

Plans to hike business rates for major retailers of alcohol and tobacco in Scotland could see supermarkets pay around £110 million in tax over the next three years.   Finance Secretary John Swinney announced the new levy yesterday, as part of the Scottish government’s Spending Review.   Swinney said the review contained “tough choices, because of the cuts from Westminster that go too far, too fast”.   “We have had to restrict pay costs, reluctantly implement pensions increases on public sector staff, and maximise the income gained from asset sales,” he said.   He outlined that part of the extra revenue brought in would come from a tax on major retailers who sell alcohol and tobacco.   The measure was a surprise announcement, as during the last parliament a proposal to introduce a “Tesco tax” was voted down and it was not included the SNP’s manifesto.   Scottish Retail Consortium director Ian Shearer said: “This new tax is a blatant fund-raising exercise which is illogical and discriminatory. It targets a part of the retail sector which funds Drinkaware, rigorously prevents under-age sales with Challenge 25 and has led the way on clear alcohol labelling, giving it an exemplary record on the sale of alcohol and tobacco.   “Supermarket margins are already cut to the bone as stores compete to offer the best deals to cash-strapped consumers. The UK already has some of the highest alcohol taxes in Europe. This tax would make it harder for food retailers to keep prices down for customers, and makes Scotland a less attractive place to do business, invest and create jobs.”   The WSTA's Jeremy Beadles said he was "disappointed" the meaure had been announced with no consultation.   "The tax on large retailers will place an additional burden on Scottish businesses and push the price up for all consumers regardless of whether they consume alcohol at all,” he added.   “At a time of financial constraint, when many businesses in Scotland are already feeling the pinch and paying increase rates, we do not believe that punishing responsible consumers in Scotland with another tax is either fair or justified.”     Minimum alcohol unit pricing could become as reality north of the border by next summer, although the price has not yet been set. The Scottish government claims it is the “most effective and efficient way” of reducing consumption and alcohol related harm.

Tuesday 13 September 2011

Spain's latest answer to a rock star isn't one for smashing guitars or snorting illegal drugs

- and he'd just as soon chase down his fans as be chased by them.

"Mouse," a 1,213 lb. black-and-white bull who resides in Sueca, Spain, is now the nation's most feared and famous beast, thanks to his reputation as a human skewer on hooves.

The bull got his unlikely moniker because he intially seemed to be anything but a fighter - as a young calf, he was tortured by several local youths and even gored by another bull.

But now, the beast's reputation has done a complete 180. The fighting bull most recently took the life of a 29-year-old victim in Xativa on Aug. 14, and prior to that, a 56-year-old man back in 2006. In addition, he's seriously injured five other people over the years.

So it's any wonder that the bull still receives a rock star's welcome every time he trots around the farm town of Sueca. The crowd stands at attention and cheers for him when he charges into the bull ring and "the eerie strains of the soundtrack to 'The Good, The Bad and The Ugly'" blare from the loudspeakers, according to the Associated Press.

The reason for all the hoopla?

A strange fascination with the risks involved with bull-run culture.

"We go to entertain people so they'll have fun, but unfortunately they are fighting bulls, and there is always a percentage of risk," said Gregorio de Jesus, Mouse's owner.

De Jesus, 42, says he is forced to field as many as 60 calls a day from reporters about his beloved Mouse.

The raging bull may be nearing his retirement, which is even more reason for fans to gather by his holding pen or see him in action in the arena.

Critics will be glad to see the rock-star rabble-rouser go, however.

"Mouse is the proof that the bull runs are barbaric and medieval," Leonardo Anselmi of PROU, an animal rights group, said.

"It's excessive and cruel violence. The culprits are the politicians who allow the bull runs




The Amy Winehouse Foundation will be launched on September 14

 

The Amy Winehouse Foundation will be launched on September 14, and the late singer’s family are now hoping to channel their grief into... Washington, Sept 7 (ANI): The Amy Winehouse Foundation will be launched on September 14, and the late singer’s family are now hoping to channel their related stories Simon Cowell’s a serial cheater: ex-wife Sinitta Amy Winehouse died during detox? Amy was at her funeral: Winehouse’s dad Now, Will Smith-Marc Anthony on boys' night out! Winehouse foundation launch put on hold grief into “positive action” by providing assistance to young addicts. Amy’s father Mitch Winehouse, who has set up the charity in memory of the late singer, made the announcement on his Twitter page. “The launch of Amy’s foundation 14th September. We will turn our grief into positive action.” Contactmusic quoted Mitch as writing on his twitter page. Amy - who battled drink and drug addictions throughout her career - was found dead at her London home on July 23.

Monday 12 September 2011

Amy Winehouse died during detox?

 

Late Singer Amy Winehouse had a prescribed drug in her system upon her demise on July 23, says father Mitch Winehouse. Mitch reveals that his daughter did have the drug Librium in her body when she died and adds Librium is a prescribed substance that is given to those who are overcoming related stories Rehab after Amy Winehouse on Sept 14 alcohol detoxification, and is used to reduce seizures, Contactmusic reported. "Everything Amy did, she did to excess. She drank to excess and did detox to excess," he said Mitch insists that Amy had been winning her battle with booze, saying "the periods of abstinence were becoming longer, and the periods of drinking were becoming shorter". Mitch also says that Amy's attempts at giving up alcohol had resulted in seizures during which she would lose consciousness and speculated as to whether such an episode was the cause of her death.

Wednesday 7 September 2011

M5: Wrong way driver Deborah Hunt is jailed

 

A woman drove for 23 miles the wrong way along a motorway dodging other road users before eventually coming to a stop. Mother-of-three Deborah Hunt, 43, spent at least 20 minutes in the southbound overtaking lane of the M5 after doing a U-turn in the carriage near Junction 24 for Bridgwater. Police found her trying to restart the engine to her Peugeot 806 in the hard shoulder near Junction 21 for Weston-Super-Mare and she smelled heavily of alcohol. As she was jailed for nine months today, Judge Mark Horton said he would be failing in his public duty if he did not give her a custodial sentence. Hunt, of Langport, Somerset, was suffering from alcoholism, stress caused by unemployment as a financial adviser, and a battle with her ex-husband over custody of their children. Judge Horton said it was 'unbelievably fortunate' no one had been killed or injured by her as she drove at 60mph in the dark after 11pm on July 14 this year in northern Somerset.

Addict: Virtual World Crowds Out Real Life

 

What starts out as a fun activity, can take over some lives. Some psychiatrists say video games are one of the big addictions of the decade and can cause problems for people who play them too much. Others argue it is not a recognized addiction.

Described in the Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book as "cunning, baffling, powerful," addiction often seems as inscrutable as the human mind itself. Its reach is widespread

Described in the Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book as "cunning, baffling, powerful," addiction often seems as inscrutable as the human mind itself. Its reach is widespread: Else Pedersen, executive director of Bridge House, estimates 10 to 15 percent of the population has an addiction. "We all either have this or have some strong primary connection to it," she says. "This is everywhere, and it needs to be dealt with like the medical issue it is. We need to give it the same attention we give other diseases that are progressive, pervasive and potentially lethal."

 

  Last month, The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) made a big step toward widespread recognition of addiction as a medical issue rather than a behavioral issue or moral failing. It released a new definition which states addiction is a chronic, underlying, largely genetic brain disease.

  "The disease is about brains, not drugs," former president of ASAM Dr. Michael Miller stated in a press release. "It's about underlying neurology, not outward actions." Miller oversaw a four-year effort by more than 80 addiction experts and neuroscience researchers which yielded the new definition.

  Dr. Ken Roy, medical director of Addiction Recovery Resources Incorporated in Metairie, calls it a game-changer.

  "This is a definition based on a consensus of expert opinion and scientific literature that changes the understanding of addiction from a choice or a self-treatment to a condition of brain structures that basically compels behavior outside the ability to choose," he says. "It's also pivotal in the sense that it equates a compulsion to use chemicals with compulsions to have other kinds of behaviors such as food or gambling or sex. (It is) the same disease state. Addiction is not a choice."

  The new definition reveals addiction to be a primary disease, much like diabetes or cardiovascular disease. It can be a root cause behind other behavioral, social and psychological problems like depression, cognitive distortions, social isolation and anxiety. According to ASAM's definition, "genetic factors account for about half the likelihood that an individual will develop addiction" — meaning if one of your parents is or was an addict, you are genetically predisposed to developing addiction.

  Since addiction has physical, neurobiological causes, one would expect the brains of addicts to function differently than the brains of non-addicts. This is exactly what happens, says Dr. Howard Wetsman, medical director at Townsend, a network of local outpatient addiction treatment centers. Many (not all) addicts have a morphology (or mutation) in the genes associated with the production, release, reuptake and metabolizing of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward. Wetsman refers to the intricate factors governing normal dopamine levels as "dopamine tone."

   "Generally, people who have a low dopamine tone are not able to make great attachments and feel rewards from normally rewarding activities, and that is when the drug or behavior comes along," he says. " Our society likes to think that drugs cause addiction. It's actually the other way around for most people with addiction. The addiction causes the drug use," he writes in his book, QAA: Questions and Answers on Addiction.

  The genetic factor is so pervasive that Wetsman has instituted genetic testing as part of Townsend's intake procedure. "The test identifies two dozen genetic mutations in the brain that relate to symptoms of addiction," says John Antonucci, an intake coordinator at Townsend who also is recovering from addiction. "This information helps fine-tune medical interventions, and it is amazing when you take a patient and their family members, and they realize it really is a biological brain disease. I like to equate it to seeing the X-ray when you have a broken arm. And I have seen family members break down and cry when they realize all this time, their kids weren't doing this to spite them. They were doing it because they were sick."

  Though Antonucci says nine out of 10 of Townsend's patients report addiction in their family trees, there are some addicts without a family history or genetic indication of the disease (but because addiction can express itself through many different compulsions, from overeating to compulsive spending, it can sometimes be hard to trace, Wetsman says). New Orleans native, Xavier University alumnus, father of five and recovering addict Darryl Rouson, now a Florida state representative, had no known family history of addiction.

  "My mother was known to cut her beer with 7-Up, and my dad drank three or four times a year," says Rouson, who began drinking and using cocaine in the '80s. "I wasn't drinking for the social nature, I wanted the effect, and I wanted it quickly, and for a long time. For me, it started out filling what I thought were voids in my life, low self-esteem: I never thought I was cute enough, strong enough, athletic enough or smart enough, and I was always doing things to compensate for these lacks."

  Rouson says he has been through eight treatment programs and is well-versed in the genetic component of addiction, but he has never been tested for the morphologies. Though genetic testing can provide clarity to a diagnosis of addiction, and a basis for what medications will best normalize individuals' brain chemistry, neither testing nor medications are necessary for recovery. "There are millions of people who have gotten sober by going to 12-step meetings (like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous). For some people, that works," says Jo Cohen, clinical director of New Orleans Bridge House and Grace House. "We support the science, but like everything else in treatment, it's an individualized approach."

  Although people do not choose to become addicts, they do have choices over how they manage the disease. Addiction requires ongoing treatment, which varies from person to person — some may benefit from ongoing use of medications like Suboxone, some may require long-term inpatient treatment, others may stay sober simply by attending 12-step meetings. Antonucci stresses that a strong routine of recovery-related activities like meetings or volunteering helps people maintain sobriety, as does access to help from addiction doctors. "This is a chronic disease like diabetes or hypertension," he says. "If you are diabetic, you get exercise and take insulin, but there are times you need to check up with your endocrinologist."

    Rouson manages his addiction by attending 12-step meetings, sponsoring other recovering addicts, reading Alcoholics Anonymous literature, and giving back to the community by sharing his story at prisons and recovery centers. He will speak at Xavier Wednesday, Sept. 14, to celebrate National Recovery Month.   

  "One of the critical reasons why I got clean was I was given a choice," he says. "(My wife) Ruby was dead and I had taken her $80,000 life insurance policy and spent $60,000 on cocaine. I was in a courtroom with my wife's family and they were trying to convince the judge to take my four-year-old son. The judge said I could either choose Daniel or drugs, but after today, I would not have both. I chose my son."

  Antonucci and Rouson both say their community outreach work, which is a tenant of Alcoholics Anonymous (the 12th step states, "Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs"), is essential to their ongoing sobriety. And though there may seem to be a disconnect between the scientific, biologically based addiction definition and the spiritually based 12-step programs, ASAM's research scientically supports the activities recovering addicts undertake in 12-step recovery programs as ways to maintain sobriety.

  "Our medical approach to addiction dovetails very nicely into 12-step recovery, because there is a scientific basis behind how it works," Antonucci says. "Part of my recovery is, I serve food to homeless people every Saturday night, and afterwards, I feel great. Why do I feel great? My hedonic tone has gone up. Doing something really healthy for the community has changed my brain chemistry."

  Wetsman agrees that engaging in charitable activities can normalize dopamine levels. "You get dopamine lowering from being isolated and feeling less-than," he says. "You can't feel isolated and less than when you help somebody else — dopamine receptors actually physically gain in number. The receptors are much more plastic than we think."

  Pederson, Antonucci and medical professionals across the board hope the new definition of addiction will serve to remove much of the shame and stigma surrounding the disease, which in turn will facilitate recovery for the millions who suffer from addiction.

  "When people have a strong understanding about the disease, that's when the miracles happen, and treatment can be extremely successful," Antonucci says. "Don't be afraid to get better. This can work for you, too. Give yourself a chance."

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