No doubt about it: Most of us have never felt less in control of our destinies. The stock market is bottoming out and no one knows what to do about it. Jobs are down, food prices are up, who knows what’s going on with gas, and to make things even more expensive, the holidays are upon us. Mix all these factors together and you have a recipe for runaway stress and anxiety. But there is one thing you can control: your body weight. That’s right. Now is the time to get fit, lose any extra pounds that might be hanging around, and develop the habits that will keep your weight at a healthful level over the long term.

Soothing yourself with comfort food and spending hours on the couch obsessing over TV news reports won’t make the economy better, and they certainly won’t make you better. If you want to feel more in control, take charge of your health. Not only will you feel better physically, your emotional state will improve as well.

Here’s the problem. Because we tend to live in a dieting-obsessed, “quick fix” society, most of us have absorbed some common misinformation that might actually be hindering our fitness goals.

 To really be successful, you must first debunk the myths that you might have read on the Internet or received as advice from friends or coworkers.

Think you know your stuff? Read on for the revealing answers to common weight loss blunders that might trip you up in your quest to get healthy:

MYTH #1: Weight loss is all about the cardio. Anyone who believes cardio exercise alone will burn off the pounds hasn’t gotten up an hour early every day for two months to hit the treadmill…only to be disappointed when the scale doesn’t budge. While it’s true that cardio is highly beneficial, you won’t really see results until you add equal amounts of strength training to your exercise plan. That’s because muscle burns more calories than fat in a process called protein metabolism.

Quite simply, the more muscle you have the more calories you burn each day. Lifting weights is also critical as you grow older, because it will prevent you from losing muscle. In short, keep the cardio but add the strength training. The combination will help you to burn the fat and calories you desire in a healthy and balanced way.

MYTH #2: Salads are the best choice for healthy eating. A salad full of fresh vegetables can be packed with healthy vitamins and minerals, but depending on what else you throw on top, it can also be loaded with calories. For most people, cheese, croutons, and salad dressings are a must, but often these salad accessories are high in fat and calories, practically negating all the healthful veggies that lie underneath.

Many people don’t know that because of all of the extras they add, salads at fast food restaurants can contain more calories than a hamburger. Be conscious of the extras you’re adding to your salads. If you can’t stick to the vegetables and a light dressing on the side, you might be better off choosing a small burger and an order of fruit or a plain baked potato.

MYTH #3: Vegetarian = Healthy. When we hear the word “vegetarian,” we automatically assume it’s healthful. But the reality is that dishes at restaurants that are labeled as such can be deceiving to patrons trying to make a conscious choice about their meal.

Many vegetarian options replace meat with flavor boosters like mayonnaise, cheese, and dressings, causing the calorie count to soar. Be wary of the ingredients in vegetarian dishes. Just because it sounds healthful, doesn’t mean it is.

MYTH #4: Reduced fat means low in fat. It’s easy to be persuaded to pick up items at the grocery store or out at restaurants that are labeled “reduced fat.” But before you assume that reduced fat equals low fat, consider what the food’s original fat content may have been.

The FDA says in order for a label to claim a food has “reduced” fat content, it must contain 25 percent less of the nutrient than the regular product. If an item contains 10 grams of fat, it need only reduce its fat content to 7 ½ grams to qualify for the reduced fat label. So, while it has less fat than its original counterpart, it’s only marginally more healthful, and may still contain more fat than you need to consume.

MYTH #5: Fresh is better than frozen. With an increasing number of products being marketed as “organic” and “fresh” as part of the current health food trend, it can be easy to assume that fresh foods are naturally better for you than frozen ones. However, we forget that in order for the so-called “fresh” food to get to the stores, it often has to travel long distances from its place of origin. During the journey, fresh fruits and vegetables can lose some of their nutritional value. Fruits and vegetables that have been flash frozen (or even canned!) immediately after harvest maintain their nutritional value until they are consumed. As a bonus, frozen and canned goods can be much less expensive to buy when they are out of season, helping you to stay healthier year-round.

If you are able to buy locally grown produce, you should. Garden-grown foods do have the best flavor, and if it’s grown locally, you can be sure that the time between picking and eating is reduced.

MYTH #6: All fat is bad for you. For years we have had it drilled into our brains that fat is public enemy number one when it comes to losing weight and staying fit. And it is true that you want to avoid saturated fats such as those found in fried foods, sweets, and full-cream dairy products. However, if you avoid all fat all the time, your body will be missing out on important nutrition that it needs to function properly.

Of course, you should never overindulge, but you do need healthy fats in your diet to be on the top of your fitness game. Great options include moderate servings of nuts, seeds, and fish. Keeping your fat intake in check will make for a healthier lifestyle than one with no fat at all. 

MYTH #7: If you exercise, you need to consume a sports drink. While sports drinks can be beneficial for those individuals involved in long continuous exercise routines (lasting more than 2 hours) or working out in a very hot and humid environment, most of us Average Joes and Jills don’t need them. True, these drinks have electrolytes that are critical for normal body function such as muscle contraction and heart function, but these same electrolytes can be obtained from our daily diet. So unless you are exercising in extreme conditions or for an extended period of time, water is a better way to go.

What people often forget is that sports drinks contain calories, which in many cases cancel out the ones you just burned during your workout. Stick with water. You’ll get all the hydration and none of the added calories.

MYTH #8: You should work out as much as possible. If exercise has overall health benefits in addition to contributing to weight loss, the more we exercise, the better—right? Not so. Weight lifting should be done only every other day, three days a week. That’s because strength training breaks down muscle, and the day off between workouts allows time for the muscle to rebuild. You should also be careful not to overdo it on cardio. Too much can cause excess wear and tear on your tendons and joints, which over time can lead to joint pain or discomfort, especially in the knees, lower back, and shoulders. 

You simply need to remember to give your body time to recover from its workout. Consider taking a day off once or twice a week as an “exercise holiday.” If you abuse your body, you will have difficulty achieving the results you are looking for. Keep in mind the new federal guidelines from the American College of Sports Medicine when you plan your workout routine for the week. It recommends 30 minutes of moderate activity five days a week plus your strength training. It may seem cliché, but the saying rings true—slow and steady does win the race.

MYTH #9: Stretching before exercising is critical. It’s no secret that stretching after a workout can be beneficial and improve results. However, many people mistakenly assume that stretching before a workout is good as well. The truth is that stretching before a workout does not actually increase our range of motion, as previously thought.

Warming up is actually a better pre-workout exercise than stretching. Great warm-up activities are running in place and jumping jacks. They will get your blood flowing and your heart pumping. Save the stretching for after your workout and look forward to maximizing your results.

MYTH #10: Your weight is the best way to tell if your “get healthy” efforts are working. Research is clear that weighing yourself every day is critical to a weight loss program, but many people don’t realize that taking their waist measurement is just as important. A simple tape measure can tell you what kind of progress you are making and can sometimes be a better indicator than the scale. 

We’ve all stepped on a scale that won’t budge and wondered why our weight isn’t going down even though our clothes are feeling loose. Here’s why that happens. When you first begin to exercise, two things will happen: 1. You will gain muscle mass, which is good, and 2. You will lose fat weight, which is also good. The increase in muscle mass offsets the loss of fat, which is why the scale has not changed, but your tape measure shows an improved waistline. This process occurs for about the first six months of your exercise program, and then finally the increase in muscle mass levels off or plateaus but your fat loss continues, which is then reflected on your scale.

MYTH #11: If you’re sick, you can get better by sweating it out. Many people think that a great all-natural cure for what ails them is to hit the gym and try to “sweat out” their illness. That’s just not the case. If anything, it will only slow the recovery process. And chances are you won’t benefit from your illness workout in any other way, because your performance will likely be below par. The best thing to do when you’re sick is to take a break from exercising. Allowing your body to recover will quicken your response to the illness and get you back to working out at full steam before you know it.

Successful weight management is really about education and mindfulness. It means rejecting the myths and making a conscious choice every day to eat the right foods and get the right amount of exercise. And there really is a tremendous satisfaction in making that choice. Once you realize that you can pursue and achieve good health, you’ll feel calmer and more in control. Getting healthy is truly empowering. Whatever the future may hold, you’re taking the best possible care of yourself—and that’s a great feeling in any economy. 

# # #

About the Authors:

Thomas B. Gilliam, Ph.D., is the founder and president of T. Gilliam & Associates, coauthor of the book Move It. Lose It. Live Healthy.: The Simple Truth About Achieving & Maintaining a Healthy Body Weight, creator of the Move It. Lose It. Live Healthy.® wellness program, designed to teach workers how to achieve a healthy body weight, creator of www.moveitloseitlivehealthy.com, and founder and owner of Industrial Physical Capability Services, Inc. (IPCS).

Since 1982, Dr. Gilliam has designed and managed many corporate fitness centers ranging from 500 square feet to 34,000 square feet. He has established a variety of wellness programs to deal with such health issues as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, physical inactivity, stress, osteoporosis, low back pain, and many more.

In addition, Dr. Gilliam is a pioneer and acknowledged expert in the field of dynamic strength testing for industry based on the sports medicine model. Since 1982, he has provided isokinetic physical capability assessments for Fortune 1000 companies through his company Industrial Physical Capability Services, Inc. (IPCS) (www.ipcs-inc.com). Dr. Gilliam’s programs have dramatically reduced workers’ compensation costs and decreased injury incidence and severity rates for major industrial clients. In addition, Dr. Gilliam has been instrumental in identifying and presenting to industry the higher risk for injury and disease caused by obesity in the workplace.

Dr. Gilliam is the creator of the Heart “E” Heart program, which is a healthy lifestyle program for children and their families. He was the principal investigator in a National Institutes of Health research study investigating the impact of physical activity and nutritional habits on heart disease risk in young children. Conducted in the late 1970s, this research resulted in numerous scholarly publications and television and radio interviews throughout the world, including NBC’s Today Show and NBC’s Nightly News with its science editor, Robert Basel.

In 1973, Dr. Gilliam earned a doctorate degree in exercise physiology with a minor in graduate statistics and research design from Michigan State University. From 1974 to 1982, Dr. Gilliam was a tenured faculty member at the University of Michigan. Before resigning from his tenured faculty position, he was involved with numerous funded research projects (i.e., N.I.H., Kellogg Foundation, State of Michigan, and others) that resulted in twenty-nine refereed scholarly publications. 

Jane C. Neill, R.D., L.D., is the 2004 recipient of the Nutritionist of the Year Award for the State of Alabama Public Health. She is an active member of the American Dietetic Association and currently employed by the Alabama Department of Public Health, where she works with the WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) program as a WIC coordinator and a licensed dietitian. She has worked in the WIC program for over ten years, providing daily nutrition counseling for women, infants, and children.

While on the staff as a registered dietitian at the University of Michigan Health System in the late 1970s, Jane was instrumental in working with Dr. Gilliam as an investigator on the National Institutes of Health research study to investigate the impact of physical activity and nutritional habits on heart disease risk in children ages six to eight years.

Ms. Neill is a member of the team that developed and wrote the Heart “E” Heart program for children and their families.

She received her bachelor’s of science degree from the University of Alabama in 1977 in food, nutrition, and institutional management. Ms. Neill has been working as a registered dietitian for over twenty-seven years.

About the Book:

Move It. Lose It. Live Healthy.: The Simple Truth About Achieving & Maintaining a Healthy Body Weight (Move It. Lose It. Live Healthy., LLC, 2008, ISBN-13: 978-0-9762703-5-5, ISBN-10: 0-9762703-5-8, $19.95) is available in bookstores nationwide and through all major online booksellers.

For more information, visit www.moveitloseitlivehealthy.com.

Here are the Top 8 Blackjack Myths. If you believe in any of them, you will lose money.

Here is the real deal regarding blackjack myths avoid them and the odds will be more in your favor and that means a bigger bankroll over time.

Myth 1: Getting as close to 21 as possible is the aim of blackjack

FALSE. The object of blackjack is simply to beat the dealer’s hand.

Understanding this, the best strategy there is is to stand depending on your hand and the dealer’s up card. Most players lose a hand because they hit, when according to basic strategy they should have stood.

Myth 2: A Bad Player in the Game Will Make You Lose

Any other player in the game will have no effect on your winning or losing long term. It is true that really stupid plays can affect the outcome of a hand for everyone else, but the opposite can be true, and a stupid play can be great for everyone as well.

So this blackjack myth evens itself out.

Myth 3: With a Blackjack, Always Take “insurance”

Very wrong! Insurance could easily be the stupidest bet in blackjack.

Taking insurance every time you have a blackjack, means you are giving up 13 percent of the profit that a blackjack pays. Just to break even with the insurance bet, you would have to guess correctly every 1 or 3 times.

The only time you should even consider taking insurance is if you are an expert card counter.

Myth 4: A Hot Dealer

Statistically, if you are winning, the deck’s arrangement of cards is in your favor. If you are losing, it is not.

A dealer has no choices to make whatsoever; they just follow house rules. But the player has many choices and options, and its how you choose that determines how successful you will be not how hot the dealer is.

Myth 5: Half-Way Players Make You Lose.

When someone enters the game, and the dealer’s shoe is half-way used, it makes no difference to the game at all. Its just as if a player took an extra card, or some player leaving in the middle of the game.

Neither of these conditions make you to lose.

Myth 6: Its My Turn to Win.

A dealer is winning hand after hand. You are thinking “its my turn to win” Wrong!

The odds of any player winning the next hand, is completely independent of what hand won before. If you play long enough, the number of hands you will win will be around 48%. However in a single game (playing session) no statistics are relevant.

Myth 7: The Most Favorable Card for the Dealer is the deuce (a 2)

Just Not true. This is often believed as the deuce makes the dealers hand frequently, as there is only one card that can “bust” his hand, ( a 10), if the total is 12 (deuce and a facecard or 10)

Statistically, most players lose if the dealer’s “up card” is an Ace or a 10.

Myth 8: Don’t split your double 9s against the dealer’s 9

If you have been dealt two 9s against the dealer’s 9 you of course have 18. This wont beat 19 and you can always assume that the dealer has a 10 in the hole.

You can prove it mathematically that a player will lose less money by splitting the 9′s than by standing.

So don’t be fooled by believing these old blackjack myths, they are guaranteed to make you, lose. If you avoid these blackjack myths your chancesz of winning will go up dramatically. Good luck!

No other subject inspires as much mythological fodder as hypnosis. It is surprising that during the age of information that many of these myths still remain and that people believe them to be true. Below you will find the truth behind 10 of the most prevalent myths about hypnosis.

MYTH 1

The first of ten myths about hypnosis and the one that seems to cause the greatest fear among people is the assumption that under hypnosis you have no control over your mind or your actions. This is simply not true. In a hypnotic state you do become more conscious of what you are thinking and feeling, but you do not become a puppet to a masterful hypnotist. A hypnotist may use suggestive words to help you focus your attention in different ways, however, you do not lose your ability to think on your own or to control your behavior while experiencing hypnosis.

MYTH 2

Hypnosis has ties to satanic practices. Hypnosis has no ties to Satanism or satanic ritual practices whatsoever. Satanic practices are seen as dark and unseemly with demonic undertones. Helping people to improve their lives is what hypnosis is really all about. That is in sharp contrast to the harmful practices that most satanic rituals are comprised of.

MYTH 3

Once you enter a hypnotic state you run the risk of getting stuck in that state permanently. It is almost unbelievable that people still believe this, but there are many who unfortunately still do, but hypnosis is nothing more than a deeper awareness of what you are thinking and feeling. It is not another realm of existence as some would have you believe.

MYTH 4

You have to be a specific personality type to be hypnotized. Wrong! In actuality we all enter into a hypnotic state almost every night. When we go to sleep our conscious and unconscious mind meet and go over the days events or even over past ones, creating the dreams we experience. Even if after wakening up you have no recollection of having had dreams while asleep, research has shown that all humans and animals dream while sleeping.

MYTH 5

Hypnosis can only work for weaker minded individuals and not for those with a resistance to hypnosis. In fact resistance is suggested by many hypnotists so that individuals can recognize the experience as being their own and not a product of a cleverly skilled hypnotist.

MYTH 6

Hypnosis is just a clever illusion that has no real useful purpose. Magicians put forth illusions to confuse what the eye and mind are seeing. A hypnotist is attempting to clear away any confusion that is acting as an obstruction to a person.

MYTH 7

Going to a hypnotist when you can learn how to hypnotize yourself is a waste of money. Self hypnosis has its value and it can be a safe and effective method of self improvement. However self hypnosis can exasperate mental conditions and traits such as negative thinking, and this should really be taken into consideration before writing hypnotists off as a waste of money. Your overall health should take precedence over financial considerations.

MYTH 8

The belief that hypnosis wipes away all memory of the hypnosis experience. Your memory skills are not lessened by hypnosis. In fact, hypnosis can be used to help you improve your retention skills and as mentioned earlier in this article, hypnosis is not another realm of existence. You do not lose knowledge of whom or where you are or become completely unconscious of the thoughts and feelings you are having.

MYTH 9

Hypnosis can be used to force people to confess to crimes they have committed. First of all, if a person is not open to disclosing a fact, hypnosis will not make it happen. Hypnosis can help a person to feel comfortable enough to make disclosures, but this is still a conscious choice. This is why confessions made under hypnosis are can not be used in criminal proceedings.

MYTH 10

A very dangerous myth is that hypnosis is a cure all. Hypnosis is useful in conjunction with medical treatments for a number of diseases, but it cannot cure them.

Hopefully now that you have been supplied with the truth about hypnosis you may choose to look into how helpful hypnosis can be for you.

Ever wonder what the biggest SEO myths are? I have taken the most prevalent myths that seem to be constantly resurfacing and examined them for you. This is a must read for anyone looking to hire an Search engine optimization firm or someone looking to do SEO for themselves.

Myth # 1: All Meta Tags Are Of Equal Importance

Some Meta tags are useful while others are not. I have stated this many times. Search engines are relying more and more about what is on the website than what the tags are telling them. The description tag is used by some (but not all) search engines. The same goes for the keyword tag. Keyword tags are used more by spammers and people using software to find you as a link partner than the search engines. In my opinion, the only tags you should concentrate your efforts on are the robot tag and the description tags.

Myth # 2: You Should Submit Your Site to Search Engines Weekly or Monthly

Honestly, I never submit any site more than 1 time and sometimes I don’t even do that. If you submit your site once, you’re good. The engines will come back on their own. You can sometimes speed up the process of getting your site indexed by linking it to a high traffic or high PR site. The search engines will find the URL to your site and index it automatically.

Myth # 3: SEO is Too Expensive

Actually, SEO is probably the most cost effective form of online marketing. Organic SEO is cheaper to set up and maintain than a PPC campaign or banner advertising. With PPC and banner advertising, you pay for clicks or impressions. With SEO, all clicks are Free. You simply pay for the set up and monitoring of your site’s pages.

Myth # 4: PPC Is More Effective Than Natural SEO

In the short term…true. In the long term…false. Why, you ask? Organic SEO is preferred by searchers over 5 to 1 to PPC. People trust organic searches to return relevant results. People also know that the ads to the right of the page are sponsored ads. They have long ago figured out that anyone can bid on any term they want, as many often do, without even a hint of relevance. So, long term SEO structuring can indeed be more effective than PPC, especially when considering the preferences of search traffic. A top search rankings may take some time to get, but once you are there (and provided you can maintain it), you will get better results than from a PPC ad.

Myth # 5: Hiring an SEO Specialist “In House” is Cheaper

The problem with hiring someone in house is that they are paid hourly or by salary. Most SEO firms charge per item or project. It doesn’t matter how long it takes us, you pay a one time charge. When you hire a firm, it’s like having a team of SEO experts on your payroll. Paying a flat rate saves you money and speeds up the time it takes to complete a job. Additionally, most SEO firms have specialists who write, submit, redesign sites, post pages, etc… Hiring one person who can do all these things competently is highly unlikely.

Myth # 6: I Can Only Optimize My Homepage for Key Terms

You can and should optimize every page on your site. Each page should have its own key terms, with no more than three phrases per page (preferably one).

Myth # 7: All I Need to do is Write Content with the correct Keyword Density and My Site Will Rank Well

Wrong…especially if you want to rank on Google. You will need off-site SEO as well as on-site SEO. Keyword density may work on MSN (for now), but it will take more than that to rank well for all search engines.

Myth # 8: I Shouldn’t Aim for the Most Competitive Keywords and Phrases

If the keywords you are competing for are very competitive, should you optimize your site for them? Of Course! I would optimize for some high, medium and low competitive key terms. Cover all your bases. The worst case is that you won’t rank well for the high competitive key terms and that’s ok. You can always work to improve them. Don’t shy away from top key terms just because they are competitive. You may never know how close you could rank for them unless you try.

Myth # 9: Only Work With Companies That Give You A Guarantee

Guarantees would be nice if they were worth the paper they are printed on. In fact, most guarantees from SEO firms have the same stipulation in them. This stipulation usually states that as long as they get one of your key phrases to the top of any major search engines, they have fulfilled their end of the agreement. This is irrelevant to the competition of the term. In other words…it’s easy to be number one for terms no one is competing for. Don’t be deceived by high rankings listed on SEO sites as they can be misleading.

Myth # 10: SEO Requires a 1 Year Commitment on My Part

It certainly shouldn’t. Don’t lock yourself into a year contract with any company unless you already have an established, favorable business relationship. SEO, in most cases, should be performed on a month to month basis with a mutual understanding of the objectives and relative timetable. Often, both the long and short term maintenance contracts that many firms insist on including with each job are unnecessary. As an example…If you have a new site optimized, especially right after an update, you may not see results for three months. Why pay for maintenance in the interim time?

Additionally, you may not be happy with the results of an SEO firm or even the level of service. A long term contract may only ensure that you receive a full year of bad service. So, don’t lock yourself in with a year contract, at least until you are comfortable with whom you are dealing with.

Hopefully, I put a few common SEO myths to rest. Feel free to contact me with questions you may have regarding these or other SEO myths you want more information on.

We’ve all heard things from friends or family about what is the best way to get healthy fast.
These Health Myths will clear the air on a few of some regularly heard myths.

Health Myth #1:You’ll know if you are having a heart attack.

Not always. Only half of those who’ve suffered from a heart attack felt a symptom. That means that the other half never felt any symptom, or didn’t recognize it. There are several signs most common to a heart attack:

chest discomfort (pressure, squeezing, or fullness)
shortness of breath
nausea
cold sweat
discomfort in upper body (arm, back, neck, jaw, or shoulder)
sudden extreme fatigue (without lack of sleep)

Because the heart’s nerves don’t feel pain directly, symptoms can be unpredictable.

Health Myth #2: Pampering can speed recovery from back pain.

False. You know if you’ve ever strained your back that the pain is intense. In fact, if you rated it on a scale of 1-10, it would be a 99! Experiencing back pain is excruciatingly painful and makes it difficult to even walk without great uncomfort. The best medicine seems like a day of bedrest where you’re propped up on pillows. Ringing your bell to have your honey bring you ice packs, ibuprofen, and put on the latest movie. However this is a bad idea. Your sweetheart may feel like they are being kind by offering all this attention, but you really need to move around. In order to recover from that back strain, you need to stay as active as possible, strengthening the back muscles. Staying in bed for two or three days slows your recuperation. Walking is best.

Health Myth #3: Blood in the toilet means cancer.

False. You probably do not have cancer, especially if it is a small amount. Of course it is always wise to check with your Dr. Typically a small drop of bright red blood is a sign of hemorrhoids, and it only takes one drop to taint the whole bowl red. There are over the counter tests that can be done at home to check for even microscopic amounts of blood, just ask the pharmacist. Don’t panic, but do check it out with your medical professional to be safe.

Health Myth #4: You can really eliminate a problem area by doing specific exericses.

False again. If you have a flabby belly, and want to get rid of it, a bunch of crunches will not make your bulge disappear. Unfortunately that’s not how the body works. In order to reduce any problem areas, an overall workout is necessary. Do not expect crunches or squats to spot reduce those extra rolls – although it will tone muscle.

Health Myth #5: Men can drink more than women.

True. Because men have an enzyme that metabolizes more of the alcohol before it’s absorbed into the bloodstream. Women don’t have as much of this specific enzyme and also don’t have as much water in their bodies. This extra water men contain in their bodies also helps decreases blood-alcohol levels drink for drink.

Good health and fitness are not just a trend but a way of life.

Are you a believer of Global warming or not? Or are you one of the cynics yet to be convinced? Well both have a part to play in the Global Warming arena debate. The whole issue is surrounded by facts and figures but when these facts and figures are looked at it is very difficult to prove them with science, so you end up with hearsay.

Global warming from our point of view is the increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s near-surface air and oceans.

When you observe all the different global warming myths that are published in various publications, online, TV, and radio you will understand the issue with conflicting information. Because of these global warming myths come in many forms it is essential to understand the causes of global warming, and the facts attached to those myths.

MYTH: Water vapour is the most important, abundant greenhouse gas. So if we’re going to control a greenhouse gas, why don’t we control it instead of carbon dioxide?

FACT: Water vapour does trap more heat than carbon dioxide (CO2), but as CO2 levels increase in the atmosphere, they lead to warmer conditions, which lead to more water vapour in the air, which leads to even warmer conditions, thus a never ending cycle. Because of this relationship between CO2, water vapour and climate, to fight global warming nations must focus on controlling CO2.

MYTH: Global warming reduces as the ozone hole shrinks.

FACT: Global warming and the ozone hole are two separate issues.

MYTH: Global warming is not occurring due to some glaciers and ice sheets are expanding and not shrinking.

FACT: In most parts of the world, the shrinking of glaciers and ice caps have been dramatic. The best available scientific data indicate that Greenland’s massive ice sheet is shrinking.

MYTH: So what if global warming is a problem, trying to fix it will affect American industry and workers.

FACT: A well thought out trading program will harness American ingenuity to decrease heat-trapping pollution cost-effectively, jumpstarting a new carbon economy.

MYTH: The cold winters and cool summers that have been happening of late are not the effects of global warming, and are infrequent events.

FACT: While it is true that different areas of country’s have experienced some colder winters here and there, between them the average temperature has ben on the up.

MYTH: We can adapt to climate change. Civilizations have survived droughts and temperature shifts in the past.

FACT: Although it is true that the human race has survived an onslaught of drought and prolonged warmth along with the bitter cold and more, entire societies have collapsed from dramatic climatic shifts.

MYTH: Global warming along with extra CO2 will be beneficial, they reduce cold related deaths and stimulate crop growth.

FACT: Any beneficial effects will be far outweighed by damage and disruption.

MYTH: Global warming is just part of the worlds natural cycle. The Arctic has warmed up in the past as it is doing now.

FACT: The global warming we are experiencing is not natural. People are causing it.

While the global warming myth story is interesting, it does reduce the impact of the facts. But as they say “Truth is stranger than fiction.” The many myths on global warming doing the rounds are based on global warming statistics, just with a different view point.

It is always best, as with everything, to look at the global warming myth with an open mind. There is always two sides to every coin, so explore both before making your full opinion.

Perhaps this article on global warming myth with strike a chord with you and will inspire further reading into the subject.

Top 10 Myths About Acne

I have been treating acne in my patients for over a decade.  And during that time many patients have asked me questions related to myths that they have heard, that simply aren’t true.  Here I will address the top 10 acne myths that I have heard over the years with detailed explanations of why they are false.

Acne Myth 1 – Washing your face more often will help clear up acne

Facial blemishes are not caused by dirt. Contrary to what you may have seen in commercials, pores do not get blocked from the top down due to “impurities”. Rather, the walls of a pore stick together deep within the skin, starting acne formation. Far from preventing acne, frequent washing may actually irritate pores and cause them to become clogged. A washcloth can add even more irritation. The best bet is to wash very gently with bare hands, and only wash twice a day.

Acne Myth 2 – Stress causes acne

Stress may have an effect on hormones and theoretically can promote acne. However, an effective acne treatment regimen is more powerful than a bout of stress any day. Some psychiatric medications may have acne as a side effect, but stress itself is no big deal. Your time is better spent determining the right course of acne treatment rather than feeling guilt about stress.

Acne Myth 3 -Masturbation or sex causes acne

This antiquated notion, originating as early as the 17th century to dissuade young people from having premarital sex, is just plain wrong. Don’t believe the hype.

Acne Myth 4 -The sun will help get rid of acne

Although a tan may temporarily mask acne, the sun can make the skin dry and irritated, leading to more breakouts in the future. In fact, there’s no link between sun exposure and acne prevention, but the sun’s rays can cause premature aging and skin cancer. Always protect your skin by choosing a sunscreen of at least SPF (sun protection factor) 15 that says noncomedogenic or nonacnegenic on the label, which means it won’t clog pores.

The sun also reddens your skin, blending your skin tone with red acne marks. However, a sun burn is actually skin damage, and sun exposure can cause irritation which will make acne worse. People will often notice their skin breaking out as it heals from sun damage. The sun is a short-term band-aid which will often bite back with more acne in the weeks following exposure. However, some sun exposure is not evil. It is actually important, and we get our vitamin D from the sun. Limiting sun exposure on acne prone areas of your body is most likely prudent, but some exposure from time to time is not only unavoidable, but is perfectly okay.

Acne Myth 5 -Diet and acne are related

The bottom line is we need more research. We do know that people in some indigenous societies do not experience acne at all. This is in contrast to the widespread presence of acne throughout all modern society. It leaves us to question whether the indigenous people’s diet contributes to their acne-free skin. Discovering a dietary way of preventing acne may be a future reality.

Although eating too many sugary, high-fat foods is never a good idea, studies show that no specific food has been proven to cause acne. Every individual is different, though. Some people notice their breakouts are worse after eating certain foods — and these foods are different depending on the person. For example, some people may notice breakouts after eating chocolate, while others are fine with chocolate but notice they get breakouts after drinking too much coffee. If that’s the case for you, it can help to cut back on that food and see if it makes a difference.

Acne Myth 6 -Popping pimples will help them go away faster

Popping a pimple may make it seem less noticeable temporarily, but popping can cause it to stay around longer. By squeezing pimples and zits, you can actually push bacteria, dead skin cells, and oil further into the skin, causing more swelling and redness — and sometimes causing a red or brown mark or scar to form. Sometimes marks can last for many months and true scars (dents and pits) will last forever.

Acne Myth 7 -Don’t wear makeup if you want clear skin.

As long as you choose cosmetics that are nonacnegenic or noncomedogenic, they shouldn’t cause breakouts. In fact, some concealers now contain benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid, which help to fight acne. You can also try tinted benzoyl peroxide creams that hide pimples while helping treat them.

If you’ve had moderate to severe acne, though, talk to your doctor or dermatologist about the best cosmetics to use — he or she may recommend avoiding cosmetics altogether or only using certain brands so you’re acne isn’t aggravated.

And even if a product is labeled nonacnegenic or noncomedogenic, you should stop using it and talk to your doctor if you notice that it’s irritating your skin or seems to cause breakouts.

Acne Myth 8 – If you keep getting breakouts, it helps to use more acne medication until the breakouts stop.

Because acne medication contains drying agents like benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, using too much medication may cause overdrying, leading to irritation and more blemishes.

If over-the-counter acne medication doesn’t seem to work on your acne, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor or dermatologist. Also, if you’re taking a prescription acne medication, make sure you follow your doctor’s instructions — some medications may take up to 8 weeks to make a significant difference.

Acne Myth 9 – Acne is just a cosmetic disease.

Yes, acne does affect the way people look and is not otherwise a serious threat to a person’s physical health. However, acne can result in permanent physical scars–plus, acne itself as well as its scars can affect the way people feel about themselves to the point of affecting their lives.

Acne Myth 10 – You just have to let acne run its course

The truth is, acne can be cleared up. If the acne products you have tried haven’t worked, consider seeing a dermatologist. With the products available today, there is no reason why someone has to endure acne or get acne scars.

For more information on acne, including: medication reviews and skin care tips, click here, or visit: www.skincarehelp.me.

Many online casino players believe the myths that are spread around the internet, that’s why they lose money. If you want to play and win at blackjack, then you should avoid the blackjack myths that may mislead you to a wrong playing strategy. Here are the common myths and the facts behind each myth.

Blackjack Myth #1: You don’t have to count

Card counting is the basic skill in blackjack game. The myth said you don’t need to know card counting skills and you will still win at blackjack.

The Fact for Myth #1:

No blackjack players can possibly beat the dealer without knowing the composition of the remaining cards. Hence, card counting is an important skill to shift the odds in your favor and increase your chances of winnings. If you have learned any blackjack strategy tells you that you don’t have to count, then it won’t be a long term winning strategy.

By learning the effective card counting, you will be able to shift the “unfair advantage” (as the casinos call it) to your side, making the house remains in vulnerable position. In fact, card counting may not be as hard to learn as most players think of, you don’t have to count every single card, there is simple to way to learn how to count card. The bottom line is you need to know card counting in order to win at blackjack.

Blackjack Myth #2: All you need is a basic strategy to win at Blackjack

If you are learning blackjack strategies directly from online casinos’ website, what you learn is the basic strategy of the game. The myth said that all you need is a basic strategy to win at blackjack. The basic strategy teaches the rule of the game and how to bet to win the game (in fact, it is how to bet to lose in casino’s view of point). If you play with this basic strategy, most probably you will lose money. This is what the casino wants you to be. No way.

The Fact for Myth #2:

Average players play with basic strategy, that’s why most of them lose. Although there have been many books written by numerous authors on blackjack, most of their strategies still stick to the basic strategy that won’t help in winning the game. In order to devise a safe winning blackjack system, you need to know the value of odds to determine the magic formula if you want to win consistently at blackjack.

Blackjack Myth #3: You must get the nearest to 21 to win

This is very common myth especially among those who are new to blackjack game. One of the reason that makes players to misunderstand that they need to get as close as possible to 21 in order to win is because blackjack is also common known as the game of 21. But, it simply a myth saying that you must get the nearest to 21 if you want to win.

The Fact for Myth #3:

When playing blackjack, your goal is simply to beat the dealer’s hand and win. You do not need to get to the closest of 21 to win, as long as you beat the dealer’s hand without burst, you win! It’s that simple.

Many players who are influenced by the myth are try to take cards until they are closest to 21, but most of time, they go bust and lose. You make decision to take more cards or call to stand based upon your cards and the dealer’s cards. You may need to take more cards until you feel you have beat the dealer’s hand. Many players tend to scare of busting, so they just take one or two cards, then stand and hoping for winning. In blackjack, as long as you can’t beat the dealer’s hand, you will still lose even you did not go bust. Hence, don’t scare of busting, you may need to take the risk to beat the dealer’s hand, off course, you should have a proper strategies in place.

What is so hard about retirement? Many people have asked themselves this question. Well, if it is so easy, then why are 41% of retirees five years out depressed and say retirement was the most difficult transition of their life? Now they are unhappy and tell us their life was better when they were working!

You can avoid this fate. To learn how, you need to understand the difficulties associated with this transition, beginning with why there are so many negative psychological associations with the whole concept of “retirement” which you may not consciously understand. You also need to understand the most common retirement myths which may be preventing you from understanding what retirement really is all about and preparing adequately for it.

The word “retirement” comes from the old French verb, “retyrer” which means “to go off into seclusion.” If you look up the word today in Webster’s dictionary, some of the synonyms you will find are: (1) withdrawal; (2) retreat; (3) seclusion; (4) departure; and (5) regression.

Who would want to do any of that? So it is not surprising that we all probably have many unconscious negative associations with retirement. We don’t want to feel old and irrelevant, and we don’t want to regress, but often our parents’retirement was followed shortly by demise and death. We certainly want to deny the inevitable, and denial can become very powerful because we don’t consciously realize we are doing it! And are we going to carefully plan for something we are carefully avoiding considering?

Denial of the importance of planning for retirement has led to five very common retirement myths.

Myth #1 is that retirement is not here now, so there is no reason to think seriously about it and plan for it. “I’ll think about that tomorrow.” We call this the “Scarlet O’Hara” myth. This myth can have devastating consequences including not saving enough money and developing serious conflicts with those closest to you who have different expectations about retirement.

Myth #2 is the belief that retirement is really simple. No big deal. I’ll just stop working and everything will be fine. What’s so hard about that? We call this the “Homer Simpson” myth. Sorry, Homer, but it doesn’t work that way. Oversimplifying retirement and not understanding the enormous personal changes involved can result in disappointment and eventually depression when things do not work out as envisioned.

Myth #3 holds that retirement will be great because it will be one, long, happy vacation. Remember those three weeks we spent in Florida or Hawaii? The rest of my life is going to be just like that. We call this the “Carnival Cruise” myth. But retirees find out very soon that leisure is only relaxing and rejuvenating when it is a counterbalance to some sort of routine, and not as a perpetual escape from reality.

Myth #4 is probably the most common myth, and it expresses the belief that your retirement will be wonderful if only you have enough money. We call this the “King Midas” myth. It is perpetuated by the advertisements of many financial services companies and by the fact that, in America, we are becoming increasingly responsible for our own financial independence after work. This is not to say that money is not important. It is. But only as a means to an end and not as an end in itself. Many wealthy retirees are unhappy.

Myth #5 is the most interesting of all. This myth holds that I am just going to love spending tons and tons of time with my spouse or life partner. We have been waiting practically all our lives to have all this wonderful time together! Now finally we can do it! We call this last myth, the “King Henry the 8th myth.” Couples who have spent 20% or less of their time together pre-retirement will have difficulty adjusting to a much higher percentage. The divorce rate is now the highest for the 55+ demographic.

So now that you know what the five most common retirement myths are, what do you do with this informaiton? You need to establish a process for getting past denial and truly engage in creating a retirement that will complement your own personality and also mesh well with those who will be sharing your retirement life. It is a process which begins with understanding why retirement is such a difficult transition and then taking steps to avoid or minimize these difficulties through planning intelligently to create your ideal retirement life.

For example, the cost of denying that retirement will change your relationship with your spouse or life partner (myth #5) suggests that you need to prepare for changing the depth of your interpersonal transactions. Decisions will now go way beyond “What’s for dinner” and include where and even how to live, which can involve difficult discussions including prioritizing wishes, examining the details of your every day lives, and listening to and compromising with your partner. You can try to “wing it”, but are you prepared to be a statistic in the new divorce paradigm?

This is the intelligent way to prepare for what could either be (a) your most difficult life transition, with a significant chance of unhappiness, or (b) the very best years of your life. Which will it be for you?

I started buying and selling domain names in 1995. Domain speculation began sometime in 1994. I did appraisals and was one of the biggest advocates for registering generic domain names rather than made-up names or those that violated trademarks.

I made a good income from my domains because I did not just sell domain names, I sold domain names that had a business plan and a website while others were just trying to sell their domain names with no traffic, no business plan and no website.

Today many are still doing it that way. Although now they park them at SEDO or Go Daddy or somewhere to try to make adsense revenue while they list them for sale. So my background in domain names is good enough that I can dispel a few myths.

First TLD stands for Top Level Domain. .COM, .NET, .ORG are all examples of TLDs. The domain name most people refer to is what goes before the dot. The TLD is what comes after the dot.

These are some Common Myths about Domain Names;

.TV is for television or multimedia websites. Pure myth. Any domain name in any TLD can work for television, video, or multimedia. The TLD .TV does not give you any special tools for creating multimedia-rich content. .TV does not stand for television. It is the ccTLD or country-code TLD for Tuvalu Island. An island in the pacific that had no real use for owning a TLD so they sold the rights to sell domain names on their TLD to a company that leads people to believe it stands for television. It works. People buy them and use them and associate them with television and that is ok. It’s just a myth that .TV was created to mean television.

Another Domain Name Myth: If you want to build websites that people can access by their cell phone or PDA you need to get a .MOBI domain name. Just like dot tv does not give you any special capability for television or multimedia, dot mobi does not give you any special tools for mobile-capable websites. Any website on any TLD can provide content to cell phones and PDAs if it is made compatible for them. Many will lead you to believe that dot mobi somehow gives you the advantage when it comes to cell phones and PDAs. it doesn’t.

.ME Domain Names Myth: Coming soon to a domain registrar near you. Soon domain names will be marketing for the TLD dot ME. They will market them as great domain names for personal websites. They may be. But it was not created as such. It is the Country-code top-level domain designated for Montenegro.

.PN Domain Names: I own Blogs.pn. I would love to tell you it stands for Publisher network or something like that but it doesn’t. It is the Country-code top-level domain designated for Pitcairn Island. Another pacific island that did not have much use for a TLD so someone was authorized to sell dot pn domain names.

Soon ICANN will be allowing more TLDs to be created and domain names will be marketed in these new TLDs. More and more countries will also offer domain names for sale in their ccTLDs. So the market will be opening up and it may be confusing to some. The truth is what comes before the dot matters most. Getting a domain name in a TLD that makes sense to users can help you though.

Shorter Domain Names are better than Long Domain Names Myth: Only in certain circumstances is a shorter domain name better than a long domain name. Many domain gurus disagree. I don’t care. They talk about people being able to remember your domain name. Truthfully more traffic comes from people clicking links in search engines, on other websites, and on social bookmarking sites than comes from people who type in the domain name.

What is more important is that the domain name help you capture a phrase you want to target in the search engines. I can give you a ton of examples where having the exact phrase you want in the domain name has helped get a top position in Google and other search engines. So if the phrase is longer, do not abbreviate it just because you heard shorter domain names are better. Get the phrase you want to target.

If you are planning to advertise your domain name OFFLINE, in advertising on TV, radio, or even magazines and newspapers, shorter domain names ARE better. Offline, people have to be able to remember your domain name.

The best of both worlds: If most of your traffic comes from the web, shorter means very little. To cover both, get a domain name that matches your key phrase and put your website on that domain name. Then get a second domain name that is short and catchy and redirect or point it to the same website. Use the shorter-easy-to-remember domain name for your offline marketing and the domain that matches your key phrase for the search engines.

Anything other than a dot COM is worthless Myth: This is a favorite myth spread everywhere. It is based on the same myths about shorter domain names. If people have to remember it, then yes, they do remember dot com more often. If you are doing offline marketing, use a dot com.

Online your website can be on any TLD. People are clicking links. So again, get the domain name that matches your key phrase for your website whether it is on .com, net, org, tv, pn, cc, ws, or whatever. Start with dot com, try your phrase. If it is taken, move to the next TLD and try your phrase again. If it is taken, repeat your attempts to register until you find a TLD that your phrase IS available in and register it in that TLD.

These are some Myths about Trademarks and Domain Names;

Domain Name VS Trademark Myth #1: If I own a trademark I need to register my trademarked name in every TLD. Pure Myth and a worthless, time-consuming strategy promoted by Intellectual Property Lawyers who need to justify what you are paying them.

Domain Name VS Trademark Myth #2: When you register a trademark, you have to choose a classification for that trademark such as “entertainment television”, “clothing and apparel”, “beverages”, etc.

You do not own the phrase you trademark. You are being allowed to use that trademark in commerce within the classification you chose. Someone else can register the same exact trademark and choose a different classification.

In addition to that, the geographical area you registered your mark in only covers that area. Someone could have the same trademark in the same classification in a different geographical location.

So again, you do not own the phrase you trademarked, so no need to register every TLD in existence. It could even be construed as anti-competitive business practice to do so.

Domain Name VS Trademark Myth #3: If you chose the trademark, “goofball lawyer stuff” and chose the classification “clothing and apparel”, I could still register the domain name http://goofballlawyerstuff.com or net or org or whatever.

As long as I do not sell clothing or apparel, link to anyone who sells clothing and apparel, or try to confuse people into believing my website is owned by you, I have not violated your trademark rights. Get over it.

I hope this helps you dispel a few of the most common domain name and trademark myths you may have been reading about.