December 27th, 2009 by admin

Why do people become addicted? What is the fundamental mechanism? Of course, this question has been answered to varying degrees and in varying ways. Whether you consider the physical aspects of addiction where changes occur in the brain, or the psychological mechanism that triggers an addiction many theories already exist.

This article is strictly my opinion. It is my personal attempt to understand addiction and I don’t claim to have any scientific backing for my model of addiction. Nor do I seek any. I’m merely trying to understand addiction in terms that make sense to me personally. If this is useful to you in some way, then so much the better.

Addiction can be a powerful force in our lives. I hold that addiction occurs with each of us to varying degrees. Drug and alcohol addictions are the most obvious to us because their destructive effects are very evident. But what about those addictions that are not so obvious. Do you have a favorite food? A favorite song? Why do we choose one thing over another? Why do people choose differently?

On a purely physical realm it appears that our brains become stimulated in a certain way that we enjoy and therefore we are left with a memory that is pleasurably associated with a certain stimulus such as a sound or a taste or a sensation. Could this be the basis for addiction?

Since we are beings with an organic component, this makes complete sense. Once an impression is made on us it is either postivive or negative and we have a ‘feeling’ that goes with that. Being creatures that enjoy pleasure over pain we naturally seek to relive positive experiences and avoid negative ones.

Therefore, if we had an experience that triggered a negative feeling, such as the taste of garlic, then we may forever hate the taste of garlic. Yet, someone else’s early experience or experiences with garlic may have been quite pleasurable. Therefore, they actually enjoy the taste and smell of garlic even to the point that they always use it or cook with it.

Being similar in our organic components, how can such divergent reactions occur?
The only differential seems to be the original experience itself and how we reacted to it. That experience and reaction creates a record in our brains. This must be how two different brains can have such different reactions to the same substance or experience.

Then are we at the mercy of our first experience in regards to any particular stimuli?
Yes, if we don’t do anything about it. However, if we really exert our will, we should be able to change our reaction to virtually anything.

Therefore, through exertion of willpower an addiction, any addiction, should be defeatable. Of course, things are not necessarily that simple in the real world. But in principle and in my opinion, it seems to be this way.

Otherwise, we would simply be robots at the mercy of these addictions that exist to varying degrees. I think most people would agree that is not the case. Also, it would contradict the gift of freewill that I believe we all have been granted. There are some things that we don’t get to choose in this life yet there are many things that we may exert our personal choice over. I believe that addiction is one of those things we can choose not to have. Maybe it takes hard work to beat an addiction but I think we do have an option in this regard.

If I’m correct, then the most important component to beating an addiction is the willingness to do so, coupled by the intensity of the desire to beat the addiction. It seems certain that the person must be willing at some level to be rid of an addiction in order for that freedom to occur.

Author:  David S.

*If you have or think you might have a drug, alcohol or other dangerous addiction, you should seek the help of a qualified physician and get proper treatment as soon as possible.
 

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November 3rd, 2009 by admin

The Epson Stylus SX400 is aimed at those needing the functionality of a printer, scanner and photo copier with minimum space and budget. The SX400 is priced keenly at under £70 but it running cost in terms of the price of it printer ink cartridges leave a bit to be desired. Compared to it competitors the cost of the Epson SX400 ink cartridges is reasonable but compared to the cost of the compatible Epson inks the originals seem over priced. The genuine Epson cartridges contain something called DURABrite Ultra ink which Epson have which Epson claim helps protect print from damage and resist fading for hundreds of years. This is great and doesn’t feature with compatible inks but is it really worth it when you consider that a set of Epson inks cost twice as much as the compatibles and print exactly the same amount. In terms of functionality the SX400 is as impressive in the real world as it is on paper, it is extremely easy to use and the built quality is big improvement of previous models. The print output is a little slow but the quality can’t be faulted, weather your printing text or photos the results are pin sharp. The scanner is also an impressive feature which is a surprise because it has been reduced in size in order to make the SX400 the compact size it is and this usual has an adverse effect but in the case of the SX400’s scanner it hasn’t. The photocopier makes use of the A4 flat bed scanner for copying documents at medium resolution for a good balance of speed and quality and although a bit limited in the number of automatic copies it can make at one time it pretty good overall. The same rings true for the SX400 overall really, it good but doesn’t really do anything amazingly well, each function has it little flaw, but then again with a price tag under £70 it to be expected.

November 1st, 2009 by admin

I’d like to start off by saying that I’m definitely not a gamer, in fact I kind of hate playing video games. I think they’re a total waste of time. But I am very much into music and because of that I decided to get a video game system (I bought a PlayStation 3) so that I could play Rock Band. I found that I really enjoyed the drumming and singing aspects of the game due to their realism. When you are drumming on Rock Band you are hitting real beats that are in the song and when you are singing you really have to sing in tune and on time to get more points. I think this is really great practice.

Unfortunately there was a big down side to the Rock Band games I got. The songs. I’m pretty picky about music and to me about 90% of the songs on the Rock Band games I’ve got are just not very good. Or at least not songs I want to spend my time playing!

Thankfully this biggest defect of Rock Band is completely fixed by the newest version of the game due out on 9/9/9: Beatles Rock Band. The Beatles are not only the most influential and most popular group of all time, they are also my favorite so to say that I am excited about this new game is an understatement. I think it will be incredible to get to play drums as if I was Ringo and to sing like I am John Lennon. It will be awesome.

But there’s a lot more to The Beatles Rock Band Video Game than the fact that it comes with 45 Beatles songs (and you can download the entire Abbey Road album in October.) There’s also some new features that are unique to the game, most notably the harmony singing feature which allows up to three people to sing at once. This means up to six people can play the game at one time in all. This makes it a great game for a party so people can actually play the game rather than just wathing other people play.

Of course, for big Beatles fans like me, 9/9/9 is not just about this video game – it’s also about The Beatles Stereo Box Set which contains every Beatles album in newly remastered stereo.

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October 29th, 2009 by admin

One danger that is not easily noticed at home is mold. Reason is because it is often hidden underneath floors.  Or it is hidden in walls.Or it can also grow in other places of the house. If you smell it already then that would be the time when you would notice it. When that time comes it already caused a lot of damage.So what are some preventive measures that can be made for it not to happen.

Moisture is one of the things that you need to be aware of in your house.You should always look at your floors and walls if any moisture gets into them.You have to be also aware when there is some flooding in your house.  In my water damage San Diego company I suggest to all customers that they immediately call a water restoration company when they have anything dealing with water or moisture. Meaning if they experienced some flooding.Or if they experienced some clogging with their sinks and the water overflowed.  If that happens they need to address it immediately.

Of course if you have water damage because of flooding or some sink or toilet overflowing it is out of your control.  It is out of your control to a degree.It would be best to have an immediate repair once any of those happen.  Once you have a San Diego mold removal company come in to get rid of mold it is too late.  Of course we can do it but you can't remove it completely.  So it is much better to prevent then react. Wipe away water and let your floors and walls dry as quickly as possible.

Of course if you have water damage in the home that is another story.Molds are not the primary cause of damage.But the primary effect was the damages caused by flooding to your house.  So the best thing to do is get a flood damage restoration company get rid of that cause.If you could just hire a professional then that would be a good way to prevent problems from getting worse.

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October 4th, 2009 by admin

Life can be bad sometimes it all you need to do is take a read of some funny life quotes.

“I’m so old they’ve cancelled my blood type.” Gracie Allen

“To be seventy years young is sometimes far more cheerful and hopeful than to be forty years old. ” Oliver Wendell Holmes

“I don’t feel old. I don’t feel anything till noon. That’s when it’s time for my nap. ” Bob Hope

“The General was essentially a man of peace, except of course in his domestic affairs.” Oscar Wilde

Why don’t you try some of the greatest funny quotes about life.

“Love is temporary insanity curable by marriage.” Ambrose Bierce

“Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close knit family in another city.” George Burns

“The secret of a successful marriage is not to be at home too much.” Colin Chapman

“A woman voting for divorce is like a turkey voting for Christmas.” Alice Glynn

Or take a look at these famous quotes about life.

“A man in love is incomplete until he is married. Then he’s finished.” Zsa Zsa Gabor

“The problem with the world is that everyone is a few drinks behind.” Humphrey Bogart

“I drink too much. The last time I gave a urine sample it had an olive in it.” Rodney Dangerfield

“Outside of the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the country.” Mayor Marion Barry, Washington, DC

“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some hire PR officers.” Daniel J. Boorstin

“A good politician is quite as unthinkable as an honest burglar.” H. L. Mencken

“We would all like to vote for the best man but he is never a candidate.” Frank McKinney Hubbard SEO Services

October 3rd, 2009 by admin

Printable star patterns have become very popular for the creation of various decorations whether they are for the winter holidays or for birthday parties and anniversaries. Modern science now gives us access to so many options that we are often at a loss about what to choose. To fully understand the extent at which we are relying on our technologies it suffices to say that a printable star pattern was not available thirty years ago, and people would simply draw, cut and color it. The shape was not perfect, but the star was and remains just a symbol. Now printable star patterns are fully colored or designed in very precise ways, shortening the length of the activity and helping us gain time.

Teachers can use printable star patterns during their craft classes, particularly with young students for whom playing remains an important part of their lives. The possibility to play and draw at school too can be put to good use for educational purposes. Thus, the teacher can use all sorts of printable star formats to teach a science lesson about our galaxy, or a printable star will help the little ones better grasp the meaning of Christmas. Coloring also works great for the matter, and parents can take up similar activities with their kids at home.

You can use all sorts of paper or even thin cardboard for the printable star sets, but shiny, glossy material is the most rewarding when you want to use the items for decoration purposes. The good thing about being able to use a predefined shape on the computer is that you can adjust the size of the ornament before printing, thus adding up to its variety. Where to get printable star models from? If you don’t have some available on your computer in the special symbol section of Microsoft Word, you can try Corel Draw or Adobe, but very often these are the more complex options.

You can simply download a free printable star version from a site that offers designs for postcards. There are hundreds of such web pages that can often bring more decoration ideas than you may have initially thought of. All sorts of elements can be added before getting the star on paper: color shades, other star combinations, size crescent effects and other tricks that a computer allows us to make. Presently, you can find anything you like on the Internet, from suggestions and tips to the real thing; just make a search and take your pick.

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September 23rd, 2009 by admin

Widely admired as one of the most unique, cultured artwork, Chinese cloisonne is a perfect example of a classic Chinese art form developed from a foreign model. It beautifully displays the rich, cultured scenes from Chinese culture and shows splendid, multi-color patterns. Beginning in the Yuan dynasty, this art was continuously being refined for the last 700 hundred years, and reached two peaks of development: once during the Jingtai era of the Ming dynasty, the second time during the Qianlong era of the Qing dynasty. You can go on a customized tour in Beijing to see many amazing local shops with gorgeous, unique Chinese cloisonne works.

Chinese cloisonne works, with their extravaggant patterns and bright colors, often give the impression that they are owned by some rich people to show off their ostentatious lifestyle. But examing its design more closely, one can often sense a depth of its inherent artistic value. Techniques from a number of traditional Chinese arts, including bronze vessel, porcelain, painting, and carving, were used to design Chinese cloisonne works. Fine pieces of works are praised for their vivid colors, cultured designs, and exquisite, unique craftsmanship.

When cloisonne was first made in China remains a mystery. But a general consensus is that the technique of making cloisonne was transferred from western Asia to China during the Yuan dynasty. The sophisticated techniques of glass making, copper casting, and temperatures controling that were already mastered by the Chinese artisans at the time of its introduction greatly facilitated the rise of cloisonne to become a mature, high-level art in the Ming dynasty, a quick rise compared to other art forms.

The Emperor Jingtai from this dynasty, a great cloisonne expert himself, helped develop this art to its pinnacle. During the Qianlong Era of the Qing dynasty, with improvement in the making technique, cloisonne reached another pinnacle of development.

In China, cloisonne is called “Jingtai Lan”, a name after the Emperor Jingtai of the Ming dynasty. During the rule of Xuande, Jingtai’s predecessor, the techniques used to make cloisonne were already perfected to a very high level where further improvement was practically impossible. Jingtai’s strategy of making improvement to surpass the previous works, then, was to create better designs, colors, and color combinations. Works produced during his era are credited as having the most elegant designs and beautiful patterns. The end of his reign marked the beginning of a gradual decline for the development of cloisonne. Works from later periods were never able to reach the same level of quality and craftsmanship.

As the capital of China for the last three dynasties, Beijing is traditionally the main producer of cloisonne in this country. For hundreds of years, excellent artisans from all over the country kept coming to this city and made their contribution to the development of cloisonne. There was a famous local shop called “Lao Tian Li” during the Republic period, whose works were sent to be displayed in the Panama-Pacific International Exposition held in California, U.S., which were awarded the first prize. After which Chinese cloisonne became famous around the globe.

The making of cloisonne is a complex process that consists of six main steps: body-making, filigree-soldering, enamel-filling, enamel-firing, polishing, and gliding. The main colors used are azure, sapphire blue , “Chick-Blood” red, rose red, purple, light green, dark green, and white.

In the fantastic shops of Beijing, there are excellent, unique Chinese cloisonne works made by some of the best artists in China. When you are shopping in the city, remember to find a personal shopper in Beijing to help you find shops and give you information on the local products.

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September 22nd, 2009 by admin

The Stylus D92 is the entry level budget offering from Epson that print everyday documents well as photos. An important thing to mention with any inkjet printer is printer ink cartridges, more specifically the cost of the, Epson D92 ink cartridges are reasonable expensive compared to the cost of the printer itself, but the printer cartridges are no more expensive than any other budget printer in this class. The D92 goes beyond expectations in terms of print quality, everyday documents like letters emails and general web printing are preformed with ease and the photos the D92 produces are of a clarity that will surpass most people’s expectations of a budget inkjet printer. The D92 can print on a wide variety of media including all types of photo paper, cards, envelopes and all at various sizes and thicknesses. The design of the D92 is modern with its dark grey case and gloss black lid, meaning it will fit in well with the rest of your computer equipment. The Build quality is also good which is a big surprise for a printer in this price range, the plastic case feels solid and all the components are firmly secured.

Overall the Epson Stylus D92 is a nice surprise and goes against the trend of bad quality budget printers, it very hard to find fault with the D92 and the only thing that comes to mind is that its print speed is a bit slow and it’s a bit noisy when printing, apart from that its great.

August 27th, 2009 by admin

There is a value to any celebrity autograph because so many fans are prepared to pay for them. Some people like to collect the autographs of famous politicians and these can be valuable sometimes. There are people who are prepared to spend a lot of money adding names to their autograph collection. However most autograph collectors treat it all as an enjoyable hobby and prefer to go out and get the autographs themselves.

The best way of determining autograph values is to find out what they are selling for elsewhere. It is important to make sure that any autograph you are buying or selling is an authentic autograph. If you have people offering you unusually cheap prices you should be cautious about them. You should learn the ways that can help prove that you are dealing with the real thing.

Compare any suspicious autograph with one you know is real to check it is authentic. Two signatures that are exactly the same are likely to be fake since nobody writes exactly the same every time. The similarity between autographs is like snowflakes and they may look similar but will be subtly different. Checking for pen indentations will help when checking an autograph is genuine. A lack of them suggest that it may be simply printed instead of being a genuine autograph. Some collectors are happy to buy copies but it should mean the price is much lower than you would pay for a real one.

The more information you have about a celebrity autograph you want to buy the better you will be able to judge it’s value. Some very rare autographs are difficult to check but they may be very valuable. Any autograph you bought very cheaply may not have been real which is why it was so cheap. It could just be that the seller had no idea how valuable it was.

It may not be real and you need to check because there are people who will try to fool you and cheat you out of your money. You do need to do some research when either buying or selling autographs especially when selling as it is easy to get a poor reputaion if you sell something that was not what it appeared to be.

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August 21st, 2009 by admin

The Samsung CLX-3160FN is a network ready all-in-one colour laser printer with very attractive price tag. It offers great value for money for general purpose multitasking with print, fax, scan and copy facilities as well as affordable running costs. Samsung CLX-3160Fn toner cartridges consists of four Samsung toner cartridges each of which prints 1,000 pages with exception of the black which prints 2,000 pages. The printer cartridges are very easy to change and this seem to be the theme of the clx-3160, all of its features are extremely easy to use, the control panel contains numerous buttons but is well clear and well laid out. The clx-3160 paper handling capabilities are a little limited with only a 150 sheet capacity paper tray and although it has a 50 sheet auto feeder on the top is not really setup for heavy duty work. This is also evident in the printing speed, the mono speed is a good 16ppm, colour is less than impressive with only 4ppm. Print output is good on all types of documents from plain text to full colour graphics, the clx-3160 produces good results reliably. The conclusion is that the Samsung CLX-3160FN does what it says on the tin and offers no surprises, neither negative nor positive.