WordPress Image Plugins

There are several ways of inserting pictures into your posts, the easiest way is to use the "insert image" button at the top of the image editor, but there are times where that button is not enough. For instance, if you have a large number of photos to insert, you may want to create a slideshow, but that button won't let you create one.

Without further ado, here are the plugins that I'd recommend:

Flickr Gallery:

I've used this one on a couple of different sites. Yes, Flickr does give you an embed code snippet that you can use, but I find that this plugin loads faster and is less cumbersome. You can insert images from one set, insert images with a specific keyword, etc. etc.

Check out the WordPress page for all of the information about this little gem. It has worked great for me in the past, and I expect it will continue to do so in the future.

NextGEN Gallery:

This image plugin can simply be described in one word. The word is: INSANE. I mean that in the best way possible. It can handle just about all of your image needs. It has a special admin panel where you can create different users with different levels of access. You can also create different galleries that will display in different sections of your site, etc. etc.

NextGEN Gallery is very flexible, in fact, it is so flexible and has so many options that it can be overwhelming in the beginning. Read the description of the plugin and see if it will meet your needs, and don't be overwhelmed by all of the options. Take the time to learn the ins and outs of it and you will be rewarded.

Cheap Shots, Ambushes and Other Lessons Book Review

I first read Cheap Shots, Ambushes, And Other Lessons: A Down And Dirty Book On Streetfighting & Survival while stationed in South Korea in the 1980s. I was serving with the 2nd Infantry Division and did not know that in the future I would become friends with Marc MacYoung, work together, train together, and teach at the same events. I did not know he would write the foreword for my first book. What I did know was I was seeing the same kinds of things in the bars I was fighting in that he wrote about.

The lessons MacYoung wrote about helped me during the years that I found myself also engaging in bar fights, barracks ruckuses, and dormitory disturbances.

Many years later, I still believe this book shares some valuable realistic advice regarding real street fights. When Marc wrote this book, he was a lot closer to the streets and had not experienced some of the martial arts he has now, and that shows in his writing. His language is a bit rougher than in some of his newer books, and you can tell that he was just out of the street and not a fan of traditional martial arts. So if you are a traditional martial artist, you will have to look past this to gain the relevant advice regarding street violence that he shares.

I put some of Marc's practical advice about fights into practice in the bars and other places I was frequenting. It helped me then, and it could help you now if you find yourself in violent situations. I have learned a lot from Marc both in person and from his books. This was the book that started it all, and it is still an excellent book on self-defense.

Orange-Blueberry Breakfast Bread: A Delicious Way to Start Your Day

Coffee and tea drinkers look forward to the first cup of the day, the fragrant, steaming brew that gets them up, gets them thinking, and gets them on their way. Home-baked goods are also eye-openers for many of us. This Orange-Blueberry Breakfast Bread smells marvelous when it's baking and, thanks to the citrus tang, tastes as good as it smells.

Before you start baking look over the blueberries carefully. Remove any stems and leaves that you find. Discard berries that are starting to "turn" because they won't withstand the baking time. Rinse the blueberries and dry them well. This recipe is based on a recipe that has been around for years. To make the recipe healthier I added wheat flour, used Splenda for sweetness, and substituted unsweetened applesauce for the shortening.

After the bread comes out of the oven let it cool (in the pan) on a rack for 20 minutes. Turn the bread out of the pan and let it cool completely. Use a serrated knife to slice the bread. One loaf yields about 16 slices. This bread has so much flavor you don't even need butter. Now on to the star of the show, Orange-Blueberry Breakfast Bread.

DRY INGREDIENTS

1 cup white and wheat flour blend

1 1/2 cups presifted white flour

1/2 cup Splenda Sugar Blend for Baking

1/2 cup Splenda

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups fresh blueberries

WET INGREDIENTS

2 large eggs, room temperature

3/4 cup fresh orange juice

1 tablespoon pure orange extract

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 tablespoons canola oil

METHOD

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a loaf pan with baking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl combine dry ingredients with a whisk. Sprinkle the blueberries over the flour mixture and fold in gently with a rubber scraper. Make sure all of the berries are coated with flour.

In a small bowl beat the eggs with a fork. Add the orange juice, orange extract, applesauce, and canola oil and combine well. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, mixing with a rubber scraper just until the batter is moistened. Turn into prepared loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until the bread starts to pull away from the pan. This bread freezes well.

Copyright 2006 by Harriet Hodgson

Choosing the Type of International School That Is Right for You

So you are looking into teaching abroad? Teaching at an international school can be a very rewarding experience. It is important to understand, however, that there are many different types of international schools and so it is important to choose the type of school that best fits your needs and that you would be most comfortable teaching at. Because after all, you will be spending the majority of your time here, so where you end up can make or break your international experience.

Regardless of the type of school you choose to teach at, the expectations placed on you by the administration will be very high. On top of your regular teaching, you will be expected to take part in a wider scope of school activities, usually providing some kind of extracurricular activity on a regular basis and taking part in occasional evening and weekend events. These events are designed to promote the school within the community.

Most international schools are independent non-profit establishments run by a board of trustees or something similar. There are for-profit schools as well, but at many of these schools profit is more important than the calibre of education. Although most international schools are multi-cultural, some privately run schools cater more towards wealthy local students. So before choosing a school, you should look into their student body population.

Another option is to teach at a US Department of State Affiliated School. These schools were set up to educate the children of Americans living and working overseas, and are often located in capital cities. The student bodies of these schools are not exclusively made up of American citizens though, which result in many of these schools having a more multicultural population.

If you would prefer to teach at a school that has a religious affiliation, there are a number of international schools that do. You can find information through your church and also on the internet. If you want to work in a school with Christian affiliations, you should look into the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI). They have a network of affiliated schools that covers the entire planet.

You also have the option to teach through either the UK or US Department of Defence (DOD). In order to work for the US Department of Defence schools, however, you must be a US trained and certified teacher in order to be considered. You can visit either of their websites to see what vacancies are available and the terms and conditions of service. They both have central recruitment offices and the terms for the positions are the same for each DOD school.

As you can see, there are many different options available to teachers wanting to teach in an international school setting. No matter what your preferences, there should be an international school that will be the perfect fit for you. Just remember that in order to ensure that the school you choose is the perfect fit for you, it will require you to do some research and dig a little deeper into what the school has to offer.

Squat Racks, Power Racks & the Smith Machine

The squat rack is a free standing frame which allows a person to load and unload a barbell from an elevated position.

The power cage provides the same but being composes of 4 posts it seat catcher pins which allow the trainee to lift safely alone. The catching pins are set a few inches below the bottom position of the lift. In the event of a fail the bar is bailed and dropped onto the catchers.

Some squat racks feature catchers also but are uncommon.

The Smith Machine looks similar to the Power Rack but features a bar fixed to vertical rails. It is of utmost importance to recognise the difference between the Smith Machine and a power rack since each dictates a very different training style.

The power rack provides:

- A method of Loading - A method of unloading - A failsafe.

A Smith machine provides the same but dictates movement pattern and it is this which renders the piece of equipment useless to anyone who wishes to train effectively. Since the bar on the Smith Machine is guided by vertical rails it does not allow for natural three dimensional movement. This is more of a problem that people might assume.

As a trainee moves a bar through the range of motion using free weights their body requires freedom of movement to make micro adjustments which include the ways in which joints move and the ways in which muscles contract. This is inclusive of small stabilizer muscles which require freedom to develop to do the job they are intended to do; stabilizing the body with or without an external load. This is regarded as functional training since it has potential carryover into the real world.

Restricting the body to work within a two dimensional plane can create stress upon the joints and programs incorrect motor pattern. "Motor pattern" is a learning process which the body initiates to perform a movement more efficiently. As limbs move signals are passed through the peripheral nervous system to the central nervous system (through the spine) to the brain. The brain then signals to the limbs through the same path how to change their accordingly through muscle contraction. It's an unconscious process but it's an essential factor when learning how to perform lifts correctly.

A trainee who places faith in a Smith Machine pushing an external load on vertical rails will respond to become more efficient at moving in this manner regardless if it has potential detrimental effects to other parts of the organism. An example might be the knees which can suffer due to restrictions in movement and limited load handled by muscle tissue.

Lifting in the Smith Machine teaches how to lift in the Smith Machine - nothing more. It has very little carryover to the free weight alternative and needless to say is unsuited to any trainee - particularly beginners.

These principles also apply to most pieces of equipment that dictate a fixed plane of motion. An external load lifted in a real life circumstance will rarely be attached to rails.

Leave the lifting with rails to forklift trucks!

The Value of Social Bookmarking

Marketers are thrilled when someone decides to Digg their most recent article. What does it mean to Digg and why should you care? Good questions.

At one time you might have visited a website and saw a link that said, "Email to a friend". This was the extent of delivering content you appreciated to others. Today you have all kinds of ways to let others know about content you like. You can easily place a link to the content on Facebook.

Other Social Bookmarking Sites

While not comprehensive here are several sites that can allow others to intentionally or unintentionally help drive visitors to your site include...

Del.icio.us Stumbled Upon Techorati Seed Newsvine Reddit! Yahoo!

The Simple Dynamic

Social media has become one of the great milestones in Internet history. People can connect with friends, family and classmates with an ease that places other fee-based services at a distinct disadvantage.

Search engines have held most of the cards when it comes to a search for products and information, but they may be surrendering part of the deck to social bookmarking.

What this process does for the user is allow them to share information they have personally read and really like with people who share a similar background and interest. The implications of this dynamic are that individuals might be more inclined to ask trusted friends for advice on products, information and even vacation destinations. Their social media friends will likely have information better suited to their likes and dislikes because they know them better than a one-size-fits-all search engine.

It might be possible that social bookmarking could be responsible for a rethinking of Internet search functions.

How to Bookmark

In many blogs and news posts you now have the option of clicking an icon that boosts the social bookmarking status of the content you just read. This encourages site visitation and provides a service to friends who follow you in social media.

This is non-intrusive and infinitely better than all those undesirable forwards we all receive via email.

By placing icons that link your content to bookmarking you can allow site visitors to help you market your site. This is an advantage to those websites that have dedicated themselves to content development focused toward information consumers. Their diligence pays off in what can become a viral article as friends share the content with friends in an expanding social media network.

Some marketers have even shifted directions and are developing their content on sites already geared toward social bookmarking. WordPress is one site that does just that.

Part of a Multi-tiered Strategy

This strategy may be new to you, but some of the old rules still apply. By constructing your content with accepted Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies you appeal to search engines where general queries provide proven enhancements in traffic. If you add the ability to bookmark the content socially you then appeal to a unique set of searchers.

In online marketing you will find the combination of multiple strategies can provide great opportunity in reaching potential buyers. Secondarily, the backlinks in social bookmarking also provide a greater trust factor for search engines looking for a good reason to elevate your site rankings.

Fighting Leukemia With a Capsule

NTense is a food supplement which combines different powerful medicinal plants. The product became popular worldwide which led to the creation of a newer, more enhanced, version called N Tense-2. N Tense-2 is said to be an alternative cure for different types of cancer, including leukemia.

Components of NTense-2 proven to cure leukemia include Bitter melon, Espinheira Santa, Mullaca, Vassourinha and Cat's Claws.

Bitter melon is a fruit-bearing vine. As its name suggests, bitter melon fruits are extremely bitter and are warty in appearance. Natives used the plant to cure measles and diabetes. Furthermore, it can be used to treat leprosy, eczema, sores and larger wounds. Taking in bitter melon also aids in eliminating parasites inside the body. Studies showed that all parts of the plant posses hypoglycemic properties which function to lower blood sugar beneficial for diabetics. Fruit extracts of bitter melon also aids in stabilizing insulin secretion and combined with the seeds, the fruit can eliminate excess fats in the body. Bitter melon has been considered clinically as a cure to diabetes mellitus only until further studies have revealed its possibility to cure leukemia, melanoma and liver cancer.

Espinheira Santa is a small tree that grows to five meters. It has green leaves and bears berries. Espinheira Santa fruits are oblong-shaped and contain one or two black seeds. The plant is often used to ease arthritis pain and extract of its leaves is taken in to cure stomach disorders such as ulcer and gastritis. Aside from leukemia, it can also inhibit tumor growths for adenocarcinoma, lymphoma and melanoma.

On the other hand, Mullaca is a shrub commonly used for treating hepatitis B and bacterial infections. It also aids in strengthening the immune system. Extraction of the whole plant can be used to cure leukemia. Components of the plant kills the cancer cells directly while at the same time enhancing the function of the immune system; thus, keeping the body active and healthy.

One of the most effective anti-cancerous plant ingredients of NTense-2 is Vassourinha. Vassourinha is an herb that grows only to half a meter high. It is commonly found in tropical countries and produces tiny, white flowers. Sadly, many people consider it as a weed.

Chemical tests conducted on vassourinha revealed that the plant contains many phytochemicals, some of which are only found in the plant. Vassourinha phytochemicals include scopadulcic acid and betulini acid exhibit antricancerous properties.

Scopadulcic acid can eliminate different kinds of cancer tumors while betulinic has shown anti-cancerous and antiviral potentials. The cytotoxic property of betulinic acid has been observed in melanomas and leukemia. Its curative effect on HIV is also currently being studied.

The cat's claw herb is a common ingredient in traditional medicine. It is often used to treat inflammations and is said to be effective in correcting bone irregularities such as osteoporosis. In the field of women's health, cat's claws have been studied as possible treatment for breast cancer. Researches also showed that cat's claw inhibited the mutation of some leukemia cells and killed the other damaged cells upon onset of application.

NTense-2 as a treatment for leukemia and other types of cancer is still under further study. However, seeing these plants and their curative properties, one cannot really question the high demand for NTense and the increasing market for NTense-2.

In Praise of Farmin'

Have you ever thought about Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska - you know, wheat-and-corn country? (... with all due respect to our international readers.) Even though the closest that most of us now ever come to a stalk of corn or wheat is a bag of enriched self-rising flour or a can of Green Giant Niblets, we need to stop and give a rousing ovation to the folks who actually produce the food that we so quickly and easily complain we're overpaying Piggly Wiggly for. Because without them, the collective growls from those missed-meal cramps would be loud enough to be picked by Voyagers 1 and 2. But I digress... My real point here is that farmers understand about sowing and harvesting crops. The most basic and fundamental principle they know is that if you want to reap a crop at all, the first thing you have to do is plant one - same as 'if you want your ship to come in, you first gotta send one out.' They don't go out and stand there staring at an empty 'south 40,' looking all worried and irritable, when they know good and well they didn't put any seed in the ground three months ago. They know better!

Farming is the perfect natural example of the Kingdom of God in action. It starts from a seed; the seed grows, becomes larger and matures; then it produces fruit, a crop for harvesting. The whole idea behind the seed - its sole purpose in life - is to manufacture fruit and reproduce itself many times over. Jesus often used the process of seed-time and harvest in His teachings when describing the Kingdom (the one, according to Mark 1:15, that's at hand, here right now). Matthew 13 and Mark 4 are particularly jam-packed.

Why'd he use those examples? Well, because He was trying to get across to us that that's the way the system is set up. That's the way you do it - that's the way it's done. It's God's system, and that's how He does it. And we're supposed to do it, too. Jesus said, "Give, and it shall be given unto You... " (Luke 6:38), right? Among other folks, He came to preach the 'good news' to the poor. And what, do you suppose, would be good news to poor people? That they don't have to live in poordom anymore! He gave them the formula to get out of it.

"But poor people don't have anything to give." True, but God's also promised that He'll give seed to the sower, as well as bread to the eater (2 Corinthians 9:10). (In other words, He's quietly taken away all excuses.) He'll start the cycle for us if we need Him to. So, what we have to do then is commit to being a sower. Look, seed can either be eaten or sown - it really wasn't designed for any other uses. Just don't eat all your seed. The seed He's given you to sow, sow it. Then play farmer and expect a big crop multiplied back to you (Luke 6:38; 2 Corinthians 9:10)!

P.S.: If any of you said that seeds can also be smoked... well... you don't get any points for that answer.

Ways Consultants Deal With Angry Clients - Part 2

(Note: part 1 examines numerous sources of anger; part 2 examines methods of their resolution)   Problems and resulting anger can arise in any work relationship including those involving consultants.  When it does arise, it is important to realize that client anger is not necessarily calamitous. Obviously, as a consultant, you hope to avoid it, but it is better that a client express anger than to remain mute. When a client expresses anger, the client is informing you that there is a problem that needs addressing. He's giving you the opportunity to address and resolve the problem and continue to move forward together. Conversely, when a client is upset but does not inform you about his anger, invariably that anger will fester and grow until it either erupts and/or the client takes drastic - and usually painful - action. It is this lack of communication that is often disastrous.   Regardless of the cause of the anger (discussed in part 1), it is essential that the consultant not take it personally.  There are many types and severity of reaction to angry words. The most common responses are anger or being intimidated.  Remember, in most cases, it's nothing personal, it's just business. By negatively reacting to their anger, you are making it personal.   So, how should you deal with client anger?   The most important action you must take is to listen to them. Be attentive and let them talk. Usually, people are much calmer after they have expressed themselves. By listening, you are also improving your consultant-client communications - which is crucial.   Not taking their anger personally significantly lessens the chance of reacting negatively towards them. Instead, express understanding and start discussing potential solutions - which is what they want. Remember, if they were not seeking resolutions, they would not have been communicating with you at all. If necessary or appropriate, you can apologize for some part - or all - of their complaint, but the most important things you can do are ensuring that the dialog for communication remains open and that you are working towards a solution.   It is often not easy to be the target of anger and even worse when it is unjustified.  It's very possible that the consultant did nothing wrong - and has nothing to apologize for. Sometimes, identifying the reasons for that anger (discussed in part 1) will often help lessen its impact, particularly if it's through no fault of the consultant. Yet, in all cases, resolving the issue and presenting a solution is still a necessity.    For a consultant to be able to put the incident behind them is the final step. It's often a difficult thing to do, but it must be done (at least as much is possible). Similarly to clients, consultants who display anger can also severely damage a project. Good communications is required by both parties for it to work properly.   By positively resolving client anger, you can help ensure the ongoing progress and success of a consulting project.