What is a mediator? It is a neutral person. They do not take sides and they are not there to be your marriage therapist. Their goal is to assist you by removing the drama and tension often associated with a long drawn out court battle. In fact, they are not even allowed to give you legal advice. The mediator begins, by meeting each party separately. You fill out questions and provide financial information. In addition, you list concerns over custody and parenting issues.

After the initial meeting, you will then meet with the mediator together and work out issues so that you can come up with an agreement that serves you both. That agreement is then submitted to the courts for final review usually by a judge. (States vary on this, so please check your local statues.)

The goal of mediation is to not place any blame in the marriage, but rather promote and plan for a healthy future for you, your spouse, and your children. You create the divorce agreement between the two of you with the assistance of the mediator not the courts.

Before you say, “I am not interested in doing that, I want to hire a lawyer,” you should seek consultation with a lawyer to understand your options. A lawyer can review the documents drawn up by a mediator and make changes and suggestions before it is submitted to the courts.

Have you ever sat in on a divorce trial? The answer most likely is no. Before you make that all important-life changing decision, why don’t you go your local courthouse to family court or domestic relations (whatever it may be called in your area) and sit through a morning or afternoon of court calls and/or hearings of others going through a divorce. It is not a pretty site, especially if there is a lot of tension between the divorcing parties, the lawyers, and the judge. As you view the court process, try and picture yourself sitting there with your lawyer and your spouse sitting with their lawyer. Observe the fact that these two intelligent people have hired complete strangers to argue what can become “unimportant stuff” and a court reporter is taking down every word said for the court that will then become public record. Do you really want to participate in ending your marriage that way? Some of those people in court have been there a years or more and still are not divorced. Why? Because they could not resolve their own issues during their marriage. They are stubborn, angry, or want revenge. In the end, it is the judge-another-stranger-who will decide the final outcome of who gets what and when you and your former spouse may see the children. You ultimately DO Not get to decide.

Many lawyers now offer Divorce Mediation as part of their services. They, however, are not allowed to give legal advice. They are bound by the same rules as a mediator, and must remain neutral in the process.

No matter what, it is best to consult with a lawyer before an agreement is finalized to have that person review and make any changes before an agreement is finalized.

Understanding the Benefits of Mediation in Divorce:

A mediator does not represent either party. Rather, a mediator creates a cooperative environment when both you and your spouse can work together to reach an agreement on the terms of your divorce. Both you and your spouse have the right to also consult individually with an attorney during this process. Once the agreement is reached, the mediator will write up the agreement into a document where both you and your spouse will then be able to file the document
with additional court papers to obtain a divorce.

This process only works if both you and your spouse are willing to make a full financial disclosure, and if you both are willing to make a good faith effort to reach an agreement.

The benefits of mediation are:

 Lower cost because this process is less time consuming. The amount of time involved to reach an agreement varies based on the level of conflict, the number of issues and the complexity of both your finances. A typical mediation where both you and your spouse agree typically takes approximately 10 hours.

 Less painful for you children because you avoid the long court process and litigation involved with ending your marriage.

 Mediated settlements can be prepared by a lawyer or a certified divorce mediator.

 The benefit to a mediator is when you and your spouse have reached an agreement on all issues, and you simply are looking for the most inexpensive and yet professional completing the necessary paperwork to finalize your divorce.

Hiring a Qualified Mediator:

• Call your local County Clerks Office and ask for a list of mediators in your area.

• Check the yellow pages under “Divorce Mediation”

• Make sure whomever you choose has been mediating for at least 3 years.

• Ask for a list of references.

• Ask for a fee agreement in writing once you have selected someone.

• Consult with a lawyer before an agreement is finalized to have them review and make any changes to the document.

Ending a Relationship is not an easy road to travel. It is survivable if you are wiling to do the work necessary to move on with your life. You will make it.

About the Author

Susan Murphy-Milano, respected Author and Nationally recognized relationship expert has just released her new book “Moving Out Moving On” when a relationship goes wrong. Her book focuses on protecting yourself legally, emotionally and physically. She is also the author of “Defending Our Lives” published by Double Day Books.

In the beginning of the 1900’s, F1 got underway with unstable cars and elder gentleman drivers, however the actual Formula One Racing title did not begin until the nineteen-fifty’s. While the decades went by & the event enlarged, it hastily became apparent that Formula 1 Racing was the peak championship of motorsport. The motor vehicles were the speediest, the equipment was the most complex and the racing drivers were at the tip of their strength coming from different countries all across the earth.

With the new introduction of sponsorship funding, Formula One Racing took on it’s more business-related shape & might at this moment be taken seriously as big business ? with costs reaching millions and billions of pounds with no problem. With very big business comes politic affairs & now & again it is the contacts you know & how much money you possess that brings you what you desperately want. Formula One Racing is matted with conspiracy stories ? I will divulge to being one of them ? but depending on how engaged you wish to get in the Formula One Racing society, that part of things is quickly not catered for. What in fact matters is what comes about on the grand prix race track.

Touring from pillar to pillar across the world for around eight months of the year, Formula One embarks in countries large and small, rich and deprived, with brilliant settings, glamorous residences and masses of indigenous knowledge to be soaked up. Spanning Friday, Saturday & Sunday, a Formula One Motor Racing weekend is a strong ride, from early testing, to the closing laps of the Formula 1 race.

The fundamental arrangement contains a Formula 1 race every couple of weeks. From time to time the Formula One calendar is changed with a little bit & there are races on one after another weekends, or ever so often you have to go lots of weeks before seeing the illustrious faces again. When it is time for another race, you can read the news for your favourite F1 team as they appear at their destination. Friday involves practice sessions, Saturday is for qualifying & Sunday is race day. For Free F1 Downloads including screensavers and wallpapers, then go to F1Tribute.com now.

Homeland Security - Protecting our Borders and Ports through
Biometric, RFID, Sensor and Surveillance Technology

Homeland Security Focused on Addressing Illegal Immigration and
Terrorism through Stronger Borders and Ports

By Ann-Marie Fleming, www.BorderandPortSecurity.com ,
www.HomelandDefenseStocks.com November 2005

Securing our ports and borders has become a major focus of
Homeland Security, in particular since the events of 9/11.
President Bush has made addressing problems with illegal
immigration, terrorist activities, and illegal smuggling of
weapons and drugs a high level priority of border and port
security. In October, the President signed the Department of
Homeland Security Appropriations Act for 2006, which allocates
$30.8 billion in discretionary funding for the 2006 fiscal year.
The bill apportions $7.5 billion towards illegal immigration and
gives $139 million towards the improvement of border technology
and intelligence capabilities to include cameras and sensors
among others.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff stated before the
US. Senate Judiciary Committee, “President Bush has placed
ever-increasing importance on border security and has devoted
significant resources to this challenge. The President believes
- and I agree - that illegal immigration threatens our
communities and our national security. The ability of
undocumented individuals to enter our country represents an
obvious homeland security threat. Flagrant violation of our
borders undercuts the rule of law, undermines our security, and
imposes particular economic strains on our border communities.
When we do not control our borders, we also risk entry into the
U.S. of terrorists or others wishing to do us harm.”

RFID Biometric Convergence:

A key initiative towards the achievement of secure borders and
ports to ensure the facilitation of lawful travel and trade, an
accurate immigration system and the overall protection of
visitors and citizens is the U.S. Visit program. Under this
program, foreign visitors are required to have their index
fingers scanned as well as a digital photograph taken for travel
document identification matching purposes. According to the
Department of Homeland Security (DHS), US-VISIT entry procedures
are currently in place at 115 airports, 15 seaports and in the
secondary inspection areas of the 50 busiest land ports of
entry. Exit procedures are operating at 12 airports and two
seaports with procedures to be deployed to the remaining land
ports of entry by December 31, 2005.

Under the Visa Waiver Program, 27 nation’s such as Australia,
Austria, Norway, Belgium, Japan, the United Kingdom, France,
Germany and many more countries, had to meet a congressional
mandate that required, as a first stage in the multi-stage
border and port security strategy, for passports to have the
digital photographs in passports by October 26, 2005. The next
step according to DHS is a policy requiring these countries to
produce ‘e-passports’, which entails an RFID chip that can store
biographic information, a digital photograph and other biometric
details to be integrated into passports by October 26, 2006.

This technology, under the U.S. Visit Program, allows for faster
and more secure identification of illegal activity, and provides
for more efficient border and port travel for visitors to the
United States, while increasing the ability to share information
among federal, state, local and foreign agencies.

Homeland security technology expert Brian Ruttenbur, Equity
Research Analyst, Morgan Keegan & Co. explains, “What really
pushes countries and government officials to move are mandates
with deadlines and funding attached to those. The US Visit has
really pushed that along in enforcing the requirements set forth
in the program in terms of biometric authentication, and
governments have found the funding for those types of issues.”

Sense Holdings, a provider of biometric and micro-sensor
identification systems that target the homeland security market,
sees the convergence of RFID and biometric technology as an
effective security solution. The Company’s CEO, Dore Perler
explains, “The use of RFID and biometric technologies is almost
a perfect fit in the development of an easy to use intuitive
security system. As a layered approach, the RFID requires little
or no action from the end user, leaving only the biometric
component. Essentially this doubles the security of the system
without requiring any additional effort from the end user.
Incorporating multiple RFID triggers facilities notification to
the end user that they are not authorized prior to using the
biometric or approaching the system terminal, thus minimizing
the wear and tear on the biometric while correspondingly
allowing the process to proceed faster for those authorized.”

Domestic and International Opportunity:

“The biometric side of the business is going to grow extremely
fast all because of the enhanced border and visa security act
that was passed in 2002 by Congress, which is forcing every
country in the entire world to go with biometric sensors and
biometric travel documents. I see the EU Visitor Information
System and UK e-borders spurring into multiple programs and
there is going to be biometrics on every travel documents in
five to ten years down the road and that’s going to be National
ID Cards, Visas, and Passports all with biometrics. The U.S.
will be one of the last nations of the first world countries, to
adopt a biometrics national id card,” describes Ruttenbur.

Two key the goals for the integration of biometric and RFID
technology in terms of border and port security entails both
accuracy as well as efficiency to help facilitate faster border
crossing with an increased level of security. “The competitive
advantage of implementing a technology based solution, such as
RFID, biometrics, or a combination, comes not from the
technology itself, but from the improvements to business
processes that would be impossible without the devices. We are
very excited about the future of RFID integration with
biometrics and as a stand alone technology. Issues that have
plagued industry are now able to be resolved with the
incorporation of wireless LANs, RFID, and biometrics. Sense is
positioning itself and developing new product lines to address
these long time burdens,” states Perler.

Surveillance Systems:

The tragic events that took place in London with the bombings
within a major transit system have placed a growing sense of
urgency on the need for effective surveillance technology. As
Ruttenbur discusses, “I think that the next step to see across
the borders will be camera systems getting rolled out. We have
seen a number of announcements from the New York Transit
Authority, the New Jersey Transit authority that they are
starting to implement camera systems that monitor the platforms,
trains, buses etc.”

According to Corby Lawrence, Director of Business Development
for SYColeman, a division of L-3 Communications, “The roll-out
of such camera systems must be planned, built, and implemented
with a major focus on real-world operational effectiveness.
Simply installing huge volumes of cameras and sensors and
displaying the information on dozens of CCTVs exceeds the human
capacity to detect threat activities within an area of concern.”

L-3 Communications has addressed this global problem with its
PRAETORIAN surveillance software. Created by Sarnoff
Laboratories and recently purchased and commercialized by L-3,
PRAETORIAN is the industry’s only surveillance system capable of
integrating multiple cameras and sensors into a single, 3D
“game-like” display, permitting fly-through abilities. “With
PRAETORIAN, operators can finally have full situational
awareness, even in complex security environments such as borders
and ports,” stated Lawrence.

As the war on terrorism across the globe expands, and public and
private “homeland security” and related funding increases, the
demand for surveillance is anticipated to continue its growth.
Law Enforcement Associates (LEA) is working to take advantage of
the intensified need for surveillance technology through the
Company’s Under Vehicle Inspection System. As described by the
Company, the Under Vehicle Inspection System views the underside
of vehicles entering and exiting secure areas/facilities for
explosive devices and contraband. It is deployed on military
bases, oil refineries, ports, United Nations and NATO Locations,
embassies, nuclear facilities, and government installations.
Paul Feldman, LEA’s CEO, reveals, “Providing the needed security
at border entry points and ports is a very tasking job. Our
borders are vast and are difficult to fully monitor. The amount
of freight that comes into our seaports is staggering. LEA has
proven that their security products can play be an important
part of the “overall security” plan to help in border and port
security.”

Sensor Technology:

The focus on sensor technology with applications in border and
port security is increasing. Ruttenbur anticipates growth in
sensor programs for cargo screening, which are just starting to
emerge, as well as rollouts in the next several months for
additional sensor programs that entail body scanners first in
airports, then in other locations.

Sense Holdings is currently developing explosives sensor
technology based on Micro Electro-Mechanical Sensors (MEMS) with
plans on integrating this technology with biometric
identification. “As the needs for Homeland Security escalate and
become more complicated, there is a growing demand for
innovative detection technology to ensure and enable security on
a variety of levels. Along with developing technology that can
accurately identify explosives and harmful material, the use of
this technology must also be secured. The integration of
biometric identification with effective explosives detection
ensures that the activities are monitored, tracked and that the
technology is only being used by authorized personnel, while at
the same time helping to facilitate secure communication of
sensor activity,” describes Perler.

Law Enforcement Associates has entered the detection market with
their explosives detection kit, the EDK123, which according to
the Company provides a fast, reliable field test for detection
of trace nitrates that are found in 85% of all explosives,
including TNT, Dynamite, Sentex, RDX and ammonium nitrates. It
is currently being used by our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Global Security:

As the United States works towards an actionable security plan
to protect our borders and ports, it is becoming clear that
homeland security is more accurately defined as Global Security.
With the continuation of worldwide terrorist activity, it is
clear that security can no longer be understood and evaluated in
a domestic context alone. With a global perspective on security
and the potential threats that we face, innovative and effective
technology can be more clearly identified to address the needs
for securing travel and trade. This quest points towards an
industry that will continue to grow; one that will be here for
the long run as it continues to evolve to meet the diverse
challenges that global security demands.

Ann-Marie Fleming Ann-Marie Fleming completed her MBA in the
United States, where she attended Webster University. She also
holds an Honors B.A from the University of Toronto. She has over
fifteen years of experience within the financial industry to
include retail banking and brokerage, investment banking, and
mortgage brokerage within the United States and Canada, with a
firm background in corporate research.

Disclaimer: www.InvestorIdeas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp,
www.HomelandDefenseStocks.com/Companies/HomelandDefense/Disclaime
r.asp

Lawn Care Software: Keeping Your Lawn Care Business on Track!

Is your lawn care business growing? Could it be growing faster if you could just keep everything organized? Many lawn care businesses miss out on big profits just from disorganization ad not being able to manage their business like bigger companies do.

Lawn care business software used to just be something only the big lawn care guys could afford. Now there are inexpensive options for the small to mid-sized operations with up to several employees and contracts.

Using lawn service software is a crucial part of getting the most out of your time, your employees’ time (if you have any) and to manage your contracts and jobs most efficiently.

Many lawn care software applications come with added features such as the ability to track income and expenses by account and across your entire job-base so you can know with a glance how your business is doing and whether you are staying within your budget for staff and expenses.

Of course, you want the most feature-rich lawn care software you can get. It should have the ability to run your whole business within one application.

Lawn Care Software Features to Look For

• print daily service schedules (know who you have to service each day automatically)
• enter as many customers as you expect to get over a 5 year period
• be able to track charges for regular services
• special services
• one-time service
• setup and print service schedules
• view history of each customers’ bills sent
• view late paying customers
• print bills and invoices quickly
• input and track service descriptions
• and be able to do things such as put your logo on bills
• keep up with your equipment
• keep up with vendors, suppliers, etc.
• keep up with employees

You might like to have the ability to key in estimates and print out job estimate forms as well. A key component for corporate jobs would be a job contract form and also the ability to track contact data that is a bit different than household data for your private customers.

The bottom line in choosing lawn care software is getting the most mundane tasks done by software rather than by hand and a huge filing cabinet full of forms and other records. All your data should be at your fingertips and you should see a significant increase in your scheduling efficiency.

Using lawn care business software will enable you to see where you can save time by grouping jobs by area when scheduling so that you can take more jobs and even hire staff at the appropriate time without having more staff hours than jobs.

Lawn care software will take your business out of the dark ages and put you on equal footing with your biggest competitor once you get it set up and implemented.

This article by Patrick Cash of LawnProSoftware.com

Find out more about LawnPro, the complete lawn care business software
from www.lawnprosoftware.com. LawnPro does all that is mentioned in the article above and costs less than $75!

Feel free to contact us if we can help you in any way.
http://www.LawnProSoftware.com
patrick@LawnProsSoftware.com

Parent’s have undying love for their babies which grows stronger and stronger each and every day.

The infancy months where four hourly feeds are followed by the hand aching task of burping baby. Dribbles of milk flow through your fingers as the infant rests his/her weary scrunched up face in the palm of your hand fighting off the land of nod. What is baby thinking? As he/she loses the battle to stay awake.

Then we have the nightmare months of the toddler years where mum and dad need eyes in the back of their heads. It is at this time we teach the toddler to walk/talk, and when they do we tell them to shut up and sit down.
It only takes a second for baby to scale the stairs, and then it is panic stations while you negotiate and try to convince the child to stay put till you manage to reach out for them.
What a relief when you have them safe in your arms smothering them with affection while you chastise them at the same time. What is the child thinking? Being loved and shouted at, at the same time.

We have the first day of school where many a mothers’ heart is broken leaving their child behind. Some children adapt easily to their new school and we have the ones that don’t. Thus making it harder for mummy/daddy to leave as teacher tries coaxing the screaming child tugging at the apron strings. What is the child thinking?

Teenage tantrums have to be controlled and the best person for the job is the parent. We are there to lend a shoulder to cry on all because they can not have Justin Timberlake or Brittany Spears on their arm. Then as parents we struggle with Once upon a time there were the birds and the bees. Parents are the first to see danger signs. Whether it be the wrong choice in boy/girlfriend or maybe the people they hang out with. so when they receive a clip around the ear for doing something they felt was right and mum and dad didn’t, then what was that child thinking?

The wedding ring exchange between your child and their partner tells you the parent it is time to let go now they have all grown up. But do we ? I don’t think so.

Whatever the age of your kids you will find they will always be your babies.

What were those children thinking? Well let me tell you, mum and dad it because they cared.

Want to know what the married kids were thinking? Well I think you may have guessed that one yourself.
So you see as protective and caring parents we could not let go if we wanted too because someone has to look after the grandchildren.

It is cruel world out there and in some sad cases children have lost their parents to illness or misfortunate events and have no one to point them in the right direction. If you want to help your kids then further their education. This way they have a chance to get on in life. An educational background works wonders in the career world. You can find more information about online education on the internet.

Don’t have your kids thinking they missed out on an opportunity because mum and dad chose not care anymore.

This is an amazing site with proven results with your kids best interests at heart www.allaboutonlineeducation.com

A pre-approved mortgage is a must in a competitive housing market. It also gives you an idea of what you can afford to buy as you look at houses. Online home loan lenders allow you to compare rates and quickly complete the process.

Before You Apply

Before you apply for a pre-approved mortgage, you will want to make sure all your financial records are in order. This is a good time to get a copy of your credit report and check it for any errors.

You should also determine how much of a down payment you plan on putting down. If you have good credit, you can get away with 0% down. However, in order to avoid private mortgage insurance, you will need to put down at least 20%.

Look For A Lender

Online mortgage lenders provide more options for financing the purchase of a home. You can quickly scan rates and fees by providing basic information about the loan amount and your income level. These general quotes will not be your final rate since there are many more factors that determine a mortgage financing package, but it is a quick way to find competitive lenders.

Apply For A Home Loan

A pre-approved mortgage is basically just having the application of a home loan completed. With a completed application, your mortgage lender will tell you the maximum amount you qualify to borrow. When you actually purchase your home, you will finalize the paperwork and lock in your rates.

You can fill out your home loan application online, saving you time. Over a secure connection, you provide detailed information about yourself. To quickly find your financial information, use last year’s IRS forms or your bank statements.

Find Your Home

Once your application is approved, you can make serious offers on homes you would like to buy. Take a copy of your pre-approved loan with you when you look at homes. An offer with a pre-approved mortgage will sometimes be snapped up over just a regular offer.

With your offer on the table, you can finish the mortgage loan paperwork and lock in your rate.

To view our list of recommended sources for mortgage refinance loans
online, visit this page:
Recommended Mortgage
Companies Online.

Carrie Reeder is the owner of ABC Loan Guide, an
informational website about various types of loans.

Native trees tolerant of wet soils are special group of trees.
These trees are able to be in soils that retain water for
sometimes weeks on end. I have compiled this list to help you
find suitable trees for the north east. This is not a complete
list but one of common EZ to plant nursery stock, but these
plants should do well in most of Philadelphia Pa. Area.

Red and silver maple (Acer rubrum, A. saccarinum)

River Birch Trees a tree for wet areas!!!! (Betula nigra)
Catalpa spp.

Ash (Fraxinus spp.) Cottonwood (Populus deltoides) Swamp white
oak (Quercus bicolor) Sycamores (Platanus spp.)

Native shrubs tolerant of wet soils: Red osier dogwood (Cornus
sericea) Leatherwood (Dirca palustris) Winterberry (Ilex
verticillata) Sparkleberry holly A great berry producer!!!

Inkberry (Ilex glabra) Pussy willow (Salix discolor)

Willow Trees Trees for wet areas!!!!

Shrubby cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa)

Spicebush my long time favorite!!

Black Chokeberry produces great berry crops for the birds!!

You can see more plant info at my web site
http://www.seedlingsrus.com

Several of the coolest of London’s restaurants are also considered to be a few of the foremost on the planet. Connoisseurs may go a long way to eat at these venues & oftentimes you can be forced to book someplace beforehand to nab a spot, or at the very least be willing to be sat in the venue’s bar for one or two beers or wines until a table is available. A prominent hangout to dine at is the Ping Pong restaurant; this place is a likeable, contemporary restaurant to feed in. This flawless & plush place presents certain of the leading Dim Sum cuisines you will try, a cracking spread of aromatic teas and amazing cocktails. If you dig Dim Sum meals, then this spot is likely up there with the principal spots to feed at. See the differant choices of London restaurants with Time Out magazine

Similarly, Nobu is a fresh & new Japanese venue. This place is Nobu’s original British restaurant and it has performed brilliantly. Nobu’s dining is phenomenal and acceding that their meals are, from time to time, petite, this restaurant shouldn’t be a problem, in that you’ll no doubt get all sorts of portions - revel in the high quality over merely the quantity. Above all, this place gives superb meals, has delightful workers and a marvellous delivery.

The Electric Birdcage spot situated in Saint James St. is a venue in which your imagination might run all over the place. At this new place their menus are made up of the modern Asian eating & was described as being a must see restaurant - it’s cocktail drinks are similarly stimulating and it’s specialities simply must be tried by every one. This metropolis gives you large numbers of high priced, celebrated restaurants, however, it furthermore presents stacks of cheap restaurants, and some of these places are also this city’s small, concealed gems.

This metropolis, as is well understood, is now one of the most breathtaking places anywhere - but for all that, don’t forget it is often dear. If you’re trying to find fabulous, cheap grub then one is in a splendid setting to find it, so long as you’re also looking in the right area. The capital contains endless first class opportunities - pizzerias, uncostly Italian restaurants & lots of vege hot spots. Gourmet Burger Kitchen’s an exciting burger restaurant which is inspired by the many splendid burger restaurants located in the U.K. There’s any fusion of burger conceivable, which implies it has got a burger to cater for everyone. GBK is pretty inexpensive, and their plates are similarly colossal, there is definitely no need to get seconds at this spot. Masala Zone’s a pioneering bunch of innovative Indian venues. These places are all fairly priced and serve classic Indian Street goodies, wonderful for when you must feast, nevertheless folk’s dinner plans mustn’t persist for too much time, or alternatively handy for periods when you’re about with a bunch of workmates and you’re searching for a venue with exquisite grub and also an ambiance to match it.

What is Science!?

First of all, Science! is not the same as science. Science! is the study and knowledge of all things scientific, quasiscientific, or pseudoscientific. Anything that is obscure, incoherent, or improbable is made clear by the purveyor of Science! (also known as the Scientist!). The Scientist! has access to knowledge that even scientists do not have access to. They are truly the masters of all that is True and Scientific!

There are 3 characteristics of the practitioner of Science!

1. They always work alone. Scientists usually have teams of other scientists and technicians working with them. The Scientist!, on the other hand, works alone, in their own, small, often home-built, laboratory. The laboratory will be filled with various whirring, clicking, blinking, or bubbling pieces of lab equipment which appear to have no purpose since the Scientist! never touches them.
2. They work fast. In real science, scientists develop theories, test their theories, and then modify or abandon the theories as the evidence evolves. The process often takes years, if not a lifetime. In Science! the Scientist! gets his or her answer in a matter of days (or hours, or weeks, or minutes, depending on what timeframe is most dramatic). Usually, the Scientist! gets a bright idea, runs to the lab to test the theory, and then comes back with an unexpected, but clearly genius, answer to the mystery/problem/question in record time.
3. They are always right. Everyone else is always wrong. In real science, peer review is a critical part of the scientific process. In Science! peer review is not only unessecary, but is detrimental. Mainstream scientists never accept what the Scientist! has to say until events prove them to be soundly (and often, fatally) wrong.

Television, movies, and literature are full of practitioners of Science! One of the best example is the Professor in the TV Series “Gilligan’s Isle.” Does anyone know what he was a professor of? That’s right! He was a Professor of Science! The professor understood everything from primative cultures, to weather phenomena, to electromechanics, to astronomy. A master of Science!, he could do almost anything (except patch a hole in a boat).

Science! has evolved over time. In the 50’s and 60’s, the Scientist! was a non-specialist (and usually male). Science! gave him mastery over every possible field of study (much like the professor in “Gilligan’s Isle”). In modern times, the Scientist! is more likely to be a specialist, to acknowledge that, in the real world, most scientists are specialists. What they get wrong, however, undermines the one thing they tried to get right. For example, in the TV show Stargate SG-1. The character of Sam Carter is a Scientist! specializing in physics, while Daniel Jackson is a Scientist! specializing in archaeology. They both (especially Sam) have the attributes of the Scientist!, however. 1) They work alone, 2) they solve the mysteries of the universe in a few hours or days, and 3) most of the other scientists (when they show up with a theory) are wrong.

Another example of a modern Scientist! is the protagonist, Robert Langdon, in The DaVinci Code. Although Langdon deviates slightly from the typical Scientist! (the typical Scientist! is alone in his beliefs, but Langdon actually has the support of many of his peers), in other ways he is the same. He manages to solve the great mystery in the course of an evening, and there is never, at any time, a question that he may actually be WRONG in his beliefs.

And so, this is Science!. It is a product of movies, television, and literature, and it is real, in the sense that perception is reality. People think that all real science is done by lone geniuses who try to buck the system that keeps them down. If you ask most people, they will probably say that we would have flying cars and robots by now if it weren’t for the scientific community hobbling the handful of geniuses in their midst. It is this mindset that has led to the proliferation of pseudoscience, and theories such as Intelligent Design. The best defense against the growing misconception of what science is and what scientists do, is education. We need to teach our children, and our adults, that Hollywood is Hollywood, and that a Hollywood Scientist! has as much basis in reality as a Hollywood action hero.

Terry Connors is a Gen-X family guy with 2 step-kids and a loving wife. He frequently blogs about current events, especially if there is a scientific angle to the news items. You can read more of his writings at: Another Stupid News Blog - http://news.virtualdominion.net.

All work is copyright, Terry Connors 2005

Simple tips on saving can very often make quite a big difference to your finances. Saving means giving up something now, so you will have more in the future. A consistent, long-term saving program can help you achieve your goals. It also can help you build a financial safety net. Experts recommend that you save from three to six months worth of living expenses for emergencies.

Savings grow beyond what you contribute because of compound interest. Over time, the value of compound interest works to every saver’s advantage. Keep in mind, however, that inflation reduces the return on your money.

It’s not easy deferring or eliminating purchasing things you want today but like everything else in life, the more you do it the easier it becomes. Here are some useful saving tips to help you:

Take a portion of your wages from every paycheque before you pay any bills and use your company’s payroll deduction plan, if available to arrange for a fixed amount to be taken out so that you never see it. What you don’t see, you don’t spend. Alternatively, you can make automatic current account withdrawals into a savings account.

When you get a raise, save all or most of it.

Pay off your credit card balances and save the money you’re no longer spending on interest.

Move credit card balances to a card with a lower interest rate and use the savings to pay off the balance.

Keep your car a year or two longer. Save the money you would have spent on a new car.

Do your own car routine maintenance and make regular repairs.

Stop smoking. If you cannot stop, then at least cut down on the amount you smoke.

Take £5 from your wallet everyday and put it in a safe place. That will add up to £1,825 in a year.

Shop with a list and stick to it. No impulse buys.

Don’t buy any new clothes until you’ve paid off your current wardrobe.

Eat more meals at home.

Look for inexpensive entertainment: zoos, museums, parks, walks, biking, library books, concerts, movies and picnics.
Drop subscriptions to publications you don’t read.

Shop for less expensive insurance.

Save any tax refund.

Postpone purchases or consider fewer features on the items you plan to purchase.

Experts recommend paying with cash whenever possible. This helps you spend less than you otherwise would have spent if you had charged the purchase. You’ll also avoid credit card interest charges and check-cashing fees.

The less you spend, the more you can save. The longer you can consistently save, the faster your savings will grow.

You may freely reprint this article provided the author’s biography remains intact:

John Mussi is the founder of Direct Online Loans who help UK homeowners find the best available loans via the http://www.directonlineloans.co.uk website.