Benefits and content of Aloe Vera

Known for its benefits for hair, aloe vera it also saves a lot of other benefits. In fact, the ancient one, Aristotle asks his son Alexander the Great to colonize an island just because he wants to plant aloe vera to heal the wounds of the soldiers involved in the war fleet.

Although shaped like a cactus, but the actual aloe vera is included in the lily family which originated from southern Africa. Told by healthmeup.com site, aloe vera has two benefits hundreds of its every corner, including vitamins, minerals, amino acid content, enzymes and so forth.

Wrinkle-free, Skin Shines

If you use aloe vera gel with ingredients you will surely avoid the appearance of wrinkles. This is because aloe vera is a fantastic moisturizer incredible. No matter what type of skin you have, say aloe vera is suitable for all skin types because she gives the supply of oxygen to the cells which can generate power and nourish the skin.

How:

Take a piece of aloe vera and set aside part gelnya alone. Remember, this does not include sticky liquid that sticks to the skin. Destroy this gel and apply before you sleep. Besides acne disappear, the skin will be soft, glowing skin and say goodbye to wrinkles.

Making thick and long hair

Remember Rapunzel long hair, if it's really happening in the real world, surely many hair problems that will occur in the hair. But, Rapunzel does not live in your era, so get her jealous! You can apply aloe vera directly on your hair. Believe me, dandruff will disappear until the lice from your hair.

How:

Apply the gel on the scalp after you wash. Light massage for 10 minutes then rinse thoroughly. Or for practical, you can buy a shampoo with aloe vera content in it.

Contains lots of vitamins
Aloe vera contains some vitamins such as vitamin A, B1, B2, B6, B12, C and E, therefore drinking a glass of aloe juice will certainly bring a million benefits to your health. With a glass of aloe vera juice, you can make more immune resistant so you will not be susceptible to disease.
How:
Aloe vera juice is also rich in minerals. If you drink it on a regular basis will help you regulate blood flow in the body and also keep your weight stable. Drink a glass of juice in the morning and feel the benefits all day.
Healthy The joints and heart
As described above, with a glass of aloe vera juice will be a lot of benefits that you will get. Consuming aloe vera can also make you do not immediately see a doctor for joint problems. This is because aloe vera also contains anti-inflammatory benefit your muscles and joints. Not only that, it also lowers blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
How:
Add aloe vera jelly from the fruit into smoothies or milk shakes you consume.
Breath relief
If taken in the right way, can aloe vera treat respiratory disorders. If you are susceptible to colds, bronchitis or other allergies, you can put aloe vera juice in your daily diet. Aloe vera has a lot of content that can help the body to thwart the development of bad bacteria in the body.

At this point, it'd be a mercy killing...

I have ten days before I'm sitting in a Prometric Site well on my way to failing the patent bar exam.

Most people think I'm exaggerating when I say this. Let me be clear: I'm not. And, just to back up this assertion, I'm going to give you a short list of reasons why I'm almost* undoubtedly going to fail the bar exam.

*I say almost because there's the slim possibility the baby Lord Jesus may swoop down from Heaven and grant me the infinite wisdom of the MPEP and I might somehow, with his divine guidance, make the required 70% to pass the test. But....I'm not going to bank on it. 

1) I've not studied enough. I've probably put in about 100 hours of study time. Maybe 80 hours, if I'm being super honest with myself. I have been pulled in all different directions, and allowed myself to be entirely too ADHD with my studying process, which means that these 80-100 hours of studying have been non-linear and a clusterfuck of confusion. Most people study, at minimum, 250 hours for this exam.

OOOH, SHINY THING.

2) This bar exam is different. I've taken and passed two bar exams. And this exam is different because (a) it's open book, (b) it has no essays, and (c) it's not scaled, this just means that bar examining committee has more leeway to ask hypertechnical questions, and that I can't rely on dumbasses who do worse than me to pull my score up. It's either pass or fail. No in-between. And to pass, you have to study a shitton of hours. (See #1)

3) New material has made this bar exam almost impossible to study for. In 2011, Obama signed into law the America Invents Act, which took our patent system from a first to invent to a first to file process. The bar exam started testing this in full effect three months ago. This means that I have to be responsible for all the material before the America Invents Act (AIA) and ALLLLL the information after as well. This means twice the friggin material, and no real guide as to how these questions are going to be framed and no really good way to study for them.

Exactly. 

Now, I can go on and on about exactly how fucked I am, but this blog entry is a testament to EVERYTHING I'M DOING WRONG. I'm sitting here bitching about this exam that I'm going to fail rather than praying to the baby Lord Jesus or lighting a candle in his honor or, you know, actually studying for the motherfucking patent bar exam.

So yeah, maybe YOU can light a candle for me? Or pray that Jesus rides in on his pterodactyl and saves the day. Because otherwise, well, I'm fucked.

10 Tips for Eliminating Depression

Your post drowsiness during the day and is very eager to overeat? Be careful, you unwittingly may be experiencing symptoms of depression that can harm your body and your mental health. Want to know how to solve it?

The body is the main signal to find out if you are depressed. According to research from the University of Washington, USA, and daytime sleepiness after a great desire to overeat is a signal from the body that show symptoms of depression. However, there are some simple ways that can help you relieve depression.

Here are 10 simple tips to prevent and cure depression:

Consumption of vitamin D

Vitamin D is also known as the sun vitamin because sunlight is a natural source of vitamin D. Vitamin D helps the brain produce serotonin and oxytocin as antidepressants. These hormones are known to improve your mood at least up to 30%. According to researchers from the University of Texas, the morning is the best time to take vitamin D so as to reduce the risk of depression is almost 50%.

Do not be too tidy

Slightly lower standard of cleanliness or neatness lets you have more time to relax and rest. This helps you reduce the production of the stress hormone cortisol, which is the destroyer of brain function and your ability to produce hormones attenuator antidepressants. On the other hand, slightly reducing the time for clean-up can also make you to increase serotonin production in one week.

Change lighting

The researchers believe that there is a direct neural connection between the eye and your biological clock. Keeping your home and workplace remain bright in the daytime using lights or open the curtains are very helpful to reduce sleepiness triggers your stress and depression. But an hour before bed, you are advised to turn off lights and other electronic devices that emit light in order to get a healthy sleep pattern.

Dancing happily
Dancing is a combination of sport and rhythmic movement. This activity could push produce endorphins and serotonin making you feel happier. For best results during the 30-minute dance 4 times a week. In a study in Sweden recently, scientists declared that dancing for 9 weeks can reduce the risk of depression by 67%, a result that is much very good compared with the consumption of antidepressant drugs.
Sing along
Sing along to make your brain will be calm and to improve mood and alpha brain waves. Women who include music in their daily lives or sing for 10-15 minutes per day is known to recover from depression to 55% and reduce the risk of depression by 50%.
Eating avocados
Research shows, eat half an avocado every day can reduce the risk of depression and its symptoms by 25%. This is because the avocado will be full of monounsaturated fatty acids, a nutrient that can encourage the brain to produce the hormone dopamine, known as the love hormone causes a feeling of calm and comfortable.
Include starch in the diet
Starch is a refined flour in sediments yams, cassava, potatoes, and so on are shredded. Potatoes are known to increase the level of tryptophan in the brain as much as 54%.
Join the club of physical activity
Women who spend time together and move with physical activism club once a week, will feel healthy and happy for a month.
Apply a healthy sleep patterns
Compared with the early risers, nocturnal people 4 times more prone to depression. Staying up late and missed the morning sun would greatly disrupt your biological clock. Try to sleep before 11 pm because it is believed to reduce the symptoms of depression you are in for 1 week.
Reflexology
Do reflexology for 20 minutes a week can increase the production of endorphins in the brain causes feelings of pleasure and decrease pain and other physical fatigue by 25%.

6 Strategies to Pay for College Without Going Broke

Are you (or someone you know) looking or ways to pay for College for you or your child without going broke? I am!!!  

   

Tameka Williamson, Your Own College Coach, shares 6 Strategies for Paying for College Without Going Broke!

    

We have watched the news and the trends of how student loan debt continues to surpass consumer debt, cost of tuition continues to rise, scholarship funding is more competitive and state incentive aid such as HOPE scholarships are no longer options that yield hope.  So, what is a parent to do?  This information is to help you think outside of the normal paradigm and look at strategies that can bring about viable college options.  We encourage you to have an open mind about your options and focus on making smart decisions not costly decisions.  It’s all about the end goal, and that is a competitive college education at the lowest cost possible.

   

The goal is to equip you with tools that will keep you from making the same mistakes many parents make. This is the only way we can change the landscape for our future generation. So, I hope you are ready to learn and take action based on what you’ve learned. Our mission is for you to obtain the maximum amount of money possible for child applies.

  

Strategy #1: Send Your Child To A Community College For His/Her First Two Years Of School. If your child works hard and gets good grades, they can usually transfer to a top private university. This way, they can get a diploma from a prestigious school for half the cost!

 

Strategy #2: Pick Colleges focused on Minimizing Student Loan Debt. The Project on Student Debt is an initiative of the Institute for College Access & Success, a nonprofit independent research and policy organization dedicated to making college more available and affordable to people of all backgrounds.  As a result, the colleges on their approved list have developed financial aid policies that limit or eliminate student loans from financial aid packages, reducing costs for students and families.

 

You also have National Association of System Heads (NASH) Access to Success Initiative project with The Education Trust. A2S works with 22 public higher education systems that have pledged to cut the college-going and graduation gaps for low-income and minority students in half by 2015. Together, these institutions serve more than 3.5 million students. They Meet 100 percent of their admitted full-time undergraduate students’ financial need for fall 2010. That means the average gaps between a school’s total cost of attendance—tuition, fees, room and board, books, travel, and other expenses—and every student’s EFC – Expected Financial Contribution was filled with some combination of aid.

 

Getting accepted into any of the schools on this list will almost guarantee your child will graduate with little to no student loan debt.  But please know that your child must be competitive and yet again, produce good grades and high test scores.

  

Strategy #3: Understand and Maximize the FAFSA Form.  By understanding the formula, you will start to see how different factors will affect your eligibility for financial aid. For example, “Should you move the assets out of your child’s name?” or “Should Mom or Dad take two courses at a local community college to qualify as a part-time student?” By knowing the formula in advance of applying, you can legally set up your personal and financial situation to maximize your eligibility for financial aid. Your bottom line goal is to minimize your EFC – this is what the government feel you can afford to contribute.

  

File Your Financial Aid Forms Accurately And On Time. Remember, financial aid is awarded on a first come, first served basis. 66% of the forms submitted have an error on it. If you submit your forms with errors or omissions, it will probably “bump” the financial aid forms, and you will have to resubmit them at a later time. If this happens, you will probably lose aid since they award money on a first come, first served basis. Most schools have different deadlines, and if you miss their deadline, you will almost definitely get less funding.

     

Strategy #4: Pick Colleges That Have The Best Histories Of Giving Good Financial Aid Packages. Many schools publish statistics on how much “need” they meet and how much FREE money and loans they give out. Know these numbers before you apply, so you don’t waste time and money applying to schools you’ll never be able to afford. If they offer loans, determine how many subsidized vs. unsubsidized loans are awarded. When loans become part of the equation, do your best to qualify for federally subsidized loans, which are interest-free and principal free until your child graduates.

  

If you still need to borrow more money, try borrowing from your 401k plan or a pension plan. Many plans will allow you to borrow up to 50% of the value of the plan or up to $50,000 interest-free. You can also think about refinancing your current mortgage (not a home equity loan) because long-term rates are typically low during these times, much lower than student loan rates and, under most circumstances, tax deductible (but consult your tax advisor, of course.)

  

Strategy #5: Don’t Be Afraid To Negotiate For A Better Financial Aid Package. Always Apply To, At Least, Two Or Three Schools That Are Rated Equally. This way, if your child gets accepted to all of them, you may be able to play one against the other when negotiating to get a better financial aid package.

 

A school’s financial aid package is NOT fixed in stone. Just because they offer you a certain package, doesn’t mean you have to accept it. If you know how to calculate your “expected family contribution” and you find out what the school’s history of giving out financial aid is, you can usually get a pretty accurate idea of what you should have received. If the school’s offer is way off – write a letter to negotiate. I have seen many cases where schools gave $2,000… $3,000… even $6,000 more than they originally offered just because the family asked. The moral is – Don’t Be Afraid To Negotiate!

  

Strategy #6: Have Your Child Enroll In Advanced Placement Classes And College Level Courses While Still In High School. Every college level course they place out of is money you won’t have to pay when they go to college. Considering college credits can cost as much as $300 each, having your child place out of these courses can save you a lot of money. This happens when AP classes are successfully completed and the subject tests passed when taken in May. By taking foundational core classes at a local college/university while in high school, will decrease the amount of classes a student take once enrolled on a full-time basis, could be covered through a high school – university collaborative and it proves to admission representatives your child is college ready.

  

There are many more strategies for you to implement. Hopefully, these 6 strategies will motivate you to get started and take action in looking at how to create a plan of action that will facilitate your child’s dream and future so they can achieve college success.

___________________________________________________________________

Tameka Williamson is a Six Sigma Blackbelt in Lean and Process Improvement that analyzes and creates systems for change.  Being a certified speaker and coach for the John Maxwell Team, Tameka developed her signature programs around the 6 WILLs that help students Get Noticed, Get Admitted, Get Funded and Get Hired so they WIN in life, bringing about positive and sustainable change.  Winning Intentionally at Leading Life (WILL) is modeled around Standing out, Reliving your dreams and Removing the limits. Having successfully overcome several life changing events and a successful corporate career of driving change for over 15 years in Fortune 100 Companies, Tameka is maximizing her experiences to equip others with the tools to either avoid the same mistakes or bounce back quicker and stronger on their journey to fulfill their purpose. For more information about Tameka Williamson, Your Own College Coach, go to www.TamekaWilliamson.com.

New Cover Art: The Monster Hunter's Manual

The Monster Hunter's Manual is the story of Gabriel.  Gabriel is a boy who has just lost everything.  His parents have died and he's forced to move to a strange county, France, to find a new home.  He dislikes his crazy aunt, who he has to live with, he doesn't want to learn French, and to make matters worse, the only real family he has left is his whinny, baby brother.  Despite all this, as soon as Gabriel enters his aunt's ancient castle, he realizes that all these disasters might be the beginning of a grand adventure.  In the castle of Chateau Larcher, the walls groan and the attic talks.  Shadows take on strange shapes and Gabriel becomes convinced the castle is haunted.  But the ghosts in Chateau Larcher aren't what Gabriel expects and he soon learns that skeletons aren't always scary and ghosts can tell the most interesting stories.  Even Aunt Perrine can end up being the most powerful monster hunter in the world.

The Monster Hunter's Manual is my first children's book and the first in a series of books which will chronicle the adventures of Gabriel and Alex.  Hopefully, it will be coming out soon.

This beautiful cover and all the inside illustrations were done for me by the amazing Irina Grabarnik.  You can look at more of her work at www.irinagrabarnik.com .   She has created some really beautiful work for my book!

5 Car Buying Tips for Women

Do you (or someone you know) want to avoid paying more than you have to when buying a car? I do!

If you are in the market for a new car now or in the near future, here are 5 Car Buying Tips to help save money when shopping for your next car.

   

KNOW YOUR BUDGET

The first and most important tip is to know "How much you can afford!" Do NOT let a car dealer's finance department or bank tell you how much you can afford.  Both essentially want to ensure that you borrow as much as possible so they can make more money off of you. The more they can make you believe that you can afford, the more the car dealership will make on the car and the more loan interest income the bank will earn on your loan.

   

GET PRE-QUALIFIED

The best way to avoid unpleasant surprises; like, not qualifying for the amount wanted, needing a cosigner or getting a ridiculously high interest rate, is to get Pre-Qualified or Pre-Approved for an auto loan. Go to your bank or credit union to apply for the auto loan. Tell them the payment amount you can afford to pay so they can determine the total loan amount based on the interest rate and term you qualify for based on your credit. Remember, the Higher your Credit Score, the Lower your interest rate and the More loan amount you will qualify for.  Adversely, the Lower your Credit Score, the Higher your interest rate and the Less loan amount you may qualify for or a down payment will be required.

    

RESEARCH BEFORE YOU CAR SHOP

Now it's time to have some fun going online to search for a vehicle in your price range. Dealers with No Haggle Deals are really good because they usually sell their vehicles below NADA or KBB value.  Next go to NADA or KBB website to find out and print the Trade In and Retail Values to take when you go shopping.

    

TAKE A MAN WITH YOU

Take your husband, boyfriend, father, brother, uncle, male coworker or that dude from down the street. Even if he knows nothing about cars or negotiating, take a man with you when you go car shopping. If the sales person begins speaking directly to the man, play along and coach your escort in what to say or not say. You are in control of the transaction; he is just the figure head.  Unfortunately, women are sometimes taken advantage of during the car sales process.

     

NEGOTIATE BEFORE THE TEST DRIVE

Sometimes we absolutely lose our mind after we get intoxicated by that "New Car" smell during the test drive. My advice is to negotiate before you test drive to have a clear mind during the negotiation process.

    

Here are a few things to do when you get to the car dealer: 

1. Tell the sales person that you are doing a cash purchase. (Because you have already been pre-approved!) 
2. Do NOT give your personal information or allow them to run your credit. (Again, you are already pre-approved.) 
3. Tell the sales person what type of car and the price you are looking for. 
4. Ask if the car has any rebates or if the dealership has any incentives. 
5. Ask to see the buyers order with options to see the breakdown of all expenses and fees to help you with negotiating. 

Use your NADA or KBB value to negotiate the price as close to the Trade In value as possible. Negotiating the price as close to the Trade In value will give you equity in your car, as well as help you when you decide to trade in the car later.

     

You may not be able to get the car of your dreams today, but by getting a reasonably priced vehicle within your budget, you will be able to save money and get that dream car in your near future. Happy Shopping!

   

Financially True,

   

Tarra Jackson, Making Money Matters Manageable

Effective Ways to Lose Weight by Drinking Coffee

Long ago, many studies that prove the benefits of coffee to improve human health. In consumption is not excessive, coffee can make mood awake even lower the risk of oral cancer. In addition to making healthy, recent research shows that coffee can lose weight.

Reporting from the site Geniusbeauty.com, researchers from the University of Queensland for the possibility that coffee can lose weight. Results of clinical trials showed that the average coffee fans have a slender body. This is because coffee can reduce appetite and amount of food to be consumed.

The study involved volunteers who enjoy caffeinated coffee and decaffeinated coffee enthusiasts. They enjoy the drink at breakfast. The researchers noted how their appetite before lunch. In volunteers who consumed coffee with caffeine, they could starve than volunteers who drank decaffeinated coffee.

In a previous study, Japanese scientists reveals that drinking coffee every day can reduce the risk of stroke. While researchers from Norway showed that drinking one cup of coffee before work can reduce pain or soreness.

Although healthy, coffee consumption should not be excessive. Two cups is enough to keep you fresh and healthy throughout the day.