Actress Shannon Elizabeth Is America's Sweethear

Erika Kirihara - What does actress Shannon Elizabeth, animals, and Christine Santos have in common?, They are all angels sent to us by some high power. Animal Avengers began rescuing and helping the cute critters of the world about 2 1/2 years ago and have three branches, all on the west coast in the gorgeous San Fernando Valley, LA, and South Bay.

I sat down (ok, we sent e-mails back and forth) with Ms. Christine Santos recently and she gave me so much great information that I wish I had more room for a longer story, but maybe next issue. Animal Avengers began when actress Shannon Elizabeth and her husband helped a poor sick dog, but knew that they wanted to do more and as they say, the rest is history! Christine Santos is the South Bay Coordinator for Animal Avengers, a team leader, kennel coordinator, and the person who oversees the medical/health issues for the kennel dogs.

(Who can say holy cow and when are you getting a medal of honor?) One of Christine’s favorite times working with Animal Avengers is when they participate in massive adoption days at large venues and people come from everywhere to welcome fur-faced creatures into their lives, homes, and hearts.

Learning Four-Octave Scales

Many violin students regard the four-octave scale as an arduous skill for only advanced violinists. The truth is that learning four-octave scales is fairly straightforward for a young student and is valuable to add to one’s practice routine early, even before three-octave scales. One reason is to create familiarity and confidence through the use of the whole fingerboard. Also, proper left hand and thumb placement is reinforced by the use of all positions. Furthermore, the more ordinary three-octave range will then seem "easy" instead of difficult.

Three skills must be acquired before learning a four-octave scale. First the student must have a correct finger action, dropping the fingers onto the fingerboard, swinging from the base of the finger. The student’s left-hand wrist position must be relaxed, making it possible for all four fingers to hang over the notes. Lastly, the student must know where the positions are (up to 9th position) and what they feel like to the hand. At this point, with those simple things learned, a very young student can start learning 4-octave scales.

At first, the student can just place the hand in the different positions with the correct whole and half steps without playing the notes with the bow. One should practice using the “swinging” motion of the left elbow to move the left hand fingers from the G string to the E string. The student should also become comfortable sliding the fingers up and back down the E string using the opening and closing of the elbow and the resulting bending of the wrist, allowing the elbow to guide the arm “around” the instrument.

Preventing Child Injuries in Car Accidents

According to the National Center for Statistics and Analysis (NCSA), there are about 250,000 child injuries due to car accidents. This translates to about 700 children getting hurt everyday because of road mishaps.

In another study, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) also found out that child pedestrians also account for 30% of the total deaths for people under the age of 15.

Clearly, children are more susceptible to injuries than adults. They are smaller and more fragile. They can easily be thrown around inside a vehicle during a collision. In addition, injuries to children can leave permanent damages that they may have to live with the rest of their lives.

Causes of Child Injuries in Car Accidents

Here are some of the most identified causes of child injuries in car accidents:

• Improper installation and use of seat belts – Most car seatbelts are designed for average adults and does not fit properly to a small child. There are guidelines on how a child should be safely restrained inside a car.

• Improper installation and use of safety seats – Incorrect placement of seatbelts over safety seats and booster seats, infant safety seats facing forward instead of facing the rear of the car, and improper routing of seatbelts over the safety seats are examples of improper use of the supposed safety equipment.

• Children placed very close to airbags – Placing a child on the driver’s lap places a child in danger not only from being pinned by the car’s parts but also being hit by the full force of the airbag which could be very fatal.

• Placing children on pick-up’s cargo area – Placing a car on cargo areas of pick-ups increases the chances that they will be thrown over by the car during collision.

Preventing Child Injuries in Car Accidents

There is a number of safety equipment to safely transport a child in a car or other motor vehicles. However, it will depend on the age and size of the child on what safety equipment should be used.

Here are some guidelines about the type of protection you may need for your child:

• A federally-approved infant safety seat should be used for children below 1 year old. The safety seat should face the rear so that the head is protected in case of collision. The seat should also be semi-reclined to prevent the head from flopping forward.

• A child aged 1-4 can sit in a convertible seat that faces the front if the car has harness straps that can secure the child in place.

• When the child becomes too big for the convertible seat, he/she can be placed in a booster seat instead. The booster seat will help make the seatbelt fit better in securing the child.

• If the child outgrows the booster seat as well, the regular seatbelt should be able to fit him/her better. However, as a precaution, place the child on the back seat until he/she is 12.

With regards to safety seats, make sure that you read the manual to avoid improper use and installation.

Caution goes a long way in preventing child injuries due to car accidents.

Cium Bibir Sunan, Jennifer Dunn Hanya Bercanda

Video Jennifer Dunn Ciuman - Ibunda Jennifer Dunn tidak percaya anaknya berpacaran dengan pengacaranya Sunan Kalijaga SH. Dia melihat, aksi cium bibir yang dilakukan wanita yang akrab disapa Jeje itu hanyalah bercanda saja.

“Itu hanya bercanda saja. Dia (Jeje) memang begitu, Cuma main-mainan saja,” kata Ibunda Jennifer Dunn Linda Carolina saat berbincang dengan okezone, Jumat (12/2/2010).

Linda menegaskan, anaknya tidak mungkin berpacaran dengan Sunan Kalijaga. Pasalnya, bagaimana mungkin orang di dalam penjara bisa pacaran. “Sekalipun menjenguk, dia (Sunan) tidak sendirian. Pasti dengan pengacara yang lain,” jelasnya.

Menurutnya, apa yang dilakukan anaknya itu hanya lelucon saja dan tidak serius. Dia malah menyalahkan wartawan yang membuat ramai hal tersebut. “Wartawan juga sih yang bikin ramai, mereka jadi makin jadi saja bercandanya,” katanya.

Sebagai orangtua Jennifer pun pernah memprotes hal tersebut kepada Jennifer. Saat ditanya, Jennifer mengaku bercanda karena Sunan juga ikut dalam lelucon yang dibuatnya itu.

Sebelumnya, Jennifer Dunn berciuman dengan kuasa hukumnya yang sudah memiliki istri dan seorang anak. Aksi ciuman ini diketahui terjadi dua kali, dalam dua sidang terakhir Jennifer di Pengadilan Negeri Jakarta Barat.

Akan tetapi, Sunan mengelak bahwa keduanya berpacaran. Sunan hanya mengaku bahwa dia memang dekat dengan Jennifer. Berbeda dengan Sunan, Jennifer justru blak-blakan kepada media bahwa dia memang sayang dengan Sunan. Tak peduli, dia sudah memiliki istri dan anak

God Bless China

Confucius 2010| Film Confucius Sinopsis Video Movie Trailer - And simultaneously, we have a massive inflection point in the world.

It used to be that the countries of the world looked to America- the champion of free enterprise- to lead the world out of recession.

Now they look to a Communist led country: China.

This last week has seen a SIGNIFCANT landmark. China is moving world markets, including American. The Dow is moving according to what Chinese leaders say about their economy and stimulus programs.

The gap between Chinese and American military will also close as economies balance out between the two countries.

Most importantly, the Chinese have quickly learned that they can no longer afford to pin their hopes on producing products for Americans. Americans have stopped buying and China must learn to consume it's own products.

Confucius - With that massive population of theirs, a 'virgin' population when it comes to luxuries we've taken for granted, enter the next superpower. So am I telling you this to depress you? NO! As I keep saying in this newsletter, you don't have to keep your hard-earned cash within American borders. There are funds you can invest in that ride the Chinese train all the way. This is not unpatriotic- we live in a free global economy and you're entitled to invest in a way that suits you best.

PLEASE, start thinking more laterally about your finances.

The effect of this, combined with the resultant loss in appetite for American debt (Chinese buying US government bonds) to keep American interest rates artificially low so they buy Chinese products, and you have a rapid shift in power emerging. In fact, if it happens too fast it would be catastrophic for America.

Right now, a situation of 'mutually assured destruction' exists between America and China. If the Chinese stop lending to America, American interest rates soar and Americans stop buying products which are of course, predominantly Chinese made.

So both countries need this arrangement. BUT, the big difference is that the American situation is a relatively permanent one, the Chinese is not. As soon as domestic demand picks up in China, the Chinese can happily dump US debt (and probably will).

So knowing this, if you were president, what would you do?

Of course, you'd be wise to prepare by

1) reducing the need for this debt with the Chinese and

2) by getting manufacturing American goods more efficient and cost-effective so they can compete with the Chinese.

Obama is doing the exact opposite:

1) he's building EVEN MORE DEBT and

2) he's supporting inefficient industries instead of letting them die with government money (see number 1) and building EVEN MORE DEBT.

With General Motors continually asking for more of OUR money, can you now see why this is bad for America long term? GM and others are like that relative every family has. They mis-manage their affairs and well-meaning senior family members keep throwing money at them, but it's a financial black hole. They're not doing that relative any favors because that person will never have an incentive to solve his problems. It's treating the symptom, not the cause.

Obama's a smart guy. He undoubtedly knows this, but he serves the shuffling zombies on Main St. and what's he's doing is what they want: as always, free money and an instant fix to their 'problems'. You know, problems like not being able to keep up the payments on the Hummer and having to downgrade to a 4/3 instead of a 6/5 home.

By the way, they've stopped making Hummers "for now" as nobody is buying them. Maybe it will go the way of the Delorean car and the do-do.

This made me wonder: in 50 years time will there will be an exhibit at a museum dedicated to the long gone days of American excess? A Hummer will stand in the center display as something that epitomized the 'bling-bling' days at the turn of the century. I can see school kids looking at it scratching their heads. These kids just arrived by electric bus and wondered whatever we were all thinking around 2000 A.D., as oil has become a highly-prized and expensive substance to them, only begrudgingly used for lubrication and that World War III nearly started because of the race for the last of oil. Kids will laugh scornfully at the history books, much like we do now when reading about any uncivilized peoples.

Moving on...

Here's something that slips under the radar and could affect you: just about every weekend now, a bank goes bust. These are the smaller independent banks that the government won't bail out. If I had any money in "The Colonial Cracker Bank" or whatever else they're called, I would get my dollars the heck out of Dodge- FAST.

Across the pond to Europe. Here's an interesting article I picked up (not for the faint of heart):

"Conspiracy or...?

On the 11th February the Daily Telegraph's Brussels correspondent Bruno Waterfield wrote an article under the header: "European banks may need £16.3 trillion bail out, EC document warns." In the article, the reporter revealed that he has seen a secret document produced by the EU Commission which briefed the union's finance ministers on the true extent of the banking crisis. Less than 24 hours later, the article's header was changed to "European bank bail-out could push EU into crisis" and two paragraphs had mysteriously disappeared. Here they are:

"European Commission officials have estimated that "impaired assets" may amount to 44pc of EU bank balance sheets. The Commission estimates that so-called financial instruments in the 'trading book' total £12.3 trillion (13.7 trillion euros), equivalent to about 33pc of EU bank balance sheets.

In addition, so-called 'available for sale instruments' worth £4trillion (4.5 trillion euros), or 11pc of balance sheets, are also added by the Commission to arrive at the headline figure of £16.3 trillion."

Do yourself a favor - read those two paragraphs again. Newspaper editors do not change content light-heartedly. Did the Telegraph editor receive a call from Downing Street? Or Brussels? Did he have second thoughts about the avalanche that he could possibly instigate? I don't know and I probably never will. But one thing is certain. If the EU Commission's estimate of £16.3 trillion of impaired assets is correct, then the crisis is far worse than any of us could ever imagine. Not only would we have to get used to the prospects of a systemic meltdown of our banking system, but entire nations may go down as well."

A few issues ago, I said the Euro was overvalued and now you can see where I'm coming from. If you'd have gone short the Euro then, you'd be in the money. The Yen is the next to fall.

Currencies will go down like dominoes, and the US dollar will be seen as the best of a bad bunch as everyone flocks to it for 'safety'. When they realize that is an illusion (because the Fed prints so much of the stuff and it's backed by a lame promise), gold will be seen as "the currency of last resort" as one fund manager recently put it.

My views on oil, wheat, corn, silver and gold are unchanged (see past issues). I love them all for the longer and term.

The stock market is grinding downwards just as I predicted after it fell through the critical November low, and looking at the bigger picture I can see why: the government is dithering and having to go through the process of a democratic consensus. China needs no such consensus- they just announced a stimulus package. Stock markets like this kind of leadership and direction and Chinese stocks have responded accordingly.

This made me think though: as and when this administration finally does show some single-minded ACTION (not words), the US markets could take-off for this final surge before the bottom- the fabled bear market rally. And I believe this one could be a mother. So much so, it will fool everyone into thinking the worst is over. The bear is sick- he wants to destroy as many people as possible- he's not happy to just go down to 4000 now, he wants to suck more people back in first, tempting you with crazily low values.

How do I date beautiful women, even celebrities?

Oscar Nominations 2010|Oscar Nomination Predictions For 2010 - Are you a guy who’s interested not only in dating beautiful women, even celebrities, but would like to get beautiful women to approach YOU first? Can it really be done? The answer is an unqualified “yes” IF you know what to say and do, and what to avoid saying and doing.

Oscar Nominations 2010 - Most guys have no clue about the day to day life of stunningly beautiful women. They have no idea how many times a DAY these beautiful women are approached by guys whose obvious interest is to “sex them up.” And for celebrities, it’s even worse. Day in, and day out they hear the same thing: “oh you’re such beautiful women… do you have boyfriends… can I take you out…” and on and on and on. Beautiful women simply become numb to guys asking them these questions, and tune them out.

Now, that’s not to say these beautiful women don’t want to meet men… because they do. Many of them desperately. But beautiful women like a guy who’ll say something different to them, something unusual, something that will create attraction in them. And most of all beautiful women crave a man who “defines authority” for them, one who is not intimidated by their looks (or fame). Let me give you an example.

I’m in the business of teaching other guys how to get desirable, beautiful women to approach them first for a date, no matter their looks, age or income (see www.womenapproachyou.com). And while I rarely take clients, occasionally I’ll make a mistake and let someone talk me into helping them.

A few weeks ago I was working with a guy who was desperately in need of help. Like I always do, I asked him, “What specifically do you want in beautiful women? What don’t you want? And most importantly, what’s your ideal experience with a woman?” Most of guys, of course, have no specific answers to these questions—and if you don’t know what you’re looking for, it’s extremely difficult to achieve any measure of success—whether with beautiful women or in any area of your life.

This guy, amazingly enough, didn’t pause with his answer: “I’d like to sex Paris Hilton—and other beautiful women” he leered. I was a bit taken aback—apparently I don’t speak the “new lingo.” “Sex Paris Hilton,” I said. “What the heck does that mean, sex Paris Hilton?”

“It means I’d like to get with her you know, sex her up, sex Paris Hilton—or a woman like her.” Ah-ha. “So your goal is to share a few adventures with celebrities, or beautiful women who look like celebrities?” He nodded eagerly—“I’ll settle for a look-alike,” he said, “but what do I say, what do I do to get beautiful women to even speak to me?”

Here’s what I told him in regards to beautiful women: first off, get all thoughts of lust out of your head. If you want to spend time with beautiful women, you need to get to know them as people first.

Here’s what to do: when you see a beautiful woman (or beautiful women) you want to approach, look her in the eye, and smile slightly, using your “naughty little boy smile.” Your intent is to make her smile back at you, while you continue to hold her gaze, and smile wider and “naughtier.” Look for something unusual about her that few other guys would notice, and bring it to her attention. For example:

“You look like a well-conditioned athlete… what are you training for?”

“Hmmm, that’s a most unusual tattoo… what made you decide to get that particular one?”

“That’s a very professional looking business suit… what’s the occasion for dressing so professionally?”

“You have a great energy, much like my friends in the martial arts… what kind of physical training do you do to have such a great energy… or is it just natural?”

Or if all else fails, “What are smiling about… remembering something that makes you grin?”

The key is to notice something about her environment, and ask her an open ended question letting her know you’re sincerely curious about her. Don’t tell her, “you’re a beautiful woman and I like beautiful women.” She’s heard that. You want to give her an opportunity to talk about herself, something few guys ever do. They’re trying to impress her, instead of shutting up, listening and letting her impress herself about you.

By doing this, you let her know you’re interested in her as a person (as opposed to a sweaty piece of meat), that you appreciate her beauty (and beautiful women) but you’re not intimidated or especially impressed by it, and that you need to hear more before you let her into your life. When you do this, you will stand out from the crowd that asks her the same questions over and over and over—and she’ll be more than happy to pick YOU up!