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The xbox 360 has had one problem that has plagued many people who have bought the system and it has been called the "red ring of death." Nobody knows why it happens or how but up until now you had to send your xbox 360 away to microsoft and in some cases even pay to have it repaired. But now people have figured out how to fix it themselves and for far less then the cost of a repair.

A lot of people think the "Red Ring of Death" comes from overheating which in turn short circuits something in your xbox 360. Nobody really knows but there have been suggestions to buy a cooling device, wrap it in a towel, basically if you do a search on any search site you will be bombarded with ideas from good to bad. But you shouldn't just do anything to your xbox 360 because after all, you did pay a couple hundred dollars for this system.

The problem has been acknowledged by microsoft to be widespread and there has been reports of people buying a new xbox 360 and having the "Red Ring of Death" appear within days. They bring it back to the store and exchange it for a new xbox 360 only to have it happen again. This can be a very frustrating and the reason is occurs is unknown. Luckily there has been research done by people on the internet who have had the problem and it looks like there has been progress made on finding out how to fix your xbox 360 if this does happen to you.

posted by 46124  # 7:11 PM 0 comments

Everyone knows that exercise is good for your health. Exercising during pregnancy can have additional benefits. Generally, exercise should be light, especially during the first few weeks of pregnancy while your body adjusts to the changes. Heavy exercise can divert blood flow from crucial areas and most women that exercise regularly should tone down their workouts during pregnancy.

walking, swimming, and yoga are two popular exercise activities suitable for pregnant women. Other forms of exercise like weight lifting are okay too as long as it is not too strenuous. most experts recommend exercising 3-4 times a week, unless a medical condition prevents it. If in doubt, always consult a physician first. Listed below are some of the top reasons for exercising during pregnancy.

1. exercise can reduce the length of labor and reduce recovery times. The right exercise routines will increase stamina needed for delivery.
2. Improve emotional health - exercise lowers stress and improves emotional health and can make it easier for the new mother to get through the experience of pregnancy.
3. exercise can help with weight management after the child is born. A common concern with most mothers is losing weight after pregnancy. Exercising during pregnancy can make postpartum weight loss easier.
4. exercise is good for your unborn baby. By keeping your body healthy, you are also helping out your baby.
5. Reduced pregnancy side effects - Symptoms like headaches, fatigue, swelling, and constipation are common in pregnant women. Exercising has been shown to reduce the occurence of these symptoms.
6. Decrease risk of premature birth - exercise has been shown in studies to decrease the risk of premature birth by about 50%.

Make sure to drink plenty of fluids before exercising, have a nutritious diet, and avoid over exertion. Also, listen to your body - if you start feeling sick or nauseous, then you should stop and rest.

about the Author - Criss White

Criss White is a professional web writer on baby and new mother topics for baby and pregnancy websites. For baby shower supplies, information, and more baby related articles by this author, visit My Baby Shower Favors and Babies and Showers.

Note: If you find this article useful, you may reprint it on your website, e-zine, or in your newsletter as long as the credits above remain in tact and the hyperlinks stay active.

posted by 46124  # 5:42 PM 0 comments

Once upon a time there was no choice when it came to your phone service. Not only did you have to get your service through bell Systems, you had to rent the equipment from them too. Yes, you had to actually rent the phone that was plugged into the RJ-45 on your wall. A 1968 case where Carter Electronics took on bell Systems resolved that problem when a judge ruled that third party equipment can be plugged in and used on the network that bell Systems maintained and provided service on. A whole new communications industry was born and consumers were free to choose which equipment they wanted to use for communications.

The bell system companies dragged their feet for many years after the Carterphone decision, still requiring customers to rent their equipment up until consumers fought them well into the late 70's. Even through that battle, we are still retreating back to the era where our communications options are becoming increasingly controlled in other arenas. Consumers are forced into contracts they don't want to be locked into, and to use phones only supplied by our wireless providers, Shouldn't the 1968 Carterfone decision make a difference in the wireless industry? Because of this case, shouldn't I as a consumer have the ability to use whatever equipment I want on a wireless network? How about a cable network? The Internet?

In the Carterfone case, the FCC cited their decision which stated that a subscriber's right to use the network in ways which are "privately beneficial without being publicly detrimental" applied to ALL types OF equipment. What does this mean? It means that everybody who subscribes to a service is able to use their own equipment in a way that benefits the subscriber as long as no other subscribers are affected. without the Hush-A-Phone or Carterfone decisions, companies like AOL may have tried to rent us "the only computer that will work on the Internet." Electric companies could make a case for dictating which light bulbs you use. Gas companies might force you to buy their brand of furnaces.

Still today, most cable companies require their subscribers to rent a cable box you could buy your own. SIM card technology provides the ability to switch wireless phones whenever a person wants to, yet providers such as Verizon and Alltell fail to embrace this technology, forcing consumers to sign a new contract or spend exorbitant amounts of money to simply switch

As consumers we need to start demanding better of our service providers. AT&T and sprint allow us to use SIM cards with most of their phones. We can go online and purchase a phone off Ebay, pop in the SIM card from an old phone and you're ready to go! There is alternative equipment that can be used on cable networks, but nobody really challenges cable companies when it comes to actually using it. We all just keep our mouths shut, dig in our pockets and fork over the extra $5 a month to rent the box. We have come along way since 1969. There are multiple phone carriers, wireless companies, and cable companies to choose from. but we can do better than being roped into paying a subscription fee on items we can buy ourselves or signing 2 year contracts just to get the latest smartphone. Remember it's supply and demand. Ultimately it should come down to the consumers wants and needs. Not what the provider is willing to give us.

This article is featured at Technipages where you can find articles and downloads related to anything technical. Submit your own technical article or post a message at the Computer Help Forum to obtain free computer help.

posted by 46124  # 2:45 PM 0 comments

I usually dont go on vacation. A vacation takes me out of my house, away from my keyboard, far from my wireless network. Ive grown to love the little conveniences of my home, the height of my desktop computer, the luxury of using my laptop even while cooking a big meal, the unexpected warmth of my dogs breath against my leg. Before even packing, I miss my bed, my bathroom, my EVOO.

A vacation poses a leap of faith into the unknown. Aside from my normal apprehensions about going way up in the air on some physics principles and prayers, I wonder about the accommodations which never seem to match the brochure. Furthermore, there are noises I am used to sleeping through, locks I feel secure behind, and small amounts of identifiable dirt I can live with peacefully. And then there is the matter of being idle. Vacationing people are not only expected to leave home and family, theyre expected to leave their work. Needless to say, I had more difficulty with the latter, but I did agree to give it the old college try.

Yellow-belly that I am, I did not brave the trip alone. In addition to members of my immediate family, packets of Immodium, and a big bottle of hair conditioner, I packed a few other writers for company. I packed a modest size notebook. I packed enough pens and pencils to rewrite War and Peace, all of which I carried around in my oversized purse, awkwardly lifting and dropping passports and tickets, removing and replacing the books innumerable times for Tic Tacs and gum, knowing it was worth any inconvenience to be able to read on demand.

At our destination, my family predictably abandoned me to pursue fun, and I set up shop. I angled a lounge chair out of the sun on a balcony facing the ocean, and pulled out the first of my books. I grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator in our suite, and sat out there a good thirty seconds enjoying the view, the breeze, the quiet, noting my husbands position on a sailboat in case he asked the way the kids used to ask if I had seen them doing tricks in the water. now my vacation was beginning. I was finally going to be able to enjoy someone elses work, without interruption.

The first ten pages were easy enough. And once I put the towel over my legs to keep from getting one of those sunburns I preached about to my kids, the second ten were bearable. During the next five or so, I finished the last of my peanut M&Ms from the airport, moving directly into my pack of Eclipse. And then I did my best to balance my sunglasses over my reading glasses, which worked, until there was no getting out of the sun on that chair.

As luck would have it, there was also a table and chair set on the balcony, which I could easily position in the shade, so I picked up my water bottle, my towels, my purse, my book, and changed locations. So I was upright. Being upright didnt preclude relaxation. I methodically noted the position of my daughter and husband now in a yellow kayak, acknowledged the mountains, the palm trees, my son who came to get his bathing suit, the heat of the sun, the strength of the breeze against the pages of my paperback, and then this strange black bird which started yelping insistently. I stood up as if to ask why it was disturbing my newly found peace. It seemed to be cursing me out, again and again, until I knew how Dorothy felt to be so very far from Kansas.

Offended, I clutched the railing of the balcony, mourning my lack of peace, wondering how early they started serving tropical drinks at the bar. The bird was relentless. What, I asked myself, could it possibly want from me? I was a stranger, invisible to the other, nicer birds who didnt feel the need to keep calling out to me. I stared up at the sky until my eyes watered, watching this bird for any Hitchcock leanings. He was definitely a screamer. Mom? That would be my luck. While the other tourists were bobbing to reggae, I was under attack by the winged ghost of my mother.

Suddenly I seemed to wake up and understand where I was. I wasnt on vacation. I had traveled into a wonderful new setting! I immediately reached for my notebook and cursed the very resolve that brought me here without my computer, because I was certain I would never be able to write as quickly as necessary in order to capture every sight, smell, and sound for some future story. Six pages later, the ocean still rolled about laughing at me. Bring it on, I smirked. I had towels. I had water. I had a whole new world to imagine.

L. A. Rentschler, author of the newly released novel Mother (amazon.com). Author of Jitters which was produced as a Lifetime Original Movie. Playwright, best known for Deathbed. IWWG. Dramatist Guild of America. http://www.larentschler.com

posted by 46124  # 3:11 AM 0 comments

One would think at first glance, that being a massage therapist is a great way to do wonderful things for people and make a good living. Massages are priced at anywhere from $70 and hour to $100 for an hour. And besides a massage table for a few hundred dollars, sheets and oils there is not much more that needs to be purchased. Does that not translate into a substantial amount of money in your pocket?

Well, the reality is often very different than what massage therapists imagine when they consider this profession, and if you are thinking of making massage therapy a career, there are some things you need to know.

I have been a massage therapist and for many years. I know many therapists and as an instructor, I am in touch with many of my students. Being connected with the reality of massage therapy has not only helped me understand the dynamics, but also aided me in developing my own practice when needed. Some of those insights I would like to share here.

One of the most disturbing issues is that many therapists only last a few years on the job, and that is if they can even get their feet on the ground to generate an adequate income.

So what seems to be the problem?

As a therapist you are either employed (even if your employer calls you an independent contractor) or self-employed (or maybe you are like many colleagues a combination of both). Even if you are employed at a spa facility, gym, chiropractor or other health and wellness operation, chances are you will have private clients outside of your job and juggle a few different venues which puts you in a position of managing your own supplies, transportation, taxes and so on.

The first mistake that many therapists make, is that they neglect to see themselves as a business.

Many small (and larger) businesses make the exact same mistake when they launch their venture: They fail to plan their business and fail at their business. When therapists leave the field it is primarily for one reason: They do not make enough money to pay the bills.

Step One View yourself as a business.

What this means is that you need to balance your income with your expenses and write a business plan for yourself. In order to stay afloat your income must match your expenditures that include every single expense from supplies, to the amount of money you need to have at your disposal to pay the rent, your car, your clothes and your pet food as well as resources for the future.

Step Two: Write a business plan.

When you start writing your business plan and ask yourself the question: How many sessions can I do every day, you might discover some interesting facts about your business. You may find one of the reasons why therapists have a hard time making ends meet and ultimately leave the field: You can physically only do a certain number of sessions in any given time period due to the sheer physical and emotional challenges that of this work. Right now you might not think so but and still experience a rush doing 4 or 5 sessions a day. But imagine doing this day in, day out for years. Not really an option, is it?

What this means is your income from massage work is restricted by the number of sessions you can offer. Finding this out in the planning phase is a huge advantage because it means you can prepare for the reality of only doing a few sessions a day.

If you wait until you are active in your practice, one of two things might happen: You will either perform too many sessions because you need the money and sooner or later burn out and leave the profession or you will leave the profession to find another job.

Part of your realization might also be that you will have to charge more than you anticipated for a massage. And you should. As a business you cannot afford not to.

The second issue that many therapists face is that they perceive a contradiction between the type of work they do and selling their services. I discuss this at length in my book The Successful Therapist, but one of realizations I had is that I cannot be of service at all, if I cannot sustain myself through the work. And looking at it from that point of view was very helpful.

Step Three: Develop a massage marketing plan Clients do not just walk through the door. You have to attract them and then retain them. There are many ways to advertise your services and as many ways to spend a lot of money with no results. Before you spend any money, spend some time thinking what kind of client you want to work with and what solution you offer to a problem that they specifically have.

Then spend some time formulating and developing that solution as a headline and a service. I spent some time in Australia and worked out of a small bookstore in a crowded pedestrian area. My sign on the street said: Relieve your headache in 15 minutes and it worked. There were enough people with headaches mulling around and not enjoying their shopping experience. The reality is that no one cares about you. They care about what you can do for them.

Once you know what solutions you offer, it will be much easier to target those people directly and efficiently. Visit your local hotel and talk with the concierge about referring clients to you. Visit senior citizens homes and assisted living for seniors massage and offer the people who work there a referral fee. Talk to the HR department of a large company to offer an introduction to in-house chair massage. Go to prenatal yoga classes with flyers to offer pregnancy massage, etc.

Step four: Plan for additional revenue streams. Even though you might be doing all the massages you can and want to do, you will definitely want to have additional income resources in place to utilize the client contact you have through your massage traffic and marketing activities. There are many ways to do this for example retail related products. But there is also one idea that I want to suggest here: Offering spa treatments. spa treatments not only capture a clientele that might not want a massage but they also add to your reputation, are much less taxing on the body and offer a very nice way to promote products you can sell after the treatment.

Nicolay Kreidler is a licensed massage therapist and massage instructor at Touching from the Heart and a facilitator at Spa College He is an active consultant to the spa industry and author of the book "The Successful Massage Therapist" now available as ebook through Spa Pros

posted by 46124  # 1:18 AM 0 comments