Loose It Back » trivia

Essential of Solar Power

looseitback — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 07:07:12 +0000

Basically, solar power has a variety of different uses. It can be used as a direct means of heat, for example heating water. It can be converted to electricity via photo voltaic cells. Using the solar power directly is often termed ‘passive solar’ whereas converting it into electricity is known as ‘active solar’. The weak form in which we receive solar energy can be a limiting factor. To make the best use possible of solar power we need to discover how to harness it and then make it concentrated.

Solar power has been used in its passive state for many centuries. Examples of this include heating water, lighting fires and drying wood. In places where sunlight is available for most days of the year, solar water heaters are popular. There are also solar power plants which can concentrate the energy of the sun and generate electricity in large amounts. Power plants like these are especially economical and useful in out of the way places where conventional electricity is not always available. Even space craft and satellites make use of solar energy.

In recent years, there has been a lot of interest in using solar power to power motor vehicles. This however is still in the experimental stages. The problem is that a large amount of power is needed to supply the car’s engine and this would mean large solar panels. Large solar panels on a typical car are fragile and their size would also make them impractical. When the sun is not shining, these cars could only run for a short time, meaning that solar power is not yet able to run such vehicles. Also, the weather is not completely predictable and nobody wants their vehicle to come to a sudden stop with no way of restarting it until the sun decides to come out.

Solar power demand is on the up but right now the costs prevent it from being a widely used energy means. The technology is available but the cost of converting the solar power into energy is too high. Fuel costs are also rising however which means that solar power will be a viable alternative if this continues. Present day fuels also have an environmental impact and people are becoming more aware of this and want to find environmentally friendly alternatives using clean energy. Manufacturers will find it more feasible to produce solar powered devices because of this rising demand.

Various Options Lead to Uncertainty

looseitback — Mon, 31 May 2010 14:44:31 +0000

Most of us say it’s good to have more choices to go with, instead of just one thing that we have to stick with no matter what. However, a new study in consumer behavior comes to show that, where options are concerned, having too many is actually detrimental to us. Having too much choice often leads to depression and feelings of uncertainty because we can’t tell anymore if we’ve made the right choice or not.

From television channels to the types of milk or fruit available in supermarkets, the sheer amount of variants is overwhelming. In fact, there are so many things to choose from that we’re torn by uncertainty and doubts as to whether we made the right choice or not, researchers say. At the same time, while we’re focusing on picking the right thing for us, we’re actually losing sight of what could be good for society, as we become increasingly selfish.

Conducted on Americans by researchers led by Professor Hazel Rose Markus of Stanford University’s Department of Psychology, the study also reveals that, ironically enough, Americas constantly hear of their freedom, their choices and self-determination. At the same time, the wide array of choices available does nothing in terms of improving subjective well-being. On the contrary, a decrease is noticeable in direct relation to how large the number of options is.

“We cannot assume that choice, as understood by educated, affluent Westerners, is a universal aspiration, and that the provision of choice will necessarily foster freedom and well-being. Even in contexts where choice can foster freedom, empowerment, and independence, it is not an unalloyed good. Choice can also produce a numbing uncertainty, depression, and selfishness. And even what counts as a ‘choice’ may be different for non-Westerners than it is for Westerners,” Prof. Markus says.

New method of treating addiction

looseitback — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 13:07:05 +0000

Drug addiction isn’t a new thing for many of us. It has been around for years. It caused so many problems to the person involved such as loss of job, going behind bars, lost of properties, lost of sanity and even death.

Today there is a thing called rapid detox also called rapid opiate detox or ultra rapid detox. It is a method of treating drug withdrawal in a person who is addicted to certain kinds of drugs. This procedure allows detoxification to occur within the span of a day, unlike the tradition detoxification that takes a few days to a week. It quickly eliminates the toxins from opiates, heroin, prescription medications and alcohol out of the body.

However, just like any other method rapid detox also have pros and cons. The positive side allows the person to begin addiction recovery sooner and will not have to feel the painful experience of withdrawal and detox. But, there is also a risk of side-effects such as heart attack and death (in rare cases).

Keep in mind that rapid detox treats the physical aspect of addiction, not the psychological side, which is a major component of addiction. It is a must that the patient extend the psychological counseling to treat the mental aspect of addiction, otherwise there is a great risk of relapse.

help the planet by searching the web

looseitback — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 07:39:23 +0000

Can you help the planet just by searching the web? Well, we don’t just think you can. We know you can! Little search engines that could support your favorite causes and save energy – and are as free and as easy to use as Google. Want to try the following:

GoodSearch (http://www.goodsearch.com)- powered by Yahoo, it donates 50% of revenues to a charity you choose each time you search.
Blackle (http://www.blackle.com)- an unofficial black version of Google that uses less energy than the white version on some screens (for a more colorful option, try The Green Spider).
CatchTomorrow (http://www.searchenginecorp.com)- customizable news, weather, and search options; donates 50% of revenues to the public school district of your choice.
Green Maven (http://www.greenmaven.com)- though it’s not for charity, this Google-based search engine yields results from green-related websites only.

Changing your search engines to this one would give you the benefits of same good results. These search engines pull their results from the Google or Yahoo databases. You can also donate to charity. Get on the donation train – each search you do via a charity search engine generates about $0.01 for good causes (the money comes from the ads on search-engine sites). And, you can save energy. Some engines have a dark background color instead of white, which when viewed on older, CRT monitors – consumes 20% less energy than typical engines. So, better check those search engines now!

Risks for Blindness in Tanning

looseitback — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:49:10 +0000

In a daily basis health experts constantly issue warnings on the dangers of tanning beds and how they considerably increase chances of developing skin cancer even if used in moderation and with all precautions taken. Sam Laing, a 23-year-old woman from the UK, has learned the hard way that cancer is not the only enemy that comes with the use of sunbeds, as she’s currently suffering from a condition that could cost her eyesight for not using goggles in the ten years she has been a “tanorexic,” as the Daily Mail informs.

Laing needs surgery now to prevent her from going blind and that too will certainly affect her eyesight. She has developed pterygium, defined in the dictionary as “an abnormal mass of tissue arising from the conjunctiva of the inner corner of the eye that obstructs vision by growing over the cornea.” Surgery will remove the growth, but there is absolutely no certainty that it will not return, or that the intervention itself won’t affect her eyesight. Understandably, Laing is now sorry she never listened to advice and she wants other women to learn from her mistake.

She has learned the name of the condition and knows very well what her odds are. She also knows that the damage done to her eyes could be permanent. She also explain that the most worrying thing is that even if the growths are successfully removed, they could return and I’ve been told I will have to wear dark glasses on sunny days in future. I just hope that what’s happened to me serves as a warning to other sunbed users that they can be really dangerous.

things you can do to improve your sleep

sugar addiction?

looseitback — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 03:33:06 +0000

This may sound crazy. But, this could be true so it is better to give it a deeper thinking. You can add up a little research if you want. Here, it goes.

Researchers say that there is such thing as sugar addition. According to them, drinking large quantities of sugar water when you are hungry prompts behavioural and neurochemical brain changes that are similar to those that occur in people who are dependent on drugs, such as cocaine and heroin. The addiction may be caused by the combination of sugar and the alternating schedule of deprivation and abundance. This study was presented at the American College of Nueropsychopharmacology’s annual meeting in December 2008.

If this is true what would happen after? Hmmmm…..?

finger linked to arthritis

looseitback — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 14:29:15 +0000

This new discovery bothers me a little. That is why I want to share it to the public.

Is your ring finger longer than your index finger? A bit bothersome, right? Try to look at your fingers and see what your answer is. Well, if so, you’re up to three times more likely to develop arthritis of the knee than women whose ring fingers are the same length or shorter than their pointers. The British Scientist who discovered the link speculates that it may have to do with hormones. This finger pattern is more common in women with low estrogen levels. Another clue: Men are more likely to have longer ring fingers, but for them, there’s less of an arthritis link.

Good thing, my pointer finger is shorter. Would that mean I will not experience arthritis when I get old? Answerable only when I get old. Hahaha!

Importance of Drinking Water in our Body

looseitback — Wed, 27 May 2009 16:13:54 +0000

The importance of drinking water is underscored by the fact that we are 70% water. The benefits of drinking water then should be apparent. We use water in our bodies every time we move, breathe, sit or do anything. So the water we drink better is pure, clean and free from contaminants. Benefits of drinking water are nearly every health problem known to man. Headaches, hypertension, back pain, arthritis, ulcers, asthma, morning sickness, fatigue and decreased metabolism are just a few of them.

The next time that you get a headache, drink 8 ounces of water, without the analgesic, close your eyes, relax and take a break for about 20 minutes. You’ll start to understand the importance of drinking water when you headache goes away and you didn’t take a pain killer. How many times have you been told to rest and drink plenty of fluids? When you are ill, that is what your body needs. In order to remain well, you need to remember the importance of drinking water when you are ill. When you are already sick, drinking water that is “sick” (not properly filtered) probably won’t speed your recovery.

When you rely on prescription and over the counter medications, you are weakening your natural defences. Antibiotics, while life saving in many conditions, have been so over used that strains of bacteria have become resistant to them and newer stronger antibiotics have had to be introduced. It’s a vicious cycle. We take so many medications in this country that we have contaminated the groundwater with them. While there are many benefits of drinking water, you must remember that a good filtration system is a necessity or the chemicals and other contaminants that come out of the tap can undo the good.

ways to avoid credit cards fraud

looseitback — Tue, 12 May 2009 16:01:00 +0000

This post is continuation for my earlier post. These are the necessary precautions that need to be done to avoid falling victim from unscrupulous parties. I am sure that we can protect ourselves if we follow the following.

Sign the signature panel – at the back of the card as soon as you receive it. This helps authenticate the transaction, and prevents lost or stolen cases if the merchant is vigilant in reviewing sales slips.
Do not give our important details – like card number, expiry date, CVC2 or CVV2 (the security number at the back of the card), and other account information to anybody. FYI: your credit card issuer will not call you for this information as they already have it in their system. They will only require these if you call them, as part of the verification process.
Know your credit card company’s 24 hour hotline – in case you need to report a lost or stolen card, or if you suspect fraudulent transactions in your card. Do not fax your credit card number and other information, as you don’t know who else will be able to see it.
Keep your PIN confidential – this should be memorized, and not recorded anywhere. Most people make the mistake of writing it down and pasting it onto the card. And try not to use consecutive numbers, or numbers that are linked to your personal information, such as birthday, address and phone number.
Never disclose your PIN via regular e-mail. Regular emails are not encrypted and are more likely sending a postcard.
Never lend your card to anyone – or accept advice from strangers while you are using it.
Always review your billing statement – and immediately report unknown transaction to your credit card company’s customer service. If possible enrol for online access, if available. This will allow you to better monitor your account.
Inform the bank immediately of any change in your personal information – especially if you’re moving to a new residence or office.
Call customer service right away if your transaction is declined – Find out why this happened. This could be a security precaution, as your issuer suspects’ unauthorized transactions made on your card.
If your transaction is taking longer than usual ask the merchant why. Call your card company for more confirmation.
Do not open emails from unfamiliar person or sources – scan any attachments you receive via email, and immediately delete any suspicious emails with attachments. And, watch out for scam emails. Banks will not send emails to customers to verify confidential person or account information. Delete all-emails received of this nature, even if they appear to have come from your bank.
Be aware of phony or look alike websites – designed to trick customers and collect personal information.
Perform online transaction in private – ensure that no one is watching you while you keep in your PIN or any other sensitive information.

common fraud activities with credit cards

looseitback — Tue, 05 May 2009 15:55:43 +0000

As I checked my credit card this morning, I came to realize that I am almost beyond my limit. I can’t even make another purchase worth $5 because my available balance is lower than that. Did somebody use my card for reaching this high? Well, no one. It’s just me. I make a lot of purchases few weeks ago.

But, using my credit card by a different person is a possibility. Here are some of the most common fraud activities involving credit cards:

Lost/Stolen Cards – credit cards are taken from owners and used by unauthorized third party.
Skimming – the magnetic stripe of the card, which contains all the owners’ personal data, is copied. Unscrupulous parties then use this to create another credit card.
Account Takeover – an unknown third party pretends to be a bank employee, and calls clients to retrieve personal account information for subsequent fraud use.
Promo offers – This is a variation of the account takeover, wherein an unknown third party pretends to be a bank employee, and offers the customer a credit card upgrade or higher credit limit in exchange for surrendering the card.