Autism - Myths and Facts

"If you've heard the stories about autism..."

Myth: "Autism or ASD is the result of bad parenting."
Fact: Although autism is a recognized mental disorder it is still badly understood by the majority of people. Despite the fact that the causes of autism aren't fully understood, it is clear that a strong genetic basis may be involved. The condition on the increase and occurs all over the world. Autism occurs in one in 250 babies and four out of five children with autism or ASD are boys. Autistic spectrum disorder affects more children than cancer, cystic fibrosis and multiple sclerosis combined.

Myth: "All children with autism have learning problems"
Fact: Autism manifests in different ways in different people. The disorder's symptoms can vary significantly and although some children have severe learning problems, others are very intelligent and can cope extremely well with difficult learning materials and often do well in subjects such as maths. Children with Asperger's syndrome for instance, often do well at school and develop into independent adults.

Myth: "Autism is the result of childhood vaccination."
Fact: Between 2000 and 2001, three expert reviews unanimously concluded that the data that were available at the time of these claims did not support this association. A large-scale study in 2002 also reported no association. Expert review panels also reached similar conclusions with regard to thimerosal exposure or the mercury-containing preservative used in childhood vaccines, although fewer data are available.

Myth:"Children with autism need special foods."
Fact: It is true that many children with autism suffer from intolerance to certain foods such as dairy products or foods containing gluten. Other foods, such as sweets or foods containing lots of sugar or acids, may affect the child's behaviour. It is important to discuss nutrition with healthcare professionals, as altering your child's diet may improve your child's wellbeing and behaviour.

Myth: "Children with autism can't go to school as they behave badly."
Fact: Provided suitable programmes are developed for a child with autism, it is often possible for a child with autism to function in a classroom as their behaviour can be improved. In some cases children can even cope in conventional schools. On the whole children with autism will benefit tremendously from being integrated in classroom life. Only the severest cases won't be able to cope in a classroom setting or their behaviour may be harmful to other children.

Myth: "It's simple; once a child with autism is prescribed medication, it will be cured."
Fact: To date there is no treatment that cures autism and medication is only prescribed to treat a number of the associated symptoms of autism. Medication will also be prescribed if the child suffers from other mental disorders. However, the best outcome will be achieved when a developmental programme is developed that focuses on the child's strengths and weaknesses and that is complemented by medication where symptoms can't be treated with psychotherapy and developmental programmes alone. To date not much scientific research is available to demonstrate the benefits of medication in children with autism. Parents and caregivers should be closely involved in the decision to use medication.

Myth: "It's just a phase, he'll grow out of it."
Fact: Children with autism will never be cured. However, many children with milder forms of autism such as Asperger syndrome will be able to end up living independent lives provided they have been given appropriate support and education. Other children with more severe forms of autism will always require help and support and won't be able to live fully independent lives. This causes considerable worry to parents, especially when they realize that they might not be around to support their child throughout adult life. It is important that you discuss this with your local support teams as an appropriate solution will need to be found for your child if s/he won't be able to live an independent life in adulthood."

Myth: "Autism never occurs more than once in a family."
Fact: Although no exact cause is known for autism, there are clear indicators that genetic factors play a role. Studies have revealed that autism is likely to affect both identical twins or that siblings of a child with autism are at an increased risk of having autism.

Myth: "My child has autism. I can cope by myself and don't need any help."
Fact: Dealing with an autistic child poses a very heavy burden on parents and the rest of the family. Left untreated, your child's condition is likely to worsen and it is important to seek a diagnosis as early as possible. This will improve your child's outcome as the right programme can be developed for your child. Your child's wellbeing will improve and you will get the support you need to deal with your child at home as well as get quality time with the rest of the family and the other children. Trying to deal with your child on your own will not only deteriorate your child's wellbeing, but your life and that of the rest of the family will become increasingly stressful and get out of control. Seeking help and having your child diagnosed will improve the wellbeing of the whole family and ensure that the necessary support is available when required.


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Sex Pagi Hari ? Why Not?!

Aktivitas seksual memang dapat dilakukan kapan dan di mana saja, meski kebanyakan orang mungkin lebih suka melakukannya di malam hari menjelang istirahat. Namun tak ada salahnya Anda mulai membiasakan ngeseks di pagi hari, karena aktivitas yang membakar kalori ini akan membuat tubuh Anda lebih sehat.

Menurut penelitian para ahli di Universitas Queen di Belfast, ngeseks pada pagi hari akan membuat seluruh otot dalam tubuh Anda bekerja. Selain itu, jantung dan paru-paru Anda pun terlatih seperti halnya melakukan gerakan aerobik. Dalam selang satu jam, aktivitas seksual diyakini dapat membakar sekitar 300 kalori yang tersimpan pada tubuh.

Aktivitas yang teratur setidaknya tiga kali dalam seminggu akan membantu Anda menekan risiko serangan jantung dan stroke. Seks yang teratur juga memperbaiki sirkulasi darah dan menjaga tekanan darah,¨ ungkap hasil penelitian yang dimuat The Sun.

Sementara itu menurut riset yang dipublikasi jurnal New Scientist, manfaat lain dari seks yang teratur, minimal dua kali seminggu, akan menimbulkan efek penyembuhan dengan cara meningkatkan kadar IgA atau antibodi yang merupakan pertahanan primer tubuh.

Namun begitu, peneliti juga berpesan seks sebaiknya tidak dilakukan secara berlebihan. Jika dilakukan lebih dari tiga kali dalam sepekan, seks dapat menurunkan daya tahan tubuh.

Lepaskan hormon
Sesaat sebelum mencapai orgasme, kadar hormon oksitosin yang mendatangkan efek nikmat akan meningkat. Dalam tubuh pun kemudian akan mengalir hormon endorfin yang merupakan penanda kepuasan seks yang secara alami juga dapat berfungsi sebagai pereda rasa sakit, termasuk untuk mengatasi sejumlah masalah mulai dari artritis hingga migren.

Dengan seks, seseorang juga dapat mengatasi problem stres karena tubuh akan terpicu untuk memproduksi hormon kortisol. Aktivitasnya yang bersifat membakar kalori pun dapat menjaga bobot tubuh sekaligus menekan risiko diabetes.

Orgasme juga akan memacu pelepasan hormon estrogen yang dapat mengatasi para wanita dari rasa sakit akibat premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Para ahli di Yale School of Medicine percaya, hal ini pun mampu mencegah endometrosis atau suatu keadaan di mana jaringan yang hanya ada dalam rahim, dapat ditemukan di bagian lain dalam tubuh. Keadaan ini menimbulkan rasa nyeri, terutama pada saat haid dan dapat menyebabkan infertilitas (mandul).

Manfaat lain yang tak kalah penting adalah aktivitas seks juga bisa mendorong produksi testosteron. Hormon ini berkaitan dengan tulang dan otot yang kuat sehingga menghindarkan seseorang dari keropos tulang


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Diet untuk Asam Urat

Orang sering takut makan jika sudah kena penyakit, salah satunya gout (asam urat). Mau mencicipi daging, emping, atau durian takut kumat. Beberapa jenis makanan memang mesti dihindari, tetapi bukan berarti harus diet ketat, lalu tidak bisa mencecap enaknya makanan.

"Habis, kalau sudah kumat, sakitnya luar biasa. Mending nggak menyentuh makanan enak," ujar seorang pembaca GHS. Makanan enak yang dimaksud contohnya daging bebek, angsa, dan burung, kerang, otak, melinjo, makanan dan minuman beragi seperti tapai, brem, dan alkohol.

Tampaknya hidangan yang serba lezat. Itu sebabnya gout dikenal sebagai penyakit para raja, dan juga rajanya penyakit. Itu karena bila nyeri sudah menyerang, sakitnya sungguh hebat tak tertahankan.

Ditusak Jarum

Gout adalah bentuk artritis akibat terjadi pengkristalan asam urat pada persendian, umumnya di pergelangan kaki dan jari jari kaki. Kadar asam urat tinggi dalam darah bisa karena kegemukan, konsumsi alkohol berlebihan, diet tinggi purin, dll.

Normalnya, kata Dr. Handrawan Nadesul, kadar asam urat dalam tubuh kita antara 3-7 mg/dL. "Bila asam urat lebih dari tujuh, orang dikategorikan mengidap asam urat tinggi. Artinya, metabolisme purin dalam tubuhnya terganggu," imbuhnya.

Kadar asam urat yang tinggi ini bila dibiarkan dapat menimbulkan keluhan nyeri pada sendi dan otot seperti ditusuk-tusuk dengan jarum, juga bisa membentuk kristal urat batu kemih. Persendian juga akan tampak bengkak dan merah meradang. Dan kalau tersentuh sedikit saja, nyerinya luar biasa. Selain bengkak, kaku, kemerahan, dan nyeri hebat, bila serangan gout kerap terjadinya, dapat menimbulkan kerusakan sendi secara permanen.

Pada pasien gout, kadar asam urat dalam tubuh meningkatkan keasaman urin yang dikeluarkan ginjal. Kondisi ini memungkinkan timbulnya batu ginjal.

Dalam jurnal Neurology bahkan dinyatakan, kadar asam urat yang tinggi juga bisa meningkatkan risiko terkena stroke ringan yang dapat menyebabkan kemunduran mental pada lansia. Para peneliti dari Johns Hopkins University menemukan, pada orang usia di atas 60 tahun, dengan kadar asam urat tinggi, memperlihatkan kejadian stroke ringan daripada yang kadar asam uratnya lebih rendah.

Tim yang sama juga mendapati hubungan antara kadar asam urat yang meningkat dengan rendahnya kemampuan dalam tes memori dan kecepatan berpikir. "Kami menemukan kadar asam urat berkaitan dengan dua gangguan kognitif sedang itu, juga stroke ringan. Kami memang harus mempelajari lebih jauh bagaimana keterkaitan itu berlangsung," kata ketua tim peneliti, Dr. David Schretlen.

Jangan Ketat

Penderita gout dianjurkan mengonsumsi obat-obatan untuk meningkatkan pengeluaran asam urat dari tubuh, contohnya allopurinol, clofibrate, dan warfarin. Di samping itu, mengubah pola makan sangatlah penting, misalnya menghindari makanan berat yang tinggi lemak dan protein.

Minuman beralkohol, termasuk wine, juga harus dicoret dari menu karena dapat memengaruhi ekskresi asam urat. Sebaliknya diharuskan banyak minum air putih untuk membantu pengeluaran asam urat dari tubuh.

Apabila mengalami kegemukan, pasien gout sebaiknya berusaha untuk mencapai berat badan ideal secara perlahan (penurunan maksimal 1/2 kg per minggu). Hal ini dapat dicapai tentu dengan melakukan diet sehat seimbang dipadu olahraga teratur, misalnya jalan kaki.

Sangat tidak dianjurkan melakukan puasa atau diet ketat. Diet atau puasa ketat justru akan menambah kadar asam urat dalam darah. Itu karena dalam kondisi puasa, tubuh akan memecah lebih banyak otot ketimbang lemak dan lebih banyak lagi keton tubuh akan dibuat. Padahal, keton ini akan menghambat pengeluaran asam urat.

Penderita asam urat yang hanya mengonsumsi sangat rendah kalori (kurang dari 900 kalori per hari) kadar asam uratnya akan mudah meningkat.

Wajib dihindari:
Sarden, jeroan (ginjal, limpa, usus, hati, jantung, para), otak, kaldu daging, bebek, angsa, burung, kerang, minuman beralkohol, makanan beragi.

Wajib dibatasi:
• Asparagus, buncis, kacang polong (maksimum 50 gr/hari).
• Kacang hijau, kacang merah, kacang tanah (maksimum 25 gr/hr).
• Daging, ayam, ikan (bandeng, tongkol, tengiri, bawal) -- (maksimum 50 gr/hari).
• Tahu, tempe, oncom (maksimum 50 gr/hr).

Aman dikonsumsi:
Semua jenis karbohidrat kompleks, semua jenis buah (stroberi, pisang, ceri, nanas, jeruk, dll), susu nonfat, telur. Dianjurkan banyak minum air putih (2-3 liter per hari) untuk membantu menggelontor asam urat.

Pantau Faktor Risiko

Ada begitu banyak faktor isiko terbentuknya gout dan hiperurisemia. Jika Anda memiiki satu atau lebih faktor risiko ni, pantau terus kondisi dengan melakukan deteksi dini, misalnya rajin mengukur kadar asam urat dalam darah.

• Genetik, sekitar 18 persen orang dengan gout memiliki riwayat penyakit itu dalam keluarga.
• Lelaki dewasa lebih berisiko daripada wanita.
• Kelebihan berat badan.
• Kebiasaan mengonsumsi alkohol.
• Pola makan tinggi purin.
• Gangguan enzim yang berperan dalam pemecahan purin.
• Konsumsi obat-obatan tertentu (peluruh kencing/diuretik, salisilat (antiradang), siklosporin (imunosupresan), levodopa (obat untuk parkinson), vitamin (niasin).

Susu Baik untuk Gout

Sebuah studi menyatakan, susu tidak terlarang buat pasien gout. Tidak seperti daging merah dan makanan laut yang sebaiknya disingkirkan. Susu dan produk olahannya justru bisa mencegah nyeri pada pasien gout. Demikian hasil penelitian yang dipublikasikan dalam the New England Journal of Medicine. "Produk susu bisa begitu kuat melindungi kondisi ini," ujar Dr. Hyon Choi dari Massachusetts General Hospital, yang mengetuai penelitian tersebut.

Mereka juga menemukan berbagai sayuran yang semula dianggap menyumbang pada terjadinya gout seperti jamur, bayam, kembang kol, ternyata tidak terlalu muncul sebagai faktor pemicu. "Penelitian ini mengonfirmasikan bahwa makanan itu juga ternyata mengandung faktor pelindung," tambahnya.

Anjuran untuk menghindari daging dan produk susu sudah dilontarkan sejak abad ke-17, terutama datang dari filsuf John Locks. Dan untuk mengonfirmasi saran Locke ini dilakukanlah Health Professionals Follow-up yang melibatkan lebih dari 40 ribu peserta yang meliputi para ahli gigi, ahli tulang, ahli farmasi, dokter hewan, dan sebagainya. Penelitian ini menggunakan teknik kuesioner untuk mengamati pola makan para profesional yang menjadi responden tersebut.

Tim Choi menemukan bahwa makan daging porsi lebih setiap hari, terutama daging sapi, babi, dan kambing, akan meningkatkan risiko terjadinya gout hingga 21 persen. Sementara konsumsi makanan laut ukuran besar setiap minggu akan meningkatkan risiko gout sampai 7 persen. Sebaliknya, minum susu rendah lemak 1-5 gelas akan mengurangi risiko itu hingga 43 persen. Begitu ditegaskan Choi.


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Microsoft Slashes Prices for Windows Vista SP1

Service Pack 1 is not the only evolution of Windows Vista on the immediate horizon, that has been cooking over in Redmond. Microsoft announced that it had been baking a price cut for the retail stand-alone versions of the Windows operating system. Throughout 2007, Microsoft has been testing the waters across various markets around the world, via Vista promotions. The company explained that it had test driven a few marketing strategies involving the stand-alone versions of the platform at lower price points.

As a direct consequence of the success of the promotions implemented in the past year, Microsoft has taken the decision to revamp the Vista pricing structure in order to make the operating system more appealing to a broader range of consumers worldwide once Vista SP1 hits the shelves. "These price changes will take effect globally with the retail release of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 later this year, though some markets will see reduced prices sooner as a result of promotions many of our partners already are driving," revealed Brad Brooks, corporate vice president for Windows Consumer Product Marketing at Microsoft.

The Redmond company sells the vast majority of its Windows operating systems pre-loaded on the machines delivered by its OEM partners. Microsoft specified that the Vista SP1 price slash will impact exclusively the stand-alone retail versions of the platform. With in excess of 80% of the Microsoft Client division's revenue coming from original equipment manufacturers, the market for retail versions of Windows does present opportunities for growth, but not even close as with the OEM PCs. However, it it clear that the Redmond company has identified a demand.

Microsoft will tailor the new price cuts in accordance to developed and emerging markets. As far as developed countries go, the company will lower the price of the upgrade retail versions of Vista SP1 for the Home Premium and Ultimate SKUs. This will mean that Vista Ultimate upgrade version will go for as little as an estimated retail price of $219, down from from $299, while Premium will fall from $159 to $129. In emerging markets, there will no longer be full and upgrade versions of Vista Home Basic and Vista Home Premium, as the upgrade variants will be melted away into the full package. But for developed countries, Microsoft has yet to specify the price cuts.

"Today we announced a variety of price reductions for copies of Windows Vista sold on retail shelves. In developed markets, the price changes will most notably impact upgrade retail versions of the new editions we introduced in 2007 -- Windows Vista Home Premium and Ultimate editions. In emerging markets, we are combining full and upgrade Home Basic and Home Premium versions into full versions of these editions and instituting price changes to meet the demand we see among first-time Windows customers who want more functionality than is available in current Windows XP editions. In addition, we are also adjusting pricing on Windows Vista Ultimate in emerging markets to be comparable to price changes developed market customers will see," Brooks added.


Source: news.softpedia.com

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What’s New in Microsoft Land: 25–29 February 2008

The Redmond based company decided that it couldn't wait for an answer from Yahoo! any longer, or for the alternative hostile takeover to finalize all of its proceedings that haven't even started yet. With Google as a target, on Monday Microsoft announced that it will tend to its own advertising program and platform rather than standing around and hopping for the best. The best could only come in half size, as the most talented people are leaving the SUnnyvale based company, like rats do from a sinking ship, after their packages vested early in February.

The new Engagement Mapping that Microsoft brought forth at the very beginning of the week is specially tailored to overhaul the process of managing and measuring the effectiveness of online campaigns. The "last ad clicked" standard, the one currently in use when connecting with customers relating to the success of the online advertising campaign, is obsolete, according to Microsoft. With Engagement Mapping, the measuring is not done by solely taking into account the last ad clicked, but an array of other variables, such as the online touchpoints and interactions associated with a specific user, that ultimately lead to a sale. "The 'last ad clicked' is an outdated and flawed approach because it essentially ignores all prior interactions the consumer has with a marketer's message," said Brian McAndrews, senior vice president of the Advertiser & Publisher Solutions (APS) Division at Microsoft. "Our Engagement Mapping approach conveys how each ad exposure - whether display, rich media or search, seen multiple times on multiple sites and across many channels - influenced an eventual purchase. We believe it represents a quantum leap for advertisers and publishers who are seeking to maximize their online spends." Google, beware!

IBM and Microsoft Corp. have come together on Tuesday and announced that they will be delivering a powerful Windows Embedded-based plug-and-play solution to help make it faster and easier for retailers and hospitality organizations to deliver information and services to time-conscious, empowered consumers. It will be fairly easy to get your hands on Microsoft's Windows Embedded for Points of Service operating system, as it will come pre-loaded on IBM point-of-sale, self-checkout and self-service kiosks offerings.

"This is about helping our clients win in the marketplace by providing them a choice of solutions to enable them to more efficiently manage their businesses, and better serve increasingly demanding consumers," said Alan Outlaw, business line executive, IBM Point-of-Sale Solutions. "Windows Embedded for Point of Service gives us yet another option for clients who want to add Windows as part of their IT infrastructure." The WEPS has its platform based on Microsoft Windows technologies that have been optimized for the retail industry. What makes it special is that it is the very first point-of-service operating system that provides plug-and-play functionality for retail device peripherals.

"Retail and hospitality organizations globally are keenly focused on making the in-store shopping experience compelling for consumers while also looking for ways to drive down costs through improved efficiencies," said Ilya Bukshteyn, director of marketing for Windows Embedded at Microsoft. "This demand signals the need for technology solutions that deliver a smart, connected service-oriented experience. Microsoft’s collaboration with IBM is a terrific example of the positive response to our embedded point-of-service retail and hospitality strategy."

Wednesday was both a glory and troublesome day for the Redmond based company. It brought forth from its labs the next generation of infrastructure and application platform products, Windows Server 2008, Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 and Microsoft SQL Server 2008 being the jewels of its crown. The domains targeted with this so-to-say update are varying from security, web and virtualization to business intelligence, all improved with the latest versions of the all-so-popular by now products. The event thrown in the launch's honor had a "Heroes happen here" theme, and highlighted the outstanding work that IT professionals, developers and partners do every day to create solutions and cutting-edge applications that keep global commerce and industry running.

"IT professionals and developers tell us they spend too much time and money managing existing systems and not enough investing in new capabilities that create strategic advantage," Ballmer said. "That feedback is at the core of the innovations in this new wave of products. Already, the overwhelming response from thousands of IT professionals and developers around the world is that this is the most secure enterprise platform we have ever delivered, and that it will simplify management and enable them to focus more on driving their businesses forward."

But then again, when everything was looking pink and fuzzy for Microsoft, the European Union slapped a $1.4 billion fine against the Redmond based company for failing to comply with previous directions. The story is as old as Matusalem and has very well been documented so i won't give further detail. Nevertheless, that must have cut into the bidding money, should Tahoo! decide on a whim to accept.

Who likes a sale? Everybody does, including Microsoft, as it reduced the price on several retail stand alone versions of Windows Vista. Because the company wants the transition from Windows XP to Vista to happen as soon as possible and as quick as possible, the finance people decided to make it less expensive to buy the latest operating system on retail, in an attempt to double the rate at which the change is happening. Windows Vista was primarily made available to customers via the sale of new PCs, with the stand-alone market being almost unattended to.

"Windows Vista has been on the market for more than a year now, with more than 100 million licenses sold in its first year. While this is great progress, we see an opportunity to grow our business even more with some of the new editions we introduced with Windows Vista. Today, the vast majority of Windows licenses are sold with PCs; retail stand-alone sales, in contrast, have been primarily from customers who value being early adopters and those building their own machines. We’ve observed market behavior, however, that suggests an opportunity to expand Windows stand-alone sales to other segments of the consumer market," Brad Broks, corporate vice president for Windows Consumer Product Marketing, said.

The price-cut will be available for everyone to benefit from as soon as Windows Vista SP 1 hits the market, later this year.

Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 was announced as a fact on Friday, when the Redmond based company officially confirmed that testers have already begun joining the limited technical beta program for the browser. The invitations started flying last week. While knowing that IE8 is just around the corner, most likely the whole wide world will be able to catch a glimpse of it at MIX08 next week, where it is said to be the star product. What good will leaking screenshots and information about the browser will now do? A Microsoft spokesperson told Softpedia, via email, that "We are beginning to invite testers into the IE8 TechBeta program. We will also be opening IE8 Beta 1 to the public in the future, but have no more information on that at this time." Luckily, it won't be a long wait.


Source: news.softpedia.com

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The History of Credit Cards

Credit Cards Replacing Paper Money

A credit card is a small piece of rectangular plastic that is no thicker than a sheet of paper, though it cannot be folded. Initially credit cards were metal tokens in the shape of coins, then they changed to metal plates to celluloid then fiber and now plastic with perhaps a photo of the holder and a magnetic strip on the reverse containing security information such as a personal identification number enabling the card to be used at money dispensing machines (ATM’s) and merchant establishments.

What is meant by ‘Credit’?

Credit is the system of buying some produce or service without having to pay for it at the time of the transaction. The payment is made at a pre-determined later date with the addition of a fee to the bill amount. This is like loaning someone money to buy something without actually giving them the cash but instead giving them the product they want to buy. So, the system of credit is not new to humanity in fact, it is as old as civilization itself or perhaps even older. The entrepreneurs of the inhuman kind have been proclaimed responsible for identifying human needs and wants as a rollicking business, and so they invented the credit card system. Though, disputed by many, The Diners Club is credited to be the ones to invent the credit card in 1950.

When Were Credit Cards Invented?

In contradiction to the theory that ‘The Diners Club’ started the credit card system, the Encyclopedia Britannica records the origin of credit cards www.onlinecreditcardsinfo.com in the United States as far back as the 1920’s. During this time firms such as oil companies and hotel chains started issuing credit cards to their regular and valued customers who were free to use their services and pay them at a later date. These cards were only useful for purchasing goods and services from the companies and establishments that issued the card. However, references to credit cards have been found as early as 1890 in Europe. It was only in the late 1930’s that companies started accepting each other’s credit cards and this is when things began to get complicated for accountants.

Computers Promoted The Use Of Credit Cards

In the beginning there were no computers to record the credit card transactions and the process of verifying the credit balance of the card was done manually through a regularly updated credit card directory, much like a telephone directory. This system was time consuming and tedious and provided many loop holes for credit card fraud. Today, with computerization, the use of a credit card is instantaneous. All one needs to do is to ‘swipe’ the card through a slot machine and the amount entered. If there is adequate balance in the account of the holder the transaction is completed and the customer billed a month later. Usually credit cards allow for a 50 day credit free period. If the outstanding bill is paid during this time the customer does not have to pay any interest on the transactions, else there is a whopping 2.9% charge per month on the bill amount.

Who Issues Credit Cards?

Banks and financial institutions are the main issuers and promoters of credit cards. The invention of the first bank-issued credit card is credited to John Biggins of the Flatbush National Bank of Brooklyn in New York. This was the year 1946 and Biggins did not know at the time that he had hit upon an idea that would take the world of credit by storm in times to come. From this first credit card called “Charge-It” many cards have flooded the market such as the all famous “American Express” credit card and the Diners credit card. The Bank of America issued the BankAmericard in 1958. This card is now known as the “VISA” card. Around the same time the popular MasterCard came into being. These are the two prevailing cards being used today. The era of plastic money had begun.


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I LOVE YOU in Different Languages

WAYS TO SAY I LOVE U
English - I love you
Afrikaans - Ek het jou lief
Albanian - Te dua
Arabic - Ana behibak (to male)
Arabic - Ana behibek (to female)
Armenian - Yes kez sirumen
Bambara - M'bi fe
Bangla - Aamee tuma ke bhalo aashi
Belarusian - Ya tabe kahayu
Bisaya - Nahigugma ako kanimo
Bulgarian - Obicham te
Cambodian - Soro lahn nhee ah
Cantonese Chinese - Ngo oiy ney a
Catalan - T'estimo
Cheyenne - Ne mohotatse
Chichewa - Ndimakukonda
Corsican - Ti tengu caru (to male)
Creol - Mi aime jou
Croatian - Volim te
Czech - Miluji te
Danish - Jeg Elsker Dig
Dutch - Ik hou van jou
Esperanto - Mi amas vin
Estonian - Ma armastan sind
Ethiopian - Afgreki'
Faroese - Eg elski teg
Farsi - Doset daram
Filipino - Mahal kita
Finnish - Mina rakastan sinua
French - Je t'aime, Je t'adore
Frisian - Ik hâld fan dy
Gaelic - Ta gra agam ort
Georgian - Mikvarhar
German - Ich liebe dich
Greek - S'agapo
Gujarati - Hoo thunay prem karoo choo
Hiligaynon - Palangga ko ikaw
Hawaiian - Aloha wau ia oi
Hebrew - Ani ohev otah (to female)
Hebrew - Ani ohev et otha (to male)
Hiligaynon - Guina higugma ko ikaw
Hindi - Hum Tumhe Pyar Karte hae
Hmong - Kuv hlub koj
Hopi - Nu' umi unangwa'ta
Hungarian - Szeretlek
Icelandic - Eg elska tig
Ilonggo - Palangga ko ikaw
Indonesian - Saya cinta padamu
Inuit - Negligevapse
Irish - Taim i' ngra leat
Italian - Ti amo
Japanese - Aishiteru
Kannada - Naanu ninna preetisuttene
Kapampangan - Kaluguran daka
Kiswahili - Nakupenda
Konkani - Tu magel moga cho
Korean - Sarang Heyo
Latin - Te amo
Latvian - Es tevi miilu
Lebanese - Bahibak
Lithuanian - Tave myliu
Malay - Saya cintakan mu / Aku cinta padamu
Malayalam - Njan Ninne Premikunnu
Mandarin Chinese - Wo ai ni
Marathi - Me tula prem karto
Mohawk - Kanbhik
Moroccan - Ana moajaba bik
Nahuatl - Ni mits neki
Navaho - Ayor anosh'ni
Norwegian - Jeg Elsker Deg
Pandacan - Syota na kita!!
Pangasinan - Inaru Taka
Papiamento - Mi ta stimabo
Persian - Doo-set daaram
Pig Latin - Iay ovlay ouyay
Polish - Kocham Ciebie
Portuguese - Eu te amo
Romanian - Te iubesc
Russian - Ya tebya liubliu
Scot Gaelic - Tha gra\dh agam ort
Serbian - Volim te
Setswana - Ke a go rata
Sign Language - ,\,,/ (represents position of fingers when signing 'I Love You')
Sindhi - Maa tokhe pyar kendo ahyan
Sioux - Techihhila
Slovak - Lu`bim ta
Slovenian - Ljubim te
Spanish - Te quiero / Te amo
Swahili - Ninapenda wewe
Swedish - Jag alskar dig
Swiss-German - Ich lieb Di
Tagalog - Mahal kita
Taiwanese - Wa ga ei li
Tahitian - Ua Here Vau Ia Oe
Tamil - Nan unnai kathalikaraen
Telugu - Nenu ninnu premistunnanu
Thai - Chan rak khun (to male)
Thai - Phom rak khun (to female)
Turkish - Seni Seviyorum
Ukrainian - Ya tebe kahayu
Urdu - mai aap say pyaar karta hoo
Vietnamese - Anh ye^u em (to female)
Vietnamese - Em ye^u anh (to male)
Welsh - 'Rwy'n dy garu di
Yiddish - Ikh hob dikh
Yoruba - Mo ni fe


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Yahoo Buzz Leaker Dealt With

Yahoo! Buzz was launched on Monday with a lot of buzz. Being leaked information about on repeated occasions, everybody had their hopes high about the Yahoo! branded Digg clone. It turns out that negative publicity isn’t all that constructive. I remember reading at some point in college a quote saying that bad publicity is still publicity, and having the name being heard is better than having it surrounded in silence.

Buzz’s situation is quite the opposite of that. Being waited for by the online community as the savior of Yahoo!’s dark gray standing at the moment, it failed. Not only failed, it did that miserably. The feature it was leaked as being its strong point, namely the option to buzz up some piece of news that you enjoyed and consider relevant and interesting, is a letdown. Valleywag quotes AllThingsD’s John Paczowski saying that "posted a story 90 minutes ago, and readers are telling me they can't buzz it up." It was unflattering to Yahoo!, maybe that’s why.

A commenter on the article, claiming to have some inside information from Yahoo!, said that General Counsel Michael Callahan hunted the man responsible for the public’s expectations about the newly launched site and "sent out a note saying that the person who leaked Buzz had been found and dealt with." That sounds like some medieval punishment occurred, or some Omerta breaking was involved.

You might remember Michael Callahan from the scandal in which he involved Yahoo! in October – November last year, after turning in a dissident to the Chinese government. In a way, one might say that the poor fellow now in jail has also been dealt with, but the terms there were completely different.

Will Buzz be Yahoo!’s savior? Not likely, by the way it looks right now it’s more like a nail in its coffin.


Source: news.softpedia.com

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Yahoo Is Not the Only Item on Microsoft’s Shopping List

Yahoo is not, even by far, the only item on Microsoft’s shopping list. Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates made it clear that, although he gave his blessing for the acquisition of Yahoo, a strategy cooked by Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer, the Sunnyvale Internet giant wouldn't become the company's exclusive focus in its race after Google. And while Yahoo will undoubtedly shorten the distance which separates Microsoft from the incontestable leader of the
search engine and online advertising markets, by a consistent share, the Redmond company continues to climb its way toward Google slowly, through its own efforts, but also via additional acquisitions.

Of course that in comparison with the $44.6 billion price tag that Microsoft stuck to Yahoo, all other take-overs seem anodyne. Case in point: YaData, a developer of tools designed to identify unique customer segments. The financial details of the acquisition have not been made public, but it is reported that Microsoft paid between $20 and $30 million.

"The purchase of YaData brings the Israeli R&D center into the field of online advertising, which is undoubtedly one of Microsoft’s most strategic fields," said Moshe Lichtman, President of the Microsoft Israel R&D Center. "This is a great example of how Israeli technology has considerable value that is contributing to our most important areas of development. In recent months, I have become familiar with YaData's top quality personnel, and I am convinced that their contribution to the Israeli R&D center and to Microsoft globally will be significant."

Microsoft's Israel R&D center in Herzliya will grow with the addition of the YaData team, and the technology will be added to the Microsoft’s Advertiser and Publisher Solutions group. "YaData fully believes in the potential of behavioral targeting to enhance the value of online advertising for publishers, advertisers and users," said Amir Peleg, chief executive officer of YaData. "Microsoft has the resources to unlock the potential in YaData’s technology and create a truly innovative online advertising solution. We’re excited to see what the future holds."


Source: news.softpedia.com

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