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We often take air conditioning for granted. We simply flip a switch or turn a knob, and eventually the house or office temperature drops. Portable room air conditioners offer even greater flexibility when it comes to cooling specific rooms around the house, lowering the heat anywhere you place it. Knowing how air conditioners work can help you make a great selection when it comes to choosing a portable room air conditioner.

Although there are air conditioners that come in small to very large sizes, they all function based on the same idea. An air conditioner takes the hot air from inside a building and removes it to outside the building through a hose that is attached to a partially opened window or a hole placed in the wall. A fan is used to bring the hot air in the room into the air conditioning unit, and that hot air flows over an evaporator coil. The coil is filled with refrigerant, which absorbs the heat from the air. Now that the air is cool, it flows back into the room through the front air vents on the air conditioner because a fan pushes the cool air out. The heat leaves the room through the hose vent to the outdoors, or to a second section of the unit, which is found in a split unit.

Some air conditioners are also dehumidifiers. This means that the unit takes the excess water from the air in the room, making the effects of high humidity lessen. The water taken in also helps to cool the unit. The unit can cause the water to evaporate due to the hot air taken in, and this type of air conditioner has no tank that will need to be emptied. Other units use the condensed moisture to improve the unit's efficiency, in a method called condensate cooling.

Some air conditioners also function as heaters, thereby providing two useful traits for the price of one. All air conditioners help improve air circulation in stagnant room air. Other units offer filtering options for pollen, dust and dander, which is very helpful to people with health issues such as allergies or asthma.

Two other terms you will see used with air conditioners are BTUs and the energy efficiency ratio. With BTUs, the higher the number of BTUs, then the more powerful the unit is. The energy efficiency ratio is the measurement that tells how cost efficient the unit is to run. A higher rating means that you will pay less in the long run for energy to run the unit.

Portable room air conditioners are available with any of these functions, so you can pick the one that will best meet all of your room air needs.

Susan Slobac has been a home improvement and appliance professional for many years. She is featured in many publications as being an expert in appliaces such as air conditioners, portable air conditioners and home appliances

Where your fat is located can be just as important as how much you weigh. If you carry extra fat in your abdominal area then youre at a higher risk for weight-related health problems. If the fat is packed on your hips and thighs then the risk is much less.

One technique you can use to make sure your on the right track is the waist/hip ratio. You can easily find yours by measuring your waist at the smallest point and your hips at their widest point. Then divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement.

For example if your waist is 34 and your hips are 42 then your waist/hip ratio is 0.8.

For women, a waist/hip ratio over 0.8 indicates an increased risk for diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.

If your ratio is higher than 0.8, you may be at higher risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, and possibly even breast cancer. Going from fat to toned and defined can help improve your waist/hip ratio and improve your over all health.

Diet, aerobic exercise, and strength training are all fundamental and necessary components to help burn the excess fat. Believe it or not one of the best ways to keep track of your progress is to use an old-fashioned tape measurer or the mirror in your bedroom.

But of course there are other body-fat measuring devices, such as the calipers and electronic testers that are available in many gyms, to chart your fat-burning progress.

I tell my clients that it's not worth checking unless they're simply interested.

The normal body fat range for a woman is 22 to 28 percent. But most measuring devices are not accurate enough to tell you if you've really changed, so it can be frustrating to check it after a few weeks or months. It's better just to look in the mirror - if it looks like fat then it probably is fat.

Is your weight increasing your risk for health problems?

To find out, don't just step onto the scale in your bathroom. Instead measure your waist and hips and use the following formula to determine your waist/hip ratio.

1. Measure your waist at its slimmest point.
2. Measure your hips at the widest point.
3. Divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement:

(waist in inches) (hips in inches) = (waist/hip ratio)

Marci Lall is a Womens Weight Loss & Body Sculpting Specialist. visit his website to get his FREE report "16 tips on how to get maximum weight loss and fitness results in minimum time"

http://www.lallpt.com

Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink! This is not a scenario in the ocean, but on land, where global warming has brought about massive flooding, including water reservoirs. Occasionally, there is no electricity as well because the local substation is inoperable due to water flooding. What can we do now? Here is a useful suggestion.

Rebuild our houses with underground water reservoirs. And make it big enough to store water for at least a months supply. House compounds should also be paved with a layer of surface, either natural or syntactic materials to trap and filter run off rain water. The filtered water should then be channeled to the underground water reservoir by way of pipes and pumps. The reservoir will be able to accommodate pipe water as well as rain water. Rain water might not be that forthcoming during dry weather season, so if you fill the reservoir with three quarters full of pipe water, you would at least have water during emergencies. There should also be in place an automatic control system for the water so that it would be able to function without supervision. Present day telemetry devices are intelligent enough to make your automatic system trouble free. You can even wire it in such a way that you can check on its condition while away from the house. There will be electric pumps installed to channel the inflow and outflow of water. In case of emergencies, an auxiliary gasoline fired electrical generation set should also be wired into the pumps. It should also be sited at a level where it would not be easily flooded by water, and in this respect, it would be advisable to site it at ceiling levels. This is a very basic system and other items can be affixed to make it a comprehensive system.

This is an idea that I have suggested in my book entitled 'Invention: The moment before the spark came' published some time ago by LuLu.com and if you are interested to see my other ideas, you can go to my website at http://www.aircoast.com

Or you can email me at tmyapterry@gmail.com

Yap Tat Meng

Terry Yap Tat Meng. Inventor, author, manufacturer and marketer.

website, http://www.aircoast.com

This past weekends stunning confession by Nobel prize-winning author Gunter Grass that he was once a member of Hitlers elite SS, and that he had lied about his involvement for the past 60 years, again reminds us of the hypocrisy found in the Leftist-leaning environmentalist movement. Herr Grasss biographer was reportedly dumbfounded by this revelation. So were we. A leading German historian Joachim Fest told Der Spiegel magazine, After 60 years, this confession comes a bit too late. I cant understand how someone who for decades set himself up as a moral authority, a rather smug one, could pull this off.

Perhaps, the Gunter Grass case can offer us insights into the key personality characteristics of those involved in the U.S., and perhaps the worldwide, environmental movement: smug, leftist-leaning, self-righteous, holier-than-thou and secretive. But there is also a Nazi-like totalitarian bent to the modern-day U.S. environmentalist, one who opposes the peaceful spread of civilian nuclear power to an energy-starved planet.

Lets talk about specific environmentalists and discover how some developed their nuclear-contrarian philosophies. For instance, why wont Hillary Clintons energy guru Amory Lovins join members of a more scientific club, which includes Dr. James Lovelock, Patrick Moore and Stewart Brand by endorsing nuclear energy? Heres one of Amorys best quotes on the subject: It would be little short of disastrous for us to discover a source of clean, cheap, abundant energy because of what we might do with it.

A former nature lover in Wales, Amory Lovins got his start as an author by writing a book paid for by David Brower, then president of Friends of the Earth (FOE). Brower liked Lovins book about an endangered Welsh park that the FOE paid him to write a few more books. Hardly registering a pulse on the worlds radar screen, Lovins moved back to the U.S. and became a tour guide in New Hampshire. He made a name for himself with the anti-nuclear crowd by writing a book called Non-Nuclear Futures. It was only after the 1973 energy crisis, and especially after he hooked up with L. Hunter Sheldon, an attorney (whom he wisely married), when Lovins was taken seriously. His marriage to Hunter, though, didnt erase one of his more famous mathematical miscalculations, in which he was quoted as saying, Phasing out nuclear power should make our electricity cost not more but less.

In a similar vein, another scientific environmentalist and thrice-nominated for the Nobel Prize, Paul Ehrlich once said, Giving society cheap, abundant energy would be the equivalent of giving an idiot child a machine gun. Ehrlich was best known for his 1968 environmentalist cult classic, The Population Bomb. The book argued for zero population growth and was later revised because of Ehrlichs numerous errors and poorly conceived forecasts. Again, it was written after encouragement by (guess who?) David Brower. Both Ehrlich and Lovins owe their career launches to David Brower, who critics called a radical and militant environmentalist. He was the mentor for each of these anti-nuclear characters, as well as many others.

Some environmentalists owe their blind faith to a single individual, especially when the individual enriches his life, either financially or through some other means. Brower was the true driving force behind Lovins and Ehrlich for many years. An admittedly zealous environmentalist, David Brower helped start many environmental organizations. These included the Sierra Club Foundation, John Muir Institute for Environmental Studies, Friends of the Earth, League of Conservation Voters, Ecological Council of America, Earth Island Institute and others.

Before he died in November 2000, Brower was the chief proselytizer for the environmentalist movement over more than four decades. That seems to coincide with the rise of the anti-nuclear movement. He ticked off his peers by arguing against overpopulation and immigration. Some called him very bad names. Perhaps they were being too gentle in their appraisal of Mr. Brower. He forever left his mark on the environmental movement as eulogized by a CNN reporter after his death.

Having lost his job in a candy factory, Brower moved on to office work for Yosemite National Park. He found his true lifes calling in the publicity department of that national park. Without missing a step, PR-savvy David Brower took a quiet, concerned non-profit organization, The Sierra Club, and quickly built up its membership. As a result of Browers fanaticism, the organization overstepped its boundaries and lost its tax-exempt status in 1969. Browers best friends, including fellow board member and world renowned photographer Ansel Adams, helped kick him out of the Sierra Club. In one commentary, it was reported Brower had committed the Sierra Club to positions that the board had never taken and was financially irresponsible to boot.

Apparently, Brower never learned his manners. Rejected by the Sierra Club, he started Friends of the Earth (FOE), to pursue his radical environmentalism. Ten years later, the FOE didnt want him as their friend anymore. They tossed him out. By 1982, Brower got around to starting the Earth Island Institute, where he remains idolized by this reportedly radical Berkeley-based group. In 1999 and as his last hurrah, Brower made a final stab at heading up the Sierra Club again. He gave it up after he realized hardly enough members wanted him to lead this group. And then he died.

But Browers legacy was not really one of having created a better or cleaner environment. Witness the global rising of carbon dioxide emissions as one testament to his militant philosophy. It was for naught. If Brower had truly cared about the environment, he would have used all of his fury to shut down the nations coal mines and to demand utilities rely mostly on nuclear energy. He did not take that path. Instead, Brower fought to save a few national parks and stir up a lot animosity.

A closer look at the roots of the environmentalist movement demonstrates its foundation is built around being anti-people. The modern-day environmentalist is not truly eager to create a better environment. His secretive wish is to reduce the worlds population. All fine and well sounds like a great idea to reduce the population, eh? But, who shall offer up his life in order to save the life of a seagull or spotted owl? Certainly not the environmentalist.

As magazine columnist Lowell Ponte wrote, For many political Leftists, environmentalism is merely a pretext through which private property and capitalism can be regulated, strangled, and finally replaced with totalitarian government ownership of everything.

Is this far-fetched or a simplistic analysis of the environmental movement? Lets take one of David Browers key philosophies. Brower had some very strong opinions about the family unit. One famous quote his fellow environmentalists probably wish Brower had never made was, Childbearing (should be) a punishable crime against society unless the parents hold a government license. Brower didnt leave it at that, but insisted on taking his philosophy to the next level, All potential parents (should be) required to use contraceptive chemicals, the government issuing antidotes to citizens chosen for childbearing.

It certainly wouldnt be the man in the family unit taking this antidote. In other words, Brower wanted women to take chemicals, which would prevent them from bearing children. A married woman would then be given an antidote for those chemicals in order to become pregnant, but only if the State issued her a license. Does this sound like Huxleys novel, Brave New World? This is pure totalitarianism. (By the way, Brower left three children behind and grandchildren. I guess his philosophy only applied to others, not himself.)

Some say Brower supported and advocated Marxist regimes. Browers totalitarian spirit was embraced by the Sandinistas in Nicaragua. The Soviets used him for propaganda purposes during the tail end of the Cold War. Totalitarian politics welcome population reduction theories, especially when it comes to reducing the populations of an enemys territory. Ehrlichs zero population theory, which Brower encouraged Ehrlich to pursue, came from an 18th century mathematician.

Cambridge University professor Thomas Malthus was called Pop by his students because he advocated population control. Malthus refused to have his portrait drawn, until the year before he died, because hed spent his entire life feeling ugly he had a cleft palate and hare lip. It is interesting to note David Brower grew up being called the toothless boob. Falling out of his carriage as an infant, he injured his baby teeth and damaged his gums. Not until he was eleven years old did his second set of teeth grow in. Brower told his biographer he grew up afraid to smile. No kidding. Perhaps being deformed and rejected by ones peers can engender a lifelong cynicism about people.

First published in 1798, Malthus Essay on the Principle of Population predicted the worlds population would outgrow its food supply. Malthus calculated the worlds food supply would continue growing at an arithmetic rate unless geometric population growth was somehow controlled. Malthus solution was for the poor and working classes to stop, or postpone, their creation activities by marrying late in life and abstaining from sex until then. He believed certain positive checks would help prevent excessive population growth. These included war, famine, infanticide, diseases and homosexuality.

As often happens, Malthus essay was misinterpreted, in this case to blame the poor and working class for most of societys ills. But his admirers were worldwide and also continued into the next few centuries. One such fan, economist John Maynard Keynes, advocated government intervention in the financial markets (perhaps because he had nearly wiped out his entire fortune during the 1929 stock market crash). The basic premise of Keynesian economics is to reduce want. This goes in hand with Keynes most popular quote, In the long run, we are all dead.

None of this implies that all environmentalists are bad people. However, you should be aware of the philosophies which have influenced the modern-day environmental movement and from whence they came. Over many long and philosophical telephone conversations with uranium insiders, we discovered many were more environmentally motivated than the radical rabble rousers living in urban DC, San Francisco or Santa Fe, New Mexico. Take for example Craig Bartels, president of HRI, a wholly owned subsidiary of Uranium Resources Inc. (OTC BB: UREE). He admitted he and his wife were both card-carrying environmentalists. He refused to become involved with the coal mining industry and admired the low-impact footprint of the environmentally friendly In Situ Recovery (ISR) method of uranium mining. This method is so low impact that many industry insiders believe it is not uranium mining. Instead, they refer to ISR facilities as water treatment plants.

One benefit the radical environmentalist movement unintentionally brings to the uranium mining industry, and something we look forward to nearly every week, is the rising spot uranium price. As environmentalists pester uranium mining companies, they slow down the exploration, development and mining process. This helps create a perceived scarcity of available uranium for U.S. utilities and spot prices rise.

And rising uranium prices attract a greater number of uranium exploration and development companies. This number has increased by 1000 percent over the past 36 months. This could lead to higher uranium prices, more mining companies and more production centers. Eventually, this provides more sources of uranium to power the worlds nuclear reactors. Now, how is this bad?

As we discovered with Gunter Grasss sixty-year old skeleton-in-his-closet, the leftist-leaning, smug, intellectual, and totalitarian-minded anti-nuclear personality might not have the best quality of life in mind for us ordinary folks.

COPYRIGHT 2007 by StockInterview, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

James Finch contributes to StockInterview.com and other publications. StockInterviews Investing in the Great Uranium Bull Market has become the most popular book ever published for uranium mining stock investors. Visit http://www.stockinterview.com

Cameco Corp (NYSE: CCJ) is the 800-pound gorilla of the uranium sector. Cameco is to uranium what Wal-Mart is to retailing, and what Saudi Aramco is to petroleum. On a percentage basis, Cameco dominates its sector more so than either of the two. Cameco probably has more clout in turning off the electricity now powering your computer than any other company in the world.

Can you imagine what would happen if Camecos labor force hypothetically went on strike for six months? The repercussions would probably send fuel managers, who purchase the uranium that powers nuclear reactors, into a ghoulish panic. Consumers, who are oblivious to the importance of uranium, and believe electricity is their god-given right, just as many of us once took 20-cent gasoline prices for granted before 1973, might suffer a utility-bill shocker, should anything interfere with the steady supply of uranium to U.S. utilities. Imagine what would happen if we had brownouts and blackouts in the same way we had gasoline lines during the oil crises of the 1970s? Uranium is the least expensive part of the nuclear fuel cycle. Without uranium, however, a nuclear facility is about as functional as a car on blocks in some Alabama crackers front yard.

This week, the spot price of uranium rose to $40/pound, for the first time since Ronald Reagan was president. That should help grow the uranium business in Wyoming by leaps and bounds. In Part 5, we look at the largest U.S. uranium producer, Cameco-owned Power Resources.

Understanding In Situ Leach Uranium Extraction

It took $284 million Canadian to build, and it operated with 546 people, said Patrick Drummond, Plant Superintendent for Cameco subsidiary Power Resources Smith Ranch facility. He was pointing to Kerr McGees Smith Ranch underground mine on the wall across from desk, which was later converted into an ISL operation, first run by Rio Algom. This operation cost US$44 million to build and 80 people to start. Drummond was referring to the In Situ Leaching (ISL) uranium extraction facility, known as Smith Ranch. That should give you the scale of the ISL versus an underground mine, he explained.

The aging, but sprightly, Drummond knows his uranium. Hes worked in underground mines, open pit mines, and uranium mills since 1980. From 1996 to the present day, hes worked in Wyoming for Power Resources at the companys ISL uranium extraction facility. I started off in the coal mines in Scotland, boasted Drummond, who claims he can spot a coal miner in a bar, just by looking at the veins in his hands. I worked up in Elliot Lake and the massive underground mines up there. Clasping his hands and looking down, he seemed to apologize, Its also a massive environmental problem to clean up, a major undertaking. Quirk Lake was one of the bigger mines up there. It cost a lot of money to clean it up.

The New Face of Wyomings Uranium Mining is the ISL uranium extraction method, also known as solution mining. The differences between mining uranium underground and an ISL operation are both minor and vast. Both methods mine uranium beneath the surface. So both methods are underground mining. However, that is where the similarities end. With underground, you bring up the ore, grate it, crush it, and extract the uranium from the ore, Drummond explained the basics of underground uranium mining. That ore becomes waste, which is known as tailings. You then have to service these big tailings and then decommission.

ISL is the new breed of mining. With ISL, we dont do that, continued Drummond in his day-long lecture to our editorial team during a VIP tour of the Smith Ranch facility. To mine underground with ISL, you drill the holes where the uranium is and extract the uranium from the underground ore, he said. Then, you process that into yellowcake.

Its not all wine and roses for Drummond, though. He pines away for his underground mines, From a mining perspective, its not mining so it is not as exciting. Drummond laughs, ISL is like a water treatment plant. We take water out and remove some ions. He makes it sound so simple, We remove the water from the underground and remove the ions, being the uranium ion. Then, we put the water back under the ground. All of the water goes back into the ground? Actually no. Drummond explained, We take our water out and we put 99 percent back in. The one percent we call bleed. Its a control function.

Drummond cites more comparables, To start an underground mine, it would take a year to do the shaft before you could start mining. Then, theres the development cost of the mill complex. You have all that outlay of cost before you can get any benefit. Its expensive to do underground -- $200 million plus because of the upfront development costs. From his perspective, the miner in Drummond has come to like solution mining. ISL is easier. It is a lot cheaper: less expensive capital costs and less operating expenditures. It is less labor intensive. Asked about the deadly radon emissions, often cited as a danger in underground mining, Drummond shot back, This is a zero emission facility.

Analyzing the two methods, he said, You can start producing faster with an ISL operation. You start your first header house, and you can start producing and make money. He added, So you get a return on your investment faster. Whats the downside? We also recover less uranium with ISL, Drummond admitted. Some of Camecos mines in Saskatchewan are running around 5, 10, 15, and 27 percent uranium. In this area, or in an ISL, it runs less than one or two percent. Its very low. Plus the uranium ore body must be found below the water table. He added, You can only do ISL in rock thats porous and has water in it in the first place.

To put it in the simplest terms, billions of years ago, the uranium found its way into the underground aquifers of Wyomings sandstones. We add oxygen and get the uranium back into solution, Drummond remarked. We complex it with CO2 to keep it in solution, and then bring it to the surface. We extract it with an ion exchange base. According to Drummond, extracting uranium works on the same principle as a water softener. We add salts to the resin to get the uranium to back off from the resin. Then, we take that uranium and make it into a final product called yellow cake.

And why it is called yellowcake? Some of it is yellow; some of it is green or dark green. Some of it is black, Drummond patiently explained. The color is a function of how we dry it, not how we process it. There is a very definite correlation between drying temperatures of yellow cake and color. It all depends on what chemicals you use while processing uranium. At Smith Ranch, we make uranium peroxide. It is very clean and yellow. We complex uranium with hydrogen peroxide to make our product. You can make different types of yellowcake. You can make a uranium diuranate, a complex made with ammonia. Yellowcake can be made with other chemicals.

How is Wyomings ISL uranium dried? We dry the uranium with vacuum dryers, said Drummond. The benefit of vacuum dryers is first of all, its a vacuum so everything is sucked inside the canister so nothing escapes into the environment. There are no gases that escape.

Investigating the Environmental Issues

It was, at this point, we felt it appropriate to inquire about all the puzzling worries many of us might correlate when thinking about nuclear energy and uranium. How safe is all of this really? When we first started uranium mining, we inherited people from the gold mines, Drummond explained. They were underground, and smoking, breathing in the dust. In the early days, we didnt have good ventilation. In underground mining, youve got to keep the air moving. Hard rock underground mining produces dust. The shards of silicone you are breathing stick to the follicles on your lungs, he noted. But that doesnt happen during the ISL extraction process. No emissions, a farm of well fields with underground pipes and tubing, and very detailed safeguards explain they the lobby wall of Power Resources is lined with Safety Award certificates and plaques.

On a daily basis, when we leave the facility, we are scanned for alpha radiation, continued Drummond. Depending upon your position here, you get urinalysis once per week or once per month. We also check for radiation levels. How did Drummond fare on his most recent radiation check? I was way below, he laughed. There are guys on the beach in Malibu that have higher radiations than I have.

What precautions does Power Resources take to protect the environment during the ISL extraction process? Since 1996, we have had zero excursions, Drummond announced with steeliness in his voice. We take very great pains to look at the topography, so if we do have an excursion, we make sure it does not enter what we call the waters of the state. Any channel that could take that and move it into the waters of the state, is something that we are very cognizant of.

After the holes are drilled into the well fields, a company does a baseline sample. Drummond said, Thats a sample of the constituents in the water. When we mobilize the uranium, we mobilize other items. It is our duty here, after we start the well field, to return the aquifer back to baseline when we are done. He added, If we know whats in the water before we start, then we know how to restore it to background. Restoration of the underground tampering with Mother Nature can take anywhere from 18 to 36 months.

The company is meticulous in restoring the landscape as well. Any restoration work on the surface is called reclamation. That can involve farming. When we start a well field, we have to, by license, remove the topsoil and store it somewhere, Drummond explained. When we go back to reclaim the property, we take all the pipes out, we take the houses down, and cut our wells off. Its all identified. We put an ID marker on the well. In 50 years time, when Farmer Joe comes around and wonders what was there, the state can say, That was a uranium well. From the time weve stopped mining, we put everything back to normal.

It takes from two to four months, or up to seven years, to exhaust a well field, depending upon the roll fronts. While it can take up to 24 months to put in a well field, reclamation and restoration take longer. We put back the topsoil on, depending upon the weather, as soon as we can, said Drummond. We re-seed, during the spring or the fall, which is the best time for seeds. The seed we use is dictated by the regulators so we use a certain amount of native vegetation. Because its very dry at the Smith Ranch, nearly bordering on desert, and because it is also very windy, slapping down the topsoil wont last very long. First, we plant some fast-growing oats to establish a root bed, he explained. If we just planted grasses, it would all blow away. Because we plant the oats, we have fat antelope and fat deer. From our observations, the sheep were well-fed and frisky.

How does Wyoming ISL mining compare to other places, such as in Texas or in Kazakhstan? In Wyoming, the water is pristine, very clean, even compared to Texas, where they do ISL, answered Drummond. The waters pretty clean down there also. Is the uranium the same? When we bring our uranium to the surface, it comes up as uranyl dicarbonate, he responded. In Texas, it comes up as uranyl tricarbonate. Whats the difference? Its in the processing of the uranium. We get about 8.5 pounds of pounds of uranium per cubic foot of resin, he explained. In Texas, they get about 3 to 4 pounds of uranium per cubic foot of resin.

Drummond described the Smith Ranch ion exchange operation, We have two columns in the ion exchange, each with about 500 cubic feet of resin. The resin costs about $200/cubic foot and, barring mechanical damage, can last up to thirty years, according to Drummond. The polymer beads they look like tiny plastic ball bearings capture the uranium during the processing phase. In Kazakhstan, you get about two to three pounds of uranium per cubic foot of resin, he continued. They use hydrochloric acid because of the water conditions. Of course, youve changed the chemistry of the water and have all the acid to clean up. Drummond described the water in Kazakhstan as very brackish, and yellowish. The TDS (total dissolved solids) is very high, he added. The waters not fit for human consumption anyways. He laughed, Using acid over there cleans their water up.

COPYRIGHT 2007 by StockInterview, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

James Finch contributes to StockInterview.com and other publications. StockInterviews Investing in the Great Uranium Bull Market has become the most popular book ever published for uranium mining stock investors. Visit http://www.stockinterview.com

What are Steam Juicers?

Steam juicers are growing in popularity as the secret gets around as to how good the juice produced is. But what are steam juicers? There are generally three components to steam juicers: the water pan, which is the bottom section, the juice kettle in the middle, and the steamer basket at the top. Steam juicers are constructed from stainless steel with an aluminum bottom.

How do you use Steam Juicers?

First you fill the water pan with water. Place this on the stove and leave to boil. Put the juice kettle on top of the water pan--this is where the juice will collect and be extracted via a hose. Next you place the rinsed fruit in the steam basket (no need to stem or pit!) and leave to steam. Juice will begin to fill the juice kettle after 40 minutes, and the whole process should take about an hour. Enthusiasts say that the juice from steam juicers is the best and smoothest they have ever tasted. You can use vegetables as well as fruit. And as well as juices, you can make delicious jellies, syrups and much more.

Who makes Steam Juicers?

There are two main manufacturers of steam juicers: The Finnish company Opa who make the Mehu-Liisa steamer (pronounced 'Mehu Lisa') and Back to Basics who make a similar device. Both come with recipies and instructions--though using a steam juicer is very easy, and extremely quick to clean. There are no moving parts and no need for electricity.

But wait, there's more...

The steam juicers, both the Back to Basics and the Mehu Liisa, can also be used as steam cookers. Just remove the juice kettle section and you have a steam cooker--the healthiest way to cook and eat vegetables. It's also perfect for steaming rice, fish, poultry, clams, cakes, puddings, and more. The steamer basket also doubles as a colander for quickly draining spaghetti, washed lettuce, vegetables, and garden produce. And, of course, The water pan can be used as a large pan for stewing, simmering and boiling. You can't get more versatile than that...

This article was written by Piers Crispin, a writer on consumer affairs. Please visit juicers.organic-knowledge.com for more information on Steam Juicers, as well as Juice Extractors.

The environment that people are required to work in can have a significant impact on their ability to undertake the tasks that they have been asked to do. This can affect productivity and employee health and well-being. The key factors fall into two categories, those that are driven by procedures, protocols and management requirements and the factors that arise from premises, office or factory design.

Management driven factors include the development of:
Organisation plans such as the allocation of responsibilities at all levels of the organisation, definition of job descriptions and the degree of access to the management and administrative support needed to complete their tasks;
Working patterns, shift-working, break times, absence or holiday cover; and
Health and safety policies, including the provision of training, development of safe working practices and the adequate supply of protective clothing and equipment.

The work environment can also have an impact on an individuals ability to work safely, competently and in compliance with operational performance targets. It is important to address the following:
Work space availability. Have you determined whether there is adequate space available for the tasks the individual is required to undertake? Are desks/computer terminals being shared and is this affecting productivity or causing stress? If the individual is working in a manufacturing area and they need to complete documentation or carry out inspection is there a work station available in their work environment close to where they work?
Light intensity. The requirements for light intensity and type of light should be determined as insufficient light will impact on visual inspection activities.
Weather/temperature. Is the area where the individual is required to work too hot or too cold, open to the weather/elements? If there is a requirement to work outside or in adverse temperatures does the company provide adequate controls, clothing or equipment?
Ventilation/humidity. Does the work environment contain poor quality air that could cause fatigue or a reduction in performance?
Noise/vibration. Can vibration affect an individuals performance or safety? Is it a requirement to wear ear protection? Could this adversely affect performance?
Odour/dust or other emissions. How is this assessed and if required controlled to ensure personnel safety?
Premises hygiene/welfare facilities. Is the area that the individual is expected to work in hygienic, clean and tidy? Does the level of clutter affect performance? Is the area so filthy, unhygienic or infested with pests that it causes stress to those individuals working there? Are staff facilities, toilets, washrooms, canteens, coffee making facilities appropriate and maintained in a hygienic state?

How often do you as a senior manager take a site walk? What do you look for? Do you know what effect current employee dissatisfaction has on organisational productivity and profitability? Remember it is your responsibility to ensure the health, safety and welfare of those who work for you!

http://thehumanimprint.typepad.com/the_human_imprint/2007/08/does-the-work-e.html

With all the colors in the world, it's hard to know exactly which one to use when painting your house. Those of you determined to fairly represent each hue might set out to paint one room red, one orange, one yellow, one green, one blue, one indigo, and one violet. But, for everyone else, painting a room has less to do with equal opportunity decorating and more to do with personal taste.

Still, colors have their limits and certain ones are better at doing certain things. The following is a list of tips describing what each color has the potential to do when it finds itself up against a wall.

White: Painting a room white will make the room look bigger and cleaner (until your three year old decides to smear a mural of ketchup on the back wall). White is an ideal color when you are looking to add a lot of different hues: white, like black, goes with almost anything. Painting with white can give rooms a pure and bright look, while using that white to accentuate other colors. But, be careful: using too much white can make a room too bright, and make it hard to look at. If people routinely run from your room yelling "My eyes, my eyes," chances are, you've overdone it.

Black: Like white, black is an ideal color when you want to mix and match shades. Though black has the potential to make a room look too dark or too small, it also has a solid conventional appeal. A black wall, like a black piece of clothing, captures a sensuous, secretive, and intelligent look. Appearing more intellectual and sophisticated than all the other colors, you will be much more likely to catch your black wall reading the short stories of Rudyard Kipling than your white one.

Orange: Depending on the brightness, the color orange can be a hue that demands notice - like a shade perpetually screaming "Look at me!" It can also be welcoming or it can be a soothing earth tone. Because of this versatility, orange is a popular color in decorating. A room used for socializing can benefit from the use of bright (but not too bright) orange and a room used for relaxing can benefit from a darker orange. But orange, like all colors, has its limits: you have to be careful of the colors you mix and match. Orange with black might come across as too Halloween-ish, orange with pink might remind people of sherbert, and orange with blue might deem you - among your neighbors - a die hard Denver Bronco fan.

Blue: Blue is perhaps the most natural of colors: the sky is blue, the ocean is blue, even peoples' moods are sometimes described as blue. The "naturalness" that blue evokes makes it a good color for a bathroom or a bedroom. In a bathroom, blue can represent water and cleanliness (without being as bright as white). In a bedroom, blue is calming and can help you rest more peacefully. It's conservative, but not too conservative (it's not a Republican). It is also just dim enough to keep your bedroom dark, and free of the sunlight that can wake you up before you're ready.

Green: Green has the unique ability to emit freshness: painting a wall the regular shade of green is like panting your house with a garden. This gives your house a new, spring like feel: yes, even in the dead of winter. Like blue, green is also very natural: grass is green, trees are green, and the stems of flowers are green. Darker or forest greens can be used for a harvest look, one that is soothing and comforting, while lighter greens can be used for a more vibrant, stylish look.

Red: The color red is a dichotomy: it represents both danger and romance. For this reason, red is best used in bedrooms or rooms that are begging for a confident look, such as a library. Red is typically not a good color to use for bathrooms (who wants to be sexy while brushing their teeth), or rooms that you want to look open and large, such as living rooms. Red is also not a good color to paint the outside of your house: doing so can make it resemble a barn, causing livestock to flock to your front door at sunrise. You might find yourself up to your elbows in cows, but at least you won't ever have to buy milk again.

Jennifer Jordan is the senior editor for http://www.etodoors.com. Someone who changes her mind every five minutes, her house is in a perpetual state of home improvement.

People who choose to stay full time can have numerous reasons for doing so. They could be Disney employees thus enjoying the luxury of a very short journey time to work, since the majority of vacation rental villas are very well situated to access Walt Disney World and all it has to offer. Some residents own vacation homes in and around where they stay and they like to be close at hand to keep an eye on their property and look after their guests themselves. Others may have some kind of occupation related in some way to the hospitality/vacation industry. Then again you may just find some friendly folks who like the idea of having new and different neighbours every few weeks!

Having full time residents nearby can be a great thing. They very much enjoy visitors to their area and those who settle there full-time are well used to new neighbours every one or two weeks and are very friendly and keen to learn you are enjoying your stay and having a fabulous vacation.

Just generally walking about the resort your vacation villa is in, you are bound to pass some local residents who are always ready to greet you with a smile and genuinely wish you a nice day. If you have questions about the local area or attractions, I am sure you will find them only too happy to help.

That said, since these people are resident full time, one should always be remember to be courteous to them whilst still making the most of your vacation.

Local residents need their sleep too!

Generally there are safety and courtesy rules in all residential areas for quiet times at the pool. As a rule of thumb these tend to be 11pm-7am. One of the most tempting times to forget about these rules is for those visitors who have travelled from far away (e.g. U.K.) and need to make huge adjustments to time changes and body clocks. On the first morning of these guests vacation, they will tend to waken very early and it is strongly advised to resist the urge to come straight down to the pool until it reaches what everyone would agree is a slightly more reasonable time.

Stay in a resort based vacation home

You will find a great many of Orlando vacation villas have been built in resorts that offer communal areas. These can include any combination of the following: a communal swimming pool (in addition to your very own private pool at your holiday villa); a games room; a fitness room; a shop; a caf; basketball/volleyball courts; tennis courts; childrens play areas. Any of these areas offer the ideal opportunity to meet people from all over the world- both full time residents and other holidaymakers like you.

Showing your neighbours common courtesies will encourage them to extend a warm welcome when you return for another vacation at a later date and then your villa experience really will be like a home from home since you already know the neighbours!

Peter Kenny has been travelling to Florida for the last 20 years. You can find more articles on renting and buying private vacation homes here http://www.windsorpalmsflorida.com and http://www.reunionresort.us.com.

An Orlando guide will help you plan your vacation. The city is best known for its theme parks. The Magic Kingdom, Epcot Center, MGM Studios, Universal Studios, Animal Kingdom and Sea World draw millions of visitors to the city every year. These are all heavily advertised to prospective visitors. Although the parks are a great place to visit, the city has a lot more to offer. Become familiar with other attractions and annual events to get the most of your trip to Orlando.

Orlando Guide to Museums

The Orlando Museum of Art is home to works by American and African American artists. There are works from ancient to modern time periods on display. The museum displays paintings, pottery and sketches from various artists.

The Mennello Museum of American Art showcases traditional and contemporary art. The museum has a collection of paintings by Earl Cunningham. In addition to the permanent collection, there are many special exhibits that change throughout the year.

The Orlando Science Center is a fun place to take the kids. The center is the largest science center in the southeastern United States. There are a variety of interactive exhibits for fun and learning. The large display of the human anatomy is a popular exhibit. There is a special area for young kids to explore scientific concepts.

Orlando Guide to Annual Events

There are many annual events for Florida visitors in Orlando that will add to the fun on your vacation. Some take place in the various theme parks, while others are in the city. There are events in every season. In the winter months, there are holiday displays, parties and parades in most of the parks. January brings the Disney World marathon, which attracts runners from all over the world.

The beautiful winter weather in Florida allows for many outdoor events. The Central Florida Fair is held every February in the city. There are rides, games, music and food. Romance at Disney is held each year around Valentines Day. The Silver Springs Rodeo is a fun way to spend the day in Orlando. Universal Studios has Mardi Gras events throughout the month.

The spring months offer many festivals and events. The Florida Film Festival is held in March of each year. Pleasure Island has a large St. Patricks Day party every year. In April, Epcot Center hosts the International Flower and Garden Festival.

The summer offers Fourth of July displays, parades and fire works at Disney and many other parks. The Orlando Carnival is held in the summer months. There is a large Seafood Festival in the city in June of each year.

The Miracle Mile 15 K run is held in September. Rock Universe is held in September at Universal Studios. In October, a food and wine festival is held at Epcot Center. This month also brings Halloween parties and displays at the parks. Disney World hosts fun Halloween activities that are great for kids during Mickeys Not So Scary Halloween. For a more scary experience, consider visiting Universal studios for Halloween Horror Nights.

Walt Disney World hosts a PGA golf tournament every autumn. The Walt Disney World Golf Tournament attracts big name players to the Orlando area. In November, the Jack Hanna Adventure Weekend at Sea World is a popular event. Whenever you visit this city, you will find something exciting happening. Disney vacation rentals are popular for extended stays.

Howard Farmer
Florida Property
1st for Florida Property - large selection of developments in Orlando, Florida and coastal locations. Great investment potential.
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Taking a weight loss product containing ephedra can be very risky. Ephedra has been linked to serious side effects such as seizures, strokes, and even death. Fortunately, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has taken action and banned every weight loss product containing ephedra in the market starting April 2004.

What is ephedra?
Ephedra used to be a popular ingredient in dietary supplements and weight loss products. It comes from the plant Ephedra sinica. It is also known as Ma Huang, and is used by the Chinese as a medicinal herb to treat respiratory illnesses like asthma, the common cold, and hay fever. Ephedra also works as a powerful stimulant that directly affects the cardiovascular and the nervous systems.

Ephedra also works as a thermogenic, which can cause your metabolism to increase since there is an increase in your body heat. This has made ephedra gain its popular reputation as a fat burner. Many people take a weight loss product containing ephedra together with caffeine and aspirin. Studies show that when taken with proper caution, it is very effective for short-term weight loss.

Known side effects
Ephedra has been known to increase heart rate and constrict blood vessels, resulting in high blood pressure. A weight loss product containing ephedra may cause irritability, dizziness, trembling, nervousness, severe skin irritations, insomnia, dehydration, itchy skin and scalp, vomiting, profuse perspiration, headaches, hyperthermia, seizures, irregular heartbeat, stroke, heart attack, and even death.

Dosage
There is actually no standard requirement for the dosage of any weight loss product containing ephedra, mostly because they vary from brand to brand. Here is an example:
Dosage for Metabolife 356: 2 tablets for 2 to 3 times a day, an hour before meals, and on an empty stomach. It is highly advised not to take more than 8 tablets in a day.
Dosage for Ma Huang: Not more than 100mg a day and not more than 12 weeks. However, because of its serious side effects, it has been recommended that ma huang should be taken in doses not bigger than 8mg per serving every 6 hours, but not exceeding 24mg in a day.

Ma huang
Ma huang is classified as a fat burner and an appetite suppressant. It is also known as ephedrine, ephedra alkaloids, sea grape, ephedra, yellow horse, joint fir, Mormon tea, teamster's tea, sea grape, postillion, and squaw tea. Since it has not been formally evaluated by the FDA for safety, purity and effectiveness, there are no manufacturing standards set for ma huang. That is you should consult your doctor before taking Ma huang or any supplements containing it.

Metabolife 356
Metabolife 356 is another example of a weight loss product containing ephedra. It contains a blend of ginger, Siberian ginseng, ma huang, guarana, spirulina, bovine complex, lecithin, chromium picolinate, vitamin E, magnesium, and several other herbs. Caffeine and ephedrine are the most active ingredients of Metabolife 356. They both work to produce more body heat to speed up your metabolism so you can burn more calories. Furthermore, it also works as an appetite suppressant, making you feel less hungry and limiting your food intake.

No precautions
Ephedra is not a regulated drug, and so many manufacturers are making false claims. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has sent letters to a number of online manufacturers because many of them lack sufficient warnings. The label should tell the user to stop taking the drug upon experiencing side effects such as irregular or rapid heartbeat, severe headache, chest pains, shortness of breath, insomnia, dizziness, nausea, and fainting spells.

Is ephedra legal?
The FDA has reviewed the data on ephedra's safety, effectiveness, side effects, pharmacology, and its RAND Corporation report (which contains a review of published scientific literature on the safety and efficacy of ephedra). The FDA considered several studies that confirm the side effects of ephedra on the circulatory system. On February 2003, they evaluated whether weight loss products containing ephedra pose a significant threat to a person's health.

Ephedra and traditional medicine
The FDA has prohibited the sale of any weight loss product containing ephedra in the United States. However, some medical conditions many call for the use of ephedra-containing drugs. Before taking any supplements, be sure to consult your doctor to see whether it will work for you.

Phillip England is a weight loss expert and Author of the popular report "The Ultimate Weight Loss Secret". To receive your free information on the secret that doctors, and health companies either don't know, or don't want you to know, please see http://www.theultimateweightlosssecret.com/secret

With warmer weather looming on the horizon in Northern America, many women and men start to simplify and streamline their diets. Gone are the heavy chili dinners and beef stews that fill our bellies in the dead of winter. Enter the salad: cool, fresh, crisp bursts of flavor - but not necessarily a significant caloric savings over a meat and potatoes dinner. The culprit: creamy, oil based dressings. The solution: for most, it's to take their dressing on the side.

Traditional commerically prepared salad dressings are an easy way to turn a healthy salad into a calorie-dense, fat-laden disaster. Bottled dressings can have anywhere from 8 to 20 grams of fat per serving.

Take your dressing on the side? Never! At least, theres never a need when you make your own healthy salad dressings.

Of course, you can buy decent commercial low-fat dressings, or even organic dressings but, more often than not, they are loaded with unhealthy elements like sugar and heavy amounts of heart-unhealthy sodium.

Its hard, however, to beat a homemade dressing!

The key to making delicious healthy dressings at home is to reduce the oils and other fats, and bump up the ingredients that add texture and flavor.

The oil in any salad dressing serves several functions, including providing a cling" or "binding" factor, so your acidic and other flavorings (such as vinegar and herbs) dont end up in a puddle at the bottom of the bowl.

Oil also serves to soften and balance the acids so that they're more pleasing to the pallate.

When thinking of healthier dressings, most people eschew creamy dressings in favor of lighter vinaigrettes. But classic vinaigrettes often use a 3-to-1 or 4-to-1 ratio of fat to acid (for example: olive oil and red wine vinegar). Such a ratio can yield at least 10 grams of fat per tablespoon! And who uses just one tablespoon?

So what constitutes a healthy salad dressing?

Let's look at oil.

When choosing oils for your dressing, think carefully about flavors. Extra-virgin olive oil is almost always an excellent healthful and flavorful choice. But so are nut oils such as almond, macadamia and hazelnut. Each contributes complex yet subtle flavors that can complement a salad. Olive and nut oils also are rich in healthy monounsaturated fats.

You can reduce the amount of oil, however, in any dressing by approximately 40 percent if the other ingredients that balance the dressing are not too acidic.

A common complaint when reducing the oil content of a dressing recipe is that one often misses the thick texture that oil adds to your recipes. Try adding Dijon mustard as an emulsifier to make up for the reduced oil. Like oil, mustard is thick enough to bind the other ingredients and adds a tangy flavor.

In creamy dressings, the emulsifier often is sour cream or mayonnaise (and sometimes oil, too). Providing a healthy option for these ingredients is an easy fix.

Nonfat yogurt, reduced-fat sour cream, and reduced-fat mayonnaise all make good substitutes. They each have good flavor and produce dressings that hold together and coat vegetables quite well.

Or try buttermilk. Buttermilk is always either nonfat or reduced-fat. Its thick texture and mild, tangy flavor makes it a useful ingredient.

With a little bit of ingenuity and creativity, it is possible to make healthy salad dressings without sacrificing good nutrition by cutting calories, fat and chemicals.

Deborah Carraro is an avid nutrition, health & fitness enthusiast with a passion for sharing knowledge and experiences. As VP Operations for a successful online Natural Health business she has worked with the best nutritionists, fitness professionals and health experts.

You can find her online at http://www.yogaforoptimalhealth.com/HealthySaladDressings.html