Even Truck Drivers Can Reverse Diabetes

Beating Diabetes

Good news fellow road warriors Diabetes type 2 can be beat!

Just a little bit of history here. I began driving big rigs in 1993, I had driven 10 wheelers delivering glass and lumber locally for approximately seven years before that. In 1993 I was laid off from the local lumber company I was working for and went to work for a sea container company that was headquartered just across the street. I quickly learned that they needed a flat bed driver and that it paid more so I started my career off driving "flats" regionally on the west coast.

For the next 13 years I hauled all kinds of flats, low boys, step decks, curtain vans even a fifty three foot flat bed. Then I fell out of the cab of a Peterbuilt cab-over and pretty much destroyed my right knee. The knee was repaired and healed well but my career as a flatbed driver was over, some how perspective employers found out about the injury even if I didn't tell them.

Not being able to find flat bed work I decided to try dry vans, and since I hadn't worked for over six months no one was willing to take a risk on me except JB Hunt, if you don't already know, it's not a good idea to work for them, enough said. Next came refrigerated vans, what crummy work but I did like the company I worked for so I stuck it out with them for 3 years until a change of policy regarding home time caused me to not want to work for them anymore.

Finally, I landed where I have been for the past two years hauling food grade smooth boar tanks.

In 2001, during a routine D.O.T physical, the lab doing my blood work reported I had a blood sugar level of 600 dl/ml ( 70 to 110 is considered normal). I should have been admitted to the hospital right then.

The company Doctor that had evaluated me was as helpful as mud and I had to find another Doctor who educated me and got me started on drugs, and then through a high protein/low carbohydrate diet we were able to get the blood sugar under control without drugs. That was good for about three years, then the progressiveness of this disease caught up with me and I was put back on pills which did work for a time, however my weight kept going up and sometime after I crossed the 300 pound mark I lost all control of my blood sugar and ended up at the door step of an endocrinologist who recommended I go on insulin right away.

I am a chicken when it comes to pain so the idea of neuropathy which I was already beginning to have in my left hand, or amputation or heart attack just didn't appeal to me nor did finding a different line of work, so between a rock and a hard place, I took the hard place and went on insulin.

For those who are not professional drivers using insulin is a death blow to a drivers career, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration does not allow drivers to drive and use insulin as a wrong dose can cause a driver to suddenly pass out, not a good idea when your piloting 70 to 80 thousand pounds at 65 miles an hour. However, in recent years the F.M.C.S.A. has provided a waiver program whereby if a driver can demonstrate that he can properly administer the use of insulin (about a six month process) he can go back to driving. I did get a waiver and returned to driving but it took 10 months and I was unemployed the whole time.

The Importance of Gold & Financial Education

With all the turmoil and uncertainty in the markets these days, its more important than ever to be increasing your financial education for creating wealth, and specifically with regards to Gold and Silver.

As you are no doubt aware, the prices of gold and silver are continuing to climb higher and higher regardless of the rhetoric coming from Congress, the White House or the press. As I type this, gold is at an all-time high of $1293.5 and silver as well at $21.20.

The biggest reason driving these asset prices higher is the weakness in the US dollar. We can't continue to create trillions and trillions of dollars with an already staggering $9 trillion deficit. Treasury bills are producing no returns, the stock market is full of uncertainty including the housing market so what is someone to do with their hard earned income?

Gold could be just the place! With one of the greatest bull markets in history - a 10 year orderly sustained upward climb - gold investing continues to out perform virtually all other asset classes and has continually done so for the last 10 years.

Does that mean the gold and silver markets have reached their tops? No one knows for sure, but when you realize that most people are still unaware of this current market trend and its strong fundamentals, the fast that hysteria hasn't hit yet, you be the judge. Yes, you are starting to see the commercials and ads go up but the media makes almost no mention of it (could that be due to the fact that they don't receive a commission for recommending you buy gold or silver like they do stocks or mutual funds? Hmmm...)

One of the more well-known financial news networks CNBC has only recently begun to address or even acknowledge gold's undeniable performance over the last decade. Alan Greenspan too has commented that gold is the canary in the gold mine, signaling a warning that the dollar or economy is in trouble and people need to be paying close attention! (Side note: Greenspan was the original gold bug until all the power of being the Fed chairman went to his head - maybe all those bubbles were created to get the price of gold to rise?...)

So why gold investing? Gold is the ultimate insurance. With the big inflation/deflation debate going on, regardless of the outcome - or even if we enter stagflation or especially if we enter a hyper-inflationary environment - gold will allow you to preserve your wealth where you might otherwise lose it (or most of it).

With the price of gold and silver rising over the past decade, some people have gotten involved to make money trading the precious metal. The important thing is to treat gold like savings. Park your money in gold and forget about it - keeping an eye on the overall market of course because it's real money - not like the US dollar which is simply currency, backed only by the faith of the world in the US government's ability to manage it's own affairs... that's a topic for another time!

In addition, you can't hit a button and just print gold like you can dollars or any other currency not backed by a real tangible asset (like gold and silver). Gold has and always retain its value because it's a rare commodity and there is a true cost and work involved to bring it to market (among many other reasons). Just as concerning, our foreign trading partners are all abandoning the dollar; even Bangladesh of all places just bought 10 million ounces of gold from the international monetary fund (to increase their holdings to 13 million - quite a large increase!). That's really saying something when even a country like Bangladesh doesn't trust the US dollar!

Another reason for gold investing or silver investing (American Eagles, Krugerrands or bullion): tax advantages. The maximum rate for income tax on gold profits is 28%; compare that to 35% for regular earned income (always consult a qualified tax professional for your particular situation).

So how or what can people do with their IRA money to take advantage of all this? They can put it into gold by setting up a gold IRA (with an IRS-approved custodian) who will store your gold in a depository. (Note: do not try to be your own custodian through an LLC or otherwise; doing so will blow your IRA completely and will add lots of penalties and fees on top of that if you try to touch or handle your own gold and silver yourself. It is a specifically prohibited transaction; you need an outside custodian. The IRS is really going after LLC's that are managed by the beneficiaries of the LLC so just follow the rules and you'll get lots of tax benefits; you must understand the rules!)

There are two kinds of IRAs:

1. (Traditional) IRA: where you get a deduction when you put money into the IRA; you are taxed at ordinary income rates when money is pulled out (tax deferred)

2. ROTH IRA: where you don't get a deduction when you put money in but your money (assets) grows tax free forever (different countries have similar programs)

- For example: if the price of the metal goes way up, you get to realize that entire per ounce profit when you sell with no tax liability.

Also, with regards to American Eagles for example (outside of an IRA), if you use them as actual coins like money (as opposed to selling them on the market).

For example, if buying $1200 worth of goods with that coin (or whatever coin is worth at that time), you actually have no tax liability when using that coin even if you purchased the coin for several hundred dollars less than you're now essentially cashing it in for (only works with American Eagles).

One more benefit: some states also have no sales tax on precious metals (currently AZ for example).

So here's what you need to do: Talk to experts - gold and silver coin/bullion dealers who have been in business during both the bull and bear markets (so at least 10 years in the business) because virtually anyone can get into business selling precious metals (just need a business license) - so do your homework!

Next, check out the local markups/premiums around your area. Premiums will vary per dealer above the spot price (price quoted in financial publications and on exchanges). The best way to buy to get the best value is to buy directly from the futures market (in bulk basically) but of course you need to be buying quite a bit at a time; the best way to begin is probably at your local coin shop; if nothing else begin your education there (that information while free is priceless!).

So when is it time to sell? Here's how to tell: watch for the idiots. Idiots always come in to the market late - that's the time to get out! When your grocery-bagger starts telling you about gold investing or silver investing, you know it's time to get out! Learn what the masses are doing and do the opposite!

To preserve your wealth, you need to save gold and silver - not money (or more specifically not currency, ie, US Dollars). Inflation and other measures coming may drastically drain or wipe out any accumulated wealth or assets you may have if held in US dollars. Precious metals run on a 20 year cycle typically (this cycle started around 2000) and runs against the equities cycle (historically opposite).

In 1980 the DOW was at 800 and gold was at 800 (1:1 relationship); since then the DOW has risen to 14,700; now the DOW is around 10,500 and gold near 1300 (8:1 relationship); when or at what level will it come back in line to that 1:1 relationship? At 3500? 5000? Richard Russell predicts $3500 Gold & a 3500 DOW. (He's been in the business for 50 years and promotes the Dow theory letter)

Don't Coerce Your Prospect

We all know the stories of individuals when they were first introduced to network marketing by a friend or family member. They tried to drag them to a hotel or home meeting with tales of making big money. The prospect signed up out of guilt to help the family member, not because they were really interested in network marketing and had a burning desire to make this work. The problem with this recruiting approach is that individuals will burn out quickly. There is only so much one can do going on enthusiasm. There are those individuals due to their personality who will be instantly drawn to this type of business. Ultimately, the thing that will keep someone in network marketing for the long term is that they fully believe in this approach to business.

In my personal situation, I learn that the more that I read and write about network marketing the stronger my belief in this business becomes. This is the only business where someone of extremely limited means can achieve the financial success that they desire. They cannot do it in any other business without making a significant investment of money or time and money-going back to school to earn a degree. When I hear someone knock the industry, I can just quietly know in my head that this person is uneducated concerning the real positives of this industry.

There are many individuals who personally think the entire network marketing industry is full of shams. Yes, there are companies that are not selling a legitimate product or service. They are usually investigated and then shut down by the government. However, how many well known companies in corporate America have recently been in the news due to the fact that their accountants were either "cooking the books" or the individuals at the top were skimming large sums of money off the top which eventually caused the company to fold and thousands of individuals to lose their job.

If you have prospects that are completely unwilling to hear you discuss your network marketing opportunity, then you don't force them, you just quietly educate them over time. Leave them alone! They are not interested. It is amazing how individuals who wanted absolutely nothing to do with this "sham business" will change their minds over time when they start to see your success. It could also be that your individual prospect is just in a place in their life where they are not really looking to make any significant changes. They are happy where they are at and have no desire to change.

You may ask what is the best way to educate prospects about this business? The best way is through frequent repetition concerning the great things about this business. That could be in the form of emails to your list or posts to your blog. There are plenty of individuals out there that are searching for something different and need to change their situation financially who are going to be open to this industry and the product or service that your company has to offer.

Just this week, I learned that only 4% of American actually retire with an income of $35,000 or more per year. The rest of individuals who retire usually have to take part time jobs at places like grocery stores or restaurants. Why not educate people about the great benefits of this industry. There are so many people out there who need this information and are looking for something better.

Final Fantasy XIV News

Final Fantasy XIV is expected to be released in a month. Earlier Jack Tretton announced that it is exclusively designed for PlayStation 3, but they have to be patient until March, 2011. Final Fantasy XIV comes with some exciting features. The release of this game follows closely after the release of Final Fantasy XIII. FFXIV collector's edition will be released a month earlier and it costs around $49.99 with a free game play for 30 days.
Final Fantasy XIV Highlights:
The PC version of Final Fantasy XIV can be played on 512MB VRAM and above. Final Fantasy XIV players can party up with their friends. There are square plans for making up a party of maximum 6 to 8 members. You will not find your enemies in one area, they will be scattered around. It is laser tuned for people who played FFXI. The job and battle systems of FFXI used level-based progression and experience points, whereas FFXIV uses skill based progression. It allows the gamers to create avatars for the character races.
FFXIV Gameplay:
Final Fantasy XIV balances both group and solo play. Players can choose their favorite avatars like Thaumaturge or Gladiator by wielding different crafting tools and weapons. The roles are based on four disciplines namely

• Disciples of Hand
• Disciples of Land
• Disciples of Magic
• Disciples of War

The crafting system is included in the armory system and the player's appearance changes according to the craft they use. For example, on wielding a Blacksmith hammer the player becomes a blacksmith. This applies to the harvesting tools also.Final Fantasy XIV Races:
Final Fantasy XIV has five playable races so far. All these races are similar to the FFXI races. The main aim of the developers is to create a familiar atmosphere to the FFXI players. FFXIV races are Hyur, Elezen, Lalafell, Roegadyn and Miqo'te. The city states like Gridania, Limsa Lominsa and Ul'dah is where the Final Fantasy XIV game is played.
Hyur's are divided into Highlanders and Midlanders. Midlanders are the most cultured people and they highly emphasize on education. Highlanders are bulkier and physically larger. Both sexes are available in the Midlander playable characters whereas only male characters are available in the Highlander race. Elezen's are elf like characters. They are divided into Duskwight and the Wildwood Elezen. Duskwight's live in caverns and caves with a high sense of hearing. Wildwood's live in forest with a very keen sense of sight.
Similarly Lalafell's are physically diminutive humanoids from southern regions. They have high intelligence and agility. Lalafell's are divided into Dunesfols and plainsfolk. Roegadyn's are muscular and physically large from northern regions. They are split into hellsguard and sea wolves. Miqo'te's are cat-like humanoids, who are divided into Seekers of the Sun and Keepers of the Moon.
In this game, fatigue will not be carried over when the weapons are changed. Almost all the basic parts will be there in the open beta version but it has only a very small part of the storyline quests.

Educational School Supplies and More

When you have kids, you want the best for them. You want them to grow up with everything that you didn't have, which means more opportunities for success and happiness. Here are some important things to remember, and ideas to enact so that your children grow up better than you.
1. Talking to your baby will help her speak more quickly. From a young age, you can begin to read to your children, even if it is something that you're reading and they can't understand. Children are comforted when they hear a familiar voice, and the more vocabulary they are exposed to, the more they will retain. By the time they are able to read, they will remember all of the times you read to them, and will carry around books and want to read on their own. The more accessible you make books to them, the more likely they will take advantage.
2. Animals are a great way to teach kids about life. Cleaning and taking care of animals shows kids responsibility. Having dogs, and cats especially, are great ways to make children more sensitive to tension and to reduce stress in the household. Take them to the zoo, or a local farm.
3. Blank notebooks are ideal for journal keeping. Not only will educational school supplies teach kids writing and drawing skills, fostering creativity, but it will also allow them to look back on their memories and understand the workings of consciousness.
4. Television is a slippery slope. On one hand, there's lots of informational TV out there these days, but a lot of the programs kids watch don't fall into this category. But that's not to say that these are mindless - older kids often talk about and remember the TV shows they watched when children for years. These can be ways of fostering children's creativity, albeit passively. Too much is bad news though; try monitoring TV watching and video game playing so that it doesn't exceed 3 hours a day.
5. Museum trips and family outings are relatively inexpensive ways to teach your kids about culture. They will be sure to remember these times for years to come.
6. Take your kids outside of their comfort zone. Expose them to new things, whether they are places, foods, or people. This will help them to see the differences in life, and realize that there are always people less privileged.
7. Mathematics can be taught in the kitchen. Counting, sorting, measuring, and patterns are all educational school supplies that can be relayed in the kitchen.
8. Science: For children the world is so new that everything has yet to be learned. Nature, plants, bugs, weather, the sky, all of these things are without reason for children. Let your child experience them, and encourage her to ask questions, even if they are constant and annoying.
Having children is our ultimate purpose in life. Nurturing them will help them become healthy, happy adults. It's important, however, to let children experience life's difficulties too - you don't want to provide too much, only to watch your kids flounder in the real world. Finding a healthy medium is the best way to raise kids.

Single Mothers Can Pursue Their Educational Dreams

With women grants now available single mothers can pursue their educational dreams. Studying in college can prove to be a painful task for them, especially if they have to take care of their kids and their jobs simultaneously. The good news is that financial assistance is available for such women through the help of free government grants. It has been observed that despite these grants being available, many women do not avail of them. The prime reason is they have no idea about it. According to their thoughts, only those who have become high school graduates recently can avail of such facilities provided by the government.
It is due to these notions and misunderstandings that a large percentage of women who have completed their high school course do not pursue their studies any further. Reports reveal that a good percentage of older women have availed of women's grants to complete their higher education, despite the fact that they were also facing the problems of time & energy, apart from finances too. Since these grants have been designed keeping the poor in mind, it is but logical that single moms hailing from poorest families get maximum financial help.
The amount of these women's grant is so much that they can easily help them to pay for the entire duration of their higher studies. Though every citizen of the USA is eligible to receive college scholarships and grants from the government, the maximum number of assistance is provided to those who hail from the poorer segment. This means that single moms and those from minorities stand to gain the most. It is not tough to find from where such loans are available. Searching the net will provide you further details. On being satisfied with any such women's grant, apply for them through the FAFSA website.
It is as simple as filling up an online form and then taking along the results to the college financial aid office. Even if the financial aid that you are directly receiving might not seem to be enough to cover up your higher education, you should know that these financial aids are also provided to you indirectly. Quite a number of such grants are sent directly minority colleges and women's colleges to help subsidize their operation. Remember, there are various channels of financial assistance and you should also check them too to avail the best.

Assistants Combine Work and School With Online Education

Oft time they are called a dentist's second pair of hands. They stand by the chair, applying suction when needed, handing the doctor the implements and in general keep the patient from bolting out of the office like a wounded deer. They are also helping ensure Americans have good dental hygiene. So it's no wonder the dental assistant is one of the fastest growing occupations in the U.S. and no wonder so many new assistants are training through online education.
While most dental assistants can find jobs with only a high school degree, there are still things they should know. Before getting out of high school one should take classes in biology and chemistry, be experienced with computers and have, for lack of better term, a good chair-side manner.
Still, sooner or later, they will have to advance their education if they really want to make this a career. Every state requires professional certification, but each also has its own standards. So consulting with a career counselor is a good idea. From there, there are two ways towards becoming an assistant.
The first is getting hired straight out of high school. Just note that each dentist has his or her own way of doing things, and even the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports an assistant will need a few months learning that. From there, the assistant must go to school for a degree and certification. This means enrolling in an online college so one keeps the job. It's not uncommon to get credits out of the deal, too.
The second way is to reverse the order; go to school first. Programs for assistants are offered by nearly 300 different institutions recognized by the Professional Dentistry Association, many of them from more reasonably priced online colleges and vocational schools. The program usually involves one to two years of classes, learning such things as the tools of the trade, techniques and terminology. These schools also help when it comes time to get state certified with test simulations. So there are some options out there.
As it stands, the demand for assistants is so high, many can easily find and hold down two jobs at the same time. There are that many openings. Also, and this is important for working parents, it's quite common to be able to get part time positions, so one can also raise a family.
The Bureau estimates the average dental assistant's salary at slightly over $32,000. They state the upper 10% bracket to go considerably higher, over $46,000. Over 90% of all assistants work in dentist's offices, but they can find work in hospitals and other similar institutions.
The biggest news is, again according the Bureau, that while there's over 300,000 dental assistants in the U.S. as of 2008, there is a need for an additional 36% - slightly over 100,000 - more by 2018. This makes the position one of the fastest growing in the country. When you consider that, that's quite incredible for a person who is only trying to improve their patient's teeth.