The benefits of Botox injections are obvious to most of us. Reduced wrinkles, and crow s feet. The disappearance of frown lines, and other markings around the neck. But at what cost are we putting ourselves through this. Is this the only way to reduce some of our aging appearances. While unknown to some there are risks associated with receiving Botox Injections. Botox is closely related to botulism, and some of the side effects can be quite dangerous. Side effects as simple as bruising or nausea can occur but more serious events such as Dysphasia a verbal impairment or Ptosis an abnormal paralysis in various muscles near and around the injection site can occur. The other downside while not dangerous from a medical standpoint but more a financial one is that Botox injections do not last a long time. More over the positive effects of the injection will begin to wear off after a three or so months. Meaning you may find yourself receiving Botox three or four times a year. Is this a painful procedure you actually want to go through that often. The good news is there are...

We ve just passed the midway point of 2006. A survey of leading department stores shows that children age 12 years old and below have diverse tastes and preferences when it comes to their favorite toys. The following are among those that have been frequently mentioned. Garfield and Friends Volume 5 Among children aged 5 to 8, the most popular toy is this video collection of episodes from creator Jim Davis family-favorite cartoon. This is no surprise since Garfield is the most widely syndicated comic strip character in the world. Volume Five is the final volume of the series and includes the entire 1993-1994 seasons. Strawberry Shortcake World of Friends Another favorite of the 5-to-8 year old set is this delightful video from 20th Century Fox that features Strawberry Shortcake and her new pals from other parts of the world. The videois set in Paris, France and is an effective vehicle for teaching children about the value of friendship. My First Sewing Kit Among children aged 7 to 12 years old, this kit from toy manufacturers Alex ranks as the most popular for 2006...

Let s make business reporting simple again. In the age of information, many of us are experiencing information overload. There is such a thing as gathering and presenting too much data, and the business world struggles to present information in a rich, powerful, and stimulating manner without crossing the information overload threshold. Remember when you were young and just conquering the skill of reading. Sure reading was fun, and our minds processed a lot of information from the words that we read, but didn t the illustrations in the books have a more lasting affect. The old saying reminds us a picture is worth a thousands words. We can use words to describe a situation, but a picture really encapsulates the ideas we are trying to get across. We can apply this lesson to the business world. When presenting information to a conference room full of business professionals we are eager to first obtain, and then retain their attention. This can be achieved through pictures. Now, I am not suggesting that you take your doodling and add it to your presentation, but what I...

If the avian flu virus mutates so that the disease can be transmitted from one human to another, we will face a pandemic with the potential to kill a billion people worldwide. It is important for people to educate themselves, their family and their neighbors about bird flu and the concrete steps they can take now can to lessen the spread of the disease. Waiting to prepare for a pandemic is like waiting for a category five hurricane to come ashore before racing to the lumber yard for plywood. A pandemic is even more dangerous than a localized natural disaster because a virus can be transported by airplane to virtually anywhere in the world within a matter of days. Pandemic preparation has two integral components. First, you should have a basic 3 day emergency kit, just as you would for an earthquake, storm, hurricane, or other disaster. The only difference in preparing for a pandemic is that you should extend the level of preparation to last much longer. The flu lasts approximately two weeks, but it can conservatively take 6-8 weeks for it to go through a population...