Elaine

The future of hypersonic aircraft will be an incredible leap for current human technology and yet there are issues to deal with such as Hypersonic Speed Control. How can you speed it up and slow it down without losing control and having the entire ship lost?

We must modify the exhaust cavity and intake during changes in speed and atmospheric density to maintain control, keep the combustion going and prevent radical changes in propulsion power causing gyrations or instability leading to departure of flight and break up of the aircraft. We must do this otherwise all is lost: Aircraft, crew and the future and promise of hypersonic flight.

Our aeronautics design team at the Online Think Tank believes that this can be done thru artificial intelligent super-computer generated sequences which morph the inside surface and or structure of the intake and/or exhaust cavity. I call this departure in current aerodynamic design my:

Rocket Exhaust Cavity Morphing for Flame Geometry Modification Theory

And my objective is to increase efficiency, stability and safety in hypersonic aircraft of the future thru a combination of available levers using the current boundaries of known science in the domains of aerodynamic design, haptics, mathematic combustion theory, acoustics and develop a scheme for modification of aircraft, flame and the airflow itself.

If we are to see scram jet technologies work to our satisfaction or reliable hypersonic flight in our lifetimes, then we must be thinking beyond the wind tunnel theories of days gone by. Indeed we must rise to the occasion. Think on it, it appears we are on to something here.

L. Winslow is an Economic Advisor to the Online Think Tank, a Futurist and retired entrepreneur. Currently he is planning a bicycle ride across the US to raise money for charity and is sponsored by http://www.Calling-Plans.com and all the proceeds will go to various charities who sign up.

One of the fastest ways to develop, build, and grow your own list of subscribers is to develop a "mini" course with an incredibly compelling promise.

I have personally used "mini" courses to build lists of several thousand subscribers in as little as a week.

A "mini" course is simply a series of e-mail's where you teach people a specific skill, set of skills, or reveal other information they really want to know.

In the process of providing this focused, valuable information, you prove to your subscribers that you are THE expert in a particular area - and, you also encourage people to pay you to get even BETTER information from ebooks and information products you've either written or recommend.

An example of a "mini" course offer I've used with great success is the free mini course at www.7dayebook.com that appears in the exit pop up window when you leave the site. The promise of this "mini" course is strong and compelling. Here's what it says...

FREE eBook Mini-Course

"How to Write and Profit from your own eBook... while you're still young enough to enjoy it!"

All the registration page asks for is first name and email address... and this mini-course has generated thousands of subscribers!

So here's the basic formula in a nutshell: Strong promise+ low risk+ high perceived reward= Subscribers

Now, if you'd like to build your own list of rabid subscribers, here are 5 sure-fire tips for creating a mini- course that truly kicks butt!

Tip #1 - The Promise

If you want to launch a successful mini-course, target an audience with a specific need and then make them the biggest possible promise you can deliver on.

People are pressed for time and rarely see as much value in something they get for free as opposed to something they pay a lot of money for.

Add to this the fact that the Internet gets more and more crowded everyday and you can see that the best offers are the ones that grab people's attention by making a benefit- driven promise they can't resist.

Even though you offer your mini-course for free, you still must SELL people on WHY they should pay you with their time and attention.

Example: If you want to do a mini-course on real estate investing, look for the biggest and best promise you can make for people.

Let's look at these various promises for identical mini- course content:

Good: How to make a fortune in foreclosures.

Better: How to find and buy a profitable foreclosure within 2 weeks.

Best: How to find and buy a profitable foreclosure property in your area within 2 weeks - using none of your own money!

** The promise you make has everything to do with whether or not people sign up. IMPORTANT: After they sign up, make sure you deliver on the promise.

Tip #2 - Don't reinvent the wheel

Look for existing content - your own or other people's - you can adapt directly or indirectly into the mini-course.

Hey, I understand you're busy... I'm busy too!

Why would you want to spend 2 days coming up with all the content for your mini-course if you already have past information you can adapt!?

If you don't have any existing material, then find someone else who has written an article and use that for part of your mini-course - with their permission of course.

You'd be surprised at all the pieces of the puzzle that are out there independently which you could combine into a great mini-course without nearly the mountain of effort you might expect.

Tip #3 - Give yourself lots of chances to make money

One way to build more value into your mini-course and make sure people hang onto your messages instead of deleting them is to put lots of quality links into your mini-course.

This allows people to get additional information on specific aspects of the mini-course.

Some of those links can be to free resources, others to resources where you earn an affiliate commission, and still others to your own products and services.

The more links you have that actually contribute to your students learning the subject of your mini-course and fulfilling the promise you made to get them to sign up, the better your chances of them clicking those links.

If you create lessons people save for future reference because they have great links in them, you'll make more money!

For an example look no further than your "in-box"! Almost everybody has email messages they've saved from other people because they contain links to sites you want to use now or access in the future.

Tip #4 - Build anticipation for the next message

If you're going to take the time to put together the mini- course, wouldn't it be great of the majority of people who subscribed actually read your messages!?

If you want to launch a successful mini-course, you've got to rise ABOVE the noise of all the other email messages people receive every single day.

One way to do this is to always end each lesson with a small "ad" or excitement builder for the next message. You do this by really playing up a big benefit they'll receive as a result of reading the next message you promise to send them.

Here's an example:

"The next and final installment in this mini-course will give you five tips for how to get 10,000 visitors to your website without spending a dime on pay-per-click traffic! So stay tuned for the next lesson in 2 days..."

It's a simple, yet very powerful way to build anticipation for the next message into EVERY message you send.

This simple step helps make them look forward to the next message so it gets read... not trashed!

Tip #5 - Tell them what they don't know!

If you're using the mini-course to promote a product that covers a much "bigger picture" of the topic as a whole, constantly remind people that the mini-course is just a "tiny piece" of the whole product.

Remind them of what else they need to know and tell them if they buy the product then they'll get this benefit, and that benefit, and even more specific information.

Remember, you didn't publish this mini-course to practice your typing skills! You are in this to make money, to get subscribers, and to make sales!

Once you deliver quality content that gives people a real taste of what's in store when they actually purchase, then it's time to close the sale... you deserve it!

Jim Edwards - All Rights Reserved

About the Author:

Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the co-author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how to use fr^e articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted visitors to your website or affiliate links...

Simple "Traffic Machine" brings Thousands of NEW visitors to your website for weeks, even months... without spending a dime on advertising! ==> "Turn Words Into Traffic"

Over the past few years, the use of Hoodia Gordonii as a weapon in the battle to lose weight has gained great popularity. In comparison to other health food and dietary supplements, Hoodia has been more widely accepted and has shown to have greater health benefits. The greatest advantage of using this plant is the fact that when taken it greatly decreases the users appetite. In fact it is better known as an appetite suppressant and greatly reduces ones caloric intake thus leading to rapid weight loss.

Hoodia producers claims that not only will it suppress ones appetite, but it will keep one healthy while also boosting ones energy levels. Many users of different appetite suppressants claim that they feel a great reduction in their energy levels. There is no known side effects when it is taken in its pure form, because there are no harmful stimulates that are often times found in other appetite suppressants.

For many years Hoodia Gordonii has been used as a food in Africa, and as mentioned above there have been no known side effects of when it is taken in its pure form. When Hoodia is mixed with other substances there could be some side effects as a result.

Where you purchase your Hoodia Gordonii from is very important. In its pure form is very expensive, and there are many websites that offer it online for a very cheap price. Beware of purchasing it from some of these websites as often times the product will contain very little amounts of Hoodia in them.

Hoodia Gordonii has undergone some research, but many herbal remedies are rarely tested and the effectiveness of them is often times debated. Hoodia often times will fall into the debate category, but Hoodia side effects are rare if any. There have been reports that Hoodia will act as an aphrodisiac and some users have even said that they will feel a slight buzz from using the product.

For the most part Hoodia is a relatively new appetite suppressant. In fact, there are over thirty different types of Hoodia and only Hoodia Gordonii is effective in suppressing the appetite. With a lack of any real side effects, it is regarded as a safe way of suppressing the appetite. Thousands upon thousands of users have praised it effectiveness in losing weight. As with any alternative or herbal remedy it is recommended that you consult with your doctor before taking it.

Be cautious that some products will claim to be Hoodia, but they will often times only contain trace amounts of the product in them. Be sure to check the product out and make sure that it is 100% Hoodia Gordonii. Remember, Hoodia in its pure form is expensive and you do not want to pay more for the product than you should.

Be sure that when you are purchasing Hoodia from an online supplier that the supplier deals exclusively in Hoodia products. All of these products should have clear labeling that will allow you to tell whether or not the product is pure Hoodia or if Hoodia is just one of the many supplements in the product.

More than 80% of all Hoodia Gordonii supplements on the market today are counterfeit. Hoodia Gordonii Exposed tells the truth about hoodia gordonii and expose the scammers. Visit us today at: Hoodia Gordonii

This technology has revolutionised many fields of work and especially since it has been extensively used in the field of education, this form of communication has shaped the way students receive their lessons and of course the ease with which lectures are given. The possibility to reach and educate students cross campus or cross-university sites has been made extremely easy with VoIP video conferencing technology. And, with the ability to broadcast to one or many sites locally or globally, has dramatically reduced costs in learning materials such as books and notes. Video conferencing software has been able to bring many specialist teachers together at the same time in different locations to address a group of students as a collaborative effort and share ideas with them in real time. Traveling costs and long distance appearances by teachers are really becoming a thing of the past.

Desktop video conferencing gives the opportunity for individuals and many users to work together with much the same capabilities as a room based video conference session. Desktop video conferencing equipment is becoming progressively smaller, cheaper, easier to install and run, and software is simpler and more user friendly. There are a few basic things that will have to be in place to setup desktop video conferencing. You will need hardware, software and transmission channel. Today the most cost effective means of communication is the VoIP (voice over internet protocol) platform.

Your hardware must comprise, either a personal computer (PC) or Apple Macintosh (MAC), a monitor or TV screen, a video capture camera, a microphone, loudspeakers or headphones, and video and audio codec. Great conferencing software like Hot Conference can be used as the software platform. With awesome audio, video and whiteboard capabilities and the fact that you dont have to worry about running out of seat room, Hot Conference is definitely a leader in the field of Desktop Conferencing Software.

Over the last 5 years there have been many reports written about the feasibility of video conferencing as a major player in the world of communications, both technically and financially. Issues ranging from technical, pedagogic, social and administrative have been raised. But the number one issue that seems to re-occur in all examinations is the setting up and conducting of a video conference session. Many have touched on the subjects but concerns are still raised about the fact that two parties cannot speak simultaneously. Only the party that initiated the conversation or the one who has the loudest audio transmission will be able to communicate, leaving the second party to wait his turn. Another major concern on this topic is the distinct delay in transmission, sometimes up to 2 seconds between the speakers audio transmission and video output seen on the other side.

The only answer for the near future is to make sure only one person speaks at a time, and in multi point video conferencing those who are not speaking should turn down their audio volumes, so that background noises are not transmitted. Background noise is constantly broadcasted making the audio transmissions continuous, in turn slowing the transmission. In a point-to-point video conference with multiple users, those that are not participating should keep quiet during transmission.

These technical issues certainly do not put a damper on the use of video conferencing as a viable way of communicating whether in the field of education, or business and even for personal use for that matter. In recent years the costs involved in setting up a video conference arena has certainly dropped, both hardware and software prices have levelled out to a point where even the average family can setup their own video conferencing network. However, a probing concern is still the major cost of ISDN line installations, telephone calls and telephone rentals for the majority of video conferencing setups. Those that have made the transition to VoIP have cut their conferencing costs dramatically. Desktop video conferencing is certainly moving in the right direction and even though there are still flaws in the technology it has rapidly gained momentum and will still continue to do so into the future.

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Author: Govindji Patel
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Today the two major types of photography sold on the market include assignment photography and stock photography. Photographs taken of a predetermined subject are called assignment photography, while stock photography is when one takes photos with the desire to find a future buyer.

Both Amateur and Professional photographers generally can sell both types, and while assignment photography typically takes care of their base costs they find it to be self-limiting in profit potential. Stock photos, however, while generally commanding a lower price, sell more often and to a wider market. A good site to sell your stock photos is PhotoDaisy.com

If you think you might want to try your hand at making money with stock photography, its a good idea to know what kind of photography interests you and in what aspect of photography you have talent. As you hone your skill, you can start to amass a stockpile of photos. That beautiful landscape pictures you took of the setting sun during last months trip to the beach, the pictures of your garden, or the pottery your spouse made, or with a written model release, even the pictures you shot of someone using a cell phone, or typing on a laptop can all be potential stock photos.

A magazine may be doing an article on gardens or on the dangers of driving while using a cell phone. A newspaper might need pictures of the local coastline. Take pictures of everything. Photos you have about police actions can be quite profitable. Other highly popular stock photo subjects also include certain types of plants, food, cars, and boats. Amass a photo library with varied photos. With your good stock photos, the possibilities are endless.

Often, however, photograph editors in magazines and newspapers often dont have the time or the inclination to expand much effort when buying stock photography. So basically you need to find someone who will market and sell your pictures for you. Think about this the larger the website, the less time a photo editor will have to spend looking for the right photo and the greater chance your stock photo will be viewed and possibly purchased.

In picking out a service to sell your stock photos you are looking for functionality and affordability. You will need to be able to sell your stock photos and the interface of the website must be one that is not only easy for you to upload your stock photos, but is also easy for those who wish to buy stock photos.

With the advent of the Internet, the business of buying stock photos and selling stock photos has greatly increased. Whether you are an amateur stock photographer or a professional stock photographer, the potential for making a profit from selling stock photos is substantial enough to warrant your attention.

About Photo Daisy.com

Photography enthusiasts and professional photographers provide a diverse collection of digital images for sale. Photo Daisy allows photographers to store, share, promote and sell their photos to those in need of Stock Photos.

We are on the web at http://www.PhotoDaisy.com

Have you ever considered what you might do if you lost everything that you own? Most folks do not think about this at all and yet their personal possessions rank pretty high on their lists of importance in their lives. Consider if you will all the things that you own and how important they are to you? If you lost them, could you afford to replace them? For most people the answer is no.

Personal Property Insurance is insurance for your Personal Possessions. If you consider that you like most people work hard to make money to buy the things you love and it gives you joy and happiness to have these things, but what if? And that is why there is personal property insurance and thus, perhaps you might look into getting some to protect your personal property. But you need to consult an expert on insurance so you can know what the coverages are and how these policies really work.

Some of my friends have actually gotten a video camera and photographed each and every item in their home and then cataloged it. Indeed, they then took all these digital pictures and video clips and backed them up on a peripheral hard drive which is now kept in a fire proof safe? Ask you insurance agent if that might be a good idea for you too?

I certainly hope this article is of interest and that is has propelled thought. The goal is simple; to help you in your quest to be the best in 2007. I thank you for reading my many articles on diverse subjects, which interest you.

"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington

Sometimes, you want to crop around an image with a complex shape. Most people do this in Adobe Photoshop or another image-editing program, but you can do it in PowerPoint if you don't have or know another program.

If you have PowerPoint for the Mac, the Picture toolbar has two lasso buttons that you can use. These are similar to the lasso tools found in image-editing programs and I wish that PowerPoint for the PC had them. But if you're on a PC, here's another option:

Let's say you'd like to crop around this photo, to remove the background.

Follow these steps:

1. Insert the image that you want to use. It needs to be a separate file, rather than pasted from the Clipboard.

2. Increase the zoom to at least 100%, more for a complex outline. Make sure that the entire image is on the screen. (Closing an open task bar helps.)

3. From the Drawing toolbar, choose AutoShapes>Lines>Freeform. (In 2007, use the Insert tab and click Shapes. Choose the Freeform button in the Lines section.)

4. Click anywhere along the edge where you want to crop and drag around the image (with the mouse button held down). For straight lines, you can release the mouse button and click at the end of the line. When you're back to the start point, release the mouse button and the freeform should complete itself.

Note: It doesn't have to be perfect; you can edit it later. Also, I must admit that using a mouse is somewhat awkward and I used instead a Wacom tablet with a stylus. This is the ideal tool for the job.

5. Double-click the freeform to open the Format AutoShape dialog box. (In 2007, this displays the Format tab.) Change the fill to No Fill, but leave the outline alone. (For this tutorial, I made the outline thicker, so you could see it clearly.)

6. Now you'll see some places that need to be adjusted. For example, on the right side of the image, the line is too far away from the collar and shoulder.

7. Select the freeform and on the Drawing toolbar, choose Draw>Edit Points. (In 2007, click the Format tab and choose Edit Shape>Edit Points. You now see lots of dots around the outline.

8. To adjust a point, click it and drag it to the desired location. You can also right-click a point that you don't want and choose Delete Point. Continue until your freeform closely follows the outline of the image.

9. Delete the image.

10. Double-click the freeform. Click the Fill Color drop-down list and choose Fill Effects. Click the Picture tab. (In 2007, click Shape Fill on the Format tab and choose Picture.) Choose the picture you chose before and click Insert.

11. The picture now fills the freeform. Because the freeform is the shape of the image (minus the background that you don't want), the result is to crop the picture!

12. Format the freeform again and set the outline to No Outline.

------ This article in its original form may have included images and/or other media. To see the original article, go to: http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/powerpoint_tip_crop_around_image.html

------ For more free PowerPoint tips, go to: http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/powerpoint_tip.html.

Ellen Finkelstein, is the best-selling author of How to Do Everything with PowerPoint 2007 (and previous editions for PowerPoint 2002 and PowerPoint 2003) Her award-winning Web site features loads of free tips on PowerPoint, the monthly PowerPoint Tips Newsletter, and the PowerPoint Tips Blog. Visit EllenFinkelstein.com

One of the most urban and populated cities in America, Boston is subject to the dangers that come with this description. Boston Schools have worked desperately to protect impressionable students from negative situations. Not only do Boston Schools focus on after school activities to occupy the time of students, they have reformed the in-school experience as well. The curriculum shakedown and new academic standards in Boston Schools have transformed the situation of many inner city students. These reforms were enacted to provide all urban area students with better educational experiences. This is why Boston Schools are often hailed as models of urban reform.

The effort to captivate students is certainly admirable, but how much can a student tolerate, especially when the student in question is a toddler? There has been a recent announcement that Boston Schools will begin work on an initiative to jump-start the childhood learning programs around the city. There are many early childhood educational facilities in existence, but Boston Schools are working to strengthen the potential of each one. Earlier learning experiences are supposed to motivate students later in life. But there is a growing concern that children are losing the chance to be kids. Are the Boston Schools robbing cradles in their effort to maintain the wave of reform?

Some say that this dedication is a prime example of how Boston Schools continue to better themselves and acknowledge the need for constant improvement. The point is not that Boston Schools are devoted to reform the point is who they are attempting to reform. Critics say you cannot be reformed until you have been formed. In the beginning it was first grade. Then there was kindergarten. Now there are multitudes of private pre-schools, some with annual tuitions too outrageous to believe. Boston Schools reform movement is an awesome effort and should in no way be abandoned. But perhaps a reconsideration of enthusiasm is in order.

Since 2005, Boston Schools have invested 7.5 million dollars in improving pre-k programs. Is there a need to rush children into the chaotic river of organized education at such a young age? The basic idea at the core of the issue is a good one: get parents and children invested at an early age so that they will be prepared for a disciplined academic career with the Boston Schools. But early childhood educators point out that not all learning comes from books and memorization. And for pre-schools much of it should come from play.

The aggressive approach to reform that Boston Schools show has made many improvements to urban education in recent years. Yet many parents and educators question how much is too much.

Patricia Hawke is an expert researcher and writer on real estate topics such as economics, credit improvement tips, home selling advice and home buying preparations and education for relocating families. For more information please visit Schools

This is by no means an exhaustive list of what's available in the area of prefabricated homes and buildings. This article is to introduce you to the world prefab. If you're in the industry, you'll probably be cringing about now at the word "prefab". But, the word is one that has become synonymous with homes and buildings that have been partially or fully assembled in a factory setting. I for one am excited to see the latest versions of modern prefabs emerging globally. They're well thought out, beautiful, and energy-efficient.

And to anyone who has any doubts about the quality of today's prefab homes, I'd ask, would you rather buy a house whose parts have all been crafted outdoors exposed to the elements -- by hand. Or, would you rather buy a house built in a factory setting to tight specs exceeding that of site-built homes. I say exceeding, because a normal site-built home doesn't have to endure the rigors of transportation.

For your review, here are quick descriptions of 10 of the many categories of prefab homes available for exploring at http://PrefabExpo.com - in no particular order:

1. Manufactured

Single-family residential dwellings consisting of one, two or more sectional units and constructed to Federal HUD code. Zoning regulations and ordinances of the local Municipality or County might not permit use of mobile and manufactured homes in all areas of their jurisdiction.

2. Modular

Modular refers to a method of building a home, rather than a type of home. A modular home can be built in a factory from a stock modular home plan or from a customized plan, to the state, local or regional codes of where the home will be set up. Modular homes have not typically experienced the zoning restrictions and discriminative ordinances applicable to manufactured and mobile homes.

3. Panelized

Panelized homes are factory-built homes in which panels whole walls with windows, doors, wiring, and outside siding are transported to the site and assembled. Panels are made from insulating foam sandwiched between two layers of structural material. The panels are lightweight and might already be filled with insulation when they arrive on the site. The homes must meet the state or local building codes of where they are sited.

4. Steel-frame

Steel framing is an equivalent to conventional stick frame or post & beam home design where the structural lumber is replaced by steel studs and trusses or steel posts and beams. Light-Gauge Framing System features screw-together, galvanized stud-and-truss, grid-type construction system built on 4-foot center.Red-Iron Metal Post & Beam Systems features bolt-together, pre-engineered post-and-beam-type framing system that uses the red-iron steel "C" beams on 8-foot center. The prefabricated home built with this method can be single-story, two-story, and even tri-level home. Unlike conventional wood framed home that requires interior walls to support the roof, the higher strength-to-weight ratio of steel house allows to span greater distances with less material and fewer supports. The result is higher floor layout and interior design flexibility.

Unlike wood, steel won't shrink, rot, warp, buckle, split, or be attacked by insects. This results in greater durability, lower long-term maintenance, higher energy efficiency and overall greater quality of this prefabricated home.

5. Precut

This category includes wood-framed factory-built houses or cabins where building materials are factory-cut to design specifications and transported to the site to be assembled. PrefabExpo.com presents prefab building kits designed as wood-framed (also known as balloon-frame, 2 x 4, 2 x 6 or stick-built construction) as well as prefabricated home kit / cabin kit using post-frame method. The homes or cabins must meet local or state building codes of the area where they will be sited.

6. Cedar

According to Katahdin Cedar Log Homes, cedar is aromatic to people, and problematic to insects: The heartwood of northern white cedar produces organic compounds called thujaplicins which create that fresh, pleasant cedar aroma. But to insect pests, such as moths and termites, cedar just plain stinks. Theyll avoid cedar homes and instead search out inviting, tasty pine structures.

Cedar home kits include everything you need to build the home, itself. That is to say, the walls, the floor, the ceiling, the windows and doors. But your foundation, plumbing and electrical system are not usually included in a kit.

7. Timberframe

Timber framing is a specific type of post and beam construction in which a frame is created from solid wood timbers that are then connected by any one of the following wooden joints: mortise and tenon, dovetails, or scarfs secured with hardwood pegs. The frame is covered with any one of a number of enclosure systems. Normally the timbers remain exposed to the interior of the building.

Timber frame structures exhibit a strength and aesthetic quality not found in conventionally framed houses. The timbers are pre-cut, shaped, and finished at the factory, then sent to the construction site, where they can be quickly assembled by a crew, routinely using cranes to lift the bents and beams into place. The use of quality wood, enhanced by joinery that compares with fine cabinet making, maximizes the strength of the timberframe structure. Joinery is the heart of the entire structure.

8. Log

Log homes provide their owners with a comforting and relaxing sense of informality and simplicity. The mass of logs produces heating and cooling benefits, and reduces noise transmission into and throughout the home. These are very attractive characteristics, but there are also challenges in construction and limitations in decorating. These aspects require special design considerations and have unusual maintenance requirements. Basic Kits Are...

WALLS ONLY: The walls-only log home package includes all the logs for the outside walls, including fasteners. Roof beams and staircases may be added.

STRUCTURAL SHELL: Shell This package includes everything that's in the walls-only package, plus all components necessary to keep the weather out, such as exterior doors, windows, and the roofing system.

THE COMPLETE PACKAGE: Complete packages also includes interior components required to finish log homes. Such items include interior walls, stairs, closets, interior doors and trim.

9. Circular

The circle is the strongest geometrical shape we recognize, and this factor likely influenced builders of circular homes for thousands of years. Prefabricated circular buildings have been built as cabins, studios, homes, offices or community halls and convention centers. Most of today's prefabricated circular homes and cabins offered across the country use conventional wood-frame or post & beam construction method. These homes and cabins are ideally suited to take the full advantage of locations offering exciting panoramic views, and to incorporate factor of the surroundings into the home design.

10. Dome

Geodesic Dome is using triangular networks forming hexagons and pentagons and creating a free-span, spacious environment of spherically shaped structure requiring no internal supports. This results in large flexibility for utilizing interior space to implement floor designs not limited by structural restrictions. Because of the structural strength of the shape, the domes have a far better record of withstanding tornados, hurricanes and earthquakes than cube-shaped structures of conventional homes. Advantages...

MATERIAL COSTS: Geodesic domes provide the greatest amount of floor area with the least amount of surface area, reducing the quantity of needed building material by as much as 30-50%.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY: As a result of the shape, the dome has approximately 30-50% less roof and wall area than cube-shaped home of equal floor space. This results in lesser area being exposed to the elements, resulting in reduction in heating and cooling costs of dome shaped structures. Also, the spherical shape of the dome facilitates natural air flow yielding more even temperatures maximizing overall interior temperature comfort.

Disadvantages...

As a result of complicated angles, the interior and exterior finishing of the dome (after speedy assembly of the prefabricated shell) is significantly more labor intensive than finishing the conventional house. Also, the finishing work requires highly skilled or specialized tradesmen which might not be available at every location. These factors might present welcoming challenge for skilled handyman - homebuilder, but would create substantial cost outlay if the hired labor is considered.

This piece was originally submitted by Diane Takahashi,who can be reached at prefabexpo@yahoo.com, or visited on the web. Diane is co-creator of http://PrefabExpo.com a subscription-based online database of prefabricated homes, cabins and buildings and their vendors.

Studies have linked risky behavior in teens to a variety of factors, including chemical imbalances, peer pressure, trauma, exposure to lead, too much protein and not enough carbohydrates, rejection by peers and television. Risky behavior has also long been identified with race and ethnicity and family income and structure. But in the fall 1998 issue of the Journal of American Psychology, neuropsychologist Deborah Yurgelun-Todd, Director of Neuropsychology and Cognitive Neuroimaging at McLean Hospital Brain Imaging Center, the psychiatric teaching hospital at Harvard University, linked risky behavior in teens to their underdeveloped prefrontal cortexes.

Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to compare the emotional processing of healthy 10- to 18-year-olds with that of normal adults, researchers focused on the level of brain activity in the amygdala, a region that guides instinctual or gut reactions, and the frontal lobe, the seat of rationalization and reasoning. They found that when young adolescents process emotion, the level of brain activity in the amygdala is higher than the activity in the frontal lobe. However, as adolescents progress into adulthood, there is an age-related shift: activation in the amygdala decreases while activity in the frontal lobe increases, according to the studys published results.

These results suggest that adolescents are more prone to react with gut instinct when they process emotions, but as they mature into early adulthood, they are able to temper their instinctive gut reaction response with rational, reasoned responses, says Yurgelun-Todd.

This gut instinct, combined with raging hormones, peer pressure and the stresses of lifeespecially in these times of terrorism and warcan equal some otherwise intelligent teens doing some stupid stuff, including experimentation with drugs and alcohol, self-injuring such as cutting, racing cars, playing chicken with traffic, unsafe sexual practices, acts of aggression or violence, petty crimes such as theft, etc.

And though in many ways, risk taking for teens is the normit is how they grow and develop and try new thingsrisk taking becomes a problem when it becomes a way of life. Robert W. Blum, MD, PhD, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Minnesota found in the study, Protecting teens: Beyond Race, Income and Family Structure, part of the congressionally mandated Nationally Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, known as Add Health, that unhealthy behavior in teens was linked to having close friends who drink or smoke or who are involved in weapon-related violence, having a friend who has attempted suicide and having problems with school work were linked to substance abuse, weapon-related violence and suicidal thoughts and attempts (for white and Hispanic students, in particular).

Blum says, Too many kidsrich and poorare left to their own devices. Kids need structure to grow and to be healthy. It is up to parents and educators and caring adults to provide that structure for teens and to help them make safe decisions.

Most teens risky behavior peaks between the hours of three and eight p.m., what some child psychologists have termed the witching hour. A report from the U.S. Attorneys Generals Office states, When we send millions of young people out on the streets after school with no responsible supervision or constructive activities, we reap a massive dose of juvenile crime.

Other risky behaviors for teens, besides crime, that increase during the after school hours include tobacco usage, illegal drug usage, firearm play, drinking and drunk driving and sexual activity, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.

Some parents and health care professionals may think that religion keeps kids from risky behaviors, but researchers at Pennsylvania State University found that adolescents who were more religious were healthierYet, in some cases, oddly, being religious actually increased a teens risky behaviorAdolescents with religious parents were more likely to report driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol. These teens were also less like to wear seatbelts. Researcher Grace ONeill says, Logic would say this is backwardbut religious people tend to believe, If Im going to die, Im going to die.

So what can parents do to help their risk-taking teens, especially during this time of high stress from terrorism, war, crime increases, etc.? University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign researchers suggest parents start by working with issues that are less controversial and threatening, to provide teens with relatively safe opportunities to practice their decision-making skills. For example, let your teen determine which after-school activities to participate in. This way your teen gets to make a decision for himself and also finds something positive to occupy his time during some of the witching hours. Other safe decisions you may permit your child to make include hair color, number of earrings, etc.things that arent life-threatening and can be easily changed. By starting with smaller decisions that allow your teen to develop his sense of self as well as his decision-making skills, you are helping him build positive lifelong learning patterns.

Like in some many other areas of your teens life, open and nonjudgmental communication can be the key to limiting risky behavior, both in the frequency of occurrence and in the scope (amount of danger) of the behavior. Most of life is about taking risks; it is how we grow, develop, explore and learn. By maintaining a positive family environment and by modeling positive risk-taking, we can help our teens through this risk-taking, prefrontal cortex developmental time.

Jill L. Ferguson is a writer, editor, public speaker and professor of Creative Writing, Literature and Communication at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She writes often about parenting and teen topics. In the 1990s, she worked as a substance abuse and violence prevention consultanat. Her novel about teenage angst, Sometimes Art Can't Save You, was published in October 2005 by In Your Face Ink LLC (http://www.inyourfaceink.com).