Garret

In the state of Florida, there are some building codes that are laid down to ensure the safety of all the homes built in the state during the hurricane season.

All the home builders in the state of Florida are required to comply with these building codes before they get the home approved for occupancy. This ensures that all the homes built in the state of Florida meet certain building requirements.

Upon the completion of the home, the Florida state officials inspect each home to check for code compliance.

After Hurricane Andrew devastated Homestead in 1992, there was a major overhaul in Florida building code. Since then, in most of the Florida counties, the home builders are only allowed to build homes that can withstand a Category 2 hurricane. Category 2 hurricanes are those with winds less than 120 mph.

The Florida counties who adopted the code which stated that all homes be built to withstand a Category 4 storm constitute the minority. Hurricane Katrina is an example of Category 4 storm.

Now-a-days, additional hurricane protection is being offered to the Florida home buyers. Some home builders in the Florida state take the initiative to go above and beyond in the type of hurricane protection they provide to their home buyers. This kind of protection is referred to as the "Above-Code protection.

In above-code construction, homes are steel reinforced and have solid concrete walls and foundations, additional roof trusses, and impact resistant windows. Such Above-code homes are able to withstand winds of at least 140 mph, that is, winds of the Category 4 storm strength.

The solid concrete construction is to ensure protection against leaks and flood damage.

Home builders offering these kind of above-code homes can be found by searching online, local real estate listings or by obtaining referrals from a Florida realtor.

Leasing and Renting versus Buying - Answers From a Las Vegas Buyer Agent - leasing and renting

Have you ever thought about taking a dude ranch vacation? You will find that it could be the best experiences that you may ever have. You will be able to experience things you cant get in the city and youll be able to understand what it means to be free. Youll experience the coolness of the air in your hair and the beautiful of nature. You can let go of all your stress and worries when you go on a dude ranch Vacation. Have you ever watched the movie series The City Slickers? In that movie, they all learned how to appreciate what life has given them and let go of all their worries. For two weeks they thought about nothing but their trip an they learned a lot of themselves and had some good times and bad times, but they enjoyed it. There is tons of things that you will want to do to prepare yourself for the trip.

Dude ranches have been explored for decades. There are a lot of tourists that get to the west by train to see what the west has to offer, however, for those who have settled in the area, they have forgotten how beautiful that the area is. Most of those who visit the dude ranch will end up doing various tasks to run the ranch and they will even get out into the wide open range. They will have programs for you to become apart of and youll find that the work is a lot harder than you think, but hard work is all what being cowboy or rancher is about.

The first thing that you will need to do to prepare yourself for your trip is to choose the ranch. When you are researching, you will find that there are thousands of ranches for you to go and visit. The first thing that you will want to do is narrow down an area of the country or state that you would like to go. For Dude Ranches you will want to look at places like Montana, South Dakota, Wyoming, California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and also parts of Canada. These locations will give you a chance to participate in the activities of the ranch and youll be able to find a lot of fun and excitement to enjoy.

When it comes to choosing the dude ranch, you will find that the prices of the trip will vary greatly. You will want to look into the prices and the accommodations that the prices include. You will want to make sure that you make the best decision for your budget and for your trip.

Once you have made your choice or selection, you will want to start looking forward to the entire trip. You will find that some of the trip will be on the ranch and some will be on the open range, depending on what you want, youll want to decide the type of ranch that you would like to visit.

You will want to enjoy your trip and make the most out of the new experience. The activities are standard, but you never know what you may be able to find online and you will want to make sure that you have made a decision that you would like to deal with.

Many of the activities that you will engage in include things like hiking and learning the rope of the ranch. You will find hat the Dude Ranches are located throughout the country. Many of the ranches are near national parks and public lands. You will be able to plan a lot of interesting sites in your trip when you take yourself to a dude ranch. You will leave with more knowledge then you could ever imagine. You will learn how to let go of the city and you will be able to appreciate nature. You will find that there are ranches next to fishing areas and youll really be able to let go of everything. Even if you are in the middle of no where you are going to see a lot of beautiful sites and you are going to learn a lot about natures. You will find that it will well worth your trouble when you get a fish on the hook.

You will find that there are lot that you can learn from the nature and the history of the nature. You will find that the activities you will engage in will give you a lot more than just entertainment, but you will be able to learn and grow from your experiences. Most ranches even offer you an overnight trip so that you can get the feeling of a real cowboy. You can take a horse out sing songs and enjoy the country side. You can have a very cowboy of a time. You will find that sleeping under the stars can bring you back to reality and youll become thankful for what you have. You will find when nigh falls you will find how cowboys relax. Most ranches also have hot tubs and pools for those who would rather relax like a star than a cowboy.

Peter Mason repeatedly produces papers on ideas related to Murcia and La Manga. His publications on La Manga and Torrevieja are found on his web publications.

Brain cancer is a very difficult cancer. It is typically hard to detect and not usually found until some form of motor skills are affected. These tumors have the capacity to grow fast and spread in an aggressive manner, which is known as metastasis. They grow out of control and push out normal healthy cells with devastating effects. Brain tumors are difficult mainly because of the brain tissue they are around. Other types of cancer are much more easily removed and can be accessed much easier than going through your skull and operating around your brain tissue (which can be easily damaged from the procedure). Data shows that the incidence of brain cancer due to metastasis is around 25% of all brain cancers.

Certain symptoms could be indicative of brain cancer. They are chronic headaches, weakness, difficulty in walking, seizures, clumsiness in actions, reduced memory or concentration, nausea and vomiting, vision defects, speech difficulty and other motor skill difficulties. Brain cancer treatment is typically individual-specific. The physician would take into consider the age and general health condition of the patient, along with the size, type and location of the tumor. Brain cancer treatment involves consultation with several specialists like neurosurgeons, oncologists, radiologists, dieticians, and physiotherapists, apart from the primary physician.

Brain cancer treatment is normally done by surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy or a combination of these three methods. A benign tumor could safely be removed by surgery. A modern method of surgery, which is a knifeless technology, is training of high-energy radiation from different angles on the tumor. The recovery time is much shorter in this gamma knife' surgery. However, before the surgery is done, the doctor might prescribe a steroid medication to relieve swelling or an anticonvulsant drug to prevent or reduce seizures.

Radiation therapy could be of two types, external and internal. In external therapy, the brain tumor is targeted with high-energy radiation beams. This treatment is given for a few minutes for 5 days a week and for 4 to 6 weeks, depending on the size and type of tumor. Internal radiation is done by implanting a small radioactive capsule inside the tumor. This treatment might take several weeks and would require hospitalization for that period.

Chemotherapy is the administration of a powerful drug or a combination of such drugs to kill tumor cells. Chemotherapy is normally done in 2 to 4 cycles of treatment, each cycle consisting of a short period of intense medication with enough rest and recovery period after that. However, chemotherapy is not suitable for most brain cancer patients, because very few chemotherapies cross the blood brain barrier so it is useless to give them, and the stronger the medications the more side effects that will cause other consequences and effects on the body. .

Even after undergoing brain cancer treatment, regular follow-up tests and checkups are needed to make sure that there is no recurrence of brain cancer. The physician would also watch the long-term effect of the treatment for corrective action, if needed. The success rate is typically less than 10%.

Darren Dunner is the author of this article on brain cancer treatment.

Visit today http://www.facr.org for more information on the subject.

(Special from The Dallas Examiner; Member NNPA) Man on a mission: Side-stepping the legislature, Governor Rick Perry recently mandated that all Texas schoolgirls entering the sixth grade receive vaccination for the Human Papillomavirus. That mandate is causing quite a stir, but Perry asserts that the mandate is necessary. Requiring young girls to get vaccinated before they come in contact with HPV is responsible health and fiscal policy that has the potential to significantly reduce the cases of cervical cancer and mitigate future medical costs, said Governor Perry.

Governor Perry also directed state health authorities to make the vaccine available free to girls 9 to 18 who are uninsured, enrolled in Medicaid or the Childrens Health Insurance Program or whose insurance does not cover vaccines. In addition, he ordered that Medicaid offer Gardasil to women ages 19 to 21 and Dallas County Health and Human Services has been prompt to respond to the Governors orders. DCJJS currently offers the Human Papillomavirus vaccine through its adult immunization clinic.

DCHHS wants to provide the vaccine as a weapon against the deadly form of cancer, said Zachary Thompson, DCHHS Director. According to the Texas Cancer Registry, there were approximately 1,169 new cases and 391 deaths from cervical cancer in Texas in 2006. DCHHS is awaiting shipment of the HPV vaccine for children through the Texas Vaccine for Children program and will make a formal announcement when it becomes available.

HPV is harmless in most cases: Many know that the vaccine has been tested for safeness and effectiveness against HPV. But what many do not know is that, according to the Center for Disease Control, HPV infection, in most cases, is harmless. In fact, 90 percent of infections are fought off by the bodies own immune system, rendering the infection inactive or causing it to dissolve on its own. But, there are other strains of HPV that are deemed as high-risk because the virus may, in rare cases, develop into persistent infecti9on that can progress to cervical cancer if left untreated (There are more than 100 known strains of HPV, 30 of these are sexually transmitted and are defined as genital HPV). It is estimated that fewer than 4000 Americans die from HPV related cervical cancer yearly. So why the need for an executive order which is used in times of crisis and emergency?

Justification: According to the Supreme Court: It is basic that no showing merely of a rational relationship to some colorable state interest would suffice (in reference to use of executive powers); in this highly sensitive constitutional area, only the gravest abuses, endangering paramount interests, give occasion for permissible limitation, Thomas v. Collins, 323 U.S. 516,530. Furthermore, Sherbert v. Verner (1963) posits that before executive powers can be used it must meet a three question litmus test which looks at the following questions: 1. government infringement with respect to its proposed action, 2. if the government has a compelling state interest which justifies government intervention and finally, 3. if compelling interests do not exist are there alternative means by which the government can achieve its goal and thus not burden the citizenry. The question is has the government determined this infection cannot be avoided by behavioral change and has chosen to shift the focus toward vaccination? And, if so, is mandatory vaccination against a disease that is largely sexually transmissible really the answer or is there a larger problem?

Clinical Trials: In initial clinical trials, Merk tested over 20,000 females, giving half of them placeboes and the other half Gardasil. The subjects were followed for approximately four years. More noteworthy, a little more than 1000 subjects, ages ranging from 9 to 16 years of age were a part of the trials and they were followed for only 18 months. Both in the placebo and in the vaccine groups, there are reports of adverse reactions. Gardasils own package insert sites as some of the adverse reactions reports of arthritis, headaches, dizziness, nausea, and pain at the injection site. Page 12 of the Merck package insert also cites 102 incidents of serious, adverse reactions such as headaches, dizziness, juvenile arthritis, gastroenteritis, appendicitis, pelvic inflammatory disease and includes 17 deaths out of 21,464 subjects. Merck concluded these deaths have nothing to do with their product. The test group was followed for a period of four years, raising doubts that as to whether Gardasil prevents anything, especially since the incubation period for the infection is about 20 years and usually presents in women in their late 30s and 40s. The only thing known with certainty is the short-term effects of this vaccine. Additionally, the study did not address carcinogens (any potentially cancer causing agent) or genotoxicity (a chemical or agent that causes damage to cellular DNA which can result in mutations or cancer).

Merck's troubled past: Gardasil is made by Merk, a giant pharmaceutical manufacturer. Merck received licensing for Gardasil from the Food and Drug Administration in June of 2006, while the vaccine was still in clinical trials. In Gardasils own packing insert, it asserts that HPV types 16 and 18 are the cause for 70 percent of cervical cancer and Gardasil is reported to be affective against these implications for types 11 and 6. Mercks package insert goes on to explain that women will continue to need regular cervical cancer screenings and that the vaccine may not protect everyone, raising questions as to whether this vaccine really is 100 percent effective. Merck is the same manufacturer of the drugs Fosomax and Vioxx, pharmaceutical nightmares for Merck and company that have left the company reeling from lawsuit settlements. It is estimated between 88,000 to 139,000 have suffered heart-attacks or strokes as a result of taking the drug Vioxx and more than 55,000 have died. Merck continued to defend Vioxx even after it had been pulled from shelves, better than four years from when they knew there were problems.

According to The San Francisco Chronicle, Dr. David Graham, the scientist and 20 year FDA veteran, that blew the whistle on Merck & Co., said at a Senate hearing in 2004 that policies by the FDA had left the American public virtually defenseless against the kind of safety problems that led to Vioxx abrupt withdrawal in September 2004. Fox News.com reported that in his testimony, Graham said, the FDAs Office of New Drugs unrealistically maintains a drug is safe unless reviewers establish with 95 percent certainty that it is not. That rule does not protect consumers, Graham told the Senate committee. What it does is it protects the drug, he said. Additionally Graham told the Senate Finance Committee, I would argue the FDA, as currently configured, is incapable of protecting America against another Vioxx. According to Reuters, in the same hearing, Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, an Iowa Republican also raised concerns regarding the reliability of the FDA, saying he feared the FDA had become too intimately involved with drug companies and thought an independent office of drug safety might be need.

In an interview with CBS News Correspondent, Sharyl Attkinson, Dr. Graham characterized the FDA fostering as a work environment where supervisors intimidate employees when they bring attention to products that have questions with regard to safety. In the interview, he discussed problems not only with Vioxx and Fosomax, but also Bextra, Meridia, Crestor, Accutane, and Serevent. Were Gardasil to prove to be another Merck disaster, Governor Perrys mandate requiring Gardasil to be offered under the vaccine for childrens law which will create total immunity from lawsuits from lawsuits from those who take Gardasil and experience adverse or even life threatening reactions. This is because the Federal Vaccine Liability program shields pharmaceuticals that develop vaccines.

We were first introduced to the Gardasil vaccine through what is commonly known as direct-to-consumer marketing. says a mother with her young child in the background, in a Merck commercial. O-N-E-L-E-S-S! I want to be one less, one lessis chanted by children while skipping rope and playing. Who wouldnt want to vaccinate their children against cervical cancer? It is a manufacturers way of first, raising awareness about its newest product and secondly, encouraging consumers, when visiting the doctors office, to ask for their product and to ask for it by name. If this were a game of poker, one might say it was the only hand that Merck had left to play if it were going to stay afloat financially. In a 2005 interview with Jim Lehrer of NPR, a representative from Merck Pharmaceuticals reported that because of financial hardships (largely attributed to trade mark expiration of Zocor, a cholesterol medication, and lawsuits from Fosomax and Vioxx), Merck, by 2008, would be closing seven manufacturing sites and laying off approximately 11 percent of its workforce. Ironically, 2008 is when the Governors mandate is to take affect. There is no word yet on whether sell of the Gardasil vaccine will off-set the financial disparities experienced by Merck & Co.

A costly venture: Gardasil is given in a series of three shots at $140.00 per shot ($420 in total). Some private doctors are already offering the vaccine, others are not stocking for reasons such as: too expensive to store and refrigerate or they have to charge a surcharge in case the insurance company does not pay. Gardasil is currently covered by some insurance companies, but others are waiting until there is more information about the drug (USA Today). But if the vaccine is indeed mandated under the Childhood Vaccination Program, this will guarantee profits for Merck both immediately and in the future as there is sure to be a need for a booster. After all it is a vaccine, said Dr. Edwards of the Texas Association of Ob-Gyns. This is a fact that has had little to no discussion in the public arena. Deputy Press Secretary for Governor Perry, Krista Moody, declined to respond to questions about the vaccine mandated by the Governor, stating, I believe your attached questions should be directed to the CDC, FDA or Merck, as they relate to specifics for drug research and testing. Both Christopher Loder, Media Relations Officer for Merck & Co. and Heidi Robello, FDR Media Relations agreed to answer questions presented to them in writing, but to date neither has responded.

In summary: The public is being told that the Gardasil vaccine should be hailed as a cure for cervical cancer, but this vaccination is not a cure for cancer. It is a vaccination purported to protect against two of over 100 different strains of HPV, with implications for two more. Furthermore, sexually active men and women, boys and girls can still continue to transmit.

Marian Hubbard Jefferson is the Chair of Lift Every Voice Family and Community Development Project, a nonprofit charity formed to empower, equip and encourage adult survivors of child sexual assault. Marian holds a Masters Degree in Counseling from Prairie View A&M University in Texas.

To learn more about Lift, its passion, mission and purpose; please log onto http://www.marianjefferson.org

GETTING READY FOR THE ENCOUNTER

Have you ever wondered how we sometimes tie ourselves in knots over seemingly simple matters? Ask a 100 guys What is it the most difficult thing in life? and when you get down to the brass tacks, you will find that 99 of them are bewildered about the right approach to take with a woman they want to spend more time with. And the 100th guy will be unsure of how to juggle the many women in his life because he loves them all!!

This is something that is not taught in any school or university, but can be learned by following a few fundamentals the first of which is that There is no fixed formula for seducing the women. Nonetheless, there are certain dos and donts that can help you along the way. Ultimately it will be your personal magnetism which will pave the way. Most guys dont have it at first, but most manage to get it and develop it with practice and patience.

Each woman is unique and needs a different approach. If you appear to be following a set script, you might as well pack up and go home. But it would help if you had 50 different scripts prepared and can decide early in the game as to which one may work with your intended approach.

Preparation?? I can see some of you wrinkling your nose Not Fair

Why not? I ask you.. Seduction is a serious pursuit and not to prepare for it would tantamount to hara-kiri. Preparation will boost your confidence and working different approaches in advance will give you the flexibility to change your strategy mid-way.

Preparation :

Know Yourself

What are your weaknesses? What are your strengths? What can you talk about apart from your work and yourself? How much time and money are you willing to spend? How can you camouflage your weaknesses? How can you be subtle about your strengths, while getting her interested, also demonstrate being human by admitting a personal flaw, all at the same time?

Know Her

What are her likes & dislikes? Know her weaknesses so that you can ignore them at the right moment. Which of your strengths will appeal to her? What is about her that fascinates you? This again is very important. No girl will appreciate a man who tries to keep looking down her cleavage just because you think she has wonderful knockers. Right?

Check Compatibility, Be Realistic

It can be terribly hurtful to try for a female just because you have a crush on her, regardless of compatibility of chemistry or atmosphere. Usually, people find it easier to interact with their own kind, which is why whenever two strangers meet, they try to establish what they have in common. But, contrary to the popular belief, a common background is not important, a common interest is. And your first target is to arouse interest and see that it becomes a mutual thing.

Define Your Target

Why do you want to seduce her? Just to pass the time? Good company? Sex? Business? Marriage? For showing off? I know, I know what you are going to say. I know that most of the times all roads of seduction ultimately lead to bed. But not always. Again, be honest with yourself. How long do you desire her company. A few hours, a night, a day, a week, lifetime?

Decide your approach strategy

This is the most important part of preparation and deserves a full article to itself.

In the later parts I will list some of the questions that you always wanted to ask but were afraid to, and will try to provide answers.

Success with women is not something everyone has, yet you can learn the art of seduction and how to seduce a woman the right way and even leave her better off then when you found her.

When it comes to gaining a higher education, online opportunities are quickly becoming one of the most popular options around. If it's not the user friendly features of online learning, then it's the cost effective aspects that appeal to the average working adult. This is the person who is greatly interested in the benefits that come from a higher education, just not the rigid schedules and the pricey tuitions that tend to go with it. The benefits of online learning go beyond time and cost to offer a sense of accomplishment once the new Associate's, Bachelor's or Master's degree is in hand.

With technology consistently changing the shape of the landscape of nearly everything, the history of e-Learning has evolved and continues to evolve into great legitimacy in the world of education. While conventional classrooms still have their place, the virtual classroom is seeing more and more students each year. With the accreditation of online schools offering not only a number of degrees and qualifications, the opportunity for financial aid also makes online venues even more attractive. For some, there is just no beating the practical experience one receives in online degree programs. This is especially true when career advancement hangs in the balance.

Whether opting for a particular qualification or needing to get a general education online, prospective students will find just the right courses they need in almost every subject. For some, online education can offer a chance to either broaden horizons or narrow down career options. Selecting a variety of subjects can help define a career path when a student finds they gravitate more toward certain subjects more than others. Often, online credits are considered transferable and can help in achieving one's degree.

It is doubtful that distance learning could have ever reached the level of effectiveness that it has without the help of the internet. Though this type of learning has been in place for a great number of years, it is the information superhighway that has changed the face of education from a distance forever. Where students waited weeks and months for correspondence from distant universities, one now merely needs to take a few seconds to log on to their virtual campus to get assignments. The virtual learning environment provides not only learning tools but collaborative software featuring such options as chat, discussion boards and even audio-conferencing. This can make long distance learning seem like anything but.

The advent of computer-based testing allows for students to gauge their skills and focus attention right where they need it. This leads to another bonus in the world of online education in the form of handy online tutoring. Students will find that supplemental learning options are readily available to those who may need the extra help from time to time. Many have come to realize that the only way to get around the frustration that sometimes comes with learning new skills is understanding the material better.

Most online programs generally consist of CBT (computer-based training), WBT (web-based training), interactive media, educational animation and a whole slew of other types of educational technology. Rapidly improving technology continues to develop these features at every turn, making online learning more and more efficient. Learning management software allows students to take control of their education and organize it right down to the specifics of career planning using ePortflios.

Of all the things the internet has proven itself to be useful for, online and distance learning continue to make their appearance at the very top of the list. The ability to cut across the distances in the blink of an eye and share common information also crosses the borders of the amazing. Every new technological enhancement ensures there will be no stopping the world of continuing education.

Steven Ross owns and operates http://www.highereducationonlinereport.com Visit His Site To Read Many More Articles About Higher Education Online