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Make Money On The Internet

2007-07-05T21:57:00.000-07:00

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Kiem Tien tren mang voi Google

2007-06-11T23:46:00.000-07:00

Đa số những quảng cáo kiểu “kiếm tiền trên mạng” đều không đáng tin hoặc không bõ công. Tuy nhiên, nếu việc đó xuất phát từ một công ty có uy tín như Google thì chúng ta hãy yên tâm rằng thành quả lao động của chúng ta sẽ được đền đáp. Dịch vụ Google Adsense không yêu cầu bạn click vào đâu cả mà chỉ thống kê xem các quảng cáo của họ đặt trên trang web của bạn có bao nhiêu người viếng để tính tiền chi trả cho bạn mà thôi. Do vậy một khi bạn đã được Google chấp nhận bạn thì bạn đã có cơ hội thu nhập lớn từ dịch vụ này của Google AdSense
"Quan trọng: Trước khi tham gia bạn đừng nóng vội, hãy click chuột vào bảng mầu vàng bên tay trái màn hình của trang này xem google Adsense mang đến cho bạn điều già trước đã, và bạn lên nghiên cứu kỹ trước khi đăng ký nếu có gì không hiểu hãy liên lạc với tôi theo địa chỉ:Đỗ Văn Sửa mail: dvsktv@yahoo.com; mobil:0957879838 để được trợ giúp vì nếu bạn không tuân thủ những gì goole quy định thì sẽ không bao giờ bạn có cơ hội hợp tác với một tập đoàn lớn nhất thế giới này.

Điều hạn chế mà chúng ta gặp phải đầu tiên là dịch vụ này của Google chưa chấp nhận các site có nội dung không phải tiếng Anh. Vì thế nếu bạn sử dụng một site có nội dung tiếng Việt để đăng ký thì sẽ không được chấp nhận. Trong khi chờ đợi điều này được thay đổi, có một cách để Google chấp nhận là sử dụng blog của chính Google.

Để tạo cho mình một blog của Google, bạn hãy truy cập vào http://blogspot.com. Để việc đăng ký blog được nhanh chóng, tốt nhất bạn nên có một tài khoản Gmail (đăng ký miễn phí tại http://gmail.com). Sau khi có một tài khoản Gmail, bạn vào trang http://blogspot.com và chọn Create Your Blog Now. Tại đây bạn hãy tiến hành điền đầy đủ các thao tác nhập thông tin như bình thường.

Sau khi đã hoàn thành cho mình một trang blog, bạn sử dụng địa chỉ blog của mình để đăng ký với Google. Để đăng ký tham gia chương trình này của Google, bạn hãy bấm vào bananer có chữ Earn money by showing whit google Adsense ở phía trên trang web này bạn có thể rễ dàng nhình thấy. Sau khi nhấp chuột vào đó bạn hãy đang ký với google một form xuất hiện để bạn điền các thông tin cá nhân vào. Điều lưu ý là bạn phải điền hoàn toàn chính xác các thông tin cá nhân của mình với Google để tiện việc giao dịch sau này. Google sẽ hoàn toàn giữ bí mật cá nhân của bạn.

Ở mục Website URL, hãy điền địa chỉ của blog mà bạn đã đăng ký ở blogspot (ví dụ: http://example.blogspot.com), còn ở mục Website language thì bạn chọn ngôn ngữ cho site của mình là tiếng Anh. Mục Account type bạn chọn Individual (Bussiness dành cho các website thương mại), và mục Country or territory thì bạn chọn Vietnam.

Toàn bộ các mục còn lại là các mục về thông tin cá nhân của bạn. Bạn phải đảm bảo các thông tin này là chính xác để khỏi trở ngại cho việc giao dịch về sau này.

Để được chấp nhận, bạn phải đồng ý với các điều lệ của Google Adsense khi tham gia chương trình, bạn phải đánh dấu chọn vào toàn bộ các ô kiểm ở mục Policies. Cuối cùng bấm nút Submit Information để hoàn tất.

Google Adsense sẽ hỏi lại bạn lần cuối về các thông tin của mình trước khi hoàn thành việc đăng ký. Sau khi đăng ký, bạn phải mất khoảng 1 đến 2 ngày để Google Adsense kiểm tra lại mẫu đăng ký của bạn và quyết định có chấp nhận bạn tham gia chương trình hay không.

Để Google Adsense chấp nhận bạn thì site bạn đã đăng ký với Google phải là trang có nội dung, nghĩa là bạn phải chăm chỉ post bài lên trang blogspot của mình (tất nhiên nội dung phải là tiếng Anh). Mẹo: Bạn có thể vào một số báo tiếng Anh, trích xuất nội dung đem lên blog của mình (nhớ đề xuất xứ cho nghiêm túc).

Sau khi được Google Adsense chấp nhận, bạn đã có một tài khoản tại google adsense với tên truy cập là email bạn đã sử dụng để đăng ký và mật khẩu bạn đã chọn. Sau khi đăng nhập vào tài khoản thì có một số mục cần lưu ý sau:

1. Report: là bản báo cáo hàng ngày, hàng tuần, hàng tháng... với số tiền bạn kiếm được.

2. Ad Settings: là phần để bạn thiết lập những banner quảng cáo sao cho phù hợp với trang của bạn, với kích thước của banner, màu sắc của banner và lấy dòng code HTML để chèn vào trang của mình.

3. Search Settings: phần này để chèn đoạn tìm kiếm với Google và trang của bạn, bạn cũng nhận được tiền từ dịch vụ này.

4. Account Information: là thông tin về tài khoản của bạn, bao gồm địa chỉ, số để trả thuế, tài khoản...

5. Ads Performance: là “thành quả” lao động của những banner bạn đặt trên trang web.

6. Search Perfomance: cũng giống như Ads Performance.

7. Payment History: là thông tin về những lần Google Adsense tính toán sau mỗi tháng.

Về cơ bản là thế. Nếu bạn đã tạo ra được trang web rồi, và lại đủ điều kiện để Google Adsense chấp nhận thì bạn sẽ hoàn toàn dễ dàng lấy code HTML chèn vào trang của mình.

Một điều khá hay của chương trình này là một code HTML của một tài khoản có thể đặt lên nhiều site khác nhau, điều đó có nghĩa là bạn có thể vừa đặt code lên site có nội dung tiếng Anh dùng để đăng ký với Google Adsense, vừa có thể đặt quảng cáo lên trang web có nội dung tiếng Việt của chính bạn.

Qua quá trình tham gia, bạn có thể tự tìm hiểu thêm về chương trình này, tuy nhiên sau đây là một số lưu ý mà bạn nên cẩn thận để tránh bị khóa tài khoản một cách đáng tiếc:

1. Đừng bao giờ tự bấm chuột vào banner của chính bạn với bất cứ lý do gì.

2. Đừng bao giờ thay đổi Adsense code: trong tài khoản của bạn, Google cho phép bạn thay đổi màu sắc, đường viền, màu chữ, kiểu dáng, kích thước banner. Bạn chỉ được phép thay đổi nó trong tài khoản của bạn, bất cứ tác động nào đến đoạn code quảng cáo của Google đều là vi phạm quy tắc. Do vậy bạn cũng không nên thay đổi nó mà giữ nguyên như lúc ban đầu.

3. Chỉ đặt banner của Google trên những trang có nội dung. Vì Google Adsense có hệ thống tìm kiếm rất xuất sắc, mà chúng ta đều đã biết, cho nên đừng... bịp nó, mà hãy làm những trang có nội dung thật sự.

4. Cuối cùng nhưng không kém phần quan trọng là bạn chớ có tìm cách bịp Google Adsense bằng những phần mềm tự động bấm chuột. Google Adsense dư thông minh để biết rằng nó đang bị nói dối và trong trường hợp đó thì tài khoản của bạn sẽ vĩnh viễn bị xóa và bạn không bao giờ còn cơ hội tham gia chương trình đó nữa.

Điều cuối cùng bạn cần biết là ta sẽ nhận tiền như thế nào? Đó là khi tài khoản của bạn đạt 50$, Google Adsense sẽ gửi cho bạn một lá thư (thư thật chứ không phải là email) đến địa chỉ mà bạn đã dùng để đăng ký, trong đó có một mã số PIN (Personal Identification Number: mã số xác nhận cá nhân). Khi bạn tham gia vào Google Adsense, trước khi nhận tiền, bạn cần nạp vào mã số PIN nhận được từ Google. Mã số PIN mang ý nghĩa bảo vệ người sử dụng Google Adsense, nó đảm bảo rằng séc của bạn sẽ được chuyển đến đúng địa chỉ mà bạn đã nhập trong tài khoản.

Sau khi bạn điền mã PIN trước ngày 15 của tháng và tài khoản của bạn có trên 100$ thì Google Adsense sẽ gửi séc đến cho bạn vào ngày 25 của tháng mà bạn có đủ 100$ trong tài khoản (chẳng hạn bạn điền số PIN vào tài khoản vào ngày 13 tháng 4 và tài khoản của bạn có 110$ thì vào 25 tháng 4, Google Adsense sẽ gửi cho bạn 1 tấm séc giá trị 110$).

Bản thân tôi cũng đã tham gia chương trình này và đã từng nhận được tiền từ họ. (dưới đây là bằng chứng họ gửi tấm shec về cho mình.)

*Đặc điểm của chương trình này: Hoa hồng cao hơn các chương trình kiếm tiền khác. -Không mất thời gian để ngồi click và đọc thư quảng cáo như những chương trình khác. - Tiền được chuyển về tận nhà mà không bị mất phí như các chương trình khác chuyển qua E-Gold.
Bạn không nên bỏ nỡ cơ hội này trước sự bùng nổ về công nghệ thông tin như ngày nay. Nào hãy Click và cùng tôi kiếm tiền.
Chúc các bạn thành công!

Dodge Demon Concept

2007-06-04T17:26:00.001-07:00

Screaming for Demon.
That's what we'll be doing if Dodge can stick to its brief of developing this 2-seat sports car with a sticker that starts at about $15,000. Powered by a 172-bhp 2.4-liter inline four mated to a 6-speed manual, the Demon is a svelte 2,600 lbs. and should provide the same kinds of thrills as the Mazda Miata for thousands less and have a more aggressive look thanks to the work of designer Jae Chung.
Taking his cue from the Dodge Viper, which he describes as “a dream car icon, but a dream that is not affordable to many”, he sees the Demon as a new performance icon, one that is within reach of just about everyone's checkbook.
“I wanted a simple, unified look to the car that was aggressive and had some Viper DNA in it. I guess you could call the Demon a little brother to the Viper,” he explained. Demon is diminutive by Viper standards, riding on a 95.6-in. wheelbase and measuring 156.5 in. overall with a width of 68.3 in. The target here is clearly the Mazda Miata as opposed to the Pontiac Solstice or Saturn Sky. And unlike the GM duo, the Demon has a real trunk that promises to hold golf bag sized luggage.
The front opening has the traditional Dodge cross-hair design and there is a cutline that runs from the back of the headlamps over the wheel opening to the door, which signals the use of a front-hinged clamshell hood. The headlamps themselves, rather than having bright bezels employs black chrome, which gives the satin ringed projector beam headlamps the look of menacing eyes. The sides have distinct character lines that sweep down the body side giving the flanks a coved appearance. The lines wrap around the rear brake duct inlet and then flow over the large rear wheel arches that give the back of the car a terrific stance, not dissimilar to that of the Porsche 911 Turbo.
There is a trapezoidal theme played out on the exhaust tips, the rear taillamps (which also feature recessed lenses), the side inlets and even the roll bar and headrests. Exposed carbon fiber is used on the windshield surround, leading edge of the roll bars and the seat shells. And the 19-in. wheels are five-spoke alloys slotted with the recurring trapezoid theme and finished in a low gloss brushed surface.
Inside, designer Dan Zimmermann took his cues from the sports cars of the '50s and '60s, such as Healeys, Sprites, Triumphs, MGs and the like. “These cars had a certain economy about them, they were simple with instrument panels that stretched from door to door,” Zimmermann said. Indeed, there is no traditional center stack in the Demon. The sound system is mounded in the center of the dash and simple knobs are positioned below it to control the air conditioning and heat. The parts bin approach to using existing radios and controls from other Dodge products is intentional to keep the price down.
The instruments themselves feature white lettering on a black background with brushed aluminum bezels. The dash, door uppers and steering wheel are clad in a technical grained vinyl with exposed stitching. “The stitching gives this material an upscale look and the vinyl has a nice tactile feel”, Zimmermann explains, adding that leather runs counter to the low cost approach to building the car. The cloth covered seats are less aggressively bolstered versions of the buckets used in the Viper and there are simple, brushed aluminum accents on the dash, center console and side map pockets. The cloth seats have contrasting inserts using a patterned material that gives the appearance of being mesh covered. The same material is used in the door inserts.
“We want to be cognizant of the fact that Europeans are very tactile, so we wanted the materials to look and feel right, especially since the car is being shown in Geneva,” Zimmermann said, adding that the expectations for the same high level of quality and feel to the interior is also becoming of great important in the U.S. market. “The idea of making it affordable means that we used a lot of gear from off the shelf,” Zimmermann added. “We really wanted to be able to do more with less.” Mission accomplished — now all Dodge has to do is build it and buyers will come.
MORE ON ROAD & TRACK
Video: Dodge Demon Concept More Auto Show Coverage

MESSAGE FROM YHE GENERAL DIRECTOR

2007-06-04T08:50:00.000-07:00

Buon Me Thuot, known for its rich basaltic soil, provides the best conditions for growing coffee. Nurtured with utmost care by the dedicated farmers of Tay Nguyen, we have discovered the most valuable gift crafted by ground blessed by God: The world's No.1 Robusta coffee beans.Combining years of experience of native coffee artisans in Ban Me area and the modern processing technology of Trung Nguyen Corporation, Trung Nguyen has created a coffee philosophy of a second to none coffee style, thus worthy of the title "The leading coffee producer in Vietnam". Trung Nguyen has built and expanded traditional coffee products, the Roast and Ground beans of its Creative Coffee line, to Trung Nguyen Coffee trademark, G7, Trung Nguyen's instant coffee line, and the Tra Tien trademark. Trung Nguyen products garnered the lead position in Vietnam and are now exported to 43 countries all over the world. Trung Nguyen keeps its brand image of ensuring quality excellence that meet global standards. Through its domestic and international franchising coffee shop system, consumers not only get to enjoy Trung Nguyen coffee and tea products but also get to experience the beauty of the Vietnamese culture, particularly Tay Nguyen's Trung Nguyen's contribution to building a trademark for Vietnamese agricultural products and activities for the past years had reaped awards and recognitions from the government, likewise with consumers. We hope that this website will be an avenue for us to get closer to your needs and help in serving you better.
We are truly grateful for your support. Best regards, Dang Le Nguyen Vu General Director The world's No.1 Robusta coffee beans.
Combining years of experience of native coffee artisans in Ban Me area and the modern processing technology of Trung Nguyen Corporation, Trung Nguyen has created a coffee philosophy of a second to none coffee style, thus worthy of the title “The leading coffee producer in Vietnam”.
Trung Nguyen has built and expanded traditional coffee products, the Roast and Ground beans of its Creative Coffee line, to Trung Nguyen Coffee trademark, G7, Trung Nguyen’s instant coffee line, and the Tra Tien trademark. Trung Nguyen products garnered the lead position in Vietnam and are now exported to 43 countries all over the world. Trung Nguyen keeps its brand image of ensuring quality excellence that meet global standards.
Through its domestic and international franchising coffee shop system, consumers not only get to enjoy Trung Nguyen coffee and tea products but also get to experience the beauty of the Vietnamese culture, particularly Tay Nguyen’s.
Trung Nguyen’s contribution to building a trademark for Vietnamese agricultural products and activities for the past years had reaped awards and recognitions from the government, likewise with consumers.
We hope that this website will be an avenue for us to get closer to your needs and help in serving you better.
We are truly grateful for your support.
Best regards,
Dang Le Nguyen Vu
General Director
-->

China unveils climate change plan

2007-06-04T02:09:00.000-07:00

China has unveiled its first national plan for climate change, saying it is intent on tackling the problem but not at the expense of economic development.
The 62-page report reiterated China's aim to reduce energy use by a fifth before 2010 and increase the amount of renewable energy it produces.
But it also repeated Beijing's view that responsibility for climate change rests with rich westernised countries.
The report comes ahead of a G8 meeting that will focus on global warming.
Germany, which is hosting the meeting of industrialised nations, is calling for a new UN protocol on climate change to replace the Kyoto pact when it expires in 2012.
China's role in the debate is crucial, as it is expected to overtake the US this year as the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases.
'Trailblazer'
China's new national plan on climate change offered few new targets on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but outlined how it intended to meet the goals it has already set, analysts say.
This includes the use of more wind, nuclear and hydro power as well as making coal-fired plants more efficient, the document outlined.
It will be tragic if we don't take any action
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
But it also stressed that the country's first priority remained "sustainable development and poverty eradication".
"China is a developing country. Although we do not have the obligation to cut emissions, it does not mean we do not want to shoulder our share of responsibilities," Ma Kai, chairman of China's National Development and Reform Commission, said.
"We must reconcile the need for development with the need for environmental protection," he said, adding that China wanted to "blaze a new path to industrialisation".
He said rich countries were responsible for most of the greenhouse gases produced over the past century, and had an "unshirkable responsibility" to do more to tackle the problem.
"The international community should respect the developing countries' right to develop," he added.
The plan is a strong declaration of intentions, but so far China has missed almost every environmental target it has set itself, the BBC's Quentin Sommerville in Shanghai says.
Political debate
Climate change is expected to be fiercely debated when China's President Hu Jintao and other industrialised leaders meet in Germany for the G8 on Wednesday.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged them to agree firm targets for cutting polluting emissions.

President Hu will attend the G8 summit this week
In a BBC interview, he said it was now up to the richest countries to show leadership on the issue.
"It will be tragic if we don't take any action," he said. "My main message is that to galvanise this political will at the leaders level so that we can take necessary action."
The UN secretary-general has made tackling climate change one of his top priorities, and called for a meeting of world leaders on the subject in September.
He wants the UN to be in the lead when it comes to agreeing what should replace the Kyoto Protocol, the current agreement curbing greenhouse gases, when it expires in 2012.
US President George W Bush - whose country is the only industrialised nation apart from Australia not to ratify the protocol - has proposed uniting a group of big emitters who would set non-binding targets by the end of next year.
But some analysts say this has been interpreted as a way of undercutting other initiatives - for example by the G8 or United Nations.

Herceptin Heart Danger Stays Same After Five Years

2007-06-04T01:47:00.000-07:00

Breast cancer patients showed no increase in risk, longer-term study finds
By Amanda Gardner, HealthDay Reporter
Find More
New Treatments for Tough Cancers Show Promise
Improved Delivery Shortens Breast Cancer Radiation Time
Today's Health News
SUNDAY, June 3 (HealthDay News) -- The chances of developing congestive heart failure as a result of using Herceptin in early-stage breast cancer treatment does not increase over time, new research finds.
When added to standard chemotherapy, Herceptin (trastuzumab) reduces the risk of breast cancer recurrence by 52 percent after three years. The compound has proven to be effective in the 20 percent to 25 percent of breast cancer cases that test positive for the HER2/neu receptor.
But this benefit comes at a cost: 4.1 percent of people taking Herceptin developed heart failure over a three-year period, vs. 0.8 percent of patients who only received chemotherapy.
This latest study, reported Sunday at the American Society for Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago, found that after five years, the incidence of heart failure was 3.8 percent.
"With an additional two years of follow-up for a cumulative five years, the incidence of heart failure in the available group numbers was essentially unchanged," said Dr. Priya Rastogi, assistant director of medical affairs for the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP), which oversaw the study. "There was a substantial recovery in cardiac function in all three groups who had clinically relevant declines in heart function."
Updated results on the drug's cardiac risk over time have also resulted in a risk profile that should help determine which patients might want to steer clear of Herceptin. For instance, women who were older, used hypertensive medications and had a low normal baseline left ventricular ejection-fraction (a measure of heart function) were more likely to develop heart failure while taking the drug.
"A model of prediction of risk for heart failure was developed that could support a more individualized assessment of cardiac risk," Rastogi, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, said. "The choice of trastuzumab-containing regimens should be based on an individualized assessment of risk and benefit in women with HER2-positive breast cancer. We want to make this an easy formula for physicians to use. We're in the process of doing that."
In other good news out of the meeting for women with early-stage breast cancer, a British study found that delivering fewer but larger doses of radiation to women with early breast cancer is as effective as the conventional schedule of 25 doses in reducing the risk of recurrence, even though the total dose of radiation was lower.
"It's likely that patients can be effectively and safely treated to a lower total dose with fewer larger fractions [doses] than the current standard," said study author Dr. John Dewar, a clinical oncologist at the University of Dundee in Scotland. "This should encourage further studies and will help radiation oncologists individualize patients." Those further studies need to determine if recurrence rates stay low over time.
The main benefit of the approach, called hypofractionation, is that it is easier on the patient. It also resulted in fewer adverse changes in the appearance of patients' breasts.
"This is very exciting news for patients, as radiation is very disruptive to life," said Dr. Julie Gralow, the moderator of a news conference on the new research and an assistant oncology professor at the University of Washington in Seattle. "If we could achieve the same outcome with fewer trips to the radiation center, this would be a tremendous benefit for patients."
Another study presented at the meeting Sunday found magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was better than mammography for detecting "high-grade" ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), a form of pre-invasive breast cancer. These lesions are most likely to progress to aggressive invasive cancer, and therefore need to be diagnosed early.
"High-grade DCIS is easily curable by resection, but, if left untreated, will progress to high-grade invasive cancer," said study author Dr. Christiane K. Kuhl, vice chairman and a radiology professor at the University of Bonn in Germany.
Forty percent of DCIS lesions were only found by MRI, and 78 percent of those were high grade, according to the study. On mammography, only 8 percent of DCIS were visible, and all but one were low grade.
The question is how quickly MRIs will be used for regular screening, or if they will be used at all. MRIs are routine in Germany, where the study was conducted, but not in the United States.
"MRI is a great tool when used in the right hands, but we don't have quality control anywhere in the world for MRI as we do for screening mammography," Gralow noted. "We hope soon to have a partial rectification of this, as the American College of Radiology is starting a voluntary accreditation program in the U.S. for breast MRI. At that point, it will be fair to say that programs that choose to undergo this accreditation are doing breast MRI in a similar manner. All breast MRIs are not the same. We need to have standards and reproducibility."
Kuhl added, "Our study proves that MRI is better. Whether we use MRI or mammogram is more a question of finances and availability than a medical question."
But there are other issues not considered in this study, said Dr. Stephen Sener, past president of the American Cancer Society. "The issue of whether MRI improves survival is not answered yet," he said.
There is also a high rate of false-positive results, he added, which can drive up costs as women go for additional tests.
More information
The National Cancer Institute has more on Herceptin.
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6 Stupid Health Mistakes

2007-06-04T01:46:00.000-07:00

Even smart women make these. Here's how to wise up.
By Amanda Spake & Stacey Schultz, Prevention
You know a lot about staying healthy, right? You're supposed to watch saturated fat and eat lots of vegetables that's why you usually pick up a take-out salad for lunch and dinner (even when the kids get burgers). But you're not obsessed with the scale like some women you know. You brush your teeth and you last flossed, oh, maybe 2 weeks ago. You exercise but avoid lifting so you don't bulk up like those female gym rats lurking around the free weights. The tummy pains you got last week? Must have been gas nothing more serious. And, hey, you'd like to get 8 hours of sleep, but the days are short, and it's hard to get everything done.
Sound familiar? Then you may be making some of the dumbest health mistakes a woman can make. Here, experts tell how never to be trapped by them again.
1. You Always Order a Salad
"The word 'salad' makes people think they are eating something healthy," says Brie Turner-McGrievy, RD, clinical research coordinator for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) in Washington, DC. "But the truth is, a lot of take-out and restaurant salads are basically a burger in a bowl."
Last year, when Turner-McGrievy analyzed nutritional information for 34 salads available at the nation's largest fast-food and sandwich chains, only two the Au Bon Pain Garden Salad with fat-free raspberry vinaigrette and the Subway Veggie Delite with fat-free Italian dressing and no cheese got an "outstanding" rating for being high in fiber and low in saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, and calories, according to federal nutritional guidelines.
Turner-McGrievy's "burger in a bowl" analogy is no exaggeration; the nutritional facts support it. McDonald's Crispy Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad with Newman's Own Ranch Dressing has more calories, fat, and saturated fat than a Big Mac 640 calories and 49 g of fat versus 600 calories and 33 g of fat. Other fast-food salads are almost as dismal. Get the skinny on all 34 salads tested in the PCRM salad analysis.
"Only about 10 percent of your diet should come from saturated fat. For a woman who is eating 1,500 to 2,000 calories a day, these salads contain all the saturated fat she should eat in a whole day," says the dietitian.
And many fast-food salads contain very little fiber (government guidelines say most women should have 25 to 35 g a day). "Most have no beans and very few vegetables," says Turner-McGrievy. "So if you have one of these salads for lunch, your other meals are going to have to be bran cereal to make up for the lack of fiber."
Taco Bell's Salad with Salsa was the clear winner in the fiber category, with 13 g. But with 42 g of fat and most of the sodium you should have in one day (1,670 mg the total recommended daily intake is 2,400 mg), it was rated unacceptable in the PCRM survey.
Here's how you can have your salad and eat it, too: If you order it without the taco shell, you lower your fat intake from 51 to 21 g, and the sodium drops to 1,400 mg.
The Fix
Don't scratch take-out salad off your menu; just apply a few commonsense rules before you order. For instance, avoid high-fat add-ons such as sour cream, extra cheese, croutons, bacon bits, and high-fat dressings, including Caesar and ranch. Opt for salads that aren't just a fiber-free mound of iceberg lettuce dotted with a few carrot and red cabbage shavings. Ask for low-calorie and fat-free dressing.
And plan ahead. Most fast-food chains supply online nutritional information for all their fare, so you can scout out the best salads before you leave for lunch.
2. You Avoid the Scale
For some women, the only thing in the house gathering more dust than the treadmill is the scale. "I have scale-phobia," admits one woman. "I have this thing about not weighing more than 132 pounds, but I haven't looked at my scale in months, so I don't really know how much I weigh."
She isn't the only queen of denial. "It always strikes me as funny how many women in my practice won't get on the scale," says Prevention advisor Mary Jane Minkin, MD, an obstetrician-gynecologist in New Haven, CT. "They just refuse. And I always say, 'Why don't you get on the scale, and I'll look and you don't.'"
Doctors call scale-phobia an avoidance behavior. The idea behind it: If I don't know for sure that I gained weight, maybe I didn't. You're most likely to duck the scale after a few days, weeks, or months of eating whatever you darn well please.
"It's typical for people not to want feedback on the part of their behavior that's not going well," says Kelly Brownell, PhD, director of the Yale Center for Eating and Weight Disorders. "For some people, getting back on the scale can be a help. The trick is knowing whether or not it will motivate you."
If you're trying to lose weight, you may need the kind of feedback the scale provides, Brownell says. If you weigh yourself regularly, you can notice a gain when it's easier to shed at 3 pounds, say, instead of 15. But it's important not to get so obsessed with the numbers that you're weighing yourself once or twice daily. Scales do lie. Your weight can vary from day to day even hour to hour. You don't want to be discouraged when, despite all your best efforts, you put on 2 pounds between 6 am and 6 pm.
The Fix
Stay friendly with your scale while losing or maintaining your weight:
If you're trying to lose weight, get on the scale monthly. Do it first thing in the morning, naked, after you go to the bathroom. Schedule your weigh-ins at the same time in your menstrual cycle each month not when you're likely to have water-weight gain.
If you're maintaining, go with daily or weekly weigh-ins. The real "losers" in the National Weight Control Registry the largest study of people who've been successful at long-term weight loss maintain their weights by stepping on the scale at least once a week. Don't freak out over a 5-pound gain; that's a normal fluctuation. If you find yourself drifting higher than that, the alarm bells should sound. That's the time to rein yourself in: Cut out the snacks, and get back on the treadmill.
3. You Forget to Floss
Americans spend $600 million a year on procedures that bleach their teeth whiter than pearls, but many don't put in the less than 5 minutes a day it takes to floss. The result: At least 23 percent of women between 30 and 54, and 44 percent of women over 55, have severe gum (or periodontal) disease, reports the American Academy of Periodontology.
Gum disease is a serious bacterial infection that attacks the tissue surrounding one or more teeth and the bone supporting them. It's the number one cause of tooth loss in the United States, but it's far from just a cosmetic issue: When periodontal bacteria enter the bloodstream, they can travel to major organs and cause chronic inflammation. In recent years, researchers have come to suspect that such simmering infections in the body may be implicated in some cases of heart disease, stroke, cancer, and even premature birth.
"When you have gum disease, it's like having an infected, oozing hand. It's that big of an infection if it's generalized throughout the mouth," says Marjorie Jeffcoat, DMD, dean of the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine and lead researcher on a groundbreaking study that found that women with gum disease were three to eight times more likely to have a premature baby than were women with healthy gums. The culprit: a labor-inducing prostaglandin (similar to the drug Pitocin) produced by their immune systems to combat the infection.
Chronic inflammation may also explain why some people who have heart attacks have no known risk factors such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Infection triggers inflammation, which, under normal circumstances, is part of the healing process (it allows infection-fighting white blood cells to reach injured tissue). But when inflammation is chronic, it can damage artery walls and make them more prone to fatty buildup. Likewise, a chronic bacterial infection like gum disease "can predispose people to cancer," says Lisa Coussens, PhD, assistant professor at the University of California, San Francisco's Cancer Research Institute. Though a direct link hasn't been made between the two, she points out that people with other inflammatory diseases face increased cancer risk. For example, people with the inflammatory bowel condition known as Crohn's disease have a 60 percent increased risk of developing colon cancer.
Chronic infection can trigger cancer in several different ways. For example, inflammatory cells contain growth factors that stimulate cells to multiply in an attempt to help repair injured tissue. But by increasing the rate of cell division, this process might also put you at increased risk for mutations that lead to cancer development. When triggered by an infection, immune-system cells also alter the DNA of bacteria-laden cells, causing them to die. But there's the risk that this tinkering "can induce DNA damage and cause a mutation" that leads to cancer, says Coussens.
Women in particular need to pay close attention to gum health. "Flossing is so critical because the hormonal changes that occur in women during puberty, pregnancy, and menopause cause the oral bacteria that lead to gum disease to grow more readily," says David Schneider, DMD, a Bethesda, MD, periodontist. Drugs such as antidepressants, some blood pressure medications, and antihistamines can also raise your risk of gum disease because they reduce the saliva that helps wash bacteria away in the mouth.
The Fix
Floss at least once a day. Don't know how? Here are some simple instructions from the American Dental Association: Take about 18 inches of floss and wind it around the middle fingers. Hold a few inches of the floss tightly between thumbs and forefingers. Guide the floss between your teeth, using a gentle rubbing motion. When the floss reaches the gum line, curve it into a C shape against one tooth, and gently slide it into the space between the gum and the tooth. Hold the floss tightly against the tooth. Gently rub the side of the tooth, moving the floss away from the gum with an up-and-down motion. Repeat this for every tooth.4. You're Afraid to Lift Weights
Some women avoid lifting weights because they think they'll end up looking like the female version of Arnold Schwarzenegger. They're wrong. "The vast majority of women do not have the genetic capability to develop large, bulky muscles," says Cedric Bryant, PhD, chief exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise the organization that certifies personal trainers. To get that Arnold look, you need what Arnold has testosterone plus many hours a day spent pumping iron. The average woman simply does not naturally produce enough testosterone to bulk up from weights, Bryant says, and most women are lucky to squeeze in half an hour a day doing any exercise.
So don't think of weight lifting as "lifting weights." Think of it as a great way to look more toned and trim without losing an ounce. In fact, once you start, you may even notice that you've put on a few pounds. Don't panic: You're gaining muscle, which weighs more than the fat you're losing. But since muscle is more dense than fat, it takes up less space, helping you fit into your clothes better. And if you lift regularly, you'll eventually start dropping pounds.
Here's another bonus: A recent study at the University of Alabama at Birmingham found that women on a strength-training program for 25 weeks lost significant amounts of belly fat the dangerous kind that increases your risk of heart disease and diabetes.
The Fix
You don't have to spend a lot of time pumping iron to get the benefits. Two or three times a week on nonconsecutive days for about 30 minutes per session should do the trick. The American Council on Exercise says that light weights and multiple reps tend to help build endurance and muscle tone, while training with heavier weights generally produces stronger muscles.
5. You Ignore Aches and Pains
If you're knee-deep in caring for kids, managing a household, and holding down a job, you may be quick to brush off a nagging cough, back twinge, or bout of indigestion. You may think fatigue is your natural state. You shouldn't ignore any of those symptoms. Three years ago, Stephanie Goldner, a 37-year-old mother of four, went to work despite waking up with what felt like a bad case of indigestion. "I had to get to work," she says. "I had a deadline." But as soon as her colleagues at Baptist Hospital in Miami took one look at her, they sent her to the emergency room. There, she learned that her bad indigestion was actually a heart attack.
Why didn't she just stay in bed that morning? Her answer will probably sound familiar. "Even when you feel awful, you have things to do," Goldner says. "I really don't have time to coddle myself over a cold or heartburn."
And there's the irony: Although women tend to go to doctors more often than men, and though they're the caretakers for everyone from grandparents to the pet parakeet, they're least likely to take care of themselves, says Diana Dell, MD, assistant professor of obstetrics-gynecology and psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center. "Personal wellness and preventive care always take a backseat to caring for someone else."
Research suggests that some women will ignore even crushing fatigue and pain, symptoms that in a partner or child would send them scurrying for a doctor's appointment.
For example, a study of 1,725 US and Canadian women with ovarian cancer one of the deadliest cancers because it's often not caught until it has advanced found that nearly all had symptoms before they were diagnosed, but about half ignored them for more than 3 months before finally seeing a doctor. (Those symptoms included bloating, abdominal or pelvic pain, and bleeding.)
Likewise, many women who suffer heart attacks have symptoms such as unusual fatigue and shortness of breath as long as a month beforehand, says a new study that looked at 515 recently diagnosed women. And while some report their symptoms to a doctor, a significant number don't, says lead researcher Jean McSweeney, PhD, RN, of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. "It's about fifty-fifty," she says. "Some of the women in our study who didn't go to their doctors attributed their symptoms to getting older. Others delayed seeking treatment because they were waiting for the symptoms to either get worse or go away."
In addition to ignoring warning signs, women can't seem to find time for routine maintenance. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women, yet 40 percent of women over 40 haven't had a mammogram in the past year, says Debbie Saslow, director of Breast and Gynecologic Cancer at the American Cancer Society. Women over 40 should have a routine screening annually. Similarly, up to 15 percent of vulnerable women have not had a Pap test to screen for cervical cancer in the past 3 years.
The Fix
Familiarize yourself with the symptoms of serious illness, know your risk factors, report anything unusual immediately, and don't let anything get in the way of regular screening tests, which can often detect problems when they're still small and treatable.
Goldner now says her heart attack was a wake-up call to take better care of her health. She quit smoking and lost 60 pounds. She advises other women to pay attention if they don't feel well. "Don't cruise along and hope that things will get better," she says. "At some point you have got to make yourself a priority."
6. You Don't Get 8 Hours of Sleep
Scrimping on sleep may seem like a smart way to squeeze a few more productive hours into the day, but busy women who do it can pay a heavy price with their health, says Suzanne Griffin, MD, a sleep specialist and psychiatrist at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC. "This is a public health epidemic that is going unnoticed," she says. "Often what I hear, especially from mothers, is that they are intentionally staying up late at night because it is the only time they have to themselves" to do laundry, pay bills, and catch up on work.
Though there's no set amount of sleep people need, 8 hours is usually a minimum, says Clete Kushida, MD, PhD, director of the Stanford University Center for Human Sleep Research. Most women are getting only about 7 hours on weeknights, says a 2002 National Sleep Foundation survey of about 1,000 men and women. Twenty percent of those women reported daytime sleepiness, a sign that they weren't getting enough shut-eye.
The risks of sleep deprivation go way beyond waking up with that groggy feeling even coffee won't cure. Women who sleep less than 8 hours a night over a 10-year period are at slightly higher risk of heart disease, reported a study published in the past year in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Those 8 hours are also crucial to maintaining a healthy weight. Another study found that sleep deprivation can lead to an imbalance of various weight-related hormones that can encourage your cells to store excess fat and lower your body's fat-burning ability.
Still other research has linked sleep deprivation to depression and anxiety, as well as insulin resistance a trigger for high blood pressure, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. And accidents caused by sleepy drivers injure more than 40,000 people a year and kill at least 1,500, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
The Fix
Acknowledge the futility of trying to fit 26 hours' worth of activities into 24 hours. Cut back on your commitments, says Griffin. Divvy up family responsibilities with your partner and children. Establish a bedtime for yourself, and stick to it every night. Avoid caffeine in the afternoon and evening. And don't use alcohol as a sleep inducer; it can actually interfere with a full night's rest. Your sleep may improve if you adhere to the same relaxing bedtime rituals you've started for your kids, such as reading, listening to music, or taking a warm bath.
Provided by Prevention

Software Export

2007-06-04T01:42:00.001-07:00

FPT is a pioneer of Vietnam’s growing software export industry. In both 2003 and 2004, FPT Software’s export business increased by a staggering 60% per year.
FPT is also the first Information Communication Technology Company in Vietnam to attain ISO 9001:2000 certification, and has recently achieved SEI CMM Level 5 certification (March 2004) – the highest level of efficiency for a software producing company or organization. However, FPT’s commitment to quality doesn’t stop there. In order to help customers with project management, we have developed our own on-line project management program (Fsoft Insight) which is highly valued by our customers.
During the past few years, FPT’s list of clients has grown. Prestigious technology firms such as IBM-USA, IBM-France, IBM-Japan, Harvey Nash, ProDX, Ambient, Proximus, Nissen, Sanyo Electric, NTT-IT, NEC, Hitachi Soft are just a few of our many clients from around the globe.
In order to realize the company’s ambition to become one of the world’s leading software service providers, FPT has put a heavy focus on developing its human resource – considered the key to the company’s success.
For more details about FPT Software, please visit the website www.fpt-soft.com

Paris Hilton starts jail sentence

2007-06-04T01:33:00.000-07:00

Paris Hilton has begun her jail sentence for violating probation on a drink-driving conviction.
The 26-year-old turned herself in to authorities at Los Angeles County Jail on Sunday, her lawyer confirmed.
She appeared at the MTV Movie Awards hours earlier, where she told reporters: "I'm definitely scared, but I'm ready to face my sentence."
The socialite will serve only half of her sentence - about 23 days - after being given credit for good behaviour.
She will be separated from the main prison population in a block that contains 12 cells, each holding two people.
I'm going to do the time and I am going to do it the right way
Paris HiltonIt is reserved for celebrities, public officials, police officers and other high-profile inmates.
The unit is part of the Century Regional Detention Centre in Lynwood, California, which holds more than 2,000 prisoners.
The heiress-turned-pop singer was arrested for driving under the influence last September and was issued probation, which she violated several times by driving with a suspended licence.
Hilton made her final public appearance at the MTV Movie Awards on Sunday, where host Sarah Silverman received cheers for mentioning her impending jail sentence.
'Positive' attitude
"Even though this is a really hard time, I have my family, my friends and my fans to support me, and that's really helpful," Hilton told reporters.
The heiress said she had been given the option of going to a "pay jail" but declined.
"I'm going to do the time and I am going to do it the right way.
"I'm using it in a positive way and when I come out, I can't wait to start my new life and be even stronger than I am now."

Can Thompson take Reagan's mantle?

2007-06-04T01:31:00.000-07:00

The speculation is finally over. Fred Thompson, former senator and actor in the TV crime series Law & Order has said he is planning to run for president in 2008.

Fred Thompson has been keeping pundits guessing over his plans
The news is likely to have some Republican rivals running for their strategists.
Mr Thompson, who was senator for Tennessee from 1994 to 2002, is not only a credible political figure but has good name recognition and is already polling well.
In a crowded field of Republican hopefuls, he could draw some of the many voters in the party's conservative base who have so far been uninspired by the three main contenders.
Unlike Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney, he has always opposed abortion and favoured gun rights, and although he voted in 2002 to authorise the Iraq war, he is not as closely associated with it as John McCain.
And while Mr Thompson's intentions may only just have been made official, he has been laying the groundwork for a presidential bid for some months.
The 64-year-old has given speeches around the country, written columns, contributed to blogs and even taken on documentary maker Michael Moore in a video posted on the internet.
But given the early start to campaigning and the millions of dollars already raised by his rivals, has he left it too late to get in the game?
'Republican itch'
Not according to Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia.
DECLARED REPUBLICANS
Sam Brownback
Jim Gilmore
Rudy Giuliani
Mike Huckabee
Duncan Hunter
John McCain
Ron Paul
Mitt Romney
Tom Tancredo
Tommy Thompson
He says Mr Thompson "will undoubtedly become a member of the top four, that's pretty clear" - and suggests that the late start could even help him.
"He hasn't been damaged yet and he has not had to spend the money the other candidates have," he tells the BBC News website. "The question is, will he satisfy the current Republican itch - the itch being the dissatisfaction with the current field?"
Mr Thompson himself says there are "certain advantages" to his late start, and points to the internet as his key weapon, telling USA Today it "has allowed me to be in the hunt, so to speak, without spending a dime".
He is expected to set up a "testing the waters" committee shortly, after which he may formally declare his candidacy within weeks. It is rumoured he may use 4 July celebrations as a backdrop.
With the party's nomination likely to be decided early next year, he will need to start making inroads on the support for the other main contenders soon.
Reagan's 'heir'
Political scientist John Sides says Mr Thompson will certainly suffer from not having as much money in the bank as his rivals, both as a signal of how much support he has and in terms of how much he can spend on advertising.

The actor is leaving his Hollywood job to focus on campaigning
But at the same time, he must be confident he has identified a gap he can fill, says Mr Sides, assistant professor of political science at George Washington University.
"He's pitching himself as a real conservative and, relative to the frontrunners in the Republican nomination, he feels that he has had a consistent history of support for conservative issues," he says.
Mr Thompson may also hope to capitalise on the inevitable comparisons drawn with Ronald Reagan, another actor-cum-politician, Mr Sides suggests.
"He claims to be the natural heir of Reagan, based on his beliefs, but I think that's somewhat debatable," he says.
"But they are both actors so maybe what people are hoping when they think of him is that he will have the right mix of gravitas and charisma, and the ability to communicate with the voters that Reagan was so famous for."
Damage control
Of course, what many observers are keen to see is which of his rivals will lose most support to him.
"You could make an argument that he hurts all of the other three. When a major candidate comes in he takes something from everyone, and that's what he will do," says Mr Sabato.
It's not as if the Republicans are running Brad Pitt
John Sides, political scientist
"It's impossible to say over time which one he will hurt the most - and if he's the nominee, he will hurt all of them."
His rivals for the Republican nomination can be expected to attack him any way they can. He will also have to dispel a perception that he was "lazy" during his eight years in the Senate, Mr Sabato says.
Another possible obstacle relates to his disclosure in April this year that he is in remission from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a form of cancer, which was diagnosed in 2004.
And Mr Sabato sounds a note of caution in relation to his political message. "The voters don't know him, 95% have no clue who he is other than in his Hollywood role.
"They don't think of him politically at all, so he will have to transform himself before his opponents transform him into what they want."
Mr Sides agrees Mr Thompson has a long way to go to make an impact on the wider electorate.
"Potentially people are more familiar with him but there's an over-estimation of how much fame Law & Order has brought him," he says. "It's not as if the Republicans are running Brad Pitt."

Issues shaping 2008 White House race

2007-06-04T01:27:00.000-07:00

As the race for the White House hots up, every word spoken by the Democratic and Republican candidates will be scrutinised and every inch of their records pored over.
Their policies on the Iraq war, bitterly contested between the parties, are sure to dominate campaigning.
Other likely hot topics include the economy, immigration, national security, health care reform and social issues such as abortion, gay rights and gun control.
Each candidate in the presidential race will be striving to present a stance on key issues both consistent with what he or she has said in the past and acceptable to voters in 2008.
And each campaign will be seeking to highlight weaknesses and apparent "flip-flops" - or sudden changes of policy - in rivals' records.

Winning the party nomination is the first battle for White House hopefuls
The battle has already begun, with Republicans and Democrats put to the test in a series of live televised debates.
Until each party's nomination for the presidential election is made, candidates are likely to focus more on defeating rivals within their own camp than those in the opposing party. Certain issues, however, like funding for the Iraq war, have prompted attacks across party lines.
Following the primaries early next year, the chosen nominees from the Democratic and Republican parties will take the fight to each other in earnest - and concentrate on winning votes.
The Iraq problem
The issue of Iraq remains bitterly divisive and is unlikely to go away any time soon.
It was a major factor in the Republicans' defeat in the November 2006 mid-term elections and recent polls suggest a majority of Americans view it as a top concern and want US troops home as soon as possible.
KEY ISSUES

Iraq war
Economy
National security
Immigration
Health care reform
Social issues
Leading candidates' policies
Iraq looms over race
The Democratic contenders have presented a more or less united front on the issue, with all attacking the Bush administration's handling of the war and calling for withdrawal of US troops.
However, there are still differences between them. Hillary Clinton voted to authorise the 2003 invasion but has repeatedly said since that had she known then what she knows now, she would have acted differently.
Former North Carolina Senator John Edwards also voted in favour in 2003, but has since apologised for doing so. Illinois Senator Barack Obama has always opposed the war.
Meanwhile all the Republicans hopefuls except Texas Congressman Ron Paul have voiced broad support for the Iraq war, although some have questioned its handling.
Arizona Senator John McCain has been a prominent backer of President George W Bush's current "surge strategy" of sending extra troops to Baghdad.
Money, money, money
Exit polls after the mid-term elections showed that domestic issues - particularly the economy, national security and corruption - were as important as Iraq in deciding people's vote.

The economy is a concern as voters feel the pinch of high gas prices
At a time of concern over high petrol prices, a weakening US housing market and slow economic growth, candidates will be keen to show they have policies that will help the large number of middle class voters hit by rising costs but stagnant wages.
Republican contenders have talked of the need for fiscal responsibility and limited government, but have mostly emphasised their commitment to tax cuts over reduced spending. They accuse the Democrats of wanting to raise taxes.
Democrats in turn accuse the Bush administration of leading a reckless fiscal policy and say their party seeks greater fairness. They are likely to extend the president's tax cuts - most of which are due to expire in 2010 - to middle and lower income families and roll back tax cuts intended only for the wealthiest Americans.
Both parties face a challenge if they are to meet the electorate's desire for the federal budget deficit to be reduced at the same time as relieving the tax burden on the middle classes.
America's safety
National security has been a recurrent theme in the presidential debates and in campaigning, with Democrats in particular keen to repudiate any suggestion they are softer than the Republicans on terror.

All candidates want to appear tough on national security
Rudy Giuliani has frequently referred to his leadership experience as New York's mayor after the 9/11 attacks.
Meanwhile, Ms Clinton made clear at the first Democratic debate in South Carolina that if America were to be attacked, she would not shy from retaliation, "a military response", if appropriate.
The issue has been complicated by President Bush's frequent assertions that early withdrawal from Iraq would expose the US to greater risk of terror attacks.
The link that he draws has been challenged by Sen Edwards, however, who has accused Mr Bush of using the idea of a "global war on terror" to justify failing policies in Iraq and elsewhere.
Immigration battle
The immigration debate has also played into the question of national security, with several candidates arguing the need for tougher border controls to prevent potential terrorists entering the country.

The issue of illegal immigration is likely to dog campaigning
The issue of how to tackle illegal immigration, which polls place among voters' top concerns - and to do so without alienating the large Hispanic electorate - is causing divisions within the parties as well as between them.
Sen McCain has come under pressure from fellow Republicans for his support of a compromise Senate bill which critics say offers an amnesty to illegal immigrants already in the country. The legislation has been opposed by almost all his rivals for the Republican nomination, who want tougher measures.
Bill Richardson, Democratic governor of New Mexico and the nation's first Hispanic presidential hopeful, has withdrawn his initial backing for the bill saying it risks tearing immigrant families apart. Senators Obama and Clinton have both voiced reservations.
Health check
Polls suggest health care could also emerge as a big issue, with a majority of Americans saying the current system needs major reform and that the federal government has a role to play in that process.
At least 45 million Americans are without health insurance, while tens of millions more have very real concerns about their employers' ability or willingness to continue paying their health costs.
Republican candidate and former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson, who was Secretary of Health and Human Services from 2001 to 2005, has said he will put health care at the centre of his campaign.
The main Democratic contenders have all said they favour universal health insurance but have outlined different ideas about what changes are needed and how to pay for them. Mr Edwards has been the only one to talk about raising taxes to help meet the cost.
Ethical issues
The question of abortion is proving especially problematic for the top three Republican candidates, Sen McCain, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and Mr Giuliani, who face challenges on their more nuanced views from strong anti-abortion candidates Governor Mike Huckabee, Governor Jim Gilmore and Sen Sam Brownback.

Candidates will be challenged over apparent policy flip-flopsHowever, they may draw comfort from Pew Research Center studies which show only 7% of likely Republican voters rate it as the most important issue in choosing a candidate and that only 18% favour a total ban on abortion.
Contenders' positions on stem cell research, gun control and gay rights may also come to the fore, with the voting records of the front-runners likely to be under the spotlight.
It remains to be seen whether a controversial position on any issue on its own will be enough to make or break a candidate's run for the White House.
After all, Mr Giuliani continues to poll well, despite bucking the ideals of his party's support base with his two divorces and belief in a woman's right to choose over abortion.
But what is clear is that as the field narrows in the run-up to polling day in 2008, the views on crunch issues of the would-be presidents will be under the microscope as never before.

Democrat rivals try to make their mark

2007-06-04T01:24:00.000-07:00

Faced with the challenge of standing out in a crowded field, the eight Democratic presidential hopefuls seemed keen to focus on their differences - and were more than willing to clash over them.

Edwards went in hard on Iraq - a war he had voted for
With the latest polls putting New York Senator Hillary Clinton top of the field, closest rivals Barack Obama and John Edwards know they need to stake out a position of attack.
Last month's Senate vote on a contested Iraq war funding bill provided the ammunition for an early salvo.
Mr Edwards, former senator for North Carolina, accused Ms Clinton and Mr Obama -who voted against the bill but were among the last to do so - of not showing the kind of leadership expected of a president.
Mr Obama, senator for Illinois, shot back: "The fact is I opposed this war from the start. So you're about four-and-a-half years late on the issue."
Ms Clinton was quick to point the finger of blame elsewhere, reminding viewers it was "George Bush's war".
Striking a conciliatory note, she added: "The differences among us are minor. The differences between us and the Republicans are major. And I don't want anybody in America to be confused."
But Mr Edwards was not to be deterred, stressing again that "there are important differences between us on this. And the voters are entitled to know that."
High stakes
Ms Clinton, coming under pressure over her refusal to apologise for having approved the invasion of Iraq, stuck to the line that it was a "sincere vote" based on the information she had at the time.
Mr Edwards - who has repeatedly said he regrets his own 2002 vote in favour - used the opportunity to praise Mr Obama's long-term opposition to the war at Ms Clinton's and his own expense. "He was right. I was wrong," he said to applause.
Asked why he alone among the four Democratic senators in the race had voted to authorise the Iraq war funding bill last month, Delaware Senator Joseph Biden said he had had no choice when the safety of troops was at stake.
I knew the right political vote, but I tell you what: some things are worth losing elections over
Joseph BidenDelaware Senator
"And I knew the right political vote, but I tell you what: some things are worth losing elections over."
Speaking to reporters after the debate, Mr Biden pointed out that his son, Beau, was the captain of a National Guard unit that may be posted to Iraq next year. He would not endanger troops' safety just to send a political message, he insisted.
Both Ohio Representative Dennis Kucinich and former Alaska Senator Mike Gravel, also long-shot candidates, joined Mr Edwards in criticising the front-runners for doing too little to stop the war.
With no decisive indications yet emerging on who will be the Democrats' chosen nominee at the primaries, the game remains in play.
Mr Obama, who left some observers disappointed with a rather stilted performance at the first debate in South Carolina in April, was back on form and dominated the air time.
Meanwhile Mr Edwards seemed sharper on the attack than before, while Ms Clinton managed to maintain her poise under attack and address the wider battle to beat the Republicans in November 2008.
'Rock star' trio
The positioning by host CNN of the three main contenders next to each other heightened the impression of a three-way rivalry, with the second tier candidates often left out of shot on the fringes of the stage.
DEMOCRATIC CONTENDERS
Joe Biden
Hillary Clinton
Chris Dodd
John Edwards
Mike Gravel
Dennis Kucinich
Barack Obama
Bill Richardson
Several complained afterwards that they had been given far fewer questions than the main contenders, adding to the challenge of matching the "rock star" status of the big three.
Apart from Iraq, questions focused on domestic issues including national security, immigration, taxes and healthcare, plus the question of how to tackle the threat of a nuclear attack from Iran.
New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson said he was one of those disappointed by how few questions he had been asked in the first half of the debate.
But he did earn praise for his foreign policy experience from Ms Clinton, one of the few concessions in a fiercely fought contest.
The 10 official Republican contenders will take their turn in the New Hampshire spotlight on Tuesday.
And the Iraq war may well once again be the issue that won't go away.

Liberia war crimes trial to begin

2007-06-04T01:22:00.001-07:00

The former president of Liberia, Charles Taylor, is due to go on trial for war crimes in The Hague.
He has been accused of supporting rebels in Sierra Leone, who conducted an 11-year campaign in which thousands of civilians were killed or maimed.
The trial is being conducted by the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone and has been moved away from West Africa for security reasons.
It is the first time a former African head of state has faced such a trial.
The trial is expected to last for a year to 18 months, and the UK has offered to imprison Mr Taylor if he is convicted.
'Not guilty'
The former Liberian leader has been indicted on 11 charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and violations of international humanitarian law over his alleged role in the brutal civil war in Sierra Leone.

They include terrorising the civilian population, murder, sexual violence, physical violence, using child soldiers, enslavement and looting.
Mr Taylor pleaded not guilty to all the charges at his first appearance at the court in Freetown in March 2006.
He initially refused to plead, arguing that the court had no right to try him and that it had no jurisdiction over Liberia or its former president.
The Special Court for Sierra Leone has been approved by both the UN and the government of Sierra Leone.
It its sitting in the facilities of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague because of the risks that the trial might lead to tensions within Sierra Leone itself.
The UN and the government of Sierra Leone have appointed the judges.
Unlike the war crimes tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, the UN is not funding the special court. Instead, it is relying on foreign governments for support.
The Dutch government agreed to host Mr Taylor's trial, as long as he was imprisoned in another country if convicted.
Blood diamonds
The BBC's David Bamford says the trial hinges on determining the degree to which Mr Taylor helped start, prolong and deepen the brutal civil war in Sierra Leone. Mr Taylor started Liberia's civil war in 1989 and became one of a number of warlords competing for control in the West African country.
He later emerged as Liberia's most powerful politician and won the 1997 presidential election that ended the war there.
Meanwhile in 1991, one of Mr Taylor's comrades-in-arms, Foday Sankoh, also started his own rebellion in neighbouring Sierra Leone.
The prosecution claims Mr Taylor provided the Revolutionary United Front leader with training, money, arms and ammunition to start the rebellion, and even lent him fighters to take part in the initial attack.
The RUF became notorious for hacking off the hands and legs of civilians during their decade-long war.
It is alleged that Mr Taylor shared a common plan with the RUF's commanders to gain power and control over Sierra Leone, so he could gain access to its diamonds and have a government in Freetown which would support his aims.
However, the rebellion in Sierra Leone collapsed. Its war crimes court indicted the rebel leaders and Mr Taylor as well.
In 2003, Mr Taylor himself lost power in Liberia after rival militias rose up and forced him into exile in Nigeria.
He was deported by Nigeria last year in controversial circumstances and flown to The Hague to await his trial.

Selecting Fruit and Nut Trees and How to Plant Them

2007-06-04T01:16:00.000-07:00

Purchasing a tree is a matter which you should not take lightly. It is a serious commitment. I recommend counseling. You and your tree can enjoy a long and happy life together if you enter the relationship with realistic expectations. You must realize that this will be a caring partnership that will only grow and prosper if nutritive needs are provided. If you make a compatible choice, nothing but bountifulness will adorn your future. Make the wrong choice, and nothing but a chainsaw divorce can cure your misery.
Just as in marriage, there are good fruit and nut tree matches, and then there are bad ones. The match is not made in heaven but at the nursery door. Let me offer some advice.
For maximum production, fruit trees need at least 8 hours of full sunlight daily. If you moved to the country for beautiful live oak scenery and shade, don't expect fruit and nut trees to do well. Extremely shaded landscapes are not ideal sites for fruit planting.
Soil and drainage are also important considerations. Most fruit and nut species cannot tolerate excessive periods of "wet feet." For instance, pecan trees planted in soil with poor soil drainage show reduced growth, pale green leaves, zinc rosette, iron chlorosis, leaf abscission and drought stress in some extreme instances. These symptoms are the result of the plant’s inability to absorb nutrients and water from the soil. For nutrients and water to enter the plant, oxygen must be adjacent to the pecan root. If oxygen is not available in the soil, the plant will be unable to absorb essential nutrients necessary for growth. In some instances, the plant will not be able to absorb water even when it’s standing in water.
To evaluate how well soil drains, dig a hole 32 inches deep and 8 inches in diameter. Fill this hole with 7 gallons of water. The hole should drain in less than 48 hours. If the hole is empty in 1 hour, your site has excellent internal drainage. There is very good internal drainage if the hole is empty in 8 hours. There is good internal drainage if the hole is empty in 24 hours. If the hole is empty in 48 hours, you have adequate internal drainage. After 48 hours, if the 32-inch hole still contains any water, it will be extremely difficult to produce regular crops of high quality pecans in this soil. This test must be performed when the soil is wet, not in the middle of summer when the cracks in the soil are 6 inches wide!
Fruit crops do best where there is excellent soil drainage. But peaches and plums need very good soil drainage; apples, pears and grapes need good soil drainage; pecans, figs and persimmons can survive with adequate soil drainage.
There are certain types of fruit that are poorly adapted to the soils and/or climate around the Bexar County area and therefore are not recommended.
Blueberries, raspberries and Muscadine grapes prefer the acid, sandy soils of East Texas. They do poorly in our heavy, alkaline clay soils.
Cherries and cherry plums usually do not receive sufficient winter chilling for proper bloom and shoot development.
Oranges, grapefruit and avocados are not reliably cold hardy in this area.
Some crops are referred to as low?maintenance types. These include blackberries, figs, Japanese persimmons and pears. Grapes and apples are intermediate, depending on the variety and location. Productively speaking, the most cantankerous and hardest?to?care?for crops include peaches, plums, apricots and pecans.
Apples are a traditional northern crop with relatively high chilling requirements. Thus, special care should be taken to choose varieties adapted to our warm climate.
Apricot production is very irregular due to the apricots’ early blooming habit, making them extremely susceptible to late spring freezes. This problem is so acute that you should expect a crop only once every 3 or 4 years. The trees themselves are large, vigorous, attractive and quite cold hardy. The fruit is highly susceptible to brown rot (a fungus disease) and should be protected with fungicidal sprays. The trees are self-fruitful and do not require a pollinator.
Satsuma, Kumquat, Meyer lemon and Changsha tangerine are the species and varieties of fruit most recommended for this area, but they can be difficult to obtain. Even though they are among the most cold hardy of the citrus group, it is wise to plant them on the southern exposures of structures to protect them from cold north and northwest winter winds. Covering with blankets and supplying additional heat through the use of light bulbs, etc. may also be required on extremely cold nights.
Japanese persimmons grow extremely well in this area of Texas. They also have a major advantage in that they are relatively insect? and disease? free (in direct contrast to many other types of tree fruits!). The trees are also are a lovely ornamental in the landscape with bright orange fruit as a focal point in the fall. However, fruit drop can be a problem with Japanese persimmons, due in part to pollination considerations and environmental stress.
Separate male, female and/or perfect (both male and female) flowers can be produced on the same Japanese Persimmon tree during the current season's growth. Tane?nashi, Hachiya and Tamopan produce flowers that develop into excellent parthenocarpic (non?fertilized) fruit without pollination and without seeds. These varieties can, however, be pollinated by common persimmon or the Fuyu variety to produce fruit with seeds.
Fruit drop is common on parthenocarpic fruit without seeds. (Seeds produce chemical hormones that improve fruit retention.) Any environmental stress such as drought, waterlogged soils, extreme heat, etc. can worsen this fruit drop problem. Thus, a thick layer of mulch over the root zone and regular, deep watering is recommended.
Peaches have been a major commercial tree fruit in Texas since 1890. They grow extremely well in soils throughout the state. However, they require frequent spraying and excellent drainage to maintain good tree health and appearance.
Plums also grow extremely well in many areas of Texas. The trees are relatively short?lived but require less maintenance than peaches.
Pears are one of the most outstanding fruit trees for home landscapes in Texas. Unfortunately, the fireblight bacterial disease significantly limits commercial production. There are, however, several varieties that grow quite well in the South Texas area.
The pecan is the State Tree of Texas and grows in abundance as a native tree along every river in the state. No fruit is more widely grown or is as well adapted to Texas than the pecan. However, before planting pecans, remember they in commercial production, they are sprayed 4 to 5 times to insure a quality crop. If homeowners want to have high quality pecans, they will need to be prepared to spray several times as well. It may be cheaper to buy pecans if you are planting the tree merely for nut production.
Also, remember that pecans are monoecious, meaning they produce separate male and female flowers on the same tree. Some varieties develop the male flowers, called catkins, first and are termed protandrous. Other varieties produce the female nutlets first and are referred to as protogynous. Each type will cross?pollinate with the other. If you are planting two pecan trees, plant one of each pollination type if there are no native trees within a mile or two. The varieties Caddo and Desirable are protandrous (pollen first) types and Choctaw, and Sioux are protogynous (nutlet first) type.
The best variety for a homeowner to plant is Sioux. It produces a beautiful tree with a small, but high quality nut.
PLANTING FRUIT AND NUT TREES
Probably the first big mistake made by most homeowners trying to grow fruit and nut trees is in planting. Their mistake: placing a 10-dollar tree in a 50-cent hole. Fruit trees should be planted in the areas that provide the very best drainage possible. Where poor drainage is unavoidable, trees should be planted on elevated rows or ridges. These ridges should be at least 10 to 12 inches high to insure adequate drainage of excess moisture.
The best fruit trees that a homeowner can buy are trees that are 2 years old and 2 to 4 feet tall. The best pecan trees are 3 to 4 years old and 6 to 8 feet tall. Not only do they have the best chance of surviving transplanting, they also become established sooner.
The largest tree is not necessarily the best. Smaller, trees without branches often are preferred because they (1) cost less, (2) are inherently more vigorous, (3) start growth sooner, (4) are easier to plant and (5) most importantly, they can be properly trained to look shapely and bear heavy crops. However, very small trees were runts in the nursery and should be avoided.
Probably the most difficult thing for the gardener to grasp is the fact that half of the top growth should be removed from bare?root or balled?and?burlapped trees before planting. Many nurseries provide this service to customers. When a tree is dug at the nursery about half of its root system is lost. An equal amount of top growth must be removed to bring top and bottom back into balance (the root?shoot ratio), and for the main branches to begin their growth in the right places. If this balance is not maintained, the tree will grow feebly, if at all, and branches may die back anyway. New fruit trees should be cut back to 18 to 24 inches with all side limbs removed regardless of tree size. Pecan trees should be cut back to 42 inches.
When planting, dig the hole only as big as the root system. Set the tree at the same depth that it grew in the nursery. Never set it so deep that the union of the scion (top, desirable part and variety of the tree) and root section is below ground level when the hole is filled. If a tree cannot be planted immediately, they may be healed (roots covered with loose soil) in a well-drained area making sure that the roots never become dry.
It is a good idea to soak the tree's root system in a bucket of water for one hour prior to planting. This insures good moisture uptake. After the tree has been placed in the hole, begin filling the hole with pulverized soil, shaking the tree gently to filter the soil among the roots. It is best to refill the hole with the same soil that was removed when the hole was dug. Tamp firmly and thoroughly with your foot or a well?padded stick. Adding water when the hole is about 3/4 full will help pack the soil around the roots and increase chances for survival. After the water has completely soaked in, finish filling the hole leaving the soil loose on top.
No fertilizer is added at the time of planting. However, a light application of nitrogen may be necessary in June following planting. It is very essential that the tree be well watered and that all vegetation under the tree be controlled immediately. A heavy layer of mulch does an excellent job of weed control.
Now is the proper time to plant both pecan and fruit trees. Here are some hints that will help insure successful transplanting:
Survival rate is usually better with smaller sized trees (nursery trees that are about 4 to 5 feet tall).Never allow the trees’ roots to dry out prior to planting. Heal the trees in and keep the roots moist.
Dig holes that are only as big as the root system.
Prune badly damaged and dead roots from the trees before planting. Start pruning the young trees and training them immediately. Do not allow forked branches with weak crotches to develop.
Water young trees during periods of dry weather. This is especially important during the first and second years after planting. However, take care not to over-water, especially in heavy, poorly?drained soils.
Control weeds around young trees.
Apply mulches to conserve moisture and hold down weeds.

BACKYARD RENOVATIONS

2007-06-04T01:13:00.000-07:00

No longer are backyards the place for an occasional cookout. People are turning their outdoor spaces into year-round living rooms, complete with comfortable furnishings, fireplaces, speaker systems and even televisions. And with outdoor kitchens, you no longer have to resign yourself to the indoors while your guests sit out under the stars around a custom-built pool complete with a waterfall. Americans want their homes to be their paradise, and a well-landscaped and outfitted backyard is now a major part of that retreat.
Backyard renovations aren't cheap, though. For the works, expect to pay six figures. Even a small landscaping project can cost tens of thousands of dollars. So we talked to the pros to find out what features are worth the money and to get their tips on what you should -- and shouldn't -- do when renovating your yard. And we searched the country for incredible yard makeovers in a range of prices. Check out these before and after shots to see how landscape architects and designers turned ordinary properties across the nation into paradises.By Cameron Huddleston
Go to Story

Which backyard improvements pay off?

2007-06-04T01:09:00.000-07:00

Creating an outdoor retreat can be a worthwhile but costly venture. So make sure your money is well-spent on features that add the most value to your property.

By Cameron Huddleston, Kiplinger's
Kiplinger's: See some amazing backyard transformations
Backyard tips from the pros
Guys reclaim space at home
When it comes to backyards, a couple of lawn chairs and a portable grill just don't cut it these days. More Americans want an outdoor living space with comfortable furniture, built-in grills or complete kitchens, fireplaces, televisions, pools and spas -- and they're expected to spend more than $40 billion this year creating these retreats.
In fact, spending six digits to create a backyard retreat isn't a big deal anymore, says Jeff Carbo, an award-winning landscape architect in Alexandria, La. His firm, Jeffrey Carbo Landscape Architects and Site Planners, has worked on projects that run up to $300,000. For that kind of money, you get a custom-made pool, paving, a covered area with a fireplace, outdoor TV, bathroom and changing area, outdoor shower, fencing, landscaping and an irrigation system.
Is it worth it to spend as much money renovating a backyard as it costs to buy a house? Depends on whom you ask. But if you're going to fork over the big bucks to revamp your yard -- or even if you're on a tight budget -- you should consider putting your dollars into features that add the most value to your property. Here's some advice from the pros:
Which features add value?Jason Cupp, co-founder of design/build, landscape company Highland Outdoor of Olathe, Kan., says his clients frequently ask whether renovating their yards will add value to their property. If two similar neighboring houses were for sale and one had a great landscape design, that house would sell faster, he says.
However, he and other landscape designers agree that you probably won't get a return on your investment if your property is the only one in the neighborhood with the outdoor fireplace and kitchen, waterfall, custom-made pool and spa. That's why you should weigh your needs versus your desires when it comes to renovating your yard and deciding which features to add -- especially if you're on a tight budget. Even a little bit of money can go a long way if you prioritize and opt for features that are functional rather than purely aesthetic, says Brett Wendell, director of design build for HighGrove Partners in Austell, Ga.
Quality landscape design and installation will add value to your property and help it sell faster, landscape pros agree. If you're on a tight budget, hire a landscape architect or designer to create a design, then install the landscaping yourself -- over time, if you have to. "Some advice is better than none," Carbo says. A landscape architect charges $85 to $135, on average, to create a design plan, Wendell says, and could spend 12 to 18 hours creating that plan. A landscape designer typically charges $50 to $75 an hour. To find a designer or architect, talk with friends or family who have used one or check the American Society of Landscape Architect's FirmFinder and the Association of Professional Landscape Designers' database of firms. Wendell recommends interviewing several pros, talking to their customers and checking out their projects. The designer or architect should ask you lifestyle questions (Do you like to garden? Will you maintain the landscaping or will someone else?) so he or she can give you what you need.
Also, if you make a significant investment in landscape, Cupp says, "it won't look as good if you don't have a proper irrigation system, and your investment will erode." Again, if you're on a budget, install the irrigation system before the landscaping, Cupp says. Expect to pay at least $3,000 to $4,000 for irrigation.
Outdoor living rooms, in particular, have been a growing trend over the last 10 years, especially since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Carbo says. In fact, designing and furnishing an outdoor room is the second-most popular home remodeling project after remodeling kitchens, according to the Propane Education & Research Council. Homeowners spent $3.7 billion on patios and terraces in 2004 -- a 366% increase since 1994, according to the Census Bureau. The number of people who are complementing their patio with furniture and larger grills is growing (42% in 2005 versus 32% in 2003), according to a study by the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association.
Functional or purely luxury?Outdoor living rooms often include a fireplace or firepit, cooking station and comfortable furniture. "We're finding that we have more and more clients spending money creating rooms outdoors," Cupp says. But this is an important area to decide whether you're spending money on something that's functional and will add value to your property versus something that is purely a luxury item.
Covered patio -- adds value. "There's no reason to have a great outdoors without an area to sit and enjoy it," Cupp says. For a patio to add value, though, it's got to be more than a concrete slab. He says 95% of the patios he installs are paver patios (brick-like material made of concrete that comes in a variety of styles and colors). The price of materials and installation runs from $12 to $15 a square foot up to $40 to $50 a square foot. And Carbo says patios should be covered to provide shade or protection from rain. Otherwise, you'd be wasting your money if you created a space without a cover to protect you from the elements.
Fireplaces -- luxury item only. The outdoor fireplace -- as well as the firepit -- is a relatively new trend and is growing in popularity, says Carol Kaplan of the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association. Portable firepits are a cheap way to create a cozy outdoor setting. The actual built-in fireplace, though, can cost $8,000 to $35,000, is beautiful to look at but isn't that functional, Wendell says. Because of the maintenance involved, outdoor fireplaces usually are used just during parties or when guests visit. So you probably won't get a return on your investment with this pricey feature, he says.
Kitchens -- add value. For anywhere from $15,000 to $100,000, you can have a refrigerator, grill and sink installed to cook and dine al fresco. "Why not have it all outside where cooking is part of the process of entertaining?" Wendell says. He recommends getting a professional involved to properly locate your outdoor kitchen so you can get the most out of it.
Television -- luxury item only. The cool factor is high here, but functionality is low because it's usually too bright during the day to watch outdoor TVs.
Swimming pools -- questionable value. Pools are one of those features that can be both functional and aesthetic and can add value -- or detract -- depending on the type of pool and type of home buyer or owner. A 2004 National Association of Realtors study of home sales in the Philadelphia area from 1996 to 2003 found in-ground pools added 8% to the sales price of a home. However, all of the landscape designers we talked to said for a pool to add value to property, it has to be custom-made -- not a prefabricated pool that can be found in any backyard. A basic customized concrete pool can cost $60,000 to $80,000. Throw in a hot tub and water feature, such as a waterfall, and you could spend well into the six digits. The problem is, landscape designers say, some home buyers want nothing to do with a pool and will steer clear of houses with one -- regardless of whether it is custom-made or prefabricated. So a pool actually could lower the value of your property in some people's eyes.
Water features, such as a pond or waterfall, also are somewhat questionable as to whether they add value. Cupp says water features are popular and have a high level of value. Costs can range from $1,000 for a small pool of water to $25,000 or more for a pond with a waterfall. Wendell agrees water features are popular but are expensive to maintain. He says they usually aren't worth the money you have to put into them because 50% are abandoned or ignored after the first four years.

Landscaping With Container Plants

2007-06-04T01:04:00.001-07:00

Container Design
Outdoor pots can be "landscaped" just like the rest of your outdoors. And these planted containers can be worked into your larger landscape to dress up existing plantings. One way to heighten the drama of these two features is to place the containers by the front door.
Plantings such as pink mandevilla skirted in English ivy can be made to complement a border of hardy garden mums and a basket of blooming ivy geranium. Now doesn't that make a fine how-do-you-do?
The husband-and-wife team of Doris and David Leonhard designed these container gardens with an eye toward three distinct kinds of plantings:
"Bouquet" containers, which combine three or four plants in one pot to create contrast, color and grace.
"Accent" containers, which feature a prominent, eye-catching plant not usually seen in pots, such as a shrub rose or even an evergreen tree.
"Movable gardens," a collection of different-sized pots and plants that look good on their own, but also complement each other, creating added visual impact.
These gardens-within-a-garden were all placed near entryways at homes of the Leonhards' Boston-area clients. Care was taken in selecting the pots, too—they are all rather decorative, and they are all rather large.
Maybe the most endearing attribute of container planting is its mobility. This feature can be exploited to make you seem to be a better gardener than you actually are.
Pots can be rotated, with showy blooming containers coming to the fore while languishing, transitional plantings are exiled to a restorative site. Groupings can be shuffled around, like rearranging furniture, for altogether new looks. And if company's coming tomorrow and your containers are not just so, it's easy to zip out an underwhelming or underperforming plant and plop in a replacement flower that just happens to be in full glory.
Container Gardening Gallery
Container color cheers the places you spend the most time, such as chaise-side on this backyard terrace. The standard fuchsia is Southgate. The pot in the front is devoted to ivy geranium.
This allamanda, a fast-growing tropical vine, flowers all summer in the Leonhards' own backyard. The cement pot is rimmed with ivy. This simple arrangement winters inside.
This lollipop rose, Popcorn, is underplanted with variegated lemon thyme and Baltic ivy. Another long-blooming easy-care container rose: the Fairy.
This slow-growing dwarf Alberta spruce exemplifies the way conifers can fill an entryway, and handsomely. Helichrysum and young marguerites flourish underneath.
Alantana standard guards these sunny steps, aided by light-blue plumbego, a white maranta "tree" and a pot of vining dipladenia.
Flowering Bouquets
A flowering bouquet kind of falls on its face if it isn't flowering. To avoid container lulls, plant flowers that stay in bloom for extended periods. Lobelia, a long bloomer, thrives in partial sun. Says David, "Sometimes we plant strawberry jars in coordinating colors, but masses of one color is my favorite way."
You can tuck vegetables such as strawberries, tomatoes, parsley and pepper into your bouquets, but they are heavy feeders and need extra fertilizer. Dressing up these edibles are southernwood, pink and white nicotiana, lobelia, viola, petunia and dahlia. This pot requires full sun.
By grouping plants according to their cultural needs, you will accomplish two things: You will assure that they grow and thrive. And you will make your life a whole lot easier.
Here's another tip from Doris and David: In potting up your containers, add a slow-release granular fertilizer such as Osmocote to the potting mix. It's a great time-saver and a bit of an insurance policy.
1. First, cover the drainage hole with pebbles, broken clay pots or packing "peanuts." The peanuts make the completed pot lighter and easier to transport. Make sure to use the truly peanut-shaped little noodles, not the concave or hollow ones, which will hold water and possibly rot roots. Fill with potting mix to planting depth.
2. Plant the central upright plant, the tallest one. In this case, it's the daisylike marguerite. It does not have to be placed in the center of the pot. If the pot is to be shoved up against a wall or backdrop, put the tall plant in the back.
3. Plant the skirt. Add soil and position low trailers and cascading plants around the edge.
4. Tuck in mid-level plants, sweeping around your star-performer and rising to greet it. Water thoroughly, avoiding blossoms and leaves. Add more soil if settling occurs. And remember to deadhead (remove spent blossoms) as the season progresses.

A No-Mow Backyard

2007-06-04T00:52:00.000-07:00

More from Better Homes and Gardens
Plant Finder
Plan-a-Garden
Garden Plans
This backyard garden is designed with two key features in mind: eliminate the lawn and add year-round beauty. The designer incorporated tough, reliable plants that look good even when the weather turns harsh. Good BonesA well-designed landscape has good "bones"—elements that remain visible and attractive all year. In this case, the bones include a multicolor brick patio, a flagstone path, and an ornamental latticetop fence for background and privacy. A line of evergreen arborvitaes and a Washington hawthorn tree also look good in all four seasons.

Colorful Contrasts
The purple leaves of the barberry and bugleweed offer a nice contrast to surrounding flowers and green foliage. Northern sea oats provide nearly year-round interest.
Plant List: (A) Japanese barberry 'Bailtwo'. (B) Garden phlox 'David'. (C) Bugleweed 'Bronze Beauty'. (D) Northern sea oats. (E) Fountain grass 'Hameln'. (F) Blackberry lily. (G) Daylily 'Happy Returns'.
Plants of Note: Northern sea oats is one of several ornamental grasses included in this design. They provide nearly year-round interest and their height makes an attractive foil for shorter plants.

Softening Hard Edges
Arborvitae and purple-flowered clematis 'Jackmanii' soften the hard look of the privacy fence. Phlox, hosta, and dwarf fountain grass soften the edge of the flagstone path.
Plant List: (J) Clematis 'Jackmanii'. (I) Summersweet 'Ruby Spice'. (K) Arborvitae 'Techny'. (B) Garden phlox 'David'. (D) Northern sea oats. (L) Rose 'Purple Pavement'. (H) Heart-leaf bergenia 'Winter Glow'. (F) Blackberry lily. (E) Fountain grass 'Hameln'. (G) Daylily 'Happy Returns'.
Plants of Note: 'Jackmanii' clematis is a reliable vine that features large, velvety purple flowers and grows about 10 feet tall. 'Ruby Spice' summersweet is a good background plant as well. It grows 4 to 6 feet tall and offers fragrant pink flowers in midsummer and yellow foliage in fall.

Vertical Accent
Washington hawthorns, which will grow about 20-25 feet tall, provide a vertical element for the design. And because they provide only light shade, many plants will do well underneath, including shade-lovers like hosta and sun-lovers like feather reed grass.
Plant List: (Q) Washington hawthorn. (S) Ninebark 'Monlo'. (P) Hosta 'Sum and Substance'. (N) Coralbells 'Cherries Jubilee'. (U) Toad lily 'Miyakaki'. (T) Hosta 'Great Expectations'. (L) Rose 'Purple Pavement'.
Plants of Note: Hostas are good space fillers for shade and semishade. Their large leaves add an interesting texture to the setting, especially when paired with the bladelike foliage of grasses and daylilies.
Foliage Stars
Varying the sweep of perennials ensures that there are elements of interest even when not in bloom. Daylilies, hosta, and red-leaved coralbells provide a wonderful contrast of leaf color, shape, and size. Feather reed grass adds plumes that carry well beyond the first frost.
Plant List: (M) Golden carpet sedum. (N) Coralbells 'Jubilee'. (O) Feather reed grass 'Overdam'. (H) Heart-leaf bergenia 'Winter Glow'. (P) Hosta 'Sum and Substance'. (Q) Washington hawthorn. (N) Coralbells 'Cherry Jubilee'. (U) Toad lily 'Miyazaki'. (G) Daylily 'Happy Returns. (O) Feather reed grass "Overdam'. (B) Garden phlox 'David'.
Plants of Note: 'Happy Returns' daylily is an offspring of the ever-popular 'Stella d'Oro' and has the same ability to bloom repeatedly. The difference: it has bright canary-yellow flowers instead of gold.

Take advantage of freebies

2007-06-04T00:51:00.000-07:00

Whether or not to plant a tree is one of the first landscaping decisions you need to make, and one of the most lasting ones, as a tree will stay around to reward or punish you and generations to come. When the appropriate tree is selected and planted in a proper spot, it frames the home and beautifies the landscape, making both more enjoyable. Trees increase the resale value of property and save energy costs. Plan now, savor later.
Select the right tree
As you consider trees, visualize them at maturity and remember that some trees develop as much width as height if given space. Picture each tree's size and shape in relation to the overall landscape and the size and style of the house. Trees that peak at 40 feet work best beside or behind a one-story home. Taller trees blend with two-story houses and large lots. Smaller trees (under 30 feet at maturity) suit streetside locations, small lots, and intimate areas such as patios.
Choose trees from two general categories that will suit your needs:
Deciduous trees include large shade trees that frame areas with a cool summer canopy and a colorful autumn spectacle. Their winter silhouettes provide passages for sunlight. In cold climates, for instance, the tree can shade a southern exposure from summertime heat, then allow winter sunlight to warm the house.
Evergreen (coniferous) trees have dense, green foliage that makes them well-suited to group planting for privacy screens, windbreaks, or backdrops for flowering trees and shrubs, yet they are handsome enough to stand alone. They hold their needles to provide year-round shelter and color.
Be sure to include a variety of trees in your landscape to avoid losing much if diseases or pests strike. Buy disease- and pest-resistant cultivars.
Buying a Tree
Every year, a parade of new hybrids and cultivars reaches the market. Typically, local nurseries stock the most popular trees in the vicinity, while mail-order sources offer more variety. Trees are sold in three forms:
Bare-root trees usually come inexpensively from mail-order nurseries where the lightweight, dormant stock is packed in damp material and easily shipped. Bare-root trees should be planted as soon as they arrive and should not be allowed to dry out.
Container-grown trees resemble potted plants. Local nurseries offer selections throughout the growing season. Plant these trees with the soil they've been growing in to promote quicker establishment with less transplant shock.
Balled-and-burlapped trees are dug with a protective root ball of soil, which is then wrapped tightly in cloth or mesh. Buy and plant dormant stock, if possible. If the tree is over 10 or 15 feet tall, have a professional plant it for you.
Consider these tips when inspecting a tree:
Look for healthy green leaves (if any), and well-developed top growth. Branches should be unbroken and balanced around the stem. Branches on dormant or bare-root stock should be pliable.
Examine the roots, if possible. Healthy roots form a balanced, fully formed mass. Reject trees with broken or dried-out roots.
Avoid trees that show signs of disease, pests, or stress (wilting, discolored or misshapen leaves, scarred bark, and nonvigorous growth).
Buy trees from a nursery that backs up its reputation with product quality and service integrity.
Consider size. Young trees may establish themselves faster than mature trees and have a better rate of success, though larger trees help your landscape seem instantly mature. Most flowering trees grow quickly, so it's OK to start with less expensive, small specimens.
Choosing the Right Site
It's fun to pick out a tree you like, but it's tricky to pick out a proper place to put it. Careful planning and positioning of any new addition to your landscape will ensure its success and avoid problems in years to come. As an essential landscape feature, use trees to delineate areas, form a focal point, or reinforce vistas.
An appropriately sited tree has plenty of room to reach maturity and won't interfere with overhead utility lines, underground pipes and utility lines, street traffic, lighting, or parking. Avoid planting under utility lines. If you must, choose low-growing varieties that will reach no closer than 10 feet from lines when mature.
Place strong-wooded shade trees at least 50 feet apart and 15 feet away from buildings and utility lines. Add another 10 to 20 feet for soft-wooded trees to move in stormy weather without breaking up. Space small trees at least 10 feet away from buildings and each other.
Locating trees on the east and west sides of a building provides maximum shade. Plan to shade driveways, parking areas, air-conditioning units, and dark-color surfaces such as roofs.
Group trees to increase shade and reduce lawn area. A group of three or more trees including the same species or mixed company can create a special effect. Plant two or more rows of evergreens when creating a windbreak. Be careful not to block the path of winter sun when building visual or noise screens.
Maintaining a New Tree
Try not to prune a newly planted tree unless the form needs improving. Prune flowering trees in spring, after blooming, to correct form problems. Crab apple trees, an exception, should be pruned in late winter. Remove diseased or dead branches anytime.
Apply fertilizer only if necessary in the second and subsequent growing seasons. Take a soil sample and have it tested before fertilizing.
Mulch to conserve moisture, reduce weeds, and eliminate mowing near the tree. Spread wood chips or shredded bark 4 inches deep and as wide as the tree's canopy. Don't mulch poorly drained or oversaturated soils.
Wrap tree trunks to help prevent winter damage from weather and varmints. Remove wraps in spring.
Stake young trees, especially bare-root trees and evergreens, to give them strength against high winds. Use low stakes and mesh webbing straps (no cord, wire, or hose) to support the tree. Stake loosely and allow the tree to blow. Remove stakes after a year.

17 ways to landscape on the cheap

2007-06-04T00:46:00.000-07:00

It's easy to spend thousands cultivating an idyllic lawn and garden. But a little ingenuity and patience will go a long way to keeping some green in your wallet, as well.By Ann Archer
Traditional thinking says you should expect to pay anywhere from 5% to 15% of your home's value on landscaping. Even at the low end of that range, you're looking at spending $10,500 if you live in the median-value American home worth $213,000.
That's tough to stomach no matter how much you love the outdoors. Thankfully, you can do it right and still spend a fraction of that amount. Here's how.
Traditional thinking says you should expect to pay anywhere from 5% to 15% of your home's value on landscaping. Even at the low end of that range, you're looking at spending $10,500 if you live in the median-value American home worth $213,000.
That's tough to stomach no matter how much you love the outdoors. Thankfully, you can do it right and still spend a fraction of that amount. Here's how.
Take advantage of freebies
Your city, your friend: Cities often give away free trees, mulch and compost. In Seattle, for example, groups of neighbors can request 10-40 trees from the city in exchange for planting and maintaining them.
Demolition sites: These are great sources for bricks and stones, but make sure you have permission to remove them.
Fellow gardeners: See something you like in a neighbor's yard? Offer to trade cuttings. Also, set up seed exchanges with other gardeners or check out existing exchanges online such as those on iVillage's GardenWeb and GardenHere.com.
Avoid costly mistakes: Really think about how you're going to use your outdoor space. If you plan a water feature but are annoyed by the noise of babbling brooks, you’re going to spend more money ripping it out and replacing it with something else later. Take the time to educate yourself and you'll avoid common pitfalls such as planting a tree too close to your house.
Work with what you have: Preserving existing plants and trees can help you save the cost, materials and resources needed to establish a new planting. Educate yourself about plant care and pruning; that 12-foot magnolia in the back yard would likely cost you $65 and five years of growing to replace. (For tips on pruning, check out this page on the U.S. Forest Service site.) Similarly, knowing which areas in your yard are flood-prone and which are always in the sun can help you buy the right plants for the right conditions. Some areas might be better for swing sets or patios.
Hire yourself: The best way to save money in landscaping is to do as much work as possible yourself. A 3-gallon bush may cost $20, but the price skyrockets to $30 or $40 when it's planted by a landscaping professional. A $3-to-$4 perennial will cost about $12 installed.
Know when to hire the pros: There are times when it makes sense to hire a pro. Beverly Katz of Exterior Designs in New Orleans suggests hiring help for jobs that take more muscle or design skill than you have, such as creating hardscapes, while you take on more manageable tasks such as planting small shrubs and perennials. (You can find landscape architects at the American Society of Landscape Architects Web site and certified landscape designers at the Association of Professional Landscape Designers Web site.)
When using pros, try to get a packaged deal: Check out nurseries that offer landscaping services. Many will offer discounts on plant material to their landscaping customers. Classic Nursery and Landscape Company in Redmond, Wash., for example, offers a 20% discount on all plant material for one year to their clients.
Hire a consultant: A full landscape design that includes drawings and a planting plan can cost anywhere from a couple of hundred dollars to more than $1,000, depending on the complexity of the design and the overall budget of the project, according to Katz. A less-expensive route is to draw your own plan and hire a landscape designer to review it. "I charge $100 to $150 an hour to consult. I’ll make notes and add to the plan," said Katz.
Take a phased approach: Divide your plan into phases and pay as you go with funds on hand. You'll save on loan or credit costs and be able to evaluate your progress and adjust plans before moving to the next phase.
Time your purchases: Buy trees, shrubs, perennials, soil and mulch late in the season when retailers want to be rid of them. Depending on your region that could be early fall, a great time for planting because it gives the plant time to develop roots before the summer heat arrives.
Check alternate resources: Look beyond stores for bargains. Arboretums, botanical centers, plant societies and gardening clubs often hold plant sales. You can join The National Arbor Day Foundation for $10 and receive 10 free trees shipped to you at no cost. At Free Trees and Plants, a retail Web site that helps train and employ the disabled, you only pay shipping and processing fees on all your orders.
Buy small: Purchase small-sized plants; five 1-gallon Shasta daisies at $3 apiece cost the same as one 3-gallon plant at $15 at Armstrong Nursery in Carlsbad, Calif. Depending on the species, the smaller plants could double in size in two years, giving you more plant for your money.
Protect foundations: Roots can damage concrete blocks, driveways and sidewalks, so plant large trees at least 30 feet from those areas.
Divide: Look around your yard for any perennials that can be divided and used elsewhere in the landscape. A one-gallon perennial can cost about $9 at a nursery, but you can easily divide the one you planted last year into four plants, saving $27.
Compost: Save money on fertilizers and mulch by composting your own, using yard waste and food scraps. Compost piles can be made of recycled 2 x 4s and chicken wire. All you need is access to the pile and enough space to turn it every now and again. You'll pay as much as $5 per small bag of compost at your local home improvement store.
Think about maintenance: A large lawn is great if you don't mind mowing. But if paying a yard guy $50 a week is part of your plan, make sure that goes into your budget.
Be water smart: According the Environmental Protection Agency, outdoor water use constitutes almost 20% of total home water use. Look for plants that are drought-tolerant to save on your water bill.
Finally, be patient. Plants will not fully mature for a good two to three years, longer for trees and many shrubs. Enjoy the process -- and the money you saved.