Learning spanish has never been easier

Mnemonic memory training is a memory system that allows you to store information in and recall it from your long-term memory, and, in the case of learning a new language, your speech center. Mnemonics gives you a way to organize information, store it, and recall it. The better information is organized and stored, the easier you will be able to recall it when it is needed and the longer it will stay in your head. If you do mnemonics correctly, you concentrate and focus on information you want to remember in a way that will almost guarantee you will never forget it.

Some twenty-five years after going through my first mnemonic memory course, I still recall vocabulary words in French and I do not speak French at all. In the course, as an exercise, we learned some French words using the Substitute Word System—a mnemonic device—and I still can remember them. Now that is Memory Training. This is what mnemonics does for you: it creates a way for a simple, effective, and efficient storage and retrieval system. In other words, mnemonics provides you a way to find the information in your head. It is essentially like a search engine on the Internet in your head.

Some offer criticism of mnemonics. They say mnemonic training does not teach you to understand the information you are trying to remember. I find this a nonsense objection. Why would you be trying to remember something you do not understand? The very fact that you want to recall something means, in some way or other, you have a need to recall it and it implies there is at least some understanding of the material you are trying to remember.

Another criticism is mnemonic training is time-consuming. The truth is that it is indeed time consuming—all memory work is. But would you rather engage in something that will guarantee you will be able to remember the information or engage in some rote memory exercise that will almost guarantee you will NOT recall the information? I find I can store more than twenty NEW Spanish vocabulary words per day and ALWAYS remember them. I know some who can do ten times that amount.

Example of How I do it:

1) despejado—clear as in a clear sky

Imagine a clear sky—a totally beautiful day—spades suddenly materialize in the sky and begin falling like deadly arrows. This causes you to have to hide under a huge mound of dough until the danger passes.

2) el dependiente—the clerk

Imagine “L” tells a restaurant check out clerk that he depends on begin able to come in each day for a spot of tea.

3) el paсo—the cloth

Imagine “L” walks up to a giant pan that is playing with a yoyo and tells him that his yoyo looks dirty and offer the pan a cloth to clean it.

4) el carbуn—the coal

Imagine “L” rigs a car bomb. When he sets it off, it explodes a geyser of coal out of the top of the car.

5) el destinatario—the addressee

Imagine “L” is dusting a tire while eating some cheerios when a dress he is wearing falls to his knees

6) dirigirse—to address

Imagine a deer is a sales clerk in a dress shop, and is reading until she hears a customer say, “I want you to add this dress to my bill.

7) intranquilo—worried or anxious

Imagine being stuck in a trunk with a magic quill. You draw an O around the lock with the quill. The O turns into a worm that reads your anxious mind. It crawls into the lock of the trunk and opens the lock releasing you.

8) firme—firm or adamant

Imagine someone asking, “Do you fear me?” To which you reply, “I adamantly do not fear you.”

9) el barbero—the barber

Imagine going to get you hair cut at the barbershop and “L” is the barber.

10) excusarse—to apologize

Imagine that to excuse yourself from the table you have to go around the table and say an apology to everyone at the table.

11) los activos—the assets

Imagine that in Los Angeles that the favorite activity is to kick someone’s ass before taking their assets.

12) la almendra—the almond

Imagine an almond mending a dress.

13) la almeja—the clam

Imagine Al Gore, every month of May, has to hide clams like Easter Eggs. Picture this visualizing a picture of Al Gore, a calendar page of the month of May, pictures of a clams all over the month of May, and then of Al Gore hiding them like Easter Eggs.

14) la ventaja—the advantage

Imagine a vent traveling to Lake Tahoe to paint an ad on the side of a van of the Taj Mahal.

15) la anestesia—the anesthesia

Imagine seeing a nest on a table. You walk over to the nest to see in it. You find an egg that begins to hatch releasing a green anesthesia gas knocking you out.

16) aprobar—to approve

Imagine sending a robotic flying probe in a bar to zap a criminal that have been proven guilty in a court of law.

17) tasar—to asses

Imagine taking a taser and shocking an jackass until he sits.

18) el albaricoque—the apricot

Imagine “L” walks into a bar to see Al Gore sitting at a bar sharing coke and some cake with a giant blonde-woman apricot.

19) la enmienda—the amendment

Imagine finding in a mint a tiny sliver of paper. When you pull it out it pops open and unfurls into the U. S. Constitutional amendments.

20) enmendar—to amend

Imagine in the men’s bathroom, a there is another door in a stall that opens up to reveal a bunch of men trying to mend the cuffs of their trousers and darn their socks.

21) la viruela—the chicken pox

Imagine walking into a bar and seeing a beer swilling whale with a chicken filled box. There are feathers all over the floor and the chickens in the box are clucking loudly.

22) la chequera—the checkbook

Imagine a check reading a book.

23) el garbanzo—the chickpea

Imagine “L” opening a garage door to discover a band sewing costumes with The Chick Pea embroidered on the backs of the costumes.

24) el dominio—the command, the dominion

Imagine “L” walks up to a domino setup and shouts at the first domino, “I have the command over all of you because this is my dominion—now fall!”

An introduction to futons

Futons have been a fixture of college students’ dorm rooms and other urban living settings for decades. Futons are stylish, functional, and versatile; they can be integrated into nearly any setting. Futon beds are lightweight and simple, providing sleepers with a comfortable place to rest.

What most people don’t know is that futon beds originated in Japan. For hundreds of years, Japanese people have slept on thin futon mattresses placed directly on the floor. They saw no need to have an elaborate bed with a frame and box spring and headboard. All that these early futons involved was the thin mattress, small pillows, and a blanket. In the morning, the futon bed could be rolled up and put in a closet. Over time, the concept of sleeping on futon beds spread to America.

Modern futons often have adjustable frames and can be used as either a couch or a bed, depending on how the frame is arranged. The frames are usually made of colored metal, but can be wooden as well. Futon beds do not needed to be folded out like couch beds, all the sleeper needs to do is push the back of the frame from the upright couch position to a horizontal bed position. These setups are comfortable in either the couch or bed position and are great for accommodating overnight guests.

Current models of futon mattresses are thicker than the original Japanese models. They are often filled with wool, polyester, cotton, or soft man made fibers. They do not have the springs that conventional beds have. A normal mattress can become uncomfortable over time if the springs do not hold up well to pressure. This is not a problem with futons because most of them have no springs.

Futon beds have evolved greatly over time. From their simple beginnings as space saving Japanese beds to their modern multi use models, they are a great alternative to conventional beds.

The secret to making a successful timeshare purchase

Everyone has heard the horror stories associated with purchasing a timeshare property. Huge payments, poor accommodations, stolen funds, and resorts that shall we say have “lost their appeal”!

Well once you have decided to go the Timeshare rout for your vacations it is important to take into account a few factors when making your purchase decision. A Timeshare can be owned forever but most are sold after 8-9 years. This makes the price you pay very important if you hope to avoid a major loss when the time comes to sell.

When purchasing a Timeshare make sure the seller has an escrow arrangement with his or her solicitor (or accountant) to administer the sale of the property and handle the transfer of funds and title. Only when you are completely satisfied should you instruct the solicitor to release your money and certify the transfer. If you are offered a banked week, then check that the owner actually owns the week and that the Management Fees are up to date by contacting the Management Company and the exchange company.

Make sure the exchange company is informed of the change in ownership before transfer and always be sure you understand who in the purchase agreement (seller or buyer) will assume the costs of transferring the ownership of the unit. A "Right of Use" ownership transfer may cost from $140 to $1,700 and the transfer costs for a “Deeded" ownership may amount to as much as $3,000.

Only buy from the developer of the resort as a last choice alternative and if you do have to go that route be prepared to pay substantially higher prices for your Timeshare units.

The starting price for "sleep 6", peak season week in good quality resorts in most of Europe should be in or around $4000 and should provide good exchange power and minimum losses on resale. In the UK a larger unit in peak school season at a top class resort should cost you between $6,000 and $10,000, and most of your money should come back when you resell. Once you find what you want, bargain hard! It's a buyers market so take advantage!

Deck out your outdoors

Americans everywhere are spending more time at home. Because of this, they are looking for creative ways to expand their current space by investing in "outdoor living rooms." Creating outdoor living areas can be a cost-effective way to enhance both the beauty and functionality of your yard and home, make more livable space and increase the value of your home. Try the following simple tips to revamp and grow your living space:

Create different rooms

We are used to having our homes divided into rooms, but rarely take this approach to our outdoor spaces. But dividing up your yard can actually help to maximize your enjoyment of it. Look at the available space and designate one area for play, one for dining and socializing, and another for relaxing. Then decorate accordingly!

Focus on quality

When embarking on any renovation project, make selections that will maintain and perform in the long-term. For example, if you are building a deck, using Symmatrix™ Composite Decking means your deck will stand up to the elements for years without cracking, splitting or warping. And it requires no sealing or staining, so maintaining it requires little effort on your part!

Set the mood with color

Just as you would with an indoor room, you can use color to decorate outdoors. In fact, applying color theory when selecting plants and flower arrangements can influence the mood and personality of a space. For example, while earth tones are appropriate for a relaxation corner, bright colors like pink and red are ideal in areas used for play. If you're building a patio or deck, select a base color that matches your home, but allows for flexibility in design.

Get the most for your money

You want to enjoy your home, but you also want to see it increase in value over time. So when it comes to making big decisions, such as the addition of a deck or pool, research the dollar value that element will bring. For example, according to Replacement Contractor, installing a deck provides the second highest return on investment for homeowners-over 90 percent on average after the first year of installation.

Use your space!

Why limit the time you spend outdoors to the summertime? Even in colder climates, accessories are available that can extend the use of your outdoor space to other times of year. Electric heaters, outdoor fireplaces and fire pits are accessories that will keep you warm through late fall and into early spring.

What you should know before taking fosamax

Fosamax ® is a bisphosphonate drug used for osteoporosis and several other bone diseases. It is marketed alone as well as in combination with vitamin D under the name Fosavance.

Side-effects

GI tract: most prominent are harmless side effects such as mild nausea, dyspepsia, abdominal cramps, flatulence, diarrhea, or obstipation. A severe side effect is an ulceration of the esophagus caused by alendronate, which may require hospitalization and intensive treatment. Gastric and duodenal ulceration.

General: infrequent cases of skin rash, rarely manifesting as Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis, eye problems (uveitis, scleritis) and generalized muscle, joint, and bone pain (rarely severe) have been seen. In laboratory tests decreased calcium and phosphate values may be obtained but reflect action of the drug and are harmless.

Osteonecrosis of the jaw, a recognised side-effect of bisphosphonates.

Dosage

Prophylaxis of osteoporosis in women: 5-10mg daily or 35-70mg weekly.

Therapy of osteoporosis in women and men : 10mg daily or 70mg weekly.

Osteoporosis under corticosteroids: 5mg daily or 35mg weekly in men and premenopausal women or those receiving concomitant HRT. In postmenopausal women not receiving HRT the recommended dose is 10mg daily or 70mg weekly.

Paget's Disease: 40mg daily for 6 months.

The drug is to be taken only upon rising for the day with plenty of water. Stand, walk or sit 30 minutes afterwards to avoid esophageal damage. At least 30 minutes should be waited before meals or other beverages than water are taken in.

Interactions

Milk, diet and drugs containing high amounts of calcium, magnesium or aluminium (antacids): the resorption of alendronate is decreased. At least half an hour should pass after intake of alendronate before taking the supplement or drug.

Highly active vitamin D analogues or fluorides: no data is available. Concomitant treatment should be avoided.

The additional beneficial effect of HRT (hormone replacement therapy) with estrogens/progestins or raloxifene in postmenopausal women remains to be elucidated, but no interactions have been seen. The combination is therefore possible.

Intravenous ranitidine increases the oral bioavailability of alendronate. No clinical consequences are known.

The combination of NSAIDS and alendroate increases the risk of gastric ulcers. Both these drugs have the potential to irritate the upper gastro-intestinal mucosa.

Does Merck have a patent on this drug?

Yes, but the patent is set to expire in 2008 and Merck has lost a series of appeals to block a generic version of the drug from being certified by the US FDA.

Now you can understand why there's a growing interest in Fosamax. When people start looking for more information about Fosamax, you'll be in a position to inform them with facts.

Disclaimer

The information presented here should not be interpreted as medical advice. Please consult your physician before taking Fosamax or any other drug.

Permission is granted to reprint this article as long as no changes are made, and the entire resource box is included.

Making a perfect cup of espresso coffee

When it comes to making Espresso, each and every professional coffee maker, such as Barista, will have their personal secret recipe. In this article I will show my recipe on how to make a delightful cup of Espresso.

The first most important ingredient of Espresso is water. In espresso you can only use fresh hot water. The water should ideally be around 203F (95C) that is nearly boiling. Water often becomes stale due to the presence of mildew, pure cleaning methods and inadequate filtering. If you use stale water then no matter how good the quality of the coffee bean, it will not be able to overcome the association of poor water.

The next ingredient is coffee. While making Espresso you should choose Arabica. It doesn't matter whether it has been grown in Brazil or Bogotб or elsewhere. The bean should have been grown above 915m and should be delivered all fresh for roasting. You can either elf roast it or but it a few days after but your coffee should essentially have the 'fresh food' smell in it.

You can also use Robusta beans as they are easier to grow and more disease resistant. However, this bean has more caffeine and fewer flavors so it is best used for those quick pick-me-up drinks and not for Espresso.

After that you have to finely ground the beans in a burr. Do not use the blade attachment of the blender as the blade often chops the beans and does not grind them. In the burr attachment the beans are ground between two pyramids shaped teeth on two plates. Ideally, your ground coffee should be like the dark Viennese or French. This name often refers to color of the ground coffee and not to where it's grown.

The distance between the two plates often determines the fineness of the granules. The ground coffee should be sand grain sized. It should not be too finely ground or should not be like the shape of small gravel. You should also remember to not to leave the coffee exposed to air, mainly because just like other foods, coffee also oxidizes and absorbs odors from the air. This may often ruin your perfect cup of Espresso coffee.

Since you know the basic ingredients, you can proceed to the next stage of Espresso making.

The first thing that you should do is pre-warm the equipment. All you have to do is turn the espresso maker on, run it through good water and let it heat. When the water is warm enough, you can run a cup through without any coffee in it. This will help to warm the equipment and flush out any particles present in it.

Now, you have to add your ground roast. Just as in tobacco, remember to pack it down slightly. You should feel some springiness that you often feel in pipes. You should be careful as to not let the coffee scatter.

After this you firmly place a hopper inside the machine and a warmed cup of espresso at the outlet of the machine. After you start the machine you should have the perfect thin steady stream of coffee in about five seconds. A double shot would require around twenty seconds.

If you want to make cappuccino then you should warm half cup of organic milk in a microwave for about 90 seconds. Then you should froth it and add it to your Espresso. You can also add different garnishing like cinnamon, chocolate or nutmeg. If you like your coffee sweet then you can add a little bit of organic sugar.

In the end, if you want a great cup of Espresso all you have to do is keep the whole process simple and straight. You should always remember to keep your equipment clean and to start with good quality ingredients.

Tigers keep winning and now get the yankees in motown

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The Detroit Tigers won another series this past weekend at the hands of a division rival in Cleveland and continue to own the best record in the majors at 35-15, but now they get the acid test!

They are about to throw a week long party in their house at Comerica Park and they have invited some very raucous folks in the name of the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox.

Any team that considers themselves a worthy contender in the American League realizes that they will at some point have to dispose of the perennial American East champions. With all due respect to the defending World Series champion Chicago White Sox, the Yanks and BoSox are the enemy.

After a consistent performance in the 2005 MLB season, the Atlanta Braves are poised to make a strong showing in 2006. The Braves finished the 2005 regular season with a .556 win average, placing them at the top of the National League East, which is where they have been for 14 years in a row.

They are showing the signs after reeling off four straight road victories, including sweep at Wrigley Field. Yesterday they closed out their road trip by hitting eight homeruns and Bobby Cox just keeps on ticking.

El Duque returned to his former stomping grounds of Florida and got his first win as a New York Met and this could be a huge addition for Willy Randolph’s squad. Carlos Beltran is really on fire and Carlos Delgado will drive in a plethora of runs.

Randy Johnson could get ambushed today and you have to bet the pumped up Tigers as the 42-year-old Johnson (6-4, 5.89 ERA) has not had a quality start since limiting Baltimore to one run in eight innings of a victory April 23. In each of his last six outings, the southpaw has allowed at least four runs and seen his ERA rise more than two runs.

One of the reasons for Johnson's struggles have been first-inning problems. Opponents are hitting .378 (17-for-45) with four homers and 15 RBIs in the first inning of his 11 starts this season. In 2005, Johnson limited hitters to a .210 average (26-for-124) with three homers and 16 RBIs in 34 first-inning outings.

Johnson had a personal six-game winning streak against the Tigers end last season when he was outpitched by Jeremy Bonderman in a 10-2 loss July 1. Johnson, 8-7 lifetime versus Detroit, was reached for seven runs in five innings.

Bonderman (5-3, 4.57) is trying to win for the third time in four starts and also end his struggles at home. The right-hander is 1-3 with a 7.48 ERA in four starts at Comerica Park, but he is coming off a win Wednesday at Kansas City, where he gave up three runs and 10 hits in seven innings of a 6-3 win.

Bonderman is 2-2 with a 4.84 ERA in five starts and six lifetime appearances against New York.

New York won five of six games between the teams in 2005 and has won 22 of the last 29 since the middle of the 2001 season.

You would have to do a whole lot of research to find the last time Randy Johnson pitched against the Tigers and was listed as an underdog, as is the case today with Detroit -123.
Play the Tigers!

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