America's Best Spooks & Spirits

Wandering through the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California, is a journey through an obsessive mind. The maze of some 160 rooms was built by the widow and heir of the Winchester rifle fortune. Saraw Winchester felt haunted by spirits of those killed with her husband's weapons. Warned by a medium that she would die if she stopped building, she kept labourers working day and night for 38 years, constructing windows with 13 panes, chimneys (which she considered doors for ghosts) that didn't rise through the roof, stairs to nowhere and a secret séance room. Sarah died peacefully in her sleep at age 82. If you're in California, you can visit for the day for $28.95, kids & seniors, $25.95.

There are hundreds of other "haunted houses" all over the US where you can pull the covers up over your head:

Like 200-year-old Myrtles Plantation in St Francisville, Louisiana state. Built on a Red Indian graveyard, it's one of America's spookiest houses -- said to be inhabited by no less than seven apparitions. If a grim caretaker tries to turn you away at the gate, you might consider leaving. He was murdered in 1927. Brave souls can book rooms for between $115-$230.

Since the brutal murder of her father and stepmother on August 4, 1892, Lizzie Borden has been immortalized in song and story. At their house, now the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast in Fall River, Massachusetts, you can eat the same meal of bananas, cakes and coffee that the Bordens did on the morning they were murdered. The rate of $200 includes a private tour of the house. Then visit the Fall River Historical Society to view evidence of the crime, including photos of the murder scene and the skulls.

Legend has it that a runaway Spanish don and his lover, an Italian opera singer, once lived on the site of Belhurst Castle. Rumours of secret tunnels and hidden rooms are more fantasy than fact, says the Geneva Historical Society. But mystical music lovers can listen for songs at the Gothic-style mansion built in 1889 in Geneva, New York state. Some guests claim to have seen a woman in white on the hotel lawn, and others hear lullabies sung.

If you want to sing along there, or at a poltergeist's palace near you, start by reading Haunted Hotels by Robin Mead or Dinner & Spirits by Robert and Anne Wlodarski. Many hotels, inns and bed-and-breakfasts now have their own websites. Check out: hauntedhouses.com; hotels.about.com/cs/hauntedhotels or allstays.com/Special/haunted.htm. » Continue reading

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Got a negative credit rating? Here's rescue

In the west, it's a popular trend to live a life on credit. With the advent of Credit Cards it has become still worse. People loose control over their spendings as they are tempted to swipe their card as soon as they find an opportunity. Eventually landing them into debt which they cannot recover from resulting in a negative credit rating.

A negative credit rating is often considered undesirable to lenders and other extenders of credit for the purposes of loaning money or capital. Thus, it would become very difficult for a person with a negative credit rating to get back up financially.

But guess what? They've an option to get back on their feet financially once again! And not just one but many. If you're one of those with a negative credit rating, you can check out BadCreditOffers.com for comparing dozens of services from major providers to repair your "bad credit" and find the best service that fits your needs. You can even find offers for Credit Cards, Home Loans, Auto Loans and Personal Loans.

Not just that! BadCreditOffers.com even has offers to let you check your Credit Score and get a Credit Report. » Continue reading

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Mobile Phone Trivia

• While radio-type phones have been in use since the 1940s, Motorola invented the first modern mobile phone for handheld use in 1973.
  
• In Japan, cell phones can also be used as credit and/or debit cards. You can also use them to check in at airports. You can even take a swim with a waterproof phone.
  
• The first recorded text message was sent from Neil Papworth to Richard Jarvis on December 3, 1992; it said, "Merry Christmas".
  
• The 'special' tone available to users of Nokia phones when receiving text messages is actually Morse code for 'SMS'.
  
• In Malaysia, a man may divorce his wife through a text message as long as the text is clear.
  
• Sixteen-year-old student Ang Chaung Yang of Singapore currently holds the world record for texting "The razor-toothed piranhas of the genera Serrasalmus and Pygocentrus are the most ferocious freshwater fish in the world. In reality they seldom attack a human" in 41.52 seconds.
  
• In 2006, the New Zealand Qualification Authority decided that students could use text messaging abbreviations as long as the answer was clear and it showed that the student understood the subject.
  
• A wireless collar device for pets that is being tested in Japan will allow people to talk to their pets while they are at home lounging around or tearing up your favorite pillow.

» Continue reading

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How to share websurfing sessions with friends?

Daftdoggy is a website that lets you do just that for free. You can record a websurfing session and then save it as a link to share with others. You could use it to give someone a guided tour around the Intenet, from a single ink.

Daftdoggy also lets you edit the recorded web-surfing session to add comments and teaching notes. On playback there is a small blue box at the bottom of the page which, when you place your mouse over, gives a translucent screen containing whatever you'd like to say about a particular webpage. So now you can tell people why you want them to see a certain webpage. You can point out what's good and bad about the page before moving on to the next one.

Here's a quick example of what I mean. It's a link that takes you through a few resources on Alexander The Great.


Here's another example that takes you through a "videojukebox" of Amy Winehouse on YouTube. (When recording active content such as YouTube, Daftdoggy won't show the media that you're recording but it will on playback).

Another way people are using DaftDoggy is to use it as an online favorites page that stores all of their sites when they're away from their own systems. » Continue reading

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With Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin you have nothing to worry about

If you get charged with a DUI or another serious crime, then it’s obviously in your best interest to retain the services of an experienced attorney who has a proven track record of successful defenses. Chances are, you’re not going to get a great court-appointed lawyer, so I recommend dealing with a private firm like Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin LLP.

Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin LLP is one of the premier Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorneys | California DUI Felony Misdmemeanor Lawyers, specializing in defending Criminal and DUI cases in Southern California.

The next time you need a criminal defense attorney, just remember these three key points: Southern California Criminal & DUI Attorneys. Top 5% U.S. Law Firm. Former L.A. Prosecutors. That’s what Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin LLP brings to the table, and with that kind of power in your corner, you’ll have a much better shot of winning your case.

Don’t leave your future in the hands of a public defender; instead, get in touch with the best criminal defense team available to you. Consultations are available 24/7 by calling 877-781-1570. » Continue reading

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Healing Power of Tears

May be you should cry: It's good for body and soul.
As a child I couldn't understand why my tear ducts were dry when my grandfather died. But that night when my dad tried to lighten the mood with some tickling at my bedtime tuck-in, my giggles turned into crying, much to my horror -- and relief.

So it came as no surprise to learn that researchers believe crying and laughing stem from the same part of the brain. Just as laughing has a host of health benefits (lowers blood pressure, boosts the immune system), scientists are discovering that so, too, does crying.

"Whatever it takes for an individual to vent and release stress is essential to our emotional health," says Jodi DeLuca, a neuropsychologist. And crying seems to work well: One survey found that 85% of women and 73% of men felt better after crying.

Even more important than acting as stress relievers, tears attract help from other people. Researchers agree that when we cry, people around us become milder and less aggressive, and they're more likely to provide support and comfort.

Tears enable self-disclosure too; sometimes we don't even know we're upset until we cry. "We learn about our emotions through crying, and then we can deal with them," says neuroscientist William H. Frey II, author of Crying: The Mystery of Tears.

Just as crying can be healthy, not crying -- holding back tears of anger or grief -- can be bad for our bodies. Studies have linked emotional repression to high blood pressure, heart problems and cancer. "We are genetically programmed to cry, and denying that impulse damages our physical well being," says DeLuca.

Despite the benefits of bawling, if crying interferes with everyday life, see your doctor or a therapist. It could be and early sign of depression.

Doctors aren't prescribing sob sessions just yet; how much we cry depends on genetics, gender (women cry four time more than men) and upbringing. But when you feel like weeping, don't fight it. It's a natural and healthy -- emotional response.

Also read
Healing Power of Laughter
Healing Power of Forgiveness
Healing Power of Music
Healing Power of Sleep » Continue reading

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Where to find help creating an ideal home in the UK?

Anglian Home Improvements has been helping customers make their ideal home in the UK since 1969 and have pioneered the concept of customised home solutions. Anglian promises to help you renovate your home without spending a fortune. From the design to the installation, they will provide you with friendly and professional service through the entire process.

They offer a variety of products and services for homes, including beautiful customizable driveways in many different designs suitable for modern homes. Adding a well designed driveway to your home not only gives a face lift to your home but also increases your home's value.

Anglian products come with a whopping 10-Year guarantee on parts and labour on all of their windows, doors and conservatories and a 15-year guarantee on sealed-gas units.

You can apply for a free quote online on their website. Also check out their website to find special offers on energy efficient windows and doors, kitchens, garage doors, conservatories, rooftrim and much more. » Continue reading

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