Wednesday, December 26, 2007 

Surveys: Scam Or Success?

Believe it or not, there are people making money taking surveys on the internet. The honest truth of the matter is that 99% of the material advertising paid surveys arent paid surveys. Paid surveys consist of a study done by a marketing and research company to get feedback and gather information about various products and advertising campaigns that the big corporations use. Its basically a way of seeing if they are getting the most bang for their buck. These major corporations easily spend billions a year on marketing and advertising. The corporations hire these market research companies to get this information. There are many ways to conduct a survey. The most popular ones involve telemarketing (phone surveys), mystery shoppers, or testing a companys products or services.

This is the perfect example:

A large cable company has a new channel they want to market to men between the ages of 26-34 who are married and live in a big city. They want to know the likes and dislikes of these men. How much they pay for this service, and what advertisements catch their eye.

The cable company would hire a market research company to gather the information they needed. Each company refers to its online panel. They may ask for 10,000 men who fit the demographics the cable company is trying to reach. The company then sends an email inviting participants to join the study. The participant fills out a questionnaire to see if they are a match. If they match, they are given an invite and the offer of $10-25 to take the online survey. It doesnt get any easier than that.

But before you pack your suitcase and head to Bermuda, let me warn you. The problem lies in that there are literally thousands of ads popping up on the internet that go something like this Taco Bell vs McDonalds take this survey and receive a free xbox. Once you give them your e-mail address they make you try to sign with other companies like Blockbuster and Home Depot, etc. This is not a paid survey, let me repeat THIS IS NOT A PAID SURVEY. These are the ones commonly referred to as scams that everyone mistakes with paid surveys.

They also trick non-suspecting customers to shell out $50 to get a list of paid survey directories. Some think by paying this, they will soon be taking tons of surveys and laughing all the way to the bank. This is not entirely so. After shelling out your hard earned dough to these sites, they make you sign for each panel one by one.

I dont see why anyone would pay for paid survey directories. There are several websites that give this information free. These paid sites are getting over on the fact that the average person doesnt know this. Go to msn.com and search free free paid survey directories. just like that!

To make real bread from the survey business youd have to be registered to as many panels as you could handle at one time. To run with the big dogs, I suggest joining the top 20 paid survey panels. These are the most popular and more importantly, the most busy. You are guaranteed at least a survey a day in the Big Leagues. Taking the time to sign up with the big guys could only make you or make you bigger.

Bottom line, you wont get rich taking surveys but you can make a few thousand dollars extra income to supplement whatever you want. To go pro, you would need to register with every paid survey panel known to man. Not a bad living for something you can do in your underwear, with no investment and no strings attached-all in your time.

DA Whitmore is an information publisher specializing in online surveys. For more information on paid surveys please visit http://www.surveysenator.com

Houston And Prenatal Yoga

 

Dangerous Shoulder Exercises

Have you ever suffered from shoulder discomfort after working out? I am referring to aching or sharp pain experienced in the front of the shoulder or lateral upper arm that is felt with overhead activities, reaching behind the back or even laying on the shoulder. These symptoms are often indicative of rotator cuff inflammation. This is a common problem for many people who perform resistance training on a regular basis. It is also a problem that can easily be prevented by modifying the following dangerous shoulder exercises.

Bench Press This is a popular exercise chosen to build the chest, along with the anterior deltoid and triceps. most teach taking the bar down until it lightly touches the chest. However, I believe this is unsafe because it exposes the anterior shoulder capsule to excessive load, in addition to compressing the soft tissue of the rotator cuff between the humerus and the acromion. over time, with repeated bouts and heavy loads, the rotator cuff becomes inflamed.

Individuals with any anterior shoulder laxity (loose joints) or history of subluxation/dislocation are also at increase risk for rotator cuff injury or labral (shoulder cartilage) damage. Furthermore, you also have the potential to rupture the pectoralis tendon with full range pressing during heavy loads. The safe answer is to lower the bar until the upper arm is parallel to the floor (elbow bent to 90 degrees). This prevents the shoulder joint from moving into the unsafe range. The same advice applies to push-ups.

Lat Pull Downs This is a good exercise to strengthen the back, but when done behind the head it can cause problems. Like the bench press, pulling the bar down behind the head positions the humerus in such a way that the rotator cuff can be pinched. This may depend on other factors, including the shape of a persons acromion and degree of any present arthritis, but I still believe the risk outweighs any benefit. Not to mention that keeping the bar in front of the head still accomplishes the same movement for the target muscle, while eliminating the risk of shoulder injury. Remember not to sway during the movement, and position the body in a slightly reclined position, pulling the bar toward the sternum. Another unrelated reason not to do behind the neck pull downs is that it places undue stress on the cervical spine.

Military Press This exercise when performed behind the neck with a bar, positions the shoulder in the aforementioned unfavorable position. Done repeatedly, the rotator cuff can become inflamed. Similar to behind the neck pull downs, you also expose your neck to unnecessary stress. It is safer to perform the exercise in front of the head or utilize dumbbells and work in the scapular plane. You must watch to avoid arching the low back and it is best to use a bench with back support to prevent this.

Dips/Upright Row As before, the key mistake made with these exercises is allowing the shoulder to move beyond 90 degrees relative to a position parallel to the floor or perpendicular to the body. I always recommend stopping at 90 degrees to protect the shoulder capsule and the rotator cuff.

Dumbbell Lateral Raise In my opinion, this exercise is often done incorrectly. The mistakes include lifting too much weight, keeping the arms straight, and raising the arms out away from the body in the plane of the body. The force on the rotator cuff reaches 90% of your body weight when the arms are raised to 90 degrees with the arms straight and in the plane of the body. That is a lot of force on four relatively small rotator cuff muscles. The target muscle is the lateral deltoid, but the rotator cuff is extremely active, and it functions to allow you to raise the arm by depressing the humerus so that it passes under the acromion during active elevation. When heavy loads are introduced in the wrong plane of motion, disaster usually occurs. I am fanatical about performing this exercise correctly.

The proper way to execute a lateral raise is to keep the elbows comfortably flexed (20-30 degrees) and raise the arm to no higher than parallel to the floor. The arm should be in the scapular plane of motion (approximately 30-45 degrees from being perpendicular to the body) and the weight should be relatively light. Once you feel you have to shrug or use momentum to raise the weight, you need to rest or lower the weight. In my opinion, this is one of the worst exercises for the shoulder if done incorrectly.

In summary, I want to emphasize that good intentions may spell bad results for the shoulder if proper form is lacking. The rotator cuff and shoulder joint is extremely vulnerable to heavy loads and repetitive bouts of exercise. Gradually, it may become inflamed and hinder or limit your workout altogether. Be sure to master form before increasing weight, and do not attempt to work through pain, as this often perpetuates the problem. Remember to assess risk and reward at all times, and rest assured that these modifications will not hinder your gains. Instead, they will prevent missed time in the gym and produce happier, healthier shoulders!

Copyright 2004 Brian Schiff.

Brian Schiff, PT, CSCS, is a respected author, physical therapist and fitness expert. To learn more about preventing shoulder injuries or resolving rotator cuff pain, visit http://www.rotatorcufftraining.com.

Yoga And Meditation Supplies

 

Comparison of Garmin 396 GPS and Garmin 496 GPS

If you are looking for a gps system then there are quite a few you can check out. However, the Garmin brand is the best. Two of the Garmin gps systems will be compared below to help you decide whether the 396 or 496 is the best for you.

Garmin 396 gps
This gps system allows you to see everything even the weather! This version is better than the 296 version but better because it offers satellite weather, a color map, and terrain alerts. You will also be able to view the topography in a very realistic manner as well as be warned of conflicts if there are any. images are viewable in detail and no matter what the light is. You can also transfer data with the USB port and recharge quickly with the battery pack. If you choose to subscribe to XM satellite weather then you may take advantage of the smart antenna and have instant access to weather across the united states. You will have access to aviation Routine weather reports (METARs), Next Generation radar (NEXRAD), Terminal Aerodrome forecasts (TAFs), and more. You may even pay an extra fee and enjoy XM satellite radio. Logbooks may be automated to track arrival and departure records as well as keep up with flying hours. Choose air, land, or sea mode with the Garmin 396.

Garmin 496 gps
The mini MFD Garmin 496 gps practically knows it all! With this gps you can fly safer and smarter than ever. This handheld gps gives you all the information you could possibly need and more than any other gps out there. The 496 is very similar to the 396 because it offers a color map with details, satellite weather, terrain alters, and more. However, the 496 has more features and better software than the 396 making it the best option for any pilot. If you want detail then the 496 will give you that. Taxiways are diagrammed for hundreds of airports in the united states. Its perfect for airports you arent familiar with and keeps you informed of your position at all times. The airport directory also allows easy access to thousands of US airports including taxi information, restaurants, lodging, attractions, and much more.

The Garmin 396 and 496 are very similar and offer pilots amazing features to help them when flying. However, the 496 offers a few more features than the 396 and is something that all pilots will use and enjoy.

Caitlina Fuller is a freelance writer. The mini MFD Garmin 496 GPS practically knows it all! With this GPS you can fly safer and smarter than ever. This handheld gps gives you all the information you could possibly need and more than any other gps out there. The 496 is very similar to the Garmin 396 GPS because it offers a color map with details, satellite weather, terrain alters, and more

Yoga Certification Training