ATM Technology Reshaping Rural Mindanao

ATM technology is no longer a novelty in affluent nations. In fact, the term "cashless society" is remarkably at work at the heart of the financial mainstream that many transactions are completed with the use of plastic cards. That is the ATM card, debit and credit card. However for developing countries, particularly in the rural areas, it takes quite a while for investments in electronic banking technology to set in and find integration with the routines of countryside communities.

It was only in early 2005 that ATM technology was rapidly set up in a number of far-flung municipalities and provinces of Mindanao--one of the main islands of the Philippines. In barely two years time, automated teller machines have successfully penetrated the rural mainstream to become an important financial tool. Apart from providing convenience and security in the handling of personal funds, it has become a way of life amongst rural folks.

For multinational firms and businessmen operating in rural Mindanao, ATM services offered by banks present in the locality avert them from the security risks related to the physical transport of payroll funds, in millions of pesos, from urban centers to remote municipalities.

It's actually interesting to see the contrasting effect of modern electronic banking devices set up in an otherwise laidback setting. More so with the long queues one is bound to observe in front of bank ATMs during the 15th and 30th of each month, as laborers line up to withdraw their salaries from the machine.

The ATM likewise finds purpose among the rural folks of countryside Mindanao. The thought of seeing their names printed on the ATM card makes them quite interested to open an ATM account. But more importantly, ATM accounts have become an effective alternative to costly fund transfer services.

In the past, parents based in rural Mindanao had to contend with the costs and delays prevalent with conventional remittance channels in sending allowances to children studying at the more urbanized cities of the Philippines. Today, the presence of a bank nearby and the availability of ATM services make it easier for them to send funds in real time, during banking hours.

It would probably take a few more years before ATM technology will find its way into every province and municipality of Mindanao. And this would depend largely on the willingness of local banks to invest and establish branches in areas where no banks operate. However, with the way things are going, setting up more electronic banking services in countryside Mindanao definitely holds much promise.

Calculating Ovulation to Know Your Most Fertile Days

When we decided to have a family, I quickly realized how it all comes down to timing: timing with my cycle, timing with our schedules and eventually timing with a fertility specialist. One thing I learned during the process is that you have to become knowledgeable on the subject of conception and pregnancy. The best place to start is to learn about calculating ovulation so that you will know when your most fertile days are. Fortunately for many couples, simply calculating ovulation is all that they need to do to help them achieve their goal of pregnancy.

There are many ways that you can go about calculating ovulation. The simplest way to go about doing this is to use an ovulation calculator which allows you to calculate your most fertile days each simply by inserting the first day of your last menstrual cycle as well as the average number of days in your cycle. In order to gain a little more information about your cycle, many doctors recommend calculating ovulation by charting your basal body temperature to see when you typically ovulate each month. At ovulation, your basal body temperature will rise. After charting each month you can compare the charts, thus calculating ovulation by the average day your basal body temperature rises each month.

Calculating ovulation is just one of the many things that you can do to help you on your journey to parenthood. While calculating ovulation is a good starting point, there are many other things that you can do to increase your odds of getting pregnant. For your free mini course on pregnancy and increasing your fertility, visit http://www.fertilityhelper.info/.

Andre Trevigne of The New 995 FM in New Orleans Gets Results

On Tuesday, June 19th, 2007, Andre Trevigne addressed that some appraisers who were subcontracted to do work for the Louisiana Road Home Program were not be being paid by intermediary company Hammerman & Gainor. That night, the appraisers were paid.

She went on to question why they even have an intermediary company. More layers of bureaucracy? “Professional football players get paid whether they perform or not” she lamented, why aren’t the appraisers being paid?

Andre, as she is affectionately referred to in New Orleans, has been getting results for years. She is a consumer advocate on the radio, a political watchdog, and an ongoing pursuer of simple common sense solutions. When you listen to Andre, you get the feeling there is a deep sense of caring and compassion for the audience. She wants to solve their problems and hurts when she can’t or things aren’t moving as fast as they could or in the right direction.

In the 80’s, Andre was on television as a morning anchor on Channel 4 Eyewitness News where she shared the desk with Eric Paulson who is still their today. Their pairing was awkward for me as Paulson, in my opinion, came across in a somewhat patronizing way at times. I don’t have the dates in front of me, but she was on WWL 870 AM radio for years before taking a break and then resurfacing on The New 995 FM post Katrina.

I suspect what drew her back to radio was Hurricane Katrina and the power she has behind her microphone to make a difference and help folks anyway she can. We, the people of the Greater New Orleans area, need her as she makes sure the politicians hear our voices.

Heart Health For Women - Some Healthy Heart Facts

According to the American Heart Association, "of the 13 million people who have had a history of coronary heart disease, more than half are women." While this is a startling statistic, new evidence has emerged indicating that symptoms in women are more atypical than in men. In line with this assessment, the National Institutes of Health reveal that women are more at risk for having heart attacks than men.

Some risk factors are common among both men and women. They include smoking, high cholesterol, obesity, and diabetes. A key difference is that the warning signs in women can be quite different from the standard signs typically found in their male counterparts.

Although the symptoms for both men and women experiencing a heart attack can be the same, including shortness of breath, dizziness, sweating, and nausea, women describe a burning sensation which may be interpreted as heartburn rather than chest pain, which is the most common symptom in men.

It has recently been reported that stomach pain, along with the aforementioned symptoms, can be another sign associated with heart attacks in women but because it is atypical it is not diagnosed nor recognized as a heart attack. Moreover, "the heart and coronary arteries of women are smaller than men" which also accounts for problems in diagnosing heart disease in women.

While women are approximately ten years older than men when they have their first heart attack, their rate of recovery is tenuous due to an increasing number of health problems which hinders the recovery time as well.

Heart Disease is the number one killer of men and women in the world today. It is recommended that women seek immediate treatment for any symptoms that could possibly be heart-related.

Breast Plastic Surgery...Just How Safe Is It?

Currently, the only proven method of breast augmentation is what is known as a breast prosthesis or mammaplasty

Some plastic surgery on breasts can be done together, such as nipple and breast augmentation. Plastic surgery on breasts is now a fairly safe procedure providing it is carried out correctly. As with any type of operation, compile as much information as possible prior to selecting your surgeon. Look at pictures of his work, and if possible, seek the advice of others who may have had similar procedures.

Breast Lift Surgery can help sagging in breasts which have lost their firmness and sag limply without the benefit of a bra. Surgery can also be used to enhance breasts by making them either smaller or larger.

Breast Reduction is usually undertaken with the intention of providing a more attractive contour to the breasts and reducing the health problems which are often associated with large breasts. Healthy women who are free from any condition or illness which can slow healing are the best candidates for breast surgery.

Basically, the procedure for a breast lift or mastopexy takes place by removing excess skin from the breast and draping the tissue more tightly over internally supported tissue.

Do not expect breast surgery to be covered by insurance as in most cases, you will have to pay the full cost of the operation. After surgery, you can expect to suffer some amount of discomfort, as well as bruising and scarring.

Due to the high costs, possible complications and sometimes unsatisfactory results of breast augmentation surgery, many women are now exploring breast enhancement using more natural methods.

Women's Health - An Overview

Staying healthy at any age begins with good eating habits, maintaining proper weight, limit levels of stress, regular exercise, take quality supplements when appropriate and, recognizing and understanding the leading causes of death in order to take appropriate preventative steps to considerably reduce such risks. Men and women share several health problems but women like man have their own health issues that need special consideration.

It is very important that every woman has access to knowledge and basic understanding of health issues on all aspects of their body. Life span for women in 1900 was about 50 years. Most did not live long enough to be concerned for many of today's health issues. In 2003 according to Center for Disease Control (CDC) their life expectancy is 80.1 years. It is essential therefore to understand how to maximize their health.

While men and women are affected alike by many disease there are some diseases that occur in women at much higher rate.
For example:
Migraine headaches are 3 times more common in female than male.
Hypertension is more common in women than men after age 50.
Autoimmune disorders afflict more than 12 million Americans of which 3/4 are women.
Rheumatoid arthritis 2/3 of the people afflicted from the disorder is female.
Gallstones are 4 times more common to women than men
Osteoporosis affects both men and women however; it is a major concern for women
Urinary tract infection and irritable bowel syndrome affects women more often than men.

There is much information available just about any health problem, health problems such as depression, cancer, diabetes, smoking, heart disease stress and alcoholism. It is vital that women are well informed about the kind of therapies, preventative measures and help available to them. Good health requires a life time commitment to those things contactive to good health.

For example, it is important that women maintain a good nutritional and exercise daily program, optimum weight, maintain normal blood sugar, pressure and cholesterol. The Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention in 1996 concluded that all cancer risks could see a 50% reduction by following a diet that contains low- fat, high fiber, and little red meat, limited amount of alcohol, regular exercise, and quitting smoking.

The job of being a patient can be overwhelming, lonely and frightening . Getting frequent check-ups is one of the many things you can do to help stay healthy and prevent health problems and disabilities. It is also essential to seek help for sudden emotional stress and share your experiences.

Natural Remedy For Yeast Infection

Unfortunately, there is no easy way to talk about yeast infections, so I'm just going to jump right in. Until a few years ago, I chronically suffered from severe yeast infections. I had all the typical symptoms–perpetual fatigue, odors, irritability, discharge, joint pain. After trying some over the counter medicine, and even visiting several doctors for prescription medication I still wasn't able to rid myself of my yeast infection. It would temporarily go away only to flare back up at a later time. I became so accustomed to my symptoms, I thought it was simply a part of my existence. I began to live with it and it became "normal" to me.

After I realized that doctors and over the counter medicines weren't going to work for me, I began to research possible yeast infection remedies on the Internet. Be warned, there is some bad advice out there. Some yeast infection remedies actually recommend using boric acid–a toxic substance that is poison and has even caused death (I guess that's one way to get rid of your yeast infection).

I'm tired of taking prescription medication. For one it doesn't help. It only seems to mask the symptoms, and two, my body seems to just build a tolerance after a while. The good news is that after my experience I can honestly tell you that there are safe ways to treat a yeast infection. There is no reason yeast infections can't be treated safely, effectively, and most importantly NATURALLY.

When I was looking for cures for a yeast infection, I was amazed at the vast amounts of information that's just floating around waiting for you to grab at it, but is any of it good? I can answer that with an enthusiastic, "no!" I looked around at Barnes and Noble and other book stores, but was just to embarrassed to buy a book in public. Luckily, I found an e-book that changed my life and my health. "Natural Yeast Infection Cures" is a great book filled with the information you need to recapture your health. It is available as an e-book and also in audio book format so you can put it on your iPod or MP3 player. It is well worth the $17 dollars and I would recommend it to any one.

For more information about "Natural Yeast Infection Cures" please visit my website.