How to Make a Flash Slideshow

It's easier than you think to make a flash slideshow. You can create professional looking albums showcasing your favorite photos and images and then you can post it to the Internet. It's also a great way to showcase products and add professional flair to your website without having to create an animation, which can be time consuming. Here's how to make your own flash slideshow.

Instructions

1. Import your images to your library in the Flash program. Go to File, then Import to library for each of your images.

2. Insert keyframes, for each image you import to Flash. Press F6 or go to Insert, Timeline, and Keyframe. Your stage should be empty when you start.

3. Assign pictures to keyframes. For each image, select a blank keyframe in your timeline and then just drag and drop an image in your library to that blank stage. If your picture is too large, make it fit within the white stage area by resizing.
   

4. Add frames between pictures. Select each keyframe and add frames to them by pressing F5 or going to Insert, Timeline, and Frame. This extends the length of time of your image on the screen of the keyframe.

5. Set the speed of the frames. Each frame represents a fraction of a second. For instance, 12 fps means 12 frames per second are visible, so each frame will appear for 1/12th of a second. For each 12 frames inserted, you will have an image appear for one second, and so on. Decide at what speed you'd like to make your frames to move.

6. Export your slideshow. Press Ctrl>Enter or File, Export to view your exported Flash animation file. This creates a "swf" file and then you can upload it to the Internet.

Why do people burp?

A burp (sometimes called a belch or by its medical term, eructation) is the release of gas from the digestive tract (in this case, the esophagus and stomach) through the mouth. It is part of the body natural clearing mechanism for removing excessive gas in the digestive tract (gastrointestinal tract).

There are number of different factors that causes burping or belching. The most common one is the swallowing of air while eating or drinking. When you eat or drink, you swallow air at the same time as you swallow your food or liquid. The trapped air (gases such as nitrogen and oxygen) in the stomach build up and rise to the upper stomach creating a pressure in surrounding area thus, causing a sensation of the need to belch. This excessive gas accumulation is then forced (regurgitated) out of the stomach and released (belched) back up for relief through the esophagus and eventually through the mouth as a burp. Interestingly, burping can be caused by swallowing air (aerophagia) when one is nervous or anxious and even unconsciously out of habit. Drinking carbonated beverages (e.g. sodas, beer and champagne containing carbon dioxide to make it fizzy), talking while eating, eating too fast, chewing gum, sucking through a straw, sucking candy, chewing tobacco, smoking a pipe or cigarettes as well as, eating onions, chocolates and drinking alcohol are some other causes that can cause (trigger or aggravate) belching. Burping (belching) can sometime be a symptom of indigestion.

Burping can also be caused intentionally from being humorous or through learned behaviors. It can be done intentionally out of entertainment of being humorous by children and some adults alike. In some eastern cultures, a belch after a good meal is considered to be a compliment for the chef. It is as a sign showing appreciation of a satisfied eater. However, in the Western world, burping out loud is considered impolite - rude and poor manners. Therefore, burping quietly and covering ones mouth is important and should be accompanied by saying "excuse me" whether your burp is loud or quiet.

Why do we yawn when we’re sleepy?

And why do we yawn when we're not sleepy? Yawning is a curious behavior. People keep themselves up at night trying to come up with answers to this gaping mystery. Basically, three different solutions have been offered, but each one has its problems.

Solution #1: We yawn because we need extra oxygen. Our body senses we're running low on oxygen, and forces us to take an extra big gulp of air. Problem: Why don't we yawn after running a mile? Surely, if there were ever a time we needed more oxygen, that would be it.

Solution #2: Yawning is healthy for our lungs. Perhaps, every now and then, we get pockets and wrinkles in our lungs. A deep breath and a good stretch will smooth these wrinkles out. We know that yawning is very common among creatures with a backbone, including fish, crocodiles, and humans. All these creatures have a special fluid in their lungs, and yawning might spread this fluid out. Problem: This doesn't explain why yawning is "contagious."

Solution #3: Yawning is a form of social communication. A yawn is a sign we're sleepy. If lots of us start to yawn, then it's time for the whole group to go to bed. It's an unspoken agreement that we'll take a nap after Thanksgiving Dinner, and not sneak away to eat the leftover turkey. Problem: This solution doesn't tell us why yawning is so common among creatures with a backbone. What's a goldfish trying to tell us when it yawns? Also, we yawn when we get up in the morning, even after a good night's rest. Does this mean we should go back to bed? That's a nice thought, but it doesn't explain yawning.

What and How a Taser Gun Works?

A taser is a non-lethal self-defense weapon that uses compressed nitrogen to shoot two tethered needle-like probes at an assailant in order to deliver an electric shock.

The probes travel at a speed of 135 feet per second (41 meters per second) with a maximum reach of 15 feet (4.5m). When the probes attach to the attacker's clothes or skin, an electric shock passes between them, through the body, incapacitating the assailant's neuromuscular system. The attacker will lose all control and coordination. The taser will continue to apply the electrical charge in an auto-timed sequence of an initial charge of several seconds followed by many short bursts. This prevents the assailant from recovering from the initial shock and removing the probes. During this event the user can abandon the taser on the ground and escape.

Because the charge passes through the part of the body that is directly located between the two probes, for maximum effectiveness the taser probes should land with at least a 6-inch (15cm) spread between them. The closer the attacker is to the taser when it is fired, the closer together the probes will land. Therefore the optimum distance to fire a taser is between 7-10 feet (2.2-3m) to give the probes a chance to spread about 16 inches (41cm) to deliver the greatest possible shock to the body.

Tasers cannot permanently harm the muscles, nerves or heart, nor will it interfere with a pacemaker. The current of 0.3 joules is far below the 10-15 joules which marks the threshold, beyond which problems could occur. The affect of the taser is that the attacker will be dazed for several minutes, before fully recovering. Tasers can be used safely in water and will not cause electrocution. They can also be used in weather ranging from -20 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit (-29 to 71C), and will perform at any altitude.

A taser cartridge only holds one set of probes so once it is fired the spent taser cartridge must be replaced before it can fire more probes. However, if the user misses the target or if there is more than one assailant, the end of the taser can be used as a touch stun gun. By pressing the end of the taser against the attacker or his clothes and discharging it, an electric shock passes into the attacker, incapacitating him in the same way previously described. Visit here for more.

How deep is the Ocean?

The world's deepest point in the oceans is the Challenger Deep which is found within the Marianas Trench. The Marianas Trench is a depression (deep cracks) in the floor of the western Pacific Ocean. Marianas Trench is formed (as other ocean trenches) as a result of the oceanic plate being pushed against a continental plate whereby causing the oceanic plate to pushed downward making deep fissure. Its location is east of the Mariana Islands and is 1,554 miles long and averages 44 miles wide (see diagrams below). The Marianas Trench depth is 36,200 feet (11,033 m or 11.03 km).

[click to enlarge images]


Marianas Trench is far (miles) beyond the reaches of sunlight where it can no longer penetrate the ocean. The seas' pressures at this depth is unimaginable. It is 8 tons per square inch or 16,000 pounds on every square inch. At this depth it also has very cold temperatures along with darkness. Imagine an underwater depth that is higher than the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France which is 1,052 ft (321m) or the Empire State building in New York, US which is 1,472 ft (449). It could take 5.4 Empire State Buildings in order to reach the bottom of the deepest ocean - the Mariana Trench. Better yet, the world's highest mountain, Mount Everest (29,141 feet), would be covered by over 1.25 miles of water.

Beneath this ocean surface at such a depth, lies an alien dark cold world with its own life where very eerie looking fishes and other life form can be found. It was once thought to be a lifeless place when it was discovered by the British survey ship Challenger II in 1951 (where it got its name). This belief of the deepest point on Earth being lifeless was however proven wrong in 1960 when Jacques Piccard and Navy Lt. Donald Walsh descended in the U.S. Navy Trieste, a bathyscaphe ("bathy" = deep & "scaphe" = ship), to the bottom of the Mariana Trench - Challenger Deep. The first and still the only manned vessel to go to its bottom. They provided the measurement for the depth of the Mariana Trench. Unmanned vessels have also recorded its measurement although they do not go as far as the Trieste.

-From the Did You Know? site:

Clear a Stuffy & Clogged Nose

A stuffy nose, otherwise known as a nasal congestion, sinus infection, or of nasal congestion. Are you experiencing congestion because of sickness and colds, or because of allergies?

1. Choose an OTC drug. Consult with your pharmacist as to the best OTC product to relieve your congestion, and the proper way to use it. Pick according to the cause, according to what has worked for you in the past, and according to side effects you want to minimize, such as drowsiness. Another consideration is the amount of active ingredient in a dose, what it is, how often you take it. You could actually save yourself money by buying a drug that treats only nasal congestion instead of a multi-symptom cold relief drug, and by purchasing a 12 hour relief formula instead of doses that need to be taken every 4 hours. Some active ingredients serve in both allergy and cold relief applications.

Weeping

If you can weep or bring tears in eyes by any means, this causes a lot of water rushing down through nose which results in clearing the stuffy nose. However it should be noted that weeping and crying can in some cases cause vasodilation in the sinus areas, which can lead to further congestion.

Freezer and Cold Therapy

1. Stick your head into the freezer and breath in from your nose, out from your mouth. Do this for a minute or so. Repeat occasionally.
2. Alternatively, you could also get an ice cube, place it in an ice bag or wrap it in a towel, then place it on the most comfortable part of your nose.
3. You can also soak a washcloth in cold water, then place it over your nose while lying down. It should unclog your nose soon enough.

Hair Dryer

1. Breathe in through your nose while pointing your hair dryer at your face. The idea here is to breathe the hottest air that you can comfortably tolerate. Similar to being in a sauna without raising your core body temperature, this localized "fever" may just kill off the offensive germs.

Steam

1. Get a bowl of steaming or hot water.
2. Inhale the steam slowly.
3. 

   
   
   Try mixing in essential oils such as menthol, eucalyptus, or tea tree oil for improved results.
4. Alternatively, try slowly sipping hot water or tea with a bit of lemon in it, keeping your nose close to the cup.
   
5. Try taking a warm shower as well, to let the steam help clear your nose.

Neti Pot

1. 

   
   
   Use a neti pot. This is a form of personal home remedy called "nasal irrigation" which can be as simple as snorting water from cupped hands. Though it is relatively less known in Western countries, it is common in parts of India and other parts of South Asia.
   

Sniffing salt water

1. Boil some water for the best results; this is not required, though
2. Add salt to the water, and wait until the water is approximately so hot, that if you stick your pinky into the water, you almost won't feel it
3. Cup your hand and put some of the salt water in it
4. Place your nose in your hand, in a way your clogged nostrils are both covered with water. For better results, block one of your nostrils with a finger, quickly inhale and repeat with the other nostril. This will sting and burn a little, especially if you have been blowing your nose a lot but the minor pain will be over in less than two minutes
5. Blow your nose and be sure to keep your nose clean for the next period of time, or it will clog again

Tiger Balm

1. Purchase a product such as Tiger Balm, which is high in menthol and camphor. Vicks VapoRub also works, but Tiger Balm is much better.
2. Rub generously on nasal area of face and/or on chest/throat, if that is affected. Tiger Balm may cause skin to sting a bit or turn red, but there is no real harm done.

Monkey Bomb

1. You can get this at an Asian market . It is very strong . It helps stomache ache and helps keep your nose clear with it's strong scent . Similar to Tiger Bomb and Vapor Rubs .

Nasal Spray

1. Try using different nasal sprays to relieve a stuffy nose. The mist works really well and doesn't go down your throat. You can find these at grocery stores, and drug stores too. However, keep in mind that these are for very short term use only, since you can become dependent on them with prolonged use. Courtesy of Wikihow.
   

Screwdriver Types and Uses

A hammer drives nails and a screwdriver drives screws. Unlike hammers—which can drive a wide variety of nails—screwdrivers are carefully matched with the screws they drive by the shape of the hole in the head of the screw, into which the tip of the screwdriver fits.

Flat Blade Screwdrivers

The flat blade screwdriver and matching screws with a vertical slash through their heads are the most common screws that most people see. The tip of the screwdriver should fit snugly into the slot and not slip around when turned. It should also be the same width as the screw head. The flat blade screwdriver was the first developed and was used in the early 1800s.

Phillips Head Screwdrivers

This is possibly the second most common type of screw, with an x-shaped head that matches the X on the head of the screw. Invented by Henry Phillips and patented in the 1930s, the screw first became important in automobile manufacture.

Don’t confuse the Phillips head screwdriver with the less common Reed and Prince screwdriver, which has a pointed, rather than a blunt, tip, and has straight edges on the tip, whereas the Phillips head screwdriver has curved edges.

Another similar screwdriver/screw set is the Posidrive™, which looks like a Phillips but with a small square area in the center of the tip.

Allen Key or Allen Wrench or Hex Key or Hex Head Wrench

The driver for the Allen screw or setscrew has many names, none of which include the word screw or the word driver. Nevertheless, it is one by definition. An Allen key is an L-shaped piece of metal with a hexagonal head. There are special ballpoint Allen keys made to work on an Allen screw that can’t be reached at a right angle.

Allen screws are often found on bicycle seats and on some build-it-yourself furniture made with pressed wood.

Less Common Household Screwdrivers

• Square shank screwdrivers
• Clutch head screwdrivers—fit a butterfly-shaped screw
• Torx™ screwdrivers—a star-shaped screw and driver tip, used in some seatbelt systems
• Scrulox™ screwdrivers—feature a square drive
• Robertson™ screwdrivers—feature a square tip with a slight taper

Socket and Screwdriver Sets

These sets have a driver shaft that can be used with a variety of bits, including, for example, Phillips, flat blade (sometimes called slotted), Robertson™, standard and metric sockets.

Cordless Electric Screwdrivers or Power Screwdrivers

Run on a rechargeable battery, cordless electric screwdrivers end in a chuck, into which a screwdriver bit is inserted. They may have one or more speeds, and may have a reverse button. Plug-in models are also available. For very large projects, an auto-feed screwdriver that holds a large number of screws might be worth considering.

Electric screwdrivers are similar to power drills, but drills take more kinds of bits. Written by Mary Elizabeth

50 Best Playing Tips for Golf

Easy keys for making the most of every swing during every round

50 Best Playing TipsAre you one of those golfers who absolutely pures it on the practice range with every club in the bag, but eventually goes into the tank during the course of play? It’s an unfortunate scenario experienced by a vast majority of golfers, most often caused by too little time dedicated to practice or too long a time period between rounds. For most golfers, the onset of trouble starts on the very first tee, where high anxiety invariably sends the tee shot deep into the woods. For others, the tanking occurs gradually as the round unfolds—a loose swing here, a twitched putt there and poor shot selection in between—until, around the 14th hole, you say to yourself, “I guess it’s not my day.” The worst of it is, you’re right—it isn’t your day. However, there are methods to protect your game from suffering a complete collapse on the course. To play your best golf, you need an arsenal of skills and strategies to insulate your game when the heat is on. This 17-page feature presents a catalogue of specific golf advice, ranging from mental thoughts and images to easy-to-accomplish swing changes that guarantee better performance during your round. Among the top 50 are quick and easy tips to harness more speed from your swing (Power section), reduce grossly off-line shots (Accuracy), create better scoring opportunities (Strategy), get up and down every time (Short Game), keep round-wrecking scores to a minimum (Safe vs. Sane) and, most important, prevent the wheels from coming completely off during the course of play (Damage Control). I call this collection of advice the “Top 50”—you’ll call them lifesavers. Use them wisely and enjoy great results even when your “A” game turns into a “C” or worse.

Switch On The PowerPower

1. Switch On The Power
Here’s a simple thought to help turn on your power switch: Your weight shift and the clubhead should travel in the same direction. During the backswing, both the weight and the clubhead move away from the target; during the downswing, the direction switches—your weight and your clubhead move toward the target.

2. Own A Release
A horse and rider arrive at a seven-foot wall at top speed when, suddenly, the horse stops, catapulting the rider over the jump. The image that’s important for your golf swing is the “passing along” of energy because this is how you transmit power to the golf ball.

The wall of your golf swing is your front leg. The rider is your clubhead and his separation from the horse is the release of your clubhead through the hitting zone. The key to all of this is that the release is “passive”—it’s simply the result of your arms and hands abruptly slowing down and passing their energy down the shaft and into the ball. In other words, a good golf swing doesn’t require manipulative hand action. Correctly “passing” energy and creating power should occur without effort. Remember, you don’t “do” a release, you “have” one.

3. Generate, Transmit And Deliver
Web Tip: Learn How To Generate Power
Imagine a generating station located on the outskirts of town. Here, the big turbines generate the power that’s transmitted via power lines and dumped to the end user.

In the golf swing, the turbines are the large muscles of your hips, back and legs. Your shoulders, arms and clubshaft are the transmission lines, where levers acting like transformers ratchet up the power until finally the energy is dumped to the end user—the golf ball. Power begins at the source: If you fail to coil, the amount of power available for transfer is reduced.

4. Pre-Round Tips
Before your round, ensure that you’re nice and loose. I like the “Superman Stretch.” Stand with both arms stretched out in front of you. Reach under your left arm and curl your right wrist behind your left elbow. Keeping this relationship, place your right palm on the right side of your face (see photo). Now, bend from your hip joints into your golf posture. Make a slow-motion backswing. Hold at the top for 30 seconds, then reverse for the other side.

Upon hitting the practice range, work on two things: balance and contact. Tee the ball and choke down on a 7-iron. Make three-quarter swings, and don’t worry about how far the ball travels because your goal is solid contact. In addition, strive to finish in perfect balance no matter where the ball goes. Soon, your brain will get the message—balance and solid contact are the order of the day.

Another key element of your pre-round preparation should be to determine what “game” you have on that day. If your “A” game shows (you’re hitting the ball solidly and accurately), your master plan is to play aggressively. If your “B” game surfaces (your contact and accuracy are just okay), understand that your shots won’t carry as far. Resolve to take one more club and pick your spots to be aggressive. When you have no game at all and almost every shot is a mis-hit, it’s “Short Game Time,” where the plan is to play it safe and get up and down. Hang in there until something good happens. If you get aggressive early in the round, you’re in for a long day on the golf course.
5. Remember To Rebound
As you swing through the golf ball, your club whips past your body at a high rate of speed, a result of your body whirling around your front hip joint. In order to stay balanced while you whirl, your spine must be allowed to tilt slightly away from the target—the correct reaction to the demands of physics known as “staying behind the ball.” Depending on your strength, flexibility and swing pattern, you may have more or less spinal deflection (in the five- to 10-degree range), but all good players have some spinal rebound.

6. Warm-Up For Power
Prepare your round for heavy doses of power with this drill. Stand upright and make non-stop practice swings as though you’re hitting waist-high fastballs. Keep the motion continuous as you gradually incline your spine toward your normal golf swing position until your clubhead clips the grass. Repeat five times and you’re good to go.

7. Cover The Ball
Web Tip: See The Cover Drill In Action!
The golf swing is a complicated event, full of many moving parts and varying demands on your body at different points during the motion. A well-oiled swing flawlessly keeps all of these parts in order by synchronizing their movement, from takeaway to finish. Here’s a great drill you can use on the course to synchronize your swing and create more powerful, more accurate golf shots.

Assume your address position with your club soled behind the ball. Then, keeping your clubhead in position, remove your target hand (the left for right-handers) from the handle and place it on the butt end of the club so that you can hold the club in position with that hand only. Now, simulate a golf swing using your right hand, allowing it to move to the top of your swing, then down to the ball until it moves under your front forearm through impact.

I call this drill the “Cover Drill” (Corey Pavin once used it as part of his preshot routine) because it forces the front shoulder to move upward through impact—just as it should—without spinning open. Thus, your shoulder “covers” the ball at impact and returns your arms back in front of you like they were at address.

8. Don’t Play Your Hunch
While it feels powerful to reach for the ball at address, it actually costs you power because it decreases coil. When you overreach to the ball, your upper back invariably “hunches,” and for every one degree of hunch, you lose two degrees of coil. In the correct setup, try to touch your shoulder blades at address and make sure to bend from your hips rather than your waist. If you bend from your waist, you’ll hunch your back and that’s a hunch you don’t want to play. Continue here.