Gemstones 101 - the ruby

Ruby is one of the four precious gemstones along with Sapphire, Emerald and the Diamond. Ruby as a mineral is hard; it only comes second to the diamond when it comes to hardness.

The color of the Ruby comes in different shades of red – from light pink to blood red. This color is due to chromium. The word "Ruby" come from "rubber", the Latin word for red.

Although Ruby is the birthstone for the month of July, it is a common gift for lovers in February in time for the Valentines. Its deep red color shows passion and power. In the past, royalties wear a Ruby to make use of its believed to be magical powers to fight against evil. According to myths and legends, the stone grows darker to warn the wearer of imminent perils. Even today's modern royalties still use Rubies to adorn the insignia of their households.

Ruby is faceted into different styles of cuts and marketed as high class jewelries. The most preferred cuts are the brilliant and step cuts. Some rubies that have asterism are polished and shaped (the result is called cabochon) instead of faceted to display the best effect of the stone. Asterism is an inclusion that can greatly increase the value of the Ruby. Rubies with transparent asterism are highly prized. Some rubies, although extremely rarely, can show color changes, an effect called chatoyancy.

The prices of Rubies are highly depended on the color. The Pigeon Blood Red, which is the brightest red Ruby, is exceedingly expensive. Clarity follows color in determining the Ruby's price. Clear Rubies have higher prices. It is easy to spot any clear Ruby that has been treated to fool buyers. This can be noted with the absence of needle like rutile inclusion.

There are many acceptable practices to treat Rubies to enhance the quality. The most common accepted treatment practice is using heat. Heat treatment can improve color, and remove blemishes on the stone. Most lower cost rubies are heat treated.

A notorious way of treating Rubies to enhance them is the Lead Glass Filling method. This is done by filling the fractures inside the ruby with lead glass to greatly improve the look and shine.

There are also synthetic Rubies that have been in the market since the 19th century. The introduction of the flame fusion process has made synthetic Ruby production possible. To the unaided eye, synthetic rubies may have no apparent imperfections. These imperfections can only be noticed hen magnified. Synthetic rubies are the answer to the people who want to avail of the stone's elegance without spending huge amount of money. But synthetic rubies cannot be considered an investment compared to the natural ones.

Some Ruby varieties include Burmese Ruby, Star Ruby, Cat's Eye Ruby, Stynthetic Verneuil Ruby. An unnamed 38.12 carat ruby holds the record for having been sold for $5,860,000 at an auction in 2006.

Science laboratories have used rubies for the first laser which used artificial ruby crystals. The phosphorescence property of ruby makes it perfect for lasers.

Man builds inventing machine

John Koza has made a serious breakthrough when it comes to the computing power of today and our hopes for it in the future. Studying computers since his high school tutelage in the 1950s, Koza was a man who yearned to make advancements in the world around him. As a clear example of his ingenuity, he was unable to afford a computer while in high school, since the mainframes of the time took up entire rooms and cost far more than the modern day computer. To that end, John assembled bits and pieces from the gadgets around him, and with parts from old pinball machines and jukeboxes, he found himself with a computer that could accurately compute what day of the week a certain date would fall on.

John's latest invention far surpasses his date-decoding computer of the fifties. Utilizing 1,000 networked computers operating in tandem, his new device uses genetic programming to solve problems. Essentially, what the machine does is follow Darwin's laws of survival of the fittest - it compiles code, tests it against other code, and thereby determines the most accurate usage of code. And the machine wasn't built with one purpose in mind; instead, it utilizes it's ‘thinking' process to solve complex engineering problems of manufacturing and production of whatever you can think of. And it does it arguably more efficiently than a human. The machine is well within operating conditions, as Koza has already made an engineering breakthrough with it. Most recently, the machine has come up with a type of lens system that can be used in telescopes and binoculars that offers a better field of vision than any type of lens created before then, and it does not infringe on any patent. To perform this feat, the program generated 75,000 random types of lenses. From there, it ‘mated' the designs, taking the features that were helpful in one and placing them with features that were necessary in another. From there, generation after generation is created until every part of the design specifications is met. For the lens, the machine processed 295 generations before reaching a final solution. The machine has been proved useful in other inventions, as well. This heralds a scientific breakthrough in which computers may soon be doing much of our thinking for us. The machine has already received the first patent given to a non-human entity, and the sky is the limit.

Teaching your child to love to read

Raising a child who loves books can be easy, if you have a plan. However, you must keep in mind that no matter how well you prepare to foster a love of books in your child, other influences may keep her from being a reader. All you can do as a parent is provide the encouragement, but the rest is up to your child.

One thing you can do to encourage a love of books is to read to your child from infancy on. This teaches her that reading involves special time with mom and dad. She will associate books with affection, which encourages a sense of security and a love for books as objects that bring security to her. As your child matures and is able to play with toys on her own, provide books that she can touch, chew, and bang around. Even if she ends up destroying them, she will begin to associate books with having fun.

Sometimes small children want the same book read repeatedly in the same sitting. As an adult, this may feel like a tedious chore. Do it anyway. Repetitive reading is one of the best ways children learn new words. Do not force your child to listen to a book if she is giving you signals that she would rather do something else. When children are young, reading must be a pleasant experience.

As your child begins to read, give her a special place in the house that is her reading corner. It could be a beanbag pillow in her bedroom or a special child-sized rocking chair in the living room. While reading doesn’t have to be done only in this corner, having that special place set aside for reading will make it feel like a special event in her day. Let her choose the reading chair in a special shopping trip with mom or dad.

Once your child begins learning how to read, you should still read to her. This will improve her vocabulary as you introduce her to words she has never heard or seen before. Take turns reading paragraphs or sentences to make reading a group effort.

If you find that your child does not like to read, you may be tempted to bribe her to read. Avoid this if you can. Bribery does not cultivate a love of books. It teaches your child that reading is something to be endured for a reward. Instead, try to figure out why she doesn’t like to read. Are the books you have offered her boring to her? Does she have a reading disability that needs to be addressed? Does she need glasses? Try to find books that appeal to her, even if they are not topics you are interested in, and read those books with her.

Finally, model good reading behavior whenever you can. Your children should see you reading a wide variety of materials. You should read books, magazines, newspapers, and even advertisements. Your child will learn from your example that reading is something to be enjoyed every day of her life.

Easy to use tips for german articles

Learning the German language can be an entirely never-ending education. You might think that since the German language is very keen and strict when it comes to its articles; there is no other way in for you to be able to learn other parts of the German language unless you go through the articles properly.

Actually, a person learning German as his second language and has managed to learn and use properly German articles, the remaining lessons of the German language can become suddenly easy. Having said this, it of course means that any one person who has not encountered the German language in his entire life has the possibility of learning and speaking the language with full confidence. But when is this going to happen? Certainly there isn't any time specification for this since learning another language can be a serious course for some while it may just be a part-time hobby for others.

What matters here is that you, as the student and learner, are willing to go beyond what is usually used and seen by most. After all, what is the use of the internet if you do not extend extra effort in finding the best method suited for you in learning the German language?

Simply think of the articles (der, die, das) as an important element of each German word. Add to it the fact that each of these articles always has to come before a noun. This can be unorthodox compared to what has been traditionally taught but by just trying three of the articles, one has to come out correct.

Okay, as far as the standard rule is concerned, you can actually use it to help you out in determining which article is correct. Grouping them together would be one as in nouns with adjectives ending in "-heit" or "-keit" always take the "die" article. If you are just observant enough with the pattern and how the words go about; you will actually notice these things and believe me, they are really helpful.

Go on ahead and explore more of what you can find about the German language. You will be surprise but the quality of what you will learn is obviously more than enough.

Overcoming fears and phobias through knowledge

Fears and phobias are very limiting in our lives and keep us from attaining our true potential. This is a brief outline of how I overcame a debilitating phobia, and hopefully this method will help you too,

All my life I had a terrible spider phobia, becoming absolutely paralyzed with fear and having to get others to rescue me from these terrible monsters. Then I got a job as an electrical meter reader, which meant I had to go into people's basements, and we all know what lives in basements! I knew I had to conquer this life-long phobia, so I went to the library and started researching spiders - physiology, biology, and so on. It was very difficult at first to even look at the pictures of spiders. But the real breakthrough came when I started looking at the mythology and symbology of spiders in various cultures and the general characteristics of spiders. To my surprise and dismay, I discovered that I was very much like a spider myself, and my fear came from a fear of those characteristics in myself. So I embraced my spider nature, particularly the creative nature of a spider, and when I saw a spider I took it as a sign that I was neglecting my creativity. In a matter of weeks I was able to be in the presence of spiders without fear. But the amazing part was that now I rarely even saw spiders as I was no longer attracting them with my fear.

The Law of Attraction tells us that what we focus on will appear in our lives. Focussing on the object of your fear will only produce more instances of that fear manifesting in your life. Getting at the root of your fear through research and observation greatly decreases the impact of that fear on your life.

I believe this method will also work to help you overcome your fears around successful internet marketing. Research, learn, and identify your deep-rooted beliefs about success and money. Find your personal truth about a fear or phobia, and the truth shall set you free!