How To Pick The Perfect Baby Name?

Unfortunately, this is one conversation you and your partner must come to an agreement on. Many parents already have a collection of names they have been considering for years. Moms will generally have their best friend or favorite family member in mind while Dads may be considering a sports hero. Choosing your babies name is very important, because this will be you babies mark in life. Some factors you must consider when choosing your child?s name are: meaning, sound, fit, and jokes or teasing.

Choosing a unique name can be fun but you may want to be careful on what name you choose. Don?t pick a name that your baby will have a difficult time pronouncing in conversation. Also consider your babies adult hood. Ask yourself if the name can you used and respected in a professional setting.

Regrettably, names can be a source of jokes. Children can be mean at times especially in grade school so carefully think through any jokes that could arise with your child?s name.

Considering names that popular right now is not the best idea. Rather, consider a name that you really like not just because it?s the ?in? thing. It may be ?in? now but not be ?in? when you child grows up.

After you have a collection of names you are considering, say the names out loud. Combine the name with your last name; make sure everything rolls off the tongue smoothly. Once you and your partner agree on the same name then you will have successfully chosen a name for your new baby.

Choosing a name for your child is actually a very fun thing to do but at times can be a little frustrating. One of the most important things you can do to make the process go smoother is have patience. You and your partner might argue a few times on what name you each want but just be calm and listen what he/she has to say. In order to make it work you both will have to listen to each other and hear each other out. You should each make a list of about 5 names for your child and then go over them together to find the perfect name. Remember this should be a FUN process, so make sure you enjoy it!

Wyatt works for the MTBBN - Search the Top 100 Baby Names and Unusual Baby Names.

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How To Keep Your Child Safe On The Internet

Pokemon, Beanie Babies, Tickle Me Elmo and Harry Potter are childhood fads that will come and go. The Internet, however, is a growing phenomenon that is here to stay.

It can be a source of entertainment and information for your children, and it will be a workplace tool as they grow older.

Sadly, it also poses threats to their safety. Take a few minutes to review these suggestions on ways to make your child's Internet experience wholesome and productive.

Tell Your Children

* Never give out identifying information such as name, home address, school name, or telephone number in a public message, such as a chat room or bulletin board.

* Always ask your parents' permission before using your full name, address, telephone number or school name anywhere on the Internet.

* Never send a person a picture of you without first checking with your parent or guardian.

* Never respond to messages or bulletin board items that are obscene, suggestive, belligerent, threatening, or make you feel uncomfortable. If you get such a message, don't respond. Instead, show it to your parents or a trusted adult. Sending a response just encourages the person.

* Never meet a new online friend without adult supervision. (Parents: If a meeting is arranged, make the first one in a public spot. Be sure to accompany your child.)

* Remember that everything you read online may not be true. Be very careful about any offers that involve your coming to a meeting or having someone visit your house. The biggest danger to your safety is if you get together with someone you meet online.

* Regardless of who asks, you don't have to provide any information that you don't want to share.

* Never give out your password to anyone, even if they say they're from your Internet service.

Suggestions For Parents

* Set reasonable rules and guidelines for computer use by your children. Discuss the rules and post them near the computer as a reminder. Remember to monitor their compliance, especially when it comes to the amount of time spent on the computer.

* Be sure your child is using kid-friendly search engines. Check with your Internet service provider for suggestions.

* Keep the computer in view in the family room or kitchen, not in a child's room.

* Monitor your child's chat rooms and e-mail. Set and enforce time limits for chatting, e-mailing and surfing.

* Consider software that can monitor where your children have been online, block sites with objectionable words or images, limit computer time and prevent children from divulging too much information. Remember, however, that filters are not perfect. Even if filters were 100 percent effective, this kind of software is no substitute for your guidance and involvement.

* Find out the safeguards used at other locations your child visits.

* Young children should not be allowed to surf the Net alone.

* Get to know the service your child uses. If you don't know how to log on, get your child to show you.

* If your child receives a message that is harassing, of a sexual nature, or threatening, forward a copy of the message to your service provider and ask for their assistance.

* Get to know your child's online friends just as you get to know all of their other friends.

* Watch for these danger signs and take prompt action if your child:
-Spends large amounts of time online, especially at night.
-Has pornography on the computer.
-Receives phone calls from people you don't know.
-Makes calls to numbers you don't recognize.
-Turns the monitor off or changes the screen when you enter the room.
-Receives mail, gifts, or packages from a stranger.
-Becomes withdrawn from the family.

If you become aware of any incidents that could put your child at risk, or indecent material involving children, immediately call the police or the FBI. For additional information, visit the FBI's web site, http://www.fbi.gov and search for internet safety.
About the Author

John Myre is the author of the award-winning book, Live Safely in a Dangerous World, and the publisher of the Safety Times Reproducible Articles.

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Activities and Shore Excursions on a Cruise to the Caribbean and Mexico

You can enjoy many memorable shore excursions and activities when you cruise the Caribbean side of Mexico. The ancient Mayans left behind ruins and pyramids that are awesome to see. Local venues offer all sorts of fun excursions. Carnival, Celebrity, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean cruise lines offer cruises that explore and visit the Mexican gulf and shoreline communities.

You can snorkel or dive in the tropical blue Caribbean Sea. Some of the best reefs are located around the island of Cozumel. Visit the national underground marine park at Chankanaab. You will think you are diving in a tropical fish tank. Iguanas populate the park, watch for them scurrying away. You can swim with the dolphins for a fee at the park or watch the dolphin show. A submarine ride to explore the ocean floor is available, or you can dance, play games and party on a party or pirate boat.

Stop and buy linens, silver and other articles from local venders. There is a great downtown area, do not bargain at the stores on the main street, but be prepared everywhere else. Take a jeep tour to the ocean side of the island where the waves and wind are on the wild side, just don?t swim there.

On mainland Mexico the ecological parks, Xel-Ha and Xcaret offer local wildlife and botanical exhibits. You can rent snorkel equipment for a swim in a river where fresh and salt water meet, or just enjoy the hammocks and a tropical drink.

Go back in time on a archeological tour to the Mayan ruins. Talcum overlooks the Caribbean. Imagine yourself there years and years ago in that ancient culture. You can take a bus or fly to the pyramid at Chichen Itza where you will be overwhelmed by the sight.

Horseback riding, jungle tours on ATVs, or golf at Playacar can fill out your day. Restaurants will serve local fare. There are several chain restaurants that serve more Americanized foods as well. Walk down Fifth Ave. in Play del Carmen and visit the small shops.

Think about the cruise shore activities and excursions you would like to do. There is something for everyone. If you use an online travel agency, you can purchase your excursion tickets ahead of time. That way you will be assured you can do the things you want to do and won?t waste time deciding.

Using the internet is a great way to find the best cruise prices available with the least amount of effort. You can book your cruise at any of the major cruise lines and get the cruise you've always dreamed of. Don't forget to check out all the fun activities and excursions to enjoy on your perfect cruise vacation.

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Five Must Knows When Getting A Kanji Tattoo

Q: What do famous celebrities like Pink, Britney Spears and the Spice Girls? Mel C all have in common?

A: They all have Japanese tattoos!

Japanese tattoos are cool. Of course, if you have money to burn like any of these ladies, you can afford to hire a professional translator to pick out the perfect character combination. But if personal translation is out of your league how can you avoid becoming a kanji fashion victim and get stuck with a tattoo you will really regret?

1. Know the difference ? hiragana, katakana and kanji

Before you talk to your tattoo artist, make sure you know what you are talking about. You say you want a Japanese tattoo, but what do you know about Japanese characters? You need a quick stint in 2-minute Japanese boot camp.

First off, let?s be clear that there is no Japanese ?alphabet?. There are three sets of Japanese characters ? hiragana, katakana and kanji ? and each group has its own history, function and style. Get your head around these facts and you will already know more than 99% of the people walking around with Japanese tattoos right now:

Hiragana ?

These simple, rounded characters represent sounds, but have no independent meaning. They were developed by women in the Heian period and are still considered feminine by Japanese people.

Katakana ?

Developed by Buddhist monks around the same time as hiragana, these are simple, angular characters that also represent sounds and have no meaning of their own. You saw them cascading down the screen in Matrix (although they were backwards!)

Kanji ?

Originally from China, these characters are like pictures, representing a meaning and also several different sounds depending on the situation.

Just reading this has probably given you an idea of which style you might like for your tattoo ? but don?t stop just yet! Now you know what kinds of Japanese characters there are, let?s move on to?

2. Writing styles

Come a bit closer. Lean forward towards the screen. That?s right. Now, look at the words in front of you. Take a good, close look at the shapes of these letters. OK? Now tell me honestly: Would you want a tattoo in Times New Roman? How about Tahoma? What?s that? You don?t want a tattoo by Canon or Epson? Sure you don?t. And in the same way, you don?t want to have your Japanese tattoo looking like a printout either!

So, now we move on to writing styles. Just like there are three kinds of Japanese characters, there are also three ways they can be written. Don?t worry. This is easy! I know, you are thinking that you can?t even read Japanese, so how on earth will you be able to recognize these different styles? Well, try this:

Kaisho ?

Block letters. You learned to write your ABCs like this, and Japanese kids learn to write their characters in just the same way: Like a Volvo ? boxy but good.

Gyousho ?

Cursive letters. You moved up to middle school and learned you could write faster by letting the parts of some letters flow into the next. Yes, you guessed it - the Japanese do the same thing, and they call it gyousho.

Sousho ?

Super-cursive letters. Ever seen a prescription from a doctor? Then you know what sousho is like in Japanese: Sure, the writer or some other trained person can (probably) read it, but no one else has a clue what it says!

Are you getting the picture? If you want to look like a computer printout, then be my guest and go for the kaisho style. That?s your choice. But I think you probably want to use either gyousho or sousho for your tattoo. My personal preference would be gyousho: It?s stylish, but it won?t leave even native speakers baffled.

3. Real or fake?

Remember I mentioned Mel C at the beginning? Well guess what kanji she got tattooed on her arm? That?s right ? ?Girl Power?: Great in English, but show this kanji combincation to most Japanese people and you?ll get a blank look at best. Want a worse example? Try ?big daddy?. Now, you know what it means in English, but put it into kanji and you end up with ?large father?! It just doesn?t work.

I?m sure you remember that kanji are the only characters that have meaning as well as sound. And their beauty means that they are what most people want for their tattoos. But watch out: As well as being popular, they can also be the most dangerous!

Let?s see if we can find a pattern here: Look carefully at the examples above. What are they communicating - concrete concepts or abstract ideas? Can you see the difficulty the translators had? The kanji for ?dragon?, ?samurai?, ?love? or any other concrete ideas are pretty easy to discover. But go for anything with an idiomatic meaning and whoever is trying to help you translate it is going to get a major headache!

Just an idea, but how about this suggestion: Rather than trying to force a round English peg into a square Japanese hole, why not find a real Japanese phrase that you like and get that instead? Bushidou (the Way of the Warrior) and Ninjutsu (The Art of Stealth) are two good examples of real Japanese terms that would make great tattoos.

4. Your name in Japanese

As I?m sure you remember from 2-minute Japanese boot camp, katakana are the characters usually used to write foreign words and names. So, if you want to get a tattoo of your name, technically these would be the characters you would choose. But I am guessing that, like most people, you want your name written in kanji.

Do a quick search on Google and you can find a number of sites that specialize in translating names into kanji. Basically there are two different methods that these sites use, so let?s look at them here.

Translating the meaning ? This method involves finding out the original meaning of the English name, and then researching the kanji equivalent.

For example, my name has its origins in Greek and means ?crowned one?. The one who is crowned is the king, so I could translate my name into the kanji for king and call myself ohsama. (Perhaps a little pretentious ? and disturbingly similar to Mr. Bin Laden?s first name!)

Translating the sound ? This is a lot more difficult! Flick through a dictionary and you will find a bunch of kanji that can be combined to sound like your name. But sound isn?t everything: Remember that kanji have meaning as well. In fact, it is even more complex than this! Be sure to check each of the following factors with anyone who translates your name like using this method:

* Sound ? Does it sound like your name or not? I have seen my name ?translated? on certain websites to sound like Stefan. Shame my name (Stephen) is actually said the same as Steven!

* On-yomi and kun-yomi ? Yes, more technical words! But don?t panic ? they are easy to understand: Basically, kanji have two kinds of reading. One kind, on-yomi, is their original Chinese sound. The other, kun-yomi, is their Japanese-only sound. What to watch is that (like oil and water) on-yomi and kun-yomi don?t mix. Use either all on-yomi reading or all kun-yomi readings to make the sound of your name.

* Meaning ? Do the kanji have a good meaning together? Now, it can be very difficult to find kanji that sound right and have a good meaning, so you may need to compromise a little on one of these.

* Masculine or feminine ? I guess this is more like a sub-category of meaning, but it is something you need to check out to avoid embarrassment. For example, while ?Asian Beauty? may be a great combination for a woman, I get the feeling most men would not be too happy about having that permanently written into their skin!

5. If in doubt, check!

First, use your new-found knowledge of Japanese to ask a few difficult questions to your tattoo artist or kanji ?specialist?. If you get the feeling they don?t know what they are talking about, you probably want to look elsewhere.

Next, before you get anything permanent done, use an online dictionary (like the one at http://kanjidict.stc.cx/dict) to check whether the Japanese really means what you want it to. You may not be able to input Japanese yourself, but you can copy and paste characters from an email or web page and see what they mean.

Finally, if you are lucky enough to know any, ask a Japanese person what they think. Their confused expression may tell you that you have come up with another ?big daddy?!

Follow this advice and you will avoid the most dangerous pitfalls of Japanese tattoos and get a kanji tattoo you can be proud of.

About the Author:

Stephen Munday lives in Japan. He works for Provide Cars (http://www.providecars.com/), who buy cars at japanese car auctions and sell them to japanese car importers around the world. This article is (c) Stephen Munday 2005. Permission is given to reproduce this article in whole with the URLs correctly hyperlinked.

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The Ultimate and Evergreen Dragon Tattoos Ruling the Tattoo World and Male Interest

Are dragon tattoos meant only for the damsels around? Seems like that is some wrong notion? Let's be a part of the upcoming tattoo mania for the attractive men folk today! Tattoos are the best fashion statement set by the ancestors and are followed by the generations. Started from Greeks and gladiators, slowly and gradually, these marks took a new shape and turned in to a body art. Nowadays, these tattoos have become a trend and fashion in the youngsters. Male community has a strong hold on tattoo art and they can be considered as pioneers in tattooing. Tattoos have now become the fashion statement among males and females. But, males are the leaders anyways! The increasing popularity of tattoos amongst the male community has flooded the market space with numerous designs and shapes. There is huge rush for portraying a strong, masculine image through these wonderful snappy shapes. The deeper the tattoo, the image becomes tougher. But, trends never stay on one stand, they keep on changing. Tattooing has become very common as a means of expressing the attitude, feelings, sensuality and interests through these lovely pictures. Among all the legendary creatures, dragon is said to be the most prominent and universal feature in thousands of cultures, which represents the 4 points of compass and elements. Dragon symbolizes earth, water, sky, and under land in east regions and in western regions they are known as the early enemy by whom fight is considered as the ultimate and the best test. People nowadays are more inclined towards having a dragon tattoo done on their body.Males prefer the tattoo on their shoulder and on their back as well as hand.

And female normally, have a tattoo on their belly and low waist back. Dragon is considered to be very powerful and that is what men prefer it for. So, commonly the dragon tattoo is done to show the power and hugeness of the character. These tattoos are done on the body in different color and styles. Dragon tattoos are available in usually blue and red colors. The dragon's image is a reflection of dinosaur. And, it is mostly anticipated breathing fire. Those dragons that are imagined like this are called as fire dragons. These fire dragon tattoos are very popular among males. Different types of dragon tattoos are there such as, fire dragon, water dragon, fire-spitting dragon, and powerful dragon. These dragons are engraved by the people for portraying their power, strength and influencing attitude. It may also depict anger in many cases. However, with a passage of time and the buzz word on, there are various interpretations coming up.Dragon tattoos though amongst the oldest tattoos still find preference amongst the crowd. One thing to be noticed is that the dragon tattoos are ever popular and nothing has yet been able to replace this design. These dragon tattoos reflect the real character of men because generally male personality is synonymous to power, energy, hugeness, and masculinity. By Wincent Loh

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How to Choose a Cool Dragon Tattoos

So how we manage to find a great picture of it? Do not think that it is difficult to get one. The dragon has so many shapes depend on which one you like, such as an Asian dragon, and tribal and more style based on the original dragon, these two kinds of shape is very popular. We can adopt it by a couple bucks. Okay let us find out how to elect the right picture, so you can find the right place of your body it can be your sleeve, shoulder, back, hip, chest or other specific area on your body.Sleeve and Hip - When we have a plan to put a dragon tattoo on sleeve make sure to figure that sleeve area has a wider space around that, it means that you can select a bigger picture for that. There are so many faults that have happen to people when they are trying to pick they lack of information and lack of knowledge, so they ended up regret it once they look the result. And then they try to cover it up with another tattoo or erase it using a laser. To have a great result of your tattoo you must look at the picture because the form of the dragon is very influenced to the dent of its sleeve. A flying dragon with fire come out from the mouth will be taking too much space on sleeve, you cannot re-size it until you reach the better size for your sleeve. Okay that is a good idea, but you will lose every pixel from the original size. Every area in your body lets us call it sleeve has a different size then your back. Don't try to re-size it because you will make it terrible. If you want another area make sure you got the size from the original store where you buy them.

Back and Chest - if you are freak enough with tattooing, then you must not let it empty, I mean there are so many people that own a tattoo but not every part of their body cover up by it. When you afford to have it, I am sure that you have known the information from how we do that. It is not just a tattoo who clinging in your back but this is also an art that reflecting your personality. I want to reassure to you who want to get one that once you have done that, make sure to have three inks or more on it because black ink is only will be ruined it soon or a latter. This is an extra large picture, you knew you cannot have it by $500 you will pay more form the artist. The image must be greater than the sleeve this is a really superb size. When you have decided the picture then you have to think forward it will not be bored enough to see by people unless by you. A complex and specific picture will be awesome right here because it has a large area.Wrist - on this area we will not have a wide area because as you know it wrist rather small. The best one for it is a simple picture that does not have variation. Usually they love to put something catchy like a symbol, butterfly, word and quote. But if you still want a dragon picture on your wrist it still has a big possibility, you can pick the simple symbol of it, not too many dents, variation and not too complex.Eddy is a tattoo designer he also learns how to be a tattooist.If you want to see the sample of dragon picture you can go check his collection of dragon tattoos or maybe you have a plan to combine it with tribal tattoos. Make sure to explore it, you will find another free tattoo designs. By Eddy Harvard

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Dragon Tattoo - So Rich in Meaning

Throughout the Far East, the dragon tattoo stands as a symbol of protection and strength. Just as American and English cultures have their own unique body art symbols, so does the Eastern part of the world.Japan, China, Korea and Vietnam all have their own historical legends behind the significance of the dragon. Stories aside, these creatures have become the foundation for some of the most striking and beautiful subjects that a tattoo artist can hope to create.Even though dragon tattoo designs originated in Eastern culture, it has become increasingly popular to integrate dragon themes into other popular skin designs. Dragons wrapped around everything from Celtic crosses to intricate flower designs; each one making the unique statement that the artist is seeking.A dragon tattoo, when done by a skilled artist, can be a dynamic piece of art. The ability of the body art artist to incorporate the dragon's natural features into the subject's own body can create a design that looks like it is alive.Arms become tails and shoulders become dragon haunches. With a creative artist, the possibilities are endless. If you are adamant about having a unique tattoo, then consider a dragon skin design. Your own body is unique; therefore, your design will be unique.As a common figure in fantasy literature and games, the dragon has gained an increase in popularity among people who might not ordinarily even get tattoos. Dragons representing medieval characteristics of loyalty and wisdom have stolen the hearts of many folks who are outside the traditional body art demographic.

These stories have removed the evil connotations from the form of the dragon and tattoo flash books reflect this trend. Dragons are often portrayed as majestic and revered creatures than evil man-eating beasts that permeate fairy tales.In traditional Japanese tattoos, the reverence which people give the dragon can be seen in tattoos that depict the dragon holding onto the pearl of wisdom. This is a popular motif, and is just one more element of the dragon's lore within this rich culture.King George V is the first westerner believed to have gotten a dragon tattoo. As a sailor in the British navy, the young George ventured to Japan and came back with an original dragon skin design by the traditional Japanese artist Hori Chyo. When George returned to England and later became King, the interest in Eastern tattooing became popular.It can be difficult to make a final decision when you are ready to choose your tattoo. If you are open to anything, but have yet to decide, make sure that you at least look at a body art flash of the possibilities that exist with a dragon tattoo. The dragon is a wonderful medium that allows the artist to create something unique.Enrich your knowledge further about the dragon tattoo from Mike Selvon portal. We appreciate your feedback at our tattoo designs blog where a free gift awaits you. By Mike Selvon

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Dragon Art Tattoos

Tattoos started getting popular from the sailors that would get tattoos representing the foreign lands they had been stationed in. Wearing a dragon tattoo meant that the sailor had served in China or Japan. Some sailors are still today getting tattoos and are proud of them.One of the reasons why dragon tattoos are popular is because the dragon shape is long and winding and can go on practically any part of the body. Your whole back can be covered with this tattoo or you can have it snaking and winding around your arm. Many different types of dragons can be used. The Japanese have always used dragons in their art and literature, so there are many designs to choose from. The most popular is the full back dragon tattoo where you have plenty of room to make it truly spectacular. The Tamatori-Hime is popular also. It depicts a Japanese diving girl, sometimes topless, with a sword playing around a dragon. The Asian dragons are usually viewed as powerful and empowered with wisdom, making these dragons very popular. The Chinese dragons are the most common. They are usually thought of as a symbol of vigilance and as a supreme being. They also are seen as symbolizing power, perseverance, and heroism. The Chinese culture reveres them and many shrines and temples have been built to honor them.The Celtic design tattoos are amongst the very popular also. Their Celtic knot work and Celtic heart are used often. These intertwining dragons do very well around your arm.

The dragon tattoos on a man represent power, strength, and warrior skills. It can define his personality. Although you can also have a mystical, magical dragon design that makes the man more approachable. The dragon tattoos on a woman usually represent strength and a hotly passionate nature. Ready to protect her family against all dangers. Some women would be intimidated by wearing a dragon tattoo and would worry about what people would think. The dragon tattoo on a woman shows she is not afraid of criticism and can stand up for herself. Strong, yet maternal.Dragon art tattoos create an aura of fantasy and strength. They are thought to be magical in the water, on the land, or in the air. A lot of people fear them and are nervous of the superstitions surrounding them, but they have to respect them By Marilyn Roberts

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Asian Dragon Tattoos - Do You Want One

Asian dragon tattoos are not new in the world of body art. Even if some die hard tattoo fans brand Japanese tattoos or other Asian tattoos as tired and overly used designs, the meaning of this specific design is so rich, that people still want to have a dragon inked on their skin.This and the fact that any ink looks so cool and kick-ass whenever sported and done well are the main reasons why people never get tired of getting dragon Japanese tattoos.Asian dragon tattoos are usually Chinese or Japanese inspired. Chinese have 9 different types of dragon tattoos - dragon king, the horned, the yellow, the heavenly, the coiled, the spirit, the hidden treasures and winged dragon. These all have their own special meanings so the meaning of your Asian design tattoos will depend on which type you will have inked to your arm or your back. If you have the dragon king, which comprises of four dragons, then that symbolizes immense power and authority.And so on, know take a look 6 of the most popular below.For Japanese dragon tattoos, there are 6 types as seen below.

• Hai Riyo, the bird dragon.• Sui Riu which is the Japanese version of the dragon king who also has power over the rain (just like the Chinese version)• Ka Riu, the small red dragon (reminds you of Mushu in Mulan).• Han Riu, at forty feet, probably the biggest among the six.• Fuku Riu, dragon of luck• Ri Riu, the rare dragon with a good eyesight. By Matthew J Stine

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