There are so many brands of baby formula - Nestle Good Start, Enfamil, Similac, Parent’s Choice, Bright Beginnings, Nature’s One, and more. Find out how to pick the best baby formula for your child.

Choosing the best baby formula: brands, ingredients, and more

Infant formulas contain all the nutrients that the average infant requires, which is not found in ordinary milk. All baby formulas in the US meet nutrition requirements mandated by the FDA. Different brands may have different recipes, but the nutrient amounts must be in a specific range. This is true for both brand-name and generic formulas. However, there are a few differences to keep in mind:

• Base formula. Cow’s milk is the base for the most common formulas. For vegetarians, soy-based formulas are another option. Protein hydrolysate formulas are for babies allergic to milk and soy.
• Physical form. Powdered milk is the cheapest, but requires mixing with water. Concentrated liquid formula also requires additional water. Ready-to-use formula is the most expensive, but also the most convenient.
• Iron content. Healthy infants require iron. Iron-fortified formula is the simplest way to provide your baby with the necessary iron.
• Enhanced formulas. Enhanced formulas may contain omega-3 fatty acids, pro-biotics, or other additives to promote health. Some research shows that these enhanced ingredients can further promote infant health, while other research are not conclusive. You should ask your doctor for advice if you are considering these options.

Make sure to check the expiration date on baby formula. Do not use expired formula. Also check that the container is undamaged - no leaks, dents, or bulges. Generally, infant formula is recommended until age 1, and whole milk until age 2, but consult your doctor for specific advice.

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You’ve probably heard about the biggest Ponzi scheme in history orchestrated by Bernard Madoff. Want to know who Madoff is? Who did he work for, and who was affected by him?

The Madoff scandal: victims of a $50 billion Ponzi scheme

Bernard Madoff is a former chairman of the NASDAQ stock exchange and a prominent US businessman. He is the founder and chairman of a major financial firm for almost 50 years. On December 11, 2008, he was arrested on a charge of securities fraud.

Madoff ran what he himself described as a Ponzi scheme. He provided consistent investment returns every year, on the order of 12-13 percent, regardless of market volatility and fluctuations. Analysts were concerned whether profits were being fabricated or were in fact genuine. His investment firm also had suspicious business practices, such as the use of an unusually small auditing firm and lack of transparency for financial transactions.

In fact, Madoff was running a fraudulent Ponzi scheme in which nonexistent profits were used to entice new investors and generate more cash. However, the scheme began to unravel when clients asked to withdraw large amounts of cash because of the recent financial turmoil starting in 2007. Madoff admitted that there were no profits to his sons, who prompted the police, leading to his arrest.

Many leading banks suffered losses as a result of Madoff’s Ponzi scheme. Madoff was also a philanthropist, and charitable organizations that invested with him have been forced to close, including the Robet I. Lappin Chartiable Foundation, the Picower Foundation, and the JEHT Foundation. Several Jewish charities have also suffered large losses.

The Ponzi scheme that Madoff implemented is an old conman’s trick. Read the FAQ, What is a Ponzi scheme, to learn how they work and how to avoid them.

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Have you wondered what a Ponzi scheme is? You might heard of Ponzi schemes, especially related to scams or fraud in recent financial news. Learn how a Ponzi scheme works so that you can avoid it!

Learn how a Ponzi scheme works

A Ponzi scheme is named after its most famous practitioner, Charles Ponzi. The scammer starts a Ponzi scheme by offering an investment with unbelievably good returns. For example, you will be told that you can invest your money and you will receive double the amount back in one month. Let’s say Tom gives the Ponzi scheme $100 on July 1st. Now, another fellow, John, gives the Ponzi scheme $100 on July 14. Two more fellows, Bob and Andy, give the Ponzi scheme $100 on July 31.

On August 1, the scammer pays Tom $200 using Tom’s original money and John’s $100. Tom is delighted, so he immediately puts $1000 back into the questionable investment. On August 14, the scammer pays John back $200 using John and Bob’s money. As expected, John puts $500 back into the Ponzi scheme.

We see that there are no actual profits being generated by the investment. The Ponzi scheme only works because of the time delay between investments and returns. This type of scam is not
sustainable. If Tom and John had quit while they were ahead, they would have made money. However, on August 14, the scammer takes all of the money and does not pay anyone again.

If you join a Ponzi scheme late, like Bob and Andy, you will always lose your money. Don’t take the risk with this type of fraudulent investment. Ponzi schemes are also illegal.

The largest Ponzi scheme in history may be the $50 billion scandal involving Bernard Madoff.

Find out if you’ve been scammed! Check your credit report for free right now.

Have you downloaded FLV files but don’t know how to play them? Need a free FLV player right away? I’ll show you how to watch your movies.

How to download a free FLV player to watch FLV videos

If you want to download a small stand-alone program to watch FLV movies, I would suggest the Wimpy FLV Player, available here. This bare bones player will do the job without hogging memory. There is no need for installation. You just unzip the file and run the .exe file. Drag your FLV files to the window to run it.

The Wimpy FLV Player is easy to use and simple but lacks advanced features, like better scrolling, advanced window properties, zoom, and so on. If you want a powerful, fully-featured video player for free, I would strongly recommend the KMPlayer. This player can play ANYTHING you throw at it, including FLV files. Plus, this player has an insane number of features. Download the KMPlayer from its forum here. Navigate to the Download section in the header, then click on the Sticky thread labeled “Download info and guidelines on the latest beta”. The download link for the latest release will be listed here. This player is really for power users.

If you are looking for FLV files to watch, check out the FAQ, How do I download Youtube videos?

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Have you watched a video on Youtube, Dailymotion, or Myspace and wished that you could save it? If you watched it, you can save it! Read on to learn how.

How to save files from video sites like Youtube

One way to save videos is to use special programs or websites. However, these don’t always work and can be slow. Instead of using these unreliable methods, I will show you how to save the file. In fact, your computer has already saved the video. All you have to do is find it. Unlike the other methods, this one is completely general and will work for any video site that shows FLV flash movies (like Youtube).

First, I recommend you use Mozilla’s Firefox internet browser, available here. When you use Firefox to watch a video, it will store a temporary copy of the video as a file on your computer. To find this file, go to your File Explorer and find the directory:

C:\Documents and Settings\Local Settings\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\i8rf43gv\Cache

The junk sequence “i8rf43gv” will always vary. Inside this directory, you will see a large number of files with strange names. Most of the files will have very small sizes around 30 KB. Sort the files by Date Modified and look for large files around 1 MB or more. These are temporary movies files. The most recent one corresponds to the most recent video you watched on Youtube.

Let’s say the file is called 2DBAA2CFe03. Copy this file into another location, like your Desktop. Rename this file to something with a .flv extension, such as YOUTUBE.FLV. Now you can watch your favorite movie any time you want!

If you are wondering how to watch FLV files, see this other great FAQ, Where can I find a free FLV player?

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