Great kids Halloween costumes are a bit subjective - it depends whose point of view you're looking at them from. As a parent, a great costume is one that's safe and appropriate for the childrens age.

From a kid's point of view, practicality isn't really that important - they're more interested in the latest TV or movie character, the latest fad or a current celebrity.

Finding a happy medium is the best way to go, but whatever you do be sure to get the child to take part in the choice. just be sure to give them some guidelines so they understand what you will or won't allow.

Kids won't enjoy Halloween if they're forced to wear a costume they don't like. It's sometimes hard to accept, but resign yourself to the fact that as a parent, your top choice is probably not the coolest in the eyes of your kids!

Wearing a costume is fun for people of all ages, but especially for kids. They just haven't developed the cynicism that comes with adulthood, and they'll think even the simplest things are great, if it's what they want.

A simple mask with the elastic string that goes around the back of their head can make them feel like they really are superman - they don't need the latest in latex movie makeup to play a part.

If you're throwing a party for a bunch of kids this Halloween, a theme can be a great way to set the stage for their costumes. It can also be a bit educational if you choose something like a certain era or culture (just don't tell the kids!)

Whatever kind of costume you choose, just be sure to get on it early enough that your kids won't be disappointed if they're all sold out. This is especially important if they want to be the hero from this summer's blockbuster movie or some other popular character. The most recently popular costumes are usually the first to sell out.

Monty Smith writes about Halloween costume ideas and other Halloween-related topics for the Costumez online website. Get more Halloween tips at http://www.costumezonline.com

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Studies are always trying to shed more and more light upon the question of joint pain, and the different contributing factors. In a recent article in the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases by Bone and Tooper, looked at how prolonged exposure to repetitive activity at work contributes specifically to shoulder pain. In their study, they noted that population based studies suggest a lifetime prevalence of over 70 percent for neck and shoulder pain.

They found that shoulder pain was second only to back pain in workers compensation insurance claims. Their study also found that the risk of developing shoulder pain when starting a new job is related to the amount of over-the-head lifting and the monotonous nature of the work. They concluded that shoulder pain is a common problem among working age adults and is a large contributor to sick leave.

The study was able to identify some of the workplace factors that contribute to shoulder pain. The researchers were able to identify prolonged abnormal posture and repetition as significant contributors to shoulder pain. They also noted that more recent studies have considered the psycho-social influences such as monotony of work and the amount of stress might also contribute to shoulder pain.

In their conclusions, they call for more studies looking at psycho-social stressors as wells as repetative movement and how it can be modified in order to prevent further injuries to the shoulder in the workplace setting. Such a finding could greatly benefit the 70% of the population that suffers from some sort of work-induced joint pain.

Michael Carroll, MD is a board certified family physician with a special interest in sports medicine. He is the founding partner of Creekside Clinic, LLC, a progressive primary care center in Traverse City, Michigan and a member of both the American college of sports medicine, and the American Academy of Family Physicians.

He also holds special interest in shoulder pain and rotator cuff injuries specifically with regard to cutting-edge treatments and is the author of a Shoulder Pain Talk.

¶ 1:01 AM 0 comments

Finally, theyre all here. The Xbox 360 has had the next generation gaming market to itself for a year. Now its two competitors, the Playstation 3 and nintendo Wii, are here. No more speculating about speed. No more guessing about memory. Now we can take a look and see exactly how they stack up compared to each other.

Let the console wars begin again.

Price

The ps3 has two configurations much like the Xbox 360. The ps3 comes in a $499 version that comes with a 20 GB hard drive and a $599 version that comes with a 60 GB hard drive; Wi-Fi; and memory stick, SD, and Compact flash slots.

The Xbox 360 has two configurations. It comes in a $299 core version and a $399 version that comes with a 20GB hard drive.

The nintendo Wii is the cheapest of the bunch with just one configuration that costs $250.

Processing power

The Playstation 3 comes with its cell processor. Its a PowerPC based core that runs at 3.2 GHz that also have seven DSPs that run at 3.2 GHz. This configuration can do about 2 Teraflops.

The Xbox 360 has a Custom IBM PowerPC processor. This processor also runs at 3.2 GHz. However, Xbox went with a true 3 core processor compared to the one general processor of the cell and seven additional DSPs. This configuration can do about 1 Teraflop.

The nintendo Wii includes its Broadway processor, a PowerPC based processor running at 729 MHz.

Disc media

Part of the reason the PS3 is so much more expensive than the Xbox 360 is because the Sony decided to include a Blu-ray drive on the system. The drive can play both Blu-ray movies and regular DVDs. The Xbox 360 comes with a DVD player and an HD-DVD add-on is planned. The nintendo Wii uses a DVD drive; however, the system will not work for playback of movies, just nintendo games.

Backwards compatibility

The Playstation 3 is just like the PS2 was. Youll be able to play both PS2 and PSone games on the PS3. nintendo is taking things a bit further. Their system will be compatible with the Gamecube games and also the Gamecube controllers since the two systems use very different controllers. Not only that, but the Wii will also have the ability to download games from the original nintendo (NES), Super nintendo (SNES), and the nintendo 64.

Sweet Features

If you want high definition gaming, then the PS3 is the way to go. It comes with a Blu-ray drive built in and can output in 1080p. Although the PS3 controller may look familiar, its had some updates. The controller is now motion sensing so in some games youll be able to move your character or fly a plane just by moving the controller.

The Xbox 360 was built to work with Windows XP media center. If you have a computer that already has media center on it, youll be able to view pictures, videos, and even recorded TV by using your Xbox. You wont need to put your PC in your living room to take advantage of having a media Center PC.

The nintendo Wii decided to completely change the way gaming controllers are built. In the past, one controller was always held with both hands. The Wiis controller looks more like a TV remote control than a game controller. It has a built in motion sensor so, for example, to swing a sword, you simply move you hand just like you were really swinging a sword.

Hopefully this review has helped you compare the three next generation gaming systems. Each has its pluses and minuses, and feature that are unique to it. Ultimately, your decision will likely come down to which system has the games that most appeal to you. And that is a decision that only you can make when deciding on a system to buy.

Gary Ruplinger is the editor of http://www.ps3asap.com, a resource for getting the in demand PS3 system. He also is a writer for http://www.gamesystemreviews.com where you can learn about all of the next generation systems.

¶ 1:01 AM 0 comments