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John and Melissa were enjoying their dinner at a local restaurant. It was the first time in six months that they had gone anywhere without their newborn baby.

Melissa spoke up, "I hope we did the right thing, leaving our baby alone with the new nanny". In a calm voice John replied, "Honey, it's been a long sleepless six months. We deserve this night out. And besides, I'm sure our nanny is qualified to take care of our little girl for one night".

"You're right" Melissa said, "let's just enjoy this dinner". But a few moments later Melissa's cell phone rang; in a panicked voice Melissa said to John "WE HAVE TO GO NOW! SOMETHINGS HAPPENED TO OUR BABY! without hesitation, they flagged down the waiter, paid their bill and headed for home as fast as they could.

When they arrived home, their nanny explained that the baby had rolled off the couch and hit her head on an end table. She seemed O.K. but I called the doctor anyway, said the nanny. Hes on his way over here right now.

With suspicion running through her mind, and not knowing what to believe, Melissa immediately went to her bedroom and turned on the monitor to her DVR (Digital video Recorder). Weeks earlier, Melissa had purchased a hidden nanny cam disguised as a teddy bear, after hearing a story in the news about an abusive babysitter. In a few seconds she had her answer, the baby did just roll off the couch. That didnt make it ok, but Melissa wanted to trust her new nanny and now she felt a little more certain that she could.

It is always difficult for a parent to turn over the care of a child to someone else, and every parent who does so has concerns. Hidden cameras are one way of alleviating some of that worry.

Nanny Cams are just another name for hidden cameras. They are usually disguised as part of the dcor in a room. These days, technology allows us to create cameras that are small enough to fit into many everyday items, such as stuffed animals, flowerpots, and even kitchen appliances.

Nanny cams have become very popular in recent years for good reason. With the rise in domestic violence against children, you dont have to be paranoid to want to keep an eye on things while youre away. There have been many news stories centered on hidden cameras that have recorded a caregiver in the act of abusing a child.

Nanny cams are not only small and discreet, but they are also becoming more affordable than ever before, so you can purchase more than one to maintain surveillance in multiple rooms of your home.

With a DVR (Digital video Recording) system, youll be able to monitor and record all of your hidden cameras from one central location.

Experts say it is generally legal to use a hidden camera that records video without the consent of the nanny. However, the laws vary from state to state on whether you can record audio. Before taping conversation without consent from your nanny, check the laws in your state.

To protect your nannys privacy, and to make the best use of your nanny cams, only place hidden cameras where she will be interacting with your child. Never place nanny cams in bathrooms or private bedrooms. This would be considered as voyeurism and in most states you could be charged with of invasion of privacy.

Nanny cams have many uses other than just monitoring nannies or caregivers.

Nanny cams can also be used for watching over your child while they are sleeping, monitoring them while they are playing alone or monitoring your older teenager while they are home alone with friends.

Hidden cameras have also been used to catch cheating spouses in the act, and they are very popular with private investigators and law enforcement agencies that use them for covert operations.

Even if you do not suspect any type of abuse or misconduct from your child, nanny or spouse, the peace of mind in knowing there is not a problem is well worth the cost of the camera.

Steven Rubin is the owner of North American Security Products, LLC. A company dedicated to providing you with the means to protect and defend yourself against crime.

The 2007 British Open will be played at Carnoustie Championship Course. For four days fans will see the world's greatest golfers tested by one of the toughest links courses in Scotland, if not the toughest. Links courses aren't as popular in the United States as they are in Scotland, which means you may never have played one. But if you have, you know that you must adopt a different style of play to score well on the course and keep your golf handicap down.

A links golf course, as I've explained in my golf tips, is the oldest style golf course. It was first developed in Scotland. The word comes from the Scottish language and refers to both an area of coastal sand dunes and sometimes open parkland. Many links courses though not all are located in coastal areas, on sandy soil, often amid dunes, with few water hazards and few if any trees. Links courses reflect the nature of the scenery where the sport originated, and the fact that only limited resources were available to golf course architects at the time. Earth moving had to be done by hand, so it was minimized.

Challenges of A Links Course Uneven fairways, thick rough, and small deep bunkers known as "pot bunkers" characterize links courses. Many links courses are frequently windy, affecting the style of play required. Since many links courses consist of an "outward" nine in one direction along the coast, and an "inward" nine that returns in the opposite direction, players often have to cope with opposite wind patterns in each half of their round.

Playing a links course is demanding. You're often exposed to extreme weather conditions and usually play in winds far stronger than you experience inland, so you need to keep most shots low and/or on a line. A links course may look flat and featureless from a distance, but once you start playing you'll discover the ground is a mass of humps and hollows. Many tee shots are semi-blind.

Hard, fast-running fairways cause unpredictable bounces. Your ball shoots forward on the first bounce, while the same shot pitching into a hump stops quickly. Occasionally, a ball flying in the middle of the fairway kicks into the rough. The short grass and closely mown fairways on a links course remove some of the fear of mid-range approach shots. But a crisply struck iron generates a great deal of backspin because very little grass comes between the clubface and the ball at impact.

Take Advantage of the Wind The wind is almost always a factor on a links course. Use it to your advantage. With a tailwind you should hit the ball higher to gain maximum distance on the shot. With a head wind it's difficult to put enough backspin on the ball to pitch and stop it neatly on the green. Also, forget the distance you usually hit a ball because the wind drastically alters your normal club selection. Take less club, swing smoothly, and let the wind carry the ball well short of the green and expect plenty of run on the shot. Crosswinds force you to aim way off line and allow the ball to be blown back on target.

Wind Also Affects the short Game The wind also affects the short game on a links course. A low pitch and run is safer when playing in the wind than a high lob, as I've explained in my golf tips. A 7-iron is the ideal club for the shot. Bunkers are hard to spot in the humps and hollows of a links course and devilishly difficult to escape from. Don't take risks it's fine to sacrifice distance particularly if it keeps you on the fairway.

When you land in a fairway bunker it's unlikely you'll have a direct route to the green. Concentrate on making sure your next shot isn't from the same spot. The powdery fine sand is perfect for the high splash shot. Open your stance and keep the clubface open. Swing long and smooth on an out-to-in path. Huge sandy dunes are punishing hazards that surround many fairways and greens. The thick, wiry grass doesn't let go of your ball easily.

Putting o a links course is no easy task, either. A long putt on a large sloping links green often takes two or three different breaks. It's important to study the green's slope carefully. look at a putt along the ball-to-target line and then from the side on to give you a better perspective. Wind also affects the ball's roll. Occasionally, a long putt drops, but you should never be disappointed to get down in two strokes

Playing a links course for the first time is exciting. But you need to adjust your game to make up for the differences in a links style course and to set realistic goals for yourself. If you try to be too aggressive, your scores-and your golf handicap-will suffer.

Jack Moorehouse is the author of the best-selling book How To Break 80 And Shoot Like The Pros He is not a golf pro, rather a working man that has helped thousands of golfers from all seven continents lower their handicap immediately. He has a free weekly newsletter with the latest golf tips, golf lessons and golf instruction

Copyright (c) 2007 Jack Moorehouse