The for against a home based business

Difficult decisions are a part of every day life, and the decision on whether or not to start up your very own HOME BASED BUSINESS could be one of the most difficult of all. For every positive aspect there will undoubtedly be a negative side. You have to be the sole judge on what will, or will not, suit you, your family and your lifestyle. Speak to family and friends, and where possible, to people who may all ready be involved in their own HOME BASED BUSINESS. You will most certainly get very differing views, but these views, added to your own, will hand you sufficient information from which to guide you towards your decision. Unless you are fully committed to starting up and running your HOME BASED BUSINESS, it may be better advised to remain in outside paid employment. Many potential HOME BASED BUSINESS Entrepreneurs lack the commitment required on a daily basis and become frustrated when unrealistic results do not show during the embryonic stages of their business. You have to have a deep reserve of patience and commitment, as success will rarely happen over-night. (If it did, homes would replace office buildings and factories as work centres.) Outside paid employment offers you a guaranteed wage with other benefits such as overtime, commissions, bonuses and employer-paid superannuation. While your HOME BASED BUSINESS will only return income commensurate with the time and effort you are willing to put into it. If sacrificing income is of concern, then you should remain in the job you are in now and, if still keen to WORK FROM HOME, try it on a part-time basis (just a few hours a week) and be guided by your results and progress. You will then have a clearer picture as to the future of a HOME BASED BUSINESS within your lifestyle. As you become more comfortable with the concept and financial realisations of WORKING FROM HOME you can look to expanding your HOME BASED BUSINESS, and to saying goodbye to your present boss. You may need to investigate a number of WORK FROM HOME ideas before finding the most suitable avenue for your talents. Some may find working for a boss to be much easier than taking on the day to day decision-making process themselves. It may be that you are perfectly at ease in an environment where you are less likely to be distracted from work, and in a situation where the structure of your workplace dictates your daily routine. It can also provide a good social network and, at times, a means of escaping minor problems at home. If, however, you are able to avoid the possible distractions of WORKING FROM HOME, as well as absorb any short-term financial loss and apply the discipline required to plan and implement your HOME BASED BUSINESS then you will be on your way to enjoying the long-term benefits it can provide. WORKING FROM HOME is NOT for everyone. But, if a lifestyle change is what you are after, it cannot hurt to carry out some research. Instead of working to make someone else rich, dealing with office politics, unreasonable demands, hours & deadlines, travel time & costs, extended hours apart from your loved-ones, battling prevailing weather conditions and so on, you can be your own boss and work your own hours. Yours In Business

What feminization hypnosis can do for you

There is an amazing breakthrough in the process of feminization - feminization hypnosismonly, some men would simply undergo male to female surgery and modify their facial features and body contours. Some also opt to have hormonal injections to enhance their look. Today, a number of transgender, transsexuals and transvestites are discovering for themselves the good benefits they can gain from feminization hypnosis. Feminization hypnosis is programming your subconscious mind to bring out the woman in you. Your mind and body can efficiently respond to affirmations and visualization when you are under hypnosis. At this stage, you are entering a relaxed environment where you can condition your mind to become the woman that you always wanted to be. Your desire to become a feminine is very important in this process. An image of who you want to become should always be deeply imbedded in your subconscious mind. Feminization hypnosis unleashes your natural power to activate the flow feminized hormones into your entire being. After a few successful sessions you would discover the woman in you that is there all along. You would begin to feel and act like a woman. In terms of emotional change, you would learn to become more sensitive, caring, thoughtful and other characteristics that a woman portrays. You would begin to exude the aura of a total woman. And with such an aura, you would gain the power of attraction. You would not only benefit from feminization hypnosis in terms of behavioral transformation. A lot of people attest that they are experiencing physical improvements after undergoing feminization hypnosis. You would soon sound like a woman with a higher and softer pitch. The way you walk would change drastically. The way you react to situations would be similar to that of a woman. In all you do, there is a touch of femininity that would surely be noticed by a lot of people. Your confidence would surely boost because of the overwhelming feminine aura within you. You would feel comfortable in your own woman skin. More importantly, you would soon achieve that x-factor that can naturally attract men. With feminization hypnosis, you would indeed become the woman of your dreams. You can forget about wearing layers of make up or applying hormonal creams. You can enjoy your life as a woman in the most natural way. Allow your feminine side to surface and enjoy the pleasures of being a woman.

Choosing the right nail gun nailer for you

Unlike most tools, nailers are not designed for general purpose use - there is no all-purpose nailer that you can use on all your jobs. Nailers are meant to be used for specific jobs, so prior to buying a new nailer it's important to know the tasks for which it will be used. The kinds of nailers are: - Framing nailers: These are designed for driving bigger (1-1/2" to 4") box-type nails into larger pieces of material. These types of nailers are usually fairly big and heavy and are usually stick-type nail guns, they there are some coil-types available too. - Finish nailers: These nailers are sometimes also called brad or pin nailers. They are meant for fastening smaller finish-type nails into light pieces of wood. These nailers tend to be lighter and smaller than framing nailers, and they are usually used for trim or finishing work. These are almost always stick-type nail guns. - Roofing and Siding nailers: These nailers are intended for the specialized task of putting up either siding or roofing. They store large numbers of nails that are designed specifically for the task at hand (siding or roofing). These are usually coil-type nailers. Once you pick the sort of nailer you want, some other features that are helpful to have and which you should consider are: - An adjustable exhaust output. When nails are driven in, air shoots out from the nailer. It's often helpful to have an adjustable exhaust so that the exhaust air is not shot into your face. - A large trigger. If you are going to be using your nailer in cold weather, you'll want to be wearing winter gloves. In this case you'll want to make sure you have a good-sized trigger so that you can work when wearing gloves. - A swivel on the air connector . If you move around often with your nailer, this will help reduce the snarling of your air hose. - An easy-to-use depth setting. Almost all nailers have some sort of adjustment to controlmanage how hard the nail is put in. Using this adjustment, the nail is not left sticking out of the surface, or sunk too deep far in. Many nailers require tools to perform this adjustment, others can be set without using tools and these tend to be much quicker to adjust. If you think you will be changing this adjustment often, the easier and quicker it is to adjust, the easier it will be to use this nailer. - If you are going to be nailing a lot of nails, should consider the capacity of the nailer and also the ease with which nails can be loaded into the gun. Choosing the right nailer can save you a lot of time on a job... or cost you a lot of time if you make the incorrect decision. Finally, make sure you look at the reviews for the nailer you are thinking about getting. Checking out a tool in the store or on the internet, it is really problematic to be sure how well it will work on site. By looking into the reviews of people that have actually used the nailer, you'll get a much better idea if this nailer will work for you.

Tired of high fees for long distance calls

The dreaded long distance calls fee regularly haunts individuals of all ages. From chatty Cathys to gabby Garys, everyone seems to have a problem when sky high long distance bills. If you are tired of paying an astronomical phone bill, look into alternatives that will allow you to bring down your monthly balance without having to end conversations with friends and family members across the country. Before you hang up the phone for good, know there are a variety of options available that will enable you to keep talking without draining your pocket book. Most individuals have ditched the traditional land line phones in favor of cellular phones. These portable communication devices enable you to take your conversation with you wherever you go. Cellular phone plans have free long distance service, allowing you to call everyone you know from Alaska to Florida without incurring any additional fees. However, it should be known that most cell phone plans are based on minutes used during peak times and any overage costs may be quite steep. Cell phone companies are constantly having different promotions regarding their coverage areas, talk times, and overage fees. Some companies now features roll over plans that allow your unused minutes to be added to your next month’s pot. Other companies allow individuals to speak unlimited time in certain areas or call others with the same plan without penalty. If you wish to keep your traditional home telephone, or land line, consider looking at all your long distance options. There are many plans that, for a flat fee each month, allows you unlimited long distance minutes. These plans are usually more expensive than traditional long distance plans, but can save you a great deal of money if you regularly use excessive long distance minutes. There are also long distance plans that offered tiered pricing for their minutes. For example, long distance fees will be eight cents a minute until you hit a certain number of minutes, where the cost dips to five cents. Another time tier will lower the price to three cents a minute, assuming you use that many minutes a month. Another option is to consider completely canceling your long distance program and purchasing a calling card. This will cut down on the amount of long distance calls you make a month, since you will no longer be able to pick up the telephone and directly dial. Furthermore, calling card rates are usually cheaper than traditional long distance plans, and since the cards are pre paid, you know the exact amount you are spending on your long distance. When the monthly phone bill rolls around, there will be no surprises! Finally, use completely different methods curb your long distance costs. Consider using e-mail or an instant messaging program to communicate with your friends and loved ones. There are several programs that allow you to speak over the internet using a microphone attached to your computer. Bring back the old fashioned notion of letter writing, since the 37 cent stamp is a great deal cheaper than a long distance bill than can run up hundreds of dollars.

Controlling the installation of software products in an enterprise

On the market there are a lot of products that help users install and reinstall their operating systems and software. First of all, this software includes backup systems, software for creating images with operating systems and software, the systems for creating installation scripts manually. Why is MultiSet from the Almeza company different from this software? 1. Installing software on already exiting systems. Every enterprise has a quite large number of computers with a lot of software installed on them. But if the enterprise buys new computers, they often have an operating system already installed on them. It is impossible to use backups and images with operating systems and software in this case. MultiSet can install software on already existing systems as fast as possible. 2. Automatically creating installation scripts. Unlike in case of manual script creation systems, the user who uses Almeza MultiSet does not have to write a script. MultiSet generates it automatically. The software works as a recording device. It is enough to install an application just once while MultiSet is running in the record mode. MultiSet will remember all actions and generate an automatic installation script after the installation is over. If necessary, it is possible to edit the script. The advantages are that no special knowledge is required and no special training in some particular scripting language is necessary for the staff. 3. Creating a software installation set for remote installation. With MultiSet, it is very easy to create a software set that can be installed over the network. If the enterprise owns several buildings or is geographically distributed, the advantages of remote installation are obvious. First, there is no need to be present in all buildings in person. Second, there is no need to have an additional employee in a remote office or building. 4. Creating a disk for automatic installation of the operating system and software. You can use Almeza MultiSet to create automatic operating system and software installation disks of various types. a. Automatic software installation disk b. Automatic Windows installation disk c. Automatic Windows and software installation disk. 5. Quickly recovering employees' workplaces. Employees working for a company are often specialists in their fields, but they are not competent in the IT field. So computers may suffer careless use, a virus attack or a system failure. With MultiSet, it is possible to quickly recover the workplace of an accountant, a manager or a secretary. With the above advantages of MutiSet, you will save a considerable amount of time and money! Download the 30-day free version of the program: almeza/download/multiset. exe Program website: almeza

Partnering joining a formal partner program

Formal partnering programs. They can be good, bad, and indifferent. They just aren’t that huge. In this day and age, most people aren’t choosing to join partner programs just based on the benefits that they looked for 10 years ago. Formal Partnering Programs Benefits These benefits include: high margins, dedicated partner representatives, unlimited toll free support, four percent MDFs, market development funds, 30-day end user money back guarantee, no quotas, no inventory stocking. If, however, you are moving towards the service model, formal partnering doesn’t do as much for you. Which Formal Partnering Programs are Best? VAR BUSINESS, a trade magazine, does all kinds of studies and surveys on the best partner programs. It rates them constantly on vendor satisfaction on all different issues: technical support, sales support, margins, business opportunities, perceptions of small business clients. They’re an incredible resource for looking into different partner programs. Naturally you can read about the big ones. You can read about the Microsoft Certified Partner Program, and IBM Business Partner, but you’ll also find out about some lesser known programs and what’s going on in general. What you will find is that not a lot of consulting firms are putting a ton of stock and energy in advertising their vendor relationships anymore. The tide is definitely turning more towards advertising yourself, your company, your brand, the expertise and service you bring to the table as opposed to advertising the brands that you represent. Are Formal Partnering Programs a Fit for You? Before you decide whether you want to invest any time or money with any particular programs, I would first think through what services and solutions you want to provide for your customers. These partner programs involve both a financial and time commitment. Be certain that the partner program offers your clients what you want to offer before investing! Copyright MMI-MMVI, Small Business Computer Consulting. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}

Online reservation software online event bookings

Travel agencies rely on online reservation software to handle large volume bookings for large events such as conferences, sporting events, concerts and political conventions. Previously, participants registered for the event and made separate travel arrangements. For simplicity and higher profits, event organizers prefer online reservation software to register participants and book airfare, hotels and tours, etc. Event Registration - Online Reservation Software Today, most event registration is handled on line by people entering their details online to sign up for the event and choose seminars. The travel and hotels end of the booking is handled by online reservation software for hassle free booking arrangements. For event managers, online reservation software cuts costs and reduces the number of personnel needed to run the event. The user friendly online reservation software provides powerful features that may be customized for schedule changes of the event in minutes. Backup Registration - Online Reservation Software An important aspect of online reservation software is data security and back ups in case of system failure. With each registration, the participant’s data is stored in the main system leaving the event planner free to handle more customers. The system provides online reporting and downloads for accounting and cost accounting. Enterprise Solution - Online Reservation Software Conference booking is a very competitive field as travel companies often compete for the same contracts to book such large events. Most leading online reservation software providers offer an enterprise solution for online event bookings that are tailor made to the type of event, travel, hotels, dining and touring offered by the event planners. Event Bookings Benefits - Online Reservation Software Among the benefits of online reservation software for event planners are lower phone bills, better service, more hotel upgrades and fewer mistakes. The online reservation software enables participants to make changes in their event package such as to change travel dates, cancel bookings, request additional services and make special requests.

Collecting flyer miles for your next holiday

No one ever gets anything for free, and frequent flyer miles sound especially too good to be true. Every dollar you spend on your credit card counts toward free airline tickets? The truth is that the airlines will do anything to avoid putting the cash back in your pocket, but with a few simple tricks you can master the art of the frequent flyer points and fly for free to your next destination. First, it pays to read the fine print. Before you sign up for a frequent flyer credit card, be sure you know all the regulations on the card. You can also sign up for a mailing list that will alert you to special promotions and deals. Choose your card wisely. Many will give you more bang for your buck. Research the card’s partner companies. Sometimes you can earn double points by buying books at specific book stores or buying your groceries in certain places. If you master the system, you can multiply your points. When you fly, be sure to charge your plane ticket to your credit card. Don’t be afraid to use your friends. They can buy your free tickets from you in cash while you pay for theirs on your credit card. While you are collecting flyer miles, keep track of all your flights and statements. Mistakes can be made, and when they are, you need to call the credit card company or airline to straighten them out. Airlines will often tempt you to spend your frequent flyer miles on something other than free flights. They lose money every time a frequent flyer gets on board their airplanes, so of course they will try to get you to spend your miles on something other than your flight, which is basically cash redemption. Airlines will often tempt you to drop your flights in exchange for magazine subscriptions or other promotions. Be wary of these deals. If you cash in your miles for cheap flights or club memberships, you risk losing money on the transaction. Many of these frequent flyer credit cards have annual fees attached. You don’t want to trade in your miles for less than the annual fee, at the very least. You don’t actually have to fly to earn frequent flyer points. With a special credit card you can earn points paying for almost anything. Put your child’s college tuition on the credit card. Put a big, social dinner on your credit card and ask your dining partners to give you cash for their meals. As long as you pay your credit card bill on time and avoid incurring the high interest fees, this is your best way to earn extra miles. When you have finally raised enough frequent flyer miles to take your dream vacation, you will get the best value for your miles by acquiring your tickets early, ideally a year in advance. This will ensure that you get the best seats and upgrades for your air miles. Try to choose a flight that won’t be crowded with weekend travelers. Travel midweek or take an afternoon flight to avoid the early morning rush. The airline will appreciate your courtesy and you will be rewarded with better deals.

Working on your groove

We all come to a point in our lives, like in the movie “How Stella Got Her Groove Back” that we lose sight of who we are. Life has a person in so many different roles such as parent; employee and spouse we tend to lose “us” in being there for others. Although Stella got her groove back by meeting a man that was 20 years younger than her, how do we know that Stella’s groove is going to stay? Stella still had some matters in her life that she needed to clear up before taking a vacation to Jamaica Taking a vacation is a temporary fix. When you come back all the problems are still there waiting on you. In order to start working on your groove you must first clear out the garbage that has been holding you back from being happy. When I say garbage I mean the emotional matters in your life that are holding you back from enjoying your life. If you are having a hard time forgiving someone from your past this is an emotional problem that has to be dealt with before you can move forward in your life. Holding on to the anger is like walking around with an anchor attached to your heart. Any opportunities that may come in your direction will be overlooked because you are still anchored to the past. In the book “In the Meantime” by Iyanla Vanzant she discusses how we have to start in the attic of our mind all the way to the basement of our minds. Physical matters can also hold us back from getting our groove back. Say that you have been procrastinating on cleaning your garage. The more you think about doing it and not taking the action to do it will hold you back. In the movie, Stella was working at a job that was very profitable but the stress was overwhelming. Her dream was to build furniture and she wasn’t doing anything to make her dream a reality. Very few people realize that the things we don’t do will drain us more than the things we actually physically handle. As long as you procrastinate this brings your energy level down and eventually makes it even harder to get accomplished. Your subconscious starts accusing you of being lazy and after a while you really start to believe what your mind is telling you is true. You have to start taking baby steps to get back into action so that you will feel better about yourself. If you have a dream on hold or something you need to accomplish then take a certain amount of time either everyday or once a week to accomplish whatever it is you would like to accomplish. You will see that once this matter is complete you will feel a rush. Once you have cleared up the garbage then it is time to work on you. Now is the time to give yourself special attention and figure out what makes you happy. During this period you would be required to do something special for self on a regular basis. I take every Thursday as my day for me. On this day I order carryout for the children and I do whatever brings me joy. If it is just reading a book, this is what I do on this day to give myself special attention. Another thing you will have to consider is eliminating people from your life that don’t enhance your life. If you are in a relationship that you are doing more giving than receiving this may be a matter to re-evaluate. I am not speaking only on romantic relationships. This can also cover friends and family. Sometimes people have a tendency of taking your kindness for weakness. As long as you don’t set boundaries with these people they will keep on taking and not giving. You deserve better! You have to realize that you have the right to be selfish. If you don’t give yourself special attention on a “regular” basis who will? You have to learn to say no. If it is something you don’t want to do or don’t have time to do then simply say no. You don’t have to do anything in life that you truly don’t want to do except maybe pay taxes.

What to do when people don t like you

Have you been trying hard to make friends with no good results to show for all of your efforts? If it seems that you have been trying hard to make friends, but that other people still don’t want to be your friend, you may have come to the conclusion that there’s something wrong with you. That maybe you are basically unlikeable. Many of us go through such torment of self doubt, especially during our teenage years, when teens are often the victims of vicious bullying from their peers for no reason at all. If you feel as if the people you are trying to befriend don’t like you, the first thing you must do is to ask yourself: Do you have any real evidence that others don’t like you? Or are you just imagining the worst because you are always very harsh with yourself? People who have low self-esteem, or who are suffering from depression, are often convinced that others don’t like them, even when there is no evidence for their negative belief. People who have a poor self image can be surrounded by others who like them, care about them, and enjoy their company; yet because these people don’t believe they are worthy of being liked, they are convinced that no one else likes them either. So, if you are feeling as if nobody likes you, try to find out if there is some real evidence that others don’t like you, or whether you are just being very negative in your opinion of yourself. On the other hand, there are times when it’s not just your imagination that others don’t like you. It might be really true that most of the people you meet are consistently rejecting you, even when you make social overtures and try to be as friendly to them as possible. There are many reasons this can happen. You may have moved to a society where the people are very tight knit with each other, and they don’t open up to newcomers easily. You might be surrounded by people who automatically dislike people of your particular religion, ethnic background, sexual orientation, skin color, or bodily appearance. You may be surrounded by people who reject you because the clothes you wear are not the latest and most expensive fashion. In high school years in particular, many teens are strongly conformist, and can be very cruel to those who seem to be different from the norm. Sadly, some people never grow out of the stage of judging others for trivial and superficial reasons. If you are really are being rejected by others, it is important that you don’t make the situation worse by attacking yourself. This will only make you feel worse, and will make you lose confidence in approaching new people in the future. Saying negative things to yourself could start you on a downward spiral of self-doubt and self-hatred. Or you might turn your anger outwards in a spirit of bitterness and revenge towards other people. This is not a solution that will win you friends or peace of mind. It’s also important to take a good, hard look at yourself and the way that you interact with other people. There may be specific behaviors that are causing others to dislike you, and these are behaviors which you can change. Ask yourself the questions on this checklist. If it looks as if any of these behaviors are a problem for you, it’s very likely that if you change this behavior, that other people will like you better. 1. Are you always very negative and complaining all the time? Most people find this habit very annoying. 2. Do you actively participate in conversations with others? Or do you hold back and let other people do all the work in making conversation. If so, learn to improve your conversational skills so that talking with you is an experience that others look forward to. 3. Do you endlessly talk about yourself and show little interest in the people you are talking with? Other people will become bored with you very quickly if you seem only interested in yourself. 4. Do you try too hard to please others, always agreeing with everything that they say, and never having any opinions of your own? People won’t respect you if you don’t respect yourself. 5. Do you often say things that hurt the feelings of others and then say it was just a joke? Do you say mean things behind other people’s backs? No one will trust you if they think that you are basically an unkind person. If you want to make other people your friends, it’s very important that you don’t give up on trying. Keep approaching people, keep trying to make conversation. Get rid of your bad social habits if they are getting in the way of friendship. If you are being given the cold shoulder by many of the people you encounter, particularly in your school or workplace, keep looking elsewhere for people you can confide in and befriend. You can try in your church, in your community, and in your own family. Work on developing the talents and good qualities within yourself so that you can appeal in a new way to other people with whom you will have more in common. Continue to actively search out other people who will like you and accept you.

Integrating act with other office software

ACT! is a diverse CRM software solution that will keep excellent track of your customer data. On top of that integrating ACT! with other office software is no problem at all. Most of us use either Microsoft Outlook as our email package because it is more than that. Microsoft Outlook as a calendar, contact list, and to do list attached to it but it’s not the greatest for managing customer relationships. That’s the reason why ACT! delivers a very robust integration with outlook. ACT! and Microsoft Outlook work hand with ACT! allowing you to integrate your calendars, contacts, and email capturing all of your information to be captured in ACT!. You can readily and easily use information between these programs which creates a seamless system for book appointments, scheduling call backs, or replying to emails with data stored in the ACT! database. ACT! also integrates nicely with other office programs such as Microsoft Word and Excel. That means that you can quickly pull information into word. For example perhaps you are doing up a Christmas newsletter, you could incorporate all the mailing addresses stored in ACT! in minutes. No laborious work here. Same goes for Excel. We often use Excel to deal with financial information, perhaps projections, or markup scenarios. What ever you reason for pulling data into Excel ACT! does it seamlessly. For your sales staff ACT! allows them to tract not just sales that have occurred but sales opportunities and all from that initial inquiry. You can filter this information by what products they were interest in, what date they purchased, the order status, the amount of the sales, and a host of other variables. Basically you can pull what ever information your criteria sets. If you collect it you can request it back in a very usable format. If you’d like to see what’s going on at a glance you can pull your information into Excel and use the graphing capabilities. There are also some graphing capabilities in the ACT! report writer. If you have critical data that you need to be able to have staff access remotely then you’ll want the mobile solutions which will let them hook up with their cellular phone, Blackberry, or PDF. What they can remotely access can be determined by management or the IT department and then it can be configured accordingly. You might also want to explore the ACT! accounting integration options which give you real time access to your customers and vendors. You can effortlessly find the information you need in seconds. Integrating ACT! with other office software is not that difficult. It comes ready to integrate with many of the Microsoft Office programs. It also has several of its own add on modules. Some of the add on modules that are available include addressing, shipping, document management project management, sales management, email, direct mail marketing, and a host of others. What are you waiting for? Isn’t the time to ACT! now? After all it’s a competitive world out there and you want to stay ahead of your pact don’t you? Whatever you need to do this is a program that can do it.

Bespoke wallpaper

Wallpaper has been around for hundreds of years, and yet people claim that there has been very little advancement in wallpaper. At the surface it might seem like a remark that seems true, but the truth is far from it, wallpaper has evolved from the really old looking red and white stripe paper, to a work of art that can adorn your home, or your work place. There are more or less no limits to the colours, variations and styles you can choose from, the best part is, contrary to popular belief wallpaper has evolved and changed as time has gone by, and they are no longer just another thing you put on your walls. Just like art and fashion has evolved, so have the various styles of wallpaper, earlier wallpaper was made to resemble the various tapestry styles, as fashion style and taste of people evolved, the wall papers became more and more diverse. Just like clothing, technology and so many other things today, wallpaper has now come to reflect the taste and moods of a home owner. With the numerous advances in technology, the method of printing wallpaper too has advanced, earlier massive offset printers, or block printers were used to manufacture wallpaper, where as today more and more people are turning to digitally printed wallpaper for their homes. Today wallpaper is classified based on the commercial application, and is divided into two categories commercial and home use wallpaper Commercial Wallpaper Commercial wallpaper is usually printed on thicker, and more resistant paper. Since commercial wallpaper (as the name suggests) is used in retail outlets, hotels, discos etc. The wallpaper has certain health and safety specifications that it must meet like being fire resistant etc. Apart from the health and safety requirements, there are additional requirements like being easy to clean, dust and dirt resistant etc. What has made commercial wallpaper making an entirely different section, is that more often than not commercial wallpaper involves customization like having a company logo printed or having custom designs, this is where having a digitally printed wallpaper comes in handy, as the imagery that is produced using digitally printed wallpaper is far superior when compared to wallpaper printed using traditional methods. Wallpaper for home use The earliest and oldest application of wallpaper is for home use, wallpaper for home use is by no way inferior to commercial wallpaper, as it too has to meet strict quality control guidelines, however the added advantage that wallpaper for home use has is that, it is easier to apply when compared to commercial wallpaper, and in addition you can have multiple wallpaper in the same home (compare this to commercial establishments where the wallpaper is uniform throughout). Just like commercial wallpaper, digitally printed wallpaper is available for home users also, the biggest benefactors of digitally printed wall paper have been home owners, who can now either get custom wallpaper with a particular design built, or can choose to adorn their home walls with some of the greatest works of art ever made. The choices that wallpaper today has bought to home owners is just mind boggling, and all it takes to get customized wallpaper made is a photograph or image of your design.

Credit card security measures

The chip and pin security features that credit cards offer is a very secure and simple integration that makes using a credit card safer and easier. This security works in way that allows the user to enter a PIN (personal identification number) during checkout. This is a wonderful security feature because with chip and pin security the instances of forged signatures will be drastically reduced. Too often retailers fail to make the effort of comparing signatures during check out, with this security feature without knowing the PIN a purchase cannot be made. CPS is excellent because even if your card were to become lost or stolen, unauthorized purchases could not me made since they would not know the PIN. The credit cards that have implemented this feature, embed a chip directly into the card. This chip contains the PIN within it, when you arrive at any establishment in person, to make a purchase you will be required to enter the pin into a number pad provided to you at check out by the retailer. The credit card machine will then confirm that the chip has the same number embedded as the one you provided. One specific drawback of the chip and pin security is that the added security does not prevent unauthorized withdrawals at an ATM. Even though a stolen card would be difficult to use in a retail setting for purchases, the added security will not apply to a thief wanting to withdrawal money using the cash machine. Additionally, not all retailers have adapted to this new security. At some retailers the chip and pin security will not make a difference, you may still be required to sign a receipt. These new security features with a credit card, once adapted by all retailers will be an excellent deterrent for theft of credit cards, as well as identity theft. The instances of unauthorized purchases and credit card thefts will decrease in a dramatic way, especially if they can somehow implement the security feature for ATM withdrawals and online purchases. The chip and pin security only seems to work with retailers that have the system adapted into their own machines. It does not work with ATMS or online retail settings because the card must actually be swiped and read. Implementing the security feature to work with these settings will be an excellent method of theft deterrent and add additional safety to our world.

Want to know more about upcoming vehicles read auto parts train s the auto blog

Every year, dozens of new and upcoming car models are introduced to the public. Most of these cars debut in the internationally recognized auto shows held in world cities such as New York, Chicago, Paris, Detroit, Geneva, Tokyo and Frankfurt. The world’s automakers usually pull out all the stops when introducing their new models. In the US, GMC, Ford and DaimlerChrysler release new models as well as updated versions of its current models. This is usually one of the most exciting and hectic times within the yea especially for automotive industry insiders, automotive journalists and ordinary car lovers like all of us. Auto shows are some of the most awaited events in the automotive industry. The North American International Auto Show held in Detroit usually starts of the year and is considered one of, if not the biggest auto show in the industry, Here, all major automakers try to outdo each other in terms of new models, concept cars, new technologies and exhibits. The other major auto shows in various cities all over the world then follows suit. During these auto shows, the public gets a good glimpse of the many new vehicle models. Innovative concept vehicles not only fire the imagination of car lovers, they are also used by automakers as an introduction of a future design or engineering direction. Of course, not all of us have the privilege of attending all these various auto shows and debuts. That’s why The Auto Blog, sponsored by Auto Parts Train, is offering people a front row seat to these auto shows. The blog regularly reports the most notable and most newsworthy events as well as the newest vehicles introduced. The Auto Blog was conceptualized by PartsTrain, the foremost aftermarket, collision and replacement auto parts and accessories retailer in the internet today, as a valuable resource offering various significant information about the automotive industry not only to Parts Train’s loyal customers but to the general public as well.

Building a strong customer service team

There are more and more demands being made of front line team members, and sometimes the pressure can be heard by your customer. As the leader of a customer facing team you must be aware of what is going on with your team members - how to best support them, develop their skills and handle some tough situations. Building a strong customer service team is no easy feat. Here are some suggestions for building and strengthening your team: Hire the right people Decide up front what skills, strengths and personality you want on the team. The team creates its own culture based on your leadership. Be clear in interviews about what expectations you have for the job, what will create success and how it will be measured. As you narrow down candidates it's a good idea to have them meet a few people on the team. Let the candidates get a feel for the team they may be working with. Be a team member as well as a manager and leader A successful team is only as successful as each individual team member. By viewing each role as an integral part of the team, not as a subordinate, each team member feels valued. This results in greater trust, smoother communication and better individual and team results. Model the behaviour you want to see As a leader you are the role model for the team. They set the tone based on you. When things go wrong they look to you for help. After a tough customer call it's important that they feel they can tell you about it - for two reasons: you never want to be broad sided by an irate customer or customer issue, and you want your team to have trust in you. You can information gather after a tough call which allows you to identify any trends in product issues or identify any training or interpersonal issues. The sooner these are identified the better. Jointly set objectives It's amazing what happens when team members are asked to set monthly objectives! They gravitate toward those tasks that best utilize their skills. Once your team members are clear of the overall objectives they can begin to make them their own. They explore how they can best support and advance the departmental objectives. In a monthly one on one meeting you invite your direct reports to prepare what they each feel are reasonable objectives for the next month. Your role is to ensure that these objectives are moving the individual and team forward in achieving the overall objectives. Delegate any task that you feel is best done by this person if they haven't already added it on to the list. Inform the team member why you would like them to take it on (remember that the buy in is much greater when you provide scope). If the team is working in harmony the progress toward completing these objective increases. Result: a more motivated, productive team. Handle problems as soon as they arise Just as we want customer problems to be handled immediately, it's important to assist in problem resolution as soon as it arises. Here's a watch point: you want to let your team members to step out and try new things, take chances and manage the consequences; however you need to be there as the support system if they need you and to help as needed. Be there, be available and be supportive. Develop your team members Look at each team member as an individual. If one of your team members is very detail oriented try to give that person process tasks that utilize those strengths. If another team member is a high level type of person who achieves good results with the efforts of others get that person involved in a team project. Taking this individual approach will result in happier, more productive and satisfied team members. The bottom line is that you as the manager set the tone, direction and expectations for the team. How you work with each person, the team and each situation is an important part of creating a positive, focused and energized team! To learn more about how to best lead your customer focused team join in on Canadian Management Centre's Delivering Superior Customer Service for Supervisors and Managers.

Seven basic salary negotiation tips

Money is the most sensitive issue in the whole hiring process. Discussing the compensation often causes anxiety on both employee and employer. Here are seven ways to make the process of salary negotiating efficient. 1) Research: Before the interview process begins, contact the professional organization that represents your field of career. As soon as they provide you with your salary information, you can now examine your monthly cash requirements. Remember that once your taxes are added to your paycheck, approximately 30% of your gross monthly salary is deducted. 2) Determine your skills: You should understand that different segments of the economy require a variety of skills depending on the industry setting. Once you have established what your skills are and what they are worth to the current employment market, you would know the limitations of your negotiation. Salary range information is available at American Almanac of Jobs and Salaries, National Association of College and Employers, Career Center, and professionals in your related field. In stating your salary range, avoid basing your desired salary on your current salary. Always tell the truth when it comes to your past salary. It is acceptable to extend a range to approximately $6,000 to show that you are within the company’s price range but interested in more compensation. 3) Weigh the company’s compensation package: To determine your fair market value for a specific job, you should consider the economic, geographic, and industry factors of the job offer. Weigh the benefits of compensation and promotions, insurance, allowed time off and retirement settlements of the offer to ensure a fair proposed salary. 4) Sell yourself: If you know what you could offer the company requires a larger income, never say it directly. Once you sell yourself discreetly, the interviewer would understand that the proposed salary is not appropriate for your background. 5) Have a positive attitude: In negotiating, never compete. Negotiation is basically a process which could benefit both parties. Understand your needs and those of the company. 6) The final offer: Be aware when the negotiation is done. Pushing further when a deal has been set could give a negative first impression on your part. 7) Show what you are made of: The interview is only the first step in having an enhanced compensation. Once you are hired, offer your skills to the company and prove your worth by doing quality work. You may even get a promotion for doing so. Based from a survey conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management, four out of five employees are willing to negotiate compensation. Understanding these basic tips will allow you to enhance the terms of your new job.

It spending putting a budget surplus to good use

If you sell to government, non-profit or educational accounts, your firm may be accustomed to managing this next challenge. But, if sales to small businesses are your bread and butter, you may not as tuned into the "use it or lose it" purchasing philosophy in IT spending. For example, if you’re the science department chairperson for a local school district, and you have a $500,000 budget this year for computer products, you "need" to spend it. IT Spending: Use It or Lose It If you don't spend the money, any funds left over will not carry forward to next year. And, the board of education probably will believe your department no longer needs the full annual $500,000 budget for computer products. Your department’s allocation likely will be reduced going forward. So there’s a year-end rush to deplete the technology budget account; regardless of whether the timing is right for getting the best purchase value or controlling computer support costs. Small Businesses Often Fall Into The Same IT Spending Trip Just because a client is having a "great" year, quarter or month, your client shouldn’t rush out to buy every PC gadget and gizmo he or she has ever dreamed of having or heard someone gushing about. As your clients’ virtual CIO, when appropriate, you need to act as their IT "grown-up" (be a little more sensitive in how you assume this role though) and remind them of the priorities spelled out in their annual technology plan. Make Sure Your Clients' Plan Includes IT Spending You have a written IT project plan for your clients, right? If not, a detailed project plan not only keeps your clients’ IT spending priorities straight, a project plan assures your company a steady stream of recurring consulting revenue throughout the year. Copyright MMI-MMVI, Computer Consulting 101. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}

Best interest rate

These days it seems that all of us use some sort of bank; most often we will have a savings account along with our checking account. Mostly we have good intentions of leaving the money in the account to draw the interest we intended when the account was opened and gain profits, but if you’re like most of us, for one reason or another by the time the interest is to be paid, most of the money is gone by then. Of course we had every intention of this not being the case but it does happen to most of us. Now how can we break this habit? First never obtain an ATM card on a savings account, and if you do, leave it at home when you go shopping or any thing else for that matter. A savings account after all is for your future and the purpose is to save money. Let’s talk about interest rates. They can vary from bank to bank so you might want to check with different banks in your area before opening an account. If you have any credit unions in your neighbourhood are sure to check with them. Most often if you join the credit union, the interest rates will be higher than that of most banks. And, if you have reached that golden age many of the credit unions will have special benefits for you. Once you’re in the habit of leaving your money in the account, you will be amazed by how fast it will grow. After awhile you might want to consider transferring your money to an even higher interest paying account such as a money market savings account. After all it’s your money and the reason you have it in the bank is to make as much money as you can in interest. Once you have reached a higher level of savings there are many high interest paying accounts you can invest your money in. Most require a minimum amount to be invested, and some start at $4,000.00 and go up from there. But, unless you have a better plan in mind this is a safe and sure way to build that fortune you have always wanted. It is not certain that all investments will work. But, if a person is frugal with his or her money and able to successfully save it, in time more and more investments will prove successful and pay off. If this basic plan is conducted in only three or four short years there will be a collective pool of money that can be used for other areas of your life or to re invest and increase your moneys. Once you have an account established it can be handled online in most cases. There are many benefits to online banking. One is the amount of time you will save; another is the comfort of not having to stand in a queue for hours. Of course you will need direct deposit to gain the most from online banking. If you have never tried banking this way I think you will be surprised by how much time and energy you do save. After all, if you’re like most of us, there are not enough hours in the day to do the other things we like to do. But, hopefully that savings account will bring you one step closer to your dreams.

Hangover is there any herbal remedy that cure it

: Drinking for many is a social activity which many people love to do. Even though it may not be healthy, drinking in small quantities would not cause much harm. The problem starts when there is excessive drinking. You may enjoy being drunk and may not realize things that is happening around you. The next morning is the time you realize it's after effects which is known as a hangover and can be one of the sore mornings which you would not like to remember. We should always be in control of alcohol and not the other way round. If it happens the other way round there are dire consequences to be borne. Even though you may be well aware about your drinking limit there are times when you cross that limit and you happen to bear the brunt. Some of the common symptoms of having a hangover are * Severe headache * Nauseating feeling * Diarrhea attacks * Dizziness * Dry mouth and dehydration * Unpleasant feeling Getting drunk depends upon the way you drink. If you happen to drink lots in a short period of time you will get drunk very fast. Some of the common Do's and Dont's while drinking alcohol * Never drink on empty stomach. If you happen to eat, the food helps in absorbing the alcohol content rather than directly getting into your bloodstream * Consume water (more times than ever) while taking in your doses of alcohol as it would help you from dehydration * Don't have different alcoholic drinks at one time * Avoid colored drinks such as such as red wine, whiskeys, dark rum as they have strong alcoholic content * Do not indulge too much into sweet concoction as they are high in sugar and alcoholic content. There are also herbal pills that have proven to strike down the cause of hangover, Read more about Hangover Cure

Bareboat sailing what is it and what do i need to know

Bareboat sailing means that the yacht you charter does not have the amenities you would have with a crewed or luxury sailing charter. You don’t necessarily need to have sailing experience as you can have a captain and crew along on these charters as well. If you book a bareboat charter, you have to supply all your own food as well as that of the captain and crew. You will also have to pay these people yourself because that cost is not included in the quote for bareboat sailing yachts. You can book a bareboat sailing charter in just about any part of the world where there are sailing charters available. You can sail the yacht yourself if you have the necessary qualifications. However, in many parts of the world where there are navigation hazards, such as in the islands of Greece, you may need to have an experienced captain along with you for bareboat sailing. The charter company will supply you with all the navigational charts you need and will give you the instruction you need so that you can have a safe sailing charter. Have you ever considered bareboat sailing along the coast of Turkey? The yachts available for these sailing charters are well maintained and the budget price will provide you with a cheap vacation. The major cost involved in this type of bareboat sailing charter will be the travel costs associated with getting to Turkey. The cost of living is quite low in this part of the world, so the cost of the bareboat yacht is not expensive at all. In addition, the cost of groceries you need to take with you are also very inexpensive. Bareboat sailing in Turkey will enable you to charter a yacht that is easy to handle as well as able to accommodate a small family or several couples. The protected bays and inlets along the coast are easy to navigate and will provide you with an exceptional view of Turkish culture. With a bareboat sailing charter in Turkey, you will enjoy sunfilled days, exotic scenery and turquoise waters. There are many itineraries for you to choose from if this type of bareboat charter appeals to you. Choosing Turkey as your location for bareboat sailing will offer you a stress free holiday. There are no tides, currents or high waves to worry about and there is usually a steady afternoon wind in the summer, which makes for ideal sailing conditions. The temperature of the water is perfect for swimming in the summer, so your bareboat yacht could become your diving platform. When you consider bareboat sailing, there are so many places in the world you can go that you will have a difficult decision to make.

Success lessons from soccer how to win or lose in the game of life

Soccer matches are all about scoring goals and being winners. As a result, soccer can hold up a mirror to life since many humans also want to achieve goals and to be winners in the game of life. There is much to be learned about life in general from soccer players, managers and commentators. When you listen to commentators on soccer matches, the key words they use again and again when teams are winning are words about character and attitude like belief, excitement, confidence, effort and so on. Soccer skills and strategies are important but mean little without the right attitude. Team managers urge their players to show focus, determination and maximum effort. They tell them they should expect to win and not to show too much respect for their opponents no matter how famous they are. I love listening to the comments of the great soccer managers. They have all been to hell and back. They are praised and popular when their teams win. They are criticised and even sacked when their teams fail to win. They know the heights of elation and the depths of despair. They have to find ways to deal with both and to keep motivating their teams to win. Gordon Strachan took over as manager of Celtic, one of the top two clubs in Scotland, in 2005. It was not long before he experienced "the worst night of my life" Bratislava beat Celtic 5-0 in the Champions league, the top European competition. His watch stopped after the match and he still wears it to remind himself that it was the worst night of his life. Celtic, the pride of Scotland, had been humiliated by a less famous team. Other failures seemed small to him by comparison. We can all learn to deal with difficult situations by reminding ourselves of worst situations in our past or by imagining how much worse our lives could be than they actually are. None of us knows for sure what will happen to us tomorrow. We could be seriously ill or even dead. Gordon has faced this possibility already. He told the media that on his gravestone he would like these words carved: "This is better than that night in Bratislava." He uses the humour of exaggeration to deal with the criticisms of the media when things go wrong. A reporter commented when his team lost a match in Scotland: "Bang, there goes your unbeaten run. Can you take it? " "No," said Strachan. "I'm just going to crumble like a wreck. I'll go home, become an alcoholic and maybe jump off a bridge. Hmmm….I think I can take it, yeah." He knows the importance of positive thinking if you wish to achieve success. One reporter foolishly asked: "There's no negative vibes or negative feelings here?" Strachan replied: "Apart from yourself, we're all quite positive round here. I'm going to whack you over the head with a big stick; down negative man, down." Strachan often speaks with disarming honesty and schoolboy cheek. He is ready to admit that he and his players are not always at their best. He is ready to face reality. Facing up to reality is a key characteristic of the successful. When he managed a team in England, a reporter asked him: "So, Gordon, in what areas do you think Middlesbrough were better than you today?" Strachan replied: "What areas? Mainly that big green one out there...." Strachan has had his defeats but recently he has led his latest team, Celtic, to undisputed victory in the Scottish Premier League. He is widely accepted as a great manager. Another great manager now works in the English Premier League. He is Jose Mourihno, the manager of Chelsea. He came to England in June 2004 and soon showed his confidence in himself and his players. He wants only to be judged by the results. A good manager wins. A bad one loses: "I'm not a defender of old or new football managers. I believe in good ones and bad ones; those that achieve success and those that don't. Please don't call me arrogant, but I'm European champion and I think I'm a special one" He soon proved himself to be a 'special one' in England as well as in Portugal, his native country. As the name 'the special one' suggests he believes in himself in a big way. A key factor in his success in England is his self-belief and a rich Russian backer who allows him to buy the best players in Europe. You can safely bet money that Chelsea will win almost all their matches. The odds are not great but you could put Ј100 on Chelsea to win and make an easy Ј26 from your bet. Of course, this does not always work out. No team is perfect! Mourinho is passionate about soccer but retains his sense of perspective and humour. Recently he was asked in London if he was concerned about losing the championship to his main rivals, Manchester United. His reply was typical of him: "No, I'm more concerned about bird 'flu." The assembled press started laughing. "Seriously; it's that swan in Scotland that concerns me. It's not that far from here!" (The swan was the first creature with bird 'flu in the UK in 2006) Over the last few weeks, his team, Chelsea, have been criticised for having players sent off for breaking the rules. When Jose was asked about his success away from home against West Brom, he commented ironically: "Maybe we won because we played with ten men. That is our best tactic at the moment." However, he realises that the main reason Chelsea win so often is as follows:"We have top players and, sorry if I'm arrogant, we have a top manager." Public confidence is so rare in the UK that it is often mistaken for arrogance. Jose does not believe in having favourites; he believes in the power of the team rather than the individual: "I don't want special relations with one of them (his players). I hate to speak about individuals. Players don't win you trophies, teams win trophies, squads win trophies." Another great manager is Harry Redknapp of Portsmouth. He commented about his players in a match with Burnley which ended in a 2-2 draw: "When the crowd was on their backs no one wanted to try anything in case they got booed. They were defensive and wanted to avoid mistakes." Harry understands human psychology. If we are too worried about appearing foolish or making mistakes we will fail to make things happen and we will not make full use of our abilities. We go into our shells and play safe. I remember feeling like this when I played cricket at school. I tried to avoid being anywhere near the ball in case I dropped a catch. It was many years before I realised that I was quite good at catching! A commentator remarked: "Harry knows how to get his teams going and how to restore their confidence. Now they expect to win at Fratton Park (the Portsmouth ground). They firmly believe they will win." Recently they have won three games in a row and are on their way to escaping relegation to a lower division. Another manager, Stuart Pierce, of Manchester City also knows the importance of confidence: "We need to go out and really believe we can play a bit." What key success lessons can we learn from the above? Skill is important but attitude is even more important. We should expect to win and not show too much respect for the obstacles in our path whether they are human or otherwise and whether they are real or imaginary. We need to believe in our own ability and expect to win even if this makes us seem arrogant. We should handle failures by reminding ourselves that things could be much worse. Retaining our sense of humour also helps. Teamwork is a key factor in many types of achievement. We should not be worried about making mistakes whether we are playing soccer or cricket or the game of life. We need to face up to reality and be willing to be judged by the results we achieve as well as the effort we put in. On the whole, I think, that the effort we expend is more important. We cannot always control the results but we can control the effort we put in. The same manager can lose with one team and win with another. He is still the same person and he still made the same efforts. I'll leave you with a final quote from Gordon Strachan who has been both a winning and a losing manager: A reporter asked: "Gordon, can we have a quick word?" "Velocity", replied Gordon as he walked off.

The debt free living recipes

Living debt free is a feeling that's hard to explain. It's a feeling that's alien to most consumers today. But once you've had a taste of living without debt, and without the stress that often comes with it, you'll be cookin' it up all the time. This is a recipe you'll surely want to pass down from generation to generation. Your children and grandchildren will love the flavor of debt freedom. Serve it to them from birth to marriage and you'll be giving them a taste of success. Give yourself and your heirs a slice of financial security and independence to savor! What's in the recipe for debt free living? Ingredients: 2 cups self evaluation 1 cup self discipline 3 or more cups self control 1 cup self monitoring ingenuity by the handfuls determination as needed Directions: 1. Use a 1 cup self evaluation to track spending habits and the other cup to determine what type of budget suits your personality and level of budgeting tolerance. Use a good honest grade of self evaluation. Take a good look at your past budgeting habits (failures and successes). Choose an easy budgeting method that suits you. You don't want your debt free recipe to fall. 2. Add self discipline to stick to your debt free living goals and your personal budget plan. Depending on what grade of self evaluation you've used, this should mix in with minimal effort. 3. You'll surely need all 3 cups of self control to stop overspending, wasting money, making impulsive spending decisions, and creating more debt. Don't be stingy here, use as much as you need. The more self control you use the tastier the result! 4. Throw in a cup of self monitoring to track and maintain your budget plan and, monitor spending and goals. Mix well. You want your mix of budgeting, spending management, and goals (debt elimination, savings, investment, and wealth building) to be a complete and smooth mix. 5. Ingenuity is the secret ingredient that will help your recipe rise to success. Use your resources to the fullest to trim your budget expenses and save money everyday. Recycle, reuse, reconsider, resell, and use a variety of money saving strategies. Never pay more than you have to for any ingredient in life. 6. Add determination as needed to keep your recipe for debt free living cooking. Cook until done. Debt balance when viewed says zero! You've reached your goal to eliminate debt. Enjoy the taste of true freedom and rejoice with a huge slice of stress relief.

Banks charges and how they affect you

Anyone who has had the pleasure of owning a bank account knows that it is not always a fun experience. One big pain is the understanding of your bank's special charges and under which circumstances they may be levied against you. The basic principle behind bank charges is simple. It is the way for banks to charge you for all of the extra services that you may or may not be aware that you are receiving. These can unfortunately be quick unfair for some consumers as bank charges can be very difficult or impossible to reverse except under the most extreme of circumstances. This means that an innocent error can compound into charge after charge until the user is losing significant sums of money. To better understand bank charges, we should look at the many circumstances under which they may be levied against a user. One well known instance is the instance of an overdraft. An authorized overdraft is sometimes exempt from bank charges. In this instance the user just has to set up a temporary borrowing plan with their bank which will let them be slightly in the red for short periods of time without getting nailed with large charges. The unauthorized overdraft is the one that almost always harms the user's bankbook. If you slip one number and end up 10 dollars in the red through writing a check, you can soon face large overdraft fees established by your bank alongside high interest charges that they will access. The worst thing that a bank user can do is assume that many of their banks "services" are free. It is not unlikely for some banks to levy bank charges for relatively small errors. These include problems as simple as just using your ATM card more than your contract allows in a year or using more check books than you were allocated for the full year. One very serious problem is if you are forced to use an ATM from another bank. In this case you will probably be charged fees by both banks. These can build into substantial sums quite quickly. These are really just normal services that many people would assume were just part of any package. Unfortunately, this isn't much of a defense when talking to a representative. Ignorance isn't always bliss. The best way that you can possibly defend against unexpected bank charges is to fully look through all of the papers and contracts describing every service for your account. Reading the fine print can really pay off in money saved through careful banking. If you want to have a bank account then you need to understand the many charges that banks can levy. Just remember that there is no free lunch anywhere. Your bank is not your enemy, but it isn't going to be your best friend either. They have little incentive to not charge a fee when they do you any favors that they don't have to do. Read everything that they give you and read everything that you sign. Be aware of the charges that your bank can levy and manage your finances accordingly.

Lose your belly fat and show off your six pack abs

Have you noticed that most people will never fail to include abdominal muscle exercises in their routines and yet somehow or other, they can never own that coveted 6 pack abs? Have you been religiously doing your abdominal muscle exercises? Is your abs showing to your satisfaction? No? Why? Do you know that your abdominal muscle is one of the easiest muscles to build but yet why is it that most people have difficulty in developing that 6 pack abs? Here is the truth. Those of you who are working out your abs regularly do probably own that much sought after six pack. Yes, you do. The only trouble is that your belly fat is covering them. Your abs will not show up well if you have a body fat ratio of more than 12%. The more fat you burn off, the more defined your abs will be. You will own that rippling washboard abs when your body fat is 10% or less. So if you have fat on your belly, forget about abdominal exercises and burn off the fats first. There is another reason why people put in so much effort to develop their abdominal muscle and yet their abs are not showing although they have low body fat. Again, there is a simple explanation. They are doing the wrong exercises and working out in bad form. Let’s take for example the most common abs exercises, the sit up and the leg raisers. Everybody seem to be doing these two exercises not knowing that these exercises really don’t do much for their abs. Don’t believe me? Ok…try this. When you do your sit up or leg raisers, place your palms on your hip on the area connecting to your thigh and perform the exercises. Tell me what did you feel? Ahhh….you are getting it. Those muscles there are doing most of the work. Those are your hip flexor muscles. Since your hip flexors are doing most of the work, how can you develop your abs effectively? So you say, from now on I will do crunches instead. Well, I have another surprise for you. Most people perform their crunches wrongly too. Think about it. Why is the exercise called the “crunch”? It is because you must squeeze your abs so are that you are crunching them. In order to squeeze your abs hard, you have to curl up like a prawn and breath out all the air in your lungs at the top position and then squeeeeeeeze the muscles so hard that you feel a burn. That will take a few seconds to crunch out all the air before you lower to the beginning position again. You can’t do this effectively if you just go up, down, up down, up down rhythmetically. So, if you have been doing hundreds of crunches everyday with minimal result, now you know why. In fact, it is almost impossible for the average guy to do tens of properly performed crunches and not to say hundreds of them. The same squeezing principle applies to other abs exercises. Ok….now that you know why your abs are not showing up well, so get on with burning your fats and perform your workout in correct form. You will then see your 6 pack abdominal muscle in no time.

Weight loss vs. fat loss discover why your scale may be your worst enemy

In your pursuit of a leaner body, you know doubt utilized a bathroom scale to chronicle your progress. However, you may have been doing yourself a grave disservice. As you know, a scale measures how much weight you have lost, but it will never tell you where this weight was lost from. This is where the problem lies. When dieting, your combined weight loss could potentially come from fat loss, water loss, or muscle loss. Obviously, the former is what we all want to achieve, and the latter two are what we need to try and avoid whenever dieting. Unfortunately, many of the fad diets claiming rapid weight loss are often achieving this at the expense of water loss and/or muscle loss. Generally speaking, if you are losing greater than two pounds per week you are likely losing muscle as well. The best way to monitor your progress when embarking on a new diet is to measure your body fat percentage and your lean body mass. Lean body mass is your weight excluding fat. Lean body mass includes bone, muscle, and other fat free tissues with the majority of this being muscle. By measuring these two items, you will be able to determine how much fat you are losing and whether or not you are losing any muscle. The simplest way to measure your body fat percentage is through skinfold testing. If you know a personal trainer or other fitness professional in your area, they will likely be able to take these measurements for you. However, self skinfold testing is available with the use of the “Accu-Mesure”, which can by found easily online. Once you have determined your body fat percentage, you are ready to calculate your fat weight and lean body mass. To calculate your fat weight, multiply your total weight by your body fat percentage. Remember to convert your body fat percentage to decimal form before multiplying. I. e. 11% body fat would be converted to .11 Once you have calculated your pounds of fat, subtract your pounds of fat from your total weight in pounds, which will give you your lean body mass. Armed with these simple equations, you will be able to track your weight loss much more accurately than by simply using a scale alone. You will know exactly where your weight loss is coming from, so you can quickly make adjustments to your caloric intake to maximize your results. For example, if your lean body mass decreases and your body fat decreases, this should tell you there is to much of a calorie deficit and you should increase your daily calorie intake slightly to prevent the loss in lean body mass. Whenever you’re on a calorie restricted diet, some loss in lean body mass and therefore muscle is hard to avoid. However, this loss in lean body mass should be limited to a few tenths of a pound per week. Initially, when first starting a diet program, you will likely notice a larger drop in lean body mass due to water loss. Don’t get alarmed by this. An obvious downward trend in your lean body mass over time is definitely a concern. It is beyond the scope of this article to discuss proper nutrition and how to calculate daily caloric needs for weight loss; however, I will mention a simple formula that can be utilized to get you in the ballpark if you have average or better body fat percentages. To calculate your total daily calories needed for fat loss, multiply your total weight by 12-13. This will give you a good starting point. I will also mention that spreading your calories out over 5-6 meals per day with each meal consisting of approximately 55% complex carbohydrate, 30% lean protein, and 15% fat will give you the best chance of permanent fat loss. Obviously, these percentages may not work for everyone, but they are a great place to start. If you want to maintain your hard earned muscle, it is also imperative you maintain a weight lifting routine, while dieting. I hope this information will help you achieve all your weight loss goals and help you understand exactly how your nutrition and diet program is affecting your body. There is certainly still a place for the bathroom scale, but unless you’re also measuring the items above, you will never fully realize the affect of your diet program and reaching your full potential may be difficult. I wish you the best of luck.

Slush funds

According to David McClintick ("Swordfish: A True Story of Ambition, Savagery, and Betrayal"), in the late 1980's, the FBI and DEA set up dummy corporations to deal in drugs. They funneled into these corporate fronts money from drug-related asset seizures. The idea was to infiltrate global crime networks but a lot of the money in "Operation Swordfish" may have ended up in the wrong pockets. Government agents and sheriffs got mysteriously and filthily rich and the whole sorry affair was wound down. The GAO reported more than $3.6 billion missing. This bit of history gave rise to at least one blockbuster with Oscar-winner Halle Berry. Alas, slush funds are much less glamorous in reality. They usually involve grubby politicians, pawky bankers, and philistine businessmen - rather than glamorous hackers and James Bondean secret agents. The Kazakh prime minister, Imanghaliy Tasmaghambetov, freely admitted on April 4, 2002 to his country's rubber-stamp parliament the existence of a $1 billion slush fund. The money was apparently skimmed off the proceeds of the opaque sale of the Tengiz oilfield. Remitting it to Kazakhstan - he expostulated with a poker face - would have fostered inflation. So, the country's president, Nazarbaev, kept the funds abroad "for use in the event of either an economic crisis or a threat to Kazakhstan's security". The money was used to pay off pension arrears in 1997 and to offset the pernicious effects of the 1998 devaluation of the Russian ruble. What was left was duly transferred to the $1.5 billion National Fund, the PM insisted. Alas, the original money in the Fund came entirely from another sale of oil assets to Chevron, thus casting in doubt the official version. The National Fund was, indeed, augmented by a transfer or two from the slush fund - but at least one of these transfers occurred only 11 days after the damning revelations. Moreover, despite incontrovertible evidence to the contrary, the unfazed premier denied that his president possesses multi-million dollar bank accounts abroad. He later rescinded this last bit of disinformation. The president, he said, has no bank accounts abroad but will promptly return all the money in these non-existent accounts to Kazakhstan. These vehemently denied accounts, he speculated, were set up by the president's adversaries "for the purpose of compromising his name". On April 15, 2002 even the docile opposition had enough of this fuzzy logic. They established a People Oil's Fund to monitor, henceforth, the regime's financial shenanigans. By their calculations less than 7 percent of the income from the sale of hydrocarbon fuels (c. $4-5 billion annually) make it to the national budget. Slush funds infect every corner of the globe, not only the more obscure and venal ones. Every secret service - from the Mossad to the CIA - operates outside the stated state budget. Slush funds are used to launder money, shower cronies with patronage, and bribe decision makers. In some countries, setting them up is a criminal offense, as per the 1990 Convention on Laundering, Search, Seizure, and Confiscation of the Proceeds from Crime. Other jurisdictions are more forgiving. The Catholic Bishops Conference of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands issued a press release November 2001 in which it welcomed the government's plans to abolish slush funds. They described the poisonous effect of this practice: "With a few notable exceptions, the practice of directing funds through politicians to district projects has been disastrous. It has created an atmosphere in which corruption is thought to have flourished. It has reduced the responsibility of public servants, without reducing their numbers or costs. It has been used to confuse people into believing public funds are the 'property' of individual members rather than the property of the people, honestly and fairly administered by the servants of the people. The concept of 'slush-funds' has resulted in well-documented inefficiencies and failures. There were even accusations made that funds were withheld from certain members as a way of forcing them into submission. It seems that the era of the 'slush funds' has been a shameful period." But even is the most orderly and lawful administration, funds are liable to be mislaid. "The Economist" reported recently about a $10 billion class-action suit filed by native-Americans against the US government. The funds, supposed to be managed in trust since 1880 on behalf of half a million beneficiaries, were "either lost or stolen" according to officials. Rob Gordon, the Director of the National Wilderness Institute accused "The US Interior Department (of) looting the special funds that were established to pay for wildlife conservation and squandering the money instead on questionable administrative expenses, slush funds and employee moving expenses". Charles Griffin, the Deputy Director of the Heritage Foundation's Government Integrity Project, charges: "The federal budget provides numerous slush funds that can be used to subsidize the lobbying and political activities of special-interest groups." On his list of "Top Ten Federal Programs That Actively Subsidize Politics and Lobbying" are: AmeriCorps, Senior Community Service Employment Program, Legal Services Corporation, Title X Family Planning, National Endowment for the Humanities, Market Promotion Program, Senior Environmental Employment Program, Superfund Worker Training, HHS Discretionary Aging Projects, Telecomm. & Info. Infrastructure Assistance. These federal funds alone total $1.8 billion. "Next" and "China Times" - later joined by "The Washington Post" - accused the former Taiwanese president, Lee Teng-hui, of forming a $100 million overseas slush fund intended to finance the gathering of information, influence-peddling, and propaganda operations. Taiwan footed the bills trips by Congressional aides and funded academic research and think tank conferences. High ranking Japanese officials, among others, may have received payments through this stealthy venue. Lee is alleged to have drawn $100,000 from the secret account in February 1999. The money was used to pay for the studies of a former Japanese Vice-Defense Minister Masahiro Akiyama's at Harvard. Ryutaro Hashimoto, the former Japanese prime minister, was implicated as a beneficiary of the fund. So were the prestigious lobbying firm, Cassidy and Associates and assorted assistant secretaries in the Bush administration. Carl Ford, Jr., currently assistant secretary of state for intelligence and research, worked for Cassidy during the relevant period and often visited Taiwan. James Kelly, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs enjoyed the Taiwanese largesse as well. Both are in charge of crafting America's policy on Taiwan. John Bolton, erstwhile undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, admitted, during his confirmation hearings, to having received $30,000 to cover the costs of writing 3 research papers. The Taiwanese government has yet to deny the news stories. A Japanese foreign ministry official used slush fund money to finance the extra-marital activities of himself and many of his colleagues - often in posh hotel suites. But this was no exception. According to Asahi Shimbun, more than half of the 60 divisions of the ministry maintained similar funds. The police and the ministry are investigating. One arrest has been made. The ministry's accounting division has discovered these corrupt practices twenty years before but kept mum. Even low-level prefectural bureaucrats and teachers in Japan build up slush funds by faking business trips or padding invoices and receipts. Japanese citizens' groups conservatively estimated that $20 million in travel and entertainment expenses in the prefectures in 1994 were faked, a practice known as "kara shutcho" (i. e., empty business trip). Officials of the Hokkaido Board of Education admitted to the existence of a 100 million yen secret fund. In a resulting probe, 200 out of 286 schools were found to maintain their own slush funds. Some of the money was used to support friendly politicians. But slush funds are not a sovereign prerogative. Multinationals, banks, corporation, religious organizations, political parties, and even NGO's salt away some of their revenues and profits in undisclosed accounts, usually in off-shore havens. Secret election campaign slush funds are a fixture in American politics. A 5-year old bill requires disclosure of donors to such funds but the House is busy loosening its provisions. "The Economist" listed in 2002 the tsunami of scandals that engulfs Germany, both its major political parties, many of the Lander and numerous highly placed and mid-level bureaucrats. Secret, mainly party, funds seem to be involved in the majority of these lurid affairs. Italian firms made donations to political parties through slush funds, though corporate donations - providing they are transparent - are perfectly legal in Italy. Both the right and, to a lesser extent, the left in France are said to have managed enormous political slush funds. President Chirac is accused of having abused for his personal pleasure, one such municipal fund in Paris, when he was its mayor. But the funds were mostly used to provide party activists with mock jobs. Corporations paid kickbacks to obtain public works or local building permits. Ostensibly, they were paying for sham "consultancy services". The epidemic hasn't skipped even staid Ottawa. Its Chief Electoral Officer told Sun Media in September 2001 that he is "concerned" about millions stashed away by Liberal candidates. Sundry ministers who coveted the prime minister's job, have raised funds covertly and probably illegally. On April 11, 2002 UPI reported that Spain's second-largest bank, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA), held nearly $200 million hidden in secret offshore accounts, "which were allegedly used to manipulate politicians, pay off the 'revolutionary tax' to ETA - the Basque terrorist organization - and open the door for business deals, according to news reports." The money may have gone to luminaries such as Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, Peru's Alberto Fujomori and Vladimiro Montesinos. The bank's board members received fat, tax-free, "pensions" from the illegal accounts opened in 1987 - a total of more than $20 million. Latin American drug money launderers - from Puerto Rico to Colombia - may have worked through these funds and the bank's clandestine entities in the Cayman Islands and Jersey. The current Spanish Secretary of State for the Treasury has been the bank's tax advisor between 1992-7. The "Financial Times" reported in June 2000 that, in anticipation of new international measures to curb corruption, "leading European arms manufacturers" resorted to the creation of off-shore slush funds. The money is intended to bribe foreign officials to win tenders and contracts. Kim Woo-chung, Daewoo's former chairman, is at the center of a massive scandal involving dozens of his company's executive, some of whom ended up in prison. He stands accused of diverting a whopping $20 billion to an overseas slush fund. A mind boggling $10 billion were alleged to have been used to bribe Korean government officials and politicians. But his conduct and even the scale of the fraud he perpetrated may have been typical to Korea's post-war incestuous relationship between politics and business. In his paper "The Role of Slush Funds in the Preparation of Corruption Mechanisms", reprinted by Transparency International, Gherardo Colombo defines corporate slush funds thus: "Slush funds are obtained from a joint stock company's finances, carefully managed so that the amounts involved do not appear on the balance sheet. They do not necessarily have to consist of money, but can also take the form of stocks and shares or other economically valuable goods (works of art, jewels, yachts, etc.) It is enough that they can be used without any particular difficulty or that they can be transferred to a third party. If a fund is in the form of money, it is not even necessary to refer to it outside the company accounts, since it can appear in them in disguised form (the 'accruals and deferrals' heads are often resorted to for the purpose of hiding slush money). In light of this, it is not always correct to regard it as a reserve fund that is not accounted for in the books. Deception, trickery or forgery of various kinds are often resorted to for the purpose of setting up a slush fund." He mentions padded invoices, sham contracts, fictitious loans, interest accruing on holding accounts, back to back transactions with related entities (Enron) - all used to funnel money to the slush funds. Such funds are often set up to cover for illicit and illegal self-enrichment, embezzlement, or tax evasion. Less known is the role of these furtive vehicles in financing unfair competitive practices, such as dumping. Clients, suppliers, and partners receive hidden rebates and subsidies that much increase the - unreported - real cost of production. BBVA's payments to ETA may have been a typical payment of protection fees. Both terrorists and organized crime put slush funds to bad use. They get paid from such funds - and maintain their own. Ransom payments to kidnappers often flow through these channels. But slush funds are overwhelmingly used to bribe corrupt politicians. The fight against corruption has been titled against the recipients of illicit corporate largesse. But to succeed, well-meaning international bodies, such as the OECD's FATF, must attack with equal zeal those who bribe. Every corrupt transaction is between a venal politician and an avaricious businessman. Pursuing the one while ignoring the other is self-defeating.

Home loans understanding the costs

When you decide to get a home loan, there are a number of costs that are involved. If you are fortunate, the seller of the home may agree to cover some of the expenses for you. Some of the expenses you will see when getting a home loan is the closing costs, prepaid items, and loan discount fees. Understanding these terms will make purchasing your next home easier. The closing costs are the expenses that the lender will charge borrowers for a new home. While some of these fees may be a part of your loan application, others may involve the appraisal of the home. The lender may also charge you fees to process your application. All of these fees are placed together in what is called the closing costs. The borrower is likely to pay these costs, and they average about 3% of the total amount borrowed. Each state will have various costs that are different from other states. To get information about these fees, you will want to check local lenders. Loan discount fees are interest that is prepaid. They are measured in points, and one discount point is the equivalent of one percent of the amount that is borrowed. You will have to pay it at the closing, and it will be charged to the borrower as interest. Discount points are good because they help lower the interest on the amount of money you borrow. You may not have to pay discount points, but sometimes sellers will offer discount points. The last expense you will see is prepaid items. Most lenders will require you to setup an escrow account prior to giving you a loan. An escrow account is basically a savings account that is held by the lender. You will be required to deposit a sum of money into the account each month. The money that is placed in this account will be applied to such things as insurance and property taxes. When it is time to make payments for your expenses, the lender will use the money in the escrow account to make payments. Most lenders today require you to setup an escrow account prior to purchasing your home. It will need to have enough money to cover a few months worth of payments toward taxes and insurance. Homeowners will also have the pay the insurance policy for the first full year. All of these expenses combined are called prepaid items. The cost of these fees will vary from state to state. These costs should be included in the price that you will pay for your home. If you don't take them into consideration, you could find yourself short of the money you need at the closing. Many of these fees are necessary for the lender, and you will have to pay them. Getting a home loan is a financial procedure that you should take seriously. You don't want to end up in a situation where you default on your payments. Understanding the costs involved with a home loan will allow you to make better decisions. Being able to have your own home is a great feeling. Despite this, many people go out and get home loans or mortgages without taking the time to look at the cost involved. They often end up in situations that put them in a great financial strain. By taking the time to educate yourself and learn the terms involved with getting a home loan, you can make financial decisions that can improve your life. While getting a home loan can help you, it is important to research your options carefully.

Advertising balloon with helium laugh it up

I really am a throw back. In this day and age of Washington Concensus minded, self-persevering valued folks, I’m just an old fashioned egalitarian. This doesn’t mean that I think we should all sew up some Mao-style unisex suits and eat from cans labeled in black in white. It just means that I don’t think that the playing field is level and it needs to be and then measures need to be enacted to maintain equal opportunity. Well it means some other things too, but that’s neither her nor there for this little chat. In the end, my support for equality comes down to equal opportunity and respect. And that’s how I try to approach people today. I feel that everyone has something positive to share with me and the world and I try to approach all in this manner until proven otherwise. I have spent time with some wonderfully intelligent and caring wealthy people and I certainly have ample experiences of sharing time with those less fortunate that have taught me much about life with their wisdom, patience and sense of humor. This is why I like balloons. I feel like their the egalitarian activist in the world of toys and advertising. So many other toys and advertising gimmicks typically associate themselves with one segment of society or another. This is not the case with balloons. Although balloons boast an incredibly low and anachronistic price, both rich and poor kids want them at their party. Middle school kids still let off balloons to carry messages of goodwill to its unknown recipient. Even Colombian mules count on balloons as an integral part of their import/export businesses. So, if you truly believe in equality, put your money where your mouth is and drop socially stratifying toys like PlayStation or Homies and get yourself some balloons. Let’s play and advertise in solidarity. Land, Liberty, Balloons!

Choosing the right rv parts and accessories

If you are an RV owner or have been an RV owner, then you can attest to the fact that maintaining an RV is like maintaining a home and a vehicle all in one. Whether you do the maintenance work yourself or have an authorized RV dealer work on your vehicle, it is very important to use quality RV replacement parts. Labor is a huge factor in maintaining any RV. Labor is very expensive whether you are purchasing it, or whether it is your own. So why waste valuable labor on parts that will not give you maximum performance? If you use an authorized RV dealer or a certified RV mechanic to do your work for you, it is a very good idea for you to get as many references from their customers as you can before engaging into any relationship with them. Campgrounds are a very good source of information here, after all, that is where you find RV owners. And believe me, they are all too willing to steer you in the right direction away from poor service. If you are that do-it-yourselfer kind of person, then finding quality RV repair parts is your only concern. There are many RV parts catalogs that feature RV parts and accessories. Perhaps you live near an RV supply store and can purchase replacement parts right over the counter. A lot of parts such as RV plumbing parts can be purchased through any plumbing supply store. RV awning parts may be available in your local hardware store. If you own a particular brand name vehicle, then you can purchase Fleetwood RV parts from your Fleetwood dealership and install them yourself. It has been my experience to shy away from RV salvage parts. These may be fine if you are buying an RV trailer part, or a part for you RV door, but for RV water heater parts or RV gas stove parts, I wouldn’t consider anything but new. I have had success in buying discount RV parts from flea market dealers or from an RV parts outlet store. But I did my homework first, and I knew exactly what I was purchasing. The bottom line is, go with quality parts and service. Even though it cost more up front, it is cheaper in the long run. And do your homework. You have a tremendous investment that you are responsible for. Be good to it and it will be good to you.