Sunday, January 31, 2010

Social Bookmarking Tip - A Great Real Estate Web 2.0 Resource I Just Found For Amazing Results With Real Estate Marketing

By Mark Bradley

The World Wide Web has been opening new avenues to help real estate professionals promote and enhance their business online. Social bookmarking sites, a reflection of its boon has started gaining a lot of popularity due to their power to help build networks and even businesses. The best three social bookmarking sites that can help you in promoting your real estate business over the internet are Digg, Stumble upon, and Delicious.

Delicious has been the standard by which all other social bookmarking websites are gauged. This site has been operating since 2003 and possesses rich content and a strong and active community. Its content is not very philosophical. Its interface is rather simple and convenient to use. Its strong following and easy operation makes it a popular choice among new users.

Delicious, a social bookmarking site lets you save all the bookmarks and perform a search by using the suitable keywords. You can also look for freshly added and admired websites that are suggested by other users. You can add friends and even browse their individual bookmarks. The site is easy to use and sign up and has a simple design.

StumbleUpon is another leading and popular social bookmarking site. It functioning and operation is unique in character. When you browse the web and find any interesting page, you will have the option of pressing the button called "thumbs up" in your toolbar.

Similarly, if do not appreciate some page, you can simply hit the button "thumbs down". You are not expected to rate all the pages, only the ones you have strong opinions about. Clicking a toolbar and giving your feedback can be a simple and convenient method to express your opinions on such a social bookmarking site.

As a flexible social bookmarking site, you are not compelled to share your votes with others but if you do you can help other users to find interesting sites. Thus Stumble Upon is not just a site that helps you store bookmarks but offers a lot more interesting activities.

Following these two is Digg, another popular social bookmarking site. It makes the process of tagging simple and is easy to use. After registering you can use the numerous facilities that they offer like, adding buttons to your own web browser or add any story or article. For this all you need to do is mention the URL, post a little comment on it and a title that describes it well. If your story gets enough appreciation, it can carve its way to the home page and gain some publicity.

Digg, the social bookmarking site also provides the facility to add videos, various podcasts and even collaborate on the editing labors of other users by digging their articles. Via RSS or email you can also subscribe to the submitted articles of other users. You can digg the stories you are pleased about. If you are not pleased about some writing, you can advise that it gets "buried". Real estate advertising and marketing can be conveniently done using social bookmarking sites and they can give great benefits to your business.

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Saturday, January 30, 2010

Filipino Maids Abroad

By Alice Sy

There are Filipino maids in practically every country in the world. This comes as no surprise because they are considerably paid higher wages abroad than in the Philippines.

In certain countries abroad, such as in England, only the wealthy and the powerful can afford the services of a female Filipino servant, so having one at home only indicates that that family belongs to the upper class. The rich in Italy have also taken notice of the good qualities of a Filipino servant.

Working as Filipino helpers should not be looked upon with disdain and embarrassment. After all, while the job entails many laborious and dirty work, Filipino maidservants are excelling in this kind of business abroad. In fact, they are even admired by their foreign employers because of the quality of service that they render coupled with their honesty, loyalty and sincere dedication to duty.

Indeed, Filipino servants are able to do things maids from other countries can not afford to do. For example, only a maid from the Philippines can take on the job of cleaning the toilet bowls without complaining.

Only a maid from the Philippines can dedicate long hours of work without the slightest hint of a scowl on her face. She can get up as early as dawn to begin her responsibilities and retire very late at night. She can do all these things every day without objection. They are rather an easy lot to deal with so many foreign employers prefer to hire them to other maids.

One advantage that Filipino servants abroad possess is her fluency in English, thanks to the American colonizers. Compared to Mexicans, Chinese and other nationalities, Filipinos have deeper vocabulary in English and can comprehend better with their employers.

In some countries, to have a Filipino servant is a status symbol. In England, the aristocracy, celebrities, and millionaires hire Filipino helpers to their household. Filipino helpers are also among the higher paid servants since they impress their boss with their quality service. Filipino helpers in Italy are also prized for their good work. They even tell their employers how much salary they want to receive. In Greece, a household is considered middle class if it hires Albanian servants; while a household with a Filipino servant is hailed as rich.

Wherever they are, Filipino maids working abroad give dignity to their mother country, the Philippines. However, they should not be tagged merely as servants who do dirty jobs. Instead, they should be regarded with much admiration and appreciation for their extreme dedication, loyalty, and sincerity, as well as for all the sacrifices they have to endure while working miles away from home.

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Friday, January 29, 2010

Bengals Blast Struggling Bears

By Ross Everett

Former Chicago Bears running back Cedric Benson got revenge on the team that let him go in the best possible way. Benson amassed 189 yards rushing and led his new team, the Cincinnati Bengals, to a 45-10 rout over the visiting Bears on Sunday. Carson Palmer threw for five touchdowns with no interceptions in the blowout victory.

The Bengals also made short work of the NFL pointspread, easily covering as +1' home underdogs. Cincinnati improved to 4-3 against the number while Chicago evened their ATS mark at 3-3. The 55 combined points sailed OVER the posted total of 42'. The Bengals have gone OVER in four of seven games this year while the Bears evened their NFL totals mark at 3-3.

A happy Benson described his feelings after the win:

"Everybody knew it was going to be an emotional day. Everybody knew. What a wonderful day and a wonderful thing, to go out there and strut your stuff."

Despite the evidence to the contrary, Benson downplayed the motive of revenge:

"I continue to be as graceful as I can be. I'm not shoving anything in anybody's face. Like I say, it wasn't a revenge day for me. I just wanted to take advantage of the opportunities."

He said his biggest problem was trying to keep his emotions in check and play under control:

"There were a few times where I may have gotten a little too hyped up, a little too antsy. A couple of drives, I found myself having to calm myself down and gather my emotions to stay poised. Once I got past that, we were good to go. Keep it rolling."

Bengals' receiver Chad Ochocinco had 10 catches for 118 yards and two touchdowns. He shared his thoughts postgame:

"I don't understand why it went this way today and why it didn't go that way last week or the week before that. The offensive line played unbelievable. For Ced to run the way he did today and for us to be able to throw, we could have done what we wanted to do."

Chicago gave up more points than in any game all season, a fact that left defensive end Alex Brown looking for answers:

"That was pretty embarrassing. It's embarrassing to come out and play like that. I tip my hat to their whole team. Cedric ran the ball like crazy. They did whatever they wanted to do."

The Bengals will enjoy a bye week before hosting the Baltimore Ravens on November 8. They'll then play two games on the road at Pittsburgh and Oakland. Chicago will try to get back on track this Sunday as they host the Cleveland Browns. The Bears are -13' home favorites with the total set at 40. They'll host the Arizona Cardinals the following Sunday before heading west for a Thursday night game against the San Francisco 49ers on November 12.

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Thursday, January 28, 2010

Anatomy of an S-1: A Must Read If You're Going Public

By James Scott

Your company is growing. Now you are ready to start raising serious capital and you here the public fund raising markets. Here are the basics of your S-1 filing. Know the lingo before you hire a consultant. Because companies must adhere strictly to SEC regulations, initial prospectuses are similar in their organization. Each S-1 generally consists of the following sections:

Front Section -- An S-1 contains a small amount of information not available in a prospectus. In this first section, you can quickly find the issuing company's phone number and get a vague sense of the future offering price.

Cover/Inside Cover -- The prospectus cover outlines the general terms of the offering, including names of the underwriters, number of shares offered, and pricing information. The actual share price is absent from a prospectus until the day of the offering.

Prospectus Summary -- Here you will find a brief synopsis of the company's business and history, a modest discussion of the change in capitalization to occur as a result of the offering, and a useful summary of financial information covering the last five years, if available. If you are screening prospectuses for investment ideas, start here.

Risk Factors -- After you have read a few prospectuses, you will become familiar with the "usual suspects" in this section, including "Possible Volatility of Stock," "Limited History of operations," "Dilution," and "Dependence on Key Personnel." Nevertheless, this section is a worthwhile read to be sure that you understand the challenges facing the company's management. The discussion of competition can be sobering, but it can also provide a means to compare the value of the issuer against the financial performance and market valuation of its competitors.

Taking your company public should be an exciting and revitalizing time. Don't take unnecessary risks, hire a consulting firm who can streamline this process and deliver the results you'll need for success!

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Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Self Storage Warehousing - Suggestions To Make Your Life Easier

By Winnie Taylor

Whether it is keeping items for days or months at a stretch, self storage warehousing comes to excellent use for both individuals and companies.

Affordability, ease, high security levels and a number of other facilities - all geared towards customer satisfaction, give it an advantage over other forms of commercial warehousing services. But before availing the services of a self-storage facility, some important factors should be taken into consideration so that you have a trouble-free experience with the service.

Your task of selecting the right firm should start with guessing the precise size of space required and doing a fast evaluation of rates charged by different firms in the self storage market. Ancillary services like climate-control facilities to control the temperature and moisture level inside the unit for storage of electronic products, fragile paintings etc can sometimes be vital for your valuable items.

Security from fire or from criminal acts of theft and robbery should also be provided by any good self storage company. Choose to ignore these safety issues only at your own peril, because if you end up using the services of a suspicious company, it could place your valuables in danger through poor warehousing.

As far as your role in the whole process is concerned, here are some suggestions that can help. Prepare a list of items to be packed and go for a well planned system of packing. Special care taken for cumbersome items, brittle objects, and electronic goods would fulfill half your objective. Items that are safety hazards or might rot and decompose must not be sent to the storage facility. Most significantly, do not forget to get yourself an insurance cover for the valuables stored in the self-storage facility.

Thus, getting in touch with the right self-storage facility and personally examining its market reputation, besides supervising the entire storage process right from packing to extraction, will ensure that your possessions are locked away safely for as long as you want.

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Tuesday, January 26, 2010

How To Cope Wiith Job Loss

By John Smith

Many of the questions we've seen on the Interviewing message board have shown some of our readers difficulties to get a search started when somebody's leave job or lose a job. But I thought that this thing is useful for us to start at the beginning.

One thing is very clear about the work culture of the new millennium is that nearly all work is now short term, frequently even careers themselves. You have to prepare for change whether it suits your style or not. If we mention the current statistics so we can see that almost all say that the average job is only about three to four years now, but if we talk about 15 years ago when the average tenure of the job was 10 years.

It is good to understand in advance that there will be emotional ups and down, most importantly during the first few days of you're joining. This journey will include depression, apathy, denial, anger, and then some more anger. Everyone goes through this stage to one degree or another, and I don't believe that why people don't believe this.

It is not good to call immediately to everyone you know and start sending out resumes, answering ads, and calling recruiters. Because most of the times chances are like that you're not mentally prepared for the immediately start a search after a separation. Don't do a job search "on the rebound." you'll probably say things that you will wish you hadn't. It is good to share your true feelings with your loved once - maybe a significant other and/or a friend would be quite enough. You don't want everyone to avoid you ("Uh oh, here comes the whiner..."). Now's the time to adopt the marketing stance that your career - no matter how you perceive the reality - has been sunshine, light, and success. And you want everyone to know about those

Calling to those people you know is not networking. Networking is indirect relationship building, quite a different thing.

Develop a target. Years ago, in my private practice, I was deluged with people announcing, "I want to be in TV." I never knew what does that meant.... did it mean television repair? Developing a target is the centerpiece of beginning your search. What is the job function- specifically? What is the desired culture? Geographic location? Size of organization? Do you want to start your own business? Consult? Do you have Dot-com-Virus? This may all involve some extensive self-assessment, with or without outside assistance - but it's necessary.

And then, of course, you need to research your target.

Stick to the marketing plan and stick to that. Work the system; there are no shortcuts, except for the occasional bolt of lightning. If you are discipline and consistent this thing account for a lot in this process.

Be flexible. If you're seriously listening while developing those relationships, your target might adjust and shift.

Losing or leaving your job doesn't mean that you are carrying the stigma it used to, except in your own mind. Its part of the culture now. And everyone has to admit this thing that everyone has to go through this process one day.

If you are loosing a job or leaving a job it doesn't mean the stigma it used to, except in your own mind. Its part of the culture now which everyone has to face one day.

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Monday, January 25, 2010

Using Personalized Jewelry To Show Your Personality

By Amy Carrington

Personalized jewelry always stays in fashion due to the fact that it is always unique. When you wear a bangle or bracelet which bears your name on it, you will make yourself stand out from the crowd. Having your initials or your name hanging from gold or silver chains on your neck is something that will set you apart from other people.

The idea of making unique jewelry is daunting at first. But if you really love craft and have a little craftsmanship and patience, you can definitely make many beautiful designs which no one has except you.

The first step is to figure out what sort of jewelry you want to make an effort to produce. There are different choices available for example: necklaces, rings, earrings, bracelets. You can simply deal with only beads and charms to create your favorite accessories, or you may touch the most difficult part of the journey which is dealing with metal.

You can find useful information on the internet on how to make jewelry. Just do a search on Google and Youtube, you will find a huge amount of tutorials showing you the way to make stylishly beautiful hand-made jewelry.

For a start, you should do something fundamental and easy stuffs such as crafting beads and charms. Such things complicated and difficult as dealing with metal should be set aside until you have grown experienced.

To obtain supply for your new hobby, pay a visit to the local crafting supply store. The variety of equipments and elements there will sure to make your eyes dazzled. There are beads, charms and many types of trinkets which are just perfect for your crafting hobby.

The reason why we like exclusive jewelry is because it shows to others our uniqueness. We all want to express who we are. Therefore, when you make your jewelry, you should include your personality into it as well. Just relax and have fun. Don't be stressed that you must do one thing or another to make the jewelry look good. When you have difficulty, refer to the tutorials again to move forward.

You can also use your hand made accessory as a gift to your relatives and friends. There are several things you need to take into account before choosing which type of gift you should give. Firstly, it's the name on the jewelry. The name is the central point of the gift, so make sure your recipient will like it. That name may be the recipient's own name or the name of a celebrity the recipient loves.

You should also notice to see whether the new gift will fit in the receiver's wardrobe. To be safe, you should choose only necklaces or bracelets as gift. These will be sure to have a place in the receiver's jewelry box. Have you ever imagined how absurd it is if you give an earrings gift while your recipient doesn't have pierced ears. Of course if the earrings are clip-ons then it is not a problem.

If you are giving gift to children that are too young (below 3 years old), you should carefully choose the one that doesn't cause any choking hazard to the child. Hanging pendant is something you need to stay away.

If you would love to buy designers' hand-made jewelry, there are many brand names on the market for you to choose from. Heather Moore, Christie Martin's, Zo Chicco and Ariel Gordon are just some of the most famous personalized jewelry designers in the world.

It is very fashionable to have your own personalized jewelry. However, there is one thing you should take note before putting on your lovely and desirable jewelry: It has to match your overall style.

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Sunday, January 24, 2010

How To Find a Consultant To Take Your Company Public

By James Scott

So many companies dream of going public to raise massive amounts of capital, as set up for an exit strategy, to make acquisitions with stock and for many other reasons. While your intentions may be pure and with genuine motives, you're entering shark infested waters of boiler rooms, crooked attorneys and underbelly consultants who have made careers off of taking well intentioned executives just like you for a 24 month rollercoaster ride while they take every penny you have as your company shrivels up like week old road kill.

Just and honest consultants in the 'public offering' industry are as rare as the illusive white elephant. This industry exists in a cesspool surrounded by rose gardens; from afar it looks amazing and an image of a dreamland but get up and close and the sludge and odor are enough to make you run and hide. So what do you look for in a consultant? The best consulting firms are the 'boutique firms' with minimal overhead that keep a low profile and are made up of 3 or 4 'partner' consultants.

These firms typically have the experience of working with the large consulting groups but for one reason or another have decided to leave and go out on their own. The great thing is, these small groups typically have massive contacts and process your entire public offering in-house. Offering a complete turn-key solution that is managed in-house offers a huge advantage because there is accountability and you can actually build a relationship with the people that are making your dream of a public offering come true.

These 'boutique' consultants will usually stay onboard as growth consultants for the life of the company in exchange for modest fees and a pre-IPO or pre-OTCBB equity position. The large firms will hack you out at the knees and gouge you with fees while they take massive amounts of equity in your company which takes away your bartering chip when you need to offer more stock to the public to raise capital.

The small firms will also work one on one with you to show you how to use your stock to grow through acquisition and other nifty ways to use stock to grow. Seek out the boutique consulting firm and save the attorney for spot audits. Hold on to your cash. Why pay outrageous fees to lawyers when you can pay 60% less with a small consulting firm that will add all the bells and whistles for free and actually get your stock trading, usually in half the time?

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Saturday, January 23, 2010

Create An Author Expert Media BIO In 10 Easy Steps That The Media Will Love

By Annie Jennings

When creating a author expert media bio for book promotion or business promotion keep in mind that the primary goal is to include the information the media needs to know make a decision whether to consider you for the media opportunity. The first thing to do is to lead with your most impressive achievements, your education, your degrees, your credentials and awards or recognitions.

2. Be sure to include a listing of all of the books you have written along with the names. Also include your special reports, paper or studies that you have taken part in and note any influential affiliations. 3. Make of list of your primary topics of expertise along with your sub-topic to present a well-rounded and overall view of your entire knowledge and areas where you are considered an expert. 4. If you have been working in your area for many years, this further establishes your positioning so include how many years of experience you have.

6. Appearing on radio shows, TV shows or being the author or quoted expert is media such as newspapers, magazines or been showcased online, now is the time to add it into your bio. Media is a powerful positioning tool and list your media appearances. You can include the name of any exceptionally well-known media but only include the top media. You can get into more detail on your website in an expanded bio. 7. Keep your media bio focused without distraction. Personal information such as where you were born, your hobbies should not be in your media bio unless it supports your overall subject matter. You can add more personal info on your website, if you like.

8. Fact check your information so it is correct and reflects your most current situation. Your facts, such as your education and experience can be verified so you want it to be exactly right. 9. Always post your bio on your website and if you plan to expand your bio, entitle it "expanded bio" so the media sees the bio you provided to them along with the expanded bio so they can follow along. Any bio you create should be consistent and include the same information each time. If you follow this formula, your media bio will have the fact necessary to support your media pitch and will have no need to change significantly.

10. In closing, your bio is an essential tool in getting booked as an author or getting booked on media as an expert commenting on a news story. The media will read over your bio and decide. Always have your professional picture ready to send to the media. Take the time, in advance, to get a professional headshot created as the media moves fast and when they ask for your picture, you will need to send it to them immediately.

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Friday, January 22, 2010

The Screen Printing Process

By Stephen Sung

Screen printing is one of the initial methods used in printing process. In this process, the ink or any other printing medium is passed through a screen or 'mesh' that has been fixed on a frame, and a stencil has been applied to it. The image that needs to be imprinted is determined from the stencil openings. For the different colors, different screens are prepared and the process is repeated.

The silk screen printing also known as serigraphs is a multiple printing technique that involves the use of stencils in order to transfer the design. The paint is applied on the silk screen and affects the areas that are not blocked by the stencil. Many colors can be applied by using several stencils in a single print. The serigraphs was developed as a commercial medium and is still used by modern artists. The silk screen has been replaced with a polyester material that is widely available and is also cheap as compared with silk material.

Screen painting is the technique developed by the Chinese almost 2000 years back and the screen was made of human hair stretched across a wooden frame. The Japanese developed it further by using the woven silk as mesh and lacquers as stencils. Europe adopted this technique much later as it involved silk which was not available in the Europe.

The screen printing in the United Sates became popular when the artist Andy Warhol screen printed Marilyn Monroe in year '62 in the garish colors. In year '60, the American entrepreneur, inventor and artist Michael Vasiltone developed and patented a rotary multicolor garment screen printing machine. He used this rotary machine to manufacture and print information of bowling on different garments but soon he turned his attention on printing team logos and information on t-shirts. This soon led to led a boom in t-shirt screen printing business and many more manufacturers licensed from him in order to print on t-shirts. The rotary garment screen printing machine became the most popular device used in the screen printing industry.

The screen printing was developed as an industrial technology but it was adopted by the artist for expressing and as a repeating medium to duplicate their works before '00s. This is a very popular in both the commercial printing and also by artists and it is used to print images on different mediums like CD and DVD covers, glassware, ceramics, hats, woodwork, metals, t-shirts and hats.

Screen printing is used extensively in the printing industry to mass create so many items specifically t-shirts. It is excellent for both short and long-run printing. For large volumes the process can be set up on a printing drum but for small runs a simple manual setup can be used.

The Corporate give different types of gift items to their employees every year to their employees or clients in recognition of their work. There are many different gift items available that can be used as corporate gifts like screen printed mugs, t-shirts, folders, ties, and many more. The Corporate gifts are usually given during the time of holidays in order to reward their employees. There are different corporate gifts available online also from where you can select the best option that suits your requirement. Screen printed t-shirts are also the preferred one and these are usually given when corporate is hosting an event be it a conference or a sports meet or carnival of the corporate.

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Thursday, January 21, 2010

The Significance Of Rituals In A Buddhists Funeral

By Danny Wong

One of the most widely practised religions on earth, Buddhism derives its main principles from the teachings of the Buddha. Buddhism teaches compassion and love for all creatures and awareness of the Ultimate Truth.

These basic principles of Buddhism can be seen in the rites practised in a Buddhist Funeral. When death occurs in a Buddhist family, there are some basic rites which are followed with the aim of ensuring that the deceased's soul can soar to an elevated level. Prayers are made invoking the good energies associated with the dead person for his or her deliverance from this life cycle.

The first stage in funeral rituals is that of giving the body a traditional wash. The next stage entails invitation of monks, who read out religious scriptures and thereby aid the soul in finding liberation. The teachings of the Buddha, which speak of the value of goodness and compassion in life, are read aloud. Meanwhile, the body is prepared for the last journey. Friends and family usually keep some money in the casket of the deceased person. This is for enabling the dead person to pay and go across the River of Three Hells.

Then the casket is exhibited to the near and dear ones to allow them to pay their final respects by putting it at the altar. The relatives and friends give condolences to the dead person's family, while the visitors pray for his soul. The priests carrying out the rites keep chanting the sutras as the proceedings move on. Once the recital is complete, people bow at the altar to pay their final regards. As the visitors start leaving, the family members give a gift to each other to show gratitude for partaking in their sorrow.

After these rituals are done, the body may then be either buried or cremated in accordance with the beliefs of the family. These rites are meant to allow the family to alleviate their grief by offering prayers that will elevate the dead to a higher pedestal of enlightenment and knowledge.

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Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Things To Take Into Account When Constructing A Modern Office

By Xaris Ruiz

Office designs have transformed a lot since the times when they were popular just as structural marvels that served no utilitarian purpose. It is now an accepted fact that good office design makes the staff highly productive and inspires them to stay in the firm for the long term. Besides the office design also exhibits the corporate philosophy of the firm.

Flexibility, openness and sustainability are the important elements that define a modern office, so you have to consider these when constructing a new office. These objectives cannot be met unless a wise selection of office interior design and office system furniture for the office is made, and for this some key aspects need to be taken into account.

As the first thing, it is necessary to know what kind of tasks will be done inside the office. This together with the total available floor area will determine the type of design that you can go for. While developing the layout you also must consider the present number of staff members and how it is likely to increase in the coming years.

Together with the area for office desks and other office system furniture, you need to allocate space for meeting rooms and cafeterias. Your office must also have zones for fun and enjoyment with provisions for indoor games so that the staff can have a nice time playing and conversing after work. Besides, the office must be planned in a way that ensures maximum space usage without being too cluttered.

An ideal office interior design must be minimalist and make use of refined colour schemes, devoid of any loud and gaudy components that cause distraction to work. It should also not be dark, and natural light should enter freely.

Office system furniture these days is trendy and stylish with a personal touch, which helps in raising the employees' spirits and develops a good impression on customers. However, while picking office chairs and office desks, always give due attention to ergonomics so that the employees can remain healthy.

You can also present an environmentally aware image of your firm by going for 'green' office design. You will take an active stance against ecological degradation if you choose this kind of furniture, which is typically made from natural fabrics and recycled items. To further work on this idea, you can go for energy saving lights and other electrical devices that reduce energy consumption.

It is always a good idea to engage an experienced office interior designer so that your office manifests all the positive aspects of beauty, usefulness and safety that are essential for of a perfect office.

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Tuesday, January 19, 2010

What is the Zona Libre Panama?

By Joshua Adekane

The Colon Free Zone, better known as Zona Libre Panama to the Latin Americans, is the second largest tax free zone in the world after Hong Kong.

What is a Tax Free zone?

It is a geographical area that allows companies located in this zone to import and export products without paying any duties. This allows products to stay competitively priced when it arrives at its final destination.

Information about the Republic of Panama

The Republic of Panama is located in Central America sharing borders with Colombia and Costa Rica. Although it is a small country with a population of only four million people, it is one of the strongest economies in Latin America. It also enjoys economic stability thanks to the use of the American dollar and a striving democracy. A large banking sector and modern ports also contribute to its success. The Panama Canal contributes greatly to the dynamic trade of this country by allowing goods to be shipped more efficiently from the Atlantic to the Pacific and vice versa. Ricardo Martinelli, who has been the president since 2009, has promised to make the country into the best place to do business in Latin America.

Advantages of buying from the Zona Libre Panama

Thanks to the Panama Canal, the Zona Libre Panama is ideally located at the crossroads of the world.

Quick facts:

*Largest and most important tax free zone in the Americas

*Second largest tax free zone after Hong Kong

*More than 400 hectares

*2500 wholesale companies

*Over 200 000 buyers visiting the zone every year

*Over 25 000 employees

*14 billion import and exports every year

The expansion of the Panama Canal is expected to be finished by 2014. This will allow Post Panamax ships to cross the gateway and will surely help make the Zona Libre Panama even more dynamic.

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Monday, January 18, 2010

Great Ways To Raise Money Fast!

By James Scott

Regulation D, Under Sections 4(2) and 3(b) of the Securities Act of 1933, the SEC adopted Regulation D to coordinate the various limited offering exemptions and to streamline the existing requirements applicable to private offers and sales of securities. The Regulation establishes three exemptions from registration in Rules 504, 505, and 506.

Rule 504, which provides an exemption for non-reporting companies unless they are "blank check" issuers or certain "shells", stipulates that: The sale of up to $1,000,000 of securities in a 12-month period is permitted provided that there is no general solicitation, the securities sold are restricted securities and cannot be resold except pursuant to a registration statement or exemption, and a notice must be filed with the SEC within 15 days after the first sale. Rule 504 does not provide an exemption under any state laws. In certain limited circumstances where an offering is conducted under state accredited investor exemptions, securities offered under Rule 504 may be freely transferrable. Unlike Rules 505 and 506, Rule 504 does not mandate that specified disclosure be provided to purchasers. Nonetheless, the business person should take care that sufficient information is provided to meet the full disclosure obligations which exist under the antifraud provisions of the securities laws.

Rule 505 was adopted by the SEC to provide small businesses more flexibility in raising capital than under Rule 504 - but without the uncertainty of determining the quality of the purchasers that generally is involved in using Rule 506. Rule 505 provides issuers a limited offering exemption for sales of securities totaling up to $5 million in any 12-month period.

Rule 505 contains certain restrictions regarding "accredited investors" and non-accredited persons. The-term "accredited investor" includes:

Banks, insurance companies, registered investment companies, business development companies, or small business investment companies; Certain employee benefit plans for which investment decisions are made by a bank, insurance company, or registered investment adviser; Any employee benefit plan (Within the meaning of Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act) with total assets in excess of $5 million; Charitable organizations, corporations or partnerships with assets in excess of $5 million; Directors, executive officers, and general partners of the issuer; Any entity in which all the equity owners are accredited investors; Natural persons with a net worth of at least $1 million; Any natural person with an income in excess of $200,000 in each of the two most recent years or joint income with a spouse in excess of $300,000 for those years and a reasonable expectation of the same income level in the current year; and Trusts with assets of at least $5 million, not formed to acquire the securities offered, and whose purchases are directed by a sophisticated person.

If the issuer sells any securities to non-accredited investors, it must furnish to all investors the same type of information as required by Regulation A. It must also furnish audited financial statements.

If an issuer other than a limited partnership cannot obtain audited financial statements without unreasonable effort or expense, only the issuer's balance sheet (to be dated within 120 days of the start of the offering) must be audited.

Limited partnerships unable to obtain required financial statements without unreasonable effort or expense may furnish financial statements prepared on the basis of federal income tax requirements and examined and reported on by an independent public or certified accountant in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards; and The issuer must also be available to answer questions by prospective purchasers about the issuer or the offering.

Further restrictions under Rule 505 include:

The total offering price of each issue of securities may not exceed $5 million. The offering may not be made by means of general solicitation or general advertising. The issuer may sell the securities to an unlimited number of "accredited investors" and to 35 non-accredited persons. There are no requirements of "sophistication" or "wealth" for persons to whom the securities are sold. A company must take any necessary steps to ensure that the purchasers are acquiring securities for investment only, not for resale. The securities are thus "restricted" and investors must be informed that they may not be able to sell except pursuant to a registration statement or exemption from registration. The issuer is not required to file any offering materials with the Commission. Fifteen days after the first sale in the offering, the issuer must file a notice of sales on Form D. The notice also contains an undertaking under this Rule for the issuer to furnish the Commission, upon its staff s request, any information given to non-accredited purchasers in connection with the offering. Rule 505 does not provide an exemption from state securities laws.

SEC Rule 506 offers and sales of securities by an issuer that satisfy the conditions stated below are deemed transactions not involving any public offering within the meaning of Section 4(2) of the Securities Act. For an offering to be considered exempt from the registration requirements, Rule 506 stipulates: There is no ceiling on the amount of money which may be raised. No general solicitation or general advertising is permitted. The issuer may sell its securities to an unlimited number of accredited investors and 35 non accredited purchasers. Unlike Rule 505, all non-accredited purchasers (either alone or with a purchaser representative) must be sophisticated - that is, have sufficient knowledge and experience in financial and business matters to render them capable of evaluating the merits and risks of the prospective investment. The term "accredited investor" is defined under Rule 505.

If the issuer sells any securities to non-accredited investors, it must furnish to all investors the same type of information as required by Regulation A. It must also furnish the same financial information as would be required by registration on Form S-1.

If the issuer cannot obtain audited financial statements without unreasonable effort or expense, then financial statements may be provided in accordance with the special treatment described under Rule 505.

The securities sold are "restricted" under the same stipulations in Rule 505.

A company is required to file a notice of the offering on Form D at SEC headquarters within 15 days after the first sale in the offering. All states except New York provide an exemption from state securities laws for offerings under Rule 506 but the company must file a copy of the Form D and pay a filing fee in each state. New York has a distinctive law which makes a Rule 506 offering within that state impractical.

Accredited Investor Exemption

The Small Business Investment Incentive Act of 1980 created a new statutory exemption from registration under the Securities Act for transactions involving offers and sales of securities by any issuer solely to one or more "accredited investors." Under Section 4(6):

The total offering price of each issue of securities under the exemption may not exceed the limit on small offerings set by Section 3(b) the Securities Act, which currently is $5 million per issue. The offering may not be made by means of any form of advertising or public solicitation.

The term "accredited investor" is defined to include the same individuals and entities as included for purposes of Rules 505 and 506. The issuer is required to file a notice of sales on Form D with the Commission 15 days after the initial sale is made in reliance on the exemption.

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Sunday, January 17, 2010

The Top Secrets About Giving

By Masami Sato

The secret of attaining what one wants has been revealed. It is just the simple act of giving. The basis of this is explained in the background of the classical dictum "Which comes first, the chicken or the egg?" Chicken and the egg, continuously forming the cycle of life and renewing it, is a profound example of giving and getting what one wants: the circle of joy. This idea is fully analyzed in the resonant voice of Masami Sato, the author of the book ONE.

As humans, most of us naturally have endless desires for all kinds of things. And of course, the traditional principals of economics tell us that while wants are unlimited, resources are limited. This induces us to think, the more and more resources we have, the more and more desires we will be able to fulfill. We become very protective of our resources. We then think sharing or giving these resources will reduce the portion that can be used to get what we want. This is the traditional win-lose game that is being played.

Could it be true, then?

And if the answer is "no" what then? What if it actually goes against the secret of getting more? What if the secret to earn more is simple - just by managing to give more?

One can get something just by giving something else. Exactly the way one can have eggs by raising chickens. As simple as that. Normal. Automatic. And it is a completely joyful experience.

First, let us start with a small comparison to explain things.

Chicken and Egg: the Cosmic Circle of Life

Many a philosopher has come out with this question from the beginning of time, "Which comes first, the chicken or the egg?"

The answer to this endless discussion is simple: It actually doesn't matter because both chickens and eggs are here now. But if we want to have more great outcomes, we can choose to start somewhere.

Giving and Receiving: the Circle of Joy

What if we asked the question in a different manner? "Which comes first, giving or receiving?"

Again, for better results, we have to begin somewhere. Giving away things to others is definitely far simpler than attempting to get it first!

What happens when we try to get it first?

If we hope to have something, surely we would try to acquire it. And once we get it, we would cling on to it. This is surely natural - it makes sense rationally.

But the actual upshot of 'striving to get' is often not profusion and actual long-term recompense.

For example, wanting to see others being happy is not about getting the joy from them or controlling them to become happy. It is about how much joy we can give them and share with them. Period.

So how do we start to get what we desire?

By starting from the other end of the circle- by giving generously!

When we give first before we actually fully have what we really want - what we dream of - we send a very powerful message to ourselves that says, "there is enough, and more will come". It allows us to experience the joy today - the joy of giving.

All that is required of us is to give out the love in abundance to others. It would somehow come back to us. Giving love is the only way to be completely loved. When we recognize others for the big things they do and great credentials they have, again it would come back to us. Others accept us because we accept them.

In much the same manner, if we want to have enough of everything in our lives physically, financially, and emotionally, we must share these things in ample measure with others.

Some people may choose to give materially by giving their time. Others would choose to give financially by giving their wealth. Those who give much more (like time, wealth, kindness, affection, principles etc.) have more of all these because it is the balance. And balance is the law of nature.

Just keep in mind the rule of the game

Important rule: never give anything expecting a return.

When we have the conviction that giving has got as its inherent part, 'getting' something back, we become upset when do not see the return immediately. We may even feel a slight dissatisfaction towards the receiver of our gift. And surely, nurturing a bad feeling for someone is not a proper thing to do! So we can experience the real happiness of giving when we are doing something with the knowledge that we are doing it only for ourselves - we are doing it for our own happiness!

Losing to win, giving to receive

In the beginning it may look as if we are losing. However, at some stage we recognize that taking things without giving is not an acceptable life pattern. And we have been aware of it all throughout. That is why tithing has been a normal part of the lives of many people who were leaders. And they did not do it with any fanfare so it was not done to gain popularity. It was done because it was a way of life.

Take a look around. 'Simpler' living things do it naturally. The bumblebees pollinate the flowers as they receive the honey so more flowers bloom in abundance. Naturally. That's the game. They do not do it for conscience or justice. That is why they create such sustainability without even trying.

Giving is just being who we are, it is just like having; not greater or lesser. No difficulty, no conditions attached, just releasing oneself.

The essence of getting more can be stated in two steps: Give first, and do not expect to get anything in return.

When we let go and give generously, what we want will be delivered to us. Naturally.

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Saturday, January 16, 2010

Tips On How To Become A Bridal Photographer

By Rubert Wong

For years people will be displaying photos of their wedding, since it is that kind of occasion. Your clients - the bride and groom to be - will want the best and will want the quality guaranteed. You can make a lot of money if you decide to be a wedding photographer. As well as the money though there is the risk that you must manage well.

A disclaimer should be included in a well written up first time contract. If you don't have a disclaimer you could be sued afterwards. There are a few reason you should not be held accountable for and they are failure of equipment, miss placed pictures after they were sent away, and photos that do not develop properly. You do not want to be sued for breaching your contract.

The hourly rate and how many pictures are to be taken should also be included in the contract. Include how much the cost of development is and the cost of the album. Make sure you discuss with your clients what their requirements are. There could be a particular family member that they want photographed separately, or a certain group of people they do not get to see very often.

Make a list of all the pictures that your client's requested. Here are a few common ones, pre-ceremony, wedding ceremony, post-ceremony and reception. Discuss with the clients about which shots they want and who's going to be in the pictures. Not every client will be the same so pay attention to what they are saying.

It is smart to always ask for a booking fee. Without this you could be caught out if something goes wrong. If they have paid nothing then they are less likely to try to solve any problems that may occur. At least 50% deposit should be paid prior to the wedding. You should set a date when the remaining amount will be paid because you do not want to be bothering the bride and groom during the reception for payment! They would think you were unprofessional and wish they had hired someone else.

Photoshop is a good program to use if you are going to be processing the pictures yourself. You can enhance the photos with all sorts of techniques such as flaw removal, montage, changing the color to black and which or sepia, as well as other unique features.

Look for ways to add extra value that you have not told them about. This will always generate good feelings. A special surprise will keep everyone talking and generating more business for you in the future. Think different. Imagine for example if you uploaded all their pictures onto a password protected part of your website so that they and their friends can login and view.

In the end doing bridal photography can be lucrative and fun as long as you build on your people skills.

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Friday, January 15, 2010

How To Get Paid For Taking Online Survey?

By John Goldman

Starting an online business to get paid for taking online surveys are one of the issues that tend to produce considerable amount of traffic. The very first thought that occurs in your mind while thinking to get paid for taking online surveys is to perform online surveys on your own.

Surely, this is the fastest and popular way for making money with online survey, but that is the only possible way. This article focuses on the ways to get paid for taking online surveys. As mentioned earlier, this is the fastest way towards making an online business profits and paid online surveys actually means to perform online surveys by you.

Finding a company

You may require compensating for the information as far as obtaining names of corporate that will compensate you for getting surveys are concerned. There are plentiful preferences unfilled for that will assist you to get paid for taking online survey.

A quality search on Google with the use of appropriate keywords will help you to obtain online business websites that will provide you with all the necessary information for getting started. A lot of companies are ready to pay you for getting opinion from you.

Lot of market research organizations offer various opportunities in order to get paid for taking online survey business. They will be able to provide you, product sample testing, mystery shopping and phone surveys etc.

Ways of earning money

It is necessary to consider what you will be getting before you end up spending anything on information. It is justified to pay little fee for the recent list of companies searching to hire in case you are not able to develop a list yourself. The other ways to get paid for taking online survey will not be suitable for you in case you plan to start your home based internet business.

You will be able to create more money by choosing these ways but they require some experience which you can acquire them to work. The most excellent thing about these ways is that they do not require need a lot of work once you get commenced.

The other two

In the beginning, once you get and learn the ways to get paid for taking online survey, you can as well start selling the information on the procedure to do it. You can also sell the information which involves list of organizations that are eager to appoint persons for doing survey. The scope to sell online home business information is huge and goes with paid online surveys too.

The other way is to make money with your online home business by recruiting potential people for taking online surveys. There are companies who will pay you for recruiting people for them. You will be earning money by recruiting people, for filling up survey for them as well as earn percentage for the future surveys taken by them.

In the end, these are the few methods that can be used to make money with the increase in experience.

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Thursday, January 14, 2010

Some Essential Considerations Before Hiring A Corporate Photographer

By Martin Walter

Corporate photography comes within the bigger sphere of commercial photography. Nevertheless, it is a demanding art with its own subtleties.

There are several aspects that separate other types of professional photography from corporate photography. In other types of photography, the photographer has the privilege of conducting retakes until he arrives at the correct angle to shoot the perfect picture, but corporate photography is basically one-click-and-it's-over business. Hence it is important to engage the services of a competent corporate photographer.

Corporate events are unpredictable and the photographer has to be ready for the unexpected turns of events. He should know how to analyse rationally and sensibly so that he can act without delay. Corporate photography requires alertness, quick performance and a continuous awareness on part of the photographer.

An important task included in a corporate photographer's job profile is clicking headshots of the high-ranking business executives at an event. The headshots are either used for archival records or are printed in newspapers along with the relevant news feature. The photographer must therefore be especially good at this.

The nature of corporate photography is so different that hiring a photographer on his reputation alone can go terribly wrong. For example, a corporate event would be a terribly wrong project to be taken up by a wedding photographer and his work there might even turn out to be totally useless. In wedding ceremonies, one event follows another in a clearly chalked out series, thus all that the photographer needs to do is keep his eye on the sequence of events and go on taking pictures. In corporate photography, events occur without any warning and alertness is critical. Thus, only an experienced corporate photographer should be hired to photograph such events

There are a lot of business requirements associated with corporate photography and the above mentioned tips would enable you to hire a really professional corporate photographer. However, before engaging a corporate photographer, you should look at samples of his earlier work to verify his claims and have a clear idea of his skills.

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Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Where Can You Find Foreclosure Auctions?

By Nancy Geils

Are you looking into buying a new home or investing in real estate? If you are, you may be turned off by the real estate prices you see on the market. This doesn't mean that now isn't the time to buy a home, but it does mean that you may be looking in the wrong place. Instead of visiting the online websites of realtors or flipping through their brochures, place your focus on foreclosure properties. Foreclosure properties are often considered a great buy, as they are easy to find and affordable.

One of the most popular ways that foreclosures are bought and sold is at an auction. This auction typically takes place at a county, town, or village government offices, such as the clerk's department. As for how you can find these foreclosure auctions, they are often advertised in local newspapers. You can also search local court records, as foreclosures are public notice.

One of the few downsides to buying a home at a foreclosure auction is the inspection, as you aren't typically granted one. Most bidders are bidding on the home as-is, as-is isn't so bad, but it may be if you haven't seen the property. With that said, since foreclosures are public notice, you should be able to get the address of the property in question. You will want to do a drive by, although you should not judge a book by its cover, a drive by can give you an idea of what to expect. When you have doubts, it may be best to move on and target other auctions.

If you decide to attend a foreclosure auction, the last thing you want to do is just show up unless you are scouting to see how an auction works. When you are serious about purchasing a foreclosed property at an auction, you need to be prepared. This preparation involves having financing lined up. Many will require that you either have the money on hand or show proof that you do have the financial resources needed to follow through with the sale. Contingency loans are generally prohibited. Check deposits are sometimes required before you can even place a bid.

As for the auction itself it depends, it's not uncommon for bids to be sealed. Once everyone has placed a bid, the highest bidder will be announced. For bids that are not sealed, the auctioneer will start with a figure, often around $1,000 or less and the bidding will continue on. If you are the winner bidder, it is important to know that you may not be able to move into your new home right away. In fact, it is likely that you will be unable to do so. Many states give current occupants a redemption period or a grace period, this is where they can still fight to keep their home. After this point has passed, you can start the eviction process if the current occupants don't leave voluntarily.

As was previously stated, you may want to attend a foreclosure auction and just sit on the sidelines. You should be allowed to do so and if you are unfamiliar with the buying and selling of real estate, foreclosures, or auctions, you can learn a lot. This knowledge is important, as many bidders will be investors looking to turn a profit, not buy their first home.

For more information on real estate investing and to get your free newsletter to to: www.realestateinvestingnewsletter.com

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Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Basic Information You Should Know About Offset Printing

By Anita Tan

Many important functions in a business such as maintaining flow of information intra-company and marketing the offerings of the company require printing service. Hence, it is good to have some basic knowledge of how printing works, especially offset printing, which is one of the most widely used printing techniques.

Offset printing is so well known among printing service providers and clients because for large volumes, it turns out to be cheaper than alternative methods. That is why for bulk orders any good printing company would advise you to opt for offset printing.

The ink employed during offset printing has oil as the medium and does not dissolve in water. In offset printing, rubber blankets play a transitional role in copying the image on the paper, which is originally on the plate.

The first step is preparing the images. Earlier the images were prepared by creating film negatives and were then transmitted to printing plates made of aluminum. In the current times, the printers can use the image setting system for preparing the plates directly. After this, the plate is attached to a cylinder with the correct side facing upwards. Then the water and ink are spread on the image plates, one after another. The image receives the ink while the rest of the area gets a thin film of water, which makes sure that the ink does not spill beyond the images.

Next, the image is inverted when it is transmitted to a rubber blanket which is attached to another cylinder. The image is then printed with its right side facing up by cutting sheets of papers into correct size and putting them on a third cylinder.

The task of printing is completed by the printing company by consolidating the printed sheets using staples or glue or in any other way as per the requirements of the client.

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Monday, January 11, 2010

Why Giving Corporate Gifts Is Still Not An Unwise Idea In Slow Economy

By Alvin Jones

Thriving businesses always rely on friendly relationships with their clients to continue performing well. If the clients are happy and continue to return for services, the company's chances of successfully enduring unstable economy improve greatly. One time-tested strategy for staying in the good books of your customers is through corporate gifts. These gifts keep the clients happy and do not hurt the company's expenditure account also.

A corporate gift should be carefully selected keeping the receiver in mind, as in case the gift does not appeal to the receiver, the purpose of giving a gift would be defeated. Corporate gifts could be distributed for the promotion of a new product or service launch or given on special occasions such as New Year to show clients recognition and effort to maintain a long term relationship.

Corporate gifts can range from inexpensive products like coffee mugs, small gift items and stationery to more expensive and classy items like a bottle of good wine. The gift could be sealed with the company's logo to make sure that it stays in the mind of the receiver for a long time.

Think about a gift that gives when you are thinking about corporate gifts. More and more people are switching to different ways of thinking and want others to benefit. Buy1GIVE1, KIVA and Change The Present are organisations that can offer gift value to your customers and staff. Check Buy1GIVE1 out at www.b1g1.com.

However, it is very important to check the quality of the gift because it represents the name and reputation of the company. The quality of a gift plays a very important role as you don't want the clients to misjudge the gesture of gifting. In times like these when organizations are confronting economic problems and are looking out for cost effective solutions, it is better to avoid making a bad impression on your clients.

Corporate gifts demonstrate qualities that make them a powerful and great marketing tool. Even though they can act as a double edged sword if used inappropriately, but by exercising a little caution, they can work wonders for a business in times of recession.

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Sunday, January 10, 2010

Health Insurance Can Help With Securing Your Financial Future

By Ethan Kalvin

Your future is not already written. This is a wonderful thing about life. You can do a lot to work toward a positive and prosperous existence though. Sometimes all you can do for your future is plan things as best you can and do what you can to avoid calamity. You can think ahead and protect yourself in certain ways and you can also invest in your future in different ways. These are important things to pass onto children as well. Sometimes you forget that having a plan of action is a positive way to live.

For starters there are possibilities for all people that many don't realize. You need to know all that you can about what you can do with your life and how to open the pathways to get there. You also have to understand all the different things that can possibly get in your way that can be avoided. These are things that some children dont get from their elders and you can be the one that gets the word out.

Education is king. If you want to understand more then you need to study. School is good but you need more than that. You need to study human nature. You will get a lot out of reading. It will improve vocabulary, give insight into different cultures and show how peoples lives unfolded. Biographies are great for seeing history and seeing how great people accomplished things. Frugality and caring is important too. If you teach a child to save money that will follow him into adulthood. If you teach a child to care then he will be less likely to cause harm as well.

When you are thinking about your future you have to consider your health. Other than the basics of taking care of yourself you need to protect yourself financially from a medical issue. Hospital time is really expensive. To avoid going broke over that you need medical insurance. This is a smart move for your future and is one of the best things you can do for yourself. The regular checks by the doctor will be the best way to keep you well.

With a self implemented push to your education you will go far. By getting life and medical insurance you are doing all that you can to protect your health and your finances. This is the way to teach your children responsibility and get your whole family off to the right start. It is the beginning to a good solid life plan.

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Saturday, January 9, 2010

Special Effects Made Possible Through Green Screen Studio

By Phil Guye

Shooting at a Green screen studio isn't just a very good experience, but also one that doesn't shake your financial position up. Today, everybody looks to be giving a lot of thought to the quantity of money that they're spending on a flick. It is important for them to count every single dollar before shelling it out. No wastage can be afforded, because money is in such short supply. With the IRS respiring down your neck, trying to collect your taxes down to the last cent, the last thing you need is a problem with the revenue department. Thus if you were to shoot at a facility like this, you could ensure that your money was spent well and not a cent went down the drain.

Searching for a studio to provide all those CGI effects generating technologies that a Green screen studio provides should be one of the things that are on the requirements list of a director. This is especially true if he's shooting a film that has dinosaurs and outsized snakes or a scene with J Lo and Brad Pitt lounging around sensuously on the mossy ground in an exotic, alien Amazon forest. He actually won't be successful if he is going to run around in a forest looking for these prehistoric creatures to physically shoot.

Instead, going to the technical staff of Green screen studio could help him a great amount. They will be in a position to help him with workable suggestions for making just the kind of atmosphere that he is trying to find. Considering the proven fact that he's trying to find something out of the Ice or Stone Age, he will have to be clear on his needs. Whether it's dinosaurs or the setting of an exotic land, anything is possible.

Once the wants are made known to the staff at Green screen studio, it is their job to provide all the tools that are required to ensure that the shot is done according to the specs provided. All thru the year, the staff is faced with challenging ever-changing eventualities where the requests keep getting more demanding than previously. Nonetheless, they try hard to provide what the director is attempting to find in order that they are able to maintain their reputation as a single-stop shop for all studio necessities.

Since the Green screen studio can be hired out by the hour, there are folk who are prepared to working out an arrangement so the studio can be hired for a longer period at a reduced cost. The amount paid also permits the director and his crew to be helped by a technical person who is able to make sure that all the equipment is working properly and in the right way. Once this is done, the work can go on unhindered and the final result will be miles better than the director was actually hoping for. Even artists begin to feel that sense of professionalism that pervades the whole studio, which engulfs the staff too.

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Friday, January 8, 2010

Who Is A Funeral Director And What He Does

By Anton Cruise

to the actual handling of the deceased's corpse.

The prime duties of a funeral director can be categorised into four broad heads, shifting the dead body, readying it for the funeral service, making preparations for friends and relatives to assemble and pay their final respects to the deceased and then the actual cremation or burial of the body according to the choice or beliefs of the family.

These tasks entail taking care of activities like deciding the place and timings of the funeral ceremonies, arranging for a hearse to shift the body, and writing obituaries and posting them in newspapers or the electronic media. Further, funeral directors have to make arrangements for flowers and have the decoration done for each ceremony, make provisions for vehicles for the assembled people and dress up the deceased for the ceremony after embalming it.

A funeral director has many responsibilities other than the above mentioned ones, including performing the paperwork formalities as required. He helps the family secure a death certificate. He also acts as a facilitator for settling claims of insurance for the family besides helping them take benefit of facilities like veteran's burial support. He can even arrange for the clearance of any annuities or pensions that the family is entitled to receive, and provides tips to the family on management of funeral expenses.

He also has to associate with a number of people and needs to coordinate with all of them for successfully performing his jobs. He has to interact with not just the coffin makers and flower sellers but also priests and doctors.

Finally, it is essential for funeral directors to work beyond their normal schedule and provide comfort and solace to the bereaved family of the deceased, in order to help them tide over their grief. Though it is an important aspect of the profession, some funeral directors usually consider it a trivial responsibility.

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Thursday, January 7, 2010

Yoli - A Nice Combination Of Nutritional Ingredients!

By Justin Lofton

The Yoli line belongs to the most impressive things in regards to the company. It has products which might be not only highly consumable, but in addition very unique because of the delivery method. The 100% all natural ingredients and the way they are delivered is revolutionary and has included with the "WOW Factor" of Yoli for mlm networkers especially due in part which now have patented blast cap technology which creates an incredible demonstrability of the product.

Yoli Blast Caps permit you to have fun while enjoying many of today's most nutrient rich ingredients in their most potent, active state. Each Yoli Blast Cap is absolutely loaded chalk full of antioxidants in a super tasting beverage. Yoli contains no sugar, harmful chemicals, or preservatives common in the vast majority of today's formulations.

Loaded with optimal nutrition, with Yoli Blast Caps all you have to do is just Blast and Shake! Yoli delivers 100% nutrients via LIVE, Ingredients by protecting our formulas until as soon as you are ready to blast your blast cap and consume. No other nutrient delivery system can compare. Juice products and liquids can't compare to Yoli because of the heat manufacturing that takes place which destroys much of the live, active ingredients.

This all may leave you feeling a bit down about your sport energy drink. Maybe that means it is time for a switch. There is a better option in the marketplace. There is a drink which gives users the energy boost and also the nutritional benefits you crave. It is Yoli Blast.

Yoli Blast not only took out bad ingredients like artificial sweeteners and sugars, but also put in some good beneficial ingredients. Those healthy ingredients are not just in the drink, they are guaranteed to be potent and not stripped of healthy value. That is because Yoli Blast features the Yoli Blast Cap explaining where all the ingredients with the drink are contained, flash frozen, to retain all benefits.

In the Yoli Blast Cap there can be found a nice combination of nutritional ingredients. There is Vitamin C, pomegranate, Alkaplex, Acia extract, Gogi Berry, Resveratrol, Oxyphyte, White tea extract, Probiotics and Monatau. As you have seen this sport energy drink is packed with things that support you physically and help you to perform at your peak. Not only does Yoli Blast go above the competition in performance and health benefits, but it also takes a stand for the environment.

Every Yoli Blast bottle is made to reuse. You then can buy new caps as you need them to supply you with endless flavor and healthy benefits. Choosing a sport energy drink is not easy. Once you see the options on the market are often not what they seem to be, you can easily spot the energy drink that is right for you. As you've been shown, Yoli Blast is a step out in the rest, offering you everything you could potentially probably want in a sport energy drink.

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Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Guidelines On The Value Of Giving

By Masami Sato

A new experiment is completely changing lives in the rural areas of India by bringing luminosity where there used to be darkness.

An article was published in The New York Times named, "Husk Power for India". Current, which is routinely available in the lives of most in industrialized nations, is an unimaginable luxury in out-of-the-way corners of emerging countries. What was once fodder for cattle is now used to produce current - rice husks.

Raised in the rural state of Bihar, Manoj Sinha understood what it was like to sit in darkness. Being an engineer with Intel Corporation he had all the ability to bring alive the dream of a lifetime. He led the advancement of his power equipment that produces electricity from rice husks and other farm wastes and now he trades it to hamlets across India.

Sinha is what could be called a social entrepreneur because he feels business is a solution to key social issues. "Business leaders must realise that the world's poor need investments more than handouts," he says, adding, "these are customers, not victims."

The article motivated me to think about offering things in a different way that made me ask myself, "what is the most perfect form of giving?" Is it edification, commerce or disaster aid? There are so many ways to create a difference. One way of giving can seem more productive or practical than other ways depending on the way it is given expression, viewed or put into practice.

I then came to define there were eight parts to giving as a way to look at this. So, let me map out the eight distinctions; which in effect are often 'stages' of giving as well.

Stage one: Urgency - rescuing and supporting others who are struck by natural disaster, epidemic diseases or other uncontrollable circumstances.

Stage two: Reprieve - providing reprieve from long-standing malnutrition, penury, illnesses, handicaps or inequity which otherwise would prolong or get worsened because of the lack of perception, edification or resources.

Stage three: Healing and protection - mentally, physically and emotionally. Many people carry traumas that may be invisible but severely limiting their lives. Giving the healing to release the deep-rooted pain creates more opportunities for them while giving suitable protection gives them a sense of security.

Stage four: Training - giving better training, knowledge and skill instruction to create empowered and practical solutions to resource creation while encouraging people to identify their singular talent to survive.

Stage five: Creative investment - lending a hand, money or resources to those who have great potential to make a difference. This gets leveraged many times as the resources increase and passed on to many others who again make more out of the opportunities given.

Stage six: Tenability - working together with the people in the local surroundings, creating tenable groups - ambience-wise and reciprocally.

Stage seven: Empowerment - sanctioning and influencing the people to set free their true capability and drive to make a difference. In this group of offering, the aim of offering changes from 'giving to those who are in need' to 'giving people an opening to give to others' and to the whole group.

Phase eight: Caring - just doing whatever we want to do to cherish and care for others. No tactic or expected result exists in this phase of giving. 'Giving' does not even exist here in the conventional sense of the word, as there is no sense of ownership or reasoning or yearning to alter anything. This is where we do not even have to worry about anything, we give as a part of our own delightful sense of being.

What we also perceive is that at each one of these eight stages of giving there are distinctive things that the donor gets back.

One: Sense of bonding

Two: Sense of contentment

Three: reprieve from ache (our own)

Four: Thankfulness for our own ideas, gifts and conditions

Five: Long-term sense of contribution and satisfaction for our own life

Six: Improved environment for our own life and for the lives for all those we love and care for

Seven: Soul gratifying encouragement and devotion to our own purpose

Eight: Affection

Giving has many planes and understandings upon the basis of the giver and the beneficiary. And the 'levels' do not explain which one is higher than the other. All are imperative.

I was lucky to have an experience early in 2008 while journeying with a group of devoted entrepreneurs across India to see how we could be more productive in our helping. I was particularly happy to have one outstanding encounter that led me to think about what 'actual giving' really meant.

We were travelling in a small town one day. Four of us had just called a taxi to take us to another nearby town. We dealt with the driver cautiously as our hotel staff had forewarned us about the possible swindle when they see that we were not local.

We halted briefly in front of the local train station for a short recess on the way. While the others went to use the restroom, I tried to chat with our taxi driver standing near his vehicle. With his limited knowledge of English and a wonderful smile that showed his blackened front teeth, he told me that he had a house on the suburbs of the town and he had a sweet wife and two lovely kids who went to the local school - I felt a strong bonding with him.

I patted him on the back for having an affectionate family and told him that I also had two kids of the same age as his. When the others came back the driver instantly asked us to come to his house for food. I thought it was just a formality he wanted to convey at first. However, after leaving us at the centre of the town, he was particular that he would wait for us till we were done with our traveling around the town. And he actually did. I was in fact quite taken aback to see him still standing by the side of the road next to his taxi even after an hour. We hopped back into the taxi and he whizzed off up the road to where his home was.

When we landed there we were quite surprised to see the way he was living. It was in fact quite similar (if not worse) to the existence of the slum dwellers we had visited before that. From the bright new taxi he was driving, who could have pictured this

As he reached the narrow open street in between shanties that were made with rough concrete blocks and mud walls, we felt guilty about accepting his invitation. For a brief moment I was nonplussed. "How could I accept the hospitality of this man who didn't seem to have anything at all and I didn't even bring any gift that could be a help to his family", I told myself.

As we walked into his house, we saw a pan and small stove on the mud floor. His very shy wife nodded blushing in surprise and disappeared into the small storeroom (a cupboard size) next to it. As I looked in, I saw the next-door neighbours handing over some teacups to his wife over the crumbled concrete fence. They didn't even have extra teacups in their house. There was only one small room fitted out with one single bed and an old galvanised chest next to it.

The cab driver swiftly took out three hand-woven rugs from the galvanised box and placed it neatly on the small space of the mud floor keeping one on the bed.

Steaming cups of tea and hot snacks arrived soon. Both his kids as well as kids from the neighbouring houses came to see us and remained at the doorway. The six of us could just squeeze into the tiny room. I was curious to know where his children were sleeping. I thought maybe they had another space somewhere. To my astonishment, he just pointed at the chest and said with his happy smile that it was their bed.

He happily told us that he was an amateur dancer in the town and showed us some plaques on the sill above the bed. Enthusiastic to show us his dancing proficiency, he ran outside all at once. From somewhere music came flowing into the tiny room. He had no apparatus for music within the house, it was coming from outside. Surprised, I looked around to see him reversing his vehicle towards the back of his house keeping the doors open with the radio of the car blaring forth!

The time moved fast (with his dancing and the many more cups of tea that followed) and very soon it was time to thank them for their great warmth and courtesy and make our move. As we got ready to leave and express our gratitude to him and his wife, he pulled out the best of all the rugs he had, and just gave it to us. It was one of the very few things he owned. It was impossible to believe that he was offering it to us.

We all politely declined his gift and walked out saying goodbye to all the people waving at us. We got confused about this whole thing. Should we have given some money to the family as their life obviously looked very limited? Should we have accepted his prized gift?

As I was thinking about this awe-inspiring experience after a few days, I considered our begging off his gift. He looked crest-fallen that we didn't accept the gift. It wasn't only the rejecting of the gift that remained in my mind.

I realised that the feeling of restlessness I felt was in reality the result of seeing him as less privileged. I was feeling that I couldn't probably receive anything from someone who owned too little.

But did he really have nothing much? Maybe he had much more - many more.

Maybe the real present we could have given him then was to receive his present in utmost deference and thankfulness.

All actions of gifting and getting are essential for us to fill our world with plenty and contentment equally for both giver and getter. We can begin doing this instead of assessing and defending one over the other. The perfect act of gifting and getting needs no further clarification.

Manoj Sinha's words resound in my mind once again, "these are customers, not victims." I can visualise the eager faces of the village people who are now thrilled to have current in their hamlets and their little ones who now can now read and write and learn even at night.

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