The Importance of Car Information

You recall your first car? Was it a hunk of junk or a nice one? You may have resorted to the local newspaper for your car information in order to find that inexpensive, little jalopy. Or perhaps you were lucky enough to receive one is the gift or be able to afford one yourself. No matter where you searched, one thing was for sure; you wanted a good deal. In the past, this could often prove a difficult task. If it was bought from a dealer, he could make up any outrageous price that he wanted to, and if you went to an individual that had a car for sale you could end up with a junker and not know it until a month later and then you would be totally out of luck. This is really that big of a deal now a days. A deluge of car information is at your fingertips online.

I still remember my first car like it was yesterday. It was a 1978 Fiat Spider convertible. I got it from a college kid for $1100. It was a pretty decent first car. I mean I wasn't expecting a Porsche for $1100. It was one of those cars that you couldn't just let sit around not using it. You had to start everyday so it would turn over when you took it out for a spin. I recall one instance where I had not started it for three consecutive days. Big mistake, but fortunately I could always pop the clutch. While this wasn't the greatest car in the the universe, I definitely knew one thing, the seller provided all necessary car information upon my test drive so there wasn't any confusion. He has all the paperwork in order including service and maintenance records. It would be nice if everyone was as prepared.

If you're heading out to a dealership to find that new family van, or sports car, it's always a good idea to do your homework online first. The Internet is a vast reservoir of knowledge and information. It truly is a priceless resource. The car information online will save you plenty of like work. You know that you want a safe vehicle, and you know you want to avoid getting ripped off. Well, with the car information found on the World Wide Web, your worries should be subsided. The dealers no longer have the upper hand, that now belongs to us, the consumer. But the advantage is only hours if we choose to use it.

When you step into that dealership, you know what the vehicle sells for. The Internet will prevent you from being ripped off by exorbitant pricing. With your PC you can check out the numerous car sites in your area to see who's offering what. There are even online sales that can be found on auctions such as Ebay and other state and federal auction sites run by government agencies. The buyer is now the one in charge when purchasing that new car. With car information so accessible, finding that ride of your dreams is a synch.

Morgan Hamilton enjoys researching the world of cars and shares his knowledge by writing informative and interesting articles for the edification of all.Gwyn Blog74903
Harrietta Blog86752

A History Of Heels

High heels have been around for a very long time. Though they are not the epitome of sophistication and womanly sexiness, they have been serving similar purposed for men and for women for a long time. High heeled shoes are depicted in ancient Egyptian art in murals but the first history of heels goes back even further. The Egyptian depictions took place around 4000 BC and showed images of people wearing high heels in murals on the walls of ancient tombs and temples. The shoes depicted were flexible pieces of leather held on the foot with leather lacings. The next incarnation was a sort of platform sandal in 200 BC. These platform sandals were called kothorni. They had high wood soles and were used predominantly by tragic Roman actors. The kothorni were utilized mostly to give the advantage of height. Next, in 1000 CE the tradition came into play that the father of the bride in a Saxon wedding would give one of the brides shoes to the groom in order to symbolize the passing of authority from one man to another.

Shoes were not always simply for the purpose off beauty nor were they always simply functional. In 1154 King Henry II of England began to wear a shoe with narrow and pointed toes. This started a trend among the courtiers even though it was rumored that Henry wore these shoes in order to hide a deformation of his toes. In the 12th century CE, knights began to wear shoes with downward curving toes in order to keep their feet in the stirrups of their horses. Shoe toes were a big point of contention. It came to a point in the early thirteenth century where the length and pointed extremes of ones shoes were directly indicative of rank and prowess within a community. Kings and princes would wear shoes with toes up to 30 inches long!

The womens obsession with shoes doesnt begin in any modern form until the mid 18th century with Madame de Pompadour and Marie Antoinette who start trends in their courts regarding footwear. Madame de Pompadour made popular shoes that were named after her Pompadour. Unfortunately these shoes were very high and very narrow and too many ladies fainted at court because they tried to reduce the apparent size of their feet. Marie Antoinette went to her death in two inch heels less than 50 years later.

Dana Bradley writes about http://www.onlineshoesdepot.com/Coupons/Payless%20Shoes.html, Men Foot Wear and http://www.onlineshoesdepot.com.Hillary Blog99704
Flora Blog59128

Chincoteague Island Virginia

Chincoteague Island is a small, friendly, vacation resort along the coast of Virginia, USA. Vacations to the island can include recreational activities such as shopping, swimming, sunbathing, fishing, clamming, bird watching, nature cruises, biking, hiking, boating, kayaking, miniature golf, Chincoteague ponies, the pony swim, fireman's carnival, Chincoteague decoy and art show, Chincoteague Center's arts and crafts show and more.

The island is known for it's quaint shops and art galleries. Chincoteague area wildlife artists display art such as decoys and other bird carvings, paintings, photographs and sculptured wildlife pieces.

Located within minutes of the resort is Assateague Island, which is occupied by Assateague National Sea Shore and Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge covers over 14,000 acres of beach, dunes, marsh, and forest habitat. The majority of the refuge is located in Virginia although 418 acres are on Maryland soil. The refuge also includes Morris Island, Marsh on the Northern part of Chincoteague Island. The refuge extends southward, Assawoman, Metompkin, and Cedar Islands. Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge is one of the most popular refuges in the United States, especially among bird watchers. The refuge is either home to or a stop over point for a array of birds and other wildlife. Ducks, geese, swans, egrets, herons, and dozens of other shorebirds visit or live on the islands.

The most famous Chincoteague Island event is the pony swim and penning, a tradition since 1924. The swim, penning and auction is held on the last Wednesday and Thursday of July. Ponies are rounded up and swim the channel between Assateague and Chincoteague Islands. The animals are penned, inspected, fed and most of the foals auctioned off to qualified buyers. Most of the population of the ponies are returned to Assateague after the penning to roam free for another year.

Assateague Island lighthouse is another attraction for visitors to Chincoteague and Assateague Islands. The lighthouse is located within Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and is a popular tourist stop. The lighthouse is owned by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and is still actively used by the United States Coast Guard as an aid to navigation.

The Lighthouse is 142 feet high on a site 22 feet about sea level. The structure is one of the most attractive and recognizable lighthouses of the USA east coast. Made of brick, it was painted in the red and white pattern in 1967. Nearby is the keeper's quarters. The lighthouse light has had a series of lamp upgrades over the years and presently displays a powerful rotating light visible up to 19 miles away. The Oyster and Maritime Museum in Chincoteague displays the frensel lens on display which was used in the lighthouse from 1867-1963.

The Chincoteague Island Virginia Oyster Festival is another island attraction The festival, created by the chamber of commerce, features Chincoteague Island's famous oysters. The event promotes the oyster season, which includes the cooler months of fall, winter and spring. The popularity of the event may require obtaining tickets well in advance as the festival often sells out.

John C. Banks is a small business web designer, recreational angler and owner of several outdoor websites. See http://www.chincoteague-island.net for more information about this vacation resort.Harlene Blog51615
Grete Blog55641

Why You Must Obey Movie Copyright Laws In The Digital Age

Many people have pursued the hobby of downloading movies and songs on the Internet and sharing them with their friends and family online. However, this is direct violation of U.S. copyright laws. Not surprisingly, the biggest violators of the movie copyright laws are students. The movie industry is sending out copyright infringement claims to college universities around the country. One reason that college students may be the hardest hit is that they are not aware of how serious a crime copyright infringement is.

Many college students who have lawsuits brought against them are shocked, to say the least. They question why they were not warned about the perils of downloading movies and songs online and passing them along to friends. However, with the rise of claims, no one can claim ignorance for much longer. Word is being spread near and far that if you engage in illegal downloading and/or sharing, then you can be brought to court. College students are learning the hard way that it is against the law and in violation of copyright laws to share or download copyrighted material. Many colleges and universities now state in their handbooks that it is against the law to illegally download movies, music and other forms of media using school computers.

In addition to illegal downloading and sharing movies, the files take up space on the computer systems and use a considerable amount of bandwidth. While most universities and colleges will not look at the content an individual has -- they can isolate and identify the individuals who are hogging up bandwidth by using illegal file sharing.

The movie and music industries have stepped in and are demanding restitution for illegally downloaded movies, music and other forms of copyrighted media. They have detection agencies that have the technology to identify and trace copyright infringements straight to their source. Once the computer is located they can notify the university or the college that they are in violation. The university will be told that they have a copyright infringement claim against them. Based on the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, once the computer is isolated, then Internet access is terminated to that computer and court proceedings can begin.

Does this sound far fetched? Well, it is not. You should know that a few years ago Recording Industry Association of America sued four students. These students attended Princeton, Michigan Technical University and Rensselear Polytechnic Institute. One student had an estimated liability of $150 billion. When you consider that you can be charged $750 per song that you illegally download, the total can add up fast! The good thing is the lawsuits against the college students were settled for amounts less than $20,000. That is not pocket change for college students -- or anyone for that matter!

Movies and music are meant to be enjoyed. However, illegally downloading movies and music is not much different than walking into a video store and sticking DVDs and CDs in your pocket. Be careful. You do not want to be caught violating any movie copyright laws.

Richard Cunningham is a freelance journalist who covers copyright law for http://www.ResearchCopyright.com. Download his free e-book, "Copyright Basics" at http://ResearchCopyright.com.Idette Blog8332
Guinna Blog13277

Selecting the Right iPod

Apple currently offers three iPods -- the Shuffle, Nano and iPod (video) -- and one is probably just right for you. Although there are certainly aesthetic reasons for buying an iPod (who can resist the beauty of design of a Nano), in this article I'll describe some of the more logical reasons for selecting an iPod.

iPod Shuffle

The iPod Shuffle is the smallest and least expensive of the current iPod models. It's also the newest model, officially shipping just days ago, although it was first announced and previewed by Steve Jobs in mid-September.

The Shuffle's amazingly small size, virtual weightlessness and good battery life (Apple reports up to 12 hours of use from one battery charge) make it ideal for long trips or walks. The built-in clip makes wearing the Shuffle easy and secure and it eliminates the need for or cost of an extra case. Clip it anywhere and start walking or jogging.

The main disadvantage to a Shuffle is the limited storage space for music (1 GB). Some people complain that it lacks a screen, but I find a screen is unnecessary on a Shuffle since you can arrange music on it in the order you want to hear the songs using iTunes and changing the volume and moving back and forth through your songs requires no visual effort. For those who must have a screen on a lightweight MP3 player, Apple makes the iPod Nano.

iPod Nano

Like the Shuffle, the new Nano is almost weightless and, with the right case, it can be worn around your neck or on your arm. The battery life of a Nano for audio playback is extremely long (according to Apple, up to 24 hours of use from one battery charge), especially if you use the screen and backlight minimally.

The storage capacities for a Nano are 2 GB, 4 GB and 8 GB. If you have a small-to-medium size music collection, and you like the idea of carrying all your music with you in as small an MP3 player as possible, the Nano might be perfect for you. The addition of a screen lets you select just the songs you want to hear while still providing you with a lightweight option you can wear around your neck, carry in your pocket or wear on your arm. You can also store and view photos on a Nano but the storage space of the smaller Nano models might be limiting for a photo enthusiast.

The major disadvantage to the Nano is the cost of the 4 GB and 8 GB models. The 8 GB model is the same price as a 30 GB iPod (video) and the 4 GB model is only $50 less than the 30 GB iPod. Also, none of the models come with accessories except a cable to connect them to your computer or a charger, so you need to figure in the cost of at least a cover to protect the screen of a new Nano. But the Nano is small and lightweight and has a screen, and it may be the perfect iPod for users with smaller music collections.

iPod (video)

The largest iPod is Apple's "video" iPod, although Apple refers to it as just the iPod. The battery life for video viewing is good -- up to 3-1/2 hours of use from one battery charge. The excellent resolution (320 x 240) and brightness of the screen of the iPod make viewing videos a delight.

The latest iPod comes in two sizes -- 30 GB and 80 GB -- and, like all iPods (including the Shuffle), it can be used for storing data as well as audio files, photos and videos. Storing your complete iTunes library on the iPod is very easy. Just connect your iPod to your computer, set iTunes to copy your complete library to the iPod and iTunes will do the rest. Every time you update your iTunes library and then connect your iPod, your music and videos will also be updated on your iPod.

One of the advantages of the large storage capacity of the iPod is the ability to add podcasts to your music library. You can find a large variety of free podcasts through the iTunes Store (the easiest way to add podcasts) and iTunes lets you easily update the podcasts automatically or manually. You can also visit podcast websites (for example, Podcast Net or Podcast Alley) for more podcasts, including video podcasts.

The iPod is, naturally, larger and heavier than a Nano, but it's still small enough and lightweight enough to carry in your pocket or purse. If you need the extra storage space and/or want video capabilities, the iPod (video) might be the right iPod for you.

As you can see, whether your needs are for a simple, no-frills, very small, easy-to-use music player (Shuffle), for a full-featured music and video player (iPod) or for something in-between (Nano), there is an iPod that is right for you. To help in making a choice, you can view a comparison chart of the three current iPod models at Apple's website.

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Claire J Rottenberg is an award-winning researcher and writer with over 20 years of experience using Macintosh computers. She is the author and publisher of ebooks for users of Mac OS X 10.4 software and a free monthly ezine on Mac OS X 10.4. http://homepage.mac.com/cjrtools/ebooksHaley Blog10886
Gena Blog93539

Identity Theft Nine Threats & Nine Steps To Protection

The Bad News: Identity theft is escalating at a torrid pace. It has become one of the countrys top problems. The bad guys are finding more ways to steal YOUR identity.

The Good News: You can take control of the situation, become both reactive and proactive guarding yourself against identity theft.

Identity Theft Is Spreading Faster Than The Worst Case Of The Flu!

First, lets understand just how bad identity theft has become in this country:

The Federal Trade Commission says that there is an underground market for credit card numbers, social security numbers and ID documents organized gangs or web mobs use and sell these documents for as little as $10 each. Some of these groups contain thousands of members. The amount of goods and services purchased with fraudulently obtained personal identity exceeded 52-billion dollars in 2004.

US Department of Justice states identity theft is affecting millions of households in the U.S. each year. The cost is estimated to be six-point-four billion per year. According to the FTC, an estimated 10 million adults become victims of identity theft each year.

The Department of Justice goes on to say that the most common misuse of identity was through credit cards, accounting for 50 percent of all identity theft. Next in line were banking and other types of accounts at 25 percent, personal information was 15 percent, and a combination of several types of identity theft was at 12 percent. The average loss for each identity theft was $1,290.00. Two-thirds of those surveyed said the theft cost them money despite credit card coverage.

A recent State of the Net survey by Consumer Reports which covered more than 2000 households with Internet Access projects that American consumers lost more than eight-billion dollars over the last two years to viruses, spyware and various scams. The report also shows consumers face a one-in-three chance of becoming a cyber victim about the same as last year. It goes on to say that consumers lost $630 million over the past two years to e-mail scams.

The average person today suffers through two or more incidents with their computer each year - the computer slows to a crawl, crashes altogether, viruses or spyware take over systems and more. Its getting worse as computers become more complex and as we do more with them.

So, Who Is At Risk For Identity Theft?

According to the Department of Justice there are three groups that are most at risk for identity theft: young adults 18 to 24, adults who earn $75,000 per year or more and households in urban and suburban area. Interesting to note that about five percent of adults who earn $75,000 or more a year are hit with identity theft.

The continued growth of online fraud and identity theft are putting an enormous strain on the existing infrastructure for the Internet as well as our social structure. For example, the banking community has been complacent about security upgrades required by the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council. They report that every bank in the country has not complied with their guidelines set for now. In an article titled, U.S. Banks Complacent Toward Identity Theft Solution, by PR Web, the single largest national security threat is a terrorist attack on our banking system. An attack aimed simultaneously at millions of user names and passwords within banks would shut down our banking system. This would instantly shut down banks worldwide. Credit/debit cards, checks, calls to the bank, would not work for at least a matter of days causing tremendous hardship and a ripple effect from no gas to I simply have to take this baby food.

Consider for a moment some of the potential social effects from this identity theft problem. What if citizens developed a lack of confidence in our credit card and monetary system causing economic upheaval similar to what we saw in the Great Depression? I know this sounds radical, but what if you couldnt trust your identity to anyone anymore? What if you feared that your money, your identity was going to be stolen? Its not unthinkable that you would store your money under your mattress at home or in a safe in the closet rather than possibly losing it to identity theft. If millions of people lost faith in our monetary system and the ability to keep their identity safe and then took all of their money home where they believe it would be safe, what would happen then?

We generally cant control what happens outside of our personal environment, what happens at a bank, corporation or the government seems so far out of reach. There are, however, steps that we can take that will give us a better chance of protecting our personal information. The first step is identifying the threats and then taking steps to protect ourselves.

Below, I have identified nine identity theft threats and nine steps to protect our identity in todays society.

Nine Threats To Your Identity

Here are nine of the most popular ways for thieves to steal your identity. Some of these are personally preventable and others are out of our control:

1. Stolen Company Data. Your personal information is stored on computers at stores where you shop, at your insurance company, your accountant, and more. It almost seems like a common occurrence where a company is hacked into and their customers information is stolen. This happens so often now that the crimes are rarely reported and dont make the front page anymore.

2. Social Engineering. Identity Thieves are very clever. They will invent any way possible to fool you into giving your identity out. Its called social engineering because the thief uses common social situations to get the information they want. Like a seemingly innocent phone call supposedly from your credit card company asking for your personal information.

3. Dumpster Diving. Identity thieves get a lot of their victims information out of garbage cans and recycle bins from old credit card statements and other personal documents thrown out carelessly.

4. Mail Theft. Your mail can contain valuable information: bills, banking information, credit cards, investments and more. Personal mail can often be stolen right from a mailbox.

5. Financial Account Hijacking. Once a thief has your personal information they can take over your personal accounts. You might not know about their activity for months.

6. Credit Card Magnetic Strip Theft. These clever crooks have tools to steal information off the magnetic strips on your credit card.

7. Discarded Computers. Your old computer really can tell stories. Even though you erased your hard drive crooks have tools to reclaim your personal information and use it against you.

8. Spyware and Viruses on Computers. You may not be familiar with the term malware. Its a term that covers all of the hacker tools that can cause harm on your computer. These tools include spyware, keylogger tools, Trojan horses and more.

9. E-mail and Internet Scams. Cyber thieves are getting more and more creative using scams like Phishing, Pharming and fancy come-ons to entice you to give them your personal information.

There Are Four Ways You Can Approach Protecting Your Identity...

One way is to do nothing and hope that identity thieves dont harm you.

Second, you can be reactive. Reactive simply means that you are responding to all the material that comes your way. You are checking your credit card and bank statements to make sure nothing peculiar is on them. And if you do find something strange you contact your bank or credit card company immediately. Reactive also means that you are checking your credit report when you apply for credit or a loan.

Third, you can be proactive. A proactive approach is a more aggressive way of protecting yourself against the bad guys. You are constantly looking ahead and evaluating before giving out valuable information.

And fourth, combine reactive and proactive approaches. This is the best way to ensure you identity protection.

Nine Critical Steps To Proactively Protecting Your Identity...

Here are your Nine Proactive Steps To Identity Protection:

1. Begin to operate on an I have to know everything approach when you give out your personal information. Only give out your personal information to people you know and trust.

2. Protect your Social Security Number, credit card and other financial information. Do not give this information out over the phone unless you initiated the call or as we stated above are talking to a trusted individual from a trusted company.

3. Cancel all of your unused accounts including banking, credit card, licenses and permits.

4. At least once a year, if not more often, update and check your credit report and Social Security Earnings and Benefits Statement to make sure everything appears as it should.

5. Protect your mail. Make sure you have a secure locked mailbox to receive all of your mail. Always mail your payments and checks from a secure Post Office Box or from the Post Office. And, if you have a Post Office Box at the Post Office never discard your mail in a garbage can. Always bring your entire mail home.

6. Always crosscut shred all bank statements, credit card applications or information and important documents before discarding to recycle or the garbage. It is best to stir up the shredded documents to make it even harder for identity thieves to steal your information.

7. Purchase identity theft insurance. This will cover any losses incurred while recovering your lost identity once a crook has stolen it.

8. Invest in professional grade protection for your computer. The best protection available today comes from Managed Internet Security Service providers. The best security services include best-of-breed corporate grade security software for your computer, as well as unlimited service and support from trained security pros. Make sure it is the same kind of service that is used by major corporations around the world. Frankly, the over-the-counter and free security software programs available dont keep up with todays professional cyber thief. If those popular programs worked, why do we see the cyber-crime problem growing at a progressively faster pace?

A managed professional Internet security program should have the following technologies installed: A bi-directional or dual Firewall that prevents information from coming in or going out of your computer without your permission, anti-virus protection that is updated daily, and malware protection that is updated daily. Malware consists of spyware, adware, Trojan horses, keyloggers and more. It constantly changes so you will need a technology that keeps up with the professional hackers who want your identity. Your best bet is to find a professional security service that affordably manages all this for you.

9. Beware of e-mail scams like Phishing and Pharming. Phishing is an e-mail that looks like it came from a bank or business claiming you need to take care of a problem or your account will be closed down. It takes you to a page to fill out your personal information. Meanwhile, Pharming is redirecting your computer from a legitimate to a fake web site. For example, you may think that you are going to your banking site, but instead are redirected to a site that looks like your banks web site, but is hosted by an identity thief.

Identity theft continues to grow at a torrid pace. Millions of people in the United States will lose their identity to thieves in the coming year. Many of them will suffer for years trying to clean up the mess that was left behind.

The bad news is we cant control all of the identity threats we face each day. The good news is there are reactive and proactive steps we can take to protect ourselves against personal tragedy.

Warren Franklin is engaged in the cause of educating and protecting people who use the Internet about the threats they face and the inadequacy of the solutions they trust, and over a two-year period has become an expert on PC Security and a passionate advocate of Internet safety. Find out more his campaign for personal and Internet security go to his web site at http://www.completeinternetprotection.com.Ibby Blog62708
Giralda Blog59879

Selecting a Colocation Facility

Selecting a Colocation Facility

Communications and data access are integral for business operations. Websites, email and messaging services, and servers have to be up and protected for business communications to function. Data centers that house mission-critical infrastructure the most vital parts of the company network, like servers and databases must sustain the power, climate-control and connectivity that network infrastructure demands.

Redundancy

The colocation facility should have redundant systems, with sufficient capacity, at every point of operation, from climate control systems to network equipment. Having multiple units for to handle capacity is not the same as redundancy. All systems should be in an n+1 configuration; for example, if there are two units, they should both run at less than 50% capacity so that if one fails, the other can still handle the load; if there are three units, then they should be at 66% capacity.

Superior Connectivity

Several factors determine the quality of a colocation centers Internet connectivity:

* The number of Internet backbones
* Total available bandwidth
* Latency, packet loss, and jitter
* Uptime

Colocation data centers provide Internet access to tier-1 carriers, tier-2 carriers, or carrier-neutral access. Tier-1 services provide direct access to one of the major Internet backbone networks, like AT&T. Tier-2 providers routes traffic among multiple tier-1 providers, and reliability and speed are influenced by how effectively traffic is routed. Carrier-neutral access allows service from any carrier, but requires that customers configure their own routing and maintain their own connections to Internet backbones. Tier-2 access is preferable because routing is configured by the colocation facility and its more reliable because more backbones are available, which increases uptime and network performance.

Load-Responsive Routing

The way that Internet traffic is routed, both the hardware and routing logic, has a significant effect on connectivity. Effective routing covers three areas:

* Redundant routers and switches with full capacity for all customers
* Performance-based routing, which continuously adjusts routes to find the most effective one, rather than the least expensive
* Routing among more than three, and preferably four or five, Internet backbones

A hardware-redundant, dynamically adjusting routing system creates a self-healing network that offsets backbone problems, traffic and load, and hardware failures so that service doesnt suffer.

Climate Control

The design of the facility itself has an impact on the performance of systems housed in the colocation center. Server rooms should control air flow between rows. The heat generated by servers is blown in one row, and cool air can be drawn in from another row. Designated hot and cold rows circulate the air to keep servers from overheating.

Appropriately-sized and redundant climate-control units create cold air and control humidity. Servers have strict climate requirements, about 72 degrees and 45% humidity. Colos must have both chillers for the facility climate control and computer room air conditioning (CRAC) units for the server rooms. The capacity for cooling units is calculated by dividing the total tonnage by the square footage. For example, if there are two 50-ton chillers and a 4000 square foot facility, the chiller capacity is 0.040 tons/foot. Chillers and CRAC units should each have a capacity of 0.30 tons/foot or higher.

Power

If there is a failure of the primary power source, the generators and UPS are vital to keep the network online. The UPSs run the servers while power switches from regular electricity to generators, and there must be generators onsite for immediate backup power. The power system should have the following features:

* Failover practices for switching to redundant generator and UPS systems
* Multiple, redundant UPS, systems, since UPSs fail routinely
* A generator large enough to handle 1.5 times the normal building load

Making a Decision

Keeping servers offsite can be a good decision logistically, but only if the data center provides a reliable, secure network environment. Look for potential pitfalls, where service may not offer enough reliability or performance:

* Non-redundant power, cooling, or Internet connections
* Insufficient backup power or non-redundant UPSs or generators
* A low number of Internet backbone connections or substandard routing methods
* Insufficient cooling systems
* Poor uptime record

Robert DupreeGlennie Blog11559
Helli Blog26868

Denver Schools Worry About Diversity

In June of this year, the United States Supreme Court ruled to restrict schools across the nation, including Denver Schools, from using race to determine attendance. This decision will limit the integration at many schools across the nation. The decision was split with a five justice majority ruling that school programs in Seattle and Louisville violated the Constitutions guarantee of equal protection to ALL students. Educators in Denver Schools fear that the decision may lead schools to stop efforts to balance the racial mixes within their districts.

This decision will definitely affect the way Denver Schools achieve racial integration. Administrators in Denver Schools are among those in Colorado that use such tools. The Boulder Valley School District, for example, seeks diversity by placing students based on family income. "These policies ... are on a stronger footing today than they were yesterday," said Kevin Welner, a lawyer and director of the Education and the Public Interest Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

School districts have a lot of options in trying to build schools that are racially integrated, including targeted recruitment in neighborhoods, or redrawing school-attendance zones. Denver Schools use several criteria when determining school zones and districting; and one of those criteria is race. Students are sometimes bussed further from their homes to achieve racial diversity and avoid segregation. Some education experts within the Denver Schools feel that they may abandon race-conscious policies because of this decision. Administrators say that race is used to target students and move them to other Denver Schools where their needs can be better met, and so racial diversity can be achieved. Denver Schools feel that the decision has left them little room to maneuver and achieve their goals.

The delicate balance between justice and diversity is a hot issue nationwide. Instances where white students have been denied entrance into magnet programs because of their skin color initiated the court cases. Currently, Denver Schools representatives use race and racial density within areas of their district to decide where to build schools. Their goal is to bring enriched magnet programs, and some well-educated families, into inner-city neighborhoods.

Some within the Denver Schools have voiced concerns that students may be the ones who end up getting shortchanged if race is not a factor. They are voicing concerns that their children will be forced to attend schools within their neighborhoods, instead of being allowed to attend more racially diverse schools where the quality of education, educators and administrators may be higher. Others feel that it may force schools systems across the nation, and within Denver Schools, to make sure schools are equally staffed, supervised and supported so that all children will receive an equal education.

Patricia Hawke is a staff writer for Schools K-12, providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. For more information please visit http://www.schoolsk-12.com/Colorado/Denver/index.htmlFlory Blog54557
Francyne Blog991

RSA Attack Efficiency Improves

August 2006 saw the disclosure of a fairly interesting attack against the RSA encryption algorithm (most famously being used in SSL - protecting online transactions). While it didn't target the actual algorithm, which still has not been broken, it is a so-called side channel attack, targeting the peculiarities associated with implementing the algorithm on various computing hardware.

The team behind the initial disclosure have recently submitted a modified approach to the attack, resulting in almost-astronomical improvements in attack efficiency.

In basic terms, the attacks rely upon a phenomenon known as 'Branch Prediction Analysis', where a program / attacker is able to predict what other software is doing as it passes through the CPU of a system.

In the first iteration of the described attack, the method required snooping on what was happening with the CPU for a relatively long period (or number of cycles), and certain software that implemented SSL protection (OpenSSL) quickly introduced patches to protect against this listening attack.

While many hardware manufacturers and Operating System developers have introduced defensive mechanisms to try and prevent this sort of attack taking place, it has been discovered that Pentium-IV (PIV) chips with Hyper-Threading enabled still have two caches that are not adequately protected. The new iteration of the attack, using a technique dubbed 'Simple Branch Prediction Analysis' (SBPA) targets both of these caches and can extract almost the complete secret SSL key in just one cycle. Running as an unprivileged user, this method can also target and extract data from any other software processes running on the system (SSL is an example in this case).

The technical black magic of how a branch predictor attack works can be explained as follows. Although modern CPUs are very quick, they still can't process absolutely every bit of information that they need to without a queue building up. This queue of instructions / data waiting for processing sits in a cache next to the CPU and they are executed in order of priority / time spent in the queue (various tuning settings come into play). By attempting to monopolise the CPU's attention, and filling the cache, the miniscule timing differences between when instructions from the same process are executed can give hints about what other instructions and data are moving through the CPU. Being able to interpret what this data is exactly, is key to branch prediction.

Mitigating the issue is the requirement to be running secure and insecure processes on the same processor at the same time, and for the attacker being able to run their process as a local user. Due the spying process capturing almost 100% CPU continuously while it is running, normal system monitoring software should be alerting administrators to something out of the ordinary running on the system.

What real-world threat exists for this relatively esoteric attack? Shared-server installations. It would be possible for a lesser-privileged account holder on a shared server to run the spying process while other account holders are negotiating SSL connections. A well timed attack will allow them to run their spying process once (and thus minimise the attention drawn to it), and then be able to effectively intercept SSL communications directed at the target.

Carl Jongsma is the founder and lead researcher for Snnet Beskerming (http://www.beskerming.com), an Information Security company that services the world and still maintains the local touch.Harlene Blog7388
Gwennie Blog8908

Writing Effective Catalog Copy Or Web Copy Can Be Fun!

Once you learn a few fundamental principles and techniques, writing persuasive catalog copy, web copy or product descriptions for printed brochures or sales sheets becomes an easy, enjoyable process.

Step 1. List features and benefits, then connect them.

If you've read anything about copywriting, you've heard about the importance of including the benefits of products as well as their features. For instance, when you say your widget is a 2-inch pink plastic paperclip, you are describing its features. When you say it enables you to color-code stacks of papers or it attracts attention on someone else's desk or it makes a great gift for your organized-like-mad teenager, you are describing its benefits.

For concise, interesting product descriptions in a printed or online catalog, it's essential to combine features and benefits, weaving them together tightly yet unobtrusively. Here's a sample excerpt from the print catalog The Territory Ahead, mixing features and benefits:

Over cobblestone or dirt, concrete or causeway, the compression-molded midsole and metatomical footbed provide all-day, all-terrain cushioned support. (In other words, supreme comfort like we've never seen in a huarache.) Keen's patented bumpered toe prevents stubs and smashes. The traditional, tire-styled outsole features linen fabric inlay for additional strength and flex.

The widget's feature X gives you benefit Y. In one way or another (and there are at least 16 different ways to make this connection), this forms the foundation of catalog copy.

Step 2. Brainstorm angles and choose one as your opener.

Almost always, you'll also need an attention-getter for the headline and first sentence of your product description. Use the checklist at the top of this page, or the expanded one in 73 Ways to Describe a Widget, described below, to come up with an interesting way to think about the item. For instance, The Territory Ahead actually starts the product description quoted above with this answer to the question, "Who is it for?":

Ultralightweight, anatomically logical and muy guapa, Keen's huarache overhaul was done with the global wanderer in mind.

You can weave other elements from this brainstorming into your descriptive copy as space allows.

Step 3. Polish up your descriptions in a consistent voice.

Did you notice the way that the writing from The Territory Ahead has personality? Technically, this element is called voice, and it's what unifies the descriptions at a web site or in a catalog so that they have a corporate identity. When there's a tight match between the writing voice and the customers' interests and needs, the shopper feels the company is speaking directly to them, and that they're looking at the kind of widgets they'd most like to buy.

While the samples above from The Territory Ahead have a kind of masculine romance about them, a catalog or web site's voice could be efficient, technical, playful, practical, compassionate, soulful... There are a zillion possibilities.

Whatever the voice chosen, it must be consistent throughout the catalog or web site, or prospective customers get confused.

Step 4. Proofread, checking details.

As with any marketing or sales piece, the last step consists of proofreading, to make sure that you've included all the elements that people need to know before making a buying decision - size, color, composition, weight, price, etc. - along with making sure that the details provided are accurate.

Four steps - that's all there is to mastering the art of tantalizing product descriptions for catalogs or web sites.

Marcia Yudkin, author of Persuading on Paper and 10 other books, specializes in compelling, yet hype-free copywriting. This article is adapted from her report, 73 Ways to Describe a Widget: Never Be Brain Dead Again When Having to Write Catalog Copy or Sales Material: http://www.yudkin.com/catalog.htm.Guinevere Blog66945
Haily Blog62274

Free Report About Business Models in Making Money Online

Various surveys and studies had proven that hundreds if not thousands of internet users around the globe seek to find ways to earn-a-living and "make-a-life" on the net.

Quite a number are willing to pour out some hard earned money and countless hours of efforts, just to get their share of the so called "internet bounties". The only thing that matter is - they just do not know what to do and how to get started.

Other groups might have gathered knowledge after massive hours of researched, but ... has no enough budget to arm themselves with the right tools and programs for their chosen business model.

In contrast, some individuals are fortunate to have enough money to invest, thus, more than excited to make more money from the net. But - they have no time and are not willing to take action.

Pause for a moment... and ponder - which of the above groups do you belong?

Whatever is your answer ...>>> a free report is designed and made available for you.

A well researched free report is created, purposely to save your time and effort in searching for more knowledge and ideas in starting Online Home Based Business using your pc and the power of the "internet".

You may have already read information about this topic, or right now, might have indulge in some online home based business.

But self-education is a continuing process and it pays to continuously educate yourself by getting into the minds of other players in the field of making money online.

You can sit-back and enjoy reading this free report, which in a nutshell, explained about;

Forget about "getting rich quick".

The purpose of getting started with an online home based business is to build a strong and long lasting income builder which you can rely on for years to come.

Building a stable income from your online home based business doesn't happen over-night. But it surely helps you fill your banks with cash to pay your bills and vacation expenses if you are willing to invest time and effort in it.

And it all start with a proper planning.

First things off, you have to decide what products or services you will sell online, or what internet activities you will do that converts into money making generator.

That's right.

Just like any other traditional business in the physical world, you need something to market if you are going to make any money from the net.

With this, you need to know the different business models in making money on the internet, as enumerated below.

1. Paid Online Surveys
2. Free Paid Surveys
3. Home Typing Jobs
4. Data Entry Work From Home
5. Freelance Jobs
6. Mystery Shopping
7. Get Paid To Drive
8. Ebay Online Auction
9. Affiliate Programs
10. Reseller Programs
11. MLM and Downline Builder
12. Wholesale Buying and Drop-Shipping
13. Public Domain Works
14. Expired Domain Names
15. eBooks and Software Creation
16. Stock Trading
17. Foreign Exchange
18. Franchising
19. Doublers
20. HYIP
21. Grants
22. Lottery
23. Sports Betting

You can research in the internet and find websites that especialized one or two, or a combination of the above business models. And be ready to spend hundreds or countless hours of your precious time searching the best website that could give you the information you need.

However, if you want to save time and effort, you can get a very comprehensive review on each of the above online money making models in just one website that published a series of free reports covering the above-mentioned topics, plus you get a number of valuable free-bonus-give-aways starting right from the moment you sign-up.

Once you do, you could one of those happy subscribers of http://Guide-2.com.

Samuel Quino is the website publisher of http://www.guide-2.com. Visit http://Guide-2.com now to download your first batch of free-bonus-giveaways.Gerda Blog73713
Freddi Blog48885

Extramarital Affair: Their Sex is Not Always "Hot"

Yesterday two of my coaching calls were with those whom had the extramarital affair.

Both of them hugely regret the marital infidelity. Not only that, they explicitly described their sexual encounters.

And, their sexual encounters left them cold. Literally!

The first was a male who seemingly struggled through extramarital affair #6: I need to prove my desirability. He described a life-long pattern of struggle with self-esteem. (Now, this is not news - most of us at some level question our esteem - but for him, it was more intense.)

He found someone (or maybe was was found by someone) 15 years younger who flattered him. It felt good. The flirtatious relationship lasted for some months. He reported that they "tried" to have sex on a couple occasions. The result was terribly unsatisfying and only compounded his guilt.

The second person was a female who also encountered someone 15 or so years her junior. She was traumatized to the extent that she felt like it "wasn't her." She did remember that he was unable to get an erection. I'm now working with her and her husband to "makeover" their relationship.

I bring this up to help those of you who think that the sex your spouse/partner had with the other person was something just a tad short of stupendous, or maybe was indeed a stupendous event. (Sex perhaps was on one level "good" - at least from their perspective - but this is only true for particular kinds of affairs.) Actually, I believe sex can NEVER be as good in an extramarital affair as it truly can be in a committed relationship founded on truth and integrity. But, perhaps more of that later.

Please keep in mind that you may indeed be idealizing their sexual encounters.

Many of you have difficulty shaking thoughts and vivid images of your spouse having wall-banging sex with the other person. This is OK. It's normal. Our culture sends a plethora of distorted messages concerning sex. One of them is: sex is "hot" when you are with your affair partner. Not true!

I hope this little quickie get's your mind reality based.

Dr. Robert Huizenga, the Infidelity Coach, offers infidelity help and relationship advice for coping with extramarital affairs and marital infidelity at: http://Break-Free-From-the-Affair.com and http://Infidelity-help.com. Get articles and free downloads on emotional infidelity, coping with infidelity, the cheating spouse, signs of an affair, surviving infidelity and more.Francene Blog85047
Hilliary Blog8763

Five Key Leadership Lessons I Learned from Serving on Non-Profit Boards

Like many of you, I serve on several non-profit boards in various capacities including chair. And, like many of you, I have had great experiences and frustrating experiences. Here are some of the key leadership lessons I have learned along the way that are critical for success. These lessons can serve you well in both a non-profit and for-profit environment.

1. Have a vision. This should be clear and well articulated so that everyone understands where the organization is going. People want to be part of something important if not big. Your job is to show them how their work is going to make a difference and then inspire them to want to do whatever it takes to deliver that vision.

2. Plan the work, work the plan. Develop a strategic plan with deliverables, deadlines and key responsibilities. Then, your job is to motivate and coach team members to success. You should also expect to be called upon to secure resources, remove roadblocks and hold people accountable. Sound obvious? Maybe, but you'd be surprised at how many boards I've served on where there wasn't a plan in place. Poor board performance and lack of results were the outcome. Remember, most boards and teams want to be part of a group that makes things happen.

3. Get the right people on board. Create job descriptions, identify key competencies, and benchmark positions to ensure that you put the right team in place. There are a number of assessment tools that can help you do this cost effectively and efficiently. And, don't be pennywise and pound foolish. If you lack critical skills in-house, then be willing to outsource to obtain those skills. I've never worked with an organization where budget wasn't a key consideration; however, completing a simple cost benefit analysis can go a long way in helping to make the business case for obtaining critical skills, particularly if they are required to achieve key outcomes.

4. Fire poor performers. That's right. You're not doing anyone a favor by allowing someone that doesn't fulfill the minimum requirements of their position to continue in a particular role whether they are volunteers or paid employees. At best, it damages your credibility as a leader. At worst, it damages the performance of the entire team. It will be much harder for you to overcome a lack of credibility or worse, the resentment of your team, than it will be for you to muster up the courage to fire someone from your team. Of course you will want to follow your organizations policy for handling this type of situation.

5. Make course corrections along the way. Leaders make decisions based on the information currently at hand. As new information becomes available, you've got to be willing to use that information to implement changes along the way, and if necessary, to cancel projects and initiatives that no longer make sense altogether. Ignoring reality, unwillingness or inability to make key decisions, and inability to manage change, will only serve to undermine your effectiveness and the performance of those you are leading.

If you are currently leading or plan to lead a corporate or non-profit team, heed these lessons and you will find yourself and your team on the fast track for success.

Copyright 2006 Red Ladder, Inc.

Regina Barr is a management consultant and speaker who helps companies develop strategies to attract, develop and retain women leaders. Sign up for her FREE Ezine, Developing People...Inspiring Success at http://www.RedLadder.com.Genevieve Blog97998
Fiona Blog9773

How to Beat the Poker Fish and Call Machine

You can win many rounds of poker if you simply observe other players and their body language. You must carefully observe each move to determine if the player is a professional or a novice.

A poker fish is usually a beginner who is highly enthusiastic and will bet even with average cards. You will find the poker fish at the lower limit poker games though they may occasionally play at the higher limit tables.

You can win several games if poker fish are present at your table.

You may lose a few games, but on an average the more you sit at a table, the more you will win against them. Once you recognize a poker fish at your table, you can develop a proper strategy and beat them hollow. You can beat the fish by calculating the pot odds for your hand. They are playing based on pure luck while you can maximize your chances by using proper probability and your player reading skills.

You must compute the number of undealt cards and your chance of getting such cards. In case there are a good number of cards, you must call a bet; else, you must leave the game. If you are playing online poker, you can beat the poker calling machines by using a pot odds calculator. The poker calling machines always have an edge over the player and the purpose of your poker strategy must be to minimize this edge as much as possible.

You must learn how to adapt your game at various stages of the game as several players get a straight or a flush. If the bet is reasonable with a reasonable jackpot and you have a good hand, you must call the bet. In case you are last to play on the table and have a weak hand, it is better to leave the game than risk losing whatever you may have won.

Your opponents may have a good hand and will try to draw you in to betting at the river. They may try to check you and call your bet, so play as per the strength of your cards. You can also check on the river if you wager and your opponents have missed a draw. You may not bet in case you are the first player. So, play intelligently and call the bluff of your competitors.

In case you play last, you may wager on the flop. This way if the opponent checks you, you can convince him you have a bad draw. You can then raise him on the river and earn some amount of money. Another tactic to earn a good sum of money is to make a small bet when you have a good hand and your competitors have poor cards. This convinces them to raise their bets and you win a good amount at their cost.

When playing online poker you must learn to recognize a fake hand and withdraw from the game when the poker-calling machine has a stronger hand. It is very important to have proper money management and control over your bankroll to avoid bankruptcy, when playing poker. Most importantly, learn to recognize the types of players at your table. Novices will play without thinking unlike aggressive players who try to scare you off the table. For other players money is no criteria and they play the maximum bets even with average hands.

Therefore, when playing offline poker learn to recognize the poker fish, as his presence gives you a good advantage and a better chance of winning. When playing online poker join the online casino so that you get free money to play more poker.

You must play confidently if you have a good hand and bet assertively, taking more risk. If you observe these simple rules, you can easily beat the poker fish or the poker-calling machine in online poker.

PD Laughlin is a successful professional poker player and publisher of http://Learn-Texas-Holdem-Strategies.com. He provides free information on Poker Skills, Strategies and Systems on his website http://Learn-Texas-Holdem-Strategies.com including how to beat the poker fish and calling machines. Visit his site now and become a better poker player immediately.Gusty Blog53796
Flss Blog5681

Why Is Content King On The Internet?

The reason the internet was created was to share information. People still use the internet to share information or to find out information. And what is information? Information is content - so, content is king.

There are two ways to gather information on the internet. One way is free and the other way is paid information. Whatever you offer on the internet is done with information, whether you are talking about the value of your site, or your product.

Your selling price for information, or content, is determined by the person that is seeking your information. In other words, how much is a person willing to pay for the information that you have? How much it costs to put together the information does not show you the value. The value only comes through the people that are willing to buy.

For example, if I sent you an e-mail and I said that I had a link to some valuable resources that you would be interested in, would it be worth a few dollars to know the information now or would you rather spend a lot of time finding it for yourself?

With hard products the value is determined by the cost to create and manufacture this product. For example, if you were selling golf clubs the price would be determined by how much it costs to manufacture them plus any overhead costs and shipping.

Some people in the internet have membership sites which charge a monthly fee simply to be informed about new resources on the internet. The reason it is a value to the members is because it saves time. Most information you can find available for free. The value comes into play because it saves you so much time and effort on your part. What is your time worth?

What does it cost to go to college today? What are you getting from a college education? What are you actually getting for your money?

A college education is the passing of information (content) from one person to another.

Now you can be a college of your niche or topic. Now you can give your students, visitors, subscribers and your customers valuable information they need and charge them accordingly. With good content you can earn money. For example, if you have a web site or a blog you can have paid advertising and therefore you can earn money with free content. Web sites, blogs, newsletters, press releases and free reports can all be used to generate traffic which means you have a following and a subscriber base.

With good information, content, you can actually make money selling your own or other people's products. For example, e-books, ecourses, and even teleseminars. The nature of the internet shows that a web site should provide the visitors with information. The better the information, the more money you can charge for it. Your web site can be one page or it can have multiple pages. You can set up a one page web site by using one article, several articles or even a sales letter.

If you want visitors to come to your web site, give them great information. If they want additional information you can exchange the information for the subscribers name and e-mail address. And for those that want even more information they can purchase this information from you. Just make sure you are giving them great information that they can use so they will come back time and time again.

When you promote your web site make sure you provide information that is interesting to the reader and makes them want more. For an example, use articles, press releases and free reports - just make sure it's good information or entertaining content.

If you want the search engine spiders to be interested in your web site make sure the information that you're giving is interesting and relevant to your topic or niche. This is very important.

Fresh content will give visitors a reason to return to your site plus it'll keep the search engine spiders interested in your site. You want both to keep coming back.

People will start out visiting your site as a visitor or prospect, then they will become subscribers and customers, and if they really like you they will tell others about your web site, blog, newsletter or e-zine. When people really like the information that you're providing for them they will start promoting you. Now you have a viral affect going on. This is a good thing. The more people sharing your information around, the more visitors and traffic you will get.

The better your content, the more valuable your content is in many ways.

Jeff Wark is a niche internet marketer who developed a system to quickly and easily create original content. To receive a free ecourse on optimizing your content, visit http://www.QuickContentSecrets.com.Hilliary Blog80936
Gus Blog97998

Finding the Right Ballet Shoes

Choosing the proper pair of ballet shoes is an important and tricky process when taking ballet lessons. There are many different types of ballet shoes to choose from, so choosing your shoes wisely can be very overwhelming. Below are some hints on how to select the best ballet shoe for your foot and experience level.

Leather & Canvas Soles

A leather full-sole ballet shoe is the ideal shoe for beginning students. The sole, strong yet flexible, helps younger dancers build strong feet. Another good shoe for younger dancers with a bit more experience is a leather split-sole ballet shoe. The split-sole molds better to the foot than the full-sole and also gives a more flattering line. An alternative to this shoe is the canvas split-sole ballet shoe. This shoe hugs the arch to perfection and has minimal ridges under the metatarsal.

Canvas Ballet Shoes

There are also quite a few shoes to choose from for more advanced dancers. Some canvas ballets are made of soft canvas that molds to the foot. This reduces under-foot lumps and creasing when the foot is pointed. These shoes may also feature a heel seam cushion for a perfect line of the foot. Less expensive alternatives to the more advanced canvas split-sole ballet shoe are available as well. These canvas ballets are a little more basic, but are soft and comfortable while providing an excellent fit. Other canvas ballets provide more comfort for the foot and a better feel for the floor. A sculpted construction in some shoes works with the foot during motion and prevents bags and bunches when the foot is pointed. Canvas split-sole ballet shoes are by far the most popular shoes with more advanced dancers.

Split Soles

There are newer high-tech leather split-sole ballet shoes that are becoming more popular. Certain leather split-sole ballet shoes are made of Second Skin Leather with Lycra for a sleek, snug fit that will stretch and return for longer lasting capability. Seamless arches and elastic drawstrings allow the shoe to completely conform to the foot without wrinkles or bulkiness. One newly developed ballet shoe has the center part of the shoe completely removed and replaced with an elastic framework. This allows the foot ultimate flexibility while maintaining the traditional appearance of a ballet shoe. The elastic bridges and supports the instep so the foot will be entirely secure.

You Can Find the Perfect Fit in Ballet Shoes

It is now possible to find the perfect fit for any foot with the many advances in ballet shoe construction. When ordering shoes, keep in mind that each shoe runs quite differently in sizing so it can be very tricky to find the perfect size. Most web sites should have sizing charts and instructions for each different type of shoe. To avoid the confusion of ordering shoes online, it is advised to purchase shoes directly from a retail store with employees who are experienced in fitting all types of shoes.

Amber Heil has worked at http://www.pamposdanceandswim.com for over 4 years and has been a manager for over 3 years. With 16 years of ballet training, Heil is knowledgeable in other areas of ballet such as forecasting trends in ballet wear. She is currently studying marketing at Louisiana State University (LSU) and will graduate in December 2006. Helsa Blog6526
Giuditta Blog81534

The International Calling Card Prepaid Minutes Will Unleash The Freedom To Call From Anywhere With Your Phone Card

The international calling card prepaid minutes will unleash the freedom to call from anywhere with your phone card

International calling cards are a great way of staying in touch whether you are traveling for business or pleasure. Everyone wants to call home when they are away, for students this can be costly and a card makes the process easier and cheaper. Whether you're staying in a hotel or a hostel, long distance, overseas call rates are extremely high - this is where the prepaid international calling card will come in handy. Most stores who sell calling cards to the public, deal with International calling cards.

You pay a fixed amount of money, based on what you think your call rate and length of call will be. Each call is logged by the phone service who then deduct the appropriate amount from your card. The rates on international calls differ and what you pay is dependent on where and when you want to call and the way you plan your calls. Long-distance calls are charged by the minute as a general rule, and what it costs you will depend largely on the rates that the telephone company has on offer.

There are a number of services you can opt for when it comes to paying for your international long distance calls. There is a variety of international calling card plans and each one may have different services on offer. These might include callback services and dial around. There are also some prepaid phone cards on offer that may charge at a lower rate than other companies generally offer. A lot depends on the type of prepaid international calling card that you choose; with some of the telephone companies will have basic rates. The features on these cards may vary but usually includes the following:

The connection fees
Minimum phone call times
Different rates for the day time/ nighttime
Different fees for weekend and weekday Times

The benefits of obtaining an international calling card

You might ask just exactly why should you need an international long-distance calling card, and what might suit you? The following information is designed to help you make wise choices so that you get the international calling card that is best suited to your needs. Unfortunately whichever card you choose they each have their own call plans and drawbacks. Some companies will charge you a high connection fee whereas some phone cards have no connection fees but will charge you for using a pay phone or may add extra charges if any call you make is longer than ten minutes. When you are doing your research, trying to find the right calling card for you then you want one that will allow you to talk for as long as you want to without extra phone charges. If you plan on calling someone who is only contactable by cell phone, then you need to find a card that allows you to call mobile phones and which doesn't make additional charges. Finally, it is a good idea to check that you will be entitled to the minutes that it says you will without incurring any extra charges. You should also check whether the company will apply connection charges for calling other countries.

Prepaid international calling cards will keep you connected

A major disadvantage of the prepaid phone card for international use is the requirement that you dial a 1- 800-number and then have to enter a long pin number. If the rates on the international calling card are decent then you might want to see this as only a minor inconvenience. If you obtain your prepaid calling card on the Internet rather than at a store then you may find that you reduce any inconveniences you may have to deal with. There are additional benefits to getting your card this way because you can recharge the card online or over a phone line whenever you need it. You should be able to do this with most prepaid phone cards providing you use the online service. Your card number is automatically linked to your cell phone so when you can just call stored numbers without having to enter them every time.

Daryl Plaza is a regular contributor to http://CallingCardPhoneCalls.com a website designed to give you more information on international calling cards so you can find the right calling card that suits your lifestyle.Gwennie Blog8908
Gwynne Blog58880

An Alphabet Of Horse Racing Terms - B - Part 2

BOOKMAKERS
These can be divided into

* those who make a book on the racecourse
* those who operate betting shops off course
* those who operate a telephone credit service or a postal betting service
* firms who operate spread betting services

A number of big firm bookmakers will combine two or even all of the first three activities. On the racecourse bets are settled at the prices quoted for, if agreed with the backer at starting price.

However they settle them, their activities on course and off course are governed by what goes on in the market, on the racecourse.

A betting market is formed immediately before each race. Prices fluctuate according to the total of money known to be on a particular horse in the ring as a whole.

Amounts of significance are signaled by Tic Tac from the rails to Tattersalls and back, and to the silver ring and bookmakers outside. I.e. on the course itself.

The amount a price will contract or go out in the market varies also, according to whether the market is a weak or strong one.

The prices originally on offer in the early stages of any betting market are not however, based on the money bet, but usually on how the bigger Tattersalls boards operators think the market ought to go.

The earliest prices chalked up are very often shorter than they realistically should be. In the days up to and beyond the great post-war, betting to a true market price was dictated by on course money, largely by big backers and by the professionals, commission agents acting on behalf of others, including trainers and owners, or trainers and owners themselves.

The huge growth of off course betting since the nineteen sixties has changed all that. Seldom do trainers walk up to the rails, get a price about their horse, and affect the market accordingly.

Most money is wagered off the course and is transmitted, and news of it is transmitted, by telephone to the tic tacs acting for the big bookmakers. The entire market reacts accordingly within a few seconds.

The money which causes this is called office money and in the case of big amounts placed off course which crucially affect the market, the horses are known in the ring as betting shop horses.

This concept is crucial to understanding trading on the Betting Exchanges.

It is the Betting Exchanges and the Betting Shops which affect prices on the course. Not the other way around.

Data from online bookies and live on course feeds can be used to confirm price movement data, but should not be used to predict it. Most of the heavy betting nowadays is coming via Betfair and Betdaq.

As the market gets underway and the money starts to reinforce the bookmakers original opinions of the prices, it will cause them to alter prices on the general principle of supply and demand.

A punter can learn a great deal from following the market that is, seeing how the odds are altering. The market can give strong hints on what to back, and, even more important, what not to back.

On the racecourse, this involves having a look at how the prices are going at successive stages in the ten minutes or so immediately before a race.

In the betting shop, with the aid of successive prices marked on the board and shown on video, following the market is rather easier, and watching the television makes it equally simple.

All the market moves can readily be seen on television, and, depending on the channel, are backed up with information on why the prices are going the way they are.

In betting shops with television or video a similar advantage is enjoyed by the punters.

On the racecourse, following the market is rather hard work, because the bookmakers erase the prices successively as they change; but, in general, punters who take the trouble should reap the reward.

Weak markets/ strong markets:

Royal Ascot provides one of the strongest betting markets of the year on the flat, and the Cheltenham festival does so in national hunt racing.

The weakest markets are at small, under patronised courses where the racing is poor.

Here, A few hundred pounds can cause prices to tumble several points, whereas in a strong market the same amount multiplied several times over would cause no price change.

In 1999, an interview with Victor Chandler, the leading bookmaker, some fascinating observations were made on some of the changes that have overtaken the betting scene.

The racecourse punter has never had it so good. To be a punter now is heaven. With no expenses, being a professional punter compared to a bookmaker has to be the best choice he said.

Chandler explained: at Cheltenham last Sunday meeting we did a survey and asked people whether they bet at the races.

Only 37% said yes. The rest either dont bet or bet in small sums with the tote.

That confirms that the culture of racing has changed. My on course business has been decimated in the last two years. For example three or four years ago at the Eclipse meeting at Sandown, we took 200,000 on the big race.

Last year we took 8000...on Sundays, you see an enormous number of prams they are not our punters.

These days the on course bookmaker is doing less and less business, which makes the prices paid for pitches at the recent auctions even more surprising.

BOX WALKER

Term for a horse who will not settle in his loose box aand persistently walks round and round it, thus losing weight and being difficult to train. The cure is often to give the horse a companion such as a goat.

BREEZE UP

A form of bloodstock sale taking place at a racecourse, where instead of the usual practice of whats on offer merely being led around the sale ring, the horses are put through their paces on the course in front of propective buyers. They are allowed to breeze along two or three furlongs.

BRITISH HORSE RACING BOARD

Commonly abbreviated to BHB this is the governing and administrative body for racing which came into being in June 1993 thereby taking over effective overall control from the Jockey Club.

This in itself was the most radical shakeup of racings power structure for more than 200 years and marked a watershed in British racing history.

For the first time racing has as its governing authority, a representative, accountable and democratic body which gives the industry an executive role in shaping its future.

The BHBs principle responsibilities include:

* strategic planning and policy for racing;
* improving the financial position of racing;
* representing racing in dealings with government;
* the fixture list;
* race planning, including the supervision of race programs and the employment of handicappers;
* marketing and promotion of racing;
* nominating racings representatives on the horse race bettings levy board;
* liaison with the betting industry;
* encouraging and fostering breeding of bloodstock;
* collection and control of funds required for the administration of racing, including those required by the jockey club for the protection of the sports integrity;
* the development and maintenance of programs of training and education within racing;
* the contract under which Weatherbys supply administrative services to racing.

In principle the aim of the BHB is to give the leadership needed to put racing in Britain on a sound financial footing. This means ensuring that racing is making the best use of its resources, is maximizing income from outside the sport and has a clear single voice with which to have its views heard in parliament and elsewhere.

Among the BHB, members and representatives of the racecourse association, the Jockey Club, race horse owners association, thoroughbred breeders association, and industry committee.

BUMPING AND BORING

Sometimes in the final stages of a race a horse may be tiring, and the jockey is unable to prevent him or her veering off a straight line, bumping an opponent and "boring" that opponent off its intended course. This may affect the opponents chances, and in certain instances may cost him the race, in which case there will almost certainly be an objection by the losing rider;

Equally certain, in any case, is that when bumping and boring occurs there is a strong possibility of a Stewards inquiry, during which the evidence of the film from a camera patrol and video re-run will be examined.

BY AND OUT OF

Expressions indicating the parentage of a horse. He or she is described as being by a sire [stallion] out of the dam [broodmares], whose origin will often be indicated in pen by brackets giving the name of his sire.

Example Commander in Chief by Dancing Brave out of Slightly Dangerous.

Mike J Davies is a Computer Analyst, LSE Day trader, and a Betfair Trader and Advisor. More advice and articles are available at Mike's website. Gayle Blog1154
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Inequitable Funding For Some Within The New York Schools

In an attempt to get more funding into the poorer school districts and reduce funding for the wealthier districts, Governor Eliot Spitzer replaced the very rigid, long-standing formula for funding of the New York schools. The old formula gave the same per student funding to all New York schools districts without regard to needs or demographic/economic differences. Spitzer convinced Senate Republicans in wealthier districts, such as Long Island, to vote for his final budget by including special funding add-ons for only this year. The funding add-ons guaranteed that New York schools in the wealthier districts would receive similar funding as last year, though they are not guaranteed beyond this year.

A multitude of mathematical computations were required for this years funding formula, which gave a distribution of $1.76 million. Overall, it appears to be similar to last years distribution; however, upon a closer look, a disparity occurred between at least two New York schools districts that creates the exact opposite effect desired by the Governor.

Shelter Island school district in Suffolk County serves a resort town between the forks of Long Island. It has only one school with a New York schools student enrollment of 270 and is as close to being a private school as you can get and still be public. The area, itself, has higher local taxes than many New York schools districts, which means more funding for its school. With a higher median household income for its 2,000 plus residents and a low poverty rate, more funding from the New York schools can be used for programs that are a luxury in other New York schools.

With the new funding formula for the New York schools this year, Shelter Island almost doubled its funding over last year with a 90.5 percent increase compared to a statewide average increase of ten percent. By far, it was the biggest winner under this years funding formula. Last year, this New York schools district lost ten students to the CDCH Charter School in East Hampton. The funding add-ons gave Shelter Island additional funding to compensate for this loss of students (and per student funding). They will receive a total of $775,000 in funding, compared to last years $406,000. School board member Barbara Warren said the board is waiting for confirmation of the amount to ensure it is correct.

In contrast to Shelter Island, Germantown is a rural area in Columbia County across the river from Catskill. Like Shelter Island, Germantown has about 2,000 residents and only one school serving the entire district. An enrollment of 700 students, grades kindergarten through 12, are all in one building. The Germantown district is much poorer than Shelter Island with needs for funding to cover programs to aid its low-income students.

Germantown, a New York schools district that must count every penny of state funding it receives, will get an increase of only 0.6 percent this year. This is clearly an inequitable increase, compared to the wealthier Shelter Island funding amount. The only reason Superintendent Patrick Gabriel can find for the little funding increase is in the Public Excess Cost category, which covers the costs of students with disabilities. Though they did receive $700,000 in capital building funds, Germantown is clearly going to have to stretch every penny next school year.

Patrica Hawke is a staff writer for Schools K-12, providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. For more information on Houston Schools please visit http://www.schoolsk-12.com/New-York/index.htmlGladi Blog20605
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Healthy Fall Housecleaning

As your calendar pages fly by, carrying you through October and into November, many of you will participate in that age-old tradition called fall housecleaning. You'll be packing up the swim toys, summer clothes, picnic baskets, and oscillating fans. Then you'll dig out the winter coats, boots, comfy afghans, fireplace tools, and, if you are lucky enough to live where snow falls, sleds and ice skates.

You'll be busy cleaning out the dust and grime tracked in by kids and dogs and by breezes blowing through open windows all the busy summer long. Before you snuggle in for the winter to enjoy family evenings around the crackling fireplace or have those holiday gatherings with all their hustle and bustle, you'll probably wax, polish, and clean your house until the fireplace glow is reflected throughout the room.

Here are a few tips to help you make the most of this time-honored tradition. Not only can you make your home clean, well ordered, and homey, ready for the long winter months, but you can actually make it a healthier place for your family and improve your own personal health as you work.

As you do your fall housecleaning, remember to focus on those areas that contribute to allergies. A multitude of things in your home can trigger allergies, from mold, to dust in bedding and on furniture, to your family pet. Even those friendly, burning candles can contribute to toxic air and allergy problems. Let's discuss these allergy-producing problem areas.

You can find mold in damp basements, refrigerator drip pans, air conditioners, garbage pails, shower stalls, and closets. There are non-toxic cleaning products that will get rid of existing mold. As an extra precaution, use exhaust fans in kitchen and bathroom and open windows on low humidity days to refresh household air. Don't forget to dust and clean heating units and oil burners, checking for foreign objects in heating elements.

As you attack all that summer dust, remember that it contains allergy triggering, microscopic dust mites that feast on shed human and animal skin cells. These fecal-producing dust mites thrive in warm and humid places like beds, furniture, and carpets. After you vacuum and dust thoroughly with a vacuum that filters dust and does not allow it back into the air, use hot-water washing and high-heat drying to launder all bedding and stuffed toys. For further protection, put anti-allergen covers on bedding, even box springs and dehumidify the air, including closets and cabinets.

Remember that your family pet also contributes to toxic air and allergies. Pet dander (skin flakes) is a nearly invisible pollution that your pet releases as it grooms, releasing dander and proteins from saliva into the air. Bathe pet, using dander-reducing shampoo, and follow up with an anti-dander spray. To help keep pet dander allergies down, install HEPA filters in air and heat systems to help keep the air clean.

Have you been wondering how all this work is going to improve your own personal health? Well, I'm sure you have heard that any physical activity that raises and keeps your heart rate in its target zone for at least 20 minutes a day helps you lose weight and get fit. That includes serious housecleaning. As you scrub and polish your home, you can also tone, exercise, and oxygenate your muscles. After warming up with light activity like dusting and tidying up rooms, build up your work intensity and speed to raise your heart rate to your personal workout zone.

As you vacuum or mop, breathe deeply and lunge, switching sides to work out both arms. Put your whole body into mopping, scrubbing, or stair climbing. Swing your arms, pump your legs, and fill waiting time at the dryer or microwave with squats, push-ups, or other exercises. Turn on energizing music and dance your way through your chores. Stretch your body in every way possible as you keep your heart rate in the zone for 20 minutes. Cool down with lighter chores and enjoy your workout, knowing that not only will your fall housecleaning be done, but you will have contributed to your own personal wellness and fitness at the same time.

There's another very pleasant thing you can do this fall that will contribute to the humidity balance and oxygen level of your home and quietly clean pollutants, gasses, and toxins out of the air. You can decorate your home with air-cleansing houseplants. Palms, ferns, and ivy are especially good at removing toxic gases from the air. A plant for every 10 square yards of floor space will both cleanse and beautify your home.

As each room is completed, you may want to set a homey scene with aromatic candles. Unfortunately, candles, especially if they are scented, release toxic soot, carcinogens, and even lead (from wire wicks), that flood the air with enough pollution to ruin computers and furnishings and affect breathing, especially for people with asthma, lung, or heart disease. Fragrance oil candles and container candles don't burn cleanly and are even more dangerous than open-flame candles. You can use diffusers for aromatherapy and choose unscented candles with no petroleum products and wire-free wicks for atmosphere.

When your fall housecleaning is finished, sit back, put your feet up, relax with a cup of herbal tea before the fire, and know that both you and your family will enjoy your cleaner, healthier home in the winter months ahead.

Copyright (c) 2006 Dr. Eileen Silva

Eileen Silva, Ph.D., N.D. is a metabolic health balancing expert, talk show guest, and lecturer. Dr. Silva is also an individual, group, and corporate weight management consultant. Contact Dr. Silva at http://www.dreileensilva.comGloria Blog85881
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Should You Get A Home Equity Loan When Refinancing?

Among the most economical lending solution available today are home equity loans and home equity lines of credit. Depending on your personal financial situation, some of the interest can be used as a tax deduction. They are generally flexible and generally offer you the best rates available. There are a lot of advantages to a home equity loan. However, be sure to refinance with extreme caution.

There are two different types of home equity loans. The actual loan usually has a fixed rate with a precise period of time in which the loan needs to be paid off. Also fixed is the payment. This type of loan is ideal for someone who has a precise amount in mind. When consolidating your debts, such as student loans, credit cards, car loans or doing some home improvements, a homeowner will obtain a home equity loan to consolidate their entire payments inro one easy to pay bill. Often times, this creates a lower overall monthly payment.

A more flexible option is a home equity line of credit. This is an open ended loan meaning the payment and rate usually tends to be lower and is variable. A line of credit is generally used like a credit card, with tax benefits. Interest is only paid on the portion of the line you use. The rest is available for when and if you need it. Whenever you make a payment, that portion that is applied to the principle and is then available to use again if need be. Some lenders will offer a card for easier access. This option is great for when you do need to use the money immediately or would like to have the flexibility to keep using the money without going through the loan process over and over again.

If you have equity left over, when you refinance your current mortgage, often times you will be offered a home equity line of credit or home equity loan. If you have other debts that are above and beyond your original mortgage, a good way to go is a home equity loan. You are probably wondering why you wouldn't include all of your debt in your original loan. Well, often times, in order to keep the loan amounts under 80%, debt is split into two different loans. This allows people to take advantage of the best rate available. If you are able to keep the loan amount under 80% of the home appraisal value, then you can easily avoid paying Private Mortgage Insurance, or PMI.

Whenever you do not have a need for a second loan when you are refinancing, you can then just put the money towards a line of credit. It is a good thing to have, should an emergency arise. When the need arises, the money is ready for you to use. This will save you the hassle of going through the entire loan process time and time again.

Another great benefit is the loan company can simply use the same credit inquiry for this loan that they used for the first loan. One note of precaution though, a line of credit usually has an annual fee attached to it. Be sure to ask your bank about specials they may be running in order to offset the cost. Sometimes they are willing to negotiate with you so that you will take the offer.

As you can clearly see, there are a lot of benefits to both a home equity loan and a home equity line of credit. Before making a decision, be sure to weigh all of your options. So that you are able to make a more informed decision, talk about the cost and ask if there are any hidden fees

Joshua Suffie is the expert behind the website http://www.refinancingright.com Mortgages are a cut throat industry. Our information will give you the upfront knowledge to deal competently with mortgage brokers and get the best deal possible. Our site is http://www.refinancingright.comGlyn Blog2161
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Skin Care for Men of Color

While most skin problems affect all ethnicities equally, some problems tend to affect African-American skin differently or more frequently. These differences suggest that black men should pay special attention to their skincare routines, especially since some products can even discolor or damage darker skin tones.

1. Ingrown hairs. While most men have suffered from ingrown hairs or razor burn, black men are especially prone to this condition because of their highly-curved body hairs. Because the hair tends to be more tightly curled, it has a greater chance of curving and growing back into the skin after shaving. This causes painful shaving bumps and irritation on the face and neck, and can only become more aggravated with further shaving.

Although its a common problem, theres no need to simply accept it as a natural danger of shaving: by keeping skin exfoliated, changing your razor after 4-5 uses and following with a product with dermatologically-active ingredients, you can greatly reduce the occurrence of ingrown hairs. If you find yourself suffering a great deal from these skin irritations, consider cutting down on the amount of times you shave, since frequent shaving too close to the skin will trap hairs inside the follicles.

2. Dark Spots and Hyperpigmentation. Dark areas can often appear on African-American skin when scarring occurs, whether from cuts, acne or burns. These dark spots and uneven skin tone (called hyperpigmentation) will usually fade over time, but some ingredients can definitively help even skin color and promote a smoother surface. Hydroquinone, Kojic Acid and Vitamin C are used regularly by dermatologists and skincare professionals to fade dark areas and balance skin tone. These products often take 4-8 weeks to see maximum results, and they have been known to cause irritation in some men, so you should consult a dermatologist if you have sensitive skin or if irritation persists.

Regular, gentle exfoliation is also a good way to improve skin tone because it removes the top layer of dead skin cells and allows new, healthier cells to appear. By removing the upper layer, it also allows ingredients such as Hydroquinone to more effectively treat the skin. When using a product such as this, make sure you protect your skin well from the suns rays, since sun exposure stimulates pigment production and can re-darken areas.

3. Dry, Ashy Skin. Black men with very dry skin often have an ashy or gray appearance, so its important to keep skin well-moisturized and reinforced with nurturing vitamins to promote a smoother, healthier look. Because hot water can pull moisture from the skins surface, avoid long, hot showers and take quick lukewarm ones instead. Wash with a gentle liquid cleanser instead of bar soap (since bar soap can actually dry out skin), and put an active moisturizer on within five minutes of stepping out of the bathtub. This will lock moisture into your pores, promoting a smoother, more even appearance. Use an oil-free moisturizer that contains nutrients like Aloe, Hyaluronic Acid, Squalene and Vitamins A, D, and E, and dont forget about the delicate area around your eyes.

4. Sun Protection. A common misconception about darker-toned skin is that it cannot burn or be damaged by the sun. Although African-American skin contains more melanin (skin pigment) which offers greater protection against the suns rays, it is still at risk for a number of sun-related diseases. In fact, African-American men are often at a higher risk because it is often harder to detect changes in skin marks or discolorations. This means it may take longer for a person to seek treatment, by which time the damage could have spread even further. Protecting your skin from the sun is a serious business, but it can be as easy as using a sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher that offers protection from both UVA and UVB rays, and reapplying it often.

Deidra Garcia is a freelance writer and communications manager for MenScience Androceuticals, a men's skincare and grooming company. You can find more articles by Deidra, as well as further tips and advice, at http://www.MenScience.com. Franni Blog69443
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