Try An Animated Mouse Cursor

Mouse cursors are useful and functional as they help you get an idea about where you are supposed to type. They usually look so unobtrusive, that we hardly notice them. The important thing is that they work great for us, and show where typing should take place. I hardly even noticed my mouse cursor until the day that I had to use another computer. It was my colleagues and it had a strange animated mouse cursor in the form of an angel. I really looked bewildered and couldnt start to type at all, as I couldnt manage to point to tha specific place that I wanted. The case made me think really hard about mouse cursors, and all those sweet aesthetic innovations that people use to put on their computers with the single intention to personalize them and mess up everyone who is using them.

Animated mouse cursors have come as an entertainment for children, so that they can make their cursors funny and nice-looking. But gradually those childish animated mouse cursors became a craze. That is what gets me really perplexed. I wonder how a sane individual would like to make her or his mouse cursor in the shape of a dog? Does this show sanity and grown-up thinking in any way? I have always thought that when something is practical and has a functional role, it shouldnt be made to look like a clownish gadget. Take those stupid desktop animations, for example. They not only take large space from your memory, but they really look preposterous. But many people actually seem to adore them, even grown-up working people!

Its the same case with the hideous mouse cursors: some infantile people just cannot resist the opportunity to put an animated shit in the place of their mouse cursor. Not to mention the fact that pointing with these animated mouse cursors is really hard, and people lose their time just to fix the problems of irregularities in typing!

Anyway, if they feel like it, why not enjoy themselves for a while. There is a subtle psychological cause for some people downloading animated mouse cursors, and I came to understand it pretty soon. Animated mouse cursors are a stupid invention, but they actually help some people overcome their general disgust towards their work. They can be really supportive if someone hates the things he or she is supposed to type. Animated mouse cursors really make the whole working process more personal, and people may come to even like it at some stage.

But in my opinion this is only a stupid waste of time: if you have to do one thing, you just do it and get over it- not waste your time making your computer settings looks as friendly as they can. No-one says that working with computer is a pleasant thing to do, but you can just get over it. Computers really rule the world, and people should admit it, instead of trying to hide from reality by making buffoons of themselves.

You know the little pointy thing that moves around on your screen whenever you move your mouse? Well, it is usually called a mouse cursor and is meant to indicate where you are supposed to type. Well, for all practical purposes, it is an essential, functional item of computer software. I know people have all kinds of weird fetishes, bit I cant for the life of me imagine why anyone of them could have come up with an invention as stupid as the animated mouse cursor.

Each time I see an animated mouse cursor, I am reminded of my disgusting nephew. Maybe I should explain myself on that one. You see, my little nephew, who pretends to have been born with radical computer skills visited me once. And in the brief while that he asked for my permission to check his mail on my home computer, he had managed to change the desktop settings, hide all my files and folders and worst of all, managed to replace my beautifully functional cursor with an animated mouse cursor.

Well, after some difficulty, I managed to get everything back to its original shape and intended purpose. But the animated mouse cursor really troubled me. And I couldnt even use the blasted thing. It was a whirling wheel that didnt allow me to point at anything at all. I mean, how does one point with an animated mouse cursor in the shape of a circle? And as an animation artist used to drawing complex figures, how was I supposed to draw with an animated mouse cursor?

Ever since, Ive had a healthy distaste for animated mouse cursors of all kinds. And each time I see someone else with an animated mouse cursor, Im sorely tempted to rip their computer apart and knock them on the head, all the while saying, how come you manage to point with that animated thing? Think about it. An animated mouse cursor comes in all sorts of shapes except one that is conducive to helping it do what it is supposed to! But in general, in order to be animated, these animated mouse cursors take the most confounded shapes. Ive even seen one shaped like a dog for heavens sake.

While I am sure that there are a lot of people who do enjoy these animated mouse cursors, Im pretty sure that Ill never learn to love them. Unless it is effective and functional and most certainly not animated.

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning animation. Get the information you are seeking now by visiting http://www.petsnewsonline.com/pets--animals/pet-news/try-an-animated-mouse-cursor.htmlCandice Blog5827
Celestyn Blog28207

Looking After A New MLM Member

I got a new member, now what?

Imagine if you suddenly got a job in some very busy company but you know nothing about the job!

You are sitting there and everyone around you is busy but you don't know what to do!

You are smiling, giving out greetings and thinking, "I'm in the wrong place, I should go back to my old job, my old friends told me not to go!"

Then suddenly someone comes up to you and gives you something easy to do. Something you can handle. What a relief! When you've done that you get another little job to do, the instructions are crystal clear and you do it.

You learned a bit, you did it and as a result you have confidence.

New MLM members are the same. They are all excited with no-where to go except backwards!

Give each new member a job to do, an easy job, build their confidence and fan the fire.

Now imagine a guy called John, smooth looking, great suit, nice guy.

He tells you he is going to the party. He can't believe you didn't know about the party! There are always fun things to do there, great people to meet. The food is the best anywhere. The scenery, WOW, it's a beautiful beach covered in beautiful people, it's the tropics! A place where no one really knows the time, not to mention the day of the week.

The only thing that worries them is the possible effects of the sea breeze on their hard disk. It's the local joke. "How would you like your hard disk?" "Salty thanks".

Now, of course you want to go there! John offers to take you there, but no, you wanted to look confident in front of John and told him you would just see him there.

You don't. Why? Because you have next to no idea of how to get there except talk to ask someone you know and for some non financially sound reason trust.

You ask a work friend, your good friend, and they say "What are you talking about! You are not going to any party and leaving me and the reasonable safety of a 9 to 5 job! You can't do anything better than me! I'd feel worse off! Anyway that's all just a rip-off!"

You ask another non party goer friend and they tell you, "The road there is too rocky, you'd never make it, many have tried and died".

You want to get there but you are now not only unsure of the way, your close friends are telling you not to go! What should I do? Trust my close and dear friends or John? Who is really trying to help me? Who will help me when the bills pile up?

Are my best friends my BEST friends?

List your five best friends, find out their yearly income. Add the five incomes and then divide that figure by five. You now have the average income of your five best friends.

Then you notice something amazing!

The average income of your five best friends is your yearly income ! Now you are really understanding the effects of some friends.

To get a better income, you may need better friends, or at least spend more time with different people.

Now where is that nice guy John!? I know he's making it big and he was willing to teach me the way.

Show your members the first few steps, don't let them out of your sight, they WILL wonder off. When they have walked those steps, show them the next few steps. Then the next! Take them as far as it takes for them to be able to see the rest of the way by themselves.

Perhaps a new member is like a puppy, he'll go to anyone with a soft voice until he gets old enough and smart enough to know who is who and where home really is.

Read More Of Michael Brymer's Heavy Hitter Secrets at http://mlmbuff.com Alison Blog69031
Alida Blog9030

The Way To Buy Furniture is Changing

"Furnishing Your Home on a Shoe-String Budget"

Have you seen the changes in furniture? Think about how something as simple as buying a new piece of furniture can change how a person feels about their home. Now that ready-to-assemble furniture (commonly called RTA) is so widely available, and the prices so much lower than ready-made, it is opening a whole new demographic for being able to buy quality furniture pieces.

"Are People Happy to Buy RTA Furniture?" You bet they are! To be able to furnish a house, apartment, office, dorm room, etc., without breaking the bank has resulted in an enormous increase in online RTA sales. RTA furniture is one of the fastest growing segments of the furniture market internationally.

"How about the Quality of RTA?" Design, engineering, production, testing and packaging are done in-house. Each component of every product is carefully engineered to be produced with minimal handling, without compromising quality, function and value. Testing is done to meet and exceed National Safe Test "Drop Test" standards. Products are typically made from a combination of "engineered woods." These materials are bonded together with a synthetic resin, in a process under high heat and pressure to make a very stable, environmentally friendly product. The result is dense, strong panels, which are then laminated with durable, attractive finishes. Better materials can be afforded when the buyer saves on expensive shipping costs by buying items that come flat-packaged.

Consumers have demanded current design trends as well as durability. And while standards have increased tremendously, a buyer's pocketbook still forces them to watch the price. Younger buyers want to create stylish rooms that mesh with the latest technology, i.e., slim and modern designs well known to RTA easily win out over heavier and costlier furnishings.

"Is it easy to Assemble?" Yes. Each unit comes with detailed assembly instructions and one person can assemble most things in well under an hour. Surveys indicate approximately 50% of the assemblers are female customers and most find the assembly instructions very easy to follow. Oftentimes, sales & marketing employees assemble and write the instructions to make sure we provide enough common sense directions.

"What is Available in RTA Furniture?" Every room in the home is a candidate for RTA furniture. Over the years, the industry has evolved and you will find bedroom sets, tables, desk and office furniture, entertainment furniture, and dining room furniture. There is more on the way.

Now you are just as likely to find a designer look bedroom set at your online etailer as at an uptown specialty furniture store. RTA makes a stylishly furnished home possible for almost everyone.

Steve Day - I am the President of I Like Furniture.com, a Discount Furniture store, that sells furniture for every room in your home. We work with extremely reputable suppliers, including: Prepac, South Shore Furniture, Azura, Bush, O'Sullivan, and many more. Our office is located in Kansas, and we plan to move it back to Phoenix is the upcoming months. Please visit our website: http://www.ILikeFurniture.com, where shipping is always free, and we offer a low price guarantee.Anna Blog80782
Anica Blog40622

The Internet And Security - How To Avoid The Pitfalls

According to many Internet experts, Internet and security concerns are foremost on people's minds nowadays. With all of the security and Internet stories about identity theft, Internet worms, Trojan horse viruses, and spyware, everyone wants to make sure that they have the best Internet security available. The problem is that the Internet is still a fairly new technology. Even the most tech savvy of us usually don't know how it works, or how to adequately protect ourselves. In general, we are stuck taking the advice of anyone who will give it to us. We take their word about what are the best Internet and security solutions without really knowing how to investigate it ourselves. In general, we don't know where Internet security problems start, or how to fix them.

I have been researching Internet and security lately, and what I have found has surprised me. It turns out that Internet security and privacy have a lot more to do with the programs that you are running than what websites you go to. Users of Apple computers, for example, almost never get viruses. They are rarely exposed to worms, or identity theft problems provided that they adequately protect their passwords. The same goes for users of Linux. As a matter of fact, the only operating system which is routinely exposed to Internet and security threats is Windows. Anyone who uses Windows and is concerned about Internet and security Should really think about changing operating systems. It is easier to do than you might think.

The reason that Windows is such a Web security risk has a lot to do with the way that it is put together. Basically, is made to do everything for you. If you use Microsoft Mail, for example, it will automatically open files without asking you, never knowing whether or not a virus lurks inside. At every level, it is written with Internet and security concerns as an afterthought. This means that it is Completely filled with holes. When these holes are discovered, they will send out Internet and security bug fixes. Until someone is victimized, however, they usually have no idea that the programs are at risk.

Of course, Internet Web security is another problem altogether. A lot of Internet and security problems start in the computer, but other ones start with Internet transactions. E commerce security is not quite as good as a lot of the companies would have you believe. Often, passwords and financial information are stolen from Internet web sellers. No matter how good your own security is, if you buy from someone with a flawed system, you could be the victim.

John Mailer has been an internet marketer for a number of years. Many of his articles are written to help new marketers looking for money making oppertunities onlineAnallise Blog98955
Adrienne Blog50489

Buying a New Home, Paying For College and Starting a New Business Has Never Been So Easy!

A Government Grant is an aid program specially designed for helping those who have financial difficulties and cannot achieve, due to lack of finance, certain goals the government is interested to promote.

Government Grants Explained

Though there are many different government grants for a lot of purposes, as noted in the first paragraph, most of them concentrate on three goals: Helping people start their new business, helping people pay their way through school or college and helping people buy their first home.

Grants are provided by government agencies all over the country and at all levels of administration: There are Federal Government Grants, State Government Grants and Local Government Grants.

Each agency has its own requirements and though qualification is not as difficult as it may seem, the truth is that you need to be informed in order to successfully apply for a Government Grant without fear of being declined.

Grants amounts range from hundreds of dollars to tens of thousands of dollars. As the loan amount gets higher, it becomes increasingly difficult to qualify for. So you ought to know the requirements beforehand and apply as early as possible. It is known that most Government Grants are granted on a first arrived, first served basis, so timing is a very important issue not to be bypassed.

The smartest thing to do is, by analyzing grants requirements, to select the Government Grant you are best qualified for and concentrate on applying to it. There are certain grants restricted to citizens of certain states or towns. Others are restricted for those working on certain fields or for those coming from certain economic conditions.

Government Grants Purposes

The main help grants provide is focus on aiding those who want to buy a new house or rent. Real State agents are fully aware of these programs and should be questioned about them when their services are hired. Most applicants qualify for this kind of aid though they usually ignore it, so dont hesitate to ask your realtor about the government grant programs and ask them for help. Your real estate agent is more than capable of helping you fill all the paperwork so you can effectively apply for Government Grant.

Another use of Government Grants is paying for college. College fees have increased over the years and it has become increasingly difficult to afford college education, especially for those whose income has remained untouched. There are mainly federal grants and loans for those starting college and some, but not many, specific estate grants available too.

When it comes to starting a new business, government grants are of a great help for those who are working in a field the government is especially interested to develop. Government grants are mainly destined in this case to acquire machinery, supplies, pay for salaries for a certain period of time, etc. Generally speaking business government grants provide the finance needed for a business to get started and become independent. There are also grants for helping undertake international business transactions.

Do Your Research

Should you decide to apply for a Government Grant, there is a lot of information on the internet. Take your time to do a thorough research, take note of those grants you think you qualify for and contact the agencies to get further information and all the documentation you need to fill. If time is an issue there are some sites that provide access to all this information without having to search all over the net. They usually charge a small fee though, but worth every cent since youll be saving time and money.

Bryan Quinn is a financial advisor with more than thirty years of experience in the field of finance who aids people undergoing financial problems and helps them obtain personal loans, home loans, student loans and grants, consolidation loans, car loans and many other financial products regardless of their credit situation. For more smart tips on Home Loans you can visit http://www.badcreditloanservices.com and also learn more about other financial options.Alessandra Blog26164
Anny Blog84185

Preventing Identity Theft : What Can You Do?

Identity theft is becoming an increasingly used buzzword in today's high tech world of online banking and bill paying, and with the advent of services like Paypal and shopping cart.

We hear about identity theft in the news all the time, and we think we very well may be at risk, but we're not sure what to do to help prevent it. Well, there are some things you can do that are very simple that will help prevent you from ever becoming a victim of this potentially disastrous crime.

Unfortunately, even though identity theft is a federal crime, that still doesn't scare theives away from bilking millions of dollars of year from unsuspecting, hard working people like you and I. It's not something that any of us want to deal with, but it is prudent to exercise caution whenever possible to reduce your risk.

At this point, we may all have a story about a friend, acquaintance, or family member who was an unwitting victim of some form of identity theft, and the good thing is, these bring the reality closer to home, and have made more people aware that is a growing problem. There are a few types of identity theft, and I'm sure there are even more than I am listing here that not a whole lot of people are aware of.

The types of identity theft are :

1.) When one's personal information is stolen from their person, such as a wallet with credit cards and other identity revealing financially negotiable instruments.

2.) Something called "phishing" where bogus emails are sent from a scam artist claiming to be a bank or some other type of financial institution, claiming they need you to "sign in" and provide personal information that can allow them to filter money from your account, or charge purchases to a credit card.

3.) Mail related identity theft is where a thief can either intercept your mail and get your personal information or even fill out a change of address form for you so they may receive your mail and do with it what they please.

4.) Internet fraud through unsecured websites when you provide credit card or personal information, a thief may be able to hack sites that are not secured and gain your personal information, or even infect your computer with a virus which hijacks personal information.

Like I said, the four mentioned above are probably not even the tip of the iceberg when it comes to identity theft, but they are the main categories of ways that these savvy and increasingly sophisticated scam artists are getting away with stealing money from people. So, what can you do to help prevent being a victim of these types of identity theft? Well, the good thing is, there are several ways you can help reduce your risk.

First and foremost, make sure you do not ever respond to an email that is requesting you to log in somewhere to verify your information, even if it appears to be from a company you do business with on a regular basis. Spammers skilled in the art of "phishing" are very adept at making these emails look like the real deal, and unfortunately many people have been duped into disclosing important personal information.

What you can do to help combat this problem is visit the company's offical website on your own, not through any links in the email of course, and report this suspicious email to them. Most large companies have measures in place to protect their clients, and they want to be aware of any bogus emails going out to people with their trusted name attached.

There are also large efforts in the making to prevent these types of emails from coming through to your email inbox, and instead going to your spam bulk file, making them more idenitfiable as a potential security threat, and also reducing the likelihood that one will be defrauded by them.

I saw an improvement in this, but just recently, my inbox has been indundated with spam emails requesting personal information, so it seems the scam artists have found a loophole and are taking advantage, although it may not last long.

Another important prevention measure is to not only be aware of bogus emails, but also to make sure any website that asks for credit card information for a purchase has a security seal of approval. These secured sites usually will have some sort of symbol that they are secured by Verisign or another online security system that signifies it should be safe to pay with. If the site looks fishy, stay clear.

Whenever you receive mail that has credit card information, or is a solicitation for a credit card offer, make sure you tear it up into pieces. Another scam to gain access to your credit or accounts is for thieves to go through your garbage and fill out your credit card offers with a change of address, get the new credit card mailed to them, and start using it to make purchases. Also, it is wise to always have up to date virus protection on your computer, as some viruses are designed to hijack your personal and credit information.

When making purchases with credit or debit cards in any retail establishments, if your credit card number prints on the receipt that they keep, ask to scribble out the whole thing.

Workers or other people may have access to your credit card information, or have just enough information to make online or over the phone purchases with your credit, and this is yet another way your identity can be stolen for the financial benefit of thieves.

While this list of measure you can take to help prevent identity theft is not all inclusive, it is a good start to ensuring your security and making sure your hard earned money stays in your pocket only. They are good principles to live by in this day and age of online banking and financing.

Danna Schneider is the founder of http://www.primeratecredit.com for information on low interest credit cards, loans and mortgages, as well as financial news and personal finance tips. She also manages an online entertainment magazine http://www.flickwiki.com .Camel Blog76521
Andi Blog67978

Selling Features And Upgrades

In most markets today, buyers are more selective and demanding. There's more to choose from and they expect quality and upgrades. You may be facing a dilemma as to "what to fix first" or not having any additional funds for projects. Below are the most important features when it comes to selling your home. I would be happy to walk through your home with you, and point out your home's most important "needed projects" also, give you easy and cheap tips room to room. Contact me

Kitchen - Putting in a new kitchen is always a safe and predictable way to spend money. Today, people like a big kitchen with a lot of workspace. They look for solid surface counters and high-quality flooring, such as wood, laminate, tile or stone. New/modern lighting is also desirable and can completely change the feel of the kitchen. They want newer appliances in working order. It helps to have a window over the sink and being open to another room is quite desirable in today's market. Not only will you add considerably to the value of your home - you will also get a lot of pleasure from it!

Bathrooms - Buyers are looking for master baths that give a little room to roam. A big asset: spa or whirlpool tubs. It's a big selling feature.

Some other features buyers are seeking: separate showers with steam and/or multiple jets, Newer fixtures, double sink, and separate room for the toilet. Modern lighting, storage/linen space, ceiling vent and heat lamp combination.

Master suites/Loft conversions - These offer fantastic value for money, but don't be tempted to squeeze two rooms into a loft space. Instead convert the loft into a master bedroom with en-suite bathroom, a guest bedroom, a teenage bedroom or a family games room. What's important is that you keep it as a large room, giving your home instant 'wow' factor. Buyers are very excited about A well-appointed master suite. The wish list: a luxurious bathroom, lounging areas and walk-in closets, preferably his and hers.

Closets/Storage - Space is a huge selling feature. Beyond the his and her closets, buyers want to see SPACE! Make sure you have removed all unnecessary items and your closets and linen cabinets are almost bare! A buyer WILL open your "Secret hiding places" Garages and attics are also important. As long as they can envision their belongings fitting in YOUR home, they will be satisfied. There's only so much we can control. If you have an older home chances are your closets were designed for the days of "a few garments." Today's new construction allows added space to accommodate our fashion must haves and of course our 10-20 pairs of shoes EACH.

Exteriors - Many people spend thousands improving the inside of their property without giving any thought to the exterior - big mistake! If you've got an old roof and outdated paint, I don't care if you've updated the kitchen, bath and added gold faucets, first impressions are a must and can add as much as 5 percent to 10 percent to the value of the home. Roofs are expensive to replace and a good roof is considered standard equipment in a house. If your roof has problems, expect to take a hit in the price. Before entering the home, a buyer shouldn't see flawed porches, loose handrails, rusty gutters or awnings. They will automatically raise an eyebrow to the rest of the home. If the exterior hasn't been maintained, they will wonder what else they're not seeing.

Windows - People are looking at exposures and windows, It's been a cold winter for most of the country and energy efficiency is very important. We all know about fuel costs...

Insulated windows are always a plus, Typically, they pay for themselves in five years, The cost: for an average 2,600-square-foot home, estimate about $10,000 for new windows. Well-placed skylights are also a good touch to add value.

Decorating - Neutrals always work best - they make rooms appear bigger and brighter. However, we are in danger of going overboard with the minimalist look. Put neutral colors on walls, floor and fittings, but introduce some color through paintings, and soft furnishings to give your home warmth and appeal. Pack away as many personal items as you can such as photos. Allow the potential buyer to view the home as their own with no mental obstructions.

Natural materials - People like natural materials. Ceramic tile, hardwood floors, granite. We've gone back to a real appreciation for historically true materials. And simulated works just as well. The look is very popular.

In floor coverings - especially bathrooms or kitchens - look for ceramic tile or wood rather than linoleum, which can tear and be seen as "Cheap" Buyer's will often overlook an outdated vanity when they see ceramic tile flooring. In the rest of the house, wood or laminate products are a plus over wall-to-wall carpet.

But if you have carpet, it should be a good product and well maintained so that a person doesn't have to walk in and think, 'I'm going to have to spend five grand right off the bat. If possible make room for a "Decorating allowance" for the buyer this way it doesn't hurt your budget up front and comes out of your net proceeds.

Yard/Landscaping - There is not a lot you can do with the size of your yard. However, if you have an unsightly landscaping you need to spend money tidying it up. It will increase the value of your property instantly. Make sure you include a deck or patio area. Smarten up the front appearance and replace any fallen boundary fencing. Remember to keep the yard a focal point just as the interior is. Families will be spending time in the yard as well as the living room. Make landscaping and gardens child/pet friendly if possible.

Study/Den - Nearly 8 out of 10 households now have a computer. This has created an essential need for a study in many homes. Turning an under- stairs cupboard or a section of your finished basement into a study can be a great asset. But make sure it is away from the main living and sleeping areas.

Entertainment systems - Most new homes are now pre-wired for surround sound and broadband points. If you are thinking of having your house re-wired, remember to include this at the same time. It will save you a lot of money in the long term.

Basements - What used to be used only for a coal shoot, work shop, storage, and laundry, is now a living space! People expect a rec room, finished walls and flooring. If your basement is not finished, it should at least be DRY and clutter free. If your whole upstairs is remodeled and modern, but the basement has water problems, THAT'S what the buyer will remember unfortunately. Add extra lighting, clean up what I like to call "Creepy corners." Glass block windows are now standard and expected. Be sure to pay attention to the stairs leading to the basement. Paint, secure hand rails, and make it's as appealing as possible. Again, going back to first impressions.

If you know you've got to have something fixed, fix it Otherwise, people will subtract the cost or not make an offer on the house.

Copyright 2006 Cecilia Sherrard. Allene Blog60789
Alisa Blog22877

Atlanta School District Receives High Marks and Scholarship Funds

Newsweek Ranks North Atlanta High School in Top 2%

Newsweek magazine ranks twenty-seven thousand high schools throughout the nation and North Atlanta High School, part of the Atlanta School District, ranks among top 2%. Newsweek magazine compiles the lists of Best High School and releases the list at the end of every school year. This year North Atlanta High School was ranked at 531 out of the 27,000 schools ranked. These rankings are based on the high schools use and offering of Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses. Advanced placement classes are college preparation courses. The international baccalaureate uses an internationally recognized course curriculum.

North Atlanta High School offers and encourages students to take and pursue advanced placement classes or international baccalaureate courses. North Atlanta High School also operates International Studies and Performing Arts magnet school programs. The International Studies magnet program offers courses that focus own foreign languages, communications and social studies courses. The International Studies magnet program offers students opportunities to take part in youth foreign exchanges and internships in international companies. The Performing Arts magnet program stresses high academic achievement with performance art training.

Mays High School Teacher Receives Award

A Mays High School, a high school in the district of Atlanta Schools, teacher received the Close Up Foundations Linda Myers Chosen Award for Teaching Excellence in Civic Education. Hajj Womack received a plaque and one thousand dollars. Mr. Womack, a social studies teacher, was awarded the Close Up Foundations Linda Myers Chosen Award for Teaching Excellence in Civic Education while in Washington D.C. with students participating in the Close Up Washington program. Civics education is vital for students because teens often feel separated from politics in America.

Atlanta School Districts Douglass High School Receives Scholarship Funds from Magic Johnson

Former NBA player Magic Johnson visited Douglass High School on his nationwide AIDS awareness tour. He spoke to the students about safe sex, the value of education and their future. He gave the school twenty thousand dollars for college scholarships for graduating seniors. Twenty students were awarded $1000 scholarships as part of Douglass High Schools Visions of the Future Awards program. The awarded students were: Bianca Barnswell Talesha Noble, Lawrence Boddie Jihan Pankey, Mychael Bond Andrea Parks, Seron Fields Louis Perrino, Ramia Finley Shatila Platt, Aamir Fard Adrienne Richardson, Mavia Hanson Anthony Rogers, Yareli Hernandez Catrina Searcy, Kadayas Howard Delisa Stevens, Kenya Merritt Paul White. Magic Johnson gave the students advice that they should continue their education in college or start their own business. Johnson discussed his own work as a businessman after retiring from basketball. He also gave out Los Angeles Lakers jerseys to eight students in the audience. The jerseys bore Johnsons own number and current Lakers players.

Stacy Andell is a staff writer for Schools K-12, Which provides free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. Stacy has a nose for research and writes stimulating news and views on school issues.Angelina Blog20379
Catherin Blog22233

Alternative Way to Create Your Own Home Based Business Online Ideas for Making Huge Money Online!

Great online business ideas can lead you to highly profitable online business overnight! Now, I am going to give you an alternative way to create your own home based business online ideas for making huge money online from home. I highly encourage you to generate workable and realistic online business ideas for your success in the future. Youll discover how to create your own latest home based business ideas in this article.

Are you tired of creating your own business ideas for your home based business online? Youll discover how to explode your online business ideas alternatively here.

READ THIS: If you are looking an alternative workable way to generate your online business ideas.

Within this article today on creating home based business online ideas, we will be giving you a few different websites to get yourself thinking. When you are thinking about and creating home based business online ideas, the best ideas can come from observations that you make through your knowledge of the subject. Taking the time to read and remain current with online marketing and business trends will end up paying great dividends for you if you can use this information to your benefit.

The next website that we would like you to visit to help in creating home base business online ideas for you is www.cj.com. This website is very valuable because it has many different quality products that are ready for sell so you can see what the current trends are as far as top sellers, etc. This will go in line with what you will learn in the second paragraph because you'll want to see if you can improve potentially on current products that are being offered.

Additionally, the next website that I would like you to visit to help in creating home base business online ideas for you is www.affiliateprograms.com. This website has many different affiliate programs which you can join and promote or it can give you some ideas as to how you could change potential programs. If you take your time and look through how these programs are marketed, you may be able to see where you can make a change and offer a better product. Much of the improvement that comes through business on the Internet as well as off-line come in the form of improvements on current products. This is what you would be doing if you look at these affiliate programs. See where you could potentially improve what they have to offer. Take their program and offer it with a twist.

Additionally, the last websites you should visit for your make money business opportunities on the internet are: http://www.zMakeMoney.com and http://www.zMillionDollars.com. You will discover wealthy of informative website about how to earn big money online from home with your home based internet marketing business and affiliate marketing business. Those places are ultimately sites on the internet you should visit if you are looking for an alternative to make big money online at home.

I am sure that those above websites have helped you in looking for ideas to improve on. To get new ideas to develop on the Internet you will have to take the approach of traditional business. You must study the marketplace and then create a product that fills in the current need. If you just create a product because you think it is cool, which is not necessarily going to lead to success for you. You need to see where someone has a need that you can fill and if you can do this, you will have great sales. See what your competition is doing to solve needs and do this just a little bit better. Also see what types of customers would shop online at your particular store and also see the culture of these people. By taking the time to see what your competitors offer as well what people who visit your site are looking for, you are putting yourself in a great position to be able to full-fill their needs. This will lead you to being able to create home based business online ideas almost at will. Ideas are most powerful when they are backed by research because there is a solid basis for their success in the future.

Finally, the key factors for your highly profitable home based business online are to generate great business ideas and do an effective research in the marketplace. Personally, I strongly believe that learning from the RIGHT success internet entrepreneurs is the shortcut way for the success in home based business online. I always believe that Dont reinvent the wheel". Reinventing the wheel wastes a TON of your time. Youll save a lot of time and money for building your highly profitable successful home based online business.

Read more great articles about how to make big money online from home at: http://www.zMakeMoney.com/blog and http://www.zMillionDollars.com/blog

Siripong R. or zMillionDollars is a recognized authority on the subject of making money online from home through highly profitable & successful home based business. His websites, http://www.zMakeMoney.com and http://www.zMillionDollars.com, provide a wealth of informative articles and resources on everything you'll ever need to know about earning money online.Alejandrina Blog52333
Bobine Blog17327

I Love Traffic Jams

Most web marketers would agree that the number one and most fundamental aspect of any successful website is; The more traffic, the better! In keeping with that strategy, please let me share a few thoughts on how to actually accomplish this.

The one thing you can always count on in this world we live in, if you own a car of course, is getting stuck in traffic. There are those who experience this on a daily basis and for the rest of us, who do not drive to work, hopefully only once in a while.

Nevertheless, for most people this is a huge source of frustration and stress. Why? Because drivers hate the very thought of being stuck in one place when they want to be in another place. Take a look at the people around you the next time youre in a traffic jam. Is everyone smiling and having a good time? Probably not

So, how many of you would like to know how to alleviate the upset and the anxiety associated with being stuck in traffic? Because, and heres the thing, traffic jams are not going to disappear anytime soon. As long as we as a society rely on cars and trucks to get around there will always be traffic! But, even though it sounds crazy, I personally have learned to love traffic jams. Heres why.

Ive always maintained there are only 2 things you can do in any stressful situation; you either accept it or you can remove yourself from the situation. Beating yourself up or blaming someone else for the traffic jam only makes it worse. Thats what most people dont understand. Its not the traffic jam thats the problem; its your resistance to it. And, its that resistance that causes the stress. In other words, its the amount of energy you put into resisting your situation that causes the stress, not the situation itself.

In the case of traffic however, its obvious that you cannot remove yourself from it if youre already in it. So, the only other thing you can do is accept it, right? Complete 100% of acceptance of the situation is the only way to alleviate 100% of the stress. Now, I can hear your brain malfunctioning right about now and your saying to yourself, how can I possibly learn to accept traffic? Ah ha! Therein lies the secret to getting what you really want. Because thats what life is about, getting what you really want instead of what you dont want, right?

What you really want is more success. And, even though success means many different things to many different people, its still something that most people with the wherewithal to achieve big things, strive for each and every day.

Success? In a traffic jam? Youre saying to yourself, now, Im really confused! You see, there is one place where a traffic jam is a beautiful thingthe Internet! Thats what we call in the internet marketing business the key to any successful website, lots and lots of traffic. And, the more traffic jams we can create on our websites, the better!

So, if you want more success, at least in business, start getting more traffic to your website. There are of course many other things to consider when designing your site to make this happen, but without traffic a website is useless.

So, you now know what you really want - more success. You now know what you need to do to get it generate more traffic to your website. But, the most important part of this 3-part formula is; knowing how to do it! Without knowing how to do something you will never get the success you most certainly deserve. And, because business is about customers - the more customers you have the more success youll have. Knowing how to get more customers to your website and create a traffic jam is a science and it is definitely a skill which can be learned.

Now lets look at the many resources available to you to generate the traffic you need to run a successful website; search engines, affiliate programs, content submissions, email campaigns, joint venture partners, link exchanges, blogs, pay-per-click advertising and a whole host of other resources too numerous to mention here. If some of these things sound unfamiliar to you, my highest recommendation is to at least find out what they are and some of the things you need to do to make them work. For the purposes of this article, were going to focus on one thing; search engines. Why just search engines? Because thats where statistics have shown that 70% of your website traffic will be driven through search engines like; Google, Yahoo, MSN etc. Plus, its free!

How do you make search engines work for you?

First, you need to optimize your website to get a high search engine ranking. This means selecting relevant targeted keyword phrases and placing those keywords strategically on your web pages. How do you know what keyword phrases to use? Thats where many people make huge mistakes because they actually optimize their sites for keyword phrases that nobodys actually searching for. Hint! Find out first what people are searching for and then build your web pages around that. There are tools out there to help you chose what search terms are relevant such as; Googles free service called Overture, and WordTracker which is a paid service.

Once youve chosen your keywords its time to place them on your site. This is what we call keyword density. My suggestion for optimal results is to place one or two keyword phrases on each page in your; Page Title, Meta Description Tags, Meta Keyword Tags and a few times in the text of your webpage. This alone will significantly increase the ranking of your site for engines like Google and Yahoo. You see, these engines think like people. They look for whats important on your website and how relevant your site is to what key phrases youre optimizing it for. So, in other words dont optimize your site for free movie downloads if youre selling cosmetics. Bad idea! You can actually get penalized by engines for trying to trick them into sending you traffic.

Finally, the most significant factor in increasing your search engine optimization is incoming links. And, if youre wondering how important this is? Thats the million dollar, drop the gates, release the hounds, key to the universe! Why? Well, think of it like this. Even if your site is optimized with relevant keywords, whos to say that youre any good at what you do. Whos to say your products and services are any good. Thats the way engines like Google think. They want to know from others if you do what you say and if youre any good at doing it. How do they do this? By finding links to your website, on other sites, that promote what youre saying on your site. The more links into your website promoting what it is you do, the better!

Are you ready for the kicker? You mean theres more? Yep, theres more! If the last paragraph was a million dollar technique, this is definitely a two million dollar technique. Make sure that the links on other websites, which lead to your website, use your keyword phrases. Therefore your links in from outside should look like this Piano Music by Paul Tobey where the link underneath piano music is the url of your site ie: http://www.paultobey.com. An engine like Google searches for the keywords first and then follows the link to see if its relevant. If it is relevant, which in the case of the preceding example it is, then the ranking for the keyword search piano music will go up every time Google or another search engine, finds one of these links.

So, the next time youre sitting in traffic and you start to get agitated, stressed and filled with anxiety, think of all the traffic your website will be generating while youre stuck in the car. Take a look at all the angry people around you, give a big smile and say out loud to yourself, I Love Traffic Jams.

Paul TobeyCarolee Blog62241
Candis Blog48432

Playing Games During Working Hours Mad Retailers Make More Money

James, Judy and Judd are here today to sell. Theyre on my shop floor and I have made a massive effort to stock my shelves with terrific merchandise.

Its Thursday. James is working all day. Judy and Judd are working in the afternoon. Thursdays are slow in the morning and fast passed in the afternoon.

My Salespeople are going to play a game. Its a selling game and they are going to be scored - on a level playing field. This means even though James is working in a slow period of the day he knows that his team mates have a handicap. Judy has to stock shelves for an hour and take an afternoon tea break. My retail management performance tracking system knows that and has accordingly given her a lesser amount to sell than Judd.

I have already entered a sales goal for the day and rostered my staff. My software spits out an individual sales target for each Salesperson which I hand out. Off they go to play a game thats going to give me my best possible sales result for the day and their best opportunity at having fun and being motivated to do what they are here to do sell.

The objective of the game is to achieve the highest sales. He who wins takes the spoils.

Psychologically they believe in themselves, are motivated by competition, and are interested in developing their sales skills. Thats rather utopian! The probability is 6 out of 10 of my Retail Salespeople are not like that. But my game keeps that in check by identifying their weaknesses and telling me what specific sales skill to coach them on next.

Integrated with my POS system Im getting sales feedback on my Retail Dashboard every three hours and my system is comparing Actual sales versus Targets. Its also comparing each Salesperson to the Store Average across 5 key performance indicators or KPIs: Sales per Hour, Average Sale, Items per Sale, Wage to Sales Ratio, and Conversion Rate.

I see that Judy has a low Average Sale, compared to everyone else. I let her know shes been selling the cheaper items all day and challenge her to sell more expensive items for the rest of the day. James has lower Items per Sale than the rest so I tell him to focus on the products that have a natural ad-on. Hell get more items per sale and increase his deficient statistic.

Heres the rub for me I have been able to tell my staff exactly what to focus on to get the maximum sales increase for my store. Individually they also have a better chance of winning the game. And this happens every single day!

At the days end I get a straight forward tally of who performed best overall my winner. Apart from the statistical analysis I also get a visual assessment that uses colored symbols to identify sales performance across the 5 KPIs.

My system tracks these numbers daily, weekly, quarterly, and annually to show me visual trends about each of my Salespeople. It tells me exactly what to coach them on to achieve the biggest impact on their own personal sales success and ultimately mine.

I cant get these numbers from my POS because it doesnt have a Sales Goal framework and related Roster with Handicapping. At best my POS system gives me the 5 KPIs at store level not individual level and without the individual numbers I cant make my people play a game. So while my POS system helps me compare performance across my different stores it does not compare performance within an individual store.

I care about who works in my store. When I sign them up I tell them about my sales game and they realize they have a chance to succeed within a framework tied exclusively to their own personal success - based on statistics not emotion.

If you think playing games in retail is not for you try watching your next sports match on TV without the on-screen statistics or score.

Steven Lipschitz has a 12 year track record in Internet enabled applications and today specializes in Retail Software. He is the developer of Retail Performer - software that translates Retail Sales Objectives into an easy to use desktop and web service application. For further information visit Retail Performer: http://www.retailperformer.comBenedicta Blog14184
Becca Blog61336

Online Unsecured LoanAn Instant Financial Solvent without Pledging

Loan has become part and parcel of todays financial requirements. People avail facility of loans as of their needs. However, aiming at loan sometimes defaming ones financial status, as the individual has nothing to be placed, or feel uncomfortable on pledging. To get away from such situation, the lending authority has configured out an online unsecured loan. The loan hits upon the individuals financial malaise rightly.

As the term gives its own natural characteristic, an online unsecured loan requires no place of pledging. Lacking of pledging attests the special attentions to tenant or non-homeowners, and homeowners too to avail the online unsecured loan. Candidates get the benefits of an online unsecured loan without any financial distinction.

On applying online, borrowers get an instant online unsecured loan result in some hours. Since the online application lessens the paper works and documentation, and further no evaluation of the collateral quickens the approval.

Amount raised by the lending authority under the online secured loan is 5, 000. Lenders assure to increase the amount further up to 25, 000. Borrowers invest the sanctioned amount as they wish to. Home improvement and renovation, childrens higher education, wedding ceremony, visiting of dream holiday destinations, and starting of a planned dream business are some of the benefits of online unsecured loan.

More so, an act of debt consolidation under the online unsecured loan is one of the debt riding solutions. For, such an act, a borrower has to visit a single lender for all of his previous debts instead of dealing with different lenders for their respective loan amounts. In the mean time, the lender combine all the segregated loans into a single entity, and calculate an average of which may prove to be financial viable both to the lender and the borrower.

In order to get benefit of the online unsecured loan, lenders levy an increased rate of interest, as on the pretext of non-availability of collateral. Owing to too many lenders in the money market especially, for the online unsecured loan, arise borrowers chances of getting a comparative loan rate deals. Preferably, good it is if one researches about the unsecured loans online. After comparing, they can conclude an essence of the online unsecured loan.

Simon Peyton has done his masters in finance from CPIT. He works for the Loans Fiesta. For any type of loans as Online Unsecured Loan, unsecured debt consolidation loan, secured loan uk,secured homeowner loan in uk,secured home improvement loans please visit http://www.loansfiesta.co.ukBee Blog25672
Ali Blog65064

Stabilize The System By Removing Spyware

Spyware can kill the registry. Removing Spyware with anti Spyware may avert disaster. However, disaster can still strike if the Spyware is still in the registry. Clean the registry with Spyware removal like Microsoft free Spyware removal and free Spyware Adware removal programs to be safe.

Spyware is malicious software that can kill the registry. What does Spyware have to do with the windows registry? Well, everything and anything that happens on the computer is registered in the registry. The registry is an integral part of the operating system and whatever is added to the computer or removed from the computer is registered in the system registry. When a device such as any hardware is installed, the information pertaining to that hardware is recorded in the system registry. This information includes the kind of device it is and the name of the manufacturer as well.

When the device was installed and also when it was uninstalled is also recorded. If one needs to know what was installed in the PC and when they simply have to refer to the system registry for the information. However, when a device is uninstalled from the system the information is not removed completely from system. This information is not necessary and just contributes to slowing the system down. Therefore the registry along with the entire system must be cleaned of the Spyware, and useless information, by premium or free Spyware removal software.

Where Does Spyware Come In?

Spyware loads itself on to a system to collect personal data and secretly mail it to a web site or email address. This information is used for marketing and at many times criminal intent. Spyware operates secretly in the background while the computer is running, and can only be removed by Spyware removal programs. All the while the Spyware is gathering information from the system.

This Spyware is also stored in the system registry by the operating system. While the Spyware is operating, it is sending and receiving a lot of information over the Internet. This information is constantly updated in the registry by the operating system making the registry swell beyond proportions. As the registry grows the system slows and gradually begins to crawl.

What To Do When The System Slows?

When you discover the system has become slower than usual it is best to download and run some anti-virus utility or Spyware removal program. Though this software may remove the Spyware it will leave traces of the program in different parts of the registry. This then has to be cleaned with special free Spyware Adware removal software.

It is best to download free Adware Spyware removal programs or Microsoft free Spyware removal Software to take care of the problem instead of diving into the registry manually. That can cause more damage than good. Free yahoo Spyware removal software is good enough to get your system up and running again that too at a good speed. Spyware removal software also makes the system more stable and less prone to crashes.

Arvind Singh is admin and technical expert associated with development of computer security and performance enhancing software like Registry Cleaner, Window Cleaner, Anti Spam Filter etc. More information can be found at http://www.pcmantra.comAnnecorinne Blog93910
Caye Blog79620

Community Economic Sustainability- A Saboteur Within

Many North American communities are experiencing increasing growth and the myriad of pressures that comes with such forms of change. While its important to recognize our world continually evolves, it is becoming increasingly evident we must have a responsible plan in place to manage our evolutionary processes, especially in the area of urban sprawl.

Urban sprawl, a form of uncontrolled development, is proving to be a rising challenge for many communities. This form of development is unsustainable over the long run and adds significant pressure to traffic congestion, agricultural lands, infrastructure, not to mention the compromising of green spaces.

Every community desires to reach a point of economic sustainability, a place where by the community can be maintained at a certain level indefinitely. Gro Harlem Brundtland, head of The Brundtland Commission defined sustainable development as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainability relates to the economic, social, institutional, and environmental aspects of society. The concept follows the reality that our planet is in its resources finite, and the concept of infinite growth beliefs in areas of human growth and consumption are irresponsible at best.

While each and every one of us wants to see our hometown do well and become a vital vibrant community where our children can grow up, find jobs and remain, for many communities this concept is nothing more than a pipe dream. Of greater perplexing reality are those communities who have much of what it takes to be an economically sustainable community, yet deep within their ranks lays a saboteur, an element within the community that resists change to the point of killing future hopes of their region.

Having just returned from a 10 month stint in a northern British Columbia, Canada community called Smithers, this writer witnessed an example of a community wanting and fighting for economic sustainability. More evident was the daunting presence of a saboteur within their ranks.

Smithers is a community nestled up against the foot of Hudson Bay Mountain. A community of 6000, that boasts itself as an athletes paradise with a Bavarian flair. From every aspect, Smithers is a town with incredible development potential. It offers everything from air quality so pure it leaves you sleepy, incredible skiing, golfing, king salmon fishing, and all this within 5 minutes of town. Smithers is a community where its most clear they want you to come, and like most tourist communities, spend all your money before you leave. Geographically, this community is poised in such a way to be a vibrant central hub to the region, and yet, why does it seem to struggle with taking the next step?

Like many communities Smithers is plagued by a segment of its populace who are resistant to change. A segment of people who dont want to see change in their community, to the point of launching militant parades down the main street of town, reminiscent of 17th century town square mobs preparing to burn witches at the stake.

My own experience with the people of Smithers was not uncommon for outsiders. As a temporary 10 month visitor to the community I made the point of introducing myself to my neighbors. To the house on our left I was told during my greeting, that in Smithers the belief of many in the community was, youre not much if youre not Dutch! To the house on the right side I was confronted by a bewildered lady who was caught off guard that Id even try to introduce myself in the neighborhood as I would find Smithers to be very unfriendly. Two weeks later a man from the neighborhood came to my door to inform my son and I, that unknown to myself, the neighbors (who we had not yet met) had held a private meeting and decided my son and I were not welcome, and we should leave the town of Smithers as quickly as was possible. During the same period of our warm ,heart felt welcoming, the retail giant Wal-Mart, scouted Smithers for a potential store location. The public resistance to Wal-Mart was loud and astonishing with many failing to realize the taxes collected from one Wal-Mart store each year would equal the total community operational budget.

A year later, the name Wal-Mart has become a muffled sound amongst the often empty coffee shops in Smithers, while many retail store fronts on Smithers Main Street still sit empty.

Economic sustainability for any community can work, but it will never succeed as long as the people are resistant to change. Resistance to change becomes the great saboteur for many a community whose hopes and aspirations are great.

If North American communities are going to last, people must embrace one simple truth. People, like the times they live in, evolve. Change is inevitable, unbridled resistance to change is only destructive. Economic sustainability occurs when a community embraces and learns how to focus the power of change for their betterment.

James C. Tanner of http://www.silent-wonder.com, and of http://www.whats-he-like.com, is a retired entrepreneur, a former special Investigator, and a published writer. His articles are currently enjoyed by 12.5 million readers monthly.Aeriell Blog38641
Cally Blog39383

Do You Have Too Many Servers?

Do you have too many servers?

Many companies realize that they have too many servers or maybe they need to upgrade to the latest version of SQL Server. They know they are spending too much money on maintenance and equipment. Of course, they have the unfortunate bogus idea that the cost would be enormous. There were three companies called BeechTek, Tovar and Orlantek that did extensive research on this problem. The results of that research, and how that research can greatly facilitate your company is truly amazing. The following information has nothing to do with software upgrades, clusters or any other useless old solutions. The whole point is if you could set up one server instead of one hundred, greatly increase data security, reduce the overall cost and generate a 30-40% increase in performance, would that help your company? You Bet! I will try to convey what is happening in the tech community, who is at fault, who is trying to make a positive change and what you can do. I will also talk briefly the benefits and features of this new technology. The rest is up to you.

What the big companies do not want you to hear and their psychology

The Japanese have been at this longer then we have my friends! Unfortunately, when Japan or another country develops a new technology, it seems everyone else around the world has heard about it for at least six months or even years before the general American IT techs even learn about it. Since Japan still holds its position as the worlds technology leader, we need to realize it can benefit a business more if we actually research what is out there than finding out from our sales person or IBM, DELL, HP or other companies. Lets get down to brass tacks. When is the last time any company asked you if you would be open to new ideas to your issues, not to sell you something but to see if you even have a problem instead of giving you a sales pitch? Sure, I am always open to new ideas, I have to be, so that I can be on the leading edge of technology and my company can be ahead of my competition. I just seem to always get the sales pitch! I want a sales person to honestly look at my issues and honestly state if they can help me or are they are just trying to sale me their products. Imagine IBM stating, We are sorry but we think HP has a better server that fits your needs." But of course that will not happen. So what can you do? The only thing you can do, research.

It is unfortunate that many suppliers hide information about new technology and I promise they hear about this technology. We know that most companies get their paycheck from constantly selling new equipment and servicing your company when a server goes down. It is clearly obvious that they have very little intention to sell you a better server with 99.99% or 99.999% up time or selling one server that can take the place of one hundred other servers. They think they will go out of business. The truth is it is morally and ethically better to sell a real solution that might make you far less money in the short term and build a trusting relationship with respect because they will always ask you for help and word gets around about your quality and ethical standards. In short, you are looking out for their interests. And that my friend, is priceless.

How can I consolidate and still save money?

So with that said, what server can replace 100 other servers? We found many companies that have a special server based on Intel Itanium technology and that is what this article is about. NEC developed a better quality server called the Express5800/1000 series, that is based on the newest Intel Itanium2 dual-core processor technology. Before we go on I know what your thinking, but the cost must be enormous, after all, one server that can replace up to one-hundred servers?" Surprisingly we found out that is not the case at all. Although there are other Itanium type of servers out there, the NEC Express5800/1000 series Itanium2 with 64 bit computing, not only had the best secure speeds (holds the worlds speed record), best quality, but also has the highest usable features and by far is the best bang for the buck. The most important benefits are not how it will greatly increase production but how much money it will save your company.

Now how much do all your servers cost? What are the electricity costs? Do not forget all the licenses for the OS, applications, maintenance, upgrades etc. And of course there is the cost of down-time (which most companies still use clusters and other old solutions read my other article on about a server with 99.999% guaranteed up time) which many companies have pinned down the cost, ranging from $8,000 to $6.5M per hour, depending on tour industry.

Yes, it really adds up but lets look at a server that can really serve" your business. There is a wave of 64-bit architecture based solutions entering the market place. More and more companies are inquiring about the benefits of migrating to a 64 bit system. Though the benefits may seem obvious, it is important to understand exactly how different the 32-bit and 64-bit environments are and what type of hardware can best leverage the exponential performance capabilities offered by the 64-bit deployment. We found that NEC has established itself as the leader in the 64-bit hardware solutions space from not only being around te longest in the Itanium2 space but also by introducing with the Worlds best non-clustered TPC-H results on Windows Server 2003 with SQL Server 2000 (64-bit).

We will attempt to explain 64-bit computing implementation, which applications benefit from 64-bit solutions, and the key differences and benefits of migrating from 32-bit to a 64-bit architecture. Though, the performance benefits of 64-bit can be experienced by many high-end workstations and server applications such high-traffic e-commerce sites, computer-aided engineering, and high-performance scientific and engineering computing, this article discusses specific benefits on Microsoft SQL Server 2000 (64-bit). We will discuss how to leverage the 64-bit architecture to gain record performance on large database management systems, data mining and server consolidation solutions. Extreme high performance servers are the top candidates for the 64-bit platform. Specially, large scale database management systems like Microsoft SQL Server 2000 (64-bit). The 64-bit environment allows a large addressable memory pool and offers newly optimized processing capabilities leveraging the Intel Itanium2 processor. Any application demanding high speed processor utilization, significant bus I/O speed, storing large amounts of data in memory cache, and high concurrency of hundreds and thousands of users, will directly benefit from increased performance by migrating to 64-bit architecture solution. For example, an existing 32-bit based application, after migration to a 64-bit software and hardware architecture, one will see immediate performance gains when taking on more complex workloads and processing large amounts of data.

Organizations that move to an Itanium 2-based platform can not only address current performance issues, but also gain familiarity with architecture that will be able to keep up with scalable demands in the near and intermediate future.

Scalability Benefits

Microsoft SQL Server 2000 (64-bit) has removed any remaining barriers left for scaling line of business applications. Applications that access a very large multi-terabyte database, data warehousing applications, business intelligence applications, decision support systems, modeling for scientific and financial applications, complex business applications and electronic resource planning systems (such as PeopleSoft, SAP, and Baan), online transaction processing (OLTP) applications, data mining and sleuth of other database applications, now have the ability to achieve exponential scalability when deployed on a 64-bit hardware solution. Microsoft SQL Server 2000 (64-bit) can support up to 64 CPUs and 512 GB of RAM. From a database performance perspective the 64-bit architecture provides super-computer like computing power to database applications. The bar of scalability for line of business and data warehousing applications has been raised by Microsoft SQL Server 2000 (64-bit) to levels unimaginable on the 32-bit versions. With NEC Express5800/1000 series Itanium2 servers, customers can not only benefit from such record-breaking performance, but can also enjoy an overall reduced total cost of ownership.

Database and Server Consolidation Benefits

The concept of database and server consolidation has taken an all-together different dimension with the advent of 64-bit computing. Microsoft SQL Server 2000 (64-bit) supports up to 16 instances of database service on a single machine. Prior to 64-bit, enterprise customers were not really able to leverage this feature due to limitations inherent in the 32-bit Windows operating system. These limitations have been extinct from 64-bit implementations. For example, under 64-bit, NECExpress 5800/1000 series customers can expand from 8 CPUs all the way up to 32 CPUs. This allows customers for the first time to implement true database and server consolidation without having to worry about running out of horsepower as their business grows.

The Difference between 32-bit and 64-bit computing

A 64 bit operating system supports far more virtual memory than a 32-bit operating system. For example, 32-bit Windows Server 2003 supports 4 GB of virtual memory, while 64-bit Windows supports 16 TB of virtual memory. Non-paged pool memory (an area of system memory reserved for objects that must remain in physical memory as long as they are active) increases substantially, up to 128 GB for the 64-bit platform compared to 256 MB maximum for the 32-bit platform. With these new higher limits, the scalability that the 64-bit platform offers is enormous in terms of terminal server clients, page pools, network connections, and so on. The 64-bit alone can increase speeds further than anything most people can comprehend. With the new Intel Dual Core Processor with hyper-threading this will of course, increase the processing speeds, let me try to show you the magnitude of this. Let me say the fastest server is like a snail crawling on the sidewalk, the CPU in a Itanium2 with the Intel 64 bit Dual Core Processor with hyper-threading would be equivalent to a fighter jet hitting the speed of Mach 1.

NOTE: I am being very conservative here.

Last words

Folks, when we finished researching this data, we knew that NEC has a wonderful product, I just wished I had owned stock in the company because I sincerely believe this server has what it takes to dominate that market in that field of servers. We couldn't believe this technology was being released to the public and truthfully, we also believe this will change what businesses use. The NEC server has nearly 10 times the throughput of 32-bit systems, over twice the performance of 32-bit systems. It is loaded with features like self healing system management and is 20-30% faster then IBM and HP RISC servers. We have found that it is 30% faster then other competitors servers at about 1/3 the price! It runs 90% of database applications, including Microsoft SQL Server, IBM DB2 and Oracle. NECs Itanium machine is by far the MOST POWERFUL, SPACE-EFFICIENT, COST-EFFECTIVE 64-BIT COMPUTING SOLUTION AVAILABLE. From their super computer-based cross bar technology to mirrored memory, NEC has thought up of just about everything. These particular servers in comparison to others we have researched are by far the best deal. You see, for every hundred servers replaced by one NEC Express5800/100 series Itanium2 you would have

1. Greatly reduced the costs from buying multiple machines

2. Saved from using all those multiple Operating Systems licenses

3. The ability to run multiple applications

4. Maintenance for only one machine!

5. Your system will have over 99.99% up time (clusters rate at 99.9%) and with the NEC disaster recovery no data loss!

6. Significantly reduce the electric bill alone with only one server and the cooling bill for the data center!

7. Your clients and staff will have their data faster than ever before!

8. You will get more than 35-45 increase in production capacity! Remember the speeds these have not only are unbelievable, but the way it gets that data from the server is also very high tech.

9. Very simple to manage and the quality of NEC products are state of the art.

The most important thing Im sure you want to know is yes, the price is very affordable! The main point is there are many options for your IT data center, company or Office. Not all solutions work for all people but if you need a data crunching server, SQL Server or a server Microsoft would be proud of( and they use the NEC Express5800/1000 series Itanium2 in their data center), I would recommend the NEC Itanium2 server-in a heart beat, they are unbelievably fast and very reliable(99.99% - more than a cluster)! I really hope this helps. If you have any questions feel free to contact me!

Wes Tafoya
http://www.beechtek.com

Wes Tafoya is the Vice President and spearhead for BeechTek Inc. Specialists in eliminating server downtime and solving data center issues other companies can not solve. Wes has offices in Washington State, Iowa, southern California and the north suburbs of Chicago. Divorced, Wes has one son named Damion. Besides snowboarding, SCUBA and other sports with his son, Wes on his spare time, spends much of his spare time studying ancient cultures, history and certain sciences. Wes was raised in Orange County, California and moved to Illinois in 1994 and has been there since. He tells people, "sure, I will move back after I make my first million-I do not want to disappoint my self."Alexandra Blog23173
Calypso Blog8733

How to make a Christmas Wreath

Christmas wreaths are an old Christmas tradition that is used to decorate the outside of the house, typically on the front door, to give Christmas time visitors a festive greeting.

To make a Christmas wreath you will need a wreath ring, florist wire (you can get these cheaply from our local florist) and some vegetation.

Take a walk around your local park, your garden or in the countryside. Take a bag and some scissors with you and collect interesting vegetation to make a Christmas wreath. Under no circumstances should you pick plants from other people's gardens unless you have their permission to do so.

Collect evergreens, ivy and loral leave are good. Some leaves are a silvery grey; these add a frosty feeling to the wreath. Conifers are popular in people's gardens. Do you have a conifer in your garden? Conifers don't have overly interesting foliage but they make a great base to the wreath.

Also look out for holly or other shrubs that bear berries. Berries add colour to the wreath. Look out for dried seedpods such as poppies, teasels and pinecones. Seedpods can be spray painted silver or gold and used to add interest to the wreath. If you do intend to use spray paint any pieces do this well in advance of the day you intend to make the wreath to give the paint enough time to dry. When using spray paint always closely follow the direction of use printed on the back of the tin.

To make the wreath

To attach pieces of foliage to the wreath ring you cut to piece to length and wrap the wire around the lower end of the foliage and then twist the wire around the wreath ring with another piece of wire. Repeat this procedure an inch or two further down the stem.

During the first round of the wreath the foliage will slide around a little bit but the more you put on the more stable it will become. Keep your work flat on a tabletop to prevent movement.

Much of building the wreath is to place your foliage to make something pleasing to the eye, with interest around the whole of the wreath.

However there are some general rules of the thumb.

Use the inner and outer rings as separate 'rounds' filling both rings makes a full plush wreath.

You will find that you can make rounds appear to have a direction. This is when the stems all lay the same way. Wreaths look best if a round follows the same direction. However, the two rings on the wreath ring don't necessarily have to go in the same direction.

The more you add, the better it looks.

Save the 'feature' or fancier pieces until last so that they sit on the top layer of the wreath where they can be seen.

To add pine cones, wrap some wore around the bottom layer of the cone seeds, and twist the two wire stems firmly together and push the wire into the wreath and twist them together at the back of the wreath. You could also wire on Christmas baubles.

When the wreath is finished hang it on your front door for all to see and appreciate.

S. Roberts writes for http://www.santaspostbag.co.uk where Santa writes FREE personalised emails and children can write and tell Father Christmas their Christmas wish list. For images of the Christmas wreath visit http://www.santaspostbag.co.uk/how-to-make-a-christmas-wreath.html SantasPostbag is in association with http://www.bigboystoyz.com.Arleyne Blog81090
Ailee Blog39510

San Antonio Independent School District Gears Up for College

San Antonio Schools held two college fairs as part of its GEAR UP program to help the class of 2012 get ready for college.

GEAR UP Fairs in the San Antonio Area

Current Sixth Grade students and their families attended college fairs at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Participants learned about basic college requirements, entrance examinations, and how to find financial aid. To add a little local flavor to the occasion, school cheerleaders and mariachis performed and refreshments were served.

GEAR UP

Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) is a federally funded grant given to states to increase the number of low income students enrolling in college. The grant provides funding for six years in order to promote one class of students in college readiness from sixth grade through twelfth grade. Some GEAR UP funds go toward college scholarships for needy students.

GEAR UP isnt just for schools. Local businesses and community groups, including those with religious affiliations, can partner with local schools to provide college information for students. Each school or organization, however, is expected to match federal funding dollar for dollar, meaning that the non-federal contribution must be at least 50 percent.

Student Selection

GEAR UP funds can be used on a variety of student population groups by focusing on either a cohort or priority students. Each cohort must satisfy one of the following requirements:

All of the students in a particular grade level at a participating school that has a seventh grade and in which at least 50 percent of the students are eligible for free or reduced price lunch under the National School Lunch Act.
All of the students in a particular grade level who reside in public housing.

Priority students, on the other hand, are students who are eligible to be counted under one of the following laws:

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (Title 1)
Free or reduced price lunches under the National School Lunch Act
Assistance under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (Title 1 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996)

Private school students also have a chance to participate if they meet any of the above requirements. In order to do so, a local education agency must act on their behalf and either an institute of higher learning or a local education agency is in charge of their finances. For private school students to participate, the private school itself must also be a partner in the grant.

Opportunities for the San Antonio Independent School District

The district has a lot to gain from the GEAR UP program in targeting students and their parents early on in the college decision making process. Beginning with sixth grade students, the program allows parents and students to develop gradually in undertaking the many responsibilities that come with applying for and paying for college. The class of 2012 is on its way to making a smooth transition into university education.

Stacy Andell is a staff writer for Schools K-12, Which provides free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. Stacy has a nose for research and writes stimulating news and views on school issues.Bernete Blog11502
Annadiane Blog36143

Fernie Accommodation 9 Essential Tips To Stretch Your Budget In Fernie Alpine Resort

Are you worried your ski vacation to Fernie, Canada will break the bank? Are you afraid to pull together your budget and stare at the potential cold, hard, numbers? Fear not, we've collected some sure fire tips and information to save you cash on your Fernie accommodation, activities, Fernie lift tickets, and more.

Tip #1 - Book Your Trip Early

If you know exactly when youre like to have your vacation, booking your vacation far in advance can often score you early bird savings. If youre flying, try to leave in the middle of the week as most people prefer the weekend and prices are correspondingly higher. Reserving your Fernie accommodation in advance can also allow for cheaper nightly rates, especially if youre flexible by even a few days.

Tip #2 - Book Your Fernie Accommodation Directly with Owners

Booking your Fernie accommodation directly with homeowners and small companies saves you money by hacking away layers of middle agent fees. As well, most owners do not charge the non-refundable 10% British Columbia hotel tax, and rates are quoted for the maximum sleeping capacity of the property, not per person.

Tip #3 - Lofts Or Dens Can Also Be Bedrooms In Your Fernie Accommodation

Did you know that lofts and dens can often serve as comfortable bedrooms? Don't rule out this option, because booking a 2 bed home with a loft, rather than a 3 bedroom home, can save you thousands of dollars.

Tip #4 Share The Cost By Inviting Your Friends

When searching for your Fernie accommodation, consider inviting a good friend, another family or favorite family member! Getting a bigger property and adding an extra two people can save you a few hundred dollars by spreading the cost among more people. This is especially effective true if the larger property is almost the same price as the slightly smaller one.

Tip #5 Avoid Possible Fernie Accommodation Scams

Some Fernie promotions out there either sound too good to be true or once you arrive, arent quite what you expected. Here are some scams to watch out for that will save you wasting money and grief:

Undisclosed nightly parking fees

Prices quoted per person, and not for up to the total maximum sleeping capacity of the property

Hidden sales taxes

Blind booking, where you are not given the name of the property you are staying in until after you have paid for it.

Tip #6 - Pack The Entertainment With You

Keeping kids entertained in between hitting the ski slopes can be a pricey affair. Television and movie rentals are a fairly cheap alternative to going out, but wouldnt your rather have them enjoy a more productive evening of Scrabble or Trivial Pursuit? Pack the games and your children wont mind hanging out indoors.

Tip #7 Buy A Canadian Rockies Discount Card

Adults and Youth are eligible to purchase a Canadian Rockies discount card, entitling you to some decent benefits. The highlights, you get 3 free days and can save up to $26 everytime you ski. Cards can be purchased directly off the Resorts of the Canadian Rockies website.

Tip #8 Prepare A Few Meals At Home

Lets face it, unless youre sticking to the menu at the local fast food outlet, eating out is expensive. Consider buying groceries and preparing at least a few of your meals in your Fernie accommodation. Some ski lodges include at least basic kitchen facilities. Better yet, book your Fernie accommodation directly with an owner and have all the culinary tools at your disposable.

Tip #9 Look For Coupons In Tourist Brochures & Flyers

The local Fernie tourist brochures, newspapers, and flyers are a great place to scour for discount coupons and deals. While these coupons may only save a couple dollars each, it certainly adds up when combined over a few days with all the other expenses that incur on a memorable vacation.

Devon O Malley is a staff writer for http://AlluraDirect.com, a vacation rental website offering powerful search and instant booking features for owners and guests alike. On your next Fernie vacation, check out their Fernie accommodation directory and save money by booking your Fernie accommodations directly with homeowners. Amandi Blog38828
Ansley Blog13978

About Drupal

The Onion
The Spread Firefox
Ourmedia
KernelTrap
The Defective by Design campaign

Do these above mentioned names make any sense for you? Well, they are all the names of high-traffic websites.but apart from that?

Well, they are all bound by a common threadthey all use Drupal as their web application framework or blogging engine.

So what Drupal actually is?
Drupal is a software package that is

* Free o download and use
* Written in PHP
* Open-source system
* Distributed under the GPL
* Maintained and developed by a community of thousands of users and developers across the globe.
* Allows an individual or an online community to publish, manage and organize a content rich website.

The background

The credit for writing this software---todays most popular tool for building online communities goes to Dries Buytaert. The name of the software has significance; the word Drupal has its origin in the Dutch word, druppel or Drop. Now Drop in Dutch also stands for Village or community. So the community aspect of the software has always been emphasized. However, others try to establish a link with the name of now defunct Drop.org website---the codes of which had a direct influence on the coding of Drupal.

What it can do for you

The latest version (Drupal 5.1) released in the early 2007 comes with the enhanced feature of easy-to-use web installer. The moment your web host adds this script to your web host account, it is all geared up to help you in your variety of content management and blogging tasks such as: Forums, Peer-to-peer networking , Newsletters, Podcasting, Picture galleries, File uploads and downloads and many more.

The wide ranging Drupal websites

Powered with a wide range of features, Drupal can support different types of website ranging from traditional blogs to Social Networking sites and Intranet applications to E-commerce applications.

If you want to have a glimpse of notable sites using Drupal, refer to this URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drupal

On your way to create a community based website or a community driven portal?

Or are you up to introducing a resource directory or an Aficionado site?

Whatever may be your website requirements, Drupal can handle them all. So start your warming up from today; but before that make sure you find an efficient web host who can offer you Drupal webhosting.

Fat Jack Hosting is the Internet Marketers Dream when it comes to hosting. Not only do we have great ongoing 24/7 support, but we understand the small business owner, entrepreneur and internet marketer because we are owned and operated by an extremely successful one. Thats why you get great customer service, tips, strategies and support. Go here right now to get your hosting account>> http://www.fatjackhosting.comBiddy Blog79334
Catlee Blog30211

Microsoft Dynamics GP Texas Countryside implementation

When we are talking about mid-size and complex ERP system implementation for the manufacturing facility in downstate Texas, for example, you should probably expect combination of initial onsite visit for current MRP legacy system analysis, requirements and following up phone interviews to finalize accounting system implementation proposals. Success factors include good coordination with your in-house IT group, especially in coordinating technical and ERP functionality project management. Here we would like to position for you some Microsoft Great Plains highlights:

Technology. Great Plains Architecture is based initially on Great Plains Software Dexterity platform (Dynamics.Dic, DEX_ROW_ID, Dynamics.Set, Dexterity.Exe these are all the traces of former strong Dex foundation). Currently Microsoft Dynamics Project (or former name Microsoft Project Green) is deemphasizing Microsoft Dexterity core and putting more emphasis on .Net (eConnect, XML web services), MS Office (Microsoft Office seamless integration, Microsoft Sharepoint) and MS Business Portal, plus integration with front end such as Microsoft CRM 3.0

Microsoft Dynamics family of ERP products. Probably it will be ending up with defining the proper niche for each one. More likely Microsoft Dynamics AX will take a giant enterprises niche to compete with Oracle EBusiness Suite and SAP mySAP, and Microsoft Dynamics GP will be good solution for Mid-size enterprises such as discrete manufacturing, field services, non-for-profit, plus wide range of verticals on the US market. Axapta more likely will be localized for the majority of international markets, where it will go down to the mid-size clientele

Integrations. Being Microsoft SQL Server based ERP applications, Microsoft Dynamics GP enables you to utilize MS SQL Server linked server technology and so implement cross-platform integrations, which is especially important for mid-size and large enterprises with long ERP history and phased approach to legacy ERP evoluition. On the other hand Microsoft Great Plains Integration Manager is capable to cover current and relatively straight forward integrations: to your Retail Management system, integrations with your overseas subsidiary on the GP level, so called consolidation, etc.

Andrew Karasev, Alba Spectrum Group ( http://www.albaspectrum.com http://www.enterlogix.com.br ), Microsoft Dynamics GP Great Plains partner servicing clients USA nationwide plus locally in Texas: Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, Waco, Tyler, Wichita Falls, Plano, San Angelo, Mesquite, Lubbock, Laredo, Irving, Grand Prairie, Fort Worth, El Paso, Corpus Christi, Beaumont, Amarillo, Abilene as well as Chicago, Miami, California and US nation-wideBrynne Blog84596
Arlen Blog65841

What is Style? And How To Achieve It

Despite what the media tells us, true style has nothing to do with having a perfect body or becoming a slave to fashion. It's actually about being comfortable in your own skin and expressing yourself with confidence.

We probably all know a few women who seem to have been born with style and good taste. They are the sort of women who always look great and fit in wherever they go. What do these women have in common? Chances are it's not a size 0 body, a huge income or their own stylist.

What they share is a defined personal style and the ability to dress in a way that makes them feel comfortable and confident.

Women have long been seduced into believing that their external appearance is everything. And if we believe what mass media tells us, we're all abnormal if we don't look like a supermodel.

>From an early age, we are influenced by the likes and dislikes of our friends and parents and later, our partners. Our education, family/social situation and career also play a part in telling us what we should look like and how we should act.

The problem arises when we allow all of these external factors to take over and we lose sight of who we are. When this happens we get stuck in a rut; shopping becomes stressful and frustrating; and our catch-cry becomes 'But I've got nothing to wear!'

To develop style means to marry what suits our height, personal colouring, shape and age from what's currently in fashion, and to understand which 'looks' are appropriate for what occasions. In other words, to become a woman who understands fashion without becoming a slave to it.

The fact is that every person, from any background, and any size, age or shape has the ability to dress in a way that is fashionable, flattering and in good taste.

Gaining this knowledge, and experiencing more shopping success, will allow you to express the woman within - the real you. And in turn this will then give you the confidence to become more creative with your wardrobe.

In essence, there are five key points to remember when it comes to personal style:

Appropriateness: for your physical shape, age and the occasion;

Simplicity: less is more. Choosing simple, clean lines and accessories;

Poise: carrying yourself with grace and confidence in every situation;

Authenticity: expressing the real you both in the way you dress and behave;

Courtesy: good humour and respect for others.

As you can see, style is about much more than just the clothes we wear. It is everything that makes us unique - from our personality and lifestyle, through to our education, experiences, values and goals. Apart from body shape and colouring, it is these things that will make or break style success.

Dressing in a way that doesn't fit with who you are as a person means not only will you feel uncomfortable but you will be sending very mixed messages to everyone around you. Feeling self-conscious will destroy any hope of style.

Being able to look in the mirror and like what you see is a very important factor in self-esteem. When you know you look good you walk, talk and think differently. Once you understand the basic rules of colour and style and apply them to your wardrobe in a way that suits you as an individual, you will be amazed at the positive changes that come about in your life.

Susan Lockhart is a leading Image Consultant in Brisbane, Australia and owner of Synergy Image Consulting. Learn how to make the most of your appearance and dress for success, no matter what size, age or shape you are. Get professional advice on colour, dressing for your body shape, bridal wear, grooming and more. Consultations for men and women. Visit http://www.synergyimage.com.au Celia Blog44648
April Blog69830