Laying Out Your New Landscape
When planning your new landscape, the first place to start is by driving around your neighborhood and seeing what other people have done with their landscapes. Bring a sketch pad or digital camera to record things you like. Your next stop is your local nursery or garden center. Look at what plants do well in your area. Look at any displays they have setup to get an idea of which plants work well together. And dont be afraid to ask questions.
Now comes the planning stage. Get a long tape measure and some graph paper and
take some accurate measurements of your yard. The more accurate you are, the
more detailed you can be with your plan. Dont worry though, if you arent perfectly
accurate. Even if you pace off your yard and get some general measurements, you
will be better off than just trying to guess how large an area you are working with.
After the measurements are done, you can use either graph paper and pencils or
one of the new software packages that are available. I prefer the software only
because it allows you to make changes very quickly and easily, and also allows you
to see three-dimensional views of your design. One unique feature is that many
software programs allow you to preview your landscape five-, ten-, twenty- or more
years from now! This way you can see how your mature lot will look in the future!
This will help prevent over-planting areas.
If you dont use your computer to lay out your new design, use a piece of graph
paper and transfer your measurements to the paper. Begin by laying out the larger
elements like trees and shrubs, and then adding the smaller elements around them
to complement the design. Also keep in mind the relative heights of the materials
you are going to use. When viewing a landscape you want taller items in the back
and shorter elements in the front.
This article series will continue over the next couple of issues as I take you through
the entire process from planning to planting!
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
What Size Body Section Ranks Highest?
This is another one of the controversial questions in many of the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) forums, yet it is very easy to answer for any particular search engine. While popular belief seems to be that pages should be very short (less than 10K) to rank well with the leading search engine, this article conclusively answers that question with a completely different answer.
The methodology is really quite simple for this question. I gathered the results of the queries naturally performed last month by myself and three associates using Yahoo and Google. I then visited each page and wrote down the size of the body section of the page. Those sizes were then tabulated for the top 20 rankings and converted into a normalized ranking correlation.
The resulting number shows each group of body section sizes normalizing into a number between 100 and +100 showing the likelihood of being ranked higher/lower. A value of +100 shows that all 10 rankings were in the proper order to show that pages of the studied size ALWAYS rank HIGHER than pages of another size. A value of 100 shows that all 10 rankings were in the proper order to show that pages of the studied size ALWAYS rank LOWER than pages of another size. Numbers in between show the varying likelihood of rankings proportionally between 100 and +100.
That is the number you see on the Y-axis. On the X-axis, we have groups of page sizes varying from 0 to >100K bytes. Here are the graphs for Yahoo and Google:
http://www.searchenginegeek.com/graphs/dey02.gif
http://www.searchenginegeek.com/graphs/deg02.gif
(Note to Webmasters: Feel free to hot link to the above graphs or even copy them to your own site. Also feel free to delete this note.)
There is an obvious correlation on Google, which shows that body sections of a size between 50K and 60K generally rank much higher than shorter or longer bodies. The Yahoo graph is a bit more erratic, but also shows a nice peak at 60-70K (and another one at 20-30K). This goes against the popular belief that states that shorter pages rank highest. The popular belief is shown to be completely inaccurate with this study.
Notes:
1. For the purposes of this test, the actual body section size in bytes was used. The page was saved to disk and then everything before the body tag and after the end body tag were deleted. The resulting size of the file as reported by the operating system was used. Graphics and any other external references were completely ignored.
2. Over 1,000 queries and over 10,000 sites were examined for this study.
3. There was no exercise to attempt to isolate different keywords. I merely took a random sampling of the queries performed by myself and three associated during the prior month.
Conclusion:
Pages with a body section size between 50K and 70K rank best on the two leading search engines!
This is merely a correlation study, so it cannot be determined from this study whether the leading search engine purposefully entertains this factor or not. The actual factors used may be far distant from the factor we studied, but the end result is that this search engine does, in fact, rank pages between 50K and 60K higher than pages of other sizes.
Copyright 2004 Jon Ricerca
This is another one of the controversial questions in many of the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) forums, yet it is very easy to answer for any particular search engine. While popular belief seems to be that pages should be very short (less than 10K) to rank well with the leading search engine, this article conclusively answers that question with a completely different answer.
The methodology is really quite simple for this question. I gathered the results of the queries naturally performed last month by myself and three associates using Yahoo and Google. I then visited each page and wrote down the size of the body section of the page. Those sizes were then tabulated for the top 20 rankings and converted into a normalized ranking correlation.
The resulting number shows each group of body section sizes normalizing into a number between 100 and +100 showing the likelihood of being ranked higher/lower. A value of +100 shows that all 10 rankings were in the proper order to show that pages of the studied size ALWAYS rank HIGHER than pages of another size. A value of 100 shows that all 10 rankings were in the proper order to show that pages of the studied size ALWAYS rank LOWER than pages of another size. Numbers in between show the varying likelihood of rankings proportionally between 100 and +100.
That is the number you see on the Y-axis. On the X-axis, we have groups of page sizes varying from 0 to >100K bytes. Here are the graphs for Yahoo and Google:
http://www.searchenginegeek.com/graphs/dey02.gif
http://www.searchenginegeek.com/graphs/deg02.gif
(Note to Webmasters: Feel free to hot link to the above graphs or even copy them to your own site. Also feel free to delete this note.)
There is an obvious correlation on Google, which shows that body sections of a size between 50K and 60K generally rank much higher than shorter or longer bodies. The Yahoo graph is a bit more erratic, but also shows a nice peak at 60-70K (and another one at 20-30K). This goes against the popular belief that states that shorter pages rank highest. The popular belief is shown to be completely inaccurate with this study.
Notes:
1. For the purposes of this test, the actual body section size in bytes was used. The page was saved to disk and then everything before the body tag and after the end body tag were deleted. The resulting size of the file as reported by the operating system was used. Graphics and any other external references were completely ignored.
2. Over 1,000 queries and over 10,000 sites were examined for this study.
3. There was no exercise to attempt to isolate different keywords. I merely took a random sampling of the queries performed by myself and three associated during the prior month.
Conclusion:
Pages with a body section size between 50K and 70K rank best on the two leading search engines!
This is merely a correlation study, so it cannot be determined from this study whether the leading search engine purposefully entertains this factor or not. The actual factors used may be far distant from the factor we studied, but the end result is that this search engine does, in fact, rank pages between 50K and 60K higher than pages of other sizes.
Copyright 2004 Jon Ricerca
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Simple Steps To Finding The Right Mattress
According to Better Homes and Gardens, most of us replace our mattresses every 8 to 10 years. Trying to pick the right mattress for you, one that you want to sleep on for the next 10 years, can seem like a daunting task. You spend 1/3 of your life sleeping, make it a comfortable 1/3.
As we're about to show you, it can be as easy as choosing the next show to TiVo.
The first question you may be having is, do I need a new mattress? This one is probably the easiest. Ask yourself if you are sleeping well at night. Do you feel rested in the morning or do you need five cups of coffee before even thinking about getting ready for your day? If so, chances are you do need a new mattress.
The age of your mattress could also be a factor. Chances are you have dust mites, and dust mites can actually double the weight of your mattress in ten years. We won't go into detail about that here, but you get the point. This along with mold and mildew can create havoc on allergies and asthma.
Some of the most common indicators of needing a new mattress are:
mattress is too lumpy
mattress is too soft/hard
mattress is too old
mattress is just not comfortable
Ok, so you decided that you do need or want a new mattress. The first thing you need to do is decide on what size you want. If it's the same size as you already have, you're ahead of the game.
If you have decided to move up in size, a simple way to see how your new mattress will fit is to move the old bedding and mark the area where the new bed will sit. You can do this using towels, sheets, or even an outline in string.
If you want to really get creative, buy yourself some graph paper and organize all of your bedroom furniture. Draw out your bedroom dimensions and on another sheet cut out your furniture to scale. Then you can organize your whole bedroom without lifting anything heavy.
Here are some of the more popular mattress dimensions to help get you started.
Twin: 38" x 75"
Extra-Long Twin: 38" X 80"
Double/Standard/Full Size: 53" x 75"
Queen: 60" x 80"
King: 76" X 80"
California King: 72" x 84" (Recommended for people over 6'4")
Important Tip: Remember these sizes can vary by manufacturer and don't forget headboards and foot boards can add several inches to these dimensions.
When it comes to beds and mattresses, the softest are not always the best. This almost always comes down to personal preference. Your going to have to test drive your mattress. Don't be shy, and don't be afraid t ask the sales staff to leave you alone while you try out the mattresses.
If someone will be sleeping with you, bring them along. Above all, the mattress should support your spine and should not interfere with your pressure points.
Check the number of coils the mattresses has. The higher number of coils the better the mattress will wear. Generally, 300 coils for a double and 350-800 for a queen. A king size mattress can range from 400 to 900 coils.
You'll also want a few fabric and padding layers and a pillow top.
Many recommend going to a local mattress store and test the ones you like, then go online to stores like were you can find better deals.
When you've found the perfect mattress, you need the perfect frame. You want a good solid frame. One that will sufficiently support the mattress and box spring.
Now, go buy yourself some nice new sheets to go with your brand new mattress!
According to Better Homes and Gardens, most of us replace our mattresses every 8 to 10 years. Trying to pick the right mattress for you, one that you want to sleep on for the next 10 years, can seem like a daunting task. You spend 1/3 of your life sleeping, make it a comfortable 1/3.
As we're about to show you, it can be as easy as choosing the next show to TiVo.
The first question you may be having is, do I need a new mattress? This one is probably the easiest. Ask yourself if you are sleeping well at night. Do you feel rested in the morning or do you need five cups of coffee before even thinking about getting ready for your day? If so, chances are you do need a new mattress.
The age of your mattress could also be a factor. Chances are you have dust mites, and dust mites can actually double the weight of your mattress in ten years. We won't go into detail about that here, but you get the point. This along with mold and mildew can create havoc on allergies and asthma.
Some of the most common indicators of needing a new mattress are:
mattress is too lumpy
mattress is too soft/hard
mattress is too old
mattress is just not comfortable
Ok, so you decided that you do need or want a new mattress. The first thing you need to do is decide on what size you want. If it's the same size as you already have, you're ahead of the game.
If you have decided to move up in size, a simple way to see how your new mattress will fit is to move the old bedding and mark the area where the new bed will sit. You can do this using towels, sheets, or even an outline in string.
If you want to really get creative, buy yourself some graph paper and organize all of your bedroom furniture. Draw out your bedroom dimensions and on another sheet cut out your furniture to scale. Then you can organize your whole bedroom without lifting anything heavy.
Here are some of the more popular mattress dimensions to help get you started.
Twin: 38" x 75"
Extra-Long Twin: 38" X 80"
Double/Standard/Full Size: 53" x 75"
Queen: 60" x 80"
King: 76" X 80"
California King: 72" x 84" (Recommended for people over 6'4")
Important Tip: Remember these sizes can vary by manufacturer and don't forget headboards and foot boards can add several inches to these dimensions.
When it comes to beds and mattresses, the softest are not always the best. This almost always comes down to personal preference. Your going to have to test drive your mattress. Don't be shy, and don't be afraid t ask the sales staff to leave you alone while you try out the mattresses.
If someone will be sleeping with you, bring them along. Above all, the mattress should support your spine and should not interfere with your pressure points.
Check the number of coils the mattresses has. The higher number of coils the better the mattress will wear. Generally, 300 coils for a double and 350-800 for a queen. A king size mattress can range from 400 to 900 coils.
You'll also want a few fabric and padding layers and a pillow top.
Many recommend going to a local mattress store and test the ones you like, then go online to stores like were you can find better deals.
When you've found the perfect mattress, you need the perfect frame. You want a good solid frame. One that will sufficiently support the mattress and box spring.
Now, go buy yourself some nice new sheets to go with your brand new mattress!
Setting Goals for Real Estate Success
The power of goal setting has been well documented and communicated so before you skip over this point because youve heard it all before Id like you to consider how well you are doing it. Im a firm believer that you dont truly understand something until you are doing it.
If you are an avid goal setter you will want to read this to learn some specifics associated with real estate investing. If you are not a frequent goal setter please read on and consider that setting goals really is a powerful tool, does have some magic about it, and is critical to your investing success.
Consider the following example. In 1953, researchers interviewed the graduating class of Harvard University about their career goals for the future. It was found that only 3% had written goals and specific plans for achieving them. Twenty years later the researchers re-interviewed the class of '53. They discovered that while all students had shared the best education money can buy, the 3% with written plans for the future were worth more, in financial terms, than the other 97% combined. Whilst this only examined financial or career goals I think it illustrates the true power of written goals.
Im tempted to offer some goal setting basics here but for the sake of brevity, all Ill say is that your goals should be: specific, measurable, realistic, in writing and have a deadline. Know also that they will evolve over time so you dont need to worry about getting them perfect; just start with something!
With respect to real estate, you need to first figure out what your primary investing objective is:
i) quick cash / equity
ii) cash flow
iii) capital growth
Note: There is a discussion regarding the role of these different objectives in the handbook Investing Secrets of the Property Masters Revealed.
Lets say, for the sake of an example, that you want to focus on cash flow properties. Consider the difference in the following goal statements:
I want to invest in some real estate that will supplement my income and help me retire faster.
or
I will acquire sufficient property in the next 12 months to produce an average of $4,000 per year of additional income.
Thats much better because it is getting specific, is certainly measurable and has a deadline. It is also realistic and in writing. But when you go to see a realtor or other people who will help you acquire that property they will ask things like, in what area? and what type of property? so as you learn more you need to add those details.
This is another very important point about setting goals for your real estate investing. Once you have these clear goals, people such as realtors will suddenly treat you much more seriously. Even if you dont have all the answers; imagine walking into a realtors office and hitting them with those two goal statements. Which one will get you further? Even if you dont know which area or what type of property they wont treat you like a tire kicker. They will ask those important questions of you and you can learn from them and go away and make your goal even clearer before getting back in touch with them. And the next realtor you visit wont even know that you hadnt thought about that. Theyll just see someone who knows exactly what they want and will be able and willing to help out.
The final point I want to make about goals is more to do with the measurement part than with setting them. I know that sounds tedious but it can be really exciting. The most successful companies in the world track their progress against their goals because it is effective to do so. Imagine putting a simple graph on your wall that has the months along the bottom axis and the cash flow youve developed on the vertical axis. You can draw a red line across the graph representing your target of $4,000 per year and then you can draw an angled line that adds another $333 to the cash flow each month. This gives you some very good feedback as to how you are progressing and motivation while there is still time to do something about it. Thats obviously much better than just seeing how you went 12 months later and finding that you only acquired property that produces $1,000 per year. Its a very simple and powerful tool.
If you are really disciplined you can take this one step further and use the same approach for the activities that produce the outcomes that we are measuring on the other graph. This really helps ensure the result. For example, if you know you need to evaluate 100 properties and make offers on 10 to acquire that amount of property then you could graph those drivers as well.
To your success,
The power of goal setting has been well documented and communicated so before you skip over this point because youve heard it all before Id like you to consider how well you are doing it. Im a firm believer that you dont truly understand something until you are doing it.
If you are an avid goal setter you will want to read this to learn some specifics associated with real estate investing. If you are not a frequent goal setter please read on and consider that setting goals really is a powerful tool, does have some magic about it, and is critical to your investing success.
Consider the following example. In 1953, researchers interviewed the graduating class of Harvard University about their career goals for the future. It was found that only 3% had written goals and specific plans for achieving them. Twenty years later the researchers re-interviewed the class of '53. They discovered that while all students had shared the best education money can buy, the 3% with written plans for the future were worth more, in financial terms, than the other 97% combined. Whilst this only examined financial or career goals I think it illustrates the true power of written goals.
Im tempted to offer some goal setting basics here but for the sake of brevity, all Ill say is that your goals should be: specific, measurable, realistic, in writing and have a deadline. Know also that they will evolve over time so you dont need to worry about getting them perfect; just start with something!
With respect to real estate, you need to first figure out what your primary investing objective is:
i) quick cash / equity
ii) cash flow
iii) capital growth
Note: There is a discussion regarding the role of these different objectives in the handbook Investing Secrets of the Property Masters Revealed.
Lets say, for the sake of an example, that you want to focus on cash flow properties. Consider the difference in the following goal statements:
I want to invest in some real estate that will supplement my income and help me retire faster.
or
I will acquire sufficient property in the next 12 months to produce an average of $4,000 per year of additional income.
Thats much better because it is getting specific, is certainly measurable and has a deadline. It is also realistic and in writing. But when you go to see a realtor or other people who will help you acquire that property they will ask things like, in what area? and what type of property? so as you learn more you need to add those details.
This is another very important point about setting goals for your real estate investing. Once you have these clear goals, people such as realtors will suddenly treat you much more seriously. Even if you dont have all the answers; imagine walking into a realtors office and hitting them with those two goal statements. Which one will get you further? Even if you dont know which area or what type of property they wont treat you like a tire kicker. They will ask those important questions of you and you can learn from them and go away and make your goal even clearer before getting back in touch with them. And the next realtor you visit wont even know that you hadnt thought about that. Theyll just see someone who knows exactly what they want and will be able and willing to help out.
The final point I want to make about goals is more to do with the measurement part than with setting them. I know that sounds tedious but it can be really exciting. The most successful companies in the world track their progress against their goals because it is effective to do so. Imagine putting a simple graph on your wall that has the months along the bottom axis and the cash flow youve developed on the vertical axis. You can draw a red line across the graph representing your target of $4,000 per year and then you can draw an angled line that adds another $333 to the cash flow each month. This gives you some very good feedback as to how you are progressing and motivation while there is still time to do something about it. Thats obviously much better than just seeing how you went 12 months later and finding that you only acquired property that produces $1,000 per year. Its a very simple and powerful tool.
If you are really disciplined you can take this one step further and use the same approach for the activities that produce the outcomes that we are measuring on the other graph. This really helps ensure the result. For example, if you know you need to evaluate 100 properties and make offers on 10 to acquire that amount of property then you could graph those drivers as well.
To your success,
Monday, January 29, 2007
Wedding Loans: Perfect Finance Option for a Perfect Wedding
After seeing each other for years and being tagged as in love since eternity, you desire to bring this to a logical end. You are wrong if you think I am suggesting a divorce even before you are actually married. The end to every love is wedding -the wedding of two bodies and two souls.
Have you been planning wedding since a long time but have been hindered because of the huge cost weddings entail nowadays.
Worry not. Spend as much as you can, because wedding loans are there to pay every penny of the expenses.
Average wedding costs anywhere between $19,000 $27,000. This may go much higher if one is planning to have a gala wedding with all the pomp and show included.
And why shant one. Wedding is a once in a lifetime event. People would take all efforts to make the wedding truly memorable.
But the society and the customs have changed much. Just as the parents or guardians lost their say over the choice of bride or groom, they have little to do in the planning and financing of the wedding. So it is the couple who does all the spending on the wedding.
So how do the couples bear the expenses of wedding, in spite of being new to their professions and low on the income graph?
Wedding loans are an effective tool in their hands which they use to pay the entire wedding expenses. Wedding loans can finance practically every wedding expense right from the elegant wedding dress to the exquisitely beautiful engagement ring, from the lavish reception to the impeccable church decoration.
There are a number of other expenses which seem insignificant if seen individually, but become difficult to repay when taken in totality. These can be very easily paid through wedding loans.
Besides, wedding loans can be a much cheaper option to use for the payment rather than credit cards or past savings. Using a credit card can be simple if one goes by the immediate outcomes. But when the credit card debts are due for payment you find them to be much more than what you really spent. No, the credit card company is not indulging in any king of overcharging or cheating. This is only because of the accumulation of interest. Payment through credit cards is just like drawing a loan, but at a much higher rate.
Utilizing past savings for a one day affair like a wedding would be a waste. It could have been a lot better had the past savings been used for some productive purposes.
A wedding loan allows the customer to enjoy two benefits. The first benefit of wedding loan is that the customer will not have to pay an exorbitantly high amount. Most of the lenders offer loans at reasonable rates of interest.
The second benefit is regarding the timing of payment. Even though a customer has to pay more than what he would have spent, he accepts this because he does not have to pay the whole amount at one go. Monthly payments require to be made towards the payment of loan.
A certain amount of planning is necessary when taking a wedding loan. If parents are ready to be a part of the finances then they must be included in discussions. How much can they spend on the wedding needs to be decided well in advance. This will determine the amount of wedding loan that needs to be applied for.
Secured wedding loans taken against ones home will be much cheaper. A valuation of the home or property will be done. One can draw loan depending upon the worth of his home. However there are options for those who do not have a home or who do not want to put their home under any kind of obligation.
Next comes the choice of lenders. It is no longer necessary to depend on lenders in one particular locality or region. Almost every big and small lender is available online. An internet connection is what is needed. One does not even have to leave his home or office, and loan can be applied for instantly. Such a relief from the previous times when a customer had to go to each and every lender to just get the quotes. Few customers were ready to go through this grind, and hence accepted whatever offer was given.
These loans are very easy to approve. With the valuation of property and credibility check over, it is very easy to get loans approved. Filling up each and every detail with caution and accuracy can save enough of time in the approval process.
Did you promise your wife an impeccable wedding ring? You can keep on the promise since wedding loans are there to meet the expense.
After seeing each other for years and being tagged as in love since eternity, you desire to bring this to a logical end. You are wrong if you think I am suggesting a divorce even before you are actually married. The end to every love is wedding -the wedding of two bodies and two souls.
Have you been planning wedding since a long time but have been hindered because of the huge cost weddings entail nowadays.
Worry not. Spend as much as you can, because wedding loans are there to pay every penny of the expenses.
Average wedding costs anywhere between $19,000 $27,000. This may go much higher if one is planning to have a gala wedding with all the pomp and show included.
And why shant one. Wedding is a once in a lifetime event. People would take all efforts to make the wedding truly memorable.
But the society and the customs have changed much. Just as the parents or guardians lost their say over the choice of bride or groom, they have little to do in the planning and financing of the wedding. So it is the couple who does all the spending on the wedding.
So how do the couples bear the expenses of wedding, in spite of being new to their professions and low on the income graph?
Wedding loans are an effective tool in their hands which they use to pay the entire wedding expenses. Wedding loans can finance practically every wedding expense right from the elegant wedding dress to the exquisitely beautiful engagement ring, from the lavish reception to the impeccable church decoration.
There are a number of other expenses which seem insignificant if seen individually, but become difficult to repay when taken in totality. These can be very easily paid through wedding loans.
Besides, wedding loans can be a much cheaper option to use for the payment rather than credit cards or past savings. Using a credit card can be simple if one goes by the immediate outcomes. But when the credit card debts are due for payment you find them to be much more than what you really spent. No, the credit card company is not indulging in any king of overcharging or cheating. This is only because of the accumulation of interest. Payment through credit cards is just like drawing a loan, but at a much higher rate.
Utilizing past savings for a one day affair like a wedding would be a waste. It could have been a lot better had the past savings been used for some productive purposes.
A wedding loan allows the customer to enjoy two benefits. The first benefit of wedding loan is that the customer will not have to pay an exorbitantly high amount. Most of the lenders offer loans at reasonable rates of interest.
The second benefit is regarding the timing of payment. Even though a customer has to pay more than what he would have spent, he accepts this because he does not have to pay the whole amount at one go. Monthly payments require to be made towards the payment of loan.
A certain amount of planning is necessary when taking a wedding loan. If parents are ready to be a part of the finances then they must be included in discussions. How much can they spend on the wedding needs to be decided well in advance. This will determine the amount of wedding loan that needs to be applied for.
Secured wedding loans taken against ones home will be much cheaper. A valuation of the home or property will be done. One can draw loan depending upon the worth of his home. However there are options for those who do not have a home or who do not want to put their home under any kind of obligation.
Next comes the choice of lenders. It is no longer necessary to depend on lenders in one particular locality or region. Almost every big and small lender is available online. An internet connection is what is needed. One does not even have to leave his home or office, and loan can be applied for instantly. Such a relief from the previous times when a customer had to go to each and every lender to just get the quotes. Few customers were ready to go through this grind, and hence accepted whatever offer was given.
These loans are very easy to approve. With the valuation of property and credibility check over, it is very easy to get loans approved. Filling up each and every detail with caution and accuracy can save enough of time in the approval process.
Did you promise your wife an impeccable wedding ring? You can keep on the promise since wedding loans are there to meet the expense.
Using IT in Your Business Small Opportunity
When you run a business or small opportunity, whether it is base business home or online opportunity, it's a given that you need a computer in your home office. But are you getting as much out of it as you could be? Here are some things your computer can do that you might not have thought of.
Keep Track of Customers in a Database.
Once you start to get some customers, you'll need to keep track of their contact details, as well as making sure you know who they are in case you forget. You have a choice: you can keep a file for each customer in your filing cabinet, or you could enter their details into a computerised database.
The good news is that if you have some office software, then you should already have a database package. Starting a database of your customers isn't too difficult to figure out, and lets you do all sorts of things.
Graph Your Sales.
Once you've got your database telling you what you've sold to who and when, you can use it to produce all sorts of graphs and other reports that could help you to spot trends and see what works and what doesn't. This will help if you are running business and small opportunity.
Do Your Accounting and Tax.
With inexpensive accounting software, it's not hard to use your computer to keep track of all your incomings and outgoings -- it can even be integrated with your customer database. Since you'll have all your sales data electronically already, it'll be a snap to do your taxes at the end of the year, where for people who have it all on paper it can be a complete nightmare.
Design Your Own Marketing Materials.
Modern desktop publishing software makes it dead easy to design your own logo, leaflets, brochures, and anything else you might want. With a little practise, you can produce things as good as any graphic designer a home business could afford, and save the money for distribution.
Follow Market Trends.
With Internet access, you can read articles from the specialist press of the whole world, and keep up to date with all the latest technologies and trends in your industry. You can base your home business on the models of opportunity available online. It's worth picking out the top five or so most important sites to your business and spending a few minutes each day checking them.
Accept Credit Cards.
Many people don't realise, but Internet merchant accounts aren't just for accepting card payments over the web. You can also open one to use as part of your home business over the phone or by post, with you simply entering the card numbers and amounts into a website to process the payments.
Promote Your Business.
Don't underestimate the effectiveness of the web as a tool for promotion. You should definitely take the time to list your business on every directory listing people in your industry -- make sure that someone searching for your profession and the town where you live would be able to find you listed easily.
Pay Your Staff.
When your business of small opportunity gets big enough to employ staff, you'll find your computer is a useful tool for keeping track of how many hours each person has worked, how much they should be paid, and how much of that amount needs to be kept behind as tax. Trying to do payroll manually is a big headache.
Keep Backups!
There's one thing, though, that it's important to always remember: when you use your computer to store any data that you can't afford to lose, make regular backups and keep them in a safe place. It's really not that much trouble, and if you don't do i then a simple computer failure can devastate your business.
When you run a business or small opportunity, whether it is base business home or online opportunity, it's a given that you need a computer in your home office. But are you getting as much out of it as you could be? Here are some things your computer can do that you might not have thought of.
Keep Track of Customers in a Database.
Once you start to get some customers, you'll need to keep track of their contact details, as well as making sure you know who they are in case you forget. You have a choice: you can keep a file for each customer in your filing cabinet, or you could enter their details into a computerised database.
The good news is that if you have some office software, then you should already have a database package. Starting a database of your customers isn't too difficult to figure out, and lets you do all sorts of things.
Graph Your Sales.
Once you've got your database telling you what you've sold to who and when, you can use it to produce all sorts of graphs and other reports that could help you to spot trends and see what works and what doesn't. This will help if you are running business and small opportunity.
Do Your Accounting and Tax.
With inexpensive accounting software, it's not hard to use your computer to keep track of all your incomings and outgoings -- it can even be integrated with your customer database. Since you'll have all your sales data electronically already, it'll be a snap to do your taxes at the end of the year, where for people who have it all on paper it can be a complete nightmare.
Design Your Own Marketing Materials.
Modern desktop publishing software makes it dead easy to design your own logo, leaflets, brochures, and anything else you might want. With a little practise, you can produce things as good as any graphic designer a home business could afford, and save the money for distribution.
Follow Market Trends.
With Internet access, you can read articles from the specialist press of the whole world, and keep up to date with all the latest technologies and trends in your industry. You can base your home business on the models of opportunity available online. It's worth picking out the top five or so most important sites to your business and spending a few minutes each day checking them.
Accept Credit Cards.
Many people don't realise, but Internet merchant accounts aren't just for accepting card payments over the web. You can also open one to use as part of your home business over the phone or by post, with you simply entering the card numbers and amounts into a website to process the payments.
Promote Your Business.
Don't underestimate the effectiveness of the web as a tool for promotion. You should definitely take the time to list your business on every directory listing people in your industry -- make sure that someone searching for your profession and the town where you live would be able to find you listed easily.
Pay Your Staff.
When your business of small opportunity gets big enough to employ staff, you'll find your computer is a useful tool for keeping track of how many hours each person has worked, how much they should be paid, and how much of that amount needs to be kept behind as tax. Trying to do payroll manually is a big headache.
Keep Backups!
There's one thing, though, that it's important to always remember: when you use your computer to store any data that you can't afford to lose, make regular backups and keep them in a safe place. It's really not that much trouble, and if you don't do i then a simple computer failure can devastate your business.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Blackboard Learning in the Twenty-First Century
My grandmother likes to remind me that to her it seems like yesterday that she attended college - something virtually unheard for women of her generation to do. In fact, she and I went to the same university, even studied in the same buildings. But despite those college experiences we share, something makes me think that the way college works now is remarkably different than the way it did when she was there. It seems that the old adage of Reading, Writing, and Rithmetic should be reworked to say Downloading, Typing, and eBay.
If you find yourself wondering about what changes might have come about since you yourself attended college, allow me to explain one tool that has been developed to take advantage of new technologies to help teachers teach better and help students learn better. Its what could be called Blackboard Learning.
Features of Blackboard Learning
Blackboard technology is an online resource where teachers and students may exchange resources, interact, and find information regarding courses in which they are enrolled. When a student enrolls in a course making use of Blackboard learning, they are given access through their university or colleges website to a customizable portal page that lists the courses they are enrolled in. Each course includes several separate online resources that students can use to succeed in the course.
In the past teachers either had to make copies of all their handouts to give to students or put whatever the students needed to know up on the blackboard and students were responsible for copying it down. The former option is a waste of paper and ink, while the latter is a waste of time. Blackboard technology now allows teachers to upload digital copies of handouts which students can download and, if they choose, print. Class notes, PowerPoint presentations, video and audio clips, pictures, and other resources can be made available to the entire class simply by uploading them to Blackboard. This virtually eliminates the problem of students losing the syllabus or other important class document because there is always a copy online that they have ready access to.
Blackboard learning includes an online grade book. Professors simply update the students grades each time a new quiz, test, or assignment is graded, and the tallied scores are made available to the students. This feature allows students to keep tabs on exactly where they are throughout the semester, and the teacher saves time from having to answer questions about what students got on homework assignments. The grade book also allows students and professors to double check their records to ensure the proper grade for each assignment is recorded.
Between classes, homework, extracurricular activities, and road trips, students cant always find a time to meet on campus and study or work on group projects. Online forums, discussion groups, and chat rooms add a humanistic touch to Blackboard learning. Students make post questions they have about different assignments or concepts, and other students or the professor can respond. Professors may lead out-of-class discussions online to help round out the lectures given during class time.
Why Blackboard Learning?
If you were to turn in a handwritten financial report or used a hand drawn graph in a sales pitch, you very likely would not receive the same response as if you had typed the report or designed the graphic with a computer. Whether we like it or not (personally, I like it!) technology is not only here to stay but it is fully integrated into nearly everything we do and education is no different. Papers are typed. Research is done online. PowerPoint has replaced overhead projectors.
Students and teachers have to take advantage of technological advances in order to stay afloat in the information age. Blackboard Learning is a resource that helps students stay organized and succeed.
My grandmother likes to remind me that to her it seems like yesterday that she attended college - something virtually unheard for women of her generation to do. In fact, she and I went to the same university, even studied in the same buildings. But despite those college experiences we share, something makes me think that the way college works now is remarkably different than the way it did when she was there. It seems that the old adage of Reading, Writing, and Rithmetic should be reworked to say Downloading, Typing, and eBay.
If you find yourself wondering about what changes might have come about since you yourself attended college, allow me to explain one tool that has been developed to take advantage of new technologies to help teachers teach better and help students learn better. Its what could be called Blackboard Learning.
Features of Blackboard Learning
Blackboard technology is an online resource where teachers and students may exchange resources, interact, and find information regarding courses in which they are enrolled. When a student enrolls in a course making use of Blackboard learning, they are given access through their university or colleges website to a customizable portal page that lists the courses they are enrolled in. Each course includes several separate online resources that students can use to succeed in the course.
In the past teachers either had to make copies of all their handouts to give to students or put whatever the students needed to know up on the blackboard and students were responsible for copying it down. The former option is a waste of paper and ink, while the latter is a waste of time. Blackboard technology now allows teachers to upload digital copies of handouts which students can download and, if they choose, print. Class notes, PowerPoint presentations, video and audio clips, pictures, and other resources can be made available to the entire class simply by uploading them to Blackboard. This virtually eliminates the problem of students losing the syllabus or other important class document because there is always a copy online that they have ready access to.
Blackboard learning includes an online grade book. Professors simply update the students grades each time a new quiz, test, or assignment is graded, and the tallied scores are made available to the students. This feature allows students to keep tabs on exactly where they are throughout the semester, and the teacher saves time from having to answer questions about what students got on homework assignments. The grade book also allows students and professors to double check their records to ensure the proper grade for each assignment is recorded.
Between classes, homework, extracurricular activities, and road trips, students cant always find a time to meet on campus and study or work on group projects. Online forums, discussion groups, and chat rooms add a humanistic touch to Blackboard learning. Students make post questions they have about different assignments or concepts, and other students or the professor can respond. Professors may lead out-of-class discussions online to help round out the lectures given during class time.
Why Blackboard Learning?
If you were to turn in a handwritten financial report or used a hand drawn graph in a sales pitch, you very likely would not receive the same response as if you had typed the report or designed the graphic with a computer. Whether we like it or not (personally, I like it!) technology is not only here to stay but it is fully integrated into nearly everything we do and education is no different. Papers are typed. Research is done online. PowerPoint has replaced overhead projectors.
Students and teachers have to take advantage of technological advances in order to stay afloat in the information age. Blackboard Learning is a resource that helps students stay organized and succeed.
Creating the Butterfly Effect in Your Life
Theres an awful lot of discussion about the so called
Butterfly Effect going on these days.
Just what is the Butterfly Effect?
Its simply how making one little change can totally
change the outcome of an event. Its why tornados can
be so unpredictable. One little change can affect its
strength or its course. The outcome can be next to
nothing or total devastation, or anywhere in between.
OK, ok, its really a complex mathematical equation,
and when minute changes are plotted on a graph, the
resulting image looks like a butterfly. Really.
It is said that the air disturbance by the wings of a
single butterfly is enough to change the weather
patterns throughout the world.
So youre thinking, well thats nice Carole go get
some sleep!
Cmon, I do have a point. Little changes make a big
difference.
Lets say you started drinking one more glass of
water a day. What would happen? Youre thinking
Not much. If we apply the Butterfly Effect -
Your skin would start looking better.
Youll wash more toxins and fat out of your system
resulting in getting sick less often.
Your brain would have more moisture enabling it to
function with less effort, and youll think better and
have fewer headaches. Getting smarter, you might
even land a better job.
Your other organs will also have more moisture and
function better. Youll have more energy.
With more energy, youll be more active. As a result
of more activity, Youll lose weight and cut your risks
of serious disease.
Now, what do you think would happen if you added
a cup of broccoli every day? Or if you walked 10
minutes more every day? Or if you read 15 minutes
more a day? Or if you put things away when youre
done using them instead of putting them aside
to put away later?
There are hundreds of little - little changes that
you can make every day that will have a big impact
on your life in the long run.
Think about how you can create the Butterfly Effect
in your life!
Theres an awful lot of discussion about the so called
Butterfly Effect going on these days.
Just what is the Butterfly Effect?
Its simply how making one little change can totally
change the outcome of an event. Its why tornados can
be so unpredictable. One little change can affect its
strength or its course. The outcome can be next to
nothing or total devastation, or anywhere in between.
OK, ok, its really a complex mathematical equation,
and when minute changes are plotted on a graph, the
resulting image looks like a butterfly. Really.
It is said that the air disturbance by the wings of a
single butterfly is enough to change the weather
patterns throughout the world.
So youre thinking, well thats nice Carole go get
some sleep!
Cmon, I do have a point. Little changes make a big
difference.
Lets say you started drinking one more glass of
water a day. What would happen? Youre thinking
Not much. If we apply the Butterfly Effect -
Your skin would start looking better.
Youll wash more toxins and fat out of your system
resulting in getting sick less often.
Your brain would have more moisture enabling it to
function with less effort, and youll think better and
have fewer headaches. Getting smarter, you might
even land a better job.
Your other organs will also have more moisture and
function better. Youll have more energy.
With more energy, youll be more active. As a result
of more activity, Youll lose weight and cut your risks
of serious disease.
Now, what do you think would happen if you added
a cup of broccoli every day? Or if you walked 10
minutes more every day? Or if you read 15 minutes
more a day? Or if you put things away when youre
done using them instead of putting them aside
to put away later?
There are hundreds of little - little changes that
you can make every day that will have a big impact
on your life in the long run.
Think about how you can create the Butterfly Effect
in your life!
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Did You Check Your Confidence Level?
Would you like to be confident? Your answer may be - YES.
I do want to be confident.
However, this answer lacks the impact. It is too generalized.
Just like everybody wants to do well in life and be rich but not many ever realize this wish. This is because to actually get somewhere in life, you need to quantify your confidence. You need to define the task for which you need to be confident so that you can execute it successfully.
A mere wish to be confident wont take you anywhere. The dream must have a deadline as well!
Self Confidence might mean different things to different people groups.
For a child it might mean to be able to recite the poem to her teacher the next morning. For a business executive it might mean to be able to present the business report to the Board of Directors.
For a salaried person it may be the ability to be able to make a switch over from his secure job to a new independent venture and so on. To execute their respective tasks, these people need a certain level of confidence, which would see them through.
Every task requires a minimum level of confidence to be able to be executed. Do you have a task in your mind to be done? Do you have the level of confidence required? Let us check it out!
Following is a simple questionnaire. You have to answer to these in a YES or NO
1. Does it happen too often with you that you cannot take a decision all by yourself and you seem to look for your colleagues, friends, or your spouse to sort the matter for you?
2. Do you always seem to be in perpetual need of a support system wherein you can feel secure?
3. Do you just sit and listen all the times in your office meetings?
4. Do you feel difficulty in reporting a matter to your boss or you have an excellent idea that can improve your companys efficiency but you cannot muster enough courage to go and talk about it to your Boss?
5. Are you terrified to meet someone new? Is public speaking your worst nightmare?
6. Do you timidly accept orders from your superior even though you know that you are already overloaded and you need to say no?
7. Are you excessively concerned about what other people think of you?
8. Do you fear taking risks?
9. Do you feel dissatisfied about your appearance?
10. Are you uncomfortable in social gatherings being amongst lots of people?
If you happen to answer these questions with a Yes, you seem to have a confidence crisis that might become an obstacle in successfully executing your tasks.
Dont Panic, as it is good that you found out since now you are aware of a potential problem of your life. The very fact that you are aware of your confidence rating makes you ready to take further action and work towards eliminating the negative effects of low confidence levels and work towards building your self confidence.
Here are some more questions you may answer.
1. Have you accomplished anything in the past?
2. Are you the one to go ahead and break the ice at a new place or wait for someone else to initiate a discussion?
3. Do you feel you are well respected by others?
4. Do you think you have the potential to succeed?
5. Are you a happy and loving person?
6. Are you satisfied with your career graph?
7. Are you satisfied with your skills and qualifications?
8. Do you feel in control of your life?
9. Do you imagine yourself to be more successful five years from now?
10. Do you feel that you are a worthwhile person?
If you happen to answer most of these questions with a NO, you have LOW self-confidence levels.
However, a YES is never decisive and a NO is never final. One needs to constantly maintain the good points and work towards converting bad points into good points. And the good news is that it is very much possible.
Its important that you honestly answer the questions above, since only when you realize the present status of your self-confidence would you be working towards building self-confidence or maintaining and increasing your present levels.
Would you like to be confident? Your answer may be - YES.
I do want to be confident.
However, this answer lacks the impact. It is too generalized.
Just like everybody wants to do well in life and be rich but not many ever realize this wish. This is because to actually get somewhere in life, you need to quantify your confidence. You need to define the task for which you need to be confident so that you can execute it successfully.
A mere wish to be confident wont take you anywhere. The dream must have a deadline as well!
Self Confidence might mean different things to different people groups.
For a child it might mean to be able to recite the poem to her teacher the next morning. For a business executive it might mean to be able to present the business report to the Board of Directors.
For a salaried person it may be the ability to be able to make a switch over from his secure job to a new independent venture and so on. To execute their respective tasks, these people need a certain level of confidence, which would see them through.
Every task requires a minimum level of confidence to be able to be executed. Do you have a task in your mind to be done? Do you have the level of confidence required? Let us check it out!
Following is a simple questionnaire. You have to answer to these in a YES or NO
1. Does it happen too often with you that you cannot take a decision all by yourself and you seem to look for your colleagues, friends, or your spouse to sort the matter for you?
2. Do you always seem to be in perpetual need of a support system wherein you can feel secure?
3. Do you just sit and listen all the times in your office meetings?
4. Do you feel difficulty in reporting a matter to your boss or you have an excellent idea that can improve your companys efficiency but you cannot muster enough courage to go and talk about it to your Boss?
5. Are you terrified to meet someone new? Is public speaking your worst nightmare?
6. Do you timidly accept orders from your superior even though you know that you are already overloaded and you need to say no?
7. Are you excessively concerned about what other people think of you?
8. Do you fear taking risks?
9. Do you feel dissatisfied about your appearance?
10. Are you uncomfortable in social gatherings being amongst lots of people?
If you happen to answer these questions with a Yes, you seem to have a confidence crisis that might become an obstacle in successfully executing your tasks.
Dont Panic, as it is good that you found out since now you are aware of a potential problem of your life. The very fact that you are aware of your confidence rating makes you ready to take further action and work towards eliminating the negative effects of low confidence levels and work towards building your self confidence.
Here are some more questions you may answer.
1. Have you accomplished anything in the past?
2. Are you the one to go ahead and break the ice at a new place or wait for someone else to initiate a discussion?
3. Do you feel you are well respected by others?
4. Do you think you have the potential to succeed?
5. Are you a happy and loving person?
6. Are you satisfied with your career graph?
7. Are you satisfied with your skills and qualifications?
8. Do you feel in control of your life?
9. Do you imagine yourself to be more successful five years from now?
10. Do you feel that you are a worthwhile person?
If you happen to answer most of these questions with a NO, you have LOW self-confidence levels.
However, a YES is never decisive and a NO is never final. One needs to constantly maintain the good points and work towards converting bad points into good points. And the good news is that it is very much possible.
Its important that you honestly answer the questions above, since only when you realize the present status of your self-confidence would you be working towards building self-confidence or maintaining and increasing your present levels.
Forex Trading: Introduction to Foreign Exchange Trading
The foreign exchange markets are always in a constant state of flux, and for the budding trader, it can be a rather daunting place to invest and trade your money. We bring you into the world of foreign exchange trading. As you look into the prospect of forex trading you will begin to understand the width and breadth of the forex market. It is a worldwide market trading currencies 24 hours a day 7 days a week (Well actually, markets are actually open for about 5.5days a week actively trading). As a consequence of this huge market, the market is highly liquid and high volume takes place daily. As the market in constant flux there are plenty of opportunities for forex trading.
Forex trading takes advantage of the constant flux of the market, buying and selling into and out of the ebbs and flows of the foreign exchange trading charts. Many profitable trades await the trader in these markets. So as you examine your charts as a forex trader you will find that the market displays repetitive behaviour as well as trends. Trends can go in three ways; an up trend, down trend and a sideways trend. As a trader you take advantage of price differences so you ought to stay away from sideways trending forex markets while jumping at every chance at up trending (long) markets or down trending (short) markets.
The important catchphrase in forex trading or any other trading for that matter is that the trend is your friend. An uptrend is simply defined as a set of prices on a chart that display a pattern of higher highs and higher lows: or put simply a graph going up from left to right. A downtrend is the opposite to an uptrend with a pattern of lower lows and lower highs: or simply put a graph going down from left to right. Then you have your sideways charts which really doesnt display any clear uptrend or downtrend and shows up as either an erratic pattern of highs and lows or a pattern where the price doesnt really change much between the highs and lows.
Foreign exchange trading takes advantage of trends and the price differences at which the traders buy and sell the foreign currencies. It is a highly valuable skill to master the ability to read charts and to be able to see the uptrends and downtrends as well as the sideways trends in any chart or market you examine. Remember, the trend is your friend, ride the trend and you shall have your profits. As profits are the main objective of any forex trading venture.
The foreign exchange markets are always in a constant state of flux, and for the budding trader, it can be a rather daunting place to invest and trade your money. We bring you into the world of foreign exchange trading. As you look into the prospect of forex trading you will begin to understand the width and breadth of the forex market. It is a worldwide market trading currencies 24 hours a day 7 days a week (Well actually, markets are actually open for about 5.5days a week actively trading). As a consequence of this huge market, the market is highly liquid and high volume takes place daily. As the market in constant flux there are plenty of opportunities for forex trading.
Forex trading takes advantage of the constant flux of the market, buying and selling into and out of the ebbs and flows of the foreign exchange trading charts. Many profitable trades await the trader in these markets. So as you examine your charts as a forex trader you will find that the market displays repetitive behaviour as well as trends. Trends can go in three ways; an up trend, down trend and a sideways trend. As a trader you take advantage of price differences so you ought to stay away from sideways trending forex markets while jumping at every chance at up trending (long) markets or down trending (short) markets.
The important catchphrase in forex trading or any other trading for that matter is that the trend is your friend. An uptrend is simply defined as a set of prices on a chart that display a pattern of higher highs and higher lows: or put simply a graph going up from left to right. A downtrend is the opposite to an uptrend with a pattern of lower lows and lower highs: or simply put a graph going down from left to right. Then you have your sideways charts which really doesnt display any clear uptrend or downtrend and shows up as either an erratic pattern of highs and lows or a pattern where the price doesnt really change much between the highs and lows.
Foreign exchange trading takes advantage of trends and the price differences at which the traders buy and sell the foreign currencies. It is a highly valuable skill to master the ability to read charts and to be able to see the uptrends and downtrends as well as the sideways trends in any chart or market you examine. Remember, the trend is your friend, ride the trend and you shall have your profits. As profits are the main objective of any forex trading venture.
Friday, January 26, 2007
How to Find a Credit Union
If you've been feeling like small potatoes at your bank lately, it's probably time to start looking at a credit union instead.
Of course, you won't find a credit union on every corner, or ATMs at every convenient location that you require. But if you compare convenience with better rates, service and options, you'll quickly realize a credit union is the best way to go.
With a mere $5 (or maybe a bit more) deposited into a credit union account, you've become a shareholder, instead of just a customer like at a bank.
Originally when credit unions first started popping up, the shareholders usually had something in common, like their church, union, workplace or employer. But now, whatever holds together a credit union can be something less defined, a geographic region or social ties, for instance.
Its easy enough to find a credit union, if you are willing to look. Most dont advertise too much (although that seems to be changing a bit of late in some areas). But looking around can pay off in spades. Here are some ideas on how to locate one:
>Look around your workplace there may already be a credit union catering to your every need. Or, if you are a professional, ask around to see if there is a credit union that has been created just for those in your profession, union or trade.
>Try calling the National Credit Union Administration at (703) 518-6330. They can look up credit unions in your area that you might be able to join.
>If you attend religious services, ask the administrative staff if there is a credit union that is affiliated with your church.
>Contact your local chamber of commerce, or any clubs that you belong to. You never know who may have a credit union already organized that fits your interests.
>Talk to friends, family or coworkers, and ask them about any credit unions they have heard about, or have used themselves.
Once you've shopped around a bit, you probably have come up with a couple of credit unions to choose from. But how do you decide which credit union is the best for you?
It's quite easy, really. All you have to do is compare them all by convenience, rates, products and services. Make a graph if you need to, so that you can easily and clearly see the advantages and disadvantages of each one.
Start with convenience. Are any of the credit union locations close to your home? Work? On the way? Are there ATMs within walking distance? What are their hours of operation?
Now look at what products and services you use on a regular basis. Make a note of all of the ones you require, and just think are cool, but dont really need. Now compare those plans, programs and prices. What does it cost to do business at each credit union? What are the monthly and individual fees? Are there any up and coming costs that you anticipate, like a car loan, mortgage or general loan? If so, you may want to add these items to your comparison chart as well.
And then, there is service. There is really no way to gauge service than by either contacting the credit union, or walking in the door.
So go take a peek at the top contenders on your list. You may become a shareholder faster than you thought.
If you've been feeling like small potatoes at your bank lately, it's probably time to start looking at a credit union instead.
Of course, you won't find a credit union on every corner, or ATMs at every convenient location that you require. But if you compare convenience with better rates, service and options, you'll quickly realize a credit union is the best way to go.
With a mere $5 (or maybe a bit more) deposited into a credit union account, you've become a shareholder, instead of just a customer like at a bank.
Originally when credit unions first started popping up, the shareholders usually had something in common, like their church, union, workplace or employer. But now, whatever holds together a credit union can be something less defined, a geographic region or social ties, for instance.
Its easy enough to find a credit union, if you are willing to look. Most dont advertise too much (although that seems to be changing a bit of late in some areas). But looking around can pay off in spades. Here are some ideas on how to locate one:
>Look around your workplace there may already be a credit union catering to your every need. Or, if you are a professional, ask around to see if there is a credit union that has been created just for those in your profession, union or trade.
>Try calling the National Credit Union Administration at (703) 518-6330. They can look up credit unions in your area that you might be able to join.
>If you attend religious services, ask the administrative staff if there is a credit union that is affiliated with your church.
>Contact your local chamber of commerce, or any clubs that you belong to. You never know who may have a credit union already organized that fits your interests.
>Talk to friends, family or coworkers, and ask them about any credit unions they have heard about, or have used themselves.
Once you've shopped around a bit, you probably have come up with a couple of credit unions to choose from. But how do you decide which credit union is the best for you?
It's quite easy, really. All you have to do is compare them all by convenience, rates, products and services. Make a graph if you need to, so that you can easily and clearly see the advantages and disadvantages of each one.
Start with convenience. Are any of the credit union locations close to your home? Work? On the way? Are there ATMs within walking distance? What are their hours of operation?
Now look at what products and services you use on a regular basis. Make a note of all of the ones you require, and just think are cool, but dont really need. Now compare those plans, programs and prices. What does it cost to do business at each credit union? What are the monthly and individual fees? Are there any up and coming costs that you anticipate, like a car loan, mortgage or general loan? If so, you may want to add these items to your comparison chart as well.
And then, there is service. There is really no way to gauge service than by either contacting the credit union, or walking in the door.
So go take a peek at the top contenders on your list. You may become a shareholder faster than you thought.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Public Speaking: Glossary U - Z
Upstage: The area of the stage farthest from the audience. Also to steal the focus of the audience from the intended main performer.
Venue: See Site.
View-graph: Alternate name for overhead transparency.
Wings: Extreme sides of the stage normally hidden from the audience by curtains or walls.
Wireless microphone: See Cordless microphone.
Whisper: Attention-gaining device where presenter speaks with extremely low volume to one audience member.
Workshop: An educational session lasting from one hour to many days. Usually includes hands-on practice in the particular skills being taught.
Upstage: The area of the stage farthest from the audience. Also to steal the focus of the audience from the intended main performer.
Venue: See Site.
View-graph: Alternate name for overhead transparency.
Wings: Extreme sides of the stage normally hidden from the audience by curtains or walls.
Wireless microphone: See Cordless microphone.
Whisper: Attention-gaining device where presenter speaks with extremely low volume to one audience member.
Workshop: An educational session lasting from one hour to many days. Usually includes hands-on practice in the particular skills being taught.
Tips on Starting a Powerpoint Presentation
So you plan to start on a powerpoint presentation. Before starting on the presentation, you have to make some preparations. You have to first organize your presentation. You can do this by making an outline of the major points of the presentation, and all their supporting details. Make sure you have captured the most important information for your powerpoint presentation, and think of how the viewer can learn the most youre your powerpoint presentation
When making your powerpoint presentation, plan it in such a way that the vital information can be put on the slides, in printed form as a handout and is explainable to the viewers. This is because a person tends to store information for a longer time if they hear it three or more times. Be as clear and concise as possible in your presentation. Work on your points until you get exactly what you want the audience to get from your presentation.
Now, to start on the making of the powerpoint presentation. To quickly start a powerpoint presentation, you have to click any powerpoint presentation file (.ppt) and select the Show icon from the shortcut menu it displays. Another alternative to starting the powerpoint presentation is to save the presentation as a slide show by selecting the File, Save As icons, and then selecting powerpoint show from the Save As Type box. If you save the powerpoint presentation to your desktop, you just have to double click on that particular file icon for it to start the show. When creating a design or background for the powerpoint presentation, make sure you use a light background and dark text for printed ones. For the shown ones, use dark background with a light text. It is not advisable to use more than one background in a presentation as it only gets the viewer distracted from the message.
When creating the powerpoint presentation, do not get carried away. The information you are giving through the presentation is the important thing, and not showing off what you and powerpoint can do! Avoid centering the bulleted lists or texts in the presentation, as it thus gets confusing to read. Keep the matter left justified, unless you have a good reason to not to do so in the presentation. You have to also avoid centering graphics, unless the graphic is a chart or graph, and the main subject of the slide. Remember, clip art focuses on the making of points and not on distracting them from the presentation. Avoid using all caps in the presentation; capitalizing the first letter of each word is good in the title of slides, and suggests a more formal format than having only the first letter of the first word capitalized. The size of the font of the presentation depends on the size of the room. Usually, it is no smaller than 14 pt.
On embarking on making a powerpoint presentation, you have to first organize all clip arts, graphs and charts that you may need in the presentation of your ideas. If need be, you can convert your ideas into a digital form so that it can be imported into powerpoint. Keep all supplemental materials you may need to refer to and hand out to the audience during the presentation. Now you can start on the powerpoint presentation!
So you plan to start on a powerpoint presentation. Before starting on the presentation, you have to make some preparations. You have to first organize your presentation. You can do this by making an outline of the major points of the presentation, and all their supporting details. Make sure you have captured the most important information for your powerpoint presentation, and think of how the viewer can learn the most youre your powerpoint presentation
When making your powerpoint presentation, plan it in such a way that the vital information can be put on the slides, in printed form as a handout and is explainable to the viewers. This is because a person tends to store information for a longer time if they hear it three or more times. Be as clear and concise as possible in your presentation. Work on your points until you get exactly what you want the audience to get from your presentation.
Now, to start on the making of the powerpoint presentation. To quickly start a powerpoint presentation, you have to click any powerpoint presentation file (.ppt) and select the Show icon from the shortcut menu it displays. Another alternative to starting the powerpoint presentation is to save the presentation as a slide show by selecting the File, Save As icons, and then selecting powerpoint show from the Save As Type box. If you save the powerpoint presentation to your desktop, you just have to double click on that particular file icon for it to start the show. When creating a design or background for the powerpoint presentation, make sure you use a light background and dark text for printed ones. For the shown ones, use dark background with a light text. It is not advisable to use more than one background in a presentation as it only gets the viewer distracted from the message.
When creating the powerpoint presentation, do not get carried away. The information you are giving through the presentation is the important thing, and not showing off what you and powerpoint can do! Avoid centering the bulleted lists or texts in the presentation, as it thus gets confusing to read. Keep the matter left justified, unless you have a good reason to not to do so in the presentation. You have to also avoid centering graphics, unless the graphic is a chart or graph, and the main subject of the slide. Remember, clip art focuses on the making of points and not on distracting them from the presentation. Avoid using all caps in the presentation; capitalizing the first letter of each word is good in the title of slides, and suggests a more formal format than having only the first letter of the first word capitalized. The size of the font of the presentation depends on the size of the room. Usually, it is no smaller than 14 pt.
On embarking on making a powerpoint presentation, you have to first organize all clip arts, graphs and charts that you may need in the presentation of your ideas. If need be, you can convert your ideas into a digital form so that it can be imported into powerpoint. Keep all supplemental materials you may need to refer to and hand out to the audience during the presentation. Now you can start on the powerpoint presentation!
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Mobile Car Wash Rig Set Up Designs
Most of our mobile washing competitors are the enemy. Not because they are evil, but because if you are also in the business they will do anything to get your customers. They will obviously be impressed with image if you have a classy rig and be little intimidated; you should use this to your advantage to keep them at bay. I can tell you that most of our mobile car wash competitors (I run a business called the Car Wash Guys), operate out of short bed pick up trucks cant use 5.0 hp Craftsmen Shop Vacs or small 5 X 7 foot trailers. Either way there is just not enough room. If a competitor has a short bed pick up, he will be inefficient and clumsy, moving stuff around every time they wash a car. This will take time; time costs money. Being all discombuberated is also very irritating for the operator. This type of competitor fits our perfect competitor profile of $150-200 per day gross sales with heavy Friday and Saturday routes of up to $300-500. They try hard, but they cant be too serious about their business in a short bed pick up truck. When all of the car washing equipment is close together things break. Such as:
Extension cord melts on exhaust of generator
Towels burn up on exhaust of pressure washer
When pulling out pressure washer hose it catches on controls of generator or
linkage to engine ripping them off
Vacuum falls out of truck because tail gate is down while moving between cars
Vacuum hose melts on exhaust or gets smashed between truck and tank when going around corners
Brakes on truck are warn out due to the extra weight of water
Leaf springs permanently inverted due to over weight of payload
Front of truck smashed due to reduced stopping distance (due to violation of the laws of physics)
Inside of truck bed blackened and ruined from exhaust of pump
Front tires warn out due to alignment being off because of change in weight in truck
Bed of truck dents back of cab because water tank half full moves around too much
Towels fly out of truck on freeway, no space for them
Containers low on product fly out
Products get stolen at night out of truck
Gas cans (plastic type) one to five gallons tip over and get on towels and if present a bed liner. They stain and mix with water every time it gets wet. Towels streak windows.
Since our company has had all these things already happen to us we have designed our units so these things do not happen to him. If you are smart you will think about these things as you design your mobile car wash rig. We refer to Murphys Law when it comes to operations. If it can break, it will. Its only a matter of time. And just because you fix it, it doesnt mean it cant happen again. Every thing needs to be in its space for a reason. Its not that Murphy doesnt live in our trucks too, he does. Its just that he has nothing to do. So he sleeps all day. The best thing to do is to drive up next to a competitor real close and slow. Then Murphy can jump out into their truck. Hell have much more fun.
Play it smart and realize that when you design and build your own car wash rig that you need to make sure none of these things can occur and build your rig to best service your customers. Make sure the signage, logo and colors all match, besides, if you put a competitors truck next to your mobile car wash rig, there is no comparison. Its the ultimate intimidation; which will help you from having them attempt to walk in and try to steal your clientele at office buildings. If you do not take care of these issues they are major obstacles to overcome when you start your business. Think about these things as you design your mobile car wash rig and start putting a pencil to graph paper to insure everything will fit right and be efficient and easy to use.
Most of our mobile washing competitors are the enemy. Not because they are evil, but because if you are also in the business they will do anything to get your customers. They will obviously be impressed with image if you have a classy rig and be little intimidated; you should use this to your advantage to keep them at bay. I can tell you that most of our mobile car wash competitors (I run a business called the Car Wash Guys), operate out of short bed pick up trucks cant use 5.0 hp Craftsmen Shop Vacs or small 5 X 7 foot trailers. Either way there is just not enough room. If a competitor has a short bed pick up, he will be inefficient and clumsy, moving stuff around every time they wash a car. This will take time; time costs money. Being all discombuberated is also very irritating for the operator. This type of competitor fits our perfect competitor profile of $150-200 per day gross sales with heavy Friday and Saturday routes of up to $300-500. They try hard, but they cant be too serious about their business in a short bed pick up truck. When all of the car washing equipment is close together things break. Such as:
Extension cord melts on exhaust of generator
Towels burn up on exhaust of pressure washer
When pulling out pressure washer hose it catches on controls of generator or
linkage to engine ripping them off
Vacuum falls out of truck because tail gate is down while moving between cars
Vacuum hose melts on exhaust or gets smashed between truck and tank when going around corners
Brakes on truck are warn out due to the extra weight of water
Leaf springs permanently inverted due to over weight of payload
Front of truck smashed due to reduced stopping distance (due to violation of the laws of physics)
Inside of truck bed blackened and ruined from exhaust of pump
Front tires warn out due to alignment being off because of change in weight in truck
Bed of truck dents back of cab because water tank half full moves around too much
Towels fly out of truck on freeway, no space for them
Containers low on product fly out
Products get stolen at night out of truck
Gas cans (plastic type) one to five gallons tip over and get on towels and if present a bed liner. They stain and mix with water every time it gets wet. Towels streak windows.
Since our company has had all these things already happen to us we have designed our units so these things do not happen to him. If you are smart you will think about these things as you design your mobile car wash rig. We refer to Murphys Law when it comes to operations. If it can break, it will. Its only a matter of time. And just because you fix it, it doesnt mean it cant happen again. Every thing needs to be in its space for a reason. Its not that Murphy doesnt live in our trucks too, he does. Its just that he has nothing to do. So he sleeps all day. The best thing to do is to drive up next to a competitor real close and slow. Then Murphy can jump out into their truck. Hell have much more fun.
Play it smart and realize that when you design and build your own car wash rig that you need to make sure none of these things can occur and build your rig to best service your customers. Make sure the signage, logo and colors all match, besides, if you put a competitors truck next to your mobile car wash rig, there is no comparison. Its the ultimate intimidation; which will help you from having them attempt to walk in and try to steal your clientele at office buildings. If you do not take care of these issues they are major obstacles to overcome when you start your business. Think about these things as you design your mobile car wash rig and start putting a pencil to graph paper to insure everything will fit right and be efficient and easy to use.
Raining Money, Gold Reigns, Ignore the Popular Media
Think Rich Invest News
What's news this year? New year's resolutions, same as always, property markets down yet still up, share markets up yet still down, the Aussie dollar falls but is still high, gold prices high even though fallen. Confused yet? You should be!
It's probably cynical to say that market commentators deliberately keep investment news confusing. It's probably cynical to say that there is a "boys club", using jargon, so that the ordinary person never has a chance to compete with them and make great returns. It's probably cynical but it's possibly true as well....
The only thing that the average person can see for themselves, without relying on a news report, is that we have had a LOT of rain in recent weeks. If you have managed to get outside you would perhaps have noticed that the grass is a lot longer, the trees are a lot greener, and the smiles on the faces of the farmers are a lot bigger than they have been for around a decade...
From the popular media: Property prices are "softening" but still staying higher than where they were two years ago. Sort of like "three steps forward, two steps back". In the market news: Aussie Dollar powers ahead then stalls: "The Aussie dollar fell 1.5% over the week against the greenback as a result of the decline in the price of gold. The dollar closed the week at 76.6 US cents, still more than 30% higher than its value one year ago. " (Note to self: if something goes up by 30% and then drops back by 1.5%, it is STILL up.)
More market news: "The price of gold stepped back to US$407 per ounce, 4.2% lower than it started the week, and its lowest point in over three months. It remains, however, 42% higher than this time two years ago." (Second note to self: if something goes up by 42% and then drops by 4.2%, it is still up a long way.)
Try going to Paritech.com and doing a chart of the stock "GOLD"
You can see by looking at the 12 month graph of gold prices, that the little drop at the end would only have upset you if you had bought all your gold last week and then wanted to sell it today. If you had happened to have bought all your gold the week before, or a month before, or a year before, and wanted to sell it now, you would have made a profit. (Note to self: buy a good investment and keep it for a long time. Selling one week later may be bad. Listening to news that says "Gold drops 4.2% in a week" may be meaningless.)
So what does this all have to do with the rainfall? Nothing. Graphs of things moving up and down are commonplace. Rain is a rarer occurrence in Australia. In my opinion (and this is only my opinion), this recent bout of rain is the only dramatically "new" new thing to have happened in quite a while. Many farms have been drought-declared for up to 12 years (most only up to 7 years or less) and now they are getting some water.
Share markets and property markets move every day and every week no matter what, gold prices move and dollars rise and fall with interest rate rises and falls. Only the rain will have a dramatic impact on farmer happiness ("consumer confidence"), the cash-flow of the country ('opened chequebooks'), job creation and economic health.
As water soaks and things grow, farmers will be able to produce more crops, grain and livestock. This will mean more jobs for the people who buy from the producer and sell to the retailer, more jobs for the people who sell equipment and supplies to the primary producers, better quality and lower priced produce on the retail supermarket shelves, increased savings by grocery consumers, and more jobs and more spending all around.
Yes, the farmers are looking happier. And the people who buy from, or sell to, the farmers, are also looking happier. The flow-on effect should be wonderful for our country. But as with any change in the weather or change in the economy, there will be some big winners, some losers, and some who just break even. Your mission is to find who the big winners will be from recent rains, and get in while you can. Or just call me! See you next month
Jeremy
Think Rich Invest News
What's news this year? New year's resolutions, same as always, property markets down yet still up, share markets up yet still down, the Aussie dollar falls but is still high, gold prices high even though fallen. Confused yet? You should be!
It's probably cynical to say that market commentators deliberately keep investment news confusing. It's probably cynical to say that there is a "boys club", using jargon, so that the ordinary person never has a chance to compete with them and make great returns. It's probably cynical but it's possibly true as well....
The only thing that the average person can see for themselves, without relying on a news report, is that we have had a LOT of rain in recent weeks. If you have managed to get outside you would perhaps have noticed that the grass is a lot longer, the trees are a lot greener, and the smiles on the faces of the farmers are a lot bigger than they have been for around a decade...
From the popular media: Property prices are "softening" but still staying higher than where they were two years ago. Sort of like "three steps forward, two steps back". In the market news: Aussie Dollar powers ahead then stalls: "The Aussie dollar fell 1.5% over the week against the greenback as a result of the decline in the price of gold. The dollar closed the week at 76.6 US cents, still more than 30% higher than its value one year ago. " (Note to self: if something goes up by 30% and then drops back by 1.5%, it is STILL up.)
More market news: "The price of gold stepped back to US$407 per ounce, 4.2% lower than it started the week, and its lowest point in over three months. It remains, however, 42% higher than this time two years ago." (Second note to self: if something goes up by 42% and then drops by 4.2%, it is still up a long way.)
Try going to Paritech.com and doing a chart of the stock "GOLD"
You can see by looking at the 12 month graph of gold prices, that the little drop at the end would only have upset you if you had bought all your gold last week and then wanted to sell it today. If you had happened to have bought all your gold the week before, or a month before, or a year before, and wanted to sell it now, you would have made a profit. (Note to self: buy a good investment and keep it for a long time. Selling one week later may be bad. Listening to news that says "Gold drops 4.2% in a week" may be meaningless.)
So what does this all have to do with the rainfall? Nothing. Graphs of things moving up and down are commonplace. Rain is a rarer occurrence in Australia. In my opinion (and this is only my opinion), this recent bout of rain is the only dramatically "new" new thing to have happened in quite a while. Many farms have been drought-declared for up to 12 years (most only up to 7 years or less) and now they are getting some water.
Share markets and property markets move every day and every week no matter what, gold prices move and dollars rise and fall with interest rate rises and falls. Only the rain will have a dramatic impact on farmer happiness ("consumer confidence"), the cash-flow of the country ('opened chequebooks'), job creation and economic health.
As water soaks and things grow, farmers will be able to produce more crops, grain and livestock. This will mean more jobs for the people who buy from the producer and sell to the retailer, more jobs for the people who sell equipment and supplies to the primary producers, better quality and lower priced produce on the retail supermarket shelves, increased savings by grocery consumers, and more jobs and more spending all around.
Yes, the farmers are looking happier. And the people who buy from, or sell to, the farmers, are also looking happier. The flow-on effect should be wonderful for our country. But as with any change in the weather or change in the economy, there will be some big winners, some losers, and some who just break even. Your mission is to find who the big winners will be from recent rains, and get in while you can. Or just call me! See you next month
Jeremy
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Menstrual Calendar: Charting the Signs of Fertility
Charting the signs of your menstrual cycle is a good way to keep in touch with your body, your feelings, and your health. It is also a good way to predict your days of menstruation in advance, even if your menstrual cycles are irregular, and to know the most fertile times if you are hoping to conceive.
Cervical Mucus
The sign that is easiest to observe is the cervical mucus, since it is noticed in the course of daily activity. Fertile type mucus is produced by the cervix during the days when the ova are maturing and preparing for ovulation. This mucus is not only an indicator of fertility, it is essential for fertility. Cervical mucus nourishes the sperm, protects them from the natural acidity of the vagina, and guides them toward the ovum. Following is a simple way to observe and chart your fertile type mucus.
Pay attention to how you feel as you go about your daily activities. Just as you have learned to notice a certain wetness at menstruation, you will begin to notice a second wet time, but later in the cycle, and without bleeding. The second wet time is caused by your fertile type mucus.
Each time you go to the bathroom, wipe with toilet paper both before and after you use the toilet, noticing: a) the sensation you feel as you wipe with toilet paper, b) what is on the toilet paper. Chart what you see and what you feel in any way that makes sense to you.
1) Menstruation: mark the days of bleeding in some way, such as coloring the calendar day red.
2) Nothing: if you don't see or feel anything outside your vagina, you can leave the calendar blank on those days.
3) Something: but if you see or feel something - anything - such as pasty or sticky mucus, or a feeling of wetness - draw something, such as a raindrop, on these days.
4) Slippery something: If the pasty or sticky mucus turns to slippery mucus or a slippery feeling, color the raindrop dark to indicate the slippery wetness.
After a few slippery wet days, the mucus may disappear or return to sticky or pasty. When it does, begin to count the days until menstruation arrives. In a normal fertile cycle, the time between the last day of slippery mucus or slippery feeling and the next menstruation is between 11-16 days. You will become quite accurate about your predictions after you chart for about three cycles.
The mucus is your most fertile time, since fertile type is produced during the days leading up to and including ovulation. If you are trying to conceive, use the wet, slippery days for sexual relations. But don't try to use this information for birth control unless you seek out a qualified teacher of fertility awareness or natural family planning.
When the fertile mucus is present, we are under the influence of the hormone estrogen. We may feel courageous and loving. Men who bored us last week may suddenly appear interesting and attractive. Like Mother Earth in her rainy season, we are full of potential. We may also be interested in sexual activity. These emotions and reactions are caused by the hormone estrogen, which is getting us ready to have a baby, whether or not we want one! These hormonal swings are a predictable part of our cycle that must be safely navigated by all women in their reproductive years.
After ovulation, under the influence of the hormone progesterone, we may feel somewhat deflated compared to our wet, fertile time. Like Mother Earth in her dry time, we may feel quiet, with less energy. When menstrual bleeding begins, both estrogen and progesterone are at low levels. We may feel sensitive, solitary, or inward. Getting to know the feelings that go along with your hormonal cycle can give you a new and sensitive relationship with yourself.
Dark red menstruation for about three days probably indicates that hormones are high enough to build a good uterine lining and nourish a fetus in the event of conception. However, more than three days of menstruation can be exhausting. If your bleeding is excessive, try drinking raspberry leaf tea on a regular basis.
Three to five days of wet, slippery mucus 11-14 days before the next menstruation is a probable indicator of normal ovulation and a fertile cycle. Cycles are often 28-30 days from the first day of bleeding to the first day of the bleeding of the next menstruation. However, irregular cycles do not indicate infertility. If the time between the last day of slippery mucus and the next menstruation is 11-16 days, the cycle is probably fertile. Even if one cycle is not fertile, the next may well be fertile. Much depends on the stress we may be feeling. Keeping a chart allows us to keep all things in perspective, and feel our own harmony with all the cycles of nature.
Basal Body Temperature
If you are not sure you are ovulating, you can take your temperature. The body's resting temperature increases four-tenths of a degree Fahrenheit or two-tenths of a degree Centigrade under the influence of progesterone at ovulation. Observing this sign involves taking your temperature at the same time each morning before rising. (This is not as hard as it sounds. It takes less than two minutes and you can go back to sleep if you want.)
To observe your temperature rise, buy a BD brand digital basal thermometer. This brand will give you a consistent and accurate reading. Other high quality brands of digital basal thermometers are also probably accurate, but have not been tested for fertility awareness. Make sure the battery is good. (You can replace it.) An ordinary clinical thermometer is not accurate enough for fertility awareness. Nor is the "ear thermometer" (tympanic thermometer).
Take your temperature every day immediately upon waking, before 7:30 a.m. The body's rhythms (circadian rhythms) fluctuate over a 24-hour period. Your temperature is lowest in the early morning and highest in the afternoon. Fluctuations are greater after 7:30 a.m. If you go to bed before midnight and wake up before 7:30 a.m., you will get the clearest temperature readings.
If it is not convenient to take your temperature immediately upon waking, you may take it during light morning activity. For example, if you need to go to the bathroom, you may take your temperature while getting up and using the toilet. But be consistent about the circumstances under which you take your temperature. If you take it during light morning activity, take it that way every morning. Don't take it sometimes before getting up and at other times during light morning activity. If you have sexual relations, take your temperature before.
Many women find that the digital thermometers require such a short time to use that it is easy to take their temperature before getting up. Take your temperature by mouth. Under arm and ear temperatures are not accurate enough for family planning purposes. The thermometer will beep softly several times before beginning to beep slightly louder and repeatedly. Keep the thermometer under your tongue until the louder, repeated beeps begin. You can read and chart your temperature as soon as is convenient after taking it. Your thermometer has a recall button that allows you to read the last temperature taken. Be sure to wash your thermometer after each use.
Your Temperature Graph
Put a dot on a graph on the spot corresponding to each day's temperature. Join the temperature dots of consecutive days. If you do not take your temperature one day, do not join the dots across that day. Also write out the temperature numerically, to guard against errors in graphing.
Interpreting Your Chart
1) Breathe and relax. Study your chart.
2) Can you find six low temperatures during the fertile mucus days of your cycle? (You can chart your mucus and menstruation on the same graph paper.)
3) Draw a horizontal line at the highest of the six low temperatures. This is your low temperature line.
4) Draw another horizontal line four-tenths of a degree F. or two-tenths of a degree C. above your low temperature line. This is your full thermal shift line.
5) Can you find three high temperatures after the low temperatures? All of the high temperatures must be above the low temperature line. At least the third high temperature must be at or above the full thermal shift line.
6) This temperature pattern of low and high temperatures is called a biphasic pattern with a full thermal shift. A biphasic pattern with a full thermal shift confirms that you really did ovulate. A smaller, but sustained temperature rise also probably indicates ovulation.
If you are hoping to become pregnant, please pay close attention to nutrition. Look for unprocessed foods grown without chemicals. Exercise in moderation. Get plenty of rest. Avoid stress. Think happy thoughts. Pray for the child you desire, and begin sending your child love, now. Heal any hurtful feelings between you and your mate, and between you both and your parents. Your mate should avoid hot shower or baths and tight clothing, both of which lower sperm count.To increase your chances of conception, use the wet, slippery days for sexual relations.
If you have observed a biphasic pattern with a full thermal shift, and it is now 18 days since your last day of slippery, wet mucus, and menstruation has not arrived, you may feel confident that you have conceived.
Congratulations and blessings!
Charting the signs of your menstrual cycle is a good way to keep in touch with your body, your feelings, and your health. It is also a good way to predict your days of menstruation in advance, even if your menstrual cycles are irregular, and to know the most fertile times if you are hoping to conceive.
Cervical Mucus
The sign that is easiest to observe is the cervical mucus, since it is noticed in the course of daily activity. Fertile type mucus is produced by the cervix during the days when the ova are maturing and preparing for ovulation. This mucus is not only an indicator of fertility, it is essential for fertility. Cervical mucus nourishes the sperm, protects them from the natural acidity of the vagina, and guides them toward the ovum. Following is a simple way to observe and chart your fertile type mucus.
Pay attention to how you feel as you go about your daily activities. Just as you have learned to notice a certain wetness at menstruation, you will begin to notice a second wet time, but later in the cycle, and without bleeding. The second wet time is caused by your fertile type mucus.
Each time you go to the bathroom, wipe with toilet paper both before and after you use the toilet, noticing: a) the sensation you feel as you wipe with toilet paper, b) what is on the toilet paper. Chart what you see and what you feel in any way that makes sense to you.
1) Menstruation: mark the days of bleeding in some way, such as coloring the calendar day red.
2) Nothing: if you don't see or feel anything outside your vagina, you can leave the calendar blank on those days.
3) Something: but if you see or feel something - anything - such as pasty or sticky mucus, or a feeling of wetness - draw something, such as a raindrop, on these days.
4) Slippery something: If the pasty or sticky mucus turns to slippery mucus or a slippery feeling, color the raindrop dark to indicate the slippery wetness.
After a few slippery wet days, the mucus may disappear or return to sticky or pasty. When it does, begin to count the days until menstruation arrives. In a normal fertile cycle, the time between the last day of slippery mucus or slippery feeling and the next menstruation is between 11-16 days. You will become quite accurate about your predictions after you chart for about three cycles.
The mucus is your most fertile time, since fertile type is produced during the days leading up to and including ovulation. If you are trying to conceive, use the wet, slippery days for sexual relations. But don't try to use this information for birth control unless you seek out a qualified teacher of fertility awareness or natural family planning.
When the fertile mucus is present, we are under the influence of the hormone estrogen. We may feel courageous and loving. Men who bored us last week may suddenly appear interesting and attractive. Like Mother Earth in her rainy season, we are full of potential. We may also be interested in sexual activity. These emotions and reactions are caused by the hormone estrogen, which is getting us ready to have a baby, whether or not we want one! These hormonal swings are a predictable part of our cycle that must be safely navigated by all women in their reproductive years.
After ovulation, under the influence of the hormone progesterone, we may feel somewhat deflated compared to our wet, fertile time. Like Mother Earth in her dry time, we may feel quiet, with less energy. When menstrual bleeding begins, both estrogen and progesterone are at low levels. We may feel sensitive, solitary, or inward. Getting to know the feelings that go along with your hormonal cycle can give you a new and sensitive relationship with yourself.
Dark red menstruation for about three days probably indicates that hormones are high enough to build a good uterine lining and nourish a fetus in the event of conception. However, more than three days of menstruation can be exhausting. If your bleeding is excessive, try drinking raspberry leaf tea on a regular basis.
Three to five days of wet, slippery mucus 11-14 days before the next menstruation is a probable indicator of normal ovulation and a fertile cycle. Cycles are often 28-30 days from the first day of bleeding to the first day of the bleeding of the next menstruation. However, irregular cycles do not indicate infertility. If the time between the last day of slippery mucus and the next menstruation is 11-16 days, the cycle is probably fertile. Even if one cycle is not fertile, the next may well be fertile. Much depends on the stress we may be feeling. Keeping a chart allows us to keep all things in perspective, and feel our own harmony with all the cycles of nature.
Basal Body Temperature
If you are not sure you are ovulating, you can take your temperature. The body's resting temperature increases four-tenths of a degree Fahrenheit or two-tenths of a degree Centigrade under the influence of progesterone at ovulation. Observing this sign involves taking your temperature at the same time each morning before rising. (This is not as hard as it sounds. It takes less than two minutes and you can go back to sleep if you want.)
To observe your temperature rise, buy a BD brand digital basal thermometer. This brand will give you a consistent and accurate reading. Other high quality brands of digital basal thermometers are also probably accurate, but have not been tested for fertility awareness. Make sure the battery is good. (You can replace it.) An ordinary clinical thermometer is not accurate enough for fertility awareness. Nor is the "ear thermometer" (tympanic thermometer).
Take your temperature every day immediately upon waking, before 7:30 a.m. The body's rhythms (circadian rhythms) fluctuate over a 24-hour period. Your temperature is lowest in the early morning and highest in the afternoon. Fluctuations are greater after 7:30 a.m. If you go to bed before midnight and wake up before 7:30 a.m., you will get the clearest temperature readings.
If it is not convenient to take your temperature immediately upon waking, you may take it during light morning activity. For example, if you need to go to the bathroom, you may take your temperature while getting up and using the toilet. But be consistent about the circumstances under which you take your temperature. If you take it during light morning activity, take it that way every morning. Don't take it sometimes before getting up and at other times during light morning activity. If you have sexual relations, take your temperature before.
Many women find that the digital thermometers require such a short time to use that it is easy to take their temperature before getting up. Take your temperature by mouth. Under arm and ear temperatures are not accurate enough for family planning purposes. The thermometer will beep softly several times before beginning to beep slightly louder and repeatedly. Keep the thermometer under your tongue until the louder, repeated beeps begin. You can read and chart your temperature as soon as is convenient after taking it. Your thermometer has a recall button that allows you to read the last temperature taken. Be sure to wash your thermometer after each use.
Your Temperature Graph
Put a dot on a graph on the spot corresponding to each day's temperature. Join the temperature dots of consecutive days. If you do not take your temperature one day, do not join the dots across that day. Also write out the temperature numerically, to guard against errors in graphing.
Interpreting Your Chart
1) Breathe and relax. Study your chart.
2) Can you find six low temperatures during the fertile mucus days of your cycle? (You can chart your mucus and menstruation on the same graph paper.)
3) Draw a horizontal line at the highest of the six low temperatures. This is your low temperature line.
4) Draw another horizontal line four-tenths of a degree F. or two-tenths of a degree C. above your low temperature line. This is your full thermal shift line.
5) Can you find three high temperatures after the low temperatures? All of the high temperatures must be above the low temperature line. At least the third high temperature must be at or above the full thermal shift line.
6) This temperature pattern of low and high temperatures is called a biphasic pattern with a full thermal shift. A biphasic pattern with a full thermal shift confirms that you really did ovulate. A smaller, but sustained temperature rise also probably indicates ovulation.
If you are hoping to become pregnant, please pay close attention to nutrition. Look for unprocessed foods grown without chemicals. Exercise in moderation. Get plenty of rest. Avoid stress. Think happy thoughts. Pray for the child you desire, and begin sending your child love, now. Heal any hurtful feelings between you and your mate, and between you both and your parents. Your mate should avoid hot shower or baths and tight clothing, both of which lower sperm count.To increase your chances of conception, use the wet, slippery days for sexual relations.
If you have observed a biphasic pattern with a full thermal shift, and it is now 18 days since your last day of slippery, wet mucus, and menstruation has not arrived, you may feel confident that you have conceived.
Congratulations and blessings!
How to Find a Credit Union
If you've been feeling like small potatoes at your bank lately, it's probably time to start looking at a credit union instead.
Of course, you won't find a credit union on every corner, or ATMs at every convenient location that you require. But if you compare convenience with better rates, service and options, you'll quickly realize a credit union is the best way to go.
With a mere $5 (or maybe a bit more) deposited into a credit union account, you've become a shareholder, instead of just a customer like at a bank.
Originally when credit unions first started popping up, the shareholders usually had something in common, like their church, union, workplace or employer. But now, whatever holds together a credit union can be something less defined, a geographic region or social ties, for instance.
Its easy enough to find a credit union, if you are willing to look. Most dont advertise too much (although that seems to be changing a bit of late in some areas). But looking around can pay off in spades. Here are some ideas on how to locate one:
>Look around your workplace there may already be a credit union catering to your every need. Or, if you are a professional, ask around to see if there is a credit union that has been created just for those in your profession, union or trade.
>Try calling the National Credit Union Administration at (703) 518-6330. They can look up credit unions in your area that you might be able to join.
>If you attend religious services, ask the administrative staff if there is a credit union that is affiliated with your church.
>Contact your local chamber of commerce, or any clubs that you belong to. You never know who may have a credit union already organized that fits your interests.
>Talk to friends, family or coworkers, and ask them about any credit unions they have heard about, or have used themselves.
Once you've shopped around a bit, you probably have come up with a couple of credit unions to choose from. But how do you decide which credit union is the best for you?
It's quite easy, really. All you have to do is compare them all by convenience, rates, products and services. Make a graph if you need to, so that you can easily and clearly see the advantages and disadvantages of each one.
Start with convenience. Are any of the credit union locations close to your home? Work? On the way? Are there ATMs within walking distance? What are their hours of operation?
Now look at what products and services you use on a regular basis. Make a note of all of the ones you require, and just think are cool, but dont really need. Now compare those plans, programs and prices. What does it cost to do business at each credit union? What are the monthly and individual fees? Are there any up and coming costs that you anticipate, like a car loan, mortgage or general loan? If so, you may want to add these items to your comparison chart as well.
And then, there is service. There is really no way to gauge service than by either contacting the credit union, or walking in the door.
So go take a peek at the top contenders on your list. You may become a shareholder faster than you thought.
If you've been feeling like small potatoes at your bank lately, it's probably time to start looking at a credit union instead.
Of course, you won't find a credit union on every corner, or ATMs at every convenient location that you require. But if you compare convenience with better rates, service and options, you'll quickly realize a credit union is the best way to go.
With a mere $5 (or maybe a bit more) deposited into a credit union account, you've become a shareholder, instead of just a customer like at a bank.
Originally when credit unions first started popping up, the shareholders usually had something in common, like their church, union, workplace or employer. But now, whatever holds together a credit union can be something less defined, a geographic region or social ties, for instance.
Its easy enough to find a credit union, if you are willing to look. Most dont advertise too much (although that seems to be changing a bit of late in some areas). But looking around can pay off in spades. Here are some ideas on how to locate one:
>Look around your workplace there may already be a credit union catering to your every need. Or, if you are a professional, ask around to see if there is a credit union that has been created just for those in your profession, union or trade.
>Try calling the National Credit Union Administration at (703) 518-6330. They can look up credit unions in your area that you might be able to join.
>If you attend religious services, ask the administrative staff if there is a credit union that is affiliated with your church.
>Contact your local chamber of commerce, or any clubs that you belong to. You never know who may have a credit union already organized that fits your interests.
>Talk to friends, family or coworkers, and ask them about any credit unions they have heard about, or have used themselves.
Once you've shopped around a bit, you probably have come up with a couple of credit unions to choose from. But how do you decide which credit union is the best for you?
It's quite easy, really. All you have to do is compare them all by convenience, rates, products and services. Make a graph if you need to, so that you can easily and clearly see the advantages and disadvantages of each one.
Start with convenience. Are any of the credit union locations close to your home? Work? On the way? Are there ATMs within walking distance? What are their hours of operation?
Now look at what products and services you use on a regular basis. Make a note of all of the ones you require, and just think are cool, but dont really need. Now compare those plans, programs and prices. What does it cost to do business at each credit union? What are the monthly and individual fees? Are there any up and coming costs that you anticipate, like a car loan, mortgage or general loan? If so, you may want to add these items to your comparison chart as well.
And then, there is service. There is really no way to gauge service than by either contacting the credit union, or walking in the door.
So go take a peek at the top contenders on your list. You may become a shareholder faster than you thought.
Monday, January 22, 2007
Menstrual Calendar
Charting the signs of our menstrual cycle is a good way to keep in touch
with our bodies, our feelings, and our health. It is also a good way to
predict our days of menstruation in advance, even if menstrual cycles
are irregular, and to know the most fertile times if we are hoping to
conceive.
Cervical Mucus:
The sign that is easier to observe is the cervical mucus, since it is
noticed in the course of daily activity. Fertile type mucus is produced by
the cervix during the days when the ova are maturing and preparing for
ovulation. This mucus is not only an indicator of fertility, it is essential for
fertility. Cervical mucus nourishes the sperm, protects them from the
natural acidity of the vagina, and guides them toward the ovum.
Following is a simple way to observe and chart your fertile type mucus.
Pay attention to how you feel as you go about your daily activities. Just
as you have learned to notice a certain wetness at menstruation, you
will begin to notice a second wet time, but later in the cycle, and without
bleeding. The second wet time is caused by your fertile type mucus.
Each time you go to the bathroom, wipe with toilet paper both before
and after you use the toilet, noticing: a) the sensation you feel as you
wipe with toilet paper, b) what is on the toilet paper. Chart what you see
and what you feel in the following way. Or use any charting method that
makes sense to you.
1) Menstruation: mark the days of bleeding in some way, such as
coloring the calendar day red.
2) Nothing: if you don't see or feel anything outside your vagina, you can
leave the calendar blank on those days.
3) Something: but if you see or feel something - anything -such as pasty
or sticky mucus, or a feeling of wetness - draw something, such as a
raindrop, on these days.
4) Slippery something: If the pasty or sticky mucus turns to slippery
mucus or a slippery feeling, color the raindrop dark to indicate the
slippery wetness.
After a few slippery wet days, the mucus may disappear or return to
sticky or pasty. When it does, begin to count the days until menstruation
arrives. In a normal fertile cycle, the time between the last day of slippery
mucus or slippery feeling and the next menstruation is between 11-16
days. You will become quite accurate about your predictions after you
chart for about three cycles.
The mucus is your most fertile time, since fertile type is produced during
the days leading up to and including ovulation. But don't try to use this
information for birth control unless you seek out a qualified teacher of
fertility awareness or natural family planning. However, if you are hoping
to become pregnant, charting the mucus and the dry times of the cycle
will allow you to know your most fertile time. It will also allow you to
predict your next menstruation with accuracy, and to begin a new and
sensitive relationship with yourself.
Under the influence of the hormone estrogen, when the fertile mucus is
present, we may feel courageous and loving. Men who bored us last
week may suddenly appear interesting and attractive. Like Mother Earth
in her rainy season, we are full of potential. We may also be interested
in sexual activity. These emotions and reactions are caused by the
hormone estrogen, which is getting us ready to have a baby, even
though we may not want that for ourselves yet!
After ovulation, under the influence of the hormone progesterone, we
may feel somewhat deflated compared to our wet, fertile time. Like
Mother Earth in her dry time, we may feel quiet, with less energy. When
menstrual bleeding begins, both estrogen and progesterone are at low
levels. We may feel sensitive, solitary, or inward.
Generally speaking, dark red bleeding for about three days indicates
that hormones are high enough to build a good uterine lining and
nourish a fetus in the event of conception. However, more than three
days of heavy bleeding can be exhausting. Three to five days of wet,
slippery mucus 11-14 days before the next menstruation is a probable
indicator of normal ovulation and a fertile cycle. Cycles are often 28-30
days from the first day of bleeding to the first day of the bleeding of the
next menstruation. However, irregular cycles do not indicate infertility.
If
the time between the last day of slippery mucus and the next
menstruation is 11-16 days, the cycle is probably fertile. Even if one
cycle is not fertile, the next may well be fertile. Much depends on the
stress we may be feeling. Keeping a chart allows us to keep all things in
perspective, and feel our own harmony with all the cycles of nature.
Basal Body Temperature:
If you are not sure you are ovulating, you can take your temperature.
The body's resting temperature increases four-tenths of a degree
Fahrenheit or two-tenths of a degree Centigrade under the influence of
progesterone at ovulation. Observing this sign involves taking your
temperature at the same time each morning before rising. (This is not as
hard as it sounds. It takes less than two minutes and you can go back to
sleep if you want.)
To observe your temperature rise, buy a BD brand digital basal
thermometer. This brand will give you a consistent and accurate
reading. Other high quality brands of digital basal thermometers are
also probably accurate, but have not been tested for fertility awareness.
Make sure the battery is good. (You can replace it.) An ordinary clinical
thermometer is not accurate enough for fertility awareness. Nor is the
"ear thermometer" (tympanic thermometer).
Take your temperature every day immediately upon waking, before 7:30
a.m. The body's rhythms (circadian rhythms) fluctuate over a 24-hour
period. Your temperature is lowest in the early morning and highest in
the afternoon. Fluctuations are greater after 7:30 a.m. If you go to bed
before midnight and wake up before 7:30 a.m., you will get the clearest
temperature readings.
If it is not convenient to take your temperature immediately upon
waking, you may take it during light morning activity. For example, if you
need to go to the bathroom, you may take your temperature while
getting up and using the toilet. But be consistent about the
circumstances under which you take your temperature. If you take it
during light morning activity, take it that way every morning. Don't take it
sometimes before getting up and at other times during light morning
activity. If you have sexual relations, take your temperature before.
Many women find that the digital thermometers require such a short
time to use that it is easy to take their temperature before getting up.
Take your temperature by mouth. Under arm and ear temperatures are
not accurate enough for family planning purposes. The thermometer will
beep softly several times before beginning to beep slightly louder and
repeatedly. Keep the thermometer under your tongue until the louder,
repeated beeps begin. You can read and chart your temperature as
soon as is convenient after taking it. Your thermometer has a recall
button that allows you to read the last temperature taken. Be sure to
wash your thermometer after each use.
Your Temperature Graph:
Put a dot on a graph on the spot corresponding to each day's
temperature. Join the dots of consecutive days. If you do not take your
temperature one day, do not join the dots across that day. Also write out
the temperature numerically, to guard against errors in graphing.
Interpreting Your Chart:
1) Breathe and relax. Study your chart.
2) Can you find six low temperatures during the fertile mucus days of
your cycle?
3) Draw a horizontal line at the highest of the six low temperatures. This
is your low temperature line.
4) Draw another horizontal line four-tenths of a degree F. or two-tenths
of a degree C. above your low temperature line. This is your full thermal
shift line.
5) Can you find three high temperatures after the low temperatures? All
of the high temperatures must be above the low temperature line. At
least the third high temperature must be at or above the full thermal shift
line.
6) This temperature pattern of low and high temperatures is called a
biphasic pattern with a full thermal shift. A biphasic pattern with a full
thermal shift confirms that you really did ovulate. A smaller, but
sustained temperature rise also probably indicates ovulation.
If you are hoping to become pregnant, please pay close attention to
nutrition. Look for unprocessed foods grown without chemicals. Exercise
in moderation. Get plenty of rest. Avoid stress. Think happy thoughts.
Pray for the child you desire, and begin sending your child love, now.
Heal any hurtful feelings between you and your mate, and between you
both and your parents. Your mate should avoid hot shower or baths and
tight clothing, both of which lower sperm count.To increase your
chances of conception, use the wet, slippery days for sexual relations.
If you have observed a biphasic pattern with a full thermal shift, and it is
now 18 days since your last slippery, wet day, and menstruation has not
arrived, you may feel confident that you have conceived.
Congratulations and blessings!
Charting the signs of our menstrual cycle is a good way to keep in touch
with our bodies, our feelings, and our health. It is also a good way to
predict our days of menstruation in advance, even if menstrual cycles
are irregular, and to know the most fertile times if we are hoping to
conceive.
Cervical Mucus:
The sign that is easier to observe is the cervical mucus, since it is
noticed in the course of daily activity. Fertile type mucus is produced by
the cervix during the days when the ova are maturing and preparing for
ovulation. This mucus is not only an indicator of fertility, it is essential for
fertility. Cervical mucus nourishes the sperm, protects them from the
natural acidity of the vagina, and guides them toward the ovum.
Following is a simple way to observe and chart your fertile type mucus.
Pay attention to how you feel as you go about your daily activities. Just
as you have learned to notice a certain wetness at menstruation, you
will begin to notice a second wet time, but later in the cycle, and without
bleeding. The second wet time is caused by your fertile type mucus.
Each time you go to the bathroom, wipe with toilet paper both before
and after you use the toilet, noticing: a) the sensation you feel as you
wipe with toilet paper, b) what is on the toilet paper. Chart what you see
and what you feel in the following way. Or use any charting method that
makes sense to you.
1) Menstruation: mark the days of bleeding in some way, such as
coloring the calendar day red.
2) Nothing: if you don't see or feel anything outside your vagina, you can
leave the calendar blank on those days.
3) Something: but if you see or feel something - anything -such as pasty
or sticky mucus, or a feeling of wetness - draw something, such as a
raindrop, on these days.
4) Slippery something: If the pasty or sticky mucus turns to slippery
mucus or a slippery feeling, color the raindrop dark to indicate the
slippery wetness.
After a few slippery wet days, the mucus may disappear or return to
sticky or pasty. When it does, begin to count the days until menstruation
arrives. In a normal fertile cycle, the time between the last day of slippery
mucus or slippery feeling and the next menstruation is between 11-16
days. You will become quite accurate about your predictions after you
chart for about three cycles.
The mucus is your most fertile time, since fertile type is produced during
the days leading up to and including ovulation. But don't try to use this
information for birth control unless you seek out a qualified teacher of
fertility awareness or natural family planning. However, if you are hoping
to become pregnant, charting the mucus and the dry times of the cycle
will allow you to know your most fertile time. It will also allow you to
predict your next menstruation with accuracy, and to begin a new and
sensitive relationship with yourself.
Under the influence of the hormone estrogen, when the fertile mucus is
present, we may feel courageous and loving. Men who bored us last
week may suddenly appear interesting and attractive. Like Mother Earth
in her rainy season, we are full of potential. We may also be interested
in sexual activity. These emotions and reactions are caused by the
hormone estrogen, which is getting us ready to have a baby, even
though we may not want that for ourselves yet!
After ovulation, under the influence of the hormone progesterone, we
may feel somewhat deflated compared to our wet, fertile time. Like
Mother Earth in her dry time, we may feel quiet, with less energy. When
menstrual bleeding begins, both estrogen and progesterone are at low
levels. We may feel sensitive, solitary, or inward.
Generally speaking, dark red bleeding for about three days indicates
that hormones are high enough to build a good uterine lining and
nourish a fetus in the event of conception. However, more than three
days of heavy bleeding can be exhausting. Three to five days of wet,
slippery mucus 11-14 days before the next menstruation is a probable
indicator of normal ovulation and a fertile cycle. Cycles are often 28-30
days from the first day of bleeding to the first day of the bleeding of the
next menstruation. However, irregular cycles do not indicate infertility.
If
the time between the last day of slippery mucus and the next
menstruation is 11-16 days, the cycle is probably fertile. Even if one
cycle is not fertile, the next may well be fertile. Much depends on the
stress we may be feeling. Keeping a chart allows us to keep all things in
perspective, and feel our own harmony with all the cycles of nature.
Basal Body Temperature:
If you are not sure you are ovulating, you can take your temperature.
The body's resting temperature increases four-tenths of a degree
Fahrenheit or two-tenths of a degree Centigrade under the influence of
progesterone at ovulation. Observing this sign involves taking your
temperature at the same time each morning before rising. (This is not as
hard as it sounds. It takes less than two minutes and you can go back to
sleep if you want.)
To observe your temperature rise, buy a BD brand digital basal
thermometer. This brand will give you a consistent and accurate
reading. Other high quality brands of digital basal thermometers are
also probably accurate, but have not been tested for fertility awareness.
Make sure the battery is good. (You can replace it.) An ordinary clinical
thermometer is not accurate enough for fertility awareness. Nor is the
"ear thermometer" (tympanic thermometer).
Take your temperature every day immediately upon waking, before 7:30
a.m. The body's rhythms (circadian rhythms) fluctuate over a 24-hour
period. Your temperature is lowest in the early morning and highest in
the afternoon. Fluctuations are greater after 7:30 a.m. If you go to bed
before midnight and wake up before 7:30 a.m., you will get the clearest
temperature readings.
If it is not convenient to take your temperature immediately upon
waking, you may take it during light morning activity. For example, if you
need to go to the bathroom, you may take your temperature while
getting up and using the toilet. But be consistent about the
circumstances under which you take your temperature. If you take it
during light morning activity, take it that way every morning. Don't take it
sometimes before getting up and at other times during light morning
activity. If you have sexual relations, take your temperature before.
Many women find that the digital thermometers require such a short
time to use that it is easy to take their temperature before getting up.
Take your temperature by mouth. Under arm and ear temperatures are
not accurate enough for family planning purposes. The thermometer will
beep softly several times before beginning to beep slightly louder and
repeatedly. Keep the thermometer under your tongue until the louder,
repeated beeps begin. You can read and chart your temperature as
soon as is convenient after taking it. Your thermometer has a recall
button that allows you to read the last temperature taken. Be sure to
wash your thermometer after each use.
Your Temperature Graph:
Put a dot on a graph on the spot corresponding to each day's
temperature. Join the dots of consecutive days. If you do not take your
temperature one day, do not join the dots across that day. Also write out
the temperature numerically, to guard against errors in graphing.
Interpreting Your Chart:
1) Breathe and relax. Study your chart.
2) Can you find six low temperatures during the fertile mucus days of
your cycle?
3) Draw a horizontal line at the highest of the six low temperatures. This
is your low temperature line.
4) Draw another horizontal line four-tenths of a degree F. or two-tenths
of a degree C. above your low temperature line. This is your full thermal
shift line.
5) Can you find three high temperatures after the low temperatures? All
of the high temperatures must be above the low temperature line. At
least the third high temperature must be at or above the full thermal shift
line.
6) This temperature pattern of low and high temperatures is called a
biphasic pattern with a full thermal shift. A biphasic pattern with a full
thermal shift confirms that you really did ovulate. A smaller, but
sustained temperature rise also probably indicates ovulation.
If you are hoping to become pregnant, please pay close attention to
nutrition. Look for unprocessed foods grown without chemicals. Exercise
in moderation. Get plenty of rest. Avoid stress. Think happy thoughts.
Pray for the child you desire, and begin sending your child love, now.
Heal any hurtful feelings between you and your mate, and between you
both and your parents. Your mate should avoid hot shower or baths and
tight clothing, both of which lower sperm count.To increase your
chances of conception, use the wet, slippery days for sexual relations.
If you have observed a biphasic pattern with a full thermal shift, and it is
now 18 days since your last slippery, wet day, and menstruation has not
arrived, you may feel confident that you have conceived.
Congratulations and blessings!
Scrapbook Ideas for Your Baby Album - Part 1
A scrapbook album of your babys first year is one of the most special albums youll ever complete. There are so many magical memories, beginning with the pregnancy itself and continuing right through your babys first birthday. Below are a number of scrapbook page ideas to help you capture those precious moments.
Title Page
A great way to start the album is by matting a 5x7 or 8x10 of your babys hospital photo on the first page. Then add the baby's name and birthdate as the title and subtitle respectively. This makes a very simple yet very beautiful page.
Baby on the Way
How did you celebrate the news that your baby was on the way? Maybe it was a quiet dinner just for you and your husband or a gathering with family and friends. Either way, remember to include some pictures of the celebration. Capture peoples reactions to the annoucement in photos. In addition, you may even want to take a picture of the pregnancy test showing the positive results.
The Ultrasound
If you had multiple ultrasounds during your pregnancy, include pictures from different points in time so you can see how your baby was growing. You may also want to include one that shows the graph of the heartbeat. In addition to journaling about the ultrasound pictures, this is a great place to journal about any nicknames you may have had for your baby before it was born.
The Belly
Starting at three months, when the pregnancy bulge is just barely noticeable, have someone take a monthly side-view picture of you. Pose in front of the same background each time so that the pictures are consistent. Try to fit all of the photos on one page (or a two-page spread), so you can really appreciate the month-by-month progression.
The Nursery
Include photos of the nursery all ready and waiting for baby; take pictures from different angles to show everything in the room. Be sure to include pictures of anything that has special meaning such as a bassinet that has been in the family for multiple generations, a special blanket made by Grandma, etc. Also, if you have one, include a photo to show what the room was before it became a nursery.
Welcome Baby
Those first pictures taken of your baby after the birth are some of the most precious ones youll ever have. Rememer to include your baby being weighed, having his/her footprints done, being examined, getting a bath, etc. You can put memorabilia such as the footprint card, bassinet name tag and baby id bracelet on these pages. Include key information/statistics in your journaling babys full name, date, day, time, weight, length, details about your labor, name of the doctor/midwife, etc.
Mom, Dad and Baby
It's wonderful to have a page with pictures of just the three of you Mom, Dad and Baby and then include siblings, grandparents, etc. on other pages. Journal about how you felt upon meeting your baby for the first time, whether your baby resembled anyone in the family, how your baby reacted to hearing your voice, etc.
The Rest of the Clan
Once you have a page or two of Mom, Dad and Baby photos, its time to include the siblings if your baby has any. Capture how excited they are to meet their new baby brother/sister and how proud they are to be big brothers/big sisters. This is also a great page to put any little cards, drawings, etc. that siblings may have made to welcome your new baby.
Visitors at the Hospital
Your new baby is sure to have many visitors at the hospital such as grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and more. Include a picture of each one holding the baby and write an interesting fact and/or anecdote about each person in your journaling. Also, you may want to include pictures of the doctor/midwife who delivered your baby, the labor nurse and/or the doula.
Going Home
Going home from the hospital is a big event! On this page you can include pictures of leaving the hospital, a photo of the outside of the hospital, and the birth announcement. Journal about who took you and the baby home, what the weather was like for your baby's first time ever outside, what he/she was wearing for a "going home" outfit, and what he/she did during the car ride home.
The New Family
Its nice to have a couple of pages showing the new family settling in at home over those first few days. Be sure to include a picture of everyone (Mom, Dad, siblings) with the new baby, plus a picture of the whole family. Put some of the flowers and balloons received as gifts in the background of the pictures to add a special touch. This is a great place to journal about how the family dynamic changes when the new little one joins the clan.
Visitors at Home
In addition to having photos of the visitors that came to meet your baby at the hospital, youll also want to have pictures of the visitors at your home. Again, include a picture of each one holding the baby and write an interesting fact and/or anecdote about each person in your journaling.
Siblings
If your baby has siblings, you can make a separate page for each sibling with lots of photos of the big brother/big sister with the new baby. Depending on how old the sibling is, he/she may be able to help you create the album page by arranging photos, picking out embellishments and providing input for the journaling (e.g., what is the best thing about being a big brother/big sister).
Heritage
If your baby is lucky enough to meet his/her great-grandparents, have a page or two with pictures of them holding the baby. Ask the great-grandparents to share some of their most cherished childhood memories so you can include them in your journaling. When your baby is older, he/she can read their stories to get a glimpse of childhoods long ago.
For additional ideas, please read part two of this article entitled "Scrapbook Ideas for Your Baby Album Part 2" at http://www.scrapbooktown.com/library-article4.html. If you need a baby album and supplies, visit Scrapbook Towns online store at http://stores.scrapbooktown.com/storefront.bok.
A scrapbook album of your babys first year is one of the most special albums youll ever complete. There are so many magical memories, beginning with the pregnancy itself and continuing right through your babys first birthday. Below are a number of scrapbook page ideas to help you capture those precious moments.
Title Page
A great way to start the album is by matting a 5x7 or 8x10 of your babys hospital photo on the first page. Then add the baby's name and birthdate as the title and subtitle respectively. This makes a very simple yet very beautiful page.
Baby on the Way
How did you celebrate the news that your baby was on the way? Maybe it was a quiet dinner just for you and your husband or a gathering with family and friends. Either way, remember to include some pictures of the celebration. Capture peoples reactions to the annoucement in photos. In addition, you may even want to take a picture of the pregnancy test showing the positive results.
The Ultrasound
If you had multiple ultrasounds during your pregnancy, include pictures from different points in time so you can see how your baby was growing. You may also want to include one that shows the graph of the heartbeat. In addition to journaling about the ultrasound pictures, this is a great place to journal about any nicknames you may have had for your baby before it was born.
The Belly
Starting at three months, when the pregnancy bulge is just barely noticeable, have someone take a monthly side-view picture of you. Pose in front of the same background each time so that the pictures are consistent. Try to fit all of the photos on one page (or a two-page spread), so you can really appreciate the month-by-month progression.
The Nursery
Include photos of the nursery all ready and waiting for baby; take pictures from different angles to show everything in the room. Be sure to include pictures of anything that has special meaning such as a bassinet that has been in the family for multiple generations, a special blanket made by Grandma, etc. Also, if you have one, include a photo to show what the room was before it became a nursery.
Welcome Baby
Those first pictures taken of your baby after the birth are some of the most precious ones youll ever have. Rememer to include your baby being weighed, having his/her footprints done, being examined, getting a bath, etc. You can put memorabilia such as the footprint card, bassinet name tag and baby id bracelet on these pages. Include key information/statistics in your journaling babys full name, date, day, time, weight, length, details about your labor, name of the doctor/midwife, etc.
Mom, Dad and Baby
It's wonderful to have a page with pictures of just the three of you Mom, Dad and Baby and then include siblings, grandparents, etc. on other pages. Journal about how you felt upon meeting your baby for the first time, whether your baby resembled anyone in the family, how your baby reacted to hearing your voice, etc.
The Rest of the Clan
Once you have a page or two of Mom, Dad and Baby photos, its time to include the siblings if your baby has any. Capture how excited they are to meet their new baby brother/sister and how proud they are to be big brothers/big sisters. This is also a great page to put any little cards, drawings, etc. that siblings may have made to welcome your new baby.
Visitors at the Hospital
Your new baby is sure to have many visitors at the hospital such as grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and more. Include a picture of each one holding the baby and write an interesting fact and/or anecdote about each person in your journaling. Also, you may want to include pictures of the doctor/midwife who delivered your baby, the labor nurse and/or the doula.
Going Home
Going home from the hospital is a big event! On this page you can include pictures of leaving the hospital, a photo of the outside of the hospital, and the birth announcement. Journal about who took you and the baby home, what the weather was like for your baby's first time ever outside, what he/she was wearing for a "going home" outfit, and what he/she did during the car ride home.
The New Family
Its nice to have a couple of pages showing the new family settling in at home over those first few days. Be sure to include a picture of everyone (Mom, Dad, siblings) with the new baby, plus a picture of the whole family. Put some of the flowers and balloons received as gifts in the background of the pictures to add a special touch. This is a great place to journal about how the family dynamic changes when the new little one joins the clan.
Visitors at Home
In addition to having photos of the visitors that came to meet your baby at the hospital, youll also want to have pictures of the visitors at your home. Again, include a picture of each one holding the baby and write an interesting fact and/or anecdote about each person in your journaling.
Siblings
If your baby has siblings, you can make a separate page for each sibling with lots of photos of the big brother/big sister with the new baby. Depending on how old the sibling is, he/she may be able to help you create the album page by arranging photos, picking out embellishments and providing input for the journaling (e.g., what is the best thing about being a big brother/big sister).
Heritage
If your baby is lucky enough to meet his/her great-grandparents, have a page or two with pictures of them holding the baby. Ask the great-grandparents to share some of their most cherished childhood memories so you can include them in your journaling. When your baby is older, he/she can read their stories to get a glimpse of childhoods long ago.
For additional ideas, please read part two of this article entitled "Scrapbook Ideas for Your Baby Album Part 2" at http://www.scrapbooktown.com/library-article4.html. If you need a baby album and supplies, visit Scrapbook Towns online store at http://stores.scrapbooktown.com/storefront.bok.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Lie Detector - To Lie Or Not To Lie
The Science Of Lies
The lie detector test is a way to obtain evidence in court cases, as well as to determine the character of potential and current employees. Many people see the lie detector test as controversial and intrusive. There are also those in favor of the lie detector test who say that it is impossible to tell whether someone is lying or not or if someone is engaging his/herself in deceptive behavior. Professionals involved in this science do not like to use the term lie detector, and would rather use polygraph. A polygraph machine monitors the levels of many different bodily functions (heart rate, perspiration, etc.). The person judging the test looks at the answers given and the bodys reaction to the questions to determine if the subject is engaging in deceptive behaviors. The machine was once an analog machine that would scribble lines on graph paper as the paper scrolled automatically, and now it is digital.
What Does It Do?
The polygraph detector measures the respiratory rate, the heart rate, and the amount of perspiration on the finger tips of the subject. The examiner will assess the results of the test and study any differences in spikes and results of the behavior. The subject in question is hooked up with wires and tubes to the lie detector machine. The professional examiner will first get to know his/her subject and the subjects version of the story. The lie detector is not used at this part of the testing process. The examiner uses his/her own observation to record and monitor how the subject responds. The next step is a list of specially designed questions created by the examiner. He/she reviews these questions with the subject prior to turning on the lie detector test. The actual lie detector test will be about 60-70% control questions, which are general questions many people have trouble answering no too. The other 30-40% will be questions related directly to the situation at hand. The test is considered an exact science by those who are well-trained in its processes. These scientists take into account the subjects cultural background, religious beliefs, etc., and will only ask questions that will elicit true biological responses on the lie detector machine.
Controversy
The men and women who argue against the lie detector test state that there are both false positives and false negatives with the test. A false positive is where someone tells the truth, but it reads as a lie, and a false negative is where someone lies and it reads as the truth. Some believe there is a way for someone to beat the machine by doing something such as biting their lip each tip a question is posed. This elicits the same bodily reaction each time. One of the biggest noted problems with polygraph tests is the inconsistency in the professional examiners. There are states that allow virtually anyone to become a polygraph examiner, while other states require extensive, on-going training and certification. Until all of these issues surrounding the polygraph test are resolved, there will be controversy regarding its practice, validity, and its use in the courtroom.
The Science Of Lies
The lie detector test is a way to obtain evidence in court cases, as well as to determine the character of potential and current employees. Many people see the lie detector test as controversial and intrusive. There are also those in favor of the lie detector test who say that it is impossible to tell whether someone is lying or not or if someone is engaging his/herself in deceptive behavior. Professionals involved in this science do not like to use the term lie detector, and would rather use polygraph. A polygraph machine monitors the levels of many different bodily functions (heart rate, perspiration, etc.). The person judging the test looks at the answers given and the bodys reaction to the questions to determine if the subject is engaging in deceptive behaviors. The machine was once an analog machine that would scribble lines on graph paper as the paper scrolled automatically, and now it is digital.
What Does It Do?
The polygraph detector measures the respiratory rate, the heart rate, and the amount of perspiration on the finger tips of the subject. The examiner will assess the results of the test and study any differences in spikes and results of the behavior. The subject in question is hooked up with wires and tubes to the lie detector machine. The professional examiner will first get to know his/her subject and the subjects version of the story. The lie detector is not used at this part of the testing process. The examiner uses his/her own observation to record and monitor how the subject responds. The next step is a list of specially designed questions created by the examiner. He/she reviews these questions with the subject prior to turning on the lie detector test. The actual lie detector test will be about 60-70% control questions, which are general questions many people have trouble answering no too. The other 30-40% will be questions related directly to the situation at hand. The test is considered an exact science by those who are well-trained in its processes. These scientists take into account the subjects cultural background, religious beliefs, etc., and will only ask questions that will elicit true biological responses on the lie detector machine.
Controversy
The men and women who argue against the lie detector test state that there are both false positives and false negatives with the test. A false positive is where someone tells the truth, but it reads as a lie, and a false negative is where someone lies and it reads as the truth. Some believe there is a way for someone to beat the machine by doing something such as biting their lip each tip a question is posed. This elicits the same bodily reaction each time. One of the biggest noted problems with polygraph tests is the inconsistency in the professional examiners. There are states that allow virtually anyone to become a polygraph examiner, while other states require extensive, on-going training and certification. Until all of these issues surrounding the polygraph test are resolved, there will be controversy regarding its practice, validity, and its use in the courtroom.
How to Build Profitable Web Sites to Get Top 1% Search Engines Ranking
The trick to building profitable web sites to get high ranking through indexing by Major Search Engines is Good Design. You dont have to pay costly fees. Get that?
Yes, getting to the top 1% ranking comes from the art of putting careful thought in crafting and setting up your Internet Business. How you arrange your products and services in your web site pages is very critical for getting thousands of buyers clamoring for your products. Your site will be so appealing it motivates them to open their wallets, take out their credit cards and willingly give it to you, so you send them your products.
Here are the steps to higher Search Engine ranking::
Firstly, you zero in on your highly targeted audience. Let's say you plan to sell DVD players. This term is too broad to use in your small internet business. Leave this category/term for the big giants of the industry. They have the big advertising budgets to capture the broad market with massive advertising.
You, however, have to look for a piece of this big market. You are looking for a niche. You want to capture a highly defined target audience. These people already know what they want and are ready to give you their credit card number to order.
Secondly, suppose you came up with a target group who are looking for lightweight DVD players. You can devise a name like: lightweightdvdplayers.com, register it with a reputable hosting company with all the correct security, virus protection , marketing and other effective money making tools for your web site and you are ready to build your site.
NOTE: Remember to register related sub-domain names of your product and services too. Use them in your site or separate sites or just park them with you web registry company for use later when you can expand your product line.
Thirdly, you must develop additional product pages under your URL name you just registered above, as follows:
One page for say, the SUNNY brand name products, with further sub-categories1... like deluxe model, standard model, etc., and sub-category2 different colors etc.
Another page for say, the Tohibba brand name products... with similar sub-categories like before.
Another page for the Samsoong products... with similar sub-categories like before and so on This is called the drill down method of designing your web site. Another way to look at this design is like drilling a hole inside a cone that is standing on the tip. You start from a wide area, the base of the cone, then proceed to a very small pointy area. The final point you want to hit. You get it? Practice a little on a scratch pad of your ideas and I sure youll come up with a winner!
Fourthly, you must link these pages together. This linking process helps your site develop credibility with the Search Engines. When the Search Engine robot spiders crawl around the superhighway looking for content youll have plenty content for them to feed on. Good content and a lot of it is what Search Engines hunger for. You have to give them that and they will love you for it.
Fifth, You must create a Site Map, particularly on your home page, as this will tie in your entire web site in a form the Search Engines are dying for, that further allows them to crawl your site and rank it higher on the internet.
These are the major actions you must take to get customers drawn to your site by the thousands of visitors a day. The sooner you implement these strategies on your site, the sooner you will see your ranking on Alexa, Yahoo, MSN , Alta Vista and other major Search Engines soar. Soaring high means more traffic. More traffic means more orders and more orders mean more money in your bank account. That is why you have an on line business. To make money 24/7 running on auto pilot.
So, let us back up a little. This might take some work and you will have to put in some time to develop your site. In about three to four weeks, I would say, if you are diligent about making money with your site, you can craft a strong pulling web site with all its pages intact. If you want to make money with your web site, youll know that it is worth the time. This three weeks diligence is going to put a lot of money in your pocket fast.
However, if you do not want to take the time to design your own money making web site, there is another solution. You can let the professionals do it for you. Just click on the site below and youll be amazed of how attractive and Search Engine friendly they will make you site. Plus, the will give you some more tips and tricks that I cannot address here in this article, due to space limitations.
But, I encourage you to give it a try on your own first. Give up? Then, youll make a wise decision if you click on the link below and youll be all set to go to creat a money pulling site.
Do all this and then watch the money roll in.
The trick to building profitable web sites to get high ranking through indexing by Major Search Engines is Good Design. You dont have to pay costly fees. Get that?
Yes, getting to the top 1% ranking comes from the art of putting careful thought in crafting and setting up your Internet Business. How you arrange your products and services in your web site pages is very critical for getting thousands of buyers clamoring for your products. Your site will be so appealing it motivates them to open their wallets, take out their credit cards and willingly give it to you, so you send them your products.
Here are the steps to higher Search Engine ranking::
Firstly, you zero in on your highly targeted audience. Let's say you plan to sell DVD players. This term is too broad to use in your small internet business. Leave this category/term for the big giants of the industry. They have the big advertising budgets to capture the broad market with massive advertising.
You, however, have to look for a piece of this big market. You are looking for a niche. You want to capture a highly defined target audience. These people already know what they want and are ready to give you their credit card number to order.
Secondly, suppose you came up with a target group who are looking for lightweight DVD players. You can devise a name like: lightweightdvdplayers.com, register it with a reputable hosting company with all the correct security, virus protection , marketing and other effective money making tools for your web site and you are ready to build your site.
NOTE: Remember to register related sub-domain names of your product and services too. Use them in your site or separate sites or just park them with you web registry company for use later when you can expand your product line.
Thirdly, you must develop additional product pages under your URL name you just registered above, as follows:
One page for say, the SUNNY brand name products, with further sub-categories1... like deluxe model, standard model, etc., and sub-category2 different colors etc.
Another page for say, the Tohibba brand name products... with similar sub-categories like before.
Another page for the Samsoong products... with similar sub-categories like before and so on This is called the drill down method of designing your web site. Another way to look at this design is like drilling a hole inside a cone that is standing on the tip. You start from a wide area, the base of the cone, then proceed to a very small pointy area. The final point you want to hit. You get it? Practice a little on a scratch pad of your ideas and I sure youll come up with a winner!
Fourthly, you must link these pages together. This linking process helps your site develop credibility with the Search Engines. When the Search Engine robot spiders crawl around the superhighway looking for content youll have plenty content for them to feed on. Good content and a lot of it is what Search Engines hunger for. You have to give them that and they will love you for it.
Fifth, You must create a Site Map, particularly on your home page, as this will tie in your entire web site in a form the Search Engines are dying for, that further allows them to crawl your site and rank it higher on the internet.
These are the major actions you must take to get customers drawn to your site by the thousands of visitors a day. The sooner you implement these strategies on your site, the sooner you will see your ranking on Alexa, Yahoo, MSN , Alta Vista and other major Search Engines soar. Soaring high means more traffic. More traffic means more orders and more orders mean more money in your bank account. That is why you have an on line business. To make money 24/7 running on auto pilot.
So, let us back up a little. This might take some work and you will have to put in some time to develop your site. In about three to four weeks, I would say, if you are diligent about making money with your site, you can craft a strong pulling web site with all its pages intact. If you want to make money with your web site, youll know that it is worth the time. This three weeks diligence is going to put a lot of money in your pocket fast.
However, if you do not want to take the time to design your own money making web site, there is another solution. You can let the professionals do it for you. Just click on the site below and youll be amazed of how attractive and Search Engine friendly they will make you site. Plus, the will give you some more tips and tricks that I cannot address here in this article, due to space limitations.
But, I encourage you to give it a try on your own first. Give up? Then, youll make a wise decision if you click on the link below and youll be all set to go to creat a money pulling site.
Do all this and then watch the money roll in.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Mapping Software: Putting Data Visualization on the Map
Mapping Software Improves Data Visualization
From the outset, it is important to clarify exactly what mapping software is and what it has to do with data visualization. If you are looking for driving directions for your next road trip, this is not the article for you. If you are looking for a tool to organize and bring to life complex levels of information which revolutionizes tracking and reporting, then you have come to the right place. Data visualization used to be visual organization of data in simple bar charts, pie graphs, or some form of mapping until mapping software enabled data visualization to simplify complex levels of interactive information.
Mapping Software Tools
The reason why mapping software is able to make so much information interactive is that it interfaces with so many interactive mapping tools commonly used in the business world. Any report, map, chart, or graph used in tracking, reporting, presentations, or research will benefit from mapping software. The following is a brief explanation of many of the tools used in mapping software.
Flash
Flash technology streamlines information by making visible only what you are looking for. For example, you may move your map from the home link to the about us link of a website and see the home menu disappear and the about us menu pop out. What you are looking for appears, everything else disappears.
Java
Mapping software also interfaces with Java technology, allowing networks to benefit from mapping software. Each manager, employee, and customer will be able to interact with the company information they need.
HTML
Mapping software interacts with HTML in order to provide interactive information to the broadest number of businesses and consumers. Using HTML enables the entire World Wide Web to receive and convey interactive information.
JSP
JSP technology uses java for web page content, and when teamed together with mapping software, each web page comes alive. Interactive data is able to work with any server, from the WWW to the remotest consumer.
PHP
PHP technology is server-side coding which interfaces with HTML. ASP, Perl, and Cold Fusion technology interact similarly with HTML, which means they work similarly with mapping software to create dynamic pages.
.NET
Even WWW networks using TCP/IP network protocols using .net technology can interface with mapping software to bring .net charts, .net graphs, and .net maps to life both within the business and among clientele.
PDF
The concern of businesses using any of these networking or programming technologies is based on long experience of not being able to convert HTML, Java, JSP, ASP, Perl, Cod Fusion, .Net, PHP, or any other type of interactive information into a printable copy. Mapping software provides a solution by allowing any of these technologies to convert to PDF.
Mapping software has benefited companies as diverse as airlines and chambers of commerce and people as different as a 6th grader and a CEO. The diversity of mapping software lies in its interfacing with common business and educational technologies.
Mapping Software Improves Data Visualization
From the outset, it is important to clarify exactly what mapping software is and what it has to do with data visualization. If you are looking for driving directions for your next road trip, this is not the article for you. If you are looking for a tool to organize and bring to life complex levels of information which revolutionizes tracking and reporting, then you have come to the right place. Data visualization used to be visual organization of data in simple bar charts, pie graphs, or some form of mapping until mapping software enabled data visualization to simplify complex levels of interactive information.
Mapping Software Tools
The reason why mapping software is able to make so much information interactive is that it interfaces with so many interactive mapping tools commonly used in the business world. Any report, map, chart, or graph used in tracking, reporting, presentations, or research will benefit from mapping software. The following is a brief explanation of many of the tools used in mapping software.
Flash
Flash technology streamlines information by making visible only what you are looking for. For example, you may move your map from the home link to the about us link of a website and see the home menu disappear and the about us menu pop out. What you are looking for appears, everything else disappears.
Java
Mapping software also interfaces with Java technology, allowing networks to benefit from mapping software. Each manager, employee, and customer will be able to interact with the company information they need.
HTML
Mapping software interacts with HTML in order to provide interactive information to the broadest number of businesses and consumers. Using HTML enables the entire World Wide Web to receive and convey interactive information.
JSP
JSP technology uses java for web page content, and when teamed together with mapping software, each web page comes alive. Interactive data is able to work with any server, from the WWW to the remotest consumer.
PHP
PHP technology is server-side coding which interfaces with HTML. ASP, Perl, and Cold Fusion technology interact similarly with HTML, which means they work similarly with mapping software to create dynamic pages.
.NET
Even WWW networks using TCP/IP network protocols using .net technology can interface with mapping software to bring .net charts, .net graphs, and .net maps to life both within the business and among clientele.
The concern of businesses using any of these networking or programming technologies is based on long experience of not being able to convert HTML, Java, JSP, ASP, Perl, Cod Fusion, .Net, PHP, or any other type of interactive information into a printable copy. Mapping software provides a solution by allowing any of these technologies to convert to PDF.
Mapping software has benefited companies as diverse as airlines and chambers of commerce and people as different as a 6th grader and a CEO. The diversity of mapping software lies in its interfacing with common business and educational technologies.
Friday, January 19, 2007
Low Voltage Outdoor Lighting
Once the design and type of outdoor lighting fixture is selected, the next important question is voltage. Outdoor light fixtures are available in either 12-volt or 120-volt versions and for houses the best deal is low voltage outdoor lighting. These are easier to install as the system runs on harmless 12-volt current with light weight wiring laid on the ground or buried just below surface. The 120-volt system on other hand is same as used in interior of house and requires precautions and handling. The advantage of high voltage outdoor lighting is that it is permanent using buried conduit whereas the low voltage outdoor lighting is that is easily damaged due to superficial placement of wires.
With expenses climbing the graph we need economical trimmings. A saving advantage of low-voltage outdoor lighting is that one does not need a professional for installation. The money saved can be spent on high-quality fixtures and landscaping. Some low voltage light fixtures work on solar energy and once charged work when sensors activate the lights on sunset.
Another advantage of low voltage outdoor lighting is that smaller and compact fixtures are flexible and can be activated by timers, motion detection or switches. This is an advantage as compared with high or regular voltage lighting fixtures that require conduits and labor to fix wiring. The size and design of low voltage outdoor lighting fixtures help add to the aesthetics of surrounding. The reason they can be safely hidden or placed in nooks and corners, waterfalls, bushes or exterior of buildings and residences. The drawback is that to highlight a particular area more fixtures are needed. Quality also matters in that if inexpensive crack and corrode due to extreme temperature or corrosion. The inconvenience ends here as low voltage outdoor lighting once installed requires minimum attention. Nevertheless a perfectionist or cleanliness freak would like to coat sockets with silicon - based lubricants once a year, clean accumulating debris in up-lifting fixtures and replace dead lamps to avoid unused voltage.
Low voltage outdoor lighting is aesthetically safe, economical and energy efficient with performance comparable to a 120 volt system.
Once the design and type of outdoor lighting fixture is selected, the next important question is voltage. Outdoor light fixtures are available in either 12-volt or 120-volt versions and for houses the best deal is low voltage outdoor lighting. These are easier to install as the system runs on harmless 12-volt current with light weight wiring laid on the ground or buried just below surface. The 120-volt system on other hand is same as used in interior of house and requires precautions and handling. The advantage of high voltage outdoor lighting is that it is permanent using buried conduit whereas the low voltage outdoor lighting is that is easily damaged due to superficial placement of wires.
With expenses climbing the graph we need economical trimmings. A saving advantage of low-voltage outdoor lighting is that one does not need a professional for installation. The money saved can be spent on high-quality fixtures and landscaping. Some low voltage light fixtures work on solar energy and once charged work when sensors activate the lights on sunset.
Another advantage of low voltage outdoor lighting is that smaller and compact fixtures are flexible and can be activated by timers, motion detection or switches. This is an advantage as compared with high or regular voltage lighting fixtures that require conduits and labor to fix wiring. The size and design of low voltage outdoor lighting fixtures help add to the aesthetics of surrounding. The reason they can be safely hidden or placed in nooks and corners, waterfalls, bushes or exterior of buildings and residences. The drawback is that to highlight a particular area more fixtures are needed. Quality also matters in that if inexpensive crack and corrode due to extreme temperature or corrosion. The inconvenience ends here as low voltage outdoor lighting once installed requires minimum attention. Nevertheless a perfectionist or cleanliness freak would like to coat sockets with silicon - based lubricants once a year, clean accumulating debris in up-lifting fixtures and replace dead lamps to avoid unused voltage.
Low voltage outdoor lighting is aesthetically safe, economical and energy efficient with performance comparable to a 120 volt system.
Satellite TV: How Does This Actually Work?
Satellite TV is TV delivered by way of orbiting communications satellites located 37,000 km above the earth's surface. To start a Satellite TV we have to locate a transmitting antenna at an uplink facility. Uplink satellite dishes go towards the satellite on which its signals are transmitted to & are very large in diameter, say about 9-12 meters or 30-40 feet. This large diameter gives a perfect positioning & a clear signal reception at the satellite. The satellite signals are retransmitted to Earth through transponders with a different frequency.
Satellite TV is much similar to the broadcast TV. Satellite TV is a wireless system for delivering television programming directly to a viewer's house. But in broadcast TV the major problem is of range because due to Earth's curved surface the signal line of site is broken many times. The other problem which broadcast TV gives is that there is much interruption in signal or the picture is distorted in the viewing area. Satellite TV solves all these problems of the range, broadcast signals, etc.
As due to Earth's surface the problem comes in signal but as satellites are high in the sky, the coverage scope for the customers is much more. They transmit & receive radio signals through satellite dishes which are a sort of specialized antennas.
The first Satellite TV was relayed from Europe to the Telstar Satellite over North America in 1962.Canada's Anik I, launched in 1973, was the first domestic North American Satellite to carry television. When Satellite TV was launched in the market, home dishes converted a lot of space in yards. Everyone was dying hard to have their own dish. Satellite TV has gifted today's generation with thousands of entertainment channels. They cannot imagine the tedious stage of people before the launching of Satellite TV.
Satellite TV is not only popular in America but it is equally popular in other civilized countries around the world. It is not only a channel but is actually huge information resource which is a source of entertainment as well as an important source of education.
Satellite TV is the best source we can rely on for entertainment. It gives us variety of channels some filled with comedy, laughter and drama, some of sports which take up each and every type of port, some on cartoons, some on news taking in view the news of both, national as well as international news and moreover the most awaited movie channels. Even for children it is not only that they give cartoon films but they also give channels of general knowledge and educative information like Discovery Science, National Geography, etc. Satellite TV gives us a gala gift of music channels where we can listen to all types of favorites. Recent independent searches carried out came of a conclusion that Satellite TV is a far more better option than Cable TV because it is better to install a necessary equipment without paying rental for it rather than pay rental for Cable TV, which too is very expensive& see disturbed transmission &that too limited.
There are 3 choices of Satellite TV available in America: DirectTV, Dish Network & Voom. To buy Satellite TV equipment, you have a number of retailers offering you various types of schemes also. To make comparisons among all the retailers just be online & nave all sorts of information in front of you. There is tremendous competition in retailers as the graph of popularity of Satellite TV is increasing day by day. Thus you can enjoy a selective choice of package according to the need of your family.
Satellite TV is TV delivered by way of orbiting communications satellites located 37,000 km above the earth's surface. To start a Satellite TV we have to locate a transmitting antenna at an uplink facility. Uplink satellite dishes go towards the satellite on which its signals are transmitted to & are very large in diameter, say about 9-12 meters or 30-40 feet. This large diameter gives a perfect positioning & a clear signal reception at the satellite. The satellite signals are retransmitted to Earth through transponders with a different frequency.
Satellite TV is much similar to the broadcast TV. Satellite TV is a wireless system for delivering television programming directly to a viewer's house. But in broadcast TV the major problem is of range because due to Earth's curved surface the signal line of site is broken many times. The other problem which broadcast TV gives is that there is much interruption in signal or the picture is distorted in the viewing area. Satellite TV solves all these problems of the range, broadcast signals, etc.
As due to Earth's surface the problem comes in signal but as satellites are high in the sky, the coverage scope for the customers is much more. They transmit & receive radio signals through satellite dishes which are a sort of specialized antennas.
The first Satellite TV was relayed from Europe to the Telstar Satellite over North America in 1962.Canada's Anik I, launched in 1973, was the first domestic North American Satellite to carry television. When Satellite TV was launched in the market, home dishes converted a lot of space in yards. Everyone was dying hard to have their own dish. Satellite TV has gifted today's generation with thousands of entertainment channels. They cannot imagine the tedious stage of people before the launching of Satellite TV.
Satellite TV is not only popular in America but it is equally popular in other civilized countries around the world. It is not only a channel but is actually huge information resource which is a source of entertainment as well as an important source of education.
Satellite TV is the best source we can rely on for entertainment. It gives us variety of channels some filled with comedy, laughter and drama, some of sports which take up each and every type of port, some on cartoons, some on news taking in view the news of both, national as well as international news and moreover the most awaited movie channels. Even for children it is not only that they give cartoon films but they also give channels of general knowledge and educative information like Discovery Science, National Geography, etc. Satellite TV gives us a gala gift of music channels where we can listen to all types of favorites. Recent independent searches carried out came of a conclusion that Satellite TV is a far more better option than Cable TV because it is better to install a necessary equipment without paying rental for it rather than pay rental for Cable TV, which too is very expensive& see disturbed transmission &that too limited.
There are 3 choices of Satellite TV available in America: DirectTV, Dish Network & Voom. To buy Satellite TV equipment, you have a number of retailers offering you various types of schemes also. To make comparisons among all the retailers just be online & nave all sorts of information in front of you. There is tremendous competition in retailers as the graph of popularity of Satellite TV is increasing day by day. Thus you can enjoy a selective choice of package according to the need of your family.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
History of the Computer; Analog or Digital?
In 'History of the Computer - the emergence of Electronics', we saw how the development of Radar during the second world war led to an understanding of pulse technology. At the same time methods were refined for the calculations required for the ballistic trajectories. From these beginnings, the digital computer was developed.
What is meant by 'Analog' and 'Digital'? A couple of examples will explain the difference. An analog is something which is analogous, obviously, but you may know that an analogous process or function is one that is equivalent, or very similar to another one. An analogy is often used to explain, or to assist the understanding of, some new feature in terms that are understood.
For example a home electric circuit for house wiring to operate a lamp. The supply is controlled by a circuit breaker, when it is available at the outlet where the lamp is plugged. This can be compared to plumbing, where the water supply is controlled by a valve or tap on entering the home, then pipes carry the water to the kitchen, where the supply can be turned on or off by a tap or faucet, and is immediately available. The rate of flow of the water can be controlled, which is analogous to a dimmer on the lamp.
The analogy is not absolutely the same, but aids in the understanding of the electricity supply by someone who knows the plumbing system.
Digital, concerning digits or numbers, refers to the use of numbers to represent all things. As an example, a digital watch uses numbers to indicate the time. The numbers on the face of traditional watch are distributed around the dial, so that the hands pointing to them are analogous to the passage of time. For example the minute hand pointing straight down, half way through the circle of the clock, represents the passing of half an hour. If the hour hand is pointing to the number 3, this indicates 3 hours of the 12 for a complete circuit. When we learnt to tell the time we knew that this was half past three. The digital watch however says 3:30.
Closer to our topic, we can consider the evolution of the gramophone record. The vinyl LP was the standard medium for music recording and playing from the 1950s, tape recordings were also developed in parallel. Both these media use a modulation system, where the amplitude, or strength, of the modulation is proportional, or analogous, to the loudness of the original live singing or playing. This music had been converted by a microphone into an variable electrical signal, analogous to the sound.
With the invention in the 1980s of the Compact Disc, digital techniques were employed to represent the changes in sound levels, by using a sampling pulse to monitor the loudness of the sound. This sampling pulse is used at a high frequency, so that it is not audible, and traces the progress of the sound. The principle is analogous to the movie camera where a sequence of still pictures are shown at a rate of 32 frames per second, so that they appear to show a moving picture. Similarly a tv uses a frame rate of 50 or 60 per second (strictly speaking 25 0r 30 interlaced).
The big advantage of a digital recording and reproduction system (amplifiers etc are also digital) is that, due to the nature of the high frequency pulses, it is possible to copy them exactly when transferring from one medium to another, for example copying a from cd track to compilation cd. With an analogue system there are losses in every transfer, so that a recording on a cassette tape copied from a vinyl lp via a home stereo is noticeably poorer quality than the original.
A computer can also be analog or digital, though the digital type have vastly outgrown the analog. An analog computer might be used in research work, where, for instance a record may be made on a moving chart of the temperature and humidity in a room being air conditioned by a new design air conditioner, the chart could also be a display on screen. Either way, the graph is an analog representation of the temperature and pressure.
Early electronic controls in aircraft were run by a form of analog computer, the amount the ailerons moved was proportional to the movement of the joystick, but not directly proportional. A calculation was performed, which depended on the speed and height of the aircraft, and other factors. The electronic 'boxes' involved linear amplifiers and variable response circuits, all fed by sensors from the flight controls etc.
In 'History of the Computer - the emergence of Electronics', we saw how the development of Radar during the second world war led to an understanding of pulse technology. At the same time methods were refined for the calculations required for the ballistic trajectories. From these beginnings, the digital computer was developed.
What is meant by 'Analog' and 'Digital'? A couple of examples will explain the difference. An analog is something which is analogous, obviously, but you may know that an analogous process or function is one that is equivalent, or very similar to another one. An analogy is often used to explain, or to assist the understanding of, some new feature in terms that are understood.
For example a home electric circuit for house wiring to operate a lamp. The supply is controlled by a circuit breaker, when it is available at the outlet where the lamp is plugged. This can be compared to plumbing, where the water supply is controlled by a valve or tap on entering the home, then pipes carry the water to the kitchen, where the supply can be turned on or off by a tap or faucet, and is immediately available. The rate of flow of the water can be controlled, which is analogous to a dimmer on the lamp.
The analogy is not absolutely the same, but aids in the understanding of the electricity supply by someone who knows the plumbing system.
Digital, concerning digits or numbers, refers to the use of numbers to represent all things. As an example, a digital watch uses numbers to indicate the time. The numbers on the face of traditional watch are distributed around the dial, so that the hands pointing to them are analogous to the passage of time. For example the minute hand pointing straight down, half way through the circle of the clock, represents the passing of half an hour. If the hour hand is pointing to the number 3, this indicates 3 hours of the 12 for a complete circuit. When we learnt to tell the time we knew that this was half past three. The digital watch however says 3:30.
Closer to our topic, we can consider the evolution of the gramophone record. The vinyl LP was the standard medium for music recording and playing from the 1950s, tape recordings were also developed in parallel. Both these media use a modulation system, where the amplitude, or strength, of the modulation is proportional, or analogous, to the loudness of the original live singing or playing. This music had been converted by a microphone into an variable electrical signal, analogous to the sound.
With the invention in the 1980s of the Compact Disc, digital techniques were employed to represent the changes in sound levels, by using a sampling pulse to monitor the loudness of the sound. This sampling pulse is used at a high frequency, so that it is not audible, and traces the progress of the sound. The principle is analogous to the movie camera where a sequence of still pictures are shown at a rate of 32 frames per second, so that they appear to show a moving picture. Similarly a tv uses a frame rate of 50 or 60 per second (strictly speaking 25 0r 30 interlaced).
The big advantage of a digital recording and reproduction system (amplifiers etc are also digital) is that, due to the nature of the high frequency pulses, it is possible to copy them exactly when transferring from one medium to another, for example copying a from cd track to compilation cd. With an analogue system there are losses in every transfer, so that a recording on a cassette tape copied from a vinyl lp via a home stereo is noticeably poorer quality than the original.
A computer can also be analog or digital, though the digital type have vastly outgrown the analog. An analog computer might be used in research work, where, for instance a record may be made on a moving chart of the temperature and humidity in a room being air conditioned by a new design air conditioner, the chart could also be a display on screen. Either way, the graph is an analog representation of the temperature and pressure.
Early electronic controls in aircraft were run by a form of analog computer, the amount the ailerons moved was proportional to the movement of the joystick, but not directly proportional. A calculation was performed, which depended on the speed and height of the aircraft, and other factors. The electronic 'boxes' involved linear amplifiers and variable response circuits, all fed by sensors from the flight controls etc.
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