Promotional Incentives

Companies thrive on promotion. Most companies have their people on staff whose soul purpose is to crate promotions and promotional rewards.

These promotional rewards are similar to customer incentives in that they are trying to sell products to both new and loyal customer. But unlike some incentive programs which can sometimes take weeks, months, and in some cases even years to implement promotional incentives are designed to give a product an immediate boost in sales.

Grocery stores are probably the best example of an ongoing promotional incentive program. On Saturdays they open their doors to food distributors who haul in tables, chairs, and boxes of toothpicks. These food hawkers set up mini stations in the middle of the aisle ways, and beam proudly as they hand out free samples of food.

The same grocery stores will set up points of purchase displays in the middle of the store promoting some item or other. They pin nutritional fact sheets to the displays and tuck little pamphlets containing recipes that use the promoted item. Theses little recipes always have the words, free, please take one, blazed across their gleaming covers.

The Sunday papers are full of coupons offering special buy one get one free deals that expire weeks later.

Hair products, shampoos and conditioners, like to offer free samples. They normally fasten tiny little bottles of a new product to the larger bottles of the tried and true product.

You normally dont see a happy go lucky person standing in the middle of the local electronics store, offering little pieces of keyboards to customers to sample before you decide to buy the computer. Nor do you normally buy a package of blank CDs and find a minuscule I-pod taped to the wrappers. Some promotions simply dont work with some items. The electronic field likes to run their promotions in the form of rebates. When dealing with a rebate a customer pays full price for a product. Once they get it home they mail a rebate sticker and a copy of their receipt to the manufactures. The manufacture then mails a check for a predetermined amount. Most rebates have expiration dates so its important to mail them in as soon as possible.

Credit card companies often run promotional signing specials to encourage customers to apply for a credit card. These specials might be, guaranteed approval, no interest rate for the first few months of service, free theft protection, or a second card free.

Companies will often give an incentive so the customer doesnt notice the high price of the product. Customers are so happy to be getting something for free they dont always stop to consider how much they are spending on the product. Cell phones companies do this a lot. Customers are often so excited about the free phone they dont notice how much they are spending activating the free phone. This is the type of promotional incentive that is often dubbed a gimmick.

Promotional incentives are easier to come by in some parts of the world. In some countries there are strict regulations on the way promotions can be run.

Mario Churchill is a freelance author and has written over 200 articles on various subjects. For more information checkout http://www.travelvacationvouchers.com and http://www.salesincentivesblog.com.Bobbi Blog75563
Ameline Blog98653

Loans For Every Occasion: Home Loans, Payday Loans, Student Loans And More...

At some point in life, it is almost guaranteed that you will be applying for a loan of some sort. Paying cash for products and services is not only becoming obsolete, it's terribly inconvenient. Today, credit is a way of life, and as more and more people begin to shop online, plastic is the currency accepted everywhere.

The most basic of loans is of course, the credit card. Companies that issue credit cards make money every month that you carry a balance, and they are betting on the fact that you won't pay off the balance every month.

Some loans actually make good business sense. Why would anyone want to shell out $300,000 for a new home when they could get a Home Loan and pay $1,000.00 a month, and then deduct the interest paid from their income taxes? That three hundred grand could be put to work in other investments, and could conceivably earn more for you than you are actually paying for the house! And all that time, if you time it right, your house becomes more and more valuable.

There are also times when for many people things just arent going well financially. An unexpected expense occurs and you find yourself just coming up short on your living expenses. Many types of loans exist for this type of situation, both secured and unsecured.

Maybe you just need some quick cash to get through the holidays, and intend to pay the loan off within the next few pay periods. Companies offering short term Payday Loans abound both on the Internet and off. Some with no credit check will transfer up to $1,500 into your bank account within 24 hours.

Student loans, auto loans, small business loans, personal loans, home loans, second mortgages, payday loans, government loans, bad credit loans, loans to consolidate other loans there is a loan for just about any occasion out there.

The question is how much are you going to pay for your loan? And the answer to that depends in most cases on your credit history.

Your Credit History: Weather or not you get the loan, and how much it will cost you.

It is never too early to start establishing credit, and the best way to do this is with a credit card. If you are finding it difficult to obtain a credit card because you have no history, you can always buy your history by applying for a secured credit card or line of credit. Put down $500 or $1,000 and borrow against it. Make sure the institution you are applying to reports to the major credit bureaus, use the line of credit and pay your bills on time, and voila you have a credit history! There is nothing wrong with carrying a balance over, just pay the minimum or a bit more, and pay it on time! Creditors like to think they will be making some money off of you.

What Lenders are Looking For

While different institutions have different criteria, there are some generalizations one can make about how they determine the creditworthiness of an applicant. Make no mistake about it; creditors are in the business of making money. If your credit is less than perfect, it doesnt necessarily mean you wont get the loan, but you will be paying more for it!

After receiving your application, a lender will then acquire a credit report from one of the three major credit bureaus, Equifax, Trans Union, or Experian. This is your credit history. Taking into account such factors as your income, the balances in your checking and savings accounts, the assets you own, the length of time you have been at your current job and place of residence, the amount you owe other creditors, and how promptly you pay your bills, the potential lender will then make a determination on if you will get the loan, and how much they will charge you for it.

Frequent late payments, bankruptcy, repossessions, legal judgment liens, or accounts being turned over to collection agencies do not bode well for obtaining a loan. That being said, most creditors realize that life happens, and such legitimate circumstances like an unexpected illness, injury, or the loss of your job do not necessarily reflect negatively on your creditworthiness.

When Things Take a Turn for the Worse

If you are in the process of paying on a loan or loans and one of these unforeseen circumstances befall you, talk to your loan officer. Most loan institutions find it in their best interest to work with the lendee, and will often make the necessary arrangements to make it easier for you to make your payments. Just remember, they want their money, and the last thing they want is for you to default on your loan, or heaven forbid, declare bankruptcy!

Michael Talbert is an author that writes on a variety of topics. Visit The Loan Station at http://www.Loan-Station.net for more information.Alleen Blog54292
Alejandrina Blog40806

Whats Your Furniture Style? Shopping For That Perfect Sofa

Tracking down the sofa (or any piece of furniture for that matter) thats right for you is an important endeavor. Youre probably going to spend a decent amount of money on the purchase and will have to live with the choice you make for a long time. To make the right decision, you need to discover your own personal style so that the sofa you ultimately select matches well with the design you plan on creating for your home or apartment.

Often, people get too caught up in looking for pieces that follow the latest color and design trends, instead of trying to find furniture that they genuinely like and are drawn to. Personal style is just that personal. Its not a good idea to scour the furniture stores in search of popular items when you could be spending your time seeking out pieces that you love. When shopping for your home, purchase a sofa that reflects your personality. The only tricky part is figuring out what styles youre attracted to.

Here are some things you can do to discover the style that appeals to you the most:

Pay attention to your surroundings. Keep yourself open to new things, but always let your own style preferences guide you along the way. Also, as you shop, take mental note of everything you come across even if it may not seem important right at the moment. It might come in handy later on, as you narrow down your preferences to a few styles and start to uncover your design sensibilities.

Take into account the environments you enjoy being in. What is the overall feel of your home right now, and what feelings are you looking to build upon? In order to feel comfortable in a space, its important to take into account what makes you feel good.

Visit museums, model homes, art galleries, show rooms, and skim furniture catalogues, magazines, books, films, and TV programs for inspiration. You can even investigate nature to gain some insight. You may not know what your personal style is when you begin the process, but if you look at examples in the real world you will soon realize that certain looks interest you, while others turn you off. Everyone is different go with your gut and youll find your way eventually. Seeing various design examples in person can really fire up the engine of creativity and lead you in the right direction. We usually only understand what we like after being presented with an example.

Maybe you want to recreate a particular emotion or memory in your personal space? If this is the case, review old photos from holidays abroad or special moments with family to help you pinpoint the feeling you want to express at home.

Get organized. Create a file in which to save magazine cuttings, photos, postcards, furniture samples, or anything that attracts you along the way. This is the best way to keep the creative process from becoming a confused mess.

Purchase a sketchbook. This will be used to quickly sketch ideas so that you dont forget important ideas. For instance, when visiting model homes, a particular architectural feature may catch your eye. Use the sketchbook to jot down the intriguing aspects of the design perhaps the proportions of a certain architectural element and you wont forget it. You can also include photographs in the book.

Research, research, research. Start visiting furniture stores to look for colors and materials that fascinate you. If you have decided to model your home after a sunny vacation you took years ago, source out pieces that help you relive those images and emotions. A beach-like design, for example, requires sofas and chairs in a relaxed design, with sandy, neutral upholstery. Accent the room by placing sea blues and greens throughout the room in the form of pillows, paint, and accessories.

In the end, your style preference will probably fall under one of the two main categories of design: modern or traditional. If you like clean lines, simplicity, and modern materials, youll probably go for the modern look. Modern design can be retro, art deco, or fall into the Southwest, lifestyle, and Euro-look category. Traditional style includes country, mission, shaker, early American, French provincial, American provincial, lodge, and nautical.

As you delve into the design process and make new style discoveries, choosing the perfect sofa wont seem like such a daunting task anymore. Armed with the knowledge of what makes you happy, you can visit the furniture store confident in your ability to purchase a piece of furniture that will turn your house into a home.

Katerina Mitrou sponsored by http://www.peoplesfurniture.net/ Peoples Furniture sells high end, low cost dining, living room and bedroom Furniture: http://www.peoplesfurniture.net/. Please link to this site when using this article.Aurie Blog89741
Anabal Blog57538

Certified Schools Provide the Highest Quality Truck Driver Training for New Students

If youve always wanted to learn to drive trucks, the highest quality training will ensure youre on the right road.

As used to be more common in years past, you could rely on the help of someone whos already experienced in the industry to show you the ropes over the course of a weekend or two. But as tempting as this is, in the long run, its an irresponsible approach to take, as even the very best off-the-cuff training sessions fail to properly address everything that is needed to safelyand legallyoperate a vehicle weighing up to 40 tons.

Another approach is to enter a truck driver training apprentice program with a specific trucking company. This is a better method for learning because youre assured of getting thorough training by a certified instructor. And in the end, youll have a commercial drivers license (CDL) that authorizes you to haul cargo across all 50 states.

In this case however, your choice of jobs will be limited to the specific trucking company where you received your training. That means you have to take the routes they want you to take, when they want you to take them. And if theres a decrease in workload, your lack of experience and seniority may mean youll be one of the first people to park it until business picks back up again.

The Best Option: A Certified Truck Driving School

The best approach to truck driver training is, without a doubt, a certified truck driving school. These institutions maintain the highest quality of education, safety, and on-the-road training in order to remain competitive in the marketplaceand to comply with the latest state, federal and local laws. In addition, the best truck driving schools offer tuition assistance and guaranteed employment with a variety of trucking companiessomething that gives you ultimate freedom in choosing your new career.

Certified truck driving schools often have the latest equipment produced by the best manufacturers in the industry. Youll not only learn how to operate these vehicles in accordance with CDL requirements, but also how to operate them to help you maximize safety and efficiencyqualities that truck driving companies look for in new drivers.

A certified truck driving school is also current on any changes in laws or driver requirements affecting the industry. Youre sure to have the most up-to-date training and certifications that will allow you to start right away with no surprises down the road.

As mentioned above, the best schools also offer tuition assistance and a guaranteed placement with any number of the nations most reputable trucking carriers. Youll have your choice of which companies work best for you.

But the greatest advantage of going through truck driver training at a certified school is the starting salary. Most graduates average $40,000 or more right after graduation! This is in part because of the continued high demand for truckers these days, but it can also be attributed to the respect that trucking companies have for the skill sets that new graduates of certified schools possess.

The bottom line is that if youre looking to make the most of a career in trucking, a certified truck driving school offers the best opportunities allowing you to make the most of your career on the open road.

Mike Curts manages news and information for Driver Solutions, a CDL training and placement agency for inexperienced truck drivers. For information on applying for truck driving school, visit: www.otrdrivers.com.

Mike Curts manages news and information for http://www.otrdrivers.com, a CDL training and placement agency for inexperienced truck drivers. Follow this link for information on applying for truck driving school.Alethea Blog48461
Barry Blog99948

Earning Bachelors Degree Online

Should you get your bachelor-degree online? For many people this would seem hard to do. Depending on the field of study that you plan to get, though, it can be actually quite welcoming and a great way to get in the education that you have always wanted. The online bachelor-degrees are a good way for many to get the education that they need without having to get into a college that is set up traditionally. Online bachelors degree programs are par of e-learning, learning is facilitated through, and based on both computer and communications technology.

In recent years, some of the best universities have gone online offering a variety of courses towards earning a bachelors degree. This is a good opportunity for people with busy schedules who want to earn their degree. Moreover, an online bachelors degree can be attained at ones own pace because they are more flexible, and the diploma or certificate seldom states that its an online program. The number of students choosing to earn bachelor degrees online has increased exponentially in the last ten years. In fact, the majority of people choosing to earn bachelor degrees online are adults well out of high school or two-year programs.

For some, choosing to earn bachelor degrees online is a personal goal that satisfies a desire to accomplish something. But for many, it is to become a competitive force in the workplace. Choosing to earn bachelor degrees online, people can manage to take steps towards professional development and still pay the mortgage.

To qualify for enrollment, you are only required to have a high school diploma or G.E.D. Since no prior college education is required, online degrees are also the perfect choice for someone that must work full time to pay for college.

An online bachelors degree is a four-year college degree that an individual completes and earns through the Internet. The biggest benefit of an online bachelors degree is that it usually takes less time to complete.

Some programs allow students to earn bachelor degrees online in less than four years, depending on course schedule and delivery method. Typically, the course follows a strict delivery method of one lesson per specified number of days. The student receives the lesson, studies it as instructed and then completes a test or assignment based on that lesson.

An accredited bachelor degree is recognized all over the world regardless of whether it was earned online or in a traditional classroom setting. So you need not worry about the authenticity of the online university degree programs. There is a wide range of options for online bachelor degree and online universities. So make sure that you spend adequate time on research and enroll in one of the best, most reputable universities.

There is absolutely no reason for not choosing an online program. The certificate that you will get at the end of the course from the online university will not specify whether you earned an online bachelor degree or a traditional degree. So think before you actually dismiss the idea of earning an accredited online bachelors degree.

After earning bachelors degree, you are qualified to go on to earn a masters degree. Earning a bachelors degree produces one of the greatest financial gains on an educational investment.

This article has been published by Kateri White currently writing on online degree programs topics for our website http://www.onlineuniversitydegreeprogram.info.For more details about the online degree programs, please visit our website. If any mistake found please mail kateriwhite@gmail.com.Andrea Blog34656
Bunni Blog3393

Retro Home and Bedroom Furnishings: A Look at the 70's and 80's

Every twenty to thirty years, it seems that fashion tends to come full circle, with trends simply being recycled and updated. It could just be the vicious circle of history repeating itself, but it seems that even home design is doing the same thing. If you take a gander at the home furnishing offerings today, you'll find that many of the decorations and designs are "retro"', imitating the wave of the late 1970's through the 1980's. In case you weren't around for the original styles, or have chosen to block out most of than span of time from your memory, let's take a trip back and look at the blast from the past that is piled on store shelves today.

Tie-Dyed Clothes. Remember when bright, tie-dyed colors were all the rave? In the early eighties, everything was a starburst of six and seven different colors that didn't really match and could make your eyes water with the brightness of the design. Home furnishings have begun to incorporate this design again, with wall hangings of tie-dyed starbursts, throw rugs in the pattern, bedspreads full of tie-dyed spots, and even some couches artfully designed in such a manner. If you like the bright, anything goes style, this may be for you!

Psychedelic. Okay, so in the sixties and seventies, there were reasons for glow in the dark, psychedelic paint and black lights, though these excuses were usually less than savory and not entirely legal. Today, though, the bright T-shirts and posters have returned, with many individuals covering walls with glow in the dark designs and even painting whole walls in psychedelic paint, installing black lights in their recreation rooms or game rooms for entertainment purposes. This retro design option, coupled with disco lights that are more reminiscent of the late seventies, can really take you back to "the day"', especially if you put in the right music!

Lava Lamps, Most lamps are made to assist with lighting a room and giving you something to read by. On the other hand, in retro times, the lava lamp was more about putting on a show when it was dark in the room. Lava lamps have begun to grace the shelves of not only specialty and gag gift stores but also typical home decor departments in other stores, including superstores and department stores. Add to this the fact that the "lightning ball"' has also made a comeback from its loss of popularity in the mid-80s, and you've just jumped back in time.

Shag Carpets and Bean Bags. Rather than sitting on real furniture, designers are now suggesting a return to the basics. In the seventies, everyone had thick, shag carpeting, and now it's become popular again (as opposed to Berber, the thinnest possible carpet around), only this time it's not in mixed blue and green colors (thank goodness!). And, with the modification of the original bean bag chair that was so popular in the 80s to seat more than one comfortably on plush material or even leather rather than sticky vinyl, you can have your whole home outfitted retro style!

Ben Weissman writes articles on Beds, Modern Bedroom Furniture and Interior Design. You'll find more Decorating Ideas at http://Home-and-Bedroom.com. Make your bedroom into a personal retreat!Aurilia Blog16083
Alfi Blog22923

Parenting Your High School Graduate

I am a life coach for parents with young adults who have failed to launch and for young adults navigating the early years of independence. I am also a lawyer and single mom. I have two sons and my youngest, Richard, is just about ready to finish high school. We applied to about six colleges just before Thanksgiving, a rite that I had just done four years ago with his older brother, and now are waiting to hear back for the winning selections. It is worse than Oscar night. Many friends and family tease me about the empty nest. What will I do with the kids gone? I reply that is a fantasy that is one of the best kept secrets. No one wants to admit that in this day and age, we have many young adults not leaving home or coming back home after failed attempts out on their own or after college. The latest number is 18 million young adults living at home and not because they want to do so. The young adult leaving home after 18 was traditional for previous generations, but it is not reality for our generation.

What is going wrong is that no one is preparing our young adults for independence. We want to believe as parents that the schools and colleges are doing that, but they arent. We have both parents working these days and many single parents also working. As parents, we have been lulled into thinking that somehow the schools will launch our kids into adulthood. The sad fact is that our schools are doing a worse job than they ever have. As Dr. Mel Levine says in his book, Ready or Not, Here Life Comes, our high schools have become college prep institutions. This was not the case just 30-40 years ago. The high schools then had been to prepare the student with skills to enter the adult world. There is virtually no preparation in that direction today. The focus is to create better students for college and to obtain better test scores for funding. The student is a product, not a human. But without better parenting and parental involvement at this development stage, we are going to continue to see lost dependent young adults because the fact is, schools are not going to change any time soon.

Right now, according to a Time Magazine article in 2006, about 1/3 of our high school students are dropping out. Ive seen statistics that about 1/3 of our high school students are going to college. That leaves about 1/3 who are simply graduating and trying to find their way. If high schools have become college prep institutions, they are failing 2/3 of our students. When I went to high school, there were three tracks to better serve students and their families. There was the college track in which students took honors classes to prepare them for college. In addition, there was the business track for those going into office related jobs, and there was the technical track which included car repair and the like. The focus very much was on where students would be going after high school and how best to prepare them to work in the real world. The key here is the word, work.

In my coaching, I try to get parents to begin a dialogue with their students in high school about what do they want to do when they grow up. No one is asking teens how they see their life after high school. If you ask any junior or senior, they will say they are going to college because that is what everyone is supposed to be doing. Those who have no intention of going will say they are going to college. We used to be able to say to friends, Im going to get a job at such and such and maybe go to college after a few years. You cant say that now. Somehow work before finishing college is disgusting. Is it any wonder we have young adults returning home?

Parents still need to be involved in raising their high school student. They need to be imparting and supporting a number of skills. Teens need to start living their lives, in part, as adults. They need to wake up on their own, manage time on their own, work in areas they think they might like as a career, drive a car, manage their own money, and pay some of their own bills. Of course, a little course in cooking wouldnt be bad. Parents look at me as if Im nuts. Work? At a job? Theres too much homework or they have too many extracurricular activities to be involved in so that their college applications look good. But every time I have a client put their teens to work and let them manage money and pay their own gas and other bills, a miracle happens. The teen starts to mature. Work ethics dont come with a college degree. They start in the teens or as young adults. My sons both are getting into college and both have worked. Work should accompany college plans. It is a foundation of adult life. My sons have worked at several jobs and found out which ones they dont like and why. This is how young adults figure out where they need to go. A college major is not a job. It is too late after four years, and frequently now, five years of college and thousands of dollars to find out that you arent going to be working in your major.

If your young adult just isnt the college sort, thats fine. In fact, thats more normal than not. They have not failed and neither have you! This is a great journey for them and you. Help them to get the training and the sort of jobs they think they are interested in. I know of many grown adults and young adults who dont finish college. The bottom line is finding out what career path you want and you can only do that if you try it out. College will be more relevant and meaningful if you know where you are going and what you want to do. Research out of Stanford and Brown University shows that the teen brain is continuing to grow until about age 25. These are learning and developing years in the most significant sense. Both of my sons may not go the traditional route of four years of college following high school and then getting a job. I didnt either. My oldest son has gone to two colleges and about to go to a third. He is finding what he likes, where he likes to live and who he is and that is the real goal of growing up, not a degree.

Parents are relieved when I tell them there is no path, just the illusion of one. Their job for the next 4-8 years is one of supporting and helping their young adult to find their way to independence. It is a process to be involved in and enjoyed.

Ellen Gibran-Hesse is a solo practitioner attorney with a B.S. in psychology and a single mother of two sons ages 20 and 17. She has done extensive work in non-profit organizations with teens and young adults and helped family and friends to successfully launch their children into a successful transition into adulthood for over five years. She is currently writing a book to assist other parents and parent groups based on her research and experience. Adrea Blog59043
Candi Blog72972

Website Navigation, or, How to Make or Break Your Website

Hopefully, you have basic idea of what you want out of your website. The next step is to put it into some sort of order. Where do we start and where do we finish? It is a simple question, but the answer takes a lot of perspective and planning.

Assuming that you know what you want to include on your website, a simple organizational chart can put the layout into some semblance of order.

"Home" page is the front door or gateway into your website. One way or another we got the customer/client to open that door and come in. Now that they have taken that first step, we cannot afford to lose them due to confusion and not knowing where to go next.

A simple, uncomplicated flow of traffic from your major categories, to your sub-categories and from there, to each of your adjacent or lower levels makes it easy for the non-technical (and that happens to be most internet surfers), to get around your website and not become confused. On top of going from one category to the next, they must be able to maneuver with ease within each of those categories. You want to direct them to where, you want them to go next and not be jumping all over the place.

The layout that you see in this chart will become the basis for our navigation system. This is a major piece of the puzzle, which we need in order to put everything together. In essence, this will be your flow of traffic.

Organizational Chart.

This type of a Chart is as basic as can be. For all practical purposes, this is your road map. You are starting at Home and going to your first stop. This could be Products, Articles, Services, etc. Within each of these secondary categories, you have their own sub-categories, each of which should be relevant to its primary category. It is important to maintain the continuity that you want and not have the customer jumping all over the place.

No Excuse for a Poorly Planning.

A poorly planned website is one that does not permit you to navigate from one page to any other page on your site. For example, if you are on Page 4 of a site and want to go to Page 2, you should not have to go back to Page 1 in order to go to Page 2. There must be a smooth flow of traffic throughout the website.

If this is not poor planning and navigation, I do not know what is. There is no excuse for it. All it takes is a few minutes longer to properly layout your map. Regardless of the size of your website, assuming that it is more than one page of course, being able to move around your website easily is imperative. It is one of those little things that frustrate the customer and cause them to leave.

Think Like a Customer.

Just stop for a minute, sit back and think like a customer/client. When you are surfing through a website, consciously or unconsciously, you are thinking how easy, hard, or confusing this website is to navigate?

Usually in my talks, or articles you will hear or see me repeat, innumerable times, "Think Like a Customer". Very often we become so engrossed in what we are doing that we do not sit back and look at whatever it is through another persons eyes. A different perspective is imperative. Always get someone to give you an objective opinion and/or proof it for you. For a moment, you must stop looking at it under a microscope and give it a panoramic view. You will be amazed at how much you have either missed, left out, or should be corrected.

Armen Graphic Design is a relatively new company with a background in marketing and design. The company's foundation is based on the premise of K.I.S.S., believing that simplicity in marketing effects the greatest returns. CONTACT US FOR A FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION. Go to our website for more information and an understanding of how we work. www.armengraphic.com.

Alex ArmenCaryn Blog84047
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French Country House Plan: How to Get It Right and How to Screw It Up

INTRODUCTION

French Country is a popular home design style nowadays, both exterior and interior.

This article addresses the French Country home design style on the exterior.

WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?

Do you think that French Country, or the effected Country French, is a home design style? We'd say, "Not exactly."

French Country is a range of home design styles

1. From an early French farmhouse to not quite a French embassy

2. From residential design styles, including but not limited to Rustic French, Rural French, French Provincial, French Eclectic, Chateau (French version of the English Manor House), and the namesake French Country

3. From in-between Cajun style and Louisiana Plantation style

4. From the time period in America bracketed roughly by WWI and WWII

Comment: There is a stylistic kinship of sorts with other home home styles that are casually (and incorrectly) taken as singular and not as a set. For example, American Victorian is a/k/a (Victorian, in each instance) 2nd Empire, Gothic, Italianate, Queen Anne, Folk, Stick, Shingle, and Richardsonian (Romanesque). Or for example, Southern Colonial ranges from Warburton House (1680) in James City County, VA or Christ's Cross (a/k/a Cris Cross) (circa 1690) in New Kent County, VA and simpler, all the way up to Bacon's Castle (1650) in Surry County, VA and Stratford Hall (1725) in Stratford, VA [noting that other examples abound either standing, or artistically captured earlier-on or reproduced, the author having chosen these for their geographical and temporal proximity, Post-Medieval English roots, and breadth of character].

You'll find beaucoups publications about French Country on Amazon.com and at your local bookstore. To wit, along with a slew of other design-oriented books, a while back we ordered Provencal Inspiration: Living The French Country Spirit by Home Planners, and immediately received a notice that Amazon's out of stock. French Country is back bigtime. As another, more recent example, our just completed custom house plans in French Country Style for a property in Asheville, NC will be offered later this year at $4+ million [and the facades really do have a rural sense to them].

French Country style reminds us more than most of Craftsman style multiple roof slopes; windows of different sizes and heights; broad overhangs and soffits; knee braces and other exposures of construction structure; front-facing gables; a mix of gable, clipped gable, shed, and hip roofs; natural materials; masonry exterior, especially stone; a mix of finish clads; restraint in exterior accessories and adornments. French Country style can be comfortable and inviting in its more relaxed presentations.

However, French Country home design departs from the Arts & Crafts Movement in several respects: high-peaked, steeply sloped roofs at pitches way above Craftsman's; a refinement in exterior trim particularly in rakes; an understatement of observable structure; gutter systems sometimes with gussied-up copper appointments; curved rooflines to accommodate steep slopes, larger windows, unpierced ceilings and interior walls; broad soffits; arches and curve-topped dormers, elaborated ironwork; balconies; turrets; Classic columns; masonry accessories in relief, some interest in symmetry, etc. Simplicity and elegance.

There are ways to botch French Country home design, e.g., hold rooflines to one pitch to assure consistent soffit depth and single-level eaves in the name of cheap, easy, and stylistically insensitive; apply Corinthian columns in lieu of, say, Tuscan, or flute the Tuscan columns; confuse French styling with English, unbalance vertical and horizontal to favor horizontal; not mullion grouped windows, not apply true French casement windows; use plastic shutters, S-dog the shutters, not apply true French doors, asphalt shingle the roof, insist on broad facia and frieze boards, etc.

And there are ways to develop French Country home plans by using - contemporary technologies, among them, e.g., cost-efficient cultured stone, particularly in its fieldstone representations perhaps by Owens Corning; and by using artistry, e.g., the half-round copper gutter systems of A. B. Raingutters, Inc., Classic Gutter Systems, L.L.C., the gas or electric luminaires of Charleston Lighting Company or the aluminum wrought-like railing of Southeaster Architectural Metals, the garage doors of the Carriage House Door Company, and the like.

French Country style encourages applying design principles of excellent residential design, such as, Russell Versaci's Creating a NEW OLD HOUSE: Yesterday's Character For Today's Home, The Taunton Press, 2003, and Jacobson, Silverstein, and Winslow's Patterns of Home: The Ten Essentials of Enduring Design, The Taunton Press, orig. 1941, reprint 2002; and, separately, sacred geometry. Here again, you can embrace and succeed or disregard and fail in the design effort.

Take, for example, the layering and other arrangement of finish clad, notably in steeply sloped gable ends. In Versaci's realm of signaled, or suggested, age, it is the wise designer who specifies supposedly older, heavier (looking) materials fieldstone and the like from grade up to, say, L1, and then some lighter material higher up. Such arrangement and layering would be particularly in-keeping with more steeply sloped roof gable ends which would most unlikely be originally run up 2 stories under high, hard to support roof pitches. That is, L2 should and would appear to be of more recent vintage than L1, and presenting a story of age without such attention to detail is to send the gift horse packing.

Finally, in the vernacular of Patterns of Home, again for example, the French Country style readily lends itself to creating a courtyard, or "Creating Rooms, Outside", and to dormered space demonstrating design keystones of "Refuge and Outlook" under a "Sheltering Roof," particularly if the rooflines are low-profiled and trimmed more simply on L2 than on L1.

Ralph PresselAnni Blog68956
Amalle Blog42553

Understanding The Magic of Bluetooth Technology

Bluetooth technology is a low-power, low-cost wireless technology for short-range radio communication between various fixed and/or portable electronic devices such as mobile phones, laptops, PDAs, cars, stereo headsets, MP3s, digital cameras, PCs and computer peripherals. Bluetooth also refers to the standard communication protocol (IEEE 802.15.1) specifically designed for this kind of short-range wireless communication.

The core of Bluetooth technology lies in a low-cost 9 mm x 9 mm microchip that functions as a short-range radio link when inserted into an electronic device, making the device Bluetooth-enabled. Wireless communication between various bluetooth-enabled devices takes place via these radio links, instead of via cables as used in normal networking. Since Bluetooth technology uses radio signals, which are omni-directional and can be transmitted through walls and other obstacles, Bluetooth-enabled devices dont need to be in line of sight or be pointing at each other.

Bluetooth radio modules operate in the open, unlicensed ISM (industrialscientificmedical) spread-spectrum 2.4 GHz frequency band, divided into 79 channels separated by 1 MHz each. To avoid interference from other signals, the Bluetooth signal hops to a new channel every time it transmits or receives a data packet, making Bluetooth connection robust and secure. The communication range of Bluetooth technology varies from 1 m to 100 m, depending upon the maximum power permitted (1 mW to 100 mW). Because of this channel hopping, there should not be a consistent problem with other devices using the 2.4 Ghz frequency band, such as old cordless phones.

Each Bluetooth-enabled device can simultaneously communicate with up to seven other devices within a single personal area network, called a piconet. Each device can simultaneously belong to several piconets. Each device negotiates with each other via a defined device name so that each device can keep track of who it is communicating with. The device name to use when you are setting up your Bluetooth device is typically cleared stated in the accompanying device documentation.

Bluetooth technology offers built-in security with 128-bit encryption and PIN code authentication. When Bluetooth products identify themselves, they use the PIN code the first time they connect, thereafter staying securely connected.

Practical Applications of Bluetooth Networking

Some of the popular applications of Bluetooth technology are in wireless networking between a mobile phone and a laptop/desktop, between a mobile phone and a hands-free headset, between PCs in a restricted space and between the input and output devices of a PC (e.g., mouse, keyboard, printer). Bluetooth technology can also be used to transfer files, images and MP3 files between mobile phones or between MP3 players/digital cameras and computers.

Limitations of Bluetooth Technology

Short communication range (up to 100 m) is the greatest limitation of Bluetooth technology. Also, the data transfer rates are much lower compared to other wireless communication technologies. Susceptibility to interference from other devices operating in the 2.4 MHz band, notwithstanding adaptive frequency hopping, is another limitation. The Bluetooth technology is still not fully developed, so there is plenty of room for improvement.

Bluetooth-Enabled Devices

The Bluetooth wireless technology specification is available free-of-charge to Bluetooth member companies around the world. Many companies are interested in making their devices Bluetooth-enabled in order to avoid the clutter of wires with seamless connections and offer simultaneous transmission of data and voice as in hands-free talking.

Bluetooth technology is commercially available in a wide range of applications such as mobile phones, automobiles, medical devices, play stations and many more.

Jon Arnold is a computer engineer who maintains many websites to pass along his knowledge and findings. You can read more about Bluetooth technology and applications at his web site at http://www.bluetooth-explained.com/.Celia Blog44648
Allegra Blog40908

How to Season your Cast Iron Cookware

Cast iron has a porous surface. The seasoning process serves to fill and smooth the surface of the pan. It's true that the more you use and season a cast-iron, the more non-stick the surface becomes. Here is how you season a new or used cast-iron utensil:

1. If the pan is new, be sure any adhesive label is completely removed.

2. Wash, rinse and dry the utensil.

3. Grease the inside surface with Crisco or other solid shortening. A medium-light coating, as you would grease a cake pan, is sufficient.

4. Heat the oven to 350F, and position the oven rack in the top third of the oven.

5. Open your windows because there is going to be some smoke.

6. Rub a thin layer of shortening (like Crisco) or oil (bacon grease works great, too) all over the inner bottom and sides of the pan with a paper towel.

7. Place your pan upside down on the top oven rack with a rimmed baking sheet or a roasting pan underneath to catch the drippings.

8. Bake the pan this way for 1 hour. Then turn off the oven and allow it to cool with the pan inside.

When the pan is correctly seasoned, the cooking surface should be smooth and shiny. It helps if the first few things you cook with your newly seasoned pan involve oil, try frying or sauting something.

To eliminate any concerns about using too much shortening, you can put the pan in the oven upside down. Put a cookie sheet or aluminum foil on the rack below to catch any drips.

A skillet or other utensil can be seasoned as often as necessary to maintain a good surface. Let's say you've just made tortillas and, after all that heat, the surface of your cast iron looks dry. Just season it again before you put it away.

Until the pan is very well seasoned, either by many uses or repeated seasonings, do not attempt to cook foods with a high acid content (tomatoes, for instance). The corrosive nature of high-acid foods will not react well to unseasoned cast-iron. Once a pan is well-seasoned, however, you can use it for just about anything. I do believe my mother could have fried plutonium in her big skillet.

Perhaps the most difficult thing for a particularly fastidious cook to do is refrain from using soap or detergent in the cleaning process. Seasoned cast-iron utensils may be cleaned very nicely with boiling water and a stiff-bristled brush. (I have a short-handled brush with stiff nylon bristles that I use only for cleaning my cast-iron skillets.) And often, say after making cornbread, I merely brush the skillet vigorously, wipe it with a damp sponge, and dry it with a paper towel. It is important to dry cast-iron utensils well after use; they will rust unless thoroughly dried. Cast-iron utensils will darken with use, turning from a steely gray, when new, to dark gray or black.

Over years of use, my cast-iron skillets have become old friends. Although I would never choose to replace them, if I had to (let's say an astute kitchen thief broke in and recognized my skillets for the treasures they are), I could buy new skillets, season them well, and have some new old friends.

Johnny Waymire has a great free resource site, http://kitchen-appliance-advisor.com , containing practical and helpful information on how to purchase Kitchen Appliances that fit YOUR needs. Visit to find all the helps, brands and reviews to make your next purchase very informative.Agna Blog22437
Alix Blog46392

Rent A Limo, A Holden Statesman Or A Hummer H2

Limousine (or in short Limo) is a name of a special, strangely long luxury car and are usually black (the traditional black limo is considered suitable for funerals as black is a color of mourning in most of the western societies) or white (the traditional white limo is fitting for wedding ceremonies in western societies) in color. Employed drivers called chauffeurs mostly drive these cars.

In general Limos are owned by wealthy people but in many cases governments, big companies and broadcasters to convey their top level politicians, executives and guests respectively also own it. These cars are believed or observed as symbols of wealth.

Limousine cars, being a special luxury one have a partition in between the drivers and passenger compartments, which is usually a sliding glass window. The partition is there so that any conversation between passengers can be kept confidential from the chauffeur.

The seat arrangement in these cars is forward facing (for passengers) with a considerable amount of foot room or foot space. There are two "jump seats", that are mounted backward, of the driver, and they can be kept folded when not in use, but in some modern versions of limousine cars this feature is not found any more. A limo can carry seven passengers in addition to the driver. Sometimes these cars hold items of entertainment for the passengers like audio players, television, video players, and even bars along with refrigerators. Limousines have multiple doors.

Some of the popular limousine cars are Mercedes S600 Pullman, BMW 74Il, Holden Statesman, Hummer H2, Jaguar XJ, Maybach 62, Cadillac DTS, Lincoln Town Car and others.

Though Limousine cars are considered to be a symbol of wealth and are thus thought to be owned by rich individuals but in most of the times it has been seen that only limousine service or rental companies own limos. Even those rich people who include limos as their major means of transport do not always possess a limousine. What they do is that they go for a contract with a limousine service or rental companies for a long-term basis to get the availability of the vehicle on a lease agreement.

Apart from prosperous and well off persons, anyone in need of these cars can hire it by making contact with any rental firm or organization, which offers or provide limos on lease on a short term basis (as going for long term could be very expensive for them to afford). The most frequent necessities or demand for these limos are for going to airports, balls, proms, weddings and sometimes even to funerals.

Keith George always writes about valuable news & reviews. A related resource is http://the-renta-limo.info/ Further information can be found at http://the-best-sports.info/.Bobbi Blog92763
Arluene Blog58225

The Language of Credit Cards

Like most Americans, you probably have at least one credit card if not more. Each time you approach the cash register, you may find yourself reaching in your wallet for that slab of plastic. You might even call it a reflex. In this day and age, credit has become a normality in our daily lives.

Practically every store accepts credit cards and many vendors prefer credit cards over personal checks. Banking online has never been easier with instantaneous pending transactions available just seconds after your card is swiped. However, charging through credit is not all fun and games, especially when its due date time. Many fall into the trap of only making the minimum payment each month, falling into even deeper debt.

One problem eager spenders face is signing up for a credit card they feel has low rates and three months down the road, are hindered by rising APR percentages. What exactly is an APR percentage? Believe it or not, some people get into credit card debt because they dont understand the basics of credit card lingo.

Make Sure Youre Aware of the Following before choosing a credit card:

APR: Annual Percentage Rate or the rate of interest youll have to pay if you have a balance carryover, transfer balances from another card or take out a cash advance.

There are such things as penalty APRs, where your percentage increases if you make late payments.

Introductory APRs-Your APR percentage rate is bound to rise after a select introductory time span.

Tiered APRs-Depending on amount spent, different percentages will be applied.

What is a grace period? The amount of time you have to fully pay your bill without being charged.

Minimum finance charges-If you spend less than the minimum finance charge, you will be charged the minimum amount required.

Annual fee-Some cards charge you monthly; Some quarterly or yearly-This is a fee just for holding that credit card.

Some credit card companies offer fixed APR credit cards, or cards whose percentages dont change. If they do change, the company is required to notify their customers before making the switch. Cards that have variable rates can change at times, so cardholders should monitor their percentages.

6StarReviews.com reported that one fixed APR card, Pulaski Bank Gold Visa, even offers cardholders special incentives such as free auto rental & travel insurance, as well as free emergency services. Those who like stability and who may not have the best credit history may want to choose from one of several options of fixed APR credit cards.

Copyright (c) 2007 Kelly Liyakasa 6StarReviews

Kelly Liyakasa is a writer for http://6StarReviews.com. Kelly Staller is site manager at 6StarReviews.com, a site dedicated to giving YOU, the consumer, the best product and service reviews around. If you like saving time and money by having someone else review leading sites and products, then visit us on the web at: http://6starreviews.com.Bobbie Blog1823
Bev Blog59782

How To Make The Most Of Your Free Online Dating Service

With millions of single people trying to find their match over the internet, it is often hard to stand out among the crowd unless of course you have the body of Eva Longoria or Brad Pitt.

And we cant all have Hollywood looks. (This is perhaps why some people resort to editing their photos on Photoshop in order to appear good in their profiles!)

Still, there are ways to make the most out of a free online dating site and make others take notice. The secret is to initiate action and to not just wait for people to view your profile and get to know you. Below are some tips that can help you make the most out of your online dating service account whether it is for free or not.

1. Make a Vavavoom profile!

Making a profile that is interesting and inviting does not mean that you have to invent some exotic name and out of this world experience. You and your life can be interesting too with just the right words. One advise is to write down things about you that is interesting. Do you have an interesting job or an interesting hobby? Have you gone to places and done things that may seem exciting for other people?

Include it in your profile. As much as you can, veer away from clich statements that are often seen in profiles in online dating sites. It can be tiring to see the same things written profiles. You can also include some funny stories or anecdotes that can serve as hook to your audience. This will make them remember you more.

Also, make sure that your profile is grammatically correct. Not only will this be an easy read for people but you will also come across as educated and refined.

2. Upload a nice photo

This does not mean that you will be putting photographs of your pretty cousin or your gorgeous brother on your profile. Search through your albums for a photo that you feel shows the best side of you. Often, the best photos are those where the subjects smiles widely. This is inviting for those people who are reading your profile.

Also, make sure that the photo that you upload is clear and distinct. If you are only putting some hazy shot with you meters away from the foreground; might as well leave it blank. Use a photo, which other people can see and study.

If you think you dont have much photo that is worth uploading, enlist the help of your friends and relatives. As much as possible, put a solo shot. If you dont have one, make sure that your caption can identify who you are in a group shot.

3. Break the ice

Using the online dating service does not end in writing a profile and uploading your favorite photo. Try to also search through the hundreds of singles for people who interest you. Once someone catches your eye, let him or her know. This is all done virtually so being rejected is not really as painful; so what the heck, take the plunge.

You can try writing a letter that states how you like their profile or what aspect of their site has caught your eye. Put on the letter your name. This makes the letter more personalized and more inviting for the person being sent to.

If you are too shy to actually write a letter, try putting a smiley sign or just plain hi! If the person you sent it to likes your profile, he or she will respond back with a hi. Be as polite as possible as some people who do this come across as potential stalkers such as those that write the words destined, soulmates, or love.

Remember that your letter is your way of making a great first impression so be on your best behavior.

Dr Nathalie Fiset is a family doctor and a certified hypnotherapist. For more information go to: http://www.soulmatestogether.com/personals.html http://www.aperfectharmony.com or http://www.a-1hypnosis.com.Alex Blog66221
Agna Blog22437

Hewlett Packard - What Was She Thinking?

The two men that founded Hewlett-Packard, Bill Hewlett and David Packard must be rolling over in their graves with the announcement that their company founded on a strong ethical structure has voluntarily committed what may be ill-legal acts. These things happen, we understand that. What we dont understand is the actions subsequent to the public being informed of the ill-legal acts.

The company has admitted that they hired outside parties to try to ascertain how information from Board meetings made its way into newspapers. The 3rd parties hired to do the job use Pretexting a method where a person pretends, or masquerades as someone else. The purpose is to obtain that persons calling records from the phone company.

Hewlett Packards Non Executive Chairman, Patricia Dunn has said she authorized the operation without realizing how far the investigators went. You have to be kidding. She has agreed to step down as of January 1 of next year. What an interesting way to reward inappropriate corporate behavior. She must know where the bones are buried, because the resignation should have been immediate, and without hesitation.

If you violate the law, thats one thing. If you get called on it-Thats ANOTHER THING. These people got called on it. They got found out. This is a famous corporation with almost infinite legal resources. They literally have the best lawyers money can buy, and this is what they come up with. You know what they say, if the attorney dont give you the opinion you want, find another attorney. In this case, the first attorney Hewlett Packard used was a prominent Silicon Valley lawyer who thought Pretexting sounded like a pretty good idea. He must be smoking the same thing that the Non-Executive Chairman was smoking.

Executives are supposed to execute, thats why they call them executives. It wasnt so with the folks at Hewlett. They were asleep at the switch wondering which bank to deposit their latest LAVISH stock options bonus into.

It has now become apparent that the scheme went deeper than anyone previously realized. Apparently Hewlett Packard was thinking about planting spies in news bureaus at two major media outlets. They included CNET, and the Wall Street Journal. The plan called for Hewlett Packards investigators to place clerical employees and/or cleaning crews in the offices of these entities looking for the source of the leaks.

Its just amazing when you think of it. Only in Hollywood movies do things go off without a hitch. Its really BRAZEN of these highly paid individuals to believe that they could pull this off, and in the process not wind up embarrassing the corporate entity.

What about Institutional memory?

It is becoming increasingly apparent that corporations are suffering the same fate as governments which is that nobody is around long enough to remember history, and therefore INFLUENCE poorly thought out plans. I could do a book on this one and probably should, but here it goes.

In the late 1960s, a famous multinational corporation called International Telephone and Telegraph (ITT) was being beat up by the Justice Department over mergers that the government didnt like. What did ITT do? Attempting to get out of the investigation, there was a meeting of individuals that included the Chairman Harold Geneen, director Felix Rohatyn (later Ambassador to France under Clinton), and Nixon assistants Enrichment, Colson, Peterson, and Krogh, and Cabinet members Connally, Stans, Mitchell, Kleindienst, and McLaren.

The objective was to offer the Republicans $400,000 in cash towards financing the Republican national convention in San Diego. The whole thing became known through the Dita Beard memo. Beard was a lobbyist for ITT. They all thought they could keep it quiet, until it blew up in their faces. I guess nobody at Hewlett Packard took a political history course in college.

Folks when you are thinking about violating laws of the United States or any country for that matter, you have to be the proverbial village idiot to put it in WRITING. Thats what ITT did, and it cost them dearly. Here we are 35 years later and Hewlett Packard has memos flying all through their computers in the form of e-mails, and the government will use those memos to hang the corporate officers. What were they thinking?

What Hewlett Packard should have done?

This is easy, COME CLEAN. You call a meeting with reporters as quickly as you can, and you become 100% OPEN and TRANSPARENT. You are apologetic, and you attempt to lay it all out on the table, even if you dont have the whole story. This is what I call Crisis 101 management. Instead, HP decided to put information out little by little, and when the press found something new out, they killed HP for it. Pretexting and stealing to me is the same thing. You are taking a persons records, even his identity and it doesnt belong to you.

The textbook case of crisis management remains Johnson & Johnson, and the Tylenol scandal of 1982. Some crazed individual in the Chicago area had laced Tylenol capsules with cyanide, and killed several innocent people. JNJ did not sweep it under the rug. They confronted the problem head on, and came completely clean. They accepted responsibility.

Richard Stoyecks background includes being a limited partner at Bear Stearns, Senior VP at Lehman Brothers, Kuhn Loeb, Arthur Andersen, and KPMG. Educated at Pace University, NYU, and Harvard University, today he runs Rockefeller Capital Partners and StocksAtBottom.comAlysia Blog68302
Alexi Blog4367

What To Do When You Are A Tenant and You Find Out That Your Landlord Is Being Foreclosed On

Foreclosures in 2007 are up significantly over 2005 & 2006. With many Adjustable rate Loans on the market entering periods of recalculation, some borrowers are in a position of defaulting on the loan because they can't make the higher payments. Consider in some cases the borrower has become a landlord and has a tenant. What is the tenant to do? Here are some tips:

* Make sure you are communicating: With the Landlord. With the bank/lender. With a Real Estate Professional. With a Lawyer. Make sure you understand your rights. Make sure that you aren't doing anything to jeopardize your good credit or that nothing is being done to affect you in a negative manner.

* Negotiate: The Landlord may have no room to negotiate, they may be holding you to the letter of the lease. But if the property has already been foreclosed upon & the bank is the owner, negotiate directly with the bank or their representative. You may be able to get them to pay an amount of your moving expenses, sometimes called "cash for keys" this is incentive for you to vacate the property sooner rather than later. By all means, avoid the eviction process.

* decide upon a plan for going forward: It is hard to plan with such short notice, but you as the tenant need to quickly move from a reactive move to an active stance in a short period of time. Discuss the possibility of you being able to obtain the property or a loan from the bank. Remember, they want to sell the Bank Owned / Foreclosure Northern Virginia Homes (http://www.theearlofrealestate.net/77_bank_owned_SF.aspx) as quickly as possible and may be willing to work with you. Also, plan on looking for a home a develop the hunting strategy in short order so you have a place to live. Again, with a minimal amount of planning & communication you might just find out that you can afford a home yourself & thus consider the benefits of buying over renting. A Northern Virginia Real Estate Agent (http://www.theearlofrealestate.net/) & their lending partners will be able to give you an answer about buying a home in Northern Virginia (http://www.theearlofrealestate.net/buying.aspx) in less than 24 hours.

Robert Earl (http://www.theearlofrealestate.net/robert_earl.aspx) - Founder of The Earl of Real Estate Team is a Real Estate Entrepreneur & Real Estate Coach based in the Northern Virginia. TheEarlofRealEstate.net showcases Vienna Condos for Sale - Vienna Condo Communities (http://www.theearlofrealestate.net/Vienna_Condos.aspx)Annadiana Blog70567
Catherine Blog14941

The Popularity Of Learning Online

Online courses help students to further their learning abilities and education. No matter where a student is located, the resources are available at their fingertips when one studies online courses. There are innumerable online courses and training methods available.

A course on personal development, to continue with a hobby, training for a new career or enhancing business skills are just some of the possibilities available in online courses. Their area of interest can be explored at the students own pace. There are thousands of online courses covering hundreds of topics.

Online Courses in Business among others include a course to start your own business or training in time management. Other available online courses include leadership skills, techniques on conducting interviews and marketing courses online or offline.

Online courses in training includes programming languages, marketing through internet, personal computer hardware, Linux, training in office software, graphic designs, web design and other certificate courses in information technology.

Online courses for training in a specific career are also possible. The available resources includes various vocational training programs in wedding planning, carpentry, bookkeeping, real estate, automotive courses, medical transcription and lot of other options to get a diploma. Find more info at http://www.online-courses4u.info

Professionals who would like to continue their education have various options available in online courses. Engineers, architects, lawyers, physicians, real-estate professionals, social workers, teachers and massage therapists and others, can pursue online CEU and CE courses.

Online courses in personal development are meant for developing a hobby or pursuing a personal interest. Home improvement, investing, gardening, cooking, art and design, digital photography and traffic school and many others are included.

Languages can be learned through various online courses available on the internet. Expanding the existing language skill or learning a foreign language is made easy. Supplementary help for courses such ESL, TEFL are also included in various online courses. Languages such as Japanese, Spanish, Italian, French or German can be easily learnt through online resources.

Convenience and flexibility are the advantages in online learning. This is more so if the students have other commitments. Depending upon on the needs of the student a greater adaptability is also possible along with enhanced communication between the student and the teaching resources online. Some of the advantages of online courses include the teaching materials presented in non-verbal mode and the varieties of learning experience, using multimedia.

E-assessment or assessments made with the aid of a computer includes multiple choice tests which are automatically generated, gearing towards the specific mistakes made by the students and to navigate through a series of questions to find out what the student has learned or not learned.

Lucy Bartlett is a proud contributing author. For more info visit http://online-courses4u.info/ or http://online-courses4u.info/free-online-course.htmlBrunhilda Blog81244
Alyse Blog33665

Understanding Corporations, Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) and Limited Partnerships

The best way to understand a corporation, limited liability company (or even a limited partnership) is to realize that each creates a special legal relationship or privilege between the business owner(s) and the government. These areas of government include:

1) State Government (including state taxing authorities and the state court system)

2) The Federal Government (specifically the IRS and the Bankruptcy court system)

You may be saying, alright Darius, I still dont understand what you mean by a relationship or privilege. The best way that I can put it is this:

A business entity is a legal relationship which allows for certain privileges. When teaching people about entities, I like refer to an often forgotten fact: In England during the colonial period the ability to create a corporation required an exclusive grant (i.e., permission) from the Crown (thats right the King or the Queen!). Remember a business entity is a privilege!

HERE IS ANOTHER TIDBIT: Did you know that WHEN the original 13 colonies were established, many were actually corporations or similar form. For example, the Maryland Company was used to settle and developyou guessed it, the State of Maryland. Other examples include, the Virginia company, the Massachusetts company and others. Why would someone use an entity to explore and colonize the New World? The reason is that colonization and exploration were risky investments. Ships were lost at sea, diseases ended the lives of thousands, and a host of other risks were present with each expedition.

By setting up these expeditions as corporations investors could contribute money but were only be liable for the amount invested. In other words, these early arrangements promoted exploration, development, and commerce by limiting liability for investors. The same reasoning is true today. When liability is limited to what you contribute to a business, people are more likely to start businesses. THE REASON: Less risk if everything goes wrong BUT more to GAIN when things go RIGHT!

The point of these historical facts is to make it clear that the purpose of a business entity is to limit the liability of owners/investors to the amount contributed to the business. These facts should also make you realize that liability protection is a privilege.

WHY SHOULD YOU BE CONCERNED ABOUT LIABILITY PROTECTION?

I am not here to scare youbut use common sense. Real estate businesses require you to deal with numerous parties, including: TENANTS, SELLERS, PARTNERS, INVESTORS, LENDERS, MANAGEMENT COMPANIES, INDEPENDENT CONTRACTS, EMPLOYEES, and others. The more parties you deal with the more likely it is that something may not go as planned.

The first step is to learn how to run your business in fair and careful mannerso that you reduce the chances of getting sued. Always remember this: A business entity (LLC, corporation or limited partnership) is not an excuse to act in a careless or negligent manner. You need to be fair when dealing with all parties and you need to outline agreements with partners, vendors, contractors, etc. You need to respond to tenants complaints regarding rental property. In short you need to become a MASTER good business practices. I spend a considerable about of time in my courses covering a topic I call LAWSUIT AVOIDANCE 101. This means that we teach you good business practices to help you reduce the risk of getting sued. ITS SIMPLY SO IMPORTANT!

Another issue to keep in mind is that since you will be dealing with TENANTS, SELLERS, PARTNERS, INVESTORS, LENDERS, MANAGEMENT COMPANIES, INDEPENDENT CONTRACTS, EMPLOYEES, COUNTY AGENTS, you may get into the position where you will need to assert your rights. In other words, you may need to take another person to court, because your rights have been violated, a contract has been broken, or money has not been paid to you. Many times when you assert your rights, you may then be sued by the party you are taking to court. I know this sounds harshbut it happens! This is called a cross claim and it means that the party who is being sued is now also suing. Usually this happens because the other partys attorney believes that they have a claim and/or they will be in a better position using a cross claim. Basically this means that for you TO ASSERT YOUR OWN RIGHTS, YOU MAY RISK GETTING SUED.

ALWAYS REMEMBER THIS: There are also steps you can take to allow more chances for a pre-lawsuit settlement. This makes the lawsuit truly a last resort. Ask this question: Do you have alternative dispute resolution clauses in your agreements? Obviously, if you can settle matters outside of court via an alternative dispute resolution method, then may be a big advantage and a savings of time and money. An alternative dispute resolution clause will require parties to work at settling a claim through mediation or another non-litigious (and less expensive) manner. Again, a lawsuit should be the absolute last resort. We cover all of these areas in more detail for investors because it something that most people and even some attorneys leave out!

There are also tax advantages and disadvantages to recognize when selecting an entity for your business. We will discuss these in later articles.

To learn more about which entity may be best for you and how to create, run, and maintain an iron clad LLC or corporation, you dont need a grant from the King or Queenbut you should see Mr. Barazandehs, Incorporate for Wealth and Wealth Building LLC courses at www.theinformedinvestor.com and www.attorneysecrets.com.

I want to wish you all the best in your business and email me if you ever need help: taxenterprises@yahoo.com

By: Darius M. Barazandeh, Attorney at Law / M.B.A. Alfreda Blog30007
Alexandra Blog25306

What You REALLY Need to Know Before Marrying Someone with a Bankruptcy

"Do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband...for better and for worse...regardless of his credit scores?"

OK, so maybe that's not exactly how most marriage vows go. But, how important are your potential spouse's credit scores in the grand scheme of things?

The first thing you need to understand when you marry someone with a previous bankruptcy appearing on their credit reports is that their bankruptcy and other bad credit will never merge with yours.

So, don't panicyou won't wake up one day and find their bankruptcy appearing on your credit reports. Credit reporting just doesn't work that way. You are two separate individuals with unique Social Security numbers, credit reports and credit scores.

All three of the credit reporting agencies in the United States store credit files on individualsnot couples. Never the two shall meet...unless, of course, you have accounts that are in both of your names. In that case they WILL show up on both of your credit reports and they WILL affect both of your FICO credit scores.

When you're applying for credit with your spouse, you need to pay attention to a few key things:

1. What it means to become a co-borrower
2. How and when to apply for credit together (also known as "joint credit")
3. When it makes sense to add your spouse as an authorized user on one or more of your credit card accounts

Marriages...bankruptcies...and mortgages...

It's a mistake to assume too much when you apply for a mortgage or new car loan.

The most common assumption is that if a person with a bankruptcy is added to the loan application as a co-borrower, the credit will automatically be more expensive. It might be. But then again...it might not be.

The best way to tackle this situation is to know all of your options. You start by knowing how to structure the deal.

How do you do this?

Simple, each of you should fill out individual credit applications.

Now, the lender can review your credit scores and advise you if you're better off submitting an individual or joint credit application to the lender.

The mortgage or auto lender should compare all your options and advise you of the pros and cons accordingly. If they don't take time to compare...take it as a sign that they don't have your best interest at heart and get a second opinion.

If you do like what the lender has to saythen take his advice and do what he recommends.

However, if you don't like what the lender has to saythen you have two choices:

1. Wait six months and work hard to increase your credit scores...then re-apply.

2. Take what you can get, even if it's a high interest ratebut use this only as your very last resort. (If then.)

There were many times my wife and I wanted something...and could have gotten it immediately (but at a higher cost). Instead, we would always wait until we qualified for the lowest interest rates and best terms.

At times it hurt. And we had plenty of arguments about waiting. But in the end, we both agreed it was for the best. It's amazing how much money just one or two extra percentage points on your interest rate can add to the cost of something over time.

Stephen Snyder is the founder of the After Bankruptcy Foundation a non-profit organization that provides free personal bankruptcy recovery advice (http://www.lifeafterbankruptcy.com). He has also helped thousands of people through the challenges of bankruptcy and marriage (http://www.lifeafterbankruptcy.com/resources/bankruptcy-marriage/).Brear Blog80671
Cele Blog3180

Business Degree Online

Business Degree Online is basically a virtual college school where people earn college credits, masters, even doctorate without going to school, attending classes or sitting in classrooms. It commonly uses Distant Learning Programs (DLP) through the Internet to transmit and convey lessons, assignments and even exams. Eventually, a business degree online enrollee gets his or her diploma after completing the required units and eventually is considered a graduate, and can apply for the job he or she is most qualified to. The choice to pursue higher degree (online) is also possible right after getting the credits.

It is a type of education, typically college-level, where students work on their own at home or at the office and communicate with faculty and other students via e-mail, electronic forums, videoconferencing, chat rooms, bulletin boards, instant messaging and other forms of computer-based communication.

Most distance learning programs include a computer-based training (CBT) system and communications tools to produce a virtual classroom. Because the Internet and World Wide Web are accessible from virtually all computer platforms, they serve as the foundation for many distance learning systems

Ismael D. Tabije is the Publisher-Editor of www.BestManagementArticles.com, a unique niche-topic article directory that features exclusively business and management topics. For a large dose of business degree online tips, ideas and strategies, see http://business-degree-online.bestmanagementarticles.com.

Here are some familiar terminologies often used in acquiring a degree online:

Accreditation is the recognition of certification of an institution that has been reviewed and meets specific measures of quality

Asynchronous Learning is learning where people are not all simultaneously online but at the same time can still interact on the peoples most convenient time of the day by using e-mail, discussion groups/forums and the downloading of courses/lessons through Internet or CD-ROM.

Blended Learning is the combination of online and in-person learning activities which is becoming more popular.

Computer Based Training (CBT) is the training (especially related to education) being conducted through a computer which is not connected to a network.

Certification is the proof of credentials earned in a specific (or even several) fields, equivalent to a diploma granted to a student who finished up in a conventional institution/school

Distance Education is the form of learning outside the habitual classroom situation. The teacher and the students interact but are not in the same location.

Facilitator is an instructor who assists and prompts the learning process during online lessons interactions.

Online Learning is the general term that speaks of any knowledge acquisition from online or the Internet.

Ismael D. Tabije is the Publisher-Editor of http://www.BestManagementArticles.com, a unique niche-topic article directory that features exclusively business and management topics. For a large dose of business degree online tips, ideas and strategies, see http://business-degree-online.bestmanagementarticles.com. Brittani Blog21114
Austina Blog80033

Jobs for Veterans at Arizona Corporation Commission

Arizona Government Agency Reaches Out to Hire Veterans

Arizona Corporation Commission Joins HireVeterans.com

by Gordon Gates

Article 15 of the Arizona Constitution establishes the Arizona Corporation Commission. Only 7 states have constitutionally formed Commissions. Arizona is one of only 13 states with elected Commissioners. In the 37 other states, Commissioners are appointed by either the governor or the legislature.

In most states, the Commission is known as the Public Service Commission or the Public Utility Commission. Arizona's Commission, however, has responsibilities that go beyond traditional public utilities regulation. These additional roles include facilitating the incorporation of businesses and organizations, securities regulation and railroad/pipeline safety. In kind, the Commission is reaching out to U.S. Veterans to fill internal positions to help manage and administer the agency.

In fact, they have joined HireVeterans.com, a leading job board for U.S. Veterans on the internet. This is part of their overall strategy to fill jobs with returning U.S. Veterans.

The State of Arizona offers even more benefits. Employees enjoy special competitive rates on Auto and Home Insurance from Travelers and Liberty Mutual. Computers from Dell and Gateway. Plus discounts of up to 50% on local and national products and services with our State Employee Discount Program.

Employee Discount Program
Group Auto and Home Insurance
Computer Purchase Program

Organization

In November 2000, the voters of Arizona approved a measure, placed on the ballot by the State Legislature, which expanded the size of the Commission from three to five Commissioners. The measure also changed the term of office from one six-year term to a four-year term with the possibility of reelection to one additional (consecutive) four-year term. The initial terms of the two new seats are for two years. In the case of a vacancy, the Governor appoints a Commissioner to serve until the next general election. The Commissioners choose one member from among themselves to serve as Chairman.

The Commissioners have the ultimate responsibility for final decisions on granting or denying rate adjustments, enforcing safety and public service requirements, and approving securities matters.

Executive Director

The Director of the Commission Staff is the Executive Director. The Executive Director serves at the pleasure of the Commissioners, and is responsible to the Commissioners for the day to day operations of all Divisions. Section 40-105, Arizona Revised Statutes, outlines the powers and duties of the Executive Director's position.

Divisions

The Commission staff is organized into six Divisions. Each Division is headed by a Director who reports to the Executive Director.

Administration

The Administration Division plans, coordinates and directs the administrative and fiscal activities necessary to support the Commissioners and all Divisions of the Commission. The Division also provides information to the general public and media on all Commission activities.

Hearings

The Hearings Division exercises the Commission's authority to hold public hearings on matters involving the regulation of public service corporations, the sale of securities and the registration of non-municipal corporations. The Hearings Division is also responsible for the Commission's Docket Control Section.

Utilities

The Arizona Corporation Commission has jurisdiction over the quality of service and rates charged by public service utilities. By state law, public service utilities are regulated monopolies given the opportunity to earn a fair and reasonable return on their investments. What is fair and reasonable in any particular case has been and always will be open to debate in rate hearings before the Commission. Generally, the Commission tries to balance the customers' interest in affordable and reliable utility service with the utility's interest in earning a fair profit.

The Utilities Division makes specific recommendations to the Commissioners to assist them in reaching decisions regarding public utility rates, utility finance and quality of service. The Division is responsible for researching and developing utility issues, providing information and evidence in Commission proceedings dealing with utility applications, and monitoring the quality of utility service, and the rates approved by the Commissioners. Additionally, Division staff inspects gas pipelines for safety, operates a railroad safety program and maintains the official documents of proceedings before the

Commission

All rate changes require approval of the Commission in an Open Meeting. Staff preparation for a major rate hearing begins at the time of utility's initial filing, and takes approximately four to six months before the hearing takes place. Work efforts between the time of filing and hearing include a review of past Commission actions, a review of documents on file with the Commission, an audit of the books and records of the utility, discussions with utility personnel and other interested parties, formulation of the staff recommendation, an analysis of the impacts of the recommendation, and preparation of written testimony and schedules.

Securities

The Securities Division strives to ensure the integrity of the securities marketplace through investigative actions as well as the registration and/or oversight of securities, securities dealers and brokers, investment advisers and their representatives; to enhance legitimate capital formation; and to minimize the burden and expense of regulatory compliance by legitimate business.

The Division reviews prospective offerings of securities to ascertain that full and fair disclosure is made to potential securities investors and that the terms of offerings are not inherently fraudulent.

Certain securities dealers, salespersons, investment advisers, and investment adviser representatives are required to register with the Division. The Division reviews these applications and monitors the conduct of investment advisers, dealers and salespersons; investigates possible violations; and when the evidence warrants, initiates administrative or civil actions, or refers cases for criminal prosecution.

Corporations

The Corporations Division approves for filing all articles of incorporation for Arizona businesses; all articles of organization for limited liability companies; grants authority to foreign corporations to transact business in this state; propounds interrogatories when necessary to determine a company's lawful purpose; and revokes the corporate charters of those corporations which choose to not comply with Arizona law. The Division collects from every corporation an annual report which reflects its current status, business, and financial condition; maintains this information in a format conducive to public access; responds to public questions concerning Arizona businesses and corporation law; and responds to the needs of the business sector by disseminating whatever information is mission-critical to them in the most expedient and cost-effective manner possible.

Any significant changes to Articles of Incorporation or Articles of Organization for Limited Liability Companies in the form of amendments, mergers, consolidations, dissolutions or withdrawals are also filed with the Division. All filings are public record and available for inspection.

Legal

The Legal Division provides legal assistance, advice and representation to the Commissioners and each Division of the Corporation Commission except the Securities Division. Matters handled by the Legal Division fall into five general categories: Commission dockets, Federal regulatory dockets, litigation, other administrative matters and special projects.

Most of the Division's resources are devoted to Commission hearings. Major rate cases, such as those involving firms like the Arizona Public Service Company and Qwest, where tens of millions of dollars in potential rate increases are at stake, take several months to prepare and require close coordination with the Commissioners, staff and professional consultants.

Information Technology

The mission of the Information Technology (IT) Division is to provide accurate, efficient and timely technology design, development, implementation, communications and maintenance support services to the agency and its respective divisions in support of their missions and objectives.

The State of Arizona is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, the State will make reasonable accommodation(s) during the employment process.

Chairman Mike Gleason

Mike Gleason was born in Iowa, where he lived on a farm before joining the United States Navy during World War II. After his discharge from the Navy in 1947, he enrolled at Iowa State College, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in forestry in 1950. In 1951, he received a Masters Degree in range management from Texas A&M, and two years later, Gleason was awarded a PhD in plant physiology from Iowa State.

Gleason's private-sector experience in applied agricultural sciences spans nearly 40 years of employment with the Rockefeller Foundation, Pacific Oilseeds, Monsanto and Cargill, Inc. During this period, his duties required that he reside in Mexico, and later, France. Other responsibilities took Gleason on frequent travels throughout the world, including Peru, Kenya, Bangladesh, Senegal, Zaire, the Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Pakistan.

Employee Benefits and Work/Life Options

The state of Arizona offers a variety of careers and benefits for state employees. If you want challenging work, friendly co-workers, flexible work options, and if health benefits and retirement programs are important to you, consider your options at the state of Arizona.

We are committed to offering a work environment that helps state employees achieve greater success at work and at home. Employees may be able to use the following options to help manage responsibilities at home and at work.

- Flexibility
- Health and Well-Being
- Time off
- Caring for Dependents
- Financial Support
- Career
- Retirement - Organization Support
- Community Involvement

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Official Web Sites

Apply to Jobs for Arizona Corporate Commission on HireVeterans.com
http://www.hireveterans.com/view.php?company_id=338

Human Resources Department - Arizona Government
http://www.hr.state.az.us

Employment Site for Arizona Corporate Commission
https://secure.azstatejobs.gov/pljb/azgovjobs/mainjb/applicant/index.jsp

Arizona Corporate Commission Site
http://www.azcc.gov
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Arizona Corporation Commission
Commissioners Wing
1200 W. Washington - 2nd Floor
Phoenix, Arizona 85007
Phone: 602.542.3682

Gordon Gates is a recruiting consultant at http://HireVeterans.com.Ailyn Blog9682
Anny Blog84185

Sell Your Home Faster and More Profitably with Feng Shui

From determining pricing to having to keep a home in showhome condition marketing a house is always a challenge.

Just like a hangnail most homeowners want to get the sale over as quickly as possible.

Here are a number of Feng Shui tips to move the house sale along

First engage the senses . Prospective buyers must be engaged in every way possible . Use these ideas to engage the senses of buyers at your home.

Make sure that your house looks good. Use lots of horizontal space. Make sure you clear off the tops of everything ( dressers , counters , shelves etc.)

Draw your eye to the corner diagonal to the door of each room. This will make rooms seem and feel larger .

Next make sure that all entries and rooms can be entered easily and comfortably. Make sure as well that there are no mirrors that are opposite doorways. It is always a good idea to have some motion in the house that it is not dead still. Ceiling fans can accomplish this well.

Believe it or not where you place your for sale sign carries weight. Since the karma is to place the sign on the right hand side of the house (facing the front of the home). It makes sense as most people are right handed and lead with the right side of their body.

Your house should be welcoming to newcomers and visitors.

The table in the foyer or front of the house should be inviting offering literature, business cards and a bowl of chocolates or cinnamon candies. As well a smaller vase of fresh flowers always give a nice feeling.

You should remember that the kitchen is the new family room,

Rather than being the area reserved for the lowly servants kitchens are now the meeting and sharing rooms that many families wish to have fond memories of.

Again keep counters clear, clean and nicely organized.

Keep the panty nicely organized it shows attention to detail and the care afforded by the homeowners. However it never hurts to again place lush plants on the counter alongside a homey jar full of home made cookies.

Bathroom doors should be closed.

It is always good to have sounds that are pleasant to the ears.

Place a fountain close to the front of the house or keep music playing at all times especially in the northwest corner of the house.

According to feng shui , earthly scents are the most appealing to the widest range of people. Choose cinnamon and pine scents rather than floral or vanilla scents

Remember that first impressions are lasting ,

The front door is the most important area of the house . Keep in more than immaculate with soft lights turned on in the foyer area , a new doormat , and have something flanking either side of the front door , such as two pots of lush , very healthy plants and flowers.

You should be ready to move mentally as well as physically when you sell home.

Dont dilly and have second thoughts . Dont lay a stumbling block in front of the buyer by making extra demands.

For both your mental health and to reassure the new owners you can even buy them a new gift - such as a new door mat or keychain.

Now it is your turn to start moving out promptly , thoroughly and efficiently.

You might even move furniture and large items out sooner rather than later to a rented storeage space. Again this is as much for your mental health as to reassure the new owners.

You will be the ideal role model for the realtors in your area. It makes for more space- prepares you mentally and packing will be half done.

Remember by leaving things to the last moment you limit your options. Everything will be rushed . Things will go wrong. Remember Murphys Law that what disasters can happen will happen.

You are going to move anyways . The decision is made . So why make it harder on yourself . In addition you will be in a much better bargaining posituon for vendors such as movers and carpet cleaners.

As in life preparation is everything in selling your home.

Hopefully you are moving along for good positive reasons rather than misfortunes in your life.

Amy GoodmannAnnalee Blog45700
Bebe Blog75406