Apple Doesn't Want You To Put DVDs On Your iPod?

It's been a while now since Apple released their video iPods, which have beautiful 2.5" screens that can play crisp videos. Apple also added music videos and TV programs on iTunes that you can purchase and load onto your iPod.

Watching music videos and TV programs on your iPod is all great and everything, but some users are left wondering how they can put DVD movies on their iPod. After all, that's one reason many people buy a video iPod they think that they can watch DVD movies on their iPod video. Wrong!

You see, iTunes doesn't have an option like "convert DVD to iPod format." It's completely unsupported, which seems very silly! You would think that after someone spent $299 or $399 on a video iPod, they would be able to put any kind of video on their iPod!

What's also unsupported is foreign video formats, like WMV and AVI. Chances are you have at least a small collection of videos on your hard drive and those videos probably won't be supported because iTunes also does not have "WMV to iPod format" or "AVI to iPod format" conversion feature!

You might be left wondering why Apple didn't think to include something so obvious in their iTunes program. I cannot see how they would have forgotten it. My theory is that they have a reason for not including it.

Maybe it's a legal issue. Perhaps they don't want to get anywhere near the chances of movie piracy. I'm not a lawyer though, so I can't confirm anything.

Maybe they don't want you to put a single DVD on your iPod! They could be trying to have a "monopoly" so that some of the only videos you can put on your iPod are the ones that you buy from iTunes. If this is the case, this could be why they prevent you from putting WMVs and AVIs on your iPod also.

Or maybe they thought simply that no one would want to convert DVDs to iPod format! Maybe they thought that users wouldn't want DVD movies to take up space on their iPod (which is strange, because iPods' 30GB and 60GB hard drives are plenty big enough). Or they could have assumed nobody would want to watch a full length movie on a 2.5" screen (if so, they're wrong again).

There's one more theory, possibly the most likely one. Perhaps Apple is designing a "true" video iPod with a larger screen that's geared more towards movies, and purposely leave out the "convert DVD to iPod" feature so that they can add movies to the iTunes store (either pay-per-view or buy-to-own).

Whatever Apple is doing, it looks like they are not thinking of their users. Either they're not brainstorming hard enough in their product and software creation stages, or they're just hurting their customers so that they can make more money in the long run.

Keith Gilbert is the owner of http://DVD2iPod.org, a guide that shows how you can convert DVDs to iPod and put videos on your iPod! Get it for just $14.95 through this link.Bee Blog31770
Allix Blog37209

The Best Online Colleges & What They Have to Offer

Attending an online college is a lot like attending a traditional college. Although you may be getting a quality education from any of these colleges, the truth in the matter is that you will look more appealing to future potential employers when you decide to attend an online college that is reputable. Since they know the college's name, they will be more likely to hire you than somebody else with the same qualifications that has not attended such a reputable college. Of course, before you can take advantage of attending a reputable online college in order to increase your jobs of getting a wonderful job and a quality education, it is so important for you to learn about what some of the best online colleges are. Here, we will take a much closer look at some of the many online colleges which you may want to think about attending, as well as the different types of programs that they have to offer to their students.

There are a number of wonderful top online colleges out there. One of the best online colleges which you may want to think about choosing is Westwood College Online. Some of the programs which you will get the opportunity to enroll in at this online college include animation, business administration, criminal justice, game software development, interior design, web design and multimedia, and more!

Another one of the best online colleges which you may want to think about attending is American InterContinental University Online. You will be able to major in fields such as business, criminal justice, education, healthcare management, marketing and more. You can earn both your bachelors degree and masters degree through this online college.

The University of Phoenix is another one of the most reputable online colleges which you may be interested in attending. Some of the areas which you can earn a degree in at the University of Phoenix include business, health care, criminal justice, education, nursing and more. Each of these programs will provide you with a wonderful outlook for the future.

There are just a few of the very man online colleges which you might want to think about attending. Attending each and every single one of them would be a wonderful choice for anyone interested in attending an online college. No matter what online college you decide to attend, the main key is to make sure that you decide to attend one. So many potential students pass up the opportunity because of financial reasons, but it is important for you to realize that there is financial aid which is available for you to apply for. All accredited online colleges will be able to provide you with a quality education, which you will need to success in the field which you are interested in getting a job in. However, by attending an online college which is reputable, you may be able to increase your chances of getting hired by any potential employer greatly. This is the main reason that learning more about some of the best online colleges is a must.

Joe Roberts owns and operates http://www.online-college-buzz.com Online CollegesCam Blog13107
Bride Blog43895

Rainbow, Brown And Brook Trout

Maine fishing has Rainbow, Brown, and Brook trout. Trout are an important part of fishing tradition. Maine trout fishermen and women are enthusiast about the pursuit of the trout. Some consider trout fishing to be the purest from fishing. The finesse that is required to entice a trout into striking a fly or lure is what appeals to the soul. But dont worry, trout have endeared the imagination of the trout fishermen and women for years on end. Pure cold water is key to survival of the trout, but Rainbow trout are comfortable in slightly warmer waters.

Rainbow trout are known for their tasty pink flesh and beauty and gameness. The Rainbow trout is a favorite among most fishermen and women anglers. The Rainbow trout appeals to the properly presented flies, baits and lures. It feeds on small worms, minnows, insects, and crustaceans. The sport and dinning are two fun things for Rainbow trout anglers.

Originally the rainbow trout was found in the Rockies and west to the pacific ocean and has been distributed far and wide across the United States. Rainbow trout do better in the north and northeast, but in isolated areas in the south the Rainbow trout are found as well. In waters that allow such migration, the rainbow trout will remain in streams until it reaches 6 to 9 in length and then travel to lakes or oceans where it bulks up and then return to the streams or rivers to spawn.

Another trout native to the United States is the Brook trout. Originally found throughout areas with cold clean water, they like the water that does not exceed 68 degrees. As we humans invade the cool shady forest areas it causes the water to warm up and the Brook trout are diminishing in their population. Its primary food source is small crustaceans, mollusks, insects, and other small fish.

Of all trout, Brook trout are the easiest to catch. Amongst places to look for Brook trout fishing are gravel bottom streams with a moderate current, plenty of ponds and waterfalls which include rocks and cover. Over hanging trees for shade and attracting insects and offer protection from preying birds and also are places to look for when fishing for Brook trout.

The trout that can take slightly warmer water are the Brown trout. The brook trout do not like the warmer water and have taken over some of the fisheries formerly inhabited by the brookies. Brown trout are much more wary than other trout, which helps ensure their longevity in waters where other trout are fished out.

The best spots to look for when fishing for Brown trout are quiet water with logs, under cuts in the banks, over hanging trees and brush, rock shelves. These are Brown trouts favorite hiding places. Brown trout get to be large in size and become more inclined to feed at night under the protection of darkness.

The food that the Brown trout likes are crustaceans, worms, insect and minnows. A popular way to fish for Brown trout is a dry fly. For pan size brown trout, this favorite technique rises well to the crafty presentation.

Ronald Moody has been an avid fisherman for over 40 years. He enjoys all types of fishing, but especially likes salt-water fishing; he has been all over the country practicing his hobby. He is the owner and operator of http://www.fishingzoo.com, a website dedicated to inform fisherman about Maine fishing, fishing locations, and fish supply products.Allyson Blog45580
Cassandry Blog14584

36 Questions To Ask Your Web Host Before You Buy

Getting a website is essential for business. Making a mistake could cost you money as well as lost reputation. We have put together 36 questions across 10 areas that you should as any hosting company before you purchase a website. How they answer these questions will determine if this is the right website solution for you.

Technical Support:

Technical support should be readily available. Your average hold time should not exceed a couple of minutes. If the hold time for support is long, this means that there are a lot of problems with the product or there support is understaffed.

1. How strong is their technical support division?
2. What do they provide?
3. When are they available?
4. Does tech support cost extra?

Security:

The website hosting servers should be hosted at a remote location with multiple backup across multiple locations. The servers should also be dual firewall protected. If the websites are hosted in this type of an environment, it means that you are protected against any power failure, natural disaster, or people trying to steal your information. You can check how many servers a company is hosting by asking them for the address of one of the companies they host. Then go to http://whois.sc, and look up that name. Whois will tell you how many sites they are hosting. Use a company that is hosting several thousand websites.

5. How secure is the site?
6. What type of protection do they offer?
7. How can they insure that unauthorized users will not compromise the integrity of your Web site?

Storage:

The amount of storage your website hosting offers is related to how large your website can become. You want to make sure that you have enough space to not only to build your current website, but to expand in the future.

8. How much storage do they offer?
9. A typical Web site uses between 20-30 MB.
10. Do they offer enough extra megabytes to for your business to grow into? 100MB is a good starting point.

Domains:

Getting a Domain name for your business is one of the most important things you could do. To find out more about domains, read our article

11. Will the hosting company register your Domain name?
12. How long will it take?
13. Is there any extra cost to you?

Design:

There are 3 basic website design options. 1) Hire a web developer to design the entire website. 2) A template solution that is inexpensive, but modifications are limited. 3) A table based solution where the initial content is provided by the hosting company but everything including the entire layout can be changed. Make sure which type you are purchasing and if this is the correct solution for you.

14. Do they have a builder that you can manage easily?
15. What type of computer background do you need to design your site?
16. Do you have internal control over content and updates?

Email:

There are 2 types of email. The first is POP 3. This email type is attached to the domain name, and the email can be viewed from a web mail Internet browser window, or downloaded to a program such as Outlook or Eudora. The second email type is a forwarding address or email alias, where you have an email address that is @YourDomain, but it forwards to a different email address. POP 3 is usually more desirable because you can view your email from a variety of applications, and it strengthens your company image.

17. How many email aliases comes with your package?
18. Will they have your domain name in them for a more professional appearance?
19. What is the cost to add extra emails?
20. Are there any additional costs?

Search Engine Optimization:

You should submit your website to the search engines, such as Google, about once a month. This will help to rank you higher in the search rankings

21. Are search engine submissions included in your package?
22. How does it work?
23. Do you have internal control over content and updates?

Cost:

Make sure there are no hidden costs. Some companies will give you a low price knowing that they can charge you for additional services latter on.

24. What are the costs involved?
25. What are the initial setup fees and what do you get exactly?
26. What are the monthly maintenance fees are what do they cover?
27. Are there any additional charges?
28. If so, what are they and why?

Contract:

29. Am I locked into a contract?
31. May I cancel at anytime?
32. Are there any penalty fees for switching or closing my account?
33. What happens to my content?

Value:

34. What makes them better than their competition?
35. Do they offer extra features, storage space, better technical support?
36. What exactly sets them apart?

For help or questions about Web Hosting, contact G2Apex at contact@G2Apex.com or call 408-454-6543

For more articles like this, go to http://www.G2Apex.com/articles.html

Alex Welz has over 17 years of experience in such diverse fields as computer engineering, customer relations, systemizing business practices, research and development, and business consulting. Alex currently owns and operates a Website sales and hosting business.Aleece Blog25408
Bellanca Blog52355

.XXX DOMAIN

.XXX DOMAIN NAME - Still No Go

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers ("ICANN") has again rejected a plan to roll-out a new domain - .XXX for websites in the Adult Entertainment Business.

Arguments for the .XXX domain would seem to be that it would provide a verifiable location for those Internet users seeking Adult Content on the web. By allowing only Adult Content, the .XXX could prevent unauthorized and/or underage users from accessing Adult Sites. Having one site for Adult Content would also purportedly protect other Internet users from confronting such material in the non - .XXX areas.

Arguments against have been that .XXX would be difficult if not impossible to regulate by ICANN and/or others. Furthermore, Adult Industry owners worry that creating the .XXX will lead to further regulation of the industry in the form of taxes, fees and the like specific to the .XXX domain. Religious and other groups have also complained that creating the .XXX domain would lead to an increase in Adult Content websites.

Free speech issues also arise in determining what would fall in the .XXX domain and what would not, and regulating same. Further, forcing users out of other areas and into the .XXX area raises many other issues.

Myriad other issues arise when considering intellectual property rights and the .XXX domain. The domain could add significant costs to large companies who would need to register their trademark and service marks in the .XXX domain to prevent infringement. Additional costs would be dispute resolution procedures which could become necessary.

Perhaps market forces could come into play here. Maybe ICANN could authorize .XXX, but place no limitations on its use, such as with .COM. Market forces then could determine whether the domain became the search of choice for those seeking Adult Content. The IP issues mentioned above, however, could weigh against this approach.

© Copyright 2006-2007 Michael D. Stewart

Michael D. Stewart, Esq.Ailina Blog12546
Brunhilde Blog1766

Learning To Compete In A Very Competitive Industry: Travel

Over the years, many of us have heard about the opportunities available in wholesale travel. As a consumer, we can recognize that if these wholesale travel packages are legitimate, then we will have access to vacation packages that would make the average traveler drool over their possibilities in travel destinations. When we slide the shoe to the other foot and consider wholesale travel as a business opportunity, we question whether we have the knowledge or fortitude to succeed in this type of business.

Read on as we examine wholesale travel from the perspective of the consumer and the online businessperson seeking new opportunities in profit.

Beware of The Discount Travel Scams

While the wholesale travel industry is a legitimate industry offering legitimate travel packages, there are a few people out there offering deals that are less than favorable to consumers.

The most common travel scam is the kind used to sell timeshare packages in real estate. The real estate agent will give you a free three-day package to an attractive destination, IF your yearly salary meets certain minimums AND you agree to sit down and listen to a sales pitch for timeshare properties.

Now, there is nothing wrong with timeshares per se, but the methods that some unscrupulous agents employ to sell timeshares are shameful to say the least. Timeshare supported vacations are well known for their hard-sell approach to the sales process.

As a result, when most people speak of discount travel or wholesale travel, the first thought that comes to the mind of most consumers is the timeshare sales pitch. As a result, consumers generally have a poor opinion of discount travel or wholesale travel, based only on their fears of timeshare selling scams.

Be Aware Of Travel Restrictions With Some Packages

There are three types of restrictions that may accompany some discount travel packages:

* Expiration Dates: Many packages come with defined expiration dates that make them difficult-to-use by the stated due-date. Not all of us can gear up to take our vacation within the next 90 days. So, be certain to read the fine print of any offer that is made available to you.

* Blackout Dates: Blackout dates were made famous by David Spade's representation of Capital One Credit Cards. Some travel rewards carry blackout dates to limit the expense of those rewards. They don't want you using your travel rewards over the Thanksgiving weekend, since that is the busiest travel weekend of the year, and prices are generally higher for that peak period. Travel rewards aside, some travel packages employ blackout dates as well. Check the fine print to make sure that any blackout dates offered with a package do not interfere with how you want to use the travel package.

* Non-Transferable Vouchers: In theory, if you buy a hotel room and an airline ticket to Jamaica for the weekend and if something were to happen in your life that prevented you from using your purchased services, you could give the tickets and reservations to your best friend, so your money would not be wasted. Some travel vouchers may prevent you from transferring your vacation to another party. As always, read the fine print to know what restrictions might limit your vacation plans.

In a lot of cases, even if these restrictions exist, they will not interfere with your vacation plans. But, it is far better to be aware of a limitation before you buy your vacation, than it is to find out about those restrictions when you are ready to plan your trip.

How Do Service Providers Profit From Vacation Packages?

Where the value of discount travel or wholesale travel packages distracts many people, is this underlying question of how companies can offer these types of packages. The consumer is confused by the whole concept of free vacations, so we will look into the profit motive here.

When people are looking at an offer of a free vacation that consists of three days in a hotel room, many people are dumbfounded that such a thing could exist. If we use Las Vegas hotels and Orlando Florida hotels as examples, it is a much easier concept to understand.

When a Las Vegas hotel offers a free three-day stay, they do so with the expectation that you may spend several hundred or thousand dollars in their casino. If you did not take the free stay in their hotel room, you may have taken your vacation in Las Vegas anyhow, but stayed in one of their competitor's hotel rooms. If that were to happen, then their competitor would have won your money in their casino instead.

Hotels in vacation spots such as Orlando Florida may be receiving rewards from Walt Disney World to ensure that you spend your vacation at Walt Disney World, instead of Six Flags Over Texas. The hotel will receive money from Walt Disney World for your stay, and you will eat several meals and use several services at the hotel that gave you the hotel room for free.

Free services frequently provide the lubrication that helps a local economy soar, so many businesses will offer rewards to the hotel chains to offer free hotel rooms to visitors.

Do keep in mind that if you do get a free hotel room, there will still be a small cost to you in terms of the taxes excised on that hotel room stay. State laws mandate that all visitors pay taxes on their hotel rooms, and even though your stay might be free, you will still be required to pay the taxes on the room.

How The Airline Industry Profits From Discount Air Travel

When an airplane flies from New York City to Los Angeles, they always have a specific number of seats on that flight. Even if only twenty people paid for that flight, they airline would be required to make the journey, with all of its empty seats in tow.

So, airlines have constructed a very unique business model to make sure their empty seats are filled. When you buy a seat directly from the airline company, you will most always pay full price for the seat. If you buy your airline seat from a travel company, you can often find discounts on those seats.

Very literally, airline companies calculate how many seats they will sell on their own for each flight, and then they wholesale the remaining seats to travel agencies and other travel companies, to ensure that they will fill most or all of their seats.

The travel industry will buy seats on the airplane for as much as 90% off the retail cost of a flight. Then they will turn around and sell those flights to their customers at a markup. The actual discount rate will vary by the company making the offer, since only the biggest wholesale travel companies will get the deepest discounts, and the travel agencies usually buy seats from these airline seat wholesalers.

Can The Little Guy Compete In A Market Saturated by Big Players?

Simply put, yes. A friend of mine at Dreams By Vasrue has built his own little travel empire selling wholesale travel packages. In a recent month, he was able to generate $18,000 in profits these were profits, not total sales.

With a saturated market filled by big names such as Travelocity, Expedia, Orbitz and many others, you would think it impossible to compete in such a crowded marketplace. But, you must remember that these big travel websites are operating as the travel agency, buying travel services at wholesale and marking up their prices to make a significant profit.

This leaves the little guys lots of opportunity to reach the buying public in ways that the big websites cannot do themselves. The big websites are not in the business of offering true wholesale travel, because they are like travel agencies selling retail travel to consumers.

The Lesson In This Story

The lesson in this story is that the Internet is offering lots of entrepreneurs a way to stand up and compete with the largest corporations on the planet in a multitude of industries.

As an online businessperson, you should always be looking for that new opportunity that could make you very wealthy. When you take the time to learn the internal workings of any industry, you will uncover opportunities to compete successfully and prosperously with the biggest names in your own industries.

Bill Platt writes and ghost writes articles for dissemination on the World Wide Web through http://thePhantomWriters.com His company also offers article distribution services to people who write their own articles. Reach Bill at 405-780-7745 between 9am-6pm, M-F. One thing that success brings online entrepreneurs is the opportunity to travel more frequently. If you are interested in learning about wholesale travel as a way to save money or as a business opportunity, please visit http://www.DreamsByVasrue.com/ to learn more about the programs offered by Clinton Douglas IV.Aurilia Blog16083
Caryn Blog84047

What is Cosmology?

The word 'cosmology' originated in Greek: 'cosmologia', meaning order, orderly arrangement or ornaments, plus the word 'logos', meaning word, reason or plan. Cosmology is the study of the Universe at large, which has a long history, involving at least three main regimes: religion, philosophy and science. This article deals mainly with scientific cosmology.

Scientific Cosmology

Also called physical cosmology, it is the branch of science that deals with the scientific study of the origins and evolution of the Universe and the nature of the Universe on its very largest scales.

In its earliest form (2nd century BC) physical cosmology was basically just celestial mechanics, the study of the 'heavens'. The Greek philosophers Aristarchus of Samos, Aristotle and Ptolemy proposed different theories for how the heavens work.

In particular, the 'earth-centric' Ptolemaic system was the accepted theory to explain the motion of the heavenly bodies until Copernicus, Kepler and Galileo proposed a 'sun-centric' system in the 16th century.

Although Greek, Indian and Muslim academics formulated the sun-centric theory centuries before Copernicus, his reiteration that the Sun, rather than the Earth, is at the center of the solar system is considered among the most important landmarks in the history of modern astronomy.

Newton's Cosmology

With Isaac Newton's 1687 publication of 'Principia Mathematica', the problem of the motion of the heavenly bodies was solved. Newton provided a physical mechanism for Kepler's laws of planetary motion. His law of universal gravitation resolved the anomalies caused by gravitational interaction between the planets in the previous systems.

Despite the words 'universal gravitation', Newton did not consider the implications of his theory on the Universe at large, although it implied that gravity works the same everywhere. The universal application of gravity was left to Albert Einstein, who formulated it more than two centuries later.

Einstein's Cosmology

Scientific cosmology really began in 1917, when Albert Einstein's published the final modification to his theory of gravity in the paper 'Cosmological Considerations of the General Theory of Relativity'. This paper prompted early cosmologists such as Willem de Sitter, Karl Schwarzschild and Arthur Eddington to explore the astronomical consequences of the theory of relativity.

Mount Wilson astronomer Harlow Shapley championed the model of a cosmos made up of the Milky Way star system only a static unchanging universe. Einstein also believed this and 'fudged' his equations of general relativity to represent this static state. He introduced a 'cosmological constant' that prevented the universe from contracting or expanding, which was what his original equations told him.

Heber D. Curtis, on the other hand, suggested that the observed spiral nebulae were star systems in their own right, or 'island universes'. In 1923-24 Edwin Hubble detected novae in the Andromeda galaxy and then showed its distance to be way beyond the Milky Way's boundaries. This settled the debate and it was accepted that the Milky Way was not all the universe there is. However, the cosmos was still thought to be static and unchanging.

Modern Cosmology

Subsequent modeling of the universe explored the possibility that the cosmological constant introduced by Einstein may result in an expanding universe, depending on its value. In 1929, Edwin Hubble's discovered the red shift of the light of distant galaxies, indicating that they move away from the Milky Way. Hence, the universe must be expanding.

Einstein promptly repudiated his earlier 'fudge factor' and declared that the introduction of the cosmological constant was the "biggest blunder of his scientific career". His original 1917 equations support an expanding universe without the cosmological constant anyway.

In 1931 Georges Lemaitre, a Belgian priest, postulated that an expanding universe meant a creation event at some time in the past. He postulated that the Universe was created from a small 'cosmic egg' and set into motion, expanding until today. This theory was later labeled the 'big bang'.

There were many rival theories to the big bang. The 1964 discovery of the cosmic microwave background radiation by Arno Penzias and Robert Woodrow Wilson was a first step in ruling out many alternative physical cosmologies.

The Golden Age of Cosmology

Recent observations made by the COBE and WMAP satellites observing and accurately measuring this background radiation have effectively, transformed cosmology from a highly speculative science into a predictive science. This has led many to refer to modern times as the "golden age of cosmology".

Present observations match predictions made by a theory called Cosmic Inflation, first proposed by American physicist and cosmologist Alan Guth in 1981. It is a modification of the standard big bang theory that explains how the universe obtained the expansion and solves some problem areas of the big bang satisfactorily.

Today a lot can be scientifically explained, but it is still not possible to technically explain how the universe came forth 'out of nothing'. Modern cosmological research mainly concentrates on 'quantum cosmology', striving to reconcile general relativity with quantum physics. This may provide a scientific answer to this ultimate puzzle that we call 'the Universe'.

Burt Jordaan writes about relativity and cosmology for non-scientists. Read more popular, 'light-technical' articles on cosmology and relativity by clicking here: => http://www.einsteins-theory-of-relativity-4engineers.com/what-is-cosmology.htmlAntonietta Blog50169
Andreana Blog47636

To Secure Or Not To Secure...

If you're thinking of taking out a loan there are a number of options that are open to you, although this will depend on your circumstances and your credit rating. For those that own their own homes, have some level of equity in the home, and have a good credit rating there are both secured and unsecured loan options available. But is it a good idea to secure a loan against your home if you have the option of secured on unsecured?

Some people may not have any option other than to go for a secured loan, such as those with a bad credit rating. If you have bad credit then the chances are that you will not be offered any unsecured finance because the risk is too high to the lender. However, if you have equity in your home then there is a good chance that you can get a secured loan, because the collateral that you provide (i.e. your home) acts as security to the lender.

Other people may have no other option than to opt for an unsecured loan, such as those who do not own their own property, or those with no equity in their home. However, in order to get an unsecured loan you will have to have pretty good credit, as otherwise most lenders may reject your application.

If you do have the choice of either a secured or unsecured loan there are a number of factors to take into consideration when making your decision. There are advantages and disadvantages to both types of loan, some of which are outlined below.

Secured loans

Pros:
- You will usually enjoy greater borrowing power with these loans based on the equity in your home.
- The repayments periods are usually longer, which allows you to enjoy lower monthly repayments.
- These loans are suitable for those with poor credit.

Cons:
- You will usually need to have some level of equity in your home, which is the difference between the value of your home and the amount outstanding on your mortgage or other loan secured on it.
- You could be saddling yourself with a long term debt and a huge financial commitment.
- Your home could be at risk if you fail to keep up with repayments on your home.

Unsecured loans

Pros:
- These loans are available to those that do not own their own home.
- There is no risk of losing the roof over your head if you default on repayments.
- These are shorter term loans, and you will therefore be free of your debt more quickly.

Cons:
- You may not be eligible if you have poor credit.
- The shorter repayment term can mean higher monthly repayments.
- Borrowing power may not be as powerful as with an unsecured loan.

It is important to look at the big picture when looking into loans, and to work out which type of loan is best suited to you based on your needs and your circumstances. http://www.personal-loan-comparison-online.co.uk

Reno Charlton, award-winning writer, shares her financial expertise as a contributing columnist for http://www.credit-card-comparison-online.co.uk and http://www.personal-loan-comparison-online.co.uk.Cathee Blog75275
Buffy Blog58273

A Review of an Accredited Online Degree From Capella University

The possibility of taking Online degree programs have been one of the biggest direct changes in education due to the internet. It is easy and convenient for working adults to be able to take courses without having to fit classes around their busy schedules or commute to campus. One of the more popular accredited online degree programs is offered by Capella University. This school was founded in 1993 and got its accreditation in 1997. After it was accredited, it changed its name and established five schools: Human Sciences, Technology, Education, Psychology and Business.

The school's headquarter is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Within these five schools, there are about 70 different areas of study with more than 650 classes offered. The Capella school has 650 faculty members, more than 550 employed staff and 13,000 students enrolled in courses. As you can see, this is a real college for higher education with real credentials.

The school has its good points as well as its bad points. In order to draw as balanced picture as possible of this school, let's consider both. It has a special individualized portal for each student, called the iGuide. After you enroll, you're granted secure access through this portal to all the academic information you need. This makes it easy to look at and get an overview of courses and transcripts. Through the portal, you have access to your internet classroom, which they refer to as the 'courseroom', where you can get your assignments and post messages.

Most other schools on the internet have online chats and webcams which often don't work very well. At this school however, the technology is all together and in working order. It has a special system for turning in assignments which is very efficient but still easy to use. Just submit all your assignments as zip files or Microsoft Word documents. That's all you have to do.

The school portal offers access to the alumni center which you can use for networking and looking for employment opportunities. There are many other services available, like access to grants and other public money. Some of the graduates have criticized the alumni center as not being so useful, and being mostly just for show. However, most graduates are very happy with it.

Because this school is targeted to students who are already in jobs, its opportunities for on campus employment are pretty bare. The thought is that the reason you've chosen to study there rather than at a more traditional college is that you are already in a jobs . If you live outside Minneapolis, the school does not offer much in the way of employment for its students.

The school does offer a wide range of services to students with various handicaps. There is a variety of software available, and the staff makes an extra effort to accommodate students with disabilities. The school is consistently ranked high among higher educational institutions for its services for disabled students. There is mobility assistance, sign language interpreter service as well and additional time given to those who need it.

Except from those mentioned about, most other services are somewhat lacking, however. There is a campus bookstore where you can buy various kinds of materials including software, as well as books. Like most college bookstores, you can easily find the same books more cheaply other places if you look around a little. Like most schools, the bookstore is used to make some extra money for the school. But, the easy way out of this, for you, is to buy the books you need on the web somewhere. There are lots of services available for buying textbooks online. In spite of this, the Capella school is quite affordable. There are more and more schools coming on the web every year, and those that want to stay must be competitive.

At Capella, there are five schools within the college. They should be considered or reviewed separately in terms of quality. While the Human Sciences, Business, Education and Technology schools are quite good, the Psychology school has been undergoing some issues. There have been some problems with the management, and this has affected the overall quality of the program negatively. Because of these issues or problems, the Psychology school has had to keep changing its Dean, and this has also added to their problems. At the time of this writing, the psychology school is still not accredited by the American Psychological Association, even though it has been running this program for so long.

This shouldn't reflect too badly on school as a whole. Remember, there are 650 faculty members, so there is a load of variety. As a matter of fact, the quality of the instructors has always been commented on by the students who have graduated here. One thing criticised by many is that so many of the faculty are part time contractors, and thus do not have the interests of their students in mind as a highest priority. It is also charged that many of the teachers here are new to teaching on the web, and in being unaccustomed to it are unable to give the best instruction to their students. This charge comes particularly from students who have attended masters or Ph.D. programs here and found the quality of instruction at that level to be lacking. It could be that the strength of this school is in its undergraduate program.

This is what most students attend the school for, so it may be that the instructors are better able to teach at the undergraduate level. There aren't many complaints from undergraduate students about instructor or teacher quality, so this may be the case.

At the Capella university you certainly get a bit of everything. Whether this school is for you depends on a number of different factors. Retrieving and submitting coursework is easy. On the negative side, the quality of the teaching or instruction has consistently been lauded, if at times inconsistent. The fact that every education program is not yet accredited probably reflects badly on the school.

Nevertheless, as internet programs go, it is rated high in all areas. So, if you are looking into pursuing a higher education online, weigh your options well.

Nic Haffner is a writer and internet publisher who likes to write about online accredited degrees and educational issues in general. You can read more at the news and in depth information website http://www.online-accredited-degrees.netAleen Blog8040
Aleta Blog9035

So You've Graduated From High School. Now What?

You know the conventional advice. Take the best classes, get good grades, go to college, get a good job, work very hard, retire on a respectable pension, and live happily ever after. You know that advice because well-intentioned adults may have pounded it into your brain time and time again. But before you go signing your life away to the conventional, consider your other options. And yes, you do have other options.

First of all, look around. Look at the people around you who have taken this advice and decide if that advice has taken them where you want it to take you. Do you realize that most of those people believed that they would be much more successful than they currently are when they were in your shoes? Most of them believed that if you just do what is right, what is conventional, that things would just work out and that wealth would just sort of happen. Did it just sort of happen for them?

Now, if you like where they are in life, and you dont mind it, by all means, follow their advice. But what should you do if you dont want the same kind of life as everybody around you? What if you suspect that there may be much more to life than earning okay money while working 40 hours a week up until you retire? What if you noticed that there are actually children out there who have become self-made millionaires, who never have to work another day of their lives? If you are one of those people, you may be very frustrated over the very limiting options before you. So what should you do?

Here is the first thing you need to do. Relax. Even if you have to make your mind up very soon, right now, as you read this, just pause for a moment and relax. Let me tell you some pretty liberating facts. You do not have to work hard to be successful. You do not need a college education to be successful. You do not have to follow a path in life that you dont want in order to be successful.

Do you realize that there is very useful information available to teach you exactly how to make money? Not books that teach you a new career, or emphasize getting a job, but information, that if applied properly, can actually be making you lots of money immediately? Do you know that if you have the right mindset and follow through on this information, that you can actually retire right now, within days or weeks?

Depending on what youve been taught, that can seem pretty unbelievable. And depending on who reads this, that may even seem irresponsible. But every single word of it is true. And even if you do not retire in weeks, wouldnt it still be worth it if you could retire in a month? Or even a year? Dont believe for one second that you have to be like everybody else. In case you havent noticed, most people are not successful. So why in the world would you take advice from them?

Simply sift through the good information from the bad (yes, there are scams out there), or find somebody who has. Emulate successful people. Do what they tell you to do. You will be exposed to a lot of advice in your lifetime. One very important skill that you should acquire is to be able to sort through any advice that you receive. Everybody has advice, but not everybody is qualified to give it. So the best way of determining what advice you should take is simply to consider the source.

And whatever you do, dont settle for anything. Know that you can do anything in life, even if you dont fully believe it yet. Never give up on your dreams. Theyre really not as unattainable as you may think.

This article can only be used if the following is displayed with a live link:Cele Blog3180
Berti Blog6630

Baby Shower Gifts - The Secrets That Make Sure Your Baby Gifts Are Unique And Stand The Test Of Time

When it comes to baby shower gifts, how much do you know about it?

Baby showers are a great distraction for mothers to be, while they wait in anticipation for their brand new little bundle of joy.

For those arranging the party, it can be a lot of fun setting up beautifully themed baby shower decorations and preparing the seating and side dishes, along with the most important part - the gift table.

While all of the preparation is going on, the guests are just as busy.

Guests have their own little mission and that is to compete with all of the other guests to find the mom and baby-to-be the coolest, most unique baby shower gifts.

Gone are the days when a few diapers, bibs, bonnets and booties were considered to be an ample gift. Although these are useful baby gifts, they are lacking in fun, uniqueness and will quickly be forgotten by the mother to be when her bundle of joy comes into the world.

So how does a guest make sure that their baby shower gifts are both remembered and treasured?

Easy, by making sure that the baby gift is useful, unique and can be used long after the baby has been born - a gift that will stand the test of time.

Personalized photo albums, wall prints that can hold the new born birth certificate or even personalized treasure boxes are great examples of new baby gifts that will keep on giving long after the diapers and booties have gone or are lost.

You may notice that all of the above baby shower gifts have one thing in common - they are personalized.

Cool baby shower gifts are those that look as though a lot of thought has gone into them which show that you really care. Not a baby shower gift that looks as though you have jumped in the car minutes before the party, gone to the mall and grabbed the first thing that looked like a baby gift, then gone out to get your hair done.

But if you shop online for the perfect gift, you can be getting your hair done as well as have the perfect gift, :-)

When choosing baby shower gifts that are unique, useful, personalized and absolutely cool, your imagination really is the limit.

So don't just look for traditional, every day, run-of-the-mill newborn baby gifts that everyone else will be purchasing and bringing along to the party. If outrageous baby gifts like diamond set pacifiers aren't your cup of tea, then why not consider getting a beautifully packaged personalized baby gift basket, overflowing with an array of different things for the baby.

Most importantly, remember to include a great greeting card, oftentimes, baby shower cards, along with newborn and birthday cards, are kept as keep sakes.

Make your card funny, personal or what ever really describes the relationship with the new baby and mom to be. Baby showers are supposed to be fun, so enjoy yourself. Baby shower gifts are supposed to be special, so make sure that your gift counts.

Copyright (c) 2006 Qing Gu

Qing Gu is a party planning expert and professional writer for baby related websites. Sign up with the "Planning A Baby Shower with 5 Special Themes" FREE eCourse, you'll be mastering all the exciting, fun and innovative ways to make sure your baby shower a huge succes. http://www.coolest-baby-shower-idea.com/ecourse.Beverlie Blog31768
Carena Blog49839

Bathroom Accessories In Lavender

Bathroom accessories can make or break a bathroom's decor. Bathroom accessories come in many styles. Bathroom accessories come in many colors. The careful shopper will take time to choose both the right style and the right color.

Bathroom accessories in lavender are an example. Lavender bathroom accessories can be had in a variety of styles and a variety of hues. You can find bathroom accessories in dainty lavender flowers on pristine white ceramic. You can find bathroom accessories in lavender wicker with chrome, brass, or bronze bases.

As you seek out bathroom accessories in lavender, you will want to ask yourself several questions. These will help you zero in on what you really want before you begin shopping.

1. Color: There are many shades of lavender. Visit a paint store and find the shade you wish to feature. Are you looking for lavender blue or lavender green? You may remember the old lullaby lyrics that begin with the words, "Lavender's blue, dilly dilly, lavender's green. When you are king, dilly dilly, I shall be queen." You may want to copy out the lyrics and frame them for your bathroom wall. Set a theme with them, and combine bathroom accessories in lavender blues and lavender greens.

2. Style: Do you want bathroom accessories in lavender flowers, or in abstract swirls? Do you prefer simple, clean lines, or more ornate designs? Do you enjoy retro purple lavender or watery, pearl lavender?

Think about the color of your walls and floor before you make decisions on your bathroom accessories. Remember the secret to ideal color combinations: the 60-30-10 rule. Use about 60 percent of one dominant color in your bath decor. Use 30 percent of a lesser color. Use only 10 percent of your accent color.

In this case, lavender bathroom accessories will probably comprise your ten percent of accent color. The lavender should go well with the dominant and lesser colors on walls, floors, and fixtures.

Bathroom Accessories in Lavender Flowers

If you prefer flowers, you might want to look for lavender/purple flowers such as the following on bathroom accessories.

1. Lavender itself flowers from the herb
2. Lavender iris
3. Lavender and yellow pansies
4. Lavender wisteria
5. Lavender lupine

Other Bathroom Accessories in Lavender

Lavender bathroom accessories are available in more than just flowers.

Dragonflies are often depicted in lavender on shower curtains, toothbrush holders, soap dishes, dispensers, and other bathroom accessories.

Whimsical cherubs in lavender, gold, and white are featured in some bathroom accessories. In others, these colors appear on the gossamer gowns and wings of woodland fairies.

Plain lavender bathroom accessories are readily available. The color and style are simple and cooling. They blend well with most bath decors.

Towels and rugs in lavender should match or closely complement the hues used in your other bathroom accessories.

Budget Bathroom Accessories in Lavender

Your budget will go further if you shop garage sales and thrift stores for bathroom accessories in lavender shades. You might want to be creative by selecting objects such as a lavender tumbler or simple vase for a toothbrush holder. Add a lavender dessert dish to hold your soap.

Helpful Tip

When using bathroom accessories in lavender, include a lovely bouquet of dried lavender. Its cool color and relaxing aroma can quickly turn your bath into a luxury retreat.

©2007, Anna Hart. Anna Hart invites you to read more of her articles about bathroom accessories at http://www.easybathroomremodeling.com. Anna has also posted articles on that site about bathroom decorating. If you want to learn more about bathroom decorating ideas for a budget makeover, you wont want to miss her article on the subject.Alisa Blog30344
Allissa Blog80149

Rabat Hotels: More than Just a Tourist's Resting Place

Your Moroccan adventure won't be complete without exploring the magnificent capital of this North African kingdom. Rabat is a must-see for every person in this busy world. The city simply offers a relaxing environment through tranquil beaches, comfortable Rabat hotels, and the majestic view of the vast Atlantic ocean. Aside from the comforting atmosphere, Rabat is also a great place to visit if you want to stay away from the hurly-burly of your modern-day lifestyle. You can surely take a break by staying in Rabat hotels.

However, despite the august reasons for you to indulge in your Rabat travel, many tourists still find one downside to visiting this city. Though tourists may come and go as they please, they usually find it difficult to get a place to stay. People in Rabat are somewhat shy, so please do not expect them to offer you their nice abode if you are new to this place. Instead, take delight in staying in one of the homey Rabat hotels to revel in this fascinating city even for a couple of days.

Unlike in other places where hotel accommodations can be horrible, staying in Rabat hotels is fortunately not a burden to endure. The Rabat hotel experience is indeed, a great pleasure to most tourists. After a long day of sight-seeing, Rabat hotels offer travelers like you with other forms of delight and convenience. In this list, you'll find more reasons to stay longer:

1. Relaxation after a long day of Rabat travel

Walking around Rabat, taking photographs, and shopping from one store to another can exhaust all your energy. At the end of the day, you'll definitely yearn for a soothing spa treatment or appreciate a massage to relax your tired body. But don't worry, Rabat hotels have top-of-the-line facilities and services to provide you with stuff that you need. With steam rooms and Middle Eastern medicine-inspired treatments, you'll surely find ways to calm your weary mind and soul.

2. Learning that never stops

Though you're in Rabat to take a break from your usual business, there's simply no reason why your mind shouldn't be fed with important information. Tourists like you love to travel so they can learn more, and this learning should never stop once you enter your hotel room. Fortunately, Rabat hotels can help satisfy this hunger for knowledge by providing you with complimentary newspapers and magazines. In addition to this, you can also do a little research about the city by using the hotel's Internet facilities.

3. Non-stop exciting activities

Going back to your hotel in this splendid city need not be dull and unsettling. While in other places, returning to your hotel simply means ending your fun-filled adventure to get some sleep-- this is certainly not the case in Rabat. After visiting a stream of Rabat tourist spots, more thrilling activities still await you in your hotel. Golf courses and swimming pools are only some of the greatest recreational facilities that Rabat hotels have to offer. But should you choose not to engage in heavy physical activities, you still can hang out with your friends or loved ones at coffee shops and bars within the vicinity.

Rabat hotels are more than just a resting place. They give tourists great reasons to keep on coming back to Morocco. The enjoyment they get from their activities inside Rabat hotels will always be one of their most meaningful Moroccan memories.

Rcon Franchesca Pascua is an in-house writer for the online media company Intelligraph Corporation. She enjoys traveling to exotic destinations and writing about her Morocco travel adventures. For more information on Rabat hotels, visit http://www.morocco-emotions.comBetty Blog94984
Blakeley Blog21113

Finding The Perfect Engagement Ring

The giving of rings to profess to the rest of the world the love that a couple has for each other can be traced way back into the earliest times. Though there is much debate as to the specific roots of this tradition, everyone agrees on one thing at some point in a couples relationship, the engagement ring becomes an integral part of their relationship. In the Western World, tradition dictates that the woman wear the ring on the fourth finger of the left hand. Some say that this practice can be attributed to the Romans who considered that finger to be the vena amoris or vein of love, going straight to the heart.

Some prefer to surprise their loved one with the ring when they pop the question during the momentous event called the proposal. Others prefer to go shopping for an engagement ring together. Whatever the case, a lot of thought and effort go into picking out the perfect engagement ring.

There is no hard and fast rule as to what an engagement ring should look like or what it should be made of. The most popular type would be the diamond engagement ring. Yet there is a host of other gems and settings that would make a perfectly good engagement ring.

If you are at a loss and you have no clue as to how to go about picking out your engagement ring, you might want to check out Engagement Rings and Diamond Cuts at Engagement Rings Sale.com. There are literally hundreds, maybe even thousands, of web pages on the Internet featuring jewelry. At Engagement Rings, though, you will find all that you need to know about rings. If you have absolutely no idea about what kind of ring you want, then you can start from scratch and read all about different stones from diamonds to semiprecious stones and different settings from gold to platinum. If you have a rough idea of what you want, say a diamond engagement ring, then you will find in depth information on different cuts, sizes, and the like. At Engagement Rings, you will also find assistance on how to buy or design your own engagement ring.

More than the design of the ring, Engagement Rings also give you information on the more practical aspects of engagement rings. You will find helpful information on how to set a budget for your ring, how to stick to it, and still get the ring you want. More so, you will find tips on getting insurance for your ring. Of course, you wouldnt want to leave such a precious thing uninsured, would you? Anticipating possible future issues, Engagement Rings also offers information on return policies of course this is done in a general manner as policies would differ from store to store.

Whether you are still toying around with the idea of giving her that ring or youve already set your mind on it, give Engagement Rings a visit and make your life a lot easier while deciding on that perfect engagement ring.

John Caldwell has built the most comprehensive online resource for finding the perfect engagement ring! To get an incredible deal now or gain further information, please visit: http://www.engagement-rings-sale.comAgata Blog69806
Alejandra Blog85920

Sucking n Shocking: Sicko Reveals

Michael Moore's latest flick has finally hit the nail on the head. The release of Sicko in the American theatres has heaped up a controversy. Released on 29th June 2007, this documentary film not only investigates the US healthcare system but also point out numerous loopholes associated with it. These loopholes have been featured as those US health insurance companies that function at the cost of the lives of its citizens.

Christened as a wickedly funny satire by many, Sicko pungently reveals the inadequacies of the American healthcare system. Its narrative is infused with instances of the inhuman behavior of multiple health insurance companies who have been responsible for the death of numerous patients. The irony lies in the fact that these companies reward those employees who have helped to negate company expenditure by denying maximum number of health coverage requests. One such memorable piece recounted in the movie is that of Linda Peeno, who denied a life-saving operation to a man. Her decision was held in high esteem as she saved half a million dollars her company had to incur.

The shocking realities do not end here. The movie presents paraphernalia of woes caused due to the sucking policies of the American healthcare system. The exorbitant cost of American drugs is no news. But its adverse consequences on the commoners have been portrayed movingly. Frank, an elderly man, works at Pathmark to pay for his medicine. Next, we come across a married couple, who was forced to move in with their daughter because the father had three heart attacks, and the mother suffered serious problems as well. Moore almost moves the audience to tears when he projects the case Rick who accidentally chopped off the tops of his middle and ring fingers. Disclosing his inability to pay for both the operations, the hospital offered him a choice of reattaching his middle finger at 60,000$ or his ring finger at 12,000$. A romantic to the core, Rick chose his ring finger to be reattached for a bargain price of 12 grand.

All these instances are tragic indeed, but the interview with Becky, a health insurance worker, is a haunting one. She breaks down while recounting the experience of her grueling job. It is through her that Moore reveals how the American healthcare system not only leaves out 50 million uninsured citizens but also negates aid to the 250 million insured Americans. As Moore himself testifies, "This is not a broken system, this is a sick system", and Sicko presents a statement to Moore's vision.

This brilliantly directed film does well to make a comparison between the US healthcare system and the healthcare policies of such nations as France, Cuba, England, and Canada. The scene where Moore strolls around the streets of France with a doctor attending on house calls, presents a stark contrast to the inhospitable, rather hostile American healthcare system. The movie ends with Moore taking a group of 9/11 victims to Cuba, leaving a question unanswered: "Is it so hellish to live in America?" The answer, most certainly, lies with the people; but the movie, too, obliquely points to a solution: medical tourism. The new mantra of medical tourism has been attracting a lot of American patients to look for healthcare and medical facilities outside the US. So, if Sicko's reality bites, there is medical tourism to offer you a healing treatment!

Suzanne Macguire is an Internet marketing professional with expertise in content development and technical writing in a variety of industries.Ashley Blog1914
Caitlin Blog19590

Secured Loans - Cashing In On Rising House Prices

Look in any estate agent's window and it becomes clear very quickly how much house prices are rising across the UK. But that can be a real advantage to a homeowner looking to raise some quick cash - perhaps to consolidate credit card and other debts or to embark on some home improvements.We're talking secured loans here, of course, perhaps the easiest form of loan to obtain.That's because security for the loan is provided by bricks and morter - your home, in other words.And because there are so many lenders willing to provide such loans, because the borrower is offering bricks and morter as security, some really competitive loan rates are available.The secured loan takes advantage of the equity which may be locked up in the value of a home. For example, a home bought for 60,000 (via a mortgage) may, years later, be worth double the purchase price or more because of the steady, increasing rise in house prices.And it's this difference in value then and now, known as the equity, which allows the homeowner to borrow against and which is attractive to the lender.

The loan may be provided by the lender of the original mortgage. Or it may be obtained via a second mortgage, through a different lender. The homeowner could also obtain a remortgage, for a larger amount.No matter by what method the secured loan is obtained, if the homeowner defaults on repayments, the lender can repossess the property and get back the money borrowed.And of course the lender providing the original mortgage has a legal first charge.This means their claim has priority over the claim of any subsequent lender involved.As such, because of the perceived increased risk, the rates offered by the second lender will usually be higher.

So how much can you borrow? Depends on the equity. What sort of terms are available? Anything from a few years to 10, 20 or more years. What rates can you expect? Somewhere around 6% to 7% is fairly common.But it all depends on your circumstances - and everyone's situation is different.Talk the matter over with an independent financial adviser first before taking the plunge.

Ian Duncan is the owner of http://www.1clickfinance.com and http://www.dm-loans.co.uk - proving secured loans.Caryn Blog41028
Beitris Blog70988

A Logo Without Your Name... Can Be A Big Branding Pain!

I often get asked to develop a small business's logo as a symbol-only logo. But for many small businesses, this isn't the right choice for a couple of reasons.

Designing a symbol-only logo is a much more complicated (and often more expensive) process, because the symbol has to:

- Carry a lot more meaning - there's no text to help explain the business. It's important that your logo has some meaning and a role in explaining your business - and that's a lot for a little symbol to do all by itself.

- Be entirely unique all on its' own. I don't need to tell you that there are a whole lot of logos out there. A lot of the basic shapes - and even some of the more complicated ones - are already "owned" by big corporations. But you can still use variations or combinations of those shapes when they're designed into a logo with your company name.

- Communicate to your audience. The more obscure the symbol design that you create, the less likely that your customers will understand its meaning. Or they may interpret it incorrectly. Either way your clients will feel alienated - and that's never good.

If you do create a symbol-only logo, you'll have a couple of challenges with your brand identity:

- It will take a lot more time and effort to educate your target audience about your business. Think of all the symbol-only logos that are really memorable, like Nike or Apple. The reason that those are so memorable and well-known is that each of those companies has a very large advertising budget. They can afford to dedicate people and time to getting the word out. Their deep pockets build visibility and encourage recognition. Small businesses just don't have those kinds of resources.

- Trademark infringement can be more of a problem - from both sides of the fence. It can be very difficult for your designer to design a logo that won't look like any other trademarked logo out there, regardless how hard they try.

1. First of all, it's hard for a designer to comprehensively research all of the other trademarked logos just to see what you're up against. However, the Trademark Office has more thorough tools and methods of researching the other existing logos out there and they might find one that you overlooked.

2. Secondly, logos and trademarks can be a bit subjective. Just because you and your designer think that the design that you've created doesn't infringe on other logos, the Trademark Office might reject your application based on their interpretation of "similarity"

3. And you're not just worrying about what the Trademark Office thinks. Any other business with an existing trademark could also challenge your application. They can even ask you to cease-and-desist using your logo after it has been trademarked if they held their trademark to a similar logo first. While surrendering might not seem like such a bad thing, remember that you'd also have to destroy any existing printed collateral, forfeit your trademark (and the trademarking process isn't cheap!) and redesign all of your materials. You'll also lose the equity and memorability that you will have built up in your logo if you do have to redesign.

If you do finally manage to design and trademark a symbol-only logo, you'll have to be extra-vigilant about making sure that other companies don't design a mark that's similar to yours. You are ultimately responsible for "policing" your own trademark and will have to stay up-to-date on trademark applications.

Alternately, you could hire someone to keep an eye on new trademarks for you but that can be expensive.

You can easily avoid all of these complications by designing a combination logo that includes both a symbol and your company name. Once you've designed your combination logo, you should always use the components together. This helps avoid potential legal issues like those mentioned above.

Erin Ferree is a brand identity and marketing design strategist who creates big visibility for small businesses. Through her customized marketing and brand identity packages, Erin helps her clients design effective websites that help them extend their brands, bring in new clients and make sales. http://www.elf-design.comCaye Blog79620
Anallese Blog19245

How I Became A Radio DJ In Japan

I'd been living in Japan for a few years after giving up my Police career as a Detective in Melbourne, Australia. I was fluent in Japanese and had done a number of TV programs here in Japan, when my future turned from TV to Radio.

One day I bumped into a guy who I went to school with when I was an exchange student for one year here in Niigata, Japan. He'd gotten into the dating business and asked me if I would be the MC at the dating parties which are where guys and girls come together and exchange profiles and get to meet each other. It's good because it gives them an opportunity to meet others.

Unknown to me, a female spy from one of the other dating groups in town had joined the party to see how we run our parties. Luckily I was the MC at that party. She turned out to be a high spirited person, and a person who was to be my partner for 18 months on radio. Her name was Ryoko Mizobuchi.

Ryoko whilst now working for her dating company had previously worked on radio as a DJ and wanted to return to radio. A new radio station covering the whole of the Niigata Prefecture was about to start and was advertising for staff. Without phoning the station for an appointment she went to the station burst through the doors and asked for a job as a DJ.

Ryoko got the job and the owner of the production company for the radio station asked her if she knew any foreigners that spoke Japanese well. She told him of me and one other guy. Now the guy I was doing the MC dating work for rang me and said, "I'm going to do a dating corner on this new radio station called FM Port, Niigata. The corner will be about love and dating and I want you to do the corner on the radio, so come with me to FM Port to talk with production company boss.

I went with him to FM Port and for the 30 minutes we were there the boss of the production company spoke to me about lots of things. I didn't think it was an interview so I just talked and joked with the boss. I was then offered a job as a radio DJ, 4 hours on air everyday except Sunday! The boss told me to come back the following Tuesday for a final interview and test. Heck I didn't even know that our chat was an interview. Read on:

Read the rest of this article at http://mlmbuff.comCasi Blog72498
Cathy Blog67057

An Understanding Of Moores Law

It's plain to see that the computing speed found in the personal computers of today has been steadily picking up steam since the market began. Many wonder when our technology will begin to taper off, but according to a man named Gordon Moore, we're only beginning to tap the potential of what we can do with our computer systems.

Gordon Moore was a co-founder of the popular Intel brand. Aside from this substantial title, Moore is most commonly known due to his assertion of what became known as Moore's law. In the April, 1965 issue of Electronics Magazine, Moore put forth his beliefs about semiconductors:

"The complexity for minimum component costs has increased at a rate of roughly a factor of two per year ... Certainly over the short term this rate can be expected to continue, if not to increase. Over the longer term, the rate of increase is a bit more uncertain, although there is no reason to believe it will not remain nearly constant for at least 10 years. That means by 1975, the number of components per integrated circuit for minimum cost will be 65,000. I believe that such a large circuit can be built on a single wafer."

Surely, when he said it, Moore had no idea how significant his assertion was. The statement was taken to heart by a Caltech professor by the name of Carver Mead, who dubbed the belief "Moore's Law". In 1975, Moore stated that he believed his equation would continue to hold true, save the fact that it would take 2 years for a doubling of the computing power. His statement was made based off of what he had seen in the market so far and what he predicted it to do. Making the announcement may have actually helped to push computer scientists to follow and achieve the goal throughout the years. Clearly, the manufacturers have been meeting that goal. Questions arise, however, about the theory's validity in the coming years. Moore himself has stated that the size of the transistors that we are building cannot get much smaller unless we figure out a significant method of changing the process. He still believes that we will continue to progress for the next 10 to 20 years at the same rate, but is curious as to where computing can go from there. At Moore's rate, it would place machines capable of processing 100 gigahertz of information per second in our houses as soon as 10 years from now.

Kadence Buchanan writes articles for http://computerinformationsource.com/ - In addition, Kadence also writes articles for http://fortheloveofscience.com/ and http://4educationinformation.com/.Bridget Blog46269
Arabele Blog33244

A Guide To Paying Back A Student Loan

A borrower has certain responsibilities to take care of, once a loan is negotiated. In order to keep your loan in good standing, it is important to fulfill all your obligations. A lapse in making a single payment indicates delinquency. You could get into the default record if you continue to ignore your loan repayments. If you face any trouble in arranging funds for paying back your student loan, you need to contact the organization that provided the loan. There are chances that you may qualify for forbearance, deferment or any other form of payment relief.

In most of the cases, student loans do not require repayment until after graduation. Many fresh graduates do not find a suitable placement very quickly. However, after graduation, there is a six months grace period before the repayment schedule begins. Even though a student may identify a good job, he could initially be underpaid, leading to issues with the repayment of the loan.

There are several strategies that could be adopted to help you repay the loan. Student loan lenders and service providers offer several repayment options. You should check with your creditor to gather details on any such available plans. Repayment plans offer the following options:

- Graduated repayment: The payment is lower in the beginning and increases steadily over a period of time.
- Standard repayment: Interest payments and principals are due each month, throughout the repayment term.
- Income sensitive repayment: A percentage of the borrowers monthly income forms the basis of calculating the monthly repayment, although this plan applies for certain account borrowers.
- Extended repayment: This incorporates lower monthly payments for an extended period of 25 years.
- Loan consolidation: You can consolidate several loans into one new loan, with a low interest rate and easy finance management opportunities.
- Prepayment: This can reduce your total cost of borrowing because most private student loans allow you to make payment of a part or your entire loan before the scheduled payment. This can be done anytime during the life of the loan.

In addition you should check:

- Your state might be offering programs that reduce or even cancel your loan if you perform certain services like, nursing or teaching. You can get in touch with the state agency for postsecondary education, to check if there are such programs available in your state.
- There are religious and civic organizations that provide certain benefits and aid in repayment.
- Your personal expenses may need to be analyzed and kept minimum. Try to keep your living expenses low initially.
- It is possible to apply for forbearance, deferment or any other payment relief programs.

Deferment: It is the temporary suspension of the loan payment if you re-enroll yourself in a school, are unemployed or facing any economic hardship.

Forbearance: This is also a reduction or postponement of the loan payment, temporarily, while you are in any financial difficulty.

Other forms: These may include graduate or income sensitive loans.

If you are facing financial difficulty and it is impossible for you to repay the loan immediately, you can always take refuge in these options. They not only help you to repay your loan easily, but also help you maintain a good credit report.

Joe Kenny writes for the UK Loans Store for loans UK and offer more information on student loans and other loan topics available on site.Ailee Blog39510
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Hot Market For Ultrasound Schools Graduates

To jumpstart your new career in a growing field, find and compare ultrasound schools with our quick and easy search for programs specializing in diagnostic medical sonography (ultrasound). In a heartbeat, you'll have information on the schools available in your area as well as online training options.

If you're wondering whether ultrasound training is really worth it, consider this:

-- A first year ultrasound technician can now earn up to $72,000 annually in the United States, which is a 30% increase over what sonographers earned just three years ago.

-- The number of jobs for diagnostic medical sonographers is expected to continue increasing for several years as scientists and physicians find new uses for the technology. For example, as ultrasound relies on sound waves rather than radiation, many patients and doctors prefer it over traditional x-rays. In addition, with the growing trend towards outpatient care, there are more private clinics springing up across the nation, and they need to employ their own team of sonographers.

-- While ultrasound is probably best known for its use in tracking pregnancies, ultrasound technicians can work in a variety of medical areas, such as neurology (brain), cardiology (heart), and oncology (cancer), among others.

-- Jobs for recent ultrasound schools graduates combine technical skill with human contact. Ultrasound technicians have direct contact with patients and are often responsible for explaining the procedure to them.

-- Competition for jobs is generally limited to other qualified individuals who have studied at ultrasound Schools or received comparable training.

You may think years of schooling are required to become an ultrasonagrapher. Actually, you can complete your training and join the workforce in as little as two years if you choose to study for an Associate's Degree. You can also study for a four-year Bachelor's Degree in ultrasound. Many colleges offer both options. Online study programs are also available and can often be completed in less time.

Ramon Mackenzie is the webmaster for http://www.my-career-education.com. To get an idea of the ultrasound Schools out there and learn more about their programs, check out http://www.my-career-education.com/ulstrasound-schools.htmBenedicta Blog14184
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Switching To VoIP?

VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is one of the newest available technologies in the field of communication. What is VoIP, you may ask? It is directing of audio exchange done online or other IP-based network. Simply put, analog signals in a normal telephone line are transformed into digital data and transmitted through the internet. Switching to VoIP is a very wise and economical move.

Quite a number of individuals and organizations are switching to VoIP. The main factor that influences this shift is the cost. The technology of VoIP is less expensive compared to that of the PSTN (Public Switch Telephone Network) which is used in analog phones. Apart from that, VoIP service providers offer extra features such as call display and call forwarding at no extra cost, compared to regular analog phone services that charge fees for functionalities outside of the regular telephone connection.

If you, like the many people who have switched to VoIP, are looking forward into making the leap to the other side, there are certain factors that you have to consider to be able to make a successful switch.

When switching to VoIP, you must keep in mind that you may or may not be able to keep your phone number. If your VoIP provider has the capability to grant local numbers, you may be able to continue using your old number. There is no guarantee, however, so you really have to check with your prospect service provider if they do have this functionality or not.

Emergency hotline numbers are very important. If you are an individual or an organization who wants the ease of contacting an emergency hotline such as 911, you must first think hard about switching to VoIP. This is a minor glitch in the technology. Your VoIP provider may be able to register your address and number to 911 and other emergency numbers. However, this feature can be limited. If, for example, you dial 911, but are unable to speak, the operator will not be able to locate you and therefore help will not be dispatched easily. Of course, since technology is evolving so fast nowadays, a solution for this slight hiccup may well be on its way. Until such time, it is best to also keep your analog phone line, if emergency numbers are very important to you.

Power outages cannot be ignored. Even if blackouts do not occur very often, it is best to be prepared at all times. Sure, UPS (uninterrupted power supply) and battery backups may sustain you, but only for a while. It is strongly advised that you keep a backup in the form of a mobile phone.

A lot of people are now switching to VoIP. And if its features intrigue you and you would like to make the switch, it is highly recommended that you scout for a VoIP provider that can give you the best service and most reasonable price. Some extra features in a VoIP service may include call forwarding, call display and call waiting. Features like long-distance or overseas calls may have some extra charge. But try to look around. Some VoIP providers have promos on these elements that will help you save some cash.

Once you have found the best VoIP provider suited for your needs, you will be supplied with a gadget called Analog Telephone Adapter (ATA) which will enable you to use your old analog phone with VoIP. If you are gadget savvy, you may want to ask your service provider for certain packages that will get you equipped with a router and an IP phone.

You will need some gadgets in order for you to access VoIP. These are broadband modem (can either be DSL or cable), a router and an IP phone. A computer is not a requirement. However, having one will definitely help you access your VoIP account easily.

Switching to VoIP is quite an easy task when you have found the perfect VoIP provider to cater to your needs. Setting it up is even easier. All you need to do is plug the router into the modem and then connect the IP phone to the router. Simple, isnt it?

Luke Cameron is owner of Internet News Wire - an online magazine offering news, tips and articles on Internet related topics. His website can be found at: http://www.internetnewswireinc.com and http://www.internetmaginc.com.Berthe Blog55017
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Understanding Your Credit Score

Most people know that our credit reports have a lot of information about our borrowing history. How credit worthy we are how likely we are to pay off our debts (on time or not) is also looked at as an indicator of how people are likely to behave in other areas. Employers rely on credit reports to see if well be good employees. Landlords pull credit reports to see if well be reliable tenants. Auto insurers rely on credit information when deciding what sort of an insurance risk we are. But for years theres been a piece of the credit report the average consumer has been unable to see.

YOUR CREDIT SCORE

Its called a credit risk score and if you have a credit rating you have one. The scores range from 300 to 850, with a higher score being better than a lower one. Fair Isaac, which is the countrys pre-eminent producer of credit scores, takes information from your credit report, gives different weights to different pieces of that information and how long ago those things occurred, and comes up with a number for you. Then when a lender is trying to decide whether or not to give you a mortgage, for example, or what rate of interest to charge on your loan, the score is one important factor they consider when making a decision.

DO MOST LENDERS USE THESE SCORES?

We know that over 75 percent of home loans are decided with help from as theyre called in the industry FICO (Fair Isaac and Co.) risk scores, and that if you take the 100 largest financial institutions in the country, 70 percent use FICO scores. So theyre definitely a big player in the marketplace.

HOW DO MOST PEOPLE DO?

Not as badly as you might think, considering that bankruptcies are in the headlines so often these days. With the scale ranging from 300 to 850, the average score is about 720.

Below that, you may have problems borrowing. Twenty percent of people score below 620, for example. Since that population includes about half of all people who default on their mortgages, lenders are very wary of extending them credit. The next 20 percent of people score between 620 and 690. A score in this range may not stop you from getting credit, but Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (buyers of mortgages for the secondary market) suggest that lenders probe for more information to understand why theres been a problem before they agree to make a loan. On the high end, anything above 780 is considered elite. Only about one to two percent of consumers score in the 800s.

There are a few factors that make a big difference in your score lets talk about them and how you can make changes in them to improve your score:

-Your bill-paying record (This accounts for 35 percent of your score). We all know to pay bills on time. If you always have, youve done well in this category. If you slip up here and there, it can hurt your score a fair amount. The more recent the slip up, the more it hurts your score.

And, as in all of these categories, a pattern of bad behavior is worse than one mistake. A string of 30-day late payments is worse than one 60-day late. (The way credit scoring works is to compare your habits to those other individuals who have proven to act in a positive or negative way overall. But there are different groups of patterns, so a seasoned user wont be compared to a new user.)

-How much you owe now (30 percent). The scoring companies look at how much you owe relative to how much credit you have available on your credit cards. The closer you are to maxing-out your cards, the lower youll score in this area. But owing nothing doesnt prove your ability to handle credit owing a little bit is better. For example, being at 80 percent of your limit would be viewed as very high and a negative; 60 percent in most cases is detrimental enough. Having your balances at 20 to 30 percent of your maximum is just fine.

-How long youve managed credit (15 percent). This one is interesting. When people are trying to get their credit cards under control, one of the things they do indeed that we advise them to do is to make sure they dont have too many tempting cards in their wallet. But when it comes to your credit score, you may not want to cut up that one card youve had the longest. Then the credit scoring companies lose the ability to see just how long youve been managing credit. It may be better to keep that old card even if its at a high interest rate, use it once a year and pay it off completely rather than cutting it up.

-Mix of credit (10 percent): Its good to show that you can manage different kinds of credit. So having an installment loan (on a home or a car) as well as having a revolving credit account (credit card) is a positive.

-Pursuit of new credit (10 percent): The media often exaggerate how much searching for new credit can hurt you. Thats because, a few years ago, the scorers methodology was changed to reflect the idea that it was OK indeed smart to be shopping around for a loan. So all of your inquiries into a mortgage over a 30-day period now count as one. That said, if you have real credit problems and youre constantly shopping around for new cards or loans, its going to hurt your score. Moderation is key. If youre out looking for credit every month, its a minus. Less fre- quently than that, youll probably be okay.

Now that you have this information, you can use it to your benefit.

When you get your report, you can take it and use it to talk to lenders in a preliminary way. You could talk to a mortgage broker and say, This is my score. How easy will it be for me to get a mortgage? If you buy the FICO score, youll also get a guide explaining how the scores work and the top four factors that contributed to deciding your score. Then, if you need to, you can work on your score before you apply for credit. Give yourself a good six months to get it in shape.

If you go on the Web and search on free credit score, what youll come up with are a number of mortgage lenders and banks who are willing to give it to you. In some cases, you have to actually apply for a loan.

There are other scores that arent FICO scores (even the ones that are legitimate dont have FICOs database). In other cases, providing them with your e-mail address and phone number (so that they can market to you later, one assumes) seems to be sufficient. So if youre willing to give up some personal information, you can get your score for no money. Or you can pay. (Even if youre not up for checking your score, you probably should check your credit report about once a year. If there are problems, you should check all three of the credit bureaus.)

John Prentice is a Credit Expert in the Mortgage Industry, he provides credit score repair information and a credit/finance newsletter at his web site: http://www.AccelerateMyCredit.com.Ailyn Blog9270
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A History and Background of Credit Cards

Credit cards work to make tremendous revenues to credit card companies, banks and retail sales. They do not however work the way they used to work for the customers that temporarily possess them. Many years ago when credit cards were invented and I was a young boy they were a means to finance household items considered necessary. These were things like washing machines and clothes dryers. Credit cards today have such a high interest that they are no longer attractive to purchase such items. Credit cards are primarily now seem to be used to hide and avoid indebtedness.

There is nothing really good about debt. Americans have been convinced by retail salesmen and the banks that to have good credit one must have a solid credit history through credit cards or credit accounts. A solid history means more than the fact that you have consistently made payments on time without failure. The credit card companies and the banks evaluate your spending tends, the debt load over time, your savings history, checking deposit history and actual check spending history. This personal information is felt by these institutions to be proprietary, belonging to the institution because of their unique methods of collection, rather than belonging to the individual who creates this activity.

A credit card, if it is the only credit card you possess, could start improving a portion of bad debt only if you liquidate your current debt in a steady, reliable manner. This will only show a history of reliable payment. As I have already stated banks and credit card companies are not interested only in your reliability, they want the "juice" off of the advanced credit you have obtained. This means they only want you if they can get their interest in a regular and steady manner. This is not the same as pay your debt regularly until it vanishes. They want you to remain indebted permanently but repaying them in a timely manner.

If you are debt free you may not be judged to be a good credit risk. This is the state that underage children and young adults find themselves whenever they attempt to secure a credit card. Simply stated, good credit doesn't mean what it did just fourteen years ago. The protections afforded the consumer since the Depression of 1929 no longer exist. The Financial Laws passed through Congress in 1992 allowed banks, insurance companies,especially health insurance companies investment firms to handle banking, insurance and investment operations. Laws passed after 1929 had prevented banks from insurance and direct stock exchange trading, likewise insurance companies could not pursue banking operations or stock exchange nor could stock exchange companies pursue insurance or banking operations. This freedom was granted without the subsequent protections of the consumer included in these new laws. There currently exists no single body of consumer law. The private citizen must fight the triumvirate of bank,insurance and stock exchange through the court system.

Joseph Kenny writes for the Card Guide, a site where visitors can interest free balance transfers and also read the information on the credit card guide. Visit today: http://www.cardguide.co.ukAlexa Blog39805
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Tips for International Travel

International travel has a few extra rules to follow. To insure a quality travel experience and to avoid trouble, know these tips.

Always bring your ATM card with you. You will be charged a transaction fee by your bank each time you withdraw cash from an ATM machine, but this is your best bet. Just remember to withdraw a few larger amounts as opposed to daily, smaller amounts to avoid numerous bank charges. Most banks charge $1.50 - $5.00 per transaction. Also, depending on the kind of ATM card you have, you may be able to use it in restaurants/stores if the place of business accepts Visa or Mastercard.

When used as a credit card, it will automatically come out of your checking account. In this case, you won't be charged the bank's normal transaction fee. You must remember that many small villages do not have ATM machines, so plan accordingly. Never go to the exchange store fronts on the street or you will be charged a hefty fee. Also, you should bring the name and phone number (the direct line) of your banker just in case you need funds made available while abroad.

Credit cards are another good option since you will get that current day's exchange rate when you receive your bill upon your return home. Credit cards are widely accepted at hotels, restaurants and shops. It is a good idea to bring two different types (Visa or MasterCard and American Express) in case one is not accepted. Keep in mind that most credit card companies charge an additional fee for using credit cards internationally which is usually between 2-3% so check with your credit card company prior to your departure.

Bring more film than you think you will need since film is usually more expensive overseas. Always check the expiration of any film bought overseas.

Bring your passport and make sure it hasn't expired. Before departure, make a copy of your passport and airline tickets and keep in a separate place.

In Italy, you can also change money in the Italian Post Office. They often have better exchange rates and are open Saturday mornings.

I do not advise bringing traveler's checks. I have found that many restaurants and stores do not accept them because of currency fluctuation but you can exchange them at hotel front desks and banks.

Always bring comfortable, "already-broken in" footwear. Don't make the mistake of bringing brand new shoes! Never bring high heels - they will certainly get stuck in the cobblestones in the small villages. Remember, many of these European villages are very hilly with rocky textures.

Before I pack, I make a habit of checking the weather forecast of the country to which I will be traveling. Also, I bring a light jacket and a small umbrella.

For those die hard shoppers, always bring an extra, collapsible suitcase for those precious purchases. You dont want to break your new possessions by placing smashing them into your packed suitcase.

Expanding on the previous note, if you wish to purchase art/home decor while away, always bring the measurements of that area of your home (i.e. table measurements for tablecloths, bed measurements for linens, etc.)

Don't forget your laptop hardware, chargers (for cell phone, digital camera, etc.) and converters (hairdryer, electric shaver, etc.).

If you don't have a cell phone, remember to bring your home telephone company's Access Codes to be sure you get the best rate in calling home. (Each country has a different access code so call your phone company).

If you want to check your email while away and don't have a laptop, remember to bring your email access website information (i.e. www.mail2web.com - you will need your username and password). I always bring my Blackberry to Europe since the service provider has international access. Also, bring your address book - you may want to send postcards!

Laundry services are very expensive overseas so if you want to pack lightly, bring some Woolite to rinse out clothes in the sink. Also, make sure you bring an extra pair of sunglasses.

To avoid over packing, check with your hotel to see if they have a hairdryer and an iron/ironing board.

Always pack a swimsuit - even if it's winter, you'll never know if there might be a heated pool or Jacuzzi!

Use village names as landmarks as opposed to route numbers. By taking these precautions and preparations, you can spend your international vacation enjoying yourself and the surroundings without worrying about the little things.

Jo-Ann Gaidosz is the founder of Active Gourmet Holidays, LLC,(http://www.activegourmetholidays.com) which specializes in European Wine Tours, Italian Culinary Tours, French Culinary Tours, Cooking Classes in Italy, and Italian Cooking Schools.Antoinette Blog3184
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