freetime-adults: 2008

วันศุกร์ที่ 25 กรกฎาคม พ.ศ. 2551

วันอาทิตย์ที่ 20 กรกฎาคม พ.ศ. 2551

Students out of elementary classes and preparing for high school constitute the framework of a middle school. They are aspiring and budding talents striving to realize their potential. Along with classes, events and functions are very often a central part of middle schools. To support extra curricula activities middle schools hold many fundraisers. Middle schools, like other school, have a variety of fundraising choices. For great ideas, the Internet is a valuable resource. There are literally hundreds of websites that have detailed articles about how to run a successful middle school fundraiser. They are also packed with fundraising ideas that are guaranteed to bring in high profits. Go to your favorite search engine and type in middle school fundraisers and take your pick.If you work with a company in your fundraisers, they will give you a percentage of the profits. Customers look through colorful brochures and order products that are usually shipped free of charge and have a return if damaged guarantee. Door to door sales are also a popular middle school fundraiser with candy being the most popular product. Other unique products to sell include treats for animals, candles, gourmet foods and magazines. Food items and other products provided by Gourmet, Dutch Mill Bulbs, Inc., Honeysuckle Cove; Lavenders; Hershey; Avia Candles; Botika Candles etc. are especially popular and raise a lot of money. Jewelry is another effective fundraising technique. This can be done door to door or by catalogue. Team t-shirts with logos and sports gear are also big sellers and usually go quickly. An important point to remember is the more your middle school can do without spending a lot of money, the better your profits will be. Elementary School Fundraisers provides detailed information on school fundraisers, elementary school fundraisers, high school athletics fundraisers, high school fundraisers and more. Elementary School Fundraisers is affiliated with High School Fund Raising Ideas.

Category : General Education

วันศุกร์ที่ 25 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

Home Business Success And Your Passion

Author : Daegan Smith

So what is home based business, home business, mlm, network
marketing really all about? The following report includes some
fascinating information about home based business, home
business, mlm, network marketing--info you can use, not just the
old stuff they used to tell you.

In whatever career you may find yourself in, there is no such
thing as "information overload." Know as much as you can, do
what others do, and what the entire company does. Equip yourself
with a total knowledge of your work environment, enough to make
you feel like you own the network. Who knows, you may someday.

Walking an extra mile, being organized at work, honesty,
trust-worthiness, dependability, being a team player, loyalty,
and resourcefulness are the must-be characteristics of your
passion.

Are you the type of worker who is always looking forward to
Monday morning? Or you are the type of worker who's pleading and
hoping that it will always be Friday the other day? There are
workers who are called TGIF workers? What is TGIF? TGIF stands
for Thank God It's Friday. TGIF workers can't wait for their
minimum of 8 hours a day to finish. If you classify yourself as
a TGIF worker, then you are certainly lacking something or
missing something important in your career life - passion.

What does it take to be passionate in your job? There is always
that old maxim "Do what you love the most." A passionate worker
always has the appetite to go to work every day. He or she
doesn't mind if it's Monday or Friday. He or she treats everyday
as an important day in his or her career life. What do you think
is the result of being a passionate in your career life? When
you are passionate in your job, you enjoy it and even seek for
more. There is always the idea in your mind that you can always
do better than that. You are not satisfied to mediocre work. And
it pays to be a passionate worker not because you will be
accelerated into higher position nor you will be given extra
compensation, but because you can get things done in your work
with a sense of appreciation.

So far, we've uncovered some interesting facts about home based
business, home business, mlm, network marketing. You may decide
that the following information is even more interesting.

In your work as an entrepreneur at home, you got to have extra
passion. Why do you need it? You might be asking. Take this for
an instance; can you able to sit a little longer whenever a
meeting comes? Can you stay a little longer if you're
transacting some business matters to a customer that asks too
many questions? In short, can you be patient enough but
maintaining the passion in you? You can be energetic enough in
your work but it demands greater than that. Still, you need
passion in your work.

So, what separates a passionate worker to a worker that only
minds work?

People who practice passion in their work always perform their
work at their best. They always strive for perfection in
everything. They see perfection as unattainable in most things.
But their eagerness drive them much nearer to it than those
whose laziness and despondency make them give it up as an
imperfection. Passionate workers put extra care in their work
and they aren't satisfy for anything less.

At this point you might be asking either one or more of the
following questions: 1. Do I need passion even though my work is
just a home business? 2. To whom will I use passion? 3. What
will passion do for me? What is its impact in my performance? 4.
How may I know my passion?

The last question on the list is very interesting. In one way or
the other, passion creates a difference in terms of performance
between a passionate worker and the other. What do you like the
most? What are your interests? What type of job do you enjoy the
most? The answers to these questions vary depending on the
personality of a worker. But whatever will it be, if you can
answer the questions then that will be your checklist on how you
may know your passion. Each worker has different passion. One's
passion is not the same with the other. Your job as a home
business representative takes a little talking to different
people. If you found that your passion is more on communication,
then you are really entitled for the home business. If you like
to deal with different people and enjoy front liner's job, you
are really fitted for the home business.

So now you know a little bit about home based business, home
business, mlm, network marketing. Even if you don't know
everything, you've done something worthwhile: you've expanded
your knowledge.

Category : Yoga

วันจันทร์ที่ 14 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

The first Steps You Have to Do When You Email to New Subscribers to Earn Trust & Be Respected As An

Author : Gley Yahya

This short email in opt tutorial shows you some of my favorite
tips and techniques for dealing with new subscribers to get them
hooked so they stay in your list.

The main goal of email in opt tutorial is to explain how to
develop a communication process with your new subscribers to
build trust.

One of the biggest aspects of online business is trust, and how
you are perceived. If you make a bad first impression, or come
off as someone just in it for the money, people are smarter than
that. They'll see it coming a mile away, especially with all of
the scams and people getting ripped off today.

Email in opt tutorial is composed with two main parts if you
neglect one part things will go wrong. Please give all parts the
required attention.Â

Part one of email in opt tutorial - make sure you have a
system ready to take action!

Note: Don't buy or rent a mailing list unless you make sure
the subscribers in the list know they will receive your
marketing messages.

Before you buy, rent email list or start collecting email
addresses from your web site, you need to have a solid system in
place that will allow you to communicate with your list and
allow them to get to know you and trust you.Â

Most of subscribers you will receive are new online users and /
or new businesses starters. They are info seekers. They opt in
because they want information about your product or service now.
They won't wait for tomorrow to receive it.Â Use autoresponder to
offer free valuable information via email! All you have to do is
create your own series of email training to educate your
prospects.

- Get quality autoresponder service. You obviously can't do this
on an individual basis, because it would be nearly impossible as
your list gets bigger, but you can easily do this through your
automatic responder services.Use addtracker to track your
potential clients foot steps and adjust your marketing efforts
accordingly.

- Make sure you have your tracking systems in place so you know
what's going on once the promotions begin and the traffic hits.
Don't do any guesswork. You need SCIENTIFIC numbers telling you
what's going on, what's happened and what you need to do to
increase sales and profits.

Part two of email in opt tutorial - How to structure your
autoresponder messages.

Don't ruin your business by sending out 50 or more follow up
advertising messages. People are becoming very careful about
requesting anything for fear of being spammed to death for doing
it.

- Teach your subscribers.

Set up seven parts autoresponder email course. Each course
contains helpful information and quality gift related to the
course theme.

Email courses are a very good way to build your reputation as a
provider of useful information. Setup an email course series a
bout a hot topic. Give quality information in the course. Don't
advertise any product during the course phase. Don't show your
subscribers you are here only for money. Instead, invite them to
visit your website to see your special marketing offer, your web
site update, your quality free information, etc... and the ways
are endless to put your offer in front of your potential
customer.

In each course you may send a free quality brandable ebook or
software where you advertise your affiliate programs. Allow your
subscribers to brand the product with their name to help them
make money they will think you for doing so.

- Show them you are a real person.

Put your contacts info including your email address, your
physical address, phone number, etc... in all your outgoing
messages to make it easy for your subscribers to contact you and
feel they are dealing with an authentic marketer. Show them your
photo, your family photos or your employees' photo. Send them to
where they can read about you.

- Let Your Subscribers Know You.

After your email course series is over hook your subscribers
with your follow up messages series.Â

Set up a series of follow up messages. You can set up a whole
series of follow up messages that show your potential customer
that you are concerned with their satisfaction and you are here
to help them succeed.

In your first tree messages or so do not promote any product or
service you are selling at all. These three messages are
designed to open an unstoppable dialog between you and your
potential customers to build relationship and trust.Â

Instead of sales pitches, you'll be sending out to your new
subscribers a series of emails that talk about anything you want
but no product promotion. You may talk about yourself, your
likes & dislikes, your favorite hobby, what you do for a living,
any websites you have, etc. You can even talk about your family
and friends if you want.

After they receive your emails that talk about what you have
chosen to talk about. Invite your subscribers to contact you in
a friendly manner. Let them know you are there to help them. Ask
them to send you emails talking about anything and everything
they want to talk about. Your subscribers won't contact you on
their own if you don't invite them.

In this introductory phase of the process, keep sending to your
subscribers a quality information and gifts that they can't find
elsewhere. When people see you as a provider of good information
that they can use and profit from, then your reputation and the
reputation of your company becomes more credible.Â

When this happens people will be more likely to buy your
products and services or indeed the products or services you
recommend them.

As soon as the communication starts up between you and your
subscribers, start collecting information about your
subscribers. Information like what business they are involved
in? What are their concerns and fears? Their gender, age, where
they live? What's their problem?

Once you have built trust and collect information....

At this time start sending promotional messages that promote
quality products. Do not promote any product before you try it.
If you try to promote a product you have never used, it will
show. The visitor will see and feel the lack of sincerity and
your reputation will suffer accordingly. Â If you follow these
techniques you will build a quality email list of ready to buy
subscribers.

Permission email marketing is an art. Permission email marketing
is not a hard science. Without question, email marketing is the
most affordable and effective tool in your marketing arsenal.Â

You can use email marketing to maximize all of your other sales
and marketing activities and improve the return on investment
(ROI) of every dollar you spend to obtain new business.

If you want to buy targeted email list do it wisely. Do not send
messages to these lists unless you are sure that they know they
will receive marketing messages from you.Â

Category : Travel Tips

วันอาทิตย์ที่ 13 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

Beachbliss Swimwear and Fashions Launches Retail Website Offering Over 600 Styles of Swimwear with Free Shipping on all Orders

Author :

Beachbliss Swimwear and Fashions (<a href="http://www.beachbliss.com" target="_blank">http://www.beachbliss.com</a>) announces the initial launch of its retail website with free shipping on all orders. Debuting with an initial product line of over 600 styles of swimwear from several designer brands, Beachbliss plans to offer one of the largest selections of swimwear available online. Shoppers will also find accessories such as cover-ups and jewelry, active wear, club wear, lingerie, and sleepwear.Along with its growing selection, Beachbliss is also highly focused on customer satisfaction. "We give each customer individual attention to ensure that they are happy with their shopping experience. Free shipping is part of this customer satisfaction program," says founder Frank Wong. In addition, customers are able to enter a "Please Deliver By" date for shoppers that are heading out to vacation spots to ensure timely delivery of orders. Beachbliss also has a standard 30 days no hassle return/exchange policy.Shoppers looking for swimwear, accessories, jewelry, active wear, lingerie, and sleep wear can visit <a href="http://www.beachbliss.com" target="_blank">http://www.beachbliss.com</a>. With summer right around the corner, Beachbliss Swimwear and Fashions offers huge selection, great customer service, and not to mention, free shipping on all orders. About Beachbliss Swimwear and Fashions (<a href="http://www.beachbliss.com" target="_blank">http://www.beachbliss.com</a>)Beachbliss Swimwear & Fashions offers one of the largest selections of swimwear online and introduces quality designer swimwear to shoppers while providing the best customer service possible. Beachbliss strives to give its customers a blissful shopping experience by finding popular and unique swimwear for easy shopping all in one place.

Category : Online Business Law

วันอังคารที่ 8 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

Credit Bureaus, Who Are They?

Author : S Lieberman
Credit bureaus sell credit reports to credit grantors, such as banks, finance companies, and retailers. Additionally, credit bureaus will sell credit reports to potential employers, landlords and insurance companies. Businesses and Credit grantors use credit reports to determine creditworthiness.There are three major companies that are in the business of collecting and distributing credit histories on all Americans. If you're an average American, it's more than likely all three companies have a credit history report on you.Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax are all competitors -- which means -- each company has a different version of your credit history. This makes it necessary to obtain reports from all three companies, to ensure that no erroneous information is within their files.Lenders, landlords, and employers use either one of the three credit bureaus mentioned above. Mortgage companies and auto dealers utilize all three bureaus simultaneously.TransUnion serves a broad range of industries including financial and banking services, insurance providers, mortgage and real estate services, direct marketers and retailers, collection agencies, communication and energy companies and healthcare facilities.Experian is the company that was created after TRW left the credit reporting industry in 1996. Experian collects information about you and your credit history from public records, your creditors and other reliable sourcesEquifax is the oldest of the three major credit bureaus, which dates back to 1899. Two brothers set up a company called Retail Credit Company in Atlanta, Georgia. The company became Equifax in 1975 and they claim to be the largest provider of consumer information. Equifax serves customers across a wide range of industries including the financial services, retail, healthcare, telecommunications/utilities, brokerage, insurance, and governmental agencies.Can I obtain a free credit report from credit bureaus?You are eligible to receive a free copy of your credit report from any of the credit bureaus if:* You have been denied credit, insurance, or employment within the past 60-days as a result of your credit history.* You can certify in writing that you are unemployed and intend to apply for employment in the 60-day period beginning on the date in which you made the certification.* You are a recipient of public welfare assistance or have reason to believe that your file at the agency contains inaccurate information due to fraud.Residents of Colorado, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, and Vermont, can receive one free copy of your credit report each year from the credit bureaus. Residents of Georgia are allowed to receive two free copies of your credit report each year from the credit bureaus.Our debt consolidation and debt management organization is dedicated to helping thousands of successful credit counseling graduates, we are proud of our consistent track record of those that complete our program. From initial credit counseling contact to financial responsibility education, we are proud to provide proven options that will ensure your successful achievement within our debt management program.
Category : Finance:Debt-Consolidation

วันอาทิตย์ที่ 6 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

An Introduction To Nanny

Author : Eric Morris
The definition of a nanny is a caretaker who takes care of a child, through the growing years. Nannies are mostly female and traditionally, the nanny was a servant of the house, who used to report directly to the lady of the house. With time, the role of nannies has transcended from an ordinary servant to the dominating presence in the child's life. Nannies in aristocratic families even have nursery maids working under them and are very respected. They are responsible for bringing up successive generations.Though part-time babysitters are the current trend, a full- time nanny has her own position. A full-time nanny is an expensive investment because of her multi faceted role in the child's life. She does not just take care and support the development in the social, physical, emotional, intellectual and creative aptitudes of the child, but also takes care of the household. This includes maintaining the cleanliness of the house and regular communication with the parents regarding the child's development. She is expected to look after the child during the hours of service agreed upon in the terms and conditions. She is responsible for the child's safety, cooking nutritious meals and snacks and performing related tasks.Women, between 20 to 30 years of age usually take up the job of a nanny, though, sometimes younger or older nannies are also considered. Previously, nannies wore uniforms.Several nanny service agencies are available, who help parents to find the right nanny for their children. These organizations evaluate the nanny's educational and cultural background, her experience and love for children, safety awareness and personal character traits. The agencies offer credentials and rank the candidates through different tests. Childcare and guidance are instinctive qualities and there have been instances where nannies have become an integral part of the family.Nanny provides detailed information on Nanny, Nanny Services, Nanny Background Checks, Nanny Jobs and more. Nanny is affiliated with Mace vs. Pepper Spray .
Category : Home-and-Family:Parenting

วันเสาร์ที่ 5 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

Celebrities Go the Extra Mile for Sport Relief 2006 Launch

Author : Michael Hanna

Chris Evans, Davina McCall, Kate Thornton, Patrick Kielty, Kirsty Gallacher, Steve Cram and Sally Gunnell will be among the host of famous faces urging the country to Go the Extra Mile this summer.At the heart of the whole campaign is the Sainsburys Sport Relief Mile, where the entire country including celebrities, politicians and the general public are urged to do a Mile to raise money to help vulnerable people leading tough lives here in the UK, and in the poorest countries of the world. At the start line this year will be the likes of Sadie Frost, Sir Steve Redgrave, Chantelle Houghton, Dame Kelly Holmes, Ade Adepitan, Kirsty Gallagher, Jo Brand and plenty more.Programming leading up to July 15th on BBC ONE includes Sport Relief Goes All Out for India, a two part documentary which follows a celebrity cricket team in India, and Sport Relief presents Only Fools on Horses, where 10 celebrities battle it out to show jump their way to success over 9 nights of live TV, culminating in the Grand Finale on July 15th. Sport Relief Saturday on July 15th will also see a 5-hour TV special on BBC ONE, hosted by Davina McCall, Chris Evans and Gary Lineker. Highlights will include a special from the cast of Footballers Wives, All Star Boxing, Peter Kay Live from the Phoenix Club and a star studded Question of Sport Relief.Live coverage from the 15 flagship Sainsburys Sport Relief Miles will be beamed across the UK on July 15th on BBC ONEs Sport Relief Mile show, presented by John Inverdale and Colin Jackson. The Sport Relief Red Sock is central to the experience of everyone taking part in the day. Each Miler will take part wearing one red Doing It sock, and at the finish line theyll be presented with a second Done It sock to make a pair, and show the world that theyve socked it to poverty.Sport Relief merchandise includes a Fairtrade T-Shirt, a Roger the Sport Relief mascot which is the must have accessory for Summer 2006 and the Roger pin badge. All merchandise is exclusively available at Sainsburys and online at Sport Relief. In 2004, Sport Relief raised more than 16 million and saw more than 80,000 people Going the Extra Mile. This time its going to be even bigger.For more information, contact the Comic Relief Media Team:Lucy McGill: 020 7840 2529 l.mcgill@comicrelief.org.ukAnna Capleton: 020 7840 2527 a.capleton@comicrelief.org.ukRyan Holloway: 020 7840 2530 r.Holloway@comicrelmore informatiief.org.ukBBC Sport Publicity: Caroline Inman: 020 8576 7789 Caroline.Inman@bbc.co.ukSport Relief Media CentreNotes to Editors:Go the Extra Mile on Sport Relief Saturday, July 15th 2006. Visit Sports Relief to find out more, or call 0845 605 8000 for an entry kit (Calls cost no more than 4p per min from BT landlines. Other operator and mobile rates may vary).There are 15 national mile events for you to choose from:Belfast (Custom House Square), Birmingham (Millennium Point), Brighton (Madeira Drive), Bristol (Millennium Square), Cardiff (City Hall Lawns), Glasgow (Glasgow Green), Hull (Queens Gardens), Ipswich (Christchurch Park), Leeds (Roundhay Park), London (Victoria Embankment), Manchester (Exchange Square), NewcastleGateshead (Quayside), Nottingham (Victoria Embankment), Plymouth (Plymouth Hoe), Southampton (Hoglands Park).To make a donation, call 08457 910 910 (local call charges apply)Sport Relief was set up by Comic Relief, in association with BBC Sport, to tackle poverty and disadvantage here at home and overseasSince its launch in 2002, Sport Relief has raised over 30 million Half of the money raised will be spent in the UK to help give those living in disadvantaged and divided communities a better life; the other half will help children and young people in the worlds poorest countries, faced with the daily reality of extreme poverty, abuse and exploitationSport Relief is an initiative of Comic Relief, registered charity 326568, in association with BBC SportThank you to everyone involved in the Sport Relief 2006 launch: The Albannach, 66 Trafalgar Square, Greater London Authority, Limelight, Impact Promotions, Rapid Response Barriers, Music and Arts Security, Newman Displays, Freud Communications and Matt Mitchell For more information, contact the Comic Relief Media Team:Lucy McGill: 020 7840 2529 l.mcgill@comicrelief.org.ukAnna Capleton: 020 7840 2527 a.capleton@comicrelief.org.ukRyan Holloway: 020 7840 2530 r.Holloway@comicrelief.org.uk

Category : General Sports: Outdoors

วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 3 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

Astrology and our history!

Author : Silent One

Astrology has been with us since our earliest known history. The concept of astrology, which is that life is affected by the heavens, is rooted in mankinds desire to understand the universe. New life in the spring and decline in autumn are clearly related to the positioning of the sun, so it would be conceivable that other heavenly bodies had their influence on us as well.

Many of the planets are visible to the naked eye. Stars form patterns that move about the sky in a regular formation. Back in the beginning of time, early men would watch the heavenly bodies in their movements and speculate at what it might all mean, and so began the study of astrology!

There are different ways that astrology is believed to affect us. It is thought that the twelve signs of the Zodiac are tied to twelve different parts of the body, and treatment for medical problem can therefore be aided through the knowledge of astronomy. One of the most widely held beliefs in astronomy is that the position of the stars at the time of a childs birth will influence the childs life. Fortune or misfortune, wealth or poverty, are linked to the stars the person is born under.

We live in a modern age, when few people are troubled by superstitions, and while they may or may not believe in astrology, the average person knows their sign. People check their daily horoscope in the newspaper, keeping astrology a regular influence in their life.

About the author:

Publisher http://www.article-treasure.com/

Category : Fashion

วันอังคารที่ 1 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

Used Cell Phones, Cheap Mobile Phone

Author : John Lim

If You Want A Cheap Mobile Phone, Then Shop Online For A Used Cell Phone.

People have this misconception that a used item is not worth buying. This is not always true! Sometimes second hand or used items hold more value. So if youre looking for a cheap mobile phone, then you should seriously consider getting a used one.

There are many ways to get a deal on a cell phone and one of them is to search for a used phone. Used cell phones are naturally cheaper and getting a used mobile phone isnt as bad as it sounds. Its very easy to care for a cell phone and youll be surprised at the condition of the used cell phone that you might purchase. It may be as good as new, works just as well and will be much cheaper than a brand new mobile phone.

Its also really easy to find used cell phones on the Internet. There are plenty of websites that will list used cell phones. The best way to shop for a used cell phone is to shop for one of the latest models. The newer the phone model, the better the quality of the phone. This is because the previous owner was probably swapping it for the latest model. Thus, the phone would not have taken a great durability or reliability hit. So youll be able to get something relatively new (its just used, thats all) for a really cheap price.

Shopping online for cheap mobile phones has never been easier in terms of convenience!

About the author:

Free cell phone reviews at http://www.cool-cell-phones.com! Find out more before you buy new or used cell phones online.

Category : World Affairs

วันจันทร์ที่ 31 มีนาคม พ.ศ. 2551

Eight key tips for CD Duplication Preparation

Author : Andy Machin

The master of your CD or DVD disk, is of the utmost importance for replication or duplication. Here are some tips which may help you create a high quality master disc:1. Always use the highest quality discs that you can obtain. Do your research, take your time, then choose a brand that will produce a high quality disc each and every time you duplicate or replicate.2. Avoid copying from a network source if at all possible. If the source files for your disk are on a network drive then copy the files to your computer before you burn a disc. If you can't, try using the copy to hard drive first feature. When doing this, your burning software will create a temporary image file during the burning process. Once the burning has been completed, it will delete the temporary file.3. Avoid burning on a laptop computer that is low on battery power. The fluctuations that will occur in the available battery power may cause poor results. 4. Ensure that you finalise your disc. If you fail to finalise, the disc may not play back. Finalising will also help increase the reading compability in other CD-ROM drives.5. Never use the packet writing method to burn a master disc. 6. Avoid any type of impact or movement of the drive when burning. Movement can cause the laser to skip or jump tracks which in turn may lead to errors or a bad disc.7. Use the "burn-proof" feature if possible. This will allow the drive to slow down the burn speed if your computer can't supply data fast enough. It may increase the burn time but the quality of the disc will be enhanced.8. Avoid having multiple applications open when burning. This can adversely affect your computer's ability to supply data to the burner. For further information on CD Duplication Visit http://www.cdduplicationweb.com right now!

Category : General Computer: Instruction

Direct Mail..."Direct mail must use new technologies and still build trust or forget it!!"

Author : Kevin McNabb

/span>May 8th, 2007

วันเสาร์ที่ 29 มีนาคม พ.ศ. 2551

Swimming Pools-Myths and Misconceptions

Author : Rob Coxworth
Swimming Pools-Myths and MisconceptionsI've been in the swimming pool business a long time and am constantly taken aback by things told to my customers by people in my industry; Crazy things, nutty stuff and plain old hogwash. I am also troubled by the way many worthwhile products are oversold to people just trying to make living with a pool easier. In this article I'm going to try and set the record straight on some of the more outrageous statements and claims I've run across in the good ole swimming pool business.Water Cancer
I heard this one twice this year so it gets top billing. Both times pool store employees who ought to know better tried to sell folks in excess of 200 lbs of pool shock in one go because their pool had "water cancer". Occasionally a pool will not react to normal shocking or super-chlorination. The reasons for this are two-fold and neither of them is cancerous. The pool in question has almost always had heavy use creating a lot of contaminants that use up chlorine and create chloramines. When shocking a pool in this condition the normal dose may not raise the free chlorine level as it otherwise would. The solution is to shock again using the regular dosage until the free chlorine reading comes up to where it should be. Adding huge amounts of shock to the pool is not only unnecessary but also dangerous. The diagnosis of "Water Cancer" is ridiculous as well as extremely expensive.Ionizers, metalizers etc.
Pure oversell. Silver and copper do kill algae and are very effective. These metals DO NOT replace chlorine in part or in total. The purpose of chlorine is to chemically destroy complex organic contaminants introduced into a pool by swimmers and the environment. These contaminants, if not destroyed (oxidized), are food for algae and other infestations. Eliminating chlorine or lowering the level reduces this vital oxidation process and creates conditions more favorable to algae and bacteria. Metals have no oxidizing power whatsoever. If chlorine is reduced or absent metals will not keep a pool clean. If chlorine is present in the correct amount algae and bacteria can't flourish and no algaecidal products are needed. In other words, why pay money to solve a problem that doesn't exist?OTO Duo test kits
This type of test kit is the biggest selling test kit in the pool industry. These kits purportedly test for free chlorine, total chlorine and pH by adding the appropriate chemical to a pool water sample and matching the color obtained to a chart included with the kit. The problem is that the color change reaction indicating the level of free chlorine happens literally within one second. The reaction then intensifies to show total chlorine. It is nearly impossible to accurately measure the free chlorine level with this kit for the average pool owner. This ultra quick reaction reduces the utility of the kit to a pH tester as total chlorine levels are not very useful to know. Far better to use test strips or DPD 3 way test kits as they both offer usable free chlorine test results.Just as in any other market place, if it sounds to good to be true, it is.Rob "Dr.Duck" Coxworth
WebfootLeisure.com
rob@webfootleisure.com
Category : Recreation-and-Sports:Swimming

วันศุกร์ที่ 28 มีนาคม พ.ศ. 2551

Using "Tipping Point" Concepts to Market Your Book

Author : Sophfronia Scott
Ever wonder how trends get started? As much as we'd like to think that all trends are Madison Avenue creations propagated by the media, many times a movement is sparked by the action of a few. Then word of mouth makes it spread. Author Malcolm Gladwell examines this phenomenon in his 2000 book "The Tipping Point". There's a chapter where he describes how this kind of movement by a few groups powered Rebecca Wells's 1996 novel, "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood", to surprising success. When I read that I sat up and took notice. I realized I could use the same concepts to market my first novel, "All I Need to Get By". You can too! Here's how.1.) Write Your Book So It's "Sticky"Don't compromise your artistic integrity, but do ask yourself the hard question: how much will your story appeal to others? When a book is "sticky", it's easy to remember. The story stays with people and they want to talk about it and tell others to read it. "Bridget Jones's Diary" is definitely sticky. So is practically everything that Stephen King ever wrote and all of the Harry Potter books. The topic doesn't have to be upbeat either. Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood" was a sensation when it was published despite its grim subject matter. Since I was writing about a family with a powerful father figure I knew a lot of people would connect and see themselves in the characters. What aspect of your book will draw people in?2.) Be a SalesmanYes, be a salesman, but not in the way you might think. I'm not talking about being "in your face" like the stereotype of a used car salesman. As Mr. Gladwell points out in his book, it's the little things that can persuade others. For a writer, that "little thing" is confidence and a strong belief in one's work. I recently spoke to a writer having a hard time feeling confident about her work. She's trying to get up the courage to submit a manuscript to agents and publishers but, as I said to her, "How can someone get behind publishing your book if you can't get behind it yourself?"People are attracted to a person who stands for something, who believes in what they're doing. If you can be that person, people will want to buy your book. They'll know you have something to say. If you're dealing with low confidence, know that working on improving it is just as important as improving your craft as a writer. After all, no one is going to champion your book the way that you can.3.) Use Small Groups To Spark Your Big "Epidemic"In the fertile soil of small groups, word of mouth grows. That's what happened with "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood". It became a favorite for book groups, especially mother-daughter book groups. Those groups sparked a word of mouth wave that spread like wildfire. As Mr. Gladwell points out, "small, close-knit groups have the power to magnify the epidemic potential of a message or idea". I explored this concept with some success by contacting book groups across the country and offering to visit them if they read my novel. What groups can you reach out to in order to harness the power of those circles? And how can you fan the flame of your message so it will spread?One Last Note: Why is all this important? Well, if you've gone through all the trouble to write and publish a book, your efforts won't stand up if you don't tell people the book is out there. And the concepts offered by Mr. Gladwell are so simple and organic that you may find the whole marketing pill easier to swallow. So take it--it's good medicine.© 2005 Sophfronia ScottAuthor and Writing Coach Sophfronia Scott is "The Book Sistah" TM. Get her FREE REPORT, "The 5 Big Mistakes Most Writers Make When Trying to Get Published" and her FREE online writing and book publishing tips at http://www.TheBookSistah.comSophfronia Scott, 'The Book Sistah,' is author of the bestselling novel, "All I Need to Get By." If you liked today's issue, stay tuned for more because The Book Sistah also offers FREE audio classes, FREE articles, workshops, and other resources to help aspiring authors get published and market their books successfully.The Book Sistah
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Newtown, CT 06470
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Category : Writing-and-Speaking:Book-Marketing

วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 27 มีนาคม พ.ศ. 2551

CD Inkjet Printers

Author : Seth Miller
Inkjet printers can now do more than just print documents and photos; they can also be used to customize CDs. Some inkjet printers are simply modified to be able to print on the surface of a CD.Surprisingly, there isn't a significant difference between a standard inkjet printer and a modified CD printer. Only the paper carriage is adjusted to allow a CD to pass through. The ink cartridges and the print head itself are similar to those used in normal paper printing. CD inkjet printers can produce attractive designs and images.Meanwhile, a special media intended for inkjet printers is necessary for excellent results. Printing on a CD will expectedly result in the ink not holding fast to the lacquer surface since a CD is a non-porous material, unlike paper. However, there are some brands of media that have an ideal surface for a particular printer.When printing on CDs using an inkjet printer, there are some factors to consider, including durability, longevity, and the overall appearance of the image printed. These factors will all depend of the quality of the appropriate media used. The printer, ink, and medium (or CD) must be compatible with each other for best results. The type of CD will definitely affect the quality of the output.Generally, customized CDs can last in short-term storage of up to ten years. Ink decomposition may cause damage on the disc itself as time passes. If the customized CDs are meant for long-term storage, it is recommended not to use inkjet printers.In general, inkjet printers produce satisfactory results in customizing CDs. The printed image, however, may not be as vivid and detailed as when produced through silk screen or wax transfer since inkjet ink is prone to running or smearing when damp. Nevertheless, inkjet printers can create attractive, detailed, and relatively-long lasting customized CDs.Inkjet Printers provides detailed information on Inkjet Printers, Inkjet Printer Ink, Inkjet Printer Cartridges, CD Inkjet Printers and more. Inkjet Printers is affiliated with Inkjet Printers.
Category : Computers-and-Technology:Hardware

วันพุธที่ 26 มีนาคม พ.ศ. 2551

The Lanyard Legend

Author : Jay Stockman

The lanyard can be traced back to the late 19th century. It was
originally a piece of cord, used to secure a jack-knife, used as
a weapon in war. The lanyard was worn on the left shoulder with
the end containing the knife tucked into the left breast pocket.
In 1920 the lanyard was moved to the right shoulder, simply
because of the problem of trying to remove the knife from the
pocket underneath the bandolier. In 1933, the knife was removed
completely, and the lanyard became a straight cord, worn purely
as an ornamental item of dress. The basic lanyard was a simple
piece of strong cord, but it was gradually turned into something
a bit more decorative, smartened up with colors and styles,
ultimately taking its present form.

Contemporary lanyards are constructed from polyester, nylon, or
cotton, and are of a flat braided tubing. This flat tubing
allows for the placement of names, logos, or any other
promotional printing. Custom printed lanyards are extremely
popular items, and are relatively inexpensive. Printing
techniques vary from a hot stamp to a more costly dye
sublimation process. Additionally, printed lanyards are
available in seemingly endless patterns, colors, styles, and
lengths.

The lanyard is designed to secure small objects, such as badges,
keys, cell phones, and other small items. It is fairly common to
see ID badges dangling from a lanyard, custom printed with the
name of a company, or event. This promotional lanyard is an
ideal marketing device to promote the business, or event. In
this manner, the lanyard serves as an inexpensive form of
advertising, making it functional, as well as profitable.

Beyond its commercial use, commonly misplaced items can be
secured using a lanyard. Keys, cell phones, eyeglasses, bottle
openers just to name a few. In addition to wearing a lanyard
around the neck, it is not unusual to see lanyards attached to
the wrist, waist, backpacks, and others.

It is clear that lanyards had their place in history, and have
evolved through time. While the original lanyard materials were
completely different than the materials of today, the main
functions have remained constant. To secure an object prone to
misplacement, and display the personality of the artist that
created it.

Category : Spirituality

Pravasi Bhartiya Divas 2007 - An NRIs Event

Author : Amitabh Kumar

Though our NRI friends stay across seven seas but they have been preserving the Indian element among themselves. Evidence that they are rooted to their motherland comes from the fact that they take great pride in witnessing grand jamboree that offers them a golden opportunity to renew their links with their motherland. So, you guessed it correct!!! This is about the great event called Pravasi Bhartiya Divas. Celebrated every year in the month of January, Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is an annual affair organized to honor the accomplishments brought by the Indian overseas community to India. 7th January2007 will mark the gala of the fifth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. This three day affair will be held in Lutyens Delhi. The occasion will be graced by the presence of several known political leaders, social activists, writers, novelists, painters, actors who will foster an understanding of the sentiments of the Indian Diaspora. It is expected that up to 2,000 NRIs from across the world will attend the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas to provide new dimension to the great get-together. This is the event which provides NRIs with the prospects to voice their views on the different concerning topics than merely listen to what the Indian leaders and captains of industry have to tell them. All this would take place in plenary discussions. Approaching Pravasi Bharatiya Divas will have a serious theme to discuss: Rooting for the Roots - Meeting India's Development Challenges. Associated themes are: How to get US $1.5 Trillion of Capital Investment, The Resource Hurdle for Development and Leveraging Technology for Development, NRI investment in India. Delegates of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas get a chance to increase their familiarity with the unknown facets about India, the country of legends. This year, Indian realty sector seems to be the hot topic of discussion. Driven by positive growth in the economy, real estate in India is booming owing to the countrys high economic growth in the last five years. Also, this industry is continuously grabbing the attention of Indian population living abroad that is fuelling the real estate market in India by making large investments. On a wild bull run, Indias stock market is climbing to new records every few months. Its foreign exchange reserves have crossed $160 billion. The list of Indian billionaires keeps getting longer and longer. Apart from the designer apparels, luxurious lifestyle, the song and dance, tantalizing delicacies for taste buds, these concerns of progress as well as poverty will emerge time and again for discussion. Amitabh Kumar, a writer by profession has been part of content research team of magazines, journal dealing with NRI, non resident Indian news, stories, and issues. Presently he is content writer in website - http://www.nrirealtynews.com emphasizing on NRI News, property investment scenario for non resident Indians/ PIOs in India.

Category : General Society: Asian Interests

วันจันทร์ที่ 24 มีนาคม พ.ศ. 2551

The Mighty Buck

Author : Calvin Weber

The Mighty Buck by Calvin H. Weber I have been an avid hunter of small game from the time I first went hunting with my Dad and three older brother at the ripe age of six. However, my first encounter with a bunny wasn't until I had reached the age of eight. Since then, no one could hold me back from hunting with the "Weber Gang". The "gang" included: Dad, Lee, Glenn and Howie. Although it wasn't always possible for all of us to be a field at the same time, each season saw the "Gang" together for at least several wonderful days, in pursuit of the thrill and excitement of the hunt. Back home in Garfield Heights, Ohio, we hunted the surrounding territory for bunnies and squirrel figuring we were fortunate to get a crack at a ring-neck or two during the season. A lot of years past and in July 1961, I moved to a little farm located south of Albion, Pa with my wife June and our two sons, Lloyd and Russ. Lloyd was ten and Russ was three years old at that time. I found a virtual hunter's paradise in our new home area. Grouse, ring-neck, and squirrel were everywhere. That first small game season was fantastic. On the heels of the small-game season, Pa has the opening of Big-game season. Now I was faced with a totally new type of hunting: the white-tailed deer. Lloyd wasn't old enough to carry a gun in Pa at that time, so he just tagged along with me that first day of Antlered Deer season. We saw white tails and more white tails, but unfortunately that is all we did see. It seemed as though every deer was a ghost in the thickets and slashing that surrounded our farm. Dad had passed away in 1956, but two of my brothers came out for some of the best hunting any of us could have imagined when we were kids. Glenn's wife, Grace, hunting with us as one of the "Gang" and I might add, she could and still can keep up with the best of field-hunters. In the fall of 1967, following the small-game season, Howie insisted on leaving his 20 gauge J.C. Higgins bold action for me to use in the big game season. After a little target practice with rifle slugs, I was convinced it was a lot better than my 16 gauge single. I could place a slug into the center of a two gallon oil can at 75 yards. Ironically, Howie would only hunt with the "Weber Gang" the following two seasons, as he was stricken with an incurable disease in 1968 that would prevent him from going into the fields after the 1969 season. It wasn't until the big game season of 1967, that I finally got my first shot at an antlered deer. Lloyd and I teamed up and I got myself a respectable four point with a running shot at 60 yards in a red maple thicket from Howie's gun. Deer hunting for me had been a lot of work without much luck, but I found myself chomping at the bit for that first day of each deer season, always imagining a trophy rack hanging on a wall of our house, but only finding consolation in looking at that four point rack I mounted on a board back in 1967. Lloyd had collected two deer since I had gotten mine, one was a beautiful six point that he and the latest member of the "Weber Gang", Russ, teamed up on. Russ did the tracking and Lloyd collected the trophy. The fall of 1975, saw the closing of small game season approaching and big game season coming on but after going scoreless in chasing those "wily devils" through another cold and what now seemed inevitably, fruitless deer season. Lloyd and Russ kept trying to get me excited again by every trick they could think of. I heard stories of our past hunts that even I had forgotten. I finally agreed, although I did so reluctantly, to go with them for a few hours on opening day. Glen had brought out a .257 Roberts for me to use, and Russ was going to use the 20 ga., that Howie gave to me after he could no longer hunt with us and Lloyd would be hunting with his 35 cal. carbine. Glenn and Grace would be using a 35 cal carbine and a .308 pump, respectively. June, as usual, had a house full of people for the weekend. There was Lloyd and his wife, Lyn, daughter Michelle, Russ, Glenn, Grace, and of course June and me. The "Weber Gang" was together and the tales of yore were spinning from everyone. June recalled those days when we'd have the farm house filled with relatives and friends for some of the happiest days of our lives. And of course, the thoughts of those who are no longer with us, still remains vividly in our memory and hearts. Glenn as usual was masterminding the game-plan for Monday morning, but it seemed as though none of us quite agreed with where we should hunt. For one thing, the weather was fair, and with no snow for tracking we might do better just taking stands. We finally agreed to hunt at each ones own little "hot spot" for the first half of the day, then possibly putting on a silent drive for the latter part of the day. Sunday saw the Webers in church thanking our God for everything we can behold, and worshipping him in spirit and in truth. That afternoon, I recounted many of the blessings our family has received and what a wonderful heritage we have in this great country of ours. Each one of us agreed that we are grateful and proud to be Americans. Getting together the paraphanalia for the hunt generally took place late Sunday evening. Last minute instructions on safety and proper sportsmanship became the topic over coffee and a variety of "goodies" that June had baked the day before. Somehow, I still couldn't get myself fully involved with the preparations as I normally would have and I recall telling Lloyd and Russ to call their buddies in Springboro so they could combine themselves into a bigger hunting party. I tried to convince them that I had finally lost all interest in deer hunting, but to no avail, I recanted and said I'd go with them, but that if they met their buddies in the field, they could still go on without me. Monday morning finally came with the sound of the alarm clock at 5:30am. I got up but I felt like sleeping in. Russ was up and raring to go. Breakfast was coffee, eggs, and bacon for Russ and Glenn, Grace, and I had bacon, pancakes and coffee. June stayed in bed, worn out from listening to all the planning and instructions that were hashed and rehashed by all the nimrods the night before. Lloyd, Lyn and Michelle had gone to their own home Sunday night. Russ and I would pick Lloyd up at 6:15am, then drive a short distance and walk into a square where some pretty fair "racks" had been spotted. Well, at 6:15am, I was still sipping coffee. I then went upstairs to tell June where we would be and as usual, June reminded me to watch out for the boys and to be sure I had my compass and whistle. With a parting kiss, she said "get a big buck honey!" Glenn and Grace had already taken off for their "hot spot" in Jumbo woods. Russ and I had a 10 minute drive to Lloyd's house and it was already 6:30am. We picked up Lloyd before 6:40am and reached our destination at 6:45am. Lloyd and Russ kept reminding me as we walked into the square, that we should have been on our stands before 6:30. I know they were right, but you can't wish time back, so I told them to start concentrating on walking softer and stop talking so that we wouldn't spook a big buck. About a quarter mile into the square, Lloyd broke off from us and took his stand. Russ and I continued on to the stands that we had chosen. Just before getting there, I asked Russ if he'd rather have the .257. Russ had broken his elbow while playing football and still had his left arm in a cast, so I thought he might have a better chance with the .257 as his stand was in an open field, and he could take more time in steadying himself for a long shot. He agreed and I took the 20 gauge. Somehow, I felt a quiet confidence as my fingers surveyed the action and grip of "Howie's gun". The stand I took was on the edge of a long narrow meadow with scrub trees to the south, woods to the east, a red maple thicket that ran into a valley with large trees to the north. To the west was a narrow strip of saplings, grapevines, and a few hemlock. A beaten path leading from where I stood to the maple thicket and then into the valley was convincing proof that we were in buck territory. Russ went about 300 yards farther to the west into a mowed meadow where he had spotted a trophy rack the year before. Any buck crossing that field would give Russ a clear shot in any direction. Now it was a matter of watch and wait. The weather was still fair, but I could feel the temperature starting to skid downward. The heavy clouds indicated that we would be in for some snow or possibly a cold rain. I looked at my watch and found it was just 7:30am. "Oh brother", I hoped the boys would soon get cold enough to want to start walking, as I'm no one to stay in one place for any length of time, especially when I start getting chilled. To make matters worse, the north west wind was gusty. I kept looking in the direction of that maple thicket, envisioning a buck coming up out of the valley and straight at me. I also thought of how good it would be to have a hot cup of coffee, but I knew I'd have to wait for that, as Russ and Lloyd were carrying the thermoses. Along about 8:00am, I saw a hunter at the east end of the field about 500 yards from me, crossing through the thicket and apparently continuing on into the valley. "Good", if some of the hunters begin to move, also the deer would soon be moving. I looked at my right and saw Larry and Bruce, Lloyd and Russ's buddies, walking toward me from the south. The cold wind made them decide to start walking. They saw me and came to my stand. They hadn't seen a deer either but Larry said he had seen a lot of beds and "buck rubs" over in the maple thicket the Saturday before when he was grouse hunting. Apparently they were heading there till they saw me, but then decided to head back into the scrub tree area to the south and possibly get something moving toward Lloyd. They had barely faded into the brush when Russ came stomping up toward me. I could tell by his beat-red face that the open field stand was more than he wanted to take, even for a chance of bagging a trophy. His first words were "Did you see anything?' I replied "no", but then I told him what Larry had said about seeing those "buck rubs" in the maple thicket. Russ told me he had three deer in range on his stand but all were bare headed as usual. I had just started to say we should locate Lloyd and possibly organize a silent drive when Lloyd came into view. After exchanging questions of what was seen, we decided to have a cup of hot coffee and talk over our next move, as Lloyd had nothing to say that would cause us to get excited over any drive. Perhaps we should go into another square or locate Glenn and Grace over in "Jumbo". I told Lloyd that Larry and Bruce had headed toward his first stand but their report to me had been just as negative as ours, except, no one has pushed that little maple thicket over next to the Big Valley and Larry had seen a lot of good "buck signs". Lloyds eyes lit up, "we'll have that coffee later, Dad, you wait right here, Russ you go to the edge of the valley, and I'll walk down the meadow, and cut into the thicket at the east end, and push toward you and Russ", he quickly ordered. "Hold on there", I said, "I've got the shotgun and if any buck is bounced in that thicket, neither one of you would have as much advantage as I for a quick short shot". I told Lloyd to walk to the edge of the valley and step back into the cover of a big old hemlock. From that point, he could cover the hillside and the thicket with his 35 carbine. Russ would stay right where I had stood and cover the entire length of the mowed meadow. Suddenly, I felt a warm surge of excitement as I started down the meadow, conjuring in my mind the thoughts of jumping a "Big Old Buck". As I started into the edge of the thicket, I held my gun at the ready position. I felt certain there would be a buck in there. Each step was more carefully placed than the last. I thought of how Glenn had taught me as a boy to walk softly. He used to tell me to feel for the twigs with my feet. Somehow, I could hear him telling me not to snap a twig. I know it doesn't seem possible when you're wearing hunting boots, but I sure did "feel" for those twigs that are one of nature's early warning systems for her creatures. I started down the thicket in a zigzag pattern, going right to the edge of the valley and then back to the edge of the meadow. Each time I probably covered a length of 50 yards. As I neared the middle of the thicket, I saw a "buck rub" on a small maple tree. The tender bark had been shredded from the four inch base, and up into its branches. "Wow, must be a big one", I thought. As I covered each section of the thicket I saw "buck rubs" and beds on each pass. A feeling of expectancy welled up within me. I kept looking and actually thinking I'd jump a buck at any second. On the last pass that would take me to the very edge of the thicket, I suddenly realized that all my expectations were nothing more than a wild imagination. I'd be glad to complete the "drive" and get that overdue hot cup of coffee. I cradled "Howies Gun", and as I stepped to within five feet of the north end south deer trail, a ray of the sun broke through the thick cloud cover. The ray seemed to be more brilliant than normal as it beamed down just to the right of me. I looked over toward the stand I had told Lloyd to take, but he was in the back of a big hemlock and I couldn't see him. I then looked to my left and I could see Russ had already started walking in my direction. I could tell he was just as anxious for that coffee as I was. I turned again to my right and just as I was opening my mouth to call Lloyd to join us, my eyes fastened onto a sight I'll live with the rest of my days. Not more than 25 yards from me was the biggest buck I'd ever seen, alive or dead. He was absolutely magnificent. The sun beam was focused on him as though he were an actor on center stage. Just as suddenly, as I saw him, he also saw me. That mighty buck literally haunched down on his back side and with a fantastic burst of power, he was in mid air sailing through the upper branches of the maple saplings and heading away from me to my right. I couldn't figure why Lloyd didn't shoot as I knew Lloyd must have seen him. I instinctively pulled the shot gun from my left arm and swung on him, but I found myself pushing at the safety. My 20 gauge pump that I used for small game hunting, has a push type safety. In less than a split second, I realized that I had to pull the safety back. By this time, the buck was into his second jump. The sun beam exposed his great figure, and as he seemed to hang in midair, I followed through pulling up toward his front shoulder and squeezed the trigger. I caught a quick glimpse of white and then, nothing!! I peered in literal amazement and almost stunned shock through the dense saplings. I thought I could hear a slight rustling of leaves, but that sound faded quickly. Russ came running up just as I ejected the spent shell. "What did you shoot at" he yelled. "The biggest deer I'd ever seen Russ". I answered quietly, as my eyes kept searching through those saplings for a glimpse of that buck. I felt a chill come over me as I suddenly realized, there would be no chance of tracking him unless he let out a blood trail. I also remembered that other hunter was in the valley just ahead of where I'd last seen that "mighty buck". I expected to hear a shot at any moment that would tell me how close I had come to getting a trophy of a lifetime. Although a mere thirty seconds or so had passed since I had fired, an eternity of time passed in my mind's eye. Suddenly, Lloyd came running toward us. "Who shot?" he literally screamed. "I did Lloyd", I said. "That is the largest rack I'd ever seen." "Did you hit him?", Lloyd cried out. "I think so, but I'm not sure. I had the gun right on him but I can't be sure if I hit him." Perhaps, I was in too much shock, but later the boys told me I was calm and quiet while all of this was going on. As I bent down to retrieve that empty shell, Lloyd said, "Aren't you even going to see if you got him?" I responded quickly, "Yeah, let's see if there's blood or hair where I had shot". Before I even moved Lloyd cut through the saplings like a hound on a bunny trail, with Russ right on his heels. "You got him!! There he is. Wow, what a rack," yelled Lloyd. "He's got eleven points, twelve counting the stub where a brow point is busted off", yelled Russ. I finally managed to reach the scene. There he was, his body had done a half somersault over the edge of the hill and landed on a short terrace that had hidden him from my view through the saplings. He was paralyzed from a broken spine, as the slug had ripped out a vertebrae just back of the shoulder area. I placed another shot into the base of his neck to finish him. In a matter of less than a minute, hunters from every direction converged on us. As I filled out my big game tag, Lloyd proceeded with the field dressing, while Russ held conversation with everyone present. I recall one hunter telling Russ about spotting an even bigger rack than I had gotten. I think he was trying to convince himself that another trophy was still available so as to salt his imagination for the remaining days of the deer season. Lloyd related to us his view of the deer just prior to my seeing him. That buck wasn't jumped from the thicket. Instead he had walked nonchalantly up the hill from the valley floor and into the north west corner of the thicket, nipping as he went, at a sapling bud within twenty yards of Lloyd. Lloyd waited for a clear shot, because the buck was coming from Lloyd's left and would give him a broadside view. He felt no need for a chance shot through the thick saplings. As the buck took that one last step into plain view, Lloyd placed his bead on the lower neck and was just about to squeeze the trigger, when the buck whirled and literally sailed out of view. In retrospect, I know Lloyd wished he'd have shot sooner, as a .35 Remington is a fine brush cartridge and undoubtedly would have found the mark. But that's the way it was and there's usually no second chance when it comes to a trophy white tail buck. Pandemonium broke out when I got him home. The "Weber Gang" went over all the details of the hunt. Glenn called him a real "Buster". June told me as soon as she saw him, that I had to have his head mounted. Neighbors, friends, and a lot of people we didn't know, came to see that "mighty buck". Everyone seemed to have that look of astonishment, sprinkled with a little touch of envy as they viewed him. Now I know that bigger racks have been taken, and I'm sure that somewhere out in the Pennsylvania hills there's an even bigger rack waiting for some fortunate hunter, but there certainly is no other buck quite the same as mine. Every time I look at the mount, the greatest thrill of my life is stirred up fresh in my memory. Lloyd and Russ can be sure that if the Lord wills it, their dad won't have to be coaxed to go hunting for deer this coming fall. It feels good to hunt with those you love. I hope parents all over this country will take a tip from me, "Never give up that part of your American Heritage that gives us the right to bear arms. Teach your sons and daughters by example, the code of good sportsmanship that includes good morals, high character, honor, and respect for others and a love for God and for Country." Calvin Weber howtoagedeer.com website copyright 2006 Calvin Weber ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Calvin Weber is a recognized authority on the subject of deer hunting. He contributes articles for the web site, www.howtoagedeer.com, which provides a wealth of information and resources on everything you'll ever need to know about how to age deer and deer hunting.

Category : GEneral Sports: Hunting

5 Hi-Fi Listening Room Habits for Healthy Audiophiles

Author : Kyle Kolbe
I've made major improvements to my music listening experience over the last year, some at no cost. The following distills the top five guidelines I've followed to optimize my enjoyment.1. Rip your CD collection: The last CD I played through my Pioneer DV-47ai Universal Player sounded flat, thin and hard; the last album I played through Airtunes sounded dimensional, full-bodied and airy. What's the difference? Could be the CD optical format is flawed and by ripping the album to a hard drive and then sending the tunes wirelessly to my Airport Express and DAC I've removed the CD's bad influence on the sonics.2. Focus on the two front channels: Although I have one AV system and set of loudspeakers for both home theater and music, I've sacrificed neither. My Vandersteen 1c front channels benefit from my Anthem MCA-2 stereo amplifier that is fed signals from my AV receiver for movies and video games and from my Rogue Audio 99 pre-amp for music whether from Airtunes, CD or vinyl. I overcome this AV hybrid hurdle with some interconnect splitters, in-line crossovers and the Rogue's home theater bypass.3. Buy Used: If you've ever salivated over a Musical Fidelity X-DAC v3 but coughed on its $1000 price tag, then Audiogon's used and demo classified and auction marketplace has your cough drop. You can find almost any past or current hi-fi component on Audiogon for a fraction of the suggested retail price. I saved lots of cash on my Anthem MCA-2 amp and bought and sold my old Rogue 66 Pre-amp on Audiogon. Audiophiles are fickle and quick to sell components that just never synergize with their system or were replaced by the latest model.4. Acoustic Treatments: The room you enjoy music and movies in is acoustically flawed. You can help your ailing room with DIY acoustic treatments that cost a fraction of their equivalent commercial products.5. Measure Your Sonics: After installing your used stereo separates, ripping all your CDs and acoustically treating your early reflections you'll want to measure your results. The measurements will point out problems in your room and peculiarities of your equipment. If you are lucky they'll reveal the benefits of your equipment and acoustic treatments with flatter frequency responses and faster reverberation decays.What factors enter into your buying and building decisions when you're trying to better your listening experience for music and movies?Father, Husband and Geek. My geeky interests have not changed since I was a kid. I still love comic books, anime, role-playing games, console video games, indie rock, imported toys and mecha models, bad American and great British sitcoms, and all the tech that let's me experience these hobbies to their fullest. Now that I'm married with children, I've had to strike a balance between supporting and pleasing my family and feeding my geekery hunger. Lucky for me, my wife is very accomodating and even geeks out with me on occasion (the ladies love Joss Whedon's "Firefly"). My two year old likes anything that moves on the front projection screen and makes noise, so far she is easy to please. Geekwithfamily.com exists to enrich the lives of fellow geeks and the friends and family who put up with them.
Category : Home-and-Family:Home-Audio-Video

BANK WIZARD extended to provide BICs and IBANs for 29 countries

Author : Michael Hanna

Eiger Systems, the leading developer of strategic payment solutions, has announced that BANK WIZARD (http://www.eiger.co.uk/bankwizard/ ), its enterprise data validation solution, now provides international payment routing information for 29 countries across Europe. This includes the whole of the European Union (EU) and the countries of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). By enabling banks and corporate organisations to provide the correct BIC (http://www.eiger.co.uk/Industry_information/BIC_Bank_Identifier_Code/ ) and IBAN (http://www.eiger.co.uk/industryinfo/ibananintroduction/ ) data when initiating cross-border payments in euros, BANK WIZARD helps reduce the cost of cross-border transactions and facilitates compliance with recent regulatory initiatives. As part of the move towards a Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), the European Payments Council (EPC) passed a resolution in June 2005 mandating the use of BICs and IBANs in all cross-border credit transfers in euros[3]. Corporate customers whose cross-border euro transactions do not contain valid BIC and IBAN data may be subject to repair charges. In addition, from 1st January 2007 banks will be able to reject such transactions and charge customers for the return of the transaction. By further developing BANK WIZARD to incorporate BIC and IBAN data, we are demonstrating our commitment to the global payments market and our anticipation of payments trends within Europe, explains Jonathan Williams, Principal Market Strategist at Eiger Systems. BANK WIZARD is the only fully automated data validation solution that already fulfils the requirements of SEPA and is sufficiently flexible to be integrated with any existing payments platform regardless of application or programming language. Recognition of this can be seen in the growing global demand for BANK WIZARD as well as from within Europe. Organisations can achieve BIC and IBAN compliance by implementing the BANK WIZARD cross-border module. This is an additional option for BANK WIZARD version 3 that provides international payment routing information as well as undertaking domestic bank account validation and is also enhanced with additional country specific data. The BANK WIZARD cross-border module covers the 25 Member States of the EU plus the four countries that comprise the EFTA: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Further country modules are planned for later in 2006. Country extensions may be used as standalone modules or integrated with other country modules to provide users with optimum flexibility in the support of multiple domestic and cross-border payment systems. The BIC and IBAN rules have the potential to impact all organisations making European cross-border payments. With the deadline of 1st January 2007 only months away, organisations should evaluate their systems and solution suppliers without delay, advises Jonathan Williams. For more information please telephone +44 (0) 1788 554810 or visit Eigers webpage on BIC and IBAN (http://www.eiger.co.uk/Products/BANK_WIZARD/BANK_WIZARD_BIC_and_IBAN_validation/ ) Notes: [1] Bank Identifier Code; a universal method of identifying branches of financial institutions in order to facilitate automated processing of telecommunication messages in banking and related financial environments. BICs are managed by SWIFT. [2] International Bank Account Number; the IBAN concept was developed by European Committee on Banking Standards (ECBS) and by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and is an internationally agreed standard ISO 13616:2003. The country-specific IBAN formats for European countries are published by the ECBS. [3] up to 50,000 from Jan 1st 2006. About Eiger Systems Limited (http://www.eiger.co.uk )OverviewEiger Systems develops strategic payment solutions to meet the requirements of leading worldwide organisations. Intentionally focusing on the specific challenges of data validation and payment processing, Eiger Systems solutions help organisations control costs, reduce risks and improve customer service through the minimisation of payment errors. ProductsDeveloped to meet the needs of organisations with complex or mission critical payment processes, Eiger Systems solutions are recognised as the most advanced offerings within their market sectors. Eiger Systems software and service portfolio includes: EigerPAY Gateway The UKs leading BACSTEL-IP solution, emerging as the global platform for multiple payment channels BANK WIZARD Europes leading enterprise data validation solution for validating bank account details for multiple countries BILLER WIZARD a unique bill payment validation solution for banks and other bill payment providers offering remote banking services Eiger Systems products are available for a wide range of computer platforms, from PCs through to mainframe environments. Open and flexible APIs facilitate integration with customers existing business applications and robust design ensures that Eiger Systems products are fully scaleable and capable of accommodating any level of transaction processing. CorporateFounded in 1997, Eiger Systems consistently delivers against its ambitious vision, resulting in an enviable track record of growth and sustained profitability. Eiger Systems achieved a turnover in excess of 9.5m GBP for the financial year ending 31st March 2006. Eiger Systems adopts a quality-focussed approach to all aspects of its business and is ISO 9001:2000 certified. A formal and structured approach is applied to the entire lifecycle of all projects from requirements gathering through to testing and release. Eiger Systems has achieved Investors in People accreditation and for two consecutive years has been included in the Sunday Times list of best companies to work for. Eiger Systems is an APACS Affiliate, a BACS Affiliate, an Associate Member of the Euro Banking Association, a SWIFT Solution Partner and a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner. Eiger Systems currently employs over 75 people at its offices in Rugby, Warwickshire, United Kingdom CustomersEiger Systems solutions have been implemented globally and have been chosen by many of the largest and most innovative users of strategic payment solutions. Eiger Systems customers include many of Europes clearing banks, insurance companies, telecommunication providers and energy utilities. In addition, Eiger Systems supplies products and services to a significant number of building societies, charities, local authorities and central government departments.EIGER, the EIGER Logo, EIGERPAY, BANK WIZARD and BILLER WIZARD are registered trademarks owned by Eiger Systems Limited. All other trademarks are acknowledged.

Category : General Technology: Enterprise Software

Lazy Shortbread

Author : Margaret MacGillivray

How many times have you been asked to provide a contribution to a church fete or fundraising event - and then filed this request somewhere "Safe"! I guess it's happened to most of us from time to time. It's always good to have a reliable "Get out of Jail" recipe which you can turn to; one which gives consistent results and which tastes great too. This is one of my favorites, is traditionally Scottish, and it always goes down a treat. But best of all, it takes less than an hour to make, a further hour or so to cool down and stack in a tin, ready to take to your event!The Ingredients9 oz plain flour, 9 oz self-raising flour, 9 oz cornflour (cornstarch), 9 oz castor sugar, 2 250gm packs butter The MethodSift dry ingredients into a large bowl. Melt butter gently in a saucepan. It is best if it's fairly hot as the butter cools down quickly when you put it into the dry ingredients. (Be careful at this stage; "chip pan fires" can happen with hot butter!) Pour melted butter into the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. I use a big serving spoon at first to incorporate the melted butter, but in a short time the mixture is cool enough to handle and the dough is better if you knead it for a couple of minutes to give an even consistency. Lightly oil two baking trays (approximately 16" x 10") Divide the mixture into two and spread evenly. I use a spatula to give a nice flat surface to the shortbread and to make sure it goes right into the corners of the trays. Prick the shortbread with a fork at intervals - create a pattern, if you like. Place the baking trays into a moderate oven (I use a fan oven which I heat to 150?C) and bake until golden brown. Take out of the oven and cut into portions while still hot, dust with castor sugar and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before storing the pieces of shortbread in an airtight container. Margaret MacGillivray lives and works in Scotland. She and her husband run a Gift and Coffee Shop in Helensburgh, Argyll.

Category : Recipes

Knitting Basics ? Simple Terms and Instructions.

Author : Craftopoly.com

Ever wanted to learn how to knit? Here are some simple descriptions of key terms that will help you get started with this ?age old? new craze!To "Cast On":First you need to put the stitches on the needle. This is called "casting on": Measure 8 inches from the end of the yarn and make a slip knot here. Slip in the needle and tighten yarn.Hold the needle like a pencil in your right hand. Loop yarn around left thumb, grasping it with last three fingers. Move needle down through loop, and slip thumb out. Tighten stitch by pulling yarn gently. Make nine more stitches, keeping them loose.To knit:Now you're ready to knit. Change needle with cast-on stitches to the left hand. With right hand, hold the other needle. With yarn in back of work, insert needle in the front of first stitch, pointing needle toward first stitch, pointing needle toward the back. Put yarn around right needle, pull through stitch and slip this first stitch off the left needle onto right. Now you have made one stitch.Continue until all the stitches are on the right needle. Put empty needle in right hand and needle with stitches in left hand. Place the yarn behind the left needle and you are ready to start the second row of knitting. Continue knitting for several rows and you will have a sample of the garter stitch.To "Bind Off":When you complete your work, you will have to take it off the needle. This is called binding off. Knit two stitches. Bring first stitch over second stitch. Knit one more stitch and again bring first stitch over second stitch. Be sure to bind off loosely. At the end of the row, cut the yarn, draw it through the last stitch, and pull it tightly.To "Block":After you've finished knitting your article, you'll want to block it to give it a neat, finished look. Pin ea h knitted section on a smooth towel and place on ironing board. Cover with a damp pressing cloth and press with hot iron. Let your work dry thoroughly.Now that you have learned the basics terms, there is nothing stopping you from grabbing some knitting needles and yarn for that perfect project! About The AuthorCraftopoly.com is an online resource of free craft information and articles. Learn a craft or find articles for your website at http://www.Craftopoly.com

Category : Hobbies

Wall Street, October 1929

Author : Sam Vaknin
Claud Cockburn, writing for the "Times of London" from New-York, described the irrational exuberance that gripped the nation just prior to the Great Depression. As Europe wallowed in post-war malaise, America seemed to have discovered a new economy, the secret of uninterrupted growth and prosperity, the fount of transforming technology:

"The atmosphere of the great boom was savagely exciting, but there were times when a person with my European background felt alarmingly lonely. He would have liked to believe, as these people believed, in the eternal upswing of the big bull market or else to meet just one person with whom he might discuss some general doubts without being regarded as an imbecile or a person of deliberately evil intent - some kind of anarchist, perhaps."

The greatest analysts with the most impeccable credentials and track records failed to predict the forthcoming crash and the unprecedented economic depression that followed it. Irving Fisher, a preeminent economist, who, according to his biographer-son, Irving Norton Fisher, lost the equivalent of $140 million in today's money in the crash, made a series of soothing predictions. On October 22 he uttered these avuncular statements: "Quotations have not caught up with real values as yet ... (There is) no cause for a slump ... The market has not been inflated but merely readjusted..."

Even as the market convulsed on Black Thursday, October 24, 1929 and on Black Tuesday, October 29 - the New York Times wrote: "Rally at close cheers brokers, bankers optimistic".

In an editorial on October 26, it blasted rabid speculators and compliant analysts: "We shall hear considerably less in the future of those newly invented conceptions of finance which revised the principles of political economy with a view solely to fitting the stock market's vagaries.'' But it ended thus: "(The Federal Reserve has) insured the soundness of the business situation when the speculative markets went on the rocks.''

Compare this to Alan Greenspan Congressional testimony this summer: "While bubbles that burst are scarcely benign, the consequences need not be catastrophic for the economy ... (The Depression was brought on by) ensuing failures of policy."

Investors, their equity leveraged with bank and broker loans, crowded into stocks of exciting "new technologies", such as the radio and mass electrification. The bull market - especially in issues of public utilities - was fueled by "mergers, new groupings, combinations and good earnings" and by corporate purchasing for "employee stock funds".

Cautionary voices - such as Paul Warburg, the influential banker, Roger Babson, the "Prophet of Loss" and Alexander Noyes, the eternal Cassandra from the New York Times - were derided. The number of brokerage accounts doubled between March 1927 and March 1929.

When the market corrected by 8 percent between March 18-27 - following a Fed induced credit crunch and a series of mysterious closed-door sessions of the Fed's board - bankers rushed in. The New York Times reported: "Responsible bankers agree that stocks should now be supported, having reached a level that makes them attractive.'' By August, the market was up 35 percent on its March lows. But it reached a peak on September 3 and it was downhill since then.

On October 19, five days before "Black Thursday", Business Week published this sanguine prognosis:

"Now, of course, the crucial weaknesses of such periods - price inflation, heavy inventories, over-extension of commercial credit - are totally absent. The security market seems to be suffering only an attack of stock indigestion... There is additional reassurance in the fact that, should business show any further signs of fatigue, the banking system is in a good position now to administer any needed credit tonic from its excellent Reserve supply."

The crash unfolded gradually. Black Thursday actually ended with an inspiring rally. Friday and Saturday - trading ceased only on Sundays - witnessed an upswing followed by mild profit taking. The market dropped 12.8 percent on Monday, with Winston Churchill watching from the visitors' gallery - incurring a loss of $10-14 billion.

The Wall Street Journal warned naive investors:

"Many are looking for technical corrective reactions from time to time, but do not expect these to disturb the upward trend for any prolonged period."

The market plummeted another 11.7 percent the next day - though trading ended with an impressive rally from the lows. October 31 was a good day with a "vigorous, buoyant rally from bell to bell". Even Rockefeller joined the myriad buyers. Shares soared. It seemed that the worst was over.

The New York Times was optimistic:

"It is thought that stocks will become stabilized at their actual worth levels, some higher and some lower than the present ones, and that the selling prices will be guided in the immediate future by the worth of each particular security, based on its dividend record, earnings ability and prospects. Little is heard in Wall Street these days about 'putting stocks up."

But it was not long before irate customers began blaming their stupendous losses on advice they received from their brokers. Alec Wilder, a songwriter in New York in 1929, interviewed by Stud Terkel in "Hard Times" four decades later, described this typical exchange with his money manager:

"I knew something was terribly wrong because I heard bellboys, everybody, talking about the stock market. About six weeks before the Wall Street Crash, I persuaded my mother in Rochester to let me talk to our family adviser. I wanted to sell stock which had been left me by my father. He got very sentimental: 'Oh your father wouldn't have liked you to do that.' He was so persuasive, I said O.K. I could have sold it for $160,000. Four years later, I sold it for $4,000."

Exhausted and numb from days of hectic trading and back office operations, the brokerage houses pressured the stock exchange to declare a two day trading holiday. Exchanges around North America followed suit.

At first, the Fed refused to reduce the discount rate. "(There) was no change in financial conditions which the board thought called for its action." - though it did inject liquidity into the money market by purchasing government bonds. Then, it partially succumbed and reduced the New York discount rate, which, curiously, was 1 percent above the other Fed districts - by 1 percent. This was too little and too late. The market never recovered after November 1. Despite further reductions in the discount rate to 4 percent, it shed a whopping 89 percent in nominal terms when it hit bottom three years later.

Everyone was duped. The rich were impoverished overnight. Small time margin traders - the forerunners of today's day traders - lost their shirts and much else besides. The New York Times:

"Yesterday's market crash was one which largely affected rich men, institutions, investment trusts and others who participate in the market on a broad and intelligent scale. It was not the margin traders who were caught in the rush to sell, but the rich men of the country who are able to swing blocks of 5,000, 10,000, up to 100,000 shares of high-priced stocks. They went overboard with no more consideration than the little trader who was swept out on the first day of the market's upheaval, whose prices, even at their lowest of last Thursday, now look high by comparison ... To most of those who have been in the market it is all the more awe-inspiring because their financial history is limited to bull markets."

Overseas - mainly European - selling was an important factor. Some conspiracy theorists, such as Webster Tarpley in his "British Financial Warfare", supported by contemporary reporting by the likes of "The Economist", went as far as writing:

"When this Wall Street Bubble had reached gargantuan proportions in the autumn of 1929, (Lord) Montagu Norman (governor of the Bank of England 1920-1944) sharply (upped) the British bank rate, repatriating British hot money, and pulling the rug out from under the Wall Street speculators, thus deliberately and consciously imploding the US markets. This caused a violent depression in the United States and some other countries, with the collapse of financial markets and the contraction of production and employment. In 1929, Norman engineered a collapse by puncturing the bubble."

The crash was, in large part, a reaction to a sharp reversal, starting in 1928, of the reflationary, "cheap money", policies of the Fed intended, as Adolph Miller of the Fed's Board of Governors told a Senate committee, "to bring down money rates, the call rate among them, because of the international importance the call rate had come to acquire. The purpose was to start an outflow of gold - to reverse the previous inflow of gold into this country (back to Britain)." But the Fed had already lost control of the speculative rush.

The crash of 1929 was not without its Enrons and World.com's. Clarence Hatry and his associates admitted to forging the accounts of their investment group to show a fake net worth of $24 million British pounds - rather than the true picture of 19 billion in liabilities. This led to forced liquidation of Wall Street positions by harried British financiers.

The collapse of Middle West Utilities, run by the energy tycoon, Samuel Insull, exposed a web of offshore holding companies whose only purpose was to hide losses and disguise leverage. The former president of NYSE, Richard Whitney was arrested for larceny.

Analysts and commentators thought of the stock exchange as decoupled from the real economy. Only one tenth of the population was invested - compared to 40 percent today. "The World" wrote, with more than a bit of Schadenfreude: "The country has not suffered a catastrophe ... The American people ... has been gambling largely with the surplus of its astonishing prosperity."

"The Daily News" concurred: "The sagging of the stocks has not destroyed a single factory, wiped out a single farm or city lot or real estate development, decreased the productive powers of a single workman or machine in the United States." In Louisville, the "Herald Post" commented sagely: "While Wall Street was getting rid of its weak holder to their own most drastic punishment, grain was stronger. That will go to the credit side of the national prosperity and help replace that buying power which some fear has been gravely impaired."

During the Coolidge presidency, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica, "stock dividends rose by 108 percent, corporate profits by 76 percent, and wages by 33 percent. In 1929, 4,455,100 passenger cars were sold by American factories, one for every 27 members of the population, a record that was not broken until 1950. Productivity was the key to America's economic growth. Because of improvements in technology, overall labour costs declined by nearly 10 percent, even though the wages of individual workers rose."

Jude Waninski adds in his tome "The Way the World Works" that "between 1921 and 1929, GNP grew to $103.1 billion from $69.6 billion. And because prices were falling, real output increased even faster." Tax rates were sharply reduced.

John Kenneth Galbraith noted these data in his seminal "The Great Crash":

"Between 1925 and 1929, the number of manufacturing establishments increased from 183,900 to 206,700; the value of their output rose from $60.8 billions to $68 billions. The Federal Reserve index of industrial production which had averaged only 67 in 1921 ... had risen to 110 by July 1928, and it reached 126 in June 1929 ... (but the American people) were also displaying an inordinate desire to get rich quickly with a minimum of physical effort."

Personal borrowing for consumption peaked in 1928 - though the administration, unlike today, maintained twin fiscal and current account surpluses and the USA was a large net creditor. Charles Kettering, head of the research division of General Motors described consumeritis thus, just days before the crash: "The key to economic prosperity is the organized creation of dissatisfaction."

Inequality skyrocketed. While output per man-hour shot up by 32 percent between 1923 and 1929, wages crept up only 8 percent. In 1929, the top 0.1 percent of the population earned as much as the bottom 42 percent. Business-friendly administrations reduced by 70 percent the exorbitant taxes paid by those with an income of more than $1 million. But in the summer of 1929, businesses reported sharp increases in inventories. It was the beginning of the end.

Were stocks overvalued prior to the crash? Did all stocks collapse indiscriminately? Not so. Even at the height of the panic, investors remained conscious of real values. On November 3, 1929 the shares of American Can, General Electric, Westinghouse and Anaconda Copper were still substantially higher than on March 3, 1928.

John Campbell and Robert Shiller, author of "Irrational Exuberance", calculated, in a joint paper titled "Valuation Ratios and the Lon-Run Market Outlook: An Update" posted on Yale University' s Web Site, that share prices divided by a moving average of 10 years worth of earnings reached 28 just prior to the crash. Contrast this with 45 on March 2000.

In an NBER working paper published December 2001 and tellingly titled "The Stock Market Crash of 1929 - Irving Fisher was Right", Ellen McGrattan and Edward Prescott boldly claim: "We find that the stock market in 1929 did not crash because the market was overvalued. In fact, the evidence strongly suggests that stocks were undervalued, even at their 1929 peak."

According to their detailed paper, stocks were trading at 19 times after-tax corporate earning at the peak in 1929, a fraction of today's valuations even after the recent correction. A March 1999 "Economic Letter" published by the Federal Reserve Bank of San-Francisco wholeheartedly concurs. It notes that at the peak, prices stood at 30.5 times the dividend yield, only slightly above the long term average.

Contrast this with an article published in June 1990 issue of the "Journal of Economic History" by Robert Barsky and Bradford De Long and titled "Bull and Bear Markets in the Twentieth Century":

"Major bull and bear markets were driven by shifts in assessments of fundamentals: investors had little knowledge of crucial factors, in particular the long run dividend growth rate, and their changing expectations of average dividend growth plausibly lie behind the major swings of this century."

Jude Waninski attributes the crash to the disintegration of the pro-free-trade coalition in the Senate which later led to the notorious Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930. He traces all the important moves in the market between March 1929 and June 1930 to the intricate protectionist danse macabre in Congress.

This argument may never be decided. Is a similar crash on the cards? This cannot be ruled out. The 1990's resembled the 1920's in more than one way. Are we ready for a recurrence of 1929? About as we were prepared in 1928. Human nature - the prime mover behind market meltdowns - seemed not to have changed that much in these intervening seven decades.

Will a stock market crash, should it happen, be followed by another "Great Depression"? It depends which kind of crash. The short term puncturing of a temporary bubble - e.g., in 1962 and 1987 - is usually divorced from other economic fundamentals. But a major correction to a lasting bull market invariably leads to recession or worse.

As the economist Hernan Cortes Douglas reminds us in "The Collapse of Wall Street and the Lessons of History" published by the Friedberg Mercantile Group, this was the sequence in London in 1720 (the infamous "South Sea Bubble"), and in the USA in 1835-40 and 1929-32.