With Apple Leaving out Flash Software on the iPhone and

With Apple Leaving out Flash Software on the iPhone and the iPad, is this the End for Adobe?

Critics started tearing into the new Apple iPad about ten minutes after its release. Why would Apple make a Web browsing device like this, and still not give it Flash capability? To watch YouTube videos seems to be just about the biggest reason you would want one of these cute little computer "slates" for. When you open YouTube on the iPad though, all you see where the screen should be, is an empty rectangle, with a little Lego-like icon that is just a placeholder. As unfortunate an omission as this has been on the iPad, perhaps it wasn't unintentional.

Flash has been with us for 14 years now. And anything on a webpage that moves, animated graphical advertisements, video streams, and so on, now depends on a Flash player. And is it ever well-accepted. There are still plenty of people out there who'd run Internet Explorer 6; but there is no one who doesn't have Flash software installed. If there is any kind of cutting-edge feature a webmaster wants to put on his website, he had better forget about it if he is planning on something that isn't Flash-based; people only upgrade to the latest version of Flash anymore. If it weren't for Flash, our high-concept website designs would be no better than blinking banners screaming "Buy Now!".

Apple doesn't openly say why it wants to sideline Flash software; but there are plenty of reasons that you could guess at. To begin with, there is no one more established in a reputation for buggy products than Adobe, the maker of Flash software. Since Adobe has such a lock on the interactive web graphics market, perhaps they haven't felt the need to stay on top of their issues. It has been reported over and over again that Steve Jobs often made clear a real priority to bail on Flash. The Mac OS is something that everyone knows to be the best OS experience in the world. But apparently Flash software has a way of looking past all that. One out of three Mac OS malfunctions and crashes, is caused by a Flash bug. And finally, Flash is very hard on the processor. If you want to watch Flash videos using your iPad, you will probably not do so for very long before the battery runs flat. So if Flash software is such a bad idea, are we supposed to not use graphical websites at all then?

Not quite; there is a much better alternative; and it is supported by every major browser platform out there; and major services like YouTube are rolling out support for it as we speak. The new standard is called HTML 5, and even Adobe supports it. The great thing about HTML 5, is that it is a basic part of the Web browser; it's not a plug-in. While it is a little depressing that Web browsers can only now do natively, what Flash plug-ins have been doing for them for five years, it is great that we are finally getting somewhere with Web browser design. However, Flash isn't completely superseded yet. For advanced Web experiences with 3-D, real-time audio, and augmented reality, you'll still need Flash.

Basically, both Apple and Adobe are equally strong players in the web industry. They could play nice of course; Adobe wants to make everything easier for Apple to be able to accept Flash software. Adobe wants to make special changes to Flash to make this possible. But Apple wonders just maybe, the iPad is a compelling enough product that the entire industry will rush to design software and web pages, just for it. When the iPhone came out, everyone did make special versions of apps and websites, so that they would look good on it. Even if no one likes the fact that Apple is locking Flash out, they have no choice in the matter. The iPhone is a vast market of people who surf the net all day long. And the iPhone has no Flash either. Now no website wants to lock the iPhone out; they will instantly feel un-hip. But if you think about it, Apple's products have over the years, dropped one or another important feature, only to find the rest of the industry following suit. Think the floppy drive, and the DVD drive on laptops. Who knows? The next thing that everyone drops, could be Flash software.

Read more »

First pregnancy signs

Getting pregnant is a very special time in a woman's life, and as we've learned over the years, it's a time where you'll want to take the utmost care to protect your unborn baby. This means a proper diet and exercise, but it also means an awareness of the first pregnancy signs so that you can get on the track to having a healthy baby as quickly as possible.

So what are the first pregnancy signs? There are many, but one of the very first will be tender, swollen breasts. Getting pregnant causes your body to produce more and varied hormones, and as a result you'll notice very early that your breasts have a reaction. For many women, it will feel like a more intense version of the tenderness they eexperience during their monthly cycle. Luckly, tender breasts tend not to be so tender after the first trimester.

Antother of the first pregnancy signs is fatigue. If you suddenly feel tired - exhausted, really - that's one of your first pregnancy signs. Doctors aren't sure what causes it, but women who are recently pregnant almost always experience some level of fatigue. Luckily, like breast tenderness, that level of fatigue tends to dissipate over the course of the first trimester and becomes less of a problem in the second trimester and beyond.

Then there's the big one: Morning Sickness. Nausea and vomiting. Everyone knows about this being one of the first pregnancy signs, and if you combine it with fatigue and tender breasts, you can be fairly certain that you're pregnant. It's called "morning sickness" because most women that suffer from these symptoms do so in the morning. But it's not limited to that time of day, and the stage of pregnancy isn't limited, either. Some women experience nausea and vomiting very early in their pregnancy; others may take more than a month. It all depends from woman to woman.

Another sign, one that will usually come earlier than morning sickness, is light vaginal bleeding. Usually, if it does occur, it happens a week or two after conception (or around the time you might notice a missed period). This bleeding is lighter than your period, and usually harmless. However if you experience pain related to the bleeding, be sure to let your OBGYN know. This can be the sign of an ectopic pregnancy, and if that's one of your first pregnancy signs, then you will need medical care.

Read more »

Our best first date advice for guys and ladies

So you've met a guy or girl that catches your fancy. It's mutual. You find this person attractive and you're going on a date. The first date can be fraught with anxiety. What should I wear? Will my date be disappointed and not ask me out again? Will she not want to go out with me again? Will I be so nervous and blow my chances of a second date? The list goes on and on. Here, we present our best first date advice for both guys and you ladies on making that first date a success.

Perhaps our first bit of first date advice is the most important. Relax. Sure you want to make a good impression, but fretting over everything that might go wrong is counterproductive to having a good time. After all, if you find your date attractive enough to go out on a date, why worry and work yourself up into such a state that you almost certainly won't have a good time? Give yourself plenty of time to get ready, take a relaxing hot bath, meditate or whatever you find relaxing. Then, with a positive attitude and a relaxed body and mind, go out and have some fun!

Our second piece of first date advice vies with the first in importance. Be yourself. Although it seems to go without saying, many first dates are ruined by thinking that you need to adopt a different persona in order to impress your date with just how wonderful you are. Again, remember that your date already likes you! You've probably already had several conversations, resulting in this first date. If you're relaxed, you're also likely to be yourself.

What to wear? Women tend to belabor this issue more than men, but both do to some degree. Of course you want to look your best, but working yourself into a frenzy over your clothing won't help you to be relaxed. Dress appropriate to the occasion. Look through your closet a day or two in advance, try on a few outfits and go with what you feel comfortable wearing.

Good hygiene may seem like another no-brainer for first date advice, but you'd be surprised at the number of people who gloss over this item. If you had garlic bread at lunch, munch on a little parsley and use some mouthwash! Shave, wash your hair, use a low-key aftershave or a lightly scented perfume

Although this first date advice item may seem to contradict our 'be yourself' admonition, it really should be thought of as preparation. Most people fear they won't have anything to say, because they'll be tongue-tied out of nervousness. Give a few minutes thought to your previous conversations, common interests and things you'd like to know about your date. For example, you know he or she is hooked on reading. Think of questions you might ask about your date's favorite reading materials. Just think of a few conversation starters. The rest of it will take care of itself. You're just getting to know each other, so there should be plenty to talk about. Spontaneity is your friend.

Not every first date will turn into a second. Because you don't know one another well, maybe what you learn on your first date will make it clear that the relationship isn't going to go anywhere. So, expecting the unexpected is also good first date advice. Don't expect the worst, just allow that you two may not click. Live and learn. It's not the end of the world.

Our last piece of first date advice is mainly for the ladies, but also applies to guys, for different reasons. If you're the lady and the guy turns out to be a real loser, be sure you have some 'pin money' should you need to call a taxi for a ride home. Guys should also have some cash or plastic to deal with the car breaking down or some such unexpected event.

So there you have it. Heeding our best first date advice pointers should help you make the most of this first date. Have a great time!

Read more »

Texas Rejects $700 Million Financial Aid for School System

President Obama's agenda on education, now picking up steam, wants, uniform curriculum standards for all the schools across the entire nation. The National Governors Association, along with the president, has this new initiative going, for the common curriculum. States that participate in this initiative and others that have to do with encouraging charter schools, raising standards, giving teachers better education and training, get a share of the $4 billion financial aid for school districts the federal government plans to hand out. It's supposed to be very exciting, a competition among all the states, known as the Race to the Top. Well, Texas stands to gain $700 million out of it, but they're not holding a hand out anymore. Texas has a great example to follow too - Alaska from last year. And they're not just thumbing their nose at Washington for this; there have been other people involved, lots of Texas state education board officials have put in hundreds of hours of labor into the contest application, and Bill Gates' foundation all of has been working hard and invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in getting Texas ready for the race.

So how did all this happen, and why doesn't Texas want financial aid for school districts across the state that are obviously struggling? Texas Gov. Rick Perry to begin with, resents that the federal government sitting far away in Washington, should have anything to say in how Texas should educate its children at all. And then the prize money that is on offer, the $700 million, seems like chump change too. It would only cover the education system's expenses for about two days of the year. Why would any state, let go of even a modicum of control, for what amounts to two days' expenses? Texas education commissioner only a short time ago couldn't stop giving interviews that he would really wish to see his state make the grade for the grant. So what could have happened in the intervening couple of months that he should not want any grants anymore? There have been interviews in which the Commissioner, Robert Scott, says that he didn't realize before that $700 million was only two days' expenses. No one was particularly happy with this; after all the effort put into it.

Actually, teachers unions in the country, stand with the boycotts too. There's always a sneaking feeling to these grants they say, that the aim is to one day make the Texas education system so dependent on aid, that they will be forced to accept nationwide standardized tests for their students. Teachers these days really feel that standardized tests are not good for children, their growth or their chances in life. But what can you say? Houston alone has tens of thousands of children in the school system who can't read adequately; a little money would always be a big help.

Read more »

What a film release date can tell you about a

What a film release date can tell you about a movie

One of my first jobs in New York was working for the Gersh Agency, a talent and literary agency, at midtown. In the world of entertainment there are the "Big 5" agencies - William Morris, CAA, Endeavor, IMG and one other whose name escapes me - and then the next level of about ten smaller agencies. Gersh was somewhere in that next level. They'd have you believe they were at the top, but I'm not so sure and didn't stick around long enough to verify one way or the other, anyway.

We did have some big clients, though. David Schwimmer from Friends was our biggest breadwinner (out of the New York office, at least - the Los Angeles office had even bigger names). Sam Rockwell was also on our list, as were Josh Duhamel and J.K. Simmons. They'd all stop by the office every now and again, and we'd roll out the red carpet so-to-speak, treating them like a-List stars and doing our best to pamper them so they wouldn't run away to a bigger agency.

What I learned during my time there was that a film release date can tell you a lot about the film release itself. Agencies don't actually release films - studios do - but they have some say in it. And it's simply bad news for an agency if one of their star's films is released in January or February. Because it means the studio thinks the film is going to bomb, and nobody wants their star to be in a bomb.

It's a simple fact that people spend less money in January and February. Whether that's because it's colder throughout most of the country during those months so people stay inside more, or whether it's because people have less money because of December's holidays, it's tough to say. My guess is that it's a bit of both.

But it results in studios dumping films that they've already made but think are crap into the theaters during that two month stretch. Whether it's something like Denzel Washington's "Book of Eli" or Martin Scorsese's "Shutter Island," even having the biggest stars or biggest directors attached won't save a bad film from a bad film release.

The flip side is that every agent wants their client's films to be released during the summer, preferably some time from May til about mid-july. These are called "tentpole films" because the money they make acts as a tentpole to hold up the rest of the studio, and a tentpole film release is a great way for a star - and their agent - to build their brand and name recognition.

Read more »

fibroids pregnancy and a healthy baby

My nephew, Connor, was born on July 28, 2009, and it was a bit of a miracle that he was healthy. Because, as it turns out, he wasn't the only thing growing in my sister in law's midriff.

The simple fact is that fibroids pregnancy is one of the hardest kinds of pregnancy to go through. And when it comes to a fibroids pregnancy, my sister in law takes the cake. Because she had a fibroid so large that they essentially delivered it along with Connor during the procedure. It was larger than a hockey puck, and the doctor had never seen one that big before. She actually had my brother take a picture of it (and being of that sense of humor, he happily obliged).

It wasn't all smiles over the previous nine months, however. At various times the doctors thought that they might lose the baby because the fibroids pregnancy was so severe. She had specialists from all over the northeast part of the united states come and examine her (which she jokes about now, but at the time was pretty uncomfortable. Something about being in the stirrups and having a dozen strangers looking at one's nether bits was just a bit more than she, or anyone really, wanted to go through during a pregnancy). They blasted her with x-rays, debated endlessly over how to treat the fibroids, and basically treated her like she was the greatest science experiment they had ever seen.

This isn't to criticize the doctors that worked on her. Fact is, their interest - even if it comes off as cold - is a damn good thing. They're trained professionals, men and women who have helped decrease the infant mortality rate to unheard of depths, and she was lucky to have them all there. But, as my sister in law said, it is a rather dehumanizing situation. Even if it was all for the best.

Anyway, they had trouble even identifying the fibroids pregnancy in the first place, and it was only a very astute and experienced x-ray technician who first caught it. Because the thing is, fibroids don't actually show up on x-rays or ultrasounds. So what the technician saw was an empty space where there wasn't necessarily supposed to be an empty space. It's not the kind of thing you'd notice unless you had years of experience working on pregnant women, and - again - it was lucky for brother's family that this technician just so happened to fit the mold.

Read more »

Feeding Baby Solid Food

When should you start feeding baby solid food? Should you start when they are four months old, or wait until they are six months? What happens if you are raising a preemie? Do you go by the real age or the adjusted age? These are just a few of the questions that parents ask themselves and their doctors when they are wondering how to and when to begin feeding solid foods to their babies. Each baby is different, and they all start comfortably at a different time. There are cues you can look for, and you should always listen to your doctor.

Many can start feeding baby solid food as early as four months, but do not do this without the blessing of your doctor. Most start out with rice and then oatmeal cereal made just for baby. There are some that believe that these are not the right choices, even if they are the easiest to digest right away. Some believe that rice cereal can lead to diabetes or weight problems later in life. They skip right to simple vegetables first, like peas, green beans, or carrots. Your doctor can talk to you more about it. They may feel the cereal issue is a myth or they may tell you to do what you think is best.

When you start, you have to watch your baby for signs that everything is okay. Before you even consider feeding baby solid food, there are some things you should see. For one, your baby should be able to sit up with assistance rather well. They should show interest when you are eating, and they should have some hand control. They will have to master keeping the food in the mouth as the tongue pushes outwards when drinking a bottle. They should get the hang of it rather quickly, but if not, don't push it. Put it away for a later date.

You want to watch for some types of reactions when you start feeding baby solid food. Start with just one food and feed them just a few bites of it a day for four days. See how their body responds. Some babies simple are not ready and they may develop painful gas or diarrhea. This usually means their digestive system is not ready. In some rare cases it may mean an allergy, but don't assume that without talking to your doctor. Discontinue or try something else if you have these issues.

Allergies can happen more often with babies than in any other age group. An allergy can sometimes be temporary. Their digestive systems can not handle all foods and you have to keep your eyes open. Never introduce more than one food at once so if there is a problem, you know what the problem is. Don't force too much at once when feeding baby solid food either. Some suggest vegetables should come before fruits or they will never eat the veggies, but others say that is not true. Use your best judgment, and of course, talk to your doctor about your concerns and for their advice when you start and as you go along.

Read more »

Getting over your fear of flying

The scientific term for a fear of flying is "pteromechanophobia." It can also be called "aerophobia," "aviatophobia" or "aviophobia." By any name, it indicates the same thing: A fear of flying in an airplane, helicopter or other similar means.

Fear of flying is closely related to acrophobia, which is a fear of heights. Acrophobia is, in itself, one of the most common phobias among the adult populace of the western world. Fear of flying can also be related to claustrophobia, which is a fear of enclosed spaces. If you've ever been on an airplane, you know that even though you're out into the great wide open, the cabin itself can be uncomfortably cramped. Especially if you happen to be sitting next to Kevin Smith.

I, personally, had a mild fear of flying throughout most of my twenties, though it was never related to a fear of heights or a fear of enclosed spaces. Rather, it was a combination of a fear of death and a fear of not having control of the procedings.

By the way, isn't it weird that there's no scientific name for the fear of death? It's the one thing most of us fear the most, yet the scientific community has yet to name it. Maybe the theory is that it is such a prevalent and natural thing to fear that there's no sense in naming it. It's right to be afraid of death; it's not a medical or mental condition. It's simply how all living things are wired. You see it in nature as much as in human behavior; animals fight to their last to survive, no matter the situation.

Anyway, for me a fear of flying became closely related to a fear of death after the attacks on the World Trade Center's Twin Towers on 9/11. I was living in New York City in the time, and was able to watch the whole thing unfold from my front stoop. The end of my street used to end in a view of the twin towers, so I had a perfect view of the day's proceedings.

The fear of losing control is probably related to that day as well, since it's so well documented that the terrorists were able to take control of the airplanes before crashing them into the buildings, and no one on board was able to stop them. Anyone who's flown since then has to have asked themselves how they would respond in a similar circumstance.

Read more »

Fatty Foods and winning the battle of the bulge

Throughout my youth I was skinny. Not just thin, not fit, but actually skinny. My friends used to joke that I looked unhealthy, and I couldn't get near a dinner table without someone - usually an aunt or the mother of a friend or some such - trying to stuff me as full of potatoes, beef, and other fatty foods as was possible.

And I gladly indulged. Part of being skinny was a bottomless pit of an appetite, one that was particularly insatiable when it came to meat. Whether it was steak or hamburgers or fried chicken or pork chops, if it once was alive then I wanted to eat it. And to eat as much of it as I possibly could.

That was how I exited, culinarily speaking, from the time I hit puberty til the time I was twenty five. Fatty foods, and as much of them as I could find, was always the menu of choice.

Then, one day right around when I turned twenty five, my metabolism stopped. Overnight I went from six-foot-one, one-hundred fifty-five pounds to six-foot-one, one-hundred ninety-five pounds. It took maybe a month to pack on that weight, the first I had gained in over ten years. And it was ghastly.

Seriously, I had man boobs. Moobs. They jiggled when I walked up or down stairs. I began busting out of certain shirts I had worn forever. I couldn't exercise - I never exercised growing up, so the prospect of doing so, now that I was grossly overweight, was just out of the question.

I had to improve my diet. And I really, really didn't want to.

But making those choices, the tough choices that we really don't want to make, is what makes us an adult. You get to eat all the fatty foods you want when you're a kid, all the mashed potatoes, all the steaks, all the cheeseburgers with extra bacon, all the ice cream, all the anything, because you're a kid. Your body can process tupperware at that age, for god's sake.

But when you get older you have to be realistic. Everyone's metabolism slows down one day, and the risk isn't just weight gain. You're also risking your health and your very life, and that's something everyone should be willing to take into account.

So I cut out the fatty foods. Dairy was the first to go, and red meat soon followed. Desserts turned from ice cream or pastries to fresh fruit. And within a year, I had dropped twenty five of my new pounds.

Read more »

Fat loss for idiots

I don't want to be mean or petty, but if you need help losing weight, then you're just not paying attention. There's nobody - literally nobody - who doesn't know how to lose weight. You just eat less and exercise. That's what it comes down to. That's fat loss for idiots.

So let's lay out some specs in our fat loss for idiots bible. Like I said, "eat less and exercise." But what, exactly, does that mean?

Well, "eat less" means eating two thousand calories or fewer per day if you're an adult male. If you need to measure portions to do that, then measure portions. If you don't know the calorie count of something, do some research on the internet or talk to your doctor. Part of fat loss for idiots is not being a passive idiot; make sure you're active in your approach to what you eat, when and how much.

So step one in fat loss for idiots: Cut down to 2000 calories or fewer if you're an adult male. For an adult female, you'll want to cut down to 1400 calories or fewer.

Step two is understanding when to eat. Humans are animals, and like all animals, we've evolved over the millennia to eat a certain diet at a certain time. Humans, until the last five hundred years, were largely "grazers." That means we would eat a little bit of food a lot of times during the day. Rather than having a giant breakfast and a giant dinner, humans would generally eat smaller portions at proper meals then have a handful of nuts, or berries or fruits at various times in between meals. Our bodies are still evolved to process this kind of calorie intake more efficiently, so do as our ancestors did and graze. Keep almonds, or baby carrots, or strawberries by your desk eat them when you get hungry.

Also, make sure you don't eat close to bed time. When you take in calories, if you immediatley go to sleep they'll be much more likely to turn to fat rather than become stored as useable energy or built into muscle. So no food two hours or less before bed.

And finally in our fat loss for idiots tome, make sure you work out every day. It could be something as simple as taking a long stroll around the neighborhood or something as vigorous as a 25 mile bike ride; regardless, you need to burn the energy you take in or else you'll never lose your fat. If you can build muscle at the same time, your fat will disappear even quicker.

Read more »

In Poor Neighborhoods, People still Gorge on Fast Food Calories

In Poor Neighborhoods, People still Gorge on Fast Food Calories

You remember that documentary don't you, about how fast food outlets like McDonald's, in poor neighborhoods, often cause a great deal of obesity among residents in those areas? Basically, poor people have little choice, but to go to the restaurants that are around, and are cheap. When unhealthy fat-filled $1 hamburgers are all they get, they gorge on them, and end up with such massive quantities of fast food calories you would not believe. Actually it wasn't just any one documentary; a few years ago, this was a hot button topic, and there were plenty of reports that went into this problem. New York's City Council swung into action, and brought down a heavy-handed calorie labeling law that it expected would help end the problem. As it turned out, said a report released a couple of months ago, that action had really no discernible effect; New York's poor still had the same amount of fast food calories in their diet in the rundown neighborhoods. But the city disagrees - and reports that at McDonald's, KFC, and other such outlets across the city, people are seen to order fewer calories. Why doesn't the city agree with that independent report?

The independent report actually says that at places like the Subway chain, a cheap five-dollar offer on foot-longs has them flying out the door, and raising the unhealth index around the city. Actually, the City was cheating; while the independent study looked at what happened in poor neighborhoods, the city has been trying to look at what happens in the rich neighborhoods, mainly. Of course the neighborhoods with better access to healthier foods, would try those. There's hardly anything of intellectual worth in the City's report. The middle class, is going to be able to pay a premium on healthier low calorie food. The poor just tend to buy whatever comes in at under a dollar. And fast food calories tend to really add up in that price range.

But any way you look at it, New York certainly was the first city in the country to ask restaurants to post the energy content next to the prices of orders. Everyone else came after. Most states in the country still haven't caught up. The City tries to put a good face on it any way it can; for instance, they report that the fast food calories ordered at coffee shops are down 10%. How much the city can take credit for this is kind of up in the air, as customers at coffee shops pay no attention to calorie labeling. Only about one in ten customers actually even knows that they need to pay attention to this. However, one in ten isn't that bad. Food habits are about the hardest to change,and this does make for good start.

Read more »

Are Fashion Colleges Worth Your Money and Time?

It is a fact that many people usually enter the world of fashion and modeling without any real experience and or formal experience. Nonetheless, the few among those who do exemplary well are those who have been trained for their art and experienced in the practical aspect of the industry. This is where fashion colleges come in. the question is, given the high cost of training for fashion in America today, are the colleges worth your money.

Fashion colleges can be of great help in laying your foundation for an exemplary successful career. Fashion design sometimes appear easy and pretty straightforward, especially to an outsider. Once you are in though, you soon realize the mountain of small, intricate and highly specialized details essential in the business. Learn some of these on the job might cost you a prize opportunity or make your start-up days a nightmare. The smart thing to do would be to learn all there is to the world of fashion design, practice it enough and fall into the sync before stepping forth into the glorious sector.

Only formal education in fashion colleges can aptly prepare you adequately for the challenges and demands if a fashion design career. When applying for a job in the fashion industry, it has become the norm to attend interviews and trial, where your formal education, skill level and conversance with the intricate procedures and specialized equipment become a cornerstone criterion of qualifying for any job. More so, with formal education, you will be better able to approach the tasks assigned with confidence when you finally get that first job. We all know how easy it is to freak out when the most important moment of our career comes calling and we have to prove whether we are worth anything.
The mere name of some fashion colleges gives you a pedigree in the job market. Some fashion design colleges are so reputable that by virtue of having pursued training in them, you automatically edge forward in securing a career lead. Fashion and modeling colleges have always been around ever since the emergence of the fashion industry.

And do not make a mistake of thinking that these colleges are a recent phenomenon and largely unnecessary. Your uncles uncle might have made it in the fashion scene without the training but you wont even have a chance to prove you have the talent without that certificate today. Prior to the 1960s, the training offered was much more like apprenticeship than schooling. However, the fashion industry has grown phenomenally since then. Most processes have been automated, complex designs discovered, intricately difficult procedures initiated and precision refined.

Modern fashion design art cannot be learnt without a grasp of the history of fashion design, a grasp of some valuable theoretical conceptions, appreciation of the changes, an exposure of modern trends, a training in modern equipment, a practical usage of modern tools and an adoption of the cutting edge techniques in use today. All these are what have made fashion so significant to modern lifestyle and what you can learn in the fashion colleges easily. The college experience is thus worth your every cent.

Read more »

Tips for Choosing Fashion Accessories for a Killer Look

Have you ever wondered why most American men prefer to live their lives void of any fashion accessories? Fact is, most of them cannot choose what is appropriate. Picking fashion accessories from an online or offline store is sometimes the most demanding choice experience people have to go through. No wonder, Americans are walking on the streets with grossly unsuitable accessories, some of which should not have been designed in the first place. True, accessorizing your wardrobe is a matter of personal choice and taste, but that does not give you the warrant to look grotesque and cheap!

There is an increasing need for individuals to pick the appropriate fashion items and to wear them in accordance to specific outfits they choose. This is not a rebuke about the price tag of the high-end accessory brand you buy. It is not about how stylish and fashionable an item is. It is about how you look when cladding that fashion accessory item. No matter how experienced and informed you are in fashion matters, the bottom line in your choice of accessories is how other people appreciate what you choose. If you were wearing the accessory for your personal appreciation in the first place, you wouldnt need to wear it at all. The impact of fashion accessories is in how it appeals to those who see you wearing it.

Ideally, a fashion accessory should help compliment the impression and look of your outfit. The accessory item should boldly speak out your personality. It should add a spark in your attitude while completing your outward look puntuatively. The colors, feel, texture and style of your outfit should be the guiding maxim of the fashion accessory toy choice. So when you walk into a store, reflect on the colors in your wardrobe and your frequent dressing style. Fashion accessories are influenced by current trends, fads and whims, but that does not mean you should be a slave to all fashion trends. While maintaining a calm control of what you consider fashionable, strive to read some fashionistas magazines to stay in touch with what is fashionable to wear in the contemporary society.

When all is said and done, strive to purchase a signature fashion accessory piece that completely and conclusively accessorizes your outfits. It might be a silk scarf, jewelry, shoes etc, but it should decisively state who you are. Pick a particular theme that works well with your taste and preferences and that harmoniously blends with your outfits and use it to choose fashion accessories. Such a piece becomes the benchmark on which you choose all your accessories in future.

Read more »

Tips For Searching Family Surnames

Genealogy is a popular activity both online and off. The Internet has made it easier for people to trace and fill out their family tree, but some things still have to be done offline. When searching out long lost family members from long ago, you may find yourself doing a lot of family surnames searches. This is how you find possibilities to research further. There are some differences in surnames that may surprise you, and what you don't know may make the difference between finding your great-great grandfather from England or wondering if your family appeared out of thin air because you hit a wall.

Family surnames often go back through the history of your family through your father's side of the family. They will change through the female side. Some names are more common and much harder to research. If you come from a line of Smiths, you have to be extra sure that you have the right person as you go back each generation. Dates and times are extra important. However, if your family surnames are Smithe or Smeeth, you won't have such a hard time as these are far less common than the name Smith. Still, this can be tricky. Smith comes from many nationalities while others were strictly from one area of the world. Keep geography in mind as well.

Some family surnames have undergone changes for various reasons. This is what you may not know and what can trip you up. One reason why family names changed was because of immigration. Names are tricky when spoken in a foreign language. Some working in immigration may not have bothered to get the right spelling for family surnames, instead spelling it like they heard it. Lootze could easily turn into Lutz or Loots. This also happened when the census takers came to the homes of recent immigrants. They just wrote down what they heard rather than asked for the right spelling on complicated or foreign names.

Because of this problem with family surnames, most immigrants would take on the new spelling rather than dealing with the hassle of trying to get the right spelling of their name on documents. They were just glad to be accepted into the country. Some did not mind the new Americanized versions of their family surnames because they did not stand out so much in the crowd as being new to the country. Some families even decided to change to a more American spelling or phonetic spelling on purpose. These things are what you must remember when searching family surnames.

If you are having a hard time with some of your family surnames in your genealogy quest, think about phonetic and alternate spellings that may have been used. Search the name and see if other versions come up in your search. Some genealogy web sites offer a search that will bring up variations of the family surnames you are searching. This is very helpful and can often bring up results when nothing else works. Not all names change, but many did in the process of moving and immigration.

Read more »

Get The Most Out Of Family Counseling

You may never step foot into a therapist's office in your lifetime, but many people find that this is where they end up at least once in their life. Though many go for individual therapy to help them when they are depressed or dealing with complications in life, family counseling is something that can happen to heal a rift in a family or to help the whole family deal with a sudden and often negative situation. Some go into family therapy sessions for a long time and come out having learned nothing. If you are going into therapy, do your best to get the most out of your sessions. You never know what you may learn.

If you don't take your family counseling sessions seriously, you are not going to get much out of them. You may be there because you have to be, but that does not mean that you can not learn something that can be to the benefit of your family and your life. If something is wrong, therapy is not always the way to fix it, but in some cases it can give a family a new direction and some tools to work through whatever is going on. Family counseling often teaches family members to communicate with each other in a new and productive way. That is always a good thing.

Family counseling can come when something bad has happened. It could be that someone in the family was abused, and the family has to learn to cope with the new reality of this. It is often a hard thing to come to grips with and an even harder thing to live with as the years go by. Abuse changes a person, and therefore it changes the dynamics of a family forever. This does not mean that your family is going to be in a bad place forever. Therapy for all involved may actually give a family a new path so that they move on a positive manner.

Making the most of your family counseling sessions means writing down things that are bothering you and things that you have problems dealing with each day or in general. It helps to have things written down so you do not forget what you need to talk about the most when you have your family counseling sessions. Also, write down what your therapist tells you when you feel you may forget what is being said. You can give and receive a lot of information in just one session, and no matter how good your memory may be, you could easily forget something that is rather important.

Also, talk with the rest of your family about making the most of your family counseling sessions. Tell them that though the process of going through therapy may seem awkward and strange to them, they can learn a lot and even go through some good changes if they try to embrace what is going on. As with anything else, there are some therapists that are going to be a better fit for your family than others. If you go to a few family counseling sessions and you just aren't clicking, find another therapist. Sometimes, it takes individuals and families a while to find the right one.

Read more »

Where to Find Exotic Pet Supplies

There used to be a time when animal lovers would pretty much be classified into one of two categories. You were either a cat person or a dog person, depending on your preference for house pets. But today that arrangement seems overly simplistic, especially when you consider how many people now keep Capuchin monkeys, pot-bellied pigs, hedgehogs and other unusual animals as pets. It seems there's always a blurb in the news about someone's pig escaping the yard or someone else trying to smuggle rare birds into the country by stuffing them down his pants. Apparently, dealing in rare pets is big business today -- which probably also explains the rise in stores selling exotic pet supplies.

I always wondered how people feed and take care of their rare animals. I mean, a pig probably eats just about anything, but what do you feed a chinchilla? Does a raccoon need to be groomed regularly? Does anyone make toys for genets? You can't just find exotic pet supplies right alongside the dog food and catnip at the corner store, so where does the stuff come from? The place where you can find everything, of course: the internet!

Yes, if you're in the market for exotic pet supplies, your best bet is to go online and start searching for specific products for whatever critter, reptile, or bird you happen to own. A Kansas resident who's raising a wallaroo might have to grow specialized grasses or brush from seeds ordered in Australia. An Iowa resident might have to order a hedgehog habitat or food mix from a web retailer based in Florida. Regardless of what kind of item you're shopping for, it's a lot easier to find exotic pet supplies online than to try to rustle up the same products from stores near your home.

But just because exotic pet supplies are widely available, that doesn't mean you should run right out and try to adopt one of the exotics that I mentioned above. There are still a number of other things to consider first, such as your state laws. Many states expressly prohibit keeping animals like pot-bellied pigs or monkeys in residential areas, and trying to circumvent the law could end up with you in jail and your beloved companion confiscated by authorities. Furthermore, you have to give serious thought to veterinary care. Your animal will need routine checkups for sure, and could need emergency care during its lifetime. Not every vet is capable of handling exotics, so you could end up with a very sick animal on your hands at some point.

The bottom line is that finding a place to purchase discount exotic pet supplies is just part of the equation. Before you rush into any big decisions about bringing a rare animal into your home, please do yourself a favor by evaluating whether or not you have the resources to care for one of these pets.

Read more »

The best exercises to lose weight

If you're like most adult Americans, you're probably overweight. According to the latest centers for disease control studies, almost two out of three American adults are overweight and better than one in four are considered obese - having a body mass index of thirty five or above.

Which means you need to do some exercises to lose weight. You need to change you diet. You need to get up earlier and go to bed later, and live life to its fullest rather than just sitting on the couch, shoving peanuts down your gullet, watching family guy and pecking at the computer, surfing the internet.

Now, a lot of this is pretty easy. Getting out of the house and leading an active lifestyle is just a matter of will power. You have to make yourself do it. Do what it takes to talk yourself into getting up, being active and leading the type of lifestyle that will let you become a better person.

As for diet, that is will power and common sense. We've omnivorous mammals. We evolved over eons and eons subsisting primarily on stuff that grows - whether it's fruits, vegetables, berries or whatever, we've evolved to derive sustenance from food that gets its own sustenance from the sun.

So eat a salad. Have a piece of fruit and some oatmeal every morning. When you're snacking, avoid processed foods and eat a handful of almonds or some fresh strawberries or an apple. Do what your body is evolved to do rather than just eating the first, most convenient crap that you see.

And then there are exercises to lose weight. Really, anything that is physical can be one of the best exercises to lose weight if you do it at a high intensity. But generally speaking, the name of the game when it comes to exercises to lose weight is cardiovascular work. You want to get your heartrate up, you want to do it for a prolonged period, and you want to do it at least three or four times a week.

For me personally, I have difficulty with high-impact exercises such as jogging, so I use an exercise bike. I set the resistance to low, then just pedal as fast as I can for anywhere from twenty five to forty five minutes. This will burn anywhere from three hundred to five hundred calories at the intensity I do it.

Other exercise are better. Anything that uses your whole body - like certain aerobics classes, swimming, or the rowing machine - will burn even more calories, burn even more fat, and build more muscle.

Read more »

Finding the Best Event Tickets

Someone you know may be devastated when they can not get front row seats to see a popular country artist when you are quite happy to be in the middle or even the back of the audience. On the other hand, you may insist that up front is the only place to be when you go see your favorite live show, and they couldn't care less about going at all. The best tickets for any event are usually in the front, but everyone has a different idea of what they want to do or who they want to see. The current popularity of your favorite artist or act will determine how hard it is for you to get the event tickets that you want.

Your favorite may not be that popular at the moment. You may find that getting event tickets up close is easy and doable. You can log on to Ticketmaster or any other ticketing agent and the best seats in the house will pop up for you to buy. If your act is wildly popular, this may not happen for you. In fact, you may find that if you do not log on and look for event tickets the minute they go on sale, all of them are going to be gone. Popular acts and artists can sell out in minutes when things are hot for them. It won't always be that way, but it may be that way when you want to go.

If you want event tickets for a very popular show, you have to be online or in line to get the tickets the minute they go on sale. If this fails, you have a few other choices. You can see if ticket brokers online have what you want, or you can see if someone is selling them on an auction site. Use caution when you go this route, however, as you have to think about scalping laws. Each state has different rules and regulations about the resale of event tickets. You are going to pay more the the asking price through both of these methods, and you also have to make sure what you are doing is legal.

Sometimes, those that have scooped up the very best event tickets through online sales lose them. This is because they have only so much time to secure the tickets through credit card payment. If something happens in which they take too long to enter their information, or their card is denied for any reason, those good event tickets are released back into general sales. That means you could come up with very good front row seats if you search again five or ten minutes into an online sale. It does not always work, but better seats usually show up if you keep searching.

Another thing that most people do not know about scoring good event tickets is that you can find some great seats the day of the show. This is a gamble because you don't know that any will come up, but this does happen more often than not. Some tickets in good sections are put on hold for family and friends of the act, and other VIP type people. If these event tickets are not used, they go on sale the day of or the day before the show. Seating arrangements may be put up and more seats are found, so always check the day of show if you failed to get the tickets you wanted.

Read more »

emotional abuse and getting yourself into a better situation

Abuse, for a great long time, actually meant "physical abuse." The concept of emotional abuse was one that most people didn't understand. And that, right there, is an argument for the prevalence of emotional abuse throughout our history.

The simple fact is that most people have suffered emotional abuse at one point or another in their lives. Whether it's from parents or siblings, teachers or fellow students, or even your kids, emotional abuse happens with startling regularity throughout the western world.

Of course, there are still disputes over what actually constitutes emotional abuse, and as of fifteen years ago no standard definition had been agreed upon. That said, there has been some remarkable progress in recent times, and clinicians generally agree on three standard forms of emotional abuse. Taken from wikipedia, they are:

Verbal aggression (e.g., "Your partner has said something to upset/annoy you"); dominant behaviors (e.g., "I have tried to prevent my partner from seeing/speaking to their family"); and jealous behaviors (e.g., "Your partner has accused you of maintaining other parallel relations").

These are signs of a sort of psychological pathology on the part of the abuser, and if you find yourself in a situation where you're suffering from something like the above, you need to address it. That might mean severing ties. That might mean confrontation. That might mean joint or solo sessions with a therapy. Whatever the answer, you must change the metrics of the situation because emotional abuse, while destructive in its own right, can and often does turn into physical abuse over time.

And this applies to men as well as to women. Recent studies have shown that, though men are more aggressive in general, neither gender is more or less predisposed to be emotionally abusive than the other. It varies from person to person.

Emotional abuse can have long-term consequences, including but not limited to chronic depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). To put it into context, this is very similar to the litany of psychological traumas suffered by veterans of armed conflicts.

So take the prospect of emotional abuse seriously. If someone is insulting you, humiliating you or generally making you feel "less than," you don't have to take it and you shouldn't take it.

Read more »

Elevated blood pressure

Elevated blood pressure is also known as hypertension. It's a condition, not a disease, and is not deadly in and of itself. However, it is a symptom of deadly diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and others, and if you have elevated blood pressure, you should do what you can - with the advice and consent of your doctor - to lower it.

Other diseases that can be caused by elevated blood pressure are coronary artery disease and kidney failure. So as you can see elevated blood pressure is no joke.

In and of itself, elevated blood pressure is symptom less even though about one in three adult Americans suffers from the condition. That symptom less signature is partially why elevated blood pressure is such a problem: You don't know you have it unless you test for it. And then for some people, once it's diagnosed, they don't take it seriously because it doesn't cause immediate pain or suffering. It's a long-term thing, one that causes countless damage in terms of both lives and money.

So go to your doctor and get your blood pressure numbers, both your systolic and diastolic numbers. This will measure the pressure of your heart both during the beat and in between beats. If your numbers are high, you need to know.

Generally speaking, adults will want their systolic number at 120 or below, and their diastolic number at 80 or below. If you're in the 120-139 range or the 80-89 range, you're considered to be suffering from "prehypertension." If you're 140-159 or 90-99, you're in Stage One hypertension. If you're above those numbers you're in stage two hyeprtension and need to immdiately address your diet and exercise.

The best way to lower your blood pressure is to lead an active lifestyle and to watch your sodium intake. Exercise, as it is with almost every other malady common to the typical american adult, is really the main factor. Get outside for half an hour a day three or four times a week and go for a walk. Use the local YMCA for swimming, or get yourself an exercise bike. Even regular things like raking leaves or shoveling snow can help if you turn it into a cardio exercise.

Diet-wise, as I said, lowering your sodium should be your main goal. The best way to do this is to cut down the amount of processed foods you eat. Almost all processed foods have an overabundance of salt and sodium, and cutting these out of your diet will be a big step forward for your overall health.

Read more »

The Hybrid and Electric Cars Steal the Show at Detroit

The Hybrid and Electric Cars Steal the Show at Detroit

The Detroit auto show looked the same this year - only very different. Usually, it's the main manufacturers, the Big Three, and majors from Asia and Europe who get to display in the main convention area. The little guys from China and India, and the novel concepts remain content with dwelling in the basement. But the auto industry isn't what it used to be; GM is a shadow of its former self, many of its major brands shut down or in the process. The high-end European manufacturers are lying low this time around too. And that opened the main display area to the basement dwellers - the Asian electric cars and Chinese hybrids. It's like the Detroit auto show had a reincarnation, and was born in Asia. Whatever it was, this year's show had a more upbeat American presence than last year. That one was certainly a show to forget - what with bankruptcies and government takeover rumors all around.

This year's auto show in Detroit was much more hopeful; everyone was convinced that things could only go one way now. Still, years of poor sales and the jolt of last year's bankruptcies, have cleared the air for Detroit. The American auto industry is now all about responsible investments in the future; not about protecting the status quo and keeping old auto technology. The future for Detroit is all about electric cars. The largest display at the auto show was the Electric Avenue, a mega display of electric cars and hybrids. Actually, these are scary times for the auto industry as a whole. Electric cars don't sell at all in America, and hybrids are a costly sideshow. Every stakeholder in the American auto industry, the government and the shareholders, depends on what everyone actually buys - nearly every last car sold in America, is the regular internal combustion gasoline car.

As much as they need to protect their interests today, there may not be much of a future, if there isn't massive investment in electric cars, the transportation of the future. The automakers just need to get regular people interested in the idea of a new car again. And then of course, there is the fact that the internal combustion engine may really not cut it in five years. The government brings on very strict new fuel efficiency standards then. The automakers just want to get some mileage out of the responsible behavior they're being forced into by the government, and pretend that they are just "investing in the future".

The Audi E-Tron was easily the most glamorous car there. But the green cars from Hyundai, Toyota and (would you believe it) Cadillac, really stole the show. The Cadillac XTS is a plug-in hybrid system (it is surprising to see electric cars from Cadillac), the Hyundai Blue-Will is a plug-in hybrid too, and features lithium polymer batteries, with a range-extending backup engine. And the Prius appeared in a plug-in version also.

The environmentally responsible Cadillac really was the bolt from the blue of the show though. How the times change.

Read more »

They are no Longer Pie-in-the-Sky - Electric Cars for Sale

They are no Longer Pie-in-the-Sky - Electric Cars for Sale Now

It has always seemed like electric cars are things that will always be planned for and always be drawn up in concept, but never will actually be a part of the real world. Electric cars have always been the pods of the future that showed up in science-fiction movies. Only, now that the future is here, they are still nowhere to be seen. We've been promised visions of driving without imported oil, without smoke, in a car that speeds up almost before you touch the accelerator pedal for so long, that when they tell us that 2010 will be the year it all happens, we dutifully humor them, without really hoping for anything much. But they are finally telling the truth this time. To begin with, there are a couple of pretty super ones already on sale, the supercar, the Tesla roadster, and the super compact, the Reva G-Wiz. But you probably already know about those. These are kind of a novelty. The Reva is really too small for anything but a run to the supermarket, alone. And the Tesla, at $100,000, is meant to be shown off like the trophy it is. But that is not what 2010 is going to be about. This year is about electric cars for sale, that are actually meant for the mainstream market - normal hatchbacks, normal sedans, with normal-looking price stickers. Let's look at the best mainstream electric cars we'll actually get to buy this year.

Of all the electric cars for sale this year, the most credible model has of course to be, the Chevy Volt. General Motors first unveiled the concept car more than three years ago. Chevrolet could hardly believe the rave reviews they were getting for their attempt, and hit the button on full production. The production car has been reviewed by car magazines all over, and has been a pretty great hit. The Volt's most striking feature, is the one that makes it the opposite of the Prius. The Prius runs on a gasoline engine full-time, that charges a battery that turns the wheels sometimes. The Volt always runs on batteries full-time, except that it has a little generator onboard, that can charge the batteries when they run out after 40 miles of running. You should be able to buy a Volt at your local dealer, around November of this year.

There is a Norwegian 2-seater car that is planned for this year too; and they call it theTh!nk City. It does look a little dumpy and a little cramped too, but it does do an astonishing 100 miles to a charge. And there is a proper sedan in the works as well. As has often happened with car companies that bank their hopes on new technologies, the Th!nk company went bankrupt a short time ago, before it got in a fresh injection of funds. Whether this car actually makes it to the US, will of course, depend on whether they can get their financial act together.

Two slightly impractical electric cars for sale in 2010, are the Aptera 2e, and the Fisker Karma. You've seen the Aptera, or something like it in science-fiction movies your whole life. It's shaped like what you would expect a hover car to be like; and it's plainly unbelievable that they actually made something like it. But of course, it's a plain old electric car, that has ambitions above its station. And the Fisker Karma is an expensive super beautiful supercar for four. There'll be more electric cars for sale this year other than these, too. Expect a plug-in Prius, the Mitsubishi iMiEV and shortly after this year, the Nissan Leaf. So, this is how things have come to pass - there are actual entire ranges of electric cars for sale, and in our lifetimes too.

Read more »

Car Manufacturers from Ferrari to GM Turn Their Energies from

Car Manufacturers from Ferrari to GM Turn Their Energies from Engine Design to Electric Car Motor Design

Car manufacturers are in a bit of a spot. These days are a watershed for companies whose entire operational strategy, depends on the internal combustion engine. The companies that have spent the last century perfecting their take on the internal combustion engine, have taken it from mere engineering to an art form. The Corvette's engine looks, sounds, feels, growls and drives completely differently from a similarly specified Hummer engine or a Porsche. The way they perform and behave are their signature, their character, and their claim to a market share. Vehicle propulsion technology is changing, and permanently now. Mercedes-Benz has a hybrid S class now, and Ferrari is designing its own electric car motor for its next supercar. The world is going hybrid and electric, and car manufacturers are in a position where they have to scramble to make sure they don't lose their place in a world where cars may still look like cars, but on the outside only. Of the technologies that the car manufacturers have honed over decades, engine design, fuel efficiency, transmission, just about the only things they're going to be able to use in the new cars of the future, are body design and the suspension.

Research is on at GM into building an electric car motor, that is supposed to demonstrate character, a tangible feeling of something GM to it. If you think about it, there is very little to an electric motor. It generates electromotive force, and turns the wheels of the car. Sometimes, on some of the more advanced models, more than one motor could come to be used, but that is all. They expect that in just a few years, manufacturers will need to set up the facilities to make millions of units of electric car motor every year. And the rising demand is well evidence now. In just the way that manufacturers have always held on to their engine design as their crown jewels, as the core technology that defines them, they will need to define their relationship with the electric car motors they design in the same way. You can't just import a generic motor from China. And you can't contract with a big electric motor manufacturer to keep you supplied, either. The car manufacturers do not want to be reduced to being assemblers of other people's components. Every major automaker in the world, Toyota, Nissan, Mercedes Benz has its own electric car motor research facility in place.

And you can see it's all falling into place now. The electric car motor requires all new components and materials, that traditional car design has never required. The major manufacturers are shopping hard for companies that have the technology and the connections they need. As much as you would think that the car manufacturers would be all aflutter with anxiety at having to compete in areas they know nothing about. It isn't them who are anxious. It is the traditional manufacturers and designer of electric motors that are beginning to feel threatened.

How are BMW, or Porsche going to port their street cred, their performance feel, to the electric car motor? We will just have to wait, for exciting developments soon.

Read more »

Electrical Outlet Covers

When you think of home dcor and redecorating, you often think about paint colors, furniture, and big items like kitchen cabinets and new floor tiles. However, there are small things that can make a big difference in how your new look goes over when you are done. If you forget about these small things, you can find that your new home seems a little off and perhaps you may feel that there is something you forgot to do. Think about things like your electrical outlet covers so they too go with your new dcor and do not throw off the look of your new room.

In many homes, the electrical outlet covers are very generic. Most are white, though some are cream in color. These are what most people consider to be standard and they do not think about them much beyond that point. They don't have to be standard and there are plenty of great colors out there. When choosing a color, you can find some to match your paint, but that may be hard. Instead, look for a complimentary color to your wall color that you plan to use in the rest of the room. You don't want them to stand out as a contrast, but instead to blend with the rest of the room. The results will be pleasing.

If you go with white walls, you probably want to make sure you have white electrical outlet covers, unless you want a more contemporary look. If so, you can get any color you want and your outlets will pop out to the eye when you walk into the room. This is a great look for a child's room or playroom. If they have white walls and turquoise bedding, see if you can find electrical outlet covers in turquoise. It's a bold look that may not work in more luxurious settings, but it can be great in the right room. It depends on the feel that you want.

Cream colored electrical outlet covers may not go well with white walls. They tend to look as if they are dirty when they are put up against a bright white color. Instead, go for a wood outlet cover if you have wood in your room, or stick with white to match the walls. On the flip side, white outlet covers against cream walls is not the best look either. In more elegant decors, the covers should be the same shade of white as they walls so they blend in rather than stick out.

If you have no intentions of getting new electrical outlet covers, make sure you remove them before you paint any walls. Most have two screws that hold them to the wall and they are easy to remove. If you try to paint around them the paint job will end up looking sloppy. Remove them, paint the room, and once the paint dries you can reinstall them. Your new paint job will look flawless and your cover plates will look great. Give them a scrub if needed, and then reinstall and enjoy your new look.

Read more »

eCommerce Website Design Borrowing from Conventional Wisdom

eCommerce website design, unlike other designs, has one main character, and that is to lead a visitor to make an online purchase. This is the sole objective of eCommerce sites and any design that is undertaken should have this goal in mind from the beginning of the design process to the end. In order to do this, a designer as well as the website owner needs to have certain design aspects in mind. Let us take a look at some of these aspects and see how they can be applied to such a site to achieve the sites objective.

Generally, a website needs to look attractive with the right colors and well organized. A successful eCommerce website design however goes beyond these basic details evident in many non-ecommerce websites. A successful eCommerce site needs to give a user a pleasant online shopping experience. Such as site also needs to provide sufficient information on the owner of the site and why they can be trusted to transact online. And of course, such as site should be easy to use, otherwise a visitor might prefer a competitors website. These are the main selling principles of a successful eCommerce website design.

A designer needs to translate the conventional marketing techniques of the day to day experiences in the mall and the market place to the virtual world of the internet. A strategy common to conventional supermarkets is to position the bread stand at the far end of the building and then deliberately carry the tempting smell of the bread via air ducts to the stores entrance. As you can imagine, you will go all the way to the far of the end of the store while you pick other items along the way. The marketers draw you through your sense of smell. Smells of course do not work when it comes to eCommerce website design. However, a website can be designed to order products in a way that will best expose the visitor to them. Website designers also create the air duct by product positioning. For example, it has been shown that the middle left area will attract most attention followed by the center of the page. An experienced web designer will know how to create designs that take advantage of this. Another technique common on online shops is to try to predict what to offer a first-time visitor, as is the case with Amazon.com.

eCommerce website design, when done right, will have as much success as a convectional store. It is just a matter of using the same principles but on a different platform.

Read more »

All those Multipurpose iPad-like Tablets, and Kindle too - Which

All those Multipurpose iPad-like Tablets, and Kindle too - Which will be the eBook Readers People Choose?

Unless you've been on a vacation from life, you have to have noticed that everywhere you turn, there is one kind of publication or another that's blue in the face trumpeting Amazon's new version of its Kindle ebook readers, and what is supposed to be Kindle killer, Apple's iPad tablet computer. Of course, the iPad is slick, powerful and affordable as all things Apple are, and it conceivably will overtake the Kindle as the e-book reader of the future. But the drumbeat on for these two can drown out a whole lot more that's going on in the market in devices that can be used as ebook readers, on top of a lot of other things. Ever heard of the IdeaPad U1 Hybrid, the Que proReader or the Alex? Netbooks from a dozen different manufacturers took off a couple of years ago when the Asus EeePC showed what was possible with a tiny processor, no drive of any kind and a tiny screen. The iPad today, similarly, inspires all these new devices, all-touchscreen tablet computers that will let you do what the netbook does. And they were all on display at the Las Vegas consumer-electronics show in February.

And while all the netbooks were more or less copycat devices, you can't say the same about these tablets. They all address different needs in very imaginative ways. Some of them are made for the Internet, and to watch YouTube videos on, some will let you use them as ebook readers, promising little strain on the eyes, and special extended battery life. And best of all, none of them require that you lug around the weight of an entire laptop, keyboard and all. About 20% of the world is wired for the Internet, and they are all apparently hopped up on social networking and ebook reading. They can do this on the computer, and they do; but social networking and reading are best done with a thin, light, fuss-free device that can travel. Laptops are suitable, but nowhere near what the touch tablets let you do.

The netbook was a lightweight device, that didnt expect to do much work. For that, the Intel Atom processor, a repackaged Celeron, did just fine. The tablet needs something even more lightweight, and it uses, basically, the ARM processor, that you find in many smartphones. Take the Lenovo IdeaPad U1 Hybrid. It is a regular laptop, if you want it that way; when you need a tablet, you just take the screen off, and there you have your slick little touchscreen tablet to carry away. The Que proReader is an ultrathin device with a large 10.7 inch screen that tries to replace a business mans briefcase full of paper e-document readers rather than ebook readers. The venerable EeePC in this department, has a device that has two screens, and opens like a book; a novelty by any measure.

Will the dedicated ebook readers like Kindle succeed, or will the general-purpose tablet computers like the iPad succeed? The iPad is cheap too, and can do a lot more than just display books. It doesnt really look good for any hardware company putting out one-trick pony ebook readers. But who can tell? Sometimes, people dont like multifunction devices, no matter how cool they are.

Read more »

easy salmon recipes

If you're like the majority of Americans, you are either overweight or obese. According to the latest studies from the Centers for Disease Control, nearly two thirds of all American adults are overweight. Better than one in four are obese. And while a more sedentary lifestyle has a lot to do with it, so to does what we eat. And we eat poorly. We are decadent in terms of both quantity and quality of food, we indulge our sweet tooth at every turn, and we have too much cheese and dairy as a whole by about a factor of five.

So if the above rings a bell to you, then you're probably looking to change your diet. And if you've done any research, you've probably come to figure out that salmon is about the healthiest protein you can eat. Unfortunatley, not everyone loves salmon - but that's ok, because it's a pretty versatile fish that you can spuce up with easy salmon recipes.

Here are some of my favorite easy salmon recipes:

You'll need a teaspoon of salt, a teaspoon of pepper, and some fresh dill. Preheat a frying pan with two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (which, like salmon, is high in omega three fatty acids - fats that are actually good for you). Mix the salt and pepper in a bowl, then dredge the salmon in it. Once the pan is sizzling hot, put the salmon in and sprinkle the fresh dill on top. Cook the salmon for anywhere from two to four minutes per side, depending on how well done you want it. For me personally, I prefer my north atlantic salmon (the most common type) medium-well, while I prefer the rarer and more expensive various alaskan salmon to be nearly rare.

There are other easy salmon recipes, especially if you're familiar with oriental spices. Salmon is one of the prized fish of Japanese and Korean cuisines, and with a little bit of legwork and patience you can find easy salmon recipes from those two countries as well.

There are other ways to go, too. The grill is always a good option for fish, especially if you like something with a smokier flavor. You can also buy specialized black pepper called "smokehouse" to approximate that smoky grilled flavor in your frypay on the stove if you don't have access to a grill.

Read more »

Easy card games for the whole family

Times have changed some. Gone are the days of a family gathering around the table, playing some easy card games, and bonding over a shared competition and experience with each other. Instead today we all have our own computers, own televisions, own wireless internet devices, own rooms, own reading lamps, own couches, own DVD players and DVRs, own shows, own interests, and for a lot of families, own dinners.

Many, many people rue the day that is here. The common values we were all brought up with have been replaced by technology and as a result we have grown distant from each other in mind, body and spirit. If any of this sounds like your family, then the time to act is now. You have to save your kids from total immersion into modern technology and get them to experience the joy of common human interaction. And there's no easier way to do this than by getting the family together one night a week for some easy card games.

You might want to start with some "ice breaker" games for your young kids. These are the simplest of easy card games - ones that they can master and win at in the space of minutes, and ones that will make them more interested and eager to sit down with the family to enjoy the experience that you're trying to create and share.

War is the first that comes to mind when you hear easy card games. It's a two player game, and it's very simple. Just take a regular 52 card deck, shuffle it thoroughly, and count out twenty six cards for each player. Keep the cards face down on the table.

Each player then turns a card, and whoever has the higher card wins and collects both. This continues until the players turn a card of the same value. At this point, those two cards are put in the pot in the middle, along with three other cards from each deck. Finally, each player then turns a card and whoever has the highest wins all ten cards.

If those two cards are also even, they go in the center as well and the process repeats itself.

This keeps going until one player has collected all fifty two cards. As you can see, any child who is old enough to have mastered his or her numbers can play this game and succeed at it if given leave to do so.

Read more »

Easter Crafts For Kids

You may not think of Easter as a holiday for making crafts, but that doesn't mean you can not come up with some to enjoy with your children, or perhaps with your class if you are a teacher. Crafts are fun for any reasons, holiday, or for no reason at all. Easter crafts can be religious in nature, or they can be about the Easter Bunny. Do what you like and what goes along with your views. You can also think of Easter crafts for kids as crafts for spring in general. That being said, you can probably come up with some ideas on your own, and here are a few that you can try as well.

Easter crafts for kids that are religious in nature can center around rebirth and the miracle of Jesus. You can make collages of what you and your children feel this means to you and your life, and the world as well. You can do simply coloring crafts for younger children, and you can add things to the pictures with brads. Perhaps your children could color where Jesus was buried with a rock that moves over and away from the opening to represent the belief that he rose from the dead.

For more secular Easter crafts for kids, anything revolving around the Easter Bunny or Easter eggs will work just fine. The act of dying and decorating eggs for Easter is a craft in itself. You do not have to settle for single color, dyed eggs if you do not want to. There are many great Easter crafts for kids that are kits to decorate eggs in a more elaborate way. You can even make some of both, or you can buy ceramic eggs that can be decorated for a craft and then saved to display year after year.

Besides eggs, other Easter crafts for kids can be about the Easter Bunny. There are many different ways to make bunnies. You could make bunny shaped cookies to be decorated, or perhaps you can make one on paper that can be colored. Don't forget the cotton balls to make the soft bunny tail. If someone in your home is musical, you can even come up with your own song about Easter and the Easter bunny as a craft. Look in your local craft stores and online for more bunny craft ideas.

Spring and Easter often come around the same time. Some families give kites for Easter gifts, as this is the best time of year to fly them. You can go with the store bought kites if you wish, or you could find directions to make them on your own. Remember, kites need to be sturdy so the wind does not rip them to shreds, so you may want to learn more about kite construction before you choose your materials. Anything else that signifies spring can work for a craft, which leaves the ideas for Easter crafts for kids wide open. Do what you think is fun and then get outside to enjoy the warming weather too.

Read more »

Earn Easy Money Online

Youve seen the ads: Earn Easy Money Online! Ever been tempted? Sure you have. If you want to try to find out how this easy money is to be made, click on the link and try to see if you can tell from all the purple prose what the product is. Usually thats kind of hidden. For a reason. But what youll find out is that all your neighbors have already jumped on this bandwagon, and if you dont hurry, youll lose out. Just follow their plan and the money will start filling up your mailbox.

Sadly, this kind of writing appeals to those who need the money the most, and have the least ability to earn it own their own. But there are lovely rose-colored pictures. Lets take a little closer look. What is easy money, do you suppose? Money you find in the street? Yes. Money some family member dies and gives to you? Yes. Winning the lottery? Yes, although studies show most of those people are broke again in about 5 years. It takes a while to go through millions of dollars. Thats about it. Really."Earn Easy Money Online is a contradiction. If its easy, you wont make money at it. If its money, other people have already figured out the easy part and taken it for themselves.

What these earn easy money online websites want from you is work and information. You go out and find names of your friends who will sign up with you. Maybe you all contribute money to the name at the top of a list and put your name at the bottom and just wait until your name gets to the top and everybody sends money to you. Just wait. And wait. It doesnt happen. There arent enough people in the world to make this happen. Even if there were only eight people ahead of you on the list, that would mean, no kidding, one hundred million people would have to have sent the letter to ten of their friends from the beginning. These are people who have computers and will send money to strangers. There are some of those people. They let the others make the easy money from them, and by the time they realize theyve been had, the first guys are long gone.

Maybe you are supposed to stuff envelopes. This scam goes back to the birth of newspapers practically. You send in your money to get the kit of supplies. Your kit is a copy of the ad you responded to. There is no product. What you are supposed to do is stuff envelopes with the ads. These ads are to be placed in newspapers or online sites, asking people to send you money for a kit. No product. Just people who really think they can earn easy money online, or catch the tooth fairy, or see Santa.

If you really want to earn easy money on line, the best way is not to send your hard money to anyone you havent researched. The whole burden is on you, and you will spend a bunch of time sorting out which reviews of the scam are written by the scammers themselves. These guys stay up all night figuring out how to part you from your money. And they are really good at it. You might try writing a blog and charging people to read it. That would be easy. Check it out.

Read more »

Documentary movies and the new millennium

The oughties - the decade that spanned from the year two thousand to the year two thousand and nine - has been called many things. It's been called "The Deade from Hell." It's been called "The Third Awakening." It's been called a period of American history best left forgotten.

But I'm calling it something else entirely. I'm calling it the decade of documentary movies.

You see, I'm a bit of a film buff. From the very first movies filmed by Thomas Edison 120 years ago to whatever the great silent films of Griffith, Murnau and the like, to Citizen Kane to Lawrence of Arabia to modern hits like The Departed and No Country for Old Men... if it's been on celluloid, I've probably seen it. And if I've seen it, I very, very likely have an opinion on it.

So it goes for this decade as well. The 1950s may have been the decade of film musicals. The 1990s were the decade of indipendent films, while the 1970s were the era of either high-flung science fiction (Tarkovsky's "Solaris", Lucas's "Star Wars", Scott's "Alien") or gritty realism (Coppola's "The Godfather" both I and II, Scorsese's "Mean Streets" and "Taxi Driver", and anything from Cassavettes or Peckinpah come to mind). This past decade, however, saw more quality documentary movies made than any other decade, and any other genre.

The biggest, in terms of budget, fanfare and impact, was Michael Moore's anti-Bush screed "Fahrenheit 9-11." Moore, whatever you think of his politics, is an immensely gifted filmmaker who is able to construct his stories in a way that delivers the maximum possible effect for time spent.

Other documentary movies of the decade that deserve the highest of high praise are Stacy Peralta's surfing doc, "Riding Giants," and a little-known film by director Seth Gordon about two men vying to set the high score in Donkey Kong called "The King of Kong: A fistful of Quarters."

While those may have set the artistic standard for documentary movies over the past ten years, it's worth noting that the financial standard was set by Moore. "Fahrenheit 9-11" made nearly one hundred twenty million dollars at the box office - completely mind-blowing for a documentary and more than fifty percent higher than its nearest competition. In additon to 2004's Fahrenheit 9-11, he also made "Sicko" in 2007. This documentary movies about the united states health insurance industry made 24.5 million dollars and is the seventeenth highest grossing documentary of all time in its own right.

Read more »

A Million DNA Forensics Samples Remain Untested

The news about James Baines, the Florida resident who spent 35 years in jail for a crime he has only just now been proven to be unconnected to has really shaken the faith people have in the justice system. But to these people, the reason Baines was released should bring a much-needed boost to their faith: no surprise there, it was sophisticated DNA forensics that won the day. All over the nation, 246 wrongfully convicted people, serving time in prison, have been released and exonerated by DNA forensics, though no one served for as long as the innocent and happy-looking Baines who walked free the first time in a third of a century. At least, Florida law does grant a certain amount of minimal justice for all the wrong done to him - he gets an automatic grant of $50,000 for every unjust year he spent in jail.

The nation certainly places a lot of faith in DNA forensics, and rightly so. But there is many a slip, as they say. It's been reported that the laws around the country that deal in collecting DNA samples from known criminals, are very confusing to most law enforcement agencies. So it turns out that for a good part of the time, no DNA gets collected . A government estimate puts the number at about 1 million, for samples that prison authorities could legally have collected but just didn't. And when they do collect them, a lot of the time they'll just misplace them: the authorities in Wisconsin found more than 10,000 DNA samples gone missing recently. Of course things like this will happen, seeing how swamped these departments are right now. They say that there are currently nearly a million samples just sitting on the shelves around the country because they are not enough trained people to test those samples. In some cases, shocking injustices will happen while those workers get around to the million samples on their backlog: people waiting forlornly in prison for the day that their sample will be tested and they will be set free, for instance. Or people will remain free, like Walter Ellism, a serial murderer in Wisconsin who was free to do his deeds for 20 years because no one had a real DNA sample of his tested. No wonder there are all these right-wingers who just don't trust the justice system.

Now before you know it, they are probably going to shift all those samples to some poor third world country: outsourcing the work there are not enough trained people in this country for. And who knows where that will take us. The Apple computer company a couple of years ago scouted in India for a good call center to handle their work. They say Steve Jobs came away empty-handed, so unsatisfactory was the quality of call center work done there. One just wonders what would happen if they shipped over DNA forensics work to a place where even call-center work quality is unsatisfactory. But perhaps that would be a better option than just letting those samples sit on a shelf for ten years right here.

Over in Britain, the laws governing DNA sample collections are not really evolved yet. The police there now are said to be racially profiling black people, just arresting them "on suspicion" just so that they can get their DNA samples on record. DNA forensics is really the greatest hope today for justice. But it still has to get past lot of hopeless tendencies in the people who handle it.

Read more »

Keeping Up Good Divorce Relationships

Divorce is not a word that brings up good feeling for just about anyone, especially those that have gone through one. However, there are ways that you can save your divorce relationships from turning so sour that you can not stand to think of the other person or anyone they know. If you have children, you want to maintain some type of relationship because the children need the both of you. If you can not talk to each other, the children are the ones that are going to suffer. Those that divorce also find they have to split up friendships, but that does not have to happen.

Your divorce relationships depend on you as much as they depend on your spouse and your children. You may be spitting mad at your spouse and you may think they are the lowest form of life on the planet because of something they did to you. However, they are probably a good parent. That means no matter how mad you are you have to maintain good divorce relationships with your soon to be ex spouse for the sake of your children. They need you to be able to communicate with each other, even if it is only about the children. You may no longer want to be married together, but you are always going to be parents together.

It will be hard to keep divorce relationships steady and positive right away if you had a bad divorce. Your children are going to react no matter what, but over time, watch them for signs of problems. You can read how they are doing into how well you are maintaining a good parenting relationship with your ex. Remind your children over and over again that you are there for them and that they can talk to you about anything. If something is bothering them about your relationship with your ex, tell them that you want to know so you can make things better for them.

The divorce relationships you choose to have with the rest of your ex in-laws is up to you. You may want to maintain contact with the grandparents of your children, but the rest of them may not want to see you, or perhaps they understand the divorce and want to also be involved in your children's lives. Allow them to come to terms with the divorce before you write them off, and give yourself time before you decide if you want to stay in touch. Nothing about these divorce relationships is going to be easy, but over time things will settle down.

Don't forget about your divorce relationships with your mutual friends. Some may feel stuck in the middle. You can not control how your ex acts or what he or she may stay to your friends, but you can control what you say. It can be hard when friends have to choose sides, and some end up choosing to go away completely. If you want to preserve these divorce relationships, tell them that you love them and that you understand how hard it can be on them. Give them time and space and your true friends will remain in your life.

Read more »

Is Disability Insurance a Mature Enough Industry that you should

Is Disability Insurance a Mature Enough Industry that you should Trust in its Ability to Help?

Disability insurance, if you think about it, should figure on our list of things to do, just as much as medical insurance does, shouldn't it? About one in five Americans experiences some kind of injury every year that keeps them from working for a period of time. Depending on who is advertising, you can get to hear figures anywhere between 30% and 80%, as an estimation of your personal chances of being struck by some kind of disability in your lifetime. Disability insurance exists, to make up for whatever shortfall in salary you experience, when you cannot work. And all of this, is when most of all Americans get by with no disability insurance of their own. They can count themselves lucky if their employer happens to cover them, but that is all. Most people who cover themselves paying premiums out-of-pocket, never can afford enough.

The disability insurance industry, can think of no better way to respond to all of this, than by inflicting grisly advertisements on us, that make them sound like vultures circling in the sky. They put out statistics that go, 'Every second in America, there is a new disability that occurs". They get that figure from the National Safety Council that has kind of a broad definition for disability injury. If you get anything that keeps you away from any everyday activity for more than one day, they call that a disability injury. For instance, if you feel you can't go to the movies one night, because you were roughhousing with your kids, and got punched in the nose, that counts as a disability injury. Lots of people try to put in fake claims to get their hands on some undeserved disability payouts too, to make things worse. For some reason, doctors seem to buy a lot of disability insurance for themselves too, and they claim on them often. If most of our estimates of how likely we are to need disability insurance comes from people who take these into account , how do we really know how much we need it?

There's not a whole lot of independent information on the subject. There was a book called How to Insure Your Income, released more than 10 years ago, that gave you statistics that weren't all that different. The website of the Council for Disability Awareness has an online quiz, that says that if you have an office job, you just have a 10% chance of getting that unlucky. So how much is enough? About one in three workers in the country has some kind of coverage that their employers pay the premiums on. Everyone has Social Security, but you don't get more than a couple thousand dollars a month, and it's very, very difficult to qualify. If you're counting on worker's compensation, they'll only care if you are actually injured while at your post. Private disability insurance, even if you do buy it, can be difficult to claim on. They have all kinds of exclusions to try to disqualify you. They'll try to tell you, "Oh! so you can't work as a lathe turner anymore? We can't pay you , unless you try (and fail) at finding work as a holiday gift wrapper at the mall". Seeing as how difficult it is to come by proper coverage, perhaps it is just best to let things take care of themselves.

Read more »

Dirty Politics is Dirty Business

A politician's job, in theory, is to represent the opinions, needs, and best interests of their constituents. Sadly, in reality, a politician's job is more often pandering, making money and looking good. It is therefore no surprise that politics, especially in the United States, has devolved into temper tantrums and mudslinging. The result has been the dominance of dirty politics.

What is dirty politics? The answer is not easy to come by. It truly depends on the location, political climate, and time. Dirty politics may include bringing up marital issues, attacking family members of a politician, misconstruing affiliations with unsavory characters, or attempting to otherwise smear the character of a candidate in an unjustified manner. Dirty politics may also include negative actions that a politician themselves take, from taking bribes to failing to really pay attention to or read through legislation that they are voting on. These are all examples of politics gone astray, which is the most concise way to define dirty politics as a whole.

Why do people resort to dirty politics? This is also a difficult question to answer. Sometimes it is a matter of greed. People will choose to engage in smear tactics because they want to win an election for the fame and perks. Politicians will put wealth over a nation's prosperity, and in the process, sell out their values. However, greed is not the only contributing factor. Sometimes, these efforts are an act of desperation. While the pay for a Senator or Representative is usually more than adequate, some politicians will find themselves in a large amount of debt in their pursuit of keeping up with the Joneses. As a result, they find themselves more susceptible to bullying forces. Others may be at a loss for how to win an election. Faced with dire numbers in the polls, a large amount of their finances riding on the results, and unable to compete any other way, these politicians may turn to smear tactics to try to make themselves look more favorable. A final component of dirty politics may be sheer laziness. Instead of putting in the time to read through hundreds of pages of legislation, or even having an aide do so, these politicians will instead barter away their vote in an effort to gain easy support for something that will help them win a re-election bid. No matter how you cut it, though, it is unacceptable.

How can we combat dirty politics? The key part of any solution has to be accountability. With recent rulings by the Supreme Court removing prior restrictions on big business and campaign donations, we find ourselves in a precarious situation. We have to demand transparency from the people who are representing us. Ask for full disclosure of voting records, financial affairs and evidence for their campaign attacks. If we don't require our politicians to be honest, dirty politics will prevail. Our vote is a powerful thing. We should use it to the best of our ability.

Read more »

The Role of Direct Marketing Agencies in Todays Business

No matter how techno business becomes these days, the direct marketing tactics used since the emergence of trade are still as viable. Luckily, these tactics have only been automated, made easy and less costly by the emergence of the information age. This eventuality might be the single reason why direct marketing agencies are still very relevant to modern business practices.

Direct marketing agencies help businesses to directly market their products or services to their customer. The direct marketing agency thus eases the process a business takes in marketing its products and services by directly linking that company with its target market. That seemingly simplistic role has a lot of activities involved. The role begins with conducting research and analyzing findings in a bid to identify the particular customer base to target. You can never create customers from everyone and that is why the agencies must first identify their objective market niche.

The marketing agencies then starts on planning for the exercises that would turn the target market into actual clients for the business. If any are converted, the direct marketing agencies must then work on the ways of retaining these clients while still extending the market reach. The core principal role ate play here is that the marketing agencies must facilitate an increased turnover rate during the tenor of their contracts. That is why they will endeavor to their target market in the know when new products or services are launched.

Some popular strategies in use today by most direct marketing agencies include the following broad and very common advertising techniques:

Direct mail Sending out unsolicited advertising mails to a mass list.
Telemarketing Calling a huge phone list and giving them and advertorial message on a particular company. Its products and services etc.
Database marketing Keeping an updated database of the target consumers a company targets, profiling their trends, tastes, characteristics etc.
List broking such as buying mailing lists, databases etc to be used by a company in marketing.
Unaddressed mail Sending unsolicited advertising mails without personal addresses to a mass of people.
BTL-event support.
Client/customer loyalty programs.
Electronic mail Sending out unsolicited advertising emails to a mass list etc.
Promotion drives to regions within the target market.
Point of sale advertising where sales persons talk directly to the clients.

Direct marketing agencies have an extremely important role in modern business setups. They can work alone or in complementation of in-house marketing/advertising department. Their role is wider than just advertising since it involves creation, management and increment of a companys clientele base on a long-term basis. That is why their place cannot be replaced in the modern corporate market.

Read more »