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SELF-EMPLOYMENT AND YOU

The world of self-employment can be a personally and financially rewarding one for the right individual. Many people dream of owning their own business but don’t believe it will ever happen for them. The majority of these folks see all the positives of working for yourself, but lack the drive and determination to make the transition from employee to employer.

Self-employment is the ticket to higher earnings without limit and the right to control and work your own schedule. But it’s not easy work. A lot of self-employed people are working longer hours and weeks than ever in their own business. The difference is they are doing work they truly enjoy, and are getting paid for it!

You have the talent and ability to work on your own! Perhaps you’re just not sure what business you’d like to specialize in.

Sales aren’t just the slick folks on the automobile showroom who want to know what it will take to get you in that car today. Selling is the process by which a product reaches a consumer. It can take many forms. If you have some preconceived ideas about sales right now, erase them from your mind. Start with a clean slate by remaining open to all possibilities in your home-based businesses.

After all, if you’re marketing a product you would buy yourself, it will be easy to convince others of its value. Since you’re selecting the right business opportunity, you’ll unquestionably choose the business that has the most appeal to you. Selling something you love almost never feels like work, or real selling!

HOW TO GET STARTED

If you currently have a job, you may want to break into your home-based business on a part-time basis until you’ve built up enough earnings base to leave. There will probably be no greater feeling than when you walk out the door and into a business where you call the shots!

If you’re between jobs, then by all means go at this full-force. All you need to do is to contact the businesses listed here that interest you and begin the process of determining if this is right for you.

There may be several opportunities here that are franchises. There is no available data that says that electing to go the franchise route to start your business has any lower success rate than beginning a new business from scratch. Again, view these choices with an open mind and investigate the opportunity thoroughly before making the commitment. If you’re working part or full time, you can, perhaps, be even choosier.

THE TOP 10 WAYS TO EARN MONEY AT HOME

1. ANTIQUES

The buying and selling of antiques has been and should continue to be a very productive business, financially, for those that do it. Here, you only need an extra room in the house, or the use of your garage — and you have an office!

If you have a large home that has some antique furnishings, you might consider turning it into a showroom for your antique acquisitions and sales, providing you satisfy any local zoning regulations. The interest in antiques will survive into the foreseeable future. Many people choose to spend their free time on the weekends “antiquating” from place to place to try and pick up a few odds or ends and maybe a jewel or two. If you know anything about antiques, this may be a great opportunity for you.

For more information, check out the book, “Buying and Selling Antiques”, by Don Cline and Sara Pitzer. Your local library may be filled with other publications on this subject that can get you started quickly. Your only overhead may be inventory and advertising!

2. BAKING

Have you ever been told that you have a recipe which people would line up to get if they could? Ever had anyone tell you that you should be selling those cupcakes you make? There are a number of success stories about people who have launched successful businesses by cooking at home and then marketing to local people first. Word of mouth on a good product may start to get restaurants or bakeries interested in acquiring your culinary masterpieces. Then you progress to selling them state-wide and presto! A winning home-based business!

For more practical advice on the assorted aspects of setting up a specialty foods business, you should contact your local U.S. Department of Agriculture Home Extension Agent in your county. Since every U.S. county has such an individual, that person shouldn’t be hard to find!

3. BED AND BREAKFAST PROPRIETOR(S)

Have you ever stayed in a bed and breakfast and thought, “hey, I can do this!” You probably went on vacation and simply chalked your thought up as one of those pipedreams one gets when they stay in a beautiful spot.

Don’t toss that thought away! While it’s not easy work as the hours can be long and it’s usually a seven days per week business, it’s often something that you can work into a daily schedule. After all, it’s merely an extension of doing the housework for family, right? More and more Americans are taking after Europeans and opening their homes to travelers. If you have an extra room or two since the kids moved out, you can start a bed and breakfast in your own place!

Bed and breakfast popularity will continue as more and more vacationers and business travelers seek a different accommodation away from the predictability of the average hotel room. If they enjoy their stay, many become “repeat” customers, coming back to the same familiar surroundings time and again.

If you don’t need to do any major renovations in the house to accommodate this type of establishment, you can be off and running with very little money invested, other than advertising and some new “guest room supplies”. If your dream is to buy a bed and breakfast somewhere in a vacation paradise, there are probably houses for sale that will work for this purpose.

Whatever your design, there are several good books on the subject of starting your own bed and breakfast, including “Start Your Own Bed and Breakfast”, by Beverly Mathews. Check them out at your local library.

4. CHILD CARE

Due to the financial pressures many families face today, many parents work outside of the home to bring in enough income to pay daily living expenses. A single parent is obviously working but all too often both members of a two parent family are in the workforce.

This creates a home-based opportunity. Children must be watched, all day if they’re not in school, or, otherwise, for a brief time after school before the parents finish work for the day.

Caring for one additional child may not be that lucrative, but taking care of several children can certainly be a full-time, financially successful business. Often, taking care of several children is made somewhat easier as the youngsters often will play together.

You can do this at home for only a small investment in basic equipment and toys for the kids in addition to the advertising of your business. There are several publications that address starting this type of business, including “Family Day Care”, by Betsy Squibb.

Another resource is the Day Care Council of America, 5730 Market Street, Oakland, CA. 94608.

5. COMPUTER SPECIALIST

The advent of the computer age has changed the concept of self-employment. Having a computer at home has opened a number of opportunities for running your own business utilizing this equipment. Companies everywhere are “outsourcing” work that can be done by someone else on their computer, out of their own home.

If you’re not that familiar with a computer, there are many low-cost (or free) seminars and classes that will teach you what equipment you need and how to use it.

If you’re a whiz in computers, you may end up working as a consultant, writing programs for companies. If you’re a beginner, you may find yourself able to obtain work as a writer, using your computer to produce copy that’s easy to edit. You can also keep accounting and payroll records for companies on your computer’s database.

Word processing software can be used not only for writers but for those that can offer secretarial services out of their house. Desktop publishing software can allow you to do newsletters for businesses and other organizations.

For more educational data, contact the Information Resources Clearinghouse at Syracuse University’s School of Education, 030 Huntington Hall, 150 Marshall Street, Syracuse, N.Y. 13244. Their phone number is (315) 443- 3640.

There are a substantial number of good publications, too. Your local library will have several books on computer occupations. If you can operate a computer, you can find work in the information age today.

6. GARDENING

If you like working in your garden each year and growing vegetables for your family to eat, it’s a definite possibility for home-based employment. Imagine clearing a little more space and growing more items that you can sell directly to the consumer.

Most produce stands will buy from you if your product is one of high quality. If you enjoy gardening, this could be your ticket! If you have some more land to use, do it! Plant what you can, when you can! Contact your local produce stands to ascertain their buying habits.

You can even inquire about your own produce stand if you have enough product. The more space you have on your land, the more likely you will be able to generate enough crops to run the business.

People love home-grown vegetables. They just don’t have the time or want to be bothered doing it themselves. That’s your open door!

For more information, consult books like “Plants for Profit,” and “A Complete Guide to Growing & Selling Greenhouse Crops”, by Francis Jozwik.

7. IMPORTER AND DISTRIBUTOR

There are a substantial number of products manufactured in other countries which can be bought inexpensively and sold here in the United States at a profitable level. The recent passages of the Congressional bills, NAFTA and GATT, may make it easier to bring in other products from other countries.

This is a business easily operated out of the home, depending on the types of stock you’re carrying. You may have to rent some storage space, but the capital required to start should essentially be limited to the products you’re buying to sell here.

Two good resources for you are:

* American Importers Association Membership Directory, 420 Lexington Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10017; and

* American Register of Importers and Exporters, 38 Park Row, New York, N.Y. 10038.

You can also look at books in your library such as “How To Make A Fortune In Import/Export”, by Howard R. Goldsmith, obviously an optimistic look at this type of business.

If you know the type of product you want to import and the market most likely to purchase your goods, you have great potential for a successful home-based business.

8. INTERIOR DECORATOR

While this business will require you to be out and about, meeting with customers, it’s the type of work many people would love to do. If you have a fascination for decorating a home, this could be your line of work.

Many people don’t know where to start when they are remodeling or buying a house for the first time. If you have the knowledge of colors and patterns and what looks good together, plus the expertise of knowing where to get materials and furnishings, this can be a winning home-based business for you.

One excellent resource to consult is the “Interior Design Directory”, available through Whitney Communication Corporation, 1050 E. 58th Street, New York, N.Y. 10155.

9. PHOTOGRAPHER

The sky’s the limit here! Armed with your trusty camera and some good advertising, you can do weddings, models, family portraits, passports, student photos, local newspaper coverage; almost anything that requires a picture!

You can easily start this work, part-time, and work into full-time work based on your success and inclination. Not much equipment is necessary to get going as a camera off the store shelf can often do the trick today. Picking up a tripod and having a room sufficient for developing your pictures, and you’re in business — at home!

There are a number of excellent books available in your local library to get you started on the path of professional photography.

10. SEWING & ALTERATIONS

Many people love to sew. If you’re one of them, consider offering this service out of your home. When someone buys a new outfit, it rarely fits perfectly, meaning some kind of alteration must be done.

People look long and hard to find reliable individuals to do their alterations. If you can sew, you’re well on your way to opening the doors of this type of business.

One resource you can review is “Sewing for Profit”, by Judith and Allan Smith. Or your library will have a handful of capable publications on starting up this type of business.

These are our suggestions as to the top 10 ways to earn money at home, enough to be a full-time self-employed businessperson!

But there are many other opportunities. The listings that follow may give you some other ideas you need to get started in business for yourself.

SUMMARY

Are you ready to start up your own business now?

Whether you begin from scratch or invest in a franchise, the time has never been better to get a home- based business off the ground. It’s become almost routine in the business world to work with independent contractors. Many times, it’s more cost-effective, too.

Most of these businesses do not require a substantial amount of start-up cash. Many of these franchise opportunities offer financing.

With Internet’s help, your home business can be moved online and expand globally. Your profit will be significantly improved if you can integrate your traditional business into online business.

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Julia Tang publishes Smart Online Business Tips, a fresh
and informative newsletter dedicated to supporting people
like you! To find out the best online business opportunities,
and to discover hundreds more proven and practical internet
marketing secrets, plus FREE internet marketing products
worth over $200, visit: http://www.best-internet-businesses.com
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Fast car on open roads. It is a perfect picture for any car enthusiast. But you have to go to your work and also drop your kids to school. This is the real picture for most of us. We need to save time when we don’t have any. A typical individual has so many odd jobs to complete that a car can, without doubt, facilitate their accomplishment. Financing your car doesn’t fit your idea of the way of buying your car; then probably you are still stuck with traditional car buying methods. Shed your inhibitions with regard for car financing because it undoubtedly keeps in mind your financial caliber before furnishing you with a car finance loan.

Car financing has taken a new spin with regard to providing investment for buying a car. So, how do you finance a car? If this question leaves you baffled, then you have to go a long way in the process of buying a car. The term ‘financing’ in relation to buying a car connotes either rendering loan to buy the car or lease the car to you. You are probably concentrating on the former meaning. Many people are in favour of talking car finance from dealership for it seems like a convenient option. It seems easy; you select a car, fill out a credit application, and drive away with your car – all in a day’s work. Car finance through dealership will give you car finance on weekends and even at nights when other banks and credit unions are closed.

Seems convenient, isn’t it? But there is a catch. The dealer will be certainly charging you more for your car finance. Usually car buyers are overcharged by 3% on their car finance. A great number of complaints about car financing are related to dealers. 0% APR is not only attractive but lures the buyers to acquire up car finance not meditating if it is feasible for them. There are very few people who can actually get a 0% APR. Thus car finance deals usually fall midway thereby making car finance experience an extremely distressing one. You are buying a new car and probably for the first time, you certainly want it to compliment your enthusiasm. There are few elementary things that need to be kept in mind before taking that crucial primeval step in car buying.

First and foremost in car buying and financing is checking your credit score before you apply for a car loan. Many people are unaware of the fact that they even have a credit score. You can expediently check your credit score online. So, if you have bad credit history then probably you will be paying more interest rate for your car finance. If your credit score drops below 550, then probably apply for new car finance is not such a good idea. First repair you credit score. Repairing credit score requires little effort, helps you repay your debt and retain your credit report. Online car finance companies can get you car finance loan even if your credit score is lower than required. Your car finance loan can get approved in minutes. Online car finance companies have revolutionized car finance procedure. With lowest online car finance rates, no application fees, or down payments car finance companies provide a formidable competition to car dealers. Car finance companies have set a standard for providing car finance that is worth opting for.

70% of cars are obtained by some kind of financing. You can even finance a used car. The process is as effortless and undemanding as financing a new car. The essence to finding the right car finance is doing to research about your kind of car. Knowledge is power; you must be awake to this age old logic. When so much information frequently exists, then why not make use of it. Find out how much your car costs by comparing rates with local dealers. Very decisive, is cognizing how much, you can afford. Calculate, you monthly income and deduct your usual monthly expenditure to find out how much you can afford on a monthly basis. Compute carefully, otherwise you will find difficulty in repaying your car finance loan. And you definitely don’t want to fool around with your repayment plan because a lot is at stake. You can seek free advice for your own car finance online through credit unions and loan institutions.

You are a car enthusiast, a car consumer, a just a person who needs a car you ought to drive the best car. And why not drive the best car, when you have access to the best car finance plans. Car financing is a transparent route that leads you to become a car owner. Car finance loans are usually short term loans ranging from 36 to 72 months. Shorter loan term imply, lower interest rates and will prove to be cheaper. You have been working hard to select the car you want; there is a fairly good chance that you would not have to work so hard for car finance. So, sit back relax and enjoy the ride.

After having herself gone through the ordeal of loan borrowing, Natasha Anderson understands the need for good quality loan advice. Her articles endeavor to provide you the wise counsel in the most elementary way for the benefit of the readers. She hopes that this will help them to locate the loan that beseems their expectations. She works for the UK secured loan web site [http://www.ukfinanceworld.co.uk.To] find a Secured or unsecured loan that best suits your needs visit http://www.ukfinanceworld.co.uk

If you are the designer type and take pleasure in adding exclusive expressions in your house, you are perhaps elated regarding the prospect of including interesting elements in your child’s playroom or room. In effect, if you are not expert with designing distinctive styles, you can do minor adjustments for having that enduring effect within your kids room. When it comes to personalization and customization, the choices are endless. You can put wallpapers or paint for extra patterns and color. Among all, the most essential element is adding modern kids furniture in your child’s room.

There is a wide variety of options available in modern children furniture, such as beds and nursery, tables and desks, shelves and storage, activities and toys or my pet lamps for your children room. To select the right kind of kids furniture, there are certain points to consider, such as adaptability, fun and durability.

When picking modern kids furniture, durability is of utmost importance. Children play rough and it is feasible to purchase sturdy kids furniture for both boys as well as girls. You surely want something, which will stay for a longer period of time. Even if the kids do not share a room, the bunk bed is a good option, since it provides them more room to play with friends. Bunk bed can also be a great place for storing some belongings. These beds are generally built better because they are essentially meant to hold years of hiking in plus out of them.    

In addition, adaptability is a good consideration while buying children furniture. There are various convertible cribs, which are flexible enough to be converted into kids beds, twin beds and day beds, with support braces and mattresses. Fun is essential to children. There is numerous imaginative unique kids furniture accessible like the cars shaped beds, P’kolino clothing tree and EVA MINI foam chair.

When making a themed room, consider adding modern kids furniture [http://www.themodernkid.com] in fusion with other pieces for supporting the main kids furniture, such as kids table, kids chair or kids bed. It chiefly constitutes wall décor, wallpapers, my pet lamps or art, which will make the kids room appear cohesive. For instance, you can include an angora, piggy or a nautical lamp to a room with pirate theme. 

For small girls, the princess life can take a totally novel meaning with the modern kids room furniture. A P’kolino toddler bed and matching Bebe 2 Dresser with 5 drawers or Bebe 2 Cabinet with Shelves or canopied bed with vanity could work wonders and offer great fun play time to your small princess.

 

As your child grows, certainly so will the styles of modern kid’s furniture. Luckily, the modern children furniture comes in a huge variety of styles and designs for the adult kids too.

With considerate planning, the parents must always ensure safety guidelines for any equipment or modern kids furniture to which the kid will have access. When picking child furniture for your home, make sure you remember your kids interest as well as lifestyle. Select a bed and kids room furniture, which can grow with your child over time and can also be handled to their little sister or brother.

Ruth A Ford is an experienced interior designer. With her focus being on the use of modern kids furniture [http://www.themodernkid.com].

According to various surveys and polls, public speaking is one of the most frightening things a person will have to do in his or her life, often more feared than severe physical dangers, even death.

For some people, public speaking is a fairly natural part of life’s routine. Teachers, salesmen, supervisors- all of these do have to speak to crowds of some size on a regular basis. And perhaps certain personalities gravitate toward jobs and situations in which public speaking is a necessity. It is rare to meet a professor, a trial attorney, or a military drill instructor who is meek and shy and afraid to hear their own voice come out of their mouth in front of a group. But it is common to meet scientists, librarians and architects who have such fears. As well as delivery drivers, construction workers and accountants. Anyone who is not required to speak to crowds in an organized, compelling and articulate manner may harbor extreme trepidation at the prospect of public speaking. In fact, even some of the aforementioned people who do speak publicly on a regular basis may not feel that they are up to the level of ease and effectiveness that they would like to be or that they feel is expected of them.

The need to speak publicly often comes up outside of one’s job or profession. Perhaps you need to toast someone at a wedding, or deliver a humorous trip-down-memory-lane speech at a birthday party or anniversary dinner. Maybe at your house of worship you are suddenly called upon to speak to the congregation. Or you join a social or political organization where you unexpectedly find yourself in a leadership role. Maybe you find yourself in court, called to the stand in a trial, and you must rise to the occasion like Jack Nicholson’s character in “A Few Good Men” and deliver a blistering, unforgettable speech capped by the legendary phrase “You can’t HANDLE the truth!”. Whatever the case may be, instances of important public speaking are almost sure to come your way.

Instead of dreading your moments in the spotlight, you can easily follow just a few simple steps and learn to thrive there; to be the bold, assured public speaker that makes everyone feel at ease and who inspires confidence and heightened listening at your every word.

Let’s look at four essential ingredients to a great public speaker. If you only remember what I call ‘The Four C’s', you will be way ahead of the game. In fact, you will be able to come off like a pro. The Four C’s are Composure, Cadence, Communication and Comedy. Let’s find out exactly what they entail.

1.) Composure. This means how you present or carry yourself. Your body is your instrument. You are thinking: “Wait, my mouth is my instrument when I’m speaking.” Yes, but your entire body is physically the vessel that carries your voice, and visually, emotionally and even spiritually, your entire body helps you connect with the people that you are talking to.

Try to stand straight up, and make your spine and your limbs straight. Not ramrod, uptight, stiff straight, but self-respecting, commanding straight. Stand to your full height. If you are much more comfortable leaning over just a bit, or bent slightly, that is OK. The point is, find your “power position”, where your body feels most naturally authoritative and deserving of being looked at and listened to.

Look out and survey the crowd. Develop hand gestures that convey strength and discipline. Perhaps fingers together, facing up , like a “church steeple”, or a very loosely made fist like Bill Clinton used to do, or a flat “karate chop” hand. Some people point. Some give the “thumbs-up”. Some lightly slap the table or podium under them for emphasis. The point is, experiment beforehand and find your “power position” and your “power moves” or “power gestures”.

If you feel nervous at the outset of a speech, take more time before starting, become more deliberate and look around the room and the crowd for a few moments. You know exactly why you are taking time and looking around. Everything you do is on purpose. You are in control. You are leading and the crowd will follow. This is just a law of nature.

2.) Cadence. This means the tempo, rhythm or speed that you are speaking. Most people, most of the time, simply speak too fast. They rush. If you are at all a nervous type who has any inclination at all to speak quickly, especially when nervous, then SLOW DOWN. Make yourself speak a good fraction slower than what initially comes out of your mouth.

Slowing down a bit helps make you seem more deliberate and in control. To the audience, what sounds slow to you probably sounds very coherent and actually easier to understand. Also, if it doesn’t sound hasty and rushed, then almost subliminally the message to people is that: “however long it takes for him to say it and for us to sit through it all, we know that it must be interesting and well worth hearing, because he’s not rushing and not acting apologetic about having to tell it. It must actually be important.”

However, if you suspect that you might be a naturally slow talker, then ask a few friends or confidantes and confirm this. If you really are a very slow talker, then speed up a bit. But most of you will naturally be on the fast side when initially public speaking.

3.) Communication. OK, you know what this word means literally. But what do I really mean by it? It’s so easy to forget when speaking in public, but you are really just having some kind of conversation with human beings. It could be a Presidential address, trial attorney in court, actor thanking the Academy Awards or standup comedian doing his bits. They are all just SPEAKING TO HUMANS. Sure, the audiences don’t literally answer back, and sure the size and scope of the situation is very different from an intimate conversation, but the basic mechanics of intention, emotion and personal need are really the same. And I know that every one of you reading this knows how to talk, how to just talk to a person, be it a family member, co-worker, friend, shopkeeper, what have you. When you talk to another person, you naturally and unconsciously attach real emotion and urgency to what you are saying, because the words really mean something to you. They come from a need, whatever that might be: “Can I have some potato chips?”, “I can’t believe you finished your report.”, “I hate the 405 Freeway!” or “Will you give me a hug?” It sounds simple, and in your everyday life it IS simple.

Being a human being, you are a GENIUS in communicating realistically and compellingly. Now, simply bring that to your public speaking. When you speak, imagine a real person you know, right in front of you, or out in the audience. Speak to that one person if you need to. Connect with that person in your mind. Convince him or her of the importance, the deep meaning of what you are saying. Unless you are just calling bingo numbers, or reciting statistics for half an hour, you are not just saying words. You are saying THOUGHTS, FEELINGS and IDEAS. You are communicating MEANINGS.

Now, of course, emotional doesn’t mean loud, overly dramatic or scary. It means literally that there is some emotional component or feeling attached to it, the way regular people really speak almost all the time, at least regular people that you want to listen to.

Therefore, to summarize Communication, practice public speaking as if you are conversing with close friends or people that do not intimidate you at all. And make personal, emotional associations with what you are saying so that it sounds like you CARE about those ideas. Because you really DO care about them. Because then the audience will care.

4.) Comedy. Humor, levity, funniness, comedy. By whatever name, it is a very potent and valuable weapon in public speaking. Presidents use humor. Corporate CEO’s use it. Law enforcement uses it. So do military brass, athletes, teachers, managers and professionals of every type, stripe and classification.

Human beings use humor, and not just those we think of as being “clowns”, “jokesters” or “funnymen”. Sometimes the most deadly serious character can crack a sharp comedic line and bring down the house, elevating his stature and command to even higher levels. Think about Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character in the Terminator movies. He was a huge, heartless, robotic killing machine. And he had a series of funny one-liners that have become among the most widely used and appreciated in the world. Now you are probably not a heartless, humorless robot. In fact, you probably do already use humor at times in your life. The key is bringing appropriate, razor-sharp humor into your public speaking.

If you feel unable to write clever, appropriate, relevant and gut-bustingly funny lines into your speech or presentation, fear not. There are professional comedy writers out there who can make you hilarous at just the right moments for a reasonable and affordable price, and no one in the audience need be the wiser. In fact, they might all just assume that you were the brilliant comedic mind behind the golden zingers.

I happen to own a company called The Funny Business that creates custom-written comedic content for whatever your need. We’ve done speeches, toasts and roasts for weddings, birthdays, bar mitzvahs and corporate promotions. We’ve done presentations that involve fairly detailed, specific corporate and technical lingo. We’ve done standup material for both top-level and aspiring standup comedians. In fact, if you come to The Funny Business and request something funny to be written, we’ll do it! Unless we can’t do it, and then we’ll tell you so, but probably in a funny way.

Not everybody was born a giant of public speaking- a Bill Clinton, a John F. Kennedy, a Winston Churchill. But with a little work, a bit of preparation and some serious concentration on The Four C’s, just about anybody can become a strong and compelling public speaker.

Adam Gropman is the owner of The Funny Business, which custom-writes comedic material for various public speaking needs. He can be reached through http://www.thefunnybiz.biz

Televisions have come a long way since their invention by Philo Taylor Farnsworth in 1928. Today, Liquid Crystal Display sets, known as LCD televisions, are one of the most up to date types of televisions you can purchase. They are competing with other types of televisions, including Projection TV, Light Emitting Diode (LED) televisions, Plasma TV, HDTV, and new Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) television sets.

LCD televisions today are full color televisions sets. They produce images using liquid crystal display technology, which also allows them to be quite a bit thinner and also lighter than the old cathode ray tube sets. The screen displays can be much larger than those allowed by CRT technology. With falling costs of production, the LCD televisions seemed destined to overtake the industry. Other large television formats, such as rear projection television and plasma television are losing market share to the new LCD televisions. There is, however, new competition against LCD televisions by Organic Light Emitting Display televisions and others on the horizon.

LCD televisions work with white light, and filtering that light to display a colored image on the screen. This requires backlighting by cold cathode fluorescent lamps on most sets. Some use LED lighting instead for the white backlighting. LCD technology is inefficient in that most of the light, about 90% of light produced never reaches the viewer as it is used or distracted prior to reaching the viewing screen. They take a lot of power, which adds to the inefficiency and they are similar in power use to the CRT televisions.

This television uses a system of LCD shutters in a grid, which allow different amounts of light to pass by opening and closing the shutters. There is a colored filter with each shutter that removes unnecessary colors, all by the red, green and blues, from the white light passing through the shutter system. These work to form a tiny pixel, and the shade of each color is adjusted by changing the light intensity. There are millions of shutters in a display. Voltage controls turning shutters on or off. The liquid crystals form thin layers that make up thin plates. These plates allow polarization of the light and control of light passing through the shutters. Improvements in technology have addressed some problems with blurring and response times, and the first commercial LCD televisions hit the market in 1988. By 2004, the first 42″ sets were being purchased quickly, and in later years prices dropped. LCD televisions were competitive against plasma sets because they have higher resolutions, and therefore better pictures. By 2007, screen display panel sizes were offered up to 108″ in size.

There was some concern with environment effects of the nitrogen trifluoride used in production of LCD screens, as it is a potent greenhouse gas, but critics point out that actual amounts released to the atmosphere are far less than the perfluorocarbon gas that it replaced. LCD televisions remain popular and comprise a large segment of the commercial television set market.

Matthew Kerridge is an expert within the television industry. If you are looking for cheap lcd televisions please visit http://www.ebuyer.com/

Do you always dine out? Does it sabotage your weight loss goal? Having lunch with your client or enjoying a dinner with your partner in a restaurant should not make you feel guilty for not sticking to your diet.

Eating out is tempting because the scrumptious menus are laid in front of your eyes. The aroma of a mouthwatering dish can make you forget all your months of hard work and effort to keep off your weight from ballooning.

However, learning the smart ways to dine out can save you from sabotaging your diet.

Reduced-Calorie Menu

Most of the high end restaurants have an option in their menu for reduced-calorie selections. Take advantage of these options when eating out.

Non-Fried Selections

Not all restaurants offer reduced-calorie options. For this situation, always remember that non-fried selections are the best option when ordering for lunch or dinner. Opt for broiled or grilled meat and vegetables.

Be cautious of how your food is being cooked. Read the details in the menu and avoid deep-fried, batter-dipped, creamy, crispy, pan-fried and garnished with creams. These options are generally rich in fat and high in calories.

No to Buffets

Buffet is always a preferred choice because it offers more value to your money. However, its extensive selection from appetizer to desserts can be tempting to really overeat and sabotage your diet.

If you cannot avoid buffet, then choose wisely when filling your plate. Try to take more on plain salads with low-fat dressings and fruits.

Portion Control

After your order is served, cut it right away into two portions. This is a smart way to know whether you are consuming just enough or overeating already. Once you finish the first half-portion, try to eat fruits or salads in between. This helps you to less likely eat the remaining portion.

Also, fast food restaurants often offer your super-size option. For instance, a lunch meal of burger and fries can be super-sized to larger portion of burger and bigger serving size of fries. It can really be tempting because you will pay less but think again before you cave in for super-size order. Think of the calories and sabotaging your weight loss goal.

Dining out is always fun and it makes difficult to monitor your calorie intake. Regular dining in the restaurants can really balloon your weight if you do not dine wisely because it is easy to cave in to their scrumptious menu.

Now with these tips on how to dine out smartly, you don’t have to feel guilty anymore for dining with your friends and colleagues. Choose smartly and it will never be a hindrance to your weight loss goal.

Julie Brealy is the health manager at FitFarms Fat Camp, No. 1 Weight Loss Retreat and Fit Camp in the UK. She has been working for over 10 years in the weight loss industry advising companies in the US and the UK. Julie is also an experienced deep tissue massage therapist.

Research is paramount to any fine dining experience that you may be looking out for. The economy still holds a lot of budgeted dining experiences, despite the crisis, that it is simply impossible to pass on them. Fine dining will require a peaceful ambiance where a couple can enjoy a splendid evening. For some comfort is high up on the priority list. The aesthetics should be just right; they all play quite an important role when deciding where to dine out. People work very hard for the money they earn and they wouldn’t want to spend it somewhere where it won’t pay off.

When deciding on the restaurant people might be choosy about things such as whether there will be someone who’ll greet them warmly and pull out a chair for them to get seated? Will the staff be cordial and welcoming? Do the servers know their job? Do they always guide their customers when they’re lost? Customers pay close attention to such things; the more they feel welcomed and wanted the more desired will be your establishment.

The research also includes the health and hygiene aspects. If the customers doubt your restaurant to be inhabited by pests or being located at a very unhygienic location then they will most certainly pass on your eatery. They will check with the Food Ministry whether the visit to the premises will be life threatening or not. Bathrooms are often ignored and customers dislike the ignorance. Make sure that the whole of your premises is absolutely clean and does not disgust your customer. The music you play in the restaurant should be in accordance with the theme and ambiance and make sure it is played at a moderate level; high levels can turn them away.

Food taste differs per individual, so customers make sure that they have researched well on their choice. Often, available reviews of previous customers can help strengthen your choice. These reviews also reveal the prices. All this is available online for customer convenience. So, now customers can be fully prepared before they head out to hit your establishment. There will be no shockers or surprises for them; they’ll plan what they would eat and carry as much money, as well. The only thing that you can pleasantly surprise them with is by focusing on the ambiance of your restaurant. If you’ve presented your establishment as something gorgeous and sparkling clean over the Web, make sure you live up to it or you’ll turn them away for good. Always try to outdo yourself!

Chris has been enjoying writing articles for nearly 4 years. Come and visit his latest website over at [http://restaurantlondonsite.com/], which helps people find the best information about Restaurant reviews in London [http://restaurantlondonsite.com/] and reviews they need when looking for a special restaurant in London.

Engine repair for your vehicle is news no one likes to hear. It can only mean 1 result, money spent on your car just to keep it running. Replacing the engine is usually the most expensive mechanical repair that is performed on a vehicle. People have to replace used engines for several different reasons. Most of the time failure is due to lack of maintenance. Issues that happen from not keeping your car are many. Dirty oil is always a problem for engines. When the oil is not changed on a regular basis sludge builds up. Most people do not realize engines have very small oil journals that need to stay clear so all areas of the engine stay lubricated. You can have just 1 of these areas get enough build up to restrict flow to a small area of the engine and the will in turn cause total failure of the engine.

The timing belt is a very inexpensive item that is over looked so much in today’s cars. Not because of the cost of the part but the repair itself is the issue. Your owner’s manual will have a recommended time when the timing belt needs replacing. To replace a timing belt means the front of the engine including all the belt driven accessories must be removed to replace the belt. The bigger problem is if the belt is not replaced when it should be. The timing belt is under a tremendous load and when it breaks, the engine becomes non-repairable. Most engines today are interference engine by design. That means if the timing is off, the valves will hit the pistons and major damage occurs. The timing belt goes around the crankshaft and up to the cam shaft. This is how the valves open to let fuel in and close for combustion, the exhaust valves open to let out the spent fuel. When the valves open they push down into the cylinder where the piston is moving up and down. The piston is on the down stroke when the intake valve opens and comes back to the top as the valve closes and the gas explodes. That pushed the piston back down and the exhaust valve opens to let the exhaust out. When the timing belt breaks the bottom of the engine keeps turning but the cam stops. Half of the valves will be in the down position or open. The pistons hit the valves and extreme damage occurs. I wanted to see what a damaged engine looked like so the people at ASAP Motors dismantled an engine that had been damaged and allowed me to see the cylinders. If I learned one thing, replace the timing belt when the time comes.

After you receive the estimate from your garage, do your homework. Shop the internet for what you are looking for. There are many suppliers who will compete against each other trying to offer the best deal. After you settle on whom you want to do business with, check out the BBB report. They are a very good honest source of information about companies. Then take and compare the prices you’re found with the installer you are using. An import reason to keep in mind is if the installer supplies the engine, he warranties the labor. But he will mark up the used engine he selling you and could be purchasing from the same company you are.

Perry McHowton
ASAP Motors
A reliable source for used engines online. Call us today!
800-669-8287
http://www.asapmotors.com

Mario Uribe Escobar, the president of Colombia’s cousin and leader of the Colombia Democratica political party, announced the removal of two Congressional candidates, Rocío Arias and Eleonora Pineda, from his party on 2 February for their outward support of paramilitary organizations. His announcement comes on the tail of a purge of a limited number of political candidates known to be supportive of Colombia’s paramilitary organizations.

These two candidates belong to a long list of politicians that in private will admit to close contact with paramilitary chieftains. Arias and Pineda are considered the most public faces of a wide-reaching and deep-pocketed effort to increase paramilitary political control on the national level through the upcoming congressional elections to be held on Sunday, 12 March.

A much smaller, more organized, and influential group of former paramilitary war lords has emerged. As a group, they began to exercise power within the realms of politics on a municipal and state level years ago. Their efforts were first recorded in the 2002 congressional elections. In these elections, paramilitary-supported candidates won with over 90 per cent of the vote in many cases because there was no opposition candidate on the ticket and voters were scared to abstain.

Through these strong arm tactics, paramilitary organizations have begun to increase the number of politicians they control in the Colombian congress. This time around, they look set to further increase that power. If they succeed, they will work to ban extradition, eradicating their worst fear, while solidifying their positions of power across numerous Colombian departments. It is a reality that severely hinders democracy and sets Colombia and the region on a path to less stability into the foreseeable future.

Paramilitary politics

Colombia’s departments, stretching from Panama to Venezuela along the country’s northern coast, have long been held by paramilitary commanders who act both publicly and behind the scenes to control political candidates on the municipal, gubernatorial, and national levels. Their heavy handed political influence in coastal departments such as Cesar, Guajira, Atlantico, Magdalena, and Cordoba, is most evident, according to German Espejo, an analyst with the Bogota-based Security and Democracy Foundation.

Espejo agrees that the paramilitaries fund and support congressional elections. “In addition to financial support, it is possible that the paramilitaries use their influence to obstruct the campaigns of candidates that do not support them,” Espejo told ISN Security Watch.

Claudia Lopez, Colombian journalist and United Nations Development Program (UNDP) consultant, completed a study published in December 2005 that took a close look at the intersection between paramilitary control in Colombia’s northern departments and the indices of landslide victories of political candidates from those areas. Her conclusions revealed atypical electoral behaviors in the 2002 Congressional elections where areas that had experienced high levels of paramilitary-related massacres, and thus presumed under paramilitary control, had produced unopposed political candidates who were elected with over 90 per cent of votes.

The Colombian daily El Tiempo has reported that in the paramilitary-dominated department of Magdalena, mayoral candidates ran unopposed in 14 of the department’s 30 municipalities. The tendency for candidates to run without opposition, winning with inflated percentages of the vote, has been repeated in numerous Colombian departments. The trend, referred to as “paramilitarization”, has been documented in the Colombian press and noted on the floor of the Colombian congress.

Alvaro Sierra published a column in El Tiempo on 25 September 2004 in which he stated that Colombia was becoming aware of the fact that “a substantial portion of national territory, of the daily lives of millions of people, of politics, of the economy, and local-government budgets, and an unknown amount of power and influence at the level of central-government institutions like the congress, is in paramilitary hands”.

Colombian Senator Carlos Moreno de Caro, vice-chairman of the Senate’s Peace Committee, was highlighted in the Colombian press in March 2005 when he defended the a move to give paramilitaries lenient treatment in the disarmament negotiations, arguing “the thing is, half the country is theirs”.

Adam Isacson, director of programs with the Center for International Policy in Washington, DC, said Senator Moreno de Caro’s statement was an exaggeration but not a wild one.

“Salvatore Mancuso’s statement that the paramilitaries control over 30 per cent of the Colombian Congress was probably inflated,” Isacson said. “But after the upcoming elections, it’s possible to be closer to the truth,” he told ISN Security Watch.

Ineffective pre-election purge

Relatively few candidates will publicly admit to their alliances with the paramilitaries, yet many will admit such ties in private. This has created a “don’t ask, don’t tell” situation that has made it difficult for President Uribe to act on the opposition’s claims. Many fingers are pointed in public but little evidence substantiates claims.

Paramilitary control of politics is a reality that some can stomach and others cannot. In the lead up to the 12 March elections, many opposition candidates publicly demanded that President Uribe do something to purge the lists of political candidates, removing those individuals thought to be in close cooperation with paramilitary leaders.

A great purge of political candidates suspected of paramilitary ties was most likely on US ambassador William Wood’s mind when in December 2005 he publicly stated: “Corrupt electoral practices may occur in the elections of 2006, notably by paramilitaries.” Uribe told him to stop “meddling” in Colombian affairs.

Weeks later, at a meeting in Cordoba on 9 January, Uribe found himself audience to a very heated discussion between two senatorial candidates in the paramilitary-controlled department. Each claimed the other to have made political pacts with paramilitary leader Salvatore Mancuso. Days later, Uribe asked the Colombian attorney general to investigate the senators’ ties to the paramilitaries.

That same week, Gina Parody, a Bogota congresswoman, declined invitations to run as a candidate for one of the two largest pro-Uribe political parties, Partido de la U and Cambio Radical. She explained that her decision not to run with either party was based on the fact that both parties include candidates “with paramilitary links”.

She named Dieb Maloof and Habib Merheg, both running for re-election as candidates of the Partido de la U. Maloof is believed to be an associate of Jorge 40, leader of the Northern Bloc, one of the largest and most powerful paramilitary organizations. Merheg has been suspected of paramilitary ties since 2003. Both were elected to Congress in 2002 as members of the Colombia Viva party, a political organization thought to be close to the paramilitaries.

On 18 January, the tide of accusations and investigations came to a head. Both Partido de la U and Cambio Radical expelled a total of five candidates from their ranks. But these candidates were quickly absorbed by smaller, pro-Uribe political parties, much to the disappointment of opposition candidates who supported the purges. Even after the very public removal of Rocío Arias and Eleonora Pineda, both candidates were absorbed into smaller, pro-Uribe political organizations.

Power over extradition

What has US ambassador Wood – and many others in Colombia – worried is not just pre-election purging and increased paramilitarization. The 2006 Congressional elections may place in power enough pro-paramilitary politicians to make extradition unlawful.

A law that bans extradition represents a de facto victory for Colombia’s paramilitary organizations. The US has made nine extradition requests for paramilitary leaders. All are immune to extradition while under the protection of the disarmament process, but currently have no definitive guarantee that they will not be extradited.

Banning extradition is the focus of every paramilitary leader’s political power play.

If the Colombian government were left without the negotiating leverage of extradition, the matter of ultimate justice for human rights atrocities, drug trafficking, and other criminal acts would be left in the sole jurisdiction of the Colombian justice system, one not known to have much success with Colombian criminals in the past. It is a system that would certainly be manipulated again in the future and one paramilitary leaders are willing to take on.

Paramilitary influence in Colombia’s congress ultimately goes beyond extradition. It places Colombian organized crime one step closer to the ultimate tool to protect itself – control over the legislative process.

With control over the legislative process, legally protected paramilitary leaders will contribute to massacres and escalated conflict with the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Their positions as regional warlords will be solidified.

Increases in drug and gun trafficking are ensured. Exploitation of Colombia’s rural poor in the name of making the landed elite class more wealthy and powerful will grow.

Such a reality concentrates wealth in power in the hands of a few, exploiting the rest. It would consolidate many more years of insecurity for both Colombia and the region. And it promises a future where security – Uribe’s number one goal – in Colombia becomes a mirage. Paramilitary “king makers” will rule from regional outposts contributing to a de facto “Balkanization” of the country and a weakening of state sovereignty and democracy. If the paramilitaries come to control the legislative process in the Colombian Congress, a country ruled by warlords is a reality that may come to pass, and there is little the Colombian government, or any other government, can do to prevent it.

Sam Logan (http://www.samuellogan.com) is an investigative journalist who has covered business, security, energy, politics, economics, organized crime, terrorism, and black markets in Latin America since July 1999. He has reported from Caracas, Santiago, Sao Paulo, and Buenos Aires. He currently reports from Rio de Janeiro.