The Finney School of Real Life

Recently Google has created a new affiliation with another website that has people talking. Orkut.com is a website designed specifically for friends. Its designed more like a community than as a website. The whole impetus for Orkut.com is to make conversation with friends and family members upbeat and fun! As you may know Google has been aligning themselves with reputable websites in order to provide a premiere service like no other web crawler can.

Orkut.com is out to help the Internet community make friends with people around the world. Whomever you decide to speak with is totally up to you. You would just need to setup an account with a profile letting people know about you. Should a person have interest they can post messages to your profile. Orkut.com acts the same with Google’s link sharing properties. Both philosophies believe in creation of a network and keeping people tuned into to what each other have to share. It truly is an amazing paradigm.

So Is Orkut.com just another online bulletin board?

The answer surprisingly is “No!” Orkut.com provides many capabilities including online dating, people who share the same hobbies and interests as well as possible business connections. You can also create your own community or special interest arena. The gamut runs deep with Orkut.com, as there are many variations available.

How to join Orkut

Are you ready for the big question “How do I join Orkut.com?” In keeping with the exclusivity rules you cannot just join. You have to have a friend who will vouch for you. How is that for exclusive? The thought process behind this is keeping your network ear open for folks who already are Orkut.com members. They will need to refer you if you ever want to get in. Orkut’s theory is that eventually someone will let you in.

There are some websites with people who “Blog” and are willing to let you in. Blogger.com, also another Google.com owned website has many blogger’s who will help you get your foot in the door. If you run a search on Google.com and type “How to join Orkut.com” you’ll be surprised how their theory works. It forces you to contact people you don’t know for inclusion. A pure stroke of genius on Google’s part.

About the Author

Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.sitetube.com. Visit his website for the latest on planning, building, promoting and maintaining websites.

Even as ETFs have gone mainstream, the innovations continue. Here is a review of some new creative ETFs that have been launched or will shortly hit the market.

First Trust Advisors now has eight ETFs available to investors. The First Trust NASDAQ-100 Equal Weighted ETF (QQEWI) weights each of the 100 non-financial companies in the index equally and then rebalances on a quarterly basis. This avoids the problem in the market-cap weighted QQQQ where the ten largest companies in the index account for 40% of the total value. Another good option that does not get the attention it deserves is the Fidelity ETF, (ONEQ), which tracks the NASDAQ composite index of 3,000 companies. It too is market cap weighted but has somewhat better balance since the top ten holdings represent 29% of the basket’s value.

The First Trust IPOX-100 ETF (FPX) is a basket that includes the 100 largest, most liquid initial public offerings (”IPOs”) in the U.S. IPOX Composite Index. No one IPO can account for more that 10% of the ETF and the index it tracks measures the average performance of U.S. IPOs during the first 1,000 trading days.

Pro Fund Advisors is launching this week its first eight ETFs that allow investors to go long and short popular indexes in a cost effective manner. The ETFs will track the Nasdaq 100, the S&P 500, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) and the S&P Midcap 400.

The ETFs that will target 200% of the value of the underlying indexes are Nasdaq 100 (QLD), S&P 500 (SSO), DJIA (DDM) and S&P Midcap 400 (MVV).

The Pro Fund ETFs that will target 100% of the inverse performance of the underlying indexes are the Nasdaq 100 (PSQ), S&P 500 (SH), DJIA (DOG) and S&P Midcap 400 (MYY). The expense ratio for these new ETFs will be 0.95%.

Rydex is launching six additional currency ETFs to build on the popular Euro ETF (FXE) as a hedge on the U.S. dollar. The currency ETFs will benchmark to the spot price versus the $USD and the strategy for each is to return the spot price, plus interest, less the trust expenses. These new products may be available to investors in about a week and will trade under the following tickers: British Pound (FXB), Canadian Dollar (FXC), Mexican Peso (FXM), Australian Dollar (FXA), Swiss Franc (FXF) and the Swedish Krona (FXS).

The largest family of ETFs, iShares, is not resting on its laurels but continues to press ahead with new ETFs. Its ten iShares Dow Jones U.S. Subsector ETFs, launched on May 1st, gives investors the ability to slice the sector markets thinly. Some examples are the Broker-Dealer iShare (IAI), the Insurance iShare (IAK), the Oil Equipment & Services iShare (IEO), the Aerospace & Defense iShare (ITA) and the Regional Banks iShare (IAT). All are market cap weighted with an expense ratio of 0.48%. The Regional Banks iShare has a decent dividend yield of 3.21%.

Some of the indexes that these new ETFs track have done quite well over the last three years through March of this year. The Oil Exploration & Production index was up 49%, the Aerospace & Defense index was up 38.3% and the Investment Services index was up 49.7%.

But if you like me prefer equal-weighted ETFs and want sector and industrial ETF exposure, State Street Global Advisors has exactly what you need with this Thursday’s launch of six new ETFs. Based on S&P Total Market Select Industry Indexes, they are
(XME) Metals & Mining, (XRE) Retail, (XPH) Pharma, (XES) Oil & Gas Equipment & Services, (XOP) Oil & Gas Exploration & Production, and (KRE) Regional Banks which is a equal-weighted basket of 50 US regional bank stocks.

iShares has also recently introduced its iPath Dow Jones-AIG Commodity Index Total Return Exchange-Traded Notes. This is a mouthful but essentially this ETF are unsecured debt securities issued by Barclays Bank PLC that are linked to the total returns of the index .

This iShares commodity ETF (DJP) has an expense fee of 0.75% and provides exposure to the following commodity groups: energy 30%, livestock 9%, precious metals 9%, industrial metals 21% and agriculture 31%. Based on monthly returns from March 1991 through March of this year, the index has had only a correlation of 9% to the S&P 500 index and 23% to the MSCI EAFE index. The index is currently is made up of the prices of 19 exchange traded futures contracts.

Chartwell members seem to be looking for more international products such as country-specifics for more emerging market countries and some fixed income international ETFs. I have been working on a equal-weighted EAFE index which an ETF could track easily. The market cap-weighted EAFE iShare (EFA) has 49% allocated to Japan and the UK and my numbers show that an equal-weighted EAFE has outperformed the market cap weighted index by a substantial margin over a three, five and ten year period.

This explosion in choice over the past few years is a blessing and a challenge. Choose carefully and get some good advice from an ETF specialist.

Picture this: Its 1683, Dublin, Ireland - A guy walks into a bar and asks for his
favorite brew. The bartender obliges and hands it off. He sits down enjoys his drink,
maybe asks for another, then sits back and relaxes. I am sure that guy would have
never thought that what he was sitting on was a potential household dynamo. The
bar stool would in later years not only be practical but also, be an essential piece of
furniture for its superior functionality in American homes.

When I first heard of a bar stool, I naturally thought of the local pub in town; I never
realized that the craze of the bar stool has taken hold of modern American décor.
Maybe I missed something, maybe I had just as much knowledge as the guy from
1683 drinking in his local pub, but there is no doubt about it - “The Mighty Bar
Stool” has cometh.

Call it a form of furniture enlightenment, the bar stool popped up all over the place
just as quickly as it popped into my mind. No place was safe; it became a bar stool
invasion. Why would people accept such ancient furniture into their home, and make
everyday use of it?

Well, lets see. We have the following:

- Bar stools have been around for centuries (slowly planning their attack no less)
- Modern America has integrated the bar stool into everyday living as a common
piece of furniture
- I just coined the phrase “Furniture Enlightenment” (wink, wink)

Well to my amazement bar stools impacted home furniture by its diversity of
necessity.
What does diversity of necessity mean? Its simple, means that bar stools became
easily adaptable to common furniture needs in our homes. We can place them in
kitchens, dens, family rooms, basements, outdoors, or anywhere else. The bar stool
has become a token piece of furniture.

Bar Stools, as best that I can see are the stepping stool (no pun intended) for better
diversity for our home décor. Meaning they allow more fluidity in our selections of
the overall presence in the home. We need easy movable seating for a small kitchen,
basement, patio, or anywhere else - Bar Stool. We want to create an area to socialize
in the home or maybe create a home bar - Hello Bar Stool. There is no escape.

The species of bar stool comes in many forms, colors, and designs. Once thought to
only flourish in a pub or a bar, the bar stool has conquered its questionable and
gritty history, to find its place in our very homes. The bar stool market surges
forward in local and online furniture stores as consumers put it in demand. So if you
have not realized the furniture coup d’etat that has transpired over the course of
centuries, do not despair you are not alone. In such times there is one motto I leave
you with to prepare you for this upheaval - ” If you can’t beat them… Join them”

This article may be redistributed freely on the Internet as long as the links and
copyright stays intact.
Copyright 2006 by Damon N. Burgess

Damon N. Burgess is a search engine conceptualist, writer, and an award-winning
designer. The founder of Verse Designs, a Long Island web design company,
where his concepts come to life. Also the marketing manager of one of the largest online furniture stores on the net - One Way Furniture

Q: What is a private investor and how do they differ from a hard money lender or a subprime lender?

A: A private investor is an individual who lends out their own funds to borrowers who are unable to obtain a loan from a traditional lender such as a bank. It is also possible for private investors to pool their money into a fund that lends out money on a larger scale. Private investors are often wealthy or retired individuals who want a better return on their investments than they could expect to make in the stock market or other investment vehicles.

A private investor is essentially the same thing as a hard money lender. A private lender differs from a subprime lender in that the latter still funds loan through a lending institution such as a bank, although the interest rate is higher than a traditional conforming loan.

Q: Why would a bad credit lender fund my loan when traditional banks would not?

A: Hard money lenders, sub prime and bad credit lenders are often referred to as “high risk lenders.” These lenders have a unique understanding of specific types of real estate situations and markets. As long as the lending situation fits into the lenders comfort zone, they will usually make the loan. It isn’t that a bad credit lender gravitates towards overly risky loans or situations. Rather, there are additional safeguards in place for a bad credit lender. Namely, a borrower must have a 20% or higher equity stake in a property to qualify for a bad credit loan — the loan is therefore secured by a larger property ownership portion than many traditional loans.

In addition, the bad credit lender receives a higher rate of return than a bank would with a traditional conforming loan. The greater the risk for the lender, the higher the interest rate for the borrower. If one or more traditional lending institutions deny a borrower’s loan because of credit problems or a small level of liquid assets to use as collateral, a borrower will need to apply with a subprime, hard money or bad credit lender.

Q: If I qualify for a hard money loan, is there a way to eventually work into a normal loan?

A: Of course. A bad credit loan should be a short term loan - anywhere from several months to 2 years. After a borrower has spent a year or 18 months paying off their private loan, our mortgage team will try to transition you into a subprime or alt A loan. Hopefully, this is enough time to rebuild your credit and get on a more stable footing financially.

Q: What kind of financial documentation does a borrower have to show to qualify for a bad credit loan?

A: While the type of documentation needed to secure a loan will vary from lender to lender, most require either bank statements or income tax returns. The lender will usually need to see an appraisal of the property, as well as the title to make sure that the borrower is indeed the owner and to see if there are any existing liens or legal issues with the property in question. Each bad credit lender will analyze the necessary documents and then decide whether to provide the loan.

Q: What if I have damaged or bad credit as well as a low FICO score?

A: The majority of bad credit borrowers apply for a bad credit loan due to damaged credit along with a lower than normal FICO score The whole point of hard money or private loans is to provide a loan to an individual with past, recent, or current credit issues so they can rebuild their credit and eventually refinance to a more traditional type loan.

Q: What is my FICO score and how can I find out what mine is?

A: A FICO score is a basic credit score that estimates the creditworthiness of a borrower and is used by financial institutions to determine credit limits and interest rates. FICO scores are held by the three major U.S. credit agencies (Equifax, Experian and Trans Union) and all vary slightly depending on the formula used to generate the score.

FICO scores range from about 300 to 850. A score above 720 is considered to be “good credit,” while a score below 600 is considered to be fair to poor. Conforming lenders want to see a credit score of usually 640 and higher. High risk lenders will look at credit scores as low as 500, as long as the borrower has 25% or higher equity in a property for collateral.

Q: How do I Apply for a Bad Credit Loan?

A: Do a search on the internet for “bad credit loans” or “bad credit lenders” and will find different bad credit lenders that offer bad credit loans in various states. Then either call them and explain your situation to them or fill out their short online application to be considered for a hard money loan. Be sure to read the language of the loan documentation carefully to protect your self from predatory lending.

Corey Senn is a Senior Partner with Bad Credit Lender, a California based private lender that specializes in hard money loans and bad credit loans. Located in La Jolla, California, Bad Credit Lender provides competitive private California hard money loans, bad credit home loans, and bridge loans. In addition, Corey is one of the main contributors to the California Home Mortgage Loan web blog.

Involvement in certain hobbies can be due to all kinds of factors, in some cases it stems from a curiosity point of view, with others it can be because a friend insisted on showing you how, but the urge can also come from a personal need or challenge to create and make something which you know is the only way in which you will obtain that certain something.

From a pure novice point of view, the learning and mastering of hobby metal casting could seem to be an impossibility, simply because of the assumption that there is an awful lot to learn about the subject, and if the truth be known, there probably is, but like many other skills you learn throughout life, the more you do, the better your skills get, a surgeon doesn’t get to learn the intricate art of amputating a leg without first studying and learning about the human body.

Likewise you can’t expect to master the art of hobby metal casting with out at first doing a lot of reading and then applying the knowledge you’ve learnt and combine this together with some solid practice.

If you have just an ounce of practical skill in your body, you will be able to turn that small amount of skill into a valuable resource you’ll be able to use for life.

You could begin your metal casting by using the most basic furnace, equipment & tools, many people who started in this way are now experienced metal casters, and are able to create all manner of things from metal, they have also discovered that sooner or later, other people get to hear about their special talents, and it’s not long before the odd paying job comes in, which helps to make your hobby self sufficient

The type of people that get involved with hobby metal casting range from radio controlled racing car enthusiasts, Go-Kart Builders, antique restorers, vintage motorcycle and car rebuilders, people who build miniature steam engines & aero engines and parts. Some people have found It is even possible to design and build miniature engines that run on gasoline, there are several home trained hobby foundry workers who have undertaken to design & build intricate patterns and cores to cast and build miniature 4 cylinder & V8 engines, real engines that have spark plugs and they run on petrol.

They have managed to make all of the many parts required for these amazing home designed & built projects.

Think you cant do any of those kind of projects? Well think again, because many of the people who build these projects started out just like you, they were eager to learn how to cast metal, they found the
right knowledge, then learnt by doing, soon they found that the things they once thought impossible, were now achievable, that’s the power
of knowledge, belief in your self, and the commitment to get the job done.

Col Croucher.

Need content? You may use this article at your website, or in your
newsletter. The only requirement is inclusion of the following sentence -
Article by Col Croucher of http://www.myhomefoundry.com - the definitive source for hobby metal casters of all ages. While at the web site you can
download a free ebook to learn about & understand hobby metal craft.

How should it be promoted? What should it look like? Can it be
done on my own or should a professional be hired to do it?

These are just some of the questions that need to be answered
first before designing a web site. Experts on this field can be
turned to help and do the job for you.

Doing it yourself would also be an option if you are taking into
consideration the expenses and the time that can be saved by
doing so. There are things that needed to be considered in
designing your website. And questions, too.

What is the goal of the site? It would be helpful if you know
from the start what you want your site to do. Simple as it may
seem, you need to get ideas organized into clear details first.
Think of the site in the point of view of others.

The impressions that they would surely have upon seeing your
site. Putting graphics and pictures into the site as
attention-seekers is important to keep up with the many sites
available nowadays. Having a site does not only mean having
information to give and share. It also means creating an art
work that people will be interested enough to see and read
through.

What have the others got? By doing your homework and looking up
probable competition sites, you can get an edge on what your
site should possess.

Do your homework. You can get lessons, feedbacks and even
inspiration in seeing the works of other people. Looking them up
does not mean you have to copy them. It means you have to think
of other ways to get leverage over the others. Once this has
been done, consider yourself on the frontline and be ready to
set some trend.

How do you find a good designer? In this case, you have chosen
someone to do the designs for you. In finding the right
designer, choose someone who understands and is in harmony with
what you want your site to be.

It is important to note that some designers want their designs
put into your site and not your designs into yours. Consider
someone who is interested in what you’re doing, think your
thoughts and makes them the center of their goal.

Is it accessible? Make it easy for people to see your site and
contact you for any complaints or suggestions. Putting contact
details would make it easier for people to not only get into
your site but you as well.

What is there to remember? Keeping it simple. From the words to
the logos to the graphic designs. People did not come into your
site for those so stick to the more important things.

For comments and inquiries about the article visit
http://www.webplacements.com

When I started out as a young photographer back in the sixty’s, just about all images in advertising were shot in Black and White and we use to work mostly with large view cameras sizes 5×4 inch, half plate, whole plate and 10×8 inch, using B/W sheet film made by Kodak and Ilford.

We also use to shoot with Medium Format cameras such as the “Hassleblad” SLR. and the “Rolleiflex” TLR, format size 6×6 cm. using Black and White film stock Ilford HP3 and HP4, also Kodak Tri X, 120 size roll film.

There were no Point and Shoot Digital Cameras or Compact cameras and color negative film was so expensive to buy and even more expensive to process and print, most times it just wasn’t used and the quality was poor.

Side Note: Just about all weddings back then, were shot in Black and White and with Medium Format cameras and haven’t you noticed to day just how exceptional it is to see a creative Wedding Photographer adding a few images in Black and White to his wedding shoot. In my opinion all weddings are made for Black and White photography, after all the Bride is in white and the Groom is in a dark suite.

How then did we shoot color images in the studio for advertising and fashion. We used exclusively Kodak Ektachrome sheet film. Around this time Kodak introduced Kodak Ektachrome to 120 size roll film and of course good old Kodachrome slide film had been around a while. The problem with making a print from a Kodachrome slide was it was very expensive and the quality left much to be desired. Meanwhile Kodak Ektachrome Sheet Film, was the only quality colour film available at the time and still is one of the best quality colour transparency films around to day.

So whats so special in shooting in Black and White, simply put, It’s just so refreshing to see an image that is not in bright and sometimes unnatural colors and the beauty of the image is in the tonal range from whites to blacks, which evokes a mood which is hard to capture when you look at bright colors.

For example if you shoot a Portrait Head Shot with a white or plain background, carefully lighting the subject, you are really only going to see a creation of an image whare the character or beauty of that person shows without confusing it with color.

So lets examine ways to shoot Black and White Portraits, Fashion or figure shots.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

1. Film Camera. 35mm. SLR or Medium Format size 6×6cm.

2. Black and White film. Kodak T.Max 100 ASA. or Ilford HP4.

3. Soft-Box or Umbrella attachment for a Studio Flash.

4. Reflectors.

5. Tripod.

6. Model.

WHAT TO DO:

You have two choices for shooting you Model in Black and White, we will keep the details short as there will be other resources you can follow up with at the bottom of this page.

a) Studio: Setting up and working in your home studio, (or hired studio).

b) Outdoors: Working outdoors on a fine warm day.

STUDIO: Set up your flash with a soft-box or umbrella attachment, positioned to the side of your camera, approximately at a 45 degree angle to the subject.

Always work with a tripod, this is how the Pros do it and they know a thing or two!

Set up a large reflector the other side of the camera and fix a second light facing into the reflector as a bounce light to fill-in the shadow side of the model. I would be wise to have an additional small reflector below the models head to reflect light up under the models chin.

You may also require additional lights to light up the background and a clip light to clip the models hair.

Check your exposures by using a stand-in model. After some experimentation find the right balance and correct exposures my making these tests a day or two before you plan the actual shoot, so eliminating mistakes on the big day.

OUTDOORS: Now this is a whole lot simpler and just about anybody can produce great shots without the necessity of expensive studio flash equipment.

You will however, need a fine warm day and you will be working outside in the SHADOW of the building.

Seat your Model facing whare the majority of whare the light is coming from, making sure that the sun is not falling on the model.

Place a white card, size 1 meter by 70 cm. available at you local art store, behind the models head as a white background.

Then place two other white cards, one each side of the model, reflecting light back into the subjects face.

It’s also a good idea to have your model seated in front of a table on which you have also placed a white card. This lights up any shadows under the models chin.

The camera must be set on a tripod so you can then carefully control your image. Remember you are creating a beautiful picture, not taking snaps of your kids, be professional and you images will look professional also.

You can improvise setting up your background, I usually use the garden broom and rake… But do make sure that you support the reflectors and background with a strong tape in case of a sudden gust of wind.

Now you have just set up your DAYLIGHT STUDIO…

Find a good quality B/W Lab, yes they still exist, and it’s worth paying extra for this kind of work. Avoid taking you processing to the High St, 1 hour photo lab.

The results will astound you and you will surely impress you model too.

With some persistence and experimentation, you will prefect your own technique with the shots and soon start producing masterpieces.

By the way, the usual attention to the Models hair and make-up is also needed, keeping in mind that you don’t have to over do the make up for B/W photography.

While shooting your model with your Daylight Studio set-up, you can create some great images for your portfolio in the same way the great photographers of the past use to and in the way that all photography started out… Black and White…

To learn more about Studio Portrait Head Shots go here:Pro Portrait Head Shots

To learn more about Daylight Black and White Studio go here:Daylight Studio

Roger started his career in the early sixties at the tender age of 15 as an apprentice in a large London Ad/Fashion Studio.
A few years late he became one of London’s youngest most successful Ad/Fashion photographers.

In the seventies he became freelance and took most of his clients with him. He retired recently but still carries out selective assignments. He also runs several websites, one of them is: Pro SECRETS of Money Making PHOTOGRAPHY

Roger also teaches and helps photographers and beginners with advice from his vast experiences in Ad/Fashion photography.

They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion,
which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.
As the mountains are round about Jerusalem,
so the Lord is round about his people
from henceforth even for ever.

Psalm 125:1-2

The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.

As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord.

Let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.

As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him. Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.

Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate. How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.

Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And the Lord shall help them and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.

And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord. Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.

In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me. I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.

Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah. The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.

In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion. For thou art my hope, O Lord God: thou art my trust from my youth.

But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

O Israel, trust thou in the Lord: he is their help and their shield. O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.

Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord: he is their help and their shield. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes. So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me: for I trust in thy word.

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. That thy trust may be in the Lord, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee. Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. What shall one then answer the messengers of the nation? That the Lord hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it.

Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God.

My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust. For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the Lord.

The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.

Glimpses of God © 2005 by Joyce C. Lock
http://our.homewithgod.com/heavenlyinspirations/
This writing may be used in its entirety, with credits in tact,
for non-profit ministering purposes.

About the Author

Joyce C. Lock is a published author, poet, and columnist. In addition, she founded and maintains the e-mail ministries “Heavenly Inspirations” http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HeavenlyInspirations/ and “Share a Smile” http://groups.yahoo.com/group/smilesharing/. Joyce’s writings encourage us in our relationship with God and each other.

One of the more perplexing decisions when faced with choosing a new printer is which print technology is going to suit you best. At the moment there are two main printing systems: the laser technology, using toner cartridges and a transfer drum assembly; and ink jets using ink tank cartridges and fine-spray nozzles. The method that will suit you best will depend largely on what you plan to print on your new printer, and cost factors that affect the costs of running it. Laser printers are possibly better for high-volume printing, with lower ‘per page’ costs and they better black intensity text than most ink jets. Laser printers tend to have a faster page rate but ink jets still offer the important advantages in affordable colour printing.

For home use, you’ll probably want to print out digital photos or graphics, which makes colour a must. The traditional differentiation between lasers and ink jets has been office versus home use; however, colour offers obvious presentation advantages for business use as well. Fortunately, prices for both categories of printers have come down enough to make it practical to purchase both a laser and an ink jet if you absolutely need both colour and high-quality text.

The work you do

There are a number of different printer configurations available today, many of them quite specialised in the applications. There are specialised photo printers, direct disc CD printers, Multifunction printers, desktop ink jets and high-speed lasers.

If you want a printer that is specifically designed for printing photographs, you will most likely look for a colour ink-jet system that is a photo printer, allowing very high quality colour output and capable of printing all the way to the edge of the page. Recent releases by major brands now include all-in-one Multifunction devices that include scanning and printing capabilities. Many smaller units that are designed purely as a photo-printer to plug directly into your digital camera are also available. Much the same can be said for CD or DVD printing, with specialist printers available for printing directly onto discs, saving label application.

On the other hand if you are a small home-office worker, then your requirements may be more general, in which case you need to make a printer decision based on the types of documents your produce and how many. In general terms, ink-jet printers offer high quality colour outputs at a low hardware cost, but high consumable cost. Lasers offer significantly higher speeds but at a much higher hardware cost. High volume usage however, reduces the cost per page considerably.

Multifunction printers (MFP) are often ideal for home office or student needs because they combine multiple functions into one unit, usually a scanner, printer, copier fax machine, doing a little bit of everything, and saving considerable desk and office space in the bargain. Generally ink-jet style printers, some MFP may trade-off performance for price and convenience (e.g. lower resolution, slower print speed) than if you were to buy a printer and scanner individually.

You can buy Multifunction printers specially configured for printing photographs, with some machines providing the ability to scan directly from 35mm slides and store digital files and print them, which is ideal for archiving old photo libraries. However, the scanned images may not exhibit the same clarity and brightness of digitally capture photographs, or as the kind of quality that you can obtain from a deidcated scanner. Search Myshopping.com.au for the specifications you require and compare prices and performance between brands and technologies.

Dealing with Technical Talk

One of the specifications that you will be faced with, is that of resolution. Up to a point, a printer’s resolution determines aspects of its print quality. Images are made up of tiny dots of ink or toner that is applied to the page, and resolution is the term given to the number of dots per inch-quoted as dpi. This usually represented in a two-dimensional matrix (eg: 600 x 300 dpi). Most printers today support a basic 600 x 600 dpi resolution that produces adequate quality in most instances. Many ink jets, however, especially photo printers and high-end plotters, offer higher resolutions and more dots in the vertical plane than the horizontal.

Resolution ratings are not the whole story however. Many printer manufacturers now incorporate smoothing and enhancing features through software algorithms. This means that some output from printers with a lower dpi looks just as good as that from a higher dpi unit. And, although some printers have very high resolutions, you’re not likely to notice any difference in quality with common print jobs once you go above 600 x 600 dpi resolution. What you will notice however, is much higher consumption of inks or toner. It is noteworthy, and perhaps obvious to some, that the higher resolution you are printing at, the higher will be your consumable consumption, and this is the most expensive part of your printer.

Speed is another important consideration. Vary rarely will you find that your printer performs at the ‘pages-per-minute’ rate (ppm) that is advertised or cited in the specification. There are a number of reasons for this including the size of the file being printed, the amount of ink coverage on the page, the proportion of black to other colours, the weight of the paper stock and possibly even the constancy of the power supply of electricity to your premises. This is not to day that the manufacturers, under laboratory conditions are not able to make the machine perform at spec, just not to rely on the claim as a gospel figure. However you can use the speed ratings to make some judgement of performance differences between brands and models. If speed is an important consideration, then you can short-list printers that claim to perform above a certain rate and the compare other factors. You can do this at Myshopping.com.au simply by searching for printers that offer a certain ppm speed.

Laser printers use powder toner that is electromagnetically attracted to the page by an image temporarily made on a transfer drum through a laser scanning process, and then fused to the page with a heat-setting system. This toner is supplied in cartridges, usually one for each of a four-colour printing system (cyan, magenta, yellow and black). Manufactures give some estimate of how many pages of a given size each toner cartridge will print, based on a predetermined proportion of coverage (say 10%). As with the speed claims, these estimates are rarely accurate, but can be used to make some judgement between makes and models. The higher resolution of image you are printing, the more toner will be used in the process. Ink jet printers use a liquid ink stored in tanks that are sprayed by very fine nozzles onto the page as they are required. Just as you replace the toner cartridges in the laser system, you replace ink tanks when they’re depleted in an ink jet printer.

It is important to understand that even thought the printer might be cheap, consumables is where the manufacturers actually make enormous profits, so be sure to consider replacement consumables when doing your cost comparisons. With ink jet printers, some have colour cartridges in one unit, others have separate colour units. In the long run, separate tanks will most likely work out cheaper, because as one colour runs out, you replace only that colour. When all colours are housed in the one cartridge unit, you may have a nearly full tank of cyan when the yellow is completely gone, and you have to throw away unused ink. Not only does this waste your money, it can also be environmentally expensive.

Cost

There are two parts to your cost assessment of a printer. The first is the purchase price of the printer itself. This can vary considerably between brands and models, and is usually differentiated through different features being offered. Use Myshopping.com.au to search for a printer based on a given price range and compare the features. However, possibly more important is the ongoing cost, often measured in cost per page. A typical ink jet printer may cost you 40-50 cents per printed page, depending on how much ink you are using on the page, it may even cost more. By comparison, a colour laser may work out to 15-20 cents per page. These costs don’t usually include the paper stock, and are based on consumables and maintenance costs. Companies like Xerox often supply large colour Laser printers for a cost per page fee.

One cost assessment technique is to estimate how much printing you will do in a given period, load your calculations with a percentage of ink coverage (if you are printing all full gloss and high resolution photographs, for example, you might load the cost per page by a factor of 8-10), factor in the machine cost and make a comparison of what you will spend in a year, including the cost of the printer.

Other things you might consider

How paper travels through a printer can affect your whole printer experience. The closest you can get to a ’straight through’ paper path, the more trouble-free your printer will be. If all your printing is only on plain white bond paper, then paper path will possibly not be a major consideration. But if you’re printing on photographic stock, thick paper, envelopes, transparent film or other materials, then be sure the print path is compatible with your requirements. How you connect to your computer might also be a consideration, especially if you work with large files where connection speed is a consideration. Most printers today offer relatively high-speed USB interfaces. But you might want to consider wireless connections or networking capabilities.

When choosing a Laser printer, on-board RAM (read only memory) might be a consideration. A printer with a standard 64 Megabytes of RAM will be slow to print a quantity of documents that are larger in size than the printer’s memory. If large documents are a consideration, make sure you can upgrade the printer’s memory. The printer driver provides the software interface to your printer, offering you on-screen control over copies, page size, orientation, resolution, text smoothing and paper thickness and type. Many drivers now include advanced features and enable you to create your own custom-setting profiles for quick selection. Moreover a good driver provides complete printer management from on-screen, including paper jams and job queue management. Ink-jet drivers often provide graphical indications of remaining ink levels for each colour.

Search using Myshopping.com.au

Consider any bundled software offerings when you’re choosing a printer, for this can mean a significant bonus in value-added software. Bundled applications might include greeting card, poster, and banner creators, and photo editing programs. With computing becoming a major component of education, software for kids that provide a user-friendly way to create word processing and graphics documents can be a major bonus. Space may be an issue in your office, in which case you should consider the amount of space the printer will need to operate efficiently. This is often more than just its footprint. You need to also consider access to paper trays and airflow around the machine. While basic printer configurations may be fine for your immediate needs, take a look at the options available and their costs for each unit before you buy. You may see future applications. This is easy to do using Myshopping.com.au where you can simply compare types of technology, prices, vendors and the options each one offers.

Andrew Gates for comparison online shopping service MyShopping.com.au.
MyShopping.com.au helps you compare the different value offers from different brands in terms of specifications and accessories. You can also compare prices from hundreds of different brands and vendors.

Train Your Trunk and Your Upper Body Equally

Everyone knows that you use more of your body than just your arm to throw a baseball or softball. Yet, when I walk through a gym I always see ball players spending most of their time “working” their upper body. If their motivation behind training this way is that they think this will help their arm strength, well, they are largely mistaken.

Studies show that the split between how much you use your arm and trunk to make an overhand throw to be 53% arm and 47% trunk. And, that’s defining “arm” broadly to include shoulder and chest muscles.

IN OTHER WORDS, IT’S ABOUT A 50-50 SPLIT!

This key bit of information has important ramifications for how you should structure your strength and conditioning program as a ball player. Every position requires overhand throwing (except softball pitching) so properly training to enhance arm throwing strength will make any ball player more valuable to their team. No doubt you know of coaches who have their pitchers perform Long Slow Distance running (or bicycling). Well, these coaches correctly realize that the trunk and legs are important to throwing. What they don’t know are the appropriate conditioning principles to train these body parts so as to directly benefit the pitcher during game performance - which is the point, is it not?

Whether you’re a pitcher or a position player, you need to train more that just your upper body. You need to condition the muscles that support your trunk or core, such as your back, abdomen, and legs. Doing so, combined with good throwing mechanics, will reduce the stress on your throwing arm and allow your lower body to contribute more POWER throughout your entire throwing motion.

THE RESULT?

Fewer arm injuries and increased throwing velocity.

That’s why it’s so important to have a well-designed conditioning program that works both your upper body and trunk area, in-season and off.

Steve Zawrotny, MS, CSCS
405.373.3253
steve@baseballfit.com
FREE REPORT: “Harmful Resistance Exercises
Baseball/Softball Players Should Avoid”

VISIT: http://www.BaseballFit.com