Marketing Research Before Putting Up A Small Business

Whether you are starting or planning to put up a small business, it is important that you have the latest market information. It will provide you significant data that are helpful in solving marketing problems. If ever your business encountered such difficulties, you can easily take immediate action about it.

A thorough market research will serve as your business foundation for achieving success. In fact, there are two strategies that are effective when doing market surveys. One is the market segmentation which helps you identify specific segments in the market. Another is the product differentiation which helps you create the identity of your own products and services which make it unique from other competitors.

There are different methods that you can use for doing market research. It includes experimental, historical, survey, or observational method. Regardless of the methods used, you will still be gathering two types of important data.

The first is the "primary" data which you can obtain alone or let someone gather it for you. There are two types of gathered information here.

1.Exploratory research will help you in defining specific problems. It usually involves detailed and unstructured interviews wherein lengthy answers are provided by a limited number of respondents.

2.Specific research has a broader scope yet expensive. However, this helps in solving the problem that was identified through exploratory research. The interviews are formal and structured.

When doing primary research, there are three basic avenues you can apply.

-Using direct mails. The tactics include brief and direct questions, direct addressee of the respondents, limited pages of questionnaires, attached professional cover letter explaining the survey, and enclosed reminder to respond. The drawback can be lower mail responses from the respondents.

-Phone surveys. This is more cost-effective compared to direct mails in terms of response rates. Phone interviews also allow a wider geographical range. It is also relatively inexpensive by using the cheaper rates at specified hours. The tactics include direct respondents confirmation upon contacts, constant flow of conversation, follow-up calls, and direct relay of information.

-Personal interviews. It can either be a group survey or a depth interview. Group survey is mostly used by big businesses as a brainstorming tool to obtain information on new products and product modifications. Depth interviews are done with a ready made checklist.

The "secondary" data are those that are already organized and compiled for your own good. Examples include studies and reports done by trade associations, government agencies, and other business industries. You can take advantage of this useful information. This is categorized into three different areas.

-Public sources such as public libraries, business departments, and governmental departments. This is the most cost-effective way of finding information. It can be sometimes provided as free with lots of better information to offer.

-Commercial sources such as trade and research associations, financial institutions, corporations being traded publicly, and banks. This can be costly since association fees and subscription fees are involved. However, it will cost less if you hired a team to research and collect the information for you.

-Educational sources. This source of information is sometimes overlooked. However, more research is conducted in polytechnic institutes, colleges, and universities compared to a business sector in the community.

The steps to success always start on the basics. Just choose the best market research technique that will meet your business needs.

Mario Churchill is a freelance author and has written over 200 articles on various subjects. For more information checkout http://www.ideacenter.com and http://my-updates.info.Allsun Blog92753
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7 Key Reasons To Keep Exercising

If you still have problems making up your mind about exercising, here are seven good reasons why you shouldn't delay any longer.

1. Youll Live Longer

People who exercise regularly can expect to live longer. In fact, people who get a good workout almost daily can add nearly four years to their life spans, according to several studies.

2. Youll Look Younger

Studies have shown that regular exercise, both aerobic and strength training, will help you look and feel younger. Another study of seniors who exercised regularly showed that their genetic profile was more like that of young people than old people.

3. Exercise helps you burn fat

It is common knowledge that exercise can help you lose weight. The golden rule is that you need to burn more calories than you consume by eating in order to become slimmer. You burn more calories when you exercise than when you dont, so the solution to your weight problem is to exercise regularly.

4. Exercise can prevent diseases

Exercise can prevent you from becoming a victim to several diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, heart problems and strokes. Not only are some diseases improved by exercise, but some are even healed. Regular exercise can help decrease your HDL cholesterol level, triglyceride levels and your blood pressure, thus significantly lowering your risk of having a stroke or heart attack. The risk of prostate cancer for men, of breast and uterine cancer for women, and several other risks of diseases can definitely be reduced by exercising regularly.

5. Exercise boosts self-confidence

Youll usually feel better about yourself after a workout. Because your body will be more fit and toned, you'll feel better about yourself, including the way you look. With your newfound confidence, you'll be encouraged to meet new people and socialize more often. Exercise has also been found to improve sexual drive.

6. Exercise can improve your mood

Endorphins are released with a stronger intensity in the human body during a period of regular exercising. These chemicals have the ability to counteract depression and induce a sense of happiness. Endorphins are released only minutes after you begin a workout.

7. Exercise helps overcome problems

Exercise will help you become familiar with the whole idea of conquering obstacles and achieving goals. No matter what your goal is, you will know that you can reach it by working hard.

Now that you've read all the great things that exercising regularly can do for you, do you still have any more second thoughts about working out? You can go to a gym or you can exercise at home. There are numerous ways to exercise so go with the ones that appeal to you. Even if you devote just a fraction of your time each day to exercising, you stand to gain a lot in the long run.

Mike Stapenhurst is a long-time fitness enthusiast, runner and walker. He is co-author of the book "Marathon Training Tips". Mike is also the developer of customized training logbooks for athletes at http://www.personallogs.com He maintains a website "26.2" about marathon information and training at http://www.marathon.ipcor.com and is a contributing author to the Get In Shape website ( http://www.getinshape.ipcor.com ).Casie Blog9637
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Prospecting Mortgage Lead Companies

If you are working in the mortgage industry and you are considering a mortgage lead company as one of your mortgage lead sources, this is not such a bad idea as long as you find the right mortgage lead company to invest with.

Essentially, one that will provide you with good quality mortgage leads and a good return on your investment.

There are literally thousands of mortgage lead companies to choose from on the internet and it is better to take your time and research the mortgage lead companies that you are considering in order to avoid throwing your money down the drain through trial and error.

I have heard countless stories from mortgage brokers and loan officers who have lost money to mortgage lead companies.

It is not that difficult to separate the good mortgage lead companies from the bad ones. Here are a few things to look for in a mortgage lead company.

First and foremost, how does the mortgage lead company obtain their mortgage leads?

If it is quality mortgage leads that you are looking for than look for the mortgage lead companies that obtain their mortgage leads through mortgage lead generation web sites that they own and operate.

If a mortgage lead company has the capability to generate their own mortgage leads, than this should be an indication to you that the mortgage lead company can provide you with fresh quality mortgage leads.

If a mortgage lead company is not generating their own leads than it is important for you to find out exactly where the mortgage leads are coming from because you do not want to be wasting your money on leads that a mortgage lead company has bought off of another company at a discount and are now selling at a profit to unassuming loan officers.

This is what is known as selling junk or recycling mortgage leads.

What good will a mortgage lead do you if it has already gone through the hands of a dozen or more other loan officers.

Also, be sure to stay away from the mortgage leads that are obtained through spam campaigns where the customer is bribed into filling out a home survey with gift cards to home stores.

No doubt you will end up spending your money on leads where the costumer was interested in a free gift and not a mortgage.

Also, while doing your research, be sure to speak with someone in customer service or the sales department and ask as many questions as you feel appropriate. And, if you are not happy with customer service or the answers to your questions than chances are you will not be happy with the mortgage leads.

You work hard for your money so dont be so quick to jump on board with the first mortgage lead company you come across. Read their web site, speak with someone in customer service, feel them out and find a comfort level, etc.

Taking your time and researching mortgage lead companies will not only save you money. It will make you money as well.

Jay Conners has more than fifteen years of experience in the banking and Mortgage Industry. He is the owner of http://www.jconners.com, a mortgage marketing and resource site, he is also the owner of http://www.callprospect.com, a mortgage lead co.Celeste Blog91039
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Home Theatre Speakers - What You Need To Know

Speaker types

There are four basic home theater speaker categories: towers, satellites, subwoofers, and center channels. A tower speaker is a tall, freestanding model capable of reproducing a full range of sound. Satellites, which can be used as both front or rear-channel (surround) speakers, are small, bass-limited models designed to be paired with a subwoofer - a dedicated speaker for reproducing both bass and the low-frequency-effects channel in Dolby Digital and DTS soundtracks. And a center channel speaker is a horizontally oriented satellite that's designed to reproduce dialog.

Freestanding vs. on-wall

In the past, home theater speakers were usually installed alongside big-screen TVs - either freestanding or placed on top of speaker stands. But many new models are on-wall designs that come with wall-mounting hardware. One advantage to these kinds of speakers is that they get positioned on walls where they don't take up any room space. A second advantage is that their slim, wall hugging design nicely complements flat-panel plasma and LCD TVs.

Do you really need a center channel?

With some systems - especially those built around a large, slim rear-projection TV - finding a place to put the center channel speaker can be a problem. Although you can get by without using one, it's not recommended - center channel speakers are specifically designed to reproduce voices. You'll find that movie dialog will sound much clearer when you use them. So instead of bypassing the center speaker or using the TV's built-in speakers as a center channel substitute (a terrible option, since the tonal balance of your TV's speakers isn't likely to match that of your other speakers), look for an alternative mounting method. Speaker wall mounts make a fine option, especially with flat-panel TVs. Most TV stands also include storage shelves that can hold a small center channel speaker.

Speaker connections. A variety of connectors can be found on the back of speakers.

A spring-clip connector is a plastic, spring-loaded clamp that's usually found on the back of inexpensive speakers. The connection provided by spring clips isn't as secure as other types, and they can only accept bare speaker wire.

Binding posts are a step-up connection option found on high-quality speakers. There are two types of binding posts: regular and five-way. Regular types accept both banana plug and spade-lug connectors on speaker cables. The connection they provide is very secure, and in some cases the connector is also gold-plated to prevent oxidation - a condition that can potentially degrade performance. And five-way binding posts, which accept bare wire and pin-type connectors in addition to banana plugs and spade lugs, offer even more hookup flexibility than regular types.

In-wall and in-ceiling speaker + and

For those who prefer to keep their audio/video equipment out of sight, in-wall and in-ceiling speakers make a great alternative to regular models. Although the sound quality of in-wall and in-ceiling models is generally a notch below that of regular speakers, they can be mounted inside of cutout cavities in the walls or ceiling of your room where they won't take up any space. Both types are also designed to contain vibrations within the cabinet, so you won't have to worry about rattling the walls during action movies. Installation of in-wall and in-ceiling speakers involves running wires through the walls and/or ceiling of your home. If you're an experienced DIY type, you might be up to that task, but for most people it's best left to a custom installer.

Surround speaker considerations: direct-radiating, dipolar, and bipolar There are several options to consider when choosing surround sound speakers for your system.

Direct-radiating models fire sound directly out from the speaker's front baffle toward the listener's ears. These are a good all-purpose surround sound speaker choice since their clear, focused dispersion pattern can accurately convey the directional sound effect pans in DVD soundtracks.

Dipolar models radiate sound from both the speaker's back and front, with the opposing driver sets wired out-of-phase with each other. This design offers a more diffuse, spacious sound than a direct-radiating model while retaining some of the latter's focused dispersion characteristics. (Dipolar models are favored for THX-certified designs specifically because of their diffuse sound, which more accurately resembles what you'd hear in a real movie theater.)

Bipolar models also radiate sound from the front and back, except that in this case both sets of drivers are wired in-phase with one another. This design allows a bipolar speaker to provide the best of both worlds: a direct-radiator's clarity and focus, and a dipole's spaciousness.

What is frequency response, and what should I look for?

The range of audio frequencies that a speaker can reproduce is known as its frequency response. Human hearing extends from 20 Hz to 20 kHz (20,000 Hz) - a span that few models are able to cover fully. The bass frequencies at the bottom of the range (approximately 20-120 Hz) are the most difficult for a speaker to cover. Satellites don't attempt it at all, but instead pass the task off to a subwoofer - a dedicated bass speaker with drivers large enough to move the massive quantity of air needed to reproduce low frequencies. Since tower speakers usually contain one or more woofers, they generally deliver decent bass. But if you're shopping for tower speakers - especially if you plan to use one in a system where there's no subwoofer - make a point of checking the low end of its frequency response specification. And remember that not all measurements are the same. For example, the bass response of a speaker spec'd at 6 dB at 40 Hz probably won't sound as full as one that measures 3 dB at 40 Hz.

Speaker impedance and selection

Most new speakers are designed to be compatible with a wide range of receivers and audio amplifiers, so specifications like impedance-the measure of a speaker's resistance to electrical power flowing through it as specified in Ohms-generally aren't things you need to worry too much about. But what you should know is that an amplifier has to work harder to drive a speaker with a lower impedance rating than one with a higher rating. Say that your receiver is rated to deliver 100 watts into an 8-ohm load. If your speakers have an 8-Ohm impedance spec, then you aren't likely to encounter any problems. But if your speakers' specified impedance is 4 ohms or less, the chances for that same receiver to overheat and shut down will be increased.

Placement: the final frontier

Many people tend to be casual about where they put their speakers; more often than not, they get shoved into any old space where it's convenient. But speaker placement becomes crucial when setting up a home theater system. You'll want the positioning of surround sound effects in your room to correspond to what's happening on screen, and that will only happen if speakers are set up properly.

Front channel towers or satellite models on stands should ideally be placed equidistant from the TV's sides and about three feet out from the front wall. This setup will heighten imaging and reduce any sound-muddying room reinforcement effects. And your subwoofer should be pushed into a corner of the room to permit the sound-reinforcing effect of adjacent walls to strengthen the bass. While placement guidelines for surround speakers are less strict than those for front speakers, installing them in a high position at the sides and slightly behind the listening area will usually enhance surround sound envelopment.

Microtek Lab Inc. is a consumer electronics company focused on scanners, plasma and lcd televisions, digital projectors, lcd monitors, digital cameras, home theatre equipment, and accessories. You can view their online store at http://store.microtek.com Use of this article is permitted provided that the article is used in its entirety.Allianora Blog42810
Carine Blog54868

Home Remodelling Loan And Checklist Before Picking A Home Remodelling Loan

On one weekend, a Saturday in particular, I decided to attend a seminar on home remodelling. I Usually prefer to call it home renovation. It was basically for the elderly people.

Am not in the elderly bracket but I decided to attend anyway because I was feeling a bit lonely and wanted to be occupied. On looking around the room, I saw that most people were in my age group.

Think it is because they have to meet most of the cost for refinancing the renovation of the home of their old ones.

This seminar turned out to be good to me and at the end I was convinced it was a good take.

In this seminar, it was revealed that research so far shows this:
It will probably cost anywhere from $100,000 to $150,000 to do a good renovation of a house for the elderly. This seems a staggering amount, until you consider that it would cost them from $3,000 to $5,000 per month if they were to rent a unit in a retirement facility in a location where they might not be as happy. Looking at it from that point of view, in four years or less, they would have spent the money anyway, and at least making home improvements allows them to continue to live in the same location and keep their asset.

The biggest challenge many older adults face when renovating their homes is how to pay for them. Many are on fixed incomes with few resources. Their property may have increased in value, but they are cash-poor.

During this seminar, a flyer was distributed that provided a telephone number for the city and county Elderly Affairs Division Rehabilitation Loan Program. Many cities have similar funds available as a means to assist individuals to stay in their own homes, rather than move to more costly facilities.

I learnt that the loan program was available to a person or family requiring home modifications, based on a health or safety need. The home loan program required that an application be submitted with information about the number of persons living in the household and their combined annual income. This information was then used to determine the interest rate for the loan. For example, for combined incomes of less than $41,000 or so, the interest rate was 2 percent; for less than $52,000, 4 percent; and so on.

Another thing I learnt is that you can also have an option, which is that of a reverse mortgage. A reverse mortgage is a special type of home loan that lets a homeowner convert a portion of the equity in his or her own home into cash. The equity built up over years of home mortgage payments can be paid to the owner, but unlike traditional home equity loans or second mortgages, no repayment is required until the borrower no longer uses the home as the principal residence.

Reverse mortgages are available through different lenders, as well as HUD. There are some property restrictions, but single-family homes, two-to-four-unit properties, condominium units, townhouses, and some manufactured homes are eligible. Generally, the greater the value of the home, the older the owners, the lower the interest rates, and the more one can borrow. This is good news right now, with interest rates so low, and it is an opportunity for your patients who have a higher annual income that disqualifies them from other programs. And if they live in an area of the country where land or home values are traditionally higher, such as Hawaii or New York, it may be the best option available for refinancing.

Given the sheer amount you have to invest or borrow, here is a checklist before you decide on any renovation project.

Consider the following before you decide how to finance your home improvement project:

-Talk to lenders about your options.

- Know that lenders are concerned about income, debts, credit history and property value.

-Consider a secured loan when you want to borrow more money, get a lower interest rate or reduce taxes.

-Refinance an existing loan if you have enough equity and if the rates are two points lower now than when you initially borrowed the money.

-Use a home equity line of credit that is secured by your home so youre your interest is tax deductible.

-Take out a home equity loan to get fixed rates and payments.

-Consider a homeowner loan that is secured by your property. Use a value added loan when the improvement you make will have a substantial impact on the market value of your home.

-Do your research before using contractor financing.

Good Luck

Get more information on home loans and loan consolidation by Lubowa.M.Planet. Visit http://www.softerdreams.orgCaryn Blog84047
Brynn Blog43851

SAT Tutor New York helps you master the SAT

Studying in a reputed college or a reputed university in the United Nations is a dream that everyone dreams about. Being a part of a reputed college or a university helps to exalt the career of the student further letting him taste success at an early age. The Scholastic Aptitude Test or the Scholastic Assessment Test or more popularly known as the Sat, helps students get an entry in the best of the colleges and the universities in the United States of America. The SAT is a yearly based aptitude test where innumerable students appear for the test. The SAT comes out to be the most ideal exam for students who aspire for a bright future and want to study in one of the most reputed college of the U.S. It takes a lot on the part of the student to deliver their best in the SAT. And the best help that the students can receive for SAT is guidance by the SAT tutor New York. A SAT tutor New York can provide students with the best guidance for the preparation of SAT.

Each student has his or her won capabilities and a level of intelligence. In this state, some might find to be a comparatively easier test where as some might find it to be a difficult test. In this case a SAT tutor New York is the best person who can assist students to crack the SAT test and give it their best shot. The SAT tutor New York guides the students in the best possible manner and provides them with materials that will be of good use to the students. Moreover the SAT tutor New York knows which are the areas that are required to be specialized while taking the SAT test. Basically the SAT tutor New York helps the student to clear the SAT test and at the same time helps them to increase their level of confidence to clear the test and take the test confidently.

The SAT test is held in the month of October every year. The test is held to know or rather test the students competence in different fields. The test consists of five different sections. The SAT tutor New York helps students to master all these five sections as he prepares a mock test for them and helps them to understand the nature of the test. The SAT tutor New York is available on the preference level of the students. There are many SAT tutors in New York. What you will need to do is to get hold of the best SAT tutor New York who has excelled in training students and making them succeed in the SAT test.

A SAT tutor New York follows different methods to prepare the students for mastering the SAT test. You can easily opt for the SAT practice tests and the vocabulary list that can aid you in the preparation of the test. Hiring a SAT tutor New York to train you and help you to master the SAT test is a good option. And especially if the SAT tutor New York is himself a SAT pass out then what could be better than that.

Hugh Goldsmith is of the view that students must not read the SAT exams or for that matter any other exams.He helps out students who want advice on any aspects related to exams. For more information on LSAT Tutor in New York,SAT tutor New York,Sat Tutor NYC visit http://www.prestigeprep.comCatherin Blog22233
Barbi Blog64258

Traveling By Flight

Traveling by flight is very exciting, within the States and almost every where. Most people travel by flights within the states because of the fact, which all the sub- states are all scattered and situated far off from each other and to travel by road can take a very long time.

Flights are quicker mode of transport whether it is traveling within the country or internationally. Many people have a fear of flying. They fear that there will be turbulence or worse, a plane crash. Statistics show that you are less likely to be involved in a plane accident. You are more likely to be a victim of a railway or an automobile accident.

Prices for the flights too vary from season to season, there are times when the cost of the ticket for the flight is shocking and there are times when the ticket for the flights are cheaper beyond our belief.

There are many different airlines too and therefore prices also differ as per the airlines. People travel by flight to relax, they dont have to drive or waste their energy, but it is just a matter of sitting there for couple of hours or hours together depending on the destination without having to worry about food too.

There are various flight companies that also offer vacation packages for those planning to go overseas for holidays. The flight companies take care of every minute detail of their travel, which is a plus point if going for vacations.

There are also certain deals that come and go through out the year depending on the time of the year. If it is seasonal there are deals during those times but a bit expensive then the other times, due to the reason being that, most of them travel during seasonal times and also because of the holidays.

Other positives of traveling by flight are, people pay for travel insurance and health insurance, and mostly it is included in the packages, which helps them to basically enjoy their trip without worrying about a thing.

High security is provided while traveling by flight, so there is no worry of baggage being stolen or children getting lost.

To travel by flights it is recommendable to research on the best deals, checking on different airlines, finding appropriate packages, comparing the fares and then taking a decision in choosing a flight, so that there are no regrets for the amount of money that is put in.

Cathy Peterson writes about http://www.traveldealsdiscounts.com/ ,http://www.traveldealsdiscounts.com/discount-travel-deals/Site59.com/ and http://www.traveldealsdiscounts.com/discount-travel-deals/Hotels.com/Addia Blog62470
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Keeping Your Baby Safe

Nobody wants to see a newborn baby get injured. Regardless of how careful and watchful you are, there is always room to take extra precautions to help keep your baby from getting hurt.

Below are 10 helpful tips to keep your baby safe:

1. Dont leave your baby alone with any pet, regardless of how small or harmless the animal may be.

2. Always keep an eye on your baby when you are shopping, out and about, going for a walk, or even at the playground. Kidnappers see strollers as a target from which to snatch your baby.

3. Never shake your baby. Dont even playfully throw the baby up in the air.

4. If you are giving your baby a bath in a large tub, be sure to put a towel or rubber mat at the bottom of the to keep them from slipping.

5. Avoid any toys, clothes, or household objects that have strings on them, and keeping phone cords out of reach. Babies have a tendency to get them wrapped around their neck and accidentally choke.

6. Always put your baby in a car seat when driving. It is extremely easy for your baby to get injured if you get into an accident, so be sure to pay attention to the road. Avoid talking on a cell phone, eating, or any other activity that could distract from your driving.

7. Keep your baby away from open if you arent around to watch. In fact, its wise to keep your baby from all open windows - ever.

8. Never leave your baby alone in a room with a child under the age of six. Children in this age range tend to play roughly with babies almost as if they were dolls.

9. If a baby sitter watches over your baby, be sure that they have been trained in infant safety and CPR, are at least 16 years or older, and have solid references.

10. If you are changing your babys diaper on a changing table, it is essential to never turn your back -- even for a split second. In a heartbeat babies can roll over and fall off the table.

Nothing matters more than your childs safety. Dont take it for granted. Always be vigilant in looking after your babys safety.

Mary Johnson writes for several web sites, including http://tobud.com and http://home-blog.comArlee Blog92465
Berrie Blog60896

Is Your Website Design Professional?

In business world, you need a professional image, a professional sales team. Similarily, as one of your company member, is company website performs in professional fashion? Company website is your online sales team, do you know how professional it is?

#1 You have a beautiful website background?

In personal website, we can always find some beautiful background image or eye-catching background color. In some company websites, they also use some company photo, factory photo or product photo as the website background. Actually, it is not the right way to do. The right way is "Make it simple".

You will never find a background image in Yahoo, Google. People visit your website is looking for information not the beautiful background. Moreover, the background image have disadvantages: loading time will be longer and distract the visitor attention. Think again what information the background image can bring to your customer? If no, take it off.

#2 Full of image

Dont make your webpage in full of image. Use image only if image can present more clear than text. For example, you can use image to present the order process. Size of those images should be small enough, you can take a look on the article about "Image Optimization".

Remember, company website is not a comic.

#3 Page Frame

Many websites use frame to make the navigation easier. However, more and more website designers dont use frame in the design. It is because frame will distort the whole design and also make the visitor confused and difficult to find the information. Also, using CSS or Javascript can provides similar effect but can keep the design consistency.

#4 Visitor Counter

Put a visitor counter on the web site. This can let visitor know how many people visit the website before, get their attention and build up their confidence. This look true, but we suggest you to take it off.

Actually, these counters are not accurate and can be trigger manually, no one will believe these counters. Why don't put a testimonial with a real customer name instead of this counter?

#5 Under construction

Have you see those "Road Construction" image? Or those "Under construction, please come back later"? Dont waste your visitor time. If your webpage has not finish, take it away. I can't remember have I try "come back later".

If you really need to put this "Under Construction", we can give you some suggestion. You can package it to become a re-visit event, for example:

- On which day the web page open, the first 100 visitors complete the registration can get a free gift or discount.

- Raise the visitor curiosity, tell them what surprise they may get once the webpage open.

- Make it like a fiction. Everyday you put some additional information on it, make the visitor re-visit. This can greatly encourage the visitor to visit again.

Remember, no one like those boring "Under Construction". Turn it into a marketing event.

Isaac Chu is Project Director of Evinco Solutions Limited. Evinco provides innovative business software, include emarketing web solutions, email marketing software, e-catalog publishing software, invoicing software, and electronic cheque writer. Visit: http://www.evinco.com.hk.Aurlie Blog14673
Barbara Anne Blog45346

Affiliate Marketing, Your Next Career?

Affiliate marketing give you an option to start an online business on a tiny budget. If you really want to get online, but don't have the possibility to launch your own products.Well, then you can sell other peoples products or services for a commission.

Affiliate marketing offers an opening for online business to all. It has become a big part of todays e-commerce. There are thousands of merchants relying on affiliate marketing as the major sales force.

Now, is it your thing? you have to do a proper research to find out. You need to learn what it means to be an affiliate marketer. Once you've decided to change your life. when you are up fore a career change. It's always wise to do your home work before you take the plunge.

To be able to be a successful affiliate marketer you have to do some spending first. As you know there is no such thing as a free lunch.

You'll need a web site. That will be the major post in your budget. Together with the demand of a web site, you'll need a domain name and you have to find a reliable web host.

After you have done some researching, you'll find that these three, will be easiest purchased in an all in one package. Your web site, with it's domain name and its hosting on the web, will be the back bone of your business. That mean you should pay great attention to to this matter.

I would say that price is not the biggest issue here. It's more important if the package come with all the necessary tools, and that the company offer top notch support. They must guarantee that your site will be up very close to 100% percent of the time.

You need to create a post in your budget for advertising. Even if you aiming for free visitors from the search engines, from time to time you may need to boost your traffic by an advertising campaign.

Another important part is education. Education is an ongoing part of your work as an affiliate marketer. However, this don't necessarily have to be a post in your budget. There are many free resources available on the Internet. As a matter of fact, some of the best educational material is actually free.

Ove Nordkvist has put together an amazing mix of free tools, free business courses and informative articles at his web site http://www.small-biz-ideas.net Visit http://www.small-biz-ideas.net/affiliate-marketing-ideas.html Use this affiliate marketing ideas tutorial. Download your copy of a free affiliate masters course.Betty Blog99509
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Point of Sale Software Means Big Profits

Today, most financial transactions use invisible or electronic money. Cash still has its place, of course, but most merchants do a huge portion of their daily transactions through a point of sale device. Point of sale devices, or point of sale terminals, connect a merchant to a financial network that can process electronic transactions. Each point of sale terminal runs a piece of point of sale software that holds the transactions and gives the merchant various options for tracking sales, inventory, profit, and other information. Because POS software is so important to a modern business, picking the piece of point of sale software that is right for the business is important.

When a merchant does much business, it can be difficult to keep track of profits, sales, and inventory. For example, in a restaurant it can take much time, and therefore money, to run totals and hand count items left in stock. Using point of sale menu software you can keep accurate records of business done each day. When you sell a certain item, the software can automatically subtract it from inventory. Even if you do not directly tie your specific system into your inventory, it can at least keep a running total of the each product sold. So you can take off that amount from your inventory without having to count the remaining stock. The time you save by not having to count manually inventory can make the cost of the software worth it all by itself.

Business software has to keep up with the ever-changing nature of modern business, finances, and merchant needs. You may be happy with your current point of sale software, but upgrading to something newer and more current can be a money-saving decision instead of a cost. Think of it like an investment that makes a return every time you make a sale.

Point of sale software has to be written by someone, which is why the cost to buy the most current software can be high. Software programmers and designers have to be creative to design the features that merchants need and will use. There is no need t pay for a bunch of seemingly neat features that you will either never use, or will use but will not save you time or money. You should buy the software that is right for your business and specific needs. This may mean buying a more basic piece of software instead of the high-end example. However, you should be sure the software still meets all of your needs and is designed with a small business in mind. You should also be sure the software will be able to grow with your business so you do not have to replace it right away.

Marvin Cains owns and operates http://www.pos-software-results.com Pos SoftwareCarmen Blog62201
Bonny Blog56247

My Search For The Perfect Bikini...

I am packing my bags for a trip to Costa Rica and realize that all of my bikinis well, they just dont look good on me. So I do what any thirty something would do, I go to online to begin my search for the perfect bikini. There is no doubt that there are a lot of companies out there so I began plucking through the list. In my search I came across an interesting company that was founded by a Brazilian woman who was going to college in the States and was frustrated by the bikini she was seeing. So she did what any frustrated woman would do- she started her own bikini company and is now in charge of one of the fastest growing micro and Brazilian bikini companies on the internet. I recently sat down with Ana, the founder of Look Swimwear, in a coffee shop in Miami Beach to find out more about her, Look Swimwear and the search for the perfect bikini

Thank you Ana for agreeing to take some time out of your busy schedule- can I ask you to tell us more about why you started Look Swimwear in the first place?

Ana: [laughs] Yeah, I was I guess not unlike most woman in that I was always frustrated when it came time to go on a trip or head to the beach- I would get into this bikini panic because it was impossible to find a bikini that not everyone had, was cute, sexy- really the perfect bikini. I was not used to this feeling at all, I grew up in Brazil and down there the beach and bikinis are really part of the culture. Brazilians love to show off and spend time with their friends and family on the beach. So long story short, I was always around the environment and definitely interested in swimwear fashion and bikinis so this frustration got the best of me- I started Look Swimwear.

I have heard you often reference the perfect bikini- can you tell me more about what you mean by that?

Ana: Well the perfect bikini is really one that has everything that all of us women look for. It has to be well made with high quality Lycras, fashionable, unique enough so that every lady on the beach is not wearing it and most importantly has to reflect who you are. Bikinis and fashion go hand in hand and are really an extension of our personalities so the perfect bikini pulls in all of these components into a small package... [laughter]

Small for sure... For our readers who arent familiar with your bikini lines how do you describe them?

Ana: I think the best way to describe them is that all of our bikinis are small, sexy, stylish and fun. We market ourselves as a purveyor of micro and Brazilian bikinis and that is in my mind exactly what we are. Anyone can sell bikinis but Look Swimwear is a purveyor because we take so much pride in our design, workmanship, materials we use and service- and we do not take this commitment lightly either. I am always talking to our customers to make sure that we are exceeding their expectations from beginning to end. I think that is one of the things that make us so successful. Consumers these days are very demanding and high expectations. But, they also are loyal to the companies that they trust and serve them well so I guess our huge growth is a vote from our customer base really.

Look Swimwear is now one of the fastest growing micro bikini companies, what plans do you have for the coming season?

Ana: Lycras, prints and cuts are always changing is all I will say. I cannot tell you what we are going to do but I will say that you will love our new ideas and that we will not loose focus on who we are- a damn good sexy bikini company. My direct staff and our employees are some of the most talented and creative people I have ever known- they are really the backbone to what Look is all about. So when you work with talented and creative people then only good things will come of it so that means more sexy bikinis for all of you ladies to wear and for the guys to enjoy.

How do men come into Look Swimwear equation?

Ana: Well they are really the reason why we all want to wear sexy little bikinis and show off. There is nothing better for a womans confidence than her knowing that she still has it. Dont get me wrong, a confident woman does not need someone elses approval to have a strong sense of self but showing off , having fun and getting attention is such a rush and is good for all ages... [laughs]

What would you say to some of the women out there who maybe have never worn a micro or Brazilian bikini before?

Ana: They should try it out for sure and get away from those boring suits that cover up everything. I go to beaches all over the world and am still amazed at how some people can say that what they are wearing is a bikini. I can tell you that wearing a smaller bikini is a lot of fun but definitely not made for the family reunion. We have so many women and couples buy from us when they head out for couples vacation or even for the boat, pool or where ever. Its a huge confidence booster to catch the guys looking out the corner of their eyes at you and plus they are really comfortable. Its funny, ten years ago thong underwear was just catching on with the masses and now look around, everyone is wearing them. I am not saying that micro and Brazilian bikinis are going to take over the traditional and conservative bikini but the market is growing like crazy and women all over the world are catching on. I guess it really comes down to if the woman has a little devilish side of her that likes to show off or break the rules. If she does then I would say go for it and try it out- we have not heard any complaints yet.

Well thank you Ana for sitting down with me and telling us a little more about your company. So many of my friends have asked me to do a piece on your company and I am really happy that I could meet you.

Ana: My pleasure Jessica I enjoyed it.

Look Swimwear Ltd is a purveyor of high quality Micro and Brazilian bikinis. They have offices in Miami Beach, New York City and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. For more information on Look Swimwear you can call their Miami Beach offices at 1.305.735.3792 or request more information at info@lookswimwear. The Look Swimwear online Micro Bikini Shop can be found at http://www.lookswimwear.com .

Jessica Miller is a freelance writer currently residing in Miami Beach, Florida. She has written a number of articles on travel the fashion industry and advice columns. She can be reached at Jessica_miamifreelance@yahoo.com. Bee Blog25672
Celina Blog98354

Why Link Farm And FFA Submissions Are A Bad Idea

Before search engines got smart, a site's page ranking was based on keyword match-ups. When webmasters stock-piled their sites with keywords, the wrong sites were getting too much attention. Google decided to focus on a site's "popularity" instead. The number of incoming links became the focus of PR criteria. The theory behind this system was that if a lot of sites link to another site, that site would contain valuable content.

But again, webmasters got sneaky. With this trend, we began to see the evolution of "Link Farms" and "Free-for-All" (FFA) sites. These pages were essentially a gigantic collection of (often times) useless links. In most cases, the sites were not categorized or descriptive. They became a place for webmasters to dump their links in order to make their site appear more popular.

This strategy worked for some time, but soon search engines caught on. "Link Farms" and FFA sites served no purpose to web users. Since Google prides itself on catering to web users (and NOT developers), a solution had to be formed. "Link Farms" were cluttering up the web and making it more difficult for users to find valuable resources online.

Google soon began to rate the quality of the links that determined a site's "link pop." "Link Farms" and FFA sites became categorized as spam, and thus contributed no value to a site's link popularity.

Today, submitting to a "Link Farm" or FFA site can be harmful to your website's reputation. Google takes a strong stance against these kinds of link pages. At best, the "Link Farm" will drag down your ranking and make it harder for the valuable sites to work in your favor. At worst, your site will be BANNED altogether for using spam sites to attempt to generate traffic. This is a very real possibility.

"Link Farms" and FFA sites present very little value. Although it may sound tempting, users will not obtain quality or relevant links from the submission. Plus, who wants to see their link among "junk" websites for adult entertainment, dating sites, and casinos? Submitting to "Link Farms" doesn't contribute to your credibility and is just not worth the risk.

Instead, spend your time submitting to credible directories and exchanging links with other relevant sites. The process can be time-consuming, but it is the only way to generate safe, site-specific traffic.

For an easier method to the tedious directory submission process, and to submit your website to 500+ link directories I strongly recommend Directory Submitter.

Tom Dahne and Paul Martin are the creators of the very popular Directory Submitter software found at http://www.directorysubmitter.comCelesta Blog90758
Camila Blog14523

Identifying Medical School Admission Requirements

Medical schools prepare students for a career in the field of medicine. They train the students to become nurses, doctors, therapists, technicians and administrators. They offer many options for medical degrees. So, students can choose the curriculum that is more likely to meet their personal goals and expectations.

The admission criteria is different for different medical schools but almost all the medical schools require taking the MCAT, specific coursework and obtaining a degree. The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is a standardized examination for prospective medical students in the United States. In addition to scientific concepts and principles, it demands critical thinking, problem solving, reading and writing skills from the candidate.

The sections of the MCAT are similar to the required coursework: physical sciences, biological sciences, verbal and a writing sample. The best way to get good score in MCAT is to get MCAT test prep course. It has been estimated that 70 to 80 percent of all the medical applicants have taken an MCAT test prep course. There are various other preparatory materials available as well. These include both print and computerized practice tests, various books and classroom based courses offered by many test preparation companies.

There are also many co-curricular activities that are absolutely necessary to be a competitive applicant. Some schools even deny an interview if the applicant can not show enough activities on the application. Most medical schools do not consider the applicant seriously if he has never been in a clinical setting.

In general, the GPA, the MCAT scores, the application material, the recommendation letters (written by faculty, physicians or managers who have interacted with the applicant in co-curricular activities), and personal interview are the main areas used by admission committees to evaluate candidates. Medical schools look for candidates who are passionate about medicine as a profession. So, a candidate needs to show that he is willing to spend four years, studying a topic he loves, learning it and building on it. They are looking for people who are willing to take the time and effort to make a serious contribution.

However, Harvard University is the top most medical school; the choice of the medical college decides the future of the candidate. So it is necessary to consider certain other issues, besides the reputation of the medical school. The candidate should be aware of the courses being offered by the medical school and its admission criteria. The cost of the school and its physical location should be considered too, as the candidate spends a few important years of his life there.


Dean Novosat writes about medical school and the application process on http://www.medschooladvisors.com which covers many of the topics and pitfalls most applicants fall into with Medical School Admissions.Barbie Blog62848
Almire Blog25954

Building Your Own Credit History

Modern times require modern actions and credit cards are the modern tools that anyone may need but not everyone may have. Establish a good credit history seems to be harder for those individuals who do not have a credit past, however it can be build up individually for the first time starting small.

Your credit history determines many economy-related activities in your life including getting a job, obtaining reasonable rates on insurance, purchasing an automobile or renting an apartment. So starting small building your credit history means that you can do some research for department stores and financial institutions where you can apply for small amounts of credit.

Do not forget to get a written copy of the conditions, terms and fees applying to the type of credit chosen. Penalties for late payments and interest rates may be slightly higher that other regular credits if the applicant does not have established credit.

Most experts recommend you to request a copy of your credit report from the three national credit bureaus. Yes, you may not have a credit history yet but the request will make the bureaus create the reports making it easier they put files on your credit report as soon as you start getting small credits.

Although there is, a possibility of getting those reports with information already included because any credit purchases made in your past is reflected on your credit history. If the file exists, make sure the information is accurate or immediately report any incorrect information so that they can take action to correct your file.

Another good option in building your credit history is to open a bank account, either a savings or checking account. Analyze the bank's financial products because there is no need to be a big investor to find some type of products offering savings accounts, checking accounts and debit card as a whole.

always Keep in mind that your bank accounts are to build a good credit history so do not miss your goal using them to purchase until you are in debt or you bounce checks. Getting a loan may round your credit plan if you pay consistently and pay all bills in a timely manner, so the granter may report this positive information to the credit bureau.

There are other useful strategies to build a credit history or improve your credit score if the history already exists. Apply for a secured credit car or prepaid card, open utility accounts such as gas, electric and phone service are just a few of them.

The most important thing to remember, use your cards or credits regularly to ensure that your report is updated regularly and pay your bills on time, because lenders look at the most recent information on your credit history report.

Fruzsina Csery is a freelence copy writer. She occasionally writes for http://www.credit-card-for-students.com Student Credit Cards.Almira Blog68567
Brynn Blog43851

An Overview Of The Master Plan For Baltimore Schools

On July 1, 2007, Andres Alonso officially became chief executive officer of Baltimore Schools. He will oversee approximately 180 schools and 82,000 students, with the help and guidance of the Baltimore Schools master plan. The master plan is guided by the Baltimore Schools vision, which is clear, desirable, and inspiring:

Accelerating the academic achievement of all students, in partnership with the entire community, to ensure that students have the attitudes, skills, and proficiencies needed to succeed in college and in the 21st century global workforce.

The district believes that achieving this vision is entirely possible by fulfilling the Baltimore Schools mission:

To accelerate student progress through effective implementation of the Baltimore Schools master plan, focusing on quality instruction, managing systems efficiently, and sustaining a culture of excellence.

The Baltimore Schools master plan priorities have been established in accordance with State guidelines and provide the core of the school system's plans for improving the academic achievement of all students. Goals of this master plan as listed below:

Goal 1: By 2013-2014, all Baltimore Schools students will reach high standards, at a minimum attaining proficiency or better in reading/language arts, and mathematics.

Goal 2: All Baltimore Schools students that have limited English proficiency will become proficient in English and reach high academic standards, at a minimum attaining proficiency or better in reading/language arts and mathematics.

Goal 3: By 2005-2006, all core academic subject classes (CAS) will be taught by highly qualified teachers.

Goal 4: All students will be educated in learning environments that are safe, drug-free, and conducive to learning.

Goal 5: All students will graduate from high school

Goal 6: Effective management of systems will support student achievement. Such systems cover accountability, communications with parents, the community, and business partners. Baltimore Schools recognize that making a difference for its students is more than simply writing a check. Many businesses provide assistance to schools in a variety of ways including the donation of materials, merchandise and volunteer hours. There is growing evidence that school/business partnerships improve the capacity of individual families, schools and communities. Businesses are thus more willing to support teaching and learning. When students connect school work with the world of work, they are motivated to learn. There are several ways that businesses can help out Baltimore Schools: mentoring, tutoring, becoming a guest reader, giving monetary contributions, and donating school supplies. However, donations can range from pencils to computers; books to playground equipment; flowers to furniture. Volunteering in Baltimore Schools, offering internships to Baltimore Schools students, or joining the staff as an adjunct faculty member are also ways for businesses to maintain a healthy partnerships with Baltimore Schools.

It is also a goal of the district that finances and operations of facilities, transportation, and nutrition services within Baltimore Schools will be effective and efficient. Throughout all of Baltimore Schools, students, parents, teachers, and administrators have many opportunities to experience the positive changes that implementing this master plan can offer.

Patricia Hawke is a staff writer for Schools K-12, providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. For more information please visit http://www.schoolsk-12.com/Maryland/Baltimore/index.htmlAdelind Blog41889
Calley Blog37390

Decorating For the Cape Cod Home

Decorating your home based on its architectural style is the first step in creating balance and harmony. Learn how to use color and fabric to compliment your Cape Cod home.

The Cape Cod style home is known for its simple design, and architecture. Originating in the late 17th century in New England, and becoming very popular between the 1930's - 1950's the Cape Cod style home represents America in it's simpler times. It is usually a one to one-and-a-half story home with a chimney in the center, steep roof, symmetrical appearance with the door in the center, and multi-paned windows with shutters. When designing for a Cape Cod home, or giving your present home a Cape Cod feel just keep in mind where and when the design originated and this will make it simpler to design a theme for your home.

You have a lot of freedom with a Cape Cod home; it can be casual or elegant, and does not necessarily need to be nautical. You can use the periods from the 17th century all the way through to the 1950's, and decorate according to the styles used for those periods. From a casual rustic decor, from vintage 1920's with all it's elegance and style, to the primary colors used in the 1950's. You can also, think of the natural surroundings of the home's area. Imagine all the colors of the seaside, with it's peaceful blue water and sky, the subtle shades of the sand, the shells on the beach, seagulls in the air, watching the sunset at the end of a peaceful day. Carry this image with you, and pick five to seven colors with inspirations from these natural surroundings and your on your way to a balanced, peaceful, harmonious theme for your home. Perhaps robin egg blue, sunrise yellow, sunset red, cobalt grey, and creamy sand. Add splashes of these colors throughout your home with paint, accessories, and accent fabrics. The eye is drawn to color and texture. Adding splashes of color, and texture throughout a room creates balance and draws your eye around the room.

The key to creating a Cape Cod feel is in the color of the trim. White trim both inside and out is definitely a Cape Cod tradition. Paint your outside trim, your porch, and perhaps even the shutters white. Paint your inside trim, your mantel, and perhaps even the doors and cabinets white. This creates a clean, crisp look that will compliment most any color of walls and floors. Use a good quality gloss, or semi-gloss paint, to make cleaning your trim a breeze. If you want to go even further with your Cape Cod decor, then wood flooring is also a traditional Cape Cod feature. Wood flooring anchors a home by adding warmth and natural beauty, and modern technology, gives you many pricing and design options.

When it comes to furniture and accessories for your home, keep the more expensive furnishings, such as couches and other big ticket items neutral and accessorize with color. One of the simplest, ways to add color, balance and texture to your home is to experiment with different colored accent fabrics, in your curtains, decorative pillows, throws, runners, and rugs. Try to mix solids, prints, stripes, paisleys, checks, and floral fabrics throughout your home. This adds balance, and draws the eye around the room. Don't get carried away with this, or it could cause a chaotic feel. When deciding how to mix and match your decorative pillows and other accent fabrics, get ideas from manufactures at fabric stores. See how they incorporate large prints with small patterns, and geometrics with solids and do the same with your throw pillows, and other accent pieces.You can change the entire look of a room by simply changing the decorative pillows, runners, throws, curtains, or rugs.

Be proud of your Cape Cod style home; be creative and experiment with different colors, fabrics and styles. Take inspiration from your home's design and natural surroundings and you will be well on your way to creating an inviting, comfortable atmosphere throughout your entire home.

To add color, balance and texture to your decor, visit www.allthrowpillows.com for a huge selection of decorative pillows, in silk, velvet, cotton, faux leather, and more. From country, formal, modern, shabby, designs, for couches, beds, kid's rooms and more.

Copyright © Valorie Mendiola, 2006. All Rights Reserved.

Valorie Mendiola - Educated in Finance, Marketing and Business Management. President of MAM Marketing, Inc. a privately held, women owned corporation with it's corporate offices is Nevada, and it's sales and marketing division in Indiana. Corporation focuses on real estate investing / renovation, and online sales of High Quality Decorative Pillows, Bolster, Runners, Throws, Bedding and More at http://www.allthrowpillows.com.Auberta Blog87458
Adina Blog34267

Three Dallas Schools Make Newsweeks Best 100 High Schools List Tag High School Is #1!

In their May 8, 2006, issue, Newsweek listed their Best 100 Public Schools across the nation. They ranked the schools using a ratio of the number of Advanced Placement (AP) and/or International Baccalaureate tests taken by all students within a school, divided by the number of graduating seniors. The 2006 list was based on the 2004-2005 school year. Their aim is to acknowledge those schools that do the best job of preparing average students for college, regardless of their economic background.

Three Dallas schools made the list with one taking top honors. Dallas schools Highland Park High School weighed in at number 18 with a ratio of 4.735. Dallas schools Science and Engineering Magnet took honors at number eight with a ratio of 6.275. Dallas schools Talented and Gifted (TAG) High School had a 14.128 ratio and ranked number ONE! What an achievement for the Dallas schools.

Located near downtown Dallas in an impoverished neighborhood, TAG exemplifies how a school can meet the Dallas schools goals of providing an excellent education for each and every child. The racially mixed student body receives a high-level of learning that challenges each child to achieve. TAG focuses on getting students into college through AP courses, providing the same opportunities to its students as the wealthy private schools.

Some educators refer to schools like Dallas schools TAG as a boutique school, catering to special interest while ignoring course variety. Educators, including those in the Dallas schools, have been demanding reform for over 10 years; yet, they cannot agree on what works. In the 80s, the thought was to make all students college ready through a rigorous core curriculum. In the 90s, school choice and testing became the norm. Now, some are calling for dumping the entire public school system; while others see smaller schools, class size, and a boutique focus as optimum.

Even when a plan is working as it is in Dallas schools TAG High School, opposition still rears its ugly head. Some believe that the smaller school loses the social acclimation that the larger high schools provide. They say that maintaining quality is difficult and the coursework lacks substance. Proponents of Dallas schools TAG say that these Dallas Schools students get more teacher and counselor attention and the children are less likely to get lost in the crowd, which gives the students an edge.

TAG is one of the Dallas schools that is committed to helping students achieve their best, encouraging each and every student to aim high. They stress the importance of attending college and try to make the AP as much a part of students lives as music or hanging out with their friends. While only 30 percent of high school students across the nation take any AP courses at all, each TAG student is required to take at least one, with most students taking more.

Dallas schools TAG and other boutique schools like it have increased the number of minorities taking AP courses, increasing their chances to attend college. According to the College Board, which administers the AP, four times as many Hispanics and three times as many Blacks took AP courses in 2005, as compared to 10 years ago.

Newsweek cited Dallas schools TAG student Fanny Frausto, age 18, who has taken 16 AP courses and scored high on many of them. She scored a five on her final three-hour exam. Her transcript is definitely atypical for a public high school student, showing a seemingly impossible schedule of classes. She attends MIT on scholarship in the fall of 2006.

Dallas schools teachers at TAG go the extra mile for their students. They assist the youth in learning to meet deadlines, constructing essays and organizing their time, managing workloads, and dealing with the tension and nervousness students may feel during testing.

Schools that consistently have high achieving students and programs were not included in Newsweeks list. Their ratio formula only measures test participation, rather than testing success. Also, due to inconsistencies, the formula does not include drop out rates or state testing scores.

Patricia Hawke is a staff writer for Schools K-12, providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. Patricia has a nose for research and writes stimulating news and views on school issues. For more information on Dallas schools visit http://www.schoolsk-12.com/texas/dallas/index.htmlBibbye Blog31086
Cathe Blog24149

You Too Can Be A Giant Killer

If you operate in a market where there are one or two prominent players - perhaps many times larger than you are - it's very easy to get into the mindset that all you can do is chip away around the edges rather than take them on head-on. The natural assumption is that if you do take them on head-on either they will simply wipe you out with predatory pricing or the like or that you need massive amounts of finance to be effective to do so. Its then very easy to convince yourself that it's simply too risky and a lot safer to stay as you are.

Well it's not true! the secret is to not only be bold but also innovative and, as Michel Robert put it in his book Strategy Pure & Simple", force the competitors to play in your sandbox rather than playing in the theirs.

To illustrate the point lets have a look at three European companies that have each grown from nothing to major players in industries where there where massive, dominant successful competitors such that they now have those competitors seeking to play in "their sandbox". The three companies are Red Bull, King of Shaves and Virgin

Red Bull is an Austrian company its product of the same name is marketed as a "high energy drink (in fact it has just twice the caffeine content of normal colas and the same as a cup of coffee) and is sold in cans significantly smaller than their behemoth competitors Coke and Pepsi.

Red Bull was formed in 1984 after Dietrich Mateschitz and Nina Avery travelled to Thailand and saw that the tuk-tuk (rickshaw) drivers drank a substance to keep them energized throughout the day. After some alterations to the recipe, and a flavour modification for the public, Red Bull was born.

Now over 2 billion cans are sold each year in over 120 countries and both Coke and Pepsi have developed me-to products

What Red Bull have succeeded in doing in a remarkably short period of time is to take on and beat - certainly in terms of contribution - two of the biggest brands in the world. That is something that most of us would think impossible or at least we would have only been possible by undercutting on price. In fact the reverse is true, Red Bull is considerably more expensive that Coke or Pepsi.

Have a look at this comparison of the price per gallon of various liquids in the USA:

Milk $3.79
Evian water $6.40
Coke $8.20
Budweiser beer $8.88
Red Bull $30.69

If we assume that the production cost of Red Bull and Coke to be similar we then get an indication of the simply stunning profitability of Red Bull.

Whats stopping you from doing the same?

You may not yet have heard of King of Shaves but, believe me, you will!

By far the dominant player in shaving products is Gillette followed by Wilkinson Sword and this again is a market where most of us would say you must be mad to attempt to take on either of these world leaders head-on - but that's exactly what Will King did in the UK in late 1992.

- and now one King of Shaves product is sold every 7 seconds from 30,000 stores world-wide!
In 1992 Will King created the shaving oil product that was to become the bedrock of the company. Alongside his girlfriend Ann, he initially worked from their back bedroom, selling King of Shaves Original shaving oil which he created after getting razor burn from shaving with conventional foams or gels. He hand-filled the first 10,000 bottles over the kitchen sink and in 1993, got the product listed by Harrods and Boots the Chemist.

King of Shaves specialises in shaving and skincare software platforms for men and women, offering a number of shaving and skincare solutions ranging from the original natural essential oils to the low foam aloe based AlphaGels, the Kinexium silicon technology advanced shaving range, the silicon enhanced Proshave range, the new ASC2 antibacterial and DSC products and the recently enhanced and redesigned King of Shaves Woman range with multi-benefit shaving gels, the original and cult Express Shaving' and VanishHair 'Shave Minimising' spritzes plus a fabulous leg toning moisturiser. Autumn will also see the debut of our first 'Skinvestment Series' range of 'skincare in shaving' products, designed for use with today's high performance, multi-bladed shave systems.

King of Shaves is now the #2 'shaving software' brand (by sales & volume) in the UK, and is widely acknowledged as one of the most successful brands in the fast moving men's grooming market place. It continues to grow in the USA too, with the brand now listed in over 20,000 stores across the USA and won the FHM USA's 2005 Annual Grooming Awards for 'Best Wet Shaving Product'. King of Shaves is also available in Australia, Zealand, and Holland.

Im sure youll agree a remarkable, and unfinished, success story.

Whats stopping you from doing the same?

Finally Virgin. If you haven't read Richard Branson's autobiography "Losing my Virginity I commend it to you.

Love him or hate him what he and his remarkable team have managed to do is to create a brand that is inherently trusted by a vast range of people - having started with the music industry he's then gone into airlines, mobile phones, financial products, cosmetics, trains and many other markets. What other consumer brand would you trust so highly that you would give them your money to invest if they decided to go into financial services?

When Virgin first moved into the airline business in the UK by far the dominant player was British Airways and it is now the stuff of legend that the then Chairman of British Airways, Lord King, dismissed Virgin as a serious competitor simply because Richard Branson wore a jumper to work, not a suit! - A classic case I think of sitting in the Room of Contentment in the Change House model in my book!

Indeed applying the Change House model to Virgin you have to agree that they have been very successful at constantly staying in the Room of Renewal and from there challenging and beating dominant, entrenched players in one market after another - it truly is very impressive.

So what's this got to do with you?

Your markets are different arent they? - Well I don't believe they are - the simple message I would give you is one that you've heard from me before:

You must be very good at what you do or, these days, you simply would not be in business.

If you are very good at what you do then get you shoulders back, believe in yourselves, work very hard on a compelling "new sandbox" strategy,

- and go for it!

© 2006 Roger HarropAmye Blog22549
Bethina Blog60498

What Is The Difference Between Windows and UNIX Web Hosting?

Windows and UNIX are in fact two different systems and of course we are referring to computer systems. A web host uses computers, (we shall refer to them as servers, just computers, but sometimes larger) to host websites, and all computers need a operating system, so Windows and UNIX are the operating system.

The Windows used is normally Windows NT or 2000 and of course as you know Microsoft charges for it's software, while UNIX is an open source operating system, this means that the original creators of the system have given up the rights and anyone can use it, change, improve or do anything they want with, free of charge.

From this we already have to main differences, Window hosts are more expensive and UNIX is more reliable, because it as been improved by thousands of anonymous people.

Most probably you are reading this in front of your computer which most probably is operates on a Windows XP, have you noticed that it sometimes, it freezes, and the only solution is to restart it? UNIX is much more stable, robust, time-tested, flexible platform for a web server.

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But Windows servers have also it's positive sides, they are compatible with Microsoft applications, and fully support Microsoft FrontPage, Microsoft Access and MS SQL, they also offer advance-programming environments and features such as Active Server Pages (ASP), the ASP.NET framework, Visual Basic Scripts, MS Index Server, Macromedia's and Cold Fusion.

Windows operating system require little or no experience in web development to get advanced features working very quickly because of better graphical user interface (GUI) Software such as Microsoft's FrontPage is specially developed for the webmaster to decrease the website development time and efforts.

Lets go back again to UNIX, they support FrontPage, Flash, Shockwave, Real Audio/Video, Cgi Scripts, Perl, PHP, SSH (Secure Telnet), MySQL, Web-Based Control System, Anonymous FTP, Web Site Graphical Statistics, Web-Based Email System, Miva/XML, Cold Fusion Perl, JAVA, PHP, C, C++, Miva, Shell Access and other wide verity of feature like Telnet and SSH that provides lots of flexibility and freedom in managing file and directories, but some of this require advance knowledge of Unix commands in order for you to customize the scripts to match your website needs.

Because of the nature of UNIX, (open source) and the people who love it, there is on the WWW freely available software and scripts, again bringing the cost down.

Concluding which one is the best, it really depends what you need, if you need high uptime, security and not so expensive then go with UNIX, if you need to run Windows applications like, MS Access or the MS SQL SERVER then Windows is your choice.

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Will Health Insurance Really Save Money?

Health insurance is a type of an insurance whereby the insurer pays the medical costs of the insured, if the insured becomes sick due to covered causes or due to accidents. A health insurance policy is a legal binding contract between the insurance company and the insured.

Health insurance benefits are many. Health insurance is termed also as accident insurance, sickness insurance and medical insurance. Health insurance is purchased generally, with no assurance of renewability and if renewable no guarantee that premium rates will not increase.

Before getting the health insurance a person who wants to insure, may ask to fill a comprehensive medical history. In that they came to know about whether the person suffered from any disease or he/she has some bad habits such like that. Regarding that the person can claim for insurance with some restrictions.

In our scheduled commitments its very essential to maintain our healthcare in the day-to-day life. You can save money for health insurance by joining in an association that allows members to get together in a local chamber of commerce for the insurance. The money we spent for health insurance will be affordable like our day to day expenses.

Health insurance costs rising in all the time. Many people feel that they cannot afford for health insurance. Some feel they dont need it, because they are healthy and fit. But its wrong. If you think that you need health insurance, there are lots of ways to get affordable health insurance for yourself and to your family. It is a protection against the health problems that could happen in the future. Its a precaution. We have to go by the proverb Prevention Is Better Than Cure.

Health insurance can be classified into two classes- indemnity plans and managed care plans. The basic difference between the two is that while in indemnity plan the insured has the right to approach any doctor and get indemnified of all or a part of the medical expenses; in managed care plans, the insurance company will restrict the insureds choice of doctors and hospitals. The insurance company has entered into an arrangement with select doctors and hospitals for the health care needs.

Each health insurance company has its own set of policies and procedures. If you have a large claim, you will want to review the rules especially carefully. Many claims are denied over a simple technicality. Knowing the process is likely to help you make sure your claim does not get denied.

Remember, insurance companies are hoping that you will not need medical services. That is how they make their money. If you don't use your insurance, the insurance company just gets to keep it. You will notice that the bigger the claim, the more paperwork you will need to fill out and the more red tape you will need to wade through.

If you receive medical services that should be covered by your insurance, make sure that the doctor or hospital files the appropriate forms. Make sure that you file any forms that you need to in a timely manner. If you have any questions, call the insurance company directly and find out the answer. Make notes of whom you speak to and when.

Health insurance really saves your money. In case, if you met with an accident or you suffer from severe attack. That time you may not in the position to spend that much of amount. But if you applied for a health insurance, it may saves your money otherwise you can claim for the amount that you had spent. In some cases they may not take into account about insurance that time you may spend your money and later you can claim for the amount you spend by providing proper documents and you can reimburse the amount you spend on it, if its reasonable according to the instructions.

Insurances can be manage by both lower and higher level peoples. Every state has a Medicaid program but the requirements vary from state to state. All you have to do is to fill out the application and submit the documentation about your finances. This program covers the insurance needs of the entire family including dental care, eye care, doctor visits, emergency care, prescriptions and more.

Another option for cheap health insurance is to look on the internet. There are lot of companies that offers different type of health insurance plans. It is possible to find out the perfect for your family. The costs vary from one to other, so its in your hand to verify about it and choose a better company among others. Any way health insurance safeguards your family from the expenses that you spend for your health.

Caroline Mercy is a SEO copywriter for California Health Online as well. She has involved herself in this field for more than 3 years. For further details related to the article you can visit the site http://www.californiahealthonline.com. You can contact her through mail at caroline.mercy@gmail.comBarry Blog65485
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The Nintendo Wii is NOT the Game Cube

As Nintendo chief Miyamoto says about the Wii

The hardware is basically a GC. Weve upgraded our development tools to new versions but, you can still use GC programs as they are. With that in mind, I thought we could remake GC titles for the Wii and modify them to work with the Wii remote so that theyre more fun to play.

This statement been making its speedy journey around the web, with the predictable result.

i tuld u tha Wee sux0rs! Thus proving the Wii is infact.. a repackaged gamecube Rofl @ Nintendo

The argument need to be split in half to avoid confusion. Lumping the two arguments together ends in a negative situation, where neither of the debating parties can influence the opposition.

Firstly, The Wii is GameCube 1.5?

Miyamoto, in his cute little Wish we had an international auxillary language to stop english speaking l33t gamers from mocking our consumers way, was accurate with his statement. The hardware is similar to the GameCube. WAIT! Dont go running away just yet, for here is a word equation that will float your boat.

The Nintendo Wii hardware is similar to the Gamecube, as A gaming PC is similar to a Windows 95 word processing computer.

What! Says you, but my uber el33tzo0r Gaming PC has 4 GB of Ram! It has 6.7 Gigahertz of processing power! THINK. Instead of thinking about the technological specifics of hardware capabilities, when the above statement is made, one is referring to the style in which hardware and software are created. The Architecture of the device.

Going out on another tangent, Nintendo would not be stupid enough to make the GameCube mistake again. The GC was not a high point for flailing Nintendo. Why now, riding on the success of the Nintendo DS, an innovative handheld device that has taken the world by storm, would Nintendo choose to release an updated version of a failure?

Wii Vs Xbox360 Vs Playstation3

To be blatantly honest, the next-gen console battle will be fought between the Xbox360, and the Playstation3. Unfortunately for Sony and Microsoft, they have launched products capable of the same types of activities, with the same types of controls and the same types of games. Its a marketing battle to see who will triumph. But for those looking for new, innovative [ie: Not BluRay] technology with an element of fun and a totally unique experience will choose the Wii. There is nothing else on the market to compete with it.

So who would buy the Wii? Just little kids right? Nintendo has many different demographics to target. From the very young, to the very old. The DS has opened the eyes of previously video game free generations, and inspired those just entering the market, as well as gameboy fans looking for a quality handheld. Half-core gamers want something fresh. they want to play with their friends and have fun. They dont want to shell out big bucks for a gaming system, but would be happy to pay a much lower price for entertainment.

You can not compare consoles on specifications alone. You must use implementation examples to compare things. On paper, the Playstation 3 is the strongest console. Better than the Wii, better than the Xbox360. But does it have quality games? Will there be many games? Will Sony finally be able to create a game that creates a third of the hype that Halo does? Until all consoles have been released internationally, it is futile to argue over which console is superior and which will succeed.

The Nintendo Wii is not a Game Cube. As the old saying goes, its like comparing apples and oranges. Both are in the same general class, yet there are fundamental differences that make comparing them pointless.

Kit Allen, the chief contributor to Nintendo Blog, http://nintendocommunity.com wrote this article to inform the world about the Nintendo Wii.Alisa Blog30344
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4 Reasons Why You Should Homeschool Your Child

A recent survey indicated that nearly 30% of American parents are seriously considering homeschooling their children rather than sending them to school. Home schooling is a different way of education for many parents. It allows children to be educated at home free from the daily school assignments and pressure. It also allows more bonding time between the child and the parent fostering closer relationships.

There are 4 main reasons why you should homeschool your child. They are

1) Academic Results

One of the reasons parents are hesitant to adopt homeschooling is because they are afraid their childs academic results will suffer. However studies have shown that children who are homeschooling have the same and if not better academic results than those going to traditional schools.

You could also say some of the worlds most famous people were homeschooled. Examples include Benjamin Franklin, Florence Nightingale, Winston Churchill and Thomas Edison. Their achievements do not compare less than those who went to school.

Home Schooling allow the parent to cater the study schedule according to the needs of the child. In school, since a teacher has to teach 40 to 50 students at a time, it is quite impossible to cater a specific teaching schedule for each child.

2) Social Reasons

Another important reason why you should homeschool your child is because traditional school do not deal with this aspect of education. Teaching your child to be comfortable with dealing with people.

By introducing your child to church programs and other volunteering programs to help others, it educates the childs moral values which are just as important as academic results.

Homeschooling also shields the child from bad habits due to peer influence. Examples are smoking, alcoholism, gambling, sex, drugs and violence etc

3) Family Bonding

Since homeschooling allows more time between your child and parents, the family relationship is strengthened and there is more family bonding. The child self-confidence and self-esteem improves. Studies have also shown that homeschooled children values family ties and kinship more.

4) Religious Reasons

Schools have always kept away from religious issues due to its sensitive nature in our country. The schools typically has a neutral stand regarding religion and spirituality. Therefore, most schools do not have any kind of religious education

Homeschooling does not have that limitation. Parents can pass on their religious values to their children. This has a great impact on the spiritual development of the child.

Ricky Lim is the founder of http://www.homeschooling-guide.info where he regularly write homeschooling articles to help educators and parents. Annabela Blog61802
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What Is Energized Business Growth?

As a leader, what would your life look like if your marketing strategy were clear, focused, and exciting?

Despite the amount of industry growth, margin erosion, and talent shortage, the DREAM of doing more of what you love is alive, and it's doing well. It simply takes time and patience to learn how to get it.

After spending over a year personally interviewing top performing CEOs, I found that leaders running energized growth companies ruthlessly ask three questions throughout the life of their busines:

* What are we PASSIONATE about?
* What can we be EXCELLENT at doing?
* How well does it fuel our ECONOMIC ENGINEcan we be paid well for it?

Jim Collins' "Good to Great" is a timeless guidebook that helps us focus on these questions. Peter Drucker inspired Jim. And Napoleon Hill probably inspired Peter with the results of his interviews of over 200 turn-of-the-century tycoons.

Let's fast forward to today. How often do you HONESTLY answer these questions? And how swiftly do you make needed changes to your company's growth strategy?

If you answered "seldom" or "never," you're not alone.

That's because it's easy for any entrepreneur to plan for growth. But few plan for energized growth. That is because services professionals and consultants share several common obstacles:

1. Saying "yes" to too many things. How many times have you been stuck in your office at midnight, working on some volunteer project, and missing another moment to enjoy their children? If this has happened to you, it is possible that obligation, guilt, and "should do" lists rule your life.

2. Discovering that former best selling products don't make money like they used toyet they stay on the product list. Every month becomes a contest to see whether they will be profitable. This often leads to employees not knowing the behaviors and measures that drive profitable business. Therefore, non-selling employees cannot explain how their job ties to the financial success of the company!

3. Not knowing what ideas should be pursued. Every idea seems valid, and you may be equally excited by each one. Should you do them all at once or one at a time? Which ideas will pay off? Most over-committed entrepreneurs lack any feedback system to separate 'good ideas' from viable business models.

4. Having more tasks to do than hours in the day. They let themselves get distracted with every "ring" on their computer telling them another e-mail has come in. Other people's priorities rule their day, and many of them are not customers. These leaders typically say they are overwhelmed and exhausted.

5. Trading hours for dollars. Few founders have discovered the passive income route in their companies. Often, they think 'hours for dollars' is the only method to generate revenue.

Sometimes they stay in the 'hours for dollars' trap because they don't know how to command higher rates in their field and be viewed as an industry expert. Or, they are missing out entirely on a brand new opportunity to grow their business because they are heavily focused on product delivery. They do not have the mindset of an expert who surrounds herself with technicians and specialists. Four steps can help you avoid these strategic planning maladies...

Eliminate hidden roadblocks getting in the way of your growth. Develop a set of ruthlessly honest questions and share with your team. If they are well developed, they will reveal an area of your business that is DRAINING YOU of profits and opportunity. My five focused questions took me months to developand they work every time.

* Know your style, natural gifts, and blind spots as an entrepreneurial leader. Invest a few thousand dollars in personality assessments (such as PDP, MBTI and Predictive Index) for new hires and potential top performers. Have you ever measured the impact of one bad hire? Applying this strategy will cost a fraction of that hit to your bottom line.

* Develop a feedback system to ensure your company's "hedgehog" honors your financial and personal goals. If you are a private or family owned business, you answer to yourself and your familynot Wall Street. Hire an objective outsider to gather the feedback. Our 'built in' human filters block important information if you try doing this alone! Just look at the recent accusations directed at Vice President Dick Cheney by former high-ranking military officials for perpetuating "groupthink."

* Create a custom dashboard to communicate, guide and measure growth in your companyand focus more on what is of highest value to your employees and customers. If you are currently using only trailing indicators to lead your business, chances are you have made costly strategic choices in the past. Author and seasoned CEO Gary Sutton shares profitable growth wisdom in his newest book, "Corporate Canaries". A man of few (but powerful) words, he says "One of the three ways to kill your company is to have fuzzy direction. Even while Fortune and Business Week and all the others were naming Enron 'Company of the Year,' nobody could describe what they were doing. If you don't have two or three forward indicators, your controls are incomplete."

You can Energize Growth today in your company. Don't even wait to complete these four steps. Begin now by asking: "What habits do we need to succeed, and what questions will help us reinforce them?"

Clarity and focus can really be exciting. Build some new habits, and your life is guaranteed to look different.

Copyright 2006, Lisa Nirell

Lisa Nirell is the Chief Energy Officer of EnergizeGrowth in Sunriver, OR. She works with services firms who are burnt out on working with too many unprofitable clients. Andi Blog76348
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CSI (Season 3) DVD Review

Nominated for 20 Emmys and 6 Golden Globes, including Best TV Series - Drama, CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) quickly rose to become the number one show on television following its Fall 2000 premiere. The brainchild of creator Anthony Zuiker, the show follows the investigations not of traditional TV detectives working the streets, but forensic scientists who unravel complicated crime mysteries in their ultra-modern laboratory. Either the #1 or the #2 Nielsen rated show since the start of its second season, CSI has helped CBS to reemerge as the #1 network television station, spawning (similar to predecessor Law & Order) two series spin-offs CSI: Miami and CSI: New York. Each exciting hour-long episode begins with the theme song "Who Are You" by The Who, a song more than befitting of a show where criminals are aggressively tracked down, sometimes years after committing their crimes

CSI focuses on the Las Vegas Police Department's Crime Scene Investigation nightshift unit headed by Gil Grissom (William Petersen), a quirky outsider whose obsessive quest for the facts and dedication to his work dominates his life. The CSI team is composed of a number of individuals with differing backgrounds and personalities - single mother Catherine Willows (Marg Helgenberger) specializes in blood-splatter analysis, the highly competitive Nick Stokes (George Eads) specializes in hair and fiber analysis, recovering gambling addict Warrick Brown (Gary Dourdan) specializes in audio/visual analysis, and the rambunctious Sara Sidle (Jorja Fox) specializes in materials and element analysis. Throw in hard-nosed homicide captain Jim Brass (Paul Guifoyle), CSI understudy Greg Sanders (Eric Szmanda), and lab coroner Al Robbins (Robert David Hall) and all the ingredients are present for a show wrought with suspense, drama, and tension. As transients from all walks of life travel to Las Vegas to enjoy the wonders of its adult playground, increased levels of crime accompany them, and the team at CSI is determined to stay a step ahead of the criminal element

The CSI (Season 3) DVD features a number of dramatic episodes including the season premiere "Revenge is Best Served Cold" in which Catherine and Nick investigate an underground street racing league when one of the contestants is found dead at an abandoned airstrip just outside of town. Meanwhile, Grissom and the others are forced to investigate the mysterious death of a high stakes poker player when he drops dead in the middle of a game with three others Other notable episodes from Season 3 include "Recipe for Murder" in which Grissom and Catherine investigate a gruesome murder at a meat packing plant, and "A Night at the Movies" in which the CSI team investigates the murder of a movie-goer who was stabbed to death in mid-film

Below is a list of episodes included on the CSI (Season 3) DVD:

Episode 47 (Revenge is Best Served Cold) Air Date: 09-26-2002
Episode 48 (The Accused is Entitled) Air Date: 10-03-2002
Episode 49 (Let the Seller Beware) Air Date: 10-10-2002
Episode 50 (A Little Murder) Air Date: 10-17-2002
Episode 51 (Abra Cadaver) Air Date: 10-31-2002
Episode 52 (The Execution of Catherine Willows) Air Date: 11-07-2002
Episode 53 (Fight Night) Air Date: 11-14-2002
Episode 54 (Snuff) Air Date: 11-21-2002
Episode 55 (Blood Lust) Air Date: 12-05-2002
Episode 56 (High and Low) Air Date: 12-12-2002
Episode 57 (Recipe for Murder) Air Date: 01-09-2003
Episode 58 (Got Murder?) Air Date: 01-16-2003
Episode 59 (Random Acts of Violence) Air Date: 01-30-2003
Episode 60 (One Hit Wonder) Air Date: 02-06-2003
Episode 61 (Lady's Heather's Box) Air Date: 02-13-2003
Episode 62 (Lucky Strike) Air Date: 02-20-2003
Episode 63 (Crash and Burn) Air Date: 03-13-2003
Episode 64 (Precious Metal) Air Date: 04-03-2003
Episode 65 (A Night at the Movies) Air Date: 04-10-2003
Episode 66 (Last Laugh) Air Date: 04-24-2003
Episode 67 (Forever) Air Date: 05-01-2003
Episode 68 (Play with Fire) Air Date: 05-08-2003
Episode 69 (Inside the Box) Air Date: 05-15-2003

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find where you can find more reviews of movies and TV series. Source: http://thedvdreport.blogspot.com/2006/02/csi-season-3-dvd.html.Bride Blog43895
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