Road to $100,000

I Have Launched a New Website

2017-02-20T17:59:00.001-08:00

Are you looking for a website that will do the work for you? Do you want to live a freer lifestyle? Are you a student? Check out MyEssayWriter.Net. This website is full of native English speakers who will writer your essay for you.

I have hand-picked and trained these writers, and they will be sure to make your life easier. Just leave your assignment with them, and they will take care of the rest - before your deadline.

Untitled

2012-04-10T12:15:00.001-07:00

Didn't realize there was a movie called "Swimming Pool."

http://m.imdb.com/title/tt0324133/

Peeing in the Pool Video

2012-04-09T21:21:00.001-07:00

Check out more about pools and less about peeing here.

Oh, the power of suggestion of running water…the overwhelming sense of urgency elicited. The little boy in this year’s TaxACT Super Bowl XLVI commercial is in the family swimming pool when he realizes he has to go! He tries to do the right thing: He leaves the pool and dashes through the house in search of an open bathroom.

Amazing Pool

2012-04-08T10:27:00.001-07:00

See more cool pool info and products.

This is one heck of a pool.

I hope your summer is just like a little box filled with surprises.

Neat Underground Pool

2012-04-04T21:34:00.001-07:00

This website has some info about Underground Pools.

Amazing Underground Pool

The water in the underground pools is perfectly transparent due to the slow movement of the water.

Wow, What a Pool

2012-03-19T18:22:00.001-07:00

Learn more about Underground Pools.

Amazing Pool

Second Post

2012-03-17T16:18:00.001-07:00

Hi All,

Linking Road to $100,000 to Posterous. Have a wonderful day!!!!

Phil

What to Look for When Choosing a Stock

2012-03-15T23:31:00.002-07:00

In a previous post, I outlined the reasons why to avoid any type of investment (besides the purchase of an asset) other than a stock. But that post deals with more of why not to invest in a mutual fund or, to a lesser extent, an index fund. Stocks truly are where it's at, particularly if you have 5 or more years that you are able to invest your money.

General Perks
Stocks provide the greatest opportunity for growth without a significant amount of risk. If you are smart about your investment, and only review it once per year, then you will avoid the emotions that most investors ride and suffer from. Each investor knows the basic principals of buy low, sell high - but despite this, millions of investors pulled their money out of the market when it dropped 20%, 30%, 40% and 45% in the great recession a few years ago.

Knowing What to Buy
Over the years of investing, I have learned that the greatest asset to any investor is research. I fully utilized the skills that I gained through journalism and applied them to stock market. In the olden days, a time that I fortunately wasn't around for, investors had to pour hundreds of hours into searching the details of their stocks. The average investor was at a huge disadvantage because those who were relatively close to the company received the quality of information any investor should know before buying. The average Joe would have to wait for reports in newspapers, but a large amount of that information wasn't useful.

Now, once you open an online investment account, you have 20 years or more of information about the stock's performance and you can look at financial reports from up to 5 years ago. If you want to go further back, you can request the information from the company's public relations officer.

Type of Information for Which to Look
I will get into more detail about the exact process in a week or two when I start looking to see where I want to put my money. But, in the meantime, start thinking about the company's chart. Look at the stock's past performance and line up the opening price to where it is now. Move a ruler down at the top half until you get a rough estimate of the growth (This will be in line with the opening price, but lower to consider the stock's downtimes). Look at where the ruler is lining up with the price in a year, 2 years, 5 years and 10 years from now. Is this where you would like the price to be when you sell your stock. Consider the length in which you want to put your money in the account.

Next, you should only look at stocks with a track record dating back to about 3 years ago.You may miss a lot of gems this way, but those company's stand a much larger chance of losing your money.

Look at the gains over the past five years. If the company has increased profit by 10% or more, then it is worth keeping on you list.

These are just a few of several tips when choosing a stock. More information is to come.

As usual, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to include your commentary below. Happy Investing!

How to Make Money on the Stock Market

2012-03-14T22:34:00.001-07:00

In today's post, we will be focusing on gearing up to invest in the stock market. As you may already know, this blog is focused on tracking my Road to $100,000. One way I am going to accomplish this goal is by investing in the stock market. While I have averaged about a 60 per cent return in the past, I have since sold all my assets to become involved in real estate. I since went back into journalism two months ago and have been getting back on track to saving $100,000. I am more mentally equipped and I can use the information I learned about investing five years, or so, ago to propel my savings at a faster rate.

Getting Started in the Stock Market
Since pulling approximately $20,000 out of the stock market in the last year, I have hit a financial low. However, since returning to journalism, I have managed to pull myself out of about $3,000 of debt and save nearly $2,000, all in 2 months. Mind you, only about 60 per cent of this money was saved from my journalism job, the rest is through online writing and subletting my apartment.

Anyway, when I had about $20,000 invested (60 per cent was accrued interest over about three years), I reviewed my holdings once every year or so. This is because instead of getting caught up in the highs and lows of the market, and becoming extremely emotional (any investor's greatest enemy), I looked at each stock practically. Reviewing your stocks once every year or so requires you to update your knowledge on an annual basis. And by "knowledge," I mean technical knowledge. You see, investing is completely based on market research. There are at least 10 steps you should look at in each stock, and I'll go over these at a later date.

Read Read Read
I will break down for you in a future blog the exact steps I take before buying a stock. To give you an idea, you want to compare the annual profit growth of the company in question. If the company grows at a rate less than 10 per cent per year, move on. To give you an idea, I looked at every NYSE, Dow and TSX stock available each time I reviewed my holdings. After I narrowed my field to stocks priced between $5 and $20, I was left with about 200 to review. Of these, I picked 7.

So far, I have explained a couple of the indicators I pay attention to -- price and growth. By reading investment books, I managed to boil down a formula that works. It is from the book "The Motley Fool Investment Guide," and my style completely matches that what is explained in this book. You could read every book out there, but it will just confuse you. The Fool's Guide is all that is needed. Each year, when you review your stocks, read this book again.

Timing is Key
The time in which you make your move into the stock market is everything. I rarely pay much attention to what is going on with the world politics, such as the issue in Greece. However, when the problem was at its peak, in October 2011, I did pull some stocks out of the market. I anticipated people would begin to freak out and think the entire market would collapse, again. However, the issues in Greece wouldn't hold the stock market down for long -- because even though Greece is struggling, the nation is tiny when you compare it to the world economy.

Timing can also mean personal timing. I will have $2,000 saved at the end of the month. That means I can get a margin account and double that money to $4,000. But it's too early for me to invest. You want to have about 40 per cent of your holdings in large-cap companies and the rest in medium-cap stocks. This means, you should have around $5,000 to invest before you get into the market, and that's only if you plan on securing a margin account, which will double your holding to $10,000. With $10,000 to invest, you can buy 5 stocks at $2,000 each. I would recommend owning at least 7, however, but if you know you will have money coming in shortly, then you might as well put that first chunk into the market. I expect I will be investing in June if I save $1,000 per month.

Stay tuned to get tips about each step on the way to choosing a stock. I will then consolidate the steps together so you can follow them while choosing stocks.

Tip of the Day: Buy the Motley Fool Investment Guide and follow the strategy for choosing stocks, or continue to read my blog posts for a consolidated version.

As always, if you have any questions, feel free to comment and I'll do my best to answer. Also follow this blog for the latest information. Happy investing! Btw, I think it's sad that I'm the only one following my blog... please follow me, lol.

Adsense Approval

2012-03-13T22:53:00.001-07:00

Google Adsense is a massive tool to help those who are blogging earn money. When I started this blog about a week ago, I thought I would maybe make a buck or two per day with Google Adsense. After receiving approval early this morning, I noticed that by the end of the day, two people had clicked on my Google Adsense ads, earning me my first $1.61 from my blog. This was an amazing feeling and so I called my mother to share the good news. She of course had no idea what I was talking about. I read somewhere that you can expect to receive about $1 per day from each blog you have. So, if you are able to keep traffic up on 30 blogs, you'll make about $900 per month. That about covers my goal of saving $1,000 per month. However, I believe I have found an even better way to make money online than by simple Adsense ads.

Micro Niches

There are still some micro niches out there that haven't yet been overly saturated. Take for example a pool niche that I have discovered. The website, which is in its infancy and is called myundergroundpools.com, will sell all things related to pools. I will post on the website and link to it, driving up its traffic. But I have another advantage here: I am able to sell ebay.com and amazon.com products on the site. I can also find pool supply companies to advertise. Each time I make a referral to another site and a purchase is made, I get a cut. It's amazing what you can discover and the unexpected roads that arrive after diving into a topic. As if I'm not happy enough about making the $1.61 today, but I also have a lot of potential revenue from this micro niche. Now I just have to bring traffic to my site and I'll be all set. I intend to share the entire process with you.

Finding a Micro Niche

An amazing resource that I've been using to investigate each niche is called Market Samurai. This tool allows me to see how many people search the key work on Google per day, how many sites are competing for that business and how strong the competing sites are. If I analyse a keyword and it shows that the Top 10 on Google are strong, based on their page rank, whether they are pay for Yahoo, if the key word appears in their URL, how long they've been around, how much traffic they have and several other factors, I can determine whether I want to build a website that caters to the product. I then set up a blog and away I go. I am using Wordpress for this and it appears to have better features than Blogger, which is what I am using for this blog, so we'll see. I also bought my own domain, so I can sell it later if I want -- I read that you can sell your domain for about 10 times its monthly earnings. It also protects you from randomly being shut down.

Tip of the day: If you set up a blog, look to buy your own domain and set up a market niche.

As usual, if you have any questions, please comment and I'll be glad to answer them.

Ways to Make Money From Home

2012-03-12T22:10:00.000-07:00

So far in this blog, I have set out to you why I intend to save $100,000... to live my dream. My dream is freedom. I've also posted a bunch of random articles - which I won't do again - to drive up the content on my site. All the material was articles that I had rejected when writing for Demand Media. By having articles on my site, I am more likely to be approved by Google AdSense and I can start making money from my blog, though I'm not sure the amount I will make will be enough to make a dent in my $100,000 goal. However, I am still waiting to hear back from Google. They said they would approve or reject my blog for AdSense 6 business days ago and they said they'd respond within 4. Oh well, I guess I can be patient for a little while longer. The last several articles, however, have been into the financial insights that have helped me save and earn interest on my investments.

Other Income Sources

Since starting this blog, I have discovered a potentially better way to make money. I stumbled upon a free web series called www.thritydaychallenge.com. It has taught me an incredible amount of information for free. Instead of simply making money on AdSense from this blog, which could take a while, I have decided to find a niche market and advertise products for that niche site. Don't worry, I will continue to operate this blog (to my faithful readership of 0, so far). In the affiliate programs I can secure a percentage of all sales that I refer to places like EBay.com and Amazon.com. Currently, I have registered my domain name and I am in the process of building a website through Wordpress. You may notice that this blog is Blogspot, but I want to use both to compare which I like the best. Apparently Wordpress has more tools. I am spending a considerable amount of time figuring out how exactly to make the site work by taking the "Thirty Day Challenge", and I have given little time to anything else.

When I take a break from the website and decide to commit the time to something else, I am helping students edit their essays. I find this work by advertising my service on Craigslist. Last week I made $100 by editing one essay. I also write for a company called Interact Media, where I write about 5 articles per week and get paid around $6 per article. They are usually very quick and easy to write. But I haven't written there in about a week because I've been focused on my new niche website.

I am also subletting my Vancouver apartment and earning an extra $150 off that.

The Point?

The point of me telling you this is that you can find numerous ways to make extra money on the side. This blog is not only designed to monitor how I am saving, it's also to help you meet your financial goal. I am a writer, which allows me the benefit of writing online content and making money. But I didn't know how to make a blog, though I've done that. I also found out how to make extra money by keeping my apartment. What is it that you can do on the side to make your money? I've found that you have to be willing to become immersed in whatever it is. I am fortunate that I really enjoy writing and building websites, so I have learned a lot in the last couple weeks by working constantly on it after my regular 9 to 5.

Tip of the Day: Figure out what it is that you are good at, so you can make money on the side and save for your goal.

Why to Avoid Mutual Funds

2012-03-11T22:46:00.002-07:00

My experience with the stock market began with an analyses of mutual funds. I read the book "The Wealthy Barber," which was great at teaching me the importance of saving at a young age and watching my money grow - the book suggested that almost anyone can save at least 10 per cent of their income by erasing unneeded expenses such as coffee from Starbucks and eating out, as opposed to dining at home. This was a great lesson at the time, but the book recommended putting my money into mutual funds. This is a long road to making money on my investments and there are much better options available.

10 per cent average

Since its creation in 1923, the S&P 500 has increased by an average of 10 per cent per year. The average mutual fund increases at about 10 per cent per year, but you have to pay the fund manager about 2.5 percentage points of your earnings. However, if you choose to invest in an index fund, which follows the stocks on an entire exchange and is even more diversified and secure than a mutual fund, you will average about 10 per cent and you don't have to pay the 2.5 per cent MER (management expense ratio) fee.

Mutual fund boundaries

Mutual funds are also much worse than an index fund or regular stocks because the mutual fund company is only legally allowed to invest up to 5 per cent into one stock. This means they need to find at lest 20 stocks worth investing into. After you know my formula, which has earned me an extremely high rate of return, you won't be able to find 20 stocks worth buying in Canada or in the U.S. This is because the formula that I use, cuts down risk and increases reward by choosing a select group of stocks, consisting of about 8.

Types of investments

You have your GIC's, bonds, treasury bills, etc., these sometimes don't even keep up with inflation, but they are great if you want extreme security. However, if you have a bit of time to ride the highs and lows of the market, you should at least invest into an Index fund - definitely not a mutual fund - and ride the market wave. But, once you learn a formula, which I will teach you, that can virtually guarantee top market return, you will be wondering why anyone invests in Index funds, and you'll definitely wonder why they bother with mutual funds.

Tip of the Day: Banks do a great job at selling people on mutual funds, but it is only because they make 2.5 percentage points (on average) off your investment.

How to Turn $100,000 into a $20,000 Income

2012-03-09T22:15:00.002-08:00

Some people might look at $100,000 as a lot of money, but not something you could retire on. However, by opening a margin account, your bank will lend you $1 for every $1 you put into the account. So, when investing $100,000, you can double that to $200,000 between your portion and the bank's.

Average Market Return

Since the creation of the S&P 500 index fund in 1923, which monitors 500 U.S. stocks, the average increase has been 10 per cent per year. So, any average investor that puts their money into a stock blindly will most likely make 10 per cent per year. Are you beginning to get the picture? With the previously mentioned $200,000 invested and an average market increase of your stocks at 10 per cent, you will bank $20,000. That's enough to live on if you're not greedy.

Bank's Share

The bank will take about 1.5 percentage points of the portion that they lent you. However, you are still left with a nice $18,500 profit. But if your stocks decrease, you are in a situation that the bank dubs a "call," where you owe them money for the amount your stock has decreased. In other words, the bank's money is secured by the portion that you put in. If your stocks lose 50 per cent, you will need to use the 50 per cent of your portion, or in this case, $100,000, to pay the bank back and you are left with nothing. However, even during the great recession recently, the average stock's decline was at about 45 per cent. And if you know how to invest, which you will if you continue to read this blog, you will not lose that much if a similar recession is repeated.

Lesson of the day: Figure out how much you need to live comfortably each year and then save 500 per cent of that to invest. In my case, I need $20,000 per year, so I will save $100,000 so that I can earn my annual goal.

As usual, if you have any questions, please comment and I'll be sure to respond. Happy saving!

The Importance of Budgeting

2012-03-08T22:01:00.001-08:00

The main idea behind this whole blog, if you don't know by now, is to track me saving $100,000 -- and by doing so, maybe you'll be able to observe a few pointers that will help you save.

The most important thing my mother ever taught me is the concept of budgeting. Without a budget, you don't have a clue about what is actually going on with your finances. My mother taught me how to budget by using Microsoft Excel. I found the program extremely helpful and it added up each of my general expenses very efficiently. However, after buying a new computer that didn't have Excel, I reverted to a leather journal to document my spending. I can't imagine switching back to Excel, as I love my journal.

Before we break down the exact categories, I must tell you that you need to first create an income that exceeds your expenses. This is fundamental to saving money. If you have more expenses than what you make, then you will rely on credit and you will go into debt. Seems simple, but tell that to millions of Americans, and Canadians, who are in debt.

So, now that we have established an income that exceeds our expenses, you must create categories for your bills. I have very general categories because I am a bachelor who doesn't have many unusual expenses.

My expenses are as follows:
Food ($200),
Miscellaneous ($100),
Gas ($50),
Internet ($20),
Car Payments ($290),
Car Insurance ($140),
Presents ($20),
Clothes ($20),
Vacation Fund ($0),
Car Maintenance Fund ($0),
Hair Fund ($5),
Phone ($75),
Student Loan ($30) and,
Rent ($700).
Total: $1,700.

You might notice that I have a very low miscellaneous account. This is true, but if you set some money aside each month for normal miscellaneous expenses, such as hair, vacation, car maintenance, clothes and presents, you will have fewer miscellaneous expenses. This can also help you keep your expenses consistent, rather than having a lump sum come out of the account for say, car maintenance. You might also notice that several of my accounts have no funds committed to them. This is something I am working on and I hope to dedicate more to these funds when I get a pay raise in two months. I can also dedicate to the hair fund, for example, one month, and then switch to vacation the next.

Next is net income. I earn from my job $1,017 every two weeks. I am slated to start getting paid semi-monthly beginning in April. This month is nice because I get three paycheques. So I can multiply $1,017 by 26 and then divide by 12 (months) to get my monthly income of approximately $2,200. I can then assume that if I follow my budget, I will save $500 each month ($2,200 of income - $1,700 expenses). However, I am subletting my apartment in Vancouver and making a profit of $150, for monthly savings at $650. Are you with me? However, I have challenged myself to save $1,000 per month so that I can have my $100,000 withing six years (after opening a margin account and assuming 10 per cent interest, which I will get into with a separate post). So I need to come up with another $350 per month. Where can I find this money? Online! Because I am a writer and soon to be professional blogger, I can earn $350 per month, if not more. So far this month, I have earned another $120 from writing online content -- and I am waiting to start making money with this blog, if Google Adsense will ever get back to me.

Where you can find the extra revenue to meet your goals depends on your skills. I'm a writer, but you may be a musician who is able to teach guitar. I'm also exploring opening a pie business and should have that running by May. I already have a spot on the local TV channel for a cooking show.

So, there you have the basics of budgeting. Please comment if you have any questions and I'll be sure to answer. Happy Budgeting!

Road to $100,000: UpdateOkay, I know the title of this post isn't ...

2012-03-07T21:16:00.001-08:00

Road to $100,000: Update

Okay, I know the title of this post isn't ...: Update Okay, I know the title of this post isn't very clever. And, really, how long can I go on by simply titling my posts "update?" Just...

2012-03-07T21:15:00.000-08:00

Update

Okay, I know the title of this post isn't very clever. And, really, how long can I go on by simply titling my posts "update?" Just this once.

While I have posted 20 or so articles on this blog that don't really have anything at all to do with the "Road to $100,000", they are actually helping me to get to my goal. By posting a bunch of articles that I have had rejected from online freelance sites such as Demand Media, I am able to convince the peeps from Google that my blog is worth a damn. If they can see that I'm not illiterate and I'm taking this blog seriously, they will allow me to post adds on my site, which is a necessary step to make any sort of money at this. Google has, "partially approved" my site for adds. I was told via email that I would be fully approved or disapproved by tomorrow (Thursday). Once approved, I can start finding other ways to drive traffic up on my site and get revenue, which will help me achieve my $100,000 goal and I can start living my dreams.

The next step for me would be to figure out how to make a gadget that keeps posted the amount of money I have saved to my $100,000 goal. That would likely keep people interested in my site and I would keep pushing toward that goal. Furthermore, I figured out how to add a donate button to my site. So, if you want to donate -- while it might seem that it's in self interest -- please do so. The money that I save now will help me to focus my efforts on helping the less fortunate. Because, by working every day, and all day, I really don't have much time than to fend for anyone but myself -- though I am seriously thinking of buying an accordion for a local man who was beat up and his accordion was smashed. He came into the newspaper today and told my editor his story. Poor homeless guy was in love with his accordion and now it's smashed to bits.

I will be more focused and specific with my future posts, but there is so much to say right now. I must say, that since last time we spoke, I have made some progress on the $100,000 front. I am now out of debt from my recent stink with real estate that consumed about $20,000 of my money and paid off about $1,000 in commission. I get three pay days this month, and I'm anticipating having saved a total $2,000 toward my goal. I still have three weeks to go, so we'll see where I'm at then.

Lesson of the day: noodles will help you keep your food budget on track. And you can add healthy food to it too, like vegetables. My favourite is broccoli.

2012-03-06T18:39:00.005-08:00

What is Hubspot?

With the onslaught of numerous technological advancements, people are asking, "What is HubSpot?" The marketing software has revolutionized Internet marketing since its creation in 2005. Its users are based mainly in the United States and has grown from an estimated 1,400 in 2009 to more than 3,600 in 2010.

Concept
HubSpot software provides users an Internet advertizing mechanism by using inbound marketing, which focuses advertisements on being found by a potential customer. In other words, the advertisements that are viewed are related to the page in which the Internet user is browsing. The concept centers around the idea that the advertiser earns their placement on the webpage. For example, the advertiser could provide information that relates to the website on which the user is browsing. This is in contrast to outbound marketing, which focuses on advertisers paying for their advertisements and issuing press releases, for example. Popups fall under the category of outbound marketing because they interrupt potential customers, rather than allowing them to find the advertisements and then click on them. One of the software's founders stated that the inbound marketing is in contrast to the strategy that has advertisers "buy, beg, or bug their way in."
The software also aims to be more effective at enticing clients to click on ads.
The products created by the HubSpot software assists customers in using and measuring Internet marketing techniques such as social media, search engine optimization and blogging. The tools used to measure the productivity of each technique include a keyword grader, which allows the user to use keywords that are common and not used very often by the company's competition.
The link grader helps the user compare and assess the authority and number of the inbound links that are generated on the search engine results page.
The page grader provides suggestions on the length of the title used by the advertiser, as well as the tags and images.
The website grader compares the websites for search engine optimization qualities and the software provides suggestions for improvement. An advanced and paid version of the software provides trends and various other features that aren't included in the free version.

Controversy
The software was under heat when its website grader program was criticized for giving misleading results that was claimed to be less superior than human analysis. Users asked questions like "What is Hubspot to claim that they can streamline the collection of data previously collected by people?" Others, however, have touted the system, saying it is far superior to human data collection.

Value
So, what is HubSpot to an advertiser? Well, two studies at MIT Sloan School of Management shows a much larger return to a company using the technology. The company has published multiple success stories about companies that have seen considerable growth in sales after using the software. Other studies have detailed a favorable return on investment by using the HubSpot methodology.
The success has gone so far as to earn the software the placement on the Lead411's Hottest Boston Companies list.
The software was also noted in the SaaS and Enterprise category for an "AlwaysOn East Top 100" company.
In 2010, HubSpot was the recipient on the "TiE50 Award," and it was given the BtoB Social Media Marketing Award in the same year.

History
The company was founded by Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah when they met at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2004. The pair went on to incorporate HubSpot in June 2006.
The company was initially supported by General Catalyst Partners, Scale Venture Partners, Sequoia Capital, Salesforce.com, Google Ventures and Matrix Partners.

2012-03-06T18:36:00.003-08:00

The Social Supply Chain Explained

A supply chain is the flow of goods from the manufacturer to the suppliers and then to the customers. The chain includes the capital that is required to manage and to distribute the goods. But a social supply chain goes further by including social data, interactions and networking.

When a product is released in a specific area, studying social the potential customer base allows the distributor to assess the demand. For example, if a product is released in Florida, researchers can determine the demand by studying the social factors in the community. However, when a product is released to the general public, human trends are analyzed to help realize demand.

When completing a social supply demand analysis in a nearby region, a company will use the social supply chain analysis to determine whether the product will sell in another state. The information attained can be used to change the supply chain to address the demand. For example, if the company sells tires -- and it realizes the demand in a northern state -- the company could sell the tires but change them to winter tires or all seasons. Based on the information provided by social data, the company is able to change its product and other factors such as advertisement and distribution.

The social data can also be used to convince a company not to do business in a particular area. For example, when the area in which you want to deliver your product is too far away, the company can determine that the location shipment costs that are too high. However, the information about the time delay can cause the company to alter its production so that the delivery is still profitable. A company could send larger shipments of a product to the area to compensate for the increased transport costs because shipments per package are cheaper when in bulk.

The ability to hear feedback is another aspect of a social supply chain. Feedback mechanisms allow companies to cater to the specific needs of the public. This can be completed through Internet or mail-in surveys and telephone calls. When a company receives a lot of consistent information about their products, it will alter them to meet the wants of its buyers.

The social supply chain allows distributors to communicate directly with their customers through social networking. Website such as Twitter and Facebook allows the company to post promotions directly to its customers' accounts.

2012-03-06T18:33:00.005-08:00

Telecom Management: The keys to managing telecom services

Telecommunications management is undergoing a restructuring in the corporate environment that is anticipated to integrate additional technologies. This makeover is initiated by the joint efforts of telecommunication and computer technology, which has launched growth in telecom data service offerings.

A telecommunications management network (TMN) handles the architectural framework of the telecoms system, interfacing the network with computer systems and providing various management functions at various levels. The computer-integrated system allows management to relay information to various operating systems, networks, computer systems and through communication equipment. The TMN provides control of the information flow and the service operations.

Various TMN systems are available for purchase, each with its own benefits and pitfalls, but there are key aspects to the telecom management that will set up a system that eases the use of telecommunications systems.

An effective TMN controls an array of customer-oriented services, such as telecard, phone assistance and customer network services.

Customers are provided with contact information, handing a magnitude of transaction that include providing and ending services, eliminating accounts, billing, error reports and quality of service management.

The system also allows users to manage interactions with service providers, while interfacing with other administrations and private operating agencies.

Interactions between services, such as the workforce and network management are also vital. Verbal communication is one priority of telecom management, but in an age where technology dominates many aspects of the corporate environment, the integration of various applications is important to accomplish an efficient network of management platforms.

Many of the earlier management platforms required the applications to be in the same telecom management domain, but new TMN systems allow users to support an application program interface that provides automatic connections to the management while allowing location transparency.

More recent telecom management strategies have called for a readjustment to a more user-oriented and service-oriented experience. This leads to a shift in the ease of use for the user, rather than a more complicated and technical format. The strategy could ease the management of the services and put more onus on the users for managing their own accounts. The shift focuses on streamlining management relating to how the service is provided to customers, which management responsibilities are still vital to providing the level of services offered when the network was sold, and how the service is set up. For example, does the company selling the service allow the customer to set up their own telecommunications network.

Delegating management responsibilities to the customer frees up staff to deal with responsibilities relating to the delivery of ever-evolving services. Growth of global computer and telecommunications management has demanded more company time, and has taken away from time available to assist customers in their day-to-day telecom management.

Much of the evolution in the services centers around the integration of multiple technologies. For example, telecommunication, computer, fax, printer and television services are constantly being integrated. Companies are using blue-tooth devices to management their telecommunications. This full integration leads to less clutter and time saved. But it can also lead to complications in managing the services, due to the highly technical knowledge needed for delivery.

Stakeholders in the development of streamlined telecommunications management are working on a framework that encompasses multiple technologies for effective delivery of products.

While the technologies introduced by telecommunications companies are evolving, the need to effectively integrate each evolution without affecting the delivery of existing services is expanding. Each new device must be aligned with existing technology for easy access to the overall telecommunication system in each business. This integration has already been demonstrated by many computer companies that release new gadgets that are compatible with their existing products.

2012-03-05T20:13:00.005-08:00

Safe Sleep Aids for Babies

Much like adults, babies have quirks when it comes to sleeping. One baby will suck his thumb to help him sleep, while another will only need her blanket. Some babies sleep very well without the need of assistance, but others require all the help they can get. Prescribing sleep medication for babies doesn't address the cause of the sleep problem, according to Dr. Richard Ferber. Experts recommend other, natural sleep remedies.

Position

A baby should be placed on her back for sleep, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Babies with a medical condition may require a different sleeping position. According to the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, infants suffering from symptomatic gastro-esophageal reflux should lay on their backs. Babies with airway malformations aren't as hindered as the aforementioned infants when laying on their stomach. It is important to consult a pediatrician before you decide which position to put your baby in if she has a condition.

Regularity

You can help your baby by providing a regular sleeping schedule and routine, according to Baby Center. This is best for babies between three and 12 months old. Though the baby will often wake up at irregular hours and require feeding, you can keep him on a routine as much as possible by burping him before bed every night. You can also help him sleep by blocking off lights and a creating a quiet room . He may require a night light.

Swaddling

According Baby Center, many infants younger than three months feel most comfortable when they are swaddled, which means they are somewhat tightly wrapped in their blanket with their arms at their sides and the blanket tucked underneath their back and feet. This is intended to mimic the security of being in a womb. Swaddling is particularly effective at getting to sleep a newborn, specifically younger than one month, Baby Center notes. Absorbing many nighttime startle-reflex jolts by swaddling the baby can help reduce the number of times he wakes up.

Comfort

The comfort many infants and babies find in thumb sucking is an acceptable way for them to fall asleep. However, according to Family Gentle Dental Care, thumb sucking is blamed by dentists for tooth misalignment. Some babies do grow their teeth as early as a few months old, so you should be aware of your child's tooth development before you allow her to suck her thumb. She might also find comfort in a pacifier, though that can fall out of her mouth at night. Infants and many babies younger than one year won't be able to put it back in their mouth.

References

Family Gentle Dental Care: Thumb Sucking [http://www.dentalgentlecare.com/thumbsucking.htm]
Baby Center: Sleep Aids for Babies [http://www.babycenter.com/0_sleep-aids-for-babies_7923.bc?page=1]
Pediatric Views: Dr. Richard Ferber; June 2006 [http://www.childrenshospital.org/views/june06/sleep.html]
American Academy of Pediatrics: A Child Care Provider's Guide to Safe Sleep; Safe Sleep Practices [http://www.healthychildcare.org/pdf/SIDSchildcaresafesleep.pdf]
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development: Are There Any Babies Who Should Be Placed Prone for Sleep? [http://www.nichd.nih.gov/sids/sids_qa.cfm]

2012-03-05T20:11:00.004-08:00

Grilling Information for Boneless & Skinless Chicken Breasts

You need to observe a few guidelines to achieve the best grilled boneless and skinless chicken breasts. Grilling the meat is a bit different from cooking chicken with the skin and bones in. For example, boneless chicken takes less time to cook. Boneless and skinless chicken breasts are easy to eat and can be put on a bun to make a chicken burger, or it can simply be served with your favorite side dish.

Chicken

Knowing where to buy your chicken is one of the secret to delicious grilled meat. Much of the skinless and boneless chicken breasts in regular supermarkets is watered down, which means the density of meat is altered by added water. You can tell this by the pale color and flatness. The best chicken is more voluminous and pink. Find the best chicken in municipal markets and on farms, as well as at many grocery stores that have more recently come into the mainstream focus on free-range and organic-fed chicken, which produce prime skinless and boneless chicken grilling meat.

Marinate

Marinating your chicken will prevent it from sticking on the grill. Chicken that is marinated overnight will also have the best flavor. Putting the chicken into a casserole dish and covering thoroughly with marinade before sealing it with plastic wrap and putting it in the fridge will give you the best results. Black bean or teriyaki sauce are among the most appropriate sauces when grilling meat because of their dark flavor that blends well with smoke from a grill.

Grill

Preheating your grill for several minutes before putting on the chicken will help you gauge the amount of time needed before you flip the poultry over. An heated grill will also decrease the chance of the meat sticking. You can also decrease the likelihood of sticking by coating the grill with cooking spray. Skinless and boneless chicken breasts are particularly lean, so there is little fat to liquify on the grill and provide lubrication.

Cooking

Using metal tongs to place the chicken on the grill will help you avoid burning your hands. A closed grill will help the meat cook faster. It will require approximately four minutes on each side if you are cooking on a hot grill. Close the lid to decrease the cooking time by about a minute on each side. You can tell when to flip it by looking at the sides of the meat. If they are white more than halfway up the sides, then leave it for another minute before flipping. Always slice the meat open in the middle to see if it is white all the way through. This indicates that it is cooked. You can also use a meat thermometer, which should read at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit at the center of the thickest portion.

References

Yes You Can Grill: Grilled Chicken Breasts [http://www.yesyoucangrill.com/grilledchickenbreasts.php]
101 Cooking For Two: Quick Garlic Grilled Skinless Boneless Chicken Breasts With Some Bite [http://www.101cookingfortwo.com/2011/05/quick-garlic-grilled-skinless-boneless.html]

2012-03-05T20:10:00.001-08:00

Role of Women in Greek Tragedy

Women are depicted as villains, victims and heroes in Greek tragedies. Though women were considered insignificant to men, female characters are featured in many of the most famous Greek tragedies, according to Richeast.org. These characters give clues to historians about how women were perceived and treated in Greek society. The tragedies were a common theme in ancient Greek theater.

Villain

The character Clytemnestra is a noted Greek villain who murders her husband and his mistress in the play "Agamemnon". She took her husband over a crimson carpet that resembled a "sea of red blood" and then killed him in a bath. She is a brutal and treacherous woman with a "man's heart". Others in the play fear and hate her. Clytemnestra is also considered a victim because of her difficult past. For example, to win a war, she sacrificed her daughter to appease a goddess.

Heroine

Antigone, in the tragedy "Antigone", buries her brother despite a Creon law that forbids her to do so. Her brothers killed each other in war for their father's throne. One of the brothers is permitted by Creon law to be honored and buried, but the other is not. Antigone is so devoted to honoring the unburied brother that she is killed because of it. The act is a symbol of family loyalty. The audience is left to wonder if people should show loyalty first to their government or to their family.

Victim

In the play "The Women of Troy", Cassandra is depicted as a victim after successive tragic events. For example, she refused her body to the god Apollo who then curses her with the ability to see into the future. This is a curse because no matter what she sees, no one believes her. Her prophesy that Troy would be destroyed was ignored. When the battle of Troy was taking place, she looked for refuge in the Temple of Athena where she was raped.

Heroine, Villain and Victim

The character Medea in the play "Medea" is a hero, villain and a victim. She is a witch who is also the daughter of a sorcerer and her grandfather is a god. The narrative is a play on the roles of men and women. Medea followed her love interest, Jason, to Greece from her foreign land. When he falls in love with another woman, Medea murders her own children and then sends the mistress a poisonous dress to get back at Jason.

References

University of Cincinnati: Medea [http://classics.uc.edu/~johnson/tragedy/medea.html]
Scmoop: Antigone [http://www.shmoop.com/antigone-sophocles/antigone-character.html]
Richeast.org: The Greeks [http://www.richeast.org/htwm/Greeks/gwomen/gwomen.html]

2012-03-05T20:08:00.005-08:00

How Can I Be in a Pepsi Commercial?

Landing a role in a Pepsi commercial will take a lot of perseverance and excellent timing. Many of the actors who get work take whatever roles they can get, some of which are parts in Pepsi commercials. Most commercials are shot in Los Angeles, New York, Vancouver and Toronto, respectively, so you will likely have to be in one of those cities to get a role. After landing an audition, you could be the next Pepsi commercial star.

Step 1

Hire someone to take your headshots. Tell the photographer you are trying to find an agent to represent you for Pepsi commercials. This will help guide him as to which shot to use as your main photo. Smile in the photos, as Pepsi commercials often feature people who are smiling.

Step 2

Complete one or more commercial training courses. Complete one or more audition courses. When practicing lines, use scripts from actual Pepsi commercials to get you more familiar with their style of acting.

Step 3

Write a resume that includes you height, eye color, hair color, weight, training, experience and special skills. Submit this to agents along with your headshot.

Step 4

Wait for a response from an agent who will either ask you to come in for an audition or choose to represent you immediately. Wait for your agent to call you for an audition from Pepsi.

Step 5

Attend the Pepsi auditions and then wait for a callback. If you are chosen for a callback you will have to audition again. The casting director may require you to audition more times after that.

Tips

Don't tell your agent that you only want to act in a Pepsi commercial. He will likely think you are not serious about acting. Instead attend every audition he sends you to and hope that he sends you to a Pepsi commercial audition.

It is necessary that you get the auditions through your agent because Pepsi will not audition actors who aren't represented or who cold call them.

References

Acting School: How to Become an Actor [http://www.acting-school-stop.com/become-an-actor.html]
Actincommercials.com: Step 1 Get and Agent [http://www.actincommercials.com/]

2012-03-05T20:06:00.005-08:00

Cultural Beliefs of the Afar Tribe

The Afar tribe live in a 143,000 square kilometer region in Djibouti and Ethiopia. This area is often referred to as the Afar Triangle. The barren landscape is sparsely freckled with lava streams and saltwater lakes. Approximately 1.2 million Afars lived in Ethiopia in 2007 and another 96,000 lived in Djibouti in 2009. Afar people say they are descendants of Arabs.

Lifestyle

Afars are nomads with a simple lifestyle focused on survival. A daily routine consists of tending to livestock and studying religion. Muslim beliefs dominate the culture, although the beliefs of the Eastern Orthodox Church are also practiced. Afars tend to roam the valleys and rarely stick to one area but will spend more time in an area if they find water in a dry season. During the rainy season, they travel and collect rainwater. Building housing is uncommon and any structure is temporary.

Classes

Afar society consists of two clans -- the "reds," called Asaimara and who are the nobles and the "whites" who are the commoners and are called Adoimara. These clans existed entirely at times in separate territories, but they are usually mixed today. The Asaimaras were given territorial rights among the clans when they were living together, while the Adoimara had grazing rights. Now, both are intermingled and don't divide their roles. Though the majority of these two clans are now joined as one, some have decided to live independently of each other.

War

The Afar have long fought with their neighbors, the Esa Somali, Ittu, Enia Galla, Wallo, Yaju, Raya Galla, Issa and Saho, who also occupy the same area of Africa. Afars are considered by these tribes as being fierce and determined to battle. The Afar fighting and political unit is called the mela, which means tribe. From 1991 to 1994 the Afar people fought with the Issa government, who claimed control over Djibouti, for authority as the main ethnic group in the nation. Hassan Gouled Aptidon, the Djibouti president at the time, restructured his government so the Afars and Issas were both given territory and governing rights on the land.

Food

Nomadic pastoralism, a form of livestock herding where the animals are moved periodically to find new areas to graze, is the main form of subsistence for the Afars. The livestock consists of sheep, camels, goats and the odd cattle. Some of the Afars that live on the coast also fish. This makes for the Afar a high-protein, meat diet, though dairy is also on the menu. Afar people also hunt for meat. They trade agricultural products with farmers, or they steal them.

References

Everyculture.com: Afar [http://www.everyculture.com/Africa-Middle-East/Afar.html]
The Africa Guide: African People and Culture [http://www.africaguide.com/culture/tribes/afar.htm]
Your Dictionary: Afar [http://answers.yourdictionary.com/history/society/who-are-the-indigenous-people-of-ethiopia.html]
Encyclopedia.com: Afar [http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Afar.aspx]
Onwar.com: Wars of the World [http://www.onwar.com/aced/data/delta/djibouti1991.htm]
Orvillejenkings.com: The Afar People of the Horn of Africa [http://orvillejenkins.com/profiles/afar.html]

2012-03-05T20:05:00.003-08:00

How to become an Amateur Radio Operator

Amateur radio, or ham, operators have opened to themselves to a new line of possibilities, broadening their communication scope into an entertaining world of radio frequencies. A license is required in the United States to operate on these frequencies. Three classes of licenses are available for you to choose from, each giving the operator another level of privileges and broadening their scope even more. The technician class is the entry level license, the general class gives extended frequency privileges and the extra class gives privileges to all levels of amateur frequencies.

Step 1

Buy the home study materials to prepare for your test offered at http://www.arrl.org/arrl-store. Order "Now You're Talking." The National Association for Amateur Radio highly recommends the book for studying to pass your exam.

Step 2

Find the nearest license exam location in your area by visiting http://www.arrl.org/finding-an-exam-session. Enter your ZIP code, city, state, area of residence (you will be offered a list to choose from), country and day you want to write the exam.

Step 3

Study the materials offered in the Ham Radio License Manual that is offered at the National Association for Amateur Radio. This material will provide you with information about how to transmit without breaking the law. Set aside between two weeks and two months to study. Familiarizing yourself with the study material, which will cover operating your radio and the laws that restrict its use.

Step 4

Fill out an exam registration form found at http://www.arrl.org/files/file/VEs/Print%20ARRL%20VEC%20session%20registration%20form.txt. Include the test date, time, your sponsor if you have one, address of the test side, your name, phone number, email address and home address. Email the form to vetests@arrl.org.

Step 5

Attend your exam. The exam required a fee of $14 in 2005. Bring a photo ID, 2 other forms of ID, calculator, two pencils with erasers and pen.

Step 6

Wait for your Certificate of Successful Completion and then file paperwork you receive in the mail with the Volunteer Exam Coordinator either in person at the exam center or by mailing to the address indicated on the paperwork. You will receive a call sign in a few days, which will give your frequencies that you can operate under.

Step 7

Purchase a ham radio that fits into your desired operation. For example, do you plan to be fixed or mobile? If you want to communicate from the road, then pick a radio that is portable and with a long battery life. Most radios will be able to function on the frequency you have been given, though choose a larger antenna and a long range if your frequency range is narrow.

Step 8

Turn your radio to the frequency you have been given. Choose a new frequency if the current one already has people talking. Speak into the radio by pressing the corresponding "speak" button. This is also called keying your mic. Wait for someone to respond.

References

The Natioanl Association for Amateur Radio: Exam Practice [http://www.arrl.org/exam-practice]
QRZ.com: How to Become a Ham. [http://www.qrz.com/howtoham.html]
The National Association for Amateur Radio: What is Ham Radio? [http://www.arrl.org/what-s-ham-radio]
Athens Amateur Radio Club: How to Become an Amateur Radio Operator [http://www.athensarc.org/becomeaham.asp]
Hamtalk.org: Choosing a Radio [http://www.hamtalk.org/ChoosingRadio-arrl.pdf]
Hamuniverse.com: How to Use Amatuer (Ham Radio) Repeaters [http://www.hamuniverse.com/repeater.html]

Resources (Further Reading)

The National Association for Amateur Radio: Find an Amateur Radio License Exam in Your Area [http://www.arrl.org/finding-an-exam-session]
The National Association for Amateur Radio: "Now You're Talking" [http://www.arrl.org/arrl-store]
QRZ.com: The New 2011 Exams Are Here [http://www.qrz.com/p/testing.pl]