Voice over Internet Protocal VoIP for Business

VoIP consists of 2 major technologies....

Making Calls Over the Internet--Residential

This is the most common use of VoIP. It is also called VoIP lines or trunks. If you have a high speed internet connection, like cable modem, DSL, or T1, you can use your high speed connection to make phone calls on the internet. There are many companies like Vonage, Lingo, and VoiceWing (Verizon) that offer VoIP lines. Cable companies also offer VoIP lines, but only if you have their cable modem service. So, to boil it down, instead of getting your dial tone from Verizon over the traditional phone network, you get your dial done from your internet company.

Any phone system made (even an old one) can take advantage of VoIP lines. You do not need an IP based (IP PBX) or even IP compatible phone system. This is one of the biggest misconcetions about VoIP.

The advantage of VoIP lines are:

Lower Bills. Usually you pay a flat monthly rate and all your calls in the USA and Canada are free You can take your number with you. If you move around the corner or across the country with VoIP you can keep your existing phone number even if you move to a different area code.

Multiple area codes. You can get phone numbers from different area codes or even overseas numbers.

Portability. You can move the VoIP router with you and take your service easily with you. You can even set it up to use your laptop with a virtual soft-phone and a WiFi connections to make calls from anywhere you can get high speed internet access.

Features. VoIP lines come with Caller ID, Call Forwarding, and lots of other great features. The problems with VoIP lines are:

Quality is not as good as traditional phone service, but it's close and getting better all the time. Set up can be very challenging, especially if you are planning on using your own router.

Depending on how fast your internet connection is, it may be possible to make several calls at the same time over the internet. However, the more calls you make at once the slower your internet connection will be and the poorer the sound quality of your calls will be.

Faxes, modem, and alarm systems don't work well over VoIP lines. Sometimes they won't work at all. If you need a lot of lines, you may need more then one high speed connection, so the cost of the high speed internet connection may outweigh the savings.

There are some minor technical issue using VoIP lines and Automated Attendants and Voice Mail systems. If your internet access goes down, all your phone lines go down too.

VoIP lines normally don't work if the power does out, but you can set up back up batteries.

Right now the Government does not tax VoIP service. If that changes VoIP may not be price effective anymore. Making Calls Over the Internet--Business

Business class VoIP works in much the same way as for residential VoIP with one major difference. With business class VoIP a T1 is usually delivered to your office that provides both VoIP voice lines and Internet service. This means that your VoIP provider and your ISP are the same company This distinction is very important once you need more then 3 or 4 lines. Since your Internet connection is coming from the VoIP phone company problems such as latency, jitter, and static are greatly reduced.

Basically, your call has to travel a shorter distance. With residential, your call goes from Verizon DSL or Comcast Cable, to Vonage, to the person your calling. That's 3 steps or hops and problems can occur anywhere along with way. With business class VoIP, the 1st 2 hops are the same provider so things work better and you can get more calls on the same Internet connection.

Business class VoIP also has the advantage of being dynamically allocated. This means that when fewer people are on the phones, the Internet speed is faster. Voice always gets priority, so phone lines are always available. Packages are available from 5 to 105 lines or more and may come with unlimited calling or a large allotment of included minutes.

Business service is far more important then residential, so it's vital that you choose the right carrier. There are several major carriers like Verizon and Sprint and many smaller national carrier that you've probably never heard of. There are even more regional carriers that only service a small area and even more resellers that just package someone else's service. Let the experts at Teleco http://www.teleco4.com help you navigate through the maze of carriers and offers.

Connection Remote Workers or Remote Offices....Voice over IP Stations.

This is the 2nd major use of VoIP. You can "connect" to your office phone system from anywhere there is a high speed internet connection. Using a special VoIP telephone or a Laptop "soft phone" you can work from home or a hotel and it's just like being in your office. You have access to all your phone system features including the intercom, paging, all outside lines, voice mail, and even your extension can ring on your VoIP phone. Best of all, you don't lose the use of your computer. 1 high speed internet connection can run your VoIP phone and your PC at the same time.

With this same technology, you can link multiple office together into one seamless phone system. You can even share lines or the one voice mail system. You can even run your entire phone system over your office LAN or WAN without separate voice wiring (often called Pure IP or IP Based telephone systems), though that is very expensive and complicated and is best suited for very large companies with full time IT staffs.

Voice over IP is very exciting and more and more people are using it everyday. Let the experts at Teleco http://www.teleco4.com help you understand if VoIP is right for you. Voice over IP is available on both the NEC IPK and Toshiba CTX digital telephone systems.

Andrew Taub
10+ Years in Sales, Service, and Technical Programming of PBX and Key Business Telephone Systems

You Lookin At Me?

It's human nature to point a finger when we think someone else is guilty of something but yet we don't stop to consider that we too may be guilty of the very same thing we are accusing others of. Why is it so easy to turn a blind eye and overlook our own faults and yet so easy to see these faults in someone else? For some reason, we take pleasure in judging, condemning and criticizing others. Does it take the spotlight off us in drawing attention to someone else?

As I already mentioned, we do this because we are human. We live in the flesh which is naturally sinful. But once we are saved, we crucify this flesh and start living as a new creature in Christ. With spiritual maturity comes this submission in doing God's will for us. We as a Christian know that we should be able to see the plank in our own eye before we point out the speck in someone else's eye.

Jesus told us in His words found in Matt. 7:1-5. "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in your own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." (NKV)

We shouldn't point out other's faults because as Jesus said, if we go around judging others someday we are going to have to stand before God Almighty and be judged more severely.

In order for us to become mature in Christ, it takes some work on our part. It doesn't end when we say the Sinner's Prayer. We have to continue to study up on God's Word and get rooted deeply. This is accomplished by developing a deep relationship with our Creator through daily prayer and daily study of His Word. The two must go hand in hand. Upon this spiritual growth, a true Christian can not continue to deliberately sin. Even a born again Christian falls from time to time, but the difference is, they will learn from their mistakes and help others to see the truth as well.

Being a Christian doesn't give us a license to criticize or judge anyone else because we are not perfect, contrary to popular belief. Any professed Christian who does think this is the case is then guilty of the sin of pride and self righteousness! God alone is the judge over all. He has His ways to deal with us when we fall. As any loving parent, He is patient and makes sure we learn our lesson before He'll allow us to continue on. He won't keep piling more responsibilities on us until we have learned the lesson at hand. For some it comes faster and easier and so they advance quicker but for others they may be kept going around and around the same mountain for a lot longer than they maycare to admit.

This could be due to having planks in our own eyes and not seeing it for the speck in someone else's. Let's take a look at a character in the Bible who had such a plank in his eye. Even though he was a man after God's own heart, David was not a perfect speciman. But God has a way of using who He chooses. David was still highly favored by God in spite of his own weaknesses, which God dealt with. David had to go through the refiner's fire in order to be the king God intended him to be.

David was human just like the rest of us. He was guilty of lust, covetousness, fornication with another man's wife which led to murder. These certainly are not things to be proud of, but still David was able to overlook these faults and was quick to judge the actions of another man. God sent Nathan a prophet to tell David a parable which pointed out the injustice that was done to an innocent man. Instead of realizing his own guilt, David was quick to bring down the gavel of a guilty verdict. It was then that Nathan told David, "You are that man". (2 Sam. 12)

As David saw it fit to give the guilty man a death sentence, it's a good thing that God is slow to anger and has far more patience and forgiveness! This was an eye opener for David who then saw a very big plank in his own eye! He immediately acknowledged his sins against the Lord. Did God forgive Him? Of course He did but not without suffering some consequences first. David went on to become a very great and powerful king but he still had to suffer the death of his infant son who was created through his lustful affair with Bathsheba. He prayed and fasted during the death of his son, but once he died, he got up and went on his way. Was he bitter against God for doing this? No, he realized that God did what needed to be done, and he still praised him and then put it all behind him to let God have His way in him. David was left quite humbled and was now strong spiritually to be anointed as king.

The next time you are quick to point out someone else's faults, take a step back and look into the mirror of your soul and search for that plank. Make sure it hasn't dulled your vison or even blinded you to the truth about yourself.

"There is none who does good, no, not one." Ps. 14:3

Just remember by pointing a finger it seperates us from others but Christian fellowship builds us up and binds us together.

Vivian Gordon is inspired by the Holy Spirit to write these articles in order to spread God's message to others who may not understand how much He loves them.

Going Back To Get Ahead

Have you ever run DOWN an escalator that was going UP? Well, I did at the Tampa Airport last week. Here's what happened:

Last Wednesday I was scheduled to fly from Tampa through Dallas to Phoenix on American Airlines. I just got back from Chicago the day before. It was a very busy week for me.

Usually I fly United Airlines but I just fired them. I'm not a spoiled brat or upper crust in any way. But I do like to treat myself and upgrade to first class once in a Blue Moon.

United Airlines has managed to p_ _ _ off most of their Executive Premier status flyers with the introduction of "Ted," and the elimination first-class upgrades when flying from Tampa.

Back to the story. I'm checking in for my American Airlines flight, using the self check-in terminal. As soon as I swipe my credit card they know who I am. The screen shows my itinerary and YIPPEE - my upgrade request for both legs of the flight to Phoenix have been approved.

I got so excited, it's been so long since I sat up in the front of an airplane, I grabbed the boarding pass and headed for the UP escalator.

I'm holding my Driver's License and the Dallas boarding pass, when I get this sinking feeling in my gut. I only have one of the boarding passes I need to complete both legs of the trip. YIKES!

I look back and can see the computer terminal I just left. There were three people hovering around it - but I could clearly see my second boarding pass still in the computer terminal.

I turned around and I'm one third of the way up to the next level - and no one is behind me. I grabbed my briefcase and carry-on suitcase and started running DOWN the UP escalator.

It was actually exhilarating until I reached the bottom and jumped. Fortunately I made it. I went back to the computer terminal and could see my name on the boarding pass so I grabbed it.

In case you're wondering why I didn't run up the UP escalator and then run down the DOWN escalator - there was no down escalator adjacent to the up escalator. If I wanted to get the boarding pass I had to go down. I had to go back. Time was of the essence!

You might think it's a stretch - I don't, but I see a number of sales parallels here.

Selling on the street is no walk on Primrose Lane. You deal with challenges every day and a lot of these challenges involve time or the lack of it.

To go forward in your career you may need to go back to a book, back to a CD, back to a coach, or even back to basics. I'm absolutely amazed, baffled, and befuddled at how many salespeople treat their jobs like being on a treadmill. A lot of walking but never getting anywhere.

Why anyone, while still alive and breathing, would settle for mediocrity is beyond me.

Don't settle for what you've got, struggle for what you want!

That's the story and here's the point! Sometimes you have to go back in order to get ahead.

Action Step - so what's holding you back? Come on, you know what it is. For example, if you're not organized, not particularly good at managing your priorities and managing your time - it may be time to go back to time management. Isn't it about time? By taking a step back you can oftentimes take a giant step forward:

Look - I'll even help you get started. Actually, I can't help everyone, but I can help some of you. Go here to learn how . . . http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/adtrack.asp?AdID=149225

PS - How would you like to become a top shelf sales manager? Discover what it takes to do what it takes. Check out my No-Brainer Inner Circle Coaching Program for sales managers. http://meisenheimer.com/sales_coaching/individual.shtml

Jim Meisenheimer is the No-Brainer Sales Training Guru. His sales techniques and selling skills focus on practical ideas that get immediate results. You can discover all his secrets by contacting him at (800) 266-1268 or e-mail: jim@meisenheimer.com

Use this link to sign-up for Jim's FREE No-Brainer Selling Tips Newsletter and to get your copy of his Special Report titled, "The 12 Dumbest Things Salespeople Do." http://www.meisenheimer.com

Public Relations

The wind of changes...

The digital world has changed the form and scope of all communications. The positive aspects of this new world are as overwhelming to interactivity as a truckload of candy is to a three year old. The field of Public Relations is rapidly transforming as well.

PR can bring a human touch to business and, if it is used correctly and effectively, can be that powerful tool bringing you success in all spheres, public and private, commercial and non-profit. Please notice that it is not possible to consider PR as an isolated process, since every act or intervention has a direct effect on a perceptiv market.

Grab the components from your personal marketmix and see if your profile is currently congruent to the basics of the company marketing strategy or trademark policy. To make it move just be out of your mind and pick an activity to trigger the spin-off process. Anything from an ad on the local BBS to actions designed to match and target the market with a performance that will be easy to identify for agents demanding whatever you plan to provide. Combine new ideas even if not evaluated when you are stucked in rigid or predictible behavior which can be obstructive and raise limitations when you approach the position as a confident provider of services and products you wish to expose. /ceteris paribus

Firetail Networks/JF

About The Author

All rights reserved Fritzlabs/Prosensa

fritzlabs.com

info@fritzlabs.com

Really Good News About Your Children?s Video Games

Research published by University of Rochester neuroscientists C. Shawn Green and Daphne Bavelier has grabbed national attention for suggesting that playing "action" video and computer games has positive effects ? enhancing student's visual selective attention. But that finding is just one small part of a more important message that all parents and educators need to hear: video games are not the enemy, but the best opportunity we have to engage our kids in real learning.

Any observer knows that the attitude of today's children to video and computer games is the very opposite of the attitude that most of them have toward school. The amount of time they spend playing computer and video games ? estimated at 10,000 hours by the time they are twenty-one, often in multi-hour bursts ? belies the "short attention span" criticism of educators. And while years ago the group attracted to video and computer games was almost entirely adolescent boys, it is now increasingly girls and all children of all ages and social groups. One would be hard-pressed today to find a kid in America who doesn't play computer or video games of one sort or another.

The evidence is quickly mounting that our "Digital Native" children's brains are changing to accommodate these new technologies with which they spend so much time. Not only are they better at spreading their attention over a wide range of events, as Green and Bavelier report, but they are better at parallel processing, taking in information more quickly (at "twitchspeed"), understanding multimedia, and collaborating over networks.

What attracts and "glues" kids to today's video and computer games is neither the violence, or even the surface subject matter, but rather the learning the games provide. Kids, like and all humans, love to learn when it isn't forced on them. Modern computer and video games provide learning opportunities every second, or fraction thereof.

On the surface, kids learn to do things ? to fly airplanes, to drive fast cars, to be theme park operators, war fighters, civilization builders and veterinarians. But on deeper levels they learn infinitely more: to take in information from many sources and make decisions quickly; to deduce a game's rules from playing rather than by being told; to create strategies for overcoming obstacles; to understand complex systems through experimentation. And, increasingly, they learn to collaborate with others. Many adults are not aware that games have long ago passed out of the single-player isolation shell imposed by lack of networking, and have gone back to being the social medium they have always been ? on a worldwide scale. Massively Multiplayer games such as EverQuest now have hundreds of thousands of people playing simultaneously, collaborating nightly in clans and guilds.

Today's game-playing kid enters the first grade able to do and understand so many complex things ? from building, to flying, to reasoning ? that the curriculum they are given feel like they are being handed depressants. And it gets worse as the students progress. Their "Digital Immigrant" teachers know so little about the digital world of their charges ? from online gaming to exchanging, sharing, meeting, evaluating, coordinating, programming, searching, customizing and socializing, that it is often impossible for them to design learning in the language and speed their students need and relish, despite their best efforts.

An emerging coalition of academics, writers, foundations, game designers, companies like Microsoft and, increasingly, the U.S. Military is working to make parents and educators aware of the enormous potential for learning contained in the gaming medium. While "edutainment," may work for pre-schoolers, it is primitive when it comes to the enormous sophistication of today's games. We need new and better learning games, and these are finally beginning to appear. Microsoft has sponsored a "Games-to-Teach" project at MIT which is building games for learning difficult concepts in physics and environmental science on the X-Box and Pocket PC. Lucas Games has lesson plans to help teachers integrate its games into curricula to teach critical thinking. A UK study by TEEM (Teachers Evaluating Educational Multimedia) has shown that certain games can help youngsters to learn logical thinking and computer literacy. Given the almost perfect overlap between the profiles of gamers and military recruits, the US Military uses over 50 different video and computer games to teach everything from doctrine, to strategy and tactics. "America's Army, Operations," a recruiting game released for free in 2002, now has almost 2 million registered users, with almost a million having completed virtual basic training.

Academic research into the positive effects of games on learning, which not so long ago sat unread on the shelf, is being noticed by national media. Theoretical and practical guides such as "What Video Games Have To Teach Us About Learning And Literacy" by Professor of Education James Paul Gee, and my own "Digital Game-Based Learning," are now on bookshelves. Experts, such as former Stanford CFO William Massey, who created the learning game "Virtual U." are working with game designers to build games that communicate their knowledge and experience. Foundations like Sloan, Markle and others are funding these efforts. The Woodrow Wilson school has begun a project called "Serious Games" to increase the use of gaming in public policy debates, picking up an effort that begin 10 years ago with "Sim Health" from Maxis.

Yet despite all the findings, research, and cries for help from the kids in school, many parents and educators still tend to think of video and computer games as frivolous at best and harmful at worst. The press often encourages this with headlines about "killing games" when in fact two thirds of the games are rated "E (everybody)," and sixteen of the top 20 sellers are rated either "E" or "T (teen)". To counteract this "name prejudice," users and funders of today's "new" educational games often refer to them by "code" names, such as "Desktop Simulators," "Synthetic Environments," or "Immersive Interactive Experiences."

Yet what these new, highly effective learning tools really are a combination of the most compelling and interactive design elements of the best video and computer games with specific curricular content. The tricky part is doing this in ways that capture, rather than lose, the learner's interest and attention. We are now becoming much better at this. The money and will is there to do it, and our students are crying for it.

About The Author

Marc Prensky is an internationally acclaimed speaker, writer, consultant, and designer in the critical areas of education and learning. He is the author of Digital Game-Based Learning (McGraw-Hill, 2001). Marc is founder and CEO of Games2train, a game-based learning company, and founder of The Digital Multiplier, an organization dedicated to eliminating the digital divide in learning worldwide. He is also the creator of the sites and . Marc holds an MBA from Harvard and a Masters in Teaching from Yale. More of his writings can be found at . More of Marc's writings on the positive effects of video games can be found at www.marcprensky.com/writing/default.asp.

marc@games2train.com

Best Cell Phone Service Plans - Choosing The Best Wireless Service Plans

Once upon a time, decisions about telephone service were easy ? you either wanted it or you didn't. Those fairy-tale days are gone for good since the advent of the cell phone. Now, we not only have to figure out what type of mobile phone we'd like to have, but also what features we need, whether or not we want a contract or simply prefer to purchase pre-paid minutes without such a commitment, what accessories we think we might like and what type of plan will best meet our individual or family needs.

By the time we've cut through the red tape and have gotten down to the business of choosing a specific cell phone service plan, we're often either too overwhelmed by the lengthy decision-making process, or we're just looking to get the whole thing over and done with, so that we can finally start using the not-always-so-convenient little device. As a result, many people overlook some of the finer points of selecting the best plan for their money. The best thing to do, then, is to take a deep breath and give yourself a bit of time to clear your head before jumping into such a major undertaking. Once ready, it's a matter of doing a good deal of research and narrowing down your options, until the right one presents itself.

Defining Your Needs Profile

In order to ensure that you'll be opting for the best plan that matches your needs, it's important to define what those needs are, point by point. Without the creation of such a profile, you're far more likely to overlook some critical considerations when it comes time to choose a specific cell phone service plan.

• Track Your Time ? Accurately determining the number of minutes that you'll need to comfortably use your cellular phone service without disruption is the most significant piece of the puzzle. A miscalculation could mean the difference between the ability to use your cell phone freely and losing service altogether. Before you go shopping for mobile phone service, then, keep track of the number of minutes that you use the phone each day ? and be realistic, or you'll end up cutting yourself short in the end. Once that's been determined over the span of at least a week, you should then be able to forecast your monthly usage. That, however, won't be your target number; you'll need to add about 20% extra time onto your figure in order to have a comfortable safety net so that you won't eat up your minutes too quickly and possibly lose service.
• Consider Long Distance Needs ? A good plan for long distance phone service is essential if you find that you're using a significant number of minutes outside of your calling area. Geographical distance isn't always the determining factor when pricing comes into play, so don't assume that you'll need less just because the calls that you make are within ten miles of home ? even though they're out of your calling range. With many plans, the charge will be the same whether you're calling someone ten miles away or 1,000 miles away. In addition, many cell phone companies levy fees against you for roaming, which completely destroys the goal of cheap long distance calls.
• Choose Your Service Type ? Although it seems realistic to expect that all wireless phone service will ? one day ? be digital, that isn't yet the case. When you factor that into the equation, you'll understand that it's important to make sure that your cell phone service plan includes both analog and digital service. If not, you're going to find that you'll be missing out on a fairly large cell phone coverage area.
• Be Careful About Rounding ? Some cell phone providers try to gouge the pricing of your phone service by rounding out the amount of time that you talk to the next minute. That means that, if you talk for 5 minutes and 4 seconds, you'll end up being charged for a 6 minute conversation. The better choice is to find a company that rounds to the nearest second so that ? when making the same 5 minute and 4 second call, you'll only pay for 5 minutes and 5 seconds. While these increments may not seem like much on an individual basis, they can eat up your time allotment very quickly.
• Analyze the Rate Schedule ? Many carriers offer a special rate for nights and weekends, which seems great if you look at it on the surface. If, however, you don't know exactly which hours these rates encompass, then you might think that you're making a free call when, in fact, you're chewing up your minutes at a high rate.
• Look for Discounted Plans ? If you're planning to provide phone service for several members of your family, be sure to find a provider that gives the best cell phone coverage options. For instance, many of them will have a discounted family plan and ? in some cases ? will even provide free phones to a limited number of family members. Don't automatically assume that you'll be placed under the family plan umbrella, though ? take the time to ask about such a plan and, if it matches your needs, make arrangements to have it put into place.
• Assess Your Internet Needs ? Since some companies also provide internet phone service, make a realistic assessment of your online usage to see if it's worth paying the extra amount that will be required for that feature. If you tend to use the internet even as much as an hour a day, however, you'll end up losing thousands of minutes each month as a result.

Once you've developed a specific needs profile, then you'll need to consider whether or not to go with a prepaid service or sign a contract for up to a year or more. Depending upon your circumstances, you may want to consider opting for a plan that doesn't lock you into a particular time-frame, since you'll be required to pay for the service even if it isn't being used.

About the Author

Samantha Goode is a freelance technology writer who loves to provide tips to consumers shopping for cell phone service, cell phone providers and cell phone coverage.

Many People Have Realized the Convenience and Benefits of Online Personal Loans

The Internet has provided a whole new dimension to obtaining a personal loan. Before lending companies were available on the World Wide Web, people were limited with their loan options and from where they could get a loan. Now there are endless financial resources available to people, no matter what their credit situation may be. With so many sources to lenders available online, you can often find loan deals that beat out the interest rates and loan terms you can find at local banks and credit unions.

Online personal loan options have also made it easier for those who have tarnished credit to get a loan. Consumers can search the web to find numerous lenders willing to grant loans to people with bad credit. There are other financial tools available online that can even help get your credit back into shape. You can find debt counseling and credit monitoring services as well as many free tips to help with improving your credit score like the ones available at http://www.free-debt-consultation.com

Even though the Internet has made the personal loan process much more user friendly, the requirements to obtain a loan are still the same. You still must fill out a loan application and go through the approval process. However, the online approval process is usually much faster than the traditional loan approval turnaround time. With many online lenders you will know right away if you are approved or not.

As with any loan, you want to make sure that your credit history meets the requirements of the online loan offer. Even though it is fast and easy to apply for online loans, you want to try to keep your applications to a minimum. Filling out numerous loan applications in a short time span can be detrimental to your credit score.

It's no wonder why so many people are catching on to the convenience of getting their loans online. With the large variety of personal loans available online, you may never have to take the time to drive to your bank for a loan ever again. More than likely, you can find any type of personal loan online that is available anywhere else. Mortgage loans, auto loans (new and used), refinance loans, debt consolidations and payday loans are just a few of the most common personal loans you can find on the Internet. Visit http://www.easy-approval-personal-loans.com to learn about some of your online personal loan options.

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Note: This article may be freely reproduced as long as the authors bio paragraph at the bottom of this article is included, the article is published "as is" (unedited) and all URL's are made active hyperlinks with no syntax changes.
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This article was written by Beth Pardue who has over 10 years of experience in the financial industry assisting clients with assorted financial needs. To learn more about your personal loan options or to apply for a personal loan online please visit: http://www.easy-approval-personal-loans.com

When Human Beings Take It To The Limit

In life we all have dreams and goals, aspirations to follow a certain path that will lead to social achievements and personal growth. We all hope to fulfill a destiny where we can put all of our efforts into one activity or more that helps the world in one way or another. Recently I went to see a musical group called Taikoz and I believe I was witness to a certain level of human achievement that was simply mind-blowing. These people have obviously trained and practiced so much that they have reached a level of mastery. They have taken the human life experience to the limit.

Taikoz are a multicultural group based in Australia who focuses on the ancient art of Japanese Taiko drumming. One of the group's members, Riley Lee, also plays a traditional Japanese bamboo flute called a shakuhachi. He is world renown for being the first non-Japanese person to be given the title Grand Master of this sacred Zen Buddhist instrument.

Let me give you an idea about this concert. It was held in a relatively small opera-style, three-tiered theatre and I was fortunate enough to get front-row middle seats. Throughout the evening the handful of drummers played approximately 50 different drums, and play they did! For over two hours they beat out multiple complex rhythms, sometimes whilst dancing, and occasionally intermingled with the most beautifully peaceful flute accompaniment you have ever imagined.

Now, what truly got to me was these people's physical, mental, and spiritual presence. The drums, some two and a half meters high, hit every single person in the crowd right in the stomach. However, it was the intensity in the drummers' eyes and muscle-strained bodies that infected the crowd with an electric energy that left everyone feeling like they had run a marathon by the end of the night. Of course all we were really doing was sitting down.

As the group assembled for a song at the front of the stage, kneeling down to play Japanese snare drums that would later take my spirit out of the body and throw it into thundering rain clouds, I saw the many faces of human perfection. Eyes like tigers', bodies straining like bunches of twitching ropes, sweat dripping in puddles around them; I saw and felt the feeling that one feels when you have taken a certain activity to the limit. Totally entranced, as serious as one could ever be in concentration, yet smiling now and then as the realization of what they were doing, the fun they were having, and the endorphins flowing like the wind through their systems all culminated into one beautiful feeling. I tasted it in the air. I drank it in. I connected to their energies with my own, giving them all my love and appreciation. Most of all, I was inspired.

Seeing people take it 'to the limit' can have a profound affect on a person- as you can probably see from the way I am writing this article when recollecting that specific moment in time. Oh, the music was powerful and enchanting and ethereal, but it was the feeling of human effort and achievement that pervaded the air and minds of all those in the crowd that night. I'd have to say, without a hint of doubt, that concert was one of the best, most enlightening experiences of my thirty year lifespan. It gave me the secret, special knowledge that one day it is still possible to make my own dreams come true.

How many of us know that we can become the people we hope to become? How many of us believe that we can work at something and in the end achieve a level of greatness? Our society is currently filled with doubt, fear, skepticism and cynicism. Please don't despair. We are fortunate that through the observance of others in our human clan, we can still see the potential that each of us has within. Why don't you become the inspiring source for someone else who is underestimating his or her capabilities? Why don't you be the next one to take it to the limit?

Check out Taikoz's website at www.Taikoz.com

Jesse S. Somer
http://www.m6.net
Jesse S. Somer is a human learning about the hidden potential within all of us.

Tips To Getting Sponsored For Fishing Tournaments

One of the most important steps in getting sponsored to fish tournaments (whether you fish for bass, walleye, crappie, musky, redfish, marlin, etc.) is to focus on what YOU CAN DO for your sponsor not what your sponsor can do for you. When trying to obtain sponsorship from a company, first make a list of the things you could provide for your sponsor.

Put yourself in the potential sponsors shoes. Does he want to give you money so you can fish? More than likely he or she doesn't want to do that. No matter what type of business you are contacting for sponsorship, they want to know what's in it for me! In other words, WHAT WILL YOU DO FOR ME?

To answer that question, pretend you were in your senior year in high school and your senior paper had to be written on: TEN WAYS TO PROMOTE A POTENTIAL SPONSOR. If that were the case you would do all the research possible to find 10 ways to do it and then write your paper.

Do the same thing when preparing to contact YOUR potential sponsors. When you approach them with your 7, 8, or 10 ways YOU WILL promote them; you're answering their question ? "WHAT WILL YOU DO FOR ME?"

Remember that the next time you approach a potential sponsor and you'll dramatically increase your chances of getting sponsored to fish tournaments.

Bass Wishes

Scott Rauber
Author of the HOW TO GET SPONSORED FOR FISHING TOURNAMENTS manual.
http://www.fishforfree.com

Finding and Applying for the Right Credit Card Offer Online

Anywhere you go online nowadays, you will see a multitude of ads for credit cards. Some offer low interest rate for an introductory period, or bonus frequent flyer miles while others offer real discounts on new vehicles and equipment. Trying to find one that suits your needs and lifestyle can be a little overwhelming.

Before you dive on in, ask yourself some key questions about your needs:

1. What is my credit history situation?

The first and foremost question when applying for a credit card is going to be your credit rating. Have you had credit opportunities in the past, and if so, how have you handled them? Did you pay off the balances with timely payments, or did you fall behind? These are situations that your rating will be based on, so plan ahead and you'll be able to get the best credit card offer that you deserve.

2. What are my plans for the credit card?

If you plan to use your new credit card instead of cash (which is possible in todays world), you might want to look for one with a low ongoing interest rate (APR). This way, in case you don't pay off the balance within the interest free grace period, you aren't taxed too heavily with interest fees on the balance.

Or, maybe you only want to use the card in emergencies or special situations. In this case, look for a credit offer without an annual fee or membership dues. This way, you can stash the credit card away and not have to worry about missing any recurring 'administrative' fees.

3. Can my lifestyle or hobbies benefit my credit card search?

There are many credit card issuers teaming up with retailers and other businesses in the service industry. The benefit to you is that you earn rebates and discounts towards merchandise, products and services with each use of these "rewards" type credit cards.

For instance, travelers and vacationers might want to get an airline reward credit card that rewards use of the card with frequent flyer miles to use towards free flights and other guest services, or maybe a student might want a credit card that offers free school merchandise and athletic gear.

4. Can I reduce any debts with my new credit card?

Many credit cards offer great balance transfer benefits that allow you to bring most balances over and pay a fixed, low APR until the balance is paid off. These are great because you can consolidate most bills into one payment, saving you alot of money in interest fees.

5. Should I get a copy of my credit report, and if so, should I be paying for it?

This is a big issue going on in the news today. Identity theft and inaccurate credit reporting is a hot button that is circulating around the media and today's society. Keeping tabs and consistently monitoring your credit report is a smart idea in preventing fraud.

There are many offers on the web to get a copy of your credit report for free. It's important to read all the information before signing up for anything and make certain to check the company that is issuing the offer. There are only 3 credit reporting agencies in the United States; Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. You can contact and order your credit report from each one individually ($), or go with a reputable company that will get all 3 for you in one report.

In conclusion, remember that part of finding the right credit card for you is analyzing the situation you're currently in. With so many credit offers out there, you're sure to find one that can improve your lifestyle or benefit you in other ways. Always read all the information involved and make sure that the website you're exchanging private information with has a secure certificate (the gold lock) located on the bottom of your browser window.

Good luck and happy hunting.

This articles was written by Gus Garcia, owner of http://www.creditcardChoices.com, a free online service offering information about various credit card offers as well as links to credit card applications.

Click here to see all credit card offers available at creditcardChoices.com.

I Hate My Logo! What You Should Get For Your Money and Why

This is not a how-to design a logo. This is a guide to educate you on how an experienced designer can help you through a project whose outcome you will need to live with for years. Learn how greatly the symbolic significance of your corporate identity can impact your business. To say anyone can design a logo is to say anyone can design a 53 story high rise. Here are some key lessons that will tell you if you're choosing the right architect for your corporate identity!

Simple Definition- On The Surface

A logo design is composed of one or more elements of shape, type, and thematically chosen colors. In a glance, it conveys a substantial amount of information to the viewer, much in the form of short gut feelings that aren't vocalized -good, hesitant, authoritative, dignified, classy, upscale, expertise, cheap?the list is endless.

Your logo is a symbol that will stand on every piece of printed or electronic collateral for at least the next 10 years. Remember that thought. Changing your logo in a year because you don't like it breeds confusion and mistrust that spreads like weeds within your audience. Many people over look that fact when they have a logo designed from the Internet for $25.

Your identity is an extension of your business that communicates visually, through appearance, and emotionally, through symbolism. Curtailing or ignoring thought, revision, and growth in the design process will hurt your finished product and corporate image. A good graphic artist will lead you through the design process. He or she will help visualize your company as the world sees you.

"I'm not creative," "I can't draw," "Make it green cause green is my favorite color and I'm the boss and it's my logo!" If you find yourself thinking along these lines, you're pretty normal so don't worry! If your passion and talent lie in matching the perfect violin to a young blossoming talent that walks into your music store, you're probably not going to do your own corporate tax returns.

Tax returns are done every year. Your logo, the heart and soul of your business is created once. It's part of you, and is the face of your business the world will see. Let a graphic artist, whose own passion is design, help you with what they do best. It's well worth the investment. Let's look at why?

In the following we'll discuss some obvious and not so obvious things a logo communicates and illustrate by examples you'll recognize. You will have a greater understanding of how much power your little icon can potentially have.

Logos: The Obvious Characteristics

From a usability and visibility standpoint there a several key factors that must be built into the design. Your logo must be clear and simple enough that it does not lose meaning when reproduced at different sizes, specifically smaller. If it is too cluttered and muddy on your business card your first impression will be a disappointment to a potential client.

It must not lose meaning when reproduced in one color. The Internet and online marketing let you produce things in blazing colorful glory without extra cost. However, don't forget those equally important other places your logo will be seen like packaging, shopping bags, faxes, Xeroxes, newspapers, business cards, brochures and letterhead. Those are important items in building brand loyalty and recognition to your product. If they don't look sharp, neither will your image, and neither will your sales.

Logos: The Quiet, Harmonic Subtle Qualities Often Overlooked

Your logo is a symbol of your company's ideals, practices and missions. A well- developed, carefully sculpted logo can inspire vision, stability and comfort. Your image can make a viewer feel he or she is in the best, most experienced hands. With this visual interaction you are building a trust with your audience.

Instill trust and a solid foundation

A logo can build trust and credibility. When you see a company's logo, even briefly, you feel something. That something can make you uneasy and worried about what you'll get for your money, or it can make you feel safe. How about McDonald's? (Fat grams and calories aside for a moment), when you see the Golden Arches, most people think good, fun, always-know-what-to-expect-even-in-a-strange-land hamburger. If you are lost in a foreign country, sighting the McDonald's Logo creates a sense of familiarity and relief.

How about a black circle with two little circles on either side, toward the top. Mickey. (Yes, that might make some mom and dad's feel faint at the ticket prices), but beyond that, there's an unparalleled, magical feeling of childhood, laughter and joy. What powerful emotion from three, joined, black circles that transcends language and culture.

If we say your logo is a symbol, by definition it represents the heart and root system of your company. The ultimate goal is for your audience to feel and understand your business on an emotional level and remember it. Sometimes logos can have an abstract relationship, sometimes right in your face. Either way, they must make sense and uniquely tie into your business. If you buy a pair of sneakers with a swoosh on them, do you have any doubt that they will wear out too soon, be uncomfortable, or a waste of money?

Show you are proactive and visionary

Say you're in the market for a luxury car. You are probably less worried about the obnoxious sales people and more attune to advertising you've seen. Which companies immediately come to mind when you think of precision, perfection and technological achievement?

Logos like Jaguar, Mercedes, or BMW convey enough inherent sense of forward thinking that they can appear as the only element on a billboard. There is a confidence you're in a class of superior engineering, advanced technology, and luxurious style compared to low and mid range automobiles. And even more intriguing, if you're an owner or in the market for one, doesn't seeing that particular logo reinforce those ideals to you? How can a little silver kitty on the front of a hood evoke such deep emotional reactions?

Portray confidence and expertise

Calvin Klein, Ralph Loren, and Coca-Cola are recognizable from across a room. With each, you know purchased products are consistent in quality. I'd suggest the most obviously confident is Calvin Klein. But it works, doesn't it? The smell of CK cologne might trigger a good (maybe bad!) memory for you. Who in real life is more confident than the perfect underwear models that seem to be in endless production? If they don't radiate self-confidence to that corporation, I'm at a loss for what does!

People will argue Coke is better than Pepsi or vice versa. It really doesn't matter because both are regarded as the best cola drinks made. Either one far surpasses any of the knock off brands. They are experts in their field. So how does a designer create an image like these for your company?

How does a designer begin? Every creative professional has his or her own methods, but the initial premise and ultimate journey is the same.

Design Is A Process

Research

It is impossible to find parallels of symbolism and create a logo identity without learning about the company, interacting with its employees, understanding the products and services, and examining the competition.

Here a designer starts to understand what ideals the corporate image must convey and what makes the company unique. Now, how to communicate those thoughts, feelings, and ideals onto paper.

Brainstorming/Draft

I usually carry a small tablet around with me when I'm working on a logo design. I sit at lunch, at red lights, and through the day sketching, scribbling, jotting down thoughts that pop into my head. These aren't anything for show, but quick ideas that usually springboard to new ones. Eventually one common thread stands out and I'll extrapolate some tighter focused ideas around that theme.

Revision

This is the most important process of design. This is where shapes and words combine into life. Here is where ideas evolve into concrete concepts. These concepts are further reworked, poked and prodded, transformed into more detailed, individual entities. A new idea may still enter into the mix, but results become much more refined and defined.

At a point when gut instinct and some outside opinions say, "That's a keeper!" I'll present the top three concepts to the client. I may offer some thoughts about color or other added aesthetic enhancements, but I'm more interested in conveying the underlying meaning of the symbol, and how I think it would speak to an audience and drive the company forward.

Conclusion

I strongly suggest you let an experienced designer help you with your logo development. It's not unreasonable to pay several thousand dollars for a design. That design should, however, take more than two days to develop and a lot of interaction and explanation! But you have to live with the results and they should be nothing less than great.

When interviewing several graphic artists, ask them how they develop a logo. What steps do they take? Their way might be a bit different than this article, but the general thought should be the same. You're business is probably your most valued investment. Help the world believe that too by having a logo that conveys it.

Name recognition, building trust, and brand loyalty take time. All of the companies talked about were new once too. And, all are innovators with their own unique, wonderfully expressive faces to the world.

John Krycek is the owner and creative director of http://www.themouseworks.ca theMouseworks.ca. Read additional articles on logo design and identity creation and graphic and web design in easy, non-technical, up front English!

Popup Killers - Not just killing that Popup but also your Revenue!

With the increased use of popups on sites - when you enter,
when you leave, while you are there - Popup killers (or
stoppers) are all the rage.

Companies use Popup killers as a marketing tool for
frustrated webusers - they kill the Popup, the webuser uses
their service be it as an ISP or Toolbar.

New ISP Disks, Toolbars, and Browsers all now come with some
form of Popup killer. While we all want to stop the
frustration of having several popups being delivered while
surfing around the web, to the webmaster a Popup killer can
totally kill a site's normal functionality.

** What do I mean?

If I said rename a Popup killer to a Javascript killer,
(which is how some Popup killers work), then you wil get the
gist!

With some SEOs advocating hiding links that they don't want
a search engine to spider or to hide affiliate links within
Javascript functions, having a user visit your site with a
Popup killer enabled could kill more than that annoying
Popup.

It could mean that when a user clicks on your apply button
or affiliate link, it won't work! The user can click on it
as often as they like. It won't work!

This could be costing you sales and applications.

** We tested it out!

We tested this on our Loans site (www.polarloans.co.uk). We
delivered 1,000 visits to the site where the application
process was a javascript function. We had 1 application.

We then switched the apply buttons and links to a normal
HREF link and sent another 1000 visits to it. We have a 10
fold increase in applications.

The only on-page changes were the Apply button links and we
drove the visits via PPC spend.

** What can you do?

It maybe time you looked at the major links on your site to
your product sale pages on affiliate links. If they are
running as Javascript functions it may be wise to try
switching them to normal HREF links and test the results.

You can always change them back if you need to but consider
the potential revenue option.

It certainly has worked for us!

Jason Hulott is Director of J2 Squared, leading specialists in Internet Consultancy whose specific aim is to drive more revenue to websites. Their main area of focus are the insurance, finance, and automotive industries.