Building Protocol State Machines in UML 2

When you want to show the sequence of events an object reacts to — and the resulting behavior — you use the UML notation that creates behavioral state diagrams (also known as machines): Such state diagrams have event/action pairs, entry actions, exit actions, and do activities. Most of your state diagrams use these features; in effect, they are behavioral state machines.



Sometimes, however, you just want to show a specified sequence of events that your object responds to — and when it can respond — without having to show its behavior. Such a specified sequence is called an event protocol. In UML 2, you can show event protocols by diagramming protocol state machines. These differ from behavioral state machines and have special uses.



Normally you should use regular state diagrams to show internal sequences of behavior for all objects of a class. Sometimes, however, you want to show a complex protocol (set of rules governing communication) when using an interface for a class. For example, when you are designing classes that access a database for your application you need to use common operations like open, close and query a database. But these operations must be called in the right order. You cannot query the database before you open it.



One solution to designing a simple database access class is to develop a DatabaseAccessor class with a DBaccess interface as shown in Figure 1. But the DBaccess interface has a complex protocol that governs its use because of the rules governing communication between any other object and the DatabaseAccessor class implementing the DBaccess interface. To use the interface properly, you have to open the database and then set up a query. You can put these rules in a state diagram to indicate the protocol that must be followed when using the interface.



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Figure 1: Class diagram with DBaccess interface.

Regular state diagrams don't help you with interfaces because interfaces don't describe behavior implementation they just declare what operations the class must perform. It's up to the class to specify the implementation of an interface. On the other hand a protocol state machine enables you to declare what operations can happen and the order they can happen without having to say anything about behavior implementation.



Figure 1 shows the DBaccess interface attached to the DatabaseAccessor class; the DatabaseAccessor class must conform to the operation sequence (that is, the protocol) of the DBaccess interface: The open, close, query, fetch, cancel, create, and kill operations must be implemented in the order specified by the DBaccess interface's protocol (shown in Figure 2).



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Figure 2: DBaccessor protocol state machine.

You draw a protocol state machine in much the same way you draw any other state machine. Remember, however, to follow a few special rules:



  • States can have names but can't show entry actions, exit actions, internal actions, or do activities.

  • Transitions show operations but not actions or send events (as regular state diagrams can).

  • Transitions can have preconditions and postconditions shown in square brackets [], as in the following example:

• [queryStatement <> null] query / [comArea set]


• A precondition states what must be true before the object can transition from one state to another. In this example, when an object that conforms to the DBaccessor interface receives the query operation, the queryStatement attribute is checked to see whether it's null. If the object is in the Opened state, and the queryStatement isn't null then the object transitions to the Queried state.


• A postcondition states what must be true once the object completes its transition and is now in a new state. In this example, when an object that conforms to the DBaccessor interface makes a successful transition to the Queried state, that means the postcondition must now be true — the comArea is set.


  • You draw your protocol state machine as a group of substates within one large frame.

  • You must name the protocol state machine as such; place the keyword protocol in curly brackets {} next to the name.

The diagram in Figure 2 shows a protocol state machine for the DBaccessor interface. Any class conforming to the DBaccess interface must implement the protocol state machine. You can show the implementation of the protocol state machine as a regular state machine with all the actions and activity behaviors thrown in. That way it's clear to other developers how you will implement the protocol for a specific class in your design.



State diagrams aren't meant to show the flow of data from one process step to another. Instead, they're supposed to show where the flow of control goes when some behavior happens. Don't let your state diagram mutate into a data-flow diagram.









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Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/building-protocol-state-machines-in-uml-2.html

Online Communities: A Place to Work

Researchers gather data by asking questions or viewing behaviors, so it’s natural that online communities often harbor researchers, most of whom let the community members know their intentions. Although researchers come to do a job, they also participate and enjoy the atmosphere of the communities.


In addition, online communities are welcome distractions for home-based workers and telecommuters. Many of them miss the camaraderie that an outside place of employment has to offer, so they go to their favorite online communities to enjoy conversation throughout the day.


These communities also work well for people who are passionate about or want to know more about their business. Accountants, marketing people, and even wait staff all have places to interact online. They like knowing that other people are experiencing the same things and that they’re not alone.


Additionally, Internet marketers and traditional salespeople are discovering that there’s money to be made online. If a company wants to promote a lemonade brand, for example, it may try to build a presence on Facebook — not because it expects folks to do nothing but discuss lemony beverages, but because a Facebook presence can draw people in to have a conversation.


Marketers don’t even need to create their own communities to drive sales, however. They’re happy enough to participate in existing groups and networks. This participation isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The best online salespeople are low-key, productive pillars of the community. They drive sales because members trust them.


Bloggers and other online authors also like to use online communities for marketing or promotional purposes, but they have a different reason: They want to drive traffic to their websites and create awareness for their names, their blogs, and even their businesses.


Many highly trafficked blogs and websites earn the bulk of their income through advertising and product sales, so it’s essential for them to bring in new traffic each day.




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Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/online-communities-a-place-to-work.html

Cutting Your Marketing Budget without Losing Customers

Sometimes you’re forced to slash your marketing budget, whether you want to or not. But advertising less doesn't have to mean pullingi n fewer customers. Following are some ideas for cutting your marketing expenses with minimal damage to your customer base:



  • Eliminate advertising in media that don’t produce well. One-half to two-thirds of the places where you advertise are relatively low producers. Analyze where your sales come from and then shift your budget to a handful of top-performing media buys.



  • Follow the media bargains. If network TV ads are expensive but local cable ads are cheap, go for the cheap option, which can still get you in front of customers while saving you some bucks. Look for relatively new magazines and ask for a special introductory price on full-page ads. You can always find bargains if you make a point of searching for them.



  • Bid on inexpensive key terms on Google’s Internet search engine. Pay-per-click ads are economical if you choose key terms carefully to avoid the most popular ones and favor narrow, highly specific terms (which usually cost less while also getting you to the top of a search result for consumers who know exactly what they want). Monitor your search engine advertising with care, and you can keep costs surprisingly low.



  • Reduce or eliminate expensive full-color catalogs and brochures. Use your Web site as a substitute for costly printed reference materials.



  • Explore viral marketing on the Web. Start an expert blog to inform customers with how-to tips. Hold a contest for the funniest video featuring your product and post the winners on YouTube. Send e-mail press releases to a hundred top bloggers every month. Ask employees and friends to help you build a popular page for your brand on MySpace.



  • Vow to never lose a customer. Whenever you have a customer who’s upset or at risk, find out why and win him or her back. Finding new customers costs more than keeping the old ones, so customer retention keeps costs low.



  • Figure out how you lose the most prospects and then concentrate your marketing to convert more of your prospects into customers. For instance, you may be losing prospects by not following through well enough on initial inquiries. If so, shorten the response time and consider adding another salesperson. When you have a prospect in hand, closing the sale is cheaper than losing the prospect and having to go out and find another.






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Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/cutting-your-marketing-budget-without-losing-custo.html

For Seniors: How to Know What an eBay Insertion Fee Buys You

Every item listed on eBay is charged an insertion fee, which is calculated on a sliding scale based on the minimum bid, your fixed-sale price, or the reserve price for your item.     So what does the insertion fee buy you on eBay? These two essentials:



  • A really snazzy-looking display page for your item that millions of eBay members worldwide can see, admire, and breathlessly respond to. (You can only hope.)



  • The use of eBay services, such as the Trust & Safety program, which protects your selling experience.




The following table gives you a handy reference to eBay’s current insertion fee structure ranging from $0.10 to $4.00 for a regular auction. (You don’t need to memorize these fees; just refer to this table or find this information on eBay by searching the Help area for eBay fees.) eBay understands that there’s not as much profit margin when you’re selling media items (new or used books, music, DVDs, movies, and video games), so it has a lower listing fee to encourage you.













































Auction Insertion Fees
Starting or Reserve PriceInsertion FeeInsertion Fee for Media
$0.01–$0.99$0.15$0.10
$1.00–$9.99$0.35$0.25
$10.00–$24.99$0.55$0.35
$25.00–$49.99$1.00$1.00
$50.00–$199.99$2.00$2.00
$200.00–$499.99$3.00$3.00
$500–gazillions$4.00$4.00

If you’re running a reserve-price auction, eBay bases its insertion fee on the reserve price, not the starting bid. eBay also charges an extra fee of $2.00 to run a reserve-price auction having a reserve price of $199.99 or less. Auctions with reserves over $200.00 have a fee of 1 percent of the reserve with a maximum of $50.00.


Here’s a snapshot of how a reserve price affects your insertion fee. If you set a starting bid of $1.00 for a gold Rolex watch (say what?) but your reserve price is $5,000.00 (that’s more like it), you’re charged a $4.00 insertion fee based on the $5,000.00 reserve price plus a $50.00 reserve fee (1 percent of the reserve price).


In the Automotive category, the first four listings are free (no insertion fee). Subsequent listings have a $20.00 insertion fee, and motorcycles are charged only $15.00.


eBay has a different insertion fee structure for items that are listed as fixed-price sales. They are quite the bargain, so if you have multiples of a single item and know what you need to get for them, a fixed-price sale is a great way to go!


Do know that there is a slightly higher final value fee for fixed-price listings. Here are the insertion charges for a fixed-price listing that can stay on the site for as long as 30 days: Fixed price $1.00 and more; Insertion fee $0.35; Insertion Fee for Media: $0.15.




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Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/for-seniors-how-to-know-what-an-ebay-insertion-fee.html

Tools to Measure Your Mom Blog Traffic

Many analytics software options are available, but the industry standards are Google Analytics and FeedBurner. When choosing analytics software, you want the software to keep track of as much data as possible — but you also need it to present the data in a way you can understand.


Getting great analytics software on your blog can be expensive — really expensive. The good news is that you probably won’t need such robust tools until you make enough money to pay for them anyway. Fantastic free tools such as Google Analytics and Quantcast are easy to set up and use.


If you want to explore other options, Wikipedia maintains a list of current Web analytics software.


Google Analytics


The tracking software most widely used by bloggers is Google Analytics. The reason it’s so popular is that it’s comparable to some of the most expensive analytics solutions available — but it’s free! Google Analytics is also a very widely accepted tool to use when you’re reporting your traffic statistics to potential sponsors and advertisers.


Google Analytics will measure things such as the number of monthly unique visitors that read your blog, where your readers come from, how they find your site, and what content they’re most interested in reading. Other things that sponsors or PR firms may be interested in are your bounce rate, pages per visitor, and average time on site.


FeedBurner


Every blog generates what’s called an RSS feed. RSS stands for Real Simple Syndication. An RSS feed allows your blog visitors to follow your content in a feed reader, like Google Reader and My Yahoo!. When a blog visitor subscribes to your feed, they can read your blog posts in a feed reader instead of on your site.


This is a great benefit for your visitors, because it makes it easy for them to read all their favorite blogs in one place. Additionally, it offers some of the same benefits of e-mail newsletters, primarily by reminding your visitors to come back to your site more frequently.


Your blog’s feed statistics are just as important as your traffic statistics. Your RSS readers may not visit your site in order to read your blog posts, because they will be reading them in a feed reader. Google Analytics can’t track visitors unless they visit your blog’s Web page.


Using a service such as FeedBurner allows you to track all readers of your blog, whether they come to your site or read it in a feed reader.




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Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/tools-to-measure-your-mom-blog-traffic.html

How to Find Marketing Partners through LinkedIn

When it comes to marketing on LinkedIn, your strategy will typically involve more than just you and your business. Part of the success of marketing through LinkedIn is finding the right marketing partners to help you with your goals and take you to the next level.


After all, you’re connecting with like-minded professionals who have skills similar or complementary to yours, which helps you and them achieve your goals. Here are some tips to help you find marketing partners:



  • Pay attention to people’s titles: In the past, you might searched for someone “who works at advertising sales for a major radio network.” Today, with LinkedIn, you can look for an Advertising Sales Manager at Clear Channel Communications. Search for who you need to know, specifically, and LinkedIn will show you whether that person is connected to you by one, two, or three degrees.



  • Join the LinkedIn groups that would appeal to your business: One of the quickest ways to signal your interest and find like-minded businesspeople is to join a LinkedIn group that’s relevant to your industry or niche. You can then search group members to find potential partners. Also, because your groups are listed on your profile, joining a group means that you’ll have a lasting reference on your profile that will let people know that you identify with this group.



  • Search LinkedIn Answers for people with similar situations as yours: You might find someone at a similar company who looked for an SEO expert and asked the community for help. The people who responded might give you insight on whom to choose and to add to your network.




Odds are, you won’t have all the answers when it comes to your strategic plan, marketing plan, or maybe even your business direction. Thankfully, when you’re using LinkedIn, you’re definitely not alone. LinkedIn allows you to tap the collective knowledge of its community, enabling you to performing market research on a variety of topics and get real- time answers without involving think tanks or putting out thousands of dollars in fees.


The key is to be honest, transparent, and (as odd as this might sound) grateful. After all, you are asking people’s advice and thoughts, so don’t expect them to write a 30-page market analysis for you for free.


Share your goals and intentions, get people discussing the idea and each other’s comments, and be ready to listen. The best research results from the community’s exchange of ideas, with a bunch of voices chiming in to validate or discount the theorem of the moment.



  • Ask targeted questions on LinkedIn Answers and follow up with people who left the best answers: LinkedIn Answers provides an excellent and free way to tap the knowledge base of the community, in an abundance of categories. Although you can post a general “Where do we go from here?” question, you can also ask a targeted or focused question concerning one element of your research and then gauge the response.


    Don’t forget to start a dialog with your most enthusiastic responders: They already demonstrated interest and knowledge.



  • Watch your Question thread closely (through the My Q&A tab) and provide clarification or responses whenever needed: Some people just throw out a question on LinkedIn Answers and then sit back and wait for the genius to flow in. More often, however, the discussion that ensues on the Answer thread may veer from your intended topic, or the responses completely miss the mark because they don’t interpret your question accurately.


    You can add clarification to the original question, or add your own reply in when needed. If nothing else, reply with a thank you for a very good answer and encourage others to keep that answer in mind.



  • Keep the conversation open and continuous: Try to leave part of your question open-ended so that the people answering it can discuss their theories and you will have a more natural reason for follow-up with them individually. Sometimes, keeping the door open is as easy as ending your post with something like, “If you think you can help with this situation, let me know.”



  • Set up a LinkedIn Group that speaks to your target audience and your company’s (or your) capabilities: For example, to cite a tried-and-true example, say that you’re trying to reach accountants for financial services companies. To get the ball rolling, you could start the Financial Services Accountants Group, spread the word to your target audience, and stay in touch with that audience via this group whenever you want to know more about your target audience.






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Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-find-marketing-partners-through-linkedin.html

What Is an Online Community?

An online community is a community that forms on the internet. A community is a group of people interacting, sharing, and working toward a common goal. Whereas neighbors may converse in their yards, in an online community, members interact via social networks, such as Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. They also share in forums, e-mail groups, and even in the comments sections of blog posts and news articles.


Members of online communities talk about the same things with their online friends as they do their offline neighbors, but they also rally around a specific topic, product, or cause to share ideas, offer tips, or act as mentors. Many times, they join communities because people at home in the offline world don’t share similar passions. So they come online to talk at length with the folks who “get it.”


Online communities are no longer primitive forums where hobbyists discuss their crafts. Now marketing teams for household brands are creating Facebook pages and YouTube accounts specifically to sell products. And it’s working.


While members still visit online communities to talk about their passion, thanks to social media and conversational marketing, online communities are now also seen as places to discuss products, receive feedback, and begin word-of-mouth marketing campaigns.


Online communities are best explained by exploring offline “real life” neighborhood communities. Close-knit neighbors not only socialize, but they also help each other. They borrow tools and bring in the mail. They make dinner for sick parents and trade off watching kids. They also maintain common interests — for example, working together to keep common areas attractive and productive.




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Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/what-is-an-online-community.html

Considering Euthanasia for Your Pet

Euthanasia, the technical term for putting a dog to sleep, is one of the hardest decisions you will ever make, and it doesn't get any easier, no matter how many times over the years you face it. Your veterinarian can offer you advice and your friends can offer you support, but no one can make the decision for you. When you live with an elderly or terminally ill pet, you look in her eyes every morning and ask yourself: Is this the day?


To know for sure is impossible.


Some owners do not wait until their pet's discomfort becomes pain and choose euthanasia much sooner than many people would. Some owners use an animal's appetite as the guide — when an old or ill animal is no longer interested in eating, they reason, he's not interested in anything at all. And some owners wait until there's no doubt the time is at hand.


Each guideline is the right one, for some dogs and some owners at some times. You do the best you can, and then you try to put the decision behind you and deal with the grief. Ironically, the incredible advances in veterinary medicine in the past couple of decades have made the decisions even more difficult for many people. Not too long ago, the best you could do for a seriously ill pet was to make her comfortable until that wasn't possible anymore. Nowadays, nearly every advantage of human medicine — from chemotherapy to pacemakers — is available to our pets.


If you can afford such care and have a realistic expectation that it will improve your pet's life — rather than simply prolong it — then it is an option that should be pursued. But let nothing push you into making a decision based on guilt or wishful thinking.


icon

Euthanasia is a kindness extended to a treasured pet, a decision we make at a great cost to ourselves. It is a final act of love, nothing less.










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Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/considering-euthanasia-for-your-pet.html

Using Mohr's Circle to Find Principal Stresses and Angles

Anyone in the mechanical sciences is likely familiar with Mohr's circle — a useful graphical technique for finding principal stresses and strains in materials. Mohr's circle also tells you the principal angles (orientations) of the principal stresses without your having to plug an angle into stress transformation equations.


Starting with a stress or strain element in the XY plane, construct a grid with a normal stress on the horizontal axis and a shear stress on the vertical. (Positive shear stress plots at the bottom.) Then just follow these steps:




  1. Plot the vertical face coordinates V(σxx , τxy).




  2. Plot the horizontal coordinates H(σyy, –τxy).


    You use the opposite sign of the shear stress from Step 1 because the shear stresses on the horizontal faces are creating a couple that balances (or acts in the opposite direction of) the shear stresses on the vertical faces.




  3. Draw a diameter line connecting Points V (from Step 1) and H (from Step 2).




  4. Sketch the circle around the diameter from Step 3.


    The circle should pass through Points V and H as shown here.


    image0.jpg


  5. Compute the normal stress position for the circle's center point (C).


    image1.jpg


  6. Calculate the radius (R) for the circle.


    image2.jpg


  7. Determine the principal stresses σP1 and σP2.


    image3.jpg


  8. Compute the principal angles ΘP1 and ΘP2.


    image4.jpg


You could also use equations directly (instead of Mohr's circle) to determine transformed stresses at any angle:


image5.jpg


To construct a Mohr's circle for strain or to use the transformation equations, substitute εxx for σxx, εyy for σyy, and (0.5)γxy for τxy in the preceding equations.








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Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/using-mohrs-circle-to-find-principal-stresses-and-.seriesId-273830.html

How to Market Your Business through LinkedIn

LinkedIn can play a significant role in the effective marketing of your business. LinkedIn’s value as a marketing tool gets a lot of buzz from most companies’ finance departments, especially because they see LinkedIn as a free way of marketing the business. Marketing your business on LinkedIn involves working through your own network, employing both your current list of contacts as well as potential contacts in the greater LinkedIn community.


Your efforts should also include making use of links from your online activities to your LinkedIn profile and promoting your business online from your LinkedIn identity. Here are some things to keep in mind as you develop your LinkedIn marketing strategy:



  • Encourage every employee to have a LinkedIn profile and to link to each other: Extending your network in this way increases your exposure outside your company. And if anybody in your organization is nervous about preparing her profile, just tell her that even Bill Gates has a LinkedIn profile. That should do the trick!



  • Make sure your business websites and blogs are linked to your LinkedIn profile: By offering your website visitors a direct view to your LinkedIn profile, you’re allowing them to verify you as an employee of the company because they can see your experiences and your recommendations from other people. They might also realize that they share a bond with you and your business that they never would have realized without LinkedIn.



  • Make sure your LinkedIn profile links back to your business website and blog: Yes, you want your visitors and potential customers to be able to verify who you are, as noted in the previous bullet in this list, but you also want them to go back to your website and do some business with you! Make sure that you, and every employee of your company who’s on LinkedIn, includes a link to your business’s website and, if there is one, the company blog.


    If you have a search engine expert working for you, that person may complain about something called a two-way link, which is a link from your LinkedIn profile to your website and a link from your website to your LinkedIn profile. This practice, known as reciprocal linking, hurts your search engine ranking. If so, have that person identify which of the two links is more important and implement only that link.



  • Make sure that your most popular keyword phrases are in your company or personal profile: Use sites such as Wordtracker or Good Keywords to find the hottest keyword phrases in your field. If your business is doing any online ad campaigns, make sure those keyword phrases are the same as the ones in your profile. Presenting a consistent image to any potential customer makes you and your company look more professional.



  • Develop relationships with key business partners or media contacts: When you search for someone on LinkedIn, you can be very precise about who you want to reach. So, for example, if you know that your business needs to expand into the smartphone market, you can start targeting and reaching out to smartphone companies such as Apple, Research In Motion (maker of the BlackBerry), and Palm (maker of the Pre and the Pixi). If you want to increase your visibility, start reaching out to media members who cover your industry.






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Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-market-your-business-through-linkedin.html

Slideshow Commercials Demonstrate Your Job Skills to Hiring Managers

You can use common slideshow software, such as Microsoft’s PowerPoint or Apple’s Keynote, to put together a slideshow commercial for yourself to use during your job search. You can demonstrate your presentation skills and professionalism with a slideshow, which entails presenting your story audibly and supporting it with images and words.


Regardless of which program you use, the steps are pretty much the same:



  1. Write out a script that’s a maximum of three to five minutes in length (about 750 words).


    Each sentence of your script should narrate a different slide. In the “Notes” section of each slide, paste in one sentence from your script.



  2. Include an image or impact word for each slide.


    Images speak a thousand words, and when used in a slideshow, they emotionally reinforce your spoken point. Note that taking this approach is quite different from going the usual bulleted-list route. Don’t be afraid of having nothing more than an image on the screen. Check out Flickr for copyright-free content you can use. Also be sure to include at least one picture of yourself.


    Note that some slides work better with impact words, either in addition to an image or on their own. Impact words are the main topic, or the essential meaning, of what you’re saying at a given time.


    If you’re telling a story about a success, consider showing an image of someone jumping for joy with the words on the slide proclaiming, “150% of quota!” and then fade to black with nothing more than the words, “But it didn’t end there . . .”



  3. Edit the transitions between slides.


    Make sure the words appear on the screen the way you want them to with each click. The last thing you want to worry about when you’re reading and recording your script is what happens when you click. Click one time per line to simplify.


    For example, you can structure your transitions like this: “Hi, I’m Joshua, and I love managing large, complicated projects” (click, new slide shows up). “Let me tell you about a time when . . .” (click, words appear on the new slide), and so on.



  4. Take a practice run when your slides are done.


    The goal is to reach the end of your script while progressing through the slideshow easily. Make sure the slides transition smoothly the way you want them to.



  5. Run through your presentation, script, and slides while recording the screen.


    Screen recording software simply records everything happening on your computer screen as a movie. It can record a video of you if you have a webcam, as well as your voice. Companies use it to demonstrate their software. If you don’t already have screen recording software, download Jing, a free program that records up to five minutes at a time.


    Make several different versions and remember to save each recording at the end. Then you can splice together the best parts of each take.



  6. Upload your commercial to the video sharing sites of your choice.


    Recording software allows you to save the recording on your computer for uploading. From there, you can share your video with the world!






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Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/slideshow-commercials-demonstrate-your-job-skills-.html

How to Create Multiple Columns in a Word 2007 Document









To convert your standard single- (or no-) column Word 2007 document into one with multiple columns, simply choose the column format you want from the Columns menu. Instantly, your document is transformed into a multicolumn wonder!


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Click the Columns button.



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This displays a menu of handy column-formatting options.


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Choose the More Columns command.



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This displays the enticing Columns dialog box. By using that dialog box, you can create and design your own set of multiple columns.


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Set the number of columns you want.



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You can click the One, Two, or Three button in the Presets section of the dialog box for three columns or less. For more than three columns, you can specify an amount in the Number of Columns field. Use the Preview window to help determine how your page is formatted.


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Click OK.



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Word applies the column format to your document.


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Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-create-multiple-columns-in-a-word-2007-docu.html

Drawing the Boundaries between Mentalism and Visual Magic

In general, two types of magic exist: visual magic and mentalism. Here’s an explanation of the difference between the two with a list of mental effects examples:



  • Visual magic: This traditional side of the art focuses on effects, such as productions, vanishes, transpositions and levitations. Think of guys in evening tails and top hats producing rabbits, changing scarves into doves or escaping from straightjackets on stage.



  • Mentalism: This sort of magic focuses more on mental effects such as the following:



    • Clairvoyance: Discerning things only with the power of the mind.



    • Cold reading: Knowing private information about people simply from talking to them.



    • Divination: Including predicting the future.



    • Hypnotism: Putting people into a sleep-like state so that their minds become susceptible to suggestion.



    • Psycho- and telekinesis: Moving items by willpower or thought alone.



    • Remote viewing: Duplicating an unseen image.



    • *Secret writing: Including anticipating events.



    • Spirit theatre: Communicating with ‘deceased spirits’.



    • Superhuman physical and mental feats: Lifting heavy objects or stopping volunteers from moving their bodies.



    • Telepathy: Reading people’s minds.








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Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/drawing-the-boundaries-between-mentalism-and-visua.html

How to Use Offline Browsing in Internet Explorer 8

You can use the offline browsing feature of Internet Explorer 8 to view your RSS feeds and Web page subscriptions. Offline browsing is especially beneficial when you’re using a laptop computer and can’t get connected to the Internet or when you rely on a slow dialup connection. Offline browsing enables you to download Web content during nonpeak hours and browse it whenever you want.


Once Internet Explorer goes into offline mode, it won’t go back online until you either restart the computer or manually turn offline browsing off.


To turn offline browsing on and off, choose Work Offline from the Tools drop-down menu (or press Alt+FW). You can view offline content in several ways:



  • By revisiting Web pages stored in the cache as part of the History. When browsing offline Web sites, you’ll find that Web sites open almost instantly.


    Open these pages by selecting them from the History Explorer bar, which you open by pressing Ctrl+Shift+H, by clicking the History tab on the Favorites/Feeds/History bar, or by choosing View→Explorer Bars→History from the Internet Explorer menu bar.



  • By visiting updated Web pages marked as Favorites that have been stored for later viewing. This will give you the most complete content. IE will also save other pages that are linked to the one you’re saving and automatically check for updated content.



  • To save a Web page for later offline viewing, choose File→Save As and and save it as one of the Web page or Web archive file types in the Save As Type drop-down menu.



  • Open these pages by choosing them from the Favorites menu, or click the View Favorites, Feeds and History button on the Favorites toolbar. Then select the Web from the Favorites tab.



  • By opening Web pages that are stored in folders on local disks, such as the hard drive or a CD-ROM. When browsing offline Web sites, you’ll find some of the links aren’t available for offline viewing.


    Open the page by typing the pathname in the address bar of Internet Explorer. You can also open a local Web page with the Open dialog box (press Ctrl+O).




Internet Explorer lets you know when a link isn’t available by adding the international “No” or “Don’t” symbol (you know, the circle with a backslash in it) to the normal hand mouse pointer.


If you click a hyperlink to a page that hasn’t been downloaded, IE will display a Web Page Unavailable While Offline alert dialog box. Click Connect or press Enter to have IE go online and go to the requested page. To remain offline, click the Stay Offline button instead.




dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-use-offline-browsing-in-internet-explorer-8.html

How to Prepare for a Mammogram

Mammograms are an important diagnostic tool in detecting and combating breast cancer. You should schedule regular mammogram screenings, and follow this advice:




  • Find out before your appointment whether your insurance covers the procedure.




  • Go to a facility that's certified by the Food and Drug Administration.




  • Bring the pictures and the doctor's report with you if you've had a mammogram in the past.




  • Wear warm slacks — the machine is cold.




  • Stay calm. Remember, out of 1,000 mammograms, 998-999 are not cancerous. Why worry if you don't have to?










dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-prepare-for-a-mammogram.html

QuickBooks 2011 For Dummies

QuickBooks 2011 makes small-business accounting fast and easy. But your day-to-day business bookkeeping will go even smoother if you employ a handful of QuickBooks keyboard shortcuts and data-entry, and interface tricks.






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QuickBooks 2011 Keyboard Shortcuts


Use the QuickBooks 2011 keyboard shortcuts shown in the following table to make your day-to-day small business accounting easier and faster. You can save valuable time and energy with these handy key combinations:























































































Press This PC ShortcutQuickBooks Does This
Ctrl+ADisplays the Chart of Accounts window
Ctrl+CCopies your selection to the Clipboard
Ctrl+DDeletes check, invoice, transaction, or item from the list
Ctrl+EEdits transaction selected in the register
Ctrl+FDisplays the Find window
Ctrl+GGoes to the other side of a transfer transaction
Ctrl+IDisplays the Create Invoice window
Ctrl+JDisplays the Customer:Job List window
Ctrl+MMemorizes a transaction
Ctrl+NCreates a new <fill in the blank> where <fill in the
blank> is whatever is active at the time
Ctrl+PAlmost always prints the currently active register, list, or
form
Ctrl+QCreates and displays a QuickReport on the selected
transaction
Ctrl+RDisplays the Register window
Crtl+TDisplays the memorized transaction list
Ctrl+VPastes the contents of the Clipboard
Ctrl+WDisplays the Write Checks window
Ctrl+XMoves your selection to the Clipboard
Ctrl+ZUndoes your last action — usually
Ctrl+InsertInserts a line into a list of items or expenses
Ctrl+DeleteDeletes the selected line from a list of items or expenses




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QuickBooks 2011 Calculation and Editing Tricks


QuickBooks 2011 makes it easy to calculate numbers. If the selection cursor is in an amount field in, you can use these symbol keys to make calculations:























Press This KeyThis Happens
+Adds the number you just typed to the next number you type
Subtracts the next number you type from the number you just
typed
*Multiplies the number you just typed by the next number you
type
/Divides the number you just typed by the next number you
type

If the selection cursor is on a date field, you can use these tricks to edit the date:



































Press This KeyThis Happens
+Adds one day to the date shown
TReplaces the date shown with today’s date
Subtracts one day from the date shown
YChanges the date to the first day in the year
RChanges the date to the last day in the year
MChanges the date to the first day in the month
HChanges the date to the last day in the month




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Right-Click for Common QuickBooks 2011 Tasks


To perform a common QuickBooks 2011 task related to a window, right-click to display a shortcut menu. In a register, select and right-click a specific transaction; in a list, right-click an item; in a form, display a transaction and right-click a blank area of the form.


QuickBooks displays a shortcut menu of common commands for the particular transaction, item, or window. For example, it often displays commands for memorizing or voiding the transaction or for creating a QuickReport on the transaction. The commands differ based on the type of transaction you select.





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QuickBooks 2011 User Interface Tricks


To aid in maximizing efficiency when you're using QuickBooks 2011, here are some tips and techniques that you can use to more quickly navigate the accounting and bookkeeping software:



  • To move quickly to a specific list box entry, press the letter. For example, press S to move to the first list entry that begins with the letter S.



  • To select a list box entry shown within a dialog box and simultaneously choose a suggested command button for the active dialog box (probably the OK button), double-click the entry.



  • To move the insertion point to the beginning of a field, press Home.



  • To move the insertion point to the end of a field, press End.



  • QuickBooks can display a list of open windows in its Open Window list. To display the Open Window list, choose View→Open Window List. To move to a listed window, just click it.



  • To tell QuickBooks to use windows the same way every other program does, choose View→Multiple Windows. Or, to tell QuickBooks to just display the active window, choose View→One Window.







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dummies


Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/quickbooks-2011-for-dummies-cheat-sheet.html

Generally Accepted Auditing Standards

The generally accepted auditing standards (GAAS) are the standards you use for auditing private companies. GAAS come in three categories: general standards, standards of fieldwork, and standards of reporting.


Keep in mind that the GAAS are the minimum standards you use for auditing private companies. Additionally, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) has adopted these standards for public (traded on the open market) companies. Each audit engagement you work on may require you to perform audit work beyond what’s specified in the GAAS in order to appropriately issue an opinion that a set of financial statements is fairly presented. You need to use professional judgment and exercise due care in following all standards.




  • General standards: The first three GAAS are general standards that address your qualifications to be an auditor and the minimum standards for your work product:




    • As an auditor, you must have both adequate training and proficiency.




    • You are independent in both fact and appearance.




    • You exercise due professional care in performing your auditing tasks.






  • Standards of fieldwork: The next three GAAS govern how you actually do your job:




    • Your work is adequately planned, and all assistants are properly supervised.




    • You gain an understanding of the client and its environment, including internal controls, to assess the risk of material misstatement in the financial statements and to plan your audit.




    • The evidence you gather during the audit is appropriate and sufficient to evaluate management’s assertions on the financial statements.






  • Standards of reporting: The last four GAAS concern information you must consider prior to issuing your audit report:




    • You have to state whether the financial statements are prepared using generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).




    • Just as important is to report whether GAAP are consistently applied for all financial accounting. Should this not be the case, you have to report any departures.




    • You also have to make sure that disclosures — any additional information needed to explain the numbers on the financial statements — are provided.




    • Lastly, you have to include your opinion as to whether the financial statements present fairly in all material respects the financial position of the company under audit.












dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/generally-accepted-auditing-standards.html

Women's Health: How to Deal with Painful Intercourse


6 of 10 in Series:
The Essentials of Women's Sexual Health





If a woman finds penetration painful during intercourse, the problem is probably vaginismus — not a vagina that is too tight. Vaginismus is a medical condition in which vaginal muscles involuntarily tighten up to the point where the woman will experience vaginal pain during intercourse. Sometimes, vaginismus causes the muscles to contract so tightly that penetration is impossible. The cause is almost always tension.


Although the size of the vagina is almost never an issue, some women may have a separate medical problem. A woman’s first course of action should be to visit a gynecologist.


Assuming that she gets a clean bill of health, then, once again, the treatment involves getting her to relax. What exactly she must do depends on what the other factors are. If she’s also never had an orgasm, then discovering how to give herself an orgasm through masturbation may be step one. If she’s already orgasmic, then her partner should get more involved in the orgasm-producing process.


When left untreated, vaginismus can be a very serious issue between a couple. This idea is especially true if the woman is a virgin, gets married, and intends to lose her virginity during the honeymoon. She and her new husband are both all set to start their sex life, but either she feels too much pain to let him continue or he can’t get in at all. This situation may result in bad feelings that, if left to fester, could destroy their marriage. Don’t be too embarrassed to seek treatment.


When a woman doesn’t produce enough natural lubrication, at any age, you can apply an artificial lubricant to allow for intercourse without vaginal irritation. Dryness won’t prevent penetration, but it can cause pain. If you think this might be the cause of your pain, the solution is as easy as visiting the local drugstore. Vaginal dryness is especially common in menopausal and postmenopausal women.




dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/womens-health-how-to-deal-with-painful-intercourse.html

Sweet Tapioca Pearls

People usually have strong feelings about tapioca — and if you grew up on the gooey tapioca pudding cups served in school cafeterias, those feelings may be strongly negative. Get ready to redress your childhood tapioca issues with this delicious combination of starchy tapioca pearls and nutty-sweet taro root.


Preparation time: 25 minutes


Cooking time: 30 minutes


Yield: 4 to 6 servings


6 cups water


2 cups (10 ounces) taro


1/2 cup small tapioca pearls


1 cup sugar


1 cup coconut milk


1/8 teaspoon salt


1 ripe melon



  1. In a large pot, bring 5 cups of the water to a boil.



  2. Cut the taro into 1/4-inch cubes.



  3. Add the taro and tapioca pearls; reduce the heat to medium.



  4. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes, adding additional water, as needed.



  5. When the tapioca pearls become translucent, add the sugar, coconut milk, and salt; cook for 3 minutes.



  6. Create melon balls with about a 3/4-inch diameter.



  7. Add 1 1/2 cups melon balls to the pot; cook to heat through, about 2 minutes.




With coconut milk, a full cup of sugar, and the starchy thickness of tapioca and taro, this dessert runs the risk of seeming pretty rich. But the little bit of salt gives the whole dish a more complex flavor.


Don’t succumb to the temptation of using quick-cooking tapioca in this recipe because it simply won’t give the same results as the pearls. Tapioca pearls are tapioca starch that has been processed into pellets ranging in size from about 1/8 to 1/4 inch.




dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/sweet-tapioca-pearls.html

A Five-Step Plan for Taking Off Wallpaper

The thought of taking off wallpaper can be scary, but planning for wallpaper removal can ease anxiety. Having a good plan for taking off wallpaper will simplify the task and ensure great results. Wallpaper removal is a job that any do-it-yourselfer can accomplish.



  1. Determine the kind of wall surface you have.


    Most walls are either plaster (harder, colder, and smoother) or drywall (sounds hollow). When in doubt, remove an outlet cover to see the exposed edges. Why does it matter? Drywall is more vulnerable to water damage; so, you can't get it too wet. And use care when you’re scraping because drywall gouges more easily than plaster.



  2. Figure out the type of wallpaper you’re removing.


    Some wallpapers (wallcoverings), such as foils or those coated with a vinyl or acrylic finish, aren’t porous. You'll need to perforate the entire surface so that the wallpaper remover can penetrate. Test for porosity by spraying a small area with hot water and wallpaper remover. If the paper absorbs the water immediately, you won't have to worry about it.



  3. Choose a wallpaper-removal technique.


    Depending on your situation, choose one of three wallpaper-removal approaches:



    • Dry-stripping. This is the easiest removal method. You just grab a corner of wallpaper and pull at an angle. If it works, just peel your way around the room.



    • Soaking and scraping. If all the wallpaper doesn’t peel off, you must saturate the wallpaper or the remaining backing with water and remover. When it is softened, just scrape it off. The process is moderately easy but messier than dry-stripping.



    • Steaming. If the wallpaper is too thick or old, or if it was painted over, you'll have to resort to using a steamer. The difficulty level comes from the need to hold the hotplate against the wall while scraping with the other hand.





  4. Plan for floor protection and cleanup.


    All wallpaper removal approaches are messy, so take the necessary precautions to protect floors. Almost all removal processes require you to saturate the wallpaper in order to break soften the adhesive seal, and there will be lots of moisture present.


    After the wallpaper is gone, the walls are usually still a mess. There will be bits of backing and glue still clinging to them. You'll need to wash them with more solvent or a nonphosphate cleaner and then rinse thoroughly.



  5. Gather tools and supplies for wallpaper removal.


    You’ll need a razor scraper, paper scraper, and a wallpaper steamer. Almost all removal methods require wallpaper-remover solution and either a spray bottle or paint roller to apply it with. The specific tools you'll need depend on the removal method you choose.


    To prep the room and to clean up afterward, you need plastic and canvas drop cloths, wide masking tape, water bucket, towels, rags, and wall sponges.






dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/a-fivestep-plan-for-taking-off-wallpaper.html

Robert's Rules on Basic Motions

Even though it's the nature of meetings to have more said than done, Robert's Rules helps keep things on track by requiring that no discussion be undertaken until somebody proposes an idea for action. It's through motions that everything your group ever accomplishes gets its start. The length of time you discuss something and the ultimate decision your group makes are both based on your members' use and understanding of the nature of the different types of motions, their relationships to each other, and how the different motions are best used as your tools for effective decision-making.


Until a motion is made, seconded, and stated by the chair, no discussion is in order. This rule of "motion before discussion" saves valuable meeting time. When you start off with a definite proposal — "I move that . . ." — your group discusses the motion's merits and all the details necessary to make a decision. And during the discussion, you and the other members are free to alter your motion as much as necessary before reaching the final decision. This process is much more productive than just starting off jabbering about some vague idea hoping to work it out as you go, and then getting around to making a motion summarizing what you think you may have just proposed.


Motions come in all types and sizes, but they fall into a couple basic categories:



  • A main motion introduces a new subject for discussion and action. A main motion says: Let's do this about that. The main motion is the starting point on the way to making a group decision.



  • Secondary motions offer different approaches to consider in the discussion of the main motion. A secondary motion says: Let's do that this way. Secondary motions fall into one of the three classes:



    • Subsidiary motions apply directly to a pending main motion (or pending secondary motion) and help the group arrive at a final decision on the main motion. A subsidiary motion says: Let's do this along with the main motion.


      For example, the motion to Refer the main motion to a committee. You use it when you don't want to spend all night talking about something that could be done at another time by people who are interested in working out the details.



    • Privileged motions deal with things relating to the comfort of the assembly or other situations so important they may interrupt pending business and must be decided immediately by the chair or by the members without debate. A privileged motion says: Let's do this even though there is a pending main motion.



    • Incidental motions are motions that generally deal with procedures and help process other motions. An incidental motion says: Let's do this to better handle the pending motion. You use incidental motions to help the group go about conducting its business in meetings.





  • A restorative motion seeks to put things back to where they were. A restorative motion says: Let's undo this and maybe do that instead.




Brainstorming is great, but you need to do it outside of your business meeting. Time is limited, and often many decisions need to be made at the meeting in a very short time. The rule requiring you to have a motion on the floor before discussing it means that you have to be responsible and have your idea fairly well thought out before turning it over to the group for its consideration.











dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/roberts-rules-on-basic-motions.html

Pitfalls of Online Business Planning

You can avoid some of the pitfalls of online business planning because they've already been identified by some early online-business adventurers. As they forged the path into the world of e-business, they hit some pitfalls and weathered some scrapes that all who follow can gratefully avoid, starting with these:




  • Web presence isn’t an all-or-nothing proposition: Web presence is a strategy for doing business. The closer your e-business strategy aligns with the rest of your business plan, the more it will strengthen your ability to build relationships with suppliers, distributors, customers, and employees. The most successful online retailers today integrate the Internet as a vital selling and communication channel in their overall business models. However, they view the Net as a channel, not the channel.




  • Successful strategy depends on a business model: Having a hand on the source of money flow comes right back to the revitalized term business model, which, in the simplest terms, is how your business will generate revenue and profit. To develop your business model, you need to know




    • What you plan to sell and the value your product delivers to customers




    • The profile of your prospective customer




    • How you plan to reach, acquire, and keep customers




    • How you define and differentiate your offerings




    • That your product pricing covers all costs plus some profit







dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/pitfalls-online-business-planning.html

Start, Pause, and Resume a Sound File in a PowerPoint 2007 Presentation

While a sound file is playing during a PowerPoint presentation, you can pause and resume playing it as long as




  • The Sound icon appears on your PowerPoint slide. If you’ve hidden the Sound icon, you’re out of luck, because you have to click the Sound icon to pause playing a sound file.




  • You told PowerPoint that you want to be able to stop, pause, and resume the sound file during presentations.




Follow these steps to tell PowerPoint that you want to be able to pause and resume a sound file:




  1. Go to the slide where the sound file is located.




  2. Click the Animations tab.




  3. In the Custom Animation task pane, select the sound file that you want to pause and resume.




  4. Click the Change button (it’s located at the top of the task pane), choose Sound Actions on the drop-down menu that appears, and choose Pause on the submenu. The Pause icon rather than the Play icon appears next to the name of your sound file in the task pane.




Follow these instructions to start, pause, and resume a sound file during a presentation:




  • Starting a sound file: Click the Sound icon.




  • Pausing and resuming a sound file: Click the Sound icon to pause. To resume playing, click the Sound icon again.




Be careful to click the Sound icon and not another part of your slide when you start, pause, or resume playing a sound file. Clicking another part of the slide advances your presentation to the next slide.



dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/start-pause-and-resume-a-sound-file-in-a-powerpoin.html

How to Use the Go To Command in Word 2007









Use the Go To command in Word 2007 to send the insertion pointer to a specific page or line or to the location of a number of interesting things that Word can potentially insert in your document.


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Press the Ctrl+G key combination.



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You see the Go To tab portion of the Find and Replace dialog box.


You can also double-click the page number on the status bar to open the Find and Replace dialog box.


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2

On the left side of the dialog box, in the scrolling list, choose an element to go to.



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Choose to go to a page, for example.


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3

Type the relevant information in the box on the right side of the dialog box.



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If you chose to go to a page, for example, you type the page number in the box.


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Click the Go To button to go to that location.



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Word 2007 takes you wherever you want to go in your document.


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dummies


Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-use-the-go-to-command-in-word-2007.html

Common Visual Studio 2010 Project Types

Visual Studio 2010 comes with many project templates to create the necessary boilerplate code and files you need to start developing applications. In the following table, you’ll find some definitions of project types to help you decide which is the right project template for your needs.



















































Project TypeDescription
Class libraryComponent library with no user interface
Console applicationCommand line application
Database projectSQL script storage
Device applicationWindows application for a smart device
Empty projectBlank project
SQL Server projectManagement of stored procedures and SQL Server objects
Web serviceASP.NET Web application with no user interface; technically, no
longer a project type
Web siteASP.NET Web application; technically, no longer a project
type
WindowsWindows application with a user interface application
Windows serviceWindows application with no user interface
WPF Browser ApplicationWindows Presentation Foundation browser application








dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/common-visual-studio-2010-project-types.html

Low-Carb Black Soybeans

Black soybeans are just delicious. You can use black soybeans, which are low in carbs, in all kinds of dishes, including chili and dips. Naturally low-carb black soybeans’ flavor is great in anything, and they have all kinds of positives:



  • Low net carbs: The official count on a 1/2 cup of black soybeans is 8 grams of carbs and 7 grams of fiber — pretty awesome at only 1 net gram of carbs.



  • Health benefits: Soybeans are high in protein and fiber, low in saturated fat and cholesterol, lactose free, and a great source of omega-3 fatty acids.


    In addition to all of the nutrients in soybeans, ongoing research is proving that they reduce the risk of certain chronic diseases, including coronary heart disease.




Call your supermarket to see whether they carry black soybeans before you make a trip across town to the health-food store.











dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/lowcarb-black-soybeans.html

How to Change Your Droid X's Ringtone

On the Droid X, you can choose which default ringtone you want for your phone, plus you can ringtones for individual contacts. By assigning different ringtones to different contacts, you can tell who's calling you without even looking at your phone.


Choosing the phone's ringtone


You can select a new ringtone for your phone or simply confirm which ringtone you're using already:



  1. From the Home screen, touch the Launcher button.



  2. Choose Settings→Sound→Phone Ringtone.


    If you have a ringtone application, you may see a menu asking you which source to use for the phone's ringtone. Choose Android System.


    You can also specify the ringtone used for notifications: Choose Notification Ringtone rather than Phone Ringtone.



  3. Choose a ringtone from the list that appears.


    Tap a ringtone to hear a preview.



  4. Touch OK to accept the new ringtone or touch Cancel to keep the phone's ringtone as-is.




Setting a contact's ringtone


You can assign ringtones by contact so that when your annoying friend Larry calls, you can have your phone yelp like a whiny puppy:



  1. Touch the Phone icon on the Home screen.



  2. Choose Contacts from the top of the window.



  3. From the list that appears, choose the contact to whom you want to assign a ringtone.



  4. Touch the Menu soft button.



  5. Choose Edit from the menu that appears.



  6. Press the Back soft button so that the onscreen keyboard goes away.



  7. Choose Additional Info from the bottom of the scrolling list.


    More options for editing the contact appear.



  8. Choose Ringtone.


    If you see a Complete Action Using menu, choose the option Android System to select one of the phone's ringtones. Otherwise, you can use another listed application to choose a ringtone.



  9. Choose a ringtone from the list that appears.


    The same list is displayed for the phone's ringtones.



  10. Touch OK to assign the ringtone to that contact.



  11. Touch the Save button to save the new settings.




Whenever that contact calls, the Droid X rings using the ringtone you've specified.











dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-change-your-droid-xs-ringtone.html

How to Choose Who to Follow on Twitter

Although most of marketing, including Twitter marketing, is a big numbers game, that approach isn’t always successful: More leads don’t always equate to more sales. Choosing who to follow on Twitter helps you refine your audience so that you get better leads.


Direct mail typically has a response rate of 1 percent. So, for every 100 pieces of mail that you send out, one person responds. If you want to get 100 responses, you need to send out 10,000 pieces. If you want 1,000 responses, you need to send out 100,000 pieces, and so on.


When you use targeted direct mail, you send mail pieces only to people who are likely to buy your product, which can reduce the number of pieces you send and help improve your response rate.


Say that you sell gardening tools by catalog. You want to send those catalogs to people who do gardening because they’re more likely to buy your products. You probably send catalogs to everyone in a certain zip code, assuming that they have a certain level of disposable income based on the property values in that zip code.


However, doing a bit more research, you find out that people who do gardening are commonly either married women or retired men. You can use this information to narrow your target. But your chosen zip code still includes plenty of apartments; these folks probably don’t garden. And a lot of married women and retired men don’t garden, either.


To further enhance your list, you can consider other elements: people who fill out a survey indicating an interest in gardening, people who subscribe to a gardening magazine, and maybe even people who buy seeds from a seed catalog.


Just by defining and refining who your customers are, you can go from sending out 100,000 catalogs (at, say, $2 apiece to print, plus almost $1 per catalog for sorting and mailing costs) to sending out 5,000 catalogs only to people who are likely to buy from you. Instead of getting a typical 0.5 percent response rate (500 people responding to 100,000 catalogs) while spending nearly $300,000, targeted marketing makes you more likely to get a 10 percent response rate (still 500 people, but responding to only 5,000 catalogs), meaning that you have to spend only $15,000.


You can boost your Twitter click-through rate by using this same philosophy. Make sure that you only follow people who consider you worth following. Don’t try to boost your follower count by following anyone and everyone. Also, don’t get sucked into one of those get-followers-fast programs. If you have a small group of people who are interested in you, you’ll have a much higher click-through rate (and thus, higher sales) than you’d have with a Twitter “empire” of 10,000 followers who couldn’t care less about your tweets.


Take it one step further, and block the people who don’t add any value to your Twitter marketing efforts.











dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-choose-who-to-follow-on-twitter.html

What Are a Trust's Principal and Income?

A trust has two components, the principal and the income. The principal is all the property that’s available to produce ordinary income like dividends, interest, or rents. As you make payments, some may come from principal and some from income, depending on what you, as trustee, decide. Others, such as beneficiary payments, come only from the income.


Being able to allocate money to either the income or principal sides of a trust is a key element in successful trust administration because the people who are entitled to receive income may not be the same people entitled to receive the principal when the trust terminates. One of your jobs as trustee is to make sure that you don’t favor the income interest over the principal interest, or vice versa.


Principal, sometimes referred to as the corpus or body, of the trust, is the property that the trust owns. Although trust principal starts with the assets that originally fund the trust, it may increase or decrease in many situations, including the following:



  • The sale of trust property creates capital gains or losses.



  • The grantor makes additional contributions to the trust.



  • The trust receives a settlement or judgment as a party in a lawsuit.



  • You transfer into principal any accumulated income that’s not required to go to an income beneficiary.




Principal in a trust can shape-shift without ceasing to be principal. A common misconception is that when you sell an asset, the cash proceeds that you receive become available to pay the income beneficiary. But in a trust, the cash received from the sale of any asset still remains a principal asset, albeit in a different form.


Almost everything earned by the principal of the trust is income. Stock dividends, interest earned on bank accounts or bonds, rents from real estate owned by the trust, and earnings received from a business the trust owns all constitute income of the trust.


Your success as a trustee lies mainly in your ability to determine what’s principal and what’s income. Your assignment of all receipts to either the income or principal side of the trust dictates how you calculate trust accounting income, an amount that determines how much money the income beneficiary is entitled to receive. By understanding the difference between the two sides of the trust and applying your knowledge, you can give the income beneficiary the amount he or she is due.


The largest exception to the income/principal distinction is how you classify capital gains and losses. Capital gains occur when you sell a piece of property for more than your acquisition cost. Capital losses, on the other hand, are what you get when you sell property for less than your acquisition cost. Whether the trust generates gains or losses, those gains and losses stay on the principal side of the trust.


You also need to be aware of two other tricky types of principal payments you may receive on account of trust assets. Those two types are the following:



  • Return of capital: When you receive a return of capital, the company that has issued this payment has essentially determined that some part of what you owned no longer exists, so they issue payments that reduce your acquisition cost. To the extent that you still have an acquisition amount for that piece of property, you reduce that amount by the return of capital, record any cash you receive on the principal side of the trust, and don’t recognize income of any sort.



  • Special or extraordinary dividends: With a special or extraordinary dividend, the corporation has issued a larger than ordinary slice of the corporate profits. These extraordinary dividends are typically allocated to the principal side of the trust, because their payment almost always causes the share price of the stock to drop by at least the amount of the dividend. Unlike the return of capital, an extraordinary dividend doesn’t reduce the trust’s acquisition cost.




If you understand the distinction between income and principal, you should have no difficulty in allocating payments correctly, such as returns of capital or extraordinary dividends. However, sometimes the company isn’t clear on how it should categorize these payments until after it has made them. If the correspondence you receive from the company is confusing, you may want to contact a tax professional who can help walk you through the correct application of the payment.


Most trust instruments include a provision that states that the final determination of what’s principal and what’s income rests with the trustee. Trust administration isn’t a precise practice, and the lines between principal and income sometimes blur. If you’re not sure what something is, you may want to seek professional advice from an accountant, enrolled agent, or attorney who specializes in trusts.











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Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/what-are-a-trusts-principal-and-income.html