How to Build Players Up as a Baseball Coach

As a baseball coach, you’re an important person in your players’ lives. You teach them the rules of baseball and you have a hand in developing them as players and as people. Use the tips in the following list to encourage your players:



  • Use the “sandwich” method for giving feedback to players by placing a critical remark between two encouraging comments.



  • Always keep in mind that making mistakes is part of the learning process.



  • Give kids high-fives and pats on the back to reinforce that their efforts are appreciated.



  • Set realistic goals for the kids so they will gain a real sense of satisfaction upon reaching them.



  • Never allow your tone of voice or body language to reveal disappointment in a child’s performance or ability.











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Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-build-players-up-as-a-baseball-coach.html

Strategic Planning: Navigating New Frontiers

A case study related to the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) illustrates the strength of strategic planning. As the BSA moves into its second century of developing character in youth, the executive leadership team has been rethinking its strategic focus and business model. Why? Because although the organization has roughly 300 local councils serving millions of kids through a wide network of volunteers, its membership has been slowly declining.


Part of the problem was the organization’s approach to strategic thinking. In the past, the BSA has done what many nonprofit organizations have done and just followed the same steps in creating its strategic plan each year, focusing on the areas that are of most interest to it and checking a box when it’s done.


What the BSA wasn’t doing was taking an objective look at the national or council level to determine where it should really be focusing its attention.


To get the whole organization focused on the right stuff, the BSA developed 17 national performance benchmarks based on the Balanced Scorecard methodology. Called the “Journey to Excellence,” this program helps staff and volunteers develop strategies and actions focused on areas that are proven to drive high performance and improve the scouting experience.


Through these performance measures, the entire organization is aligned from the local to national level. Built in to the methodology is the ability to modify and adapt in order to stay relevant to young men and women as they grow up in a radically, rapidly changing environment. As Gary Butler, BSA Assistant Chief Executive for Council Operations said, “It is an exciting time for the Boy Scouts of America.”




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Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/strategic-planning-navigating-new-frontiers.html

How to Fix Scratches In Hardwood Floors




Rub mineral spirits over the sanded area.


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Rub mineral spirits over the area to smooth it out and to pick up the fine dust from the sanding.





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dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-fix-scratches-in-hardwood-floors.pageCd-storyboard,pageNum-4.html

Choosing Brushes for Oil Painting

The best brushes for beginning oil painters are probably china bristle brushes, which are made from natural pig hair. They're tough and durable enough to stand up to the oil paint and still clean up nicely, and they make a strong mark on the canvas.



You'll also see sable brushes. They're softer and more delicate and very expensive, and they require more care. Sables are great for blending, glazing, and making soft, less-defined marks.



You can also find synthetic-bristle brushes that work very well, but make sure that they're made for oil paints. Technology has greatly improved the quality and affordability of brushes. You can now find a wide variety of synthetic-bristle brushes that work for oil paints and provide years of service at a good price.



Don't let low cost rule the choices you make. You can find good, inexpensive brushes — but don't get the bargain multi-pack brushes that you may find in stores. The hairs will warp in all directions or fall out and become a permanent part of your painting.



The two characteristics you notice in any brush are shape and size. The different shapes allow to you load paint onto the brush and apply the paint in specific ways. Choose the size of the brush according to the size of your painting.



Selecting brush shapes


Here's a list of the brush shapes that will be most useful to you:



  • Flat: This brush has a clean, straight edge for applying color evenly to an area.

  • Bright: A bright is similar to a flat, but it has shorter bristles and makes a distinct calligraphic mark.

  • Round: You generally use this brush for drawing and any type of line.

  • Filbert: Filberts are interesting almond-shaped brushes that make an oval-ish mark; they look like the lovechild of a round and a flat brush.

You can also find other types of brushes that are used for specific purposes. For example, fan brushes are used for blending and textures, and long liner brushes are used for lettering. Experiment with the brushes to find the sizes and shapes that suit your working methods.



Choosing the right brush size


Brushes are sized by numbers based on the width of the brush at the ferrule, the metal sleeve that holds the bristles in place. The size of the brush is related to the size of your painting surface. That means that a brush that's 2 inches wide is designed for a canvas that's at least 2 or 3 feet in either direction. For a 14-x-18-inch canvas, sizes #3 to #6 are best. A 6-x-9-inch canvas requires smaller brushes, and a large canvas of 3 x 4 feet or more calls for very large brushes.



The way you apply paint, your preferred size of brush, and the shape of the brush are very much individual choices. Begin with a #2 round and three or four other brushes in other shapes in sizes #4 through #8. These brushes will get you started, and after several paintings, you'll find that you prefer a particular shape. Then go out and get more!










dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/choosing-brushes-for-oil-painting.html

Image Properties Toolbar in Dreamweaver CS3

Visuals are an important part of any Web page, and Dreamweaver CS3 offers a handy Image Properties toolbar to help you manage all your graphics. After all, a Web site with no graphics is often a Web site with no visitors.


image0.jpg


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Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/image-properties-toolbar-in-dreamweaver-cs3.html

Orchids for Dummies

Growing orchids at home isn't as difficult as you might think. If you've decided to grow orchids, make sure you know how to pronounce their names, which are usually in Latin. Take a look at the list of fragrant orchids to decide which sweet scents you want around your house.






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How to Pronounce Orchid Names


The names used for orchids are usually in Latin, since it's universally accepted. Don't be intimidated by orchid names! Here's a quick pronunciation guide, with abbreviations:






























































































































































GenusAbbreviationPronunciation
AeranthesAerth.Ay-er-an-thees
AngranthesAngth.An-gran-theez
BrassavolaB.Bra-sah-vol-lah
BrassiaBrs.Brass-ee-ah
BrassocattleyaBc.Brass-oh-kat-lee-ya
BrassolaeliaBl.Brass-oh-lay-lee-yah
BrassolaeliocattleyaBlc.Brass-oh-lay-lee-oh-kat-lee-yah
BulbophyllumBulb.Bulb-oh-fill-um
CatasetumCtsm.Kat-a-see-tum
CattleyaC.Kat-lee-ya
CochleanthesCnths.Kok-lee-an-theez
CoelogyneCoel.See-loj-in-ee
CoryanthesCrths.Kory-an-theez
CymbidiumCym.Sim-bid-ee-um
DendrobiumDen.Den-droh-bee-um
EncycliaEncycl.En-sik-klee-ah
EpidendrumEpi.Eh-pi-den-drum
EpilaeliaEpl.Eh-pi-lay-lee-ah
LaeliaL.Lay-lee-ah
LaeliocattleyaLc.Lay-lee-oh-kat-lee-ya
LycasteLyc.Lye-kass-tee
MiltoniaMilt.Mil-tone-ee-ah
MiltonidiumMtdm.Mil-tone-id-ee-um
MiltoniopsisMltnps.Mil-tone-ee-op-sis
OdontobrassiaOdbrs.Oh-don-toh-brass-ee-ah
OdontocidiumOdcdm.Oh-don-toh-sid-ee-um
OncidiuimOnc.On-sid-ee-um
PaphiopedilumPaph.Paff-ee-oh-ped-di-lum
PhalaenopsisPhal.Fal-en-op-sis
PhragmipediumPhrag.Frag-muh-pee-dee-um




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Discover Fragrant Orchids


Not only are orchids beautiful, some have an amazing fragrance. Here's a list of some of the most sweet-smelling orchids and a brief description of their fragrance:



  • Angranthes grandiflora: Just about all the angraecums and their hybrids, like this one, have a sweet jasmine fragrance.



  • Brassavola nodosa: Its common name, Lady of the Night, gives you a hint of its sensuous freesia or lily-of-the-valley night fragrance. Also, be on the lookout for hybrids that contain this species as a parent. They're frequently sweet-scented.



  • Cattleya walkeriana and hybrids: This is a diminutive beauty that has a relaxing cinnamon and vanilla fragrance. It frequently passes this quality to its offspring, so be on the lookout for hybrids that use this as a parent.



  • Maxillaria tenuifolia: Who can pass up this orchid that smells like roast coconut?



  • Miltoniopsis santanaei: A delightful small-growing orchid that has the scent of roses. Many of the miltoniopsis hybrids also have this quality.



  • Neofinetia falcata: Long admired and revered by Asians for its alluring jasmine fragrance, it is just now receiving the attention it deserves in the West.



  • Oncidium Sharry Baby: The mouthwatering scent of vanilla and chocolate without the calories, makes this easy-to-grow orchid top the popularity charts.



  • Phalaenopsis violacea or Phalaenopsis bellina: Both of these species of phalaenopis are wonderfully fragranced. Phalaenopsis violacea has a spicy, cinnamon fragrance, while Phalaenopsis bellina has a headier freesia-with-a-touch-of-lemon scent.



  • Rhynchostylis gigantea: Wow! The citrus fragrance from this one can permeate an entire house.



  • Zygopetalums: A bed of hyacinths is what these gaily colored flowers of this underappreciated orchid smells like.







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dummies


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

Beginning Programming with C++ For Dummies

C++ is not an easy language to master. Only through experience will the myriad combinations of symbols start to seem natural to you. However, this Cheat Sheet can give you a few hints to help ease that transition from C++ beginner to C++ guru.






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How to Read a Complex C++ Expression


C++ is full of little symbols, each of which adds to the meaning of expressions. The rules of C++ grammar are so flexible that these symbols can be combined in almost impenetrably complex combinations. Expressions in the simpler C language can get so obtuse that there used to be an annual contest for who could write the most obscure program and who could understand it.


It's never a good idea to try to write complex code but you will sometimes run across expressions in C++ that are a bit bewildering at first glance. Just use the following steps to figure them out.




  1. Start at the most embedded parentheses.


    Start looking for the outer most parentheses. Within those, look for embedded parentheses. Repeat the process until you've worked your way to the deepest pair of parentheses. Start evaluating that subexpression first using the following rules. Once you understand that expression, pop back out to the next level and repeat the process.




  2. Within the pair of parentheses, evaluate each operation in order of precedence.


    The order that operators are evaluated is determined by the operator's precedence shown in the table. Indirection comes before multiplication which comes before addition thus the following adds 1 plus 2 times the value pointed at by *ptr.



  3.         int i = 1 + 2 * *ptr;









































































    Operators in Order of Precedence
    Precedence Operator Meaning
    1() (unary)Invoke a function
    2* and -> (unary)Dereference a pointer
    2- (unary)Returns the negative of its argument
    3++ (unary)Increment
    3-- (unary)Decrement
    4* (binary)Multiplication
    4/ (binary)Division
    4% (binary)Modulo
    5+ (binary)Addition
    5- (binary)Subtraction
    6&& (binary)Logical AND
    6!!Logical OR
    7=, *=,%=,+=,-= (special)Assignment types


  4. Evaluate operations of the same precedence from left to right (except assignment, which goes the other way).


    Most operators of the same precedence evaluate from left to right. Thus the following adds 1 to 2 and adds the result to 3:


            int i = 1 + 2 + 3;

    The order of evaluation of some operators doesn't matter. For example, addition works the same from left to right as it does from right to left. The order of evaluation makes a lot of difference for some operations like division. The following divides 8 by 4 and divides the result by 2:


            int i = 8 / 4 / 2;

    The main exception to this rule is assignment, which is evaluated from right to left:


            a = b = c;

    This assigns c to b and the result to a.




  5. Evaluate subexpressions in no particular order.


    Consider the following expression:


            int i = f() + g() * h();

    Multiplication has higher precedence, so you might assume that the functions g() and h() are called before f(), however, this isn't the case. Function call has the highest precedence of all, so all three functions are called before either the multiplication or the addition is performed. (The results returned from g() and h() are multiplied and then added to the results returned from f().) The only time that the order that functions are called makes a difference is when the function has side effects such as opening a file or changing the value of a global variable. You should definitely not write your programs so that they depend upon these type of side effects.




  6. Perform any type conversions only when necessary.


    You should not make more type conversions than absolutely necessary. For example, the following expression has at least three and possibly four type conversions:


            float f = 'a' + 1;

    The char 'a' must be promoted to an int to perform the addition. The int is then converted to a double and then down converted to a single precision float. Remember that all arithmetic is performed either in int or double. You should generally avoid performing arithmetic on character types and avoid single precision float altogether.






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Avoiding Pointer Problems in C++


In C++, a pointer is a variable that contains the address of another variable in the computer's internal memory. Use these steps to avoid problems with pointers in C++:



  1. Initialize pointers when declared.


    Never leave pointer variables uninitialized - things wouldn't be too bad if uninitialized pointers always contained random values - the vast majority of random values are illegal pointer values and will cause the program to crash as soon as they are used. The problem is that uninitialized variables tend to take on the value of other, previously used pointer variables. These problems are very difficult to debug.


    If you don't know what else to initialize a pointer to, initialize it to zero. Zero is guaranteed to be an illegal address.



  2. Zero pointers out after you use them.


    Similarly, always zero a pointer variable once the pointer is no longer valid. This is particularly the case when you return a block of memory to the heap using delete; always zero the pointer after returning heap memory.



  3. Allocate memory from the heap and return it to the heap at the same "level" to avoid memory leaks.


    Always try to return a memory block to the heap at the same level of abstraction as you allocated it. This generally means trying to delete the memory at the same level of function calls.



  4. Catch an exception to delete memory when necessary.


    Don't forget that an exception can occur at almost any time. If you intend to catch the exception and continue operating (as opposed to letting the program crash), make sure that you catch the exception and return any memory blocks to the heap before the pointers that point to them go out of scope and the memory is lost.



  5. Make sure that the types match exactly.


    Always make sure that the types of pointers match the required type. Don't recast a pointer without some specific reason. Consider the following:


    void fn(int* p);
    void myFunc()
    {
    char c = 'a';
    char* pC = &c;
    fn((int*)pC);
    }

    The above function compiles without complaint since the character pointer pC has been recast to an int* to match the declaration of fn(int*); however, this program will almost surely not work. The function fn() is expecting a pointer to a full 32-bit integer and not some rinky-dink 8 bit char. These types of problems are very difficult to sort out.







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How and When to Make Deep Copies in C++


Classes that allocate resources in their constructor should normally include a copy constructor to create copies of these resources. Allocating a new block of memory and copying the contents of the original into this new block is known as creating a deep copy (as opposed to the default shallow copy). Use the following steps to determine how and when to make deep copies in C++:




  1. Always make a deep copy if the constructor allocates resources.


    By default, C++ makes so-called "shallow" member-by-member copies of objects when passing them to functions or as the result of an assignment. You must replace the default shallow copy operators with their deep copy equivalent for any class that allocates resources in the constructor. The most common resource that gets allocated is heap memory that is returned by the new operator.




  2. Always include a destructor for a class that allocates resources.


    If you create a constructor that allocates resources, you must create a destructor that restores them. No exceptions.




  3. Always declare the destructor virtual.


    A common beginner error is to forget to declare your destructor virtual. The program will run fine until some unsuspecting programmer comes along and inherits from your class. The program still appears to work, but because the destructor in the base class may not be invoked properly, memory leaks from your program like a sieve until it eventually crashes. This problem is difficult to find.




  4. Always include a copy constructor for a class that allocates resources.


    The copy constructor creates a proper copy of the current object by allocating memory off of the heap and copying the contents of the source object.




  5. Always override the assignment operator for a class that allocates resources.


    Programmers should be discouraged from overriding operators, but the assignment operator is an exception. You should override the assignment operator for any class that allocates resources in the constructor. The assignment operator should do three things:


    a. Make sure that the left and right hand object aren't the same object. In other words, make sure that the application programmer didn't write something like (a = a). If they are, do nothing.


    b. Invoke the same code as the destructor on the left hand object to return its resources.


    c. Invoke the same code as a copy constructor to make a deep copy of the right hand object into the left hand object.




  6. If you can't do all that, create an empty copy constructor and assignment operator and declare them protected to keep other classes from using them.






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Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/beginning-programming-with-c-for-dummies-cheat-she.html

Replacing Powered Lawn Tools with Eco-Friendly Alternatives

Tool sheds and garages can harbor some of the least green garden products on the market. In addition to chemicals for killing weeds and pests, you’re likely to find fossil-fuel-burning gas-powered lawn mowers and electric tools. Cut down the energy you use in the garden by replacing your power tools with manual alternatives:



  • Replace an electric or gas lawn mower with a push reel mower, also known as a hand mower.



  • Replace an electric lawn edger with a foot-powered lawn edger.



  • Replace an electric trimmer with long-necked grass shears.



  • Replace an electric or gas chainsaw with a manual pocket chainsaw.



  • Replace an electric or gas leaf blower with a garden rake.




Sure, being green in the garden involves more manual labor and elbow grease, but think of all the energy and pollution you’re saving! You can also opt for cordless electric or solar-powered alternatives for items such as lawn mowers; they have the best of both worlds: reducing emissions and saving labor. You should find an increasing selection of cordless electric or solar-powered tools wherever conventional lawn mowers and other garden machines are sold.


If your lawn is too large to tackle with a push reel mower, get a battery-powered mower that charges using solar power, or use green electricity, which is generated by renewable sources such as wind, solar, or hydro power.




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Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/replacing-powered-lawn-tools-with-ecofriendly-alte.html

Tryptophan: Treating Depression and Insomnia

The nutrient tryptophan is an essential amino acid well known for its ability to affect the levels of the neurotransmitter, serotonin. Tryptophan is important in helping your body create vitamin B-3 and the hormone melatonin. This amino acid and its byproducts play an important role in regulating mood, sleep cycles, and the perception of pain.


Tryptophan is the direct precursor, or starting material, of serotonin. Your tryptophan intake affects the amount of active serotonin your brain makes. Serotonin levels affect your mood, your ability to sleep well, and your food cravings.


Tryptophan is currently available only by prescription. In the past, companies sold tryptophan products contaminated with a toxic compound that caused severe illness in some people. Today, tryptophan is checked more closely, and supplements are safe.


The key uses of tryptophan include:



  • Many people use tryptophan effectively to treat insomnia. Tryptophan also increases melatonin levels in your blood by up to four times the normal amount, and melatonin supplements are also popular sleep aids.



  • Tryptophan is prescribed as an antidepressant, and is particularly effective in relieving manic depression and depression associated with menopause.



  • Tryptophan appears to increase pain thresholds.



  • This amino may help treat anorexia by enhancing appetite.




Good dietary sources of tryptophan are turkey and milk. It is readily available in flesh foods, eggs, dairy products, and some nuts and seeds, while relatively low in corn and other cereal grains. Vegetarian sources include nutritional yeast, soy products, almonds, and spirulina — an algae high in protein.


Proper tryptophan metabolism requires vitamin B-6, vitamin C, folic acid, and magnesium. If you are taking tryptophan, remember to add these nutrients to your program. Researchers say it is especially important to take B-6 with tryptophan to reduce the possibility of the buildup of toxic by-products in your system.


For tryptophan to be effective, it must cross into your brain. Tryptophan must also compete with many other amino acids to be absorbed. To enhance blood levels of tryptophan, and increase the conversion rate to serotonin, take your tryptophan with a carbohydrate meal.




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Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/tryptophan-treating-depression-and-insomnia.html

Gathering Basic Equipment for Your First Aid Cabinet

Minor – and sometimes more serious – injuries or accidents can happen anywhere, but particularly at home – for example, when chopping the veggies, doing the gardening or during DIY projects. Illnesses such as coughs, colds and tummy upsets can strike any time, too. Being prepared is therefore a good idea, so keep the following basic medical equipment at hand in your home – but out of the reach of children:



  • Anti-allergy medicines such as antihistamines



  • Anti-diarrhoea tablets



  • Painkillers and medication for fever and inflammation, (such as paracetamol, ibuprofen and aspirin



  • Plasters, bandages, gauze, tape, tweezers



  • Sunscreen



  • Thermometer











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Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/gathering-basic-equipment-for-your-first-aid-cabin.html

Oil Commodities: Crude Oil Shipping Companies

The companies responsible for transporting crude oil and petroleum products are an essential link in the global energy supply chain and provide a way to gain exposure to commodities without investing in futures. These companies are extremely varied in their locations and fleet styles.


With so many options to choose from, trying to identify which company to invest in can be confusing. Here is an introduction to all major publically-traded companies:



  • Frontline Ltd. (NYSE: FRO): Founded in 1948, Frontline is one of the oldest shipping companies in the world. It also operates one of the world’s largest fleets of very large crude carrier (VLCC) vessels, with more than 44 VLCCs. Frontline also owns more than 35 Suezmax vessels (1 million barrel capacity), making it one of the largest tanker companies in the world in terms of transportation capacity.


    Cumulatively, Frontline has the capacity of 18 million DWT. In addition to its tanker fleet, Frontline offers shareholders one of the highest dividend payouts: an eye-popping $6 per share. At current market prices, that’s a yield of more than 18 percent!



  • General Maritime Corp. (NYSE: GMR): General Maritime focuses on the small and midsize segment of the tanker market. It operates a fleet of Suezmax and Aframax vessels, with operations primarily focused in the Atlantic basin.


    General Maritime links producers and consumers from Western Africa, the North Sea, the Caribbean, the United States, and Europe. If you’re looking for exposure to the trans-Atlantic oil seaborne trade, GMR is a good bet. The fact that GMR offers a $5 dividend per share also makes this an attractive tanker stock.



  • Overseas Shipholding Group, Inc. (NYSE: OSG): Although OSG has an international presence, it’s the only company with a large presence in the American shipping market. Its U.S. vessels are mainly engaged in transporting crude oil from Alaska to the continental United States, and products from the Gulf of Mexico to the East Coast.


    Additionally, OSG has one of the highest profit margins in the industry: a whopping 45 percent profit margin (2006 figures). If you’re interested in the domestic crude oil transportation market, take the plunge with OSG.



  • Teekay Shipping Corp. (NYSE: TK): Teekay Shipping operates a fleet of more than 130 vessels, including one VLCC that transports crude from the Persian Gulf and West Africa to Europe, the United States, and Asia and about 15 Suezmax vessels that connect producers in North Africa (Algeria) and West Africa to consumers in Europe and the United States.


    In addition to conventional tankers, Teekay operates a fleet of offshore tankers that are constructed to transport crude from offshore locations to onshore facilities.




If you decide to invest in the global oil-shipping business, you should dig deeper into a target company’s operations. You can find most of the information you need in a company’s annual report (Form 10K) or quarterly report (Form 10Q). You can obtain additional information through third parties, such as analyst reports.


One of the best-kept secrets in this industry is the high dividend payout these companies issue. Dividends are great because they provide you with certainty in an uncertain investment world. And oil tanker stocks offer some of the highest dividend payouts out there.























CompanyTickerDividend Yield
FrontlineNYSE: FRO10.9%
Knightsbridge TankersNASDAQ: NVLCCF9%
Nordic American TankersNYSE: NAT9%

Calculating dividend payouts can be tricky because a company isn’t obligated to give back money to shareholders in the form of dividends. Some companies pay out high dividends one year but not the next; for others, paying dividends may be only a one-time event.


One way to determine future dividend payouts is to examine the company’s dividend payout history. The Yahoo! Finance website does a good job.




dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/oil-commodities-crude-oil-shipping-companies.html

Tax Advantages of Exchange-Traded Funds

Before there were exchange-traded funds (ETFs), individual securities had a big advantage over funds in that you were required to pay capital gains taxes only when you actually enjoyed a capital gain.


With mutual funds, that isn’t so. The fund itself may realize a capital gain by selling off an appreciated stock. You pay the capital gains tax regardless of whether you sell anything and regardless of whether the share price of the mutual fund increased or decreased since the time you bought it.


There have been times (pick a bad year for the market — 2000, 2008 . . .) when many mutual fund investors lost a considerable amount in the market yet had to pay capital gains taxes at the end of the year. Talk about adding insult to injury!


One study found that over the course of time, taxes have wiped out approximately 2 full percentage points in returns for investors in the highest tax brackets.


In the world of ETFs, such losses are very unlikely to happen. Because most ETFs are index-based, they generally have little turnover to create capital gains. To boot, ETFs are structured in a way that largely insulates shareholders from capital gains that result when mutual funds are forced to sell in order to free up cash to pay off shareholders who cash in their chips.




dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/tax-advantages-of-exchangetraded-funds.html

The Importance of Keywords to Your Online Résumé

When job seekers discover keywords, they usually experience an aha moment that helps them grasp the importance of using nouns and incorporating search-friendly keywords in their online résumés. By using a more popular keyword or job description in your online résumé, you’re more likely to be found in an online search.


The lists that follow present alternative keywords for describing your current job that you may want to consider incorporating into your online résumé. Use these words to start brainstorming your own list of keywords.



  • Healthcare keywords


    Health information manager


    Interdepartmental communications


    Medical and health services manager


    Medical office manager


    Practice administration


    Regulatory affairs professional


    Regulatory consulting



  • Higher education keywords


    Admissions recommendations


    Course administration


    Education administrator


    Education leadership



  • Human resources keywords


    Compensation surveys


    Cross-cultural communication


    Industrial organizational psychology


    Leadership development


    Organizational development


    Sourcing


    Staffing


    Training and development



  • Manufacturing operations keywords


    Configuration management


    Cost reductions


    Distribution management


    Just-in-time


    Logistics


    Materials coordinator


    Operational efficiency


    Operational excellence


    Process improvement


    Spares and repairs management


    Supply chain management


    Warehousing operations



  • Nonprofit keywords


    Chief technical advisor


    Communications director


    Corporate giving program


    Farm to market manager


    Microfinance consultant


    Policy research assistant


    Program development activities


    Social and community service manager


    Volunteer center



  • Technology professional keywords


    Agile development


    Application support services


    Business continuity


    Cross-functional team


    Disaster recovery


    Global systems support


    Hardware support


    Help desk


    Project lifecycle


    Vendor relationships






dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/the-importance-of-keywords-to-your-online-resume.html

How to Teach Your Puppy Good Manners at Home

Your puppy’s first manners at home will be influenced by cause and effect. If he does something that feels good or gets your attention (negative or positive), he’ll do it again! For example, if he can’t find anything around to chew, he might chew the corner of a carpet or a chair. If you provide a bone in a routine location, then a bone will satisfy his teething needs just as well.


If you get riled when your puppy jumps during greetings, then he’ll learn to jump for the thrill of your dramatic reaction. If you stay calm and encourage him to fetch his ball or roll over for a belly scratch, then he’ll be just as satisfied with those behaviors as well. Get everyone on board and consistently follow these simple guidelines to start training good manners today.


Redirecting a jumping puppy


All puppies are enthusiastic about their relationships. And like all dogs before them, they want to give everyone a full-fledged respectful greeting that includes face-to-face interaction. The problem is that people’s faces are so far away.


Further encouraging your puppy to jump is the fact that you spend a large part of your day staring at surfaces your puppy can’t investigate (on countertops and the like) and he must stand on two legs to see! To redirect your puppy’s jumping habits, encourage everyone to do the following:



  • Ignore your puppy when he jumps for attention. If he’s insistent, let him drag a light leash in the house that you can use for corrections. Discourage everyone from verbal frustrations and pushing, because these reactions excite more jumping, not less.



  • When your puppy is excited and wants to greet you, shake a treat cup or toss his favorite toy on the floor. When he’s holding steady on all four paws, get down on his level.



  • Place inviting toys and chews on his level (as opposed to on counters and tables) and discourage counter interest by interrupting him the moment you see him looking up at off-limits surfaces. A sharp quick clap with a discouraging sound can cause him to pause; then refocus him on one of his toys.




Keeping puppy away from the table


Napkin stealing often tops a naughty puppy’s list for fun activities that rile an entire family. Don’t let this happen to you! From the very beginning, organize your puppy during mealtimes. Place him on a dog bed or in a nearby crate with a favorite chew toy and encourage everyone to ignore him while you’re eating. As he matures, you can condition him to stay still while you’re eating.


A puppy can’t sit still if he has a need pressing. Make sure your puppy has been fed, gone potty, and is tired before expecting him to chill while you eat.


Instilling good chewing habits


Puppies like to keep busy. If you don’t give the puppies things to chew, they’ll settle for what they can find. To instill good play and chewing habits, find one or two types of bones and one or two toys that your puppy adores chewing and playing with; then buy multiples. As tempting as it is to buy everything on the rack, having too many different types of things will confuse your puppy into thinking everything on the floor is fair game.


Choose a word for each object and have everyone repeat the word as they give or play with the object. Whenever your puppy seems bored or is getting restless, direct him to his playthings. If you catch him chewing something unacceptable, distract him away from the object or spray it with a bitter spray and direct him to his things.




dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-teach-your-puppy-good-manners-at-home.html

Prepare InDesign CS5 Documents for Professional Printing

The Package feature in InDesign Creative Suite 5 is used to check for quality in documents and provides a listing of its fonts, print settings, and inks).


You can determine whether any elements associated with the file are missing and then package it into a single folder to take the document to a service provider. Here’s how:



  1. Choose File→Package.


    The Package dialog box opens. The Summary screen is open to begin with, and it shows you all current images and fonts in the document. Essentially, the summary is based on an analysis of the document.



  2. Click Fonts in the list on the left side of the dialog box.


    Any fonts in your document are listed on this screen. Select fonts from this list and click the Find Font button to discover where they’re located. These fonts are saved directly into the package folder when you finish.



  3. Click Links and Images in the list on the left side of the dialog box.


    The Links and Images screen lists the images within your document. Find the image, update it, and repair links before packing the file. If any images aren’t properly linked, your document is incomplete and prints with pictures missing. Also, make sure that if you’re sending your work to a professional printer, you’ve properly converted your images to CMYK mode. For your desktop printer, RGB mode is fine.



  4. When you’re finished, click the Package button at the bottom of the dialog box.


    Your document and all its associated files are saved into a folder. You’re given the opportunity to name the folder and specify a location on your hard drive.













dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/prepare-indesign-cs5-documents-for-professional-pr.html

Build Location-Based Marketing Programs for Minimal Intrusion

Location-based services (LBS) still haven’t achieved mainstream penetration. If you make your campaign minimally intrusive to the user, you can help encourage participation and contribute to the growth in this space.


Make your specials or contests:



  • Easy to use: Don’t make your special too complex. Make sure that the terms of engagement are easy enough for someone who’s never used a location-based service before.



  • Rewarding: If your special isn’t special enough, no one will want it. Costs are minimal for specials and prizes, but it still takes time and effort to build your campaign.


    An example of a service that offers great rewards is Groupon. Groupon is a service that offers users a local, daily deal. It is a minimally invasive service that sends an e-mail once a day to find out if users would like to participate in the deal. If the deal hits a minimum threshold of participation, then the deal is on. If it does not, then there is no deal.


    This allows you to control your costs and be ensured that you have a certain amount of participation before the deal is executed. The reason that people love Groupon is that the deals are awesome — most of them are 50 percent off, and some are even 90 percent off.



  • Available to as many people as possible: Specials for the person with the most frequent check-ins are commonplace. But consider making an LBS available to as many people as possible. Instead of limiting your specials to the mayor, give everyone a chance to get in on the deal. foursquare now has a wide array of specials that make deals both interesting and worthwhile:



    • Flash specials appear only at certain times.



    • Swarm specials are activated when a certain number of people check in at the same time.



    • Friends specials are activated when a party of friends check in together.



    • Newbie specials only activate the first time someone checks in.



    • Check-in specials are unlocked whenever anyone checks in.




    Invoke the Ben & Jerry’s Rule, which is that the special must be awesome, everyone must be able to participate, and the mayor should get something for being the mayor. Here’s how the offer excels at involving as many people as possible:



    • Its a good deal. The deal is three scoops for $3. The normal price for three scoops of Ben & Jerry’s is around $5, which makes the offer a good deal.



    • Everyone can participate. You just need to be on foursquare and check in at Ben & Jerry’s.



    • Being the mayor is worth it. The mayor gets a free scoop — icing on the cake!




    National hamburger chain Rally’s (which is also called Checkers and Snaps, depending on the location) uses this same principle: It offers a free small milkshake on every third foursquare check-in. The mayor gets one every visit.













dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/build-locationbased-marketing-programs-for-minimal.html

Matching Your Wedding Guest List to Your Budget


4 of 10 in Series:
The Essentials of Budget Weddings





Preparing a wedding guest list that matches your wedding budget can be a challenge. Choosing whether to set your guest list or your wedding budget first is sort of like deciding whether the chicken or the egg came first. Neither method is better than the other; it depends on your circumstances and priorities.


If you set your budget first, you can figure out the per-guest cost, which gives you your guest list limit. Say, for example, your reception budget is $2,500, and the cost per person at the site you want is $25 for food and $15 for the bar (wine, beer, and soda). That limits your guest list to about 60 people (60 x $40 = $2,400).


On the other hand, you can figure that you’ll have 100 guests, which means you need to keep reception costs at $25 or less per person. That per-guest cost likely rules out most traditional reception halls, so you may have to start brainstorming nontraditional ideas for your reception.


Keep the following tips and suggestions in mind when matching your guest list to your budget:



  • If you and your betrothed have large families, maybe you’d rather have a cookout reception so you can invite all your relatives. If you expect your guest list to be smaller, though, you can let your budget dictate the number of people you invite.



  • General budget or guest list estimates help you eliminate venues that are out of your price range or are too small or too big for the number of guests you expect. Whether you start with your budget or your expected guest list, you should come up with at least a ballpark figure for your guest list before you start visiting possible ceremony and reception sites.


    A vast church sanctuary is the wrong place for an intimate ceremony, for example, and even a mid-sized ceremony may feel small in a church that can seat several hundred people. On the other hand, stuffing 100 people into a space intended for 50 makes everyone uncomfortable.



  • With most ceremony and reception sites, you can get by with a handful more guests than you originally expected. But if that handful grows too much, it may push you out of those affordable sites and force you to come up with a new plan for your celebration. And reworking your plan definitely creates a lot more work and may cause stress overload.



  • Before you get too far into your planning, share your budget and guest list with your parents and your future in-laws; they’re the people who are most likely to insist on additional guests. If they know upfront what you can afford and what you have in mind, they’re more likely to curb their own requests. If either set of parents still insists, tactfully remind them of your limits and suggest that you’d be happy to invite their extra guests if they’re willing to cover the additional expenses.














dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/matching-your-wedding-guest-list-to-your-budget.html

How to Use SNMP to Troubleshoot a Junos Network

Some people may imagine that their network is too small to expend resources on keeping elaborate event tracking logs, and that if things go wrong, the root cause will be obvious. These people are wrong. Some of the essential troubleshooting tools in a Junos network are SNMP polling and SNMP traps. You would be wise to use them, no matter how small your network.


SNMP is a poll-and-response device management protocol (“Are you OK?” “Yep.”) that can also have a managed device send unsolicited messages called traps to a management console.


SNMP polling


Let’s first look at the poll-and-response aspects of SNMP.


As essential as SNMP might be, it is not enabled by default in Junos — you must explicitly configure SNMP!


The following configuration allows read-only polling from a specific client (host address 172.17.110.10) and establishes an SNMP community string of mysnmp (the community string is a simple passphrase and not a secure password, but it will do here).


user@router>set snmp community mysnmp authorization read-only
user@router>set snmp community mysnmp clients 172.16.110.10/32
user@router>show snmp
community mysnmp {
authorization read-only;
clients {
172.16.110.10/32;
}
}

SNMP traps


Polling is essential for monitoring a network, but frequent polling can add load to the device and the network. In stable networks, much of the information gathered by polling is redundant. So mature networks rely more on traps: SNMP messages sent in response to a condition on the managed device.


Configuring traps is a similar operation to configuring SNMP polling. You use the trap-groups keyword and flags, however.


You must configure an additional SNMP community and SNMP server to use traps in the Junos OS. You can trap one or all of the following events:



  • Authentication (failures to authenticate an activity)



  • Chassis (all chassis or environmental notifications)



  • Configuration (changes to the configuration)



  • Link (all link transitions such as up or down)



  • Remote operations (remote access to the router)



  • RMON alarm (alarms concerning remote monitoring)



  • Routing (notifications sent by routing protocols)



  • Services (notifications regarding the routers application services)



  • SONET/SDH alarms (standard alarms for WAN links)



  • Startup (system warm and cold starts)



  • VRRP events (notifications for the Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol)




Unlike syslog levels, SNMP traps are specific to each type of event. If you want to capture all types of traps, you must configure them all.


The following configuration traps all authentication, chassis, configuration, link, routing, and startup alarms. Traps are sent to the SNMP client with community mytraps.


user@router>set snmp trap-group mytraps targets 172.16.110.10
user@router>set snmp trap-group mytraps categories authorization
user@router>set snmp trap-group mytraps categories chassis
user@router>set snmp trap-group mytraps categories configuration
user@router>set snmp trap-group mytraps categories link
user@router>set snmp trap-group mytraps categories routing
user@router>set snmp trap-group mytraps categories startup
user@router>show snmp trap-group mytraps
categories {
authentication;
chassis;
configuration;
link;
routing;
startup;
}
targets {
172.16.110.10;
}



dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-use-snmp-to-troubleshoot-a-junos-network.html

Finding Development Help on Facebook

Finding help on Facebook can often be a difficult task. If you're a social strategist at a large organization, chances are you have an account rep at Facebook that can help you when you run into problems. However, most people don't have access to these types of resources. Here is a list of resources that can help you when you find yourself in a pickle:



  • The Facebook Developer Forum: Here you can ask questions of other developers on Facebook. This should always be one of your first destinations when you have questions or run into a problem. Frequently, Facebook employees also monitor this forum and will occasionally chime in to help.



  • The Facebook Group for Facebook Application Development For Dummies: Here is a Facebook Group you can go to and ask questions of other developers also reading the book. Here you can ask questions in an even more intimate environment.



  • The Facebook Page for Facebook Application Development For Dummies: This can be a great resource to subscribe and get updates when new Facebook news comes out, or when information in the book has been updated. Be sure to click "like" on this page to subscribe and get updates in your News Feed.



  • Contact Facebook: Believe it or not, you can contact Facebook. They often require a couple of weeks, but they do respond to questions and issues. To try contacting them, just go here and fill out the form.



  • Facebook's Help Documentation: Go here to find all sorts of documentation and answers to the most common problems on Facebook. Search carefully here, as there's a good chance your question has been answered before.



  • Comments in Facebook's Documentation: In some of Facebook's developer documentation pages, they allow comments at the bottom of the documentation. These areas can be invaluable if you have a question about the specific content of the documentation. Ask your questions there and see if you get an answer, either from a Facebook employee or another savvy developer.






dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/finding-development-help-on-facebook.html

Understanding Traditional Overhead Allocation on an Income Statement

The problem in many businesses using traditional overhead allocation is that their overhead expenses or operating expenses don't cleanly tie to products or services. Without good allocation of overhead or operating expenses, businesses can't accurately determine which products make money and which don't. To really understand how to improve your spending, you need to understand how overhead allocation traditionally works. To give you an example, take a look at the income statement.









































A Simple Income Statement
Sales revenue$13,000
Less: Cost of goods sold3,000
Gross margin$10,000
Operating expenses
Rent1,000
Wages4,000
Supplies1,000
Total operating expenses6,000
Operating profit$4,000

Suppose that in this imaginary hot dog stand business, you sell two different products: a regular hot dog for $2.50 and a super-duper chilidog for $4.00. Suppose also that you sell 2,000 of both of these products. Therefore, the $13,000 of revenue shown in the income statement actually represents $5,000 in sales of regular hot dogs and $8,000 in sales of chilidogs.


Further suppose that you can break down the cost of goods sold as follows:



  • Buns: Each bun costs you $0.15. This means that you spent $300 on buns for regular dogs and $300 on buns for the chilidogs.



  • Dogs: Each hot dog costs you $0.40. This means that you spent $800 on hot dogs for the regular hot dog product line and another $800 on hot dogs for the chilidog product line.



  • Chili: Each serving of chili for the chilidogs costs you $0.40. (A serving is three heaping tablespoons of chili, as you enjoy telling customers.) This means that you spent another $800 on chili for the chilidog product line.




Given this information, you can create an income statement that shows revenues, cost of goods sold, and gross margin by product line. Furthermore, note that the second statement does something very traditional by allocating operating expenses using a simple rule. The operating expenses are simply split right down the middle, allocating $3,000 of operating expenses to the regular hot dog product line and $3,000 of operating expenses to the chilidog product line.































































































Traditional Income Statement by Product Line

$2.50 Hot Dogs$4.00 ChilidogsTotal
Sales revenue


(2,000 sold in each product line)5,0008,00013,000
Cost of goods sold


$0.15 buns300300600
$0.40 hot dogs8008001,600
$0.40 of chili for each chilidog800800
Total cost of goods sold1,1001,9003,000
Gross margin3,9006,10010,000
Operating expenses


Rent5005001,000
Wages2,0002,0004,000
Supplies5005001,000
Total operating expenses3,0003,0006,000
Net profit9003,1004,000

If you examine the second income statement, several pieces of data suggest that there's money in them there chilidogs. For example, look at the sales revenue. The income statement shows that chilidogs generate $8,000 of sales revenue, whereas regular hot dogs generate only $5,000 of sales revenue. Now look at the gross margin. The income statement shows that chilidogs generate $6,100 of gross margin, whereas regular hot dogs generate only $3,900 of gross margin. Finally, look at the net profit. Based on a simple split of overhead or operating expenses, the net profit from the regular hot dog line equals a measly $900, while the net profit from the chilidog product line equals a whopping $3,100.


It seems pretty clear that you should sell more chilidogs and fewer hot dogs. In fact, you may want to give up on selling regular hot dogs and concentrate on chilidogs. You may also decide that your chilidogs are priced too high; perhaps you could shave the cost a bit on these. You may also decide that the regular hot dogs are priced too low; perhaps the price on these should be bumped up a bit.




dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/understanding-traditional-overhead-allocation-on-a.html

Signs You or a Loved One May Be an Alcoholic

It probably happened slowly and innocently enough: a quick beer with coworkers after a hard day. Or maybe it was just one glass of wine to relax after the kids were tucked into bed. But lately you’ve noticed that alcohol has become an increasingly important part of life for you or someone close to you.


You might be telling yourself that alcoholism only happens to people who are alone, unemployed, or homeless. The fact is 75 percent of people who abuse alcohol and other drugs are married, with a job and a place to live. Alcohol abuse and alcoholism occurs in people from all walks of life.


There are recommended daily limits of alcohol. Men shouldn’t have more than four drinks in a day, fourteen drinks in a week. Women shouldn’t exceed three alcoholic beverages in a day, seven beverages in a week. If you periodically exceed these consumption boundaries, you fall into the high-risk-for-alcohol-abuse category. One drink is considered 12 oz. of beer, 8 to 9 oz. of malt liquor, 5 oz. of wine, or 1.5 oz. of 80-proof whisky, gin, rum, vodka, tequila, and so on.


There are many different signs of alcohol abuse or alcoholism. If you or a loved one is having one or more of these problems, you are abusing alcohol.



  • You skip activities with friends and family that you used to enjoy doing so you can drink.



  • Drinking or being hung over often interferes with your ability to do your job, perform in school, parent your children, or carry out any of your other family, social, or community responsibilities.



  • You often drink and participate in risky behaviors, such as driving, operating heavy machinery or power tools, swimming, hunting, or having anonymous or unprotected sex.



  • You’ve been arrested for drunk driving or another alcohol-related offense such as fighting while under the influence.



  • You continue to drink even though family and friends have distanced themselves from you because of your drinking.



  • You continue to drink even though you’ve suffered black outs while drinking or you’ve developed another health problem as a result of your drinking.




If you or someone close to you is also experiencing these symptoms, it may mean you’ve become physically dependent on alcohol, or suffer from actual alcoholism.



  • You need to increase the amount you drink to achieve the same level of “buzz” or enjoyment. In other words, your tolerance for alcohol keeps increasing because you regularly drink a lot.



  • You find it hard to stop drinking once you start. You tell yourself, “Just one more,” but the one more ends up being two, or three, or four . . . .



  • You’ve tried to cut back on alcohol use or stop drinking completely but haven’t been able to. If you have stopped for a while, you’ve suffered alcohol withdrawal symptoms. These can include hallucinations, nausea, racing heartbeat, shaking, and sweating.




The sooner help is sought, the better the chances for successful treatment. If you or a loved one has some of these signs of alcohol abuse or alcoholism, talk with your doctor or contact your local health department for a referral to an agency that specializes in substance abuse treatment. If you’re not the one with the drinking problem, they agency will also be able to advise you on the best way to help the person who is drinking too much.











dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/signs-you-or-a-loved-one-may-be-an-alcoholic.html

Stretching Out and Tuning Up New Guitar Strings


9 of 9 in Series:
The Essentials of Maintaining a Nylon-String Acoustic Guitar





Once you secure the new strings to your acoustic guitar, you need to get the new strings tuned up. As the string draws tight, hear the string come up to pitch. The easiest way to tune the new strings is to change the strings one at a time. You'll want to tune the new string to the old ones, which, presumably, are relatively in tune.


Both steel and nylon strings need to be stretched out in order to keep the correct pitch. So, once you get the string to the correct pitch, pull on it in various places up and down its length to stretch it out a bit. Stretching the string can cause the string to go flat — sometimes drastically — so tune it again by winding the peg. Repeat the tune-stretch process two or three times to help the new strings hold their pitch.


After the string is up to pitch and stretched out, you need to remove the excess string that sticks out from the post. For steel strings, you can either snip off the excess with wire cutters or bend the string back and forth over the same crease until it breaks off. Nylon strings can simply be cut.


Whatever you do, don’t leave the straight string length protruding. It could poke you or someone standing next to you (such as the bass player) in the eye or give you a sharp jab in your fingertip.


Although nylon strings aren’t as dangerous as steel strings if any excess protrudes, the extra string hanging out is unsightly, and besides, classical guitarists are a little fussier about how their instruments look than acoustic guitarists are.




dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/stretching-out-and-tuning-up-new-guitar-strings.html

Gluten-Free Delight: Ham with Glazed Bananas

If you like Bananas Foster, you’ll love this rendition with ham made with naturally gluten-free ingredients. Select fairly firm bananas so they don’t get too soft when cooked. If the ham you select has skin or rind encircling it, cut it off before preparing this dish.


Preparation time: 5 minutes


Cooking time: 5 minutes


Yield: 4 servings


3 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon butter


3 tablespoons brown sugar


1/4 cup dark corn syrup


1/2 teaspoon cinnamon


2 large bananas, peeled


8-ounce ham steak, cut into 4 pieces



  1. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a nonstick medium skillet. Stir in the sugar until it melts.



  2. Stir in the corn syrup and cinnamon and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Slice the bananas into the syrup and simmer for 2 minutes.



  3. In a second medium skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the ham pieces and brown quickly on each side, turning once.



  4. Place the ham slices on a serving dish and top with the banana glaze.




Per serving: Calories: 335; Total fat: 14g; Saturated fat: 8g; Cholesterol: 53mg; Sodium: 786mg; Carbohydrates: 43g; Fiber: 2g; Sugar: 25g; Protein: 13g.











dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/glutenfree-delight-ham-with-glazed-bananas.html

Illustrator CS4 For Dummies

Adobe Illustrator CS4 is a powerful tool for creating spectacular graphics, and to get started in the software you need to know your way around the Illustrator workspace. You can work more efficiently in Illustrator by using some nifty tricks and keyboard shortcuts for selecting and moving objects and manipulating type.






>


>


Getting to Know the Illustrator CS4 Workspace


The workspace in Adobe Illustrator CS4 helps you create and manage your files and documents using various elements like windows, panels, and tool bars. This diagram shows some tools and where they can be found to arrange your workspace:


image0.jpg



>



>


>


Tips and Tricks in Illustrator CS4


Knowing a few tricks of the trade will help speed up your work when creating your masterpiece in Adobe Illustrator CS4. Be ready to use these Illustrator tips to make your work easier and save time:



  • Press X to toggle between Fill and Stroke, and Shift+X to swap fill and stroke colors.



  • Zoom in quickly by choosing a magnification zoom level from the lower left (look for “74%” on the image here).



  • An asterisk (*) in the Document tab means that the document has not been saved since you made changes.



  • Quickly get more screen real estate by clicking the double arrows at the top right of the stack of panels.



  • Pause the cursor over any Illustrator element (button, tool, panel, and so on) to see the name of that element.







>



>


>


Illustrator CS4 Selecting and Moving Shortcuts


You can speed up your productivity when working in Adobe Illustrator CS4 by using keyboard shortcuts. Study this list of commands and their keystroke combinations for selecting and moving objects:
















































To Do ThisMac Shortcut KeyWindows Shortcut Key
Activate Selection tool last used (Select, Direct Select, or
Group Select)    
Ô+any tool (except Selection tools)Ctrl+any tool (except Selection tools)
Toggle between Select and Direct Select (or between Select and
Group Select)
NoneCtrl+Tab
Add to or subtract from selectionShift+click with any Selection toolShift+click with any Selection tool
Select AllÔ+ACtrl+A
Deselect AllShift+Ô+AShift+Ctrl+A
Move selection in 1 pt incrementsAny arrow keyAny arrow key
Move selection in 10 pt incrementsShift+press any arrow keyShift+press any arrow key
Constrain movement to 45° anglesShift+drag with any Selection toolShift+drag with any Selection tool




>



>


>


Illustrator CS4 Type Shortcuts


Whether you’re creating simple paragraphs or designing intricate artwork, here a few commands and their keyboard shortcuts (Mac and PC) to easily manipulate type in Adobe Illustrator CS4:






































To Do ThisMac ShortcutWindows Shortcut
Align text to left, right, or centerShift+Ô+L, R, or CShift+Ctrl+L, R, or C
Justify textShift+Ô+JShift+Ctrl+J
Increase font sizeShift+Ô+. (period)Shift+Ctrl+. (period)
Decrease font sizeShift+Ô+, (comma)Shift+Ctrl+, (comma)
Select entire wordDouble-click wordDouble-click word
Select entire paragraphTriple-click a word in the paragraphTriple-click a word in the paragraph




>






>
dummies


Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/illustrator-cs4-for-dummies-cheat-sheet.html

How to Decipher Amplifier Power Ratings

Power ratings for amplifiers measure how well an A/V receiver amplifies (increases) outgoing audio signals. The power rating for an amplifier is measured in watts per channel. This is usually measured as RMS, or root mean square, instead of peak, which means that it is a measure of sustained power, not the highest possible instantaneous peak.


You can’t take the amplifier power ratings at face value when comparing A/V receivers, because manufacturers play a lot of interesting tricks when they give these watt ratings. The result is that a receiver can be more or less powerful than another receiver with the same rating.


To get a feel for a receiver’s power, examine the following four specifications closely:



  • Distortion: Power is measured at a certain number of watts at a certain level of distortion (noise created by the amplifier). You want low distortion (of course). The tricky part comes in when you examine how the amplifier’s power output is measured — specifically at what distortion level it’s measured.


    An amp that is measured, for example, at 100 watts per channel at 0.02 percent THD (total harmonic distortion, the standard measurement) is quieter and is probably more powerful than one that is measured at 100 watts per channel at 0.2 percent THD. You can do a direct comparison only if both are measured at the same THD percentage.



  • Impedance: Almost all amplifiers are rated at 8 ohms impedance (a measure of electrical resistance), so you can compare ratings this way, but a few are also measured at 6 or even 4 ohms. These lower resistances can give an artificially high power rating — be suspicious.


    Not all amplifiers built into receivers (or even in separate power amplifiers) can power 4-ohm speakers without overheating, popping a circuit breaker, or just plain breaking down. Check to see whether a receiver can support these lower impedances if you choose speakers that require it. This is rare unless you are buying high-end gear — most home theater speaker systems are rated at 8 ohms of impedance (though the actual number varies as the speakers reproduce different frequencies).



  • Frequency range: Lower frequencies (the bass frequencies) require more amplifier power than higher frequencies. Because of this, some receiver manufacturers test their systems not at the full 20 to 20,000 Hz range, but with a limited range (such as 40 to 20,000 Hz). This can also create an artificially high power rating.



  • Number of channels driven: Home theater receivers should be capable of driving at least five speakers (some have amplifiers for six, seven, or more speakers for extra surround channels). Power ratings should state how many speakers are being driven when the system is tested. Preferably, all channels are driven simultaneously at the stated power. Some systems give power ratings in stereo mode (with only the front left and right speakers driven), which means that the power with all speakers being driven is less than the stated amount.






dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-decipher-amplifier-power-ratings.html

Top Online Surveys Blogs and Forums

Go to these blogs and forums and you'll get a wealth of practical information from people who have gone before you on the online surveys journey.





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How to Help Your Dog Have Healthy Teeth

Beyond brushing your dog’s teeth, you can help keep your canine companion’s canines clean in a variety of ways. Most of the methods have something to do with feeding your dog the right kind of food and giving him appropriate kinds of chews:



  • Provide dental toys intended to reduce plaque and tartar.


    Some toys are made so that you can squeeze doggie toothpaste into them, so they sometimes take the place of brushing. Busy Buddy, Kong toys, and Nylabone all have products intended to clean teeth.



  • Feed certain premium dog foods.


    Some premium dog foods have additives that make their products more dental friendly by making them more abrasive. Hill’s and Iams each markets a dental dog food, and so do many other brands.



  • Treat with tartar-control biscuits.


    Many pet food manufacturers have come up with tartar-control biscuits and snacks.



  • Give appropriate kinds of dog chews.


    Some chews, such as Greenies and Pedigree’s Dentabone, are made to help reduce plaque and tartar.



  • Throw ’em large bones.


    Giving your dog a big marrow bone or knucklebone from a cow often helps clean canine teeth. Some veterinarians recommend boiling them for safety or freezing them raw to make them harder. Bones are controversial, because they harbor bacteria and can cause blockages when chewed or swallowed. Never give a dog small sharp bones that can splinter.






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Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-help-your-dog-have-healthy-teeth.html

The Grape Varieties of Champagne

In most cases, Champagne is an extremely complex blended wine — not only a blend of grape varieties, but also a blend of wines from vineyards throughout the Champagne region of France. The blend, called the cuvée, combines the strengths of each vineyard. Champagne is also typically a blend of wines from different vintages.


Champagne is made mainly from three grape varieties:



  • Pinot Noir (a red variety)



  • Pinot Meunier (a red variety related to Pinot Noir)



  • Chardonnay (a white variety)




A few minor grapes — such as Petit Meslier, Arbanne, and Pinot Blanc — still survive in some of the region’s vineyards and are still permitted, but they cannot be replanted and are of little consequence.


About 85 to 90 percent of Champagnes are a blend of about 2/3 red grapes and 1/3 Chardonnay. A few Champagnes (less than 5 percent) are 100 percent Chardonnay (they are called blanc de blancs); fewer yet are 100 percent red grapes (called blanc de noirs). Rosé Champagnes, a small category, are usually, but not always, made from a blend of white and red grapes.


The reason that most Champagnes are blends of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay is that each grape variety has strengths to contribute to the final blend:



  • Pinot Noir adds body, structure, aroma, and a complexity of flavors. This difficult variety likes the cool climate of the region, and it grows well in the chalky limestone soil.



  • Pinot Meunier contributes fruitiness, floral aromas, and a precocious character (readiness-to-drink sooner).



  • Chardonnay, a star performer in the Champagne region, gives freshness, delicacy, elegance, and finesse. For this reason, many producers make a blanc de blancs (Chardonnay) Champagne.




Pinot Meunier is especially valuable because it buds later in the spring than Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. It is therefore less prone to damaging frosts and can thrive in areas like the Marne River Valley, where Pinot Noir and Chardonnay would not be successful. It also ripens earlier in the fall than the other two varieties, thus often avoiding autumn rains. But Pinot Meunier has a disadvantage: Its wines tend to age more quickly than those of the other two varieties. Also, many producers think it is not quite so fine as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and therefore do not use it in their most prestigious Champagnes.




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