Perfect Postures for Playing Guitar

You can either sit or stand while playing the guitar, and the position you choose makes virtually no difference to your tone or technique, provided you maintain good guitar-playing posture. Most people prefer to sit while practicing but stand while performing publicly. The one exception to the sit or stand option is the classical guitar; the orthodox practice is to play in a seated position only. This practice doesn't mean that you can't play a classical-style guitar or classical music while standing, but the serious pursuit of the classical guitar requires that you sit while playing.

Settling in to a sitting position

To hold the guitar in a sitting position, rest the waist of the guitar on your right leg. (The waist is the indented part between the guitar's upper and lower bouts, which are the protruding curved parts that look like shoulders and hips.) Place your feet slightly apart. Balance the guitar by lightly resting your right forearm on the bass bout. Don't use the left hand to support the neck. You should be able to take your left hand completely off the fretboard without the guitar dipping toward the floor.

Classical guitar technique, on the other hand, requires you to hold the instrument on your left leg, not on your right. This position puts the center of the guitar closer to the center of your body, making the instrument easier to play, especially with the left hand, because you can better execute the difficult fingerings of the classical-guitar music in that position.

You must also elevate the classical guitar, which you can do either by raising the left leg with a specially made guitar foot stool (the traditional way) or by using a support arm, which goes between your left thigh and the guitar's lower side (the modern way). This device enables your left foot to remain on the floor and instead pushes the guitar up in the air.

Standing position

To stand and play the guitar, you need a strap that is securely fastened to both strap pins on the guitar (or otherwise tied to the guitar). Then you can stand in a normal way and check out how cool you look in the mirror with that guitar slung over your shoulders. You may need to adjust the strap to get the guitar at a comfortable playing height.

If your strap slips off a pin while you're playing in a standing position, you have about a fifty-fifty chance of catching your guitar before it hits the floor (and that's if you're quick and experienced with slipping guitars). So don't risk damaging your guitar by using an old or worn strap or one with holes that are too large for the pins to hold securely. Guitars aren't built to bounce, as Pete Townshend has demonstrated so many times.

Your body makes a natural adjustment in going from a sitting to a standing position. So don't try to overanalyze where your arms fall, relative to your sitting position. Just stay relaxed and, above all, look cool. (You're a guitar player now! Looking cool is just as important as knowing how to play . . . well, almost.)

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/perfect-postures-for-playing-guitar.html

How to Use HistoryKat for Online Genealogy Research

Registering to use HistoryKat gets you access to digitized genealogy records and indexes to documents housed in archives and libraries. HistoryKat can help you find records to fill in your family tree because of its access to military and postal service records.

Using the Name Search engine

If you have a name, use the Name Search feature:

1. Find the search box labeled Search HistoryKat near the top of the HistoryKat home page.

   
   



2. Type the first and last name of the individual you’re looking for in the appropriate boxes, and click the Search button.

   
   

   The Search Results page contains a table showing the collections that contain the name on the left side and the number of instances of the name in the right column.

   
   



3. Click a link in the left column that looks promising.

   
   

   The link will go to a page listing the image titles containing the name. Clicking the name will display the image.

   
   

Browsing by collection in the directory

On the home page for HistoryKat is a list of the collections available on the site. To access them:

1. Click the link to the collection that interests you.

   
   

   A list of data sets appears with an indicator of whether they are indexed.

   
   



2. Select a data set by clicking the title.

   
   

   A list of rolls or part of a book is displayed.

   
   



3. Click the title of a roll or part.

   
   

   The names of individual images within the data set appear. Click the Select Image link in the right column to see an image.

   
   

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-use-historykat-for-online-genealogy-researc.html

Understanding Wallpaper Pattern Repeats

Wallpapers (wallcoverings) have what is called a pattern repeat — unless your wallpaper is a solid or has a simple texture. The pattern repeat is the vertical distance between where the pattern is identical again (repeats). That distance can be less than an inch or as much as the entire width of the wallpaper. There are several kinds of pattern repeats: random pattern match, straight across match, and drop match.

Understanding the nature of your wallpaper’s pattern repeat is important, because it affects the number of rolls you buy and the way you hang it.

If your project is complex and involves lots of cutting, irregular openings, or an out-of-square room, or if your wall covering has a tricky pattern or is otherwise a difficult type to hang, let an experienced salesperson estimate your needs.

• Random pattern match: When the wallpaper pattern is random, you don't need to worry about matching any pattern at all. For obvious reasons, random patterns are great for beginners. No matter how you position the paper the pattern still looks good. A great example of a random pattern match is a texture, such as grasscloth, or a stripe.

  
  

  As a general rule, you should flip every other strip to make sure there are not color variations to worry

  
  



• Straight across match: A wallpaper with a straight across match is a one that starts over at the ceiling line. This means that the design has to match the strips on either side. These take more planning than random matches, but they are not typically complex patterns.

  
  



• Drop match: Drop match patterns are the most complex pattern matches. These wallpapers require a good deal of planning because the pattern needs to be aligned both horizontally and vertically with the wallpaper on either side. Because of the dual alignment, dropped patterns require a good deal of waste in order to have enough wallpaper to make all the necessary pattern matches.

  
  

  There are two different kinds of dropped patterns.

  
  
  
  

  • Half-drop match: Half-drop patterns repeat at the ceiling line on every other strip and the design tends to run diagonally. It requires three strips of wallpaper to repeat the vertical design. A half-drop match is a straight match that has been split in half. You'll need to lay out the room and determine which strips will go where ahead of time.

    
    
  
  

  • Multiple drop match: A multiple drop match is the most complex pattern match. It can take four or more strips to repeat the vertical design. A good example of this is a dense paisley pattern. The multiple drop match pattern looks great, but you may not want this to be your first attempt at wallpapering.

    
    
  
  
  
  

Try writing the number (in pencil) on the back of each strip to keep track of the order in which each should be hung. It can save you from a lot of confusion later on.

You might want to buy an extra roll or two of wallpaper, this will give you plenty of cushion. Check with the dealer — they might let you return the extra rolls if you don't need them. Having extra rolls is better than having to purchase new rolls that are not from the same dye lot.

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/understanding-wallpaper-pattern-repeats.html

Introducing ActionScript Classes, Objects, and Methods

Objects, classes, methods, and properties — whew, that's a mouthful — are the building blocks of ActionScript programming. These terms are all related, and understanding how they interact is one of the keys to mastering ActionScript. ActionScript neophytes are often surprised to discover that they have been creating objects since they first began using Flash. In fact, everything you create in a Flash movie is an object. In a Flash movie, ovals, imported images, and blocks of text are all individual objects. You can also create your own objects by using ActionScript code. For example, you can create an instance of the Date object, which retrieves the current date and time from the computer used to view your Flash Web site.

Objects are identified by unique names and are also referenced by their location on a particular level. An object exists within a hierarchy in a movie and is called on not only by its established unique name but also by its location within the hierarchy. Objects may remain static through one part of the movie but change later. The Movie Explorer provides a graphical representation of your movie and the objects within it. The Movie Explorer (open it by choosing Window --> Explorer) represents the objects in your movie as a visual outline.

Objects have properties, and properties describe objects. An object's properties are what make it unique. For example, you set properties for text objects with the Properties Inspector. When creating a block of text, you choose the font type, font color, and font size, all of which are properties of the text object. All of these properties contribute to making a unique block of text.

You can change many object properties with ActionScript code. For example, you can position an object on stage by modifying its _x and _y properties or change the height of an object by modifying its _height property.

A class describes everything an ActionScript programmer needs to know about an object. It might help to think of a class as information that defines an object's properties, methods, and event handlers. Properties such as height, width, and position are often included in a class. The methods describe what you can do when using ActionScript with an object. For example, the getMinutes method of the Date object retrieves the current minute of the hour from the computer viewing your Flash Web site.

A class can be thought of as an object that makes other objects. When you create an object from a class, it is known as an instance of the class. To understand this, look at the Date object. The Date object is an ActionScript object that contains methods that retrieve the current date and time from the host computer. Before you can use any of the Date object's methods, you must first create an instance of the Date object, like in the following code:

myDate=new Date();
curHour=myDate.getHours();
curMintues=myDate.getMinutes();

The first line of code creates an instance of the Date object, while the second and third lines of code use methods of the Date object (getHours and getMinutes) to retrieve the current hour and minute from the host computer.

If you are an experienced ActionScript user, you will probably agree that creating ActionScript in Flash 8 is more powerful and intuitive than ever. The new Script Assist feature takes a lot of the drudgery out of hand-coding ActionScript. This powerful new feature will benefit ActionScript veterans and beginners alike.

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/introducing-actionscript-classes-objects-and-metho.navId-405066.html

Robert's Rules for Voting by Ballot

Ballot voting is the preferred voting method in situations in which knowing how all the members voted isn't desirable. You can use a ballot vote to decide either a motion or an election:

• If the ballot vote decides a motion, the question is clearly stated by the chair, and you're instructed to mark your ballot Yes or No (or For or Against).

  
  



• If the ballot vote decides an election, you're instructed to write the name of the nominee of your choice on your ballot.

  
  

It's never in order to vote Yes or No (or For or Against) a candidate when electing persons to office. The only way you can vote against a candidate is to vote for another person.

Who gets to vote

Depending on your organization and the decisions being made, balloting may take place during a meeting, or polls may be open during polling periods including times when no meeting is in progress. In either case, you need to appoint reliable tellers to hand out and collect ballots and to count the votes.

Only members entitled to vote are given ballots or are allowed to deposit ballots with a teller or place them in the ballot receptacle. If polling is conducted outside of a meeting, members should verify their credentials with election officials when casting their votes at the polls, and members' names should be checked on a list showing who has voted.

The presiding officer votes along with all the other members, although she is never allowed to cast a tie-breaker in a ballot vote.

A member has the right to vote until the polls are closed. A late-arriving member can vote only with other members' consent by majority vote.

Counting the ballots

When counting ballots, tellers need to keep a few key points in mind:

• Blank votes are treated as scrap paper and don't count at all.

  
  



• Illegal votes cast by legal voters count toward the total votes cast, but they don't count for any individual choice or candidate. Illegal votes are

  
  
  
  

  • Unintelligible ballots

    
    
  
  

  • Ballots cast for a fictional character

    
    
  
  

  • Ballots cast for an ineligible candidate

    
    
  
  

  • Two or more marked ballots folded together (together they count as only one illegal vote)

    
    
  
  
  
  



• If a marked ballot is folded together with a blank ballot, the marked ballot counts as one legal vote, and the blank ballot is considered scrap paper.

  
  



• Each question on a multipart ballot is counted as a separate ballot. If a member leaves one part blank, the votes entered on the other questions still count.

  
  



• If a member votes for more choices than positions to be elected, the vote is considered illegal.

  
  



• If a member votes for fewer choices than positions to be elected, the vote is legal and those votes count.

  
  



• Small technical errors, such as spelling mistakes or marking an X when a checkmark is called for, don't make a vote illegal as long as the voter's intent is discernible.

  
  



• Votes cast by illegal voters must not be counted at all, not even included in the number of total votes cast. If it's determined that enough illegal votes were cast by illegal voters to affect the result, and these votes can't be identified and removed from the count, then the vote is deemed null and must be retaken.

  
  

After the vote

After the votes are counted, the chairman of the tellers reads aloud to the membership the complete report of the vote counts but doesn't declare the result. That job belongs to the presiding officer, who reads the report again to the members, concluding with a formal declaration of the result. For example, she may say, ". . . and Mr. Turkey is declared elected as the Birdbrain of the Year." The entire tellers' report should be included in the minutes of the meeting.

To avoid running up a storage bill or having the secretary quit because her spouse doesn't want so much junk in the house, best practice is to destroy the ballots. When determining how long to hold the ballots before destroying them, your main consideration is the possibility of needing a recount. After the period during which a recount can be conducted has passed, you don't need to keep the ballots. A decision on how long to keep them can be made at the meeting when the vote takes place, or a short retention period for ballots can be adopted as a standing rule.

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/roberts-rules-for-voting-by-ballot.html

How to Manage Risks to Your Portfolio in an Uncertain Economy

In addition to volatility of individual securities, you also face risks related to your life span, market changes, and more. The following table explains how to minimize risks.

Risk	Definition	Management Techniques
Longevity risk	The risk you’ll outlive your money	Make sure you have a sensible withdrawal rate. Know what you need for big purchases and for basic expenses. Consider a no-load, low-cost immediate annuity to guarantee an inflation-adjusted lifetime stream of income, at least sufficient to cover basic needs that Social Security and any pension benefits don’t cover.
Liquidity risk	The risk that you won’t have the cash on hand when you need it, forcing you to sell assets in a down market	Assign chunks of your money to each major goal. Plan to have more accessible liquid assets, such as short-term bonds and cash, in those accounts as the time approaches.
Inflation risk	The risk inflation will outpace the return on your investments, reducing your purchasing power	Long-term inflation is close to 4%; underestimating the effect of price increases can put your portfolio and income stream at risk. Use a realistic inflation factor in your planning. Make sure you have enough equity in your mix to grow your long-term money faster than inflation.
Market risk	The risk that stock and bond markets as a whole will fall	Get a mix of stocks, bonds, and cash that make sense for your risk tolerance and time horizon.
Manager risk	The risk that you’ll pick the wrong money manager, your manager will leave, or your actively managed mutual fund will do worse than the market on a risk-adjusted basis	Consider using index mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that attempt to match the performance of their given market sector. Be happy with what the markets give you and enjoy the lower costs.

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-manage-risks-to-your-portfolio-in-an-uncert.html

How Singers Release Tension in the Face and Head

Believe it or not, tension in the head and face is pretty common in singers. You can see tension in the face when the eyebrows lift or the brow furrows. The facial muscles may also hold tension, even though you may not see the face wrinkle.

Look in the mirror at your face. Tighten your face so that you can see the muscles squeezing together. Now release that tension and notice what it feels like. When the tension releases, your face may feel wider or more open.

Tense and release several more times so you can really feel the difference. Notice any tension in your forehead from the muscles wanting to either lift or furrow the brow.

One area that commonly generates tension is the forehead. If you notice your forehead wrinkling as you sing, stick a piece of clear tape vertically on your forehead between your eyebrows. You can feel the tape move when you tighten your forehead. It’s normal for your eyebrows to move as you sing or speak, but keeping your forehead free of tension is the goal.

Next, notice any tension in your eyes. Tension in your eyes feels like squinting or a tightness behind your eyes. When the eyes are open and free of tension, it feels similar to the opening you feel behind your eyes when you see something that surprises you.

Pretend that a friend you haven’t seen in a long time walks through the door. Notice the opening of your eyes and a feeling of space behind your eyes. The opening or release of tension behind the eyes also helps the forehead to relax.

Releasing the tension in your head and opening the space involves allowing the muscles to stay pliable on your head. If you squint or concentrate really hard for a long time, your head may start to hurt from a tension headache. To prevent that tension, massage your scalp.

See whether you can get the skin on your head (your scalp) to move around. It might not move much if it’s tight, but you may get it to move a little by massaging and stretching it. You can also visualize your head expanding from the inside out.

Look in the mirror again and notice the space around your mouth. When you’re annoyed or frustrated, the muscles around your mouth may tighten. To release the tension around your mouth and face, look bored. If you pretend to be really bored and dull, you’ll feel tension around your mouth release.

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-singers-releas-tension-in-the-face-and-head.html

Heeding Food Safety Warnings

Most food safety is common sense: for example, if you drop a jar on the floor and it shatters, don’t scrape up the preserve and tuck in! But some dangers are less obvious, so err on the side of caution (especially when feeding children, the elderly or vulnerable people):

• Do clean your work surfaces and tools before you start a task and shoo dogs and cats well out of the way. Raw meat, pets and mud can cause cross-contamination and subsequent food hazards.

  
  



• Don’t use corrosive materials for any part of your preserving: no aluminium, enamel or ferrous pans (especially dangerous with vinegar or salt).

  
  



• Don’t use the contents of jars of preserve when the seal is already broken, the lid indent has ‘popped’ or the produce is dried out, mouldy, smelly or discoloured. If you’re suspicious about the quality in any way, throw it away (the most dangerous organisms are invisible and give off no smell).

  
  

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/heeding-food-safety-warnings.html

Real Estate Investing For Dummies

Real Estate Investing For Dummies covers tried and proven real estate investing strategies that real people, just like you, use to build wealth. Investing in real estate isn’t rocket science but does require doing your homework. So if you were expecting to turn into an overnight multimillionaire then you’re not in the right place—but if you’re searching for a solid long-term investing strategy and the tools to get you there then Real Estate Investing For Dummies is the right book for your needs. Below are some of the key principles that we cover more in-depth in the book:

Copyright © 2009 Eric Tyson and Robert S. Griswold All rights reserved.

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Eric and Robert’s Principles for Success

• Real estate is a proven wealth-building vehicle. Investing in rental properties can generate current income and significant tax benefits as well as build equity from appreciation over the years and decades.

  
  



• Although many people can succeed investing in real estate, rental property investing isn’t for everyone. Take account of your investment preferences and personal temperament before buying property. Do you have the time to devote to real estate investing? Are you comfortable troubleshooting problems or hiring a property manager?

  
  



• Make sure you’re financially fit before investing in rental properties. Pay particular attention to your monthly budget and make sure that you have adequate insurance coverage. Most successful real estate investors build their real estate investment portfolio through saving money and then gradually buying properties over the years.

  
  



• Don’t underestimate the importance of establishing good credit. The best returns on real estate rely upon the use of credit to obtain the leverage of using OPM (other people’s money).

  
  



• Your first (and often one of the best) real estate investment is buying a home to live in. Real estate is the only investment that we know of that you can live in or rent to produce income. You can also derive large tax-free profits when you sell your principal residence at a higher price than you paid for it.

  
  



• Focus on residential properties in the beginning. Residential property is an attractive investment and is easier to understand, purchase, and manage than most other types of property. If you’re a homeowner, you already have experience locating, purchasing, and maintaining residential property.

  
  



• Among residential property options, our top recommendations are small apartment buildings and single-family homes. Attached housing makes more sense for investors who don’t want to deal with building maintenance and security issues. Attached-housing prices tend to perform best in developed urban environments.

  
  



• Have your real estate team in place before you begin your serious property searching. Line up a real estate agent, loan officer, tax advisor, lawyer, and so on early because the real estate investor with the best resources can identify the properties to ignore and those worthy of careful consideration. Move quickly — the speed at which you can close a transaction is an advantage in any type of market.

  
  



• Look for properties in the path of progress. Areas where new development or redevelopment is heading are where you want to be. The best real estate investment properties are ones that are well located and physically sound but cosmetically challenged and poorly managed.

  
  



• You don’t get rich trying to find no-money-down real estate investment deals. Don’t believe infomercials hucksters. Don’t expect to buy top-notch rental properties that way.

  
  



• Making at least a 20 to 25 percent down payment provides access to the best financing terms. You can make smaller down payments — even as low as 10 percent or less — but you often pay a much higher interest rate, loan fees, and private mortgage insurance. Leverage, or the use of the lenders’ money to cover the majority of your acquisition costs, can boost your rates of return. But too much leverage can be dangerous if the rental market turns and your debt expenses are high.

  
  



• As the size and complexity of the deal increases, financing options become less attractive. The financing options for larger apartment buildings (five or more units), commercial, retail, industrial, and raw land generally require more money down and/or higher interest rates and loan fees. But more advanced real estate investors can enjoy higher overall returns plus the benefits of easier management and stability from long-term tenants.

  
  



• For low entry costs, consider real estate investment trusts (REITs) and lease options. You can buy these exchange–traded securities (which can also be bought through REIT focused mutual funds) for a thousand dollars or less. With lease options, you begin by renting a property you may be interested in purchasing later, and a portion of your monthly rent goes towards the future purchase. If you can find a seller willing to provide financing, you can keep your down payment to a minimum.

  
  



• We prefer the adage of “Location, location, value.” It clearly emphasizes location but also the importance of finding good value for your investment dollar. Owning real estate in up and coming areas with new development or renovated properties enhances finding and keeping good tenants and leads to greater returns. Another great opportunity are properties in great locations but with extensive deferred maintenance, especially aesthetic issues that can be inexpensively addressed.

  
  



• Make real estate investments close by. Buy property within two hours away by your favorite mode of transportation. Venture further only when you really know another real estate market and regularly find yourself there for other reasons or you’ve found an excellent property manager.

  
  



• Any decision about where to invest starts with an evaluation of the overall region’s economic trends. If the area isn’t economically sound, then the likelihood for successful real estate investments are diminished.

  
  



• You’re purchasing a future income stream or cash flow when you buy an investment property. What you pay for a property and the cash flow it generates makes a significant difference in the success of your investment. The key is identifying which properties sellers have under-priced.

  
  



• Don’t rely on the seller’s numbers when evaluating a property’s potential. Speak directly with the seller to determine the history of the property and their motivation for selling. But, don’t rely on historic operating results offered by the seller or broker. Develop your own numbers through evaluating the property with a team of qualified professionals who are specialists in the physical and fiscal management of real estate.

  
  



• The buy-and-flip real estate investment strategy can work, but it also has a downside. Buying and flipping can be a way to make quick money in real estate if you time your investments correctly in a rapidly rising real estate market. However, flipping can cause your profits to be taxed as ordinary income and you could lose during a market downturn.

  
  



• Bottom line: Real estate professionals, and you, should value a property based on the projected Net Operating Income (NOI). Project the NOI preferably for next few years. Projecting the NOI is time consuming and requires a lot of experience, especially if you plan property changes to increase income and/or reduce expenses.

  
  

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dummies

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

Nonprofit Management During Economic Downturns

Nonprofits, like almost everyone else, are affected by downturns. But surveys show that the effects of the recent slump varied widely. Some charitable organizations, such as food banks, saw an increase in volunteers and donations. But others, including many cultural organizations such as volunteer orchestras and art programs for children, saw their funding shrink.

Surveys suggest that the nonprofits that have fared well have a few things in common:

• Good communication: Especially when the need is great and money is in short supply, nonprofits need to make the case for their critical importance as persuasively as possible. When donations started to dry up, a California nonprofit progam designed to bring volunteer music teachers into schools created a simple but stirring brochure about its work, including quotes from kids who were part of the program.

  
  

  The brochure communicated both the urgent need and the positive impact the program was having. It also outlined exactly how every dollar donated was put to work. After sending out the brochure, this small nonprofit had its best fundraising quarter ever.

  
  



• Strong leadership: It’s easy for both paid staff and volunteers at nonprofits to get discouraged when they have to struggle for support to do the work they believe in. When funding falls short, morale can slump. A strong leader helps keep the troops focused and inspires everyone to make the extra effort.

  
  



• Ambitious plans: When times are tight, many organizations are tempted to reduce or eliminate programs. Sometimes cutting back is essential. But cutting too many programs too close to the bone can cause donors to wonder what they’re donating for. Surprisingly, the nonprofits that did well during the recent downturn were typically groups that expanded their efforts, adding new programs and reaching out to help more people.

  
  



• Diversified support: Not surprisingly, perhaps, nonprofits that weathered the economic turmoil are typically those that get their support from a wide range of donors, including individuals, foundations, public sources, and others. Nonprofits that manage to diversify their support also find themselves in a stronger position during economic expansions.

  
  

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/nonprofit-management-during-economic-downturns.html

Winning on Betfair For Dummies

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What Is Betfair?

Betfair.co.uk is a unique online betting site where thousands of people bet against each other every day. (Country restrictions do apply.) Betting against people online means you can get better odds, and it opens up many new options that haven’t been possible before.

Betting against other people means you can choose whether to back (bet for something to happen) or lay (bet against something to happen) by offering odds to other bettors. This gives you lots of different possibilities, such as choosing the odds at which you bet at, betting during an event (in-play), and making multiple bets on the same selection to try and guarantee a profit (trading).

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Five Key Principles to Become a Winning Punter Using Betfair

Follow the five useful pointers below to help increase your chances of success when betting online using Betfair.co.uk. These handy tips will help you to:

• Change your view of betting: Taken seriously, betting is simply another kind of investment. Betfair has levelled the playing field to put the punter in control. You can choose the odds you bet at, you can decide whether to bet for or against, and you can make long-term profits.

  
  



• Find the right information: Information is what you base your bets on and it’s key to winning on Betfair. So whether the information is your own knowledge, a tip from a reliable source, statistics or form that you use from a form website, or a strategy that you’ve developed from scratch, make sure that you’re making a bet that you believe in, and that you think the odds are in your favour.

  
  



• Determine the value of your bets: Value is the most important factor in understanding what it takes to be a successful punter. Simply put, if you only bet when the odds are in your favour, you’ll be profitable. If you bet when the odds are against you, then you’ll surely lose in the long run. You don’t need a math degree, but a basic understanding of probabilities means you can make judgements on when the price is right, when the price is wrong, and when you should bet.

  
  



• Stick to a winning strategy: Everyone’s looking for an edge. Understand what your edge is; anything from your own knowledge to a detailed statistical analysis. What’s important is that you understand how that strategy affects the value of the bet you’re considering.

  
  



• Be disciplined: Discipline and specialising are two traits in all the successful punters we know. They know what they’re good at, they know where their edge is, and they stick to it religiously. Be aware of your strengths and weaknesses, and be disciplined in knowing when to place a bet, and when to keep your powder dry.

  
  

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Betfair.co.uk Betting Odds Converter

Betfair.co.uk uses decimal odds. Simply put, this means the odds you get are written in a decimal format (such as 3.4) which includes the stake. To convert fractional odds into decimals, simply add 1!

Converting Traditional Odds to Decimal Odds: Traditional Odds (x to 1) plus 1.0 = Decimal Odds

For example: 7/1 = 8.0, 1/2 = 1.50

Fractional Odds	Decimal Odds
10/1	11.00
9/1	10.00
8/1	9.00
7/1	8.00
6/1	7.00
5/1	6.00
4/1	5.00
3/1	4.00
2/1	3.00
Evs	2.00
10/11	1.91
5/6	1.83
4/5	1.80
8/11	1.73
4/6	1.67
8/13	1.62
4/7	1.57
8/15	1.53
1/2	1.50
4/9	1.44
2/5	1.40
4/11	1.36
1/3	1.33
2/7	1.29
1/4	1.25
2/9	1.22
1/5	1.20
1/6	1.17
1/7	1.14
1/8	1.13
1/10	1.10

>

>
dummies

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

Playing around with Singing Pitch

A resonant speaking pitchs and range to makes your speaking voice clear and commanding which you can then apply to your singing voice. To get the most benefit from the these voice exercises work out your speaking voice so you go through each of these steps:

1. Explore the tones and pitch you currently use when you speak.

   
   

   You need to know what sounds you currently can make before you can explore other sounds and pitches with your speaking voice.

   
   



2. Explore chanting to find an optimum speaking pitch.

   
   

   Your optimum speaking pitch is the pitch that resonates and sounds the best in your voice.

   
   



3. Apply that same vibrant speaking tone of your optimum speaking pitch to other pitches.

   
   

   Being able to make vibrant tones on a variety of pitches is the precursor to handling spoken text in the middle of your song or just before your song starts. Those vibrant tones also make you sound great when you have to make a presentation at work or give a speech.

   
   



4. Work on high-energy speaking and resonance to prepare for belting.

   
   



5. Explore belting.

   
   

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/playing-around-with-singing-pitch.html

Dealing with Arthritis in the Workplace

When you have arthritis, you have some days when you just don't feel like going to work. But you may not have the luxury of staying home every time you have a flare, especially if they happen often. That's why it's important to simplify your tasks at work, just like you did at home, to make them as easy on your joints and as energy-efficient as possible.

If your pain seriously interferes with your ability to do your job and you've done all you can to control it, you may want to consider leaving work behind and applying for disability insurance benefits.

Easing the pain when you work

Many of us spend our workdays sitting down in an office. It sounds easy, but working on a computer, handling correspondence, and doing other paperwork can be difficult if your hands hurt or you can't sit comfortably in a chair. Look into these ideas for streamlining paperwork and making desk duties easier:

• Large scissors with well-padded handles can make cutting easier.

• A rubber grip that fits around the barrel of a pen or pencil makes it easier to hold and less likely to slip.

• Rubber fingers (they look like a thimble made of rubber) can help you turn pages or thumb through a sheaf of papers without fumbling. Or you can twist a rubber band around the end of your finger for the same effect.

• Seam rippers are a nice substitute if you have trouble handling scissors.

• Tape dispensers with some weight and rubberized bottoms make it easier to pull off a piece of tape using just one hand, because they won't move.

If you have Internet access and your employer doesn't object to your handling some office tasks with online business transactions, you can cut down on the time you spend standing in long lines (putting strain on your joints) by doing the following:

• Bank by computer or through the mail. Find out if your bank offers these services. (Most do.)

• Buy your stamps online or through the mail. (Call your local post office for details.)

• Buy books, vitamins, gifts — even houses and cars online. The days of pounding the pavement to do your shopping are gone!

Applying for disability benefits

According to the Social Security Administration, if you can no longer do the kind of work you've been accustomed to doing, and you can't engage in any other kind of "substantial gainful activity" (anything that pays you more than $740 a month) because of your age, education and work experience, you may be eligible for disability insurance benefits.

To apply, get a claim form from your doctor, hospital, or your local employment development department office. Your doctor needs to state the exact nature of your medical condition and affirm that, in his opinion, you're unable to work at your present job. But getting disability benefits doesn't mean you can't still work. If you don't relish the idea of sitting at home, look into a special program run by the Social Security Administration that can help you find a job suited to your abilities while you continue to collect your disability benefits. Your local Social Security office can provide you with more details.

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/dealing-with-arthritis-in-the-workplace.html

Similarities between MacBook Air and MacBook Pro

At the time of this writing, the MacBook Air comes in two screen sizes (11.6-inch and 13.3-inch), and the MacBook Pro comes in three screen sizes (13.3-inch, 15.4-inch, and 17-inch). Things may seem pretty confusing when you first start shopping for a new MacBook — what differentiates one model from the other besides the size of the screen?

To help clear things up, first consider the similarities between the 13.3-inch Air and the 13.3-inch MacBook Pro:

• Widescreen display: The Air has the same widescreen aspect ratio as the MacBook Pro.

  
  



• Intel Core i5 processor: The Air is powered by the same type of CPU as its sibling.

  
  



• Keyboard and trackpad: The Air has a full-size keyboard, and it’s even backlit, just as the MacBook Pro is. Naturally, both MacBooks also feature trackpads that support Multi-Touch control.

  
  



• Lion: Both machines run the latest version of Mac OS X with aplomb.

  
  



• Sealed battery: You can’t swap batteries with either MacBook model because the battery is sealed inside the laptop. (Think iPod.)

  
  



• FaceTime HD and microphone: Every MacBook Air is video ready, using the same FaceTime HD camera offered with the MacBook Pro. You can record audio with the built-in microphone as well.

  
  



• Wireless support: Both models feature built-in AirPort Extreme hardware (802.11n) and built-in Bluetooth hardware.

  
  

Most Apple laptop owners would agree that this list covers the major features to look for in a MacBook, so you can agree that the MacBook Air is no underpowered pushover.

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/similarities-between-macbook-air-and-macbook-pro.html

Find Fonts for Web Design Online

Although you can upload any font you have to your own server and link to it, an online font repository offers many advantages, the font is stored on the repository’s servers and it provides the CSS to include the font in your site.

Online font repositories also take care of any licensing issues. Fonts, much like images, are generally protected by copyright law; be sure that you have permission before uploading a font and making it available on the web.

You can start by using the fonts available from the Google Font Directory or from Font Squirrel, as described in this list:

• Google Font Directory: The Google Font Directory lets you easily use any font in the directory on your web pages. In the sections that follow, you find detailed instructions for using a font from the Google Font Directory in your page designs.

  
  



• Font Squirrel: FontSquirrel makes it easy to use any number of free fonts on your web pages. Essentially, the folks at Font Squirrel have collected all the best free fonts (again, no worries about licensing issues). To include one of these free fonts, just download a font-face kit.

  
  

  Font Squirrel also has one of the best font generators online. If you have a custom font, use the font generator to generate the four font types and the code you need in order to use any font on your web pages.

  
  

  For instance, when we created a site for Intel, we put its font through the generator on Font Squirrel and then were able to use the custom-created “Intel font” rather than an image of its logo. Note: Font Squirrel requires that you have permission to use a font before you upload it and run it through its generator.

  
  

The Apple iOS supports True Type Fonts (TTF) and Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) versions of a font. Because TTF and SVG are vector based, they can be scaled up or down with no loss of quality, making them an ideal choice. TTF files are generally smaller. If a user has an iOS older than 4.2, the device downloads and uses the SVG automatically rather than use the TTF.

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/find-fonts-for-web-design-online.html

Purchase Lenses and Accessories for Macro and Close-Up Photography

Perhaps the actual level of magnification isn’t a priority when you’re composing digital photographs, but it’s still a good idea to understand what macro photography is and what separates it from close-up photography of less magnification.

When you gain experience with this genre, you develop an idea of what sort of magnification levels are necessary to reveal sufficient detail in subjects based on their sizes. You know whether you need a macro shot or can get away with less.

When photographing subjects that are smaller than your camera’s digital sensor, the ability to capture magnification ratios of 1:1 or greater is a very useful tool. The closer you can get to tiny subjects, the better. If you know you’re capable of achieving true macro shots and how to get there, then you’ll have an easier time creating images with the highest level of quality details.

Plus, you know how to handle yourself when faced with a salesman who’s trying to give you the runaround. Understanding how macro and close-up photo equipment works enables you to make the right purchase decisions instead of taking someone’s word for it.

A camera salesman wants to sell you equipment. If you say you’re interested in shooting macro shots of flowers, but you’re not looking to spend a fortune, then the salesman will most likely sell you something that’s not right for you.

Macro lenses are generally expensive, but they don’t want to lose the sale, so instead they may sell you on something that’s cheaper and less effective. At best you’ll end up with a “macro” zoom lens that provides a 1:4 ratio, but you won’t be capturing any life-size images of flowers with it.

By knowing the right questions to ask and the right information to give, you can get better service at your local camera supply store. Let the salespeople know if you want to have true macro-specific gear or if you would be comfortable with something of lesser magnification capabilities.

Discuss the lenses you have already and find out whether there are any accessories that can be used in conjunction with them to create macro ratios.

An ignorant customer might be content with whatever the salesman sells him. Let the salesperson know that you’re knowledgeable on the topic so he knows you’re serious about getting gear that’s appropriate for you.

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/purchase-lenses-and-accessories-for-macro-and-clos.html

Creating an E-Mail Message in Outlook

In many ways, electronic mail is better than regular paper mail (also known to Email aficionados as snail mail). Email is delivered much faster than paper mail — almost instantaneously. (Speedy delivery is really handy for last-minute birthday greetings, if you're inclined miss an important date now and then.) Email is also incredibly cheap; in fact, it's free most of the time.

The quick and dirty way to create a message

Creating a new message is insanely easy. You can probably figure it out without any help, but here's a hint: Start Outlook, click the New button, enter an address in the To box, a subject in the Subject box, a message in the message box, and click Send. (Nailed that one, didn't you? Was that easy or what?)

The slow, complete way to create a message

You may prefer a more detailed approach to creating an Email message. If you have a yen for fancy Email — especially if you want to take advantage of every bell and whistle Outlook can add to your message — follow these steps:

1. Click the Mail button in the Navigation Pane (or press Ctrl+1).

The Email Inbox appears.

2. Choose File—>New—>Mail Message (or press Ctrl+N).

The New Message form appears.

3. Click the To text box and type the Email address of the person to whom you're sending your message.

You can also click the To button itself, find the name of the person to whom you're sending the message in the Address Book, and then click OK.

4. Click the Cc text box and type the Email addresses of the people to whom you want to send a copy of your message.

If you're sending messages to multiple people, separate their addresses; you can use either commas or semicolons.

5. Type the subject of the message in the Subject box.

Your subject can be quite long, but keep it brief. A snappy, relevant subject line makes someone want to read your message; a long or weird subject line doesn't. (Well, you never know with a weird subject line — but don't send weird Email at the office unless everybody does.)

6. Type the text of your message in the text box.

If you use Microsoft Word as your word processor, you can also set up Outlook to use Word as your Email editor. You can include formatting, graphics, tables, and all the tricks available in Word to make your Email more attractive.

When you use Word as an Email editor, you don't do anything different — you just see the Word toolbars in the Outlook Email form when you're creating Email. You can use all the tools you see to add formatting to your Email. If you're completely at home with Microsoft Word, you can just create messages in Word and send them right out without even opening Outlook. Simply type a message in Word by choosing File—>Send To—>Mail Recipient, type an address and subject, and then click Send.

Be careful how you format Email to send to people on the Internet. Not all Email systems can handle graphics or formatted text, such as boldface or italics, so the masterpiece of correspondence art that you send to your client on the Internet may arrive as gibberish. If you don't know what the other person has on his or her computer, go light on the graphics. When you're sending Email to your colleagues in the same office, or if you're sure the person you're sending to also has Outlook, the formatting and graphics should look fine.

7. Click the Send button.

Your mail is sent to the Outbox. If you're on an office network, your mail automatically goes from your Outbox to the Inbox of the person to whom you're sending the message. If you're using an online service such as MSN or CompuServe, press F5 to send the Email message along.

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/creating-an-email-message-in-outlook.html

Magic Wand Tool in Photoshop Elements 10

The Magic Wand tool is one of the oldest tools in the world of digital imaging. This beloved tool has been around since Photoshop was in its infancy and Elements was not yet a twinkle in Adobe’s eye. It’s extremely easy to use, but a little harder to predict what selection results it will present.

Here’s how it works: You click inside the image, and the Magic Wand tool makes a selection. This selection is based on the color of the pixel you clicked. If other pixels are similar in color to your target pixel, Elements includes them in the selection.

What’s sometimes hard to predict, however, is how to determine how similar the color has to be to get the Magic Wand tool to select it. Fortunately, that’s where the Tolerance setting comes in.

The Tolerance setting determines the range of color that the Magic Wand tool selects. It’s based on brightness levels that range from 0 to 255:

• Setting the Tolerance to 0 selects one color only.

  
  



• Setting the Tolerance to 255 selects all colors, or the whole image.

  
  

The default setting is 32, so whenever you click a pixel, Elements analyzes the value of that base color and then selects all pixels whose brightness levels are between 16 levels lighter and 16 levels darker.

What if an image contains a few shades of the same color? It’s not a huge problem. You can make multiple clicks of the Magic Wand to pick up additional pixels that you want to include in the selection. Or, you can try a higher Tolerance setting. Conversely, if your wand selects too much, you can also lower your Tolerance setting.

So, you can see that the Magic Wand tool works best when you have high-contrast images or images with a limited number of colors. For example, the optimum image for the Wand would be a solid black object on a white background. Skip the wand if the image has a ton of colors and no real definitive contrast between your desired element and the background.

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/magic-wand-tool-in-photoshop-elements-10.html

Getting Help from Others to Avoid a Foreclosure

3 of 4 in Series:
The Essentials of Foreclosure Self-Defense

Your most valuable assets during the foreclosure process are people who can help you — including friends, family, and professionals. Before or during the foreclosure process, you should draw up a list of people you can lean on.

Before you even start missing mortgage payments, your bank has a plan in place to deal with the situation and collect on the debt. You need your own plan to counter that attack. Are you going to try to save your home? Do you want to sell it to get out from under the burden? Who can help answer your questions or assist with financial or other obligations during the foreclosure process?

Your list is likely to include the following:

• Friends and relatives with money: Your mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, or rich aunt or uncle may be in a position to assist you financially by loaning you the money you need to catch up on payments or redeem your property. Don’t hesitate to ask for assistance. After all, if you were in a position to help a friend or relative in the same situation, wouldn’t you want him to ask you for help?

  
  



• Friends and relatives without money: Even if your friends and relatives are not well off financially, they can assist in other ways, such as watching your kids so you can work overtime, cooking meals for you and your family, or offering moral support.

  
  



• Bank representative: Although you may see the foreclosing bank as your bitter enemy, the bank’s representative or attorney may be your biggest ally or at least the person who can offer the most assistance. She may give you a few extra weeks to get your money together or work out a payment plan with you.

  
  



• Real estate agent: A real estate agent may be able to sell your house for you before you lose it and all the equity you have in it. Even if you don’t plan on selling your home, contact a real estate agent to explore this option.

  
  



• Register of deeds: Your county’s register of deeds is likely to be reluctant in offering any advice, but the person may be able to refer you to others who can assist you.

  
  



• Sheriff: If the county sheriff is in charge of handling the foreclosure sale, he may be willing to explain to you how the system works and provide you with some valuable information.

  
  



• Bankruptcy attorney: Filing for bankruptcy may be your best option. Depending on your situation, you can either liquidate assets under Chapter 7 bankruptcy and have all debts erased, or reorganize under Chapter 13 bankruptcy to pay off as much debt as reasonable and possibly even save your home.

  
  



• Foreclosure attorney: A qualified attorney who has experience in foreclosures in your area is the ultimate go-to guy or gal, assuming you can afford the services. The attorney can review your mortgage, note, and other legal documents; inform you of your rights; let you know when the lender has failed to adhere to the rules and regulations in your jurisdiction; and represent you in court.

  
  

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/getting-help-from-others-to-avoid-a-foreclosure.html

Cause Marketing Resources: Twitter Handles

You can keep up with current thinking and events regarding cause marketing on Twitter if you are following the right people. Here are some cause marketing Twitter handles to follow to keep your Twitter stream teeming with learning:

• 
  

  Twitter.com/MeganStrand: Megan Strand is the blogger at Incouraged, a blog that explores issues pertaining to cause marketing and social responsibility. She's also Director of Communications for Cause Marketing Forum, the leading organization for cause marketers. She's the leading woman behind its website, blog, newsletter, and twitter handle. As if she weren’t busy enough, Megan was also the technical editor of this book.

  
  


• 
  

  Twitter.com/RealizedWorth: Chris Jarvis works on the employee engagement side of cause marketing helping companies connect with communities through volunteering and social media.

  
  


• 
  

  Twitter.com/GeoffLiving: Geoff Livingston isn't a practicing cause marketer, but he has excellent insights on cause marketing, its contribution to society, and how it intersects with social media.

  
  


• 
  

  Twitter.com/ScottyHendo: Scott Henderson blogs at Rallythecause.com and has led several high-profile campaigns, including Pledge to End Hunger, which helped Tyson Foods deliver 560,000 meals to four different cities for children in need and raised $28,000 for Share Our Strength. In 2010, he and his team at CauseShift launched We Can End This, a yearlong initiative to spark innovation and create real, tangible solutions to end hunger in America.

  
  


• 
  

  Twitter.com/SchneiderMike: Mike Schneider helps battle cancer each year by growing a mustache and raising money during "Movember". The rest of the year, Mike is a go to guy on location-based services and marketing. That might be why Wiley Publishing chose him and location-based pro Aaron Strout to write Location-Based Marketing For Dummies.

  
  


• 
  

  Twitter.com/Cone: Recommending Cone is like suggesting a bunch of great people, not just one. Cone is a leading cause branding firm. Cone tweets insights and research on cause marketing and corporate responsibility. Combine Cone LLC’s tweets with its weekly newsletter and blog, and you can brag to people that you are a cause marketing know-it-all. An active twitterer at Cone is Sarah Kerkian who leads their insights and research group.

  
  


• 
  

  Twitter.com/JocelyneDaw: Jocelyne is the author of key books for cause marketers: Cause Marketing for Nonprofits and Breakthrough Nonprofit Branding, (Wiley), with Carol Cone.

  
  


• 
  

  Twitter.com/TweetCMF: The cause marketing handle for Cause Marketing Forum, the leading organization for cause marketers.

  
  


• 
  

  Twitter.com/3BLmedia: 3BL tweets the latest in Cause Marketing News, CSR, and Sustainability.

  
  


• 
  

  Twitter.com/PhilipsMcCarty: Phil is often called the Godfather of Cause Marketing because he played such an instrumental early role in the development of St. Jude Children’s Hospital Thanks and Giving cause marketing program, which raises tens of millions of dollars each year. Phil now shares his successful practices with some of the largest causes in the country.

  
  


• 
  

  Twitter.com/GoodConcepts: Brian Powell is a Dallas-based cause marketer who is the managing director of cause marketing agency Patron.

  
  


• 
  

  Twitter.com/ MCCaliber: Maureen Carlson is a very knowledgeable hospital cause marketer that started the cause marketing program at City of Hope. She works with hospitals around the country on cause marketing and corporate partnerships.

  
  


• 
  

  Twitter.com/Kanter: Beth Kanter is bona fide rock star in the nonprofit world. While her blog, Beth’s Blog, focuses on how nonprofits are powering change with social media, cause marketing is an area of interest as well. Cause marketing and social media will grow in tandem and that Beth has a lot to offer these fields. As a star in these areas of focus, she attracts many other great minds that you’ll also learn from.

  
  


• 
  

  Twitter.com/BrighterCause: Led by two talented strategists, Mindy and Megan, Brighter World Cause Marketing is a cause marketing and copywriting consultancy.

  
  


• 
  

  Twitter.com/KatyaAnderson: Katya is author of Robin Hood Marketing: Stealing Corporate Savvy to Sell Just Causes (Jossey-Bass).

  
  


• 
  

  Twitter.com/MikeSwenson: Mike is president of Kansas City-based Barkley, an advertising agency that specializes in cause marketing. Its campaigns include Lee National Denim Day for breast cancer.

  
  


• 
  

  Twitter.com/IEG: IEG is a global authority on sponsorship, a close ally of cause marketing. IEG also discusses cause marketing and has some talented staff that write on the subject.

  
  


• 
  

  Twitter.com/JoinRed: Product (RED) is pure-play cause marketing. It’s pretty much all it does. If you're in to cause marketing, you gotta see red.

  
  

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/cause-marketing-resources-twitter-handles.html

Moving the Cell Cursor in Excel 2010 Spreadsheets

Excel 2010 offers a wide variety of keystrokes for moving the cell cursor to a new cell. When you use one of these keystrokes, the program automatically scrolls a new part of the worksheet into view, if this is required to move the cell pointer.

The following table summarizes these keystrokes, including how far each one moves the cell pointer from its starting position.

Keystroke	Where the Cell Cursor Moves
Right arrow or Tab	Cell to the immediate right.
Left arrow or Shift+Tab	Cell to the immediate left.
Up arrow	Cell up one row.
Down arrow	Cell down one row.
Home	Cell in Column A of the current row.
Ctrl+Home	First cell (A1) of the worksheet.
Ctrl+End or End, Home	Cell in the worksheet at the intersection of the last column that has data in it and the last row that has data in it (that is, the last cell of the so-called active area of the worksheet).
Page Up	Cell one full screen up in the same column.
Page Down	Cell one full screen down in the same column.
Ctrl+Right arrow or End, Right arrow	First occupied cell to the right in the same row that is either preceded or followed by a blank cell. If no cell is occupied, the pointer goes to the cell at the very end of the row.
Ctrl+Left arrow or End, Left arrow	First occupied cell to the left in the same row that is either preceded or followed by a blank cell. If no cell is occupied, the pointer goes to the cell at the very beginning of the row.
Ctrl+Up arrow or End, Up arrow	First occupied cell above in the same column that is either preceded or followed by a blank cell. If no cell is occupied, the pointer goes to the cell at the very top of the column.
Ctrl+Down arrow or End, Down arrow	First occupied cell below in the same column that is either preceded or followed by a blank cell. If no cell is occupied, the pointer goes to the cell at the very bottom of the column.
Ctrl+Page Down	The cell pointer’s location in the next worksheet of that workbook.
Ctrl+Page Up	The cell pointer’s location in the previous worksheet of that workbook.

When moving the cell cursor by using the keystrokes listed in the table, keep the following helpful hints in mind:

• In the case of those keystrokes that use arrow keys, you must either use the arrows on the cursor keypad or else have the Num Lock disengaged on the numeric keypad of your keyboard.

  
  



• The keystrokes that combine the Ctrl or End key with an arrow key are among the most helpful for moving quickly from one edge to the other in large tables of cell entries or for moving from table to table in a section of a worksheet with many blocks of cells.

  
  



• When you use Ctrl and an arrow key to move from edge to edge in a table or between tables in a worksheet, you hold down Ctrl while you press one of the four arrow keys.

  
  



• When you use End and an arrow-key alternative, you must press and then release the End key before you press the arrow key. Pressing and releasing the End key causes the End Mode indicator to appear on the Status bar. This is your sign that Excel is ready for you to press one of the four arrow keys.

  
  

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/moving-the-cell-cursor-in-excel-2010-spreadsheets.html

Trig Identities for Pre-Calculus

Of course you use trigonometry, commonly called trig, in pre-calculus. And you use trig identities as constants throughout an equation to help you solve problems. The always-true, never-changing trig identities are grouped by subject in the following lists:

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/trig-identities-for-precalculus.html

Commodity Investments: How Do You Measure Natural Gas?

Measuring natural gas can be confusing because multiple measurement methods exist for the commodity. These measurements basically boil down to how much physical natural gas there is and how much energy the natural gas generates.

Whereas crude oil is measured in barrels (each barrel contains 42 gallons of oil), natural gas is measured in cubic feet. Recall from chemistry class that a cubic foot is a measure of volume for a square prism with six sides, each 1 foot in length. (The technical name for this shape is a regular hexahedron, but you can simply think of it as the shape of a sugar cube!)

Because natural gas is in a gaseous state, it’s easier to measure it in cubic feet. Sometimes natural gas is converted into liquid form, known as liquefied natural gas (LNG), LNG is also measured in cubic feet.

The abbreviation for cubic feet is cf (both letters are lower case). Therefore, 10 cubic feet is abbreviated as 10 cf. To have practical applications, cubic feet must be able to measure large amounts of volume. Consider the abbreviations for measuring larger volume amounts of cubic feet:

• 100 cubic feet: 1 Ccf

  
  



• 1,000 cubic feet: 1 Mcf

  
  



• 1 million cubic feet: 1 Mmcf

  
  



• 1 billion cubic feet: 1 Bcf

  
  



• 1 trillion cubic feet: 1 Tcf

  
  

Note that cf is always in lower case, and the first letter of the abbreviation is always capitalized. Many futures contracts based on natural gas are measured in cubic feet.

Natural gas can also be measured by the amount of energy it generates. This energy content is captured by a unit of measurement known as the British thermal unit, or Btu. One Btu measures the amount of heat necessary to increase the temperature of 1 pound of water by 1°F.

To put it in perspective, 1 cf is the equivalent of 1,027 Btu. British thermal units, sometimes called therms, may appear on your gas bill to express the amount of natural gas your household consumed during a particular period of time.

For investment purposes, however, natural gas is generally quantified by using cubic feet.

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/commodity-investments-how-do-you-measure-natural-g.html

How to Maintain a Laptop Battery

Your laptop’s battery won’t last forever no matter how you maintain it. But it may last just a little longer than otherwise if you follow a few basic maintenance practices. There’s very little you need to do to maintain a laptop’s battery. Maintaining the laptop’s battery is easy.

• When you’re storing a laptop for a long time (say, more than a month), remove the battery and store it separately. That way, if the battery leaks, it doesn’t wreck the laptop.

  
  



• When storing a battery, put it in a dry location where it won’t be disturbed or come into contact with metal.

  
  



• A battery not used for a period of time loses its charge.

  
  



• Do not throw away old batteries! Always dispose of a computer battery properly, according to the hazardous waste regulations for your locality.

  
  



• Never drop a laptop battery, get it wet, open it, or place it in a fire.

  
  



• Generally speaking, don’t do anything to the battery that an intoxicated person would do, especially just before they would say, “Hey, check this out.”

  
  



• Keep the battery’s temperature even. Avoid situations where the battery may get too hot or too cold. Like Goldilocks, your laptop battery likes temperatures that are just right.

  
  



• The longer you own the laptop and use its battery, the less performance you’ll see from it. After about three years, buy your laptop a replacement battery and use it. Dispose of the original battery in the manner proper for your locale.

  
  

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-maintain-a-laptop-battery.html

M&A Offering Document: Recurring Revenue and Customer Concentration

Recurring revenue is always a plus for a company, and Sellers are wise to mention the amount of recurring revenue in the M&A offering document because it may increase Buyer interest and therefore the offer price.

Another metric, customer concentration, is the opposite of recurring revenue. If a company has highly concentrated sales (large amounts of sales with one customer or a small number of customers), Buyers may be less inclined to pursue a deal or offer a high price.

Customer concentration is a bit of a slippery eel to grasp and define, but generally speaking, if a single customer accounts for more than 20 percent of revenue, or if a small number of customers (three to five) accounts for more than 50 percent of revenue, the company may have a customer concentration issue.

If Seller doesn’t have a concentration issue, that’s a key selling point definitely worth mentioning, if not touting, in the offering document. If Buyer cannot ascertain any customer concentration issues (after reading the offering document), Buyer should make a point to ask Seller about customer concentration during a follow-up phone call or e-mail.

If you do have a customer-concentration issue, try to mitigate that issue. For example, if a single customer accounts for 40 percent of revenues but is a large, multinational conglomerate with multiple decision-makers in multiple offices, point out this distinction to Buyer.

In this example, you can argue that 40 percent of revenue is not under the control of a single decision-maker, thus mitigating some of the risk of the concentration.

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Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/ma-offering-document-recurring-revenue-and-custome.html

Add an Image to a Spotify Get Satisfaction Query

In some cases, you might want to add an image to your Spotify Get Satisfaction query that illustrates your problem better than words can. Uploading an image that illustrates your problem might help others solve it faster. Follow these steps to do it in Windows:

1. Get your problem to show up on your computer screen and press Print Screen to capture it.

   
   



2. Open Windows Paint.

   
   

   You can type Paint into your Windows search bar to find it.

   
   



3. Paste in the screen capture by typing Ctrl+V.

   
   



4. Click the Save icon in Paint and choose to save it as a .jpg file.

   
   



5. Go to Get Satisfaction and upload the image by clicking Add Image below the Add Some Details box and then browsing to the image you just saved.

   
   

Get Satisfaction accepts only images that are 2MB or less in size. Your capture should end up being around 500KB.

If you want to crop it in order to zoom in on a particular problem, then you need to copy the selection and save it as a new file. You can get full instructions on how to crop an image in Paint.

For Mac OS X users, you can use the built-in Grab program (in Applications) to conduct a screen capture of a window or a selected crop, and then save it to your computer.

However, Grab saves images as TIFF files, and you can’t upload this file format to the website. So, you need to convert the TIFF to a JPG by using your image-editing software. Open the file in Preview, and then choose File→Save As. In the Format drop-down list of the Save As dialog box that appears, select JPG, and then click Save.

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Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/add-an-image-to-a-spotify-get-satisfaction-query.html

How to Photograph Backlit Subjects

When the sun illuminates the back of your subject, it is backlit. When your camera meters for a backlit subject or object, it is much darker than the rest of the scene. You can deal with a backlit object in a couple of ways:

• Use exposure compensation to increase the exposure. This option brightens the entire image, which results in some of the image being overexposed. If the natural bright vignette is not a problem, this is an ideal solution.

  
  



• Bounce some light toward your subject. Use a makeshift or commercial reflector to bounce light toward your subject. This solution won’t work if you’re photographing an animal. The mere presence of the reflector will spook the animal.

  
  



• Use a Better Beamer on faraway subjects. This is a flash extender you can use with an auxiliary flash unit while using a telephoto lens. The Better Beamer has a Fresnel lens at the end of an extension, which magnifies the power of the flash and causes it to illuminate objects at greater distances. Bird photographers use it to photograph nesting birds.

  
  



• Use exposure compensation to underexpose the image. This option puts your subject in silhouette. When creating a silhouette, it’s okay to underexpose the picture. Just make sure you have nothing in the background that is large and will also be a silhouette. You don't want it to compete with your subject for the viewer’s attention.

  
  

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Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-photograph-backlit-subjects.html

Juicing Up Your Robot with Batteries

When you're ready to make your robot move, it's time to consider the full battery of options. Size, strength, and lasting power are all factors to take into account when making your selection. Not to mention the price tag. Figure 1 displays an array of batteries for your consideration — including those so-called "terribly expensive" rechargeable types.

Figure 1: Battery options galore.

Those batteries you buy at the grocery store

Little pink bunnies marching around your TV screen aside, alkaline batteries have a shorter lifetime than a politician's promises. These batteries are everywhere, and everyone has a junk drawer full of them. Why do we buy these relatively short-lived beauties? The main reason is that they're initially cheaper than rechargeable types and don't require an expensive charger.

An alkaline battery will often last longer and have a higher voltage than a single cycle of a rechargeable battery, but after the charge is gone, that's it. For that reason, it's time to put the notion of alkaline batteries being a better value to sleep for good by realizing the benefits of rechargeable batteries.

Regardless of the advantages of rechargeable batteries on your pocketbook, alkaline batteries will work just fine in your robot.

NiCd batteries

A dying technology called NiCd, or nickel cadmium, offers rechargeable technology but has some downsides. They're bad news for landfills and also suffer from something called the memory effect. The memory effect causes a problem if you charge the battery before it's completely discharged. Essentially, the battery will charge only a percentage of its total capacity and eventually loses the capability to fully charge. Bottom line: don't even consider NiCd batteries for your robot.

NiMH batteries

A newer rechargeable battery technology is nickel metal hydride (NiMH). This type of battery has greater capacity than the older NiCd battery, and it doesn't suffer from memory effect.

The main disadvantages to NiMH batteries are that they're expensive and require a charger made specifically for them. But a careful look reveals the truth behind the cost-value tradeoff for this type of battery.

Consider this: Say your robot project requires eight AA batteries. This costs about $6 for nonrechargeable alkaline batteries or about $25 for NiMH rechargeable batteries, plus another $25 for a charger.

Rechargeables sound expensive, huh? Not so. In this scenario, if you replace the alkaline batteries ten times, you've spent $60. Buying NiMH batteries and the charger would cost you $50 — and your batteries would still have hundreds of recharge cycles left. After 100 cycles, alkaline cells would cost $600, and NiMH batteries would still have put you out only $50.

These calculations disregard the negligible cost of electricity for charging, but even so you're still way ahead with rechargeables.

Generally, the lighter the batteries, the less work your robot requires to move around and, therefore, the longer your battery life. NiCd batteries are usually the lightest but can be recharged only a limited number of times. NiMH batteries are heavier and can be charged many times. You can tell how much power a battery will supply by their amp-hour (Ah) rating. For example, a 7Ah battery can supply 1 amp for 7 hours or 7 amps for 1 hour or 28 amps for 15 minutes.

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Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/juicing-up-your-robot-with-batteries.html