How to Fly Carbon Neutral: An Eco-Friendly Travel Option

To make up for some of the environmental damage done by when you fly, consider making the trip carbon neutral. This involves calculating how much your flight generates in greenhouse gas emissions and buying a certificate or share in a project that aims to reduce emissions by that same amount.

Many of these carbon offset programs or projects involve tree planting because trees have a huge capacity to absorb carbon from the atmosphere. They’re not the only choices, however; others involve everything from supporting solar and wind power to replacing fossil fuel–burning stoves in developing countries with more sustainable energy sources. There also are programs in which you pay for energy-efficient appliances or energy conservation schemes in developing countries.

Making your flight carbon neutral is certainly a positive step, but there’s a limit to how effective carbon offsetting programs can be; after all, there’s a finite amount of land on which to plant trees. It’s best to include the purchase of carbon offsets as one part of a personal green living strategy that includes reducing flights, too, rather than as a complete solution.

A growing number of airlines and other travel businesses are providing one-stop shopping for carbon offsets, making it very easy to purchase them. You can simply opt in at the time you purchase your ticket. (Some outfits even include the carbon offset in the ticket purchase price.) Other organizations are making independent carbon offset programs available, which is an excellent option if you have specific ideas about what you’d like to support.

When you’re choosing a carbon offset provider, don’t be afraid to ask questions or research the program’s background thoroughly.

Consider selecting a nonprofit organization to ensure that your money and support go to carbon offsetting programs rather than contribute to a business’s profitability. Also make sure that you’re supporting a program that wouldn’t have been possible without the carbon offset scheme. Otherwise, you’re not actually contributing to an additional program; you’re simply paying for something that was going to happen anyway. To make your purchase go further, look for programs that actually reduce the amount of carbon that’s produced in the first place rather than simply trying to take out what’s in the atmosphere. For example, some programs are helping to make charcoal or wood-burning cookstoves in developing nations more efficient — this not only reduces the carbon that the stoves release but also helps to conserve a precious natural resource.

Sustainable Travel International offers a selection of carbon offset programs that independent experts have examined to make sure they meet criteria such as these. Sustainable Travel calculates carbon offsets for your flights; you simply enter your departure and destination airport, and it lets you know what the carbon dioxide emissions related to that flight will be and how much it will cost to offset them. For example, a one-way flight between New York and Paris produces 1.3 tons of carbon dioxide, which costs $20 to offset.

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Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-fly-carbon-neutral-an-ecofriendly-travel-op.html

Using the Outlook Express Address Book

One of the most common reasons people dare to venture forth onto the Internet is to use electronic mail — e-mail, as it's called. Internet Explorer 6 comes with a companion program known as Outlook Express, a handy e-mail program that lets you send and receive electronic messages to and from your friends on the Internet.

Most Internet users have a relatively small number of people with whom they exchange e-mail on a regular basis. Rather than retype their addresses every time you send e-mail to these people, you can store your most commonly used addresses in the Outlook Express Address Book. As an added benefit, the Address Book enables you to refer to your e-mail friends by name (for example, George Jetson) rather than by address (george@spacely.com).

Adding a name to the Address Book

Before you can use the Address Book, you must add the names of your e-mail correspondents to it. The best time to add someone to the Address Book is after you receive e-mail from that person. Here's the procedure:

1. Open an e-mail message from someone whose e-mail address you want to add to the Address Book.

Outlook Express displays the message.

2. Right-click the user's name and then choose Add to Address Book.

A dialog box similar to the one shown in Figure 1 appears, describing the person's e-mail address information.

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Figure 1: The Summary tab lists contact information.

3. If the summary information is incorrect, click the Name tab. Then type the correct address information in the appropriate fields.

Figure 2 shows the dialog box that appears after you click the Name tab. In some cases, these fields may already correctly contain the person's name. More often, however, the First field contains the person's e-mail address and the Middle and Last fields are blank.

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Figure 2: Adding an address to the Address book.

As you type the first, middle, and last names, Outlook Express automatically fills in the complete name in the Display field. For example, if you type George in the First field and Jetson in the Last field, the Display field is automatically set to George Jetson.

4. Click OK.

The address shows up in the Address Book.

5. Close the message.

Thereafter, you can access the person's address in the Address Book.

You can configure Outlook Express to automatically add addresses to your Address Book whenever you reply to a message. To accomplish this feat of automation, choose Tools --> Options, click the Send tab, select the Automatically Put People I Reply to in My Address Book option, and then click OK.

For those times when you want to add to your Address Book someone who hasn't sent you e-mail yet, follow these steps:

1. In Outlook Express, choose Tools --> Address Book.

Or, click the Addresses button (the button that looks like an open book) or press Ctrl+Shift+B. One way or the other, the Address Book window appears, as shown in Figure 3.

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Figure 3: The Address Book main window.

2. Click the New button (the button that looks like a notched index card); then, choose New Contact from the menu that appears.

If you prefer, you can choose File --> New Contact or press Ctrl+N. In any event, the Properties dialog box appears (refer to Figure 2).

3. Type the information for the new Address Book entry.

Type, at a minimum, the person's first and last name and e-mail address. If you want, you can include additional information, such as phone numbers and addresses under the Home, Business, Personal, and Other tabs.

4. Click OK.

The Address Book adds your new entry.

Sending a message to someone in the Address Book

To send a message to a user who's already in the Address Book, follow these steps:

1. In the New Message window, click the little Address Book icon next to the To field.

The Select Recipients dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 4.

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Figure 4: The Select Recipients dialog box.

2. Double-click the name of the person to whom you want to send e-mail.

The person's name appears on the To list, on the right side of the dialog box. If double-clicking is against your religion, just click once on the person's name and then click the To button.

You can add more than one name to the To list. You can also add names to the Cc or Bcc lists by clicking the Cc or Bcc buttons, respectively. (Bcc stands for blind carbon copy; names you add to the Bcc list receive a copy of the message, but other recipients of the message don't know that a copy was sent to the Bcc recipient.)

3. After you have selected all the names you want, click OK.

Poof! You're back at the New Message dialog box, and the names you selected appear in the To, Cc, and Bcc fields.

Changing or deleting Address Book entries

On occasion, one of your e-mail buddies switches Internet Service Providers and gives his new Internet address to you. Or, you may lose touch with someone and decide to remove her name from your Address Book. Either way, the following steps guide you through the process of keeping your Address Book up to date:

1. From Outlook Express, click the Addresses button or choose Tools --> Address Book.

The Address Book dialog box appears (refer to Figure 3).

2. Click the address you want to change or delete.

3. To delete the address, click the Delete button.

Or, if you prefer, you can right-click the name and then choose Delete from the shortcut menu.

4. To change the address, click the Properties button.

After the Properties dialog box appears, make any necessary changes and then click OK.

5. Click OK when you're finished.

>
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Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/using-the-outlook-express-address-book.html

Getting Your Body Fit for Wrestling

Getting and keeping your body in the best condition possible can help you reach your full potential as a wrestler. If you’re in shape and physically fit, you can better handle moves your opponent may try on you during a match. Here are some fundamental aspects of fitness and wellness that can help you stay fit during your wrestling season:

• 
  

  Rest: Getting plenty of good-quality rest is critical to your success on the mat. Take at least one day off a week during the season, and get 8 hours of sleep every night. Practices and training shouldn’t last more than 150 minutes during the season.

  
  


• 
  

  Disease prevention: Closely check your skin every day for discoloration, swelling, areas of tenderness, and changes in texture. Scrub your body with antibacterial soap and wash your practice gear daily. Never share shirts, shorts, towels, or headgear with teammates. Impetigo, herpes, and ringworm are just a few of the skin diseases common to wrestlers that you can prevent by following these simple steps.

  
  


• 
  

  Endurance: All wrestlers need to build their endurance if they want to be successful; in other words, you need to build your heart’s capacity for maintaining intense levels of exercise over time. To be ready for competition, you need to be able to run or ride an exercise bike continuously at moderate intensity for 40 minutes.

  
  


• 
  

  Strength training: You and your coach need to develop training programs that increase the maximum amount of force your muscles can exert against resistance. Your muscles get stronger when you experience momentary muscular failure (the point at which you can’t accomplish any more repetitions of an exercise). The point of momentary muscular failure should occur on the 11th or 12th repetition of an exercise in the 2nd and 3rd set of a 3-set/12-repetition strength building plan. Some great fundamental strength training exercises include the bench press, shoulder press, triceps extensions, upright rows, pull-ups, leg extensions, leg curls, and arm curls.

  
  


• 
  

  Flexibility: To become an agile wrestler with quick feet, you need to increase the ability of your muscles and joints to move through their full range of motion. You can develop your flexibility by doing light dynamic loosening exercises followed by stretching exercises before and after each practice. Dynamic loosening exercises include lunges, walking toe touches, high-knee jogging, lateral jogging, carioca jogging, and arm circles. As for stretching, focus on stretching the main muscle groups (hamstrings, quadriceps, hip flexors, lower back, shoulders, gluteal muscles, and neck); hold each stretch for 15 to 30 seconds.

  
  


• 
  

  Nutrition: You need to understand how carbohydrates, proteins, and fats affect your wrestling ability and training during exercise, after exercise, and before exercise. While the dietary needs of each athlete depend on a variety of factors, including age and gender, a good rule of thumb is to try to eat a diet consisting of 50 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent protein, and 20 percent fats.

  
  


• 
  

  Hydration: Approximately 75 percent of your body is water. Because of the weight classifications in wrestling, you need to make sure you get the right amount of fluids before, during, and after exercise. Drink 2 to 3 cups of water four hours prior to exercise, 2 cups two hours before exercise, 2 cups 30 minutes before exercise and 1/2 cup of water every 15 minutes during exercise. After exercise, drink 2 cups of water for each pound lost during exercise.

  
  


• 
  

  Concussion: A head injury is a brain injury. So make sure to have a medical professional check you out right away after you suffer any type of head injury. Your doctor must also clear you before you can take to the mat again.

  
  

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Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/getting-your-body-fit-for-wrestling.html

How to Assess Internal Control Procedures

During an audit, you have to assess your client’s control risk. This audit procedure involves evaluating control risk, which means you need to find out as much as you can about your client’s internal control procedures. Auditing those procedures involves several steps:

• Consider external factors: Uncover as much as you can about environmental and external influences that may affect the company, such as the state of the economy, changes in technology, the potential effect of any laws and regulations, and changes in generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) that relate to the client’s type of business.

  
  

  External changes (such as technological or GAAP changes) may decrease your reliance on the company’s internal controls, unless the client can demonstrate that it has modified internal controls in response to the changes.

  
  



• Evaluate how management assesses its controls: The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (requires that management of publicly traded companies create a written self-assessment document at this stage, which demonstrates how well it believes its internal controls are working.

  
  

  Your evaluation of how well management thinks its internal controls work during the initiating, authorizing, recording, and reporting of significant accounts can help you identify areas where material misstatements due to error (mistake) or fraud (intentional) could occur — thus increasing your efficiency during an audit of a private company.

  
  



• When reviewing the self-assessment, keep the following points in mind:

  
  
  
  

  • Management should take a close look at the controls for significant accounts.

    
    
  
  

  • If the company has many business units or locations, management should come up with a logical game plan as to which units and locations it looks at.

    
    
  
  

  • Management should assess the design and operating effectiveness of its controls.

    
    
  
  
  
  



• Review management’s self-assessment: After management finishes its work, it’s your turn! You have to review management’s written assessment to come to your own conclusion about how well management is performing.

  
  



• Use questionnaires to evaluate internal controls: When evaluating your client’s internal controls, two questionnaires can help you gather important information for your assessment:

  
  
  
  

  • The first, created by your CPA firm and given to the client, consists of “yes” and “no” questions about the company’s operating structure. It also asks who performs each of the operating tasks so that you know which employee to pursue with your auditing questions.

    
    
  
  

  • The second questionnaire, which you fill out, documents your understanding of the client’s control environment. It covers topics such as the client’s commitment to competence, the assignment of authority and responsibilities, and human resources policies and procedures.

    
    
  
  
  
  



• Design your tests of controls: After you review management’s self-assessment and document your understanding, you design your tests of controls and decide which procedures to use while testing. Tests of controls over operating effectiveness should include the following five procedures:

  
  
  
  

  • Talk with the client: Ask questions ranging from how often performance reviews are carried out to segregation of duties to discover if policies and procedures allow the carrying out of management objectives.

    
    
  
  

  • Look at client documents: These source documents, such as invoices and loan paperwork, back up information on the financial statements.

    
    
  
  

  • Observe the client: You check out for yourself how the company operates. For example, you observe the procedures for opening mail and processing cash receipts to test the operating effectiveness of controls over cash receipts.

    
    
  
  

  • Conduct walkthroughs: A walkthrough refers to tracing a transaction from the original document to where the client includes it in the financial statements. You do this by questioning the client about the transaction, having staff members show you how they entered the transaction into the books, and inspecting the documents involved in the transaction.

    
    
  
  

  • Do reperformance: Reperformance means that you use the client’s source documents to check the client’s work by redoing it — such as totaling a line of numbers to see if you get the same grand total as the client.

    
    
  
  
  
  

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Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-assess-internal-control-procedures.html

Website Conversion Problems: Business Fundamentals

If your target business market arrives at a well-designed, well-functioning website and still doesn’t convert, you have to go back to basics. Are you offering the product or service they want, at a price they will pay? Are at least 30 percent of your visitors adding items to a shopping cart? Are more than 75 percent of those carts abandoned before reaching the first page of checkout?

Your conversion funnel statistics might tell you whether you need to modify your product or service offerings.

Here are some additional questions to ask yourself:

• Do you have enough merchandise on the site for selection purposes? Do you offer enough product options or features?

  
  



• Are your product prices competitive? What about shipping prices? Is the sales tax unexpected? Is using a promotion code complicated?

  
  



• Are you positioned correctly against your competition? Do you have a clearly stated value proposition that sets you apart from your competition? Are your expectations correct?

  
  



• Are your viewers researching online but buying offline from you or others? (If so, you might see multiple visits from the same user.)

  
  



• Are you reaching people at the right point in the sales cycle? (Again, you might see multiple visits from the same user.)

  
  



• Are you reaching the right decision-maker? Most B2B efforts close offline.

  
  



• Does your mobile site, if you have one, meet all the criteria for ease of use and easy purchase by phone?

  
  



• Do elements of your social media drive appropriately qualified prospects to your site?

  
  



• Are you effectively integrating your sales efforts with the rest of your social media and other web marketing for follow-through? A website can’t follow up on leads for you!

  
  

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Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/website-conversion-problems-business-fundamentals.html

Getting Started with Gluten-Free Baking Mixes

8 of 12 in Series:
The Essentials of Gluten-Free Baking Tips and Tricks

One of the best and most efficient ways to bake gluten-free is to make some mixes with a combination of gluten-free flours and starches. Then all you need to do is add some water, milk, and sometimes an egg or some oil; stir; and bake cakes, cookies, brownies, or breads.

With mixes in your pantry, you don’t need to feel stymied by a recipe that requests five different flours, four starches, and a gum or two. And best of all, you totally eliminate possible cross-contamination using mixes, especially if you don’t have a dedicated gluten-free kitchen!

Baking mixes, like baking recipes, are scientific formulas. You must measure carefully and accurately for best results. You measure many baking recipes using weights, and mixes are no exception.You really should weigh every ingredient.

You’ve no doubt used mixes in the past, so you’re familiar with the process; you just dump the mix into a bowl, add other ingredients, stir, pour the batter or dough into a pan, and bake.

Here are a few rules to follow when you’re creating your own mixes.

• Measure using a scale. Be sure that you weigh each flour ingredient separately for the most accurate results. Always zero out the scale after the bowl is on the scale, before you add each ingredient. If you don’t use a scale, always measure by spooning the flour or flour mix lightly into a measuring cup and leveling off the top with the back of a knife.

  
  



• Be sure all your ingredients are fresh. Baking powder, baking soda, and yeast all have expiration dates, beyond which they just don’t work as well. There’s no point in making all this effort and spending all this money on a mix, only to have it fail because your ingredients are too old.

  
  



• Try to use the exact ingredients the mix calls for. You can make some substitutions for food allergy reasons or if you can’t find a certain flour. For instance, you can substitute a flour with a similar protein content for another. When you make a substitute, be sure to do so by weight, not by volume. Try to weigh all flours, always!

  
  



• Always label the mixes. After mixes are mixed and stored in your pantry, you won’t be able to differentiate between a cookie mix and a high-protein bread flour mix. Mark the name of the mix, the date you made it, and instructions for use directly on the bag or container.

  
  



• Store the mixes in airtight containers in a cool, dry place. Flours are very absorbent and absorb excess moisture from the air when it’s very humid. And heat may affect the leavening properties of the baking soda or baking powder. Finally, some high-fat flours can become rancid in the presence of high heat and moisture.

  
  

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Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/getting-started-with-glutenfree-baking-mixes.html

Your PC’s Graphics System

The monitor may get all the attention, but it’s only the visible half of your computer’s graphics system. A graphics system produces the visuals that allow you to interact with your computer. The graphics system has two components:

• The monitor: The monitor is the dumb part. All it does is display information. The monitor lives outside the console, so it gets more attention than the true brains of the operation, the graphics adapter.

  
  



• The graphics adapter: The graphics adapter (also known as a video card) tells the monitor what to display and where, plus how many colors to use and the overall resolution of the image.

  
  

  It’s the graphics adapter that determines your PC’s graphics potential.

  
  

The monitor and graphics adapter each have their own connection with the PC:

• The graphics adapter can be a separate expansion card.

  
  

  More often than not, the graphics adapter’s circuitry is found on the motherboard.

  
  



• A cable connects the monitor to the console (see this figure). The monitor, of course, plugs into the wall for power.

  
  

If your PC has more than one monitor (and it can, you know), it must have one graphics adapter for each monitor or a special graphics adapter that supports multiple monitors. (The dual-monitor thing is possible only with the more expensive versions of Windows Vista.)

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Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/your-pcs-graphics-system.html

Getting Cheap Fitness Gear and Instruction

Improving your physical fitness doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg — look for ways to cut costs on fitness equipment and exercise instruction. Sure, you can buy a fancy gym membership, spend $200 an hour on a trainer, or buy a $4,000 treadmill that does everything short of fix you an espresso. But you can become just as fit, toned, slim, and flexible spending virtually nothing. Here’s how:

• Instead of buying dumbbells, lift cooking-oil or cleaning-liquid bottles filled with sand, pebbles, or water. Many bottles are indented in the center (just like a dumbbell), so they’re easier to grip than a soup can. Wear a filled backpack to add resistance to lunges and squats.

  
  



• Buy a jump rope (oh, and use it, too). You can get a good one for less than $2! Jumping rope strengthens your cardiovascular system, improves your agility, burns up to 15 calories per minute, and tones your thighs, calves, abdominals, back, chest, and shoulders. Plus, you can take your rope with you anywhere.

  
  



• Invest in a physioball. For about $30, you can buy a giant, sturdy plastic ball, one of the most versatile pieces of exercise equipment around. You can kneel on the ball to improve your balance, lean back on it to do strength exercises, or drape your back across it to stretch out your spine.

  
  



• See whether your cable operator offers ExerciseTV on demand. This means you can fire up a workout any time. Some of these workouts are the same found on DVDs available for sale. If you’re already paying for cable, the workouts are free.

  
  



• If you already own an MP3 player and computer, flip to the podcast section of iTunes. You can find tons of free workout podcasts, both audio and video, for everything from yoga workouts to running techniques. You also can find some free, high-quality workouts on sites such as YouTube.

  
  



• Sign up for joint personal-training sessions with a friend. This has become more popular and acceptable over the past few years in both clubs and in home training. Choose a friend who’s at a similar fitness level as you.

  
  



• Look for nonmotorized equipment on Craigslist or eBay, or get it via giveaways on Freecycle. For used higher-end equipment, go through an authorized dealer that gives you a warranty. When you buy new, ask for a discount, and if you’re buying several items, ask the salesperson to throw in a complimentary accessory, such as a rubber floor mat. Also ask about interest-free payment plans.

  
  

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Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/getting-cheap-fitness-gear-and-instruction.html

Services that Conflict-Resolution Professionals Provide

Conflict-resolution training

One of the most proactive steps you can take as a manager is to make use of conflict-resolution trainings for yourself and for your staff. Look for existing trainings to send one or more of your employees to, or look for a trainer who can customize a course specifically for your needs.

Common training topics include but certainly aren’t limited to

• Improving communication skills

  
  



• Working with different personality styles

  
  



• Holding successful one-on-one conflict conversations

  
  



• Holding successful group meetings

  
  



• Dealing with angry co-workers or clients

  
  



• Managing workplace violence

  
  

Conflict coaching

Conflict coaching, which involves an employee meeting with a conflict coach or mediator, allows the person a chance to work through a particular conflict in a productive manner. Coaching helps her gain a better understanding of the situation and her role in the conflict, as well as the encouragement to brainstorm or consider different courses of action. This approach is also useful in helping the employee learn and test out new ways of reacting and interacting with her co-workers.

Because conflict coaching is often paired with mediation and a mediator may provide both services, consider negotiating both when you’re hiring an expert. Coaches may offer their services on a per-session or per-hour basis.

Mediation

Mediation is an ever-evolving field of practice in which two or more people in a dispute sit down with an impartial facilitator to discuss a conflict and brainstorm mutually agreeable solutions. No one wants to see a dispute mutate into a three-headed, fire-breathing beast, so addressing and resolving a conflict early with a mediator can save you and the company a lot of pain, suffering, and money down the line.

Group facilitation

Facilitation is a process used with larger groups of employees, usually when the whole team is affected by an event or conflict. The meetings are an opportunity to bring everyone together and address the problems. They allow everyone the chance to define issues, share information, and brainstorm.

The structure of the facilitation and the methods used by the facilitator will vary depending on the professional’s experience, his process, and the kind of conflict you need addressed. It could include one or more large-group meetings or a combination of large- and small-group meetings.

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Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/services-that-conflictresolution-professionals-pro.html

Basic Equipment for Your First Aid Cabinet

Make sure you have a store of basic medical equipment handy in your home – but always keep it out of reach from the children. Stock up on:

• Sticking plasters

  
  



• Bandages, gauze, and tape

  
  



• Antibacterial cleansing wipes

  
  



• Sling, or scarf for a home-made sling

  
  



• Thermometer

  
  



• Tweezers, scissors, and safety pins

  
  



• Infant paracetamol

  
  

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

Deciding to Sell your Home: Tips for Canadians

Like most Canadians, you may find it hard to decide whether or not to sell your home. Even if you love your house or condo, you may have a good reason for selling — especially if it won’t meet your changing needs. If any of the following describe your situation, you’re probably ready to move on.

• Location of your home is unsuitable. If you have a job offer in a great location with good long-term employment potential, or if you are ready to retire and look forward to the security and low maintenance of a retirement community, selling your house makes sense.

  
  



• Your house is too small or too big. If you and your family need more space and you don’t want to renovate, or you can’t get a building permit to put an extension on the back of the house, moving is probably your best bet. On the flip side, if the last of your six kids has finally moved out of your seven-bedroom home, it may be time to down-size — before any of them decides to move back!

  
  



• Life throws you a curve ball. After a traumatic event like a divorce or the death of a family member, you may simply want to leave bad memories behind. Take the time to review your financial situation and personal goals so you make a move that is right for you.

  
  

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Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/deciding-to-sell-your-home-tips-for-canadians0.html

Jesus's Birthplace and Hometown

Both Matthew and Luke agree that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, which is in Judea, near Jerusalem (where David was from and therefore where David's heir was expected to be born; see Micah 5:1). Both of these gospel authors also agree that Jesus grew up in a little hick town called Nazareth, which is in the northern part of the country (the Galilee). It's somewhat embarrassing for Jesus to have grown up here because it really was "Nowheresville," and in that time people expected the famous to come from somewhere famous.

Even though the gospels have these few similarities, they differ otherwise. For instance, consider this important set of differences regarding why Jesus was born in Bethlehem:

• The gospel of Matthew gives the impression that Mary and Joseph have always lived in Bethlehem, and that's why Jesus was born there. And, according to the author of Matthew, the reason that the family ends up in Nazareth is because the southern Herods are so dangerous.

• The gospel of Luke, by contrast, says Mary and Joseph lived in Nazareth all along, went down to Bethlehem only because the Roman Emperor decreed that everyone return to their ancestral birthplaces to enroll in a census, and returned home after Jesus's birth.

Out of all these hometown and birthplace details, the Nazareth connection seems to be the most reliable piece of evidence to historians because Matthew and Luke both report it, and they do so even though it's potentially embarrassing to Jesus. In fact, most scholars think that Nazareth is probably where Jesus was born, too, because outside the infancy narratives in Matthew and Luke, all four gospels presume that he's a Galilean or Nazarene (see Mark 1:9 and 6:1; John 1:45–56 and 7:41–42; Matthew 13:54, 57; Luke 4:16, 23–24). On top of that, the Bethlehem link clearly serves the purpose of painting Jesus as the promised messiah, which naturally raises historians' suspicions about the historical accuracy of the claim.

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Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/jesuss-birthplace-and-hometown.html

The Pitfalls of Using Leverage with Commodities

In finance, leverage refers to the act of magnifying returns in the commodities markets through the use of borrowed capital. Leverage is a powerful tool that gives you the opportunity to control large market positions with relatively little upfront capital. However, leverage is the ultimate double-edged sword because both your profits and losses are magnified to outrageous proportions.

If you invest in stocks, you know that you’re able to trade on margin. You have to qualify for a margin account, but when you do, you’re able to use leverage (margin) to get into stock positions. You can also trade commodities on margin.

The biggest difference between using margin with stocks and using margin with commodities is that margin requirement for commodities is much lower than margins for stocks, which means the potential for losses (and profits) is much greater in commodities.

If you qualify for trading stocks on margin, you need to have at least 50 percent of the capital in your account before you can enter into a stock position on margin.

The minimum margin requirements for commodity futures vary but, on average, are lower than those for stocks. For example, the margin requirement for soybeans in the Chicago Board of Trade is 4 percent. This means that, with only $400 in your account, you can buy $10,000 worth of soybeans futures contracts!

If the trade goes your way, you’re a happy camper. But if you’re on the losing side of a trade on margin, you can lose much more than your principal.

Another big difference between stock and commodity futures accounts is that the balance on futures accounts is calculated at the end of the trading session. So if you get a margin call, you need to take care of it immediately.

When you’re trading on margin, which is essentially trading on borrowed capital, you may get a margin call from your broker requiring you to deposit additional capital in your account to cover the borrowed amount.

Because of the use of margin and the extraordinary amounts of leverage you have at your disposal in the futures markets, you need to be extremely careful when trading commodity futures contracts. To be a responsible investor, you should use margin only if you have the necessary capital reserves to cover any subsequent margin calls you may receive if the market moves adversely.

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/the-pitfalls-of-using-leverage-with-commodities.html

Spotlighting the Health Benefits of Superfoods

Superfoods have earned that distinction by having great nutritional value (they’re packed with vitamins and minerals) plus extra health benefits. If you find yourself reaching for a donut instead of items on your superfoods diet, use this list of benefits to get back on track:

• Improving your nutrition: All the superfoods are rich in the nutrients your body needs, and they’re very low in bad fats and processed sugars that can ruin a diet.

  
  



• Strengthening your immune system: The nutrients and phytochemicals in many superfoods keep your immune system strong so you’re less likely to catch colds and the flu.

  
  



• Fighting free radicals: Superfoods are rich in antioxidants, which destroy the free radicals that can damage the cells in your body. This protection improves your health, reduces your risk of disease, and helps you age gracefully.

  
  



• *Reducing the risk of cancer: The nutrients, fiber, good fats, and phytochemicals found in superfoods reduce your risk of several types of cancer.

  
  



• Keeping your heart healthy: Those same nutrients, fiber, good fats, and phytochemicals also protect your heart by reducing inflammation and keeping blood vessels healthy.

  
  



• Feeling better: Superfoods help you feel more energetic.

  
  



• Boosting metabolism and watching your weight: Many of the superfoods are high in fiber and low in calories, so you can load up your plate without adding many extra calories. Some of the superfoods that are a little higher in calories are rich in protein, fiber, and good fats that keep hunger at bay, and some superfoods actually increase the number of calories you burn.

  
  



• Maintaining your youthful complexion: The antioxidants in superfoods reduce damage to your skin, and many foods are rich in vitamin C that keeps connective tissue strong. The combination means beautiful, healthy skin.

  
  



• Flooding you with flavor: Who says healthy has to be dull and flavorless? Superfoods are delicious and can be used in all kinds of recipes.

  
  

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/spotlighting-the-health-benefits-of-superfoods.html

Introducing ATSC (aka Digital TV or DTV)

ATSC, which some people call digital TV or DTV, uses digital video signals (not analog ones) transmitted by using digital technologies. ATSC is played on televisions that are set up to display these digital signals. Even the connection to the TV itself is digital.

Several years ago, the FCC brought together a big bunch of television industry folks. After a long, painful, and contentious process, the group came up with a new generation of digital TV. This new system — ATSC — follows new, higher-definition television standards.

Even though ATSC is all digital, all the time, televisions designed for ATSC also can connect to good old analog NTSC systems. And some of the stuff coming in over an ATSC system is NTSC. For example, most commercials will probably continue to be taped using NTSC systems for quite some time, and the vast majority of reruns will be NTSC as well (although these NTSC signals will be carried digitally over the ATSC system).

ATSC television standards are different from digital cable or satellite TV. To view them in all their glory, you need to buy a newer, fancier, better, more expensive TV — an HDTV.

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/introducing-atsc-aka-digital-tv-or-dtv.html

Conflict Resolution: Watching for Positive Changes in Employee Relationships

Mediating a workplace conflict that ends in successful resolution can be hard work — and the work doesn't stop there. Follow up by watching for positive changes in employee relationships to ensure long-term success. Any behavior that indicates employees are more open, positive, and understanding with each other helps the team function better.

Watch for changes that help you gauge how current behaviors match pre-mediation interactions. You may see changes with specific individuals or within the group as a whole. Behaviors like the following indicate progress:

• Open and relaxed interactions between staff members: Smiling and cordial behavior goes a long way toward rebuilding relationships. Something as simple as saying “good morning” fosters contentment and goodwill among staff.

  
  

  Try jump-starting a more relaxed atmosphere by modeling the behavior you’d like to see the previously conflicted employees display.

  
  



• The reduction of cliques and isolated groups: If the facilitation that took place was with a larger group, look to see if the members of the team are interacting more freely. If you’re on the right track, you should notice a decrease in separation and isolation along with outward efforts to include others where they were previously excluded.

  
  



• More cooperation: Look for an increased willingness from co-workers to interact and collaborate. A new or renewed interest in taking on projects that require teamwork is a huge step (as opposed to an employee saying he’ll just do it all himself).

  
  



• More positive attitudes toward each other: After a difficult situation is resolved, your employees may be more likely to give each other the benefit of the doubt instead of jumping to conclusions and being quick to take offense at a poorly worded or ill-timed comment.

  
  

When possible, encourage interactions and give co-workers a chance to improve working relationships by

• Assigning projects to a different mix of employees: Depending on how specialized an employee’s skills are and the nature of the task at hand, create tasks that can build on renewed relationships.

  
  



• Creating a task force or committee that makes sense for the business but allows for relationship building: One company created a committee comprised of one representative from each department to plan a monthly luncheon. The cost of the lunch was a minimal investment in building positive cross-departmental relationships.

  
  



• Looking for opportunities to get your staff out of the workplace and focused on a different project: Some organizations have volunteer opportunities or community enhancement projects that provide opportunities for co-workers who may not get to interact on a daily basis to pair up and get to know each other a little better.

  
  

Don’t push employees together if they aren’t ready. If tensions are still high, you could do more harm than good by forcing folks to work together on a joint project. Timing is everything; so wait for things to calm down before deciding to pair up previously combative staff.

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/conflict-resolution-watching-for-positive-changes-.html

Cutting the Fat in Cookie Recipes

If you’re looking to slim down your cookie recipes without giving up on the flavor, try these tips for reducing the fat in your favorite recipe:

• Using fruit purées to lower fat — Start with half the amount of puréed fruit to replace the fat called for in a recipe. You may need to add more if the cookies are too dry. Keep mixing to a minimum — too much added air will cause the cookies to rise in the oven, but deflate as they cool. Bake the cookies for the least amount of time stated in the recipe, adding more baking time if necessary.

  
  



• Replacing bad fats with good fats — Replace butter or margarine high in saturated fat with a small amount of oil (like canola) that is high in unsaturated fat in your cookie recipes. A good general rule when substituting oil for butter is to use 1 tablespoon of oil in place of 4 tablespoons of butter. Think of butter as an accent flavor rather than a main ingredient. Use parchment paper or nonstick vegetable oil on your cookie sheets to ensure a reduction of the fat in your cookies. Also, reduce the sugar in the recipe by two or three tablespoons, and the finished cookie will be close to the original full-fat one.

  
  



• Using egg whites to cut fat in place of whole eggs — Two egg whites are equal to one whole egg. You can also determine the number of egg whites by measuring them in a liquid measuring cup. One-half cup is equal to three large egg whites.

  
  



• Reducing fat by cutting down on nuts — Although nuts are delicious, they still have a lot of fat. Cut the amount of nuts in recipes by one-third to one-half and replace some of that with flour. You can also toast the nuts to enhance their flavor.

  
  

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/cutting-the-fat-in-cookie-recipes.html

Windows 7 Maintenance Checklist

Stick to this maintenance schedule for your PC to help keep Windows 7 and your hardware running like a race car! Print the checklist and display it somewhere near your system as a reminder.

Task	Schedule
Check for updates with Microsoft Update	Once daily or automatically
Check all hard drives for errors with Windows Scan Disk	Once weekly
Run the Disk Cleanup Wizard	Once weekly
Defragment all hard drives with Windows Defragmenter	Once monthly
Manually scan for viruses (avast! Antivirus)	Once monthly
Back up your hard drives	Once monthly (at minimum)
Check manufacturer’s Web site for latest video and sound card drivers	Once monthly
Check for hardware problems with Device Manager	Once monthly

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/windows-7-maintenance-checklist.html

Best Practices for Successful Lync Online Meeting

Using Lync Online to conduct meetings, especially for participants who are distributed globally, can result in great savings for your organization. It reduces carbon footprint and is, therefore, good for the environment, and it gives your participants flexibility. You can attend productive meetings at all hours in your pajamas without losing credibility or compromising your professionalism.

Technology, however, can only do so much. Lync alone is not enough to ensure a successful meeting. Here are some best practices we’ve compiled from experience that you may want to consider.

• Wired networks provide for a better meeting experience than wireless connections. Audio quality is not optimal in wireless connections, so if you are speaking a lot, plan to be hard wired. Virtual Private Network (VPN) connections also affect audio quality negatively.

  
  



• Mute your audio unless you are speaking. Hearing a participant typing or a dog barking in the background is not cool.

  
  



• When you first join the meeting via Lync, your audio is automatically muted. This is not true when you join by phone. If you don’t want your team members to hear you ordering Starbucks coffee during the meeting, you may want to use your phone’s feature to mute the call.

  
  



• Have alternative means for connection in case you get disconnected. Have the dial-in number handy in case you get dropped off from the Lync conference.

  
  



• If you have multiple people in the same room, try to have only one computer logged in to the meeting to prevent audio feedback.

  
  



• If you are a presenter, load content prior to the meeting. Sometimes loading content can take time and you don’t want to waste your participants’ time by having them wait while the content is loaded.

  
  



• In the interest of respecting the participant’s time, set up and test your audio devices before others arrive.

  
  



• The best screen display for sharing content is 1024 x 768 pixels.

  
  

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/best-practices-for-successful-lync-online-meeting.html

Lifestyle Changes to Avoid Diabetes

You can do a number of different things to help you stay healthy and avoid the onset of diabetes. The key things you can do are:

• Eating a balanced diet

  
  



• Avoiding being overweight

  
  



• Doing regular aerobic exercise

  
  



• Stopping smoking

  
  



• Avoiding medicines that predispose the person to diabetes

  
  

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/lifestyle-changes-to-avoid-diabetes0.html

M&A Offering Document Thesis: Ways to Present Company Value to a Buyer

When writing an offering document, you need to include an argument for why the M&A deal is a good choice for the Buyer. One of the following thesis options might suit your offer:

Recurring revenue thesis

A company with recurring revenue (revenue that automatically generates, such as that from fees or subscriptions) is often a more-desirable buy than a company where the sales force has to make new sales every year, month, or week. Many Buyers are often willing to pay a premium for that consistent revenue stream.

Just an old fashioned growth story thesis

This thesis is the ol’ venture capital, “we’re going to take over the world” story. Sure, the growth story deal often results in a flameout, but certain investors are willing to pay a hefty premium for a company that touts an incredible ability to grow.

Owners who want to retire or otherwise take some chips off the table should be wary of using the growth story thesis. When an investor puts money into a growth story company, that means the money stays with the company to pay for growth! The ability for Seller to garner a premium by selling a growth story company and pocketing that money are extremely remote.

Synergies thesis

Otherwise known as the “You complete me!” thesis, the synergies thesis is a situation where 1 + 1 = 3. Two companies, perhaps in the same industry or closely related ones, have certain strengths and certain weaknesses that complement each other such that the result is greater than the sum of its parts.

For example, suppose two companies are in the auto parts distribution business. One company goes to market through a catalog, has a world-class distribution center, and a strong customer service department. However, competitors who are excellent Internet marketers are eating it alive. The second company is an ace at Internet marketing but lacks a customer service department and relies on a very expensive outsourced distribution center.

In this example, the second company may be willing to pay a premium to buy the first company to fill in its own weak spots. The two companies are stronger together than they are separately.

Deals with this thesis can be extremely tricky to negotiate. Most often, Seller needs to tailor a specific message to each potential Buyer; after all, not every Buyer needs the same weakness addressed. Don’t make up a story; just realize that different Buyers may view different aspects as the most valuable.

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/ma-offering-document-thesis-ways-to-present-compan.html

How to Determine When an Unqualified Audit Report Isn’t Sufficient

Three circumstances may preclude you from issuing an unqualified report when you complete your audit. For example, if your client limits what actions you can take and what records you can look at, and you can’t get enough competent evidence about one or more facets of its financial statements, you may deem that these particular areas aren’t fully audited.

A common example is when a client retains your firm to conduct the audit after the end of the year, and the physical inventory has already been taken. Obviously, you can’t observe the physical inventory process. If your other auditing procedures related to inventory assertions (such as purchasing and shipping) don’t give you enough evidence, you can’t issue an unqualified report.

You don’t prepare the financial statements under audit, so departures from generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) are on your client’s shoulders. Because an unqualified report specifically states that the financial statements are “in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America”, you can’t issue an unqualified report if your client fails to use GAAP.

For example, say that the client adjusts its fixed assets to reflect fair market value instead of historic cost, which is cost plus any major renovations. If the dollar amount difference between historic cost and fair market value is material, you have a problem. This is a big no-no under GAAP.

You and your firm have to be independent in both fact and appearance. A conflict of interest, which affects independence (at least in appearance), involves having a personal or financial interest in the client. If you find out as you’re finalizing your audit that someone at your CPA firm lacks independence — he or she has an immediate family member working for the client, for example — you can’t issue an unqualified report.

Obviously, the CPA firm’s goal is to identify any conflicts of interest prior to accepting the company as a client. If independence is lacking, the firm has to refuse to accept the engagement. But if a lack of independence comes to light only at the end of the audit engagement, your firm can’t issue an unqualified report. Normally in this circumstance, the firm issues a disclaimer report.

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-determine-when-an-unqualified-audit-report-.html

Network Administration: Linux Samba Installation

In the Linux world, Samba refers to a file- and printer-sharing program that allows Linux to mimic a Windows file and print server so that Windows computers can use shared Linux directories and printers.

If you didn’t install Samba when you installed Linux, you’ll have to install it now. Here are the steps:

1. Choose System→Administration→Add/Remove Software.

   
   

   This summons the Add/Remove Software program.

   
   



2. Type Samba in the search text box and click Find.\

   
   

   A list of Samba packages appears in the window’s main list box.

   
   



3. Select the package labeled Server and Client Software to Interoperate with Windows Machines.

   
   

   This is the basic Samba package.

   
   



4. Scroll down a bit and also choose the Samba Server Configuration Tool package.

   
   

   This package provides a user-friendly interface for configuring Samba.

   
   



5. Click Apply.

   
   

   The Add/Remove Software program grinds and whirs for a moment and then installs the package you selected.

   
   



6. Close the Add/Remove Software program.

   
   

   Samba is now installed.

   
   

One sure way to render a Samba installation useless is to enable the default Linux firewall settings on the computer that runs Samba. The Linux firewall is designed to prevent users from accessing network services such as Samba. It’s designed to be used between the Internet and your local network — not between Samba and your local network.

Although it’s possible to configure the firewall to allow access to Samba only to your internal network, a much better option is to run the firewall on a separate computer. That way, the firewall computer can concentrate on being a firewall, and the file server computer can concentrate on being a file server.

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/network-administration-linux-samba-installation.html

Tips for Staying Mentally Fit — Solve Puzzles and More!

Doing word searches and other puzzles are great ways to stay mentally fit. In addition to solving puzzles of all types, try the following tips to keep your brain in tiptop shape:

• Rediscover lost talents. Skills can be quickly regained.

  
  



• Be interested in the world around you — you can be an involved citizen at any age.

  
  



• Stay in touch with your friends and family; be social and enjoy good company and conversation.

  
  



• Stay physically active — activity has huge benefits for your brain.

  
  



• Try new ways of doing routine activities, like driving to work by a different route or expanding your cooking repertoire.

  
  



• Take up a new hobby or sport, or learn a language.

  
  



• Get out and about, visit museums, galleries, markets, art shows, car shows, free concerts — whatever you enjoy.

  
  



• Do jigsaw puzzles and play games like chess, card games, mahjong, and other board games.

  
  



• Solve puzzles! Crosswords, word searches, Sudoku, mazes, cryptograms, and so on are all great for your brain, as well as good fun!

  
  

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/tips-for-staying-mentally-fit-solve-puzzles-and-mo.html

How to Develop a Mom Blog Mailing List

Every blogger who is selling products or services should have a mailing list. Promoting your new products to your past customers is the number-one way to increase your sales! You don’t have to be selling something to create a good mailing list, but having a mailing list is important in many ways:

• It keeps traffic consistent: Mailing-list subscribers are your readers most interested in your content or products and services. As long as you maintain a regular e-mail schedule, your mailing list will consistently send your most loyal readers and customers back to your sites.

  
  



• It builds long-term value: Having a mailing list is important to the long-term value of your site or blog. Consistent e-mail marketing efforts will gradually increase your traffic and profits over time. It’s also a great asset to have if you ever want to sell your blog someday because you get to sell both a blog and a built-in client base along with it.

  
  



• It communicates new content and features: The fastest way to promote your new projects, products, and site features is through a mailing list. Your subscribers will be the ones most interested in these things, too.

  
  



• Sells products: Statistically, e-mail marketing is one of the most effective ways to sell products to past customers or people interested in buying from you. Sending a strong call to action with direct links to sales pages directly into customers’ inboxes makes it very easy for them to make purchases.

  
  

  Plus, your subscribers learn what to expect from your newsletters over time, so if they open them, they have already made a step toward a purchase.

  
  



• Building loyalty: Often your visitors may come to your site and love your stuff, but may not be able to buy right at that moment.

  
  

  By signing up for your newsletter, they have given you permission to market to them, and they have expressed an interest in learning more about you. Sometimes, a visitor just needs time to build trust before making a purchase. A regular newsletter is the best way to do that.

  
  

Not all blogs need an e-mail newsletter and mailing list. But if you’re selling your products and services from your blog, a newsletter will absolutely help you get more sales over time.

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-develop-a-mom-blog-mailing-list.html

Pros and Cons of Buying a Used Mac to Replace Your PC

If you’re considering a switch from a PC to a Mac, you likely already know that Macs are more expensive than PCs. Bargain hunting is harder in the Mac world than it is in the PC world. Generally, price reductions happen when the inventory is too high or when a new product is about to be introduced. Because so many PC manufacturers exist, these supply problems happen often for PCs.

Apple, however, has better control of its distribution chain and tries very hard to keep Macintosh clearance sales from happening. They still do appear, but nowhere nearly as often as with PCs, and even when they do, the price cuts are rarely as dramatic.

If you’re ready to buy a Mac, it’s not worth waiting months for one of these sales. Peripheral devices such as printers, scanners, and hard drives are another matter; they’re often discounted. Also, Apple sometimes offers refurbished Macs at its online store. They typically come with the standard Apple warranty. You can search the Apple Store with the keyword refurbished to find what’s on sale.

Apple often offers an education discount, so if you have an affiliation with an educational institution (student, teacher, staff member), bring ID with you when you visit the Apple Store.

Buying a used Mac sacrifices some of the benefits of buying new. There’s something about unpacking a brand-new machine and setting it up that builds confidence. You know that the stuff was recently tested at the factory and should work. You have Apple tech support and, possibly, the people at the retail store to call on if you have trouble. In the worst case, you can return the Mac for a refund.

Switching from one computer system to another is a complex-enough task without having to worry about possible hardware problems. Also you may not find much of a bargain; Macs tend to command higher prices on the used market than PCs of comparable vintage. But if you want to try your luck on the used market, here are some tips:

• Buy locally, such as from Craig’s List or someone you know, and pick up your Mac in person. That way, you can check it out before you hand over money. You also avoid the risk of product damage during shipping.

  
  



• Buy only a used Mac that has an Intel processor. Choose the About This Mac option from the Apple (app) menu to see the processor type. Macs sold before 2006 use a different microprocessor, the PowerPC (or, if they’re really old, a Motorola 68k series). These models are significantly slower, and Apple support for PowerPC machines is winding down. (The 68k models are for antique computer collectors only.)

  
  



• If possible, find a machine that has time remaining on an AppleCare contract.

  
  



• Don’t pay more than the price of a new, low-end Mac. A new basic machine will likely approach or exceed the performance of a more advanced but older model, for example, and you receive all the benefits of a new unit.

  
  

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/pros-and-cons-of-buying-a-used-mac-to-replace-your.html

Electronics Components: Integrated Circuit Data Sheets

Before you work with the electronics of a specific type of integrated circuit (IC), you should download a copy of the data sheet for the IC. An IC datasheet contains loads of useful information. In addition to basic information such as the manufacturer’s name and the IC part number, you’ll find information such as:

• A description of what the circuit does.

  
  



• Detailed pinout descriptions that tell you the purpose of each pin.

  
  



• A diagram of the internal circuitry of the chip. For simple circuits, you may get the entire detailed diagram. For more complicated chips, you’ll get a conceptual diagram instead of a detailed schematic.

  
  



• Detailed electrical specifications, such as maximum voltage you can feed the circuit via the V_CC pin or the maximum current loads for output pins.

  
  



• Operating conditions such as maximum and minimum temperatures.

  
  



• Charts and graphs that illustrate the circuit’s behavior for different operating conditions.

  
  



• Formulas for calculating operating characteristics of the circuit. For example, if the operation of the circuit depends on an external RC (resistor/capacitor) circuit, you’ll get formulas for calculating how these external components will affect the operation of the circuit.

  
  



• Sample circuit diagrams.

  
  



• Mechanical descriptions including dimensions.

  
  

IC datasheets are available from many sources on the Internet. Use a search engine such as Google to search for the IC part number and the word datasheet. For example, to find a datasheet for a 555 timer chip, search for 555 datasheet.

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/electronics-components-integrated-circuit-data-she.html

Jewish Pastries

Pastry appetizers are special treats for Jewish holidays and other festive occasions. These Jewish pastries can be either sweet or savory, depending on the pastry filling. Each Jewish community has developed their own pastry favorites:

• Piroshki: Jews from Russia make these yeast-risen pastries, which may be fried or baked.

  
  



• Cigars: The Moroccan Jewish tradition includes this rolled fried pastry.

  
  



• Bourekas: A specialty of Jews originating in the eastern Mediterranean, these triangular or half-moon shaped pastries may be made of flaky filo dough, pie dough, or puff pastry and usually are sprinkled with sesame seeds before they go into the oven. Spinach, cheese, and potato are the most popular fillings.

  
  



• Knishes: From Eastern Europe come these savory pastries filled with meat, potato, or kasha (buckwheat groats). The dough resembles pie dough, and the typical form is pillow-shaped, although a standard turnover shape is also common.

  
  

Usually, knish pastry is less flaky than bourekas pastry.

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/jewish-pastries.html

Successful Cause Marketing Presentations: Who, When, Where, and Why

The first order of business when preparing a successful cause marketing speech is to take a closer look at your audience, which may be 1 person or 50 or 500. Regardless of the size, audience analysis will be critical to your success.

Ask of your audience who, when, where, and why:

• Whom are you speaking to? Are you addressing the president of a company or a group of middle managers from the marketing department? Who your audience is will impact your speaking decisions. The president may want to hear more about your organization and the larger benefits of cause marketing. The marketing folks may be looking for specific metrics on return-on-investment and how the program works.

  
  



• When are you speaking? Are you speaking first thing in the morning, midafternoon, or just before quitting time in the evening? If you’re speaking in the late afternoon, you need to be more high energy and brief because your listeners have already endured a long day, and their attention will be divided between you and the comforts of home.

  
  

  If you’re speaking at lunchtime, you’ll want to make sure that you speak after everyone has eaten — or at least provide lunch. Given the choice between listening to you or listening to their growling stomachs, listeners will always choose the food that’s waiting for them back at their desk.

  
  



• Where are you speaking? Find out this information well in advance of your presentation. Don't show up at a speaking engagement with a laptop and projector in tow only to discover the meeting will be in a room no bigger than a broom closet with no electrical outlet. The goal here is no surprises. Control your environment, or your environment will control you!

  
  



• Why are you speaking? This question will help you hone your Famous Last Words (FLW). For each presentation, you want a very clear objective of why you’re speaking and what you hope to accomplish. Remember, presentations aren’t like poetry or paintings; they’re not created just because someone wanted to write or paint that day. Speeches are prepared to do some type of work in the world. What will yours accomplish?

  
  

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/successful-cause-marketing-presentations-who-when-.html

Reviewing Employee History before a Performance Evaluation

Reviewing employee history before a performance evaluation is a critical part of the appraisal process. When preparing for a performance appraisal meeting, one of the main determinants of the effectiveness of your appraisals is the quantity and quality of performance-based information that you gather. This information provides the foundation and support for the evaluations you create as well as for the feedback that you provide. If the information is thin or flimsy, the same will be said of your appraisals.

In any company, numerous resources can provide you with important performance-based data. Your notes on your employees’ performance are at the top of the list, but several resources beyond your notes provide additional insight into your employees’ performance — and give your evaluations additional impact.

Review last year’s appraisal

Assuming that your employees worked for you last year or worked for another manager in your company last year, another important early step is to take a look at last year’s evaluation. Presumably, that evaluation contained areas
in which the employees needed to demonstrate some improvement. Identify those areas, as well as possible sources of such deficiencies, and keep them in mind as you conduct this year’s evaluation.

For example, if a particular performance issue is interfering with an employee’s effectiveness, it would be very helpful
to know whether this is a new development or whether it’s a problem that was apparent last year. If this is a new development, you can address it in the performance evaluation and offer some strategies to correct it.

Review your notes

When you regularly spend time on the floors with your employees, you’re in the perfect position to observe their work and provide them with the coaching, feedback, guidance, and support that they need to do their jobs well. Your face time with them also allows you to gather data regarding all aspects of their performance.

Your notes don’t need to be a detailed treatise. They can be a list that includes the dates, a few words describing the incidents, and a few more words describing their impact. When the time for the annual evaluation arrives, these notes will provide you with accurate firsthand information regarding your employees’ performance during the entire course of the evaluation period.

If you rely on your memory for all this information, you probably won’t remember exactly what happened, when it happened, and who did what to whom, especially over the course of a year.

Reviewing the files

As part of the process of accessing and gathering a full range of information about your employees’ performance during the year, take a look at each employee’s file. The file can contain important pieces of performance-related data that can enhance as well as round out the information you’ve already assembled.

If other managers have work-related contact and dealings with your employees, you can gather additional information for the evaluations by discussing your employees’ performance with them. Don’t forget to ask your own manager.

Reviewing the evaluations

If your company’s appraisal process includes self-evaluations, or if you’ve opted to include them in the process, this is the time to look them over. The same applies to 360-degree feedback, if your company uses it. When reviewing your employees’ self-evaluations, the first step is to take a look at how your employees approached this assignment. Employees who are careful, thorough, and detailed in their approach to work will demonstrate these characteristics in the way that they complete their self-evaluations. At the same time, employees who are lackadaisical or careless will reflect these attitudes in this assignment.

If your company includes 360-degree feedback in the appraisal process, this is the time to review the findings. This data — gathered from an array of anonymous individuals, such as co-workers, managers, peers, customers, and others — can provide a good deal of additional insight regarding your employees’ performance competencies and effectiveness.

Regardless of its role in the appraisal process, if your company uses 360-degree feedback, it’s most helpful to bring the feedback into play when you’re establishing a development plan with your employees.

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/reviewing-employee-history-before-a-performance-ev.html

Six Sigma Workbook For Dummies

Keep a chart of important Six Sigma measures and formulas to apply the Six Sigma method to your business to increase and improve productivity and products.

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Six Sigma Measures and Formulas

The goal of Six Sigma is to improve your processes (like how to fix variation) and products and increase efficiency. When you’ve gathered your data and start making your calculations, be sure to keep these Six Sigma measures and formulas handy:

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dummies

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

Spotify Unlimited

Spotify Unlimited is a brilliant way of listening to all the music you want without any boundaries. It’s like a special someone buying you food and drink all evening so that you don’t have to worry about the bill. It’s like being able to sleep in on the weekend without worrying about work or whether your toddler is going to wake you up at the crack of dawn.

Basically, you get unlimited listening time and no advertisements, all for just $4.99 (£4.99 or €4.99) a month. It really is a small price to pay. You still experience all your saved playlists, your social circle, and your local files. And although artists always benefit, regardless of whether you’re a free user, your money is making a difference. Doesn’t it make you feel all warm inside?

Like Spotify Premium, you can travel the world with an Unlimited account and access Spotify from your computer. So, if you have Spotify on your computer and need to go overseas on business, you can impress your foreign colleagues by showing them exactly what Spotify can do. Then, you can gloat and laugh at them when you explain that Spotify isn’t available to residents of their country yet.

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/spotify-unlimited.html

SQL Set Functions

Sometimes, the information that you want to extract from an SQL table doesn't relate to individual rows but rather to sets of rows. SQL provides five set (or aggregate) functions to deal with such situations — COUNT, MAX, MIN, SUM, and AVG. Each function performs an action that draws data from a set of rows rather than from a single row:

COUNT	Returns the number of rows in the specified table
MAX	Returns the maximum value that occurs in the specified table
MIN	Returns the minimum value that occurs in the specified table
SUM	Adds up the values in a specified column
AVG	Returns the average of all the values in the specified column

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/sql-set-functions.html

Flute For Dummies

To successfully play the flute, you need to master hand and finger placement. Whether you’re a complete novice to the flute or have some experience on the instrument, always have a basic fingering guide with you to ensure that you’re playing the correct notes on your flute.

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Master Flute Finger Placement

This figure tells you the standard code used in most flute fingering charts and diagrams for the fingers of your right and left hands — those that depress the flute’s keys. The figure also tells you your fingers’ home positions on the flute.

The right-hand thumb isn’t listed because its job is solely to balance the flute, not to depress any of the flute’s keys. The figure of the flute on the left correlates with the standard fingering diagram on the right to tell you which of the flute’s keys are represented in which specific places on the fingering chart.

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Basic Flute Fingering Chart

This chart provides you with the basic fingerings for all the notes on the flute. Print out the illustrations if you want a handy reference during your music making!

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dummies

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