BestBlogPosts

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 03:21:01 GMT

Asplenium scolopendrium

Asplenium scolopendrium or hart"s tongue fern is an evergeen limestone-loving plant. Two varieties of the genus exist. They are nearly impossible to distinguish by form—the clearest distinction is that the American variety is tetraploid and var. scolopendium is diploid. Variety scolopendrium is found primarily in Europe, but is also found in parts of Asia and northern Africa. Variety americana is rare and found in isolated populations in North America. Some botanists place one of these populations, found in Mexico, into a third variety—lindenii. Our plants and virtually any found in cultivation are of var. scolopendrium—var. americanum performs poorly in cultivation—it barely survives in the wild. Plants are quite variable and the species hybridizes with other Aspleniums. Several forms have been selected for ornamental use.

Asplenium scolopendrium spreads by rhizomes to form drifts in shady areas, growing slowly, but needing little attention from the gardener. The erect leaves are 10-60 cm long and 3-6 cm wide—in extreme cases they may grow to 90 cm by 10 cm. The two rows of lines of sori arranged along the rachis of the leaf were thought to resemble a centipede. The species takes its name from this appearance—scolopendra is Greek for centipede. Posted by: Eric La Fountaine      Read more     Source

Sat, 19 Jun 2010 23:32:49 GMT

Problems with a Whole Life Policy

© Steve PolyakWhen you buy life insurance, there are two basic kinds - whole life and term life insurance. Any other kind of life insurance is a variation of these two types. While term life insurance focuses on low cost, whole life focuses on having a cash flow or forced savings for retirement.

Each of these life insurance policies will meet different people's needs. However, whole life seems to fall short in several ways. While it does have a cash value that builds over time, it also is very poor when it comes to a return on your investment. If you really want a savings program that you can keep, a whole life insurance policy does not qualify.

With a term life insurance policy you get the pure insurance that you pay for. There are no other claims and the commissions are kept low. If you should die, you get the face value of the policy.

A whole life policy, on the other hand, promises insurance plus a cash value. The truth, however, is that you really only get one or the other in a standard whole life insurance policy. This is because the cash value portion actually is part of the face value. If you should die, your beneficiaries only receive the face value of the policy. This does not matter whether you have had the policy for one week or for 50 years. You do not receive the cash value and the death benefit.

When you consider how much you paid for whole life rather than term insurance, you would think that you could have had a lot of money saved over the years. Yes, that's true. Instead, it only means that you end up insuring yourself.

SmartMoney mentions that "there really are better ways to save for retirement," if that is your goal. You really would be much better off buying term life insurance and investing the difference into a savings program of some kind. This way, you will really get the insurance value and the savings account, too.
Posted by: FinanceMan      Read more     Source

Sat, 19 Jun 2010 23:17:49 GMT

Are you too old to start a new business?

© lilli2de
Apparently not, according to a trend spotted by Scott Shane at Small Business Trends: "....the incorporated self-employment rate is 4 times higher among those aged 65 to 69 than among those aged 25 to 34-and a whopping 25 times higher than among those aged 20 to 24."

Shane puts much of this down to increasing levels of unemployment, and the difficulties in getting re-hired, among the older population. But there is also much to recommend the entrepreneurial route to older folks even if they haven't been numbered among the casualties of the Great Recession. Although the tendency when we think of entrepreneurs is to think of young folks with their hair on fire staying up half the night working on products and proposals, as Shane points out, older entrepreneurs tend to have businesses that perform better and survive longer than their younger counterparts. Considering other recent evidence suggesting that caution and a conservative approach to business startup and operation is a greater success factor than gung-ho spirit, this should not be surprising.

Startups can be a lot of work, but older workers have hopefully learned how to work smarter, not harder, and can do what is necessary without burning the midnight oil. The attractions of success are even better for older entrepreneurs with families and interests outside their business; a schedule you set yourself, no one to report to, and a modicum of control over the progression of your life are not things to sneeze at as you head into your twilight years. Posted by: Mattew      Read more     Source

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 12:48:25 GMT

iSkin Solo FX iPhone Case

Oh the ubiquity of the black iPhone case! Leather, pleather, rubber, plastic.... I want something more fantastic!

Leave it to the geniuses of iSkin to give me the exciting cover my 3GS deserves! The iSkin Solo FX builds on the original Solo case by adding a designer pattern and a mirrored screen protector to the glossy case that gives you the look of a hard shell while offering the protection and gripability of a rubber skin. There is also a special edition of the FX that adds even more excitement to the texture and pattern.

The glamorous FX is made with Microban antimicrobial protection that inhibits the growth of all the nasty bacteria that tends to collects on one"s phone - another plus for me, the resident Popgadget germophobe. Color choices for the FX are Breeze (translucent blue), Lush (translucent green), Passion (translucent red), Sunset (translucent orange) and Vive (translucent purple). Like the perfect designer dress, the FX is low profile and cut out in all the right places (dock, camera, headphone jack, and ringer switch) while covering the essentials (volume and power controls). It"s also compatible with the iSkin revoClip for those that want fashion and dare I say i.... functionality.... in one.

Show your iPhone style with the FX (and your fear of germ.... oh, nevermind, that"s my fear of germs). Posted by: Sarah      Read more     Source

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 17:19:06 GMT

4 Reasons Why You Should Choose Glass Trophies

Awards and prizes have come a long way from just a 'pat on the back' to monetary and classy corporate rewards. Today, a huge percentage of employees' moral is driven by the shiny object lying in the cabinet on the CEO's shelf - the glass trophies that symbolize employee recognition and extraordinary achievements round the year!

Here are 4 reasons why glass trophies are the optimal choice of organizations and associations for rewarding achievements with:

1. Visually Enchanting: No other award can beat the visual appeal or glamour that a glass award brings along with itself. Not only is this regal glory because of the glass that is the core material of the trophy, but also the reflective nature which adds a wistful enigma to the award!
2. Looks Professional: They look thoroughly professional – more so because of their crystal-clean appearance and a transparent or translucent characteristic – which makes the awards seem much more sophisticated than they may actually be.
3. Feels Expensive: Even though glass or crystal does not cost much – they sure feel expensive. This has more to do with the vulnerable nature of the material as well as the maze of light reflections that make it appear diamond-like, especially under bright lights (such as on an award podium)!
4. Quality of Etchings and Engravings: More than wooden or enamel plaques, etchings or engraved messages appear much more professional than usual. This bodes well for corporate units that wish to engrave the achievements of feats of the winning team/individual.

So unless you wish to appear bland or laid-back in recognizing accomplishments, glass trophies can work the magic for you in more ways than one! Posted by: Heather      Read more     Source

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 19:56:46 GMT

CRM Solutions & Cloud Computing

© {Guerrilla Futures | Jason Tester}Cloud computing strategy can be adopted by small businesses for gaining short term costs and operational advantages of SaaS, CRM and several other benefits available.

One of the benefits of adopting CRM in the cloud is with respect to the price and affordability but price is not just the only attraction as it even offers an elastic infrastructure with shared cost model.

Cloud computing is a fairly new term which refers to scalable and virtualized computing resources available on the internet. It offers a number of benefits which includes elasticity, utility and ubiquity.

For competing with big enterprises, CRM for small businesses would need a lot of investment in fixed capital costs apart from operational costs. A cloud based approach can create a level playing field for small businesses. It also helps to link contrasting CRM components.

Cloud computing is more of a delivery based approach as compared to CRM specific approach therefore the final decision to opt for it would require some form of IT input. Cloud computing may not be for everyone but those who are at ease with it can find better integration with CRM solutions and at the same time avoid dedicated in house infrastructure. This would also mean lesser initial investment in CRM.
Posted by: Sue      Read more     Source

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 03:38:08 GMT

Wireless USB Headsets - Ensure You Know the Features before You Buy

World of Warcraft is one of the most famous today. As a result any new development in this regard will definitely attract people. Recently, Creative has launched an USB wireless headset which features "interchangeable panels that show your love for either the Alliance or Horde". It is known as a Sound Blaster which will enrich your experience of the World of Warcraft further. These kinds of headsets have been gaining popularity over the past few years. But before you go out to buy one of these you must know certain features that these devices incorporate, only then you will be able to identify a good modern wireless USB headset.

• Sound volume adjustment: The whole point of a wireless device is that you can leave your hands free to do other work. Hence, it is very necessary that the volume adjustment controls should be on the wireless USB headset only, so that you can change the volume whenever you want without having to move to your computer every time.
• Laser-driven audio drivers: if your USB headset features audio drivers that are driven by laser you will definitely enjoy uncompressed audio with stereo-quality. This feature provides a lot of accuracy in the audio which is the most important part of a headset.
• Wireless coverage distance: Keep a tab on the range that the wireless USB headsets can cover. Usually they can easily cover somewhere about 25 to 35 feet; that is within this radius you can easily move about without compromising on the sound quality. If any such device covers less distance then it is bound to be of inferior quality.
• Noise cancellation: This has now become a common feature in almost all headsets. This feature removes all background noises and filters the original sound only. The best of these will transmit the desired sound with minimum amount of undesired noise.
• Auto-mute with mute indicator: Most headsets feature microphone controls on the device itself. You won’t have to move to your computer to mute your microphone; you can do it right from the headset. Once your microphone is on mute an indicator will glow on the USB headset itself.

Posted by: Heather      Read more     Source

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 05:12:11 GMT

Microsoft Unveils Latest Windows Mobile

After much hype, hoopla, anticipation and speculation, Microsoft has unveiled the latest version of its Windows mobile-phone operating system, adding video game and music features in a bid to stop or at least slow market share losses to rivals Apple Inc. and Google Inc.

Windows phone 7 Series will be available at the end of year to tap into the holiday sales season. The program will feature an all-new design and connects with Microsoft's Xbox Live online game service and Zune music service.

Handset makers including Samsung Electronics Co., HTC Corp. and LG Electronics Inc. and network operators including Orange, T-Mobile and AT&T Inc. are expected to get on board with the new operating system once it is released. Posted by: Jeff      Read more     Source

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 04:31:57 GMT

8D World a Hit in China

I came across an excellent example of marketing a product in China. The story interests me both as a a China geek and an educator. The product involved is virtual world software designed help Chinese school kids learn English.

Educational gaming is, of course, big business. A company called 8D World is using the concept to teach English to kids in China. Their virtual world (Wiz World Online) requires participants to properly pronounce English words to get points in a virtual game.

The market for English language education in China is huge. There are about 50,000 for-profit English language schools in China a parents pay an average of $200 a month to send the kids to the schools. By comparison, Wiz World Online is $20 a month - a lot in China, but a lot less than sending kids to an English academy.

How well is Wiz World Online doing in China? Each year China has an English langauge competition for students. Last year 400,000 students took part. And China is incorporating Wiz World Online into this year's competition. Posted by: Wendy      Read more     Source

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 04:23:24 GMT

You Can't Take It All

You can't take it all with you. That's the first thing that you should know when you're thinking of purchasing a minaudiere. In a world where too much is never a bad thing, this kind of clutch reminds us that it's ok to keep it simple. Although various designers have made versions of these that have caught my eye, none other than this one by Oscar de la Renta has continued to remind me of how amazing it would be to have one in my collection. I'm just slightly accessories obsessed as the Editor in Chief of Kitten Lounge and an accessories stylist! I could spend hours thinking of the perfect accessory but this Darjeeling Minaudiere in red is perfect for this Valentine's Day whether you're out with a special someone or friends OR you're hitting the tents at Fashion Week!

In a world of hobos and cute over sized bags, this is the clutch that is adorned by birds and easily clasps together. Only your bare necessities will head out with you and you won't have to dig around the bottom of your bag to find whatever item you are looking for. This ensures that your bag isn't hiding an amazing detail of your outfit and it allows people to comment on your sense of style and how you came about finding such a piece to highlight the entire look. This is not only important for the day of love but any day where the focus needs to be on you! Posted by: Doreen      Read more     Source