The Dbottino Weblog

There are many different types of aquariums. There is pretty much one for each level of enthusiast and not all aquariums are for fish. There are aquatic plant aquariums as well and they are very beautiful.

One of the simplest of aquariums is a fish bowl. A fish bowl can even be part of a table arrangement. When one chooses a fish bowl it should be a big one. At least a gallon. You’ll also need a small net and two 1 gallon bottles of drinking water that is not distilled or de-ionized, as tap water isn’t safe for your fish. Even if water is treated with water conditioners it still wouldn’t be safe. You will also need some floating fish food. You will need to fill your fish bowl 2′ form the top of the bowl. Then you will need to cover your bowl with a clean plastic cover. Sometimes a clean lid from a coffee can will do. You don’t want your fish to jump out or another pet jumping in! You will need to replace about 20% of the water twice weekly and you can make your own bottled water by using the following method. Fill a bottle with tap water and leave about 2″ of empty space at the top of the bottle. Add about five drops of water conditioner and then replace the cap tightly. You will need to let the bottle of water sit for at least three days before you use it for your fish.

There are also cool water aquariums. These aquariums sit at room temperature and do not require a heater. You need an aquarium and a cover. You should get an aquarium stand as well. You will need a five inch fish net, water conditioner and some food to feed your fish. . Make sure you read all the instructions from your aquarium and water conditioner. Make sure your aquarium is running for at least three days before you add any fish. Only add one fish at a time and wait for at least three weeks between fish. There is a maximum of one 1 foot fish per gallon. Don’t overcrowd your fish.

A Warm Water Aquarium will require more skill to maintain than a cool water aquarium. You’ll need an aquarium, an aquarium cover, an stand and a power filter with a BIO-Wheel. You’ll also need a 5-inch fish net and a bottle of water conditioner as well as fish food, such as floating flake food and freeze dried blood worms.

One other type of aquarium is the betta fish vase. This has become increasingly popular. Often times buyers of a Betta Fish Vase have been told that the Betta can live by eating the lily roots, this is a mistake. The Betta will eat the roots, but only out of desperation and it will not be a healthy fish.

The Betta should be fed floating food that is labeled for Betta Fish and freeze dried blood worms, which are actually mosquito larvae. Betta Fish usually do much better in a large fish bowl than in a vase. So if you happen to receive one, your fish may be better off if moved to a bowl. Please think twice before offering one as a gift.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Aquariums

Maximizing the life of your hard drive

If I asked you the question: which part of your computer is the most fragile, what would you say? What if I asked: which part is most important to you?
Often, the answer to both of these questions is your Hard Drive.

Your hard drive is likely one the most important things you own. It contains work data, school data, emails, photos, music, movies, tax information, etc… Incidentally, the hard drive is also one of only two moving components in your computer (the other being your optical drive). The following is a list of important maintenance and monitoring techniques you can use to maximize the life of your hard drive and prevent data loss.

Hard drives are physically fragile – handle with care
Statistics show that 25% of lost data is due to a failure of a portable drive. (Source: 2001 Cost of Downtime Survey Results)
Contrary to its seemingly rugged appearance, your hard disk is a very delicate device that writes and reads data using microscopic magnetic particles. Any vibration, shock, and other careless operation may damage your drive and cause or contribute to the possibility of a failure. This is especially relevant for notebook users, as they are most at risk of drive failure due to physical damage, theft, and other causes beyond their control. That’s why we recommend regular backup of notebook hard drives, as often as possible.
Possible solutions include external USB or Firewire drives (although these are prone to the same risks), desktop synchronization, or backup at a data center through the web.

Hard drives write data in a non-linear way forcing it to become fragmented.

When files accumulate on your hard drive, they do not just get written in a linear fashion. A hard drive writes files in small pieces and scatters them over the surface. The fuller your hard drive becomes and the more files you save and delete the worse file fragmentation can be. Hard drive access times increase with fragmentation since your drive must work harder to find all the pieces of the files. The more fragmented your data is, the harder the actuator arm has to work to find each piece of a file.

A case in point: Disk fragmentation is a common problem for users of Outlook Express and database software. Each time outlook saves new mail, it does so in a different physical location from the previous time. This results in extreme fragmentation, causing longer hard drive access times and forcing more strain on the heads. This strain can eventually lead to a head crash, and often that means a virtually unrecoverable drive.Finally, in the event of a total crash, a fragmented drive is much more difficult to recover then a healthy defragged drive.

Luckily, Windows makes it remarkably easy to defrag your hard drive, simply launch the Disk Defragmenter utility (Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools), choose which disk or partition you’d like to defragment and set it to work overnight or while you are not actively using your computer. Defragmentation will speed up your computer and ensure a longer life for your hard drive.

A very small power surge can fry a hard drive – use a UPS and turn off your computer when you can

Another little-known fact about the fragility of your hard drive is its susceptibility to electrical failure. An electrical failure can be caused by a power surge, lightening strikes, power brown-outs, incorrect wiring, a faulty or old power supply, and many other factors. If a power surge enters your computer, it may do an unpredictable amount of damage, including destroying your hard drive’s electronics or crashing the heads and possibly resulting in total data loss.
The best way to protect your computer from such dangers is to use a highly rated protected power bar or an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS). Although these devices won’t eliminate the chances of a crash, they will serve as effective protection in most cases. Also, you can minimize the danger of an electrical problem and reduce wear of your hard drive by turning off your computer or using power-save modes whenever possible. It’s a known fact that 100% of drives fail, the question is when will it happen and will you be prepared? Make sure to check out the knowledgebase section of our website for more detailed information on how electrical power affects your computer.

Be SMART, monitor the health of your drive to prevent unexpected crashes

All modern hard drives have a self-monitoring technology called SMART (Self Monitoring Analysis & Reporting Technology). What most people don’t realize is that the majority of hard drive failures do not have to be unexpected. Most failures occur as a result of long-term problems which can be predicted. By regularly monitoring disk health and performance, you can know about potential hard drive problems before you lose any of your data.

Several excellent utilities are available, including DiskView and Stellar SMART for standard IDE and SATA desktop drives. Also available are tools that monitor the health of SCSI drives and full RAID Array systems. Ariolic Software offers a great utility called ActiveSMART.

The only fool-proof way to prevent data loss is… Backup!

If you only take one of the suggestions here to heart, let it be this one: always back up your important data. After all the monitoring and all the prevention measures are in place, one fact still remains: all hard drives fail. Backing up regularly will ensure that you’re never caught without your critical data. For individuals, the simplest solutions include external portable hard drives, dvd’s, and online storage. For businesses, we recommend renting space at a secure data centre and implementing a disaster recovery plan, regardless of the size of your business.

I hope that the above techniques give you some idea of the importance of hard drive maintenance and provide some insights in how you can protect yourself from data loss.

Alex Bezborodov is the technical writer for Accurate Data Recovery, specializing in data recovery solutions and research.
Let ADR bring your data back to life!

Sean Hannity insists he knows. Al Franken often speaks for us. President Bush and Dick Cheney always seem to be crying our collective thought. Senator Kerry claims he is our spokesperson. They and their ilk unapologetically will tell anyone anywhere anytime what “the American people” want, as if they really know, as if it is fact.

The last time I checked, I was an American and still believe to be so as I write this. And I have to tell you, not one of these knuckleheads knows what I want. And when I hear a politician or a media propagandist start a self serving opinion with the words “The American people …”, I want to jam hot pokers into my ear canals. I wish they would just shut up about the American people. They don’t know what the American people want because it is a myth to believe that there is some kind of unanimous American position on anything.

Let’s take a simple example, one in which all victorious Presidential campaigns indulge in one way or another. To do so though, I have to turn one of my favorite targets, Press Secretary Scott McClellan. He was being nagged during his press briefing the day after the 2004 Presidential Election to identify the issue that brought a record number of people to the polls. Scott, as only Scott can do, answered the inquiry with the following (pulled from the transcript in its entirety; i.e., full context):

“No, I’m not (going to comment)– there’s going to be plenty of time to do a post-election analysis of all these issues. There was a very clear choice in this election, and the American people spoke at the ballot box with an overwhelming — with overwhelming support for the President and his agenda. That is clear from the results.”

The overwhelming voice Scotto and the legions of talking-point pundits were referring to that day was the 51% of the popular vote Bush received over the 48% John Kerry obtained. Or possibly they measured the overwhelming majority by the final electoral count.

Well here is a fact. If John Kerry could have grabbed just 51,000 of the votes Bush received in Ohio, he would be president todaygranted he would have won without the popular vote buy hey, President Bush knows all about that. Given that President Bush’s campaign played the wartime president card, something that supposedly strikes the fear of change into the hearts of voters, it is hard to imagine proclaiming overwhelming support for “the President and his agenda” without a hint of a smile on one’s face.

But forget all that. Let’s say a 3% margin is some sort of mandate as Scott would have us believe. Or let’s say the infamous map of red counties versus blue counties is some sort of clear statement. Is it still fair to proclaim the “American people spoke”?

Well that depends on how you define American people I guess. I define Americans as people who are legal citizens of United States. I’m not sure there is a better answer. The truth is that of the 220,400,000 legal U.S. citizens over the age of 17 (i.e., potential voters, as documented by the 07/2004 census), a little more than 28% voted for Bush, a little less than 27% voted for Kerry, under 1% voted for other candidates, and over 44% chose not to vote at all. A whopping 44% did not participate! And this was a record turnout!

Is Chris Matthews speaking of them when he makes a claim for the American people? Is Ann Coulter proclaiming their needs with her know-it-all assertions?

For once in his life, if McClellan could have spoken frankly and truthfully, he would have had to say something like:

“There was a very clear choice in this election, and 44% of the American people chose not to make a choice. There is no agenda that has overwhelmingly captured the attention of those Americans. That is clear from the results.”

If there is any generality that can be drawn, it is that a significant proportion of Americans don’t speak with a flip of a lever or the punch of a card or the check of a box. I suspect they don’t watch FOX or CNN or C-SPAN, nor do they participate in their polls. I suspect they don’t read the NY or Washington Times either. One thing I know with certainty: no one speaks for them, no one speaks for me, and I suggest no one speaks for you.
So the next time someone tries to tell you what the American people want, simply replace the phrase “the American people” with “I” or “me” and you will understand the buffoon’s real agenda. Then shove hot pokers into your ear canals.

This article was written by humorist Robert Crane. If you like what you read, please visit his popular (as in double secret probation cult popular) website:

http://www.cranelegs.com

As the world grows smaller; people travel across the globe more frequently and more business is done internationally, translation services are increasingly in demand. A translation service can now be needed for anything from the translation of an education certificate to translating a website. Due to the demand there are now hundreds of translation agencies across the globe.

Finding a translation service can be daunting. Where does one start to look for a translation service and when they find one, how do they know if they will be able to do the job well? What questions should one ask? This article will offer some useful tips on how to find a translation service to meet your needs.

Where to find a translation service?

There are three main ways of finding a translation service.
The first port of call should be your local directory such as the Yellow Pages. If you have a specific business directory for your area then even better. Simply look up “translation” or it may sometimes be under “translators & interpreters”. Have thumb through the listings and earmark some to contact.

The second, and easiest, means of finding a translation service is through the internet. Using the main search engines such as Google, Yahoo! and MSN can bring up hundreds of listings. One added advantage of using a search engine is that you can be more specific with your searches. For example, if you are looking for a translation service local to you type “translation service London” or “translation service Oxford”. Similarly if you are in need of a specific language try something like “German translation service”.

With search engine results you will be presented with two types of listings, paid listings (advertisements) and organic listings (non-advertised results). It is good to bear in mind that those with organic listings are there for a reason, i.e. the search engine naturally sees them as important sites for translation services. On the other hand paid listings will be from companies that need the business. This is not necessarily a negative thing but good to consider when making a choice.

The last means of finding a translation service is to ask colleagues, friends or family. A personal recommendation is always best.

Contacting the translation service

Once you have a list of the translation service providers you want to contact, it is then key that you are prepared with information necessary to get an accurate quote.

Any decent translation service will want to know what languages they are translating from and into, the length of the document (especially the number of source words), the nature of the text (is it business or technical?), the format of the document (is it a paper document, an email or brochure?), when you need the translation delivered by and if necessary what format it should be delivered in. These details will help the translation service price your piece of work. However, remember that many translation service providers may not give you a concrete quote until they see the document. This is because once they see it they may realise they under-quoted you due to unforeseen elements such as the format, poor image quality or technicality of the document. It is always a good idea to have your translation in a format that can be emailed or faxed.

When speaking to the customer service agent make sure you thoroughly explain your needs. A good translation service however will always ask the right questions so they get a decent grasp of what you will need.

Questions to ask the translation service

Once you have established the cost of your translation it is always a good idea to probe the translation service with a few more questions to gain a better understanding of their capabilities.

For example here are 10 basic questions:

1. If they gave you on price, ask what their charge is per 1000 words?

2. Will they charge you per source word or per target word? For example, if you are having a document translated from Italian to English, Italian will be the source language.

3. Is the quote they gave you fixed? i.e. they can not charge you more afterwards.

4. Are all their translators qualified? What is their procedure for hiring translators?

5. Do their translators work solely into their native languages?

6. If your deadline is missed how will you still have to pay?

7. Does the price include proof-reading by another translator?

8. If your translation is specific or technical, do the translators have experience in the subject matter?

9. What format will they return your translation in?

10. If it is a large or important job it is possible to ask for a trial translation – however, this may not always be free.

These questions for your translation service should give you some insight into their understanding of the industry and their capabilities.

Which translation service?

Ultimately for many people, when it comes to the crunch they choose a translation service based on cost, location and speed of service. There are no hard and fast rules as to how to choose a translation service and it is really up to the individual to go with what they feel it best for them.

In the general scheme of things most translation service providers are bona fide and professional outfits. If when asking the questions above to a translation service you sense a level of uncertainty then it may be best to go with the service that seems to know what you want and how to give it to you.

Neil Payne is Managing Director of Kwintessential, a UK based consultancy providing cross cultural solutions to today’s businesses. They provide cultural awareness training, translation services, interpreters and multilingual DTP and website design.

Visit http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/translation/translation.html for more information.

Let me tell you a story about Pete and a pizza. After a long day of fighting uncooperative pipes and fixtures, Pete P. Lumber, of Pete’s DuperRooter, was looking forward to a nice, hot, decidedly Atkins-disapproved pizza the stuff of which dreams are made. The week before, Pete was doing a bathroom remodel at Bob’s historical Chicago bungalow. The house had only one bathroom, so Pete had to complete the project as fast as possible. Due to a series of unfortunate events, some of which involved a repeated, forceful application of a rather large hammer, Pete stayed much longer than he initially anticipated. To bungalow owner Bob’s delight, Pete completed the remodel the same day.

Bob decided to take Pete out to dinner to show his appreciation. Bob knew that Pete liked pizza, so he took him to the MostDeliciousPizzaEmporium across the street. The restaurant was small, unassuming, and had the charming aura of a hole-in-the-wall. And it had the best pizza that Pete has ever tasted. Just the memory of that pizza he shared with Bob made Pete’s stomach growl. The crust was browned just right. The sauce had the perfect balance of tomato sauce and spices. And the toppings….there were over 20 toppings to chose from.

It’s no wonder that this week, Pete was looking forward to having pizza delivered from MostDeliciousPizzaEmporium. By the time Pete got home and was ready to pick up the phone, he could almost taste it. But, (these stories never seem to end well, do they?) he realized that he didn’t have the pizza place’s phone number. Pete didn’t remember the name of the place either the sign above the door had been tiny and hard to read.

Even if Pete had been paying attention, he would have had a hard time figuring out what the name was, since most vowels fell off the neon sign sometime around the Roosevelt administration (Teddy, in case you were wondering). It gets worse. As he and Bob were leaving, Pete had asked Kate, the hostess, for a take-out menu. She apologized profusely and said that they ran out four months ago and nobody bothered to reorder new ones.

The phone book turned out to be useless remember, Pete couldn’t recall the name of the pizza place. Scanning the restaurant pages didn’t ring a bell either. The only thing Pete could recall was the approximate address (across from Bob’s bungalow). Pete was too tired to go out and drive again, since he had just returned home. To add insult to injury, the weather person on Channel 5 news was gleefully pointing to the latest Doppler radar and cheerfully informing his audience that yet another 15 inches of snow were going to fall in the next hour.

That sealed it. Pete, who almost never surrendered, gave up. He ordered pizza from his usual joint, OKPizzaParlor. Pizza there was nothing to write home about. However, the proprietors always stocked a four-year supply of take-out menus and business cards. As an added twist, they gave out 4×6 magnets with “OKPizzaParlor” emblazoned on them with three inch high neon green letters with every order. Pete’s fridge was plastered with at least 20 of these.

OKPizzaParlor also sent their customers coupons and specialized promotional flyers. OKPizzaParlor even sent their customers a free 16 inch thin crust pizza coupons for their birthdays. Finally, all advertising materials prominently featured OKPizzaParlor’s contact information.

The MostDeliciousPizzaEmporium, didn’t get an order that night, even though Pete vastly preferred their pizza, and desperately wanted to order from them. MostDeliciousPizzaEmporium committed one of the cardinal sins of marketing: they didn’t bother with branding. The proprietors figured that their superior product would speak for itself, and decided not to waste their money on pointless advertising. Little did the MostDeliciousPizzaEmporium owners realize that skipping branding is like leaving the cheese off the pizza!

Don’t make the same mistake. Here are a few ideas you can use to make sure your marketing plan doesn’t follow in MostDeliciousPizzaEmporium’s footsteps and to remind your customers of your business long after they leave your store or web site:

* Create and maintain consistent corperate branding. A logo, font and a color scheme are the three crucial elements of an online image. Once created, use the same color scheme, logo, and font everywhere else on your brochures, business cards, newsletters, and signatures. Menus, magnets, employee t-shirts, name tags should all be consistent with your brand.

* Don’t dilute your brand. Having a web site and business cards with an inconsistent look and feel will confuse your customers.

* Reinforce the corporate branding in all communications. Every mode of communication should provide information about your business. This includes letters, invoices, e-mail, and so on. At the very least, include the business name, web site address and e-mail address.

* Use a signature with every e-mail. How many emails do you send in a single day? Wesend around 75 on a typical business day. This translates into 75 opportunities to remind customers about our brand every single day. Keep the signature short: your business tagline and URL or a link to your latest blog entry will do. The point is to do this consistently, early, and often.

Make sure that your business is the first thing that pops into your customers’ minds when they need products or services you provide. Make your brand memorable, and take advantage of every change to reinforce it. Not every customer is going to be like Pete, who drove out to the MostDeliciousPizzaEmporium the next day, and wrote down their name and phone number. Incidentally, that day he came home with 6 pizzas.

Biana Babinsky is the online business consultant, expert and author who teaches business owners how to make more money online. Learn step by step techniques to drive more traffic to your web site and make more money online in Biana’s Complete Step by Step Online Marketing Course at http://avocadoconsulting.com/rlinks/zcourse

When shopping for term life insurance, you want to find the right amount of insurance coverage at a reasonable price with a company you can trust. But for many people, getting started is the hardest part. That’s where the following Life Insurance Checklist can help.

1. What you would like your policy to achieve? Ask yourself what it is you want your life insurance to do. For example, do you want to have insurance coverage that will:

* Pay funeral arrangements? * Pay the outstanding balance owing on a mortgage and other debts? * Offset the loss of your income? And if so, for how long? * Contribute to the future education of your children? * A combination of all or part of the above?

Knowing what you would like to accomplish with your life insurance policy and approximately how much you need to achieve these goals will help you determine how much life insurance you should consider purchasing. Online life insurance calculators are available to help you put a dollar value on the amount of coverage you need.

2. Who would you like to insure under the life insurance policy? Most insurance companies offer a variety of life insurance products to suit your lifestyle and family needs. You can get an insurance policy on your own life, or you can get one policy for both you and your spouse (called a joint life insurance policy). The most common joint life policy provides coverage when the first partner dies, leaving the life insurance benefit to the surviving spouse.

3. How long will you need life insurance? Consulting a psychic isn’t necessary, although it does require that you estimate the timing of your life insurance needs. For example:

* When will your mortgage be paid off? The amortization period of your mortgage will often determine how long your term life insurance policy should be. * When will your children be finished school? One day they’ll finish their education and having enough life insurance coverage to pay their educational expenses won’t be necessary. * When are you planning to retire? You will have less income to replace at that time.

Knowing how long you’ll need life insurance coverage before you begin shopping will ensure you’re comfortable with the life insurance product you end up purchasing. Online tools are available to help you figure out which term for your life insurance policy is most recommended for people with similar lifestyles.

So now that you’ve got the how much, who and how long questions answered, you’re ready to shop.

1. Compare life insurance quotes from multiple companies: It pays to shop around because life insurance rates can vary considerably depending on the product you choose, your age, and the amount of coverage you request. This is the easy part, because with the Internet you can compare life insurance quotes easily, online, anytime.

2. Which life insurance rate has been quoted – standard or preferred? There are two basic life insurance rate groups you should know about when shopping for life insurance coverage: standard rates and preferred. Standard life insurance rates are the rates the majority of Canadians qualify for, while about one third of the population is eligible for preferred rates.

Preferred life insurance rates are typically offered to very healthy people and means you may pay a smaller premium than most. Usually preferred rates are offered only once the results of the medical information and tests are known. It will depend on your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, height, weight, and family health history. But preferred rates are worth it. They could save you up to 30-35% off your quoted premium.

When comparing prices, make sure you’re comparing ’standard to standard’ or ‘preferred to preferred’ life insurance rates. If you’re not sure, ask the broker. It would be disappointing to find out you were quoted preferred rates at the beginning, only to find out you don’t qualify for them later.

3. Review the life insurance broker’s availability: How easily can you get a hold of the broker? What are their hours of operation? Whether it is through their website or telephone, the life insurance broker should be easily accessible to you should you ever have questions or need to speak to them about a change in your life insurance needs. Look for toll-free numbers and extended hours of service as guides.

4. Review the medical information required to obtain the policy: Typically the more medical information you provide, the better the price. For a policy that asks few or no medical questions, you can bet the premium is higher for the same coverage then a plan asking for more information. Depending on the company, your age, and the amount of coverage you want, you could be asked to provide blood and urine samples. To obtain the samples, a nurse will visit at not cost to you.

5. Consider a life insurer’s financial stability and strength: A company’s financial stability is something to consider if you are planning on making a long-term purchase like life insurance. There are organizations out there, like A.M. Best, that evaluate insurers and provide a rating on their stability and strength.

6. Ask about renewal options and requirements: Once the initial premium is set, it is usually guaranteed for the length of the policy (often 10 or 20 years). But what happens when the policy expires? Most policies are renewable until you are 70 or 75 so don’t forget to ask your broker if you will have to take a medical to renew your policy. While your premiums will be higher on renewal, find out if they will also be guaranteed to remain level for the second term of the policy.

7. Confirm the policy can be cancelled without penalty: Most term life insurance policies can be cancelled at any time without penalty. Make sure to check with your broker to see if the life insurance company has any unusual cancellation policies.

8. Consider the conversion options and restrictions for the policy: As your life changes so do your life insurance needs and you may want the option to convert your coverage some day.

To convert a term life insurance policy means to transfer all, or part of, the death benefit of the policy into a permanent life policy without a medical. For example, say you originally bought a term policy to protect a mortgage and child. Once the mortgage is paid and the child grown, you might find it desirable to convert the policy into one that will give you a new level premium for the rest of your life, and a death benefit that is guaranteed not to expire as you age.

When you purchase your life insurance policy, find out if there are any limitations on your age at the time of conversion. In most cases, you have the option of converting up until you are 60 or 65. As well, ensure you are given several options of the type of policies you can move into, the more the better.

Final tip – choose a life insurance broker you trust: While it doesn’t necessarily impact the type of policy you choose to purchase, a rapport with your broker is critical in feeling comfortable with the life insurance policy you buy and the information you’ve received.

Have you ever wondered what the names are of the devices connected to, and in, your computer? There are many people out there who have never owned a computer or who have a computer but do not know what the proper terms are for the things that come with it. This article explains what those names are and provides a little bit of information about how they function.

Generally, all computers come with a few basic devices. These usually include a Monitor, keyboard, mouse, printer, and the computer (also known as the tower or case).

Monitor – The monitor is the device that looks similar to a TV. There are many types of monitors but the most common is a 17 inch CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) monitor. A CRT monitor is very similar to your standard TV. There is a new type of monitor that is becoming very popular, it’s called an LCD monitor. An LCD monitor is quite a bit smaller and the quality is somewhat better.

Keyboard – The keyboard is one of the most basic input devices. This is the device that has all the numbers, letters, and symbols that you use to type words on the computer.

Mouse – This is the other most basic input device. It is a small mouse-like device connected to your computer that lets you move the pointer around the screen and click on icons.

Computer – This is the device that houses the “Guts” of your computer. Inside is where all of the magic happens. Generally, inside a computer case you will find a hard drive, system board, RAM, network card, and all the other devices that let you do all of the fun things that computers nowadays let you do.

Printer – This is the device that lets you turn what you see on your computer, into hard copies on paper. There are many types of printers, such as: ink jet, laser, and dot matrix. Some printers also come with built in scanners (to digitize paper documents), fax machines, and photocopiers.

This is just some basic information that has, hopefully, helped you better understand your computer. You may think that most people should already know this but you might be surprised at how many do not.

Dennis d’Entremont is the operator of SaveLoad Video Game Directory and Computers-Made-Easy.com.

How to Run Faster than a Three-Toed Sloth…

Learn How to Run Faster than when I’m Lying on the Couch

“How to Run Faster?” is the WRONG question!!!

The philosophy we espouse at http://www.ordinaryrunner.com/ is “Running by Minutes” — a less intense attitude, and tailored for SUCCESS, not automatic failure!

Running by Minutes!

That’s it. It’s really very simple. It’s a bonanza of running for beginners!

The important thing:

Start slowly and build… Slowly and Consistenly!

Rather than being a slave to mileage logs, always trying to get in the right number of miles per day, even when you feel like your legs are made of Jello…

The Ordinary Runner simply puts in the MINUTES!

That way, if you feel great one day, you can run a little faster. (And if you feel like a slug, you can run a little slower.) Just run the number of minutes you have set for the day!

You still get your run in for the day, whether you feel great or feel lousy!

This is a much lower pressure approach to fitness, and much more enjoyable!

Remember when you were a kid…

… You could run! You did it all the time!

Running is natural. God made us to run!

That means you can learn to do it again! Just run!

You won’t have to worry about how to run faster…

… The more you run, the faster you’ll get, naturally!

It may have been a long time since you ran!

But that doesn’t mean you can’t do it again!

Just remember the most important thing:

JUST KEEP MOVING!

And don’t feel the pressure that you’ve got to run fast! Remember, you’re in the top 5% of people in the world if you just get out there and run, whether it’s slow…

… or even slower!

Here’s a 7-Week plan to get you started:

Running should be fun!!

Before I show you the plan for getting you started (a very simple plan, by the way), I should say this again…

The important thing is that you GET started…

And then…

Just KEEP MOVING!!

This plan is simple, and flexible. Follow it exactly or simply use it as a guideline, especially if you’re already exercising a little bit.

Start where you are, and don’t be embarrassed about it. Remember, with just a little time and consistency, you’ll be getting in shape, losing weight, feeling and looking better…

… And you’ll do it the healthy way, with your own work, not any cheap pills or diets!

If you haven’t run in years…

… don’t go out and run 30 minutes the first day. This is a SURE WAY to hurt yourself and end your running career before it begins!

7-Week Getting Started Plan:

See the full plan at(http://www.ordinaryrunner.com/running-get-started-plan.html).

Week 1:

Alternate 1 minute fast walk and 1 minute slow, for a total of 15 minutes. (5 days this week)

(If you want to, substitute a slow jog for the fast walk portion. Just be careful, and be realistic! Remember, patience and consistency are the keys!)

Week 2:

Alternate 3 minute fast walk and 1 minute slow, for a total of 15 minutes. (5 days this week)

Week 3:

Alternate 7 minute fast walk and 1 minute slow, for a total of 20 minutes. (Monday, Wednesday, Friday)

Alternate 1 minute slow jog and 1 minute slow walk, for a total of 15 minutes. (Tuesday, Saturday)

Week 4:

Alternate 2 minute jog and 1 minute slow walk, for a total of 20 minutes. (6 days this week)

Week 5:

Alternate 4 minute slow jog and 1 minute slow walk, for a total of (25 minutes Mon, Thur; 20 minutes Tu, Wed, Sat)

Week 6:

Alternate 5 minute jog and 1 minute walk, for a total of 30 minutes. (6 days this week)

Week 7:

Alternate 7 minute jog and 1 minute walk, for a total of 35 minutes. (5 days this week)

At the end of this 7 week period, you will be losing weight and feeling better! You’ll be well on your way to fitness, and you’ll notice you can run longer and longer!

Once again… You’re just getting started! Being an Ordinary Runner is a lifestyle, and WON’T happen overnight.

This is not a “Get Skinny Quick” lie, like you see on infomercials. This is the real thing!

Just Keep Moving!!!

Kely Braswell has been running for 27 years! He’s not the fastest human on the earth… but he’s fit! He also developed Ordinary Runner (http://www.ordinaryrunner.com), simple advice on running for beginners and mere mortals!

Saltwater fly fishing is all the rage these days. This excitement is quite understandable because there’s hardly anything more thrilling to a saltwater fly rodder than a bluefish blitz, a tailing red drum off the coast of NC, or a bonefish battle on the flats of south Florida waters.

If you are just getting started in saltwater fly-fishing, there are a few tips that will make your conversion from freshwater easier and more productive.

Get some gear just for fishing saltwater
You’re best bet is to get another fly rod and reel for your saltwater fishing adventures. Your freshwater gear is undoubtedly going to be lighter than may be necessary to deliver that big fly in a stiff offshore breeze, and you’re better off leaving your high-dollar equipment out of the punishing salt air.

Get a good 10 weight rod
There are a number of reasons you need to use heavier tackle. One is because you will need to make longer casts with larger flies in typically windy conditions. Another is because when you see that fish you need to deliver the fly IMMEDIATELY. Doing that will be considerably easier with heavier equipment.

Put your money in the rod
If you have to make a choice between spending money on rod or reel, choose rod. You can get away with a less expensive reel but you will not get the control you need with a cheap rod because it will flex more when you try to cast. The rod is more important than the reel.

Buy a reel made for fishing saltwater
You will still have to clean it after use but it will hold up better than one designed for freshwater.

Buy the best fly line you can afford
More expensive fly lines last longer and perform better than cheaper lines, it’s as simple as that. Your lines are the one place you can’t afford to pinch pennies. Also be sure to keep your lines clean and dressed with a good line dressing if you expect top performance from your lines.

Keep direct contact between your rod tip and fly.
Beginning saltwater anglers often do not realize the lighting speed at which a marine game fish is apt to strike. Every little bit of slack from our rod to the fly means a greater chance your hook-up will be unsuccessful.

Keep your rod tip pointed toward the water
Your best chance of hooking a saltwater game fish is by not lifting your rod from the water and setting the hook by stripping the line, keeping the rod pointed down before lifting it. Eliminate as much slack as possible between your rod and the fly and you will find your attempts will be more successful.

Try the shooting head system
Because of the heavy head section, a good caster can achieve a good 80 to 90 feet of distance with only one false cast. You may often find yourself in a situation where an 80 foot cast is sometimes not enough for open water fishing so a long cast with a shooting head is what is needed.

Fabulous flies
Keep in mind what your game fish eats and mimic it (most of the time). Sometimes the fish will only bite the bizarre, but usually you’re better off with flies that look like minnows, shrimp, crabs, worms, and various other small saltwater creatures.

Whether you are just getting started and testing your fly-fishing “wings” or are a veteran who simply loves the sport, give saltwater fly-fishing a try this fall or spring. You’ll be hard pressed to find a more exciting fly fishing adventure than a saltwater one.

E. A. Edwards is a free-lance writer with a variety of professional and personal interests. You will find more information about fly-fishing and fly-fishing gear on http://www.fly-fishing-guide.info

8 Ways to get Free Targeted Traffic
By The HitsBam Team
http://www.hitsbam.com

What good is your website if no one knows about it? The reason most webmasters fail within their first year is because they overlook advertising and promotion. Just because you have a perfectly designed website does not mean that people will find it. It is not hard to produce a steady stream of targeted traffic, and it can be absolutely free if you do it right. Below are eight free ways to produce quality targeted traffic for your website.

1. Search Engines
Search Engines are one of the best sources for targeted traffic and potential customers, so search engines should be one of the biggest factors for advertising and promotion. Did you know that most people never click past the first page of search engines? You need to be on the first page of search engines for your targeted keywords to generate targeted traffic. Getting your website to the top of search engines such as Google and Yahoo for free takes special methods called Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Search Engines Optimization envolves many factors, such as Meta Tags, Inbound Links, <title> tags, keywords, content, and PageRank. Since SEO is such an advanced field, HitsBam has written a completely seperate article entitled A Complete Guide to Search Engine Optimization to get you to the top of search engines for free.

2. Message Boards
Message Boards, or commonly known as forums, are great places to make partnerships with other webmasters and gain targeted traffic. First, create a signature post file with your name and URL so everytime you post a message, people will be interested in your website. Then introduce yourself slowly by posting useful information and answering questions. The more active you become in the forum, the better, because you will be known as an “expert”, which gives you and your website a good reputation. Always remember to obide by the forum’s rules and NEVER spam them with your website. A good signature for a forum would look something like this:

———————————————
Your Name
http://www.yourwebsite.com
“A funny or catchy quote”
———————————————

3. Email Signatures
Imagine that every email you send out is advertising for your website. This can be a reality if you utilize email signatures. Almost every email program or website has this feature. You can use it when sending personal emails, business emails, when you email your clients, in your autoresponder, or any other email that is sent. Email Signatures are perfect to keep people coming back to your website because the signature reminds them that your website exists. Remember to never spam, it just is not worth it. A good email signature would look something like this:

———————————————
Your Name
Your Website Title
http://www.yourwebsite.com
“Your Slogan” or a Short Description
———————————————

4. Content
Content, Content, Content! Search engines are so sophisticated these days that the only real way to get on the top of search engines is to have good keyword-rich content. Not only will you recieve top rankings on search engines, people will actually want to visit your site, especially if the content is for free. You could also post your articles at ezines and websites and leave your link at the bottom. This lets people know that you are knowledgable and that they should visit your website, and it works suprisingly well to generate targeted traffic for free. You can make some real money selling links on your website if you have good content. Some websites with a PageRank of 7 or more sell links for $250+ a month! Don’t forget to place your keywords all over your website and in your articles. The more keywords you incorporate into your content, the better, just make sure it is still an understandable article and not just an article full of keywords.

5. Start A Newsletter
Newsletters can be a great way to keep visitors comming back to your website. It is suggested that you send out a unique issue every week to keep reminding the customers that you are still here, but make sure each issue is different and has something to offer the reader, usually free information. Once you reach about 100 subscribers, the newsletter can become an income generator, as you can sell ad space on it. You can find some great free scripts for your newsletter at www.ACJavascripts.com.

6. Awards
Submitting your site to be chosen for awards is a great way to get people to find your website. If you happen to win a big award that fits the color scheme of your website, you could display it proudly on your front page showing your visitors that the website is reliable and has won awards. You can find out more about how to apply for awards with free software from http://www.market-tek.com/awardsite.html.

7. Free Stuff
Free stuff to offer your visitors is a great way to keep them comming back or to persuade them to buy your products. There are many things you can offer, such as email addresses, games, information, tips and hints, software, ebooks, and the list goes on. You could give away something that would compliment a sale for your product. An example would be to give away free information on how dirty air can cause health problems if you are selling air purifiers.

8. Traffic Swarm
We usually do not support traffic exchange programs and click for traffic programs, but we have found an exception. A program called Traffic Swarm has been one of our biggest targeted traffic producers. It’s unique way of letting the surfer choose what site they want to visit has proven successful and has reflected it’s success to it’s members. They do offer a pro memebership that gives you bonus credits, 2000 credits per month, a featured site link, and much more. HitsBam highly suggests joining this free program.

About the Author

This article was written by HitsBam. For more free articles and other traffic sources, please visit http://www.hitsbam.com.