tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56169716115582225412024-03-14T00:07:55.006-07:00Educations BestAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14004115474140034954noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5616971611558222541.post-76284039058507793862012-11-14T22:18:00.000-08:002012-11-19T22:19:06.987-08:00Understanding the Business<div id="article-content" style="text-align: justify;">
Direct marketing is a fairly simple concept to grasp - it doesn't
involve traditional advertising techniques, but instead communicates
directly with customers through the use of direct mail: emails,
e-newsletters, fliers, catalogues, business letters, or coupons, to name
a few. Several modern tools are used to beef up one's direct marketing
campaign, including address validation, use of database on neighborhood
demographics, and many more. But here are the basic things you need to
know about direct marketing, and how to get on the road to success.<br />
The
benefits of direct marketing are wide-ranging. Its success is easier to
gauge than conventional advertising forms, because you can get data on
response and sales rate and compare the cost of advertising with total
sales incurred. It also goes directly to your existing customers, along
with potential ones who can be converted given a better understanding of
your products or services.<br />
Direct marketing can be done in
various ways, including direct mail. It can be unaddressed and widely
delivered, for instance fliers distributed inside a supermarket. There
are also catalogues, fliers, and brochures on new stocks, promos, and
special deals, which are sent to customer addresses and may require
optimized tools like programmable Web services on zip code, demographics
data, and related information.<br />
Email is another extensive mode of
direct marketing, with customers spending more time online nowadays.
E-newsletters are sent out daily, monthly, or quarterly, keeping
customers updated on new company offerings, after-sales services and
product care, industry news, or simply company feedback for product or
service improvement. It's low-cost to do, enabling you to touch base
with subscribers with good planning, layout and design, content, and
efficient mail delivery system.<br />
To build a customer database means
to know your customers' contact details, and if you want to target
potential ones, you'll need to build a profile of the typical customer
you have in mind. Your resource can be from a simple spreadsheet to a
more targeted database software or service, which you have to pay
attention to because it is a valuable business asset.<br />
Target
certain demographics by zip code, for example. There are Web-based tools
these days that offer fundamental demographic data at the block level,
with each profile containing complied information like area distribution
by race, age, ethnicity, income, and education. Eight million unique
neighborhoods in the United States can also be covered by a neighborhood
demographics service like this. Block-level demographics provide better
customer insight, help determine new markets, and segment your target
markets and identify fraud through like-region comparisons.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14004115474140034954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5616971611558222541.post-35265010611194862592012-11-07T22:18:00.000-08:002012-11-19T22:18:27.183-08:00Career Options With a Computer Science Degree<div id="article-content" style="text-align: justify;">
When was the last time you bought an air ticket from an actual
physical airline counter or looked up the meaning of a word in a printed
dictionary? How many of us have, time and again, chosen the convenience
of online shopping over standing in line at the mall?<br />
Have
you ever caught yourself wondering what life would be like without all
the smart computer software applications that make your work so much
more streamlined and simple?<br />
At a time when computers and
technology have become a part of everything we do in our personal,
professional, and academic lives, can there be any doubt that a career
in information technology could be anything but fulfilling?<br />
<b>Flourishing Careers in IT</b><br />
If
you are considering a computer science degree, then now is the right
time to go for it, as computing and technology careers are flourishing.<br />
There
are a number of IT jobs to pursue; four of those career options were
included in the best 25 jobs of 2012 list compiled by U.S. News and
World Report.*<br />
These professions were ranked according to their
projected growth through 2020, average salary, predicted job prospects,
and how they score on the job satisfaction front.<br />
<b>Software Developer</b><br />
Software
developers are the brains behind the computer programs that allow us to
complete specific tasks. Software developers, according to the U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, understand user needs and then develop
software programs or applications to meet those needs. They are also
responsible for software maintenance and testing; recommending upgrades
and improvements to existing programs; and fixing bugs in the software
when they arise.<br />
Software developers usually work for software
companies; IT services firms, and computer and other electronic
manufacturers. One of the perks of this career is that many employers
are now offering the flexibility to telecommute, or work from home.<br />
Software developers usually have a computer science degree, but they can also complete degree programs in software engineering or mathematics to enter this profession.<br />
<b>Computer Programmer</b><br />
Computer
programmers are the whizzes who turn the design created by software
developers into a logical series of instructions that a computer is able
to follow. Programmers use many programming languages, such as C, C++,
C#, Python, Java, etc. to write this code. They also have the task of
updating, expanding, and debugging existing programs.<br />
A computer
programmer, depending on his work setting, may be involved in developing
software for mobile apps, business, video games, education, healthcare,
video or image editing, device drivers, operating systems, etc.<br />
The
completion of a bachelor's degree program in computer science or
related field is usually required for this job, though some entry-level
positions can be pursued by graduates who have graduated from an
associate's computer degree program.<br />
<b>Web Developer</b><br />
Web
developers, as the term suggests, design, create, maintain, and modify
websites or web applications according to client needs. Part of their
job is to understand a client's requirements and then create a visually
appealing and informative website using text, graphics, animations,
videos, and even audio content. While designing a website, they have to
keep in mind things like user friendliness, ease of navigation, and the
performance and capacity of the website. Degree programs in computer
science or web design and development are usually required for this job,
as it entails knowledge of software applications, programming
languages, and design principles.<br />
<b>Database Administrator</b><br />
Database
administrators store, organize, and manage computer databases. They
analyze user needs to create databases and administer these databases to
ensure they operate properly. They also protect the data from
unauthorized access and create backups to prevent data loss in
situations like power outages or other emergencies. Also known as DBAs,
their duties include modifying database structures and testing them.<br />
Database administrators work in a variety of industries ranging from IT and IT-enabled services to retail and finance.<br />
Among
the credentials usually required for this job is a computer degree in a
field such as information systems or computer science.<br />
<b>Sources:</b>
<br />* money.usnews.com/money/careers/articles/2012/02/27/the-best-25-jobs-of-2012-rankings<br />
</div>
<div id="article-resource" style="text-align: justify;">
CollegeAmerica was established in 1964. It has six campuses with
comfortable facilities in Colorado, Wyoming and Arizona. It has trained
generations of graduates for new careers in high demand jobs through its
high-value degree programs.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14004115474140034954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5616971611558222541.post-45844962330271296222012-10-31T22:17:00.000-07:002012-11-19T22:17:26.358-08:00Homeless To Harvard<div id="article-content" style="text-align: justify;">
Harvard has been the backdrop and subplot to many great movies.
From Good Will Hunting to the ridiculous Stealing Harvard, Harvard is
the setting where dreams are made and broken.Yet the story of Dawn
Loggins eclipses any Hollywood plot.<br />
18
year old Loggins, from North Carolina, has made international news.
Loggins grew up in an environment beset by school bullying and parents
in the grip of drug-abuse. Fellow students taunted the teenager, who
often turned up at school looking bedraggled. Despite this hardship, and
a series of school transfers, Loggins somehow managed to hold course
and become a Straight A student.<br />
The story has echoes of Liz
Murray who's auto-biography, 'Breaking Night, My Journey From Homeless
To Harvard'. Her story became a bestseller and was later dramatized for
an Emmy winning drama.<br />
Murray too had a dysfunctional family
background and found herself on the streets at the age of 16. She
finally won a New York Times scholarship for needy students. Harvard is
viewed by the media, with some justification, as the passport to a life
of prosperity.<br />
Murray has since become an author and international
public speaker. She has shared the stage with world figures including
Tony Blair, the Dalai Lama and Mikhail Gorbachev. She is also the
founder and director of Manifest Living, spreading a message of
empowerment to teenagers around the world.<br />
At Harvard Loggins
plans to work on her degree in biology, so that she can realize next the
chapter of her remarkable life and study animal habitats. Like a
Charles Dickens novel, this rags to riches tale has the power to move
and inspire. In the tradition of any great cliche, dreams come true for
those who hold the course.<br />
Harvard is often viewed as the passport
to a life of prosperity. Which is why student applications are soaring
from around the world. This year Harvard accepted just 5.9% of
applicants. Which makes Dawn's achievements all the more impressive.<br />
A
word on Harvard's financial aid policy. Harvard has the highest
financial aid budget of any US university at $172,000,000 for needy
students. Financial Aid is reserved for students whose family finances
are under $60,000. Infact Harvard's financial aid is so generous that
fees best or equal 90% of other higher education institutes.<br />
Students
qualify for aid regardless of race, nationality or background. Their
only requirement? Students in possession of an outstanding resume.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14004115474140034954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5616971611558222541.post-14487827038859970532012-10-17T22:16:00.000-07:002012-11-19T22:16:48.364-08:00Poverty As a Great Threat to the World Peace and Economy<div id="article-content" style="text-align: justify;">
Poverty is a great threat for society and the system of the
world. In such state, laws seem to be minor, and they are easily
violated. Our society is mostly exploited by starvation, penury, danger
and several other problems. They all get birth from poverty because it
is a mother of all evils. It means that a person, who comes under the
meanest suffering of the poverty, can take any action to meet the needs.<br />
Now,
we discuss the causes of poverty. Its main causes are over -population,
unemployment, illiteracy, poor industrial facilities and economic
resources. Keeping the above causes of poverty in view, one can easily
distinguish between the developed and the developing countries. The
developed countries are prosperous with natural resources and
industries. Despite such prosperity, they don't stop exploring the new
resources for becoming stronger in the field of the developed countries.
It is useless to say that there is no poverty. Poverty is every where,
and in the developed countries, it is found little. Its cause is the
honest attention of such countries to their people, and that's why
suffering is less.<br />
The developing countries are taking efforts to
explore the natural resources and to increase industries for making
themselves prosperous, but they are badly affected by the cruelty of
starvation and poverty. It happens due to bad politics. It does nothing
but creates problems which enfeeble the economy of the country and
welcome famine. If famine comes, the economy of country falls and gets
several years for restoration. Peace is changed into violence, and the
ground favours the powerful persons.<br />
The other cause of poverty is
terrorism. It is more dangerous and its mother is poverty. The country
accepts the politicians as the pillar but they are not. I think it is
the lack of wisdom or education. Such problems mostly take birth in the
developing countries because the aristocratic class, the middle class
and the politics give importance to their needs. Besides, they keep all
resources in their control. Their actions critically inflict the nation
and in result, the poverty compels them to violate the rules and
regulations. None wishes to become the part of terrorism, but it is
starvation that eliminates all their valuable thoughts and controls
their minds. A person who undergoes hardships and incessant suffering of
life, he becomes anguished and tired of it. In result, he commits
crimes which destroy the peace of society. Theft, robbery, kidnapping
and murder are the root causes of terrorism. Our newspapers are over-
loaded with such items, and electronic media are also alert for
broadcasting such items of news several times in a day. The critical
Poverty makes a person blind and mad. It is fact that a hungry man is
always angry. He gives priority to money, and for its sake, he is ready
to cross human being's limits and explodes bombs in buses or in the busy
spots of the country. Nowadays, this factor is very common, and it is a
pure element of terrorism. He is used by the others for the sake of
money, but the actual terrorists are those who hire such needy persons.
It means that those who heap wealth and use them for negative and
inhuman purposes, they are actual terrorist. They use the suffered and
hungry people for their personal benefits. This factor is most common in
developing countries.<br />
The history is full of various examples of
terrorism which are the result of bad poverty. So Peace seems to be
impossible because there is no solution of starvation, even in the
developed countries. When the developed countries come under the mania
of it, they become blind and deaf and impose false charges on the weak
or under developed countries. In result, they make war and rob them of
their resources. One can find so many examples which are evident that
they don't give importance to mankind but to natural resources. They
should not play such inhuman role. Such aincrease poverty and
starvation, and in result, their safety will be at stake.<br />
Poverty
is also a great threat to the economy of the world. If we imagine a
person whose earning is small, he can not meet his basic needs. It is
impossible because eighty percent of population comes below the poverty
line. All resources and economic institutes are handled by twenty
percent of people. One can scan that a thirsty, hungry and homeless
person can not let others live luxuriously and happily. All is happened
due to mismanagement and wrong distribution of economic resources and
inadequate facilities. Calvin Coolidge says that economy is always a
guarantee of peace.<br />
If we want to make our countries prosperous
and developed in all fields, first of all these problems should be
solved at any cast. In this way, we can defeat poverty, control
terrorism and introduce a peaceful environment.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14004115474140034954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5616971611558222541.post-16958820898986442142012-10-10T22:15:00.000-07:002012-11-19T22:16:01.610-08:00Using Pet Urns to Prepare Children for the Death of Pets<div id="article-content" style="text-align: justify;">
Children develop an attachment to their pets. They become their
playmates and they cannot carry out most of their play activities
without them. When the pet dies, most parents dread the experience of
having to break the news to their children.<br />
In
an effort to protect them from the painful truth, some may be tempted
to go out and buy an identical pet. However, this does not help since
the relationship with the new pet will not be the same. The child will
notice the difference even with identical features on the surface of the
new one. However, pet urns create an easy solution for such parents.<br />
It
is important that a parent psychologically prepare the child to deal
with the death of a pet. One way of doing this is buying suitable pet
urns for ashes when buying the pet. The parent should then explain to
the child the concept of death and the fact that the pet will not live
forever. When the pet eventually dies, the child will be sad but dealing
with the loss is easier since he or she expected it. The parent will
have an easy time cremating the pet and putting the ashes in the urn.<br />
The
best idea is to purchase a customized urn. Most people prefer figurine
designs that imitate the appearance of the pet. One could also choose to
incorporate a photo of the pet on the urn. This creates a lasting
memory and the child is sure that the pet is in a better place.
Explaining the logic is however hard for younger children but in for
older children it is easy. One can then proceed to buy a new pet and
train it like the older one. Younger children will soon forget the old
one and bond with the new pet, all thanks to ashes in the pet urn.<br />
Walking
your child through the grief process of losing a pet will not be easy,
but take time, and having dialog with them about what has taken place,
and letting them be apart of the memorial process I believe that you can
turn a very difficult time into a learning and educational experience.
Allow you child to express their feeling, ideas, and hurts they are
experiencing.<br />
Being their for our children and our pets are huge
responsibilities that we as parents and pet owners cannot take lightly,
but most work at daily.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14004115474140034954noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5616971611558222541.post-78974339373718630372012-10-03T22:15:00.000-07:002012-11-19T22:15:19.210-08:00Credit Card Debt Is Still At Its Peak<div id="article-content" style="text-align: justify;">
The latest news shows that Americans have now become more
educated about credit issues than they used to be before the recession
period. However, this familiarity with the sphere of personal finance
doesn't necessarily mean they are able to take the right decisions
concerning lending and credit. A survey held by the Utica School of
Commerce two weeks ago revealed that the overwhelming majority of
Americans are aware of the interest rates they pay on their credit
cards, as well as of their credit score. Despite of that, they still
continue to suffer from the serious debt associated with high-interest
cards, and many of them don't have the slightest idea of how to improve
their credit rating.<br />
The
Utica's survey indicates that Americans don't tend to draw the right
conclusions from the hard-learned credit lessons that they learned
during the period of recession. Adult people who are unaware of their
credit rating now come in about 30% as opposed to the 45% who didn't
have any idea about it in 2007. There are also less people (21%) who
don't know the interest rates imposed on the credit accounts they use
most frequently, in compared with the 28% who claimed not to know it in
2007.<br />
Among those who know the interest rates associated with
their banking cards, 30% pay an interest rate of about 20% or even more.
Others claim to pay 14-15% or more. It's an interesting fact that only
25% of credit card consumers ever tried to apply for better rates
despite of the fact that many of them are perfectly negotiable. Although
canceling a credit card account has a negative impact on credit score,
20% of people consider this to be rather beneficial for their credit
history. 26% believed it had no significant impact. For those who deal
with any kind of debt except mortgage loans, credit card debt tends to
be the most typical one, being also the most expensive debt to pay.<br />
To
acquire more knowledge and experience in personal finance, you should
firstly figure out your current banking card rates. Then you can search
for lower rates. Statistics shows that about 70% of those who solicit
lower rates get a positive reply. Begin with a target rate and be very
assertive. If necessary, ask your supervisor for help. Learning the
factors that influence your credit rating is also very important. One
should understand that cancelling older banking accounts will
substantially reduce credit ratio. This, in its turn, may decrease your
credit rating. Finally, you may cut your current debt expenses by paying
all your debts back with a low-interest bank loan rather than with your
credit card.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14004115474140034954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5616971611558222541.post-42035573227902356622012-09-26T22:13:00.000-07:002012-11-19T22:14:22.576-08:00Newspapers, Murder, and Bears! Oh My! - Mystery Book Review<div style="text-align: justify;">
Award-winning mystery writer, Brad Parks, returns with his third book, <em>The Girl Next Door,</em> featuring amateur sleuth and newspaper reporter, Carter Ross.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Nancy Marino was forty-two-years-old and single. She waitressed at the State Street Grill, delivered Bloomfield, New Jersey's <em>Eagle-Examiner</em> early mornings; and was a shop steward for the International Federation of Information Workers (IFIW), Local 117.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
On
a hot, Friday morning in July, a speeding Cadillac Escalade struck and
killed her while delivering her papers. The driver disappeared onto the
Garden State Parkway; confident he committed an untraceable crime.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Who killed Nancy Marino and why?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Enter Carter Ross, an eight-year veteran news reporter for the <em>Eagle-Examiner. </em>Reading
Marino's obituary, he decides to memorialize a fellow newspaper
employee, even though he'd never met her. He plans to write a story
portraying Marino as an ordinary person, who spent her life serving
others, and, whose contributions to society went unnoticed until her
passing. Attending her funeral, he learns that her death is being
investigated as a homicide, which ignites his inquiring mind.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Ross
is an unpretentious thirty-two-year-old. Educated at Amherst College,
he lives in a two-bedroom, ranch-style house with his black-and-white,
domestic, shorthaired cat, Deadline. He ubiquitously dresses in Khakis
and button-down shirts; and drives a five-year-old Chevy Malibu.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Many
people are aware of the anemic state of print newspapers, given today's
digital age. Longtime community newspapers have either downsized
considerably, both in content and staff, or folded.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Parks weaves
these challenging industry times into the book's plot. During the
halcyon days of the newspaper in the late nineties, the <em>Eagle-Examiner</em>
signed its thousand-plus carriers to an unprecedented twenty-year
contract, which included great wages. Now, given the industry's tough
times, the newspaper wants concessions; and the Union isn't yielding.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
As the IFIW shop steward, could Nancy Marino have been murdered to silence her opposition to contract negotiations?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Tina
Thompson is Ross's editor. In her late thirties and single, she's
expressed interest in Ross purely from a "chromosomal" perspective.
Determined to experience motherhood, she's suggested Ross become her
sperm donor-nothing more.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Parks has a talent for infusing humor
throughout his mystery narratives. A bear is on the loose in Newark and
Thompson assigns Ross the story. It's mainly done to delineate their
professional roles, reminding him that despite their mutual sexual
attraction, she calls the shots. Given his career experience, he balks
at the task. She prevails.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Kevin "Lunky" Lungford is one of the
newspaper's underutilized interns. At six foot five and 275 pounds, his
hulk-like appearance easily conveys stupidity. While inept in the
newsroom, Ross is taken aback by Lunky's appreciation for literature,
reading the works of Emerson, Roth and Thoreau. Ross befriends Lunky,
asking him to accompany him on his bear chase story, which proves
comical.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Tommy Hernandez is the <em>Eagle-Examiner's</em> Newark
City Hall beat writer. He's "as gay as taffeta and chintz, " and an
impeccable dresser. Despite his constant chiding of Ross for his lack of
sartorial eloquence, Ross respects him as a fine young reporter.
Hernandez plays Robin to Ross's Batman when solving crimes. Jibes about
their sexual orientation differences are humorous.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Well-written
fiction reflects reality and Parks conveys it throughout his story. Ross
discusses his observation of human behavior everywhere, "from the
meanest housing project to the gilded symphony hall." He says, "And what
always strikes me is that when you strip away the superficial
differences in clothing, setting, and dialect, groups of people
everywhere are more or less the same. We all have our pretenses. We all
posture to a certain degree. But, ultimately, most of us are just trying
to find a way to fit in."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Anyone with Newark, New Jersey ties
will appreciate Parks's area references, including the New Jersey
Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, and
the well-to-do communities of Glen Ridge and Montclair.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14004115474140034954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5616971611558222541.post-39176435940626459172012-09-19T22:12:00.000-07:002012-11-19T22:13:13.827-08:00Many Benefits Of Using Twitter In Your Business<div id="article-content" style="text-align: justify;">
Many companies use Twitter to retain current customers and
recruit new, not knowing that there are many other opportunities in
using this form of social media. In fact twitter wins over Facebook as
it is estimated that 56% of people who follow a brand on twitter are
likely to buy as opposed to 47% for Facebook Twitter is also regarded as
the first choice as regards sharing referrals about a new product or
service on the market. Studies have found that while users who give a
"Like" on Facebook, do so in order to get discounts and gifts, Twitter
users are more likely to use the platform to receive news, information
and "updates" about future products of the brand or the company's
upcoming projects.<br />
Twitter
is also a very valuable research tool as companies can join groups
related to their business and gain valuable information in this way. As
for finding prospects, many senior decision makers have twitter
accounts. Followerwonk is a good place to start looking for people as
you can search bios. Here again you can use twitter to actually ask your
followers a number of key marketing questions. What are they looking
for in a certain product or service? How do they rate your product or
service in the marketplace? Where do they look for products and service
on the internet?<br />
Again keywords are as important here as they are
in any form of internet search. It is useful to start looking at the
Google keyword tool to find high search numbers and then use these
keywords in you twitter search.<br />
Twitter is an excellent way to
build your personal brand. The constant communication to your followers
of interesting, educational and informative information helps build
strong trust based relationships.<br />
Twitter is an ideal vehicle for
running special offers or promotions. Many companies offer discount
coupons to their followers. Followers are interested in anything that is
new, that saves or makes them money, or is entertaining. Many retail
food stores, bakeries, coffee shops and restaurants have found that
"tweeting" their latest offering to their customers can bring a flood of
customers.<br />
Twitter is also an excellent way of seeing what your
competitors are doing because the social network is free and companies
rarely protect their tweets, you can read them without any problem and
inform you of what they are doing.<br />
As the social network is free
and companies rarely protect their tweets, you can read them without any
problem and inform you of what they are doing. Add to the list,
experts, leaders and indirect competitors.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14004115474140034954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5616971611558222541.post-20898493052095067262012-09-12T22:12:00.000-07:002012-11-19T22:12:30.331-08:00Fascinating Facts About Bee Pollen<div id="article-content" style="text-align: justify;">
There are many fascinating facts about bee pollen, especially now
that it is in the news. The main concerns are that bees are ingesting
toxins from polluted plants due to manufacturing or GM farming. There
are worries that the microbes from GM farming can get anywhere and
everywhere and the health risks are unpredictable to say the least.<br />
In
Tanzania, in the Manyoni district, the authorities have decided to
introduce demonstration farms. The idea is that farmers can move from
producing tobacco crops to other cash crops, simply because the bees
will no longer be attracted to the tobacco flowers which, of course,
contain nicotine.<br />
The authorities there want to encourage the
production of the purest possible bee pollen and honey. They are
therefore illustrating on the demo farms how plants like millet,
sunflowers, cotton and sesame are much more profitable and also help the
bees produce the best quality bee products.<br />
Although only about
25% of Tanzania's honey is exported to European countries, the
beekeepers are anxious that the quality of the bee products is
preserved, They are also educating farmers on the benefits of preserving
the wild vegetation on their lands so that the bees can have enough
nectar and flower pollen to help with the production of honey.<br />
But
the actual composition of the pollen provides some more facts about bee
pollen. There is a rich supply of all the B vitamins which is why it
can give us so much energy. Combine that with the astonishing amount of
enzymes, amino acids, other vitamins and you can see why it is called
nature's perfect food.<br />
Another fascinating fact is that this
substance has been used for centuries by many ancient civilisations from
China to Egypt to ancient Rome. They all praised the qualities of the
bee pollen and the honey to the skies and they were well aware of the
great boost it gave them. In ancient Rome it was considered as a sort of
food for the gods and a common household greeting was:- "Here is honey
and pollen, provided by the gods, to protect your health". Just one of
the fascinating facts about bee pollen from the ancient world.<br />
If
you happen to consume locally produced bee pollen, you may well find
that you can get relief from your seasonal allergies. If you start
taking the local pollen a few weeks beforehand, it acts as a sort of
immunization and will provide you with some relief.<br />
Today, the
uses of bee pollen provides an astonishing array as it can help with
men's prostate disorders, weight loss, menopause problems, loss of
libido and also is a greet fount of energy and vitality.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14004115474140034954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5616971611558222541.post-56275950013793829122012-09-05T22:11:00.000-07:002012-11-19T22:11:44.817-08:00Trade Iron Condor Successfully in 2012<div id="article-content" style="text-align: justify;">
An Iron Condor is a popular options strategy deployed by a number
of options strategists who prefer not to take any view as to where the
stock market is heading. In this respect, this strategy is also known as
a market neutral options strategy.<br />
Some
options strategists prefer to trade an Iron Condor using stocks.
However, this is not my preference. As we all know, every listed company
in the United States has to announce its earnings in every quarter.
Depending on the announcement and the market expectation on such an
announcement, the stock price may gap up or down and this could
potentially upset the trade because of the short gamma.<br />
As far as I
am concerned, I trade this strategy primarily using a few optionable
index products such as S&P 500 Index ("SPX"), NASDAQ 100 Index
("NDX"), S&P 100 Index ("OEX"), and Russell 2000 Index ("RUT")
instead of stocks. Why is that so? This is because any price movement of
a single stock alone should not result in a big movement on the related
index. This statement is however subject to a caveat when it comes to
2012. Thanks to Apple Inc ("AAPL"), a very popular stock from the United
States with great momentum in price action and strong fundamentals.
From my latest research and to the best of my knowledge, AAPL represents
approximately 4.5% of the total value of SPX and almost 20% of the
value of NDX. In this regard, when trading this strategy using SPX
options or NDX options for example, it becomes necessary to pay
attention to the news and price movement of AAPL.<br />
I guess you may
also wonder why I have a basket on the index products on hand and some
of you may even ask why I do not trade this strategy using a single
index product such as RUT. This is a very good question. Indeed, a few
years back, I traded this strategy primarily using RUT options and in
doing so, I studied all the essential information pertaining to this
index product, including the settlement process and the historical price
movement in each expiration cycle of this index during the last decade.
My belief then was that as long as I traded this strategy month after
month, I would be able to make money consistently.<br />
As I continue
with my education in options trading, one of my mentors pointed out to
me that the abovementioned trading style involving the use of only a
single index product and trading in and out on a monthly basis would not
serve me well in the long run. One reason is because of the implied
volatility ("<strong>IV</strong>") skews. According to my mentor, a
successful Iron Condor trader takes a serious view in looking at the
prevailing IV skews to decide whether the index option in question is
appropriate for the Iron Condor strategy. There could be some months of a
year where the IV skews become too cheap for a trader to sell an Iron
Condor. This was exactly the case for RUT options in the last few
months. In other words, the RUT options were too cheap to be sold.
Hence, I used other index products such as SPX and OEX for selling my
iron condor instead.<br />
Another step I used to do in the past was to
focus on selling a 10 delta call option and a 10 delta put option. Even
until now, I am aware that there are still quite a number of people who
would construct their Iron Condor by purely following this "10-delta"
rule. Once again, thanks to my mentor who pointed out that this is not
the recommended approach because very often, there could be mispricing
of options quotes. What do I mean by that? This means that we should not
be blindly selling a 10 delta call option and a 10 delta put option in
every instance. Instead, we should pay attention to the strike above or
below the 10 delta options. Sometimes, even if we were selling a 9-delta
option, we may be able to command a higher credit because of this
mispricing behavior and thereby, improving our potential return on the
Iron Condor.<br />
In summary, for a trader to be successfully in
trading Iron Condor in 2012, he has to keep a closer look on the changes
to the IV skews of the options of the index products and remain
flexible. He should also pay attention to this monster stock in the
United States - AAPL too.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14004115474140034954noreply@blogger.com0