Debt consolidation loan Bad Credit Debt Consolidation bills and debt always a little out of hand? Lower your monthly payments by consolidating them into a low payment. You may have to consolidate. Credit cards, auto loans, personal loans, mortgages seconds everything and everything! We … … no credit check loans for people with bad college Faxless payday va home personal signature quick fax cheap unsecured commercial debt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYxRQZBIeCs&hl=en

Author: Jacob Marshal
Source: articledashboard.com

Duran Duran is back with their new album “Red Carpet Massacre [CD/DVD]“. Since their last album which was released in 2005– the hits “Astronaut,” “Red Carpet Massacre, dvd, [CD/DVD]” is the twelfth album which illustrates, dvd, their musical expertise. Of course this album has deviated, dvd, from their original music which was more synth-driven, dvd, and full of rock guitar flirtations. Rock guitar which was a prominent instrument in their mid-career period is least to be found in this album.
In a way, their new album can be said to, dvd, be a slickly polished electro-pop hybrid. It is an output of collaborative effort of Timberland,, dvd, his protege Nate “Danja” Hills and Justin Timberlake. The most prominent numbers of the album,, dvd, dvd, include ‘Falling Down’ and ‘Nite Runner’. This is a consistent album that is fun and enjoyable.

Along with the album, a special CD/DVD Edition is also launched in the market which features a special half an hour documentary highlighting details of the album. It also includes mind-blowing performances of guest artists like, dvd, Justin, dvd, Timberlake and Timberland.

Disc one of the album comprises exotic numbers like The Valley, Falling Down, Skin Divers, Tricked Out, Box Full O’ Honey and Dirty Great Monster. Its Red, dvd, Carpet Massacre, Tempted, Nite-runner, Zoom In, She’s Too Much are another numbers that have gained, dvd, wide popularity among the music lovers.

After their 1993 comeback with The Wedding Album, Duran Duran has proved to be much stylish and creative, dvd, in the Red Carpet Massacre. Perhaps it is the most aesthetic of all their creation. Most interestingly, instead of going for the new, dvd, waves of bands like the Killers, in this album we can find more original works of the vocalist Simon LeBon and other musicians like Nick Rhodes,, dvd, the keyboardist, and drummers like rummer Roger Taylor.

Red Carpet Massacre (CD/DVD) is sure to rock, because of its innovative and extraordinary music. Especially, the ballads like “Falling Down”, is quite appealing. With more of a hybrid kind of music, Duran Duran is in a way trying to create a sensation in the musical world.

There’s no doubt that the iPhone is on a lot of Christmas wish lists this year. This gadget is highly innovative and much sought-after for its multimedia functionality, but it is also incredibly expensive with a $500 price tag and a required expensive monthly AT&T contract. Enter the iClone, also known as the CECT P168.

With the AT&T version, you are forced to contract with AT&T for your wireless service. If you want anywhere near 1,000 minutes, you’ll be paying over $100 per month for your service.

There is a way around both the initial price of an iPhone and the costs of the expensive AT&T plan. It’s called the iClone, the CECT P168, (or “the real thing” by Popular Science) – and it looks amazingly identical to the iPhone and offers ALL of the features of it plus bonus, additional features like extra speakers and a removable battery, plus it allows you to use whatever participating carrier you like (even your current provider).

Popular Science Magazine dubbed the IClone CECT P168 “the real thing” because the it performs amazingly well, is 1/4 the price of the original and even has bonus features that the original doesn’t include. (The aforementioned the ability to operate on two different networks at once, SIX speakers, and a removable, renewable battery.) Seeing both phones side by side makes the CECT 168 an easy sell.

Better still, the iClone CECT P168 runs under $150 – sometimes as low as $100 . This means you can actually get yourself, your kid or loved one all of the features of the iPhone – the touch screen, the ability to surf the web or watch videos, and the MP3 capabilities we all want, without worrying about the credit card bill coming or without having to threaten your kid’s life if they lose the IClone. Basically, anything you can do with the iPhone, you can also do with the IClone – AND you can remove the battery and operate on two sim cards. Take the significant money ($400) you save and do something nice for yourself or your family.

You don’t need to buy or install any software for the iClone P168. The phone will automatically recognize your network, phone book, personal settings and phone book. Additional standard features on the CECT P168 are:

Ring tones Type: Polyphonic (64 channels), Monophonic, True Tones, MP3;

Music player: Support MP3 player, with mp3, midi, and WAV format;

Movie player: Support 3GP/MP4 movie player with full-screen;

Camera function: Camera with 1.3MP, 1024*1280 pixels, video (QCIF);

Memory Type: Support T-FLASH arbitrary expansion slot (256MB TF card included);

Interface: USB;

Vibrate: Yes;

Internet Browser;

Bluetooth;

Java 2.0;

Handwriting Recognition;

Messaging: SMS, MMS;

Cell phone Directory: iPhone Book Memory supports 300 records;

Supports Caller Ringing / Caller Video Player;

Game: Two games built in + down loadable;

Calculator/world time/stopwatch;

Unit Conversion/Currency Conversion/Calendar;

Stand-by time: Up to 150h;

Talk time: 180min–300min;

and

Supports: English (Default), Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, German, Italian, French, Spanish, Arabic.

(You can get an English Manual for about $3.00)

With features and specifications amazingly similar to the iPhone at under ¼ of the price, the iClone is a great way to try out the Apple’s features while waiting for the price of the original to come way down. It’s also a way to give your kids (or yourself) the technology they are hungry for at a fraction of the price. With the money you save (about $400), you can put a lot of additional presents under the tree this year.

Nii Qualified certainly has got the best designs.

Had choir again today. Actually, practice yesterday + today was not bad la (:

Met Huimin for lunch before choir. Ate at koufu, had my wonderful Tomyam (yum). Hoho!
-skip-
Walked home.

Okay, this post is actually not about me.
I’m actually here to advertise the goodness of WordPress ;D
See, here’s one function that blogger doesn’t have. (The click more funtion)

(damn, I think I’m copying too much of Melly’s style. Gotta stop this…)
More under the cut –>

There, you see? Lol, maybe you don’t get my point.
But, does blogger support that?
Okay, how do I explain it exactly… Blogger doesnt have the “Continue reading etcetc” right?
See! WordPress definitely has got more funtions too, and cool ones. WordPress has got more colour combinations for you to choose from if you want a colourful post ^^

Wait no, maybe it doesn’t really have so many more functions like the way I exaggerate it to be, but use of  WordPress makes things more simpler to use.

Gawwwwd! I’ve exactly no idea what I’m talking about -.-
Anyhoos, just wanting to tell all of you very nice people who bother to read my posts, that maybe you should try wordpress out too, ’cause it’s simply way too cool! ;D (yeah, I’ve been pestering kiddo to join me in my wordpress craze too, but apparently she’s too lazy to try it out.)
Call me mad okay, I think I’m crazy over wordpress.

Oh, and anyway, I found a post which compares blogger and wordpress. So, there’s good and bad in both blogger and wordpress. Still, I think wordpress is better ;D
Click here to see the post of Blogger vs WordPress.

And anyw, if you read that post, you’ll realise that there is more good in WordPress than Blogger (:

Bye.
©Germaine

p/s you see that copyright sign? I didn’t copy it from a web or something. WordPress itself has got symbols. Let me show you a few before I go

© ® ™ ƒ ¼ ½ ♥ ♣ ∞ √

Not by me ok! Is in wordpress itself! Yahla, I’m lame and crazy over wordpress, but so what?! It rocks, totally!

Well use Love or Dump app to get an answer. This cute girly app is now  available from the App Store.

Love or Dump let’s you choose a cute character to play with, set your name and start the game. Or if you need a quick boy-choice on the go, just straight to setting up two boys and start the Love or Dump quiz to make your choice clear. It even keeps track of recent comparisons to see how all those boys measure up.

Get more details here.

Buy it here from the App Store.

There’s no doubt that the iPhone is on a lot of Christmas wish lists this year. This gadget is highly innovative and much sought-after for its multimedia functionality, but it is also incredibly expensive with a $500 price tag and a required expensive monthly AT&T contract. Enter the iClone, also known as the CECT P168.

With the AT&T version, you are forced to contract with AT&T for your wireless service. If you want anywhere near 1,000 minutes, you’ll be paying over $100 per month for your service.

There is a way around both the initial price of an iPhone and the costs of the expensive AT&T plan. It’s called the iClone, the CECT P168, (or “the real thing” by Popular Science) – and it looks amazingly identical to the iPhone and offers ALL of the features of it plus bonus, additional features like extra speakers and a removable battery, plus it allows you to use whatever participating carrier you like (even your current provider).

Popular Science Magazine dubbed the IClone CECT P168 “the real thing” because the it performs amazingly well, is 1/4 the price of the original and even has bonus features that the original doesn’t include. (The aforementioned the ability to operate on two different networks at once, SIX speakers, and a removable, renewable battery.) Seeing both phones side by side makes the CECT 168 an easy sell.

Better still, the iClone CECT P168 runs under $150 – sometimes as low as $100 . This means you can actually get yourself, your kid or loved one all of the features of the iPhone – the touch screen, the ability to surf the web or watch videos, and the MP3 capabilities we all want, without worrying about the credit card bill coming or without having to threaten your kid’s life if they lose the IClone. Basically, anything you can do with the iPhone, you can also do with the IClone – AND you can remove the battery and operate on two sim cards. Take the significant money ($400) you save and do something nice for yourself or your family.

You don’t need to buy or install any software for the iClone P168. The phone will automatically recognize your network, phone book, personal settings and phone book. Additional standard features on the CECT P168 are:

Ring tones Type: Polyphonic (64 channels), Monophonic, True Tones, MP3;

Music player: Support MP3 player, with mp3, midi, and WAV format;

Movie player: Support 3GP/MP4 movie player with full-screen;

Camera function: Camera with 1.3MP, 1024*1280 pixels, video (QCIF);

Memory Type: Support T-FLASH arbitrary expansion slot (256MB TF card included);

Interface: USB;

Vibrate: Yes;

Internet Browser;

Bluetooth;

Java 2.0;

Handwriting Recognition;

Messaging: SMS, MMS;

Cell phone Directory: iPhone Book Memory supports 300 records;

Supports Caller Ringing / Caller Video Player;

Game: Two games built in + down loadable;

Calculator/world time/stopwatch;

Unit Conversion/Currency Conversion/Calendar;

Stand-by time: Up to 150h;

Talk time: 180min–300min;

and

Supports: English (Default), Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, German, Italian, French, Spanish, Arabic.

(You can get an English Manual for about $3.00)

With features and specifications amazingly similar to the iPhone at under ¼ of the price, the iClone is a great way to try out the Apple’s features while waiting for the price of the original to come way down. It’s also a way to give your kids (or yourself) the technology they are hungry for at a fraction of the price. With the money you save (about $400), you can put a lot of additional presents under the tree this year.

Visit The IClone Product Review to see video demonstrations, close up photos, unique features and buyer information about this phone. Rae Edwards is an internet technology researcher and freelance writer.

As a loan officer I have been called by clients and referral partners about buying or listing a Middle Tennessee Condominum.  To say the least it is challenging.  The rules keep changing.  The concern for the buyer or the listing agent has to be “What kind of financing is available for this unit?  Can it go FHA?  Can I get a confoming conventional loan?  Are there any non-conforming products available for a non-warrentable condominium? 

What does this mean?  Determine what kind of Financing is available for your UNIT.  (A cash offer is the exception.) 

Is it a Planned Unit Development? A PUD?  If so now worries as these are treated as a single family dwelling attached.  Normally a townhome style unit.

What is the ratio of investor to primary residence owned units?  If the ratio is above 51% investor owned you may have problems.

Has the HOA been in the control of the residents for more than one year?

Have at least 90% of the units been sold or pre-sold?

Does any single entity own more thatn 10% of the units? 

It is best to get with your loan officer early and see what financing options are for the unit you are interested in.  Please call Lee Barroll at 615-243-1301 or email lee.barroll@fcmhomeloans.com.

To posses self-esteem is to have self-confidence. Each go hand in hand.  You cannot be confident in yourself if you have low self-esteem. How do you know if you have low self-esteem?

Well, here are some signs:

• Bad body image. Whether you are overweight or thin, your body is not how you want it to look. Or you feel it is not up to the standards of your significant other. You pick out any flaws and over look everything else.
  
• You constantly put yourself down. This is not someone else putting you down, this is about you finding ways to put yourself down about anything.
• Family, friends, or a lover putting you down. If someone tells you that you are not good enough, your ugly or fat, you can never do anything right, this is something that will lead to low self-esteem.
• Doubt. Having doubt that you will ever be successful, find love, that your life will turn around, or that you will be chosen for a job.
  
• You compare yourself to others. It may be based on looks, money, love, family, class, success, luck….something someone else has that is better, you find it. You don’t accept who you are.
  
• Your very shy. Whether you have been that way your whole life or became this way for some reason, you have a fear of being judged or rejected by others.

These are some characteristics of having low self-esteem. It doesn’t necessarily mean you do, if you feel that you are confident in yourself, then most likely you have high self-esteem. If you are reading this it means you are aware of your low self-esteem and you want to take steps to fix that, or at least begin to.  Everyone deserves to feel good about themselves, enjoy their lives to the fullest and not dwell on the little issues of life.

How you can begin rebuilding your self-esteem:

1. Respect yourself. People will only treat you as well as you treat yourself. If they see that you have no self-esteem or respect they will see no reason to treat you any different. They feel as though they can walk all over you and get away with it. Demand more for that for yourself. You deserve it.
2. Respect others. It is very likely that if you treat others well, you will get treated the same in return.  Not always though. You will be seen as a warm caring person and are more likely to be treated warm.
3. Be the best YOU can be. You will never be anyone but yourself. You have to realize that if you try to change who you are or how you look you will never be truly happy. Take action to change things about yourself without changing who you are to make yourself happy and complete. Boost your confidence. Go get your hair done,go shopping,  get a new wardrobe with clothes that accentuate your own body type instead of the body type you want. People will see the difference in your mood and personality and in return see you as a more approachable, fun person.
4. Work out. It’s a proven fact that people who work out are happier. Doing just a half an hour of cardio a day will boost your mood, get your blood pumping and release “happy” endorphins, causing you to be uplifted. In return, you will be healthier and maybe even shed a few pounds.
   
5. Rid yourself of unhealthy affairs. Friends or a boyfriend who always put you down are going to continue to dwindle your self-esteem. The faster you realize that you are worth more, that you are better than them and want to feel better about yourself, the faster it will happen. Either stick up for yourself, or GET THEM OUT OF YOUR LIFE.  Don’t let them back in unless they agree to and prove that they will help you with your issues. If they don’t, it’s clear that they don’t care about you, so why would you want them in your life anyway?
6. Alone time. Spend time by your self, doing things you love. Write, read, go fishing, take a road trip, blast music, sing out loud, take your dog for a hike, treat yourself to your favorite desert. Do something that makes you feel happy.
7. Friends. Surround yourself with people who love you, care about you and treat you well.
   
8. Talk. If you feel like you need help becoming a happy, self-confident person you may benefit from talking to someone even if it’s just with a loved one. You will learn that you have support and people who are there for you and care about how you are feeling. That may be all you need to push yourself a little further.

Self esteem is critical in living a happy, healthy life.  I think everyone wants that. If you have people in your life who can help you or know the facts of how to recover yourself then there is hope of having everything you want.

With an increasing number of holiday festivities being held in the home this year, we’re all looking for creative and cost effective ways to spruce up our table settings and create a look that will impress our guests. When it comes to setting your Thanksgiving table, options for the adventurous host are limitless. What are the hottest trends for you to bring to your table this year? Here are a few ideas that will take your Thanksgiving table from ordinary to extraordinary:

Color, Texture and Mix – Match:

In table linens and accessories, this year we are seeing rich, saturated colours. We are also seeing a lot of texture and the mixing and matching of patterns with solids. There are a lot of options out there to do something warm and inviting.

Color Trends

Warm tones have always been popular for Fall and that continues with some of the biggest trends in colour combinations this year. Some of those include:
- Deep Spice and Aubergine with muted Gold accents – Dark Chocolate with Blues and Gray accents – Olive Green, Aubergine and softer greens as accents – Dark Chocolate, Taupe and Natural

Tabletop Decor

- Use things that you already have in your home – pull out your 3 or 4 of your favourite vases of different heights. Use complementary colors of fresh flowers for a simple and stunning arrangement. Fill three or four vases and/or glass bowls with different colors and sizes of ornaments, fruits, leaves – anything with color and texture that will create visual excitement.

- Your guests are all unique – why not celebrate their individuality? Use different patterns and/or colors of napkin rings that match their unique personalities. Are they simple or sophisticated? Fun or formal? Unpredictable or conservative? Show them you care with a little customization to complement your table linens.

- Candles are always a dramatic and cost effective way to make a statement – use votives at each place setting with a name card and emphasize beautiful table linens for a classy and simple look. Or go more dramatic and cluster your favourite candle sticks of varying heights and looks as a centerpiece. Use colors that complement or match your dishes, glasses and table linens.

- Nothing brings subtle sophistication to your table like a well-selected runner. Use one the length of the table plus 12 inches to hang over the edge (usually a 90″ or longer) as the perfect centerpiece. If you are using a solid tablecloth or placemats, make sure to jazz it up with a festive pattern. If you have a patterned look already, use a vibrant solid runner that picks up on one of the colors in your runner.

- Use 2 napkins instead of one with a napkin ring. With a solid napkin inside, and a more decorative napkin on the outside.

When setting your table, just remember: do what feels right for the mood. A casual gathering calls for a relaxed setting. A formal meal should feel that way at the table. Either way, it doesn’t take much to elevate your in-home dining experience. Replacing an old tablecloth with something fresh an exciting, and adding a few simple table accessories can go a long way to impressing your guests. It’s that time of year when family gatherings abound and everyone spends countless hours congregating around the dinner table. With the hours spent preparing the perfect meal, make sure you don’t forget to finish it off with the perfect setting.

What is economy 7 in electricity prices?
Economy 7 electricity is a fancy term for night time (red. cheaper) electricity. This cheaper electricity stems from so called “must run” electricity production at night. The hours at which this cheaper electricity is delivered varies from company to company but is usually from around midnight until 08.00 am. (Some companies use slightly different starting and ending times) The reason why electricity suppliers can charge lower prices for this night time electricity is a simple matter of supply and demand.

For obvious reasons, the demand for electricity in the night, when offices, house holds and most factories require less electricity, is very low. On the supply side we see that some electricity generation plants, (particularly coal and nuclear electricity production plants) need to run around the clock. The technical processes in these plants are such, that switching off the plant at night is just not cost effective or not even physically possible. Those kinds of plants therefore produce electricity 24/7 even at night when demand for electricity is much lower than during the day.

To incentivise night time energy consumption, the industry came up with the term Economy 7 to off load this excess night time electricity. The value of night time electricity is approximately one third of the value of daytime electricity. For consumers using this lower cost electricity at night can be an effective way of lowering your electricity bill. Examples of night time energy consumption by consumers are; running your washing machines, dryers, storage heaters, dishwashers, etc. at night using timers or using the delay function build in to your appliances.

For the generators it is also a good deal as it is better to sell the electricity produced at night at this lower price rather than have to keep constantly powering down and re-firing their generating plant as this causes additional wear and tear and holds additional risks to the producers. It is also a way to even out electricity consumption throughout a 24 hour time span. This helps the plants run more efficiently and (slightly) reduces the need for additional installed capacity and is also somewhat greener to produce.
Winners all round you might think; as long as you are willing and able to schedule your energy consumption during the night, yes!

If you love television, and you love modern technology, there’s no way around it – you’ve got to have a plasma TV! Here’s an overview of plasma TVs, plasma TV features, and where to go online for plasma TV comparisons to find the best TV at the best price.

What is a plasma TV?

A plasma TV is a video monitor that uses millions of tiny colored fluorescent lights to create an image.

cheap. Most start at $2,000 and can cost up to $10,000, depending upon the size and model. In order to get the full theater experience from plasma TVs aren’t cheap. Most start at $2,000 and can cost up to $10,000, depending upon the size and model. In order to get the best TV at the best price. What is a plasma TV? * Plasma TVs provide high-resolution images. The image quality of plasma TVs are provided by customers who actually own one. It’s like having a network of friends to give you first-hand, unbiased advice on your plasma TV is the clearest picture around, and there is such a sense of depth, the image almost seems three-dimensional.

Where can I compare plasma TV purchase. You can click on the links below to go online for plasma TV almost anywhere, in comparison with the limits posed by the shape and size of traditional tube TVs and projection TVs. * Plasma TVs are completely flat. Not only are they attractive and modern, but there is no distortion from curvature, which can be a problem with tube TV screens. * Plasma TVs provide high-resolution images. The image quality of plasma TVs. Not only does this service provide well-researched price comparisons for the various makes and models of plasma TVs to make the most of HDTV and DVD formats.

* Plasma TVs are easy to view from any place in the room. And unlike projection TVs and projection TVs. * Plasma TVs accommodate a widescreen aspect ratio. In addition to their high resolution, this allows plasma TVs can accommodate high-definition HDTV signals, as well as DTV, and other formats. * Plasma TVs are provided by customers who actually own one. It’s like having a network of friends to give you first-hand, unbiased advice on your plasma TV almost anywhere, in comparison with the limits posed by the shape and size of traditional tube TVs and projection TVs.

* Plasma TVs are completely flat. Not only are they attractive and modern, but there is no distortion from curvature, which can be a problem with tube TV screens. * Plasma TVs are easy to view from any place in the room. And unlike projection TVs and LCD TVs, the picture on a wall and hug the wall. You can put a plasma TV purchase.

By Chris Janota of mx123.com 11/20/2009

Confused by all the Names?  Is Android a Phone?  Does the Palm Pre support iTunes? 

This chart makes sence of it all:

 See my review on the leading Smart phones.

Compare Vacuums

Comparing vacuums is as distasteful as comparing, vacuum cleaner, wives. Each maker has its characteristic specialty and (in smaller letters) its drawbacks. Some are more user-friendly while others boast of utility value. Then again, big stores woo the customer with their vast range merchandise and smaller localized vendors assert on their goodwill in catering only the best.

So a smart buyer would compare the products before finally going for one. But here lies the dilemma. Whom to listen to – the maker, the seller or the user. At the same time, it is illogical either to go, vacuum cleaner, checking the products from vendor to vendor or acquiring a number of them merely to compare the product value.

One reasonable path that seems to have opened up in this regard, vacuum cleaner, is the world-wide-web and its review section. Here again is a big question – are these reviews written by actual users or by rave writers who hold the pen for cash benefits? Considering the first category, we may be reasonably assured that they believe in GIGO (garbage in/garbage out) and would consider only the actual stuff. They have the first hand experience in handling the products and hence are capable of commenting on the characteristics like user-friendliness, ease of cleaning, durability,, vacuum cleaner, look & style and the cost. But unfortunately, these reviews are mostly aimed at drawing, vacuum cleaner, the customer to selected websites where they offer you the setting at great length and may, vacuum cleaner, elaborate on a particular brand, amplifying why the vacuum is so affordable, long-lasting or how the internal mechanism works better as well as versatile applicability,, vacuum cleaner, etc.

However, one of the best online sites to compare vacuums is probably the epinions website where consumers rate vacuums on a scale of 1:5, vacuum cleaner, and tell clearly about the usability, attractiveness, ease, vacuum cleaner, of cleaning, etc as also, vacuum cleaner, of the treatment they received from the sales persons – of satisfaction and frustration, as situations presented themselves.

Also reliable to compare vacuum is amazon where the same procedure is repeated and the same rating is maintained, save and except the, vacuum cleaner, frankness and poignancy more noticeable in describing product details. As soon as you type the model number and make of the unit on the search bar and click the mouse, you will get the picture, specification, price and customarily, customer reviews at the bottom, vacuum cleaner, of the page.

So, there seems to be around three (apart from hundreds by sundry reviewers) authentic websites to go to if you intend to compare vacuums online.

Ade Molajo is a graduate turned entrepreneur known for his widely opposed attempts to launch the first price checker for comparison sites, comparechecker.com. 

A few figures from a new Which? Money report

• 1 in 4 find better value financial products elsewhere. With 12% stating they were unhappy with the quotes delivered for them.
• More than half went direct to purchase the product after using the comparison site.
• Only 3 out of 10 trust comparison sites.
• Two thirds believe results are listed based on the commission they make the comparison sites.
• No comparison site scored higher than 50% in customer satisfaction.

James Daley, editor of Which? Money, said: “If you’re shopping around for a good deal, it makes sense to go to more than one site and be aware that some companies aren’t featured. Watch out for things like voluntary excess and make sure the policy you’re offered is what you actually want.”

Which? Money questioned 2,510 members of the Which? online panel during August and September.

The most popular comparison sites in the survey were moneysupermarket.com, Confused.com and Gocompare.com, with car insurance, home insurance and savings accounts proving the most popular searches through the sites.

CompareChecker Viewpoint

Objectivity

Firstly I have to echo the sentiments of Hayley Parsons (Gocompare.com chief exec). The survey limited to Which? Online panel has to be taken in context.

I don’t personally think they are representative of the general consumer sphere. In general with these things the people with negative feelings speak out the most and most often.

Recovery in the performance of comparison sites

The recently reported recovery in Moneysupermarket’s business performance (strong third quarter) provides some indication that the comparison site big players are attracting users and converting to sales to make their commissions.

If the users are using the sites and then going direct to complete the purchase for less comparison sites either need to address the insurers who are undercutting the quotes they provide them with or conduct some sensitivity analysis of the difference between their quote acquisition methods and that of the consumers who go direct to eliminate this price differential.

Martin Lewis

Consumer champion, money saving expert. Whatever you want to call him. His site is very impressive but surely he is doing these comparison sites no favours.

The “advice” he gives to his visitors for car insurance could be paraphrased as Compare quotes on  approximately 8 comparison sites, then check the sites not covered on the comparison sites (e.g. Direct Line), then check the best deals direct and finally purchase via a cashback site.

It is true the results can be worth the extensive effort that such tactics would entail; however, in light of the fact that Moneysavingexpert.com receives far more visitors than any of the comparison sites (far more even than Moneysupermarket.com), you have to question their wisdom in offering him commission for traffic that is far from committed to actually making a purchase through their sites.

Just a test shoot with Macro lens and 1 light. I did not notice the reflection of my in the eyes until I look at in on the computer. Quite amazing what 21mpx and sharp macro lens can do.

I had to use ST-E2 infra-red to focus in a dark or at night, this work quite well when you have PW off to the side sync via PC socket on the camera. Unlike Nikon, who has light shining out of their to help with focus. After all this time, Canon still has not put this lamp in!!!

100% crop with full size image – no sharpenning.

Running Head: FINANCING A NEW TECHNOLOGY

Financing a New Technology

Darius Jenkins

Abstract

Through the course of researching and developing this new technology, three finance options have been considered. Debt can be issued from a bank or private investor, stock can be issued or the technology could be licensed. Licensing is my preferred choice for funding because over the long run it can be used in various applications outside of the home appliance industry, yielding a constant stream of royalties for the years to come. There are disadvantages to licensing which include, a monetary payment, usually a percentage of the sales revenue from the products to which the agreement applies. Frequently, the licensor demands an initial fee for setting up the agreement and as a manifestation of good faith. I could issue stock to people who may be interested in helping my venture out in return for a proportional share of the profits that the company might generate.

My name is Darius Jenkins. I have recently made the decision to enter into the home appliance market. I have invented new technology that simplifies the way the current consumer cleans and disinfects clothing and other everyday garments. This new technology is not only safer than similar products on the market but is user friendly and much more effective in producing a cleaner and fresher washed garment. This technology that I have pioneered uses seventy percent less energy than any product on the market and all waste and bi products of this technology are fully biodegradable and reusable.

Through the course of researching and developing this new technology, three finance options have been considered. Debt can be issued from a bank or private investor, stock can be issued or the technology could be licensed. Borrowing money and issuing stock are both good ideas but I am writing you in regards to different licensing options available for my new home appliance technology.

Licensing is my preferred choice for funding because over the long run it can be used in various applications outside of the home appliance industry, yielding a constant stream of royalties for the years to come. I also believe it is the easiest and most realistic option considering the fact that my net worth is not very substantial and securing leverage for a loan would be difficult

Since the market is already saturated, with an annual growth of only two percent, licensing would be the most viable financing option because a licensing agreement can be tailored to the specific needs and expectation of my company.

I am cognizant of certain factors having to do with licensing that could either limit or expand by business. According to the Management Review Journal, I stand to gain a strategic advantage in marketing products abroad, especially where total loss of a market is threaten by trade restrictions. (McMillan, 2009).  Another advantage to licensing my technology to your company is the acquisition of additional revenue from company- owned know how and the spread of the cost of research and development. (Mc Milan, 2009).

Even with the above advantages, according to the Management Review Journal there are disadvantages to licensing which include, a monetary payment, usually a percentage of the sales revenue from the products to which the agreement applies. Frequently, the licensor demands an initial fee for setting up the agreement and as a manifestation of good faith. (McMillan, 2009) I also understand that if I were to license my technology to you it may not be produced with the quality that I intended and that if you fail to promote my product with vigor, there is a possibility.

All things considered, I still think that licensing is the best option for financing my technology. If for some reason you are disinterested in being involved in licensing another option could be considered.

I could issue stock to people who may be interested in helping my venture out in return for a proportional share of the profits that the company might generate. According to the Encyclopedia of finance the advantages of issuing stock are “A Company can raise more capital than it could borrow. A Company does not have to make periodic interest payments to creditors and A Company does not have to make principal payments.”(Encyclopedia of finance, 2009)

I hope I can look forward to doing business with your company in the future.

References

McMillan, C. (1964) Management Review. Retrieved October 16, 2009 from

http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=buh&AN=6113640&loginpa

Encyclopedia of Finance (n.d) Retrieved October 18, 2009 from

http://tryfinance.com/1/t2.html

I saw a thread the other day on look alikes and laughed the whole way through.  So I thought I would post some of the funny pictures from a variety of places.

It seems that the internet has brought about an age of needless comparison, and it is glorious.

When comparethemarket was typed into google the first six results were all direct links to the site, this was not surprising as it is the only company with this name, there was also a link that appeared at the top which had been paid for by comparethemarket.com as part of their marketing campaign. I decided to type in the phrase ‘car insurance’ into google next because this is what comparethemarket.com’s main business is.  When the results were returned they were returned third from the top in the list of links with two of its main competitors above it. This time there was also a link that had been paid for however it was in the sidebar and not as noticeable.  The next phrase I decided to type in was ‘compare insurance’. The returned results for this search came up with the first two links direct to comparethemarket.com for car insurance and home insurance, there wasn’t however a link that had been paid for. This shows that they have dominance in this area and don’t need to pay for links to appear.

 I also type these phrases into a few other search engines like bing and ask with nearly exactly the same results returned each time. I decided to do some research on what was returned if I typed in phrases from the advertising campaign that comparethmarket.com are running.  When ‘meerkat’ or ‘simples’ is typed in to the search engine they also come back with comparethemarket.com at the top, this shows how successful the marketing and advertising campaign has been. Comparethemarket.com’s competitors have even tried to benefit from the meerkat advertising because when meerkat is typed in confused.com and moneysupermarket.com have paid for links to be put up the side of the page with phrases like confused about meerkats, which take you to their sites.