Summer Ideas With Wine

by Fiona Muller

Summer is here, and there is always a dilemma of what to drink on a hot summer’s day. Yes, a cold lager is refreshing, but sometimes it’s nice to have something different, and lager is a bit much fattening liquid. Wine is perfect for a summer’s day. In this article, we will cover some great summer wines, and also give you a few ideas of how to serve it to make it extra special.

The first thing that comes to mind when talking about wines to drink in the summer is Sauvignon Blanc. This crisp, dry wine is perfect for summer drinking, just make sure you chill it well to get the optimum out of it. When looking for a Sauvignon Blanc, look for one that comes from New Zealand, as this white wine offers something a little more special. These wines are the best types of wine created from this grape, and the most applauded ones are the ones from the Cloudy Bay or Marlborough areas of New Zealand.

But what if you’re not too keen on dry white wine?

There are some really good German sweet white wines which, when chilled, are refreshing and add something completely different to the norm.

Also, a Portuguese friend of mine keeps her red wine in the fridge too. She doesn’t like white wine, and swears by a chilled red wine instead, which is great in the Algarve, where the temperatures get quite high.

For those of us not quite ready to chill our red wine, there is a middle ground. There are some spectacular rosé wines on the market. These are fantastic with picnics and BBQs, and also great to just sit and drink with friends. There is something about the fruitiness of a rosé that makes you think of the summers past and the great times that you’ve had.

But there are plenty of other ways to enjoy white wine too. There is the traditional spritzer or shorle, where a white wine is mixed with soda or lemonade (depending on whether you like things to be a bit sweeter or not), and served with ice. This is an excellent cooling drink.

There is also the Spanish favourite Sangria, where red wine is put into a jug with fruit, some liqueur and some fruit juice or lemonade. This is the staple drink on the Costa Brava, and is best if left in the fridge for some time, to let the flavours mix together to ensure the perfect summer cooler.

In Germany, they make something called the Bowle (This is German for punch). This again involves fresh fruit, often strawberries or raspberries, which are then mixed with sparkling wine. The result is a fizzy, fruity treat, which will cool you down nicely. If you are feeling particularly adventurous, you can add a splash of brandy to the mixture to give it some extra fizz.

So whatever style of drinking you have, there is a summer solution for wine which will suit you.

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Tennis Legends: Steffi Graf

by Elmo Kandel

Stefanie Maria Graf is a former World number 1 player in women’s tennis. Her performance depended mostly in her powerful forehand because of which she was nicknamed Fraulein Forehand. She even cultivated an impressive slice backhand and consistent volley. Her serve was so accurate and powerful that it travelled at the speed of 180 km per hr, which was one of the fastest serve. She not only had an amazing footwork but also her strokes were very powerful.

Graf’s first tournament as a professional was played in October 1982, Germany. In that match, she lost to Tracy Austin, who she defeated twelve years later. Although she didn’t win any titles for the next three years, her rank was steadily increasing and her skills improved rapidly. Defeating Chris Evert won her first tour title in April 1986.

When tennis was re-introduced in 1988 Olympic games after forty years, Steffi Graf took full advantage of it by winning the Olympic gold medal in the singles. The same year she won all the four Grand Slam singles titles, making her the only women tennis player to do so. This feat of hers’ was declared as the Golden Slam. She is also the only female to win all the four Grand Slams, Wimbledon Open, French Open, Australian Open and US Open, for four times each. During this period the US Open and Australian Open were played on grass unlike now where all the venues have clay court. So Graf has the credit of playing on all kinds of tennis courts. From French Open in 1987 to US Open in 1996, she played a total of thirty-six Grand Slam singles tournaments, in which she made it to the finals of twenty-nine tournaments and won twenty-one of them.

For three hundred and seventy seven weeks Graf was ranked the Women’s Tennis Association’s Number 1 player. Any male or female tennis player could never set this record. She won a total of seven Wimbledon singles titles and six French Open singles titles. From the 1987 French Open to 1990 French Open, Graf made it to the finals of thirteen Grand Slams consecutively and won nine of the thirteen.

A panel of judges of the Associated Press declared her as the greatest female tennis player of the twentieth century, in December 1999. Graf’s twenty-second Grand Slam title was her final one in the 1999 French Open. She retired in the same year and became the highest ranked player to retire at third position in the world.

Her father Peter Graf, who was an aspiring tennis coach, was responsible for introducing her to the world of tennis. Although her training started at the age of three, she began playing on the court from the age of four. Her father kept a close watch on her routine and lifestyle. She was always expected to practice and that was the reason why she didn’t socialize much. But this narrow focus drastically improved her performance. But later on in life, she was involved in a controversy of Graf tax scandal as she had some issues with her father. After retiring from the tennis circuit in 1999, she began dating Andre Agassi, who himself is an ex-World number 1 male tennis player. They both got married in October 2001 and Steffi gave birth to their son Jaden Gil, four days after their marriage. Their second child, a daughter, Jaz Elle, was born in October 2003.

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Bluetooth Enable a Perfect Wireless World

Autor: Angulo Fu

What is Bluetooth?
Bluetooth is an industrial specification for wireless personal area networks (PANs). Bluetooth provides a way to connect and exchange information between devices such as mobile phones, laptops, personal computers, printers, GPS receivers, digital cameras, and video game consoles over a secure, globally unlicensed short-range radio frequency. The Bluetooth specifications are developed and licensed by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group.

Bluetooth Specification
The Bluetooth specification was developed in 1994 by Jaap Haartsen and Sven Mattisson, who were working for Ericsson Mobile Platforms in Lund, Sweden. The specification is based on frequency-hopping spread spectrum technology.

The specifications were formalized by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), organised by Mohd Syarifuddin. The SIG was formally announced on May 20, 1998. Today it has a membership over 7000 companies worldwide. It was established by Ericsson, Sony Ericsson, IBM, Intel, Toshiba, and Nokia, and later joined by many other companies.

Bluetooth Organization
The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) is a privately held, not-for-profit trade association. The Special Interest Group was founded in September 1998. The Bluetooth SIG itself does not make, manufacture, or sell Bluetooth enabled products. The SIG has more than 9,000 member companies that are leaders in the telecommunications, computing, automotive, music, apparel, industrial automation, and network industries. SIG members drive development of Bluetooth wireless technology, and implement and market the technology in their products. The SIG has a small group of dedicated staff in Hong Kong, Sweden, and the USA.

Hot Bluetooth Peripherals
Bluetooth Headset
A bluetooth headset is a discreet device that can be worn on the ear. Relying on bluetooth technology, it establishes connection to the phone, PDA, camera and more. Bluetooth headsets have redefined the idea of talking over the telephone. With the growing number of bluetooth enabled mobile phones, the demand and popularity of bluetooth headsets is increasing day by day. Bluetooth headsets give you the advantage to talk with your hands free. This means that bluetooth headset gives you the ability to do anything while talking. We give you the chance to buy bluetooth headsets at cheap prices. We have Bluetooth Headsets for mobile phones of all popular companies. These companies include Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and many other popular mobile phone companies.

Bluetooth GPS
A Bluetooth GPS is a wire-free GPS receiver that can transmit data wirelessly to your PDA, laptop and even on some mobile phones. These units are suitable for most GPS applications such as: car navigation, marine navigation, fleet management, AVL, personal navigation, tracking system and mapping devices. Bluetooth is good for in-car use because the GPS receiver can be placed forward on the dash or directly under the windscreen for a better view of the sky. Another option is to connect an external antenna and mount this outside the vehicle with a magnet.

Bluetooth Dongle
A bluetooth dongle is a small add-on that you can plug into a USB port; which will then allow you to send and receive files via bluetooth from you PC to a bluetooth enabled device (in our case, a mobile phone). Alternatively, in more modern computers you may already have such a device installed.

Bluetooth Rearview Mirror
A bluetooth rearview mirror is a rearview mirror having bluetooth function. When a call comes in, the rearview mirror displays caller information in the middle of the mirror’s face.

Trade Fair
72nd China Electronics Fair
The only national electronic fair supported by Ministry of Information Industry of PRC and Ministry of Commerce of PRC.

As the most authoritative comprehensive electronics show, CEF has the longest history, the more general categories, the most profound influence and the largest scale. Growing up with China’s electronic industry, CEF has witnessed the transition and development of China’s electronic and information industry from planned economy to market economy.

CEF has impressive influence worldwide. As the largest electronics fair, CEF is one of five members in Asian Electronics Exhibition Conference Confederation (AEECC). It is listed in top 5 Asian electronics exhibitions with CEATEC JAPAN, KES, Taitronics and HK Electronics Fair.

The Source of Bluetooth Product
You could login Made-in-China.com and find numerous qualified bluetooth products.

About the Author

A professional studies on China’s import and export trade. Find qualified Chinese products suppliers, please browse www.made-in-china.com.

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Symptoms Of Narcolepsy

Autor: mdesaulniers

You’ve probably seen it in movies a hundred times-the caricature of narcoleptics: one moment they’re chatting with you over dinner; the next, they’re fast asleep, their faces in their dinner plates. This caricature, more hyperbolic than true, nevertheless points to a symptom of narcolepsy which makes narcoleptics vulnerable-their involuntary loss of muscle control. The truth is that even during these episodes of involuntary loss, narcoleptics are often fully conscious of their situation. And that is no laughing matter. Often unrecognized and misdiagonosed, this sleep disorder has been the source of trauma in many victims’ lives. What, then is narcolepsy and what are the symptoms of this disorder?

Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder characterized by the brain’s innability to maintain normal wakefulness during the day. We also know that in narcoleptics, the regular pattern of REM sleep is disturbed. Tested in sleep laboratories, people with narcolepsy enter REM sleep within a few moments of falling asleep while normal sleepers move into REM sleep after 80-100 minutes. This abnormal entrance into REM sleep also seems to be associated with the abnormal daytime appearance of conditions usually experienced during sleep-lack of muscular control, sleep paralysis and hypnagogic dream visons. According to Dr. Jerome Siegel of the Center for Sleep Research, “a group of neurons that is supposed to be active during REM sleep to suppress muscle tone and protect us from the elaborate motor programs that accompany our dreams is being triggered during waking.”

Researchers have theorized that the symptoms of narcolepsy emerge from this abnormal triggering of aspects of REM sleep during the day. These symptoms include

1)Sleep episodes during the day that last anywhere from 15 minutes to 3 hours or more. Despite the extra sleep, narcoleptics experience persistent drowsiness during the day, which means that, if their condition is not recognized and treated, they can literally be time-bombs on the highway.

2) Catalepsy-the experience of being unable to move for several seconds or more. Catalepsy is probably the most prominent and caricatured symptom of narcolepsy, appearing in 70% of cases. Often, catalepsy takes the form of a seizure, an episode of involuntary loss of muscle control. These attacks can occur at any time during the waking period. Prompted frequently by laughter, intense emotions or even athletic exertion, these episodes can range from being barely perceptible (tremor of the lids) to total physical collapse. The one feature that distinguishes catalepsy from other seizures such as epilepsy is that the patient is almost always fully conscious-even during the most severe episodes.

3)Sleep paralysis-a milder version of catalepsy; sleep paralysis is the inability of the subject to move for a few seconds just before falling asleep or awakening. While most of us remember having such experiences once in a while, they are daily occurrences with narcoleptics.

4)Hypnagogic hallucinations or vivid dreams-which we all have felt or seen just before falling asleep. The difference with narcoleptics is that they live these vivid hallucinations even when awake. Known as hypnagogic dream images when we experience them just before sleep and hypnopompic dream visions when we experience them prior to awakening, these delusional, visual and sometimes auditory images are often vivid and frightening.

5) Automatic behavior-which usually occurs while the subject is asleep. This automatic behavior includes talking, eating, putting things away, brushing hair, changing clothes, actions that are performed while the subject is asleep. However, when awakened, the subject has no memory of performing such activities.

Although research on narcolepsy is growing, not much is known about the causes of the condition. What we do know is that this disorder affects between 1 in 1000 and 1 in 2000 people in the US. Its rates are lowest in Israel and highest in Japan (1 in 600), a situation which suggests that there is a genetic component to the disease. Research suggests as well that narcolepsy may be triggered by an abnormality in an area of chromosome 6, known as the HLA complex which controls sleep patterns. Complicating factors that may precipitate this condition include stress, hormonal changes, trauma, infections and immune system dysfunction. As a matter of fact, a great deal of research is now focused on the possibility that narcolepsy is an auto immune disorder.

Treatment options available now tend to treat the symptoms only, not the cause. They include the use of central nervous system stimulants(like provigil) to sustain wakefulness during the day and depressants at night to suppress REM sleep.

Resources: Siegel Lab at the Center for Sleep Research National Institute of Neurological Disease and Stroke
Wikipedia

About the Author

A runner for 27 years, retired schoolteacher and writer, Mary is helping people reclaim their bodies through nutrition, exercise, positive vision and creative engagement. You can visit her at http://www.GreatBodyat50.com or learn how she lost her weight at http://www.greatbodyproteinpower.com

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Chicken Pox – What You Should Know About This Infectious Disease

Autor: ebookpalace

Chicken pox is the common name for Varicella simplex, classically one of the childhood infectious diseases caught and survived by most children.

Chicken pox is caused by the varicella-zoster virus. It starts with moderate fever and then characteristic spots appearing in two or three waves, mainly on the body and head rather than the hands and becoming itchy raw pox (pocks), small open sores which heal mostly without scarring.

This infectious disease has a two-week incubation period and is highly contagious by air transmission two days before symptoms appear. Therefore, it spreads quickly through schools and other places of close contact. Once someone has been infected with the disease, they usually develop protective immunity for life. It is fairly rare to get the chicken pox multiple times, but it is possible for people with irregular immune systems. As the disease is more severe if contracted by an adult, parents have been known to ensure their children become infected before adulthood.

The disease can be fatal. Pregnant women and those with immune system depression are more at risk. Death is usually from varicella pneumonia. In the US, 55 percent of chicken pox deaths were in the over-20 age group. Pregnant women not known to be immune and who come into contact with chicken pox should contact their doctor immediately, as the virus can cause serious problems for the fetus.

A vaccine has been available since 1995, and is now required in some countries for children to be admitted into elementary school. In addition, effective medications (e.g., aciclovir) are available to treat healthy and immunocompromised persons. Calamine lotion is often used to ease itching and paracetamol to reduce fever. Aspirin is not recommended in children as it can lead to Reye’s syndrome.

Chicken pox is an infection that spreads from person to person by direct contact or through the air from an infected person’s coughing or sneezing. Touching the fluid from a chicken pox blister can also spread the disease. A person is contagious 1-2 days before the rash appears and until all blisters have formed scabs. This may take between 5-10 days. It takes from 10-21 days after contact with an infected person for someone to develop the disease.

The blisters start as a small red papule which develops an irregular outline in the shape of a rose petal. A thin-walled, clear vesicle (dew drop) develops on top of the area of redness. This “dew drop on a rose petal” lesion is very characteristic for chicken pox. After about 8-12 hours the fluid in the vesicle gets cloudy and the vesicle breaks leaving a crust. The fluid is highly contagious, but once the lesion crusts over, it is not considered contagious. The crust usually falls off after 7 days sometimes leaving a craterlike scar.

Although one lesion goes through this complete cycle in about 7 days, another hallmark of chicken pox is the fact that new lesions crop up every day for several days. Therefore, it may take about a week until new lesions stop appearing and existing lesions crust over.

Second infections with occur in immunocompetent individuals, but are uncommon and rarely severe.

Japan was among the first countries to routinely vaccinate for chicken pox. Routine vaccination against varicella zoster virus is also performed in the United States, and the incidence of chicken pox has been dramatically reduced from 4 million cases per year in the pre-vaccine era to approximately 400,000 cases per year as of 2005.

The vaccine is exceedingly safe: approximately 5% of children who receive the vaccine develop a fever or rash, but there have been no deaths, as of May 2006, attributable to the vaccine despite more than 40 million doses being administered.

41 of the 50 US states require immunization for children attending government- run schools. The vaccination is not routine in the United Kingdom. Debate continues in the UK on the time when it will be desirable to adopt routine vaccination, and in the US opinions that it should be dropped, individually, or along with all immunizations, are also voiced.

The CDC and corresponding national organisations are carefully observing the failure rate which may be high compared with other modern vaccines – large outbreaks of chicken pox having occurred at schools which required their children to be vaccinated.

Catching wild chicken pox as a child has been thought to commonly result in lifelong immunity. Parents have deliberately ensured this in the past with pox parties and similarly for some other diseases such as rubella.

Historically, exposure of adults to contagious children has boosted their immunity, reducing the risk of shingles.

About the Author

Copyright ? 2006, Heather Colman. Find more chicken pox resources at: http://www.chicken-pox-journal.info and http://www.ebookpalace.com

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Sony Ericsson and Google Collaborate on Integration of Blogger and Google Search Into Handsets

Autor: wbalderaz

LONDON, — Sony Ericsson and Google today announced that they have worked closely together to integrate Google’s Blogger and Web Search features on Sony Ericsson mobile phones. The two companies are the first in the industry to provide a pre-loaded blog application with a tight integration to the mobile camera and intuitive automatic set-up for consumers who do not already have a personal blog. The first Sony Ericsson products to offer the new service are the recently announced K610 UMTS phone and new flagship imaging handsets, the K800 and K790, announced today and available in Q2 2006.

Integrating Blogger and Google Web Search in the Sony Ericsson handsets will provide a completely new experience for consumers. Icons leading to Google Web Search have been integrated into the phone user interface to provide easy access to the information that Google Web Search can provide.

“We are seeing exponential growth in blogging and consumers are turning more and more often to the Internet as a means of sharing information or images in personal blogs,” said Jan Wareby, corporate executive vice president, head of sales and marketing, Sony Ericsson. “By working with Google, we’re able to offer a quick and easy way for people to blog as they discover how convenient it is as a way to share words and pictures with friends, family and beyond. We are also delighted to collaborate with Google, the undisputed leader in Web Search, to provide consumers with relevant Internet information directly to their Sony Ericsson handsets.”

“By providing people with direct access to features like mobile search and blogging, we’re able to create a more personalized, user-friendly experience,” said Nikesh Arora, vice president, European operations, Google Inc. “Today’s tech-savvy consumers are becoming increasingly more mobile and demand access to information on-the-go, whether it’s the latest news headlines or directions to a favorite restaurant.”

Additionally, commencing today Google will become the standard search engine for all new Sony Ericsson Internet-capable phones. It has been tightly integrated into the phone web experience with multiple intuitive access points. For instance, users can directly activate a Google Web Search option from whichever page they are viewing without the need to launch a new web page to complete a search. With one click, you will be able to quickly and easily access the information they need.

Summary: Sony Ericsson and Google today announced that they have worked closely together to integrate Google’s Blogger and Web Search features on Sony Ericsson mobile phones.

About: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications serves the global communications market with innovative and feature-rich mobile phones, accessories, PC-cards and M2M solutions. Established as a joint venture by Sony and Ericsson in 2001, with global corporate functions located in London, the company employs approximately 5,000 people worldwide, including R&D sites in Europe, Japan, China and America. Sony Ericsson is the global title sponsor of the Women’s Tennis Association, and works with the Association to promote the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour in over 80 cities during the year.

About: Google’s innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google’s targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. Any product features, specifications or statements in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking and involve risks and uncertainties. Actual product features, specifications or forward-looking statements are subject to change.Try and Buy applications have some limitations. Some software and user guides may not be localised for all markets. Similarly some products may only be supported in certain languages or service coverage may be limited. Some products may be unavailable in certain markets.

About the Author

Webbolt (http://webbolt.ecnext.com) provides an on-demand, dynamically presented, tailored, total information solution with increasingly complex and global content. Webbolt continually updates and expands its free news in 22 key topic areas.

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Types of Goji Berries

Autor: granola

It could come as a surprise to many that there are over forty one known types of Goji berries all around the world and most of these are grown in the east. Some of the widest spread and most well known are Lyceum barbarum, Lyceum ferocissimum and Lyceum Chinese.

Lycii berry which is commonly known as Chinese Wolfberry by Chinese herbalists has been used as nutrient tonic for centuries. This bright red berry which is very chewy and tastes like raisins contain Beta-sitosterol, Betaine, Niacin, Beta-carotene, Ascorbic acid and Pyridoxine. It is also referred as cooling tonic.

Chinese Wolfberry belongs to the Solanaceae family which also has also well known members like green pepper, tomato, potato and eggplant. It is also known as Chinese boxthorn or matrimony vine. This variety is very much related to Lycium barbarum and is mainly found in the Chinese province of Hebei.

As for Lycium barbarus, it is mainly grown in the orient such as Tibet and Inner Mongolia and also in the area which is popularly known as the Goji belt. There are many provinces of China where it grows in the wild and is concerned very sacred. The Goji belt contains Ningxia (China) which is perhaps the most conducive place for Goji berries to grow mainly because its soil is alkaline as well as very fertile. Here the temperatures vary from one extreme to another and that results in the best and the largest Goji berries. You would find the Goji fruits turning deep red having just a few seeds and very sweet in taste.

There seems to be some correlation between harsh climates and the level of antioxidants present in the berries. For example the blueberries found in the harsh climate of Alaska have the highest antioxidants amongst all the blueberries found in the U.S. Studies found out that when a plant has all he nutrients that is required to be healthy it requires much more substances to help protect it from harsh climate.

Ningxia has seen Goji berry cultivation for more than five hundred years. There is no dearth of stories and legends woven around Goji berries. For example, Nanqui, a town in Ningxia province was given the title of Long Life Village by the emperor because there were many who were well passed the age of hundred residing there.

At the foot of the Tianshan Mountains you would find Xinjiang. This area also experiences harsh climate and also boasts of Goji berries of the same high quality as Ningxia. Other such areas in the Goji belt are Gansu, Hebei, Qinghai and Shanxi. These provinces are all found along the mountain ranges in the Goji belt. And yes, Tibetans also claim that their Goji berries are amongst the best. The same goes with Inner Mongolia, Korea and Japan where Goji berries are harvested and considered very valuable.

If you visit Ningxia in China you would be surprised with the general health of residents there. It is almost a legend here. It was proved with the Chinese national census that the number of residents of Ningxia who have crossed 100 years of age is about four hundred percent higher than the national average. And if you ask anyone here, they would tell you that the secret lies in wolfberries.

People living in China especially Ningxia have kept Goji berries as a part of daily life. For a person in Ningxia, the day starts with a bowl of fresh Goji berries. It is the same for generations and for the generation of today also Goji berries are a part of national treasure.

If you read ancient books of Chinese culture, you would find that there were basically three valued tonics for health and life-ling tzi, ginseng and Goji berries (wolfberries). They believed that wolfberries actually nourished the yin, supported the liver and kidneys, supported the blood, strengthen the eyes, muscles and bones and did wonders for Chi, the life force.

It was seen that consumption of wolfberries actually prevented the occurrence of diseases like cancer, arthritis and diabetes and also worked as anti-aging tonic. People in China believe it strongly that wolfberries could increase your life span considerably if you take these for extended period of time.

There are ample reasons behind these suppositions and none of these beliefs are mere conjectures. There are scientific facts behind it. Chinese wolfberry has over twenty one trace minerals, more beta carotene than is found in carrots, over eighteen amino acids and over five hundred times more vitamin C by weight than oranges. What is more, it also contains vitamin B1, B6 and Vitamin E and that too in good quantities. It is by far the more nutritionally dense edible substance found on the earth. And there is no reason why you should not give it a try.

About the Author

Learn all about the various Types of Goji Berries, visit http://www.gojiberriesguide.com/GojiBerryTypes/ | Learn more about the powerful Himalayan Goji Berries at http://www.gojiberryguide.com/WhyHimalayanGojiBerries

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Lobbyists and the Gas Price Problem

Autor: amydh03

The high price of gas is on everyone’s mind. On May 10, 2006, the price of crude rose $1.19 to settle at $73.72 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. This has many people wondering how high gas prices will go and what is behind the continued rise.

The price of gas is linked to the price of oil. This cost can be determined by a ratio of 2.1 cents for every dollar a barrel of oil costs. With current refining and distribution costs and federal and state taxes, even if oil were free, gas would cost about $1.00 per gallon. Add that to the ratio calculated price of gas, which is $1.55 at the current price of oil, and you get $2.55 per gallon. This is an underestimate of the average national price of gas today, May 12, which is $2.93 per gallon.

Big business has a lot of buying power in Washington. The top ten oil companies reported spending $33,173,092 lobbying Congress and the Executive branches in 2005. Members of the Senate, Commerce and Transportation committee received the most money, $155,450. They were followed by the House Energy and Commerce Committee at $153,050. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee received $139,600. The oil lobby has been buying policy in Washington for years. In 1999, the Senate voted to allow the oil industry to continue its policy of not paying royalties owed to American taxpayers for drilling on public and Native American lands. This allowed big oil companies to avoid paying $66 million in royalty payments annually.

Some consumer organizations refer to the oil companies as a cartel. Most products follow the law of supply and demand. Consumer groups accuse oil companies of reducing supply and demanding more money. Oil companies have an incentive to produce less. Only about 10% of gas retailers are independently owned and the rest are distributors for the oil companies. This allows them to easily manipulate the spot market for gasoline.

Big oil companies have shut down 25 refineries in California alone since 1983. They blame this on environmental groups and regulations. This is not the case. They don’t want to build new refineries because that would increase supply and lower the cost of gas. There are no plans to build more refineries and there will not be because of this. As an example, in April of 2005, President Bush announced a plan that would make closed military bases available for the construction of refineries. To date, not a single company has taken President Bush up on his offer.

Let’s talk about another lobby that pedals influence in Washington. The ethanol lobby has spent a lot of money. The owners of the 4 million flexible fuel trucks that could use 85% ethanol fuel (E85) know that their vehicles use 30% more fuel on E85 than gasoline, so most choose gasoline. Since 1978, the government has given many tax incentives and subsidies to promote the ethanol industry. Despite the lobbyists’ claims, ethanol has not reduced our dependence on foreign oil or helped reduce pollution. If an alternative energy source is competitive, it will not need subsidies. If it needs subsidies, it is not more affordable.

One company that learned a lesson about the power of lobbyists back in 1992 is Ethos, the manufacturer of Ethos Fuel Reformulator (Ethos FR). Mr. Enrique De Vilmorin, the president of Ethos, approached the EPA with the idea of using Ethos FR to reduce emissions. He got the cold shoulder. “We spent time chasing politicians down, but we found out they don’t spend much money. All they want is your money,” he said. He also stated that Archer Daniels Midland Co. spent more than $50 million getting bio-diesel approved for use. AMD just happens to be the largest producer of ethanol. Some researchers have even called ethanol’s value a hoax. Senator Dianne Feinstein has asked state and federal EPA’s to investigate the use of ethanol blended gasoline following the continued increase in smog in Los Angeles after the introduction of this fuel.

Tax breaks, incentives, and subsidies are not the answer to high gas prices. When the price of gas rises, industry will be motivated to research alternative fuels. Japanese cars are so fuel efficient because the price of gas in Japan has been close to $5 per gallon for a long time. Unfortunately, big business has done a lot to slow our progress toward better fuel efficiency and a solution to pollution problems.

About the Author

Amy Hansen invites you to visit her blog for informative articles, gas saving tips, and information about the high price of gas at: http://gas-price-too-high.blogspot.com

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Inside Multi-Level Marketing: A Brief History of MLM

Autor: sfrom

Throughout, fairly recent history, about sixty years or so, multi-level marketing has been a prominent fixture in the business world. It all began way back in the middle 1900’s. Companies realized that their sales staff was generally made up of family members and friends of other sales members. The appeal was the fact that they could get products at wholesale prices, much cheaper than buying from a sales representative; therefore, they became members of the sales staff themselves.

Then companies began to realize they were easily finding several sales members that could sell a few products. Whereas, finding a top sales person who could sell in large amounts was much harder. Therefore, after analyzing these aspects they created a structure that combined the two aspects into one, along with compensation for sales, creating the very first Multi-Level Marketing company. With this new structure, they encouraged current sales staff to recruit new sales people. In the beginning, this was typically their friends and family members. Later, the practice was extended to any satisfied customer, giving them the equal right to make sales, buy products at wholesale costs, and recruit new sales members.

With this new structure, people were becoming sales members, selling products, and recruiting new sales member to make money. Groups were rewarded for their sales as a whole; this is where the downline aspect came into play many years later.

Everything has its good and bad

Of course, as with any new concept, especially one such as Multi-Level marketing, there were their downfalls, setbacks, and major image tarnishing, as other people sought ways to implement the idea into their own lives. This created the conception of fraudulent Multi-Level Marketing schemes. The very first known to the world, was in the form of a chain letter. This began shortly after World War 1 ended, where a chain letter sent across the nation, ask the recipient to send a specific amount of money to the person on the short list of names at the bottom of the letter. This amount was anywhere between 10 cents to 1 dollar. The chain letter led the way to what is known as pyramid schemes. This scheme occurs when there are no real services or products are offered for sale by the company.

Today’s Multi-Level Marketing

Today, Multi-Level Marketing is a thriving business that extends all across the globe from the United States to Japan and everywhere in between. The international Multi-Level Marketing industry is a 100 Billion Dollar industry that is showing no signs of slowing down. Multi-Level Marketing can even been seen in many of today’s top company such as Amway, Discovery Toys, AT&T, MCI, Sprint, Colgate, Gillette, Melaleuca, Mary Kay, Avon, and even Encyclopedia Britannica, just to name a few of the most recognizable names in the Multi-Level Marketing Industry.

There are a great many different products available for sale in multi-level marketing such as household cleaners, vacuum cleaners, nutrition drinks, diet drinks, vitamins, and cosmetics. In fact, these industries were invented thanks to multi-level marketing. Both the company and the representative can benefit from this technique.

The Company

The company benefits because it is not required to pay the sales representative until the sales of services or products have been made. This means they save money all the way around and run their company in a more efficient manner. For example, the costs of distribution are decreased because the product is not sent out until paid for. Furthermore, millions of dollars are saved in advertisements as well. Then you think even further in terms of costs and the company is saving money by not having to payroll based on hourly pay, in general no benefits are offered, and office, travel, and utility costs are dramatically reduced. It creates an efficient way to run a business all the way around.

The Sales Representative

The sales representative benefits in many ways as well. They have the potential to make as much or as little money as they want. Essentially, multi-level marketing is a work at home business. This leaves the sales representative the ability to control all aspects of their own home-based business. They can set their own hours, work as little or as much as they would like. There is no boss hovering over your every move. Many people like this idea because it leaves more time to spend with their family and they can work in their pajamas in the comfort of their own home, if they so desire.

Wrap it up

In conclusion, there are many reasons you should be considering a multi-level marketing company, just a few are outlined within this article. If you are looking to join a multi-level marketing company, do your research, talk to other friends and family members, and understand all aspects before deciding on any one company.

About the Author

Scott Fromherz owns and operates multiple Internet sites. Visit http://www.downlineautopilot.ws and http://mlm-company.blogspot.com for more mlm information.

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Illusion of US and Japanese prosperity

Autor: Guest

I suggest a reality check is needed to open their eyes about the buying power of their debased currencies. A reality check can often be provided by doing some foreign travel, especially to Europe, but also to the Middle East or developed Asia. The reality is that the buying power of these two groups outside of the U.S. or Japan has fallen by over 25% in the last few years.

THE RISING COSTS OF LIVING

Food, shelter and the basic necessities of life have gotten very expensive. While they have not been noticing, the U.S. and Japanese citizen’s buying power has eroded on a global basis over the last four years. During those four years, the Yen and U.S. dollar have been about flat in value versus one another. Over the same period the Euro, British Pound, Swedish Krona, Swiss Franc, and during the last year or two, even the Indian Rupee and Chinese Yuan, have risen substantially versus the Dollar and Yen. U.S. dollar-based investors and Yen-based investors need to expose their portfolios to assets where the prices are rising, or to stocks in those geographies where the standard of living is rising. This simple theme is behind most of our investment opinions. Our strategy simply put, is to invest in the countries and industries which are growing.

GOLD AND BASE METALS ARE OBVIOUS EXAMPLES

Gold is in demand as a hedge against devaluing currencies, and it is in demand for hoarding and protecting wealth, and as a store of value. As nations and individuals become wealthier, they hold more gold. This is especially true in India, China and East Asia, where gold has long held a position as a safe and secure alternative to paper currencies.

Base metals are in demand due to the infrastructure building that is taking place in the developing countries around the globe. Economic growth is the model that these countries are following, and sustainable economic growth is based on a stable and growing infrastructure including physical, economic, educational, legal, financial and social infrastructure.

Because this global trend towards infrastructure building is not likely to abate in the near future, prices of materials will stay high, and the buying power of the citizens in the slow-growth countries will continue to erode.

These articles are for informational purposes only and are not intended to be a solicitation, offering or recommendation of any security. Guild Investment Management does not represent that the securities, products, or services discussed in this web site are suitable or appropriate for all investors. Any market analysis constitutes an opinion that may not be correct. Readers must make their own independent investment decisions.

The information in this article is not intended for distribution to, or use by, any person or entity in any jurisdiction or country where such distribution or use would be contrary to law or regulation, or which would subject Guild Investment Management to any registration requirement within such jurisdiction or country.

Any opinions expressed herein, are subject to change without notice. In addition, there are many market, currency, economic, political, business, technological and other risks that are beyond our control. We make reasonable efforts to provide accurate content in these articles; however, some content and some of the assumptions, formulas, algorithms and other data that impact the content may be inaccurate, outdated, or otherwise inappropriate. In addition, we may have conflicts of interest with respect to any investments mentioned. Our principals and our clients may hold positions in investments mentioned on the site or we may take positions contrary to investments mentioned.

Guild’s current and past market commentaries are protected by copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act, you must not copy, frame, modify, transmit or distribute the market commentaries, without seeking the prior consent of Guild.

About the Author

Monty Guild founded Guild Investment Management in 1971. Prior to founding the company he was an analyst at a bank and a hedge fund. For more information on global invesment visit http://www.howtoinvestglobally.com

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