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28 Feb
In these suffering economic ages, leisure is normally becoming one of those costs we ought to stop. If you have trouble leaving food on the table getting the latest Wii games is credibly far down on your list of precedencies. Still, it is essential to seek ways to have fun, even on a tight money pocket. That is why with a little effort you can look for cheap Wii games that will fit.
Shopping online is likely the best position to look for cheap Wii games, especially new ones. There are lots of websites that will supply you close comparisons of games and their costs. You can establish searches that point the least dear games first and that can emphatically save time in shopping around.
There are many places to look for cheap Wii games. Seek them on Ebay and other auctions websites. Even web sites like Amazon supply used games at profoundly discounted monetary values. The only problem with online choices is that you cannot see the game before you buy. That is incessantly a danger. However, you are able to take some wonderful deals and it might just be precious.
The greatest position to look for cheap Wii games are used game stocks, places that you are able to go to purchase or trade games. Whether you come to one of these shops you have the alternative of seeing the disk physically. That way you are able to seek for flaws and scratches before you make your difficult earned dollars. You can take a lot of use from these used games especially if you get disk cleaning provides.
Whether you do bring home a disc that skips or gets stuck, the greatest thing to do at the first time is attempt to clean it with a little dish soap and warm (not hot) water. If you do this and dry it with a moderate, clean towel most discs will run just right. You don’t have to purchase a new disc to have a quality experience.
Whether you are a truly involved gamer the greatest place to find cheap Wii games is to get into a rental service. Once you’ve conquered a game you most likely will rarely play it again. Some websites leave endless time on rentals giving you a lot of time to master a game. If you’re not too interested in making a library this is the way to go.
These days it gives to be a smart consumer. Money is too difficult to come by to waste. Knowing where to look and what to purchase will give you the most bang for your buck and will give you the most gratification for your gaming experience. Cheap Wii games are out there. You simply have to know the place to look.
13 Feb
The University of North Carolina used a 21 yard field goal on the final play of the game to pull a big college football upset over #13 Virginia Tech on Thursday night, winning by a final score of 20-17. The Tar Heels’ #8 ranked defense proved as tenacious as their high national status would suggest, and gave the Hokies fits throughout. North Carolina led for most of the game, but withstood a late game Virginia Tech comeback bid to take the win. Both teams are now 5-3 on the college football season.
College football betting enthusiasts who took North Carolina as +16′ road underdogs were never in serious doubt about the eventual payday they’d receive as the Tar Heels never trailed by more than three points. The Tar Heels improved to 3-4 against the college football pointspread, while the Hokies dropped to 3-5 versus the money. The 37 combined points scored went UNDER the posted total of 43′.
Tar Heels’ QB T.J. Yates was in a state of disbelief after the narrow road victory:
“I’ve never really had this feeling before. Kicking it at the last second? It just sends chills down your spine.”
Running back Shaun Draughn spoke of the team’s priority to bounce back quickly after they blew a big lead in a loss to Florida State last week:
“We knew we had to get back to the drawing board. To come back and play the way we did definitely speaks volumes about our team.”
In the Hokies’ locker room, linebacker Cody Grimm spoke of his team’s need to regain their focus:
“I think the motivation is to come out here so you don’t feel like this again. Ten wins is one thing, but I don’t want to feel like this any more and the only way to do that is to win.”
Running back Ryan Williams felt doubly bad about the loss, as his late game fumble cemented the victory for North Carolina:
“As of right now, there probably isn’t really anything they can say to lift me up because regardless of what anybody says, personally I feel like I kind of took the game away from us today. It was on the line, it was in my hands and I fumbled.”
The Hokies will play against next Thursday night, heading to Greenville, NC to face the Skip Holtz coached East Carolina Pirates. They’ll play at Maryland on Saturday, November 15 before returning home a week later to host North Carolina State. North Carolina plays their next two at home, starting a week from Saturday against Duke. Miami will come in the following week before the Tar Heels hit the road to play at Boston College on November 21.
12 Feb
After a summer of negotiational back and forth during which both sides indicated at various points that they were far apart and then making progress, the Portland Trailblazers have inked All Star shooting guard Brandon Roy to a five year contract extension. Roy will be in the final year of his rookie contract in the forthcoming NBA season, and securing the services of a player that did no less than turn around the franchise was the teams top summer priority.
Brandon Roy may have saved the Portland NBA franchise thanks to his on-court talent and off the court class. The Blazers slumped from their glory years of the 1970’s and 1980’s as the 1990’s progressed, eventually pulling together a roster consisting of character challenged reprobates that earned the moniker JailBlazers for their frequent legal transgressions.
In the late 1990’s, Portland owner Paul Allen finally had enough and cleaned house. The new management was given the charge to put together a roster that would not only win games, but win back the Rose City fans. The acquisition of Roy will likely be looked at as the turning point for this effort. The Blazers acquired Roy on draft day 2006 for Randy Foye, and would go on to win the NBAs rookie of the year award.
The Blazers”who were 21-61 the year before Roy arrived”posted a 54-28 record last season. Roy has become the centerpiece of a talented young team had has not only become a force in the NBAs Western Conference but has gone a long way to winning back the Portland fan base.
The first four years of Roy’s 5 year $84 million deal are guaranteed, while the fifth is at the players option. Roys agent Bob Myers strongly suggested that Roy wanted to remain with the Blazers for his entire career, noting that he “is one of the unique players to have a chance to have that sort of relationship with one team.”
The Blazers now turn their attention to working out a long term deal with power forward LaMarcus Aldridge. Like Roy, Aldridge is in the final year of his rookie contract and a key component to the teams recent success. At last report, talks between the two sides are progressing.
9 Feb
Just use these hints and youll improve your reading speed:
You can read lines of text, more easily, by reading groups of words at one time than reading a single word, and your reading speed will increase when you just widen your eye span (peripheral vision).
1. Techniques will teach you have to activate hand-to-eye coordination, then you’ll be speed reading quickly and immediately. Improve your reading abilities for business or personal use with just a little practice. You can double, even triple your current rates of reading without hurting comprehension or retention.
Different speed reading techniques for different kinds of reading material:
1. Fiction, especially the romance novels. Try speed reading a hot and passionate love scene. You can’t! I don’t speed read romance novels. I don’t know anyone who does.
2. Non-Fiction. Speed reading is perfect in this dimension. Where there is something to learn that is not based on the emotions speed reading is great. And it comes in various forms: newspapers with narrow columns, magazines, with slightly wider columns, books, computer screens, and in the mail and email.
Slow readers struggle. They can’t identify the techniques to success and they struggle due to slowing down to identify words that don’t understand — they will see a particular word, slow down, think about the meaning, then restart the reading process. Perhaps they won’t sound out all of the words theyve been reading, but they will spend more time on some phrases than others, perhaps because, they are just skimming across those small sections that are easy to understand.
Creating balance in comprehension and reading speed is what gives us our base reading speed. You will also need to establish a base-line reading speed for what you read the most. There are different techniques for different types of reading, with varying speeds, and comprehension rates.
Study speed reading, and practice with the exercises, they will improve your reading speed drastically with practice. But, before you begin practicing the actual speed reading techniques, that will learn in The Complete Speed Reading Program, let me suggest that you learn to coordinate your eye-to-pacing finger movement.
In the beginning proposes you reread the same material over and over, until you develop a well-coordinated reading speed. When you feel comfortable with it, your rate of speed will increase almost immediately almost 50%. Then, once you are comfortable practicing at that rate, move on to more advanced techniques that will increase your reading speed further.
Consider this:
1. You will be reading very fast (scan read) pre-reading for important factors 300%.
2. You should use a 50% over the normal rate when reading for information saturation.
3. Post-read for fast review will be fast reading; just a fast scan. 300-400% faster.
4. For testing, scan before prepare for tests your score speed will be medium fast 200%.
That’s how easy it will be. Your mind will be trained to be the perfect learning machine. Just begin right now with Complete Speed Reading Course, a beginner course, and intense in-depth program, and audio reinforcement. Guaranteed to bring you greater success.
6 Feb
Brian Bowles used a counter right hook late in the first round to defeat Miguel Angel Torres by TKO and win the WEC Bantamweight title in the main event of another exciting fight card from Zuffas MMA promotion showcasing the lighter weight classes.
The event will be remembered for the main event and the shocking upset of Torres, whom commentator Frank Mir had been championing as the pound for pound best fighter in the sport of late. Torres certainly had the credentials”a fighter equally as dangerous on his feet as on the ground, hed compiled a 37-1 record entering the fight against Bowles. Since a 2003 decision loss to Ryan Ackerman, Torres had run off 17 straight victories including his most recent triumph by decision over a tough challenge from Japanese striking machine Takeya Mizugaki.
Bowles entered the cage accompanied by the music of Johnny Cash. This prompted WEC commentator Todd Harris to quip “It takes a special man to walk in to Johnny Cash”. He wasnt kidding, and Bowles quickly announced his presence with authority rocking Torres with an overhand right and scoring a takedown within the first minute. After a groundfighting sequence, the two fighters exchanged punches again and initially it looked like Torres was getting the best of things as he landed a multiple punch combination that sent Bowles backing up. Almost out of nowhere, however, Bowles countered with a perfectly placed short right hook that sent the champion to the canvas. He followed up with some nasty ground and pound punches including a big left hand that knocked his opponent unconscious and forced the referee to wave off the fight.
In his postfight interview, Bowles sounded unsurprised by the outcome. His comments indicated that hed been very well prepared for Torres considerable skills and though he conceded that hed been stung by the punching barrage waited for the opening to throw the right hook that ended the fight. Bowles displayed considerable class in victory, and Torres conducted himself in a matter befitting a champion as he accepted the defeat.
A rematch between Bowles and Torres is almost inevitable, but theres plenty of talent in the WEC bantamweight division. The semifinal bout on the card pitted two of these competitors in what may have been an elimination match for #1 contender status as Dominick Cruz handed feisty Joseph Benavidez his first professional loss via unanimous decision. The unorthodox and insanely athletic Benevidez had a good deal of trouble with the superior height and reach of Cruz.
Further muddling the picture in the bantamweight division was an earlier fight on the card, in which Takeya Mizugaki outlasted Jeff Curran to win a split decision victory. Mizugaki had trouble with the active guard of Curran, but scored takedowns in all three rounds.
6 Feb
In the ‘real world’ time heals all wounds. In the fight game, money has the same curative effect. This was vividly illustrated with the recent announcement that Tito Ortiz has patched things up with Dana White and will return to the UFC. Tito left the promotion over a year ago after a highly publicized split with the UFC president. He never found a new promotional home that would give him the money and the high profile status that he craved.
Ortiz has had several run ins with the UFC over their notoriously tight pay structure, and first left the promotion in 2005. He was back later that year for a run as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter against longtime rival Ken Shamrock. After losing to current light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida in his last UFC appearance, Ortiz left the company and bounced around doing personal appearances and commentary for a variety of promotions. He had surgery on his back in the process, and now claims that hes back to 100%.
Tito may never regain his championship form as a fighter, but that is of minimal relevance due to one salient fact”people will pay to see him fight. Dana White evoked the same theme in his comments on Ortiz at a Friday press conference in Las Vegas:
“Tito and I have a history that everyone knows. He’s still a guy that everyone wants to see fight. He said his back has healed perfectly and he’s ready to take a shot at the title. He’s one of those guys that people love and people love to hate. We’ve put all our differences aside, have squashed everything and will move forward, and Tito will retire in the UFC.”
To which Ortiz responded:
“Time really cures everything. Dana was a man of his word. Dana apologized to me. We’re like boyfriend and girlfriend.”
Ortiz said that Dana White and UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta came to his home in Huntington Beach, California and made him an offer he couldn’t turn down:
“I’m happy, I’m satisfied, You’ll never hear anything about money again.
While both Ortiz and White said that he’d be back in the octagon ‘ASAP, neither man gave much in the way of specifics. Sources suggest that he could debut on the UFCs New Years card against Mark Coleman. Coleman is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Stephan Bonnar at UFC 100 in mid July.
To best understand Titos appeal and why the UFC was so anxious to re-sign him, well paraphrase HBO boxing commentator Larry Merchant. As he previewed the George Foreman/Michael Moorer heavyweight championship bout he addressed criticism that Foreman didnt deserve the bout based on his recent form. Merchant noted that there are many fighters, but very few stars. Like George Foreman, Tito Ortiz is a star. Some love him, some hate him but people pay to watch him fight.
6 Feb
Quarterback Tony Romo had another solid game, and the Dallas Cowboys made short work of the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday afternoon in a 38-17 victory. Romo threw for 256 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions, and receiver Miles Austin caught a touchdown pass for the third straight game. The Cowboys improved to 5-2 with the win, while the Seahawks dropped to 2-5.
The Cowboys also got on the winning side of the NFL pointspread ledger with the win and cover as -10 home favorites. Dallas is now 4-3 against the spread for the season, while Seattle fell to 2-5 versus the number. The 55 combined points scored went OVER the posted total of 46′.
Romo has made greater patience in the pocket a priority this season, and it’s paying dividends. Sunday’s game was his third straight without an interception and he’s stayed interception free in five games this season-more than he did all of last year. Romo couldn’t resist a joke at his own expense:
“Shock! I’m seeing things. It’s as simple as that. I’m not throwing and hoping.”
Head coach Wade Phillips expressed his pleasure, but didn’t want his team to start believing their own press clippings:
“I feel good about the progress we’ve made, but we’ve still got a ways to go.”
Team owner Jerry Jones was happy with the performance and already looking ahead to next Sunday’s game at Philadelphia:
“I’m just glad to see as many people really do as well and play as well as they did today. Philadelphia is the kind of game that I think we’re ready for. … Plus, I think we all remember so much — I know I do and so many players on this team remember — how we left Philadelphia last year.”
Seattle quarterback Todd Hasselbeck played well, amassing 249 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions but didn’t get much help from a defense that couldn’t put the necessary pressure on Romo. He sounded frustrated in his postgame comments:
“We put two weeks into this game plan. I felt like we were ready. We just didn’t get it done. …. I feel physically drained, emotionally drained. I’m frustrated. We’re all searching for answers.”
The big game for the Cowboys that Jerry Jones alluded to is next Sunday night as they travel to Philadelphia to face the Eagles. The Cowboys have been installed as +3 underdogs with the total set at 47′. They’ll head to Green Bay to take on the Packers the following Sunday before returning home to play the hated Washington Redskins. Seattle will host the lowly Detroit Lions next Sunday, with the Seahawks a -10 home favorite and the total set at 43. They’ll hit the road for their next two games, facing the Arizona Cardinals and Minnesota Vikings.
4 Feb
A day after failing to make weight for his fight against Matt Hughes, Thiago Alves dominated the former UFC welterweight champion en route to a 2nd round TKO victory. The main event at UFC 85 in London was somewhat anticlimactic to the fans at the O2 Arena who considered the semifinal matchup between Manchesters Michael Bisping and Jason Day the biggest fight on the card.
Hughes didnt make any excuses following his one sided loss, saying simply that hes a good fighter and he got me. The longtime king of the UFCs welterweight division also gave notice that his career as an active fighter was drawing to a close, suggesting that he had one fight left and challenging Matt Serra in what presumably would be his retirement match. Hughes had no answer for Alves from the opening horn, as he was stuffed on several takedown attempts early on. When he did finally get his opponent to the ground he was unable to do much damage. Alves, conversely, scored effectively with his striking including several damaging knee strikes. He also did considerable work on the ground, with an elbow strike opening up a large cut on Hughes forehead.
The end came early in the 2nd round as Hughes was caught coming in by a devastating knee strike. He fell to the canvas in a heap and referee Herb Dean was jumping in to stop the contest before Alves could follow up with any punches. As the ringside physician entered the ring to check on the fallen fighter, Hughes gave an indication that his knee was injured. Replays showed that his knee buckled under him in a very awkward fashion as he fell and while the extent of the damage is yet to be determined Hughes indicated in the postfight interview that it was messed up.
Michael Bisping simply overwhelmed Jason Day en route to a lopsided TKO victory. Bisping built upon the improved boxing skills he demonstrated at UFC 83 by unveiling an impressive ground and pound attack. Day never really got anything going and by the last minute of the fight was simply trying to cover up to prevent damage from Bispings elbows and hammer fists.
In other action, Mike Swick used an array of high kicks and a 7 reach advantage to coast to a unanimous decision over Marcus Davis. Davis, a former professional boxer, was unable to get inside against his lanky opponent and was never really in the fight.
A controversial point deduction for a strike to the back of the head cost Nate Marquardt his match against Thales Leites. Marquardt was solidly in charge for the entire fight, but suffered a point deduction for an illegal knee strike in round one. While that infraction was valid, replays of the 2nd round deduction for the strike to the back of the head gave the impression that he was penalized for a legal strike to the side of the head. The 2 point deduction changed the outcome of the fight, with Leites winning a split decision by the scores of 28-27, 28-27, 27-28. Marquardt was obviously disappointed in the outcome, but to his credit handled the loss with class despite the questionable nature of the outcome.
In the opening PPV match, another controversial ending saw Fabrico Werdum defeat Brandon Vera by 1st round KO. The fight had been evenly contested up until the stoppage, with Werdum scoring a couple of takedown and Vera countering with some effective punching. Late in the first round, Werdum got a full mount and began to fire a series of punches. Vera was clearly defending himself and didnt appear to be hurt at all when the referee jumped in to stop the fight. Vera said that hed answered that he was OK when asked by ref Dan Miragliotta and that he was just trying to ride out the round from that position. Mirgliotta was also the referee in the Kimbo Slice/James Thompson fight, and some have suggested that matchup was also stopped prematurely.
29 Jan
Carolina Panthers’ quarterback Jake Delhomme is having a season he’d like to forget, and things got even worse on Sunday at home against the Buffalo Bills. Despite dominating the Bills on the stat sheet, Delhomme threw three interceptions that allowed Buffalo to take a 20-9 victory over the struggling Panthers. Delhomme threw for 325 yards, though without any touchdowns. His three picks pushed his total for the year to- which leads the NFL.
Buffalo rewarded NFL pointspread players with the outright victory as +7 road underdogs. The Bills have covered four of their seven games this season, while the Panthers have an awful record against the spread-they’ve only covered once this season for a 1-5 ATS mark. The 29 combined points went UNDER the posted total of 37. Buffalo has gone UNDER in 4 of 7 games this season while Carolina evened their NFL totals mark at 3-3.
The Bills’ Terrell Owens was again a non-factor, but gave credit to the defense for earning the victory:
“You can’t really complain about a win. Defensively, those guys are keeping us in ballgames.”
Buffalo defensive end Chris Kelsay commended his team’s performance on the road:
“Never once on the sidelines was there any doubt that we were going to win the game. Regardless if it’s an ugly win over not, it’s hard to win in this league.”
Ryan Fitzpatrick started at QB for Buffalo in place of the injured Trent Edwards and was solid, if not spectacular. Coach Dick Jauron observed:
“He made the plays when we had to make them.”
Panthers’ coach John Fox has said he’s going to’re-evaluate’ whether the struggling Delhomme should continue to start, and even the quarterback himself couldn’t make an emphatic case that he should keep his job:
“In my heart, yeah, but I mean let’s be honest, I don’t think I’m a dummy. When you’re not playing well offensively, you always have to look at the quarterback.”
The Panthers’ schedule doesn’t get easier this week as they head west for a game against the improving Arizona Cardinals. Carolina is a +9 road underdog with the total set at 43′. They’ll head south the following week to face the red hot New Orleans Saints before returning home on November 15 to take on the Atlanta Falcons. Buffalo will host the Houston Texans this weekend, with the game currently off the board due to injuries on both teams. They’ll have their bye week after that and will return to action on November 15 against the Tennessee Titans.
29 Jan
Former Chicago Bears running back Cedric Benson got revenge on the team that let him go in the best possible way. Benson amassed 189 yards rushing and led his new team, the Cincinnati Bengals, to a 45-10 rout over the visiting Bears on Sunday. Carson Palmer threw for five touchdowns with no interceptions in the blowout victory.
The Bengals also made short work of the NFL pointspread, easily covering as +1′ home underdogs. Cincinnati improved to 4-3 against the number while Chicago evened their ATS mark at 3-3. The 55 combined points sailed OVER the posted total of 42′. The Bengals have gone OVER in four of seven games this year while the Bears evened their NFL totals mark at 3-3.
A happy Benson described his feelings after the win:
“Everybody knew it was going to be an emotional day. Everybody knew. What a wonderful day and a wonderful thing, to go out there and strut your stuff.”
Despite the evidence to the contrary, Benson downplayed the motive of revenge:
“I continue to be as graceful as I can be. I’m not shoving anything in anybody’s face. Like I say, it wasn’t a revenge day for me. I just wanted to take advantage of the opportunities.”
He said his biggest problem was trying to keep his emotions in check and play under control:
“There were a few times where I may have gotten a little too hyped up, a little too antsy. A couple of drives, I found myself having to calm myself down and gather my emotions to stay poised. Once I got past that, we were good to go. Keep it rolling.”
Bengals’ receiver Chad Ochocinco had 10 catches for 118 yards and two touchdowns. He shared his thoughts postgame:
“I don’t understand why it went this way today and why it didn’t go that way last week or the week before that. The offensive line played unbelievable. For Ced to run the way he did today and for us to be able to throw, we could have done what we wanted to do.”
Chicago gave up more points than in any game all season, a fact that left defensive end Alex Brown looking for answers:
“That was pretty embarrassing. It’s embarrassing to come out and play like that. I tip my hat to their whole team. Cedric ran the ball like crazy. They did whatever they wanted to do.”
The Bengals will enjoy a bye week before hosting the Baltimore Ravens on November 8. They’ll then play two games on the road at Pittsburgh and Oakland. Chicago will try to get back on track this Sunday as they host the Cleveland Browns. The Bears are -13′ home favorites with the total set at 40. They’ll host the Arizona Cardinals the following Sunday before heading west for a Thursday night game against the San Francisco 49ers on November 12.
26 Jan
The Minnesota Vikings’ decision to facilitate Brett Favre’s latest ‘unretirement’ is looking better and better with each passing week. This past Sunday, Favre’s charges moved to 6-0 on the season with a wild 33-31 victory over the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens posted 21 fourth quarter points to charge back and claim the lead late, but Favre led a rally to set up place kicker Ryan Longwell’s 31 yard game winning field goal.
Minnesota has been one of the surprise teams of the season, and that fact has also enriched those who bet on NFL football. They didn’t get the money on this occasion, however, as the Ravens took the cheese as a +3 road underdog. Still, it was only the Vikings’ second loss of the year against the NFL pointspread (4-2) while Baltimore has also been solid against the number with a 4-2 mark. The cover broke a two game ATS losing streak for the Ravens. The 64 combined points soared OVER the posted total of 45′. The Vikings has gone OVER in five of six while Baltimore has exceeded the total in four of six.
Baltimore QB Joe Flacco got the Ravens in range for a last second game winning field goal, but Steven Hauschka’s 44 yard try went wide left. After the game, he took his miss hard:
“It’s tough for me. I feel like I let them down. That’s something I have to live with.”
Ravens’ running back Ray Rice disputed Hauschka’s self anointed scapegoat status:
“We didn’t lose that game because of Hauschka’s miss. If we start fast and put points on the board, our defense starts fast, I think the game is a totally different outcome. But that’s what happens when you play against great teams.”
Flacco praised his team for fighting back from a 27-10 fourth quarter deficit:
“We realize what kind of fighters we have in our locker room and that’s what we’re going to use the rest of the year. I think we were 3-3 last year, not that that matters, but we can overcome anything.”
Ray Lewis concurred with his quarterback’s comments:
“Every game has been a game of inches. But for me, being in this business for so long, it just speaks volumes for our team in the way we fight, regardless of the circumstance we’ve been put in.”
The Vikings now face arguably their toughest scheduling stretch of the season, beginning with a trip to the ‘Steel City’ for a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Vikings are a +4 road underdog with the total set at 45. The following week Minnesota heads to Green Bay for what is sure to be an emotional return for Favre. They’ll then get a much needed break via a bye week and a November 15th game against the lowly Detroit Lions. The Ravens will face another undefeated team after a bye week, hosting the Denver Broncos on November 1.
7 Jan
If you are trying to raise capital with a PPM or public entity like OTCBB you need to understand the mind of the investor. After the business plan sells the investor on the business concept you need to sell them on you and your executive staff. You need to stack your executive positions with professionals with a proven track record of success and possess a solid reputation in the industry. You must paint the picture for investors that your business is run by the who’s who in your industry and this pedigree is demonstrated by your education, degree, grades in college, professional organizations of which you have been and are currently a member, advisory board positions with other corporate organizations, a track record of setting up and maintaining strategic alliances, networking contacts and more.
When an investor looks at your human resource list on your PPM, business plan or public offering docs it needs to scream power, authority and confidence. Each individual that you place on your advisory board must have a massive contribution other than ‘advice’. Advisors should be able to prove their ability to assist in crucial decisions, connect your company with strategic partners and help you get to the next level.
Your legal counsel and CPA should be well known organizations with a long list of successful, well known organizations on their client roster and they should have a lot more to offer your company than just their fee based services. Again, these organizations should be able to set you up with partnerships that will help grow your business. As far as corporate awareness you must include a publicist. The publicist that you choose must be well versed in their comprehension of your industry genre.
They must be able to take your company and get you in front of the proper audience that is conducive to enhancing your growth potential. They must be able to demonstrate their knowledge of viral online marketing as well as traditional means of radio, TV and article promotion. They should be able to reach into their contact list and set you up with one interview after another targeting your specific audience.
These are just a few things to take into consideration when you jump on the fund raising trail. Every individual you have listed on your docs must be able to pass due diligence and have the appeal that reaches into the ‘comfort’ zone portion of the investor’s mind.
3 Jan
With many families living in near poverty, paying for a cell phone plan may be the last thing on their minds. This situation has caused the rise of free cell phones for low income families.
Most families these days have cell phones. It has become almost a necessity now. Having a cell phone can prove very useful during times of emergencies. You can quickly dial in an emergency with a cell phone instead of having to go to a toll booth.
To be considered for free cell phones for low income families, your family must be considered low income. For example, if you currently get food stamps or live in subsidized housing, then you should be able to get free cell phones as well.
A limit with free cell phones for low income families is that they have a certain amount of minutes which you can use for free each month. You can probably get about an hour of talk time. After that, you would have to buy more minutes.
Also, you have to show that you are eligible for free cell phones every year. Once you are not considered low income, then you cannot use those phones for free.
Find a cellular service provider in your area that offers free cell phones for low income families. Not all states have such a program yet, so you will need to check it out.
Fill out the necessary applications for a free cell phone. You will need to provide pay stubs and W2s to show that you qualify as low income. You have to show this information each year before you sign their contract.
Be sure you are keeping track of the amount of minutes you are using. Do not use all of your minutes before the month ends otherwise you will not have any if you absolutely had to use them. You can check the amount of minutes you have used from your phone.
29 Dec
People sometimes get frustrated because they fall behind when reading and learning due to the huge amounts of reading material they must learn for school or work. So many books are being written worldwide, that readers sometimes have difficulty keeping up with the production of fiction and non-fiction works. It can be really amazing trying to keep up with it all ” don’t you think.
In the rapidly changing and highly aggressive business world, with new products and services, and new upgrades introduced every week, speed reading really comes in handy. Most corporate millionaires now read two or three business related books every week. Thats a lot of work for those unfortunates who don’t have speed reading abilities.
SPEED READING enables people to absorb up to twice or three times what they normally read in the same time.
Reading researchers in the past determined that the brain is capable of comprehending and cataloging from 10,000 to 50,000 units of information every minute. The length of a unit is about one word. The body’s five senses are receptors for information, which it transfers to the subconscious mind to be recorded for posterity. When the conscious mind needs information, it is recalled from the subconscious. Then it surfaces the necessary data for processing and use, much like a computer.
An interactivity exists between the brain, which well just imagine is the computer CPU, and the mind which consists of thoughts and memories. All information gets processed in such a way that we can learn it.
The information that we get, process and evaluate comes from our five physical senses. With that data, our mind makes decisions, choices and judgments. We learn through our five senses (i.e. sight, smell, hearing, touch, taste), which are already preprogrammed to respond automatically.
A good example of pre-programmed response: Consider the example of the teen boy who smells pizza and what his reaction is. It is similar to Pavlov’s dog, because his senses send a message to the brain in the form of a brain-work.
The perception of sensing our favorite food is a mental exercise, compared to the reaction of swallowing which is physical. Hence, brain and mind is where the action is and the body is where the reaction is.
Learning this method of speed reading will encourage the use of three of the five senses. That is a method that will strongly influence your mind to remember, recall and understand; beyond that, well teach you techniques for becoming a better and more efficient reader.
Follow the instructions and you will turn into a speed reader who loves to read and improve the quality of his or her own life. We expect great, positive successes from you with great improvements in many areas of your life.
Statistics: The average American high school graduate (I know this sounds strange, but many are graduating without the ability to read at an eighth grade level), reads at about 200 words per minute. A college student reads 20% faster at 300 words per minute. It does not matter what your baseline or beginning reading speed is, your potential reading speed after using these techniques will be faster and your potential is truly unlimited. This is because scientists who have researched the human brain/mind agree that our potential is unlimited. Double-triple-quadruple your reading speed, theres no limit.
You can expect to learn how to get your greatest potentials as a reader, business person, student, etc. This is because you’re becoming an avid speed reader and a complete success in life.
Be Dynamic Through Speed Reading will assist you become totally unlimited in your power and ability to do, be, and have all that you desire in life, whether its great grades or financial success. Dr. Jay Polmar is the Master of the art of speed learning, accelerated learning and speed reading and has helped over 100,000 students worldwide become perfect learning machines.
25 Dec
Satellite TV has definitely become a great resource for everyone who loves TV! After all, instead of paying too much for the limited selection offered by cable, satellite TV can supply the enormous collection of channels that you are expecting these days without the unreasonable overhead that comes with cable television. On top of that, with satellite signals available everywhere, satellite TV is way more widely accessible than cable TV! Of course, after you narrow your selections down to satellite TV, which satellite television company do you go with? The clear choice is Dish Network!
Dish Network satellite is the ideal choice for all your television needs because it blends price with top of the line programming and technology so that you can get the best entertainment at the lowest price possible! In addition, you can choose the level of service that meets your budget and many Dish TV entertainment packages can be customized in order to meet the precise wants of your house and the individuals in it!
An wonderful example of an entertainment package that’s designed for economy is Dish Family! Dish Family is made of over fifty channels the family can enjoy together. It’s also the best choice in terms of cost. Naturally, with the great values that are offered by Dishnetwork generally, you will potentially want to sign up for a larger entertainment package. The mainstream entertainment packages of the classic series- Classic Bronze 100, Classic Silver 200, and Classic Gold 250- are DishTV’s best choice apropos giving you the ability to control the level of value that you get and the programming that you get! With all three of these great packages you’ll have the choice of signing up for premium movie channels, sports packages, DVR service, HDTV through Turbo HD, or lots of other options! All of this indicates that you can begin with the classic entertainment package that is nearest to what you need and build on it to get precisely what you want. Better still, the bigger entertainment packages build on the smaller packages in the classic series so that you can upgrade at some particular point in the future without losing any of the channels that you have come to love!
HDTV programming from Dish Network Satellite TV is also the best available thanks to the Turbo HD service. With the ability to add Turbo HD packages onto Dish TV’s classic entertainment packages or subscribe to Turbo HD packages alone, this service really represents Dishnetwork’s innovative spirit! In fact , this is the 1st service to supply the choice of subscribing to HDTV channels and only HDTV channels so that if you’d like to absolutely embrace this TV format of the future without paying for standard def channels, you’ll have that option! At some point HDTV channels will be the standard and Dish television is before the curve by offering this option right now!
Another television technology of the future that you can enjoy at the moment is video on demand. With Dish On Demand from Dishnetwork, you can control what you watch and when you watch it! It is a great alternative option to going out to the pictures because this pay per view option is less expensive than buying picture tickets for your entire family and you will have high def options as well . In fact, if you have a high def DVR through Dish TV you can enjoy the first 1080p picture through a television service supplier in the shape of high def movies through Dish On Demand!
Dish Network is definitely the TV service vendor that’s right for you!
20 Dec
Getting free books online allows you to expand your literary horizons and connect with people all over the country. There are different advantages and disadvantages to every site that you sign up with so here is how to find the right book swapping site for you.
Find a site that uses automation. It will make life a lot easier if you get an email whenever there is a new trade for you as well as getting announcements when it’s time for you to mail out a book. Some sites will even allow you to put your account on hold if you need a break or you’re going on a trip. The process should be automated enough that the computer works out who and when you’ll trade with.
Look for a service with positive reviews. You have a variety of sites to choose from when swapping books. It may be easier to get to know people and make friends on a smaller site but you’ll also need a place that has all of the rules and regulations in place to deal with any cheaters and ensure that everyone receives items. If you go with a well known site then you’ll have thousands or even millions of books to choose from.
Find a site that offers versatile ways of shipping. You may even be able to bypass the post office and print your postage at home. You might have to ship your site the next day or you may have a few days so make sure that you sign up with a service that fits your schedule.
You’ll want to deal with a company that has penalties. Cheating swapping sites is a rampant problem so you want a service that is equipped to handle it. A site might give you a refund or give you back your credit so that you don’t give a book without receiving one to cut down on cheaters. You can find a company that is enjoyable but still has rules that work.
Make sure that the service is actually free. You’ll also want to check to ensure that you are swapping books instead of buying them. Swapping is different than the old buy ten get one free deals. With trading you will send out the books that you have in your house and be able to request the number of books that you’ve sent out.
16 Dec
Window coverings are essential in most homes, and skylight blinds should be just as important if you have skylights in your home. Many people underestimate the importance of them.
If you have a skylight and haven’t yet gotten shades for them, I’d like to try to convince you of the reasons you may want to consider them.
The biggest benefit, in my opinion, is the look and feel of a great set of blinds for skylights. If you get some shades that match the overall look and feel of the room you have in mind, they can really go a long way. Additionally, the light that shines through during the day can give your room a unique feel.
Skylight blinds will also give you the obvious benefit of blocking out light. Some rooms with skylights become so bright at certain points in the day to the point where people won’t even bother spending time in those rooms. If you have a room like that, you’d surely appreciate the obvious benefits of blinds to reduce brightness.
With light comes heat as well. You’d be amazed to see how hot a room can get, simply because of the light coming through the skylights. These blinds can definitely help things out in that regard.
During other times of the year, the presence of a skylight can very easily make a room a few degrees cooler than others in the house. Many homeowners compensate for this by turning up their heat, but this ends up costing extra money. Blinds for skylights will add a layer of warmth to the room.
They’re very easy to operate as well. Don’t worry about reaching up to the ceiling to pull them up and down, because most skylight blinds have motors now that let you control them with the click of a button.
For any of the reasons mentioned above, blinds for skylights can really add a lot to a room. If you’ve decided to buy a set, I believe you’ll appreciate the benefits to come.
11 Dec
BMW’s sales in the Chinese market are expected to increase by at least 30 percent this year, according to Christoph Stark, president and CEO of the BMW Group in China. Over the first 10 months of this year, the luxury car manufacturer sold 71,952 BMW and mini cars on the Chinese mainland, up 36.7 percent over the same period last year. The sales to date have already exceeded the total volume for 2008, which stood at 65,822 units.
Stark confessed he was “very happy” about BMW’s performance in China this year. Given a year-on-year sales increase of more than 80 percent in October alone, he said he could hardly expect more.
In the wake of its robust growth in China, BMW had unveiled plans to enlarge its production capacity in the country, with the announcement coming just 10 days before the auto show. The carmaker will also set up a new plant in Shenyang with its joint venture partner, Brilliance China, and will eventually increase its total annual capacity to 300,000 units per annum.
BMW has taken this major step in the light of the huge growth potential of the overall auto market and, especially, the luxury car segment in China, Stark told China Daily in an exclusive interview. At present, the number of cars per thousand people in China is still very low, one of strong indicators as to the potential size of the market, according to Stark. Stark said: “The luxury car segment only accounts for five percent of the overall market, and if the ratio goes up to seven percent, for instance, there would be a huge opportunity for growth. “The premium car market will have a bright future in China. In the long term, China’s premium market will be the largest in the world.”
China is currently the fourth largest market for BMW and the number one market for its 7 Series. In light of this boom, the company’s announcement of its new plant investment was widely seen as a sign of BMW’s active localization strategy in its bid to further exploit the market.
Despite a lot of guesswork related to the 7 Series, the X3 and a number of other models, Stark just restated the previously announced plan regarding the launch of the specially designed 5 Series sedans, with an extended wheelbase, by the end of next year. He again denied the rumors that BMW was in talks with SAIC Motor Corp to assemble its 7 Series sedans in China. Stark did confirm, however, that BMW will continue to expand its sales network and local procurement initiatives in China in the future.
The company currently has more than 130 outlets in China, but that is far from enough in the eyes of Stark. He said that about 200 cities in China have a population of more than 1 million and BMW needs to develop at least one, two or even more dealerships in each of these cities, which means there remains huge room for growth. Stark also referred to the urbanization policies of the Chinese government, a factor that makes the strong growth of BMW’s sales network both possible and desirable.
Last year, BMW’s local sourcing volume amounted to 4.4 billion yuan. This year it is going to increase further, as the company stated in the earlier announcement of its expansion project. The number of BMW’s local suppliers will also continue to grow, from its current level of 150.
According to Stark, the increase of locally made auto parts does not only depend on BMW, but also depends on suppliers. He said: “The more things we can find here that are suitable in terms of quality, price and logistics, the more we will buy parts locally.” At the auto show in Guangzhou, BMW launched its 5 Series Gran Turismo, marking the company’s latest effort to create a brand-new segment in the market.
Stark was particularly proud of introducing this creative crossover, billing it as “something both elegant and sporty” and saying he looked forward to the response from the public. According to Stark, the company had undertaken in-depth market research and held several focus groups before committing itself to the project. He said: “As a leading company in this sector, we are pioneers in many aspects of the business - safety, design, performance and fuel efficiency, as well as in overall new car concepts. For me, the 5 Series GT is a demonstration of our leadership capability.”
Given its successful experience of creating new market niches with its X3, X5 and X6 models and the appreciative response from its press conference for the new model, Stark was confident about it sales prospects, saying” “I guess it will do well and I’m only afraid that we may have a long waiting list.
8 Dec
China’s automobile market continued its robust growth in October, with passenger vehicle sales clocking a year-on-year growth of 79.6 percent, and provided enough indications that the country is well on its way to occupy the top perch in the global automobile market.
Sales of cars, sports-utility vehicles, minivans and multi-purpose vehicles touched 923,154 units last month, said Rao Da, secretary-general of China Passenger Car Association on Friday in Shanghai. During the first 10 months, passenger vehicle sales surged nearly 52.4 percent over the same period last year to 8.08 million units.
“The government’s favorable tax policy and the eight-day National Day holidays spurred sales in October. The robust trend was also aided as vehicle manufacturers produced more popular models during the period and reduced the delivery time,” said Rao. “We are optimistic that the November figures would surpass that of October as sales normally peak toward the end of the year,” he said.
China’s automobile industry has been growing robustly since the end of last year and is now the most dynamic and promising market in the world. “More importantly, by the end of November, total vehicles sales in China will surpass the 12-million-unit target, set by the government under its automobile industry restructuring plan of last year, some 25 months in advance,” said Rao. ” We expect full-year automobile sales to touch 13.5 million with a year-on-year growth rate of 44 percent. That in turn, would make China the world’s largest automobile market for the whole year.”
Rao said if the government can continue its stimulus package for the automobile industry, the growth rate for the 2010 could reach 25 percent.
On Thursday, Zhu Hongren, spokesman of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said the government is considering extending the favorable tax policies and the subsidy for automobile purchases in rural regions to next year also. The policies were scheduled to end this year.
On Oct 28, the China Economic Monitoring Center and Sinotrust jointly released the 2009 Third Quarter China Automotive Industry Climate Index and pegged the indicator at 99.6 points in the third quarter of this year (2001=100), up 2.7 points over the second quarter, indicating that the automobile market has started to recover from the downturn.
5 Dec
China’s battery and electric carmaker BYD Co. is aiming to become the nation’s largest passenger car manufacturer ahead of its targeted 2015 schedule, China Daily reported Thursday.
The newspaper said, citing a senior company executive, that BYD was also making efforts to fulfill its dream of overtaking Toyota as the world’s No. 1 carmaker, through annual sales of over 10 million cars by 2025, via a series of “prudent” moves it made recently.
Wang Jianjun, deputy general manager of BYD Auto Sales Co. Ltd., said the company doesn’t have any plan to boost its business by acquiring foreign brands or assets.
In the first eight months of 2009, the Shenzhen-based firm sold 246,881 cars in total. Its half-year sales were up-3 percent over last year. Wang said he was positive BYD would sell 400,000 units this year.
F3, the most popular BYD model, was crowned China’s best selling car thrice - in January, July and August - this year. The company is planning to sell’0,000 F3 cars this year. In August, sales of BYD’s small car F0 touched 10,023 units, making the company the first local car brand with two models breaching the 10,000-unit sales barrier.
Last week, the Hong Kong-listed company said that it had received the necessary shareholder approval for a public float on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange within one year, with a 100-million-share issue to raise funds for its new energy vehicle projects.
At the end of July, BYD said it planned to expand its existing production facility in Xi’an by setting up a new plant with an annual output of 400,000 units to produce its F3 cars, other new models and auto parts. Wang said these prudent moves promise healthy development for BYD in the next few years.