Not so long a go it seemed like gaming laptop computers were only available from certain system builders and they were generally custom built. As I recall they were never the hottest selling notebooks but as they were the most costly they were the greatest cash producing products. They were the type of notebook computer everyone wished for but the one they just couldn’t purchase. Perhaps they were never the most practical but I still believe they were the best laptops. I guess we all got thrilled about them but the masses would highly unlikely buy laptops that were so high priced. Recently all that has seemed to have transformed as the big manufacturers have got word of the opportunities in gaming portables.
These laptop computers have a certain price point and these manufacturers are aware they do not have to be price aggressively in this case. As the profit potential on mainstream notebooks have gotten so tiny, producing specialized gaming laptop computers is one plan to regain a bigger gross markup. They can also use their large marketing spend to induce buyers further into spending their money or getting out the credit cards to buy laptops like these ones. Little system builders definitely have an uphill struggle now. In my point of view the tier 1 manufacturers will control the market direction. Big companies can leverage their brand names to effortlessly win people over.
In my point of view these companies are churning out the best laptops at this point in time. This contains the potential to be extremely promising for little businesses. Being able to buy exactly what parts they desire is a major bonus for most people who are considering purchasing a gaming laptop computer. These specific buyers are traditionally extremely acquainted with the technology and are able to check each of the specs by themselves. when deciding between performance and design, these buyers will choose the former.
Certainly from the buyers position, its a positive thing. As this drives down the prices even greater, new technology will get even more accessible to the mass market. I am not too certain any of that will take place though. The best laptops are most likely going to be pricey if I’m telling the truth. Seeing as the large brand companies have already started introducing gaming laptops, I reckon we will have to be patient to see what happens.
http://www.rizeon.com offer some really good value laptop computers so check out their site.
I’ve already written about positive thinking and paradigms in another article where the point was that the effectiveness of positive thinking is undermined if we simultaneously hold unconscious thought paradigms that are in opposition. But how can we uncover what’s in our unconscious if it’s unconscious?
An example of just such an opposing paradigm in my own life stemmed from the 1974 cult classic, Phantom of the Paradise. I saw this movie some time before my tenth birthday. I was way too young to comprehend all the sexual on goings, but not too young to know what was going on when the antagonist cut a deal with the devil in the bathtub in order to get what he most desired.
I don’t recall the particulars of the devilish deal, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is that, as a young impressionable boy, that scene created a paradigm in my mind: “Getting what you most desire is bad,” and, “The entity that gives you what you most desire is the devil,” and, “Getting what you want means compromising yourself.” All these thoughts, and a few more, were rolled into one unconscious paradigm, made even more powerful by the spooky Satanic movie scene forever burned on my mind.
In turn, I would never allow myself to get what I most desired, because that would mean dancing with the devil, and I didn’t want that. So I would only allow myself some of what I wanted, for that was safe. Ironically, not having what I wanted seemed godly, while having what I wanted was definitely devilish (of course, this only made sense as long as I viewed myself and my desires as inherently wrong and evil).
Phantom of the Paradise informed the younger version of me that getting all you wanted was bad. That information turned into a paradigm that circumvented and undermined any and all attempts on my part to get all I wanted. But once that paradigm moved from my unconscious to my conscious mind, I was able to replace it with a new paradigm that served me better, namely that it is good for me to have all I want.
And so, once that opposing paradigm was removed, my positive thinking about having all I want was suddenly free to be effective in transforming my life.
The burning question that remains, however, is this: How do you move these opposing thought paradigms from your unconscious to your conscious mind? If these paradigms are indeed at an unconscious level, what hope do we have of being consciously aware of them?
Well, there’s hope in the form of epiphanies, meditation and taking the “witness” posture.
Epiphanies occur in all flavors, but the type I’m referring to here is when, for some reason, you suddenly become aware of something from your unconscious. In a spontaneous flash, you see something previously hidden; something that informed and shaped your reality. The downside to epiphanies of this sort is that you can’t force them. They just happen when they happen.
Meditation, on the other hand, is a deliberate way to tap into your unconscious. In deep meditation, your unconscious mind can “bubble up” to the surface of your conscious mind. The deeper your meditation, the more likely the unconscious will surface. Where traditional meditation is too difficult for many, tools such as the Holosync sound tracks from Centerpointe Research Institute (http://www.centerpointe.com/) make it easy to meditate in a way that produces the Delta brain waves associated with the deep unconscious that most of us only become aware of during deep sleep.
Finally, the “witness” posture is where you simply watch yourself going about your life, instead of being “lost” in it. By stepping back, you gain a surprising objectivity that likewise uncovers the unconscious. You’ll suddenly find yourself seeing all sorts of motivations, reactions and judgments you were previously oblivious to.
The goal, then, is to uncover our unconscious thought paradigms to ensure they are not running counter to the positive thinking we’re engaging in. The uncovering process will never end, but it is well worth the effort due to moving the outworking of your life from the unconscious automatic level to the conscious deliberate level.
Copyright (c) Grant Pasay 2005. All rights reserved. You may forward this article in its entirety to anyone you wish.
Rome travel information, advice, Vatican hotels, reviews, maps, Rome Tours and itineraries among masterpieces and architectural jewels.
Planning an Itinerary to Rome can be difficult if you are unsure of what to visit: sometimes it’s better to take a Rome Tour. This article gives some insight to some must places of the Eternal City.
Must see places in Rome:
Santa Susanna
The baroque in its most comely form: the two little churches tell their history through the work of two great artists: Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini.
Foro Traiano and Colonna Traiana
The urban and architectural expansion of an Emperor and his architecture to celebrate the greatness of the Empire in Rome and its power in the world. A procession of masterpieces which recount the history of Roman civilization and its grade of artistic perfection.
Foro Romano
The ancient Forum of the citi boasts a multi century history and conserves the signs of a progressive sedimentation of ages and cultures. Its principal monuments are described in the plan.
Vatican Museums
The most important artistic collection in the city, rich with masterpieces, and of surprising architectural beauty. At the end of the museum tour there’s the Sistine Chapel, the traditional place of the Papal election, the palatine chapel, and the theater of the Vatican palaces. The masterpiece of Michelangelo as painter.
We can offers discount accommodation in Rome Italy. Choose from 1 to 4 star hotels, luxury hotels in Rome, apartments and Bed and Breakfast.
The effectiveness of modern hair loss treatments is clear for all to see, but many people simply prefer not to use strong chemicals or non-natural substances.
If you fall into this category, does this mean you’ll just have to accept an ever-decreasing head of hair? The answer to this is an unequivocal NO!
Many natural hair loss remedies, both traditional and contemporary, have shown their worth in reducing and reversing hair loss. They are also perceived as being free from side effects and even deliver additional health benefits.
Why then, don’t we hear a lot more about these natural hair loss remedies? Simply because claims of cures cannot be made without FDA approval, and obtaining the FDA seal of approval involves lengthy and expensive scientific research that only major companies can afford. Even the biggest companies could not recoup the costs of such a process as no-one can control the rights to common natural substances such as basic foods and vitamins.
The big question however is, do natural hair loss remedies work? Firstly, hair growth at root level is a living part of the body that depends on sound nutrition, just like any other part of the body. The importance of vitamins, minerals and other nutritional elements in maintaining healthy hair cannot be disputed.
Secondly, the role of herbs and plants in treating numerous ailments is receiving increased recognition after years of neglect, and hair loss is no exception. Many herbal remedies for both internal and external use are offering new hope to people suffering from premature hair loss.
Thirdly, traditional hair loss remedies may still have something to offer. Ancient literature and folklore reveal that our ancestors went to great lengths to treat thinning hair. Some of the more acceptable traditional approaches are now being incorporated into many potential treatment regimes.
Richard Mitchell has written numerous articles aimed at helping hair loss sufferers to deal with their condition. He has also developed several supporting web resources including www.myhairlossadvisor.net
DETROIT — Deception, arrogance, greed, hubris, corruption, incompetence and isolation — the seven deadly sins of political life — snared President George W. Bush and his cronies long ago. That’s how they gained and maintain power.
While praying and thumbing their Bibles, loudly proclaiming their virtue and righteousness, the faith-based Busheviks claim to be the chosen and anointed, carrying out God’s work on earth. In fact and in deed, they behave like the devil’s disciples.
Now, with inspired irony, the sins they’ve served so well are their undoing. George W. Bush and his servants are being singed with the fires of political damnation, and they know an inferno is coming. Alone and naked in their sinfulness, they shiver in fear in the face of truth and justice. The evil empire is crumbling. Praise the Lord!
Bush’s speechwriters use apocalyptic incantations all the time. Words like “evil” and “hate” roll off his smirking lips with relish. Forgive me, the style is contagious.
Bush’s war in Iraq, his supreme deception, is a certain failure and the only uncertainty is how much more blood will be shed before the inevitable withdrawal. Now, polls show, only one-third of the American people support the war and most recognize the great lie Bush sold when he conflated Saddam Hussein’s Iraq with al-Qaeda terrorism and the Sept. 11 attacks.
Bush’s plan to march into the heart of Islam with our British allies and then expect democracy to blossom in the Middle East has proven to be one of the most monstrously bad ideas in our nation’s history. That aggression has made us despised around the world.
An advisory panel to the State Department has concluded, “America’s image and reputation abroad could hardly be worse.” Bush’s old friend and former flack, Karen Hughes, just returned from a mission to improve the U.S. image in the Muslim world and show them what swell folks we really are.
Hughes, who is now undersecretary of state and responsible for public diplomacy, made her first venture into the Middle East, with disastrous results.
Hughes, with no foreign policy experience, made a feeble attempt to cozy up to our critics. She told women activists in Istanbul how wrenching it was for Bush to decide to invade Iraq.
Hughes told the gathering that “no one likes war,” but “to preserve peace sometimes my country believes war is necessary.” Unlike the handpicked town meetings the White House typically arranges, the Turkish women didn’t smile and cheer on cue.
Feray Salman, a human rights advocate, stood up and told Hughes, “War is not necessary for peace.” Salman scoffed at the notion of imposing democracy through war: “We can never, ever export democracy and freedom from one country to another.”
This week, Bush plans yet another speech to explain how well his arrogant vision for Iraq is working and how much safer our nation is.
Hughes began her diplomatic road show in Cairo, where she tried to sell Bush’s pipe dreams for the Middle East. Her amateurism showed as she told the Egyptians, “Many people around the world do not understand the important role that faith plays in Americans’ lives.” That must have been reassuring for the Muslim audience.
Hughes said, “Terrorists, their policies force young people, other people’s daughters and sons, to strap on bombs and blow themselves up.”
Robert Pape, a University of Chicago political scientist who’s done extensive research on the motives of suicide terrorists, says Hughes is way off the mark and that her trip actually comforts terrorists. Pape told the Guardian’s Sidney Blumenthal, “If you set out to help bin Laden, you could not have done it better than Hughes.”
Pape rejects the view that suicide terrorism naturally flows from Islamic fundamentalism. He argues that outside intervention and specific circumstances set the stage. Pape told Blumenthal, “Of the key conditions that lead to suicide terrorism in particular, there must be, first, the presence of foreign combat forces on the territory that the terrorists prize. The second condition is a religious difference between the combat forces and local community. The religious difference matters in that it enables terrorist leaders to paint foreign forces as being driven by religious goals. If you read Osama’s speeches, they begin with descriptions of the U.S. occupation of the Arabian Peninsula, driven by our religious goals, and that it is our religious purpose that must be confronted. That argument is incredibly powerful, not only to religious Muslims, but secular Muslims. Everything Hughes says makes their case.”
Not to be outdone by the State Department, Donald Rumsfeld’s Defense Department continues to aid and abet terrorists and provide them with young recruits. More evidence of prisoner torture in Iraq is emerging, showing the horrors of Abu Ghraib were not isolated.
Army Capt. Ian Fishback of the 82nd Airborne Division and two sergeants have come forward to report that members of their unit routinely beat, abused and tortured Iraqi detainees. Fishback, a West Point graduate, says he tried for more than a year to get his superiors to listen, but only got their attention when he brought his complaints to Human Rights Watch and members of Congress.
More photos of the abuses at Abu Ghraib may soon be made public after a federal judge ruled the Pentagon could no longer censor them. Gen. Richard Myers, the freshly departed chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had argued in court papers that releasing the photographs would aid al-Qaeda recruitment, weaken the shaky governments in Afghanistan and Iraq and incite riots against American troops. The judge correctly ruled the photos are the best evidence of what happened at the notorious prison.
Myers was a shameless toady who would parrot any lines the Busheviks fed him. He did great and lasting harm to the U.S. military. He will be remembered as the most thoroughly compromised and politicized commander of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He should expect a big medal from Bush and a job with some military contractor.
Vice President Dick Cheney is worried about more than his health problems these days. His chief of staff, I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, has now been named as the source New York Times reporter Judith Miller went to prison to protect. Miller got out of the slammer last Thursday after doing a 12-week stretch.
“I was a journalist doing my job protecting my source until my source freed me to perform my civic duty to testify,” Miller said after testifying before a federal grand jury.
Put aside for a moment the arguments about the need for a federal shield law to protect reporters from being compelled to reveal their sources. That’s a First Amendment issue that merits another column. But let’s focus for now on why Cheney and his henchmen sought out Judy Miller to share their information about undercover CIA officer Valerie Plame. The Busheviks outed Plame to retaliate against her husband, former ambassador Joseph Wilson. He blew the lid off the Bush administration’s infamous deception that Iraq was shopping for enriched uranium in Niger, Africa. Cheney loved that big lie and repeated it often. Bush used it in a State of the Union address.
Wilson found the truth and had the guts to tell the world. Retaliation came in an act of treason.
Karl Rove and Scooter Libby, masters in treachery — another cardinal political sin — leaked to reporters Plame’s CIA connection and the suggestion that she engineered her husband’s assignment to check out the Niger story. Rove and Libby may soon be indicted. Condi Rice is also up to her designer boot tops in the scandal.
Libby and Rove believed Judy Miller, a faithful lapdog, would help their cause. They threw her the Plame-CIA bone, expecting she’d use it. Since Miller had been so reliable in peddling a bundle of Bush administration lies to make the case for war with Iraq, they expected her continued loyalty.
Miller’s pre-invasion reporting — largely based on leaks from Cheney’s office and the word of Ahmed Chalabi, the Iraqi expatriate and notorious liar — described Iraq as having huge arsenals of deadly weapons.
Miller’s “exclusives” were spattered all over the front pages of the Times. The inflammatory reports led the march to war. They were also horribly wrong. The paper has since apologized for some of that coverage. Miller never has.
Others in the mainstream corporate media picked up on Miller’s dead-wrong stories. NBC’s chief foreign affairs correspondent, Andrea Mitchell, would pounce on Miller’s crap and, night after night, repeat the lies Cheney’s boys had crafted. From Chalabi to Cheney to Libby to Miller to Mitchell and on to a huge television audience, the great deceptions echoed.
In a recent interview on “Real Time with Bill Maher,” Mitchell admitted reporters did little to question Bush’s rush to war. “And since 9/11 and after 9/11, there was a sort of rallying around — an understandable sort of patriotic effect — and I think reporters were less challenging,” Mitchell said. No kidding.
When Bush’s people couldn’t co-opt reporters, they did it the old-fashioned way — they bribed them. Federal auditors say the administration broke the law when it paid conservative commentator Armstrong Williams and others to churn out favorable news coverage about Bush’s education policies and the No Child Left Behind Act.
I’m sure House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who’s on a leadership sabbatical following his indictment on charges of conspiring to violate Texas election laws, would see no problem in using public funds for political propaganda. DeLay looks up at the gutter. For years, he has literally sold his radical Republicans in the House to the highest corporate bidders.
Over in the Senate, Majority Leader Dr. Bill “Dirty Hands” Frist keeps lying about his blind trust that managed to have 20/20 vision when it came to unloading his stock that was about to tank.
Frist is a fraud, a Martha Stewart in drag, a greedy manipulator who should have had his medical license yanked for the public health policies he’s fostered that leave 45 million Americans without health insurance. He uses his public position to protect private hospitals — shocking as that is — and the usual suspect drug and insurance companies.
In these trying, sin-laced times, Bush and his crowd usually would turn to the holy trinity of radical Republican (RR) virtue for grace and salvation — Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’Reilly and Bill Bennett. But alas, the liberals have done them wrong and caused great consternation.
Rush is frantically fighting prosecutors seeking his medical records and the sources of his illegal drugs.
Fox News Channel’s Bill O’Reilly, whose phone sex aggression caused great harm to a female subordinate and cost Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp.’s shareholders millions of dollars, is dueling with another demon. Media Matters for America, a Web site that reviews media accuracy, has found Mr. O’Reilly spins lies, deceptions and distortions at the pace of a 9-year-old in Bangladesh making shirts for Wal-Mart. O’Reilly is a serial liar, plain and simple. Those who listen to him expecting the truth don’t get it.
Bill Bennett — the RR’s chief custodian of virtue, Ronald Reagan’s secretary of education and Bush the Elder’s drug czar — is on a new high after revelations about his gambling addiction. Bennett admits he had a long-term affair with the one-armed bandits in Vegas, dropping millions in coins, pumping and stroking the machines for fleeting gratification. It’s my money, he said, money made preaching virtue.
But now Bennett, our vicar of virtue, has a new theory, which he preached on his radio show. He sees abortion as reprehensible, but says it might have some societal benefits.
“I do know that it’s true if you wanted to reduce crime, you could — if that were your sole purpose — you could abort every black baby in the country, and your crime rate would go down,” Bennett said.
When the heat followed, the flip-lipped Bennett whined he was quoted out of context and what he said was only a “thought experiment.”
My thought experiment is that Bennett, George W. Bush and their ilk reflect on their own sins and leave public virtue to others.
——————————————————————————–
Bill Gallagher, a Peabody Award winner, is a former Niagara Falls city councilman who now covers Detroit for Fox2 News. His e-mail address is gallaghernewsman@sbcglobal.net.
Niagara Falls Reporter www.niagarafallsreporter.com Oct. 4 2005
The manufacturer of the 7 Inch Sable, Pleasure More are perhaps the most widely recognised and most respected businesses working in the design and distribution of sex aids. They are manufacturers of a large selection of alternative premium dildos such as the Cybercock and the renowned Berman basic Juno. Pleasure More are probably the most price competitive, so you can be comfortable knowing you will not find a cheaper offer from any rival.
Over the past three years the 7 Inch Sable has remained one of the best selling glass dildos for Pleasure More. It’s success is based on the unit’s build quality and competitive price. The 7 Inch Sable is a great choice for stimulation of any of the female erogenous areas. This aid would make the great new addition to any dildo enthusiasts collection. The ideal glass dildo vibrator for lonely nights at home. This sex toy is a brilliant first sex toy for anyone who does not already own a dildo.
The pliable material of the 7 Inch Sable makes penetration possible at angles that are not possible through intercourse, allowing the user dabble in fun found enjoyment and previously un-found parts of your body. This sex aid has wonderful bulbous heads, which are sure to help you lift your out of hours fun to another place entirely. The 7 Inch Sable has the added benefit of an additional vibrator pack, this really is a sex toy of the best standards. The 7 Inch Sable can be found in a wide variety of lengths, colours and widths. In addition to being lots of fun, the 7 Inch Sable moulded out of non-harmful material, to be sure that it is genuinely completely harmless to enjoy.
Hoodia Gordonii - it’s everywhere these days. On 60 minutes, in the health food store, in your diet pills, on the Internet. You’ve seen it and probably wondered ‘What’s so great about Hoodia?’
Hoodia Gordonii is a natural appetite suppressant made from the Hoodia Gordonii plant - a cactus of the “succulent” cactus family, which grows in the Kalahari Desert region of South Africa. Hoodia has been used by the indigenous Bushmen for years as a natural appetite suppressant during long hunting trips where food was scarce.
So what’s so great about Hoodia Gordonii? Here are 3 reasons why Hoodia is better than any man-made diet pill to help you lose weight quickly and safely:
1) Hoodia Helps You Lose Weight Without Hunger or Feeling Deprived
One of the first studies of Hoodia Gordonii was done in the UK on obese patients. Half of the volunteers were given Hoodia Gordonii, the other half were given a placebo. The subjects were allowed to do nothing but read, watch television and eat.
After 15 days it was found that those taking Hoodia had reduced their calorie intake by 1000 calories a day. Despite having unlimited access to food, the Hoodia subjects lost weight without feeling hungry.
People on various brands of Hoodia have reported losing 100 pounds in 6 months, 84 pounds in 5 months and up to 4 pounds a week by taking pure Hoodia. So if you’re looking for a way to lose weight but hate feeling hungry or deprived, Hoodia can help you to reach your goals without the pain of dieting.
2) Great For Emotional Eaters
Not only do you feel full when you take Hoodia but many people say they don’t even have the desire to eat. Some say they don’t even think about food while taking Hoodia.
This is great for emotional eaters - whose weight may be more a result of eating out of boredom or emotional needs than because of hunger. It’s also much easier to make healthier food choices when you feel satisfied and full, which contributes to your overall health and vitality.
3) Natural & Safe
Sure, you can take the caffeine-filled, chemical laden man-made diet pills and lose a couple of pounds - but why would you want to? You don’t know what else it’s doing to your body - and it could be causing some major damage. One of the best benefits about Hoodia Gordonii is that it’s both natural and safe to take.
Since Hoodia is a plant, and not a man made chemical, it has little chance of causing side effects. In fact the South African government classified Hoodia as a food - not a drug. Scientists have been studying Hoodia for about 10 years and have found no evidence of any negative side effects.
Couple this with the fact that the Bushmen in the Kalahari desert of South Africa have been eating Hoodia for hundreds of years with no ill effect. You can see why Hoodia is an amazing alternative to caffeine-laden, questionable diet pills.
While these 3 benefits definitely make Hoodia sound better than any man-made diet pill, there are a couple of things buyers should be aware of:
There are a lot of ‘fake’ Hoodia diet pills out there. Because Hoodia is a protected species (and it also takes 2 - 5 years to mature), the demand is becoming greater than the supply and many manufacturers are bottling inferior forms of Hoodia that don’t offer you the appetite suppressant effects of pure Hoodia.
Also, you probably don’t want to be on Hoodia Gordonii forever. You should try to change your diet to one rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats etc. before transitioning off Hoodia to maintain your weight loss. Good luck on your road to wellness!
To find out how to spot the real Hoodia (and save yourself both money and frustration), visit:
What To Know Before You Buy Hoodia.
Vienna Miller is a contributing writer to Hoodia Review - a website giving you the latest information and tips about Hoodia Gordonii.
For more Hoodia weight loss tips visit www.HoodiaReview.homestead.com.
Category: Uncategorized
Although most mortgage experts say that rates 10 percent are pretty much the same wherever you go, give or take this tiny 11 percentage. Some will quote you precise, competitive rates 11 percent. Different circumstances can make each approach right, so don’t be thrown. Both banks and brokers have their strengths and weaknesses. Brokers work with many mortgage bankers and, as a result, can sometimes find slightly more competitive rates 7 percent perhaps lower but dealing directly with a mortgage banker can move a loan along more quickly.
Translated it says: Woon je in Schagen of Baarle-Nassau en heb je BKR registratie’ Lenen met en BKR codering is nog nooit zo eenvoudig geweest. Koop een andere woning met geldleningen met negatieve bkr vermeliding, 221877 euro is geen obstakel om te financieren. Van Leudal tot Heerenveen, geld lenen met zonder BKR is hier geen enkel probleem.
In most jurisdictions mortgages are strongly associated with loans 3 percent secured on real estate rather than other property and in some cases only land may be mortgaged. While a mortgage in itself is not a debt, it is evidence of a debt of 6 percent. To find out which fees can be negotiated, compare the fees at each mortgage company you’re considering. Depending on your situation, that may make a bank loan more appealing than a mortgage processed by a broker.
Arranging a mortgage is seen as the standard method by which individuals and businesses can purchase residential and commercial real estate without the need to pay the full value immediately. Different lenders charge different fees. And of course, each loan and each borrower are different. It is a transfer of an interest in land, from the owner to the mortgage lender, on the condition that this interest will be returned to the owner of the real estate when the terms of the mortgage have been satisfied or performed.
Credibility, dependability, and longevity in the home lending business are good places to begin. So how do you find a lender or broker you can trust’ But others will claim low rates to bring in customers or tell you that the rates 4 percent offered by competitors will change.
Many of these fees are fixed but some can be negotiated.
Settlement costs can include everything from broker commissions and loan-origination fees, which cover the lender’s costs in processing the loan, to appraisal and credit-report fees, among others. In other words, the mortgage is a security for the loan that the lender makes to the borrower. See mortgage loan for residential mortgage lending, and commercial mortgage for lending against commercial property. Start with credibility. It’s not easy to know if the prices quoted by lenders are reliable. See which lenders are charging fees 7 percent and for how much. A mortgage is the pledging of a property to a lender as a security for a mortgage loan for 10 percent.
Unless you’re a seasoned writer, then writing your press release might be your hardest task. If your budget allows, you can always pay some expert to write it for you. Depending on your sites content, product or services, will determine how hard it will be to find something newsworthy to write about. The better the news value, the more chance your press release has of being published.
Unless you’re business is of great importance or you have a one of a kind website that everyone wants to know about, then a new website launch is not ground breaking news to the rest of the world. The mere fact that a website is open for business happens every minute as you read.
You need to tell the right story. A story with a great ‘angle’. Your targeted publication must find it interesting and newsworthy.
Your press release must not become your sales literature. It is used to tell the whole world about your ground breaking news. To tell readers about an event that has or will happen. Having great news to tell is one part, writing it properly and in a certain way or format, is the other.
Press release tips:
Your press release should not sound like a sales pitch or ad. It must sound like news;
I should only be submitted to the media that is similar to the topic of your press release;
Try to wrap your press release around the current news events if possible;
Try to keep your press release to a maximum of one page in length;
Use short paragraphs and double space between them;
The headline, contact info and release date should be found at the top of the press release;
The headline and first paragraph should catch the reader’s attention. It should entice them to read more;
Check and triple check your press release for errors before submitting;
The press release should be presented from a third-person view, not a personal voice;
Provide references to any statistics and facts, not general opinion.
Newsworthy press release ideas:
Revolutionary new product launch on your website;
Online seminar or course you’re hosting;
A strange or funny story how your business started;
Announce your major sponsorship or contest giveaway;
Online survey results and statistics presented in the form of a press release;
Announce the recruitment of your new CIO;
A major joint venture with another company;
A new book being released on your website;
A fundraising event on your website.
Learn by reading other businesses press releases, especially from press releases that obtain huge exposure. See how they do it and what they do best.
Your headline and opening paragraph should contain some of your best work. It needs to grab the reader’s attention quickly. Usually this will determine the success of your press release as to whether it is discovered or not.
When writing your press release, make sure you begin with the date and city in the body then continue by reporting on the facts. It is always good to supply the answers to the common questions like the Who, Where, Why, What, When and How. If you don’t have the answers, you should make the effort to find them. These should be answered in the first paragraph.
It is good practice to include quotes in your press release. It increases the chance of your press release being used and picked up by a journalist. It adds credibility and human interest to a media release. The second paragraph is the best place for these.
Make things easy incase you need to be contacted for further information or clarification. Do not forget to include your contact information or your work of art might never see the media lights.
Your press release should end with a call to action. What is it exactly that you want your readers to do after reading your masterpiece?
Author of Wealthy Butler - The Ultimate Interactive Recipe to Make Money Online.
www.wealthybutler.com
Technologically, it is probably the most advanced printing facility in the Balkan. It cost almost $2.5 million. It was constructed in less than a year. And it is in dirt-poor and war-torn Macedonia.
Behind this incredible tale of entrepreneurship, uncommon in these nether-regions, stands Zoran Rosomanov. A stereotypical visionary - mane, blazing eyes, imposing physique - this man, against nightmarish odds undreamt of by his Western counterparts, constructed, single-handedly, an impressive, star-trek like, factory.
Literally single handedly: digging the muddy soil, hoisting bricks onto cranes, driving earth-removal heavy machinery. He begged, cajoled, and persevered. And he made it. His story serves a lesson to all the forlorn dreamers in the sad countries of the East.
Thirty-six year old Zoran represents a new breed of “can-do” businessmen in Eastern Europe and the Balkan. His philosophy is the outcome of first-hand exposure to Western management techniques and ideology. He does not rely on the state to provide for him or for his enterprise. He actively seeks foreign inputs - in capital, contacts, and know-how. He is well-traveled, polyglot, affluent, a consumerist. He is enamored with technology and gadgets.
Still, he likes to think of himself as a creator, or an artist - rather than a money machine. He emphasizes the design-related portions of his company. He brags of his hobbies: photography, interior design, music. His home and office serve to advertise not his wealth - but his aesthetically-informed talents. He is smartly dressed and well-mannered, indistinguishable from his colleagues in the West. Though he loves Macedonia, his homeland, he is, in essence, a citizen of the world.
Zoran started off as a TV music editor in the Macedonian state-owned channel. The highlight of this brief phase in his career was a human rights concert in Budapest. But he soon discovered his true calling: business. He joined a Belgrade-based musical instruments trading firm as a traveling salesman. At the age of 21, he was put in charge of 185 people as head of the Sales Department.
But Yugoslavia was disintegrating. Yugoslavs lost their common identity overnight and woke up as Macedonians, Croats, Serbs, or Bosnians. Zoran went back to Skopje, where he opened, with his savings, a chain of 11 stores of electronic consumer goods.
But he noticed that how you sell is at least as important as what you sell. He discovered marketing. After a stint of studies in Milan, Italy, he came back to Macedonia and, in 1992 he established “Divajn”. “I noticed that everyone in Italy asked me about Macedonia. They were interested. So, I decided to connect people.” The company was the first to offer a vertical, marketing campaign-orientated service: from poster ads to sales force, a turnkey solution.
He also noticed that, the paperless office notwithstanding, there was a great demand for paper products. In a typical move, Zoran bought an expensive computer and began to design such products for his contacts. “But I noticed that, following a first satisfactory order, they circumvented me and went directly to the printer”.
So, he decided to become a printer as well - by merging with a print shop. He placed an ad and settled on one of the applicants. They have been inseparable ever since. Their joint company, “Bato and Divajn”, owns the new facility and Zoran’s partner supervises the daily work there. “Wealth is in people - not in money”, says Zoran.
His secretary has been with him for 11 years. Miki, the talented head of the pre-press division and quality control, has been working with him for a decade. Zoran values loyalty. He trains his staff personally. Every single one of his 40 workers (soon to increase to 55) has gone through a 6-month period of apprenticeship. Then they are on their own. “I believe in delegating,” says Zoran, “though I never lose sight of the details. And I am very demanding”.
When the combined business expanded, Zoran needed new machines. He tried to find investors, both domestic and foreign, but failed. So, he approached a friend of a friend in Holland. This guy owned an envelope factory and was interested to sell one of the used machines for a mere 400 thousand DM (i.e., c. $180,000).
In typical irresistible gall, Zoran offered him $13,000 as an advance payment. “I will pay you the rest over 3 years” - he pledged earnestly. “What is your guarantee?” - asked the shocked seller. “Your trust” - responded Zoran. The stunned Dutchman accepted. Zoran paid him back in two years.
This pattern of unmitigated self-confidence, infectious optimism, and non-conformism pervades Zoran’s way of doing business. He won an order for a million labels simply by waltzing in and producing samples he scanned off empty beer bottles. He is now the exclusive printer for this brewery.
Last April, as he was visiting another client - his firm supplies all the Macedonian blue-chips - he overheard a discussion about problems with a Slovenian supplier. “If I were to establish my own factory here, will you buy from me?” - he enquired. They said yes - and so did many others. “It was my market research” - he grins. Why import from Slovenia if there is a qualitative alternative in one’s backyard? Zoran is a great believer in import substitution and buying local. It is not only patriotic - but it makes economic sense.
He proceeded forthwith to find land. His firm designed the construction project. All he lacked was the printing presses. He had less than $100,000 in cash. He needed another $2.4 million. Others would have regarded this deficiency as insurmountable. Not Zoran.
He decided to get the best equipment money could buy - and that meant “Heidelberg”. So, he picked up the phone and called Alexander Hufnagel, Heidelberg’s director of East Europe. When he asked to buy on credit, they naturally demanded a bank guarantee. Zoran prepared a business plan and went to Komercijalna Banka, Macedonia’s second largest retail bank. He asked for $1 million, partly from IFC funds dedicated to small and medium enterprises.
Macedonia’s economy has been in dire straits long before its independence in 1992. Nearly one third of the workforce are unemployed. The heavily-politicized and under-capitalized banking system is largely dysfunctional. Lending to business is almost at a standstill. Zoran’s was an unprecedented application.
When Zoran dug the first foundations in an industrial park at the outskirts of Skopje, a civil war between Macedonians and Albanians has erupted. Fighter planes and helicopters buzzed above head and police and army streamed to the Aracinovo, a besieged village, not far from the site. There was palpable panic in the air.
Komercijalna Banka asked for a collateral and Zoran offered the new equipment. “Title will revert to me only when I finish paying you”, he explained. Unbeknownst to him he has invented leasing. He then turned around and offered Komercijalna’s money to Heidelberg as his equity. After a grueling few days of due diligence, Heidelberg agreed to give him supplier’s credit amounting to the rest. They asked to him to guarantee the credit personally. He willingly accepted.
Zoran then proceeded to convince them to establish a maintenance center, replete with spare parts, in his new factory. “I don’t charge them rent” - he discloses impishly - “My machines must work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is useful to have a maintenance crew and spare parts handy.” The next logical step is to become their representative in Macedonia. “I am working on it. But I want them to provide me with revolving credit to be able to offer financing together with the equipment”.
But this financial wizardry has depleted Zoran’s resources. He resorted to an old communist stratagem: the barter (”compensation” in East European argot). He traded print jobs for building materials. It was one of the worst arctic winters in memory with temperatures often dropping to way below the freezing point. But construction continued, the shivering workers spurred on by Zoran’s personal example.
When the equipment finally arrived, Zoran was presented with a $450,000 bill - for the newly imposed Value Added Tax. In a complex financial somersault, Zoran borrowed against future VAT refunds and overcame this obstacle as well. The NASA-like control panel, the printers, cutters, templates for different cigarette brands - all were finally installed in the half completed structure.
“This is my country” - Zoran toggles an unlit smoke - “It is beautiful. We just need help. I could never have done it without the help extended to me by Heidelberg, Komercijalna, the IFC, my clients. My wife stood behind me. This network of support is indispensable. There can be no entrepreneurship and initiative without it!”
“Aren’t you afraid to fail?”
“I have no fear. With all our problems - we still must exist. We must survive. Many say I am crazy - but time will tell who will succeed. You must persevere. If the bank would have said no - I would have gone elsewhere. There is always a solution. My advice: get your suppliers involved. Heidelberg now has a stake and they will refer clients to me. I said to them: you want me as a client? Then give me credit!”
“Operating in Macedonia is not easy…”
“A country should be run like a business and politicians should act like CEO’s. Macedonia has the potential to be this region’s Switzerland, though it must concentrate on exploiting its natural endowments: climate and soil. Agri-business is its future. All we have to do is encourage foreign investments by safeguarding property rights and overhauling the court system and law enforcement. We have to learn from foreign investors and emulate them.”
“But foreign investors are potentially your competitors…”
He tilts his head back and laughs uproariously:
“The Slovenians tried to arm-twist my clients, slander me, and spy on my operations. I can now easily compete with them in the Serb market. My transport costs are much lower. My machinery is so advanced that I can work for the strictest multinational anywhere from Switzerland to Turkey. We are getting the ISO quality certificate shortly. So, they are scared. What has been my response? I bought more land for future expansion…”
Sam Vaknin ( samvak.tripod.com ) is the author of Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited and After the Rain - How the West Lost the East. He served as a columnist for Global Politician, Central Europe Review, PopMatters, Bellaonline, and eBookWeb, a United Press International (UPI) Senior Business Correspondent, and the editor of mental health and Central East Europe categories in The Open Directory and Suite101.
Until recently, he served as the Economic Advisor to the Government of Macedonia.
Visit Sam’s Web site at samvak.tripod.com